Technological headaches

So I've somehow managed to successfully lurch my way into the vlogosphere with my earlier nursery video tour, but it's been no easy ride. The original video I shot had a file size far too HUGE to upload so I had to get Young Daddy to help me to find a programme to reduce the file size. Then it took Blogger about a million years to upload the file onto my post. Next time (yes, there will be a next time) I shall use Photobucket or YouTube, but I've just got to work out how to do that.

In the last fortnight I've become a bit of a Twitaholic (for a novice guide to Twitter, you can't get better than Battleplan's guide here). I didn't really get Twitter before, but I am now fully immersed in the hot-tub of Twitterland and have been really enjoying it. Enjoying it so much it seems, that I may have formed a small addiction. Today there has been something wrong with Twitter that has meant that I can't take part or see any of the usual banter and I have been left frustrated and at a loss. I can only hope they fix the problem soon, before my Twitter friends forget me *bottom lip starts to quiver*

Then, to fill in the time when I would normally be Tweeting, I decided to upgrade my comments box. I found some easy-to-follow instructions, and was feeling rather like a computer whizz-kid-cum-complete-genius when suddenly my stomach lurched as I realised I had manage to lose every single past comment anyone had ever made on my blog. I shouted, I cursed, and tears threatened, until I worked out that they were not, thank goodness, lost for good and I managed to retrieve them.

So this is my test post. Has my new Disqus comment box appeared? And will it work? Please comment and let me know....

My first vlog - a video tour

So here it is, I have braved my first vlog. After I got the initial vanity issues resolved (tie bad hair back, give up on idea of putting in contact lenses etc), and worked out how to use the video option on the digital camera I was away! It's a fair first attempt, but plenty of room for improvement I reckon. I know I say the same thing over and over again, and it's not the most riveting of video topics but I felt better getting started on something that was straightforward and involved no editing. It was definitely not as painful as I thought it might be, and Miss E and Mr A have been begging me to make an appearance, so I'm pretty sure some more vlogs will be showing up here soon....

A letter of apology

The Young Household

South East London

25th February 2010

To My Dear Forgotten Friends,

Oh my darling bed, how happy we were when you were delivered the day after we moved in. You were our treat, our luxury purchase, and how worth it you have proved yourself to be. I still relish the time we spend together, but those moments are too fleeting, gone in the blink of an eye. But you are loyal, and I know you will be waiting patiently for us to return to you.

It pains me that, until last week, I didn't even know where you were hiding, dear hoover. When I found you, cowering in the depths of the understairs cupboard, buried by things thrown in to make the house appear tidy when visitors have been expected, I was ashamed. It has been so long! You have been silently waiting to come out and sing again, and sing again you shall.

We used to be inseparable, my dearest hairbrush. You were always with me, always happy to primp and preen. I have no excuses, I have let you down. I promise to be there for you more often from now on.

You are the love of my life, my beloved collection of chunky necklaces, bracelets and statement earrings. Your talent is unrivalled, and the skill with which you transform a boring outfit is something I cherish. Our separation has pained me deeply, and I feel your absence every day. It's a sad truth that you and the babies are not compatible right now, but I hope the time will soon come when we will be reunited.

And lastly, let me not forget you, faithful filing cabinet. You and I are great comrades in the common goal of organisation and tidiness. You have always shown understanding and support for my obsession with organisation, and you must be left confused by the way I have turned my back on you. I have starved you of important documents, and new filing systems. You would be sickened if you could see the state of the paperwork downstairs. I beg your forgiveness and will try to reconnect with my inner-Monica and feed you soon.

You are all important to me, and although I have taken you for granted, please don't give up on me. Our relationships are worth more than that, and we can survive these challenging times, of that I am sure.

Yours lovingly,

Young Mummy

x

I've been watching Josie from Sleep is For The Weak's Writing Workshops from the sidelines for a while, and this post is written in response to her latest prompts. Looking forward to next week already!

Shopping on a budget

Now I love to shop, and it's one of the things I miss most now I'm a mum. My shopping has been depressingly curtailed by a number of different factors, including a lack of time, a serious lack of funds, and the fact that my monster truck (double buggy) doesn't fit through the doorways of most of my local shops. So I'm thrilled that the lovely people behind Vertbaudet have launched a new discount childrenswear website called Happy Price. I hate having to multiply each new purchase by two, so a site with 50% off lots of goodies is perfect for me!

Say again?

