Chicken Pox - Day 5

Really looking better today. Ben's eye was still painful this morning, but only as he was first waking up so he had a dose of Piriton just to ease it a little.

I can only find one spot which is still a blister and he's not scratched all morning so I've creamed him up with calamine again but this may be the last day of needing to.

Chicken Pox - Day 4

At last, our little man is beginning to feel better. Tears this morning because of the spot on his lower eye lid but only had a dose of medicine at breakfast and at bedtime.

Into Chicken Pox Day 3

Poor little mite. Ben woke up this morning in so much pain with his eye. Today has been a sofa day watching films and playing with lego.

Then, James had his second batch of milk teeth extracted. Luckily, only two this time as one of his lower ones had fallen out.

The Day family trait of teeth seems to have continued as the dentist had a nightmare getting to get it out- the root was nearly as long as an adult tooth!

To finish off today, we have Robert's Christmas Carol Concert, minus Daddy and Ben.  Robert's upset that yet again he hasn't got a speaking part, but looking forward to it anyway.

Chicken Pox - Morning of Day 2

After receiving loads of advice on Facebook, I raided the kitchen cupboards and found some bicarbonate of soda.

After a bath in it then painting paste of it all over, all Ben was worried about was whether it would turn him into a cake!

Pox is in the House

So, after a week of general sniffles, Ben awoke on Friday morning with a proper seal bark, croup type cough. Over the weekend, he wasn't too bad so assumed he'd be back at nursery in Monday but by Sunday, it was obvious this wasn't going to happen as the little red blisters of chicken pox erupted.

Such a brave little boy, even with a spot on the inside of his lower right eye lid.

So far, he's had calamine cream on the spots on his body, and anti-histamine oral medicine to help with the itch.

Let's hope he fights this off as quickly as everything else he's ever caught and if Katie's going to get it, she gets the first spots today or tomorrow so we can her over the worst by Christmas.

Beautiful Sleepy Baby

Despite another horrid cold, Katie is finally snoozing. Got to love her and just want to cuddle!

Swing Fun

Weekly Meal Planner - w/c 30th September 2012

	Family	Option 2	Katie
Sunday   – Lunch	Roast Pork, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Carrots, Brocolli, Yorkshire Puddings		Brocolli and Carrots
Dinner			Pea Soup
Monday – Lunch			Brocolli and Carrots
Dinner	H/M Butternut Squash Soup, H/M Bread	Tinned Tomato Soup	Butternut Squash Soup
Tuesday – Lunch			Butternut Squash Soup
Dinner	Pork Chops, New Pots, Carrots	Ham, New Pots, Carrots	Brocolli and Carrots
Wed         - Lunch			Pea Soup
Dinner	Chicken Tikka Wraps, Special  Brown Rice, Corn on the Cob	Special Brown Rice, Corn on the Cob, Chicken Dippers	Sweet Potato and Carrots
Thurs       - Lunch			Sweet Potato and Mango
Dinner	Lasagne, Jacket Potatoes, Mixed Veg		Brocolli and Carrots
Friday       - Lunch			Sweet Potato and Apple
Dinner	Sausages, Mash, Peas		Peas and Potatoes
Sat            - Lunch			Carrots and Mango
Dinner	Fish Fingers, Mushy Peas, Chips		Sweet Potato and Peas

Start of Our Weaning Journey

And so, despite my best intentions of waiting until 6 months for weaning, the signs were too strong to ignore.

Katie has sat at the dining table every evening, in her high chair, since she was three months old.  For the last week, she's been getting really stressed and chewing on her whole fists while we've eaten, and she's been dragging my fingers into her mouth to gum.

On one evening, I let Katie suck on a piece of melon, instead of my finger.  She quite liked it but it was firm enough that she didn't chew any off, but managed to suck the juice.  I think she was a little frustrated because it didn't do what she wanted - not quite sure what she wanted, but a feed put her right.

A couple of days later, I was eating an apple and Katie was chewing on my finger, so I ate it so there was a chunk sticking out and let Katie gum it.  Again, she loved it for about five minutes, but needed a feed to fill her up.

Our Sunday dinner was the next time the food stressing happened.  I never use salt or sugar when cooking so decided I would give her the first taste of carrots and mashed potato.  I was unprepared so didn't have a spoon ready but smeared some on my finger then let her suck it off.  She absolutely loved it and had about 10 'finger smears' of both.

Monday daytime, Katie was completely satisfied with her normal feeds but became agitated in the evening.  Ben was having a banana for supper so I decided to take a risk and let Katie have one.  They were very ripe so I knew it would mush up in her mouth and I wasn't sure how she would react, plus it was a very strong flavour, but I needn't have worried!

