First-time Mummy Diary

Classic Jerry

2011-09-04T22:47:00.001+01:00

Three days into our holiday and Jerry has just realised what he's been using for hair gel........- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneLocation:The Pad, Los Alcazares

OCD again!

2011-09-02T10:17:00.001+01:00

I finally have an opportunity to update my BLOG. The main reason for this is because Harri has turned the biggest corner and we can understand what she wants.She's a mischeivious little so-and-so and you can see her innocent little face masterminding some plan to take over the Hartell household and pull Drew's hair and chase the dog along the way.So, we feel finally ready to let Harriet loose on

Real sh1t!!

2011-07-24T23:11:00.001+01:00

Harri's first attempt at pott training...Missed the potty completely, but all is forgiven when her deposit is found to look like Samuel L Jackson!! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fwd: Delivery Status Notification (Failure)

2011-07-11T14:07:00.000+01:00

Julie~ Sent from my iPhone ~Begin forwarded message:From: Mail Delivery Subsystem Date: 11 July 2011 12:20:27 GMT+01:00To: jerryandjewels@gmail.comSubject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure)Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently: jerryamdjulie.mummyblog@blogger.com----- Original message -----Received: by 10.216.234.29 with SMTP id r29mr283517weq

Pat-a-Cake

2011-03-28T11:16:00.003+01:00

Let's hope Drew's cakes turn out better than Mummy's...

All the Toys a Girl Could Ever Dream of and...

2011-03-06T21:12:00.002Z

State of The Art

2010-12-25T15:47:00.001Z

Auntie Sue was really amazed with her state of he art iPhone from Taiwan!!- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-25T13:54:00.001Z

Kids asleep. Parents doing the washing up. After her 3rd mulled wine and refusing to give the muslin back to Harri, Barney Nanna plays 'peekaboo' with herself.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

You WILL enjoy the snow!!!!

2010-12-19T21:16:00.001Z

So at last the snow has arrived. 18th Dec and we woke up to find our suburban plot had become a winter wonderland. Opening the curtains in the girls bedrooms, both were clearly 'WOWed' by the soft white blanket covering our garden. Although, once our eyes adjusted to the dim awakening of dawn, nestling neatly in a deep hole was one of Barney's...Christmas offerings!! So, after breakfast, we sat

Pat Butcher

2010-12-17T22:08:00.001Z

Drew's really getting into dressing up and imaginery play. In fact, after Mummy's recent (clears throat) low-alcohol night out, Drew likes to pretend she 'goes out for drinks' and carries my handbag with her. What's funny is, she leaves the room only to return 30 seconds later saying she'd had too much to drink but remembered to buy milk and eggs on the way home!!! Thats my girl!!!!Drew received

Where HAS the time gone????

2010-12-08T21:41:00.001Z

Did we accidentally come by a time machine?Christmas is right around the corner...Harrys just starting to take her first independent steps and Drew, now out of nappies permanently, starts ballet lessons this Saturday!!!Where did the time go?- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Diaper-free Drew

2010-11-26T17:23:00.001Z

This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.On 24th Nov 2010, our 3 year old daughter, Drew, went to bed nappyless!A board meeting was held to which Mummy, Daddy and Drew all attended (Harriet was unavailable since she was asleep, but the minutes will be circulated accordingly).Drew raised the issue and after due consideration, an agreement was reached which suited all

Pulling Hair

2010-11-16T10:54:00.003Z

Reaching out with her hand, she plunged her fingers into the soft golden tresses. Wrapping the silky blonde locks swiftly around her fingers, she was ready. She'd done this before. She knew what she was doing. With one quick short movement, she tightened her grip on the shiny strands, flung her head back and with a smile starting to appear, she pulled. Hard......Sounds like a scene from a

Ball Pool

2010-10-03T10:18:00.005+01:00

I thought a ball pool at home was a good idea. That was until Harriet was sick in it.

I'm a sinner!

