Moving Up to a Big Boy Bed

Lots of people ask the question "When does a baby move from a cot to a bed?" and I think the answer is really very dependent on the individual child. I remember when Isla moved from her cot to a toddler bed and it definitely signalled the end of babyhood, she was just past 2 years old. Seeing her in her new bed, she looked so small, yet so grown up at the same time. So the time came recently for Noah to leave his cot and make the leap to a toddler bed and it was again the end of his babyhood, also at 2 years old. But to me it was more than that as he is definitely my last baby and therefore the cot was packed up and given to a friend and I felt a lump in my throat. And so started a new chapter, of training him to not keep getting in and out of bed at bedtime. To be fair to him, he's not been too much a of terror for that, like his sister was. He knows he can get out whenever he wants but in the morning he prefers to sit up in bed and just yell "MUUUUMMMY" until I come running.

He was very pleased with his new bed and it seems like since he's been sleeping in it he's grown even more. He loves the little shelf on the side, for his water beaker and to put his trains that he insists on going up to bed with! The head end of the bed has side panels to help stop him from falling out, which is great while he gets used to sleeping in a bed with no bars. I love the storage boxes that slide under the bed - very useful for a room where the children share. The fact that it's Spiderman also makes it 100% big boy material, but that doesn't stop him from saying he's a baby every time I try to get him to start potty training......


We were sent the Spiderman Toddler Bed free of charge from http://www.bambinodirect.co.uk in exchange for this post. All words are my own.

Getting Rid of The Dummy!

This week something big happened. Isla kicked her "Nummy" (her name for it) habit! It was a day that I couldn't see coming at all and it was meant to happen a year ago - Father Christmas was meant to take it in exchange for presents but it never happened, he was too busy delivering presents to stick to his guns on that threat. I remember in the early days of this blog writing about her Gummeeeee (as it was then called - it's gone through a few names changes!) and how at the age that Noah is now, she would call out in the night and we'd have to go in and replace it 5+ times). In recent times we'd whittled the dummies down from having about 8 in circulation to this one lone yellow number, that used to have a frog motif on the front. Isla would occasionally refer to the frog, saying sadly, "there's no frog here now Mummy". The number of times that we misplaced this one dummy and turned over the whole house trying to find it I couldn't count.

Dummy use was only for bed time and that had been the long standing rule for a good while. She had a dummy at nursery that she would use at nap times there, but that mysteriously got 'lost', yet she wouldn't struggle to nap there, so I felt that this was proof enough that the dummy was no longer needed - she didn't *need* it to get to sleep. I kept suggesting to her that she was a big girl and that she didn't need her nummy anymore, but with a glint in her eye she would always say "I do Mummy, I need it".

This week however the situation was taken out of my hands and Isla came to me with Nummy and told me it had a hole in! This was obviously making it a bit less effective and also from my point of view we couldn't keep using this thing with a hole in it - it would be a germ breeding ground (if it wasn't already). So I said as much to her and she looked slightly perturbed, but she didn't get really upset and whingey like she had in the past so I pressed the point that it couldn't be used and then the real clincher came when I said that if she gave up Nummy she could have a Barbie. Well that was that - Nummy was handed over and there was no argument. I couldn't quite believe it, I'd seized the opportunity and the habit was over.

AND YES I RESORTED TO BRIBERY. AND IT WORKED! I'M NOT ASHAMED!

She was pleased as punch and as luck would have it she went to bed that night without Nummy and was happy to wait until the morning for the presentation of Barbie! We had a Barbie in the cupboard which was one of her Christmas presents, it was a pretty inexpensive one and for the sake of getting rid of the Nummy it made one happy little girl and one happy mummy. I'm pleased that it's gone now as I knew that she was getting way too old for it and also I was sure that the dentist wouldn't be impressed. Although I am going to admit to feeling a small tinge of sadness as it was the final frontier of babyhood. The last thing that baby-fied her. Every evening in her pyjamas she would sit watching a bit of bedtime TV, with a cup of milk and her nummy and Sheepy and I'd hear her occasionally suck suck suck on it. Nummy has hardly been mentioned since, only to say that she's a big girl now and she doesn't need it and that the babies need it now. Go Isla!

