Things I Have Learnt About Myself

Since becoming a Mummy I think I have finally found my identity. I have definately learnt alot about myself in such a short space of time.

- I am A Complete Worry Wart
Before becoming a Mummy I didn't really worry about much, not consciously anyway and if I did it was probably about pointless things anyway. Now I worry about everything. Is Scarlett too hot? Too cold? Is she being sick because she has over eaten or because she is poorly? Is she getting enough milk now that shes started sleeping through the night? If she sleeps for too long, is she still breathing? Am I doing this right? Is this hurting her? Everything that I could possibly worry about - I do!

- I Can Show My Feelings
Well it's more like I do show my feelings as I don't really have a choice because when it comes to Scarlett I cannot help but express my feelings otherwise they would simply overwhelm me and I would explode!! My family have also said that I am a lot nicer person (not that I was horrible) since having Scarlett as I am more compassionate and thoughtful. The saying is true, 'you don't know what love is until you have a child of your own!'

Taken from pinterest

- It's Okay To Ask For Help
I've never really liked asking for help, I guess I'm stubborn. But since having Scarlett I've learnt to ask for help, mainly due to my worrying! I'll ask my Mum's thoughts on something that is worrying me and usually she makes me see it clearer. If I need to get ready but Scarlett is unsettled I'll ask my Mum to watch her whilst I shower. Life is a lot easier if you ask for help!

- I'm Stronger Than I Think
Being a new parent is hard. You are faced with all these new, different and unusual things and it is hard to adjust. You will resent your old life and sometimes you will feel like your not up to the challenge, but you are! Everything happens for a reason and you have been blessed with a baby because your baby needs you! When Scarlett smiles at me, it makes everything worth it and it gives me a reason to continue doing what I'm doing!

#MummyEssentialProject | Week Two:Clothing

It is the second week of Mummy's Essentials by 'Mummy Bloggers' and it focuses on the essential clothing items for your little one.

- Sizes
For some reason we thought we were going to have a big baby so did not go mad on newborn sized clothes, we brought mostly 0-3 months, with a few up to 1 month. However she was born at 7lb 10oz so the outfits we took to the hospital swamped her! We were very lucky though as family brought her newborn clothes the day she was born so we had clothes to dress her in and they obviously I enjoyed shopping for yet more clothes! I would recommend getting a few of the essentials (bodysuits and sleepsuits) in newborn, up to 1 month and 0-3 months. Scarlett has only just started wearing 0-3 month clothes and shes over 2 months old!

-Weather
I would recommend thinking about the time of year it is when your baby is due as I brought a snowsuit in both newborn and 0-3 months. We only used her snowsuit a few times when she was first born, once being when she came home from the hospital and she probably won't get any wear out of her 0-3 months (if the weather remains nice).







- Bodysuits
I swear by these. Scarlett wears one under every outfit, whether that be a sleepsuit or a dress because I don't want her to get a chill on her mid-drift. They also look very comfortable and will stop any uncomfortable clothing irritating her skin. She has mostly white vests (although I was tempted to buy all pretty colours) as it is practical and can be worn under anything.

-Sleepsuits
I think comfort is one of the main things to consider when dressing your baby. Scarlett spent her first few weeks in sleepsuits or comfortable trousers and a top. They don't have to look boring either. We got plain sleepsuits for her to sleep in and pretty sleepsuits for her to wear during the day. (You can see my post on my favourite sleepsuits here.) Sleepsuits are practical as well as comfortable as you don't have to take them off to change a nappy (and you have to do lots of them with a newborn) so again I would recommend getting a few in each size.

- Hats, Socks and Scratchmittens
We went slightly overboard with hats because we brought some and then lots of her sleepsuits came with a matching hat. However we only used a hat for the first few days as they now don't recommend your baby wearing them indoors. We did use a hat when we went out though to keep her head warm but you could probably get away with only having 3. Alot of her hats are not going to get any use because we are going into summer so she will need a sun hat.
Socks are a must have thought if you plan on dressing your baby in outfits as there feet are one of the places they lose the most heat.
Again we went slightly overboard with scratchmittens because everywhere you look they are written in essential lists. We got some tiny ones and some larger ones so that we definately had some that would fit her. However we used them for the first few days and then the Health Visitor said its very good for babies to feel things as they wave their hands around so we stopped using them apart from at night because her little hands got cold. Somehow she managed to take them off at night so we stopped using them at night too! Also alot of sleepsuits these days have built in scratchmittens.

