Newborn Files #7

You know who turns 2 today?

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George! Happy Birthday sweet boy, I hope you got a couple new pairs of long socks. According to ‘sources’ he’s having a quiet shindig with the family. I wonder what cake Kate has made for him? I’m sure she’s whipped up a healthy treat for him. Reminds me of the awesomely dodgy cakes that Rob and I whipped up for Daisy when she turned 2. Like most normal parents (ahem) Rob challenged me to a “cake off” whereby we both made cakes for Daisy and asked guests to vote on the best at the party (competitive much?!). All taken from the bible, the Women’s Weekly Cookbook of course! Here was my attempt:

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And Rob’s:

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I’m sure Kate will do a good job, if you need any help darls, I’m here for you.

Speaking of Royals, check out what Styling You got me on her recent UK visit. A PRINCESS CHARLOTTE ROYAL BIRTH COMMEMORATIVE MUG is all.

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I didn’t think I could love it more until I turned it over.

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Bev! Meant to be. I absolutely adore it. Will be looking to get some mugs printed through Vistaprint for Mags soon for anyone interested. Will also add in Inspected by Bev in sharpie on the bottom.

It’s been a BIG week in baby land. Big! HUGE! You see for someone who has barely left the house in the past 8 weeks, Mags and I had to head to Melbourne for 24 hours for a quick work trip. I had been invited by Oxfam to come down to a bloggers workshop to learn more about what they do and when I agreed to it Maggie was about 3 minutes old and it seemed like it was agggggggges away and yet all of sudden…here it was! I prepared the best way I know how, by panicking. A little more, each day as the week progressed.

Given that we were gone for just the night, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have much ‘stuff’ but you all know how much ‘stuff’ a baby has. I decided to just take our Ergo carrier so I had hands free to push a little suitcase and carry a babybag/handbag so I spent the day before watching Youtube videos on how to do it up. I found it really hard to do up the back strap (especially with Mags in it) but managed to ask kind strangers and security guards at the airport to help me out. Turns out I should have practiced for a bit longer than 24 hours beforehand. Maggie spent the first 4-5 mins of being put in it screaming which wasn’t stressful at all. I did get better as we went on though…postively cocky on the morning of day 2.

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I made sure I took photos of where I was parked because: baby brain.

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I used my frequent flyer points to upgrade our flight so I could use the lounge beforehand. I didn’t even get to eat anything because I had so much stuff and once I sat down couldn’t bear the thought of picking it all up again. So I sat while Maggie slept and lots of men had loud conversations on their mobiles. Turned out to be a really expensive nap.

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But we managed to get on the plane, then off again, through security a few times, breastfeeding on the plane, in the lounge, at the workshop, get a cancelled flight, then onto an earlier one, then back to Sydney, lost near the airport and then finally back to my Mums place.

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I tried not to keep looking at all the snow that had arrived back home (thankfully our village missed out but there was plenty around). The ONE time I’m not home all winter and it snows?!

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I’ve never been happier to arrive to familiar faces and surroundings when I collapsed into Mum’s front door at 7pm Friday night. I think I spent the first 15 minutes catching my breath. I was deadset exhausted. So was Maggie. Mum had gone to TOWN to give me home comforts. Crumbed cutlets for dinner? TICK!

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Cheesy potato bake? TICK!

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Lemon meringue pie for dessert? TICK!

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Freshly made bed with linen pillowcases? TICK!

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I had the loveliest dinner with my little sis, Mum and Step dad and a great nights sleep. No more flights, airports, security, heavy bags to deal with. It was a full on 24 hours, but we did it!

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Another step in the right direction of feeling a little more self confident and capable and of course excited about working with Oxfam in the future. What an amazing organisation.

Plus, we got a beautiful gift from my Mum’s sister…a new quilt. So precious.

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So now it’s back to normal transmission but with added cranky baby! Mags has NOT been feeling it. Look at that cute double chin though!

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At least we can be packed down at home, nowhere to go or where to be. Plenty of time to sleep. Well, I can dream anyway. Which reminds me! You know how I have been rabbiting on about these Love to Dream swaddles? Well I have 3 to giveaway to you guys! And they are these fab new Winter Warmer ones worth $44.95!

