Friday 31 January 2014

Loving the laughter

Baby M started to smile very early on, these were however 'wind' smiles and no proper smiles.  Even though we knew they were because he had wind they were still really cute & we couldn't wait for him to do proper smiles.

Baby M loves to smile and they totally melt your heart.  He looks so cute and Mr M has a few things he does that now get a chuckle from Baby M.  He also appears to laugh in his sleep, this gives us the giggles too!!




When he smiles his face lights up, you can see the smile not only on his lips but in his eyes.  When he chuckles he's got a really infectious laugh.

I love it when he smiles at us and I can't wait for him to learn more about himself and his surroundings and his laughter develops.

Thursday 30 January 2014

Apocalyptic poo

Now we've had our fair share of full nappies but we hadn't really had any bad ones.

As we sat down to enjoy our Burns night supper of Haggis, neeps and tatties Baby M decided that he was going to make his own 'Ode to a Haggis'.

We had just sat down to eat and he was sitting in his bouncer chair and started to strain.  Usually when he poos he goes bright red and there's much huffing and puffing however this time he just strained twice and smiled (we should have known he was up to something!!).  Thinking he hadn't done anything we finished our tea (which was delicious as always).

Mr M picked up Baby M & said he was wet so we changed his nappy.

Baby M was wet but that wasn't what Mr M felt, he had done an apocalyptic poo which was coming out the sides & top of the nappy.  It was EVERYWHERE!!!  The vest was gone, we had to cut Baby M out of the vest as there was no way to get it off him without spreading the poo further.  The sleepsuit he was in was also covered, it probably was salvageable but we decided just to bin it.  Luckily Baby M has enough vests & sleepsuits that we could do this & thankfully they weren't our favourites either.

Since this poo Baby M seems to be pooing much more regularly, now on a daily basis.  Maybe this was his body having a clear out before hand or maybe he'd just stored loads up.  I will be glad of we don't have too many more nappies like that one!!

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Britax Affinity Travel System - Review

We took a LONG time to pick our travel system.  First we decided that we wanted a travel system rather than buying everything separately, we thought it was more economical.  We did a lot of searching online then we went to shops to try and push some about.  There were ones that looked great online but when we actually saw them they were too bulky or looked hideous.

We decided to go with the Britax Affinity in Fossil Brown.  We went for brown as we thought it was gender neutral.

The travel system came with a car seat, pram and pushchair.  We went for the wheel section in black as we thought that dirt wouldn't show up on it too much and if it got scratched it wouldn't be as noticeable and we could resolve that with marker pen.

We also got a pram rain cover, pushchair rain cover, mattress and padded insert for the pushchair with the travel system.  We had to buy a rain cover for the car seat separately.  You could buy a changing bag to match if you liked but I had my Pink Lining changing bag and didn't particularly like the changing bag that came with the travel system anyway.

The car seat is great! It has a sunshade attached which we have had up quite a lot even though it isn't sunny.  The handle is operated by an easy to use button which allows you to move the handle.  There is also a button at the top of the handle which you use to release the car seat from the wheel base or the isofix base in the car.  We decided to buy the isofix base to give added security in the car but this is a personal choice.  We have a ford fiesta.  Size was something we had to consider when buying a travel system.  The wheels fit into the boot with some room still for bags.  When we have gone anywhere that we know we will be out for some time we have taken the pushchair rather than the pram as this takes up less room and can still be laid flat so Baby M isn't sitting upright. We put the pushchair against the back of the seats in the boot then the wheels in front

The pram is very spacious and the mattress is quite thick, which Baby M likes.  It has zip round cover to keep baby cosy and the hood has a little extending bit on it if you need more cover than what the hood itself provides.  The pushchair lies flat which is great for Baby M if we can't take the pram.  We did try the padded insert in but he looked really uncomfortable so we haven't used that again.  The pram and pushchair both easily attach and detach from the wheels via a clip in like system.   It is easy to move and feels really light, another thing we liked.  You can have the wheels free moving or locked.  The brake is easy to get to and use too.  The wheels fold down really easy, this was important for when I am on my own.  There are 2 levers on either side of the handle that you lift then push the wheels down and they fold up.  There is also a clip bit the holds the wheels folded.

