Our Christmas plans

With Christmas being only 4 days away I wanted to share with you our plans for Christmas eve, Christmas day and Boxing day. 

So Christmas eve this year falls on a Saturday which means that Stuart wont be at work. It also works out that because he has booked time off work and there are the bank holidays he wont be going back to work until 3rd January.  

Last year on Christmas eve I was unfortunate to have caught a bug which meant that most of the day I was too ill to do much. This year I am hoping to make up for it hopefully we wont catch any nasty bugs. The plan is to have a lovely relaxed Christmas eve day, give Blake his Christmas eve basket and watch Christmas films. We are also planning to take Blake to messy church which is from late afternoon to early evening. Before Blake goes to bed we will sprinkle some reindeer food out the back, hang up Santa's magic key, put out a snack and drink for Santa and carrot for the reindeer. We will then give Blake a bath and read him the night before Christmas before putting him to bed. 

Christmas day is going to be the 3 of us opening presents, eating lovely food and relaxing, playing with Blake, going for a walk and just have a lovely family day. I need to plan what we will have for breakfast but dinner we are going for the usual Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

Boxing day is going to be spent over at Stuart's Mum's and her partners which will be another lovely family day. 

What are your plans for Christmas this year? 

What Comes First, Dog Or Baby?

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When you move in together or get married, there are so many things you want to do. You have plans for the house. You want to start thinking about raising a family. And you’ve always wanted a dog, just like your pet from home. But which do you do first? Should you go ahead and get a dog straight away? Or, should you wait first, until your family is established? There are no right or wrong answers here, and people will have different experiences. But there are several things you need to take into consideration before reaching a decision.

Getting A Dog First May Ease You In

If you don’t want to start a family straight away, you may decide to get a dog first. Dogs take a lot of care and attention. It will ease you into the concept of having another being in the house. Dogs need feeding several times a day. Though granted, babies need feeding more. They need regular exercise, and they need love. Depending on the breed of dog you choose, they also get through quite a lot of food. And it certainly adds to your household expenses.

There are also vet fees to add to the mix. Like humans, dogs get ill and need procedures and medication. A sudden and unexpected illness can add stress to your budget. It’s worth reading up on dog breeds and the type of conditions that are sometimes associated with them. For example, some dogs may struggle with lethargy and may be reluctant to exercise. Fortunately, there is medication such as Vivitonin for dogs to fix this. But would you be able to deal with a sick dog while nursing an infant?

On the other hand, getting a dog first would allow them time to fit in with your family. And it would allow you to get to know their personality and needs. It also allows you time to housetrain them.

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Choosing A Dog Together As A Family

Many children love pets. So some families prefer to put off getting a dog until their kids are old enough to appreciate them. They prefer to bring them in on the decision to get a pet and allow them to help choose. The advantage of this is that they can experience the dog from being a puppy and can learn how to take care of them.

Babies will take over your life and change it forever. Do you have time to take care of a dog when you have a newborn in the house? Can you provide it with the love and attention it needs?

Safety

One question that many people have is whether it’s safe to have a dog around a baby. Caution is always advisable. Many pets like being around young children. In the early stages, it may be easier to separate your dog from your child. However, this will become increasingly difficult as your baby begins crawling and walking.

It’s always a good idea to introduce your dog and baby gently and gradually. If your dog is already established in the home, he or she may feel jealous and fret at their arrival. You will need to give them lots of attention to help them feel at ease.

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Dogs should always be supervised around babies and young children. Always. Even if you feel you know them well, there should always be an adult present. You never really know how they are going to react, especially if the children are boisterous. Safety gates can help keep them apart when necessary.

Research has shown that having a pet around in the first years of a child’s life may increase their tolerance to allergens. Stats also show that children who grow up around pets are less likely to become ill.

There is no right or wrong answer as to whether you should introduce a dog first or a baby. This will depend on your family’s circumstances. But it’s worth having the facts so you can make an informed decision.

Baby Number 2? ( Not yet)

It's been over two years now since I saw the two lines on a pregnancy test  and from when Blake was first born I've always had the question on when we are going have another one. 

