Who looks after the mum?

It took four long days and nights covered in snot and splatter with cough spit from my body to surrender to the cold that my baby had.

So who looks after the mum?

No.one.

With a pounding head, with every muscle in my body aching, with razor blade throat & horse cough I still had to carry on and fight another day of parenting.

You want a packet of chips for breakfast, here you go, sure I’ll leave ABC KIDS running all day while you also play the ipad way long then recommended by Susan and while we’re at it, it’s McDonalds chicken nuggets for dinner. Today you need to survive on your own because mama is just going to lay in the corner and close her eyes while only god knows what you and your brother are up too while I’m suffering in pain and trying to work up the energy to move.

A good night sleeps and antibiotics worked like a treat and returned to a half human by the following morning where zeros fucks were still given to allow me to fully recover.

When one becomes two!

Its been such a long time since I have last written. So much has happened since, so let me fill you in!

Marli will be 4 next month! I can’t believe I’ve been a mother for 4 years now. She is attending preschool and loving it which is such a huge relief. Her attitude and sus is next level which causes us to head butt every now and then but I still adore her and loving watching her to grew into such a smart little person.

I also had another baby! A BOY. Cruz, he is 1.5 years old and man he is a hurricane. He is a very full on boy who keeps me on my toes that’s for sure but I’m enjoying the joy he brings to my life.

We moved houses. Into a home that we wish to make our forever home for our children.

I found a career path which I am so interested in so I have started studying with the goal of becoming a case worker for children in need.

I think I have covered it, I hope that I can continue to keep up with my blogging!

Finding Balance

At the end of 2016 I decided I needed to do something other then being ‘just’ a mum. I still wanted to be with M all the time but wanted to have time on my own while making money. 

I started a small cleaning business for myself. I mostly clean vacate properties but also have one private home with growing interest. With the vacate properties I can choose my hours (mostly when M is in bed as the weather is far to hot here) be alone & make money. 

With the new year I gained a lot of jobs, which is great this is what I wanted but this week has been huge. I received a job of a deceased persons home whose family didn’t come to collect personal/house hold items. To which the job included removing everything, most items were donated other stuff thrown to the tip. This job took 32 hours over 6 days as 2 days were 40 degrees. 

During this time I didn’t feel 100% with M as my mind was focused on job even when I was at home, I actually felt so overwealed by this house it made me stressed and I made it a priority over my family. 

Update-

It’s finally funished along with the other back log of cleaning jobs I had. 

I can now 100% focus on my family for at least the rest of the week. 

But I am curious to know what this business adventure might lead too. 

Its been awhile!

It’s been awhile since I have last written.

Not all that much has happened but M turned one & we have recently started The Sleep Mama program. 

M has always been a horrid sleeper, for 12 months I’ve had to rock, swing & bounce her to sleep & I would be up anywhere from 2-6 times a night. In the end I would end up sleeping with her just so I could get at least 2-3 hours sleep before my day started at 6am. 

I was to the point of being extremely exhausted, I didn’t at all enjoy motherhood as I would dread waking up to having a very tired baby who would just cry & whinge all day due to the fact she was still so tired. I was so desperate to try anything!

Since starting this program I’m now able to place her in the cot with her LullaDoll & walk out. For the first time she is able to put herself to sleep without the comfort of us & it only takes 4mins! 

Most nights we only wake once & it’s about 5am for a quick feed and back into bed until 6.30ish. Which is a huge change from the waking up after every 2 hours as she couldn’t transition from one sleep cycle to another.

When M has that full night sleeps, she wakes up in such a good mood that just completely makes my day all that much more easier. I am now going for walks in the mornings, eating better/healthier instead of binge eating as I was to tired to make/cook anything. I’m enjoying taking her to the park & running after her because I have this extra energy. 

If you have a little one that’s is a little shit with sleeping, I highly suggest looking into ‘The Sleep Mama’ program, it’s worth every cent. Also Kylie the owner is such a down to earth milf, she’s great to follow on Instagram, Facebook & Snapchat!

If you are unsure what the LullaDoll, I have a blog explaining the miracle comfortor! 

Photo: Screen shotted from The Sleep Mama Instagram.

Happy 1st Birthday 

On the 27th of August 2015 at 3.55pm, a beautiful baby girl came into my life. It was at 3.56pm I knew my world had changed forever. 

At times it has been very challenging and many tears have occurred from both you & myself. But along with these challenges came many successes. 

You have shown me what it is like to have met true love, girl that’s you and there will never be a day that I don’t love you even on the days I loose my patients with you. 

I have loved watching you grow every day for the past 366days (this year is a leap year) and I will continue to be there to watch you learn and grow as your personality is coming out more and more each day. 

Happy 1st birthday baby girl xx

The LullaDoll

For weeks I read all about the Lulla Doll. The miracle doll that is meant to help babies and young toddlers sleep better. 

