Week According to Sam

The Week According to Sam- Week Eight

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 23, 2012 in Motherhood, Week According to Sam | 3 comments

This week was about ups and downs…not for Sam…but for me. I’m struggling a bit. Trying to RELOCATE myself, trying to find time, trying to fulfill obligations and be a good mother, wife and me. Sam? He’s brilliant. While we are still working on separating a bit more during the day, he is a happy, healthy, lovely boy. What more could you ask for? This week should have been Sam’s eight week check and 1st set of jabs. But as the NHS can’t seem to count, we have that appointment next week. Gee darn, postponing Sam’s first jabs. I hate that part!

We did accomplish one item, however, this week. Sam’s cot bed got put together! Huzzah and Pip Pip! We picked up a replacement parts kit from Kiddicare and reassembled the cot so it was fit for purpose. But then, as we were all standing in Sam’s room on Saturday, I mentioned that it might be nice to decorate Sam’s room for SAM. Cue Mark’s creative side and next thing we knew, we were at B&Q buying 2 shades of blue paint for the walls. Now Sam’s room is totally back to disarray as Mark adds a “boy” stamp to the room. The cot is still assembled, however, in the middle of the room as it’s too big to fit through the door. One day Sam may have his own room.

Here is the week according to Sam…week eight…in pictures:

Sleep training commences…swaddling, positioning, white noise…we’ve got it all. Sam slept brilliantly ONE day for 1 1/2 hours. He has taken on the persona of Houdini however and now regularly wrangles his way out of the swaddling. The boy wants his arms free!

Time for a dream feed…Sam looks ever so serious! Bless…

We met Mark to journey into Stamford to get my taxes sorted with an accountant. Then we managed to convince Mark to take us out to lunch. Sam enjoyed a bit of formula while Mark and I munched through some sandwiches. How decadent are we?

Attempting a bit of fashion and style here, Sam sports a bandana. This boy is going to be a drool monster…I just know it!

This picture cracks me up! We arrived at the local Soft Play place on Friday as it was a rainy, horrible day. Ella got to run around like a mad-woman and Sam got to be snuggled by Mummy and MummyMatters! Not a bad situation!

You SHOULD be sleeping Sam!

“I quite like this play mat Mummy…can you please stop taking pictures of me though! Geesh!”

Thanks for tuning in for another week according to Sam. What will week nine bring?

The Week According to Sam- Week Seven

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 17, 2012 in Motherhood, Week According to Sam | 3 comments

The Cafe Bebe family started off with a BIG ADVENTURE on Monday 9 January with our first trip as a family of four to London. I was presenting at a PR Training at 11am in Soho so at 10:15 when we were still in North London, it became crystal clear that I was not going to make it if I didn’t hop out at the nearest tube stop and scuttle into London on my own and meet up with Mark and the kids later. Out I ran, at Hendon Central, and managed to make it into Soho by just before 11am. Mark was left with Ella and Sam and as I exited the car, Sam must have sensed something as he chose that moment to start shrieking. He did that for the remainder of the 45 minute drive into London. I believe Mark lost his mind somewhere around Abbey Road.

Bless him, he coped though. I was really proud of Mark’s skills as he managed to get all three of them to Oxford Street about 3 hours later and we reunited and I gave Sam a right proper cuddle. We enjoyed a leisurely break in Debenham’s cafe where Sam was put to rights and then we hoofed it up to Regent’s Park so Ella could have a little play before we returned to our car park to head home. It was a great adventure which tested us more than we would have liked but we all survived. I’m looking forward to my first adventure into London with just Sam! Anyone want to meet us?

The rest of the week was pretty tame and wound up with a visit to our local surgery to the Health Visitor for Sam’s 6 week check (even though he was 7 weeks). I was less than impressed with the Health Visitor but Sam appears to be fine for the time being. The only thing that worried me was his weight. He’s put on a good deal of weight since his last weigh-in on 13 December. He weighed 8lbs 2oz on the 13 of December and on the 13 of January he weighed 9lbs 11oz. However, on the “centile” charts, he’s dropped well below the “50th centile” where he had been on the 13th December. Of course, I know these charts are just estimates and based on what others weighed in comparison but you never want to hear that your child isn’t “measuring up”. We’ve increased Sam’s feeds as he was draining his bottles and I know I shouldn’t worry because he’s growing and happy and healthy. But still…I do.

