Us Two Plus You

It has been a long time since we last joined in with the Me & Mine link up. Too long I think and now that we are a family of four I really do want to remember to get family photographs and have photographs with me in them. It may only be one every month but it is much better than having none!

While I was pregnant with Baby S, D and I would do lots of art together. We did a lot during the weekends and over school holidays. One of these little art sessions D made this lovely little picture of a family of giraffes. Me, Simon, D and a little baby S in my tummy. Two big adult giraffes and two small children giraffes. It is just so cute!

So when I found a selection of stuffed giraffes online I knew I just had to get one for each of us! So Simon got the biggest in blue, I got the medium in Yellow, D got the smallish one in green  and Baby S got the tiny little baby giraffe in pink! I switched the colours of D's and Simon's from the picture as green is D's favourite colour. The sizing of the giraffes also comes from D who always tell us that Daddy is big, I am medium, he is small and Baby S is teeny tiny. I think this is one of the pictures that I will always love as it really makes me smile to think of how happy D was the day they all arrived and he got to give everyone their own giraffe that matched his picture!

Now I had envisioned a lovely picture of us all each holding a giraffe. That didn't happen. Not at all! I do however love these anyway. We are all together even if it isn't perfect. But hey what point of life with children ever is?

This month I have loved:

~Long bath times alone!~

~Family walks and discovering new places~

~Hot Coffee (on the rare occasion that one is in school and the other is asleep)~

~Chesapeake Shores on Netflix~

~Cute autumn baby clothes!~

This month Simon has loved:

~Destiny 2~

~Designing on photoshop~

~Family days out~

~Baby wearing for the first time~

~Surprises in the post~

This month D has loved:

~Starting School~

~Transformers~

~Going to breakfast club~

~Numberblock number 4 (his favourite one)~

~Chinese chicken with rice and sweetcorn~

~Family movie days~

This month Baby S has loved:

~The apple pattern on the inside hood of her pram~

~Cuddles!~

~Babbling to everyone~

~Reaching the toys on her toy bar~

~Sitting upon her own in her chair~

Here it is, Part two of my birth story with Baby S! If you missed part one you can read it using the link.

They talked to us about how different this would be. I wouldn't be allowed to lie down and would have to be up on my knees leaning on the back of the bed where gravity would have more effect. I had actually wrote in my notes that I wanted to use this position rather than lying down so I was pretty good with it. They wouldn't be checking me anymore and would let it just happen. Which although a bit scary was also as natural as it could get. They warned us both that we would not be alone and that there would be quite a few people in the room during this process. They also told us that a theater was ready and on standby so that if something starts going wrong everything was ready to go straight away. I pretty much blocked the thought of things going wrong from my mind. There was no way I could think about rushing off to surgery in a whirl.

I was hooked up to the monitor again. This time it did work! Well most of the time. It fell off a few times and had to be moved each time she dropped further down. Not much changed for about an hour. (I think) I wasn't really keeping track of the time but both midwives went off on break and came back. One explained that we would be waiting for different things once she started to come out and that they would talk us through it.

I was incredibly thirsty and was literally drinking a glass of water every few contractions. Which had gotten incredibly close together. I only had enough time to get a drink in between. (almost a full glass!) Since I had left the house thinking I would go back and without our bags I had nothing I planned to use in labour. Mostly my hairbands, I had to ask the midwife if they had anything I could use! She magically came back

After that it was a long cycle of drinking water and having contractions with a few baby monitor adjustments. The gas was awkward to use on the back of the bed especially since I wanted to sway from side to side with my head on the bed. I could do all of that fine but I was aware that Simon was somewhere on the other side. He looked pretty freaked out every time I got a look at him! I wanted to hold his hand and look at him but I couldn't be on the other side. The gas didn't reach or wouldn't allow me to move in a way that helped.

I found a rhythm and was happy to just move my hips from side to side while the contractions came. The midwives kept asking did I need to push. It was a bit strange to be the only one knowing what was happening inside. Only I could feel what was happening!

