Picking baby products, especially your stroller

I am a prime example of leaving everything to the last minute. Im also the kind of person who hates to spend a fortune on anything that I am only going to use for a short period of time. Having said that though I really do like quality with a good price. I don't suppose this makes me any different to anyone else.

The internet (bless it) is a great way of getting a great deal on ANYTHING, including strollers. In fact depending on the kind of site you go to will depend on the choice you get.

Of course you have all the auction sites that have sprung up over the years, but there are some great alternative online shops that are always worth checking out. Especially as some will actually have consumer reviews on certains types of products.

When you are buying a stroller you have to try and get one that is right for you. Do you need a twin buggy, do you need one to go on all sorts of different terrain. Doing the research before you buy one, is easy and well worth doing. Look around, don't limit yourself to one shop, try and find a site that has listed various suppliers and you can get a good price comparison.

Good luck in your search. Im off to surf for a good stroller now!

Im in the home strait now... Soon sleepless nights and baby colic

Not long for my second pregnancy, and I'm looking forward to it all being over. Im not sure if this pregnancy is taking a long time or not. Sometimes it feels like ages, then again it flys by.

I am remembering the sleepless nights from my daughter. She suffered badly with colic. (for some great info on baby colic click here).

She also (as she used to devour her bottle) got baby gas coming from everywhere. Sometimes she would blow up a storm. Sometimes it caused her discomfort.

I am very luck though, she never seemed to suffer badly from infant reflux (click link to find out more). Having read up on it, I'm very grateful that she didn't.

So now in a short time, I have all of this to look forward to again. Everyone is different so you never know, it could be a whole other story!

Im 27 wks now

I have been rather negligent in keeping this blog going. Having an 18 month old tends to keep me busy (and rightly so...). I also don't think i've felt like it much over the last while.

My pregnancy is going great, there is kicking, my back is sore, my boobs are even sorer, I've starting waking in the middle of the night already, and I'm usually awake really early. It's all great fun. But that's being pregnant for you. You're not sick, but it can make you EXTREMELY uncomfortable. I don't think my husband fully understands how uncomfortable it can get, but then if men had to go through pregnancy I reckon that the earth would be very sparsely populated indeed...

I don't know what sex the baby is, and it's getting exciting trying to work it out. Although it's 50-50 chance that what ever guess we go with, it will be right. We have two names already picked, in fact I had them picked from about 7 weeks. Everyone wants sto know what names we have picked but we are telling no one.

I will make an effort to be a bit more diligent in posting updates, even if it's just and 'all is good' post.

My growing bump

OK, so my bump is growing nicely. I can feel lots of movement, although my husband who would love to feel it, can't as it's not quiet strong enough to feel on the outside yet.

I am now 20 weeks pregnant, so I'm half way through, feels like forever tough, but I think that's because I knew I was pregnant when I was four weeks.

I have my scan on monday, which is exciting, but before you ask, I have NO intention of finding out what I am having. I know lots of people find out, but the way I see it, I have the rest of my life to know, and I'm happy to wait. I know I have said this in previous posts, but I will still stick to it. I didn't know on my daughter either, and when she was born it was a complete surprise, especially as I was convinced (for no reason whatsoever) that it was a boy.

I will do another post after the scan...

Lord above... My belly is getting big

Well I am now 19 weeks pregnant, and wow my belly is growing...

I have felt he or she moving around, and it's great I have a scan next week which is exciting, but I have no intention of finding out what it is. The way I look at it is, I have the rest of my life to know whether it's a boy or a girl, so I am happy to wait.

I can no longer wear any of my skirts, jeans or dresses, so no more feeling slinky or sexy for me (well not for while anyway).

Anyway all is going well with the pregnancy, which is great and I am having no problems whatsoever, which is something I am very grateful for (I had no morning sickness all...).

Take care and till my next post xxx

Getting ready for baby number 2

Getting ready for this second baby is a whole lot easier that it was for baby number 1.
I already have most things. I have my car seat (and as I know it wasn't in an accident I know it's safe), I have clothing, blankets, all that kinda thing.

