A mother first

With every day that passes, my big girl is becoming more articulate, more confident in conversation, more developed in her sentence structure and more hilarious. We're a dry, sarcastic humour kind of household, and she's starting to get that. Her ability to do stuff baffles me, and her little sister kicking around the house just opens my eyes to how much stuff these kiddies learn in the first years of their lives. It's astounding.

But with the articulate, chatty and bold little girl comes a more sophisticated trouble maker too; the ability to actively go against what you've asked, procrastination that would challenge my own, problem solving that makes me realise although she will always be my baby, she just isn't a baby any more.

At nap time, I found her standing on top of her beautiful wooden walker that has lived in her room for some time, about to straddle the baby gate and make her escape. I had to take a breath to stop myself from laughing, and force myself not to applaud her ingenuity. I had to tell her off for this one.

I had to be her mother first and her friend second.

She was not best pleased. But one day she may thank me for saving her from a tricky situation, and hopefully the walker will be good for her sister and to pass on to her own children. I can still be sentimental.

A mother first.

Sling it, Mama! #1 Guest Post: Mei tais vs Wraps

I am THRILLED to have a host of lovely guest bloggers lined up for the next few weeks to share some wisdom about baby wearing with you. Lowen is 8 weeks old and I've barely used the pram as I've completely fallen in love with my carrier which is what has inspired this series... But more about us later!

Kicking us off today is Chantelle who blogs over at www.mamamummymum.co.uk with a rather fabulous comparison of mei tais vs wraps - thanks Chantelle! 

I am a huge fan of babywearing but even now I have to admit with so many carriers, wraps etc available, it can be hard to know just which one is right for you and your little one. I started babywearing with my third child, but it wasn't until I had my last child, that I really started to understand all about correct positioning, different carries for different carriers etc. It all sounded rather daunting in the beginning but I soon found out what suited both myself and Layla.

My collection now consists of a mixture of wraps and men tais, so I thought I would share with you just why I like them both and the similarities and differences between both methods of babywearing.

Sizes

Wraps can be bought in a variety of lengths depending on what type of carries you are wanting to use them for. The lengths available are : 2.6m. 3.2m, 3.6m, 4.2m, 4.6m and 5.2m

Mei tais used to come in a standard size however more and more brands are making different sizes available, these include : baby size, toddler size and preschool size.

Both are easily adjustable so will suit the majority of both men and women.

The difference is that with wraps, if you buy a larger size you can have it cut down and made smaller if you change your mind on sizing, you can even have a wrap made into a ring sling if you want, but you can't change a mei tais sizing once made.

What age babies are they suitable for?

Both wraps and mei tais can be used from when your little one is a newborn.

Wraps will last right up until your little one no longer wants or needs carrying.

Mei tais tend to become too small once your child reaches a certain size, you can use the straps to keep them 'knee to knee' for longer but you may find the height of the carrier becomes too short and I would then suggest you buy a larger mei tai.

Carrying Positions

The great thing with both these methods of babywearing is that baby can be carried on the front, back or hip.

I find the mei tai easier to tie but the wrap just pips the mei tai here as there are a bigger variety of carries that you can do with a wrap that you just can't do with a mei tai.

Accessories

A wrap is just that, a wrap, there are no add ons, but I think this is why wraps are so good because they are simple yet effective.

Mei tais come in many different styles, some have hoods to pop over your little ones head, some have pockets for you to pop your keys in. You can also by sucker pads to go round the straps for your baby to chew on.

Pricing

With so many different styles, brands and designs of both wraps and mei tais available, I wouldn't say either one is more expensive than the other, there are ones out there to suit every persons budget.

Conclusion

Overall I don't think one carrier is better than the other. They both have their positives and negatives but babywearing much like anything is personal preference. I prefer using my mei tai when I need to get out of the door quickly as I find it easier to get on but if I know I will be out all day then I opt for a wrap as I find it more comfortable as I can spread out the material.

Do you have a favourite baby carrier??

Chantelle blogs at www.mamamummymum.co.uk and tweets as @MamaMummyMum

Do pop by and show her some love!

Word of the Week

Runny noses, crusty noses, itchy noses, bogies, nosplosions, tissues and a bit of vomit for good measure.

My word of the week is...

Family Photo Friday #16 - 25/04/14

I can't lie. I've not been a very good blogger the last couple of weeks.

The Easter holidays got taken up with stuff and zoomed by, we were away for my birthday and Easter and I managed to miss my blog's first birthday which I was quite sure was this weekend not last! 

