Letter to Tricky - one month old

Dear Tricky,

My, what an adventure we've had already and you're only one month old today!

Bringing you home was amazing. Like a lot of new mums I sat in the back seat of the car next to you - even though you have a baby capsule that exceeds Australian Standards, I had to sit there... just watching you, making sure you were safe. Your Daddy thought I'd sit there next to you for the first few years of your life but I proved him wrong on our first outing (to register you on our health insurance – how exciting!) by sitting in the front and only spending half the time turned around looking at you. I would have spent the whole time looking but it kinda hurt to crane my neck around for so long.

You really enjoy bath time and you always seem so calm afterwards. Daddy and I both love bathing you because you make the funniest faces – my favourite is the one where you look like you're trying to whistle! Sometimes we'll whistle to you when you do it, and you stop and stare at us.

You've already done a wee on both your Dad and I while being changed, but that's OK because we figure it's a right of passage for a new parent... however now that we've both experienced it could you stop, please?

It's still a bit scary being in charge of looking after you. I keep expecting someone to come and pick you up and take you home with them... I can't believe you're actually ours. Some of the things you do that make us wonder what we've gotten ourselves in to all revolve around your strength. Your head seems to have a life of it's own - you throw it around every which way no matter how securely you're being held. After months of reading books and attending classes that tell us “support your baby's head” it certainly gave us a fright when from day one you could lift it up for so long.

Your “tummy time” is going great guns – you push up on your arms and hold your little head up high. Plus, for a week now, when you've had enough you roll yourself over to your back. The first time you did it we thought it was just a fluke and brushed it off... but you keep doing it now. I'm not even sure you're meant to be able to do that yet and it's freaking me out! Are you not aware you're only four weeks old? I know I forget sometimes, but you should really try to keep up, OK?

You only cry when you're hungry or need a change – and most of the time you sleep between three to four hours between feeds. The only time it seems shorter is when I sit down to eat or want to have a shower – you obviously are very gifted with a sixth sense for knowing when Mummy is trying to do something else. The other night Daddy and I went out to dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday – we were a little bit nervous that we'd order our food and not get to eat it because you were crying/fussy/spewing/pooing (or all of the above at the same time because you're so talented) but you slept the entire time, cuddled up to my chest in your sling. We only took you out of it at the very end so the people who hadn't met you yet could have some cuddle time.

Each day you grow so much (you've already grown out of some of your clothes!) and do something new – like yesterday when you started doing small smiles when we smiled at you (not to be confused with the really big smiles you do right before you fill your nappy). Getting to know you has been so much fun and if the rest of our journey together is going to be anywhere near as good as it's been so far, then it will be amazing!

Love Mummy xxx