Monday 30 December 2013

Turtlemeter Review



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We were kindly sent a 'TurtleMeter' thermometer and bath toy by Ozeri to review. This opportunity came just at the right time as I was looking into getting a new bath thermometer! Eliot has mild eczema so has been prescribed Oilatum to put in his bath, this turns the water a murky milky colour. The bath thermometer we used previously would be submerged under the water which meant I couldn't see the temperature or keep an eye on it whilst Eliot had his bath. I was always worrying whether it had got too cold. Of course I always check the temperature myself before putting Eliot in the water but I do like a thermometer for extra reassurance.  
With the Turtlemeter I didn't have this worry! As you can see the temperature display is not submerged under the water and is very easy to watch especially with the light that indicates the temperature. Just what I was looking for!

Blue = Too cold (Less than 95F)



Green = Just right (Between 95F & 102.2F)


Red = Too hot (over 102.2F)


 Here are the Turtlemeter's Features...
                                                        * Instantly activates in water
* Fun & safe waterproof bath toy
* Floats naturally
* Fully submersible
* Easy-to-read LCD screen
* Checks water temperature every second
* Sensor activated-No buttons or switches
* No annoying alarm sound
* Compliant with safety standards
* Ages 0+ (adult supervision required)
As well as being a great safety tool at bathtime it doubles up as a bath toy! As you can see Eliot enjoys playing with it (and using it as a teether!). The bright light on the temperature display also stimulates Eliot and encourages him to play.

You can purchase the Turtlemeter on Amazon, link here.


*This product was sent to us for the purpose of this review. All opinions & views are my own.








Sunday 29 December 2013

Silent Sunday 29/12/13





                                                       

Thursday 26 December 2013

What was in Eliot's 1st Christmas Stocking

Happy Boxing Day!
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & Santa bought you all you wanted ;)

A few weeks ago wrote I wrote a post about some bits I bought for Eliot's Christmas stocking. I thought I'd share the couple of extra things I bought, what was in his stocking on Christmas morning!

  1.             'My First Christmas' teddy.
  2.              'Favourite Songs and Rhymes' & 'Animal Songs' CD's.
  3.              'Baby's First animals' word & picture book.
  4.              Pack of socks.
  5.              'World Of Happy Pocket Library'
  6.               Soothers.
  7.               Personalised clip on soother holder.
  8.               Bubbles.

What was in your little ones's stocking?

Sunday 22 December 2013

Silent Sunday 22/12/13

                                           








                                                   

Thursday 19 December 2013

The A-Z of me!

I was tagged by My Petit Canard to do this tag, thank you! So here we go the A-Z of me!

A is for Angel, one of my middle names. My dad wanted to actually name me this! Thank goodness my mum put her foot down :D 

B is for bed, oh how I love my bed and sleeping in it! These days I may get a disturbed sleep or early wake up but I still love getting all cosy! 

C is for chocolate, I hope I don't get too much for Christmas :-/ even though I love it, my waistline does not!

D is for ducks. I used to have pet ducks as a child. They were amazing, so much fun and such characters. Their names were Daffy and Dilly.

E is for engaged. The other half proposed almost a year ago on 23rd December 2012. Unfortunately my ring is still too tight after swelling during pregnancy. We still haven't started planning it, any tips will be greatly appreciated :)

F is for family. This year two became three and I do so want to expand our family in the future.

G is for garden, I want one! We live in a flat but I would like to move to a property with a garden for our boy to play and our cats to roam.

H is for holiday. I really want to sort our first holiday as a family. I think I'd like it to be somewhere here with the amount of  stuff you have to cart with you when you have a baby!

I is for Indian, one of my favourite cuisines. I love a hot curry, rice and naan!

J is for Jonathan Rhys Meyers, I'm a fan of The Tudors and can't wait to see Dracula, the new series he stars in.

K is for kittens, my cats were so adorable when they were kittens!

L is for London, where I currently live and have love/ hate relationship with. I want to move to greener pastures in the near future.

