Over the last few weeks we haven't had a full night's sleep as Little A has been waking at about 2.30am and not settling until about 6.00am (pre molars we think). This is not helpful as my partner gets up at about 5.30 at the mo to get in some overtime at work.
So, after another disrupted night with A sleeping in with me and K in her bedroom I found myself up and unable to sleep. I thought, "Coo! I'll pull my finger out and get some cards written!" Yes that's right I haven't posted one yet so hopefully when I do which will be soon (honest) they will still arrive at destinations before Christmas. However, I got them written ready for my NCT toddlers group this morning and promptly forgot them. Doh! My baby brain thing is becoming a toddler brain thing. Scary.
Thursday 17 December 2009
Tuesday 15 December 2009
A shocking bit of news!
Just been watching the news about the two nursery workers charged with sexual abuse of children in their care. What is the world coming to??!!
I have to reduce my child's nursery days in the new year and I really don't want to lose the place but if circumstances change and she has to go back into full time nursery well, quite frankly, I'm concerned with putting her anywhere other than where she is now.
How can you well and truly vet a childcare establishment when these sinister types are still working among those you are meant to trust with your child?
I tell ya, it scares me, it really does.
I have to reduce my child's nursery days in the new year and I really don't want to lose the place but if circumstances change and she has to go back into full time nursery well, quite frankly, I'm concerned with putting her anywhere other than where she is now.
How can you well and truly vet a childcare establishment when these sinister types are still working among those you are meant to trust with your child?
I tell ya, it scares me, it really does.
Monday 14 December 2009
Does pink stink?
I have just seen a title that struck me, "Does pink stink?"
I am one of those mums that was totally against buying any pink clothes for my little girl. Before she was born my partner and I decided that we would not 'stick her in pink' saying that it was too trashy and we hated it.
How wrong I was...
After she was born we soon came to realise that pink was the very colour she looked absolutely adorable in and quite frankly I couldn't get enough of it. A fear that also drove me was that putting her in any other colour without something pink on made her look like a boy. This was scuppered because one day a woman looked at her dressed in a pink coat and trousers and said,
"How old is he love?" Well you win some and you lose some.
I am one of those mums that was totally against buying any pink clothes for my little girl. Before she was born my partner and I decided that we would not 'stick her in pink' saying that it was too trashy and we hated it.
How wrong I was...
After she was born we soon came to realise that pink was the very colour she looked absolutely adorable in and quite frankly I couldn't get enough of it. A fear that also drove me was that putting her in any other colour without something pink on made her look like a boy. This was scuppered because one day a woman looked at her dressed in a pink coat and trousers and said,
"How old is he love?" Well you win some and you lose some.
Wednesday 9 December 2009
A Christmas wish...
I have always enjoyed Christmas the religious aspect as well as the commercial and always one to enjoy the socialness of it all. I have now got that enjoyment doubled because my little girl, soon to be two, is going to be introduced to Christmas this year. Last year she was about to turn one and still was not aware of what was going on around her. She loved wrapping paper and boxes so presents were a little lost on her. This year is going to be different. The visit to Santa was not a good start she actually started crying (bless her) when she saw a strange man in a red suit but I am hopeful about present recognition.
As her birthday is in February my partner and I decided to spread the present giving over the Christmas and birthday period. This would prevent over exposure to lots of presents in one go. Our Little A has a short attention span so if she got lots and lots of big presents at Christmas and then again in February the momentum would then be lost.
We reckon that she will get bored fairly quickly with whatever she receives. We also want to start as we mean to go on. Hopefully as she gets older she will learn to appreciate what she gets and not expect a pile of new things at Christmas and then another pile of new things in February.
She has been interested in pushchairs for sometime so having purchased a brilliant Quinny Zapp doll's pushchair from eBay I couldn't wait to give it to her. You see prior to this she had been walking around with teddies or dollies wedged through the handle of her first steps baby walker. So it was real thrill to give her something I knew she really wanted. I am looking forward to her first known Christmas!
