one month on

Joshua has been here a month now. It has absolutely flown by! I thought I would share with you an A to Z of how I survived this first month...



A~ Andy he has been a great help, with the house, the kids and me. Love you honey x



B~basket

This was my present to myself. I take it everywhere with me and have is stocked with nappies, my book, drinks and snacks, my camera, phone and knitting. It is great for when I am feeding Joshua and I can reach for things one handed without having to empty my bag onto the floor to find what it is I want.

C~Chalks

I keep these hidden away in the cupboard and only get them out when the kids are going stir crazy.

D~ dvd's

The older 2 children have been allowed to watch a bit more TV than usual, leaving me free to peacefully feed Joshua or to get a few jobs done.


E~ emergency toys

This is the cupboard in the spare room, we keep most of our toys in here. In the last month or so I have been rotating the toys in the playroom every few days which has kept Rebe and Benny's interest in them and therefore kept them occupied.

F ~ Freezer

I have just about used up all of the frozen meals I had prepared before Joshua came. The freezer has been great for that and also for letting us shop big and then not go for another 10 days or so.

G ~ Garden

I believe that we all need fresh air everyday. It has not always been possible to go anywhere, in fact I have felt quite strongly that I want to be near the house, so the garden has been vital giving us all a breath of fresh air.

H~ Help

I have been really good this time at accepting help...if someone offers to do something for me/us I have been saying yes (please), in the past I was maybe a bit too proud about asking for and accepting help, but I've got the hang of it now.

I ~ Ice lollies
These are great for crazy, hungry, everyone going mad moments. We make them with fruit juices or smoothies, super for getting fruit into the kids and extra great for Benny with his sore teeth at the moment.

J ~ no j, can't think of anything I'm afraid.

K~ knitting

Although I'm not getting much knitting done, I love the pick up put down aspect to knitting which allows me to do a tiny bit each day giving me my creative fix! I have just received an order for a rainbow baby cardi from a lady I met a friends house so I have that to keep me busy until the yarn arrives for Rebe's birthday present request ( a knitted dress).

L ~ lists

I start the day by making lists in my head: what are my jobs, what do I need to cook, what will I do with the kids. I also find that writing my lists down has helped me keep organised. Shopping lists, to make lists, to do lists... These are especially vital for visits to town and they stop a great deal of stress.

M~ mummy's

My own dear mummy is such invaluable help and is always there for me whenever I need her. I also find that contact with other mummy's; friends here, in Cobh and in the UK as well as some lovely online friends help so much with support and advice.

N ~ nature

Going back to what I said about the garden and being outside, I need to be in nature nearly every day. We are so lucky to have beaches like this on our doorstep and the woods and countryside too. Walking through a town just wouldn't do it for me! There is something so calming about it, and the kids need no props at all and will happily play, discover and explore for hours.

O ~ osteopath

I went to an osteopath about a week after i had given birth. I was in so much pain in my pelvis I could hardly move! One treatment later i was completely better. It was amazing! I took Joshua to him yesterday and the osteopath found him to be doing great, but there was a lot of pressure in his forehead, particularly the left side (which corresponds interrestingly with the pain in my pelvis being on the right side). He treated him then and we've arranged another couple of follow up appointments. Not only is this guy a great osteopath but he is incredibly kind. He didn't charge me at all for yesterdays treatment and is only asking for half price for the follow ups! How lovely is that?!

P ~ Pride and Prejudice

I have just finished this and really enjoyed it (picturing Collin Firth as Mr Darcy). I asked my mum to bring me a couple of books for after the birth as I like to read a lot, especially during long leisurely breastfeeds, I'm just about to start Margaret Attwood's 'Alias Grace'.

Q ~ Quiet time

Shhh it's nap time. I don't think I could cope so well if I didn't have at least an hour of quiet time everyday. I get both little boys to sleep after lunch and i ask Rebe to be hushed and calm. We read stories or craft or she'll quietly play giving me ( and my ears) a rest, allowing me to recharge for the afternoon and evening.

R ~ Rhythm

I am the kind of person who really feels much better if there is a rhythm to my day and life. This is the rhythm I wrote and put on the wall when we first arrived here and it is still the rhythm we follow everyday. It makes life easier for us all, we know what is going to happen next and it allows me to switch off from the details and just go with the natural flow of our lives.

S ~ sling

I love this sling. I wear Joshua in it a lot; a couple of times a day probably. Whether it's because we are out and about or he is just unsettled and needs to be with his mummy. It has been worth every penny I spent on it. I bought it when I was pregnant with Benny and used it nearly everyday with him until I was too pregnant with Joshua to wear it any longer. It is a Storchenwiege and is really versatile and also beautiful, love it.

T ~ tea

chamomile for washing Joshua's bum when it's sore. Fennel (for him and me) when he is windy and crampy and peppermint for me to refresh and revitalise... and of course countless cups for Benny who is this house's tea jenny!


U & V can't think of anything...

W ~ Water play

Water is so therapeutic. A bath will calm a stressed baby (and mummy) and if the kids are going nuts then letting them wash up or skiddle or play with water in whatever way will always calm them. Luckily in the last month we have had lots of nice days so we have had the paddling pool full and there has been lots of time for water play.

X, Y & Z... can't think of anything either.... but I think you get the idea.

It's been a journey this first month, at times tiring and stressful, loud and crazy, but also incredibly special and joyful and fun. I think we're over the worst and I'm looking forward to the months and years to come!