Stanley continues to be amazing, as ever!
Things he can now do:
- Roll on to his front from his back
- Rotate whilst on his back on the play mat
- Feed himself (well, help himself to the breast whilst we lay down to feed)
- Stick his tongue out on demand by copying us
- Pull the jiggly toy on his car seat so that it jiggles - I can't tell you how proud I was when he did that on the way to Scotland! He's learning cause and effect. I actually welled up!
- Pick things up straight away and pass them from one hand to the other
He laughs and smiles all the time and melts everyone's hearts, but mine most of all! His chuckle is adorable and he is ticklish under his arms. He loves playing on his play gym and being outside. He still loves swimming; we took him a lot on holiday.
These last few weeks we have been incredibly busy and have been all over! We have visited friends and family and have stayed at Center Parcs, the Lake District, Menorca, Leeds, Sheffield, Scotland... Stanley is certainly well travelled! He takes it all in his stride and is such a good, relaxed baby. In the Lakes we went for a huge walk and got soaked to the skin (Stanley was in the sling) and joined in on the BaBs megameet! Menorca was amazing and very hot! Stanley was great on the plane and only cried a little. We did lots of walking along the beaches and around the village and generally took it easy. We also visited a gin distillery and went on a boat around the harbour. We have just got back from Scotland and had a lovely time. I have another few locations for my 'extreme breastfeeding': a nudist beach in Menorca (I wasn't nude!) and watching two polar bears frolic in a pond at the Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland!
We've been so busy that I'm struggling to remember everything we've done! He's well into his 3-6 month clothes now but will be in them for a while yet. Last week he only weighed 13lb 11oz! He's dropping off the 9th centile, but I'm not worried. He's happy and healthy and is doing just perfectly. He's just little like his parents!
Stanley cut his first tooth today! It's not quite out fully yet - just the tip sticking out! But it seems to have come as a surprise with none of the typical 'teething' symptoms that I've read about.
Ooh! We now have a patio! My grandma mentioned getting Stanley a trike and it made us think that we don't have anywhere for him to ride it. It's fantastic and we're so pleased with it (and dead grateful to everyone who helped dig and lay it!).
So, what's next? On Monday I'm doing a Keeping in Touch day at work. I'm really nervous as it will be the longest I've left him. I left him for the prom for a few hours and a couple of hours to go out for a meal but not all day. Last night he successfully took expressed milk from a bottle so I'm hoping that he'll be ok. He'll be with my dad.
In a couple of weeks we'll be starting weaning. I am planning on following the baby led weaning (BLW) approach - letting him self-feed rather than spoon feeding him. I think I need to prepare for lots of MESS! I have already let him lick my canteloup melon - he pulled a bit of a face! He is certainly getting ready for it. Everything is going in his mouth now and he watches intently while we eat and even grabs things off our plates if he's within range.
Also, we have Stanley's service of thanksgiving coming up! It's in October but who knows if I'll have time to update this before then! We are looking forward to celebrating Stanley and saying thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last few years on our journey to becoming his mum and dad. We are even having a roast afterwards!
All in all he's such a lovely little boy. He's becoming just that - a little boy. He's growing and changing so fast and I feel so lucky and blessed to be his mummy. I am cherishing every moment, even if I am sleep deprived and carrying baby weight. Who cares when I have him?!
