And I’m done (Studying is over!)
Today I had to sit my first real exam since I finished university in 1999. After two years of hard work (and to be honest I should have done a lot more than I did) I have finally finished my Graduate Diploma in Spanish! Of course I still need to wait for the results but there are no grades for this course, it’s simply pass or fail, and I’m quietly confident that I haven’t failed at least.
The main thing that I found out today is that if you don’t usually hand-write more than the weekly shopping list then having to write solidly for two and a half hours really hurts your hand! And that four hours is a long time to wait for an oral exam that you really should have learnt off by heart but haven’t quite managed to.
It’s been a really hard two years of work. The pace was relentless with new tasks to complete and a tutorial on Skype every week. We had a few breaks but there was always an assignment due at the end of it so it was never really a break. Since Toby was born I’ve found it really hard to find the time and the motivation to get the work done. It was actually easier when I was working full time because I usually managed to find some time to get the work done during the school day, or I would stay after school to get it done where there were fewer distractions than at home. I take my hat off to anyone who is a student and a parent because it really is difficult to do both.
Anyway, it’s all done now. I can speak Spanish to some extent and quite scarily I am now qualified to teach it myself! Hopefully this will all have been worth it and will make it easier for me to get a job in future now I can teach two languages rather than just one. And best of all (assuming I pass of course) I never again have to sit at home watching TV and blogging, while thinking ‘I really should be doing my Spanish homework’!
Weight loss (or not!) update
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that I’ve not published a weight loss update since the last one back in February! I have to confess that what with a minor breakdown, Spanish coursework, a holiday, and just, well, life, I fell off the healthy eating wagon a bit! I put a few pounds back on but nothing too drastic (which is surprising given the amount of chocolate, takeaways and wine that have made it past my lips in the last few months).
Anyway, we’re going on holiday in a few weeks so we’re having a healthy month in the hope of shifting a few pounds before then. And then after our holidays I’ve got a few months before I’ll be back on stage for the first time in two years! I’m dancing in a production of Aida (The Musical) and I definitely need to be a bit thinner, and a lot fitter, if I’m not going to collapse on stage every night! I’m getting plenty of exercise at rehearsals at least so that should help.
There is another reason to get back to my pre-baby weight (or rather pre-honeymoon weight!) and that is by the winter we’ll probably be thinking about trying for another baby and I don’t want to start another pregnancy still carrying weight from the last one.
So anyway, here are the all important stats – I’ve included my starting stats but also those from my last update.
Weight: 12st 12lb (Feb: 12st 11lb) (Dec: 13st 8lb) – lost 10lb
Waist: 33.5 inches (Feb:33.5 inches) (Dec:37 inches) – lost 3.5 inches
Hips: 43 inches (Feb:43 inches) (Dec:45.5 inches) – lost 2.5 inches
Bust: 40 inches (Feb:40 inches) (Dec:42 inches) – lost 2 inch
I’m still not going ‘on a diet’ – just being mindful of what I eat (and drink) and of my portion sizes, and making sure I get plenty of exercise too. I’ll be back with another update before we go on holiday – all positive thoughts and encouragement welcome!
Review: Bambino Mio miosolo nappy
We all know by now (or you will if you’re a regular reader of Toby Goes Bananas at least) that I love cloth nappies. We’ve got our favourites but I always welcome the chance to try out something new so I was very pleased when Bambino Mio got in touch a few weeks ago and offered us the chance to try their miosolo all-in-one nappy. Bambino Mio was founded in 1997 by husband and wife Guy and Jo Schanschieff. Bambino Mio nappies are sold in 70 countries and are stocked in Tesco and Sainsbury’s as well as thousands of other retailers both on and off line. In addition to the all-in-one miosolo that we tried, Bambino Mio also have a two-part nappy, swim nappies, training pants and several cloth nappy accessories such as liners, baby wipes, nappy buckets and detergents.
