Adoption - It really is incredible

I'm sat writing this whilst watching One Born Every Minute USA. One girl called Sam is just going in for a C-Section to deliver her twins, but she's only their birth mother. The twin's adoptive parents are in the family waiting room, praying that Sam doesn't change her mind about the adoption. A biological mother actually has 72 hours after the birth to change her mind and request that she have her child/children back.

The twins are successfully delivered, and meeting their adoptive parents within a short time of their delivery. There is such a joyous atmosphere, a couple that have waited 13 years for their family to begin, now no longer a couple but a family of four. I know that many people have different reasoning behind adoption, but personally, I don't think that I would be mentally strong enough to go through with it. I couldn't give birth to my child, and then just pass it over. The birth mother, Sam, was just speaking about love, and how there is no greater love than that between a mother and her child. When she first held the twins she told them "I love you." How can you love a child and let it go?

Baby Carly with her birth parents

I know that for many young girls that find they are pregnant adoption could be the best choice for them and the baby. They are young and want to get on with their life. As Catelynn  from 16 and Pregnant* said on the Adoption Special "There's not a day go by that Carly (her baby) doesn't cross my mind." If that is the case, then how can she mentally endure that kind of pain, having that gap forever in your heart.

What if you give up your baby for adoption when you think you're too young to care for it, and then regret it for the rest of your life? Later on in life if you're unable to have kids you would become even more heartbroken, know that once you did create life, but now you're unable to do so. You once had the child that you're now wishing so much for...

I do have a strong view on adoption. It's not even something that crossed my mind when I found out I was pregnant with Willow. I don't think I would be strong enough to have had an abortion had I been able to. The fact that I didn't find out I was pregnant until 33 weeks into the pregnancy. If I had, then I would have gone for an abortion as that is what everyone else wanted. I would forever regret it and hate myself for going through with it. 

*I don't have an obsession with US baby shows, honest! Okay, maybe a little...

Much Love xxxx

Our New Adventure

birthday girly

April seems to have become quite a packed month... There's been Willow's first birthday, and she loved every moment of it! My photography exam is at the end of the month, so lots of stress and preparation for that.

So, aswell as looking after my gorgeous little girly and my exam season coming up, it's also the launch of our new business - Volks Isle.


Volks Isle is hiring out lovely, classic Volkswagen campervans. Why not hop over to our site and take a look for yourselves? Just click here!

Much love guys,
Young Mummy xxx

Stressing!

I've had a long month! February seemed to go on forever! I've had so much school work to do, I thought that maybe I would get a chance to chill out after having my Maths exam and Photography deadline... nope! Ahwell, I guess being in school with a baby was never going to be easy!

This Gumi Gem is apparently
very good for molars aswell
as those pesky front teeth.

Willow is now in a better bedtime routine, she is in bed asleep by half 8 at the latest most nights but that for sure does not mean that she stays asleep all night! Poor baby, she's going through lots of pain at the moment!

We are currently trying out a new product from Grandma's shop, a Gumi Gems necklace. It is good, but it appears that most of pain is during the night so it's not really helping at the moment... However, on the subject of Grandma's shop, Precious Cargo should be opening in Ryde town in a few months! Check out the shops' Facebook page here for more info! You might as well 'like' the page while you're there ;)

Other teething products that we are using are Bonjela and Dentinox teething gels which do work, but not for long! And also Nelson's Teetha powder, that seems to do a bit of a better job than Bonjela but still poor little bubba is in pain. :( Of course she loves using her toothbrush too, that does help for a while! I'm looking at getting Willow an amber necklace as these are supposed to help with teething pains but I'm not sure about her wearing a necklace all the time...

If you can help me out by saying what products you have used, or just re-assuring me about the necklace thing hop over to my Facebook profile and have a chat :)

Bye for now though guys xx

Bad Nights and Baby Games!

One thing that I do miss about not being a mummy is being able to sleep un-interrupted all night!

Currently, at nearly midnight I am actually sat in the hallway tuning out from the screaming baby in the next room - I've already been in bed once tonight!

I've onlygot to be up in six hours, not that bad! It's not even like I can have a nap once I'm at school - I have triple maths tomorrow morning! Ehoh!

_________________________________________________________________________


On the topic of screaming babies, I've got a question for everyone.

How do you stop screaming fits?


My favourite way is to allow Willow to use the computer and go on her games. She also plays with the baby app that I have on my mobile! She's a techno baby fo' sho'


Her favourite game is here.

Share what you do below in the comments section!


Anyway, for now I'm off to look for some work experience placements, then bed bed bed!
xxxx

Motivation issues!

This is how I feel right now! x

Hi guys,
Just a quick post. I need some help with motivation. I have a deadline on Monday for all of my photography coursework and I have no motivation what so ever at the moment..... HELP!!!

How do you make sure that you're focused and motivated? Any ideas would be great!

I just found this picture - isn't it great?

Thank you,
Love Young Mummy xxxx

25 Things to Make Your Life Easier

I found this just now, and some of the stuff is pretty cool! So I thought I'd re-post so that you guys had a chance to check it out too. I found it here at The Daily Buzz. 

