tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32561979264927270132024-03-17T08:02:06.095+00:00Teacher2MummyA UK Parenting & Lifestyle BlogLucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-48796769178110638232019-12-05T11:51:00.002+00:002019-12-05T11:51:32.130+00:00Zippo's Circus At Winter Wonderland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend we were invited along to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to enjoy a day out which included a visit to Zippo's Circus. I hadn't been to the circus for as long as I can remember and this was Eliot's first time so I was looking forward to it!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eliot, the ringmaster & some of the performers!</td></tr>
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It didn't disappoint at all and one of my favourite things about the show is that it lasts just under an hour meaning its perfect for families! I'm sure we've all had the experience of young tots wanting to make an escape but the show was just the right length!</div>
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Each of the acts were brilliant in their own way and some of the performances were just unbelievably talented!<br />
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Two sisters from Norfolk performed amazing acrobatics together mid air who earned lots of gasps and applause from the audience. </div>
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Khametov's high wire troupe really had me on the edge of my seat with their act! I was in awe of the skill and amazed at their performance.</div>
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The unicycle act from Russia made riding a single wheeled bike look easy peasy and again left the audience mesmerised.</div>
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One of my favourite acts from the show was the roller skating duo, New Revolution from Cuba. I mean the speed they skated and the moves they made were insane! </div>
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<span id="goog_1371275900"></span><span id="goog_1371275901"></span>As well as all those acts there's a talented juggler and the very funny Emillion whose comic timing was absolutely spot on! He made me laugh when he got some of the audience involved!</div>
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We all enjoyed the show and I definitely recommend watching if you're heading to Winter Wonderland this festive season! Zippos Christmas Circus is at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland until 5th January 2020. <a href="http://www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/attraction/zipposchristmascircus/" rel="nofollow">Tickets</a> should be pre-booked to avoid disappointment!</div>
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As well as Zippo's Circus there is a Mr Men and Little Miss show in the mornings, again another great show for families!</div>
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As well as some great family shows there is obviously the rest of Winter Wonderland to enjoy including rides, food and stalls!</div>
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There's plenty of family and toddler friendly rides as well as those for thrill seekers so plenty to keep everyone happy!</div>
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We also visited the 'Magical Ice Kingdom, this year the theme is 'A Christmas Carol'. This is definitely worth a visit but wrap up warm as it's very cold!</div>
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I'm not sharing too many photos of the ice kingdom as I don't want to give too much away but you can see how exquisite the sculptures are! The detail and craftsmanship is outstanding! There's even a slide made out of ice which Eliot had lots of fun on!</div>
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I certainly recommend for a family day out, there's plenty to see and do to keep all age groups entertained!</div>
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Have you visited Winter Wonderland?</div>
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* We were gifted tickets to experience what was to offer at Winter Wonderland 2019, all opinions are my own</div>
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<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-23076760537772283042019-07-16T21:28:00.000+01:002019-07-17T09:46:58.873+01:00Carter's Steam Fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the weekend we enjoyed a family afternoon at <a href="https://www.carterssteamfair.co.uk/">Carter's Steam Fair</a> when they visited town for a few days. Carter's is a unique fair with rides that the Carter family have collected and restored originating from the 1890's to the 1960's.<br />
It did feel like you'd taken a step back in time, from the rides to the music I really felt that there was a sense of going back in history!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the carousel</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">One of my favourite things as a child was to go to the fair when one came into a local town. These days I'm not keen on the 'usual' fairs that appear during the holidays but Carter's is not your 'usual' fair and the </span>atmosphere felt completely different!</div>
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Each and every ride is beautifully painted just as it may have been all those years ago when it made its' debut, keeping that sense of history and originality.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSJnitkVHZPcECyAD1mzdpKZ3DEJ4FfEpqxA1Cb5BekLpF6HARl2LFeMP417VtiM0-nHVaUwc0z-EX6VgQ20fFEDckSHtAnW5JoiLmCz4MqRIwetAyWoYhOwqLU8rA87_tBa4-s7z8PIB/s1600/IMG_7941.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSJnitkVHZPcECyAD1mzdpKZ3DEJ4FfEpqxA1Cb5BekLpF6HARl2LFeMP417VtiM0-nHVaUwc0z-EX6VgQ20fFEDckSHtAnW5JoiLmCz4MqRIwetAyWoYhOwqLU8rA87_tBa4-s7z8PIB/s640/IMG_7941.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we arrived at Carter's Eliot was so excited he couldn't decide which ride to go on first! There were plenty of rides for younger children to enjoy and that are suitable for toddlers. He was able to go on many alone but also gave some a try that he wanted to go on with a grown up! </div>
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There are also a couple of rides that aim to please those that enjoy white knuckle rides including the 'Victory Dive Bomber' which is the only remaining travelling Dive Bomber!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgBVPaQOB-CsaBOFtnxukI5qwkxzA4DVlpDnaQNa6Cr35k7MlyMqhRd-i7akgXMy3CLkN3cMOcNjDR_IaxKqmTmKgOgofk5O7Rj4f9D9M7jT-eZgWKTezyD-_F3py8CT9WnQCu5mw61G-/s1600/IMG_7958.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgBVPaQOB-CsaBOFtnxukI5qwkxzA4DVlpDnaQNa6Cr35k7MlyMqhRd-i7akgXMy3CLkN3cMOcNjDR_IaxKqmTmKgOgofk5O7Rj4f9D9M7jT-eZgWKTezyD-_F3py8CT9WnQCu5mw61G-/s400/IMG_7958.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the Dive Bomber in action?!</td></tr>
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As well as rides to enjoy Carter's also have plenty of fairground games to play including 'Hook A Duck' (the traditional fairground game), a coconut shy and even an arcade full of vintage slot machines!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooking one of those ducks!</td></tr>
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As well as 'Hook A Duck' Eliot had a go on the 'test your strength' traditional 'Striker' game. There were three sizes to cater for different ages and strengths, giving the opportunity for all to have a go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candy floss at eh coconut shy</td></tr>
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Entry to Carter's Steam Fair is free, tokens are required to be purchased to go on the rides. These can be purchased online before you visit or at the machines or token booths at the fair. To get the best value it's a good idea to buy online as Carter's give extra ride passes! </div>
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Each token is worth 50p and the number of tokens needed for each ride varies. Most of the toddler rides require four tokens, whilst family or thrill rides require five or six. You also need tokens to play the games too which cost five tokens.</div>
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We had such an enjoyable visit to Carter's and certainly recommend a visit for a family afternoon/ evening out. To check if Carters are coming to a town near you have a look at their <a href="https://www.carterssteamfair.co.uk/2019-tour-locations/">online tour dates</a>.</div>
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They are back at a local town in September and we already have it booked in on the calendar!</div>
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*We received ride passes & refreshment vouchers in exchange for our honest views. All opinions are my own!</div>
<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-29582881516815452692019-02-28T00:00:00.000+00:002019-02-28T00:00:13.026+00:00Rare Disease Day 2019 - A Little Bit About Tuberous Sclerosis<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" height="284" itemprop="image" sizes="(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px" src="https://sofiasees.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/rare-disease-day-logo.png" srcset="https://sofiasees.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/rare-disease-day-logo.png 446w, https://sofiasees.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/rare-disease-day-logo-300x191.png 300w" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); color: #777777; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="446" /></div>
Today is <a href="https://www.rarediseaseday.org/">Rare Disease day</a> across the world which I wrote my first post about <a href="http://www.teacher2mummy.com/2018/02/today-is-rare-disease-day.html">last year</a>!<br />
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Rare Disease Day aims to raise awareness of rare conditions and how they affect individuals and their families. 1 in 20 people will develop a rare disease in their life so that's why it is important that more people become aware.<br />
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50% of rare diseases affect children.<br />
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Nola is one of those children. She has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TS/TSC) which looking at current figures, affects 1 in 25,000 to 1 in 11,300 people in Europe.<br />
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It is present from birth but some individuals do not learn that they have TS until they are adults. Symptoms differ from person to person as does the severity of how it affects them.<br />
Tuberous Sclerosis causes benign tumours in different parts of the body, the most common to be affected are:<br />
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The brain, eyes, lungs, heart, kidneys and skin.<br />
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If you have them, you are born with the tumours in your brain, heart and eyes (possibly elsewhere but I'm not 100%) in other organs the tumours can develop later on. The good news about tumours in the heart is that they usually shrink as you get older. This has happened in Nola, a second ECG revealed that the rhabdomyomas on her heart had decreased in size.<br />
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At present Nola also has tumours in her left eye which fortunately don't affect her vision at the moment. She also has multiple growths in and on her brain, these unfortunately do affect her and she has epilepsy which on the whole has been controlled by medication. Unfortunately she has recently relapsed in a rare type of seizure called <a href="https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/syndromes/west-syndrome-infantile-spasms">infantile spasms</a>.<br />
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Some people with TS lead a next to 'normal' life whilst others are severely affected and need life long care.<br />
TS is caused by mutations in either the TSC1 or TSC2 gene which play a part in determining cell growth. The mutations cause uncontrolled growth which results in multiple tumours in/on the body.<br />
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There are treatments for the various areas that can be affected by TS, sadly they do not always work for every patient.<br />
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So there are a few facts about Tuberous Sclerosis on Rare Disease Day 2019.<br />
<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-66086390786917496702018-12-19T17:32:00.002+00:002018-12-19T17:32:50.937+00:00Nola's Journey-Diagnosis Tuberous Sclerosis<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://tsassociation.worldsecuresystems.com/about-tsc.html">TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS</a>, not to be confused with Tuberculosis, as I did when I was handed a discharge letter after Nola's first MRI scan on 19th December 2017. They may as well have handed me an atomic bomb, our world was about to crumble into pieces.</div>
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Nola and I had arrived on the children's ward at 8am that morning ready for her MRI scan which had been scheduled after she'd been admitted to hospital earlier in the month (I will be writing about how we got to this point in other posts) and an EEG showed abnormal activity in the brain.</div>
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The anaesthetist came to see us and talked through procedure, risks etc and presented the consent form that I needed to sign.</div>
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I was hoping my three month old would be first on the list for the MRI as she was being starved due to needing general anaesthetic. I was anxious when a toddler who I assume had been an inpatient was taken down first. I expected Nola to be screaming the ward down as she hadn't had any milk for hours. She surprised me though and was bloody amazing!</div>
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Fortunately Nola was next on the MRI list and we were walked down to the unit by one of the lovely play workers. There were a team of people waiting for her, they introduced themselves and then it was time to lay Nola on the bed ready to be anaesthetised. They had explained that I could be with Nola whilst they used the gas to put her to sleep, then I would need to leave. I remember holding back the tears asI stroked her face and then had to leave her. I was anxious about her being under GA. I had been told it would be about half an hour to get the images needed from the MRI so I headed back to the ward and made myself a coffee.</div>
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About twenty minutes later I went back down to the MRI suite and took a seat in their waiting area. The time went past half an hour and I wondered why they seemed to be taking longer with Nola. Now I presume it must have been because they struggled to get a cannula in for the GA or because they had found something and were ensuring they had all the images they needed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpXNBd54MwRMt6PQdCiEzDVD5zgviHLSDPBmBFjMLGA_GUykwZnvG-J_yQ11qL9RFu54EZYZ3acMRh97Y_-FCWgaPr6xeZV5-m7iVfa238U5kHX8KAzBoLDxH9AF1HBgMMwkBtMaQ975u/s1600/IMG_2040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpXNBd54MwRMt6PQdCiEzDVD5zgviHLSDPBmBFjMLGA_GUykwZnvG-J_yQ11qL9RFu54EZYZ3acMRh97Y_-FCWgaPr6xeZV5-m7iVfa238U5kHX8KAzBoLDxH9AF1HBgMMwkBtMaQ975u/s640/IMG_2040.jpg" width="532" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brave girl!</td></tr>
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Eventually a nurse came to get me and took me through to the recovery area where Nola was a very unhappy bunny. Fortunately I had brought her milk down with me and was able to give her her bottle. </div>
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One of the staff then said we would be going straight through to ultrasound to scan her kidneys as they had 'possibly' picked something up.</div>
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I had to sit on one of the wheeled transport chairs holding Nola while we were pushed through an incredibly busy ultrasound unit and straight into the room to be scanned. I wasn't told anything at this point and we were sent back to the ward where Nola needed to be observed for a couple of hours after the GA.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ4RIb6THiGL3VjZbYR9NMA38AQ7r8gsDXF_2DC5F9wRgufaiasF6bwXL9RLUobJ30FZ5fRDplOE17BdgSyapD9KcqH64JheANGpd3QmZGIkOgac4lQg_dq-wOc_nhvocmO9zZzUzBCT1/s1600/IMG_2039+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ4RIb6THiGL3VjZbYR9NMA38AQ7r8gsDXF_2DC5F9wRgufaiasF6bwXL9RLUobJ30FZ5fRDplOE17BdgSyapD9KcqH64JheANGpd3QmZGIkOgac4lQg_dq-wOc_nhvocmO9zZzUzBCT1/s640/IMG_2039+2.JPG" width="442" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannula in the foot :(</td></tr>
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I watched the family who had gone for the MRI first go home after the observation period so was more than hopeful that Nola and I would be escaping pretty soon. The couple of hours passed and I asked the nurse who was looking after us if we would be able to go soon. She wasn't really sure what was happening. Eventually the consultant who had admitted her a few weeks earlier and referred her for investigations came to see us. I can't recall the exact conversation but do vividly remember the words 'they did find something'. She possibly told me at this stage the MRI images had been sent over to Addenbrookes for the paediatric neurology team to look over.</div>
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The hours passed and I felt frustrated being stuck on the ward with no further information. There was a teenager in the next bed that had been stabbed and had been transferred over from another hospital That family were feeling frustrated too, they were still waiting for a doctor to come and see them. To be fair to the staff it was incredibly busy and I know they had to send patients to another hospital as the children's ward was full to capacity and they had no beds to admit anyone else.</div>
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Finally a registrar came to see me, she said they had found growths in Nola's brain. She also said they were benign and 'nothing to worry about' (I quote those words exactly!) I asked if she would need to have an operation to remove them but she said that wouldn't be happening and the team at Addenbrookes had seen the images. She said we were able to go home and said she would tell her nurse to remove Nola's cannula. </div>
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We were still there for over an hour waiting. The same Dr came back and gave me Nola's discharge letter which I opened and read. It obviously contained lots of medical jargon, much I didn't have a clue about. Then I read the phrase 'findings highly suspicious of tuberous sclerosis'. I read in disbelief as my brain turned it into something I understood, tuberculosis. How on earth could she have that? She'd had the BCG jab at a couple of weeks old and how on earth could the growths in her brain have anything to do with her longs. Then I stopped myself and read it again, this time it was clear it was something else, something I had never heard of. So I did what we all do and typed it into Google. I read the definition etc on the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tuberous-sclerosis/">NHS website </a> but the enormity of this 'highly suspicious' diagnosis did not sink in just then. I was cross though, I was cross I had been handed a letter with a life changing highly likely diagnosis and no one had spoken talked me through it. I did message my old boss (a paediatric consultant) and sent her a picture of the letter, I asked her what it meant and what I should be asking. She replied asking me if anyone had spoken to me about it and that she'd really prefer to talk to me on the phone. It wasn't until Christmas Eve I actually got to have a proper conversation with her.</div>