Another thing I have now in droves is EXPERIENCE. Not that my daughter was a huge amount of trouble, she wasn't. The only time I had any problems with her was when she suffered with colic. Of course I was only ever going to choose 100% natural colic cures. Believe it or not this is not as easy as you would think.

I'm convinced that my daughter got colic if from drinking her milk. She practically inhaled her milk from start of feed to end, and she possible swallowed more air than was good for her. Although remember that no expert can agree on what causes colic, and even though at the time you think you will never have another nights sleep again, babies usually have it up to 12-14 weeks.

Drops are one of the easiest methods. While you child is crying you just drop the liquid into their mouth. However if you are looking for the 100% natural colic cures you will have to go looking for them. They are not as easy to find as you would think.

If you are having your first child and you want to see what colic looks like in your child, and what it's like when it's relived check out this colic video. It should give you a good insight into what you will be facing.

Past the 13 week mark

I am just past the 13 week mark. It's all looking good so far. I will be due my 20 week scan in just over a month, which will be nice, especially for my husband, as he hadn't seen the earlier scan. Although we were with the midwife yesterday and he heard the heartbeat, which is good and strong.

I do have to have a whole load of blood tests, this was just a precaution, however we have recently discovered that my sister has a Protein C and S deficiency. This is very unusual, you usually have one or the other, so once I told the mid wife, she was very insistent that I get checked. No big deal, but it's probably best that I know one way of the other. I will probably leave it til the day I have the scan, as it's all in the same place, so if I have anything to report I will let you all know.

It's all kinda weird, as I have wanted to call my mom the whole time, and I did call my dad of course, but it's not the same thing at all. However I'll just have to find someone new to call, and share all the excitement with.

12.5 weeks, but now coping with a bereavement

I havn't posted many entries over the last while.

I lost my mom a few weeks ago, and although I live in holland, I am Irish
and returned to Ireland for 3 weeks.

I have to tell you, my pregnancy is progressing fine. I was checked out by our
family doctor, and had a scan, and have been told that everything is fine, and that
the stress of my bereavement, thus far, has had no effect on the baby. As you can imagine this is a relief.

Now the birth of my child is going to be a bitter sweet event. I am looking forward to meeting him or her (I don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl until he/she is born) but I am sorry my mom won't be here. On the birth of my first child she visited me here in holland for 5 weeks, and was going to do the same thing again, and I am going to miss her input, her help, well I am just going to miss her.

I hope all goes well with this pregnancy, and proceeds as it all should go, as usual, if I have anything to report, I will let you all know xxx

Week 7...

Well it's week 7 of my pregnancy. I'm still playing it down in my own head, but I also havn't had much in the way of symptoms so it's hard for it to fully sink in.

Well when I say that I havn't had much in they way of symptoms, I have had the light cramping that goes with early pregnancy, my womb growing to facilitate what's going on in there. Oh, and when I get hungry it happens so quickly. Within 10 minutes I go from being a bit peckish to completely ravenous! Seriously I get the shakes and everything. It's very weird!

I will have an appointment for my scan in about 3-4 weeks, hopefully with all being well it will make it more real to me.

So until I have another update...

6 Weeks

I am now six weeks pregnant, and I have nothing much to report. I believe that now the baby is about 2mm long, and the stumps where the arms and legs will grow are developing. Not to mention the eyes.

I have not had much in the way of morning sickness. In the evening I have had a wave or two of nausea, but that is pretty much it (thankfully). However I have to say the tiredness has kicked in BIG TIME. I am exhausted by doing nothing, and I've become a lighter sleeper than usual. This tiredness will pass, of that I am sure, I'm just waiting for it to end.

