Magnificently Messy - motherhood guest blog

Magnificently Messy- That was a phrase that was mentioned in a motherhood writing class I took recently and whilst the course has ended, the phrase has stuck with me. Magnificently messy, the ultimate oxymoron. Still, it’s an oxymoron that perfectly sums up the past 9 months. So much mess. Laundry, nappy bins, living in what feels like a toy store, mountains of bottles to wash, a rug made of food under their high chair that ended anywhere other than their mouth…. so messy…. but so magnificent.

Arlo is now over 9 months old, the big 1 year birthday of our rainbow baby is within sight and I’m in disbelief. Another phrase which has come up is, the days are long but the months are short. I’m so thankful to be able to have Jess’s milestone photos of Arlo marking this first year, as it’s true when I say it feels like the past 9 months have felt like 9 minutes. Whilst I try and soak it all in; every morning smile, every goodnight kiss, every little laugh or sorrowful bottom lip… it’s hard to recall everything in such detail. Despite this, when I look at the photos of Arlo that Jess has taken, all that detail is there perfectly captured. The playful grin, the cheeky bottom lip, the warmth of our hugs; I cannot wait to look at these photos for years to come to remember those tiny but beautiful moments.

Now Arlo is 9 months, since my last blog we have started to wean him. This process was made slightly more difficult by finding out he had a Cow’s Milk Allergy but now we’re used to scanning ingredients and trying different recipes so it doesn’t seem that different to other babies weaning anymore. If Arlo could write a review of his weaning I feel it would go something like this:

Love (please feed me more):

• Sweet Potato
• Lentil Dahl’s
• Grandad’s Toast
• Banana
• Anything with Blueberries in (but not the ones daddy makes – sorry daddy!)

There are a lot of different approaches and ways you’ll hear people talk about weaning. What’s right, what’s wrong, what their baby took too and what they never wanted to do. Apart from medical advice (check NHS website they have advice on weaning), it’s important to remember each baby is different. What works for one baby won’t neccesarily work for another. We found a mixed approach of puree and baby led weaning worked for Arlo. We began weaning when Arlo was able to sit up by himself, then one by one began to introduce allergens, giving enough time in between each one to see if there is a reaction. During these past few months, the most beneficial items to Arlo’s weaning journey we’ve found have been:

• Full upper body bibs (we prefer long sleeves; it makes the clean up much easier)
• Having two spoons for each meal. Having two spoons, allows Arlo to hold a spoon and feed himself while we could fill the other with food ready to swap.
• Food steamer & processer, we use Tommee Tippee one to make our own food at home for Arlo.
• Feeding spoons that change colour when the food is too hot. (This just gives a bit of extra reassurance, especially during those initial tries where you may be nervous).