Austin is still growing at a ridiculous rate! Last night I bathed and dressed him in his sleepsuit ready for bed and he started crying hysterically. When I looked down his sleepsuit was really stretched over his feet so I took it off and he stopped crying straight away… This means he has now progressed to the 6-9 months sleepsuits and even those aren’t too big they fit him really nicely! I know when I moved him up to the 3-6 month ones he was already at the ends but I thought he would at least be in them until he was 3 months!!!!!!!!! At this rate he will have outgrown the Father Christmas outfit Noah had!!! Best get a photo of him in it soon just incase!!! I measured his length this evening and he is now 62cm long!!!
I’ve even had to go and retreive some clothes from the new house as I was convinced we’d be in there before he needed them! At this rate I’ll have to go get the cot and God knows where we’ll put that!!!!!! Also here’s a photo of the 3 of them, he looks so grown up sitting next to Caitlin….
Today we have been to MOSI to what we thought was the final day of the “roaring road rally”. It promised you could see the lower courtyard “taken over” by cars of all descriptions! All that was there was a bus and a tank…oh and just general parked cars!! There were loads of trains though, and they had all of the steam trains going. Noah was just as impressed by the trains so we were ok! There were models of trains in all sizes and they even got to sit in one…
Even Austin got out for a bit of a wander and seemed to like the trains too….
…think it was just good reflections really since I am convinced he can’t see very far at all!!!!!! Caitlin also had a ride in a full size steam train which she loved. But her favourite bit was of course the water wheel which she is fascinated by every time we go there!!!!!
Wednesday was a trip to Magma!! I wasn’t too sure what to expect as it is a science museum but I was told to bring swimming costumes!! Inside there were lots of different zones..earth, fire, water..not sure what others!! We went to earth first where there was diggers and general building type things!! Noah was in his element digging and moving the pretend rocks around….
Somehow in this one he looks like a rock is balanced on his head!!!!
We went outside to eat our packed lunches and they then had a play on the massive play area. There was a giant sandpit which Noah virtually rolled in as soon as I put his suncream on!!!! Next to the play area is the water park….so with their costumes on they all went in! I thought they would last 5 minutes as it was quite cold and windy but they LOVED it and so stayed in for ages!!! Due to modern day paranoia etc you’re not allowed to take photos in the water bit so you’ll have to have one of Caitlin digging!!
We just about made it home in time for mini club!!!!
A few days ago a company agreed to send me some wipes that are new to the market in return for a review on my blog. The wipes arrived just before the weekend but we missed the postie so I got them yesterday and started using them once the kids arrived back from Nanny’s!!!
I’m actually quite picky about which wipes I’ll use so was quite excited to test a new type! They are called waterwipes and you can read all about them here…. http://www.dermah2o.com/ but basically they are wipes with 99.9% water in them and 0.1% grapefruit seed. To be honest until recently it had never crossed my mind that anyone would have a problem using wipes on a newborn. But my sister’s best friend (L) had a baby just after Austin was born and she asked Amy what I use on Austin as she had been told she couldn’t use wipes but didn’t know what to do when she was out. Shame I have discovered the waterwipes a few weeks to late to recommend to her! I know some people only ever use a piece of cloth and a spray container of water but it has always baffled me (and a few others I know) what on earth they do when faced with an explosion…they must have to go home to deal with it because on occasion I have needed a good 20 + wipes!!!!! So yes I’ve always been a fan of wipes and the fact they contain “nasties” hasn’t deterred me from using them….
My first thought when I saw the description of waterwipes was what a great idea for the “L’s” of the world, but probably not really for me…. When I saw the price tag of £4.49 I was even more sceptical that they would be the wipe for me…. So my wipes arrived and I got to work opening and road testing them….
I think the package looks a bit cheap but Richard completely disagrees with me so I’ll report back more on that when I’ve shown a few more people!! My pack had a dirty mark on when it arrived just by the “w” of water..and I think the pack will mark very easily which doesn’t really portray the pure image they are after. When I opened them the dispenser was unlike any other wipe I’ve tried but it is great it dispenses one at a time unlike all other wipes I’ve tried when you sometimes struggle to get just one. The thickness of the wipe was just perfect too, my regular wipe seems to have gone a bit thinner recently and that annoyed me, I’ve also tried other wipes which I think are too thick…these were perfect!! Just like I imagined they didn’t smell at all which was nice – nothing worse than wipes that smell of cheap toilet cleaner as I experienced recently when I strayed from my regular brand! So now I had opened and tried them on myself I just needed Austin to oblige so I could try them on him!!!
