Week One

Matilda Elizabeth Dorothy Dommett was born on Monday 16th September at 1.16am, weighing 5lbs 7 ounces. Her eyes are blue and her hair is light brown. Her mummy (me) is called Cheryl and her Daddy is called Michael. 

Tilly is everything we imagined and more and I started this blog because I wanted to record all our special moments with her and see how she changes and develops as she gets older. As I write this, Matilda is only 11 days old but she already has her own little personality and adorable mannerisms. I love the way she sleeps with her arms above her head like she is relaxing on the beach. I love her huge windy smiles and looking into her blue eyes when she does open them (which isn't very often right now!).

I think she is beautiful and this first week and a half as parents has been wonderful but very tiring. I have learnt so much about myself and what I am capable of. I have felt such an wide range of emotions and felt like I have been on a bit of a rollercoaster for the past week. Parenthood is so special, I have changed from someone who was quite immature with no responsibilites to a 27 year old mother who has a little girl relying on her 24/7. I always thought that looking after a baby would be easy-you feed them, you wind them, you change them but it really is so much more than that. This little person becomes your world and with the extreme happiness also comes a huge sense of anxiety because you just want them to be ok. When I see Tilly cry and I don't know what is wrong, it's heartbreaking. 

However I have learnt this past week that you can NEVER hold your baby too much. Some people say that you shouldn't because they'll get too used to it but holding your newborn baby close to you is all they need-they have been in your womb for 9 whole months in a warm, safe enviroment. To be left alone in a moses basket must be so lonely. Evening times between 6-12 is when Tilly seems at her most restless. So we have been using my breastfeeding pillow to allow Tilly to sleep right up next to us so that she feels safe. She can smell us, hear us and knows that she isn't alone. And you know what? Since we have been doing this, she has slept and has remained calm when she is normally very grizzly and unhappy. So, that is one lesson learnt this week.

Tilly has already changed in 9 short days and I love to watch her sleeping. She has my smile and I brush her soft cheeks with mine and I feel so happy. She smells so wonderful, I spend ages sniffing her and must look like a complete weirdo. Her eyes are slowing changing colour from a dark blue and seem to already be lighter. She has started to love looking at herself in the mirror (wonder who she gets that from!) and can sometimes follow us with her eyes when we are up close. She likes to wee all over Mummy and Daddy at the worst possible moments but we have perfected the nappy change. Talking of nappy changes, Tilly HATES being exposed. She bawls her eyes out if she is stripped down-a few days ago we gave her her first bath and it was rather traumatic. I hope she gets used to the feeling because I want bath times to be fun for her. She already has her own little personality, she is cheeky and sometimes a bit stubborn-she will do things her way and when she wants to!

She is an angel. Our beautiful angel and this first week has been exhausting (getting used to little sleep is tough) but incredible. I wonder whether I will notice anything new in the coming weeks. Before we know she will be a month old-I want to treasure every day and I wish time could slow down. Being a mother is the best job in the world. x