Pregnancy and Bump Watch Week One

Hello and welcome to week one of the Pregnancy and BumpWatch linky.

This week we had our 20 week scan and Gender.

Please link up below, so that we can all read about each others journey into parenthood for the first, second, or even seventh time!!

The bump in the photo was actually taken 15 years ago today, however looking at my ever increasing bump I fear I am bigger than this already!!
If you could share a comment or two on others peoples posts that would be lovely xxx

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Pregnancy Diary Week 21 - Scan and Gender !

It is a little crumpled because Tyrus has hugged it so much!!

Yesterday we went for our 20 week scan, I am pleased to say that everything was absolutely perfect. although a very wiggly baby, so Eowyn does indeed have its name right.

The scans have changed quite dramatically since I first saw Xene on the screen all those years ago, this time I could see in the brain and everything.

When we first went for  a scan with Xene we didn't find out the sex, and we decided to have a surprise with Lochlan, by the time Neva came along both children were desperate for a baby sister, so we did find out, the same happened with Kaide, that they were desperate for a baby brother, luckily all had gone the way they had hoped!!
When it got to Eowyn we decided as we had two of each it didn't matter which we had, so it was a surprise and Tyrus, my first homebirth we decided to wait and see too.

Originally with wiggly I had said I wanted to keep it a surprise, but as the weeks have progressed, I became more curious as to which baby would end my pregnancy run, as this is DEFINITELY the last one!!

Asa and I agreed that we would find out, Wiggly was extremely co-operative, and very prominent, that even if we had decided not to find out, we would have known anyway!!

Yes I can reveal that baby Morrison number seven is.....

A BOY !

So I have eventually changed the boy girl pattern, but everyone in the household is extremely excited for a little baby boy, I am hoping that he is just as chilled out and relaxed as Tyrus, but looking at him bouncing around the screen I have my doubts!!

Roll on 19 weeks time xxx

Mickey and Friends Plasters A huge hit!

Elastoplast have introduced a new pack, which includes Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto.

Now as all of you know Eowyn is a HUGE Mickey and Minnie fan, so we were eager to give the plasters a go, and knowing how lively Eowyn and Kaide are, I knew it wouldn't be too long until one of them would be on hand to give the plasters a thorough testing!!

As you can imagine with six children and a rugby playing husband, we have quite an extensive first aid box, with all sorts of plasters and bandages.
Over the years I have learnt that cheap plasters are not very cost effective, they may be cheap to purchase, but they only stay on grazed knees minutes before they fall off, making for false economy because you go through them three times as fast!!

First to try out the plasters was Eowyn, she fell and grazed her elbow, whilst being a fairy!

We decided to take the plasters on holiday with us to Butlins `just in case' surprise, surprise on our second day of swimming, Kaide slipped over and grazed both his knee and ankle, the dressing the first aider gave us was replaced very quickly by Mickey and Friends, not only were they the perfect size for quite a large scrape on his knee, but they looked cool and funky too.







The plasters RRP is £2.60 for 16 plasters, which I think is actually good value for money, considering how long they stay on for. They can be purchased at most high street retailers.
For more information on their products, you can visit www.elastoplast.co.uk 

What Shall I Dress Wiggly In ?

As you all know, I am due baby number 7 in 19 weeks, I am hoping that the second half of the pregnancy will go as quick as the first.

I have somewhere for wiggly to sleep and feeding is easy, next is clothing the baby....

I came across Kiddie Wow, which has some gorgeous  baby designer clothing, I am not one for designer clothing usually, but this site is very reasonable, and its always nice to have some `special' clothes.

I adore this romper and hat set by Lilly and Sid and could definitely see a new little baby boy in this.

But I also love this jersey dress and trouser set for a little girl.

I have a little confession, I do know what sex the baby is, and I shall reveal very shortly, so I do know which one I shall be choosing!!

The website also has clothing up to age 7, so I can also kit out Tyrus and Eowyn.

