An Almost 1 year old

Next week my baby girl turns one!!
WHAT!!! I can hear you gasping from here! Oh wow, this year has gone fast. She's almost a toddler and no longer my little baby.

I definitely have not had the same amount of quiet, gazing into my baby's eyes moments that I did with Ezra. Life is full of chaos and something is always on the go. I will admit, it is nice to have one day a week where Ez goes to play school and I can have some one on one Willow time! Although, mostly she is bored because she doesn't have her older brother around to entertain her! And, that is one awesome thing about having a second baby, you don't have to do ALL of the entertaining ALL of the time! There is a whirlwind of toddler action going on around her! Today I found them playing in the spare room, Ez lying in the pram bassinet on the floor and Willow climbing up on it and then body slamming him, I left them to it, and had a cup of tea. It was quite relaxing!

Her personality is really shining through, and I'll tell you, this girl is feisty!! She know how to stick up for herself and if you steal one of her toys you will hear her wrath! She has a grip so strong, probably developed to stop an older brother taking toys off of her! And she will fight him for it, and boy she is determined! If there is something she wants, she will just keep on trying to get to it, nothing will distract her.

I mean, apart from food, she'll drop anything at the sight of food! Some mornings she eats more breakfast than anyone! She's an eater, although meal time is rather strategic, either it is finger food, which I'm a big fan of, or she HAS to have the bowl on her tray table, and she HAS to have her own spoon, which is great because she is soo good at feeding herself with a spoon already!

She is just learning to walk, and its such a fun time in a child's development, such a big milestone, I get so excited for her! Her max is about 4 steps at a time, but generally she takes about 2 steps and then flings herself into a belly flop on the ground and then thinks its hilarious! She's a joker, anything for a laugh, so she becomes more interested in the laughs than learning to walk!

It is pretty amazing the second time around to have a child who actually sits still and plays with toys. Ez is my beautiful wild-child, and he was so full on from the day he could crawl (5 1/2 months) and then he was walking at 10 months, and he was into Everything and never stopped and NEVER played with his own toys and was like a baby tornado! But Willow will sit there putting blocks into a bucket and then taking them out again for like 15 minutes, I cleaned the bathroom today whilst she opened and closed a small cupboard door putting things in and out!!!!! WHAT! Amazing!

Anyway. 1 year. Where does it go. Life zooms past.
I'm trying to get things together for her party, but theres so much going on at the moment I am not even organised at all!!

Trying on shoes at the Mini Melissa Animal Lovers Launch Party at M Dreams the other week! (I chose the blue Rabbits)

Such a cheeky chops!!

PacaPod Designer Parent Bag Review and Giveaway

Alright, so I LOVE a good nappy bag. Especially because I use one pretty much every day, and I am always shoving things in them, digging around or trying to find something for the kids every five minutes when I'm out! I'm always lugging kids and stuff somewhere. So for me organisation and space is essential. But, I also know that most Mum's I hang out with, and me included, actually like to have a stylish bag, that doesn't make it look like you've given up on all sense of fashion and just lug kids stuff around! Right?

Well, I've found the bag that has both! The PACAPOD Portland is new to Australia, it has great organisation, heaps of space and looks really nice and is easy to carry! Pacapod actually has a great range of parent bags!!  PLUS, it has the added bonus of including some other daily essentials like an insulated bag for food and drinks, that can become a back pack for little ones!! And a separate changer pod for nappies, clothes and creams. It includes heaps of really thoughtful features that when I used it for the first time, I kept discovering new things and I was constantly thinking, Ohhh thats cool, ohhh good idea, ohhh nice.

With my last nappy bag Joel absolutely refused to look for anything in there because it was absolute chaos. He could never find anything and it would frustrate him so much! He actually really likes this one, and especially now that he knows where everything is, plus, he doesn't mind carrying it because it isn't super Girly!

All of the PacaPods have the 'POD SYSTEM' which is so clever, and its nice not to have to dig around your whole bag to find wipes or nappies or whatever they all have their own little home!

The Pod System is 3 great parts
1: The parent bag! That is stylish and lovely and even can fit an iPod or Laptop! Plus a zip pocket for your phone, keys, wallet and such!

2. Changer Pod: Which has 7 pockets, clothes pouch and comes with a padded change mat. The amount of stuff I can squeeze in the pod is awesome!

3. Feeder Pod: Which is insulated and has enough room for your kids food! And, it also detaches to be a neat little back pack, which Ez keeps telling me 'thats me's backpack' so obviously a hit with the kids!

This particular Portland bag retails for $279, but there are a great range of PacaPod bags that start at $159

If you want to check out the range of Pacapod Parent bags available in Australia click HERE
And you can also check out your local baby store to see if they are a stockist!

