Author: lzlr

A day out with just Oliver considering that Alexander’s arrival so far have been few and far between. With a little brother in tow and regular pre-school, it’s hard to get my now 4 year old to myself.

Weekends are all about fun family time but again that’s all of us together which is terrific but often it’s good to simply have mother and kid uninterrupted time to ourselves!

So last week I made a decision things were going to change. I missed my little man a lot more than ever considering that he’s returned to pre-school post Christmas and aware of how envious he still often feels about his brother, I knew he needed me and just me to shower some undivided attention on him.

The way he feels is normal. Master Oliver was the little prince we all revolved around before Alexander came along and adjustment hasn’t been easy for him. We’re slowly getting there and the kids do love one another (when they’re not fighting) but I knew this would helps things along.

With a newly changed work schedule allowing me much a lot more down time, I’ve taken Oliver out of pre-school one day a week so we can have mother and child alone-time.

My amazing mum cares for Alexander that day and Oliver and I are complimentary to roam the city (make that skipped which was incredibly fun) and do as we please and this week that’s exactly what we did! No work, no distractions, just my darling little kid and I skipping around Leeds together on a little adventure…

First up we headed for refreshment at the chic but child friendly Filmore & Union in the Victoria Quarter for green juice (me) and a treat of chips for Oliver before heading for a full on lunch of gourmet burgers, guacamole and coleslaw at Miller & Carter.

Come to Mama!

Oliver made a decision to show me a ‘trick’ which was drinking water with his fingers. tried not to laugh.

Then onwards to my much beloved Henry Moore Institute in the city centre of Leeds for the current Dennis Oppenheim exhibition.

With ever-changing exhibitions, this place was actually my spiritual home when I studied Art as one of my A’levels lots of moons ago. I think they might still have an essay of mine in their library tucked away at the back from that time (might have to hunt it out next time I visit) and it really is a wonderfully tranquil space, complimentary and open to all.

Not set up purposefully for kids, this matters not. children are welcome with open arms and sculptures I feel in particular, genuinely seem to resonate with kids, they feel tangible and being life-size or large, never cease to stimulate and fascinate children and adults alike.

Seeing Oliver navigate his way around this ‘Vibrating forest (From the Fireworks Series), 1982’ (please see credit scores below)* was delightful. He made a decision it resembled a ship and told me to make sure the fireworks at the rear were secure. yes sir!

Art is about losing yourself and your imagination in the moment be it a metaphorical mirror held up to reality or a fantastical piece to transport you through time and/or place and space-it’s a joy, an escape, a touching emotional truth… and there is nothing a lot more complimentary nor lucid as the mind of a child.

You’re not normally allowed to take pictures but the charming pr there, Rebecca recognised me from this blog (fame at last-ha!) and approved. Yay!

As we left, we taken a look at (get it?) this outdoor chess board which Oliver found fascinating (if a bit infuriating that he couldn’t play with the pieces as a game was already in progress). think I need to invest in one of these for the garden!

A few feet away is the Leeds Art Gallery, a creative haven for big and little people, each room bursting with agreeably, ‘Probably the best collection of  twentieth century British art outside London’ (John Russell Taylor, The Times).

Also with changing collections, Oliver and I wandered between rooms taking in Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Atkinson Grimshaw, Jacob Kramer, and their contemporaries: Paula Rego, Bridget Riley, Georgina Starr, Tony Cragg, Antony Gormley and Francis Bacon. I had taken Oliver before, quite a few times but now aged 4 he seemed so much a lot more engaged than ever before…if not a little too ‘engaged’…

I tried to describe to him that we are not allowed to touch the sculptures on display but his desire to do so overpowered my appeals (sorry Leeds art gallery for any tiny fingerprints left). It was only one or two in all honesty and by the time we upped to leave, he seemed to have grasped the concept of looking and not touching. quite a lesson.

It need to be said he does take after his grandma in this respect who is also an art lover and once remarked to me at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris that she simply had to touch the sculptures and if any individual reprimanded her, she would respond she is blind. Right, then!