For Tyrus, these shorts are perfect for the upcoming sunshine (I hope!)

And this set would be absolutely perfect for Eowyn, she loves leggings and dresses together.

All of the children love dressing up in nice clothes, although I usually find the ages 3-5 the most challenging when they become independent and want to choose their own, we have certainly had some strange combinations over the years!!!

Roll on September when I can dress our new addition

New Pregnancy and Bump Watch Linky

The blogging community seems to be bursting with news of new pregnancies, which is fabulous, so I thought that it was time to get them all in one place and to show all of the people out there who is expecting a bundle of joy this year.

This is the first time that I have done a linky so if there are a few hiccups along the way I apologise!!

Each Friday I will post a new pregnancy update and maybe a photo, if you would like to join in please link up, I have even made a nice little badge that you can grab the code for too, if you want to, if not just link up anyway xxx

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Do You Have A Question for Teen Author Michael Grant ?

• Best-selling teen author Michael Grant answers your questions live
  Join our interactive live stream including a Q&A session with Michael Grant following the release of Light, the final book in his ‘Gone’ series
  Show date: 24th April 2013
  Show time: 10am
  Michael Grant is one of the world's most successful authors in the youth literary market; with teen fiction fast becoming one the most prolific and lucrative literary genres.
  Having sold more than 400,000 copies in the UK alone, Grant’s futuristic thriller series ‘Gone’ is a smash hit with teenagers both here and around the world.
  Described as ‘if Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies’ ‘Gone' is a young-adult dystopian science fiction series originally published in 2008, and centering around the fictional American town of Perdido Beach, in which every human 15 and older vanishes.
  Michael will be online offering advice and tips to any budding authors and an insight into his success, as well as reading extracts from this long awaited final book in the series.
  To coincide with the release Egmont Press has also created an online game base on the books with the winner given the chance to meet Michael Grant in a private capsule on the EDF Energy London Eye on 4 May.
  Only in the UK for a brief time you’re invited to join us for a live Q&A – giving you the opportunity to delve into the mind of the author and hopefully uncover a few hidden twists about the series.
  So, what are you waiting for? Post your questions for Michael now.

Pregnancy Diary Week 16 Hex Mum v Consultant

I am very behind writing these up, its not easy when all six children are home for the holidays! But peace has now returned and its time to catch up!!

Week 16 I had an appointment with the consultant at the hospital, although I had a home birth with Tyrus with no problems, because I have had lots of children I am classed as high risk for complications.

I wasn't worried about the appointment as it was the same with Tyrus, we put an action plan in place and everything went brilliantly.

After waiting for 90 minutes to be seen, I was met with a very different response to last time.
For some reason I had been given a different consultant to the last 6 births and they do not share the same views about home births....

In fact, I would say he was completely anti and said in no uncertain terms that they would not allow me to have a homebirth, even when I explained that I was happy to have a managed third stage and have medication on standby in case of bleeding.

I left the appointment feeling very disappointed, I have never viewed pregnancy as an illness and thought it was a woman's choice where she gave birth.

A few hours later I felt quite angry, after sitting there for 90 minutes to come out feeling rubbish was not a nice feeling.

They have booked me another appointment for 32 weeks, although I am unsure if I will attend or what difference it will make. I have spoken with the community midwives and they are fully supportive of me having a homebirth, so I guess I shall just have to wait and see how the pregnancy progresses, if everything is OK at 36 weeks the midwife will speak to the consultant and see what compromises can be reached !

Has anyone else had this problem and how did you deal with it ? 

Graco Evo Mini Review

The lovely Carly over at Mummy And The Chunks has been testing out the new Graco Evo Mini, here is what she thought of it

Graco Evo Mini: These are a few of our favourite things

1. Lightweight
My favourite thing about the Evo Mini is how light it is to steer! Even with a chunky two year old in the seat it pushes like a dream. I love being able to push it up curbs and onto buses and trains with a minimal amount of effort. It is great to be able to push your pushchair around with one hand while holding onto your boisterous toddler with the other.

