Finding yourself in a woodland scene

I know I haven't written a blog for weeks and I intend to put together a proper catch-up post soon but I just had to find time to capture our Baby Sensory experience.

Little M and I headed down to SARA Hall in Aigburth for week 2 of the 6 week course (missed the first week because of the move) and I had been thinking to myself 'can I be a**ed going all the way down there from Prescot?' (where we are camping out in my parents' house).

Got in to the chilly hall and it all looked pretty standard, mats and toys laid out on the floor like Baby Club, recognised a few mums from Pregnancy Yoga and Rhyme Time.

Thought I knew what I was getting myself into. But no. It's off its head.

Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely brilliant. All the babies loved it and Little M got really engaged in it. After the initial shock I had a real laugh and left feeling like Little M and I had enjoyed a special hour together. Mel, the tutor is amazing.

However, it did feel like I was having an out-of-body experience. I think it's because when you become a mum are expected to check all your inhibitions at the door and do things that you would never have dreamed of doing before. Like within 5 minutes of entering a room talk to a puppet in front of 15 strangers. There is also lots of group singing which is pretty alien in a baby-free world. There is something very liberating about having no shame and just having fun with your baby. There is zero requirement to be cool and just throwing yourself into the uncynical world of your baby is good for the soul.

I was going to talk about how I thought I was tripping when Mel threw on some bombastic Mozart and started creating a woodland scene but now I've gone a bit serious.

Some people have warned me against 'losing myself' now that I've had a baby and I see what they mean. I am a very different person to who I was before. However, rather than feeling like I've lost myself I feel like I've found the real me. I've been able to shed all the unimportant inhibiting baggage that I carried before and I'm enjoying seeing the world through the eyes of my little son.  And if that means I quite enjoy talking to puppets then that's all-to-the-good.

I've found a clip about baby sensory, which doesn't convey just how nuts it is (no woodland scenes) but if you know me you can imagine me doing it and have a chuckle!

Mad Mum

I'm back! Can't believe how long it is since I wrote a blog. Been dead busy and a bit ill this week so the blogging juices weren't flowing!

Things are starting to happen with the house. A radiator has been moved and a room stripped! We're knocking through the living room and dining room, getting a new floor in both of those rooms and the hall, decorating, sorting out a dodgy bricked-up fire place, replacing some lighting. Meant to be in there in two weeks time. Hmmm!

We've said we'll put Little M straight in his new room on his own when we move in but now I'm feeling a bit nervous about it. But he'll be nearly 6 months by then and he can only stay with us for so long I guess. Can't have him next to our bed 'til he's 18 now can I?..........Can I?

The little guy is doing well. He's brilliant at reaching out and grabbing stuff now. He's really developed that skill over the past week or so. He managed to wack himself in the head with one of his toys yesterday and let out an accusatory scream. Don't think he could quite compute that he had done that do himself! He was a bit miffed but seemed not to know where to direct his miffedness.

Aaargh the most annoying thing about this week was the fall out from the clocks going back. He was out of sync all week and kept waking up at 6. Managed to keep him in bed until 7.30 today so hopefully he's back on track. Damn you Greenwich Mean Time! Fireworks didn't bother him one bit but GMT...(shakes fist).

Yeah and I was ill. But not normal ill...hormone ill. Eeesh! Starting to get migraines since having the babs. Never had them before. Big M had to take the day off work on Friday because I'd visited my mum on Thursday night and couldn't leave as the migraine started while I was there. He had to look after me and Little M on Friday. Defo need to get that sorted. Seems like it happens to a lot of people after they have a baby...they don't tell you that bit eh?!

Oh and because I was ill on Friday I forgot that I'd booked my first driving lesson in ages and my poor driving instructor turned up to find me in my dressing gown looking like a crazy woman.

He didn't even look surprised.

He's seen the lot now. He started teaching me when I was a few months prego. He's seen me have to stop on the side of Menlove Avenue and do a little dance because I grew massive swollen cankle legs during my lesson, I've cried on him, got in the wrong car at the start of the lesson, got in the wrong side of the car, performed a multitude of minor offences and in the space of about 30 lessons still not really learned my way home. He probably thinks I'm deranged. He's got kids though so at least he's sympathetic of the lunacy.