2010-09-25T16:01:00.006+01:00

Father forgive me...for I know not what I do.We broke the cardinal sin and took our kids to...wait for it... MacDonalds! ARGH!!!! As Jerry queued to buy our salt-ridden snacks, I got myself, Drew and Harry settled in a quiet corner of this devil's dwelling, plopping Harry in a highchair. As I started to feed Harry (home-cooked and defrosted roast dinner I should probably point out), I felt

One Hungry Baby

2010-09-14T12:58:00.004+01:00

One week away from her 1st Birthday, Harriet has started waking up through the night.The only thing that makes her go back to sleep?More milkI'm not talking about a few ounces. I'm talking about a whole extra bottle. That's before 9.30pm. Then she'll wake again in the early hours for more.What's going on? Why is Harriet SO hungry? We even give Nursery an extra meal to feed her at teatime as

Teddy - Replaced

2010-08-09T21:42:00.004+01:00

It's a sad time.Poor old Teddy and May.Since we introduced Drew to her new doll, 'Giggling Lucy', Drew's original bedtime security item was Teddy.In September, when Harriet was born, Drew was introduced to May and she joined Teddy in their primary positions in bed with Drew, every night. Not now.When we climb the stairs for bed now, Drew only asks that Lucy comes up and we give her a muslin

These Boots Are Made For Walking

2010-08-08T21:05:00.004+01:00

Well, I was going to mention that H began crawling at an incredible rate about three weeks ago (Aug '10) at 10.5 months old, but that's old news now.H has decided crawling is way too easy for a baby of her calibre and she's getting up on her feet more and more each day. She ain't running a marathon, but she is pulling herself up so she can reach Barney's tail, Drew's piano and the wires we

The True Meaning of love

2010-08-05T21:12:00.004+01:00

Today, I asked Drew what she thought 'love'meant.It is one of the most difficult questions for mankind. Centuries have passed by, relationships have bloomed and so has love. But no one can give the proper definition of love.So, after thinking about this for a few seconds, she giggled and said 'blueberries'.There you have it.

Spots, Scene-change and Stuff like that...

2010-07-02T20:20:00.009+01:00

Cor, times are achanging. I've not had a chance to update you for ages and since my last post (May 16th), Harry's had chicken pox BADLY, she started rolling everywhere, often finding her trapped under the poof in the lounge (and I don't mean Jerry).Harry's like a completely different baby now and smiles and laughs all the time. She sleeps 100times better than she did when she was suffering with

Picken Chox!

2010-05-16T19:37:00.005+01:00

Is it wrong to want to pick my daughter's scabs?Yup...Drew's had it. The dreaded chicken pox. Or as Drew calls it - 'Picken Chox''. I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to inviting chicken pox into our house through the front door and allowing it to stay for a fortnight holiday, but as it was making the rounds with Drew's best buddies, it was only a matter of time before the 'pox' weeded

Parents' Evening

2010-05-05T21:00:00.002+01:00

We just got back from Drew's first Parent's Evening.It reminded me that I hadn't added a post for a while. So HUGE apologies.Life is moving fast, but not fast enough to let you know our developments.Harry (as I type this she has just woken up. 1 hour early. Grrrr!)[slight pause]Okay, back with you again. She's gone back to sleep.Where was I? Oh yes, Harry [she types anxiously waiting for

Drew's 1st Birthday Film

2010-04-16T20:11:00.003+01:00

We recently found that our camcorder was chockablock and we needed to delete some of the files to make some space. Going through the footage, we found some film of Drew and Kaishu's 1st birthday party held at our house in 2008.So, rather than waste the footage, I made a short film. See link below (takes you to Facebook)...CLICK HERE

'Zat?'

2010-03-23T09:46:00.013Z

Holding the chains in both hands, I gently lent back, closed my eyes and stretched out my legs in front of me. Moving my head to face the sky above me, I could feel the warmth of the struggling springtime sun on my face and just then, the momentum of the swing gradually swung me forwards and ever so lazily backwards. I stayed like that for what seemed eternity, listening to the birds calling

Dummies Fairy

2010-03-09T12:56:00.016Z

'The Dummies Fairy' visited our house 3 days ago and guess what? Last night was the 3rd night that Drew has slept soundly WITHOUT a dummy.Drew only had her dummy when she went to bed and we managed to wean her off relying on it during her daytime nap a few months ago, but the night-time sleep was more of a challenge!I can't take full credit for this as 'The Dummies Fairy' is something that

Magic Sleep Fairy

2010-02-25T17:36:00.011Z

Harriet will be 6 months on 18th March and we were resigned to thinking she was a 'problem' baby. (I don't mean staying out all night, dying her hair bright pink and tattooing her neck with a spiders web). I mean not wanting to get into a sleeping/feeding routine and not really knowing what she wants or when she wants it. We also thought she wouldn e v e r sleep through the night.Today is 8th

Sick!