M is for marmite, definitely a 'love' of mine! You can't beat a cheese and marmite sarnie!

N is for  'newbie'. My blog is still fairly new so I'll call myself a 'newbie' :)

O is for other half, how I refer to the fiancé on the blog.

P is for photos. I have loved taking them for as long as I can remember. I used to be that annoying person who would always be taking pictures. These days I don't take enough :(

Q is for  queues. I don't like them, who does?! But I like to think I'm patient when stuck in one.

R is for regret. Recently I experienced something I regretted immediately. It taught me never to do something you are not sure about. Life does have regrets but they shouldn't be big ones.

S is for son. In June I gave birth to our first child who weighed a hefty 9.5lbs. His name is Eliot Jude and I adore him.

T is for teacher. My job. A rewarding profession but like all, has it's downfalls.

U is for underground. I'm sooo glad I don't commute on the London Underground for work. Total nightmare during rush hour!

V is for vile. A word a often use to describe something I dislike.

W is for Winter Wonderland. We made our first visit this year as a family. It's so festive and there's loads to see and do. I def recommend a visit :)

X is for x-factor. Whenever asking children to think of a word that has x in, they will always give this as an example.

Y is for yellow. A colour that doesn't suit me but also an amazing song by Coldplay.

Z is for zip. Anyone else have issues doing the zip up sometimes? My fine motor skills are obviously not the best!

There we have it the A-Z me. I'm tagging Lou Lou and the Boy in BlueTo become mumVonnie and all that would like to do this tag :)

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Festive Baby OOTD

I couldn't resist sharing Eliot's OOTD, there's no doubt he's my best present :)

All in one £2.70 in the sale F+F at Tesco
Santa hat £5.50 part of set at Next

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Christmas Tag



I was tagged by the lovely Emma from Emma and Alfie's World to do this fun festive tag :)


What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

All the festive traditions and songs!

When you were a kid, what did you leave for Santa on Christmas Eve?
Hmm I think a mince pie, milk and a carrot for his reindeer.

Do you and/or your family have any Christmas traditions?
I have started putting up the tree and decorations on the 1st December and intend to do this every year as a tradition.
At my parents it is tradition that I hand round all the presents, I love it!

When decorating, do you go all out or just do a small amount of decorating?

I usually just have the tree and a banner but have bought a couple of extra bits this year as it's Eliot's first Christmas.
What is your favourite Christmas dinner food?
Turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas day! 


What is your favourite Christmas movie?

As a child I adored Santa Claus The Movie and would check for it in the TV guide every December. I do love Love Actually too.


What is your favourite Christmas song?

This is a tough one, there are so many I love. All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey  has to be one of the top ones!

What was your favourite gift you've ever received?
I can't think of just one. I've received so many lovely gifts over the years I can't pick a favourite.


What is your favourite memory?

The thrill of excitement when waking up on Christmas morning to see what Santa had left!

Does it snow where you live?
Sometimes but London doesn't always get enough snow to have fun in :(

Do you own an "ugly holiday sweater"?
No I don't but I would like a festive jumper :)

Hot chocolate or eggnog? 
Hot chocolate always! 

Have you ever been kissed under a mistletoe?
Yes.


I tag the following bloggers to do this too :-) 

Saturday 14 December 2013

14th December 2012 was a magical day

This time last year I was 12 weeks and 4 days pregnant, we were due for the 12 week scan. I felt a mixture of emotions, excited, anxious, worried. I'd experienced a couple of bleeds in the two weeks running up to the scan and had thought the worst! We had got hold of the early pregnancy clinic at the hospital and they had done scans which assured us baby was fine.
Still things could have changed by the 12 week scan, I couldn't wait to see my baby again and this time take pictures home but a small cloud loomed with my fears.
We waited ages and must have been the last people of the day to be seen. The sonographer did her job and I was relieved, excited, happy that our little bundle looked all well. We watched as he moved and lifted his hand to his mouth...truly magical.
Now that little grainy image is almost 6 months, absolute madness!


