WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU BEFORE YOU BECOME A PARENT – Guest Blog

guest blog logoWe are Proud to Welcome our Guest Blogger to the Page as part of our

#MumshelpingMums

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Get to Know Kylie Farley,

A stay at home mum to 2.5 year old daughter and 8 month old son. Just a mum trying her best to juggle life, family and running a household. In the process of starting an online kids clothing store.
Love shopping, styling my kids and all things decorating related.

Written By:  Kylie Farley

Follow on the links below to find out more.

Instagram  @mummaslittlesecret

kylie1

 

 

WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU BEFORE YOU BECOME A PARENT

When you fall pregnant it seems that everyone you meet feels the need to discuss

with you the ins and outs of becoming a parent. What to expect, what to do, what

not to do. How much you are going to love it and how amazing it is!

I’ve even had a door-to- door salesman give me his two cents worth on my son’s

runny nose and his eczema (true story)

They run pre natal classes to teach you all about birth, how to swaddle your

baby, how to look after your baby, how to change a nappy, how to settle your

baby. You can even attend breast-feeding classes to teach you how to feed your

baby. This is all great in hindsight

But what no one tells you is you are about to embark on an emotional roller

coaster that you can quiet simply never get off. Parenthood is what I imagine to

be like having a spilt personality. In a matter of minutes I can flip from being the

proudest parent in the world of perfect angels to secretly plotting how I can sell

them on the black market.

The most important thing that gets left out is that bottom line motherhood is a

damn tough gig, at times very relentless and you will feel like you are living in

Groundhog Day. There is not many that will admit this but I will proudly put my

hand up and say “ yep its tough”

Would I change it for the world? No.

Would I do it again in a heartbeat? Yep

Does my heart ache every day for families that cant conceive children? Yep

But that doesn’t change the fact that it is difficult and at times you find yourself

googling for a one way ticket to the Maldives. Who am I kidding? A one way

ticket to anywhere as long as you are alone will be fine!

I am the proud mother to (as every mother says) the two most beautiful children

in the world Rubi 2.5 and Parker 8 months old. I also have a rock of a husband

whom without I cannot say where I would be, he has rescued me from more

tsunami sized meltdowns over the years than I care to admit. I really do have the

perfect little family and no that is not a social media fantasy like so many pretend

to be living, I really do have it but I still struggle every single day and at times

question what am I even doing.

When we fell pregnant the first time we were totally naive about how we were

going to put this newborn on a schedule and it was going to just slot right into

our lives everybody laughed at us and told us how deluded we were.

We welcomed our daughter into the world four weeks early after an easy labor

and she was just the cruisest calmest kid you will ever come across, we did get

her into a routine very early and she just went with the flow, don’t get me wrong

I had plenty of days with her that I would of happily given her to anyone who

would take her but for the most part she was quite simply a dream baby.

I absolutely breezed through this motherhood thing, everyone commented oh

she is a reflection of you; you’re calm so she is calm.

It was no surprise that when Rubi was 14 months old we were expecting our

second child.

We were so excited although I did get racked with that terrible mum guilt, what

have I done to Rubi? She no longer will have my undivided attention, this and

pregnancy hormones used to make me cry a lot. Hubby always reasoned with me

that we are giving her the best gift we could ever give her and reminded me that

she is not the first child to be an older sibling.

Then of course you question how could you possibly love another child as much

as your first born?? Well all that worry was for nothing my heart just instantly

divided and exploded just as much when we welcomed our son Parker into the

world. He was the most perfect little boy I’ve ever laid my eyes on. In hospital he

was so calm and cruisy, feeding every four hours sleeping like a dream. I actually

said out loud, I think he could be even cruiser than Rubi! A statement I will live to

eat my words

Another thing that no one tells you when you are pregnant is how polar opposite

your children can be. Parker turned out to be a next level baby and he quite

simply knocked the wind out of me. Let me touch back on the comment I

received when Rubi was a baby “she’s so calm because you are and your such a

good mum” so what was I this time? A psycho mum?

So here I am 8 months on and am starting to see the light. I spent a good part of

the first few months of his life drowning and unable to see the bigger picture. I

have lost both my parents, my mum passed away when I was 13, she was only 36

and I lost my dad when I was 23. Both of them played such a pivotal role in

making me the person I am today but never in the 22 years without mum have I

missed her more than I have in the last year. I have spent many of nights crying

just thinking how different things could be if they were just here to help me.