I love the lights and the vintage Christmas songs not the chart roll out stuff like Slade, Paul McCartney or some sort of boy band thing, but the real nostalgic sentimental "chestnuts crackling on an open fire..." Bing Crosby, Dean Martin tunes. The ones that can transport you to log cabins and snow capped mountains and gives the impression that Santa really will land on the roof this year.
I know that sounds woolly but I feel there isn't enough Christmas cheer especially among adults. Christmas allows me to re-discover the child in me and not be embarrassed about her (not that I am as a rule. I love children's programmes, games and stories always have), but now I actually have a child, well it makes it all official now, I can really enjoy Christmas with my new family. Having my partner and now my daughter to share it all with is the best Christmas wish I could asked for.
As her birthday is in February my partner and I decided to spread the present giving over the Christmas and birthday period. This would prevent over exposure to lots of presents in one go. Our Little A has a short attention span so if she got lots and lots of big presents at Christmas and then again in February the momentum would then be lost.
We reckon that she will get bored fairly quickly with whatever she receives. We also want to start as we mean to go on. Hopefully as she gets older she will learn to appreciate what she gets and not expect a pile of new things at Christmas and then another pile of new things in February.
She has been interested in pushchairs for sometime so having purchased a brilliant Quinny Zapp doll's pushchair from eBay I couldn't wait to give it to her. You see prior to this she had been walking around with teddies or dollies wedged through the handle of her first steps baby walker. So it was real thrill to give her something I knew she really wanted. I am looking forward to her first known Christmas!
I love the lights and the vintage Christmas songs not the chart roll out stuff like Slade, Paul McCartney or some sort of boy band thing, but the real nostalgic sentimental "chestnuts crackling on an open fire..." Bing Crosby, Dean Martin tunes. The ones that can transport you to log cabins and snow capped mountains and gives the impression that Santa really will land on the roof this year.
I know that sounds woolly but I feel there isn't enough Christmas cheer especially among adults. Christmas allows me to re-discover the child in me and not be embarrassed about her (not that I am as a rule. I love children's programmes, games and stories always have), but now I actually have a child, well it makes it all official now, I can really enjoy Christmas with my new family. Having my partner and now my daughter to share it all with is the best Christmas wish I could asked for.
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Oh what to buy!
I am editing this post at the moment and will soon be adding more ideas of where to find bargain clothes and quality goods...so please come again for a visit I would love to hear your comments.
One thing I discovered while becoming a new mum was shopping for my expected baby could be expensive. So my partner and myself started searching car boots, table top sales and the local supermarket to gage how much we could buy on the budget we had. Of course we wanted to kit out our first born with all the latest gear from Gap, Mothercare, Next or H&M but the budget just would not stretch so we looked for other options:
The car boot.
We found stalls selling baby clothes, toys, moses baskets; basically anything baby orientated at a quarter if not a fifth of the original retail price and because babies grow so quickly most of the stuff was nearly or brand new! At one stall the woman had washed, folded and bagged all her baby and toddler items giving the impression of fresh, new clothes. We liked this and ended up purchasing practically little A's whole first wardrobe. 20 bags (large freezer sized) of baby grows, cardigans, hats, mitts, soft shoes, vests, fleece coat, winter coat, body warmer for when she got older to name a few, at an astounding price of £31.00. It's amazing what you can pick up at a car boot.
The supermarket.
I used my local a lot during my pregnancy and after A's birth. The clothes are just so versatile. I found that I could buy just a few bigish tops and they fitted all the way through my nine months and for a few weeks after and I'm a very curvy person so this was a huge find for me.
One thing I discovered while becoming a new mum was shopping for my expected baby could be expensive. So my partner and myself started searching car boots, table top sales and the local supermarket to gage how much we could buy on the budget we had. Of course we wanted to kit out our first born with all the latest gear from Gap, Mothercare, Next or H&M but the budget just would not stretch so we looked for other options:
The car boot.
