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This day I love.......

At 16 weeks old Little man seems to finally be on top of his colic.  It is noted that around 12-14 weeks most babies grow out of colic, and whilst this could be this case it might also be down to a number of products we found to help.


The girls never suffered with colic, so I never understood what it was like until Little Man started with it.  It is horrible to watch your child in so much pain and do nothing to console them.  You feel helpless and completely useless.  Their little bodies twisting in discomfort you just want to cuddle them until the pain subsides.  I am so relieved that we seem to be at the other end now, both for us and for Little man.  Our colic journey did lead us to discover some great items which really did help.

Swoon bubble

The Swoon bubble from Babymoov was a real lifesaver.  The deep seat holds Little Man so he feels snug and secure, as if he is held.  The seat is wipe clean which is also great with a baby who has reflux as well as colic.  The seat can be adjusted to a more upright position or if asleep laid down, and the swinging motion helped to relieve those colic symptoms.  


Little Man seemed to always begin the bad parts of his colic around 5pm, which would also coincide with cooking dinner.  We have the Babymoov swoon bubble in the kitchen so at this time he can watch us getting dinner ready and then the swinging motion would send him to sleep, and help with his colic symptoms.  I am not sure how we would have coped without the swoon bubble, probably eaten a lot more takeaways with a very grumpy unsettled baby. 

Cosy dream

The Cosy dream is also a Babymoov product.  Cosy dream is placed in babies bed, the breathable mattress providing comfort and support, whilst also preventing flat head.  The adjustable sides give baby comfort so they feel as if they are being held.  The positioning of the legs helps to aid digestion and reduces colic.  


I was a little dubious at first to if this would make any difference, but since using it Little Man only wakes once in the night and is much more content when sleeping.  It is machine washable and does dry very quick which means you can wash and dry in the same day.  

Shnuggle

I found a warm bath before bed would really help little man.  Making the water deep so the warmth of the water was over his tummy seemed to really help his pain.  It would also help with releasing some of the trapped wind, which in turn helped his discomfort.  The Shnuggle bath uses less water than a conventional baby bath, is much easier to hold baby and allows the water to cover babies tummy, which helps with colic.  


Little man has had a bath every night as it would really help with his colic in an evening.  He now associates his bath with sleep and upon leaving his bath starts rubbing his eyes to get ready for bed.

Dummy

In all honesty I never wanted to give Little Man a dummy, although now I am glad I did.  When his colic got really painful he found great comfort in sucking his dummy.  You would see his body begin to twist and then the dummy move rapidly and the pain would disappear right in front of your eyes.  Almost melting away.  It is not a sleep aid, but is used when he is in discomfort and needs that extra relief.  I am so glad we gave him something to help.


Nuby 360

Little man not only suffered with colic but also silent reflux.  He has numerous medications and special milk in order to try and keep his milk down, and to reduce the discomfort he feels.  The new 360 bottles from Nuby have been a great help as they help to reduce both colic and reflux.  The bottle is unique in that it can be used anyway up, as it has a special straw/pipe inside the bottle.  This therefore means there is less build up of air so colic is reduced and because baby can be kept upright to feed it helps to reduce reflux.  I have made a video showing the 360 in action and it will be coming live soon on my YouTube channel. 



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After my Park Run today we spent time in the garden and painting the fences.  After living in the house for 3 years they are long over due painting.  The girls were content riding their bikes but then decided to help.  At first they seemed to get on OK, listening and behaving and painting the fences.

helping paint the fencetaking care painting the fence

It looked as thought they had done a good job, although they did get a bit silly at one point.  It turned out this silliness had meant paint had gone through the fence and onto next doors car.  I was mortified when next door rang our bell and unable to offer anything other than an apology.  

Luckily the paint has come off but I don't think the girls will be helping me paint the fence again, I only hope next door are not too angry with us and can forgive us.

This day I love painting the fence
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Becoming a parent is hard work.  Kids don't come with a manual and as a parent we come with no training only drawing upon our own experiences.  My husband and my parenting styles differ and we do disagree on several points with our children, although our goal is the same our path to achieve it varies.

