Zero Waste Week
This week is Zero Waste Week. What do they mean by zero waste? I hear you say. Well it is as simple as it sounds. The aim is to reduce or completely eliminate the amount you throw away. If you spend next to no time actually thinking about how much stuff you do chuck out, when someone tells you it is zero waste week you might be quite disgusted to think about what you do sling in the bin. The Jessop household has been on the case of this for a while. Emily has reusable nappies and we don’t use wet wipes at all. I’ve made the switch to…
Why hello Aunt Flo!
After a two year long absence, Mother Nature decided to pay me a visit last week and I was really happy to see her. Yeah I know periods can be a lot of faff! And yeah I can remember the cramping (God, do I remembering the cramping) and the mood swings and the greasy, spotty face and massive implications for eating one slightly unhealthy thing and yeah I remember all the sodding about with pads and tampons and choosing the right knickers etc. But over the last two years I’ve come to view my period differently. I overheard two of my year 11 students talking the other day. These two…
Den Day 2016
I’m quite keen that Emily knows that she is priveledged. That she has things that other people don’t have and that she shows gratitude for them but also works to help other people get them too. Naturally I’d like for her to grow up and win the Nobel Peace prize or something but baby steps eh? Last year we did the Splashathon and Emily raised money for Tommy’s by doing an underwater swim. This year we took part in Save the Children’s Den Day. It was awesome! I want charitable activities for Emily to be enjoyable and memorable with the hope that she will want to do more…
A different form of creativity!
I would not describe myself as a creative person. I can’t sing, paint, draw, dance, write poetry or stories or even choose an outfit than comes in anything other than monochrome. But I am quite good putting together sensory or messy play activities for Emily. Small world tuff trays I have done quite a few of these. The tuff tray is an amazing piece of equipment and we use it for all sorts. I love using them to create “small worlds” and with these come all sorts of other experiences. What the Ladybird heard/ Farmyard theme Edible dinosaur island Artic Noah’s ark Rock pool Zoo Village These are really satisfying…
“You’re pushing your luck now!”
This post is all about breastfeeding an infant after their first birthday. Yes, we *still* breastfeed. No it’s not weird! Also it’s not really anyone else’s business. I knew as Emily’s first birthday loomed that people’s attitudes towards me breastfeeding would change. Suddenly it would no longer be perceived as essential or even desirable but people would start to think of it as “not normal.” No one has yet confronted me about this but I have noticed the odd comment or strange look. “Bitty!” is one! Grr! “You’re getting a bit big for that now!” or “She’ll have to learn to cope without it.” Then there’s the change in body…
Well that went quickly!
Today is the last day of my maternity leave before I return to work full time. It’s a strange moment. I’m not worried about work. Nor am I worried about Emily as she will be with her daddy. I guess I’m just sad that we have to move on. I love being a mum! It’s changed me so much. I’ve become passionate and nerdy about things I never cared about before. I’ve made new friends that have become so important to me. I’ve seen my husband grow into the new role of father and I love him even more because of it. I’ve seen my parents and parents-in-law embrace the…
Adventures in Baby-led Weaning World
Emily’s first encounter with food came when she was 26 weeks old, just two days short of turning six months. This is the recommended age to start solid food and Dan and I have always been keen to listen to the advice offered by people who know their stuff. Dan booked the week off work and I prepared all the “accessories” that I thought we need for weaning. I bought high chairs, Doidy cups, plastic plates and bowls, bibs and a selection of Tupperware. It was wonderful, guilt-free shopping! Every time the postman would knock on the door to deliver another parcel, I just look at Dan, shrug my shoulders…
Liquid gold for all!
The bottom drawer of our freezer has been otherwise out of use for a while. Well not completely, as it has been home to litres of breast milk. I’d stored it up thinking that Emily might take a bottle and that I could maybe have left her with Dan on the odd occasion. However that never really happened. Emily will take milk from a cup but she would rather not if she has a choice. This meant that my ever increasing stash of milk was sat in my freezer rapidly heading towards a date when it would be unusable. This led me to turn to Human Milk for Human Babies UK.…
My child is not a genius (but yours ain’t either)
Emily is a smart cookie. She’s an early developer and is demonstrating new skills at a younger than average age. However I am under no illusions about her. Maybe it’s just the fact that my mum is great at spotting the things she does or maybe her curious personality inspires her to learn things quickly. Whatever it is, in my eyes she’s phenomenal, but she is still a baby. Now the reason I mention this is because I have recently become acquainted with a woman who seems to have given birth to the next Albert Einstein. Her wonder child is capable of doing the most amazing things. Or so she…
Night-time cuddles!
In the last couple of weeks I’ve become increasingly aware of how much I love my late night Emily snuggles. In a few days time my little baby girl will be six months old, and she has grown so much. Six months is a big milestone. Lots of things seem to happen around the six month mark or you are told that they should and every single one of them makes me feel like I’m losing my baby bit by bit. 1. Most babies are regularly sleeping through the night by six months. I’m not sure where I heard this one but I’m sure it’s in some leaflet that the…