Hello again! I haven't wrote on here for ages but think I'm going to try and start writing some regular posts. Thought a good place to start would be an update on Poppy and where she's at now she's hit the big TWO!
Poppy is now properly on her feet, even managing a bit of running too, even though she usually loses her footing then and falls head first bless her! She was a bit later than some getting on her feet and independently walking. She was referred to a physio and they put her in Piedro boots but she walked much better in Clarks so I think she just needed to do it in her own time! They did however say that she is most likely hypermobile, like me. She's still very very clumsy, seeing her trip and fall is a constant thing. She's learning how to co-ordinate steps a little better though which is great as before she'd just trip as she tried to go up and airwalk as she came back down!
Tantrums are at a real peak now, some worse than others but the majority of them are just absolutely dreadful. At toddler group the other day she had a full on meltdown just because I wouldn't let her eat pitta bread another child had left and most likely spat all over. It's fantastic.
On the other end of the scale, she never fails to make me smile with her giggling. She'll find the most random things to giggle at! If I'm ever feeling a bit rubbish her beautiful smile lights my heart up! She's so very content and happy and that counts for such a lot. She's a real diva and is quite forceful and boystrous in her ways which I think is great, you have to have a bit of force behind you to survive in this world!
Poppy has become a little more picky with food but she still eats a wide range of food and is always willing to try new bits. She's very picky with fruit. Most of the time she'll only have bananas and a few raisins. Vegetables she's a little better with but I usually have to cover them in ketchup so she eats them, her fave veg are green beans and garden peas! If she doesn't like something she'll be sure to act like she's choking or whack the spoon out of my hand/throw her plate off her high chair.
She's absolutely obsessed with balls. She'll sit and roll a ball back and forth with you for ages. She also likes you to throw the ball and she fetches it back, that usually sends her into fits of laughter if you do it quick enough! Toys with balls that go down chutes are one of her favourites too, there's a certain one at toddler group that she always plays for ages with!
I'd say her biggest obsession is in the night garden. She gets soo excited every time it comes on! My brother bought her DVD's of it for christmas so I'm never short of a few minutes peace. Saying that, another of her favourite activities is opening and closing the bloody DVD player and turning off whatever was on! After she's opened the tray and took the DVD out, she'll then put a toy in the tray and try to get it to close! Quite comical to watch.
Among all this, the area where my concerns lie is with her speech and social development. When the health visitor came at 18 month old, Poppy probably should have been doing a little more than babbling, at that point there was only "bababa" "dadada" "iya" but they left it because they didn't want to raise concerns till she was a little older. At 2 years old, Poppy still hasn't yet said a proper word. There has been the addition of "mm" noises and sometimes "mamama" but it's not proper words, it's a babble.
The other concern is how Poppy is socially. She doesn't respond when you shout her name at all, doesn't turn round. Some would say there's a problem with her hearing but she loves my dad to bits and when he walks through the door he always shouts "eyup chunky love" (a nickname he's given her) and she spins round and goes running into the hallway! She isn't interested at all in playing imaginatively, there's a little pretend shop at toddler group and Poppy takes things off it and rolls them instead. She's got a hoover, lawnmower, trolley, dollies, dolls house, the list is endless! But she doesn't understand what they're for at all, I'm not sure she understands what they really are.
She doesn't like to involve others in her play, not children or adults! She'll never come and pass you something or guide you to show you something. She can't name any objects or ask you for anything so it's still quite a guessing game!
All the above and a lot of other signs she presents have led me and Christian (Poppy's dad) to thinking that there's a high chance she could be autistic. We've received a referral to a speech and language therapist so I'm really looking forward to getting an appointment through and hopefully getting some answers and get my beautiful little girl whatever help she may need!
I will keep you all updated as we go for her appointments and hopefully keep you updated on progress she makes too as I'm sure once she's receiving the right help, progress will happen :)
Thanks for reading!
Laura and Poppy xx
11 May 2016
17 September 2015
Been a single mum.
Before I begin rambling, this post isn't a cry for sympathy/attention neither is it a way of me doing down anyone in a different situation to myself. It's just something I've never expressed my feelings about yet! ( I have a lot of them). I do hope people can understand these are just my ways of working and thinking. So..!
