The 2 men in my life – my beautiful boys,
Daddy and the bean
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Yummy pear…
What’s bean wearing?
Here’s another detailed look at another outfit.
Skinny turn up denim stone wash blue jeans.
A black parsley bandana for a belt.
A “Kiss” band tee shirt in black.
A pair of converse style pram blue denim shoes, embroidered with Beany, a gift for some close friends. An online gift shop purchase.
What’s bean wearing?
Trying something new, might make this a regular thing.
Here’s a combination of an outfit Harry will be wearing soon.
Tweed trousers with braces from h&m.
Car pattern white shirt from marks and Spencer’s.
Cream flat cap from h&m.
Handmade Aaron cardigan biscuit colour. A gift from a family friend.
Slip on pram shoes, brown suede with a fur lining. A gift from aunty and uncle.
Slip on green suede pram shoes, from Hubby’s when he was a baby.
What to expect from a 12 week scan?
The 12 week scan….the first time for most people that you get to see your baby. It also helps to mark the end of the first trimester, which is the most worrying time for a lot of mums to be. The 12 week scan for me I was utterly petrified, scared, nervous, excited and hopeful. Here is how it went for me…..
I sat in the waiting room of the hospital with sweaty hands and jerking leg, tap, tap, tap. Any hope of a full bladder gone out down the toilet (excuse the pun) as my need too pee and keep peeing grow with my nerves. So in that hot waiting room I waited..tap, tap, tap up and down.
Finally I’m called, As I lay on the bed in the dim room, my top uncovering my belly and with my hot hand wrapped tight around my husbands hand, I have a horrible vision of the lady saying “did you say you thought you was pregnant?” and on the screen there being nothing but emptiness. That is where my fear was, my dreams being shattered.
As she applied the cold jelly on my belly and rub it about with the probe, I stare anxiously at the screen. I caught a small glance of something, I instantly relaxed turn to my hubby with a big smile…that was our little bean. She then focused the probe to where Beany had been spotted. From there I enjoyed the scan. It went so quickly, I remember wishing it didn’t have to end. From that point I could really enjoy my pregnancy and we could share our news with our loved ones. This was such a turning point for me and I look back at this memory with great fondness.
What does the ultrasound feel like?
Cold! It doesn’t hurt.
Do you need a full bladder?
Some people say its best to be able to see the baby, however My bladder must of been completely empty and I had no problem seeing the baby. I would say don’t worry so that you are concentrating on not peeing rather then enjoying your scan.
What will they be looking for?
The first scan is normally to date your pregnancy, to check that the baby is developing correctly and to check for a multiple pregnancy.
Will they offer you any checks?
You will be offered a test to check for Down’s syndrome. They do this my measuring the fluid at the back of the baby’s neck (using the ultrasound) and a blood test. They then take your weight and age. Using all the information they have gathered they come up with a ratio of the chance your baby will have Down’s syndrome. It normally takes around 2 weeks to get the results.
Remember to check before you go if you need money for copies of the pictures. And try to relax and enjoy.
Here is some artwork my husband made with our scan picture in the style of an art collection.
Positive pregnancy test
A year ago today I got a positive reading on that white life changing stick some refer to as a pregnancy test. It was the first unbelievable moment when “Beany” was to enter our life’s.
My husband and a close friend had asked if I was pregnant. I had gone off chicken and bacon and loved anything pickled. I was a little more tearful then usual, not cry at an advert tearful, but more tearful about things in my life that wouldn’t normally upset me. I didn’t really notice the emotional thing at the time but looking back now I think..”I got upset about that?” But in my head at the time it was justified.
In November 2011 I had gone on a bit of a health kick to drop some pounds and get fitter at the gym, I really wanted to be fit to have a baby. Because of my PCOS my period have never been regular but losing nearly 3 stone had made them more regular, I was having them roughly every 6 weeks. I had come to an agreement with my husband that if I was “late” by my new cycle I would do a test which would work out to be on the 28th January. Well I got home from work on the 26th January and my husband calls me and says “I’ve brought you a test, I just know you are”.
