Memory Makers Uk

We collected Oscar’s hand and foot cast by Memory Makers UK last weekend and I absolutely love it. I had Dylan’s done when he was a baby too, so I made sure that Oscar’s were done at the same age. It’s amazing to be able to compare them. The details are just incredible, you can see every little wrinkle and dimple of the skin. I just think they are an amazing keepsake to treasure, and look back on when those hands and feet aren’t so small anymore.

The process is really simple, we booked our appointment online (we had ours done at Mothecare Stevenage). On the day, you arrive and the rep will talk you through how to sit and hold your baby/child so that they have access to the body part they are casting.

They wrap your babies hand or foot in the moulding material for a moment or two and then easily remove it. Neither Oscar or previously Dylan found the process uncomfortable or distressing in the slightest.

You then discuss your options and finalise your design. They give you an order number and a receipt. You can upload photos online at home, if you would like one. They then text you when your keepsake is ready and available for collection.

Tips

• Feed baby before hand, this will help make sure they are content and have less likelihood of any distress.
• Have in mind the design you would like, browse the website and know your options.

Memory Makers UK can currently be found in Mothercare stores which, as many of us know, will sadly be closing its doors in the near future. Memory Makers will continue to offer appointments in store until that time comes, and they will continue to make home visits.

They have given me a discount code to share with my followers. You can get 5% off any keepsake using the code INSTA5, when booking an appointment before the 31.12.19.

Note* I paid full price for my product and had absolutely no obligation to write about my experience. Memory Makers saw a post I published on Instagram and kindly reached out to offer my following a discount.

Pumpkin Patch – Canmas Hall Fruit Farm and Tea Rooms

Today, despite the miserable, wet Autumn weather we decided to go pumpkin picking at Cammas Hall Fruit Farm and Tea Rooms, which is situated on the Herts/Essex border.

We started in the tea room for coffee and cake, so we could watch the last quarter of the Rugby semi-final … COME ON ENGLAND!!! The carrot cake was lush, and the portions were massive … you could probably share one between 2 or 3 of you! I couldn’t finish it by myself. Carl had a homemade sausage roll, which he said was really good and Dylan had a gingerbread skeleton.

Next we got our cart and went on the hunt for the perfect pumpkins … I wanted a little tiny one for Oscar and of course, Dylan wanted the biggest one he could find. The prices are 90p per kilo and they helpfully have a display showing a rough guide price for each of the different sized pumpkin. They have a wide selection of all the types of pumpkins and squash you could imagine, in all shapes, colours and sizes.

Then it was off to the play area, which is well equipped with plenty to do including tractor tyre mountains and a gated baby/toddler area). Dylan rode the Quad Berries (electric quad bike) which was £1 a go which I thought was really reasonable. There’s a BBQ hut, that serves alcohol 👌🏻,covered sandpit and a craft marquee too.

We will definitely be back in the summer to try out the 6 acre Maize Maze and to pick some strawberries.

It’s been a while …

Just a little update … Oscar John Anthony was born as planned on 08/07/2019 weighing 8lb 5oz at 11:11am.

So the last few months have been a mixture of a rough recovery, getting through the 4th trimester and becoming accustomed to being a mummy of two.

I will share Oscar’s birth story at some point but for now I don’t think I’m quite ready to put it down on (proverbial) paper.

Eloise x

Hello July

Wow, we made it … I can finally say it’s baby month, in fact it’s baby week! One way or another this little Wriggler is going to be here by this time next week.

As I sit here alone and type this in silence I’m overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions. I cried helping Dylan put on his socks this morning, as I know soon enough the moments shared just between him and I will be fewer, I know he will more than likely struggle with his emotions in the huge adjustment that comes with having to share everything he’s always had all to himself, especially his “mama”. I cried because I never want him to feel like he’s not my baby anymore, or that I love him any less.

I’m excited, I cannot wait to hold my baby in my arms, to feel that rush of love, to breath in his little newborn scent and to see Carl and Dylan with him. To feel that bond, when sitting awake at all hours of the night feeding him, and watching him drift off to sleep, with a full tummy and a content look on his little face.

I’m terrified, full of what ifs. What if I don’t remember everything? What if I don’t feel the same way as I did with Dylan? What if he’s not as easy as Dylan was? What if I do it all wrong? What if Dylan hates him?

Most of all I’m grateful, grateful to have this amazing opportunity to be a mother again, to share my love and to help raise another tiny human, to watch him grow and become whatever he chooses to be.