Parenting becomes a balancing act and I often wonder if we are doing the best.  I don't think I am alone and think that most parents at some point feel like 'a bad parent' or the 'worst parent in the world'.  I do sometimes think we shout too much as parents, and worry about the judgement from others particularly when we are out and about.

Most parents will know the situation all too well, everything can be going perfectly fine and then you turn your back for a split second and this happens


The pressure we feel as parents to be able to work and look after the children is also immense.  Financial needs means we often work longer hours and as a result the 'electronic babysitter' appears, just so we can finish off this last little bit, I hate doing this but feel I have no other choice.



We worry about everything, are they watching too much TV?


Are they not getting enough exercise?


How do I handle the 'Can I have a horse/dog/cat/plane/boat/shoes ?' question without it turning into a full melt down?


 Are they eating enough? Eating too much? Eating the right things or the wrong things?


Then comes the next stages in their development.  Which you no doubt compare to all your friends babies.  You start to feel inadequate because baby A walked at 9 months, baby B at 10, and yours hasn't started crawling yet.  Then comes potty training, baby A took 1 day, baby B took 2 weeks and yours just wants to stand in it


Don't even get me started on sleep training.  Baby A slept though from 2 weeks, and Baby B slept through at 6 months and yours at 4 years old is still getting up several times and won't fall asleep until 10pm.  You get offered the usual advise and just nod your head in a sleep deprived state, before the whole stressful night time routine comes around all too quick


As children become older they start to develop the selective deafness, 'Don't jump in that puddle' which they promptly ignore and jump in.  The whole atmosphere changes and often tantrums erupt or tempers fray.  How do you stop this? Keep children calm, open to listen and diffuse a toddler tantrum?


Should you reward the good behaviour and punish the bad?  Let children help with what you are doing? Ignore the bad behaviour and reinforce the good?  There are so many options available as parents.  



I don't think any parent wants their children to loose that spark of imagination and for them to grow up too quickly, but likewise we want them to be well behaved and well mannered.  It is this fine balancing act I think most parents struggle with.


How then can we ensure we remain good parents whilst looking after our little Prince and Princess?


Kids don't come with a manual that is for certain but there are certainly many out there to help.  One which seems to understand all of the above and a lot more is the rather cleverly named 'Kids Don't come with a manual' by Carole and Nadim Saad.

Kids don't come with a manual takes a fresh approach to parenting, giving an eye opening account of a particular situation from a child's perspective.  Each situation is then followed by the point of view from two parents, one with an empathetic parenting style and the other more strict.  Finally this is followed by a real life example.  

This helpful guide gives us parents options without being told what to do.  Real life examples help to illustrate the point and the different parenting perspectives allows you to see things clearly from another point of view.  In most instances there are a number of different options so you can choose what is most suitable for you and your parenting style.  The key things I like are the age appropriateness of the solutions and the time needed to solve the situation.

Kids don't come with a manual is a helpful book which you can dip in and out of to find a solution to a particular problem.  Kids don't come with a manual has a common goal with my parenting aims and that is to have happy, healthy and well behaved children


 I was sent the book Kids Don't come with a manual in exchange for a post. 

Kids Don't come with a manual
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Sunday

My youngest has out grown her toddler bed and so we built her a new single bed today.  This of course also meant we went shopping for bedding for her.  She loves her new bed and spent a while at bedtime looking at everything and taking it all in

Monday

A trip to the vets for spotty dog for another check up, one more check up to go.  I was going to pick a picture showing our day but this one made me giggle.  The girls like to borrow my phone and I keep finding random photos on it, this is one of them.

Tuesday

My youngest and I had a trip into London for the preview of the Cybex Premium range.  She was really well behaved on the train and loved looking at the new collection with me.  She even took the new Pushchairs for a test drive.


Wednesday

It was a rather busy day today.  I started with a bad cold and had little energy.  My youngest wanted to do some painting so I improvised with Mess free painting.  She had loads of fun and it kept her busy for ages

Thursday

Snow day.

