Milestones

While Emily Bean is cruising through her developmental milestones (need I say it? That's right, ADVANCED BABY), I seem to be stumbling over mine.  Juggling the practical difficulties that come with raising a cleft baby (who is teething...) with work is proving a great challenge.  And not least because I will ALWAYS be my own worst critic.  I need to learn that 'perfection' and 'giving my all' needs to balance against remaining sane! Learning that I don't have to do everything myself!  I got some good advice from a wonderful friend, who said to take it easy on myself - one of those things that is easier said than done. And on the other side is the emotional rollercoaster that goes with letting someone else care for your child, however loving, doting and amazing they may be.  I simply find myself running around, trying to do all, but feeling like I am achieving very little.  It is quite overwhelming.  I kind of feel like I am neither good at being a mother nor good at my job at the moment.  I also don't want to sound like a whining ninny.  I realise that I am not a bad mother, but it doesn't stop that little voice telling me I am every now and then. But, I will find my rhythm again, it's just that patience has never been one of my strong points.

Okay, enough about me.  Emily is growing so quickly.  She is more and more beautiful by the day! She is also playing games now and loves to laugh.  Just when you think you can't possibly love anyone more, she looks at you a certain way and flashes you the most incredible smile, that literally stops all the craziness, centres you again and makes you realise that there is nothing that compares to the unconditional love between a parent and a child.

And, yes, you did read correctly, she is teething.  Yet another milestone that the cleft throws an interesting spin on.  It, unfortunately, limits the 'muti' we can use, as the powders that everyone swears by end up going up her nose and causing her untold discomfort.  She also (like her mother) does not like the taste of liquorice, so Teejel also doesn't work (the face she pulled when we gave it to her it was priceless, the crying that followed, not so much).  For now, Pansoral and Panado seem to be all we can do, but it works, so who's complaining?

We are also feeding her Purity style organic baby food with her formula.  She seems to take to new tastes very well (especially when they are flavour like 'banana and peach pudding'!).  Her weight is also climbing nicely, and I am proud to annouce that she is starting to feel heavy when I have to rock her to sleep in my arms (crazy, I know, but to see her thriving like this can only bring me joy!).

Here are some pictures that I took over the last three weeks, enjoy!