MY BABY EXPERIENCE – Page 6

OMG IT HAS HAPPENED !!!!!

I AM SO HAPPY, SO PROUD AND SO EMOTIONAL at this same time. My little baby girl at the age of 9 months and 28 days started walking !!!!!

She did 1 or 2 steps before but today she just started walking !!!! It’s amazing how something just clicks in baby brain and they just start doing things! Chloe for a while now was walking with the walker, while holding to both of my hands and recently only one hand. She was also standing on her own for 3 seconds but as soon as she realised that no one was holding her/she wasn’t holding anything, she would sit down. And then yesterday she started standing, just like that as if she always did it… Then today she just started walking …. It amazes me how it just happens …. I am such a proud mummy now.

Thank god for Coffeeshops !! 😊

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

I have never spend so much time in a coffeeshop as I do while on maternity leave. They bring normality in to my life! On the beginning before I meet my Mums gang I would go to one to be round people and so I cant see all of the stuff which need to be done at home. I would buy lots of magasines have a cake (we all deserve it !!!!!) and my decafe (breastfeeding) coffee (lots of it) while Chloe was sleeping (they do sleep a lot of the beginning) .

You know the time when they are still quite small (3 months or so) and you are trying to establish a routine and they don’t want to sleep … Of we went in the pram for a walk and as soon as she would fall asleep I would head to a coffeeshop, we all know that you can’t go home because as soon as you open the door baby is wide awake !!!

Now is all about socialising.Yummy mummies with our perfect prams pushing our perfect baby stroll in to a coffee shop and take it over moving all of the tables and chairs so we can park 8 prams, and fit 8 highchairs on top of all of the space that we mums need – the customers and the owners hate us !

LUNCH TIME ! Some great accesories which I love !

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

Weaning is so much fun and I love going out for lunch with Chloe; I recon Chloe enjoyed it more as she has food, lots of distraction and a lot of attention (the 3 things that she can’t live without). But you need so much stuff : wipes, antibacterial wipes, pot with main meal, pot with a dessert, pot with snacks, bib, water, spoon, lunch bag, some toys etc…..

I found lots of very good items out there which make the whole proved a bit easier or just a bum more fun.

1. MAM spoon.

What is great about this spoon is that it comes with a cover! It’s such a smal but genius idea! You know that your spoon is clean and ready for your baby to use it, and once your lunch is over you don’t need to worry about cleaning it or the spoon staining your lunch bag. It comes in few different colours.

2. MAM bowl.

What is great about this bowl is that it’s separated in two so you can have your dinner and a dessert in one container. The way is seperated is very good as it doesn’t let one food lik in to the other part of the container. Saves a lot of space !

3. Lunch bag

There is so many amazing lunch bags out ther, choice is very big. My favourite one will be the one made by SKIP HOP. They do an animal range which is the cuttest ever. We have two now: a zebra one and unicorn one. They are beautiful and so much fun for kids. Chloe loves to play with her bag!

There is a very big choice depending on what you like or what animal your baby loves😊

Do you have any great lunch gadgets or items that you cannot live without or just love ? Please share with me and others!

Work 😫😫😫

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

I had to slowly start thinking about work. Needing to organise meeting with work to talk about returning after maternity; organise some keep in touch days so I know what was happening while I was gone (fashion never sleeps as we say where I work-lots to catch up on) and the worst of all needing to start to leave my little precious girl with other people.

Unfortunately due to my work I won’t be able to go back part time … This makes it harder, especially that all of the other mums are going back back part time.

I started to make small steps by having grandparents over for few hours observing how I do things with Chloe. Then leaving Chloe for an hour, then for 3 hours (it was the longest I could do).

First of my keep in touch days Chloe’s grandad was looking after her … With my husband who I made to work from home so he can keep an eye on everything. Not that there is anything to worry about, Grandad is amazing withChloe, and he knows what he is doing but I just can’t bring myself to leave her for more than few hours with anyone other than my husband. I have done 2 keep in touch days so far and because my husband was working from home it wasn’t too bad… I just don’t know how will I be able to go back full time to work???!!!!! Right now I don’t know how I will do it… I will have to somehow… Everyone else is doing it so it can’t be that bad???? My friend just went back to work and she is loving it ???? Just thinking about it is stressing me out !!!!

YES I AM MRS PERFECT and it bothers you because?

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

I am one of the people who keeps my house very tidy at all the time (only exception is when 8 babies with their mums invade my house for a “baby party”) who has a make up on when I leave the house, who never leaves house in tracksuit bottoms, whos baby pram is clean, who goes out a lot with her baby, who cooks, cleans ect.

I am not saying it to show off … I am saying it it because for some reason it pisses off lots of people. Why would it bother you? It doesn’t bother me if you don’t do any of those things !

What you need to realise is that it is a hard work to do all of it when you have a little babie ! When you sit and watch your TV while drinking coffee I am already making breakfast, having shower and getting dress. When your baby is napping and you are resting or trying to catch up on your sleep, I most of the time are cooking, cleaning, washing, having shower ect. And yes I do have a bad days as all of us do but I make sure that they happen very rarely.

I don’t judge anyone for having messy house, not doing make up or not having perfect hair. I don’t pass any sarcastic or nasty comments, so you keep yours to yourself !