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Today I'm linking up with Magic Moments 

Friday 13 December 2013

Winter Wonderland attempt 2!


Not looking impressed in his festive gear & waiting patiently

So we had a Winter Wonderland fail the other week, which you can read about here. On Saturday attempt two was made and was successful, yay! Even though the huge queue still dominated the entrance we waited patiently. Luckily the wait wasn't too long and we began our journey through the abundance of stalls. The festive atmosphere is just wonderful, even if it was tricky trying to navigate a pushchair through an endless stream of people! 
Lines of stalls on either side offer everything from food, to booze to goods. Beyond here we took a right turn past the ice rink towards the array of games stalls and rides.


Rides & stalls galore!
The games on the stalls were near impossible to win but all good fun! The selection of rides caters for everyone from tots to white knuckle thrill seekers. There were a fair few rides I was keen to have a go on but didn't want to go on by myself, hopefully the OH and I will take a trip back by ourselves!
There was a substantial range of food on offer, I fancied something sweet so opted for a crepe with Nutella.



Food & festive fun


There is so much to get round and see you don't even need to buy an extra for the other attractions ( ice rink, ice kingdom, Santas Grotto, Circus, observation wheel) unless of course they are one of the things you are going to Winter Wonderland for! I quite fancy the ice kingdom and circus so if we go back as a couple we might do them.


Meeting Santa & having a rest!


Cheeky chappy
 
 All in all we had a lovely day out, even though I was FREEZING cold! Make sure you wrap up warm with lots of layers and hat, scarf, gloves etc! I've lived in London since 2009 and can't believethis is the first time I made it to Winter Wonderland. I definitely recommend!

Have you been to Winter Wonderland? What festive things are you up to?




























Thursday 12 December 2013

Thank You Mothercare!

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win an invite to the launch of the refurbished Mothercare flagship store on Oxford Street. I was looking forward to it as  I've always enjoyed browsing and shopping in Mothercare and couldn't wait to see what the new store had to offer. I actually used to work at Mothercare back in my student days for my part time job and would always imagine what I would buy when I became pregnant!
So the day came and we were getting ready to leave when Eliot was sick everywhere! Ah the joys of having children, he was getting cranky too. I decided it would be best to stay at home and if it was a bug I didn't want him to pass it on to anyone else. I emailed Mothercare to say we wouldn't be coming and to thank them again for their invite. Thankfully by the next day he was ok, I think it could have been another new tooth that had made him a bit poorly.
The evening sounded great, you can read more about it over on The London Mum and  Mummy Memories blogs!
I was thrilled when Abi from Mothercare tweeted that they would send me one of the goody bags so I hadn't missed out completely. I thought this was really thoughtful. A couple of days later I received an email from Emma who got the info needed to send the goody bag. But it wasn't quite as simple as that! The courier couldn't find the address, where we live can be tricky to locate! Emma contacted me a few more times just to clarify delivery details and then voila it arrived yesterday! So I just wanted to post and say thank you again for the invite and for taking time and effort to get the goody bag to me. :)
Thanks Mothercare!

Monday 9 December 2013

Minimal Mummy Make Up

I thought it was time to throw in a dash of beauty just like it says in my blog description! I love make up but as a mum I find time to put it on is limited! So I thought I'd share my 'minimal mummy make up'.


Bases I like to use

For a light coverage I use Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturiser. It gives a natural dewy finish and you can build the coverage.
MUA's BB cream gives a surprisingly good coverage at a bargain price. I recommend trying it if you haven't already!
If I'm having a 'bad skin day' I've been using Rimmels Wake Me Up foundation. I bought it a couple of weeks before my due date in June after reading lots of positive reviews on it.I love the coverage and finish it gives!

Powder & blush
I use MAC Mineralize Skin Finish powder to get rid of any shine and then MAC Mineralize Powder in Star Wonder (limited edition) for blush. One of the make up artists convinced me to buy it when I was picking up some make up for a wedding. It does leave a lovely glow on my cheeks.

