The many roles of motherhood

Well.

Becoming a mother is not easy-- and there are many other parts that we have to play. We're not just a mother, we are wives, partners, friends, and most of all, we are women.

As a mother there are people who expect so much from us-- we have to be able to handle our children well, support our partners, and on top of that we need to look good otherwise we will definitely be looked down upon.

I understand that because as we have children, we are their role models so we must be able to be a good example-- but being able to juggle all of these roles is not easy and it takes the strength of God to be able to do it.

But from when you become a mother, you can see that you CAN do it-- it can get stressful at times, yes, everyone around can frustrate you at times yes-- because they don't know how you're feeling, what you're thinking about and all of the other million things that are running through your mind-- and even if you try to break it down and explain, they may say 'I understand' but they really don't! As a mom, there is so much weight on you-- but God knows why he has made you into a mother-- he knows you can handle it-- he has given this child to you to be their guardian here on earth-- he knows why he has done it.

So there is no need to fret! Your child is a blessing. You are a great mother. It's ok to make mistakes-- it's ok to feel tired-- you are only human. The biggest thing I have learned with becoming a mother is you really do need a good unit of support around you-- even if you are a single mother, still, your support unit must be there even if it's not immediate family.

There is so much that you can do by yourself-- just small things like popping out to the shop to get some food for the baby or picking up some stuff from the house, it all helps in the biggest of ways.

But I applaud all of the mothers out there-- it is not easy because we have so many roles to play as women. But at the end of the day, we get it done!

The funny moments of being a mother

I never thought seeing poo would be so exciting.

That sounds strange right? Well as a mother, that becomes the topic of conversation on a daily basis. And actually, it is healthy conversation because the poo of a baby reflects their health and how their digestion is fairing.

See.. when they're newborns.. their poo is BLACK. But that's because they've just come out of the womb and that's their first poo full of all of the stuff that they ingested.

And from then on their poo keeps changing colour until you see it to be a mustard yellow colour (unless you've put them straight onto formula) then I believe it's a kind of brown tinge? (I can only speak from a breastfed baby's pov!)

But yeah.. Everytime my boy pooed I was so happy. I think when he was around 2 months going to 3... The pattern of his pooing changed.. He would do a poo maybe twice a week.. And before it was everyday. So.. I got a little worried... But he continued doing his normal wet nappies meaning he is well hydrated. 

When he did his poo it was the same mustard yellow.. So he wasn't constipated thank God!

But as a mother you need to be very watchful of your little one, especially when they get to the age where they start rolling and want to sit up and just... want to MOVE! lol.

But it's so funny as a mother you monitor everything about your little one... Who can confess with me that when they're sleeping... Especially when they're newborns you check if they're still breathing?

Yep me too.

Lol.

The Uniqueness of you

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

You are a unique individual. There is no one that looks like you, talks like you, thinks like you, walks like you-- you get the idea. There is a specific reason why God has created you this way. He knows there is something in you that is needed for the world.

In the scripture above, the first line is 'You are the salt of the earth'. What does salt do? It adds flavour to whatever it is put in-- so you as an individual add something special wherever you go.

The scripture also mentions that 'You are the light of the world' Again, what does light do? It brightens up the darkest of places-- or in other words it shines bright wherever it is.

Do not look down upon yourself-- based on this scripture alone you should know that you are special and that you are needed by so many people you have YET to meet.

Don't compare yourself to anyone else; there maybe someone who can talk better than you,-- but you must see it as that is the gift that God has put in them-- there is a very specific gift/talent/ability that God has placed in you that you need to begin to use to make a change in the world.

Never allow anyone to cause the light in you to become dim-- you must take into consideration the journey you are enduring-- there are people along the way that will need your story, that will need the problems you faced, the trials you thought you would never overcome to give them hope.

When God wants to bless you, he brings a person. That person is you. You are a blessing to so many.

Do not ever think you are not needed, do not ever think you are not valued, do not ever think that you are a nobody.

You are someone in the eyes of God; and you are so important.

x

Flash Fiction Friday: Moments

That moment when they finally close their eyes to sleep-- looking like angels sent from heaven.

That moment when they first recognize their hands-- staring at them, wiggling them, learning how to bend them; they are growing so fast.