Gap Haul

We visited Windsor on bank holiday Monday (you can see this post here) and GAP had 30% off which ended that day, so obviously I just had to have a look. There clothes are just so cute! I would of brought the whole of the baby section if I could but I managed to limited myself to 5 items! I thought I would share them with you.

 

 

Top left to bottom right:

 

Star Flutter Dress usually £12.95 but I paid £9.06

Paddington Bear for Gap Pleat Top was in the sale for £8.99

Lace Trim Leggings in Calypso Coral usually £6.95 but I paid £3.50

Balloon Graphic Bodysuit usually £6.95 but I paid £3.50

Dot Print Logo Pant usually £8.95 but I paid £6.26

 

I cannot wait to dress Scarlett in these outfits, she is definately a Gap baby! They are just the cutest and I even saved myself £13.48. What do you think?



Todays Thoughts

Whilst sitting on the sofa this morning watching Lorraine, Scarlett snoozing next to me, it dawned on me just how much my life has changed in the last year.

James and I have been together for 6 years, 7 in August, but in the last year we have achieved more than we did in those 6 years.

- We Moved Out
A year ago, on the 4th May 2013 (I will always remember that date, 'May the 4th be with you!'), we finally moved in with eachother in our own little flat. It was perfect for us and we were finally moving forward in our relationship! It was so lovely coming home to James everynight after work, although I missed my Mum so bad.

- We Were Pregnant
Now I can't remember the exact date (I wish I could) but just after my 21st birthday in June, we found out we were pregnant!! It was such a shock because I didn't plan to get pregnant so soon, but I would not change it for the world. I had not long been promoted to Assistant Manager at work and I felt like I was letting people down. But once I got over the initial shock I felt this instant feeling of love and I just knew this was going to be the only thing that mattered to me! I had a tiny human growing inside of me and I could not be happier. I struggled to get used to being pregnant at first, so would hide my bump under scarfs etc. It wasn't until the end of my pregnancy that I finally embraced my bump! If it wasn't for the bump you wouldn't of even known I was pregnant. I had such a lovely pregnancy, apart from SPD, and can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed it and missed it once she was here!

- James Proposed
I remember James saying we should get married before the baby was due, but I managed to talk him down (I didn't want a rushed wedding as I only plan on marrying once and want it to be perfect). After all we weren't even engaged!
Then on our 6 year anniversary James took me to London for the day and we visited all of my favourite places. It's all a bit of a blur but whilst walking through Green Park we sat on a log to admire the views and next think I know James was down on one knee infront of me, a simply beautiful ring glistening in the sun! I honestly could not tell you what he said, but I said "YES!" and hugged him so tight. I was engaged to my best friend!!!

- Our Baby Was Born
On 2nd March 2014 (12 days overdue!) our beautiful baby girl, Scarlett Jane, was born! Our little family was complete (for now) and I felt feelings I didn't even know were possible! That day I believe I was born too. From that day on I was going to spend every day loving my baby with all my heart.

Before Scarlett I wasn't really passionate about anything. I felt that my life was made up of going to work, coming home, going to bed, getting up and doing it all again! Now my life has a purpose and a direction.



Our little family <3

Scarlett: 2 Month Update

Yesterday was Scarlett's 2 month birthday! It seems like just yesterday she made our family and I honestly don't know what I did with all my time before she came along. Yesterday was very busy (hence not having time to do this blog yesterday) as it was also my Nana's birthday, so we went to her home to give her all of her presents!

Weight

I had her weighed on Tuesday when she was 8+2 weeks and she weighed 11lb 4.5oz! She was 10 lb 8.5oz when I had her weighed two weeks previously.