There are some things I find myself saying about a million times a day. I may as well record myself saying them, and just play them on loop. But as I have to keep saying the same things over and over and over and over, you'd think I could come up with something more interesting than:

"You're going to have to learn to be patient"
"I've only got one pair of hands"
"It's not that bad"
"I'll be there in a second"
"Just give me one minute"

What do you get tired of hearing yourself say?

Wordless Wednesday - ready for solids!

Mr A and Miss E roadtest their new highchairs before starting solids next week!

Dear So and So... that's you Mr Gas Man!

Dear Gas Man #1

Having got our act together to get all four Young family members up, fed, dressed and in a relatively happy mood by 9am on Sunday morning it would have been nice if you'd been bothered to turn up. Or call.

Disappointed of SE London, Young Mummy

*******

Dear Gas Man #2

Texting at 2pm to say you'll be with us within an hour, and then rocking up to my front door 3.5 hours later, and half an hour before bathtime is not cool. Neither is fiddling about for 90 minutes before turning off our gas for the night and going off to enjoy a hot bath at your own,cosy, warm home.

I Can't Feel My Fingers, Young Mummy

*******

Dear Gas Man #1

I hold you entirely responsible for our cold and miserable night. Had you turned up as promised on Sunday morning we would not have spent the whole day yesterday waiting for Gas Man #2, only for him to arrive too late to fix the problem.

Frostbitten and Fed Up, Young Mummy

*******

Dear Gas Man #2

Going AWOL once again is testing my patience. You don't call, you don't write. What's a girl supposed to do? Your 'one quick job' this morning has now taken you four hours and you are still nowhere to be seen. And I am seriously cold now. Like freeeeeezing.

Dreaming of Hot Radiators, Young Mummy

*******

With thanks to Kat at 3 Bedroom Bungalow for a medium to help me let off steam (not that there's anything steamy about my house at the moment. Love her Dear So and So letter!

The Battle of Bedtime rages on

They lulled us into a false sense of security. They bided their time, plotting their comeback. Friday night was D-day for the swaddling. Young Daddy and I decided to go cold turkey and put the babies to sleep with (shock, horror!) their arms free and untethered. We prepared ourselves for Armageddon and were shocked and elated when neither baby put up a fight. We woke up feeling smug on Saturday morning, patted each other on the back and celebrated our achievement.

Little did we know that Miss E and Mr A had been so quiet all night because they were secretly conspiring against us, and devising a new battle plan. Our happy, cooing babies suddenly became screaming monsters when we tried to put them down for their morning nap, each managing to sleep for a fraction of their usual time. We went swimming (a success for the second week apart from when I accidentally dropped an unprepared Miss E into the water. She was, unsurprisingly unimpressed). Surely they would be worn out from all that physical exertion? But nope, the lunchtime nap was a combat zone once more and so we had two very very cantankerous babies for the afternoon.

Miss E and Mr A formulate their battle plan

By bedtime, Miss E was worn out by all the fighting and surrendered, but Mr A was not about to wave the white flag that easily. He woke at 9.30pm, 10.30pm, 1.15am, 1.45am, 3.30am and finally 6am, when Miss E joined his crusade once more.

We are crushed, down, but not defeated! A couple of months ago we probably would have given up at this point, and those babes would have been swaddled in their straitjackets quicker than it takes me to down a glass of vino but we are determined this time. With our eye on the prize of being able to leave Mr A and Miss E for a stay at Hotel Grandparents we will stick to our guns. Bring it on!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

How quickly has Friday come around again? The weeks seem to be racing by at the moment. It’s been a real mixed bag this week. I’ll get the bad stuff over first so I can end on a high.

The Bad...

I took part in a market research group on Monday night for some (much-needed) cash in hand. This should have been something to add to the ‘good stuff’ list, but sadly the £65 cash (already spent in my head) was swiftly followed by an £80 parking fine picked up while I was being researched. I didn’t notice the ticket til I was halfway home, but my eardrum-piercing scream of rage left me with a sore throat for the next 24 hours.

Woke up on Wednesday morning to the homely aroma of gas in the kitchen, which got a great deal stronger when I opened the cupboard under the hob. Cue an SOS phonecall to Young Daddy (who had left super-early for a meeting). On his instruction I phoned the emergency ‘I can smell gas’ hotline and was directed to immediately turn off the gas at the meter (requiring another call to Young Daddy: ‘What do you mean turn the lever? What lever? Oh, that lever’) and wait in for an emergency engineer to turn up. After a fair amount of swearing (I suspect he thought I was out of earshot), the engineer capped the leak so I still have heat and hot water, but no gas hob. Good thing we haven’t quite started weaning yet, or I’d be a bit stuffed on the puree-making front.

