Tag: new baby

Model

With the hormonal glow from having just had a baby, it’s perfectly understandable that you are now fully aware that your baby is the most beautiful baby that ever existed. More beautiful than Helen of Troy, your baby couldn’t just launch a 1000 ships, their beauty is such that they could bring peace on earth. Or was that just me?

Before having David, I couldn’t really see the beauty of babies – This could have stemmed from my desperately wanting one and so choosing not to look too closely at anyone else’s in case I was overcome by a wave of jealousy, stole said baby and headed out for a life on the run.

However, now all babies look gorgeous to me but mine – well he was the most gorgeous.

It is in that wave of post-natal euphoria that the photographers descend. Firstly at the hospital itself! I’m overcome with emotion already, I don’t know how to feed properly, there is a beautiful baby next to me that makes me weep and a stranger is telling me that he is beautiful and would I like to buy the 400 photo package or the cheaper 20 package with Perspex coasters, fridge magnets and key rings. The fact that our fridge was built-in and so the magnets would not work brought me back into reality and I opted for a few very lovely (but still pretty expensive) photos.

I was still convinced as he grew that David was the most beautiful child ever so when I saw an opening for child models at about 3 months, I thought why not! Let’s get him working now before he even realises it, earn him a fortune and he can relax as he gets older with university fees paid and a house deposit ready to go. So apparently, the first thing we had to do was get some professional photos taken – this was with a photographer 100 miles away. Not a problem, my baby boy is going to blow them away in the Baby Boden catalogue. We paid for the (pretty expensive) photos, got some copies and they said they would send the photos off to the agency who would be in touch.

He’s 6 in a couple of weeks and I’m still waiting!

To be fair, he’s still absolutely gorgeous but he would have been a rubbish model. He knocked his front teeth out when he was three and it takes me about an hour to get him changed, and that’s just one outfit.

Babies & Supermarkets

I feel that I am an intelligent and capable woman but when it came to managing normal household chores and a baby, I often turned into an incoherent mess.

The first time I went supermarket shopping on my own I hadn’t thought about the potential difficulties.

I parked in a normal parking spot and then realised why you need the parent and child parking. I couldn’t get the baby carrier out of the door. I had to repark. Next step was what on earth do you do with the shopping as you go round. First time I decided to limit the shopping and balanced a basket on one arm. This seemed to work but we were missing a lot of shopping. On my second and subsequent trips I pulled the trolly whilst pushing the pushchair or pushed the trolly whilst pulling the pushchair. It was very cumbersome, and I could take out a whole aisle of people, but I was starting to feel impressed with my steering capabilities when I ran into a friend and discovered that I was an idiot. Of course! You can put the baby carrier into the trolly! I tried to pretend that I knew that and I was just doing the ridiculous two vehicle shopping because I had sooo much to buy that day. I think she saw through me.

There is so much you don’t know as a first-time mother that even the easiest tasks can become huge hurdles. I read recently about The Mum Ribbon Movement suggested by Anna Mathur where mums tie a ribbon to their pram/pushchair or changing bag and it says:

– I am open to you offering me some kind words or support
– I’m here if you need some kind words or support

It is a wonderful idea and is gaining lots of followers. I only wish it had been around 5 years ago.

The Instagram link is here:  ANNA MATHUR ~ Psychotherapist ~ Author ~ Mother on Instagram: “Grab a ribbon and share the square! The ribbon says: – I am open to you offering me some kind words or support – I’m here if you need…”

miniature of shopping cart with sweet strawberry