My First Year As a Parent

Home assistance provider, HomeSense has a blog called Ketchup which provides tips & tricks for your home, gardening advice, family friendly activities and it is celebrating its first birthday - hooray! By way of celebration, I have been asked to write about my first year of something and, being a parenting blog, I've chosen my first year as a parent.

Choosing where to start my first year from was a tough choice. I know a lot of people feel like mothers as soon as they see those two lines on the pregnancy test, others when they see their baby on a screen or feel their first kicks. I've decided to go with the day my son was born. I fell pregnant when I was a month off turning 20 but still felt very young and immature. The pregnancy was a surprise but Chris and I had been in a solid relationship for two years so we knew we were strong together and could handle it. Because I still felt like a child, especially in the eyes of my parents, I hid my pregnancy from them until I was around 24 weeks gone. I think this may have been the reason that I didn't feel like a mother that early on. I spent a lot of time hiding it and not really allowing myself to enjoy pregnancy unless I was at Chris's house where I could be more open.

As you've probably guessed by the name of my blog, he was born prematurely at 33 weeks. If you haven't read my birth story, I developed severe pre-eclampsia. I lost my vision, my entire body had swollen and my blood pressure was through the roof. I was admitted straight away and four hours after having steroid injections for C's lungs, he was born via Caeserean section. I knew at that moment that I was seriously ill. I knew I could die. I knew that they had to get him out for me to be okay but I didn't care about me. That young, selfish girl had disappeared and all I cared about was that tiny baby that I hadn't met yet, coming into the world seven weeks before he was supposed to. 

The next two weeks are a bit blurry but I remember being so emotional. We were both ill, he was upstairs in NICU and I was downstairs on a ward as they tried to regulate my blood pressure. I couldn't breastfeed, which is what I was desperate to do so I had to express. My best friend brought me a manual pump but it was really tough. I wasn't with him so I had to rely on setting an alarm every 3-4 hours to express (even through the night), but I couldn't get very much out. I remember bringing my little bottle upstairs to him at around 3am and crying my eyes out to the nurse, saying that I felt like a failure. She reassured me because I was so ill too and I made the choice to switch to formula as he had been having top ups anyway. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted. Looking back now, I wish I'd done something differently. Maybe asked for more advice but as a shy, first-time mother I went along with what they recommended.

The day that we got C home was amazing but I felt well out of my depth. Chris and I actually said to each other that we couldn't believe that we were trusted to look after this little baby all by ourselves. He was really small and I was afraid that I'd break him. Obviously, I was thrilled to have C home. He was the first grandchild and everyone was really excited but I felt almost jealous that I had to share him with everyone and got very protective. A lot of people wanted to help a lot and I pushed them away. I didn't let anyone watch him whilst Chris and I did something together, I made excuses because I didn't trust anyone to look after him the way that I did. I got irrationally angry over the silliest of things like someone buying him fruit pouches because I felt like they didn't think I could buy him food myself or someone visiting over nap time and disrupting his routine. I was a far cry from the happy teenager I was before he was born. I knew that I was acting crazy and it took a good while for me to calm it down. I didn't need to worry so much. Everyone loved C just as much as I did. I learned to let go and I felt free. 

 Of course, the above was just a tiny portion of my first year as a parent. Being fully responsible 24/7 for a baby is tough but it was incredible too and made me grow in ways that I didn't know were possible. I am definitely not the same person that I was five years ago. I always said that I didn't want to have children but it's the best thing I've ever done and it is what I was supposed to do. Seeing my son's first smiles, soothing him when he was ill and teething and making him giggle are memories that I'll carry with me forever. The love in his eyes when he looked at me and cooed for me made me feel so needed. This tiny little thing needed me, and I needed him.

I have been compensated for this post.

Ravensburger My First Puzzles - Review

I was an only child until the age of 10 and as a young child I really enjoyed my own company. I spent most of my time reading or doing puzzles and I think they gave me a great start in life, so I knew I wanted to introduce them to my own children at a young age.

Ravensburger have a range called My First Puzzles which are aimed at children aged 18 months+. There are lots of different themed "My First Puzzles" to choose from (including characters!) and 2 year old E received the Jolly Dinos and On The Farm puzzles. Dinosaurs and farmyard animals are two of E's loves so when they arrived she was dying to get them opened to try.

Each of the My First Puzzles have four different puzzles inside one box; 2 piece, 3 piece, 4 piece and 5 piece so your child can start with the easier one of slotting just two pieces together then progressing onto the more difficult ones.

