Rhodri's 11 Month Update

Rhodri's 11 Month Update

My baby boy is now 11 months old. 
He's more & more like a little boy and less like a baby every day!

I seriously start to tear up every time I think about just how close we are to his 1st birthday. This time last year I was on maternity leave getting everything ready for our baby to arrive, and now we are planning his 1st birthday.

Rhodri is learning and changing so much everyday. So lets dive right in and see what has changed. 

Weight: Rhodri's weight gain has slowed down considerably. I think this is partially because he is a lot more active these days, but also because he has once again had a virus and this has affected his appetite for about 2 weeks of the past month. Now that he's feeling better his appetite has returned, so I'm sure his weight will be back on track soon.

Height: He's won't be measured until his 1 year check up.

Clothing size: 9-12 months. These are fitting him nicely at the moment with plenty of room to grow although shoes and hats for this same age range are too big for him.

Sleep: He sleeps 7pm - 6.30am. We do sometimes have to wake him at 6.30am so that we can get him out the door and get ourselves to work, but more often than not once he hears us stirring he starts to wake also.

This months milestones: 

• Teeth - He now has six teeth (the two bottom and four top. A further two top teeth are on their way. This past month his teeth have been coming through but he has seemed less bothered by teething than he was in the past
• Words - Mamma and Dadda have been perfected. He has now added Ta when thanking us for food, Cat (or Gat as it sometimes sounds), Yes, ooo, hiya (but only when pretending he's on the phone, he won't say it to us!). It sounds like he is starting to try saying more, bottle, book, go, come and bye sometimes. Only time will tell. 
• Walking/Crawling - We have started crawling backwards begrudgingly. He will move in circles using the "bum-shuffle" but he still prefers standing. He will walk holding on to your hands or furniture.
• Social skills - Very interested in other people and especially other children. On the bus the other day he high fived a child sat next to us and tried to hold/shake the childs hand. He smiles and giggles whenever people talk or show an interest in him.

This months special outings:

• Rhodri has been enjoying spending time with his grandmothers while Mummy & Daddy are in work.

• Rhodri has had too many outings to the Drs surgery this month, but he's thoroughly enjoyed flirting with patients, nurses and Drs

• We still spend every Thursday with his Aunty and cousins. Rhodri loves this family time.

• Rhodri had his first outing to the beach! It wasn't a total success as he was poorly, but he definitely loved the sand!

Baby gear love: Still in love with my wrap. Also loving our Koo-do Pack-it Seat Me Safe Seat Harness. Normally £10 but is on offer for £5.99 at Argos if you want to try this out. When out and about, if a high chair isn't available, we can sit Rhodri on a normal chair in this harness. He loves being in a big boy seat and I love knowing he wont fall off!

Baby's routine: You can read our bed time routine HERE. 

The day time routine hasn't changed since last month...

"Around 6.30am he wakes up, he has porridge and a bottle before brushing his teeth and being dressed for the day. We tend to leave the house around 7am dropping him off before heading to work. His grandparents play with him, take him out and just enjoy him of course. He naps around 9 for two hours. Has a bottle and lunch around half 11. Second nap half two ish for an hour. His last bottle after the second nap. I pick him up around 4.45pm. When we get home he has dinner and we resume the normal evening routine. Thursdays & Weekends Rhodri doesn't go to his grandparents and so I try to maintain the routine while still making memories and enjoying quality time together."

Highlights of the month: 

• Rhodri is becoming a very funny little boy and he knows it. He loves pretending to talk on his phone... which can be a remote, computer mouse or anything really. He will babble away and laugh straight after as though he's told you a joke.

• Rhodri high fives, claps, dances and plays peek a boo using a teddy to hide his face. He's very playful and it's such a pleasure to see.

• Celebrating my first birthday as a Mummy. It was a completely different birthday with a meal and an afternoon in the park, but was by far my best birthday yet! Couldn't have asked for a better day.

• Getting home from work every day and getting smiles, kisses and cuddles is still the biggest highlight of my day/week/month.

• Rhodri discovered balloons this month and they are great fun. Until they pop!