I'm really excited because I also have one the PacaPod Parent bags from their range to GIVEAWAY!

For your chance to win, just follow the Rafflecopter Prompts Below!! 

And GOOD LUCK!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Kindness of a Stranger

Isn't it nice sometimes when a stranger does something unexpected. Something that makes you feel like there are still a lot of really lovely people around! Earlier this week as I was pushing the trolley out of the shops an elderly man approached us. He intercepted the trolley and told Ez that he had something for him. Then out of a plastic bag he pulls a little stuffed Koala, tags still attached. He says here you are you little cherub you! And then walks away, simple as that.

He may have seen us entering the shops. Where Ez ran towards the little toy carousel thing (you know those ANNOYING things in every shops), and when I told him no and that we were in a hurry, he simply got off and followed me, which was pretty impressive I thought, and not all that common! So that maybe could explain the little gift. But, even if it was totally random, thats pretty awesome too.

A little boys whole day was filled with joy because of his new toy. He said to me on the way home 'this the best present me ever have.' Which is a little disappointing to hear that it out ranks all the things I bought him, hah! But it was pretty sweet none the less. He took it on our walk, and the photos aren't set up at all, I looked up to see him sitting there with the Koala and snapped a couple of pics, because I couldn't not record something quite so precious!

So, I guess, being kind and thoughtful is pretty great!

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE is coming to PERTH (WIN A FAMILY PASS)

*This is a sponsored post: but all opinions, and dance moves are my own!

Have you heard yet that the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show is making its way to Perth for the 1ST TIME EVER?

To be honest, I was pretty excited when I found out that DJ Lance and the crew were including Perth in their tour this time round. I may have actually jumped out of my seat and squealed a little bit (who have I beome?!?). A few years ago I never thought I would get excited about something like this, and then well, I became a parent, and the thought of my little boy having an absolute blast, being super excited and  getting his Dancey Dance on makes me pretty stoked as a Mum, and the fact that I get to enjoy it with him is pretty special. I mean, we had a pretty awesome dancey dance time ourselves this afternoon, rocking out to some Spoon and Led Zeppelin, playing air guitar and singing into plastic cutlery microphones, but I'm so looking forward to seeing his face when he realises that all his favourite characters have come out of the TV!

 Plus, I will totally admit that Yo Gabba Gabba is one of my favourite kid shows, I love their positive messages in each episode. But, it might also have something to do with my punk-rock loving teenage years and the fact that one of the creators is from the Aquabats, so the show includes heaps of awesome bands (like The Roots and MGMT) and famous personalities, so I like to watch too! I'm also pretty keen to find out who the surprise Super Music Friends live band will be at the Perth show, and who the special dancey dance guests are! See, its not just for the kids!

We've been listening to the Yo Gabba Gabba CD's since Ez was a baby, basically because he loves it, and I can't stand any other kids CD's. I know the Super Music Friends album off by heart, and of course I find myself singing "You can't always get what you want" song to Ezra fairly often, and I probably get a little too into Pool Party by the Aquabats, to the point that people in other cars stare. So, just like when I was 13 at my first Silverchair concert, I will be one of the many I'm sure singing along to every word! Luckily, my kids aren't old enough to be embarrassed by me yet!

So lots of singing, lots of dancing, lots of favourite songs and new ones too, plus special guests, and if the past shows on the east coast are anything to go by, it is going to be such an awesome show, for all ages!

It's coming up really soon, next month actually, so make sure you get your tickets!

(CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS)

You do not want to miss out on a chance to get your sillies out!

You can even get platinum tickets that give you the opportunity to get photos with the Yo Gabba Gabba Cast!

For ticket and event information visit www.zaccariagroup.com. 
For full tour information visit www.yogabbagabbalive.com.au.

DATES IN PERTH:

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE!

Saturday 7 June, 2014 

Sunday 8 June, 2014 

Riverside Theatre, PCEC 

AND Thanks to the Zaccaria Group, You have the chance to 

WIN A  FAMILY PASS (Admits 4) to the YO GABBA GABBA LIVE SHOW IN PERTH! 

just follow this link to enter the giveaway on the Yellow Dandy Facebook Page! 

ENTER HERE

Here is a clip from the 2010 Yo Gabba Gabba Live show, if you want to get an idea of what you're in for!! 

Sorry Non-West Aussies, this is a special giveaway for my fellow WA dwellers!

