Tag Archives: Hubby
Doctor Dad
Monday, 3 June 3014: One Year and Eight Weeks Old.
Hubby got to play Doctor Dad all day today.
It was strange because I felt a little nervous leaving him at home with a sick Baby Ayla, even though I knew they’d both be ok.
I think it was because Hubby is so GOOD at being a Dad.
To me, it looks like parenthood is completely natural for him; he’s calm, confident, well-balanced and fun.
Of course there’s a little element of causality in there, but show me a grown up man anywhere who wouldn’t be considered “casual” or “relaxed”.
I tried my best not to fuss as I left my instructions and hurtled out the door, late because I’d spent too much time preparing the day to make it as easy as possible for my little family.
When I came home, Ayla was still sick and Hubby was still, almost a little disappointedly for me, unfrazzled.
It was a a great reminder to me that Hubby and I are undoubtedly a team, and today he stepped up to plate and delivered a home run.
Screaming
Monday, 28 April 2014: One Year, Three Weeks and Six Days Old.
I don’t know what was wrong with Ayla – she’s still unsettled tonight -but she keeps screaming and crying and refusing to lie down.
Last night I was up with her til 1am and the Hubby took over until 3am, but Ayla then woke at 5am, 6am and 7am anyway.
It was tough! Ayla had a temperature but no other symptoms, Panadol didn’t work and sleep seemed impossible.
This morning Ayla was tired (weren’t we all) but she seemed well enough to go to day care. Two hours after dropping her off though, I got “the call” asking me to come and get her and take her to the docs because they couldn’t settle her, no matter what they tried.
The doctor checked Ayla’s ears, throat, nose, stomach and kidneys but all we’re clear and healthy so she sent us home to get some rest.
But still, Ayla screamed! For two hours I cradled her and rocked her hoping she would settle but it was futile… Ayla was not happy.
I eventually took Ayla outside to play where distraction seemed to keep her screams at bay.
But by the time Hubby got home from work Ayla was back to grizzling and crying and screaming and we know we have another long night ahead of us.
After dinner I sent a zombied Hubby off to bed while I sat up with a teary Ayla.
Ayla kept passing out from sheet exhaustion only to wake every fifteen minutes or so in what looks like pain.
I’ve just put her down now, at 10.30pm.
I don’t know if it’s teething, a delayed upset tummy from the formula, another UTI or something else, but whatever it is Ayla is sad, and hurting and dog-tired, and I am too.
Holiday mode over
Tuesday, 22 April 2014; One Year and Three Weeks Old.
Holiday mode was over for me today as I returned to work after the Easter break, and it was supposed to be over for Ayla too.
But, Hubby is on his week off and Ayla’s grandma is visiting for a few days so there was bucklies chance of that happening!
Even though I explained to them that it would be good for Ayla to get back into her day care routine as soon as possible, I could tell they had other ideas.
And I was right!
Can’t say I blame them though, time with Ayla feels like the most precious commodity in existence and I know I wouldn’t take her if I didn’t have to.
So while I sat at work writing PowerPoint presentations and fending off meeting requests, my little family swam in the pool at home.
Greatness
Saturday, 8 March: Three Hundred and Forty One Days Old.
Ayla is changing. She’s getting bigger, louder, smarter and more active every day.
Hubby’s been working and training such long hours that he’s missed a bit of Ayla’s recent development and today I think her sudden “kid-ness” hit him like a tonne of bricks.
He was amazed by Ayla’s love of music which she was really showing off today, her voluntary cuddles and kisses, and Ayla’s moments of quiet calm when she’s just happy to sit or lie beside us.
After they’d been hanging out in the bedroom for a while Hubby reappeared with a huge grin on his face and a smiling Ayla in his arms.
“She’s so awesome babe! Look at her!”
My heart wanted to burst.
Ayla wasn’t doing anything particularly interesting but I knew what he meant; to us, Ayla is so amazing, so wonderful, that we just want to bask in her greatness.
PS – if you haven’t already, please vote Ayla as the cutest baby in Australia and help her win a People’s Choice Award in the Bonds Australia Baby Photo Comp…. Thanks in advance! Click here to vote
D-day disaster
Tuesday, 4 March 2014: Three Hundred and Thirty Seven Days Old.
Today was D-day (“D” standing for Day Care”) and it ended in disaster.
The morning started off smoothly and to plan; Ayla had slept well, she had some breakfast, a bath, and I even got her day care bag all ready complete with labeled clothes and expressed milk.
At around 10.30am Ayla was looking tired, and although she was rubbing her eyes a little earlier than I expected I decided to put her down for a nap and planned to get stuck into my uni readings, preparing the dinner and doing some washing while she slept.
But by midday Ayla still hadn’t slept – apart from accidentally falling asleep for 10 minutes while I was feeding her – andI was completely frazzled.
The washing was beeping, the frying pan was burnt from being on without having anything in it, the flies were trying to get to my half chopped veggies, I hadn’t gone near my computer and Ayla was crying. It was overload to my stress levels.
Ayla was just really clingy, she would settle in my arms but as soon as I put her down she would start coughing then wake up and cry. This cycle went on, and on, and on, until Ayla’s eyes were red ringed and darkly shadowed and my nerves were completely shot.
I knew there was something wrong that was keeping Ayla from sleep, whether it was a virus, her teeth or something else, which made me feel bad for her and had me questioning my own judgement about leaving her at day care while I went off to uni.
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to take Ayla to her first afternoon at day care when she was so tired, upset and irritable so I made the decision to give Week One at uni a miss in order to take care of my baby girl.
