First proper lunch-time!

Today baby bean had his first ever 'meal'. He'd been eat a quarter of a fruit a day all this week working up to his first proper meal time. We bought the Chicco food processor last week. It was a really good buy. He's been eating blended apples and pears, having his taste of what it's like eating like a 'grown up'.

We bought all the vegetables and food on the list that our pediatrician gave us last week. We also bought some weighing scales and a new chopping board and a grater. A went to work at one and left me preparing his first 'broth' all by myself. A few chopped up carrots, a chopped up potato and a lettuce leaf! I had to leave it on a low flame for forty minutes then add a couple of teaspoons of baby rice granules. Bean was super excited, it was as if he knew what I was cooking was for him. He kept eyeing up the ingredients while I was holding him and opening his mouth!
I don't know why but at a certain point I just couldn't hold back the tears any longer. What the hell? I couldn't stop sobbing. I suppose it was because I was such an important part of bean's life until now in as much as I had kept him alive all by myself for the 14 months that he has existed (9 months + 5 outside the womb!) I'd tried so hard to eat the right things while pregnant and eat enough and also I have exclusively breastfed up until this day. I now feel as though I'm not as important, I'm not his only lifeline. He's getting more independent. All of this just made me well up and explode! Being such an important part of his life had made me stronger as a person. I did everything with him and his wellbeing in mind. I never drank even a sip of alcohol, I ate my greens, I lived for him.
Today he ate his broth. He loved it. His face was covered with it as he still doesn't know how to eat off a spoon properly yet but it made it more enjoyable! He was trying to suck and lick and kept spitting out a lot of the liquid, he was even sniffing some up his nose. I can honestly say though that he looked satisfied after his first solids. He had a bit of grated pear for dessert but he was so tired after trying to eat he just went all fussy and wanted some Mummy milk and to sleep. I don't ever want to forget those little expressions on his face whilst eating his first broth! They were priceless. I wish he'd stop growing up so fast.

Baby boy's first Christmas

Well it's been very hectic lately that I haven't had chance to write for a while. I'm so sorry as I'd love to write a lot more often than I do, there are always so many things that Flavio does that I'd love to write about but there's never enough time!

It was Flavio's first Christmas and we spent it with his Grandparents this year. Christmas in a snowy atmospheric England was definitely worth every minute. Grandma had bought a Santa's little helper 'Chief Elf' suit that baby looked gorgeous in and also a 'My first Christmas' red suit with matching hats.

You beamed out happiness and I'm just so glad that you are a well loved baby, Flavio, Mummy is forever looking out for you and putting you before anyone and anything in her life because she knows how important it is for a child to receive the right amount of affection and attention and this Christmas was dedicated to you! The star of the event! You received many carefully thought gifts including books that Mummy has already started to read to you and you take delight in listening to and a Whinnie the Pooh crawler that encourages you to follow him as he crawls around! Mummy doesn't want you to ever be spoilt but wants to make sure you have the right input to stimulate your creative and intellectual growth. I can see what a bright baby you are and your little personality is already starting to develop. You're feisty and passionate but so cuddly and well behaved most of the time! I love your little giggle that you do for Mummy more than anyone else when she tickles your neck or makes a silly noise. Daddy gets a giggle or two too sometimes. I'm so proud of how well you are developing and growing and I know it is all happening too fast. You're my little baby and always will be!!! You liked the tree lights this Christmas and you tried to reach for the branches when I held you near the tree. You enjoyed watching the Popcorn song on Granddad's computer sat on his knee and squealed and smiled with glee. You always like being in England as if you sense the tranquillity in the air. Sometimes it's hard work for Mummy on her own in Rome because she dedicates so much of her time on you that cooking and cleaning become quite difficult but she gets round it, you just sense that she's more serene in England. Well what can I say, just that at 4 months of age your favourite hobby is standing up! You even stand on your own when supported by something, it's amazing! You're a big strong boy and just so lovely. Mummy and Daddy are completely smitten!

lots of love,
 Mummy

Baby swimming lessons.

Last Wednesday Flavio started his first activity at just 3 months! It's advised by pediatricians everywhere and I kept hearing of these Mummy and baby swimming lessons. I just had to get enrolled on a course here in Rome firstly because I was afraid baby was building up a fear of water after those screaming bath times and secondly because I thought it would be good to get him doing an activity early on also because I worry that he sometimes becomes bored at home with the same games all the time. I was looking forward to doing this for ages, I couldn't wait to see baby in his miniature trunks splashing around! I thought it would be good to meet other Mums too in the area seeing as here in Italy they don't seem to have Mother and baby groups. Well I really enjoyed it and Flavio enjoyed it so much, it made me well up; the happiness I saw in those big eyes!

I arrived at the pool and Daddy was searching for a parking space so we rushed straight into the gym as it was freezing cold outside. Flav had been fed and changed so I was sure he'd be ok and not cranky.