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In the weeks/months that followed we had lots of various appointments with Nola. Finally in May this year her genetics doctor rang me and confirmed that her genetic blood test was positive for Tuberous Sclerosis. All the investigations running up to this phone call only pointed towards TS so I already knew but it was relief to have a certain diagnosis.</div>
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Do keep an eye out for more posts on Nola's Journey that will be coming soon!</div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-51822656483256781692018-12-13T23:12:00.001+00:002018-12-13T23:12:57.332+00:00Saturday Lunch At A Sizzling Pub & Grill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of weekends ago we went to <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/findapub/eastofengland/thetopoftheworldhemelhempstead" rel="nofollow">The Top Of The World</a> Sizzling Pub & Grill for a spot of lunch. We've visited different sizzling pubs before, one of their highlights is the variety of <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/findapub/eastofengland/thetopoftheworldhemelhempstead/offers" rel="nofollow">offers</a>. I assume the offers may differ from venue to venue but there always seems to be an option to take advantage of. I am a fan of the 'Kids eat for £1' Monday to Friday between 3pm-7pm, a good one with the Christmas holidays coming up if you've had enough of slaving away in the kitchen!</div>
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We visited on a Saturday afternoon when a football match was on, the bar area was fairly busy with football fans but there was plenty of room at the tables. We sat down in quiet area and browsed the menu. There is a selection of starters the that you can choose three from for £10. We went for some of our favourite starters, nachos, loaded potato skins and beer battered salt and pepper mushrooms. </div>
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They arrived shortly after we'd placed our order. They loaded potato skins and mushrooms were nice and hot and we enjoyed them I personally believe you can never go wrong with nachos, cheese, sour cream and guacamole! They're always a winner for me!</div>
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For the main course we both ordered steak and Eliot opted for the quorn nuggets with chips and peas which he clearly enjoyed as he cleared his plate! Another great part of the kids menu is that there is a choice of dishes for under and over 5's making it easy for you or the littles to choose either by preference or appetite.</div>
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I had ordered the 8oz sirloin steak which was served on a skillet with onions, a mushroom and a tomato. I like my steak to be 'well done' which it mostly was but it was still a little pink in the centre. The chips were nice and chunky and served hot. Overall I enjoyed my main and there was nothing I could fault about it.</div>
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The other main meal that was ordered was a surf and turf which is usually a 5oz sirloin steak with six pieces of scampi. There was an option to upgrade the steak for a larger one at an extra cost. This steak was ordered to be cooked 'medium' which it was and again it was served on skillet with onions, tomato and mushroom as well as a slice of lemon for the scampi. Like my main, there was no faults with this one.</div>
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Fi<span style="text-align: justify;">nally it was dessert time and Eliot had made sure he put his order in when we had ordered the starters and mains! He ordered a 'Build your own sundae' which came with vanilla ice cream, chocolate buttons, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate sauce and strawberries. He was very excited about pudding, he always loves being able to do his own thing so was very happy!</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
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My decision on dessert was not as quick as Eliot's, I had a good look over the options and was torn in-between choosing a sundae or the Belgian chocolate brownie. I opted for the brownie and was pleased with my choice, it was lovely, warm, and chocolate-tie. Just the sweet treat I needed!</div>
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The other dessert we ordered was Rolo Cheesecake, sounds amazing! Now wondering why I didn't have a sneaky little taste but sure it was because I was full. It was another well received pudding and not much was left over! If cheesecake is your favourite type of pudding an you love Rolos, this sounds like the perfect dessert!<br />
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Overall we had an enjoyable lunch at The Top Of The World Sizzling Pub and Grill, there was nothing to fault about the food we ordered. I feel that the atmosphere was probably different to what it is usually like due to the football being on. Not that it had been an issue for us but I had the feeling it would have felt completely different without a football match being shown.</div>
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Be sure to check out the menu and find your <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">nearest Sizzling Pub & Grill</a>, and don't forget to sign up to get £5 of your bill!</div>
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*We received a complimentary meal in exchange for a review. All views are my own</div>
<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-88047994492787213472018-12-07T00:00:00.001+00:002018-12-07T00:00:03.906+00:00Baby Swimming Lessons With Turtle Tots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You may remember that earlier in the year Nola and I were chosen to be brand ambassadors for <a href="https://www.turtletots.com/index">Turtle Tots. </a> I was excited to become an Ambassador for the brand as I am a firm believer that swimming is a life skill, so the earlier you start the better!</div>
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We started our lessons in May and did about three weeks worth before Nola was prescribed steroids for <a href="https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/syndromes/west-syndrome-infantile-spasms">Infantile Spasms</a>. Her consultant told us that within a few days her immune system would be suppressed making it easier for her to pick up bugs. He also told us that if she had contact with anyone who developed chicken pox she would need to be admitted to hospital. Cue paranoid mum syndrome! But in all fairness it was certainly justified! Armed with the info from her consultant I made the decision to avoid public places as much as possible which obviously affected our Turtle Tots lessons. Turtle Tots were understanding of our situation and kindly agreed we could pick up with our lessons again when the steroid treatment finished. </div>
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Back to the start of our lessons in May! We were actually late for our first lesson due to bad traffic, by the time Nola and I were changed the class was 10-15 minutes into the lesson. The class teacher Lyndsey asked if we wanted to watch as we'd missed the beginning but I was keen to get in! As I'd expected Nola was absolutely fine getting into the water. She was very happy to be involved in the activities even though this was the first time she'd been in a swimming pool.<br />
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In those first few weeks back in the summer she didn't protest once about being in the pool! She was fine being dunked under the water too, I think it's us parents that worry more about things like that!</div>
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It was such a shame we had to postpone the lessons as we were both really getting in to them!</div>
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When we returned to our lessons in October Nola was certainly more wary, being that much older and aware made a difference! </div>
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Our lessons begin with the class teacher Lyndsey taking Nola as I get into the water. We then usually bounce around in a circle with the other parents and babies singing a song. It's a nice way to ease the babies into the water and makes it fun.</div>
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On our first lesson back Nola probably cried for half of the lesson but we powered through! We were reassured by Lyndsey, who was understanding and always encourages us parents to go with what our babies want to do. Nola had lots of cuddles throughout the first half of that lesson but fortunately had settled in to the pool for the final half of the lesson.</div>
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Each week the lessons follow a similar routine which is obviously important in helping your baby become familiar and relaxed with their swimming lessons. </div>
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Once babies have settled into the pool after some singing and moving around, we get them used to water on their face which helps them prepare for going under the water. The same phrase is said in each lesson to enable babies to understand what is going to happen next. Parents will say 'mummy/daddy ready go' and pour water over their head before saying their babies name and doing the same to them. Nola hasn't minded the water being poured over her which is interesting as she is not a fan of having her hair washed! This activity gets the babies geared up for their 'peek-a-boo' swim. Parents always do the under water activities first, showing their little ones its fine to get your face and hair wet. The 'peek-a-boo' activity begins with the parent saying 'mummy/daddy ready go' before putting their face in the water and then doing the same with their baby. It's easy to the progression throughout the lesson! </div>
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The first week back I didn't put Nola under the water, Lyndsey is always flexible about this and always reassures parents it's ok if we don't want to put our babies under or if they're having an off day. There has been no pressure that the babies must do every aspect of the lesson, it really has been 'a go with the flow' vibe which has been great.<br />
The lessons normally continue with more singing and fun activities which aim to instill those early basic swimming skills, such as leg kicking and paddling your little ones arm through the water.<br />
The lessons end with a bit of a wind down with the babies floating on their back and singing the end of lesson songs.<br />
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It is probably clear from what I've written above that Nola and I have been enjoying our Turtle Tots swimming lessons. Our lessons are in a private school pool which means the class has full use of the pool making it a far more relaxed environment than a busy public pool. The changing room can be a little cramped depending on how may people attend the lesson but thankfully the lack of space hasn't been an issue.<br />
What I'm impressed with most is the progression within the lessons and the activities which promote those important swimming skills.<br />
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If you're interested in swimming with Turtle Tots head over to their <a href="https://www.turtletots.com/index" rel="nofollow">website</a> to find your nearest class.<br />
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*We are 2018 Ambassadors for Turtle Tots and are receiving lessons in exchange for blog posts. All opinions are my own</div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-73282578817364986732018-11-18T22:51:00.000+00:002018-11-18T22:51:38.333+00:00Halloween With The Lenovo Smart Display<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">On Halloween Eliot and I headed into London for an event with Lenovo hosted by the lovely Kimberly Wyatt, to find out all about the new </span><a href="https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/smart-display/" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: justify;">Lenovo Smart Display with Google Assist</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. I was keen to learn more and hear about how the product can make everyday life that bit easier, which is what everyone wants especially when juggling parent life.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">On arriving Eliot was wowed by all the pumpkins and amount of halloween spookiness going on but was quickly drawn to the space at the table which had the Lenovo Smart Display in front of it. He is very much in to technology so he'd found the perfect place to sit to explore and get hands on. Except because he was expecting it to be like his tablet at home he wasn't as successful as usual at getting where he wanted. That was until one of the Lenovo team gave him his own personal demo on how to operate the Smart Display, by talking. Once he'd been shown how to use it he enjoyed asking questions such as 'how fast does the Eurostar go' and 'who is Jack Sparrow', he was delighted when a photo of Johnny Depp popped up on the screen!</span></div>
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I<span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">myself was already wowed from watching my five year old get to grips with it and could see how it could be beneficial to busy parent life.</span></div>
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I was intrigued to hear more about it, and listened intently when one of the Lenovo team introduced the Lenovo Smart Display. She explained how she used it herself, what her favourite features were and about the design of the product. </div>
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The product is available in two different sizes, 8" or 10" aiming to suit each individuals preferences, whether you prefer viewing on a larger screen or usually opt for something a little more compact the choice is yours. I thought the overall look was sleek and smart and there is even a choice about the back of the product, bamboo or grey. Both appearances appealed to me.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Kimberly Wyatt then showed us all how to use it, all hands free just using her voice. I mean imagine the possibilities! We've all needed an extra pair of hands at some point and the Lenovo Smart Display with Google Assist literally allows you to have them. Instead of scrolling down for the next part of a recipe when cooking or wanting to skip to a particular instruction in a video, you just use your voice to get to the bit you need. For example if you're watching a video, by saying 'Hey Google, skip to four minutes' etc you will get to the bit you want, all hands free. </span></div>
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It can also be used for the usual routine things like checking the weather or your calendar that much easier without having to take your hands away from whatever you're doing. </div>
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It also gives the user peace of mind by being able to turn off the mic or camera so you don't have to worry about your privacy. Using the Google Home App you can update and make changes you need for your Lenovo Smart Display. If you have a home system such a 'Nest' you can also operate this through the Smart Display.</div>
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W<span style="text-align: justify;">e then participated in activities with the Lenovo Smart Display on hand to assist. Our first activity was face painting which I discovered I'm not too good at. However, being able to watch what to do without having to put down the equipment we were using made it much easier!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Next we moved on to decorating skeleton biscuits back in Eliot's 'space' next to the Lenovo smart display. A team member put the video on and Eliot watched carefully whilst decorating his biscuit, I was impressed at how similar his was to the 'perfect' video version, I felt it certainly made a difference being able to see what to do as opposed to just listening to instructions.</span></div>
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With Christmas rapidly approaching this is a gift you may want on your own list or perhaps you know someone who would benefit from making their life that bit easier by being more hands free!</div>
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You can take advantage of Black Friday deals on the Lenovo Smart Display, the 10 inch is currently on offer at £199.99 down from £229.99 and the 8 inch is down to £129.99 from £179.99.<br />
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*<i>This is a collaborative post</i></div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-81570365684089833562018-11-08T11:51:00.002+00:002018-11-08T11:51:45.948+00:00An Induction-Nola's Birth Story<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Over a year later I am finally writing Nola's birth story, better late than never or so they say!</div>
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After <a href="http://www.teacher2mummy.com/2013/11/my-labour-birth-story.html">giving birth to Eliot, a rather large 9lb 5oz baby in 2013</a>, I'd had concerns through my second pregnancy that baby two was also going to be a whopper! In fact I was convinced that this baby was going to be bigger after hearing second babies are often heavier. My worries increased when a midwife discussed 'shoulders getting stuck' and booked me in to see a consultant.<br />
I had a few appointments with the consultant and on the day before my due date I was given a sweep and booked in for an induction. I'd heard lots of various stories about sweeps and I can honestly say it was the most unpleasant experience! I was hoping the sweep would get things going but there were no signs of labour whatsoever. My due date 2/9/17 came and went then it was time to call the delivery unit on 5/9/17 to check what time I should come in to be induced. I rang after 10am and was told to give them a call back in the afternoon.</div>
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We made our way into London and went in to Pret A manger at Euston station for a coffee stop. I called St Thomas' at about 2:30pm as I'd been advised but they still couldn't give me a time to come in as they were 'very busy'. So the rest of the afternoon was spent hanging around coffee shops and worrying that they might not actually get me in.</div>
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Then finally about half six after we'd phoned them a few more times, they called back to say come in at 8pm. I was so relieved that the induction was going to go ahead!<br />
We were sent to the antenatal unit where we were until about midnight until we went to the delivery suite and I was put in a bay with four beds, thankfully I was the only one there that night.<br />
A midwife came to see me and get the induction process started by inserting a pessary. She checked my cervix and said it was closed which was surprising as when I had the sweep a few days earlier the doctor said I was about 1cm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally on the labour ward in the most unflattering photo ever...pregnancy reality!</td></tr>
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The night was very uneventful, I managed to get some sleep and in the morning I was moved to a room and the midwife looking after me for the day was called Lucy. There was no progression during the day and I spent it chilling in the room with a couple of walks downstairs and outside.<br />
