AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!
And I'm not joking, as my mother-in-law thought. After this baby is born I need some kind of super-strength, fail-safe contraception because this will be my last baby!! Part of me wants to hide in a hole and just stay there. Daddy Bear can looks after Baby Bear, I shall pop out Beany and all will be well in the world. The reality? I'm going to have an 18 month old baby and a newborn. I have to run around after a toddler, pregnant. As melancholy as I sound, I am actually happy about it. I'm fine now the initial shock has worn off. I'm just really bloody tired - to the point I want to go back to sleep pretty much after Baby Bear has gone to bed.
I had my first antenatal appointment yesterday. My GP thought it was very amusing to see me back again so soon! He put me at 6+5, which I agree with, but gave me a due date of the 15th September, just to give a few days leeway apparently... Except I make my due date the 13th. Oh well, the scan will say for sure! I'm not a huge fan of Dr Arsehole anyway, I always get the feeling he doesn't entirely know what he's doing. Last pregnancy he tried to give me Trimethoprim in the first tri, and it was me who told him I wasn't allowed it. And when I went for my six week check I was telling him about Baby Bear vomiting, and he said 'So do you think it's reflux then?' Er, I was kind of hoping you'd tell me? Being a doctor and all...
The big difference between this pregnancy and the last though is I was wishign the last pregnancy away, just wanting my baby. This one I'm hoping slows down so I can enjoy my time with BB!! I still haven't had any morning sickness, just nausea and heartburn. My boobs are sore but not unbearable, and I'm exhausted all the time. Pretty much the same as last time.
Praying BB sleeps through the time soon!!!!!
xxx
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Monday, 28 November 2011
Christmas Shopping Attempt #1
What a palava!
Okay, so me and little one were up washed dressed and bags packed by 11am. Just so you know, this never happens. It takes a lot to make me get dressed before noon. Unless I have somewhere particularly important or interesting to be. But I was determined to get a bit of Christmas shopping done, other than the few odd bits I've got online.
Apparently BB had other ideas.
I walked into town, which takes half an hour, because BB had been grizzly all morning and I thought the pram might settle him. But it didn't. He moaned all the way there. As soon as I stepped into Matalan he was hysterical, sobbing and crying, real tears and everything. So I picked him up out of the pram and he seemed okay but still very withdrawn, and he was quite warm. So I put him back in the pram and walked to Boots, he screamed all the way there. Bought some teething powder, gave him a dose and sat down on a bench. I tried giving him a bottle, made him cry. Gave him a carrot puff, made him cry. So I decided it was easiest to take him home. Jumped on the bus, he was still crying. Got halfway home and he fell asleep...
Got home, and the sobbing started again, he settled after a dose of calpol and slept for two hours.
I think my little angel has some more teeth coming. Three months after the last two!!
Waiting for the next ones to pop through
xxx
Okay, so me and little one were up washed dressed and bags packed by 11am. Just so you know, this never happens. It takes a lot to make me get dressed before noon. Unless I have somewhere particularly important or interesting to be. But I was determined to get a bit of Christmas shopping done, other than the few odd bits I've got online.
Apparently BB had other ideas.
I walked into town, which takes half an hour, because BB had been grizzly all morning and I thought the pram might settle him. But it didn't. He moaned all the way there. As soon as I stepped into Matalan he was hysterical, sobbing and crying, real tears and everything. So I picked him up out of the pram and he seemed okay but still very withdrawn, and he was quite warm. So I put him back in the pram and walked to Boots, he screamed all the way there. Bought some teething powder, gave him a dose and sat down on a bench. I tried giving him a bottle, made him cry. Gave him a carrot puff, made him cry. So I decided it was easiest to take him home. Jumped on the bus, he was still crying. Got halfway home and he fell asleep...
Got home, and the sobbing started again, he settled after a dose of calpol and slept for two hours.
I think my little angel has some more teeth coming. Three months after the last two!!
Waiting for the next ones to pop through
xxx
Sunday, 27 November 2011
How could you be angry at this face?
I officially need eyes in the back of my head. My child was born with a radar that senses anything he is not allowed. I could put him in a padded room full of toys and he would find a way to hurt himself. In the past week, he has pulled a kitchen chair onto his face and gotten a black eye, been pushed over by another baby and gotten a nice egg on the back of his head, tried to walk between one piece of furniture and another, fallen and hit his nose on the corner and somehow (he was with his daddy and grandma and they have no idea) got a nasty cut on the back of his head.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a helmet for him soon.
