Spirited Mama

Living a SPIRITED life filled with wanderlust, emotions and everything in between

Category: New baby

Derailed and binge drinking

By

On July 6, 2017

In Kids, Kids stuff, Mishaps, New baby, Parenting, Struggles

Not me…the baby…Troll is binge drinking. At first I thought it was growth spurts but it has become a daily occurrence and I guess this is just what he does. I really think I should just connect the tube from my breast pump directly from breast to Troll…

My plans are being DERAILED. Clearly I have forgotten how long it takes to get out of the house with a new baby. Just to get to PicknPay, which is literally across the road from our house, takes forever. I swear it’ll be quicker if I sent one of the dogs with a note and some cash to bring back the goods.

One Sunday I had a plan of action for the day. We would go to church, go to Checkers straight after the service because the toilet paper was on special. BabySoft hasn’t been R79.95 since forever. I wrote about our use of Toilet Paper here.

Then I wanted to stop at Woolworths because I have a gift voucher to pamper myself. And I had to change baby clothes because we had duplicates, a gift we received when I already bought the exact same outfit for Troll.

Well, this is how my plan of action actually went down:

We skipped Church because I just didn’t want to wake the sleeping baby. My 7 year old said “Mom you can just pray harder here at home.” Then my 7 year old took an eternity to get done. In between Troll kept feeding as if it was the end of the world. Me having a hissy fit because the 7 year old showers for an eternity and yet he is the first to preach that we should save water. Oh and then Dude, aka the husband, messages me that he needs to go to PicknPay after work but we should enjoy our outing. I responded that we were going nowhere slowly. At 11am I put Troll down for a nap. I hurriedly dust the bedrooms, get the eldest child dressed and ready for the day. I fold the clothes from the dryer and put the next load. I never hang the laundry. I tumble dry EVERYTHING. Even the ones that say DO NOT tumble dry. I take a quick shower. I nibble on some biltong because with a new baby you kinda forget to eat nevermind make a proper lunch. Then the 7 year old is calling for food. I waiting for Dude to get home from work, just to offer me a few minutes of respite. I look at the clock and think shit it’s only 12:35 but it feels like bedtime again.

Well that’s that. I ate some fruit and some yoghurt. I’ve learnt to stock up on food that you can snack on whilst breastfeeding or handling the baby…One-handed operations only. I never got to PicknPay, neither did I make it to Checkers or Woolworths. I sat down and realised shit I still wanted to go to Makro as well. What used to be a seamless operation now takes forever and a day, planning and coordinated movements…all just to get to the shops with two kids by my side.

I always pack two baby bags. One to take with us when we leave the house and an emergency backup if we need to rush out. My 7 year old always grabs snacks for the road, albeit just to PicknPay across the road. I kid you not. Dude will attest to that.

How do you manage with kid(s)? I only have two but some days it feels like I have twenty…

#thestruggleisreal

Spirited Mama

P.S. My 7 year old says “Mom if you don’t want to smell like the baby vomit just wash with water and soap and you can smell like you”. The honesty of this child sometimes…

 

Admitted…

By

On November 15, 2016

In About me, Hospitals, New baby

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I know, I know, “life is what happens when you making other plans…John Lennon”.

Admitted to hospital

I find it rather ironic that I am in hospital and my bag and the resident alien’s bag is no where near being packed. I can already hear Mamma telling me that as soon as I get home I’d better pack my bag as well as the resident alien’s bag.

Side note: Somewhere in my 8th month of pregnancy with Dudie, I was admitted to hospital. No bags packed. Nothing. As soon as I got home, Mamma made me pack our bags just in case.

Well currently I am #27weeks pregnant and was admitted yesterday. I can hear Mamma tell me to pack our bags already.

Guess what I will be doing when I get home. I need to get a hospital bag🤔🙄

And over the weekend Dude was saying that we still have loads of time before the baby arrives. Really? I think we all got a wake up call. We need to be prepared…

I am in private room in hospital. I am actually grateful because I think I need the solitude right now.

Spirited Mama

P.S. There is still so much that needs to be done. I am not quite ready yet….

Paint me like a….

By

On November 9, 2016

In @PretoriaBlogger, Dude's Ideas, Mishaps, New baby

paint

So yesterday the Dude gets home and is now ready to paint the resident alien’s, aka new baby’s, room. Granted we bought paint a few weeks ago. We even have new paint for our bedroom. Baby room Plascon Double velvet – a soft powdery blue, our room Dulux Colours of the World – Soulful Kenya.

