Sleeping Babies

Having trouble during nappy change time with a wriggly baby? Try BabyLove Nappy Pants - with no tabs to contend with, the 360-degree stretchy waist allows you to pull them up quickly and easily, so your active toddler can get back to action in no time! Request a sample.

I'm lucky. Elliot is a super easy baby. He sleeps, he eats, he smiles (a lot!) and generally has the sunniest disposition I have ever seen in a baby. He's been sleeping through the night since he was 7 weeks old, and wakes up in the morning with a big smile on his face, always happy to coo and play with his feet until I'm ready to get out of bed. I am very lucky.

But with that luck comes guilt. Whenever someone asks how he's sleeping I actually feel bad about answering honestly. Especially when the person I'm talking to is a sleep deprived new mum. So today I want to share a post that I originally wrote back when Lincoln was around 7 months old.

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Lincoln is now 7 months old and still waking to feed 3 times a night. Nine times out of ten the reaction I get when I tell people this is shock and horror.

But is it really that uncommon for babies to still wake in the night at 7 months?

I've been given lots of advice, everyone from my real life and online friends (who's advice is always appreciated), to my hairdresser, beautician, shop assistants, the ladies at the post office, childless men (always my fave...) and complete strangers.

Most of the advice we've happily ignored - like starting solids early (this has been suggested to me by at least a dozen people starting when he was only 4 weeks old), supplementing his night feeds with formula (I have no problems with formula, Max drank it from 5 months but a lack of milk is not the problem), even adding a few drops of rum to a bottle for him, or ignoring him outright when he cries during the night.

Some of it we've tried - waking him up to feed at 10pm before I go to bed, giving him solids at 6 months, moving him into his own room (which we did a couple of days ago) and picking him up when he cries, hugging him and then putting him back down.

It doesn't matter what we do he still wakes up in the night and wants to be fed.

The thing is, I'm totally ok with it. Sure I complain sometimes, especially after a night where he's decided to feed five times, but generally I don't mind.

I love breastfeeding Lincoln and those night feeds are so special to me. It's just me and him. During those feeds I am the only thing in the entire world that matters to him. And there is something so amazingly wonderful about that.

So next time someone asks me if he's sleeping through yet, I'm not going to let them offer me any more advice. I'll let them know that he doesn't sleep through the night, but that I don't mind at all. I'm sure he'll do it when he's ready.

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My reason for sharing this is that I want to point out to those mum's with newborns that it's ok. Whether your baby is sleeping through now, or still waking regularly (and even if he continues to do so until he's 14 months old like Lincoln did), you will be ok. We humans (and especially us Mums!!) have the amazing ability to cope with whatever comes our way. So relax, enjoy the little moments and know that you can handle anything your baby throws at you.

This post is part of a Nuffnang native advertising series.

Having trouble during nappy change time with a wriggly baby? Try BabyLove Nappy Pants - with no tabs to contend with, the 360-degree stretchy waist allows you to pull them up quickly and easily, so your active toddler can get back to action in no time! Request a sample.

A Golden Nursery

I might be a little biased, but I do think that I have some very talented customers. Every time I see how someone has used one of my cushions or mobiles I get so excited. So you can imagine how I felt when I saw these images from the beautiful nursery Ailee has created for her gorgeous little girl Isla. So pretty!!

You can purchase the ivory pom mobile in my store. Head on over to Ailee's blog to see more gorgeous photos and to get the rest of the product sources.

In My Nappy Bag

Having trouble during nappy change time with a wriggly baby? Try BabyLove Nappy Pants - with no tabs to contend with, the 360-degree stretchy waist allows you to pull them up quickly and easily, so your active toddler can get back to action in no time! Request a sample.

The last time I shared a post about what's in my nappy bag, I think I had a little silver pouch full of baby supplies that easily fit into my handbag. These days things are a whole lot more different! My nappy bag is huge, so huge that it could easily double as an overnighter (if you happened to be going somewhere overnight without kids, which I don't get to do for obvious reasons!).

The picture above is the pretty version of what I carry around everyday. A change of clothes for Elliot, nappies (for Link and Elliot) & wipes in my gorgeous Bella & Moo nappy clutch, hand sanitiser, nappy rash cream, a rattle given to me by Julia, my phone and purse and a couple of burp clothes (also from Bella & Moo).

Not pictured is the epic amount of extra things that I always have with me just in case. A change of clothes for Link and Max, a muslin wrap and a heavier blanket, books for Link and an iPad for Max, dummies (as many as I can find on my way out the door), a couple of bottles for Elliot, snacks, a bottle of water, a spare pair of glasses and whatever else I need on the day.

So much stuff! All absolutely essential though of course!