Rhodri's monthly favourites: 

• Toy - Soft toys. He likes to bite them.
• Teddy - Goodnight bear.
• Food - Toast, Raisins and cauliflower.
• Music - All music, pretty much anything in the UK top 40, along with the classics such as Queen, Bon Jovi etc!! 
• Activity - Walking or dancing.
• Person - Mummy & Daddy of course!
• Book - Guess How Much I Love You

Rhodri's monthly dislikes:

• Being ill. Coughing is his least favourite activity and he is not impressed with being given medicine.
• Being dressed. Particularly dislikes putting coats on - this continues to be an issue.
• Being in a car seat or pram if we are still. He wants cars, prams, mums & dads to constantly be on the move!

Thats all for this month. As always thanks for reading!! xoxo

Rhodri's 10 Month Update

Rhodri's 10 Month Update

Hello there! I know posts have been thin on the ground recently, but I am working hard at developing some sort of work/home/blog life balance. I have a few posts in the pipeline and am grateful for all of you who read my blog and who are patient as I figure out how to juggle everything

My baby boy is now 10 months old.  He is in to everything. Everything is a toy, and belongs to him! He seems to change almost every day, constantly growing and learning. Now that I'm back in work it seems like by the time the weekend comes around and I can spend the full day with him, he's learnt so much without me. He's more and more like a little boy, and less like a baby every day. I am loving watching the changes and development. Here's what's happened in the last month!

Weight: Rhodri hasn't been weighed this month, judging by the return of his appetite I think he is probably right back on track. 

Height: We haven't had this checked since last month. He's not likely to be measured until his 1 year check up.

Clothing size: Around two weeks ago Rhodri moved up to his 9-12 month clothes. I probably could have held out a little longer as the arms and legs seem slightly too long. He was in that awkward stage where 6-9 was starting to get small and I'd rather his clothes were too big than too small.

Sleep: He sleeps 7pm - 6.30am. We do sometimes have to wake him at 6.30am so that we can get him out the door and get ourselves to work, but more often than not once he hears us stirring he starts to wake also.

This months milestones: 

• TEETH!! Holy moly! We went two and a half months with just the two bottom two teeth, when finally one of his top front teeth came through. Then two weeks later he is teething with three more top teeth! The poor little man is teething like crazy! We have made his first dentist appointment for next month, and hopefully by then the three teeth will be through!
• Rhodri is learning more words/sounds. Mamma and Dadda he has down to an art. He's working on Yes and Bye at the moment.
• In the past week Rhodri has been standing unaided for a few seconds. Not for long, but we are getting there and his balance is noticeably improving.
• He can walk when holding on to furniture or our hands.
• Still not crawling, but he has recently moved from a sitting to almost crawling position before lying down and giving up... it's progress!
• He is showing signs of being sociable with other children. Although he can't talk to them, he mimics the sounds or crys they make to try and grab their attention.
• The health visitor visited me after my first week back in work and said Rhodri showed signs of Separation Anxiety. He wasn't overly upset, and he quickly warmed to her again and showered her with smiles. But showed that he was certain who his Mummy was and who the stranger in the situation was.

This months special outings:

• Rhodri has had a few outings to the park. He loves the swings. Slides are mildly interesting. Nosing in on other peoples conversations is of course the best part of any outing.
• We continue to spend Thursdays visiting his Aunty and cousins. Sometimes when he's really lucky his girlfriend is there too. He's very fond of women. Flirt.

Baby gear love: My brand new woven wrap. I'm still getting to grips with it but I am enjoying trying out different carries using my wrap. I am building up the confidence to take him out minus the pram and with just the wrap.

Baby's routine: You can read our bed time routine HERE. 

Around 6.30am he wakes up, he has porridge and a bottle before brushing his teeth and being dressed for the day. We tend to leave the house around 7am dropping him off before heading to work. His grandparents play with him, take him out and just enjoy him of course. He naps around 9 for two hours. Has a bottle and lunch around half 11. Second nap half two ish for an hour. His last bottle after the second nap. I pick him up around 4.45pm. When we get home he has dinner and we resume the normal evening routine. Thursdays & Weekends Rhodri doesn't go to his grandparents and so I try to maintain the routine while still making memories and enjoying quality time together.

