The Real Motherhood Challenge

One thing I continue to see on Facebook these days is these 'mother challenges' whereby a mother is tagged in a post and 'challenged' to upload a photograph that makes them proud to be a mother, they then tag other fabulous mummies to participate. Is it just me or is this just not a challenge? I could go on and on about all the things that make me proud to be George's mum, just look at my Facebook and Twitter, he's practically all I talk about! 

For me, the real challenges are the things that are the hardest about being a parent. The things nobody wants to talk about on social media as they are in fear of looking like a bad parent. Nobody said becoming a parent would be easy, so why don't we talk about the meltdowns our children had in public? 

The real motherhood challenge is listening to your toddler say "no mummy work" and your heart breaking at the thought of leaving him behind whilst you head off to work for 8 hours day.

The real motherhood challenge is explaining to your toddler that you can't go outside today because it's raining and dealing with the multiple toys that will come flying at you in a fit of rage.

The real motherhood challenge is attempting to tidy your house that hasn't been tidied in two weeks because you both work full time and are exhausted every night, whilst your toddler is insisting on you play with him. 

The real motherhood challenge is waking up at 3am because your child has had a nightmare and you need to console him. 

It is far too easy to become self involved and want to show off to others about how wonderful our lives are and paint this perfect picture, when in fact, the lives we share on social media only show a small percentage of how we actually live. At the moment, my living room is full of toys, the dishwasher needs fillings, I have a laundry pile as big as an elephant (clean and dirty) but wouldn't be showing you Instagram photographs of that. Maybe there's a niche there, who knows?

What do you find most challenging about being a mummy?

Rachael xo

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Stain Removal with Vanish

As a first time mum everything has been new and exciting! Especially weaning, introducing George to new flavours and textures is one of my favourite experiences. People will always offer you advice when you have a baby and there are warnings after warnings about what to expect, but nobody ever told me about the stains that come with weaning! I learnt the hard way, baby food is one of the most stubborn substances to remove.

I have tried bleach, various stain removal products, hot washes, you name it. Seriously, invest in some cover all and plastic bibs, you will not look back! While George is teething he has a habit of wiping his mouth on his sleeves which drives me mad. The sooner he is old enough to realise clothes cost money, the better.

George and I were kindly sent some Vanish products to review and never did I think I would be so excited to open a package containing cleaning products, that's definitely a sign you're getting old. With the boys out for the day, I took the opportunity to put the products to good use.

First up we have Vanish Gold Powergel:

Powergel is a pre treatment product, where the instructions state to squeeze onto stains and rub in circles, work in for 1-5 minutes then wash as normal. Following these instructions I was feeling pretty optimistic. 

As you can see in the after picture, the more hard wearing stains have not been removed after using this product. I even put a scoop of the Oxi Action Powder in the washing machine and still have stains. I was slightly disappointed by this product, however these stains were dried on which I know makes them tougher to remove. I will try again when the stains are still fresh to see if this makes a difference.

Vanish Gold Oxi Action is a powder fabric stain remover, I didn't get my hopes with this one because I've tried powder stain removers in the past and not had much success. Anyway, following the instructions, I added one scoop of powder to 4 litres of water and set my clothes to soak for an hour before popping them in the washing machine. 

As you can see from the after picture, this t-shirt came up good as new. The boys arrived home from their day out and Pete told me George had done yet another poo explosion, so his clothes are now set to soak with some more of this bad boy. I would definitely purchase this!

Last but not least is the Powershot carpet cleaner. You will have to excuse this photo as our carpet is really dark, however I can assure you, there was an orange sick stain here which has come up trumps after using this carpet cleaner. It is a clear spray, which sinks into the carpet really easily, then you just scrub with a clean cloth. Much better than a foam spray in my opinion. The only thing I didn't like about this product was how badly it smelt, the fumes were really strong so I would recommend using with your windows open and when your children are out. 

Have you got any tips for stain removal?

Rachael xo

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*Disclaimer, these products were sent for review purposes. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Mummy Guilt

The time has come for me to say goodbye to my life as a stay at home mum and embrace the life of 9-5. Leaving my boy all week is going to be so hard, I miss him enough when I don't see him over night! I hate the fact I have to go back to work full time and I feel this incredible sense of guilt. Guilt that I have to leave him with family 40 hours a week. Guilt that he does not understand where or why his mummy has been gone for so long. 

