Kind, Smart, Important

Every night before bed, we follow a similar routine with Georgia.

If hubby is home, he starts it off with a bath - otherwise, it's all me. After the bath, we have a massage on the change table, get her dressed, and read her a book. Then we nurse & follow up with a top up bottle of expressed milk.

And before I put her into bed, while rocking her to get her drowsy, I tell her a few things - I love you, time for bed, night night - and this:

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Those words really hit home for me. I would love to look into the future and see what sort of a person my daughter turns out to be, but who knows what that will bring? All I know is that I'll be telling her these words as often as I can - to help her be kind, to learn to be smart, and to know that she is important, so important. She is a beautiful girl on the outside, but I want her to grow up beautiful on the inside too. :)

The Difference a Year Makes

It's been insanely hot already this year, and Spring has barely just begun. I'm not looking forward to the warm days that are ahead of us, or the bushfire threats that they bring along with them, but they do bring back memories.

This time last year, give or take a week, I announced our pregnancy. Most people & close friends knew about it a lot earlier than that, since I never kept our IVF journey a secret - but for some, it was the first they'd heard of our news. I remember being fascinated with our little 12-week blobby baby {and being positive it was a boy!} and couldn't even begin to imagine who that little person would become, or what life would be like with them in it.

A year has gone since that day. I stayed pregnant, I gave birth, I brought our daughter (!) home. I've watched her growing, a little bit here & a lot there. I've celebrated her life with our family, drifted from old friends and made new ones. I've learned to put somebody else's needs before my own without even a second thought. It all sounds so cliche, but I honestly can't remember life without her. Gone are the days of jumping in the car & heading out without a thought - now it's all about the nappy bag, the food packed, the spare outfits ready to go. And you know what? I wouldn't go back for all of the carefree times in the world.

That little jellybean baby has become a pretty awesome person. I love all of her quirks - the way she reaches for our faces, the way she makes her bottom lip quiver right before she cries, the way she lights up when she sees her dad across the room. I know how to make her giggle, how to make her squeal, and how to calm her down. She is so curious, so impatient, so feisty. I watch her & get glimpses of what she'll be like next year, and a year after that.

Week by Week v.3

The last time I showed you a week by week post, I stopped at Week 15 - but the weeks have flown by since then. This post shows off my gorgeous girl from Week 16-27. Here's the first few weeks for comparison:

And now... behold! More growing! (Mah baybeeeeeeeeeeee. Sniff sniff.)

You can see the entire batch of weekly shots by clicking here. :)

Plugging Away

We have been plugging away at solids for the better part of a month.

So far, Georgia has loved most new foods - but wasn't a fan of avocado or broccoli. They're not so bad when mixed in with other veggies - looks like we'll be hiding them in & disguising the taste. :)

Other than that, things have been fairly quiet around here. Lots of time spent with hubby while he's been working from home - watching Georgia fall in love with her daddy is just gorgeous. I don't want to jinx things, but she's been so good with other people lately, lots of smiles and cheerful chats. I hope that continues.

Our nights have been getting better, and we're plugging away at the day sleeps. She is well and truly into size 00 and the hot weather has let me experiment with short sleeved/legged rompers and suits - loving being able to get those thighs into the sunlight. This age is fantastic. And I'm sure it's only going to get better!

Six Months

A very happy half-birthday to my beautiful daughter, who is growing more beautiful & clever every day.

This month Georgia has:

• Weighed in at just over 7kg. (6.9 on the dr scales/7.2 on the chemist scales!) & has reached 64cm long - so she's perfectly average in the weight department but still a bit of a shorty. :)
• Tested us in the sleep department, big time. We started sleep training with her, which has helped nights get better again, but still hasn't helped much with the days.
• Been fantastic when in the car and in the pram. I think it's because she's so much more alert now & wants to see everything.

• Started to learn to sit up on her own! She doesn't last long, but she's trying very hard. :)
• Been dribbling up a storm! So much drool. No teeth yet, that we can see.
• Loved having her feet up in the air. She tries to catch them, shoves them in her mouth, and rolls to her side clutching them. It's especially fun during bath time & nappy changes. 
• Continued flipping from front to back, but not interested in the other way around.
• Gone to bed in sleeping bags - the swaddles have officially been put away with her newborn clothes.

• Started becoming more confident with other people. Nights are still hit or miss, but during the daytime, she flirts and smiles when people talk to her or comment on her.
• Started solid foods & has eaten like a champ! She's still exclusively breastfed for milk, but has tried apple, pear, peach, sweet potato, pumpkin, prunes, zucchini, avocado & broccoli.
• Been in 00 clothes (3-6 month) for most outfits now.
• Talked up a storm! She likes to talk while shoving her fist in her mouth, but boy, can she babble.

You can see all of Georgia's week by week pictures by clicking here.