For future mums:

A good friend of mine is expecting her first baby in the next few weeks... She asked me if I have any advice. Obviously I've been given lots of advice since becoming a mum (and even before then). People tend to see a baby (or a belly) and tell you everything and anything (even if you really don't want to hear it)... So I told her my thoughts - Trust your instincts (this was what my mummy kept repeating to me, gee she's wise), what works for one baby might not work for yours. Listen to advice from others and use what works, dismiss the rest.

              And then I stumbled upon this: 

    (It pretty much sums it all up)

Created by Kelly from: www.iloveprettythings.com.au
Available from: The Smile Collective

The joys of being a parent...

Last night we made our first ever midnight trip to the hospital for the little Monster. He had croup and was struggling to breath. He's had it before so I knew as soon as I heard him what the problem was. After a quick call to nurse on call we decided to follow her instructions and make the long, COLD drive to town. The triage nurse did a few quick tests and he was given pretneslone to clear his airways. Within minutes of giving it to him he was back to normal and running around the waiting room... By the time we saw the doctor (an hour later) he was breathing normal and had almost all his colour back, which meant we got to go home YAY! (with some extra medicine to survive the next 2 nights)

Monster has been trying to drop his day time nap for a while now. I had hoped that after such a late night he'd WANT a sleep today... NOPE!  Personally I think he still NEEDS it.

 OK, OK, nap time is really mummy free time... I love my lil man but some days mummy needs to re-charge the batteries... and catch up on house work that you sooo can't do with a toddler wanting to help... folding washing is my main one... I was once told that a mum only gets so much patience per day and if it's all gone by 9am you just have to wait for the next 24hours to click over before it will be re-filled again.

He DOES go to sleep fairly easily at night, and yes he (most nights) sleeps through til 8 or 8.30am (would be a pretty good sleep in if Elvis didn't wake me before he leaves for work). So he's possibly getting enough sleep at night, but getting him ready (in his PJs and bedtime stories) can be tiring when he's extra tiered and grumpy, it's just not fun!

So today I am tired, sleep deprived and surviving on caffeine... THE JOYS OF BEING A PARENT!

Hanging out til I can do this... oh bed I miss you!

A Hobby? or a Chore?

So earlier this year I started crocheting. Mainly due to the fact that Monster needed a new beanie (he has very thin hair, therefore nothing to keep him warm. Plus he LOVES hats) AND, they're so darn expensive... I mean $30 for a hat/beanie that won't even fit him next winter... I don't think so! Also because everyone seems to be having babies this year... I thought this might help cut down on the money I spend on newborn gifts (yeah right, I just buy something else to go with the hat lol)

 So my first few were... wearable but I'm never impressed when he chooses to wear them out in public. Obviously I'm the only harsh critic as he always seems to get compliments on them. Not only compliments but orders. Which leads me to my current predicament; Do I want to sell my creations? Will my hobby then become a chore?

There's not a lot of money in selling hats. I've done some research and found most mums/nannas who are selling their creations are selling them for around $15 (newborn size). So if I were an accountant advising someone I'd probably tell them not to... $15 per hat which takes 2-3hours to make, depending on the detail. That's a no-brainer!

So do I give in to peer pressure and start a hobby business? or just keep giving them away? Do I start a Facebook business (like everyone else)? or do I sell at the markets? (not too keen on the markets idea as that will add to the overheads... although I have no idea how much a market stall costs at the mo. Plus that would mean I have to build up stock TO sell). Then theres always ebay or www.madeit.com.au ? But they also have overheads.

 I was thinking I could donate them to the local special care nurseries (Monster had a brief stay there) and they could give them to the tiny bubbas or sell them for fundraising. The only problem with this idea is Elvis probably won't agree, or he'll at least argue a few points against it. ick... I can already hear them... 

arghh... decisions, decisions... maybe I'll just relax by making another hat... 

oh I've also made a few scarves (for myself)

Here's a few of my recent creations:

(the one's I actually like)

For the Boys

For The Girls

who knew it would be so entertaining...

This post contains breastfeeding stories...
(just a warning as I know a few people don't like BF and gag at the thought of it)

Today I was reminiscing over where the time has gone...
Monster was breastfed til his 2nd birthday. The plan was for him to self-wean but the cut off was his 2nd birthday. So he's a real BOOBIES boy and a few of his stories involve boobies...

Boobs really have a mind of their own. I remember my mum being in fits of laughter when I took my bra off ready to feed Monster only for them/it to squirt EVERYWHERE. Poor baby was absolutely COVERED in milk, he couldn't even attach cause the milk was squirting him in the eye and he couldn't see anything...not to mention the floor had white puddles. Elvis was joining in with mums laughter all while I was panicking and freaking out cause I didn't know how to stop it. "Just pop him on" mum finally suggested :)

I've lost count of the number of times we were feeding in public when someone would come up to have a closer look at our little bundle.... only to cop an eyeful of something they were never expecting.

When Monster first learnt the word booby he used it as much as he could... At the doctors there was a poster with a girl in a bikini (skin cancer poster) and Monster(10months) got everyone's attention by pointing and screaming "boobies, boobies, boobies". A little embarrassing when your sitting in a FULL waiting room (cancer specialist) and some of the ladies around were missing a booby or two. Thank fully they smiled and laughed with him!
 If anyone walked past us with a 'low' cut top on he was very quick to point and scream "boobies". Yep even in the middle of the supermarket.

So recently whenever he has no shirt on he sits there, grabs his nipple and attempts to put it in his mouth... when i ask what he's doing? he replies: "Booby, yummy, yummy" (think he misses his boobies).

this post could go on forever as I have an endless supply of booby stories... but alas our breastfeeding journey is finished... so now I can enjoy a glass of wine (or two)...