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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Out of the Box Festival 2016 – Review

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With much anticipation and excitement we headed to the OUT OF THE BOX festival at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in Brisbane. This was the first time we would be attending the festival, which has been held  since 1992, it is 8 days of performances, workshops free activities and ticketed events that are designed to enhance learning and discovery.

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First on our agenda was Touch & Go – a dancing game of cause and effect, carefully created for this curious and hands-on age group. Touch & Go is dedicated to the mighty two year old, inviting them to enter a special world with two friendly dancers, shapes, pathways and live music. Interspersed with playful enticements to become part of the performance, children are free to take part or observe, venture out or stay close, Miss P being the dancing queen loved every minute of the experience and got in the swing of things from the very start.

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After a quick lunch it was then off to Tai Chi – which was a big hit with Piper. Through play, children exercise their motor coordination and learn about interaction with others. Tai Chi makes great use of the children’s imagination and the workshop takes cues from classic stories from Chinese folklore and cultural history.

 

Back again the next day we made our way to the cultural forecourt for some baby yoga – An interactive parent-baby workshop experience, we learnt some unique yoga sequences designed to improve baby’s development, using movement and songs to enhance learning. Piper loved this and it was fantastic to see how quickly she picked it up and it was all we heard about on the way home.

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We finished the day checking out all the free activities that were available and by afternoon I was taking home lots of craft and one very happy toddler who slept well all the way home.

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As I said, this was our first OUT OF THE BOX festival but now that we’ve attended and participated in this one, we’ll certainly be looking forward to and planning for next year. Just so much to do and see make sure you visit you wont be disappointed.

 

A very big Thank You to the organizers at QPAC for a couple of fab days out.

 

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

 

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Australia Zoo – A Family Friendly spot to visit with the Kids

This weekend we had the pleasure of visiting Australia Zoo it was Pipers first trip to the zoo and lets just say she sure made a day of it!

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The Irwin family have worked hard to make Australia Zoo a world class tourist attraction and conservation facility  with seventy acres of tropical parkland and more than one thousand native and exotic animals makes Australia Zoo an awesome place to visit.

If ever there was a place to get hands-on with animals surely it is Australia Zoo.

Australia Zoo is extremely family friendly and the perfect place to take the little ones from its policy of allowing patrons to bring their food and beverages into the park to multiple baby change rooms and providing lots of opportunities for parents to take free photos of their family with animals as well as the usual free Zoo demonstrations of the feeding of animals.

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The zoo is open from 9am until 5pm every day, except Christmas day and on Anzac day it is open from 1.30pm until 5.30pm.

Australia Zoo is located at 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah Queensland and it’s approximately a one hour drive from Brisbane. Car parking is free. Alternatively, you can catch a train from Brisbane to Landsborough or Beerwah station and a free zoo shuttle bus will take you the rest of the way.

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If possible, book your discount tickets online before you go as this will save you having to line up to purchase them on the day, the less waiting around with little ones, the better! And don’t forget to grab your free map on entry so you can navigate your way around.

For small children, you will need a pram as there is a fair amount of walking to do. The cheapest option is to bring your own. If you forget, or if that’s is not possible, there are prams and “tag along wagons” available for hire. You can also make use of “Steve’s Shuttle Service” to get around the zoo and give tired legs a rest. This free shuttle can accommodate prams without needing to fold them up, which is very handy if you have a sleepy baby. There are also plenty of ramps and lifts available for easy pram access, and the paths around the zoo are wide and pram friendly.

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What Piper suggest you must see:

Pipers big favourite for the day was ‘Roo Heaven’ is a large and natural home for kangaroos and wallabies, children can hand-feed them, pat them and have their photo taken with them.

There is also a kids’ zoo where children can hand feed goats, pigs, calves and sheep you can buy a small bag of feed and feed the crazy goats this was a big hit!

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The  koalas are a must see and children are able to pat them and learn more about this vulnerable species of unique Australian wildlife.

Plus we cant forget the Crocodiles as they were always Steve Irwin’s passion, and so you can’t go past the crocodile enclosure without having a look at these amazing prehistoric reptiles.

It’s a special experience to see these big cats and their cubs up close and learn about how we can help save them. There is even an underwater viewing enclosure to watch them having a swim, and you can witness the handlers keeping them entertained with toys and games.

