Where's my house gone?

Do you remember a time when your house was neat and tidy? Everything had a place and was actually in its place? When you could leave an unattended mug on the coffee table without a second thought?

It seems like a long time ago doesn't it?

Once LO was able to walk suddenly everything vanished from table tops and low shelves. Mugs are kept on the kitchen counter and the coffee table is always clear - except when he's standing on it! Hehe.

Everywhere you look there are brightly coloured items, most of which make noise, and no matter how much effort you put into keeping them contained in a specific area, they just seem to spread around the room... or is that just me?

Walking around is a bit of an obstacle course, especially in the evening when you have to be extra careful about moving anything because it might suddenly start playing 'Old Macdonald had a farm' to you... five minutes after you'd have put your LO to sleep.

This is what my living room looked like a few months ago. Not much has changed, except that the Jumperoo has a new home as LO outgrew it and the walker has been abandoned in the yard!

Toys threatening to take over the house

Does your living room look anything like this, or have you managed to retain your adult decor?

Job of a Lifetime

Do you agree with this? I definitely think that it's true, especially when kids are very young and they need most things done for them. And sometimes there are several instances of closing and opening eyes throughout the night - just to add fuel to the fire! Parenting is a never-ending job, and I only realised this once I became a parent. Just because I'm an adult I now realise that my parents never stopped 'being parents' and worrying (and caring) - because it becomes part of you. 

Pharmacies in Malta & Gozo

Here you can find an updated, comprehensive list of all the pharmacies in Malta and Gozo including their contact number. Most pharmacies in Malta and Gozo are open from Monday-Friday 09:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00-19:00 and on Saturday from 09:00-12:00, nevertheless this may change slightly from pharmacy to pharmacy. On Sundays and Public Holidays the pharmacies work on a roster basis.

The list below highlights those pharmacies that stay open later than regular opening hours. If you know of others that should be added to this list, please contact me with details.

Pharmacies that stay open late

• Airport Pharmacy (Luqa) - Tel: 23696349
• Castle Pharmacy (Gozo) - Tel: 21556970
• Mater Dei Hospital Pharmacy (Msida) - Tel: 25456535
• Medicaid Pharmacy & Opticians (Gudja) - Tel: 21676294/27676294
• Thomas Pharmacy (Hamrun) - Tel: 21238018

Baby's on the Way!

By your 30th week of pregnancy you want to have most things ready for the arrival of your precious bundle, for two reasons mainly:

1. Baby might decide to show up early and you really don't need to add not being prepared to that shock
2. The bigger and heavier you get, the more tired you're likely to be and the less inclined to actually do much (especially if the temperatures are either very hot or very cold).

Hospital Bag

This is based on the lists that are given but I also give my recommendations from personal experience. Don't pack everything in one bag as it's easier to unpack one bag at a time and hospital staff might need to get you some things too so you can point them to the correct bag. Also a bag on wheels is ideal to avoid having to carry anything.

Things you'll need before the baby arrives

• Medical records (your blue chart)
• Two cotton nightdresses - short sleeves are best and with a front opening for breast feeding purposes
• Slippers/socks - the slip on type are the best in case you suffer from swollen feet. Slipper socks would be ideal
• Toiletries - hairbrush, toothbrush & toothpaste; facial wipes; shower gel; shampoo & conditioner - for certain items you might want to get the travel sized bottles or even samples to avoid extra weight
• Entertainment e.g. headphones which you can plug into the hospital TV and any other electronic device that you enjoy; magazines; a good book that you truly enjoy; your phone - and any chargers!
• Snacks - stock up on anything that you enjoy. This is your time to 'indulge' (always moderately), but do ensure that you have food to nibble on. And plenty of water.

Things you'll need after you've given birth

• Maternity pads - don't skimp on these. You will be using them for a while...
• Nursing bras - two is enough. You'll stain them both.
• Disposable underwear - don't buy fancy brands. The hospital shop sells them at about €1 each and you're better off spending €10 and buying 10 pieces
• Breast pads - to minimise the aforementioned staining
• Nipple cream - yes you will need it. You might also want to buy nipple guards just in case and be prepared
• Breastfeeding pillow - necessary if you are planning to bf, so that the nurses can show you how to position the baby
• Comfortable (but nice) clothes to go home in. And note that you might need to wear open shoes (even in winter) if you suffered from water retention post-birth.
• Some extras you might want are make-up and hair straighteners/hairdryer - this all depends on how comfortable you are at being seen au natural by your visitors.
• Laundry bag - basically just a bag for you to put the dirties in to give to your partner/parent/friend to take with them so that you won't have extra things to carry when you come to leave hospital

For the baby

• Cotton wool
• Baby wipes
• Newborn-sized nappies x 2 packets
• Nappy rash cream
• Babygros - size 0-1 month or 0-3 months - if scans show that the baby is big don't bother buying any 0-1 month clothes
• Vests - sizes as above
• Socks
• Mitts
• Hat
• Baby blanket x 2 - one to cover and one to lay the baby on. They might tell you to take a towel but a soft blanket is much nicer
• Muslin squares - buy a packet; they're never extra
• Bottle and formula - if you're not planning on breastfeeding
• Outfit to go home in - babygro, mitts, hat, blanket - you can re-use what you used previously but be aware of staining incidents

And you'll obviously need a car seat to take the baby home. Don't take that with you to the hospital beforehand though (you have enough to carry). Just ask whoever is calling for you to bring it with them. 

A Parent's Love

Isn't this just beautiful? I had shared it on Facebook a while back and as I was going through some photos I came across it again and thought that it was very appropriate to post here - especially as one of the first posts.

I now truly believe that a parent's love for their child knows no limits - and never fades, no matter the age of the child or the parent. I think that we will always worry about our children and it makes me realise, as someone's child, that they are always worrying about me (regardless of the fact that I'm an adult). The parent-child relationship knows no time.

What are your thoughts on the quote?

February 2nd - The Day I Became a Mama

I suppose I should start by relating my motherhood story. It's nothing out of this world really, everything went fairly smoothly. I had my son on Sunday, 2nd February 2014 by elective C-section (he didn't engage and I had hit the 40-week mark) so we decided that C-section was the safest option. I have no deep beliefs in the natural vs. C-section war that some people insist on creating; as long as the baby comes out well and healthy then it's just a means to an end.

With a bit of calculation you know that my LO is now 18 months old (at time of writing) and is a fully fledged toddler (and all that comes with it). The running, the laughing, the whining, the throwing things around... I find that if I think 'it shows that he's healthy and developing nicely', it helps me to keep sane :)

In the year and a half that I've had the title of mother I found that the greatest 'lack' was a community of like-minded people who are in my same situation. I know other mothers obviously, and I got to meet new people too, but this was typically through weekly classes and activities that were paid for. So my scope behind this blog and Facebook page (don't forget to Like it!) was to meet even more new people and help others meet new people too if possible.

I hope that you'll join in (note that these are all Malta-based) and I love reading comments and feedback so please do take the time to leave me a note :)