Lack Of Sleep Is A Killer

Looks so peaceful doesn't he? He has his moments when he goes straight down and sleeps like an angel but there are also nights when he flat out refuses and we end up rocking a crying baby multiple times through the night. 

I can't complain really, Rory has always been a good sleeper (except a few nights we will not mention!), he goes down relatively easy and when he does wake during the night he tends to go back down pretty easy but his downfall is that at 4 months old he is still waking between 3 and 6 times a night. 

He usually sleeps from 9pm till 7am including these multiple wakes but overall, I do get about 7-8hours of sleep which as a mum I really can't complain about but I have always been someone who values sleep and needs it. I've been having a regular nap everyday basically for my whole life, I am lucky enough to have been able to with my job and I loved it. I knew when baby came, sleep is what I would struggle with the most.

These are the ways I try and deal with it...

1. Get a lay in at the weekend. Usually on a Saturday I will get up at 7am change Rorys bum, give him a feed then wake Liam up and kick them both out of the bedroom so I can have a few hours nap. I live for it.

2. Nap when baby naps. This is a hard one for me because Rory has always preferred to nap on me so I can't sleep while holding him which is torture when you are so tired! But on the rare occasion he does nap in his cot, whether I am tired or not, I sleep.

3. On Sundays, me and Rory take a long nap together, when he falls asleep on me I make no effort to move him, instead we snuggle up and sleep all afternoon while Liam plays xbox next to us and keeps an eye out. Sleepy Sundays reinstated! 

4. Go out of the house. It makes such a difference to how tired you feel if you are out and about rather than cooped up in a dark house. Go for a walk, look around the shops or take baby swimming!

5. Remember that dads need sleep too! Liam gets up even earlier than I do on weekdays so on Sunday he gets his lay in. When Rory wakes up we sneak out of the room and leave Liam to sleep the morning away! 

The main this to remember though when you are up with the baby all through the night is that this is temporary! You will get your sleep back one day, sooner or later and these nights with your little one are precious. So value them! 

Mum Guilt and Keeping Baby Busy

I am currently suffering so badly from mum guilt and its a horrible place to be. Maternity leave is wonderful, being able to spend all my time with my little man and watch him grow but theres only so much to do. Maternity pay is rubbish so I can't afford to do much meaning that a lot of our time is spent at home. This is where the mum guilt comes in, it is so hard to keep Rory entertained at all times and I can't help but feel like I'm failing him when I'm watching tv and he's just laying on his play mat or sitting on my lap. I feel like I need to be constantly playing with him, reading to him or taking him out to see new surroundings but its just not always possible!

How do you get over this? I just don't know! I know that its important to let him learn to play on his own and entertain himself sometimes but it doesn't make me feel any better. I just want to say that if you are feeling the same, you're not alone!

 Here are some of the things I have Rory do to help him entertain himself a little bit and learn at the same time which in turn helps ease the mum guilt...

Fisher Price Kick and Play Piano Gym, this little guy is a life saver! I keeps Rory the most occupied and it is super easy just to plop him down on when I need to answer the door or let the dog out for a wee. He loves kicking at the piano and hearing the sounds it makes, he chews on the hanging toys and he most likes to try and escape the gym which keeps him happy for ages! I try and swap/change the hanging toys regularly to keep him busy.

Even before Rory was born we had our eyes on this adorable little Jellycat Octopus, I didn't really think a baby would care much about it but we desperately wanted it simply because its freaking adorable. But, Odell the octopus really does keep him entertained! He pulls on and chews all the legs, he cuddles it, he throws it. Sometimes I even tie him to the play gym using two of his legs and Rory spends ages trying to free his little friend.

If your baby is teething, you need these! Only recently he's been paying much attention to these, especially Sophie the giraffe. He loves to chew them both and they are perfectly sized/formed for his little hands to be able to grip onto super well. I do however, spend a lot of my time boiling them both to keep them clean because they take turns being chewed on then dropped on the floor.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! This kid loves a good book, he loves being read to, loves looking at pictures and if i'm too busy to do these things with him, he also like to chew them and throw them about. We keep the nicer books safe in the bedroom for bedtime reading and the ones that can be chewed downstairs with his daytime toys. These poor books are quite wet most of the time. 

I got these soft blocks for him for Christmas, I didn't think he would use them much until he was a little older but actually they get used loads. I stack them so he can roll through them or punch them down. I also like to stack them in front of his door bouncer so he can kick them down. He smiles and laughs like crazy when they are gently thrown at him! 

Tomy Eggs, I loved these as a kid, I feel like every kid loves them. I have no idea why because they are literally a box of eggs but like most babies, Rory is a fan. He knocks the box about until the eggs are all out then rolls around in the mess picking up egg pieces as he goes. 

Last, the door bouncer! This is a life saver for people in little houses like us, we just don't have the room for a jumperoo so this has been amazing and Rory loves it! Can you tell?

It entertains him for ages while helping him strengthen his legs and learn new skills. I often secure different items to the front for him to play with as well such as this crinkle book that he paws at while he jumps!

Its important to let your baby do things by themselves and not cuddled all the time, which is hard when they are so damn cute but these are the things that have been helping me keep him busy! 

Is there anything you do that keeps your little one busy? Id love to know so I can try it myself!

Rory's First Holiday!

We booked Rorys first holiday while he was still in my tummy, we knew he would be only three months old so we thought Centre Parcs would be the best option as we had been a few times before so knew it well, the accommodation was fully equip (helpful with a baby) and ultimately it would a laid back holiday. Well, it doesn't have to be but it is for us!

The main highlight of this holiday was Liam getting to spend more time with his little fella since going back to work when he was 2 weeks old. Its hard for dads missing out on stuff so it was lovely for them to spend sometime together.

Of course we soaked up as much Christmas as we could while we were there!

Taking a lot of cringe worthy family photos to remember every second of our boys first holiday! 

My personal favourite part of a Centre Parcs holiday is the walking,