When hubby gets in from work, he hands me a duo test. I’m nervously keeping myself busy. I really didn’t want to do the test, that’s why I had put it off for a few weeks. It’s funny because when you really want a baby for those few days when you think you are pregnant it’s almost like you have the baby there already…in your head. When you sit down and do a test and its negative its heart breaking, it’s like you have lost something even though you never had it. In my heart I was pregnant and I didn’t want that taken away from me. My bladder was screaming out to be emptied, I had put it off long enough and was out of excuses. Armed with my test I whimpered into the toilet…..+ would mean i’m pregnant.
As soon as I had the done the test the + was there a strong center line and a weaker horizontal one. I was shaking, I couldn’t be….no way. I walk into the lounge where my husband is casually drawing a picture. He looks up with a look of I don’t even need to ask. I say “I think I’m pregnant” “what do you mean think?” He replies.
To cut a long story short you get a line to show that the test has worked and a positive line. I thought that the positive line was the horizontal line and that test was badly made because you could see the tube that carries the urine so I wasn’t sure if that was giving the faint line….after reading the box two tests and one sleepless night later I realise that is the test line and my strong central line is the positive line…..of course, that’s just logical. I very excitedly go and tell my hubby the news waking him up as it is about 4:30am. However I wanted to do one more test…..just to be sure.
Because of our journey of becoming pregnant and a number of negative pregnancy tests I was in disbelieve, sock, amazement, excitement, worry…every emotion. I wanted to tell the world but was to scared that my joy could turn to misery and couldn’t bear the thought of others knowing my pain. I couldn’t believe I was pregnant until the doctor confirmed it. Then I couldn’t believe it until I had my first scan which I was petrified….but that’s another story.
How’s the weaning going?
With week one of weaning complete and I sit here writing my blog I’m asking myself was it what I expected? Did Harry react how I thought he would? Where are things headed from here?
With weaning being such a big step in Harry’s development I found a little bit of pressure about foods to give him, when to give it to him and if he is really ready for weaning. I can honestly say after my first week all the worry and pressure has gone. He has proven he is ready, I have loved watching his reactions to new tastes and seeing the pride in his face as I praise him while he’s eating.
I had my plan for my first stage of weaning covering my first few weeks. I am a great believer in that if something is out of your control then there is no point having a strict plan. This is why I had no birth plan and I often look at things with the thought of “it is what it is there is no point over stressing over it”. This is how I have approached weaning, my plan is more of a guild to go by and just some knowledge of the important things to know.
My first week.
I have really enjoyed our first week of weaning. Harry so far has tried 5 different foods with are Banana, apple, pear, carrot and baby rice. Each time Harry has tried a new food I have taken a note of his reaction to the food, any effects to his digestion or behaviour (if it has made him unsettled ect). All his new foods have only had two ingredients to then, the chosen fruit or vegetable and a small amount of breast milk. That way I will know what he’s had an allergy or intolerance to and what he likes and doesn’t like. So far with the foods he’s tried he’s been fine with them all.
Banana
Harry loves Banana. From the first time he tried it he enjoyed the taste and the texture and had around 6 spoonfuls. He always seems a little more energised after having some banana. I try not to give him too much as it is heavy on a baby digestion. I make around 2cm of ripe mashed banana and a small amount of breast milk to give it a runnier consistency. The second time he tried this he ate it all. Bananas contain vitamin C and potassium helping your baby’s muscles to develop.
Apple
Harry doesn’t love apples, but he doesn’t hate them either. The second time he tried them he was a little more taken with them then the first time so I won’t give up on these just yet. Here is my apple purée recipe. Apples contain vitamin C, pectin and fibre helping your baby digest solid foods more efficiently.
Pears
Another love of Harry’s. This was another love at first taste for him. The second time he ate this I was surprised just how much he ate of this. Here is my pear purée recipe. Pears are rich in vitamin C and A. They are also a great source of vitamin B.
