The Baby Toy Set-Up

With baby Rae-Rae getting ever closer, I thought it would be fun to go through our current Set-Ups. We will look at the Nursery, Travel System (pram), Cloth Nappies, Changing Bag, and Baby Toys. Once Rae-Rae has arrived we'll do a look back and see just how under-prepared we really were.

Understandably we are excited for our little girl to get here, so as you can imagine we've already got her an unreasonable number of toys. If I was to go through all of these we could figuratively (and maybe even literally) be here forever. So today I was going to look at one of the toy brands that we've been buying.

So Ruthie and I absolutely love Pebble stuffed toys. We think that they are super cute, but also we just love the story behind them. Starting in Bangladesh, these are hard-wearing, and sustainable toys that provide families with employment.

The moment we found these toys in a little shop we knew we were going to have to get them. My father-in-law bought the first one for us, a beautiful little Gretel doll. Obviously after that we had to get the Hansel doll to go with it. And then I found an awesome knitted snake with a rattle!

When we were shopping around one of the special market events that our town holds we came across a little set that we'd had our eyes one, a cute knitted tea set, complete with teapot, cups, saucers and cakes. I doubt she'll be able to use this for a little while yet but we couldn't leave it.

The final Pebble toy we've got was given to us by a close friend for Ruthie's baby shower. It is a small owl rattle, perfect for tiny baby hands!

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The Changing Bag Set-Up

With baby Rae-Rae getting ever closer, I thought it would be fun to go through our current Set-Ups. We will look at the Nursery, Travel System (pram), Cloth Nappies, Changing Bag, and Baby Toys. Once Rae-Rae has arrived we'll do a look back and see just how under-prepared we really were.

So I am just going to be honest, at the moment I don't have any idea what I am actually going to need to have in my Changing Bag. Like, not the slightest clue.

At the moment I think I'll mostly be using the Cosatto bag that came with the Giggle 2 travel system. It's a small bag, with a decent length strap, and it means that I'll look super fashionable with it slung over the pram's handles.

We've got a pastels-striped Pop-in Change and Go Mat, has a warm and soft area to lay the baby on. It rolls up neatly, but takes up a little more room that a mat that folds up. We opted for this, over the one that came with the bag, because it just felt softer, and we didn't want the mat to be too cold for Rae-Rae.

We've also got two Tots Bots Wet Bags, one with kites, and one with bumbrellas! These seemed like a no-brainer for the out-and-about changes that will be taking place. We liked the cute style of these bags, and the facts that they folded down nicely. They also seemed well made and unlikely to leak, which is obviously very important!

We've got a bottle warmer that came with our other changing bag that we'd previously picked up from Mothercare. I'm not sure how this will hold up once it's in use, if it holds in heat then we'll be using it all the time, but we might have to pick up another one at some point, either to replace it, or to supplement it.

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The Travel System Set-Up

With baby Rae-Rae getting ever closer, I thought it would be fun to go through our current Set-Ups. We will look at the Nursery, Travel System (pram), Cloth Nappies, Changing Bag, and Baby Toys. Once Rae-Rae has arrived we'll do a look back and see just how under-prepared we really were.

We had a good idea of what we were looking for when we started researching prams, pushchairs, and car seats. Preferably we wanted something that was an "all-in-one" system, that  is to say something that we could use for a significant length of time, and something which was compatible with each other.

With that in mind we settled on the Cosatto Giggle 2 travel system. Firstly, we just love the Cosatto designs, they are brightly coloured and look good/sturdy. We decided on the Funfair colour scheme because we thought it looked bright, but gender neutral just in case we have another baby, and I am a sucker for greys and isometric patterns. I also quite liked the use of brushed metal, especially on the little cot as it gives the impression that it strong and protective.

The Cosatto offers an adjustable handle that means that it is comfortable for both Ruthie and I to push, effectively meaning that I won't be bent over using the pram. When we've been practising using the Giggle 2 we've found it easy to use, it glides around without issue, and the option to lock the front wheel in place seems like a useful addition, although I couldn't tell you when it would be useful...

So let's talk about ease of use! Neither Ruthie or I currently drive, which means we needed something that was easy to put up and down for when we decide to brave public transport. Before settling on this, we had practised with another brand and it putting it up/down was a complicated affair. That ins't the case with the Giggle 2, the pram pops off and then with a press of a button it collapses neatly down, perfect for busses and trains.

The final reason we got the Giggle 2 is because it came with a car seat as well (yes, we don't drive at the moment but we are hoping to change that soon). That means it was a great price for everything we needed. It also came with a rather fetching changing bag (one of two that we've got prepped and ready go for when Rae-Rae decides to arrive).