Nothing compares to the cuddle from your mum when things are tough,

Parker had reflux which saw him never wanting to be put down obviously this

was because he was in pain when he wasn’t being held upright, he was on

medication which didn’t really help a great deal. I spent all day holding him

otherwise he would be screaming, poor Rubi needed my attention too but luckily

for me she took it all in her stride its like she just understood her brother needed

mummy,

He was always relaxed of course when around others to the point where no one

believed how hard a time he was giving me; I even got accused to lying (all in jest

of course) but still a comment that cuts deep.

Friends and family started to label him as demanding, clingy I even heard that he

was a piece of work!!! He was always being compared to his big sister and their

different personality’s this as parents was a tough pill to swallow. We can say

those things about our son but for anyone else to hit a real nerve with us, at the

end of the day he was just a poor little boy with something bothering him that he

just could not communicate.

Someone even commented “oh well, Lucky he’s cute”! Please is that not the most

ridiculous thing you have ever heard?? Like it matters, he is my son and nothing

he could ever do would make me love him any less

There came a point when he was so miserable all day that I actually questioned if

he even liked me, as I said the words out loud I knew it was totally ridiculous but

at the same time in my sleep deprived haze it seemed totally rational.

At six months old and him still crying all day, naps were just a stressful battle

that would end with him in a vicious cycle of over tiredness, hence not sleeping

at night either. I could not remember the last time I had a good night sleep my

breaking point come when my daughter had a fall and broke her leg. She was in a

full leg cast, now let me tell you she is a mile a minute kid so to keep her still and

occupied was not easy, she’s the sort of kid that upends a room in 3 seconds flat

leaving you actually believing you have been ransacked.

She went form being a champion sleeper to waking multiple times a night either

in pain or just that her cast was heavy and uncomfortable, for the first four nights

she actually was awake form midnight till minimum 4 in the morning. So

between her and Parker I literally was getting no sleep, hence the phone call got

made to sleep school, I remained quite calm they said some one will call you back

for assessment in two weeks I got my date and time and pretty much counted

down the days for the next two weeks. By the time I got the call, I was frantic,

Parker was screaming I was crying, they obviously thought I was some kind of

psycho because I was booked in for a week long stay just five days later.

Hallelujah! Could this be one turning point?

Well of course my cheeky little monkey was the textbook baby in there, he

actually slept all night! Well he did wake but self settled so in my eyes that’s a

sleep through!

He went down perfectly during the day for all his naps except for one where he

finally showed the nurses his full potential. She battled him for 50 minutes and

said to me I’m going to get him up he wont sleep I said ok but he will laugh in

your face! Sure enough he did, her response Parker you little beast!

I racked my brain as to what was different at sleep school to at home; the only

thing I could come up with is that for five days he had my undivided attention. I

didn’t have to worry about anything else so he had 100% of my focus. This did

wonders for me with bonding with him but of course when we came home it was

not possible to keep that up I still have a house to run, a husband and of course

another child to look after.

We had a few semi good nights then by the time I had my follow up call a week

later I was a wreck again.

Any way long story short he still is not a good sleeper, on a good night I only get

up around 4 times. I’m still waiting for that magical I sleep through the night

milestone But I have had break through, a light switch just seemed to go off and

he sleeps perfectly during the day and when he is awake he is happy this in turn

has made things a million times easier to cope with. Dealing with a screaming

baby all day then not having him sleep at night is bound to bring down even the

toughest of people. I’m the sort of person who doesn’t cope well when things

don’t go to plan, I write lists about anything and everything and I plan

meticulously everything I do, this kind of personality and being a mum are an

evil combination. Number one rule of motherhood, expect the unexpected.

So how did I get through this?

I lowered my expectations, sometimes you just need to stop what you are doing

and be in the moment with your children, everything else can wait. Since I have

adopted this attitude I have been totally enjoying being a mother, a far cry from a

few months back when I felt I was simply going through the motions.

I finally feel like I’m back in control, when it comes to juggling the house and

getting food on the table every night sometimes you just have to let it go. My

argument with my hubby was always well if I don’t do it who will?

His response always the same, just let it go it will all be there in the morning. The

kids will never remember that you didn’t fold washing one night or you left

dishes in the sink. What they will remember is that they were loved. For

someone who is borderline OCD this is tough but by far the best piece of advice

I’ve been given.

So what do you do to survive the trails and tribulations of being a mum?

-You remember that you are not alone, all mums go through it some are just not

as open as I am being.

-Surround yourself with similar people; I am fortunate enough to have an

amazing mothers group who would drop everything to help you out.

-Have a support person, mine is my neighbor and friend who has children very

similar in age to my two and I quiet simply would not have survived without all

she has done to help me.

