An essential for Baby Sign Language

I recently posted about baby sign language. I mentioned how effective it has been for my 12 month old - she can communicate simple things instead of getting frustrated at me for not understanding. I was contacted about a brilliant little book called SuperHands to see if I would like a copy to help at home. I had to share it, it's fantastic!

 

As you can see from the photos I took, it's an illustrated dictionary. There are 40 of the most commonly used signs included. I love the illustrations, as does Eve. The pages are thick so she happily sits there perusing the images.

I read through the book and had an initial practice in about 10 minutes. I looked at it again the following day and realised I remembered them all. I think this is down to not only the illustrations but the short description of the actions. It helped me make associations and therefore made it much easier than an of the other articles I have read on baby signing.

At the back of the book there is a poem and a song with the signs - Eve LOVED these. She kept tapping the book for me to do it again (she has yet to master the sign for 'again'). There rare also tips and information bubbles throughout the book which are very useful and informative.

So far she knows:

Milk
Cookie
Thank you
Please
Bird
Drink
Hungry
Finished
Book

This is making our day to day life so much easier. To be honest, it will be a godsend when the new baby arrives. Eve has been getting frustrated for the past few months since she only know a few words but yet she knows what she wants. This book is perfect for people with babies and parents in a similar situation. I was expecting to have to put in a bit of slog to learn it myself, but this certainly was not the case. As I said, it took ten minutes.

I introduce one sign at a time so it's not over-whelming. Eve seems to pick up the association immediately but it can take her a few days to use the sign herself. For example, when I taught her milk and used the sign, she ran over to me and pointed at the fridge if that is what she wanted. If she didn't want it she put her hand up at me and walked off. After three days she started to use the sign herself.

I highly recommend!

For more information on Superhands Baby Sign Language check out their website link!

A spot of baby shopping...

Poor bump has no new clothes yet but Eve has been shopping like a mad little woman :)

The first dress is from Next. It was a birthday gift and I love it! I think it  might be sold as a top but on Eve it's a dress...for now.  The white one is hand embroidered and was a pressie from Mexico. It's beautiful on!

I went rooting for sun hats that tie on. There were oddles of choices for newborns but not a whole lot for toddlers. The red strawberry one, which is reversible was €9 from Debenhams. The beige safari and pink hat are from H&M €2.95 each.

I can't remember the name for the style of these - a dress which has legs :) I got so much use out of these last year on holiday, they are so light and airy. My sister picked this gorgeous one up for Eve for her birthday. It is adorable one.

Eve has is walking and running at this stage so on days when she's at home mucking around I tend to leave her in leggings - dresses got caught when she's trying to climb. It's a monkey I have, not a baby :) This top is so simple but really pretty and elegant on. The material is really nice. The leggings are navy and white fine stripes. Both are from Next.

These were so cheap - both from H&M. Each item was about €3!

 

Top is from H&M €4.95

 

 

This dress was €6.95 from H&M - yes, that's the full price. Adorable on.

Socks €1.75 per pack of three from Dunnes

Romper is from Dunnes (€10 for a set of two) and Next €11

I can't believe how cheap the clothes are in H&M. So much cheaper than Dunnes and yet miles nicer. My local Dunnes has awful tacky stuff lately and they are a rip-off when you consider the quality of what you're buying.

In other news H&M in the Pavillions, Swords, now sells maternity Woo Hoo!

26 Weeks Pregnant & Bump Photos

 Before I get started GIVEAWAY TIME!! :) To celebrate the launch of Snow White & The Huntsman Universal Pictures Ireland have given me goody bags & exclusive tickets to the premier to giveaway. It's super easy to enter! http://www.makeupandbeauty.ie/

Back to business :)

Here I am at 26 weeks pregnant:

Weight Gain - So far I have gained 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. I think this is a little behind and am a little concerned. My doctor has reassured me that every person and pregnancy is different. The baby is growing fine and is on target for my frame - by this, I think her was referring to the fact that the baby measured about 6 days smaller than average at my 20 weeks anomaly scan. The sonographer assured me this was perfectly normal for my build and height. Meanwhile, I'm eating up a storm with a focus on the quality and variety of the food I choose.