We had a bit of a sad weekend as we had to bid farewell to Mark’s twin sister, Julie, and her family on Sunday. They head back down to Australia and the hard part about that is that we don’t know when we’ll see them again. Julie’s daughter is 17 now and she’ll be finishing her final year in secondary school which means they won’t be able to come back during the summer and may not be able to come back for Christmas next year. There’s no way we can afford 3 1/2 fares to Australia unless we win the lottery so we’ll have to settle for Skype in the meantime. I feel badly that Ella and Sam will miss out on knowing their cousins and being loved and spoiled by their Auntie Julie but one day maybe…

Here’s the week according to Sam- week seven, in pictures:

Sam’s in there! I promise! I was wearing Sam in the Baby Bjorn carrier which meant that Ella could claim back her Xplory for a ride. London’s hard work for a 3 1/2 year old! We were enjoying a play break at Regent’s Park…what a great day!

Co-sleeping is a rather wonderful thing, you know?

We spent some quality time in the old Moses Basket this week. Here Sam’s getting to know the toy bar over the Moses Basket and spending a bit of time on his own. Such a big boy!

And he even managed to drift off for a few minutes in the darn Moses Basket! A miracle!

I’m also attempting to get Sam to snuggle up with various items. Here we have Penguin. I even “wore” Penguin for 1/2 a day to impart my “smell” onto it with the thought that Sam would attach to it then. Fat chance!

Multi-tasking Daddy…carrying Sam along with the laundry. You’ve gotta love Daddy’s creativeness!

We’ll miss you Auntie Julie! Thank you for such lovely cuddles, making me smile and giving me something to stare at (your lovely hair). Come back soon!

Guess what we managed to get put together this weekend?? After 7 weeks of Sam’s life, his cot is FINALLY assembled! We are now transitioning to Sam’s “big boy” bed. Wish us luck with that one!

The Week According to Sam- Week Six

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 9, 2012 in Motherhood, Week According to Sam | 1 comment

Six weeks ago I was sitting in hospital, feeling sorry for myself, Tweeting the hours away, waiting for our bebe to make an appearance. Six weeks later I am finally feeling like the “old me”, no longer feeling sorry for myself, spending less time on Twitter than ever and fully enjoying our bebe, Sam, who makes our days brighter. While talking with my mother-in-law over lunch on the weekend, I reminded her that Sam was now six weeks old. She said, “No! Six weeks already?!” I remarked that six week seemed like AGES ago but at the same time, can’t remember our lives without Sam. He’s fit in so well and brought so much to our days that I truly can’t imagine what it was like without him.

This week marked a major milestone for me. Mark went back to work PROPERLY on Tuesday and Ella resumed preschool on Wednesday. This is the way our weeks will be from now on. Tuesday I wasn’t sure if I could do it and wondered repeatedly how others manage to do it. By Wednesday, after surviving Tuesday with moderate success, I felt considerably better about what lay ahead. I know that we will have “days” which will challenge and upset me but I also know that I am more than capable of surviving them which is a major step forward for me.

In addition to getting a bit of a routine going, Sam and I started our walking again. It’s been six weeks now so it’s time for Mummy to get properly moving. With Sam secure in his Xplory, we’ve managed walks around the village on Wednesday and Thursday after school drop-off and before school pick-up and ventured into town on Friday for a bit of retail therapy as well. On Saturday, with our new Baby Bjorn Miracle Organic Carrier attached to me, we enjoyed 3 hours of sleep and out and about time with Sam in Stamford. I’m really excited about the carrier as I really feel it suits me well. We even picked up a weather cover so that Sam can be ultra snuggly while Mummy hoofs it around the village. Next week, slightly longer walks and the beginning of the MuTu System!

Sam has been fantastic this week. I’m still trying to get him to sleep more on his own without much success. We still do not have his nursery sorted but when that happens, my intention is to get him transitioning to his crib. Wish me luck…I’m such a softie and he’s such a snuggle bug that I don’t know how well we’ll do. I’ll report back next week…I’m not very optimistic though!

The following is the week according to Sam- week six…in pictures. Enjoy!

The last day of Daddy’s holiday! We bundled up, walked around the village and ended up at the park to have Big Sister show off her talents. Unfortunately, thanks to the freezing conditions, Sam had to stay secure in the Xplory. I assure you…he’s in there!

Sam in his bouncy seat, enjoying a bit of a break from Mummy (or is it the other way around?). Sam enjoys watching Mummy cook in the kitchen while staring out the window. As you do…

Another example of Sam’s smiling ability! Slightly wonky but ever so cute. Note the dimple as well…

I couldn’t resist taking this photo! Sam had truly buried his face in my chest. God knows how they breathe!

Time for that retail therapy in Peterborough with our friends and Big Sis, Ella, as well. Mind you, the footmuff and the hood prevent Sam from seeing much. Still…he was there!

