Toothy pegs

Dear Matthew

Today, you bit me, and there was a sharpness to it! After trying to look at your bottom gums for about ten minutes (you kept poking your tongue out) I finally spotted your first tooth!

It is on your bottom jaw, in the middle on the left. There's barely a millimetre above the gums but its there! 

Gramps came over in the afternoon and spotted it too. Luckily he was here at your bedtime as he helped me give you Panadol for the pain and rocked you to sleep!

While I'm excited, I'm going to miss your gorgeous gummy smile! 

Thanks for being brave while your teeth decide to pop through, you're truly the best, and you're teaching your mum a thing or two about resilience!

Love, 

Mum xxx

A taste of curry

Dear Matthew

Last night while I was holding you with one arm and eating curry with the other, you tried to eat the curry off my spoon as I was moving it from the bowl to my mouth! I was shocked and amused!

This signals the start of you almost being ready for solid foods! For almost 5 months now my breast milk has been your only food source, but that is soon to change!

It's funny how, when I first started breast feeding you, I was literally counting down the weeks till you weren't chained to me. Now, with 5 weeks till your 6 month half-birthday, I feel it's just another thing that's taking my baby away from me! Never mind, my job is to make you independent, and eating food is a massive part of that!

Plus now your dad can help with feeds!

Here you are about a month ago, trying out your awesome Ikea high chair (apparently its the best, luckily it's also the cheapest!). Soon you'll be drinking out of those cups! More updates to follow when we give you your first tasting around Easter (sorry, no chocolate this year!). 

And if I haven't said it recently, know that I love you very very much. You are the reason my heart beats. 

Love, 

Mum xxx

The Family Cot

Dear Matthew

Recently you have been lucky enough to sleep in the Haynes family cot. 

This is the cot that your Grandma and all of her brothers and sisters slept in as babies (Uncle John was the first at over 66 years ago). 

I put the below photo of you on Facebook and asked family members around the globe to comment as to who has slept in the cot. 

At our last count, you made 24. 

24 babies! What a specialty tradition you have been part of. 

You had your first sleep over in it last Saturday at Grandma and Gramps' house. This was also the first time we had left you for more than about twenty minutes.  You were very well behaved, thank goodness. We are going to try and leave you with family members regularly so that the transition to day care is easier later in the year, however some separation anxiety is of course expected (from both parties!). 

As an aside- I love your smile. It is the most addictive thing I have ever experienced.

Love, 

Mum xxx

My little baby is growing up

Dear Matthew

Today you sat up by yourself for a good ten seconds, albeit very hunched over. 

While I am incredibly proud of you for doing this, I am no longer surprised by your continuous developments. 

I don't mean this in a bad way. What I mean is, you are growing and learning each day and it is inevitable that you will be able to accomplish new things as time goes on. 

And in an odd way that makes me sad. Sad because I am losing my precious baby. 

I know that your milk breath will not last forever. The coos you make while sleeping are slowly disappearing. 

You are growing. Growing into a beautiful little boy. 

Every day I remind myself that you are on loan from the world for such a small amount of time. Time that seems to be passing so, so quickly. 

And so I breathe you in and thank God I get you for now.

Love, 

Mum xxx