MONTH NINE: I had such high hopes I wouldn’t need to write this month’s Sleep Challenge. Unfortunately, my month has been plagued with teething and developmental leaps. Yes, just call me lucky, I guess.
I envisaged sleep deprivation would be a thing of the past. After last month’s sleep through, I thought I was on the path to sleepy heaven. Alas, no. Here I am, bags under my eyes, and blinking like a camera shutter in a room full of babies.
Baby Holly even teased me four nights in a row this week by sleeping from 7pm ‘til 7am and only having two shorts feeds. Then that was thrown out the window Wednesday night, when yet another toothy peg started to emerge.
SOLUTION: Here’s what I know about coping with teething and sleep?
Give the recommended dose of Nurofen or other ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is more suited to teething as it deals with targeted pain, while Panadol deals with all over pain and fevers. However, some suggest alternating between the two during teething, which we’ve found to be effective.
Bonjela teething gel – or, as we like to call it, Bon Jovi minus the big hair. This only last 20 minutes and can’t be used again for three hours. However, it often helps Baby Holly resettle quickly.
A breastfeed or bottle feed. Sometimes I think this is more about the cuddle comfort than the feed itself.
A cold, clean finger rubbed on the gums. Yours, preferably.
A cold pacifier for them to suck on. I just run it under the tap for a few seconds.
Cuddles. I’ve been known to sit in my comfy feeding chair, bub in arms and just rock back and forth for an hour. Whatever gets you through, right?
Let them cry. Eventually, they will fall sleep. I only tend to use this method when I’m at my wits end. This is really a personal choice, as some parents just don’t like the thought of leaving a baby when they’re in pain.
What do you know when it comes to coping with a teething baby at night?
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.
THERE’S cause for celebration on the blog today. We’re talking champagne popping and streamer throwing kind of celebrations. One of my fave mummy businesses has been named as a finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards, conducted by connect2mums. My Posh Baby Boutique was selected for the Customer Service Award and Best Boutique/Store. Yes, it doesn’t do things in halves.
If you missed our last review and giveaway or haven’t heard of My Posh Baby Boutique before, the business was started by work at home mum Samantha Bellas to offer children’s designer labels that were fashionable, unique and had an element of exclusivity to Australians. Its slogan “putting big smiles on little faces’’ stems from Samantha only selling items she’s head over heels in love with.
To celebrate (other than the virtual champagne and streamers), Samantha offered Princess Ella and Baby Holly items from her popular Mud Pie range. I know! How spoilt are we? This time it was the cute Ribbon Ruffle Dress and Ribbon Ruffle Bubble.
And here’s the “big smiles on little faces’’ that Samantha talks about.
Yes, OK, a little cheesy. Once Princess Ella put her dress on, I couldn’t get it off her. Which is probably better than the usual nudity that happens around here.
While my photos of Ella wearing the dress couldn’t compare to the studio shots, I did get a few close ups of the detail on the dress.
I love that it embraces being a girl, with sweet bows and gorgeous necklines. The pink against the white and black is divine and the ruffles of the skirt add an extra element of cuteness. The quality of the material and its softness against the skin make this appealing, knowing how too often party outfits can tend to itch senstive skin.
I think both outfits will be perfect for their upcoming birthday parties. Coincidentally, Samantha confessed to having lost count of how many of these she’s sold, due to their popularity for birthdays and special occasions. While there’s nothing immediate I could find that could be improved upon, my only real concern (and it’s minor) is wondering how the black of the dress will wash against the white and pink.
If you love Samantha’s taste in clothes as much as I do, please consider casting a vote in her direction via www.connect2mums.com.aubefore midnight on August 21. Winners will be announced in Sydney on August 27. The awards are aimed at the brightest and most innovative professional business mums. “What I love most about operating My Posh Baby Boutique is the opportunity to stay at home to raise my beautiful daughter but at the same time, keeping my mind active and utilising my business skills,’’ she said.
Now, there’s one more reason to celebrate. Yes, you get to go shopping. My Posh Baby Boutique is giving away a $50 gift voucher to spend on anything in its range. As I’ve mentioned before, the boys’ outfits are just as cute, including the Knuckleheads range, which is a fave of Kourtney Kardashian. You can check out the other labels on the www.myposhbabyboutique.com website and on Facebook.