– Lower expectations of household chores, go for tidy over clean. No one seems

to notice that you haven’t mopped the floor if the place is tidy. (Not easy when

you are living with mini cyclones I know)

-Most importantly take some time out for yourself each week, do not loose your

self as a mum, even though it is the most important role of your life do not let it

define you. At the end of the day you are still you. Take a break; it is amazing

what even 20minutes without someone demanding your attention or climbing

all over you can do to for your sanity.

-Take the time to get out of the house every day; even if it’s just to sit outside,

fresh air changes everything

I am so fortunate to have my hubby who balances me out, our motto is we may

not have it all together but together we have it all.

When I get racked with mum guilt of am I enough for my children I just stop take

a breath and remember I am the mother they need me to be and that’s all that

really counts.

Yes my kids are close in age, but if you think my hands are full you should see my

heart, it is bursting.

When you are sitting having a tea party with your 2.5 year old daughter and she

says “there is so much love in this house” all I can do is smile (whilst wiping

away the tears and know I must be doing something right.

Parent hood is tough there is no denying that but it is also the most rewarding

thing you will ever do, so when its tough remember it will get easier and that it

goes so fast so just stop everyday to take a moment and breathe every last detail

of them in for you will never get this day with them again.

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Please leave comments we would love to hear from you….

NOTE: All the information provided on www.pipersienna.com.au is for general information and entertainment purposes only, Guest bloggers and other contributors to www.pipersienna.com.au are responsible for their own submitted material on my website. The opinions expressed by any Third Parties are their own and do not always represent the position or belief of www.pipersienna.com.au



Cruising With Kids – P&O Pacific Dawn

Well I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone who has been following us for a while that we love to travel as a family and cruising is always on the top of our list!

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We have just returned from a seven-day South Pacific cruising experience on P&O’s Pacific Dawn.

Are you looking for cheap flights?

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In my books a good holiday is restful with no cooking, cleaning or moving from one destination to another and the need to unpack and repack at every hotel. Plus No travelling time to get to the destination as really the ship is the destination. We only had to drive 20min to the departure port and we wasted no time as there were no long flights or time spent chasing a toddler around an airport and within an hour of boarding the P&O Pacific Dawn we’d unpacked (for the one and only time on our holiday) and were on the top deck ready for the sail away party with cocktail in hand. This convenience is one of the many things I love about cruising, along with the fact there are activities to cater for all ages and tastes. It’s the most convenient way for families and anyone looking for an affordable vacation to travel.

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Holidays are important to us, as a busy family we love to take the time out and reconnect as a family, which we did over each meal but with age-appropriate kids clubs available on our cruise run by qualified teachers or nurses we had peace of mind to know the kids were being well looked after while we took some time to just be a couple and enjoyed the ships many activities on board. There are countless options to keep you busy all day and night or you can skip it all and take in a day of rest on deck or in the day spa (which I did on a couple of occasions)

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On Pacific Dawn the Lido is where all the action takes place — from lounging about, playing with the kids in the pool, to viewing a movie on the outdoor cinema screen, to eating lunch in the al fresco dining areas its the place to be!

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If you have bigger kids the P&O Edge Adventure Park is not to be missed and not for the faint hearted it’s installed above the Lido deck, offering 19 activities (at an extra cost) including two flying foxes for zip-lining, the funnel climb, and a dedicated area for riding Segways. Other options include Walk the Plank, which extends off the side of the ship, the high-in-the-sky Crow’s Nest for panoramic views, and a boulder wall for sideways rock climbing this was perfect for the Josh (9yrs) and hubby it was like nothing we had ever seen before and we enjoyed every minute of it.

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Each night we ate as a  family in the Waterfront restaurant and each and every night the staff did more than just serve us, they made us feel like royalty by entertaining us all. Nothing was too much trouble for them they made us, rabbits and mice from napkins, performed magic tricks for the kids, Josh even cried on the last night as he was so sad to leave our waiters as they had become friends he looked forward to seeing every day.

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Our island stops included Noumea, Lifou and Port Vila

In Noumea we left the ship and decided to set out on foot and explore the city we enjoyed a trip to the local supermaché and found delicacies like French wine, baguettes and cheeses surprisingly cheap and enjoyed taking in the city vibe.

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At Lifou we spent a day looking for Nemo snorkelling on the most stunning reef abuzz with dazzling corals and mesmerising marine life. Lifou is so pretty graced with long, chalky, casuarina-fringed beaches, pebbly inlets, sapphire bays enclosed by sheer limestone cliffs and psychedelic underwater scenes — it’s a water-lover’s wonderland.