That moment when you see them smiling in their sleep-- you as a mother feel as if you have accomplished the greatest thing in the world-- making your child happy.

That moment when they stare at you, registering in their minds that you are indeed their mother/father..

Beautiful moments.

Living with an infant: Co sleeping

Co-sleeping was something that was really frowned upon when I was leaving the hospital after I had my son. When I was waiting to be discharged, we had to attend a talk that went over everything from taking care of ourselves while we are healing (I had to get stitches because I tore a little when I gave birth) along with getting a lot rest while the baby is sleeping, feeding, etc.

Co-sleeping however was not encouraged, they made sure they said that make sure the baby is sleeping in a crib, feet touching the end and to be careful of covers in case they may suffocate themselves.

Now-- a brand newborn baby I understand because they're fresh-- they're tiny, they're fragile-- but it happens that they sleep better with mommy and daddy-- and a lot of people do it.

Me however... I didn't have a problem with him sleeping in his crib-- but now at 4 months, he still has his moments. There was one morning where I was so tired, I had my son on my chest because when he was around 2 or 3 months, that was his place to sleep-- his dad had gone to work, so I lay him next to me on a very flat pillow and boom-- he slept for about 4 hours straight.

Whaaat! And I think around that time that was the longest I had ever slept! lol But babies find the smell of their mother comforting so I think that was why he slept for so long-- but I was very happy about that! So almost every morning after his dad goes to work, he will sleep with me and we sleep really really well. lol

But if you know you're a very rigorous sleeper... you really should not co sleep with your child.... just to prevent any accidents.
Medical professionals like to scare new parents by throwing SIDS around (Sudden infant death syndrome), so for example you should never have your baby sleeping on their stomach, co sleeping is definitely not advised, no covers in the crib that can make them too hot-- I understand it is all for the safety of your child, but we as the parents know best and will do what works well for us.

I wouldn't advise co sleeping-- because there are dangers involved but if you happen to do it and it works for you-- go for it.

Living with an infant: 4 month immunisations

I absolutely hate hate hate when it's time for my boy to get his injections.

Hate it!

Depending on the baby-- they can either sleep a lot, barely sleep, get really fussy or grumpy, get really clingy, or they're absolutely fine-- they say they can get a fever-- especially with the doozy of the three injections they get at once at 2 and 4 months.

My boy is a man! He only cried when the needle went in and that was it...  but I hate to see it go in his little leg.. but it was quick.

I don't like it... but it's needed for them... And anyway the good part about it now is that he won't have another set of injections until he's 1

Hurrah!

Just felt to share.

x

My Breastfeeding Experience

During my pregnancy I yearned to be able to have the ability to breastfeed. Sometimes it just doesn't happen-- it doesn't make you less of a mother. But with me being a first time mother with my first child-- I really wanted to have the experience-- I heard so much about breastfeeding and how you bond with your child and all of those beautiful things..

And here I am today--- breastfeeding. I've been breastfeeding for 4 months-- 3 months exclusively but I had to begin to mix breastfeeding with infant milk because my boy wasn't gaining his weight like he was supposed to-- nothing too drastic, but at my health visitor visits, we would weigh him and he would always be a couple of ounces off the specified weight he was supposed to be. But despite that-- I could still see that my son was thriving. He was a little on the lighter side.. but still meeting all of the normal development stages.

But with introducing the infant milk as well as continuing to breastfeed-- he is putting on more weight because what the infant milk does which I have noticed is that he sleeps a lot better in the night-- when I was exclusively breastfeeding-- for me, he would wake up so much in the night and it's because he was hungry-- I know at the beginning, newborns, they will do that because their stomachs at that stage are the size of a pea-- but as he was getting older, it was still happening-- and babies need as much sleep as possible to grow. He would sleep a lot through the day and at night he would constantly be waking up. But... presently, he's up a lot in the day and sleeps for at least a solid 4 hours before waking up for a feed which is a very big improvement. A lot of people around me can see he's steadily gaining weight and is looking and maturing very well.

