The Little Details: Dressing For The Ocassion

Another of my quite random, possibly obscure, things to think about before giving birth!

All of the baby books make a huge point about taking maternity clothing with you to the hospital (umm, wouldn’t that be what you’re wearing?) because after you give birth you’ll still look about 6 months pregnant. Well, kinda, duh, you’re not gonna be back to pre-pregnancy just because the baby’s out, are you?

Elvis was due in the middle of May; I did my maternity shopping in the January Sales and bought trousers, lots of trousers.

Then we got the hottest summer ever!

The Little Details: Check the Unorthodox

A lot of mums, first time or further down the line, probably only want to shop or look in proper shops for items for their children; I’m the same to an extent.

For certain things.

I would never buy a second hand car seat. Or a mattress.

We wanted a brand new cot, brand new changing unit, moses basket and baby bath.

But we’re happy to buy and look at second hand items, and in the cheap, discount shops.

(Stair) Gates to Heaven

With Elvis’ increasing mobility we had to invest in safety gates. Originally we wanted one at the top and one at the bottom of the stairs. We’ve had some hiccups, but we now have two:

BabyDan Auto Foldable Safety Gate
Lindam Sure Shut Gate

And I love them both!

Venturing Out

As it’s still the weekend and we all got a second lie in (well yesterday it was 7am when Elvis and I awoke, 8am for all of us today) I was quite pleased that it felt slightly cooler out and that we could all perhaps venture out to town and proper shops. Not just the food and second hand shops nearby.

I only wanted to go to try and find a few things for Elvis, but it needed to be proper baby shops.

And I found everything I wanted!

Review: Little Pickles … Again!

I am seriously addicted to these markets! I have no idea what I’m going to do between now and September as they take a summer break.

At today’s I spent under £20 and bought some essentials and some not so essentials. All of it clothing. Well, with the discovery mid-week that Elvis no longer fits into 0-3 month clothes, I needed to do something! So a-shopping I went. And I went around twice. I think it’s only the second Market I’ve been to since not being pregnant – bending to look in boxes is far easier now!

Mummy Moment: Mac Time

First of all, here are the latest Nanny purchases – I love the Monsters Inc one. All three are different ages to really prolong their life! I might have to go back to the shop and buy this adorable swimming outfit I saw for Elvis in a year.

Onto the Mummy Moment though. These are moments when I get to do something purely for me, preferably with no baby anywhere near me! So, Mac Time means me getting time on my mac without Elvis feeding off of me. He might be asleep in the same room or next door, but it’s my time (he happens to be asleep downstairs with Daddy keeping a close eye on him, and seeing as the nights are better, I don’t feel the need for a nap). So I’m going to sort out some photos of the little one and get a printing batch ready.

Afterall he’s already over a month old and no one has any photos of him!

~ Persephone M

Baby Bargains

After staying in bed with Elvis until about 11 this morning, I needed to pop to the shops for bread and decided to visit the bank and a second hand baby shop nearby. Now normally Elvis will fall straight asleep in his pram.

That is for anyone other than me.

Until today where he was the perfect sleeping baby as I bought bread, opened a bank account for him and raided the bags of clothes in the 2nd hand shop.

After the nap around the shops, I  ate my lunch as Elvis had his and by 4pm I decided I needed a nap so took us both up to bed where hubby found us almost 3 hours later. For a short while Elvis was calm enough in his little chair that I actually ate a meal at the kitchen table and not over him!

He fed all evening from around 8pm until I actually managed to soothe him and settle him to sleep without feeding. Until he spat up and decided he wanted supper.

I know there’s still time, but I haven’t cried yet today and I think it’s been at least 24hours since my last cry. The soreness is a lot less – back and nipples. I’m also far less tired, even with his increased naps today.

There’s a bit of worry concerning his spitting up and coughing/spluttering during my letdown, but those are worries and not frustrations.