He can pull himself up on anything (and I mean anything - my legs, the walls, kitchen cupboards) which means unless it's up really high, nothing is safe! He's changed settings on my Sky box, dribbled into the speaker on my iPhone, pulled all of my books off of the book shelf, all of the fake stones out of my fake fire, the list is endless. His nickname is Destructo-boy!
The other day, I left the room for two damn seconds and he'd destroyed my newspaper (and eaten chunks of it) and ripped up my post.
Desperately trying to hide anything valuable
xxx
I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a helmet for him soon.
He can pull himself up on anything (and I mean anything - my legs, the walls, kitchen cupboards) which means unless it's up really high, nothing is safe! He's changed settings on my Sky box, dribbled into the speaker on my iPhone, pulled all of my books off of the book shelf, all of the fake stones out of my fake fire, the list is endless. His nickname is Destructo-boy!
The other day, I left the room for two damn seconds and he'd destroyed my newspaper (and eaten chunks of it) and ripped up my post.
Desperately trying to hide anything valuable
xxx
Thursday, 10 November 2011
A Survival Guide for New Mummies
This is only in my experience - I am a first-time mummy but I got through those early days of non-stop feeding, changing and cuddles. Looking back, there's a lot of things I wish I'd tried earlier!
Firstly, accept help! You'll probably get every family member, friend and random stranger offering tips and help. If they offer to cook you dinner, eat it. I rarely got time to cook in the early days, and my mother in law filling my freezer with soups and stews was a godsend. If somebody says they'll help with the housework - let them! I always said no, I was coping... I wasn't. My house was a tip for months. If you do insist on doing it yourself, invest in a sling! In fact, get a sling anyway. If you've got a colicky or refluxy baby, a sling is perfect for keeping them close and letting them sleep whilst you can get on. If your mum or other half says 'do you want me to come round and sit with the baby whilst you sleep' DEAR GOD SAY YES! You're not being a bad mother by accepting help, or not being with your newborn every second, a bit of sleep, even half an hour, will make the rest of the day easier.
Don't beat yourself up! If you choose not to breastfeed, it's your choice. Don't let anybody, including yourself, make you feel bad for it. If you can't breastfeed, some people can't, or don't like it, or don't get on with it. It doesn't make you a bad mum. You love your baby, no matter what way you choose to feed. I gave Lucas a dummy after a week. I was so dead certain I would never give a dummy but he was comfort sucking and I wasn't getting any sleep, it saved my sanity. We all have these set ideas in our head, but try to just go with the flow. For weeks, I really felt guilty for stopping breastfeeding, but I just forced myself to think 'happy mummy, happy baby'.
I know everybody says it... BUT SLEEP WHEN BABY SLEEPS! Nobody cares if you haven't hoovered, or there's a bit of washing up. It can wait. You could have a long old night ahead of you, and when you're up for what seems the fiftieth time that night, you'll wish you'd napped earlier.
Eat well. Even if you're not breastfeeding. You've just given birth, your body is recovering from pregnancy, and you need the energy.
Establish visiting times. I wish I'd done this. I had constant visitors for weeks and it's exhausting. If you want your first day with your baby to be just you, your partner and your baby, tell everybody that. Tell them to ring or text before they come, and you can say no if your tired! Most people understand!
If your partner isn't helping enough, sit them down and tell them. Many nights I've woken to the crying baby, gotten up to change, feed and rock baby back to sleep and heard Daddy Bear snoring away happily, and wanted to punch him. The whole of the next day I'd be furious at him, not speak to him, and our relationship suffered. Talking really does help.
And lastly (for now), coping with crying... Not all people agree with me, I'm not pushing my opinions on anybody. But if you've fed, changed, cuddled, sang, rocked, wished and prayed and baby won't settle (providing he's not ill), and you find yourself getting aggravated (I promise you it happens to everybody) put the baby down in his cot, shut the door, and sit in another room for a few minutes. Have a cuppa, or whatever you need, and go back in when your calm. All you'll do if you carry on when your frustrated, is frustrate baby.
Anyway, that's all for now.
I promise it gets easier
xxx
Firstly, accept help! You'll probably get every family member, friend and random stranger offering tips and help. If they offer to cook you dinner, eat it. I rarely got time to cook in the early days, and my mother in law filling my freezer with soups and stews was a godsend. If somebody says they'll help with the housework - let them! I always said no, I was coping... I wasn't. My house was a tip for months. If you do insist on doing it yourself, invest in a sling! In fact, get a sling anyway. If you've got a colicky or refluxy baby, a sling is perfect for keeping them close and letting them sleep whilst you can get on. If your mum or other half says 'do you want me to come round and sit with the baby whilst you sleep' DEAR GOD SAY YES! You're not being a bad mother by accepting help, or not being with your newborn every second, a bit of sleep, even half an hour, will make the rest of the day easier.