We had a lovely weekend away with some of our closest friends and their children in Brackenborough, Lincolnshire. Sadly I managed to spend the whole weekend behind the camera and failed to get a photograph with me in it, but I had to share my favourite photo of the weekend. I'm unsure who is the bigger kid.

What did you get up to for the long weekend? Photo taking I hope!

Usual rules apply...

Share a family photo from your week just gone. It needn't be a Family Photo Friday specific post, I don't mind you recycling! You can join in weekly, monthly or just whenever you can. It can be a formal portrait or a snap from your phone, something you posed for or something you caught when no one was looking. It could be from a day out, a gathering, an activity at home, it doesn't matter so long as it gives a snap shot of what your family looked like during the week that's just been.

Give us a brief explanation of your photo. 

I'd love it if you could grab the badge to add at the bottom of your post and Tweet about it using #familyphotofriday - my Twitter handle is @oneformybaby12.

Pop over to visit at least two other bloggers and see what they've been doing - maybe you can watch their family grow and change too!

Leave a comment if you can.

I promise to visit as many of you as I can and I'll pick my favourite photo to share next Friday.

Happy photo-taking and memory-making!

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Word of the Week

Eczema flare ups, snotty sicky babies, potty training, incomplete to do lists, packing, laundry, toddler tantrums, grey hairs, nap refusal, laundry, more laundry, sorting, tidying, snot, more muslins... I could go on.

Silent Sunday

Exploring

For a little girl who cracked the walking thing at 9 months old, until recently Effy's not been a walker. You might remember our battle of wills resulting in a stand off (actually, she was planking face down in a puddle) over walking to the park when I was quite heavily pregnant. But something has clicked in that head in the last month - perhaps her new found "grown up sister" status - and she loves walking. In fact, when we got home from walking Hamish last night, she refused to come in the front door insisting that we go back out with him... Lucky pooch.

So, now we can enjoy being on foot and with the better weather, we've been out exploring and discovered two new places to add to our favourites list.

The first is Forestry Commission Fineshade Woods, between Corby and Stamford - we've been several times in recent weeks, alone and with friends. There's a multitude of reasons why this place is worth a visit - or several. To say it's a new discovery is a lie - we had been once when we first moved back here but had forgotten about it.

The forest has multiple walks of different lengths and some are more accessible on others. But there's one that is completely buggy/wheelchair etc friendly, and it's not too long, so small legs can do it (and it's not too far for a piggy back if you get tired). It's also dog friendly, and well behaved dogs needn't be on a lead. There's also paths for cyclists and you can hire cycle equipment on site. 

There's also a play area with plenty of things to do for the younger kids. Effy absolutely adores the little hut and likes to have imaginary dinner parties in there with her friends! And right next to the play area is a lovely cafe, with delicious paninis and cake, that's reasonably priced and worth going back to. There's a number of little shops on the complex. So you can definitely make a day out of it, or a shorter visit if you wish. 

The only downside is having to pay for parking - £3 for the day, which isn't astronomical but arguably there are other places to walk and play for free. That said, if it's somewhere you want to visit regularly, we we do, the Forestry Commission do Discovery Passes for each forest, that make parking free, so we've invested (it applies to both our cars too) for the year - we only have to go 9 times for it to pay for itself and that's definitely doable.

Yesterday we popped down to explore the Gruffalo Trail, part of the 15th anniversary of the Gruffalo celebrations. Lots to do for children of all ages, we were a smidge disappointed that there was no Gruffalo at the end, and that he doesn't arrive until June... Worth noting if you had planned to visit your local forest for a similar event, as I didn't think the literature available was very clear! 

Our second find is Stanwick Lakes, not far from Wellingborough. We've been meaning to go for years, but it's a bit out of our way. However when we had friends staying recently, we took the multiple geochaching opportunities at the lakes as a challenge and went to see what was there.

In a nutshell, it's beautiful there. Calm and serene, with lots of nature to see, particularly waterfowl. It's big enough for you to walk for a while without seeing anyone, but not too far back to the car! There's also an amazing adventure play area, although we didn't get to explore as it started hailing and I had forgotten the rain cover... But it's definitely on the list of places to return to! The cake in the cafe was really quite exquisite too... A word of warning, geocachers; lots of caches were not there, or not what they were listed as. It's definitely worth reading recent logs before looking! 

It's easy to get stuck in a rut of heading to the places you know all the time, and sometimes I forget there's more to explore. However, both Fineshade and Stanwick have so much to do, I don't feel like we ever experience the same stuff on our visits... And I can't see any of us getting bored of either in a hurry!

Family Photo Friday #15 - 11/04/14

Better late than never right? I've been spending the last 24 hours trying to log into my LinkyTools account and failing, hence why Family Photo Friday is pretty late off the mark. But I'm here now! 