Plus I got some amazing bargains today. At least 6 new long sleeved vests (for sleeping in), 3 baby grows and 9 sleep suits all for 0-3 months and all for under £7! And, although we have a baby carrier that daddy loves, I wanted one that I can feed in. Asking in the 2nd hand shop and they had a cream coloured Babasling for less than half rrp and just in that day.

They normally only sell them on their ebay shop, but I asked at the exact right time. Popped it in the wash and it’s drying now so hopefully Elvis and I can try it tomorrow.

Good naps, good purchases, no real aching pain and no tears, what else could I ask for?

~ Persephone M

Screaming Down the Shops

Everytime that daddy takes Elvis out he’s as good as gold and falls asleep in his pushchair. I can’t even get Elvis to Nanny’s without him squinnying a bit. There must be a better spelling for a word I may have made up.

Two days ago I spent my first full day alone with Elvis – it was the day of no naps. And I decided to pop to the local shops simply to buy a father’s day gift, baby nail files, food for tea, nappies and to register him at the GPs. It was 4 places. And in 3 of them he started crying, stopping only after I pushed him back outside.

It was only a slight cry, but I was still helpless to do anything. If he needed feeding, changing or winding well they’d all have to wait – I was only out 30minutes in total and I fed him before we left.

Yesterday as my break from the house, Nanny took us supermarket shopping. Again we weren’t actually gone for that long. But it was long enough for somewhere in the fridge aisle Elvis started screaming.

And I mean screaming. Not a few whimpers or a few cries. Out and out screaming.

Eventually Nanny popped off on her own to grab her essentials and in the cleaning aisle I took a moment to take Elvis out of his seat and give him a cuddle. He stopped screaming and didn’t start up again when I put him back in.

Now I’ve read that after feeding, changing, winding, crying may simply be because they want a cuddle but am I supposed to recognise that cry? Am I supposed to cuddle him in the busy food aisles or abandon my shopping? Am I supposed to semi ignore him and passers by stares because he’s still a newborn baby and I can’t tell him to stop. It’s not like with older children where a parent may have a lack of control hence the screams.

If the weather’s okay when it’s officially morning I might take Elvis out to the local shops again – we both need fresh air – and hopefully this time there will be no screaming.

There never is for daddy!

~ Persephone M

Summer of Pre-Maternity Fun

Yesterday, I was quite productive. I went shopping in the morning and bought a few more items for Elvis.

We already have the Moses basket, but not a stand so I went to a local 2nd hand shop and grabbed their only one! Plain wood, good condition and a rocking one it was at least half the price of a brand new one. Bargain!

I also managed to pick up a parasol that matches our pram. I’d been looking around, but have had trouble finding one in all the shops that matched colours. Luckily the shop also had a 2nd hand version of my pram so I could easily check the colour matched. Again it was half the price of brand new!

I also bought a few more pieces of clothing and 2 more toys. I may seriously be getting addicted to buying clothes and toys.

Then, to celebrate my summer, because Elvis is clearly not coming early, I went to the local port and enjoyed an ice cream before going to see Iron Man 3 on my own in a quiet cinema where I ate popcorn and managed to not need a wee!

When I came out, I met hubby and because the sun was still lovely and hot we had dinner outside at the local Pizza Express. After all my issues spanning 4 years but also with the past week, I’m going to enjoy and make the most of pre-Elvis time.

Especially because it’s so lovely and summery outside. What can I force my husband to do this Bank Holiday weekend to enjoy my time?

The simple fact is Elvis will be too little for me to do much this summer if it stays this sunny and hot. What to do as my treat for tomorrow though, that’s another big question!

~ Persephone M
#ElvisIsComing

My Baby Freebies!

Okay so this is a little collection of things I’ve mainly got from Bounty or Emma’s Diary. The nearest two rows are definitely from the Bounty pack: Newborn. Not all washing liquid/powder freebies or body creams are there. Oh, and I did get a hooded towel from my first Bounty pack. I’m loving all this free stuff though!

~ Persephone M