Indiana's 22 Month Update

26.9.15



Sometimes I think about stopping these updates as not much changes now she's bigger. Then I think how much I'll love looking back of these when she's older, so I'm determined to carry on until she's 2! Indie turned 22 months today (26th September), and she's now around 26lb - not 100% accurate as she didn't want to stand on the scales at the health clinic haha. She's just starting to wear a few 18-24 month items of clothing, but she's still very petite (some 9-12 month clothes still fit!).

Eating wise she's still going through a fussy phase. She adores breakfast and will without fail eat everything she's given, sometimes having more. Her favourite at the moment is cheerios, always with a side of fruit - preferably a 'narna'. Lunch is hit and miss; she eats everything apart from the sandwich/wrap/roll which is a bit annoying. Dinner is the hardest meal.

We've had a lot end up on the floor recently, including things she used to love! We've had slight improvement these last few weeks (she's actually eaten peas and sweetcorn, and pasta willingly!), but it's still pretty frustrating, especially considering she used to eat absolutely anything.



Sleep has been SO much better since the nights/mornings have got darker. Now instead of waking at 5am for milk she's sleeping in until gone 6/7, and we've even had a couple of 8am lie-ins! She's still having a morning nap between 10 and 12 which is an absolute god-send; especially with having Parker. She definitely needs this nap still, so until she wants to drop it, it's staying.

She's been looking and acting even more grown up recently. She chats away to you constantly and is interested in everything. She's started noticing planes the past few weeks and now every time one flies over we have to watch it and say goodbye haha. She still loves to colour and paint, build towers, read books, role play with her stuffed toys and baby, and most importantly keep an eye on her baby brother!


Indie has picked up even more words this month, and it's getting pretty hard to keep up with how many she now knows. She asks for breakfast and uses the word for all meals haha, of course she knows the word snack too! New words this month include: Gemma, Laura, Joe, Rabbit, Zebra, "go away", "stop it", breakfast, colour, plate, and loads more! She refers to herself as 'you' and points to herself - we've tried to make a habit of pointing herself out in pictures and saying Indiana now instead haha. I love having conversations with her now, she's got such a cheeky personality and it really shines.

She's now been a big sister for 2 months, and she still absolutely loves it - she's not bored of him yet haha. She is still obsessed with Parker and constantly gives him kisses and cuddles. She's still loving nursery too and has just started Jo Jingles during her Friday mornings; it's In The Night Garden themed at the moment, so you can imagine she LOVES it!

Cosatto To & Fro Pushchair | Review

23.9.15


Back in May I was contacted by the lovely people at Cosatto and asked if I wanted to review their brand new pushchair, the To & Fro. I practically jumped at the chance and was so excited when it arrived. We began using is with our toddler Indiana, but now our baby boy Parker has arrived we've been able to use it to the full. The To & Fro is a streamline pushchair that also doubles up as a travel system too - oh and it's also forward AND parent facing... amazing!

The To & Fro is suitable from birth by using either the seat in parent facing mode, or by using it as a travel system with the Cosatto Hold carseat (you do have to buy this separately). In parent facing mode the seat lays flat and with the head hugger and included foot muff, it creates a cosy and comfortable ride for any newborn. Then once you feel baby is ready to face the world you just flip the seat and hood over, and hey presto, it's back to a regular stroller! At first I did feel like I was going to break the hood when pulling it through, but it really was so simple, and doesn't take long at all. I will say though that without the footmuff there was a slight gap in the fabric when in parent facing mode.




This means there's no need to buy and transport extra bits and bobs as you really do have all you need in one unit! What I loved was that each side has it's own harness (although you do have to pull these through if you want to adjust the height of them - we had to do this when we used it for Parker in newborn mode, and Indiana in stroller mode.

Each way has it's own design too which I think is a brilliant touch. Cosatto's bright, vibrant and fun designs really are eye-catching and definitely make the pram stand out from the crowd. I chose the 'Pitter Patter' design as thought it was the most suitable for both genders, however there are others to choose from.