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Dog Treats Tuesday: Frozen Treats

Treats in their silicon tray

The weather here in the UK has been all over the place recently; one day it is tipping it down with rain, the next it's scorching hot. The problem is, when it's hot, it gets really hot in our house and finding away for the dogs to call down can be tricky

With that I mind we decided to knock up some super-cool frozen treats! Making these was really easy, all you need is a cheap stock cube (we used chicken, but beef or vegetable would work too), some peanut butter, water, and something to freeze them in. We decided to make two types of treats, one that was that was just stock, and one that also had peanut butter in it (as Pixel wouldn't eat the plain stock ones).

Left: Peanut Butter and Stock.
Right: Plain Stock

We took one chicken stock cube, broke it up, and dissolved in roughly 400mls of water. Most stock cubes require 200mls of water, but used double that to make sure that the treats weren't too salty. While that water was cooling, we put some peanut butter in the larger moulds, and then once the water had cooled we filled them up. Once you've done this, just pop the trays in the freezer.

It really is as simple as that! Once they've frozen you can feed them directly to your dog, although I'd recommend doing so on a wipe clean surface. Or you can pop it into their water bowls to cool down their drink, and give it a delicious flavour.

So it is easy to give your dogs a cool and delicious treat on those hot days! If you've got any ideas for frozen treats why don't you let me know in the comments below.

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The 35 week aka the Mini-Lop Rabbit update (02.09.2017)

Crunchie Cheesecake

Gosh where do I even begin this week? We've been in to hospital three times! Twice for lack of movement, and once for a scan to make sure Rae-Rae was growing okay. Everything is going okay, in fact she is growing extremely well, weighing in at an estimated 7 pounds already! We've got another hospital appointment, next time with a Consultant because if she keeps growing at this rate then we might need to make some plans... I think we might be considering repacking some of hospital bag bits.

On the Wednesday night my team at work went out for dinner to celebrate the pending baby. I had an awesome time and got some fantastic gifts (a good split between stuff for Rae-Rae and stuff for me). It also gave me a chance to eat at the American BBQ restaurant that I've been desperate to got for a while (take a look at that Crunchie Cheesecake). I've promised Ruthie that we will go once our little girl has been born (and she'll have some more room in her stomach).

The Thursday we had another hypnobirthing class, and it really hammers home just how close we are to the baby getting here. We've finally got our birth plan in mind.

We've also been getting some other stuff ready, like coming up with cleaning schedules, and proper meal plans so that once the baby is here, we can find out routine pretty quickly.

I am looking forward to a more quiet week next week. Hopefully there will be less hospital trips.

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The Cloth Nappy Set-Up

With baby Rae-Rae getting ever closer, I thought it would be fun to go through our current Set-Ups. We will look at the Nursery, Travel System (pram), Cloth Nappies, Changing Bag, and Baby Toys. Once Rae-Rae has arrived we'll do a look back and see just how under-prepared we really were.

So here is a not so fun fact for you all: It is estimated that it can take up to 500 years for a standard disposable nappy to degrade in a landfill. I am not going to pretend that I am super hot on recycling, and that I was automatically leaning toward cloth nappies because they just look awesome. But I mean, 500 years? At the rate that babies go through their nappies too. I just couldn't bring myself to add to that. Now I know that people use disposable nappies for a variety of reasons, and I am not here to moralise you on the subject, but I would ask you all to consider using reusable nappies for your children, especially if you are in a position to do so.

So the one draw back to using cloth nappies can be the upfront cost of getting everything you need. In the long run it costs less than disposables, but you do need to front most of that at the beginning. We knew that we were going to be using cloth nappies before we got pregnant, and we buying up everything we could as soon as we found out we were expecting. The joys of the cloth nappies market is that there are plenty of pre-loved nappies, and we got some of those, and some new ones to bring our stash together.

The majority of our pre-loved nappies are Tots Bots EasyFit Star all-in-one style nappies. Ours came in pretty good condition, and after a a couple of washes, and one evening spent cleaning the velcro, these are ready to go. As these are second-hand the style is no longer available from Tots Bots, but I have to say I am very happy that they are fairy-tale themed. These seem pretty thick, and absorbent so I am hoping that they will be good for the overnight stretch.

We also purchased a set of Little Lamb Onesize Pocket Nappies. These are mostly in bold block colours, but we've also bough a few Hawaiian shirt themed ones. These use poppers not just to adjust the size, but also to fasten them closed.

We have dithered on the subject of newborn cloth nappies. At first we thought we'd pick up some biodegradable ones and call it a day, but after doing a little more research we decided to take the plunge and buy some newborn reusables. When considering containment and seepage (something nobody wants to think about) we decided that two-pieces nappies were the best, with an absorbent centre and outer waterproof wrap. We've purchased a mixture of Little Lamb Bamboo and Microfibre nappies, Bamboo are extremely absorbent but slow to dry, while the Microfibre hold less but come out of the washing machine practically dry.

