There are 2 freakin’ awesome benefits of having parents around after you have a baby:
1) Helping to babysit/cuddle
A baby demands your attention 24/7, no ifs and buts about it. Having parents around means that every morning, when Hunter wakes up at around 7AM, I can feed him and then pass him over to my parents.. who cuddle and play with him for the next 2 hours whilst Chris and I catch up on sleep. This means that we get sufficient sleep every night and aren’t sleep deprived (which I’d assumed would be a given). It also means that we get spare time to bum around and do our own thing, because there are 2 extra sets of hands to entertain Hunter.
2) Organising all your meals
You’d be surprised at how you can go without eating when looking after a newborn. You just forget! So to always have breakfast on the table when we wake up in the morning, and lunch and dinner sorted, is a God-send. Not to mention my daily hot chocolate Dad makes for me each morning, and the herbal stuff Mum brews for me to sip on during the day. It means the past 4 weeks has resulted in awesome weight-loss for me because I eat healthy and yummy home cooked food.
Seriously, you need parents for at least the first few weeks of becoming a parent, otherwise I think you could just fall apart. I am utterly amazed at single mothers that have little/no support.. they truly are superwomen!
Anyway, just a few pics of food Mum cooked 😛
Shepherd’s Pie
Chicken pizza!
Another pizza, with mince beef this time
Mum made loads of Chinese food, but I forgot to take pics, oops!
This was a very yummy chicken drumstick dish, though 😛
I totally agree with you! Especially in the first couple of months. But afterwards, if you have a way of doing things or your own routine, things can go downhill ….
I totally agree with you! Especially in the first couple of months. But afterwards, if you have a way of doing things or your own routine, things can go downhill ….
totally agree, loved having my parents around for both these reasons plus they were great company when Manu was at work during the day. Otherwise I’d feel very lonely.
I totally understand what you mean! My MIL cooked for me too after I had my baby. She reminded me to eat and drink while I focused on the baby and sleeping!
Aw that’s very nice of your MIL!
thank goodness for parents…
your mum’s shepard’s pie looks absolutely mouth watering… hope you can share your mum’s recipe :P~
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/ – the recipe is so so simple, but the end result is fab. Hope you’ll like it too!
thank goodness for parents…
our mum’s shepard’s pie looks absolutely mouthwatering… hope you could share your mum’s recipe :P~
She used a recipe we found online cos looked the easiest.. and it tasted fantastic! http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/
I love having parents around to help too. I’m always very appreciative of them.
It makes me amazed when women do it all themselves, if they dont have relatives to help out. I dont know how they do it!
totally agree, loved having my parents around for both these reasons plus they were great company when Manu was at work during the day. Otherwise I’d feel very lonely.
You are truly blessed to have such kickass parents!!! 🙂
Yeah, we’re grateful they could come for Hunter’s first month to help!
I totally understand what you mean! My MIL cooked for me too after I had my baby. She reminded me to eat and drink while I focused on the baby and sleeping!
Aw that’s very nice of your MIL!
Bev, if you don’t mind may I have the recipe of Shepherd’s pie…it looks so yummy. Thank you.
She used this one! http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/
It’s truly easy and very delish 🙂
thank goodness for parents…
your mum’s shepard’s pie looks absolutely mouth watering… hope you can share your mum’s recipe :P~
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/ – the recipe is so so simple, but the end result is fab. Hope you’ll like it too!
thank goodness for parents…
our mum’s shepard’s pie looks absolutely mouthwatering… hope you could share your mum’s recipe :P~
She used a recipe we found online cos looked the easiest.. and it tasted fantastic! http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/
I love having parents around to help too. I’m always very appreciative of them.
It makes me amazed when women do it all themselves, if they dont have relatives to help out. I dont know how they do it!
I agree with you even I do not have children but when I’m spending time with my goddaughter I cannot believe that her mother taking care of her 24/7! -) it’s unbelievable – she needs so much attention! So parents are a real help and i hope that my parents will be also involved in this process!
Aww so sweet that you are a godmother! i love your icon too by the way 🙂
You are truly blessed to have such kickass parents!!! 🙂
Yeah, we’re grateful they could come for Hunter’s first month to help!
Your parents are awesome! Your mom’s food looks delish! My coworker had identical twins last year and his mother in law helps his wife during the daytime while he’s at work and when he comes home, she goes home and he is on duty.
It’s quite strange for us to eat home-cooked food daily… we NEVER do normally, heh!
Aww that is really nice of your coworker’s MIL to do that, his wife must be so grateful!
Forgot to tell you I met a boy on my cruise last week named Hunter lol so I thought of you guys when he told me his name. Nice kid from Pennsylvania!
Oh cool! I’m glad he was nice and not some kinda nutter, hee
You are very fortunate to have such awesome parents!
They’re SUPER helpful which is awesome! Grateful we don’t have lazy ass parents that sit around and need us to look after them instead.. teehee. They are awesome!