I think as mums we all feel like this at some point and I know it will pass once we have settled into our own little routine. He will some day learn that me going back to work when he was a baby was to make a nice life for us and that alone makes everything worthwhile. Deep down I know I am doing right by him but it still doesn't stop this feeling and if I had it my way, I'd stay with him all day every day! 

Today when I got home from work and my nan dropped him off his little face lit up and I got the biggest smile from him along with lots of sloppy kisses (did I tell you he does that now? It's all kinds of adorable) and it was the best thing to come home to after a somewhat average day in the office. Our time together is precious and the past eight months has flown by without me even knowing it.

Love you George x

Rachael xo

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George at 6 and 7 Months

It's that time of the month again where I talk about the love of my life. It appears that I never did write a six month update which means there will be two months in one. Bad blogger. Bad mummy. I have honestly lost track of time lately, with doing a few days in work, shopping, going on coffee dates, not to mention the copious amount of gigs that March and April have brought me. 

So where do I begin? George can now sit up all by himself, he was unsteady at first, but now he's got it down to an art. I no longer have to sit behind him and can leave the room for a few minutes if I need to. When he does not want to sit up anymore, he flops back so we have to strategically place cushions round him to soften the fall. George visited the park with his grandad and went on the swings for the first time this month, he didn't look too bothered by them, he was just quite chilled. However, on a third visit to the swings with mummy and nanny, he was giggling away. Keeping up with physical activities, he can now roll over both ways instead of getting stuck on his back, and by god do I wish he would just stay still. I need eyes in the back of my head, I will turn away for 30 seconds and his little hands will be grabbing at the ornaments on my fireplace! I am dreading the day he starts crawling already.

We are now up to three meals a day! We started weaning George at 4 and a half months because he was a very heavy boy. We started small, a little baby rice or porridge with a bottle at breakfast time. Then we introduced dinner, then dinner and a pudding. Then lunch and pudding. It was really difficult at first because George refused to drink water and his body was trying it's hardest to get used to a new diet which resulted in him becoming a little "bunged up" shall we say. We had to give him liquids via a syringe but I caved and gave him some juice. This only lasted roughly two weeks and he was right as reign again.  Introducing new foods to George is one of my favourite things to do, I love watching his face as he discovers something for the first time. He loves banana but refuses to touch vegetables so that is something I need to persevere with. If anybody has any advise on which fruits and vegetables make good fingers foods, let me know in the comments below. 

Nanny Sue started singing Pop Goes The Weasel to my boy and he absolutely loves it. His face lights up and he belts out the dirtiest laugh I ever heard. Another game he has grown to love is Peekaboo, he even moves your hands away from your face. We are currently trying to encourage him to clap but he looks at you as if to say "I'm not a performing monkey. Leave me alone, mother!" He will hold your hands as you clap though, so that's something right?

We now have a tooth! This was such a tough time for both George and myself, it really felt like he had been teething forever and he struggled cutting his first tooth. First came the grouchiness, then came the runny nose and cough. Two days later a tiny, little white tooth poked through. Thanks Nanny Sue for finding it and buying me a present! Every day we notice it a little bit more and he looks so funny with one little bottom tooth. I  totally underestimated how sharp it was until I put some food in his mouth and he bit me! Beware mums, they are like little razor blazes.

He has learned to push your hand away when he doesn't want you to do something, such as dress him, touch his head, or even just touch him. But the thing I love most about him, is he now gives kisses, it is the single most, adorable thing in the whole entire world. He moves his head forward and opens his mouth for one of those baby kisses that they do. His personality is shining through with each and every minute.

George, I love watching you grow every day and I love all these new milestones that we are going through together. You are perfect.

Rachael xo

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20 Things I Would Like This Mother's Day

Tomorrow marks the day of my first Mother's Day! I am so excited and I know Pete has put a lot of thought into gifts for me but when I saw Kerry at Oh So Amelia's post about what she would really like this Mother's Day, I could relate and thought I'd do my own! George is my world and I love my life, I love how his smile can light up the room and how he will babble away. However, being a mum is hard, you literally do not stop all day!

