That’s right – my littlest babe is already four months old and this is the first update I’ve written! The last four months have been some of the hardest of my life and it looks as if things are about to take a turn for the worse as Mabel’s sleep pattern has gone out the window. We seem to have fallen head first into the dreaded four month sleep regression phase. Mabel’s gone from waking 1-2 times a night to 3+. Combine that with Elsie’s 5am wake up call and it’s not much fun in the Magovern household right now!
With sleep aside I can’t complain too much. Mabel’s been a dream to look after. It’s the combination of having a baby and a toddler that’s hard. Mabel’s got a very loose routine which seems to be out of sync with Elsie’s. For example, Mabel will usually get tired around mid morning and so she will have about an hours sleep. By the time she’s awake Elsie’s just finished lunch and then it’s time for her nap. There doesn’t seem to be a single second in the day when they’re both asleep. It’s hard to get much done but I know it won’t be forever.
When it comes to formula Mabel is still very ‘snacky’. We’re still using the smaller 50z bottles as she never drinks more than that in one go. We’ve been using Aptamil formula since birth (besides our short dabble into breastfeeding) and have found it a great substitute for breast milk. Thankfully none of our babies have had any kind of allergies however I hear cow’s milk allergies are quite common so when I came across this Aptamil Pepti product the other day, from Chemist Direct, I was really impressed. It must be tough managing a baby with allergies so products like this are not only convenient but also essential to those that choose to use formula.
I’ve been thinking ahead to weaning Mabel however, to me, she just doesn’t seem anywhere near ready. I reread the update I wrote about Elsie at five months old and she’d started weaning at around four and half months. Elsie could almost sit unaided at this age whereas Mabel isn’t even close. They’re so different already. I’m in no rush to wean Mabel and will take her lead. Having said that I do notice her smacking her lips when she sees someone eating!
Mabel Mouse is definitely not so mousey anymore. We nicknamed her Mouse as a newborn because she just seemed so diddy (despite being 8lb 8oz) but she’s now packing the weight on and is filling her 3-6m sleep suits right to the toe. I dressed her in a 6-9mth outfit the other day and it fitted like a dream albeit the sleeves needed rolling over once.
During the last few weeks we’ve also had the first signs that teeth are on their way. We’ve been through more outfits than I care to count as Mabel has been soaking through them with her drool! Her fingers are always wedged in her mouth and we’ve been having to put bibs on her just to keep her clothing dry.
Now Mabel’s a little more responsive I’ve been trying to incorporate some basic play into her day. Games such as peek-a-boo or singing silly songs seem to be a huge hit. Mabel’s always been a smiler but these games make her giggle and coo. She’s also reaching out for toys which are close by and today she grabbed my hair! On to the next fun stage we go…..!