I’m impressed at how hard my local Health Visiting Team work at making Baby Clinic the most difficult and stressful experience possible. They are so short-staffed they have combined the usual twice weekly clinics into one, thus ensuring it is ridiculously busy and the waiting time is huge. I was lucky to have Granny Jill with us (see good points below), so she could share the joy of an hour and a half spent in an overheated waiting room for the reward of ten minutes with the Health Visitor.

The Good….

Granny Jill (Young Daddy’s mum) was with us from Monday until Wednesday and it was great having some company and an extra pair of hands. She hadn’t seen Mr A and Miss E since Christmas so we enjoyed showing off all their new skills, and they performed admirably, giving her lots of smiles and cuddles.

Wednesday was a gloriously sunny day. Miss E, Mr A and I went for an afternoon stroll and it was so warm and pleasant it gave me big happy vibes. It was a little reminder that Spring is on its way and I for one can’t wait.

Mr A surprised us all (including, I suspect, himself) by sleeping through for three nights this week. We didn’t expect it in the least, and the first time he did it I woke with a start at 5am and sent Young Daddy into the nursery to check all was well. At the moment Mr A has managed every other night – what a little star.

I have actually enjoyed spending time with the babies. Now don’t get me wrong, I think they're amazing, but to date, Mr A and Miss E’s waking hours have mostly been hard work (emotionally and physically) with a few highs here and there. But something has changed this week and I am loving their company and have started to look forward to them waking from their naps. They are such funny little characters and regularly have me in stitches. Young Daddy and I are convinced that Mr A is destined to be a comedian (that, or a clown). It’s probably telling that none of the bad points from this week are baby-related for a change….

And the Ugly?
Without question Young Daddy's extreme hairyness. Please oh please get a haircut! And trim that beard. You may think the babies like it, but I most certainly do not!

Gratuitous twin cuteness

I missed Wordless Wednesday yesterday, so here are a couple of cute pics to make up for it. Granny Jill's been down from t'north to visit for a couple of days and bought Mr A a chunky jumper and Miss E a gorgeous corduroy dress, which they are modelling in these shots...

Miss E plays 'This Little Piggy' with Mr A

Holding hands

Who am I?

I'm having an identity crisis. There have been some fantastically honest and thought-provoking posts over the last week on the mummy blogosphere (see this one from Mummy Bear at She was not at all domestic, this from Crystal Jigsaw and here from In Monkey's Shadow) and suddenly, by the cold light of day, my blog seems shallow, frivolous and probably quite dull to anyone that doesn't know me and the babies personally.

I'd love to be more honest, more controversial, but I'm confused. Who is my reader and who am I writing for? For someone who works in magazine-land this sort of question should be like my bread-and-butter, but for some reason I'm struggling to come up with a definitive answer. Family read the blog (especially my in-laws, who live miles away and we don't see as much as we would like), colleagues follow me, and I have friends with and without babies who enjoy a good read. Then there are the people who don't know me personally who still follow - something I'm amazed by every time I see the total number of followers edge up a little higher. So who should I try to please? If I try to satisfy everyone, the blog is destined to deliver to noone.

It's the usual story - I'm far too fickle and flitter from one thing to another. I'm the same with fashion - always wanting to find a 'signature style' but forever on the fence about what that style should be. And now I've discovered it's the same with writing. There's always someone out there who's wittier, more candid, more eloquent.

But I'm enjoying writing this blog. So it's a bit of a pick 'n' mix. So what? I write what takes my fancy, when it takes my fancy and get a kick out of the fact that people seem to enjoy reading it. I'm going to forget about stats and readers and just keep doing what I'm doing, though I will try (where possible) to be a bit braver and a bit more honest. Hopefully.

Dear Diary...

My mum shamed me last week by showing me the notes she'd kept while I was a baby. They were so detailed - keeping record of every tiny development and milestone I reached. I've been a bit slack about this (the 'development' section in the babies' red books that I'm supposed to fill in, is conspicuously blank) so I've decided action is required.