 

 

Tuesday was a difficult day as we were going to Sheffield.  Katie was sitting on my lap for lunch and was very stressed again so I did the 'finger smearing' again and Katie got to try mashed potato, carrots and the most amazing mushy pea 'juice' ever.

 

On Thursday I went to the supermarket and stocked up on the first proper attempt in weaning.  I bought mango, sweet potato, bananas and 'Ella's Kitchen' Organic porridge.

 

For our family's evening meal, we were having baked potatoes and so I roasted up some sweet potato wedges and lightly steamed some mango and apple - complete success.  Katie sucked and gummed a sweet potato wedge and a wedge of mango.

 

This morning I decided to try to hand express some milk and managed to get off about 4 teaspoons.  I mixed it up with some organic baby porridge oats and what a success!

 

This led to the worse nappy ever!

 



First time in a Trolley

Another excitng day - not!

Final preparations for Peppa Pig World so hours of packing, shopping, washing and tidying.  Katie had her first "Play Date" with Dominic.  Dominic was born on our angel baby's due date so it is really special watching him grow, although, without Katie, the joy would be very bittersweet.

Seems crazy that there's 3.5 months between the two of them. Dominic is obviously older in his behaviour and development, but Katie is already so tall!  We had to have words with Dominic as he already tried to look up Katie's skirt!

I feel quietly proud of myself that it has taken us to 12 weeks before Katie had  ride in a shopping trolley.  Thanks, in no short part, to Daddy doing the shopping and Tesco Online!

A successful short trip around the shops and a nice change that Ben wanted to travel in the trolley, as long as he's with Katie, he's happy!

By 1am, all the packing was done - just to get everyone moving in the morning!

Talking to Grandad

Hard work but got the Summer House straightened up, just a mountain of rubbish to get rid of.

We made the announcement to Ben about our forthcoming trip to Peppa Pig World, showed hin the map and explained the rides.  He seems so excited and loved explaining it all to Grandad.

Katie's favourite activity is talking to Grandad.  She loves babbling away to him - more so than to anyone else.  I think this is the start of her special realationship with him, and working out how to twist himround her little finger!

Quiet Sunday of a Hoarder

I can't think of a better way to spend a lazy Sunday morning.

After a disturbed night, Katie snuggles are exactly what are needed. 

I found a photo of Katie in the moses basket at 3 weeks of age, unfortunately, it waasn't a full length shot, but it certainly gives a good comparison for her growth.

The whole afternoon was spent emptying one of our hoarder's paradises - the summer house.  I so want to get it straightened up so the boys can use it as a den, ideally putting one of the front room sofas in it.  Got as far as emptying about 3/4 of it, just leaving a pile of carpets and camping accessories to move.  Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to take a miracle to succeed.  How can it be so difficult to get rid of stuff?  I've got rid of loads of the boys' old and broken toys but they've so many books and I really can't just throw them out, although I have thrown out all the old videos. On top of that, there's James' keyboard, all the painting, electrical and tiling bits and old paperwork that still needs to be kept.  It really has been a very soul destroying experience so far!  On the positive, Si's done an amazing job painting the fence and it looks good enough now to last another couple of years.

Had to stop emptying the summer house as I had a really horrible headache - but it's meant I've left a really bad headache in the garden waiting for me tomorrow!

A Snapshot of Saturday

The day started well - lovely long lay in until 9.20am, only to find out that Ben sleeps best when covered in wee!  He was wet from the top of his pyjamas to the tops of his socks, but none the less, a happy chap.

Lately, at night, he has taken to choosing a "snuggly" from his collection next to his bed, who then accompanies him for breakfast.

Breakfast is followed by chillout time

And Katie will feed anywhere - this one is in the car park outside Frankie and Benny's

Tonight was a strange one.  Katie fell asleep on her changing mat downstairs so I carried her up to her moses basket.  She woke up but laid there quite happily sucking her thumb, drifting off to sleep. Looks like that at 12 weeks we may need to advance from the basket!

At 11.30 she awoke for a feed so we're currently cuddling in Mummy and Daddy's bed waiting for Daddy to come back from his gig. 

Myriad Mummy - Why?

The definition of "Myriad"?

"Having countless or very many elements or aspects"

(Oxford Dictionaries)

 - and what better description of a mum!

Over the last 12 years of motherhood, I have come so far. Starting from someone who had never held a baby until I was 8 months pregnant with my first child, up to giving birth to my fourth child finding motherhood the most rewarding job on the planet.

Throughout this time, I have gained a wealth of knowledge using trial and error, family, friends, parenting classes and the ever important internet and often get asked for advice.  I have decided to start this blog, both as a way to pass on tips but also to document our family life.