No Parties!

We decided whilst we were on holiday that we wouldn’t have a party for Zs birthday. We had two quite big, quite loud and quite fun parties for his first and decided that this year we’ll only have a very quiet thing. Just the 3 of us.

In truth, I partly couldn’t be bothered post holiday and having not much time with going to work and having no more lead left.

Then Z started singing his new favourite song on a daily basis…”Happy (birthday) TOOO YOOOUUU!!”. We decided a cake wouldn’t be pushing the boat out. And maybe telling his cousins we’re at home with cake that day if they’d like to just drop in.

Maybe a few more nibbles.

And some party plates…to make the little ones happy.

Of course we have to invite the grandparents. They have to be there. That’s a given.

And my brothers and sis in law of course. Just immediate family.

And maybe all my aunts and uncles too because they love playing with him.

And my cousins too.

…and maybe the odd friend as they’ll be up for Xmas.

That’s still keeping it small.

Oh we’ll need party games…and pass the parcel…can’t forget pass the parcels.

Pinatas? Maybe not. God, the mess last year! I was finding confetti in the strangest of places for weeks!

And two cakes..one for each side. Now who’ll do it for me at short notice?

Because we’ll need two parties.

Oh and avoid the nut allergies

…and egg allergies…

Wonder if that includes cake…hmmm

Ooh party bags!

Maybe not…they’ll be happy with cake right?

Ahh maybe just for the kids…

(and me!)

Not sure I can be bothered with party hats.

Helium balloons might be fun though.

And orders cakes for a couple of days before to avoid snow. Just in case…

Yep…just a very small thing this year.

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Wedding Season

Wedding season in my family is usually the start of organised mental chaos. Coming from an Indian background means all weddings last a multiple of days. The first of many such weddings starts next week. A 4 day event. Argghh! With a toddler in tow. Arrrrgh!

It’s my “cousin” that is getting married. We’re not actually related but they are still “family” and therefore that means we must attend all the days. He is my maternal aunt’s hubbies’ first cousins’ son. Actually, that means we are related after all. And you could even say we’re “close family”.

This will be the first time Baby Z will be going to a wedding as a toddler which is already filling me with dread. He has decided he no longer likes to be strapped into his car seat so if he isn’t trying to break out of it Houdini style, he is exercising his lungs at full volume in the hope that a full blown 10 minute tantrum will defeat me into pulling up and letting him out. I have to admit it’ll be mildly amusing watching my cousin, who is travelling down with us and, who has no experience of babies whatsoever, attempt to calm a frenzied Baby Z midst tantrum screaming. Tee hee (I know, I am evil).

I also had grand plans to get into shape for this wedding and have been trying to dutifully follow BodForTea’s excercise group. I started oh so well but Baby Z has discovered its fun to sit on my belly whilst I try to do sit ups and bounce up and down for maximum fun. On days where i don’t want to vomit I sometimes end up not doing sit ups.

He has also learnt the art of hairdressing. Deciding he doesn’t actually like my fringe anymore, he will regular scowl at me with all the concentration of a good hair stylist, lean over and then push my fringe out of my face. Whilst holding onto it. He might then let go. He might not. He might also decide to try to push it back to where it was. On the plus side I guess I don’t need to pay for a stylist if I decide I need one!

My one mission is to try to look presentable all 4 days. This means…

Not finding food anywhere on my self. Particularly my knee area, which has become Baby Zs personal mouth wiping place.

Not finding food stains on my shoulders or arms

Actually being able to get into my dresses whilst being able to breathe

Not arriving frazzled to one of the days on account of super “let me out of the car seat” tantrums

Not singing theme tune to Zingzillas unless I absolutely have to.

Not having my fringe pulled and re-styled mid party

Not having food chucked at me

Stopping Baby Z from trying to empty his bottle of milk onto people’s floors.

Keeping Baby Z clean-ish all 4 days

That’s do-able. Right?

Things I Have Learned in 2011

As 2011 ends people tend to ponder how their year has been. Mind has been mostly about being a new mummy to a new baby. The year has flown by so quickly and has been filled with extreme highs and lows that seems to come part and parcel with becoming a new mum. These are some of the things that I’ve learned this year…

1. Boy Babies will wee all over you the minute you take their nappy off/take their nappy off.

2. You can be as meticulous as you like when bathing a baby and carefully prepare everything before you put the baby in the bath. As you take baby back out of the bath you will realise the towel is at the other side of the room.

3. How not to wean a baby.

4. The first few months with a newborn make you cry. A lot. At random things.

5. Being a new mum bring out the inner tigress in you. The saying should actually be “Hell hath no fury like a new mum scorned”.

6. Baby sick doesn’t bother you after your baby has thrown up on you for the 102747th time. If it doesn’t smell and the wipe gets it out then that is perfectly acceptable attire.

7. You can spend all evening admiring your little one and being amazed at how they can place one cup into another.

8. If you’re short, like me, it’s bloody hard to put a sleeping baby into the cot!

9. Planning two parties for a first birthday party is stressful. Men don’t seem to get *it* and will offer such helpful words of comfort such as “why do we need to have a party” and “I didn’t tell you to plan it, why are you taking it out on me”. A helium tank and balloons will get said man to come running to help like a little excited boy.