I've been treating this blog as a kind of diary - I did lots of 'diary' posts when I started writing but they seem to have tailed off a bit, so I'm reinstating them, and sooner or later I may go through the blog and try to put together a notebook as a keepsake, though somehow I doubt I'll find the time! These diary posts are probably not of much interest to anyone but myself (and grandparents) but if I don't make a note of all the little changes I know I'll never remember them.

So this week we've been:

Rolling over: Granted it seems to have been something of a fluke and not occured since, but both Miss E and Mr A have rolled from their fronts to their backs.
Interacting (fighting?): When you sit them close to each other, the babies get really excited and kind of shout/growl at each other (especially Miss E). They open their mouths wide and lunge at their sibling as if trying to eat them. I'm sure it's affectionate. Possibly.
Dream feeding: For the first time this week, the 11pm feed has become a true dream feed for Miss E. She doesn't open her eyes during the feed at all, simply finishes her bottle and goes back to snoring softly. It's lovely getting to hold her when she's sleeping - it's a rare treat.
Sleeping with one arm free: They are successfully taking their morning nap with one arm unswaddled. It may seem like a small step but I'm hopeful that both arms will be flying free before we know it.
Sitting up: Miss E and Mr A can sit up like little pros now. It's just a shame their sense of balance is worse than Young Daddy's on an icerink. A Bumbo is on it's way (courtesy of ebay) so that should help.

But by far the biggest and bestest thing in the Young house this week without a doubt? Thumb sucking. Apparently it's The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread (not that these little lovelies have had the pleasure of sliced bread yet). We managed to ditch the dummies during their colds (they wouldn't take them then so we jumped at the chance to send all the dummies to the Dummy Fairy), so their thumbs are a great replacement. And they look super-cute when they're doing it so it gets a thumbs up (boom boom) from me...

Little boy lost

Lost for inspiration about what to blog about today, I've been reading through the (many, many) blogs I've started following recently and I came across this heartbreaking post from A Modern Mother. It really touched a nerve and I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face.

I've always been sensitive about things like this. Comically, I could never watch Mr Bean because I would get too upset that he was forever on his own. I'm always the one who the offbeat characters choose to sit next to on the bus, and I usually end up hearing their whole life stories - I'll flash a smile at anyone and often it's taken as an open invitation! The day I left work on maternity leave, my editor kindly offered me a taxi home as I was laden down with flowers and presents (such lovely colleagues). But by the time the taxi driver had spent the whole (rather lengthy, due to rush hour traffic) journey sharing the details of his life, and making me look through his seemingly endless holiday photos, I was beginning to wish I'd just got the train as usual.

One of the main reasons I wasn't sure if I wanted children was the fear that they would be unhappy. I didn't always have the greatest time at school, and don't know if I could cope if my child was being bullied - even the thought of it tears me apart. There, and now I'm tearing up again. I can tell this is going to go round and round in my head all night. I'm going to need to toughen up - probably the very next day at school, this little boy was back in the 'in crowd'. But still, the thought of him sitting on his own is going to haunt me...

Time to stop wallowing!

I got a telling off from a friend this week. And I needed it. Big time. I had spent much of the week feeling sorry for myself. The babies were in their second week of stinking colds which meant I was stuck in the house, and a night's sleep was a distant memory. Then I had a morning where Miss E and Mr A just wouldn't stop crying (they were probably just as sick of their colds as I was) and it sent me flying back to those dark, dark weeks when Young Daddy had just gone back to work and I spent most of my non-feeding hours pounding the streets with my monster-truck (double buggy) trying to get the babies to stop crying and sleep. Yet somehow I had reached that point of inertia where you're desperate to get out of the house, but haven't got the energy to actually leave it and go and do something different.

I've also been trying to plan how to celebrate my 30th birthday in March, but the pressure of getting us all ready for a night out seemed too much so I decided to postpone celebrations for a few months until the babies were more settled and able to be left stress-free with their grandparents. My good friend was having none of it. She gave me a good talking to about getting myself out and about (I went on a walk and instantly felt better), and insisted that a birthday celebration is the perfect thing to look forward to. So I've had a re-think and she's dead right. I've removed all the pressure - who cares who comes, who cares if I need to leave early to feed the babies, who cares how drunk I get (it'll make feeding the babies more entertaining)?! At the end of the day, just being out with good friends and the lovely Young Daddy will be fun indeed. And obviously I will need a new outfit, a haircut, a manicure and a pair of shiny new shoes ;-)

And as for my misery? Well it turns out it was PMT. Welcome back stomach cramps and monthly gloom, I wish I could say I'd missed you, but I'd be lying through my teeth!

