Ooh Baby - All things Cuteable

One Born - My Birthing Story & Netmums

2012-01-26T06:22:00.000Z

Wondering what else I've been up to? Well, as a PND diversion tactic, and also because it means so much to me, when our previous Chairmum of our local Netmums Meet-up group stepped down, myself, along with 2 of my good friends that I met at the group decided to take over the running of the group as the Chairmum and Right-Handmums.

I can't tell you how much my local Netmums Group helped me when I was so bad with PND. I have met some lovely, inspiring people and made some hopefully life long friendships, but it's not just about that. It's about supporting each other, and being there for others who are experiencing the same feelings you are. You can read my first blog about PND here.

Anyway, I'm jumping on C4's One Born Every Minute bandwagon and re-posting my birthing story for Netmums, which you can also read on Maternity Matters website.

If you decide to read my story, please make sure you read the comments from Lorraine Berry, as I wouldn't want to scare anyone regarding the ARM procedure or anyone who has had colposcopy treatment. Maya's head was no where near engaged, and my colposcopy treatment was over 12 years, so I have quite severe scarring - don't really understand how I fell pregnant in the first place!

Here it is:

Hospitals to me can be terrifying places, yet now I feel strangely comforted when I spend time in one – as long as I’m not the patient.

I spent most of my childhood and young adult life in various hospitals visiting my mum, who had an auto-immune disease and I will always be truly grateful to the NHS doctors and nurses who over the years treated my mum with compassion, dignity, and saved her life on many occasions. Unfortunately for me, the treatment my mum received leading up to her death- including a lack of basic care or pain relief; completely ignoring my pleas to call for a doctor when my mum was screaming in pain; not respecting the fact that I was her carer and that I knew my mum’s medical condition inside out; a lack of communication and consultation with me from the doctors to then being told in a corridor with other families passing by that my mum was dying. This left me completely traumatised, with a raw, gaping, angry wound in my heart, full of distrust for our NHS.

I was diagnosed with depression from the age of 15. When my mum died, my whole world fell apart and I think part of me died too. A few years later I had a nervous breakdown and it took me three long years of various counselling to get my life back together – it’s still an on-going battle.

When I discovered I was pregnant I was delighted but terrified at the same time. I did what I’m sure millions of other expectant mums did, skipped the “giving birth” part in my book and went straight to “coming home”. I spoke at length with my Community Midwife about my fears about going into hospital, my fears about Maya developing Lupus, my fears that giving birth would trigger the disease in me, and my worries about still being on anti-depressants and the possible side effects that Maya could suffer. I managed to cut down to one tablet a day, which, for me was monumental. At the beginning of my pregnancy, it was decided by a registrar that I should be Community Midwife led, and not Consultant lead (this would have been with the Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maternity Liaison clinic). Straight away I thought that this was a huge mistake – but who am I to argue? How can a registrar that you talk to for five minutes decide something so fundamentally important, and be allowed make such a mistake?

My midwife explained the importance of having a birthing plan, especially since my “issues” as she put it, were quite complex. My birthing plan turned into my voice, as sometimes I felt like I was wasting the midwife’s time with my “complex” fears. Everything I feared was detailed in my plan. It was so important to me that everyone dealing with me at the Maternity Unit was aware of my background and mental health problems – I think I was actually terrified that I would have some kind of mental breakdown because I was the patient. The most important part of my plan was to be kept informed and be consulted at all times before any intervention. I had planned to go to the Midwifery Lead Unit and use a birthing pool. This unit was very non-medical and non-threatening, perfect for someone with all my hospital phobias. After seeing the unit at our local maternity, some of my fears were put to rest and I felt ok about going there. Also detailed in my plan were the details of previous medical treatment for pre-cancerous cells.

My waters broke at 38 weeks. This meant I would be admitted to the Medical Unit. I literally wanted to run away; I was really scared and I remember phoning my dad to say goodbye. I honestly had an overwhelming feeling that I wouldn’t be coming out alive. I even considered writing my husband a last letter for him to find when he got home. Our first midwife was wonderful. We went over my birthing plan in detail and she assured me that at handover the next midwife would be aware of my anxieties. I was put on a drip, as I wasn’t having any contractions, and this was the first flashback for me. The smell of the adhesive used to hold the needle in place started to freak me out, it reminded me of when my mum was in ITU for 7 weeks, and I hadn’t smelt that smell for years. It opened up very painful memories for me and I could feel myself starting to freak out. I felt like an idiot, I wanted to cry my heart out. I did tell the midwife and she was very understanding. Then I remember saying to my husband “Oh isn’t that nice, you can hear the babies being born”.

I was so naive, and when we realised it was a woman in the next room at the end stage of labour, I really started to get frightened.

I was painfully examined and scanned over the course of the next five hours by a few different people, and eventually it was decided that my waters had partially broken. I didn’t understand, as there had been so much water I couldn’t believe there was more to come. The consultant was called in, as I was only 2cm dilated, with poor contractions. Up until this point we had been kept well informed, and everything had been discussed with us, exactly as I had detailed in my BP. The consultant examined me, and I have never experienced pain like it in my life. I had to use gas and air. I was gripping onto the bed, shaking after it. She then proceeded to say that they would have to break my bottom waters in theatre, someone would have to hold Maya tightly so that she didn’t move in case the cord prolapsed; it was too dangerous to do it where I was in case I needed an emergency section there and then, as the baby could be in shock. Meanwhile it was decided that they would turn the drip up to see if I would contract further within the next hour. To try and explain to you how terrified I felt at this point is impossible. I don’t really remember what happened next but I know I was crying and my husband and the midwife were trying to calm me down.

The consultant came back in a short time later and asked to examine me again. I remember thinking, oh god, please don’t hurt me, and I had already said to my husband that I didn’t want her coming anywhere near me. Again, I had to use gas and air; the pain was even worse than before. I remember trying not to panic, but when I saw the look on my husbands face, it made me panic more. Then I felt a huge gush, and the consultant stepped back, completely ignored my husband and myself and turned to the midwife and instructed her to turn the drip up to the maximum dose. Then she left the room. I was still gripping onto the bed in shock, and my husband was saying to me, “it’s ok, it’s over now – you can let go of the bed”. When I looked at him he looked as shocked as I was. We asked the midwife what had happened, and she said the Consultant had decided to break my waters there and then. My husband and I were horrified, and I asked what had changed. The consultant had said the procedure had to be performed in theatre because it was too dangerous. She hadn’t even discussed with us what she was about to do, how I felt about it or, more importantly, asked my permission. The consultant completely ignored us, and my birthing plan. I cannot tell you how humiliated, powerless and violated I felt. She had taken away my right to have a voice, the very thing that scared me the most about being in hospital. Her manner was brisk, uncaring and unsympathetic towards my feelings and wishes. I was frightened that something was wrong with Maya because the consultant had said it was dangerous to perform the procedure outside theatre.

After a while the contractions changed and I immediately knew something wasn’t right, that impending doom feeling was getting worse. The midwife kept saying that Maya was beginning to be distressed and she wasn’t happy with the way things were progressing. The contractions didn’t feel right to me and Maya’s heart rate was starting to slow down quite dramatically. She took the decision to stop the drip immediately and call the doctor in. By this time I didn’t want anyone coming anywhere near me again and performing another internal. I was crying and I said to my husband and midwife that I was starting to hyperventilate and mentally I couldn’t take anymore. I was literally hanging on by an eyelash, and completely petrified. The midwife told me not to worry, that she would deal with it and insist that I should be having a section. She explained to the registrar how terrified I was and that she had some major concerns about my mental health and well-being, and the health of our unborn baby. By this time, I had been there for 18 hours and was still 2cm dilated. A new registrar came in a while later and asked if he could examine me and would try his best to be very gentle. He confirmed I was still only 2cm dilated and then started to ask me questions about the pre-cancerous treatment that was detailed in my birthing plan. Nobody else had asked me any questions so I thought this was quite strange. He then told me that he would have to check with the Senior Consultant, but he thought that I would never dilate past 2cm because of the cone biopsy and laser treatment I had at that time.

20 minutes later, I was in theatre having an emergency section to get Maya out as she was distressed, I was distressed and my husband was distressed. We had asked questions right from the start of my pregnancy about the fact that I had treatment for pre-cancerous cells and would this affect my ability to dilate – we were told no.

Although the midwives that were with us every second throughout this time did their best to fight for my rights and wishes, the Consultant was completely ignorant to their observations. The Consultant showed a blatant disregard for my birthing plan, my mental health and my wellbeing. I should have been booked in for a c-section right from the start, and I could have been spared what was an extremely distressing event for me. If someone had just paid a little bit of attention to my birthing plan at the start and picked up on the fact that I had treatment for pre-cancerous cells…

I now have post-natal depression, and I do think that the events of those two days are among others, contributing factors. I only asked for a few simple things in my birthing plan – to be treated with respect and dignity, and to be consulted and kept informed.

These were the very things taken away from me by a consultant.

I have to stress that everyone else at the hospital in question, including the three midwives and especially the theatre team, were fantastic; they followed my wishes to the letter and with respect. The registrar who took the time to read my birthing plan performed my caesarean section with a very amusing running commentary and delivered our beautiful baby girl with healthy Apgar scores.

I have researched what I will call the inappropriate management of Maya’s birth and found out that artificial rupture of the membranes should only take place in a theatre setting when a woman is dilated 5cm or more. There is also plenty of research out there to say that colposcopy treatment has a profound effect on women being able to dilate.

So, you have to ask the following questions:

If I can find this information on the Internet, why was my consultant not aware of this research?

What gave her the right to decide to perform a dangerous procedure out-with a theatre setting, and not even consult me about it or ask my permission?

What is the point of filling out a birthing plan if the very people that make all the decisions can’t be bothered to read it, are too busy or just don’t care?

Lynne x

My Pregnancy Diary (18 to 26 weeks) - how did that happen, where did it go?

2012-01-24T23:10:00.000Z

Well, I'm now 27 weeks this Sunday (2nd pregnancy as you already know).

What has happened during the last 2 months? I have no idea, apart from I have pelvic pain like nothing on earth and I'm really struggling with PND worries, but, on the up side - I can eat again and the awful headaches have gone!

Little man - yes, it's definately a boy, is a busy little bee. Very active little man most of the day and also from about 10pm until about 5am - bloody hell, exactly what that means I'm trying not to think about! I stopped sleeping properly weeks ago now, and I fear this will be the prep for many a sleepless night.

I feel so tired, much more tired than last time with MG, but, I try to tell myself it's to be expected. Lets face it I'm not exactly a spring chicken anymore and running about after a nearly two year old and being pregnant is bloody hard work. No wee naps like with first pregnancy - no time! Rest as much as you can they say - who are you trying to kid? I had three weeks off work over Christmas, and I felt so tired it passed in the blink of an eye. My first week back at work was awful - I was just about falling asleep driving before I got to work!

I don't think I would feel so bad if it wasn't for this dementing pelvic pain that I am experiencing. Wrestling with a sometimes angry toddler, getting her in the car, and then in the pram feels like a days work at the moment and that's first thing in the morning! After that, to be honest, my back is shot to shit, with the pain/grinding getting worse as the day goes on - want to know what it feels like? Like someone has kicked me full force right up the arse and then is continually stamping all over my lower pelvis - nice!

PND worries - well, lets not go there at the moment. That is why I haven't been posting here. Not ready to talk about that yet. Lets just say I have an appointment with a pre-natal psychiatrist on Monday next week and we will leave it at that for the moment!

Brighter thoughts!

Well, I really can't wait to see what little man looks like, in fact, I'm absolutely bursting to know. I have a strong vision that he will have jet black hair and olive skin and look like me! I was right about little man being a boy, therefore, I'm going to trust my instincts.

We have just had the little mans room decorated with beautiful wallpaper with little fire engines, cars and lorries. I found myself standing in the room the other night looking in awe at it, thinking, wow - is this really happening - we're having a boy!

My good friend Gemma is also pregnant which is just lovely. She is 4 weeks behind me and expecting a little girl. We are going to have a clothes swap shower, as her first baby F, is MG's best pal (Mr Bic Bic!).

I'm sure my work won't mind me saying that there are about 13 of us pregnant just now, and that's only at one location - wouldn't you love to work in our HR department! Surely that must be a record in the workplace?

MG loves rubbing my tummy now and saying rub a dub dub. What this means I'm not entirely sure - I am translating it to say "Mummy, I'm now happy at the idea of a little brother invading my space" or is it "Mummy - your belly is HUGE, and I still hate that book you bought me!"???????

Introducing Miss MG, the all singing, dancing, all talking little lady

Well, what can I say about how much MG has changed over the last 8 weeks. She is a marvel to me. How did I, sorry we, produce such an astonishing, confident daughter? I have no bloody idea! She never stops chatting, singing or dancing. Her speech is coming on a treat, here are some of her favourite words at the moment:

Door - pronounced as dowa!

Fairy - pronounced as fareee (Tinkerbell)

Mister Tumble - pronounced as Mesta umble

Tortoise - pronounced as I kid you not - tortoise!