10. It’s not advisable to glare at the little Damian replica (straight from the Omen movies) at your child’s party. His mum is most likely watching you watching him.

11. Having a pull string piñata is no less violent than having one that you hit with a stick. Little people will still run around like mental lunatics.

12. Despite all the stress, during the moment of lighting the candle and singing the Birthday song, your precious boy has turned one, nothing else matters and people are genuinely happy for you. Bedlam recommences as soon as the candle is blown out.

13. Blogging has helped me capture a lot of baby memories and I love looking back over my baby posts.

Happy New Year everyone!!

An Almost 1 Year Old

Hello My Almost 12 month old!

I won’t keep saying that I can’t believe it (but, you know, I *can’t* believe it!), you are almost a 12 month old. I am going to a mummy to a 1 year old little baby boy. Whilst I wander around in my disbelief I’m trying to organise two big parties for the next two weekends. That’s why I look a bit frazzled sometimes. You’re really enjoying touching all the decorations and diving into boxes all over the place though!

You’ve also discovered new teething toys. My iPhone is your absolute favourite and that grating noise while you try to chew my phone usually has me screaming “noooooo baby!”. I have to say your daddy is a lot smarter in that aspect and never leaves his phone lying around.

Your other favourite teething toy are human knees. You crawl over all smiley and coy, stand up all innocent, then dig your gums fully around my knee cap. The neighbours must be wondering what all the yelping is about! I’m starting to get use to having you attached to my leg trying to bite through my jeans whilst I do the dishes though. It seems your top two teeth are making their way out, I wouldn’t mind if they hurried up!

You’ve also started toddling (a bit!). Actually it may be more accurate to say you’re teetering and taking a couple of steps unaided. The funniest is when you cruise across one sofa and, in an attempt to get to the other sofa, throw yourself to it with your arms outstretched. You would make a killing as a stunt baby. Do they have stuff like that?

I think the next few days are going to be interesting. It’s going to be filled with balloons for you to play with and a LOT of new party food that you’ll no doubt want to try (and then probably spit out and wipe your mouth on my shoulder!). We’ll probably spend the day filled up with helium and singing a lot. Don’t be scared baby, that’s just the magic of helium!

Oh, and one more thing. I’ll probably look really wide eyed and flappy on Sunday for Party number 1. I’ll be much more relaxed for Party number 2. Honest!

Until next time… Mwah!!

Party Planning x 2

As Baby Boy is fast approaching 11 months I really should planning for his first Birthday. Which means I really need to get a crack on and start thinking about what kind of party baby might like.

I actually need to plan for two quite big things. One for my family and one for the hubby’s family. As both families don’t get on (loooong story. Maybe I will blog about it one day!) I need to have two “proper” parties. Which means two proper birthday cakes, candles, Happy Birthday singing, party hats… The lot! There is a part of me that knows I will be ultra stressed and running around like a mad mother of one, juggling all the guests (42 at party number 1 and 20 at party number 2) and trying to make sure there is enough food to go around.

From attending some recent family dinner parties I fully expect the following:

There will be that one family that simply can’t turn up at a reasonable time. Even if I lie and tell them a fake time.

There will be the two people that don’t like each other and will spend their entire time muttering under their breath and watching the other with the scowl of an eagle eyed hawk.

Similarly, there will be the two much younger cousins that can’t stand each other and will whine “Muuuuum!” for a while before, inevitably, one of them will go one step too far and it will end in tears.

There will be at least one poor cousin that gets regularly lectured through the course of the day about “isn’t it time you settled down with someone nice / got married / had children”. Said cousin will spend remainder of time grumbling about interfering aunts and that you can’t buy husbands in the shops!

There will be at least one stressed husband (mine) that goes around trying to keep his gadgets / speakers / playstation from being knocked over / touched / destroyed. This will usually end by him collapsing in a heap at the end of the day proclaiming it has been a really stressful day. Complete with wide eyes and a shake of his head for emphasis.

There will be at least one uncle that will dance the evening away. He will be applauded for his effort and, frankly, very cool-for-uncle dance moves!

There will be at least one couple that genuinely don’t want to be there and will act visibly uncomfortable / stare at their iPhone all day and try to make a swift exit as soon as the cake is cut.

There will be at least one bubbly birthday baby that will love all the attention and hopefully smack his fist into the cake with utter excitement (it’s ok, we have two!) and enjoy scoffing it.

There will be at least one birthday boy’s mummy that will plead with people not to feed the baby too much cake as he’ll only be bouncing off the walls in he evening. No-one will listen.

There will be at least two utterly shattered parents at the end of the day that will more than likely sod the cleaning and crawl into bed at the end of a very long day. They’ll probably giggle about all of the above and admit it was a good day.

There will at least one set of parents (probably the same one as above) that vows never to do it again and that maybe next time it’ll be a nice idea to go abroad.

Let the party planning commence!