Something to make you smile of this dull and dreary day

Yesterday  was a struggle. The day started off with Lady (the dog) being sick all over the kitchen floor, and then Darcie decided to join in and was projectile sick all over myself. She then continued to scream ALL day. By the end of the day I just wanted to bash my head against the wall.

But then today was a completely different story, it makes the (very rare) awful days all worth it! Darcie has been nothing but happy today and I thought I would share with you this gorgeous video of her...

How can this not make anyone smile??!!

Mummy B xoxox

Baby Massage

So I have just got in from my third class of baby massage and thought I would blog about it.

Being a first time mum before Darcie had arrived I had done lots of research into motherhood and babies, and one thing that kept coming up was how amazing baby massage is. So I thought I would give it a whirl. My local sure start centre runs a five week course that you have to book onto and when Darcie was 8 weeks I felt well enough after my c-section to re-enter civilisation, so I gave them a ring and was told that there was a long waiting list and I would be looking at September for a start date. Working out how old she would be I asked if Darcie would be too old and was told heck no! So I popped my name down and patiently waited!

At the beginning of September we were given a start date and became very excited!

When the time came we were the first to arrive, the room was set out and we took a spot. There were towels for bubbas to lay on and pillows for parents to kneel on, along with some extra virgin olive oil and paper towels. The room was nice and warm with lots of things of the babies to look at and calming music in the back ground.

At the beginning of the session Emma, our tutor, told us why baby massage was so important (I will discuss this later) and told us that it was fine to leave some clothes on or we could have them just in a nappy or completely naked. I opted for the nappy part as I know what Darcie is like when the air gets to her bits!!! The first session Emma talked us through legs, bums and feet, the following week was chest and tummy and then this week was arms and hands. Each session all moves were talked through and demonstrated well, Darcie loves baby massage and so I have incorporated it into our bed time routine. The only difference at home is I use Johnson's Bed Time Lotion instead of the Olive oil (not that there is anything wrong with olive oil, I just personally prefer this particular lotion as I think it helps Darcie sleep better). I firmly believe adding this to out routine has helped Darcie considerably. She now know after a bath and massage her bottle will be coming and then it's off to bed. On the odd occasion were time hasn't allowed for this, getting Darcie to sleep is a complete nightmare!

(Darcie after her bath)

So why should you give baby massage a go?

When you massage your baby, especially in the early days it helps to lay down the foundations of trust and security which will helps to build a happy and confident relationship with your baby for the future.

It can be beneficial for you and your baby in so many ways. Studies have shown how important touch is and its importance for you in helping build confidence and an understanding of the new special person in your life.

The main benefits can be summarised as;

Relief for your baby – Baby massage can help to relieve a wide range of things including trapped wind, constipation, colic, teething pain and sinus congestion. The use of oils on your baby’s skin can also help to improve the overall condition of his skin which can be particularly useful if your baby suffers from dry skin, eczema or cradle cap.

Creating bonds between you and your baby – As I mentioned before baby massage helps with bonding. Make sure to involve your partners to, daddy will enjoy this experience too and can be something you can do together.

Relaxation for you both – Baby massage is fun. The exchange of smiles and eye contact during massage are important in building a relationship of love and trust between you. Her comes some scientific stuff... When you massage the skin, the body produces the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones help to lower the levels of stress hormones in your body and help combat the symptoms of stress. You will both experience the benefits of these hormones when you practise massage. I have found that if Darcie is quite grouchy a bit of massage, especially on her feet brings back the smiles.

Helping your Baby’s Development – Massage can help to encourage your baby’s development by providing them with the vital skin stimulation that they crave. By evoking all of your baby’s senses using massage, you will teach them about social behaviour, language, movement and you can help them to reach there developmental goals.

(Cuddles after bath time)

So there you have it! I have not found one reason why baby massage is not good! Some babies may not enjoy certain parts of there bodies being touched but almost certainly there will be at least something that they will enjoy.

Mummy b xoxox

Pin Me Happy

Well good old Louise of Sprinkle of Glitter (she's not old, its just a phrase!!) has come up with another interactive blog and I thought I would participate!

You might be able to guess from the title it relates to Pinterest, and if your a regular reader you will know that as soon as I saw Louise's post I was excited!

This interactive post encourages bloggers to share their favourite typography from Pinterest, so here are my favourites...

Enjoy

Mummy B xoxox

Where has my baby gone?!?

Seriously where has my baby gone? 

I know I will be saying this again in six weeks probably but she is growing up so quickly. Its amazing to see, and obviously its fantastic that she is progressing so quickly, but I don't think I am alone in that the "newborn" stage just goes too quickly!!

