5 things I have learned about breastfeeding a toddler

Many of us don't set out to breastfeed into toddlerhood, it is just something that seems to happen to us.  We start off with a newborn, who quickly becomes a baby and before we know it, that baby is walking, talking and well and truly a toddler.  The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding until at least 2 years old and I think most people that reach that milestone will recognise these things . . .

When you attend a breastfeeding workshop during pregnancy and they told you there is no 'right way up' for a baby to breastfeed,  you didn't really understand.  Now as you sit with your toddler's bum in your face you finally get it.  The cradle and the rugby ball position are things of the past, you now have the spinning wheel, the stand and lean and the tornado. It is clearly the best time to practice toddler yoga though and you are secretly a bit impressed that she can feed balanced with only one leg on the floor and one finger up your nose.

Toddler tantrums reach a new level as your little nursling starts ripping at your t-shirt and clawing at your breasts because you aren't offering them milk whilst queueing at the post office.  You realise it is never to early to start teaching them manners!  Some mother's choose to impose boundaries like only feeding at home, only feeding at night and others continue to nurse on demand (I have done it both ways) but you know how urgently a toddler can suddenly need milk.

You have defended your decision publically and you have a speech all worked up in your head ready for anyone who questions you.  Breastfeeding is protected by law and you have the right to feed wherever you like - something that you are well versed in by this point.

The dilemma over what to call it seems to begin once your toddler utters his or her first word.  Every toddler seems to call it something different (and I don't think we always get to choose it).  Mummy milk, boobies or something else? (My toddler just says molk at the moment).  Which one are you most comfortable with them yelling across Tesco?

That at the end of the day when you are utterly exhausted, there is nothing better than feeling their little body calm and warm against yours.  You watch their eyes fighting sleep as the milk flows and they slowly drift off in your arms just as they did as a tiny baby.  It is enough to get you through another day of boob gymnastics.

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Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan (Giveaway)

Every pregnancy and birth is different and no book can ever completely prepare you for the huge life changes.  Rebecca Schiller, CEO of birthrights has written a guide to pregnancy and not in the typical fruit comparison way.  Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan walks you through the physical and emotional changes that pregnancy brings as well as preparing you for birth and having a tiny human being completely dependent on you.

I know that during my first pregnancy I was so concerned with the stages of development that I never really stopped to wonder what life would be like when he finally arrived.  I went in to labour naive as to what would happen and I was lucky that it was all pretty straightforward.  Looking back now, there are things I wish I had known and Rebecca's book discusses them all.

The book encourages you to take control, to make your own decisions and to find out all the information you need in order to do it.  I think it makes a great gift for an expectant mother and I wish it had been around 7 years ago when I was pregnant for the first time.

I have three copies to give away today and entry is simple via this rafflecopter form.  If you are pregnant or know somebody who is then make sure you enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A Mermaid Themed Bedroom

I have been so excited about the prospect of decorating a bedroom for Cora and I decided that a mermaid theme fitted her personality and style as well as been fun to shop for! Cora loves the water and the beach and she pushes away in the pool, wanting to swim off by herself (although lacking the skills to actually do this).  The room ended up being very girly and coastal with a few mermaid accessories but I love the coastal vibes, the coral and gold and the little touches of turquoise sea.

Valspar provided us with some paint in their 'nursery colour of the year', Rabbit's Foot and I love the colour.  It works perfect as a base for this coastal room and it is so unisex on its own and I think by changing a few accessories we could create a completely different room.  The paint is washable and stain resistant (as well as coming in over 2,000 shades) which is ideal for a toddler's bedroom too!

All the walls are painted with Rabbit's Foot and I used a pure white wood paint to touch up the skirting boards which were looking very yellow! I bought some gold spots to make a feature wall behind her bed and I love how they add a bit of fun to the room.  (There is a list at the bottom of the post with where I bought everything from).

I loved the idea of having shelving with some pretty things on (these have been placed out of cora's reach) and I love how they have turned out.  The beautiful mermaid print was designed especially for Cora and the shells in the jar are ones we collected together at the beach last week.  There is a tiny jar with some sand from our favourite beach too which we found for sale in a local independent shop and it seemed like the perfect finishing touch to the shelves.