Explore the wide open plains of the African Savannah and see the rhinos, giraffes and zebras. You may even see a cheetah walking by. The setting is completed with a big canvas safari tent where you can stop for a rest, a drink from the kiosk and time to just gaze at these amazing animals. This makes for a wonderful experience for your children.

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The Australia Zoo roving wildlife team give you the chance to meet koalas, wombats, possums, dingoes, blue tongue lizards, skinks, pythons, alligators, macaws, cockatoos and many more. You can also have your children’s photo taken with them, either by yourself (for free) or by one of the professional photographers. These photos are then available to purchase in the photo lab.

Wear comfortable clothes, a hat, carry a water bottle and apply sunscreen as you will be out in the open a lot. In summer, the zoo can get very hot, so take lots of water for our Queensland weather. It is also a good idea to pack a poncho if it looks like rain. Don’t forget your camera, as there will be many photo opportunities. There is free Wi-Fi available in the Crocoseum, admissions area and food court if you want to share some of your snaps with the world.

For more information and full Zoo Details go to Australia Zoo

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

 

 



How to get more time in each and every day using – Daily Orders Boards

With our own business, three children aged 18, 9 and 2 our life is crazy, actually the word ‘crazy’ doesn’t even seem to cover it! So anything thing I find that makes life even a little easier is a god sent! I was so excited to receive my Daily Orders board last week, its perfect! With a quick glance I can get an overview of who needs to be where and doing what each day. Now once a week I only need to consulate everyone’s calendars and add all the events to the board, and if anything changes the person it involves is responsible to make any changes and by keeping it in a area of the house that everyone sees each day we have no excuses to not remember what we need to be responsible for each day, plus  it looks great too which is always a plus..

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Today we would like to introduce to Kelly Mum and operations Manager of Daily Orders who have been busy transforming lives all over Australia we are lucky to have her share her top tips on home to organise your home in less than 5 Min a day.

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Is your poor time management affecting your household? Your happiness? Your stress levels? I get it. I really do.

Being a parent is bloody hard work. Managing appointments, drop offs, sporting commitments, and music lessons

just to name a few things. That’s just you and the kids. Don’t even start on the household management.

What if I told you that you could get your house organised in just five minutes a day?

You wouldn’t believe me would you?

Well, it’s true.

Think of all those minutes you stand there staring into space thinking about what you need to do, all those minutes you mindlessly check your device to see what someone else is up to.

Do something for me one day. Add up all the time you spend on your devices. You won’t believe how much it is.

In a few months I’ll be releasing an e-book on how to organise your life in just five minutes a day, but I wanted to give you all a sneak peek into what you’ll get.

On the surface, it’s pretty simple stuff, but when you don’t have time to organise what’s already on your super busy plate, the last thing you want to think about is how to get organised, right?

But you know what? Therein lies the secret. The ONLY way you are going to get organised is to plan, prioritise

and set goals.

I’m not talking about having your shoes spit polished and your benches white glove ready, but about getting things in order, reducing clutter and being able to actually live your life without all that ‘stuff’ getting in the way.

You know the stuff…the snow globes from that overseas trip you took in your twenties **puts hand up**, the kids toys – oh the toys!

All that stuff that you put in that letter holder on the kitchen bench that you’re going to sort through on the weekend.

Yep, I hear you. I’ve been there. So, enough about why we’re here.

Let’s start sorting things out.

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So I mentioned that you need to plan, prioritise and set goals. The best way to get started with your plan is by creating a list of all the things that you need to accomplish in a week, and then narrowing your perspective to all the things you need to accomplish in a day.

Having this information in a snapshot view makes it possible to make alterations where necessary.

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Planning

Having served nearly fifteen years in the Navy, I’ve definitely been exposed to some serious planning. As you would expect, in the Navy we have a very rigid planning process in order to achieve everything that needs to happen on a ship.

Consider the conduct of daily events at sea; with three or sometimes four meals a day for around 200 sailors and Officers, refuelling the ship, conducting weapons firings and helicopter operations, ammunition and stores loading, maintenance, engineering trials and the list goes on. To ensure a smooth flow of operations, the immediate planning cycle is broken down into four documents, namely Daily Orders, the Shortcast, Midcast and Longcast.

Daily Orders as the name suggests, promulgates what is happening that day, the Shortcast is the detailed plan for the coming two weeks, the Midcast is the plan for two weeks to three months, and the Longcast is three months plus.

