I Am Your Father – Part 14: Baby finds his Voice

It’s getting harder to find the time to keep this blog up to date, but I’m going to do my best to summarise the key points from the last few weeks in this shorter-than-usual update.

Reminder: This blog is the work of a sleep-deprived, first-time parent, trying to talk frankly and honestly about his experience. I make no apologies for the language used in the following post.

General Update

Not a lot has changed, to be honest. We’re still struggling with an inconsistent day-to-day routine (or lack thereof), but it feels like we’re more on top of it now. Or maybe we’re just getting used to it.

There’s so much advice out there on how to create a routine and we’re basically just trying out various tips until we find something that works. Ultimately, there’s probably not much you can do other than to just accept that it’s going to be a disruptive and chaotic time.

M’boy playing on the floor with the dog. They’re definitely getting used to each other, though Marvin is still adapting to not being the centre of attention!

He’s definitely getting cuter as he gets more interactive. Not that we didn’t already think he was cute, of course, but looking back at the early photos, it really hits it home how much (and how quickly) he is changing. He’s spending more and more time awake, alert and not crying. Plus he’s reacting to us, laughing more… usually at the most random things, but his little laugh is always a source of pure joy.

Baby Finds his Voice

It seems that in the last few weeks, he’s becoming more and more vocal. Of course, he can’t say actual words yet, but he still yammers on to himself and occasionally squeals or shouts for apparently no reason (but he’s clearly not crying or in distress). He’ll often just sit there going “dadadadada” to himself while he’s playing. He’s getting more and more dexterous too, more able to pick up and manipulate things (which, of course, go straight in his mouth 99% of the time!).

Baby’s First Storm

Just a side note really, but we were hit by a relatively big storm a couple of days ago. We were worried that m’boy would be scared or that his naps would be disrupted, but he wasn’t phased – unlike the dog! – and mostly just ignored it.

A bit anticlimactic really, but that’s babies for you; they overreact to the tiniest thing and then don’t seemed bothered by the big stuff that we worry about and try to prepare for!

Sleep Update

For a while, it seemed like he was almost sleeping through the night. It’s just about manageable when he only wakes up crying once or twice after we’ve gone to bed. Occasionally, he wakes up and chats on to himself for a bit before going back over, so we’re just leaving him rather than rushing straight to the cot at the slightest noise. Sleeping in short chunks is definitely not the same as sleeping through, but at least its more manageable now and m’wife isn’t having to catch up on sleep during the day as much now.

Getting him to sleep (and, particularly, to nap during the day) is often a battle. One thing that works consistently is taking him for long walks in the pram. He’s obsessed with trees and will stare up at them as we go underneath them, occasionally even crying when we get past them. That or a quick drive in the car is probably the best and most consistent way to do it – a fact that is common knowledge, but that I can confirm genuinely works. Between the pram and walking around the nursery, holding him and trying to soothe him, I suspect I’m getting a remarkably high step count, considering we don’t actually leave the house that often!

Final Thoughts

It’s been a rough few months, and to be honest, I’m still not sure how much of it is “normal” for new parents and how much of it is just 2020. He’s getting bigger and more interactive, but there’s not really a lot of real change happening in our day to day lives. I’d say things are settling down but every time we think that, the universe throws us another curveball! So, let’s see what the next few weeks bring…