Despite D being home this week, we've not done so well on the photo front - but I had forgotten about this photo of D trying to help E over her slide fears while at a birthday party last weekend... I think we've cracked it! 

My favourite photo from last week was from Charlie at Learning Lessons in Mummyography. A beautiful photograph of Euna celebrating her second birthday. 

Usual rules apply...

Share a family photo from your week just gone. It needn't be a Family Photo Friday specific post, I don't mind you recycling! You can join in weekly, monthly or just whenever you can. It can be a formal portrait or a snap from your phone, something you posed for or something you caught when no one was looking. It could be from a day out, a gathering, an activity at home, it doesn't matter so long as it gives a snap shot of what your family looked like during the week that's just been.

Give us a brief explanation of your photo. 

I'd love it if you could grab the badge to add at the bottom of your post and Tweet about it using #familyphotofriday - my Twitter handle is @oneformybaby12.

Pop over to visit at least two other bloggers and see what they've been doing - maybe you can watch their family grow and change too!

Leave a comment if you can.

I promise to visit as many of you as I can and I'll pick my favourite photo to share next Friday.

Happy photo-taking and memory-making!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://thursdayschild-fridaysthoughts.blogspot.co.uk/p/family-photo-friday.html" title="Family Photo Friday @ Thursday's Child, Friday's Thoughts"><img src="http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r718/oneformybaby12/cfd43ed3-81dd-4bc8-891e-83da05b4339a_zpse02e79b8.jpg" alt="Family Photo Friday @ Thursday's Child, Friday's Thoughts" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Word of the Week

D is home for the Easter holiday having only taken a week off when Lowen was born. The house is in chaos, as I've not been able to run errands, lift stuff or find the time to get things sorted. So at the start of the week we made a huge list of the things that needed to be done so we could work through... It's going well and the house is starting to look more normal... Although sometimes you have to go backwards before going forwards, like getting all of Effy's clothes out of the loft on Wednesday night to find the 0-3 month vests which is helpfully bagged up in their own in a small bag. 

We'll be making more lists as we're going away next week and the only way to survive a holiday with a new born it to make a huge list of everything you need.

Lists, lists and lists of lists.

The Second Child

Last night I dressed my baby in a sleepsuit that was mine as a baby. It was, no doubt, from a baby boutique, such was my mother's taste, but it didn't stop her chopping off the feet when my legs got too long. My elder daughter wore it, and now the little one shall wear it too. I LOVE that we all have this hideous sleepsuit in common.

It's funny, as earlier D and I were talking about getting Effy's first outfits out of the loft for Lowen. We had to buy little things the Lowen, as everything of Effy's was too big, even the neutrals I bought were 0-3. Having initially rejoiced with my wallet at the prospect of never needing to buy new clothes-that-would-barely-be-worn-again, I suddenly felt guilty. Poor Lowen will spend at least the next 8 years in her sisters hand me downs. Tomorrow I will go and buy a pack of Next sleepsuits for her, so at least she has something of her own.

An only child, I never had hand me downs. Except for my bike, which had belonged to my male cousins before me. It was, obviously, blue. And I bloody hated it. 

It got me thinking about "second child syndrome". It made me think completely irrationally. Will she be forgotten about? Will she be resentful? Will she do things faster as she watches her sister do it? Will she be constantly compared to her sister? Will she struggle academically because her sister will always be doing SATs, GCSEs, A Levels first, and they're more important? Will I leave her sleeping upstairs and go out without her? Will she despise the hand me downs and pull the favouritsm card?!

Whatever she may think, my credit card is pleased that we have a seasonally appropriate, barely worn wardrobe in the loft. It's too good to be forgotten about. People always talk about "the second child" and "the middle child" in such a negative way, but there's plenty of good reasons too... 

For example, Lowen will learn from her big sister's mistakes. She'll have heard us count to three with a sanction in place. She may have witnessed first hand what happens if you draw on the sitting room floor, or put the potty on your head when it's got wee in it.

She'll benefit from our mistakes, our parenting fails, but also our parenting acalades and successes. 

She has her sisters' toys AND her own toys to play with.

She has enjoyed high class television such as Peppa Pig et al from a very young age. TV was banned until Effy was 1... That's education right there, that is...!

Most importantly, she had a confidant in her big sister. Always. She will never be lonely, or on her own. She'll always have a playmate, even when mummy and daddy are cooking or hanging the washing. She'll always have someone to blame.

And that has be worth more than a mini shopping spree for outfits she'll never remember instead of hand me downs.

Long live the hand me down, I say.