Sam well and truly loves his Baby Bjorn Miracle Organic carrier! As does Mummy!

Just chillin’ with my Daddy like all the cool bebes do!

Sam wishes you all a pootastic week!

The Week According to Sam- Week Five

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 8, 2012 in Bebe, Little Miss Adventures, Motherhood, Uncategorized, Week According to Sam | 0 comments

Week FIVE?? How did we get to week five with me still partially SANE? Having survived Christmas as well, I think that’s not half bad. The week according to Sam this week included the family we so looked forward to visiting, leaving us. Grandma left on Tuesday and Auntie Julie and the cousins left on Friday. Thankfully Auntie Julie and the family will be back for one night before heading back to Australia, however. We don’t know when we’ll possibly see them again for a long while so we’re very much looking forward to this last upcoming visit.

In addition to having to say goodbye to family, we had some other fun family adventures while Daddy enjoyed some much needed (and deserved) holiday from work. Mid-week, we had a wonderful family photo shoot at a local photo studio. Despite our best intentions to leave the house with plenty of time to arrive, we ended up being 30 minutes late and my last shred of patience was obliterated. We were rushed through our shoot and while we did end up with some lovely images and the whole family was very beautifully immortalised, we just didn’t get enough time to get some of the shots I wanted. Hey-ho…we’ll just have to go again.

Sam continues to grow, change and develop. We’re even getting proper SMILES now! It takes some coaxing (and is usually brought on by Mummy’s voice) but they are REAL and not just wind. Sam is also staying awake longer after feeds and settling into a teeny bit of a routine. We are still co-sleeping but are also weaning a bit by having Sam sleep a few hours in his Fisher Price Cruisin’ Motion Soother which makes Mummy and Daddy happy too.

Here we have the week according to Sam- week five, in pictures…

Grandma gets one more evening to spend with Sam. Sam is suitably soothed and chilled at the same time!

Time for one last photo with Grandma and the kids before Grandma flies back to the US. We’ll miss you Grandma…hope to come visit YOU this summer!

Wonder of wonders! A picture with Sam and ME! Of course, taken by my fair hand…again! But still, a lovely moment with me and my boy.

A nice little cuddle with Daddy. Sam seems to be staring at the picture on Mark’s shirt…or wondering whether to poop! Could be either or both!

Told you! He’s smiling! We had a series of several smiles while Nanny held Sam. A real treat for Nanny and one I managed to capture on camera!

New Year’s Eve…and all is quiet! One of those rare moments. Shhhh…

We’ll start the year as we mean to go on, shall we? Loves and kisses anyone?

Next week we’re back to normal…Daddy back to work…Ella back to school…Mummy freaking out! What will happen in the end…God only knows!

The Week According to Sam- Week Four

Posted by cafebebemama on Dec 26, 2011 in Bebe, Motherhood, Week According to Sam | 0 comments

Week four of Sam’s life has been a busy one. Grandma arrived, Auntie Julie and the cousins arrived and Mummy lost her mind thanks to Christmas and the need to try to be more than she was capable of. Just your average week then!

Thanks to my inability to prepare for Christmas at the best of times, much less four weeks after giving birth, we needed to go out and about into the great, wide world to shop for anything we could find. The week kicked into high gear with a trip to the city Registrar to officially register Sam’s birth and get his birth certificates. This will allow us to get his British passport and start the process for registering Sam’s birth with the US Embassy in London and getting his US passport. It is unfortunate that there isn’t more pomp and circumstance to the Registration “ceremony”…it’s pretty special after all!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday we spent shopping in Peterborough. Sam is the most outstanding shopper that ever was! He falls asleep once in the car seat after a few minutes, we transfer him in his Snugglebundl into the Xplory pushchair and that’s about it for excitement as far as Sam’s concerned. He sleeps until I wake him up to change his nappy and feed him several hours later. Obviously the key to happiness as far as Sam is concerned is rolling transport. I may have to walk many miles in the coming months!

On Thursday we had a mini-Christmas party with Mummy Matters, Little Bean and Beanie Boy. What fun they all had! We can’t wait to have Sam join in on the fun in a few months. Friday was my Day of Meltdown, however. Faced with the prospect of driving my Mom, Ella, Sam and pushchair, etc. into Stamford for the day with it raining, I simply could not cope. Instead, I cried and stayed indoors thus getting nothing accomplished. How fabulous hormones are! But the real question is, how much longer will I be able to use hormones as an excuse?

On Friday night, Mark and I attended his work Christmas dinner at a restaurant in Stamford. It was nice for us to get out as a couple for the first time while my Mom babysat for the kids. I was very twitchy about 3 hours in and we only made it to 3 1/2 hours before heading back home. I was rather pleased to see my boy in the end. Phew! This is an accomplishment though. We didn’t leave Ella for at least the first six months of her life!