Friday

My eldest is wanting to help more and she loves to help in the kitchen

Saturday

I am still full of cold and decided that a run might help me get better.  I hadn't been able to run all week, as I have felt really ill so I needed the fresh air and exercise.  Not sure it was a good idea afterwards but at least I got out and did something

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My eldest daughter has really bad eczema. Over the past four years I have found a few ways to help her cope

1. Certain washing powders make her eczema worse. Discovering which triggered her eczema was a big step forward to keeping it under control. We cannot use softener as this aggravates it more. Find out which washing powder works for you and stick to it.

2. Warm the cream in your hands before applying it. There is nothing worse than having cold cream rubbed on your skin. Making it warm encourages them to want to do it more.

3. Try to avoid tights and jeans. We discovered that tights and jeans make her eczema worse, it apps her skin cannot breathe. The heat then triggers her eczema and she gets very itchy. Wearing trousers for school has helped lots.

4. If using a mattress protector make sure it's cotton. Some of the plastic mattress protectors don't allow skin to breathe. Laid on it all night generating heat makes skin sweaty and can make eczema worse. Using a cotton protector helps to reduce some of the sweating and gives skin the chance to breathe more.

5. Try to identify a trigger. My daughters triggers are dust and heat. Tying to allow her skin to breathe has helped and keeping the dust under control also helps a great deal.

6. Don't stress if you cannot apply cream all the time. Whilst cream management is good and a great way to help alleviate eczema some days it's just not possible to apply as often as you would like. Apply as often as you can.

7. My final tip is to let kids be kids. Don't let eczema ruin childhood. Do your best, apply cream as often as you can and make it fun.

Aveeno cream have developed a great range of books for children to help explain more about eczema and the treatment, you can read about them here.   If you would like to try Aveeno cream you can request a sample here

What are your top eczema tips.
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In the New Year I am wanting to decorate the girls playroom.  It was the first room we decorated when we moved in and probably the room used the most.  The girls love playing and crafting in here, it is where my youngest took her first steps and so it is a much loved room.

I was sent some information on a new range of wall paper from Hibou Home and I really love the patterns, problem is I cannot decide which one to use and so wanted your help.  Which design do you prefer?



So which shall it be? Waterlily? Blush Pink? or Moonbeam?.  I cannot decide.

Secret Garden Wallpaper
Available in Blush Pink, Waterlily and Moonbeam.
£70 per roll based on:
Roll Width: 52cm
Roll Length: 10 metres
Pattern Repeat: 64cm quarter drop

I have not received any financial or products in exchange for this, I genuinely like the paper and want to know which to pick
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We started potty training my youngest daughter just before Christmas. I was perhaps a little naive in thinking that she would potty train just as fast as my eldest did. She took 3 days. My youngest however took longer, around 4 weeks, but I think part of this was a few mistakes I may have made. I wanted to put together some top tips I found helped and also a few how to guides.

I have split Potty training into 3 posts. The first, this post, includes my top tips and a how to. Part 2 will be focusing more on night time and part 3 will be looking at the equipment I would recommend and why. I hope you find these guides useful, they are by no means the only way or the most perfect, but they are my account of what has worked for me with the two girls.

Top Tips

1. The right age
Recently I remember reading in the news a story of a girl who had been potty trained from only a few months old. Her parents apparently picked up on her cues and would then sit her on the potty. I know of others whose approach is baby lead. They don't use nappies and again from a young age pick up on children's cues. This is great if you have the time and ability and patience to do this,but it would not work for me. I personally don't think there is a right age, but I do think there is a window of opportunity which presents itself between the age of 15 months and 3 years old. I also know from speaking to parents that missing this window, makes potty training very difficult. Too early and the child does not grasp the concept, things become stressed and it is not a pleasant experience, too late and it becomes difficult to break the habit the child has become used to the convenience of nappies.

2. The signs
Both my girls began showing signs they were ready for potty training. The first was that they could communicate with me. An important point as they need to be able to tell you they need to go, or to answer the question if asked if they need to go. They both were able to pull their trousers/skirt off. They would often tug at their trousers to tell me they had done a wee. Not every nappy was a dirty nappy. I would have times when I would go to change my daughters nappy, after an hour or two and it would be dry. This would show me they had the ability to control their bladder. Showing an interest in the potty/toilet is another good sign. Sometimes, as was the case with my youngest, she would show all the above signs but she physically was not quite ready. You would know this by starting potty training and after a week there has been no progress and every day the child has at least 4 accidents. There is then no harm in stopping and waiting a few weeks before trying again.

