8 months

Baby M was 8 months old on Sunday.  I say this every month but time is just flying by.

The last month seems to have gone so quick as he has achieved so much

He is able to stand for much longer holding onto furniture and tries to pull himself up to stand on us.  We have lowered his cot so that if he stands he doesn't topple out.  It's a good job as we found him sitting up in his cot one morning

His biggest achievement is that he is now crawling.  We are so proud as he has been trying so hard and getting so frustrated with himself.  We now have to have eyes in the back of our head and have done some baby proofing.

Crawling is bad news for the cat though, she seems to be target numero uno.  She's handling him so well though, she just bats him but never puts her claws out.

Baby M still likes to mainly be fed but he is sticking his hands in his food more and he put his water cup in his mouth all by himself.  We are continuing to give him his own spoon during meal times.  He loves his food! We are continuing to introduce finger foods as well as still feeding him jars.

We don't have any teeth yet but can see more white under his gums so hopefully they aren't far off.

He still loves to babble and now uses more sounds, his favourite at the moment is "V" sounds, he said Volvo to me the other day!

He's developing his personality too.  He's such a cheeky and smiley little boy.  He seems so content. He loves cuddles and kisses.  Tickling him gets a wonderful reaction, I love his laugh.  Baths are still a firm favourite with his splashing lots.  He is progressing really well with his swimming too, although we are now on a break for the holidays. 



This post has been added to Mummy Bloggers Weekly Wednesday linky.
Also added to Olivers Madhouse Magic Moments and Twin Mum & Dad's #binkylinky

Baby M's Developmental Check

We had Baby M's 7-9 month developmental check.  I wasn't really sure what to expect.

We haven't seen our health visitor since Baby M was 8 weeks old due to the fact she was off work.  Baby M kept looking at her with unsure eyes, can't really blame him.

Firstly she gave him some small blocks and watched him play with them. 

She then asked me a series of questions about how he moves, plays and eats. 

There is then a sheet she adds up the total 'scores' and she let us know how 'well' Baby M had done.

Seeing as the sheet was an 8 month questionnaire and he isn't 8 months old yet he did really well, I was very proud.  The only things he lost "marks" on was the fact that he won't feed himself a biscuit and he doesn't echo us back.

To be honest I'm not too worried about either, I think he enjoys being fed and whilst I have been continually trying him with finger foods I think it's something he will do in his own time and we just had to keep encouraging him.  As for the echoing, he babbles for Britain and we have constant nonsense conversations.  He also turns at his name and looks at me with puppy eyes when I say 'No' so I know there's nothing wrong with his hearing.

Baby M was also weighed and he's now 9kg - big growing boy!!

I know people say these tests aren't worth much and that you shouldn't worry about them but as a first time mum I found it really reassuring that Baby M is developing as he should.  Yes I know every child develops at their own pace but I worry that I'm not stimulating him enough or encouraging him do the right things.  It's good to know everything is well.

His next check will be at 2.5 years which seems ages away!!

July Nonabox - Review

I have always been interested in monthly boxes, I used to get GlossyBox when it first started.  A box with baby goodies has always made me curious.

Nonabox had a 50% sale, I got a 3 monthly subscription for £37.50 (normally £75) - meaning each box cost £12.50 (normally £25).

My first box arrived at the end of July.

Forever Living Aloe Vera Gelly (£8.80)
The Aloe Vera Gelly is reportedly great for irritated and scarred skin.  I have recently got an epilator (a competition win from the lovely Victoria's Vintage).  After epilating I applied the gelly, it definitely helped settle my skin down.  It did leave a film on my legs though which I ended up rubbing off after while.  Not sure I would buy this product again as there are others like it on the market which are cheaper

Organix Fruit Stars (1 bag Raspberry, 1 bag Blackcurrant) (59p each)
These sound amazing and we love Organix, however they are for children aged 12 months and upwards.  Baby M is only 7.5 months old.  I gave them to a friend who's daughter loved them.

