A smile (for daddy)

Here she is in her big bed. Continuing to sleep well at night through to 7am and occasionally 6am after a dream feed at 10pm. However she still struggles a bit with napping by day. Doesn't like to be put down on her back (thinks she is falling) so have discovered the trick of putting her on her side and then rolling her over on to her back. Seems to work.
Here's a smile for daddy, I get them too but I don't have a camera in my hand, especially when changing the diaper.
We have started her on one bottle feed a day (formula) so that she is used to the bottle and will take formula if I can't be around. I pump at the same time to keep up the supplies and have a bit of spare on hand.

Newsflash - 8 hours sleep

Izzy slept from 11pm til 7am last night. She has also done 2 nights this week til 6am. Hurrah. Things are heading in the right direction, thanks to Gina Ford and her baby bootcamp, which we follow with a dose of reality. We were in two minds about schedule versus on demand, however the schedule seems to be working.

In the park with Lucy and Mum

One of the many hot summers days when my mum was still here, in Battery Park City on the lawn
Lucy came down from the Upper West for a baby squeeze.

Aled and Izzy

Aled over from Switzerland, doing some baby homework.

Pretty in Pink

Bath time

What a difference a week makes, here is Isabella, perfectly happy to have a bath

Just the two of us

We're still getting pressies, here's a hand knitted cardie and little shoes from one of M's former teachers.



Malcolm is due back in 2 hours after his 8 day stint away. How did it go for us? Well it went really well actually. Made me get off my butt and do a few things. Went to Tribeca Mammas and Baby Group. Weird, I never imagined doing that sort of thing, however it was great to meet with other mothers of babies (less than 3 months), to find out Izzy is not the only one with Baby Acne and other such gems! Yes indeed spots are the order of the day, so no close up photos for a few weeks till it clears. Signed up for Mommy and Baby Yoga staring this week too, and joined another group from Hudson River Park. Most time still spent working around baby schedule. I can now shower, wash and dry hair and have breakfast and be out of the house by 9:15 with Izzy. Feels like an achievement to me. Also she is now a happy bather, so that's progress too. She is sleeping in her own room and the big cot without much fuss. Not too keen on day time naps, in fact I haven't been swaddling her since she went in her cot, but I swaddled her today for lunch time nap (now) and she went down well after initial fuss. At night she goes to sleep between 6:30 and 7:00pm and then she goes in to a deep sleep. I wake her at 10pm for a feed to get her as far through the night as poss. however she really is sleepy and doesn't always want to feed, is this cruel?. Either way she then sleeps till 3-4am, has a feed and then sleeps through till 7am. The aim is clearly to get her to sleep after 10pm till 7am, and eventually from 7 till 7.

4 week check-up

Length 22.5 inches (95th percentile) , weight 9lb, 13oz (78th percentile) can't believe how fast she is growing.
The pediatrician has advised us to start some hard love, leaving her to cry when she is neither hungry, doesn't need changing and isn't in pain, so she can learn to go to sleep without constant hugs and rocks, or my dodgy singing. Bit tough really, but giving it a try, hope the neighbours don't mind! We also put Izzy in her own room last night, without the monitor on, so we don't hear her every sniffle through the night, but can still hear her cries. Went well.
Malc is going away for 8 days now, and mum has gone home, so it's me and Izzy 24hrs a day! Going to be interesting.

Malc and Izzy - 3 weeks

Picnic at Bear Mountain, Labour Day

What's going on

Eat your heart out...

Went for the 2 week check-up. Had noticed that Izzy was putting a bit of weight on around the thighs (her genetics will have pre-dispositioned her to this, so no great surprise). Anyway turns out she has gained 19oz in the first 2 weeks getting to 8lbs 13oz, and grown an inch!


Goodness, maybe she has been popping out to McDonalds when I wasn't looking. I guess the milk really is in. No wonder my boobs are starting to resemble weapons of mass destruction. Ho hum.
Malc. went back to work at the end of last week, and my mum came out last weekend, so I still have some help on hand. Isabella has been acting more of a Scarlett this week, with plenty of screaming (see picture) and crying and red face action. Thankfully she is good at night though - probably wears herself out by day. Got to go now, Scarlett is calling.