JOHNSON'S® Baby Mums Know Best Campaign

JOHNSON'S® Baby have asked me to write a "note to self” including what I wish I’d known as a first time mum. 

Dear Sharon

First of all, take it easy. You're a new mum, no one expects you to be super mum, super wife or domestic goddess! It's a tough job and with all jobs you need to take your time to learn the ropes! Take time to bond with your little person, enjoy the early days as much as you can. Work out your own methods and best ways of doing things and try to dodge all the conflicting advice that you will get hit with from the minute baby is born. Feel your way and trust your instincts!

Don't feel bad if breast feeding doesn't work. Always give it a try but if you feel it's making things difficult and causing you unhappiness then that's only going to transmit to the baby. Breast is undoubtedly meant to be best but what's best for some isn't best for all and formula is NOT the devils work! It's been around for mothers’ for decades and it does the job! Don't give yourself a big guilt trip if you bottle feed, if you’re happy, baby will be happy.

Nappy changing a newborn is hard enough but when you’re told by the hospital that for 6 weeks you should only clean your babies bottom with water and cotton wool and you mustn’t use baby bath to bathe baby it just makes things that much more fiddly. Filling up little bowls of water, pulling off big wodges of cotton wool – it’s all done for the best possible reason – to protect your baby’s skin but recent research from The University of Manchester suggests that it’s not necessary to stick to this regime. An independent clinical trial recently found that JOHNSON’S Baby Extra Sensitive Wipes and Top-to-Toe Bath are just as safe as using cotton wool and water. Current advice from midwives and health visitors is to just use water but us mums need something more convenient and effective. If you want to get out and about with your baby, cleaning them up with water and cotton wool in the shopping centre baby change area is not exactly easy! It’s so great that us mums can now clean our babies with no guilt.*

Don't always rely on supposed 'Parenting Experts'! Don't buy every book on Amazon that promises you sleep or guarantees a fully weaned baby by 1 year. Babies are all individuals too, they will have their own rhythm and you can influence it to a certain extent but don’t worry if your baby isn't doing the same as what the latest expert’s book says! Be an ‘expert’ about your own children and don’t worry if your baby doesn’t follow the ‘norm’.

Don’t feel bad about using a dummy! If a dummy works for your baby and helps to settle them then use it (don’t get too cross though when you have to get out of bed a few times a night to replace it!) and ignore other people’s comments and remarks. Why make your baby unhappy for trying to conform to other peoples opinion. If the dummy provides a bit of comfort that your baby needs (especially when teething) then pop it in.

Most of all stress less and enjoy your baby more, have the courage of your convictions, trust your instincts, as after all, mums know best!

Love

Me 

* I really do wish clinical proof about the safety of using wipes on babies had been around when I had Isla. When you leave hospital with your newborn, you really do want to do the best you can for them and you feel you need to protect them in every way. So you persevere with the water and cotton wool and it’s just one more thing that can make your day that bit more complicated. It’s really not easy going out and about with a baby as it is and changing them on the move can be fraught with pitfalls – remember those poos that go all up the back, wipes are perfect for those! So I’m glad that mums can now confidently make a choice when it comes to cleansing their newborn baby, right from the very first day.

The independent trial conducted with over 500 mums found JOHNSON’S® Baby Extra Sensitive Wipes and Top-To-Toe® Bath to be just as safe as using cotton wool and water or just water to cleanse delicate newborn skin. Keeping baby’s skin clean and hydrated is important for their general well being and happiness.

Endorsed by family health expert and mum of two young children, Dr Ellie Cannon says: “I know from experience there isn’t a mum out there that doesn’t worry about every action they take when it comes to their babies. There are plenty of occasions when there’s a mental tug of war over whether to follow professional advice or to trust your instincts and make a decision that just feels right for you, regardless of professional opinion. The findings of this clinical trial now give new mums one less decision to worry about, and actually provide them with reassurance and confidence to make an informed choice that’s safe for their baby – fantastic!”

To find out more about the campaign, take a look at the following youtube link:

"I have been asked to work with JOHNSON'S® Baby to write a "note to self" to coincide with their Mums Know Best campaign which aims to empower new mums and women in the last stage of pregnancy to trust their instincts and have confidence in their own convictions, supported by the groundbreaking new independent evidence proving that JOHNSON'S® Baby Extra Sensitive Wipes & Top-To-Toe® Bath are as safe to use as water alone on newborn skin. They have paid me to write this post."