Using the pushchair with the car seat made a quick trip to town a lot easier. We managed to quickly pop on the car seat adaptors without even needing the instructions; although I will say getting the car seat onto these was a bit of a fiddle (it took both of us a number of attempts to get both sides on!). I will also say the one negative about this is that if you were using the pushchair is parent facing mode, and then wanted to use the car seat, you do have to flip it back - something that does slow down the process a little bit. The car seat itself was lovely and padded and Parker looked really comfortable in it. Jack also said the base was VERY easy to install into the car and made using the car seat a lot easier.



We did have a cheap umbrella stroller before but the added extras with this one just blew me away. Firstly the handles are height adjustable. This is a fab little extra, especially for us as I'm short and Jack's tall, so it caters to us both.

The pushchair also comes with a cup holder - essential for when out and about - and a raincover which is very easy to pop on and off. The foot muff is reversible so it matches the two designs and is fully lined and padded to create a comfortable ride for baby. The pushchair is easy to put up and down and when folded stands by itself too. Finally the hood has a panel to view your child through while on the go, a pocket for storing your essentials, and an extra flap so your child is completely shaded from the sun!

I must add a few negatives as it isn't 100% perfect, but these really haven't put us off using it at all. The pushchair is heavy. I love how sturdy and well-made the pushchair is, but this does mean that it it weightier than your cheaper umbrella-style pushchair. This doesn't affect how easy it is to push, but for people like us that have to carry it up and down stairs it is a bit annoying! The pushchair is also long when folded. This means it doesn't fit in the back of our Seat Ibiza unless the parcel shelf is off, or we have to put it on the back seats (something we now cannot do with two car seats in there)!


Overall we absolutely love the Cosatto To & Fro. We love that we can use it for both our toddler Indiana and our newborn baby boy Parker without having to make many changes. It's design means you only ever need to buy one pushchair; it really would last you from birth until they no longer need a pram. Also how can you not love that design and the fact it comes with a 4 year guarantee as standard!

Disclaimer - We were sent the Cosatto To & Fro Pushchair, Hold carseat and carseat base for the purpose of this review. However all opinions are honest, my own and we have not been paid for this review

Parker's 1 Month Update

9.9.15


It's so crazy to believe Parker's been a part of our family for over a month now. These newborn weeks really do fly by and don't last long at all! Parker turned a month old on the 4th September; he's changed a lot in just a few short weeks.

I had him weighed on the 8th at exactly 5 weeks (slightly late but I lost track of when the weighing clinic was haha), and he now weighs 9lb 7oz. He was 8lb 9oz born - dropped to 8lb 3oz at 2 days old - and was back up to his exact birth weight at 2 weeks so he's gaining well.

Now he's uncurcled you can see he's a long baby compared to Indiana, and he has the biggest fingers and feet I've ever seen haha. He's still fitting into first size although these are getting tight around his legs, so we need to move out of these already. Most of his clothes are currently up to 1 month or newborn.


I still can't get over the amount of dark hair Parker was born with, especially when Indie was such a baldy haha! It's rubbing off slightly at the back now but still going strong. It's lightening up though and it's definitely turning blonde/ginger. His eyes are turning blue just like everyone else in my family. He now coos and gurgles instead of always crying, and he gave us his first smiles at 4 weeks 6 days old! He adores bath time and will be instantly calm once he's in the water.

Parker was breastfed for the first few days and then I slowly switched to bottles (I expressed to begin with so he didn't go straight to formula). We were using Tommee Tippee bottles but quickly switched to Dr Browns. He has a lot of trouble with wind and really struggles to get it up. We were using Infacol which did help a bit, but now we're using Gripe Water which seems to be doing a better job. He takes between 2-4 ounces every 3/4 hours - I remember Indiana taking a lot more this early on, but clearly he's not as greedy as her haha.


We have been suffering the dreaded colic in the evenings, which I remember very well. Around 4-10 is when he's at his worst, which is probably when having two under two is the hardest. I really need to invest in a sling/carrier so I can wear him during these times - any recommendations very welcome! He's a very cuddly, clingy baby compared to Indiana and loves to be held; preferably with you stood up holding him close to your chest. At the moment he doesn't really enjoy being laid down on his playmat, and will usually cry after about 5/10 minutes.