We quickly got undressed in the changing rooms that were fully equipped for babies; a row of changing mats, a box for older babies and lockers for our belongings. A lady came and held you as she led me into the pool area and there they told me to have a shower next to the pool to ensure hygiene. Flavio stayed on one of the girl's laps in his trunks looking quite sheepish! Like he was kind of saying 'this is new, mummy's left me with someone else!' I went to have the shower and came back and they told me to get into the pool. It was lovely and warm! Just the right temperature for temperature-sensitive babies like mine! I knew he hated to feel cold. The girl lowered Flavio into the water into my arms. He didn't flinch at all, he was just amused and wide-eyed taking in his surroundings. She told me to pour water over his head every so often to get him used to water getting into his eyes which it inevitably will while in the pool. There were little dishes around the sides. The coach approached me from the other end of the pool and explained to me the two moves that we'd be doing today. On his front where I hold him under his arms and chest and he bobs up and down as if trying to do a breast stroke, (the way Flavio did it appeared more like a butterfly stroke he was so excited) and on his back where I hold his head on my shoulder and my hand over his chest and drag him backward as if to do a back stroke.

Even before starting the moves I could tell he loved it, his eyes were lit up and he was the only baby in the pool actually screaming with glee, at one point I felt moved by it. A finally made it to see a bit of the lesson and he took a few photos and videos. There were little rubber toys scattered about in the pool too and some tubes that I could wrap under his arms and pull him about on. He loved every bit of it. We spoke to another couple of Mums and babies and Flavio was too busy trying to swim about in the pool that one baby was particularly interested in him trying to poke him and babble to him and I was trying to get Flavio to look but I couldn't. There are seven of us in the group six boys and a little girl. She's five and a half months and is really tiny but very cute. Flavio was looking at her (!)

We were assisted even in getting out of the pool and getting dried. We got into a shower together and a girl came and took Flavio off me and dried him for me. She finished off drying him with a tube of warm air and he was looking at me with an amused look on his face. He was so funny.
 
After all that splashing about he was famished! And Daddy was waiting for us in the bar where Mummy got a nice cappuccino and brioche!

First holiday in Florence!

Last weekend we went to Florence and stayed in a beautiful hotel in the Chianti hills surrounded by Cypress trees and vineyards. Flavio was so good! He slept in the car on the way there, he slept through the night til 8am when we woke up and stayed awake in his pushchair during the day while we walked through the streets of Florence only eating at 4 -5 hour intervals as he was so absorbed in his new surroundings.
This isn't his first trip. I took him to England with me on my own when he was just 2 months old. I took him on the plane with me and he was so good even then. He slept through the whole plane journey and didn't cry at all. He went to visit his grandparents for a couple of weeks who had bought him so many things and were so excited to see him him again after the birth. It was quite empowering doing all that on my own, kind of like 'who needs men' empowering. I'm glad he's travelled at such a young age as I'd really like to take him on many jouneys with me throughout his childhood to help him grow into an experienced, educated person.
Well he enjoyed Florence, he even looked up at the statue of David by Michelangelo and Mummy and Daddy had a good time too.

3 months old and growing too fast!

He's making one progress after another and with every new thing he does I get so emotional even at something really small like trying to grab for a toy instead of me giving it to him.
According to the milestones he's an 'advanced' baby but he's also quite big for his age. I do however try to stimulate him in as many ways I can: I read him books (material books and books with sounds) and he does actually listen and smile and kick when the intonation in my voice changes or when he hears the funny sounds and I try to get him to feel the different materials on the fabric book. He has a good concentration span for a 3 month old!
One of his biggest accomplishments and one that I was waiting for for a while is him touching objects (using his hands). The first time I noticed he started regarding his hands as part of his body is when he finally started to be able to put them in his mouth and suck on his fists, but that is all he would use them for. I couldn't wait to see him actually grab a toy or even hold it for a few seconds but he didn't seem interested when I held a toy to him. It was about a couple of weeks ago when we noticed he regarded his hands as the things to 'feel with' and not just to suck on.
We'd just got back from doing the shopping and I'd put Flavio down on the sofa propped up between the cushion and the arm of the sofa and I'd started to put the bags away. I realised something was different... instead of his usual grumpy squeals when I'd put him down there was silence. I walked back into the living room to check on him and I saw what was happening. He was running his fingers across the embroidered flowers on the cushion and looking intently at them. He was repeating this motion again and again and I knew he'd just discovered his little fingers! After this incident whenever we put the cushion next to him, he would do the same procedure. It was so cute watching him discover this new 'trick' and ever since then he's become more and more confident and now he can grip his toys and put them to his mouth and this morning I even caught him reaching up and holding on to a dangling penguin in his baby gym. He'd lose the toy out of his grip and then slowly and cautionately aim for the penguin again! It seems like such a small step but I think he's Einstein! It must be all those maternal hormones from breastfeeding!
He's even starting baby talk, he ooos and aaahs and even says syllables baaaa and maaaa and naaaa.. I love watching him 'talk' and those funny little expressions he has on his face when trying to get his message across!
Flavio's a little champion!

A few days old

My new baby! A happy and healthy Flavio changes my life forever!

He's now two and a half months old and we are so happy for having our beautiful baby boy with us. He gets compliments everywhere he goes. He's beautiful, perfectly proportioned with big alert blue eyes, a button nose and full red lips. He's a good baby even though he still feeds various times throughout the night. He smiles a lot a beautiful wide, toothless, contagious smile and he loves being held and talked to. He even tries to talk back already!
He's a really masculin baby with a powerful cry and strong limbs. He goes crazy if you lie him flat down, stamping his little feet and flapping his arms with such vigour! His face makes me laugh as he does this as it looks as if he's about to take off he's so excited!
He's breastfed too. I wanted to give him the best start in life after all he'd been though. My miracle baby boy is a little sweetheart.