Like ducks to water...

I've been feeling nervous about it all week, but today we finally had our first swimming class (Baby Swimming) and the babies really seemed to enjoy it, chatting and smiling throughout most of the class. I'm on such a high! I was fully prepared for some mega-screaming (especially from Miss E) but they hardly grumbled at all, even when we were shoehorning them in and out of their wetsuits and neoprene nappies (no mean feat, I can tell you!). I had such a good time, I didn't even worry about the fact I was wearing a swimming costume in public (though I did buy a new 'tummy-control' ruched M&S costume especially for the occasion).

A Saturday class is perfect for us, as it means that Young Daddy can come along. It was really lovely doing an activity as a family and although I was worried that Young Daddy would be the only guy there, it actually turned out to be the other way around and I was the only mummy in the pool - the others watched from poolside. Nora, our Hungarian instructor, was very calming and is apparently a European synchronised swimming coach, so we were in good hands, even if some of her instructions were a little bit hard to decipher. I'll give her a break though - English is her fifth language after all!

Mr A was in such a good mood when we got home that we couldn't get him to feed properly as he was too busy giving us HUGE grins and laughing like a hyena. I'm already looking forward to next week....

Sunshine on a rainy day

It's been a tough week so it was lovely to have Hayley at Single Motherhood Challenges cheer me up by giving me a Sunshine Award. I think it's sent some sunshine my way because the last couple of days I've felt much brighter again. Hurrah! Miss E and Mr A finally seem to be over their colds (two weeks is a loooong time with poorly babies) so we can start joining the real world again without fear of relapses or passing on our germs.

There are the rules for accepting this little slice of sunshine,:

•Put the Logo on your sidebar, or within a post.
•Pass the award onto 12 Bloggers.
•Link the nominees within your post.
•Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
•Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I would like to nominate the following bloggers, whose blogs I always enjoy reading:
 
It's a Mummy's Life
She Was Not At All Domestic
Two {become} Four
Foodie Mummy
Little Pong
Brits in Bosnia
Carrot in Mum's Hair
Is There A Plan B?
Mammy Diaries
Insomniac Mummy
Mummy from the Heart
Evie George

Pick me! Pick me! Do I have a favourite twin?

'Do you have a favourite twin?' A friend asked me this recently in the same way as she would have enquired what's my favourite choc out of the Celebrations box (galaxy truffle by the way). It's a really direct question, and one that got me thinking...

Mr A was smaller than Miss E when born (she was 6lb 01oz and he was 4lb 10oz) and I think this immediately made me feel more protective of him as he seemed so much more vulnerable. But then Miss E developed such a strong character from the start (from day one, when she'd had enough to eat she would purse her lips and make a 'stop' sign with her tiny, tiny hand) that it was really easy to engage with her, especially after she started smiling at six weeks. Mr A took a lot (and I mean a lot) longer to get sociable and it's really only been the last three weeks or so that he has really found himself and starting interacting happily with the rest of us. And boy is he making up for lost time with his chatting, giggling and general happiness. Which probably explains why I've got a big soft spot for him at the moment.

I'm guessing this is the way things will go. I think it's natural to have different feelings towards each of them in various phases, and that doesn't mean I love either of them any less.  Maybe it's a bit of a taboo, but there it. is.  

Wordless Wednesday

Mr A: 'When I grow up do I get to drink my milk from a glass bottle like daddy?'

Project Babysitter

I was always going to be an independent mum. I coud never understand those mums that wouldn't leave their babies with a sitter to have a night out, or shock horror, a weekend away! Fast forward six months and here I am, a mummy who has only left her babies in the care of someone other than myself and Young Daddy for about two hours. How did this happen?! Obviously it's a bit more difficult when there are two babies involved, as I think this is pretty intimidating for a lot of prospective sitters. But I do feel like a bit of a control freak about the whole thing - convinced that only Young Daddy and I are up to the challenge.

With a big birthday coming up in about seven weeks' time, I have realised that we need to take action now to get these babies babysitter-ready so that we can stay out past 11pm. The first main challenge to Project Babysitter is that Miss E and Mr A still have to be fully swaddled to go to sleep. They've almost outgrown their swaddle blankets, and get themselves unswaddled every night (eventually). We have fine-tuned our swaddling technique to address this, but I don't think anyone else would be brave enough to swaddle as tightly as we do.

