This is a subject that has been really bothering me all week and I have spent some time on twitter asking people's advice.
I am very new to the world of blogging and for the first time on Tuesday I checked where the traffic was coming from on my blog. I found that a few people that were searching for disgusting things on google had been coming to my site. Not many, and to be fair it didn't look like they had stayed long, but still if after a month of blogging this is happening surely it can only get worse?
When I first started blogging I wasn't going to reveal my real name and I most certainly wasn't going to put on photo's of me and my family. However when I started looking into blogs and started to put together my own reading list I discovered that a lot of mummy bloggers did post photos of their children. I am exceptionally proud of my daughter so I thought well why not? Plus I also noticed that the blogs that I enjoy the most are ones with personal photo's on there, these are the one's which seem to engage me and grab my attention.
All was well and I was really enjoying blogging about my family and putting photos on of Mads for my Gallery and Silent Sunday posts. Then on Tuesday I found out excitedly that I could check my stats and see all sorts of reports on how people were getting to my site and how they were finding me on google. Some completely innocent, some a little bit strange. (A lot of people have found my site by looking up Hairy Daddy?!) And then a few people were finding it by looking up obscene search words.
When I first saw this I completely panicked and posted on twitter asking for advice. I got some lovely reassurance from Karin at Cafe Bebe, and also Emma at The Real Supermum and Karen at Would like to be a Yummy Mummy who also explained that they had the same worries. (If you click on their two blog names you will be directed to their thoughts on the subject.) I also spoke at long length with Mr E who said that as long as I was careful why should I stop doing something that I enjoyed, at the end of the day there could be weirdo's looking at Mads in Tesco's, and if you thought that way you would never leave the house. I decided it was right to be cautious but to put it down as a lesson learned.
Today however I have checked again and now I have noticed that I have been getting a lot of hits from a referring URL which is an image sharing website. Again this could be completely innocent but I am now worried that people are sharing my photos. I have decided that I am going to try and put a Copyright logo on my images from now on (or when I can get Mr E to design me one!) but again it has made me wary.
I understand that this sort of thing happens a lot and that I shouldn't be so sensitive but the thought of someone looking at my photos of Mads in a strange way or sharing my photos as their own makes me feel physically sick. I have spoken to my Mum about it too, as well as discussing it with Mr E again and they have said that I should just relax and try not too worry but I do find it really difficult. I don't want to stop posting photo's but I just have this at the back of my mind now and I am finding it really hard to shake it off. When it comes to my personal facebook account I have thousands of photos on there but I have the maximum privacy levels so only friends can look at my photos and content, therefore why am I posting photos on my blog which is completely open and free to all?
Am I being over sensitive? Should I just accept that I am putting on innocent photos that you could see in any magazine or television advert? Should I stop putting photos of her and my family on there? If I prefer blogs that have photos on does that mean I will lose potential readers by not adding them? Does everyone get dodgy searches?
If anyone has any comments I would really appreciate it.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Friday, 29 April 2011
Flashback Friday- The One Where We Get Engaged
As there is a rather small, low key wedding going on today, I felt like it was only right that my Flashback Friday for this week had a wedding theme. Last week was my hen do and this week I have decided to take a trip down memory lane and write about the day Mr E decided to ask me to be his wife.
Mr E and I were living with my Mum at the time to save up some money for a deposit on a house, having moved back to Cambridgeshire from London. He had told me that we were doing something exciting one weekend so as to make sure I didn't make any plans. I had been going on and on about going to Go Ape so I honestly thought this was where we were going!
On the Thursday evening before said weekend we went out with my Mum and her partner to celebrate Mr E's 30th birthday as my Mum's partner was going on a climbing holiday and wouldn't be around for his actual birthday which was the following week. We had a lovely time and drank lots of champagne and were quite tipsy so when Mr E awoke around 6am on the Friday morning I presumed it was because he was a bit hungover.
He was tossing and turning and obviously couldn't sleep so in the end I asked him what was wrong. He turned round and out of the blue said 'Look under your pillow I think a fairy has been.' I had just woken up and hadn't got my contact lenses in so was all disorientated! I looked under the pillow and pulled out a small box. I still don't think it really sank in but all of a sudden he uttered the best words 'Will you Marry me?' I started crying my eyes out and jumping round the room. My engagement ring was a beautiful platinum solitaire diamond.
