Baby J is six months old. He now weighs 18lb 8oz and is 70cm long.
This is one of my most favourite photos. J looks so content. We’d been for a walk to the park with Little N, J as usual fell asleep in the sling and so when I got home I transferred him onto the bed where he carried on napping. The sling is an Artipoppe Two Birds Ink ring sling. It’s beautiful, though sadly it’s not mine, it was just holidaying with us.
Last month J worked out how to roll from front to back, and yesterday he also learnt how to roll from back to front. Rolling back to front is the trickier of the two so I’m very proud of him, especially as N only ever rolled once as a baby! J is also starting to babble, saying “bababa” a lot. Very cute!
This month saw my first Mother’s Day as a mum of two. As you can see I was very spoilt, with breakfast in bed (carried upstairs by my toddler) and lots of little treats.
Also, it looks like we have officially begun weaning! The day before yesterday, J decided to try solid food for the first time. He often sits on my lap while I have lunch and for the last week or so he has taken food from my plate and just played with it. On Saturday, we were at a birthday party and J went mad trying to get my food, tipping my plate everywhere in the process.
I let him take a cucumber stick and this time he stuck it straight in his mouth and began to chew it. Part of me wanted to stop him and make him wait two more days until he was officially 6 months old, but the other part of me thought, “it’s not very baby-led if I’m stopping him!”
I have now finished my breastfeeding peer supporter training, all I have left to do is do a couple of assessments which are based on role-play (I hate role-play!) and send off my learning log. In a month or so, I should be ready to begin volunteering and helping other mums. I’m now also a confirmed milk donor. I’ve received the storage bottles and have done the blood tests and hope to have my first batch ready for collection soon.
My baby is half a year old already, where has that time gone!
Missed an update? Catch up with Baby J’s One Month, Two Month, Three Month, Four Month and Five Month updates, and read my birth stories here: The Emergency C-Section and The VBAC
Baby J is Six Months Old
Baby J is six months old. He now weighs 18lb 8oz and is 70cm long.
This is one of my most favourite photos. J looks so content. We’d been for a walk to the park with Little N, J as usual fell asleep in the sling and so when I got home I transferred him onto the bed where he carried on napping. The sling is an Artipoppe Two Birds Ink ring sling. It’s beautiful, though sadly it’s not mine, it was just holidaying with us.
Last month J worked out how to roll from front to back, and yesterday he also learnt how to roll from back to front. Rolling back to front is the trickier of the two so I’m very proud of him, especially as N only ever rolled once as a baby! J is also starting to babble, saying “bababa” a lot. Very cute!
This month saw my first Mother’s Day as a mum of two. As you can see I was very spoilt, with breakfast in bed (carried upstairs by my toddler) and lots of little treats.
Also, it looks like we have officially begun weaning! The day before yesterday, J decided to try solid food for the first time. He often sits on my lap while I have lunch and for the last week or so he has taken food from my plate and just played with it. On Saturday, we were at a birthday party and J went mad trying to get my food, tipping my plate everywhere in the process.
I let him take a cucumber stick and this time he stuck it straight in his mouth and began to chew it. Part of me wanted to stop him and make him wait two more days until he was officially 6 months old, but the other part of me thought, “it’s not very baby-led if I’m stopping him!”
I have now finished my breastfeeding peer supporter training, all I have left to do is do a couple of assessments which are based on role-play (I hate role-play!) and send off my learning log. In a month or so, I should be ready to begin volunteering and helping other mums. I’m now also a confirmed milk donor. I’ve received the storage bottles and have done the blood tests and hope to have my first batch ready for collection soon.
My baby is half a year old already, where has that time gone!
Missed an update? Catch up with Baby J’s One Month, Two Month, Three Month, Four Month and Five Month updates, and read my birth stories here: The Emergency C-Section and The VBAC
The latest addition to the boys’ collection of toys is the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy (£19.99). The puppy is a gorgeous, cuddly, soft baby learning toy that features Fisher-Price’s clever Smart Stages technology, which changes the learning content as your baby grows. Or in my case, can be changed depending on which of my two children is currently playing with it!