Minimal eye make up
For eyes I use Rimmel Scandal eyes eyeliner in Nude on the waterline to hide any redness and to brighten the eye. I'm not too fussy when it comes to mascara and currently use Avon's Super Shocck Max which works well on my lashes.

If I have an important event or night out I'll also slap on eyeshadow, concealer, highlighter, bronzed and fill my brows, the works!

What do you use? Do you have any of this make up in your collection?

Saturday 7 December 2013

Being considerate...RANT

After two weekends of experiencing inconsiderate/rude/un-compliant people on the London Underground I feel the need to rant!

What do these notices mean to you?
For the past two weeks on the tubes we've travelled on, they have meant zilch to the general public! It has really wound me up! How much does common courtesy cost these days?
Last weekend we had Eliot in his carrier and not one person offered a seat, this upsets me because on a crowded tube it would have been much safer for one of us to be sat down with him. As the priority sign depicts, if you are holding a baby/small child (along with the other images), you have priority to sit in that seat.
Today we had Eliot in the pram and again the people sat in the fold down seats (spaces for buggys/luggage) didn't fall into the having a pushchair or luggage category, yet they didn't politely offer their seat. So instead, along with another parent we blocked the doors with our pushchairs! It just infuriates me that many people cannot comply with simple requests that affect the safety and well being of all passengers.
Even when I was heavily pregnant there were occasions where people turned a blind eye, and I have to say in 95% of these cases it has been men who have been the offenders! Though saying that I have also come across some very polite males.

Yes we could pipe up and ask politely if we could have the seat/space but we shouldn't have to when there are notices there stating the obvious!

What are you thoughts or experiences ! I would love to hear!

Sunday 1 December 2013

Winter Wonderland fail and Hamleys

So yesterday we thought it would be a nice family day out to take a trip to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. After deliberating the best mode of transport (pram or carrier) for Eliot I thought him being strapped to daddy was the most sensible. Thus avoiding trying to get the pram on to the tightly packed London Underground. Off we went and I was glad we chose the carrier as there was no way we would have got on the platform, never mind the tube! When we changed at Green Park it was such a nightmare we caught the tube back a station just so we could get on!
When arrived at Hyde Park there was a huge back log of people waiting to get inside Winter Wonderland. Poor Eliot had fallen asleep but looked uncomfortable upright in the carrier. As his bottle was due I suggested to the OH we head to a bench I spied in the distance to feed him. Who knew how long we might be stuck in the queue.
Massive queue beyond the leaves
Being fed by daddy
Once E was fed and winded we headed back to the entrance where the ridiculous amount of people waiting to get in had grown. So we decided to come back another day and walked up to Regent Street to visit Hamleys.
I don't know why I thought otherwise but Regent Street was horrendous too. My stress levels were rising! I despise busy London anyway but with Eliot in tow it made  me hate it even more!
Of course hoards of people were flocking to Hamleys and it was chocka! It was not the enjoyable experience I wanted it to be. Eliot was getting cranky, people were barging and I couldn't believe the prices! Yes I know it's Hamleys but how can they charge £40 for a Fisher Price toy I paid £15 for?! Out-bloody-rageous!
 We did buy a couple of books for E and he enjoyed looking at the display of bath toys but I certainly won't be rushing back there anytime soon!
Loving the bath toy display.





Saturday 30 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 30 What's been the hardest part about blogging daily?

First of all apologies I have missed the past few days, I was at my parents without internet and did not have time to write posts when I was out and managed to connect to Wi-Fi.

For me the hardest thing has definitely been making sure I get a post done! It shows just how unorganised I am and how I probably faff too much when writing posts. I guess some posts have been  a bit rushed so I suppose not always quite how I wanted them.

It has been great to take part NaBloPoMo and read other blogger's posts. Thank you to Vonnie for hosting!

Tuesday 26 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 26Eliot's 5 month update

Today my NaBloPoMo post is my little mans 5 month update, he's a whole 5 months today!