The moment to start pushing did finally come and I started to push while also pushing my whole body right down on the bed with my bottom out. (not a pretty picture I know!) I remember worrying about it and asked was it okay, they did say I would have to stop when I started to crown (a bottom not a head!). At one point almost everyone was behind me and I could hear them talking about seeing something. I wanted to know so I asked and they explained that a sign of crowning is a purple line on your bottom! I never knew that but I explained about having had an operation there at around 16 weeks  pregnant (if you missed that you can click the link to read about it) which had left a big purple scar on my bottom.

My waters still hadn't gone and I kept thinking "it should have happened by now" so I kept asking. (They never went with D either!) They did keep saying no they hadn't went yet but I knew I was starting to ignore or miss what was happening during contractions. I could only concentrate on pushing, everything else blurred away. Just after a contraction I asked again and she said "I've just scraped them" (I think they could see the bag.) I got a contraction right after that and oh my goodness I really felt them pop and then the massive gush of water! It was such a strange sensation but I got a good bit of relief just after they'd gone which was a bit strange.

It didn't take long for the contractions to start getting really strong and the need to push was getting so close together. At this point I know that someone told me I had to stop pushing my bottom so close to the bed and I was trying I really was! I however must not have been doing it very well as pretty soon after this I felt an arm pushing against my bottom up during each contraction. After a good long push I could hear "That's her bum out" next they wanted her legs to drop down one at a time and during the next contraction they did just that. I really remember her say " She is standing up on the bed" That was a surreal moment. I remember that I somehow had this moment of wonder thinking how is she standing on the bed with one half of her body still inside me? I will never forget that. Next we wanted her stomach to come out followed by the arms and shoulders (I honestly can't remember in which order!).I do know they came out the order they wanted with only 2 or three contractions. The last part was her head! This was the worst part of the whole labour and I remember actually screaming as she came out. I'm pretty sure it was a real primal scream, it certainly felt like it warranted one! Just at the moment I felt relief I also heard her cry and they handed Baby S to me through my legs and into my top. She was born at 10:51am just hours after that first contraction which seemed a lifetime away by then! She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and was just perfect!

I couldn't believe I had done it! I didn't have any tearing but I did have a small scrape (well they told me I did) She had her first poo on the way out, however it had happened after her bum had been delivered so she was safe! She was perfect and although this is certainly not the best photo it was the very first.We where both in love from the moment we saw her and we cried.  Moments after being born she was rooting around and wanting a feed! After she had her feed it was time for me to have some toast. I was so hungry! However after one mouth full I felt really sick and ended up throwing up all the water I had drank. After which I felt so much better and continued getting cuddle while we waited on my bag arriving (thank you to my sister!) During this time it was hard, she had no clothes and neither did I! I felt guilty that we hadn't brought it with us.It didn't take too long thankfully! After that I had the best bath of my life! It was amazing!

It was a few hours later that we got to share our complete family and D joined us at the hospital. Another magical and perfect moment!

Looking back on my delivery I now realize just how rare natural breech deliveries are. So rare in fact that no body in the room that day had experienced one actually happening! I am so glad I didn't know that then as I would have probably really considered changing my mind and I know I would never have really wanted that. We are lucky and we had the perfect "textbook" breech delivery which ended with our beautiful daughter and a happy complete family.

I don't know about you but for me one of the really boring items in my home is our towels. I splashed out on beautiful towels when I first moved into a house on my own. They didn't last long between my hair dying and fading or fraying in the wash! So I pretty much go for one colour now.

However I am very aware that towels are a necessary but are so not engaging for children, they just aren't fun at all! I have been on the look out for a really good hooded towel that is not only big enough to cover D but is engaging, fun and will last for longer than the next growth spurt. I don't like the towels they wear like aprons, not for at home. I recently started to think the one I really wanted just hadn't been made yet.

That all changed when I was contacted about the Shark Hooded Towel by Zoocchini from Find Me A Gift. This was the type of towel I have been looking for.

Find Me A Gift is an online retailer who specialize in great gift ideas. They have items to cover every occasion you can think of. From Birthdays to retirement gifts they've got it all! They want to find gifts that will be fun and quirky, items that will get you excited to share the gift with the recipient.

