She's no dummy

We've had a love hate relationship with dummies from the start. We hate them, bubba loves them. 

 

From the start we were cautious of using them too much but they did calm her so we flitted around and waited until she was settled and would whip the dummy away. Not wanting to get in a situation of getting up in the night to replace it for her, we were always on tenterhooks and discussing over use of the dummy (I know, now it sounds to lame and over worried).

This worked a treat, she has never gone to bed with a dummy and instead has self settled herself with her 'rag' and only on the odd occasions has she had a dummy at bed time (which I can count on one hand). During the day she has it at nap time (my fail as I used it for convenience, knowing it gets her to sleep pronto) and only if she is really funky teething and is just simple unhappy. As soon as she is awake she knows to hand over the dummy.

So it came as a massive shock when she started waking at 4am most mornings when she had a cold and wouldn't settle to sleep again. Hubby and I fell into a pattern of plugging her in and she'd sleep again until about 7 or 7.30am. Lovely. Except she (obviously) got used to this and so we couldn't break the cycle once she was well without lots of stress for all of us. She still goes to sleep on her own of a night time regardless. So imagine my surprise when at 11 months old, after all our early on careful dummy removal it seems we created a monster. For quite a while I was beside myself as 3am or 4am we found ourselves trotting into her room to give her a dummy and she would instantly fall back to sleep.

So I came up with a ingenious solution to let her self medicate and not wake us in the night. I knew she wouldn't find a random dummy in her cot (or several) she isn't the kind of girl who will do it herself. So I attached a ribbon to her rag, knowing she keeps this close to her during the night. How proud I felt after that first night when she didn't wake us at all, I felt refreshed and calm...until I found this. 

 

She had kept herself busy by unraveling the ribbon, no wonder she was quiet. It was totally wrapped around her and for the rest of the day I felt tearful and ashamed that I could have injured her.

So I tried again and this time folded and stitched the ribbon together to within an inch of it's life. Now when we go to bed we tie her dummy onto the rag so she can find it in the night. It's not the perfect solution but it's working for now and hopefully we can wean her off it soon.

Five Things - Beauty Boost

I'm a bit of a magpie and collect things, this include beauty products and I like to try out new things but can then forget them quite quickly (I'm a slight fickle pickle sometimes). I saw on a blog somewhere recently (and I'm sorry for stealing the idea without backing it up with links but for the life of me I can't find the blog or remember where I saw it) the idea of using up some of the things stashed in the draw.

So I've picked five things to start with this week and aim to use them up before I buy any more, each week I'll try more so hopefully that means I'll save money and use up what I've got.

Liz Earle Nourishing Treatment

I've always loved a bit of Liz product and use the moisturiser but what I don't use so much is the sample sizes - always saving them for holiday or to take away but never do. So I'm using it now.

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy

I've got so many handcreams but never seem to use them up, I either lose it or forget about it and then open another one. So now I'll use this one up first.

The White Company Hand & Body Lotion

Again, I'm really bad slathering up with the old body lotion, I mean to do it before bed but then end up crawling into bed and forgetting the lotion.

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Bath & Shower Cream

I'm not even sure where this came from (think my mum may have given it to me) so more reason to use it now. I'm going to smell divine at the end of this.

Soap & Glory Spray it on Body Mist

I use this sporadically and its got a nice smell so will endeavor to use it more often.

Teething is Tough

I can categorically say without fear or reprisal that no one...NO ONE!! ever told me about the tooth issues little people have. Whilst pregnant you hear the normal "ah bless, the milk comas, aren't they cute" or "sleepless nights, they hurt but you get used to it", the mumbles of "oh you wait, before you know it they'll be crawling" or the stifled giggles "oh the terrible two's!" and the knowing looks. But at no time do I remember anyone mentioning bloody teething and how it can change a lovely little person into a moany diva that dribbles worse than a St Bernard up a mountain.

