There are loads of great images and typography in the newspaper. Cut some out and make fun learning cards. You can either get your kid to help, or cut and arrange yourself depending on their age and ability.
Nate’s still sick, so I made these tonight on the themes of sports, letters and animals. I’m going to laminate them and hopefully they’ll cheer him up tomorrow!
Nate lives in a fascinating little world of imaginary friends complete with his own vocabulary. He understands everything I am saying and is picking up more and more real words like ‘hummus’ and ‘monkey’, but for the most part he is determined to use his own words. He corrects me and laughs. I think this either means he is fiercely independent (read: stubborn) or creative, both traits I hope to foster in him.
For some reason, and we still can’t figure out the origins, I am ‘Bobo’. We’ll say ‘Nate, where is mommy?’ and he’ll point to me and point to me and proclaim ‘Bobo!’ A lot of people ask when he’ll grow out of it, if I think Alex will call me Bobo and if it bothers me. Truth is, I love it. There are a million mommys in the world, but I’m the only Bobo. He called me momma once last week, but then laughed and said ‘No! Bobo!’ He knows what he’s doing and I love him for it. It might be strange, but I love being Nate’s Bobo!
There are those moments with a toddler where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Thursday was one of them. I put Nate down for his nap as I normally do around noon. I listened on the monitor as he chirped and sang and yelled at cars outside. Nothing unusual, it sometimes takes him a while to wind down and he enjoys playing with the soft toys in his bed. It got to around 1:30 and he was still singing loudly, so I decided to try to calm him down. I got to the door and it hit me – the smell. He’d had an enormous poo.
I opened the door and there he was, beaming, holding his favourite white bunny. And there it was, everywhere, poo. So much poo. Nate had apparently been singing while expressing himself via the medium of poo. What to do when confronted with something so horrific, grab your camera for blackmail photos.
I’m learning to enjoy the little moments with the boys more and more everyday. Love his curiosity…
I’ve been struggling how to get back into blogging because there’s so much to catch up on. So I decided to just start with now. Here’s a day in the life of the Dares…little did I know I’d choose one very long day!
5am – Decent night’s sleep, Alex wakes for a feed // 6am – Just as he goes down, Nate gets up
7am – Mom time aka a 10 min shower // 8am(ish) – Nate gets to watch ZingZillas while I get Alex to go back to sleep
9am – Look sun! Hurry into the garden! // 10am – Postman delivers my new necklace from Etsy artist E.Ria Designs (it’s an A and N initial necklace)
11am – Nate steals raw dough while making turkey and cheese croissants (yeah, we’re baking on the floor) // 12pm – Nate takes a nap and I get some Alex time (look at those bubbles)
1pm – Finally get to put away the groceries delivered at 11 // 2pm – Heat wave! Bring the fan downstairs because it’s over 25C in the house
3pm – Alex gets changed and we head out to visit friends // 4pm – Playgroup chaos. The kids outnumber adults 8:5
5pm(ish) – Pasta boils away while I run out to rescue Nate’s missing hat // 6pm – Chris gives a thumbs-up for dinner
7pm – Story time, very exciting // 8pm – Nate’s asleep so Chris gets some Alex time
9pm – Chores done, baby quiet and I get to work on my photography course with Capturing Childhood // 10pm – I brush my teething thinking I can go to bed soon
11pm – Actually get to bed // 12pm – That didn’t last long. Attempt to watch TV while feeding Alex
1am – We’re still up and cuddling // 3am – Up again and so tired I think this photo is a good idea. That’s blue paint on my toe
4am – Asleep at last. Me too? Nope. Nate woke up at 5:45am, but that’s another day…
Last week Nate celebrated his first birthday with a super fun polka dot themed garden party. Luckily the rain mostly held off, so our crew of 10 babies and 25 adults could play indoors and outdoors. We had a ball pool, slide, tricycle, BBQ for the grown ups, mini pizza for the babies, grown up carrot cake cupcakes and baby cake carrot cakes (sugar free!). It was really relaxed and so much fun to have all our playgroup friends over with their partners. Chris and his family really got a kick out of seeing all the babies. You forget that civilians aren’t used to the chaos of so many little people.