It wasn't easy finding a plain coloured cot bed duvet set but I eventually tracked this down which is perfect for the room. 

When I was looking for inspiration on pinterest I found the most beautiful room with a gorgeous wooden mermaid on the walls. I couldn't find anything quite like it but whilst searching I did come across this wooden wall hook which is now hanging on the wall for some of her jumpers.

I wanted to create a little cosy corner where Cora can sit and read books or play with her toys, and where we can snuggle up to feed in the evenings.  I have ordered a giant floor cushion to go underneath but it hasn't turned up yet.  I found three lovely cushions and a little storage basket and we already love cuddling up here with a book.

I have kept the room simple with all white furniture (plus this is what we already had) and I love the end result.  I think her room is calm, colourful and perfect for my little water loving girl.  I have listed below where I bought everything. 

The paint - Valspar Rabbits Food

The gold spots - Etsy

The shell cushion - Matalan

The mermaid doll - Little Lapins

The shelving - Ebay

The green jar - Etsy

The mermaid print on the shelves - Lois Gunn

The mermaid print on the windowsill - Etsy

The waves - Babipur

The gold letter C - Next

The gold pot - Dunelm Mill

The curtains - Look Again

The cushions -Wilkos

The storage basket - Vertbaudet

The Mermaid plaque with hooks - Ebay

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This post is in collaboration with Valspar

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First Wonder Box Review

Is there anything more exciting when you are five and six than getting your own post?  We have been working with First Wonder Box to check out their dinosaur box and it was a huge hit with them both! First Wonder Box is a subscription box service aimed at children aged 4-8 years old and each one has a theme from dinosaurs, to under the sea to bugs.  They are small enough to fit through the letterbox but big enough to be full of fun.

I was a little nervous when it arrived as we have tried a few boxes and they needed a lot of adult imput which is lovely, but I have been looking for something that the boys can do a little more independently too.  First Wonder Box has a great balance, especially for Dylan, 6 (Archie's reading skills means he still needed a lot of help).  We looked through it together, but I could leave him to explore further alone if I wanted to.  The box had 

-Two collector cards

-stickers

-an activity book

-a pterodactyl mini kite

-a small stretchy dinosaur

-A pencil and rubber

-A scratch art dinosaur

-The box which turns into a game.

The boxes are priced at £7.99 although you can get your first box for half price and I think it is a great price! Dylan got stuck straight in with the scratch art, something we haven't done before but he loved!  The kite has been put away for the next windy weekend and he loved the collector cards, although he would have liked some more cool facts on them.

The activity book is great as it has plenty of games alongside facts and information so it is educational and kept him busy for ages! The pencil and rubber meant it was ready to go and I would definitely consider buying something like this for travelling and holidays for that reason!  

The boys loved playing the board game too which we probably played about 10 times that first day! Everything you needed was included and it is a great use of materials.  We were also sent an under the sea box which had a game of memory you could cut out on the box which has also been played with loads!

The age range suggested is 4-8 years, and I think this is quite accurate.  At 6, 7 and 8 the child will be able to do the box pretty independently, and at 4 and 5 it is definitely something nice to do with them.  Most subscription boxes are more craft based than this one, however we liked the balance of information with activities.  Overall we were really impressed and both boys have asked if we can get them again!  You can order your first box for £3.99  on the First Wonder Box website

 The post is in collaboration with First Wonder Box 

but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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Me and Mine in May

I have had so many opportunities to get a family photo this month, but it took until about 6pm today to actually get us all in front of the camera for a last minute snap and I think you can see how tired we all are! May has been a month of sunshine (mostly) and showers, beach trips and shorts, sunglasses and pimms.  It feels like we waited forever for this half term at the very end of the week and now we are just impatient for that long six week break we know is coming.

May has been quietly busy and whilst we haven't been anywhere special, we have been out a lot, spending most of the month outside at parks, beaches and woods.  The children have spent all their spare time in the garden which is slowly getting to how we want it and there have been more muddy knees and grass stains than I can count.

This was the month we decided to give potty training a go for not one child, but two.  Both Finn and Cora are now wearing pants and most days it is going really well, although it is definitely a slower process than with their big brothers.

So here is our family photo for May and a little update on us all

This month I have loved a bit of childfree times, watching 'Life of the Party' at the cinema, seeing how well my babies are doing at potty training and being barefoot at the beach.