To enter to win the My Posh Baby Boutique $50 gift voucher, simply leave a comment telling us which outfit you would love for your little one. The giveaway closes Sunday,
August 21 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’’
Disclosure: I received a Ribbon Ruffle Dress and Ribbon Ruffle Bubble to review. All opinions expressed are purely my own.
THAT’S Weetbix. Apparently, Ernie was hungry. He also spilled some of it on the floor, which made Mum’s cheeks go really red. Plus, he got it on his clothes and it stuck. Stuck like glue. I heard Princess Ella will be having toast for breakfast from now on.
Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys’ Wordless Wednesday. Click on the link to check out more photo posts.
Don’t forget to enter our giveaways, including a $150 voucher to spend on a Vanchi nappy bag.
I AM a nervous flyer. So throw an overtired baby into the mix and my stress levels were pretty high flying to Sydney with Baby Holly last week. It resulted in the biggest blemish (OK, let’s get real here –zit) I’ve had since I discovered boy germs might just be worth catching.
Here’s how it panned out:
Launceston – Sydney
When I started out my trip to Sydney by first forgetting to check Baby Holly in, I knew it was going to be a long two days. Sweating in my black coat because I couldn’t fit it into my bag, I then had to master TWO seat belts. I might be a multi-tasking mum, but this is ridiculous. On takeoff, Baby Holly then decided to throw her dummy. The rather large businessman in my row offered to pick it up. However, it then took him five goes to reach it as he jostled to get his large belly out of the way. If anyone can tell me where I’m meant to look in these awkward situations, that would be handy?
Ten minutes after takeoff, Holly was breastfed and asleep and didn’t wake ‘til minutes before landing. Throwing some ULTRA chewy sultanas down her throat meant the landing was relatively smooth – for me. Although, I’m sure the sultanas on the floor had the cleaners scrounging for the onboard mouse.
Sydney-Melbourne
Oh boy. If a direct flight from Launceston to Sydney was tough, imagine a changeover in Melbourne. Firstly, the lovely Louisa of Everything is Edible dropped Veronica from Sleepless Nights and I off at the Qantas terminal. Mild panic set in when I realised MY Virgina terminal was at the other end of the airport. Plus, Holly had just dropped a bomb in her nappy.
Me, Baby Holly, the nappy bag, suitcase and the contents of her nappy all hightailed across the airport, stopping every 15 steps to readjust everyone and everything. The next thing a Qantas flight attendant walks past, slips his fingers under my suitcase and says “I’ll take that for you’’ and off he goes. After a few moments of shock, I mutter an “Oh, right. Yes, coming’’ and follow. It turns out he’s not even going in my direction, but takes me right to Virgin’s check in. Great service Qantas.
Once through security, I find my lounge has had a last minute change. Please proceed to gate lounge 35. OK, breathe. After wrestling with Baby Holly’s nappy and making the correct gate just as the last passengers were boarding, I then managed to board the plane at the wrong end. Oh dear god, please someone, let this be over.
The Kindle reading businessman and businesswoman I’m wedged between – despite earlier reaching for their earphones – talk to Holly until she falls asleep, help me with my food and constantly check I’m OK. Sorry Kamahl, but why are people so kind?
Melbourne – Launceston
Somewhere along the way, our Melbourne flight was delayed, so I had to literally RUN to catch my next flight. Have I mentioned yet how heavy Holly is? Last on the plane, but at least with two seats to myself, I spend the rest of the flight feeding Holly sultanas (again), rice cakes, water, a boob and anything else I could get my hands (not that I put my hands on my boobs often, of course). Thankfully, the entire 40-minute flight, she’s quiet. I succeeded.
Home soil
My big sigh of relief was a little premature when, waiting for my baggage, my name was called over the PA. No, please. Not me. Someone else, but not me. Yes, a tight changeover in Melbourne meant that’s where my luggage had stayed. Ah, lovely. To Virgin’s credit, they delivered it to my door – but not until AFTER midnight. Boy, was I tired.
So, the moral of this story? Readjust your baby and luggage often so people feel sorry for you and help, use your boobs (or a bottle) to prevent pressure in babies ears and take food – lots of food. Or just don’t travel with kids. Whatever works.
