Dear Lottie Bella
Lottie, you are a third of the way through your first year – how on earth did that happen darling girl? On one hand it feels like you arrived just last week, but on the other, I cannot imagine life without you any more. You and I are becoming best buddies and having such fun together. I adore the time we spend together.
This month has seen you develop a real little sense of humour. You will laugh like a drain now and the funniest people in the world for you are still daddy and nanny. You don’t find me very funny, so I really look forward to daddy coming home from work so that I can hear your gorgeous chuckles and giggles.
You have also built on your burbling vocabulary and make lots of lovely sounds. You have also started to shout. Sometimes it’s because you’re excited, or frustrated, or just playing with your voice, but you have certainly got a big voice.
You continue to sleep beautifully and hardly ever wake up more than once in the night and you go straight back to sleep once you’ve filled your tummy again. You have moved your own bedtime earlier and are usually away with the fairies by 7pm now. You will start to ask to go to bed about 6pm and as soon as we pick you up to take you upstairs, your little face lights up. You love bathtime and you have taken after me with a serious love of sleep.
Your sleep during the day is a bit more hit and miss. We have had a few days of no napping, which leaves you a bit tired and grizzly. And when you do nap, you are still rather partial to a cuddle. We did some sleep training and you do sometimes go down in the basket or your Poddle Pod, but not every time. Nanny said that I very rarely went to sleep on my own when I was little, so you probably get this from me too. I don’t mind too much though, as I do love a cuddle as much as you do and the housework can wait until you’ve gone to bed.
But when you are awake, you are coming on leaps and bounds. You can now hold toys and will grab the toys on your play mat and bouncer chair very easily.
You have also found your hands, which are usually in your mouth, along with anything else you can get your hands on and you often suck your thumb now too. If they aren’t in your mouth, you stare intently at your hands, which is so cute.
You still love tummy time and tonight, you rolled over from your tummy to your back for the first time – you were so proud of yourself, every time we put you back on your tummy, you rolled over and beamed at us.
You are very physically active and love a good kick and wriggle. You now prefer to sit up on someone’s lap or in your new bouncer chair if at all possible rather than lie down, and you will constantly try to lean forward, sit up and almost do tummy crunches! I’m pretty sure you’ll be crawling and walking before we know it, you’re desperate to get going.
This month you are loving:
Shopping – You love to lie in your pram and watch the world go by in the shops.
Sitting up and doing tummy crunches
Your new bouncer chair – nanny got you a bouncer chair for Christmas (you got it early) and you love to be able to see what we are all up to.
Laughing – you have a genuine love for life
Baby Sensory – we have been going to this since you were about ten weeks old, but you have suddenly become more aware of it and you just love it every week.
Christmas lights – this is your favourite time of year – the fairy lights are your favourite things ever. We saw Father Christmas in our village last week and his sleigh was covered in lights – you were mesmerised.
Lying on my chest – you love to lie on my chest after a bottle and look straight at me and have a chat. One of my favourite times of the day with you.
There really isn’t much you don’t like other than waking up, but who does??
By the time I write to you again for your five month update, you will have had your first Christmas. I cannot tell you how excited I am for you. There were times in my life that I thought I would never be lucky enough to have a baby, but you are here and I cherish every moment, every smile, every new experience and milestone with you.
You are a delightful little girl to be around. You beam with smiles at everyone you meet. You rarely grizzle or whinge and you are great fun to be in the company of.
I still wake up every morning before you to go and look after Ben, and when I get back in the car, I can’t wait to get home and see your gorgeous little face. We are so very lucky to have you in our lives.
Love you forever baby girl
Mama xxx
