Toddler poo problems

After a week out of the blogging game I am coming back with the unusual mix of toddler nutrition and harem pants. Let’s deal with first things first. The babe has struggled with her poos from being a tiny thing. (It runs in her family bless her). I gave her water in between feeds when she was three months to help and anticipated drama when she moved to solids. Whilst weaning wasn’t disastrous – the babe is a tremendous eater and there are few things she won’t sample – each new food introduced had to be given an opportunity to get out of her system again before we new what trouble it might cause.

I think I have been pretty good with what I give her to eat. I bought a brilliant Beaba Babycook which I would highly recommend and which ensured early weaning friendly purées in minutes. I succumb to Ella’s kitchen fruit smoothie pouches for ease but how bad can 100% fruit be? Well, it turns out pretty terrible for a toddler with a sensitive digestive system. Despite the best efforts of my somewhat old school health visitor, the babe has struggled with her poos for at least 6 months.

My lovely childminders who I frequently praise on the blog took it upon themselves to point out to me that some of the stuff I was giving her to eat was really not helping. Some might take offence but I was soooo grateful. They know I’m a mum who only wants the best for her girl and will do anything in her power to make her life easier and I’m confident they respect me as a parent. So why not take a little advice from parents and carers who have a lot more experience in life and child rearing than me. Taking her off her favourite bananas and substituting pears and apples was a big one. (Bananas are all sugar apparently). Red meat and pasta together are almost impossible for small children to digest. (Out went her favourite homemade spaghetti bolognese and in with the ratatouille). And all per packed foods for children have massive amounts of sugar in them, natural or not, that exacerbates any digestive issues. (Even her Petit Filou yogurts have been switched for Greek yoghurt and fruit purée, very tasty).

When I went to pick her up tonight I discovered that the childminders had bought me two recipe books to help me and congratulate me on my success. How lush. I may now need to seek out the health visitor who told me that the babe should be eating the same meals that we eat all the time……

My other promised topic was harem pants. I am a big fan and I am too for the babe in summer. When she was tiny she had some gorgeous white linen ones, long ago too small. Imagine my excitement when I came across some new ones in Next yesterday. Gorgeous detail and a good price for a lovely quality item. Still available online at £11. The shot is of the babe sporting her harem pants in portugal last summer. She was the grand old age of 5 months….

That sinking feeling…

I may have come to sound like a stuck record on issues around being a working Mum but I do seem to come up against its challenges week after week with no let up!

Yesterday my lovely babe woke up looking like something not right. I don’t post pics of her for the slightly overcautious reason that I want this blog to remain anonymous but I was tempted by this particular sight. She has a bad case of conjunctivitis. This manifested itself in hard bright green discharge from her ears to the bridge of her nose across both eyes. Compounded by the solid green snot running nose to mouth she looked like a little baby alien child. Poor thing.

After I had prised all this from her face with 101 water soaked cotton wool balls I was forced to confront the next issue; Who on earth was going to look after my highly contagious child for my working week? Despite only working a three day week this seems to be a common issue. So the sinking feeling comes in. It starts with concern for my gorgeous girl, builds to panic when contemplating the reality of the situation and usually ends on feelings of inadequacy that I have to leave her with others when she’s not feeling great.

Thank goodness I have childminders that are not only accomodating of the common illnesses of childhood but that I really trust and value their influence over my little girl.

In other news I am very excited that the warm weather has eventually allowed me to break into the babes summer wardrobe. Below is a fab coral romper that I bought a few weeks ago at George at Asda. A bargain at £6 and right on trend both in colour and style. Even with gooey eyes – supercute!

The coral one is no longer available online but this denim version packs a similar punch. http://direct.asda.com/george/younger-girls-trousers-shorts/heart-print-denim-playsuit/GEM234287,default,pd.html

Daddy gets special treatment?