I never asked to be a single mum. I never asked for the father of my child to leave me while I was in the early stages of pregnancy for quite frankly, anything else with a pulse. I never asked for a complete family unit to be wripped from under my feet. However, you don't always get what you ask or hope for. Sometimes life takes a different route than you'd have liked and you have to do your best to embrace the hand you're dealt.
I know some people have the mind set that single, stay at home mums are lazy, just had a child to claim benefits and have never done a hard days work in their life. I know this isn't everyones perception but I've come across far too many who think like it! A woman at toddler group spoke about her daughter in law returning to work, then she asked when I'm going back to work. In that moment I felt ashamed of my situation, I didn't tell her I won't be returning to work until my child is doing enough hours somewhere for me to get a job, instead I said, hopefully soon.
I know some single mums choose to work and as I initially said, I'm not doing them down. That's their choice and I respect them for that, even though it isn't how I do things, they're doing what they feel is right by their child. I choose to stay at home with Poppy though and care for her myself because I personally believe when you've had a child that's what you should do. I want to love and nurture her and raise her the same way as I would have if me and her dad would have stayed together. If that means relying on benefits then so be it. I'm not a scrounger, I'm not like the people you see on the benefits programmes, I'm just a mum doing what she feels is right.
Physically and mentally, mothering single handedly can really take its toll. I am lucky that Poppy sleeps well (for now). From the morning wake up call to tidying and cleaning ready for the next wake up call the day after, the lot is yours to do. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I know a lot of mums with partners who work a lot of hours will also follow me with this one. You go through the whole day, sometimes already exhausted and if your child has been exceptionally challenging, this just tops it off. But the worst part is, once you've cooked tea and done the rest of the bath and bedtime drudge, you really wish someone else was going to walk through the door to wash the tea pots, clean the kitchen, tidy the rest of the place, sort out the basket of washing you brought in earlier, just so you could feel like you have the energy to actually shower yourself. If you're feeling down one night and lonely, you'd love to have someone to maybe seek some comfort from and cuddle upto. Instead of this, I usually eat myself to death then go to bed. Lonely doesn't quite cover it infact.
The bond I have with Poppy is incredible though and the sense of pride I feel is pretty great too! She's secure, healthy, happy and bright. In my eyes she's perfect. Sure she has her moments of been a terror but don't they all? She can show such affection and make me smile and laugh at times when nobody else can. It's twice the hardwork but it's also twice all the moments that make all the hard work worth it.
I get a break for a few hours a week when Poppy goes to her dads overnight but if I'm honest, I'd rather keep her with me. She's my little best friend and been apart from her while she's with him breaks my heart. There are many things that would ease that feeling but that kinda stuff's for another post.
I just hope one day mums will be able to support eachother through their different ways of parenting and living without so much judgement. I also hope this post may have opened someones eyes to a different way of thinking, even just one person.
Thanks for reading!
Laura and Poppy xxx
I never asked to be a single mum. I never asked for the father of my child to leave me while I was in the early stages of pregnancy for quite frankly, anything else with a pulse. I never asked for a complete family unit to be wripped from under my feet. However, you don't always get what you ask or hope for. Sometimes life takes a different route than you'd have liked and you have to do your best to embrace the hand you're dealt.
I know some people have the mind set that single, stay at home mums are lazy, just had a child to claim benefits and have never done a hard days work in their life. I know this isn't everyones perception but I've come across far too many who think like it! A woman at toddler group spoke about her daughter in law returning to work, then she asked when I'm going back to work. In that moment I felt ashamed of my situation, I didn't tell her I won't be returning to work until my child is doing enough hours somewhere for me to get a job, instead I said, hopefully soon.
I know some single mums choose to work and as I initially said, I'm not doing them down. That's their choice and I respect them for that, even though it isn't how I do things, they're doing what they feel is right by their child. I choose to stay at home with Poppy though and care for her myself because I personally believe when you've had a child that's what you should do. I want to love and nurture her and raise her the same way as I would have if me and her dad would have stayed together. If that means relying on benefits then so be it. I'm not a scrounger, I'm not like the people you see on the benefits programmes, I'm just a mum doing what she feels is right.