To the left, me and my dad, and to the right, Effy enjoying the clowns.

Family Photo Friday #14 - 04/04/14

As an only child, I grew up pining for a sibling. Someone to play with, to fill my time with. Someone to take me side, and someone to blame. My friends said I was lucky to be an only child, and not have to share, but actually sharing was all I wanted to do.

So you can imagine my joy a month ago when not only did Effy gain a sibling, a best friend... She gained a sister. She ADORES "baby sister" (who isn't yet known by name!) and Lowen is captivated by Effy, watching her, cooing at her, and no doubt getting some bad ideas for when she's older. They are already everything I wish I had had. They'll never be lonely... I hope they grow old together.

So, my family picture this week is me with my beautiful girls. I cannot describe the love I have for them. 

I particularly enjoyed the story behind the picture from Ups and Downs, Smiles and Frowns... A picture of all three children looking in the right direction at the same time! Thanks so much for linking up!

Let's recap the rules!

Share a family photo from your week just gone. It needn't be a Family Photo Friday specific post, I don't mind you recycling! You can join in weekly, monthly or just whenever you can. It can be a formal portrait or a snap from your phone, something you posed for or something you caught when no one was looking. It could be from a day out, a gathering, an activity at home, it doesn't matter so long as it gives a snap shot of what your family looked like during the week that's just been.

Give us a brief explanation of your photo. 

I'd love it if you could grab the badge to add at the bottom of your post and Tweet about it using #familyphotofriday - my Twitter handle is @oneformybaby12.

Pop over to visit at least two other bloggers and see what they've been doing - maybe you can watch their family grow and change too!

Leave a comment if you can.

I promise to visit as many of you as I can and I'll pick my favourite photo to share next Friday.

Happy photo-taking and memory-making!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://thursdayschild-fridaysthoughts.blogspot.co.uk/p/family-photo-friday.html" title="Family Photo Friday @ Thursday's Child, Friday's Thoughts"><img src="http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r718/oneformybaby12/cfd43ed3-81dd-4bc8-891e-83da05b4339a_zpse02e79b8.jpg" alt="Family Photo Friday @ Thursday's Child, Friday's Thoughts" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Word of the Week

We're getting back to normal. The visitors have calmed down, I'm feeling good and we're getting used to our new life. Both of us mucking in at bathtime, more poo and more mugs of tea. More chaos, more hectic, a little more head scratching.

I like it like this.

                           

One month

I'm pretty sure if I rewound that last blink I'd be back in hospital, taking in my first few moments with my brand new baby. I knew it would be like this. I knew it would go too fast, but I do feel like I've done a pretty good job of taking in as much is as possible this time. Today I put some washing on, I've not hung it up, and the nappies are assembled but still in the sitting room. Do I care? Not so much, I've been hanging out with Lowen, squishing her, smelling her, taking photographs of her. I can hang the washing up when she is in bed. 

Next week I'll take her to be weighed but I'm sure she'll be well into the 10lb bracket. The tiny clothes we had to buy her because Effy's stuff was all to big are feeling snug and the legs are too short on some sleepsuits. All of a sudden. She is still quite scrunchy, but enjoys stretching out too. 

She is starting to gurgle and has been smiling for a few days now. She loves being in the sling and doesn't enjoy the pram so much. She sleeps well at night... Last night she treated us to eight and a half hours!

So, a mum of two. Fully fledged. What have I learned?

• Well, newborns are more flexible than I remember. You can get them out of bed, chuck them in the sling and go and they'll probably go back to sleep.
• Toddlers are really more independent than I realised... Effy does so much for herself, more than I'd ever given her credit for... Lowen can't even get her own arm through her sleeve!
• You HAVE to sit back and enjoy being pregnant. My first pregnancy was godawful from start to finish and my second was hideous at times but I definitely had the 2nd trimester energy, yet I was too busy being a mum to take much in. I miss my bump. I miss having my little yellow fidget all to myself. I might not ever do the pregnant thing and already I can't remember it. It makes me a bit sad.
• Get organised. The night before when everyone else is sleeping if you need to be out early. Have EVERYTHING to hand. Remember to empty the potty as soon as it's been pee'd in.
• Finally, really do savour everything. Count the little hairs on their ears. Hold their tiny fingers. Take photographs, smell them. Log it. It's only two years since I had a 5 day old Effy, yet too much has slipped away from my memory...

Despite the chaos, the piles of laundry and the puddle of wee on the sitting room floor, it feels like there wasn't ever life without Lowen. She's just fitted right in and I wouldn't want it any other way.

One month... They'll get better and better.

Don't forget you can follow me on Facebook and on Twitter - hope to see you there!