Reflecting.

When John was around 7 months old, I returned to education. At school, I was a nightmare student. I hated school and made it my aim to everyone show that. As a result, I came away with little qualifications. So in 2012, I decided to start an evening class in Higher English to try and pass one of the (many) exams I failed whilst at school. It was hard work but I loved it - it was something just for me. Unfortunately, when I became pregnant with David and endured a HG pregnancy, I had to drop out weeks before the final exams.

However, part of the course was to write a Reflective Essay on a personal experience of significance. I wrote about our first night home with John. And seeing as it never made it into a final portfolio for a Higher English Qualification, and it seems a shame for it just to remain saved to my hard drive, I thought I'd share it here...

David's Birth Story.

Pre-read warning!! This is a birth story, so not only will it be loooong but it will also feature plenty of TMIs. Proceed with caution...

SPD had been playing havoc on my pelvis for months now and the past couple of weeks had been particularly bad with not being able to lay in bed or even move without withering in pain. So when I was woken by a shooting pain at 1am on the 12th of November, I simply thought it was due to my failing pelvis being in an uncomfortable position. I dosed on & off for the next few hours when at 4am it hit me - this wasn't just my pelvis, these were contractions. I started to time when and was surprised to find they were 5 minutes apart and about 40 seconds long. Having regretted not resting in early labour with John, I decided to try and sleep as much as I could.

At 7am we were up with John. I was still getting irregular contractions but the length between them had increased again. I told Iain to go to work as normal and that I'd call him if there was any change. John & I went about our day as normal but I did notice John was particularly cuddly, which was lovely. And I soon lost track of the amount of times we read "Mummy Mummy, What's In Your Tummy".

Before I knew it, it was 7pm and Johns bedtime. Throughout the day my contractions had came and went - getting stronger & closer together, then shorter & further apart. Iain got in at 8pm by which point my contractions were at their strongest and quickly becoming more regular. We decided to order pizza for tea and whilst we waited on it arriving, I called Triage. Much to my surprise, they told us to come in ASAP. I had assumed they'd hear I'd been having irregular contractions all day and tell me to come in when things had progressed further, but since this was my second baby, they said things tend to happen quicker and I'd be better off there.

Sleep #4.

You mean to tell me that babies are meant to sleep? Lies I tell you, lies! Babies don't sleep. Did you think that parents stayed up until 4am for the fun of it? That bags under our eyes was a fashion statement? But seriously - sleep seems to be the number one thing that new parents hope for when they bring that little squishy bundle home and then the most talked about topic amongst new parents, who in reality forgot what sleep was after day 5. Here's the final of the Kiddicare Sleep Infographics to not only help you get your little one too sleep but also reassure you that you're not the only parent driving around at 4am trying to settle an overtired newborn.

Sleep #3.

Sleep when the baby sleeps. But I've not managed a hot drink all day. Sleep when the baby sleeps. But the sink is full of dishes. Sleep when the baby sleeps. But I need a shower. Sleep when the baby sleeps. But I need to express. Sleep when the baby sleeps. But I've not eaten anything today. Sleep when the baby sleeps. But I've procrastinated for so long now that the baby's awake!

Sleep is always a hot subject with new Mum's. Not only is it all you really want but it's all anyone asks about. So why is it so impossible to get any? That little bundle that's turned your world upside down is obviously a big part but it's also important to remember that after your wee ones needs, yours should come second - not the dishes, not the washing & not the well-meaning visitors who you are convinced will be judging your house (trust me, they're not). By all means, have a shower or hot drink whilst your baby sleeps but also remember you need to rest too. Even if you can't switch off & drift away to Slumberland, having a chilled-out lay on the couch will help you recuperate as well. And don't worry - your baby won't ever remember being covered in crumbs as you inhale a piece of toast, whilst simultaneously feeding them.

Practical Newborn Gifts.

Someone's just had a baby? Yay!! And what better way to congratulate the new parents on their squishy little bundle than by giving them a gift to mark the occasion. So what were you thinking of getting? The latest must-have gadget? A super-soft comfort blanket? A pair of teeny tiny shoes? An endless supply of talc? A little cutesy rattle? As great as they all sound, they're in fact not very practical...and although well thought out and given with great intentions, there's some other gifts that are pretty fool-proof and always well received. Here's my guide to just those...