Via: amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com

Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Via: apartmenttherapy.com

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Via: unplggd.com

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV, computer screen or wall with WD40.

Via: athomewithrealfood.blogspot.com

Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

Via: marthastewart.com

Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bedlinen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Via: realsimple.com

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape amplifies the music.

Via: savvyhousekeeping.com

Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Via: iheartnaptime.net

Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily – who knew?!

Via: realsimple.com

Attach a velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Via: flickr.com

Look up! Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

Via: instructables.com

Gotcha! Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

Via: realsimple.com

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

Via: stephmodo.com

For those who can’t stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

Via: sprwmn.blogspot.com

Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins (and tweezers and clippers) behind a vanity door.

Via: realsimple.com

A tip for holiday packing. Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel!

Via: familyfun.go.com

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

Via: unplggd.com

Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels.

Via: kiboomu.com

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Via: squawkfox.com

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff.

Via: jengrantmorris.blogspot.com

Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles. Genius!

Via: 9gag.com

Win friends at breakfast with this heart-shaped egg tutorial. Aww shucks!

Via: wilton.com

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila – you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream. Click here for recipe.

Via: realsimple.com

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

Via: lifehacker.com.au

Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Via: re-nest.com

Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.

Why not re-post it aswell, share these tips around!
Much love,
Elle xx

Quick Update I guess..

Seeing as I really don't feel tired yet I thought perhaps I should update you all on our life...
A week and a half ago now was my AS Core 1 Maths exam, of what fun that was! I think it went ok, I really am hoping that it has done! And next week is my deadline for my Photography - all of Unit 1, so everything since September. So I'm pretty stressed at the moment. Something I have noticed over the past few days however is that I really have slumped back into the deep procrastination circle, when you do one thing, that then triggers another thought which makes you do another task - I can be procrastinating for hours! I mean tonight I made dinner, normally I work through the time that Mum makes dinner - don't get me wrong, I did enjoy doing it but why?! Why when I had the opportunity to do some work did I not take it?
It was exactly the same last night, I was making macaroni cheese at half 10... Because on a Tuesday Willow goes to her Great, great Auntie Margaret who doesn't have a microwave to heat meals so I thought I best make some pasta... If I'd made it at dinner time I might have understood my thinking, but no!
On the Willow front all is good! Her hand has healed perfectly, health visitor came last week and she's all good there. Just need to make her a doctors appointment about her huge swollen tummy, does anyone have any experience what it could be? She's always had a large swollen tummy and in the summer we were up at the children's ward and nothing was solved there. At first they said that it could have been Hirschsprung's Disease which freaked us out, after getting Whooping Cough we didn't want our baby to have any other nasty problems. Then the pediatrician said that it could have been a gluten allergy.. But who knows, it's not actually ever been investigated further, so after my photography has been handed in Willow and I will be straight down to our GP and demanding that something happens. She does have symptoms of Hirschprung's which is worrying, she has always had a larger abdomen from birth, even when we had a scan her tummy measurement was that of a 37 week baby and all other measurements were that of a 33 week baby , which is proof that if there is anything there then it is congenital... she has explosive stools, she used to have a lot of feeding difficulties - I had to stop breast feeding at 12 weeks as she used to be on me for 2 hours then a 20 minute gap and be wanting more, she was diagnosed with Tongue tie.
So the coming weeks we have Willow's hospital appointment with Dr Harms, she will love to see the dr, she calls her 'My lovely Whooping Cough baby' she says that she will always recognise Willow's cough! Next thing, half term!Anyone got anything exciting planned? Oh, and can't forget, next week on Tuesday and Wednesday I've got two nights out in a row! BLISS, nothing to worry about!


Over and out m'dears, much love Young Mummy xxxx

I Want Christmas Back!

I loved having two weeks off of school to spend with Willow and all of our fab family, and I miss that time so much!

BritMums' writing prompt this week is 'highlights of your Christmas' But I'm not quite sure that there is one thing I can chose that was a highlight - I loved all the time I had to spend with my gorgeous little girl.

Obviously one moment that is unforgetable is the opening of presents and stockings, but this year I'm not sure that Willow really knew what was going on. She was a very lucky girly this year and Santa came to Mummy's house AND Daddy's house! Something that is quite strange though is that at Mummy's house the things are just in the stocking, but at Daddy's house stocking presents were wrapped - how strange!

What happens at your house, to wrap or not to wrap?

Willow loved her lunchbox which her Uncle Jayden brought her, it came with a spoon and I think that must have been her favourite present! Of course Daddy would say that her favourite present was 'noman, a small version of his favourite teddy from The Snowman (hence the name 'noman as when he was little he couldn't say it properly, awwwww!).

Did you give presents that brought childhood memories back? What were your little monsters' favourite presents?

As I've previously mentioned, Willow started to crawl over Christmas. Now, this must be a highlight of the few weeks, she's such a little monster! Now Willow is also 'cruising' around furniture too, but one peice she can't quite work out is Daddy's wheely computer chair, she gets stuck within the legs!As a previous post mentioned, I'm now aware that crawlers get into trouble! So, just thought you might like to know - her burns are looking much better now, bandage off and doesn't appear to be hurting her when she uses her hand.