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Love to Dream got in contact with me and said they would love to give you guys one. So let me know in the comments below about how much you need one. I have 3 to giveaway to 3 lucky people. You can read the T&C’s here.

Maggie is thrilled for you guys, obvs.

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So tell me everything, what have you been up to this week?
Anyone else a little bit uncoordinated with the baby carriers? Watched YouTube to learn too?
Want the swaddle wrap? Leave a comment below!

Comments

  1. A nice way to wake up: to read the Newborn Files #7 with a steaming cup of coffee (albeit decaf and with almond milk). Well, it was close to looking like that, although the screaming newborn (3weeks new) got in first. Said infant is now attached in an awkward position to my chest, snoozing for the Olympics (quiet, at least). As you can clearly see, tales of your week help to keep a sense of humour in check. So, what about a LoveToSwaddle; do we qualify… (not to cheeky I hope?) Thanks Beth.

  2. Hi Beth. Well done on your adventure. I would love a swaddle wrap for my bestie Bec. She is having a c-section on Friday with twins! I can’t imagine wrangling two babies at a time. She does not have much family support as hubby is from overseas and her mum died last year. I am her go to girl. I have seen these swaddles around and they look fabulous. My babes were all arms up sleepers and hated traditional swaddling so these really look like they work. I figure with twins you need all the help you can get. Thanks for the chance. Maggie is gorgeous.

  3. Hi Bev, I’d love the swaddled wrap but not for myself (I wish I was having another baby). My girlfriend just told me she is pregs with her fourth, I’d gift it to her from you xo

  4. Go you Bev, a flight AND an overnight stay on your own with a newborn. I salute you sister. Mags’ goodluck face is priceless! I would be thrilled to win a swaddle wrap, I have had them pinned to my ‘to buy for the twins’ board for ages, but all the other ‘things’ seem to keep pulling rank at the baby shop. Like a $1500 pram for instance!! And suddenly we’re going to be family of 5 in a few weeks… Where did my pregnancy go? Please throw my hat into the ring for the win x

  5. anne-maree says

    Hi Beth, my girlfriend has just had her 1st baby yesterday via c-section and she may be living in a little bit of la-la land as she thinks she’ll be back working full-time in one month (she works from home so will be contending with a newborn & recovery from caesar) – I’m closer to the grandchildren stage of life (not quiet but my kids are in their early 20s) so would love to give this to her as she’s going to need all the help she can get πŸ™‚

  6. Sounds like quite the trip! Looking forward to hearing more about your work with Oxfam, they’re such a great organisation.
    I’d love one of those Love to Dream swaddles. I’ve heard such amazing things about them but with all the things we’ve had to buy for bubba (just over 5 weeks to go til my due date, but who’s counting!?) I can’t justify buying them unless I know she will love them and be able to use them. Maybe I should just buy one and see how she likes it and then I can maybe buy some more. It’s just so hard to know what to buy and what to wait to get and what she will and won’t like!! Baby stuff is so much more complicated than I originally thought!!

  7. Congratulations on getting out and about! I’m still in my post baby stay at home bubble. Which unfortunately will burst next week when the hubby, who is a fifo worker, goes back to work after being home with us for 7 weeks!!! I am going to home alone with two little girls (4 and 6 weeks) so anything that will help my youngest sleep longer would be a life saver and definitely save my sanity! Ps: do they come in 4 year old size? Because the oldest one doesn’t sleep either.

  8. You nailed it! I can’t believe you trekked so far with a new bub BY YOURSELFES! Wonder woman. Those love to dream saddles are. the. best. We had one for baby G and gave it to a friend after, now we’re having twins so will need a few more me thinks. Absolutely beats wrapping and unwrapping bundles in the night, just zip and go.

  9. PS. How many of your following peeps are having twins?? Are we all local I wonder? (something in the highlands water)

  10. I love your Newborn Files! Reminds us all that babies are the same the world over… Even the Kate’s of the world have the same baby blues, battles and triumphs!

    Myself? I have a 3 month old and a 22 month old. I have always wrapped in giant muslins or flannelette as the Stay at Home Mum Budget has never stretched to the ‘luxury’ of a Love to Dream swaddle. I’m sure the little one would be ever so grateful of a good nights sleep without his sneaky escaping hands trying to attack him!