Last month was my first update about Eliot. I've decided to change the way I write these updates and will be writing  them to Eliot, so one day he can read them!

5 months old

   General/milestones
My special little man, how have you got to five months already?! This time next month you will be half a year old, a whole six months!
You are still pretty good at sleeping through the night, although you still wake up sometimes and will need some milk to go back to sleep. I think sometimes you wake because your teeth have been playing you up. And that's one big milestone you have reached, you have cut your first tooth!!! Last Thursday you were using my hand as a teether and I felt it graze my skin. It's hard to get a good look at it as you poke your tongue over your lower gum.
You still babble in the mornings and give gorgeous smiles.
You are still determined to sit up and can sit forwards for a few seconds now. You can roll on to your side when you really try and can move yourself around in a circle

Feeding
Bottles are still one of your favourite things and you continue to have four 7oz bottles and an 8oz bottle before you go to bed. If you wake in the night I give you a 5oz bottle and this seems to send you back to sleep.  You have got the idea about holding your bottles and do this sometimes.The doctor has put you on repeat prescription for your reflux for the next couple of months until it is time for another review.
I have been weaning you this month and you are loving trying (most) new things. I made some purees: carrot, sweet potato, broccoli, apple and pear. You do not like carrot, the faces you pulled when trying it did make me laugh. But we will try you again on that that someday soon. Sweet Potato is not your favourite but you will eat a little. You do like the broccoli, apple and pear a lot! You have also tried banana and avocado, you love banana but weren't too sure about the avocado! Yesterday you enjoyed trying a rusk and made a right old mess! At the moment you have a bit of baby rice or porridge for breakfast and a puree later on in the day. I must try you on some new fruit and veg this month! You drink some water but you prefer it from a bottle than out of a beaker.
Feeding yourself

Weight
Despite your reflux you have continued to put on weight, three weeks ago you weighed 16lb 10oz at the health visitor. I guess your somewhere between the 17lb10oz and 18lb mark now.

Clothes
You are rapidly growing out of your 3-6 month clothes and you are in 6-9 month sleepsuits. I must sort your wardrobe again soon. You have a lot of 6-9 month clothes to get through before you grow too big for them!


Enjoying your bath!
Eliot's Likes/Dislikes
  • You were bought a Jumperoo by your Nana Mary for an early Christmas present. On your second go you got the hang of what to do. You like it but only when you're in the right mood!
  • You love being sung to and your current favourites are 'Old Macdonald Had a Farm' and 'If you're happy and you know it'.
  • Still love bottle time. 
  •  You still love baths and lay back with your hands behind your head kicking your feet.
  • You love the cats and follow their every move. I thought it was just Mimi you liked but you smile and laugh at Coco too..
  •  You still love going out on walks in your pram but do not like stopping for too long.
  • You like playing with Sophie the giraffe, your Vtec laptop and teething rattles.
  • Your still not a fan of tummy time.




Jumperoo'ing around

Monday 25 November 2013

Milestone alert...First Tooth!

Last Wednesday I was messaging another mummy blogger about blog templates and how her little boy was getting on with weaning, she also asked if they were any signs of teething with Eliot. 'Hes dribbling, chomping and being grisly but no teeth yet' was along the lines of my response.

The following day  Eliot and I were playing when he decided chomping on my hand would be more fun. That's when I felt something sharp graze across my skin. Was this what I thought it was? After some more feeling and determination at getting a glimpse, I saw it, my lil man's first tooth had cut through! I felt so excited and proud but also sad that he's growing so quickly. He is fond of covering his gum with his tongue so it's hard to get a good look.
Not allowing a tooth pic!


 

http://theoliversmadhouse.co.uk/magic-moments/
 



 

NaBloPoMo 25 Do you speak more than one language?

Unfortunately, no! I would love to speak another language fluently. At school I loved learning French and was pretty good at it but forgot most of it after GCSE's. We also learnt a bit of Spanish in year 9 which I also enjoyed but again forgot most of it.

