SleepThroughTheNight

Some babies sleep through the night from 6 weeks onwards. Some babies (really, I’ve heard about these babies!) even sleep through the night from birth!! Most babies eventually sleep through the night from the moment solids are introduced.

My babies are not like that.

Stuffy noses

Believe it or not, my 2.5-year-old son cannot blow his nose! Whenever he has a stuffy nose he inhales instead of blowing out, making things even worse. And often, when he is down with a cold,  I’m woken up at night by a very loud “I cannot breathe!”

It’s for this reason that I’m very grateful to the inventor of a very smart piece of equipment: the Narhinel nasal aspirator.  It’s a tube which has a mouthpiece at one end (for mummy) and a disposable mucus reservoir with an anatomic tip to put in the nose (with a filter that prevents mucus from going up the tube) at the other. My son does not love it, but it does the job brilliantly!

And we can all go back to sleep!

-Michela in Milan

Babycook

So… we have crossed the big pond and survived the 9-hour flight to Seattle (where we will be spending the first half of our holiday).  We are all settled in and cozy, (despite our 4 a.m. wake-ups), and are adjusting to things here in the States…

…like huge grocery stores with hundreds of options, big vehicles on wide streets, loads of space, and anything you want whenever you want it (I’ve seen more “open 24 hours” signs in the past few days than I’ve ever seen in Europe)!  There is really no limit to what you can find here, and how easily you can find it.

This is why I am always stumped to find that there are actually a few of my favorite European things that you can not find here in this ”land of plenty” (nor find a suitable alternative)… like my Beaba Baby Cook!

Learning French without French Class

Ever since that blasted day at French Class when my wallet was stolen, we have stopped going to class. (I hate that mall).  Sadly, my son really misses it.  And the few French words he knows are not doing much for him these days (unless, of course, he wants to ask for a raisin…)

Thankfully, as I was surfing one of my favorite sites, Cool Mom Picks, I came across the perfect solution:  foreign language DVDs for your kids!   The Little Pim videos are designed for babies and toddlers. (Apparently kids under the age of 6 are most capable of soaking up different languages).   Their unique method combines immersion and repetition with animation (a cute little panda named Pim), and images of children engaged in everyday activities.  The videos are now available in French, Spanish and Mandarin, but nine additional languages are soon to be released (including Enlgish- which, I thought, would be good for your Italian, Dutch and French-speaking children)!

I just bought the Little Pim: Playtime DVD in French, which promises to teach my son more than 60 new French words!
Much easier than dragging my 2 children to French class every Wednesday, (and cheaper too)!

Oh- and it’s an American company (think $$$s), but they ship worldwide! 

-Courtney in London

thanks Cool Moms!

H&M, again!

We all know that dressing a newborn can be tricky! That’s why side-snap bodysuits are so useful. Unfortunately not all the brands have them in their range, they can be quite expensive, and your baby may only wear them for a few weeks (newborn size especially). On the other hand, if you buy cheaper ones they may not even last this little time.

At H&M you don’t have to compromise! They sell side-snap bodysuits in packs of two for 7.99 euros. One is solid colour, the other is stripy and they come in pastel colours: blue, pink, green and yellow. Good quality cotton that can be washed at 60°! What more do we want for those first few weeks?

-Michela in Milan

More beanbags!

Well, this proves that there is a lot to write about beanbags. (The third post already)! Though these ones aren’t for sitting on…

I bought these 12 tiny beanbags in NY about two years ago and they are a favourite in my family. The baby loves the different colors, texture and feel of them (they are filled with little rice grains). My 2-year-old loves stacking them (and tumbling them down, of course). I like making funny little guys or animals out of them. And we really like the way they look too! They are called Kushies Zolo Beanstax, and easily available in the US (unfortunately difficult to find in Europe, but this  American store, Babesta, ships to Europe – and stocks more of the cute Zolo range)!

-Esther in Amsterdam

Respect!

Mums deserve respect, wherever, whenever and whatever!

BUT… I must admit that being a new mother of two, (who benefits from her own mother’s help at different moments during the day), I now have the utmost respect for expat moms who have neither family around nor hired help. This job is tough!