KEEP IN TOUCH DAY … More like the worst day of my life !!!

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

Keep in touch day at work … We all need to do it in a build up to the maternity leave finishing (can’t even think about it!!!!!!!). So today is the day that I need to leave my baby and go for few hours to work !!!! Leaving the house and saying my goodbye was one of the hardest things in my life ! I have left Chloe with her dad and grandfather which is making it much easier …. Right? So why was I in tears leaving the house ?????? It’s so so so hard … I can’t even think about how will I be able to go back to work full time ???? Leave Chloe in the nursery or only with grandparents without my husband checking that Chloe is ok ???

On one hand I just want to shout : I QUIT, I DONT WANT TO WORK ! I want to be at home withy baby …. On the other hand I know that it’s good for her to be surrounded by other people, and that I go back to work so she can have everything that she needs and wants… There is also this small part of me thinking that I nee to think about my future and my carrier ….

BEING A MUM JUST GOT WHOLE LOT MORE DIFFICULT

Bigger bigger bigger each day !

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

We are 9 months old today !!! That means that she is older than the time she spent in my belly! For some reason 9 months feels as important as 6 months. Quite emotional! Where did this time go? Didn’t I just gave birth to her ????

What did I get as a present from her ? 3 sleepless nights in the row while 2nd tooth is coming through !

DENIM DENIM DENIM !

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

Cool outfit for a baby? Go for DENIM! Denim never goes out of fashion (it doesn’t really matter with babies as they grow out of they clothes so quickly) but very often comes back with a big blue bang! Now is the time to rock it, especial that as a mum (or dad) you will start slowly to shop for autom clothes or as me for clothes for the next 3 months ( yes I need to start preparing wardrobe in size 9-12 months !!!!!! ) .

There are some amazing pieces :

River Island does a lot of cool denim pieces :

In love with this little piece ! Had to get it for Chloe !

ZARA is doing those dungarees. Pair with any top underneath for the cute little outfit.
H&M does this dress for £5,99!! You can pair it with a pretty blouse/ top for a cute look or go for cool printed leggings with a edgy top (stripy) for a cool look. And those denims couldn’t be any cuter.

NEXT went with the denim trend as well producing this really cute skirt and blouse (which Chloe owns now 😁)

BABY FASHION

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

I work in fashion and I love fashion. What comes with it is the desire to buy lots of clothes for my baby girl. I am trying to be sensible with the amount of clothes I buy as she is growing so quickly. Because there is no point to buy lots the key is to buy carefully. Look at what do you need? how many of? And be selective! What is the most important, is making sure that clothes are comfortable and practical; trust me there is no point of buying lots of white clothes (as they won’t be white for long) or a silk blouse (as it probably will be ripped after first wash or wear) or something what is difficult to put on (as you baby will scream the place down!)

I am into fashion and trends, and I do want my baby to look nice but comfortable is a priority. I don’t agree with putting your baby in leather (think about how comfortable it is to wear for you, and you aren’t learning how to move and control every part of your body), lace (how itchy !!!) ect!

Your baby can look cool, cute and be comfortable !

Best retailers in my opinion is : H&M, NEXT, ZARA, MAMMAS AND PAPPAS and RIVER ISLAND MINI. Lots of cute, comfy and fab stuff. Look at my YUMMY BABY section for food and fashion updates !

GOING BACK TO WORK – THE SCARIEST THOUGHT OF ALL !!!

MY BABY EXPERIENCE

Before Chloe was born you would hear me say : I am coming back to work after 6 months on maternity. You see I was a workaholic and I loved my job in fashion! Soon after Chloe was born only thinking about work and needing to live Chloe was stressing me out. My beautiful baby has totally changed me and the way a see work. I quickly decided that I am taking my full one year maternity leave (it’s very fortunate that I can do it) and decided not to think about it.

But now as Chloe is 8 month old I have had no choice but to face the fear of going back to work. What was making the whole process worst is the fact that all of my mum friends are going back to work part time (most of them are teachers) and I know that I won’t be able to do it. I work for one of the biggest fashion high street brands as a Visual Merchandiser Menager … We know that fashion and retail aren’t really baby friendly + you simply can’t do my job for only 3 days a week. The whole situation was making me feel really shit! Even the fact that my in laws will be looking after Chloe for 3 days a week wasn’t making me feel any better … Why? Because simply no one can look after her as well as I can ! No one knows my baby as well as I do!

So I had a meeting with work to discuss going back, what are my expectation, how flexible am I ect. But it does feels a bit like a waste of time as I know that they won’t accommodate what I really want. So we have this meeting where they are pretending that they care and are open minded ( if you are not flexible or want to do part time you will need to step down) ; and where I am pretending that I want to do full time and that I am excited to go back 😁 . The whole meeting is just a joke 😁

But I got the ball rolling which I am proud of, now I am trying to see how far I can push. I will return to work few weeks later than my maternity finishes which is amazing as it gives me 3 more weeks with my girl. I have also asked to work for the first few months 4 days a week … Let’s see if they will agree to it….

I have some keep in touch days coming up … That shall be interesting as I have never left my baby for a long time !

What I am trying to do very hard is not to think about going back and pretending that it’s not happening 😊