Shining blue eyes

How is everyone doing? Slowly going crazy? Living in pjs?

Well, hopefully this post will cheer you up!

I have decided to do something different with this post. Instead of rabbiting on about the lockdown. I will be discussing and reviewing some of our favourite toys!

Our house has turned from a grown up(ish) house to a kids house. Toys are scattered over a rug and floor. Toys are disappearing into the mouth of our our sofa not to be seen until we hoover. Sounds like a lot of homes right?

We have toys a plenty! James was very spoiled for his 1st Christmas and was given toys that he can play with for when he is older (to be honest we completely forgot about them until now)!

Before I start I should point out that this is not endorsing any of the products I will mention.

So here are some of our favourites!

Sean’s choice

Sean and James both enjoy playing with a set of Mula beakers from Ikea. Both like them for different reasons! Sean likes building the tower whilst James likes knocking them down (as shown in the photo above). The colours are bright and have different textures. It helps James’ fine motor skills and eye and hand coordination. This is one of the toys James can throw and kick around the living room. You can build the towers in two ways which we are trying to teach James. In fact, he can build a tower exactly like the one above! Obviously, when James builds a tower we have to clap enthusiastically.

We also use the beakers in water time with James. As they have holes in most of the beakers, so when you scoop up the water it will flow out from the holes. However, James doesn’t do this, instead, he will throw the beaker and the water splashes everywhere!

My choice

Both James and I like playing with Melissa and Doug ABC/123 blocks wooden blocks. Again for different reasons! I simply love wooden toys, I mean who doesn’t? These wooden blocks are bright and great fun to play match with. I have been showing James and telling James different colours. Both the blocks and the beakers are great for this. I have also been teaching James numbers and using the blocks are a great way to show them to him. I have also been using the blocks to build a tower. James is able to copy me and put a block on top of each other. This also helps with his fine motor skills too. I should also mention it comes with a bag so you can put all your blocks in it.

James loves throwing the blocks ( as much as I tell him not to) and loves hitting them together making a noise. James also likes to attempt to chew them. This is great for him just now while he is teething.

Before I announce James’ favourite toy. He has an honourable mention…

The ball pool! Every parents nightmare! Balls flying everywhere and balls ending up in the weirdest of all places. James loves playing in the ball pool and of course likes throwing the balls sometimes at me and Sean. He also likes it as we sing nursery rhymes to him in the pool such as “jelly on the plate” and “zoom zoom zoom”. James also likes throwing some balls usually green and red (don’t know why) onto a chair. We can spend a lot of time playing with the pool and share priceless moments.

James’ choice

As you have gathered James loves throwing toys be it beakers, blocks or balls. So his choice is obvious! The v-tech 2in 1 sports centre. Kick a goal or throw a hoop! Let’s be honest here, James will not be as tall as a basketball star so he can make the most of it being able to reach this hoop! He can play with it for a long time, even by pressing the buttons. It does come with two balls, one football and the other basketball much to his delight! So James can throw and kick the balls as much as he wants, occasionally aiming for the net and hoop! He can spend a long time playing with it. However, I must worn you that it is noisy – so noisy that you will need to stop talking as won’t be able to hear yourself think. Also the tunes from it are so damn catchy!

What are your kids favourite toys? What do you like playing your kids/grandchildren?

Let me know in the comments!

Hope everyone is well and enjoys playing with the toys.

💖

Help! I think is every parents thought when they hear that their own precious little one has began leap 10.

What is leap 10?

Leap 10 begins when your little one is 75 weeks after their due date roughly around 18 months. Your little one is more fussy and cranky and constantly wanting your undivided attention. This is where we are at with James. Our little James who loves dancing and singing. Has grown up a wee bit more but into a younger version of a teenager!

In Sean’s words he has turned into Kevin and Perry. He answers back to us when we are telling him off and goes into a sulk. The only thing he doesn’t do is swearing but he babbles a lot so he might be in his own unique way.

We now have to think of different ways to get through this leap. Or mainly survive this frustrating leap. I do hope this is not what he will be like when he will eventually be a teenager.

I am still researching this leap to find out what we can do and what he might be expecting from us. So if you have any suggestions let me know or leave a tip in the comments!

The worse thing is James is teething at the same time. So with this coupled with him being in pain it can be more difficult to handle his fussiness.

