A big cheer for our little boy! Jake has been an absolute star. Imagine moving house. Imagine moving from a house you've spent the last 4 years accumulating
stuff in - with an attic that's still got stacks of boxes from the last move. Imagine moving to a house that needs a fair bit of DIY before the move - a seperating wall to be built in the overly large bedroom, all the internal walls to be painted, wooden floors to be laid, plasterwork to be done and several rooms to be rewired - with only a week to do it all in. Imagine doing all of the above with an 8-week-old baby. That was the situation we were faced with a few weeks ago.
Luckily I have fantastic parents who were very willing to help in every way they could. Super Removal Team Mum & Dad started work a good week before the move. They appeared on our doorstep armed with boxes, tape and lunch and they just started packing up our entire house, room by room. After a couple of days, the house became uninhabitable for Jake and us, so we moved into my parents' house. R was in our new house working incredibly long hours, many together with his dad. I was in my parents' house, taking care of Jake and getting some much-needed rest myself. My parents were in our old house, taking the place by storm. It was a rather bizarre week, but it worked.
Jake made a few big steps in the 10 days we stayed with my parents. First of all, he started sleeping longer hours. He even slept for an 8-hour stretch one night, which took us by surprise - in a good way. Whereas I had always put him to bed only when he was already asleep, I tried putting him to bed awake to see what would happen. He grunted for a bit, let out a cry and then fell asleep. I tried it again for his next nap and again, he got himself to sleep. Now it doesn't matter whether I put him down asleep or awake - if he's tired, he'll go to sleep. For the last week or more he has been sleeping a minimum of 8 hours a night and even managed 9 hours 45 minutes last night!
We also had a first-time experience - my new boss had a BBQ & drinks evening that we'd been invited to. For the first time, we left Jake and went out, just the two of us. My mum had been left in charge with a bottle of my breast milk. I'd fed Jake just before we went out, so I was pretty sure he'd sleep till we got back. We spent the evening talking to and getting to know my new colleagues and it gave me a very positive feeling about starting my new job. After a couple of hours, my mum phoned, apologising profusely. She said Jake was inconsolable and was point-blank refusing the bottle. He needed his mummy. On the one hand, I was a little disappointed in having to leave so early, but on the other hand I swelled with pride at the knowledge that our child needed me.
We have now been living in the new house for a week and although it has been really hectic with a lot of DIY still going on, it already feels like home. We still have quite a few boxes to unpack, but we're getting there. Jake has taken to the new house like a fish to water. The first night he woke up once and was a little restless. Not too strange considering it was the first night that he had ever spent in a room on his own. I shed quite a few tears myself because I missed having him in his cradle beside us, but now he is sleeping through the night and I know I can be by his side in 5 quick steps.
Another first for Jake happened 3 days ago - R and I were changing him and suddenly he laughed! He has been smiling for quite a few weeks now, but now he accompanied his gorgeous smile with a deep chortle. So incredibly cute! We have had the pleasure of hearing his laugh quite a bit over the last few days and it just brightens up the whole day.
I feel like we haven't only moved physically, but we have moved on as a family too. Whereas I didn't have particularly strong feelings for Jake when he was first born, I now love him fiercely with a strength of feeling that sometimes takes my breath away. R and I recognise his cries and also the other little ways in which he makes his moods known to us. Jake responds to us in so many different ways and it's clear he adores both of us. He has now got to know his grandparents really well too, after living with them for 10 days and his face lights up when he sees them now. He's a sweet-tempered, happy little boy and he is such an integral part of our (extended) family now. Who had ever thought such a tiny little person could have such an impact on our lives?
