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Today, in preparation for our Halloween Party, we made some cute decorations. These handprint ghosts are the easiest and cutest things ever! & they probably only took about 10 minutes altogether. First, we used white paint to print Daniel's hands onto black paper. I didn't take any pictures because I was trying (in vain) to avoid getting paint on my chairs! But, you can imagine how it went down.

Then we left them to dry, Daniel kept running back over to check on them. He did some other Halloween-themed painting too (read: he used black and orange paper/paints. Festive!) while we waited. When they were dry I added eyes with a black pen, punched holes in the top and threaded them onto string. Easy peasy. I used a little cellotape on the back to stop them all falling into the middle, and blu-tack to stick them to the walls because I couldn't find my pins. Oh well. They look adorable, & I'll be keeping them, adding the date and using them every year!

Apologies for the poor lighting, I hate how difficult it is to take pictures in autumn/winter!






We hung spooky cobwebs & I've spent the evening making pretzel-pumpkins & biscuit dough. Tomorrow is for baking before our guests arrive!! Squee!
Lots of Love
Momma B
xxx





Amy's stopped hosting her link-up, so I'm trying to start my own! Would anybody be interested in joining in?
Things that made me sad this week.
01. Daniel's been having nightmares. Last night was the worst, he was almost hysterical & saying there was something in his room. I had to go in and wake him up, turn all the lights on and show him there was nothing there. Poor baby.
02. My hair seems to be falling out. Crap.
03. I've just realised I won't be able to do any Christmas decorating until we move into our new house in December. Boo. I am, however, planning several house-warming parties, so that's a perfect excuse to make my house look like Santa's Grotto!!
Things that made me happy this week
01. Running quite possibly the furthest & fastest I ever have. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I don't know if that's strictly true or not. But damn, I felt good. T minus 5 days till my 5k, eek!
02. Healthy eating is (kind of) back on track. I still have 5 pounds to lose, but I'm also trying to keep my calories up so my milk supply doesn't suffer. I'm working on making healthier choices, drinking more water, and not eating after 8pm.
03. Dressing up the boys as a Dr (Daniel's choice!) and a Super Baby for a Halloween party today. I don't believe i didn't take any pictures, but that' always the way isn't it? Can't wait to decorate our house tomorrow and get ready for our party on Wednesday!
04. Taking a ton of pictures, even though the light isn't the best in this weather. I'm working on it though, I promise!
05. Taking 5 minutes after my bath to properly clean my face, with actual products, not just a face wipe! My skin feels SO soft! It's the little things!
Lots of Love
Momma B
xxx
I thought I'd start a little series on this here blog, 'essentials' for each little stage of baby and toddlerhood. It's so overwhelming to make a list of things you need for a newborn baby, but these are my must-have newborn items!
a
Aiden and Anais swaddling blankets and muslins. Perfect for swaddling (obviously) even in the hot weather, feeding and a zillion other purposes! I wasn't sure they'd be worth the money but I absolutely love them!
Breast pads, particularly Johnsons Nursing Pads are a must have for breast feeding mothers. I think these are the best because they have a contour shape and 'Unique nipple indentation' which makes them way more comfortable!
My Ring sling from eBay I LOVE this sling. I must use it every single day. I bought another carrier but have only used it once (because my sling was in the wash!) and it didn't feel as comfortable or secure as my sling. It's so great when I need my hands but Joshua wants a cuddle, if I need to cook or clean! When we go into town, I often put Daniel in the pushchair (so he can't escape!) and have J in the sling. Joshua loves being so close to me, and I love having him snuggled up to me!
Our bouncer has been a lifesaver. This isn't our exact one, but it's Daniel's old one so I don't think it's sold anymore. It's a safe place for me to put Joshua, while I cook or eat & he can still watch me. Ours has run out of batteries but so far just bouncing him with my foot keeps him happy for the most part!
A moses basket has been great for us, though Joshua has outgrown his now. I loved the fact it was portable, so I could bring him up and downstairs with me and I could always have him close. It also fit into our bedroom (his cot doesn't) which was a major plus.
Sleeping bags have been great for my little wriggly man. He will kick off any blanket or swaddle, so these are perfect. He's already outgrowing his 0-6 month one(!!) so I'm looking into another but all the togs and different brands are confusing me!
Lots of Love
Momma B
xxx



My baby is four months old. Four months. This is crazy talk.
Joshua Reg is quite possibly the sweetest, smiliest baby ever. i'm so so lucky to have two fantastic boys. Unless he's hungry or tired, he's constantly grinning and babbling away. He loves having conversations where i babble back to him, and the strangest things (like me nodding my head, and singing at the top of my lungs) make him giggle! He has been rolling from his back to his front like it's his job, since the 29th September. Baby doesn't like to be on his back for long, he much prefers being on his stomach watching what's going on. He likes being held standing up, facing forward too so he can see everything, otherwise we whines! Watching his brother is his favourite thing, you can just tell he's itching to join in, and reaches out. He's getting good at grabbing things put in front of him, and trying to get them into his mouth. Poor boy's teething, so he's a dribble-fest and always chewing on something. I weighed him at 14 lb 3 oz, just under the 50th percentile, which is great! He's fitting into 3-6 month clothes (who on earth decides the sizes for 0-3 months, he still doesn't fit into half of it!!) and size 3 (or Small) nappies, he was upgraded on holiday because we couldn't get any 1's or 2's, but they fit him fine! I've run out of disposables, so I'm strictly using reusable a at the moment which is going surprisingly well! I guess I'm just being less lazy with my washing! We moved Joshua into his own room this month (sniff!) because he had outgrown the Moses basket. He's been doing great, though he seems to be waking up more often, maybe because he's cold, I'm not sure. Once a night though I can totally handle! I have snuck him into bed with us a couple of times early in the morning, which is just bliss, to fall asleep snuggling him. I was always a little scared to co-sleep, in case I rolled onto him or something, but I prop us both up with pillows and feel much safer! We're still working on naps, kiddo isn't great at putting himself to sleep and prefers to be pushed in his pram or fed to sleep. Bad habits but it's working for us so far, especially as we're often out and about! We're still exclusively breast feeding, not weaning at all for the time being, we're just not ready. Feeding every 3-4 hours usually, and once at night.



Joshua Reg,
I love the way you giggle and wriggle when I tickle your toes, or blow raspberries on your stomach.
I love the way your eyes are turning blue, just like your big brother and your Daddy.
I love your chubby thigh rolls, two and counting, I could squeeze them all day - and it makes you giggle!
I love the way you hold my finger while you nurse, your tiny hands in mine make me want to freeze time so you're this little forever.
I love the way you idolise your brother, even now. I hope you two have a great bond as you get older!
I love you squirt, more than I ever could have imagined.


Lots of Love
Momma B
xxx