Plum Baby Cookery School - Stage 2

Here's the next Plum Baby Cookery School Weaning Video - Stage 2! Enjoy!

The Day That.....My Son Was Born

This post is my entry into the The Day That… blogger photo competition

My Boy Turns 1

It's safe to say that this has been the fastest, and I'm going to admit the most tiring year of my life. How has my baby boy gone from being  a newborn to a toddler so quickly? I thought life with one child was fast moving, but with two it's like travelling at the speed of light. It has been a wonderful year, seeing my baby grow and change and also watching his relationships develop - with his Sister, his Daddy and his Grandparents. I think it must be very hard for him as he has a gregarious older sister who LOVES the limelight and I feel like sometimes he is a little bit of an enigma - no one sees the side of him that I see all the time, the cheeky grins, the wicked sense of humour (no I'm not mad, he really does already have a sense of humour at 1) and the determination to keep reaching milestones.

I can't say I could imagine a year ago what my life would be like now, it's certainly a hard year when you have another older child only 2 years older, they almost NEVER sleep at the same time, they never wake up at the same time and now Noah is older they're already tussling with each other over toys and demanding the same things. He's already walking which I can safely say is a great relief as he WEIGHS A TONNE!! Anyone I meet in the street or at soft play cannot believe that he is only 1 - he looks about 18 months - I'm sure this will go against him as he gets older and people might expect more from him on first meeting him.

He is the making of our family and we love him to bits. It's rather weird now that his birthday is over and knowing how different Isla was between 1 and 2 years of age - it's such a cliche but I almost don't want him to grow up - and then my rational brain says - "of course you do! you want sleep and to reclaim some of your life back!". The other thing that is weird is having all these boys toys around the house! Up till a few days ago we pretty much had either girls or unisex baby toys for him and now we're full to the brim with trains, diggers and cars! I've got to learn a whole new way of playing.

Noah at 11 months

It feels like in the last month Noah has really changed from baby to almost toddler. Traces of babyhood remain but he's growing up so fast! He also seems to be doing things a lot quicker than Isla did and I guess that must be the influence of having an older sibling and wanting to do everything that she does.

In the past few weeks he has been practising his standing up on his own skills. He stands up hands free and looks around for appreciation, which of course he gets. Yesterday he was even standing up lifting a ride on toy up in the air, I'm wondering if it's too late to enter him into Olympic weight lifting?

He's also understanding so much of what we say to him now. If you ask him to clap he'll do it. He'll also give kisses too! The one development that I'm not so keen on is the shaking his head 'no'. I seem to remember 'no' becoming Isla's favourite word so I'm not looking forward to that phase starting again. He also whistles, it started with him blowing and then it became a whistle, so funny because I can't even whistle, neither can Isla and reminds me of an episode of Peppa Pig where she desparately wants to whistle and can't but even George can do it. He's also a pro at playing the harmonica....

He is a climber in a way that Isla never was, he wants to climb on chairs, Isla's bed and if we accidentally leave the downstairs stair gate open he's up like a shot. Needless to say it's staying shut a lot now, even though this then proves tricky when Isla wants to make a dash for the loo - why do kids always wait till the last minute?!

What else is he up to? Well he eats really well, doesn't refuse very much (yet), his sleep has improved slightly, there are fewer 5am starts than say 2 months ago but still more than I'd like! He has recently started to like some characters on TV - In the Night Garden has become a favourite since we went to see the show - when it comes on TV he points to the photo that we had taken with Iggle Piggle! He also loves Thomas the Tank Engine. Gets really excited when he hears the music for it. Bedtime reading is also one of his favourite times and he loves books with sounds, but his favourite one is the same as Isla's was at his age - a book called Peepo Sun. He's also got a favourite toy/comforter called Doggy the Bob. I swore after Big Sheepy that we wouldn't go down that route again but I find myself in a similar situation again where he loves this toy and gets upset when either someone else has taken it or he's not ready to give it up when he's woken up. He sleeps cuddling it - it really is too bloody cute!

