My Toddler & Baby Nappy Bag

Are you ever sat in your living room and you see a really nosy person walk by your window peering in at your decor? Most likely that weirdo is me. I am hugely nosy. So, for me, sharing what's in my nappy bag doesn't seem odd at all, because I love taking a peek at what others carry around in those gigantic things too.

First things first. Let's talk about the bag itself. Storksak is a huge name in the nappy bag world. If you don't know the brand yet, take a look at their site and prepare to drool at the non-mumsy looking bags they have on offer. The one I picked is simply called the Tote and retails at £70.

Don't get me wrong, I was tempted by a Pink Linings 'Yummy Mummy' bag, but at the same time fearful that someone would 'accidentally' blurt out "Wishful Thinking" as I walked past them in my stretchy leggings and worn-for-four-days-in-a-row-dress.

It's wipe clean and lightweight, with two comfy under arm straps as well as an across body strap. 

The main compartment is zipped, so no pick pocketers can grab your stuff quickly.  There's also one inner zip pocket, perfect for my purse, keys and phone. Plus two elasticated pockets and one larger one with a velcro closing. 

Is it teething, a Wonder Week, or is she just a baby?

She's crying. Again.

She's not sleeping. Again.

Something's the matter.

I can't quite tell.

Is it teething or is it a Wonder Week?

After over a year of revelling in many a good nights sleep thanks to Lena hitting toddlerhood, having another baby has been more than just a little bit of a shock.

I've realised that I can survive with very little shut eye for oh... approximately two weeks. At which point I can feel my entire self melt into a rather unsightly zombie. Able to only function at the most basic level, unless fuelled by double shots of espresso. Thanks Mr. Nespresso! Without you I would be lost.

Needless to say the two hourly feeds that Marni brought with her after her birth wore me down pretty quickly. There was one day when I literally couldn't feel my cheeks, I was so tired. There was another daybreak feed where I swear I did it all whilst completely asleep, including the pre-milk nappy change.

I was feeling pretty rotten, desperate even. It's like she knew that she had pushed me too far. So she brought out the big guns... the smile! Plus a few good nights of sleep. Sleep! Ah my old friend. I felt revived and able to cope with any tantrum, explosive poo or gripe cries that either of them wanted to throw at me.

Evidently, her cunning plan was to lure me into a false sense of security. We had two weeks of what I would now consider excellent nights. Feeding at 8pm, 11pm, 4am and 8am. Laughable by my pre-baby standards of 11pm-oooooh  until 11am if I could get away with it, but joyful nonetheless.

All of a sudden it's changed. We are now doing 8pm, 11pm, 2am, 4am, 6:30am.... SERIOUSLY!!

It's pushing me to the limit and there's no amount of white noise from Ewan the Dream Sheep that's helping this baby get back to sleep in a timely manner. If I'm lucky a quick and super adorable hand holding session does the trick, but mostly it doesn't.

The only way that I can stay sane is to find a reason. To remind myself that it's just a phase whilst also putting it down to a growth spurt and if she's wailing, teething. Call my an idiot, but it helps stop me from falling into a pit of sleep deprived despair. 

So, whilst she may well be munching her fist like a crazy person because it's just kinda fun, for me it's a clear sign to whip out the Calgel! And if that doesn't work, I can always bring out my very own Big Gun... Sophie the Giraffe.

Review: Mustela cradle cap

I have tried it all when it comes to cradle cap.  It's inoffensive, but I have been asked if it's contagious, a fungal thing, or because I need to wash my baby more. For a common ailment not many people seem to understand that it's just down to an overproduction of sebum on the scalp. Not, I'll have you know, because my baby is harbouring a revolting bug or something.

As I mentioned, I have tried it all. Dentinox made it worse and both the olive and coconut oil started to give off a rather hideous fermented cheesy odour. It was so bad that it even put the Grandmother off cuddling her. Pretty indicative, wouldn't you say?

I was doing my usual over researching thing and came across the Mustela brand. In particular lots of positive reviews regarding the foam shampoo and serum. It took only a week of using both products to rid Marni of her cradle cap.

The shampoo comes in a handy pump, making it easier to wash her hair one handed. It foams wonderfully and smells pretty pure. After leaving it on for a minute you simple wash it off. It cleanses her wispy tufts of hair and scalp without drying it out.

The cream is light and absorbs easily, without leaving a greasy feel. It seemingly does rebalance, soothe and hydrate as they suggest. I am in agreement with their clinical trials that this truly does eliminate cradle cap within 14 days.

I couldn't specifically say which of the two really got it under control. I'm certain that both combined are the most effective form of treatment. Now that the episode has cleared I just use the shampoo at night and the cradle cap has yet to return. Hurrah! Grandmother hugs can commence once again.

Learning to play with my child

The To-Do list. I live by my To-Do list. Maybe it's because of my never ending baby brain. Or simply down to my love of stationary. Pretty list pads and the satisfying flick of ticking something off with a yummy floral pen, sadly make me very happy.

The List used to be my friend. My comforting and rewarding friend. It gave me structure, order, attainable goals and a sense of achievement when everything was brightly crossed off, ideally with a glitter pen. Since having children I'm having to address my relationship with The List.

I no longer have chunks of time to dedicate to chores. Paint that fence? Sand and re-paint the bathroom door? Whip up an amazingly cute Liberty Dress for Little Red Head number one? erm.... no evil list, I just can't!

Review: Morrck car seat wrap

I was absolutely giddy to find out that we were having a winter baby. I can't resist a snow suit that turns my baby into a teddy bear. In fact, any outfit that makes my baby look like an animal makes me pretty happy. The photo below proves my point pretty clearly, I think! As does the fact that I had at least 20 other baby/animal hybrid pictures to choose from for this post.

Excessive, maybe. Cute, definitely. The problem is that getting a squirming newborn into one of these suits and then into a car seat is a mission in itself.

If you're lucky your baby will be happy and content when you try to leave the house. They may even be asleep. However, after trying to get their uncooperative arms, grabby monkey like fingers and flailing legs into a snowsuit your baby will definitely not be happy, content or asleep before you leave the house. More fool you if you've actually bought one with poppers instead of a zip..... The screams will be ear splitting.

Add on to this the constant zipping and unzipping of the suit as you go into and out of the shops or friends' houses.  Plus the safety concerns raised when using one in a car seat and the impact they have on the effectiveness of the chest straps in a crash.

How to survive a soft play

On a drizzly day there is nothing better than loading Red Head Number One into the car and heading off to our local soft play. It is an experience. It's also guaranteed to exhaust her and give us a relatively peaceful afternoon/evening at home.

If we have visitors with us for the weekend we tend to warn them of the upcoming experience. For those who have never been to one before, I often watch them in the rear-view mirror on the journey home. They look almost traumatised. A shadow of their former self. 

So here are my 'heads up' tips for those of you who have yet to spend a good few hours at a soft play.