Also linking up with Jess for #IBOT

Mother's Day Mistake & Wishlist

So, funny story!! This year, we got a little muddled up! And actually celebrated Mother's Day, today. I could point fingers (JOEL!!!!!!!), but I didn't actually pick up on the mistake until this afternoon, well after I had taken full advantage of milking everything I could from Mother's day. I got a nice cup of tea in bed, then read my book, and Joel took Ezra grocery shopping whilst Willow had her morning nap, and I read my book some more! I just started reading The Goldfinch and it sucked me in from the get go. I'm even  having a hard time even sitting here doing this because I just want to keep on reading. It really was a relaxing day, I thought about going out to eat, but figured it would be really busy, but I should have gone, because it probably wasn't busy at all, considering it wasn't actually a national special day for Mums.

But, the mix up happened I guess because I haven't really been watching any TV with ads, I don't get junk mail, and my internet browsing has been on a minimum, plus my Mum is away on holidays for the next couple of weeks. So I have just been totally out of the loop and Joel told me it was this weekend, and well, who was I to doubt that!! But, no harm done, I'll just take advantage of the ACTUAL Mother's Day next weekend! Bonus for me I suppose!

Seeing now I get to celebrate again, I suppose it would be a good idea to put up my Mothers Day Wish List! You can tell by my list that my mind is still consumed by fitting out our house!

Galah Print by Peter Cromer 
Lovestar Vase
New Balance Shoes at Urban Outfitters
Milk & Sugar Pendant Light
Big Pinapple Cushion from Ourlieu

My Birthday Re-Do

Saturday morning we woke bright and early (5.30am) to the sound of Ez vomiting in the hallway.

Yay.. What a perfect way to start a Saturday, and what an especially awesome way to start my Birthday. It wasn't really a surprise that he was vomiting, because he had already thrown up all his dinner the previous night, all over my few month old couch. I'm so thankful for couch cushion covers with zips! But I was really hoping it was just a one time thing.

Kiinde Twist Breastmilk System Review and GIVEAWAY

* I was sent a Kiinde Twist Starter Kit for the purpose of a review, but as always, all opinions are my own. 

Pumping, oh pumping. I used to think (before I was a Mum) that just pumping a bit of breast milk and then heading out for the day would be such an easy task. I thought I'd be leaving Joel with night time bottles and we'd be sharing night feeds, and I'd heading out on the weekends frequently. Then I had a baby, and then another one, and I realised that pumping and leaving milk behind isn't as simple as it seems! First you have to find time to pump, and it always takes longer for me than breastfeeding, because my let down doesn't trigger for AGES when I pump. Then, you have to actually have milk left to pump. It's easy in the first few weeks with my over abundant milk supply, but after that I have a hard time finding a time when I'm not stealing my baby's milk for her next feed. Maybe it's just me, but I have never been that great at pumping, if I know I need to go out it can often take me a few times pumping just to get enough milk for one feed!

So, if after all that time and effort, I then spill even 20ml of milk when I'm trying to transfer it to freeze it, or back into bottles, I will definitely cry over spilt milk!

So, when I saw this Kiinde Twist breastmilk direct pumping, collection, storage and feeding system I was desperate to give it a go! Anything that gives breastfeeding Mums a little more freedom and makes feeding my baby when I'm away easier, makes me a little excited! The Twist system is so simple, and prevents those breast-milk spills because you never have to actually transfer the milk.

So from pumping, to freezing, to warming, to feeding it all stays in the same bag! Brilliant! 

The Kiinde Twist system comes with attachments for most of the popular brands of breast pumps, so I use my Medela swing and I can attach the Twist pouch right on to my pump with the attachment, not like the Medela pouches, that if you dropped your pump (which happens more than you think when you have to jump up and stop a toddler or protect a baby) then your freshly pumped milk would go everywhere. The Twist pouch with the pump attachment won't spill, yay! These pouches are 150ml, but they also come in larger size of 225ml, but for someone like me who can't ever seem to pump very much, the smaller pouches are perfect!

You then just untwist the bag from the pump, put the lid back on, write the date on it, and store it in the freezer in their freezer storage system, the Kiinde Keeper, that means no loosing breast milk to the back of the freezer, or in my case with freezer drawers, the bottom! Yay for organized freezers!!

When you need to use the milk, you simply warm it in a bowl of warm water, or use the Kiinde Kozii, (which will be available in May) milk warmer, then snap the pouch into the Kiinde Squeeze bottle, attach the nipple to the top and you are ready to roll! The folk at Kiinde say that the active latch nipple can eliminate gas from your bubs meal, which is awesome! I just really love how easy the whole system is, and it is especially helpful that this part is easy because there is a pretty high chance it won't be Mum feeding the baby the breast-milk. It can easily be used by a grandparent, Dad or babysitter to quickly get a hungry bub their milk. There's nothing like a complicated bottle system to throw off a first time babysitter! The pouch, like the other leading pouches on the market, isn't reusable, but it can be recycled!