Tell me. Do you still carry around a big nappy bag? Or have you managed to whittle your essentials down to a purse sized pouch?

This post is part of a Nuffnang native advertising series.

Having trouble during nappy change time with a wriggly baby? Try BabyLove Nappy Pants - with no tabs to contend with, the 360-degree stretchy waist allows you to pull them up quickly and easily, so your active toddler can get back to action in no time! Request a sample.

Nursery Inspiration for Elliot

Little baby Elliot doesn't have his own room yet (he will stay in our room until he's about six months old), but that hasn't stopped me from planning and dreaming about what I want to do in his nursery.

If you have a look at my pinterest board you'll see that I've changed my mind quite a few times, I think I have finally settled on what I want now. My plan is to keep it quite neutral and and classic (no surprises there!!). Here's some of the images that are currently inspiring me.

I love everything that Bel from Nest Design Studio does, so it's no surprise that I am head over heels in love with the sneak peaks she's shared of Leo's new nursery. Cannot wait to see more!

Monika Hibbs is another blogger who's style I love, Liam's nursery is right at the top of my inspiration list.

I'm loving the mix of grey, white and wood tones in these rooms (from here and here).

And these nurseries from The Boo and The Boy are so gorgeously serene.


As soon as I get started on his room I'll share some progress shots!!

Switching to Nappy Pants (and a Giveaway!!)

This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and BabyLove

I've talked a lot lately about life with a new baby, but there is also another big change going on around here at the moment. At 23 months old, Lincoln is becoming more and more like a little person and much less like a baby. He's moved past walking and now likes to run everywhere, he climbs on top of anything he can find, talks in little sentences and has very strong opinions (which normally involve him yelling 'Noooo' or 'Yeee-uck' at the top of his lungs!!).

 

One of the biggest challenges we're having is getting him to lie still on his change table for nappy changes. When Mum and Aggie (Sean's mum) were staying with us they learnt first hand that he likes to flip over, kick your belly as hard as he can and generally try to escape at every nappy change. I recently moved his change pad off his table and onto the floor, but all it's done is give him the chance to escape even quicker!

Even though I'd been having all these nappy changing challenges I hadn't really done anything about it. I guess I was in the mindset of 'just keep wrangling the baby and get the job done'. So when BabyLove offered to send me out some Nappy Pants it was kind of like a light bulb moment. I've seen the ads on TV, but it hadn't ever clicked that maybe I should give them a go. I guess my thinking was that because he's not ready for toilet training he also wasn't ready for nappy pants.

I've been using the BabyLove Nappy Pants since the package arrived and I can't believe the difference it has been making. I've been telling Lincoln they're his 'big boy nappies' and his little face looks so proud when we do 'standing changes'!! Seriously, toddlers are hilarious!

Even with our new standing up nappy changes I still have to be super quick, his attention span is really short and at any moment he will attempt to take off in search of his next adventure. The nappy pants have tear away sides, so I basically rip them off him as quick as I can and then (thanks to the super stretchy 360 degree waist band) I help him step into the next pair and pull them straight up. A quick pat on the bum and he's good to go!

An added bonus that I've found since starting to use them is that because there are no tabs he can't unfasten them. Link's not a fan of nappy-free time, but he loves playing with the tabs on his nappies. The end result is usually his nappy falling off and him coming to my crying because he wants his nappy back on. The stretchy waist also helps prevent over zealous dads and grandparents from doing the nappy up so tight that his little belly pops out over the top.

Since switching to the nappy pants they're the only type of nappy I've needed to use, I’ve had them on him overnight and they hold up beautifully. Definitely no dreaded leaks! There is nothing worse than waking up to a toddler screaming because his favourite blanket is all wet (trust me, I've been there...). Trying to get that blanket clean and dry on a day when we have to be out and about early is a disaster.

Another thing I am absolutely loving about BabyLove is that they've made this adorable little baby soother youtube video. Now to be completely honest when I first heard about it I thought it was going to be a bit gimmicky and probably wasn't going to mention it. But I played it for Lincoln and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. He danced along with Baby Bud, laughed and clapped his chubby little hands. When it was finished he said 'more bebe mumma'!! So cute! When BabyLove tested it in Japan it soothed 96% of crying babies, I will definitely be trying it on Elliot next time I can't settle him.

More good news, I have a BabyLove Nappy Pants and Wipes package valued at more than $250 to give to one of you! To enter leave a comment below telling me about the tactics your toddlers have used to try and get away during nappy changes. All the Terms and Conditions can be found here.