He presented me with a goody bag which had lots of different bits in it including two plane tickets to Edinburgh for later on that afternoon. He also had arranged for me to have my nails done that morning (in order to look my best for showing off the ring!) He also arranged for some of my family to meet us in a bar near us for a champagne breakfast.
That afternoon we flew up to Edinburgh and it was one of the best weekends of my life. We spent the daytimes mooching around the shops (where I also got terribly spoilt with perfume and a new purse!) and the first evening he had booked for us to go to Harvey Nichols for dinner. One memorable part was when we decided to order a bottle of champagne. As we were deciding the waiter came over with the bottle we were going to pick (Laurent Perrier Rose if anyone ever fancies buying me a bottle- its my favourite!) and a card. We were totally confused until we opened it and my Mum had bought us one with a little card saying Congratulations. That made me cry again! The tables are quite close together and I dread to think what the couple next door thought of us!
The second night it was amazing because it was late August and the festival was just ending. There was a lovely fireworks display on which was very romantic. We got very tipsy as we went on a mini bar crawl.
Below is a small snapshot of photos from the weekend.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend, and Mr E made me the happiest person in the world when he asked me to be his wife. Who would have thought that three years later we would have a lovely baby daughter!
Now head over to Cafe Bebe to have a look at some more memories...
Mr E and I were living with my Mum at the time to save up some money for a deposit on a house, having moved back to Cambridgeshire from London. He had told me that we were doing something exciting one weekend so as to make sure I didn't make any plans. I had been going on and on about going to Go Ape so I honestly thought this was where we were going!
On the Thursday evening before said weekend we went out with my Mum and her partner to celebrate Mr E's 30th birthday as my Mum's partner was going on a climbing holiday and wouldn't be around for his actual birthday which was the following week. We had a lovely time and drank lots of champagne and were quite tipsy so when Mr E awoke around 6am on the Friday morning I presumed it was because he was a bit hungover.
He was tossing and turning and obviously couldn't sleep so in the end I asked him what was wrong. He turned round and out of the blue said 'Look under your pillow I think a fairy has been.' I had just woken up and hadn't got my contact lenses in so was all disorientated! I looked under the pillow and pulled out a small box. I still don't think it really sank in but all of a sudden he uttered the best words 'Will you Marry me?' I started crying my eyes out and jumping round the room. My engagement ring was a beautiful platinum solitaire diamond.
He presented me with a goody bag which had lots of different bits in it including two plane tickets to Edinburgh for later on that afternoon. He also had arranged for me to have my nails done that morning (in order to look my best for showing off the ring!) He also arranged for some of my family to meet us in a bar near us for a champagne breakfast.
That afternoon we flew up to Edinburgh and it was one of the best weekends of my life. We spent the daytimes mooching around the shops (where I also got terribly spoilt with perfume and a new purse!) and the first evening he had booked for us to go to Harvey Nichols for dinner. One memorable part was when we decided to order a bottle of champagne. As we were deciding the waiter came over with the bottle we were going to pick (Laurent Perrier Rose if anyone ever fancies buying me a bottle- its my favourite!) and a card. We were totally confused until we opened it and my Mum had bought us one with a little card saying Congratulations. That made me cry again! The tables are quite close together and I dread to think what the couple next door thought of us!
The second night it was amazing because it was late August and the festival was just ending. There was a lovely fireworks display on which was very romantic. We got very tipsy as we went on a mini bar crawl.
Below is a small snapshot of photos from the weekend.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend, and Mr E made me the happiest person in the world when he asked me to be his wife. Who would have thought that three years later we would have a lovely baby daughter!
Now head over to Cafe Bebe to have a look at some more memories...
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
My Passions...
I stumbled upon a rather good meme from Kerry at Multiple Mummy which is all about her passions and asking us what ours are too. I love having a good think about things like this so here goes. Below are a few of the examples of what I am passionate about!
Photography
I have a passion for taking photos. I am not particularly creative when it comes to photography although I do try. I have a Nikon D50 DSLR which I love but never get out much because I don't really know how to use it. (I would love to learn) I also have just a cheap Canon which I carry around with me everyday and also my pride and joy which is my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. My hubby bought it for my birthday a couple of years ago and I just love it. I also take a lot of photos on my iPhone.