Highlights of the month: 

• Rhodri is constantly babbling and chatting. He laughs and giggles alot. Seeing him attempt communication is so rewarding and enjoyable to hear.
• Rhodri claps, waves and does a lot of dancing. I find it so lovely to see him enjoying movement and music. It's lovely to see him so happy.
• Getting home from work every day and getting smiles, kisses and cuddles is the best.

Rhodri's monthly favourites: 

• Toy - Anything musical
• Teddy - Goodnight bear.
• Food - Cauliflower, banana Pancakes and toast.
• Music - He just loves music. Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Sia, Meghan Trainor... pretty much anything in the top 40 are his favourites. He loves Queen and Bon Jovi too. Anything he can bop along to!! 
• Activity - Standing, walking, dancing.
• Person - Mummy & Daddy of course!
• Book - The Gruffalos Child.

Rhodri's monthly dislikes:

• Being left the first few days Mummy went back to work.
• Being dressed. Particularly dislikes putting coats on - this continues to be an issue.
• Being put in/strapped in to seats, chairs, prams. He wants to be held or walking and doesn't particularly like being restrained.

Thats all for this month. As always thanks for reading!! xoxo

New Beginnings

The last 11 months have been full of memories. Some not so good... like a flooded kitchen and bathroom or a poorly son. But mostly full of amazing memories. For 11 months I have been on maternity leave and it seems like just yesterday I came home from my last day and rang my Mum. It hit me like a bus that day, I wasn't just pregnant, I was actually going to have a baby! 

That sounds daft I'm sure, but it sure does become 'real' and that for me was the moment it really hit home. For a month I was waiting for this baby and the next chapter of my life. Always knowing I would be returning to work and not even fazed by the idea.

A month later my gorgeous little boy was born. He rushed in to my life and every day since has been a blur of happiness, life lessons and overwhelming love. Immediately the idea of returning to work became sad. Because it meant I wasn't always going to have these long days of cuddles, playing and learning.

Rhodri, 12 hours old

For 9 and a half, almost 10 months I have lived and breathed being a Mum. I sometimes joke that I forget what I did before Rhodri was born. But truthfully it's not really a joke. Within a short few hours with my son, I couldn't have imagined life without him and although being a Mum was so new, it seemed like I had known this little boy forever.

But now Rhodri and I approach a new chapter in our lives. Tomorrow morning Rhodri will go to his grandparents and I will return to work. Yes the 11 months is finally up and I can hardly believe it!

I know it will be hard to leave my little man behind, I know that given the opportunity I'd gladly stay home and raise my son. But I also know that a tiny part of me is a little excited. It will be strange, and yet I look forward to seeing the faces of my colleagues, having a conversation that has actual English words in it. It will be bizarre yet refreshing to be Rachel and not Rhodri's Mummy for a few hours a day.

So tonights post is a good bye to the days of being a Stay At Home Mum. A new beginning of being a Working Mum. Here's me trying to look on the bright side of not spending 24/7 with my favourite person and trying to be positive about a change that was always going to happen.

Any working mums out there, how did you manage with the transition? Any hints, tips and funny stories always welcome!!

As always, thanks for reading!!

Rhodri's 9 Month Update

9 Month Update

I now have a 9 month old! That's a pregnancy... how crazy is that?! This month has really flown by and with only two weeks left until I return to work I've been filling our days with lots of fun activities. As much as I've loved that quality fun-filled time together, it does make time fly by even more. So lets take a look at what's been going on since Rhodri turned 8 months old, up until he hit 9 months old. 

Weight: Weight wise Rhodri has fallen slightly under his growth line. We know this is because he was quite poorly for almost two weeks this month. During that time he refused solids and he dropped from three bottles a day to two on a good day. Since getting better he has returned to his eating pattern so I'm sure he will be back on track soon.

Height: The health visitor measured him at his 6-9 month check and he is now 71cm long. This puts him just shy of the 75th percentile line. So he is long/tall but not massively. 

Clothing size: 6-9 months still.

Sleep: He sleeps 7pm - 7am most nights. When he was ill Rhodri woke at 10pm, 12pm & 4am every night. As soon as he was better we reverted back to his normal sleep pattern.