I think it's a great tool to know another language and there should be more emphasis on learning  an extra language from an early age. The younger you are the easier it is to pick another language up. One of my colleagues can speak fluent French, German and Italian which is mighty impressive!

My petite knowledge of French has helped me out a couple of times whilst I've been away in France, I have been able to put it to some good use :)

Can you speak any other languages?


Sunday 24 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 24 Where is your favourite place to read?

The ultimate place to read for me is in bed, all tucked up nice and cosy with a good book. Saying that  I very rarely read these days, mainly because I don't make the time to. The last thing I read was A Street Cat Named Bob a true story about how a man and cat changed each other's lives, great read if you're a 'cat person' as Bob is a pretty amazing feline!
As a child though I absolutely adored reading, it was one of my stronger subjects. I loved reading series of books,  'The Saddle Club' books and when I was older 'Point Horror' books.
As a teacher I can't stress how important reading is for children, it helps them develop in numerous ways. From using their imagination in play to writing a creative story. Reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction books is essential in my eyes. I just hope my lil man is as fond of reading as I was as a child.

Best place to read! In bed!

Saturday 23 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 23 Are you spiritual or religious?

No I am not spiritual or religious. I believe religion causes too many problems. Of course the majority of people follow their faith peacefully but it has been the route cause of many problems going back centuries.
I do think it's a help for some, having a faith to turn to. But it's just not for me.
I totally respect other peoples religious beliefs, I just don't want them to try and push their views on me. This has happened on various occasions and I think it's completely wrong!
My other half has beliefs, I respect them, he doesn't push them upon me.
The truth is no one knows what happens after death, there could be something, there could be nothing! I would like to believe that we will eventually be reunited with the loved ones we've lost throughout the years but nobody can answer that.

Friday 22 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 22 Tell us about pets

I am a massive animal lover, and have always adored them. As a child I grew up with a beautiful black Labrador called Benji. He was around before me but wasn't too keen on my arrival, luckily he quickly got used to me. He was such a fun and gentle natured dog. Unfortunately when I was 11 he became ill with a cancerous tumor on his face. Eventually the kindest thing to do was put him to sleep. It was heartbreaking, he really was part of our family.
Of course I had the obligatory goldfish but obviously they are not as much fun as something fluffy and soft! I always wanted a gerbil, guinea pig or rabbit but my mum knew it would be her doing all the looking after so I wasn't ever able to persuade her.
Around the age of 9 I rescued a pigeon who couldn't fly...yes a pigeon, I'm an animal lover remember! Anyway it wasn't eating and one day my dad arrived with two ducklings, yes ducklings! He'd spoken to a pet shop owner who advised the him that the pigeon needed to see other birds eat so it could copy. I was over the moon! Two cute little bundles of fluff, one yellow, one brown. We named them Daffy and Dilly. They did help the pigeon feed and one day he was able to fly away which was nice. Daffy and Dilly continued to grow in both size and character, they were a lot of fun and had their own little personalities. Daffy was an Aylesbury duck, they have white feathers and she liked being handled and wasn't nervous with us. Dilly was a Khaki Campbell, had a beautiful green head and browny feathers elsewhere but was quite timid and didn't particularly like being handled. Just after I'd started secondary school a fox got in to their run and killed them. I was devastated.

The hardest thing about having pets is when you lose them, it puts you off having more in the future.

As a teenager I had a few fish  but no more furry or feathered pets.

Now we have two cats, Mimi and Coco
Mimi not too keen of her Santa outfit last Christmas 
Mimi is the boss and can be a but feisty she does like her cuddles, only when she wants them of course!

Coco reading!

Coco is smaller and more timid, she likes affection at bedtime and often wants attention then.

Have you got any pets?




Thursday 21 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 21 Baby OOTD #1

I'm doing my own post again as I really don't have a go to recipe which was Vonnie's NaBloPoMo for today. I must try and improve my culinary skills!