1. A lie in (number one on Kerry's list and certainly number one on mine too!) 

2. To drink a cup of tea before it goes cold. 

3. George to fall asleep in his chair rather than on my knee so I don't get pins and needles in my arm.

4. To watch one TV show without George shouting over it or crying because he wants to play.

5. To have a song stuck in my head that isn't the theme from the Jumperoo. 

6. Not to have to wash and sterilise bottles.

7. A day to myself to read a book.

8. To give myself a proper manicure and pedicure.

9. To be able to put my makeup on without George crying (I don't think he likes my eyebrows). 

10. To straighten and curl my hair so I look presentable. 

11. Not to have to do any laundry.

12. Not to feed George mushy purees whilst trying desperately not to get any on his clothes (oh the stains).

13. To be able to eat a meal guilt free without George watching my every move.

14. To not have to clean up sick and poopy nappies. 

15. Not to have to roll George onto his back again once he has rolled over because he is stuck.

16. To keep my glasses on my face without George pulling them off.

17. Not to have my hair pulled and face grabbed.

18. To leave the room without a tiny person being really sad and crying for me to come because he is lonely.

19. To make and eat my lunch without it going cold. 

20. For George to let me play on my iPad/ iPhone without trying to grab it off me.

What would you like this Mother's Day?

Rachael xo

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Throwback Thursday

This morning, Peter took George downstairs and gave him breakfast while I spent some time relaxing in bed and let me tell you how nice it was to just chill of a morning. Whilst scrolling through Instagram and seeing photos of all the gorgeous newborns on my feed, I got so jealous and nostalgic for George's newborn days. This week, my baby turned six months and while I am loving each and every new milestone, I miss having a tiny little newborn baby. At 9lb 14oz, George was never really tiny but compared to what he is I can say that.

George did not stay newborn for long, he had uncurled within his first two weeks and all of a sudden he looked like a proper little baby rather than a squishy little newborn. He would guzzle bottles every three hours, sleep all the time and we would be like zombies after the night feeds. At eight weeks though, he started sleeping right through and it was amazing. 

At six months, George can now roll over and is always on the move. He will not stay still, he will jump if you stand him up and throw himself forward when he is sitting in your knee. He is reaching out for toys, grabbing people's hair, glasses, jewellery, anything he can get his hands on really. He is on solid foods and will try and grab your food out your hands too! He's a growing boy, what can I say? He is a lot more demanding than a newborn, but I appreciate the extra hours of sleep I get of a night, his laughs, the way he smiles of a morning when we wake up, the cooing and babbling and of course the way he reaches out for people. 

Even though I miss those early days with our little man, I wouldn't have him any other way now and I'm really excited for the many more milestones to come.

Rachael xo

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George at 5 Months

I wrote this post at the start of February and have been planning to get it up for ages, but life has just passed by, so it's a little bit late, but hey ho, better late than never right?

How has another whole month just slipped right past? January, you were dreary and unwelcome, but I am welcoming February with open arms, with George's Christening coming up and of course my birthday, how can I not be excited? 

Last month, I introduced you all formally to my pride and joy, George now here we are again! Time is passing us so quickly and it only seems like yesterday that he was newborn, so small and delicate. Though I miss those days (he slept a lot) I appreciate every day more and more, watching George progress through each baby milestone fascinates me. He is learning so much every day and he always surprises me with how clever his little brain his! 

Towards the end of January, my baby started teething and it is the worst experience ever. Bright red cheeks, gums hard as rocks and many tears have been had from both of us. We've relied heavily on teething powder and lots of fun games to take his mind off things and I cannot wait for his first tooth to finally come through to relieve him slightly. I wish I could take the pain away from him, I feel so sorry for him. Imagine having toothache all the time? 

George is also on the verge of rolling over, he can get onto his side, but then gets stuck. Every time he gets close to being on his tummy, my heart skips a beat, but he's like "just kidding" and rolls onto his back again. Our neighbours must think we have a new dog for all the times they just hear "come on, roll over." I know as soon as he starts I'm going to regret wishing for this because he will just be moving all the time, he's wiggly enough as it is. 

Update: George rolled over for the first time yesterday (17/02/15).

I took George swimming for the first time this month too. It is something I have been meaning to do for weeks but have never got round to it. To help take his mind off his toothy pain, we took a walk into out local town centre where I purchased a swimming costume and swimming nappies. We booked our session online the night before and I had butterflies in my tummy as I hit purchase. Luckily George loves the bath so I knew he would be fine in the water, but I just didn't know what to expect. I had nothing to worry about, the class was free play with toys in the water and nursery rhymes on the speakers. George loved it and I adored watching him kick and splash, he even had the opportunity to go in his tummy which he's unable to do in the bath. After 45 minutes he was pretty exhausted so we got out and as soon as I dried him and dressed him, he was flat out. Result!