Finley - pronounced as Bic Bic or Feeney

Charlotte - pronounced as chalot (from Charlottes Web)

Right then - pronounced as right then

Scarlett - pronounced as Scalet

Here she is at Christmas - all grown up!

And here she is testing out her XFactor audition, singing Baa baa black sheep!

So, that's the last 8 or so weeks. How fast will the next 8 go?

Lynne x

The Blogging Pledge

2011-11-24T22:02:00.011Z

I would just like to say hurrah to these two ladies, who say it how it is:

emjayandme - for starting this pledge.

and

atleastdaddycancook - a lovely, talented writer, that I met through our local Netmums group, who has recently started blogging and it is FAB!

I applaud you both and join the following pledge:

AS A KIND-HEARTED BLOGGER I PLEDGE TO:

create, inspire, and admire rather than compete with fellow bloggers
be understanding of each other -- in the blogging community, as well as in the world
stay away from internet/blogging bullying
speak my opinion freely, while still being mindful of other's feelings-- be tactful
make an effort--no matter how big or small the gesture, to spread kindness or joy to others
acknowledge that I will make mistakes, (I am only human) but remember to learn from them

Have I been outspoken? Know what, I don't give a damn. I stopped blogging for 4 months because I really couldn't cope with all the nasty bloggers out there. So, what did I do - I stopped following them on my reader and twitter and removed myself from feeling vulnerable and paranoid.

But, this is what I have just said to my friend on my return to blogging:

Remember, your blog is for you, and there are plenty of lovely bloggers out there. But some will ignore your very existence, some will leave lovely touching comments, some will touch your heart, and some will make you want to punch them for their ignorance. You will sieve out the good from the bad.

Ladies/Gents - lovely bloggers - you all know who you are.

And so say all of us!

Join the pledge over at emjayandme

Lynne x

My Pregnancy Diary - Up to week 17

2011-11-24T21:25:00.000Z

The wonder of you?

I feel so very different this time. I knew that you were a boy straight away, but nobody quite believes me. Its a mothers intuition, and I trust my instincts. We were so shocked when we found out about you, but that doesn't make us love you any less.

We never told a soul (apart from Nona, Silly Grandpa, Granny and Grandpa T and Nic and Ro Ro), and we all went on holiday trying to get our heads round the fact that there was going to be another baby in the family.

When Mummy & Daddy came back from holiday, we went along for our Nuchal Scan, and there you were! Real as could be, bouncing about and having fun. An almost identical scan picture to your big sister, which we think is amazing! You were 12 weeks and 5 days, and the Consultant reassured us that there was only one of you.

After this scan, mummy and daddy went out and bought a new double buggy and furniture for your nursery (which was daddy's new office for all of 8 weeks!), because we were so happy.

Mummy hasn't been keeping that well, lots of bad headaches, not able to eat properly, feeling sick, (this is why mummy knows you are a boy) very very tired and then a bad chest infection. It's definately not been an easy 17 weeks, but mummy is hoping that you are settling down and are getting comfy in her tummy.

You seem a lot heavier at this stage that your big sister was, and I've been feeling you move about for at least the last 6 weeks, which is pretty amazing.

We were a bit late going for our 12 week NHS booking scan, we were scanned at 16 weeks and 5 days. Here you are, everything looking perfect, which was a huge relief for mummy and daddy - we also asked if they could tell what sex you were, and mummy and the sonographer definately glimpsed a wee boy winkle! Daddy doesn't want to believe its true until our 20 week scan.

Mummy was quite nervous about this appointment, as this was the one where it was to be decided how you would be born (you can read about why I was so scared here on the Maternity Matters website or here on my blog) but I was determined not to budge one inch on my decision and was ready to put up a fight!

To my surprise, I was already on a red pathway which means that we will be consultant led - phew! (you can read about the main reason why here) and although they tried to reassure mummy that you could possibly be born naturally, we did not want to take the risk that something would go wrong. So, we are having an elective section. Huge sign of relief!

Your big sister Maya is coming round to the thought of having someone else encroach on her territory. She likes to wave at you through mummy's tummy, poke you and say hello in the morning when she is in the big bed with mummy and daddy. We have bought her a wee book called "Now we have a Baby" written by Lois Rock, but we don't think she likes it very much at the moment as she cries and throws it on the floor when we try to read it to her!

In the next couple of weeks mummy and daddy will be taking you for a very important scan, the anomaly scan, so we will report back after they confirm once and for all that you are definately a wee boy. Mummy knows you are and mummy loves you very much!

What will we call you?

Lots of love and cuddles

Mummy, Daddy and Maya

xxx

Our Portraiture Session with Roddy MacKay

2011-11-24T17:46:00.000Z

Photo Delights

We met Roddy MacKay at the SECC Baby show in Glasgow as mentioned in this previous post, and I'm delighted to say we have became friends. He really is such a lovely, talented photographer and gives such attention to detail.

In August, we booked a photo session with Roddy, and here are some of the beautiful photo's of our gorgeous wee girl:

If anyone is interested in having a portraiture session with Roddy, he is offering the following special offers at the moment - and on top of that, any bookings stating my blog name will receive a further 10% off.

The portrait sessions would definately make a great Christmas present for Grans and Grandads, and I know how much I struggle with ideas every year for them :

If you would like any more details, please feel free to contact me.

Lynne x

A New Beginning

2011-11-11T21:49:00.000Z

Well, hello everyone, it's lovely to be back at last.

Where have I been? Hell knows! It's been a bit like this:

Holiday in Lake District with great friends........

Wonderful holiday in Majorca with family........

A house move.........

Our beloved boxer, Honey Bee died........

and finally........Baby No. 2 on the way!

So, all this has happened in what seems like a long, long time. In actual fact, this has all happened since the beginning of August. No wonder our heads are spinning and I've not had the time nor inclination to blog.

So - I've re-vamped the blog, out with the old and in with the new as they say! What do you think? Please let me know.

I'm starting afresh from this moment on, using my blog to diary my No.2 pregnancy from here on in, every thought and feeling that I have......are you ready for this, I hope so?

Lynne x

Show & Tell - August - "Inspiration" & Show Off Your Shot

2011-08-07T21:07:00.002+01:00

Show-and-Tell-Challenge August - Whatever.

For this months Show and Tell photography challenge the subject is "whatever" therefore "inspiration" is my chosen subject.

Chelsey, from Paper, Heart, Camera is off to the Blogher conference, so this month S & T will be hosted by Audrey, over at the The Daily Wyatt, another fantastic photographer I have stumbled upon lately.

Nobody inspires me more than my beautiful daughter. Every time I look at her my heart melts, she makes everything ok, she makes me laugh, she inspires me to keep taking better photo's, she inspires me to beat post natal depression and makes me feel so lucky and privileged that I have a healthy child in this world.

This is my "Inspiration" - My Daughter

Paper Heart Camera

I'm also entering this shot into the lovely Rachel's And then She Snapped weekly Show Off Your Shot linky (head over for a look at the other entries). All these wonderful photography bloggers! I could be here all day looking at these blogs.

Silent Sunday

2011-08-07T20:26:00.000+01:00

Silent Sunday - 7/8/11

Hop over to mochabeaniemummy to see the other entries for this week.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-07-10T21:15:00.000+01:00

Shadow Shot Sunday

Why not pop over to the lovely Hey Harriet to see more fab pictures from last weeks SSS

Lynne x

Silent Sunday

2011-07-10T20:33:00.000+01:00

Silent Sunday

Bounty - Flash Sale Baby Bargains

2011-07-07T15:37:00.000+01:00

BOUNTIFUL BABY BARGAINS

WITH BOUNTY.COM’s FIRST EVER FLASH SALE

Yummy Mummies and Dishy Daddies will want to be first in the queue at 10am on Monday 11th July when www.bounty.com launch their first ever flash sale, offering at least 75% off RRP on baby essentials like pushchairs, highchairs and car seats exclusively for Bounty members.

Running for five days, the site will feature a different product each day at 10am at an extra special Bounty Offer price which will be revealed on http://www.bounty.com/bountyoffers along with a promotion code. The first great product on offer is a Kiddicare Imax Adapt Pushchair (RRP £300) at the amazing price of £75 – a massive saving of £225!

The flash sale is only available to members of Bounty and products are limited – if you’re not a member yet sign up now so you don’t miss the Bountiful bargains: http://member.bounty.com/join-the-club/

And that’s not all, Facebook and Twitter followers of Bounty and Bitesizemum will be able to find out the Bounty Offer price an hour earlier at 9am as well as receiving regular reminders about what’s on sale. ‘Follow’ or ‘like’ today using the links below so you don’t miss out!

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/BountyClub

http://www.facebook.com/bitesizemum

Twitter

http://twitter.com/BountyUK

http://twitter.com/bitesizemum

Bounty (www.bounty.com) is mums’ best-loved source of advice and support for everyday parenting and has been giving mums more for more than 50years

Bounty is a free to join parenting club that works with top brands, charities and government to provide mums and mums to be with product samples and information and help get them most out of family life

With over 50,000 new members joining every month, more than 9 out of 10 new mums receive Bounty packs and information guides and on average, bounty.com receives more than 1.3million visits to the site each month.

Good Luck!

Lynne x

A Must for all Mums - Paediatric Resuscitation Course

2011-07-03T22:42:00.000+01:00

Since the moment Maya was born, like all new mums, I was nervous about something happening to her during the night, afraid I wouldn't hear her on the monitor. What if I was in too deep a sleep and something happened? I would be none the wiser. Every new mum worries about SIDS/cot death, but most don't like to talk about it.

When I started going to our local Health Visitor drop-in clinic with my sister-in-law and her new baby, through chatting to other new mums, there seemed to be a common theme to our conversations. We all talked about why the NHS don't offer any kind of paediatric resuscitation classes, and it scared us to think that we didn't have the first idea in how to deal with an emergency if something happened to our babies. As the months went on, I enquired about courses, the nearest being over 30 miles away and costing £180.00 for a day course - a substantial amount of money when you are either on half pay or maternity pay.

I went to a local Mother and Toddler group for the first time, and this is where I met Marney from Medicaid. Marney came along to chat to mums about Paediatric Resuscitation courses. After chatting with Marney about conversations I had with other mums at our HV drop-in clinic, I put a post on my local Netmums Group Facebook page to see how many of my mummy friends would be interested in attending, and the response was unbelievable. Within two days I had over 30 mum's, gran's and husbands signed up to attend. The course cost just £25.00 per person.

We have all just completed the 2 hour course. Here are some facts and figures we learned, truly terrifying statistics:

Nearly 2,600 children are admitted to A & E in the UK with choking related incidents each year, 80% being aged 4 or under.

Most incidents occur in the home and 60% occur when they are asleep.

Suffocation is more common in the summer, and choking in the winter.

Balloons are one of the most common cause of choking.

Strangulation is the lead cause of death in playground incidents as a result of cords and drawstrings on children's clothing.

Children sleeping in adult beds are at an increased risk of airway obstruction, and since 1990, 209 children aged 3 and under have died in an adult bed due to accidental suffocation as a result of being covered by another persons body.

Ian our lovely trainer from Medicaid, took us through a 2 hour intensive course called Paediatric Quick Fix, looking child/baby CPR and Choking. Ian is a Fire Fighter, former Army Paramedic, and currently a Tutor and Moderator for First Aid and Lifeguard techniques in Scotland. We used three different Resusci Anne manikins, ages ranging from Baby/Toddler, Child and Adult.

This is Ian talking us through some different techniques:

Back Taps - Baby

DRAB (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing)

CPR/Chest Thrusts - Baby

Now we are putting into practice what we learned:

Abdominal thrusts

CPR

Tracey practicing back-slapping technique on Ian

Recovery position

CPR

By the end of the course we had learned the protocol for Primary Survey (DRAB), how to perform abdominal thrusts, back slapping techniques and CPR for all three age groups.

At the end of the nights training we all felt so relieved knowing that we could at least perform basic first aid in an emergency situation.

I would like to say a special thank-you to Ian and Marney from Medicaid, for accommodating our local Netmum's Group and arranging three different days/nights training, therefore allowing everyone to come along and learn such important, lifesaving skills. Other special thanks goes to Hilary from our local child-friendly haven (heaven), CGulls Cafe, where we held the sessions at night.

If anyone is interested in organising either the Paediatric QuickFix course (£25.00 per person), a 3 Day HSE First Aid at Work Course or a I day HSE Emergency First Aid at Work course - (price on enquiry) within the UK - Medicaid will travel if numbers are large enough, for their Mother and Toddlers group/a local Netmum's group/a group of friends, please let me know and I can put you in touch with Medicaid.

For £25.00, you could learn how to save your child's life in an emergency situation.

Lynne x

I am not being paid to advertise this post in any way or form. I decided to write about this because I think these are vitally important skills that every mother should know.

