Tuesday 28 September 2010

The Gallery - Food.

Every week i take part in The Gallery a blogging event run by Tara at Sticky Fingers. Why not pop over to her site and check out the other entries every week its a great way to discover new blogs.

This week the theme is Food.

I lived and worked in London when i discovered i was pregnant, the nursery i ran was situated seconds from Liverpool Street Station. For anyone who doesn't know Liverpool Street Station it is like many other train stations a veritable hub of food pitstops. Every morning i came into the City via the station and left the same way.

As the pregnancy hormones kicked in and the sickness took over i found my cure and cravings centered around one thing, total and utter junk food all washed down with sugary fizzy drinks.

These images are the symbols of my weakness that starred at me everyday and as i try to regain my post pregnancy figure still haunt me.


The King, The Colonel and Ronald have a lot to answer for.


BUT THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS!

Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Gym have kindly given me a years free gym membership so join me in my weekly updates and see how i fight back against The Evil King, The Dreaded Colonel and That Nasty Ronald. 

I SHALL NOT BE BEATEN!


Thursday 23 September 2010

Selsey Beach in September.

On Monday I took Tabitha to Selsey the seaside village I grew up in.

We were really lucky with the weather, the sun was shining so we went to the beach, played in the sand and dipped our feet in the sea.


After Tabitha decided that sand was not that tasty after all, we headed to a pub for scampi in a basket.



Even though I know London is calling us back I'm glad that Tabitha will always have Granny and Grandad by the sea. There really isn't anything else like it for a free day out. 

Tuesday 21 September 2010

The Gallery - A Smile.

The theme of The Gallery this week at Sticky Fingers is A Smile. 



I began my weekly scanning through my photos on the laptop and eventually got to this one. 

I had the biggest smile, I reckon you probably have too.

Mumra Birth Story.


I wrote this piece originally for another website and realised afterwards it was probably a bit weird not to include it on Mumra. It is after all where it all started...

Fourty weeks is a very long time to wait especially when you have already waited seven years.
I had wanted a baby for seven years and four years previously undergone three sessions of IUI unsuccessfully. I had in my heart given up on it happening.
It did happen and without any help, unless you count a birthday meal and an exceptional bottle of wine.
So here I was fourty weeks and still counting. Everyday you are overdue feels like an eternity. I cried when my midwife told me the induction date was day fourteen not day twelve due to a weekend, two more days was forever.
My second overdue midwife appointment I had considered a cash bribe for a closer date. I had a sweep and nothing not a thing was saying my body was ready to give up this baby yet. I was gutted and stomped off to do a urine sample for my protein check. It wasn’t good and she sent me into the hospital for a blood test to check it again. Take a bag they advised in case we keep you in.
At the hospital my blood was taken and while waiting for the results the midwife and her trainee wired me up to a monitor. My mum could hear the baby’s heart beat in the waiting room where she was sat with my case. I chatted to the trainee about her course and juggling kids with college.
I noticed the monitors tracking had stopped and asked if I should move to re find it and the trainee did some jiggling of the pads, then she called the midwife who did the same, they reclined the chair and moved the pads some more. Their faces started to say much more than their words.
‘Upstairs’ was called. ‘We are taking you up we need to use another monitor. Baby is being awkward’. I was moved into a wheelchair and zoomed past my mum in the waiting room to the lift. In the lift the midwife didn’t say that much and Mum was almost in tears. I however was a vision of calmness. I knew this baby was fine.
In the delivery room another monitor was attached, it didn’t work so another was brought in, everyone was looking very stressed. Pads were wiggled, I was wiggled. The speakers burst into life ‘badoom, badoom, badoom….’ there she was.
The hospital kept me on monitor for the whole day even though she was text book for the rest of the day. My bloods came back fine. I was twitching to go home but no one would let me. I had to stay over night, I was not happy. Jamie came to see me after he got back from London and then went home to bed. Mum brought me KFC which I ate and then promptly sat myself at the nurses station begging to go home.
‘I’m not even being monitored what is the point?’ was met with a nurse and a hand held monitor. She lost the baby again, so went and got me another big monitor and left me with it on ‘badoom, badoom, badoom….’ Everyone in the ward was badooming away, it was very weird.
Listening to all the noise on the ward you hear snippets of conversations. I overheard a girl opposite call a nurse and say she thought the heartbeat was really fast that she’d got used to the normal rate and this was really fast. The nurse agreed and thanked the girl. My curtain shot open, she was talking about my baby. My print out was looked at, my volume turned down. ‘Is everything ok?’ I asked. I was still really calm and not at all concerned I think denial had kicked in to stop me stressing. The nurse dashed out then back and informed me that someone from ‘Upstairs ‘was coming down.
The doctor arrived took one look at my print outs and told me ‘We are taking the baby out’ I actually tried to get him to discuss a compromise ‘Shall we go up and talk about it, then I’ll call my boyfriend?’ ‘No, he has one hour to be here and we are taking the baby out’ Oh right then.
I was rushed upstairs, I was now just massively excited about it all happening I had no worries about the c-section even though I am a massive needle phobia freak and hate even the idea of operations.
I felt as though this was my journey to hold my baby and I needed to just shut up and let it flow. So I did in the calmest manner…I called Jay who was asleep and told him I was having a c-section he needed to be here ASAP. That everything was fine but to hurry. A few moments later I called him back to tell him to bring the baby bag. He was asleep again ‘Is this really happening?’ he asked. Err yes.
When he arrived they threw scrubs at him and we laughed at the idea of him wearing Crocs in theatre… Looking back the nurses seemed a bit confused by my laid back manner, but I was in the zone and like I said I knew this baby was fine.
We went into theatre and I had the epidural, which I had spent 9 months fretting over. I did not bat an eyelid, your body and brain are amazing things, it was needed and they accommodated. My hands shook violently from the epidural and I repeated again and again to Jay ‘I don’t like the way it feels’ as they delivered Tabitha. Jay stood to see her arrive and held her once she was checked over. I felt too shaky still to hold her but looked over and straight away saw my own face in hers. ‘She has my nose’ was the best I could do.
It turned out my waters had gone, no one knows when or where. Tabitha had been choking herself on her cord, possibly at one KFC too many. She was a drama queen from the start!
Tabitha-Lo you are my world.