Oh and he's also very nearly got 6 teeth and its so obvious that he finds them a bit strange as he pulls all kinds of faces and is constantly rolling his tongue over them, I guess it must be weird all of a sudden these sharp little things spring up in your gummy mouth.

He's still totally devoted to me and cries blue murder if I have to walk away from him for anything. He's settled at nursery though now and is comfortable with the girls there and recognises where he's going when we show up there.

So he's almost 1 years old and I can't quite believe it, it has to be the fastest year of my life. I'm so enjoying watching him grow and become the most gorgeous little boy. MY little boy.

New Shoes!

I love the stage when you buy the baby their first pair of shoes! Noah got his first pair at the weekend and I love them! He is a 4.5 G, which seems enormous to me for a 9 month old. We got them from Clarks as we did with Isla when she got her first pair. The only difference being that for her they did this really sweet thing of taking a polaroid of her in her new shoes and putting it in a little card frame to mark the occasion. They didn't seem to do it this time round which is a shame but I took this picture as soon as we left the shop and they look so cute on his feet!

Noah at 8 Months; Separation Anxiety, A Tooth & Crawling!

A lot has happened in the last week....

We've had a lot of crying. Separation anxiety is at it's height! And lucky old me, it's only me that he wants. I blogged last year about Isla being a Daddy's girl and my OH reminded me recently that I did say that I wanted a Mummy's boy. Well, I'm not saying that I'd like to retract that but let's just say it's getting a bit too much. I can't even step more than a foot away from the boy without howls of distress. It's like a siren and it gets louder and louder. I'm pretty sure that Isla did a little bit of this, but definitely not to this extent.

We did an experiment a couple of times, just to check if there was actually anything wrong with him. It went like this. I'm in the room, right next to him, Noah is all calm and collected. I move away from him. Howling commences. I must add that he can still see me, I haven't gone anywhere far! The OH picks him up, this is still not good enough. He is sobbing, uncontrollably, snot pouring from his nostrils. I come back into the acceptable distance I'm allowed away from him (an inch) and he visibly calms a bit, but still howls. I take him from the OH and all crying ends and almost a jubilant look can be detected as he snuggles up to me as if to say, 'YES! I got what I wanted in the end!'.

It's draining and has gone on my pro's list for going back to work (another post in progress to address that!). I hope he stops it soon and I get my happy contented boy back, however I also think it is linked to the appearance of a tooth. At last. I really hoped that we'd have a few teeth done and dusted by now, so that on my return to work I only had about another 12 teeth to arrive and sleepless nights would be fewer. But no, he's decided to follow in his sister's footsteps and get his first one at 8 months like her. I don't have to worry about him needing them for eating though. He's storming through solids, with even the nursery admitting to me last week that they forgot to puree his food and he was eating rather large sized pieces of pasta for lunch! Go Noah!

Another milestone we ticked off the list this week is crawling. Now this is a double edged sword. Brilliant because it's a step towards me not having to carry around a 25lb baby everywhere I go (yes, he really is that heavy!) but not brilliant because he'll be getting into EVERYTHING! Ashamedly, this another one of my pro's for going back to work....someone else will deal with this while I'm at the office! Seriously though I do love it. I love seeing him grow and it does feel that between 6 months and 8 months a lot has happened. He's no longer a sicky baby, we don't have to change our clothes (mine too!) a million times due to reflux. He's also full of personality now. I love the interaction between him and Isla (well not all of it), he's always watching her and checking out what she's doing and she has become more interested in him too. However I do think I need to get Isla's hair cut a bit shorter as he is forever making a grab for it which results in lots of tears. The funny thing is that while she is crying her eyes out, he is laughing like Nan (you know the Catherine Tate character?), really cackling.

He is the hungriest baby ever still. I am slightly worried by the fact that most nights he has a late feed and then will still quite often wake in the night for milk too. I wondered if this was a habit but to be honest I don't think I could persuade him not to have milk if I tried as he goes completely mad until he gets it. I pity the neighbours, because he ROARS, although they swear that they never hear him. I know all babies are different and there can't possibly be a hard fast rule on how much food they should eat at each meal, but I do find it hard to judge how much I should be serving up to him when weaning and the very fact he wakes in the night for milk could mean I'm not giving him enough solids I guess? Any feedback on that welcome!

