Poppy, WWWT blog author

Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement goes a long way. We attempt to have some time together talking even if it’s only ten minutes a night over dinner or even folding the washing!

A great set of lungs

As the weeks went by Penelope’s crying has decreased. At 7 weeks much of her fussing and unsettled crying gradually began to decline.

Being a mum & still being me

You say hello to a new future when you become a mum, but as Poppy learns, that doesn't mean saying goodbye entirely to the 'you' of the past ...

Challenges now my baby has reached 6 months

Hitting 6 months has meant fun fun fun! Quicker to feed, easier to settle, established solids to help distract from those mini tantrums, and best of-laughing, smiles, hugs and finally a show of genuine love towards her mummy and daddy.

Establishing routines together

Penelope is just over 6 months and it’s a godsend for us to finally have a little more routine in our lives. I won’t lie and tell you I live and breathe a strict routine, I don’t think Penelope would really allow that, and to be honest I am a touch lenient on myself if I am enjoying a walk or a coffee for longer than planned...

Expectations as our bump becomes a baby

Finding out a little one is 'on the way' can be exciting and daunting, all at the same time ...

Give things a go

Bedtime between 6 and 9pm for the first eight weeks sometimes proved challenging to settle Penelope in a short time frame. Some nights we could spend two hours in and out of her room re-settling.

How do I become a confident parent?

Self-doubt, guilt and uncertainty accompany first time parenthood, but as Poppy learns, your confidence grows one day at a time ...

I don't have to be a supermum

Becoming a parent has confirmed for us that feeling daunted and overwhelmed had rhyme and reason. Early in the piece there were days and weeks where I felt in control, organised and managing this new little wriggly worm reasonably well.

My baby is 4 months old ... what's next?

So you arrive at 4 months, thinking the hard part is behind you, well we did anyway. Penelope was becoming a better sleeper, we knew her cues and she responded well to a little more routine that together we were beginning to get the hang of. To be honest, until 4 months I believe it’s hard to set any formal routines...

Settling

Settling a baby can be hard. We learnt this early on. It seemed that some days certain techniques would work and then the next day they wouldn’t. Were we to persist with the same techniques or try new ones? I was quite unsure.

Sharing the load

We have learnt to juggle our time to help each other and manage Penelope. Having another pair of hands to quickly hang out the washing together each day is a godsend. We make the bed together each morning, and Ben gobbles his breakfast talking sweet nothings and baby goo-gah with Penelope while I throw myself under the shower.

The Best Part!

What I have learnt is that this ‘fog’ they talk about doesn’t go in its entirety. Well not at 3 months anyway. I’m still tired, some days worse than others. I still don’t find waking up at 3am any better. Breastfeeding is easier, faster for sure. But it still takes time and energy...

The fog lifts? Or does it?

So, I was given the advice time and time again, prior to Penelope’s birth and in the early weeks, ‘don’t worry it’s like a fog lifts when you hit the 12 week mark’. So what did this exactly mean? Would I get my life back? Would my child be a terror and then suddenly an angel? Would I have no sleep for the first 3 months?

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