I'd been told that if things hadn't got started by that evening the doctors would make a plan to get things moving quicker.<br />
A couple of doctors came in and checked me over, felt my bump etc. I explained my fear of having a 10lb baby but after having a good check of my bump one of the doctors said he thought I'd deliver an 8lb baby, good to hear but still didn't convince me! The plan was if things hadn't progressed by the early hours I would then have 'propess gel' inserted.<br />
I did have cramps in my lower back that began around 9:30pm but nothing that was too painful. I tried to get some sleep and did on and off.<br />
I think the cramps did up their game a bit but there was still no big changes. I should have had the pessary removed about 1:30am but the midwife had obviously been held up elsewhere. A different midwife came into the room about 3am, I removed the pessary (basically like a tampon) and the gel was inserted.<br />
Shortly after things ramped up quite quickly, I'd had paracetamol, codeine and had gas and air to access but the contractions became so intense, they were much harder to cope with as they were very close together.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta love that gas and air!</td></tr>
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This time round I found the attitude towards pain relief much more laid back. When I had Eliot a natural drug free birth was very much encouraged and promoted. I had even included some of the things I experienced with Eliot's labour in my birth plan this time around, such as using lavender and clary sage but I don't think anyone actually looked at my plan! One midwife in particular was very supportive of pain relief and suggested different options and encouraged me to use something more to relieve the pain. Her attitude was very much 'why suffer in pain when you don't have to'.<br />
It got to a point where I was finding the contractions incredibly hard to deal with and I remember being knelt on the floor doubled over in pain leaning on the bed, when a midwife I vividly remember from Eliot's labour came in. I had named her 'scary teacher' because she had been very strict and did in fact look like a teacher. During Eliot's labour she had basically told me I needed to calm down and did not want to give me any pain relief. Now I was basically begging her for diamorphine, this time she seemed much more sympathetic and friendlier, we had a fleeting chat about how we remembered her from our first borns labour and she joked she hoped they were all good memories.<br />
Shortly after another midwife came in to administer the diamorphine. Having that meant I was able to get some more sleep, the contractions still woke me so I was also on the gas and air.<br />
Everything from then was blurry as I was very much out of it from the diamorphine but at some point in the morning after handover they could see things had progressed and moved me to a delivery room. I remember having to stop in the corridor because of the contractions but eventually made it to the same delivery room that Eliot had been born in.<br />
Lucy was my midwife again, she would be delivering my second baby along with a student midwife. I remember being checked and being surprised and disheartened to hear my cervix was only 4cm dilated. There had been so many intense contractions, what on earth had they been doing?! I asked if I could have a pool birth but was not allowed as I was being induced. At some point Lucy asked if she could empty my bladder but I had the joy of that experience after delivering Eliot so my response was a very dramatic no. She did make a deal that if I didn't go for a wee within a certain time period she would need to do it as my bladder could be making harder for the baby to be born.<br />
Within an hour I had dilated to 10cm which seemed crazy as with Eliot it took hours!<br />
It was time to push, at one point my blood pressure sky rocketed and I remember being given two tablets to swallow. My waters had still not broken at this point and Lucy asked if she could break them for me, I agreed and just as I did that I needed to push and my waters went all by themselves. Again this was very different from Eliot's labour and delivery, the waters were the first thing that went with him but with baby two they were the last!<br />
Once the head had been delivered I remember Lucy very firmly telling not to push again just yet. Not long after our second baby was born and we were finally going to find out if it was a girl or boy. I will never forget Lucy asking the other half 'what is it?' and his face staring, looking very confused for what felt like a lifetime before he said slowly, 'a boy?' Lucy looked at him in disbelief and said 'no it's a girl'. I mean WTF?! How hard is it to decipher an umbilical cord from a penis?!<br />
Lucy said she was still covered in quite a bit of vernix which often means they aren't quite ready to make their arrival.<br />
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I was absolutely over the moon to have a daughter as well as a son. I think I had the injection to help deliver the placenta, thankfully this time it didn't seem as difficult as when I had Eliot and came out quite quickly.<br />
I eagerly awaited to hear how much she weighed, still convinced I'd birthed another 9lb-er. '3.505kg' said Lucy, I asked what that was in lbs and she said between 7lb 11-12oz. However when I converted the weight myself a few months ago, it actually is only 7lb 7oz, so my girl was even dinkier than I first thought and also the wrong birth weight went out on all the thank you notes!<br />
As well as being in the post birth bubble I think I was also still in a diamorphine daze. When Lucy checked me over she said I had a tiny tear but she didn't think it would need stitches. YAAAASSSS! If you've had stitches you know how unpleasant they are but unfortunately after the senior midwife checked she said I would need one. Disappointing but not as many as I needed after having Eliot.</div>
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Then the day was spent enjoying my new baby girl in the delivery room whilst waiting for a bed on the postnatal ward. </div>
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Grandparents came to visit and Eliot, who was thrilled and very excited that he had a baby sister.</div>
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Once again I felt very lucky that I had a very positive birth experience at St Thomas' and will always speak highly of the care I received when I had my babies. I was disappointed that I didn't get my water birth again but everything else went as well as I could've hoped for.</div>
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Here's a video of my experience if you fancy watching...</div>
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How were you birth experiences been?</div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-65848345362041270962018-10-30T23:55:00.000+00:002018-10-31T00:38:18.892+00:00Beautiful Bluestone<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Grassholm lodge</td></tr>
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At the end of last month we went on our third getaway to Bluestone Resort in Wales, and it did not disappoint!</div>
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I always thought of myself as a 'one person trip' to stay at a hotel/resort/holiday park etc but Bluestone is somewhere I'd return to regularly. First of all its' beautiful, tranquil National Park setting is perfect when you want a break, whether it's as a family, as a couple or with friends, I believe there's something for everyone! From woodland walks, to play areas, to the pub, to the spa, there are plenty of things to do at Bluestone!</div>
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Secondly from what I have seen of Pembrokeshire it is absolutely beautiful, and there's still so much I haven't seen!</div>
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<b><u>What's Included In A Bluestone Break?</u></b></div>
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When you book a holiday at Bluestone, free entry into the Adventure Centre and Blue Lagoon is included. Guided walks, outdoor play areas and seasonal festivals are also included at no extra cost, to find out more<a href="https://www.bluestonewales.com/whats-included" rel="nofollow"> click here.</a> There are plenty of other <a href="https://www.bluestonewales.com/activities" rel="nofollow">activities</a> available for all ages that can be booked and paid for.<br />
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<b><u>Accommodation At Bluestone</u></b></div>
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There is a variety of <a href="https://www.bluestonewales.com/accommodation" rel="nofollow">lodges and cottages</a> available to book to suit your individual requirements, from couples to large families or groups there will be somewhere ideal, including interconnecting lodges. </div>
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<b><u>Our Stay At Bluestone</u></b></div>
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<b><u>Monday</u></b></div>
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We left later than originally planned and had a couple of stops on route for food and coffee. It's a pretty long journey for us so next time I'd definitely consider leaving on the Sunday and staying overnight along the way in somewhere like Cardiff. When we were about twenty minutes away from Bluestone Nola got quite upset, I think she'd had enough of travelling so breaking up the journey would work well for us I think. Maps on my phone gave a travel time of just under four hours but of course you then have to factor in any stops or traffic you may come across. I think our journey was between the five and six hour mark.</div>
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We arrived to the usual friendly check in just after 7pm. Our lodge was immaculate as they have been on our previous visits.<br />
Once we'd unloaded the car we headed to Aldi in Haverford West to stock up for our stay. We had a late dinner in our lovely Grassholm lodge and there was sometime spent trying to get Eliot into bed, he was too excited to sleep and couldn't wait to go back and visit the Blue Lagoon!<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday</u></b><br />
This was our busiest day at Bluestone in terms of activities we had pre booked. After a relaxed breakfast in our lodge, accompanied by some seagulls Nola and I headed up to the Adventure Centre for the baby sensory class, an activity suitable for 0-13 month olds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the local wildlife!</td></tr>
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This was the first class I'd ever taken Nola to so was really looking forward to it. When we arrived we got comfy and settled on our mat. Once everyone had arrived the lady leading the session introduced herself and explained what would be happening during the session. Everyone then introduced their baby before things got started. A variety of activities followed giving each baby opportunites to get involved. There were musical instruments, different textured balls, toys, materials for the babies to use their senses to explore. The different activities were introduced separately enabling the babies to have a go before clearing away and starting the next one, aiming to prevent the babies from becoming too overwhelmed. One of the last little activities was banana tasting, which Nola loves but unfortunately she had fallen asleep after all the excitement! It was a really lovely relaxed class, perfect for Nola. As she is delayed in her development due to her condition she didn't wasn't 'too old' being at the older end of the class age range. I certainly recommend booking on to the sensory class if your staying with a baby!<br />
Whilst I'd been in the class with Nola, Eliot had been with dad collecting bikes to use for the duration of our stay, before making the most of indoor play and mini golf elsewhere in the Adventure Centre. I met with him, swapped children and then took Eliot down to Camp Smokey for the 'Into The Wild' activity. There is space for twelve children on this activity but Eliot got a 1:1 experience! It was onlysometime after I realised there were no older children because our break was in term time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All ready & camouflaged!</td></tr>
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We met 'Smokey Joe' who led us to base camp in search of her cousin 'Digger'. On route they added some camouflage to their faces using mud and leaves. Smokey Joe explained to Eliot that Digger lived with her but she wanted him to help her build a new home for Digger as she snored too much!<br />
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We found Digger at base camp and she was promptly told she needed to move out before they began 'building' her a new home, I also helped (a little bit) after some encouragement to get involved from everyone else!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building a new home for Digger!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempting to make it waterproof</td></tr>
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Once the home was complete and tested on how watertight it was, we warmed up by the camp fire and ate a welsh cake!<br />
We then got into teams, Eliot & Smokey Joe and myself and Digger to make a raft to race down the stream. We searched for twigs to create our masterpieces which I must admit I was pretty poor at and Digger did most of the 'building'!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eliot with 'The Black Pearl'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collecting the rafts after the race</td></tr>
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After the 'Rusty Bucket and 'The Black Pearl' were safely retrieved post race, a very special visitor made their way to base camp, Frodo the owl.<br />
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I think I was more excited about Frodo! I'm a big fan of birds of prey and being this close certainly makes me in awe of them!<br />
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Eliot got to 'fly' Frodo and ask questions about him, it's not everyday you get to fly a bird of prey so this was fantastic! After Frodo left we toasted marshmallows over the camp fire, a nice way to end the session!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eliot had instructed everyone to do a 'Captain Jack' pose</td></tr>
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This activity was my favourite, I'll 'fess up and say I'm a bit of a 'no mum' and the thought of Eliot smearing mud on himself on a regular day would probably have me shouting about dirt and germs! It was so lovely just to watch him immerse himself in all the activities and do things he hasn't done very often. It was certainly beneficial for him and he throughly enjoyed it. The two members of staff were fantastic too as I think in some respects it's tricky to run an activity that is planned for groups for an individual but they were both great!</div>
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After lunch and a break back at the lodge we walked up to <a href="https://www.bluestonewales.com/activities/blue-lagoon-waterpark" rel="nofollow">Blue Lagoon</a>, which Eliot had been going on about for weeks and couldn't wait to get in the pool!<br />
The under fives area was closed but all other parts of the pool were open, Eliot tried out a couple of the slides and spent a lot of his time in on them. We also enjoyed the lazy river and wave machine before it was almost closing time.<br />
The family changing facilities are just what you need with little ones to get everyone changed. If you spend a long time at the pool, have family who don't wish to swim or simply fancy a drink or snack there's a cafe poolside to fulfil your snacking needs!<br />
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After our swim we headed straight down to Camp Smokey for 'Smokey Joe's Shindig' which is held on various evenings throughout the week depending on the time of year (it's closed between November & February) and involves eating, drinking and dancing! Included in your ticket is the food and live music, drinks are purchased from the bar.</div>
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I was very much looking forward to eating and enjoying music Al Fresco in the wood! On arrival we were greeted by 'Smokey Joe' and 'Digger' (the first) and put in Digger's blue team. We then had blue paint smeared on our faces. The red and blue team had to to compete to see who'd get their dinner first. Dancing and stomping were strongly encouraged, especially on chairs! The red team won so us blues had to wait a little longer before we could collect our dinner which consisted of a burger, sausage, pulled pork, BBQ beans and roasted potatoes. For pudding there was a choice of brownie or choc ice, brownie is always a winner for me! The evening ended with some familiar songs played by the live music act. I had such a good time I forgot to take any photos but did take some video clips, this is my favourite showing how much Nola enjoys music and dancing! </div>
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I would certainly book the shindig again, the experience of eating down in the woods, singing and dancing was brilliant!</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday</u></b></div>
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After breakfast in our lodge we headed out of Bluestone to the nearby Tenby which I'm sure hosts one of the best beaches in the UK! It is such a pretty little seaside town with shops and lanes to explore about a twenty five minute drive from Bluestone.<br />
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We had a relaxed mosey before having a coffee break. Then headed down to the harbour where we had a pit stop to give Nola her lunch.<br />
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After enjoying just sitting back and taking everything in we walked over to the beach where Eliot was literally living his best life playing with a bucket and spade in the soggy sand. if we'd been there from 9am-5pm I'm sure he would have happily spent the entire time on the beach!<br />
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Before driving back to Bluestone we had fish and chips for dinner, you just have to have it when you're at the seaside!<br />
There are so many more things to do at Tenby, such as visit the Tudor Merchant house, go on a boat trip or visit the castle. It's a must do if you holiday anywhere nearby!<br />
We had booked Eliot on a 'Games Night' back at Bluestone which is an activity where you can leave your child/ren unaccompanied and enjoy some time alone to make the most of Bluestone! They had called us in the morning to let us know Eliot was the only one booked on the games night (again because it was in term time) and to see if he still wanted to participate. He had initially wanted to still join in but when he arrived and could see he was the only one there he changed his mind. It was a shame but I was impressed the staff had called to let us know the situation in the morning, rather than turning up to drop Eliot off and then being informed.<br />
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<b><u>Thursday </u></b><br />
We spent the full day in Bluestone beginning with a leisurely start to the day by relaxing in the lodge. Eliot did get taken to the adventure centre again to enjoy more time in the indoor play area.<br />
Lunch was something I had been looking forward to as we had booked it down at Camp Smokey, where my love for al fresco dining grew!<br />
We rode our bikes down to the parking area ready for a woodland adventure after lunch.<br />
This time we ordered from the menu and waited for our order number to be called to go and collect it. <br />