When I made the decision to mix breastfeeding, and also giving him infant milk-- to be honest, I felt discouraged-- I felt like I can't even provide my son enough milk to grow. But boy babies LOVE TO EAT! So it has nothing to do with me not providing enough milk-- they need more. And glory be to God, at least I was able to breastfeed exclusively for 3 months straight, and he was fine. I just made up my mind that I was going to breastfeed all the way until he's 6 months-- but one thing I've come to realise is that things don't always go according to the plan you have in your mind-- and that is ok; because at the end of the day it's about the child and what is best for the child at that particular time.

But breastfeeding is beautiful. You as a mother create this unbreakable bond with your child-- sometimes when they get to the stage where they recognise your face-- they will look up at you with this gaze like 'You're my mommy' and sometimes even flash a smile. When they get to the stage where they start to recognise the use of their hands, they begin to grab your fingers-- some squeeze your breast-- but it is all part of the bonding experience. It makes you feel so good that this child that you have carried for 9 months is here and you're able to provide nutrition for him/her.

I've also posted up my breastfeeding experience on the Huffington Post. Check it out and make sure you leave a comment!

x

Flash Fiction Friday: No sleep

As I cradle him in my arms, his arm resting on my left breast-- I regret nothing.
Sunrise. Worked the baby night shift. So tired.

As I look at his sleeping face, his little chest rising and falling so peacefully-- all I can do is thank God. Thank God for giving this gift to me. Thank God for providing the strength to take care of this gift.

He buries his head into my breast and exhales.

3 easy ways to utilize your time with an infant

It can be a struggle to do things around the house with an infant depending on you for everything. It gets to a point where you become a little frustrated and stressed due to the lack of sleep (Which will end very soon) But it is very possible to still get things you need to get done and for life to still continue!

1. Sleep

It's without a doubt up until their first birthday-- infants need as much sleep as possible-- once they feel to sleep they will cry, fidget and make the most noise possible-- do not ignore this cue! Once they are asleep... you can do as much as you possibly can-- do the laundry, eat, make important phone calls, dance around-- whatever! This is the best time to use your time productively (even though.. a lot of time it is recommended that whenever the baby is sleeping, we as the mother should be sleeping too =/)

2. Play and Multi task
If your child is anything like mine-- in regards to fighting sleep until he can't fight it anymore, this is another thing you can do to make the most of your time in the day. Specifically speaking.. if your child is at an age where they can be in a bouncer or a walker-- put them in and if you have house chores or things you need to do around the house get it done! The baby is safe in there walker/bouncer and won't hurt themselves-- and they won't be too far from you!

3. Take turns
I don't want to generalise because everyone has different circumstances with their children-- but if you happen to be with your partner this is a very good thing to do-- as a mother sometimes it can become too much handling an infant-- it isn't wrong to take some breaks and let the father also have some duties with the child. If your child is on infant milk or you happen to pump your breast milk, give it to dad to feed the baby-- not only does it create a bond between daughter and or son and father but you get a break and have a little leisure time to yourself.

Let me know what other tips you have in the comments! :)

The Process of being built

Isaiah 64:8
“But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.” 

In this life, there is constant change, constant growth-- we make mistakes but that contributes to the journey we are facing.

Do not be discouraged through the situations and problems that you encounter-- it's all part of building you up. We are all different individuals with a different story to tell-- which is what makes our lives so unique. Do not compare yourself to the next person because the journey they are facing is completely different from yours. This is why you must see your life as a blessing-- the problems that you face and you are somehow able to endure, if someone else goes through the same issue-- they are most likely to become a victim and tragically not be able to make it through.

This is also why we should not judge people at first glance-- we have no idea what they are going through. In this life there are so many stories untold, and so many things that have decided to be unsaid all we can do is just to encourage ourselves and the people that have decided to be around us as we all go through our individual storms.

Going through storms and going through problems doesn't make us weak-- we are strong for being able to stand amidst of them-- and it is a good sign when we are battling problems-- it means that we are being broken down to be built up to become stronger, more wiser, more mature because where we are heading is to a place of greatness.

Look at it this way-- whenever you encounter a situation that looks so hard, that is so dirty, that can get to a point that it so scary-- it just means God is preparing something great for your life-- he is just testing you to see if you truly believe in him and trust that he is with you every step of the way.

Our lives are in the hands of God-- he is moulding us in his hand to the person he has already destined us to be come.

Keep the faith and keep standing strong.
x

Letter to my son

Dear Jeremiah,

I love you so much and I want you to have the best-- more than what I had when I was growing up.
I had you at a time in my life where things weren't where I wanted them to be but God knew more than I did.