I'm a pretty big fan of anything that saves time and energy when you're a Mum of young children and I'm a fan of things that make sustaining breastfeeding easier! When you don't have a lot of extra time for stuffing around, things like this make things just that bit faster and simpler. I love that this Kiinde Twist system just helps to give breastfeeding Mums a really great system to pump, store and feed without unnecessary time wasting or spillages! And, the big plus is that Willow LOVES it, she thinks she is so clever holding onto the squeeze bottle and feeding herself, she's always been pretty efficient sucker! She actually cried when I took it off of her, even though it was totally empty!

The best part!! Well the folks at Kiinde Australia are giving away an entire Kiinde Twist Starter Kit (See picture above) to one lucky Yellow Dandy Reader, valued at $79.95 !!! Woop, Woop!

What You Get:

20x Twist Pouches

8x Direct Pump Adapters

1 x Keeper breastmilk storage bag holder

2 x Squeeze natural feeding bottles

1 x Slow flow active latch nipple with case

1x Medium flow active latch nipple with case

2 x nipple cleaning brushes

That is a WHOLE lot of stuff!

How to enter? 

Check out rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ahh look at her, she does not want to give this up! 

The Ins and Outs of Using Cloth Nappies

I have a lot of people ask me about the ins and outs of using cloth nappies/ diapers (not the old terry toweling nappies, but the new and improved modern cloth nappies), so, I thought I would share how the wearing, washing, cleaning up, poo removal and all that other fun stuff works! Ezra is now almost completely toilet trained!! Waahoo! But now, Willow still uses the original nappies that I bought two and a half years ago, and that have had a major work out by her older brother!

Oh Monday, I love you

I know I'm going against the trend, but I actually love Mondays. But, probably because I don't have work to go to, and we aren't in the school-run stage yet.Monday is our down day, our day at home to rest and recover from generally pretty busy weekends. The kids miss naps, or go to bed late on the weekend, so on Monday they are moving pretty slow.

 So we stay at home, we enjoy the quiet and we just catch up.Often we will watch a movie, go for a walk on the beach or head to a nearby playground for a short play and get some fresh air and then head back home for lunch and the kids nap time. I catch up on the housework that I didn't get time for over the weekend. Or, I just laze about, or write a blog post and feel guilty about not doing housework, but not guilty enough to actually get up and do it.

On Mondays we restore a bit of order, I don't push the kids too hard, they are already exhausted, and exhausted kids can easily turn into disaster.I'm so grateful for these quiet days, when we have nowhere we have to be and we can just move at our own pace. 

Today, we walked down the beach, its hard to beat the sweet salty air and the cool breeze, a baby in the Ergo and a toddler running up and down the sand throwing rocks into the water. Everyone was well behaved it was a little slice of perfection, with days like this, I can deal with the chaos that is to come, I feel a little recharged, inspired and energised. My heart feels full and I reflect on how extremely blessed I am to have these amazing little people in my life. Yep, Mondays are good. I feel sorry for Joel, he's so tired from the weekend too, but he has to go to work, he doesn't get the catch up day. He just has to keep powering on, oh bring on the Christmas break!!

So, how do you recharge for the week?

(and because it is actually Tuesday by the time I got this posted, I'm linking with Jess for #IBOT)

When Do I Find The Time To Blog?

One question that I get asked a lot lately, especially now that I am a Mum of two instead of one, is 'when do I find the time to blog?' Good question, and I often ask myself the same thing.

Me & You, the Keepsake Book & Giveaway

{Firstly, wow what a great response to our first podcast episode, my nerves have been (somewhat) relieved, so Thank You to everyone who listened and gave us such great feedback! It really is appreciated so much}

Today, I have such a lovely book to share with you. When I first saw this book I really was taken aback at how gorgeous it was, and how many loving hours must have gone into creating something that is so beautiful and so personal.

There's something so great about a great Nanna

This photo makes me smile everytime I look at it and I couldn't help but want to share it. The silliness, the laughter, and the love, it captures the moment so well. It's so nice to see my Nanna smile like this, the past four months haven't been the easiest for her, she wasn't well and then she followed that with a broken hip, thankfully she is on the mend now. She seems to be her normal chatty self once again, I remember as a kid whenever I would call my Nanna on the phone, I could only manage to get one or two words in, because, she, like me, is a talker!

I love that my kids get the opportunity to spend time with their great-Nanna. It must be an amazing thing, playing with your great grandchildren and seeing your family tree expand and grow, I wonder if I'll ever get the chance? I surely hope so.