    Here’s to many more successful swaddling, baby wearing and 24 hour flight adventures! Nice work mumma!

  11. Well done on the 24hr Melbs trip, so much prep required and so much energy. Certainly worthwhile for many reasons (Oxfam, you time, observing the ‘other’ non-mum world) but makes you realise the grass is often not greener.

    I had a crazy CRAZY Hug-a-Bub wrap a few months ago. I loved wearing it, and my baby loved it too, but once it was off my body it was just one big long frightening piece of material! I YouTubed a lot, and practised in the mirror, and tried miserably in public to put it on, getting quite defensive and resulting in a slumpy bub. Now I am in Tula land (similar to Ergo hood) and far far happier. I can be up and mobile faster than the shake of lambs tail! πŸ™‚

  12. Kim Abbate says

    That mug was INSPECTED BY BEV!! Love.

    As for the carriers, I had a ring sling for my son and it was the best thing I ever bought. He slept, fed, and hung around for the first 18 months of his life. It did take a while to work out the best position though, and we had a few awkward moments where people would walk up and pull back the sling to see him (without asking) with my boob hanging out as he had his lunch…

  13. I so need one of these I have a very restless little miss who kicks the wrap off then sooks until no joke my head touches hers to sleep. My neck needs one more than her trying to sleep that way makes for a sore neck πŸ™

  14. Catherine says

    Your Maggie is gorgeous. You are brave travelling without any help. That is a great idea about taking a photo where you parked. You don’t have to have baby brain, it happens to me when I park and fly. Spend an extra 20 minutes on returning walking around car park trying to remember where my car is.

  15. Cassie Webster says

    Who won the cake competition? And goodness…I want to snuggle Maggie. LOOK at her!! x

  16. I had a Hug a Bub carrier, you know the one? Its about 20 metres of cloth that you wrap round and round and round and then you have wrapped so much material around yourself you can’t find the baby.
    Not really, it was quite good once I mastered it, but not good on a rainy cold day when the carrier fabric drops in the gutter gushing with water.
    They were designed and made in Byron Bay so dare I say no more (I love Byron but it is like living in another universe) Not sure if you can still get them? I think they were made for mothers who have lots of time to wrap metres of fabric around themselves.
    BTW I don’t need a baby wrap so I’m not competing, just in case you were considering me!

    • I have a fabric one too – gifted to me – a Sakura Bloom which I will try and have a crack at in a little while when her head control is a little better.

  17. That little grey beanie and the red knitted cardi – Mags is adorable. Am loving the newborn files!

  18. Nice snacks at your Mum’s.

    I like George and his socks a lot.

  19. Maggie has great expressions. A new handmade baby quilt is just the best present eva. I still have my big girls. Its 14 years old now. Cant throw it out. And linen sheets. Why are they soon expensive?

    M

  20. Lisa Mckenzie says

    You did it Beth and you did it well and your Mum what a genius making you an awesome dinner after a flight with your little Maggie,she is a gem your Mum.
    I would like a swaddle wrap for a very special person who might be having a baby soon,I can’t tell you who cause they are having untold difficulties a probably going the IVF route but I’d like one to give her when she finally gets her babe Xx

  21. I have book marked the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe on my iPad and have also printed it out for my recipe folder. Looks amazeballs! – J

  22. I have the Ergo carrier as well and found it to be a God send for travel. So much easier than lugging a pram around.

    The Love to Dream swaddle looks amazing, these would be very convenient for all those little escape artists! Would love one of these…please!

  23. You are a star mumma taking a 24 he trip to Melbs solo with little Mags. Go mumma! I always take a pic of where I work the car when parking somewhere unfamiliar and my baby is 7!

  24. I want that dinner at your mum’s!? You and Mags did good my friend x

  25. Yummy, crumbed cutlets!!! I’d forgotten all about those. I’m onto it. Thanks Beth! Well done with the trip to Melbs πŸ™‚

  26. that’s no mean feat what you and mags did last week bev!
    that was amazing what nikki found for you! … checked by bev indeed!X
    good nurturing at your mum’s! … all lovely!
    and I like the idea of taking a photo of where you parked! helloo!
    good one hun! … love m:)X

  27. That dinner at your Mum’s could be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.. it successfully covers all of my favourite food groups.

