Maeve turned 4 months old today on 8th of September 2017.
WEIGHT
I last had Maeve weighed this morning and she weighed 16lb 10oz.
DAILY
We don’t really have a set daily routine as it is still the summer holidays. Rosalie starts Preschool next week and will be attending every morning. I’m hoping this will enable Maeve and I to find our feet a little bit.
I have been trying to encourage Maeve to sleep in until 6am. If Maeve stirs before then I give her a dummy and turn on Ewan the sheep to help her drift back off. I don’t breast feed Maeve until after 6am. Sometimes Maeve will go back to sleep after her 6am feed other times that will be her awake and raring to go.
Maeve and I have been staying in bed until Rosalie comes in which is usually around 7am. If we have plans in the morning, I’ll get up, do my make up and get dressed whilst Maeve sleeps and Rosalie watches the ipad in our bed. I then get the girls washed and dressed before we head downstairs to have our breakfast. If we are staying in or have no particular plans for the day we go downstairs in our pyjamas.
I’ll usually try and get away with making breakfast for Rosalie and I before I sit down to feed Maeve again. After Maeve has fed she’ll usually drift back off to sleep so I put her in the moses basket to sleep. If we didn’t get ready first thing I will then get Rosalie and I ready whilst Maeve sleeps. I usually get Maeve ready last.
Once we are all ready we will then do whatever we have planned for the day. We usually go out or meet friends. If we are going out I try to feed Maeve before we leave to keep her going abit longer. I do feed in public but if I can avoid it I will as I prefer to feed at home so I can savour the baby snuggles more.
If we are staying in Maeve and I will play with Rosalie or I’ll put Maeve in her Jumperoo before she’s ready for another feed and nap and then repeat.
We all sit at the table together to have dinner at around 5pm. I havn’t started weaning Maeve yet and I don’t plan to until she reaches 6 months. I don’t know how I’d fit weaning into our day. After Dinner I will bath Maeve and dress her in a sleepsuit ready for bed. I still bathe Maeve in the shnuggle tub as she seems to really like it in there.
After her bath I will feed Maeve and then put her down in the crib for night. This is usually around 7.30pm/8pm.
PLAYTIME
The Jumperoo has been moved downstairs and is now taking over half my kitchen! Maeve loves it in there so it is very useful. I don’t put her in there for long as she bounces around so much she wears herself out. Jumperoo time is nearly always followed by a little sleep. I am using the bouncy chair less and less and I tend to put her on her playmat instead. Maeve is on the move and is constantly shuffling around when left to her own devices. I often find her in a different position to where I left her. Maeve is trying very hard to roll over. She is very nearly there but hasn’t quite managed it yet.
Rosalie loves playing with Maeve and we spend alot of time all playing together. Maeve can often be found playing barbies and dolls with her.
BEDTIME
Maeve now goes to bed at around 7.30/8pm. I give her a bath and then feed her before swaddling her and putting to bed in our bed side crib. I will then dream feed her at about 10.30/11pm before Nick and I go to bed.
Maeve then sleeps all the way through. I have started to drop her her 3am feed and I am now trying to encourage her to sleep through until 6am. It’s going reasonably well as she will settle with just her dummy. However I am finding that I am waking up more tired as she doesn’t sleep for as long as she would if I had fed her. Maeve isn’t in a deep sleep so it means she keeps stirring so I am waking up too to check on her.
When Maevie wakes near 6am I get her out of the crib breastfeed her, wind her and then lay her back down in her crib. I then try and catch a few more z’s before Rosalie wakes up. This isn’t very successful.
FEEDING
I am still exclusively breast feeding Maeve and I plan to keep going for as long as I can.
She has roughly 5 feeds a day and these vary depending on what we are doing. She usually feeds at around 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm and then 10pm. I am still feeding on demand so if she wants feeding more a particular day I do feed her.
I still feed on both sides and I change which side I feed from first each time. So if I feed on the left breast first on one feed, I will feed on the right breast first on the next feed.
I milk supply has settled now and although I still wear breast pads every day I very rarely leak and so two pads will last me all day. I am still managing to express a little each day without it affecting my supply. I use a Hakaa pump during the first feed of the day, It collects milk from whichever breast I am not feeding on first. I usually collect between 1 or 2 oz. I put this in the fridge and continue to add to it each day until I have 5 oz. I then put this in the freezer.
SIZES
Maeve is still in 3-6 month clothing, thank goodness! She fits most outfits pretty well, there are a few outfits that are still a little big. The 3 – 6 month sleepsuits fit perfectly.
MILESTONES
Smiling – Maeve smiles, LOTS!! It’s so lovely. Now I recognise her smile she is such a smiley little thing.
Giggles – Maeve hasn’t started to giggle yet and just beams at you silently. It’s the cutest.
Supporting her head – Maeve holds her head up well now and if you lay her down at a slight incline she will keep trying to pull herself up. In the bath tub tonight she kept trying to lean forward.
Making sounds – Maeve is very noisy and shouts at you if she wants attention. Ive never heard anything quite like it.
Grabbing – Maeve reaches out an touches the hanging toys on her play mat. She also holds on to her muslin and soft toys.
Maevie is such a good baby and fits in with any plans we have. She does let you know about it if she isn’t happy though. We call her Maevie Mouse, but she definitely doesn’t squeak, she squawks! She loves a cuddle and nearly always settles when held.
TAKE A LOOK AT MAEVE’S 4 MONTH OLD BABY UPDATE OVER ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL:::
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