Physically and mentally, mothering single handedly can really take its toll. I am lucky that Poppy sleeps well (for now). From the morning wake up call to tidying and cleaning ready for the next wake up call the day after, the lot is yours to do. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I know a lot of mums with partners who work a lot of hours will also follow me with this one. You go through the whole day, sometimes already exhausted and if your child has been exceptionally challenging, this just tops it off. But the worst part is, once you've cooked tea and done the rest of the bath and bedtime drudge, you really wish someone else was going to walk through the door to wash the tea pots, clean the kitchen, tidy the rest of the place, sort out the basket of washing you brought in earlier, just so you could feel like you have the energy to actually shower yourself. If you're feeling down one night and lonely, you'd love to have someone to maybe seek some comfort from and cuddle upto. Instead of this, I usually eat myself to death then go to bed. Lonely doesn't quite cover it infact.
The bond I have with Poppy is incredible though and the sense of pride I feel is pretty great too! She's secure, healthy, happy and bright. In my eyes she's perfect. Sure she has her moments of been a terror but don't they all? She can show such affection and make me smile and laugh at times when nobody else can. It's twice the hardwork but it's also twice all the moments that make all the hard work worth it.
I get a break for a few hours a week when Poppy goes to her dads overnight but if I'm honest, I'd rather keep her with me. She's my little best friend and been apart from her while she's with him breaks my heart. There are many things that would ease that feeling but that kinda stuff's for another post.
I just hope one day mums will be able to support eachother through their different ways of parenting and living without so much judgement. I also hope this post may have opened someones eyes to a different way of thinking, even just one person.
Thanks for reading!
Laura and Poppy xxx
8 August 2015
Silver Cross POP Butterfly Stroller - Review
I've been using this stroller for a couple of months or so now and when you're someone who either has to get the bus everywhere or walk, it's more than enough time to draw up a good opinion of it! So after we'd finished with our travel system (the mothercare xpedior) and decided to get something more lightweight, I first bought the 'My Babiie' Lightweight Stroller from Mothercare. I'll be honest, I thought oh I don't want to spend as much at all on one of these type of prams and ended up buying this one at £65! It ended up been AWFUL! It looked dirty really quickly and the strap that went between Poppy's legs was so thin and tight that it was digging into her and I had to keep pushing her upwards, even when she was asleep! I'd had enough of how bad it was so I took it back to Mothercare and they said it was a design flaw so let me put the money I paid towards another! I decided I was going to have to pay a bit more for something better quality so I went for the POP stroller!
First impressions of it were great. The butterfly design on it was pretty, the wheels looked quite sturdy, the seat looked padded enough and the straps were a lot wider and had more room for adjustment! However, the main selling point for me was the sun canopy! I'm about as paranoid as mums get when it comes to Poppy getting burnt in the sun. The canopy covers the whole pram to her legs, that was it, the extra £55 was worth every bit of piece of mind I would get! Even though I try to only fold it all the way down when the sun's very very strong, my protectiveness does get the better of me sometimes! It isn't the cheapest at £120 but it sure isn't the most expensive either! Along with the stroller, I got:
Raincover, cupholder and a handle that attaches for easy carrying!
So while I've been using it, I've found the good points are:
- It's a lovely pram to push. It steers corners lovely without having to put too much effort into it.
- It still looks brand new and not really dirty even though we've been using it for a while! It's also seen us through a week in Newquay! Suncream, icecream .. Yep, it's still looking great!
- It's sturdy, well built and has a lovely design/colour scheme.
- The seat is very padded and comfortable for Poppy.
- It reclines really far back so a bloody good sleep can be had!
- The cupholder that came with it is rather handy! Even though my mum felt it necessary to remind me not to put hot drinks in it incase they spilt on Poppy. Yep, thanks for that Mum.
The not so good points that I've found are:
- It's not very easy to collapse and expand. I've found collapsing it to be particularly difficult. This is a little disappointing as the main reason I got a more lightweight stroller was to make public transport easier if I need to fold the pram down! It has 2 catches, as do most strollers of this type and it can take a minute or so to actually get them to work. Whether it's still slightly stiff or just how the stroller is, I don't know!
