Tomy Baby Monitor Review

We made the decision with Archie to start putting him upstairs to bed at only 6 weeks old.  Unlike his big brother who slept on and off all evening for the first few months, Archie was putting himself into such a deep sleep from around 7pm that I was waking him up to take him to bed when I got tired.  It seemed to be that he wanted the routine of a bedtime so reluctantly I gave up my cosy evening cuddles and started taking him upstairs with Dylan at 7.

I won't lie, it was lovely to reclaim our evenings without worrying about disturbing the little guy and he sleeps much better in the dark, quiet room than he did with the TV on in the background and the bloke and I chatting away.  With our room being at the opposite end of the house to the front room though, it meant a baby monitor was necessary.   Our last monitor had such a loud background noise that we happily binned it as soon as we realised we could hear Dylan just as loudly without it, so when I had an email asking if I wanted to try the Tomy TF525 I was looking forward to testing it out.

The monitor has a portable parent device that not only listens in on the baby but also tells you the temperature of their room too - this means if I notice it getting colder in the bedroom I can pop up and cover Archie with a blanket. 

The monitor also has a built in night light, perfect for those inevitable middle of the night feeds as I make sure not to turn any main lights on in the night so the baby stays nice and sleepy.  The monitor also plays several soothing lullabies that can be controlled by the parent unit and it  can be used as a walkie talkie (not that we have ever done this of course! ;)  )  to reassure the child from downstairs.  I love this feature as occasionally a large shhhh - ing sound can settle Archie back to sleep. 

What I was most impressed with though, is how quiet the monitor is.  There is absolutely no background noise so I  know that when we are ready to move Archie to his own room, I will not be kept awake by the buzzing of a monitor by my bed.  

The monitor has several noise settings as well as lights to indicate sound coming from babies room and comes complete with a rechargeable battery for the parent unit as well as a wire to plug it in to the socket.  The parent unit has a low battery and out of range alarm for reassurance and comes with a two year guarantee.

I am really impressed with the monitor and my baby-free evenings are relaxed knowing I can hear exactly what the little man is up to upstairs.  The monitor retails at £49.99 - a great price for such a functional monitor and can be bought from the Tomy Website

Disclaimer:  I was provided with a baby monitor for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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Proud

There are days when I look at my boys with an overwhelming sense of pride.  Every day Dylan learns something new and I am amazed and in awe of his new skills. It doesn't matter if every other 20 month old can do it already or not, seeing my son do something for the first time will always be special, from his first smile, to those first wobbly steps to the first time he pronounces the 'm' properly in milk. 

Today Dylan said 'please' and 'thank-you' in all the right places and I was so proud of his beautiful manners.  He knows the words and often uses them (with a little encouragement) but today he needed no prompting.  Manners are very important to me and I want my children to be polite young people as they grow up. 

We went to the park this afternoon and for the first time Dylan played on the equipment independently   His confidence in climbing has come on so much these last few weeks and as well as climbing up and down the stairs, he also climbed up and slid down the slide without any help.  It may sound like a little thing to anyone else but it felt like I was watching my baby boy grow up before my eyes.  

I am so proud of how well Dylan has taken on his role of big brother.  I have never once seen jealousy and Dylan is always giving kisses and cuddles to his little brother.  His eyes light up when Archie looks his way and he comes over straight away to play with him.  I am so proud that he is taking it all in his stride and I love that Dylan found so much space for this new little person in his heart like we did.

I made them!

I love to see him master a new skill and the look of satisfaction in his face as he realises there is yet another part of life that he can now explore.  I love to see the wonder in his eyes as he realises that he can do it all on his own and I love the intelligent, inquisitive and loving child my son is turning into.

I am so proud of my little boy and so excited to see the man he will turn into - complete with excellent manners I hope!

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Sleep

Sleeping through the night means something different to everyone.  A goal, a reality, a far off dream, something to brag about, something other people's children do and most importantly an eventuality.  Find me a teenager who doesn't sleep through the night and well into the next day!  Some children do it at 6 weeks, some at 6 years but I promise you, they all get there sometime and often when you least expect it.