Baby Brain - You may have read my previous post on the end of my baby brain thanks to a supplement. If not, scroll down. It's gone! Woo Hoooooooooo!!!

Maternity Clothes - Still in my own clothes for now. I have no desire to purchase maternity clothes. I'm already thinking about buying stuff after baby arrives :) I was very excited about maternity clothes on my first pregnancy though, think the novelty wore off as my pregnancies were so close together.

Maternity/Nursing Bra's - Two words, ugly and expensive. I hate them with a passion. I also detest the fact that once you go above a D cup, the straps get thicker and even uglier. I have yet to find one that gives me a nice shape under my clothes. Any recommendations welcome! So far I have been disappointed by bras from Debenhams, Marks and Spencers, Mariella Fostrop and Mothercare.


Braxton Hicks Contractions - yay, practice contractions have arrived. I tend not to notice them at home because I can stop and sit but they are a tad more annoying when I'm in the supermarket with bags and babies attached to me.

Niggly Pains - Sciatic pinch, the occasional leg cramp and a niggly ache under my right rib (need to keep an eye on that one!) It's all fun. Isn't it mad that you take all this stuff in your stride when pregnant! Men really would die if they were the baby growers ha ha.

Maternity Swimwear - I'm heading away to the sun next month so I'm starting to think of my wardrobe. I'm not going to shop until the week I travel - you never know when rapid growth, weight gain and swelling can land on your door step! I'm thinking maxi- dresses for evening for one reason only. Swelling. I don't want puffy ankles on show and they'll be almost guaranteed after a flight during the third trimester.


Insurance - I've just learned that my annual multi-trip insurance doesn't cover maternity. It covers me to fly but not if I need care of intervention. Anybody any ideas?

Nausea - It has returned this week. In my first pregnancy I had a few rough weeks in the beginning but at ten weeks pregnant it all disappeared. This time I had nausea and occasional vomiting until about 20 weeks. It went away but seems to have returned - this is the 7th day of it, so I doubt it's anything to do with food. It doesn't bother me that much though, I'm too busy.


All in all, a good week. Swelling is on the rise though which I hate! Can't believe I will soon have another baby. It feels like brand new information :)

How is everyone?

A Supplement to End Baby Brain!!

You may have read my post on my recent 'baby brain'. I could barely think clearly besides string a sentence together. Well, no more!

I feel like screaming from the roof tops with delight. I CAN THINK AGAIN!!!!

Unfortunately baby brain didn't pass by itself. I had to take matters into my own hands. I was chatting to a nurse about how bad my memory and concentration had gotten and she told me that the secret was Omega. Apparently the nugget takes most of the omega from my body and I'm left with nothing. Now I know Pregnacare Plus and Max have an Omega supplement suitable for pregnancy but the levels are not high enough for some. I was taking Pregnacare Max and noticed no difference, it also makes me feel nauseous.

Another thing I should point out is that most Omega supplements are not suitable for pregnancy. They contain dangerous levels of Vitamin A - which is something to do with the part of the fish the oil is extracted from...ick. Let's not get into that, I'm already feeling queezy today. 

Enter my savior!

I picked up this box of Prenatal MorDHA in my local pharmacy. It has 80% Omega-3, the highest DHA formula. It's designed with pregnancy and breastfeeding in mind but they sell different varieties. I can't believe the difference in my concentration and memory. I'm done with Seven Sees and Pregnacare. I bought my box for €30 in McCabes for a two month supply. It is worth every penny in my books.  

The manufacurer is Minami Nutrition or those hunting for it. In the interest of convenience I googled the product to see where it was available internationally. US -  iHerb for $25.20. UK - I would say go to your pharmacy first (£27.95 on 1stVitality.co.uk).

I also bought the baby version for Eve - it's strawberry flavour but judging by her face it still tastes gross. I snip the capsule and add it into her drink/yoghurt. I only give it to her every other day as I'm confident she has a balanced diet. I'm still on the fence as to whether I would repurchase the baby one.

I'm using my new found brain power to read like a mad woman (post coming tomorrow).

I feel like Supergirl!

