One man's (or woman's) problem is another man's (or woman's) opportunity

I've been looking forward to my ante-natal group reunion for a while now.  We were the first of the group to have our babes, so although the other girls were envious for a while that we had Lily while they were still waiting for their special stork delivery, it feels like Ive been waiting sooooo long to see everyone again. Today was the big day...

I enjoyed my NCT classes, mostly, if I'm honest, because of the people I met.  The info was.... just info, but the friendships Ive made are what I value most.  We were a fairly large group; 8 couples, I think.... Well, let me re-phrase that, 7 couples and me and my 'part-timer' partner Kai (not a part-time partner, but just a part time attender!).  I'm not really going to slag him off for missing HALF of our classes, as his excuses were legitimate - 1 late shift, 1 night away with work, and 1 trip to South Africa for a stag do.  But let's be honest, I don't think he shed a tear for having to miss the sessions.

So when the date for the reunion was announced, we made sure he made the work rotas so he was going to be off for the day.  There was a slight moment of panic in the weeks leading up to today when he thought England was playing rugby today, but thankfully that match was yesterday.  There was no escaping it now, he was going to have to come and be social!  He was going to have to talk about his feelings! He was going to have to listen to other people talk about theirs...

And then it happened........
Whether Kai managed to get a direct line to the plumbing Gods last night, I have no idea, but this morning, after feeding Lily, I stumbled, a little bleary-eyed, down to the kitchen to make a cuppa, and was rudely awaken (properly) when I stepped into the kitchen an immediately got a soaker!!!  THE KITCHEN WAS FLOODED!

So after calls to British Gas and the landlord and after removing kitchen units, the realisation of the gravity of the situation dawned on Kai... Someone was going to have to say home all day a wait for the plumber!  He had been rescued!

And so I went solo to the reunion....

The end result of today's chaos in the Zoo:
The plumber (in the horrible florescent orange van) couldn't fix the pipe
The baby now hasn't had a bath for two nights (last night she stayed up too late watching the rugby)...
The house is a total mess as kitchen units have been emptied everywhere...

But, with a glass of wine in one hand, a tummy full of Kai's spag bol, and the baby snoring (as proven by the little green lights on the baby monitor - no red!!!!), it's a good Sunday night.  Who would have thought the day would turn out like this...

Hope you're having a good night too.
xo

The Big Pram Debate

So, if you are anything like me, choosing a pram was something you gave a fair bit of thought too.  After all there are a lot of parameters to consider; terrain, weather, carseat compatibility, dog friendly, 3 or 4 wheels, will it fit in my car? etc....  And just when you think you've figured it out, you come across any number of stumbling blocks (price, availability, colour, your partner....)

I have to admit, right up front, I am a pram-aholic (and a bit of an eBay addict too, having bought all my prams second hand).  Considering Lily has just arrived, how can I now be on pram #4 - not counting the fact that Ive had one kind twice now?.... Don't ask!

I promise there is a reason for having been around the block, so to speak, in a variety of models.  My niece!  I blame her!  She is the sweetest little thing, and I have been lucky to have had her come stay with me quite regularly.  She is now 2 1/2 but was still really little when we first started having her to stay.... and so of course, I needed my own STUFF.  She has been a great guinea pig, and has test driven all of the models that have been through my 'pram garage'. 

So which prams have I had:
1.  M&P Pliko pramette
2.  Mountain Buggy
3.  Jane Slalom
4.  Sproggs (Norton) Speedster
5.  M&P Pliko Pramette (again)

For me, each has its good points and its draw backs, but the thing that they all have in common is that they were all SECOND HAND!  Now don't get me wrong, I would love to have had the means to spend £1000 on the 'perfect pram', but for our family, that was just not an option

So what have a learned so far about navigating the mind field that is 'PramWorld'?

