Ten totally useless facts about me!

So everyone seems to be posting facts about themselves at the moment...and I've totally gone and jumped on the bandwagon! 

1. I currently have 2 pets- a cat called Nala and a fish called white fish. I used to have 3 fish in total which were each a different colour, but she's the only one i have left now. I have also had 3 guinea pigs called Honey, Treacle and Fudge and a cat called Oscar.
2. My natural hair colour is blonde, but I've been dying it since I was 14! It's currently purple and black.
3. I don't even have a middle name! My parents didn't love me enough :P 
4. My son is named after the tv show, Dexter. That's right...the one about a serial killer.
5. I am like a magpie...i LOVE anything glittery and sparkly! 
6. I still haven't taken my driving test! I did pass my theory last year and I'm currently still having lessons. Fingers crossed I'll finally pass in the next few months!
7. I love Disney and really want Lee and I to go to Disneyworld in Florida for our honeymoon...and take Dexter of course!
8. I'm actually really shy and find it hard to trust people. But once i do know you, I will talk you to death. You will probably end up wanting to cut your ears off! 
9. I have a big sister called Lisa, but no other siblings.
10. I used to be really ambitious and full of plans when I was younger. Now, all i want out of life is for Dexter to grow up happy and healthy, for Lee and i to get married and for us to buy our own house. Anything else is a bonus!

So there you have it, just a few facts about me. I'm planning a few different blog posts which I'll be writing in the next few days so keep 'em peeled! 

Until next time, much love

Laura xxx

Whoopsie!

In continuation from my last post ( Dentinox medicine dispenser product review) i forgot to include the picture I'd taken of Dexter actually using it!! I'm so ditsy sometimes, I swear! So here it is-

Much love, Laura xxx

Product review- Dentinox Medicine Dispenser

Ok, so Lee and I have been having a bit of a game lately trying to get Dexter to take any form of medicine, wether it be for teething, colic or just generally for being a little under the weather. If you are a regular reader of my blog (thank you very much by the way!) you will know that just under 2 weeks ago, Dexter had his very first vaccinations which he really wasn't impressed about. Not one bit! The Health visitor had already told us to buy a bottle of infant calpol, just incase he showed any signs of post vaccination fever, as the calpol would soothe him and help bring his temperature down. Well, I did a little bit of internet shopping, as i often do, and bought him a bottle of calpol along with a few other baby related bits and bobs. Being a newbie at this whole mommy malarkey, I didn't realise that infant calpol actually comes with a medicine syringe so that you can give it to tiny people who don't know how to use a spoon yet! So because I was lacking this knowledge, I was there for a good 10 minutes looking for a contraption which would help me actually get this medicine into Dexters mouth without him ending up in a pink sticky mess! Finally, I came across this-

So as you can see, it's the Dentinox medicine dispenser, which acts pretty much in the same way as a dummy. Now, I have never had any desire to give Dexter a dummy. There are lots and lots of positives to dummies, the fact that they reduced the risk of SIDS (that's sudden infant death syndrome to you and me) and can help soothe your baby to name just a couple. Unfortunately, in the town which I have grown up in and currently live in, dummies are shoved in mouths to shut babies and toddlers up. I know this, because the child's mother is normally shouting 'shut your face' or something equally as maternal and encouraging whilst shoving said dummy into the child's mouth. Poor kids. However, I know that 99% of Mummies are lovely, selfless ladies who give their babies dummies for the positive reasons i already mentioned. It's just unfortunate that when you've grown up seeing them used in this way, it really puts you off giving them to your own children. Also, I have always been worried about a couple of different things when it comes to dummies, one point rational and the other totally odd and irrational. I'll begin with rational. 

I have always been worried that sucking on a dummy all the time can make your babies teeth grow out of their gums all odd and wonky, because of the level of pressure in their mouths all the time. Now I know that many manufacturers now make dummies with a new and improved teat shape to lessen the pressure on babies gums, therefore reducing the risk of excessive dental work in the future. Sadly, the less than loving mothers i already mentioned have still ruined them for me, so that still can't win me over. (Also, what about the moms whose babies drop their dummies on the floor when they're out and about and the mom just picks it up off the ground, sucks the dummy herself and then gives it back to the baby?! Why do we bother sterilising things? Whyyyyy! Aaaaaaaaarrrrgghhh! I just threw up in my mouth a little.)

This brings me on to my totally irrational point. Ever since I was a kid, I thought dummies stopped babies from talking. I'll give you two words. Maggie. Simpson. To this day no one has heard her speak! Told you it was irrational! 