How is everyone?

Amy x

25 Weeks Pregnant & Bump Pic

I am now 25 weeks pregnant and to be honest when I published last weeks post I was wondering if enough would change between then and today to write another. How much can change is seven days? A lot as it turns out.

So here's me at 25 weeks....

 

 

No maternity clothes for me today. Top is from Zara, Cardigan is from Mango and khaki skinny jeans  are from Topshop (can't believe they closed, it felt like a miracle)

Issues and delights this week

Movement The kicks are now hoofs and shoves. I love it. Except when there is a little foot on my bladder. There have been a few near emergencies as a result of those little feet this week. I love that my grandmother refers to these kicks as 'feeling life'. Her generation always ask me that. Lovely really.

Size The bump is now a shelf. It has become useful not only to grow humans but also as a book rest in bed, magazine rest in the bath and a 12 month old's seat. So far all of the bump is round and in the front. According to my pregnancy app my uterus is now the size of a basketball, the top of which is two inches above my belly button (which still hasn't popped). Well this week, I really feel like I'm smuggling a basket ball under my t-shirt.

Pain I had an awful time with tailbone pain between 20 and 28 weeks during my first pregnancy. I thought I had gotten off lightly this time round when I reached 20 weeks and was still pain free. As I always say, smugness is the devil. Five days ago it started. I saw a physiotherapist on my first pregnancy about the issue which is apparently due to a small fracture and the weight of my uterus pressing on it. Fun. The good news is that it goes away, well at least it did the last time, once the baby grew and changed position.


Dizziness I woke this morning feeling so dizzy that the floor felt like it was parallel to my ear. I elevated my legs, had a snack and a glass of juice. Nothing. It lasted six hours. I had plenty of light headedness at the beginning of my pregnancy but this was different. It was so severe that it made it hard to function. It reminded me of when I had pre-eclampsia. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen this time round. At the moment I have a one in two chance. Boo! I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow so I'm praying there is no protein in my urine and my blood pressure is normal. Otherwise, prepare for the return of swollen Amy.


Excitement I mentioned last week that I had a freaker moment about having two babies under two. Well this week I feel overwhelmingly delighted about a newborn.


Breastfeeding I'm going to do a full post on my experiences here as there is so much to share but let me say for now that I can't wait to nurse again!


Need for change At 18 weeks pregnant on Eve I felt this overwhelming need to change stuff. I got my hair cut. I cried. A lot. This week this urge to change and move things has hit again. I made my mum swear that if I ever got pregnant again she was never to cut my hair, no matter how convincing I sounded. I'm thinking that if I have my extensions removed and a trim that might do it. I am also feeling the need to re-decorate, clear out and basically wreck the house.

Blogging It is my sanctuary! I have been blogging daily on my beauty blog and trying to update here as much as possible. I have also got the bug to record videos. I was feeling a little flat about it for a while but seem to have renewed excitement.

Thanks for listening to all my waffling :) Tis' good to talk!

How are all of you doing?

Amy x

Missing wine...

I came across an interesting article online called Can you really enjoy non-alcolic wine? I have never even heard of such a wonderous thing. Non-alcoholic beer, sure, but I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

Now, you may be wondering why a pregnant woman in concerning herself with such beverages. Well, I have been known to enjoy a cool glass of dry white wine on occasion - especially if I have access to fresh bread and basil. It's also coming into juicy tomato season and well, wine is a necessary companion. I don't actually drink that much at all, I'm a complete light weight, but I love wine with food.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I did miss it during my first pregnancy. I remember sitting in a restaurant eyeing up a ladies chilled glass and I practically drooled. I planned to have a glass of savignon blanc in my hand to celebrate the baby's arrival but after an induction, labour and then the emergency c-section after she wouldn't come out I was delighted to see tea and toast. And then came the breastfeeding so I didn't bother drinking (I chanced my arm one night after expressing and died of a hang over for 2 days. End of that.) I had great  plans to explore wine after I weaned Eve but low and behold I'm preggers again.

Back to non-alcoholic wine. I'm in.

