Becoming a Stay at Home Mum (SAHM)

 "So what do you do?"

The questions that strikes fear into anyone, no more than a new stay at home Mum. I foudn this out a few weekends back at a baby shower for my friend who I met through one of my old beauty counter jobs.

I had recently told my work that I wasn't returning after my materniry leave. After calculatung in childcare, travel (esp. as I still do not drive), and other costs, I would of be only brining home a tiny amount and losing precious time with Bethany. I have not ruled our working completely, I do miss bringing my own income but now have the time to find something that not only suits me but also Beth.

My answer that Saturday was, "I am a SAHM for now." This did stop the conversation in its tracks, the person didn't know what to say and to be honest that used to be me. I always saw the SAHM option a blissful idea with dreams of lazy days, lie ins and no stress. The realty is far from it.

Beth still can have me up at night for 1-2 hours at a time, she needs to be fed often and that takes time in itself as she's weaning onto feeding herself. Then there stull is housework, cleaning etc. She is currenlty moving constantly, investigating everything, it's very cute but needs watching all the time not to hutr herself.

I also PA to Hubby, I deal with paperwork, bills, phone calls - anything to do with the household. There's also his part time business, and my volunteer work with the NCT where I look after member emails, social media and their website.

I'm not going to start on the number of playgroups there are...

"So what do you do?"

Anything and everything,

Bethany Update - Month 10

So close and yet so far!

Sounds the trumpets - WE HAVE CRAWLING! Granted, it is commander crawling, which looks more like wriggling in the direct she wants to go. We can go up on our knees but just flops then wriggles. She has learnt that if she can go up on her knees for a small time she can reach things a little higher so things have now been put onto higher shelves.

Month 9-10 has been more learning through problem solving, it's fascinating to watch her look at the situation and work out how to solve it. To me, for 10 months, she is really clever. I was watching her the other night go to her changing bag, open it up, take out my waller, open it and start removing the cards. Beth is also starting to understand that the short time on her knees she can climb over things too, she broke out of her barrier tonight by just climbing slowly over.

We currently love our soft stacking blocks as well as our walker, she can take small steps if you hold her under the armpits.

We are currently in the midst of her top two teeth trying to break through, the past few nights I have had about 4 hours sleep. She wakes crying and wanting comfort, I spend most of my nights watching shopping channels and cuddling her until she doses off. I haven't known what it was until I saw those little tell tale white signs that there are trying to break though. My poor Monkey.

While Beth has been growing steadily, the biggest development has been with myself. The migraines I previously crippled me have *knocks wood* been gone for over a week now. I am still waiting for my appointment with the nurse to review what to do next, due 1st December. Ironically this was on the day I was due to go back to work, this has also changed and it's been decided that I will now be a stay at home Mum for a bit longer. I have an entry about this coming next week, but it's wonderful to think I will get Christmas with my little girl with all the excitement.

I cannot believe that the next update will be days from Christmas, and it's more surreal thinking that it was this time last year that I was dreaming about my first Christmas with my child while being a huge whale with swollen ankles. Would you believe she already has her cheesy Christmas jumper?

Migraines - Please tell me it gets better from here?

The past two weeks I have been suffering daily with migraines, other sufferes will know that even one attack can knock you out energy wise for days, I have been suffering from them from the late 90's, in my teens I had symtons of a stoke while I was at home. It turns out that the numbness in the side, loss of speech and blurred vision was an aura miraine.

At first I got told painkillers and rest when an attck happens, as the number of attacks increased I was put on preventive medication called Imigran. You would spray this up your nose at the first signs of an attack, for me this failed I ended up feeling so out of it that I was sent home from work after going an a rant about the word 'nice' in my drug soaked state.

I continued to carry on for a few more years until April last year, when I suffered my worst attack. I was rushed to hospital after it was suspected that, yet again, I was having a storke this time I had all the symtoms as well as I lost my memory for four hours. I forgot what day it was, who was the prime minister and even what I just had for tea.

I was recommnded to go to the doctors and get investigated, all they did was put me on beta blockers to prevent attacks long term. He was shocked that I had no been anything long term after looking at my medical history. I was prescribed Propranolol, once a day in a low dose to help curb attacks. In the short term it did, but the side effects were the worst, I would wake up in the night screaming from nightmares. I then found out I was pregant and had to stop taking them anyway.