From Larae
Perhaps a blog post on one of your Mum’s recipes next? =)
Re: From Larae
Haha good idea Larae! She generally cooks random stuff that she thinks about though – that’s the beauty of homecooked food 🙂
I totally hear you on this post, Bev!
Having done the whole nine yards with my boys in Melbourne for the first three years of their lives… it has been incredible having family support with Kate. And you know what? I think she develops so much faster with all the extra love and attention that she gets.
My boys cannot imagine living anywhere else now without their grandparents n my siblings! So yeah for parents!!
I totally agree that a child can never get enough love and attention.. they develop at a much faster rate, I believe!
Happy (for you) that your parents are in Shanghai at the moment! The food looks yummy! And it’s sweet of your Dad to make hot choc for you. It’s the simple things in life that matters the most, eh?
Very true! Makes waking up each morning that much sweeter 😛
Bev, if you don’t mind may I have the recipe of Shepherd’s pie…it looks so yummy. Thank you.
She used this one! http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/
It’s truly easy and very delish 🙂
Lovely lovely!
I would love to have my parent(s) over, by Mom has passed on and Dad can’t cook for nuts!!!!
We’ll see how we cope with the change come summer!
Ohh sorry to hear about that 🙁 But heh, my dad can’t cook either!
i TOTALLY agree with point number 2! i keep forgetting to eat lunch and get reminder calls from my mum to take my food.
It’s crazy huh? I would’ve thought someone so greedy like myself would never forgo food, but I do forget!
Hope you are eating and resting well 🙂
I’m a glutton and so I drool at your shepherd’s pie picture… it looks really yummy! Did your mum cook everything in ginger and sesame oil? i know my cousin had EVERYTHING in ginger and sesame oil after she had her baby girl. don’t know how she survived it… LOL
that Shepherd’s pie was REALLY GOOOD… awesome comfort food 🙂
My mum did use ginger and sesame oil in some of the Asian dishes, but not very much ‘cos I can’t *stand* ginger, oops!!
I agree with you even I do not have children but when I’m spending time with my goddaughter I cannot believe that her mother taking care of her 24/7! -) it’s unbelievable – she needs so much attention! So parents are a real help and i hope that my parents will be also involved in this process!
Aww so sweet that you are a godmother! i love your icon too by the way 🙂
Your parents are awesome! Your mom’s food looks delish! My coworker had identical twins last year and his mother in law helps his wife during the daytime while he’s at work and when he comes home, she goes home and he is on duty.
It’s quite strange for us to eat home-cooked food daily… we NEVER do normally, heh!
Aww that is really nice of your coworker’s MIL to do that, his wife must be so grateful!
Forgot to tell you I met a boy on my cruise last week named Hunter lol so I thought of you guys when he told me his name. Nice kid from Pennsylvania!
Oh cool! I’m glad he was nice and not some kinda nutter, hee
You are very fortunate to have such awesome parents!
They’re SUPER helpful which is awesome! Grateful we don’t have lazy ass parents that sit around and need us to look after them instead.. teehee. They are awesome!
From Larae
Perhaps a blog post on one of your Mum’s recipes next? =)
Re: From Larae
Haha good idea Larae! She generally cooks random stuff that she thinks about though – that’s the beauty of homecooked food 🙂
I totally hear you on this post, Bev!
Having done the whole nine yards with my boys in Melbourne for the first three years of their lives… it has been incredible having family support with Kate. And you know what? I think she develops so much faster with all the extra love and attention that she gets.
My boys cannot imagine living anywhere else now without their grandparents n my siblings! So yeah for parents!!
I totally agree that a child can never get enough love and attention.. they develop at a much faster rate, I believe!
Happy (for you) that your parents are in Shanghai at the moment! The food looks yummy! And it’s sweet of your Dad to make hot choc for you. It’s the simple things in life that matters the most, eh?
Very true! Makes waking up each morning that much sweeter 😛
Lovely lovely!
I would love to have my parent(s) over, by Mom has passed on and Dad can’t cook for nuts!!!!
We’ll see how we cope with the change come summer!
Ohh sorry to hear about that 🙁 But heh, my dad can’t cook either!
i TOTALLY agree with point number 2! i keep forgetting to eat lunch and get reminder calls from my mum to take my food.
It’s crazy huh? I would’ve thought someone so greedy like myself would never forgo food, but I do forget!
Hope you are eating and resting well 🙂
I’m a glutton and so I drool at your shepherd’s pie picture… it looks really yummy! Did your mum cook everything in ginger and sesame oil? i know my cousin had EVERYTHING in ginger and sesame oil after she had her baby girl. don’t know how she survived it… LOL
that Shepherd’s pie was REALLY GOOOD… awesome comfort food 🙂
My mum did use ginger and sesame oil in some of the Asian dishes, but not very much ‘cos I can’t *stand* ginger, oops!!