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Celebrating seven months of being a mum of two and getting through my baby boy’s first horrible cold and proper spell of teething. It’s been a hard month. When babies get colds they take such a long time to recover. He was full of snuffles, sniffles and snot. He was teething, he was trying to crawl and it was all just a very chaotic month. I’m glad he’s much better now.

Speech

Felix is often chatting to his toys, whilst he’s playing, to us in the morning and to Evie whenever she comes in the room. He is making lots of different sounds and really sounds like he’s saying “Mummmmm” when he’s sad or wants a change. He often shouts out for attention with a short, loud vowel sound which is quite funny and it’s often followed by a smile from him. He has a lot of whines, cries and moans too. He blows a lot of spit bubbles and raspberries and is just getting used to moving his mouth. His laugh is infectious and very throaty, it makes us all laugh!

Physical Development

At seven months Felix can not sit unaided and has no interest in trying. He will pull himself into more of a sitting position on my lap to look around or look on the floor if he drops something. He loves bouncing in his jumperoo and if he gets bored he has started putting his arms to me to get out. He will bounce when being held up too.

He is constantly flipping onto his front now and is moving about on the floor with a sort of belly shuffle. He will try and reach out and move towards a toy he wants and is very determined. He will do little baby push ups and get onto his hands and then onto his knees and moves them as if he wants to crawl but hasn’t quite got the movement coordinated yet. It’s great seeing him change so much though.

Feeding

We have sort of adopted a bit of a weird weaning method which has leaned towards traditional weaning more. Felix is quite lazy when it comes to food and does seem to enjoy being fed from a spoon more so we have been using purees however in the last week or so he has been copying us more so we are going to introduce more finger foods and start giving him more of what we are having. He now has two meals a day but they’re not really in any routine and he’s having around five bottles of 5 or 6 ounces. He is not a hungry baby – not compared to Evangeline, who was drinking 8 ounces and quickly loved food. He does seem very content though!

So far we’ve stuck to fruit and veg. He’s had some dairy from yoghurt and cheese which he hasn’t seemed too fussed about. He doesn’t like things to be too cold unless he’s teething then a bit of pear has worked really well for him to chomp on. He will steal food and is much more interested in trying what we have. I had avocado on toast the other day which he took from my hands and every time I picked up a new piece he wanted what I had so I think we will have great success eating side by side with him.

Sleeping

His day time sleep is very broken and there isn’t as much as a routine anymore. Sometimes he needs four naps a day, sometimes just two. He is going longer between naps and can usually cope with about three hours of awake time before needing a rest. He will go down for the night anytime from 6.30-7pm and awake around 5.30 am. He is very much an early riser. I’m very glad he sleeps through with just a few wake ups every now and then at the moment but the lack of sleep during the day sometimes make it quite hard to get things done.

Probably contains spoilers so don’t read on if you haven’t watched or don’t care. If you’re one of the apparently small percentage of people that HAVE NEVER SEEN A SINGLE EPISODE OF GAME OF THRONES then this is not a post for you. From now I can assume most people have watched that episode of Game of Thrones and I’ve seen so many reactions to it across social media and from friends and family. As a casual viewer or fan of the show alone I completely see how epic it was and I agree, but part of me is actually a little bit disappointed by the storyline and here’s why.

Firstly, I am not just a casual fan, my knowledge of Game of Thrones doesn’t just span the TV show but the books, the world, the extras and so on. I love the world that George R.R. Martin has created and I am very hopeful that the remaining books will come out and there will be a more complete picture. So I can look at Season 8 Episode 3 through two sets of eyes I suppose. The first as someone that just appreciates the show that has been created by some fantastic writers and the second from someone that is a huge fan of A Song and Ice and Fire (the book series). But it’s not just a currently 5 (actually 7) book saga because there is so much more. And I have read a good portion of them. So, I like to think I know my stuff.