2010-02-20T15:38:00.001Z

Well, you can see by the date of my last post (Jan 17th 2010), that I'm been somewhat distracted... It's been a month of illness after illness with both Harry and Drew. I won't bore you, but we've had all substances from all orifice's. It started off with Harry having suspected Bronchiolitis AGAIN, swiftly followed by a bout of sickness and diarrhea for them both. Hot on the heels of the

Introducing Solids

2010-01-27T13:23:00.005Z

Quite a controversial topic so I have found, but one I'm not afraid to talk about here.When to introduce solids. It's always been something that parents have been told should NOT happen before the baby is 6 months old. However, Harry (our very hungry 4-month old baby, who will not sleep through the night and demands milk 3 hourly, even at night) urged me to investigate the reasons for this

Synchronised Poohing

2010-01-26T14:21:00.000Z

As a parent, your bowels really do take second place in a household of nappy-wearing ankle-biters.With both kids ready to go out the front door, I stupidly decided to have a last-minute no. 2.However, I never even made it near the bathroom.Drew & Harry must have read my mind.First, I could hear Harry filling her nappy in her usual 'parpy' way and whilst changing her nappy and getting the contents

Harriet Hartell - Giggler Extraordinaire!

2010-01-06T14:28:00.001Z

Drew Hartell - 2nd Birthday 2009

2010-01-01T14:30:00.000Z

Just shows you doesn't it...time DOES move quicker the older you get.Drew turned 2 years old on 8th Nov 2009 (last year now!).If you've been reading my BLOG recently, you'll know November was 'November Nightmare' as both rugrats were ill, so her birthday was a bit of a forced affair.We threw a party at our local soft play centre with all her friends there, but little Drew was tired and grumpy

Bronchiolitis

2009-12-15T13:36:00.005Z

I'd never heard of it before. Bronchiolitis. I even had to look it up to see how to spell it! Not a very nice virus for babies to get, but unfortunately, quite common at this time of year.The symptoms are very similar to those your baby would suffer with a cold or cough. However, it was the gasping for breath and the refusing to feed which made us become more concerned. That and Harriet's

Johnny Vegas?

2009-11-27T19:22:00.005Z

Is it me or does our new daughter look like Johnny Vegas?Eeeek! I'm sure I would have remembered THAT!Author's Note:After reading this post, my Dad thought he'd do a little 'photoshopping' (see below...even MORE scarey)

AAAARGH!!!!!!

2009-11-26T20:43:00.001Z

For reference, I started writing this post on 6th Nov. However, November has turned out to be a 'November Nightmare'! Both kids have been suffering with one illness after another. Two kids ill at the same time is tough and something I never considered when we were thinking about how lovely it would be to have another soft bundle of joy...what fluffy cloud in cuckoo land were we sitting on???!

Big Girl Swings

2009-11-17T15:10:00.008Z

The title of this maybe somewhat misleading.For those of you who typed in these exact words but were expecting to find the services of an overweight lady looking to share her 'time' with you and your partner, I would suggest you select another result from your search engine as I think you'll be sorely disappointed with this site.However, as you're here, you might as well read on before you go

Dirty Harry!!

2009-11-05T20:35:00.005Z

Well, I took a photo of Drew's, so it's only fair Harry got the same treatment.What do you think?Sort of an 'army camoflage green' I think.U R G H ! * ! ? * ? !

What happens when it all goes quiet...

2009-10-25T14:11:00.003Z

Need I say more???

Spectator Sport

2009-10-17T23:15:00.000+01:00

I know how difficult it is to get a child / toddler to wash their hands and that's something we've been lucky with. Drew likes to stand on her little step, get the soap and rub her little hands together, before drying them (not very well) on the towel. Ah! Bless her little OCD ways she's probably inherited from her parents!So, picture this...This morning, I go for a number one. I'm quickly

...and it was all yellow

2009-10-17T23:05:00.001+01:00

You'll have guessed that the reason I've not posted for while is because I've given birth. And you'd be right. AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT!!!!!!!!!!!We gave birth one week early, 48hrs after getting a stretch and sweep which I'm sure that did the trick. I'm SO glad I went into labour when I did though as it felt like 9 years being pregnant, not 9 months! So, I'd like to introduce our (nearly

A Dad's Point of View

2009-07-25T09:46:00.006+01:00

I can't believe what I've just read that someone has written about Dads and their role at birth...Waiting in my local GP Surgery, I picked up a parenting magazine, (probably) packed with useful features, tips and 100 ways to improve your life whilst still getting the cleaning done, etc. My eyes were drawn to a feature about Dads and their role at the birth of their child, accompanied by a

To work or NOT to work, that is the question!