Without this detailed level of planning, there would be a serious amount of incompatible operations, leaving us unable to achieve the mission.

The same goes for a family home. There are always countless things to do, whether it is the grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, sporting commitments, travel, dinner dates (I wish, right?) and more. With high dependency on mobile technology, you may be tempted to simply download an application that will help you create a plan. While it cannot be disputed that mobile applications have a host of advantages, they do have one glaring disadvantage. They are entirely too private, particularly when you consider that a plan may need to be shared with family members or colleagues within the workplace.

Yes, I know you can synchronise your devices, but how impersonal is it? “Hey honey, did you check my calendar? I put it in there.” No thanks. In these situations, it is better to have a clear reference point, where you’re able to see all the plans, and establish how they fit into the grand scope of things.

My business, Daily Orders, gives you the ability to share your plans with the rest of the family in one central place. How do we do that? Our gloss surfaceblack acrylic weekly planning boards are mounted on your wall, and there youcan put everything you need to achieve in bright liquid chalk markers.

Whatare the benefits? Here are just a few.

Daily Orders planning boards:

Reduce wastage – no need to spend $30 on a calendar each year that you forget about in February.

Reduce clutter – no scrap pieces of paper lying around the kitchen and home to write your notes on. All of your notes and plans are on the wall, out of the way.

Reduce screen time – we spend enough of our day on our devices, it’s about time we put our handwriting skills to work and used them to communicate with our families in a meaningful and valuable way.

Increase productivity – set clearly visible goals that the whole family can get involved in. Using Daily Orders to plan your week will help you feel calm and in control, and most importantly it will give you back the one thing you desperately want – time. Time gained by being organised.

With Daily Orders it is possible to create a simple and clear list of all things that are to be done and by whom.

Setting goals will also help you easily accomplish your tasks in a given time frame when done correctly.

Remember the old saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Goals need to be realistic, manageable and achievable in a timely fashion. If they are large goals, like making the house sparkling from top to tail, break the goals into smaller chunks.

Not planning means that you are reactive and responding to the events of the day as they occur rather than being proactive and clearly defining what needs to be achieved.

Prioritising –  Once you have set your goals and defined your list of tasks that need to be achieved, you need to prioritise.

It is no good saying that you need to wash the cars this afternoon when in fact, you really need to do the grocery shopping. No food equals cranky family, and that is no good for anybody!

Prioritising is part of effective planning and it involves de-conflicting your goals to accomplish tasks in order of importance. When you learn to focus on the priorities, it becomes far easier to achieve your goals. Without prioritising, it means that small but very important tasks may be overshadowed by large, time consuming tasks. Put it this way, what do you absolutely positively have to achieve today?

The mistake many people make when they put all the things they want to do in a day on a list is to check off what they can do quickly, leaving the hard and time consuming tasks to deal with later on. What happens when something comes up and you are not able to continue doing what you had planned to achieve? Sometimes, life just gets in the way and at the end of the day, you realise that you have not done anything worthwhile. Not only have you not achieved what you needed to, but along with that can come the associatedemotions; perhaps guilt or frustration. These feelings aren’t good for anybody, so let’s try to combat that with planning, goal setting and prioritisation. Once you’ve done all of that, it’s time to start checking things off your list.

If this sounds like valuable information to you, and you want to be first on the list to discover when our e-book is released, jump on over to https://beadwindow.leadpages.co/howtogetorganisedin5minutesaday/ The best part is, you’ll get the e-book at a super discounted rate of just $1.95 for signing up. Getting organised for way less than the cost of a cup of coffee?

Yes, please.

After you’ve signed up, jump over to http://www.dailyorders.com.auto buy your weekly planning board today.

Piper Sienna readers will also get free shipping when you enter code PIPERSIENNA at checkout.

See you there soon I can’t wait to help you get more time in your life.

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Thanks Kelly, make sure you check these out we just live our board and I’m getting so much more achieved by using it.

Got a product you would like reviewed then just drop us a line,

Love Kerry and Piper xx



QPAC’S Out Of The Box Festival For Children Eight Years And Under

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With much anticipation and excitement Piper and I are awaiting June as we are headed to the OUT OF THE BOX festival  for children 8 years and under at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in Brisbane. This longstanding biennial event is a highlight on Brisbane’s cultural calendar for both schools and families alike.