Why not write a post on your Christmas Highlights and link up to BritMums?

Bye for now, I've got Maths revision to be doing - exam on Friday!
Love Elle xx

Crawlers Get Into Trouble!

So, as all parents probably know, once your child begins to become mobile you're in trouble!

As I said in my last post Willow has begun to crawl. On New Years Day we had a disaster!

Because over the Christmas Holiday period Willow has got so used to spending so much time with Tyler and I she has become very clingy (I hear this is common at her age anyway?) so whenever I leave the room I have to take her with me and sit her beside me to prevent screaming.

So, New Years Day, about 8o'clock I went to go and pack her carseat away in the cupboard and sat Willow beside me, and while I was in the cupboard heard a scream, I ran to her as it wasn't the normal 'whine'. When I entered the lounge I found she had her hand on the fire - we have a closed log burner, with a glass front, but what shocked me the most is that she wasn't actually moving her hand, I thought that she had melted her hand onto the glass! I did what my instinct told me to do and ran her hand under the kitchen tap, whilst giving her a shower at the same time! I ran to Tyler and we rushed to A&E with her, all the way there she screamed.

So, after waiting for a consultation from a Doctor I swear she nearly screamed the hospital down. The fact that I was in such a state from seeing her hurt (and thinking it was my fault she was hurt) probably made her far more stressed, which of course didn't help matters. She was also ready for bed, which again didn't help as she wanted her milk - we actually had the milk with us as on the way out of the door I grabbed it as an attempt to console in the car on the way up - didn't work! We waited for nearly an hour for the Dr to come, but once she arrived she was pretty prompt in checking her out, then said a nurse would be round in about 5 minutes to administer some pain killers then she would return in 10 minutes to see how Willow had reacted to them - this didn't happen for another 40 minutes. I hate all the waiting around you get in hospitals, especially when my daughter is quite obviously in pain!

The Dr did mention about going up to Salisbury in the morning to burns unit as it could be quite serious, but once she returned after Willow had been calmed slightly by the pain killers she said that we needn't do that. So we waited for painkillers to be prescribed and off we went, only to return in the morning!

The next day we were up at A&E again - we had been told to return, no extra injuries! We waited for ageess! Nurse came, had a look and redressed it and told us to make an appointment for two days time, so that was all ok!

Tyler said that taking her to nursery on Wednesday was a pain, there were a gazillion forms to fill out, about the bandage, about the medicine, and god knows what else..

A week later and we still have a little girly with a bandage on her hand - well when it stays on there! At the moment it's an orange bandage from her tea last night, cause getting it off and replacing it is such a struggle. On Wednesday we were told to keep the bandage on until the blisters had all popped and healed to prevent infection. I know that one blister has popped (there are 3), but how the hell am I meant to know when it's healed if we're keeping the bandage on?!

Hopefully this doesn't happen again!
Bye for now,
Love Elle xx

Willow's first Photoshoot & A Quick Update

As some of you reading this probably know, Willow was born to parents that love photography! Anyway, we were in Mothercare and filled in a form, from which we won a photoshoot - we were unaware of quite how much the prints would cost though!

However, the results were definately worth it, and it was totally worth getting the CD for a few extra quid. I think that this has probably got to be one of my favourites.

But, onto the update front....

1. Willow's first tooth!
So, every parent will know that teething is horrid. It's horrid to see your gorgeous little bundle in pain, but then it's also horrid to be up in the night! I've not been up so much in the night since she had Whooping cough - I would just be up all night watching over her scared..

Onto the tooth front though - our little monkey got her first tooth on the same day that her Daddy passed his driving test! The 2nd December, which also happened to be her 8 month birthday!


2. Crawling
Well, Willow has been crawling backwards for what seems like forever - I found a copy of a review from her Peadiatrican on the 4th October and then she was moving backwards! But it's not been until the past few days, I'd have to say properly since Boxing Day that the little monster has been crawling. It wasn't actually until today when I was cleaning the bathroom that I realised that babies get into the places that you really don't want them to be in - Willow was trying to get into the shower!


3. Hair Cut
Christmas day was the date of Willow's first hair cut. She sat quite still while my Grandma cut her lovely locks off. It was only a trim of the hair over her ears as it was getting a little wispy, but it looks better for it. Her hair seems thicker already, which is strange!

I am now in need of a 1st curl box, I've seen many trinket boxes around but I think I'd quite like to make one myself. If anyone has any ideas then they would be most welcome, at the moment her hair is sat in an envelope...


4. First Word
Now this is something that I LOVE LOVE LOVE! Willow's first word is Mumma! Tyler will of course deny this, and the day that she says Dadda he will say that that was her first word, but Willow when you read this in years to come I'd like you to know that your first word was most definately Mumma!

And to finish the post, a Christmas photo of our gorgeous little Willow xxxxxxx
Probably wont post now until next year, so I hope that you all have a Happy New Year! xxxxxxxx