As someone that enjoys the show, I can not dispute that it was epic. The acting throughout was absolutely outstanding. Every sequence was gripping, the cinematography was stunning. There was amazing camera shots, in the thick of it action and fighting shots and the entire time you were thrown from character to character the episode kept you going. It was full of ups and downs. It was insane and no wonder it was the biggest battle ever shown in TV History. I’ve watched the making of the episode and I give real credit and thanks to the people that worked on it and made it so amazing. They delivered something that surpasses all other fights on the show.

But…and they say everything you say before you say But isn’t really important. It’s like I’m just buttering people up really isn’t it? Honestly, the episode I can not fault. As a standalone episode it was brilliant, shocking and surprising but here’s where I do find fault

Arya…Really?

Looking back it does make sense that what Arya was doing throughout lead you to see she would be the one to kill the Night King. Melisandre knew she was vital, Bran knew she would need the Valyrian steel dagger, Melisandre reminded her again of what she had to do and it clicked. The move she used to kill the Night King was brilliant. It was shocking and unexpected. I have to give credit to Maisie Williams too who has played Arya so well. She is my favourite character in the book by far. But Arya wasn’t the prince that was promised so part of me doesn’t really get why it was her.

The Prince Who?

Looking from the book there has been a Night’s King but the Night King we see in the show, the king of the Wight Walkers, hasn’t yet been introduced – if he will be – but the prophecy of Azor Ahai reborn is a really strong theme in the book – the one that will end The Long Night. Arya doesn’t really fit that prophecy. We don’t really know who The Prince that Was Promised (or Princess as the translation is Gender Neutral) but it has pretty much always been assumed it was Jon or Dany. Arya might be considered a “Princess of the North” if Jon was still King of the North – although she isn’t because she’s Jon’s cousin, not brother, and Jon bent the knee. So I don’t know.

I kind of feel what was the point really in introducing the prophecy because it was never about who would sit on the Iron Throne. I feel like I still have questions and I was hoping episode 3 of season 8 on Game of Thrones would answer more of my questions.

The Night King is no more…

He died quickly. Too quickly. I felt like it was done right, I just question why Arya was the one to do it. She’s trained to be a Faceless Man, an assasin, so I get why she was trained to kill but what I don’t get is how that makes her the right one to kill the Night King. I wonder if it will even happen in the books the same way, if it does, because I sort of felt Arya was chosen to do it because the writers wanted a young girl to be the real heroine. We also saw that in Lyanna Morments final moments I think.

But most frustratingly there isn’t a moment in the episode where you find out why. Why did the Night King do what he did, who was he, and why was Bran his target? I don’t know what will happen in the remaining three episodes but I really hope some of those questions are tied up and answered.

Is Cersei REALLY end boss? Really?

I don’t get it that Cersei is the big finale bad guy. I don’t believe she’s actually pregnant and if she is I think we may see a repeat death from the Red Wedding. Euron is just annoying. I don’t see him as being a big threat. He is nothing compared to Ramsay Bolton, or even Joffery to be honest. I know she’s going to die, I am pretty confident Jamie will be the one to kill her and I think it will end a little Romeo and Juliet. But she’s just locked up in her keep with a big army. The next big battle is just not even going to compare to The Long Night.

Where is Bronn?

Bronn is apparently on his way to Winterfell to kill Jamie and Tyrion. I don’t think he’ll do it to be honest. I’ll be surprised if he does. I think we’ll find out what’s going on there in the next episode to be honest.

The Best Moments from The Long Night

There were quite a few stand out moments for me. Firstly, the scene where you see the lights go out from the Dothraki was epic. It just went to show how horrible and huge this fight was going to be. The fighting with Jamie and Briene was a fantastic echo to their first fight on the bridge in season 3. They’re together fighting side by side and helping each other up when the other gets overwhelmed. I think we all realised just how hard the Night King was prepared to fight was during his little showdown with Jon and he raised all the dead back up. It could have been a devastating, never ending Long Night. The moment between Sansa and Tyrion was incredibly touching in the Crypt too.