A new wetsuit, and no more excuses

So, I bought myself a wetsuit last week. It was on sale, and then another 30% off the sale, so it was a bargain that I couldn't refuse. I have a surfboard, we live across the road from the beach, and now with this wetty purchase I have eliminated all of my excuses for not getting back out surfing again. It feels like a long time since I've surfed. I spent a lot of my childhood on the beach, I've been around the ocean for as long as I can remember and I feel like it's such a big part of who I am. Sunday mornings growing up were often family surf days that finished with us begging Dad to buy us pies and sausage rolls from the local shop. I was never a great surfer by any means, but I could stand up and kind of bottom turn, ride the wave and that was about it. I'm sure now though that most of that basic skill has been lost, I'll be lucky if I can even paddle out with these jelly arms, and if I stand up at all it will be a slow clamber rather than a 'pop up'. But I have to start back somewhere right. I miss sitting out in the ocean and just bobbing around waiting for the waves (and scanning for sharks eeeek), I miss that exhilarating feeling when the strength of the wave propels you forward, the feeling of the waves crashing over you when you duck dive and the sense of relief when you actually make it down the face without wiping out.

The problem with being Two

You see the problem with being two is that you are very sure of what you do or don't want, but you don't quite have a full grasp on the world around you. When you are two, the words wait, patience and settle down mean very little. What you want, and how you feel reigns supreme. When you are two emotions can erupt and come bubbling out in every which way, sometimes it is amazing, and you laugh and giggle and get so excited, sometimes it is not so amazing. Sometimes you don't know how to deal with the emotions you feel and you react in the only way you know how, it usually involves some kinds of grand display!

When you are two, the world is focused on you, so you believe. You are learning so much, you are changing and developing and you are pushing every limit and boundary just to see what happens. When you are two understanding and then acting appropriately is really hard, things are just too tempting. Little sisters are just too cute, and you have to hug and squeeze and clamber all over. Saying sorry is easy when you are two and you've learnt it can get you want you want. Cuddles come quickly, but then remembering why you were sorry and not doing it again is really, really hard.

You see when you are two the world is an amazing place there is so much to see and discover. You think that because you can communicate better, that means you will just get everything you want or ask for. But, there is so much I need to teach you, so much you still don't understand yet and we need to hone in on those great qualities you already possess and we need to teach you right from wrong. The little things can be overwhelming when you are two, but don't worry, we are here to help you, to guide you. Oh, when you are two, you think you know everything, but my dear there is so much still to learn.
That is the problem with being two.
Oh my two year old, I love you and you push and challenge me everyday, I hope I can teach you the tools that you need for life.

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Why I love babywearing

I bought my boba wrap (a stretch jersey material baby wrap/carrier) when Ezra was only 6 weeks old. My arms and my back were tired and sore, I felt like I had no time to get anything done, and those afternoons or witching hour when I couldn't get him to sleep no matter what I tried was driving me a little insane. The books said to put the baby to sleep when they were awake but drowsy and teach them to self settle. Well this didn't always work, the mornings he was pretty good, but in the afternoons my dear little baby just stared at the ceiling with a zoned out overtired glare, which then made afternoons and evenings a huge battle! I dubbed him 'baby no sleep'. Then my boba wrap arrived in the mail. The first time I put it on, he was asleep within mere minutes. Ahhhmazing.

What's in my Nappy Bag!

Today, I thought it would be kind of fun if I shared what I cart around in my nappy bag on a daily basis. You get a lot of insight about people when you know whats in their bag! From my bag the insight you get is that I change A LOT of nappies!!! 
 As a Mum of a baby and a toddler I feel like a pack horse most of the time. My bag is is usually full to almost overflowing. I usually forget multiple things and have to run back and forth from the car getting all the forgotten items. These days leaving the house can be such a mission! 
So, when I leave I obviously have some (or a lot of) staples, things I cannot survive without! 
My nappy bag of course, which is a Vera Bradley 'Diaper Bag'. I'm not sure if you can get them in Australia now, but when I got this (2 years ago) I had to get my in-laws to bring it over from the US. I love it, and it has lasted really well with all the daily use! The pattern and quilted material hide any dirt or marks, and it has lots of great pockets inside and out and big straps so its easy to put over my shoulder! 

