7 signs your a Mama!

The tiny dictator in my life!

I managed to sneak in a nice, long hot shower today while my son was napping. It was awesome!

I even managed to shave my legs! When your husband complains that your hairy legs are prickling him in bed then you know you have got to make some "me" time!

While I was lather, rinse, repeating in the shower I was thinking about how I am such a "Mum" type these days! All those kind of funny, kind of frustrating things that mean you have a tiny person dictating your life. Here are my top 7 signs of motherhood!

One: The sexiest words your husband can say to you in bed are "I will get him/her" (meaning he will go and sort the crying baby in the middle of the night, so you get to continue sleeping). Those words can make any Mum weak at the knees!

Two: When you go shopping for clothes you never get anything for yourself! I spent 4 hours in town the other day and bought nothing for me, but my son is going to look like a fashion victim this summer!

Three: You no longer get designer bag envy, that is replaced by pram envy... That woman has the new Cosatto limited edition Wonder... Bitch!
 
Four: You have "the" hair cut. One day you will cave, you will go to your hairdresser and beg for a easy to maintain and quick to blow dry Mummy cut. It will happen, I caved just last month. 

Five: You clean your whole house with baby wipes! I think it is because there is literally a pack of baby wipes in every corner of my house (but typically never any when you have a nappy explosion to deal with).

Six: Your laundry basket develops magically powers. No matter how many washes a day you to, it never goes down!

Seven: You have nothing to talk about (if it isn't about babies). Before I was a parent, I couldn't understand those parents that had nothing to talk about besides children/their kids. But I am one! I cant help it though. I was sat having my Mummy haircut the other day and I couldn't think of any conversation starters (that weren't about kids). I just sat there for 20 minutes trying to think of something witty to say... and I had nothing!

Why I plan on giving my son a vaccine "for girls"...

Image Source: http://vaccines.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=005206

The other day I was discussing with a family member who is a Doctor about the meningitis vaccine as it has been in the news lately.

I have been lucky as my son fell into the catch up programme when he was a few months old, and has already had his first vaccine. However, I knew that you can buy the vaccine and if he hadnt have fallen into the age group I would have done this. I wouldnt have known that this was an option if someone hadnt told me, and I wonder if other parents knew... I dont know if there are any restrictions on this vaccine (ages etc.) but it made me ask the Doctor "is there any other vaccinations you would recommend I pay for my son to have?"

The answer I got was unexpected.

He said he had had his 2 sons vaccinated when they were younger with the "cervical cancer" vaccine... To which I immediately thought "what"?!

I have always known the vaccine that girls now have (between 11 and 14) as the cervical cancer vaccine. I am too old to have had it so my knowledge is limited. However, the Doctor went onto to tell me that it is actually a vaccine againt HPV. Many of you may know about this, especially due to coverage over the past few years because it causes cancers such as throat cancer (something we all seem more aware of these days, due to celebrities having being diagnosed with it) as well as cervical cancers.

When I had a look into it myself I was surprised to find that HPV can cause many different types of cancers including the following in males:

• Penile Cancer
• Anal Cancer
• Mouth & Throat Cancer

(For source click here)

When I read this, as a mother to a boy, it concerns me that this vaccine isnt being offered to boys as well. I am not quite sure why the NHS feel that only girls should be getting this vaccine? It may help prevent the spread of HPV virus one way or the other, but until HPV isnt a threat I dont feel that boys shouldnt also be vaccinated. On an emotional level it feels like my son's life has somehow been deemed less important than a girls. (Now dont get me wrong, I feel every one is important, no matter gender, age etc. But I am struggling to understand this decision). I appreciate, as a woman, how big an issue cervical cancer is, but I dont feel it should become more important than a man's cancer of the penis!

Either way, without becoming too political and delving into issues that I am not completely read up on, I wanted to blog about this for any Mum's with boys. I know that when my son turns 11/12 I will be paying to get him vaccinated with the "cervical cancer" vaccine. I just wanted to put this on here in case anyone else wasnt aware and would want to know about it.

Some more information: http://www.cdc.gov/features/hpvvaccineboys/

Hello again...

It has been a very loooong time since I posted, for anyone who likes to read my blog regularly I am sorry... I hope there is someone who does... :)

I could go through the long list of reasons I haven't posted in a while: sinus infections, flu, baby not sleeping, baby teething, working lots, a house move and a new job... the list can go on. But the basic reason is just being so busy and not feeling very inspired lately.

However, I am hoping I will now have a new lease of life into my blogging.

