Ella smiling and laughing and gooing and gaaing :D

Yes, it is hard to believe that Elora is already 2 months. Although it also seems a long time ago that we brought her home from hospital. She has grown a lot in that time, being rather healthy and chubby looking! She is quite robust and very strong, lifting her head and looking around everywhere. She launches herself up, trying to stand, and when on her belly for “tummy time,” she looks like she is trying to crawl! Of course, these are all normal reflexes, but she seems to be wanting to get mobile.

It is great that Elora is more interactive now. We get plenty of smiles and almost-giggles. She is quite vocal, calling out for various reasons. She hiccups and sneezes loudly, commanding attention, to which she smiles and goos and gaas. Elora loves music. She will quieten and lie very still to listen to music and singing. She smiles into your eyes when being sung to. It is difficult to sing her to sleep though, because she perks up and starts beaming at me whenever I try to sing her a lullaby, like “lulaloo” or “mockingbird.”

Elora is very interested in toys, which is hardly surprising, being a child. One of her favourite things is being surrounded by her brother and sister, who show her toys and sing to her, read to her and play with her. When in the kitchen, I put Ella in her baby chair and she watches my every step and every move. If babies’ brains really are sponges that absorb all information, then Ella already knows how to make quiches, scones, muffins, museli slice and a variety of other things because I talk her through what I am doing!

As for sleep, well, of that she gets plenty. Most nights, I put her to bed around 8pm and she usually sleeps through until 5am. Sometimes she wakes at 4am, which is better than 5am in some ways, because I can go back to sleep after feeding her. However, sleeping through the nights is a godsend, especially when I sleep through as well (which happens a lot because by the end of the day I am tired!). I’m feeling very blessed that all three of my babies have been so content and excellent sleepers. I don’t feel like I can take any credit though. Perhaps my milk is awesome or something, but when people suggest that maybe it’s because I am a relaxed person, I laugh and say  “Nooooo!” I am not relaxed at all. I also drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day.

Having the first 2 months behind us is a good thing. The baby is adorable! For the first time, practically for the whole year, I feel like ‘me’ again. I have energy and motivation to do things again. I absolutely love having lots of children to look after, even if it does mean I am always tired. It sometimes means that I forget to cut my own toenails, or that I might go out in public wearing baby vomit, or baby snot. And when Matthew asked me yesterday if I am growing another baby in my tummy, all I could do was laugh. Goodbye bikini body.

All our children have a “song.” Georgia’s is Norah Jones’ “Come away with me;” Matthew’s is Etta James’ “At Last!” and Elora’s is “Just the way you are” by Bruno Mars. It came about because I kept singing it to her, then I realised how much I meant the words. Here are the lyrics:

Bruno Mars: Just the way you are

Oh her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they’re not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying

She’s so beautiful
And I tell her every day

Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don’t see what I see

But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say