Since the arrival of Baby J, people have often asked me, “is it harder having two?” I always reply that it’s not any harder, it’s just different. There is one thing that I have found tricky and that is making sure I give them both plenty of attention – if I play with Little N I worry that Baby J isn’t being stimulated enough and if I play with Baby J I worry that Little N feels left out. It’s hard to find things that keep both a toddler and a baby happy, but I have managed to find at least one thing they both love, which is this fantastic Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym.
The Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym (£56.99) is a “grow with me” toy which is suitable from birth and has three stages: Lay & Play, Sit & Play and Stand & Play. It has over 10 different activities, features bright colours, dancing lights and fun sounds, has gorgeous little animal toys and brightly coloured balls to play with, and has 2 different music modes: Long Play for up to 20 minutes of music or baby-activated Short Play.
In newborn mode, baby can Lay & Play on the mat and try to grab and bat the animal toys dangling from the arch. In sitting mode the mat can be folded over to reveal pockets, so that baby can Sit & Play putting the balls in the pockets. In toddler mode, the mat can be moved away completely and it becomes a Stand & Play toy using the giraffe and zebra ball drops. Through the various modes of play it helps babies to develop both fine motor and gross motor skills as well as working on their coordination and balance.
The play gym was super easy to assemble. The arch simply clicked onto the two bases and the soft padded mat attached easily on each corner. No tools required! The owl toy was already attached to the arch so I simply had to add the other two toys, get the balls out, add 3 AAA batteries, then it was ready for the boys to play with.
I am a bit of a neat freak and hate clutter so I’m really happy that this baby gym doesn’t take up lots of space. The mat is machine washable which is very handy after Little N’s sticky little fingers have been all over it. The design is so gorgeous with beautiful bright colours and a mixture of jungle and woodland animals. With Little N I loved anything nautical-themed, especially whales. This time round, with Baby J I absolutely love woodland creatures, particularly foxes, so this fits in perfectly!
I have set the play gym up in the newborn mode so that Baby J can lay down and play with the animal toys and watch the dancing lights. At the same time Little N is able to play with the zebra and giraffe ball drops. Baby J absolutely loves batting at the toys and is delighted when he manages to grab hold of them with his chubby little hands. The padded mat is so comfy that he will happily lay there long enough for me to have a cup of tea!
Little N thinks the ball drops are brilliant and spends ages dropping the balls into the top of the arch or through the holes. He loves showing the different coloured balls to his baby brother, he is so sweet. Baby J will often stop what he is doing and just watch Little N. They both love the music and the little sounds that it makes when activated by what they’re doing. It has a great mix of nursery rhymes that change often and are interspersed by bubbly, “boingy” sounds and giggles.
This baby gym is perfect for keeping little ones happy from birth well into toddlerhood and it’s fantastic if like me you have both a baby and a toddler to entertain, as they both can happily play together. I predict that this is going to provide my boys with lots of fun over the next few years!
Disclosure: I received the Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym for free for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.
REVIEW: Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym
Since the arrival of Baby J, people have often asked me, “is it harder having two?” I always reply that it’s not any harder, it’s just different. There is one thing that I have found tricky and that is making sure I give them both plenty of attention – if I play with Little N I worry that Baby J isn’t being stimulated enough and if I play with Baby J I worry that Little N feels left out. It’s hard to find things that keep both a toddler and a baby happy, but I have managed to find at least one thing they both love, which is this fantastic Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym.
The Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym (£56.99) is a “grow with me” toy which is suitable from birth and has three stages: Lay & Play, Sit & Play and Stand & Play. It has over 10 different activities, features bright colours, dancing lights and fun sounds, has gorgeous little animal toys and brightly coloured balls to play with, and has 2 different music modes: Long Play for up to 20 minutes of music or baby-activated Short Play.
In newborn mode, baby can Lay & Play on the mat and try to grab and bat the animal toys dangling from the arch. In sitting mode the mat can be folded over to reveal pockets, so that baby can Sit & Play putting the balls in the pockets. In toddler mode, the mat can be moved away completely and it becomes a Stand & Play toy using the giraffe and zebra ball drops. Through the various modes of play it helps babies to develop both fine motor and gross motor skills as well as working on their coordination and balance.