I bought this bottle of Carl Jung in my local Superquinn for €6. They also had a sweet white, a medium white and a red. I'm a divil for a bit of sparkle though so it had to be this one! It's medium dry which will do as I hate sweet wine. Off to taste...

30 minutes later...

Grape juice. That's all it is. Bleh!

For me, wine is all about bringing out the flavour in food so this is pretty useless. It's more like something you would drink with a Sunday brunch.

I stayed at the Station House Hotel in Meath a few weeks ago. They have an award winning restaurant so I was dying for dinner. It felt wrong to embark on a three course meal sans wine so I ordered a bottle of non-alcolohic white wine called Ariel. Grape juice again, just not fizzy this time. Dinner was fabulous though and their afternoon tea is divine. I met a lovely girl who worked there that approached me to say she reads my Bump Blog - what a small world! She is also expecting a baby - Congratulations Joanne!

You may be wondering about the ingredients - Dealcoholised wine, sugar, carbon dioxide, preservatives, ascorbic acid, sulphur dioxide. Now, this means nothing to me but you may be wiser.

Any recommendations?? Do you miss a tipple?

Baby Books - Useful or the Devil?

I'll just dive right in. I have a ridiculous amount of pregnancy and baby books. I have a problem.

Some of these have been given to me from friends and family as gifts but the vast majority I have picked up since Eve was born. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with baby books, hence the blog post.

I plan to review these books and discuss their merits in a more detailed blog post later this week. But before I do so I felt the need to have a little rant about my attitude and experience with these books. I would also love to know what your thoughts are on the matter.

Useful or the devil?

The use of the word 'devil' might seem extreme but I have found myself cursing some of these books on occasion - I have also thrown one off the bed in a huff (take a guess which one that was!).

Have they been useful to me? Without a doubt, yes. There have been times that I've found myself at my wits end, confused, unsure of where to go next etc and I have always found solace in one of these, if not an answer. Last week for example, Eve woke three nights in a row at 3am (unheard of for Eve), not hungry but wide awake. I knew it was probably something simple so I picked up two of my books and went the appropriate section - both authors spoke about this being a common issue for babies at Eve's age and after walking starts. They recommended I cut back her morning nap by a few minutes. It took me 5 minutes to consult my books and problem solved.

Unfortunately it's not always that simple. Actually, it usually isn't. There is far too much information. It's overwhelming. Before I had Eve a friend gave me The Contented Little Baby Book  by Gina Ford. I have since come to understand that Gina is highly controversial. I can see why. When I read the book, I was terrified - routines timed down to the minute, babies who nap in only complete darkness, not going out around naps, feedings etc, breastfeeding timetables. Terrifying. I will talk about this book more in my follow-up review post but for now know that this book is the devil, but it's also useful. It's good for problem solving and dipping into. It has saved me on a few occasions. That being said hubby has wanted to burn it on a number of occasions. It makes me feel inadequate and on one or two occasions, like a bad mother. I read recently on a mummy forum about a woman who's husband grabbed this book off her while she sobbed over her inadequacies and he put it on the barbecue. I suspect this is a common  occurrence. It's not really the information in the book, it's the condescending, know-it-all tone of the author that makes you feel like poo.

So the book you own isn't doing it for you. You start to wonder if there is an author out there who shares your views on nursing, gut instinct, routines etc Low and behold, you purchase another book. This is  where The Baby Whisperer came in from me. Great advice, more relaxed, but then it's just another set of ideals to take on board. Again, too much information. I read the bits relevant to me and took a few things on board but again, felt over-whelmed.

Then I found The No Cry Sleep Solution and thought to myself, you need that! I didn't. It was a nice book to read and suits my parenting style but it wasn't practical for me and I ended up ignoring everything I read.

What I learned from reading all of these books was that there is extremely useful advice inside. There is also too much advice. Dip in where you need and let it go. I have picked up quite a few tips and tricks but then the book is sent to the shelf until the next issue arises. I refuse to be controlled by another baby book!

Do you love or hate parenting books? Have a lovely evening everyone!

* Just updated my beauty blog with a review on Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser - 2 people have commented on my glowing skin today, it's all in the make-up baby! Link

Amy x