Anyway due to her rapid growth, we have had to adapt to these changes and also our bank balance has taken a hit too!

The first big change was the transformation from her carrycot to her "big girl seat" from her pushchair. This was actually quite a hard decision, she hadn't grown out of it but she was getting more and more frustrated because she couldn't see where we were going so I reluctantly gave in.

Another very big change has been her diet. As I previously mentioned in her latest update we have started weaning her. She is now having breakfast and tea. At breakfast she has banana cereal and for tea she is trying out different vegetable purées, so far she has had Sweet Potato, Carrots and Parsnip. Because of her new diet she now has her own cupboard in the kitchen!!

To be able to accommodate Darcie's new diet we had to also purchase a microwave and a blender... another bigish spend!

Also she now has a high chair...

   

Its a very cute one from Mothercare which was in the sale at £39.99! Not bad!

So my little girl is growing up. Its lovely to see though, also these new changes is meaning that she now goes through the night! Hurrah!

Mummy B xoxox

My 24th Birthday

On the morning of my 24th birthday I was woken up by my gorgeous little Darcie, as I wondered into her room, she saw my face her eyes light up and she gave me the biggest smile. I brought her into our bed for our usual morning cuddles and then Jamie produced two gift bags. Inside was lots of tissue paper and goodies, Darcie on the other hand was very disinterest in what I got and was having lots of fun with all the tissue paper! Once cards and presents were open it was time to get ready of our trip out to Colchester Zoo.

We have never been to Colchester Zoo and so when Jamie asked what I would like to do, this was my first thought, and especially now having Darcie I was very excited to go (big kid). On arriving the heavens opened, this didn't stop our fun though! We simply did all the indoor exhibits first! Once the rain had near enough stopped we ventured on and made our way to the elephants and giraffes it was feeding time and I was adamant that I was going to get there in time to experience this. And we did, first we feed the giraffes who came back for seconds and thirds and then we went onto the elephants who were just gorgeous!!!

Once we had seen everything, we were pretty tired so ventured back home for a cosy night in. My parents also popped over to see me and my Dad and step Mum, Sarah got me a very special gift that I have been after for quite a while now... a DSLR camera (Canon EOS 600d)... I think I nearly had a heart attack due to the pure excitement!!

On Sunday my Mum took me to our local beach, Southwold. It was the perfect opportunity to try out my new camera! We had a nice lunch and a long stroll along the beach.

Sunday evening we had a family meal to a local pub and had some gorgeous gorgeous food, and to top it off I had a birthday cake too!! (I did have a photo of this but I stupidly deleted it off my phone!


Here are a selection of photos of my Birthday week

Mummy B xoxox

17 week update

Darcie is now 17 weeks old, I just cant believe how fast time is going!!

Darcie really doesn’t feel like a baby anymore, that may sound strange but she is more like a little person now, she has her likes and dislikes and her personality is really starting to shine through!

One of the biggest updates I have to tell you about is that Darcie has started solids this week. I know, I know you should wait till their six months, but really this girl likes to eat and she is soooo ready for puréed food. So this week she has started on baby rice and banana baby breakfast cereal by Heinz. She LOVES the banana cereal! And I think next week I will introduce more flavours for her to try, by making my own puréed food for her.

Darcie is coming along nicely, there is not much else to report from last time. She has rolled from her belly onto her back a couple of times now and she is sitting and standing really well, aided.

Will update again soon

Mummy B xoxox  

My Week In Pictures #3

 A selection of my girl this week... and her first taste of baby rice!

 Finally got the foot-muff for my pushchair, and a fun day at the park

Our local park (quite beautiful really) and some baking on a rainy day!! (think I will post the recipe)

So I'm turning 24...

(at my friends wedding with Lou two weeks before my 23rd birthday... also happened to be the night Darcie was conceived he he he)

So I’m turning 24 on Wednesday, and what a year it has been!

When I turned 23, me and Jamie had settled into our newly bought home rescued Lady from the Dogs Trust and I thought to myself wouldn’t it be lovely to add to this little family me and Jamie had created (little did I know I was already pregnant!), then in October we found out we were expecting Darcie! And life turned upside down – for the better I may add. So most of my 23^rd year was spent with my head down the loo and bracing myself for Motherhood! Then Darcie made her grand entrance in June making me and Jamie extremely proud parents!!!

This last year has really been the best year of my life, one of the hardest but definitely the best. There has been a lot of heart ache in my family in recent years with loved ones lost and so Darcie to me, is a little blessing and helped to fill a little hole.

So I wonder what 24 will bring....