So anyway, when my parcel from boots finally arrived and I saw that the calpol came with a syringe, I thought I'd wasted my money on this medicine dispenser and didn't bother using it. Persevering with the syringe for a couple of days was torture! Dexter was hating having calpol practically squirted down his throat like some sort of animal and kept spitting it all out in protest. This is when I remembered the medicine dispenser, so I got it out of the packet and gave it a go. Now, because of Dexters reaction to the medicine previously, I hadn't really got very high hopes for it. It seemed like a bit of a gimmick and, retailing at £6.99 , a pricy gimmick at that. 

The instructions printed on the back were really simple and easy to follow. Basically, the dispenser is comprised of a small chamber which you add the medicine to and obviously the teat which goes into your babies mouth. It also features a really handy plunger at the end of the medicine chamber, which allows you to give your baby a little helping hand by pushing the medicine through the teat if they're struggling. A really simple idea and design, but a really clever one too!

The first time i tried this with him, he looked at me as if to say 'this isn't milk' and kept spitting the dummy out without even trying to suck on it. It may be due to the fact that he doesn't normally have a dummy, or the fact that he wasn't keen on the calpol and could maybe smell it? Anyway, after persevering with it, he soon got the hang of it and now he loves it! It's much less stressful than using the medicine syringe as he used to scream the place down if he so much as saw it and I was beginning to think that he would always associate medicine with feeling upset, rather than actually understanding that we give it i him to make him feel better! 

The dispenser itself was very easy to clean afterwards. It isn't steriliser or dishwasher safe, but a nice thorough wash through with warm water got rid of all the sticky calpol ready for next time!  

Although Dexter isn't using this loads at the moment (only occasionally when his teething pain flares up) it's a great little item to have to hand whenever your little one is feeling under the weather! I think it gets a thumbs up from Dexter, or it would if he knew how to put his thumbs up! Here's a couple of pictures of the cheeky chappy himself just after trying the product for the first time. As you'll see, he looks pretty pleased with himself! 

A nice long walk...

So on Monday, Lee and I took Dexter and my Mom for a nice long walk around Chasewater. It was a freezing cold day and , to be honest, Lee and I weren't really in the mood to go as we'd had the night from hell with Dexter (he's started teething so he woke up every 20 minutes throughout the night). 

Getting Dexter in the car in the first place was a game in itself! He was in a foul mood because of lack of sleep (i did remind him on several occasions that it was him keeping us awake and not the other way around, but he was still howling like a banshee). As soon as the car started though, he was out like a light! 

We got to Chasewater and it was pretty quiet. There were just a few people out riding their bikes and walking their dogs. Dexter started to flail about like something possessed when we got him out of the car and he breathed in the cold air, despite the fact he was wrapped up like someone on an expedition to Antarctica! Thankfully, once he was in his pushchair and we'd walked a couple of yards, he nodded off again! It's alright for some!

So anyway, for those who have never been the Chasewater, it's basically a lake with a big path around it. There's also a cafe, miniature steam railway, crazy golf and facilities for all sorts of water sports. Most of these things are seasonal bear in mind, so really it was just a case of walking around the lake and, if you'd brought some bread with you, feed the ducks and swans. 

Making our way around the lake, there were still a lot of iced over puddles and big patches of mud. At the halfway mark, we spotted a family of deer not far from where we were walking, grazing. Further along the path, we also came across the noisiest heron ever and the most well behaved Staffordshire bull terrier, who moved to one side to let the pushchair past, all the while with a huge grin on her face! 

Although Dexter slept the entire time we were there (for the whole 3 mile walk), I was glad we went because sometimes it's just nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air into your lungs. Plus, the exercise always helps when you're a Mummy on a weight loss mission!