As I mentioned before I'm due back to work soon and the closer it gets the more it actually breaks my heart, he's really made this family complete and I couldn't imagine life without him. So on that note I'll sign off. More on my big baby's progress soon.

Weaning Has Begun!

I ♥ Essie Jain

Essie Jain's 'Until the Light of Morning' is simply gorgeous and if like me you have a baby that loves to fall asleep to music then this will be right up your sleeping beauty's street! Not only that it's also really enjoyable from an adult perspective too, not a Twinkle Twinkle in sight! I would compare it to the likes of Zero 7 (who I love!), it's really quite folksy and Essie's voice is beautifully hypnotic, sending baby into a gentle slumber (not to mention a tired mummy)!

You can purchase the album on iTunes for £5.99

We received a copy for review and I'm happy to say we absolutely loved it!



A Lot's Happened in 7 Weeks!

I can’t believe it’s been 7 weeks already that Noah has been in the world! It’s gone so quickly. He arrived 12 days late and after a failed sweep I had my waters broken and then he made a storming entrance in about 5 and a half hours! Nice and quick for mummy and he was a whopper at 9lb 14oz.

So what has happened in that time?

4 days after his arrival was his big sister Isla’s birthday and boy does she like birthdays! She’s not stopped singing ‘Happy Birthday’ ever since! I have to admit to spoiling her. Partly it was to do with the guilt at turning her world upside down and partly it was that I kept buying things in the run up to her birthday, putting them away and then when it came to the day I was actually astounded by how many things we’d bought that I’d forgotten about. Whoops! She had a fab day though and it was also a good opportunity for us to show off Noah.

One thing that has been good about having a toddler as well is that you really cannot hibernate indoors second time around, Noah has been out and about to a few birthday parties, Isla’s sports day, a trip to London for Lollibop, a saunter round a National Trust garden (well a big snooze actually!) and has even sampled the delights of Croydon (thankfully also stayed asleep for that too!). We get 2 days a week to spend quality time together when Isla goes to nursery and so far she has been really good at drop off and we haven’t had any resistance to going there.

However there has been increased ‘terrible two’ behaviour that I feel sure has been brought on by Noah’s arrival. Me and the OH are trying to be patient with her but it is very hard when some of the tantrums are over silly things (one over baked beans!) and her behaviour is completely irrational. Worst example was when she refused to get in the buggy home from the park. My other half literally could not get her in the buggy for love nor money, she was screaming/ throwing herself around etc, so he had to walk home and the walk which would take 20 minutes for us adults with long legs took them nearly 2 hours at little leg pace! Glad I wasn’t involved in that one, but I’ve had my fair share too.

She has also now gone into her big bed in preparation for Noah moving from the Moses basket to the cot. Getting her to stay in bed some evenings is a bit of a challenge but I love to see her in bed asleep.....

Noah’s arrival has also coincided with Isla’s increased interest in the potty which is a good and slightly tricky thing all at once. It is certainly fab that she’s trying to become more independent but it’s also giving us even more to deal with. The potty has become really appealing when it comes to bedtime, a nice stalling tactic we think but obviously we can’t get cross about it!

I had my 6 week check and have a clean bill of health, so there is no reason why I can’t start to get fitter and lose some baby weight. I’m not breast feeding anymore so I really cannot justify eating lots of cakes and biscuits any longer!

Unfortunately in Noah’s short spell on Earth he has now already experienced an overnight stay in the children’s hospital. While he lies in his moses basket snoring I sit here in the darkness typing. He has a rash on his tummy and although the blood tests have come back showing nothing conclusive he is in for observation. While here we’ve also addressed the reflux problem that he seems to have, so fingers crossed there will be less puking! *

The next thing we have to look forward to is a family holiday to Coombe Mill in Cornwall in 2 weeks time - we're so looking forward to it, more to come on that! So that's it really, and although we're sleep deprived and fit to drop every evening, we're a very happy family!

*Noah was fine after 1 night in the hospital, unexplained rash was put down to a virus. The staff at Queen Mary's (St Helier) really are fab, I cannot speak highly enough of the staff in that hospital.

Silent Sunday

 

Welcome to the World Noah!

Here's our not so little boy! Born last Wednesday at 5.22pm weighing in at 9lb 14oz. He was 12 days over due as he was so comfy in my tummy! I'll be giving the low down on the birth story soon, but lets just say that unlike with Isla's there will not be 3 parts to it as it was all super speedy!