This was the first time we will be attending the festival, which has been held since 1992.

We are ready and waiting to see and be involved in the CREATIVE CREATURES, KIDS’ THINK TANK, RAIN, SNOW AND A GAZILLION BUBBLES!

We will also be participating in the Wellness Workshops which are designed to connect the mind and body through the principles of movement, stillness and mindfulness, and educate about the origins of these art forms seen so strongly in many Asian cultures and spirituality. The workshops include children’s yoga, mum-and-baby yoga, tai chi, Kung-Fu, and meditation. These art forms have been around for centuries, and have proven long-term health benefits and we cant wait to get involved!

This event is Perfect for the little ones helping them explor and learn through numerous creatively designed activities and plays to enhance learning and discovery.

Taking place 21 – 28 June 2016 at QPAC and across the Cultural Precinct and South Bank, Brisbane, Out of the Box provides a rich arts-based program for both schools and the general public. This year’s Festival crosses over the end of theschool term and into the June school holidays.

Out of the Box has been curated by QPAC for 24 years and is the only arts festival in Australia dedicated to children 8 and under and one of only a few in the world. It’s also the nation’s largest early childhood arts festival and had more than 103,000 participants in the 2014 festival.

We hope to see you there!

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OUT OF THE BOX FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN EIGHT YEARS AND UNDER

WHEN:                                        Tuesday 21 June to Tuesday 28 June

WHERE:                                       Venue, QPAC and across the Cultural

TICKETS:                                    Refer to outoftheboxfestival.com.au

BOOKINGS:                               outoftheboxfestival.com.au or 136 246

PROGRAM AND DETAILS: www.outoftheboxfestival.com.au

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MiniMeis – Down Under / Baby Back Carrier

 
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We were very excited this week to receive our MINIMEIS carrier, it is perfect for hikes, theme parks, museums or even at the airport. It even makes a short walk easier and simply perfect when you want to give your child that bird’s-eye view whilst knowing your child is safe & secure in the MiniMeis Baby Back Carrier.

The MiniMeis has revolutionized the way babies are carried, it not only provides your child with a view of the world as you see it, it also leaves your hands free to point and interact with your child. MiniMeisis is simple to put on and has clip buckles with self locking straps for maximum convenience and comfort.

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The MiniMeis Baby / Child Shoulder Carrier is ideal for an active family making hiking, family day trips, holidays, walks to Pre-school or even walking the dog easy and fun.

When not in use, your MiniMeis Baby Back Carrier quickly folds in half so it’s easy to store away.

We are lucky to be able to introduce you to the lovely Cassandra, Mummy of 3 boys and distributor for MiniMeis Australia to tell us more of the story behind this great idea and how she got involved……

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 Welcome Cassandra,

I stumbled across the crazy world of baby wearing while I was pregnant with No.2 boy. I was sucked right in! Within months I had an awesome ‘stash’ that included soft structured carriers, wraps, ring slings, wrap conversions…you name it, I had it! So when my darling boy entered the world I was busting to use them all! Reality check….he HATED being worn! I tried everything! Front carries, back carries, hip carries, outside, inside, sitting, standing, dancing, hopping on one leg even! I had maybe a handful of successful carries in the first year of his life. By this stage I was pregnant again and had pretty much given up, with the hope that No.3 (boy again) would be a lot more cooperative and so far, so good.

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One day I was browsing the world of Instagram and stumbled across the MiniMeis carrier! Genius! What kid doesn’t like shoulder rides? We managed to get one down here after pulling a few strings with Scandinavian family. It’s been AMAZING! Dad happily wears it as well and my toddler has never been happier! We hadn’t had it very long and I just knew this was a product I wanted to get behind!
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What we love about the MiniMeis:
Compact / light/ great for travelling
Dad friendly
Best view for your child
Free hands for child and wearer
Can be used from 6mths to 5years approx
Easy to use
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Available in Australia now

The MiniMeis Baby Back Carrier Toddler Package includes the following.

MiniMeis shoulder harness.

Upper section seat for a child of 2 – 5 years of age (or a maximum child weight of 20kg). This upper section has no harness, so the child remains stable via the Velcro leg loops.

Extra padding which can be useful in the summer months, when you want to use your MiniMeis with less padded clothing such as T-Shirts.

