4 months old today

Four months old in this world, and growing fast.

Everyone needs a Cuski (yet another sleepless night's creation)

Being a baby
No easy task.
One of life's comforts
Is my snuggly Cuski.
"Don't go away, Mum,
You don't need the loo"
"I'll be back in a minute!" -
And she leaves the room.
I'm feeling abandoned,
Thanks for asking.
My chin is quivering,
I'm chewing my Cuski.
My soothing comforter
I twisted and twirled.
With my soft Cuski
I'll brave the world.
Someone call Social Services,
She's been gone forever.
Don't let her use the loo.
Never-ever.
She's back, my mother,
And she thinks she's funny
"Whatta brave little boy,
A courageous bunny".
For you it's three minutes,
For me an eternity,
Cuski and I -
Function as a fraternity.



Eddie has a selection of comforters, and he chomps on them with enthusiasm.
I think a comforter like Cuski is a great invention, it is soft, soothing and ever so comforting. Sometimes when I am feeling blue, I feel I need a Cuski too.

Ode to a rocking chair

You embraced us both in your rocking rhythm,
You supported my aching back,
You heard me crying - and sympathised,
And lulled my baby to sleep.

My baby was fretful and cried in pain,
Waves of misery crashed through the night.
You saw my despair - and held us tight,
And rocked my baby to sleep.

You witnessed his first confident smile,
His gurgles and cheeky grins,
You saw my delight - and quietly sang,
And danced my baby to sleep.

Every time I sit in my nursing chair with Eddie in my arms, I feel like this has been the best purchase ever. It truly saved my sanity and my aching back for many nights of feeding, with a baby wailing because of colics. We rocked and we rocked and we rocked.

My cake recipe is in print

It all started over a year ago, if not longer than that, when the DK was running a competition to create a recipe using Fairtrade products. I have forgotten all about it, when some time in spring I got a letter from DK, saying that they decided not to publish the Fairtrade recipes book but would like to include my Honey cake recipe into a new Everyday easy Cakes & Cupcakes book and asked my permission to publish my recipe. Of course, I agreed. They sent me a fab food encyclopaedia as a Thank you, and finally my recipe was printed this October in a lovely book full of delicious cake recipes. Sadly my name is not mentioned but hey I am not that ambitious. I know I can cook like Nigella, when I have time (though lately after giving birth to our baby Eddie I discovered a world of ready-made meals, LOL).
I am very happy with a layout and the photo. :)

I think we might be teething

Eddie's been drooling quite a bit recently and tries to chew anything at hand. A comforter, a soft toy, a Nuby ring or his own vest...

Breastfeeding Mum's best friend

After breastfeeding my firstborn for over 2 years, I considered myself a b/f professional, an ace of nursing. But as I was recuperating in the hospital after my c-section, breastfeeding Eddie wasn't an easy sailing. Though he immediately latched as soon as they put him to my breast and was suckling for over an hour, and I thought he was very clever to do that, I didn't really produce any milk at that point. After a couple of days he was getting pretty hungry, and the pediatrics matron insisted that I give my child formula and top up every time I breastfeed him with the formula. I was quite upset about it all but also didn't want to keep my big boy hungry. When we came back home, I was searching the Lactivist website for the tips on how to improve the milk flow and came across a link to get some free samples of the Holle nursing tea. The samples arrived very quickly, and I was worried at first that I wouldn't like it, as tea has aniseed and I am not very keen on it. However, I was pleasantly surprised that aniseed didn't overpower the other flavours, and the balance of aniseed, fennel, caraway seed and lemon balm was perfect. I ordered a few packs of nursing tea, and I noticed the difference in a few days. The milk flow became more established and consistent, and my baby ditched the top up formula. And that's my story about the nursing tea. :)
And here is a link to free samples if anyone wants to try.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Be scared, be very scared!
Little Eddie was a bit reluctant to lie amidst pumpkins and didn't want to smile for the photo session.

Sonia's art

My 3-year-old niece Sonia created these two drawings of Hallowe'en.
One is Walpurgis, I think, it certainly has that feeling, lol.