Palmers - Skin Therapy Oil (£3.95)
The oil feels lightweight on your skin, which is great.  It's supposed to help the appearance of scars, stretch marks, damaged skin and uneven skin tone.  I have been using the oil on my section scar, we shall see if there's any change as it is really noticeable.  I love Palmer's so I'm hoping to notice some change, it's a reasonable price too

Linn Bodysuit (£18)
The bodysuit is so delicate and made from high quality cotton.  It's a sleeveless bodysuit so great for this weather.  I had no idea what the size was, all it says on the packaging is 12.  It fits though so it must be a 6-9 months.  The bodysuit is beige so goes under any outfit.  As I said it is really delicate, I don't really want to wash it as I'm worried it would ruin (daft I know).  Would I buy another?  At £18 probably not, unless it was a really special occasion.

Moltex Disposable bibs (price unknown)
I've searched for these on google and can't find them.  You get 10 bibs in a pack.  These are great for us and when we go to visit family or to my folks caravan we always take disposable bibs as it saves on washing.  These bibs even have a part you can fold up for catching spillage.  I can't wait to use these when we go to Ireland in a few weeks

Moltex Nappies (price unknown)
As the nappies are in a wrapper which has no English on it I'm not sure if these are swimming or normal nappies.  They look like swimming nappies and have sea creatures on them.  We are going swimming next weekend so will take the nappies with us.  We are weekly swimmers so will be able to compare them to our usual swim nappy.

Moltex Fresh Hand Wipes (price unknown)
These wipes were in a little pack of 15, I used them in my changing bag.  They were great, very moist and great for wiping hands and face after food.  As with every baby, Baby M gets food everywhere.  These were handy to clean him up and saved my normal wipes for bottom use only.

Chicco Baby Moments Body Lotion (£7.99)
Baby Moments is a new line of products from Chicco.  The body lotion is suitable for the most delicate and sensitive skin.  You only need a tiny amount and it absorbs really easily.  It smells lovely too.  I've used it on myself and Baby M and we both love it


As my box only cost £12.50 I did get value for money but there were products I probably wouldn't buy myself and the Organix Goodies weren't suitable.  I probably wouldn't have been happy if I had paid full price.  This was my first box so I am keen to see what's in the next box. 



This post has been added to Family Fever and Going on an Adventure's #TriedTested.  Go have a look what other bloggers have been reviewing.

 

Hevea Kawan teether - review

Baby M is in full teething mode at the moment.  I really hope they come through soon!!

We were sent a Hevea Kawan Teether to test and reivew.

Hevea is so called after the Latin name for Rubber Tree.

All their products are made from natural rubber and from a sustainable source.  The products are also biodegradable.

Because their products are made from natural rubber they are soft and pliable.  This was the first thing I noticed when I took the teether out of the packaging. 

The teether is called Kawan, which means Friend in Malay, the company has strong ties with Malaysia.

Baby M noticed the softness of the teether when I gave it to him, at first he didn't want to put it in his mouth.  After some encouragement he seemed to enjoy chewing the head and I think the softness of the head appealed to him.  All teethers you buy seem to be solid.

The teether is a great shape and Baby M was able to hold the teether easily and in various positions.

The texture on the beak and eye area seemed to help relieve Baby M's pain when he was having bad days, although there were times when he wouldn't chew the teether and appeared in a lot of pain.  Nothing seemed to help at these times apart from Calpol.

The Kawan teether isn't in the shops yet, it's due to be released very soon.  Without being in the shops it was shortlisted for the Loved by Parents Ethical Babycare Product award.

I would recommend this teether, it's the first that I've found that isn't solid.  It's also made from natural products so you know there aren't any hidden harmful chemicals in there.  I also love the shape!



