Picnic Time

We may be cooped up in the hospital for the summer, but that isn't stopping us enjoying a good old-fashioned picnic.  The beautiful weather this weekend coupled with a suffocatingly hot ward meant we were over the moon when the nurses agreed to let us take the little man into the hospital garden (albeit with bed attached to him).

We skipped the blankets and bundled on the little man's bed instead with our bread rolls, scotch eggs, cocktail sausages and the picnic staple - strawberries.  

We enjoyed the fresh air and Dylan's cousins made the most of all the toys that the children's ward have on offer.  My little superstar did not even moan when he saw the motorbikes, wendy houses and trampoline, instead finding a police helicopter and an ambulance that he could play with on the bed.  Archie loved the activity centres and the freedom as he is now rolling around all over the place

The fresh air certainly worked it's magic and bed time was much simpler and faster than usual, with the littles settling early enough for me to enjoy the garden again with my laptop and some choccy treats.

We may be missing most of the summer, so we are really making the most of every bit that we get!

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Emmaljunga Ozone Review

I am a self confessed 'pramaholic' and cannot walk down the street without checking out every buggy we pass.  When I was asked if I wanted to try an Emmaljunga pram, I was excited, as it is not a brand I had heard of or seen in the UK before, yet they are huge in other parts of Europe.  I was sent the Emmaljunga Ozone to try out with the carrycot as well and after a few weeks of use, I have to say I am impressed.

The pushchair comes as a seat,  chassis and storm cover and the carrycot is sold separately.  The frame is easy to fold and not as big or heavy as you would imagine although as a larger pushchair it still takes up some space.  The four wheels give the pushchair great suspension and it was easy to maneuver, even with my 15kg toddler in the seat. I found it light to steer, didn't struggle at all with curbs and had no problems lifting the buggy in and out of boots.

The basket is a great size and well protected and I could fit everything and anything in there quite comfortably.  The handlebar is adjustable making it great for different height parents and for storing the pushchair.  The seat can be both parent and world facing and is much more traditional than most pushchair seats currently on sale.  It is very well padded and looks incredibly comfortable and I loved the inbuilt strap between the child's legs as it keeps Dylan secure on days when he wants to get in and out and I don't always put the harness on.  It is incredibly easy to change from seat to carrycot, and a car seat can also be bought seperately making this a complete travel system.

I must admit that I didn't find the pushchair seat to be the best looking but it was certainly functional and comfortable and Dylan had no problems falling asleep in it.  The hood was easy to use and was a decent size and had an extra peak to keep the sun out of baby's eyes.  I love how padded the seat it is as it makes the transition from carrycot to seat much easier and I can imagine it comes into its own during the winter months.

My favourite part of the pushchair though was the carrycot.  The mattress was unlike any other pram mattress and more like a pillow in softness, and a special valve underneath helps keep baby cool or warm by changing how much air is allowed in.  The carrycot was a great size and the only one we have ever come across that I am sure will last a baby until they are 6 months.  Both my boys are tall and Dylan out grew his icandy carrycot by 11 weeks as he touched both ends.  At 4 months, Archie still had plenty of growing space in here.

The mosquito net pulls out of a zip in the hood and there is also a ventilation panel that can be unzipped in the back of the hood which would be perfect on days like today where you need to keep baby a little cooler.  The carrycot is covered in pockets including one on the apron which I find incredibly handy as I can always do with more storage.  

The carrycot is an additional £229 on top of the price of the pushchair but it is a fantastic carrycot and the ultimate comfort for your newborn.

I was very interested to see the storm cover and unfortunately don't have any pictures of it on the buggy.  Rather than a traditional raincover, the storm cover is all grey with some large reflective strips and has nothing covering the child's face.  The storm cover provides enough shelter that the baby or toddler is fully shielded without having their face covered, which will be great for the children that don't like the shields.  I found it very practical if I wanted to take Archie out late, as it made the carrycot extra dark inside yet didn't overheat the little man and the reflective strips meant that walking home was not a hazard.  It is a very different design to the traditional but I found it unique and useful.

The Emmaljunga Ozone is an incredibly practical pram and despite its more traditional style, has all the mod cons that you would want when choosing your child's wheels.  Personally I prefer it more for a younger baby than a toddler but the bloke loved the seat unit and thought it looked good as well as being easy to push.  The pushchair comes in a large range of colour and fabric choices and is £436 for the pushchair and then £229 for the carrycot.  Since using the Emmaljunga I have noticed a few others around and I am sure now that Babydino are stocking them there will be plenty more on the streets in the near future.

Babydino are the only online retailer to offer a 'buy back guarantee', meaning that should you buy a pram or pushchair from them, they guarantee they will buy it back when you have finished with it.  They take into account what model and condition it is in but having looked at their pricing, I was very impressed that they were offering about the same as the pushchairs would sell for second hand and without the hassle of trying to sell them!

Disclaimer:  I was loaned this pushchair for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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A Day in Our Life - The Hospital Edition

This may not be a typical day for many and two weeks ago it was not a typical day for us.  For the next few weeks though, this is our reality and I thought I would share a day in the life of Dylan, Archie and I.

Our alarm clock goes off around 6am, and by alarm clock, I mean the first of the little people that we share a ward with wakes up, in turn waking us all.

A little chat and a cup of milk and possibly a cheeky episode of rhyme rocket on the laptop whilst Mummy adjusts to the bright lights and noise of a busy bay.