"Dada" has become the most used word in our house, George can now say it (even though he isn't necessarily talking to his dada) so we constantly try to get him to say it. I am now in competition with Peter however, as I want George to say mama, so it's a battle between parents! They never say mama first and after all we do for them as well!

As well as the teething, rolling over, swimming and talking, we have started introducing George to solid foods. Yes, the guidelines are 6 months but he was a heavy birth weight and a he is a hungry boy. He quite likes banana, baby rice and porridge but hates sweet potato! I think I need to expand on my cooking skills for sure. I have made apple purée though which I was quite excited about, but we haven't tried it yet, I am excited for that one. 

George has also started to learn to sit up, he is doing really well, I'm a very proud mum! He's very advanced for his age (shame he gets his brains from his dad and not from me!) So that's George at 5 months and not to wish his life away but I can't wait to see his 6 month milestones!

Rachael xo

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Tips for New Mums

Can you tell I didn't have access to straighteners in hospital?

Becoming a mum for the first time can be an exciting and daunting experience. Your pregnancy days fill you with worry from that very moment you take that pregnancy test and gives you that positive result you have been hoping to see. Those first, crucial 12 weeks being the upmost worse whilst you wait for your first scan to tell you your little speck is okay and wiggling about in there. The worry doesn't even stop when you have your baby in your arms, you lean over your baby's crib to check they're still breathing, if they're warm enough etc. You have to learn to adapt to a new sleeping pattern, discover what each of your child's cries means, maintain your house for when guests come round to prove you are coping. It can all get a bit much, especially if you have little or no baby experience. 

Being the eldest of twelve grandchildren on my mum's side of the family means I have always grown up around babies. At the age of 15, my parents had two little surprises in the form of twin boys, meaning I had the opportunity to practice changing nappies and all the fun of cuddling little ones with the pleasure of giving them back when they cried! 

Aren't they fab? (Even if this was taken 3 years ago so they look dead young!)

When people asked me if I was nervous about becoming a mum, my answer was always no. I realised I was very lucky in the fact I had a very big family with a lot of younger siblings and cousins to give me that bit of experience before I became a mum to my own little bundle of joy. Now I'm not saying I'm a baby expert, far from it! I Google like the best of us and always refer to my family for some advice, but I want to share my experience and tips for all your new mums out there.

DON'T FEEL PRESSURED TO BREASTFEED

This is one thing that is hammered into expectant mothers everywhere, yes, breast is best, but if you cannot do it, do no worry. Hospitals are unable to tell you if it is realistic or not for you to breastfeed because they have to promote it. George was a 9lb 14oz baby, with a slight tongue tie and he couldn't latch on. After trying it a few times, I decided it would be best to put him on the bottle. You have to do what is best for you and your baby. 

DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE TELL YOU

Whilst getting advice from other people is important and can be beneficial, nobody should EVER tell a new mum what to do. You will soon find your own routine and only you know your baby better than anyone. There is too much pressure on mothers on how to raise their child, nod along to those people and do what you want to do. 

IT'S OKAY TO SAY NO TO VISITORS

I have a lot of family so we had visitors almost every day when George was born, which didn't bother me at all, even though I was pretty exhausted. I enjoyed the company and the fact people wanted to come and see this little human that I had created, I wanted to show him off because I was proud. Not everyone is that way inclined, some parents just want time to themselves with their newborn and that is okay. If you want time alone, people will understand! 

HOUSEWORK CAN WAIT

Okay, this one comes very naturally to me because I hate tidying up, but your house is in no rush for a polish or a vac! Take your time to recover, leave the washing for another day, spend a day on the couch cuddling your baby. It takes a while to adapt to the sleepless nights whilst dealing with the demands of a newborn, so when your baby sleeps, don't feel pressured to tidy up. Have a sleep yourself.

STAY CALM

Babies pick up on the atmosphere around them, so remember, if you feel stressed your baby will also be stressed. Go through these steps: is he hungry? is he tired? does he have wind? does he need his nappy changing? These will eliminate most of your baby's needs. If your baby is still crying they may suffer from colic and I highly recommend Infacol. You just give it to your baby before each feed and it helps them bring wind up and reduces the risk of colic. It's great! 