@AKA_MrFrog: Sienna was 2 when we flew to Melb for our Babymoon, we took lollipop for take off and colouring books. She was great!
@MummaInHeels: snacks, books, toys, singing songs (though be wary you’ll get strange looks from other people!). Also a bottle (or breastfeed) when taking off and landing is great as it helps their ears not to get blocked.
Sarah: We always bought a seat for our under 2’s on long hauls and then took the car seat for them was a godsend. Play dough for toddlers and lots of little wrapped presents.
What tips do you have for flying with babies and toddlers?
Ironically, I had little sleep the night before the Colgate bloggers brunch due to someone teething!
WHEN you’re asked to speak at a Colgate bloggers brunch, it’s hard to smile when your once pearly whites are now tea stained. So chances are I mumbled a lot of my speech.
Anyway, thankfully my talk had nothing to do with teeth and everything to do with the theme of the brunch – trust. Last Thursday Colgate was announced the Most Trusted Australian Brand by Reader’s Digest. We heard about trust being something that’s built over time. So here I was in a room full of seasoned bloggers and I’ve only been at it for six months. So the question was: how had I built my blog so quickly? Let me fill you in on a few of my secrets:
Existing audience:
I have to confess, I already had a (small) audience when I started this caper. I had comments on posts from day one. My advantage was I started a humorous column about being “up the duff’’ with Ella, which led into my now three-year-old daughter’s first year of life. That reached 90,000 newspaper readers. Once it ended, I was constantly stopped by people in the street asking if this was “THE Ella’’ from the paper and how much they missed reading about her. And so the blog was born. Although, I must admit, probably only a miniscule percentage of those readers still realise this blog exists.
Giveaways:
They have been my biggest drawcard for traffic. A lot argue those readers are too fleeting – and it’s true of some. However, there are others who become regular readers. Without those giveaways, they would never have come to the blog in the first place. I’m also conscious of aligning myself with reputable (ie highly regarded and trustworthy) companies and those that are a good fit for my blog.
It’s not just about the giveaways, but also the reviews attached to them. “Review’’ and “how to’’ are two of the most commonly searched words on Google. Which leads me to my next point.
Search engines optimisation (SEO):
One afternoon, when Ella and I were looking for something to do, we decided to build a doll’s house. Unfortunately, the only box we had was a beer carton. That post still receives a strong number of hits per day via Google. I can just imagine how disappointed those people are when they finally arrive at the post.
I’ve also been a strong advocate for The Wonder Weeks book, which recognises the developmental leaps babies go through every few months – aka, when your baby turns feral. I mean, fussy. I’m now on the front page of Google for the book and get 2-5 hits per day. I’ve had emails from readers saying they are now loyal readers after discovering TLP via those search words. These aren’t posts that garner huge comments on traffic on the day of posting, but they’re a consistent performer over the long term.
YouTube
Which brings me to the second biggest search engine – YouTube. A video of Baby Holly having a giggling fit got 6500 hits, because it was coincidentally timed with a similar clip promoted in the mainstream media. We’re now doing a series of videos of Ella teaching me Auslan sign language. It’s simple things like this that build trust with readers. I could tell you she can do Auslan, but would you believe me? If I show you, then there’s no disputing it. YouTube is still trial and error in terms of driving traffic to our blog though.
Memes or blog hops:
It has taken a while to find the memes that fit best with the blog. However, the ones I’m now attached to (including co-hosting a giveaway linky with Tina Gray) has increased traffic and comments. Again, it’s attracting bloggers and readers who may not have ordinarily come to the blog in the first place. And, in turn, it’s allowed me to “meet’’ bloggers who I wouldn’t have discovered without the meme.
Clickable headlines:
I’m not always successful with this one, but for example I have some exciting news… was a headline people couldn’t help but click on. Curiosity killed the cat and all that. A Mother’s Heartache pulls at any mother’s natural instinct to help others. Then there was The Bloke in The Shed’s Bras are for boobs. Now, what on earth could that be about? However, don’t overpromise in your headline and under deliver in your content, or you’ll lose your readers trust very quickly.
