Tag Archives: Baby

Wendy's Baby Diary: 18 Weeks – I Nearly Gave Up David Tennant

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Babies come with sacrifices – social, financial, habitual – and I’ve got used to giving up / reducing alcohol, caffeine & sleep amongst others. But this week called for the sacrifice of Much Ado About Nothing tickets, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, as it was becoming a logistical and babysitting nightmare.

I’m happy to report it all worked out at the last minute, and we had our first evening out without Dillon in the four months since he was born. Great show too.

What the baby has been doing this week
If I place Dillon on his back, he will usually roll onto his front, then holds his head and bottom in the air and proudly rocks in that place – his knees push forwards but he hasn’t worked out what to do with his hands. Eventually he cries in frustration and I change his position.

Teething – Dillon started to teeth a couple of weeks ago. Symptoms are lots of saliva, pushing his fists in his mouth, trying to bite down on any passing piece of fabric or toy and the ubiquitous crying. I’ve had some good advice from a friend who recommended Calpol and a gum gel which relieves soreness. We got Dentinox, but there are other brands. We have teething rings for him which also work. Apparently babies can start to feel their teeth coming through up to two months before they appear, and will continue to teeth up to 2 ½ years old.

Goods
Dillon was given a great toy from M&S called My First Magic Mirror Laptop which plays songs at the touch of a button. It’s marketed for one-year-olds but Dillon likes the music, lights and mirror and bashes away at the buttons indiscriminately with his fist and usually manages to press something. I’m sure the batteries will wear out soon.

Pushchair – if you are choosing a pram this one item will take a lot of thought, as well as being one of the most expensive purchases. We settled on a Quinny Buzz travel system which has a three wheel base and is compatible with a car seat, a cot and a chair. It suits our lifestyle, which includes lots of trips in the car and outdoor walks with the dog. Its downsides are size (width) and weight (quite heavy) but then so is the car seat.

Pets
We have a five-year-old chocolate Labrador and we had concerns about how the dog would get on with the baby. The dog is quite boisterous and strong, although he is good with other people’s children. It has been a gradual integration helped by separating parts of the house with baby gates and the dog instructed to keep away from toys, mats and chairs which belong to the baby. However, this did not stop the brand new Bumbo chair from being chewed (wrecked). We are now onto a second Bumbo, which is kept out of the dog’s reach.

Exhaustion
Earlier on this week, I was feeling really drained and didn’t make it out of the house to see a friend as arranged. I’m feeling rejuvenated after my evening to see Shakespeare in the West End and weekends are always better as my husband is around to help. I’m not sure what advice to give, as I think I need it myself. But babies are more work than I appreciated and when I’m struggling I need to ask for help. I think I have a good support network and it’s a case of dismissing feelings of pride and inadequacy, and being honest. I’m sure lots of mums have times when you feel like you’re not coping.

Until next time – I get by with a little help from my friends.

© Wendy Thomson
Wendy Thomson is the editor of http://www.femalearts.com an online publication which promotes women in the arts and in business.

Wendy's Baby Diary: 17 Weeks

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Hi, I’m Wendy. I’m in my thirties and I have a 17-week-old baby called Dillon.

I’m going to keep a weekly blog on what’s been happening with Dillon, which will hopefully be helpful to anyone who’s pregnant or has a young baby themselves. And I’m also hoping that it will be a great record for him to read when he grows up – or possibly just plain embarrassing.  :o)

In the meantime, if you have a baby or pregnancy-related question you would like answered, you can contact me via frostmag or email editor@femalearts.com and I’ll reply via this blog.

Christening

We recently had Dillon Christened, which was a great day and a good event for extended family and friends to officially welcome Dillon into the world, as well as the church. If you’re not religious. a naming day is a good alternative. A Chinese friend told me they have a tradition of celebrating when the baby is 100 days old.

I think having an official day to celebrate your baby when they are approximately three months old is good for many reasons. Immediately after the birth is too soon to be bombarded with well-wishers. You need time and some privacy to get used to your new arrival yourselves, with perhaps just close friends and relatives. But if you leave a bigger get together until their first birthday, they’re no longer a small helpless baby, but moving about and possibly talking, and even walking.

So, the three month mark is a good compromise. Not so young that you can’t cope, but not so old that the relatives think they have missed out. Three months also seems to be the age that babies appear on TV or book covers as the standard image of a baby. When they’re born, they look too small – because we’re not used to seeing them that size!

