Sssshhhh The Baby Is Sleeping

*whispers* for the past 4 weeks BG has slept through the night, in her own bed (Please don't hurt me)


This has been 9 months in the making and we had to make a big decision to get her to sleep through. We finally bite the bullet and tried controlled crying with her and after one night of it, it worked. It took 20 mins in total and  we have had 12 hours of a sleeping toddler every night since.


I know many people are against Controlled Crying as a technique to get babies to sleep and I understand all the reasons and arguments against it , for us it really was a last resort and I'm am glad we finally did it. 


We we're really spoilt when BG was younger, she dropped her night feeds at 9 weeks and starting sleeping 7 to 7, it was heaven. We felt slightly smug, other friends we knew were desperately trying to sleep train their children and BG did it all by her self. All was perfect until she was about 6 months and she started teething, then she became ill, her sleep routine was ruined and it has taken almost 9 months to get it back on track.


It wasn't just a case of BG waking up in the night and having to get her back to sleep and back into her cot. Once she was awake she wouldn't settle and go back into her cot, every-time she fell asleep  she would wake as yiu laid her back down, so it became easier to take her down stairs and sleep on the sofa with her. BG wouldn't sleep in our bed with us.


It was mainly OH that would get up with her, I am really deep sleeper and once she dropped those night feeds I barely hear her cry (we already know I'm an evil mummy) so OH would get up.


It then become easier to leave her sleep on the sofa at night and not even try and put her in the cot, OH would sleep on the floor next to her, she would wake up at 4am and crawl down for  cuddle. 


I know it sounds completely mental but it worked and we all kinda got some sleep. However after 9 months of this, it was taking a toll on me and OH mentally, physically and for me emotionally. I missed sharing my bed with him and evenings had become quite strained. 


We had allowed BG to get to such a bad routine at home and it was starting to tear us apart. I must also pint out that when BG slept at her nan's she slept through the whole night, it was only at home that she didn't


So 4 weeks ago after BG had spent the night at her Nana's, we put her to bed when she fell asleep at 7pm, she woke at 9pm. OH went up, laid her down, told her it was time to bed and we left her for 5 mins and yes she did scream, he went back up did the same again and we left her 10  mins, he went up a 3rd time and within 5 mins of him coming back down she was asleep and she slept until 7.30 the next day. 


BG now sleeps through the night, we only had to do it once. Its starting to make a huge difference in out life, me and OH are spending quality time together and BG wakes up in a great mood. We go in and get her, she picks up Pooh bear, gives us a kiss and is ready to start the day. The last month has defiantly been good for us. 


I'm not saying this is for everyone, it was a last resort for us and something I'm glad we have now done. 


Its amazing what sleep can do for your family (though I have to get used to OH snoring again)


NM X 

Soundtrack To My Week

This week has been quite productive even with a poorly BG, Its amazing what can achieve in snatched moments of time.


This song I've been listening to all week, actually I'm loving the whole album but this song is the one I've been dancing around like a mad women to this week.................................................


Florence + The Machine - Dog Days





Enjoy

NM X

Gallery - Joy

My first idea for this weeks subject Joy for Tara's Gallery was to take pictures of all the things that give me joy, however with BG being poorly that hasn't happened. So I've put together some old pictures which show Joy.

The first picture is the day BG was born, those tired looks on our faces are actually looks of pure joy.

The second picture is 6 weeks later on BG's first Christmas day, we went out for dinner with both our families and I had my first drink since she was born, I was very happy.

                                        

These photo's are some of my favourite of BG, her face is showing pure joy in each of these photo's and when I see them they fill my heart with joy.

Sorry for going all soppy on you, I'm now off to see to my grumpy, spotty baby.

NM X 

Bad Mummy Moment

BG has Chickenpox, she's covered in sore, red spots. She woke up yesterday with some spots on her neck, so I took a picture and posted it on twitter (obviously), some though it could be chickenpox but it was a bit early to tell. 


Later that afternoon the spots had multiplied, so we took her to the out of hours doctors who confirmed it was Chickenpox, so we went home with a huge supply of calamine. 