I really do wish that I was better at it, I would love to learn how to take more artistic shots.
Photos
Leading on from the photography, I also am passionate about my photos. I literally have hundreds and I spend a lot of money on making photo books to capture all our memories. My friends and family get fed up with me because I am forever taking photos when we are out and about. I also have so many photos in frames around my house, a lot of people don't like having them up around the house but to me they are my pride and joy. (Although they do involve a lot of dusting!) I am trying to do a photo scrapbook for Mads but unfortunately I never seem to have the time.
Films
I am a real film buff and Mr E and I used to go to the cinema all the time before we had Mads as we had an unlimited cinema pass. Unfortunately we don't get the time as much anymore, although my Mum often has Mads so we can nip off for a couple of hours. I am afraid I do love chick flicks but I also love thrillers, and dramas. I like a bit of everything really though, although I draw the line at Westerns. I used to love horror films but find myself getting scared of them nowadays. If I had to say my top five favourite films, in no particular order they would be Leon, Mystic River, Shawshank Redemption, Brokedown Palace, and Dirty Dancing but I do have many I love.
Our home.
We bought our house almost two years ago and it was horrible inside when we first got it. We have spent a lot of time and money on it and have almost completely redone it cosmetically since we moved in. I am so proud of it, and keep it obsessively clean. When we have finished one room, I want to move on and do another one again but now I am on maternity leave unfortunately I can't buy as much for it. Although we want to move to a bigger house in a couple of years, I will always love my first home. Mr E has had a mortgage before me.
Reading
I have always enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember. I read all sorts of different things, from Chick Lit to Thrillers. I read very quickly and always have my head absorbed in a good book, although recently I have found myself not having as much time as I am always blogging when not looking after Mads! On our honeymoon I took away 15 books in 2 weeks and read every single one. I can not wait to read to Mads, I do read to her occasionally but I am really looking forward to reading her a story every night and reliving my childhood favourites through her. I have lots but 'The Faraway Tree' by Enid Blyton and all the Roald Dahl books have fond memories for me.
Crime Psychology
A bit of a strange passion but I have always been interested in crime. At University I studied Psychology and wrote my dissertation on Murder. Don't worry I am not a closet weirdo, but I am really interested in what makes criminals tick and have a lot of books on the subject. I watch Crimewatch every month and know a lot about historical crimes. Mr E thinks I am a bit strange!
Trashy TV
Embarrassing I know and not really a passion but a big interest of mine. I wish it wasn't but I have to admit I love trashy TV shows. The Only Way is Essex, Katie Price, Take me Out, X Factor, Big Brother....anything trashy I love. I love all reality TV as well.
My daughter
I know everyone is passionate about their children, but Mads is a new passion of mine. I am determined to enjoy every minute of my time off work with her and we are doing lots of activities. So far we are doing Baby Yoga, Baby Massage, Swimming Lessons, Baby Singing and soon we will be doing Baby Signing. I love reading books about her development too.
Travelling
I absolutely love travelling and have been very fortunate to go to some wonderful places. My favorite places in the world I have visited would be New York, Miami, Thailand, Barbados, Cuba, Mexico, Paris and Barcelona but I have been too many others. Mr E always go abroad every year, even if it is just a cheapie holiday to Spain but unfortunately I do not think that we will be able too with MadsMads.
So there you have it, the above are just a few of my passions. Hope it helped get to know me better!
Now I want to know about a couple of more people so I am going to tag these lovely two-
Mummy and the Beastie
Mummy, Mummy, Mum
Photography
I have a passion for taking photos. I am not particularly creative when it comes to photography although I do try. I have a Nikon D50 DSLR which I love but never get out much because I don't really know how to use it. (I would love to learn) I also have just a cheap Canon which I carry around with me everyday and also my pride and joy which is my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. My hubby bought it for my birthday a couple of years ago and I just love it. I also take a lot of photos on my iPhone.
I really do wish that I was better at it, I would love to learn how to take more artistic shots.
Photos
Leading on from the photography, I also am passionate about my photos. I literally have hundreds and I spend a lot of money on making photo books to capture all our memories. My friends and family get fed up with me because I am forever taking photos when we are out and about. I also have so many photos in frames around my house, a lot of people don't like having them up around the house but to me they are my pride and joy. (Although they do involve a lot of dusting!) I am trying to do a photo scrapbook for Mads but unfortunately I never seem to have the time.