Three months old today

My little treasure and a personal dictator is turning 3 months old today. Can't say time flies, as it also has a tendency to crawl at a snail's pace, especially in the night, when you are desperate for an hour's sleep and the little one is crying, and you keep pacing the room, rocking him to sleep, and he would only sleep if you hold him in your arms, and assoon as you carefully lower him in the bed, he opens his eyes and starts wailing again.
But then the morning comes, and the best smiles are always for Mummy who needs this adorable grin to prove that she is doing all right actually.

Spalleta

My mother-in-law calls Eddie "spalleta", i.e. a little shoulder, as he basically lives on my shoulder, he is happy to sleep while I carry him around and do things. I am turning into a very crafty one-armed housewife.

I want my Mummy...

... to share all the precious moments when Eddie smiles, or "talks" to me, making cute little noises... I need her to help me when he is screaming his head off, and poor abandoned Sasha wants attention as well...
She stayed with us in the last days of my pregnancy and the first three weeks after Eddie was born, and I don't know how I would have managed without her. I was worried sick thinking how Sasha would cope without me at home for several days. I tried to explain things to Sasha but with him being autistic and non verbal, it is difficult to know what he really understands or thinks. They coped without me though it wasn't easy for either my Mum or Sasha, but if anything it brought them closer.
When I arrived home with my baby boy, Mum helped me with the house, cooking and shopping so that for the first three weeks I could concentrate purely on my baby, bless him.
I do talk to her on the phone every day, but I so miss sharing all the precious little moments. Ahhhhh, I want my Mummy.
This is my Mum with Eddie.

Winnie the Pooh sleepsuit giveaway - CLOSED

To celebrate surviving 12 weeks of no sleep and for no other particular reason I would like to offer another sleep-deprived Mum a chance to win this cute Winnie the Pooh outfit. I was lucky enough to win a shopping spree in Disney online shop back in May, and enjoyed buying clothes and toys for my two nieces, my own guys and our friends' little girl. My older niece who is a smart cookie pronounced that it is so nice to have a rich auntie. :)
This sleepsuit is for boys 6-9 months' old.
I have chosen it for my sweet Eddins but we got so many gifts of clothes from family and friends, that he won't be able to model all of them.
Please add your comments below if you want to win this outfit. You don't have to follow my blog, as I only started it, and there's not much to read.
Just tell me please who you'd like this sleepsuit for. Also I would appreciate if you make it clear how to find you if you win. If you have a blog of your own, I'll find you, if you don't, just leave your username on the forum or other contact information. cheers!
oh yes, I will select a winner on 25/10/10.
I asked my son Sasha to pick up a name from the hat, and the winner is Paula QuertyMum. Well done on your win! Hope your son will enjoy wearing this outfit!

Welcome, Eddie!

Where do I start? From the beginning, I guess. Eddie is our precious little boy born on a hot day in July. He was born on a Sunday evening weighing 4kg 610g. I was supposed to have a planned c-section next day, but Eddie was in such a rush that he couldn't wait another day. When he was taken out of my body and put on my breast, Eddie was quietly sucking on his thumb and contemplating his new life. I was marvelling at my baby son and thinking he looks so different from Sasha. Sasha's birth was a very traumatic experience. While they were stitching me up, the music played in the background, it was Take That "We can rule the world". I have never been a big fan of Take That, leaving it to silly teenagers, but I found it strangely comforting and reassuring. My surgeon, a handsome Greek doctor, did a great job, and later all the other medics who looked at my scar, commented on the quality of the stitches. All in all, I thought the op went well, the team worked as one, and I will always remember nurse Tamara who was lovely. She told me she was named after Gagarin's wife.
The stay in the hospital after the op was another experience altogether. I wish they didn't allow just so many visitors. Some of the ladies next to me clearly abused the notion of 3 visistors max at a time. One of them, just next to me, had all the estate coming to visit her, and you should have seen the visitors, they looked like coming of "Little Britain". How are you supposed to rest and recover with so many people around? I banned everyone but my husband from coming to the hospital. My Mum was looking after Sasha at home, and she was really the only person I'd love to see while there. For Sasha it would have been too stressful to visit me, so I steeled myself to wait for a few days, but I missed him so much. I have never been away from my boy, not even for a day, so this separation was difficult for both of us.
And now I have two sons.