James has been more fussy at tea times. Just sitting in his high chair and casually playing with his food. I know with teething they don’t eat much but it can be hard to handle this. For example, I feel so frustrated and worried. I am worried that he is not getting a nutritious and varied diet. I am also worried that he is not getting enough calories. I do make him lovely meals but he doesn’t seem interested. He eats with us and has the same meal. We make him feel included. Yet, today he hasn’t ate as much as he did earlier this week. I feel I am getting to the end of my tether!

I do think he senses my frustration at him. This does make me feel annoyed at myself. I love my son unconditionally but I am looking out for him and want him to have a good start in life. I want him to eat healthy meals at the right times. I want him to go to sleep at the right time. I simply want him to be safe and healthy. Isn’t that what all mums want?

For me, this leap is the hardest on me mentally. However, I do wonder if it is because it coincides with the lockdown. As we are not getting out to soft plays for him to run around and throw balls. I am not able to get an occasional coffee (or three) from a certain coffee shop! It makes me more frustrated and more anxious than ever.

So whenever, I am off work I aim to get out for a walk with my boys. As I do feel so much better when I get home and refreshed. Feeling less anxious and frustrated. As I can talk to Sean about my worries and James gets a lot of stimulus and occasionally falls asleep. We do let him walk when we are out for a walk but because he wants us more than ever we either have to use the trike or the pram. Especially when it is windy.

Leap 10 should really be called the teenager leap or terrible 2s leap. Is James always going to be like this? Will James start saying “ that is SO unfair”!

So please give me some insight into what to expect.

Hope everyone is coping well with the lockdown.

Stay safe and well.

💖

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Teething, the word that many parents shake at the sound of. My son has got many teeth coming in at the same time. Some of them being molars 😣

It really doesn’t get any easier for us parents eh? Many babies teeth differently. James teethed in a weird way with his two lateral incisors first then his central incisors. We did get it checked out with the dentist and they were fine with his teething that way. Even though it is pretty unusual!

I sympathise for our little ones, I really do. The amount of pain that they suffer must be unbearable for them. No wonder they chew on hard toys and hard food. For James I use the Ashton and Parsons infant powder. James will accept it from a spoon with no issues. He would even lick the spoon clean. I give it to him once a day sometimes twice depending on how hard he bites down on some of his toys. I notice that it works quite quickly for him and he is not as cranky as before. So if your little one is starting to teeth I would most definitely recommend the infant powder.

We also use cooling teething ring which are always kept in a bag in the fridge so it’s not too cold for him. These sometimes work for a minute, as James will just throw the ring onto the floor and forget about it. I do think the rings give him an instant cooling sensation. However, it may be too cold for him? I won’t have an answer for this, until he talks and tells me. So I guess it’s trial and error for us.

We do have a toy that James loves and is great for him to bite down. He has had it since he was younger and is one of his favourite toys! Mainly (I think ) because it rattles and when he throws it, it makes a noise. More so, I think it’s so hard that he likes it as it’s hard and probably because it feels good on his gums.

At night, for us is the worst. Mainly because James is not as distracted as he is throughout the day. So he is more gurney and I think in more pain. In fact, last night he was up every two hours! Not because he was hungry but he was sore and looked for comfort from me. So, as you can imagine I was shattered this morning. Through the night because he was in quite a bit of pain I gave him some Nurofen to help him with his pain. This worked to some effect but he was still sore. I tried massaging the outside of his jaw which surprisingly made him fall asleep!

I felt so sorry for him. I wished I could help him feel better and get over the pain. There is nothing worse than watching your little one(s) in pain and you have done everything you can possibly do. You give them some form of painkiller or teething gel and hope it has the desirable effect.

When he woke up this morning he was in a great mood ( I wasn’t) and was not showing any signs of pain. Instead he wanted to play tumble time with me at 7 in the morning!

What no one emphasised to us when teething was the volume of drool coming from their little ones. We did use bibs for James that he somehow turned into capes! Some of them worked wonders especially the Nuby bibs with a teether with the chew section on them. James particularly liked chewing them and they coped with his masses of drool too.

• 

We are extremely lucky that he hasn’t had any rashes from his drool. I am not sure how! We don’t incessantly clean his chin with he drools or wipe his chin (should we?) we just let his drool flow down to his bib.

