Dear Frankie Mabel
You’ll soon realise that your mama is late with most things in life and this first letter to you is no exception. You are in fact nearly ten weeks old now and I totally missed your one month letter altogether. But I wrote to your big sister every month of her first year so I wanted to tell you about your first two months in the big wide world. Don’t get all upset that you’re the second child and not as loved, it’s just manic with both of you to look after and blogging has taken a back seat as a result.
As always time is going ridiculously fast and it seems just days since you joined our family. Your entry into the world was pretty text book and very calm and in lots of ways that set a precedent for your first months. You have just slotted into our little family very calmly as if you were always meant to be here.
Although we always planned to have you, we were a bit shocked when we found out you were going to arrive quite so soon after your sister and I spent much of the time I was pregnant with you worrying about how I would manage with two children under two. We do not have many people to help and Daddy works a lot so a most of the time it’s just you, me and Lottie. There have been days, especially when you were suffering with reflux, when I didn’t think I would get us all to survive until bedtime, but on the whole you’ve made it seem easy.
You’re such a laid back and happy little thing and as long as there are people around you, you’re generally really content. You come along to Lottie’s groups and to the park and will either snooze in the sling or your pram or happily watch the other children. You started smiling super early at just two weeks old and now you just beam at everyone who talks to you. People always think you’re older than you are because you are so alert and smiley and interactive.
During the first six weeks or so of your life, you suffered really badly with reflux and silent reflux, so we took you to a cranial osteopath and got you some special milk and you seem to be much better now, thank goodness. But even when you were throwing up constantly and bringing up stomach acid, you didn’t make a fuss and were always trying to smile.
During your first week you slept absolutely terribly at night and we worried that our sleeping luck had run out with your sister. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired Frankie, you would literally sleep for 20 minutes then wake up again,it was ridiculous. Then you would finally go to sleep at 7am and your sister would wake up. But fast forward two months and you’re already sleeping through the night. You do like to start the day about 4.30am which is a bit of a killer but I can’t really complain after a full night’s sleep. And in fairness, you wake up in the most delightful mood, smiling and burbling away, so who could mind?
So far you are loving:
People: If I go to the loo, or pop upstairs to get Lottie from her nap, and you realise you are on your own, you will scream blue murder. But as long as you can see someone, you’ll happily just lie in your Moses basket, watching the goings-on around you. I often turn round to talk to you, to find you beaming away at me.
Cuddles: Just like your sister, you’d far rather have your sleep on someone than in a basket or a crib.You even hold onto a piece of clothing to make it nearly impossible for us to put you down without you realising. You just adore cuddles, even when you’re awake and will chat away happily.
Lottie: You just adore your sister. She is very interested in you too, but doesn’t come too near you yet. I’m sure as soon as you start sitting up and playing you two will be the very best of friends, but for now, you’re more than happy just watching her every move.
Your playmat and mobile: You’re so alert and interested and just love playing and watching your toys already. You’ve got a pretty impressive attention span too and will quite happily play on your mat for half an hour before getting bored.
The bath: We have another water baby on our hands. You are now having a bath with Lottie every night and I think the two things combined make you the happiest baby going. Regardless of how tired you are by the end of the day, when we put you in the bath, you start smiling and you light up.
Sleep: And long may that continue!
Already, I can’t really remember life without you. I worried before I had you about whether I could love you as much as I loved Lottie, whether there was room in my heart for that much love for someone else, but the moment I saw you, my heart grew and I just adore you, little girl.
Your happy, sunny little personality is a breath of fresh air and your gorgeous smile cannot fail to lift my spirits regardless of anything else that is going on. Mind you, don’t read this and think you were a dream baby – despite being a gentle little soul 95 per cent of the time, when you kick off, you scream like I’ve never heard a baby scream before. You do not deal well with being hungry!
I can’t wait to watch you grow, to witness your milestones and to carry on getting to know you and finding out the little person you will become. I couldn’t be happier to be your mama.
I love you to the moon and back
Mama xxx