3. Make it fun
Lets be honest given the choice to you think a child would prefer to be playing with toys and use the convenience of a nappy or stop what they are doing to go to the potty? It therefore needs to be fun. We bought a potty a week or so before training began. I gave my daughter some stickers and let her decorate her potty. This made it hers. We sat dolly and teddy on the potty. We spoke about it and it became part of her routine. If she sat on it she got praised for doing so, this was all before potty training, so it became to her a fun place to be. When potty training does begin continue to make it fun, we have high fives for sitting on the potty and we even sing a little song we made up.

4. Praise
We made up a song for when they do a wee or a poo in the potty. We sing the song, the girls get lots of hugs kisses and big cheers. Make them feel really proud that they have done what was needed. Likewise if they sit on but do nothing, still praise the effort. Acknowledge the fact they have had a go. Think of it like when your baby was learning to walk. Whenever they stood up you would encourage them to take a baby step forward and praise every step whether it was 1 step or 10. Eventually your child's confidence grew and they began taking more and more steps.

5. Never shout, or scold or look disgusted
Accidents will happen. There is no getting around this, they will happen. Don't make a big deal of it. Turning nose up, pulling funny faces, looking disgusted or shouting will all discourage your child from wanting to potty train and it will make the process harder and longer. Stock up on paper towels and stick to one room. Even better if possible take the potty outside and potty train outside.

6. Have lots of potties
Sounds a little silly but if there is always a potty near where your child is, the more success you will have. Why? Well your child does not yet have the ability to hold onto their wee or poo and you are training this. Therefore minimise the time it takes from your child informing you they need to go, to the potty. By always having one within grabbing distance the time is greatly reduced. Your child then grasps the concept of where to go and you will also find the time between realising they need to go, to going increases.

7. Reward
In addition to praise provide a reward for going to the potty.  We had a simple, 1 sweet for a wee, a chocolate coin for a poo and a box of raisins for 'having a go'.  [My daughter likes raisins so it was a treat for her].  Alternatively there are reward charts and stickers, it is down to the individual child.

8.Be consistent
One of the reasons it took so long with my youngest was I was not consistent.  I would start training and then we would need to go on a long journey.  I would therefore put my youngest in a nappy, so she because lazy or used to the nappy convenience, then we we got to our destination I switched back to pants.  This inconsistency I believe caused her to think that the nappies were coming back and therefore not to try.  It is therefore important to be consistent.  Once started in pants stay with them.  Explain that nappies are for sleep time only.  If after a week there is no improvement then maybe considering going back to nappies for a while and taking a break from training.

Overall enjoy it and go with it.  Go at the pace of your little one and help then with this new phase of their life.
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Teething can be troublesome for all involved.  Teeth then continue to cause us trouble even as adults.  Both my girls took to teething differently and started teething at different ages.  My eldest got her first tooth at 8 months.  She could walk with furniture before she had teeth.  We felt everyone, endless sleepless nights, they really bothered her.  She then got a new tooth around 1 - 2 months.  Her final back teeth at 2 years old we did not even know they were coming though.  My youngest however had 4 teeth by 6 months old and all 4 came at once.  Then nothing for a while then another 4.  She seems to do them in 4's rather than 1 at a time.  

My eldest displayed all the classic symptoms  red cheeks, snotty nose, nappy rash whereas my youngest always has a snotty nose and chews everything when teething.  I guess there is no set path to teething and it will be different in every baby, even siblings. 

There are some great products that we have used to help with teething, again with different results on each girl

1. To help with Teething

Nelsons Granules

Nelsons teething granules are my absolute saviour.  They worked with both girls and seem to calm down the teething screaming.  I think they must also help to settle the tummy too, although I am not sure on this.  It seems to though as my two both stopped screaming and would calm down after the granules.  I have also used Boots own brand which works just as well.