Silent Sunday/Shadow Shot Sunday/Show and Tell

2011-07-03T18:07:00.004+01:00

This week I'm also linking up with the lovely Hey Harriet's blog hop, Shadow Shot Sunday. A fantastic photography blogger from Queensland, Australia.

and a monthly link from this lovely blogger:

paperheartcamera

Slimpod Journal - July (Month One) Battle of the Baby Weight

2011-07-01T00:25:00.002+01:00

My Slimpod Journal - July, month one

Coincidently, as I write my first journal post it is Day 21 of my Slimpod Journey.

My mission since falling pregnant and after giving birth has been to eat everything in sight. This is something that I have had absolutely no control over, and I have craved carbs every minute of the day for the last 18 months.

This was me - 2 weeks before my waters broke! My bump was massive.

When I look in the mirror, all I see is a disgusting, fat belly. I now avoid looking at myself in a full length mirror as much as possible. I have, what I will call, the three bellies c-section syndrome, and this is not a pretty sight at all. This photo is of my belly 2 days after Maya was born (size to be expected):

This photo is of me 6 months after my daughter was born (can't believe I'm actually putting this on here!)

AM (After Maya)

Don't get me wrong, before I fell pregnant I was about 8 stone, which was a healthy weight for someone with a height of 5ft 3inches. I probably could have done with putting on another half a stone, but no matter how much I ate, I couldn't put on any weight.

BM (Before Maya!)

When I was a teenager until I was about 30, I had a borderline eating disorder so I can't diet, and I don't have scales in the house. Most importantly, I would never, ever want to put myself in danger of my weight slipping back to 6 stone. Today, I weighed myself at my friends house - I'm 9 stone 6 pounds.

So, when I heard about Slimpods, I thought this would perfect for me. Something I can't obsess about or put myself in any kind of danger (mentally) with the added benefit of not only suppressing my ferocious, uncontrollable appetite, but picking up my mood in general and hopefully helping my post natal depression.

And so my journey started, 21 days ago, and it has been quite honestly, AMAZING!

It happened pretty fast for me. I noticed a difference after two days, and steadily over the last 21 days the following has happened:

I am the king of biscuit eaters. I could devour a WHOLE large packet of Rich Tea biscuits in one sitting (approx half an hour) and think nothing of it.......now, I've COMPLETELY STOPPED eating biscuits, apart from my Bevita breakfast ones.

I have had NO CAKES for 21 days. This is truly an amazing feat for me. Not a day has gone by in the last 18 months that I have not ate at least two, maybe three cakes a day. Today was definately my proudest moment - My husband asked me if I wanted a Belgian bun, which I LOVE, and I said NO and meant NO. So what did I do - I ate the cherry on top of the bun instead! Talk about the power of reverse psychology and unconscious thinking....freaked me right out!

It's the strangest thing - if anyone offers me a biscuit or cake, my head is saying yes, but my mouth automatically says NO before I even have a chance to think about it - this is seriously WEIRD!

I find I'm not hungry most of the time - I don't get the constant feeling that I have to snack like I used to, but I still have breakfast, lunch and dinner (although dinner is usually cereal - don't have time at night to make a meal). The main difference is that I have just about stopped snacking between meals. When I do snack, its on either fruit or yoghurt, and not crap.

My appetite has halved since starting with my Slimpods. I chose Beachbody because I'm going to Majorca for two weeks in October and I want to strut my stuff down the beach without my belly hanging out, and Chillpod, well, because I'm a moody, hormonal bitch and I need to learn to relax.

I've started Dru Yoga and I'm looking for a meditation class nearby that I can go to. After we have moved house (in 6 weeks) I'm joining our local gym and I'm going to pound the treadmill at least 3 times a week. I can feel the momentum building up to me wanting to exercise rather than having to. I'm slowly realising that I am going to have to exercise if I want my stomach to look even half normal.

As for my PND, well, it's too early to tell whether Slimpods are helping with this. I do feel my general mood has slightly improved, but not enough to make me say that I notice a big difference. PND is like being on a see-saw. One minute you're up, the next you're down, but I think I'm having more up days.

I've left the best bit about Slimpods till last. Mr Trevor Silvester, the creator of cognitive hypnotherapy and WordWeaving now fondly known as Trev or Silky Silvester, the man with the most relaxing voice I have ever heard in my life. Trevor is the man behind the voice, the other man I faithfully take to bed with me every night! When I first started listening to Trev, I was still awake at the end of the two Slimpods. This lasted for about a week, then I started to fall asleep roughly about 1 minute into the 2nd Slimpod. Now, as soon as Trev says these words about a minute and a half into the first Slimpod "It doesn't matter whether you pay attention and find your mind drifting to other things" - I'm out like a light, and I mean totally unconscious. I'm definately getting a much better quality of sleep.

Want to hear Trevor's voice? - click here.

So, in conclusion, something very strange and powerful is happening, and I can't wait to see how I progress over the next few months, and this is the picture that prompted me to start with my Slimpods:

Yip - this is my fat ass!

How have you found your Slimpod? Have you noticed any differences? What are the good and bad points for you?

I'll be running this on a monthly basis, and the link will be open for others to post their own thoughts about their experiences with Slimpod on the 1st of each month. I would really like to hear your story, and hopefully we can all offer each other support.

Lynne x

http://www.thinkingslimmer.com/

I'm also linking up with Liska from New Mum Online's MuMentum posts - go and have a look at how the rest of the group are doing here.

Silent Sunday

2011-06-25T22:42:00.001+01:00

Make sure you check out some of the other posts this Sunday over at Mochabeaniemummy

The Annabel Karmel Way or the Highway?

2011-06-25T22:30:00.000+01:00

I'll admit it - I've made several mistakes with Maya's weaning. There, I've said it...phew, glad I got that off my chest.

Here are some of the mistakes I feel I've made:

1. Not persevering with pureeing my own homemade foods and giving her ready pureed meals instead. The reason I did this was because I made a few simple things myself, she wouldn't eat them, and I panicked.

2. I didn't do baby lead weaning - I moved onto Stage 2 ready meals.

3. I stood for 4 hours one night and cooked five different meals, all of which Maya hated - and I cried and went in a strop when she didn't eat them. They are still in the freezer!

4. For some bizarre reason, Maya didn't like to get messy when she was eating, so I fed her the whole time with a spoon whilst weaning her, which wasn't a problem then, but now I can see where I went completely wrong. I should have just let her use her hands and feed herself no matter what mess she got herself into. I feel that this was my most crucial mistake. Maya lost the enjoyment of feeding herself, the mess, and the feeling of different foods. For the last 2 months I have had to encourage her to eat her meals with her hands and constantly tell her that it was alright to get messy - bad mother or what???

I have blogged about how stressful Maya's eating habits are and you can read about them here or in my Fussy Eaters Supporters Club tab.

But - upwards and onwards, lessons learned and all that! For five months we have ~~endured~~ resigned ourselves to our daughters fussy appetite. I mean I was so desperate at one point, I even sent tweets to Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay asking for ideas/help (No replies!). For a while it was ~~hell on earth~~ difficult and stressful.

The lovely Sian, over at MummyTips somehow found out about our plight and introduced me to Annabel Karmel, whom I had met briefly at the Scottish Baby Show. Sian actually popped a copy of Annabel Karmel's New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner in the post to me, and encouraged me to try some recipes at our own pace.

So, after reading Annabel's book, I decided to try one simple recipe over a 7 day period, thinking maybe if I slipped it in over a longer period of time, Maya might not notice! The chosen recipe was:

1. Chicken with Couscous

15g butter

25g chopped onion

25g frozen peas, cooked (I used slightly less - green things are a suspicious infiltrators to Maya!)

175ml chicken stock

65g of quick cooking couscous

50g diced, cooked chicken

Pretty easy to cook, and took no time at all to prepare - the above makes four good sized portions.

Tensions were running high in the Thomson household as mummy prepared the Chicken and Couscous recipe to the latter!

The first test - thinking about it and touching it - PASS!

Thinking about it!

Touching it - this is looking good!

The second test - the biggie - putting it in her mouth and eating it - PASS!!

In the mouth...

EATING IT!!

This was a momentous occasion! This was the first proper meal that Maya had ate for nearly 5 months that involved chicken. I couldn't believe it, she lapped it all up, literally stuffed it all in her mouth without hardly a breath. We praised and praised her, we clapped our hands, and Maya clapped her hands too.

There are lots of great recipes in Annabel's book and some much needed advice that I have taken on board.

Over the coming weeks I will be picking more recipes to try and tempt Maya into eating proper meals, so watch this space and keep your fingers crossed for me!

Special thanks to Annabel Karmel and Sian from MummyTips for their on-going support.

Lynne x

♫ I've got my new shoes on ♫

2011-06-25T21:05:00.000+01:00

I can't believe that in 4 weeks Maya has outgrown her first pair of shoes - her lovely wee pink shoes.

Oh well, another trip to the fabulous Maddie and Marks, whose service is second to none, and another hole blown in my husbands wallet.

Long gone are the days when I thought nothing of spending £80 on a pair of shoes for myself - We are now spending £80.00 on two pairs for Maya.

So, after much deliberating and cogitating, Madam Maya picked a lovely little pair of sandals by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada for her summer and autumn holidays:

And also, for during the week wear, a cute little pair of lilac shoes by Noel:

Indeed, Madam Maya did in fact choose both pairs and made it quite clear which ones she wasn't too keen on by doing a slide off the seat protest, and who could say no to this cheeky wee face (16 months old - god help me!):

But I wonder, how long will these two pairs last?

Lynne x

Beatrix NY - I'm in Owl Heaven!

2011-06-23T23:24:00.000+01:00

I am in owl heaven!

Beatrix NY stock the cutest owl lunchboxes, backpacks and suitcases for children (non-toxic, PVC, phthalate and lead free):

Papar Owl Lunchbox

Papar Owl Backpack (Small)

Papar Owl Backpack (Large)

Papar Owl Suitcase

You can buy them in the UK online at Peanut & Pip

Lynne x

Snack Pots/Mats/Plates/Beakers by Tum Tum

2011-06-23T16:40:00.001+01:00

I am truly obsessed with finding decent snackpots where the contents don't end up all over the inside of your baby bag. Hello Tum Tum snackpots, and such cute designs!

Snackpots - £8.50 each

Maya is completely fascinated with farmyard animals at the moment, she carries around her little piggy everywhere and is constantly saying oink oink, moo moo or duck. I really think she would LOVE these! All from Tum Tum, and even better - all these products are BPA, PVC and phthalate free.

Placemats - £4.00

Beaker - £6.00

Trainee Dining Set - £14.00

Lynne x

Toy Storage Baskets by Rice

2011-06-23T16:12:00.000+01:00

As we are moving in 7 weeks, gulp, I'm on the lookout for lovely things for MG's room.

Storage for toys will always be a problem, and our house is stuffed full at the moment. I came across these raffia toy storage baskets made by Rice, who are a Denmark based company - what a fab find!

The dimensions are: Length 54cm - Width 34cm - Height 44cm

Rice - House Storage Basket

Rice - Gypsy Storage Basket

More to add to the list then!

Lynne x

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!

2011-06-10T16:57:00.000+01:00

I thought I would let everyone into a little secret of mine (or is it?) about a way to keep your baby or toddler happy and contented for 5 minutes, and they will absolutely LOVE it. You can sit and have a cup of tea and put your feet up in the knowledge that your child is having fun and learning at the same time.

The British Council Learn English Kids website has a fantastic selection of baby and toddlers favourite songs. Maya can now tell me which one she wants on by using the actions from the song, which I find pretty amazing, and makes me laugh so much because she is so animated. Here are some of her favourites:

If you're happy and you know it!

In the Jungles of Brazil

Incy Wincey Spider - Expert at this one!

Old MacDonald - Maya has started humming this one in the morning in her cot....

Twinkle Twinkle

The Wheels on the Bus - this has to be her all time favourite, especially WAA, WAA, WAA, she loves doing this part.

The only problem is, this is what happens when I switch off the laptop, she is not a happy little bunny!

Lynne x

Eat, Pray, Hope?

2011-06-06T22:25:00.000+01:00

I've not really blogged that much about Maya's eating habits over the past 5 months because I just couldn't bring myself to write about it, apart from in my Dear Maya post which you can read here.

I've gave myself a good kick up the behind and stopped blaming myself, and stopped feeling guilty and frustrated (although, clearly I do still get frustrated, I'm just better at hiding it after 5 months!). I suppose I've really just started going with the flow with Maya's eating - and you know what, I actually feel better for it. All the worrying doesn't change a thing - she will eat what she wants to eat and no amount of tempting her, cajoling her, bribing her, or me secretly standing in the kitchen stamping my feet in frustration and swearing like a trooper, all the tears I've shed, won't make her eat.

I bet you want to know what she eats? Well, this won't take long!

Yoghurt

Ella's Kitchen Smoothies (sometimes)

Heinz Cheese Biscuits

Crunchie Nut Cornflakes

Bran Flakes

Banana (sometimes)

~~Mince and tatties (very occasionally)~~ refusing again

Organix Cereal Bars (occasionally)

Annabel Karmel Apple Crisps

Annabel Karmel Biscotti

Toast/bread

~~Couscous (twice)~~ now refusing

~~Olives (a few times)~~ now refusing

And, ladies and gentlemen - that is it...........a fat lot of crap!