From 6 months the Smart Stages Puppy helps baby explore first words and sounds, from 12 months it prompts baby with simply questions and directions and from 18 months it encourages imaginative fun and role play.
The Puppy features over 50 different phrases, songs and tunes throughout the three levels which are activated by pressing the Puppy’s ears, paws, tummy or heart. The heart also lights up and twinkles along with the music which Baby J finds totally mesmerising to watch. It also does a heart beat sound and the heart flashes in time to it.
It’s really easy to switch between the three learning stages by gently pressing one of the Puppy’s paw. Little N has quickly worked out how to press the various body parts to make it speak, sing or play music and through each of the learning stages he is learning about letters, numbers, colours, body parts, animals and more.
The Puppy has lots of different songs, a mixture of familiar nursery rhymes and songs that are unique to the toy. They’re easy to learn and very, very catchy so I often embarrass myself by randomly singing one as I’m going about my day. The Puppy has two volumes levels - I have to admit, I have set it to the lowest one!
Little N’s current favourite is a little song about the movements that animals do. It encourages him to stomp like an elephant, hop like a kangaroo and swing like a monkey. He absolutely loves animals so he thinks it’s brilliant and jumps around joining in with the song. Very cute!
I love that the boys will learn so much through simply playing with this toy. N has been trying to use the Puppy to teach J body parts. For example, he presses the Puppy’s hand, then when the Puppy says “hand” he points to J’s hand. He is the sweetest big brother ever!
With all the colours, sounds, lights and textures the Puppy is a great baby learning toy and also helps to develop baby’s fine motor skills. The Smart Stages technology means that it never gets tiresome as there are so many things that the boys can do with it and, for Baby J especially, it’s a toy that will grow with them and last for many years to come.
Disclosure: I was sent the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.
REVIEW: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy
The latest addition to the boys’ collection of toys is the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy (£19.99). The puppy is a gorgeous, cuddly, soft baby learning toy that features Fisher-Price’s clever Smart Stages technology, which changes the learning content as your baby grows. Or in my case, can be changed depending on which of my two children is currently playing with it!
From 6 months the Smart Stages Puppy helps baby explore first words and sounds, from 12 months it prompts baby with simply questions and directions and from 18 months it encourages imaginative fun and role play.
The Puppy features over 50 different phrases, songs and tunes throughout the three levels which are activated by pressing the Puppy’s ears, paws, tummy or heart. The heart also lights up and twinkles along with the music which Baby J finds totally mesmerising to watch. It also does a heart beat sound and the heart flashes in time to it.
It’s really easy to switch between the three learning stages by gently pressing one of the Puppy’s paw. Little N has quickly worked out how to press the various body parts to make it speak, sing or play music and through each of the learning stages he is learning about letters, numbers, colours, body parts, animals and more.
The Puppy has lots of different songs, a mixture of familiar nursery rhymes and songs that are unique to the toy. They’re easy to learn and very, very catchy so I often embarrass myself by randomly singing one as I’m going about my day. The Puppy has two volumes levels - I have to admit, I have set it to the lowest one!
Little N’s current favourite is a little song about the movements that animals do. It encourages him to stomp like an elephant, hop like a kangaroo and swing like a monkey. He absolutely loves animals so he thinks it’s brilliant and jumps around joining in with the song. Very cute!
I love that the boys will learn so much through simply playing with this toy. N has been trying to use the Puppy to teach J body parts. For example, he presses the Puppy’s hand, then when the Puppy says “hand” he points to J’s hand. He is the sweetest big brother ever!
With all the colours, sounds, lights and textures the Puppy is a great baby learning toy and also helps to develop baby’s fine motor skills. The Smart Stages technology means that it never gets tiresome as there are so many things that the boys can do with it and, for Baby J especially, it’s a toy that will grow with them and last for many years to come.
Disclosure: I was sent the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.