E can get a bit frustrated when she can't do something by herself and tends to throw a bit of a tantrum. When we first tried these puzzles, the two piece ones were easy as pie to her but she needed a bit more help as we moved on. C, my 4 year old, could do every one of them perfectly so he was more than willing to help her on her way. We explained to her what to look for when matching pieces and she really listened and tried.

Now, E does need a little bit of help but she's picked it up so quickly and I love that she seems to enjoy puzzles as much as I do. She enjoys the brightly coloured pieces and the fact that all of the animals have names (Oink, Moo, Cluck and Baa in the On The Farm puzzle and Steggie, Terry, Trex and Tricia in the Jolly Dinos one). The pieces are completely smooth and a great size for little hands to hold.

The Ravensburger My First Puzzles retail at just £4.99 per puzzle and I would definitely recommend them as a beginners puzzle for little ones.

(We received these items for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

The Kids First Cinema Trip

Before having children, Chris and I would go to the cinema at least once a week. It was one of our favourite things to do together and we'd usually grab dinner beforehand too. We went to see The Dark Knight Rises in August 2012, when I was pregnant with C and we didn't go again until we saw Deadpool in March 2016 - a long time!

I felt that C was always too young to go before his sister was born. He hadn't yet turned two. Then, when she arrived, she would have been too young to bring with us. Time was passing and before we knew it, we had an almost four year old who had never had a cinema experience.

We had seen advertisements for The Secret Life of Pets and thought we'd try our luck and take both of the kids to see it. I thought C would sit well but I worried about E as she was at the age C was when I thought he was too young. 

I made sure they were in good moods first and explained to them how exciting it would be to be in a big room with lots of seats and a massive TV screen to watch a brand new movie. C couldn't wait to go. We chose an afternoon screening so E napped on the way there and just woke up as we were going in so she sat snuggled on my knee with her dummy in. C chose some popcorn and chocolate so he was happy enough eating and watching.

About halfway through, E was fidgety and kept switching from my knee to Chris's and around 5 minutes before the end, they both got a little fussy so we decided to leave. E wanted down to walk around and was getting a bit annoyed with me trying to keep her sitting down.

I felt that our first experience went so well that I wanted to make it a regular thing. They both love Finding Nemo so when Finding Dory came out, I knew they'd be excited to see it too. This time round, I booked in for 10.30 so they'd be fresh-faced, awake and in a good mood. 

This time, we made it through the entire film! They were both transfixed on the screen and it was a lot less stressful than the first time. Chris and I have decided to take them every time a kids movie that we think looks decent is released. I don't know why we didn't just take C when he was E's age! We have plenty of making up to do.

Have you taken your little ones to the cinema yet? Do they enjoy going?

 

Christmas 2014

This Christmas has been lovely. It's the first one where C had understood a bit more and also E's first ever one!

On Christmas Eve, I let C open his Christmas Eve box early in the day then we went to Chris's mums. His sister is a hairdresser so she gave C a haircut so he'd look smart for Christmas. When we came home we had dinner then the two kids had their baths and we watched C's Handy Manny Christmas DVD.

After they went to bed, 'Santa' worked his magic. I bought Chris Jon Richardson's Nidiot stand-up DVD so we ended up watching that before heading to bed ourselves at 4am. C and E woke at 6.30am so that maybe wasn't a good idea! 

I came downstairs first with E so I could get the camera ready to take photos of C. Chris was saying "shall we go downstairs? I wonder if Santa has left you any presents?" C's whole body was tensing and Chris said that you could just feel how excited he was. When he came into the living room, his little eyes lit up. He was delighted. He opened his presents first as obviously E didn't know what was going on. He was even painting at 8am! 

After breakfast we were all feeling pretty tired so we had a nap then visited Chris's family again before coming back home for a delicious Christmas dinner. It was a very relaxing day and I loved it. C was so happy.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas!

C's First Trip to the Optometrist

I've worn glasses since I was around 9 or 10 years old. 2 weeks ago, I had an eye test and found that my right eye had slightly changed but after 2 years with the same frames, I decided to get new ones. My optometrist asked if C would be okay with getting his eyes checked. I was a bit dubious but agreed and took him last week as I picked up my own new specs. 

