Sleep per chance to dream...

Well baby girl is 2 weeks off her first birthday and still wakes every two hours in the night...

I have tried most suggestions out there, but my biggest challenge is the noise disturbance for my son and how tired and cranky he is getting.

Whilst he is a two year old and people respond well he is two - he is only very occasionally a typical two year old.. most of the time when not extremely tired or pushed too far - he is a happy and communicative little boy!

But these days sometimes within an hour of getting up he is asking to go back to bed.. he doesn't go as I don't want to mess with his routine and it is just his way of complaining that he is tired. However it does put pressure on me - to ensure baby girl doesn't further disturb his sleep!

I know some moms just say their baby turned a corner at say 15months and started sleeping better! I just can't decide at this stage without a crystal ball whether I should be pushing on and ensuring she 'learns to sleep' or just keep going until she gets there in a nice gentle fashion on her her own! My concern is twelve months from now I will be blogging that she still doesn't know how to settle herself and she is having an even harder time than if I pushed her now!

Her brother started sleeping through at 5 months and apart from the odd transitional time, or like now - has been great at night! So I am stumped - my gut is not giving me a clear sign! Ho hum!

What my son and I made - One

Wednesday morning baby girl naptimes my son and I now make ahead meals for the freezer and each week I am going to share and hopefully inspire!

This week we made freezer frittata - this is a recipe for asparagus and potato, but as you can imagine you can easily exchange the veggies for your favourites, maybe include some cooked chicken - whatever you choose!

What I did yesterday slightly differently - I just used my largest bowl and lightly beat the all eggs, heavy cream/ whipping cream and seasoned - then once I had the potato and asparagus in the bags just poured it into each of the bags and voila half a dozen meals in the freezer - this works well for breakfast (can use cooked bacon), for lunch, even for dinner - or as a side for dinner!

We had a great time doing this - I only wish I had a learning tower well two would be fab as baby girl is super keen on getting involved and I am sure it won't be long before she drops her morning nap!

I have no idea what we will make next week but I am looking forward to sharing it with you!

Is it wrong that...

... I have only just noticed my image only represents me with one baby and my wee one at the time of the sketching is now just over two and my youngest who is now the baby of the family is nearly eleven months?

I rather like my image and am not sure it would work so well if it included in the picture the toddler at my ankles, well from this point you can assume the toddler is just out of shot.

Nothing else to say on this, but I love both my kids equally - just so we are clear! :)

Rather more rested

Whilst it is not yet a story of sleeping through the night, my wee one is now sleeping close to two hour stretches at night which is great and not having to disturb her brother as much!

This has meant the world of difference to me and as I am slowly catching up on sleep I hope to catch up on chores and also carve some windows of time for blogging, tweeting and much much more!

I can't believe how short my entries are now compared to a year or so ago. Also this afternoon my baby girl is doing an awesome job of entertaining herself, she is close to eleven months old and never really been one to occupy herself - I daren't turn around in case eye contact makes her realise I wasn't beside her the whole time she was playing.

I have set up three play mats each with different toys on - normally I have to lift her between mats every few minutes and switch up the toys to even get a sinkful of dishes done, right now she is crawling and shuffling between the mats and choosing her own toys!

If this wasn't enough the nannyshare idea I was working on a few months ago might be looking more likely - the only challenge now is that the wonderful ECE I had lined up for it may not be available? Fingers crossed she is as this would solve SO MANY issues!

Siblings and sleep solutions

Am too tired to write in full but have the challenge of living in a bungalow and not even having a basement and my toddler and my baby sleeping inches apart. The baby stirs every 20, 40 or 90 minutes throughout the night and the mommy pacifier is the only thing that quietens her and sometimes she also needs to be held or just wont sleep!

would love solutions from families with siblings and how they deal with sleep training the baby and not waking the toddler!

I am wiped!

worn out wonder....

Such is the life of a mom - you have no idea what the day can bring, is yr little brood going to have a bumpy day or a smooth and perfect one, sadly for us today is a bumpy day!