Bonjela / Dentinox Gel

Bonjela never really did much for either of my girls.  I love it though and it works well if I have teething problems.  Dentinox gel however both girls really liked.  I would put it either directly on their gums or would put it on a teething ring and let them chew it.

Anbesol

If everything else fails I get out the Anbesol.  This is my personal favourite to use for myself.  It does work with the girls but  I don't think they enjoy the sensation of it been applied.

Frozen / chilled food

Carrot cut into sticks are great for teething babies.  Put them in the fridge/freezer first the cold helps to cool their gums and they can bite on them for extra relief.  

Amber teething Necklace

I never used this with either of my girls so have no experience, but a couple of my friends have and they swear by it.

Gumigem

Gumigem teething necklace are soft flexible and non toxic.  They are designed to be worn by an adult, i.e. Mummy and to be used as a teether by baby.  My youngest loves them.  The silicone is tough enough to be chewed but seems to have a cooling property which she loves

teething baby

Funky Giraffe bibs

sleeping baby

My two dribbled quite a bit when teething.  I often found that this would lead to a rash on their chest, caused by damp clothes.  The best way I have found to overcome this was to use a Funky Giraffe dribble bib.  They have lots of bright colours and patterns, something to suit every taste and occasion.  They are really soft too and help to keep the chest dry. [for review read here]

2. Looking after teeth

Once teeth have come through then the difficulty of looking after them occurs.

Brush Baby

Brush Baby offer a great range of products for babies and children.  First is their apple-mint toothpaste.  I tried a little bit and its got a nice apple taste to it.  Both my girls really love it.  Its also a gel consistency rather than a paste and in some ways I prefer this.

apple mint tooth paste

The Soft chewable toothbrush is suitable from 10 months.  I like this because you can put toothpaste into the groove, it recommends this twice a day, for baby to use as a toothbrush and at other times can be given as a teether.  It is very flexible and soft.  Babies get used to having a toothbrush and looking after teeth without realising.

brush baby tooth brush


independent tooth brushingyoungest brushing teeth


 MAM

MAM also have a great range of teething products.  Their Rabbit glove is great for cleaning babies first teeth and my eldest daughter loved their first toothbrush.  It has a soft flexible head to help protect and clean delicate teeth and gums.

Baby cup

Baby cup is babys first weaning cup.  As its clear baby can see their drink and it teaches them how to drink correctly.  Each cup holds 50ml.  I really wish we had these with my eldest as she really struggled to breast feed and refused to take a bottle.  If I had had this I would have been able to feed her breast milk in a cup.

I was really surprised at how quick my youngest worked out how to drink.  The first time she got water everywhere but the second and subsequent times she just got better and better.  She absolutely loved the fact she had a cup like her Mummy and big sister.  Her smile said it all, how proud of herself she was.

Baby cups come in packs of 4 either pink, green, yellow, blue or one of each.  We have the muti coloured pack.  If you would like to read more on Infant tooth decay caused by sippy cups and bottles read here

can drink byselfdrinking from big cup

Dentyl

I recently reviewed Dentyl Active Enamel restore [click here for review].  Dentyl is suitable from age 7 and is alcohol free.  This is a great addition to brushing teeth in order to protect against enamel erosion, dental decay and fight plaque.  As it is alcohol free it is kinder to gums and I personally prefer it as I think it tastes much gentler than other mouth wash.

Dentyl Active

I am interested to know what other tips there are for teething and looking after teeth, feel free to leave any in the comments.








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The girls have had a lot of fun today.  We stayed at home as it was raining and after several busy weeks and lack of sleep I needed a  rest day.  I decided I would attempt to tidy out my office ready for my return to work, the girls thought they would help me.  

on your backstarting small


coveredhaving fun

 They thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was lovely to listen to them giggle with each other.  I now have shredded paper all over the house.

This day I love having fun.



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About me

About Me

Welcome to This Day I love.

My name is Leyla, also known as Mum to my 3 humans and dog Mum to J. I have a passion for the outdoors and love to run. I can often be found off road exploring the trails and fells and covering distances all the way up to 50 miles. As a family we love travelling and discovering new adventures, as I try and run around the world!

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