Six Months Old

I can't believe Dexter is now 6 months old... that's half a year!! and what an amazing 6 months it has been watching my little man change, grow and develop.

A few weeks ago Dexter started blowing raspberries, although they were a little less with the noise and more with the spit bubbles to begin with but cute all the same :) He's definitely got the hang of it now though!

We began baby-led weaning with Dexter last month and it would seem so far that he'll try almost anything. However, the health visitor has recommended a combination of baby-led and spoon feeding  so that we can make sure Dexter continues to gain weight steadily. He is a big boy (weighing 18lb 1oz as of this week) and with that in mind we need to make sure he is getting enough calories. Starting him on Hipp Organic we figured that solids would mean that he wasn't hungry for milk but so far it seems to only have increased his appetite!! Little glutton :)

Last week began some changes in the next of these so-called Wonder Weeks with Dexter preparing himself for another developmental leap. Another short spell of clinging to mummy during the day, and getting her up during the night was to be expected but I'm very excited to see what new skills are about to emerge xx

My little water baby

Today, we took Dexter swimming for the very first time and he really seemed to enjoy it. He was so well behaved too! He has had a good old paddle around and was kicking his legs like crazy. He didn't at all seem put off by the noise and other children splashing nearby in the pool. He even got dunked and it didn't bother him one bit :) Can't wait to start Aquababies Classes next month when he is old enough!!

Five Months Old

Today, Dexter is five months old. The 8 days he kept me waiting for his arrival felt like a lifetime, yet these past months feel like I have merely blinked and my little boy is not so little any more.

So recently we have seen the introduction of phase II in our approach to baby-led weaning. Dexter has been joining us at the dinner table but with only toys on the menu. Although guidelines say that babies often start being able to feed themselves at around 6 months, more often than not Dexter already tends to stick everything in his mouth, so for now we're just giving him a few pieces to play with. I'm sure he'll soon learn what they're for :)

                              Apple...                                             ..Carrot......                                      ....Pear!

Dexter's favourite new toys are his feet! He first discovered them a while ago bit in the last few weeks they have become so much more interesting to him, he even pulls his own socks off to get at them.

Our final news is that our little Mr is currently teething... and not just one, but BOTH of those bottom front teeth are now making their appearance (and boy are they sharp)! I struggle to get a proper look but they are definitely there, just peeking through the gumline. Every time I pull his bottom lip down Dexter sticks his tongue out, which makes it very hard to get a picture. But apart from being a little grumbly sometimes, he seems to be coping with it very well, my little star! xx

No stopping him now!

It's been a few weeks since Dexter first started on the road to rolling & for many weeks he has been trying to discover how to get over his arm and all the way over on to his tummy. This discovery was made a couple of days ago and since then there has been no stopping him...

That's it now! I can no longer leave the room & know he'll be where I left him when I come back, eek!!

Getting stronger every day!

After weeks of tummy time just being Dexter flapping about like a seal with his face planted into the floor, his muscles are now getting stronger and our perseverance has finally paid off.....

Four Months Old

Four months...where on earth does the time go??!! (and the day has been spent pampering me, for today is my first Mother's Day as a mummy) Every day Dexter is looking less & less like the baby I brought home and more & more like a proper little boy :o) I just can't keep up with how quickly he grows...

Following Dexter's grizzly period last week, it seemed to disappear as quickly as it appeared. When you are used to your baby sleeping through the night & being quite independent it's a bit of a shock when this suddenly is undone.... but thankfully we have our old Dexter back and I'm looking forward to helping him learn all the new things he will now be capable of doing.

• After accomplishing his first roll a couple of weeks ago Dexter now loves to show off his new skill. His favourite time to practice is when he is undressed. Whenever his legs feel free he decides to make a break for it. It's lovely but needless to say it now makes nappy changing a bit of a challenge.

• Meal times are now to become family time. As he is able to sit up more comfortably, Dexter has started to join us at the dinner table. He doesn't eat anything yet, but we're hoping it will get him used to it for when we do start to introduce food. Hopefully he is just enjoying being involved for the time being.

• Dexter's coordination is coming along nicely and he is able to appreciate his toys a bit more now that he can reach out to grab them and actually keep hold of them (it's getting him to let go of things that's now the problem haha). This is his current favourite...

Every single day with Dexter is a new experience. I just love seeing him develop and I always wonder what he is going to do next....

The four month regression!

It's so common there's even a phrase for it: the four month regression. Apparently it's completely normal that Dexter is currently going through a grizzly phase, it's all part of his mental development.

What we are experiencing is one (of many to come) of the so called Wonder Weeks. Dexter's world as he knows it is currently being turned upside down in order to prepare his brain for the next stage of learning. Ok, so he's a bit clingy and grumpy during the day and he's having disturbed sleep at night, but who wouldn't be going through such an upheaval.

The good news is that once this storm has passed he will go back to being the baby we know & love but a more improved version as he will then be ready to learn so many new things and develop new skills.....something I'm very much looking forward to. Watch this space!!