2009-07-20T11:21:00.000+01:00

I just came back from my local GP surgery and just realised I've NOT formally announced this yet, but I am pregnant again and due on 26th September 2009. Hence, why I have a pretty countdown clock on my BLOG!There's a few reasons why I didn't reveal this earlier, but mainly it was due to the situation with my employer. As both Jerry and I work for the same company (and in the same office in the

Nursery

2009-07-15T07:32:00.002+01:00

So this is going to be bit backward timewise, but just recently, Drew's Nursery had to close for a day due to a 'suspected' case of Swine Flu (click HERE for the complete lowdown on Swine Flu).Nursery? Yep...I sort of forgot to tell you about the transition from our childminder, Rhea, to Nursery.This happened in May of this year as Rhea became pregnant with her second child and selfishly she

Walking! A bit...

2009-06-11T12:38:00.000+01:00

At flippen' last!Talk about bad timing though...Tues is one of my non-working days, but as I'm such a 'keener', I booked myself onto a training course in London. Whilst stood staring at the train times on the digital board hung high up above me, my phone rang. It was Rhea, our friend and childminder. Drew was with her for the day whilst Mummy bettered her education.Rhea was ecstatic. Drew had

First Haircut

2009-05-13T19:33:00.005+01:00

I've come to the conclusion that Drew's hair length is what held her up with her walking developing any earlier. No...really...hear me out! All her inner strength and motivation seems to have gone to growing her blond golden locks. Drew does have VERY long hair and for sometime she has looked like a cave woman (apart from when Nanna Sandra cut her fringe as an interim measure. Lucky that

Organix Review

2009-05-11T12:15:00.004+01:00

Organix was created in 1992 by Lizzie Vann to campaign for better food for babies and children and to offer parents a range of foods that are a healthier alternative to home cooking without compromising on taste, quality and nutrition.As a child, Lizzie suffered many ailments that now as an adult, she believes were linked to food. That was one of her main reasons for setting up Organix. She

Money-saving Tips for Parents

2009-05-06T20:26:00.012+01:00

Believe it or not, in 2008, the term 'credit crunch' was added to the latest edition of The Oxford English Dictionary!! So this just shows how much the current economic climate is affects us all.Luckily, there ARE loads of ways that you can save some serious wonga without having to give up the things you love.Below are just 8 Money-Saving Tips for you paents out there.Feel free to add your own

Going Potty!

2009-03-24T11:02:00.005Z

Well I had hoped my next blog post would be to proudly state that Drew was now walking. However, she's yet to master that feat, although on Friday 13th March, she did start walking whilst holding one hand...its going to be a slow process...But who cares about walking when your baby can pooh in a potty????!!!!! Yep - Drew's first attempt and it worked!Drew's got this new game she plays with me

Cough, Cough, Cough

2009-03-08T21:30:00.004Z

I spoke too soon about Drew sleeping through for so long on my last post, 'Happy Slapper', me thinks!!!For the last 2 nights, Drew's been coughing continually through the night. We'd forgotten what is was like getting up in the middle of the night. Being woken by an annoying cough every 30 seconds, shortly followed by a loud cry of help, pain and tiredness. The cough being Drew, the cry being

Happy Slapper

2009-03-06T18:37:00.005Z

Okay, so we can't complain...Drew has been sleeping right through the night, 12 to 13 hours, for weeks now. We do KNOW we're lucky. However, there is always a downside...Drew has become a 'Happy-Slapper'.Urban Dictionary Definition : Happy slaps, Happy slapper, Happy slapping:"Slapping a random person (they can be on the bus, walking down the street, whatever) whilst recording the act with a

MMR

2009-02-10T11:19:00.000Z

Maybe a bit of a delicate subject to write about?Nah. Not unless you've done your homework and got all the facts. Below is a link to ALL the information you'll need. I was going to copy and paste paragraphs from Brian Deer's investigation, but there is SO much information, its easier for me to provide you with the link, for which I have Brian Deer's permission.Source: The MMR-autism crisis -

Jerry's 40th Birthday Party

2009-01-22T20:58:00.003Z

Here it is...the night we surprised Jerrywith his SKA-themed 40th Birthday Party in Bristol!Check out the short film below!

Bad Blogger or Bad Mother!