Not if we are going to have another one when! The question has been asked far too many times for my liking since Blake turned a year old back in December. 

For me having another child is definitely an If rather than when for many reasons. The main reason is because of what I went through to have Blake. 

Having PCOS means that try to conceive can be pretty tricky. My first step was to start loosing weight which is why in 2013 I chose to start doing slimming world. I then was referred to the hospital for tests, simple tests such as a scan to see if I did indeed have cysts on my ovaries but also intrusive tests which were rather uncomfortable. Then I was put on metiformin and fertility drugs  and had to have a blood test every month to see if I was ovulating, which I was so the drugs were working. I did fall pregnant pretty quick on them but that isn't the case for everyone and some people find that they can't have children so I hate that people have to question others about when they will have children or when they will have another. 

So guess what will happen if we choose to have another child? I'm going to have to go through that all over again. At this moment in time it's not something I am ready for. I know some people go through a lot worse to have a child but I feel people need to be far more considerate around asking such a personal question. 

The first car journey home with a newborn

I can remember leaving the hospital for the first time with Blake when he was 3 days old. 

He was so tiny and so precious and it was so cold outside since he was born in December. 

As we don't drive ourselves I had my mum and her partner come and pick us up just after 9pm to take us home. One of the things we made sure when it came to bringing Blake home was that we knew how the car seat was meant to go. On the journey home I was in quite a bit of pain due to have a c-section and was also very emotional and rather scared of what life as a Mum was going to be like. I at one point felt like I was going to have a full on panic attack. 

Before Blake's arrival one thing I didn't really consider was checking car tyres and getting old ones replaced. As we don't drive this maybe why I never thought about it but its handy to know to do so in the future. Point-s car tyre dealers have a complete range of tyres along with prices available online. It's so important to think about tyre safety when traveling with a young family but with busy family life it's quite often something that you may not think to do. 

If your like me and my husband and don't drive its still important to check with whoever is driving to make sure that their car tyres are in good condition for the road. After all you precious little cargo is so important and their safety paramount.

Back To Normality

This week onward's we are getting the  flat back in order and getting back into a routine after Christmas. 

We took our Christmas tree down on the first of January and I finally moved most of Blake's Birthday and  Christmas presents into his room. We have a few which are currently out in our living room but am planning on

using the large wicker basket next to sofa to store more toys. 

So far this is a temp way of organizing things as I am getting a copy of

 The life changing magic of tidying up. My goal this year is to be a lot more organised with both blogging and home life. 

I sorted out Blake's bookshelf the other day. 

I moved his winter/ Christmas books into our storage cupboard with the Christmas bits ready for next Christmas. 

So he only has his everyday books on the shelf now. 

I also have three baskets which are filled with bits and bobs. 

One has all his cuddly toys in as he has so many, the next just has random bits in

it at the moment and the last one is filled with toy cars that he has. 

The majority of his toys are currently stored in his toy box at the moment but I do need to organise it a bit better really. We currently have his toy garage set on top of toy box until I figure out the best place to put it. 

I also have put a few of Blake's toys on top of his wardrobe out of the way and he has his 

memory box up there too so that it is out of reach. 

Blake loves playing in his cot at the moment while I get some bits and bobs done and has now started standing up on his own. 

With our loving room I need to sort out the TV unit which has space for us to put more DVDs on. 

Also I want to have a look at our book shelf and decide on what books I want to keep. 

Even though I love books I only really want to keep ones that I enjoyed and not just have books on the shelf for the sake of it. 

As I had also said above I want to sort out the wicker basket so that toys can go in there.

At the moment is full of miscellaneous  bits and bobs we need to find a place for.

I recently also purchased a small chest of drawers for my side of the bed. 

The main reason that it gives me more storage space. 

At the moment I got my make up and skincare bits inside.

The main bits in our room I need to organise is our wardrobe and also our large chest of drawers. 

I have so many clothing I want to go through and sort out. 

One room I've not pictured is our kitchen this is because as its so small it looks messy a lot of the time. 

I need to really have a good organising session in there. 