I mentioned before that he has a bit of an attitude at the moment so I wasn't sure how he'd get on or how the test would even work. When we got there, I sat him on my knee in the chair and the optician gave him a pair of 3D glasses to wear and made him look at a 3D image of a fly. He hovered his hand above the fly and I was told that the glasses would make the wings pop out so it was a good sign that he could see that. 

Next, he refused to wear the empty frames that the lenses slip into so we had to make do with the optician hovering them over his eyes and shining a light in. He sat relatively well so she was able to see everything she needed. 

At this point, I was told that most children at C's age (2) have a bit of a prescription as their eyes are still developing but she would be able to tell whether or not his was normal. 

Next he needed eye drops out in so that she could see more clearly into his eyes. She did say that this would sting going in and that his pupils would be dilated for a few hours after so he may not like the light. I automatically thought "there is no way that he will take this well" but he really surprised me. All I had to do was hold his arms down and his head in place while she put them in. She was able to do it with his eyes closed which helped!

We had to wait outside for 15 minutes for this to take effect then we were called back in to do the lens/light test again. By this point he was getting a bit sick of it and didn't like the light being shone in his eyes so he would only let her look for a second before saying no and turning away.  He got a sticker (which he preferred to carry instead of wear) so he was very happy after that!

All in all, his eyes are absolutely perfect and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He really did me proud!

It's my blogs 1st birthday!

Source

Yep! I've been blogging for a whole year today.

It's been 12 months since my very first post which you can read here.

It really has flown by and I can't believe how far it's come. People actually read what I have to say!? Crazy! 

Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read my blog. We recently passed 50,000 page views which is absolutely incredible. 

I can't wait to see what this year has in store for my blog. I know it's gonna be even bigger and better though! 

Goodbye 2013!

2013 has been such a good year for me. I started writing this blog on 14th Jan 2013 as a way to look back on C's development. I cannot believe how far it has come and I can't fathom why people keep coming back for a read!

C was only 4 months old at the start of this year so 2013 saw lots of "firsts", sitting up, standing, walking, etc. and I'm so pleased that I have been able to document them here. 

We even had my 21st birthday, C's 1st birthday and the announcement that Chris's sister is expecting a baby in May so I will be an auntie!

I'm so grateful for my wonderful family and we really have had the perfect end to this year...<3

I can't wait to see what 2014 brings us. 

Happy New Year, everyone!

C at 15 months

C is now 15 months old! I can't believe how quickly the months are flying by and soon enough it will be his 2nd birthday! 

This month he his first nose bleed! I woke up one morning and C was still asleep. I noticed some stains on his pillow but I didn't quite click on to what they were. I woke him up and realised that there was dry, crusted blood in and around his right nostril. Poor boy! It didn't harm him at all but it did frighten me a bit!

You can kind of see a little bit of blood. Not the best picture - sorry!

He had a horrible cold his month and that's when the tantrums began properly. He would drop down onto his knees, throw his head back and scream. The tantrums would happen over literally anything but thankfully, he's feeling better now so less tantrums! 

He's learned how to climb up onto the sofa. It's so funny watching him cock one leg up and push himself forward. Becoming too toddler-like for me!

The biggest things he's learned is to walk properly. He went to Clark's to get his first shoes and now there is no stopping him. He much prefers walking to crawling - thank God!

When we give him hugs, he pats our backs and he's constantly giving kisses and saying "mwah!"  He even puts his hand to his mouth and pulls it away to blow kissss too. 

He had his first ever hair cut! Chris's sister is a hairdresser so who better to do it? We just went to Chris's mums and she cut it while he stood and played. Not a peep out of him! He did scratch at his ears though. 

Probably Chris's proudest moment - C is a black metal fan. Chris was playing music through YouTube and C began dancing and head banging! 

C's First Birthday Party

Just over a week ago it was C's first birthday party. I already can't believe it's been a week. 

We rented out 2 halls at a leisure centre. The first hall had a bouncy castle and footballs and other little things to play with and we had that room for 1 hour. 

At first, I thought it might be a bit boring. A bouncy castle for the kids and all the adults would be left standing about but I was wrong. Once the party got started, the kids really enjoyed themselves and us adults chattered away. 

When the hour in the bouncy castle hall was up, we had an hour in a food room. The night before we had made sandwiches and spent the morning of the party cooking food and making sure we had enough for everyone!

At first I thought two different rooms was a bit weird but it worked out better. The kids worked up an appetite playing and also, I think having the food in the same room as the bouncy castle would mean that the kids probably wouldn't eat as they'd be too interested in playing!