These days when I’m baking or cooking, more often than not I’m using a recipe I’ve found online – hurrah for Pinterest! – which means I have to bring my phone, iPad or laptop into the kitchen. It’s great to have a wealth of recipes at my fingertips but I then have the issue of trying not to get the device mucky or sticky. This can be really tricky especially if I’m partway through a recipe and need to double-check something or am trying to convert the measurements from American to British. (A stick of butter? What does that even mean?!) Fortunately, I no longer need to try to use my elbows to type when my hands are covered in flour, thanks to the Logitech Keys-to-Go (£54.99).
Logitech Keys-to-Go is a standalone keyboard which is compatible with all iOS devices including all generations of iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. It’s available in three different colours (black, red and teal – I LOVE the look of the teal one) and it connects quickly and easily via Bluetooth wireless technology. The keyboard comes with a USB cable and once charged it has a three-month battery life which is pretty amazing. It has a battery check indicator light so I won’t be caught unawares by a dead battery. The keyboard has handy iOS shortcuts as well and it’s very comfortable to type on.
It’s so lightweight and really slim – 6mm! - making it super easy to take with me wherever I go. Ian often has to travel for work and he only takes his satchel so that he doesn’t have to check any luggage into the hold. He literally takes his iPad, his phone, his wallet and a change of clothes. This keyboard would be really convenient on those occasions when he needs to save space in his bag. It looks really stylish too!
The feature that I love the most though is the FabricSkin. The keys are covered in soft, durable, water-repellent FabricSkin which protects them from dirt, crumbs and spills. It can also be wiped clean. So it doesn’t matter if I’ve been chopping garlic or kneading dough, I can still use the Logitech Keys-to-Go to type when I need to and just wipe it down when I’m done. I don’t have to worry about getting it covered in flour as it can’t get trapped under the keys, and if I spill something, it’s fine!
Logitech Keys-to-Go is a must-have accessory if, like me, Pinterest is fast replacing the recipe books in your kitchen, or you like to type on the go! You can find out more or buy it here.
Disclosure: I was sent the keyboard to review, however all thoughts and opinion are my own.
REVIEW: Logitech Keys-to-Go for iPad
These days when I’m baking or cooking, more often than not I’m using a recipe I’ve found online – hurrah for Pinterest! – which means I have to bring my phone, iPad or laptop into the kitchen. It’s great to have a wealth of recipes at my fingertips but I then have the issue of trying not to get the device mucky or sticky. This can be really tricky especially if I’m partway through a recipe and need to double-check something or am trying to convert the measurements from American to British. (A stick of butter? What does that even mean?!) Fortunately, I no longer need to try to use my elbows to type when my hands are covered in flour, thanks to the Logitech Keys-to-Go (£54.99).
Logitech Keys-to-Go is a standalone keyboard which is compatible with all iOS devices including all generations of iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. It’s available in three different colours (black, red and teal – I LOVE the look of the teal one) and it connects quickly and easily via Bluetooth wireless technology. The keyboard comes with a USB cable and once charged it has a three-month battery life which is pretty amazing. It has a battery check indicator light so I won’t be caught unawares by a dead battery. The keyboard has handy iOS shortcuts as well and it’s very comfortable to type on.
It’s so lightweight and really slim – 6mm! - making it super easy to take with me wherever I go. Ian often has to travel for work and he only takes his satchel so that he doesn’t have to check any luggage into the hold. He literally takes his iPad, his phone, his wallet and a change of clothes. This keyboard would be really convenient on those occasions when he needs to save space in his bag. It looks really stylish too!
The feature that I love the most though is the FabricSkin. The keys are covered in soft, durable, water-repellent FabricSkin which protects them from dirt, crumbs and spills. It can also be wiped clean. So it doesn’t matter if I’ve been chopping garlic or kneading dough, I can still use the Logitech Keys-to-Go to type when I need to and just wipe it down when I’m done. I don’t have to worry about getting it covered in flour as it can’t get trapped under the keys, and if I spill something, it’s fine!
