http://adserver.adtech.de/?adlink|3.0|311|1072359|1|16|AdId%3D6699352;BnId%3D1;link%3Dhttp://www.askamum.co.uk (They love my blog, ooo-errr how exciting!)
 
It’s been a pretty tame week of not doing too much of anything really and that’s suited me down to the ground for once. Sometimes I think we can over do things and I am the sort of person who is always ‘doing something’ even if it’s just being out doors, so it’s been quite nice to sit and chill and watch a bit of TV for a change. Don’t get me wrong, we have been out and about, to play groups, the park and on Sunday we went on a ‘Duck Tour’ (This week’s ‘Day Out’ review) but I haven’t been cramming 101 things in, in one day and it’s been a welcome change to take a slower pace. I’m not very good at it but being in the first trimester of my pregnancy I think my body is taking over somewhat and dictating that I need that a bit more! I’m quite enjoying it actually… Have just been pottering and having coffee with my other Mum friends which has made a lovely relaxing week, even though I’ve still felt absolutely shattered!
 
I’m finding out that more and more of my friends are having second babies too so it must be the time everyone thought was about right. It’s funny because in my area particularly, the Mummy Presence is very much on the map and I’ve noticed that Mum’s of three hang out with other Mum’s of three, Mum’s of two the same and then there are the first time Mummies. It’s not an exact science, of course I have friends with more than one child but on the whole my group is the group I met when all our babies had just been born and we were at ‘under ones’ clubs together which I suspect you don’t go to second time around because you’d have your older child in tow – that wouldn’t work. I suppose everybody before us did the same and it seems that like us now, they went on to have their second children at roughly the same times. We’re like different generations of the Leytonstone Mummies. Perhaps when all your children are school age you drop off the mummy about town radar and begin a different phase in your life. These days I’m seeing the new Mummies come to groups that I’ve been going to ever since Florence was born and they are the new crew as first first time Mums. I’m noticing myself and my pals move on into the ‘Mummies of two sector’. It’s an evolution and they will be looking at us, like we looked at the pregnant women of toddlers, thinking ‘Are they barmy? Do they ever want to get some sleep?!’ Not possibly imagining that it might very well be them in a year and a half!
 
I was talking with some of my friends the other day, who either have just had their second, are about to any minute or like me are fairly newly pregnant. All of them already have some form of child care in place and plan to continue to utilise that once number two arrives allowing them special time with the new baby. They asked me what I was planning on doing. Well, I was a bit taken aback by the question really? There had never been any thoughts in my mind that I would be doing anything other than just looking after both my children all day every day, I’m sure it’s hard work but just like looking after one is hard work it must be rewarding in the same way too? Aside from anything else I won’t be able to afford it. It got me thinking though, it would be nice to have exclusive time with the baby occasionally. When Florence was tiny we used to go to baby yoga and there was one particular ‘under ones club’ I loved on a Tuesday that worked perfectly time wise with the Mummy and Baby cinema straight after… I suppose on the whole I won’t be able to do those things this time round which is a shame but it’s just the way it is. I’d miss my Florence too much anyway, so I’m just rather hoping I’ll be able to cope! Jonny does work one weekend every three so he gets a Friday and Tuesday off, meaning I will be able to do the yoga and baby club once every three weeks. This is nice but I really do wish the cinema would let you take older children as well. Florence would be perfectly well behaved if I took her and in fact would probably sleep at that time and the cinema was such a luxury. Its run by Picturehouse cinemas in conjunction with Bepanthen nappy cream, is nationwide and such a lovely way to spend a couple of hours. You don’t even notice the babies crying for some reason and if you’re breast feeding it’s a totally relaxing way to just sit and do that in private. In Stratford, my closest one, it’s even half the price of a normal cinema ticket although I know in other locations this is not so. I loved going and I just wish I still could! I think children under three should be allowed but at the moment they say under 12 months only (although Florence is small and I have sneaked her in many times when she’s been asleep in the buggy!) For more information on the Mummy and Baby cinema which is humorously called ‘The Big Scream’ and to find a Picturehouse near you then log onto their website: www.picturehouses.co.uk.
 
