Dressing The Baby: The February Edition

Yes I do realise its now March, apologies I am slightly late with February's Dressing The Baby but it's a short month - I just didn't have time to fit it in!

So let's take a look at some of my favourite outfit's that Tyne wore in February!

Of course February is the month of love, and I just couldn't resist ordering Tyne a special little Valentines Day vest to wear on February 14th!

We didn't go anywhere for anybody to see it which was a bit of a shame now that I think about it, but at least I'll always have the photos to embarrass him with when he's older!

I ordered the vest from Ebay.

 This little outfit was something really different for Tyne - I've never put him in jade green before but I fancied something a bit different.

I have to admit that I've never been a fan of very bright colours on babies and I'm still not crazy about them now, but it was nice for a change!

I do love the "Catch me if you can" slogan on the tshirt - very appropriate now that he is crawling faster than the speed of light!

The skinny jeans were from Mamas & Papas and were reduced to £5.00 in their sale, and the t shirt was from Miniclub @ Boots.

I have already reviewed this Baba & Boo Owl top HERE but Tyne has worn it a lot this month so I had to include it in my monthly round up too!

It's just so comfortable for him, and looks super cute!

Available from www.babaandboo.com for £12.95

This is one of our comfy, everyday sort of outfits at the moment - A long sleeved t shirt (This "It's not easy being this cute" one is from Asda I think), with nice super-soft cords (These are from Next) and paired with some cute dribble bibs.

He has been wearing his Mocc-ons a lot lately, I find them ideal as he currently has an obsession with pulling off his socks and his little feet get so cold - but these are FAR more difficult for him to yank off, which helps to keep me that bit saner!

Mocc-ons come in lots of gorgeous designs including Sneaker look, Ballerina Pump and loads more - prices start at around £9.00.

For more details and to find your nearest stockist, please visit Sock-Ons

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If you like the adorable little Mocc-Ons that Tyne has been wearing this month and fancy winning a pair, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

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"You Might Be 20 Weeks Pregnant...Come back in 4 weeks"

Yes, that's what I was told last week while laying on the Dr's examination table.

I have been dieting strictly for a month now - I didn't have a single takeaway in February, no fast food, no fried food, cut out sugar in my drinks, dramatically reduced chocolate and crisps - and at the end of the month, I had GAINED 6 lbs.

This was the first indicator to me that something was wrong. There's just no way that - given the change in my eating habits - a weight gain could be normal.

I then started really looking at my body in the mirror and I noticed how dramatically it has changed - I haven't been thin since my thyroid disease first developed at 18, I gained weight rapidly then - but I have always been somewhere around a 14 or 16 and comfortable with it. I'm tall, and I don't suit being thinner than a size 14.

After I had Tyne, my stomach went flatter and I felt reasonably ok apart from the saggy tummy fold you're left with immediately after a c-section.

But now, standing and looking at myself in the mirror, I realised that my middle area has really changed since he was born.

My "tummy" now seems to start from directly under my boobs - like a very round, pregnant belly - and it's very hard to the touch. It feels swollen - it's not wobbly and jelly-like as you would expect a fat tummy to be - it's very very hard.

So I decided that something was wrong and that I should pay yet another visit to the Dr.

Baring in mind that I am already regularly seeing the Dr as she is running endless blood tests on me and trying to diagnose whether or not I have fibromyalgia, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

I am also seeing her about my worsening and recurrent panic attacks, and am awaiting CBT sessions starting at the end of March.

So having yet another problem to see her about didn't feel great - I worry that she'll think I'm a hypochondriac.

But I went in and I told her about the weight gain, and the hard enlarged abdomen, and how depressing it was - I basically wanted her to check incase something was inflamed (I had gallbladder issues in pregnancy which has never been investigated since, so I wondered if it could be that) and if not, I wanted them to help me to lose weight as doing it on my own wasn't working.

She weighed me and agreed that I'd gained weight since they had last seen me. She then asked me to pop up on the table while she had a feel around my stomach.

She asked me if I had any pregnancy symptoms, so I said no.

She then told me the following:

"There's definitely a mass in your stomach. I can't tell what it is though. If it's a pregnancy, it's more than 20 weeks...."

I was, of course, dumbfounded from this point on.

She asked me to get down and then started talking about how she would need to book me in for a scan, and we wouldnt know what it was until then - but that it would be up to FOUR weeks before the scan date.

I was shocked.

First of all - how can a Doctor not be sure if a person is more than 20 weeks pregnant or not?!

And second of all - how could I just be left to wait a month to find out?!