Being a first time mum is a complete learning curve for us all and is the best thing that can happen to a person. It can be stressful at times (especially when it comes to the dreaded teething stage) but it's something to be enjoyed and with these tips, I hope you can reduce some of the new mum stress in your life.

Rachael xo

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Family | George at 4 Months

Image Credit goes to Emily Grundy Photography 

Image Credit goes to Emily Grundy Photography

So the little man is four months already (okay he will be on the 10th January), I honestly don't know where the time has gone! In the short time we've had him, we've celebrated his first Halloween, first Bonfire Night, first Christmas and first New Year. Seems a lot in such a short space of time doesn't it? 

Allow me to introduce you all formally to George:

Name: George
Age: 4 months
Eye Colour: Blue
Hair Colour: Unknown, sometimes he's ginger, sometimes blonde, sometimes dark
Favourite Drink: Milk
Favourite Past Time: Splashing about in the bath
Favourite Toy: Jumperoo - the lights and music are great

We're currently in the process of organising George's Christening, we have been to meetings at church  to organise the date and once that was scheduled, we booked a venue! It's quite exciting really to have a little day to celebrate him and he definitely deserves it even though he doesn't really know what's going on!

He's been sleeping through the night since he was about 8 weeks old, so we've been really lucky (sorry to all you new parents who aren't as blessed - the sleepless nights are hard!) He can chuckle now too which is the most adorable thing ever and he constantly babbles away to himself and others, he's coming along really nicely. Peter and I appreciate him more every day because he's constantly developing. He's a pretty amazing little boy, I just want to squidge him all the time! I often stare at him when he's asleep thinking about how perfect his little button nose is, how gorgeous his long eyelashes are and how juicy his little lips are. It's such a natural thing, having babies, we were born to recreate, but it still amazes me that we created this little tiny human being. People do it every day, but it doesn't mean it's still not a beautiful little miracle. I know a love for a child is unconditional but without sounding too gushy, I just adore everything about him, I feel like I'm about to burst with the amount of love I have for my little boy.

I promise you, when you have a baby, you will feel exactly the same way and you'll want to gush all the time and the inevitable "baby bore" personality will kick in straight away no matter how much you vow not to become one!

Rachael xo

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Family | Mummy Time

I love being a mum, I really do. It's the best feeling in the world. As I mentioned in my last post, Mummy Talk, you don't get much time to yourself. My life revolves around George now, if I'm not feeding him, changing his nappy, washing his clothes or doing a mountain of housework, I'm talking to him, playing with him and trying to comfort him! It really is hard work, but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

I'm really grateful because my family are so local and they'll have George any time I need them to, and Pete is quite hands on most of the time as well. 

As much as I adore being a mum, sometimes it's nice and most of all it's important to take some me time. George is a really good boy and I'm lucky enough to put him in his chair and take him into the bathroom with me when I need a bath, he'll happily sit there babbling away to himself. However, once a week, I have a bath, light some candles, put on a hair mask and a face mask and have some time to relax. It works out well for both Pete and I because he has some one on one time with George after work, and I get to pamper myself. 

Even though, as I've said, my life revolves around George, I try not to pass the opportunity to go out with the girls. It's so important to stay in touch with friends and it easy to forget what life was like before you had your little one. Nobody should lose touch with their friends because they've had a baby. I love a good catch up with my favourite girls. As we get older, we do get busier and we do see our friends less which is sad, but I love the fact I can get in touch with any of my friends and just chat for hours! That's what a true friend is. 

A week after George was born, my family went on holiday, it was really bad timing. When they got back, my mum offered to have him over night so Pete and I could have a full night's sleep (I secretly think it's because she missed him so much). It was glorious! We had takeout for tea, a drink, watched TV, had an early night and slept right through. It's also important to have some time together with your partner! We argue over silly things a lot, so it's nice to appreciate some alone time. 

Are you a mum? How do you relax?

Rachael xo

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Family | Mummy Talk

After reading Giovanna Fletcher's most recent blog post about Mummy Talk, I realised how right she is!  Being a first time mum is hard. Don't get me wrong, George is perfect and I'm very, very lucky to have such a well behaved baby, but there are days when I don't manage to get any house work done, and just about manage to eat a sandwich. Pete has been working long hours recently, meaning I've been spending a lot of time on my own with George. Gi's right, it CAN be lonely, it can be daunting and you do question your actions all the time. There is no right and wrong way! 