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I ordered 'smores' for pudding which I enjoyed and got to toast marshmallows over the fire again which was lots of fun in the surroundings.<br />
Afterwards we collected out bikes and went on a little woodland adventure on one of the trails in Bluestone. It was only when we were down in the woods a family we rode past said it looked like my back tyre was punctured. On stopping and inspecting it was clear it was flat so I had to abandon my 'ride' and settle for pushing it, which I really didn't mind as I was appreciating how peaceful and calming the woods were.<br />
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It was wonderful to feel like I was 'away from it all', hearing only woodland noise like the rushing water of the stream or the crack and crunch of sticks under your feet.<br />
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Hiring or bringing your own bikes to get around Bluestone is a great way to explore but if you're a very inexperienced bike rider like myself be warned, there are LOTS of hills, easy to get down, not so easy to get back up!</div>
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After our little adventure we arrived back to the village just in time for the village festival which is part of the Bwbach Festival running from September 3rd to November 4th.</div>
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Eliot enjoyed getting involved with the dancing before he spent time in the play area.</div>
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We then went back to our lodge for our last night at Bluestone, having dinner and getting packed for the journey home.</div>
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<b><u>Friday</u></b></div>
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Check out time at Bluestone is 10am, once we'd loaded the car and vacated our lovely lodge, we took the bikes back. Then went to the Adventure centre for Eliot to enjoy one last play and had lunch at the Wildwood Cafe.</div>
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One thing we almost forgot to enjoy was the circus room, which is upstairs in the Adventure Centre for under fives.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four Nola's!</td></tr>
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Nola had a wonderful time watching the sensory bubble machine and enjoying the soft play area. Eliot also enjoyed having a play in here, it was interesting watching him as the last time he was in there he was under two!<br />
Then reluctantly, we dragged our feet back to the car park to make the journey home. None of us wanted to leave which speaks volumes about how wonderful Bluestone resort is!<br />
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<b><u>Why Visit Bluestone?</u></b><br />
All of us 101% recommend Bluestone as a holiday, what we got up to is just a fraction of what you can do at the resort and there is plenty more to see and do in Pembrokeshire.<br />
The staff are very pleasant and helpful.<br />
You have the option to cook what you fancy in your accommodation but if you don't want to cook you can choose from a selection of places to dine in Bluestone.<br />
There are seasonal themes and activities.<br />
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I mean I could go on but you have to experience a stay yourself, even if you're not really an 'outdoorsy' person like myself, you will want to get out, enjoy and make the most of the surroundings and facilities!<br />
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Have you been to Bluestone?</div>
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*We received a stay at Bluestone and use of bikes in return for a post. All opinions are my own</div>
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Photos credit: Photos marked with MPP were taken by <a href="https://meetpettyphotography.crevado.com/">Meet Petty Photography</a></div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-16717523503288678642018-08-10T23:56:00.001+01:002018-08-19T22:44:06.496+01:00Sealife London Aquarium-Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week we had a fun summer holiday day out to the Sealife London Aquarium. I've been there a few times before but not for a good while, there were a lot of changes, from a new entrance to the addition of penguins, there were lots of new things to see!</div>
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As you first go in there is a clear walkway over some of the sea life...including sharks enabling you to get a look at them swimming below!</div>
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It was obviously busy being the holidays, so it was handy there were toilets while we were queueing to get into the next part. There was large family toilet which we went into complete with a kids toilet as well as a 'normal' toilet and a baby change! It was perfect timing as Nola needed nappy change.</div>
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As well as there being an abundance of sea creatures to see, there were also several talks about some of them, repeated several times a day.</div>
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One of my favourite things about our visit was being able to get a bit hands on. Eliot touched a starfish for the first time, despite having opportunities to do this in the past he was never quite brave enough. He said he was 'too scared' on this visit but after a member of staff said she would show him how to do it first he was happy to have a go.</div>
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As we were about to go through the tunnel there was another member of staff with different specimens talking about what they were and answering any questions.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eliot getting hands on</td></tr>
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Another favourite part of our visit was seeing the giant turtles, I'm always in a bit of awe when I see wildlife and it was amazing to get so close, minus the glass. Of course one of the main attractions are the sharks and there a plenty of opportunities to see them from different perspectives in the tank.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nola enjoying looking at the sharks!</td></tr>
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Seahorses are another of my favourites, they're so interesting to watch and move so gracefully. I think the tiny white specks you can see in the clear tube were baby seahorses!</div>
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There are plenty of species to see and read about as you walk through the different areas.<br />
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We all enjoyed the 'Rainforest Adventure' zone which started off with some creepy crawlies. The giant leaf cutter ants were fascinating to watch, as well as being in a tank there was a tube that ran above the other exhibits meaning you could catch a good sight of them in action. </div>
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There were also hissing cockroaches and a rather large tarantula! The tanks they were in enabled you to get a better view and give the impression you were in there with them, with a dome in the centre you could crawl into.</div>
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Moving further through there were plenty more species to look at including piranha fish, poisonous dart frogs and cuban crocodiles.<br />
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Of course there were many people surrounding the penguin tank, all hoping to see them in action. Most of the penguins stayed at the back but there were a few that seemed to love having the crowds watching them. They'd dive in, swim around at an incredible speed before launching themselves back on to dry land like absolute pros!<br />
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One penguin in particular that wowed the audience was 'Max', he took it upon himself to parade right next to one of the windows, going back and forth before diving back into the water again. What an absolute character, such a joy to watch!</div>
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I certainly recommend a visit to the <a href="https://www.365tickets.co.uk/sea-life-london-aquarium" rel="">Sealife London Aquarium</a> whether it's a trip with your other half, friends or a family day out, there's plenty to see! It was also interesting to learn about the conservation projects they are involved in.</div>
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Have you visited recently?</div>
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*I received complimentary entry in exchange for a review, all options are my own</div>
<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-46144070954966907732018-07-29T23:57:00.000+01:002018-07-29T23:57:44.868+01:00The Third Trimester-Second Baby<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXkD9U0qMyeyAnQbqXWkUxvwyimDUVLIoKv_GfRet_ybo-NjIjtBBxXKpoDX4MVMClcXtFqp7MN8paWZhz-7pKmgw9jVyq1-CSxKiBQizNYJD7IILztSLJ2icHxW4CWOsPYAGdGcWdrRU/s1600/IMG_5275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXkD9U0qMyeyAnQbqXWkUxvwyimDUVLIoKv_GfRet_ybo-NjIjtBBxXKpoDX4MVMClcXtFqp7MN8paWZhz-7pKmgw9jVyq1-CSxKiBQizNYJD7IILztSLJ2icHxW4CWOsPYAGdGcWdrRU/s400/IMG_5275.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">35+4 weeks</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A year on from me being in the third trimester of my second pregnancy and I'm finally writing about it...better late than never!</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Morning Sickness</b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did have a lot of moments when I was nauseous, one in particular was when we'd made a roast chicken in the bag for a Sunday lunch. When it was cooked and I opened the bag I couldn't bear the smell, it made e retch and safe to say I didn't eat any!</span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Cravings</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">Still no cravings as such but still avoided 'proper meals' on many occasions and would choose cereal and toast!</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Scares</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I always felt that when pregnant with Eliot that his movements were never really in a 'pattern' and felt the same with this pregnancy. I also thought the movements this time round were different, certainly bigger like rolls and more uncomfortable at times.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 29+6 I called the midwife after work to say I was concerned I hadn't felt much movement so she sent me to the antenatal assessment unit at the hospital. Of course baby decided to become active and was moving whilst I was monitored. It happened to be the end of the heatwave in June and I'd had a sore throat so thought me being under the weather could have affected things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I found myself back in the AAU a few times, I suppose the most worrying being when I fell arse over tit whilst rushing to a midwife appointment. I had to spend a bit of time being monitored and waiting for Anti D as I'd knocked my bump.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">First monitoring</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Midwives & Doctors <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">I had the routine anti d injection due to my blood being rhesus negative. It wasn't the midwife I usually saw and I was asked if I would prefer the injection in my arm or the top of my backside! Having had previous anti d injections in my arm I went for the backside </span>option. I was pre warned it would feel cold which it did.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I saw a different midwife in my preferred hospital and also went through the process from the beginning, having to have my bloods taken again which I was not happy about! She also booked me to see a Dr as Eliot had weighed 9lb5oz when born and she happened to mention a 'bigger baby' could get its' 'shoulders stuck' which freaked me out and stuck in my mind. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most of the last few appointments with my usual midwife were normal, urine samples were ok apart from one time when my blood pressure was also raised so I was sent to AAU for monitoring but when they checked my urine and blood pressure everything was normal so I'm not sure what happened!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I saw the doctor at 39+6 after having a scan a week or two earlier to check babies size. At that point baby was estimated to weigh 7lb6oz. Due to my concern of baby being 'larger' than Eliot was, I was given a sweep which was not pleasant nor did it get baby moving! Then I was booked in for an induction four days later!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">After having a 4D scan with Eliot I didn't think Id have one the second time round but gave in to temptation! I also wanted Eliot to see the baby to hopefully make it more real for him but as it turned out he was 'bored' after the first couple of minutes! The 4D experience is well worth it as you can find deals on packages. We came away with a DVD, images, a magnet and </span>keyrings.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also had a scan around 37 weeks to check babies size as mentioned above.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Other</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: trebuchet ms, trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't think I mentioned in previous pregnancy updates that I had some patches of skin discolouration, one was above my eyebrow. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: trebuchet ms, trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had hideously swollen legs and feet, I think that had to be the worst pregnancy symptom, they were uncomfortable!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: trebuchet ms, trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One big memory I have from the third trimester was that week long heatwave (nothing compared to this summer!) I didn't have a fan and almost had a breakdown in one of the aisles in Sainsbury's when they told me they didn't have any. I attempted to sleep with an ice pack but still had an uncomfortable few nights of sleep!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: trebuchet ms, trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How was your final trimester?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: trebuchet ms, trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep an eye out for Nola's birth story coming soon!</span></div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-34897575565030819822018-06-15T18:13:00.003+01:002018-06-15T18:13:46.459+01:00The Golden Hinde London
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you're in London or not too far away,The <a href="https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Golden Hinde in Southwark</a> is one of London's many things to do and is part of a perfect trip out for any pirate/history fans. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbwXI6MHeTb4ZbF4Um5TWyEepVUDIAFZSm8Mxlv1si3ZHrTk-7AQfkjqwPdXV9n6GaAQ9jmMPzAsyGBtlx-tzF6mcMxyEQbjpnbw-6PECE_Z_5aTbikXE_6pZNtXqnUuMghMaLAZJeXvs/s1600/DSC_0956-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbwXI6MHeTb4ZbF4Um5TWyEepVUDIAFZSm8Mxlv1si3ZHrTk-7AQfkjqwPdXV9n6GaAQ9jmMPzAsyGBtlx-tzF6mcMxyEQbjpnbw-6PECE_Z_5aTbikXE_6pZNtXqnUuMghMaLAZJeXvs/s640/DSC_0956-8.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Eliot has always enjoyed being out and
about across the capital and loves the varied sights of what the capital has to
offer. Lately, he has been particularly fond of London’s historic sights and
revels on the background stories and facts behind them. One of his favourite historic
subjects at present is pirates and ships. So when we mentioned paying the Golden Hinde a visit he was very keen! </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Especially when his dad told him stories and
facts about of one of history’s most famous Elizabethan sea captains, Sir Francis Drake and the mighty ship, he couldn't wait to get there!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rcxntbc4rhDg7DLRlEiW_f1oAT0isG2pncfDYQcUkGSMp9Iy6eIP34H67bSfqYPzgEaQsH0krh1uU7yYFYgbsx0ypMUVmsLRjjkM_MbBeC9JqaYwwOSYUVqn1EeDF4ZEumvEojDecW8s/s1600/DSC_0938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rcxntbc4rhDg7DLRlEiW_f1oAT0isG2pncfDYQcUkGSMp9Iy6eIP34H67bSfqYPzgEaQsH0krh1uU7yYFYgbsx0ypMUVmsLRjjkM_MbBeC9JqaYwwOSYUVqn1EeDF4ZEumvEojDecW8s/s640/DSC_0938.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Situated on the historic banks of Southwark,
moments from London Bridge Station, and under the shadows of the gothic
majestic Southwark Cathedral, The Golden Hinde is an exact replica of the real
thing and is moored perfectly to where many boats and ships of the time would
have docked. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Below deck is very tight and apart from
Eliot, the rest of us had to duck down as we explored the
lower decks. It really gives you a feel for how difficult and awful it would have been for the
crewman who manned the guns as explosions and chaos rumbled around the ship. The living and sleeping quarters were extremely cramped which makes you wonder how the crew coped. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELYlHJ4nXT1ARSxLZkst3pHYMfoQ8qVuXy97RyQReEPalYIXukXU_Z-B-vEmxDx1KhrcyjTEjvH29QjKSlX2afC4f5DrljloAGagxyZn_d-_dPpU1RcQr3xheHmZU3tisUaqba0nibKC8/s1600/DSC_0952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELYlHJ4nXT1ARSxLZkst3pHYMfoQ8qVuXy97RyQReEPalYIXukXU_Z-B-vEmxDx1KhrcyjTEjvH29QjKSlX2afC4f5DrljloAGagxyZn_d-_dPpU1RcQr3xheHmZU3tisUaqba0nibKC8/s640/DSC_0952.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being a grumpy, bossy captain!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KYS-b4Txt0pFFwQpTJkP-mGj0EaxYtOK82T6Yd491u13PCTLP_zDDE5RSp4dvuVUMvYOdeLttxEYhg2PiCtMcryJCqB8HynqP7QWgWkcKe6v4T0AnVrctci-R2Gxg5oCDK85HsNI8f5T/s1600/DSC_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KYS-b4Txt0pFFwQpTJkP-mGj0EaxYtOK82T6Yd491u13PCTLP_zDDE5RSp4dvuVUMvYOdeLttxEYhg2PiCtMcryJCqB8HynqP7QWgWkcKe6v4T0AnVrctci-R2Gxg5oCDK85HsNI8f5T/s640/DSC_0953.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We enjoyed our trip to the Golden Hinde and learning about the different parts of the ship and what they would have been used for.</div>
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The Golden Hinde is open daily but do check the <a href="https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/visit" rel="nofollow">website</a> as they close for private functions, you can also see <a href="https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/whats-on" rel="nofollow">what's on</a> as they have special events on certain days. The day we visited there was a pirate training activity!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfZ2_iqapjkhr0NpNq9JD469XdhuLAgSZnj6LGFqRpNuIlJONuMM7oZPdDCY5jVGH29f7PVh1qFnjzHgBJnceMH6B8VCIwOyBMOu_LCmMKxztpU8hNffidl6RHSp38Y3nNBsTJLt1uUjI/s1600/DSC_0958-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfZ2_iqapjkhr0NpNq9JD469XdhuLAgSZnj6LGFqRpNuIlJONuMM7oZPdDCY5jVGH29f7PVh1qFnjzHgBJnceMH6B8VCIwOyBMOu_LCmMKxztpU8hNffidl6RHSp38Y3nNBsTJLt1uUjI/s640/DSC_0958-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumping with excitement!<br />
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Have you visited the Golden Hinde?</div>
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*We received free entry in exchange for a blog post</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-4541472507427560052018-06-08T23:25:00.001+01:002018-06-08T23:25:03.754+01:00Nola's 6, 7, 8 & 9 Month Update!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Nola you are now nine months old, the same amount of time you were growing inside me. I'm sorry I haven't kept up to date with your updates, there wasn't any big changes between five and six months so I thought I'd pick things up again at seven months, then eight months and before I knew it here we are at nine months old!<br />