2009-01-06T12:51:00.006Z

It's been SOOO long since my last post - HUGE apologies! In fact, SO much has happened so rather than do loads of posts, I'll try to condense into this one. So I left you last time on Nov 5th. I had just gone back to work with a few hiccups, Drew had started with our childminder, Rhea and was just starting another teething phase. Since then what's happened I hear you ask?!! Well, Drew's had

Second Christmas

2008-12-29T22:14:00.006Z

Second Christmas for Drew, but it felt like the first. Drew was more aware this time around. I say 'more aware', I mean she was awake and getting right into the boxes that her presents came in...literally.We spent Christmas in Devon with my parents and everyone was looked after by my Mum and Dad's usual the 4*** style. We even got out washing done!!! Yep - good eh?! However, we couldn't

First Birthday

2008-11-08T21:43:00.005Z

Our little 6lbs 9.5oz baby girl finally hit 12 months...which means we must be doing something right!As everyone says the first 12 months go in a flash and I'm sure time will continue to go at the same fast pace, so we're trying to capture every moment.Drew's routine is such that she demands to have a nap in the morning and the afternoon. Sometimes she drops the afternoon nap which means she

Back to Work

2008-11-05T19:05:00.005Z

7.05pm.I'm peering out of the upstairs landing window. Watching the fireworks. It's November 5th. Drew's in bed, fighting sleep. Barney's not himself. He's not keen on the firework noise. He's trying to find comfort under Drew's cot. Probably licking one of her thrown away Colin's (pet name for comforter).I wonder how many other people are doing the same thing. Not hiding under their

Back to Work soon!

2008-10-28T11:54:00.004Z

Not long now. My mucus-filled munchkin will be without her Mother for a whole day in less than 20 hours.I'll be in an office, tap, tap, tapping on the keyboard, trying to make 'millyons Rodders'.Cor! I need a holiday already.Wish me luck!!!XXX

Jerry's 40th RUDEBOY Birthday Party

2008-10-20T18:59:00.011+01:00

So Jerry thought he was on his way to sunny climes, but he ended up at the local Sports & Social for his SURPRISE 40th Birthday Party. In true SKA RUDEBOY style, Jer rocked the roof off with his 'moshing madness' dancing and drank til the weeeee hours. Now...he's a tired old man.Thankfully, Drew slept like a baby ('scuse the pun!) in her buggy, in the bar the whole night (back of the net!!) and

Bubbles!

2008-10-14T21:03:00.006+01:00

Time has flown by so fast, I never reported back on our SECOND holiday abroad with Drew AND my parents. Check out the photos HERE.It was in Madeira and it was lovely!However, we have a few learnings which I can share with you...Airport Parking (Bristol) - silver zone parking - Although the service is very good, you have to first drive around and find a space, argue about which direction you

Sleep Deprivation

2008-10-14T10:01:00.004+01:00

It was a great idea to have a baby. We thought it would be a symbol of our eternal love, a ickle 'minni-me/us' and we thought it would make us less selfish. However, at 3.30am, you forget those reasons and think up reasons why you should have listened a little more rather than draw humorous cartoons in the human biology books. So, for any budding or broody adults reading this, here doeth

The True Meaning of Motherood

2008-10-14T08:21:00.000+01:00

I have tried my best to embrace the real meaning of Motherhood.I baked a cake.Well, actually, if we're counting...I've baked two cakes.I've come to the simple conclusion that I am not built for this purpose and give me a drill, drill bits and some wood and I'll build you a kitchen cabinet. no problem.But cake-making?Tutt!My first cake didn't rise and although I didn't taste it, I am told it

Crawling

2008-09-28T11:46:00.003+01:00

At last!!Drew crawled...forwards!It happened in our bed on Saturday morning on 13th SeptThe same day, Dylan bought his first shoes for walking!

Help with Feeding

2008-09-07T21:13:00.009+01:00

Help! Anyone have any idea how to keep food IN a baby's mouth without it all coming back out via a 'raspberry blowing' session?Please leave your thoughts and suggestions on this post.Yours 'Desperate from the South West'

Development City!

2008-08-29T13:08:00.001+01:00

I apologise for not updating my BLOG for a few weeks.No real excuses.Oh, apart from...- Drew has had a cough for 4 weeks now which has been keeping her awake, thus keeping US awake. Doc said its either a virus (surprise surprise!) or Asthma (great!).- No new teeth have come through, although we've all been experiencing the symptoms for about 4 weeks. Probably all linked to the cough.Okay, so

Washable Nappies

2008-08-01T18:00:00.003+01:00

It was one of the first questions my Mum asked me before Drew was born. Were we intending to use washable/ reusable nappies or disposable ones?Initially, I was sold on using washable nappies, help to save the environment, etc. At one of our Antenatal Class, we were visited by some washable nappy tree-hugging lady. She was very nice and was keen to provide us with samples of the different types