The product makes a breathing and heart beat sound to help comfort your child while they sleep. 

My 11month old is a well known horrible sleeper, I was desperate to try anything that would help. Despite being fairly expensive ($95) I went ahead and brought one.

It is still early days but I am finding this doll to be helpful as it has made a difference. The number of times I get up during the night have decreased and finding M to be sleeping longer periods of the night. 

I would recommend this doll to anyone who has a child that is a shit sleeper! 

Struggle Street

Over the last couple of months I have struggled with running a home, motherhood and with myself. 
I knew motherhood would be hard but I didn’t realise how emotionally and mentally hard and exhausting it would be. 

I knew I would be and feel different post pregnancy but I didn’t think I wouldn’t recognise myself. 

I knew being a stay at home mother included being a great home keeper but I didn’t know it’s actually so hard to keep up.

This week I have felt completely burnt out! My anxiety took over, I was unable to function to the best of my ability as a mother. My mind had me thinking maybe I’m not good at this mother thing as I really didn’t want to be around M, I just had enough. I was exhusted! 

Watching her lay asleep tonight so innocent and content. I realise how grateful I am to have such a healthy baby & how there is a reason why God has choosen her to be mine. 

 It’s the little things that she does such as grabbing my face to give random kisses after I have just lost my shit that reassures me that this is what I am made to do. There will be many hard days/nights, including sleepless nights.

 I’ll eventually recognise myself but with a new style.

 The house work can wait, I only have a small amount of the to enjoy M while she is still so little. 

Tomorrow is Monday, a new week to start fresh. 

What A Week, First Sickness!

What a week! 

We made it 11months without a sickness and my baby girl finally got her first cold. If that wasn’t bad enough she was also cutting her second tooth! 

The cough and the running started along with the constant crying and sooking. Being a first time mother, I literally had no idea what I needed to do to help her.

On the second night of no sleep, after a two hour fight to get her to stay asleep. I sat in the bath and cried. I knew I was physically exhausted but I didn’t realise how emotionally exhausted I was. I had so many thoughts running through my mind ‘I can’t do this & am I good enough to be M’s mum’ I was so ready to give in and give her to my mother for the night however she stayed asleep for a few hours which gave me time to re-claim myself to deal with her when she woke for the 10th time before 9pm.

We have started antibiotics and having the vaporizer going during the night is making a difference. She is now happier during the day and the coughing has become less frequent. We also have a second tooth and back to drinking and eating better! 

The must haves in the first time mother sickness kit! 

– Vicks Chest Rub

– Vicks Vaporizer With Eucalyptus Oil

– Dimetapp Infant Nasal Drops

– All Natural Kids Cough Relief

– Trip To The Doctors To Double Check Its Nothing Serious & Antibiotics.

Ready for a new week with a healthier & happier baby! 

Gentle Sleep Training

As a first time mother I definitely enjoyed the sleepy newborn cuddles. Before I knew it M depended on me to be her sleeping aid. My partner and I aren’t ones to do the ‘cry it out’ method, so we decided (I) will continue to cuddle, rock, pat and bounce (exercise ball) to sleep. With M becoming one in a months time, I felt like she should be able to fall asleep on her own however I failed in teaching her this skill when she was younger. So we needed our own method of teaching M how to go to sleep without being held, the ultimate goal is for her to fall asleep without any physical contact once she is in her cot but we are still working on that. We have found something that is working and would like to share that with other mums who are in the same situation.

-Routine: Having a bed routine plays a very big role in helping your infant/toddler to learn to know that bed time is coming.

Our bedtime routine follows

5pm- Dinner (Solids)

5.30- Bath

5.45- Book/Quite Time

6pm- Bottle & Bed.

-Timing: If you can get your routine down pat, you’ll know exactly when the right time is to lay your little one down & trust me it will make your job so much more easier. Also set yourself a time limit of how long you plan to stay in the room. While you’re adjusting to this new sleep training it may take a little longer at first, I go with 20mintues!

-Environment:

Have the room fairly dark so there are no distractions.

If there is a need for white noise that is fine. I have recently put two & two together and realised M has adjusted to the noise of the heater and that helps to settle her.

Temperature, making sure your little one is clothed accordingly and making sure the room isn’t to hot and not to cold.

-Stay Close By: As M still depends on me to comfort her to help go to sleep, I sit beside the cot. I keep physical contact to a minimum first night it started with 20mintues then 15 and we are currently down to just 5 minutes and it’s just holding her hand. Once that I see she has closed her eyes I’ll sit with the her for another 5-10mintues.

This may sound easy but it’s truly not for the first few days especially when they are at the age when they can stand up but don’t give up. I have one of the most shittest sleepers there is & this method is working!

I am in no way a sleep professional, I am one mum offering advice to another!