Dude starts painting whilst I’m starting dinner. Something nudges me to go check if the stuff is covered in the room. I get there….and I say as calm as possible “uhm what are you doing?”

Granted when I have “that” calm voice you should run because that is when I actually want to use some profanity but I digress and keep calm. Ironically, Dude chose the paint for the baby room. I had a general idea of the color but he chose the final product.

What did he do? He painted the baby room with our paint, the Soulful Kenya colour. Thankfully it was only half of the one wall.

I walked away and laughed it off as I continued in the kitchen.

He did fix it. And now the resident alien’s room is looking very nice. He also started painting our room. I would say with touch ups and finishes here and there we should have two newly painted rooms before the end of this week.

I am excited because frankly a fresh coat of paint is like a whole new room all together. Now to get some decor for the baby room.

Yes, you may laugh out loud. I told you before these things really happen in Spiritville. I do not make these things up.

Spirited Mama

P.S. So the USA got TRUMPED! I am gobsmacked.

Pregnancy anatomy….

By

On October 18, 2016

In broke piggy bank, Finances, New baby, Shopping

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Even with Dudie I never bought maternity clothes. JUST couldn’t find “non-drab” maternity wear. I opted for maternity jeans and just ended up buying “non-maternity” clothing that I liked in a bigger size… thankfully I didn’t get too big. Crossing my fingers I can stay within limits of pregnancy weight gain….

BUT let me just say that Maternity wear has come a long way….And how easy to do online shopping…

Now as much as I love online shopping – I also feel the need to actually fit the clothes before I purchase them.

Some favourites are:

Cherry Melon

MeAmama

Yummy Mummy Maternity

Apart from the fact that my bank balance is trying to stab me with a dagger because I need to curb my spending – I need a new wardrobe all whilst Preparing for baby.

Sigh…My piggy is broke.

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Maybe I should just come to work in my robe and who knows if I jazz it up with pretty accessories maybe no one will notice. Could start a new trend.

Spirited Mama

ONLY 1 more sleep until my BIRTHDAY!

Second child syndrome..and hand me downs

By

On September 23, 2016

In brothers, Family, New baby, Parenting, siblings, Struggles

 

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Second child syndrome. Hand me downs? Is it fair or OK to pass on things?Do you feel neglected as a second child? I am the eldest of two children. But I am also the only girl. I have a brother who is 9 years younger than me. Dude is the youngest of three children but granted his brother is 8/9 years older than him. In essence, we kinda grew up as “only” children or in different generations to that of our siblings. Dudie and the resident alien will have a 7 year age gap between them. Whilst I am all for sibling bonds I am most certainly NOT cut out to be a mom of two babies/small children. Hence, the age gap between my boys… I do worry that they will not “click” right away but as with anything you cannot predict the future. My wish is that my boys create and find “their own special brotherly bond”.

Is it fair or OK to pass on things?Do you feel neglected as a second child?

The competitiveness…First born vs last born? The resident alien is not even born yet and already I am picking up competitive vibes from Dudie. And No it’s not anything that we have said or done but Dudie had a problem with the name that we I have chosen for his little brother. Yes, imagine that. To quote my 6 soon to be 7 year old, in exactly 8 days he will be 7 – he promptly reminds me daily of how many days are left until his birthday “that name is too powerful for my little brother”. I shit you not. When did this boy get sooo smart? And who in the hell of it old him which names are powerful? Oh my, this is but a sliver of what I can look forward to with my spirited Dudie. This kid is song willed…
Does it create sibling rivalry? Dude and I had this conversation the other day and granted I agree that if the parent makes a fuss about it the second child might feel somewhat neglected or begin to realise that this might not be normal behaviour. Although, I have always given Dudie things to family and charity my Dude had a valid question…”Why is the stuff not good enough for the resident alien? Honestly, I couldn’t think of a valid reason. Perhaps it’s the mommy guilt of wanting to give my boys everything I possibly can. And wanting to give the resident alien his “own” things?

I foresee a journey full of discovery for the Spirited Household. I hope that we all embrace the changes with love, respect and dignity…

Happy bonding.

Spirited Mama

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I chose these random images as I didn’t think anyone would want me posting pictures of their kids on my blog…and well the resident alien is still in utero so how do you think I would get a picture of my boys together…

Preparing for baby..

By

On September 15, 2016

In Kids stuff, New baby, Parenting

Whoa!!!! this shit just got real…I can’t believe how expensive things are….

I don’t even know who is more shocked…me or my bank balance. 7 years ago I almost died at the sight of the price tags of baby essentials but walking into Baby City a few weeks ago was mind boggling. I left with….nothing. I kid you not I was so shocked that I decided that I needed to regroup and clear my head. I needed a game plan and essential shopping list.