I thought I'd start doing baby OOTD posts as it's a great way to record favourite clothing as they grow out of it so quickly.

Here's my little man in what he wore today...

Jumper, jogging bottoms and bib all from F&F at Tesco. These were a gift from my lovely friend Gemma so not sure how much they cost.
I love burgundy & think it's a great colour for Autumn/Winter, the jumper is soft and perfect for keeping cosy in the colder months. Jogging bottoms are a comfy alternative to jeans and they're warmer too! (Excuse the mismatching socks :D)

Emblem & fake pocket on jogging bottoms
I love bandana bibs and this one matches the outfit perfectly.


Wednesday 20 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 20 My Post Natal Ward experience

 I thought I'd post something I've been wanting to get done for a while. I also can't think of anything brave enough to share for Vonnie's NaBloPoMo prompt for today!

Wednesday 26th June 2013
After giving birth we spent are few more hours in the delivery suite. I was in my own little zone at this point after a long labour and needing stitches but managed to have a shower and get ready to move down to the post natal ward.
The midwife who'd delivered Eliot took us down to the post natal to settle down for the night. Each bay had four beds in and when we led to the bed I was allocated there was still rubbish and bedding from the previous person. My parents were with us at this point and were fuming to say the least. I'm crap at complaining anyhoo but I had no need worry my parents are experts and said their piece. We received an apology and I was taken to another bay which had a freshly made bed. Once I was as settled as I could be I said my goodbyes and my family left. I don't remember much else about that night. I did ask for help with breastfeeding but I will be writing a separate post about my attempt to breastfeed.

Thursday 27th June 2013
I was looking forward to leaving hospital and settling our son in to his first home. I sent the other half a text reminding him to bring the car seat when he came.
A midwife came and told me I would need an anti d injection (my blood is Rhesus negative) as Eliot had positive blood. She returned a bit later and gave me the injection, I was used to those as I had a few anti d injections whilst pregnant.
Shortly after, my first nightmare as a mother happened. Eliot was in his cot, I heard a strange noise and saw Eliot had brought up some clear liquid. Except he hadn't just brought it up, he was choking. I quickly scooped him up, put him over my shoulder and patted his back firmly. But I could still  hear him choking. I pressed the emergency button next to the bed with tears streaming. A couple of midwives dashed in, took him off me and simply turned him on his front and patted his back. Panic over. They explained it was fluid that Eliot hadn't expelled during delivery and it could happen again so I would need to do what they'd done. That frightened me, I hadn't read or heard about this happening to anyone.
One of the midwives returned and said she thought it would be helpful if I stayed in another night as I'd had a shock and breastfeeding was not established. I was happy with this as I was keen to get more help with breastfeeding.
Eliot later had the usual checks by a paediatrician, all seemed normal apart from one of his testicles. It hadn't fully descended but would hopefully sort out itself and be followed up at the eight week check.
Eliot had a few more episodes of bringing up fluid but I knew what to do so didn't panic.
He pooped meconium during a nappy change which went everywhere as the other half's mum picked him up. He also had his first taste of formula as breastfeeding was proving hard.
My feet and legs were incredibly swollen so I was given a pair of those oh so flattering white stockings to wear.

Some pics from our time on the post natal ward
 

Friday 29th June 2013
Eliot was still having quite a few 'sicky' episodes and the midwife on duty was not happy to discharge us. They wanted to keep an eye how often he was being sick. I was asked to keep a diary of  this, how much and what colour it was. More phone calls were made to say we wouldn't be coming home again. This is when it started to get me down, however if anything was wrong with Eliot we were in the best place.
The midwife said she'd asked one of the paediatricians to see us so Eliot could be checked over again.
We did not see the paediatrician and Eliot had more formula as I continued to struggle with breastfeeding.
My legs were still very swollen, so a doctor was asked to see me by one of the midwives. By this point the glam stockings were off, they'd been riding down and being a pain. The doctor asked me to make sure I wore them and to keep as mobile as possible. If I experienced any pain I would need to let someone know.

