Here we are again for Parkers most played with toy of the week.
This week he has enjoyed playing alot of role play and found him for hours on end making figures play with each other and crash smash into one another.
We have loads of random toys and figures which have been given as gifts over the last couple of years but im super impressed with Happy land Figures in particular.
These are from early learning but are now stocked far and wide and my ones I purchased from Amazon because who doesn’t love prime?
These perfect palm sized companions are suited to toddlers because they
Are perfect size for children of all ages and motor skills to hold
Made of strong durable plastic which can be washed after being in tiny mouths
Encouraged interaction
Bright colours to keep attention
Huges varieties of choice so can add to childrens collections for along time
We may have even encountered a cheeky bath with our figures before not that thats encouraged.
Once again these toys get 10/10 from us.
What’s been a firm favourite in your house this week?
Following on from part 1 after I got down to not quite a target weight but there about’s and it was apparent that my periods were still not returning it was time for the doctors to listen to me. I knew my body and I wanted to take action and tests to begin.
They agreed to give me various tests now that I was classed as a healthier BMI.
Take a look inside
The first test being an internal ultra sound to clarify the condition of me internally and if anything untoward shows up.
Initially it was planned to do an exterior ultra sound very much like the one they do when you are pregnant but upon filling my bladder with litres and litres of fluid, due to my chunky tummy the sonographer couldn’t see what she needed to see.
So inside they went. I was super nervous as the item they inserted looked like ah hem excuse my french….. a bloody sweeping brush handle! It didn’t bare thinking about how they would do it.
A spectrum is used to make the opening more accessible (opening is the politest think I can think of at 10pm on a Friday night after a bottle of prosecco). Then on goes the lubrication which feels like the thickest, cheapest petroleum jelly on the market, but bugger me it did the trick. With little to know pain before I knew it she was in and we were looking at what she told me were my ovaries. To me it looked like what the TV looked like if you woke up too early in the morning and nothing had started airing yet…. fuzzy.
After a few prods and presses and some gentle persuasion from me she said she is not qualified to give me the results until being looked over by a senior doctor but she could tell me that it didn’t look typical of someone that had something called polycystic ovaries which was predominantly what she was looking for.
The nurse did say that I had quite alot of very small cysts on my ovaries but nothing compared to some she has seen.
I took my seat back out into the waiting area and waited for the doctor to call me through.
When she did, she told me the same as the nurse had told me that I did not have typical polysistic ovaries but possibly a very mild case….
I have mentioned a few times in previous posts that conceiving Parker was not straight forward, In fact very far from it.
I’ve decided that each week I will post a piece of my Journey to becoming mum with fertility issues.
My Journey started 7 Years ago in 2010 when we decided we wanted to try for a family, after coming off the contraceptive pill for many years my periods never returned.
After waiting for over a year I was finally transferred to a fertility doctor at our local hospital.
After a few basic tests on my self which included many blood being taken and a sperm test on Drew the doctor wanted to rule out that is was not my weight that was causing me and issue. At the time I was weighing in at 15 stone.
The sent me away for a few months and I lost a few pounds here and there but nothing like the 3 stone I needed to lose in order for me to have certain tests and procedures to see what the issue was.
After a lengthy discussion with my doctor they agreed that what ever may be wrong with me may have the side effect that makes losing weight a lot harder than it would for a standard person. So they agreed to prescribe me a tablet that aids weightless while combined with a healthy balanced diet with low fat intake.
They really worked. For every one pound i was losing myself Orlistat was helping me lose another pound. So for what seemed like a goal that would only be achievable in years to come I actually achieved my target within 3 months.
Like I say these may not be for everyone as they do change your bowel habits slightly and if you fancy cheating your diet and having a big fat take away, my advice DONT. Its not worth it unless your not planning to leave the house the next day put it that way.
I owe this medication alot as if made the next part of my journey the true start of my chances of becoming a parent.