Films
I am a real film buff and Mr E and I used to go to the cinema all the time before we had Mads as we had an unlimited cinema pass. Unfortunately we don't get the time as much anymore, although my Mum often has Mads so we can nip off for a couple of hours. I am afraid I do love chick flicks but I also love thrillers, and dramas. I like a bit of everything really though, although I draw the line at Westerns. I used to love horror films but find myself getting scared of them nowadays. If I had to say my top five favourite films, in no particular order they would be Leon, Mystic River, Shawshank Redemption, Brokedown Palace, and Dirty Dancing but I do have many I love.
Our home.
We bought our house almost two years ago and it was horrible inside when we first got it. We have spent a lot of time and money on it and have almost completely redone it cosmetically since we moved in. I am so proud of it, and keep it obsessively clean. When we have finished one room, I want to move on and do another one again but now I am on maternity leave unfortunately I can't buy as much for it. Although we want to move to a bigger house in a couple of years, I will always love my first home. Mr E has had a mortgage before me.
Reading
I have always enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember. I read all sorts of different things, from Chick Lit to Thrillers. I read very quickly and always have my head absorbed in a good book, although recently I have found myself not having as much time as I am always blogging when not looking after Mads! On our honeymoon I took away 15 books in 2 weeks and read every single one. I can not wait to read to Mads, I do read to her occasionally but I am really looking forward to reading her a story every night and reliving my childhood favourites through her. I have lots but 'The Faraway Tree' by Enid Blyton and all the Roald Dahl books have fond memories for me.
Crime Psychology
A bit of a strange passion but I have always been interested in crime. At University I studied Psychology and wrote my dissertation on Murder. Don't worry I am not a closet weirdo, but I am really interested in what makes criminals tick and have a lot of books on the subject. I watch Crimewatch every month and know a lot about historical crimes. Mr E thinks I am a bit strange!
Trashy TV
Embarrassing I know and not really a passion but a big interest of mine. I wish it wasn't but I have to admit I love trashy TV shows. The Only Way is Essex, Katie Price, Take me Out, X Factor, Big Brother....anything trashy I love. I love all reality TV as well.
My daughter
I know everyone is passionate about their children, but Mads is a new passion of mine. I am determined to enjoy every minute of my time off work with her and we are doing lots of activities. So far we are doing Baby Yoga, Baby Massage, Swimming Lessons, Baby Singing and soon we will be doing Baby Signing. I love reading books about her development too.
Travelling
I absolutely love travelling and have been very fortunate to go to some wonderful places. My favorite places in the world I have visited would be New York, Miami, Thailand, Barbados, Cuba, Mexico, Paris and Barcelona but I have been too many others. Mr E always go abroad every year, even if it is just a cheapie holiday to Spain but unfortunately I do not think that we will be able too with MadsMads.
So there you have it, the above are just a few of my passions. Hope it helped get to know me better!
Now I want to know about a couple of more people so I am going to tag these lovely two-
Mummy and the Beastie
Mummy, Mummy, Mum
The Gallery- Green Eyed Monster
So the theme for this weeks 'The Gallery' is 'Green.' I actually thought this was tougher than the previous two weeks themes, mainly because I wanted to do something different than take a nature shot. (Basically because I am a terrible photographer it would pale in comparison to some of the amazing ones I am sure we will see this week!)
Therefore I thought I would do my own interpretation on the theme.
Yes that is me. It is the most hideous picture I could find. I was drunk at the time but thats no excuse.
Green eyed monster. Jealousy. Envy. Green with envy.
However you say it, we have all been jealous at times. It is human nature.
I have found recently that my green eyed monster has come out on several occasions, always at the same subject and it is not something I am proud of.
Going back to work.
I have been lucky to meet some lovely friends since having my daughter, mainly through my NCT classes and going to local baby groups. I have met people from all walks of life, but a lot of the women that I have met do not have to go back to work and are going to be Stay at Home Mums.
I always thought that I was quite career orientated but since having Mads I have absolutely no desire to go back to work until she is older and goes to nursery properly. It's not that I hate my job, its just that I want to be at home with my daughter and not have to leave her with someone else when she is less than a year old.