1. Nappies: It wouldn't be a nappy bag without the nappies! One in cloth and one still in disposables, I am preparing to make the change soon, but just as we are adjusting to having two in nappies I have been putting it off. But I hate going through so many disposables!!  2. Change Mat & Wipes: A friend bought me this nifty little handmade mat with wipes pocket when I was pregnant with Ezra. It is so nice because it rolls up into a nice little clutch that fits the wipes and 2 nappies inside.  3. Breastfeeding Cover: Made for me by a lovely colleague when I was pregnant with Ezra! It comes in handy often! 4. 2 Outfit changes for Willow, because you never know when you are going to be presented with multiple Pooplosions, so my motto is 'be prepared', because I've been caught out before! One outfit isn't enough!  5. Hat: Because toddlers like to play outside, and babies and sunshine don't go so well together just yet!  6. Drink bottle: for the boy who likes to play hard! 7. Lip Gloss: I can't go anywhere without it 8. Hand Sanitiser: Because no one likes having poop on their hands!  9. A Stash of Tissues: Because toddlers are snotty!  10. Cars: Come in handy very often. They give me 5 minutes extra when waiting for food at restaurants or something to distract a grumpy kid in the car!  11. Nice smelling nappy bags! Because I don't want my bag smelling like poop! Usually I also carry a reusable Wet bag for the cloth nappies or wet clothes or whatever needs storing separately.  12. Wallet (for obvious reasons) 13. Sunnies: because I like to look super cool! Oh, and they also help keep the sun out of my eyes. 
Then I add snacks or lunches for the toddler and whatever else is specific to our outing for the day! 
So thats what's in my nappy bag, what's in yours? 

Did you know I now have a fortnightly newsletter? 
Karen xx 

Bringing Home Baby

It's been over two weeks since we brought Willow home from the hospital, and since we have been navigating life with two kids. Joel was able to work from home for the last two weeks, and just went back to his regular schedule on Monday. It was such a huge blessing having him around, especially to entertain Ezra during the days that I was still in recovery mode. Living with my folks has been a massive help as well, my Mum is around during the days to give me a hand, and doing a lot of cooking, she is lapping up those baby cuddles, and when Dad is here on the weekends Ezra is his little shadow. Lets just say I've had it pretty easy so far.

The second time around I feel so acutely aware of how fleeting the sleepy newborn stage is. Willow has been a really good bub so far, I guess it is just a whole lot easier the second time around. I often find myself wondering why I thought having one baby was hard, and wondering what I did with all my time I must have had then. It is still that first baby that takes up most of my time right now! But, of course, the first time round I spent so much more time fretting, figuring out breastfeeding and adjusting to my new life as a mum. This time, thankfully I feel so much more proficient. Willow has been stacking on the weight, and had already put on half a kilo in a week since we left the hospital. She is such a good eater, soon she'll be my little chunky bub I'm sure.

Ezra is adjusting to being a big brother. He really seems to care for his baby sister, which is so sweet to watch. He just has to be careful with the occasional stray elbow or foot. Every morning he jumps into bed and asks for a 'carry', meaning he wants me to put her on his lap for him to hold. He then likes to point out all her facial features and smother her with kisses. He definitely goes a bit over the top sometimes to try and get extra attention, he's shown signs of the green eyed monster making appearances, extra tantrums (which I think comes with the age in general), waking up in the middle of the night and using her dummy and climbing into the bassinet trying to be a baby. I am trying to make sure to spend as much quality time with him as I can, so that he doesn't feel neglected, reading stories, playing play-doh, being the one to put him to bed at night, special Mum and Ezra lunch outings. It is such a big change for a little one. But mostly I'm really impressed with how well he is taking to the changes.

On top of everything else we have been finalising our house plans and hopefully building will start soon!! Yay. We are also moving out of my folks house next week, just around the corner, so still nice and close. Because the build was taking so long to get happening we felt like we should look for a place of our own, it could be another year before the house it built.

Karen xx

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Pregnancy: It's so different the second time round

