Too long since the last post

It's been so long since I last posted. It's because I've been crazy busy being mumma to a clingy lil boy. Lil man Z is now 21 months old. 

Milestones he has reached now

- no more baby bottles he uses sippy cups for his drinks including milk drinks

- he is starting to use a cup to drink out of

- he can blow bubbles in swim class

- he's starting to kick his legs in swim class

- he can climb in and out of the pool unassisted

- he can hold onto the wall at swim class and is starting to monkey crawl alongside the wall

- words he can say-

-mumma

-dadda

-nanna

-nana (banana)

-bubba

-papa (puppy)

-toe

-shoe

-car

-there

-what that

-mine

-no

-no more

-one more

-bird

-turtle

-getting better at using a fork

-can build a tower with wooden blocks

-can build a tower with duplo blocks

 

- can point to his eye, head, hair, ear, nose, mouth, belly, toe, hands

-starting to kick a ball with his foot

Baby items I wish I didn't get

Here is a list of baby items I got given or bought and didn't really use

Tummy time mats - I got like 3 or 4 of these used them once. Didn't really need these as I had the play gym and just used this or a blanket.

Change table - this I do use but looking back at it I wish I had of bought a set of draws and just put a change mat on it. It would've been more space sufficient. 

High chair- we got a fancy high chair the seat can be laid back or straight up. It can go to different heights and is padded. Let's just say it's a bitch to clean it's horrible. We are eventually going to change to a basic cheaper high chair.

Baby toys- we got given and bought a lot of different types of baby toys too many. 

Top five essentials for baby's hospital bag

1. A number of baby onesies in different sizes

2. Mittens and socks

3. Blankets

4. Bottles if bottle feeding

5. Going home outfit

Top ten essential hospital bag items

To be honest being a first time mumma I had no idea what my birth experience would be like and what I would need. I asked my mumma friends on Facebook. 

1. Maternity pads & breast pads

2. Phone charger

3. Comfy tracksuit pants & pjs

4. Socks

5. Camera

6. Snacks and drinks

7. Toiletries 

8. Nursery bras/tops

9. Comfortable underwear

10. Magazines

I did not pack all of this as at 38 weeks pregnant I thought that I was going to go overdue. So at 4:30am I was hurriedly packing my bag as my waters broke lol

Words my 14 month old says

Da - means dad

That - he says as he points to things

Bubble - for some reason means light

Woo woo- our dogs

Car - car! 

Bubb - baby

My birth story

On February the 20th of last year I had my 38 week antenatal checkup with the midwives. For the first time baby was engaged. While there I was told I was positive to strep b. I was shocked and scared. My pregnancy had been pretty smooth only really had morning sickness from 8weeks until about 5 months. Anyway the midwife gave me an information sheet about strep b. 

I went home and was feeling very nervous about having strep b. 

My appointment that night was at 6pm. Friday the 21st at 4am I woke with the urge to go to the bathroom. I luckily made it just before my water broke.

I woke poor hubby up and made him call the hospital. They asked me to make my way in. Due to the fact of my water breaking and having strep b I needed to get on antibiotics to stop from passing sickness to my baby.

We got to the hospital at about 5 am where they confirmed my water had broke. While in the observation room, hubby called my mum, his mum, my dad and his dad to let them know. I was put on a moniter to keep an eye on bubs and my contractions. At about 7am my mum arrived and at 8am the decision was made to induce me. So I was transferred to a labour room and hooked up to antibiotics and the medicine used to induce me. 

9am I had my first check for dilation and I was 3cm. 

I tried the gas as the contratcond were getting harder but just felt dizzy and sick after two puffs.

12pm they checked my dilation and I was 7cm due to the fact that I wanted to push. They told me I was not allowed to push.

12:26pm they checked me again as I was feeling the urge to push and could not stop it. I was fully dilated.

An hour of pushing and screaming and the burning ring of fire my son was born.

The cord was wrapped around his neck twice so they had to clamp his cord. Which I had wanted to do delayed clamping.  Anyway I had skin to skin with my son as we waited for the senior midwife come to stitch me up. Well it took her over an hour and when she checked me she said my tearing was too deep a doctor needed to stitch me up. Awesomely. So then we had to wait for the doctor to come. All the while losing blood! So the doctor came at 4:40pm and when he checked me it was so painful that I was shaking. I needed surgery to stitch me up!! 

It was sooo scary thinking I had to have surgery and leave my newborn son. I didn't get into the or until 5:30pm four hours after I had my son. I got back to the ward at 8:30pm and was finally able to hold my son again. 

I had a lot of trouble breast feeding and became really upset and stressed out due to it. So on Monday morning hubby and I decided to give formula to my son as at least he was eating and putting his birth weight back on. Monday night after begging the best midwife I had to go home, we returned home as a family of 3. 