Ed has loved seeing his friends at a wedding, choosing a reusable coffee cup (a bigger deal than you can imagine!), bbq weather and gardening with the children,

Dylan has loved hatching baby chicks at school, ice cream at the beach, making fruity (bear) yoyos from scratch and reading Horrid Henry's bodies book.

Archie has loved digging up mud in the garden, playdates with his friends after school, lots of outdoors play and pork pies.

Finn has loved going on the big slide at swimming, choosing his big boy pants every morning, the roundabout on the beach and having tea at nursery.

Cora has loved outdoor baths in the garden, playing with her little cousin Oscar, playing chase with her brothers/friends/anyone that will get involved and taking her babies for walks.

We are all hoping the sunshine returns for June!

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What the Kids Wore // Nununu

Ed and I met at a rock music festival and we seem to have passed on the love of music, metal and dancing to the children.  Archie asks for heavy metal as soon as we get in the car and Finn and Cora will dance to just about anything.  I love Nununu clothing as it reminds me of Ed and I when we first met.  Their summer range is fun, playful, minimalist and perfect to rock out in.

I took these photos on the way to the beach earlier in the week and they make me think of what is to come in the teenage years.  Cora's potential boyfriends or girlfriends will have three big brothers to convince and I think they are going to be pretty protective of her!  They already call her their princess (A term I really don't like and never use) and this black dress is the perfect princess dress for this little fierce girl of mine.  The inside is soft and comfortable and the netting makes it super fun and girly.

Archie is a big fan of having his letter on a t-shirt and this vest is perfect for the summer and with a big A on the front, you can't go wrong! The shorts are comfy and cool and will be perfect for protecting his knees if he learns to skateboard this summer (He is desperate to learn)

And Finn's long shorts remind me so much of the boys in my teenage years.  They have a slightly distressed look and I think he looks awesome in them! I tried to convince the boys to stand the other way round in the photos so it read A to Z but these children know their own mind and were having none of it! I love the way they came out though, these determined little individuals, full of character and rocking their Nununu clothes.

Finn Wears 3-4 (his normal size), Archie is in 4-5 (he is usually in 5-6) and Cora is in 12-18 months (her usual size) and we find this dress quite slim fitting.  I find their sizing pretty true and their clothes are really hardwearing. We already have a lot of Nununu in their wardrobes and love how well it wears and how versatile it is.

You can see more on the Nununu website.  These clothes were gifted to us in exchange for this blog post but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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An Ordinary Day at the Beach

These four, they are a team.  They are a little gang of small people, the leader often changes as do the dynamics and my gosh do they like to squabble but underneath it all is a friendship that nothing will break.  They have their own personalities, strong opinions and unique perspectives but together they are strong and I love watching the way they react to each other.

This was just an ordinary half term day but we had no plans and the sun was shining so the beach seemed like the obvious choice.  Ed was working and so it was just this gang and I which always prompts comments every few metres as we walk to the coast about 'having my hands full' (I totally do!).  We had the wagon packed with buckets and spades, water and swimwear and we had nowhere else to be.  

I think the freedom of the beach always puts them in a good mood.  The sea and sky seem endless, there is nobody showing them how to play or what to do, they are just given tools and left to create their own games.  I think their favourite at the moment has to be throwing rocks into the sea.  I will never understand how it can create so much enjoyment and entertain them for so long, but they can't resist the temptation of throwing and watching their rocks splash in the cold British sea.  They run in and out of the waves, kick the water in the air and splash with their fingers and they smile and laugh as they do it.

The day wasn't all perfect, but this moment was and looking back, that is what I want to remember.  The way the big two competed, both thinking they had won, the way they encouraged their younger siblings, showing how to throw underarm, and the way they praised them for trying.  The way they giggled as they did it, Archie doing a silly dance in between each throw.  The way Cora counted rocks 'three, three, three', the way Dylan checked them all thoroughly to find the best ones and the way Finn picked only the biggest ones, telling me he was so strong every time he lifted one.

As much as I love recording the big moments and the milestones, I wanted to make more of an effort to write down the little ones too and I hope one day the children can look back on the memories we made and remember the fun of their childhood.

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