…Back to the Leeds City Art Gallery, the Pièce_de_résistance there has to be the children’s area (above) that had delicatetissue paper sculptures hanging from the ceiling (above), carboard box arrangements for imaginative play on the floor, professional watercolour sets and brushes along with a lot more tissue paper, card and rods to create flowers and a textile experimental tapestry to trial colours and textures.

It was heavenly for us both! My first love is painting and one I nearly studied at Uni (with a place used at Ruskin, Oxford Uni but I selected film at Goldsmiths, Uni of Lon) so there we sat, my kid and I for what seemed like minutes but was at least an hour or more, painting, making flowers, questioning, playing, laughing. Joyful.

It served as a tip that I need to get back to the easel myself. I’ve exhibited my work before but considering that kids haven’t even sketched but I’m figured out to start again…Below is a watercolour I rustled up in a few minutes. A token I took home of the day.

My quick little watercolour created with Oliver

A cup of earl grey and some sparkling water at the captivating art deco cafe there energised us before a quick visit to the City library next door. I read a story to Oliver and we chose a handful of books to take out featuring dinosaurs and the alphabet (which Oliver was allowed to stamp himself much to his delight) before returning (sleepily) home for dinner with Alexander…passing this sign as a timely tip as we went…

It might just have been one of our a lot of best days together. If it were a film it would be a slow moving, European indie filled with love about a mother and kid enjoying one another’s company and the basic pleasures in life.

This week’s outing was all about beautiful views and splashing in muddy puddles but that’s a whole other blog post!

*Steel, copper, casters, perforated angle, aluminum track, glass rods, cast plaster, quartz lamp, cotton candy machine, class C rockets, fountains, vibrating motor. Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, California.

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If you have a infant bump; a penchant for chronicling your escapades; as well as a camera, we must truly talk.

Rookie mommies is about celebrating what’s fun (and real!) about the early years of motherhood. considering that our own infants have dared to get bigger, we are currently trying to find expectant mommies (or mommies with infants who are just a month or two old) to attempt as well as paper our 52 challenges. Are you in?

What we are looking for:

A finest effort at doing each challenge. Weekly.

Your results to be published on rookiemoms.com (including 2-4 photos to which you have the rights). Monthly.

Your authentic rookie mommy voice shining through. Always.

What you get from us:

Love as well as appreciation. social network as well as blog links.

A full publish on rookiemoms.com each month.

Compensation TBD.

To apply for the gig:

Send us some samples of your work: links to three (3) different articles or articles written by you including some photography.

Email your work samples to mommies @ rookie moms.com with the subject line RM CHALLENGE

Ok, WHEW. got all that?

If you’re not about to have your very first baby, there are other chances to compose with us. We’re not actively seeking other guest writers currently, however if you have any type of genuine first-person stories about you as well as your infant as well as your adventures as a rookie mommy (or dad), we’d be delighted to think about it.

Please note: We do NOT accept guest articles from SEO advertising business or writers representing industrial websites.

[Illustration by Amy Saidens is from our book, The Rookie mommies Handbook. All rights reserved.]

When I was embellishing Scarlett’s room, I needed some color to break up the white wall as well as to bring the pinks as well as oranges together into a more cohesive color story. I bought these honeycomb spheres for about $3 each as well as hung them from the ceiling. (Affiliate link)

I believed they would be wonderful for a baby’s room, too, as well as discovered all kind of tissue poufs, even prettier ones, on BirthdayExpress.com. (Save 15% via this link)

I asked to send me some to play with, as well as then my mind started wandering to all the different visuals that excite me more than the electronic mobile I had hanging above my son’s crib.

Our contributor Laura from Oakland Avenue DIY’d this garland from felt spheres that she bought on etsy.

I liked seeing this on her blog since my elementary institution buddy Sharon Montrose is the professional photographer of these infant animals.

Laura likewise utilized Christmas tree ornament felt animals together with a few of the felt spheres to produce a simple mobile.

Courtney from Bowdenisms hung this material scrap mobile in her child Piper’s room, utilizing this mobile spider clip thing.

Heather produced this quirky star Wars mobile with R2D2 silhouettes after being influenced by Jen’s vespa mobile. Both utilized the exact same picture clip hanging gadget as Courtney.

Does your kid have a mobile? Do you utilize it?