God I've got loads to talk about. Gonna ditch this now and pick it up again tomorrow as the wooky is calling. Oh except I will say that my friend Joe has started a blog and has written a good one on green christmas ideas. 6 weeks to go folks! Take a look. Laters x

Ball pits, jabs, new homes, baby competitions and pumpkins

Litle M and I went to Baby Club with JMc and Little C on Wednesday afternoon. Little C is 11 months old so I think JMc was worried she might maraud around the playmats attacking the innocent babies. They did look like sitting ducks all lying there on there backs unable to escape! She was a very very good girl though. We played in the ball pit while JMc entertained Litle M. Basically, Little C battered me for an hour in the ball pool. She's hilarious, gorgeous and off her head! I was exhausted after an hour so I'm going to need a kick up the bum when Little M gets to that stage.

Took Little M to get his 3rd set of jabs on Thursday morning. He was having a lovely little time before we got there. He likes getting on the bus and he loves the doctors waiting room because of the lights on the ceiling. He's also obsessed with the bunting that is strewn across the room. 'Bunting' sounds pretty but the flags actual say 'Flu Kills'. That doesn't seem to bother him. Then we go inside and the health visitors make a big fuss of him and as usual he thinks a little mini party has been thrown in his honour. Poor love. Then he got wacked in his chubby thighs with 3 needles :(

First one he sort of just whimpered. Second one he gave a proper squawk. Third one he screamed his head off like 'Is this my life now? Getting stabbed in the leg by sharp things at my own party?!'.

Before that he got weighed and measured. If you lined up 100 babies of his age there would only be 2 with a bigger head than him (God bless those 2 mums!). And only 2 that would be taller than him or heavier than him. At least he's in proportion eh?

The big news on Friday was...WE GOT THE HOUSE!!! I picked up the keys in the afternoon, strolled over there to have my first moment in the house with Little M...and I couldn't work the front door key so had to get my mum to come and help me ha! Then Big M finished work and we spent a few hours in the house getting excited/terrified about getting some work done downstairs. Luckily my bro and cousin have a building firm and will be sorting it for us otherwise I'd probably have a meltdown.

Anyway, now I can allow myself to buy this wall sticker from Spin that I've been dying to get for Little M's room.

I also entered him for the Next Baby competition yesterday, Couldn't resist. If you fancy voting for him I'd be very grateful! Vote here.

He's in his pumpkin suit already. Going to take him on a couple of visits today to get my £3.50's worth out of it!

Baby Massage - Good Times, The Royal - Bad Times

Baby Massage was brilliant yesterday. It was at Church & Mossley Children's Centre (Dovedale School) and Little M and I loved it. Well, I loved it and I'm taking the fact that Little M didn't cry until I put his coat on as a thumbs up from him.

It's a 5 week course but I joined yesterday (week 2) as they called me after the first one to say they could fit me in. I missed the first 10 mins as Little M decided to his fill his nappy as I was leaving the door.

Those are my excuses for not having read the 'you must only talk to your own baby' rule in the handbook. I spotted it half way through after I'd been chatting away to the two babies next to us and cracking jokes to the room about not being able to fit my hands around Little M's thigh. Woops!

Nevertheless it was extremely enjoyable as I got lots of lovely contact with Little M and he got to hmmm, well, stare at everyone else (his favourite activity...staring at stuff).

I wasn't sure about 'asking the baby's permission to massage his leg'.
I took the look he gave me as '(a)What is a massage? and (b) what is a leg?'. I appreciate the sentiment though. Looking forward to going back next week.

Later that afternoon I had to go to St Paul's Eye Hospital for an appointment and foolishly took Little M with me. Didn't realise they were going to give me eyedrops to numb my eye and then some to artificially dilate my pupils for 6 hours! Everything was blurred and I looked like I was on acid. Had to get Big M to come to the rescue. I guess now I'm a mum I'll have to learn to read letters rather than skimming to the date of the appointment and ignoring the rest. Didn't particularly enjoy looking like I was high in charge of my baby!

Plus, on my way in a lady who looked like she had a bit of a penchant for class A's lunged towards the baby shreaking 'Aaaaaaaaaah look at the babyyyyy! What's tha' called (pokes his leg and wakes him up)...is tha' one o' dem snowsuits?'

As much as I appreciate the place, Little M will not be escorting me to the Royal again.

Baby Chewbacca

Ooh, no blog since Thursday. Bad Scouse Mama.
Now I've left myself in the position of having loads of things to talk about but not remembering any of them. Baby Brain is definitely a true phenomenon. I can't remember anything, at all, ever.

We definitely visited Little D on Friday but the rest of that day is a blur. So, I'll talk about something I do remember doing and that was giving Little D a nice gift. The Love Me, Hug Me, Superlambanana is the soft toy version and is really cute. I try to find an excuse to get them for most little ones I come across. In fact, Little M is the only one who hasn't got one! Sorry Little M!

