Should I be made to feel uncomfortable?

There is one thing that I have a real issue with when it comes to taking Mads out and about.


If she cries...


Unfortunately she is a ticking time bomb and can cry at any opportunity.  She generally is a good little girl but like all babies, can occasionally have grumpy days.  (Can't we all!)   


The other day I went out for lunch with my Mum to a nice pub.  I don't get to spend much quality time with her so I was really looking forward to relaxing with a glass of wine and having a chat.  As soon as we walked in I noticed that it was rather busy.  Mads was asleep in her pram and we sat down opposite a large group of about fifteen older ladies.  Straight away I clocked them and mentioned to my mum that I hoped Mads didn't wake up.


We received our main meals and unfortunately Mads did wake up.  However she woke up in a great mood and was smiling and giggling away.  She was due a feed and fortunately I had bought a bottle of expressed milk with me, so as I was having risotto and my Mum was having a salad, she said she would feed her while I finished my lunch.


She wolfed down her bottle and then I think she got some trapped wind.   She started whinging a little, literally just a small amount.  I am perfectly happy to admit when she is being a terror and she can scream the house down when she wants too, but this literally was the tiniest whimper which lasted about three seconds.  I was facing the group of ladies and as soon as she did it I turned my attention to them because I could see them all looking at each other.  I noticed that a couple of them tutted and rolled their eyes.


I felt so uncomfortable and said to my Mum that I would take her outside.  She told me not too, that she was fine and she wasn't making a noise at this point.


I carried on eating my lunch and Mads was as good as gold perching on my Mum's shoulder.  My Mum then went to move her on to the other shoulder and she whimpered again and then stopped.  Again I saw the same couple of ladies in the group look at each other and tut.  One actually whispered 'This is enjoyable over lunch,' it was loud enough for me to hear.


I got up and took Mads while my mum finished her meal and as I stood up I caught one of the ladies eyes.  This actually was one of the nicer ones who had smiled at me when we arrived.  I turned to her and apologised if we were disturbing their lunch.  She smiled and said 'Oh don't worry at all, she is being a very good girl, I haven't heard a peep out of her.'  She then started chatting to Mads and cooing over her.  They then all started asking me about how old she was, what was her name etc.  The two women that had tutted then at least had the decency to look down at their dinner plates.


The whole situation made me feel really uncomfortable and really made me wonder about these ladies.  I am a polite person and would never even dream of saying something to anyone but they made me really cross.  I am sure that they had children or grandchildren themselves and I wonder how they would feel if someone was making their daughter feel uncomfortable.


Doesn't a baby have just as much right to eat her lunch as they do?


I could understand if she was screaming the place down, but she barely made a whimper.  Unfortunately there are always going to be people like this around and I think that we all need to remember that we were all babies once.


Rant over!

Poo Knew?

Before I had Mads I was confused about babies nappies.


I used to sit over dinner with friends who had children and wonder how on earth they could speak about poo for an entire three courses? Surely they had better things to talk about than the consistency/colour/smell of their little darlings nappy?


I wasn't going to be one of 'these' Mum's. I would still have interlectual conversations, or at the very least talk about anything other than my baby's bowel habits.


Fast forward to the present....


What is my favourite topic of conversation over a coffee and cake (lots of cake) with friends?


Poo of course.


It's almost like we try to outdo each other.  In all other aspects our little bubba's are brilliant and we all have the best behaved one or the most advanced one.


'My baby sleeps from 11 until 7.'


'Oh well mine sleeps from 10 until 10.'


'Little Ben picked up his rattle today.'


'Oh well Little Bobby picked up his rattle, held it in his hand and managed to shake out the tune to the National Anthem.'


But when it comes to poo, everything else pales in comparison.


When it comes to poo, we all have the worst stories ever, each one of us tries to claim the prize for the most horrific toilet nightmare.


And I think I am up there with one of the worst.


Mad's and I were sitting having a coffee with a friend of mine from work a couple of weeks ago.  All was fine and well and Maddie was bouncing up and down on me knee.  It was time for my friend to go back to work as she had finished her lunch hour.  As she stood up, I felt the first tremor.


I had a delayed reaction, I knew it was coming but I was frozen to the spot.


Then came the eruption.  And with it something warm on the leg of my new skinny jeans.  I put my hand down to feel what was going on and without going into much detail, it came back up with a lot of fresh, warm baby business on it.


I let out a scream.  In the haste to stand up, it all started dripping everywhere, and I realised that this was not your usual contender.  We were dealing with a whole new breed of terror.


People were now beginning to stare as I contemplated what on earth to do.


My friend grabbed Mads and put her in her pram on about one hundred Costa Coffee Napkins in order to not get my shiny, pink Quinny Buzz in a state.


By this time Mads realised that a scene was happening and started screaming.


My friend had to leave as she was really late back to work and I was left to face the horror alone.  (Should I say ex friend.)


I looked in my bag and typically this was the one day I didn't have a change of clothes or even some wipes.  (What kind of mother doesn't have wipes in her Yummy Mummy bag?!)


So me and the poo monster had to rush to Mothercare with me still covered in the substance.  


We got there and had to buy an outfit (any excuse eh?) and some wipes.  I handed over my card and realised that to my horror I had it all under my fingernails and congealed in between my wedding ring's.


The sales assistant didn't say anything.  I think she saw the look of fear on my face.


We practically sprinted to the changing room and set about the difficult task of cleaning everything up.  It was everywhere.  We had to clean the pram, my jeans, my wedding ring, practically the whole of Mads and everything else in between.


I heard a knock on the door and a voice saying 'What are you doing in there, are you going to be long?'  (No I am honestly not making this up.)


We unlocked the door and walked out sheepishly.  Without a word of a lie there were three (experienced) mothers waiting with their children to use the room.  One had even resorted to changing her little boy on the floor.


I then had to do the walk of shame past them all to exit the shop.  


All in all a horrendous experience.


So the next time we sit there over a coffee and cake and discuss terrifying nappy's, I know for once my baby will most definitely be the best.

Baby Yoga...but not as I know it!

Well today Maddie and I have been flexing and stretching at baby yoga!


We have been doing it for about 5 weeks now and we both really enjoy ourselves.  As she is getting older, each week she is enjoying it more and more.


To be fair we don't actually do much yoga (more lots of singing and bouncing and embarrassing ourselves!) but I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone thinking of signing up for a course.


Some moves we won't be trying however are in the below video.  I found this video absolutely shocking!  Each to their own and supposedly the baby is absolutely fine, but I think Maddie and I will just participate in the odd song and moving of our hands and feet!


I am still not entirely sure if the baby is real in this video, but apparently he is.


Don't worry Maddie, Mummy won't chuck you over my head anytime soon!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20029037-10391704.html