No why am I a bad mummy I hear you say? Well, she's probably had it for a few days and I hadn't noticed.
Let me explain, when BG is teething she's get nasty nappy rash. On Friday her bum look a bit sore and there were some spots, I just though it was nappy rash. Turns out there were the chickenpox spots, by the time we went to the doc they had burst, apparently the spots like warm places.


I left the doctors feeling like the worse Mother in the world, there's me slapping on nappy cream and all along she's got the Chickenpox. 


To be honest she doesn't seem to notice the spots, which can only be a good thing. The doctor (who always makes me feel like a neurotic mum) said she may not get itchy as he seems to think its psychological and she's too young to realise. We shall wait and see, she is definitely not herself so lots of cuddles are in order this week.  


I just hope it all clears up soon.


NM X 

Haircuts, Bumps & Bruises and The Soundtrack To My Week

This last week has been jammed packed, so I'd thought I'd give you the highlights.


Last Friday I had my hair cut, short, very short!


This is me before....

and this is me after...

Ignore the double chin!!


At the weekend I had a house full, for the first in a long time I got to cook for my family. My sister, her OH and my 13 year old cousin who was over from Ireland came to stay.


We stuffed ourselves silly on Easter Sunday so on the Monday we took a walk to the park where BG managed to trip and bang her head and nose. She had two bumps on her head and a graze on her nose, she now looks like I've been beating her!


My sister and her OH went back Monday and left my 13 year old cousin here with us. She didn't quite realise how *fun* it is to have a toddler running around, she made the fatal mistake of trying to play on her laptop while BG was awake, BG wanted to help her by closing the top down and pressing the buttons, what a helpful child *snigger*


Tuesday was a lovely day so we went to the seaside and went to the sea life centre, which was loved by all. BG likes the really ugly and dangerous fishes, she saw the Piranha's and went "ahh", any thing with teeth she liked!


We took a walk along the beach and BG collected a stone to take home, do you want to see it?......

Its huge!! Not exactly what we had in mind but we couldn't get it off her...

A good day was had by all, especially as we hot, freshly made doughnuts on the way home.


Me and BG had the house back to ourselves yesterday, so we had the afternoon in the garden, where she tripped hit her head and nose again!! and gave her self a nose bleed. Hugs and chocolate made it better.


It was a lovely Easter for us, BG only got one small egg from me and OH and the rest of the family bought presents or gave us money for her next term of Musical Mini's (yes I am a mean mummy)


So this brings me to the soundtrack of the week, I had a good think about it and choose this..........


We Are Family by Sister Sledge 








Enjoy!! 

NM X

The Gallery - Ugly

The subject this week for The Gallery is Ugly.

When it comes to my looks I don't think I'm ugly, I don't think I'm pretty either, I just think I look like me. 

There are parts of my body that individually I would like to change, I'd like to be taller and thinner but all together I'm happy with the way I am. I learned to like who I was on the outside a long time ago.

However there is one piece of my body that I really hate, they really disgust me and thats my feet....

 I think they are really, really ugly.

My toes are short and fat. my nails are discoloured and they are flat. 

If I could change anything about my body it would be them, why? because I love to wear flip flops in the summer!

I will leave you will some lyrics from one of my favorite songs by Jon Bon Jovi called, well what else? Ugly!

So if you're ugly, I'm ugly too
If you're a nut, then I must be a screw
If you could see yourself the way I do
You'd wish you were as beautiful as you, yeah
I wish I was as beautiful as you 

NM X 

Rejection

I wasn't going to do the writing workshop this week, BG has been poorly and I don't feel great. But I read the prompts again today and this is what I wrote.

Why don’t you love me?

What did I do wrong?

Did I hurt you?

Did I Disappoint you?

Was I not the person you wanted me to be?

Sometimes in the middle of the night I cry for you.

You left me and I still don’t know why.

I loved you, wasn’t that enough?

Your rejection turned me bitter and twisted.

I drank to hide the hurt.

I partied, I danced, but the pain wouldn’t go away.

Now I feel numb.

I try not to think of you and how you left.

It kills me inside to know I wasn’t enough.

I little piece of me died when you rejected me.

You left and I never want you back.

I was inspired by prompt 4. Share a time when you felt a deep sense of rejection.