2. Practicality
I've had many pushchairs since having my two kids and the majority of them have been big and bulky and well.. unpractical. It's not great when you have to remove the parcel shelf, remove wheels or seat units just to fit it in your car. Then you can't fit any shopping or anything else in your boot resulting in bags on everyones laps just to get your food shopping home. Thankfully, the Evo Mini folds up really small, I can fit it in the boot of my not so big car and stick all my shopping by the side of it. It will be very useful for daytrips and holidays when you have to pack everything into an already cramped car.

3.Comfortable
My kids being comfortable is very important to me. The Evo Mini has a lovely cushioned seat making it ultra comfortable for long rides in the pushchair. Gracie is a tall two year old and I usually have trouble getting a pushchair big enough for her that isn't massively too big for Zach making him slide around the seat unit. The padded seat means that Gracie is sat comfortably, with lots of room spare, but Zach is also snug when it's his turn without leaning to one side like in many others I've tried.

As you can probably tell I am very impressed with the Graco Evo Mini and think it is perfect for almost anyone. I have been reviewing this pushchair for almost a month now and we have had lots of fun testing it out. I'm a big pushchair fan and its very rare that I find myself so happy with a stroller, but the quality of the Evo Mini is fantastic. We have tested it out in lots of different situations and you can read about all of our adventures on my blog http://mummyandthechunks.blogspot.co.uk

I would like to say a massive thanks to Mandi for letting me share this post with you all. Hope you enjoyed reading it.

Carly Markham

Sounds like a great lightweight pushchair, too bad I am going to need a double again, sounds perfect for Tyrus, maybe I could get one for when we go out alone!!

What Will The Weather be Today ?

So, It is now the first week of April, on the lovely East Coast we have experienced a little bit of sunshine, some very cold and blustery winds, with some snow flurries thrown in for good measure.

Wellies

I am guessing we will not be seeing the heatwave of 1976, as this was the year I was born, I get reminded of that year quite often by my mum, however for our three eldest children, all born in April they are used to the mixture of Rain and Snow with a little splash of sun.

Snow Boots

The Morrison family is not known for going on holiday in the intense heat, you are more likely to find us climbing a mountain in the rain or rock pooling in the snow, therefore each of the children need to be dressed appropriately!

The range of clothing and footwear at Muddy Puddles is perfect , they have an excellent choice of Childrens Wellies which I feel we shall still need for the foreseeable future, for climbing and school runs, when the rain seems to know what time I leave the house!!

The younger children love to jump in Muddy Puddles, just like Peppa Pig, so their range of Kids Waterproofs is perfect for this activity.

But, you never know, maybe we shall wake up tomorrow morning and the sun will be streaming in through the window, there will be a mad dash to the shops to purchase some summer clothes, that's the thing with the British weather  you never can tell from one day to the next, but we wouldn't have it any other way!!

Which will we need today ?

Shnuggle Basket Review Part One

I am now 18 weeks pregnant, and have started to think about what I need to get for Wiggly, I guess the main thing he or she will need is somewhere to sleep!!

For the other children I have had two moses baskets, one for upstairs and one for in the lounge, as I have never been comfortable about transporting baby in the moses basket, it never seemed very stable!

I was very excited when Shnuggle gave me the opportunity to review one of their baskets, here is why it is different.

"The Shnuggle Basket is the worlds first hypoallergenic and silent Moses basket. Stronger and safer than other Moses baskets, it is silent when baby fidgets at night and has a hood that actually stays up.

Dressed with premium 100% cotton covers that are free of chemicals, with a deep padded liner to giving a truly luxurious first bed for your baby"

It was very quick to arrive, in a large sturdy box, The first thing I noticed when I removed it from the box is how quiet it was, there were no squeaks or rustles and it felt very secure.

Inside the box was a smaller box which contained the parts of the stand and instructions on how to assemble, it was very simple and in five minutes I had a fully functioning, stand that actually folds up when not in use which is perfect for our busy household!