Daddy Daycare

2008-07-29T18:41:00.000+01:00

I returned from a very relaxing 4 days away and everything 'appeared' fine! Both Daddy and Drew are still here and all 'seems' well. First things first.What happened while I was away?a) No use of Calpol - well done Daddy!b) Drew only slept an hour at a time during the day - poor Daddy!c) Daddy didn't go to Waterbabies with Drew...Luckily for Daddy, I received a phone call from Waterbabies

Daddy's in Charge

2008-07-11T09:56:00.006+01:00

The 'I-never-thought-would-happen' has happened! Yes...I'm going on holiday and Drew is staying at home with Daddy! I'm not sure who I'm more worried about...a) Drew - will she be good for Daddy? will she stay in her '2 naps a day' routine, will she sleep for hours like normal or wake after 30mins in a bad mood, will she scream with teething pain.b) Daddy - will he think to change her nappy

Teeth

2008-07-11T09:29:00.011+01:00

Our precious little lamb, our bundle of joy, our angelic princess, our la petit package, ...has become...(For those of you who don't recognise this child, click here)yep...Drew has got TWO teeth and don't we know it!Some days she's great, some days she's...not...Some days she'll sleep, some days she won't...Some days I have lunch, some days I don't eat til 10.00pm...We tried to get a photo to

Sitting Up

2008-07-05T10:41:00.003+01:00

At last, our little treasure is sitting up. It took a while and she is still a bit unsteady, but Drew is up there with the rest of 'em!It happened on 25th June 2008!Surrounded by soft pillows and cushions, Drew is happy to play with her toys sat up and then slowly she'll lean an ickle bit too far and...PLOP, she's fallen onto a feather filled safety net.Crawling next! Which means I'll have to

Door Slam

2008-07-04T15:35:00.001+01:00

I've worked out the perfect solution to diffusing a heated discussion/argument with your other half.I'm great at slamming doors. Always have been. I have a lot of experience. Try slamming a door when you have an 8month old baby... The rubber door slam stopper child safety device on all our doors does its job perfectly, the door bounces off the frame with a soft thump. Guaranteed to bring a smile

Driving Miss Drew

2008-07-02T10:00:00.000+01:00

Very naively, Jerry and I thought we were through the worst with Drew and her teeth troubles... It now appears that Drew has a kind of constant flow of watery mucus from her nose, similar to that of Niagara I should imagine. Coupled with this never-ending nasal stream of goo is a never-ending dribble. It doesn't matter how many times you wipe her nose and mouth, the goo from her nose usually

Daddy & Drew

2008-06-06T23:25:00.006+01:00

I forgot to tell you...Bank Holiday weekend, I was supposed to go to London for the weekend to stay with my friend. It was to be my first weekend away from Drew. Jerry's first weekend with Drew...on his own.As this weekend had been planned for some months, I tried to prepare Jerry for this 2-day event and made sure he knew about Drew's pureed solid food in the freezer, how long to defrost it,

Drew Jessica Hartell - first word

2008-06-01T10:26:00.000+01:00

It happened on 31st May 2008.Drew said "DADDA".And now she won't stop saying it. Jerry thinks he's the 'bees knees' as Drew says it all the time. Fortunately for me, Drew woke up this morning saying "Dadda" again. When I looked at Jerry, he had this smug look on his face, so I told him she must be calling him and he should get up and see to her...and he did!Oh I hope she keeps this up for a long

Germ Bags

2008-05-28T17:00:00.005+01:00

Imagine, for a moment, that you have an annoying cough and cold. A virus which makes you wheeze, sneeze, and struggle to breathe. With that, add a forever refilling snotty nose and painful sinuses, on and off blocked up ears which come with dizziness. Also throw in a fluctuating temperature and tiredness.If I was at work...I'd be at home resting watching 'Can't Cook, Won't Cook' awaiting the

Waterbabies

2008-05-22T14:35:00.006+01:00

We enrolled Drew in Waterbabies 5.5 weeks ago.It's a 30minute weekly session held in a residential home's lovely warm swimming pool.Babies have a real affinity with water, having spent their months in the womb suspended in fluid.Apparently, as time progresses this confidence decreases. At between 10 and 15-months, babies can develop a fear of water if not already regularly exposed to it (

SOLID POOH!

2008-05-12T13:57:00.003+01:00

**WARNING - POOH SHOT**Drew produced her first solid pooh!There are many benefits of this:-a) Less baby wipes usedb) Nappy can hold the pooh in with no leakagec) It doesn't smell quite as bad as the 'mustard pate' versiond) If you drop it, it's easy to pick upIsn't the human body a m a z i n g !!! Clever girl!!!

Have I got OCD?