I was a bit nervous thought and kept asking everyone repeatedly if they were okay. My mother-in-law said to me, "Rebecca, the kids are all eating and no ones crying.  Everyone's happy" and she was right!

I was really stressed out in the lead up but the party went off without a hitch and everyone had a great time. I'd just like to say a huge thank you to my lovely sister-in-law Emma who helped us set up the food room, thank you to my best friend Jessica who very kindly made C'a birthday cake and thank you to my parents-in-law Michelle and Ian for bringing all the party food over for us. 

Why was I so stressed!? Parties are easy :P

Happy First Birthday, C!

Dear C,

Happy Birthday! Your first ever one! Mummy and daddy have spoiled you lots but you totally and utterly deserve it. 

Ever since you came into the world (before mummy and daddy expected you to!) we have loved you very much. You have completely changed our lives and we love every minute of it. 

We thought that you might have a few developmental problems but you've proved us all wrong. Since day 1, you have been coming on leaps and bounds and we love seeing you change before our eyes every single day. 

You can do so much now! You're walking (okay, a little wobbly, but you're doing it!), you can say the two most important words - mum and dad, you're crawling, waving, dancing and eating big boy food and you always have a smile on your face. 

We're so proud of you and of how far you've come. We're completely blessed to have you in our lives. 

Now, enough of the soppy talk, let's go have a party and eat lots of cake! 

Happy First Birthday, Buddy! 

Lots of love, hugs & kisses 

from Mummy & Daddy

xoxox

What Do You Buy a 1 Year Old for their Birthday?

When I first started planning C's birthday, presents came first but I had no idea what to get! I took to Twitter and asked some other bloggers what they thought. I got a few responses but as the months went by, I saw that some other people had posed the same question; what do you buy a one year old for their birthday? 

C's birthday is tomorrow and I obviously have all his presents purchased and wrapped so I thought it would be a good idea to share what we bought for him as it might help other parents who are at a loss of what to buy. 

1) LeapFrog ABC Spinamals 

I picked this up last minute as I panicked that I hadn't bought enough! You push the button the middle, the wheel spins and a whichever letter it lands on, it teaches you an animal.

2) Vtech Sing Along Microphone

This was another last minute purchase. Chris picked it and I went with it as C loves lights and sounds. I'm sure he'll get enjoyment out of it.

3) Fisher Price Little People Play n' Float Boat

Yet another last minute buy. C doesn't have many bath toys so I knew that I needed to get him some. This seems great as he can get so much use out of it.

4) Vtech Toot Toot Drivers Police Car

I chose this as a small gift to fill out his presents. I know he'll enjoy pushing it around the ground.

5) DVDs

 

I enter a lot of online competitions and I was lucky enough to win these DVDs over the past few months so I decided to put them away until his birthday.

6) Fisher Price Lil' Snoopy

How cute is he!? I just couldn't resist. C will look adorable pulling his little dog around behind him!

7) Little Tikes Shape Sorter

Please excuse the battered box, it got a bit damaged upstairs! I wanted something like this to teach him about shapes. Really glad I purchased this one.

8) Dumbo teddy

C LOVES Dumbo. He has too much Dumbo clothes and has a smaller Dumbo teddy which he carries everywhere. I saw this in the Disney Store and just had to buy it for him.

9) Fisher Price Laugh n Learn Puppy

This was another competition win. I took so much strength not to give him it straight away but I know he'll love it :)

10) Mega Bloks First Builders

I loved Lego as a child and I wanted to get C something similar. Obviously, he is too small for Lego but this will make a great substitute and will start him off nicely!

11) Elmer Wooden Puzzle

I love puzzles and love wooden toys. I wanted to buy C one with knobs on to teach him then we'll progress when he has mastered it. I love how it is Elmer - my dad used to read Elmer books to me when I was younger!

12) Bowling Set

This one was Chris's idea. This set is aimed at children 3+ but apparently Chris wants to teach him. In the almost 4 years we have been together, I've seen Chris bowl once....go figure!

13) Smartrike

This one was a must. There was no doubt in my mind, I was getting him a Smartrike and only a Smartrike would do. How amazing are they?!

14) Little Tikes Rocking Horse

We saw these on the shop floor of Smyths and let C have a ride on it. He seemed to enjoy it so I purchased it knowing that he'd be happy to have one at home!

I do hope this has helped some people fretting over what to buy. 

Is there anything on your list that I haven't mentioned?

What would you suggest?