NEVER, I repeat NEVER, ask your wife if she wants you to pick something up from the supermarket before you come home. Listen to the voice of experience.
Yesterday I emailed Princess Kel asking if she wanted me to pick up some steak for tea before I came home. What followed was, well, you might as well read for yourself:
Don’t worry about eggs, we have a whole carton + couple in a second carton.’’
Far out. Was I sorry for asking.
I’d previously had the whole trip home planned in my mind. I’d figured, a quick trip into the supermarket, home in five minutes, cuddles with girls, crack a cold beer, help feed and bathe the girls and settle into the couch for some tellie.
THERE’S a lot of greens being eaten in our house at the moment – and I’m not talking about vegetables. As mentioned earlier this week, Mr Sniffles entered our house after a cold snap and left everyone running for the tissues. Except me (touch wood).
During my short time as a mother, I’ve experienced babies with colds on more than a few occasions. I even ended up in hospital with Ella when she was just a bub after fears she’d contracted swine flu.
Thankfully, she hadn’t, but she still had quite a serious case of Bronchiolitis. It was one of the most frightening nights of my life, as I sat watching her breathe all night. So when colds come to visit us, I take them pretty seriously.
A friend was battling the lurgy in her house recently and asked for some tips to help her bub through it. So, now Baby Holly is going through the same, I thought I’d share what I’ve learnt here.
Give baby extra breastfeeds to prevent them from getting dehydrated
Vicks Baby Balsam on the soles of their feet (unless under four months and then it’s best to avoid)
Use a vapouriser in their room. My favourite brand is Hippo Deluxe Steam Vapouriser. It’s the only one we’ve bought that hasn’t broken down after a couple of uses.
Disclaimer: This is based on my personal opinion and experience. I am not a medical professional, so please seek medical advice if you are at all concerned.
DURING our trip to the Melbourne Aquarium a fortnight ago, Ella became fascinated with these shark teeth. And, as you can tell by the photo, she clearly wasn’t frightened of them.
Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys’ Wordless Wednesday. Click on the link to check out more photo posts. (Apologies for the fuzzy quality today. The camera does not like the dark!!)
BABY Holly and Princess Ella have colds, which is making Holly miserable and Ella… challenging. Holly is presently waking every hour from midnight ‘til 6am. OK, so there’s nothing really new there. Except that she doesn’t want a feed or a dummy. She just wants me to hold her. Which sounds so utterly sweet, except for the fact it’s the middle of the night.
During the day yesterday the heartbreaking tears and need for cuddles were constant. When 5pm hit, panic set in. How was I going to manage to cook dinner? Yes, as you can see, my world was going to end if I couldn’t get food heated.
Amid my sleep stupor I conjured up the idea to prop Baby Holly in her high chair, give her some spoons to play with (we can’t afford real toys) and pop on one of the Babies Love CDs– international pop-rock songs turned into lullabies.
Then panic set in. Which one would I chose?
Michael Jackson
The Police and Sting
U2
Rolling Stones
Stevie Wonder
Phil Collins
Mariah Carey
All, bar the latter, from the new collection.
Again, my world could very well end if I didn’t make the right decision. I chose the Boy Wonder in the hope he’d be able to work some of his magic. If he can make parents happy enough to make babies, then surely he can make babies happy enough to please parents.
And he did. Make Baby Holly happy, that is. Well, not him specifically, but a bunch of super talented musicians playing lullaby versions of Wonder’s classic tunes. The one that really stopped Holly in her tracks was Isn’t She Lovely. She smiled. Even laughed. Or maybe that was because I was singing at the top of my lungs.
If I’d known all the words to My Cherie Amour it might have had the same effect. That goes for Ribbon in the Sky too. Then mid way through the final track – Signed, Sealed Delivered, I’m Yours – I realised I’d better get dinner on.
Even if you don’t know all the words, the serene melodies will have you humming away. More importantly, they’ll help create a sense of peace and calm within the house. Well, for 40-odd minutes, at least.
These would have been perfect when I was up the duff too. Sure, you should play music to your unborn child, but after nearly three years of nursery rhymes I couldn’t bare listening to them voluntarily. However, this would be ideal relaxation music for me and delicate sounds for bub’s cognitive and emotional development. Quick, lock me in a room now.
The only real flaw I can see with these CDs is that some may buy them on the pretence they’re getting Wonder, or Jackson, or Sting. Sadly, you won’t even hear them breathe heavily in the background. But if you know what you’re getting, then these are sublime.