The Shark Hooded Towel arrived and it came inside this lovely box which is perfect for wrapping up (I hate wrapping clothing or towels!) when giving as a gift. The box also

gives all the information you might need to know about the towel including the dimensions which are approximately 127 x 56 cm.

The Shark Hooded Towel looked great and I was so excited to show D who really loves pretending to be a shark during bath time. He got so excited about taking it up for after bath time. So much so he headed off before I was even ready, that'll show me not to bring out such exciting items first.

I had managed to finally get the box back (when he got in the bath!) and removed the towel ready for D getting out. Personally I usually do pre-wash our towels however I wanted to get the towel out of the box with D and I knew we'd never get him to wait long enough to wash it. Having used the Shark Hooded Towel by Zoocchini before washing I do wish I had thrown it in the wash. The first use had the inevitable blue fluff stuck everywhere after we got D dried! He however thought it was hilarious and said he was really turning into a blue shark. How cool does it look hanging up too?!

The towel was so super soft to touch both on the outer layer and the inner which was a nice surprise. I find some children's towels are really course on one side but soft on the other or are two completely different materials. I love that the towel is soft and is also a good thickness. It's not too thick that in the summer it could make them warmer than needed but also not thin enough that they could get cold after baths or swimming. The hood is also thicker than the body area. I love this! I always find in hooded towels that the hood gets wet through quite quickly and then starts to feel cold.

D loved the shark design and it was so beautifully made. You can see the details in every aspect from the thick stitching to the added details. The hood itself features a funky red patterned fabric surrounded by the white fabric teeth which look pretty cool and sharp! You can also find two swirly cheeks beside the mouth and two round eyes not much further up. Incorporated into the edges of the towel you will find the shark's fins, there are two pectoral fins near the bottom edges of the hood at the front and another dorsal fin along the top back of the hood. The dorsal fin stays up most of the time the towel is in use. I had expected it to flop over since it is extra material but it held up really well. There is one final dorsal fin along the back of the towel too.

You can see the shark hood details above along with the adorable face palming shark! It is slightly blurry but I had to include it since it's not every day a shark face palms.

I thought the towel had a great absorption level and it didn't feel very wet even during our swimming trip when D was sat around for a good 10 minutes which I got everything else ready after going swimming. He had lots of fun walking around the changing room making the towel flap using the two hand pockets which are also shaped like the fins of a shark! You can see D holding them up above him after his bath.

We have washed the Shark Hooded Towel a good few times now and I have not noticed any difference in the towel or the colours. Nor did I have any issues with the blue colour running into any other items. I did have a colour catcher in there just in case.

As you can see in many of these photos the Shark Hooded Towel is very large and it still has plenty of room for D to grow into! In fact each side wraps completely around D  to double over itself. I can also dry his feet while he's standing up using the bottom corners. I love that this will last him for a good amount of time.

We have loved the Shark Hooded Towel and I can imagine this will be the most used bath item for a long time to come! I would recommend the Shark Hooded Towel by Zoocchini from Find Me A Gift to all parents of children over two years old. Hooded towels are great and this one is so much fun. It really sparks the imagination. I think this towel would also be perfect for children who are going swimming through the school year with the school. There is no way they would get their towel mixed up with another and you know it will keep them warm!

You can purchase the Shark Hooded Towel over at Find Me A Gift using the link. It has an RRP of £29.99 but at the time of publishing this it is on sale for £19.99 (published on 28/09/2017)

Disclaimer: We received this product in return for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

I have decided to do Baby S's birth story in two parts or it would be one seriously long post! So here is part one..

Having had a complicated pregnancy with Baby S we knew her birth would come early and we needed to be prepared. We also knew that she was breech and I had in fact been booked in to have an ECV (External Cephalic Version) to try turning her on Thursday 15th June and I would be booked in for induction or C-section following the procedure.

Baby S however had other ideas about her arrival!

On Monday 12th June 2017 I woke up several times very early in the morning. I remember wondering why I was waking up again and  again but it never seemed to be getting any lighter! After a while I decided the best thing to do was stay awake and see just what was waking me since I didn't need to use the bathroom and Baby S wasn't being active while I was awake. D was fast asleep beside me in bed (My sister had arrived and was sleeping in his) there also wasn't any noise in the house.