I just got off the phone with one of Alec’s college friends who had a very first child the exact same time we had Milo (our #2) as well as he stated that they are expecting TWINS.

But I’m jumping the gun to make that part of my story. The genuine story right here is my absolute inability to pretend I didn’t want any type of much more youngsters last week. Theoretically, when randoms ask me, “so, do you want much more kids?” I ought to have answered, “heck no” in keeping with my game. however instead, I went with the long explanation over as well as over as well as over again.

Of course, now that I’ve changed gears in the game, I’m just as likely to provide the whole spiel, so I shouldn’t make it imply as well much.

When I believe about having much more kids in our family, I get thrilled to believe about the future future as well as having cheerful holidays with tables full of laughter; I picture three crazy however loving teen sons (yes, I can’t bring myself to picture we’d have a child many times — it’s either be awesome with 3 young boys or don’t play ball); I photo staring stupidly at a newborn as well as lastly letting myself delight in each phase since it does go by so quickly.

My second baby. might I do this again?

But then my mind leaps rapidly to the downsides of much more baby: fewer hours of sleep, less sanity, no me time, one more 5 pounds of blub that I may never shake shred. I try to disregard pragmatic concerns about money since I don’t believe these type of life-altering decisions can be made so rationally as all that.

And then I’m stuck around again.

The ill thing is that phone phone calls with Alec’s buddies make me obsess around once again (self: “oh wow, they’re going from one youngster to three, we ought to completely have another”). When irritating people ask me if I’m expecting (WHICH I’M NOT!!!!), a little part of me wonders if I ought to just opt for it so I can state yes. WTF is that?!

I’m not sure that this regular goal will be any type of simpler to execute than last week’s, however I’m available to evaluating the experiment as well as inspecting back in.

Am I overthinking this? Don’t response that. just tell me your story. Cuz that will assist me make my life choice.

Related: last week’s regular goal: pretending I don’t want any type of much more kids.

Challenged by Hallmark to share a story of an inspiring teacher, I went blank. though I have a number of fond memories of school, I can barely keep in mind the teacher’s names — even those that I adored.

But I’m quite sure that Facebook was invented to jog memories such as this; my former classmates were able to assist me piece together one of my treasured I-never-thought-I’d-forget-it memories.

This morning, I sent out this request:

Umm, do you recall any type of details about our Olympics of the Mind trip? I believe it was in 2nd or 3rd grade? With some teacher? about some topic? To some destination? I’m composing on a deadline…ha!

Thanks to their superior memories as well as quick research study tactics (like reading old journals or asking their parents), my fellow Mind Olympians worked once again as a team, as well as I now have a clearer memory of our most remarkable teacher, Ms. Flanagan. She set me on a path of travel, creativity, as well as list-making as well as I’m sure she doesn’t even understand it.

About a million years ago, a team of five third graders from my bit town competed in the Olympics of the Mind against a whole heap of other grade institution kids. We were in the Cruppets (abbreviation for innovative Puppets) division.

Me as well as my hazy memories

Our team composed as well as performed a fantastically ridiculous quest about Benjamin Franklin being blasted into the future while flying his kite in a storm; he ended up in the eighties as well as found remarkable things like the microwave oven as well as the contemporary publish office. We likewise did a number of superfun brainstorming challenges. According to Brad’s old notes, I was extremely great at this.

It tickles me to discover this as Whitney as well as I are currently working as consultants to a few companies, particularly by facilitating brainstorms for them (not to meniton developed this right here website as well as our two books). Apparently, I have Ms. Flanagan to say thanks to for my present task prospects.

We had two fearless parent coaches as well as one wonderful instructor to wrangle us as we composed the script, designed the set as well as puppets (while whispering about boys as well as drinking pop), as well as prepared to dominate the world with our amazing Mind Olympic feats.

Like the youngsters on Glee, we went to a number of competitions: District, Regionals, State, as well as World. That’s right! Unlike Glee, we skipped right over Nationals as well as kicked butt at the world Finals (Thanks Canada!) by coming in 4th place.

