Mothers group - Mums and Bubs exercise class

This afternoon Mum and I went to the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre to attend the Mums and Bubs exercise class. The class was given by Julie who is Mums old Bodypump teacher. We got a tour around the Aquatic Centre, which I loved, because I love water and it is so nice and warm in the pool area. Mum was telling me that I have already been a lot in this pool, when I was still growing in Mums belly, Mum used to swim with me 2-2.5 kms every week in the first 6 months of the pregnancy. 
Mum promised that as soon as I am a bit older and able to support my head that she and Dad will be taking me swimming.
Mum will also start doing the Mums and Bubs class as soon as I am 4 months old (3 months corrected age) which will be in November. I have already started practicing my exercises with Dad at home and I can already hold my head up a little bit, so will keep practicing this a lot, because I love to go to the pool!

See I can do 45 degrees neck lifts already!

But it is definitely not easy yet, holding your neck up to 90 degrees!

I got pretty tired from all this practice and Mum was very proud of my achievements and gave me big cuddles afterwards.

My bunny outfit!

Auntie Sarah came to visit on Sunday, she is the nice Auntie from Geelong, who gave me the big Winny the Pooh and the cute bunny outfit!

Auntie Sarah has a bunny called Ollie, which she brings along when she visits. He has really long soft ears.
She is studying Medicine and wants to become a baby doctor. Every time she visits, she is doing reflex tests on me to see if I am developing properly. I think I am her practice baby bunny.

As you can see in the pictures my head is still only on the 10th percentile in growth compared to my height and weight which is already approaching the 50th percentile.

In the shower for the first time!

He look at this, my head under water and I still have my eyes open. The shower is way more fun then the bath and I need to practice my water skills, because Mum is taking me for a tour around the pool next week in Mum's and Bub's group and I want to go the pool asap. I think when your Dad is an Aquarius (Waterman), your Mum a Pisces (Vis) and me a Cancerian(Kreeft) baby, there is no doubt that water is what binds us all together!

Mum took me in for the shower the second time, I think I will be ready for the pool soon.
Be careful Mum, Don't drop me, because the baby soap makes me slippery!

Whooping Cough - Vaccinations Mum and Dad

Because whooping cough (kinkhoest) is potentially quite dangerous for me as I am not yet protected with my own vaccinations, Mum and Dad had to get the vaccination. I had to see that of course so I went along and watched how the doctor injected the vaccin in Mum and Dad. I learnt today that there is no reason to cry when you receive your vaccin, Mum and Dad did not have to cry at all. I will try to be just as strong on the 15th of September and November when I get my second and 3rd set of vaccins.

Hungry

I was so hungry today that I could not wait for Mum, I could eat a whole .......nose!

Me and my big Mate Maui sleeping with Mum. Soon I will be bigger than 6kg Maui so then I will be his big mate and he my little mate.



Albert Park

As today was going to be the first nice and sunny Winter day in a long time,Mum and Dad decided to finally take me out for a full day. We started off at the Queen Victoria Market, where we had coffee at a little cafe and met up with Uncle Ben and Auntie Kim. (Auntie Kim made her famous cupcakes again, so I will be having extra sweet milk again tonight)

 Uncle Ben looks already very professional holding little me!

In the afternoon Mum and Dad took me the Albert Park for a 5 km walk around Albert Park Lake. Of course walking makes me hungry and therefor Mum took a rest on one of the benches to feed me.

I am secretly hiding under the blanket during my feed, as it was a bit windy.
It is my first time feeding outside, so I have to still practice this with Mum.

As it is the weekend Dad has the burping shift and he makes sure I have a view whilst preparing my burp.

I am wearing my little warm bear suit!

Dad and me have quickly done a nappy change in one of the parents rooms. They have great facilities here in Albert Park. We did it really quick as otherwise my little bum would freeze off.

 

Mouse and me in the pram tucked in extra warm, I even have my gloves on.

 Mum is showing me the Melbourne skyline

 Walking (or actually pramming) does make me tired, so in the carseat I was already sound asleep.

 As Melbourne is still a city you will get a bit dirty after being out all day so I had a nice warm bath to clean me up. 



My new favourite sleeping position

Maternal Health Nurse visit #3

At 5 weeks today i have been weighed at 3825 grams and 54 centimeters in length.
My head circumference is 35 centimeters. I was very alert again during the visit, as I do like to make a good impression on nurse Elaine.
My favourite activity is still sleeping especially in Mums arms, but I think she is on to me as I am noticing more often that I wake up in my cot after falling asleep on her lap.

