baby milestones

The terrible twos! 

The terrible twos, we’ve all heard of it, a lot of us have experienced it and others are dealing with it right now. But how terrible are the ‘terrible twos’? 

I’m the latter, I’m completely in the middle of the terrible twos, we’ve got the tantrums and the blantant disregard of rules. But is it terrible? No, I don’t think so, I think there is a lot more to a toddler than we realise. 

I know a lot of people think this generation is too soft on their kids, but I think that is utter bullshit. We may parent differently than older generations but it doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way to parent – it’s just that, different.

I think the terrible twos are the time in a toddler’s life we they are beginning to learn about their emotions and how to handle and process them correctly. I know even as an adult,  this can be an extremely hard skill to master. (Some days I totally want to throw myself on the ground when I don’t get my way) Feelings are difficult to understand and toddlers are experiencing new ones all the time. It can be really overwhelming to feel extremely upset about something that they aren’t able (allowed) to do simply because they are too young or small. And that’s where pushing the boundaries begins to come into it, once they realise that they are aren’t allowed to do certain things, such as take toys off their sister (I wonder who does that?!) they want to find out if that rule applies every time and to everyone or only in that particular situation – I guess it really is the best way to learn. 

So I say that for the most part the terrible twos are not actually ‘terrible’, they are simply the phase in a child’s life where they are beginning to understand their emotions and that they have to behave a certain way, and sometimes it just becomes way too much!

Of course I’m not saying sometimes children aren’t naughty – because they are (don’t I know it) but I don’t believe in saying a particular age is terrible. Lets be real, children can be naughty at any age! 
Until next time, 

BCM

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The Best Things About Being Called Mum

I have been giving this topic a lot of thought over the past few days and initially I thought I would have a top ten or even have my favourite things about being a mum numbered, but it occurred to me I can’t rate the things I love nor can I round them off to a even number. So here they are, in no particular order.

  • Rhemy: I know this is a fairly obvious one and honestly probably doesn’t need to be said, but I can’t have a list of my favourite things without listing her. She has taught me so much about myself in her short time on this planet. She is hilarious and wonderful and as corny as it sounds, she is my heart wandering around outside of my body (not that she wanders far).
  • Newborn smell: My friends who have children always spoke of the “newborn” smell and I believed them but I truly had never experienced it until I had my own baby. But they were right, the newborn smell is something out of this world!
  • Playtime: Never in my life, did I think I would enjoy singing nursery rhymes, on the floor under a mobile with a child who can not sing along, but my god I do! Seeing her face light up when the little characters twirl around above her, her gorgeous smile when I bop around singing for her bring me complete and utter joy. Luckily Rhemy doesn’t judge my singing or dancing and just enjoys our time together haha.
  • Baby clothes, shoes and accessories: This is not really part of motherhood but it is part of having a baby and probably has a lot to do with the fact that Rhemy has more clothes then she has been able to wear, but I love dressing her everyday. I love picking outfits for her, I love accessorising with headbands and little shoes. I love the compliments she recieves. I love making headbands and little barefoot sandals for her and hope one day I will be able to make her little pieces of clothing.
  • The way baby looks for me: I know, babies love their mums and that early on they are able to distinguish their mother and father from others that visit. But nothing prepared me for the feeling I would get when it was blatantly obvious that Rhemy wanted me.
  • Morning time: Just after Rhemy wakes up and she has her bottle I sit her on my lap facing me and we talk. She talks back and smiles and once or twice she has giggled. I love this time, it is our time just the two of us!
  • Her milestones: Seeing my daughter reach her milestones, is a feeling that I could not prepare myself for. The pride I felt when I heard her laugh and coo for the first time, when I witnessed her first smile and even when she had her first bottle is overwhelming.
  • Naptime: I love putting Rhemy in her swaddle and putting her in her crib. She is so peaceful and content and this time everyday reminds me of the unconditional love I feel for this tiny little human.

So I ask you to leave a commment and tell me what you are your favourite things about Being Called Mum?
Insta: @being_called_mum

Routines and everything in between

Lately it has dawned on me that every child has a different “normal”. Whether it be their routine, their milestones or their weight. I realise this isn’t new information but as first time mother, I think it is something each mother does work out in their own time.

My daughter is nearly 4 months old and has only just began to giggle, is not interested in rolling over and absolutely hates tummy time. She has ample free time on the floor and we have modified tummy time to best suit her. She feeds roughly every three hours during the day but will go 10 hours overnight without a feed. She loves to sit up (with help) and is always trying to stand up on our legs and tummy.

Her nap time in the morning, resembles a cat nap and lasts at most half hour, but in the afternoon she will sleep three hours or more. Her bed time is 8.30 and she goes straight to sleep, at nap time she fights us like nobodies business.

Rhemy is going in 00 clothing and is exclusively bottle fed, after being breastfed for the first three months. A decision we made, based on what was best for her. She is a happy baby, who only cries when hungry or tired. Squeals when things don’t go her way and smiles like crazy when they do.

For the first couple of months of her life, I fretted over her getting into a routine, I fretted that she wasn’t meeting milestones at the “correct” time or that her feeds weren’t spaced enough or were too far apart. As time has gone by, I realised she has found her own routine, she is progressing and growing every day at her pace and she eats when she is hungry (and gaining weight rapidly!). She is happy and loved, she is clothed and taken care of, everything I want for my beautiful baby girl.

I realise now every baby’s needs vary, some need routine from day one and others work theirs out as they go. Some babies are breastfed exclusively and others are fed from a bottle. Some babies reach milestones extremely early and others extremely late, and thats okay.

So I ask you what’s your baby’s routine?