Well - I'm back at work... in fact I've worked five weeks (well, five days) and it is now half term! Can hardly believe my luck really, so effectively I have two weeks off, then will work another four days (one week apart) then off for effectively 4 weeks. Was saying to husband before that I definately think I've got the work:life balance thing right now! It hasn't been all plain sailing though. His work are not playing ball about him having every Friday off, so we're having to think again. It may be that they allow him to work half days on Friday, so we'll still be looking for childcare for half a day. The in-laws looked after her for one day, and that was stressful (in the run-up) but ok, but definately not how we want things to be long-term.
Elizabeth is doing well - getting even more grown-up every day. She dropped her morning nap two weeks ago so her schedule looks something like this:
7am - up and bf
7-8am - lounge around in the bedroom, then wash, dress and nappy change
8am - porridge, toast and possible satsuma
9-12 - activities
12 - lunch (e.g. cheese on toast, yoghurt, melon, pineapple)
1.30 - down for a nap
3.30 - up and nappy change
4pm - snack e.g. Innocent smoothie for kids
6.00 - tea (whatever we're having)
6.45 - bath, pyjamas, story, bf and
7pm - bed
Her week looks something like this:
Monday - miscellaneous tasks e.g. post office
Tuesday - am bf support group
Wednesday - lorna and louisa
Thursday - swimming
Friday - 'Daddy day' e.g. visiting Great Gran or Grandma
Her words are as follows:
Mum
Dad
boob
yessss
bird
pooo
down (as in Davina exercise DVD "and down...")
and 'duuuur' (for when something is out of place)
She has been doing lots of dancing today - she signals when the music has finished, and gets agitated until another song is played. She is good at signalling 'poo' when she has a dirty nappy, and is eating well, and doing well with her swimming. She is able to recognise from her books a baby, a ball, a dog ('woof'), a gorrilla ('ooh ooh ooh'), and she knows what a clock is, what bananas are, what a nose, neck, eye, ear, tummy, leg, hand, arm etc are.
We have a plan - to try for another baby in May. We're trying to get the house in order, got the living room to decorate, turf to lay in the garden, the study to sort out as a new nursery... holiday to hopefully book (looking at Devon again or poss. France), new car to replace mine (driving position still does for my pelvis because it is so low)... plenty to do.
It is a sign of the times that it is Valentine's Day and I am here tapping on the computer while husband is downstairs watching something on tv. We're tired, but not that tired - Elizabeth is sleeping through a lot better now. Still occasional nights when she wake us up several times (although we don't go through to her unless she needs starbo), and the occasional mornings when she is up at 6am.