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Port Vila  was a great curtulral experience where we checked out the local markets and mingled with the locals. A visit to Markets in Port Villa made for hassle-free souvenir shopping and food tasting.

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There is plenty of family activities to participate in, on and off board with a P&O cruise. They offer a range of fun, family activities and adventures so you can share your holiday experience with your little ones.

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If your interested in cruising be sure to jump onto P&O Cruises has a range of cruises, sailing from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.

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If you have any questions on cruising just drop us a line and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about our cruise.

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

 



Hotel Jen Brisbane – Review

When it comes to keeping the little ones happy so you can relax, this centrally located hotel (between the Brisbane CBD and Brisbane Airport) has it all covered.

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Park the car, check into Hotel Jen and explore Brisbane City for a day or two (or more!).

Hotel Jen caters incredibly well to families, offering wonderful service, outstanding facilities, and a selection of room types with city views.

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There is so much to do within walking distance of the hotel with kids, particularly along the Brisbane River. It’s within walking distance of all of Brisbane’s best attractions for kids, including the Queensland Museum and Art Gallery, South Bank, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Botanic Gardens and Queen Street Mall.

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Hotel Jen extremely convenient location  is within Brisbane city and walking distance to the mall, the location is perfect….next door literally is Roma St Station (only 50m from Roma St station) which will take you anywhere in Queensland and so super easy for door-to-door transfers from the airport to the hotel on the rail train, plus its just a short walk to the shops and city ferries and then an easy walk into the CBD to experience all the local cafes and restaurants.

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Its a perfect base from which to relax and explore Brisbane it also makes for the perfect spot for a weekend getaway with friends and family to beat those winter blues.

A few of Brisbane’s best kid-friendly venues are located in the Cultural Centre precinct—the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland Museum, The Sciencentre (great for toddlers too!), The State Library of Queensland, and The Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA. Each of these venues feature events aimed at kids of varying ages almost all year round many with free entry.

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Our Personal Experience –

Throughout our entire stay at Hotel Jen we were repeatedly impressed by the friendliness of each and every staff member we encountered. The genuine attentiveness from staff, from the front desk who struck up a conversation with our kids as we checked in, to the hotel staff we passed by in the hallways who always smiled and said hello, made us feel welcome, relaxed and made us feel that we could ask for assistance at any time without a hassle. As a mum, this really was a big plus for me, as I often feel like the kids get to enjoy themselves on holidays, but I often don’t unwind quite enough. At Hotel Jen, I really felt like the kids were welcome and therefore nobody would complain about them doing the things that kids do, like making a bit of noise or rushing to press the lift buttons before anyone else.

If you’re heading to Brisbane I can strongly recommend this as a great base for all your city activities, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will be back!

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Some extra info for you:

Services and Facilities

  • Fast free WiFi everywhere, always
  • Rooftop studio fitness centre
  • A range of global and local dining options
  • 24-hour in-room dining service
  • Disability-friendly facilities
  • Airtrain ticket service
    • Foreign exchange
    • Non-smoking rooms
    • Laundry and dry-cleaning services
    • Taxi and limousine services
    • Covered car park facilities
    • Shopping facilities within the Brisbane Transit Centre complex and nearby Queen Street Mall

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    General Information

    Phone+61 7 3238 2222Fax+61 7 3238 2288Email[email protected]Address159 Roma Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, AustraliaCheck-in / Check-outCheck in: 2pm
    Check out: 11am

 

Any Questions about our stay just feel free to send us a message and we will be happy to help you out.

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

 

 

 



We Have Progress – Guest Blog

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We are Proud to Welcome our Guest Blogger to the Page as part of our

#MumshelpingMums

 

Get to Know Katrina 2masters and a miss and follows the adventures, fashion, experiences and reviews that Katrina and her children come across.

Written By:  Katrina Mudie

Follow on the links below to find out more

Instagram @2masters_and_a_miss

 

Welcome Katrina….

 

We Have Progress – Dex is five years old and has newly been diagnosed with ASD, which has explained so much of what he has been experiencing and struggling with for a long time. He struggles daily with sensory issues, so loud noises, textures and things that would normally make others uncomfortable, are very painful or distressing for him. I hope that this blog entry will relate to other mothers with children on the spectrum or those who struggle daily with tasks that most children see as second nature.

One of the things that distresses him the most is haircuts. Anyone only has to say the word “haircut” towards him, and he becomes anxious and a lot of the time will scream and hide. So for a while we haven’t even mentioned the word, never mind suggest he have one. I mean, it’s only hair right? Not a big deal if his hair is long.


