Thursday, February 26, 2015

One of those days: A write off before 9am.



I'm now sat peacefully feeding baby S while her big brother watches Bing. Thank god for Bing and his coma inducing abilities!

This morning has been quite literally shit already, one of 'those' days. I hope other people have them too?

After a restless mostly sleepless night for the fourth time in a row, I got up. Thankfully my husband had dressed the eldest, though he's usually undressed himself again within the hour for one reason or other, mainly I think just to give me a little more to do, I'd hate to be underworked.

Baby S has a chest infection and also I think teething, fun times.

I thought it was Friday, its not.

We came down for breakfast and our rather fat ginger cat jumped on the fish tank, bounced off taking a pile of neatly piled, (should be put away properly) things tumbling down with him, standard daily event.

There is a bad smell in the kitchen which I assume is dog related but find no evidence, she has a sneaky look on her face but I think its just her creepy moustache. I presume its the drains so down goes the bleach.

My son stole my one and only crumpet while I went to make him a drink. He then ate half his sisters, after already eating a giant banana and his own crumpet. Baby had had enough anyway so I sacked off breakfast for this morning (don't worry this is exactly why I was blessed with ample fat stores for survival).

I decided I would have a well over due hair wash and 'proper shower'. I slipped baby in her Jumperoo which she loves and stuck the sensory screen (TV) on for the boy.

I stuck a load of washing in (whoop whoop) and got the nappy bag ready to take them out briefly this morning.

Mid shower the door bursts open (of course) and A walks in covered in yellow sick, hello again banana and crumpets! I quickly wash conditioner out and rush down to a custard looking explosion all over my poor abused rug and carpet. Baby S sees me and wants out so begins the inevitable chorus.

I clean it up, hoover, hang crazy heavy rug up to dry, get my house coat (yep) on and sit to feed baby.

Today is done before 9am. No leaving this house today so wish me luck. We will try and make the best of it and have fun, but already the walls are closing in, the noise is crazy and the washing pile is so much bigger than when I woke up. Onesie day it is!

As I wrote this baby S also vomited all over her new top, and my lap, while her brother is crying because I said no to him having cake. Seriously?

I am totally winning today!
Happy days :)





Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Happy Moments - 25th February 2015

This post is for nothing specific other than to say that sometimes (like I did today) I just step back and think how lucky I am. I have a lovely husband, two lovely happy healthy babies and a pretty decent though ever so slightly leaky roof over our heads. We have some great people around us and I have a couple of great friends I know are always there.

I'm also about to have a takeaway pizza (sorry Weight Watchers but its a day off).

Whats not to like?!



Thanks for reading,

Wafflemama





Baby Weaning (After 1 month) - Reflux, Baby Led Weaning, Mush and more...


 

 Weaning



Every baby is different and this is no more apparent than with siblings. In this case I am referring to the weaning stage which in my two experiences to date have been worlds apart. My son who is now three suffered from (what I now realise was) very very bad reflux. He was constantly sick, projecting his milk across the room, he also suffered from colic and would choke and vomit very easily even from crying a few seconds, and still suffers now. When it came to eating, it became apparent that he was more than ready at around 5 months as he screamed at us with every mouthful we dared eat. 

We gave him things like sliced pepper to suck on while we ate but as he was so young we didn't want to start finger foods so instead started with baby rice. Baby rice went down like a lead balloon but we did have more luck with mashed fruit and porridge so gave him those but even with that he would still choke. We continued down the 'mush' route and gradually increased the sized of chunks, lots of scary chokes, back pats and screaming later we worked out way up to proper food but this took some time and was a long and scary process.




Baby two would naturally be easier as we knew what we were doing, but baby two (S) is an entirely different child in every way possible. Thankfully Baby S never really suffered with colic or reflux and only had the odd restless night which was usually my fault for being slack on the winding.

Baby S showed no interest really in food until 6 months which was great, I decided to give baby led weaning a go as she is so easy and laid back. I also figured that if I could feed her and her big brother the same, then I'd have it easy!

I'm pleased to say that a month in baby S has taken to eating like a pro. Her first food was a slice of butter toast cut into fingers. She sat and ate the whole slice even stopping to pick up tiny bits she dropped on her tray, a super impressive pincer type grab from such a tiny baby - I was so proud.