The Deaths from The Long Night

I honestly expected more big character death’s in this episode. How Grey Worm is still alive I can not even say. I’m currently taking it that if I didn’t see them die then they’re fine so fingers crossed Tormund and Pod are still alive. Sam should be dead the amount of times he was overwhelmed but I think he’s got the protection of plot armor. Ed’s death was expected, and I’m glad it was a quick kill. I also correctly predicted the death of Lyanna Morment and I actually liked her scene with the giant. I also had a feeling we would be saying goodbye to Theon from the moment he said he’d protect Bran in the Godswood. The only one I didn’t expect was Jorah, and that really did get me feeling all the emotions. Particularly when Drogon comes back and curls around them both.

How I’d Love To See it End

Honestly, I think we’re going to say goodbye to Dany and the dragons, I can’t see her being queen after all this. It would almost be too perfect as she’s had so many “wins” that giving her the final win would be overkill. However, it could happen.

But I’d actually like to see Gendry on the throne and Jon remaining king in the north. Two kings bringing peace between Baratheon (because Jon could actually name Gendry as the last living male of the Baratheon line as technically, he is the rightful king) and Targaryen after a rebellion that started it all in the very begining when Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark betraying Robert Baratheon in the very beginning, ran off together to get married in secret.

For #RealNappyWeek I am going to talk about how easy it is to get started with cloth nappies and give you some affiliate links on the things you can find and buy to make your experience using cloth nappies simple and easy. I want to stress that if you don’t know where to start with real nappies, it does not have to be all or nothing from day dot. You can slowly build up a collection. Just swapping one disposable a day for a cloth nappy will help save around 900 single use plastics going to landfill and that is amazing.

Find Out About Real Nappies

First thing I would say is to visit The Nappy Lady website where you can find out loads of useful information including a questionnaire on what nappy’s you might want to try first. It’s also got lots of instructional videos, advice, how to’s and benefits of using cloth.

Visit A Nappy Library

This is usually in places like children centres so it’s worth looking to see if there is a real nappy library in your area or close by. These often give out trial kits for you to try before you buy. It’s a great way to see them in use, get a feel for them. A quick search online or asking a local social media page might be a good place to start.

Check if your Local Authority offers a Real Nappy Incentive

If it does, this is great. It is usually a discount voucher, real nappy kit or subsidised voucher to help parents get started with cloth nappies. Some councils offer it as you will be naturally reducing or not putting out as much waste when using cloth.

Check Pre Loved, NCT, Selling Pages & Ebay for deals

Cloth nappies have an excellent resell value and buying them second hand can really help you build up a collection quickly for a fraction of the cost. I was able to get a bundle of all in ones, pockets, two parts and liners for just £15 on a local selling page in a variety of sizes which has massively helped with my son. You can strip them and give them a wash before storing them. When you’re done with them sell them on to make more space in your changing unit.

Check Local Supermarkets

Some supermarkets sell reusable nappies so to help you build up your stash you could consider adding one or two to your weekly or monthly shop to spread the cost if you want to buy new. Or you could consider just buying one or two a month when you can afford it from different providers until you find the right nappies for you.

Potty Training with Reusable Nappies

There are potty training pants available too for older toddlers that want to be constantly on the move. I know you might be thinking, why not just move to normal pants? If they’re reusable they’re going to wash better and hold accidents better as well as feel a bit more grown up for little ones. It also means not having to buy proper pants until they’re truly dry through the day. I remember potty training with Evie and we threw so many pairs of knickers away following accidents before going back to pull ups!

Reusable Swim Nappies

If you swim a lot with your baby you can spend a small fortune in disposable swim nappies. The designs on cloth swim nappies are super cute and will probably end up saving you money in the long run. Again I’ve seen this in supermarkets as well as online so they’re very accessible.