After about 15 minutes it became very clear why I was waking up. I was having contractions! I was only 36 + 3 weeks and thought it had to be Braxton hicks since I had been having them for a few weeks if I was too active or over doing things. When I continued getting them and they seemed to be getting slightly stronger each time I decided the best thing to do was to time them. I quickly found my pregnancy app on my phone and sat up in bed ready to time them as they came. The first contraction I recorded was at 5:25 am and they started out being around 11-12 minutes apart. I wasn't feeling much pain with each contraction just the tightening of my stomach which came in a wave and ebbed away in the same way. At this point I wasn't concerned that I was in labour and in fact was still convinced that I wasn't. After 3 or 4 contractions it was already after 6 am and I decided that the best thing to do would be to wait for 8 am and get D ready for nursery, take him and once I got back I would wake Simon so we could go get checked out at the hospital.( I wasn't as freaked out as I had thought I would be!) It didn't seem to be as painful as I remembered with D. Although looking back that was probably because D was back to back and then turned during labour.

I did get up to go to the bathroom not long after 6am and when I did get up and walk to the toilet then back to bed I found the time between contractions jumped from 11-12 minutes to around 7-8 minutes apart! This helped convince me that I couldn't be in real labour. It is supposed to progress not jump up by 5 minutes. Once settled back on the bed they slowed down to around 9 minutes. each contraction would last around a minute and I was easily able to breathe through them without moving around. Pretty soon 7am had come and gone, the contractions had slowly been edging toward each other and I realised I would have to wake Simon up to take D. Not long after that and another trip to the bathroom my plan to get D to nursery before heading to the hospital was out the window and I got D up. We headed down stairs where I woke Simon up and finally told him that I was having contractions. I headed to the kitchen to make breakfast (I now realize how crazy that was!)  where I had quite a strong contraction and I had to stand humming to myself while swaying on the spot. At this point I woke my sister up and sat down at the dinning table where I phoned the hospital and was told to come up and to bring my notes. Since I was still convinced I wasn't in labour (Yep!) I did bring my notes along with the things to test my blood sugar and some water just in case I needed them. (Notice I didn't bring my hospital bags?! Crazy lady right here!)

At this point they just seemed to get closer and stronger. Simon helped me to get my leggings and top on through the contractions and I was aware D was ready to leave for nursery somewhere. I had no real idea where but it must have been in the room. While we waited for the taxi I gave up on the app. By this point I had started to cry during contractions. They had started to hurt but I could still breathe through them while crying. I was getting worried since I am pretty sure I was the calmest person in our house at this point! D was worried (more about me being sore and crying) and all the adults looked pretty freaked out! D left with my sister and her boyfriend for nursery.

Fortunately it didn't take long to arrive at the hospital and I was seen as soon as we walked through the door. They took us to an admissions room for some checks. I firstly went to the bathroom ( I swear I went to the toilet 5 or 6 times in only a few short hours!). While in the bathroom I noticed quite a lot of blood and I really panicked! I remember shouting "there is lots of blood"! They didn't seem phased at all and just said "it is probably your show". Now I had my show with D while at home and it was nothing at all like what happened then! Once I had emerged from the bathroom One midwife connected me up to the monitor for baby's heartbeat and the contractions. This didn't last long since baby S had the hiccups and her heartbeat kept disappearing.

Another midwife at the bottom of the bed was telling me to breathe in taking deep breaths through the contractions since I was now making noises with each one and moving around on the bed. I really wanted to  scream that no breathing through them wasn't f***ing working anymore! I did manage to keep that to myself.

A doctor came in with the scanner so they could check baby was okay and also to check had she turned around or was she still breech. While they scanned me the doctor was preparing to check how dilated I was. As soon as they confirmed she was breech they discovered I was actually 7cm dilated! The next question was if I wanted some gas and air! Which I was very grateful to get and it instantly made an incredible difference. After that things happened in a blur.