You came at the right time.

You are my motivation. You give me the drive to do better, to be better.. When I think of you it puts me back in line and reminds me that there is more that I can achieve-- after all it is me and your dad that you will be looking up to. I still make mistakes-- but it will help me when teaching you how to do the right thing in life.

I will always be here for you.. Through the rough patches of puberty.. Throughout being a teenager.. And becoming a young adult.. Even when you have your own family I will still be here on the outside for any moral support you will need.

I'll be your shoulder to cry on. I'll be the first one to put you back on track if I see you going wayward.

There will be times where I say or do things that you may not like or agree with, but know it's for your good. I'm still your mother and I still have to guide you to the right place.

I always pray to God that he will give me the wisdom and knowledge to raise you into the great person you are destined to be. I look at your face and I see blessing. I look at your face and I see prosperity. I look at your face and I see pure joy.

YOU give me joy. I could feel a little down but as soon as I see that smile on your face I'm filled with joy and begin to be uplifted.

May that joy never leave you my son-- for the joy of the Lord will always be your strength.

I am here for you. Through the good and bad. You are teaching me new things everyday. Your innocence is beautiful.. Smiling at the littlest of things.. The smallest of things that entertain you.. Most of all how fascinated you are with the world around you.

I am afraid of how negative and corrupt the world is at this time.. But God has made you a light. You will not struggle. You will not be affected by the stress and frustration of the world. You will be different.

I pray you will shine and impact everyone that comes in contact with you.

I am blessed to have you in my life and thank you for reviving a zeal in me to let me know there are still things that I need to conquer..

Everytime I look at you it pushes me to do more.

Thank you Jeremiah for restoring hope in me.

Mommy loves you so much.

x

Living with an infant: Sleeping saga continues

So... For the past couple of days Jeremiah seems to have reverted back to fighting sleep like never before-- so bad it got to the point where I would need to rock him until he is drowsy before he would fall asleep.
It's currently 7:09am and Jeremiah kept waking up in the night as a result of pulling his hair-- he does this when he's tired-- and when he does this he wakes himself up... Crying because he pulls his hair so hard!
Also! As soon as I would attempt to put him in his crib he would start to cry and I was really wondering why he was doing this-- because I could see that he was so tired!
I even had to revert back to him lying on my chest! These things I have stopped!

So do you know what I did? I took my pillow that I sleep on and I put it in his crib-- it was a really flat pillow so it's not too dangerous.. But it looks so funny because the pillow is big for his crib so half of the pillow is on the wall.
But getting back to the point... So the pillow is in the crib... When I got him a little drowsy I lay him on the pillow in the crib.. And he went straight to sleep.

Now I don't know if he was just reallllyyy tired so he fell asleep.. Or if my smell on the pillow caused him to fall asleep. I'm gonna do it again tonight and see if it makes a difference.
Because babies take heed to their mother's smell.. It calms them down..

So I will see what happens.. I really do pray I will conquer through this sleeping thing with Jeremiah!

Career orientated mama

Since giving birth I have been highly motivated to getting back on track with my writing.
Before and while I was pregnant I felt very lazy to write.. I had a lack of motivation.. I was suffering from a lot of writers block and I generally wanted to give up, really.

I have been writing for years and my writing hasn't got to a stage where i'm well established and there is some type of familiarity associated with my blog or my general writing.

I am still unknown!

But who's fault is that? My own.

But since having my son.. A zeal has come over me and I have a lot of goals writing wise that I really do want to achieve this year.

I think the thought of my son looking up to me is what is pushing me.. I want him to see that he doesn't have a deadbeat mama that just settled being a stay at home mother. Not to say that being a stay at home mother is a bad thing-- but for me personally

I know there is more I still need to achieve-- my life doesn't stop here.

I want him to be proud that he has me as a mother-- I want him to know that whatever he wants to do in life he can do it.
And for myself I want to know that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to.

I don't want to use the excuse that I had a child so there was no time to do anything.

You need to make the time.

God doesn't do anything by accident you know. He knows exactly what he is doing-- if he knew that he allowed a baby to come at a particular point in your life where you weren't ready he wouldn't release it. He knows what is good for your life. Even if you think you're not ready and God releases it, he knows why and you will see it for yourself eventually.