To explain best you have to take it back to yesterday's nap - or lack of! So last night my son went to sleep early and exhausted, so today started a little earlier that usual (but not as early as feared!)

But by mid morning and when I should be putting baby girl down for her nap we were getting close to meltdown...so when a mole got picked that shouldn't have been and blood started pouring, but a band aid was like cryptonite.... lol I am only laughing because the alternative is crying!

Work load is mega (as usual) and um now this afternoon is filled with doctors appointments and things that are going to take me away from my desk! So it's a brief little post from me, then back for a power half hour of work..lets hope my little one slumbers on allowing me to do so!

:)

August 1st!

How did that happen?

Seriously - time is flying, we only just got to summer! oh well.

Time is never going to slow it down...I just have to slow down and make it happen for myself!

Summer days!

Loving having the doors open in the mornings and evenings and listening to bird song etc whilst I work.

Whilst on my health kick (8lbs lost now) I am taking early morning speedy stroller walks with my baby girl and loving that too.. the world is still and peaceful before we all get up and get busy and stressed.. it's like you can even breathe better at this time of the day... in the stillness of it all!

Afternoon paddles, in our small inflatable pool, with the kids under the shade of our apple tree whilst watching the chickens scratch around in the dirt for bugs is so relaxing.

It is funny hearing people complain about the cold in the winter and then the heat in the summer - whilst there are some days where it is just too plain hot - I am trying not to wish the rest of the summer away bemoaning the heat!

Made ice pops for the kids.. but neither seem to like cold foods! lol - more for me I guess! So much better for you than the multi coloured chemical ice pops you can buy in the store! Love it!

Oh summer linger lots longer, please!

Blissfully Busy!

Been busy as always, however - lately I have been allowing myself to feel a lot more blissed out about it all!

I used to always feel stressed by how little I had achieved, or by how much more is still on the 'to do' list! Now I am sitting back, accepting what I can do, letting go of what I cannot and basically nothing is different except me and my chilledness!

I still have laundry to put away..and it will get done, but basically the house is clean (ish), tidy (ish), the kids and I are happy and some work is getting done... so that for now is my bliss!

The kids are really enjoying each other at the moment and I don't want to miss one giggle, one peekaboo, because I am running around like a headless chuck and not making inroads into things!

So I am still busy - nothing there has changed, but am feeling fine! :)

Good Fats vs Bad fats

Watch this link!

Low GI Make Ahead Meals

Well after losing 6lbs in 5 days on a low GI approach to eating and I am aiming for another 2lbs this week, it is time to fill the freezer with make ahead meals that are low GI, I will be sharing some here! Crustless mini breakfast quiches.

Borrowed from the kitchn and adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine Crustless Zucchini and Basil Mini-Quiches Makes 48 pieces 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 1/4 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Oil, for the pan 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 shallots, minced 2 small zucchini, grated 1/4 cup grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese Fresh basil, finely chopped

Heat oven to 450°F. Prepare Batter: Put the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisking steadily, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the milk, mixing until quite smooth. Whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks, mixing again until smooth, then gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, the cream, salt, and nutmeg. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to one day. If using the next day, be sure to re-whisk. Prepare Zucchini Mixture: In a nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add grated zucchini, and stir until just softened, another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Oil mini muffin tins well. Put a pinch grated cheese into each muffin cup, a teaspoon of zucchini mixture, and pinch of chopped fresh basil. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until the quiches puff and start to turn golden, 15-18 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then carefully run a paring knife around the rim of each muffin cup. Carefully lift each quiche out of its cup. Mini quiches freeze very well. Let cool, then freeze in a single layer in a covered container. Reheat on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes.

Just lovin mommyhood!

Having some amazing times with the kids, wishing I had more time on the computer to share little snippets and I do so a time where I will be able to blog daily, it just isn't yet!

My little man is a week away from 26 months, baby girl is 8.5 months, they are really enjoying each other, enjoying summer... My son is so much better at sharing his toys, even though he's at the stage that what someone else is playing with is the one thing he wants, he has learnt well to take a toy from his sister, he first has to give her a replacement toy! (Most the time that keeps her happy!)

