Baby-Led Weaning

This month, Little Miss has tried:

Pineapple

Melon

Peaches

Nectarines

Frozen Banana

Raspberries (so far the only food she doesn't like - they actually made her cry!)

French Toast (my delicious Mother's Day breakfast)

Pizza (grabbed straight out of Daddy's hand before he could stop her...)

Noodles

Quiche

Omelette

Sausage, leek and fennel pasta

Weetabix (which swiftly replaced the baby porridge when I noticed how much sugar it contained)

Cream Cheese (a favourite on toast)

Meatballs

Chicken Pie

Pesto and Mozzarella stuffed mushrooms

Tuna

Little Miss is really good at trying new things and loves eating. We are still cutting everything into finger-sized pieces and letting her feed herself. She loves the independence and I love that we can all eat together at the same time. 

My Pal Violet

I bought LeapFrog's My Pal Violet on a whim from an Amazon Lightning Deal for Black Friday but it has quickly become one of our most used toys. 

Violet (and her green brother, Scout) can be connected to the computer and personalised with your child's name, favourite colour, food and animal. These 'favourites' aren't all that applicable to a six month old who has barely started eating, let alone expressing preferences over colour and animals, so the options I have put in for now are pretty generic and can (hopefully) be changed at a later date. Violet then uses these options in a variety of sweet songs and games. There are enough songs and activities that, even though you'll quickly learn all the words, Violet does't seem as repetitive as a lot of Little Miss's toys.

Recently, Little Miss has started to turn whenever Violet says her name, which is lovely. Unfortunately not all names can be used though- my nephew's name wasn't recognised by the system, so Scout can't say it. But it is still a great toy even without the personalised features.

As well as songs, rhymes and games, Violet also has a button for 'bedtime music' which can last for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. For us, this has proven to be Violet's best feature as the soothing music is great for helping Little Miss drift back off to sleep at night.

Violet has an age range of 6-36 months and at the moment I can easily see us using her for that long, as Little Miss gradually learns to interact with her more and more. 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is nearly here, but it's not too late to order a last minute gift. Here are some of my favourite ideas. 

Breakfast in Bed Kit £15

Personalised Sterling Silver and Leather Wrap Bracelet £35

'Favourite Memories' Box £22

For My Mum Signature Collection £15

Baby Etched Framed Print £64

6-9 Month Clothing

So far, Little Miss has been about a month out with her clothing sizes. Now that she's seven months, it's time to move her into 6-9 month clothing. Here are some of the things I can't wait to buy.

Top right: M&S

Bottom right: M&S

Left: Baby Boden

Top left: both M&S

Top right: Next

Bottom right: Next

Bottom left: Baby Boden

Top left: M&S

Top right: Next

Bottom left: both Mothercare

Bottom right: baby boden

Happy World Book Day!

As a librarian, writer and book-addict, I love World Book Day. I can't wait until Little Miss is old enough to go to school in fancy dress, but until then, here are some adorable book-themed baby outfits I would love to try:

There are lots of different Hungry Caterpillar costumes, but this dress from Etsy is definitely the prettiest I have seen.

We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all, we love each other! I loved Madeline as a child and her little blue dress and hat would make a very cute WBD costume.

Another great Etsy creation - hats and nappy covers for Winne the Pooh characters!

 

And this fluffy Eeyore outfit looks super cuddly too:

This Peter Pan costume has a DIY tutorial for if you're feeling inspired. 

I have a bit of a soft spot for Disney costumes...

But fairy tales, like Little Red Riding Hood, make great outfit ideas too

Harry Potter is sure to be a favourite in my house.I love this Gryffindor vest for baby Hermiones. 

And finally, I can't think of a book character to match it to, but this shark costume is too funny not to post

Who will your little one be dressing up as for World Book Day this year? 

Seven Months Old

This is a bit of a strangely timed one, since Little Miss was born on the 31st, so February didn't really have a '7 month' day.

She Loves...
Her cuddly toy giraffe
My Pal Violet
Following me around the house
'The Wheels on the Bus'
Bath time
Food! (on the floor, in her hair, rubbed into her clothes...)
The 'Astronomically Correct' version of Twinkle Twinkle

She Can...
Sit unaided without falling over
Move pretty quickly, even if there is still no coordinated hand movement
Make my heart melt with a smile
Soak everything in the vicinity at bath time
Go longer than two hours without a feed at night (this one has made a HUGE difference!)

She Has...
Moved up to the 6-13 month group at baby sensory
Started weekly swimming lessons
Eaten a little bit of (mild) curry and naan bread (which she absolutely loved!)
Very rosy cheeks and ridges that looks suspiciously like emerging teeth on her gums
Moved into her own room at night
Been on a swing for the first time
Started carrying things around in her mouth when she moves, a bit like a puppy!