Jun 16, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Snapshots of a happy childhood

It’s Father’s Day today – happy Father’s Day to any Dads reading this. Earlier this week, I spent a few days with my own parents, and when the subject of Father’s Day came up, Dad asked me to write some of my memories of childhood so that he could read them. When I think back on my childhood, I remember it fondly. For me, it was a time of great security, love and fun. If you... read more

Jun 15, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Eleven Weeks Old

Eleven weeks old – we’re almost at the end of the “fourth trimester”. It’s quite obvious too when you look at Little Woman. Not a sign of the newborn scrunchiness left. She has filled out everywhere and looks twice the size she was at birth. She smiles and giggles with ease now throughout the day, and makes us laugh with her little coos and gurgles. Often I feel like... read more

Jun 9, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Ten weeks old

Ten weeks old. This has been a great week. Irish summer has finally arrived and we’re making the most of it while it lasts. Little Woman has been feeding a bit more often than usual during the day, but for shorter feeds, so I think she’s actually quenching her thirst. I’m fascinated to notice that the hotter the day, the more milk I have and the more watery it is. Just right for her... read more

Jun 7, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Crossed wires

Sometimes I forget that Little Man doesn’t necessarily understand every word we say. Toddlers (can I say that anymore – he’ll be 4 in October – perhaps preschooler is more appropriate now?), anyway toddlers are quite adept at ignoring anything you say that they don’t understand and just going with the rest of it. But sometimes, like today, it’s not obvious that... read more

Jun 2, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Nine weeks old

I’m a day late with the baby journal update this week but we’ve had a busy weekend. We took our first cross-country trip as a family of four, heading to Limerick for my mother’s birthday, and just returned today. I was a bit worried how Little Woman would cope with the long car journey, but thankfully she slept for the majority of it, and we just stopped for one feed on the way. The past... read more

May 29, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Then the earth moved

I have an embarrassing confession to make. I am incapable of sleeping in a bedroom if the wardrobe doors are open. I don’t know if it’s a leftover childhood fear of boogeymen hiding in the wardrobe or just a mild case of OCD. Whatever it is, I insist on closing all the wardrobe doors before I get into bed. It amuses and irritates Charlie in equal parts! So you can imagine how shocked I was as I... read more

May 25, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Eight weeks old

Is there a growth spurt at eight weeks? There certainly seems to be one here. All week Little Woman has been feeding well, and gradually spreading out her feeds at night. In fact we had one night this week where she slept from 11.15pm until 5.50am. I felt amazing after it! That’s the longest stretch of sleep I’ve had since I was pregnant. Those lovely stretches abruptly came to a stop this... read more

May 18, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Seven weeks old

Seven weeks old today and we’re really hitting our stride now. Little Woman is still feeding well and getting chubbier by the day. I’m so much more relaxed about taking a baby-led approach to timing feeds and naps this time around, so if someone asks how often is she feeding, that’s a difficult question to answer. I can tell you, thanks to the Total Baby app that I use to track her... read more

May 13, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

A beautiful print

Last month, I received a beautiful print from Emily from The Nest, commemorating the birth of Little Woman, and I was determined that I wouldn’t do my usual thing of allowing a year or two to lapse before I got around to hanging it. It’s far too pretty to languish forgotten in the bottom of a wardrobe. So we paid a visit to IKEA yesterday to buy some frames. And today the framed print took... read more

May 12, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Six weeks old

This week has been all about freedom for us. Getting out and about and realising that now that breastfeeding is established all we need is to throw a couple of nappies in a bag and maybe a packet of wipes and we’re good to go. On Sunday we even made it to the zoo for a day out. It had been over a year since we brought Little Man to the zoo so he was excited to go. Early in the morning I packed up a... read more

May 4, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Five weeks old

My little baby isn’t looking so little to me anymore. I can feel her getting heavier in my arms. Her little arms and legs are filling out and her cheeks are taking on a definite chubby look. We dropped the last of her newborn clothes to the charity shop and she is now officially in 0-3 month clothes. She’s been more alert when she’s awake this week and we’ve noticed her starting... read more

Apr 27, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Four weeks old

Little Woman is four weeks old today. Again I find myself comparing this stage with her to the same stage with Little Man. The weekend Little Man turned four weeks old was my lowest point after he was born. Feeding was so sore, and his refusal to latch was so frustrating for both of us, I just didn’t know if I could continue. I feel so far beyond that stage this time around. Feeding is going so... read more

Apr 24, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

World Meningitis Day

I remember the first time the horror of meningitis was brought home to me. I was 21 years of age, and my work placement saw me visiting parishes around my home county, cataloging all of the churches, graveyards, and holy sites of the diocese. While visiting a neighboring parish, we met with the parish priest who was visibly upset. He apologized but explained that a teenage girl in his parish had... read more