Poor thing - I'm a second child so I know what she is going through! Please feel free to share comments, ask questions etc. :)

Time Flies!

So I made a commitment to myself, but did not take the time to plan it out in my schedule so when life got busy and new work projects came on the scene this got pushed off!

However I do plan to allow myself time to blog a couple of times a week and need to just take time to plan that time in!

Today's focus is on my first baby signing class in a year! Yay! I love sharing the power of this communication tool and did not like the year out that I had to take (signed up with a company to represent them and it turned out my values were not aligned with theirs and there was a clause that I could not teach signing for a year after parting ways..silly, sad, but hay ho - I've had a busy time and am now signing with my second child - so it fits well with life!

Well I am glad I did at least sneak this post in before a month elapsed!

:)

Teething

Ever since baby girl was 8 weeks old - her front and top section has been covered in drool and she has been chewing on her fists and anything else she can get in her mouth!

yay for the long teething process. Since she was about 9 weeks I have been keeping a teething necklace on her, in the beginning I kept it on her ankle for a couple of reasons, but for a while now it sits proudly on her neck!

I love these, I just have to think back to the times that my son's first two teeth came in and my hubby and I pacing the floor at night with an unhappy baby and how I mentioned the necklace to my skeptical hubby, but then it arrived on day three of tooth 3 working it's way in and I popped it on after bath time after asking hubby not to judge it until after a few days, but voila our son slept through and that was the end of teething challenges. (We had a slight blip during his molars coming in, but that could be down to a few other factors!) It was funny because the week after his last tooth came through I was chatting with another mum about not being interested in removing his necklace as it was so part of him, a few days later he walked up to me and just said off whilst holding it. Did this wonderful little being know the necklace had done it's job and it was no longer needed...?

We have no way of knowing, but I'd like to think so!

So baby girl is close to teeth, until the white has cut through I won't be able to atest to her being a model amber necklace wearer, but I'm feeling positive.

Whilst these necklaces are great for babies, you should also check out the adult ones too! As there are dozens of (acid related) ailments that these can resolve! I wear one occassionally for knee pain and it is wonderful! Doesn't take long to have an impact!

I've got a 10% discount code to share for them too! 10brennan

30 blogs in 30 days!

That's my plan! I realise how much I love blogging and how much I miss it, I have so much to share and I waste so many minutes in the day moaning how little time I have and not managing to fit it ALL in... I am going to take those complaining minutes and turn them into blogging minutes!

There are so many mommy topics I wanted to cover or go back into further detail on the first time around that I am now facing again.. but I never MADE the time.. my old excuse was I never found the time!

Now I may not be able to blog each day.. as I often don't get near the computer at the weekend, for 1) my son thinks anything electronical belongs to him and 2) I do honestly have computer fatigue after a week or work, but anyway!

This is my endeavour.. so on with the next blog and without further ado!

Diaper Free Baby

Diaper Free Baby! Wow - bet that got your attention!

In many of the countries around the world diapers are not used on a daily basis if at all. However we have got used to a convenience lifestyle and most beleive not only in diapers, but disposable ones!

My son was a part time potty user from age 5 mnths - I would have done it sooner if I had felt it more socially acceptable. Cloth diapers I felt were accepted as a quirkiness, but that this was one step too far!

Well baby #2 I am taking a different approach - BLW (baby led weaning) and p/t diaper free leading to f/t soon enough.

More on both those topics, but need to publish this now and edit later!

Well I have no learn't the correct 'tag' (?) to create a 'return' in my writing so that makes me happy!

Android agony and anticipation..

Well slowly I am getting used to using my phone for things, I got it when baby #2 was about 2mnths old. I was doing a lot of holding and not much work/ staying in touch!
I was sad to see that the user manual was about 150 pages and only online! Grrr I got the phone precisely because I couldn't get online! Now with hootsuite I can tweet from my phone and with my most recent install - I can blog, things are looking gd, only taken me 4mnths to get to this point!
But yay I am celebrating!