This post has been added to Family Fever and We're going on an Adventure's #TriedTested - go check out other great reviews


Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review however I was sent the product free of charge to test and review.  All views are my own

Gummee Glove - Review

Baby M is teething at the moment.  It is causing him quite a lot of discomfort.  I have tried teething gels, granules and calpol and whilst these do work he also wants to chew on things.

I have heard great things about Gummee Glove and thought I would see if it helped relive some of Baby M's discomfort

I love the bright yellow colour.  It comes with a bag which you place the glove in to wash in the machine.  I also keep the glove in this bag when it's not being used.

You can chose a blue or pink teething ring, I went for blue for obvious reasons.  There are 3 other teething areas in different colours - 2 on the side and one on the top.  The teething ring is held in place by a popper so you don't have to worry that it might come out of the glove.  The are 2 tags, one on either side that baby can play with his other hand and the print area is crinkly, which Baby M loves.

The glove is attached with a velcro fasten which means as baby grows the glove can still fit.  Baby M had the glove on for less than 5 minutes before it was in his mouth.  He likes holding onto the tag on the opposite side with his other hand and really enjoys crinkling the printed area.

Baby M definitely loves his Gummee glove and everytime he has it on he puts it straight into his mouth.  There has been one occasion where he has become a little fed up and tried to shake the glove off but he was in a really foul mood and nothing I was trying with him was working.

I would definitely recommend Gummee Glove - for £11.99 I think it is good value for money as you will get lots of use out of it.  As it's a glove baby doesn't need to concentrate on holding a teether and chewing they can just put the teething parts in their mouth and chew chew chew


Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, I purchased this product as I thought it might be useful.  My views are my own

 

Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac - Review

I was thrilled to be chosen to test the Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac

When the product arrived I was quite surprised how compact it was, I was expecting it to be bigger.

The Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac is very light.  It comes with a docking station for charging which also has an area to store the accessories.

The Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac can be used as a compact dustbuster with the hose attached or you can use the extending hose to reach places such as between the fridge and cupboards or in the car foot well. 

There are 3 attachments – a flip out upholstery brush for areas such as lampshades & curtains, a pet tool to remove pet hair or the crevice tool for difficult to reach areas. 

Before you use the product you need to charge it on the docking station, when you first put it on charge a blue light flashes, once it’s charge the blue light is solid.  This took about 4 hours the first time. 

I loved the idea of the pet attachment, we have the hairiest cat & I feel like I am forever getting our big hoover out to hoover our rug.  She likes to lie on the rug but with our 4 month old lying on his mat on the rug I like to make sure it isn’t covered in fur.  With this product I could just put the pet attachment on and in a matter in minutes the rug was fur free! The first time I used the Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac I was surprised how much fur it pulled off the rug.  The rubber teeth are great for making sure not a piece of fur is missed.  I now use the Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac daily to hoover the rug to make sure it’s fur free.

I haven’t hovered my car in the year that I’ve had it – shocking I know!!  The main reason I haven’t is because of where I park my car there isn’t an electrical socket nearby and I have to dig out our extendable extension cable.  I know this sounds really lazy!!

I made sure I had fully charged the Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac before I used it to clean my car, I knew it might take a while.  

I started in the boot and made the mistake of using the upholstery attachment to start with.  My thinking was the it is quite wide and would pick up more dirt.  It didn’t really work though.  I then put on the crevice tool and it worked much better. 

Due to my faffing the battery ran out before I had cleaned my car – I had been hovering for 15 minutes though and as the battery life is 10 minutes that really isn’t bad.  I place it on charge for about 30 minutes and was able to finish my car.

There was a lot of dirt and sand in my car from our many walks, whilst the foot wells weren’t immaculate there were pretty close and I was happy with the results.  My car seats were left spotless

The see through window allows you to see when you have to empty and is easy to open and put the dust straight into the bin. 

Prices vary online for the Black & Decker 18V Lithium-Ion Dustbuster® Flexi Hand Vac from £114.99 to £136.99.

