Mel, Paulo & Mahlia Report, 2008

So, Mahlia is now 5 months old, has doubled (and a bit) her birth weight, grown 13cms and is, alas, growing up very fast before our eyes without a hope of slowing her down! We feel like she will soon be teenager and we will never see our little baby again! She is so huge now compared to the newborn we came home with, filling up her bassinet. I suppose we had better get round to organising a cot! Our poor little Mahlia. She is laughing her head off regularly (which consequently gives her the hiccups every time), sitting up from a propped up position, generating more intricate baby conversation and all the other things a 5 month year old gets up to. She’s not potty trained yet so I guess that’s something we have left to hold on to! She thinks our Mothers’ Group of 11 or so mothers and babies is riot and expects that all passing people are deliberately invented for her purpose.

Even though we have scaled down to just the one car we are still getting out on our little trips. Tuesday is appointment / mothers group day, Thursday is mother and baby physio and bushwalking day(with pram or baby carrier), Saturdays is Salamanca / coffee day & Sunday is rest day & usually going to church day if it falls in well with the wake – feed – change nappy – entertain cycle. In the evening “crabby and grizzling” is added to the usual cycle. Monday, Wednesday & Fridays are usually stay at home days but potentially turn into going out days.

I am loving being Mahlia’s mum as I always have but each day adds a new depth to motherhood. Just when you though having a baby was the most extraordinary experience of your life, each day she adds something even more extraordinary to your life. One day she’s propped up on the couch, the next day she’s pulling herself to lean forward and 3 days later she’s humbly sitting and playing with her toys or pulling grass out to taste it! I think the adrenalin hormones are fading away as 5 months of sleep depravation has crept up on me and is taking it’s toll. I also had a cold for a eek which didn’t help so have just concentrated on sleeping when mahli sleeps etc. even if I just sneak in an hour at a time.

I don’t know how I’ll ever bring myself to go back to work, even part time, cos then I’d have to go without her for 9 hours!!!!!

Paulo is working hard as ever supporting Mahlia and I at home and we are hoping to scrape enough money to take Mahlia to Colombia by the end of the year to visit he “abuelos” (Colombian grandparents) and extended family.

So, all is going well and Mahlia is as beautiful and lovely and joyful as always.