I've tried everything, and I mean everything to try and get her to eat. Maya inspects everything and you can't hide anything in other foods either, she's far too switched on for that. We introduce, and re-introduce foods all the time, we clap and praise her when she does eat and we don't make a fuss when she doesn't - we just take it away and then I go into the kitchen and ~~swear the ugliest words ever in frustration, and stamp my feet~~ make her some toast.

But wait - we had a breakthrough and minor miracle last week - she put a bit of cheese in her mouth, in her actual mouth! This was followed by a piece of chicken, and then she ate two olives. (She did in fact spit out the cheese and chicken, but at least it passed her lips if only for a brief second or two).

In the last two weeks we also had some short lived success with two half portions of grannies mince and tatties. How did I do this? By offering her a spoonful of yoghurt and then a spoonful of mince. Then I mixed the yoghurt in with the mince - yes, that's how desperate I am! Maya is wise to this trick now as tonight I tried her with sweet potato and chicken with strawberry yoghurt.

The result of this was the following look of horror as she searched the yogurt pot for signs of cross contamination:

Dear God - if you can here me - PLEASE GIVE ME ~~STRENGTH, PATIENCE,~~ hope.......

Thank-you,

Demented Mummy Lynne x

And a big thank-you to Bod for Tea for giving me somewhere to ~~vent my frustration~~ post about it.

Raising money for CHAS (Children's Hospice Association Scotland)

2011-06-02T23:06:00.000+01:00

Raising money for CHAS - Children's Hospice Association Scotland

When I reviewed the Scottish Baby Show for Emma's Diary I met a lovely lady from Barefoot Books (you can read about it here). I really was so impressed with Barefoot Books because the stories are different. I am totally fed up with the same old stories. I don’t know about anyone else, but I get really bored singing/telling the same nursery rhymes and stories, and I was looking for something new to catch Maya’s attention – an alternative to the commercialisation of childhood. I want Maya to know there is a whole new world out there for her imagination to explore. I'm all for repitition and of course I know how important it is, I just want to add more than the couple of songs and stories that I remember from my childhood and I'm sure Maya is sick to the back teeth of Incy Wincey Spider and The Wheels on the Bus etc etc.

Then I came up with the idea of fundraising for CHAS, where I work. The Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) is a Scottish charity that provides the only hospice services in Scotland for children and young people with life-shortening conditions.

CHAS runs two children’s hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch. The hospices support the whole family by offering short planned breaks, emergency support, end of life care and a range of bereavement services. At any one time, Rachel House and Robin House can each accommodate eight children or young people and their families.

CHAS also provides a home care service, called CHAS at Home, staffed from both hospices and with a dedicated team in the North of Scotland. The service offers care to families in their own homes when they need it most.

Caring for a child or young person with a life-shortening condition can place extreme demands on a family, physically and emotionally, so CHAS tries to lighten the burden. No two families are the same and CHAS has the flexibility to respond to the individual needs of family members by providing professional care, practical help and emotional support.

CHAS supports over 250 families, as well as a significant number of families who receive bereavement support. The services are free to families who need them and are funded mainly through the generosity of the many supporters who help the charity to raise over £6 million needed each year to provide these vital hospice services.

Need I say more really? Everyday at work I am reminded of how lucky we are to have a healthy little girl, so I have decided to donate 50% of any commission I make to CHAS. I will display a running total of how much I have raised here on my blog, and with your help, we can raise money for the families that use Robin and Rachel House. All you need to do is buy a book(s) from here and pass on my website to family and friends.

Here are some reviews of the books I have bought so far for Maya:

The Sounds Around Town

The sun’s shining so get outside and start listening even if it’s around town and not in the countryside. This story follows a baby through his day in the city, focusing on the many sounds that he hears. From the birdsong in the morning to the hubbub of traffic on the streets and the sounds and smells of the market and cafe, this simple, interactive book will open up your ears.

Who's in the Garden?

In this delightful peepo book, children are invited to look through the holes on every other page to answer the repeating refrain, 'Who’s coming to see how my garden grows?' The energetic, rhyming text introduces all sorts of creatures that are busy in the garden. There is so much to see in this book, Maya is amazed by it!

Animal Boogie

Can you boogie? Down in the Indian jungle, the children and animals are learning about actions like leaping, stomping, shaking and flapping while meeting different jungle creatures. Perhaps the reason I like this book so much is that it actually shows a child in a wheelchair. The book that we ordered came with a CD, Maya loves it so much she constantly wants it on the laptop!

So, please pass this post and my website to friends and family, and other bloggers you may know, and ask them to buy a book for CHAS and of course your child! You can also click on the Barefoot Books logo at the top of my blog and you will be directed to my website.

Thank-you so much,

Lynne x

Feed, Burp, Change, Blog | eHow.com

2011-05-29T21:57:00.001+01:00

Have a wee read at the reason's I started blogging in this eHow article;

Feed, Burp, Change, Blog | eHow.com

Picture courtesy of Google Images

Why did you start your blog? How do you feel about being a new blogger? Have the dynamics of your blog changed since you started?

I would love to hear everyone's story!

Lynne x

My First Experience of Breastfeeding - How was yours?

2011-05-22T21:17:00.000+01:00

Photo courtesy of Google Images

This is the story of my first time breastfeeding, and sadly it was my last.

All through my pregnancy I was completely focused on the fact that I would be breastfeeding Maya. I was very positive and determined that this would happen no matter what.

Everything was going well until my birthing plan went right out the window (you can read why here, on Maternity Matters blog). I had a caesarean, which made things slightly awkward, but not impossible, and as soon as I had been stitched up and taken through to recovery, I breastfed Maya straight away. She seemed to latch on absolutely no problem, and I had a lovely midwife to help me and make sure I was doing it right.

About an hour later, I was transferred up to the maternity post natal care wards, and I was admitted to a room with another six new mothers. Maya was sleeping peacefully most of the time, and I didn't really have to worry about feeding her much. I was quite relaxed about breastfeeding and I wasn't at all bothered that other people could see me.

Later in the morning I had a visit from a fantastic volunteer from the Breastfeeding Network, who spent time chatting with me, as at this point my milk had yet to come through and Maya had been feeding on Colostrum. Talking to the BFN volunteer re-affirmed my determination to breastfeed, and it was really helpful.

Later in the afternoon Maya seemed to have difficulty latching on as nothing much was coming out. I was very sore after my section, and I found it so painful trying to get into a comfy position to breastfeed. One of the nurses showed me how to use a syringe and squeeze the colostrum out myself, a temporary measure, until my milk came through. Even at this point I was still confident that everything would go to plan. For the rest of the day, each time I needed to breastfeed, a nurse would come and help me as it was really difficult trying to hold the syringe, squeeze my breast and draw the colostrum into the syringe myself. I had no issues with this as I knew how important it was for Maya. All the nurses so far had been a great help and were constantly reassuring me that everything would be fine.

As our first night together approached, I was starting to worry a bit about how I would manage during the night if Maya woke up for a feed. By this point I was in a fair bit of pain (no more morphine allowed), and I was having difficulty getting out of the bed and back into the bed. The nurses shift had changed over to the late/night shift and I had been up for nearly 72 hours without much sleep.

I was starting to feel very weepy and confused, and I guess I wasn't really thinking straight from all the pain medication and lack of sleep. I was feeling very overwhelmed and unsure about my new role as a mum, together with day two baby blues hitting me, which I had heard other people talking about but didn't really understand. I fell asleep and then the next thing I new, a nurse was shaking me telling me that I had to feed Maya. I asked for some help, explaining what I had to do (again, I was in agony) and the nurse said "I don't have time, you will have to manage by yourself". I literally burst into tears and I asked her how I was supposed to manage, that I couldn't do it myself and what was I supposed to feed Maya with. She then said "You can manage, and I can't help you - you need to learn to do it by yourself" and then she walked away.

I have never been so shocked in my life - I couldn't even get my mouth to work. To treat a vulnerable woman like this less than 24 hours after the birth of their first baby is absolutely awful. I felt totally inadequate as a mum and worst of all, that I was letting my baby down - I felt like a failure.

The following morning after the shift change, I asked to speak to the Sister. I told her what had happened during the night (in floods of tears) and she asked if I would like to put in a complaint (I said no). I asked her if I could have some formula for Maya because I was so stressed out with the thought of breastfeeding. She said "certainly" - no words of encouragement, no pep-talk, nothing.

From then on, Maya was fed formula.

The NHS preach that "Breast is Best". This is a quote from The Department of Health:

"Breastfeeding is good for babies, good for mothers and incredibly convenient. It's crucial that mothers get the support they need to make breastfeeding a success for them and their baby," a spokesperson said".

What happened to my support? The NHS are failing to provide support at the most crucial time - 24 to 48 hours after the birth of your baby, and why, because the post-natal wards are understaffed and nurses are pushed to the limits.

I'm so angry at myself that I wasn't stronger for my daughter, that I didn't fight for my rights as a patient. I should have challenged her and said that her attitude wasn't good enough. I was feeling very vulnerable and unfortunately for Maya and myself, day 2 baby blues had hit me hard and I literally didn't know my arse from my elbow, so I gave up and formula fed my baby.

Does this make me a bad mother? No - I don't think so. It makes me an angry and wiser mother that won't let this happen again if there is a next time, but why is it I find myself trying to make excuses to other mums who ask if I breastfed?

Do I feel like I failed my daughter? - Yes, I think I did.

http://maternitymatters.net/

Silent Sunday

2011-05-22T12:08:00.001+01:00

Available from Maddie & Marks

Becky and Lolo

2011-05-15T20:36:00.001+01:00

Now that we finally have found a new house, I'm on the prowl for decor ideas for Maya's room.

I came across a website called becky and lolo, where I found the most adorable chair:

and lampshade:

and wall stickers:

Somehow, I think you might be seeing many posts like this over the coming months!

Silent Sunday

2011-05-15T20:05:00.000+01:00

Have a look at the rest of todays photos over at mochabeaniemummy's blog

My Birthing Story - What happened to my Birthing Plan?

2011-05-10T20:15:00.000+01:00

If anyone would like to read my birthing story, it's been published on Maternity Matters website.

You can read it here

It was a really difficult story to write, as it involved thinking about my mum and the circumstances surrounding her death, and also the fact that she was obviously not with me and will never meet her grand-daughter.

I was quite anxious about how people would view it, but I'm glad I've done it now. I definately feel better getting it off my chest, it was actually quite therapeutic for me. I would like to stress however that I am not blaming these circumstances for causing my Post Natal Depression, and I would say a catalogue of events triggered this off - more so the fact that I have had mental health problems in the past.

If you can, please spare a minute to support Maternity Matters. You can help by supporting/liking them on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

Two great bloggers, Susanne aka ghostwritermummy and Jayne aka mumstheword have worked tirelessly to get this project off the ground, and I would like to thank them for their guidance and support.

If you would like to write about your own experience for Maternity Matters, you can view details of how to go about this here.

Lynne x

The Scottish Baby Show Review for Emma's Diary

2011-05-05T23:36:00.004+01:00

The Scottish Baby Show Review for:

Picture courtesy of Emma's Diary

Emma’s Diary contacted me through Twitter asking if I knew of any Scottish Bloggers that would like to go to The Scottish Baby Show at SECC, and then blog about it. I happily jumped at the chance along with my friend Gemma who blogs over at Building Blocks and Dinosaur Socks. We are both fairly new bloggers, and we were very excited to have the opportunity to write a post for Emma’s Diary.

Gemma and I, our partners and of course our little ones, Maya (age 14 months) and Finely (age 12 months) set off early on Saturday morning for our train ride to the SECC.

To make things easier, I had already looked at the list of vendors and picked out some that I definitely wanted to visit.

Annabel Karmel

No 1 stop for us! We’ve been having some problems with Maya’s eating (click here to read why) for about two months now, and I was anxious to speak to someone at Annabel’s stall to see if they could suggest anything else that I hadn’t already tried. I chatted with a rather nice lady, who then shouted over “Annabel, I have someone here who really needs your help” and over came Annabel Karmel herself. Slightly tongue tied and star struck I started to tell her about Maya’s lack of eating. She was really lovely and gave me some great advice, namely, reassurance that all children go through this stage, and to try not get stressed about it. I decided to buy “The Fussy Eaters Recipe Book” and she also suggested watching her cookery show on CITV, which I had read about over at Sian's Mummytips blog. We left Annabel’s stall with some free Mini Strawberry and Vanilla Biscotti for Maya, which she demolished in about 10 seconds. Better get more of them then!

All picture rights reserved to Annabel Karmel

Hypnobirthing the UK Way at The Wight Relaxation Room – Hypnotherapy in Glasgow

Maya started chatting or should I say shouting at the lovely lady from this stall, quite embarrassing really, so I started talking to her about Hypnobirthing (click here for info) saying that I would definitely try this for our next baby. I would certainly like a more empowering birth, where I would feel much calmer and more in control – who wouldn’t! We were chatting about relaxation, and alternative therapies and I mentioned to her that I find it really difficult to relax at the best of times, especially after having Maya, and she gave me two free CD’s; one to aid better sleep and one for daily relaxation. I’ve not had time to try them yet, but they are on my to do list!

