The ‘Mum Tag’

I recently stumbled across Little Snippets ‘Mummy Tag’ post and I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and let you know a little more about me. A self obsessed post really, as if anyone is really bothered about little old me 🙂
1. Are you a Stay at Home Mum, or a Working Mum?
I’m on maternity leave at the moment for the second and last time, due to go back next month (October).
2. Would you have it any other way?
With Sofia, it was such a game changer that I was looking forward to going back to a job where I knew all the answers and there wasn’t as much crying – or poo! But this time round it has been so much more relaxed, I’ve enjoyed ‘mumming’ more and so I’m not as desperate to go back. Though I know the boys in the office are desperate to get their tea lady back and I do need to get back into the swing of it and engage brain again.
3. Do you co-sleep?
If Stuart’s away for the night then I let Sofia sleep in with me, she thinks it’s an amazing treat. But aside from that, no I don’t. I’m such a heavy sleeper I don’t trust that I wouldn’t roll over on to one of them and squidge them.
4. What is your one must-have item for your baby?
It has to be my Angelcare sound and movement monitor. Gives complete peace of mind to neurotic cot death fear mothers like me.
The other must haves would be; an abundance of muslins, calpol, a bouncy chair and a buggyboard!
5. How many kids do you plan on having?
We’re definitely not having any more. Two is more than enough for us!
6. Date night? How many nights per month? 
When we just had Sofia, it was every Sunday but since we’ve had Arlo too and I’ve been on maternity, ‘date nights’ have ground to a temporary halt!
7. Your childs favourite show?
Sofia likes all the awful programmes on Netflix like ‘Hi Five’ and ‘The Wiggles’ and Arlo’s happy with anything, though his absolute favourite would have to be BabyTV. Unless I’m having a trash TV catch up day – then he’s lumbered with TOWIE/Love Island/Teen Mom/Teen Mom UK…you see where I’m going with this.
8. Name one thing you bought before you had your baby and never ended up using?
So much! Clothes that they were too big for at birth or clothes that they just didn’t get round to wearing, bath thermometers and a top and tail bowl (who actually does that?!).
9. Your child’s favourite food? 
Both of them are big eaters (aka greedy!) and eat pretty much anything. Currently, Arlo’s favourite seems to be the HIPP organic pasta and ham ready jar whilst Sofia is an absolute crisp monster.
10. How many cars does your family have?
Two.
11. Weight gain before pregnancy, during and after and now?
Don’t even get me started – with Sofia I stopped climbing on the scales when I’d gained 3 stone and wad the size of a small house. With Arlo, as I knew he was going to be the last I just ate everything in sight because ‘I’ll never have the excuse to eat whatever I want again’ – again, I think I put on around 3 stone with him. As I got pregnant second time quicker than I expected, we’d only just got married so I was less weight to start. I’m now pretty much down to ‘usual’ pre-pregnancy weight but would like to lose another half a stone and tone up…alot!
12. Dream holiday with your kids?
There isn’t one! I’m currently writing this post from Ibiza where we are staying at the Holiday Village Seaview Country Club and I can assure you, whilst it’s nice for the kids to roam free, have activities on tap and not worry if they misbehave at dinner (because every other bugger is too…..) it’s definitely not my idea of a dream holiday!
13. Dream holiday without your kids?
We never did quite make Thailand even though we harped on about it for such a long time pre-children. So now my dream holiday would be anywhere hot, relaxing and where we weren’t known as Mummy & Daddy…and where I might be able to finish a holiday book!
14. How has your life changed since your baby has been born?
Complete game changer.
Life is so different but has so much more meaning with children as part of it. Yes it’s hard work, yes I’d like more sleep, yes hangovers are pretty hideous with kids, yes I’d like to not spend every day saying ‘No, don’t do that, 1-2…if i have to get to 3….’ but truly, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Except maybe just to be able to have a poo in peace.
15. Finish the sentence: ‘It makes my heart melt to see …’
The moments when they don’t know I’m watching.
16. Where do you shop for your kids?
I tend to do Next, M&S and Primark. We leave Nanny to do the John Lewis haul and Little Nan (my nan) without fail, sends us a parcel every two weeks with bits from Debenhams.
17. Favourite makeup and skincare products?
I’m not very high maintenance with all of this.
I love the St Ives apricot scrub as a face wash, L’Oreal micellar water to make sure all traces of make up are off, Simple light moisturiser then dependent on coverage either my L’oreal Infallible or Max Factor CC cream. Lancome Grandiose mascara is a must to help me look half awake and a night out absolute essential is Eylure falsies (#100 if anyone’s interested!)
18. Huggies or Pampers?
Neither! Wipes, I grab fragrance free from anywhere – generally Aldi Mamia, along with the nappies, but otherwise Boots or Asda if I’m running low and can’t face a trip to the checkouts of hell!
19. Have you always wanted kids?
I never had the deep set yearning to be a mother but I always knew (or hoped) I would be; I couldn’t imagine, unless nature had other plans, not having children at some point. It’s hard to actually make that decision to say ‘OK I think it’s time’ because I’m not actually sure there’s ever a right time! So, as I approached 30 (and LagerDad, 33) we thought we better get cracking and see what happens. Now four years later – Sofia & Arlo have happened!
20. Best part about being a mum?
Just the little things, Sofia being a typical, independent, non-listening threenager who then suddenly just wants to snuggle up and have a cuddle or says ‘Mummy?’ and you expect another question and she just says ‘Love You’….that’s a proper heart melter! Or Arlo – often when I’m feeding him, I’ll look down at him and he’s smiling away behind the teat and is so content to just be being cuddled and fed all in one.
Overall, the best parts are just watching them grow up into the characters they’re becoming and later, sneaking into their bedrooms watching them sleep soundly and thinking ‘Hell yeah, we created these beautiful beasts!’
I’m a bit behind with this one, and most people that want to have probably already done this post. So, just like Little Snippets – I tag all other parents reading this to have a go!