This months milestones: 

• Rhodri has learnt to wave. He was very keen to show this talent off at the beginning of the month but as time has gone on he doesn't wave as often, usually only when the mood suits.
• Rhodri has learnt to pull himself to a standing position using Mummy for support.
• While sitting on the sofa Rhodri will shuffle down on to his back, roll on to his tummy and then scoot off the sofa so he is standing up and holding on to the sofa.
• Rhodri is recognising who people are. So if I say 'Where is Nanna?' he looks at his Nanna.
• Rhodri says Dadda clearly. He sometimes says Mamma but usually reserves this for when he's upset.

This months special outings:

• We took Rhodri to an indoor play centre with his cousins. He was too young for most of it, but thoroughly enjoyed the ball pit!

Baby gear love: There's nothing in particular ... calpol with a syringe I guess? Anything that makes giving medicine easy is a plus.

Baby's routine: You can read our bed time routine HERE. 

Daytime wise he wakes at 7am, has porridge for breakfast, has a bottle, plays in his door bouncer or walker. Around 9.30am he goes for a nap. This is usually for about 2 hours. He then has a little play until 12pm when he has lunch and his second bottle. We play with his more interactive toys until about 2.30pm when he goes for a second nap. This is usually an hour nap. Once he wakes up we tend to play with his sensory tent and then he goes in the door bouncer or walker for a bit as well. This takes us up until dinner time which the bedtime routine covers :)

Of course there are days this differs slightly, if we go out he tends to avoid naps as long as possible and playtime isn't so scheduled but you get the gist.

Highlights of the month: 

• It was really miserable when Rhodri was ill, but the highlight of the month was seeing him starting to smile and babble again when he was feeling better. They were the sweetest smiles I've ever seen.
• He's a lot more vocal and I love that. He's always been very babbly, but after he was over his illness this has been a lot more noticeable.

Rhodri's monthly favourites: 

• Toy - A musical yellow starfish mirror toy
• Teddy - goodnight bear and his caterpillar
• Food - Banana pancakes, lamb & winter veggies, cauliflower.
• Music - Sam Smith 'Stay With Me' 
• Activity - Standing up holding on to the coffee table and bashing the table with coasters, remotes etc.
• Person - Mummy & Daddy of course!
• Book - The Gruffalos Child.

Rhodri's monthly dislikes:

• Medicine.
• Being dressed. Particularly dislikes putting coats on.
• Being strapped in to prams/car seats.
• Afternoon naps

We are still waiting for more teeth to arrive. His first two came through just before he turned 7 months and although he's been teething this entire time, no other teeth have come through yet! It looks like more are coming, but I said that last month!!

That's all for this month. As always thanks for reading! xoxo

4 Parenting Challenges I Wasn't Expecting!

What a week it's been! If you don't follow me on twitter you might have been wondering why it's been so quiet on the blog front. If you do follow me on twitter you will know that Rhodri & I have both been poorly and it has been  a rough week! 

Thankfully we are both on the road to recovery, but it got me thinking about the aspects of parenting I didn't expect. There are plenty of challenges, hurdles and even rewards we expect when we sign up to parenting.

Being Mamma to my gorgeous little man is without doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me. I went in to parenthood with my eyes wide open, expecting pretty much what I got. One loving little man, who is very curious and in to absolutely everything. He requires endless nappy changes, constant feeding and prefers mummy to eat & drink cold/luke warm meals. 

But there are some things I didn't expect when preparing for motherhood, things that didn't even cross my mind and yet are quite possibly the most difficult parts of parenting, in my opinion, so far! Here's a few I have encountered!

1) Loneliness. I love Rhodri to the moon and back, I can't and won't imagine life without him, but it has undeniably been the loneliest experience of my life. More so when he was a new born, the older he gets the more interactive he is. Plus with his reflux sorted it's easier to get out and socialise.

I thought, rather naively, that I would be far too busy as a new Mum to experience loneliness. How wrong was I? I went from going in to work in a office every single day and chatting away to my colleagues, to sitting at home alone with a baby that couldn't communicate other than by crying. I constantly spoke to Rhodri as I felt it helped me feel a bit less mute and alone but I definitely missed adult conversation and I especially missed getting a response of any sort.

It's incredibly difficult to go from being surrounded by people all day everyday to just being you and a baby, it was even more difficult because I felt very guilty for feeling lonely. I had this gorgeous son who I adored, how dare I feel lonely!! After conversations with other mums I realised this isn't at all unusual and I just wish I'd known to expect it so I wouldn't have given myself half the guilt trip I did!