Logitech Keys-to-Go is a must-have accessory if, like me, Pinterest is fast replacing the recipe books in your kitchen, or you like to type on the go! You can find out more or buy it here.
Disclosure: I was sent the keyboard to review, however all thoughts and opinion are my own.
As a mother I am quite a worrier, and one of the things I used to worry about A LOT was making sure that my babies’ bath water and bedroom were at the right temperature. For a baby, the optimal room temperature is approximately 18˚C while the optimal temperature for baby’s bath is at body temperature, between 36.5˚C and 38˚C. I tried various little thermometers for the bath, such as ones with a strip that changed colour, but I was never confident that they were accurate. Poor Little N often had a slightly cooler bath as I always erred on the side of caution!
I’m much more relaxed second time around, but I still like to make sure that the temperatures are safe and comfortable for my boys. Thanks to the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer (£17.99) I can quickly and easily make sure that the bath water and the bedroom are at the optimal temperatures.
With a gentle tap this palm-sized device displays an accurate temperature within a few seconds and you can choose to display the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit (Celsius for us as I don’t understand Fahrenheit!). It comes with a little plastic stand so that it can be displayed in my baby’s bedroom and the sweet star-shaped design fits in so well in any nursery, especially in my son’s room which has a lot of nautical themed decorations – it looks like a little starfish!
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer floats on water so I can simply tap it to activate, drop it into the water where it will float and quickly show me the temperature of the bath water. If the bath water goes above 39˚C the thermometer has a red warning light so you can tell at a glance if it is too hot. The thermometer can also be played with as it’s BPA free and certified as a bath toy.
I really like how small and discreet this thermometer is and it would fit in really well in all styles of nursery. It’s really easy to move it from bedroom to bathroom and back again so you don’t need to have two different thermometers, although with the small size you could have one in the nursery and one in the bathroom if you wanted!
The thermometer only displays the temperature once it has been activated meaning the battery life is conserved. I’m sure I’m not the only mum that feels like I’m constantly buying new batteries for all the toys and gadgets we own! And as this thermometer can measure the temperature of both the bedroom and the bath water it is especially handy for parents who are limited on space, or simply don’t want lots of different gadgets.
This is a brilliant little device from a well-known and trusted brand, if you like the sound of The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer you can purchase it here.
For more information about Tommee Tippee take a look at their website, check out their Facebook page or follow on Twitter.
Disclosure: I was sent the thermometer to review, however all thoughts and opinion are my own.
REVIEW: Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer
As a mother I am quite a worrier, and one of the things I used to worry about A LOT was making sure that my babies’ bath water and bedroom were at the right temperature. For a baby, the optimal room temperature is approximately 18˚C while the optimal temperature for baby’s bath is at body temperature, between 36.5˚C and 38˚C. I tried various little thermometers for the bath, such as ones with a strip that changed colour, but I was never confident that they were accurate. Poor Little N often had a slightly cooler bath as I always erred on the side of caution!
I’m much more relaxed second time around, but I still like to make sure that the temperatures are safe and comfortable for my boys. Thanks to the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer (£17.99) I can quickly and easily make sure that the bath water and the bedroom are at the optimal temperatures.
With a gentle tap this palm-sized device displays an accurate temperature within a few seconds and you can choose to display the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit (Celsius for us as I don’t understand Fahrenheit!). It comes with a little plastic stand so that it can be displayed in my baby’s bedroom and the sweet star-shaped design fits in so well in any nursery, especially in my son’s room which has a lot of nautical themed decorations – it looks like a little starfish!
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer floats on water so I can simply tap it to activate, drop it into the water where it will float and quickly show me the temperature of the bath water. If the bath water goes above 39˚C the thermometer has a red warning light so you can tell at a glance if it is too hot. The thermometer can also be played with as it’s BPA free and certified as a bath toy.
I really like how small and discreet this thermometer is and it would fit in really well in all styles of nursery. It’s really easy to move it from bedroom to bathroom and back again so you don’t need to have two different thermometers, although with the small size you could have one in the nursery and one in the bathroom if you wanted!