  28. Such a lovely, fun, warm post! Makes me homesick πŸ™‚

  29. Good god I wish I could rock a double chin like Madame Mags. I look as if I have no bloody neck with mine *sigh* & I spent bloody AGES cultivating it!! Anyhoo I would lurve one of those baby wrap thingys please. Not for myself you understand but for a darling child who I work with. She is due in the next 4-6 weeks & she’s just gorgeous. Makes me laugh everyday & I’m going to have to do without her soon while she nests & prepares & then finally “hatches” her bubba-love. Speaking of bubba-love, who won the cake comp for your bubbas delicious day?

    Xxs

  30. Kristy B says

    Sounds like you’ve had a busy but amazing week! I’d love a swaddle for my 6mo bubba boy. Can’t believe he’s 6 months already!! Crazy! And George is 2! It certainly goes quickly, even when it feels super slowwwww!!

  31. Temira Reid says

    I believe that the love to dream swaddle may just save my sleep deprived future self, considering he or she has two older siblings of school age that will need to be places on time. I think that anything that will help promote sleep in our newbie will be a god send to helping us acheive this.

    I’m totally loving your blog btw I only just recently found you and can’t even remember how I stumbled upon your site πŸ™‚

  32. I’d actually really liked crumbed cutlets and potato bake, but a Love to Dream swaddle is slightly more necessary!

    As a new Mum to an 11 week old little dude, I have just discovered that the Love to Dream swaddles mean that little dude’s Dad can put him to bed. Zipper = no excuses from Dad about not being able to wrap. I’m hoping this means more sleep for me!

  33. Oh boy, what a trip! Can so relate to being in new baby carrier struggle town – I vividly remember trying to youtube how to put on a ring sling AT SCIENCEWORKS with a dark room full of school excursion kids and my two little girls running around in there somewhere. Horrifying. I’m a bit of an ergo pro now but STILL struggle to click that back buckle! Maybe we just need longer arms?!

    Speaking of arms, pretty sure I NEEEEEED a toasty warm LTD swaddle, we loved using them for C but in our ‘no more babies HA!’ enthusiasm/smugness we gave them all away… So yeah. Please? πŸ™‚

    High fives to you Maggie, darling lass x

  34. Angelica Smith says

    Would love a love to dream swaddle for my niece. She was born premie and is finally getting big enough to fit into one of these. I am sure her parents would appreciate it too as they have been having a lot of of trouble with the sheet swaddling (first time parents, super wiggly escape artist baby ).

  35. Hi Beth
    I love your blogs and love reading about Maggie! Somewhat like your story I have 2 boys 8& 6 years and a now 12 week old. I’m still swaddling the 12 week old Felix with a sheet wrap so I’d dearly love to try a swaddle wrap instead, I’ve been on the look out for something that might work!
    Isn’t it fun having a new baby all over again?
    Thanks very much

  36. Hi Beth. I’m an Aunty of my very own Maggie as of 3:30pm yesterday!! Maggie Grace is my sister’s fourth baby and I would love to give her the LTD swaddle, as I don’t think there have been many new items purchased for this sweet little one, and my sister is going to need all the help she can get this time!

  37. Love the fact I’ve somehow stumbled upon your blog! My babies are growing fast but I have some very special nieces and nephews on the way who would love to test out the love To Dream swaddle especially on our frosty, Winter nights.

  38. Ooooo! How to make a lurker come out of hiding? Offer to give away a totally cool baby item. Lurker feels terribly guilty that she has nothing prepared for her second born who is due in 4 weeks as opposed to the OCD preparation for the first. Lurker knows that her second born, which is a boy, cannot in all fairness be swaddled in pink fluffy blankets or wear his sister’s sparkly size 000 tights however gender neutral you want to be. It just ain’t gonna fly! Lurker realises poor son currently only has 6 singlets that mummy attempted to dye from pink to blue, 2 pairs of socks, a box of nappies and a cot (sans mattress as sissy is using it in the toddler bed!). Therefore, mothership comes out of lurking in an attempt to have something new & practical that will keep her bubba warm, prevent the windmill flailing of little arms & make her appear at least somewhat prepared for her impending arrival. Is it bad that he doesn’t even have an inkling of a name yet ….