Being a new mum means we are tested to the limit. I have never felt this until today. Not having much sleep and being constantly worried if James is in pain is tiring and frustrating. I do hope that I am doing the right thing for him.

So what are your teething tips? Any help and advise would be greatly appreciated!

I hope you are all safe and well.

💖

Parents either love it or hate it. For us we love it. James now runs to us for his bath. However, he wasn’t always like that!

When he was a month old he was great. We bought a baby bath for him before he was born so we used it for him. He loved it. When we held him on his front he was kicking his legs like he was practicing swimming. We continued to bath him the way we were taught in the hospital up until the point he got fed up of it and was showing that he wanted to bathe his own way.

We did let him lie in a small amount of water with me holding his back to give him the sense of support and feeling safe. He loved it so much that he was kicking to his delight! Splashing us in the process. When we were away on holiday I showed my mum our process of bathing. She was laughing so much at him kicking. I don’t know what she did expect to see from him in the bath. It certainly wasn’t him kicking like he was Michael Flatley!

It wasn’t until he was able to sit up unaided that we decided to try him in the bath, without one of us holding him. However, you can probably guess that I was anxious about it. So what did I do? I joined him (cue gasp)!

Yes, I know it’s weird. However, in the end it worked for us! Initially James found it weird and would cry straight away when we put him in the water. I always checked the water was at the right temperature, the old fashioned way, with my elbow. However, it wasn’t the temperature.

We weren’t sure what caused him to be so upset at bath time. I always checked the water was at the same level for every bath. We followed the same process like we did before. So we had to have a good think.

Maybe he was bored? As he was 6 months. Babies need stimulus and perhaps we weren’t giving him enough. We were too focused on bathing him. So we got out the bath toys (don’t know why we didn’t use them in the first place)! James loved them at first as he would chew them, which was great when he was teething. However, he soon got bored with them. So he would simply throw them out of the bath!

So I came up with singing nursery rhymes to him and incorporating hand actions with him. James likes music so he loved it. Again, I don’t why I didn’t think of it sooner! I sang to him some of his favourite rhymes to make bathing more enjoyable for him. James is a big fan of Twinkle twinkle little star so I always sang this last to him. James is now able to do the hand actions to it!

But one thing James didn’t like about bath time is the dreaded hair wash! He would move his head so he didn’t get a thorough hair wash and water would go anywhere. It wasn’t until recently we discovered his love for Baby shark. Yes, we managed to avoid it for over 14 months! So using the tune I wash his hair. It is so catchy! Singing to him the process. This made him happy to get his hair washed now. He even moves his head to the correct position for us with a huge smile on his face.

After a successful bath my husband takes James to dry him. It was so easy when he was a baby and didn’t move much. However, now he kicks and arches his back. Making it more difficult to dry him. What’s worse is James laughs thinking this is fun. So I end up laughing which makes my husband annoyed (sorry). As you can imagine, it makes it hard for him to get James’ nappy on.

Eventually , after James gets dried and his nappy is on. He gets cream applied. We use Child Farm. We used a couple of creams in the past as James has dry and sensitive skin. However, they didn’t work. So we used Child Farm and after a few days it worked. James’ skin is soft and he has had no rashes since the switch! I would definitely recommend their cream as it really has worked wonders for us!

After the cream is applied to him we try and I mean try! To get James to allow us to put his pjs on! With James discovering how flexible he can be, it is proving very difficult, to get his pjs on. As he would roll away to avoid getting his top on. So sometime we need to double tag him. With one of us distracting him whilst the other gets his top on.

Bath time is definitely not for the faint hearted with James! However, the more fun I make it he will respond by letting us do more.

Tell me your bath time tips!

I hope everyone is safe and well. 💖

Hi everyone! First of all what a crazy time it’s been for us all. Part of me thinks we are all having the same nightmare. Alas, we are not.

We are told to stay in to stay safe. However, many people are still going out ignoring social distancing. It’s not rocket science! We are allowed to go out to exercise once a day so me and my family go out for a walk.

We love going out for walks. Especially in this season and over winter (when it’s not so cold). We put on our warm coats and hats. Even though James doesn’t he like his hat on and tries so much to take his off! James loves going outside. When I tell him we are going out he will run to me so I can put on his coat.

Going out for a walk as a family brings us closer. With no tv or music on we can just talk to each other.

