Why I Used a Sleep Positioner for my Baby

  The news today tells me that baby sleep positioners have been declared unsafe by the FDA, and have consequently been withdrawn from sale by most trusted retailers, John Lewis being one. It’s no longer relevant to me, as a mother of two older children, but I’m going to tell you why I think it’s not a simple decision to make for so many parents. My baby was three weeks old when she nearly died. She was asleep in her rocker, one of those which lie flat – we’d taken all the advice about keeping a newborn safe, to the …

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All I want for Christmas…

Dear Santa, I’m told there is no way I’m going to get what I want for Christmas this year. I’ve been reassured by Mummy that there is absolutely no way I am getting one of the things I covet most in the world. I’ve asked Daddy if he could get me one – it can’t be that difficult, they’re everwhere! Everywhere I go there are at least half a dozen, and they’re just so cute, loveable and squishy, that I can’t resist. But Daddy says no… 🙁 The Bug has made his list, and M&D aren’t arguing about it, so …

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My name is GG and I watch TV…

Prompted by a thread on Mumsnet this week Mummy got rather mixed up in a debate over the rights and wrongs of watching TV as a child. It seems some bloke has advocated banning TV entirely for the under-3’s. For God’s sake! The under-3’s?? I have about enough time to eat my tea, go to a couple of playdates, do my homework, complete my music practice, and read a book or several before bed, without worrying about when I’m going to find a window for Tracey Beaker or Horrid Henry. Don’t get me wrong, I will sit for 36 hours in …

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Our favourite childhood toys

A Mummy Too has shown us Stevie, her favourite childhood toy. And now she wants to know what ours are. Mummy knows exactly which toy her favourite is. I can’t think why she chose it, because her Wendy is a mangy old dirty-yellow teddy with a saggy bottom. Luckily it lives in the loft, and she has no hope of finding it any time soon, so you will not get to see it today. The story goes that when Mummy was around the age of 9, her older brother’s girlfriend slept over, and was made to share Mummy’s room. When …

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Top 5 Photos of 2011

Over on Kate Takes 5 there is a Listography take on the year-end blog round-up post, and having seen in the New Year  for my first time ever last night (yes, I made it to midnight, and could have continued if M&D were not such lightweights) I am a little too tired to write much today. So here is my year in pictures: This took place in April in the beautiful bluebell woods of Ringshall. It is my top picture for a number of reasons, most notably that moments like this do not happen often between the Bug and me, …

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A Birth Story of Two Halves

This is part of a bloghop. Please click here to share your own Birth Story. Today I am posting a guest contribution from the only thing that Mummy gained from her NCT courses – a best friend! She had never really discussed this with her friend, given that they were both lost to a fog of despair in the first weeks after our births. They would meet occasionally whilst dashing around random shops or parks desperately seeking respite from the sofa of feeding hell. They only ever had time to mutter a hasty ‘Lovely to see you, must do coffee, …

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Share Your Birth Story

Last week Mummy decided to write my birth story. And she asked you to write yours too. If you have one already, please link up using the Linky tool at the end of the post. I will tweet every new link-up. If you haven’t written yours yet, but would like to, you can link up any time you like. We are open to new links for a year! Please include in your post a link to this post, and the badge if you can, so that people can find their way here to read and comment on other people’s birth …

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Top 5 Tips for Learning to Read

I am grumpy at the moment. Mummy is calling it ‘end-of-year-itis’. You know, that point you get to when you’re comfortable with the teacher, you know it all, your brother is like, sooooo annoying you, and school are throwing parties, assemblies, trips, DVD’s and treats at you because, well, just because. Add to that my teacher’s contagious ‘hayfever’ every time she thinks of us moving on (we are the best class in the school, after all), and a little bit of hysteria is inevitable. However, it is quite likely that I am also suffering from lack of sleep; this is how …

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Funny things kids say – The Bug aged 4

kids laughing

Funny things kids say Diary entry. GG. Age 6 1/4 I like to think that I speak rather well. From the moment of my first utterance Daddy has been priming me with the most elaborate and un-childlike words he can think of. Usually when he has nothing much else to do, such as when supervising the bath. Hence my ability to correctly enunciate the term ‘dermatologically formulated’ before the age of two. He believes it will make me sound more intelligent as I grow up, but the more usual reaction is fits of giggles from Mummy, or bemused stares from strangers. Obviously the Bug uses …

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