No more bitey bitey*

She’s started biting, this little lady. My nipples, that is. And it hurts. Quite a lot.

Only recently I was sure that I would continue feeding Lila for quite some time, but now I’m not convinced.

There’s the biting, which isn’t much fun, but there are other signs too that

she may be ready to finish our feeding time together. After refusing the bottle for months, in the past week she’s taken to guzzling down a full formula feed in one hit. I wonder if my milk just isn’t enough any more.

She’s also not at all fussed on a midday boob-feed, but will happily drink a full bottle. I think this has something to do with not wanting to miss any part of the action, now that she’s so much more aware of what the action really is.

I was hoping to feed for a year this time. I’m not sure why. I fed Oliver until he was nine months, so perhaps it was a personal challenge. I'm also not working now, so why stop? But maybe the reality is that the nine-month mark is just how we roll. It’s good enough for me.

Part of me feels sad that it’s coming to an end. The breastfeeding-bond is beautiful. But the other part is looking forward to getting back to full health. I feel pretty drained. My chest is bony. My hair is still falling out and the re-growth isn’t pretty.

We won’t force things. We’ll keep going and let things happen naturally and slowly.  

And what will be will be.

But tell me… have you ever had to deal with a biter? 

*This line was pinched directly from the pages of the wonderful 'Doodle Bites' by Polly Dunbar. Such a great series of children's books. We love them.

Weekend Wind-down

We had our first weekend away this weekend. It was lovely. One of those weekends that feels extra long, even though it wasn’t.

My parents live in a beautiful part of the world. Near the coast and the country. The best of both worlds. And boy did the weather put on a good show. Beach and BBQ worthy even.

Oliver left a day earlier to hang with Grandma and Gramps. They took him to Corfe Castle where he indulged in more of his new love at the amazing ruins. If you haven’t been, get there. It’s pretty amazing.

For us; we enjoyed brunch at the beach (which could practically be Bondi if it wasn’t for the wind-breaks and deckchairs!). See:

We met family at a local kids farm. Spent time with my lovely Nan. She has dementia, which aside from being one of the saddest conditions out there, also makes for some pretty comical moments. If you have a conversation with her once, you have it a thousand times. Bless. She’s cute.

On Sunday we headed out for a Quay-side wander. There were ships to look at, little museums to potter around and general fun to be had. Ollie had his first go in one of those cheesey kiddo rides and his first ever Mr Whippy. With a flake.

Oh and thanks to G&G Paul and I had two full night’s sleeps, a lie in till 9am and a deserted house to enjoy for a whole morning. Bliss.

Having family on tap really is da bomb.

I hope you all had blissful weekends too. Go on, tell me about them. What did you do? 

Sometimes...

...all you need is one Knight,

a castle,

a couple of fierce dragons, 

a trusty steed,

and a healthy dose of imagination. And you have yourself a week's worth of entertainment. 

What have your children been playing with this week? 

Pretty Bloody Happy

Despite being a bit moany last week, I've been feeling pretty blimmin happy all weekend. 

Without really realising it (there's only so much internet research you can do), we've landed ourselves in a really beautiful part of the country. Commutable to London, we have the bright lights within easy reach, a bustling town on our doorstep and at the end of our street there is countryside as far as the eye can see. This countryside: 

Impressive, no? On Saturday morning we had a quick breakfast, chucked on some clothes and went out for an early walk. It was beautiful. Really beautiful. Oliver is an outdoorsy boy and is totally in his element here. There are sticks to be played with, buttercups to pick, rabbit poo to poke and bugs to collect. It's lovely to watch.

Do you like butter Dad? (and yes, Lila is asleep!)

I whinged about not finding balance last week. I now realise we have it. Right here. We have cafes and pubs and shopping to fuel our inner city-dwelling selves, plus fresh air and space and greenery, to allow us to breathe. It's perfect. Exactly where I imagined bringing up children. 

We've had a wonderful two days enjoying our new little corner of England. I hope you have too. 

Tell me - what did you get up to this weekend? 

Slummy Mummy

I’m struggling with something at the moment. 

Finding balance.

I seem to have lost my knack. I feel permanently tired, the house is a constant whirlwind of mess and I can’t seem to find the time to do all the extra bits and bobs I used to do (you know, important things like blogging or getting my eyebrows waxed!).

I know the reason, and I feel mean for saying it out loud. Having both children around all day, every day, seven days a week is taking its toll.

I shouldn’t complain, I’ve had my gorgeous Mum helping out each week, which is more than I ever had in Oz. But in Sydney I did have three precious days when Ollie was in daycare where I would hang out with Lila, blog while she was asleep and get things done. The extra things. The things that need to happen on top of the day-to-day.

Now, with a needy almost-three-year-old to entertain I spend most days playing in cardboard boxes, painting, reading, watching Ollie in the garden. Plus the usual round of washing, nappy changing, bum wiping and cooking for him and the little lady. There is not one minute for anything extra. I generally wee with the door open, eat standing up and flop exhausted in to bed at the end of the night.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being with them both. But this new routine is just different and I’m still finding my feet.

I’m sure I’ll get there.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some photos from our lovely, sunny weekend. Catching up with old friends, being with family and enjoying the gorgeous countryside that is right on our doorstep. I'm officially in love with the National Trust. It's also quite amusing how we're all wrapped up like it's the dead of winter (which it is by Sydney standards), whilst our fellow Brits are swanning round in shorts and t-shirts!

So tell me… how do you find the balance?