Park Mark

I had no idea what Park Mark was, I had never heard of it until our visit to the Baby Show.

Park Mark is a safer parking scheme where car parks are assessed by the Police, ensuring that they are properly managed and maintained, have appropriate levels of surveillance, and have good lighting, signage and cleanliness. If they pass these tests they are then awarded and added to a national database.

Mums certainly do feel very vulnerable at times in car parks that have no security and are poorly lit, especially during the winter months. I think this is an excellent idea, and hopefully it is helping to reduce the opportunity for crime to take place.

All you need to do is visit www.parkmark.co.uk and enter either a postcode or area where you would like to park and Park Mark will tell you which ones have been vetted and passed by the police. Good enough reason for some quick research, don’t you think?

Picture Courtesy of Google Images

Totseat

The washable, squashable, portable highchair that fits into your handbag – for babies who lunch!

When our local Netmum’s group or all my mummy friends meet up, frequently there are not enough highchairs to go around. I’ve also been to new restaurants with family and friends where they say there are no highchairs, therefore baby sits on your lap. If you have ever tried to eat your lunch with an 11 month old baby on your lap – it is no mean feat when they are constantly trying to grab your cutlery or the contents of your lunch and fling it on the floor. I’m sure you’ve all been there yourself at some point! We stopped off at the totseat stall, where we met two really nice ladies, chatting with them about the problems that we have faced in cafes, restaurants etc with highchairs not being suitable for babies under a certain age. I also explained when we went abroad with Maya to Spain when she was 7 months old, that I really wished I had bought a totseat, as most of the time I had to feed her either on my lap or in her pram.

As parent’s we are constantly bombarded with new innovative products that promise to do this and that and I have bought so many of them myself that don’t live up to expectations. Although I don’t have a totseat, it is one of the products that I wish I had invested in instead of buying things like a blow up bath or a pop-up baby travel cot that you had to wrestle with to get it up! The totseat fits any chair, and comes in a travel bag/pouch, which is fantastic for holidays and day trips. If you want to find out more about totseat click here. Totseat has won a host of awards including Gift of the Year 2009 and their packaging carries the Child Accident Prevention Trusts logo. Totseat is now sold in 29 countries worldwide and is the must have product for mums and dads on the go.

Picture courtesy of Google Images

Roddy MacKay Photography

I’m quite a keen but very amateur photographer and at the Baby Show there were quite a few different photography vendors, but one in particular grabbed my attention due to the amazing black and white shots on display some of which you can see here. Roddy ‘s contemporary and inspirational documentary approach to photography captures the innocence and character of children or in fact anyone who is lucky enough to be in front of his lens!

Sessions, which last approximately 2 – 3 hours, can take place either in your home or at the location of your choice, for example a local park, woodland area or beach, and can be shared with family members for special occasions or a get-together with friends and their children in a play in the park session.

Roddy has especially designed a website for the Scottish Baby Show 2011, which you can view here, detailing offers and any FAQ’s you may have if you are interested in a photo session. Roddy is quite happy to travel all over Scotland for location shoots. If you are really lucky and mention that you read about him here on my blog, he may even give you a discount!

We will be booking our session in the coming weeks with Roddy for the end of Summer/early Autumn, when Maya is slightly older and walking competently. We also think that the different autumn colours on display will be amazing – so watch this space for the photo’s – we are very excited about it. Roddy is such a nice guy, that he even offered to show me some photography tips with my own camera.

Watch out for more information about Roddy MacKay Photography in the coming weeks, here on my blog.

Lil Bubba Things

Shelley, a bespoke children’s wear and accessories designer, owns Lil Bubba Things. Shelley uses contemporary and vintage recycled materials to make the most adorable dresses I have ever seen. The dresses, for 0 – 6 years of age, are individual, handmade, versatile and very unique. They can be worn in either summer or winter and you certainly get your moneys worth, for example, the 12 to 18 months design can last up until your child is 3, being worn first as a dress and then as a tunic with leggings as they grow older. These are the two beautiful dresses we bought for Maya:

All Picture Rights Reserved to Lil Bubba Things

If you want to find out more about Lil Bubba Things click here. If you want to view more of Shelley’s dress collections on Facebook or become a fan click here. Lil Bubba Things are also on Twitter. Lil Bubba Things will also be at the Baby and Child Fair Baby and Child Fair, Crammond Kirk Halls, Edinburgh on Saturday 21 May 2011.

Shoes by Hop’n’squeak

How gutted was I when we came across hopnsqueak shoes, that although Maya is 14 months, her wee feet are still a size 2. We tried on some proper big girl gorgeous shoes, but Maya’s feet were still hanging out of them.

Hop n squeak shoes are made from Buttersoft leather lining allowing breathability and comfort with built in wriggle room. The squeaker promotes body awareness in children and encourages crawlers to walk.

These are the beautiful little butterfly shoes we (the royal wee – meaning I) wanted to buy, but we will have to wait another few weeks yet:

Picture courtesy of Google Images

You can view the full range of shoes here.

Yogabellies

Yoga is one of those things I’ve been thinking about doing for a very long time. I’m actually starting a class next Tuesday – a first for me. I must admit, I’m reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book - Eat, Pray, Love, which has inspired me to get in touch with my spiritual side – fascinating! I’m willing to give anything a go that will help lead me to a transcendent state - a state of infinite bliss, and this why I started talking with Cheryl from Yogabellies. Pre and post-natal yoga is another one of the things that I wish I had participated in during and immediately after my pregnancy.

The pre-natal yoga class focuses on building strength and stamina, breathing techniques and meditation that help you remain calm and focused during pregnancy and labour.

The focus of the post-natal yoga class is helping you get back into shape once your baby has arrived in the world. The fantastic thing about this class is that it includes taking your baby along with you and incorporating yoga postures for mum and baby, and promotes multi-sensory stimulation, spatial awareness and development, and can help relieve problems such as sleeplessness and colic. It is something that mum and baby can do together and at the same time helps you to deal positively with the stresses of being a new mum by encouraging mindful relaxation. It also decreases postpartum soreness and relieves common problems such as feeding hunch, neck pain, hip/back pain and strengthens weak pelvic floor muscles and tones the abdomen – yip, I certainly know all about them! Obviously I should have gone to Yoga……….

Find out more about Yogabellies here or find a class near you here.

Picture courtesy of Yogabellies

Barefoot Books

Picture courtesy of Barefoot Books

Another great find! I don’t know about anyone else, but I get really bored singing/telling the same nursery rhymes and stories, and I was looking for something a bit different to catch Maya’s attention – an alternative to the commercialisation of childhood. I want Maya to know there is a whole new world out there for her imagination to explore, and I really can’t wait to buy some of their books.

They have a huge selection of books ranging in age from babies to 12+ years. If you want your child to learn about equality and diversity, values, other cultures, and to love the planet, then this is the place to shop. Some of the books I would like to buy Maya are:

The Whole World, Star Seeker, I took the Moon for a Walk, How loud is a Lion, Who’s in the Garden, The Barefoot book of Blessings…..and many more! While I was there I decided to buy Maya The Animal Boogie, which comes with a sing-a-long CD. We had such fun today singing along with Granny, and Maya loved all the pictures of the animals.

If you are looking for something a bit different, then have a look at Barefoot Books selection of books here, and I’ll guarantee you that something will take your fancy!

Watch this space for exiting things happening with Barefoot Books on my blog!

To round up our visit to the Baby Show, we had something to eat at @Emma’s Diary café, where we pondered and tweeted about our visit. We all had a fantastic time, although I will say that I’m glad I didn’t actually go when I was pregnant – or should I say my husband and his credit card are! We would have spent an absolute fortune on Stokke products. We rounded off the day with a visit to Jamie Oliver’s in Glasgow City Centre, which was the perfect end to a lovely day, and a huge thank-you Emma’s Diary for sending us tickets.

A Guardian Interview with......Moi

2011-04-30T00:04:00.002+01:00

I have to be honest, I've seen this Guardian Q & A interview doing the rounds on other people's blogs, such as SAHMlovingit and Alyson's Blog, wondering if anyone would tag me, and eventually, Claire over at Grumpinator challenged me, and I mean challenged me. There are some pretty thought provoking questions in there that when I read other posts, got me thinking about how I would answer them - so here goes, stay with me now!

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

I find this really difficult to answer as I can't name just one person. I admire anyone who has faced terrible illness, trauma or tragedy and then came through it holding their head up high, with the courage and determination to move on with their life. I admire people who are honest, selfless, kind and dignified, people who through their own personal stories and tragedies, now dedicate their lives to charities such as Olivia Giles and Katie Piper. Phew...that was deep!

When were you happiest?

I think I am at my happiest and most content now believe it or not. Even although I have PND, my life has changed so much since I met my husband, and all for the better. I was literally the little girl lost before I met him. Now we have our beautiful daughter, and I feel overwhelmed with love for her every day. Her birth - when I heard Maya cry for the first time, our wedding, and our honeymoon just to name a few others.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

It would have to be when I was MUCH younger, and after several large vodkas followed by several cosmos, I was caught short needing a pee after leaving a pub in Glasgow. I really couldn't hold on a second longer and I decided to pee in what I thought was a secluded area in between two parked cars in a quieter street. Unfortunately for me, in my drunken stupor, I didn't notice the restaurant full of people, which was at basement level, and they all had a birds eye view of my arse. I couldn't even stop mid pee I was that desperate, so I had to keep going until I was finished. I was mortified, and I have never sobered up so quickly in my life. The worst thing was, my friends, (so called friends!!) had already realised and they just let me get on with it so they could have a laugh!

I would like to say (before my husband does) that the only other time I have ever done anything like this was at the Take That concert 2 years ago when Asda closed there doors and would only let 2 people in at a time to go to the toilet and there was like over a thousand people waiting! I had to go in a bush - it was big bush!

Aside from property, what is the most expensive thing you have ever bought?

My wedding dress - a whopping £795.00, but it was still under the budget! Then i sold it on ebay for £400.00, really wish I had kept it now.

What is your most treasured possession?

The letter my mum left me before she died. I didn't find it until we cleared her flat out, and the last thing we moved was the bed - it was under the mattress.

Where would you like to live?

Somewhere warm.......with a view like this!

What is your favourite smell?

It would be without question Johnston's Baby Talk. Yankee candle do the most amazing tea lights that smell identical.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Renee Zellweger in a Bridget Jones type of way, because that's how I feel most of the time these days - babybrain.......or Kirsten Stewart, because she's beautiful and I love her hair!

What is your favourite book?

Wow - far too many to mention, but one stands out for me: Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom and on the complete other side of the spectrum, Girl with a one track Mind, by Abby Lee - absolutely hilarious!

What is your most unappealing habit?

Picking the skin round my fingers when I'm nervous or anxious - disgusting, but old habits die hard.

What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?

Anything that involves a corset or medieval style dress

What is your earliest memory?

Sneaking downstairs and putting Abba songs on the record player when my mum and dad were still asleep - I must have been about 5 or 6.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Squeezy Carnation condensed milk. If I buy one of these, I absolutely cannot pass the fridge without squirting some into my gub!

What do you owe your parents?

That's easy - everything, they made me who I am today.

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?

I can't talk about that, it's to upsetting as its about my mum, and it's too personal to share.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Again, I would have to say, without a doubt, my husband - Oh, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Pattinson.

What does love feel like?

Like nothing you have ever felt before.

What was the best kiss of your life?

That would be telling!

Which words or phrases to you most overuse?

f*** sake, followed by a very apologetic oops sorry!
thingy
What's that word again
No - as in No Maya!

What is the worst job you have ever done?

Accounts clerk at Slater Menswear - zzzzzz, so boring. I used to phone in sick all the time with lots of weird and wonderful illnesses, then go round to my pals house and go back to sleep. (I was only 16).

If you could edit your past, what would you change?

I would have spend much more quality time with my mum. Life is too short, and I have lots of regrets.

What is the closest you have come to death?

About 10 years ago, when I nearly took all my anti-depressants because I hadn't slept for 36 hours and I just wanted everything to stop. I was in a very dark place at the time, and grieving the death of my mum.
*Shuddering at that memory* and probably weighed about 6.5 stone.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My daughter, without question.

When did you last cry?

I last properly cried in frustration over Maya's refusal to eat. See Dear Maya.

How do you relax?

With great difficulty, I don't think I actually do, apart from when I'm reading a good book.

What single thing would improve your quality of life?

If depression was wiped from my brain.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

I have two. Life is too short for arguments......and "You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view, until you climb into their skin and walk around in it." - Atticus, To Kill a Mockingbird.

The End.

I really don't know who to tag, I think everyone has been tagged already, therefore, if you read this post and you haven't taken part, please do so.

However, I'm tagging my lovely friend and blogger Gemma over at blocksandsocks, because I'm a nosey bugger and I want to see what her answers will be!!

Igniting Passions.....Of Interest!