Apr 20, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Three weeks old

Little Woman is three weeks old today. This week flew by. My little squishy newborn is slowly unfurling, stretching out her arms and legs. She’s visibly growing day by day. When she was weighed on Tuesday by the lactation consultant she was coming up on 7.5lbs. I’m fairly certain she’s past that now because the newborn babygros, which do up to 7.5lbs, are definitely getting small on... read more

Mar 3, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Emirates Toy Giveaway Winners

A big thank you to everyone who entered the Emirates Toy Giveaway this week. I’m delighted to announced the ten winners, each of whom will receive a toy pack courtesy of Emirates. This slideshow requires JavaScript. The ten winners are as follows: Tanya, who commented “I’d love to go to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.” Carol, who commented “Also liked mama.ie” Eilis, who... read more

Feb 24, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Emirates Toys Giveaway

Emirates thinks of everything for customers flying daily from Dublin to Dubai and onwards to over 125 worldwide destinations. And now, Emirates’ young globalistas can enjoy the company of new travel companions, a collection of onboard toys to entertain, occupy and educate. Playful monsters, Magnetic Sketchers and iconic Quicksilver goodies are amongst the onboard toys that will help your child tap into... read more

Feb 10, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow Winner

Thank you to all who entered the Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow Giveaway, sponsored by Toddlerland.eu. This pillow is designed to provide much needed support for your body during pregnancy, to ensure you get a restful night’s sleep. Hopefully, the winner will find it as useful as I do. I’ve been using it for three weeks now and I can definitely attest to how comfortable it is. The lucky winner... read more

Feb 3, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph

We enjoyed a lovely family morning out today, courtesy of Disney. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email inviting us along to the premiere if Wreck-It Ralph. So off we headed to the Savoy this morning to enjoy our treat. Little Man was very excited. Of course, an offer of popcorn, jellies, and a movie is bound to get a three year old excited. Wreck-It Ralph is rated for General release. It’s the... read more

Jan 27, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow Giveaway

Did any of you use a Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow while you were pregnant? I didn’t last time around, but this time, I was lucky enough to be sent one for review from Toddlerland.eu. It arrived earlier this week, and I have been so glad of it! I’m at that stage of pregnancy where no matter how many pillows I surround myself with, it’s impossible to get comfortable. But the Dream Genii... read more

Jan 20, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Duped by a Fake Ergo Baby Carrier

I was absolutely delighted recently when I found someone selling a new Ergo Baby Carrier for a reduced price. Apparently his sister had sent them one for Christmas not realising that his wife had just bought one. Not willing to pay the shipping costs to return it to Canada, he was selling it instead. Blissfully unaware that there was such a thing as a fake baby carrier, I arranged to meet the seller. When... read more

Jan 16, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Are Kinders more dangerous than guns?

Won’t someone please think of the children? I don’t understand the gun mentality in the US. I try to be empathetic, to see it from the other perspective. But I can’t. The only perspective I can see is that of the parents and children whose lives have been ripped apart by gun violence and easy access to guns. I read the suggestions from the NRA and others that the solution lies in arming... read more

Dec 31, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Reflections on 2012

Another year draws to a close, so I thought it would be nice to take a look back over 2012 here on Mama.ie. It’s been a busy year here – I posted 175 new posts, and there were approximately 69,000 views of posts on this site over the year, according to a very snazzy report released by WordPress.com. Thank you to everyone who visited, and especially to everyone who commented on posts over the... read more

Dec 21, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

A time to remember

Every year around this time, as well as preparing for Christmas, I take some time out to remember my first pregnancy, which ended in miscarriage after a short time. This year, I am remembering a second brief pregnancy, and thinking of how that baby would have been due today. I am no longer grieving for those pregnancies, because if I hadn’t lost the first, I would never have had Little Man, and if... read more

Dec 16, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream Winners

Many thanks to all who entered the MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream Giveaway last week. Tonight, I have drawn five winners, each of whom will receive a tube of MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream. The winners are: Tanya Flynn, who posted “I’d like to win this for my sister who gave birth to a beautiful little boy on Thursday and after a c-section she could do with some nourishing cream. Fingers... read more

Dec 9, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream Giveaway

Last month, I received a tube of MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream to try out. I was a bit apprehensive about accepting it, because during my last pregnancy, my skin was very sensitive and the usual stretch mark preventative oils caused me to break out in a rash. So this time, I have been really careful about what I apply to my skin. When I read about MaterniCare though, I decided to give it a... read more