Well, last night we were talking with Kingston about haircuts, and that he could have a surprise egg after his next one. Well, Dex overheard and told me that he wants a surprise egg and a haircut too. I took it with a grain of salt. If he wanted one, great! If not, fine with me too. So we spoke about it, with no anxiety and no concern except that he only wanted scissors to be used and no water spray. We looked on good Ol’ Pinterest and found a few cuts he liked. Something I’ve learned along the way of raising a child with anxiety is when you include them in the process, they feel much more comfortable and are able to feel more in control of the situation. This is definitely helps Dex every day. So off we went to bed with excitement and wonder.


The next day, we went to our local shopping centre and again, inviting him into the decision making, let him choose which salon we would go to. At first he was nervous, so we sat down in their waiting area and I told him we would just sit and look around, because he takes time to warm up to new surroundings. After about 10 minutes, the hairdresser came and spoke to us and asked Dex if he was ready for his haircut. He told her “maybe just one more minute and I’ll be ready!” I loved that he was able to verbalise his feelings and again feel as though he had control over the whole process. If he in the end decided he was too scare for one, we would’ve left and waited for another time. But after thirty seconds had passed, he decided he was ready to get into the chair! This was a HUGE deal in itself because I don’t even remember the last time he sat in a hairdresser’s chair. By now my nerves and excitement had kicked in. As they put the cape on him my heart started pounding for him. Would he start to get anxious? Would he meltdown because his little body and mind doesn’t handle these types of things well? Dex looked over at the little trolley with all their equipment and I could see in his face he was unsure. He told the hairdresser, Jess, “only scissors, OK?” And she promised him, only scissors. I could see his shoulders drop as though he could relax now. 

Dex was a champion. He sat there with a smile on his face literally the whole time. He even told Jess “I need you to cut more around my ears, I want to see my ears, oh and my eyes cut more there too.” I watched in amazement and had a giggle to myself as he stated to her, quite calmly and almost like an adult, exactly what he wanted. He used his manners, he kept telling her how good it looked and when she had finished he was SO excited. He high fived Jess the hairdresser who told him how proud she was of him. I think almost everyone he told about his haircut told him how proud they were of him! And so they should be.


This little boy, who has had a massive fear of even the word “haircut” or being asked if he wanted a haircut overcame huge anxiety and sensory complications and took control of the situation. For any five year old I think that’s pretty freaking amazing. But for Dex, for who he is, this is a HUGE deal.

For him and for those who love him. I couldn’t have been prouder for the way he dealt with today.

We’ve overcame a hurdle today and we have many more to come.

But one step at a time, and this was a big one. 

 


Please leave comments we would love to hear from you….

NOTE: All the information provided on www.pipersienna.com.au is for general information and entertainment purposes only, Guest bloggers and other contributors to www.pipersienna.com.au are responsible for their own submitted material on my website. The opinions expressed by any Third Parties are their own and do not always represent the position or belief of www.pipersienna.com.au



Disney On Ice – Dare To Dream Magical Ice Festival

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Disney On Ice is a world class touring performance that needs no introduction, featuring internationally renowned ice skaters, it was a night of enchantment with many magical moments from across the Disney kingdom in the  Disney On Ice Magical Ice Festival where we the audience were  transported to a icy winter wonderland and whisked away into four Disney fairy tales to experience the adventure and magic.

Kids were happy to see their beautiful Disney princesses and sing along to all the familiar tunes, while the adults were mesmerised by beautiful scenes and stunning ice skating performance, its just a truly magical experience for the whole family.

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Nothing can stop kids from screaming and jumping up and down in glee when this gang of friends come onto the rink. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy kicked start the show with lots of cheering and excitement and they play the hosts for the show and appears a couple of times throughout the 2-hour performance.

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The one performance EVERYONE was waiting for Frozen, all the little girls around me sang at the top of the voice to all the tunes from Frozen, screamed and waved at Anna and Elsa when they appeared and clapped non-stop when it ended. Miss Piper knows all the words to Frozen and didn’t hesitate to belt them out in full theatrical form. (Not all the right words in the right places but hey close enough is good enough right!)  OMG, cutest thing EVER! I don’t know what I enjoyed more, seeing all the little Annas and Elsas in the audience singing along or seeing the performers, either way, this act was awesome.

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We absolutely LOVE all things Disney and this was no exception we would totally go back and see it again and again night after night if we could.

 

Love Kerry and Piper xoxo

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Tickets are on sale now for Disney On Ice – Visit disneyonice.com for more information.

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