Much love, Laura xxx 

A Fathers Love

Above is a selection of some of my favourite pictures of my two favourite people in the whole world, Lee and Dexter. Now, as you well know by the title of my blog, Dexter is my little boy, the apple of my eye and just the best little baby in the whole world (as is every baby in the world to their parents,I'm sure)! Lee is my Fiancé, the father of my child, my best friend, the person who makes me feel lucky every morning when I wake up and the person i can't wait to marry and grow old with. It all sounds a little cliché doesn't it? Our life doesn't come without challenges and together we're still learning to be good parents as each day with Dexter passes, but i genuinely couldn't do it without him and I love every single minute i spend with him. 
You're probably wondering why I've written all of this soppiness on here. Well, I don't know if  anyone else does this, but i regularly just sit back and watch Lee with Dexter. It could be in an evening while Lee is getting him ready for bed, or when he comes home from work and their faces light up the moment they see each other, or even more challenging times when Dexter is feeling a bit under the weather while he's teething and Lee is giving him a cuddle and talking to him, calming him down while he's crying in pain. All of these little moments are what makes him such a wonderful Daddy, and the moments that make me realise just how lucky i am and how much i love him. You see, becoming parents gives a whole new dimension to your relationship. You're not just there to look out for each other and make each other happy anymore, you're suddenly responsible for a tiny person who literally needs you for every aspect of their existence. I'm not going to lie, it can be challenging at times, especially when tiredness sets in. But when I look at Lee and Dexter together and see the bond that they already have between them, it makes me so proud of them both. 
Afterall, nothing makes you love your partner more than seeing how much he loves your child.

Much Love, Laura xxx

Weight loss and colic!

Having a baby has it's pitfalls. It's the most amazing and rewarding thing you will ever do, but it doesn't come without it's sacrifices! The biggest one I've found personally is the big jelly belly you get after your nice round bump has disappeared. Don't get me wrong, it acts as a great little cushion for your new baby, but what if you don't want to be a human beanbag for the rest of your life?

I don't know if it's the same for all women who've just had babies, or wether it's just for women who have had c- sections like me, but it seems to take ages to get your tummy to a state you're happy with! 

So anyway, I decided to go on a diet at the beginning of the year and try to increase the amount of exercise i do. I went for slim fast as this has helped me to shed unwanted extra pounds in the past and who doesn't like milkshake?! Exercise wise, I've enlisted the help of Charlotte Crosby's fitness DVD to see if that can somehow get rid of the paunch I'm left with. 

So far, it's all going really well and I feel like I've lost quite a bit, although it's difficult to tell an exact amount as I don't weigh myself. The diet has been easy to follow, even when Dexter has been a little challenging, which brings me onto the dreaded colic!

A few days ago, if you were to ask me how Dexter was, I would tell you we never hear a peep out of him. And I would 100% be telling the truth. But since Dexter had his injections on Tuesday, he has been a completely different baby!

It all started on the Tuesday night. Dexter was so restless and just wouldn't calm down and sleep, no matter what we tried! Luckily, we'd followed the health visitors advice and bought a bottle of calpol incase he got any sort of post vaccination fever. Unfortunately, we discovered that our baby hates calpol! Then commenced the bizarre baby gurning, moaning and red faced screaming which i now can probably associate with colic. At the time though, I didn't spot the signs at all (it happens). Lee, however, did thankfully! After a few days of on and off (and totally out of character) winging from Dexter, Lee came home with some Dentinox colic drops to put in his feeds. It took a lot of perseverance ( Dexter spent the entirety of Saturday screaming and crying), but finally, today, he seems settled and has actually slept! I can't tell you the relief we feel now that his little personality has made an appearance again! It's truly heartbreaking to see your baby crying and screaming, and being unable to console them. You feel totally and utterly helpless. Then you feel yourself getting stressed out to the point that you just want to curl up and hide somewhere until your baby calms down. And suddenly, you find that you're giving yourself a mental talking to about how it's not all about you anymore. 

But do you know what's amazing? In amongst all of the worry, sleepless nights, bottle sterilising, being peed on, being pooped on and, let's not forget, being puked on, all it takes is a little toothless smile to make it all worthwhile! Because at least then you know you must be doing something right. 

Much love, Laura xxx

...in which we take Dexter to have his first injections

Ok, so reading this you may think I am an overprotective mother. Or i worry too much. Or I am a fool. Or all of the above! You see, this whole situation started just over a week ago when a letter arrived in the post addressed to Dexter. Lee had gone downstairs to fetch our first slim fast shake of the day (a post on diet is to follow) while i fed Dexter his breakfast bottle. When he returned he was holding the shakes and a piece of paper in his hand.

"Dexter's had a letter. He's booked in to have his injections next Tuesday"

Oh goddddd! My poor baby! The thought of seeing Dexter upset or in pain is not a pleasant one. I'm not sure if it stems back to when he was two days old. We were still in the hospital and everything seemed to be going well. The midwives were helping me to breast feed Dexter which had always been my intention from the moment i found out i was pregnant. It's always echoed to mums to be and new mums that 'breast is best', so you do also feel slightly pushed towards it as you obviously want to do right by your baby. It was a Thursday and I was sat in our little cubicle on the bed, trying to console this tiny little person who i still had so much to learn about and still hadn't got used to yet...and nothing was working! This particular day, Lee couldn't come to the hospital until 6pm normal visiting time, as opposed to the partners 10am-10pm visiting hours. So there i was, panicking, thinking about how i was such a rubbish mother because I couldn't even console my own baby, and getting more and more worked up in the process. Hot salty tears rolled down my cheeks and all I could think about was how much i needed Lee there with me and how lost i felt being kept in hospital away from him. Needless to say, this thought process didn't really help the whole crying situation. I found myself counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until 6pm came around, all while attempting to breast feed and rock to sleep a baby who was now so worked up and red in the face, he looked like an angry cherry tomato!