I was incredibly lucky to have a mother who arranged for weekly coffee dates and a cousin who provided a friendly face, a listening ear, weekly playdates and the added bonus of Rhodri getting to spend time with his family which is important to me. 

2) Being ill is so much more difficult. Gone are the days where I could call in sick to housework and responsibilities, instead opting to go back to bed and rest. Good bye vegging out on the sofa, watching trash TV and waiting for my immune system to remember it has a job to do. 

Hello to the days of powering through! Dose yourself up, suck it up and get on with looking after the baby! Hope its one of those 24 hour things, if it's not then we revert to the plan of powering through. Being ill is never fun, but with an 8 month old it's virtually impossible!

3) Your baby being ill. Never crossed my mind how difficult having an ill child would be. Emotionally it is gut wrenching, heart breaking and quite possibly the most over whelming sense of uselessness I've ever experienced.

On top of them not being able to tell you what is wrong they also don't understand the concept of medicine. Holding your child down to give them antibiotics, put eye drops in their eyes and make them endure many other drops, sprays & creams is traumatic. You know they need the medicine, but don't want to traumatise them. 

You worry if you are doing the right thing for them. Should you try and get them to eat more, drink more? Should you give them any more calpol? Will the Dr think I'm a paranoid mother? Is he so ill the Dr will wonder why I didn't bring him in sooner?

Seeing Rhodri so miserable and hearing him whimper in pain while sleeping on my chest was without doubt the saddest moment of being a Mum to date. Rhodri isn't a particularly cuddly child, he likes to play and explore. But while ill he wanted cuddles galore, and how bittersweet those cuddles were!

 If you are unlucky enough for 2&3 to happen at the same time, which I experienced this week, then don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't go it alone. It is awful feeling poorly, seeing your child poorly and not really having the energy to look after your child let alone yourself.

4) Criticism. I started exploring this in 5 Things You Don't Need To Tell Pregnant Women. It really is a very tough pill to swallow when people offer their opinions or criticise your parenting. No parent wants to hear their decisions or parenting skills are wrong. But since becoming Mummy I have found myself biting my tongue as all manner of my choices have been scoffed at and questioned. It doesn't bother me as much as it did, but certainly as a new mum it was ... character building shall we say?

What are some of the unexpected hurdles you faced? What has been your toughest hurdle to date? Let me know in the comments below. As always thanks for reading xoxo

January 2015 - Sassy Bloom Unboxing

I received my January sassy bloom box almost two weeks ago now so I am a little late on the unboxing post, but it is still January so ... I can be forgiven right? You can read Decembers Unboxing Here. 

If you don't already know, Sassy Bloom is a subscription box that you receive monthly, with baby/children's products inside. It is suitable for pregnant mums from the 3rd trimester to baby/toddlers of two yeas old. The amount you pay is dependent on the subscription you sign up for, a monthly subscription is £29.00 per box, 3 monthly is £27.00 per box, 6 monthly is £25.00 a box and Annually is £23.00 a box. Each box is tailored and hand picked for your child.

**Disclosure: I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway to provide this review. I pay for the Sassy Bloom boxes myself. All opinions are my own.**

If you would like to try Sassybloom, using my referral code MammaTen you can earn £10 off your first box. You can also click HERE to apply that discount.

Without further Ado here is my January 2015 Sassy Bloom Box. This month the ribbon was on the parcel and it made the parcel look even more exciting!

Inside was a little envelope with a card telling me my box was handpicked for my 7 month old (who's now 8 months old... slow down little man) and some leaflets with my referral code to pass on to friends.

 Once I unwrapped the tissue paper I was met with a pretty full box of goodies! I was very excited to get in there and see what we had!

What is it? The first thing I pulled out was this Plush Rattle Caterpillar. Pretty self explanatory, a plush toy with a rattle inside. 

My first thoughts? I was quite pleased to see this in there. Rhodri loves teddies & plush toys so I knew he would like this. We've had it two weeks now and he still loves playing with it. He likes to chew on the legs and antennae when teething, and cuddling it when he's sleepy.

