Makes you think

Last night Bean would not go down properly. She had slept for about 40 minutes and then woke up mewling  (does anyone else's baby still do this?!). I got her to sleep and put her down a total of 8 times only for her to start crying moments after I left the room. She has been teething like crazy so was just putting it down to that. I was about to pump her full of drugs (baby nurofen) when I stopped and really paid her attention: the type of cry, her body language, her facial expressions. She was over heated. Simple as that. She was too hot and was trying to let me know. I changed her grobag and she went down like a dream.

It really makes you wonder how much we miss when we make assumptions about what our babies want or need.

It also scares me to think of all the tiny little people "crying it out", desperately trying to tell someone something, calling out for help into the dark and no one coming to rescue them.

Scary and heartbreaking.

Listen to your babies people, they are much wiser than we give them credit for.

Life is Beautiful When...

...You are having a dark day and the world reminds you that you are not alone (thank you for your comments, they saved me today) x

...Your father-in-law says that you're doing a good job for the first time.

Letterpress image by Hijirik.

Does anyone fancy nipping to Australia?

Mid-Century modern nursery furniture? 

Yes please! 

Ubabub's Nifty Timber is not only beautiful, and highly functional (the cot also becomes a child's bed) it is all also ecologically friendly. 

I think I'm in love!

Unfortunately they are only available in Australia at the moment (*sigh*) but keep your ears pricked as they may be branching out soon!

Found via here.

A meeting of minds

Bean can now sit! Clever little munchkin!

Forever in my heart but not in my home

I thought these were the ones.

Until they went up to £350.

(Heartbreaks)

Boobies...

Breasts, tits, baps, fun bags, cans, puppies, gazongas, jugs, whatever you want to call them they still only have one purpose, and I'm sorry boys, it has nothing to do with sex. 

(well, except the aftermath) 

If I asked you to picture breasts, what would you think of? Some hot young thing? A page three stunner? Perhaps one of those overly erotic dance videos? What ever it is I doubt it has anything to do with their function. 

Babies! 

They are for babies (well, duh!). Like the udders of all other animals they were placed upon us to feed our young. Just how did it all go so wrong?

For millennia the breast knew its purpose and was respected for it. If you walk into most churches you will be greeted by the sight of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus at her breast. A beautiful, sweet and most natural thing. How has it got so twisted?

Less than a month having giving birth I had my first challenger to breastfeeding. For some reason many women seem to find it an insult to their own choices and feel it's their right to criticise and comment. I know that I am very lucky to be able to breastfeed, not everyone is. Some people choose not to. Many people have many different reasons for this. It is a personal decision. 

But, whether you choose to breastfeed or not the evidence is now insurmountable. 

Breast is best. 

But that still doesn't give me the right to tut, stare or make derogatory comments. So how is it that, in doing the best thing, the scientifically proven best thing for my baby I am on the receiving end? I would not dream of thrusting my views and opinions upon others and it frustrates and angers me when others do so. Being a parent is hard enough, beguiling enough and terrifying enough without having your choices questioned and challenged at every turn. 

My breasts are not for sex. My breasts are not for staring at. 

But do you know what? I don't care if you do stare. Balls to all the comments, the looks, the tuts. I know I am doing the right thing. 

I love breastfeeding. I am proud to breastfeed. And I plan to carry on until my daughter is ready to stop.

(so there!)

Moving out

We are trying to move Bean into her cot. It is now over 5 months and I haven't spent a night without her by my side, but our bed is just too small for three. For just over a month poor, sweet hubble has been relegated to the sofa bed on an almost nightly basis and, although he sleeps like a log there, we need to be side by side too. So the gradual easing out has begun. I hate it.

I had never planned to bed share, we had bought a bed nest which attached to our bed and I thought that would be enough. But as it turned out the only place she slept well was wrapped in my arms and for many months we were blissfully happy. But then her endless need to fart and to flail whilst doing so began; my blissful slumber was getting less and less blissful. So now the time has come. So far the longest we have made it was to 3am before she returns to my arms and hubble to the sofa. I can't sleep without her. I lay awake waiting for her cry and to bring her back to my side. I have considered buying a single mattress to add to ours to make one big family bed. We both sleep so much better side by side. I think hubble thinks I'm mad, but that short distance between the cot and the bed feels like a chasm to me. I don't know what to do.

I know society says she should be in her own bed (and room and house and blah) but my instincts tell me she's not ready to be ejected from the family bed quite yet. Does anyone else bed share? Can anyone offer me any advice? Please help.