Our sleeping journey was a lot like a seesaw.  In the hospital Dylan went 5 hours without a feed - presumably the exhaustion of being born was a little too much for him and I was told I needed to wake him at least every three hours to make sure he was feeding enough.  He clearly heard this as by 3 months old the longest he had done was 4 hours in one stint and it was usually hourly from then onwards. I accepted our night time cuddles and to some extent enjoyed them.  He didn't always make it back to his crib afterwards as  it was a little too often that we both fell asleep feeding.

One cold October day, something amazing happened.  My clever little boy found his fifth digit - the almighty thumb.  That night I woke up every hour from 11pm onwards to check he was still breathing, and when he eventually woke up at 7am  I was amazed and confused!  A month later and I was confident that my baby was sleeping through the night,  I had become cocky with my late nights and somehow felt even more exhausted than when up hourly.  

The day he turned four months old I had to drag myself out of bed at 2am for a feed and my body was heavy and tired.  The next night he added in a 4am feed too and two weeks later we were up every two hours for milky cuddles.  My beautiful sleeper was back to being a newborn, feeding at least 12 times in a 24 hour period! What went wrong?!

I was tempted to start weaning in the hope that food would fill him up, but also keen to do baby led weaning and wait until 6 months,  I was tempted to try controlled crying but worried he was hungry and not ready for the reality.  Most of all I wanted to do what was right for my son without having any idea what it was.  We got ourselves back into a night feed routine and I learnt that I could function quite well on these little nuggets of sleep.

At 5.5 months we started our weaning journey and on the first day, Dylan demolished an entire slice of toast.  He was definitely ready and as we had waited, so was his gut.  He took to food well trying everything we gave him and enjoying generous portions.  His sleep did not improve however and he was still having milk throughout the night.

Just after he turned 6 months things changed again.  I dressed him for bed one night, and carried him upstairs to the dark nursery.  We sat on the nursing chair and I gently rocked as I fed him to sleep - the same way I had since that first nervous night at home.  I watched his sleepy eyes close and after he had dropped off I stayed rocking, watching his angelic face relax.  After a few minutes I picked him up, ready to put him back in his cot when I saw those big blue eyes open and look at me.  This was not the plan!  We sat back down again and repeated but again he woke up!  Not knowing what to do, I put him down in the cot and headed downstairs to make myself a drink whilst we came up with a plan B.

I stopped on the stairs and heard. . . silence

I got to the bottom, and still silence.

Deciding to make the most of it I made myself a cup of tea.  Still silence.

I drunk my cup of tea in silence and then quietly sneaked up the stairs.  I poked my head round the door and saw my beautiful boy curled up, thumb in and eyes tight shut.  For the first time, he had put himself to sleep!

Knowing he could do it gave us both the confidence and that night he was only up twice.  I would hear a little wimper every now and again and then the noise of vigorous sucking as the thumb went in and a little sigh as he fell back asleep.  It was so easy!

Over the next two weeks I refused to feed him to sleep as we both knew he could do it.  Every nap time and every night I would place him down awake and he would sleep! By 7 months he was routinely sleeping 7pm to 8am and I am delighted to say at 20 months we have seen no regression.  I can comfortably say that my child is 'sleeping through'.  

It is nothing to do with my parenting, and nothing to do with his milk.  In fact we stopped bedtime milk at 6.5 months and he would have his last feed at 6pm.  His sleeping was down to him.  He learnt to do it and he loved it - he still loves his sleep!

Archie is already sleeping far better than Dylan did at his age, but we are a long way off my idea of 'sleeping through' and as much as I love my sleep (and I really, really do), every time he wakes in the night and cries out for milk and cuddles, I am reminded that he is my baby and that he needs me.  As I hold him close and watch him snuggle into me, we have our own special moments and I will be sad in a way when he eventually stops needing me to help him through the night.  Just like Dylan, Archie is without fail, fed to sleep, and although there are plenty of reasons not to get into this habit, I know that just like Dylan, he will eventually find his own way out of it.