Be personable:
People now know me and my family. I use our names and show photos of us. Not everyone is comfortable with that, but it’s helped people feel part of our family and I love that connection.
So there you have it. That’s how I’ve been able to build my blog. Oh, and I should mention I comment on other blogs like there’s no tomorrow, aim to have entertaining or informative content EVERY day and participate in social media – Facebook, Twitter and Google+. And The Bloke in The Shed would be grumpy if I didn’t mention that having a dad regularly posting on the site helps too (according to him!).
Oh, just incase you were wondering what Baby Holly was doing during my speech, here she is.
Mrs Marsh and Baby Holly
Yes, being nursed by THE Colgate lady Mrs Marsh.
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THE nappy bag I started this motherhood journey with became less than practical once Baby Holly (aka Baby No. 2) came along. Big. Bulky. Over flowing. And it was always impossible to find anything. I always looked like a draught horse dragging along a pack. No wonder those horses always look so miserable.
So I did what many mums do and opted for a kids backpack. A lurid pink backpack with green, blue and white spots. Yes, it’s fair to say it didn’t match my shoes. Or anything else, for that matter. So when this arrived:
My Zeppelin carrier from Vanchi
I felt like a Paris mum – not that I have any real idea what that would really feel like. But I can imagine. You see, this gorgeous Zeppelin Carrier is part of Vanchi’s designer nappy bag range, aimed at style savvy mums. OK, so I’m not style savvy, but I’ve been known to fake it ’til you make it.
There is one problem with the bag – it’s become rather popular in this house.
Princess Ella modelling my Vanchi bag.
Princess Ella didn’t just want one photo of herself posing with it, but a string of them.
Again……and again! OK, that's enough now.
There was some major disappointment in our house when she learnt she would have to go without it for two days while I was in Sydney. My trip to the big smoke with Baby Holly was how I was going to put this bag to the test. Would it be practical enough?
It was that and so much more. Just before boarding our flight, when I was told that unfortunately I hadn’t checked my baby in (oh dear – too focused on my bag maybe?), I at least looked rather stylish as I stood waiting for the hierarchy to give my baby permission to board. What else was I going to do? Leave her at the airport?
While on the plane, I was able to whip out a dummy from the dummy safe to appease the non-parent travellers, put some used wet wipes into the wetpack (non-stinky ones, I might add) and find a toy inside the removable mummy pouch – all without spending hours searching the bottom of the bag. And the bag fitted neatly under the seat in front of me (because I hate trying to get bags into those overhead lockers. Something to do with being only 150cm tall).
The contents.
The leather-look Zeppelin bag features:
Matching dummy safe
Bottle holder with insulated lining
PVC wetpack for soiled or wet items
Large change mat with waterproof lining
Optional pram strap
Key clip
A removable mummy pouch
Multiple pocket options
And this:
The cute dummy charm.
A cute signature dummy charm that’s attached to every Vanchi bag. It also has a waterproof lining, full length zippered closure and metal feet to protect it from wear and tear.
It’s seriously hard to pick faults. The only thing I could possibly suggest is a designated mobile phone pocket, as the inside pockets are rather large.
The only other problem I faced was trying to choose which Vanchi product I wanted. I challenge you to pick just one. So if you’re looking for something with a little bit more class and style, then I honestly can’t rate Vanchi highly enough.
Even better, Vanchi was started by Aussie mum Sarah Van Bentum after a surprise twin pregnancy in 2005 and a timely gap in the market. A certain percentage of all Vanchi products go directly towards Child Rescue, a division of World Vision working to combat child slavery. To learn more about Vanchi, visit www.vanchi.com.au and I recommend liking their Facebook page so you never miss out on news and giveaways.
A far more stylish photo of the bag.
To go in the draw to win a $150 Vanchi gift certificate, simply tell us which Vanchi product you would love to own. The giveaway closes Sunday,, August 21 at 7pm and a winner will be drawnrandomly and announced on this blog and via Facebook and Twitter. Australian residents only. Limit of three entries.
Want extra 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’’.
MONTH NINE: I had such high hopes I wouldn’t need to write this month’s Sleep Challenge. Unfortunately, my month has been plagued with teething and developmental leaps. Yes, just call me lucky, I guess.