RRP? I don't know the RRP of this item. When you get a box, the items are listed on the web page with the RRP and some other information. You are able to leave feedback on your box and the items. This item wasn't on the list so I'm not sure what the RRP is. But from looking online I've seen them for around £5.99.

Overall Impression? I like this product. It's stood up well against the chewing and drool. Rhodri hasn't become bored quickly (which he sometimes does with rattles).

What is it? Gumigem Miller Pendant. Its a rubbery pendant necklace that baby can chew on. It's easily washed and as its soft it won't damage little teeth. The cord is long, so plenty of reach for babies to pull, but it also has a safety clasp incase it's pulled too hard or too far.

My first thoughts? I had actually been looking in to buying one of these. Rhodri, like most babies, is obsessed with jewellery. He grabs and plays with necklaces and bracelets. I wanted something I could let him play with, with no danger of it breaking, and he could safely teeth on if he wanted. Seeing this in my box I was excited to try it out. 

RRP? £12.95

Overall Impression? After two weeks of use I like it. It's easy to clean and I can chuck on a necklace without worrying about it being broken or chewed on. Rhodri likes to chew on it and it seems to help with his teething so it's a win win. 

What is it? Nuby Grip N' Sip. A non spill beaker, with two handles to make it easy for babies to hold and with a one touch valve built in.

My first thoughts? Looked very easy for baby to hold. I'm always looking for cups and beakers to help Rhodri learn to drink out of something other than his bottle.

RRP? £2.99

Overall Impression? Rhodri can use this and seems to like drinking out of this more than some of the other beakers we have tried. The mouth piece is soft but, like it says on the packaging, it is non spill. I like it!

What is it? Baby Dan Fingersafe. These are put on doors to prevent them doors from slamming and trapping little fingers. They are also designed to fit on the door handle when not in use.

My first thoughts? Rhodri is starting to become more mobile so of course little safety items for around the house are always on my mind. When I saw these in our box I was happy to have something else to keep the little man safe.

RRP? £2.99

Overall Impression? After two weeks I'm satisfied with them. They do exactly what they are supposed to. Good product and nice to try something safety related.

What is it? Babycup - Blue Small plastic cups. To help babies learn to drink from cups. Small for little hands to hold on to.

My first thoughts? I was a little underwhelmed when I first saw these. They look like little shot glasses. Are small and plastic. I wasn't overly excited  and think that cups aren't exactly a good idea with a 7 month old.

RRP? £6.66

Overall Impression? Well they are good for helping him learn to hold and drink from a cup BUT his first instinct is to turn it upside down. I think he is a little young to get the concept of cups. But it's always good to have these things in the home ready for when he is more able to try them out and it's definitely good to introduce drinking from open cups, as it's said to be better for their teeth. The product is good, but I think it will come in more useful later down the line.

What is it? Organics Multigrain Mini Cereal Puffs. Soft chewable organic cereal. A stage 2 cereal for introducing more flavour and textures.

My first thoughts? I love the organix range and Rhodri certainly likes his food. It's always good to try new flavours and brands to see what they do and don't like. I was happy with this product.

RRP? £0.80

Overall Impression? Rhodri liked the cereal and ate the full portion, I think I will purchase some of this cereal as he seemed to enjoy this as a change from his porridge.

What is it? Sock ons. Strong stretchy material, worn over socks to stop socks coming off.

My first thoughts? I had heard that people had received these from Sassy Bloom and was really hoping I would also get them. Rhodri, like most babies, has quite a talent for working socks off his feet. I was excited that there may be a solution for this!

RRP? £6.00

Overall Impression? They definitely do keep socks on. They seem quite tight on his feet but then no lines or marks were left on his feet so I think I may have worried over nothing. Rhodri is trying to walk and stand a lot at the moment and the packaging says they shouldn't be worn when walking so I spent a lot of time taking these off and putting them back on. I managed to loose one already! The product itself is amazing and does what it says, but possibly better for younger less mobile babies. Loved the product though and would definitely purchase some for any future babies.

What is it? Munchkin Wonder Waterway. A series of beads, wheels and spirals that keep baby entertained during bathtime.

My first thoughts? Whether he takes a quiet and relaxing bath or a playful splashing bath I love bathtime with Rhodri. I like buying him bath books & toys to help keep him entertained during bath time so I was looking forward to trying this out.