- It isn't lightweight at all when lifting and carrying. Again, defeating the object of why I swapped from the travel system originally! If I'm carrying it out to the car (when I get a lift somewhere) I find it really heavy. I haven't yet had to fold it down on the bus, I'm always lucky that there's a space. However when I do have to, I'm not looking forward to having to juggle it with a rather heavy toddler, the change bag and most likely shopping bags! *insert stressed out face here*
- The raincover that came with it. What the hell am I supposed to even do with that stupid thing? The first time I had to use it we had just come out of toddler group and down came the rain. It was still in the packaging so as stressed out as I always am, I was there ripping it open and trying to figure out which way it went on (while Poppy tried to kick it off). Not forgetting the other mums standing there saying "Have you done it yet?" I ended up just throwing it on in any old fashion that kept her dry enough. I've not used it very much since that and haven't really took the time to look at it properly. Maybe I've judged it based on using it in a situation that was always going to be impossible? Probably.
Even though the pram does carry a few bad points (in my opinion), I would still recommend it. Poppy been comfy, safe and protected from the sun are very important things to me, as I'm sure are to most if not all mums. The pram certainly checks all those points for me! It will hopefully carry on to serve us well and last a good while!
Thanks for reading!
Laura & Poppy xx
30 July 2015
Opening up about social anxiety
I've never opened up to anyone apart from close family about the fact I suffer with anxiety. I've suffered for probably going on about 7 years now, if not more. When I had Poppy and was going through court proceedings with her dad, I felt like I needed to keep it from becoming public knowledge even more, felt like he'd use it against me unfairly. Why would I be made to feel like that? Having social anxiety doesn't make me any less of a mum. Not once has Poppy suffered as a result. I guess it just feels good to open up about something that affects ME in such a big way.
I remember the first time I experienced the symptoms of what happens when my anxiety strikes. I had started a new job and was working between 2 people who I knew didn't like me, giving eachother glances, taking the piss, I was living somewhere at this point where I was hated simply because of where I came from, my northern accent. This huge feeling of paranoia and anxiety washed over me, my body felt stiff and as though my movements weren't fluid, particularly from my shoulders upwards. I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. Started sweating and getting palpitations. Felt like people were looking at me because of it. It resulted in a dreadful headache and drained me of energy. Since this day onwards I have suffered on an ongoing basis. It seems to be worse when I'm out on my own but also strikes when I have company too.
I didn't understand what was wrong at first but after years and years I finally went to the doctors who referred me to a councillor who said I was suffering with social anxiety. Because I had dealt with it on my own for such a long time, I didn't feel the councelling helped at all. It's just something I deal with myself, in my own head. After I had Poppy I was forced into even more social situations which can still be very hard but it made me deal with my anxiety head on. I had a reason to force myself into doing things, my little girl needed me to be stronger than ever!
My only coping strategy tends to be food. When I come in from a situation that has filled me with anxiety, I'm usually tired and have a headache so I usually comfort myself that way. I hope someone else might possibly read this who feels as I do and know they're not alone or strange for feeling this way.
Thanks for reading,
Laura xx
I remember the first time I experienced the symptoms of what happens when my anxiety strikes. I had started a new job and was working between 2 people who I knew didn't like me, giving eachother glances, taking the piss, I was living somewhere at this point where I was hated simply because of where I came from, my northern accent. This huge feeling of paranoia and anxiety washed over me, my body felt stiff and as though my movements weren't fluid, particularly from my shoulders upwards. I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. Started sweating and getting palpitations. Felt like people were looking at me because of it. It resulted in a dreadful headache and drained me of energy. Since this day onwards I have suffered on an ongoing basis. It seems to be worse when I'm out on my own but also strikes when I have company too.
I didn't understand what was wrong at first but after years and years I finally went to the doctors who referred me to a councillor who said I was suffering with social anxiety. Because I had dealt with it on my own for such a long time, I didn't feel the councelling helped at all. It's just something I deal with myself, in my own head. After I had Poppy I was forced into even more social situations which can still be very hard but it made me deal with my anxiety head on. I had a reason to force myself into doing things, my little girl needed me to be stronger than ever!