Our bathroom I find is the easiest to organise. 

We have a little box filled with bath and skincare products for Blake to the side which is fab

as we can fit so much in it. We also have a mettle stand which we have a faux plant on and other bits and bobs. 

As you can see on our window sill we have a basket to put our every day bits and bobs in. 

This area is the hardest to keep organised as I tend to do my make up in here so I end up forgetting to put bits away and it just ends up cluttered. 

Our bath area is pretty organised with just shampoo's, conditioners, shower gels etc dotted around. 

We need to start getting back into a routine of going out and about so my plan this coming weekend is 

to have a look at what groups are on. The children's center in our local area has lot some of its funding for 12 months plus so there aren't many groups on anymore. 

I also want to start doing more things as a family at the weekend. 

As Saturday is Blake's swimming lessons we will have to work something out for Sunday's.

Stomach Bug, Christmas and general chit chat

Hiya, I hope you all have had a very Merry Christmas this year. 

I have taken a little break over the Christmas period admittedly 

a bit longer than I had first planned. 

On the evening of the 23rd I came down with an awful stomach bug which kept me up all night. I had my Mum and Sister over on Christmas Eve briefly to drop off gifts. 

But Christmas Eve for me was mainly spent in bed resting up whilst Stuart looked after Blake and finished off the Christmas food shop. 

Luckily Christmas Day I was feeling a bit better but unfortunately even now my appetite isn't fully back and my energy levels are pretty low too. 

Christmas this year was just the three of us together opening presents, relaxing and playing.

It went ever so quick and boxing day was just the same we spent a few hours over at my mother in laws opening more gifts and having a buffet lunch. 

So it's been a pretty relaxed Christmas. Stuart is back at work today until new years eve then off until the 4th. 

Now that Christmas is over I am looking forward to getting our home organised. 

Which means sorting out where Blake's toys will go and other bits and bobs. 

It also means I need to write up my new years goals.I am

also needing to sort out what classes to go to in the new year as

the children centre have lost some funding we need to find some new things

to do which I'll have to budget for. 

I'd love to know what you got up to this Christmas

comment below. 

Fun Facts About Blake

As Blake is One on Wednesday I wanted to share with you 

some fun facts about our little cheeky boy. 

Favorite TV show:

In the Night Garden 

He gets really excited when it comes on and knows when it is about to start

Favorite Character:

Iggle Piggle 

He sequels and jumps a lot in his jumperoo 

whenever Iggle Piggle is on the TV.

Favorite Song:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 

He loves to start doing the twinkles with his hands if he wants you to sing it to him.

Favorite Fruit:

Banana 

He has to have a whole one for breakfast otherwise he gets winy. 

Favorite Vegetable:

Babycorn 

Favorite Dinner: 

Daddy's homemade fish pie

Favorite toy: 

Silky Bear

Basically a blue teddy snuggle blanket 

Bedtime: 

between 8 and 8:30 pm 

Gets up: 

between 8 and 8:30 am 

How many teeth?:

8 although about 3 of them are still trying to come through 

Favorite word: 

Dada 

Welcome to the World....

Little man.

On Tuesday 16th at 12:16am Blake was born weighing 6lb 9 oz. 

We are both doing well and I'll be having a break from blogging for a little

while. 

34 Weeks Pregnant

Today we had our first antenatal class which was interesting. 
I am feeling a little more better about labor now and what to expect. 
There was a lady sitting next to me and Stuart with her partner whilst we watched
a DVD about pain relief they disappeared halfway through and then we were told she
had left as her waters had broken at 37 weeks.
This has made me realize that next week I need to get my skates on and pack 
my hospital bag just in case. 


How far along? 34  weeks  today

Total weight gain: Not checked this week  

Symptoms: Tiredness, achy, breathless when out and about, very clumsy 

Sleep: still struggling with getting comfy and waking up for loo trips followed by baby kicking me awake 

Miss anything? sleeping through the night.

Movement: still loads of kicks and wiggles

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy 

Looking forward to:

 - sorting out babies room this week finally

- Going to the next antenatal class hopefully
no one will go into labor this time!