My second pregnancy has been very different from my first. The motions and physical changes and feelings that my body has gone through has been pretty much the same for both, it's just that my circumstances have changed and well, me in general, because now I'm already a Mum. 
I remember my first pregnancy was spent pouring over pregnancy books and apps, I spent a lot of time googling every little twinge or niggle worried about what it could mean. I was paranoid about every food that I thought was somewhat suspicious. I had lists of baby stuff to buy and I spent hours looking at baby nursery designs and cute decor. I was working, but only part time, and I was studying as well. Even with that on my plate I still had plenty of time to put my feet up, to watch some movies, to sleep in, to take day time naps, to write my birth plan, to read books and just to enjoy the last of the me time. Joel was always worried about me, if I was lifting too much or standing too long and was always offering cups of teas, running out to the shops to pick up my latest cravings and foot massages. We had deep discussions about our philosophies on raising kids and wondered what life would be like with a baby. 
Ohhh how the times have changed.
I'm no longer freaking out (as much) about the labour and birth, I've done it once, I can do it again right. I rarely check my pregnancy apps, I have no idea what fruit size my baby is at right now. I haven't even picked up a pregnancy book and I have not once googled some strange rare pregnancy disorder that I am paranoid that I might have. Sleeping at nights seems to elude me, and then there is a little boy up sometimes in the middle of the night wanting cuddles, he is then always ready to chit chat at 6.00am. Day naps have become pretty much non-existent, for me, and then Ezra has decided that 45 minutes is long enough for him. My birth plan consists of saying, lets get this baby out as quickly and naturally as possible (and as painlessly of course). 
This pregnancy I run, not by choice, but I chase down a runaway toddler. I lift, about 11 kilos of toddler, and lug him up and down the stairs. When I have cravings for chocolate I eat it whilst hiding in the confines of the pantry to keep away from tiny prying eyes and little hands signalling they want to share, no Mummy needs this chocolate...all of it. Taking the time to stop and talk and prepare for the new addition is challenging, once all the parenting duties are done, we just are too exhausted. I have to ask for cups of teas these days, there is no time for personal cravings and I'm not sure when I last had a foot rub. 
The second pregnancy isn't bad, it is just really different. It definitely has its more challenging aspects when you have another child, especially a young toddler. Your time is no longer your own. You just do what needs to be done, and often surprise myself with what I can accomplish. Other days, I resign to the fact that I need to rest, and battle with 'Mothers guilt' of letting my child watch too much Shaun The Sheep. I have to remind myself that I am already the Mother of two, and I need to make sure I'm taking care of myself and considering the needs of both of my children, not just the one who is making the most noise. With those challenges also comes the confidence of being experienced in being pregnant. I have a greater understanding of the capacity of my own body and I know the signs that I need to listen to. The thought of breastfeeding is no longer a weird foreign concept, I've been through the wars with it, and I won. I have learnt to appreciate every quiet and peaceful moment, because I know what having a newborn means. 
I'm so excited about adding another member to our family. I can't wait to kiss her little cheeks. But, she does not occupy my thoughts every moment like her brother did. She will be loved, but she won't be the centre, the focus the only one. She will have to share. Somedays it is hard to imagine how we will have the time and energy to pour into both of our children, but I'm sure we can work it out. 
Does this sound like your first and second pregnancies? 

Who is in charge this time round? 

Karen xx 

Love To Dream inVENTA Sleep Bag: Review & Giveaway

{I was sent a free Love To inVENTA Sleep Bag to review, but all opinions are my own}

I have a child that hates blankets! I know I am not the only one right? I try to get him all bundled up on the couch with a blanket to watch a movie, and he screams and cries and kicks the blanket off. I don’t know what it is, but blankets are just not his thing! Our solution since he was a few months old (because, surprise, surprise he also hated swaddles) was a sleeping bag. Because apparently even though blankets are from the devil, sleeping bags are perfectly acceptable, and even desired, and now without one he doesn’t really understand that it is bed time, it’s like his comforter. It’s also really nice to know that he can’t kick it off in the middle of the night, so I don’t have to keep checking on his blanket situation in the hope that he doesn’t wake up freezing at 5am. Like most parents, I’ll do just about anything to avoid those 5am wake ups.

Recently, I was hunting around for a good deal on a new sleeping bag for him, because he has outgrown his old one, when I was contacted by Love To Dream about trying out their new Love To inVENTA Sleep Bag. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Ahhh yes please!!!

I opted for a 1.0 tog, gender neutral taupe sleeping bag with an owl on the front, which Ezra likes to point out to me every time I put it on him, it is then followed by the customary hoot, hoot (thanks to ABC2).

The first thing I noticed about the Love To inVENTA Sleep Bag when I pulled it out of the box was the softness and the quality of the material, the lining is 100% natural hypoallergenic bamboo and feels so nice, it made me wish they made one in adult size, I could totally sleep in that! It has some other pretty great features that I haven’t seen in other sleeping bags, but they make a lot of sense to me.

• It has an unique cooling system consisting of two zippers that open to mesh ventilation, they are easily accessible so you can open or close them depending on the change in temperature to help regulate your baby’s body temp, without waking them! It seems so practical to me, I leave them open at the moment for daytime naps because it is still pretty warm around these parts, but then zip them closed for the night, and I don’t need two separate sleeping bags.

• It has studs at the bottom to shorten the sleeping-bag, meaning you can use the one bag for a longer amount of time because it can grow with your child.

• The side zipper is a bonus for me, having a child that likes to try to undo zippers!

• It includes a travel slot, we have found these really handy if you go out somewhere at night and want to either transfer them from a porta-cot into the car, or get them dressed for bed before putting them in the car. Then you don’t have to wake them to put the sleeping bag on when you get home!

