Nannie to the Rescue

I have that over tired, new mummy thing going on today.

SO (smallest offspring) is 8 weeks old tomorrow. She has decided to have an opinion about settling to sleep. Fair enough, we're an opinionated lot around here, so it's inevitable. However, over the first few weeks of her life, she's had it pretty good in the cuddling to sleep department. Daddy has been on holidays for four weeks, and has mastered the art of the 'walk with baby on shoulder at midnight' technique, and SO has rather liked this.

However, now (as you do when you are small and adorable) SO has decided that she must be walked and 'shushed' and rocked (and, thank you very much) just a bit more booby feed please, before she'll head off to the land of nod at ANY time of the day.

So I am now trying to break this habit by using the good old 'Feed, Play, Sleep' technique. Nothing complicated, just trying not to breastfeed her immediately before her sleeps (except the night one). But the SO is less than impressed. So we brought in the big guns - the dummy (binky/pacifier, choose your moniker), which up until now she has roundly rejected. Not having it. So we upped the game.

We sent in Nannie to settle her for her morning nap.

Now Nannie has a particular set of skills. A set of skills acquired over a very long career (of being a Mummy, Aunty and a Nana). Skills that make her a nightmare for SO like mine.

So armed with the dummy, some industrial grade bassinet rocking, and aircraft level 'shushing' Nannie triumphed.

The dummy is in and staying. The SO is asleep (for now). And me? Well, I'm too tired to waste the time sleeping. I'm going to go and crochet something.

Midnight Pumpkin Mud

My new favourite breakfast also doubles as a handy late night snack. Yummy 'Snickery Pumpkin Mud Smoothie' from Sarah Wilson's 'I Quit Sugar'.

It's now just after 11.40 pm. The smallest offspring (SO) has been cluster feeding on and off since around 8pm. She's taken to a new habit of being relatively settled during the day, then partying late into the night - much like her parents' hazily distant youth. But after a couple of nights of this, combined with some busy days, my energy levels (and sense of humour) are depleting as midnight approaches.

Of course it's also super hot and humid, so no one is having any fun, and usually my go-to energy boost right about now would be chocolate - and lots of it. But I've discovered on my sugar free recovery that I can't really stop at a couple of bits of chocolate just yet, so it's off the menu for now.

Ransacking the fridge uncovered the leftover cup from yesterday's breakfast, so in between 'shushing' and rocking the SO, I've scoffed it. For me Pumpkin Mud covers all the bases for chocolate, cold, pudding, protein and veges.  The middle offspring loves this too, and shares a small cup with me in the morning.

Snickery Pumpkin Mud Smoothie (makes two serves)

Blend the following, add a small handful of ice to blender if you like it runnier or need it colder.

*    small handful of spinach leaves
*   1 1/2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (I use LifeFoods brand)
*    1/2 cup Greek yoghurt (or almond/coconut/any milk you like)
*   1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
*   1 tablespoon peanut butter
*   3 wedges cold roasted pumpkin (organised types will have premashed and frozen this in portions)

It blends up to be a seriously unappetising colour, but that just means that no one round here wants to steal it. Apart from my middle offspring food adventurer, she's discovered it's yummier than it looks.