The Mummy Tag | Birds and Lilies

Today I am doing ‘The Mummy Tag’ so you can find out a bit (or a shitload, sorry!) more about me! I was tagged by the lovely Ayse at Arepops.

 

1. Are you a Stay at Home Mum or a Working Mum?

I am a bit of both, I guess. I’m a stay at home mum, but I am also making some money from my blog now, so I class it as ‘work’ and I spend a lot of time doing it, and I have deadlines and stuff. I’m very, very lucky in that it’s exactly what I want to do – so now I just need to get more organised with it all, and I would really like to start doing some proper freelance work, especially as A is starting school in September so I will have more time.

2. Would you have it any other way?

Nope! Except for the making more money part! I have always wanted to work from home, look after my children myself and take them to and pick them up from school. It’s always been my dream, and I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to stay at home with Ava for this long. I’ve never been very ambitious career-wise and never found anything that I wanted to particularly do, but I bloody love blogging and am very ambitious with this, which I guess proves it is right for me!

3. Do you co-sleep?

We did, yes. I never really planned to, we just did whatever worked for us, and having a child that didn’t sleep through for her first couple of years in the world meant that what worked was having her in bed with us a lot. I never really minded it that much – I actually used to sleep better when she was curled up next to me, despite me always ending up on the very edge. And it was mostly a relief to have her in with us because she would sleep a lot better. She hasn’t slept in our bed for ages now though, which is good because she’s huge!

With my next baby I would really like a co-sleeper crib because I think it would be a lot easier having them right next to me and hopefully just rolling over to feed at night! Plus Ava always woke up as soon as I put her back in her Moses basket after being seemingly fast asleep!

4. What is your one must-have item for your baby?

I think it was probably the Jumperoo – they are bloody brilliant, and I don’t care how much room they take up – everyone should have one. It was pretty much the one place I could put my rolling, crawling baby and get something done for twenty minutes. She would be very happy in there for a little while and it was wonderful to be able to run the hoover around or tidy up without having to hold her. If you have a baby – get one.

5. How many kids do you plan on having?

I used to want five. And I would still kind of like that many, but I think I’ve just found it too hard to be able to do that, plus no-one would probably have four more children with me. Also, realistically with my fertility issues I probably wouldn’t be able to have many more anyway. I just love the idea of having lots of kids around especially as I get older and they do too. I think it would be lovely – and it would also mean having lots of gorgeous grandkids running around eventually. Although that thought makes me a little bit sick right now.

So, I think I’d like three. Growing up I always wanted two, probably because I am one of two, but I really want at least three now. I think it would be really nice to have a couple of siblings to grow up with.

6. Date nights? How often do you have them?

Ha – very, very rarely. We are more likely to go out with friends in the evening than on our own.

7. Your child’s favourite show?

Dora and Friends: Into the City on NOW TV at the moment, but it changes every week. I keep wondering what on earth I am singing all day long whilst I am at home on my own, and then I realise that it’s the very catchy Dora theme tune.

D-O-R-A.

8. Name one thing you brought before you had the baby and never ended up using?

A change table. Although I guess I did use it a bit, but only for strorage. Everyone said to not bother with a change table – but I had dreamt of having a proper nursery set with a cot, wardrobe and pretty change table for so many years whilst dreaming of my baby, that there was no way I wasn’t going to have one. Plus I really thought that I would use it once she was sleeping in her cot in her own room. She ended up staying in our room for a really long time though, and so the nursery and change table weren’t used much. I think I changed her on it once!

I do think with these ‘must-haves’ or ‘do not buys’ it is different for everyone though. I read so many things about not bothering to get a nappy bin, but we used it for a really long time and it was completely worth it to us. I’ve heard some people say they never used muslins, and I constantly had them on me and in every room of the house for a couple of years. Everyone’s different.

9. Your child’s favourite food?

Pizza or sausages. Or chocolate. All the healthy stuff.

10. How many cars does your family have?

Just one. I used to have a Ford Ka and I bloody loved it, it was so little and like a go-kart and I could park anywhere (or try to and then give up), but we just didn’t need two cars at the time. We still don’t really, although it would be nice.