Mums and Bubs group

Today Mum and I went to our first Mothers Group. It was only a small group, but all were

very nice:

Mum Tonya with baby Connor

Mum Jessica with baby Oliver
Mum Kristie and Nanna Helen with baby Georgia
Mum Kate with baby Jay
Mum Thu with baby Alvin
Mum Nabela with baby Hanna


The Mums were chatting away about births, hospitals, parenting and us babies were just sleeping or having a play on the play mat. I am still the youngest and smallest in the whole group. Most of the babies are already 8-12 weeks old and I am only 4 weeks or actually -1 week still. Mums group will be running for 6 weeks. so hopefully after that I will have some playmates to play with when I get older. At the moment Dad is showing me how to play on my play mat, but am still unabe to focus, but I like looking at blurry colour things and black and white things I can see.

This is me in my blue bouncer. I do not always like it to be tightly restricted yet, but Mum says I will have to get used to it when I get older and start to move around  I will be more restricted for my own safety (whatever that means).

Muis (Mouse)

This morning I was very thirsty and drank 2 whole breasts for the first time. Between 4pm and 6.30pm I started to be more awake and Mum started to introduce play time in my colourful activity gym. Mr Froggy plays some great music and is very easy to grab. Even Molokai likes to watch me play on my mat from a safe distance, but Mum makes sure he does not steal my toys.

I have already bombarded Muis to be my favorite stuffed animal, he is so easy to grab and throw around because he is long and thin arms and legs and you can also suck on him really well, when you are hungry.

You do get tired after all that playing

The big bath

Today Daddy tried me in the big bath for the first time. I was on my little floatation device surrounded by all of the little duckies from Auntie Joyce and Mum was doing her photo shoot again. I like the bigger bath a lot more than the small bath, as I did not cry at all. I was floating very relaxed and Daddy was making little waves.

Maternal Health Nurse visit #2

As of today at 3 weeks and 4 days old I am only doing breast feeding. Mum just gives me a little bottle top up to check whether I really did have enough fromt he breast and most of the time I do not need anything extra. Mum is definitely determined to make sure that I am not loosing any weight.

At 4pm today Mum and I visited the maternal health nurse and she measured me at 51 centimeters, 3370 grams and head circumference of 33.5 centimeters and said my motorical development is perfect for a premature baby. "You are very good with already keeping your head up!" This is very handy at tummy time, but mummy does not really like it whilst breast feeding, because if she wants to pull me in close to put me on the breast for some reason I lift my head and stretch my neck to go exactly the opposite way, so we sometimes struggle a little bit, but luckily for Mum my hunger ensures that I usually let her win!

My nails are getting longer and I have started scratching everything that falls into my hands, especially skin. As today I pinched mummy’s nipples and daddy’s underarm. He needs to cut his hair, otherwise I will be pulling it very soon.

Big day for me! Bye bye nipple shield

Why did we ever use a nipple shield? I latch on brilliantly on the left breast. The right we are still working on, but my strength is improving. I even emptied 1,5 breast without stopping today.

Tomorrow we are starting on only breast feeds and no more bottles.

But Daddy is still allowed to give me a bottle every now and then, otherwise he will miss my gorgeous big eyes when I drink. Mum said we will make sure he gets to feed you around 3 am, so Mummy can catch up on some sleep.

During my morning sleep, Sean, Kirsten Aiden and Kaelan came to visit us. Kaelan is already 4 months now and weighs 7 kg. I am still tiny compared to him, but next year around this time, we will be able to play together, says Mum.

Look how cute I sleep!

 Kaelan and Mum

 In the afternoon Mum and Dad dressed me up warmly and we went to have a little walk. We finally received the bassinet, which was delayed, so now Mum can take me out for walks regularly 

 

Look at my hands!

Today uncle Ben and auntie Kim stopped by to see how I was going. Auntie Kim gave me one of the bottle feeds and have way through the feed, everyone started laughing because I had my hands folded. Mum said that they looked just like grand pa's hands when he sleeps.

I am even holding my own bottle already (with a bit of help)

 Maui has slwoly been taking an interest in me and likes to put his paw on my little bum. I think we will be good mates when I am bigger.

 Mum and I cuddling on the couch

No nipple shield

Today I breastfed for the first time without the nipple shield for 8 minutes, which means I am getting stronger at the sucking! Feeding still takes me a long time, but I am getting there. I am also as of today doing 3 breast feeds every day and 3 bottle feeds with expressed breast milk.

Although it is still not easy to get milk out of a breast bigger than my own little head.

Mum did her little Sepia photo shoot with me and Daddy. It is hard to photograph me as I am hardly ever awake or screaming without my clothes on. We heated the room to 30 degrees and she tried to put Daddy and me in cute positions. We both look very good in the pictures. One of the pictures we are using as the Thank you Card to send to all the people who have send us gifts and cards.



Pictures