Eating

She is on Cow & Gate First Infant Milk with size 1 teats. We make up 5oz bottles and sometimes she finishes these, but she usually drinks between 3oz and 5oz, every between 3 and 5 hours, dependent on how she feels. Sometimes she has hungrier days than others.

Sizes

I have finally had to admit that she has grown out of her newborn clothes and up to 1 month is getting a bit snug too! However 0-3 months seems to drown her so we just have to try a million outfits on her before we find one that looks as though it may kind of fit! She is still in size 1 nappies, although I doubt that will be the case for much longer.

Daily

We don't really have a daytime routine as she wakes at different times, and she is still young. So we just take the daytime as it comes, but usually she feeds between every 3 to 5 hours (normally 4) and just sleeps as and when she wants too! She enjoys being outdoors and having lots to look at.

Sleep

We seem to have got into a good bedtime routine which consists of bathtime (every other day) half an hour before her last feed, which she loves, and then feed, sleeping bag and bed! Lately she has started sleeping from her last feed (between 9pm and 11pm) until about 5am - 7am and then feeding and going back to sleep! This makes for a happy Mumma!

2 months old

Yet More Baby Clothes

So since Scarlett has been here, I am constantly browsing and buying baby clothes! Every shop I go in I head straight to the baby section. She is 7 weeks old and already she has a wardrobe FULL (and I mean full) of clothes and 3 draws!! She probably has more clothes than Mumma and Daddy put together!

Well yesterday I popped into town as my Mummy had to return a few things, I had in mind the things I needed and my plan was to just get them! Needless to say, I brought more baby clothes. I just cannot resist!

Now I'm not usually a fan of Primark baby clothes but yesterday I got two of the cutest outfits to add to Scarlett's summer wardrobe! All we need now is a bit of sun.

I saw these outfits and I just had to have them and for £13 for both outfits, you cannot go wrong!

However Next is just the best place for baby clothes. Sometimes it can seem very expensive (especially as babies grow so quick) but you can pick up a bargain and it is good quality.

The sleepsuits were one of the first pink things brought, from Nanna, for Scarlett when she was born (as we kept her sex a surprise). I was so sad when she grew out of them, quite quickly, so I rebrought them in size 0-3 so hopefully she will get more wear out of them! They are quite pricey for sleepsuits, at £16, but there detail is beautiful and make lovely daytime outfits. You can buy these sleepsuits here.

I fell in love with this 2 pack of leggings (you can buy these here) as I love to dress Scarlett up but also want her to be comfortable. They were just £7.50 for 2 pairs and they can be worn with anything. Saying that I HAD to buy tops to complete the outfit and I found this 2 pack of t-shirts (which I already have the matching hairbands, so they were perfect!) for just £10. You can buy them here. Then obviously the frilly socks were just a must have, as she can wear them with her pretty dresses in the summer! They were just £5 for 3 pairs and can be brought here.

So all of this came to £38.50 for 5 outfits (which is not bad), but I only had to pay £13.50 as I had a £25 pre-paid visa, which had been brought for me by one of the parents at work before I went on maternity leave! So all in all an absolute bargain!

All Smiles :)

Scarlett is 8 weeks old on Sunday, where does the time go?! Everyone always says "make the most of it, they grow so quickly!" and you just think seriously how quickly can they grow? But as the saying goes, time flys when your having fun! I cannot believe that 8 weeks ago we started a new chapter in our lives and became a family, but I also feel like she has always been a part of our life.

She gave us her first proper little smile, not caused by wind!, at about 5 weeks old. We tried so hard for weeks to catch it on camera, only to fail miserably :(. Now we cannot stop her from smiling and I'm telling you, she plays up more for the camera!!

When she smiles, it simply makes my day as her whole face lights up and I feel like it is a genuine happy smile! She has even begun gurgling and making her own little noises. This is the reason I take way too many photos and constantly video her (even though I have to admit I was pretty camera happy before now!).

'A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give.' - Laurel Atherton