Top ten achievements I've accomplished

1. Having a baby

2. Getting married

3. Meeting my one true love

4. Being a mumma

5. Being the best aunty

6. Finishing high school

7.  Completing my cert 3 in early childhood 

8. Working in childcare

9. Making our house a home

10. Cloth nappying my son

Milestones my son has reached in order to walk

1. Roll over (4months)

2. Sit unassisted (5months)

3. Crawl (9 months)

4. Pull self up (10 months)

5. Taking steps (12 months)

6. Walking (13 and half months)

7. Stand up from ground (14 months)

Review: Jay's Jungle (kids tv show)

My one year old is not that fussed on tv which is a great thing, he only likes when we put it on the music channel so he can dance. 

One day I came across Jays Jungle on 7two. My son was loving it. It's part live action, part cartoon, has a talking lighthouse,has puppet monkeys, Jay and Ranger Bec as well as the jungle crew of children. There are lots of singing involved as well as discovering the answer to a question asked by a child. The monkeys, Jay and Ranger Bec set about trying to find the answer and do it in a way that a child a bit older then my one year old could comprehend. 

They also show the children doing an activity such as painting, having a tea party and etc. 

I like this show due to the fact it's educational and fun. It is the only show that keeps my son's attention not for the whole episode but longer then anything else.

It runs for 30 minutes.

I got this picture off their facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/jaysjungletv

Posting your child's pictures on the net

Do you do this or do you not?

 I do but I do it with as much protection as possible. On my facebook the pictures are in albums where  I have selected who can and can't see them. On My private instagram account I don't hashtag the pics this keeps it private.

On this blog and on its associated Twitter and Instagram pages I will be posting photos of my son but his face will be blurred.

I do this for the protection of my child's pictures. I don't want my child's pictures used without my permission. I don't want my child's picture taken and used by others for anything. 

I post them online as I have many of family living in different states and this is the easiest way for them to see him. Not to mention I am a first time mum so I enjoy showing his achievements and cuteness off. 

Review of Coles dinosaur Pasta

Hubby and I just went to Coles after ages due to saving money shopping at Aldi. Don't get me wrong but Aldi is amazing I love the food and the cheapness of it there is just not a lot of variety.

So we stopped at Coles due to the fact we were away the whole weekend and didn't want to go past home to grab some essentials. Anyway it ended up opening my eyes to the fact that you can get cheap items at Coles that save you money.

We need some pasta, we were in the pasta aisle when I was drawn to the Coles brand of dinosaur pasta. I was drawn to it by the colourful dinosaurs on the packaging and to my surprise it was so cheap neither hubby nor I could go past it. Even though Mr Z is only one!! When I was a kid I always wanted to have the shaped pasta, but it was like $3/$4 a packet. This pack of dinosaur pasta was $0.95!!! Less then a dollar!! Who could pass that up. I am so excited to cook these for my son and will definitely continue to buy these for Mr Z.

So I cooked these last night for my son with beef mince and mixed veggies. He loved it and I loved it. Cook just like normal shaped pasta. What I love about it is the fact it's bite sized for a one year old. I don't have to cut his pasta now and he can easily pick the pieces up and feed himself. So I will definitely be using this from now on for my son and the biggest plus will be when he gets older he will be able to recognize the shapes and love eating them. 

#Zachsdinners

Some of Zach's dinners

Sweet potato, pumpkin, steak and peas

Roast dinner: corn on the cob, broccoli and carrots with roast potatoes and lamb

Shepards pie: sweet potato and potato mash with mince, gravy and mixed vegetables 

Dinosaur pasta with mince and vegetables 

Traditions for children

When I was a little girl I couldn't wait until I had my own family and could make our own traditions.

Some traditions I will be implementing:

CHRISTMAS 

- Christmas Eve Box - filled with goodies

 New pjs, an xmas dvd, an xmas book, a new cup and a snack

-Christmas Eve lights- going and looking at Xmas lights

- What Santa brings- Something you need, something you want, something you read, something you wear

New Years Eve

-have a special party dinner 

- make a wish before going to bed 

BIRTHDAY

- birthday person chooses special dinner

-birthday cake with candles

EASTER

- Special easter theme breakfast

- Easter egg hunt

Are there any others that anyone can think of? 

How I met my husband

The year 2000, was the year both my hubby and I started high school. It wasn't until 2001 that we met. I used to get to school so early ( I hate being late anywhere) I used to sit on steps waiting for my friends. There was also another girl who got to school early and she sat next to the steps on a rail. We started talking and became friends. Talking every morning. (She became my best friend) Anyway said friend and her friends were friends with a boy named Mr L (future hubby). Eventually I started hanging around with my friend and her group of friends. So from about 2002 onwards I became friends with Mr L.By the time we reached year 10 (2003), Mr L started catching the same bus as me in the morning, so every morning on the bus ride to school we talked. 