Someone came and told me to make a decision on a c-section or giving birth naturally. A choice I had wanted to have with more time to prepare and research but that I didn't actually think I would be offered. I wanted to know which was safer. Of course they couldn't answer. Both carry their own risks and it is a matter of opinion which they can't give you. I really didn't want a c-section if I could avoid it. I did know we could still end up there should anything go wrong. I was told to really think about it and decide by the time we got up stairs in the lift. ( I am not sure how much thinking you can do in those few minutes while contracting) I knew I wanted to try to give birth myself over c-section if they would let me so we headed for the delivery suite and met the midwife..

This is where I am going to leave it and will pick up in part two of Baby S's Birth Story.

It's offical, Baby S is no longer a newborn! I am not sure how I should feel about that. It feels like only days ago we brought her home from the hospital and she was a tiny little human who was still considered a premature baby! There has been so many major changes and milestones since then.

Since she turned 3 months over a week ago now I thought I had best get a move on with her first Baby S at post!

Baby S was a small baby but she is certainly not considered small compared to other babies her age now! From the very first weigh in done at home she has been smashing her way through the centiles. She has reached a new one every time. We started out on the premature baby centile guidelines and she went from the 25th to 79th by the time she was moving onto the normal centile guidelines. Which put her back down to the 25th, her most recent has seen her jumping up to the 50th. Pretty amazing and I feel good knowing that we achieved that together! Makes the cluster feeding much more enjoyable knowing it has such an amazing affect on her and helps her to stay healthy!

Baby S has changed so much in the last 3 months, her own little features have slowly appeared and developed. From those first precious days spent in hospital just us to her growing and changing right in front of our eyes! She is changing and growing and learning every single day.

She now stays awake for longer periods of time and is usually awake for most of the day. She takes a 2-3 hour nap in the morning which usually starts during the school run and lasts until 10 or 11am. After this her next nap can be sometime around 3 or 4pm for an hour, sometimes a little longer. She can sometimes take a few small cat naps just after feeding throughout the day After that we can usually get her to go down around 9 or 10pm for the night and she'll sleep through until about 1am! I so need to get a baby monitor so we can put her up in bed and let her sleep for as long as she wants. I am pretty sure I am the one waking her by taking her up to bed!

Baby S has already hit so many great little milestones including her first smile, holding onto small toys and letting go when she wants to, giggling at her big brother and us, Turning her head, following us and our voices, Sit up without being held onto for a few seconds, sits in her seat alone, she can keep her head up during tummy time for a good few minutes and can lift her head up for a few seconds to look around while lying down.

Baby S has also started to babble and I just love it! She loves to sit in her bouncer or on my knee and try making all the sounds she can! She gets so exited and happy when the sounds actually come out of her mouth. She has scared herself a few times too.

We have now reached the point where she knows what she wants! She is very expressive in her sounds and will let you know if she is happy or not. Usually by shouting at you or screaming, I must say she doesn't really cry unless you don't do what she wants quick enough for her or if she is really unhappy. She smiles, giggles and gets excited if she likes something. She hates getting long sleeves on, she doesn't really mind other clothing but long sleeves always end up with her screaming while I struggle to put her arm in.

Baby S has also started to take a great interest in food, mainly mine. She will watch me eat if she is awake (I hate people watching me eat but she's so cute!) Simon noticed her earlier today lifting her hand up to her mouth opening it like taking a bite and then pretending to eat by moving her mouth! Clever little lady!

I am sure I have missed out so many little things from this post. I will have to start writing little bullet point lists to remember everything.

I am quite a bit behind on my What I've Won posts since I was pregnant and didn't post much. I wasn't entering much during that time either so I really didn't have much to share. Today I am starting fresh with my August wins which is a bit later in the month than normal. After I did get back into comping I was prepared to get maybe one or two wins in the first few months. Especially when I took in to account that I wasn't able to enter anywhere near as many as I was before. When it came to August I wasn't expecting anything, I didn't do too badly in the end! I had 6 wins throughout August and I am quite pleased with that!