To go in the draw to win ALL SIX CDS – Michael Jackson, The Police and Sting, U2, Rolling Stones, Phil Collins and Mariah Carey – valued about $120, simply tell us which CD you would have chose to play to your upset baby. The giveaway closes Tuesday, May 31 at 7pm and a winner will be drawn randomly and announced on this blog and via Facebook and Twitter. Australian residents only.
Want more entries? Then here’s how you can up your chances in the draw. Each task is worth one extra entry, but must be included as a separate comment (or it won’t count).
Click the Facebook button below and share this giveaway with your Facebook friends. Then leave a separate comment saying something along the lines of “I’ve shared this on Facebook’’.
Click the Twitter button below and share this giveaway with your Twitter followers (Twitter handle is @ThreeLil). Then leave a separate comment saying something along the lines of “I’ve shared this on Twitter’’.
**I received a complimentary CD courtesy of Universal Music / ABC Music. All opinions expressed are purely my own.
AS A mad Magpie attending his first Collingwood live game since the little princesses were born, I knew it was gonna be a long day when the first person I saw at the ground was Geelong premiership captain Tom Harley.
Maybe, just maybe, if the next person I saw was Collingwood premiership captain Nick Maxwell things might be alright, I thought. I turned the corner … and there was Joffa – Collingwood’s comic-like cheer squad leader. Crap.
Earlier in the afternoon I’d left Princess Kel and the li’l princesses after a long day of shopping to make their way back to the Medina Grand, while I jumped onto a tram on Flinders St to get to the MCG.
A view of the city from the MCG walkway
It was a bitterly cold evening and Kel was concerned I did not have a jacket, despite shopping for one all afternoon. In stark contrast to how it normally works (I’m the shopper of the family), Kel had seemingly bought half of Melbourne and I’d bought nothing.
“Julian, you’ll freeze,’’ was Kel’s parting comment as I kissed her, assuring her I’d be OK. It was on arrival at the MCG I spotted the merchandise stand. “Got any Collingwood jackets?’’ I enquired, as the lady proceeded to unveil a sparkling new Magpie waterproof, lined polar fleece jacket.
Entrance to the 'G
I rang Kel: “Want the good news or the bad news?’’
“What?’’ she replied, suspiciously.
“Well, I’m not gonna freeze anymore … I bought a Collingwood jacket and it only cost me $100 … Hello? Kel? … Are you still there?’’ Bonus.
Princess Kel bought me the ticket to the game as a Christmas present (actually she didn’t buy the ticket, she just said I could go). I organised the ticket, which looked on paper a bloody good seat, through an equally mad Magpie workmate. With much excitement, I raced to my seat to check the view only to discover it was right on the fringe of the Geelong cheer squad. Sent a scathing text message to my workmate. Double crap.
Among my new Geelong “friends''.
Oh well, best enjoy the night anyway. To my surprise I found the surrounding Geelong supporters bloody nice people (thus disproving my previously held theory about Cat supporters). I enjoyed the game and had a ball despite the eventual Magpie loss, roaring myself hoarse (which Kel would have been most embarrassed about had she been there).
My beloved Pies were pretty ordinary on the night but, had Geelong lost, their supporters could have felt more ripped off than the MCG patrons who pay $8 for a mid strength beer. I raced home, still buzzing from the experience, to the comfort of our hotel room and the li’l princesses sound asleep. Magic.
Tell us about your best experience at a sporting event.
Baby Holly “talking'' to her Uncle Rick while on holiday in Melbourne last week.
This week I’m grateful for:
Hearing Baby Holly say her first words, including “bubba’’ and… “dada’’. Hmmm… Not so grateful for that last bit. After all that hard work trying to get her to say “mum’’ and that’s how she repays me. Not to mention wiping bottoms, feeding tummies and singing lullabies. We’re now not on speaking terms. Which defeats the purpose of her learning to talk really.
My Twitter friends, who last night helped my new PR business Mum PR reach 120+ @MumPR followers in a matter of hours. That blows me away. Thank you to each and every one of you. Now to work on building upon my 14 Mum PR Facebook friends.
My first pair of big nanna knickers. I think it’s time to pack away the cute hipsters and invest in some full-support beige-coloured nanna undies. Or as my late Nan used to call them, her “footy shorts’’. Although, I really doubt any footballer has ever worn shorts that big. No offence, Nan.