In a way having my son has rejuvenated my drive to chase my dreams.

I pray with God's help and guidance I will get there and my son will be proud of his mama!
x

Sunday morning reflections

My sleeping pattern has changed a lot since having a baby but I'm using it to my advantage to communicate with God and to better myself as a person.

At least a couple times in the week I reflect on myself.. The kind of person I am.. What I need to change.. And since becoming a mother I think my thoughts have quadrupled lol.

I just want to be the best mother to Jeremiah-- I am not perfect but there are small things that I can change about myself to be better and to be a good role model to my son.

I know I'm a good person and I always wish the best for people-- that may not be the case with everyone else in the world, but who cares? Not everyone is going to love you-- and that's ok.

Psalm 23:5
'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.'

Sometimes you need some people who necessarily don't like you or wish the best for you to see you excel. Keep killing them with kindness.. Love them. God will do the rest.

But generally I always think of how to better myself.. I'm stubborn. God has to help with that one! But the good part of it is I am working on it.

That is the major key in becoming better-- acknowledging that there are things that do need to be changed and put it into action.

We are all fortunate to still be here-- there are people who haven't made it to see today.

Living with an infant: Interaction and Personality

I love watching my son. It is so funny-- the expressions, the smiles, the way he looks at things and analyses it for himself.

One thing I've noticed about Jeremiah-- and I've mentioned in a previous blog is I can see that he really likes colours. I have a very large muslin with colourful leaves on it-- and every time the muslin is around he stares at for so long. I recently bought new sleepsuits for him, and one is blue with stripes-- he was staring at the stripes on his sleeves for ages, with some serious focus!

So I believe he'll like a lot of colours but we'll see how that progresses.

Now-- my boy is starting to recognise the use of his hands-- he stares at them from time to time but now he's starting to grab things, my scarf, his hair, my shirt (as I'm wearing them..) my breasts (while he's nursing)

Yeah... I'm going to need to get him toys soon so that he can start keeping himself occupied and it will also be good for his cognitive development.

Also I'm still observing his personality unfold-- he's a cool baby-- he likes to chill out, but he likes to play a lot too. He doesn't get easily bored, but if he's left for too long by himself (If he's awake and I need to go up and get something) he doesn't like it-- he likes having everyone around which means he'll probably be a really family orientated young man. I read up on his star sign (I like to read them from time to time) and he is a Libra-- Libra's are peacemakers-- and I would not be surprised in the slightest if he grows up to be someone who likes to solve problems.

He's also becoming very vocal too! I am loving it, the cooing sounds, the little gurgles and squeaks he makes-- I love it-- it's just so lovely to see him growing. I feel so honoured to be a mother to such a blessed child. My phone is always camera/video ready to document all of these moments!

But overall these are just small observations-- his personality could change once he becomes a toddler.. who knows!

...Oh no the terrible twos...

I'm thinking too far now!

lol!

Flash Fiction Friday: Hold on

He's such a bundle of joy. Skin caramel like chocolate. Smelling of fresh shea butter. His small little legs are rhythmically kicking at my thigh.

He feels so comfortable sitting on my lap observing his new surroundings. His new life. So small but ready to explore the world around him.

His little arm resting on mine-- cooing happily and comfortably. His hand with his 5 tiny fingers clasp my index finger with such a grip. He's holding onto me with the little strength he harbours.

A gummy smile shines on his face.

Hold on to me for as long as you want.

Elevation

There comes a time in your life where you need to move to the next level. I am a prime example of wanting to stay where I am comfortable-- but comfortability does not bring success; it rather stunts your growth and delays your progress.

It's so easy to be in a place where we are comfortable-- but before you realise a decade has passed and what have you done with your life? It's good to take a look at your life and evaluate what needs to be changed so that you can continue to strive to newer and bigger levels.

What we like to do as human beings-- and I am the first guilty person-- we love to make excuses to why we should remain in our comfort. 'Oh, it's better I stay here because I know everything that I need to do' 'I like it here, I don't need to move' But we DO need to move. We DO need to get to places where we don't know exactly what we are doing-- but this gives us the opportunity to learn and to add to what we already know. Once that happens, you've gained more experience for your life and it betters you as a person.