We store our travel system under the stairs as it keeps things out of the way.  We don't have much room for storage so it was important that we got a travel system that was easy to store and didn't take up too much room. 

We love our travel system, it has everything we were looking for and when we are out and I look at other people's prams I don't wish I had what they have.  I look and think we made the right decision.  I would highly recommend the Britax Affinity to all my friends and family

Disclosure:  The views in this review are my own.  I bought this product because I believed it was the best product for our needs.





Tuesday 28 January 2014

Post pregnancy weight battle

Now I know I only gave birth 7 weeks ago and I shouldn't be thinking about this yet but I am a woman and we constantly worry about our weight!

I have never been huge, I have always been a size 10 or 12.  I've always been quite active too, I enjoy running, zumba and cycling.  I even enjoyed going to the gym!

I know I should be proud of my lumps and bumps, they are there because I created my son but I do want to lose them.

If I was rich or a celebrity I could have asked for a tummy tuck whilst they carried out my C section (not sure you'd get that on the NHS though).  My tummy did go down quite quickly saying I wasn't breastfeeding for long but I am now left with a kind of shelf.  My belly feels saggy.  My bum is also huge!!

I have had to buy size 16 jeans from primark!! This might not seem a big deal to some and yes I know this is a First World Problem but I was gutted!!  Since I had my C  section I was a little limited in what I could do when I left hospital but eating wasn't on the no no list.

What can I do to lose this weight?!?  Well I have to wait another 5 or so weeks before I can undertake proper exercise due to the section.  By this I mean my running, yoga or zumba.  I have tried to go walking with Baby M as much as I can so I am doing something, although the weather doesn't always help.  With my mum being here to help us out (which was amazing!!) the cupboards were stocked with not so healthy foods like biscuits.  These are all now finished and I won't be buying anymore.

Mr M is going to play squash with a friend in the week so I have decided once I am able I will try and go for a run or cycle a couple of evenings a week.  When Baby M is sleeping or again in an evening when Mr M is around I am going to do my postnatal yoga, bums and tums or zumba DVD, this will help me tone up my belly and bum.  Hopefully with the mix of cardio and toning I will get my pre pregnancy body back, or at least something that resembles it with less sag!!!

Monday 27 January 2014

Tongue Tie procedure

Baby M was born with a tongue tie, following after his dad.  The tongue tie made breast feeding really difficult as Baby M couldn't latch on properly.  After persevering for 2 days and Baby M getting distressed and my nipples getting sore we decided to bottle feed.  There are those out there who maybe think I should have persevered for longer but I couldn't cope seeing Baby M so upset.  When he had that first bottle he guzzled it all down he was so hungry.

For those who don't know a tongue tie is where the skin which attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth reaches too far down the tongue making it difficult to move it around.



Even though I had stopped breast feeding we were still referred to the hospital to have his tongue tie removed.  Whilst Baby M was feeding well he was still losing a lot of his bottle through squirting out of his mouth and he was getting bad wind due to his gulping.

As Mr M had his tongue tie procedure done when he was 6 years old he had stayed in hospital for 2 days, I think he was quite anxious about Baby M going through the procedure.  We were told it would be quick and that no anesthetic would be used (which we were surprised about) and that we needed to take a bottle to feed Baby M straight after.

When we went into the room the nurse asked that Mr M lie down baby with his head at Mr M's knees.  Mr M was asked to hold his hands whilst the nurse held his head.  The surgeon then used a long pair of scissors (which kind of looked like hospital clamps) to cut the bit of skin attaching Baby M's tongue to the bottom of his mouth.  Baby M squealed a little but that was it.  There was a little bit of blood but the nurse stated to give him his bottle then she would come and look as his tongue.  We gave him his bottle, which he took really well, you could tell the difference as there was no milk squirting from his mouth and his sucking felt stronger.

It is now 3 days after he had the procedure and we both agree that his feeding has improved.  He seems less windy and is not gulping on his bottle.  The sucking has improved and he isn't losing much milk through the side of his mouth.  Baby M has also noticed a difference as he has been sticking his tongue out quite a lot since the procedure

We are so happy that it has gone well and Baby M is feeding well.  Another bonus of the procedure means that his speech won't be effected when he starts to talk


Friday 24 January 2014

Pink Lining Changing Bag Review

Before I even got pregnant I was eyeing up Pink Lining Changing Bags, I love them!!