Sleepsuits. When you don't have kids, it's easy to imagine dressing wee ones up in fancy little outfits with lots of buttons, frills & 'hand-wash only' materials. Reality? These outfits, although cute, are an absolute pain in the ass. Babies puke, babies poop and babies drool. Babies cry when you change them & they cry when you try to put a load of washing on. This is where sleepsuits become a parents new best friend, Easy to get on, easy to get off and easy to chuck in the wash without worrying about 'hand wash only' & 'do not tumble dry'. And if you really want to be a new parents favourite gift giver, opt for sleepsuits that zips up - quite honestly, thee best invention for those stupid-o'clock-in-the-morning poopsplosions.

Nappies. Babies poop. A lot. And nappies are expensive, particularly given the number that a baby will go through in those early days (up to 12 times a day is normal, would you believe!). One gift I've always been happy to receive is nappies. It's something that's guaranteed to be used, not to mention saving on the stress of leaving the house & attempting the shops when you're overwhelmed by the newborn baby haze. And extra brownie points if you ask the new parents what size their wee one uses & what their favourite brand is.

Coconut Oil. Not only is coconut oil great for everything, it's also great for new babies. It's the perfect moisturiser for brand new, not-used-to-the-elements-of-the-world skin as it's completely natural & chemical free - either pop a little bit into the bath or massage straight onto babies skin to avoid it becoming dry & flaky. Coconut oil can also be used as nappy cream and I've found it to be the best cure for cradle cap. Plus it's great for a new Mum too - one of the best hand creams I've used, it can also be used as nipple cream when breastfeeding. And ingesting can also help increase a mothers milk, plus it makes a good remedy for stretch marks (but obviously don't say that too the new Mum, as she's likely to cry!).

Muslin Cloths. There's not a mess that a muslin cloth can't fix. Perfect for burping, wiping, as a DIY bib, to catch messes during nappy-free time, even as a comfort blanket or an emergency nappy. How people have babies without them, I do not know! I even use them to dust & clean the windows. As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as too many muslin cloths.

Do you have any other fool-proof gifts for newborn that you'd recommend?

National Museum of Scotland.

It's one of my favourite places in the entire world but also the one that harbours my greatest fear. I can still vividly remember being a child, visiting the National Museum of Scotland and first discovering my fear of heights. Walking up the magnificent stairs onto the massive open balcony of the first floor - my knees turned to jelly & my heart jumped into my throat. I couldn't walk, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even get my thoughts together. In my head I was convinced the entire building was going to collapse around me and we'd all go crashing to our deaths. And I still face the same feelings about heights to this day.

So when Iain suggested taking the boys to the museum on the 2nd of January, it was a plan arranged on the basis that I would go but I wouldn't be venturing further than the ground floor. And it's a shame, as it is a truly spectacular building, one which I've even said that if money was no object, I'd want to get married there. But it turned out that John had similar feelings. Having not napped that day, he was exhausted and overwhelmed. We thought he'd be excited and amazed by the animals but in actual fact he clung to Iain or I and cowered away in fear. But to be fair, even the Lion cubs were twice the size of him!

Iain did take John upstairs whilst I wandered around with David in the buggy but again, he was just too tired to really enjoy himself. He did however have some fun back downstairs in the Imagine gallery, playing with the Chinese dragon and various building blocks & puzzles. John (& Iain for that matter!) was also particularly impressed with the Connect gallery and loved seeing the cars & "bobots" (aka. robots) in action. Disappointingly though, he wasn't impressed by my favourite exhibit, the Millennium Clock Tower, something I could stare at for hours and still find something I've never noticed before.

But despite my reluctance to truly explore the museum and John's exhaustion making for a cut-short trip, we had a lovely time. And hopefully by the time John is big enough to really enjoy the museum, I'll also be over (or at least a little better at dealing with) my fear of heights.

Being such a vast space filled to the brim with various exhibitions, it's definitely worth a days visit if you're ever in Edinburgh - if you're ok with heights & don't have a cranky toddler in tow, that is...

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Christmas Morning.

The build up to Christmas was pretty rubbish. We've all been ill in December with one thing or another, with me finally being struck down with a virus right on the Eve of Christmas Eve. So our Christmas Eve - which should have been spent doing last minute baking, shopping & wrapping - was spent with Iain running us down to my parents before he went to work, so my amazing Mum could help me out with the boys for the day.

By Christmas morning I was still (& still am, for that matter) feeling pretty rubbish but John's overwhelmed excitement for the satsuma in his stocking was contagious. Both boys did extremely well for themselves in terms of presents. John's favourites being his Duplo, wooden car carrier truck & of course, all his sweeties! He also took great pleasure in helping David out with opening his presents.