6pm finally came around and my phone lit up. It was my mom telling me there was a lot of traffic on the motorway and they weren't going to get to me until about half past (Lee was bringing my mom and sister with him to visit on this particular day). I could feel the tears welling up again after reading this. You see, when you're in hospital, no matter wether you're having a baby or otherwise, your whole day revolves around people visiting you. It's all you look forward to from the end of visiting time one day to the beginning of visiting time the next. It's the last thing you think about at night and the first thing you think about in the morning. Other than actually being discharged and being able to finally go home, of course! So this really was the final straw after the day from hell. I'm ashamed to admit it, but i actually started to regret having a baby in the first place. That's how bad i felt. Then I felt guilty for thinking like that as, although it was a particularly tough day, i loved my little baby to pieces. This thought made me cry again (i think you can probably see a pattern emerging here!) Please keep in mind that I had had no sleep for a few days by the point , so i think this exacerbated the problem ten fold!

Finally, after another 20 minutes of crying and feeling sorry for myself while Dexter sobbed his little heart out, the curtain to my little cubicle opened and there stood Lee, my mom and my sister. I can't tell you the relief i felt seeing their faces. You'll never guess how i reacted? Yes...i cried. At this point, I think i was that dehydrated from all of the crying, I was the equivalent of a human pork scratching! I could barely utter any words, i thrust Dexter towards Lee and said 'I can't do it'. Then yes, you've guessed it, cried some more. I think they were all really shocked at how upset i was and how worked up I'd become. My mom and sister were telling me how you have good and bad days being a mom and this just happens to be a particularly bad one. Lee went to have a word with the midwives because, what i didn't tell you, i only saw a midwife twice in that whole day of him crying and me crying. I hadn't even been able to get dressed or go to the loo because Dexter was that bad, so i also felt grubby and a bit of a mess really. 

Thankfully, I haven't had a day like that since. I can still see Dexters angry red face, his mouth open and gums on show as he cries and screams though if i think about it. So i do think this is why I was worrying so much about him having these injections, because i never wanted to see his sad face ever again. 

When the day of his injections finally came around, the dread was amplified. Lee had to pop out for a couple of hours beforehand, so I got up and got myself and Dexter ready, gave his his breakfast and made sure he had everything he needed in his changing bag. Lee came back and we got in the car to go to the doctors. The waiting room was pretty empty, but there was another couple sitting across the room with their baby who was also having her first injections. I gave myself a little pep talk in my head about how i need to pull myself together and stop being such a wet blanket. It was Dexter having the injections after all, what did I have to be nervous about? All of a sudden, Dexters name flashed onto the screen telling us which room to take him to. There were two nurses in there who explained what was going to happen and Lee signed the consent form to say we were happy for this to take place. I was cuddling Dexter tight and taking his trousers and socks off (they have an injection in each leg). First up was the polio vaccine, which they squirt gradually into baby's mouth from a syringe. He was alright with this one! Next up were the needles which, by the way, were massive! I had to hold his knee really tightly so he didn't kick out and his hand so that he didn't wave his arm around and knock the needle. The needle went in and there was a piercing shriek from Dexter, then a red face and a few tears. I was making every effort not to cry myself to be honest, which Lee found highly amusing! I then had to turn Dexter around so that the other leg could be injected. He had stopped crying at this point, as if he thought it was all over. I think that's why the shriek was louder and the face redder this time around! The nurse put a little plaster on his second injection site as there was a tiny bit of blood and I started to get his trousers and socks back on ready for the freezing wind and rain outside. I cuddled him and he nodded straight off! The nurses said how good he was as some babies scream the place down and cry uncontrollably for ages! I was just glad it was all over!