We can also show and describe James animals and nature. I believe this helps him with building his vocabulary and developing some of his senses. We ask James if he can hear the dog bark. He does respond by saying yes! He also touched (before the virus) objects whilst I described the texture to him. He liked to touch some smooth shiny leaves that are in the park nearby. I made sure he didn’t put anything into his mouth. We talk to James and ask him is he can see the trees and describe them to him. Look James there’s a leafy tree (channelling my Phoebe from friends there)! Look James that is a blossom tree (my favourite tree).

However, what James and I love finding and watching the most are dogs! James even tries to say dog, by saying Do! He has some confidence to pat a dog, with the owners permission. He simply loves them. So we are trying to persuade my other half to get a dog!

Wind! Probably James’ favourite element. He laughs and is in awe when it is very windy. So when we go out for a walk he has a huge smile on his cheeky face and laughs. His blonde hair gets blown about and fluffs up!

As James is getting older (he turned 16 months on Monday) I am making walks more fun for him. So I am developing a scavenger hunt for us. Many people have created scavenger hunts for toddlers and children and you can find on Pinterest and instagram. However, I think it’s more fun if you make them. I am also including a list to get a collection of photos as well. So here is my scavenger list!

• Pine cones
• Green leaf
• Brown leaf
• Twig
• Some sort of berry
• Acorn
• Conkers
• Yellow petal
• Purple petal
• White petal
• Sticky willow
• Photo with daffodils
• Photo with a leafy tree
• Photo in a pile of leaves
• Photo with a dog (if allowed)
• Photo with snowdrops
• Photo with bluebells
• Photo in the snow
• Photo of a puddle

There is probably more to add as time goes on. We have started the list this week, so I am looking forward to completing it.

As the country is in lock down everybody is anxious and tense, which is completely understandable. I get it. However, coming back from a walk in the cool fresh air I feel relaxed and calm (with a lot of ideas running through my head)!

We go out for a walks around the village where we live. It’s great as we see new dogs that we have never seen before! Today we saw a basset hound which I think James likes. So I am slowly introducing the names of the different species of dogs to him.

Before the lockdown we loved going out for a walks. Our favourite walk is Blackness in West Lothian, was even in used in Outlander! When Sean and I were dating, many moons ago, I took him to Blackness for our second date. That’s when he fell in love with it (he hadn’t been there)! I mean who wouldn’t? It’s right beside the river forth so you can get the smell of the sea and is part of the Hopetoun estate where you can walk in the woods. So best of both worlds. Sean and I both simply get lost in the environment there. It’s beautiful. We can’t wait to take James there together.

Another place that we like walking around is Beecraigs Country Park outside Linlithgow. Not only does it have an amazing park. Also can’t wait to take James to it! The walks there are amazing with paths for the prams so that our little ones can gaze up at the trees. Sean and I went one day and nearly got lost! Even though we can’t go there just now, I would highly recommend it, especially in the summer!

James’ favourite walk is at Portobello beach, Edinburgh, or as I like to call it the dog capital. Did I say James loves dogs? The sea air and the many, many dogs makes this his favourite walk by far! The beach is amazing and we can’t wait to go there in the summer with his bucket and spade!

I hope everyone stays safe and are well. 💖

What a horrible and scary time we are going through!

Everyone and I mean everyone is scared. Adults are panic buying (I don’t understand why they need a lot of toilet roll). Buying in bulk maybe for themselves or maybe for others. We can’t always assume. However, it’s scary.

What is even more scary is that no one knows what is happening. Scientists are working around the clock to analyse the virus and find a cure. However, everyone is uncertain about the future. We look to our governments for reassurance but yet we don’t feel fulfilled with their knowledge. We rely heavily on others when we are out of control or unable to get out.

So with this all in mind. I will be focusing this post on some of our favourite activities that we have been doing with James.

One of my favourite activities is painting with James. Yes, it causes a lot of mess but what is an activity without mess? I just love watching James grabbing hold of a sponge and placing it wherever he likes onto a piece of card. I like to talk to him introducing to some of the colours. I also try (albeit with little success) to paint his hand or foot and make a print. He then just finger paints whilst folding card or examining his work. We only do this for about 10 minutes as he gets frustrated but he does look like he is enjoying it.