Six month sensation!

eek my first blog with the new format! Here goes! well baby girl turned 6 months a few days ago and boy is life looking different lately! I never had enough time to brush my hair/ eat - let alone get enough of my work done! Now I have astudent who is home for the summer doing 3 mornings a week with my angel whilst I work - and I am so much more productive that when on the 4th day (today) she then does in home childcare for my toddler and I have baby girl - I am not so behind on work and I can focus on catching up on my online life, business and the such like. (Yeah yeah I could be sorting the nursery cupboard with this 'free time' but I have more things than places.. but anyway I may be getting a new (old) chest of drawers so each child has their own and I will have more places to organise the kid's clothes etc!) Anyway! Baby girl is still only having 2 (sometimes 3) 20 min naps - but still compared to her brother who only had 2 ten min naps all day for first 8 months! I'll take it! However just the freedom to get work done 3 mornings a week has transformed what my week looks like and my stress levels! I'm now trying to get to the bottom of bringing into my dashboard two old blogs and reviving those! But I guess one step at a time. I have missed blogging and I am aware that I now need to fathom pininterest... but all in good time! But thanks for anyone reading my blog during the quiet quiet months... I should be posting with increasing regularity from now on... now just for a bit more sleep at night and I will be like a new woman! or at least feeling less tired and old! B :) ahh I have seen I need to figure out the how to set returns etc etc, didn't have to do that before.... hmmmmmm will leave for another day!

February where did you go?!

You'd think with an extra day in it this year February would not have slipped by me so quickly, but with my parents visiting from overseas, work being record breakingly busy, laryngitis followed by strep throat and that was just me...

Our gorgeous son has been blighted with ear infections etc...

Oh well March is probably going to be fairly busy too - but I am so very excited for the projects we have on the horizon... this weekend for example we are collecting our rabbits. Two does and a buck.

Last year we failed to buy the buck and with me being on light duties during the latter part of my pregnancy I handed over care of the rabbits and well they got too fat to breed... so this will be our first foray in the full life cycle of our bunnies and hopefully we will keep the best of the best to continue on and on and on - with our own home grown meat source.. but more on this later.

Exciting times ahead!

Sweet Potato & Leek Soup (+ Ham)

I love the old fashioned way of life and I am sure soup swaps and the such like would have been common place in small communities, which is why I was so pleased to be invited to a modern day soup swap.

Effort one a week ago was a 9 bean soup that well just lacked something, so at the 11th hour I went with a Sweet Potato, Leek and Ham effort. For the first time I didn't cook Ham Hocks in the slow cooker, just regular oven so at the last minute chickened out on adding the Ham - didn't want to make 6 families sick and when working with a meat that is supposed to be pink...

Anyway totally made is up as didn't have a recipe for 6 liters or even any quantity beyond serves 4 etc!

2 VERY LARGE sweet potatoes - diced

3 bunches VERY LARGE leeks (9 in total) - chopped

2 litres of chicken stock

3 litres of water

1 litre milk

1 spoonful of butter

(Ham Hocks -optional)

In large pot - I used my canning pot, add butter and fry leeks til soft - about 5 minutes! Add chicken stock, water and diced sweet potato. Boil, simmer for 30 mins. Remove from heat, add milk, then puree to desired consistency. Voila!

Meanwhile you can cook ham hocks or just cut up cooked ham and add to the soup, serve/ freeze/ share and enjoy!

(I acutally did 4 litres of water, but feel 3 would work better and yes this works out to 8/9 litres of finished soup... but what can I say - I like batch cooking and I was making it up as I went along!)

Room-sharing rascals!

Is your wee one room sharing with you?

It is so taboo because of the tabloids to use the term co-sleeping as they all seem to take that to mean dangerous bed sharing.

Bed sharing is not in itself dangerous. Infant mammals need to feed often and historically would always be kept close to hand by their mothers, nursed often and when wanted.