Imagine my delight when I was pregnant and they had a sale!! I had to buy one!

I decided to buy the Blooming Gorgeous Tote in Green Dragonflies.  My logic behind this was that whilst Baby M was a boy I wanted a gender neutral colour incase we decided to have another child in the future. 

When it arrived I fell in love.  It is huge!!

The long strap is great for carrying around and for putting over the pram/buggy handles.  There are 2 side pockets which are easy to access, I have used these for dummies and for my mobile phone.  The front pocket is a popper and a good size, I keep my purse in there.

Inside the bag comes with a changing mat, which is very cute covered in cupcakes.  On one side there are 2 pockets for nappies and on the other there are 2 insulated pockets for your bottles - they can keep your bottles warm/cold for up to 4 hours.  No need for extra bags if you know you aren't going to be out all day!

There is an elasticated ribbon which you can use for your keys or a dummy.  There is a plastic see through bag which can be used for dirty nappies if you have nowhere else to put them.  And of course the beautiful bright pink lining!!



I also store change of clothes, wipes, bibs and muslin squares in the bag and have plenty of room to spare. 

I love my changing bag!! Yes I got it in the sale and full price they might seem a little pricey but I think they are worth it.  You want a changing bag that is going to last and is sturdy.  Plus with a baby you feel like you have to pack the kitchen sink to go anywhere, this bag is more than big enough for everything you need.  I would recommend this bag to all my friends.

Disclaimer:  I purchased this product due to my interest in it, at no time was I offered the product to review.  The views are my own

Thursday 23 January 2014

6 week follow up appointment - Mum

I had my 6 week follow up appointment with the Dr, I wasn't sure what to expect, one thing was it went much quicker than I expected.

First thing I drove to my appointment, this was my first time behind the wheel since a few days before baby M arrived.  I was a little anxious but everything went smoothly.  By the time I got to the end of my street it felt like I'd not had the driving break.  Phew!!

My Dr checked over my scar, she stated that everything was healing really well.  I explained I still have pain at times in my right side where my drain was but she informed me this was normal and to monitor.

I was then asked how I was feeling and my mood.  I explained honestly my feelings.  I was reminded to seek support from family & my health visitor when required.

Then came the discussion on contraception.  I had been putting a lot of thought into this the past few days, I can't decide between the pill and the implant.  I discussed both with my Dr with pros and cons for both.  I am worried I will forget to take the pill, although I do like the thought that you can be in control on your period.  The implant is really appealing as it lasts for 3 years and I don't need to remember to take anything.  The worry is that when I tried the depo injection in the past it made me quite angry and moody.  The implant is the same hormone but at a lower dose.  Also with the implant after a few months you don't really have a period just occasional spotting, this appeals.  Prior to baby M arriving we had thought we would want 2 children, currently we are very happy with one, I know this could change as baby M gets older but the implant lasts for 3 years and can be removed at anytime should we change our mind about having further children.

I have an appointment with the nurse to discuss this further then I will either commence on the pill or get another appointment to have the implant put it.  Us women have it tough!!


Wednesday 22 January 2014

Child bank accounts - getting the best deal for you

We decided late on the pregnancy that we wanted to open a bank account for Baby M.  We wanted a way that we could save money for things like shoes, etc but also a way that we can save money for his future.  Who's to say whether he will go to university or not but it would be nice to have some money saved up incase he does.  Or to support him in whatever he decides to do with his future.

We decided to have a look around to see what kind of deals are out there.  We used Martin Lewis website at first to see what offers he suggests for child accounts.  We soon discovered that the offers and interest on children accounts were not that great.  Many had interest rates of 0.5% - which is nothing!

Following more research we discovered the Halifax Young savers account.  Whilst the Kid's regular saver account offered the best interest rate fixed at 6.00% you aren't allowed to withdraw any money from the account until you close it - great if you are saving for the future, not so great when we wanted to be able to access the money if Baby M needs anything. 

The Junior ISA was a variable interest rate but currently offered at 6.00% but again you could not make any withdrawals from the account until the child is 18 - again good to consider if you are saving for the future.

The Young Saver account offers interest rate of 3.00% on the first £20,000 then 0.5% after this.  You can also withdraw money unlimited times from the account - brilliant this was exactly what we were looking for.  The account can only be managed in branch, which is fine by us.  Baby M will get his own bank card when he is 7 years old.