My only coping strategy tends to be food. When I come in from a situation that has filled me with anxiety, I'm usually tired and have a headache so I usually comfort myself that way. I hope someone else might possibly read this who feels as I do and know they're not alone or strange for feeling this way.
Thanks for reading,
Laura xx
1 June 2015
My most and least useful baby products/items
So I shall start by saying that yes I deleted the post about losing weight. I'm going to try and pick it back up another time. No point making excuses, I just didn't manage it this time round. Even though the post explained a lot I thought it was a little pointless leaving it on here!
Anyway, I thought I'd grab a few minutes while Poppy's still in bed to make a start on this! I bought a lot before Poppy's arrival and obviously the majority of things I buy these days are for Poppy so I thought I'd do kind of a list about the things that were of most use to us and the things that I could have lived without buying at all! I've got more useful than not useful, been positive I suppose! So here goes! (most useful first)
1. Fisher Price rainforest bouncer. I can't even begin to explain how useful this thing has been! Poppy's used it from newborn, she loved the toybar that came with it too. When I bought it I was a little unsure about the soothing vibrations but it helped to get her to sleep countless times! It's really easy to keep clean with the cover completely removable and machine washable. She always had her naps in it but then moved to the cot as she got older. She's recently developed a bit of a funny thing with her cot so (BAD MUMMY I KNOW) she has started having naps in it again. 14 months down the line and never once had a problem. Still going strong, well recommended!!
2. Mothercare Xpedior travel system. I bought this for £250 I think it was. Didn't want to spend a lot on a pram but wanted something comfy for Poppy. It took Poppy from newborn (carrycot mode), to stroller mode once she could hold herself (parent and world facing) and also came with a car seat that attached onto the frame too! It was light enough for me getting on and off buses, easy to handle and always comfy for Poppy. I only bought a new one recently, the my babiie umberella fold style one as it takes up less space on the bus and is also easier to fold down and juggle Poppy when needed. Well worth the money I paid and again, recommended!
3. Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies and lights deluxe gym. I think this is quite popular among many parents and definitely gets the thumbs up from me! I found the mat was thick enough for Poppy to play on harder floor surfaces, I liked the fact I could add and remove toys to the little hooks that dangled over and round the sides and Poppy always used to love kicking her little legs to the music and would be intrigued by the rainforest sounds! She was a very sicky baby so it was a godsend that it was easy enough to throw in the washer and very easy to put back together!
4. Motorola MBP8 digital baby monitor. I've used this not from day one as I kept her downstairs with me for quite a while but once I started putting her upstairs at night while I was still downstairs! Almost 14 months on and never had issues with it! It plugs straight into the wall which makes it easy for moving round the house and is very sound sensitive!
5. Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles and Milton cold water steriliser. I've always found the closer to nature bottles great never felt the need to switch to different ones. Not much to say about them! I used the cold water steriliser method and the only thing that used to bug me was making sure all the air bubbles were gone before I put the lid on! Once I got the hang of that it was a really easy way of doing it! The solution was good for 24 hours, just stick the bottles in, leave for 15 mins and away you go! A lot of people have had melted bottles with microwave sterilisers so there was none of that either!
6. DUMMIES!! All I will say is, lifesaver. Always used them with Poppy and am dreading having to remove it at some point! It helps her get over the post meal there's no more left trauma, the post bottle there's no more left trauma, the realisation of how bad she thinks her life is several times a day trauma, can't get her to have a nap trauma and finally the trauma to my ears at bedtime! (makes me feel stressed just writing all that)
7. Fisherprice Jumperoo! My mum surprised me with one of these for Poppy :) Once Poppy had her own head she would get hours of entertainment from this! She'd bounce in it while watching bugs band, loved the toys on it and when she got a bit older, started to use it as a swing. Great investment! We stopped using it when the bars started bending, not until. Really easy to wash too with her been sicky.