Goods

We all know that children are expensive. They shouldn’t be, but we live in a consumer society and we are anxious parents who want our children to be safe, well-educated and stimulated. Guilt sells so many items!

I hate the parent guilt trip, so please do whatever makes sense to you, as parental instinct will see you right. However, I am happy to recommend products that have worked for me and Dillon.

Pampers – You can try other brands of nappies and we did – cheaper, store own brands. And the baby’s shit leaked everywhere. Pampers do a great job of keeping everything in, so long as you change the nappy regularly (after a feed or every two to three hours).

Nappies in general – Make sure your baby is wearing the right size. This changes quickly. Dillon is nearly four months old and in size three, so that’s nearly one size change a month. Buying in bulk may seem like a good idea, as they can get through as many as 12 nappies a day! But you could end up with a lot of nappies left over, as they grow so fast. Of course, you could go down the eco-route and buy washable Terry nappies. I think our environment is important, but I had to draw a line.

Clothes – Similar to nappies. Don’t be tempted to buy loads of newborn outfits. If your baby is born at an average weight (anywhere between 5-8lbs) they may only be in newborn clothes for a matter of weeks. Then the next size of clothes (0-3 months) will only last another couple of months before they’re into the next size (3-6 months). I find it hard to believe that an entire new set of clothes are required every three months. Why hasn’t someone invented adjustable clothes that last six months or a year? But this is capitalism at its best, so be careful and don’t get carried away buying expensive outfits which will only be worn a few times.

Bumbo – Funny sounding seat that is brilliant for babies once they can hold their head and want to sit upright. It is ergonomically designed to hold the baby in place and they seem very happy in their throne. Dillon used his for the first time today and was so delighted, he christened it in the typical ‘throne’ manner (perhaps potty training will go well). I have a lot of chairs for Dillon, some better than others. We live in a three-storey town house, so I want one baby chair on each floor to avoid having to carry chairs up and down the stairs – as well as the baby.

Fisher Price Aquarium Take Along Swing – This is a musical chair that Dillon really enjoys sitting in for about 15 minutes, before he gets bored or frustrated! This was a used gift from friends of my in-laws. I recommend not buying everything new for a baby. It is too expensive and these items take up a lot of space. But if you don’t know where an item has come from (e.g. not passed down by relatives or friends) then of course take precautions and check the product thoroughly for safety. And if in doubt, don’t use it. However, the only items that should always be brand new are your baby’s cot mattress and car seat.

What’s new this week

Dillon is now rolling himself onto his side and his front. It came to light when my husband asked me if I’d put Dillon to bed on his front. “Of course not,” I replied indignantly (as this is a known cause of cot death) we turned him onto his back, and he immediately flipped himself onto his front again!

It’s a good thing for babies to do this (when awake) because they are getting ready to crawl.

Until next time – happy parenting,
Wendy.

© Wendy Thomson 2011
http://www.femalearts.com

Alicia Keys saved by 'tough' mother

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Alicia Keys’ “tough mama” stopped her falling in with a bad crowd.

The ‘Empire State of Mind’ hitmaker – whose father walked out on her mother when she was two years old – admits she has seen a lot of people she grew up with in the tough Hell’s Kitchen area of New York end up in prison, and knew she had to make the right choices to avoid going down the wrong path.

She said: “I had to decide if I was going to do the right thing or the wrong thing, take drugs or not take drugs, or end up getting in the wrong scenario.

“So many people I knew ended up in jail.

“How did I avoid it? I had a really tough mama.”

Alicia – who has a nine-month-old son Egypt with husband Swizz Beatz – admits she has had to work hard to reach her goals, but insists she has always accepted that is what she needed to do because of her upbringing.

She explained in an interview with The Guardian newspaper: “I just see it as having to do what I had to do to be heard. Growing up in New York City, everybody wanted to be heard, so you had to do the work.”

Beyonce Knowles 'can't wait' for family

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Beyonce Knowles “can’t wait” to start a family.

The 29-year-old singer – who has previously hinted she would like to have children with husband Jay-Z in the near future – will be a “natural” mother, according to her sister Solange, who has six-year-old son Daniel.

Solange said: “She will be a great mother, a natural. She will love to start a family. I can’t wait, they will be beautiful.”

However, while waiting to become a mother of her own, 25-year-old Solange admits Beyonce has a great time as an auntie to her child.