Don't get me wrong. I have absolutely nothing against people who go back to work full time or people who choose to stay at home full time- it is their choice. But I want to be at home with my daughter. Not all the time, I do still want to go back to work a couple of days a week. It isn't the fact that they are off work all the time that gets me jealous. It is that they have the choice.
We are very lucky to have a wonderful home which I am very proud of. Unfortunately with said home comes a massive mortgage and a lot of outgoings. Basically we have issues every way you look at it. We can't afford for me to go back to work full time due to the cost of childcare and travel. We can't afford for me to go back to work part time because my part time wage won't even cover the cost of my half of the outgoing bills. And we most certainly can't afford for me to be making no money at all.
And thats why my green eyed monster comes out. Just because I wish for once we didn't have to worry about money. Compared to a lot of people I know we are so fortunate, we both earn decent wages and have a lovely home, but unfortunately all our money is tied up. In a few years it will be fine but not at the moment. I just wish I could afford enough to spend time with my daughter and not worry about every single penny.
So thats what is making me 'green' at the moment. A slight different interpretation on the theme I know.
Head over to Tara's blog 'Sticky Fingers' to see some more normal green themes.
P.S I am going to win the lottery so don't feel too sorry for me.
P.P.S I don't look like that in real life....honest.
Therefore I thought I would do my own interpretation on the theme.
Yes that is me. It is the most hideous picture I could find. I was drunk at the time but thats no excuse.
Green eyed monster. Jealousy. Envy. Green with envy.
However you say it, we have all been jealous at times. It is human nature.
I have found recently that my green eyed monster has come out on several occasions, always at the same subject and it is not something I am proud of.
Going back to work.
I have been lucky to meet some lovely friends since having my daughter, mainly through my NCT classes and going to local baby groups. I have met people from all walks of life, but a lot of the women that I have met do not have to go back to work and are going to be Stay at Home Mums.
I always thought that I was quite career orientated but since having Mads I have absolutely no desire to go back to work until she is older and goes to nursery properly. It's not that I hate my job, its just that I want to be at home with my daughter and not have to leave her with someone else when she is less than a year old.
Don't get me wrong. I have absolutely nothing against people who go back to work full time or people who choose to stay at home full time- it is their choice. But I want to be at home with my daughter. Not all the time, I do still want to go back to work a couple of days a week. It isn't the fact that they are off work all the time that gets me jealous. It is that they have the choice.
We are very lucky to have a wonderful home which I am very proud of. Unfortunately with said home comes a massive mortgage and a lot of outgoings. Basically we have issues every way you look at it. We can't afford for me to go back to work full time due to the cost of childcare and travel. We can't afford for me to go back to work part time because my part time wage won't even cover the cost of my half of the outgoing bills. And we most certainly can't afford for me to be making no money at all.
And thats why my green eyed monster comes out. Just because I wish for once we didn't have to worry about money. Compared to a lot of people I know we are so fortunate, we both earn decent wages and have a lovely home, but unfortunately all our money is tied up. In a few years it will be fine but not at the moment. I just wish I could afford enough to spend time with my daughter and not worry about every single penny.
So thats what is making me 'green' at the moment. A slight different interpretation on the theme I know.
Head over to Tara's blog 'Sticky Fingers' to see some more normal green themes.
P.S I am going to win the lottery so don't feel too sorry for me.
P.P.S I don't look like that in real life....honest.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Anyone for a spot of Orange?
One of my favourite brands is Innocent- of course we enjoy their smoothies, (and I am quite partial to their veg pots as well) but also because of their very clever and cute advertising campaigns and their approach to sustainable packaging and ingredients. In fact I have their book 'A Book About Innocent: Our Story and Some Things We've Learned' on how they started and I really recommend it to anyone who is interested in the company.
Therefore I was quite happy to have a 'test' of their new orange juice. (Although lets just say it didn't hang around for long!)
First of all the difficulty was finding it. Because it was nice weather all the local shops had sold out. Finally we found some. We decided to get the 'smooth' variety because Mr E is a baby and doesn't like bits. However there is the 'with bits' option for adults and better behaved children than my hubby! They also do a rather nice apple juice as well.
The juice comes in a 900ml carafe and there are 11 juicy oranges squeezed into it. That is a lot of oranges! You can really taste them: the juice is sweet, thick and has very strong flavours. We will definitely be buying it again.