Since my mom was out of town, she couldn’t go along with me to new jersey for the finals, so Ms. Flanagan took me instead. Ms. Flanagan was my Mr. Schuester. In addition to being our team’s mentor, she made it possible for me to see the world. We rode an airplane together on the outbound leg. as well as on the return trip, I rode an airplane BY MYSELF! What a thrill. Sure, I was scared however I was feeling so extremely capable having just put in a around the world competition of awesome.

I later found that miss Flanagan went on to ended up being primary as well as just recently retired after 24 years in my elementary school. I’m sure she was the preferred of many.

Last week, in the midst of Holden’s birthday planning as well as the lead as much as Mother’s Day was instructor Appreciation Week. While it was a great deal for me to juggle, I wished to make sure to provide thanks to the instructors in our lives who make such a difference with handwritten notes, cards, as well as a little gift. We cannot anticipate which instructors will set us on the unique path to our future.

So, here’s to remembering all those instructors as well as moments we swore we would never forget!

+++

This jaunt down my hazy memory lane was sponsored by Hallmark, who challenged me to keep in mind since life is a special event moments!

At six weeks pregnant the whole situation can seem a little surreal still. everything about becoming a mom is new and exciting, and of course a bit scary too. many moms cannot wait to go in for their 6 week ultrasound because it offers them some peace of mind. This is typically the very earliest that you will have an ultrasound because there is not much to see via the sonogram before this point. In fact, most doctors will not do an ultrasound until around 12 weeks.

What To know about 6 Week Ultrasounds

Everything to know about Ultrasounds

Okay, so you probably get that an ultrasound involves seeing your baby on a screen and some goop being rubbed on your tummy, but beyond that, you might not really know what all is involved in an ultrasound appointment. first things first, many doctors won’t even have you come in until you are 8 or 9 weeks pregnant. While it is hard to be patient and wait this long, you will be able to see much more by this point. Whether your first ultrasound is at week 6 or week 9, we’ve pulled together some tidbits to prepare you.

An ultrasound is the procedure happening and the sonogram is the photograph that is produced. An ultrasound is a scan of your abdomen and pelvic area. Vaginal ultrasounds are very common at six weeks. Don’t be surprised, if this is what your doctor suggests. It is important to understand that ultrasounds are not x-rays, and are completely safe. It is non-invasive and typically will only last 15-30 min. The exciting part of getting an ultrasound is definitely seeing your baby and eventually finding out if you are having a boy or girl, but what makes ultrasounds so important is that they allow your doctor to get a close look at how your little one is developing. They are used to check the heartbeat, determine a due date, and monitor a wide variety of medical milestones for your baby.

What to know about the 6 Week Ultrasound

All about the Appointment

While your doctor may not require it, it’s a good idea to go into the ultrasound appointment with a full bladder. They say it allows the technician to get a clearer view of both your baby and the reproductive organs. drink 2-4 cups of water about an hour before your appointment. As hard as it may be, try not to ease your bladder until the appointment has concluded.

You will lay on the exam room bed and the technician will rub a water-based gel to your abdomen. So, while you should wear something comfy and easy to pull up you don’t need to worry about the gel ruining your clothes in any way. any of these comfy leggings paired with an oversized tee will do! 

Last but not least, there are never too many questions. At this early stage, you probably have a bunch and a good OBGYN will be happy to answer any and all of your questions. 

What You might See

Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see much or the sonogram doesn’t produce clear images. A 6 week ultrasound is very early and there will be later on to check in on your little bean! You also should not panic if the doctor cannot seem to find what they are looking for. often times at this point, how far along you think you are is not accurate and it may be earlier in your pregnancy than predicted.

Typically at a 6 week ultrasound, your doctor will find the fetal pole or the fetal heartbeat. This is really exciting and definitely something to look forward to!

Okay, so what even is a fetal pole? It is the shape of the embryo, which the doctor will measure to check development. They will be able to discern what side is the head and what side is the butt. Make sure to ask them to point out which is which to you. They may also be able to point out little buds that will eventually turn into their arms and legs.

The doctor will also check the embryo’s location in the uterus to make sure it has attached correctly.

Fun fact; if you are pregnant with multiples the doctor and you will be able to see on this early ultrasound. You can see their separate gestational sacs.

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