I chose the Cream Waffle basket as we are not going to find out if Wiggly is Pink or Blue until they arrive.

As you can see Eowyn is very taken with the Shnuggle, so too were her dollies, Tyrus on the other hand thought that his dinosaur might like to have a snooze!!

As you can see, the hood, does actually stay up, which has never been the case with other moses baskets!!

It is a really lovely basket and I am actually getting quite excited for the arrival of Wiggly, even though it is still 22 weeks away, saying that, 18 weeks have flown by, so I am sure he or she will be here before we know it, I just hope we have some warm weather before that happens!!

I look forward to updating the Shnuggle Review with pictures of our newborn baby, but my first impression of the basket is extremely positive, still finding it hard to imagine someone so small in the family again, Tyrus seems enormous now.

Roll on September 2013 ...

If you would like more information on this amazing basket and their new product coming soon you can follow them on facebook and twitter.

Zubu Baby Review

As you all know we shall be welcoming our seventh child into the world In September 2013.

I will not lie, he or she was a BIG surprise, therefore we have NOTHING for a new baby, apart from the pram that I still use for Tyrus, so when I was given the opportunity to choose an outfit from the Zubu Baby site, I jumped at the chance!

The choice was quite difficult as they all looked adorable, as we are not going to find out the sex of this baby, (although if it follows the pattern it should be pink!) I opted for a gorgeous cream gift box, which consisted of a romper, short sleeved vest and cute double knot hat, which all come in a rather gorgeous little box, perfect for keeping baby mementos.

The description for the zubu baby clothes on the site is, soft, pure,organic bamboo, and believe me, they are telling the absolute truth, the touch of the clothing is just so soft, I cannot wait to put wiggly in the set.

I have always been sceptical about the term organic when it comes to baby clothing, I thought it may just be a gimic to appeal to the environmentally friendly parenting approach, however after hugging and rubbing this set against my cheek - its as close as I can get to putting it on my baby!! I can definitely see the advantages of putting my newborn baby in something this soft and squishy!!

The romper is fastened with seven poppers from the top to the feet, which will make changing wiggly much easier, after covering Tyrus in all sorts of substances when he has had over the head rompers, this will be very useful!! It also has little material flaps on the arms that can be turned over to make little mittens to avoid baby scratching their face whilst snoozing.

The entire set can be tumble dried and even ironed on a low setting (not that I am a fan of ironing baby clothes) which makes the perfect outfit.

The lovely Zubu Baby can also been found on facebook and twitter, it is definitely worth giving them a look, I know what I shall be buying a certain sister of mine who is due a baby two weeks after me!!

Five More Sleeps To Go!!

Only five more sleeps until we begin our car journey to Skegness for our first ever Butlins holiday, the children are extremely excited and have been on a sleeps countdown since the school holidays began!!

I cannot believe we are in April already, this year is flying by, it only seems like yesterday that we got the news we had been chosen as one of the 40 families, and in less than a week we shall be there!

We have begun the FUN task of sorting out clothes, last year the school holidays were quite mild and sunny, however I woke up today to find snow flurries so, it looks like big fluffy jumpers and bed socks!!

It felt very strange last week shopping for swimming costumes, as most of the children had outgrown their ones from last year, I obviously need a maternity costume as wiggly is growing at quite a rate...

The part they are most looking forward to is the newly opened Splash Waterworld, that you can take a peek at below.

The part I am most looking forward to is the Premium Dining, since falling pregnant, preparing and cooking meals has been a slight challenge, so I am looking forward to five days of not cooking and allowing the children to choose their own meals.

Eowyn and Tyrus adore loud bright colourful things so i think they will enjoy the live shows, the older ones are keen to try some of the activities and clubs, which will be a first for all of them.

Last week we were rock poolong in the snow, so I amsure the buckets and spades will find their way into the car, no matter what the weather....

Look out Butlins, here we come....