As you can see Mads really wanted to have some like her Mummy and Daddy. She is a bit young yet at only 17 weeks, but that didn't stop her having a nibble of the bottle!
Why not head over to Innocent and 'Shake the Tree'for your chance to win one of many great prizes?
Therefore I was quite happy to have a 'test' of their new orange juice. (Although lets just say it didn't hang around for long!)
First of all the difficulty was finding it. Because it was nice weather all the local shops had sold out. Finally we found some. We decided to get the 'smooth' variety because Mr E is a baby and doesn't like bits. However there is the 'with bits' option for adults and better behaved children than my hubby! They also do a rather nice apple juice as well.
The juice comes in a 900ml carafe and there are 11 juicy oranges squeezed into it. That is a lot of oranges! You can really taste them: the juice is sweet, thick and has very strong flavours. We will definitely be buying it again.
As you can see Mads really wanted to have some like her Mummy and Daddy. She is a bit young yet at only 17 weeks, but that didn't stop her having a nibble of the bottle!
Why not head over to Innocent and 'Shake the Tree'for your chance to win one of many great prizes?
A little leak...breastfeeding problem!
We have all heard the horror stories. The dreaded 'leaking in public.' A thought that scares even the most hardened of breast feeding mums. And it happened to me. Yesterday in fact.
The weather has been so beautiful recently and it has really got me in a fashion dilemma. I have lots of beautiful floaty summer tops and dresses (perfect for hiding the still look three month's pregnant tummy) but unfortunately there is one problem. My bras. Being a breast feeder I have to wear mammoth strapped, passion killer bras with the added turn on of breast pads. Not only does it ruin any 'heat of the moment' action, it also plays havoc with my summer wardrobe. In short I can not find any pretty clothes that cover these monstrosities.
Back to yesterday. We were going on a family day out to the races. The weather was glorious and I decided that just once I was going to rebel against my ugly friends. I was going to wear a pretty summer top and wear a strapless bra. Shock horror. With under wire. Having suffered from mastitis five times during the course of nursing my daughter, once because my bra was too tight, this was no mean feat.
Anyway I donned my outfit and felt pretty special let me tell you. I was a yummy mummy. Added with some tight skinny jeans, high heeled wedges and the floaty top to cover my bulge, I didn't scrub up too bad for someone who has just had a baby. (Well four months ago but whose counting?)
We arrived at the races and everywhere you looked there were gorgeous, glamorous ladies in dresses and looking as orange as David Dickinson in the summer. But I felt OK. I may not be the epitome of glamour but I was looking alright.
The friends we were with bought champagne and I sipped on my one and a half glasses that the health visitor advised me was OK. Mads was in a pretty dress and being as good as gold and we were having a lovely day.
Fast forward a few hours. We were half way through the day when my boobies began to hurt. As in throb. And go red hot. I know the early signs now and when I felt them they had lumps. My dreaded friend beginning with M wanted to make a comeback. (That's Mastitis not Mads!) I panicked and in a moment of madness decided that the best thing to do would be to remove my bra. It was my fault for being vain and now my boobs had decided to punish me.
Nipping to the disabled toilet (with my Mum might I add, who had had a few more glasses of champagne than I had, and thought she could be of use) I removed my bra. Unfortunately the pretty, floaty summer top was also rather see through and you could see my nipples through it. My Mum lent me her pashmina and I shoved some tissue down there to stop any leakages. As you could see the tissue through it I had to make sure the pashmina was covering me at all times.
All was fine for a while and no one noticed a thing. I was on the home straight with only a few races to go.
It was the last race of the day and we were all stood amongst the crowd waiting for the horses to start. I felt a wet patch and thought at first someone was dripping their drink on me as it was busy. But no it wasn't. My right breast had decided to leak through the tissue, through my top and through the pashmina. And not just a little bit, a lot. Luckily everyone was too engrossed in the last race to notice me but I did notice a few people glancing my direction.
I am going to start weaning Mads soon and slowly I will start to wean her off me and on to follow on milk. Hopefully just in time for when summer actually begins!
The weather has been so beautiful recently and it has really got me in a fashion dilemma. I have lots of beautiful floaty summer tops and dresses (perfect for hiding the still look three month's pregnant tummy) but unfortunately there is one problem. My bras. Being a breast feeder I have to wear mammoth strapped, passion killer bras with the added turn on of breast pads. Not only does it ruin any 'heat of the moment' action, it also plays havoc with my summer wardrobe. In short I can not find any pretty clothes that cover these monstrosities.
