the aftermath of Christmas.

Not had a chance to post over the last few days. Had such an amazing Christmas with my family. Noah was spoilt rotten. Cant believe how different Christmas feels as a parent. We are now at dans parents house. Dan got a new Xbox so I'll never see him again. Cant wait to go shopping and treat myself. I love the aftermath of Christmas because all you do is relax and use all your new goodies. Noah has come down with a cold so he's not been sleeping great again. Not slept properly in about a week. We had to laugh on Christmas day as by the time everyone else had opened their presents, me and Dan hadn't even touched ours and we're still opened noahs. It's strange sitting down at the dinner table from the first time feeling your son Christmas day. Although the day was twinges with sadness, with it being the first without my grandad, it was still one of my favourite Christmases I've ever had. Hope you all had an amazing day.

you know best

Now if you have ever had a baby, you'll know that health visitors have a lot of do's and don't's.  Your not supposed to have baby in bed with you. Your not supposed to give them food till after 5 months. As a first time mum all this advice can be a godsend. But honestly.... follow your instincts. It's very rare I'll go against advice given to me but sometimes, mummy knows best. I knew my little boy wasn't feeling full after milk at 4 and a half months so I tried him with some baby porridge. It hasn't harmed him in any way. Noah struggled to put on weight after he was born and the Hv told me to see a doctor to make sure he was healthy. This was just before I started giving him food. After that his weight gain got so much better.
It's very rare I'll let him sleep in bed with me but at the moment, with his lack of sleep due to teething, it's the only way to get him to go to sleep and stay asleep. I'll try not to but there comes a point where your too tired to fight it. I take all the necessary precautions e.g pillows by the side, plenty of room between him and me, plenty of room between him and the edge. Luckily I have a big enough bed and my husband will sometimes sleep elsewhere (he has work quite early and doesn't want to wake noah up). I'm not saying that the Hv is wrong but sometimes your instincts will kick in and you know what to do. However I do suggest refraining from letting baby sleep in your bed constantly. Your just making a rod for your own back. Sometimes if there's nothing wrong with your baby, letting them have a little cry doesn't hurt. Noah will sometimes fight his sleep but once he realises he's actually tired, he'll go down a lot easier.
No mum is perfect, but we have these instincts built into us. Don't be afraid to use them.

first cut is the hardest.

So Noah cuts his first tooth today and I think that's why he's not been sleeping too well. Only just feel it but my God it's sharp. No wonder he's screaming, I think I would. I've had to stop writing this a couple of times to calm him down. Strange to think that everyone had this feeling at one time in their lives. Makes me see how big he's getting. He's pulling on my fingers as well, trying to stand up. He's also doing this funny nose where he laughs through his nose. We've been trying to put him in a door bouncer and Walker but he either stands still or walks around in a circle.
Only three more sleeps until Christmas. Feeling so excited. Hope your all enjoying the countdown.

Can santa bring me a silent night!

So Noah is 7 months and we've never had him sleep through the night. I can't remember what it's like to sleep like a regular person. Most of my friends have been saying how great their kids are at night and sleeping through for 8 hours. What's wrong with my child. Going to try some techniques to get him to sleep longer before I go crazy. Last night was horrendous. I had about 4 hours altogether and then he has kept nap time to a minimum.  He gets so miserable and claws at my face it pulls my hair .
I used to hate hearing kids having tantrums on buses or in the street, but now I give them a look of knowing and understanding.

 I finally feel like a mother.

A Christmas of firsts

It's now only 4 days away. It's our first with noah. I'm so excited even though I know noah won't remember it. How is it I'm more excited to sit and open his presents with him then I am to open my own. Definitely think I've overspent on him but who cares. We have so many people over this year. After my grandad passed away at the beginning of the year, i know it's going to be hard, out first Christmas without him. My nan is coming over with my uncle, so she can be with family but I know grandad will be watching us all. He sent me my angel and I know he'd have loved him.
We have family traditions that are strictly followed. We'll open our stocking, then go down and open our main presents. Breakfast is always crossoints and buck fizz, although one year nobody bought them and we were forced to have bacon sandwiches. The day is always happy and filled with laughter, and in my stepdad case, filled with baileys. Next year I'm deviating from traditions and going to my husbands dad's for Christmas day. Looking forward to see how they do it.
The countdown is on.

Who are you to judge

So after being a first time, young mum for seven months, I've come to notice a few things. How we're spoken about. How we are stereotyped. How we are judged. So I decided to start a blog. Somewhere I can vent. It's a place for all mums my age, younger or older can come and give advice, tell a story or, like me, vent their anger.

So here's some of the things that have been said to me since becoming a mother:
•did the father stick around?
•does he know his dad?
•are you planning on getting married?
•did I get married because I was pregnant?
•do you work or claim benefits?

Half of these are stereotypes. Not all young mothers are like this. I do have a job which I plan to return to. I married my baby's father before I got pregnant. But even if I hadn't married him or I didn't have a job, why is it anyone's business. I'm raising my child the best I can. Yes I get help from my parents at home and my mum is amazing, always by my side. I know I can count on my mum and stepdad if I need them. We also get help from my husbands dad and girlfriend. I may not have known them for years but they are just as supportive and helpful We may not all be perfect, but we are just as good of mothers of those older then us. My baby has clean clothes. A house over his head. A bed to sleep in. Food to eat. My blog is to throw stereotypes out the window and finally shine a light on the prejudice to young mothers.