OMG, Thank goodness I still have my babysense sling and sleepy sack that I bought for Dudie when he was born. This child of mine only used his sling until he could peep out and actually see that there is activity beyond that sling so he needs to be sitting upright and checking out his surroundings. And that was the beginning of the end. Thereafter he only ever wanted to be on the floor so I packed away our sling. Here’s hoping that we will put it to good use when the new baby arrives… Now, although this is only my opinion of the essentials one would require for a new baby, in no way am I saying that your offspring will become the next president or world renowned scientist, please remember that we all have different needs and priorities. Of course as parents we only want the best for our offspring but hell man it can break your bank account.

Essential must haves:

Jogger Pram/stroller – sorted as I still have Dudie’s.

Camp cot – sorted as I still have Dudie’s.

infant/newborn car seat – sorted still Dudie’s, but I could get a new more padded version

bath compactum – sorted still Dudie’s.

bath seat and pillow – sorted still Dudie’s.

baby monitor – you guessed it, still Dudie’s.

thermometer – Dudie’s but need to check if it is still in a good working condition.

breast pump – frantically looking for it in the house as OMG it costs a small fortune.

pacifier -Dudie used his for 8weeks and the weaned himself off of it. Will buy some…

bottles- I used Dr Browns and Nuk with Dudie… Will buy new ones as I haven’t even checked what the old one’s look like…maybe I should just leave it at that and buy new ones.

wet wipes you can never have enough wet wipes. Dudie is 6 and at any given time you can walk into our house and you’d be guaranteed to find random packets of wet wipes in the house and even cars.

nappies, nappies, nappies

telement drops

telement gripewater

lansinoh nipple cream – it saved my nipples the last time.

bio oil – I guess its just my genetics but those stretchmarks still make their appearance….but love the bio oil nonetheless.

 

Now no list would be complete without a few tons of nice to haves….

baby rocker – still need to investigate this but love the concept

activity playmat -I only found the poles of our previous one….no mat but I did find the monkey that hangs from the bars. I could just make my own and connect those pipes to each other and let the resident alien lie on a mat soft mattress…but someone might just report me to the welfare

those pretty babysense burp cloths

babywrap because I love the idea of wearing my offspring. I loved my sling, pity Dudie didn’t want to use it longer.

a baby bag which will double as Mom’s handbag for the next 12 months…We all dream of this glamorous image of a new mom but in reality it is just convenient and much much less time consuming to pop your own essentials into the baby bag.

a new car seat – even though we kind of have this sorted I would like a new one though…just died at the sight of the price tags…

a new baby monitor – we have the very basic one but wow have you seen the fancy monitors these days.

shares in Pampers because you won’t believe how much money you will spend on nappies…I kid you not. Can someone let me know how I can buy shares in Pampers….

A decorator to do the new baby room….we seriously need some inspiration/ideas for a nursery/little boy’s room.

a few breakaways for mom….just me time…a peaceful night’s sleep, uninterrupted, preferably in a high end hotel with amazing room service so that I can just stay in my pjs the whole day.

a new car- ok maybe this is taking it too far but I can dream can’t I?

a Personal trainer to get back my pre preggie body…

A chef/cook, like that little old lady from the fattis and Monis tv ad. The one they used to keep locked away in the broom closet. She would make life so much easier and we could literally just ooh and aahhh over the baby all day long. (found the ad on Youtube)

In essence, you don’t need all those fancy designer clothes as your precious baby grows out it so fast. Sometimes they outgrow clothes they never even wore…don’t get me wrong it’s lovely to dress this new sweet smelling baby but believe me they poop and puke all the same in ordinary clothes just as they will in designer brands…

Currently, I am trying to figure out should I go get that wax at Sorbet or buy the damn PregOmega….Newly waxed vjay jay vs fishy burps daily…Just kidding…I will get the PregOmega vitamins. I used it with Dudie and it definitely made a difference then and now. Just got back from my wax download

I am already actively looking for a nursery school even whilst the resident alien is still in utero. It baffles me that I need to pay a deposit to secure his spot for 2017….its days liked these that I feel I should have a money tree in the backyard. Just go pick some money as and when I need it.