The first three months of a baby's life is described by some as the 'fourth trimester' and I couldn't agree more with that description. They arrive into this world with a brain just 25% of it's final size, so many complexities to yet develop - it is all a minor miracle. So to just deliver a baby and place it on it's own in it's own room is just a huge wrench and a light years away from the warm cozy world inside mom's tum - where there is constant warmth, touch, food and sound.

My little ones are room sharing rascals - I did this with my son for the first 5 months, then he went to his own room, just yards from us. My daughter is now ten weeks old and is still rooming with us. Most nights I hold her, but some nights recently she has let me put her in the bassinet next to me.

I don't begrudge holding her, but I do sleep a lot more deeply when she is next to the bed in the bassinet. I know that her little neurons are developing a secure attachment and she knows mommy will be there for her. I like that by hearing her stir I can rouse, feed her and put her back to bed, or keep holding her and neither of us have to get fully awake!

There are only a few things that make bed sharing unsafe and they include being in-toxicated, even a couple of drinks could make you unaware of your movements, or the location of your baby. Smokers are advised not to bed share. Be aware of loose bed covers, pillows etc. If you can have a seperate baby sleeper/ bassinet by the bed that is best. Basically so that you are sharing the room, but not the sleeping surface.

A friend put the thought in my head that because we are stopping at 2 kids - this will be my last time for room sharing with my little rascal, so the question is - will I be ready to give it up when she hits 5 months old...? Ask me again in 2 months time!

Having it all!

The term - having it all makes you imagine someone with a cool calm character, successful career, wonderful loving family, great holidays - home cooked meals always and so on.

Believe me - in trying to 'have it all' work and a life, there are many times I just feel like - I am just doing it all. I am not trying to complain and right now I shouldn't as baby girl is sleeping peacefully next to my computer and I am getting time to catch up on work and writing.

We are just over the crest of the hill of back to back illnesses, yikes a family taken out by stomach flu - is not a pretty sight, just as I was getting through the laundry back log - bam: ear, nose and throat infections! I took my eye off the ball and whilst DS was on antibiotics I was not topping him up with probiotics, so just as we were coming to the end of the course, bam a heavy heavy cold, made worse by another of the two year molars trying to work it's way through!

This winter needs to get harsh and stay that way for a few weeks and then kill off all these germs. Playdates and 2 days in childcare - just keep it all circulating!

I am hoping beyond hope that if I join the modern world by getting an Android phone, that I can get even more work done. It takes DD a lot to get to a deep enough sleep that I can put her down even if just alongside me, it doesn't matter what wrap or baby carrier I use - wearing her and computer use is challenging. In a month or two I will be able to do a back carry with her, which will help tonnes when trying to get work done, not just at my computer.. I have a big cook coming up and erm that's gonna be tricky. DH is kindly gonna help with lots of the food prep first, which will help.. anyway I will worry about that another day! At least a phone in my hand whist holding a sleeping baby is do-able, the cooking.. um will just have to stick to the easiest marinade based ones this time!

I think today wouldn't seem so bad if I hadn't got kids with germs and am fighting off a tickly throat. I'm really putting my excellent vitamins to the test at the moment!

Well having it all isn't always a breezy walk in a sunny park with a kid on the hip and a phone to the ear.. sometimes it is struggling to meet deadlines, find enough clean clothes for Sunday lunch at grandma's and to then be able to string a sentence together!

For all those have it all moms who are also a bit snowed under too - I salute you.

Babywearing burns calories!

I love wearing my babies for so many reasons and I just got another one! You burn 211 calories an hour babywearing. I wear or carry my baby 24/7 - so bring on the cakes!

I would love to write a fuller piece on baby wearing - but for now suffice it to say this traditional method/ style of parenting has increased in popularity again after the dark ages of parenting at a distance, where parents were wrongly advised carrying or picking up your baby will 'spoil' them!

Celebrity mums are often photographed out and about with the latest sling or baby wrap.

I have sling, woven wrap and a carrier for my baby transport as well as a hipseat for my toddler, so I can wear his sister on my front and carry him (28lbs) supported on my hip. love it!

more another day (sorry!)