2008-05-08T14:29:00.005+01:00

Everything was SO much easier when it was just milk and bottles. I thought I'd never be so happy about sterilising bottles and preparing milk for Drew...until now. Now she's started needing more solid food. What a palaver!Whereas most parents relish in this apparently magically developmental time, I'm wishing Drew would either go back to being 4months old again or secretly hoping she can jump

Drew's First Accident

2008-04-29T11:48:00.006+01:00

Or should this be titled - Mummy's First Accident?I hate nail clippers! I never use them. I have never needed to use them seeing as I've got a good set of teeth that do a pretty good job of biting them.Yes, my name is Julie Anne Hartell and I'm a nail-biter.There I said it.I've always done it and even though one of my primary school teachers, Miss Wall, put me in the nail biting club in an

A whole new consistency!

2008-04-19T14:48:00.004+01:00

Well the sweet potato and broccoli went down a storm! Drew munched down 2 x ice cube sized portions with very little coming back at all!I totally forgot about the effect moving Drew onto solids would have...I mean apart from her sleeping better...I mean...in the toilet department.I sort of thought her number twos would be more...what's the word... more... um... pickuppable... Is that a real word

S O L I D S

2008-04-14T15:56:00.003+01:00

Yep. Drew is officially on solids.We actually started solids with her 10days ago, but honestly, because of the change in her routine and her recent clingyness AND because I've been suffering with a cold and cough, I've been away from the PC a bit...sorry apologies for this late posting.Drew started looking around when I was giving her her milk. She couldn't keep still. We thought she was

Jumping Through Puddles

2008-04-11T09:05:00.009+01:00

I have to be honest. Drew has been a dream recently. I have been gayly jumping and splashing around in puddles, metaphorically, for a fair number of weeks now.Wearing my bright coloured wellies and holding my matching umbrella, I have been frolicking through crystal clear pools of water, kicking droplets into the air so the Spring sunshine glistens through...quietly humming nursery rhymes and

BABY MEDICINE ALERT

2008-03-30T14:58:00.003+01:00

See excerpt below (or click here) taken from Daily Mail on 27th March 2008:-Cough medicine banned for children under two as 100 remedies are taken off the shelves - 27th March 2008A small child receives cough medicine - but the treatments contain ingredients that could be fatal in high doses (picture posed by model)Cough and cold remedies for children under two are to be pulled from the shelves

7-night Holiday Essential List

2008-03-27T21:58:00.002Z

This is NOT a list of everything we took, but what we actually USED in the 7 days we were in Tenerife:-1 x pack of 38 x nappies (a very close call!)1 x box of 900g formula (this was only just enough for Drew feeding 6ozs every 3hrs)2 x vests1 x dress1 x babygrow2 x muslin cloths1 x hat with neck protector1 x pair baby sunglasses1 x tube of spf50 suncream6 x toys (inc. 2 x new toys)2 x Colins (

Holiday Success!

2008-03-27T19:11:00.006Z

Well we did it! We ALL survived the flight AND a weeks' holiday in Tenerife!I highly recommend going away with a baby as young as Drew (4.5months). Not only is she FREE to fly and stay in the hotel, but we proved YOU can relax!The new toys bought for the flight worked a treat and Drew did manage to sleep in our arms on the way over and on the return flight. We took advice and gave Drew some

Baby Puke

2008-03-27T16:22:00.011Z

It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't wearing a v-neck jumper.The creamy warm milk managed to slide down between my boobs and rested gently at the bottom of my bra and gathered into a nice neat puddle. That was when Drew's name came up on the display...it was our turn. Great timing.As I walked from the waiting room to the doctor's room carrying Drew, I could sense the 'eau de lait' which

Travelling with a baby

2008-03-15T19:48:00.003Z

I forgot to tell you!We booked a weeks' holiday to Tenerife and we leave next Tuesday...2 days to go!I've used the same Travel Checklist I devised when Drew was a newborn, but how things change...I certainly don't need to take the expressing machine anymore! Phew!There are many concerns about going on holiday abroad with your new baby...How will Drew be on the plane...how do we keep her

Turning Over

2008-03-13T17:58:00.005Z

Well Drew is showing signs that she wants to turn over. Thank goodness...I mean...I spend my time cooing, singing, jigging and speaking in a high-pitched tone all day to her, the least she could do is TURN OVER for goodness sake!She has never liked lying on her front although the Midwives suggest you try it for a short time daily. If I'm honest, I haven't done that simply because she screams

How do I get everything done???!!!!!*!!!