You have grown a lot, especially your hair it's getting thicker and thicker! You have become more smiley, you 'talk' a lot making an 'aahhh' sound and you have continued to work hard at holding objects and rolling over. You have been rolling all the time these past couple of weeks and you're getting pretty good at it, you did bump your head at the weekend and bruised your head.<br />
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Seizure wise they made a come back unfortunately. When you were six months old I noticed when you were sleeping sometimes you eyes would open and then flicker, I was pretty sure they were seizures. So I sent a video over to the epilepsy nurse, I didn't hear back but then received a letter for an appointment at Addenbrookes with the paediatric neurologist, it turned out the epilepsy nurse had forwarded the video to him. He put you on a third medication and told us he would see you again in July.<br />
The next day you began to have infantile spasms again so called I the neuros secretary and explained. The Dr called me that evening and said we'd stick with the plan, which was introducing the third medicine over four weeks and that should hopefully stop the spasms.<br />
It didn't so our appointment was brought forward and we saw him again a couple of weeks ago and he said the next stop was to put you on steroids. I really didn't want to put you on these as the side effects aren't great. But the with the overall outcome of infantile spasms there really is was no other choice. You have been an absolute trooper on them though Nola, you've just been amazing so so good! Very quiet and dazed at times but you have been smiley at times too. The good news is they stopped the spasms quickly and they have kept away so far! We started to wean you yesterday on your nine month birthday so I'm hoping that will be ok as I know it can be difficult for some little ones.<br />
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I don't think your development has gone back, if it has only a little. You wanted to roll for ages and you're doing it consistently now! You also want to sit up by yourself, you're getting there. I know you'll do it, I'm so proud of you! You're still not overly keen to use you hands, although you'll bash things and try to grab them if you're in the mood. A few weekends ago you mastered blowing raspberries and couldn't stop doing it! You haven't done it as much since you started the steroids.<br />
You cut your first tooth just after you turned six months and the second one followed shortly after!<br />
In April you had your first trip abroad to Disneyland Paris, you were far better behaved than your big brother! It was such a nice getaway, not in anyway relaxing but wonderful to getaway...Disney is magical!<br />
We were chosen to be ambassadors for Turtle Tots which is very exciting! We started our swimming lessons in May but have stopped for now due to your immune system being suppressed whilst on steroids. You love being in the water and did lots of splashing around.<br />
I moved you up to size 4 nappies at some point but discovered today you still fit in a size 3! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hahWAB6h9Lmog27a-TVTfJ5WZdYtr_lR0_aPHl9RQfT7oFQRkmNGTwNd3orgWANusqXWIXMNf_istrf8sOxb9wUH4tFWM_IlQp8lgGbhx4c3f9hhn-ArRQeB0u32Bkvg6R-Va5pPrG_J/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hahWAB6h9Lmog27a-TVTfJ5WZdYtr_lR0_aPHl9RQfT7oFQRkmNGTwNd3orgWANusqXWIXMNf_istrf8sOxb9wUH4tFWM_IlQp8lgGbhx4c3f9hhn-ArRQeB0u32Bkvg6R-Va5pPrG_J/s640/IMG_1654.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing purple for world epilepsy awareness day!</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Feeding</u></strong></div>
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Nothing has changed about your appetite! You still love milk and of course I started weaning you at six months. I gave you different vegetables first, broccoli, potato, carrot, cauliflower, parsnip, peas, green beans. You liked most of them but broccoli made you heave he first time, you were fine after that though. You definitely prefer sweet though as you can't get enough of fruit and yogurt! You are loving eating solids!<br />
Milk is still very much a favourite, you have three to four bottles a day 5-6oz, I mix a bit with one of your medicines in the morning and at night. I have been putting some of steroid doses in. </div>
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<strong><u>Sleeping</u></strong></div>
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Mostly you sleep through the night but there have been a few times you've woken up very early, to be fair you happily lay there kicking your legs and playing with your feet. Mostly you have been waking around 7am. </div>
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<strong><u>Weight</u></strong></div>
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I can update your weight this time! You were weighed at the hospital a couple of weeks ago and were 8.16kg = 17lbs9oz which is lighter than I thought you were! </div>
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<strong><u>Clothes</u></strong></div>
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You are mainly in 6-9 month clothes but also wearing some 9-12 month bits.<br />
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<strong><u>More Nicknames</u></strong></div>
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The nicknames keep coming! <a href="http://www.teacher2mummy.com/2018/02/5-month-upadate.html">Here</a> are what came out last time and below there's more! </div>
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30. Kee Kee<br />
31. Kee-Kai<br />
32. Beauty<br />
33.Beauty Weauty<br />
34. Tutti Fruitti<br />
35. Pumbles<br />
36. Kee-Kai<br />
37.Pooch<br />
38.Poochie<br />
39.Poochie Woochie<br />
40.Poochie Woocha<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With big bro at Hampton Court Palace</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Your Likes</u></strong></div>
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<ul>
<li>You still love snuggly cuddles...I do too!</li>
<li>Milk and food</li>
<li>Bath time still makes you happy and now swimming does too</li>
<li>You love being out and about</li>
<li> Watching trees, they make you very excited for some reason</li>
<li>Big brother playing with you (when he's not being too rough!)</li>
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<strong><u>Your Dislikes</u></strong></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Waiting for milk or food</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Still not a fan of being dressed or undressed, although you don't grumble as much</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Still being disturbed</div>
</li>
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In all honesty there's not a lot you kick up a fuss about right now, you are so chilled!<br />
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That's it my darling girl, until next time!</div>
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xxx</div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-17198750878091598672018-05-15T21:13:00.002+01:002018-05-15T21:13:44.448+01:00My Car History*<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beloved Mini!</td></tr>
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Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to drive so when I started driving lessons just after my seventeenth birthday I couldn't wait to pass my test. Just the thought of being able to get to places by myself whenever I needed or wanted was very exciting. It did take me around nine months to be ready to take the practical test but I passed first time as I had with the theory test. I also already had a second hand car that I'd practiced driving in with my dad, often with some arguing. </div>
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But how I loved my first car, a <strong>Vauxhall Nova. </strong>I remember so well the first journey I drove by myself after passing my test. It was a short drive down to my friends house. It felt amazing being independent albeit a little nerve wracking driving completely alone. My trusty Nova was in my life for the next three years until it was in an accident and sadly written off.</div>
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Next I ventured down the new car route, I'd been saving for a while so had a deposit could afford the monthly finance payments. My second car and first 'big purchase' was a <strong>Renault Clio. </strong>How exciting it was ordering a brand new car, I had to wait a few weeks before it was ready to be picked up, I still clearly remember that day and how I stalled it doing a right hand turn on to the main road as I left the show room! I kept it until 2011 when I decided I wanted a new car, a<strong> Mini </strong> to be specific! I bought it before I sold my Clio and again absolutely loved it, even though I had no idea about the 'Stop/Start' function when I first drove it and was confused when the engine cut out when I stopped at traffic lights! I only had it for a year and a half before I sold it due to wanting/needing a five door car when pregnant with Eliot. As my parents were getting a new car they gave me their old one, a <strong>Nissan Almera. </strong>It saved me from paying out for another car and was ideal for a growing family. When I went back to work full time I decided to go down the new car route again and went for a <strong>Renault Captur. </strong>My Clio had been reliable and efficient so I was happy to go back to a car brand I'd driven before. It's still the car I'm driving today. </div>
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I feel lucky that with all the cars I've had, I've not had any major issues (touch wood), only problems to do with batteries. The worst case being with the Almera when the battery was cutting out when I was driving which wasn't great and also a little scary on a dual carriageway!</div>
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Of course I've replaced a fair few tyres, sometimes with the MOT highlighting the fact they needed changing. I knew worn tyres were pretty dangerous but wasn't aware that tyre blowouts are one of the main causes of car accidents. I've admitted before that I'm not the best at safety checks with my car which is why it's useful to have my dad frequently reminding me. Sometimes it's a bit of a pain to get car jobs done etc which is why it is helpful to book online. If you need new tyres you can reserve tyres online & get free professional tyre fitting from <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.iversontyres.com/tyre" rel="nofollow">Iverson Tyres Ltd. in London.</a> </span></span></span></div>
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It's really important to do regular car safety checks, such as making sure your tyres are the correct pressure and the tread is not worn beyond the legal limit.</div>
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How often do you do car safey checks?</div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-17298554241970934682018-05-10T14:38:00.000+01:002018-05-10T14:38:52.290+01:00We Are A Turtle Tots 2018 Ambassador<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHITel4BP1sUpMllE-HaymVB3PdN9aOgvb0mJePak_ytEr8hbJ1Xomx3zfnteRg90jIAWyvAfvtKf8BwAhwElcn1Azb0vKny1J98jIOeWEIoVelIi0TPklFcp5p-Ap6sU8Zs1RFoaVwcYU/s1600/Turtle+Tots+ambassador+badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHITel4BP1sUpMllE-HaymVB3PdN9aOgvb0mJePak_ytEr8hbJ1Xomx3zfnteRg90jIAWyvAfvtKf8BwAhwElcn1Azb0vKny1J98jIOeWEIoVelIi0TPklFcp5p-Ap6sU8Zs1RFoaVwcYU/s400/Turtle+Tots+ambassador+badge.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>
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If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen last week that I announced Nola and I were chosen to be one of the Turtle Tots ambassadors for 2018. I was thrilled when I received the email to say we had been selected.</div>
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I have swam myself for as long as I can remember, weekly lessons at my local pool throughout my childhood and as part of PE in primary school. It was a hobby that gave me confidence as it was something I was good at. I always knew that when I became a parent I wanted my own children to swim, one of the main reasons being that it is a life skill. I took Eliot to lessons a couple of months before he turned two then had to stop as the parent & toddler lessons were only on weekdays and I was going back to work full time. When he was three he started lessons again and has been going ever since.</div>
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When Nola came along I knew that at some point I wanted her to begin lessons and she has a lot sooner than I expected! We've had a our second lessons with Turtle Tots and she is loving being in the water! As well as being a skill that could save your life and a way to exercise, baby swimming offers many more benefits that I hadn't looked into. The physical benefits include building strength and motor skills. The classes also benefit social and emotional development too, you can read more about their benefits <a href="https://www.turtletots.com/baby-programme" rel="nofollow">here.</a></div>
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We'll let you know how we get on in our lessons over the next few weeks and keep an eye out for a chance to win a £50 voucher for Turtle Tots swim products and a free taster lesson! </div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-13064902417702825372018-05-04T14:36:00.000+01:002018-05-10T11:15:02.511+01:00Having A Baby*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzN-JsDZQXaamyxaFEg0ziumNcXaAumPv2owWUjW0-8-Yyo1pdYND1fvksind3hnSVpa19EiiGdE6yRK5k_oo_tMk3kvsbL-Cna3CWnBTugqhC14XBVcGpXp_D-kqKCmtl_UaEAHkqVSf/s1600/IMG_0984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzN-JsDZQXaamyxaFEg0ziumNcXaAumPv2owWUjW0-8-Yyo1pdYND1fvksind3hnSVpa19EiiGdE6yRK5k_oo_tMk3kvsbL-Cna3CWnBTugqhC14XBVcGpXp_D-kqKCmtl_UaEAHkqVSf/s640/IMG_0984.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have always known since I was a little girl that I wanted to become a mother. When I was older I did have the worries, 'would I meet someone', 'would it happen for me', 'would it be difficult to get pregnant'?</div>
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In my third year of university I missed a period, not because I was pregnant (that was impossible) and started freaking out. Could I be going through the early menopause? I went to the doctor, who was very unprofessional, as well as answering the phone and swearing at his colleague he also laughed in my face when I asked if I could be going through early menopause. I swiftly changed my doctors surgery and after speaking to friends, <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/" rel="nofollow">Polycystic Ovary Syndrome</a> (PCOS) came up. I made an appointment at my new doctors surgery and this time saw a much more understanding and professional doctor. I was referred for blood tests and when the results came back I had a higher level of testosterone than normal. I was then referred to endocrinology at the hospital and took a 24 hour urine test which my uni housemates thought was hilarious. I was also very specific about the day I did the test as I couldn't drink any alcohol which was a very important part of my social life back then! When the results came back they also showed some abnormalities and the endocrinologist said it was highly likely I had PCOS but didn't want to do any invasive scans at that point. As I wasn't planning to have any children in my final year of uni I was happy with that and the plan was for me to have a follow up appointment in a year. When my appointment came through I was actually moving back to my home town as I had finished my teaching degree and had a job. Since 2007 I have not returned to an endocrinology department. </div>
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PCOS was always at the back of my mind and I worried it would be difficult to fall pregnant. I always spoke about having a family and when a couple of my friends had babies it made me very broody. In 2012 the other half and I discussed trying for a baby, once my 30th birthday celebrations were out of the way. </div>
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Surprisingly I found out I was pregnant less than a month after my birthday. At an early scan the sonographer mentioned there were cysts on my right ovary.</div>
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I felt so lucky that it happened as I know that fulfilling the dream of having children is not always an easy journey.</div>
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I have friends that have gone down the <a href="https://www.ivi.uk/assisted-reproduction-treatments/in-vitro-fertilisation/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=B9%20IVF%20-%20London%20%5BGEO%5D%20EXACT&utm_term=ivf&utm_content=IVF" rel="nofollow">IVF route</a> not only because it was hard to conceive but due to genetic reasons. For them I know it was a difficult time. I know that if I had struggled to conceive I would have certainly have seriously considered IVF. </div>
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Of course another option is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/child-adoption" rel="nofollow">adoption,</a> not only for couples that can't conceive but same sex couples and single people too. Not everyone meets their so called 'the one' to bring up a family but that doesn't mean they can't become a parent, in addition to adoption there is the option of sperm banks and surrogacy. So <a href="https://www.coparents.co.uk/Prices-of-Sperm-Banks-in-London.php" rel="">how much does it cost to get sperm from a bank?</a> In the UK you're looking at around £800 for a vial of sperm through fertility centres such as Complete Fertility Centre in Southampton.</div>
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I can't imagine how painful it is not to have children when you so desperately want them. Fortunately there are options in this day and age to help people become parents and nobody's journey to parenthood is the same.</div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-9642353049461739782018-03-21T12:40:00.000+00:002018-03-21T12:40:53.269+00:00The Dating Game<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSopfj30cNNe858mrusSxxQ9QAqlXTmtbij4EaKC70CIpbR3SYePQHUkL0KxibaZM70oNMwgmFxRga19n8tOTLAlWfgGcLvjcgl019Obhwd8OrbUvxbxUNPhJW0WJRCURgn_d3BEiOWpyb/s1600/0worstdate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSopfj30cNNe858mrusSxxQ9QAqlXTmtbij4EaKC70CIpbR3SYePQHUkL0KxibaZM70oNMwgmFxRga19n8tOTLAlWfgGcLvjcgl019Obhwd8OrbUvxbxUNPhJW0WJRCURgn_d3BEiOWpyb/s400/0worstdate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The night I met my worst date experience!</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I met the other half back in 2008 during my final year of
university on a night out in Brighton. On our first date we met for drinks and
ended up going to a few pubs. On our second date he took me to dinner and of
course we went on to have several more dates and the rest as they say is
history! Now we have two beautiful children! It is coming up to our ten year
anniversary which is just crazy, time has flown!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prior to meeting my other half I hadn’t really been on that
many dates, I’d been in a long term relationship and the next date I had after
that I was really excited to be going on. Even though I was at university in
Brighton, the guy was actually from near my home town which was a positive
start!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We met in a local pub and got on really really well, had
lots of laughs and I saw potential for a second date which we agreed we would organize.
