Prairie Moon 6 Month Update!

What week?
6 months so 24 weeks!

How big is baby?
14lbs/6.35kg (10th percentile!) our littlest babe! comparatively at the same age Poet was 19lbs, Forest 16lbs and Bodhi 17lbs.

What’s working?
Prairie is absolute sunshine! She is really such a sweetheart and a total chiller. We call her queen huff n puff n stuff because when she wants to nurse she does this really cute fast breathing telling me that she’s ready for some milk! We’ve very much learned her routine, usually she is awake for 2 ish hours during the day at a time before going back down again, her naps are between 1 to 2 hours. At nighttime, she likes to be asleep between 6:30-7:30pm and is up for the day between 6:30-7am. What’s working for us is just attuning to her needs and being flexible, allowing her rhythms to fold into our day. She’s an excellent car/pram napper and loves having a sleep in the carrier too. Being the fifth child she just goes with the flow of the family and she is just the SMILIEST baby ever. She’s also just started eating mashed veggies and fruits and she’s loving it!!

Something you love?
Everything about her!! I just adore being her mama. I’m in that head over heels gushy, obsessiveness stage haha!! I love the connection we have, she locks eyes with me in a room and meets me with her big beaming smile. I love that she goes to everyone too, she adores having cuddles and is just so happy and contented. She’s also still dainty so she feels littler than the others have been at the same age, it’s almost as though I get a longer stretch of her being a new baby. I still find her surreal! I can’t believe we get to keep her and that she chose us, every day I tell her how magic she is and her divine timing was incredible. I love that she was our surprise baby and so perfectly chose the best timing to come into our family.

Another cute thing she does is she “milks” my boob when she drinks with her little hands but she’s also a very distracted nurser!! I’ve never had one of those before but she sucks a little, pulls off susses out her surroundings before turning back to relatch (all the while expecting me to have my nipple on show waiting for her to be ready again!) she also loves standing, her jolly jumper and making yelling noises to communicate! She giggles her head off at the kids and the dogs, they’re the things she most enjoys although I like to think I get the biggest love filled smiles.

My body?
I’d say the rest of the baby weight came away just before Prairie was 5 months old but my body fluctuates day to day. I feel as though I may have some abdominal separation still, but just a bit! I’ve also been going back to F45 and doing some of the resistance days there, I’m really loving building up my strength again. I’m tired but I just feel as though that’s my perpetual state, so really I often don’t even realise how tired I am until it gets to the end of the night and I can’t keep my eyes open and just fall asleep right after the kids. My hair is wilder than ever, my pregnancy melasma is as dark as ever and my grey hairs has sprouted!!! BUT I think this is the absolute happiest I’ve ever felt on a holistic level, mind and body, that I welcome all the body changes I see!

Most challenging?
The most challenging is that sense that these days are fleeting, they’re just flying by and everyone is getting so much older. I can’t believe my toddler Poet will be 3 in two months time and today is Bodhi’s 8th birthday. I’m trying to cherish all this family time but it’s also hard to be so present all the time when there are work demands and admin tasks, social events and all the things. I want to hit the pause button and just live in each moment even deeper but life goes on and responsibilities are there. I’m currently reading “practicing simplicity” and I resonate with so many of the authors musings. I think finding the balance between it all means some days are a write off and other days just feel completely blissed out and aligned.

Mama time?
I haven’t had a ton of me time which is kind of the norm. I’m a creature of busyness- when I have down time what do I do? I think of ways to fill that time with work opportunities and new ideas.. so maybe that IS mama time. I could certainly fold in some more baths and solo time but I always choose to be in the thick of it with family/work life. Currently we just sold our house and bought a house in a seven day period and it has been BUSY. Once the skies are clear and the logistics of moving house are behind us then I will treat myself to some hikes with the dogs.

Checking in?
These 6 months with our little darling feel like a dream. With the other three I was already back to work and balancing film schedules with having my baby at work with me. Being able to just be with her in family life every day all day without adhering to a work schedule has been such a liberating experience this time round. I’m just cherishing every moment. Two little girls, two little boys and a stepson, I feel grateful beyond belief.