My quest for a full night's sleep continues, but in the meantime, I am enjoying the cuddles.

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Two Months In

We are now two months into life as a family of four and it feels like Archie has been around forever.  Dylan is still as enthusiastic about his 'bubba' and the name has really caught on with us rarely using the little man's real name.  Dylan loves to give kisses and help with nappy changes and even plays his own little game with Archie, where he tries to grab his hand as Archie waves it around.  It is so sweet watching them together and I love seeing their friendship and bond grow.

Archie is sleeping much better at night than Dylan was at this age and usually goes between five and seven hours before his first feed, with them then getting closer until we wake up for the day.  He sleeps in his crib from 7pm until around 5am, when he often finds his way into our bed as he won't settle again.  If it is after 4am then I really don't mind having him in with us as it is lovely to have the cuddles and I am certainly not prepared to get up for the day at 5!

Archie isn't much of a sleeper in the daytime however and often will only have short power naps unless he is in the sling.  Unlike his big brother who couldn't resist being lulled by movement, Archie can stay awake for a 30 minute car journey, in the sling and in a pram quite easily!  He will not sleep on his back at all so we put him on his tummy even in the pram when we want to settle him.

After a few weeks of being permanantly attached, Archie is gaining confidence and is happy to lay on his mat or sit in his bouncer more now.  As much as I love the cuddles, it is great to be able to put him down every now and again and our house is certainly looking a little tidier for it!

Breastfeeding is going well and the little man is getting chubbier by the day.  At 7 weeks he tipped the scales at 12lb 13oz so there are certainly no concerns there.  He is definitely a bit of a snacker, but it doesn't bother me that he wants feeding so often, so we are continuing with feeding on demand.  Archie is still in his 0-3 and 2-4 month clothing (just about) and seems much smaller than his big brother was at this age.

Two months in to life as a family of four and we are definitely settled in.  I am well practised at getting the three of us up, dressed and fed and we are out every day doing something.  I had my first day with just the littlest one last week and as much as I missed Dylan it was lovely to spend some quality time with Archie and it reminded me just how much easier having one is! I wouldn't change my gorgeous boys for the world though.

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Bugaboo meets Andy Warhol

You may have seen recently that we have been busy reviewing the Bugaboo Donkey.  To say that I love this pushchair is an understatement - it is practical, pushable and perfect.

Bugaboo have recently announced their partnership with the Andy Warhol foundation and we were invited along to the launch of this collaboration and their two new designs.  Andy Warhol's iconic pop art include the Campbell soup, the banana and Marilyn Monroe, but Bugaboo chose two prints for their pushchairs - 'cars' and 'flowers'

.The new prints are available as hoods and pram aprons for the Bee, Cameleon and Donkey and having two small boys, I love the cars design.  I think they are fun, unique and definitely eye catching and I fell in love with the Donkey a little bit more when I saw the new options.   With a toddler who is already getting fussy about being in a pushchair, I know he would be a lot more excited if it was covered in cars!

Attending the launch was an experience in itself, with celebrities such as Denise Van Outen and Westlife's Kian Egan in attendance and the most delicious frozen sorbet/chocolate pops.  Mingling with bloggers, the media and celebs and surrounded by works of art, it was a fantastic afternoon and everything these gorgeous new designs deserved.

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to write this post, but I was invited to the launch party of the new Warhol -Bugaboo Designs.

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Baking With A Toddler

A simple recipe for baking Rice Crispie Cakes with a toddler.  

Take one seemingly happy toddler, one rather content baby, some uneaten Easter eggs and a box of rice crispies.  

Strap the toddler in the high chair in the kitchen and pop baby in his bouncer on the kitchen floor.

Bring out the chocolate eggs and watch the excited smile take over toddler's face.  Help him break up the chocolate into small pieces and watch him smuggle as many of the pieces into his mouth as possible.