To cover the Little Lamb nappies we've bought some Motherease Rikki Wrap Covers which combine nicely with the Little Lambs to (supposedly) provide a leak-free experience. We liked these covers partly for the aesthetic but also the apparent ease of use, going on suggestions we found online. In the end we got a couple of these in different sizes so that we will be properly covered until she is big enough for the all-in-ones.

Bonus: So I am throwing this on the end here as I've got nowhere better to put it! We are going to be using reusable wipes too (at least in the house). After doing a bit of research we found that most people suggest using the Terrycloth wipes for bums instead of the microfibe ones (something which I think could be clearer). We've gone for Cheeky Wipes Terrycloths, coupled with their wet-box for clean wipes, and a lavender essential oil. The plan  is to just throw the used cloths in the pail along with the used nappy.

Well that's everything! I'll do a follow-up when she gets here, looking at whether everything went as we planned.

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The "We Spent the Afternoon in a Hospital" Update

Just a quick update today. We've spent the afternoon in hospital as Rae-Rae hasn't been moving much. Ultimately they were happy with everything and they let us go home. Unsurprisingly we are knackered.

I'm just so incredibly grateful that we have the NHS. It is quite simply amazing that we have access to this sort of health care, that's available whenever we need it.

So that's it, everything is okay, just tired. So I don't know about you guys but I am ready for the Great British Bake Off.

The 34 week aka the Quokka update (27.08.2017)

We here we are, another week closer to my little girl getting here! I'm definitely beginning to feel terrible impatient but there you go. We've spent the last week buying the last few bits that we needed, including some reusable wipes, some newborn reusable nappies and a rather soft and warm changing matt for our travel bag.

I've not got too much to add to the update this week, things are sort of plodding along at their own pace and we've not really been up to too much. One thing we are both looking forward to when Rae-Rae gets here is getting back on top of our diets and health. Sure, we've been eating pretty good since finding out we were pregnant but I know I've certainly let my exercise regime slip a little, and I think Ruthie is ready to feel less heavy and weighed down.

Knowing that I am going to have a chunk of time off when Rae-Rae gets here has inspired me to looking to doing more things around the house, simple stuff like painting our front door, to more complicate stuff like making our own lactation-boosting foods or creating our own home-made cleaning stuffs.

So I will see you guys next week for the 35 week update, which puts us close to what I am "affectionately" calling the danger zone!

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The 33 week aka the Ferret Update (19.08.2017)

Well it has been quite a week. I'll warn you all now, this update is mostly going to be me praising the NHS because they've just been absolutely amazing.

We've had reduced movements from Rae-Rae, starting last week, and culminating on Sunday when we decided to go into Hospital. Ruthie was hooked up to a fetal heart-monitor and we spent the next hour or so monitoring her heart-rate and her movements. I am thankful to say that they were happy with everything and we were discharged, but we were promised that we would be contacted about an additional scan as this is the second case of low movements.

On Monday Ruthie gets a call saying that she was booked in for a scan that afternoon. They say that everything appears normal, and that Rae-Rae is growing in the way that they would expect. While being perfectly fine, our little girl is apparently quite large already, weighing in at an estimated 5lb which is a whole extra pound more than most babies at this point. While I was glad that everything was okay with the scan, I was a little sad as this was the first scan that I've missed. Due to the last minute nature, and owing to other pre-birth obligations later in the week it would of been hard to get there. I do wish that I could have seen my nearly fully grown girl.

On Thursday we began our hypno-birthing classes (provided to us for free through the NHS). I wasn't sure what to expect before heading into this, I guess I imagined some New Age rubbish that was five minutes away from breaking out the healing crystals, but I wrong. The class focuses on getting the mother into the right frame of mind as they approach labour and birth. By teaching techniques that keep the mother calm, it helps to minimise the pain and trauma that some women experience in childbirth. Now obviously I am not the intended audience for the majority of the stuff that they are teaching, but I do believe that it will be great for Ruthie, especially is she is currently planning to have a more "natural" childbirth. After our second or third class I might post a little more about the whole thing.

Work has been tough this week, I've been doing extended hours on most days to cover the time that I will miss for the hypno-birthing classes, which has led me to feel like I've not been supporting Ruthie enough, especially when I am ratty and tired. Lots of people say "you think you're tired now" or "its getting you ready for when the baby here", and I have to admit that I tend to bite back a sarcastic or flippant comment. I know I will be tired when Rae-Rae is here, but I don't think there is an equivalence seeing as we both have time off at the beginning to look after her. I'm also feeling a little frustrated by not knowing when things are going to happen. I mean I know that if is born on time, or early, then anything can happen in the next 7 weeks. This has left me feeling caught in a sort of limbo, my birthday is in October and I am not sure about what to plan, I am not sure how far from home we could comfortable travel at weekends in case anything happens. I know it is my nerves nibbling at me but I am just beginning to feel impatient.