Sean’s favourite activity is chasing him/racing him. James loves running around out place. Usually shouting at the top of his lungs (I dread to think what the neighbours are thinking)! I am usually and predictably anxious when he runs as he occasionally trips and hits his head in some spectacular way. Leaving a close to a resemblance of a Harry Potter scar. Whereas, Sean loves running with James. Especially when they start a race. James shouts go, go, go! I blame Thomas the tank engines Big world, Big world adventure! James burns a lot of energy running around especially when he runs rounds obstacles (our dining room table). However, you would think this would be James’ favourite but it is not!

James’ favourite activity at this moment in time is dancing to some of his favourite music. Now, I say music but it is music in some strange forms! The other day I was walking with him, down the high street in Linlithgow and there was a lorry reversing. Now, you know the beeping noise it makes? Well, James decided to stop and danced to it swaying from side to side! He is a cute but bizarre baby! He also loves theme tunes like Parks and Recreation, Neighbours and The Big Bang theory. However, the one song he loves the most and even sings aaah to is Into the Unknown from Frozen 2. He even loves the Oscar performance too. It’s so cute yet, hilarious.

What are your favourite activities? Let me know in the comments and I will try them out. As there is so much more for us try out!

I have also decided to put a video of James singing to his favourite song. Hope you all enjoy!

I hope everyone is ok and stays safe 💖

It’s been a year since I started taking my son swimming! A full year!

We started swimming before he was 16 weeks old and I am so glad that we started when he was young. I wanted to start him ever since I heard of swimming classes for babies to toddlers. I did not know they existed. So I asked a close friend who recommended Turtle Tots. They teach from 12 weeks to 4 years old. This I found amazing! I thought this would help him progress in swimming and help him become water confident. These are very important to me. For various reasons.

So I jumped at the chance to ask if they had space in a class for us to join. Luckily, they did have an available class for us that was close by and at a suitable time, which worked round his nap schedule. I was so excited!

However, in the lead up to his first class I became hesitant. Am I starting him too young? Am I doing the right thing? Those thoughts were racing round my head. Probably every mum has these thoughts, right?

So I started doing some research, on when to start swimming for babies. Surprisingly, I found out babies can go swimming from any age! Fun fact Rebecca Adlington took her baby at 3 and a half weeks old! Even the NHS guidelines have stated that they don’t need to have their first immunisations. However, I waited as I was/am an anxious mum.

I also had to wait because I had a c-section so I needed to get the all clear. Luckily, my recovery went well even though I had to slow down at times!

When doing my research it made me feel more confident in my (well our) decision to start James swimming. As it will help him to avoid any traumatic experiences. As I even remember falling into a fish pond when I was a kid at a restaurant and my dad had to jump in to get me. I still remember seeing him jump in for me. I was so scared and terrified. I wasn’t confident in the water and wasn’t sure what to do. I feel so lucky that my dad rushed to get me. Even though he didn’t have a change of clothes and had to wear my mums leggings! So now I am not a big fan of fish ponds (I don’t even know how I managed to swim with sharks at deep sea world)! Now, that fish pond is no longer there and is now a park! Even thinking about it gives me the chills! This made me more determined to start James in swimming classes, as I don’t want James to go through the same situation as me.

So what else did I have to worry about?

One extra thing I was worried about was what would James be like in a pool? I was worried that James wouldn’t enjoy his class or even the water. So we started giving him baths more often to get him used to water, to get him used to the sensation of it on his skin. We started to put some water on his head so he won’t get a fright when his head accidentally goes under water. I think being worried about your baby not liking a class is probably a natural worry. Especially, when it is something completely different that they haven’t tried before. Also when you don’t have much experience. This puts a lot of pressure on the first class. Building up a lot of hope that your little one will enjoy and you are worried for no reason at all. I am a big worrier so I worried about everything and anything I could think of, for taking James swimming.

I was also worried about his safety. However, his classes teach him how to jump in the pool and what to do at an early age. This gave me a lot of reassurance. Especially because of that horrible experience I had! Even now James is getting used to jumping in even though I need to encourage him by shouting go, go, go! Then splash! He jumps in with a huge smile on his face! Beaming with pride.

I am still taking him swimming every Friday for his own confidence and also for mine! James has amazing swimming teachers who goes at his pace and interact with him and making it more enjoyable. Through the use of nursery rhymes, some I haven’t heard before, he has learned some skills already and helps his cognition and coordination.