RRP? £5.99

Overall Impression? Rhodri likes the water flowing through the toys individually or the tower as a whole. The product itself is great, good quality and I think it definitely keeps him entertained. I like it alot.

I liked all the products in my box this month. My favourite was probably the Plush Rattle as Rhodri likes it so much. My least favourite is probably the Babycups, but mostly because he's a little young to use them at the moment. The items themselves are good and I'm sure we will get more use out of them eventually. I was really pleased with the box overall. It was another impressive box and I'm already looking forward to Februarys box!

Did you get a Sassybloom box this month? What did you receive? What were your favourite items?

As always, thanks for reading xoxo

Rhodri's 8 Month Update

8 month update

Rhodri playing in Nannas

So Rhodri is 8 months old now. It's crazy how time has flown, that the cheeky, funny and very bossy little man has been in our lives for 8 months already. Yet I also feel like he's always been a part of our lives.

One of my biggest blogger regrets is that I didn't come back to blogging sooner, that I missed an opportunity to keep all my pregnancy milestones and memories here, and until I wrote Rhodri wrote Baby R's First Blog Post I haven't done the best job at marking his milestones either. 

So new year, time to turn over a new bloggers leaf and get those memories typed up. Starting with his 8 month update! 

Weight/Height: He's gaining weight exactly on the trend he should be. Our Health Visitor has joked that he must have had a copy of the baby book and read it before he was born!

Height wise, he's only ever been measured once when he was was about 13 weeks old and never since so I don't know. He definitely seems longer but that's not very accurate of me!

Clothing size: 6-9 month.

Sleep: He sleeps 7pm - 7am most nights. 

This months milestones: 

• Rhodri got his first two teeth just before turning 7 months, and it's looking like some more will come through now he's 8 months. Slowly but surely!
• He's been able to sit with very little assistance for a while but around the 7 month mark he got his balance and can now sit unassisted for quite some time while playing without falling.
• He learnt to clap new years eve.
• He has also learnt to fake a cough. He finds this highly amusing.
• Hand eye co-ordination is definitely improving, he can now close the pop up section of toys deliberately and has a vague idea of how to make them pop back up.
• He can stand up for a short time when holding on to toys/tables.
• He does walk forward if you hold his hands and point him in the direction of a toy or person he wants.

This months special outings:

• We took Rhodri to visit his new baby cousin just before Christmas
• We also took Rhodri to his grandparents to spend time with his Auntie, Uncle & cousins who came to visit for Christmas. They live far away so that was quite special for him.
• Rhodri met his new twin besties. He was intrigued by the two small people, and very much liked their soft blankets.
• Rhodri went to his cousins 3rd Birthday Party. He didn't really understand what was going on, and I suspect he thought all the attention and fuss was for him. Either way he enjoyed.

Baby gear love: I would say my love this month would be the Summer Nasal Aspirator. I can't quite remember how it came to be in my possession, I remember thinking how gross it was and chucking it in a draw somewhere. Cue the cold he had over Christmas... love it now don't I!?

Baby's routine: You can read our bed time routine HERE. 

Daytime wise he wakes at 7am, has porridge for breakfast, has a bottle, plays in his door bouncer or walker. Around 10am he goes for a nap. This is usually for about 1 and a half hours. He then has a little play until 12pm when he has lunch and his second bottle. We play with his more interactive toys until about 2.30pm when he goes for a second nap. This is usually an hour nap. Once he wakes up we tend to play with his sensory tent and then he goes in the door bouncer or walker for a bit as well. This takes us up until dinner time which the bedtime routine covers :)

Of course there are days this differs slightly, if we go out he tends to avoid naps as long as possible and playtime isn't so scheduled but you get the gist.

Highlights of the month: 

• Rhodri has started to give proper cwtches, not just I'm being held and cwtched by you. But the proper arms around my neck, head nestled into my shoulder kind of cwtches. A cwtch is a cuddle by the way, Welsh term.
• He also gives kisses. If you say "kiss please" and he's in the right mood he puts his open mouth on my check, so that counts as a kiss right? The affection is certainly one of my highlights. 
• It was Rhodri's first Christmas shortly after he turned 7 months. That was a huge highlight. Loved seeing him with all his family.