Don't you ever get to a point where you become uncomfortable? When you feel like that-- it means it's time to move on; do not ignore that urge because you must always be moving to new levels throughout your life, it is a sign that you are progressing.

This doesn't mean however, that you should compare yourself to other people and make rash decisions. There are times where you are meant to be in a place for a significant amount of time before you move to another level-- everyone is different, and everyone's experiences are different. The most important thing to do is take your time, follow your instincts-- when it's time to move you will know.

Don't be afraid to jump out of that comfort zone and be elevated-- your elevation means you are taking the right risks and movements to reach success.

Move from where you are to somewhere better and conquer your fears.

Living with an infant: Sleeping update

I'm sure you all are wondering how I'm getting on with Jeremiah and his sleeping.

I'm happy to say it has improved tremendously. He still fights it from time to time, but it's not as long as before and he can doze off to sleep by himself. There's still times where he fights it so hard that I need to rock him in his car seat before he can start to doze.

He is weaned off me holding him so much.. I don't do it as much so the attachment isn't so strong. Jeremiah is a very cool, calm and collected baby and it started to change so I had to reverse that-- QUICKLY! 

But generally it is getting better and I'm not as tired as before thank God!

He still wakes up at night to breastfeed-- but he only wakes up about twice now-- it used to be a lot more-- which is also a dramatic improvement.

Not entirely sure when he will sleep solidly through the night but I am very happy with the improvement so far.

All I can say is praise God for the strength he has given me to do this and I can only pray for my son to continue to develop into a nice young gentlemen!

Amen! x

The blog makeover

So have you noticed anything different about the blog recently?
I had a moment of change...

New theme. New name. New description.

The way my blog looked before really did not reflect where I am at this present time. My blog before looked dark.. And even the title "visualized reality" which implies that I'm running away from reality.. I was at a very different point in my life.. But things have changed.. I've matured.. I've gone through certain experiences that have brought me to this very point.

So yeah.. I'll be posting some writing.. I want to introduce a new thing called 'flash fiction Fridays' so I'll post short quick stories every Friday.. As well as mommy related posts and inspirational/motivating stuff as well, and from time to time product reviews on things I've benefited or had a good (or bad) experience with

So stay tuned :)

Baby product review: Tried and tested

Throughout my baby's now 4 months of life, I've gone through a catalogue of products that I'd like to review and share my experience with them.

I know every baby is different and maybe you've had a worse or better experience with some of these products-- i'm just giving my personal view on them and my personal recommendations.

Pampers Premium Protection diapers

I used these nappies up until Jeremiah was just about to turn 3 months. The only issue I had with these diapers is every so often Jeremiah would leak out of them at random.. Not a pretty picture. Sometimes I would have to change Jeremiah in the middle of the night due to leaks.. Which isn't advisable. The upside to these diapers is the strip on the front that changes from yellow to blue which indicates that baby's diaper needs to be changed. I found that really handy.

Pampers baby dry diapers
These diapers. Yes. Yes. Someone gave me a pack as a gift and since then I've been on them like cheese on toast. They stand true to its name: baby dry. They really do keep baby dry! Since I started using them (since J turned 3 months) there have been no leaks-- and I'm not sure if you've seen the advert with the babies and the question pops up 'Where did all the wee go?' You do wonder, though. These diapers are on offer at Tesco.. Two packs for £18 where one pack is £14.

Huggies Newborn Baby wipes
These wipes were given to me as a gift and I fell in love with them. They're not too wet, but wet enough to do the job. No fragrance, and I believe they came at the right time for me to use on Jeremiah. I started to use wipes on him from when he was a month old and no reactions! Only downside is that I could only find these wipes at Asda.

Little ones baby wipes
This too also was a gift and also came at the right time! These wipes are very very wet and has quite a strong fragrance but at this point in time where Jeremiah's poo's are becoming very pungent and quite regular it clears up the mess very nicely and leaves his area smelling very nice.

Pampers sensitive baby wipes
These are similar to the huggies.. I like the no fragrant wipes but just enough moisture to do the trick.

