This is my first time being tagged by another blogger. I think the whole idea is quiet fun and a good way to get to know each other better. You get to find out more about our life behind the scenes. Thanks to Donna at Redhead Babyled for the tag!
1. Are you a Stay at Home Mum, or a Working Mum?
Before J was born I worked full time in a hairdressers as a stylist. In all honesty i have never wanted not to work , I would get far to bored. In fact myself and my husband often joked that if we could afford it he would be a SAHD. When J was born I took several months off on maternity leave returning to work part time when J was 8 months.
2. Would you have it any other way?
I like to think I have a nice mixture at the moment . When i am having a bad day with J I know I will get a break at work . This also goes both ways though as I miss him so much when I’m away from him. That makes the several night waking’s much more bearable. I take my hat off to all stay at home parents, it is such a hard job raising a child.
3. Do you co-sleep?
Yes – Sleep is non-existent as it is, so anything that helps I’m all for it. We have never been anti co-sleeping so when we realised that it was the only option we went along with it. I believe when done safely it is the most natural way. J normally starts the night in his own cot bed and then when he wakes in the night i bring him into our bed. When he was little we set up the cot bed as a sidecar cot in our room.
4. What is your one must-have item for your baby?
Slings!!! although once you start ill be impressed if you stick to one. I currently own 3. A Wallabi Wraptai, Maya ring sling and a Diddymos Jakob size 5 wrap.
5. How many kids do you plan on having?
I always wanted 2 and my husband wanted 3 , however that has changed since J has arrived. I love J to pieces but the worry of ending up with Post Natal Depression again is too much. I feel that i have missed out on so many happy times with J growing up . The first few months are such a blur and I cannot go through that again . It would not be good for my mental health, or my marriage. I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband and family but I cannot see myself going through all of this again or at least in the next 10 years. If it was just the PND it wouldn’t be so bad, but that thrown in with sleepless nights, allergies and reflux has worn me down. My husband agrees and he has also changed his mind about having another child. Hey in 10 years we might go through it all again but i honestly cannot see that happening at the moment.
6. Date night? How many nights per month?
At the minute it isn’t that often as we are busy renovating our new house to move into. However once we have moved J will be having a sleepover at grandmas once a week. We will definitely have a date night at least twice a month, be it a film night or going out for a meal. I do think it is important to make sure you spend time together as a couple and remember you are not just mum and dad.
7. Your child’s favourite show?
Mr Tumble! I don’t know what it is about Justin but this is the only programme that makes J stop running around for more than 2 minutes. I love the fact that he is learning sign language as well. I always wanted to take him to baby sign but again this is another thing i didn’t manage to do because of the PND.
8. Name one thing you bought before you had your baby and never ended up using?
I don’t think there is anything we never used. We were quiet frugal when shopping for baby things , so we only bought things we knew we would need. Even then we mainly bought second-hand, used vouchers or when things were on offer.
9. Your child’s favourite food?
Food is a bit hit and miss in this house depending on if the reflux is under control or not. I don’t think J has a favourite although he is partial to a spaghetti Bolognese. His dad took him out this week and he loved poppadum’s apparently. That was mainly because he could play and crunch them up first. As long as he eats something I’m not too fussed.
10. How many cars does your family have?
2 – Husband had a Land rover discovery up un-till recently. Now we are the owner of a Volvo estate family car . I have a Toyota Yaris that I proudly bought after saving up my wages when I was about 19. I find it too small as the main family car now and also the fact it is only 3 doors is a nightmare. Clearly when I was 19 I was not thinking about the logistics of a baby. This is the main reason we ended up with the Volvo as we needed something more practical. The plan is that husband uses the Yaris to drive on the motorway to work, as its more economical being a diesel.
11. Weight gain before pregnancy, during and after and now?
Before I had J I was a tiny 7st 5lb, i am only 5’1 though. I lost a lot of weight before the wedding by eating healthy and walking a lot more. Weigh loss wasn’t the aim but it just happened. I put 4 stone on in pregnancy!!! I was in the, I’m pregnant I can eat what I want camp. This was mainly chocolate as my friend kept giving me it every time I saw him. Something about keeping a pregnant woman happy. When I weighed myself after J was born I weighed 10st 5lb. I started to hover around the 10st mark, I wanted to loose a bit of weight so that i could get my wedding rings back on. I am currently 9st 8lb but really struggling to loose anymore .
12. Dream holiday with your kids?
Caravanning or camping somewhere in the UK . Ideally Cornwall. I love being by the coast and having a relaxing walk. I do hope to go abroad when J is older but i have no idea when as my husband has never had a passport!.
13. Dream holiday without your kids?
I don’t think i could go on holiday without J. Maybe a weekend spa break but that’s it really.
14. How has your life changed since your baby has been born?
I’ve not had a decent nights sleep in a year !!. Obviously suffering from PND has changed my life massively. imp glad i got over the anxiety attacks that i was having early on, as that was horrible. We have also bought a house since J was born and are still currently renovating it . This means that we have moved in with my parents whilst we do it. Unfortunately because of this my husband is spending a lot of time at the house. I’m looking forward to having more time together as a family when it is finished. We also unfortunately had to rehome our dog as he kept trying to herd J , he was a border collie. This is another massive down point in my life that i will blog about when i feel that i can.
However it is so worth dealing with all of this because J is my world and every time he laughs or smiles he makes my heart melt. I love the fact that I have someone that relies on me and I care look after and cherish him.
15. Finish the sentence: ‘It makes my heart melt to see …
This smile
16. Where do you shop for your kids?
I am a lover of bargains , so i mainly buy second hand off Facebook selling pages. I managed to get a massive job lot of toys for £15. We are lucky to have been gifted a lot of clothes for J as well. I think i only had to start buying stuff when he was around 8 months old. The shops that i do like are NEXT, Sainsbury’s and Asda for clothes. ToysRus is also a favourite for bits and bobs such as Sophie
17. Favourite makeup and skincare products?
I’m not really one for makeup and skincare. I generally use Dream Matte Mouse foundation. I do like Estee Lauder double wear though, I used this for my wedding.
18. Huggies or Pampers?
Neither i love Aldi nappies and for the price its even better. I did want to use cloth nappies but even though i have a massive stash i haven’t got around to using them as they are in storage.
19. Have you always wanted kids?
Yes I always wanted to grow up get married and have children. Your typical 2.4 average family.
20. Best part about being a mum?
Snuggling with J . I love the rare occasion J will happily relax in our bed in the morning whilst we have a cup of coffee. I cannot wait till he is older and we can have film nights in bed snuggling.
Do you want to do the Mum Tag?!
I tag:
Kate @ Willow makes three
Claire @ Dundee Diva
Mum to a Monster 