Sunday 19 September 2010

Sleep is massively overrated.




Just when you think you have a 'good' baby along comes a period of absolute hell on earth. I'm not even putting this down to teething the usual cause of sleepless nights, there is no dribbling, there is no red cheeks, there is a just a very angry baby.

Tabitha has always had night feeds i stopped stressing about going through the night a longtime ago. She wakes i feed and she lays back down its not a big drama and i've never felt sleep deprived getting up for ten minutes in the night. However of late her sleep habits have included waking 12-4 feeding refusing to even lay in the cot without red faced satan like screaming, which by the way can be kept up consistently for the whole four hour stint. She will then only sleep if rocked while screaming in her buggy which might give me another hours sleep before she is up at 5am as normal. 

Nights like this have left me feeling pretty crap, not only from lack of sleep but as a mother. Having no idea what is upsetting her has been hard. I have run through everything: too dark, too hot, too cold, too hungry, too windy, everything. She has pushed away my cuddles and only been happy playing on the floor, climbing randomly over her sobbing mothers body sprawled out on the nursery floor.

Finally a cold has come, trails of snot cover my black sofa and Calpol is to hand so now i can blame that i guess. 

However I'm not convinced this is the last we have seen of Satan.


Wednesday 15 September 2010

The Gallery - A Celebration.


Theme of The Gallery this week at Sticky Fingers is 'A Celebration' and i have chosen a photo of my parents wedding day.  

My parents have been married 38 years this year and i have always thought the story of how they met was pretty cool. 

Mum was working as a waitress in a licensed coffee shop in Bournemouth, all 'A line' skirts and knee high boots. My Dad was a Porsche driving car sales manager who started leaving her tips bigger than the bill and eventually asked her out.

It always makes me laugh imagining the crap chat that led to that first date. The rest as they say is history...

Sunday 12 September 2010

Buggy Shade Giveaway.

How many times have you been forced to drape a muslin or cardigan over your buggy to shade your baby?

I find getting Tabitha to nap during the day is essential and sometimes impossible. I have always believed sleep breeds sleep and when she had good structured naps she goes to bed happily, otherwise we get a grumpy stroppy child from hell. It doesn't always fit in with our days plans of course.