It’s also even great to meet mums and even dads there. It helps builds socialisation skills for your little ones. James is slowly starting to interact with a little girl by shouting yay and smiling (he is a charmer)! This is great to watch and also allows you to interact with adults where you can both dote on your little ones and moan about the weather.

James is a very determined little boy who know what he likes and doesn’t like. Even at a young age! So I was able to see if he likes his class. He did cry for the first couple of lessons. However, after a lot of persistence on my part and having great swim teachers James became more interested and interacted more and more. He even claps at the end of some activities and is probably the most enthusiastic toddler in the pool!

In hindsight, it was probably the best decision we made! Watching him grow in confidence both in and out of water is amazing! So if you are thinking of taking them swimming, do it!

💖

Milestones. The one word that mums and dads are constantly thinking of, whether their child has reached them.

For me, I always check what the milestones are when he gets older. I really shouldn’t be doing this but I do!

It’s a constant worry. Especially when your little one doesn’t reach them. You worry, why they haven’t and try to help them no matter what. You worry that other people will judge you and your parenting skills. You worry that there could be an underlying cause for the late development. But, I want to reassure you all, to not worry!

Parents and even grandparents compare your little one’s milestones. So game on! A competition starts to brew. A little bit of my child/grandchild is better than yours.

However, every child is different and progresses at their own rate. I was a late walker (around 18 months) but I am fine and normal(ish). My son was an early walker and started to say the usual words early on. I am not boasting this but wanted to show that even my son and I have developed at different rates! I have a good job and have all the necessities I need. So please don’t worry that your child walks later on.

So why do we compare milestones?

I guess we compare milestones to make sure that our little ones are progressing the right way and also seeking for some reassurance.

If your little one is a late developer then it’s sometimes good to meet someone else who is going through the same thing. It’s the reassurance that you are not alone and that your little one is fine. You will also experience the same worries and concerns. So if you are concerned it’s best to talk about it with another mum who has the same worries or your other half. Even talk about it with your health visitor (that’s what they are here for)!

However, meeting a parent whose little one hasn’t reached a certain milestone can be awkward. This can put a strain on your relationship with them. As you don’t want to be boastful that your little one has already reached it. Like I said earlier every child is different!

Some mums, including myself, will sometimes think my child is better than yours! However, do we say that? No. We need mum friends more than ever now! With all the worries in the world we need to support each other.

Sometimes we like to ask how old your babies are when they reached a milestone. Were they younger than your own? If so, how much younger?

Does it matter? To that parent comparing their own child developmental rates, it does!

That parent comparing their child’s developmental rate is mainly doing this out of love. I know this for a fact as, I am one of these parents. I want to make sure that my son is developing well. I want to make sure that my son has no underlying issues. Every parent wants the best for their child and wants their child to lead a normal(ish) life.

So if I can ask you all to take something away from this post is, to not worry too much about milestones. Every child has their own way of learning and for some this may take time! For those people who like to compare, please don’t. We need to support each other and provide reassurance.

Milestones are more of a guideline than aims!

💖

So with this week being world book week. I thought I should do a blog on books!

My family and I love sitting on the sofa close together reading books. Yes, it is hard with a 15 month old so sometimes we have to read really fast! However, there are some books that are suited for him.

It is good to read to them as it helps to build their vocabulary and is great for relationships. It also helps with their memory and gives them some valuable information as well as improving their listening skills.

I love reading to my son and watching his face when he sees a picture that he likes and even a mirror! As he likes to kiss it 🤣

In fact when I got a box of my old books back from my parents. We started to read to him when he was a bump. Every night before my husband and I went to bed, one of us would pick a book and read to him.

Ranging from Maisie the cat adventures (if you’re Scottish you will know what I am on about)! To Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh and The Gruffalo. Some of them I can even read off by heart, which is my new party trick!

I could tell he was listening as he would kick me. Either wanting me to shut up or because he was excited. He kicked so much for Maisie, that he made me think that I was having a girl and we would could her Maisie! So I suppose he was just kidding me on.

It wasn’t until that hot summer of 2018 that I started to write stories for him out in the garden, getting some inspiration. I even read some of them to him and let some of my family and friends read them. As I thought how amazing it would be for him to have a story written about him, out on adventures with a dog , which I am still waiting for!