We found stalls selling baby clothes, toys, moses baskets; basically anything baby orientated at a quarter if not a fifth of the original retail price and because babies grow so quickly most of the stuff was nearly or brand new! At one stall the woman had washed, folded and bagged all her baby and toddler items giving the impression of fresh, new clothes. We liked this and ended up purchasing practically little A's whole first wardrobe. 20 bags (large freezer sized) of baby grows, cardigans, hats, mitts, soft shoes, vests, fleece coat, winter coat, body warmer for when she got older to name a few, at an astounding price of £31.00. It's amazing what you can pick up at a car boot.
The supermarket.
I used my local a lot during my pregnancy and after A's birth. The clothes are just so versatile. I found that I could buy just a few bigish tops and they fitted all the way through my nine months and for a few weeks after and I'm a very curvy person so this was a huge find for me.
Monday 16 November 2009
A strange beginning...
There is a lot to discuss about the introduction to motherhood. Every experience is different and before having my child I had heard quite a few accounts from a number of mothers. I was certain of one thing; that my experience, no matter what I gleaned from articles, magazines, other parents and family, would be something I would not forget in a hurry.
My partner and I had been to several antenatal classes so we were clued up on delivery and pain relief whatnot. I was armed with a tens machine, maternity mats and snacks. But on nothing, I mean nothing prepared me for the coming of my baby girl on February 2008 at 10.45pm. That was the moment that changed my life and introduced a new life into mine.
It would've been nice to say that it was an amazing experience - that the angels sang as I was welcomed into motherhood but honestly...I was on the operating table with the anesthetist telling me stuff I could hardly hear above the humming in my ears. My partner (god love him) was trying to stay focused as well as being welcomed to fatherhood himself. So to see her little squashed face was both a relief and a strange beginning.
The days that followed were filled with nervous musings and bone wrenching 'indecision' i.e. how do I change a nappy? How tight do I do the waist band? Is her poo really meant to look like this? Where do I put the nappy cream? That was before I left the hospital.
People kept asking me if being a mother was great and wasn't I over the moon. I had to admit I was still shell shocked (still am!) and my answer would be "ask me that question again in about a year's time!" The conversation would pretty much stop after that. I was asked by a friend who owns a baby website if I would like to post a blog when little 'A' was about four weeks old, I said I'd think about it but being a new mum I had enough to get my head around without a new fangled thing like blogging!
I was more concerned with when I'd be able to get dressed; brush my teeth; wash or eat again? Every minute of my day was taken up with looking after or worrying over my baby and when she slept I would sit in front of the TV or take a shower. I could feed, change and bath little 'A' but multi-tasking i.e. feeding, changing or bathing myself was a complete no, no.
It wasn't until my baby was 8 weeks old that I discovered the outdoors again!
My partner and I had been to several antenatal classes so we were clued up on delivery and pain relief whatnot. I was armed with a tens machine, maternity mats and snacks. But on nothing, I mean nothing prepared me for the coming of my baby girl on February 2008 at 10.45pm. That was the moment that changed my life and introduced a new life into mine.
It would've been nice to say that it was an amazing experience - that the angels sang as I was welcomed into motherhood but honestly...I was on the operating table with the anesthetist telling me stuff I could hardly hear above the humming in my ears. My partner (god love him) was trying to stay focused as well as being welcomed to fatherhood himself. So to see her little squashed face was both a relief and a strange beginning.
The days that followed were filled with nervous musings and bone wrenching 'indecision' i.e. how do I change a nappy? How tight do I do the waist band? Is her poo really meant to look like this? Where do I put the nappy cream? That was before I left the hospital.
People kept asking me if being a mother was great and wasn't I over the moon. I had to admit I was still shell shocked (still am!) and my answer would be "ask me that question again in about a year's time!" The conversation would pretty much stop after that. I was asked by a friend who owns a baby website if I would like to post a blog when little 'A' was about four weeks old, I said I'd think about it but being a new mum I had enough to get my head around without a new fangled thing like blogging!
I was more concerned with when I'd be able to get dressed; brush my teeth; wash or eat again? Every minute of my day was taken up with looking after or worrying over my baby and when she slept I would sit in front of the TV or take a shower. I could feed, change and bath little 'A' but multi-tasking i.e. feeding, changing or bathing myself was a complete no, no.
It wasn't until my baby was 8 weeks old that I discovered the outdoors again!
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