The weekend was filled with Christmas preparation and celebration. I got none of my goals accomplished and requested that Mark wrap the presents this year which was a genius plan. I did manage to get some pictures printed off to create presents for the family so that was one box ticked off. The breakfast dish, Muddy Flourless Cake and Rice Krispie treats, however, remain unticked to this day. Hey ho…next year maybe. Ella was thrilled beyond belief with all of the glee of Christmas while Sam remained placid, calm and asleep for a majority of the day. What a good boy! Everyone in the family commented on what a good boy he was. Proud mama moment there then!

We’re looking forward to the next 8 days of having Daddy at home with us and getting a few jobs done with Sam’s nursery. And maybe catching up on some sleep? Is there a better way to end the year?

And now, the week according to Sam- week four…

Sorry to say that I couldn’t resist putting a Santa hat on baby Sam while he slept!

Proud sister Ella with baby Sam at the Register office in Peterborough

This is how much Sam likes his Moses basket. As in, not at all. I’m looking forward to getting Sam’s crib reassembled to see if he feels any differently about that mode for sleeping. Sigh…

A very special Christmas celebration for some very special friends

Mummy tries to multi-task (see laptop in the background) while Sam does his best to distract her. Sigh…

Sam enjoys his Snugglebundl in his Xplory while Mummy, Daddy, Ella and Grandma tire out their feet with all of the walking and shopping

Daddy and his boy enjoying some quality time during Sam’s First Christmas at Nanny and Grandad’s

Another week of Sam amazing and delighting us, another week of Ella being an outstanding Big Sister and more excitement to look forward to in 2012.

The Week According to Sam- Week Three

Posted by cafebebemama on Dec 19, 2011 in Bebe, Motherhood, Week According to Sam | 6 comments

Week three finds us settling into a teeny bit of a routine with much more regular feeding of about 3-4 hours and slightly larger feeds thanks to a formula change. We have had several minor “poonami’s” which also tell us that Sam’s formula is working properly now. The boy is starting to stay awake a bit longer at a stretch now which means that we are getting to see more expressions on his lovely face and have even witnessed a smile or two!

Grandma (my Mom) arrived on Wednesday from America. We all journeyed down to Heathrow to collect Grandma and had a very successful trip in the car with long sleeps both ways. Thank goodness! It’s been lovely having Sam be held by his Grandma and I know she appreciates the opportunity to get to know her grandson. Also arriving this week, Mark’s twin sister Julie and her 3 children from Australia. We’re thrilled to have them with us this Christmas as it will be a year or more until we see them all again. Family….ahhhhh!

Thanks to remaining relatively house-bound, due to not driving, we have virtually NO Christmas shopping done and are living meal to meal. I’m going to try to remedy that today but am feeling rather uninspired by the festive season. Our tree is finally decorated, however, and there are assorted lights around the house which help to make the mood more jolly. This weekend will be Sam’s first Christmas! I need to get in the mood!

Here is the week according to Sam in pictures…enjoy!

Sisterly love…Ella still loves “My Baby” and has yet to act put out or tempermental about Sam’s presence, thank God!

Daddy, Ella and a VERY ANGRY Sam testing out the glider in what will be Sam’s room in a week or so! Yes, I know, we still have to finish Sam’s nursery…*head, desk*

Ooh, look! An illusive picture of Sam and Mummy! Wonder of wonders! I realised that 3 weeks have gone by without ONE picture of Sam and Mummy. I have to try harder to do better with this!

Sam’s favourite napping place. The addition of a Snooze Shade has allowed Sam to have a few slightly longer naps. One day we may actually sleep in our Moses Basket. Maybe when we’re 3 years old!

Baby FEET! Who doesn’t love Baby FEET! I could just eat them right up! We really need to get some newborn socks now…poor Sam, he has virtually none!

“Power to the People” or is it “Power to the Bebe”

And just look at that adorable chin!

Quality time with Grandma…awwww!

Another week down and more lessons learned. The biggest lesson learned is that Sam LOVES to be held. Particularly by Mummy. Particularly at night. All night. I’m struggling with this a bit as I know he needs to feel secure without me. I know I need to put him down more. I have shed many a tear over my conflict with this. Sam is my last baby. These are early days. Shouldn’t I cuddle him and snuggle him as much as we like? But then, I can’t do anything BUT. Sigh. This week I’ll be attempting to use the Moby sling I have been lent from Muddling Along Mummy. We’ll see how we get on and if I get my hands back. Any suggestions are more than welcome.