The Details
The miosolo nappies come in a variety of plain colours and prints (including four fabulous new ones) and retail at £14.99 for plain or £15.99 for prints. We were sent two miosolo all-in-one nappies to try – one plain ‘Flying Saucer’ (blue) and one ‘woodland fox’ print. The lovely people at Bambino Mio also included a roll of their disposable mioliners and some samples of miowipes flushable baby wipes and miofresh nappy/laundry cleanser to try.
The Pros
- miosolo all-in-one nappies are super-easy to use. It is a birth-to-potty nappy so you just need to adjust the poppers on the front to get the right length for your baby and then fasten with the velcro tabs. This is getting more important for us as Toby will be going to nursery quite soon and I need nappies that are really simple for the nursery staff to use.
- There are 3 different ‘rise’ adjustments using the poppers on the front and Toby is only on the middle one. This is great as he already wears a lot of his nappies on the biggest setting as he is so long and I’m a bit worried that he is going to grow out of them altogether.
- The velcro tabs cross over in the middle – again this is great for Toby as he is so skinny!
- There are laundry tabs inside the nappy to stick the velcro to while being washed – an essential feature in my opinion.
- The absorbent part of the nappy is attached, you simply tuck it in the pocket then pull it out for washing. This is where the miosolo design really is a step above the competition – there is a little pocket across the end of the insert which you put your fingers in to push it down into the nappy, meaning it goes in straight and un-rumpled every time. There are also a couple of loops on the back of the insert which make it really easy to pull out without getting damp fingers.
- The stay-dry layer which is next to your baby’s bum is super-soft and stays that way even after repeated washing.
- The nappy dried really quickly. It was dry overnight in our airing cupboard. It can also be tumble dried on low which is a positive for me.
- Lastly, and most importantly, performance; Toby wore the miosolo for five hours with no leaks and it did very well in the poo-containment test too. Bambino Mio are so confident in the abilities of their nappies that they even suggest the miosolo (with added mioboost booster if needed) can be used overnight. I have to confess we didn’t try it overnight but five hours during the day is still very impressive!
The Cons
- The miosolo is a little bit bulky compared to the bumGenius Freetime that we mostly use, but I’m sure Toby will appreciate this when he starts learning to walk and is falling on his bum all the time!
- The only other thing I can think to say is that the miosolo doesn’t come in quite as many colours and prints as some other nappies. Although, they have brought out six new prints recently. One was the ‘woodland fox’ which we now have but I also love the ‘elephant parade’ print.
The Verdict
I am always happy to try a new nappy with Toby but unfortunately we have been a bit disappointed with some in the past…not this time though! I thought the Bambino Mio miosolo was a great nappy. I was really impressed with the little details like the pocket to help you put the insert back in. I also found it easy to get a good fit on Toby first time and performance was excellent. The miosolo is also competitively priced and I like that it is stocked by some major high street retailers too. I would definitely recommend this nappy whether you are new to cloth nappies or a seasoned user.
Just a quick note on the miowipes and miofresh too. (We always use fleece liners so didn’t try the mioliners but they seemed soft and a good size if you prefer a disposable liner). miowipes are natural, biodegradable and flushable. They are free from alcohol and parabens too so gentle on your baby’s skin. We usually use washable wipes but I am definitely going to be buying a pack or two of miowipes to take on holiday and to keep in the changing bag at home too. miofresh is a laundry sanitiser that again is all natural. It is designed to kill bacteria even at low temperatures so you can safely do your nappy wash at 30° – helping your pocket and the environment. We actually already use miofresh – I like that you only need to add one scoop along with your normal detergent to so a tub lasts ages and it keeps our nappies nice and fresh.
All in all I have been very impressed with the Bambino Mio products we have tried and I’m sure I’ll be using more in the future.
**Disclosure: I was sent two Bambino Mio miosolo nappies and accessories in return for this review. All opinions are my own.
** This post contains affiliate links.
Toby is ten months old!