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming next week: Needles and Tests
Did you struggle with conception of your child or no somewho you did? If you did it can be a lonely journey and I would love to chat with anyone who needs a listening ear.
I started this toy feature way back when I first started blogging, and how many weeks did I achieve? ONE! Yes just one terrible I know.
In all honesty though Parker has only recently really gotten into toys. I mean like really playing with them for what they are and not just throwing them around and making a bang and crash.
He is venturing into the world of role play and independent play and he’s really enjoying it.
So this weeks most Played with Toy of the week has been
Disney Toy Story Figures
Parker is absolutely loving these figures. His favourite one right now is Jessie.
These are relatively small figures I would say a couple of inches tall but they don’t have removable Parts so you do not need to worry about a choking hazard.
The only down side to these figures which Parker makes me aware of daily is that the hats are not removable much to his digust lol. Right now his obsession it’s putting hats on and off things.
The figures are sturdy yet marginally flexible of that makes sense. Basically they are not rock hard.
My Overall Views
I would rate these Disney figures 10/10.
I would say suitable from 2 plus as long as they don’t have a tendency to put things in mouths.
With Halloween fast approaching here is a quick and simple Halloween treat idea to give to your trick or treaters or just enjoy yourself on Halloween night with the family.
Before I became a mum people would always say there is never a right time to start a family. I always shrugged that off and thought of course there has to Be a right time if the perpetration is right and you need to get things in order. WRONG. I have learned this the hard way. After needing years of fertility treatment I now wish I would of started trying for a family years before we did. Here’s why
Under lying issues
You May think you need to time trying for a family down to the last details but unfortunately for me when I was ready my body wasn’t which ment my son didn’t come until 5 years after starting to try for him.
If you are happy in your relationship and wants a child, go for it!
Tomorrow might never come
I have witnessed first hand from a family friend that tomorrow just may never come. Live each day as if it’s your last. If your loved ones get take too soon your chance to create a family with them may be taken away too.
All you need is love
Obviously this is slightly untrue but my point here is you don’t have to be rich or have a massive savings pot to have a child. If this was the case hardly anyone would reproduce and the world would be a miserable childless place.
When your a parent you make adaptations to your lifestyle and spend your money in a different way.
Way back when
some people think there houses are not big enough to have a child or make an addition to the family. What do you think they did years ago when there was 10 children to a family with a 2 or 3 bedrooms house.
You adapt. Bunk beds and handy storage soloutions are key. If my grandma could do it so could we.
Ignore the haters
If like me you have people telling you not yet or your too young and they are trying to talk you out of it. Ignore them. Who are they to tell you how to live your life.
As they say we are not here for a long time we are here for a good time.
Moral of the Story
The moral of the story here is that I fell a victim to all of these theory’s and it ment that I didn’t become a mother until 5 years after the intended time when we started trying due to fertility issues
Take my advice live each day as if it where your last and do what you want to do because at the end of the day-
LOVE AND HAPPINESS CONQUERS ALL.
TTFN
Trini
xxx
Would you be interested in hearing my fertility journey? Let me know
What do you do in your house when the kids go to bed? Well here’s what happens when the clock strikes 7pm in my house and it’s mum Time.
Evening Routine after 7pm
When Parker is happily tucked up in bed dreaming away I love nothing more then catching up on trash tv while scrolling the internet.
I start off with facebook, insta and Twitter. Then maybe move on to some online shopping sites and Perues the sale sections and special offers but the night usually ends with my playing some sort of game.
A lot of the time it will be something risk free and easy like candy crush but occasionally I dabble in the online Bingos, scratches and slots.
I used to love attending the club but after children it’s less and less likely I find the time to go unless is a special occasion, so I find playing at home equally as enjoyable now.
At first I was unsure of how it worked with depositing money into the accounts then withdrawing if I had a win but rather then doing bank transfers I found accounts that are like e-wallets a lot faster and more effective not to mention safer because bank details didn’t have to be entered on every site you wanted to use.