If you are looking for a great compact hoover that ticks all the boxes I would definitely recommend this product.  It has great suction and the different attachments are brilliant and do what they say this will.  The docking station doesn’t take up much room either and could be stored in a corner or even in a cupboard. 

I would give this product 5/5 – it is easy to use, great suction and cleans to a high standard

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review.  I was sent this product to review and in return was able to keep the product.  My views are my own


I have added this review to Family Fever and We're going on an Adventure's #TriedTested, go check out other great reviews 

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep Machine - Review

I was really excited to become a Babies R Us Babyologist.

The first product they asked me to review was the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep Machine.

I was really looking forward to testing the product as Baby M is really impatient and we made his bottles using the kettle.  This means you have to wait for the bottle to cool before he can have it.  This machine boasts that it makes perfect temperature bottles in 2 minutes.

The machine is really easy to set up and the instructions are very clear.  You get an instruction booklet which is easy to follow.  There are also instructions on the box if you need them.

To set up the machine you need to run through some boiling water, then add the filter and run through some cold water and you're done - simple!!

Now all you need to do is fill up the machine with fresh cold tap water and you're ready to go.

I have to admit whilst the machine sounded amazing I was concerned about how the bacteria would be killed in the formula, I didn't want to use something that might give Baby M bellyache.  I needn't have worried though.  The first part of the bottle making sees the machine put hot/boiling water into the bottle, then you add your scoops of formula, mix then put back under the machine for the rest of the water to be added.

Every bottle we have made has been ready to use and Baby M has had all of every bottle.

The only con I have found is that sometimes (every few days) we get a bottle that isn't the correct volume.  When this happens the bottle is usually 7.5oz rather than 7oz.  Also the first time he used it Mr M took too long mixing the bottle and the machine turned itself off.  He is a faffer, you have 2 minutes from the hot water being put into the bottle to add you formula and mix - which is plenty of time - but it's something to bear in mind when making the bottle.  Make sure you don't get distracted by something else or the machine might turn itself off.

The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep Machine is £74.99.  I would definitely say that it is worth the money.  The filter that comes with the machine is valid for 3 months, which I think is a good length of time for the number of times you can use the machine in a day.  A replacement filter is £8.99.

Using the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep Machine has definitely made feeding easier.  Baby M no longer cries for his bottle as it's ready in minutes.

I would give this product 5/5 and I would definitely recommend it


Disclaimer: I have not been paid for this review.  I was sent this product free of charge to review but my views are my own  

Cuski Comforter - Review

I know not every baby needs comforting but I've been surprised by Baby M.

I thought he was going to be a thumb sucker - yes he puts his thumb and his fingers in his mouth but I think this is more due to finding himself and possible teething issues rather than comfort.

Baby M did have a dummy sometimes when he was upset when he was very young but recently giving him a dummy seems to upset him more rather than offer comfort.

We have introduced a Cuski comforter.

The idea is that Mummy/Daddy sleep with the Cuski (or in our case put it down their top) to transfer your scent to the Cuski.  You then give the Cuski to baby.  Baby will then feel safe due to your smell and feel like you are close to them and drift off to sleep.

Baby M always falls asleep on us and this is his preferred way of falling asleep, we thought having a Cuski might mean he will eventually fall asleep without us needing to cuddle him to sleep.

Baby M likes to have Cuski with him during the day at times too.  Although the Cuski is not a teether Baby M does put it in his mouth sometimes, he likes the knots on the end.  We try to encourage him to just use it as a comforter but it's hard as everything is going in his mouth at the moment.

We've moved Baby M to his cot this week so we hope that having his Cuski will make that transfer nice and smooth.

We have the Cool Dude comforter which is made from muslin, it is soooo soft!It really easy to clean to, you can put it in the washing machine and tumble dryer!!

I would recommend a Cuski comforter, especially if your baby is like Baby M and isn't keen on dummies, or if you don't want baby to have a dummy this is a great alternative!

