Manners. Three-year-old Ella has the most wonderful manners. After noticing my post baby belly the other day, she was quick to point out “you’ve got a fat tummy, Mum’’. Sarcastically, I repied: “Thanks, darling’’. Her response: “You’re welcome’’. Hmmm. Three year olds do not get sarcasm.
Having the opportunity to work with the wonderful Tina from www.tinagray.me on the Aussie Giveaway Linkup, which starts here on the blog Sunday. Make sure you link up your giveaways and/or enter to win some prizes. But please be aware, I’m feeling rather lucky!
Someone finally leaving our home. I sniffed out that our guest was making the girls miserable, so I told him, quite frankly, “our relationship blows’’ and he finally went running out the door. Be gone snotty noses.
I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.
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.
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.
MONTH SEVEN: Yes, you just read that headline right. Awake is no longer the new sleep in this house. Be gone, Ben Lee. After seven months of mostly one or two-hour stretches of night sleep after her initial four-hour sleep (I am so, so tired!), just prior to Mother’s Day Baby Holly delivered a whole seven hours of sleep in one sitting (or laying, rather).
I would have benefited from the full seven hours, except for some rather explosive-sized milk tankers. Time to back myself into the dairy and whack on those suction cups, I think.
It happened the night before Mother’s Day and was by far the best present my daughter could have given me. We’re not in dreamland just yet, but there’s at least now light at the end of the tunnel.
SOLUTION: We’ve done so many things, I really can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that’s helped. However, here’s what we’ve done:
* Letting her cry a little longer before she drifts off to sleep seems to help wear her out and sleep more soundly.
* During the night feeds, pulling her off just as her sucking slows so she’s not falling asleep on the boob. She usually tries to latch straight back on. I let her, then as her sucking slows I pull her off again. You continue this pattern until she no longer wants to suck. Each night the sucking will get less.
* Getting her tosleep unwrapped. This is still a work in progress. We’ve achieved this by first unwrapping one arm, with her hand either holding a pacifier or her cuddly toy. Another dummy is in her mouth. Having her hands full stops her from pulling her dummy out.
* Cutting back to two day sleeps. We think this has been a major contributing factor. She now has a mid morning sleep and a mid afternoon sleep.
* I think the biggest help, and probably a tad controversial for some, has been fast-tracking her food. Our health nurse said, because Holly is such a big girl, she’s constantly hungry and needing more than just my boobie juice. Hence, she feeds all night. It also kind of explains why she was screaming and wouldn’t settle to sleep. Poor thing was starving! So we put her on a fast-tracked diet to red meat to increase her iron levels. Note: It’s since been mentioned to us that some babies struggle to digest meat at such an early age and is what could be contributing to her lapse in sleep this last week. We’re still experimenting with the whole meat and veggies situation and will keep you posted.
What tips do you have for getting your baby to sleep?
MY MOTHER’S Day weekend couldn’t have been more perfect. There were moments of laughter (yes, OK, so you expect that from the O’Briens) and plenty of happy tears.
Ella wearing the matching tiara and earrings she bought me
Here’s how it played out:
HAPPY TEARS: I was given the best Mother’s Day present ever the night before when Baby Holly, whose five-hour stretches of sleep in the past seven months could be counted on one hand, delivered an incredible seven-hour stretch of sleep. Yes, I got up once, Just once. Bliss. Sure, it was followed by then being awake for 1.5 hours from 3am, but I am so not complaining. A full report of how this was achieved is coming in the Sleep Challenge on Thursday.
LAUGHTER: Saturday night was spent trying to get out of three-year-old Ella what she had bought me for Mother’s Day. Here’s the script:
Mum: “So, what did you buy me?’’
Ella (in a hushed voice): “Shh, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “How many presents did you buy me?’’
Ella: “Lots. But shhh, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “What was your favourite present?’’
Ella: “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “Hmm, which one did you wrap first?’’
Ella: “No Mum. I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “Did you get me a book?’’
Ella: “Yes! Ah, no, it’s a secret.’’
Busted!
LAUGHTER: As a follow on from that conversation, that night Baby Holly and I went into Ella’s room to give her a kiss goodnight. At the same time, her Dad was trying to decide with her what books, picked up at the library that day, to read. Ella caught sight of one of the books and yelled out: “NO DAD! It’s meant to be a surprise. Remember?’’ Apparently, one of the books they’d bought for Mother’s Day looked remarkably similar to one of her library books. Busted, again!
LAUGHTER: Mother’s Day morning, Julian and Ella donned their Masterchef aprons and made me a bowl of cereal, a cup of tea and a platter of fruit with “drizzled’’ chocolate. Unfortunately, it just looked like poo on a plate. Even more unfortunate was that a chocolate Easter bunny died to make my breakfast.
HAPPY TEARS: Last night I gave Ella a big hug and kiss and thanked her for a wonderful Mother’s Day. She stroked my face, smiled at me and said: “You’re welcome.’’
What was the highlight of your Mother’s Day?
Linking to FlogYoBlog Friday (ah, Saturday) with Where’s My Glow?
PRINCESS Ella and I made and painted a doll’s house yesterday… out of a beer carton! Hmm, not sure that’s sending a good message to Ella. Not unless you add a doll’s house dog kennel made from a cigarette packet. Note: Neither of us smoke. And I’m so much classier than beer… sometimes!
Ella and I took to the craft drawers again, because the budget didn’t quite stretch far enough to include a grand three-storey doll’s house for the now dreaded October to December Birthday-Christmas period that will forever overwhelm us. We are now accepting donations for the annual Help Save the O’Brien Family From End of Year Financial Ruin!
But anyway, back to the doll’s house. Apart from the second floor sagging, the paint scheme including a wonderful mix of a brown roof with pink walls (Ella’s choice) and it having no windows, it looks a treat.
Sort of. Actually, truth be told, I’ve refrained from photographing it up close because, well, it looks like something from UglyHomes.com. There’s a reason Rome wasn’t built in a day, because it would have looked like this otherwise. It’s certainly not up to Barbie’s usual standards.
Although, judging by this photo, Barbie clearly doesn’t have standards.
The main thing was we had a great time and it’s now her favourite “toy’’. Why do we bother spending a few hundred dollars on a grand whizz-bang kitchen when she can have a beer carton doll’s house?
Here’s how we made it:
Take a cardboard box (preferably not one that’s housed alcohol) and cut away any flaps.
Cut a piece of cardboard that’s the same depth as the box and 4cms wider at the sides. Fold 2cms down at each side and slide it into the middle of the box and glue or sticky tape it in to make a “second floor’’.
Cut a piece of card the same width as the box and with enough length so when it’s folded in half it makes a triangle roof. Glue or sticky tape this to the top of the box. Then cut out triangles for the ends of the roof and glue these on.
Paint the roof and walls of the exterior (preferably the same colour, unless you have a child who’s not afraid to experiment). Add “brick work” with a black texta.
Either paint the interior walls or create your own wall paper and glue in. We used old paintings and drawings Ella had done that were originally destined for the bin.
Use scraps of material or further art work for carpet and glue down.
Get out your child’s favourite dolls and teddies and start playing.
