10 months, 10 new things

10 months. I’ve finally done it! Harry has now officially been on the outside world longer than he was in. I can’t quite believe it. We’re on the home stretch for his first birthday which is something I’m looking forward to because I’m rather tired of this awkward stage in between a baby and a toddler. He wants to do so much but he’s still limited by his chubby little dumpling body. The things he’s learned are, to me anyway, so brilliant and ridiculously far removed from the quiet little kitten that we brought home. So here are 10 new things we’ve accomplished in these 10 first months:

1. He’s so chatty and bossy! Today in fact, he’s referred to his Grandad by name for the first time. He had dropped a toy on the floor from his high chair (unfortunately a favourite game of his) and yelled ‘GanGan!!’ at my Dad until he did what Harry wanted. I get called ‘Ma!’ in a Boston accent at the top of his lungs when he wants something.

2. I finally learned to let go of milestones and where he ‘should be’ in his development, which has turned out to be such a big favour to myself. I realised that I really should not give a single solitary shit about some imaginary race. He’s a snowflake.

3. It’s not just me that is always wanting him to be at the next stage, Harry seems to as well! He’s crawling fairly competently now, although with difficulty as he has very long supermodel legs which keep getting caught under him. Or he tries to go onto his hands and feet like Mowgli from The Jungle Book.

4. People around you really show their true colours when a baby is born and you’re in need of support. I’ll just leave it at that.

5. Babies get ill like, ALL THE TIME. If you see someone 250 yards down the road and they sneeze, you can bet that you will spend the next week seeing snot bubbles, having a little nose wiped on your favourite jumper (even though it was disguised as a cuddle), having breakfast cereal coughed all over you and having a little guest in bed with you.

6. He eats like a teenager/dustbin. Christ can this child put it away! It’s lovely to see such a healthy appetite but I am bewildered as to where he finds space for that second yogurt. One weekend teatime he ate an actual child-sized portion of roast chicken dinner (complete with mash and veg), then a bowl of sponge and custard, then wanted some of Daddy’s, then had some chocolate buttons and still polished off a 6 oz bottle before bed.

7. Nobody warns you about what a bitch Post natal depression can be. The health visitors decide that you’re ok those first few visits because you don’t show any signs whereas you are too busy concentrating solely on looking like a good parent so they don’t take your baby away.

8. Harry is apparently quite a quirky boy! He is obsessed with doors, curtains and anything that opens. His obsessions is slowly taking over our lives and my shoulder is wrecked from holding onto him while he repeatedly opens and closes the living room door for 45 minutes at a time. This is usually done with one hand while the other, in a fist, wobbles his lips while he yells which creates a very pleasing effect to the ear ?

9. I should have stuck to contact lenses! I thought they’d be a pain once the baby was here and reverted to my lovely specs which was great at first when I was doing boss-ass winged eyeliner to go with the frames but now Harry’s bigger and realises they’re not just a part of my face, he’s whipping them off my face every 2 minutes. I also go through about 5 lens cleaning wipes a day, so we buy them in packs of 100 now.

10. Netflix is the best friend I never realised I needed. I thought I wouldn’t have time for TV but I was very wrong. Whether it’s half an hour while the baby has their bottle or a 2 hour slot while they’re sleeping and you’re too exhausted/suicidal to clean, I recommend it so much. We all know by now that the ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ mantra is pure bull so when he’s napping I just put the telly on and get under a blanket with a coffee. 11 seasons of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia have certainly helped get me smiling again when I can’t face leaving the house. It’s one of the only things from my pre-child life that I can still do. It’s a little bit of self-care in my opinion and a belly-laugh at one of your fave programmes feels as good as a bar of choc and a cuddle.

Taken from my blog www.everymumever.wordpress.com