Another month gone – Toby is ten months old and we are getting closer and closer to his first birthday, I really don’t know where the time is going!
Toby has been doing some more growing this month. I finally got round to having him weighed the other day and he is now 21lb 10oz and happily sitting just below the 75th centile line. I’m not surprised though – he loves his food and is still eating everything we give him. He’s now wearing all 12-18 month vests and sleepsuits and some other clothes too. I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s grown out of all his 9-12 month clothes too. I know some people find it sad when their baby grows out of stuff but I’m just happy that Toby has new clothes for me to put him in! I’ve got him some really cute things to wear on our holidays, and I hope we get some nice weather this summer so he can get plenty of use out of them!
The big development this month has been that Toby is properly crawling on his hands and knees now. He still drops down to his tummy and commando crawls sometimes but whichever way he chooses to move he is very speedy! He is almost managing to sit himself up now too and has started reaching up for things on tables and shelves although he isn’t really trying to pull himself up yet.
He still has six teeth but I’m fairly sure the next bottom two are only a few days away (at least I hope so). Toby seems to suffer much worse with the bottom teeth than he did with the top ones and he’s been waking up in the a lot for the last few nights. It’s so horrible to hear him in pain and not really being able to do anything about it except administer Calpol and cuddles. Talking of sleep this month has been OK on the whole, although when we were on holiday it was a nightmare trying to get Toby to go to sleep. He would properly scream whenever we left the room we were sleeping in and I ended up lying on the single bed in there for ages most nights until he was calm enough to go to sleep. Once he was asleep he slept all night but it was horrible because it’s just something we’re not used to. At home we give Toby his milk, put him in his sleeping bag, say ‘night night Toby, sleepy time now’ and leave the room. And that’s it, he goes to sleep on his own. I think there were a few things contributing to the screaming on holiday though – firstly, now he’s older he’s much more aware of his surroundings and he knew he wasn’t at home. He hasn’t slept in the travel cot since Christmas either so that was different. It was really hot in the cottage too, even with no heating on, so hot that eventually I ended up just putting him to bed in his sleepsuit, without his sleeping bag at all. And lastly, the room had a skylight. There was a blackout blind but there was a small gap letting light in and I think looking up at that maybe freaked Toby out a bit too. I’m sure being out every day and not getting his proper naps didn’t help either. He was back to normal as soon as we got home so it wasn’t too much of a disaster – I’m just hoping we don’t get a repeat performance when we go on holiday to France next month!
He’s still such a cheeky little boy, always ready with a smile and a giggle (despite the teething!). It was lovely when we were away that he seems to have started to recognise his grandparents – he certainly had big smiles for them all when he saw them. He babbles away all the time too, although despite Barry’s best efforts to teach him he’s not really managed to say Dada yet, apart from a couple of times which I think were more luck than intention! He’s new way of communicating this month though, which I’m not quite as keen on is squealing. It’s so high-pitched and so loud too! I think he must be trying to shatter glass or something. It can be very cute though – when I had been in Dundee for the day for my Spanish course, and left before Toby got up he did the biggest squeals of excitement when he saw me walk back through the door.
So I think that’s it for this month – Toby is ten months old already, and he’s developing so quickly. I wonder what the next month will bring?
Living Arrows 19/52
Another week and another Living Arrows picture. This picture just about sums up this week – Toby is teething (again!), more bottom teeth this time and they are really giving him some trouble. It’s been a pretty grumpy week, without many smiles and with everything in sight finding it’s way into Toby’s mouth. I can almost see the top of one tooth now so hopefully they’ll cut the gum in the next few days and we can all go back to getting a decent night’s sleep and have a happy baby again!
First tastes (The Ordinary Moments #21)
It’s been busy round here the last few weeks what with holidays and Spanish assessments so I’ve had a few weeks off from linking up with Katie at Mummy Daddy Me. We’re happy to be back this week though for another Ordinary Moment.