Sleep-wise we're getting into some sort of routine. During the day he mostly cat-naps as Indiana doesn't really let him have a long sleep. He can then go to 'bed' anytime between 8-11 and then this is when he has his long period of sleep. He usually wakes up around 3ish and then 5ish which we're really happy with at the moment. He has slept through twice now (10-5) so fingers crossed he carries on! He sleeps happily in his moses basket and generally settles well after a night feed; thank you Ewan the Dreamsheep!


Parker has fitted into the family perfectly. Indiana is still very much besotted with him and actually asks for her 'bubba' before Jack and I now haha. I just wish they didn't grow up so fast!

2 Under 2 | The First Month

3.9.15


When I first discovered I was pregnant we had just celebrated Indiana's first birthday. I must say I was pretty nervous; you hear so many horror stories of having 2 under 2 and I knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. However it's really not been as bad as I thought. Yes it's tiring, yes it's a lot more work (Indie's still in nappies, having 2 bottles of milk a day and can't walk everywhere yet), but it's not as terrible as people make it seem - you really do just adapt!

We were very lucky that Jack had 3 weeks off when Parker was born, so we could both learn to cope with the change together. When either of us was sorting out Parker, the other was giving Indiana the attention she needs so she never felt left out. We have continued to do a night shift each too. However now whoever isn't up with baby is on Indiana duty. This works really well as it means whoever was up with Parker in the night usually gets a little lie in in the morning (although this doesn't quite work when Jack does the early shift!).


Parker has just slotted into our family life, and it honestly feels like he has always been here. When Indie was born we pretty much structured the first month around her and her needs. This time there's no time for that; Parker has already been on 3 huge shopping trips, to the beach and has plenty of trips to Costa haha.

Going out does take a little longer than it used to. I forgot how much stuff a newborn needs, and how many pit-stops you have to make haha. Luckily Indie only needs a small bag now, so we usually just throw a couple of her nappies in the changing bag. She can now walk down the stairs too, so there's no need to carry her which makes things a whole lot easier! We've got a double pram (which I'm absolutely in love with) which only takes slightly longer as you need to attach double the bits.


It has got a bit harder now Jack it back at work. Luckily the first month most newborns spend most of their time sleeping, However there have been days where he hasn't wanted to be put down, and then Indie has wanted to play. There's also been days where Indie has really tested my patience and I think the phrase "No Indiana leave your brother alone" has been one I've used far too often!

On the whole though Indiana has taken to it so well. She is happy to play by herself or sit and watch a bit of Cbeebies while I feed/change/soothe Parker. She also understands a lot, and her speech is coming on so well she can tell us what she wants most of the time now.

So from the first month as a mum of 2 under 2, here's the main things I've learnt:

  • Keep your routine the same! We have kept Indiana's routine exactly the same and made sure to slot Parker around her. This helps them to know not everything has changed. Indie still goes to nursery twice a week - she loves it and it gives me some time to either catch up on jobs, or snuggle Parker without feeling guilty.
  • Get them involved! We get Indie to help out as much as she can. She brings me nappies and wipes, gives Parker his dummy, and we make sure to let her do things (even if they aren't always that helpful haha).
  • Make time for your other child/children! When Parker is asleep I make sure to ignore the housework and give Indie all of my attention. I usually try and get him to sleep in his moses basket in the bedroom so we can be as loud as possible. Even if it's just dancing around her room and being silly, as long as she knows she's just as important and I've got time for her, that's all that matters.
  • Be Prepared! If we know we're going out we'll get everything ready either the night before or early in the morning. The changing bag is always repacked when we get home so there's no chance of being caught out. With 2 under 2 you don't want to be leaving things until the last minute if you want to get out the door by 10am!
  • Embrace kid's TV! I know it's not the best, but sometimes it is your best friend! On the days Parker just wants cuddling and feeding Cbeebies or Despicable Me has been my saviour. It keeps Indie entertained for a bit while I can't - obviously not all the time (I don't think I could deal with kids TV 24/7 haha).

I know it's going to get tougher once Parker is awake more, and don't even get me started on the terrible twos alongside a teething baby (please send help when this one comes along haha). But for now I'm loving it... well when Indie's not having a breakdown and Parker's not screaming the house down haha! The love Indie has for her brother already is amazing, and I cannot wait to watch their love and bond grow.