I have been keeping a daily diary since we came home from hospital. In it I record when Stella is awake or asleep, which side breast she has fed from and for how long, when she went down in her cot and how easy or difficult it was to settle her. I remember this as a useful tool from when Amy was born and I was a fumbling, frightened first-time Mum who had no idea when the baby should be awake or asleep, eating or burping. Its no less useful this time around as I try and keep track of a busy toddler and a new baby and its helped me make sense of our days and nights. Now that Stella is a whole 21 days old I am starting to see some slight patterns emerge in her day-to-day routine. I hesitate to use the word routine because thats something you can’t associate with a baby who’s life is measured in days rather than weeks or months, unless you are Gina F0rd or someone with serious control issues!Ironically I have found it very hard to relinquish control of my life over to a tiny baby and I suppose I should have spent more time anticipating how difficult this would be rather than stuffing my face with easter eggs whilst awaiting Stella’s arrival! In my defence its very difficult to anticipate something about which you know nothing and in reality I tried very hard NOT to think about the actual baby too much because I know babies are all very different and you can’t plan for the kind of baby you are going to get. I had no idea whether our new baby would be similar to Amy or the complete opposite. I didn’t know if we were going to get a baby who suffered from colic or reflux or mixed up its days and nights. I kind of knew that we were going to have a big baby but I hoped that this would mean what it did with Amy, that she was easier to feed, quicker to sleep for longer periods and definitely easier to handle!According to my daily diary, these are some of the things that Stella has accomplished in her short life, these may not be of much interest to anyone except me!

Day 4 – Stella went to sleep for the evening at 8.30pm and woke up 3 times in the night to feed

Day 5 – Stella had a 3 1/2 hour nap in her bassinet between 1pm and 4.30pm but then woke almost hourly during the night to feed!

 

Day 6 – We used a dummy for the first time, not very successfully mind you but we persevered!

 

Day 7 – Stella and I had a sleep together in my bed from 6am until 8.30am. She was unsettled a lot during the day but managed two three hour sleeps that night from 11pm-2am and again from 3am until 6am

Day 8 – Huge poop explosion needed a complete change of clothes first thing in the morning! Stella had her first bath which she didn’t enjoy much, she wee’d on me to show her distaste!

Day 9 – We went to the park and I wore Stella in the sling for the first time. She managed two 3 hour sleeps again that night between 10.30pm-1.30am and 2.30am-5.30am

Day 11 – Stella sleeps for FOUR glorious hours between 9pm and 1am

Day 12 – Stella went to playgroup for the first time and behaved like a little angel. She also slept for four hours again between 8pm and 12am

 

Day 13 – We went to playgroup again and then out for lunch, Stella slept the whole time we were out then came home and had another 3 hour sleep.

Day 15 – Stella’s belly button stump fell off and thankfully her belly button isn’t funny looking at all. Today we put Stella in Infant nappies instead of newborns. I can’t believe she is big enough to go into the size up already but they definitely fit better around her belly and legs. She celebrates by doing 4 hours between 9.30pm and 1.40am!

Day 16 – Stella was massively sick whilst we were driving home from friends. We had to change her and bath her when we got home. We had a very unsettled evening until eventually we managed to settle her at 10.30pm whereupon she slept FIVE HOURS until 4.30am!

Day 17 – We took Stella to Bor0nia Park for the first time to watch Ron’s rugby club. I wore her in the sling and even managed to feed her in the sling. Later we went round to friend’s for pizza and she was the perfect baby.

Day 18 – MOTHER’S DAY! Stella was beautifully behaved in her pram whilst we celebrated mothers day with Ron’s parents and my Mum at the restaurant where Ron’s sister Gaye is the chef. I managed to feed her discretely in the cafe although I did get some frowning looks from a few people.

Day 19 – My mum leaves and I cried. I got the girls to playgroup on time and even managed a drive to the South African shop later. In the afternoon whilst Stella slept I prepared dinner and tidied the bedroom although Amy has chosen this week to be the week she gives up her afternoon sleep for good. After Stella settled easily at 7pm she did a massive vomit in her bassinet which meant we had to get her up, changed and fed again before she finally goes down at 9.30pm and sleeps for 4 1/2 hours until 2am

Day 20 – Stella was awake at 5am and she slept with me in bed until Amy woke up very late at 8am. Stella went to sleep easily at 7.30pm, slept for 3 1/2 hours until 11pm and then went down again easily.

Day 21 – Stella woke at 6.30am, went back down at 8.15am and didn’t wake when I transferred her into her capsule at 9am. We dropped Ron at work, went to the library and came home for a feed at 12pm. Stella settled easily again in her bassinet at 12.15pm and is still asleep now at 3.15pm. I am going to have to wake the sleeping baby for a feed now!