It's oh so quiet... Shh.... Shh...

It's been all change in the Brennan household this week and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.  So first things first, Ava has well and truly outgrown her Moses basket, I couldn't bear to wake up another morning to find she'd rubbed off more of her beautiful hair because her hair was touching the top.  I could put it off no longer, into her own bedroom and into the crib it was.

Not being one to do things by half, I had also been getting more and more frustrated and sad for my little girl as I watch her day after day trying to get to sleep without success until I end up rocking her. She rarely naps during the daytime, and I cannot begin to explain the strain it has been putting on my already painful back, not to mention the fact that around 40% of my waking (and probably sleeping!) hours were spent rocking back and forth like a crazy person!  I decided it could continue no longer and began to read up on various sleep training techniques.

The first night began with a very brief attempt at Cryimg It Out.  I had read several threads on the 'What to Expect' forums singing the praises of this method and I think I was expecting a miracle, however after around two hours of Ava screaming inconsolably we took the decision that it was no good for the well being of the household (or the neighbours) so back to the drawing board it was.

Next was a method I forget the name of, not that it matters as we couldn't stick to that either.  It consisted mainly of putting Ava down awake but going back in to reassure her each time she cried before she became too upset. We seemed to be getting nowhere fast, and eventually decided to follow our own plan, namely a mixture of various methods.

We are now on the 5th night and so far so good.  I've been putting Ava in her cot awake but sitting in her room and waiting for her to fall asleep, reassuring her when she cries but not picking her up.  It took an hour of her fighting and rubbing her eyes whilst trying to roll around until she eventually fell asleep.  We are now down to 10-15 minutes with much less fighting, and she is sleeping from 7.30pm until 5 or 6am, so something is obviously working.  Daytime naps are no better but I'm hoping that this will improve when se can take her own cues and fall to sleep when tired.

I think the only thing I can advise is follow your heart and do what works for you, and I have come to realise that there are no miracles, nothing works overnight and I fully expect for this to continue probably for another week or two until its easy, but I just keep telling myself it's for Ava, and a happy and well rested baby means a happy and well rested mummy!!

Waking up after the first night in her cot

Happy to see her mummy'

Why doesn't real-life have a re-wind button?

Not wanting to be the type of blogger who writes about pretty much anything, things have been quiet around here lately hence the lack of posts.

One thing I have noticed is how much my little girl is growing up.  After visiting my cousin and her 6 week old daughter, it re-iterated something I had already feared, I no longer have a newborn. In fact sometimes I look at her and she doesn't even seem a baby anymore, she's a little girl, full of personality and curious of everything around her.

                                                           Ava and Heidy's playdate

It makes me sad when I have to move her into the next size clothes, and I feel like time goes by faster than I could have ever imagined.  I spent the first two months of her life wishing my skinny minnie would grow enough to wear what I call 'proper clothes', now all I want to do is dress her in babygrows just so I can keep my baby a little while longer!!!

It's crazy really, the things we go through as a new parent and I am sure I will worry about the most random things as my beautiful girl continues to grow before my eyes, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  She is learning new things every day and I am so proud to be her mummy.

       'proper clothes'!!

I wish I had....

Ever since I became a mummy, something very strange has been happening to this usually happy-go-lucky lady. I feel like I constantly beat myself up about things I haven't done and opportunities I have missed, I wish I'd taken more photographs of me pregnant.... I wish I had done a the cast of Ava's footprints while she was newborn..... I wish I had taken photographs each month to document the change in her....I wish I had recorded the date she first smiled for her baby book.... And the list goes on.

Now I know it's impossible to record everything, but when is it enough and where do u draw the line? They grow so fast and I don't wanna miss a moment.

I guess I need to give myself a talking to and remember that memories live in your heart not your photo album!

And so it begins!!

Okay so here goes!

I have decided to bring myself into the 21st Century, and since it seems that anyone who's anyone has a blog, it would be rude not to!!

For any non-mummies reading this, I apologise now that my blog will probably bore you to tears, as since I have a 4 month old beautiful baby girl, I just can't get enough of talking about her!!

I suppose I better start with a little introduction to me and my little world I call home.  I have a wonderful husband Ash and just 4 short months ago we first met our beautiful Ava Kate, now our family is complete!

So there you have it, I have started a blog! And although not a particularly exciting first post, I promise to add some pics when I am suitably wi-fi-ed up, and I do solemnly swear to be more interesting from here on out!