It's throw back Thursday again and we had a dig around the archives, in honour of the day, to bring back one of our most popular posts.
If you've not seen it before, we hope you enjoy it. Thanks :)
Disney promised me a lot of things - Prince Charming, a gorgeous wardrobe, an ability to merely whistle and have my house made spotless by wild animals - none of which came to fruition.
Though I am, obviously, disappointed by my lack of royal title, ribboned clothes, and animal-maid serviced house (the animals that live here are far from house proud), I am most distressed by my inability to marry, walk into my castle as a wife (oh yeah, I don't have a castle either), and walk out as a mother. Infertility was never in my Disney dream, it was never in my school girl games, heck, it was never even in my sex education class, and this, I find, is a problem. From the day we are first handed a doll, we are told that starting a family is easy. This message is reiterated in the fairy tales, and driven home in school (where we are led to believe that so much as looking at a fellow will impregnate us). This prepares us to prevent pregnancy and prepares us for the day we stop preventing and, subsequently and very quickly, become mothers. So where is the preparation for infertility? The discussion of fertility tests, of assisted conception, of miscarriage, of adoption? Of anything that delays motherhood or puts you on a different and longer path to finding your family? I was not prepared for the years of waiting, I certainly wasn't prepared for the losses, I wasn't prepared for anything aside from the pink wrapped promise, and reality hit me hard. Infertility, miscarriage and adoption are still shrouded in a cloak of mystery. Conversations of these topics are still met with discomfort and pity. People are starting to shed some light on these matters (thank you to the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Jimmy Fallon for bravely using your platform to do so) and this is fantastic, but we need to do more to keep these conversations going. To remove the fear, embarrassment and discomfort and open up. To stop the isolation and hopelessness by sharing the grief and the outcomes. To add an asterisk to pregnancy announcements. I remember, during the years of trying for my son, how every pregnancy and birth announcement felt like a shot to the heart. It seemed to emphasise the fertility that others were blessed with and highlight the infertility I felt cursed by. The reality is that many of those announcements probably had a story behind them; a medical intervention, a long waiting time, a previous loss. These asterisks, however, were hidden. Shied away from in public conversation. Only known of by those close to the story. Those stories that could have offered hope, comfort and comradery, instead compounded the sense of impossibility. With as many as 1 in 8 couples dealing with infertility, I would like to contribute to the hope and possibility, to the support and transparency. I can do this by sharing my story, by including my asterisk. I am a Mother of a beautiful son. *3 years of trying, a large portion of the adoption process, 4 miscarriages and, finally, a successful pregnancy, created and sustained with medical assistance. What's your asterisk? We're kicking off our first #WearItWednesday with this video, comparing 2 of the best brands of baby carriers. We hope you enjoyed this comparison video of the Boba 4G and Tula soft structure baby carriers.
We hope you liked this review on the Revelo Buggypod Perle.
If you'd like to make your life a little easier by buying one of these fantastic seats, you can do so with a cheeky 10% discount from http://www.buggypod.com/wordpress/ Just quote 'EVENTUALPERLE' at check out. Don't forget to subscribe and check out the Eventual Mother channel for more videos and here's where you can also find us... Website - www.EventualMother.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/EventualMother Twitter - @EventualMother Instagram - @EventualMother And join the Eventual Mother's Club... https://www.facebook.com/groups/1472140856437675/
For our first #ToyTuesday, we're throwing a spotlight on the K's a Kids Jumbo Go Go Go, which comes in red or pink.
Harrison's Nanny Draper gave this to him when he was around 3 months old and it's been a great toy from that age all the way to now, 8 months, and looks set to see him for years to come. We have the red version and the colours are bold, bright and lovely. The material is lovely and soft and the padding is squidgy, but firm enough to hold little babies in position when they are still little and not holding themselves upright. (As you can see from this photo of a mini Harrison). That padding is also fab for older children to 'wear' the car and run around playing bumper cars.
You can probably spot the little mirror on the right hand side of the photo. I have it on good authority that it is one of the tastiest mirrors around ;)
There is also a steering wheel attachment with an ignition that plays music and prompts flashing lights when the key is inserted - very cool. Plus, this attachment is removeable so can be used as separate toy; great for tummy time. It's a great toy and deserves to be our first #ToyTuesday feature. If you would like to get your own K's Kids Jumbo Go Go Go, you can do so at Amazon by clicking the links below. *We recently became Amazon Afiliates. By purchasing anything on Amazon using our links, we will receive commission, thereby allowing us to continue to work we do. That doesn't just account for this product, but anything you buy from Amazon, if you add it to your basket after visiting Amazon from our link. We would greatly appreciate your support if you choose to access Amazon via our links. All reviews, as always, are our honest and true to our personal opinion. I do believe it’s time for an Eventual Family Update (Eventual is very appropriate being that YESTERDAY was #SnapShotSunday)
I have ordered my dress, which was a real mission to find as I wanted something that was lovely, but that I could also breastfeed in. Hurrah for Lindy Bop and all hail the Ophelia, which is tipped to be quite the friend of us breastfeeding mamas. I shall be sure to take lots of photos and may even give you all a cheeky review of the lovely fifties-ness.
Aside from that, it’s been a week for new food for the boy. He’s tried chilli con carne (we made burritos; a little unreasonable to expect him to navigate, I’m sure you’ll agree) and a veggie curry. All went down very well, as you can see. I hear exciting things are happening over at www.GeckoClothing.com (you may remember them from my blog post ‘My Son Likes DOLLS!’), which is wonderful and we are eagerly following them on twitter to find out what’s in the offing.
It's #ShareItSaturday so we are going to share one of our favourite things with you all (and, of course, a discount for you to buy your own a little cheaper)
We got sent a Sack n Seat a while ago now so we could test and review it for the company KisKise and you all. The video review will be coming soon (keep your eyes peeled on the YouTube channel), but, until then, please read on... The Sack n Seat works with most chairs (estimated 90%) and allows your child to sit in a regular chair. No more navigating the perils of sticky restaurant high chairs - hurrah! The idea is genius and is perfectly executed, exceptionally well made, and with very precise and considered features to keep your child safe and comfortable. You can even use some loops, designed to keep the seat in the perfect place, to clip toys on to (anyone who has spent an entire meal bending down to pick up the same toy only to return it to your little one and have them promptly lob it on the floor again will know how invaluable that is) Available in 5 bold colours or in stripes, these seats look just as great as they act. AAAAAAAAND... These seats are amazing for BABYWEARERS!!! They fold into themselves to create a portable bag and are so light that they won't add extra weight to a changing bag (which can get pretty hefty when you're not using a stroller). In fact, they have a handle which you could easily clip to baby carriers, if you dare to leave the house sans changing bag (shock horror) We love this seat and it promptly took up residence in our changing bag and on our 'Baby Essentials' list. It's even great for babies who can't quite sit up by themselves, as the seat part can come up to the child's arm pits to hold them safely upright. I would highly recommend this to anyone and just so happen to have a discount code to share with you so you can get your own for less. By quoting 'SIO2015' at checkout, you will get 10% discount and WORLDWIDE SHIPPING is available. http://www.sacknseat.com/products/ Happy shopping! |
Siobhàn
The infertility beating, blog writing, product reviewing, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth nappying, Eventual Mother of Harrison" Archives
January 2016
Categories
All
|