Small & Light – Collapsible
Ergonomically made for perfect body balance
Norwegian design

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Insta: @minimeisaustralia 
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Product of the Month ‘Fred’ Dinner Winner – Children’s Dinner Tray

Making Meal Times Fun with ‘Fred’ Dinner Winner Plate, Fun plates for kids means no more fusses at mealtime!

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The Dinner Winner Plate will add a little bit of spark and fun back to meal times. It’s simple and provides your child with healthy options that are in smaller portions which makes eating meals a lot more achievable. Once finished, there will be a wonderful treat for your little ones, making even the fussiest eaters want to get to the finish line.

Piper just loves this plate and has been using it every night since we got it, its been perfect in helping her to try new foods. She is very good at not peeking to see what her surprise is! Its such a great way to present food and a simple but effective way to encourage children to eat small, manageable portions of food and perfect for even the pickiest of eaters.

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Plus perfect for younger children with the addition of a seal to stick it down to the table for the plate throwers out there.

Kids and parents alike love the fun element that this plate brings to the table and how easily it makes mealtimes fun and fuss-free!

 

Healthy Eating Options

Also note that you don’t have to use chocolate for the treat at the end of the finish line, other items you could use are: raisins, muffin, apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt, stickers it comes down to what will motivate and work for your family. It’s’ also important to remember that each square on the plate doesn’t need to be filled with a 8 different food options, again keep it simple and bring happiness back to your family meal times.

For stockists check out our Instagram Page @pipersienna and the DinnerWinner post for all the contact details.

Have a Product you want reviewed? Just drop us a line on [email protected] we would live to hear from you.

Additional Details:

  • Dinner Winner is molded from 100% virgin melamine, food-safe and dishwasher-safe.
  • Packaged in a full-color giftbox

 

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Struggles with infertility – Should I have waited so long to start trying?

guest blog logoNew Guest Blog

Join us, become a Guest Blogger and become part of the team of

#MumshelpingMums

Written By: Charlene Moore

Get to Know Charlene, she is married to an avid golfer and mum to a soon to be 1 year old. Recently Charlene became a stay at home mum and is trying to find her creative side all the while living life to the fullest with her family. You can get to know more about Charlene by catching up on her blog teeoffwithcharle.BlogSpot.com

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I’m writing this post because my husband and I struggled with infertility. Luckily, it was a simple fix but I can’t help but get mad at myself for waiting so long to start trying to conceive only to find out that we would have struggles in getting pregnant.

 

I was 19 when I married my husaband(23). At the time, I was SOOOO not ready to have a child. We had agreed to wait at least 2 years before trying to conceive. Those two years flew by and we enjoyed every minute of them. When the topic of children came up once again, we both agreed that us being us right now was the best. We were settling down and trying to find our career paths. We didn’t want to bring a child into our fast paced unknown crazy lifestyle so again we agreed to put it off another year or two. Fast forward two more years. We celebrated our 4th anniversary and were living comfortably. We had most of all our debt paid off, we both just received two really good jobs for our area and we were finally slowing down. Of course, like any other married couple you were 24 and 28, we got asked the question, “so when are you guys going to have kids.” I am not joking you like 15 times a day….A DAY! It drove me nuts. It wasn’t that we didn’t want kids, it was just we were loving our lifestyle and content with us for the time being. Another year went by and one of our family friends announced she was pregnant. I couldn’t have been more excited for her. But at the same time, I felt sad, that I was missing something and that something might be a baby. My husband, needless to say, agreed!

SIDE NOTE:

I hadn’t had a problem with my menstrual cycle until I got on birth control. That stuff messes you up. I got on birth control right before I got married and it did WONDERS to my body……NOT. Within 4 months, I had gained 40 lbs. I went from a size 36 B bra size to a 36 DD and i was CRAY CRAY. Let’s just say I got off of it ASAP and we had just been “careful.” Since I got off the birth control, my cycles never got back to normal.

BACK TO STORY:

After hearing our friends announcement, I decided to go get everything checked out. The 1st doctor i went to diagnosed me with PCOS, started me on some medication (that I didn’t need) and gave me what they call an HSG (where they shoot dye into your fallopian tubes to make sure they aren’t clogged). I didn’t feel like I was getting any answers so after a few months I went to another doctor. The 2nd Doctor took blood work, viewed my HSG and told me I had a little low testosterone level and my uterus looked to have a slight indent but something that was pretty hard to detect unless you look really close. Needless to say, he admitted he was no help and referred me to an OBGYN Specialist. This is when I met the blessing of a doctor that would help us become parents.