We made Nate his own special two-tiered carrot cake with no sugar, but frosted it with the good stuff. He was hesitent at first, but once our back was turned he devoured it. I stopped him when he’d eaten half of one tier. He was in a little food coma after that and sat on my friend Jenn’s lap with his tongue hanging out for about 30 minutes. That’s how you celebrate a birthday!
I decorated the food table with some of Nate’s art in cute, bright coloured frames from Ikea. His creche friends painted a little picture for him and that was placed prominently on the mantel (and still is!)
And you’re off! This month you started crawling, perfecting the land-swim technique leaving all the toys in your wake. You love being independent and active.
I’ve learned a few things about breastfeeding. Most importantly–when it’s easy, it’s easy. But lord, when it’s hard, it’s hard. We had a steep, Everest-sized learning curve (as you already know). We wouldn’t be here at nearly 12 months still feeding like a pro without support from a lot of great people.
The Partner
There’s absolutely no way I could have endured our breastfeeding battle without the unwavering support of my hubby. He is now a lactation expert and spent hours researching online, watching videos and reading books about breastfeeding when I was far to exhausted with a sleepless, hungry baby to digest anything. He never judged my decisions, never put pressure on me to take an easier route and was always there to pick me up when I was down. Ladies, make sure you have a partner in your partner. They should know the hows and whys of breastfeeding and should never, ever judge your parenting decisions.
The Professional
In Ireland, we have access to some amazing free health services that are often taken for granted. I was so lucky to be on the Holles St Community Midwives Domino Scheme, so all my antenatal and postnatal care was free. They visited me for the first 10 days after Nate was bron and were very helpful in figuring out where our breastfeeding problems came from. All new Holles St moms have access to the lactation consultants. In the early days, it may be hard to make a trip back to the hospital, but it is worth it for the early intervention and support. The most amazing support I had was from a PHN based in Greystones. If you’re having any trouble breastfeeding in Wicklow, ask for Helena. She works primarily as a lactation consultant for the Wicklow health service. She’s a friend of my MIL and spent her annual leave days working with me and developing a plan to get Nate to feed. She’s a genius. Talk to your PHN, many have gone through the lactation counselling training and should be able to help.
The Community
If you are struggling, don’t suffer in silence. Find women to talk to at La Leche League or Cuidiu meetings, attend your local breastfeeding clinic or chat up other breastfeeding moms that are out and about. The most liberating moment was my second visit to the Rathgar breastfeeding group when I realised that half the women there were experiencing similar problems. Finally I was able to relax a bit and not feel like an outsider. I wasn’t a failure because feeding was hard, I was a fighter.
The Interweb
Obviously there’s a wealth of knowledge out there about breastfeeding. I’m not so much a forum gal, so I did found most information from Kelly Mom and Dr Jack. They were especially helpful in learning about tongue ties.
This post is part of the Breastfeeding Bloghop. You can share your breastfeeding stories every Thursday too by clicking here.
With the sometimes sunny weather and Nate’s 1st birthday coming around, we decided to get a paddling pool/ball pool. Okay, so it will probably never get used as a paddling pool because we live in Ireland. But I can always warm up water in the kettle for the little guy, right? In case you’re in the market for one, here’s the cutest pools around
Fisher Price Ball-o-saurus. Argos €24. The name says it all. This blow up ball pool has an awesome dino-slide for the balls. You know your little one will love it. Although, it is a bit pricey. But it’s so cute!
Chad Valley Rainbow Pool. Argos €12. Sweet little economical pool with a removable rainbow sun cover. This is the pool we went with because 1) it is really cheap 2) we’ll use it at Nate’s birthday with lots of little babies, so the sun cover is great 3) rainbows!
Giraffe Spray Pool. Smyths €17. This was really hard NOT to buy. It’s a giant giraffe and the tail turns into a sprayer (awesome if you live somewhere warm).
If you want a ball pool, expect to pay around €6 for a pack of 100 balls. You can get balls anywhere–Mothercare, B&Q, Smyths, Tesco, etc. Don’t forget a pump unless you have an amazing lung capacity. We got an Argos foot pump, but haven’t put it to the test yet. Happy Paddling!
We’re only a few weeks from my baby boy’s first birthday party! Where did the year go? I’m too excited about planning his party to get weepy over how quickly he’s going up, but post-party I’ll be a tearful mess. Anyhoo…How do you like his invite? I’m super excited about it. The theme of this party is polka-dots and Nate! I love a party with themes, I remember (almost) everyone of my birthday parties growing up.
