It is astounding to me - 12 weeks into the life of my little girl - that there was ever a time in our lives when she was not here. Time, however, is slipping away from me. I just adore her little face and cannot bear to clean or do dishes or anything like that while she is awake. This means that many things are left by the wayside in our home these days.

So many other mums had told me that I would have no time anymore for anything and the house would be a mess and that dinner would not make it to the table. I am here to tell you that those things are so unimportant in the  scheme of our lives. When my husband comes home to find our bed unmade or his shirts still in the basket (clean because he washed them himself mostly) unironed he looks at me and smiles. I love you he says and then he kisses me and cuddles our little bunny and our life is perfect.

I guess what i am trying to say is that, no matter what you think you ’should’ or ‘must’ get done in the day and whether your house looked like a museum before you had kids or not…. loving your babies and spending time teaching them and helping them grow and ensuring they feel loved is so much more important than whether you disinfected the bathroom and polished the stove top. And if you come to my house and decide it is your right to judge me for the fact that there may be a few dishes waiting to be washed or because i haven’t put away the ironing board, then that is your perogative.

All in all three months have gone by and she is divine, the light of our lives. And when all is said and done… I don’t regret or begrudge her any of the time we have spent toether just playing or laughing together. I hear her now so I have to run. Remember to love every minute because they grow so very fast.

There is an interesting article in the Washington Post about day care and unwanted infant weight gain:

Infants cared for by caregivers other than their parents tend to gain more weight than children cared for by their parents, a new study says.
And children receiving regular care from people other than their parents are also less likely to be breast-fed and more likely to be introduced to solid foods early, the researchers found.
Other studies have suggested that breast-feeding for up to the first 12 months of life may confer protection against obesity.
More and more evidence suggests that the threat of excess weight gain and obesity is taking hold in America’s nurseries, Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University School of Medicine’s Prevention Research Center said. “Studies show obesity emerging as a problem even in the first year of life. This, in turn, results in a higher risk of diabetes in youth, and lifelong obesity and its many consequences.”

Given how we are following America’s lead in most things, I would suspect the same will hold true for our Day and Early Care here in Australia.

There was another related article I read the other day (to which I can’t find the link right now) that mentioned that there may be a tangible relationship between allergies and the introduction of foods at an early age (<6 months). The article stated that the baby’s digestive system is not developed enough at less than 6 months to handle solids and especially the chemicals and additives that are found in the food we eat.

So, if you can, breastfeeding gives your baby a fantastic start in life. I know that there is a lot of promotion about only breastfeeding for the first 3 months before cycling you baby onto pre-prepared foods, but I think it would be a great idea to stick with it a little longer.