Introducing Viggo...

WOW! what a completely hectic 19 days, I have no idea where the time has gone, although that might be something to do with this little one...

Just after midnight on Monday 9th September I got the first contraction, literally just as I laid my head on the pillow, WHAM it happened, I leaned over to Asa and said "Get some sleep"  whilst I got up and had a bath, but they didn't go away so I knew this was the real thing!
I calmly went down the stairs and removed the cover from the birth pool, all ready for my perfect homebirth, I stole the clock from Xene's bedroom to time the contractions and settled myself on the birthing ball to watch an episode of Smash, however after only 9 minutes I realised that the contractions were actually only 4 minutes apart, so I telephoned the Delivery Suite to get them to send for the midwives!
I eventually got through after ten minutes of the phone being engaged (not what you need whilst having contractions) they went through my personal details and then asked if I was for the Delivery Suite or the Dolphin Unit - our midwife lead unit, I informed them that I was homebirth and the phone went eerily quiet....
A senior midwife came on the telephone and informed me that there were no midwives available to come out for a homebirth until 8am, which of course I knew would be far too late...
I reluctantly agreed to go into hospital with the condition that I was allowed on the Dolphin Suite for a waterbirth, which they agreed to.
I then had the task of informing Asa that he would not be taking care of me at home, he would be driving me to the hospital, next was contacting my friend to come and look after the other six children, she was there within 10 minutes, by which time the contractions were every couple of minutes.
I frantically ran round the house collecting all of the essentials I would need for a hospital birth, as everything was packed away ready to get out after we had him at home!

The journey to hospital was rather quick as the contractions were only a minute apart, when I arrived at the Dolphin Suite at 2.10am the water was already run in the bath and I hastily climbed in, it was wonderful and I managed for the next half an hour just breathing through the contractions, for the final 20 minutes a little Gas and Air was called for, and at 3am exactly Viggo Cort Alexander Morrison was born in his amniotic sac weighing a very surprising 9lb 6oz.

We were allowed home after the minimum 4 hours, so his brothers and sisters woke up to a new baby brother, which they are all smitten with.

The past 19 days have been a bit of a blur, school runs with seven children is quite a chaotic adventure and we may have forgotten the odd water bottle or book bag throughout this time, but we are getting there...

As for sleep, well, sleep is for wimps, I keep telling myself!!

London gets a new family friendly circus with an urban twist! AND Win a Pair of Tickets!

Cirque Éloize, the leading international contemporary circus company, is coming to London with a dazzling new family friendly production iD which blends circus arts and urban dance including b-boying, breakdance and hip hop.

iD is suitable for kids 5+ and under 16s go half price. The show is set in the heart of the city and is described by Director Jeannot Painchaud as “at the crossroads of comic books, science fiction movies and the rich universe of graffiti”. 15 multidisciplinary performers from around the world will display an array of breathtaking acrobatic circus disciplines, including the Cyr wheel, Chinese pole, aerial silks and the trampowall.  

Since 1993 Quebec-based Cirque Éloize has presented more than 3000 performances in over 375 cities and 30 countries - and is renowned for its dazzling shows which combine circus arts with music, dance and theatre.

Cirque Éloize’s iD runs from 1 Oct 2013 – 19 Oct 2013 at London’s Peacock Theatre.  to purchase tickets head here http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Cirque-Eloize-iD/booking   

If you would like to win a pair of tickets for the performance at 7.30pm on Sunday 13th October, simply comment below with the answer to this very simple question (clue: The answer can be found above)

Where does Cirque Eloize come from ?

Closing Date : 1st October 2013

Good Luck xxx

Chad Valley Baby Range - First Impressions

With our little man due very shortly I wanted to find some toys that were suitable from birth for him, although he will have lots of toys to play with, kindly donated by his brothers and sisters, it is nice to get something `just for him' so when I was asked if I would like review some newborn toys from the Chad Valley Baby Range, I couldn't wait to see what Wiggly would be sent...

First, we had a Lamb Gift Set.

It consists of a lamb rattle, a snuggle blanket with toy to soothe baby and a soft wrist rattle.

All three items are lovely and soft, think they will be very well loved by the little man.

But that's not all, he also got sent an Elephant Activity Friend

I definitely think this is going to be a huge hit, he is very soft and brightly coloured, with crinkly ears and a mirror on his foot.

Now, all we need is for him to make an appearance, then I can update you all on exactly what he thinks of the gorgeous toys, fingers crossed it won't be too long now xxx

Share Your Advice with the Step-by-Step Tip Swap with Dora the Explorer

 Tackling each new step in a child’s development can be an overwhelming task for any parent. But to give a helping hand, Nick Jr. has created a new initiative called Step-by-Step which aims to assist parents explain key developmental milestones and reward children when they achieve them, with a range of Dora the Explorer tools.

From learning to brush their teeth, to riding a bike for the first time, to even attending their first birthday party, Nick Jr. and Dora are on hand to help children and their parents on their way. However as no child is the same, Nick Jr. are asking parents to share their own top tips with the Dora Step-by-Step Top Tip Swap.

Every month a new topic will be addressed online with handy information, videos and downloadable tools with child development expert Jacqueline Harding offering practical tips and advice. Then, on Facebook, parents will be able to swap their own tips for the chance to win a Dora Step-by-Step pack consisting of a Dora-the-Explorer My Talking Backpack and a School Day Dora doll.

August’s theme is ‘Summer’ and here are some of Jacqueline’s top tips and advice for getting little ones to grips with key skills:
 If you have access to outdoor space, why not choose a small spot for your little one to have their own garden? It’s best to choose quick growing plants such as cress and then you can even use what you have grown to make sandwiches together for your next picnic.
 Going down to the seaside? Then, it’s time to get stuck into sand castle building. Children never seem to be bored as long as there is sand around, but take a camera and use those pictures to make a scrap-book to keep the excitement going when you’re back home.
 If you’re off on holiday with your child, leave a few bits of packing at the end for your child to help you pack. Not only will this help them to get excited, it is also a great opportunity to explain all of the stages of the holiday so they know what to expect.

To see more tips from Jacqueline Harding or download your own Step-by-Step, Explore with Dora tools visit nickjr.co.uk/stepbystep. If you’d like to share your own tips and advice visit Facebook.com/NickJrUK.