8. Baby wipes. Used for everything.
9. Mothercare Daisy Lane moses basket. Poppy went in this from day 1 of coming home from hospital up until the point which I feared she was going to tip it over! Not much I can add except it was sturdy and looked pretty too :)
10. Vtech Singing Cora and Alfie Bear. My brother bought Poppy Alfie Bear for christmas and then Cora for her birthday seens as Alfie was such a hit! They very rarely fail to calm her down!
11. Sophie the Giraffe teether. My mum bought this for Poppy before she started teething because we'd heard they were a hit everywhere! She wasn't too fussed at first but as teething progressed she really took to it and we wouldn't leave the house without Sophie! She's not bothering with her as much now but I can't get her to chew anything but her fingers these days!
12. BABY TV!! I seem to be putting the extra fantastic things in capitals! But yes, I don't know what I'd do without this channel! She's never bothered with Cbeebies or any other channels except baby tv! I've also bought her about 4 DVD's for certain shows on there. Her favorites are bugs band, hungry henry, pim and pimba and egg birds!
Well that took a while! Now onto the maybe slightly less useful things! There are more of these but I just couldn't think of many.
1. Baby oil. I've never ever used baby oil on Poppy .. Pointless for me!
2. Cot mobile. I bought one from mothercare during the difficult moses basket to cot transition. I found it not to make a difference at all. Pointless waste of money!
3. Scratch mitts. My child hated scratch mitts. She preferred the scratched face look :/
4. Shoes I bought before her arrival. I was that tied up in everything else I didn't bother with things like shoes that weren't essential. She had a snowsuit on everytime we went out anyway! I do wish I'd made time for the smaller things, maybe next time eh! I do have a couple of pairs I've saved though because they were bought by my mum. Which makes them special.
5. The teddies that talk when you press certain parts of them. Poppy has a minnie mouse one and a fisher price one. She's never shown an interest in either!
6. Tommee Tippee milk storage lids. Before I had Poppy I started stressing about whether formula powder would gather and stick in the teat of the bottle when it was shook to mix it (as you do). So I bought some lids to put on while I shook it. When Poppy arrived I forgot all about my special lids and soon realised my fears of formula powder clumping in the teats of the bottles wasn't happening!
7. The coverlet that came with the moses basket. It got launched to one side and replaced with blankets! Looked pretty but didn't quite work as I'd hoped!
What have you found your most useful baby products/items to be? Maybe leave a comment with any that stand out to you or do one of these yourself, if you have the patience! haha!
Thanks for reading! xx
Anyway, I thought I'd grab a few minutes while Poppy's still in bed to make a start on this! I bought a lot before Poppy's arrival and obviously the majority of things I buy these days are for Poppy so I thought I'd do kind of a list about the things that were of most use to us and the things that I could have lived without buying at all! I've got more useful than not useful, been positive I suppose! So here goes! (most useful first)
1. Fisher Price rainforest bouncer. I can't even begin to explain how useful this thing has been! Poppy's used it from newborn, she loved the toybar that came with it too. When I bought it I was a little unsure about the soothing vibrations but it helped to get her to sleep countless times! It's really easy to keep clean with the cover completely removable and machine washable. She always had her naps in it but then moved to the cot as she got older. She's recently developed a bit of a funny thing with her cot so (BAD MUMMY I KNOW) she has started having naps in it again. 14 months down the line and never once had a problem. Still going strong, well recommended!!
2. Mothercare Xpedior travel system. I bought this for £250 I think it was. Didn't want to spend a lot on a pram but wanted something comfy for Poppy. It took Poppy from newborn (carrycot mode), to stroller mode once she could hold herself (parent and world facing) and also came with a car seat that attached onto the frame too! It was light enough for me getting on and off buses, easy to handle and always comfy for Poppy. I only bought a new one recently, the my babiie umberella fold style one as it takes up less space on the bus and is also easier to fold down and juggle Poppy when needed. Well worth the money I paid and again, recommended!
3. Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies and lights deluxe gym. I think this is quite popular among many parents and definitely gets the thumbs up from me! I found the mat was thick enough for Poppy to play on harder floor surfaces, I liked the fact I could add and remove toys to the little hooks that dangled over and round the sides and Poppy always used to love kicking her little legs to the music and would be intrigued by the rainforest sounds! She was a very sicky baby so it was a godsend that it was easy enough to throw in the washer and very easy to put back together!