Carrot
Another first time love for Harry. This is one of the last foods I tried with Harry so he has only had it once, but boy he really enjoyed it. Here is my carrot purée recipe. Carrots help baby’s growth, skin, give strong bone and its not just an old wives-tale they also give good vision. This is all due to the beta-carotene and iron found in the vegetable.
Baby rice
The first time Harry tried this it was like he was sucking on a lemon. He only had a few mouthfuls however this was the first food I tried him on. He now eats all of what I make up for him but he doesn’t look like he really enjoys it. He still not convinced. I only make up a small amount (one small baby spoon of baby rice with 10 small spoons of milk) and I give him this daily. I give him new foods at around midday and this later in the day. It is easy to digest and enriched vitamins and iron essential for your baby’s development.
What next?
I will still be staying on my first stage of weaning. This week trying new foods on the list including potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, avocado and broccoli.
Feeding top tips
-Always smile and talk to your baby while they are eating. This will encourage them to try the food and to recognise that they are doing something positive.
-Always try new food earlier in the day. You get a lot of people telling you to feed your baby later so they sleep through the night. It could have an adverse effect if the your baby has a food intolerance or the food isn’t sitting well in the babies tummy, you are going to have one grumpy baby in the night. If you feed the baby earlier, it has the day to settle or work it’s self out.
-If they don’t like the food the first time try again another day. Remember it’s all new to them and their first reactions may change.
-Give you baby a spoon to hold while feeding. It will help them to develop the skills of using utensils but will also help them realise that they are about to receive food.
-Watch out for signs that they want to stop eating. Shutting their mouths, turning their head away from the spoon and/or crying. Remember this stage is about them trying foods not eating meals.
-Their milk feed should still be the same at this stage. If they aren’t wanting their milk feeds then cut down on the food feeds.
Most of all enjoy this experience with your baby, bond, make it a fun and happy experience. You never know you might discover some new foods you like.
Carrot purée recipe- Stage 1
Carrots are sweet in taste and high in nutrients so they are a good first food for your baby. Using this method you can cook other root vegetables. For the first stage this will be potato and sweet potato. This purée is suitable for babies 17 weeks and older, make sure you baby is ready for weaning.
Prep time ~ 5 minutes
Cooking time ~ 15-20 minutes
Portions ~ 4
suitable for home freezing.
Ingredient
~ 2 medium carrots
~ A little bit of your baby’s normal milk
method
~ Peel and chop the carrots. Put in a pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until really tender.
~ Purée the carrots using a blender or processor then add a little bit of your baby’s milk until you get the right consistency. At the first stage the food should be very runny and easy for the baby to swallow.
~ freeze individual portions. Ice cube trays are a perfect way to freeze baby foods. When needed take desired amount of cubes and leave at room temperature for 2 hours or leave in the fridge overnight. Heat in a pan, microwave or in a bowl floating on hot water. Check the temperature before giving to your baby.
Pear purée recipe- stage 1
As pears have a sweet taste they are a likely food to be loved by your baby. Very quick to prepare. This purée is suitable for babies 17 weeks and older, make sure your baby is ready for weaning.
Prep time ~ 2 minutes
Cooking time ~ 8 minutes
Portions ~ 4
suitable for home freezing.
Ingredient
~ 2 large pears
~ 5 Tablespoons of water
method
~ Peel, core and cut pears into quarters. Place the in a saucepan with the water and cover. Cook them on a medium heat for 8 minutes or until very tender.
~ Pour away excess water
~ Mash slightly (pressing only once or twice) with a fork then pour away excess juices.
~ Purée pears by continuing to mask until smooth or use a food blender or processor.
~ freeze individual portions. Ice cube trays are a perfect way to freeze baby foods. When needed take desired amount of cubes and leave at room temperature for 2 hours or leave in the fridge overnight. If desired, heat in a pan, microwave or in a bowl floating on hot water.
Enjoy.