Don't beat yourself up! If you choose not to breastfeed, it's your choice. Don't let anybody, including yourself, make you feel bad for it. If you can't breastfeed, some people can't, or don't like it, or don't get on with it. It doesn't make you a bad mum. You love your baby, no matter what way you choose to feed. I gave Lucas a dummy after a week. I was so dead certain I would never give a dummy but he was comfort sucking and I wasn't getting any sleep, it saved my sanity. We all have these set ideas in our head, but try to just go with the flow. For weeks, I really felt guilty for stopping breastfeeding, but I just forced myself to think 'happy mummy, happy baby'.
I know everybody says it... BUT SLEEP WHEN BABY SLEEPS! Nobody cares if you haven't hoovered, or there's a bit of washing up. It can wait. You could have a long old night ahead of you, and when you're up for what seems the fiftieth time that night, you'll wish you'd napped earlier.
Eat well. Even if you're not breastfeeding. You've just given birth, your body is recovering from pregnancy, and you need the energy.
Establish visiting times. I wish I'd done this. I had constant visitors for weeks and it's exhausting. If you want your first day with your baby to be just you, your partner and your baby, tell everybody that. Tell them to ring or text before they come, and you can say no if your tired! Most people understand!
If your partner isn't helping enough, sit them down and tell them. Many nights I've woken to the crying baby, gotten up to change, feed and rock baby back to sleep and heard Daddy Bear snoring away happily, and wanted to punch him. The whole of the next day I'd be furious at him, not speak to him, and our relationship suffered. Talking really does help.
And lastly (for now), coping with crying... Not all people agree with me, I'm not pushing my opinions on anybody. But if you've fed, changed, cuddled, sang, rocked, wished and prayed and baby won't settle (providing he's not ill), and you find yourself getting aggravated (I promise you it happens to everybody) put the baby down in his cot, shut the door, and sit in another room for a few minutes. Have a cuppa, or whatever you need, and go back in when your calm. All you'll do if you carry on when your frustrated, is frustrate baby.
Anyway, that's all for now.
I promise it gets easier
xxx
Monday, 31 October 2011
Happy Halloween!!
Okay, so I'll admit it - I'm nasty.
I saw hoards of vampires, monsters and witches coming towards my door... ran inside, turned off the lights and unplugged the door bell...
I was very unprepared for Halloween. I did not buy sweeties for the kiddies. I don't answer my door at the best of times, especially not to a six year old dressed as dracula high on E numbers.
I was rarely taken trick or treating. Mostly because I was not prepared to knock on doors and request sweeties. My brother was though, and I'd hide behind him and accept what was given to me. Even the odd old ladies that gave out things like cereal, pennies and toothpaste.
I did however dress up Baby Bear. He has been trussed up in a pumpkin outfit today, and was rather unimpressed. He kept trying to pull off the green leaves and poking at the eyes on his tummy!
Eager for Christmas so I can dress him in his Reindeer outfit!
xxx
I saw hoards of vampires, monsters and witches coming towards my door... ran inside, turned off the lights and unplugged the door bell...
I was very unprepared for Halloween. I did not buy sweeties for the kiddies. I don't answer my door at the best of times, especially not to a six year old dressed as dracula high on E numbers.
I was rarely taken trick or treating. Mostly because I was not prepared to knock on doors and request sweeties. My brother was though, and I'd hide behind him and accept what was given to me. Even the odd old ladies that gave out things like cereal, pennies and toothpaste.
I did however dress up Baby Bear. He has been trussed up in a pumpkin outfit today, and was rather unimpressed. He kept trying to pull off the green leaves and poking at the eyes on his tummy!
Eager for Christmas so I can dress him in his Reindeer outfit!
xxx
Saturday, 15 October 2011
I know, I've been slacking!!
I'm officially no longer a stay at home mummy!!
I went back to work, three days a week, ten hours a day. I've had a cluster feeding newborn, I thought I knew how long ten hours could feel...
Until I did a ten hour shift in a hospital on my feet after my baby woke up six times in the night, then having to get him ready and myself before his nana came to pick him up at 9 am, before going into work. Wow. A new level of tired, I'll tell ya! And fitting in making lunches for me and Daddy Bear, housework, food shopping, washing, making a week's worth of purees means 'tired' is my new favourite word.