For those who read my wardrobe edit post the other day I have to start my blog with a picture of the Donna Ida packaging. Not only were the jeans fabulous but the packaging made me feel extra special!

Perhaps the reason I am getting so excited over packaging is my generally more stony mood as a result of a blip in the babe‘s sleeping. For all those lovely mothers whose toddlers are yet to sleep through the night I apologise for what is to follow. I have the utmost respect and admiration for those who operate well after years of broken sleep – you are amazing.

The babe has slept through from being about 9 weeks old. She was still being breast fed so I understand that this is somewhat unusual or as I suspect, lucky. The girl just loves her bed and is great at settling herself thanks to her not-insignificant thumb sucking habit. (V cute). There have been a couple of exceptions to this. A round trip to Canada knocked her body clock out at 8 months but thats a fair exception – I didn’t sleep right for weeks.

Anyway the last few nights I have been up between 11pm and 4am at varying intervals to attend to a screeching child. It could be teeth, so she’s had Calpol, it could be that she’s just starting to walk and she loves to stand up in her cot, it could be that she’s suddenly become afraid of the dark. After the 3rd time of putting her back in her cot to hear her screech for her life I fear that she is just learning how to push her Mum‘s buttons. She’s very good at it.

Last night I needed to host a business dinner staying away from home and as the babe isn’t used to my hubby’s attention during the night I was concerned that should she wake up screaming he might have a challenge on his hands to settle her. I called in this morning from my hotel room only to be told she had slept 7.30pm to 7.10am without so much of a peep! (He even felt the need to check if she was breathing at one point so deep was her sleep).

I am now off to pick her up from the childminder with a spring in my step given I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning. However, I am told she has not been potty for almost 48 hours so I suspect she is waiting for me to deal with this too. The joys of motherhood!

Chicken Pox Party – are you kidding?

I just about have time to blog between putting the babe down to bed very early and the hubby arriving back from the football. The babe doesn’t normally get her head down for another 45 mins but she was falling asleep on me during Charlie & Lola so I elected to call it early. The hubby will no doubt be a little forlorn (bad result) and a little drunk (having been out since half eleven) so best to blog now me thinks!

I’ve struggled to blog for the last couple of days as the babe has been unable to go to the childminder with a v high temperature and a mystery illness. I have assumed teething but I am now starting to get the fear. I think it’s Chicken Pox. Having spent a lovely bank holiday Sunday with our best buddies I am especially worried as the rash has just appeared tonight so I may have infected our favourite girls.

This brings me to my point. Will said lovely friend and her equally lovely little girl be thrilled to understand that the babe has chicken pox thus getting the disease out of the way in its mildest childhood form or be swearing at me as soon as I put down the phone at having caused further distress and pandemonium in her already full to bursting life. This is where the very real notion of a “Pox Party” comes in. Apparently it is customary in some parts to spread the virus amongst young children as quickly as possible to get it out of the way.

As mentioned above I realise the virus is often at its mildest in early childhood but this is by no means guaranteed. I also struggle with the idea of intentionally making the babe miserable. My precious girl is just too precious to inflict suffering on her intentionally. And I’m really not a soft Mum, honest.

Going back to my mate, my mind is already turning to the reality of managing the babe with hugely infectious virus requiring her to be house bound, alongside my working week, the hubby’s working week away from home and the childminder being unable to take her. Going to be a new level of juggling. But when it comes down to it, I’ll be here with her every step of the way – because at least to me, that’s what being a Mum is about.

NB. For those looking for a fashionable note, the pic is of the babe in her latest Zara tee. I’m not a huge fan of slogan tops but the spots and neon had me sold. Still available at http://www.zara.com in 3-24 months. Seems ironic now that it’s spotty…..

Leaving Before the Dawn (in an Isabella Oliver jersey dress)

I am writing from the office today as the week comes to a close. Its Fri and it only seems like five minutes since my working week began. Lucky you, you say. Well yes, but I have 5 days worth of work to fit into my 3 day working week and I do fear I am not succeeding.