The thermometer only displays the temperature once it has been activated meaning the battery life is conserved. I’m sure I’m not the only mum that feels like I’m constantly buying new batteries for all the toys and gadgets we own! And as this thermometer can measure the temperature of both the bedroom and the bath water it is especially handy for parents who are limited on space, or simply don’t want lots of different gadgets.
This is a brilliant little device from a well-known and trusted brand, if you like the sound of The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer you can purchase it here.
For more information about Tommee Tippee take a look at their website, check out their Facebook page or follow on Twitter.
Disclosure: I was sent the thermometer to review, however all thoughts and opinion are my own.
Birchbox teamed up with Habitat for their March edition to incentivise us to refresh things at home. The box is full of little treats to make you feel fabulous.
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara (3g) Last month I received an email from Birchbox offering me the chance to choose which of the three Benefit mascaras I wanted, of course I chose this one as it’s new and I have never tried it! The other choices were Bad Gal which I don’t like and They’re Real which I love, so I am excited to give this one a whirl and see how it rates.
Philip Kingsley Smooth Cream (20ml) I’m kicking myself for not updating my beauty profile as I recently had my hair chopped so Birchbox may have had another Philip Kingsley product that might suit my current hair better. I kind of feel that the Smooth Cream would have been great for my long hair but I’m not so sure it is going to be good for my hair now. I do love the Philip Kingsley range though so it certainly won’t go to waste!
Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salt (200g) These are 100% natural sea salts that can be used in the bath or massaged directly into the skin. Baths are a very rare luxury these days so these will make a great exfoliator in my daily shower instead.
Janjira Argan Oil Eye Cream I’m not sure how bit the sample is as the tube doesn’t say, at a guess it looks like it’s 5-10ml. It contains a nourishing blend of argan oil and shea butter to replenish the delicate eye area. Good timing as I am just about to finish my current eye cream!
Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris perfume The vial doesn't say how much it contains so I’d guess it’s about 2-5ml. It’s a really floral, fruity scent, not one I’d usually pick but I quite like it.
♥ Jotter ♥ I think this little pad is really sweet! It will be handy to have in my bag as I am forever scribbling notes on the back of receipts.
A Perfect Heritage by Penny Vincenzi (chapter sampler) I have read and enjoyed a few Penny Vincenzi novels over the years, they are very addictive so I am sure that once I have read this chapter I will be downloading the full book.
This month’s box is a real mixed bag, I think the Benefit mascara will be the favourite for many people. What do you think?
If you like the look of it and want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link: http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=674. You’ll get 50 Birchbox points, equivalent to £5! The box costs £10 per month plus p+p.
Let me know your thoughts!
Birchbox – March Beauty Box
Birchbox teamed up with Habitat for their March edition to incentivise us to refresh things at home. The box is full of little treats to make you feel fabulous.
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara (3g) Last month I received an email from Birchbox offering me the chance to choose which of the three Benefit mascaras I wanted, of course I chose this one as it’s new and I have never tried it! The other choices were Bad Gal which I don’t like and They’re Real which I love, so I am excited to give this one a whirl and see how it rates.
Philip Kingsley Smooth Cream (20ml) I’m kicking myself for not updating my beauty profile as I recently had my hair chopped so Birchbox may have had another Philip Kingsley product that might suit my current hair better. I kind of feel that the Smooth Cream would have been great for my long hair but I’m not so sure it is going to be good for my hair now. I do love the Philip Kingsley range though so it certainly won’t go to waste!
Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salt (200g) These are 100% natural sea salts that can be used in the bath or massaged directly into the skin. Baths are a very rare luxury these days so these will make a great exfoliator in my daily shower instead.
Janjira Argan Oil Eye Cream I’m not sure how bit the sample is as the tube doesn’t say, at a guess it looks like it’s 5-10ml. It contains a nourishing blend of argan oil and shea butter to replenish the delicate eye area. Good timing as I am just about to finish my current eye cream!
Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris perfume The vial doesn't say how much it contains so I’d guess it’s about 2-5ml. It’s a really floral, fruity scent, not one I’d usually pick but I quite like it.
♥ Jotter ♥ I think this little pad is really sweet! It will be handy to have in my bag as I am forever scribbling notes on the back of receipts.
A Perfect Heritage by Penny Vincenzi (chapter sampler) I have read and enjoyed a few Penny Vincenzi novels over the years, they are very addictive so I am sure that once I have read this chapter I will be downloading the full book.
This month’s box is a real mixed bag, I think the Benefit mascara will be the favourite for many people. What do you think?
If you like the look of it and want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link: http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=674. You’ll get 50 Birchbox points, equivalent to £5! The box costs £10 per month plus p+p.
Let me know your thoughts!
Here are six wonderful gift ideas for Mother’s Day, which for 2015 falls on Sunday 15th March. All of these can be ordered and delivered in time, so don’t panic if you have left it until the last minute, there is still plenty of time to order one of the lovely gifts below!
1. Accessorize Hibiscus Silk Scarf £12.00 A lightweight scarf is perfect for spring and this one would go with everything!
2. NOTHS Mother's Day Mug £12.75 I love this cheeky design, it’s the sort of thing Ian would buy for his mum.
3. NOTHS Personalised Key Ring £13.00 I adore keepsakes, this key ring is a lovely gift idea for any mum but especially for a new mum.
4. NOTHS Personalised Mini Russian Ring Necklace £52.00 These are absolutely stunning. The rings can be personalised with hand-stamping on one or all three of the rings.
5. Bloom & Wild Letterbox Flowers £22.00 Sending fresh flowers doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t matter if nobody is home as these flowers will fit through the letterbox.
6. Biscuiteers Make Up Case Giant Biscuit Card £20.00 I love biscuits, who doesn’t, and these ones are shaped like make-up! Love them!
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Here are six wonderful gift ideas for Mother’s Day, which for 2015 falls on Sunday 15th March. All of these can be ordered and delivered in time, so don’t panic if you have left it until the last minute, there is still plenty of time to order one of the lovely gifts below!
1. Accessorize Hibiscus Silk Scarf £12.00 A lightweight scarf is perfect for spring and this one would go with everything!
2. NOTHS Mother's Day Mug £12.75 I love this cheeky design, it’s the sort of thing Ian would buy for his mum.
3. NOTHS Personalised Key Ring £13.00 I adore keepsakes, this key ring is a lovely gift idea for any mum but especially for a new mum.
4. NOTHS Personalised Mini Russian Ring Necklace £52.00 These are absolutely stunning. The rings can be personalised with hand-stamping on one or all three of the rings.
5. Bloom & Wild Letterbox Flowers £22.00 Sending fresh flowers doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t matter if nobody is home as these flowers will fit through the letterbox.
6. Biscuiteers Make Up Case Giant Biscuit Card £20.00 I love biscuits, who doesn’t, and these ones are shaped like make-up! Love them!
Back in January, I set myself some goals for the year, small things that I could do here and there to put a smile on my family’s faces, as well as my own.
Bake
I only managed to bake once last month! I made a piñata cake for my stepson’s birthday. A pinata cake is one that has things hidden inside like sweets or chocolates. Mine had 3 layers of vanilla sponge, vanilla buttercream frosting, and sweets AND chocolates hidden inside. This month I want to make cheesecake brownies, I saw a recipe on A Mummy Too’s ‘recipe of the week’ post a few weeks ago and they looked amazing.
Crochet
I finally finished Baby J’s star blanket. I’d started it the week before he was due and then he arrived early, so I’d been doing a bit here and there whenever I had 5 minutes to spare. Which, with a newborn and a toddler, wasn’t often. I’ve also finished a little grey sparkly snood for my stepdaughter. I used to buy Let’s Get Crafting, a knit and crochet magazine, and have loads of the free kits still to make so this month I want to work through at least one of them.