What do you do to relax when the kids go to bed? What’s your go to site to explore?
TTFN
Trini
Xx
*** This is a collaboration post***
Dont forget to help me on my quest of loft conversion blinds!
When I had the opportunity to have a home blood sample test to check various elements of my health from Forth With Life I jumped that at the chance. Since becoming a mum living a long and healthy life has never been so important to me as it is now.
With Forth with Life Each Baseline finger prick blood test kit checks 16 key biomarkers that play a vital role in maintaining good overall health. These include markers that provide insight into liver health, energy levels and body fat.
Ordering
Super simple ordering enables you to choose the type of test you want from a choice of:
Baseline
Improving Health And Fitness
Performance Levels
Ultimate
I chose baseline as it testament thinks like blood, kidney, liver and metabolic levels. These are possibly things most people would not show concern over but I know from problems in my past I didn’t have great Liver function and always worry about my metabolism.
Delivery
Super fast delivery I recieved my test the next working day.
Packaging
Simple yet super effect packaging. A small box which contains everything you need to complete the test. All Barr maybe a paper towel which would be useful for little droplets of blood that can make mess along the way but I ended up wiping on the tissue paper that was in the box for decoration purposes.
Carrying out the Test
I was quite nervous about having to prick my self to get the blood out my finger. The anticipation is often worse than the prick I find. After seeing the tool that makes the prick it made It much less stressful. The point is concealed and you just push on the finger and the small quick prick happens quicker than you can say Bob’s your uncle.
The kit contains stirile wipes and even a plaster for after which is super thoughtful.
One piece of criticism I do have was collecting the blood into the vial was quite difficult. I think maybe a small pipett would of made the process slightly quicker and less messy.
I did take a picture of the prick and my finger to insert here but I know a lot of people are squimish and I didn’t want to put anyone off.
Returning your Test
After collecting your blood sample in the tiny vial you just have to fill in a quick form and sticker to attach to the bottle pop it back in the pre paid yellow pathology bag and off it goes to bed tested the following working day in the lab.
The Results
Just over 24 hours laters the results were available to view on mu Forth with Life dashboard. They notified my my results were available to view by email. After logging on and going into my account my results where clearly visible and easy to find. I won’t tell you all my nitty gritty results but here is an example of one part of the test I do not mind sharing to give you and idea of how they appear.
As you can see the results are done in percentage form and then you can click into each section for a breakdown of even more stats. Really Clever I’m really impressed.
Recommendation
Would I recommend this to other people to try at home. Yeah without a doubt. I feel like I’ve had a private health care check with out having to leave my home. It give some me an insight into what I need to improve or maintain to live a happy healthy life.
Do you want to try Forth With Life?
Check out there website here to find out the services they offer.
What would you like to find out about yourself from a home blood sample?
TTFN
Trini
xx
Want to read some more? Check out my last post here.
Lets Talk : Stem Cell Collection at Birth: Netmums
Stem Cell collection is something that has only recently been brought to my attention and I am curious to hear other people opinions.
Most of us never think about stem cell storage when pregnant, but a stem cell storage company believes it’s something we should be considering.
So what is Stem cell collection ?
Your baby’s umbilical cord is made up of tissue and contains blood. Both cord blood and cord tissue are rich sources of powerful stem cells. Cord blood stem cells are currently used in transplant medicine to regenerate healthy blood and immune systems.
Why would you want to collect stem cells?
If you have a history of illness in your family, or if you’re generally planning for your baby’s future, stem cell storage might be something that you want to consider.
Stem cells can be used for treatment of certain illnesses, because they’re special cells that can be turned into different types of blood cells.
They are helping many illnesses at the moment but many more will benefit in the future.
Is it painful for a baby to have stem cells collected?
No its fast and pretty much pain free.
What are your views on Stem Cell Collection?
Why not give this video a watch and let me know your thoughts.
Its a slightly controversial subject and I am not wanting to cause upset or offence to any one but would love to hear your thoughts for and againest.