2008-03-12T21:12:00.004Z

Get upShowerDressDry & style hairMakeupClean teethShoes onand GO....That's how it should be. No interruptions. No distractions. Of course, any Mum knows that our multi-tasking skills are tested to the max. when you have a baby and if you have more than one...well it doesn't bare thinking about at the present moment.Jerry is lovely and calls me everyday and asks how I am, how Drew is and how my

Naughty Fish - UPDATE

2008-03-12T20:00:00.001Z

Well, we thought it was about time 'Minty' the Molly fish was taken out of his padded high security cell and returned to the confines of the fish tank. We thought after all this time he would have learnt his lesson and would be ready to be reintegrated into 'fish' society.Boy, were we wrong about Minty! No sooner had we dropped the four walls and waited until he got used to his surroundings, he

Backward Clothes

2008-02-29T08:16:00.008Z

How on earth do I manage to get pants on inside out and t-shirt round the wrong way? I'm a bit OCD about making sure I have my clothes the right way around as I remember being ridiculed at school for turning up with a label flapping under my chin. I never heard the end of it. It wouldn't have been SO bad if it didn't have 'Rontos' on the label...HOW embarrassing! I think I'm gonna write Gucci and

Bite Me!

2008-02-26T22:42:00.006Z

So, we get Drew into a brilliant schedule. Making us both look like we know what we're doing. Feeding every 4 hours. Feed - Activity - Sleep ... Feed - Activity - Sleep ... Feed - Activ....you get the gist of it.As soon as Jerry had to work away overnight, Drew had an unsettled night the night before Jerry left at 6.30am. That night, Drew woke at 2.30am, then 4.30am, then 7.30am. I couldn't

2008-02-22T20:55:00.002Z

Middle of the Night Dream Feed

2008-02-22T16:50:00.003Z

Well, it must have been a growth spurt. Drew is back to normal. Feeding every 4 hours. BUT...after the dream feed at 11.00pm, she was still waking at 4.00amish for another feed. By now, I was hoping she would go straight through each night. So, armed with the advice of Gina Ford given to me by one of the postnatal girls, I was ready to give her water instead to get her out of the habit of

Is there a god?

2008-02-21T17:32:00.004Z

There IS a god! The god of Horizontally Thrusted Pooh!

3 Month Vaccinations, Growth Spurts & Comforters

2008-02-14T16:33:00.006Z

I've just returned from the Docs. Drew had her 3-month vaccinations (Diptheria / Tetanus / Pertussis (whooping cough) Hib (flu-like symptoms), Polio and Meningitis C).It's horrible having to hold her while they give the jabs. Worse still, Drew was asleep beforehand, so she was a bit cranky when I woke her up to be punctured twice! She screamed, cried and is now drifting in and out of

Naughty Fish!

2008-02-14T09:29:00.013Z

We have a naughty fish.After studying our 4 tropical fish over an 8-hour period who reside in a fish tank in Drew's nursery, I can confirm that they are not very different from humans.1. The male fish go mental when they're hungry2. The male fish get angry when they can't find any food3. The male fish annoy the female fish for food4. The male fish will nip at the female fish if they can't find

The Drew Jessica Hartell Birth Story

2008-02-08T16:13:00.002Z

Well, it took a while, but here it is. From start to finish. The story of how Drew Jessica Hartell came into our world. Click on the video link on the right hand side of my BLOG page, just below the photo. It's 16 minutes long and just to warn you folks, it DOES contain a bit of gooeyness...in the form of my placenta. The student Midwife was keen to show Jerry what she had learnt and Jerry

Gammy Eye

2008-02-07T21:46:00.001Z

Sorry for not posting anything just lately. Believe it or not, since I last posted something, Drew has been into a routine. Then out of a routine, then a new routine. Then, she gets niggley, then back to a new routine. It's true. They are SO unpredictable.She woke up with a snotty nose and sticky eye on Monday this week. I knew I sholud have used that stickytape to get her to sleep! (

Mobile Phones for Kids?

2008-01-22T17:35:00.001Z

I've just returned from the local Post Office (which is my third visit) for the sole purpose of applying for Drew's first passport. Each time I go there I see a different PO Advisor and each one has found a different fault with our passport application and photo. This time, the date was missing on the back of Drew's photo and this has to be added by the Countersignee...another wasted trip.

2008-01-20T14:04:00.004Z

Guilty!

2008-01-18T12:49:00.000Z

Drew had her first injections yesterday.One was for Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) and the other was for Pneumococcal infection (conjugate vaccine, Pneumococcal PCV).Each injection was given to Drew in her legs. I couldn't watch, but I held her as the nasty, nasty lady punctured a hole in each