Have you hosted a kid’s birthday party? I expect other 1-year-olds to attend so any advice on how to keep them happy and safe would be appreciated. And keep your fingers crossed for sunshine on that Saturday!
Every night, we read stories and say good night to snuggle bunny before Nate goes to sleep. This is seriously the most adorable part of my day. We’ve all grown fond of this cute book-puppet. Nate loves Snuggle Bunny and chats away to him while we read the story about going through a bedtime routine: putting toys away, brushing teeth, bedtime hugs and snuggling up. Nate always hands his pre-bed teether to Snuggle Bunny during the line “it’s time to finish playing and put your toys away.” How cute is that?
You can get Snuggle Bunny for €9.26 + free shipping from the Book Depository!
Nate is a Water Baby (remember his Big Splash?). I’m super proud to say that because for 28 weeks and counting we have worked so hard together to learn how to be champion swimmers. 2032 Olympics, here we come! We adore Water Babies and I highly recommend the classes. Here’s why:
We started the course in November at 3 months old. I’ll be honest, the first 10 weeks he cried the entire class. He loved the water, but our class fell between nap and lunch time so he’d get cranky. We pushed through it and on the start of Intermediate 1 class, something changed in Nate and he giggled through the entire class and never looked back. Although the class was difficult for us in the beginning, it was really good for me to learn how to respond to Nate when he gets upset in public (smiling and bouncing in the water distracts like a charm), how to move and play with him without fearing I’d break him and of course how to swim with him with confidence.
Nate was under 12lbs when we started and at the time I didn’t know if there was a problem with his low weight or not (there’s not by the way) and it was refreshing to see him excell in something that his peers weren’t. He might be slow to roll over, sit up and crawl but Nate has been swimming underwater by himself since he was 4 months. And he loves it. He could be sick, lethargic and fussy all week but get that boy in the pool and he comes alive!
As the classes progress, they become much more fun and include skills that I would never have learned on my own. The goal of the programme is to teach your child to swim while they have a natural instinct for the water and before they learn to be fearful. Nate will never need floaties because once he has the muscle strength, he’ll be ready to swim unaided. We’re also learning safety skills like how to hold on to the pool wall and how to climb out of a pool. I grew up swimming and believe its an essential skill, especially living here on an island.
Now, I have to set the record straight on something. I hear a lot of people complaining about how Water Babies charge you for the next course without your consent. This is totally NOT true. Water Babies tells you up front that they will keep your credit card on file to automatically register you for the next term so that the rebooking is seamless. There’s a huge waiting list, so logistically it makes sense for the system to work this way. Otherwise, you could loose your spot. They send you several texts and emails weeks in advance letting you know that you’ll be charged for the next term, unless you call to cancel. Everything is very transparent, and for people who wish to follow the four-course series, very easy. I’ve found their customer service amazing.
You also have an opportunity to do an underwater photo shoot. We waited until Nate was comfortable in the water during Intermediate 1. It was pretty expensive, but as you can see, totally worth it. I love our Water Babies days and love the unique and special time we spend together in the pool. I know I’m a much better mommy because of it!
Got any fun plans this weekend? Nope? Well, if you’re in Dublin we’ve got you sorted!
Saturday: Pack up the family and take them to Airfield. Dad can herd the kids around the farmyard while you shop for amazing designer goods at a discount price, all in the name of charity. Yep, that’s right. Shopping on the farm never looked this good!
Doors open at 12 and proceeds go to Diabetes Federation Ireland and the Bubble Gum Club
Sunday: Today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic! It’s Teddy Bear Picnic time in Blackrock Park. Bring your tired old bear for a bit of repair and while your at it bring the family along too! There will be lots of fun for the kids and with any luck a bit of fun too.
The picnic begins at 1pm. It is free, but you must bring a bear to get in. It’s their picnic after all.
Looking for more family friendly fun? Check out our Go Baby page for a calendar of events perfect for the fam. I’m still working on building the calendar, so let me know if there’s an event that should be added!
You are a go baby! You love music and baby sign language classes and long walks in the buggy. This month we took you to Dublin Zoo where you went crazy for the goats.
Little man, you are getting so grown you. You now clap, wave and do a dancey dance on command. You love playing with your stacking cups and laugh a lot, especially at dad.