There are a lot of different accounts out there and it is best to do your research to find the account that is best for you and what you need it for.

Disclaimer:  This post is not sponsored by Halifax, the views are my own.



Tuesday 21 January 2014

My Buggy Buddy Clip - Review

We have the Britax Affinity travel system, it's great and we are so pleased with our choice but we have noticed that basket isn't that big.  When we have been out and about we have had the pram or car seat cover in the basket and it hasn't left too much room for bags.  I decided to look online to see what products were out there to help

I have seen the My Buggy Buddy clip before in my pregnancy searches online and thought I would investigate this further. 




You can pick a black, pink or blue clip - we went for blue as Baby M is a boy.  You can also get clips that are secure and lock if you are planning on leaving bags unattended on your pram or buggy.  We decided that we wouldn't be needing the locked version.  We bought one clip, we considered 2 but thought this might overload the pram. 

We bought our clip from Kiddicare but there are plenty of places you can buy the clip from, ours cost £4.50 but the RRP is £5.99.  There is also a large version if your pram/buggy has larger handle with RRP £6.99.  The lock version RRP is £8.99.

The clip is easy to put onto the handle of your pram/buggy and you can put it wherever you like, we ended up putting ours to the side slightly as we found bags got in the way of pushing if you put the clip in the middle of the handle as we still had our changing bag to consider. 

We went for a trip to Cheshire Oaks - a great place to check out the clip.  It was a very successful shopping trip and the clip did its job perfectly.  It was easy to use and it allows you to move around the shop without bags and buggy in hand.  Plus I had a c section and constant bending still isn't great for me, with the clip I didn't need to bend over.

Obviously you don't hang too many bags on the clip, you need to make sure the pram/buggy doesn't tip over.  Also you always remove the bags before you remove your child from the pram/buggy.

I would definitely recommend the clip, I have found it really useful!  I may consider buying another one for the other side of the pram in time.

Diclaimer: I purchased this product due to having an interest in it, the company have not been promised a review in exchange for this product.  The views are my own

Monday 20 January 2014

Formula - to change or not to change

Feeding a baby via formula seems quite complicated, or is it just me?!?

Firstly you have to pick a brand - apparently Cow & Gate and Aptamil are made in the same factory so there isn't much/any difference.

We chose Aptamil, mainly because a friend of mine had some tubs she hadn't opened which she gave to us, saved us some pennies.

Baby M has had issues with reflux and with his bowels, every time I talk to the health visitor she tells me not to worry but as a neurotic first time mum I can't help but worry.  I want my baby boy to be ok.  The health visitor keeps telling me that baby bowels need to become rounded as they are flat and this can take time, this is why babies struggle to poo.  She states that Baby M is pooing within the guidelines and his belly isn't hard therefore not to worry.  She states that his bowels will be fine by 3 months old.  Baby M also has reflux, not bad reflux but he does spit up and he appears to get a bad taste in his mouth.  After talking to our health visitor about this again she stated we could try the reflux milk if we wanted but that usually they don't recommend you change milk.

We went and bought a tub of reflux Aptamil (not cheap I may add!!).  The milk was MUCH thicker than the first milk, Baby M had to use more effort to drink it plus at the end you had loads of foam.  Good news Baby M didn't spit up.  After 3 feeds though he started to cry quite shrilly, going onto forums (again love the internet) people had put that their babies had become constipated on reflux milk.  Neurotic mum kicked in and I began to worry about whether we had made the right decision.

Mr M and I had a long discussion.  Yes Baby M spit up and seemed to get a bad taste in his mouth but were we replacing a small problem with a big problem?? He wasn't projectile vomiting and whilst he didn't like the taste of spit up/reflux he wasn't distressed and was still eating regularly.  Babies have reflux due to their oesophagus not being fully developed, this generally sorts itself by 12 months.  Do we need to be feeding our baby a thick feed just to make our lives a little easier?!?

We decided to go back on the first milk but make sure we feed him more upright and wind him often. Since returning to the first milk we have only had one episode of bad spit up, other than there there hasn't been that much.  When we gave Baby M the reflux milk he developed really bad wind, he was pumping loads but that seems to have stopped.  We are still waiting for a poo but I'm not so neurotic about that at the moment.  He seems happy and content which is all that matters

Do you change the formula or are you replacing one issue with another?! In our situation we decided it was better the devil you know.