Back to yesterday. We were going on a family day out to the races. The weather was glorious and I decided that just once I was going to rebel against my ugly friends. I was going to wear a pretty summer top and wear a strapless bra. Shock horror. With under wire. Having suffered from mastitis five times during the course of nursing my daughter, once because my bra was too tight, this was no mean feat.
Anyway I donned my outfit and felt pretty special let me tell you. I was a yummy mummy. Added with some tight skinny jeans, high heeled wedges and the floaty top to cover my bulge, I didn't scrub up too bad for someone who has just had a baby. (Well four months ago but whose counting?)
We arrived at the races and everywhere you looked there were gorgeous, glamorous ladies in dresses and looking as orange as David Dickinson in the summer. But I felt OK. I may not be the epitome of glamour but I was looking alright.
The friends we were with bought champagne and I sipped on my one and a half glasses that the health visitor advised me was OK. Mads was in a pretty dress and being as good as gold and we were having a lovely day.
Fast forward a few hours. We were half way through the day when my boobies began to hurt. As in throb. And go red hot. I know the early signs now and when I felt them they had lumps. My dreaded friend beginning with M wanted to make a comeback. (That's Mastitis not Mads!) I panicked and in a moment of madness decided that the best thing to do would be to remove my bra. It was my fault for being vain and now my boobs had decided to punish me.
Nipping to the disabled toilet (with my Mum might I add, who had had a few more glasses of champagne than I had, and thought she could be of use) I removed my bra. Unfortunately the pretty, floaty summer top was also rather see through and you could see my nipples through it. My Mum lent me her pashmina and I shoved some tissue down there to stop any leakages. As you could see the tissue through it I had to make sure the pashmina was covering me at all times.
All was fine for a while and no one noticed a thing. I was on the home straight with only a few races to go.
It was the last race of the day and we were all stood amongst the crowd waiting for the horses to start. I felt a wet patch and thought at first someone was dripping their drink on me as it was busy. But no it wasn't. My right breast had decided to leak through the tissue, through my top and through the pashmina. And not just a little bit, a lot. Luckily everyone was too engrossed in the last race to notice me but I did notice a few people glancing my direction.
I am going to start weaning Mads soon and slowly I will start to wean her off me and on to follow on milk. Hopefully just in time for when summer actually begins!
Monday, 25 April 2011
Whats in a name?
One of the first important responsibilities as new parents to be is to decide (without fighting) on a name for your new bundle of joy.
I think it is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. After all your new 'Princess Tiaamii' or 'Apple' is going to have to live with their new name for the rest of their lives.
We made the choice to find out the sex of our baby at the 20 week scan. We thought it would be easier then to decide on a name if we knew what 'flavour' we were having. Unfortunately not. We still couldn't agree on a suitable name for our new baby girl. Millie, Isabella, Charlotte and Madeleine were our top contenders, however in the end we had 99% settled on Madeleine before she was born.
When you are pregnant everyone wants to put their two pennies worth in about your own personal decisions. First everyone wants to know whether you will find out the sex and gives their opinions on what you should do. Next people want to know what names you have thought of. I have friends who have not mentioned any names until the baby has been born in order to keep it a surprise but we did tell a few people our shortlist. Most people told us their favourite off the list and that was it. However I did tell one guy I worked with that one of our favourite names was Madeleine. He turned to me and said 'Oh don't call her that, she will be forever associated with Madeleine McCann.'
He really upset me. If I had told him that after she had been born, I am sure he wouldn't have dreamt of saying that so why say it to me before? Why do people find it necessary to give their opinions to a very personal decision?
I have always loved the name Madeleine and one imbecile almost stopped us calling our daughter a name we both loved and agreed on. I know I shouldn't have cared what he thought but I started to question whether others would think this as well.
If no one ever called a baby a name of a celebrity/historical figure/person from their past then there wouldn't be many names left. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I know that not everyone will agree on names, but I think for our next baby we will keep quiet about what we are calling them until they are actually born.
According to Bounty the top girl's name for 2010 was Olivia and the top boy's name was Jack. Madeleine didn't make the top 100 but Katie was No 20. At least I can say to her that her Mummy is still trendy in some respects!
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