We think we've cracked it!!!! On 26th September she technically 'slept through' and I haven't fed her during the night since 21st September. She wakes occasionally - a couple of nights ago she had her first 'nightmare' but went straight back to sleep. The night before last I was pressing the lullaby button on the monitor every hour or so until we figured out that she was in pain (teething or sore throat like we had... still not sure) so gave her some medicine which did the trick. Last night she woke up at 5am but dozed off again with the help of the lullaby until husband woke her just after 7am. I should be ecstatic but I've got more sleep to catch up with than time to catch up in, and am still stressed out about (a) my grievance hearing which is this week and (b) the ongoing situation with regards to my parents' caring for my grandparents. But - the sleep programme was a great success - hardgoing but well worth it!
Elizabeth has been 'hard work' since she was 9 months. Her growing independence and shortening temper, plus struggles over eating and 'exploring' have tested me. In the morning she wants to be 'treasure hunting'. No longer content to sit in bed and cuddle with me she wants to be getting the 'treasure' on our bedside tables, whether mobile phone, alarm clock, keys, cufflinks... you name it. She still hates having her nappy changed - the most challenging part of the day is probably when I have to get her washed and change her nappy. She has developed a high pitched scream which I would like to say she reserves for just such occasions, but she also uses it whenever she is blocked.
On the plus side she has stopped eating books, playing with the video and eating newspapers, and has learned to dance. She is listening to more music now I have figured out how to get radio stations through Freeview, and jigs about while cruising the coffee table and smaller table, neither of which have corner protectors on because she eats them. Her toys are having something of a renaissance - instead of all being stored in a tupperware box by the living room door they are now arranged at various 'activity stations' for her interest. The shape sorter and rings on a pole and her Elizabus (animal shape sorter bus) are on the small table. Her activity boot, rattles and box of toys like Mr Froggy and the Fisher Price Rollaround balls are on the main table, with some things secreted on the shelf below. There are library books for her to find on the lower shelf of the book case, and she now has her V-tech First Steps walker ("Hello baby, lets play puppy says... dance to the island beat..." against our better judgement. I say this because we have resisted all toys with flashing lights and sounds thinking that she would be getting too much stimulation and reasoning that we have turned out fine without such toys. However, as she is cruising now we wanted her to have something to support her through learning to walk, and tried her with various push-alongs at group. The tradional truck with bricks in was a 'no go' and this particular one is very stable and seemed ideal. When she tried it again in Mothercare she was actually walking along behind it - but now she's had it at home for a week or so she will roll underneath it but is showing no signs of walking with it! Nonetheless, we're getting to know every tune and sound that it makes!
Elizabeth's eating is progressing. She is having more finger foods - she had toast today with her lamb puree smeared over it, and ended up eating most of it. She had a medley of peas, sweetcorn, carrots and melon as a starter for tea last night but most of that ended up variously on the floor, in the basket of her highchair, and down her clothes. The highchair truly is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. I spray it daily with Dettol spray, and clean in the crevices after every meal but it still seems to have a kind of dried on musy gunk every time I look at it. Everyone tells me this is all good, and she needs to explore her food to develop eating skills. Hmmm.... when the blueberry and raspberry puree was fired backwards about two metres yesterday lunch time and hit the radiator in the corner of the room I was beginning to wonder! She generally starts out well holding her own spoon when we feed her with a second spoon but does get frustrated and starts to spit things out, although I read somewhere yesterday that we should stop at that point as any more is 'over-feeding'. How do you know when she hasn't had enough and when to encourage her to have more and when to call it a day? This parenting lark is so hard!!!
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