I began to give her mostly the same as her big brother, fish fingers, broccoli, brioche, cheese, omelette's and lots more! I can honestly say its been a million times easier than worrying about making separate dinners and having to feed every mouthful with a spoon. Baby S is really enjoying all the flavours and I am really pleased that she can feed herself. As you know I like the easy (could be considered lazy) approach to parenting! 

So far (touch wood) we have had no choking episodes but I imagine the hardest bit for new parents would be to sit on your hands while waiting for them to 'sort themselves out'. Something impossible with my son who turned beetroot almost straight away!

If you are considering BLW then I would really recommend trying it, its fun and really great if your baby can wait long enough as the suggested start age is 6 months, with heads being held up well.
The theory of BLW is that babies learn to chew before they learn to swallow. With mashed food they learn to swallow before they learn to chew apparently so then once you introduce bigger foods they can be a little chokey. This makes sense I think but totally depends on the baby on whether its doable or not. With A we happily gave jars, sachets and mashed everything because it suited him and was the best option.

So that's our first month and previous experiences in a nut shell and I'll leave a few helpful tips below. I will continue to update on the BLW and how we get on. Fingers crossed she will continue to be a star but who knows with these babies, they are cleaver creatures!



Here is a list of our first foods that baby S thinks are perfect for first tastes.

  • Brioche rolls
  • Omelettes
  • Savoury muffins  
  • Avocado sliced but zig zags for easier griiping (though it will be a slimy mess regardless!)
  • Broccoli - cooked
  • Cauliflower - cooked
  • Toast with butter and/or Marmite
  • Strawberries - halved but cut in chunky zig zags for easy gripping
  • Halved grapes and blueberries
  • Sliced melon
  • Fish fingers
  • Potato waffles cut into 'ladders'
  • Rice cakes
  • White bread sandwiches (brown can give them tummy ache with too much fibre)
  • Sliced pears 
  • Mashed potato (rolled into sausages! Frozen mash is great)
  • Spiral pasta with homemade cheese sauce and peas (spirals are easy to grab)



I will list more foods as we go on our BLW journey and share any recipes that people would like, for now its pretty basic and ore about preparation, variety and shapes for holding.



Equipment you will need-




A high chair - the Ikea basic one is the absolute best you can get and a total bargain. this can get messy and these high chairs have no silly gaps like the expensive ones to stash food in!

Bibs - any are fine and lots will be needed, think at least three a day sometimes.
Bowls
Plates
Sippy cups - sips of water with food from 6 months upwards. I use the TT spout cups or Ikea spout cups but I know they change their mind what is good for babies teeth from time to time so please decide which you would prefer to use.
Dogs can be pretty handy too!


Happy weaning whatever you choose, its messy, fun and exciting. I really and truly believe the 'Food is fun until after one' despite baby S being a little piglet, they aren't always and its really important not to compare to other babies or worry about what your child is doing! Enjoy!



Please leave a comment if you popped on by so I can say hi :)






Monday, February 23, 2015

A Mummy Taken Too Soon: Making Sense Of Tragedy


This is a sad post but one I feel I need to write, for me if nobody else. Its about trying to make sense of things. Its about trying to be positive.

Very recently, a local mummy friend passed away at the age of just 25. Leaving behind her grieving husband and their six children as well as countless friends and family. Emily was a brave girl who selflessly battled head and neck cancer, never once complaining, but instead using her time promoting the disease, raising a awareness and helping others in the community. She had the right to complain, of her pain, extensive treatment, poor organisation with appointments and transport, missing time with her new baby and young family and god knows what else. But no. 

An inspiring individual who has been taken far too early and to me this kind of thing makes no sense. Why her? Why leave her kids motherless? Why leave her husband that she married only a month before all alone? The only thing I can make of this is that she has inspired me and others, made us all realise that life can be shit, and short. We need to appreciate what we have, the time we have left and live life to the fullest. 

I have decided to use Emily and her tragedy as a turning point, it could just as easily have been me. I am older, less fit, this is scary. 

I will no longer be too scared to try new things or wait another day to talk to someone special. I want to be a positive brighter person and not complain about things that someone like Emily would give anything for, like a toddler that won't sleep or not having much money in the bank.

From now on I am going to give this positive attitude thing a go and enjoy the little things even more than I already do.

RIP Emily x 




Sunday, February 22, 2015

The Making of Wafflemama

 The Making Of Wafflemama
My top beauty buys for a mum in a hurry.