Life Laundry
I have sorted and bagged Baby J’s newborn and 0-3 months sized clothes, I’ve even sold a few of them. I want to keep some outfits for his memory box and maybe attempt a memory quilt if I ever find the time to learn how to use my sewing machine. The moses basket – barely used, total waste of money! – has been sold on to a friend so that freed up some space. My plan for this month is to sort through my cloth nappy stash as I’ve fallen out with a few of my all-in-one nappies so want to sell some to fund some more two-parters instead.
More Manis
I am failing miserably at this one. The black and rose gold gel nails are gone and I haven’t even had time to apply regular nail polish since. I am trying to be good at remembering to apply hand cream, but each day is so manic and busy that I often forget until I look down and realise that my hands are resembling Ryvitas because they’re so dry. Must, Try. Harder.
Quality Time
This one isn’t going that well either. Ian has either been away with work, had a hangover, or been to the pub to watch football, so we haven’t had the family time that I had hoped for on Sundays. So for the last few Saturdays I have been making something different for lunch instead of the usual bog standard sandwiches. So far I have made bruschetta al pomodoro, pain perdu and mozzarella in carrozza. Little N and I have been enjoying crafts at home though, he has been painting canvasses, doing lots of gluing and sticking and made a spider out of card and pipe cleaners!
Goals for 2015 – Update #1
Back in January, I set myself some goals for the year, small things that I could do here and there to put a smile on my family’s faces, as well as my own.
Bake
I only managed to bake once last month! I made a piñata cake for my stepson’s birthday. A pinata cake is one that has things hidden inside like sweets or chocolates. Mine had 3 layers of vanilla sponge, vanilla buttercream frosting, and sweets AND chocolates hidden inside. This month I want to make cheesecake brownies, I saw a recipe on A Mummy Too’s ‘recipe of the week’ post a few weeks ago and they looked amazing.
Crochet
I finally finished Baby J’s star blanket. I’d started it the week before he was due and then he arrived early, so I’d been doing a bit here and there whenever I had 5 minutes to spare. Which, with a newborn and a toddler, wasn’t often. I’ve also finished a little grey sparkly snood for my stepdaughter. I used to buy Let’s Get Crafting, a knit and crochet magazine, and have loads of the free kits still to make so this month I want to work through at least one of them.
Life Laundry
I have sorted and bagged Baby J’s newborn and 0-3 months sized clothes, I’ve even sold a few of them. I want to keep some outfits for his memory box and maybe attempt a memory quilt if I ever find the time to learn how to use my sewing machine. The moses basket – barely used, total waste of money! – has been sold on to a friend so that freed up some space. My plan for this month is to sort through my cloth nappy stash as I’ve fallen out with a few of my all-in-one nappies so want to sell some to fund some more two-parters instead.
More Manis
I am failing miserably at this one. The black and rose gold gel nails are gone and I haven’t even had time to apply regular nail polish since. I am trying to be good at remembering to apply hand cream, but each day is so manic and busy that I often forget until I look down and realise that my hands are resembling Ryvitas because they’re so dry. Must, Try. Harder.
Quality Time
This one isn’t going that well either. Ian has either been away with work, had a hangover, or been to the pub to watch football, so we haven’t had the family time that I had hoped for on Sundays. So for the last few Saturdays I have been making something different for lunch instead of the usual bog standard sandwiches. So far I have made bruschetta al pomodoro, pain perdu and mozzarella in carrozza. Little N and I have been enjoying crafts at home though, he has been painting canvasses, doing lots of gluing and sticking and made a spider out of card and pipe cleaners!
When I was pregnant with my first son, I bought lovely, thick, fluffy pram suits to keep him warm. After all, he was due in November and it would be really cold. When he was a few months old, I realised that what I was doing was really unsafe. REALLY unsafe. The thickness of the pram suit meant that his car seat straps were not snug against his body, and if we’d had an accident, he would have been thrown forward an inch or two in his car seat. It might not sound like much, but that can do a lot of damage especially to babies and children.