I have no appointment with my Midwife just yet, here in the Netherlands, they tend to treat pregnancy as a normal thing as opposed to a sickness, so there is no fussing over a pregnant woman. This is a bit refreshing, but it can also be a bit annoying, you are pregnant, and you want a bit of recognition that it's special! Although that being said they are wonderful here. Once you get used to the Dutch system it's a very good system to be part of. Remember that there is very little if any MRSA or C Difficile over here. Their policies are very strict and they stick to them no matter what.

So nothing new to report at the six week point. Anything new occurs and I will of course let you know.

Socialising...?

No one I know (ie Family or friends) knows I'm pregnant yet. I plan on leaving it that way for the time being.

During the weekend my husband and I went out for a drink (juice all the way for me). Now seeing as no one actually knows I'm pregnant it was a military operation trying not to let anyone see me not drinking beer (it's my drink of choice when I go out, I don't like vodka, whiskey etc;).

So basically I had to lie and tell everyone that I was on antibiotics and that was why I couldn't drink.

I have to say though, not drinking didn't bother me too much. I have a long term goal of November 2008 being the birth of my second child, so what's a few months not drinking. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! What did absolutely get on my nerves was everyone else. After my friends had a few drinks they were all happy and hyper and drove me crazy. They told me the same thing again and again. Lord above it was irritating beyond all belief.

I have a funny feeling that when we do finally get around to telling everyone they will all be telling me they knew it, especially as I wasn't drinking over St Patricks weekend...

5 Weeks today, and here comes the tiredness

This is now where the tiredness has kicked in. This is not a new symptom, I had this last time too. It's such a different tiredness to having missed a few hours sleep. You actually feel like you could fall asleep washing the dishes.

I have had some nausea, but thankfully no vomitting. Hopefully this will stay the case. Last time it seemed to me that I swapped the morning sickness for tiredness, this time I think that both could be on the cards. Well they do say that they that every pregnancy is different.

I have to admit, I'm still not terribly excited about it all though. I hardly seem to think about it, and when I do I'm thinking "oh yeah, I'm pregnant". It's just so weird. The worst thing about it is, is that I am NOT a negative person, nor do I get easily stressed, so it's not like I'm sitting up worried all night, or wondering if it's going to go wrong, because I'm not! I think it could be because I'm just so busy all the time.

Til my next entry x

The result still hasn't changed

I just read my post from yesterday. I gotta say it's a bit garbled. Then again that's pregnancy for ya. Not a whole lot I can do about that.

I have noticed a distinct difference between the early stages of this pregnancy and my last one. On my daughter I was SO tired. It was unreal. I couldn't keep my eyes open, and I even ended up going to bed in the afternoon, and for anyone who knows me, that is completely and utterly out of character. I hate going to naps. I find it a complete waste of time.

On this pregnancy I don't find myself so much tired as feeling quesy. I havn't been sick yet, but I have that distinct sick feeling. Although thankfully not in the morning, it seems to happen mostly in the evening.

No cravings, but I didn't last time either, so no change there. One thing I'm not looking forward to as this progresses, is all the heartburn, so time will tell if I get it or not. Hopefully not!

The result is in, I'm Pregnant!

This is the first post, in what I hope will be many for the next 35 weeks.

I am nearly 5 weeks pregnant, and my aim is to write about it, and take the mystery out of it. It is not my first pregnancy, in fact it's my third. I had a miscarriage first, I now have a beautiful one year old girl, and now this pregnancy.

It's quiet weird, I don't feel as excited as I did on my first pregnancy, and I can't figure out why. The funny thing is, I don't feel guilty about it either.

I first guessed I was pregnant, mostly due to the pain in my boobs. They now feel like I'm constantly cold, and it's very uncomfortable. Although I had this constantly through out my last pregnancy too, so I'm kinda used to it. I am feeling slightly sick. Not very, but it's a new feeling sensation for me. On my daughter I was NEVER sick. I know I probably shouldn't say that out loud, but I wasn't.

Anyone who reads this, please feel free to leave your comments, tips etc; I would really appreciate them, and someone else may get value from the tips, so til my next post, and any updates I have.