So here are our choices!

Sean’s choice

Well, I could guess his and I was right! The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle published by Puffin.

His main reason is because he read it a lot when he was little and was his favourite then. So he loves reading it to our boy. James loves the part when the caterpillar eats through the many items of food partly because he loves poking his finger through the holes. We also count to him to help his number skills. The bright pictures attract his eyes to the book which helps him to keep still. So we can read the whole story to him in one sitting! I like this book too mainly cause the caterpillar is so cute!

My choice

I really thought about this. I like to read to him the collection of That’s not my… by Fiona Watt published by Usborne.

Ok, so I have many reasons! The pictures are bright and cute ( the puppy one especially) which he engages with. The different textures are introduced to them. As well as the adjectives which helps with their vocabulary. James goes straight to the different textures and loves the rough texture. Helping him with his motor and cognitive skills. Plus, we can read to him in one sitting. James even will look through the book by himself!

James choice

So if you follow me on Instagram you might be able to guess! He loves reading Where’s Mr Penguin? By Ingela P. Arrenhius published by Nosy Crow.

James loves pulling back the felt flaps especially at the end! As he loves the mirror, as he can see himself ( he is a vain boy). He also likes the pictures of the animals or space objects! He will sit for this book and will also look through this book by himself. So I know he likes them! We both love reading these collection of books as we love watching his enjoyment and the interaction he has with us, when he pulls the flap back.

So those are our choices at the moment. As this will most likely change when he grows up!

What are yours? Let me know in the comments!

Hope everyone has great world book day.

Cherish those moments when you read to your little ones. Even put on some voices. Don’t be afraid to act silly! 💖

I have previously spoke about how hard breastfeeding can be and how it can be hard to breastfeed in public. However, this post is an update!

My son is now 15 months old and lo and behold I have managed to continue breastfeeding! To be honest I am quite amazed I have managed to keep it going. I did not plan to keep on breastfeeding him and did not have an idea on when to stop.

However, this leads to me asking these questions. When should I stop? Do I want to stop? What will happen?

I like breastfeeding my son. I believe that it has bonded us. So do I want to stop? Kind of.

It’s a tricky situation, isn’t it?

I do want to stop so I don’t have to worry about leakage and wearing pads (sorry to the men out there)! It is embarrassing when it happens even though it is perfectly normal. I hate it when it happens. Some in very uncomfortable situations. So my face goes red, I try to hide it and make an excuse and leave.

I also want to stop so I won’t be in as much pain when I am not with him for a few hours. Imagine working for most of the day and feeling the milk build up! Your boobs start to feel heavier and you become uncomfortable. You need to fix the bra now and again and miss the time with your little person.

I know that you should express when you feel uncomfortable but that still doesn’t take away that feeling from breastfeeding.

Then your emotions build up! You may want to cry as you are in pain and also because your hormones are all over the place. Then missing your little person and wishing you were with them. Watching their milk drunk face (so cute isn’t it)! It sounds hard doesn’t it?

However, if you are like me you would worry about other tings too, like…

Should I be worried that stopping would break some of the bond we share?

I love the bond my son and I share. I know when he is hungry and know when he is tired. Yet, he also knows when I am not well and when I need a hug. It’s an unbreakable bond. I don’t think there is a good description to explain the bond between a mother and their baby. As it is a magical experience that no one can replace.

It’s a great sensation giving your little person milk. Giving them your energy and love. Knowing that they are getting antibodies and maintaining their health. It’s great that you are sharing magical moments together.

So should I be worried? I think so. I don’t know if it will break our bond. I am hoping it won’t. So hopefully someone will let me know, what to expect.

Should I be worried that stopping will be sore for me?

It is advised by NCT to reduce breastfeeding gradually to reduce engorgement and to also try and give them a milk substitute when dropping a breastfeeding meal. Luckily, for me my son likes to have water with his meals. So I can always try to give him more water and try him with milk.

So hopefully this will reduce my chances for being sore and in pain. However, I am a worrier so it will always play on my mind. It will make me feel anxious when I do stop. Will this anxiety cycle ever end? So here’s to hoping it won’t be as painful.

So when will I stop?

When I am ready.

Is it now?

Still not sure!

So if you have any experiences or answers let me know. It will be greatly appreciated 💖