Happy baby prepping…

Spirited Mama

 

 

 

Siblings – building solid lasting relationships

By

On August 12, 2016

In brothers, Dudie, emotions, New baby, Parenting, siblings, Uncategorized

The thought of Dudie growing up alone has always haunted me and for a very long long long time I wrestled with the idea of having another child. Well 2016 was apparently the year that we decided was a good year to grow Spiritville. In case you were not aware, yes we have a resident alien aka baby, due in Feb 2017…

The idea of having another little person to take care and be my responsibility until the day that I leave this earth is causing some lots of anxiety. But the idea is growing on me and luckily at a much faster rate than my belly…We are excited and nervous and happy and scared all at the same time. There is no handbook to guide you to raise your perfect little angel. We can only hope and pray that what we are doing and teaching our kid(s) will be sufficient for them to become admirable, strong, focused, resilient young adults someday…

Another pressing thought that has been weighing me down is the age gap between Dudie and the resident alien…they will have a SEVEN year gap. Now, I have always said that I am not cut out for two babies and if I ever had another child I will not have them on top of one another. A seven year gaps does give me some sort of a paralysed feeling because doing the math I realised that we would have a teenager and a toddler in the house. When Dudie starts high school, grade 8, then the resident alien would start grade 1…

This morning I found an article on ALL4WOMEN, fostering a strong relationship between siblings. It resonated with me not only because I have a sibling and although we have a 9 year age gap, I’m the older one, but also because I don’t think my parents actively tried to foster a stronger relationship between us. We, my brother and I, are steadily working on our relationship currently. Perhaps my parents just thought that we were generations apart and that they were unsure of how to salvage the gap in our relationship… I am keeping my anxiety at bay and trying to be proactive to foster a relationship between Dudie and his unborn brother…Oh yes, IT’S A BOY!!!

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I will constantly try my best to ensure that MY TWO boys will know that they are blood brothers and no matter what nothing and no one can take that away from them. What they make of their relationship is up to them but for as long as what I am around I will encourage, love and support their relationship.

Happy Friday!

Spirited Mama

P.S. Mamma had a biopsy but now we wait with baited breath. We will only know what the plan of action/way forward is next week once all the doctors have decided…If you missed it then read the post When CANCER happens…My family fights back

Random ramblings

By

On August 5, 2016

In Food & drinks, New baby, Uncategorized

It’s FRIDAY!!!! Whoohoooooo

Well in Spiritville this week surely took its own damn time. Even though we had a mini break on Wednesday as it was Voter’s Day ( I sincerely hope you made your mark as I did – your vote will only matter if you vote. Period. End of Story. I die a small death every time I hear someone say “my vote doesn’t matter so I why bother”. It is because of such attitudes that we miss the plot and that our RAND plummets every time there is anything remotely political being publicized.)

It’s been cold and warm in the same week, I think I even felt it on the same day too. Just love Pretoria Winters. But it does mess with your wardrobe a bit as you are not sure what would be appropriate attire. Well LAYERING is all that I can say…

On my drive in to the office this morning I realised that I really can’t imagine having weetbix for breakfast. I would much rather prefer some cooked oats. Well I didn’t have the luxury of time (for breakfast) this morning although I did manage to wash and dry my hair in record time, I made a quick pitstop at KFC. I was going to get the oats but then I couldn’t find it on the menu. However, the A.M. Riser caught my eye and that is what I got. Best R21.90 ever spent.

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Oh how I miss my coffee. Decaf is just not cutting it for me. It didn’t do the trick when I was with child almost 7 years ago and it’s definitely not cutting right now either. I have done the hot chocolate, hot milo, cold milo, tea etc…but I JUST CAN’T GET OVER MY COFFEE….

Have a great FRIDAY.

Spirited Mama

P.S. I have an official viewing of our Resident Alien later today. We will be taking Dudie along this time. That boy is so excited to see the baby.

Our resident ALIEN…aka baby

By

On July 19, 2016

In Family, New baby, Parenting, Uncategorized

YES, we are having a baby. It’s happening. This baby will be making an appearance very close to our 10 year wedding anniversary. So what an awesome gift! When I showed Dudie a scan and an early foetal development video he aptly responded….is that the baby? looks like an alien.

Of course everyone is totally beside themselves with JOY and so too am I . I was very reluctant and hesitant but it seems things have a way of working out for the greater good. I am longing and yearning for this baby as much as Dude and Dudie.

It’s going to be an adjustment as it’ll be like starting over. Dudie will be 7 when this baby arrives.
So here’s to us having a super awesome sorted baby routine in no time….Hey don’t judge I can wish can’t I. At this stage I can’t think of sleepless nights, breastfeeding, purity and nappies etc…

Spiritville is growing…

Spirited Mama

P.S. did I mention that I will be in my final year of studies when this baby arrives…OMG we will cross that bridge when we get there.

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