Motherhood Moments

As we reach seven months.

My baby lies asleep on my lap. He is ill for the first time, a tummy bug. Cradling his little exhausted body in my arms and stroking his head I just want to kiss him over and again, I love him so intensely. Soon I will be struck down too, although when I started writing this I was hopeful I might have escaped. I am not prepared for how violently it hits me, I feel I have been wrung out and bruised from the inside, and I am filled with amazement at how bravely my little one weathered it. Fortunately it passes through us both in 24h, and we are now recovered.

For today – I just wanted to create a snapshot of where we currently are at. Seven months into this new season of life.

O is on the move – has been for a month or so. His technique has changed several times, from roll and wriggle, through different types of commando crawl. The first few times he got going, he would inch up and then power push himself mouth wide open towards his goal, in the same movement as a tortoise jutting its head out for a leaf. At present he’s perfected a speedy three-limb-only affair, reminiscent of a wounded soldier trying to escape to safety. He is also curiously drawn to lifting himself into a downward dog position (- is this my fault for doing yoga with him for the past few months?!), from which he unfortunately tends to rock at high speed into a full-on faceplant. And he’s pulling himself up wherever he can.

Speaking of yoga, we’re still going, but every time it requires a complete makeover of our space. Think: blankets over every potential injury surface, power cords concealed as best I can, towers constructed to prevent access to dangerous objects, as many enticing toys and activities as I can assemble alongside me on the floor – and still I end up interrupting my practice to avert disaster every few minutes. But I still love that I get to do this with him and am determined to keep trying to find ways to make it work!

I am on the move too: I’ve started building up to running with the stroller! We had worked our way through the third week of Couch to 5K (with me pushing his stroller) – before gastro wiped us out. This too is such a precious experience for me to get to share with him, I am so glad I am able to do so. Otherwise he still very much loves being in the baby carrier – and these are some of my happiest moments, chatting to him as we walk through the park, playing peakaboo with him while out on errands, feeling him grow heavy and fall asleep snuggled inside my jacket.

After hating the car for the first six months of his life, things have finally improved. I’m trying to be deliberate about making an effort to go out on adventures together, taking him places that I love to go: the beach, art galleries, botanic gardens, bookshops. We keep things simple, but I usually grab a little treat for myself – a cheese scone, scoop of ice cream, aloe vera drink – and I treasure these days so much.

Up until Easter we were going to baby sensory classes, which O enjoyed so much. I can’t wait to take him to a musical playgroup next. Right now solids are probably his greatest sensory experience – different tastes seem to literally blow his mind, and after a lot of initial wariness, it is so funny how excited he gets for meal time, and how much anticipation he puts into an approaching spoonful of food. He loves to hold and smoosh things in his hands.

As for me, I managed to gather enough courage to make some new friends, which I really needed. It’s so nice for me to have people to talk with and so good for O to have baby playdates.

Best of the Best

His laughter. The moment his eyes locate me when he wakes up in the morning. Pillowtalk babbles – his first syllable was mamama, then nagnagna, and currently everyone is dad dad. Snuggles after nap when he’s warm and sleepy. His affectionate cuddles and kisses! Waving at everyone, especially the baby in the mirror. The way he actively initiates play – copying sounds we make, still loving peekaboo games, and dissolving into fits of giggles.