This is why i love the idea of these buggy shades. They help shade and close off the baby from the sunshine and distractions. This also works well as an 'unwanted attention' deterrent see my post here where i discuss this.



So Mumra readers, i have been lucky enough to get my hands on two of the best shades around for a giveaway.

The Kurtis Baby Peace Curtain.


Just one of the designs and colours available...

The Baby Peace Curtain is a 100% cotton fabric that is available in 6 different colours and 7 different designs.  Its a funky and trendy looking product that is always going to get commented on and make your buggy stand out in a crowd. 

The fabric keeps the sun out and creates a dark cool and shady area for baby to sleep. The hooks attach to most buggy hoods and car seat handles. I found the fabric was so soft it can also double up as a small blanket when needed. Due to the nature of the hooks the curtain can also be pulled across to peek inside to check on baby for peace of mind.

Definitely a trendier option than a cardigan or muslin don't you agree?


The Snooze Shade.


Classic Buggy Shade....

The Snooze Shade is a classic design which creates the ultimate private space for baby. If you are just out and about on a sunny day at naptime or out to dinner over bedtime it will create a peaceful and dark sleeping area for baby. 

I think this is ideal when you go on holiday especially for those evening meals when baby needs to be asleep and for daytime it has excellent UPF 50+ qualities for your peace of  mind.

The Snooze Shade fits nearly all buggies its velcro straps mean it fits snug leaving very little light getting in and has a handy zip to peek at baby through without disturbing them.

Giveaway Time.

I have one of each of these products to giveaway as prizes. One lucky reader will receive a Grey Classic Baby Peace Curtain and another a Snooze Shade complete with carrybag.

All you need to do to enter is......................

  • Follow @Mumrablog on Twitter or 'Like' Mumra Facebook page.
  • In your comment below supply a correct email address for Mumra to notify you of winning.
  • To give the companies that have donated these great prizes feedback tell us : 
          What is your favourite design and colour of the Baby Peace if you were able to choose?
          What have you found yourself using in the past to shade your baby while in their buggy?

The winners will be drawn at random on 29th September 2010. The winners will also be emailed and informed of their win. 


What are you waiting for.......?

Friday 10 September 2010

The Gallery - Back to School.

The Gallery this week at Sticky Fingers is Back to School to mark the start of the new school year.

This is my brother and me at primary school. I am rocking no front teeth some very droopy bunches and clearly someone elses shirt! 

Oh and i'm not sure why i'm in a shirt and tie and he is not. 


I can't imagine how nervous i'll be sending Tabitha off in her uniform on that first day. Although i'm very excited about buying pinafore dresses and Clarks shoes.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

What is in a story?


Last Saturday i went out and brought Tabitha a new book for in the bath. She has one already that she loves but frankly i've got a bit sick of it. When i saw a copy of The Rainbow Fish in bath book format i got it straight away, it was always a favourite of mine when i was working at the nursery.

That night when Tabitha was being bathed by her Daddy i shouted to him to read her the new book and carried on cooking dinner.

I was shocked and stunned at his response when i went into the bathroom.
'What kind of moral is that?' 
You see Tabithas Daddy did not see Rainbow Fish as a tale about sharing as most people do.
'So if your beautiful or talented the only way to make friends is by giving away or 'sharing' your beauty? Is no-one allowed to be special anymore?'

I read the book again, he is kind of right.

This set me thinking about stories, how we interpret them and the morals they teach our children?

What books spring to mind for you?

Saturday 4 September 2010

Summers Gone....

Its a sad day today.

Summer has gone. CBeebies have decided that its not enough that we are thinking of turning the heating on, they have changed the summer song.

I am very sad about this Tabthia is too young to understand but our moments of pleasure at dancing to the Summer Song are over and it has been replaced by The Autumn Tune. I'm so far not impressed. It may be a grower but i have a few issues with it already.

I'm not sure about the whole helmet thing going on, if it is to stop the falling apples hitting them on the head the child in the viking hat has very little protection. The picnic is seriously over indulgent for the number of children and the amount of food that must have been wasted, shocking. Mostly i dislike the arty light they have used i think its supposed to look sepia-ish, it just makes me want to wallop the side of my tv and fiddle with the ariel.

When i think of the bright, crisp colours, the spinning pretty umbrellas i could almost cry.

Goodbye Summer Song. Until next year.



*Huh? What do you mean i should get out more?*