The 8 months that I dealt with clomid, prometrium. driving 45 minutes for my appointments paid off. We had surgery to remove scar tissue which was holding my ovaries upside now which in turn didn’t allow an egg to be released in June 2014. Two month later we became pregnant. We were more than ecstatic. You can read my whole story on my blog http://www.teeoffwithcharle.blogspot.com/

 

I guess what I am trying to say is, I am a firm believer for “if it happens, it was MEANT to be.” But I deep down wish that I would have gone through all of this 4 years ago. We will be celebrating our 8th Anniversary this next Monday. We are the ages of 27 and 31 and have our first child. I can’t help but think how many kids we would have if we would have tried all this earlier. If you are like me, I was in denial that something was wrong so that was one of the main reasons i kept putting it off. I didn’t want a doctor to tell me that something was wrong. But waiting, we became more mature and this parenting thing kind of seems a lot easier now that I am older. I love my child more than anything and wouldn’t change a thing about our journey but if your reading this, your trying to conceive, go to your doctor. THEY WILL HELP.

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Please Leave Comments as we would love to hear from you….

NOTE: All the information provided on www.pipersienna.com is for general information and entertainment purposes only. Guest bloggers and other contributors to www.pipersienna.com 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 and belief of www.pipersienna.com



I’m Sorry for the advice I gave before becoming a parent – Guest Blog

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

#MumshelpingMums

 

Written By:  Amie Jane Hankinson

Amie is a first time mum to a little girl Mackenzie, she has a background in Kindergarten teaching in QLD. Amie has a passion for education and care for young children, and am currently setting up sensory, music, movement and AUSLAN classes for babies and young children in my area. The company is called Soundsations.

Follow Amie on the links below

Instagram  @teachingmumma 

Facebook Amie-Jane Hankinson

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Let’s get the point of this straight away: IM SORRY!!!

I am sorry for any little or large piece of advice that I offered to you at any stage about parenting before I actually became a parent!! And I really do mean it, I’m sorry!

You see I considered myself a little bit of an expert when it came to children; I’d been babysitting since I was roughly 7 years old; I’d been working with children since I left high school; and I studied a 4 year full time degree on educating and caring for children from birth to 8years; not to mention the hundreds of hours I’d spent at seminars, workshops and researching on my own. So I had lots of knowledge and was in a position to offer friends and family advice, right? WRONG

Then I became a mum….

Let’s just say the first 6 weeks contained some of the hardest days of my life. I knew it would be hard, everyone told me it would be hard. But do you realize how hard it actually is until you’ve lived it? Definitely NOT

Nothing can quite prepare you. For me (and every bodies experience will be different) it wasn’t the sleepless nights, it wasn’t the crying from your roller coaster of hormones, it WAS the anxiety and ‘mummy guilt’. The anxiety over the unknown: is my baby feeling ok, have I taked to her enough today, have I talked too much, have I cuddled her enough, have I cuddled too much, have I offered enough stimulation, could she have reflux, could this rash be deadly, why’s she pulling at her ears, is this a tired or hungry cue? Let’s not even get into the breast feeding struggles, that’s an article on its own (if anyone ever tells you it comes naturally- laugh!  Laugh very hard).

I went into the newborn stage with a plan- we were never going to bed share; I was going to get lots of study done while the baby slept; my partner was going to come home to cooked dinners and prepared lunches; my partner was going to offer a bottle of pumped milk every night from 6 weeks so I could have me time, we were going to go back to work and it was going to be simple, I was going to have an awesome body from all the exercise I’d do. And the list goes on…

WELL, that expensive bassinet and cot= useless, those twenty-million bottles and expensive sterilizer= never used, and all that time I was meant to have while the baby slept= what on earth was I thinking!!!!

I am now almost 6 months into motherhood and I don’t think I’ve had a single day that ‘goes to plan’. I’ve quickly learnt that no matter what you think you know, you know NOTHING until you have children of your own. And even still I feel I know nothing! We are learning more and more together EVERY single day!! And even after the rough days, long nights, missed meals and cold coffees, I can easily say that my life is PERFECT and my family is PERFECT!!

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Calling All Mummy Blogger’s

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Ever wanted to write a blog post?

Or know someone who does?

Calling All Mummy Bloggers!!!!!

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