I always get mine from Voglio on Allerton Road which is a great shop selling contemporary design-led gifts. I could spend a lot of money in there if I had it! Amongst other things like Allessi kitchenware they sell some absolutely gorgeous cup cakes and tiered cakes made from baby grows and bibs, which would make a great gift for a new baby. They're handmade locally and would work well as a centre-piece for a baby-shower too. I haven't bought one yet but I'll keep them filed in my memory banks for the future. Funny how the 'things I want to buy' section of my memory banks is the only one that doesn't seem to be affected by Baby Brain. I think Big M wishes it was.

Not much Little M news except he's taken to singing to himself quite a lot. If he's not doing that he's taken to mooing like Chewbacca if he has any complaint to make. He doesn't cry much. He prefers to moo.

A bit of blog related info, I've added a few affiliate schemes to the blog so if you are buying anything from John Lewis, Amazon, Kiddie Kingdom or Strawberry Fool please do it from the links on my site and Scouse Mama gets a bit of commission. Hooray!

The Wooky is mooing so I better attend to him. Maybe he's discovered he hasn't got a Superlambanana?

Kirsty the Supernanny

Hmmm, Weight Watchers news. I stayed the same weight! Can't complain since I had about a thousand vodkas on Saturday and spent the next two days eating anything that came to hand in order to combat my hangover. Went to visit Little D yesterday...aaaaaaaaaaaw! He was asleep the whole time. Looks like he is doing what Little M did at first, sleeping all day and staying awake all night! It took my a while to get Little M's days and nights the right way around. After a few weeks I used to have to wake him up a bit in the day if he slept more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. It worked though! Can't believe it now he sleeps from 6.30pm until 7am (ish). He just grumbles at 11pm and about 3am for a feed. Can't imagine the day he goes right the way through though. I've got a bottle of champagne saved for that day.

Anyway, I feel for Aunty C. Those first couple of weeks are a killer but they do get better. We unfortunately got in to jiggling and cuddling Little M for hours to get him to sleep. It was exhausting but I just didn't know how to break the habit. So, I got Kirsty (a maternity nurse and nanny) to come over one evening to give us some help. Rather than just saying 'stick him in his cot and let him cry', she saw that I just wouldn't be able to handle that so she told us to make changes in stages. She showed us that he could be soothed to sleep in the chair and after a few weeks of doing that we started putting him down in his cot, letting him cry for a minute and going back in with the dummy. He took to it straight away and I haven't rocked him to sleep since!

If I had another I would do my best to not let the baby get used to being cuddled to sleep. But if any new mums need a bit of help I'd really recommend Kirsty. Health visitors, other mums, books, etc all said how to do it but I wanted someone with experience to come and SHOW me how to do it and to be there when he cried to say he was okay. She also was available for phone calls afterwards and gave me a basic routine and bedtime routine to try, all very helpful.

I remembered this video I'd seen on youtube aaaaages ago. Sort of illustrates what I'm in for with Little M when he masters this moving around business! If you don't smile at this you've got a heart of stone. If not for the baby for the tune.

Stinking colds and a Bumbo

Poor Little M and I have stinking colds so we've been stuck in the house for a couple of days. No Rhyme Time this morning so we don't pass on the germs but even worse...no visting Little D until we're better :(

Little M is snuffling about like a little piglet. I'm like 'learn to blow your nose child' and he's like 'I'm 4 months old mum' so Big M (who very kindly took half a day off work to look after us yesterday) bought him this nasal aspirator thing from Tesco. It's rubbish. Luckily Little M thinks it's dead funny when he sneezes so he's fine.

He's sitting in his Bumbo. It's a clever contraption. It uses the babies own body weight to help them sit upright once they can hold their own head up. Our one has this little play tray thing so that he can bash his toys about on it too. I think the first few times we used it he was working hard to keep his balance because of that mahoosive head of his. He really seems to have the measure of it now though. Ever since he was a couple of weeks old he has wanted to sit forward so it's good to have something to help him do it himself now. He is very happy in it. But then, this is the same child who can be entertained by the tree outside our window for HOURS. So it takes quite a lot to dampen his spirits. In fact, he's talking to the tree right now bless 'im. 

In other Little M news it looks like he's trying to roll over. Oh dear, looks like the days of putting him down in one place and him not being able to escape are nearly over!

Daniel and Goliath

I'm rough. Terrible hangover. I wish I had more energy to convey how made up I am to be an aunty. Little D was born on Thursday night and he is adorable! Well done Aunty C for getting through that epic labour. I heard the news whilst on the massage table at The Physiotherapy Centre based in L.A. Fitness on Rose Lane. It genuinely was a very good massage (bought for me by my bezzy) but I was more focused on the phone next to my head and waiting for it to ring.