We had a fairly quiet Christmas morning. Iain woke John at around 8am as he was sick of waiting for him - he's usually up at 6.30am and obviously chose the day his Daddy wanted him up to have a long lie! After we'd spent a while opening the presents we had some breakfast & watched The Gruffalo's Child (cue a lot of "GRRRRRR"ing from John). By the late morning, John was exhausted so we put him down for a nap, whilst I jumped in the shower. And a little later on, the boys Granddad arrived for a visit which was lovely to see John's excitement for his Granddad & the giant Mickey Mouse he had brought him.

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Stay at the Sick Kids.

What a week we had.

David woke at 2am, which has become his usual feed time but he wasn't feeding as keenly as normal. Plus he was crying uncomfortably as if he had trapped wind but no amount of burping was helping. By 5am, I was exhausted, stressed and struggling. Iain asked the usual Dad question of "what's wrong with him" (I could have throttled him - "if I knew that, do you think he'd be crying?!"). All that was really got me through those shitty early hours was the knowing that John had nursery that day so we could at least stay in bed and catch up on lost sleep.

Then I noticed the temperature. At first I assumed it was simply because we were co-sleeping and David was just a bit hot but as the morning went on, his temperature went up & up. As lunchtime approached, David was still getting hotter so I decided to strip him to his vest and when I saw his skin, the panic set in. I've since learnt that the medical term for describing it is "mottled" but I think a good comparison is corned beef. This combined with his temperature, painful crying, & now not wanting to be touched or lifted, rang the meningitis alarm in my head.

I decided to phone NHS24 who ran me through all the general stuff, asking 101 questions and getting me to check his temperature whilst on the phone. The nurse I spoke with advised we see our GP that afternoon and thankfully I was able to get an emergency appointment a couple of hours later. At our GPs, David was briefly examined and as soon as the doctor took his 39.1°c temperature, we were on our way to the Sick Kids. Thankfully my sister was able to give us a lift otherwise the doctor was ready to organise an ambulance for us.

Babywearing - Getting Out With Two.

David is hidden in there...somewhere...

When I was pregnant with David everyone would ask me if we were going to get a double buggy. The whole prospect of this thought terrified me, for a number of reasons...

When we found out I was pregnant with John, I researched buggies to death. Given the price of them, I wanted to ensure we got the best buggy for us with no room for error. In the end we opted for the Bugaboo Bee which has been my favourite baby purchase out of every gadget, 'must-have' and essential that we've purchased in the past two years. The thought of giving up my prized possession broke my heart and I knew that unless we mustered up the cash for the Bugaboo Donkey (around £1,000 no-less!), I'd be bitterly disappointed with an alternative double buggy. There's also the fact that I don't drive and unless Iain is available, I solely rely on my own two feet & the bus to get us from A to B. This can be stressful enough with our existing buggy which is designed for public transport, so the thought of trying to manoeuvre a double buggy on & off a bus (or worse, having to fold a double buggy with a toddler & newborn in tow) was, and still is, my worst nightmare.

So where did that leave us? Well for a while I was convinced we'd get by with John walking & David being in the buggy. Simple enough but as I soon realised, John isn't even 2 years old yet and his little legs can only go so far before he insists on being carried. The next option was a buggy board, which we do have but again, John is a little young for it and doesn't quite grasp the concept yet.

The last solution was to babywear David and carry on using the buggy for John. Eureka moment! When John was little(r) I sometimes used a cheap Baby Bjorn style baby carrier that we'd bought on a whim from Mothercare. I loved it but it killed my back, particularly as he grew. And research also tells me that these carriers are not best designed for babies hips & aren't especially comfortable for them either. It wasn't until John was closer to a year old that I started following Rose from Carry Them on Instagram which opened me up to a whole new world of babywearing. I felt I was a little late to start investing in wraps for John so instead I told myself we'd give it a go when no.2 came along.

After a bit of research, I decided we'd get ourselves a stretchy wrap to use with David. At first I looked at the Moby Wrap but to me they seemed a little overpriced. I then went on to discover Victoria Slinglady and I thought my mind was made up, until I noticed the tutorial on her website on how to make your own stretchy wraps. I did a little more Googling for further DIY tutorials and went ahead to make my own stretchy wraps and so far they've been perfect! I think it's safe to say I'm becoming a babywearing convert. I even been writing up a wishlist of woven wraps for when David gets too big for his stretchy wraps.

So the benefits? My hands are free to deal with John (& push the buggy) and David is cosy & settled. Making leaving the house with two under 2 possible and virtually stress free! Ok, that last part is a bit of a lie but you get my point!

Extra For The Experts.
Babywearing International - What is Babywearing?
Babywearing International - Benefits of Babywearing.