Snufflebabe nasal drops and aspirator.
I needed to purchase this when Jeremiah got a little cold and cough and it really did help. Jeremiah has been a snuffly baby ever since he came out.. But when he had a little cold (around 2 months) these two worked hand in hand. The nasal drops softened up the mucus in his nose and every time I would use the aspirator to suck out the snot, a good amount came out. Then he eventually got over the cold! You can get these from Boots... or you can order online.

Child's farm sensitive hair and body wash
This was the first wash I used on Jeremiah and it was fine until I noticed he started to get a little rash.. And then I stopped using it. I used it on his hair and it washed it very well-- but I think it didn't agree with him. You can get this at Superdrug for £3.99 (Beautycard points!)

Burt's Bees baby bee bath
I bought this product based on all of the good reviews that I read.. But it wasn't good for Jeremiah-- at this point Jeremiah was getting patches of dry skin that started to look like eczema.. So I wanted to get a bath that would help make his skin soft.. And on the packaging it says it will leave baby's skin gentle and soft. But rather the bath is quite fragrant, and I think it exacerbated the problem with his skin. This bath is £10 from boots!

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Feeding Bottles

I've only been using these bottles for 2 weeks but Jeremiah adjusted very quickly to it. Originally I had purchased some Dr Brown's bottles based on the reviews but I really struggled.. Then I realised maybe he didn't like the bottle. But with these bottles the teats of the bottle are similar to nipples.. And Jeremiah loves his breast so I took a bottle from my breast pump and used it.. Whaddaya know! He loved it. So i'll be using Tommee Tippee bottles from now on. Weaning shall be a breeze!

Earth Friendly Products Baby Laundry Detergent- Chamomile and Lavender

I was really unsure to what to use to wash J's clothes-- as you know the skin of a baby is super sensitive-- so to use the detergent I use to wash my clothes was definitely a no no. With the good knowledge of a friend, I discovered this detergent and it has been a dream. It has done nothing to my son's skin-- it smells wonderful and it isn't too expensive. Also, it lasts a good amount of time (or depends how often you wash your baby's clothes. I tend to wash once a week.. twice a week if there have been accidents lol) A bottle of this is only £6.99, but it is only available at Whole Foods-- or you can order it online.

So far these are the products I have used for Jeremiah-- if I tend to venture on more I shall review them too! Leave a comment and let me know thoughts and recommendations!

Living with an infant: 4 months old today!

I am so grateful to God my son has made it to 4 months!!!
Thank you Jesus.

Before starting this post I literally googled 'What age is considered an infant' because I'm sure my boy has passed the newborn stage!
So what google told me was newborn is from birth to 2 months. An infant is from 3 months to 1 year old.. Then baby is considered a toddler.
So.. I've had to change my title from newborn to infant lol.

Anyway. What a month it has been. My son is changing and maturing and becoming a little mister. Throughout this month I have seen him develop.. He's becoming more interactive-- he's realizing the use of his hands.. Beginning to grip things-- he's making a lot more sounds now-- getting very vocal, smiling a lot more, he's doing this thing now that when he lies down he is lifting up his upper body to try and get up-- a very good sign! It means his muscles are getting stronger.
He's spending more time on his tummy... His neck is still a teeny bit wobbly but he can hold it up by himself.
A lot of changes in the past month and I can only thank God for continuing to be with us as he matures.

As for the sleeping.. It is getting a lot better. He still fights though. This boy did not want to sleep last night.. He was obviously tired but didn't decide to fall asleep until 2:30 this morning.
Like, really?!
I don't know what kids think they're missing when they fall asleep.. Honestly.
But he is continuing to self soothe.. Occasionally I need to rock him a bit until he gets drowsy.. Then I put him down and he falls asleep on his own.
I'm really hoping by the time he's 5 months the sleeping is mastered and he can sleep through the night. He still wakes up in the night to feed-- but that has decreased too-- he wakes up only twice.. Before it was at least 5 or 6.
So that's improving too thank God.

Since putting Jeremiah on the infant milk he has adjusted to the bottle so praise God weaning shouldn't be too hard now. And no reactions to the milk so that's good. I have a health visitor appointment in 3 weeks so we will see how his weight will be then.

I believe that is all! I can't wait to see how much he develops in this month-- the only thing I'm not looking forward to is his injections.. But the good side is after this lot of injections he won't have it again until he's 12 months.

God continue to be with us, amen.