Yesterday was a big day. I had a business meeting in the Midlands early on so needed to leave sunny Newcastle at 5am. Pre-baby this was a regular occurance and although draining it was my job and I did it. This Thursday my business trip down the country was sadly marked my by me being unable to see my gorgeous girl before she headed to the child minder. My hubby was there to get her up and dressed and out but its the first time it hasn’t been me. I was gutted. Its not that I don’t consider the hubby capable. He is and I knew she would be fine with him but I was sad for me to miss that part of my role as a mummy.

Perhaps thanks to my road trip I am once again loaded with cold. An ever helpful male colleague suggested that I need to eat better and sleep more… I am trying!

It’s funny that not being the first person to see my baby in the morning is such a big deal for me, maybe it is for others I don’t know. But on the rare mornings the hubby wakes before me I practically race him to the nursery! If I start to psychoanalyse myself I’d probs say its because my mum looked after me on her own in my formative years so my experience is that the Mum does it all. Slightly different when the hubby is around though, and I do need to remember not to take over. A topic that is more than a blog in itself so perhaps one for when I don’t have the lurgy.

I wanted to drop in a quick fashion piece today. I love the Isabella Oliver brand Isabella Oliverand really used it when I was pregnant. However, the non maternity women’s range, 365, is also fab and my wardrobe now has plenty of it. Same heavy jersey fabrics they use in the maternity wear, simple and ever stylish cuts and gorgeous colours. I’ve added a pic of my most recent lust item above but also wanted to show you some shoes they are featuring in their catalogue. Not an Isabella Oliver item but I need to find out where to get some! (Oh and I’ll be ordering those skinnies too).

Working for the family

I have to say, a huge three weeks into my blogging career, I can see how it can become addictive. As a busy working mum I shouldn’t really have time to spend an hour blogging of an evening but not only is it addictive it’s borderline therapeutic. Well, it is if you do it like I do which is basically writing a diary with a few of my favourite fashionable things thrown in…

My above comments aside I am really struggling with making work and home happen together never mind doing both well. As the hubby works away a lot its easy to feel like I just have to do everything. 5mins before I was about to lose the plot with him last night I made myself remember that he is working 6 day weeks, always in the car or on the plane and under massive pressure to deliver and doing it all for the sake of me and the babe. I think it’s just different for men and women. (Hardly a new observation I know but wait a mo). When I finish work, I rush to the childminders so I can see the babe and spend a precious couple of hours with her before bed. I am knackered, this is a given, but it doesn’t stop me, I prioritise her over everything. When the hubby comes in, he loves to see her waves and smiles for him but wants to unpack a bag, check his blackberry, close his eyes for five mins. As I said I’m not really trying to be critical of that. It’s his choice, as it is mine. It just doesn’t feel like a choice for me. Maybe that’s just motherhood.

As a woman who was pre baby massively into her job it is a surprise to me that I would contemplate giving it up for the time being but the reality is I would. I would miss the money, the independent means, the girls lunches and the boys banter but …. it might be better for the family in the short term. Might. If the hubby did a regular job that was nine to five and he left it at the office it would maybe be different but I can see that the household would benefit from someone being at home. His job is so demanding and travel intensive it would be good to have consistency elsewhere. One to think about a lot more me thinks.

From a fashion perspective today the weather has really thrown us. It is hailing, snowing and raining hard, seemingly all at once! When I went to grab the babe’s coat I realised it was a bit on the small side as we’ve just needed a little fleece or body warmer the last few weeks. A good reason to get a spring jacket I thought. What I found was this little number from George at ASDA. Not available on the website hence the DIY shot but a bit of a nod to Alice Temperley at a bargain price, just £9. It has a fleece lining so will be a bit warmer than a regular mac in the unpredictable weather. In case the pic doesn’t show it well it’s pale pink with brown butterflies. Result!