I took Little M to visit his new cousin on Friday afternoon and he looks like an actual giant next to Little D. He seriously looks like a big comedy baby. He could probably swallow Little D whole.16 weeks makes a hell of a difference. Little D isn't exactly a small baby (he was born 8lb 13oz) but he seems so tiny and fragile. Aunty C looks amazing. I looked a bit more like this at this stage:

In fact, that's not far off what I look like now. I went out with EF and BK to Penny Lane Wine Bar and then town. Well and truly wet Little D's head. And probably drank a week's worth of Weight Watchers points in vodka. Little M must have known I had a hangover as he slept in until 8.20 bless him. It pains me to say that 8.20 is now a lie in.

Also I was just talking to my lovely mate and mama-to-be AB about Dreamgenii support pillows (because that is how sad I am) and I noticed that Mamas and Papas have loads of offers on at the moment. If anyone is planning to buy anything from there over £100 do it in October and you'll get a £10 voucher to spend in November.

Right, time to go curl up and die.

Come on little Chilean miner...wiggle your way out!

So I couldn't bring myself to write a blog yesterday because I was literally on tenterhooks all day. Well, not literally. I have no idea what a tenterhook is or whether I was really on them. Answers on a postcard!

Anyway, I'm still on flippin tenterhooks but I'm going to use blog writing as a distraction. I woke up yesterday to a couple of texts telling me that my brother's fiance (Aunty C), had gone into labour at about 1.30am. She's still going bless her! Fingers and toes crossed my little neice or nephew appears in the next few hours so I can sneak in for visiting hours! Can't wait for Little M to have a little cousin.

After I got the news I was watching BBC Breakfast and getting all emotional over the Chilean miners. They kept playing Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros as they got winched to the surface and it was all a bit poetic. But now all the flippin miners are out and she's still huffin' and puffin'!

I was so excited that I stayed out the flat ALL DAY. Must have walked the length and breadth of L18 about 5 times over. My travels included a trip to Home & Bargain where I picked up matching Halloween costumes for both the babas! I'd been looking for something cheap for Little M as he'll only wear it once and I wasn't going to pay £15 for one from Mothercare so I was pleased to find some cheapo options. Can't remember exactly how much they were...maybe £3.95? Something like that. They're ugly as sin but will do for comedy value.


Also went to Weight Watchers to discover I'd lost...wait for it...5 whole pounds in one week. Is right! Would have been happy to have lost 1 pound since my Nana sent us an apple pie over and I tried to resist it's warm appley-pieness but I ended up it about 1/4 of it with my hands. Shameful.

Oh and we went to Baby Club at Church and Mossley Children's Centre. Under normal circumstances that would have taken up most of my blog but I'll talk about that next week.

In the evening Nana C kindly babysat while Big M and I went to see Antony and Cleopatra at the Playhouse. It was great. Mainly because those thoughtful bods at the Everyman & Playhouse had put a Synopsis in the programme. I wouldn't have had a scooby doo what was going on otherwise. Another shameful admission, particularly as I've got an English degree. I must have been off the week we did Antony & Cleopatra ha!

Oooh and all that shouting. Kim Cattrall and Jeffery Kissoon must need a couple of strepsils at the end of evening. She, of course, is gorgeous. I saw her at the Bluecoat with one of the E&P's directors about 18 months ago and was so star struck that I just sat there and stared at her and went red. I well should have gone and spoken to her. But I always try and play it cool when I see anyone remotely famous. Like when I was in a lift with Harry Hill. Or when Joe Cole and Carly Zucker were admiring Little M in John Lewis. Or when I just sort of muttered 'Hi' to Yoko Ono. Man I'm a div.



Spittin' rhymes with the under 5s

Proud of myself that I managed to get myself and Little M to Rhyme Time at Allerton Library this morning. Bathed, dressed, fed and rhymin' by 10.15.

I don't want to go on about how good it was because it was chocka already but Little M enjoyed it lots. Basically because there were loads of bigger kids there for him to watch. I enjoyed it  in those short moments when I actually knew the words. The rest of the time I just tried to hide my inferiority complex about not knowing more than about 3 lines to any nursery rhymes. I had newbie written all over me. Luckily Little M gave me the perfect cover by spewing up occasionally and letting rip several farts that could have passed for a poo so I could do lots of smelling his nappy, looking quizical, etc. No, I actually did enjoy it as all the other kiddos were very sweet. Plus there was a bit of a celeb mum there so I spent some of my time marvelling at how gorgeous she is in real life and wondering which products she uses on her skin (the first thing my bezzy asks me if I do see anyone semi-famous).