11. Weight gain, before pregnancy, during, after and now?

I did put on a bit of weight, like a few pounds before I got pregnant, during the two rounds of IVF I had. I didn’t put on loads when I was actually pregnant, about the right amount I think – although it felt like a lot at the time! I got really puffy towards the end though, and I think I look huge in photos from then. I wasn’t one of those lucky people who doesn’t put weight on on their face and I think that makes me look so much bigger.

My belly went down pretty quickly afterwards, but I was about a clothes size bigger for a while and the biggest I’ve ever been. Again, looking at photos of then I feel like I look huge, mainly because of my stupid big round face looking all big and round. And stupid.

Now I’m a bit smaller than I was before I had a baby, and probably the fittest I’ve ever been as I actually exercise (or I did before winter anyway!).

12. Dream holiday with your kids?

Disneyworld in Florida! I’m actually lucky enough to have been a few times (my sister is there right now, the horrible little thing) and I absolutely love it. It’s weird, if I’d never been it would never have been somewhere that I particularly wanted to go, I don’t think. Somewhere that is so touristy and commercial I wouldn’t have expected to love so much, but it is such a wonderful place, and it really is magical! Just being there makes you happy I swear.

I really love Florida too, and America in general. I love stupid things like going to the supermarkets there and staying in amazing villas.

Disneyworld would be amazing with kids and I know Ava would love it so much, and I hope to take her one day. The rides are brilliant and the whole atmosphere is just wonderful. Clearly it’s me that I want to go for, and not her.

13. Dream holiday without your kids?

Probably New York or Paris. I desperately want to go to New York again, but I think it would be a bit of hard work with a young child. And I’ve never been to Paris and have always really, really wanted to go. I’m hoping someone will take me one day.

14. How has your life changed since having kids?

Completely I guess! Although I can’t really remember what life was like BA (Before Ava) – I got more sleep, I know that. I guess the biggest difference is having to be completely responsible for someone else and putting someone else before yourself, pretty much always.

There are probably more tough times, more tiredness, more arguments, and less money – but the good times make it all worth it.

15. Finish the sentence “It makes heart melt when…”

Ava giggles and can’t stop.

 

16. Where do you shop for your kids?

Next mostly, also Primark, Zara, supermarkets occasionally (a lot less since we lost our Tesco Home) and H&M.

17. Favourite make-up and skincare products?

Oh I have so many! I love the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, but can’t always afford it. I love Coconut oil for so many things – cleansing, sore bums (not mine), moisturising my body – it’s amazing stuff. I was totally in love with a Sacntuary eye cream for years, but they seem to have stopped doing it and I am GUTTED. I love Sunday Riley and Zelens products at the high end, and lots of The Body Shop and Deciem (from Boots) at the lower end.

Make-up – I think Bourjois foundations are great (Healthy Mix and Happy Light), I LOVE Benefit They’re Real mascara, Collection concealer stick thingy (the technical name) and Real Techniques brushes. For years and years I have adored the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze and can’t do my makeup without it. And it lasts for a stupidly long time so that’s awesome. Charlotte Tilbury products are just beautiful (and expensive so I haven’t tried many) and I really love the ‘Filmstar Bronze and Glow‘.

This question could be a post on its own for me, couldn’t it?

18. Huggies or Pampers?

Pampers generally worked better for us from what I can remember, but we used Asda’s ‘Little Angels’ for the longest time.

19. Have you always wanted kids?

Yes, without question.

20. Best part of being a mum?

Watching this amazing little person grow up, that you made, and all the love and cuddles. Watching her sleep and thinking about how lucky I am.

 

Ahh, I ended up writing a lot more than I thought I would for this. I think I rather enjoyed thinking a bit more about baby stuff again!

I’m tagging the following people if they would like to do this:

Stacey at Nobody Said It Was Easy, Rachel at Parenthood Highs and Lows, Maria at Suburban Mum, Zara at Mojo Blogs, Kerry at Noah and the Girls, and Zoe at My Little Wildlings.