I took them for a short time after Beth's birth, as well as returned onto my pill, Cerazette, I started to get headaches and migraines. Being a tired new mum, I thought it was down to the odd hours I was having due to a newborn baby. Now Beth is 9 months, I decided taht it can't just be tha and saw the doctor. 

We now have a new theory that this is the tablets I am taking, so now I need to find an alternative, if this doesn't work then we try something else. For now I live everyday with the thinking that I might/might not get an attack and pray it's on the days that I have nothing important I need to do.

What's your migraine story?

Project Brabham

I love Formula One - the speed, the cars, and the history. I also love it when I get emails that get me so excited, I cannot contain myself. I need to give you a little background first.

When I first started following the sport, I supported a British driver by the name of Damon Hill, now his first team was Brabham. The unique thing about Brabham is that it is one of those rare breeds in the sport now dominated by manufacturers, this was a team started by a driver. Sir Jack Brabham started the team in 1961 and went onto win 3 drivers and 2 constructors titles. There is also not a lot teams that can say they've been owned by one, Bernie Ecclestone. Like all independent teams, they struggled and decided to take a step back from the high profile sport.

This is where we come to today, when I initialled got asked if I was interested I wasn't told who the team where, my thinking was that it would be a small unknown team. I was very excited to it to be Brabham, to have someone of that history and prestige to help them back to the grid is astounding. I do support the underdog teams as amongst them you will find the heart and passion of motor sport.

How are they doing it? By thinking out of the box and coming into the modern social media era. They are looking towards the fans. engineers and drivers to help fund the team, in exchange they have open access to everything about Brabham. The easiest thing for me to do is let David Brabham, owner of Branham, explain...


There is different packages for different donations starting from £1, all of the donations are going towards the establishment of this huge project. Their aim is to enter the 2015 FIA WEC championships (think Le Mans racing style cars) with looking into other formulas like Formula E (Formula one style cars exclusively on electric) and eventually inot Formula One once again.

As I write this the total is at £223,000 but this till is not enough towards the 250,000 target with only days to go. To change the sport into something that isn't about money or profits, but inot something that is shared and enjoyed, we need this to work. This is the future of independent motor sport.

Find out more - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/project-brabham

Bethany Update - Month 9

This month seems to be the month were she has just grown up, I sit down once a month and back up all my photos of her as well as pick out the ones I'm going to use and this is the first month that she has changed within days rather than weeks. At the moment she changes day to day, that even I, who spends all day with her, cannot keep up with her development.

So this month we:

• Can work out a route and use numerous rolling methods to get at it.
• Are starting to string together little words and can be chatty when in the mood.
• Are happy to play on a own for short periods (hurrah for Mummy!)
• Eat three good sized meals well as three bottles, I think she's making up for lost time!
• Stand against the sofa and play (but you need to be close by)
• Sit up without support (see above)
• love to play with soft blocks and balls now she's sitting up.
• love our door bouncer!

The biggest stress I've had this month is that we have cut our first tooth, I had a rotten nights sleep a couple of weeks back and that evening saw the tell tale signs of a white tooth emerging. It's now grown more out and now it's neighbour is joining it (we also think the top two are also not far behind). Teething powder is my saviour on those bad nights, but so far we haven't had to dig out the calpol... yet.

We had our 8 month assessment, this is to make sure that she is developing the way she should. She 'failed' on gross motor skills, which basically means she's not crawling (no still not crawling). She did excel in everything else like problem solving and being able to pick things up, considering I hoover and she still finds the smallest bit of dirt, she excelled in this too.

Regularly readers will know that we have had Beth's weight constantly checked since she was born, she's always been on the smaller side in the .04 centile. Part of the review was to get her weighed, knowing she had been a hungry thing (She'll finish her dinner and then look at everyone else's like a dog) I was hoping for good results. I wasn't disappointed she is/was 13lbs 13ozs and into the 2nd centile. We've now been told that she is no longer being monitored!

I know she's also bulked out as she was soon in 6-9 months just after the last update, it's the first time she has been in the right size clothing for her age in forever. I had to go emergency shopping for stuff as I only had sleepsuits, OK, it gave me a excuse to go clothes shopping!