The play gym was super easy to assemble. The arch simply clicked onto the two bases and the soft padded mat attached easily on each corner. No tools required! The owl toy was already attached to the arch so I simply had to add the other two toys, get the balls out, add 3 AAA batteries, then it was ready for the boys to play with.
I am a bit of a neat freak and hate clutter so I’m really happy that this baby gym doesn’t take up lots of space. The mat is machine washable which is very handy after Little N’s sticky little fingers have been all over it. The design is so gorgeous with beautiful bright colours and a mixture of jungle and woodland animals. With Little N I loved anything nautical-themed, especially whales. This time round, with Baby J I absolutely love woodland creatures, particularly foxes, so this fits in perfectly!
I have set the play gym up in the newborn mode so that Baby J can lay down and play with the animal toys and watch the dancing lights. At the same time Little N is able to play with the zebra and giraffe ball drops. Baby J absolutely loves batting at the toys and is delighted when he manages to grab hold of them with his chubby little hands. The padded mat is so comfy that he will happily lay there long enough for me to have a cup of tea!
Little N thinks the ball drops are brilliant and spends ages dropping the balls into the top of the arch or through the holes. He loves showing the different coloured balls to his baby brother, he is so sweet. Baby J will often stop what he is doing and just watch Little N. They both love the music and the little sounds that it makes when activated by what they’re doing. It has a great mix of nursery rhymes that change often and are interspersed by bubbly, “boingy” sounds and giggles.
This baby gym is perfect for keeping little ones happy from birth well into toddlerhood and it’s fantastic if like me you have both a baby and a toddler to entertain, as they both can happily play together. I predict that this is going to provide my boys with lots of fun over the next few years!
Disclosure: I received the Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym for free for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.
In the days and weeks following my babies' births, I had expected that people would be sensitive to the fact that I was tired, emotional and hormonal, and handle me with care. I could not have been more wrong!
Here are some of the gems that people have actually said to me days after having a baby:
"She looks like she’s got another one in there"
This was said by my Dad, of all people, 24 hours after having my baby! I had been telling him and his girlfriend about Baby J's amazing birth. His girlfriend said, "you don't look like you've just had a baby." By this, she meant I looked well. My Dad piped up, "yeah, she looks like she's got another one in there." Ouch.
"Oh, gosh, your belly is still big!"
Thank you, dear friend of mine, for pointing that out. It'll take a bit longer than 36 hours to get my pre-pregnancy figure back, y'know.
"Wow, look at his squashed head"
Well, duh, his head was squeezed out of my vagina 36 hours earlier! This was from the same friend who made the big belly comment. She pointed out my belly then immediately commented on my son's head. I was floored.
"Is she having another baby?"
This was said by my 7 year old stepson, whilst pointing at my belly. Enough with the belly comments, people!
"Are you okay? You look tired"
You might think this is well-meant comment, but I'd actually slept well, spent time doing my make-up and thought I looked quite nice on that occasion. So it was a bit of a blow to be told I looked tired. And even if I did look tired, don't point it out!
So next time you visit a new mum, if you're not sure what to say, at least you know what NOT to say!
What NOT to say to a new mum
In the days and weeks following my babies' births, I had expected that people would be sensitive to the fact that I was tired, emotional and hormonal, and handle me with care. I could not have been more wrong!
Here are some of the gems that people have actually said to me days after having a baby:
"She looks like she’s got another one in there"
This was said by my Dad, of all people, 24 hours after having my baby! I had been telling him and his girlfriend about Baby J's amazing birth. His girlfriend said, "you don't look like you've just had a baby." By this, she meant I looked well. My Dad piped up, "yeah, she looks like she's got another one in there." Ouch.
"Oh, gosh, your belly is still big!"
Thank you, dear friend of mine, for pointing that out. It'll take a bit longer than 36 hours to get my pre-pregnancy figure back, y'know.
"Wow, look at his squashed head"
Well, duh, his head was squeezed out of my vagina 36 hours earlier! This was from the same friend who made the big belly comment. She pointed out my belly then immediately commented on my son's head. I was floored.
"Is she having another baby?"
This was said by my 7 year old stepson, whilst pointing at my belly. Enough with the belly comments, people!
"Are you okay? You look tired"
You might think this is well-meant comment, but I'd actually slept well, spent time doing my make-up and thought I looked quite nice on that occasion. So it was a bit of a blow to be told I looked tired. And even if I did look tired, don't point it out!