A muslin comforter like ours is £17.99 or a bamboo yarn comforter is £16.99

Disclaimer:  No money was exchanged for this review, I purchased this Cuski myself and no review was promised.  Views are my own.

I've added this link to Family Fever and Going on an Adventure #TriedTested, check out the websites for other great reviews from parents!!

Natures Purest - hat & mitts review

The lovely people at Natures Purest sent me a Plain Hat and Mitts to review.  This was great timing as we were going away on our first family holiday to Northumberland, I knew the hat and mitts would get a good testing.

Natures Purest have a number of different ranges all made with natural products to ensure your baby won't be irritated in any way.  All their manufacturing takes place in Sri Lanka and they use only naturally coloured cotton.

The set arrived beautifully presented.  This would be a lovely gift for a new baby.  Both the hat and mitts felt so soft.  I loved them - but what would Baby M think?

We took Baby M on the beach, this would be a perfect opportunity to try the hat and mitts.  It was windy and therefore quite chilly but Baby M fell asleep.  We did lose his mitts at first (I'm sure Mr M loved watching me running after them on the sand!).  However I think this might have been our error as we put them on after his all in one suit.

Next we went for a number of walks with Baby M wearing the hat and mitts.  The mitts stayed on this time  - we put them on before his coat!  He seemed to really enjoy wearing the hat and the mitts still allowed him to grab onto his pushchair bar, which he enjoys doing.

We were sent 0-6 months, Baby M is 3 months old I'm not sure whether the hat will last him until he is 6 months though as it fits well now.  I feel it might be a little tight by the time he's 6 months old.  The mitts on the other hand I think might last longer and they seemed to have more room in them.  The set is £15, which for organic cotton I feel is good value. 

I would recommend the hat and mitts and they have made me want to try more products.

Disclaimer: Whilst I was sent this product to review the views are my own.

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.

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

Review: Brabantia Flatback Fingerprint Proof Bin

I recently won this bin in a competition on Facebook.  Our bin was in much need of being replaced and Brabantia are a well known and reputable brand, I was excited to receive my winning bin

The bin I won was the Flatback+ 30 litre Matte Steel Fingerprint Proof Bin.  The bin is flat backed to make it space efficient, which is great for us as we have limited space in our kitchen where we can put a bin.  We put it up against the wall near a cupboard.  The bin came with 20 Brabantia bin liners.  When first putting these in the bin they were a little tight but I suppose this means they won't slip off or fall into the bin

The bin has a silent closing due to MotionControl technology and is easy to open with the large pedal. If you lift the lid open it will stay open until you press it to close, which is handy when peeling potatoes.  The lid also doesn't hit the wall when you open it! The bin is easy to move about as it has a belt grip at the back.  This is great for me at the moment as I can easily move the bin around when I need to hoover or mop the floor. 

Inside the bin there is a bucket with grips, this makes it easy to remove the bucket and change the bin, no more struggling to get the bin bag and bucket out like with previous bins.

I have to say I was intrigued by the claim that it was fingerprint proof, with bump on the way and knowing that my friends children put their hands on EVERYTHING I was curious as to whether this was true or just a gimmick.  I am not sure whether it is 100% fingerprint proof, when you lift the bin lid for example there is the tiniest of marks but the bin is definitely easy to wipe, once I used a wet wipe on the bin to clean it there were no marks of any kind.  The biggest test will come when bump gets mobile!

The bin can be found in the Brabantia new collection.  It retails at £125, which in my opinion is a lot of money for a bin.  It is a very good quality bin and does everything that it promises to do but I still feel the price is a little much.  The bin bags that go with the bin are £51 for 240 liners which works out at 21p per bin bag which again might seem a little pricey but you are guaranteed that the liner fits your bin perfectly and you won't have any accidents.  The bin bags are thick too and I haven't had one rip, yet.

I would definitely recommend this bin, the price is the only off putting part about it

Disclosure:  I won the bin through a competition, at no point was there an expectation I would review product.  My views are my own.