Things I wish I knew.

There are so many things I wish I knew while I was pregnant so it didn't come as a surprise when Amelia was born.  Here's a few things you want to know before you have your baby!

1. Don't hold on to your pride. Sleep when your baby sleeps. It took me a good three weeks and by that point I REALLY needed to catch up with my sleep! And Amelia is fantastic compared to some babies. 

2. In labour you don't care what you look like by the end. The amount of sick poo and wee you accumulate over the first few weeks trust me you still don't care! 

3. However your child will be in three outfits a day looking totally adorable and your lucky if you've got your hair done. 

4. When babies are first born their poo isn't like ours. Black tar like poo is normal it then turns green then yellow. It looks bad and you will freak out. But don't it's normal. 

5. So I did know this one but most people don't. The belly button clip and skin on it drops off, usually within 3-7 days. It's painless and your cherub will no nothing more. 

6. Don't buy clothes or toiletries I have so many clothes for Amelia and I don't think I'm ever going to run out of toiletries. I have most brands and most products too. It's a waste of money lots of people buy that sort of stuff. 

7. Everyone has their own stories and their own advice. Take the time to listen it may be useful but ultimately follow your own instincts. You don't have to do what your friends aunt Bessie advises you to do. 

8. You will love them more than anything in the world nothing will ever compare. And you it's not imaginable until your baby arrives. 

Proud moments

As a parent it's the little things that make us proud. And it's something you never fully appreciate until you have children of your own. My daughter was born at 6.2 and a half and she was petite. In her first five days she dropped down to 5.6 because she hadn't quite got the hang of breast feeding. So now there are milestones that may seem silly to others that she's done that make me swell with pride. 

At two months old my little girl is still in tiny baby, newborn and first size. Very rarely fitting into 0-3. So when I put on her tiny baby snowsuit and it no longer fit her I felt a sense of accomplishment. My baby really was getting bigger. And yes I know some babies are born fitting straight into 0-3 and missing the other sizes but that wasn't the case for Amelia because of how petite she is. I was so happy for her. 

I felt the same when she hit the 7pound mark, the week she put on 10ounces, when some of her hats actually fit her head and the way now she has the hang of breast feeding (I used to wake her through the nights for feeds) 

Now she's a healthy 8.4 and I'm so glad she's finally hit the 8lb mark. Like I say to some people this may be trivial if you've had a big baby or your baby gained weight fast. But to me Amelia's came on leaps and bounds and every parent has those special proud moments that are totally unique to their child it doesn't make them any more or less important. 

Here's a picture of Amelia first born and now. You can see the difference in the size of her body compared to my hand. 

Amelia first born 

Amelia at eight weeks old

What proud moments have you had with your children that might not make sense to others. Leave me a comment and let me know.