However I never heard from him again, he didn’t respond to a text I sent or try
to contact me. I never understand why this happened or why it still happens to
others. If you’re not keen to meet again why not just be honest about it?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next date I went on was after a night out with my friend
back in my home area. We bumped into her brother and his friend whilst we were
out and spent some time with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
next day her brother’s friend contacted my friend to ask for my number, she
asked me if it was ok before giving it to him and we planned a meet one Sunday afternoon.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I remember the day quite well as it was the worst date I
have ever been on! Not that I’ve been on loads of dates but this was the direst
out of a few! It was a lovely sunny summer’s day and we met in a pub. We sat in
the garden to enjoy the glorious weather but unfortunately I did not enjoy his
company as much. He wasn’t unpleasant in any way, shape or form but on the shy
side. I found myself trying to stimulate the conversation and was getting very
little in return which did make me feel on the uncomfortable side as there were
a lot of awkward silences! I found it very odd as I can be on the shy side myself but
was the one doing all the work on this date. He did contact me a couple of
times afterwards by text but we never met again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel quite lucky that I can call that the worst
date experience I’ve ever had. I know things have moved on in the dating game
since I was in it. There are lots more dating sites available, including <a href="http://www.welovedates.com/uk/" rel="nofollow">free dating site</a> ‘We Love Dates’. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve perused a couple of sites when helping some
single friends pick a possible date which they’ve paid to do, whereas We Love
Dates offers <a href="http://www.welovedates.com/" rel="nofollow">free dating</a>. I have worried about friends when they’ve been meeting
strangers and made sure they would contact me or someone else if they needed an
escape! Thank goodness the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign is now an option for those
that feel uncomfortable on their date, not an option that was available years
ago but I’m grateful to say I wouldn’t have needed to use it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What’s your worst
date story?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-57646025417823822052018-03-18T15:36:00.004+00:002018-03-18T15:36:28.535+00:00A letter to me, the first time mum<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gNMDxQNc6-i5nVM14nHP2LpharnsSgz7Z3M2mPGt2EyES1679puLBD0nFnqE_QnZb_qRNJE1fpTtcHa2c4heqcdCgFr2ZCQYLw6ti9qe_3kpACI1zTZXBSgcUCf3iKCfY3IQ6wLlAeVc/s1600/britmumspost.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gNMDxQNc6-i5nVM14nHP2LpharnsSgz7Z3M2mPGt2EyES1679puLBD0nFnqE_QnZb_qRNJE1fpTtcHa2c4heqcdCgFr2ZCQYLw6ti9qe_3kpACI1zTZXBSgcUCf3iKCfY3IQ6wLlAeVc/s640/britmumspost.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Dear me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">My, my, my what an unforgettable journey you've been on...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Lets take it back to when you were pregnant the first time, remember those really REALLY cute pram shoes you bought for your boy? Along with a multitude of other clothing items, you thought they were a bargain because they were reduced and you'd get another sale item half price. Win win, right? Wrong! Eliot wore one pair once and never wore the second pair! However you did learn from this mistake and didn't make the same error the second time around!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Of course I'm sure you recall labour, don't you? All 37.5 hours of it!!! You did a pretty awesome job pushing a not so tiny 9.5lb-er out of you. You were determined to only have gas & air which you managed but it would have been ok you know to ask for some further pain relief! It may have enabled you to get that bit of sleep you so desperately wanted. You were too stubborn to give in and actually a little afraid to ask the midwives. They were very pro natural birth and you were being given lavender to help relax you. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">You were not 'unconfident' as a midwife said when giving you reasons why you shouldn't go home the day after birth. At no point during pregnancy or after birth were you told that a baby can still have some amniotic fluid in them that needs to be expelled. It was only natural to panic when Eliot seemed to be choking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">One thing you will always remember is that first poop...sure you'd read all about meconium and knew it would be a black tar like mess. You didn't bank on it happening when your MIL snatched him off you mid change. She was the one that got covered in it though as well as the hospital floor! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Give yourself a pat on the back...it was hard being in hospital for almost a week for various reasons, you wanted to breastfeed but it wasn't happening and there was a concern that Eliot had a hernia. Thankfully he didn't but I know you believe it was a bit a preparation for what would happen around six weeks later.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The best bit of advice you needed in those early days was not to take to heart comments or things that people said about feeding. You tried to breastfeed, staff in the hospital tried to help you breastfeed but you needed to do what YOU felt was right for you and Eliot, you made the right choice for you both. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Remember six weeks later when you took Eliot to A&E after speaking to the health visitor and the GP? You were told it was reflux and prescribed medication but you took him to A&E when the projectile vomiting still continued. As you know Eliot needed an operation when it was discovered he had pyloric stenosis. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">And there's another big tip! Continue to trust your instincts and get anything you're not sure about checked out! No matter how small you think it may be, it's always better to be safe than sorry. I know you remember this tip as it was something you needed to do with baby two, Nola when she was two months old.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLzdV2JOkYmhWMiH7d8yWm3tsk1uJyoSGkRZIAROy_hv2uZdE9hmVO9TqBN524j5ePqnm3GWR3oahEiz9-JbJiRX6oBiIKjh57BIIOOLG4eqri3ERAqner2erdhbDqize2aBEHTHvAXDB/s1600/IMG_1634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLzdV2JOkYmhWMiH7d8yWm3tsk1uJyoSGkRZIAROy_hv2uZdE9hmVO9TqBN524j5ePqnm3GWR3oahEiz9-JbJiRX6oBiIKjh57BIIOOLG4eqri3ERAqner2erdhbDqize2aBEHTHvAXDB/s640/IMG_1634.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">There were lots of baby groups on and you were enthusiastic about meeting other mums but that didn't really happen and you were quickly put off the baby groups. The one group you did attend a few times was baby massage, you enjoyed it as did Eliot and you learnt how to use lotions to help Eliot feel relaxed and the experience increased your bond. Even though you didn't know it then, using Vicks baby rub with Nola would also further your bonding experiences and it would be a relief to see her calmer and more relaxed after using it when those pesky teeth played up!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">There are so many things you learned that first time round, like how muslins were an invaluable baby essential with various different uses, and how to avoid being pee'd on whilst changing a nappy, well almost, you did get better at it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">One thing is for sure, I know you know it's the most amazing journey you've been on, even with the ups and downs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Keep going, there's lots more to learn as they get older!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">With love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You xxx</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
“This post is an entry for BritMums #VicksBabyRub Challenge, sponsored by Vicks BabyRub. Specially designed for babies aged 6 months and over, Vicks BabyRub is available at Boots, Superdrug, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and all good pharmacy chains. RRP £3.99.”Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-28207816305391559632018-03-15T00:00:00.000+00:002018-03-15T00:00:21.389+00:00Car Safety Checks<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6gWEKHrXCbFUydOgp0wcOiwhjybc82EEpdySM2OBn4noZyk9KgXgWMnUpqaiLORRMhv_rB9k6vCwfq-AGN-yexZLG5cUt7i5QvIMRwG2mw4iExQ026LN6jaHmQPPwZizv7Ehz-WJ-Epm/s1600/car+post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6gWEKHrXCbFUydOgp0wcOiwhjybc82EEpdySM2OBn4noZyk9KgXgWMnUpqaiLORRMhv_rB9k6vCwfq-AGN-yexZLG5cUt7i5QvIMRwG2mw4iExQ026LN6jaHmQPPwZizv7Ehz-WJ-Epm/s640/car+post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Next week I’m going away with my
parents, we’ll be taking two cars as you’ll know if you have children,
especially babies you normally end up taking everything but the kitchen sink!
Add my mum into the mix and you do literally take everything, in self-catered accommodation
she won’t use any of the plates, cutlery etc. provided including the kettle, so
that comes along too! As you can imagine there’s not an awful lot of room!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The journey will be quite a long
one, around four hours I think so this weekend I need to make sure I do some checks
to ensure my car is ready for the long drive. I must admit I am a bit of a stereotypical
female when it comes to cars and not always the best at doing those checks but
thankfully my dad is on hand to remind me! He comments/reminds me I need to
check my tyres, oil and even asks me if I have enough petrol! Petrol is one
aspect I do keep on top of!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to do to make sure my car is as safe as
possible and hopefully less likely to break down, like everyone else I don’t
want to be sat on the side of the road waiting for roadside assistance especially
with two children on board! So these are the checks I’ll be doing…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Check
the oil level and top up if I need to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Check
the engine coolant level<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Top
up with water or screen wash to ensure I don’t run out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check my wiper blades are working correctly.
In the snowstorm a couple of weeks ago they were smearing Ice across the
windscreen making it almost impossible to see and I had to pull over on the
hard shoulder of the M1 to sort them out, which was not a pleasant experience!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Last
but not least I will be checking my tyres, checking that the pressures are
correct. I replaced two of my tyres a couple of weeks ago so I know the tread
is ok. I did have to stand around in the cold and rain whilst they were fitted,
I didn’t know about <a href="http://www.jetwheeltyre.co.uk/order-tyres" rel="nofollow">Jet Wheel Tyres</a> where I could have saved some time and
ordered online!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Have a missed anything out? Are
there any other safety checks you carry out on your car before journeys?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">*This post is in collaboration with Jet Wheel Tyres</span></div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-30568328509451883332018-03-14T17:06:00.000+00:002018-03-28T10:05:39.884+01:00GUEST POST-Workplace Issues That Will Keep You Busy In 2018 And How To Manage Them <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwVmO_FT1bHJQ9rN0DY4db15TeeI2h4EPXVlHXQlfPGzWUGdU3Sd0mv-YKlEWPUCB6fxmgthsa-NDkrtyeLZRiSBsHZg2rDmiNVjsPAGuZG1ZR9xwWNNIPqfi36TQzt5PRvVmahP8pY05/s1600/0office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwVmO_FT1bHJQ9rN0DY4db15TeeI2h4EPXVlHXQlfPGzWUGdU3Sd0mv-YKlEWPUCB6fxmgthsa-NDkrtyeLZRiSBsHZg2rDmiNVjsPAGuZG1ZR9xwWNNIPqfi36TQzt5PRvVmahP8pY05/s400/0office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The business and
corporate world have been seeing massive changes over the years. However, the
year of 2018 is coming to be known to have many workplace issues and changes.
These workplace issues are going to keep you busy and have your bringing about
many changes in the overall functioning of your office. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">We have put together a list of the</span> changes that you are likely to
see and what you can do to manage them. Here’s everything you need to know and <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">be prepared</span> for in the year of 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Striking A Balance Between In-house And
Freelance Employees<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A lot of companies and
corporate organizations are now hiring freelance employees for odd jobs like
social media management, blogging, product photography and other <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">jobs</span> rather than employing full-time in-house
employees for the same. While being able to hire freelance employees to get <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">certain</span> <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">jobs</span>
done can prove to be a real boon, not being <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">able</span>
to strike a balance between the in-house employees and freelance ones can be an
absolute nightmare for the management. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The overall office
environment needs to be set up in such a way that external and internal
collaboration become <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">easy</span> and
hassle-free. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">You need to make sure that your
office</span> has a document depository space where both in-house and freelance
employees <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">are able to</span> access documents as
per their requirements. Further, in-house employees need to <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">be trained</span> in such a manner that they are <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">absolutely</span> secure with their job and can
coordinate with freelance employees as opposed to getting hostile with them due
to job insecurities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Being More Digitally Efficient <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;">Let’s
be honest, the</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> whole world is
gradually moving on to digital interactions. Whether it’s billing processes or
HR forms or reports, most organizations are opting for the digital methods in
keeping such documentation ready and handy. Nobody in today’s day and age likes
to get paperwork done in the ancient and bureaucratic way that is ridiculously
time-consuming and very exhausting</span><span lang="EN-IN">. Additionally,
having piles of forms, reports and other paperwork can turn out to be a painful
storage issue. You will require cabinets, storage spaces and files to keep the
papers in order. Employees who have been in the organization for years on end
but aren’t comfortable with changing technologies should <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">be offered</span> basic training courses in digital
management of paperwork. Further, new employees who are used to being digitally
efficient and lack the skills of handling bureaucratic paperwork may begin to
lose job satisfaction if your organization isn’t working towards making the switch.