Note the blanket pushed to the side! 

I really can’t fault this sleeping-bag, to me it seems both clever and really cute!! It has great features that give me less things to worry about as a Mum, and it seems like a lot of time and thought has gone into making them really practical, so I’m sold on them. The only thing I wish it could do is perform miracles and stop my child from climbing out of his cot, but I think I would need a straight jacket to see that happen!

As you may have realised from the title, I'm really excited that Thanks to the lovely folk at Love To Dream I also have one of these gorgeous Love To inVENTA Sleep Bags to giveaway.

I really wish that I could give one to everybody. But, if you want to check them out yourselves, here is their website www.lovetodream.com.au

To enter in the draw to win just follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter application below.

The competition will close on: Tuesday 18th June

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The cheeky boy wouldn't sit still for a picture, but this is still pretty cute!

Karen xx

Posted with Blogsy

My Breastfeeding Essentials List

I was starting to compile a list of the things I still need to organise for when our next little poppet arrives and apart from all the clothes and things for her, I also had the thought that I need to get together all the things I need to prepare to be breastfeeding again. I have most things, but there are a few items that I wish I had last time, or things that just didn't stand the test of time and now I need to replace. While I was making my list, I thought it would be good to share what my personal essential breastfeeding items are to make life easier for me as a breastfeeding Mum. I didn't know about half of this stuff when I first started breastfeeding, and spent time madly googling it during those midnight feeds.

1. Breastfeeding Cover: Some people don't mind whipping their boobs out anywhere, and that is awesome for them, I'm not that confident everywhere, more so around a group of people I know. Some places I don't mind, but others I would just rather have a cover. They also come in handy when your baby is old enough to become distracted by light and noise around them, it helps them to focus on the task at hand. I have a great one that a colleague made for me, the best thing is the boning stitched into the top so you can actually look down and see your baby. {Link to image HERE}

2. Bonds Nursing Singlet: I pretty much lived in these during my breastfeeding days. I love that I could pretty much wear any top over it, and then just lift the top up when I wanted to breastfeed, but the singlet hid my not so pretty tummy from the world. I didn't feel that I was restricted very much by the clothes I could wear. They are great for pregnancy too, I love them. I wear Bonds ones, and they are pretty comfy. {Link HERE}

3. Majamas Easy Bra: I bought one of these the first time round, it was definitely an essential for me, I wore it as a night time bra. I had big leakage problems when I was breastfeeding so this elastic bra was great for wearing with breast pads over night to stop myself from waking up in a pool of milk. It also has really easy access for the middle of the night feeds. {Link HERE}

4. Breast Pads: Like I said, major leakage. I was going through packets of disposable pads like crazy it was costing some serious money and I didn't really like them. Then I won a set of these Itti Bitti pads, and they were amazing. I hated that the disposable ones weren't really breathable and I would always feel hot and clammy. I will probably invest in some more this time round. {Link HERE}

5. Milk Trays: So, so easy for freezing pumped milk. They freeze in these nice little sticks so they actually fit into the bottle when they are still frozen, they are BPA free and are specifically designed for freezing breast milk. You basically freeze the milk in these and then remove from the trays into a zip lock bag with a date written on it and keep it in the freezer for when they are needed. They were very, very handy. {Link HERE}

6. A Comfy Chair with good Back Support: I don't have a great back or neck as it is so a good chair that helps me to sit up straight was essential. I love this Olli Ella one, but it is a bit out of my price range. My Chiropractor also told me that I should try to make sure I'm not looking down all the time when breastfeeding because it can mess with your neck (because I was ALWAYS looking down). So try to look straight ahead when  you can, and stretch your neck by looking up to the ceiling. {Link HERE}

7. Breast Pump: Some women don't want them or feel the need for them, but I wanted at least the option of a little freedom and the security of knowing there was milk in the freezer if I was late home. I had a manual breast pump last time that I wasn't really keen on, so this time I am looking into investing into an electric one. I haven't done all the research yet, but I keep hearing good things about the Medela Swing. I need something that doesn't take forever, because with a toddler and a baby it is safe to suggest I am going to be fairly time poor. {Link HERE}

8. Lanolin Cream: This little tube is a serious LIFE SAVER (maybe a slight exaggeration). It really, really helped me in the early days when things are all a little tender. I went through this stuff like crazy, and I'm planning on stocking up on it again.

When I asked Joel if I was missing anything, he suggested the number one item be BOOBS! Well I figured that was pretty much a given, but he thought it was hilarious!

So, what have I missed? What would you consider an essential breastfeeding item?

If you are interested, here is my breastfeeding story from the first time round!
My Breastfeeding Journey

Karen xx

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