Saturday 30th June 2013
I had my fingers crossed that we would be coming home today. I updated the midwives with Eliot's sickness and was told we'd see a paediatrician today. The hours ticked by but still no sign of a paediatrician. It was coming up to 8pm, the time when partners had to leave. We spoke with the midwife and asked the paediatrician would be coming to us. She said they could still make their way round to us so the OH stuck around for a bit longer, both of us getting frustrated that we hadn't been seen. Still the paediatrician didn't get to us. The longer I stayed in hospital the more desperate I became to get home.

Sunday 1st July 2013
Around lunchtime I was told to take Eliot and wait outside the paediatricians room. It felt like we were waiting forever but eventually it was our turn. I was asked lots of questions as Eliot was checked over. New mum shock number two hit me when the paediatrician said she suspected he might have a hernia. What?! She wanted a second opinion and to take some blood to rule out any other possibilities. So over we went to the Neo-Natal unit, where the really poorly babies were. Very frightening. We were taken in an assessment bay. Eliot was placed under a heat lamp while the paediatrician searched for a vein to put a line in and take blood. I was absolutely dreading this. My poor baby boy only a few days old being prodded and pierced. Shockingly he didn't make a peep, he was too distracted by the heat from the lamp and sucking on my finger. What a relief, he appeared to be totally unaware he had a line in the back of his hand and a splint on to keep it in place.
Another paediatrician checked Eliot over and she agreed that he may have a hernia. But they wanted yet another colleagues opinion who was in theatre. So we waited some more. When he came to look at Eliot he gave the same diagnosis as the previous paediatricians.
In a daze we were walked back to the post natal ward and would need to see a surgeon when one became available.
Later in the day room with the OH and my parents the midwife who had delivered Eliot popped in to see us and wondered why we were still there. I explained the different scenarios that had kept us there and that we were waiting to see a surgeon.
Waiting was what we seemed to do a lot of! Surprisingly, the paediatrician appeared with a surgeon later that evening. The surgeon had a good prod and poke of poor Eliot and then completely surprised us when he said he didn't think it was a hernia.  Really?! After three paediatricians suspected it was! He was pretty certain it wasn't but told us some warning signs to look out for. Thank goodness our little man was not going to need an operation. I was even happier when the paediatrician said we could be discharged but it would have to wait until tomorrow.

Monday 2nd July 2013
I was much happier when I awoke that morning, knowing Eliot was ok and that we would be going home. A midwife came and checked us both over. My stitches were healing ok but my feet and legs were still puffed up so I would need to keep the stockings on for a while longer.
The OH arrived with the car seat and we took our boy home. I couldn't believe I'd been in that hospital for so long and got very emotional on the way home. It felt so strange to be back in the big wide world and not in the confines of a hospital ward. I know it was the best place for Eliot to be if things weren't quite right.
Unfortunately we were back at the hospital a few weeks later but that is another post!

Finally able to go home!!!
 
Did you have to stay in hospital longer than expected after giving birth?
 
SuperBusyMum

Tuesday 19 November 2013

NaBloPoMo 19 If you could have any job (and instantly have the training and qualifications to do it), which job would you want?

This is easy for me! If I could have any job in the world it would be as an actress. Not a TV soap star but an academy award winning actress (haha we can but dream huh?!)!
I adored drama at secondary school and took it as one of my GCSE subjects, teachers' said I was good at it. But there's good and there's being good enough to make it in such a cut throat industry.  I didn't pursue it in anyway whatsoever as I believe in the back of my mind there's no way I would ever gain access in to that world.
I was thrilled when we had a drama module in our final year of university, I jumped at the opportunity to take the main role in our group which I think surprised some people. To people I don't know very well or not entirely comfortable around I think I come across as quite shy and quiet. However when I'm in my comfort zone I'm entirely the opposite.
Perhaps in the future I will investigate amateur dramatics as I do thoroughly enjoy acting and it would make a nice little hobby!
Dream on dreamer ;-)
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