The Friday Song Choice

Sometimes we all need time to take stock and reflect. I always find myself in the classical music at these times. This is my favourite piece. A lot has been happening in my family lately and they are all in my prayers today and well everyday really. 

Give a little whistle

So Santa Claus arrived early in our little house here in Glasgow. Hubby had a work trip in China and it seems when he visited the toy store well he could not resist. As he says they are cheaper, they are made of wood and get this...come from Germany! Anyway there was a basket full of toys for the equivalent of a pound and when he saw this particular toy he could not resist. Mummy is still a bit in shock that he decided to buy it and is now slightly deaf in one ear. 

I'm joining in with Fun Photo Fun over at the Crumby Mummy 

Shake and Shake and Shake and Shake....

INSTRUCTIONS

One Plastic Bottle

Fill Plastic Bottle with beads

Put cover on Bottle

and

Silent Sunday

Our day at Pollok Park

I would probably have to say that Pollok Country Park is one of my favourites in Glasgow. It just really has everything you could look for and it is very easy for the day to just disappear. This was probably the first time my wee man has really got the most out of it and he got to do it with his Nonni as well...BONUS! There is the Burrell Collection and Pollok House to visit but my wee man is probably not interested in all of that just yet! 

Instead we had lots of space to play some football. 

We went to see the Highland Cows and some horses. 

We threw sticks in the river and spotted some ducks.

Then there was the play park. 

Wrapping up warm and getting out and about makes the wee man AND the Nonni happy! We are also sporting our new winter all in one and some new boots!

 

The Friday Song Choice

Soffia, Soffia!

Soffiare: To blow

I'm linking up with Fun Photo Fun over at The Crumby Mummy

Comparatively not a perfect mum

Does every mother worry if she is getting right? Does every mother compare herself to other mums, their children to other children? These days as my son seems to be growing so fast I am not sure at what point I really started to relax into being a mum. Accepting this new label and running with the flow.

You know it was kind of hard for me to write my previous post about not being able to breastfeed my wee man. You see it's because I suddenly found myself stressing about most things in those early days not just breastfeeding. I was no relaxed carefree mum just going with the flow. I was actually not even sure how much I was bonding with my wee man. When it was time for hubby to go back to work I kind of freaked to be left on my own. He was so tiny, so dependant on me. Because of all my constant worries I feel like I missed out a lot on little things. On perfect cuddles, on perfect kisses, on counting perfect little fingers and perfect little toes.

Everyone, every mother, has their own opinion about parenting. Some will even judge you quite harshly for the decisions you choose to make. If your little family is happy and your little family is not being hurt or neglected how can anyone judge you harshly for what you have chosen to do. For choosing to breastfeed until your child is older than 6 months. For choosing to bottle feed instead of breast feed. For choosing to co sleep with your baby. For choosing to use a dummy as a comforter. For choosing to establish routines. For choosing to be a working mum. For choosing to be a stay at home mother.

I have come to realise that comparatively I am not a perfect mum. Maybe there are mums out there who do it better than me, who has a child that is better than mine. Who is that happy carefree mum just going with the flow and never worrying. I look at my wee man now though and don't mind. I make my choices for him and try every moment not to miss out on the little things.

The milk saga

I was surprised when after giving birth to my wee man that on the ward I was one of the few women who was willing to give breastfeeding a go. I'm not a fanatic about it or anything but just thought it was the best and cheapest option to at least try. Saying that I was never breast fed. My mum was quite clear that she did not like the idea of it at all. I was ready to try and new it was not going to be as easy and natural as I had always thought before being pregnant but I figured I did everything I could do prepare myself (now I am not sure you can ever really prepare yourself for anything to do with raising children!). The wee man actually latched on straight away when he was given to me and the midwife said I probably don't have anything to worry about as he looks like a good eater. I was obviously cursed from the moment she said that as it all seemed to go downhill from there!

I did get much amazing support during my stay at the hospital and I was really so bored there that I could not wait to get home so after the first night even though I could have stayed another I asked to go. Hindsight is an evil thing and now I think I should have stayed and been a bit more proactive in getting some support.

I did not have any typical problems with breastfeeding really except that the wee man would cry constantly and only settle on the breast so I was breastfeeding all the time. It did not hurt and I was told that he was latching on well. I certainly seemed to have enough milk as well as it was poring out of me. I did not really start to worry about it all though until I was told that the wee man was not putting on the weight that he was supposed to. He was also a bit jaundiced bless him. I started to stress and I ended up having a midwife come and visit me pretty much every day. It did not help that it was a different one all the time. With all the suggestions though things just were not getting easier for me. I was starting to probably not be the best mum ever at this point. I had a wonderful supportive health visitor who did direct me towards breastfeeding support but it just never changed anything. 

My wee man was using me for a comforter. He would pop himself onto the breast and well just fall asleep. So I would take him off and then came his tears. I started to express and he actually appeared to take the bottle. Well sometimes anyway. I don't know, the best way to describe it is like he was a snacker between these big bouts of sleep. He never settled into this pattern of how many hourly feeds. I was just stressing. Evenutally I started to formula feed.

Yep I hear some of you tutting. Trust me I still feel a wave of guilt when I tell people I only breastfed for the first two months. My excuses never seem to fly really and even writing it now I am not sure I have explained really well how difficult those first two month were for me. The thing is even on formula it never really improved. He never drank the amount recommended on the tin! I know every child is different and I know children won't starve themselves but no first time mum will accept this no matter how many times she is told...well at least I did not. He never really seemed to cry when he was hungry so I was always left guessing. Once we started weaning I started to quickly drop bottles! Thank goodness he liked his food.

I started to offer him his morning milk with some porridge or weetabix and that thankfully went down well. In the night before bed I was lucky to get an ounce down him so I just stopped pushing. So much for finding it difficult to give up that last comfort bottle!

So if you have reached the end of the saga my toddler does not like to drink milk. I got desperate and tried to put some chocolate in it once but he even made up his face over that! He LOVES cheese and yoghurt so I offer him loads! What do you do if your toddler doesn't drink milk?

Silent Sunday

Knees get ready

Knees get ready

Knees get ready

Knees get ready

to jump

My wee man goes to a pre school gymnastics class every Thursday morning. He loves and mummy loves it too! Above is the little "song" to get us jumping. All of a sudden every day my wee man would occasionally point and say knees. He had learnt a new word, a new "game" which he really loved. We could just be walking down the street and he would stop to give them a tap and have a little jump. 

When I discovered that one of our local parks had a trampoline we had to go and try it out. If you are lucky you might get him to play on some of the other equipment. We are now quite happily jumping to new heights.