    Oh, and hats off to you travelling with Maggs at such a wee age. I think I’m going to be lucky to remember to even wear pants or have my hair brushed at the 2 month mark :/

  39. I want to know….who won the cake off??

  40. Debs Sutton says

    All of this is just gorgeous Beth AND to make things even better the new series of Great British Bake Off starts on 3.08.15!!!! Can you get BBC IPlayer? Xxx

  41. Debs Sutton says

    Eeeek sorry Beth it’s the 5th Aug!

    • Thanks for the heads up! Don’t think I can access the iPlayer but it will mean that it will be on here soon enough (well I hope so!)

  42. What a big trip for you and Maggie to take! How exciting and scary all at the same time I expect! Good on you!
    Ooh so I don’t normally comment much on these things, but a combination of being home more this week than usual, and feeling very inspired and encouraged by your big step (flight) and work with Oxfam, made me do it! So here I am πŸ™‚
    I love following your posts. Especially the foodie ones πŸ˜‰ they all look so Y.U.M. and for a non-cook like myself, just something I can dream of whipping up one day! Even the “easy” recipes! Haha. Oh I and my son LOVED the love to dream swaddle suits – he seriously missed them when we transitioned into a sleeping bag. Can’t get enough of those!
    Anyway πŸ™‚ my week has been ummmm awful? I’ve been in hospital with pharyngitis, my 20 month old has been fighting aNOTHER cold and ?? maybe chicken pox TBC?? and my dear husband has been trying to help us all whilst hold down a job….oh and my entire immediate family is in Europe. YAY! Haha. But we muddle through, don’t we. All will be well. I’m going to just “go quietly” as my grandma always says.
    Thanks for sharing your week and thanks for listening to my wreck of a week too! Onwards and upwards πŸ™‚
    Sarah

  43. Mags is getting SO big, put her on pause for a while Beth πŸ™‚
    Congratulations on getting through your first “alone” trip with Maggie, it is never easy. x

  44. We had our 3rd babies in the same week (mine is Angus and my 3rd boy) and I’ve been nodding my head understanding everything that you write about and all of the craziness that the last 10 weeks has brought to our household:: I even bought Lurpak butter because of you to enjoy on toast I have one Love Me Swaddle and would love a 2nd for when Angus projectile vomits all over me and himself for the 4th time today!

  45. Oh my, those chins! So gorgeous. Our first couple of goes with the Moby Wrap were horrid. Now we’re pros with the baby carrier πŸ™‚

  46. Hi Beth,
    I had the same trouble with doing up the Ergo up the top…until someone told me that the top clip/strap is adjustable & will slide down the arm straps so you can move it higher or lower so you can easily reach it to do it up! Hope that might help πŸ™‚

  47. Jane Piercey says

    A solo interstate trip with a baby? You are my hero.

    Would love a swaddle suit as Alfie has only decided this week that he loves them despite me trying to force them on him for the past month.

    xx

  48. Awesome work doing an overnighter in Melbourne. You looked like a pro with the baby ergo…I remember those contortionist moves to get that darn top back clip done up! Anyways I’d better dig my ergo out and get practicing as my 2nd Bub is due to arrive in a few weeks…needless to say nesting has kicked in now and U just saw yr video on how to fold those fiddly fitted sheets on news.com.au (on there this eve!) so tomws nesting activity is organising the linen cupboard in said manner.
    Anyway I would love a zip up swaddle for my Bub :o) x

  49. Well done done you for travel with a baby alone.
    When my now 11 month old was 22 weeks old we travelled from Canberra to QLD for a weekend (to visit family) sans husband and boy did I appreciate all of those people who do things daily on their own with child!

    LOVE the Love to Dream swaddles. It was perfect with our first considering hubby and I both seemed to have terrible swaddling skills. Unfortunately one of ours got stuck down the side of the washing machine when wet and I didn’t discover it until it was too late and mouldy – into the bin with that!
    Now with baby number two due in a couple of months – yes 13 months between them – yes it was planned – yes we are crazy ☺️ We could definitely use another Love to dream, especially as I seem unable to EVER get on top of the washing – EVER!
    *there may have been tears tonight about just this and how I can’t get a handle on the washing/housework (pregnancy hormones)

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