Happy Valentines Day Everyone.

It’s our 7th Valentines Day together and our first as a family of 4 (3 humans 1 cat). It has been a quiet evening. We bought the M&S dine in for 2 and lit some candles. I got a rose and some chocolate! Arthur sat next to us in his highchair. Shame we all got covered in mashed up food (weaning has now well and truly started) but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So Arthur is SIX months now and has really changed recently. I read that babies normally only sit for a few seconds at this age but he sits independently for long periods now. He only falls backwards or sideways when he is being nosey and looking around at something or someone.  I honestly believe that this early sitting is due to the fact he spends so long on my lap. Whilst I always hold onto him, he probably isn’t as supported as being in a pram so his muscles will have strengthened. The consultant did say this may happen. His legs are also very strong now, probably due to his obsession with the Jumperoo.

Speaking of the Jumperoo, you may remember I said I couldn’t lift him in and out of it. I am pleased to say that I now can. Now Arthur is more uptight, I can sit him on the side and just steady him whilst I lean really far forward and put his feet through the holes before lowering him down. I then just pull him up with my hands under his arms to get him out. He is over a stone now but I can still manage.

Another big change now Arthur is stronger is that I can safely lift him on and off the play mat without getting out of my wheelchair. I hold him under his arms, lean forward, sit him on the floor in a sitting position and then put my hand under his head whilst I lay him down. I then get on the floor with him. When we are all done playing I climb into my chair from the floor, just using my arms, and then lean down, put him into a sitting position, put my hands under his arms and lift him up. Thank goodness for long arms. He even pushes through his feet now bless him which is a great help.

The third update is that the long search for a suitable highchair is over. I was struggling to find one that was the right height because height adjustable ones were either too high or if I put them lower to get him in they were then too low to feed him without bending down. So in the end we bought a portable one that goes on our kitchen chair. It’s not perfect as, like with a normal highchair, the chair legs get in the way of my wheels so I can’t get as close as I’d like to feed but, again, I just about manage with my long arms.

We want Arthur to have as much home cooked food as possible and only aim to uses ready made food when out about. I believe that home cooked food is important and my family’s cooking certainly helped me maintain my strength when I was poorly as a baby. Cooking in my kitchen indecently is tricky for me. The work surfaces are too high and so is the hop. I therefore have to give instructions to my Carer’s and they help me to batch cook, blend, and freeze meals for Arthur. Louie cooks our tea when he gets home from work but it’s usually a bit adventurous for Arthur at this stage. When we buy our forever home in a year or two, we will look to make adaptions so I can be more indecent in the kitchen for Arthur but we do not qualify for assistance from the council so we have decided there is no point adapting this house too much as we won’t be here mint and able bodied people may be put off a house with adaptions.

Arthur is now on the waiting list for a nursery. Normally nowadays babies are put on the waiting list when a mum is pregnant but because we didn’t know when Arthur would be born and therefore when I would go back to work, I couldn’t do this. When I was ready to put him on the list, 4 of the 6 nurseries I approached were not wheelchair accessible. They had either steps to get into the building or the babies room was upstairs. I want to be able to go and collect Arthur and for him to be able to run straight to me and not have to be taken to the car to meet me. I am pleased that I have now found a lovely place and the staff have been so accommodating. Attending parents evening and Christmas plays will not be an issue.

I will be going back to work 3 days a week and the plan is that Louie will take Arthur to nursery and I will pick him up with my Carer. The issue is that the care agency I used to have before I had Arthur cannot support me to be a parent due to insurance and my current Carer’s are currently only with me for 4 hours in the middle of the days and they do not start with any customers until 9am. This means I need to work out who will help me get to the station in the morning and pick me up in the evening because Louie can’t be in 3 places at once. It’s all being looked into though and there will be a way around it I am sure.

We start swimming lessons next week. We have arranged for a mat to be put next to the pool which I will climb onto from my chair whilst my Carer holds Arthur. I will climb into the pool and then take Arthur so I can be like the other Mums in the class. I will wear a foam tube (sometimes called a woggle) to keep me a float. Staying above water with no use of your legs is tough and I will need my arms to hold Arthur who will also wearing a float. The lesson will be in the baby pool to begin with anyway so that will help as I will be able to sit on the floor of the pool. After the lesson, I will then use the bars next to the steps into the pool to pull myself out onto the mat, dry myself, then climb back into my chair. If only all pools had hoists. Never mind, I can’t have Arthur missing out on swimming!

I’ve been to soft play twice in 2 weeks. Lots of crawling the first time from each piece of equipment but the second place was too big for crawling so I took my chair in and transferred onto each of thr pieces of equipment which included a mini round about and water bed thing. Arthur sat on my lap on each of the moving apparatus. I will never be able to carry him up steps to use slides but I will leave that for weekends for Daddy or for when he’s older.

We were in the local paper last week and all I can say is watch this space for more from us over the next few weeks.

I am 30 in three weeks and we are going away to a nice hotel for 2 nights. Good practice for our holiday to Spain in April

I will update you after my birthday!

Lots of love zxx