The Dr was very unhelpful when I voiced my concerns.

I told her that I doubted very much that I could be pregnant, as I am on the pill and given how ill I have been lately there hasn't been much of that thing that makes a baby going on!

She simply shrugged and told me that all we could do is wait and see what the mass is when the scan is available.

I asked about pregnancy testing to rule it out - she said that pregnancy tests past 20 weeks wouldn't show anything as the pregnancy hormone has decreased by then.

So...I was left to walk out wondering whether I was pregnant by some immaculate conception which I doubted, or what else the mass that resembled a 20 week+ fetus could be.

Over the weekend I decided to go back to see a different Dr on Monday and ask for a second opinion.

Unfortunately, she was not much more helpful.

She also examined me, told me she doubted pregnancy but couldn't rule it out, but that yes there was a "fullness" there and she suspected an ovarian cyst but couldn't be sure.

She told me she would refer me for an "urgent" ultrasound scan - but I had to wait 2 days to be able to call and book it! Some urgency!

So 2 days past and I called to book....to be told that the very earliest they could fit me in is in 9 days time!

So here I am...in limbo.

I am now 7 days away from the scan date.

I personally know I'm not pregnant - I've had no symptoms and as I say, it would be an almost immaculate conception if I were! - so instead I've been left to worry endlessly about what on earth this thing in my stomach is, and what will happen once they've FINALLY looked at it.

Certainly NOT an ideal situation for someone already suffering with excessive panic attacks - this has certainly made them much worse.

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Tough day? Relax with a glass of British wine

We’ve all had those sorts of days when the only consolation is to stop off on the way home and buy a nice bottle of wine. A long soak and a lovely glass can soothe even the most ruffled of feathers. All too often, though, we stare along the shelves wondering what to purchase, and the countries that jump out as winemakers are all Mediterranean, Australasian, South American or South African. We tend to forget that there is such a thing as British wine, and very good it is too. Wine has been made on these shores for centuries, but it is only recently getting the recognition it deserves.

British Bubbles the Best

So good is English sparkling wine now that it has won several prestigious international awards, and the Champagne makers of France have been put on notice. Critics have gone so far as to say that English bottles of bubbly have more elegance than traditional French Champagne. Cornwall has a distinctly similar soil structure and climate to a large area of northern France, as it was once all part of the same land mass. It's no surprise then that the grapes grow as well there. The climate growing warmer is helping this success, although the fact that the UK's climate is slightly cooler is actually an advantage.

The UK fizz may be the bubbly that is impressing experts in blind tastings, but it is not the only variety. Pinot noirs and roses are also going down very well indeed. Camel Valley is now the most famous vintner, but there are others in Kent and Surry providing excellent home-grown wines.

Fly the Flag

There was a lot to be patriotic about in 2012 with the Jubilee and the Olympics, and this is when English wine makers saw their sales start to shoot up - in fact, they trebled. It is no longer a bit of a joke to consider having a tipple of Britain’s best. With all the honours being heaped upon the local wine trade, it would be a shame not to see what you’re missing.

So next time you feel so deflated and down, and the only thing that will pick you up is a relaxing drink, do take a look at the British wines. You may well join the legions of new fans who have found that our own grape harvest is good enough to lift anyone’s spirits.

Image by Bob Jones, used under Creative Comms licence.

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Life Lately...

What we've been watching....

I'm loving that two of my favourite shows - The Middle and Modern Family - are back for new series!

I have to admit I'm finding The Middle less funny so far this series, but Modern Family cracks me up as much as ever!

I have also been addicted to One Born Every Minute, and still loving Dance Moms!

But my favourite show to watch at the moment has to be The Big Reunion 2014 - I watched the last series and it was ok but the bands that were featured in it weren't anyone I particularly liked first time around - however this series is full of all the people I loved back in the day! Especially a1 - and oh my word, how nice are they?!!!!

What we've been making....

I've been busy busy busy with Mothers Day orders this month, making these Mothers Day trees...

I've been getting tired of crafting lately though, and have been toying with the idea of a new little sideline business....but more about that at a later date!

As well my crafty makes, I started doing some craft things with Tyne for the first time this month too!

Valentines Day seemed like the perfect chance to get started, so we decided to make a Valentines Card from Tyne to his Nanny....

We did some hand prints in red paint - my original plan was to put two hand prints together to make a heart shape...

Unfortunately I had forgotten how difficult hand printing with a small baby is, so I abandoned that idea rather swiftly and just aimed for getting the handprint on the paper and nowhere else!

