Base Camp

It’s good to just rest.

I’ve clearly not written a blog post in some time. Or haven’t I? Truth be told, I’ve started three? four? blog posts over the past three months. I never finished them and some I barely started. It’s not that I have nothing to write about; on the contrary, I have tons of adventures to share. How I managed to finish my military course a week after a hurricane hit my base while commuting an hour each way while my baby was seven weeks old. How I managed to fly solo with a baby across the country with the help of complete strangers (thanks, Parent Tribe!). How I managed to not lose it when an irate Costa customer had an employee unlock the bathroom door on me while I was changing an incredibly poopy baby a few days before Christmas. And the list goes on.

It turns out life with a baby is complicated and long and tiring. It also doesn’t help when said baby is sick and gets you and your husband sick and then you’re still sick 27 days later. It also doesn’t help when your local GP (thanks, NHS) fobs you off when you ask them to be referred to an audiologist because your ear has been blocked for almost two weeks due to said sickness and you’re slowly going insane because it’s like you’ve stuck your finger in your ear canal and now you can hear everything vibrating through your skull. I have tinnitus. Now I also have temporary hearing loss. What?!

Where was I? Ah, that’s the question. Virginia. North Carolina. South Carolina. Oregon. Washington. England. Germany (via France, Belgium, and Luxembourg). And back to England. We met our first witch at Halloween. We visited the Atlantic Ocean. We visited the Pacific Ocean. We rode in a mule-drawn wagon while exploring historic Charleston (she slept). We hiked around Hoyt Arboretum (she slept) and the Japanese Garden in Portland. We went to the top of the Space Needle (she slept). We’ve traveled on six planes (she slept), two ferries, the London Underground, and countless car rides (she slept) together. We went to All Saints Church and got christened (well, just R; she slept) together. We met Father Christmas (she slept) in England. We went wassailing and drank mulled wine (well, just me on the wine bit). We went to work in Germany together. Squidger and I have been in our own beds for a grand total of about two weeks out of the past four months. She’s essentially been a baby on the move since Week Seven. She’s almost six months old now. It’s crazy to write that. Here are some things that have changed. She now:

-wears size 6-9 months in clothes

-makes a lot of noise chattering, laughing, crying, and generally being loud (she loves beards!)

-eats purees: baby rice, carrot, cauliflower, avocado, banana, butternut squash

-loves playing on her activity mat, especially looking at herself in the mirror

-sleeps (fairly) consistently at night without waking for 8-9 hours

-sits up with minimal support

-is very interested in adult food, particularly if it is close enough to grab

-has almost figured out how to roll over (we’re not there yet, but oh-so-close!)

-loves “reading” books and helping turn the pages

-enjoys bath time and getting a coconut oil massage afterward

-watches the world around her more, especially people and the dog

In short, our baby is no longer a newborn. She’s chunked up, filled out, got big ol’ baby rolls on her thighs, has the chubbiest cheeks, and is a happy girl. I’m happy when she’s sleeping and napping consistently (like now), because that means I’m on the verge of getting some sleep back into my life, a challenge I wasn’t sure was going to end anytime soon. (Yes, I realize this is an ongoing battle. Yes, I am going to take the wins as they come.) My heart goes out to anyone whose kid is colicky, is a light sleeper, or has any other challenges past the “normal” baby ones. I’m knackered as it is with one kid who’s been pretty easy as babies go. I’m hoping my luck lasts.

It’s good to be home.