Friday 17 January 2014

PaperShaker - Review

I entered a competition to win a £50 PaperShaker voucher.  PaperShaker is a website that allows you to create your own baby, wedding or christmas cards.  They are the same company as Photobox and Moonpig so you know you are going to get a quality product.  

There are many designs to choose from, it took us a while to pick the one we liked as there were so many.  Once you pick your design you can personalise it with your own photo and wording.  We bought 30 Thank You cards and 10 Announcement cards. 

Although no-one would be sent one of each we decided to have the same design for both cards. 

When you add the photo you are given the option to edit it such as improving the sharpness and making the photo HD.  There is already a name and date of birth on the card, which is great when you are looking at designs but I would have preferred these were removed for editing as I had to check a number of times that our information was on the card. 

The website is easy to use and our cards arrived 3 days after we ordered them, which was great saying that this was over the festive period! The cards arrive in their own holder to keep them safe and you get free envelopes with the cards, although if you want coloured envelopes you have to pay a little extra.  We went with the free ones as at the end of the day people are just going to bin them.

I would definitely recommend this website, it was easy to use and excellent delivery.  We might even use it next Christmas for family to send personalised Christmas cards.

Disclaimer: I won this voucher through a competition, the company running the competition were not aware I had a blog and I did not offer a review in exchange of winning the competition.  My views are my own



Thursday 16 January 2014

Nursery - decorating coming along

When we moved into the house we painted the room now the nursery yellow.  We thought that as we wanted to children and the room needed decorating that yellow would be a gender neutral colour that we could do anything with.

I love Winnie the Pooh, I have since I was little.  I entered a competition to win a Graham & Brown Room in a Box and won - great!! Not only was it worth £90 but it was Winnie the Pooh!

The box contained a great selection of items.  Wallpaper, wall stickers, giant wall stickers, paint, border, door sign, a little lamp and some pictures.

We decided to use the wallpaper to create a feature wall.  Neither of us had done any wallpapering before, we didn't even know where to start!  Luckily my dad came to the rescue and the Sunday before I went into labour he put up the wallpaper with the assistance of Mr M.  Once they had put up the wallpaper we decided that the border would look great too and they added that.  We love the pictures, I especially love the magnetic canvas but we have yet to put that up as I'm not sure where I want it.  We have another few pictures I want to buy so once we have everything we can decide what will look good where.  We also need the cotbed, this is still at my parents house as we bought it from a shop near them. 




We decided to put one of the stickers on the door along with the door sign to brighten up the door.  Again we want to put stickers on the wall but we aren't sure where we want to put them yet.

Hopefully Baby M will love his room!!!

Disclaimer: I won the Room in a Box from a competition, the person running the competition was not aware that I had a blog and I did not offer to do a review in exchange for winning this prize.  My views are my own

Wednesday 15 January 2014

GroEgg - Review

I had noticed GroEgg's whilst I was pregnant and thought they were a great idea but didn't really think we would need one - how wrong I was!!

The hospital is roasting hot but when you come home you get lots of literature about making sure baby isn't too hot when sleeping as this can increase the risk of SIDS.  When we came home from hospital we had our old windows in (we have since had them replaced which was interesting with a newborn).  This windows were really drafty so we had the temperature turned up on the heating to make sure Baby M didn't feel the draft.  This left the house feeling like a sauna!!

My mum googled (got to love the internet!) and found that the room should be between 16-20 degrees for Baby M, that's great but what does that feel like?!  We had no idea!

I had a look online and decided to buy the GroEgg.

The great thing about the GroEgg is that it doesn't just tell you the temperature but it also lights up different colours depending on that temperature to let you know whether it is safe for baby.  This is great in the night as it acts a little night light but you can also look up and see whether the room is too hot without looking at the specific temperature.  I wear glasses, my eyesight is horrendous, so in the night when I don't have my glasses or contacts in I can still tell whether the temperature is ok by the colour of the light

The blue light means the room in too cold, yellow is perfect temperature, orange is warm and red is hot. Easy!!