But enough about me, I'm sure you want to hear about Baby Bear!!
He's amazing. He makes me laugh every day.
He's 6.5 months old.
Has two bottom teeth.
Crawls.
Pulls up to stand.
DOES NOT sleep through the night (and the next person who asks may get a punch on the nose)
Gives cuddles.
And generally lights up my day!
He has the biggest brown eyes, and I do worry about when he older, I really worry I'll never be able to say no to him...
Loving being a mummy
xxx
I went back to work, three days a week, ten hours a day. I've had a cluster feeding newborn, I thought I knew how long ten hours could feel...
Until I did a ten hour shift in a hospital on my feet after my baby woke up six times in the night, then having to get him ready and myself before his nana came to pick him up at 9 am, before going into work. Wow. A new level of tired, I'll tell ya! And fitting in making lunches for me and Daddy Bear, housework, food shopping, washing, making a week's worth of purees means 'tired' is my new favourite word.
But enough about me, I'm sure you want to hear about Baby Bear!!
He's amazing. He makes me laugh every day.
He's 6.5 months old.
Has two bottom teeth.
Crawls.
Pulls up to stand.
DOES NOT sleep through the night (and the next person who asks may get a punch on the nose)
Gives cuddles.
And generally lights up my day!
He has the biggest brown eyes, and I do worry about when he older, I really worry I'll never be able to say no to him...
Loving being a mummy
xxx
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Introducing Meat
So I've been making purees in preparation for my return to work, so family don't have to worry about feeding Baby Bear. At the minute he's still on fruit and veg purees, as well as finger food bits such as cucumber and rice cakes. He loves his food, and is a brilliant eater.
He's six months in just over a week, so I can bring meat and gluten into his diet. So I've been stocking up my freezer by pureeing basically what me and Daddy Bear eat. So far this week I've done him a pork and apple casserole, chicken and potato and a shepherd's pie with a root veg top (which I just taste tested, it's really nice!). I've been putting aside a small amount of meat and veg, as I'm a bugger for adding salt for my own food, and cooking him up his own little meals. I've actually really enjoyed doing it, I did wonder if it was too much hassle and I should just give him baby jars, but I like knowing what goes into his food, and it's really not that hard! I know it's not for everybody, but I'm going to try to keep it up!
We are still teething like a demon, today was especially hard as Daddy Bear wasn't home at dinner time, and I ended up having to cook my dinner, sort out BB and get him bathed and in bed by 6.30. It was hard, I'll tell you! I'm used to having DB either bath BB or help me with dinner. I can do it on my own, provided I can put BB down to play or stick him in his highchair with a few toys. But no. My suddenly clingy boy would not let me put him down without dissolving into tears... so I put him in his sling and did it all! Dinner was mediocre, and his bath was a little shorted than usual, but he had his bath and bottle and went straight to sleep. Thank god. He's still not taking a nap in the afternoon and it's making the evenings hell! I'm really hoping this is just down to his teeth...
If anybody wants the recipe's I use for purees let me know
xxx
He's six months in just over a week, so I can bring meat and gluten into his diet. So I've been stocking up my freezer by pureeing basically what me and Daddy Bear eat. So far this week I've done him a pork and apple casserole, chicken and potato and a shepherd's pie with a root veg top (which I just taste tested, it's really nice!). I've been putting aside a small amount of meat and veg, as I'm a bugger for adding salt for my own food, and cooking him up his own little meals. I've actually really enjoyed doing it, I did wonder if it was too much hassle and I should just give him baby jars, but I like knowing what goes into his food, and it's really not that hard! I know it's not for everybody, but I'm going to try to keep it up!
We are still teething like a demon, today was especially hard as Daddy Bear wasn't home at dinner time, and I ended up having to cook my dinner, sort out BB and get him bathed and in bed by 6.30. It was hard, I'll tell you! I'm used to having DB either bath BB or help me with dinner. I can do it on my own, provided I can put BB down to play or stick him in his highchair with a few toys. But no. My suddenly clingy boy would not let me put him down without dissolving into tears... so I put him in his sling and did it all! Dinner was mediocre, and his bath was a little shorted than usual, but he had his bath and bottle and went straight to sleep. Thank god. He's still not taking a nap in the afternoon and it's making the evenings hell! I'm really hoping this is just down to his teeth...
If anybody wants the recipe's I use for purees let me know
xxx
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