REVIEW: Cocoon Babies Car Seat Blanket
When I was pregnant with my first son, I bought lovely, thick, fluffy pram suits to keep him warm. After all, he was due in November and it would be really cold. When he was a few months old, I realised that what I was doing was really unsafe. REALLY unsafe. The thickness of the pram suit meant that his car seat straps were not snug against his body, and if we’d had an accident, he would have been thrown forward an inch or two in his car seat. It might not sound like much, but that can do a lot of damage especially to babies and children.
Baby J is five months old. He now weighs 17lb 8oz and is 68cm long.
Unsurprisingly, J is wearing some of his 6-9 month outfits now. He is growing so quickly! I am seriously considering getting a job at Next because of the amount of money I spend there on clothes for my children!
J has learnt a few new things this month. He loves to spend time playing on his tummy and he has learnt how to roll from front to back. He has discovered his feet and likes to pull them right up and into his mouth. I totally forgot how flexible little babies are!
Another new thing J has discovered is his voice, so we get lots of screeches and squeals which are really cute, however it’s not so cute at 4am! J usually wakes for a feed around 3.30am and normally he falls straight back to sleep, but recently he has been wide awake for a good hour after his feed. It is thoroughly exhausting!
We’ve been doing quite a bit of babywearing and I have mastered back carries using a woven wrap. I never got the hand of back carries with N, so I was really pleased to have figured it out. It makes doing the housework a lot easier when J is unsettled, and he always falls asleep.
Poor J had a bit of an eye infection this month which made me feel sad. The doctor said he has seen lots of children with conjunctivitis recently so it has probably be caught when we’ve been to toddler groups with Little N. Eye drops helped a lot though, and amazingly so did putting a few drops of breastmilk in his eyes, a tip that my midwife had told me when J was a newborn.
Speaking of breastmilk, I’ve contacted a milk bank in London about becoming a milk donor. I’m also only a few weeks away from finishing the breastfeeding peer supporter training which is exciting but also slightly terrifying that soon I will be putting everything I’ve learnt into practise!
Missed an update? Catch up with Baby J’s One Month, Two Month, Three Month and Four Month updates, and read my birth stories here: The Emergency C-Section and The VBAC
Baby J is Five Months Old
Baby J is five months old. He now weighs 17lb 8oz and is 68cm long.
Unsurprisingly, J is wearing some of his 6-9 month outfits now. He is growing so quickly! I am seriously considering getting a job at Next because of the amount of money I spend there on clothes for my children!
J has learnt a few new things this month. He loves to spend time playing on his tummy and he has learnt how to roll from front to back. He has discovered his feet and likes to pull them right up and into his mouth. I totally forgot how flexible little babies are!
Another new thing J has discovered is his voice, so we get lots of screeches and squeals which are really cute, however it’s not so cute at 4am! J usually wakes for a feed around 3.30am and normally he falls straight back to sleep, but recently he has been wide awake for a good hour after his feed. It is thoroughly exhausting!
We’ve been doing quite a bit of babywearing and I have mastered back carries using a woven wrap. I never got the hand of back carries with N, so I was really pleased to have figured it out. It makes doing the housework a lot easier when J is unsettled, and he always falls asleep.
Poor J had a bit of an eye infection this month which made me feel sad. The doctor said he has seen lots of children with conjunctivitis recently so it has probably be caught when we’ve been to toddler groups with Little N. Eye drops helped a lot though, and amazingly so did putting a few drops of breastmilk in his eyes, a tip that my midwife had told me when J was a newborn.
Speaking of breastmilk, I’ve contacted a milk bank in London about becoming a milk donor. I’m also only a few weeks away from finishing the breastfeeding peer supporter training which is exciting but also slightly terrifying that soon I will be putting everything I’ve learnt into practise!
Missed an update? Catch up with Baby J’s One Month, Two Month, Three Month and Four Month updates, and read my birth stories here: The Emergency C-Section and The VBAC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
