Mellow Zach

I feel like I have been scraping by for the past couple of months- we have been trying to tackle Zach's cheeky night feedings for three months and his need for daytime milk from me was getting more and more obsessive (11 months old,  8+ times a day and he would scratch my face and neck from start to finish and was also getting a bit to keen to try out new acrobatic positions). On top of that he developed a new trait two months ago... extreme separation anxiety. He really would get very upset when he was held by anyone else, I was NOT allowed to leave the room and whenever we went out to anything in the village he clung to me. He was also at the height of his blood-curdling scream phase! Wo betide Oliver ever needing my attention,  poor good boy!

On one particular witching hour (4/5 o'clock-ish) in my despair I rang my Mum (on hands-freee, I was holding Zach is one arm and cooking the dinner with the other) quizzing her on whether she ever put any of us in childcare a morning a week!!! Her answer was... "It will pass"! And how right she was (as usual...)

Now I can type this because my dear second boy with the cute face has mellowed beyond belief. I decided that milk was a bit part of the problem, so over the past three weeks I have weaned him entirely off my milk. Life is truly blissful. He naps for two long stretches every day, Ben is able to put him to bed, HE HAS STOPPED SCREAMING! He has let other people hold him a couple of times for a couple of minutes each and there was even a smile once! Over the last three or so days he has been able to play a couple of metres away from me which is such a huge step for him! And, *drumroll* the past three nights he has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. He is back to being a joy to be around, and no longer drains everything I've got! I have ENERGY to do be a better wife, Mum, look after myself and am focusing on looking after other people. One friend was even concerned at quite how energetic I was- she called me manic!! Brilliant :) To top it all off it is SUNNY, I have a wonderful family, fabulous friends and going to church and living what I know to be true makes me so happy. Ahh, cloud nine!

Fergus Connor, Aberdeenshire photographer

On Friday 10th May our friend and brilliant photographer, Fergus Connor, spent some time with us doing a photoshoot. He was absolutely amazing: everything was so natural and fun- nothing was stressful or forced which was even more impressive when you consider our fairly uncooperative small boys! Even the fact that Oliver jumped and then fell in a big puddle didn't stop him! It was just a lot of fun. I am so pleased with what Fergus got. Now to choose one for the wall...!

It's been ages since I've blogged!

Here we go,  back into blogging, I have just been getting by with the boys keeping me so busy. I have also taken on more violin pupils and now teach 3.5 hours a week,  over three evenings. I really enjoy it but that definitely eats up my time too! Ben has the boys when he gets home from work on the days that I teach and they love being together so it's a win-win! Loads has happened, including a big boy haircut for Oliver, a big crack down on Zach's newborn-comparable milk intake, several road trips (Edinburgh, Hadrian's Wall, the Temple,  Grandma's 80th birthday,  the Lake District) and the boys are growing and growing! Oliver chats loads and the current obsession is trains, Zach is doing a couple of seconds of standing and goes up and down the stairs with ease. Zach is also quite the screamer, and is not keen to be held by anyone but me and Ben or be let out of my sight. Quite the Mummy's boy. Here are our recent happenings...

How did we end up in March?! + Zach's Sleep Training

I took a trip down south with the boys to see my family!

The laid-back approach to eating lunch...

The 9-hour train journey home...  keeping Oliver busy!!

Reunited! My boys watching the dolphins at Aberdeen harbour

February has been a big baking month for me and Oliver

Ben's Mum came to stay! A lovely break had by all- especially me!

Oliver coaxed Nanny T on to the digger :)

Getting grown up

Ben pointing out lighthouses at Aberdeen beach

An amazing sunny day in Stonehaven

Zach eyes up the icecream

Hoodles playbarn!

Ben and Zachy baby

So all in all a very happy time up here.

Zach's Sleep Training

The past week has been tiiiiring because we finally bit the bullet on Zach's night feeds. He is 9 and a half months old and was in a happy cycle of getting me up four times a night for feeds, every night... so I put my foot down and told him NO MORE MILK IN THE NIGHT. Here is the proof that sleep training works, and it is making us all happier:

Night 1: 
Woke at 10.20pm. We told him 'no more milk, it's sleepy time'... we soothed and left... he cried... after 5 minutes we soothed and left... he cried... 7 minutes... soothed... etc. He fell asleep by himself at 10.55pm. Wahoo! The first time he'd woken and gone back with no milk.
Woke again at 2.35am and we did the same regime... this time he fell asleep after an hour, 3.35am
Woke for good, happily, at 7am.

Night 2:
Woke at 10pm (uh oh) Same regime. This time it only took 13 minutes. Easy peasy.
Woke again at 3.40am... he tested the new regime and was up until 4.50am.
Woke for good at 7.30am.

Night 3:
Woke at 1.50am (wow!) Same thing. Took until 3.35am: zzzzz.
Woke just before 7.30am (HE ONLY WOKE ONCE? Wahoo!)

Night 4:
Woke at 4.35am (!!!!!!!) Same thing. Took until 5.35am, zzz again!
Woke at 7.30am.

Night 5:
Woke at 2.40am (not bad still!) Neaaaarly got himself back to sleep in 15 minutes but then got very cross... ended up practically screaming himself to sleep two hours later (he was calm when we went in though!) That was the saddest night.
Woke at 7am.

Night 6:
Woke at 4.45am(!!!!!) Same thing. Went in four times but it definitely made him worse so decided to leave him to it and fell asleep a lot quicker after that. Maybe 6am?
Woke for good at 8am.

Night 7: 
Woke at 5.40am (woweeeeeee! He was asleep by himself for 10.5 hours!) I went in once and he clearly didn't want me in there and was pushing me away so I left him to it again at 6.15am and he fell asleep happily.
Woke for good at 7.45am.

So! There you go. Some people might think it is unkind, but if you saw how quickly he is soothed once we go in, he really is totally fine. Also, he is happier during the day and I am too, since we are both getting more and more interrupted sleep! More sleep will make him be able to take in more around him, me function better too... wahoo! I can highly recommend, especially since the nights were so interrupted anyway it is not really any worse! Ta-da. Here goes Night 8!

Happy, snowy January- lots of photos!

Cousins being serious (taken while Z and I went down South)

Zach playing with cousin Ava

Brotherly cuddles (NOT a headlock!)

O's new-found interest in paint... one of my many cars!

Two big boys!

Building a house for his sheep, Baa Baa

The view from our front door

Oliver trying to catch some snow in the garden

Oliver spinner Zach around and around in the door bouncer

Oliver sledging to Toddler group in the village :)

Duvet and blanket den

Road outside our house

Hello, here is a mumble jumble of snowy and indoor photos. Ta-da!! :)