Ok I'll admit, we had tooth issues slightly earlier than most I know (you could see the teeth under her gums from about two weeks old). The first tooth popped through at five months and they just kept coming. So we've had an early introduction of teething but I'm still not prepared. The last few teeth have not caused as much of a change to her personality but still we've had buckets of dribble and about four dirty nappies a day. Now we are at twelve teeth (she is 15 months old)! I feel that all she has done is teethe (although hubby disputes this but I'm not always convinced that he doesn't go through the 'forgetful man syndrome' when times get stressful).

The worse bit is soon these hard won teeth are all going to wobble out and get replaced by another set. So that's more pain and problems...the diva will be back with a vengeance and this time demanding money for the privilege.

All the lasts...

A while a go I sat and got a little sad because I realised my baby was growing up and I wouldn't always be around to see the firsts she encountered. It got me thinking about all the last things that happen along the way and how they used to be so important but now they pass in the blink of an eye.

So here are all the lasts so far:

Last time I hold bottle at bedtime
This only happened recently, she was always the kind of girl that would sit back and let me hold the bottle. Last week I put her hands around the bottle and since then she sits on my lap and drinks. It won't be long before she realises she doesn't have to sit on my lap!

Last time I get a cuddle where she doesn't squirm

Now I only get a cuddle when Bubba is feeling under the weather or very very tired, whereas when she was little it was a cuddlefest in our house.

Last time we use a safety seat in the bath

When she started rocking the middle part of the seat that holds her in place I realised I could probably move it. Now she crawls up and down the bath sloshing bubbles as she goes.

Last time I have to feed her

She has been really good at finger foods from quite young but doesn't really like feeding herself with a spoon, she will do about three mouthfuls and then stops and just opens her mouth to be fed.

Last time she sits quietly in pushchair or high chair

Now she squirms, big time. She wriggles, tries to stand up and generally makes a fuss, letting me know where she would rather be.

Last time she holds my hand to walk

Whilst she was trying to walk, she had to hold on (sometimes for dear life) but now she has got the hang of toddling she doesn't want to hold my hand and physically shakes me off. That is unless she wants something, then she grabs my hand to take me where she wants to go.

With children there are so many firsts but just as many lasts...I'm understanding now, why people decide its a good idea to have another one, to experience all those firsts again.

Moments and Memories

Today is a sad day but yet a happy day, this afternoon we say goodbye to my nan who had a full and varied life but sadly passed away recently (at the age of 90). Although it is a day for tears and hugs, I will be happy that I got to spend as long as I did with my nan and have some brilliant memories of times spent with my grandparents.

I have been lucky that I kept a full set of grandparents until only a few years ago and those who've passed all lived to ripe old ages. But what I'm most thankful for is the memories they helped create as I grew up, I got to spend a lot of time with both sets of grandparents and they all (bar Grandad Charlie) got to meet Bubba. I remember the things you can only get away with whilst spending time with nannies and grandads (the things that time and energy strapped parents don't do), they are etched on my brain and make me smile. The often messy or semi dangerous expeditions and fun...that's the main thing, fun.

Like sliding down a grass hill on a piece of cardboard directly onto a concrete path (it was a rather steep hill) and now health and safety wouldn't let you get away with it.  Grandad Charlie

Like coating all my food in vinegar which I still do today (baked beans, roast dinners, anything really) thanks to Nanny Joyce

Feeding the deer in Knoll park Maltesers (they seemed to like them) with Nanny Esther and Grandad Ron

Nan & Grandad at my wedding

I'm a little sad that any other babies I have won't get to meet my grandparents but equally they will have their own grandparents who will do madcap things with them and create their own wonderful memories like I have.

So in memory of Nan (and Uncle Den who also sadly passed from cancer) I will be doing the race for life in Blackheath on Sunday 1st July and whether I cobble together a run (or manage to just walk), I will be thinking of all the years and wisdom Nan shared with my brother and I as we grew up.

If you fancy sponsoring me, please find my Just Giving page here (even the smallest amount counts) and if not then please share your grandparents stories