When we first got it Mr M thought it was faulty, he felt cold all the time.  We moved it to different rooms in the house to check whether it worked and the temperature did change.  I explained to Mr M that we were obviously used to the house being warm and we would have to wear more jumpers (which would save us on heating too!)

I've found the GroEgg invaluable and would definitely recommend it to all parents and new parents, it puts your mind at rest and you know that baby is in the right envirnoment

Disclaimer: I bought this product without contact from the company.  I have not informed them that I would be doing a review and the views in this post are my own.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

What about the men?!?

Mr M is struggling with being a parent.  He is quite an anxious person anyway but since Baby M has arrived he worries he isn't doing a good job and with the sleep deprivation making everything seem 100x worse he has become low in mood.  He has given me permission to blog about his thoughts, feelings and struggles but I feel it is quite personal - it's his story to tell not mine.  It has however got me thinking - what about the men?!?

We have discussed everything with our health visitor who, along with family, has been a great support.  I think it is really important to have a good support network as without one things can become much worse.  Our health visitor made some valid points.  It is hard being a new parent - nothing can prepare you for the huge changes in your life and the fact that a tiny person is now totally reliant on you.  There is no shame in saying you are struggling and need help.

Health professionals are quick to check how mum is feeling, there are groups for mums to go and talk about how they feel and how they are managing.  Mums get a good amount of time to bond with baby by being off work.

What do dads get?!? 2 weeks paternity leave with some annual leave to add on if they are lucky.  How are you supposed to get your head round such a life changing experience in 2 weeks?!  No one asks dad how he is managing, yes mum gave birth but dad is going through everything that mum is going through too.  There aren't groups for dads to go to, men are well known for not being able to discuss their feelings but surely they should be given the option.  Men have this macho manly thing that crying is bad and that they should be superman and be able to hold everything together and nothing should phase them - this adds to the pressure already being piled on by people asking how much sleep you are getting, does the baby cry, how often does he eat, etc, etc, etc!!

A new baby turns your life upside down, yes it is amazing and wonderful but you need to make sure you look after yourself too.  A baby needs it's parents to be there and to be healthy.  You need to do whatever you can to make sure you stay well, be that taking it in turns to get up in the night, going for a walk on your own, asking someone to watch the baby for a few hours whilst you have some sleep or some couple time.  Whatever works for you to help make things a little more manageable.

Mr M is a brilliant Dad & Baby M clearly loves him already.  He will get through this difficult period.

Monday 13 January 2014

Difficulties sleeping - every baby is different

Surprisingly this post isn't about us struggling with sleep but Baby M.  We have been pretty sure for a while that he dislikes his Moses basket but after being told that he can't "hate" it we preserved with nightly upsets.

Baby M sleeps no problem in his pram but when we put him in his Moses basket he grumbles, crys, thrashes about and generally gets upset.  He also seems to have worse reflux in his Moses basket.

We have a bear which my mum got us which has a sound device in it which plays heartbeat, white noise, lullaby and sea noises.  This seemed to work for a little while however it then stopped soothing him.  We tried putting a rolled up towel under his mattress at one end to see if that would help with his startle reaction and also the reflux, again we had varying success.  We tried a dummy, we think that Baby M will probably be a thumb sucker but he isn't quite there yet so we tried a dummy.  Again some nights he keeps it in his mouth and is soothed, other nights he just wants to spit it out.

We reached the stage where, sleep deprived, we brought the pram upstairs - Baby M settled to sleep with no issues.  I have no idea why but there must be something with the Moses basket he doesn't like.  We discussed it and agreed there is no point persevering with something that upsets him.

I had a look on some mum forums and this seems to be a common problem (phew - reassurance!!!).  Other people stated they had also brought the pram upstairs for sleeping, others stated they had found co-sleeping worked. We will not be trying co-sleeping - it scares me and I wouldn't sleep from worry we would squash Baby M.  Other people put their baby in the cot.  Unfortunately this isn't an option for us as half of it is still at my parents, we are hoping that they can bring the rest to us so we can put him in his cot.

Yes I know you aren't supposed to put them in the cot until they are 6 months old but on the forum people stated they put the baby in a sleeping bag and I feel this is what we would do also to ensure he didn't kick his covers over his head (he is a wriggler!!).