Rhodri's monthly favourites: 

• Toy - door bouncer closely followed by his walker/activity centre
• Teddy - goodnight bear closely followed by scout the talking dog
• Food - Pork & Apple Casserole
• Music - Sam Smith 'Stay With Me' - I can't explain he just loves it.
• Activity - pretending to cough or sticking items like remotes in his mouth.
• Person - Mummy & Daddy of course!
• Book - One Ted falls out of bed.

Rhodri's monthly dislikes:

• Day time naps, especially if we aren't at home.
• Being dressed. Particularly dislikes putting coats on.
• Toys with pop up bits. You know where an animal pops up when you push a button? Yeah he doesn't like that. He shouts at the toys and slams the pop up bit shut! Weird but true.

That's all for this month. As always thanks for reading! xoxo

Review of Baby's Big Box of Little Books

You might have noticed in Bed Time Routine of my 7 Month Old that Rhodri has a little collection of books slowly building on his bookshelf. Every night either me or my husband read him a bed time story before he is put in his cot and left to drift off to sleep. I've done this since he was about 8 weeks old and since he has gone to bed in his own room. 

Story Time

Why, you might ask, have I read to him since he was so little? Well I think it's important to encourage all children to read, it sets them in good stead for school. For babies it encourages them to learn to talk and communicate with others.

I think the earlier we introduce books in to their routine, the easier it is for them to fall in love with stories and characters. I'm a bit of a book worm myself, often escaping in to the pages of a good read. I hope that Rhodri will one day enjoy the comforting pages of a book and enjoy reading more than games consoles... I can hope!

So when Puffin Books kindly sent me Baby's Big Box of Little Books to review I couldn't wait to give them to him and see what he made of them! The books are written and illustrated by Janet & Allan Ahlberg. They wrote and illustrated one of my all time favourite childrens books - The Jolly Christmas Postman, so I had high hopes for these little books. I wasn't disappointed!

Having first received them, I was full of ooo's and aahh's at the presentation on these lovely little books in their presentation box.

I was also impressed with the box itself as it's quite sturdy and has a magnetic flap to keep the box closed. This keeps them all neat and tidy, minimising the room they take up on his relatively small book shelf.

 

 Inside the box, there are 9 little books. Each book has a different 'topic'. There are Mornings, Toys, Baby, Inside, Pets, Outside, Games, Family & Night-Times.

 

 Each little book is sturdy, always good with an 8 month old who has managed to rip a few paper book pages already!

The pages are thick, perfect for little hands to grab and keep hold of. Rhodri hasn't quite grasped how to turn pages yet but he held the book letting me turn pages for him, which is definitely progress!

 Inside each book words relating to the 'topic' are printed, illustrated with a clear and easy to relate to picture. They are very easily recognisable for babies and young children, which seems to keep Rhodri engaged. The words, at the moment, don't mean a lot to him. But the pictures keep him engaged, which will eventually make the words mean more to him.

 Each book has 5 words in, so a nice little bite sized portion of learning.

I love that these books introduce simple, everyday words. They are familiar words and concepts to him which keeps him interested in the books and pictures. Although Rhodri will sit and listen to a story every night, I feel that is partly because it is routine or habit, and because he is getting a cuddle at the same time. Normally a book in the day time would be considered a toy for chewing and throwing. These books have escaped that fate and Rhodri has enjoyed looking at the pictures with me.

I quite enjoy the fact that there are different topics that relate to every day life, so I can pull the books out at different times of the day for us to look at together. We have a cat, so if he's trying to play with the cat I will pull out the 'Pets' book and show him the animals. He definitely seems to enjoy that he recognises certain things from the books.

I really love these books and think they are perfect as a gift for a baby or to give Mum at the baby shower. It's a lovely little addition to our book collection and I think every Mum and baby should have these! The books are good quality, well illustrated and perfectly aimed at children who are learning, babbling and starting to gain a vocabulary. I would definitely recommend all my Mummy friends add this to their collection!

You can grab your self a set from Amazon or Waterstones. RRP £9.99 but both retailers are selling this lovely set for £7.99 (prices correct as of 21/01/2015).

**Disclosure: Puffin Books kindly sent these books to myself free of charge in return for a review. All opinions are honest and in my own words.**