The second big hurdle is Miss E. Miss E is a little madam extraordinaire, who only likes me to give her her bottle at 11pm. Now this could be because I breastfeed her all day so she can't get her head round being fed by anyone else, but I suspect it's more about her asserting her own character. We've had mixed success with Young Daddy feeding her, and have never attempted to get anyone else to feed her. So if we want to be out past 11pm we're going to have to solve this, and I guess the only way is to get some guest feeders in to give it a go so she gets used to the idea of someone else doing the job.

When I wrote my last post about swaddling, Sabina at Mummy Matters gave me some top tips about getting the babies to go to sleep in Gro-bags. She suggested swaddling them with one arm free for their daytime naps, then progressing to both arms free for daytime naps and then to the Gro-bag. So I'm going for it this week and have had mixed results so far. Yesterday they napped well with one arm free, but today they had a meltdown. I'll stick with it though, as I'm determined to get the job done...

These are a few of my favourite things... Part II

Miss E had her turn yesterday, so today it's Mr A's chance to document the things that are currently rocking his world...

Mr A's top five:

• Blowing raspberries (and pulling hilarious faces while doing this. We definitely have a possible contender for World Champion Gurner)
• Big, smacking kisses on the cheek, preferably at the same time as being tickled
• Having a bath, especially putting his head back under the water (not his face) so his ears are underwater and everything sounds funny
• Chatting, non-stop (especially in the bath - see above)
• His sister. He's Miss E's number one fan at the moment, though she's playing it cool 

And what he really, really doesn't like:

• Putting his arms into sleeves of any kind

These are a few of my favourite things... Part I

In honour of Miss E and Mr A's five-month birthday last week, I thought I'd compile a little list of their pet likes at the moment (just to remind myself in next-to-no-time when they've changed yet again). They're two separate little people, so I think they deserve a post each. Today is Miss E's turn.

Miss E's current top five:

• Singing the 'Hokey Cokey and doing the actions
• Chatting to herself, especially when falling to sleep (even if it does annoy Mr A)
• Playing 'This Little Piggy' while waiting for Mr A to have his bath
• Grabbing things (particular favourites include mummy's hair, Mr A's clothes, dirty nappies and her butterfly teether)
• Having her own cot (since she stopped sharing a cot with Mr A she has slept through more often than not, though she likes to join Mr A in his cot first thing in the morning to say hello)

And what she really, really doesn't like:

• Having her snotty nose and green gungy eyes wiped

Wardrobe purge!

McCall Homemaking Cover
Originally uploaded by George Eastman House

Today Miss E and Mr A's lovely Auntie Emma came to visit. She hasn't seen the babies since Christmas so it was great to show her how much they've changed.

This afternoon Young Daddy and Auntie Emma have taken Miss E and Mr A out for a walk in the sunshine and I thought I'd grab the opportunity for some baby-free time in the house (a rare gift at the moment). So what did I do with this valuable R&R time? Have a long soak in the bath? Go and get a massage? Finally get past chapter one in that book that I keep starting over and over again? Do some more of my much-neglected tapestry? Nope, I decided to have a wardrobe clear-out...

I went up into the loft to get my suitcases of pre-pregnancy clothes down (smashing my head on the heavy wooden ladder in the process - ouch, ouch, ouch). Some clothes I have treated with cheerful (deluded?) optimism. No, they may not fit at the moment but I'm sure they will in a couple of months' time. Then there were the items that required a serious reality check. I'm talking about things that didn't even fit me pre-pregnancy... those items that you've had since you were at university that you're sure one day, you will magically slip into again. With my wardrobe space limited, and every cupboard, drawer and shelf bursting at the seams I've been stern with myself, and there is now an impressive pile of clothes to be delivered to the nearest charity shop.

It might seem like a dull way to spend my precious free time, but it's these kind of jobs that just can't get done when there are two tiny babies around. I was chatting to a good friend of mine whose little boy is about to go to nursery full-time, and she had to admit that what she was most looking forward to was having time to get mundane tasks done. She's got a list and can't wait to start ticking things off. I'm with her - I've loved pottering this afternoon. Wonder if this could be a weekly occurance? Young Daddy.....?

Is 'baby brain' a myth? Not in my world...