In year 11 he chose community and family studies which was a class full of girls except Mr L! Lol!

Mid way through year 12 out of the blue one morning before all of our friends came to school he plucked up the courage to ask me to the year 12 formal. 

As to this being out of the blue I was shocked and blubbered off a no response. Poor Mr L. 

As the months went on I started to think about Mr L and wanting to having a relationship with him. But then boom he got another girlfriend. So poor me then.

So we graduated high school and we all drifted off in our own ways. 

So four years later on in September 2009 I got a friend request on facebook from who else but Mr L. I of course accepted as I wanted to spy and see what he was up to in his life.

He asked for my number and we began texting and talking numerous times a day. Unfortunately we now lived in different states. In December 2009 he flew down and we caught up and went on our first date and started dating. 

It was a hard long distance relationship based on text, calls and trips back and forth until early 2011 when we made the choice for him to move back to be whit me. He moved into my mums place as that was were I was living. 2012 in April Mr L's grandfather became quite sick and of course I left work to be with Mr L at the hospital. That night while we were there he passed. It was hard to see Mr L have to go through this. A few weeks later on April 21st he proposed to me and I of course said yes. On the 10th of August 2013 we officially tied the knot!! 

Baby books

I love books. So it came as no surprise that when my son was old enough to grab toys that he started grabbing books. By 7 months old he was able to open board books and turn the pages. By 8 months he would sit and turn the pages babbling the story. I loved it and it was soooo adorable.

Some of Mr Z's favourite books 

-Spots adventures

-sea animals bath book

-green sheep 

-Thomas the tank engine books

Why I chose to cloth nappy my son

When I was pregnant, my friend from work was also pregnant she told me how she was going to cloth nappy her baby. I was like what? To me cloth nappies meant terry toweling and complicated folds. So after I had my son we used disposables most of which we had given at my baby shower. Wanting to stay at home as long as possible I thought about ways to save money. Which is when I remembered my conversation with my friend. So I got in contact with her and she pointed me in the direction of MCNs. (Modern Cloth Nappies) Which are user friendly. 

I researched between the different types of MCNs.

-AIO -all in one

-pocket

-prefolds

-fitted

-snap in

I decided pockets would suit me more.

Then researched whether I wanted 

-FS -front snap

-SS- side snap

I chose front snap.

Then I had to chose whether I wanted sized or OSFM (one size fits most). I chose the OSFM as I thought it would mean that I wouldn't have to fork out a lot of money continually as my son grows.

I then found a starter pack to try to see if I actually liked it and would want to do it. 

I loved it. So I bought a 24 pack, and haven't looked back since. Which is a year ago. 

Since becoming involved in MCNs I have also learnt about the environmental factor. 

- it takes hundreds of years for one disposable nappy to disintegrate 

- there are a lot of chemicals in disposable nappies

- in the production of disposable nappies a lot of water is used

Money factor

According  to the Sydney Morning Herald article you would spend under $1000 from birth to toilet training. Whereas disposables will cost between $1900 - $3000. 

http://m.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/disposable-income-how-modern-cloth-nappies-can-save-a-bundle-20110914-1k9nh.html

So in the end my reasons extended to not only a financial benefit but also environmental benefit and health reasons.

Boys and Baby dolls

I worked in the childcare industry before having my son. While there I noticed that children are not always steered to the "gender" specific toys such as trains are boys toys and a teaset is for girls. 

Without adult persuasion boys would cook in the kitchen area and girls would happily build a complex train set.

Right then and there I decided when I had children that I would try and not steer my son or daughter towards "gender" roles. Not everyone agreed with this. But I don't care as they are my children.

So when my son was about 7 months old he took an interest in his 10 month old cousins doll. So my mum bought a doll dressed in blue pajamas for my son. Mr Z absolutely loved it. He would cuddle it and also learnt to kiss by kissing his baby.

I think that this will allow my son to be learn how to be a father, as well as learn how to show compassion and get him ready for when we eventually add another child into our family unit. I also believe that making a child only play with certain "gender" specific toys and activities limits their imagination, creation and lives as they grow. In this day and age a boy and girl can both be teachers, firefighters, doctors, chefs, farmers and nurses. And as you can imagine I was quit impressed and pleased by the fact that a trainee midwife delivered my son and he was a male!! 

10 things about me

Hi all I thought I would start my blogs off with 10 things about me:

1. I'm a mum

2. I have one son

3. I am married

4. I am a stay at home mum

5. I love to read

6. I love to do art and craft with my son

7. I have 14 nieces and nephews

8. I used to work in early childhood sector

9. I love using cloth nappies for my son

10. I have never had a blog before this!