Cate's Bloggy Baby Shower

So I was sitting in the pub with Deb, Carrie, Karen, Alison and Denise (whoever would have thought I would be able to start a blog post like that!) and Deb had a 'lightbulb' moment and suggested planning a bloggy baby shower for Cate.  Now, I've never been to a baby shower - they're a new fangled American idea which wasn't around in the olden days when I had my children - so this is very exciting for me! 

The idea is for us to design and make a page or two to put in an album and leave space for Cate to add a photo once her new little girl arrives.  So I have chosen to make a page based on the rhyme 'what are little boys made of? Snips and snails and puppy dog tails.  What are little girls made of?  Sugar and spice and all things nice.'

Cate is known as Purple Crazy Mum so there are a few purple pieces on the layout. A couple of flowers and some glass beads. Oh, and I inked around the edges of the pages with a purple ink.

Cate already has twice as many children as me so I don't think there's any advice I can give that she doesn't already know! However, the first thing people associated with new babies is sleep - or lack of it. My daughter was awful at going off to sleep, my son could fall asleep easily and for long periods of time.  Maybe he was just a sleepy baby, or maybe I learnt from my mistakes first thing round!  One of the best bits of advice I was given was not to rock your baby to sleep in your arms and then lay them down to sleep in their cot.  Because even the most drowsy baby will wake up when you make that move, no matter how careful you are.  I read somewhere that it would be like us falling asleep in a soft, comfortable, warm bed with someone we love close to us, and then waking up and finding yourself alone and asleep in a totally different room.  We wouldn't like it would we?  And neither do babies so if you can get to a routine of putting them to bed, slightly awake in their cot from the early days they get used to that routine and if they wake in the night, you only need to go and comfort them without picking them up.  They learn that their cot is their safe place.

So, that's my one bit of advice and will now share a story of my babyhood.   See, when I was born in 1958, Dads didn't share the whole birthing scenario.  You took your wife to hospital, then waited for a nurse to tell you that your baby was born and you went back to visit.  Babies didn't stay in the ward with their mums either, they were looked after in a nursery and brought to their mum when they needed feeding.  So, apparently Dad had the call to say I had been born and he drove to the hospital with my big sister to come and meet me.  They gave their names to the nurse, along with another dad who arrived at the same time.  The nurse went off to the nursery to fetch the babies and returned with a baby cradled in each arm.  'Urgh, I hope ours isn't the ginger one.' said my sister.  Sigh.  Not the best introduction to the newest member of the family eh?  I do hope that Cate's children are more welcoming to their new sister!

Well, much as it's been great to have you visit, I think it's time to head on over to Deb's blog to see who else in joining in ... (although due to the time difference it may be a little early, so if there is nothing showing up please do return later!)