Unfortunately, Tyne then decided he really wasn't a fan of having paint on his hands and proceeded to have a bit of a melt down....

So the project was abandoned, but at least we had a nice card for Nanny!

What we've been doing....

Unfortunately I haven't been too well health wise lately, and am still awaiting a diagnosis with the Dr unsure of whether to label it as Fibromyalgia or not as some blood tests indicated I further Auto-Immune disease (I already have Graves Disease which is an auto-immune disease which affects the Thyroid gland, but they now suspect a second auto-immune disorder) - I am currently awaiting a referral to a reumatologist and I'm hoping that I'll have a diagnosis soon as it's really difficult to live in the pain I'm currently in everyday.

On top of that I went to the Dr last week about the fact that I've somehow managed to GAIN 6lbs despite being on a diet for the last month, and to complain that my stomach/abdomen is swollen and very hard.

She examined me and can feel a mass in my stomach, but she doesn't know what it is and can't fit me in anywhere for a scan for 2 or 3 weeks. 

NOT happy :/

We have still been trying to have fun though!

As well as our Valentines craft session above, we spent Valentines day doing some Valentines related baking!

Well actually we started to....

But then I realised I had the wrong kind of flour, so it was put on hold until the next day!

But we still had fun!

I was a little worried about making a cake when I`m supposed to be dieting, so I used the new Truvia Baking Blend instead of sugar 

I was amazed at how well it worked - it pours just like sugar, and I honestly couldn't taste any difference at all! Highly recommended!

Isn't my finished cake pretty?! It was almost a shame to decorate it, but I had to

I am rather proud of my first attempt at cake decorating!!! Even if it does look more like a strawberry than a heart....

As well as our Valentines Day fun, we've also had some nice family days out including taking Tyne swimming with his cousins and grandparents which he LOVED and going out for a nice family meal

What we've got planned....

At the moment we've been working a lot on our new YouTube Channel, and having fun experimenting with making vlogs.

We're still learning of course, but we are having lots of fun along the way and it's nice to be taking some video footage as that's definitely something I haven't done enough of since Tyne was born!

Here is our latest Vlog, and we would love it if you subscribed to our channel - we post a new vlog every Sunday evening!

Next month is Tyne's 1st birthday, so all of our thoughts and efforts are pretty much going to be going into that!

It's also my nieces 4th birthday, and my sister's 30th birthday - so I'll need to be doing a lot of birthday gift shopping!

We're still browsing holiday deals and trying to decide what's best to go for, no plans have been set in stone just yet.

That's all of our news for now! We'd love to hear how life has been lately for all of our friends out there!

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Guest Post: Burn calories doing outdoor sports

Indespension’s Get Out There campaign motivates families to lead a more active lifestyle and make the most out of the British Outdoors.

In order to keep fit, you don’t necessarily have to visit a gym. Working out at a gym can become tedious and boring which makes many people give up easily. For a more interesting workout alternative, why not try the huge gym that is our British countryside instead? There are many different ways to stay fit and burn calories outdoors. The added beauty of the scenery will add to your motivation and might make it easier to stick at sports.

Here are a few outdoor sports options you might enjoy:

Sailing on a lake

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbrooks/1054951716/

Sailing is a true family sport. Don’t worry if you can’t afford your own boat. Many places allow you to rent a sailing vessel or individual dinghies. Learning how to sail may seem daunting but you can hire a tutor that shows your entire family how to sail which makes it even more fun. An hour of sailing can burn up to 200 calories per hour. Sailing is physically demanding but you will soon get the hang of it.

Canoeing on a river

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjdunphy/2043360656/

One canoe can fit two adults and three children so this is another sport you can enjoy as a family. Canoeing allows you stop along the river to take in the scenery and enjoy a lovely family picnic together. Canoeing burns up to 250 calories an hour and the children don’t necessarily have to be actively involved, they can just sit in the canoe and enjoy the scenery around them.

Kayaking

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/portlandgeneralelectric/7027889155/

Kayaking is not too different from canoeing and requires almost the same skills. This sport is more advisable if your children are a bit older because that means that they can go kayaking in their own vessel, a great feeling of independence and achievement. You can get a tutor to show the entire family how to kayak but it won’t take a long time to learn all the necessary skills of directing and powering the boat. Make sure you take some life jackets and off you go on an enjoyable family experience.

These sports are just a few options on how to enjoy outdoor sports as a family and burn calories in the process. Adventures like this will help your family to bond and make nice memories your children won’t forget so soon.

What is your favourite way to get fit and enjoy the countryside? As always, I'd love to hear from you!

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