4. Motorola MBP8 digital baby monitor. I've used this not from day one as I kept her downstairs with me for quite a while but once I started putting her upstairs at night while I was still downstairs! Almost 14 months on and never had issues with it! It plugs straight into the wall which makes it easy for moving round the house and is very sound sensitive!
5. Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles and Milton cold water steriliser. I've always found the closer to nature bottles great never felt the need to switch to different ones. Not much to say about them! I used the cold water steriliser method and the only thing that used to bug me was making sure all the air bubbles were gone before I put the lid on! Once I got the hang of that it was a really easy way of doing it! The solution was good for 24 hours, just stick the bottles in, leave for 15 mins and away you go! A lot of people have had melted bottles with microwave sterilisers so there was none of that either!
6. DUMMIES!! All I will say is, lifesaver. Always used them with Poppy and am dreading having to remove it at some point! It helps her get over the post meal there's no more left trauma, the post bottle there's no more left trauma, the realisation of how bad she thinks her life is several times a day trauma, can't get her to have a nap trauma and finally the trauma to my ears at bedtime! (makes me feel stressed just writing all that)
7. Fisherprice Jumperoo! My mum surprised me with one of these for Poppy :) Once Poppy had her own head she would get hours of entertainment from this! She'd bounce in it while watching bugs band, loved the toys on it and when she got a bit older, started to use it as a swing. Great investment! We stopped using it when the bars started bending, not until. Really easy to wash too with her been sicky.
8. Baby wipes. Used for everything.
9. Mothercare Daisy Lane moses basket. Poppy went in this from day 1 of coming home from hospital up until the point which I feared she was going to tip it over! Not much I can add except it was sturdy and looked pretty too :)
10. Vtech Singing Cora and Alfie Bear. My brother bought Poppy Alfie Bear for christmas and then Cora for her birthday seens as Alfie was such a hit! They very rarely fail to calm her down!
11. Sophie the Giraffe teether. My mum bought this for Poppy before she started teething because we'd heard they were a hit everywhere! She wasn't too fussed at first but as teething progressed she really took to it and we wouldn't leave the house without Sophie! She's not bothering with her as much now but I can't get her to chew anything but her fingers these days!
12. BABY TV!! I seem to be putting the extra fantastic things in capitals! But yes, I don't know what I'd do without this channel! She's never bothered with Cbeebies or any other channels except baby tv! I've also bought her about 4 DVD's for certain shows on there. Her favorites are bugs band, hungry henry, pim and pimba and egg birds!
Well that took a while! Now onto the maybe slightly less useful things! There are more of these but I just couldn't think of many.
1. Baby oil. I've never ever used baby oil on Poppy .. Pointless for me!
2. Cot mobile. I bought one from mothercare during the difficult moses basket to cot transition. I found it not to make a difference at all. Pointless waste of money!
3. Scratch mitts. My child hated scratch mitts. She preferred the scratched face look :/
4. Shoes I bought before her arrival. I was that tied up in everything else I didn't bother with things like shoes that weren't essential. She had a snowsuit on everytime we went out anyway! I do wish I'd made time for the smaller things, maybe next time eh! I do have a couple of pairs I've saved though because they were bought by my mum. Which makes them special.
5. The teddies that talk when you press certain parts of them. Poppy has a minnie mouse one and a fisher price one. She's never shown an interest in either!
6. Tommee Tippee milk storage lids. Before I had Poppy I started stressing about whether formula powder would gather and stick in the teat of the bottle when it was shook to mix it (as you do). So I bought some lids to put on while I shook it. When Poppy arrived I forgot all about my special lids and soon realised my fears of formula powder clumping in the teats of the bottles wasn't happening!
7. The coverlet that came with the moses basket. It got launched to one side and replaced with blankets! Looked pretty but didn't quite work as I'd hoped!
What have you found your most useful baby products/items to be? Maybe leave a comment with any that stand out to you or do one of these yourself, if you have the patience! haha!
Thanks for reading! xx
26 April 2015
Poppy turns 1!