Pregnancy update

So I’m 29+4 weeks and officially in the third and final trimester. Last Monday, we had a growth scan which showed that the little wriggler is growing perfectly along the 50th percentile. It also showed that my placenta is moving away from my cervix, which is really positive. They said they’ll check it again at 32 weeks to make sure it has completely moved away, but they are confident that it will have.

We also had a consultant appointment and after much deliberation and research and from speaking to other mums I came to the decision that I would prefer an Elective Caesarean. I think this is based upon lots of positive stories from some of you, about a much better recovery than an Emergency, as well as it being a calmer experience overall. I also just get really anxious when I think about going through labour and it ending in an emergency situation again, so would rather reduce the risk of that being an option. I wasn’t expecting it, but we were booked in there and then and we now have the date for our little mans arrival.

This is of course really exciting, but at the same time nerve wracking too. We are still on the hunt for a house and so far two houses we have really loved, have unfortunately fallen through. Hopefully it will be a case of third time lucky!

Working Mum Fun

So after a hectic morning, I just about remembered to put a wash load on this morning before I headed out the door to work.

A busy day at work, as the end of term is drawing near and there’s a mountain of stuff that needs to be done before we finally get that long awaited two week break.

I head home for a quick half hour before I have to go and pick up Dylan from Football training, I think to myself I’ll hang the washing out and have a quick cup of coffee. I stick the kettle on and open the washing machine door, put my hand in only to be greeted by dripping wet clothes, great! I close the door and think “f**k it, I’m having the coffee.”

Off I go to pick Dylan up, I’d of course forgotten that he’d kicked his own football over into the neighbours garden (for the third time this week) and the first thing he said to me was “we need to get my ball back from the lady next door” … well hello to you too sunshine! So we get home and the neighbours not in, cue a melt down, complete with tears with him saying how he’s “never going to get it back” and “did I know it’s been 24 hours!?!?”

I eventually convince him, that they will probably be home soon, and to get out of the car and to come inside and play with his kinetic sand (great idea smart arse!). I then trot off to the kitchen to sort the washing machine, armed with one towel. I open the filter on the washing machine, not even thinking that the washing machine is still full of water, until I’m ankle deep in water. I shout to Dylan, “towels Dylan, get mummy all the towels.” His reply “errr mum, I’ve made a bit of a mess.” So I run upstairs and get the towels myself, ignoring the bright green glittery sand all over my cream carpet!

Then my phone rings, it’s Carl his first words “hey baby, what’s for dinner?”. Which as you can imagine did not go down very well. Anyway I’ll cut to the chase, despite all of this chaos, I had fixed the washing machine, cleared up the water, hoovered my living room including the window sills (yes, somehow the kinetic sand was on there too) and still managed to have dinner on the table for 6.20pm. Admittedly it was a KFC that Carl brought home, after receiving an earful of abuse, for daring to ask me what was for dinner whilst I was ankle deep in a flooded kitchen.

Just call me Super-mum (for once!)

Ohhh we’re (slightly over) Halfway there!

Well it’s been a long old while since I did a blog post … and a whole lot has happened. We found out in November that we were expecting Baby number 2.

We are currently 23 weeks in and recently discovered we will be welcoming another boy to our growing family. According to one of my many pregnancy apps, Baby is the size of an Aubergine or a Maltese puppy! It definitely feels like I’ve got a lively little puppy in there at times. He is very active, especially at night and it feels like he likes to stretch out and scrape his feet along the wall of my stomach!

My 20 week scan didn’t quite go to plan, but a second attempt let us know everything was fine with baby and all the necessary checks were finally completed. That being said, I did find out that my placenta is covering some of my cervix and is low and anterior. The sonographer didn’t really mention it, just said I’d need a scan to check it at 32 weeks.

I stupidly came out and googled what it meant and managed to scare myself into a right state, with thoughts of bed rest, emergency c-sections and premature delivery racing through my brain. Thankfully after a chat with some lovely fellow IG mummy’s and my midwife, I learnt that it is in fact common for this condition to correct itself by the later stages of pregnancy, so fingers crossed it will do so and it won’t be a problem.

Due to Dylan being a small baby (6lb 0.5oz born at 40+5) and the fact that he was born via emergency Caesarean, I am being monitored and am under a consultant. This means I’ll be having a 28 week growth scan (on the 15th April). So I’ll probably do another blog post and update you all then.

I hope I haven’t bored you all to tears and you’ve enjoyed reading this. Please let me know in the comments if you have any pregnancy related questions, I’m an open book, so ask away. For now enjoy this hilarious attempted bump photo, that was taken in gale force winds!