• Men don't get it! They think all prams are the same... until you bring home a crappy one that has nonadjustable handles and such a short wheel-base that they are constantly kicking the back of the chair
• If you spend more than £100, your significant other (and/or Mum!) will expect to be able to give his/her opinion (which may or may not be an informed opinion and is likely to lead to some degree of row)
• You may think you know what you want, you may have even started bragging about how great your new pram is, then Baby arrives, your life changes and only then does the huge flaw in you decision making process become apparent
• If you bought an expensive new pram, sorry but now you're screwed!!!!
• If you bought a second hand pram, take a picture, write an ad, and sell it on eBay.... quick!!! ...If you're really good, you can get it sold before your partner even realises you've bought it...
• No matter how hard you try, no pram/pushchair magically folds up small enough to fit in the boot of a Ford Fiesta WITH the dog!
• Just when you are sure you've got it right, your sister calls, tells you that she will pay for your flight if you come to Canada to visit with the baby..... Now you are totally stuffed because Air Canada will definitely not gate-check your HUGE 3-wheeler, with the rigid carry-cot. WONDERFUL, THANKS SIS! :)

I'm sure us Mummy Bloggers could make a mint publishing a book called 'The Idiot's Guide To Choosing Your First Pram'...  So I'd love to read your comments and words of wisdom regarding shopping for the 'Perfect Pram'. 

Finally, does the 'Perfect Pram' exist?  What do you think?

   

 Lily asleep in her Jane Slalom 3 wheeler

xo

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Motherhood Lessons #1-7

As I mentioned, I am currently home on maternity leave with Lily, and have found myself permanently logged on to my Facebook account.  Ive been (apparently) entertaining my friends these past 10 weeks with my little gems of new-found knowledge of the joys of motherhood posted as status updates.  They have suggested I post them here for your entertainment.

Lessons Backdated since 17 December 2010

Realises that motherhood is a steep learning curve... Today's lessons: #1: poo explodes into every nook and cranny, including armpits and belly buttons. Lesson #2: who ever said that babies cry themselves to sleep LIED; they only cry themselves into a PAUSE... a pause just long enough to trick you into believing they are asleep and long enough to boil the kettle but not actually make the tea!!!! Gotta love them, eh.

has learned motherhood lesson #3... all the poppers and snaps on baby clothes are very hot when you take them out of the dryer. The big dilemma is do yo suffer the pain or drop the clean clothes on the dirty mudroom floor?.

Motherhood lesson #4: Colic sucks! I wish I could magically go from 6pm and skip forward to 10pm without having to do the hours in between!!!!

Motherhood lesson #4 (again... I blame my inability to count on lack of sleep): Perseverance is good word.... when it pays off.

Motherhood lesson #5: First you hear the poo, then you smell the poo, then you should really do something about the poo!! If you wait till baby finishes the bottle, you may find a wet, stinky brown patch on your jeans.... YUCK!

Motherhood lesson #6: There comes a point in the day when I can no longer tell if its me or the baby that smells like puke! I'm glad Kai got me nice perfume for Christmas

Motherhood lesson #7: Eating healthily is more trouble than it's worth.... biscuits, bagels, cheese etc are so much easier to eat than a bowl of Cheerios, having to hold your spoon in the 'wrong' hand and while you fuss a crying baby with your 'good' arm. Not sure why I am bothering?... Yuck and now the Cheerios are soggy!!!!

Did you smile? 
Looking back, I can't believe how far we've already come in these past 10 weeks.  I can only imagine what that next 10 will hold...
xo

Welcome to the Zoo

The Zoo is now open....

So after a little cajoling, I have decided to start my own Mummy Blog.  I have to admit, Im not totally sure how this all works, but I'm up for trying most things once, so here goes nothing. 

As I don't own an IPhone (and it seems like most bloggers are permamently attached to their Iphones - or maybe that's just on TV), what qualifies me to write a Mummy Blog?  Well, I am now a proud Mummy to my 10 weeks old daughter, Lily.  To say that last few months have been a whirlwind is a bit of an understatemnent, but we've been lucky.  Life is good.

Why the Zoo?  As well as Lily, our home is shared by my partner Kai,  our Boarder Collie, Jessie and cat, Tippy.  They all keep me on my toes and are the source of endless hilarity, mess and total chaos - kinda like living in a zoo, but hopefully a little less smelly.  I hope, as you follow our forthcoming adventures, you might share a giggle or two with us as we find our way in this new world parenthood.

xo