Obviously being 11 weeks old he obliged quite quickly and I was very very pleasantly surprised with how well they work! I have no idea how to explain this whilst doing them justice but I’ll try…. Normally I find wipes to be a bit wet and they spread the offending poo around!! Waterwipes really get the poo to stick to them!! Obviously they aren’t sticky but I don’t know how else to explain how they work…they are kind of dry and sticky, but not sticky in a bad way….
I use wipes for everything…faces, bums, tables, windows, me….. As these were so expensive (despite the fact they were free!!!!!) I haven’t really been using them on Caitlin and Noah much, I have tried them once on their faces and they also worked well on that dirt too….. I’m meeting some friends tomorrow and if I remember them I’ll be getting their opinions too…I forgot to take them so Linda could try them today!!
So far I think I like them…they work well, the thickness is perfect but I’m really struggling with the price….I honestly think its a bit high and it would stop me from chosing them…but then again I am very careful with money!!!!!! I’ll update a bit more when I’ve been using them for a while longer!
We were supposed to be going fruit picking this morning but when I got up it was raining quite heavily and the forecast was for more rain so I persuaded Linda and Co to do a soft play instead!! The thought of wandering around the rain with a baby in a sling getting wet really didn’t make me think it would be a good day!! As it turned out the weather was really nice so I doubt Linda is very happy I cancelled…sorry!
So as a back up plan we went to a new soft play…it’s supposed to be the biggest and best in the area but I have been to one much much bigger not too far away so I was quite disappointed by it. It was also about a million degrees in there and poor Caitlin was sweating buckets!!!!!
It did have quite a nice baby area though…but poor Austin did get hit twice by older kids throwing blocks around in there!!
We then came home and sorted through all of our toys!!!!!! Well made a start on it….the living room now looks like chaos…just need to make some labels now!!!
And now for my “top project”!!!!!!!! Caitlin, Noah and Austin all have way too many clothes so in my madness I have decided to make them wear a different top every day and see how long we can go before having to repeat one!!!!!! I’m starting a new tab at the top so I don’t bore you with my pointless experiment!!!!!! But here are today’s tops!!!!!!
This weekend me and Richard have been at IMM! That’s the International Mini Meet for those not in the know!! And this year was a bit special as it was the 50th birthday of the mini. We arrived at the pub for some dinner and to meet up on Friday ready to set off all together…. We made it as far as Knutsford services before we had our first proper breakdown…a broken clutch!!! (we’d already had a loose wire on the way out of the carpark!!!) He had a few “drive without a clutch” lessons and we were on our way again!! And we arrived to gorgeous sunny weather!!!!!!!!
(I am the 4th mini along…next to the bini!!!)
We put our tent up and set off to check out who and what was there!!!!!!!!! It was in a park opposite the old Longbridge factory and it was enormous!!!! There were mini’s everywhere and it was really hard to get your bearings. Apparently there were over 3000 mini’s parked inside the show and a lot more outside…. This picture was taken almost at the top of the field and it is still the show as far as you can see (even by those far trees!!)….
There was a DJ and beer tent on the Friday night followed by the worst bit…camping!!!!!!! It was cold and uncomfy but I survived!! On Saturday morning we discovered the water had run out…..that meant over 3000 mini’s (most with 2 people in..some with more…some with less) so approximately 6000 people…plus day visitors….lets say another 500 – 1000…..with no flushing toilets, showers or drinking water….NOT pleasant!!!!!!!!!! More water did arrive during the day but it soon ran dry again!!!!!! So no shower for me! We got on with looking at all the mini’s!! There were some amazing mini’s there…. People do very strange things to mini’s like turn them into sofa’s…..
…join 2 in the middle…..
…that one actually drives in both directions!!!!
We also saw the mini designed by David Bowie…it is one of my favourite mini’s..mind you I like shiny!! But can you imagine how dirty and finger printed it would be if I had one!!!!!