I have to keep reminding myself that every baby is different and what might work for one might not work for another - we've tried lots of options with Baby M and a Moses basket just isn't for him

Friday 10 January 2014

1 month

I can't believe Baby M is a month old, the time has flown by but it also feels like he's been here forever.

It's been a hectic but amazing month - Mr M & I are still fumbling in the dark taking each day as it comes and feeling like we haven't a clue what we are doing.  Everyone keeps saying it'll get easier and we know it will - eventually.

Baby M has put on weight since he was born - he weighed 6lb 13oz when he was born and when he was last weighed by the health visitor he weighed 9lb 4oz.  Good boy!!!

He is now outgrown his newborn clothes but the 0-3 months are still too big in his arms and legs, he will grow into them though.

Baby M has also started smiling in the past few days, I mean proper smiling not "I have wind" smiles.  It melts your heart every time he smiles, I love it!!

He really enjoys tummy time and is able to lift his head up, he's had quite good head control for a week or so now.  He also kicks his legs about when on his tummy, which is bad news for the cat as I think he might be quite speedy once he crawls.  We also put him in his bouncer chair, he tolerates that for about 10 minutes before he gets grumpy.  He does enjoy giving the dangly monkey a good whack though.

Baby M seems fascinated by one of our lamps, he stares at it for ages, I often wonder what's going through his head when he's watching it.

Mr M has tried to get Baby M watching football and darts but we aren't interested in that yet, maybe he never will be!!

Thursday 9 January 2014

Sharing a room with a baby

It is recommended that your baby sleep in your room for 6 months following birth.  This is so you can easily monitor the baby, feed the baby and also gives you peace of mind - you aren't reliant on a monitor and constantly running through to another room as you haven't heard a noise in 10 seconds.

Every baby is different but Baby M is a noisy sleeper!!!  My mum had told me that with me as a baby she had managed to have me sleep in her room for a few weeks but with my brother she had only managed a night before putting him in his cot due to the noises he made.  I laughed this off when she told me but I'm now understanding what she was talking about.

Sharing a room with a baby gives you peace of mind but also drives you a little crazy.  Baby M grunts, snorts, huffs, puffs, squeaks, sounds like a horse - you name it he makes the noise.  However as soon as he goes into a proper sleep and the noises stop I find myself holding my breath to make sure I can still hear him breathing! I haven't got to the stage where I'm holding a mirror under his nose to see if it fogs up but I do feel a little neurotic.  I'm finding myself wishing he wouldn't make all his crazy noises then when he's quiet wishing he would breathe a little louder.

Will we keep him in our room for 6 months, I'm honestly not sure - I think he might outgrow his Moses basket before then.  However there is no way I could put him in his own room at the moment (one reason being we don't have all the cotbed yet) but the other I think I might have even less sleep from constantly having the monitor pressed against my ear.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

New Year Resolutions

I'm not usually big on New Year Resolutions - mainly because I generally break them by the end of January!! This year however with baby M's arrival I have some aims and hopes for 2014

Health
I want to lose my baby weight, I didn't put much weight on during my pregnancy (thankfully my bump was mainly at the front) but my belly is now flabby & I feel like my bum and hips are huge!! Due to having a section I have to wait a little long then if I'd had a vaginal birth to make sure all my muscles are as they should be and everything has healed before I can do exercise.  As we live near the sea my plan is to go on daily walks with baby M to start with then once I can do proper exercise again I will be getting out on my bike (which I bought last year then didn't use as I found out I was pregnant not long after & I was petrified I'd fall off & hurt the baby).  I will also start running again, I had signed up for a half marathon last September (which at 6 months pregnant I didn't compete in).  Whilst I won't be fit enough to do that this year I think I will aim to do a 10k with the view of doing a half marathon next year.  I also have a post natal yoga DVD which I plan to do when baby M is sleeping after 12 weeks post section, this will help build and strengthen my core.

Family
This will be my main focus of 2014.  I want to spend lots of time finding new things with baby M, living where we do there is a lot of touristy things for kids which we will take him to and also groups such as bounce & rhyme, baby massage & baby group.  I also want to go on trips away, we have a friend in the lakes who we will have to visit - the lakes are about an hour away from us and gorgeous. My folks caravan in Northumberland will be frequently visited this year I think, there are lots of things for us to see and do in the area.  We will hopefully visit both our parents, although due to Mr M's family living 4-5hrs away we won't be visiting them until baby M is a little older as the journey will be a lot for him

Money
My maternity pay is rubbish so money will be tight this year.  I want to find out more ways which we can save money as a family.  I would also love to buy our own house, we have some savings but not enough for a deposit yet.  Maybe we can win the lottery!!!