To the Duck Tour then! Like I said, on Sunday Jonny, Florence and I headed up to the ever impressive South Bank and the location of the London Eye which is also where ‘London Duck Tours’ head office and departure point is located. We were booked on the 10am City Tour which was a slight change to their usual Westminster Tour because of the Royal Parks half Marathon. We dropped the buggy off in their offices and got in the queue while we awaited our DUKW or Duck as they are affectionately called nowadays. Originally designed to form part of the vehicle force for the British army in World War 2 the DUKW’s played a crucial role in allied invasions, the biggest being the D-Day Landing. More than 40% of all-over beach supplies in Normandy were transported by the DUKW’s. The vehicles themselves have a wonderful history which is fascinating in itself. Built to last just a few weeks, over half a century later they are still fully functioning. Having been born to fight the war, gone into film work by starring in ‘Band of Brothers’ as an adult and finally moving into their retirement providing London Tours today. I think you’ll agree the vehicles are pretty special in themselves without even touching on the tour!
 
I don’t know what the Westminster Tour is like obviously but I have to say the one we went on was utterly fascinating. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and aside from pointing out the well known land marks, St Paul’s Cathedral, where the Great Fire of London started and finished and other particular buildings, he knew so much about very small things such as why Sir Winston Churchill’s face was in the middle of a sundial on a building you may not have otherwise noticed. He also had funny anecdotes to add such as when Lady Astor said to Churchill ‘If you were my husband I would poison your tea’. To which Churchill replied ‘Nancy, if you were my wife I’d drink it’! He was jolly and fun and engaged the audience well. There was music at appropriate times such as the James Bond theme when we arrived at the MI6 building. All in all the land part of the tour was very enjoyable, interesting and informative.
 
The MI6 building is where we had a change of driver before the DUKW was launched straight into the Thames complete with a soundtrack count down making it all the more exciting for the children on board. I was surprised at how exciting it was to be in a vehicle on the road one minute and into the water the next but it really was as simple as that and then we began the water element of our tour. I live in London and have seen the buildings along the Thames many times but not from the river and seeing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from this angle was a real treat.
 
What did I love? The interesting facts and general theatre of the DUKW. What was I not so keen on? The fact that with the open windows at waist height I didn’t feel comfortable with a small child and I think they should have warned me how open it was going to be bearing in mind I clearly had a toddler with me. I would recommend the trip for children over the age of five who can listen and be interested for an hour and a half. Although Florence was in a good mood and happily ate her crisps, only moaning towards the end, it could have been a whole different experience. I think for the safety factor and the type of trip it is, in my opinion it’s possibly not suitable for under fives. They do have a rigid safety policy which is very clearly set out on their website but for me personally I would feel more comfortable without a toddler. London Duck Tours have many different tour options and themes as well as providing the option to privately hire for a party. Tickets for a basic tour start at £21 for an adult and £14 for children aged 1 to 12 years. A family ticket for two adults and two children is from £62. There are rules about how many children per adult and they only allow 2 infants per tour. For more information on London Duck Tours please see their website www.londonducktours.co.uk.

When we’re travelling on the tube as we did last Sunday I always like to make sure I have some books with me to entertain Florence and one of our household favourites is ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle. Indeed we like it so much we have both the original book and the buggy version. It’s such a lovely and educational story and my friends at www.savvymummys.co.uk have an exclusive offer on right now to get this classic award winner for just £1.99. Bargain or what?! All you have to do is become a member by registering for free on their site, but hurry, the offer won’t last long I’m sure!
 

 
In other news I’ve been using the double buggy again this week. My friend came over and we went for a big stroll together in order to get the girls to have a nap. I don’t know what happens at this stage in toddlerhood but napping becomes very much something that they don’t want and we are still fighting for! I don’t want the day time nap to become a thing of the past and I am trying to do everything I can to ensure she still has one. It’s a fine line as to when she has her nap though, if she wakes up after 1 pm it just ruins the evening and if she doesn’t have one at all by about 4pm she is just monstrous! You’d think being so tired would ensure she slept soundly when she did go to sleep but it seems that is just not the case, she needs that nap whether she thinks so or not and frankly, so do I! Ideally I like her to be starting the nap no later than half eleven but Florence is a creature of habit and comfort and the way she goes to sleep is by feeding, it’s something I am really trying to stop right now and not something that can continue.
 
