Coffee, tea or câlin?

Dreading the 24 hour trip with Babybel was futile. It went quite well. There are few things that the French do well, and am glad that one of them is taking care of people with children. Didn't have to line up once in CDG airport (something the Singaporeans and Australians should learn), I was whisked through check in, security checks and boarding. Then one of Kev's contacts got me into the SIA lounge. Nice!

Babybel was a lot more easier to handle this trip. Though extremely squirmy, she wasn't as vocal as the last trip. Everyone praised her ability to fly well and how good she was. Even if she was trying to pull out all the leaflets and magazines from the magazine holder strewing them down the aisle as fast as I put them back in. Helped as well that on each of the 2 flights we took, there were other kids that well... put her in good light.

Paris to Singapore: We were sitted next to a Singaporean lady, her french hubby and 2year old son. Well behaved for the most part, but when reprimanded would burst into tears and wail for a câlin (hug in kid talk). Parents, yes, both mum and dad were happy to indulge the little boy, even when he wasn't crying. That was their way of loving the kid, so throughout the whole 12 hour flight, câlin? câlin? câlin? câlin? could be heard from the THREE of them. Cute as it was, it got to me after câlin number 30... especially when he wanted a câlin after being told off for trying to steal, er no, take, er no, borrow Babybel's dummy WHILE she was fast asleep. That said, they were really nice to us, taking care of Babybel when I had to eat or visit the toilet.

Casting a cheeky little grin at her mummy. NO! I don't want to sleep!

Nope, not sleeping there either. She was trying to stuff the entire bunny into her mouth. Her way of loving her doudou (soft toy).

Lorrine, one of my primary school frens met me at the airport where we had a little breakfast together during our transit time. The Singapore Changi Airport is actually a shopping heaven. If only we had a little more time.
Babybel scrutinising Lorrine's handphone... (doesn't Lorrine look good?)

Taken moments before Babybel decided to test the law of gravity...

Singapore to Melbourne: This 8hr flight was harder as Babybel was really tired! I had tried to give her a sedative on the Paris leg, but she refused to take the milk that had the medication, didn't even want to take a drop! Again I was sitted next to nice helpful people. Two women in fact, both mothers, coming back from a shopping trip together from Rome. They fussed over Babybel and took care and distracted her whenever a meltdown seemed to be coming up. On my right was a very very tired baby girl, returning from Scotland. Interestingly, she was also named Isabelle and is only 1 week older than Babybel.

So in 24hours, Babybel slept 5hours, and me, 1 hour. Went pretty well no?

We wanna go back home to Paris

We're tired. We're dead tired. Internal clocks screwed up. Baby Bel won't sleep. Baby Bel won't sleep alone. Mummy is resorting to sleeping with her at night sometimes. Photos? You mustn't have read my previous posts. No time. No energy. Sleep Baby! SLEEP! Whatever was I thinking? Baby Bel is sleeping poorly, eating poorly. Baby misses her Daddy, Paris and her cot. Poor Belle....

12 hours of "plane" distress...

Since Baby Bel was such a good "fly-er" when she was 6 weeks old, we thought that I would be able to handle the flight ALONE.... hahahaha....

Baby Bel + 3 year old boy sitting next to us (very cute!) + 3 year old boy's 1o month old sister (who was very well behaved) + 12 hours flight = very very tired parents.

Baby Bel kept trying to play with the little boy and refused to sleep more than 3 hours. The beginnings of a sociable child. Needless to say, it was highly entertaining and very fun...

At least taking off and landing went well.

Oh, and yes, you know how there's always one screaming infant and a harrassed looking mother on every flight? Yep, that was US this time. Lovely...

Daddy's in London... SOB!

Kev's been away for 3 nights this week. That's the longest ever he's been away. The first night was in Grenoble, then 2 nights in London. Poor Baby Bel misses her papa. See?

Nah, just kidding, those were when she was just 6 days old and screaming for milk. No, really, she does miss her daddy. Yesterday night she woke up crying every 2 hours. Hope she'll sleep better tonight. Hurry back darling, we miss you!

Oh dear... I wonder what will happen next week when Baby Bel and I go off to Singapore and Melbourne for 1 month!

Baby Bel's Little Frens

Remember a few posts back, I'd mentioned that after many nights of sleeping from 7pm to 7am, she started waking up frequently again? We think that it might have something to do with a gift from our cleaner to Baby Bel. A little pink, soft fren with long ears that Mummy sent for washing. Sure she's been sleeping with it for the past few weeks, but we didn't think that the attachment was so strong!

This was taken a week or so before Mummy unwittingly put it in the laundry basket for the next wash. (the ears were so filthy as she loves biting on them... poor bunny) Hee hee... see? They're in matching pink stripes!

Distressed cries

Well whadaya know? One day after posting on how good she's been going to bed and BAM! Suddenly she's got issues going back to bed after her last feed in the night, and waking up really early like at 6am. We suspect that she's uncomfortable due to her teeth cuz her cries sounded distressed. Poor baby...

Bed time routine

Nap times have become a synch (have we just jinxed ourselves by blogging this?), with Baby Bel going quietly save for a little 2 second fuss 95% of the time. The biggie was bed time at night. Complete with screaming and crying matches lasting up to 45mins at times and lots and lots of questions. Is she still hungry? Is she wet? Does she have wind? Is she over tired?

Noticed that I said that "the biggie WAS bed time. Now (double jinx??) it seems that we've also conquered bed time fussiness. How? With a magic milk formula you ask? With gin and brandy!!! Put down the phones and stop rolling your eyes Grandmas!!! I was just kidding! Actually, it was by luck.

One day it was still too early for Baby Bel to go to bed, and she'd finished her bottle. So I asked Kevin to read to her from her favourite book. After 15mins, she had a stoned look so Kevin put her to bed. She looked at him, gave a yell of defiance, rolled over and went to sleep hugging her bunny!

Now, we've incorporated lots of Daddy time where Kevin reads and sings to her, plays her music from her caterpillar soft toy and she goes to bed without so much as a whine... well, still a little sometimes, but what a difference!