Prior to my last post (World pandemic) I had posted about our Breastfeeding struggles. Gracie continued to refuse the boob, this lead to me expressing her every feed for the first 8 weeks of her life. I decided to introduce formula when she was 8 weeks old because it was half term, Archie was on holiday and he wanted to go out on adventures not sit watching me expressing for Gracie then feeding Gracie. I managed to express milk off and combi feed until my milk ran dry.
Our personal breastfeeding journey was a hard one but I took it on for as long as I could given the circumstances. I tried getting nipple guards, bottles with teets that mimicked boobs, the works but she was determined, more determined than I had the fight for.
Since day 1 shes known her own mind, shes strong willed and wants things just how she wants them.. her sleep has always been an issue and continues to be even at 2. She went through weaning at 6 months and point blank refused sweet things, we finally got her to try sweet at the age of 9 months. She started walking unaided, just after her 1st birthday. However the moment she could walk holding onto someone's hand, that is exactly what she wanted to do. For her 1st birthday we went to a local farm, she spent the whole time wanting to walk
The pandemic hit and we found ourselves home more than we had ever been, the 4 of us as a unit in each others pockets all the time. We took family walks together across the farmers fields, along the river and around the estate we lived in, parks were closed due to stop the virus spreading through touching of play equipment, so we was unable to release archies energy in the means of a climbing frame. The kids went from spending time in a park on a near on daily basis to not being able to enter one for 6 months. Due to the location of our flat we was able to use the delivery area (where we parked out car and the shops recieved their deliveries) as a little garden, the only shop to reciever delivery's were the bakery and that was always early mornings. We used to set a little tent up in our second allocated parking space along with a picnic blanket and enjoy the sun to the best we could. Our neighbours used to get out a padding pool for their daughter in their little area. It was the only way we managed to get by on the hotter days.
When we moved we was able to enjoy lazy days in the garden and it was the best feeling in the world. By chance we stumbled upon this house and are so very lucky it worked the way it did. We viewed, agreed terms and had a move date within a week, we then had 3 weeks to pack up our whole life of 8 years, with 2 kids, in the middle of a pandemic where people were not allowed to enter other peoples homes. We genuinly thought we was going to have to move on our own, with no help from family.
Thankfully it was a beautiful day the day of the move so the inlaws had the children in the garden while my dad helped Steve and myself move everything..
Fast forward to April 2021, Gracie celebrated her 2nd birthday in lockdown last month. We couldn't do anything and steve was at work 12-9 that day, Archie was in school so it was very low key. Shes obsessed with peppa pig so we hope to take her to peppa pig World at some point this year (if restrictions allow). Her speech is still very much gracie babble however next week she starts nursery half a day a week, until sept where she will go one full day a week so we hope her speech will come along more then. Sleep is non exsistant, she don't sleep, some how she managed to survive on 3-4 solid hours then broken sleep. Her normal time to wake is between 1.30 and 2. We usually spent on advridge 40 mins in her room settling her back down before she wakes again between 3 and 4 where she then expects to start her day. Its hard going because of how active she is through the day.
I'm hoping, preying that she finally decided to sleep through soon. However knowing gracie and her strong willness ill be waiting a long time for that.
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