Victoria Slinglady - Making Your Own Stretchy Wrap.
Ruby Stillettoes - DIY Stretchy Wrap.

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1 Month Update.

What a month! It's safe to say, I'm exhausted. Between adjusting to newborn baby sleeping patterns, viruses requiring hospital stays (more on that later) & generally being a Mummy of two, this month has flashed before my eyes. I find myself spending any spare moment just staring at this little boy, soaking up every little detail of his already-changing self.

David already seems to be leaving newborn baby territory and becoming more & more aware of the world, with his big beady eyes being drawn to lights & faces. His neck is so strong and just like his big brother, he's a big fan of tummy time. And his size! He's such a little chunk (my "chunky monkey"), gaining nearly 3lbs in just four weeks. He's already outgrown all his newborn clothes and into his 0-3 months outfits - some of which are a little snug fitting.

Sleep is happening but I'm pretty sure that's more to do with the fact we're co-sleeping and I breastfeed him back to sleep whilst half asleep myself. Although he does have two decent stretches of waking during the day, usually first thing in the morning and late afternoon. He's not a huge fan of a dummy but after our hospital stay this week he's become a little more used to it (although I'm yet to decide if we'll continue to encourage it given John's now dependence on his). He loves babywearing and is always chilled out in his bouncy chair.

Well, there's only so much I can say about a 1 month old baby but one thing is for sure, David fits in perfectly with us. And although I'd happily keep him this way forever, I can't wait to continue watching him grow.

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Ordinary Moments - "The Boys".

I grew up in a house full of girls. And when we found out at our 20 week scan that David was another wee boy we were inundated with comments such as "oh well, you'll just need to try again for a girl." But for me, I've never had that yearning for a daughter that many Mummy's have. In fact, when I was pregnant with John I was desperate for a little boy, which is odd considering how much a girly-girl I was growing up - anything pink, fairy or cute, I would obsess over. But for some reason I'd always seen myself with boys.

Maybe it's simply because I've been there, done that, when it comes to girls. Perhaps it's the niggling inside of me that doesn't think I'd be a great role model for a girl. Or perhaps it's purely knowing we've not got to pay for a wedding one day! Or maybe it's just now I know how loving & cuddly little boys can be! But one thing is for sure, when I look at these two little boys and already see how much love they've got for each other, I know that (for us) boys are the best!

So in the same way my parents used to refer to my sisters & I as "the girls", I can refer to my kids as "the boys".

Getting To Know David.

David is now 3 weeks old and we're quickly getting to know the newest addition to our wee family.

He's a natural when it comes to breastfeeding. He co-sleeps with Mummy & Daddy. He's already in 0-3 months clothes. He is a very snuffly baby & snores like his Daddy. He has the brightest eyes that follow John wherever he goes. He's not keen on using a dummy. He has a great assortment of grumpy faces. He doesn't like being put down or left alone for long periods whilst awake. He can miraculously sleep through his brother's tantrums. He has the cutest little dents in his ear lobes that make it look like he has had pierced ears. He's not a fan of nappy changes. He has his Daddy's nose & his Mummy's toes. He's a little chunk compared to his brother but still seems so small.

He's the perfect addition to our wee family.

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Breastfeeding Matters.

Anyone that reads Diddle Diddle Dumpling will know how passionate I am about breastfeeding. After a tough start in establishing breastfeeding with John we went on to start our extended breastfeeding journey. And with the recent addition of David, we're now embarking on our latest journey of tandem breastfeeding.

So a few months ago when I was put in touch with the La Leche League and asked to tell our breastfeeding story for their bi-monthly magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, I of course jumped at the chance to tell our tale. And now you can read all about it for yourself!

To purchase your very own copy of November/December Breastfeeding Matters, CLICK HERE. Or alternatively you can become a member of the La Leche League & support all the positive work they do in the world of infant feeding, and as a thank-you you'll receive the latest copy of Breastfeeding Matters every two months.

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1 Week "Bump" Update.

P.S. What do you think of our Christmas look? I'm between blog designs at the moment and thought we'd embrace in the Christmas cheer.

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David Graham.

I'm still in awe of this not-so-little boy (up to 9lbs on day 4!) that I can't quite believe he's already 12 days old. We're still very much adapting to life as a family of four, particularly now that Iain's back at work. And John's been great so far and taken the addition of his baby brother in his stride.

But until we establish more routine in our day-to-day, it's likely that things will remain a little quieter around here for a further few weeks. I'll do my best to update Diddle Diddle Dumpling when I can but for now, cuddles and sleep will be taking priority!

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