Pregnant and feeling my best!
Ok so I admit it, I don't much like going out without make up on. I'm not vain, just a little rough. I love having clean hair and looking nice-ish as much as possible. 


Clean hair - woohoo!
However, this doesn't always work once you have kids. I get to wash my hair once a week, more than that and I feel totally spoilt. I have a total nesty fuzz of a Barnet that really does take some work.

I have to battle getting makeup on with a three year old boy who can somehow apply makeup to himself with impeccable accuracy, with an ever increasingly impatient baby demanding my attention. I wouldn't change this for the world but seriously, they should make this stuff an Olympic sport, it's impressive!

Looking my best.


Some women hop out the shower, air dry their annoyingly straight natural hair, leave their smooth wrinkle free flawless face bare, shove any old clothes on and get on with the day looking fab. Some of us need more work, a lot more work.



There are a few must have items that get me through the day feeling human and these are my top ten favourite beauty buys. I use all of these on a daily basis. If you'd like more of a review on any single item please feel free to drop me a message.


1. Batiste dry shampoo.
It's amazing what a little spritz of this 'magic in a can' does. From 'chip shop Shellie' to 'hair advert Bert' in one easy spray. Its a total must have for any mum especially those with awkward hair!


2. Maybelline 24 hour lipstick. 


OK this is my big secret stays on all day amazing lip colour that I have worn every day since it was launched. I kind of want to keep this to myself but as we all know 'its nice to share', ha. I absolutely love this stuff and if I don't wear it I just feel rubbish. In fact if I'm not wearing it, I'd probably keep clear!

3. Micellar waters. 

This is the best stuff I've ever used for taking make up off. I'm not one for a routine but feel so clean after this that its forced me into one. I hate washing my face with water in shower etc so this is perfect for me and really leaves skin squeaky clean. I'm currently using Superdrugs own brand version but any are fine, the L'oreal one is great but a little more pricey. I'm in my 30's now so its time to really start to take care of my skin.

4. Calvin Klein 'Eternity'. 

My all time favourite perfume. It smells amazing and brings back so many memories especially early dates with my husband and my 21st birthday drowning myself in the stuff from the perfume lady in the club toilets! If you've not tried it go and have a sniff, its lush.

5. Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation. 

I've tried really expensive brands from department stores but nothing comes close to this total classic. I've used this for nearly 13 years and only buy two bottles a year despite the fact I wear it without fail each and every day. It covers all my blemishes and makes me pretty flawless without being too thick and blocking pores. Its not greasy in the slightest and lasts really well.

6. Max Factor Creme Puff powder. 

I have used this since I was and 16 in the shade 'Truly fair' which my mother and Nanna wear/wore too. The smell takes me back to being a child as my Nan always caked this on an inch thick and you could smell it a mile off. I Love that smell now. Its lovely to put on as its super soft and lasts well too.

7. GHD

There really is no comparison for me to my trusty GHDs (hair straighteners)! I broke them once and sent them back for repair and was sent a new pair! I got my first ones at 18 thinking the £100 I spent was indulgent but I have had these now (including replacement) 12 years and they work perfectly still. What a great investment for someone who's hair can resemble Brian Blessed's beard at the best of times!

8. Be bop a hairbands  


I ordered these last year and love them! They are really vintage looking and come in so many nice fabrics and are all hand made so would make lovely gifts. Hint hint ;)   I also love the selection of stretchy headbands at Claire's accessories, I usually wear hairbands when I'm sticking my hair up especially when its due a wash! It can really make an outfit and I have loads knocking about, I just wish I was a little more organised so I could find where I left them!




9. Benefit 'They're Real Mascara

This completes my search to find the perfect mascara, which has been ongoing now for around 16 years, its great. It is however pretty expensive but a great treat. It really does give the false lash look as it builds up, doesn't feel caked on or heavy. Its really worth a try and you can get sample sizes in their gift sets if you don't want to fork out for a large size straight away.

10. Simple - Refreshing Shower Gel 

This shower gel is so mild it really makes you feel clean and leaves no residue and it's great for women. Its pretty cheap in supermarkets and usually available in Poundland too.

So that's that, how a Wafflemama is put together and keeps a somewhat human appearance! If you can recommend any other products you think I might like, please let me know!


Thanks for reading,

Wafflemama