I feel like I should share something of my December and Christmas... Because that is where I last left this blog, and despite all that businsess I didnt managed to do half the things I had hoped. I had the typical visions of being a domestic goddess, earth Mother type with a Christmas that had Santa envious. Where I would be blissfully baking organic, refined sugarfree mince pies with a festive apron on and a lovely cooing baby sitting watching patiently in his highchair.

Typically I set myself up for a massive fail. Not foreseeing a house move mid December and the active nature of a 7 month old beginning to crawl. Seriously, how did he go from a snail pace shuffle to racing car fast in the space of a week? Any why oh why does he think the other side of the room is amazing mid nappy change?

Nothing gets you moving like chasing down a crawling baby with a dirty nappy half hanging off their cheeky bum!

I got no baking done, despite promising family lots of goodies. I feel bad about this! I have promised to make the festive treats next year instead... am I setting myself up for failure yet again? Probably.

Christmas Eve and Day was not quite what I imagined either. I bought my baby the "Santa is coming to Sheffield" book, which is really lovely. I had imagined reading it to him on Christmas Eve, naturally he would be all serene. Maybe looking at me lovingly while I began a Christmas Eve tradition. Did it go like that? Hell no! He wiggled and wormed around on my lap, desperate to get away. It was a battle of wills, at one point my husband told me to give it up. But I was determined to finish the darn book... I finished the lovely story about Santa coming to Sheffield, but I wouldnt class it as a magical moment or parental "win".

Naturally my son barely slept the 2 nights leading up to Christmas and after being up until midnight putting up a trike on Christmas Eve I was exhausted. I was less earth mother, and mother of all zombies! I ended up cooking the worst roast I have ever done and forgot to have even one glass of festive tipple!

I just want to share my Christmas catastrophe, I feel like I need to warn other parents. It isnt all fairy lights and magical moments. The (parental) struggle is real, even over the festive season!

The most magical of ideas! (and gifts)

http://www.themagicdoorstore.com/home/4585159113

Sometimes in blogging I have a lull. Or my mind can be brimming with ideas but nothing really captures my enthusiasm.

But at some point during a lull, usually after a full day when I am totally exhausted, something comes along and you think: wow! I love it and I must share it.

Well, this was the case recently when I got an email in my inbox from The Magic Door Store asking if any bloggers wanted to mention them, especially in the lead up to Christmas! Being the naturally nosey person I am, I clicked on the link and was confronted with the most magical of things...

The possibility of my very own miniature door to welcome fairies and elves into my house!

Well, as a lover of all things magical (I go a bit loopy over Christmas and Santa, as well as being a massive Harry Potter geek) I was immediately adding it to my gift list!

While I will definitely be getting one for my son when he is older he is currently too young to appreciate a magical elf doorway. However, I knew of two little girls whose imagination would be captured by such an enchanting entrance into another world!

In the words of the maker on the website:

"These stylish, miniature doors create a magical entrance for your fairies & elves to visit your home.

All that the fairies & elves require is somewhere quiet & secret so that they can come & go as they please, sprinkling love & magic once everyone is asleep.

Just imagine the excitement of exchanging little gifts & messages with your fairy & elf friends & discovering tiny magic dust footprints on the floor."

 

I was suitably enticed and have now purchased a lovely pink fairy doorway to give to my cousin's little girls. Both the girls Mama and I are really looking forward to introducing it to them.

 

There are so many ways to do this. You could give it to them and tell them that they have to put the door somewhere special and then blow fairy dust over it so that it opens the special portal to fairy land.

 

Or you can use the little extras that the company provides and put a letter outside the door that "welcomes" fairies and elves to use the doorway.

 

Or lastly, and this is my favourite, you could put it down without the children and wait for them to notice it. So they can have the wonder of noticing it and wondering where it came from. If I did this I think I would write a mini letter to the children informing them that we ("the fairies") will now be using the door (but only fairies can open the door with their magic of course).

 

All lovely ideas to capture a child's imagination!

 

We also had the great of idea of using it as a doorway for "Santa's Elves". Telling the girls that the Elves come through at night and make sure that you have been good and your rooms are tidy, and they tell Santa. 

 

At the risk of sounding manipulative (but lets be honest us parents need these tools) this is a great way to ensure that good behaviour that often occurs during the lead up to Christmas. Oh the perks of that glorious month of blackmailing using Santa and presents!

 

Anyway, I was really excited about this item and had to share it before I even got it! But I will also be writing a separate blog post once I have received it, letting you know how the girls got introduced to the doorway and the hit it will no doubt be!

 

Have a magical day!

 

Here is a link to The Magic Door Store.