I actually don’t want to feed Florence past her second birthday, that’s just not for me and I want her to start sleeping normally so I’m trying not to feed her to sleep in the day time anymore but to walk her to sleep instead. It’s not quite as easy as the friends I have whose children just lie down and shut their eyes but it’s a start. Florence is just that sort of person, I am like it too, she finds it hard to switch off and actually because she doesn’t need much sleep (though she does need more than she takes) it’s not something that’s important to her. When she was tiny just going for a walk would make her drop off but these days there are far too many distractions to make that happen and I have to be quite cunning about it. I wait until she’s fairly tired for a start but that is not enough alone. If I am determined to get her to sleep I use my ‘Snoozeshade’. Now I’ve talked about ‘Snoozeshade’ before, we love the ‘Snoozeshade Plus’ it’s absolutely fab, especially for holidays and I am a little upset that Florence is now out of her infant car seat and can’t use the ‘Snoozeshade’ designed to work with that because it was just so good and we didn’t find out about it until she was nearly too big (We’ll use it next time for sure). This time, with the double, I decided to trial the ‘Snoozeshade Twin’.
 
Even though I have loved the other ‘Snoozeshade’ products, I didn’t have high hopes for using the twin with two older children. I thought that it would work with tiny twins or a toddler and a newborn but that for toddlers in a side by side twin buggy it would just be a source of amusement. In a way I was right and to begin with it was but that turned out to be a good thing. When I put the ‘Snoozeshade Plus’ over Florence’s single buggy, she fights and struggles with it, the Velcro straps on both the Plus and the Twin are fitted so that they don’t come apart and the fighting is futile meaning eventually she gives in to the darkness and has the sleep. With the Twin I suspected, and was right, that she wouldn’t fight but that she would giggle with her friend. But in the gentlest way possible and like a little miracle the giggling got less and less, they got more and more subdued and eventually, even though they were chatting quietly right up to the point of sleep, they BOTH dropped off! In unison! This is absolutely superb! My friends and I have a little bit of a child minding bank service. We all do each other favours and when we need it we look after each other’s children from time to time. I have NEVER managed to get Florence to have a nap at the same time as her friends and have always had them either napping at different times or not napping at all because they are so excited to see each other. This product is going to revolutionise those days when we are helping each other out because it means that we can get a break in the day time even with two! Yes we have to take them out for a walk but it works and you can’t ask for more than that! As with all ‘Snoozeshade’ products the material is double layered, breathable, blocks out 80% shade providing a sun protection factor UPF50+ and blocks out 94% of light. It has two zips that you can use to take a peek in at both (sleeping) children and fits really well round my standard size umbrella fold stroller. Love it! Priced at £39.99 I’d say its money well spent. For more information on everything to do with ‘Snoozeshade’ visit their very user friendly website www.snoozeshade.com. Once you go ‘Snoozeshade’ black you won’t go back! I just wish they made a full sized cot one to use at home!
 

Now I bring you to my competition section and what better way to start this bit than announcing the winners of two very special competitions:
 
The winner of the ‘Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt’ family ticket competition is Tony Bode from London!!!!!!!! Congratulations Tony, tickets will be with you soon!
 
To find out more about Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt and to book tickets if you weren’t lucky this time please see the website www.peppapiglive.com.
 

 
And the two family passes to The Dungeons go to Susie Price of Reading and Helen Pope from Barcombe!!!!!!!! Congratulations to Susie and Helen, tickets will be with you shortly and we at Rocknrollerbaby hope you have a wonderful Halloween with your prize!
 
If you didn’t win don’t fear there’s no need to miss out. See www.thedungeons.com for the best online prices and get yourself to one of The Dungeons, be it in London, Edinburgh, York, Warwick or Blackpool and enjoy the treats they have on offer this Halloween half term!
 
WIN tickets to The Baby Show at Earls Court from 28th – 30th October 2011 with Bebecar and Rocknrollerbaby!
 
It gives me very great pleasure to launch my new exciting competition in conjunction with Bebecar. We are offering 7, YES 7 lucky winners the chance to win a pair of tickets to this years Earls Court Baby Show from 28^th – 30^th October.
 