Although I was happy with my decision, I think all the stress and pressure of the last couple of weeks finally caught up with me and I found myself in tears anyway.
Thankfully, like a knight in shining armour, Hubby came to the rescue by taking the afternoon off work to come home and look after Ayla.
It was a gesture so small and simple but it meant I got a whole three hours to myself to de-mummify, engage with a world outside my four walls and do something purely for me.
We’ll just have to try day care again next week.
Fly screens are dangerous
Sunday, 2 March 2014: Three Hundred and Thirty Five Days Old.
Ayla got herself into all sorts of trouble today, and we learned that fly screens are dangerous.
Ayla was inside playing at the back door while Hubby and I were outside in the garden, we could hear Ayla playing happily, banging on the screen and singing like she usually does.
But just as we were ready to come back inside Ayla started to cry as if she was stuck.
Hubby went around the front and when he came to the door he could see Ayla at the back door looking out with both hands on the flyscreen.
Ayla’s cries began to get louder and more insistent, as if she had actually hurt herself.
Hubby wasn’t quite sure what was going on and as he struggled with his dirty boots he started to call Ayla’s name in an attempt to get her to turn around and forget about whatever had upset her.
As he was calling her, without success, I reached the back door.
I could see Ayla’s little face smooshed up against the flyscreen, as if she’d slipped down from standing up, but that couldn’t possibly have resulted in the pained cries she was letting out.
On a closer inspection (this has all happened within a matter of seconds mind you), I could see that when Ayla had slipped one of her eyelids got caught in the fly screen, jamming it open and allowing her eyeball to get stuck against the fly screen, hence the crying! Poor baby.
Ayla’s fine though, and went back to being her happy little self not long after Hubby picked her up… and her eye looks fine!
Tickle monster
Wednesday, 26 February 2014: Three Hundred and Thirty One Days Old.
Ayla’s always loved being tickled and gets so exited her squeals reach a pitch high enough to almost shatter glass and her smile looks like its about to break her face in two.
And now Ayla’s learned to share the fun of being tickled with Hubby and I.
I couldn’t quite work out what Ayla was doing the first time she grabbed at my underarm and I thought maybe I’d let things grow a little bit “wild” under there.
But after reassuring myself that I wasn’t at all unkempt Ayla’s persistence really had me stumped.
Eventually, with no other solution coming to mind I decided to tickle Ayla under her arm so she could feel what she was doing to me; it wasn’t exactly ticklish but it was certainly making me flinch!
Then it clicked. Ayla was in fact one step ahead of me, deciding she felt like a tickle fight and using her initiative to kick things off.
But now I’ve created a Tickle Monster! Whenever an underarm is exposed at Ayla level (which includes the lying on the couch and sitting on the floor) you can rest assured it won’t be long before her tiny fingers start grabbing and poking and “tickling”.
I pretend to laugh and squeal which set Ayla off in a fit off giggles, so happy and pleased with herself that she can beat Mummy at her own game.
But while it’s all in fun for Ayla and I, when Ayla decides to give Daddy a tickle it usually ends in tears – his!
It seems that Daddy’s armpits, with all their masculinity, are not cut out for tiny pinching baby fingers…. but it doesn’t stop Ayla trying!
Rockabye Daddy
Friday, 21 February 2014: Three Hundred and Twenty Eight Days Old.
For the last few nights Ayla has refused to go to sleep unless her Daddy’s put her down.
It’s been a huge change for us and one that proves Baby Ayla is growing up all to fast, but as much as its made me feel a bit obsolete it’s also brought a new feeling of freedom.
While I still give Ayla her bedtime feed instead of backing that up with rocking and singing until she falls asleep the routine is now a family affair that Hubby and I share equally.
Plus, knowing that Ayla can go to to sleep at night in her Daddy’s arms means that we’re another step closer to being able to hire a baby sitter and have a baby-free night out!
It also makes me proud to see that Baby Ayla is gaining her independence and starting to make decisions about what makes her feel happy and content, not just what she likes and doesn’t like.
Growing up certainly happens fast, far faster than anyone can explain. I never thought I’d be using the word independent to describe a ten month old baby and I can hardly believe that in a blink of an eye she won’t need me at all.
Repertoire
Sunday, 16 February 2014: Three Hundred and Twenty One Days Old.
Ayla has added yet another super cute trick to her repertoire; giving kisses on the cheek.
Ayla’s actually been giving kisses for a long time now, maybe since she was about six or seven months old, but until today I think Ayla’s kisses were more like an involuntary action of overwhelming love…. like when a puppy wags its tail.
But this morning, after a day or so of trying to teach her, I asked Ayla to give me a kiss and pointed to my cheek – and she did!
We kept practicing all day, and by the time Hubby got home Ayla had it down to a fine art; he asked for a kiss and Ayla immediately opened her mouth and leaned in close until her tiny slobbery lips were planted firmly on her Daddy’s stubbly cheek.
So that means Ayla’s list of tricks is now sitting at around ten (that I can think of right now), including;
- Waving hello and goodbye
- Clapping
- Clicking (like giddyup horsey!)
- Giving high-fives
- Blowing raspberries
- Flicking her lips with her fingers to make a “bubble-bubble” noise
- Dancing
Annnnd, what’s awesome is that Ayla can apply each of these tricks at the appropriate time, without a demonstration!
- Pointing
- Sniffing, with a scrunched up face
- Sticking out her tongue
An Ayla A Day 