Bump Watch...Week 31

Baby Bump, Week 31 - after lots of baguette and easter Eggs in France!

Boots Baby - A Review

We were recently sent some bath products to try out from Boots. I was going to save them until baby boy arrived in July but we ran out of baby wash and so we decided Isla should get first go of them!

The first is Boots Baby Dreamtime Calming Body wash. The first thing to mention is the smell is lovely, and when Isla has had her bath she smells delicious. It's also non drying which is really important for young skin. We do bath time every night, as Isla loves her bath and it's an important part of her evening routine, so the non drying part of it is key as the water could make her skin suffer. I'm not sure that it exactly calms Isla as I think this would be an impossible task for our little livewire and bath time for her is about being as splashy and noisy as possible, but when we have our new baby I'll definitely be using these products to test the calming claim as new babies can get a bit angsty towards the end of the day.

The second product is Boots Baby Sensitive Moisturising Head to Toe Wash which is described as perfect for newborns, of which Isla doesn't fit that description but the way I see it is if it's delicate enough for newborns then it's got to be good for older children too. It's fragrance free and colour free and is suitable for eczema prone skin too. It's made for use on hair and body and again I'll be happy to try this on our newborn.

Both products are tearless formulations, hypo-allergenic and dermatologist and paediatrician approved.

We've loved trying out these products and I always find that Boots is such a great place to find products of good value and quality. It's worth knowing that there is a fantastic offer coming up at Boots -  3 for 2 on all baby items from 4^th April until 3^rd May! 

There is also a Boots Parenting club that I've been a member of since Isla was born and it's so useful for advice, information and offers online. Members of Boots Parenting Club can now receive 10 Advantage Card Points for every £1 spent on baby products in Boots*.  So for every £10 you spend on baby products, you’ll receive £1 back in Advantage Card points to buy whatever you like from Boots for you and your family. 

We were sent the products mentioned above for free and this post has been honestly written in response to trialling them.

Flashback Friday - Are my Festival Days Over?

Now I'm pregnant with baby number 2 I've really started to think about how life is changing, I mean obviously it changed a lot with baby number 1 but now with another on the way it's dawning on me that things are definitely taking a different direction. And don't get me wrong I love the direction my little family is going in now, I love my husband more than anything, and my daughter is the love of my life and when baby boy comes he will be the icing on my very delicious cake. What all that brings with it though is the realisation that life will never be the same again, those carefree days will be limited to about 1 or 2 a year, when we can get a pass out by letting the grandparents take the strain for the weekend!

So all of that leads me on to why I chose this photo for Flashback Friday It was taken at V Festival in 2005 where I experienced my first festival (pretty shameful if you ask me at the age of 30 - but in my defence I was a bit of a dance fan and thought festies were too grungy!). I went with my best friend and my best colleague from work and we had a riot. This photo just shows us looking all chilled and really captures to me the great time that we all had together. It was the most fabulous weekend in August I'd had in ages and we just partied and danced and laughed the whole time.

We saw plenty of bands, we danced in the dance tents, we drank our body weight in booze, we chatted and made friends, we pee'd in bushes and we just had the best girls weekend. Camping was a pretty new experience for me but even that brought it's share of laughter and a glass of red wine first thing in the morning always helps in those situations!

We didn't look pretty by the end of it (one of us looked like she had birds nesting in her hair...) but the sign of a good time at that point in my life was feeling like death and gagging for a big greasy McDonald's on the way home.

So however much I wouldn't change the life I have now, I fully appreciate the fun and frolics I used to have and hope that one day I will make a return to a festival - albeit maybe with some kids in tow and no red wine for breakfast!

Why not check out the other Flashback Friday entries over at Cafe Bebe and join in!

Bump Watch...Week 23

Lots of movement and wriggling from this week, ribs already starting to feel uncomfortable!

Bump Watch...Week 22



I think I've really 'popped' this week! Still on a high from finding out it's a Boy!

Bump Watch...Week 21

So we totally missed week 20! But week 21 has proved to be MEGA exciting!! For the first time on bump watch we know whether we have a blue bump or a pink bump......

It's a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!