Noahs Holiday Essentials

So to anybody that follows me on Twitter it is no secret we're heading on holiday in July, and I'm pretty sure I've been ready for it since January. I've bought everything Noah needs bar a holiday pushchair / buggy, so if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. As I was due in November last year, our holiday was pre-booked for October so we had to cancel just in case, it's now been too long since I've felt the sun, sea and sand. I have read so many blog posts on what I'll need and wont for Noah, and after travelling with my younger brother, I've picked up a few ideas of what is essential and isn't.

1. First is a float seat. After seeing this on Hannah Maggs video with the gorgeous baby Grayson, I knew we just had to have one. It's perfect for being hands free in the water, and I think Noah will feel more secure in one, it makes him slightly more independent, it's taken all my will power not to whip this out for the swimming baths. I can't wait to see him in it.

2. A waterproof hat. I have so many hats for Noah with the flap at the back, they're the best for keeping the hot sun off the back of his neck, but I needed some waterproof ones. These are perfect for in the pool because if they get wet, they dry as quick as a swimming costume would. I wouldn't want to be putting a wet cotton hat back on his head as he'd catch a cold. I picked this up from Boots Miniclub.

3. Sun cream. Pretty obvious I know. But we'll be using factor 50+ on Noah to protect his delicate baby skin. I particularly like the Nivea Childrens one as it has no harsh chemicals and is green so you can see exactly where it's going. It's also not as sticky as some others I've used. Because have you ever tried to dress a wriggly baby after applying sticky suncream? Very difficult I tell you.

4. Calpol Sachets. These are perfect for on the plane, they wont exceed the fluid limit and they're a lot more lightweight & nifty so they can squeeze into any little space. I'll be only taking one pack as Noah isn't often ill, but these will come in super handy if he is feeling slightly under the weather.

5. Mosquito Bands. I stand by these 100%, these are so much easier than Mosquito spray, and every holiday I've been on, including Brazil which was rife with all sorts of insects due to the Amazon nearby, I rarely get bitten more than once. These are extra handy for Noah as I don't feel too comfortable spraying the Mosquito spray onto him, it does smell like very strong hairspray and often takes your breath away so I don't really want that for him.

6. Lastly, a Hawaiian Shirt. Because well, what guy hasn't owned a Hawaiian shirt in his life? It's also super lightweight and soft so will be nice and cooling on him in the evenings.


Have I missed anything you would recommend to bring?

A new healthy lifestyle

As most ladies with a summer holiday booked, a baby recently born and a body that definitely doesn't look how it used to, I knew it was time for a change. Time has been ticking away to our holiday in July & I've finally bitten the bullet, got off my backside and started making some changes.

Firstly, I've completely cut out fizzy pop. It was often filling me during meals, making me not finish food & then snack on cr*p once the fizzy bloating had subsided. Obviously it's completely terrible for you, and just empty calories really, so a very obvious first choice to cut out, I don't particularly enjoy it so it's not been a struggle at all. I've just bought bottled water and fresh juices in instead. 

Second, is snacking. This was to be more difficult, as I do enjoy a little snack whilst watching a movie or to be honest, if I'm bored. I knew to just give up snacks would be pretty hard, because I do get peckish, so I've not cut it out, I've changed it. Firstly if I'm hungry I'll have a drink, and if I'm still hungry 10 minutes after, I'll have a healthy snack. I bought in some peppered cracker bread and snack on that. I've even bought some wheat & gluten free Naked chocolate bars which are perfect as they're way healthier than say a milky bar? (Mmm milky bar)

And lastly, exercise, something that is incredibly hard to find time for as a mummy. When we get a break, we have chores to do, errands to run and sometimes, we just want to sit down and relax. But I'm pretty fortunate, my parents actually have a gym at home. Running machines. Cross trainers, bikes, weight machines, sauna, the lot. It works really well because if I want to go in the gym, my mum is more than happy to look after Noah for an hour which is perfect, I couldn't ask for a better arrangement. 

