Baby
I think I jinxed myself being quite so happy about how well Master A was doing with sleep. This past four weeks our 7-hour stretches have been replaced with a lot more frequent wakings. I had heard about the four-month sleep regression, but I thought since I did all the hard work helping him settle himself to sleep that we might have bypassed that. That said, at the start of this month we had a lot of other changes. A trip to London for a start. He was very good on the flight, he didn't seem phased or irritated by the new surroundings and even managed a couple of good stretches of sleep. Since I use a dummy with him, we had no problems with his ears during takeoff and landing.
As for milestones, he continues to almost grab at things - reaching out more to try. He's excellent at pulling my hair and pinching the tiniest bit of skin on my neck. He's also mastered blowing raspberries, which he seems to do most when he is bored or had enough of an activity. He's also talking more, shrieking with excitement (or frustration) and even giggling. He seems to like the feeling of being surprised (so repeated "boos" usually get a giggle). Unexpected surprises scare him and usually make him cry (to the disappointment of granddad when he was actually trying to get a giggle). He now recognises his name, and he's also found his thumb, which my mum is hugely disappointed about (she's convinced he'll be sucking his thumb forever now). I still haven't figured out what sets him off into a giggling fit some days, the same thing doesn't work twice.
Being back in the U.K. has meant he's been introduced to a lot of family and spoilt with hugs, kisses, and gifts. At times, the number of people around has clearly overwhelmed him, and I've tried not to have too many active days just to keep him rested. I had a lot of fun taking him out, we managed journies on the tubes and buses, which he seemed to really enjoy "talking" the whole time.
Me
Health-wise I'm fine. While back in the U.K. I took the opportunity to see the doctors here and check everything was fine. The follow-up care in Oman was non-existent, and I was just a bit paranoid that organs ended up settling in the wrong place (honestly, the things you imagine and worry about!) I think what dawned on me this month is how quickly that newborn phase passed. Seamlessly we entered infancy and those days of hours feeding and endless hugs are over. I'm so glad that I didn't listen to those people telling me that if I held him too much he'd be spoilt - not only is that not true, but he's now so curious about his surroundings that he doesn't stay still long enough for a cuddle....and he's not even mobile yet. Briefly, I mourned the passing of that phase, but I'm excited to see how he is changing and developing. That said, I'm consciously making sure to appreciate the phase we are in. I don't want to spend time wishing he was still smaller or looking forward to the next milestone that I miss where we are.
I also want to add a thank you to the people who contacted me after the last post when I mentioned I was having trouble finding places to feed and wondering what to do. There is a "Mother's Room" in
Babyshop and, although I haven't tried, it is meant to be fine to also feed in the women's prayer rooms.