On the whole though it has been a good week. We've planned out our newborn nappy system, so I am looking forward to getting those, but more about that next week. This week you can look forward to our 8lb+ cloth nappy set-up!

Fun fact: Rae-Rae is now the size of a (fat) ferret!

 

The Nursery Set-Up

With baby Rae-Rae getting ever closer, I thought it would be fun to go through our current Set-Ups. We will look at the Nursery, Travel System (pram), Cloth Nappies, Changing Bag, and Baby Toys. Once Rae-Rae has arrived we'll do a look back and see just how under-prepared we really were.

We wanted a nice, light coloured room in a sort of Scandinavian style. As we started the nursery before we knew the gender we stuck with gender neutral colours, specifically going with light blue, white, and grey, as well as allowing for natural wood tones.

Not having a particularly large house we tried to be as conservative with our space as possible, making sure that we got our cot, changing table, and wardrobe in, and fitting anything in around those.

The first thing we bought was our Baby Box from the Baby Box Company. We knew that as long as we had then whatever else happened our little girl would have somewhere to sleep. Originally we were planning to move the box around the house as we needed it but since then someone from our church kindly donated a Moses basket which has been set up downstairs, so the Baby Box is now sitting in the cot.

The cot, changing table, and shelves are from Ikea. Reasonably priced and sturdy, we didn't fancy breaking the bank on these items. That said I am very happy about their appearance and think they suit the rooms colour. What I particularly like is that the changing table has lots of little hooks and trays to (hopefully) make the changing experience easier. We opted to use  the bottom shelf to display our Cloth Nappies. We'd toyed with the idea of placing them away but actually preferred the idea of being able to select what nappy you wanted, especially as our nappy stash is made up of different brands.

We spent a little more on the wardrobe. From the moment Ruthie spotted it she knew that we had to have it for the nursery. By Mama & Papas, it is from the Lawson range which blends together white and wood in the perfect rustic combination. Like with the changing table, what we liked about the clothes rail is that we are able to see of the different outfits that we could put on Rae-Rae. We spend so much time, and energy (and money) on picking out clothes for our baby, we just wanted to be able to see them. The flat bottom of the rail also gives you space for more storage, lots of people opt to use it for blankets, or shoes, but we decided that it was better suited for the small army of soft toys (shout out to Lotso, Rex, Elmer and Stitch).





So with the big set-pieces out of the way, we decided to pick up bits and bobs as we found them. As mentioned above we purchased our shelves from Ikea, and they have been perfect for displaying books and soft toys.

Hansel, Gretel, a snake, an owl, and a cow with some books

We also found a lovely small set of house-shaped shelves in a shop called The Range. These were absolutely perfect for filling in some empty wall space that we had above the changing table. We filled one with our Disney Tsum-Tsum collection, and the other houses Boris the Bear (I have been told the rainbow llama cannot live on-top of the house and he has since been moved).

Wanting to inject a little more colour into the room, I picked up lovely thick rug from Flying Tiger Copenhagen (which is sort of like Ikea, but for tat, and it has to be one of my favourite shops). As you can see from the picture below we also swapped out the cots handles for some brightly colour animals, also from Tiger.

Judy, an Alien, and the Cheshire cat sitting on the rug 

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The 32 Week aka Naked-Tailed Armadillo Update (12.08.2017)

The dogs were tired after the visit.

So today Ruthie is 32 weeks along. That is a bit weird to think about, that the time has absolutely flown by, and now we are closing in at 8 weeks left, it seems like it hasn't really been long enough. We've still got some things to be, we've been stocking up on bio-degradable nappies, but are now discussing the idea of stock up on some reusable ones too. We also want to buy some reusable wipes too, but are just waiting for the money to do so.

I know that Ruthie is beginning to feel fed up now, and who could blame her, Rae-Rae has got to be getting heavy. Personally I just cannot wait for her to be here. I don't think we are ever going to be more prepared for her, so whenever she comes I'll be happy enough.

One of the things that's been playing on my mind recently is how the dogs will be with a baby, and we were lucky enough to have a one year-old visit us recently. While I was a little nervous about it, the introduction was easy enough, and they were simply amazing. The whole time the baby was here they were patient and gentle. It left me knowing that Pixel and Dora will be good with Rae-Rae, they will be around her as she grows up, and she will learn their body language and cues. 

Fun fact: Rae-Rae is the size of a Naked-Tailed Armadillo!

So here it is then, the 8 week countdown.

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