Bebecar pushchairs are designed and engineered to an extremely high specification because providing safety, quality, and functionality to you and your baby is paramount to them. Each model is equipped with a wide range of features to ensure that all your journeys are safe, comfortable, easy and enjoyable. Bebecar offer the perfect combination of sleek design with performance. An extensive choice of chassis finishes and exclusive fabrics are available allowing you to choose the look and feel you want for your pushchair. Bebecar pushchairs not only look impressive but are designed to last. If you would like to know more about Bebecar and their products then head over to their website www.bebecar.co.uk or alternatively visit them at their stand at The Baby Show, Earls Court and if you’re one of our 7 lucky winners you’ll be able to do just that!
 
To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is like and share Bebecar’s facebook page here:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bebecar/253770784656429 then send me an email at [email protected] stating your name and address. Entries will be put into a hat Thursday 20^th October at mid day and drawn at random. You have one week to enter this fab comp so hurry, make sure you don’t forget!
 
MY PREGNANCY DIARY WEEK 11
 
Week eleven already and apart from the tiredness nothing has been too bad this week. I guess my having a quieter week than normal may have helped but whatever it is I am mighty glad to be over the sickness! I haven’t been sick in a week and it feels great to be able to look at food again as well as eat it! I still have the odd wave of nausea but it’s been nothing like it was for the couple of weeks prior to this one. Phew! I finally made it to the hospital for my routine blood tests and thank goodness that is out of the way and done with. I went as soon as it opened one day and avoided the queues which was definitely a good idea, what with being tired and having a small toddler in tow. The thought of travelling all the way to my local hospital, even though it’s only a fifteen minute walk, was really painful. It’s really out of the way and I couldn’t dovetail it with any other activity which is why I’d been putting it off, but it’s done now and all in time for my scan the week after next; that date is fast approaching believe it or not! I announced my pregnancy so early that feels like I can’t possibly be at the scan stage already. Time has gone so quickly, but like I said last week, second time round everything is different and that means the time doesn’t drag instead choosing to race on past as if I haven’t even blinked. When I was pregnant with Florence I remember thinking that it must be ok if you already had started your family and had the luxury of being at home instead of having to go out to work all day! Pah, what did I know; at least I got to come home and flop on the sofa at the end of the day. This time running round after madam all day and half the evening means I just don’t stop…  Five days tapping absently at my computer screen, a leisurely hours lunch break to read a mag and a tube ride home where I get to read my book seems like a very appealing prospect at the moment I can tell you!
 
I also got on the scales this week and am very happy to note that no weight gain has occurred yet! With Florence I put on loads in the first twelve weeks so it’s great that this time I haven’t followed that suit and hopefully I won’t put on too much throughout the entire pregnancy – last time it was a ridiculous 3 and a half stone! I have quite a small frame and I’m only 5ft 3 so I looked a little bit like a giant ball and I’d like to avoid the ‘ball look’, glam though it is, this time round if poss! When I found out I was pregnant with Florence I was quite into yoga and Jonny bought me a yoga in pregnancy DVD which to my shame I never got out of the packet… I did exercise, at 26 weeks I was running every day on holiday and loving every minute of it but I just never got round to doing the DVD. It’s been a bit of struggle but I was determined to get it out of the cellophane this week and give it a go and I’m really glad I did because it’s become my pregnancy product of the week!
 
So the DVD is Pregnancy Health Yoga with Tara Lee and is currently priced at £14.99 with free delivery on Amazon. It includes 8 different practices including ‘Preparation for Labour and the Birth of your Baby’, ‘Partnerwork’ and ‘Pregnancy Related Ailments’. This week I have been doing the ‘Restorative Practice’ which last 40 minutes and ‘Relaxation’ which is 10 minutes long. I chose to do these two because I have been feeling so tired yet unable to get to sleep and waking frequently in the night. It has definitely helped me relax a little more even though whenever I sit cross legged I have had a toddler come and sit on my lap! I think her voice is incredibly soothing yet not at all patronising as I do sometimes find with yoga teachers. The two practices I have been concentrating on are really to do with rest and relaxation so while they don’t necessarily fit in with my life I have enjoyed doing them and do feel a lot more chilled out afterwards. It’s a lot more gentle than traditional yoga but with all the same principles. I would say I’m not as much of a fan of yoga as I used to be but this DVD and these particular two practices are just about right for me at the moment. I will be doing the other practices over the coming weeks and will report back on them at a later date but for now, so far so good and I’m going to try and keep it up!
 
See you back here for week 12!