Hence, it is <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">absolutely essential</span> that
you and your organization keep up with changing times and become more digitally
practical and efficient. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Changing
Corporate Culture <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-IN">In earlier times an office space typically
meant a 9 to 5 desk job, dull and drab surroundings and limited interaction
with other employees of the organization. Over the years this old school
corporate culture has seen a massive change. Offices today are more lively,
vibrant, have far more flexible hours and are a lot more inspiringly and
creatively designed. The walls <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">are painted</span>
in bright and vibrant colors<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">, the</span> office <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">is given</span> a more motivating feel with the
installation of faux trees, flowers, and plants. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Installation of these lush green trees and plants in and around the
office area helps employees work better and in a more relaxed manner. You can
get some beautiful faux landscaping products like bonsai trees, </span><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #0563c1;"><a href="http://www.commercialsilk.com/" rel="nofollow">flower arrangements</a></span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, ficus plants, bougainvillea plants, hanging
baskets, sunflowers, hedges, bushes and lots more to decorate your office and
make the surroundings more energetic to work <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">in</span>.
The employees of today like to work in office setups that have character and
charm. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">More Focus On Employee Mental Health <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We live in stressful
times where money problems are on the rise, mental illnesses are as common as a
tooth cavity and having high blood pressure is extremely common amongst
employees. A lot of employees have pending student loans, home loans and piling
credit card bills that keep on getting <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">bigger</span>
due to the accumulating interest. This further results in high-stress levels
and high blood pressure in the employees. A large number of individuals today
are even facing and battling mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, bipolar
disorder and others. A lot of employers offer free in-house therapy sessions to
their employees. The HR manager is trained to handle psychological and mental
issues. Bosses today are even helping their employees pay off their student
loans to reduce the stress levels of their employees. If your office isn’t
prepared to battle the high-stress <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">levels</span>
and the growing psychological issues of employees, it is about time you took
some action and brought about some changes in your office to be able to handle
such situations tactfully. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Embracing Diversity Is The Need Of The Hour <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Organisations today
are a lot more welcoming to women employees, employees from different races and
cultures and so on. Racism is pretty much no longer acceptable globally in the
corporate world. Gender pay gaps are also not accepted by employees <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">any more</span>. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Men
and women from different cultures and </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="mso-no-proof: yes;">races</span><span lang="EN-IN"> are now paid more or
less the same salary for the same job. Unlike olden times, where men were given
a higher <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">salary</span> than women for the same <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">job</span> or designation, now the pay scales are more
or less equal. Further, organizations are now employing people from different
cultures and backgrounds without any hassles or apprehensions. If your organization
is not yet prepared to handle cultural differences and embrace diversity, it is
about time that you make some changes in the organization, or be ready for a
civil suit <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">being filed</span> against you and
the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-IN" style="mso-no-proof: yes;">In order to</span><span lang="EN-IN"> keep up with changing times, you also need to bring about some
drastic changes in your workplace. Employees today are a lot more aware of
their rights, the laws and so on. You need to manage workplace issues <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">in a practical and efficient way</span> if you want
your organization to grow and rake in more profits.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN-IN"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Handle workplace issues in a more
practical, efficient and sensible manner by making small tweaks and changes in
the <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">basic</span> functioning of the office.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-39864434154620954082018-03-09T11:51:00.000+00:002018-03-09T11:51:07.318+00:00Mothers Day Plans<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I've become older, wiser and grumpier I've grown less fond of the likes of Mothers Day etc. Although it is a nice way to show our love and appreciation for our mothers, I think to some extent the overall sentiment has been lost. A part of me can't help thinking it's a big commercial money making scam but the other half enjoys making the time to spend with my mum and now my own children.</div>
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Many of the Mothers Day themed gifts in the shops are not my cup of tea and I wonder what an earth anyone will do with them once Mothers Day is over. I know some mums will love the mothers day themed gift and others won't be so keen. It's a personal preference.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tXKRKw28DE_Vy3RfOIU7K3W8SF7ZiWD8ZW5BkRYXU_YZEfAZN26Pm9zPayLweZQ-2ft6i126Pb9aDNaVNhZEZn8N-w2b0kpxB8rHAtD2SHWqcedVfCsq3wzrelYeZsw6WfP5Jnx639Ep/s1600/IMG_1632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tXKRKw28DE_Vy3RfOIU7K3W8SF7ZiWD8ZW5BkRYXU_YZEfAZN26Pm9zPayLweZQ-2ft6i126Pb9aDNaVNhZEZn8N-w2b0kpxB8rHAtD2SHWqcedVfCsq3wzrelYeZsw6WfP5Jnx639Ep/s640/IMG_1632.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This Mothers Day will be my first as a mama of two little ones, which I'm very excited about. The best Mother's Day present for me is that Nola is currently doing really well and has been seen seizure free since 18th January. That is all I could ever ask for, for my baby to be as healthy as she can possibly be! And this Mothers Day as it our first mothers day she will be wearing this very special personalised romper from <a href="https://www.teether.co.uk/">Teether Baby Wear</a> who have a range of baby and childrens wear, from personilised items to parent and baby sets. I feel that this Mothers Day is extra special not only because I have two children to spend it with but also because Nola has been through a lot and as mentioned above she is currently doing well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6Qs-D4g0tLgxfEH6gurdN0BoHfxv60GxCK8ZK_mlvE75hOpTLkVCTlcqyNTnPG2p3qR6PWOMjSptkDA-_J0RhTcMlzykEnWnC2jpgk_kR7_OeMhzojbIBfWRfyM7yoemi8qA98V1CJ2T/s1600/IMG_1252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6Qs-D4g0tLgxfEH6gurdN0BoHfxv60GxCK8ZK_mlvE75hOpTLkVCTlcqyNTnPG2p3qR6PWOMjSptkDA-_J0RhTcMlzykEnWnC2jpgk_kR7_OeMhzojbIBfWRfyM7yoemi8qA98V1CJ2T/s640/IMG_1252.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So what are our plans for Mothers Day? Not a lot really, what I would like is to have a lay in and a nice little breakfast with the kiddos. Later on we will head over to my mums to spend some time with her and go out for lunch or dinner. I'm not sure where yet as the chain restaurants obviously get very busy. Last year we ended up in McDonalds because Eliot was adamant we were going there after there was no space in Pizza Express. It saved another melt down!</div>
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I still haven't bought my mum anything yet, all organised with cards as I bought them a few weeks ago. I find my mum one of the hardest people to buy things for, so if you have any suggestions please leave a comment!</div>
Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-30333565649354336172018-02-28T00:00:00.000+00:002018-02-28T00:00:18.158+00:00Today is Rare Disease Day!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFZatbBNJuHij91HnElB9q6DDnAMi0aVtaOnoWlwKs4ikN0pnpCi5g7WMkDnzNpNX2pojPGxktiWLWpiPg5W34PKv8nrmFGnkiE_OUZH_NEFIVrehDpWU4mdKR4s4LUiBIyM6eAPte-mW/s1600/Bluestone+Camp+Smokey+Woods.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFZatbBNJuHij91HnElB9q6DDnAMi0aVtaOnoWlwKs4ikN0pnpCi5g7WMkDnzNpNX2pojPGxktiWLWpiPg5W34PKv8nrmFGnkiE_OUZH_NEFIVrehDpWU4mdKR4s4LUiBIyM6eAPte-mW/s640/Bluestone+Camp+Smokey+Woods.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Nolas' seizure activity had just begun (November 2017)<br />
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Until January this year I'd not heard of <a href="https://www.rarediseaseday.org/">Rare Disease Day</a>. I say I'd not heard of it but what I'm sure I mean is that it has probably cropped up on one of my social media feeds at some point but I'd not really taken much notice because it didn't affect me. As selfish as it sounds that is likely to be the honest truth.<div style="text-align: justify;">
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However this year it does affect me, it affects us as a family. Nola has a rare condition, something that will be with her for life, something that we're still getting our heads round.</div>
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At this point in time we have no idea to the extent she will be affected. She could have a poorer quality of life or she could lead a near to normal life, only time will tell with her rare condition.</div>
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What we do know is that she'll probably be on medication for life to help control seizures that are caused by multiple growths in and on her brain. These will need monitoring and possibly in the future two will need some sort of intervention. That is just one of the aspects of the rare condition, that I haven't named yet because we are still waiting for genetic blood tests to confirm it. </div>
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Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February every year. Did you know that 1 in 17 people in the UK have a rare disease? Not as rare as you may think but there are thousands of rare diseases, most are not curable. So the aim of the day is to raise awareness of rare diseases to make the public more aware of the challenges some people face and encourage more research.</div>
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I will always remember Rare Disease Day now. Nola is my 1 in 17.</div>
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<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-65538916548555763422018-02-22T13:44:00.002+00:002018-02-22T13:44:43.163+00:00Cuddledry Towel REVIEW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWTx16Xb5PGX3xqZu3nRtIyDraezr7pfGmSSO04gwntH7rR7dK55_QT7a1UxGqFaVRwxBJFKDg0FZvW-ki0c_fvkzI9NJhrpvflYzURg-7D6ra56IR8p4iAN7OSQO-NnVuR3IOBaScz3q/s1600/IMG_1277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWTx16Xb5PGX3xqZu3nRtIyDraezr7pfGmSSO04gwntH7rR7dK55_QT7a1UxGqFaVRwxBJFKDg0FZvW-ki0c_fvkzI9NJhrpvflYzURg-7D6ra56IR8p4iAN7OSQO-NnVuR3IOBaScz3q/s640/IMG_1277.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back in January we were kindly sent an <a href="https://www.cuddledry.com/products/5/original-cuddledry-handsfree-baby-bath-towel-oatmeal-white">original cuddledry towel </a>in oatmeal and white. Little Miss Nola has loved bath time pretty much since her first one, she would scream getting undressed for her bath and then stop as soon as she was placed in the water!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQDm4w5xnxgDB9ETN9nkoItP3XeXsAs6XEb18KFe3HFqA1TISCX-ejjZ4UbSeBGzC0sAISZTWuTyrvbM-oPymW60DwGAFjWR7t99KQZxxWX6R3BPN335gy0jI5xuIR6zcvz4xBVzUbgSu/s1600/IMG_1088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQDm4w5xnxgDB9ETN9nkoItP3XeXsAs6XEb18KFe3HFqA1TISCX-ejjZ4UbSeBGzC0sAISZTWuTyrvbM-oPymW60DwGAFjWR7t99KQZxxWX6R3BPN335gy0jI5xuIR6zcvz4xBVzUbgSu/s640/IMG_1088.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nola in one of her early baths</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">However, when it was time to come out she would again scream the place down, whilst I was in a frantic rush to get her on to the towel, all wrapped up and cosy. It would usually take her a little while to calm down too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKh-RxK-ky1Qx29dINCdHR_O6N4JuYvM2D-SvN1dJfbNiaFmgPaRfX_SagKyo4KTQkTvXbGVBj_FIOV9fP2CT5js0Up9iq7lvUFraTz4Dv7xEEr5vHPvTh19er9LduUrLQ-MklvKN8vtv/s1600/IMG_1363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKh-RxK-ky1Qx29dINCdHR_O6N4JuYvM2D-SvN1dJfbNiaFmgPaRfX_SagKyo4KTQkTvXbGVBj_FIOV9fP2CT5js0Up9iq7lvUFraTz4Dv7xEEr5vHPvTh19er9LduUrLQ-MklvKN8vtv/s640/IMG_1363.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
This is where the cuddledry towel has been a total game changer at bath times. Its' genius, hands free, multi award winning design enables me to place Nola directly on my chest and wrap her in the towel quickly. This means she's kept cosy and warm which is something I particularly worried about in the early days. It also means I don't get wet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioObzldHSkNxngKOuJPG84UEyyr1e04QUmUyrF-IoGsnRD9LN2S3INm-7wCnL9p7jP8gliVZHxT__5tx-yoS8CXtVUH-9AT71LlBy9GCnlEjnoirnYY179c9RPd4mSgpNlGbgiKBuwywzz/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioObzldHSkNxngKOuJPG84UEyyr1e04QUmUyrF-IoGsnRD9LN2S3INm-7wCnL9p7jP8gliVZHxT__5tx-yoS8CXtVUH-9AT71LlBy9GCnlEjnoirnYY179c9RPd4mSgpNlGbgiKBuwywzz/s640/IMG_1376.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First bath with big bro!</td></tr>
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Apart from the first time we used it, I can honestly say there have been no tears at all after bath time. Nola loves cuddles and now I'm able to cuddle her straight after a bath without getting soaked! I'm certain she feels secure being cuddled as soon as she comes out which has made bath time a much more relaxing experience for everyone.<br />
The towel is made from 'natural bamboo fibre' and 'unbleached cotton' which is super soft and very absorbent, meaning I can 'cuddle-dry' her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDdIEpunwdwdHqybBApSh03OoyusPs5fdq_g6I9N85Y6gYqKQHCYo8V9eFuZ5vuxiX18iarJnpJnC5rHAeOPfpw5XXlfAHpMOQrBYGCCm8ggUV-MSCd06zVBsrTMH8kd4V49kxiBUJNEF/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDdIEpunwdwdHqybBApSh03OoyusPs5fdq_g6I9N85Y6gYqKQHCYo8V9eFuZ5vuxiX18iarJnpJnC5rHAeOPfpw5XXlfAHpMOQrBYGCCm8ggUV-MSCd06zVBsrTMH8kd4V49kxiBUJNEF/s640/IMG_1382.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The original cuddledry is available in a range of different colours and there is also a range of other fantastic products on the <a href="https://www.cuddledry.com/">website</a> including toddler towels and the new 'Baby & Me Wash Bag'. </div>
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I highly recommend the cuddledry for stress free bath times with your new baby or if your looking to buy a baby gift this is a great one! You can buy it from the cuddledry website as well as other retailers such as Boots and John Lewis.</div>
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I'm linking this post up with Jenny's <a href="https://www.letstalkmommy.com/2018/02/bumps-babies-linky-8-52/">Bumps & Babies linky!</a></div>
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*I was sent the item to review but all opinions are my own</div>
<br />Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-44022011020321334462018-02-15T22:40:00.005+00:002018-02-22T13:45:49.193+00:005 Month Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkwVZOhk8aqmgxzAucbTMXsEpk9o3PhT-Vg7whjvA1TD-LqvGGvxovIv6KoIOVNhIKP_RGDQwZW_W0DT5WvRvoKL3u9Thyphenhyphen_DPsVBTNgGMHO5NfklXrv5hNkUO8kfHx27JBc5JTs_UlOvi/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkwVZOhk8aqmgxzAucbTMXsEpk9o3PhT-Vg7whjvA1TD-LqvGGvxovIv6KoIOVNhIKP_RGDQwZW_W0DT5WvRvoKL3u9Thyphenhyphen_DPsVBTNgGMHO5NfklXrv5hNkUO8kfHx27JBc5JTs_UlOvi/s640/IMG_1526.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">General/milestones</u></div>
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I said it with your big brother, and I'm sure I'll continue to say it but I just don't know where the time goes, I can't believe you are 5 months already!!!<br />
At present your seizures are under control (high five!!!), since the last update you've had one ambulance ride to hospital, your third lot of immunisations and an eye clinic appointment!<br />
I'm convinced your seizure activity changed each time you had a round of immunisations, a week or so after the first set you experienced seizures for just over a week and then they stopped. A couple of days after the second set you began to have the infantile spasms, followed a few days later with another type of seizure. Then the day after your third set you stopped having any spasms. Coincidence I'd just increased the dose again? I'm not certain nor am I convinced but fantastic news that the spasms are currently at bay! But before that last set you were a bit poorly.<br />