She added to the Daily Mirror: “Beyonce adores my little boy. She takes him everywhere. We were in Europe a couple of months ago and he loved being with his auntie.”

Meanwhile the ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ hitmaker – who is currently in the UK on a promotional tour of her new album ‘4’ – is said to have become obsessed with British TV shows, in particular the BBC London-based soap ‘EastEnders’.

A source said: “Beyonce finds the accents on ‘EastEnders’ really funny. She spends half the time mimicking what they’re saying in her fake British accent.”

 

 

 

Kate Hudson welcomes baby boy

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Kate Hudson has become a mother for the second time.

The actress – who already has a seven-year-old son, Ryder, from her marriage to Chris Robinson – gave birth to a “healthy baby boy” last night (09.07.11), her representative confirmed to Us Weekly magazine.

The boy is Kate’s first child with Muse frontman Matt Bellamy and the couple are said to be thrilled with their new arrival.

Kate, 32, recently revealed she couldn’t wait to meet her unborn baby because she wanted to find out its sex.

She said: “I’m really excited. I’m not in a rush, I don’t have nerves, I’m so excited to have another baby, for our family, we are all really happy, so I can’t wait.

“And I’m getting to the end, so I’m like, ‘Ahhh, what is it going to be, who is it, is it going to come out screaming, is it going to come out quiet, is it going to have eyes open, is it going to be shut, is it going to have hair?’ ”

Earlier in her pregnancy, Kate revealed that her son thinks she is going to have a girl.

She said: “It feels like a girl, but I don’t know. Ryder thinks it’s a girl.”

Natalie Portman names son Alef

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Natalie Portman has named her baby son Alef.

The Oscar-winning actress and her fiance, choreographer Benjamin Millepied, have named their first child – who was born last month – after the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

According to Israeli TV Show ‘Good Evening with Guy Pines’, the Jewish actress decided to pay homage to her motherland with the moniker, which also means the “oneness of God”.

Meanwhile, the couple – who met on the set of ‘Black Swan’- have decided their son will adopt both their last names with the surname Portman-Millepied.

Prior to the birth of baby Alef, who is yet to be seen in public, Natalie admitted her Jewish ancestry had caused her to be “superstitious”.

She explained: “I think it’s a Jewish thing to be kind of superstitious. You don’t do any of the baby stuff before the baby arrives.”

Throughout her pregnancy Natalie paid tribute to her parents Avner and Shelley Hershlag, saying she hoped to look after her child in the same way that she was brought up.

She said: “If I am a shadow as good a parent, an echo, then I will be the best in the world, so thank you.”

Nicole Richie to judge Fashion Star

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Nicole Richie is set to get a judging role on ‘Fashion Star’.

The 29-year-old star – who owns clothing and accessories brands Winter Kate and House of Harlow – will join model Elle Macpherson and singer-turned-designer Jessica Simpson on the TV show, which sees aspiring designers compete for a contract to have their prodcuts sold in retailers in the US.

The programme does not yet have an air date.

Just days ago, Nicole – who has children Harlow, three and 22-month-old Sparrow with rocker husband Joel Madden – announced she would be expanding her fashion range, with a new collection of handbags as part of her House of Harlow 1960 line.

Discussing her own design credentials, Nicole revealed she only ever created clothes she would want to wear herself.

She said: “My main goal for this particular collection – and for all the footwear that I design – is I want the shoes to look great but be comfortable at the same time.

“I’m a girl and I love shoes. Who doesn’t want to make exactly what you want?”

Motherhood has given Alicia Keys a “reason in life”.

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The ‘Empire State of Mind’ hitmaker – who has an eight-month-old son, Egypt, with husband Swizz Beatz – says becoming a mum has changed her life in a “fun” way.

She explained: “Motherhood is heaven. It’s so purposeful and such fun. I feel much wiser in the choices I make. I have a reason in life I never had before.”

Alicia’s new outlook on life is a far cry from when the 30-year-old singer first found success and she admitted her fame was “scary” to begin with.

She told the Daily Mail newspaper: “I suddenly found myself doing tours, TV shows and flying every day.

“Everyone wanted a piece of me and that was scary. Being from New York, I covered that up.”

Now with a successful career and a happy personal life, Alicia is looking to the future and first on the agenda is a collaboration with Kings of Leon.

She said: “For a while I’ve wanted to do something with Kings of Leon. I definitely want to do it – I’m just waiting for the right moment.”