Ada recap - the first couple of months

Part of me wishes I started this blog when she was born. Part of me thinks, I couldn't even think straight let alone write anything coherent down. To be honest, the first couple of months are a bit of a blur. I look at other babies now who are four weeks, six weeks, ten weeks and think, I don't remember that at all. But here's a couple of bits from the first couple of months

I went into labour with Ada late Friday night, a week overdue. I might go into that in more detail a bit later, but for now, I'll just say she was born on Saturday the eigth February at 11.57am. With all things considered it was a pretty good, quick labour. I had an amazing midwife and Dave was incredible. And that's where the fairytale ends. 

I found the first ten days or so incredibly hard. Again, it's all a bit of a blur, but I do remember feeling incredibly anxious as soon at the sun would set. And given it was winter in London, it was generally around four pm. I just didn't know what to expect from the nighttime feeds. Would Ada be up all night, would she be screaming, would I be okay with breast feeding? I was a bundle of nerves. But I quickly learnt that my worst fears would never eventuate, or that if something had happened the night before, the next day would always be better. It also helped immensely having Dave with me those first two weeks. My love for him grew deeper during that time. 

The next month or so, after Dave had gone back to work, Ada and I had to start our routine. Which was a lot of coffees and cakes with my NCT mums. Not having any family close by (Dave's brother and sister in law live just outside of London with their boy, but they have gone back to work) these girls were my touchstone. I looked (look) forward to seeing them on Tuesdays so we can pour over every minute detail of the previous week. 

I started swimming classes with Ada when she was around five or six weeks (see: no memory of the early months). I don't know why I thought that taking her swimming would be a good idea. Maybe it was something else to do during the day (filling our days up with things to do quickly became an important task so we didn't go stir crazy watching bad daytime tv). Her first lesson was horrendous (although the teacher did say that most babies react the same way). It was a half hour lesson, she screamed for about twenty minutes of it, fed for five and was okay for the other five. But now, nearly four months on, she is getting much better. Not perfect (I have a separate post about last Friday's lesson) but better.

It's an odd thing being a mother. It's something that I always wanted, and thought I was ready for, but in hindsight, I could never be ready. I look at her, and have such a full heart for her. She's adorable, beautiful, challenging, naughty, sweet all wrapped up in soft squishy little human.