I'm blessed in the fact that all my family are very local and pretty much baby experts, meaning if I need them, they're a phone call or a 10 minute walk away. However, I don't want to find myself relying on them too much. 

I'm also blessed that George sleeps right through of a night, feeds really well and is generally a happy little man. I do love being a mum, there is no better feeling, despite the exhaustion and the fact you no longer have any time to yourself.

Apart from my family, I don't really speak to any other mums. The reason for this? I don't know any! Of course I know mums, but I don't have many friends who are mums. Peter is always trying to encourage me to take George to a few classes which I've always dismissed, but now I feel inspired to take George out and meet new people. 

Now that we've finally found our own little routine, after Christmas, I am going to start taking George to Aqua Tots and a few local classes. It will be a nice change of scenery from our usual shopping trips and it will be lovely to have a little natter with other mums.

Are you a new parent? Do you attend any mums and babies groups?

Rachael xo

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Family | Becoming a Baby Bore

We've all been scrolling through Facebook and thought "not another related baby status." I'm guilty of hiding people from my Newsfeed on Facebook for being a "baby bore." (Who else thinks the unfollow button is a god send by the way?) 

When I got pregnant, I vowed not to become what I hated the most, the baby bore. What I didn't realise is that it comes naturally! I try my hardest not to post constant photos of George and tell Facebook what he's been up to that day because I've been there, I know not everyone wants to see that. I don't want to be the person that has a whole Timeline of baby photos and statuses. Let me tell you none parents this, it's really really really hard!

The reason we do it, is because we are proud! We created a little human being! A little human being who is completely dependant on us, a little human being we have to teach. So when George smiled for the first time, I wanted to show him off! When he talked (coohed) for the first time, I wanted to share that video. These little things that bore none parents are really special to parents. They're big achievements for our babies. Plus, they look really cute in photos.

We promise, we don't mean to do it. It's something that just happens to us!

Rachael xo

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Life Lately | September

September was a bit of a "meh" month for me as my due date passed me by, I slowly got fed up of people asking "are you still here?" and becoming more and more impatient for my little bundle to arrive. Here's what happened in September:

Selfie at  my Grandad's birthday meal // My brother and his girlfriend stole my phone // Aztec nails // Morning of reading Darren Shan // My baby boy all swollen after he finally arrived // My new mug off my lovely friend, Heather // I can drink cider now // ASOS sale finds // Ditched the maternity clothes.

Since we got home from the hospital, we have had visitors most days, so this month we've just been settling in with our new addition!

How was your September?

Rachael xo

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Family | Becoming Mummy

At 7am on Tuesday 09th September, I woke up with slight labour pains. A trip to the Mums and Midwives shop in my local town centre was already on the agenda for the day so I could have a second sweep since little Baby Walker was already over due! 

When I went for my exam in the shop (which my midwife was working in that day), she told me I was already 4cm dilated which meant no sweep for me! I was told to go home and bounce on my birthing ball and to take it easy until my contractions got stronger and closer together. 

After ringing my (midwife) mum (who screamed down the phone), she said I would be approximately 7cm dilated by the 8pm and that was when we would go up to the hospital. She advised me to go home and have a hot bath to ease the pains, and take some paracetemol (also a running joke in our house as she advises this on a regular basis!) 

By the time 8pm come, my contractions were really painful and getting closer together, so we rang the hospital and off we popped. I was told I was only 5cm dilated - which I was really upset about as I thought I'd be well further along than that. The midwife who examined me was concerned about the size of my bump and I was really big, therefore my birth plan went out the window and I was advised not to have a water birth. 

I was then sent to an active birth room where there was a birthing ball, and a horse shoe shaped chair to sit on to try move my labour along. I was on gas and air from the minute I got into the room and what an amazing thing that is, it made me feel drunk. After another examination, I still wasn't progressing as baby was back to back and his head was in a funny position, so the midwife looking after me broke my waters around 4am.

Labour was extremely slow and I didn't start pushing until 10am on the 10th September. He got stuck because he was so big and had a slight shoulder dystocia, so when he finally come out, he was really swollen and his head was really long, but he was perfect. We never had a definite name when we went into hospital, but as soon as we saw him we knew George was his name. 

11 days over due, he was certainly worth the wait. The past 12 days have been hectic with visitors and night feeds, but we're really settled at home with him and I'm excited to share all our new experiences! 

Rachael xo

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