2011-04-28T16:25:00.001+01:00

This great little sort of linky started by the lovely multiplemummy, has really got me thinking about why I do things, why I have stopped and why I never started.

It's so true, when you become a mum, especially for the first time, you are so overwhelmed and consumed with everything that is baby you forget about yourself and your own interests. Everything revolves around feeding, sleeping, nappy changing and timing outings with military precision. You forget how to have conversations with people that don't involve the words "my baby" or "poo".

I thought becoming a mum would make me even more confident in my abilities, but in fact, the complete opposite has happened. I didn't realise how much confidence I had lost in myself for at least 4 months after returning to work, and it very slowly crept up on me catching me completely off guard.

Similar to multiplemummy, losing my confidence is one of the reasons I decided to start blogging. I wanted to do something that would help me find my identity again, perhaps open up new exciting opportunities, and of course to talk to other people and read about their experiences.

The aim of this linky is to write about some of your interests and passions, new or old, or even something you may have planned or want to do in the future, so if you would like to link up, head over to Multiplemummy's Igniting Passions.......of Interest post and check it out.

Ah well, here goes, here are some of my passions:

ANIMALS and NATURE

Yes, I'm a right softy when it comes to animals. When I was a wee girl, my mum had to stop taking me to the cinema to see disney films as I used to get so upset if I thought something bad was going to happen to them. My mum said I was distraught at Bambi, and that was the last one she took me to see. I still haven't watched all of Watership Down. I have had all sorts of pets - two hamsters, two gerbils, a fish named Jaws, a horse, three dogs, and the countless others that I used to take home on the way up the road if I thought they were strays. I saved a grass snake once, a blackbird (which still comes back to nest every year at my Aunt's house where I found it), and a baby seal that had been abandoned by it's mother. I love watching animal documentaries and nature programmes, two of my favourites being Meerkat Manor and Orangutan Diary on BBC, which featured The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation's Nyaru Menteng Centre - wow, that programme broke my heart and I was in tears every episode.

One of my dreams would be to swim with dolphins, and I hope to accomplish this one day.

TRAVELLING AND FOOD

I just love travelling and food. My favourite places so far are New York, Niagara on the Lake, Lake Garda, Greece, Corsica, oh and the North of Scotland, minus the midgies! There are so many places I still want to visit - Thailand, Singapore, other parts of Canada, America and Italy, Australia, Maldives, Seychelles, Carribean, Hawaii, and I would really love to see the Northern Lights - the list is endless. Again, I love the sense of freedom that traveling brings, trying out different foods that you may never have tasted before, the sights and sounds, and of course, the people, the cultures and the sunshine.

The best two meals I have ever had were at Gordon Ramsay's Maze in New York and Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles, Park Avenue (Honeymoon treats!). Three places I would love to eat at in the future would be Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck, El Bulli in Catalonia, Spain and Noma in Denmark. I think I fancy myself as a bit of a Shirley Valentine (without the romance) or an Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love - minus the yoga, just the eating part please). Sometimes I can think of nothing nicer than buggering off in my 60's and traveling round the world on the HUGE pension that I will have accumulated. My dream job would be to travel the world visiting different cities and doing restaurant reviews - what a chore that would be. Dream on eh!

PHOTOGRAPHY

I think you may have guessed already that I love photography, but honestly, I really don't know how to use my camera properly and it's driving me nuts. I have a Nikon D3000 (kindly bought for me by my hubby when baby was born), and I just don't have the time to study the manual, or when I do have time, I can't seem to take it all in! I would love nothing more than to do a professional qualification in photography and actually learn how to use photoshop properly. I have set myself a goal to join a local camera club, but realistically, I won't be able to do this until next year. Until then, I'll just plod away and hope for the best! I love looking at other peoples photos on their blogs, as it gives me inspiration for my non-creative, mummy-brain suffering mind. Luckily, since I use the camera so often, Maya smiles straight away as soon as we say CHEEEEEESE.

GARDENING

I used to hate gardening with a passion. Now, I love it. It's so therapeutic, it's my Feng Shui, my Yin Yang. I now understand why my mum spent hours pottering about the greenhouse or garden. If I'm feeling really stressed, its a great way of combating this. I must admit though I am not an all weather gardener, I like to go out when it's dry and preferably sunny! Every Spring I look forward to visiting our local Garden Centre where I can buy lots of different colours of plants to brighten up the garden with. It's also very self satisfying when you've finished, then you can get the barbie on and have a well deserved bottle or two of wine and some great food.

TWILIGHT SAGA

Yes, I'm a Twilight fan, in fact I would go as far to say that I am obsessed. I didn't actually start reading all four books until the middle of 2010, after Maya was born - where had I been since Twilight was released in 2008! At first when Twilight hit the big time, I will admit, I thought what a load of utter pish, how can people be obsessed with vampires - load of crap, and Robert Pattinson - never did understand what all the fuss was about. But yes, after reading Twilight, which I finished in a record 4 hours, I was literally eating my words. Is it a bit worrying for a thirty several year old woman to have an obsession with a 24 year old? It's really hard to explain how the books draw you in, but I would say that it is one of the best love stories I have ever read (don't slate me for that - I must be a romantic at heart). I think I will pee my pants when Breaking Dawn comes out on the 18 November.

I did actually toy with the idea of calling our baby Bella (which means My God is a vow) or Esme (which means loved or esteemed) and this was before I read the books or seen any of the films. Now that would have been freaky!

Lynne ;o)

The Gallery - Green

2011-04-27T22:23:00.001+01:00

Silent Sunday

2011-04-24T09:32:00.000+01:00

Easter Treats

2011-04-23T10:29:00.000+01:00

I've bought some lovely little gifts for Maya that I'm putting in her Easter bag, and while I was looking I found these pretty little Easter felt bags by Gry and Sif. You can buy them on-line from Nubie

Then I came across this beautiful Noah's Ark. Maya would love this as she really likes animals just now, especially lions, monkeys, cats, ladybirds, and of course Incy Wincy Spider!

The Royal Wedding - A bit of Lighthearted Banter

2011-04-23T09:59:00.000+01:00

I watched this on BBC News this morning. Bit of lighthearted Royal Wedding banter, and was laughing my head off at the Wills and Kate bit ;o)

Enjoy!

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

2011-04-21T07:52:00.000+01:00

The house goes on the market next week, so we are moving into my MIL this Sunday. Can't possibly keep our wee house clean and sparkling with a husband, sticky-fingered daughter and a boxer dog about.

So, from today, it's Taskforce Thomson - garden needs sorted, house needs gutted, cleaned and decluttered, in preparation for the hoards of viewers that are going to descend on the house!

We will be jhooshing (don't know how to spell that!) all the rooms, and hopefully the house will sell pronto.

God, I'm knackered just thinking about everything I've to do!

Wish us luck, I fear we may need it ;o(

The Gallery - My Blog

2011-04-20T21:23:00.000+01:00

This is my blog.

This is my journey.

This is what brought me here.

Fussy Eater - I've officially lost the plot!

2011-04-15T16:59:00.001+01:00

Yip, today is a sad day.....have I officially lost the plot with MG's eating habits?

I follow Jamie Oliver on Twitter, and in my state of sheer desperation, I decided to tweet him, asking if he had ever considered doing a TV programme or book about Children and Fussy Eating, with a link to the lovely Bod for Tea's blog meme The Fussy Eaters Supporters Club (ooh - I hope she's not upset with me!!!).

Not had a reply from Mr Jamie Oliver as yet....but watch this space.....Ok, I hear what you are all thinking - she's mental, but if you don't have hope you have nothing at all.

There must be thousands of despairing mums out there who feel the same about their toddlers eating habits. So why not tweet the man who campaigns for better school dinners and ask for some help, look what Jamie accomplished there! Help us Jamie!

Went to see the Health Visitor today, and guess what, she told me not to worry. How enlightening, I feel so much better now! (dripping with sarcasm here!)

Reasons to be Cheerful/I'm Grateful for

2011-04-15T07:37:00.000+01:00

Today I feel I can take part in these lovely and very inspirational bloggers meme's, Reasons to be Cheerful over at Michelle's Mummy from the Heart blog, and I'm Grateful For at Maxabella Loves.

If you can spare a few minutes, take some time to read both these ladies blogs, they are fabulous writers.

I've been feeling very melancholy of late for various reasons, but today I feel brighter and my brain feels a bit less messed up with babybrain. Is this an official condition? If not, it should be!

So here goes, my reason's to be cheerful and grateful:

1. Sense of Smell - I am so grateful for my sense of smell, although I don't have it at the moment. This is what has me pondering about how important it is. I've had a bad bout of Sinusitis for the last 4 weeks, and well, I can't even smell when Maya's done a poo, I can't smell fresh flowers, I can't smell food, I can't bloody well smell anything. I was trying to pick a new Yankee air freshner for my car on Wednesday which was virtually impossible and very frustrating. I really hope my sense of smell comes back soon, I don't like not having it. I've taken it for granted.

2. Family - Well, the house is going on the market (anyone looking for a two bedroomed semi-detached house by the sea?) after the Easter break. It's been a hard slog, and my family have all pulled together to help us. The real hard work will be done over the Easter weekend, but, the end is in sight. I would just like to say thanks to all my family for helping us. Hoping the house will sell within a fortnight, I'm being optimistic!

3. Maya's Immune System - Well, for the last 8 weeks my daughter has had one thing after the other and it's been a hard slog. First it was a bad cold twice, then a vomiting bug, kindly passed on by my husband to us both, then last week a trip to A & E and diagnosed with RSV (Broncholitis). Thankfully a mild dose, but still very scary for my husband and myself. Maya was such a wee trooper, but this was only the 2nd time we were both extremely concerned about her enough to warrant a trip to A & E. She is on the mend now thankfully and didn't have to be admitted to hospital, so, I'm grateful for my daughter's strong immune system and for her ability to bounce back very quickly.

What are you're Reason's to be Cheerful/I'm Grateful for this week? Go on, join in. You know you want to!

The Gallery - Tomorrow

2011-04-14T10:31:00.001+01:00

What a lovely theme for this weeks Gallery - tomorrow.

This photo symbolizes my hopes for the future for my daughter - that she makes life long friendships, that she is happy and content, and that she loves life and more importantly, always looks forward to tomorrow and what new adventures that can bring.

Ahem - I've been Nominated in the MADS 2011!

2011-04-11T21:19:00.001+01:00

I was sitting in the office this morning, checking Twitter on my iphone when I was eating my toast and I kept seeing tweets from everyone about how they had been nominated for various MADs 2011 awards (well done everyone!), so I thought I would be really nosey and have a look to see who had been nominated in each category.

Then - I nearly fell off my seat.......

Guess whose blog was in with the Best New MAD Blog nominations? Ahem, ahem - MINE, that is Ooh Baby - All Things Cuteable!!!!!

So whoever you are - thank-you. You've really made my day. I can't actually believe that some kind soul has nominated me. I am truly shocked and stunned and grateful.

I have so much I want to blog about, but at the moment I'm finding it so difficult to articulate myself due to this severe mummyitis that I have been afflicted with. Any one post can take me all night to finish, but I really am getting so much out of blogging, and I can't measure how much it has helped me with my PND. Blogging has provided me with a voice, somewhere I can write about my feelings and not have to worry about people judging me. I can also share with you all the lovely things that I stumble upon when I'm looking for presents or clothes for MG. I've met some wonderful bloggers, who like me wear their heart on their sleeve, they are breath of fresh air and an inspiration to me or reach out and touch my heart such as (Just naming a few):

http://ghostwritermummy.wordpress.com/
http://alysonsblog.com/
http://katetakes5.blogspot.com/
http://mdplife.blogspot.com/
http://sahmlovingit.blogspot.com/
http://yummymummyflabbytummy.blogspot.com/
http://www.rrsahm.com/
http://maxabellaloves.blogspot.com/

So again, thank-you, whoever you are.

You never know, I might even be able to go to Cybermummy next year!

If you would still like to nominate my blog, click here...and I'll pay you later ;o)

Silent Sunday

2011-04-10T22:28:00.000+01:00

Have a look at some of the other entries in Silent Sunday this week.

The Gallery - Mother Love

2011-04-06T22:42:00.000+01:00

Tara's themes just get better and better each week over in the gallery, and this week is no exception - Mother Love.

What would I give just to have 5 minutes with my mum so that she could meet her grand-daughter and I could take some beautiful photos and have a hug? - anything in the world, anything at all.

So, this one's for you mum!

Dear Maya

2011-04-05T22:45:00.003+01:00

Dear Maya,

Why won't you eat properly?

Are you teething again, is your mouth sore? Is it because you had a bad cold, then a bug and you're just off food in general?

Have you developed an aversion to food? Why do you not like certain textures like pasta or egg? Why do you have to inspect everything I give you like I am trying to poison you? What is it that you see when you are looking at all the different things I am trying to tempt you with?

Why do you just clamp your mouth shut or put your hand over your mouth now when you used to eat everything in sight?

Why will you only eat bread, yoghurt, fruit pouches and the odd cheese toastie?

