I've always wanted to have a go at baby wearing - I love the idea of carrying your baby close to you, and it always looks super comfortable when I've seen people do it. I knew I wanted to baby wear before I had Baby B so had been looking around for woven wraps - that's what I had hoped to carry baby in.

Our Ergobaby in Canada

There is a plethora of woven wraps out there and they come in all sizes and many different prices. At first I didn't realise how expensive hand woven wraps can be but it wasn't until I talked to my lovely friend over at March Hare Handwovens that I came to understand why. So much work goes into making a wrap. So much love! The wrap is designed, materials are chosen, dyed and woven and I'm sure that isn't even everything. What I do know is that the process involves time and dedication and therefore I completely understand why some of them are expensive. I also understand how you could spend so much money on one - they are so beautiful and you can ask for them to be made in whatever colours/pattern you like. You can be picky and base the wrap on you.

Unfortunately for me, I, at the time, wasn't able to buy an actual hand woven wrap from March Hares Handwoven like I Diva Milano wrap - a pretty one!
had originally wanted to, even though she offered me a really good price. Instead I was fortunate enough to have been gifted a

I Googed how to wrap and when the time came, I did wrap Baby B a few times with help, but I wasn't confident enough in myself to do it. I even went to a sling library but it was so busy that they weren't able to help!! So in the end, I decided to see if there were other ways I could carry baby. I know now that had I persevered and built up my confidence, I would have been able to wrap Baby B without a problem!

There were plenty of other ways to carry Baby B and I ended up buying an Ergobaby 360. It was between Ergobaby 360 and Tula Explore - as with both these carriers you can carry babies front facing whilst they are ergonomically positioned (basically the baby is supported well). The Ergobaby was easier to find so for me, it was the best buy! And let me tell you, I haven't looked back since. Of course given the chance I would use the Tula Explore and wrap again for sure, but the Ergobaby comes everywhere with us! Everywhere!

I'm not even kidding - even if we've taken the pushchair, the carrier still comes.

Do you have a must have item you take everywhere with you? What is it?

Having a small person around means that they often want to be kept busy - especially when they are curious and learning new things. At first I didn't do much because leaving the house is not as easy as it sounds, trust me! We did do Baby Massage (as mentioned in previous posts) but baba wasn't very well at the time - colic ruled out lives *insert exhausted sigh here*.

Then Baby B started sitting up, becoming more curious and exploring so it felt like good idea to do more things. Also, it's really important for mums to get out too because not getting out and doing things can drive you crazy and and make you feel down. We all need a lift every now and then!

There are a lot of free things for babies around in my area which is great as we can pop to a few stay and plays - it's a great way to meet people with babies and get out and about. There are some good classes too like the one we've been going to - Yoga Buds.

YogaBuds is a group that is really friendly and welcoming. I actually look forward to going there! We do a bit of everything so there's some sensory play,  a bit of massage and even some singing! Who doesn't love that! It's held in our local Tesco which I think is super as they have a community space - a great idea! It means we can do shopping after the class too haha!

Like I said, I feel that it's really important try and get out - I find that it lifts my spirits and talking to others that also have babies is good - we can compare things, run ideas past each other and also ask for advice and suggestions. It helps that people are friendly too!

What have you been up to? Have you attended classes in your area or do you have any ideas/suggestions?

My blog, this month, is five years old. FIVE years. It doesn't seem that long ago to me but according to Google it really has been five years. I think five years is a long time! I'm not sure how I've managed to keep it up but I hope there will be many more!

This year, however, hasn't been a really productive one blogging wise. Fear not - I have plans to change this - let me know if you'd like to collaborate or get involved!

So it may not have been a very productive blogging year but it was productive otherwise. I feel like I've been on a ginormous learning curve that hasn't ended ... not sure when it will to be honest. It wasn't a year like last year where we had wedding after wedding, but we did have a baby! The journey to get to that stage was a long and steady one and our bundle of joy arrived in April - we have been trying to keep up with her ever since.

A few thoughts:

• Take a break: I took a break from blogging, not one that I planned but one that just happened. What I've learnt from this is that it is important to take breaks. Take a step back. I know that if I had carried on my posts would have been scattered, inconsistent and I would have been writing for the sake of it with no feeling or motivation. 

• Talk: It's important to talk to people, keeping things in your head can sometimes drive you crazy. Remember you aren't alone no matter how lonely you may feel!

• Listen: Listen to what people have to say as sometimes you come across genuine people who will give good advice. They'll tell good stories and make you think twice. Don't take everything to heart, just listen. Sometimes listening means letting it go in through one ear and out the other because lets face it, people talk a lot of rubbish. Sometimes it means really listening to what is being said, especially when it comes from the heart.  

• Make your own decisions: This is something I personally really really struggle with. I am one of the worst decision makers you'll ever meet. My manager used to send me the menu to wherever we were going a few weeks before everyone else just so I had that extra time to decide. It's not a bad thing, it just means I'm overwhelmed by choices. But sometimes we need to make decisions for ourselves because then, at the end of the day, they are your own. I'm trying to be less indecisive! 

• Stop looking back: Stop looking back at things that could have happened, and even things that have happened. When I say looking back, I mean living in the past and constantly thinking 'what if'. The truth is that it's too late. We can't turn the clocks back and we can't repeat history. I'm pretty sure that's not possible, no matter how much we may want it to be. We have to live in the now.

What has been the highlight of your year? Any advice that you'd give? Do you have any plans for next year?

It's been a long time since I blogged properly and regularly. Mostly it was because I was busy but also because I was lacking inspiration and motivation. I just haven't been able to find things that I thought were good enough to blog about. It became a chore. It never used to be a chore.

I used to blog because I wanted to, because I enjoyed it. Thankfully, now I have the urge to blog again! I have my mojo back!! Oh yes.

Things I've been doing/an explanation for my absence:
I've been busy trying to be a mum, a wife, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a granddaughter, a friend, a cousin and an aunt. I've been busy trying, trying again and then some more, sometimes failing and sometimes succeeding. I guess you can only do what you can do - to come to this thinking however took some time.

I've not had much time to myself - I haven't sat down with my laptop or notebook in such a long time that the concept almost feels alien to me. I have spent many outings and moments trying to find something to blog about. I've racked my brains for inspiration without luck. It's crazy because there are actually so many things I could blog about staring at me in the face! SO MANY!

I could have written about life with a baby, the rewards, the challenges and the milestones. I could write about days out or places I've eaten in. I mean it's not like I had nothing to blog about... I just hadn't been able to find it in myself.

But I think I'm ready, I think I'm back and I sure do have a lot more to say this time. :)

What have you been up to? Have you caught up with my blog posts so far? Do! I had a baby!

So turns out trimester three is not the last hurdle ... there is actually something called trimester 4. Trimester 4 is the first three months after your baby is born. The same amount of time a baby is classed as a newborn! 

Baby B arrived exactly on the day the midwife told us she would. The due date. Her due date. Our little girl seemed to have no interest in coming out and waited patiently the whole time. Finally when she did arrive, it was surreal. I remember looking at her during the night and thinking 'she's mine, oh my!' She slept so quietly the first few days, waking up to feed and then slipping straight back into a deep sleep. That's how the first week has was, and for a very short while she stayed like that, eating and sleeping.