I'm hoping to lose two stone in total, because I'd like to lose a fair bit more than I've put on. I know I need to do it now, because I want to feel good on holiday, and when I go back to work in October I really will struggle to find the time. Now is my chance and I'm relishing it. 

Any other mummies out their on a diet? Please tell me your tips? 

The Dummy Debate

Something that often causes quite a stir, is should your child have a dummy or not? Now before I had Noah, I thought there was no way on earth I would give him one. It was unnecessary and if he never had one, he couldn't miss what he didn't have. Very naive of me.

When Noah was very young, and up until about 10 weeks he really, really wasn't fussed about having one. I did find myself offering him them when he sometimes seemed inconsolable, but he only got frustrated as he thought it was a bottle. I quickly had decided that if he would take one he could have one, anything that would soothe him or help him out, was completely fine by me. Now Noah does take a dummy, but not all the time, he only has it for maybe 1 hour a day? Which we give him to fall asleep, he doesn't cry for one or anything like that, which is the perfect position to be in for us. He even drops it out once he's fallen asleep and it's no issue for him.

I know people do think a dummy is bad for a baby, and of course, if he's hooked on a dummy at 2 or 3, I'll be starting to worry about the development of his teeth and gums. But at the moment, it's really not an issue. We will wean him off it at 1, but I don't think it will be a problem as he isn't all that reliant on it. I do feel like there is a stigma attached to dummys these days, like often getting funny looks from people when he has one in. I even had a women in Tesco once ask me if he took a dummy, I'm really not sure what relevance it is to anyone? Whatever makes my child happy, makes us happy. And if it isn't harming him, then I don't see any problem.

What do you think about children having a dummy?

A Month In Photos

This month we've not done anything too exciting. We took a trip to Lincoln one weekend, we took a walk around the lake & just relaxed. We also took a road trip down to Manchester, to visit my sister & her fiance in their new house, which was Noahs' first night away from home. This weekend Noah will get to meet his Grandma (Johns mum) for the first time as she is over visiting from Spain.

 

Noah 4 Month Update

I've been a bit naughty lately and kind of absconded from blogging. I have been super busy and to be honest, haven't had the energy. When I've had spare time I've just wanted to relax or do chores that have mounted up. But I vow to be back on track now.

Noah is almost 5 months! Where has that time gone? I know it's cliche, but it's really gone by so fast. He's grown up so quickly and really has developed his own little personality, it's so amazing to see him grow and change every single day.

Routine: I feel we've fully developed a routine for Noah now. He has begun weaning so we give him some porridge / fruity porridge around dinner time, and then we've started incorporating something more substantial for tea time, like Mediterranean vegetables and rice, which he loves. As soon as Noah reaches 5 months, I will move off the powders and start making my own purées & giving him some of our food, which I'm extremely excited for.

Sleeping: Noah did go through a very bad sleeping phase from around 15 weeks and it lasted about 2-3 weeks, I felt like I was going mad. But he seems to have worked it out himself and is back to normal again now. He goes to sleep after a bath, bottle & some cuddles at 7 and he's fast asleep by 8. We were very keen to keep it at this time, and may even make it 30 minutes later as when we go on holiday, I don't want him wanting to sleep before we've even had tea. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. He does sleep till around 5/6, when I usually bring him in with me and he falls straight back to sleep with cuddles. We then wake around 9 and get on with our day.

Milestones: So Noah has fully mastered the roll, from front to back, it's like a little game for him now. We try to give him tummy time, and he has other ideas and flips onto his back. The cheeky boy! He's a confident grabber now, and when he reaches for things he gets them first time, for example if he has a dummy in, he enjoys pulling it out, putting it back in. He's even managed to grasp hold of his juice cup!!

I really think 4-7 months are the months of the most changes within a baby, and I cannot wait to see how much Noah develops over these crucial weeks.