Then my mate and fellow mama KD popped over and we got to debrief about her wedding last week, which was AWESOME. Little M had a good giggle and cuddles and then we headed of to my bro and Aunty C's place. She's 9 days over and desperate to meet her baba. We all went for a little walk in the hope that gravity would work it's magic. Reminds me of being desperate for something to happen and I only went 4 days over before my contractions started (Little M didn't show his face for another 2 days like!). Can't wait to meet my neicey/nephew baby!

Viewed the house again later on. Loved it even more this time. Hope there are no problems in these final stages...don't want to jinx it...eeek!

A couple of sanity savers in the early weeks...

It dawned on me last night that as I am 15 weeks into new-mummyhood there are some things that were an absolute godsend in those first couple of months that I probably don't use or don't use as much now and thus deserve a retrospective mention.

In the days when Little M's daytime napping was all over the place and my back was still aching from the pregnancy, labour and the fact that we got Little M used to be walked around/ rocked to sleep (the eradication of that habit is a whole other blog-worthy story), I couldn't live without my wrap.

In fact, when I lost my first wrap somewhere along Rose Lane I seriously thought that was the end of the freedom I had begun to enjoy! It used to send Little M to sleep in minutes and I could nip out to the shop with him without lugging the pram up and down the stairs of our first floor flat to get out. Also it just feels so nice having him all snuggled up to me. You do get the occasional funny look but it's more than worth it and lots of people come up and comment on what a great idea it is. Both my original and replacement wraps were by Moby and cost me a bit of a bomb, but that's because I'm impatient and didn't bother to look for a second hand one online. I don't use it as much because Little M will actually sleep in his pram now but I'm still glad to know it's there if I need it. In fact, I'm going to get the booklet out and learn a new hold now that Little M can support his head so that I can use it more often.

The other product that I thought was absolutely brilliant in the first few months was the Swaddleme by Kiddopotamus. We got a couple from TK Maxx and it made bedtime a lot easier as Little M was, and still is, partial to smacking himself in the face while he's falling asleep. Whenever I tried to swaddle him myself he'd wriggle his way out of it pretty easily but I don't think he ever managed to Houdini his way out of the Swaddleme. He did look a bit weird in it like! Like a disembodied head. Or like he was in a straightjacket. But we got past that.

Both products were recommended to me by my friend and fellow mummy M.

Mum Tourettes

Had a lovely and busy weekend. Saturday took Little M to Calderstones Park with VW and her nephew via the new house. I couldn't get my head around the fact that there was a SOLD sign up. I properly don't get this whole home buying business. I sort of went into a panic that we had somehow managed to complete the sale by accident but then I saw the little 'Subject to Contract' bit underneath. Thank God for our Mortgage Advisor, Gary Brash at J B & B Leach. Oh and Yee his Assistant who helps us get our head around it all.

D met us at the park where we saw the biggest dog in the world, a St. Bernard called Snoopy. I know that dog's name because since I've become a Mother I feel compelled to speak to strangers. It's like Mum tourettes. Instead of shouting expletives I just insist on engaging strangers in conversation 'Oi what's your dog's name?'. I don't care what that dog is called...those people don't want to talk to me...why must I ask?

A couple of weeks ago in Caldies I met 2 lovely blokes picking Crab Apples in the Park. Met/harrassed...same thing. 'Oi what you picking?'. This ended in me taking about 30 Crab Apples away with me bless 'em.

Then I took Little M to meet some of the girlies for lunch at The Bubble Room in Woolton Village. Haven't been there since it was The Baby Elephant. It was very nice and Little E who is just 5 weeks old was there too. She's a beauty and looks so dainty next to Little M. She had the most gorgeous Mamas and Papas pink blanket with little rabbits on. Little M had a snuggle under it and someone may have taken a photo of him looking a bit girly.

Got back and Big M was heading out to meet some of his mates for a drink so Little M and I tagged along and went to Allerton Rose which used to be Crichtons. Little M and I are regulars in there. All that kid does is hang out in bars and restaurants!

Baby Weight

Dragged my increasingly wide load to Weight Watchers on Wednesday. Went to a meeting upstairs in an Estate Agents on Allerton Road. Yeah I thought it a bit odd. All the ladies seemed very nice though. I even like the one who delivered the devastating blow of my actual weight. It had been going well until Big M came in from the pub with some chips and I ate about 10 before I remembered I was on Weight Watchers. Fool!