So next time you visit a new mum, if you're not sure what to say, at least you know what NOT to say!
Like most mums, my children’s first ever blankets are a treasured keepsake, but many babies across the world never get to experience the comfort of a warm, clean blanket.
Dettol has teamed up with celebrity mum-of-two, Rachel Stevens, to encourage mums to “keep the memories, not the bacteria” in a new campaign which highlights the dangers of bacteria on baby blankets: did you know that even after washing they can still harbour a variety of unpleasant bacteria? The campaign also supports disadvantaged families in need of baby blankets and raises money for the charity Sparks.
Dettol Anti-Bacterial Laundry Cleanser kills 99.9% of bacteria even in washes as low as 30 degrees. Dettol and Sparks are asking mums to send in unwanted baby blankets to their freepost address below, where they’ll be hygienically washed then redistributed to families in need.
For every blanket collected Dettol has also pledged to donate £1 to Sparks. Sparks’ projects find ways to diagnose, treat and prevent conditions in four key areas: pregnancy and birth, first months of life, infancy and early childhood and rare childhood diseases. You can find out more about their work by visiting www.sparks.org.uk.
To donate a blanket to the campaign simply send it to the following address:
FREEPOST RTKJ-YSGS-SSHR
Dettol Baby Blanket Donation
c/o Spink
Balcombe Place Stables
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH17 6AZ
Dettol Baby Blanket Donation
c/o Spink
Balcombe Place Stables
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH17 6AZ
You can also share on Facebook your special baby blanket memories and photographs. Or tweet @DettolBlanket using the hashtag #sharethememories.
It’s such a great campaign and couldn’t be easier to get involved!
Dettol Baby Blanket Donation
Like most mums, my children’s first ever blankets are a treasured keepsake, but many babies across the world never get to experience the comfort of a warm, clean blanket.
Dettol has teamed up with celebrity mum-of-two, Rachel Stevens, to encourage mums to “keep the memories, not the bacteria” in a new campaign which highlights the dangers of bacteria on baby blankets: did you know that even after washing they can still harbour a variety of unpleasant bacteria? The campaign also supports disadvantaged families in need of baby blankets and raises money for the charity Sparks.
Dettol Anti-Bacterial Laundry Cleanser kills 99.9% of bacteria even in washes as low as 30 degrees. Dettol and Sparks are asking mums to send in unwanted baby blankets to their freepost address below, where they’ll be hygienically washed then redistributed to families in need.
For every blanket collected Dettol has also pledged to donate £1 to Sparks. Sparks’ projects find ways to diagnose, treat and prevent conditions in four key areas: pregnancy and birth, first months of life, infancy and early childhood and rare childhood diseases. You can find out more about their work by visiting www.sparks.org.uk.
To donate a blanket to the campaign simply send it to the following address:
FREEPOST RTKJ-YSGS-SSHR
Dettol Baby Blanket Donation
c/o Spink
Balcombe Place Stables
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH17 6AZ
Dettol Baby Blanket Donation
c/o Spink
Balcombe Place Stables
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH17 6AZ
You can also share on Facebook your special baby blanket memories and photographs. Or tweet @DettolBlanket using the hashtag #sharethememories.
It’s such a great campaign and couldn’t be easier to get involved!
The short story: Baby J was born on Tuesday 30th September at 15.35 weighing 6lb 14oz.
The long story: As I went to bed on Monday night I said to Ian “I think something is going to happen tonight.” He asked if I was having contractions. “No,” I said, “but I just know.”
I was awoken shortly after 1am by a warm trickle between my legs. Oh great, I thought, I’ve wet myself. I snuck out of bed and crept to the bathroom where I soon realised that I hadn’t wet myself at all (hurrah!) and that actually my waters were leaking. I was 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant.
My Second Birth Story: Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)
The short story: Baby J was born on Tuesday 30th September at 15.35 weighing 6lb 14oz.
The long story: As I went to bed on Monday night I said to Ian “I think something is going to happen tonight.” He asked if I was having contractions. “No,” I said, “but I just know.”
I was awoken shortly after 1am by a warm trickle between my legs. Oh great, I thought, I’ve wet myself. I snuck out of bed and crept to the bathroom where I soon realised that I hadn’t wet myself at all (hurrah!) and that actually my waters were leaking. I was 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant.
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