Haptonomy

As I am pregnant in France, I am learning very quickly about a new system.
There seems to be a lot more birth options in France than in the UK covered by social security. We have gone down the route of a private midwife. This was mostly because we wanted to get to know the person who was going to deliver the baby but still have the baby in the safe environment of a hospital, in case anything goes wrong.
The midwife is affiliated to a clinic and works together with a team of doctors. So if everything goes smoothly we will see no one else during the birth, but if anything goes wrong we are still in a hospital with all the staff necessary.

The midwife, with whom we decided to go with, specialises in something called Haptonomy, which is completely new to me.

Mommy makeover? Not my cup of tea.

During the summer, while I was halfway through pregnancy #2, I was already thinking about the months and months it would take me to regain my already less than perfect figure after the birth.

It’s then that I started joking with my husband that what I wanted this time as a gift, instead of a diamond ring (because this was going to be the request), was a mommy makeover!

Sophie la Girafe

I first discovered Sophie the Giraffe at Esther’s house when we first met.  We both had 6-month-old babies who loved putting anything in their mouths. Esther had a rubber giraffe that squeaked when you squeezed it.  Both our babies loved it; it was one of their favorite toys.   But, at that point, neither of us knew she was called “Sophie.” 

 It wasn’t until a few months later, when I was in Brussels with my husband (and baby), that I learned of her name.   My husband was speaking at an animation conference, so naturally, I went shopping…

A bit of an indulgence

I recently did a bit of extra freelance work… and what did I decide to do with that little bit of extra cash? Buy my husband a new jumper? Nope, he has got a least two and he likes them old and with holes. Buy my daughter a new toy? Nope, the child has more than enough toys.
In my quest to stay stylish during my pregnancy, I decided to spoil myself and splash out on a bright pink Agent Provocateur maternity bra!

More country differences: caring for the umbilical stump.

My #1 was born in London, and on discharge from the hospital I was told to bathe the baby regularly and that the stump would fall off pretty soon. That’s it, simple and practical. Then the midwife who came to our home a couple of times checked on it.

#2 was born last week in Milan, and stumps receive much more attention here in Italy. First of all, you should bathe your baby in very shallow water until the stump has fallen off so that it’s not submerged in water (I know other places even suggest sponge baths). On top of that, you should change the medication at least three times a day. It consists of a square sterile gauze, folded in two into a triangle and then rolled like a foulard which should be wrapped around the stump until it looks like a cute tiny white rosebud.

OK, not a big deal you think… but try to do this origami-style operation while the little offspring screams and kicks!

This morning I decided to revert  to the English way. After all, everything went smoothly the first time and #2 is a girl so there’s even less risk of contamination from forgetting to “put the trigger down”!

 -Michela in Milan

Elias and Grace is on-line!

My husband calls it a “money pit”- (he’s the one who reviews the bills), but I just can’t resist it. If I even stroll past the shop window, I’m hooked in. They quite possibly have the cutest range of children and baby clothes in London. (Well at least this shopping expert thinks so)!

Elias and Grace is located on the main strip in Primrose Hill.  They stock all my favorite brands: Simple Kids, Quincy, Maan, Album di Famiglia, Petit Bateau, kid’s Levis, Pepe Shoes, etc. etc. 

H&M School Uniform

When my toddler started nursery school this fall (and came home covered in paint, glue, mud, food, etc.), I decided that his wardrobe needed a redress. Cashmere jumpers are just not ideal- (who has time to hand-wash anymore)??  Actually, let’s face it- anything even slightly expensive is NOT a good idea.  The cheaper, the better.

So I went on a search: I wanted cheap, but not cheaply made.

And I found it at H&M!  You have to be really selective- (avoid the ubiquitous tacky slogans and flashy logos), but H&M sells a few items that have now become staples in BOTH my boys’ closets!

Tricotti

I’ve carried 2 babies around London in this sling, and every time I used it at least three people would come up to me to inquire what sort of sling this was and where I got it. The inquiries were, of course, followed by “oohs” and “aahs”; all babies are cute, but in this sling they are even more endearing!