So, Poppy turned 1 on 2nd April and she is now no longer classed as a baby :O nope, now Poppy is a toddler .. That didn't dissapear in the blink of an eye or anything!! Seens as I've only just started posting I thought I'd share a bit about her (what she likes,development etc) and I'll share a few pictures from the little gathering we had with Christians (her dads) side of the family.
For this year we decided to just keep it low key and have family round to bring and open presents with her. My mum came round earlier on the morning of her birthday to help me put some food on for everyone. It's always been very strained between mine and Christians family and even more so now after all the court proceedings but I'll save that for another time. Anyway, everyone managed to be civil for a couple of hours and it ended up been a nice afternoon for Poppy. There was me, my mum, Christian and his dad and his dads wife, his sister and her partner and their 3 kids. My dad and brother also came a bit later on! Poppy got some lovely presents and enjoyed all the attention!
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| Poppy with Christians family, with Christian and cousin Lillian and again with just Christian. |
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| Poppy's cake with the very first picture ever took of us! |
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| Buntings, balloons and banners So, a little more about the little darling! At 1 year old she loves:- Baby TV her favourites been Hungry Henry, bugs band and Pim and Pimba - Her Alfie Bear and Singing Cora! - Sleep! I consider myself lucky! - To be tickled on her sides and under her arms and play peekaboo - Milk. She'd guzzle it all day if she could - Cuddles with mommy! - Musical loud things. Loves banging and shaking things! She dislikes: - The wind - Been woke up before she was ready to be - Having her teeth brushed - When food is all gone. Always give her plenty but she causes a real drama at the end of every meal! Her development: - She has just started crawling but mostly shuffles on her bum or pulls herself on her belly to get to where she wants to be - She says da dada - Pinches small objects/food with thumb and pointer finger - Moves things from one hand to the other - Bangs objects together and lets go on purpose - Shows affection for significant people in her life She has become a bit pickier with food the past month or so but still has a very good appetite! For breakfast she will generally have porridge, toast and her bottle. For dinner it's a sandwich (tuna/ham) with variations of crisps, fruit and yoghurt. She loves spaghetti bolognaise for her tea but her all time favourite is fish fingers, potato waffle and spaghetti hoops but she doesn't have it more than a couple times a week as I prefer to cook her fresh. Up until this week she would just have water in her beaker but she's starting to need a bit more taste to her drink so I've been adding some orange squash which she seems to like! In terms of sleeping, she will usually go to bed earliest 8pm and very latest 9pm. She will then get up earliest 7am and latest sometimes 10am. I do prefer her up a little earlier though so her meal times aren't put out. She will usually have 1 nap a day too, it varies a lot how long she sleeps for in the day! There's probably a whole lot more I could write about her but it's getting late and my brain isn't working so well! I shall leave it at that! Thanks for reading! Laura xx |
20 April 2015
A bit about me.
Hi! My name is Laura, I'm 23 and from Sheffield. I'm a warm hearted, easy to get along with, bubbly kinda person :) I was born in Sheffield and have lived here most of my life. I became a mum on 2nd April 2014 at 1.58am. I gave birth to a beautiful little girl weighing 7lb 12oz who I named Poppy Alice. I became a single mum when I was around 3 months pregnant and that hasn't changed since! I lived with my parents for a good few months after her birth. Me and Poppy finally made it on our own in November 2014 and we now live in a little terraced house just the two of us.
I love been a mum. Knowing a little person depends on you to get by can be very hard work both emotionally and physically but when you look at them and realise you are pulling it off and actually they're just perfect, there's no feeling more rewarding. Knowing you've done that is amazing.
I've read other blogs for a while now and enjoy reading through what people and their little ones are upto. So here's mine! I will mostly post about mummy life and share our adventures together, big and small :)
Hope you enjoy reading! Laura xx
I love been a mum. Knowing a little person depends on you to get by can be very hard work both emotionally and physically but when you look at them and realise you are pulling it off and actually they're just perfect, there's no feeling more rewarding. Knowing you've done that is amazing.
I've read other blogs for a while now and enjoy reading through what people and their little ones are upto. So here's mine! I will mostly post about mummy life and share our adventures together, big and small :)
Hope you enjoy reading! Laura xx
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