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

2013 was a roller coaster of a year.  We finally got pregnant, which we were over the moon about!! We went to Berlin (which is amazing I would highly recommend).  I went to my first proper airshow with Mr M at RIAT, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.  Mr M's grandad found out he had cancer and within 4 months had sadly lost his battle - he was so happy to find out he was going to be an great grandad and we were both so sad that baby M will never meet him, he will know all about him though.  He was the only person we told the name of baby M to, we kept it a secret from everyone else. We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.  We welcomed our little baby boy and had our first family Christmas.

So what for 2014??

Baby M & I are going to go to some local groups and find out what fun things there are to do in the local area.

Mr M celebrates his birthday in February, we are going to have a family day (probably in Manchester) then the following week we are going to go to my folks caravan in Northumberland for a long weekend - it will be our first family trip away, the first of many! In June Mr M & I will be going to Italy for the weekend as he won a competition, I am nervous about leaving baby M but my mum is coming to look after him.  In July it will be my birthday - another trip to my folks caravan probably.  I will be back to work in August, but only for 2 weeks as we are going to Ireland to a cottage with my folks (& hopefully my brother) for a week which will be lovely.

Amongst these plans will be lots of visits from family & friends.  My brother is coming to visit in a few weeks which will be great, he lives in Edinburgh & I don't get to see him as often as I would like.  Friends have already been asking when they can come visit, we will have lots of people coming over the next few months to see baby M, he's a very popular boy!! Mr M's family will also be coming to visit, Mr M again doesn't get to see them as often as he would like to.

We are looking forward to our first full year as a family and doing lots of exciting things with baby M.

Monday 6 January 2014

Feeding baby

As you will be aware from previous posts I really wanted to breast feed baby M.  However as many things with my pregnancy and labour not everything goes to plan.

I felt that I was as prepared as I could be with regards to breast feeding and I knew I had support from  community breast support network but I couldn't prepare for the fact that baby M would be born tongue tied.  Mr M was tongue tied when he was little, he had the procedure when he was 6 years old to remove the tongue tie.  Things have progressed since then and they now try to do the procedure within weeks of the baby being born.

I persevered with breast feeding for 2 days, baby M was getting more and more frustrated and was finding it difficult to latch on due to the tongue tie.  When he did latch on sometimes he would latch on great, other times he was just sucking my nipple which was getting really painful.  I had a visit from my community support and she was brilliant but could only give me advice.  After a long discussion with Mr M we decided it was in baby's best interest to bottle feed.  When we gave him that first bottle he guzzled it down, poor guy must have been so hungry!! I felt bad that I couldn't stick with breast feeding but I had to think about baby M.  I know breast is best but it wasn't best for baby M at that time.

We have been using Aptamil, due to baby M being tongue tied he still guzzles his bottle at times and sometimes spurts milk out the side of his mouth.  We take longer to feed him than "normal" apparently due to winding as he does take in a lot of air, we are hoping that once he has the procedure for tongue tie this will improve.  He has been assessed and deemed appropriate for the procedure however due to him putting on weight he isn't at the top of the list so he will have to wait a few weeks.

Bottle feeding has it's pros and cons, we are able to share the feeding which Mr M loves however it isn't available on demand which causes Baby M to get upset and whilst we try to plan ahead as much as we can and be prepared he still has to wait sometimes.  We make each bottle when needed as per government recommendations.  Whilst he does get gas I am reluctant to change his milk until we have had the procedure for tongue tie.  Plus as our health visitor states, sometimes these milks are a gimmick will they even work?!?

Baby M does seem to store up his poo, I'm not sure whether this is him or the formula, he gets upset when he needs a bowel movement, I wish he could understand us when we say to him to poo more often.

The brilliant news is that Baby M is putting on weight, he's in the 25th centile (all gobbledygook to me) but he is gaining weight as he should and we are all happy with his progress!! What more could we ask for than a healthy, fit and growing baby boy