According to a new study, 'baby brain' is a myth, the BBC reported yesterday. 'Neither pregnancy nor motherhood addle a woman's brain say the researchers'. I beg to disagree, as I'm sure do most other mummy bloggers out there! I can say without doubt that every friend I have who has a new baby has experienced 'baby brain' and our conversations often go round in circles (I liken my memory to that of a goldfish and apologise now to all my friends to whom I have told the same stories multiple times!).

I haven't put my keys in the freezer (yet), but yesterday I left the kettle on the hob for THREE hours, though I would have sworn on oath I turned the gas off (luckily the kettle was completely full as I was boiling water for bottles so it hadn't boiled dry and burned down the house). I frequently get sayings and words muddled up, and despite being one of the most organised people I know (close friends dub me 'Monica') I have actually had to get Young Daddy to sort out my weekly diary for me as my brain wasn't up to the challenge. I'm always getting the names of the cats and the babies muddled up. A close friend of mine had a heated debate with her husband about what year it was - 2009 or 2010 (she was wrong). And if you're a car thief you'd be advised to follow my friends and I around because I know that hardly any of us ever remember to lock the car doors!

I'm itching to hear some funny tales from Baby Brain land so please share.....

Wordless Wednesday - Temptation

Young Daddy has left an entire packet of custard creams within sight. Place your bets now - how long can I resist?.....

A natural cat burgler..

I'm happy to say that Miss E has been a lot perkier today, but every time I turn my back she seems to have somehow managed to get hold of something I thought was out of her reach. She was lying in her cot while I was changing Mr A and when I turned around the picture book that is tied to her cot was on top of her. Then last night I was bathing Mr A while Miss E was kicking about in her cot and when I looked round she had managed to get the towel that was hanging over the end of the cot up to her mouth to suck on. I can think of three possible explanations:

• She's crawling when I'm not looking!! Of course she isn't (give her a break, she is only five months old after all)
• She can move things with her mind (this was Young Daddy's suggestion)
• She is stretching and twisting to pull things towards her. We are going to need to be more careful about stuff we leave within her reach such as hot drinks. I'm constantly amazed at how these babies always seem to be one step ahead of you!

I’m really excited to have been included in the latest Best of British Mummy Bloggers Carnival at Insomniac Mummy (a blogging carnival is where bloggers submit their best post to a nominated host, who picks out their favourites). It’s my first carnival and I’m looking forward to reading all the other posts that are on the roundup. I just wish I could take my laptop into the bath with me so I could read them there...

Bag a bargain...

I'm a big fan of ASOS so I was really excited to learn that the people behind it launched a new site yesterday, called Achica. It's a members only site, which means you have to register to have a look (annoying), and then each day there are certain promotions or sales on particular brands under the categories homeware, kids, garden, sport and inspiration. Today I'm loving this yellow wooden ride-on from Brio, reduced from £69.99 to £42. The yellow makes me think of sunny days. I can't wait til springtime...

The snot monster and I? Not great pals...

The last few days (3.5 to be exact) have been my first experience of Miss E and Mr A being properly poorly. Of course they've had some sniffles before but they were a walk in the park compared to the epic battle we're now waging against a terrifying snot monster who has taken the entire house hostage.

And I can officially report that dealing with two poorly babies is hard, hard work. Sleep for all of us has been hard to come by. Even though Young Daddy and I try to take shifts overnight, I find it impossible to snooze when I can hear one or other of the babies in distress or when they're both up at the same time it's definitely a case of all hands on deck. In desperation we've been napping when (or if) we can get Miss E and Mr A to sleep at the same time, whatever time of day, but unsurpringly I still feel like a walking zombie (with my own sniffles and cough).

Yesterday we armed ourselves with more supplies - Young Daddy came home with a sackful of goodies (!) from the chemist including Calpol, Calprofen, Karvol vaporiser and Olbas oil for children. Oh and some paracetamol and tissues for me, though I may need to send him back for some cough medicine (though I bet that's something else I can't have while breastfeeding)!

What I've discovered is that looking after a baby who's ill makes you feel overwhelmingly helpless. Miss E, with her red-rimmed eyes with dark circles underneath, white face, streaming eyes and nose just stares at me as if to say, 'please help me' and I feel so sorry for her. And for Mr A, when he's beside himself because he's so tired but unable to sleep. Then I force Calpol down them (which they hate - cue dramatic gagging and choking sounds) and I feel guilty as well as helpless! Let's hope we're over the worst. Please?!