Waiting for the bus to playgroup

Beth is still a little mischief, but the smile you get afterwards you cannot stay made at her for long. The biggest decision to make over the next week is do I leave her? I am due to go back to work next month and next week will be the last time I can give them notice of my intentions. I know what I would like but it needs to be for the good of everyone, not just me anymore.

Sassy Bloom Unboxing November 2014

Here it is Bethany's First Youtube video, as the Sassy Bloom Box was for her I thought would be only fair that she had a starring role!



Run down of what is in this box:

Bibsilli - Giraffe RRP £6.99

Soft silicone that can easily be rolled up for changing bags, dishwasher safe and secure when on baby. I liked the ease of which it was cleaned and survived being pulled about by Bethany at dinner time. Look at their website for the tuxedo bib, very cute and perfect for those special occasions.

Halilit Rolling Shapes RRP £8.99

Beth LOVES this, if you haven't figured that out by now. It is perfect for her as she loves to rattle things and make noise (or 'Music' if you wish). I was wanting to get something like this for her so it was perfect timing.

Top That Book, Peter's Pebbles RRP £5.99

This is a beautifully illistrated book and the story is wondeful too, lots of opportunites to make the noises and point out animals. It's lovely and big so Beth can point at things too, I'm already added some of the other books to her Christmas list.

Summer Infant Tub Time Teaparty RRP £8.99

I didn't realise until after I filmed that it was for bathtime! Beth does copy me drinking tea with anything she's holding so this is perfect for that. I also don't have many bathtime toys for her, and when I layed everything out she went straight for the sugar bowl that rattled (it's has a sealed top/bottom with holes to let the water through). It's already a winner.

Bibble Bandana Bib RRP £5.50

Lovely and bright, catches her teething dribbles at the moment. Never got one when she start teething, now I wish I brought loads! It's soft and doesn't rub but fits snuggly round the neck. No dribble on clothes here.

Personalised Blanket RRP £10

I do like personalised things and I did like the fact that Sassy Bloom went that little extra bit to make something that was just for Bethany. It's a huge blanket, she currently has it as her cot blanket but a really good size for prams and car seats.

Total: £46.46 (Box costs £29.00 for a one off, discounts if you subcribe. Always will gurantee that it is worth a minimum of £40)

I really like the box, the little personalised touches like the blanket and it was addressed to her were thoughtful. It had items like the rattle that I was playing to buy her as well as the teaset I would of never of been able to find. I do think it reasonably good value and someone has done all the research for you. I've used everything in the box and there would be nothing I would of changed.

Bibsilli -Giraffe – RRP £6.99

 Like what you see? Get £10 off your first box here courtsey of me

*I was sent this in exchange for review, if you do use the link I receive points towards another box, Thank you.

Bibsilli -Giraffe – RRP £6.99

Bibsilli -Giraffe – RRP £6.99

Bibsilli -Giraffe – RRP £6.99

Truffle Shuffle Wishlist

1. Ladies Grey Marl DC Comics Batman Slogan T-Shirt
2. Wonderland Bunny Cotton Tail Cotton Wool Dispenser 
3. Disney Couture Braver Than You Believe Winnie The Pooh Bangle
4. Ladies Snow White Never Too Old Wide Neck Sweater   
5. Ladies White Pat Sharp And The Twins Fun House Rolled Sleeve Boyfriend T-Shirt
6. Ladies Grey Marl Batman Logo Sweater 
7. Ladies Pinky And The Brain Take Over The World T-Shirt

 I love Truffle Shuffle and by the end of this if you don't realise this then there's something wrong with you. 

I tripped over them in 2009 and fell in admiration of their love of everything geeky, nerdy and the pleasure of being a big kid. My first order with them was to order a Top Gun Viper t-shirt to give my husband on the morning of our wedding (His gamer name is VIP3R). I've lusted over number 7 for as long as I've remembered, they've recently re-designed it and it looks as good as ever!

I've had the honour of winning one of their Friday Facebook competitions and won £25 to spend on the site (as well as my cousin in law). The biggest thrill was recently featuring as one of their Instagrammers for my picture of my bargain (£3.99) Mickey Mouse ears necklace.

 
 The customer service are brilliant, you can tell they love their job, I had a long chat with one when I won their competition and they were over the moon it was a fan who won it. The social media guy(s) are also just as great, which in this day is good, they never step over the mark and are just as big geeks/nerds as their customers.