Toby has been eating solids for four months now so there have been lots of first tastes. So far he’s a really good eater – he pretty much eats everything we put in front of him. He’s got his favourites already (banana and broccoli if you’re interested!) but I try and give him at least one thing he hasn’t tried before each week. Up until now I’ve avoided giving him anything with added sugar; he has yoghurt, fruit and the odd baby biscuit but nothing with refined sugar (so that Cadbury’s Chick that his Nana bought him for Easter went straight in mummy and daddy’s faces!). On holiday last week though we were visiting the Apple Pie Café and Bakery in Ambleside, I was having an apple pie ice cream sundae and Barry had warm apple pie and ice cream. It really is the best apple pie, so good in fact that we got one to take away too! Seeing as Toby had finished his lunch I thought I’d give him his first taste of ice cream. He only had a couple of tiny spoonfuls but I don’t think he was too impressed! To be fair though he pulls this face whenever he tries something new, or even just something he hasn’t had for a while and it doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t like it. I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s loving it though – just like his mum and dad (and maybe one day we’ll take him to the Ben & Jerry’s factory too!).
My Sunday Photo: 11th May 2014
I’m a Konfidence Swimologist
I have written before about taking Toby swimming – we have been going to Turtle Tots classes since Toby was three and a half months old and, after a bit of a hiccup after Christmas, it is something that we both really enjoy. I am super-excited then to announce that over the next few months we will be working with Konfidence as official Swimologists! Konfidence chose the name Swimologist after finding this fable – it concludes with this which echoes the Konfidence ethos:
You may study all the “-ologies” of the world, but if you do not learn swimology, all your studies are useless. You may read and write books on swimming, you may debate on its subtle theoretical aspects, but how will that help you if you refuse to enter the water yourself? You must learn how to swim.
Konfidence is a family run business based in Cornwall. The company is Europe’s largest designer and manufacturer of baby swimming products, buoyancy aids and UVPF sun protection clothing and wetsuits for children up to 14 years. Their multi-award winning products, are now sold in 22 countries worldwide, including 14 countries in Europe, North America, South Africa, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong. As part of our role as Swimologists we have been sent some of these products to try out (more on that in a minute) and will be telling you all about them in future posts. We will also be continuing our Turtle Tots classes and letting you know how we are getting on over the next term.
I learnt to swim when I was very young, in fact I can’t really remember not being able to swim. I’m not a fantastic swimmer, I certainly won’t be winning any races any time soon but I enjoy being in the water and I can happily swim a few lengths of our local pool. Perhaps more importantly it also means I’m confident in the water with Toby. I knew before Toby was even born that I wanted to take him swimming. Turtle Tots had been recommended by a few people and they run lots of classes locally so it was easy to get signed up. Toby has now passed the Level 1 and Level 2 baby swimming courses (and has certificates to prove it!) and we are now into Level 3. It’s pretty awesome what Toby can already do and I want to make sure we keep going to classes until he can actually swim on his own. We’re going on holiday to France at the beginning of June so I’m sure we’ll be spending plenty of time in the pool then and I know we’ll all have much more fun with Toby already being used to the water. I hope it’ll be the first of many holidays with lots of time for swimming.
To help Toby continue to enjoy his swimming Konfidence have sent us some of their best-selling baby swimming products to try, and they have kindly offered my readers the chance to win the same products, worth £50! Complete the Rafflecopter below and you could win the following products in your choice of size and colour:
Living Arrows 18/52
Toby is such a whirlwind these days – he always wants to be on the move, especially now he’s perfected his crawling technique! He seems to hone in on the most dangerous thing in a room; cables, plug sockets and fireplaces being favourites so far, and immediately make a beeline for it. He can now almost sit himself up from being on his tummy and in this week’s Living Arrows shot I managed to capture him in a rare still moment catching a breath. He was probably just scoping out his next target! Lord only knows what he’s going to be like once he starts walking…