Me making this post does not disclose if I am for or against I am purely open to both sides.
I decided that I loved writing my “No Holes Barred” Post Labour Questions so much that I wanted to reach out to my fellow mummy blogger and read some of there guest responses.
With that I have launched my Guest Series Of No Holes Barred and next up on the blog to share there Experiences is Kelly from Jelly with the Belly. Kelly writes about plus size ladies which I am a massive fan of that niche and life in general.
Here’s Kelly’s answers below, hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. Don’t forget to check out Kellys blog and social links- Go say hello and tell her I sent you!
Did your partner look down the business end while you gave birth? If he did do you remember his facial impression of what he saw? He did and honestly I was actually totally shocked. I seriously had him pegged as a fainter and he did not look half as traumatised as I thought he would do. I was convinced he would never look at me lustfully again after seeing my nuni with a doctor elbow deep but hey who knew how resilient men can be.
Did you poop during labour? No thankfully despite being convinced I would do. To be fair I hadn’t eaten barely anything as I’d spent most of the day in slow labour pacing. It then turned in to needing an emergency section so I think that might of also had something to do with. After everything I felt I went through I was so grateful to avoid that final little indignity.
After giving birth did your sex drive improve or decrease? I think my want definitely increased, my ability or inclination totally decreased. I loved the idea of having sex but actually doing it was a whole other ball game.
Where you tempted to look at your bits in the mirror post labour to see what it looked like?
No, never. If I wanted to see what the floor of a butcher’s looked like I would pop to the local shop.
Did you wait the recommended 6 weeks before part taking in sexual intercourse post birth
I think yes with the first but no with the second. Probably because my first was an emergency section and my second a VBAC (vagina birth after caesarean).
Do you find you take Less care of your self since becoming a parent?
Yes naturally I did. I totally envy yummy mummies. It was a miracle some days if I managed to brush my hair but thankfully I through that stage now.
Is your child a cock block? AKA do they interrupt your sex life?
Mine is 11 now and still manages to cock block – I’m looking forward to the “locking themselves in their bedroom” teenage years.
Did your first child make you think carefully about when the right time to have a second child is?
It’s not something we really had much choice in as I have PCOS and we struggled to conceive so it wasn’t a case of the first child as such just that we knew we’d have to start trying relatively quickly because it would take us long. It was more nature led than child led.
Do you finish your children food if they leave it and it looks quiet tasty?
I used to just blend up whatever we were having so it was pretty much always tasty and edible. Nowadays he does not know what the term leftover is so that would most definitely be a no.
Have your breasts changed post birth?
They were big and vaguely resembled spaniel’s ears pre birth and post birth they have exactly that same aesthetic going on. Tucked in my sock tops has been my reality since about 19.
Do you wee your self post birth?
Yes. Tena lady is my friend. Sneezing, laughing hard, coughing – all require a lot of clenching and praying.
Have you ever dropped your baby accidentally?
Dropped…no. Accidentally allowed to take a little commando roll off the bed…absolutely.
How often do you pretend to be on the toilet longer then you need to be for 5 minutes peace?
I do that now just to avoid the dog. I don’t remember doing it much, which clearly means I did.
What is the first thing you choose to do if you get the rare opportunity to be child free and you don’t have to go to work that day?
Just sit still, in the quiet and enjoy a nice cup of coffee without rushing. Then I catch up with my TV shows.
Whats you honest feelings on parenting?
I really do believe parenting is the hardest job a person can ever do. You will experience extreme highs and lows like you never thought imaginable. After all is said and done there is a little person walking this Earth because of you.
Kelly’s Fave Snapchat Filter
Oh my god Kelly I feel like you could be my soul sister! Your hillarious and I like to think I can be too and we have alot in common with regards to PCOS, Spaniel boobs and calling our bits a Nuni!
Thank you so much for featuring in my guest post and giving me such a giggle, hope you guys like it too.
Don’t forget to go say Hi to Kelly and tell her where you came from
