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Dear Daisy, It is your first day at school...

Coping with development leaps and The Wonder Weeks

Well... I don't actually know how to cope with them. I thought I would ask you lovely lot to help me out!! 


I'll start from the top. Daisy is generally a very content, happy little baby and always has been. She sleeps well, feeds well and gives lots of big smiles all day. However there are certain weeks where this is all turned on it's head, and it all turns into a little bit of chaos. 

I asked some fellow mummy bloggers and mummy friends why it could be and they suggested I check out The wonder Weeks app. Go get it if you don't! I haven't looked back. 

It's basically a timeline from when your baby was due (not born!) and what stages of their development they may be going  through at certain times. I can picture a few of you rolling your eyes now, being all sceptical and thinking babies are babies it's just what they do. However so far Daisy has followed the pattern they suggest and when a leap is suggested you can be sure she is difficult. 

The Wonder Weeks is based on years and years of research by Dr Frans Plooij. He basicay says babies don't only have growth spurts but these development leaps also which are a sign of progress in their mental development.  Although babies are all unique and will show different levels of intensity the pattern in which they follow is the same. It's all very interesting and worth a read anyway, even if you are sceptical. 

At the minute she's going through leap four, and do we know it!!! She tends to cry a lot, for no apparent reason and is very sleepy. Getting her to sleep is difficult and she's just generally quite unpredictable! All completely out of character for little miss Daisy. 



As you can read we have 22 days left of this leap, 3 weeks????!!! Shoot me now! Although in past leaps she has only be a trouble for a week or so and we are already a week in- fingers crossed. 

As I write this I can hear her giggling in her cot, happy chappy! How is that possible yet it gets to around 4pm and all hell will break loose just before Ben gets home! Last night I was walking around the block at 7pm just to chill her out and hopefully relax her into going bed, thankfully it worked nicely. But I'm not sure if I should be doing that every night?? 

I think the leaps get more difficult each time and this time there seems to be so much for her to get her little head around, I feel it's leaving her a little over whelmed and incredibly knackered! The week before she started all this screaming in an evening and napping more she seemed vacant, she would just stare into space- exactly like the signs of this leap. Another sign she is showing is her thunderbird impression- she is very wobbly again and needs to be supported at times. In fact every single one of those signs Daisy is displaying at the moment. 

All very interesting, and frustrating at times! But all part of being a baby!

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx

4 comments

  1. This app has been a lifesaver for me! It's so accurate, and gives a bit of peace of mind during the fussy phases!

    Aria has three days to go until her next leap - just as she was perfecting her nighttime routine! Hopefully it won't cause too much disruption.

    At least we ca all take comfort in knowing we aren't alone going through these leaps!

    Nicola xx
    Www.lovelittlepoppins.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Will it he leap 2 or 3? I've found they're getting worse!! Monkeys xxx

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  2. Oh my goodness the app is so brilliant isn't it?! I really think I'd have gone mad without it because like your little one, it is so out of character for Digs to get cranky and if I didn't know about the developmental stages I'd be really worried and think I was doing something wrong. I have the book too which is really interesting for further details of what things your baby will start to be able to do :)

    Saskia x
    http://www.songssillinessandsuch.co.uk

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    1. That's exactly it!! I'd have thought she was unwell or something if I didn't know about the wonder weeks! Glad I'm not alone :) xxx

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