Suggest that we heat the chocolate in the microwave and watch the confused look take over from the smile.

Try and remove the bowl of chocolate pieces from his tight grip - use force if necessary.

Attempt to stop total meltdown and distressed cries of 'lock lot egggggggg' as you shut microwave door and fish out tissues for the tears pouring down toddler's face.  Put up with sixty seconds of tears and tantrums as the bowl of chocolate is out of his sight and worry that the neighbours will think you are torturing the poor boy.

Remove melted chocolate from the microwave and listen to sighs of relief as the tears instantly dry up.  Remember that you forgot to wash toddler's hands before you began as they are now immersed in melted chocolate.

Check quickly to make sure baby is still alive and content.

Pour rice crispies into the bowl and watch the chocolatey fingers explore.  Half of these will get eaten in the process so make sure you pour in too many.

Grab two wooden spoons and encourage toddler to mix.  Watch as he uses spoon to flick chocolatey crispie mixture all over previously clean kitchen, bash the glass bowl with it, brush his hair with it and generally do everything other than mix in the cereal.

Mix it up yourself trying not to hurt the little hands that are still shovelling chocolatey cereal into mouth at an astonishing rate.

When it is all mixed well, bring out the paper cases and show toddler how to fill the cases with mixture.  Watch as he attempts to do this with the spoon, his fingers and his mouth.

Fill up the paper cases yourself as you really fancy actually eating a cake at the end of the process, and the toddler's are starting to look a little worse for wear.

Bribe toddler with a spoon full of chocolatey rice crispies so that you can remove the finished cakes and place them in the fridge.  Notice that previously clean kitchen now looks like a cereal packet exploded in it's middle, with some chocolate casualties..

Clean up toddler, let him loose and attempt to save the baby from being fed crunched crispies from the floor by loving older brother.

Leave the room, lock the door and hope the bloke will clean up afterwards

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As Snug as a Bug in a Rug - Review and Giveaway

It is that awkward time of year where it is not quite cold enough for a full on padded snow suit  but I still want to wrap Archie up and a cardigan just doesn't seem as snug.  Babyrug's innovative Bug in a Rug is a cross between clothing and a blanket and is perfect for this weather.  

The bug has a space for little legs and the elastic round the ankles stops the baby kicking them off.  The middle section is a wrap over though, meaning a sleeping baby can be unwrapped with having to fiddle too much or wake them up.  Perfect if you are coming in from the cold outdoors and they are fast asleep.

The separate leg holes mean that the bug in a rug is so versatile.  It can be used in an infant car-seat,  in a carry-cot or pushchair and even in a sling, unlike a blanket, and the micro fleece material means it is lovely and warm.

We have been testing the pale blue version on our newest addition and he seems to like it!  I often wear him in a wrap and a snow suit is not practical so this is the perfect alternative for us.  I love it in the carry-cot too as I find Archie can get too hot in a full on snow suit with the apron on as it tends to trap in the warm air.  The Bug in a Rug is the perfect thickness and allows him to have a kick around as we travel.  The Bug folds up so small, that it easily slots into the nappy bag if we are planning on staying out later and don't trust the Great British weather.

I did find that the crossover body section didn't keep Archie's arms in as much as I would have liked, but I am not sure if this is him getting to the end of the size or not.  I would love to see the velcro coming furthur round the body so I could wrap it slightly tighter and keep his arms wrapped up too.

We are really enjoying using the bug in a rug and it is perfect for our little man as he is often in the pram for part of the day and in the sling for the rest, so it gives us more versatility than a blanket without compromising on his warmth.

Baby Rug not only sell warm winter wraps, but also light cotton wraps, perfect for protecting a little baby's skin from the sunshine, whilst keeping them cool - much easier than rubbing in sunscreen every 30 minutes!  I have one of the gorgeous summer wraps to give away to a reader and entry couldn't be simpler, just follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:  I was provided with a bug in a rug for the purpose of this review, but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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