Tips for the day - Plastic Bags and Pizza Cutter

Plastic bags : other than being useful for garbage, they're a ceasaerian mum's best friend apart from the painkillers. Lay them on chairs, car seats, anywhere that you'll be sitting, and you'll find that it's easier swivel yourself out of the position. The cut for birth will take time to heal and these plastic bags are real handy for those tough-to-get-out-of spots.

Pizza Cutter : What other things can they be used for other than cutting up your pizza? Omelettes, of course! When you want them in strips. It's faster than running a knife through them.

Teething relief

We've been through quite a few teeth now and there were times when she'd sleep through the growth of her new tooth, yet on other nights we don't get any sleep.

So far, we've been using baby panadol whenever she is unsettled for more than 1.5hrs. Mainly for our sanity and also to help her to settle. Little miss is now 11.5mths and she's coping with teething much better now. She doesn't sleep much during the day, and is usually knocked out from 7:30pm-6am.

What other methods do people use for teething relief?

Getting ready for birth

Last year this time, I was all ready for bubba to be born. Her due date was 18 December 2007. Being my first, I don't really know what to expect. Others have Braxton Hicks experience, contractions experience before due, but I never had any. The most I ever had was a huge kick that'd leave me breathless for a few seconds.

I laid my side of the bed with towels just in case my water bag burst. Had plastic bags and towels in the passenger car seat also just in case the water bag burst. Well, it's cheaper to change a towel than have to change the whole bed mattress or car seat cover. Read up on delivery on the way to hospital in case we can't get there in time.

Prayed hard for a safe and smooth delivery, that I'd have a natural birth.

Ate more than my husband, even with a full grown baby inside me. Not just in terms of meals, but also the quantity at each meal. Constantly snacking and drinking.

What did you do in preparation for the arrival of a new bub?

Personality of your home

At MOPS on Wednesday we had our Home DIY competition results. Mothers were given 3 categories to put their home make-over projects into.

1. Dramatic - major big cleanup
2. Creative - putting the creativity to work
3. Budget - makeovers that do not require much money

We saw some great entries and everyone received a prize for their involvement. Some cleaned up their garage, some made new beds for their children, some had their yards tidied up, etc.

We talked about how the layout of our house reflects our personality. It is quite true, I find, that the first impression that people have at your house tells about what we do with our space and our personality.

For me, my house's layout is designed for both work and rest. I run a day care from home and most of the time, the first thing that people commented on my house is it's like a child care centre. They see the toys, the safety gates, the books, children's artwork, etc. It reflects on what I do in my house : I run a child-minding service.

But does it reflect my personality too? I think it does.

Everything from furniture to toys is very practical. I don't have flowers in the house because I need to attend to them and they take up unwanted space. The real ones die and I'd rather spend that time minding my own child.

My dining table and kitchen bench are in a mess. The dining table is also where I work, so my day care notes for the day are on it, children's toys and books that need mending are piled on it too. The kitchen bench has our fruits and water jugs and baby's formula and water flask. I'm a mess when it comes to immediate organisation!

Does your home reflect your personality?

Birth of another blog

Do I really need another blog to write myself away? Perhaps. I have two other blogs serving different purposes and it has been weighing on my heart to write on children, parenting and especially the wonder of God. It is not going to be a preachy blog, but practical tips, some thoughts and reflection.

"From the day of conception" is meant to write about conception of babies, parenthood, childhood, growing up, adulthood... You get it, right from the start of conception, we enter this world and go into the different stages of life.

I hope that this blog can address challenges and joy in the different stages of life. I'm still learning about life, still living it and loving it. Life's a gift from God and I treasure it very much.

For those who are still growing up to be an adult, I've been there before and hope to share some of my life with you.

If you are a parent, so am I. Let's exchange some parental ideas!

I've studied, worked (and still am), dated, married, given birth and still going on by the grace of God.

If you happen to stumble upon this blog, do feel free to leave your thoughts and comments.