On the day that she turned four months, Leila took her first trip to the UK. This month has also been a month of 'firsts' in her development with learning to roll over just a few days after we returned to Cairo.
Sleeping
Leila did pretty well sleeping in the UK and was happy enough in the travel cots she had at MVR and in Buxton. Going to the UK made me realise how much co-sleeping helps with nighttime fussy feeds and letting me sleep. The bed in Buxton was a little cosy (!) and so co-sleeping was a little more of a challenge, but it did mean that we would all wake up together in the morning. After a tiring night, it was really nice, especially as Leila likes to wake up and play and chatter at the moment.
Leila coped well with time difference and gradually adjusted waking times (from 5am first day to 7am last day and then 9.30am first day back in Cairo). We think that she coped with the adjusted bedtime because of daytime naps (every 1 1/2 - 2 hours) and keeping her bedtime routine.
On returning to Cairo though, sleep has been really bitty and tough. For example, after being put down at 7pm she would wake before midnight (instead of 1am or later before hitting four months). Some might she was awake again at 10.30pm (before I've had a chance to go to bed myself) and even waking hourly through the night sometimes. Because of feeling so tired this has led to lots of co-sleeping and feeding which has probably in turn led to feeling tired and not getting a full nights sleep. We think that the problem is that she only goes to sleep with the help of the breast, and so without this now she can't fall asleep on her own.
Back in Cairo she is sometimes waking early (5am or 6am) and is ready to play and chat!
When it comes to napping we are using the sling for nearly every nap. The heat is starting to make this a bit of a problem, so some walks are at home or the mall. The other daytime nap that we do is feeding in bed and then the two of us napping a bit together. This can get a longer nap sometimes and was good when we had a heatwave of 30+ but it does rely on her falling asleep at the breast! Naps are typically 30-35 min long and she needs them after an hour and a half or two hours of wake time. Depending on how things go during the day she naps three or four times.
Eating
With the bottle, Leila sometimes prefers to try and chew on the bottle teat in the back of her mouth rather than feed. This is because she is teething more and more and loves things to chew on.
Leila can be rather bitty still with her feeding and unless there is low light and silence (and ideally lieing down) she doesn't always do a full feed. She is a bit sicky after feeds sometimes, never a 'huge' sick, but it still seems like a lot!
Playing
Leila is actually grabbing with intent and is able to reach for the toys she wants above her mat or if we have them in our hands. She is also strong enough for her rachet toys and can pull these towards herself. I realised the other day that she is also strong enough to grab parrot on her bouncer and pull herself away from the chair! I worried she might break it but I think this is a sign of her wanting to sit up more.
Since coming back from the UK she has rolled over (from her front to back) and found her feet (which makes changing fun!). We think we have heard her first little laughs too which are lovely.
Health
A slight breakhthrough on the poop front. Not being physicists we had forgotton that blue plus yellow equals green and recently discovered that the energy saving light bulbs we use in her room give off a slightly blue light - turning a normal yellow poop luminous green! When we are unsure of a poop colour we take the nappy on tk the balcony now and we have changed the bulbs in her room!
She is still on iron every day and has also been on a course of zinc to help her immune system (but no more lacteol forte). We are getting tired of having to constantly give her medicine (and she is too we think). We just want to have a 'normal' day. We need to keep in the iron until she is eating meat apparently but will stop the other things as although poop isn't normal, the docs can't find a big problem with it. 
Sleeping
Leila did pretty well sleeping in the UK and was happy enough in the travel cots she had at MVR and in Buxton. Going to the UK made me realise how much co-sleeping helps with nighttime fussy feeds and letting me sleep. The bed in Buxton was a little cosy (!) and so co-sleeping was a little more of a challenge, but it did mean that we would all wake up together in the morning. After a tiring night, it was really nice, especially as Leila likes to wake up and play and chatter at the moment.
Leila coped well with time difference and gradually adjusted waking times (from 5am first day to 7am last day and then 9.30am first day back in Cairo). We think that she coped with the adjusted bedtime because of daytime naps (every 1 1/2 - 2 hours) and keeping her bedtime routine.
On returning to Cairo though, sleep has been really bitty and tough. For example, after being put down at 7pm she would wake before midnight (instead of 1am or later before hitting four months). Some might she was awake again at 10.30pm (before I've had a chance to go to bed myself) and even waking hourly through the night sometimes. Because of feeling so tired this has led to lots of co-sleeping and feeding which has probably in turn led to feeling tired and not getting a full nights sleep. We think that the problem is that she only goes to sleep with the help of the breast, and so without this now she can't fall asleep on her own.
Back in Cairo she is sometimes waking early (5am or 6am) and is ready to play and chat!
When it comes to napping we are using the sling for nearly every nap. The heat is starting to make this a bit of a problem, so some walks are at home or the mall. The other daytime nap that we do is feeding in bed and then the two of us napping a bit together. This can get a longer nap sometimes and was good when we had a heatwave of 30+ but it does rely on her falling asleep at the breast! Naps are typically 30-35 min long and she needs them after an hour and a half or two hours of wake time. Depending on how things go during the day she naps three or four times.
Eating
With the bottle, Leila sometimes prefers to try and chew on the bottle teat in the back of her mouth rather than feed. This is because she is teething more and more and loves things to chew on.
Leila can be rather bitty still with her feeding and unless there is low light and silence (and ideally lieing down) she doesn't always do a full feed. She is a bit sicky after feeds sometimes, never a 'huge' sick, but it still seems like a lot!
Playing
Leila is actually grabbing with intent and is able to reach for the toys she wants above her mat or if we have them in our hands. She is also strong enough for her rachet toys and can pull these towards herself. I realised the other day that she is also strong enough to grab parrot on her bouncer and pull herself away from the chair! I worried she might break it but I think this is a sign of her wanting to sit up more.
Since coming back from the UK she has rolled over (from her front to back) and found her feet (which makes changing fun!). We think we have heard her first little laughs too which are lovely.
Health
A slight breakhthrough on the poop front. Not being physicists we had forgotton that blue plus yellow equals green and recently discovered that the energy saving light bulbs we use in her room give off a slightly blue light - turning a normal yellow poop luminous green! When we are unsure of a poop colour we take the nappy on tk the balcony now and we have changed the bulbs in her room!
The doc thinks that Leila has an intolerance to dairy in my diet. I have been buying soya milk and cutting back dairy but he says I can't totally eliminate it. We think she has heat rash, which probably (ironically) developed because of wrapping up warm and being in the sling when we were in the UK. It isn't going to be easy to keep slinging her in Egypt as the weather gets warmer if we know she has this, but we will just try to keep her out of the heat of the day and let her cool of between times.
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