Tea was provided on the Saturday night…lots of people complained about it but I actually thought it was really nice! It was just chicken and boiled potatoes with veg…but it was nice. Only complaint I had (aside from the still waterless showers!!!!!!!!) was they served it from the composting area!!!!! Pleasant!!!!! After tea there was entertainment from Sally Jaxx and then Roy Wood who sang I wish it could be Christmas every day! Richard thought that was weird but I like Christmas so I was impressed!!!
Also on the Saturday night there was a glow show….hard to photograph!!!
On the Sunday I got up and went for a shower…tested it and yippee…there was water!!!!!!!! So I got undressed (in the very grotty showers!!!!!!) stood on the muddy messy floor and guess what….no more water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was not a happy camper!!!!!!!!! So I washed myself down with baby wipes and sulked back to the tent! We went around some more of the mini’s…… A mini caravan!!
….a monster truck mini….
A lovely old RAC mini…
….supposedly the Italian Job mini’s (but their tax discs had different registrations on to the actual cars so we weren’t sold on those….
The night before we had seen an absolutely awful mess and so we went back in daylight to take a photo of it……
…it is the back end of a Bini…(a BMW mini – and I HATE bini’s!!!!!!! They aren’t real mini’s etc etc…don’t get me started!!) which someone has stuck a mini front end on….
God knows what the middle is…it just looked a complete mess!!!!!!!!!!
In the afternoon Russ Swift was doing his stunt driving…he is fantastic…shame he has been bullied into doing his stunts in a bini but hey it was still impressive!!!
After 2 sunny days of no shower I decided I couldn’t hack another night’s camping so I offered to drive home after the closing ceremony and fireworks! As it got later and there was no sign of fireworks I asked a few people and they all looked at me as if to say what fireworks (they were in the programme!!!) At about 11.30pm I gave up and we left…I’m glad we did as it turns out there was no fireworks…… But aside from the lack of fireworks and appalling water situation it was a great show!!!!
This week we have been mad busy…something on every single day! That makes for hectic times! I must remember to plan in a nothing day where we can just chill out in the garden where the kids can just do what they want.
On Tuesday we went out for lunch with the people I used to work with, and all the kids were there! One little boy spent the whole time asleep!! Another is only just turned 1 and normally I don’t let Caitlin and Noah run around as I don’t think its really ok to let them do that in a pub, but he was playing in an empty room I let them go play too. It was ok at first but then they started to stray…luckily it was almost time to go! After that we went to Lucy and Ed’s for tea…. Lucy made Austin a lovely comfy bed for while we ate tea….
After tea they decorated gingerbread men…Caitlin COVERED hers in her special choc buttons….
On Wednesday we were out again, I wasn’t sure the weather would be ok but we braved a park trip and it was gorgeous!!!!! We played on the swings, had a picnic in front of Wythenshawe hall…
…..then I tried to get a nice photo of them in a tree! I have a lovely photo that Linda took last year so I wanted one from this year….
and one of Noah too…
Then we fed the ducks…well we tried but the park was packed and I think the poor ducks had seen enough bread to last them a lifetime!!!! So Noah helped them out by eating his slice!!!!
(it was fresh bread as we never have left over bread in our house so I had to buy a loaf specially for the occasion on my way!!!!)
Then today we were out at Quarry Bank Mill. It was a bit expensive for what you got but we had a good time. There was story time in the garden which was good but Caitlin and Noah got bored after a few stories and so went to play on the grass. They made friends with some other little ones who were there! They were quite a bit younger than them but Noah had a great time chasing a little boy and kicking the ball to him. Then we walked to the other side of the mill’s grounds to Styal village which turned out to be just a few houses but they were really nice and the walk was quite nice too…
Tomorrow I am off camping so if I survive..(I am NOT a camper!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I will tell you all about it on Monday!!!!
Ages and ages ago you all made your guesses on the size and flavour number 3 would be… I can’t seem to get the results to format nicely so you’ll have to ignore the messy and unnecessarily long post!! First are the actual stats and then everyone’s answers!!!!!!
1. Boy
25th May
9.06pm
9lb 2oz
54cm
35.5cm
3 very long on/off days!!!!!!!
Quite a lot of dark hair!!!
So now to everyone’s answers….starting with the winner……
Laura!!!!!!!! Who got a grand total of 4!