In the meantime if you want to go out and buy your own pack of Nappy Pants, they're available at all the major supermarkets. They come in Toddler (9-14kg), Walker (12-17kg) & Junior (15-25kg) and can be purchased in either bulk ($16.99) or Jumbo packs ($29.99). Give them a go, if your toddler is anything like Lincoln you won't regret it! If you would like to request a sample, click here.

(Competition is now closed - congratulations Danni)


 

DIY Bookshelves

Ever since I finished Lincoln's nursery I have been working away on finishing Max's big boy room. I'm not quite there yet, but it's getting very, very close! I get so much satisfaction from working on Max's room because he loves seeing the little changes and gets genuinely excited that I'm making his room into something special for him.

One of the projects I've recently ticked off his list are these DIY bookshelves. For ages now I've been in love with the idea of using Ikea Ribba Ledges as bookshelves. I've seen so many gorgeous shots on Instagram showing how people have styled them into their kids rooms. The only problem I had was that the ledges came in two lengths, neither of which were perfect for the space I wanted to fill. So I bit the bullet and built some. They were super simple to make, and worked out really cost effective. The only drama I had was the time it took me to make, prep and paint them. Buying the Ikea ones would have cost about the same and been much quicker, but you do what you have to do!

As soon as I realised I was going to need to make them I searched Pinterest for some inspiration and came across this tutorial. I'm not going to rehash the details of how I made them because I pretty much followed Cindy's instructions exactly. I got them finished a couple of days before Elliot was born and then Sean installed them for me a few weeks later.

Max loves them and so do I!! Next up I'll be adding a few finishing touches to his room and then it will be all done. Can't wait to share more!

And.... We're Back!!

I'm just going to put it out there that self-imposed maternity leave is just about the best thing ever! I have thoroughly enjoyed having nothing to do for the last 12 weeks. Having said that, it's time for Max & Me to reopen and I couldn't be happier.

I've been busy sewing up a storm for the last couple of weeks and have filled my virtual shelves full of stock.

I've re-listed all of my favourites (like these heart cushions, pom pom mobiles and love cushions)...

As well as adding a whole lot of new goodies too (like these hanging hoops, Caitlin Wilson pillows and damask cushions).

You can head on over and check out my store on Etsy or Down That Little Lane. If you have any questions about an item or if you would like to request a custom order send me an email - tamsynriley@gmail.com.

Lincoln's Nursery

This post has been a long time coming, but I am finally sharing all the photos and details from Lincoln's sweet blue nursery. There's nothing like a new baby to make you realise all the things you haven't done yet!

Link's room is my favourite place in our house, it's so serene and calm. I think simple blue and white will always be a winner with me.

The Boori Sleigh Cot is a much loved hand-me-down from my beautiful sister. Max used it when he was a baby, Lincoln is in it now and it will eventually be Elliot's when he's ready to move out of his bassinet. The cot is made up with a stunning quilt made by my very clever mum, a 'love' and star cushion from my shop, a gorgeous Robin and Mould cloud cushion, a diy pom pom trim cushion and Lincoln's much loved blanket (that he has called nee-nee for as long as he has been able to talk!).

The felt ball rug is a custom order from etsy, I love that you can choose any colour combination you like and have it made up into a gorgeous statement piece. The whale blanket that Link has is another favourite of mine from Goo Collection and is so perfect in this room.

The ikea expedit is another hand-me-down, I originally had it in here when this was Max's room and it stayed when Link moved in. It's filled with so many things that he loves! Link has also really fallen in love with books lately and is always pulling books out and bringing them to us to read. Most days we end up sitting on the felt ball rug and reading together at least five or six times. The baskets down the bottom hold most of his toys, they're sorted by type so that we can find things easily. One for blocks, another for cars, planes etc, another for noisy toys and the last basket holds cuddly toys.

I made this cloud mobile as the room was coming together and I absolutely love how it turned out. Some of these may end up in my shop soon, stay tuned!

This little corner of Link's room is hands down my favourite! I picked the dresser up second hand from an op shop, it was originally dark brown but I knew it would be perfect as soon as I saw it. I primed it, painted it with about a million coats of paint and switched out the brass drawer pulls for silver ones.

The mobile above the table was a diy I did years ago (again it was originally for Max's room), once we had ceiling fans installed I moved it from the centre of the room to it's current location. Lincoln adores it and loves to sing twinkle twinkle with us as we change him.

The mini gallery wall is full of special pieces of art, the whale is a custom ink original by Rhi from Hummingbird's Song and the 'shine like the stars' is from another Aussie seller Billy and Scarlet.

So there we have it, at long last Lincoln's room is up on the blog!! In a couple of months I will be transforming this room into a new 'big boy' bedroom for him but this sweet blue and white space will always be a favourite of mine.