It is 7am

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Kiddie Bikes Review

This summer was meant to be one of outdoor games, lazy afternoons in the park and building sandcastles at the beach.  The closest I will be coming to that now is watching the more active inpatients out our bay's window in the rainbow ward garden as they run around enjoying the English weather at its best.

I am lucky that we do have a little garden at home and before the little man fell and inured his leg, we had been making the most of it come rain or shine.  We were sent a Kiddie bike for Dylan to play on and his 'Mote-bike' soon became a favourite toy.  Dylan loves to be outdoors and even in the height of winter, we donned our waterproofs and went puddle splashing, so he hasn't minded the light rain or wind as he pushes himself around the garden.  We were sent the bike suitable for 2-4 year olds and my incredibly tall 23 month old found it a great size for him.

The strong and solid seat meant he wasn't likely to fall off, yet the bike is incredibly light as it is completely plastic.  The stickers give it personality although being a toddler, he does tend to like pulling them off.

Dylan finds the bike easy to steer and push along with his feet and he can climb on and off himself now after having help for a month or so.  It can be used inside and outside and he has no problems turning himself round if he is using it indoors.

Despite the bike being plastic and not looking as hard wearing as some of the other options available, this bike has had constant use for a couple of months and still looks like new.  It has been ridden every day by Dylan and friends that come to visit who are aged 2 and 3 and they all love it.

The bike does come in two size options, 1-3 and 2-4.  I haven't seen the younger one but I would recommend thinking ahead so if your child is nearly 2 or large for their age, I think the 2-4 year version would be fine a little early.  Priced at only £19.90 this is an absolute bargain as it has provided hours of entertainment and hours of peace for me.  I think it is really important to encourage children to play outdoors and this is definitely our favourite garden game.

Although the little man may be out of action for this summer, I know that won't stop him making the most of his motorbike when he is back on his feet over the autumn, and it is light and easy to store ready for next summer when I bet he will be whizzing round on it!

Disclaimer:  We were sent this bike for the purpose of an honest review 

and all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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A Mother's Job

A mother's job is complex.  It is one that, once you have taken on, you can never retire from.  It is all consuming, a constant journey of learning - about yourself, your children and your role.  A mother's job is twenty-four seven.  A mother's job is hard.

I didn't quite realise how real 24/7 was until recently.

And then I spent a few days in hospital with the boys.  A house got squeezed down to a cubicle.  Sleep was rare and patchy at best and although I may have been in the bathroom alone, I could hear at least one child wailing for me in the background.  This was a real job.

Whilst in London on Tuesday,  Dylan fell.  He was just playing with toys and tripped.  I had my back to him but he was right behind me, so the moment I heard the scream he was in my arms.  After 40 minutes of screams and a cold compress on his left knee (where we thought the pain was), the centre manager of the venue we were in and I decided it was best to take him to hospital.

I have learnt to never underestimate a mother's instinct.  It is a powerful thing and nobody knows our children the way we do.  This was not just a normal fall and an ambulance arrived to transport us to the local hospital, UCLH.

An examination and an X-ray revealed only that we couldn't move Dylan without causing excrutiating pain and that Archie can wait hours for a feed when completely necessary as I refused to let go of my eldest son.  In an instant Dylan had changed from my confident, energetic toddler to a helpless baby boy who clung onto me with everything that he had.

Chilling out in Hospital

Eventually my poorly baby, the littlest one and I got admitted and moved to a bed on the 11th floor.  We were assured that there were no broken bones, and blood tests were done to rule out any underlying problems.

A long night followed with a child who was terrified of anyone that wasn't mummy, incase they wanted to move his leg and who didn't want to settle in an unfamiliar bed.  A long night in a claustrophobic cubicle, Dylan, Archie and I.

At 5:30pm the next day, Dylan had still not moved his right leg at all and we were taken down for a skeletal ultrasound where they found what I had suspected all along - a broken bone, a fractured femur.

Finally we had answers and after x-rays to confirm it, my beautiful boy had his right leg put in traction.  My little boy will be spending the next 4-6 weeks stuck in a hospital bad that he can't even comfortably sit up in yet and as Archie is breastfed on demand, he will be staying too.

I have 6 weeks to learn how big a job motherhood really is, how full on, exhausting and emotional it is.  6 weeks of keeping a toddler amused in bed and probably a second birthday spent on the ward.

A mother's job is never done.  It is full of guilt, fear, tiredness and sacrifice.  Thank goodness it is also full of excitement, entertainment, cuddles and love.  My job for the next few weeks is clear, so if I am not around as much on the blog then you know why  My job is to be strong for my family - to be organised, upbeat and positive.

I couldn't have gotten through this week without the help of two gorgeous bloggers - Ruth and Monika and without family and friends that have sent their love.

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Kiddy Evolution Pro Review

One of my favourite brands in the baby world have recently released a new product and they invited Archie and I to try it out.  Kiddy's new Evolution Pro infant car seat really is one of a kind and we have fallen head over heels for it.  

Unlike other baby car seats, this comes in a large choice of colours and even the outer shell can be brightly coloured.  We went for Jaffa, the bright orange version as I love the shade and it would be perfect for a little boy or girl.  

The car seat comes with

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4 Months In

We are now 4 months in to our new adventure as a family of four and life without the littlest member seems a lifetime ago.

Archie turned 4 months and we hit the classic 4 month sleep regression hard.  Our nights went from one wake up, to hourly feeds from 7 until 6 am and I started to doubt my supply.

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