Why is the stupid fecking Health Visitor telling me not to worry when it's been going on for 2.5 months and you are starting to lose weight? Why does everyone say don't worry about it, or it's just a stage? Your clothes are starting to hang off you. You won't even really take your night-time bottle either.

Why are you still such a happy wee soul, does this mean mummy shouldn't worry?

What is going to happen after you have your MMR and your booster jabs on Thursday night because I'm running out of things to tempt you with if you are unwell again?

Mummy is going mental, mummy is losing the will to live, mummy can't think what else to do, mummy is getting desperate, mummy is starting to loose sleep over this, mummy is exhausted.

BUT......

Mummy loves you very much xxx

This post has been entered into the FUSSY EATERS SUPPORTERS CLUB

Silent Sunday - A Tribute to my mum

2011-04-03T08:45:00.001+01:00

Miss you so much

e-side 10% off all collections by quoting Promo Code OOHBABY

2011-03-31T22:43:00.001+01:00

If you have a spare 5 minutes, check out the e-side website.

e-side pride themselves on breaking new ground by helping to discover and promote new talented ecofriendly designers from all over the world. They really do have some funky collections with some quite unusual pieces, and I thought some of you may be interested in the kids/gift sections. If you want to know more about e-side click here and the designers click here.

In an earlier post I talked about the Doudou Veilleuse Pastilles Glow in the Dark Rabbit, the first organic, fair-trade soft toy by Papili, which I have since purchased from e-side. What a fab buy! For children who have trouble sleeping they are great companions as they glow in the dark and dim out over time. They also charge using artificial or natural light. MG loves her Doudou and snuggles up to him every night. Doudou has even been globetrotting to Tenerife!

In this day and age I think customer service is extremely important, after all, we are in a recession are we not, and we are becoming wary of parting with our hard earned cash. I received an email from e-side to check that I was satisfied with my purchase, (very impressed as that has only happened to me once before) and then I started chatting with Alessia about my blog and here we are!

e-side have very generously offered to give 10% off all collections to any of my followers/readers *I'm blushing* by quoting Promo Code: OOHBABY

So, why not have a wee look? You might see something you like for yourself, your children or as a gift for someone.

Have a read at my disclosure statement on the tab at the top of my page - just so you all know I'm an honest, hardworking wee soul, and I really am quite a nice person if I do say so myself.

Enjoy! and special thanks to e-side for supporting my blog.

Children's Colouring Book and Playmats - Everyone needs them!

2011-03-30T23:52:00.001+01:00

I received an update of new products from lovely Alessia at E-Side so I thought I would let you all know about them.

Colouring books by smilingplanet - I think these look fab, and they are so different. 64 pages to keep your children amused, especially when traveling and as the Easter holidays are looming, I'm sure this would help out with long car/plane journeys. You can read it, colour it and draw in it, and of course, it's environmentally friendly, printed on FSC paper. You can have a look at all the different pages over on the smilingplanet website (link above) and they can be purchased at E-Side.

Maya was laughing at me drawing pictures for her earlier on today, so I'm really looking forward to doing arts and crafts with her when she's a bit older (Meantime, maybe I should just buy one for myself when we are traveling?).

Playmats were the bain of my life when Maya was younger. There are that many out there to choose from I couldn't make my mind up, and as usual, all the ones I liked were very pricey and I couldn't justify spending the money. These playmats Tapikid by Deuz come in 4 different designs, made from 100% natural cotton using natural dyes (GOTS certified) and are machine washable (an absolute must!). They are great for babies, toddlers, older kids and for picnics.

You can pre-order (due in end April/Beg May) now for the discounted price of £35.70 instead of £42.00 from E-Side. I think that's pretty reasonable for something that can last you years.

I know I will definately be buying one for our new house (yes, I know I keep banging on about that, but we don't have any room just now!).

If anyone buys either products, I'd be really interested to hear about them.

The Gallery - Hair

2011-03-30T21:11:00.000+01:00

Oh how I love Wednesdays - The theme over at Tara Cain's Stickyfingers blog for this weeks Gallery is Hair.

I was actually looking for my high school 2nd year photo = incident at hairdresser's with shaver right up the back of my neck. Obviously I was scarred/traumatised for life (not literally) and did not venture to a hairdressers for many years, and I still don't like going!

I can't believe I am actually posting these photos for everyone to snigger at.........sadly, these are not the worst!

Introducing the home-made 70's style attempt at a fringe by a desperate mother who wanted to shut up her whingeing 7 year old daughter (ME) when the hairdressers was shut:

and then....

The bedhead look, me aged 3

I haven't really changed that much then - My hair still looks like that in the morning!

Off to snigger silently at all the other posts now.

Liebster Award

2011-03-30T16:50:00.001+01:00

Our Claire over at the The Grumpinator nominated me for the Liebster Award whilst I was away sunning myself in Tenerife. It's lovely to know people still think about you even when you are not in the country. This is my 2nd blog award and I'm delighted!

A bit about Claire: Claire and I met through Boxer Welfare Scotland, a charity that is close to our hearts, about 4 years ago. Claire has to be one of the most thoughtful, considerate and compassionate human being I have met in a long time. We were both pregnant at the same time, and we both started blogging about the same time. So Claire - a nice big thank-you hug to you for supporting my blog and all your lovely comments so far.

The Liebster Award is for bloggers with less than 300 followers/subscribers (us wee people, and virgin bloggers), to share blog love and spread the word.

The rules are:

1. Post displaying the award (done), linking back to the person who awarded you (done)
2. Choose your own blog picks (below) and let them know they’re awarded (that'll take a while)
3. Hope everyone discovers some new favourites
4. Revel in the blog love!

And so, my nominations are:

alysonsblog - because she is a wonderful, heartfelt writer, and I love her daily dose of positivity quotes.

Building Blocks and Dinosaur Socks - because she is a great friend who I have finally managed to talk into starting her own blog because she is such a special person and has a magical way with words, and her blog is very new - please support her ;o)

searchingforserendipity - because she is one cool mamma to be and I love her quirky style.

sahmandlovingit - because, well, she's the bees knees ;o)

So, please support them and show some love, and if anyone has found out where this award originated can they please let the nominated people know so we can credit them. TQ

Guest Post - Karen's Parenting Tips "Tantrums and Chocolate"

2011-03-30T00:34:00.001+01:00

I spent time in Tenerife thinking about my blog and it's direction and I've decided to hold regular guest posts by some of my mummy friends on different topics, and hopefully some from my respected colleagues at work in the near future on specific subjects.

So, without further ado, my first guest post is my good friend Karen. We actually met 4 years ago, when we fostered our boxer dog, Honey Bee, and we have been firm friends ever since - which is an indication of the kind and thoughtful person that she is. Karen has 3 children, and I think she is the perfect person to pick for my first guest post. A fountain of knowledge and wisdom when it comes to children and boxer doggies.

A bit about Karen:

I am 44 years old and have three children, 20 year old son, 17 1/2 year old daughter and my "baby" 11 1/2 year old daughter. All three were different pregnancies, births and personalities and still are! They were also all born in very different "stages" of my life from 24 to 32.

I think I have always had 3 main "rules" in parenting: routine, respect & boundaries and, even in the toughest of parenting times, I have tried to stick to those.

Karen's wisdom - "Tantrums and Chocolate":

Routine creates structure and lets the baby/child know what is coming next and what to expect, it can also create stability in their life.

Respect is something I am big on. Teach a child to respect its elders, property, environment and itself and they wont go far wrong. A child who finds it abhorrent to throw litter is less likely to grow up to rob houses! (A little stretched I know, but you get my point).

A key part of respect is children believing what you say and listening to you and you listening to them. This goes right on into their teens.

Finally, boundaries. They are so important for you and the child. If the child knows what it can or can't do and where its boundaries are, then they are free to explore the world within them safely and freely. Boundaries change as they get older, but I kept them in place right into the teens. Curfews were always reasonable, but were in place and they never broke them. My older two kids always say that they knew there were rules, but they never felt the need to push against them, as they had learnt to respect my guidelines and had earned my trust, and they trusted me to do the best for them.

I think a key part to any parenting is learning to say no. If you say no, then stick to it, regardless of the emotional blackmail that follows it! The flip side of this is to think before you say no, to make sure you aren't just saying no for the sake of it and then have to give in. Also don't make useless veiled threats "well no holiday for you this year then" is not going to make a 4 year old suddenly sit up and take notice! If you have threatened they are going to bed on the count of three, then do it.

Now on to the topic that Lynne was talking about the other day: tantrums! Oh boy aren't they fun and oh so embarrassing in the supermarket!

A tantrum is purely the child's way of expressing their views on something in the only way they can! Their language is limited and their comprehension of situations is minimal so it is a very basic way of saying "look Mum, I really don't agree with you right now and I would rather we did x, y or z". They are also a fantastic way to get what they want when they want and can be deployed at their most advantageous times (Granny visiting, Dr's waiting room, or chocolate aisle in Tesco!)

The best way to deal with any tantrum is simply to ignore it. They soon learn that actually, this isn't going to work and will (eventually) just get bored of them. For those with dogs, it's a similar process, you praise the good and ignore the bad!

As soon as you can see a tantrum arriving (there are normally warning signs) then head straight into distraction mode! Take them to a different room/aisle/etc and completely throw their train of thought.

If you have missed the warning signs and the tantrum starts, simply ignore it. Make sure the child is safe and cannot harm themselves and leave them to it. Honestly, if you aren't there to feed the situation, then they will get bored, although some do take longer than others. I always smile when I see a 3 year old kicking it up in a trolley, while the Mum carries on shopping regardless, completely ignoring the child! Good for them I say!

As soon as the tantrum is over, you just carry on as normal. Conversation/interaction as if it had never happened in the first place, which reinforces the lack of attention around the tantrum in the first place.

Another key thing is to spot the tantrum triggers that are particular to your child and try and avoid them where necessary. Clearly bed time and mealtimes are necessary and are often tantrum triggers, but it's important that the child realises that they cannot control your routine by their tantrums. If a child throws a tantrum at the table, simply remove them to another room. When they calm down, they can come back and finish their meal.

I think the most important tip I was given was not to try and soothe the child and feed the tantrum. Giving in to what they want, offering them options or event treats, just to calm them down. You are basically training your child that throwing a tantrum gets them what they want.

Most importantly, while they are throwing their tantrum, walk away and give yourself time to calm down and breathe. The calmer you can remain, the more you will stay in control of the situation. Make yourself a cuppa, have some emergency tantrum chocolate on standby and just ride out the storm.

Don't worry, they only last until they are about ............ 17or so?!

Huge thanks to Karen - for agreeing to write this and for being my first guest post, a daunting prospect for someone who is not a blogger (although she is fellow facebooker and tweeter - and always teaching me when I don't have a clue what I'm doing!). Karen was a bit worried mummy bloggers would think she sounded patronizing, but I said that advice/help is always appreciated from/for bloggers of children at all different stages. Karen has wonderful relationships with her children, this alone is testament to what a great mum she is!

Holiday = Much needed Vitamin D for the PND!

2011-03-29T23:39:00.000+01:00

Sunshine really has helped my PND. It's definately raised the serotonin levels in the old brain, and I feel revitalised, recharged and raring to go!

Just back from a week in Tenerife, sweat lashing off me every day in 23 degree heat, nice tan (using factor 30!), fabulous food, great company, good chat, and above all, my daughter had a ball. I had a wee wobbler on day 3 as Maya hardly ate anything the whole week we were there. I was feeling a bit desperate, resorting to bribery with cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, chocolate wafters, in fact anything (Maya never eats things like this at home) but then I had a chat with some of the other mums there, who reassured me not to worry too much about her only eating bananas, yoghurt, bread, biscuits and cakes for 7 days! Then I just tried to relax about it, instead of getting stressed and defeating the whole purpose of the holiday in the first place.

We stayed at the Hotel Isabel, in Costa Adeje, which I really can't recommend highly enough for families with young children. The self catering apartment we stayed in was spotless and cleaned every day. I humfed the travel cot with me needlessly as the hotel supplied a cot, which was grand. The children's pool was lovely, although in the end we used the larger pool to allow Maya to swim and have more freedom. We were all inclusive, and I really can't fault the food at all. Plenty of choice, for adults and children (if you have a child under 1, I would take your own with you). Kids club for 3 to 8 years old - the reps and hotel staff never stopped entertaining all the children. The best thing about the hotel - the staff in the restaurant. Maya made friends with several of the staff, who were so lovely and attentive towards Maya, greeting her every time we went for something to eat, remembering her name, and chatting with her which really made out visit special. I think Maya defiantely has an eye for the men, her favourite waiters were Frederico and Mohamed, who fussed over her constantly. All in all we had a fabulous time, a much needed holiday for all involved.

We went on a boat trip to see dolphins and pilot whales, which was a highlight for myself and my mother-in-law. I was surprised how much Maya enjoyed it too, pointing and giggling when she saw the dolphins and whales. I must have looked and sounded like an idiot, with lots of aaaaahs, oooohhhs, and shreiking "look Maya!" whilst doing fish impressions at the same time.