Girl – 0
May 20th – 0
5.30am -0
9lbs even – 1
54cm -1
35cm -1
2 hrs – 0 (but oh how I wish you were right on this one!!)
going to be different and say a nice head of dark hair -1
In joint 2nd place was
SCM (now Mancais) – with 3 points
Boy – purely as everyone else gone for Girl – 1
21 May – 0
2pm -0
8lb 6 -0
53.5cm -0
35cm -1
2hrs – 0 (again I wish!!)
Blond fuzz/almost bald – 0
And then a bonus point for being the only person to reply with name suggestions :-)!
And Linda also with 3 points
Girl – 0
14 may – 0
between 3pm and 7pm -1 You were the closest on this one!!
8lbs 8oz -0
54cm -1
35cm -1
3 hrs (but I really do think it’s going to be quicker lol like 1 hr) – 0
I’m going to say BALD w/ some blond fuzz – 0
I had the worst guesses with my only right answer being length of labour..I made the longest guess with 12 hours!!! Trust me to get that one right…
So as I have to post my prizes I was thinking something postable like chocolate or if you would prefer something that won’t ruin diets maybe something like socks??!! I know they are boring prizes but as I don’t know you too well I was trying to think of something fairly neutral?? So if the winner and runner’s up can email their addresses I will get something off to you before Christmas lol!!! Feel free to make a prize suggestion if you hate chocolate and never wear socks!!!!!!!!
Thank you for entering my first and probably only competition…I was so hopeless at getting the results out..(over 10 weeks that’s awful!! – I kept forgetting) I don’t think I should run another!!!!
Today is Austin’s 10 week birthday!!! I took him to get weighed so that I would have it in his record…and he is a whopping 13lb 15oz!!!!!!!!! It took Caitlin until 26 weeks to reach that, and it even took Noah until 13 weeks!!!!!!!!
(I know lots of people will hate me for saying this but I want to remember exactly what he is like….)
He is a complete dream, he very very rarely cries….he spends a lot of his time sleeping, he sleeps all night and a lot of the day. He goes to bed at about 7ish just before we do teeth and stories for Caitlin and Noah, has a dream feed at 10ish and then sleeps until around 7.30am. When he is awake during the day he is quite content to just sit and watch the world go by…. He still loves little rabbit foo foo, he also loves it when Caitlin and Noah play with him. He gives loads of grins, you just have to look at him to get one…well I do…other people have to work at it a little bit… Caitlin and Noah get them just for catching his eye too….he must recognise us, no surprise really since we are inflicted on him constantly!! He is still in size 3-6 months clothes although I doubt they will last much longer. Sleep-suits will definitely be going up to 6-9 months soon, separates have a bit more room for growing so they’ll last a bit longer! This week seems to be the week of the exploding poo!!! He has done one around lunch time every day requiring a full outfit change!! Not good for our timekeeping!!!!!! He is still really strong and still does his little crawling action when on his front but he can’t really get anywhere anymore. He has just started grabbing for things but hasn’t got a very good aim just yet…. He does like his dummy and I’ve also spotted him having a sneaky go on his thumb which I am not at all happy about but hopefully it won’t come to anything……
Linda came over and took some more photo’s of him yesterday and she got some great ones…. Here is one of my favourites….
Today Linda came round with a massive stash of crafty things…..everything from pins to elastic to ribbon to fabric (..and more fabric…) to sew on wobbly eye’s!!!!!!!!! It is great!!!!! Linda is decluttering her house ready to sell so is very sensibly getting rid of things she is just hoarding! Me on the other hand is mad and despite the fact we have also supposedly decluttered and we are moving to a smaller house I jumped on the chance of a big pile of crafty things!!!! There is a chance Richard might just kill me but hey I hope to hide it before he gets home later!!!!!!
Richard has been away for the weekend to Ultimate Street Car….where there is lots and lots of mud and no showers…I am so not looking forward to seeing him later yuk!!!!!!!!!!
So now I have loads of crafty ideas going round my head….hmmm what to try first…as if my wish list of things to make isn’t long enough already!!!!! But thank you Linda for all of it..it is great. I’ve been through all of it apart from the fabric, so far that is just piled in a giant bag I need to sort it into colours…… A job for a time without helpers…..
3 kids and 6 and a half minis 