My first win of the month was also my biggest win of the month. I won a bundle of Make Believe Beauty Tan along with two Easiweft's over on Instagram. To enter the I had to follow both brands and tag a friend who would love the bundle too. Recently I have been entering much more on Instagram, I find it much easier to do from my phone while feeding Baby S. This bundle is pretty amazing and is perfect as gifts this Christmas. I know they will be well loved!

My second win of the month came from Toppsta and was this brilliant book which I won for D. It was an instant hit and even has some parts for you to rap while reading the story. D loved my bad impression of rap, haha! I love winning books as D and I are total book worms so they are always well received. It is also signed by the Author which was a lovely extra little touch!

Another win of August was also over on Instagram and was with ESPA skincare. I won this detoxifying body oil. To enter all I had to do was to tell them what my ESPA summer companion was and tag them. Usually in the run up to Christmas all these types of wins are kept as presents. This year however I am hoping I will be able to create a little pampering pack which I will be able to use for some me time when things get stressful during December and I am really looking forward to using this when I do find some me time!

Next up is another pretty amazing win of an Elomi Swimming costume or bikini. This was actually a runner up prize (pretty awesome runner up prize!) from an online form competition where I had to fill in my details. It was perfect timing as well since I was talking to Simon about going swimming and making it a regular thing to do once a month. I needed a new swimming costume or bikini anyway so winning it was perfect. It hasn't arrived yet and I am actually expecting it to arrive any day now. I am excited to find out if it is a swimming costume or if it is a bikini.

Another Instagram win was this little toy car from John Grose Citroen. Again this was an easy to enter by liking and commenting on the post.As you can see D loved this little car which is now safely in his vast toy car collection.

My final win of August was another Instagram win from aboscaireland.  I won a box of MAM compresses. This was another easy one to enter I had to follow them, like the post and tag a friend. These are one of those really handy wins. I tend to get pretty sore when Baby S is trying to up my supply by cluster feeding so these are the perfect answer and so handy to have around!

I think this was a great month and I am so excited to up my comping with Christmas on the way and D back at school. I should be able to do at least a bit more.

Have you had any nice wins recently?

I have always loved reading posts from blogs I love doing their monthly The Siblings Project. Hearing all about how their siblings are doing together, the ups and down and all the adorable photos which accompany them. I have been a bit excited to join in! I kept forgetting over the last few months and I am delighted that I have remembered this month.

D and Baby S have had 3 months together now with most of that time being at home since D finished pre-school just 2-3 weeks after Baby S was born and has only gone to school this past 2 and a bit weeks.

D has been smitten with her from the moment he met her in the hospital and sang her the same song as when she was in my tummy. I was almost in tears! It was the magic moment of their first real hello and I will forever remember how special it was.

Last week marked a very big day in D's life, his first day at school! He has been pretty excited all summer about the prospect of going into primary one. Towards the end of summer he was getting a bit frustrated that it wasn't yet time to start school.When the week of starting school finally came along he was delighted!

His first day started out with an early morning wake up call. D is not a fan! Not because it's early but he isn't pleased that he doesn't get to come in to my bed in the mornings and play with baby S before we go downstairs. In the end it was back to bed for a quick cuddle. Which was quickly followed by breakfast and getting his uniform on. Doesn't he look so smart and grown up in his uniform?

Pretty soon it was time to get his school bag and head for school. He loves his Blaze and The Monster Machines backpack which he picked out and inside he has some colouring pencils, pencils, rubber, sharpener, ruler and his water bottle.

D was so excited to get to the school and see his friends from nursery.  We got into school, found his name tag and Daddy got a hug. I on the other hand was forgotten in his excitement (which was just a little heartbreaking) and off he went happy and excited into his new classroom. He only stayed in until lunch time and was happy to tell us all about the new toys, games and friends he had found and made. His teacher told us that he had settled in well.

The next day was pretty much the same only we got some artwork home! This is a rarity  for us, D never liked doing art in nursery and would openly avoid it if he could! However it would seem that he does now enjoy it when there aren't so many children or so many toys in the room.  I think the first few days have went really well and he has easily started to slip back into our old routine in the morning and I have even managed to get both children ready and out the door alone! (a minor miracle!) I will be keeping an update of how D is doing at school every few months so do keep an eye out.