So if you ever feel like, or have felt like, a rubbish mom. Or if you can't seem to calm your baby down. Or if you worry or have worried about your baby. Please remember, it's only because you love them so much and care about them that these things upset you. By the way, the reason Dexter was so upset that day in the hospital is because I wasn't producing enough milk to satisfy his crazy appetite. I didn't find this out until we were discharged and he wouldn't stop crying and crying. Lee went out at 3am to buy formula (luckily i had already bought bottles as i intended to express milk at some stage) and as soon as the teat touched his lips he stopped crying and started guzzling it down like there was no tomorrow! So you see, there's nothing stronger than motherly instinct. Trust yours and you can't go far wrong! Having a baby with someone lovely and supportive helps too by the way!

Until next time...

Much love, Laura xx

Mismatched mummy!

Do you remember those books you had as a child where the pages were chopped into three and you had to try and match the head, middle and legs of each person? Well today, i look as if i am a character from one of those books, but I'm definitely still in the pre matching stage.

I had so many plans for today. Today is my fiance's last but one day off before he goes back to work, so the last thing i wanted to do was stay in the house. We were going to take Dexter to a lovely farm a few miles away and have a nice walk around, not only to try and get a bit of fresh air into his lungs, but also for nostalgic purposes. The place in question is where Lee took me on a date just under 3 years ago when we were still in the awkward polite stage of our relationship (you know, when you're too scared to fart in front of them and are trying to give off the illusion that you didn't spend 3 hours getting ready because you changed your outfit at least seven times through pure nerves). I can safely say the politeness ship has since sailed!

After the visit to the farm, Lee and I were planning to take Dexter to visit his Auntie Lisa,my big sister, and meet the puppies she bought for my nieces and nephew for Christmas. Sounds like an eventful day doesn't it? What actually happened was wind pain...not me but Dexter, just to set the record straight! It all started last night after we'd eaten dinner. Dexter was inconsolable and no matter what Lee did, he was howling like a tiny toothless banshee! Out came the gripe water, which always goes down like a lead balloon with Dexter. In all fairness i can't blame him, it does smell a bit funky and if it wasn't so good at helping him with his wind, I wouldn't bother with it. An hour and a succession of baby belches later, Dexter was finally starting to calm down ( can I get a hallelujah?!). 

Naively, Lee and I thought this would lead to a nice peaceful nights sleep. Dexter, however, had very different plans as every 2-3 hours he was up,giving us a verbal dig in the ribs and ripping up our metaphorical 'do not disturb' sign. He's pretty good at that!

After this *ahem* unsuccessful nights sleep, I was in no mood to bother leaving the house. For once, I have managed to brush my hair and teeth, have my breakfast, straighten my hair, put on enough make up to prevent my reflection from running scared and get partially changed. Which brings us in a full circle right back to the books split into three (if anyone knows the correct name for them, please let me know). I looked in our ridiculously disorganised wardrobe and managed to find an old All Saints racer back vest top and a rather sorry looking cardigan from new look, complete with holes. I then thought about looking for something to wear on my bottom half (I'm still in the living in leggings post pregnancy stage) and after looking down at my fleecy primark pyjama bottoms, I decided changing my underwear and putting said pyjama bottoms back on was enough effort for one day. 

So you see, I may all of the credentials of a well organised mummy on paper, having actually got dressed and made a slight effort, but I infact look like someone who performed 'stop,drop and roll' in the returns section of a changing room! Ahhh, the life of a first time Mum!

Much love, Laura xx

Just a little impromptu post...

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A new mummy is born!

So you no longer brush your hair before midday unless in exceptional circumstances? You must be a new mummy! There are so many things the midwives don't tell you about how your new life with your mini me will change your world forever. And every cliché about how it' the 'most rewarding but most difficult thing you'll ever do' etc is actually true! From the moment they hand you that little person all covered in goo, something within you is immediately different. Personally, my life changing moment was just under 8 weeks ago on a cold Tuesday afternoon in November. After being in labour for 2 days, the relief of him finally arriving was incredible! I looked at my fiancé, Lee, and I have genuinely never seen so much pride in his face. Since then, life has been a series of pongy nappies, endless washing, sleepless nights and sterilising bottles...but I wouldn't change a single solitary second of it! My wonderful, supportive, loving fiancé Lee and my gorgeous son Dexter are the inspirations in my life. They are my world, my muse, the jam to my toast if you like (whatever floats your boat!) and to utter the words of Bryan Adams in hopefully a non cheesy way, everything i do, i do it for them! They are the reason i not only wake up in the morning, but the reason i decided to write this blog. My life is a wonderful adventure thanks to them, and I want to take you, whoever you are, along for the ride! Welcome, new friend! I can't wait to see where this journey takes us! Much love, Laura xx