Thought I would do a wee storybook of our time in Tenerife:

Girls on Tour

Maya thought this was her daddy
in the Ryanair Magazine!

Me and my boat!

Mam, get that daft hat off -
I'm not with you!

Cheese!

Me and my girl

Tantrum time!

Chocolate time!

I'm a big girl now!

PeekaBoo

Strawberry girl

Maya's favourite waiter - Frederico

Look - I've told you this is my plane!

Last Day

One week and look at all the luggage!

The holidays over - well needed R & R

So, I just want to say a huge thank-you to my mother in law, father in law and sister in law, for their thoughtfulness, kindness, understanding, and for looking after me when I really needed it. I really can't thank you all enough. Oh, and a special mention to my hubby - who I hope enjoyed the much needed short lived peace and tranquillity, because, we're back!!!!

The Gallery - Trees

2011-03-15T23:14:00.000Z

Trees - I love trees. In the summer and autumn, not so much in the winter. I am obsessed with blossom trees, I just think they are beautiful.

Something I have wanted to do for years is plant a blossom tree at the bottom of the garden and watch it grow. Within the last 10 years, I have moved house 7 times, and our future move (when it happens) will be the last for a long, long time. Finally, somewhere I can completely settle down and plan my little garden.

Hoping that it will look a little like these photo's I have taken over the last two years - wishful thinking perhaps?

Central Park, New York

Brig 'O' Doon, Ayrshire

Movie Meme - Mr Dicaprio swoon

2011-03-15T21:59:00.001Z

Metal Mummy has come a cracker this week with her choice of Movie Meme:

The fabulous, totally gorgeous, mouthwatering, species of a man - Mr Leonardo Dicaprio.

I must admit, I was actually one of the few people that actually loved the film Titanic, but purely because that was when I developed by crush on the man - I will also admit that I watched Titanic several hundred times and paused many scenes just to stare at him. I had never encountered such a luscious creature (ok, now I'm actually freaking myself out!). I hope you are all appreciating the level of crush that was happening then, remember I was in my early 20's! Then came along The Beach, which was a good film (more body swooning) up until the highly annoying psychedelic part which I had to ffwd constantly.

All swooning aside, I really do think that he is one of the best actors around at the moment. I find it difficult to choose my all time favourite Dicaprio film, This Boy's Life, running a close 2nd for acting performance and gritty, heart-wrenching storyline, and other noteworthy films such as The Departed, Blood Diamonds, Marvin's Room and Body of Lies, but I'm going to go with the one I have watched the most for it's comic value and cheeky character, therefore, it would have to be:

Catch Me If You Can!

How do you perceive me? One Word Meme

2011-03-13T21:42:00.001Z

Today I was tagged by the enchanting Heather at SAMHlovingit (threw in another sneaky word there!) to take part in this lovely meme which originated over at the inspiring (there's another one!) Michelle's blog, Mummy from the Heart.

I must admit, I was a bit panic stricken. I've only been blogging since mid January 2011 and it's taking me quite a long time to feel part of the world wide blogging community. Everyone has been lurvely, I suppose it's just building up my confidence doing something that I really don't have a clue about, but I'm learning every day. It really is quite a daunting thought wondering what the blogging world thinks of me so far.

1st thought was: Oh god, who do I tag back that's not already been tagged? How do I find out who has already been tagged.

2nd thought was: What if nobody leaves any 1 word comments?

3rd though was: Aww, it's my very 1st tag! You made my day Heather!

Am I good at taking compliments? I'm not really sure. I think it depends on who is giving them. Sometimes I'm quite skeptical, like - What are they after? or Are they being sarcastic, where my reply would be - Are you trying to be funny? Sometimes I say - Thanks very much, that was a nice thing to say. Sometimes I say: You've got to be joking, I look like someone's dragged me through a bush backwards and then flushed me down the toilet. Mostly, I just smile and say - Thanks - so do you!

So, all you have to do is choose one word that you think describes me (from your point of view), and post it in the comment box below. If it's horrible, then as Kate takes 5 said in her post, I will just have to "Get a thick skin". If it's something nice, then I thank-you dearly ;o)

I think I will tag the following wonderful ladies, who have left some really nice, positive comments on my blog, and hoping that you've not been tagged already, and hoping you will see the tags!

maxabellaloves

Tattie Weasle

Yummy Mummy Flabby Tummy

The Grumpinator

Nic's Notebook

and as Michelle from Mummy from the Heart said "Because this is a meme I have to tag people and challenge them to do the same. I know it will not come naturally to people to ask for compliments from others but I hope that you like me enough to want to make my meme a success. Not because I will feel good or it may boost my inlinks or any such rubbish (don't link to me if you think like that) but because I know that it will be amazing to have a whole community of bloggers who are feeling really good about themselves."

Silent Sunday - Shopping

2011-03-13T14:49:00.000Z

Reasons to be Cheerful & I'm Grateful For

2011-03-12T21:28:00.000Z

I've been slacking a bit recently with these two lovely ladies blog hops, probably due to not feeling very positive at the moment (might be the impending Mother's Day dread starting). So I'm saying - Pick yourself up girl, and give yourself a wee shake!

Over at the lovely Mummy from the Heart - Michelle's post's are so positive and literally take my breath away.

Here's my reason's to be cheerful for this week.

1. Healthcare. I'm grateful that we have access to healthcare and medicine. With Red Nose Day approaching, I really don't think we appreciate how lucky we all are that we have readily available medicines such as antibiotics and vaccines.

2. Our weather. I never thought I would say this, but after this weeks Tsunami and earthquake in Japan and beforehand in New Zealand, I am so glad we have our climate here in the UK. I cannot imagine going through what those poor people are experiencing at the moment.

3. Feeling better at last. After a hellish week of sinusitis, a chest infection, then antibiotics starting up my stomach ulcer, I am so bloody grateful that I feel at least half human now.

4. 7 days until Tenerife, and boy, do I need some sunshine!

I also like to linky this up with the wonderful Maxabella Loves blog hop:

Thank-you ladies, positive vibes!

Tree's - The Gallery

2011-03-12T17:00:00.000Z

Oooohhhh, this week over at Tara's Sticky Fingers blog The Gallery - Week 50 theme is trees.

I too am obsessed with trees (especially blossom trees), oh, and owls! Looking forward to Wednesday's posting, and I've got a few photo's choose from. I think I'm getting slightly obsessed with The Gallery, but I really do love taking part in it. Wondering how I'm going to post a week on Wednesday from Tenerife already.

Watch this space!

Book Review - Room, by Emma Donoghue

2011-03-10T21:17:00.000Z

As I'm a bookworm, I thought I would start reviewing some of the books I read on the old blog!

I've chosen this book as my first review, because, in one word, it is brilliant.

Room, by Emma Donoghue

This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Fiction Awards 2010, and after reading it, I can understand why.

Very rarely do you read a gem of a book, that you just can't bear to put down, or in my case, read most of the night in bed because I have a baby and I don't have time to read during the day.

It's a compelling and very cleverly written read, about a 5 year old boy and his mother, who basically live in a locked Room, and they have no key. The book is written from the young boys perspective, and right from the start, the story draws you in and captivates you. Jack has never been outside room and believes that everything he watches on the TV (their only luxury) is make-believe.

The story starts to unfold when mum is forced to tell Jack that there is a world outside room and what he sees on the TV is actually reality, after a certain situation makes her realise that she has no choice, it's literally a life or death decision.

It's a gritty read, through a child's eyes. Sometimes it makes you laugh out loud, sometimes it makes you gasp in horror. It is easy to have a strong empathy for both characters, in a story that draws you in from the start, packing a punch in the middle and the end.

The implications of the book really make you think about stories that we all have heard in the news that involve Stockholm Syndrome, e.g. Colleen Stan, Elizabeth Fritzl and how they manage to put their lives back together.

You can purchase the book on Amazon UK for £3.99 just now as they have 50% off.

It's really worth a read and as I've already said, its been a while since I've enjoyed a book so much. I think because it's written from the 5 year olds perspective, you can really connect with it and imagine the world through a child's eyes.

I'm now about to start reading something a bit more light-hearted called, funnily enough......The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill. And I quote, I once said "I hate reading fiction, it's such a load of crap, especially chic-lit".

I think we all need some easy to read, no effort chic-lit in our lives when we have to think and do about a gazillion other things during the day, and especially when you're a mum!

The Gallery - One Word (Indistinguishable)

2011-03-09T22:10:00.000Z

Over at Tara's Sticky Fingers Gallery this week the theme is One Word.

Well - here goes, it has to be: Indistinguishable!

Oh how I dearly love these Meme's - I can't believe my sister-in-law captured this shot on camera.

Silent Sunday

2011-03-07T00:30:00.000Z

The Safe Sippy 2 - Review

2011-03-07T00:16:00.000Z

In an earlier post I talked about the Safe Sippy Cup 2.

I've now purchased and tested this and because it's so good I thought I had better review it.

MG has always found it difficult to tip the Tommy Tippy training cup up to her mouth as she has yet to master the art of tipping her head back, so the cup had to be nearly full to the top, which obviously makes it quite heavy. She developed a weird position to counteract this, which resembled something a contortionist would do and looked really uncomfortable. As I'm sure all new mums do - I've been scouring the net looking for an alternative for ages - until now!

The Safe Sippy 2 by Kid-Basix for babies from 6 months, is a revolution. The cup has a 2-1 function for younger babies, and for when they are older making it a straw like bottle. It comes with a travel plug and lid, preventing spillages. It comes in two colours, either pink or blue, and is completely BPA free.

A huge amount of research has gone into the making of this cup, and here's a few points:

The Spout - Speech development experts have established that wide drinking spouts found on most trainer cups can cause speech development problems, and their findings suggest a straw like shape is better for developing mouths.

The Waist - The waist has been specifically designed with little hands in mind, even when they don't need the handles anymore.

The Handles - non-slip, east to hold (even when hands are smothered in food etc).

The Sleeve - Made from thermo-plastic rubber, keeping drinks cold on hot days, and protects the cup when dropped several hundred times from the highchair!

Stainless Steel Body - Is non-leaching, toxin free and dishwasher safe.

Maya can now sip her water in a comfortable position by using the straw function instead of struggling to actually get some water in her mouth - no more trying to tip the cup.

I am so fed up buying things that say they do this and that, and basically they are a load of crap and you end up waisting money but I would definately recommend this product, and I really wish I had ordered it as her first training cup. It's priced at round about £12.99 and I think it's worth every penny. It will last for years, and in this current economic climate every penny counts!

You can buy the cup on-line from:

VUP Baby

Thatcuteage

Ooh Baby - All things Cuteable

One Born - My Birthing Story & Netmums

My Pregnancy Diary (18 to 26 weeks) - how did that happen, where did it go?

The Blogging Pledge

My Pregnancy Diary - Up to week 17

Our Portraiture Session with Roddy MacKay

A New Beginning

Show & Tell - August - "Inspiration" & Show Off Your Shot

Silent Sunday

Shadow Shot Sunday

Silent Sunday

Bounty - Flash Sale Baby Bargains

A Must for all Mums - Paediatric Resuscitation Course

Silent Sunday/Shadow Shot Sunday/Show and Tell

Slimpod Journal - July (Month One) Battle of the Baby Weight

Silent Sunday

The Annabel Karmel Way or the Highway?

♫ I've got my new shoes on ♫

Beatrix NY - I'm in Owl Heaven!

Snack Pots/Mats/Plates/Beakers by Tum Tum

Toy Storage Baskets by Rice

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!

Eat, Pray, Hope?

Raising money for CHAS (Children's Hospice Association Scotland)

Feed, Burp, Change, Blog | eHow.com

My First Experience of Breastfeeding - How was yours?

Silent Sunday

Becky and Lolo

Silent Sunday

My Birthing Story - What happened to my Birthing Plan?

The Scottish Baby Show Review for Emma's Diary

A Guardian Interview with......Moi

Igniting Passions.....Of Interest!

The Gallery - Green

Silent Sunday

Easter Treats

The Royal Wedding - A bit of Lighthearted Banter

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

The Gallery - My Blog

Fussy Eater - I've officially lost the plot!

Reasons to be Cheerful/I'm Grateful for

The Gallery - Tomorrow

Ahem - I've been Nominated in the MADS 2011!

Silent Sunday

The Gallery - Mother Love

Dear Maya

Silent Sunday - A Tribute to my mum

e-side 10% off all collections by quoting Promo Code OOHBABY

Children's Colouring Book and Playmats - Everyone needs them!

The Gallery - Hair

Liebster Award

Guest Post - Karen's Parenting Tips "Tantrums and Chocolate"

Holiday = Much needed Vitamin D for the PND!

The Gallery - Trees

Movie Meme - Mr Dicaprio *swoon*

How do you perceive me? One Word Meme

Silent Sunday - Shopping

Reasons to be Cheerful & I'm Grateful For

Tree's - The Gallery

Book Review - Room, by Emma Donoghue

The Gallery - One Word (Indistinguishable)

Silent Sunday

The Safe Sippy 2 - Review

Movie Meme - Mr Dicaprio swoon