After the first and third set of jabs parents are currently advised to give their babies three doses of paracetamol to help prevent a temperature. Having the combined jabs, including the one for meningitis means you were more likely to get a temperature. I gave you two doses but because you'd been sick in the evening and I was already loading you with your anti epileptic medicine I didn't want to go over board you and give you paracetamol whilst your temperature was normal. That was a mistake!! I woke up about 4am to hear you chomping on your hand, which was unusual for you as after going several hours through the night without a bottle, you'd normally be screaming! I felt your head and you seemed to be on the warm side but still took a bottle and drank it all. I then checked you with the thermometer and your temperature was on the high side. So I gave you some paracetamol which you vomited back straight away so I didn't finish the dose. You then had a long, nasty set of spasms so I rang 111 for some advice as I was worried. They dispatched an ambulance based on the information I gave them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMGXu2Rkq65X0kA1nk8vp9BFbXtTHVJpMeMUT-hZ3YKsN5V6inUGTX0PZuZ9e127u9hShVeiuALGLlNMRKaFZ8G1YvdD79P8BGFGOODqhARRVM3Tg-SON8qwb3j45coz9uLkuG2ImI3kG/s1600/IMG_1430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMGXu2Rkq65X0kA1nk8vp9BFbXtTHVJpMeMUT-hZ3YKsN5V6inUGTX0PZuZ9e127u9hShVeiuALGLlNMRKaFZ8G1YvdD79P8BGFGOODqhARRVM3Tg-SON8qwb3j45coz9uLkuG2ImI3kG/s640/IMG_1430.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pramsuit makes me laugh because it makes you look huge!!!</td></tr>
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When they arrived the paramedics checked you over, as your temperature was still high and your heart rate was out of the normal range they took us to hospital. By the time you were checked in A&E and again on the children's ward everything was back to normal, thankfully. After a couple of hours we were sent home, with the overall medical consensus that you had a reaction to the immunisations.<br />
Apart from that little drama you had your eyes checked and we found out you have growths behind your left eye. At the moment they don't seem to be causing you any problems, time will tell but fingers crossed they won't affect your vision. <br />
Development wise, you can see that having the seizures under control is making a change to your progression. You are more awake, I guess because there are no seizures to make you tired and your body has got used to the medicine. Being awake for longer means more time to interact, you are smiling more and you have giggled a couple of times which is the best sound, it melts my heart! You babble a lot and over the last couple of weeks you began a high pitched shriek/cry/shout and use it when you're both happy and upset. You still only give eye contact on your terms, when you're being held you usually avoid eye contact but will look at people when you are lying down.<br />
This month you had your first bath with your big brother, you thoroughly enjoyed it but I didn't as I was worried you were going to slip out of my grip! You are still in size 3 nappies. Overall you seem to be on the whole just a lot more chilled out, you really like your oball and have started to grip hold of it. You absolutely love chomping on your hands and fingers and will stare at them for ages!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying your oball</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Feeding</u></strong></div>
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You appetite still hasn't changed, you would drink milk continuously if you could!. You were still having 5oz bottles, five times a day, sometimes alternated with a 6oz bottle but now you are on five 6oz bottles. If you do wake during the night I will give you less to help you go back to sleep.<strong><u></u></strong></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absolutely love looking/chomping/sucking your hands and fingers</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Sleeping</u></strong></div>
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You are continuing to sleep through most nights from anything between 9pm-11pm usually through until 7:30am-8.30am. You have slept through more this month but there are still times you have woken up.</div>
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<strong><u></u></strong> </div>
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<strong><u>Weight</u></strong></div>
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I haven't had you weighed since the last update.</div>
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<strong><u>Clothes</u></strong></div>
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Clothes wise you are mostly wearing 3-6 month clothes with some exception here and there. Such as a newborn size cardigan!</div>
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<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>More Nicknames</u></strong></div>
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I'm still coming out with random nicknames. <a href="http://www.teacher2mummy.com/2018/01/nola-youre-4-months-old.html">Here</a> are last months and below there's a few more! </div>
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26. Baboo</div>
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27. Baboose</div>
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28. Baboosey</div>
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29. RoRo Beans</div>
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<strong><u>Your Likes</u></strong></div>
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<ul>
<li>You still love cuddles especially if you're tired</li>
<li>You still love your bottles</li>
<li>Bath time continues to be a favourite</li>
<li>You still enjoy getting out</li>
<li> You still like watching and listening to Eliot</li>
<li>The dummy is still soothing, mainly when you're tired.</li>
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<strong><u>Your Dislikes</u></strong></div>
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<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Eliot being 'too cuddly' or on the rough side</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Still having clothes put on/taken off if you are not in the mood</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Still...Being disturbed when you are comfy</div>
</li>
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It's been a more positive update Nola, I hope next month there are more positives to write about!</div>
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xxx</div>
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I've linked this post up with Jenny's <a href="https://www.letstalkmommy.com/2018/02/bumps-babies-linky-7-52/">'Bumps & Babies' linky!</a></div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3256197926492727013.post-79752730983523523162018-02-04T23:53:00.000+00:002018-02-04T23:53:56.860+00:00The Red Lion, A Sizzling Pub & Grill-REVIEW<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4N3DI_Z1gICjiBwdxCfCzZjOe3wiHsEDrcO3H1Jlvm1x18dQflT_9EHbYN8FXbsYF_GdEDys7yKRvVTsjTLtOwkbtuH5fyOCc8k29U8Fb3DAV3arqxcaOZ0zAQUKf6C6EA6LJ7eGJZgD6/s1600/IMG_1319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4N3DI_Z1gICjiBwdxCfCzZjOe3wiHsEDrcO3H1Jlvm1x18dQflT_9EHbYN8FXbsYF_GdEDys7yKRvVTsjTLtOwkbtuH5fyOCc8k29U8Fb3DAV3arqxcaOZ0zAQUKf6C6EA6LJ7eGJZgD6/s640/IMG_1319.JPG" width="640" /></a> A few weeks ago I received an email asking me if I'd like to review the recently refurbished <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/findapub/eastofengland/theredlionbedford">Red Lion, part of 'The Sizzling Pubs'</a> group, in Bedford. As one of my favourite things to do is to eat out, I of course said yes! </div>
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We were booked in for 5pm one Friday evening and in the meantime I browsed the <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/findapub/eastofengland/theredlionbedford/food">online menus</a>. I was impressed at the selection of foods and the amount of <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/findapub/eastofengland/theredlionbedford/offers">offers</a> that were available, such as kids eat for £1 and skillet and a drink for £5.99.</div>
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Eliot had already chosen exactly what he was going to eat when I looked at the menus online and I had an idea of what I might order but wanted to have another good look at the menu when we were there.</div>
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On arrival we were shown to our table, which had a nice view of the sparkly lights in the garden. With the 'Sizzling Pubs' you usually order at the bar once you have decided what you are eating, don't forget your table number! </div>
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We went for an offer of mix and matching three starters to share, choosing cheese and bacon crispy potato skins, the new chicken madras pakora bites and new garlic prawns.</div>
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I said 'to share' but Eliot and I don't eat prawns so the other half had them to himself and we shared the rest. I really enjoyed both the other starters and was pleasantly surprised with the chicken madras pakora bites. I love Indian food but usually find if I buy an Indian dish from the supermarket or order one in a non Indian restaurant, they just don't taste authentic and have a certain flavour. But I didn't find that with these pakora bites and loved the mint sour cream they were served with. It was a generous serving too, if you weren't too hungry and after something light this would be a good option!</div>
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The potato skins were nice, crispy and full of flavour. The other half enjoyed his garlic prawns too.</div>
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For his main Eliot chose the 'Mini Mixed Grill' from the over 5's section of the menu. They also have dishes recommended for under 5's. Eliot chose this because he's a bit of an egg lover but it also came with half a chicken breast, sausage and a burger. He then chose garlic bread from the 'side' options and corn on the cob from the 'veg' section. There is a good selection of kids meals, sides and veg which should meet the needs of most fussy eaters. The kids menu is great value too with the main, dessert an drink for £4.99. Even better, if you visit between 3-7pm Monday-Friday, kids eat for £1 when an adult has a main meal!<br />
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The other half went for the rump steak platter which was two steaks served with onions, mushrooms, onion rings, mushroom and chips were chosen as a side. This was a <strong><u>big</u></strong> portion of steak but the other half enjoyed it. The steak was served as requested, medium rare.<br />
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I opted for one of the newer options from the menu, 'The Tennessee' loaded steak which consisted of a 8oz sirloin steak covered in a bourbon glaze, streaky bacon and melted cheese. It was served with onions, a grilled mushroom and tomato, onion rings and chips. I'm one of those people that asks for my steak 'well done' which it mostly was, there were a few pinky parts but not enough for me to ask for it to be cooked a bit more. I'm not a fan of bourbon as a tipple but I really like it as a glaze it's so tasty! I would definitely have this dish again!</div>
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Dessert was something Eliot didn't stop mentioning throughout our dinner! Again as we'd looked at the dessert menu prior to coming, Eliot had decided he was having the 'Build Your Own Sundae'. I think it is a super choice for a kids menu, it makes pudding even more fun and has one of their five a day included. Eliot certainly enjoyed building his sundae with the strawberries, chocolate buttons (and they were Cadbury buttons, hurrah!) chocolate pieces and chocolate sauce.</div>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0txSclRfNDxHBqlFKlW88dGFKYVaO-vRNpa77kPp3Nu0AmKOdD52FfbZbe9yWhHVXaioodpTOhZyM1xy1uzKCAagKV_dsX87PvoCtq1KZCuPBJ3oTx4RNyw8xSFGMZrUEgiT9A_eD_lD/s640/IMG_1301.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I am probably more of a 'dessert' person than a 'starter person' so found it difficult to make a choice! I was torn between the treacle sponge and the new black forest sundae. In the end went for the sundae, which included vanilla ice cream, black cherry compote, brownie pieces and cream. It was so good!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOccMm0jx3drf2youJbvQ8bI3dcEwbumYX74USvByQjY0-9ZY8gkyyATMUdj3uT25pGN7Zf2wQ0IgMaY81AiRMTXuu5aM-x4V3o4mrphwUJa5YvZOKLfKbMDuWWvFyujyF536l9KblhKz/s1600/IMG_1304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOccMm0jx3drf2youJbvQ8bI3dcEwbumYX74USvByQjY0-9ZY8gkyyATMUdj3uT25pGN7Zf2wQ0IgMaY81AiRMTXuu5aM-x4V3o4mrphwUJa5YvZOKLfKbMDuWWvFyujyF536l9KblhKz/s640/IMG_1304.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The OH went with the Mint Aero Sundae, which came with vanilla ice cream, brownie pieces, mint aero bubbles and cream. As you can see this looked pretty good too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKWyPuzOHjguon13Qr3JLnFHcri8qRteGrzNb7OOvbDl_nirNHrn1A3G0gthh7UBG898L8AE1yBfV1M5Bi-W_-uiWcOo7YGhbcKFFJoBTa6Z2tEVpusWg4aXYcV1U0kxNXTXeV3U-vxs9/s1600/IMG_1312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKWyPuzOHjguon13Qr3JLnFHcri8qRteGrzNb7OOvbDl_nirNHrn1A3G0gthh7UBG898L8AE1yBfV1M5Bi-W_-uiWcOo7YGhbcKFFJoBTa6Z2tEVpusWg4aXYcV1U0kxNXTXeV3U-vxs9/s640/IMG_1312.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<strong><u>Our thoughts overall...</u></strong></div>
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<strong><u>The food</u></strong></div>
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There is good range of food options available that cater for different tastes and needs, including one or two vegan options which I know is growing. Prices are reasonable and extremely good if you take advantage of one of the <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/offers">offers </a>which are super value! You can even get a fiver off your bill if you <a href="https://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/signup">sign up</a>.</div>
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I was impressed with the options on the kids menu, plenty to choose from and as most of us parents know, children can be fussy! What I liked most was you choose your main then get to choose your two sides which again is helpful to those of with fussy eaters! I also liked the fact there were options for under and over 5's. </div>
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All of the food ordered was a good standard and we enjoyed everything we ordered.</div>
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<u><strong>The service</strong></u></div>
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As mentioned above, you decide what your eating then order at the bar with your table number. We were served our meal by a very friendly and pleasant waiter who was also good with Eliot. I'm sure you know what I mean if you're a parent out dining with the family and there's that waiter/waitress that make your outing more relaxed and enjoyable. They take time, even if it's only a few seconds to interact with children and make the experience even better. That's what we had with out waiter!</div>
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<strong><u>The Atmosphere</u></strong></div>
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The Red Lion has recently been refurbished but I can't compare its current look to what it was like before as this was my first visit. However you could see lots of things were new. I loved the different colours of paint on our table which had a quirky effect!</div>
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As it was a Friday evening, there was lots of hubbub in the bar with people having after work drinks. Where we were seated there was lots of other families too which made me feel more comfortable and at ease. There was a warm, cozy feel to the environment which was welcoming</div>
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In the bar area I noticed sign which said children were welcome to eat in the bar area until 5pm and elsewhere there was a sign stating children were welcome in the restaurant area until 9pm. I'm 50/50 on this one as there have been times we've needed to eat late, perhaps if we've travelled away on a break. If it was the only option around that could be a bit of a problem!</div>
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On the other hand 9pm is late for little ones and I know there are many people who do not want children around them when they're out for dinner, regardless of the time. I've never been one of those people even before having children so if it is an establishment offering a kids menu I'm not sure there should be a limit on what time they can be in the restaurant until.</div>
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<strong><u>Would we go back?</u></strong></div>
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Yes I would certainly go back to The Red Lion and would try other 'Sizzling Pub' branches too. The food is good value for what you get and there are plenty of offers to help you ensure you don't break your budget!</div>
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<em>*We received a complimentary meal in exchange for a review, all thoughts & opinions are my own</em></div>
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Lucinda - Teacher2Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03688324024468458409noreply@blogger.com0