Snowsuits and sunhats

This post kind of continues on from the Pros of Babygros one.



Seasons being what they are, you will probably meet your newborn either when the weather is cold (winter baby) or when it's warm (summer baby).



So you will need a couple of extra items accordingly. A snowsuit is an extra-furry babygro. Could be padded or fleecy. Good for going out in winter in or taking little precious home from hospital in. Choose a size larger than your baby's normal babygros, because it's worn over other babygarb. A warm cap is important if you're outside in the wind or cold, but is never needed indoors.



You obviously aren't planning to toast your tot in the summer sun...but occasionally you'll have to let a sunbeam or two cross her face, and she won't like it. A little sunhat comes in handy. Shade is your friend.



Sleepsuits are also warmer than a normal babygro. Good in winter. Use with or without vest. In summer, an excellent choice is an elasticated nightie (both boy and girl babies). These leave little feet free to wriggle, keep little arms warm above the blanket or sheet, and have the priceless bonus of having a loosely elasticated bottom hem, so with a quick stretch and tug you can change the nappy.

Muslin Mummy's easy carrot cake

I confess, another recipe freely adapted from the Guardian...

Apparently this cake is easy to tweak with other ingredients...I tried replacing carrot with cocoa and crushed almonds. It was OK, but not as good. The coffee icing was nice though (add instant coffee granules and skip the lemon).

A pal made a similar cake with beetroot and cocoa instead of carrot. Very tasty.

Incidentally, it's moist because of using oil instead of butter.

So...for the cake

175 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder (can double this)
3 tsp of a mix of cinnamom, cloves and nutmeg (any proportion)
100 g brown sugar
100 to 150 ml sunflower oil
2 medium eggs
200 g grated carrot (I just grate 4 smallish carrots and throw away the ends)
about 75 g pecan nuts (can use more, plus keep some whole to decorate the icing)

Mix dry ingredients except sugar, add sugar+eggs+oil beaten together till frothy, then fold in carrots and nuts.

Bake the resulting lumpy glop in a cake tin (I like the silicon ones that never stick) for about half an hour at about 170 degrees C till skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool while you make the icing, because it'll melt if the cake's too hot.

And...for the icing

100 g cream cheese
50 g butter
50 g icing sugar (or more, to taste)
lemon juice to taste

Mix till smooth, and spread on the cake. Chills well, and keeps several days in a tin.

One size doesn't fit all

So, you're in your third trimester, and it'll be your first baby. And your best mate is hinting about ideas for a babyshower. In case you have not heard of such a thing, it's an American idea that is gradually gaining popularity on this side of the Pond. Basically, it is a party for girls, at which silly games are played (blindfold tasting of babyfood to guess ingredients, etc) and much fattening food is consumed (well, you are eating for two), and no alcohol is drunk (can't pickle baby)...and, importantly, everyone brings you a baby gift!



Now, I can't emphasize this enough...if you get to pre-select the baby gifts indirectly or directly...Ask for baby clothes in different sizes. Nothing is as important as this, if you want to maximise your savings.



For example, if someone assumes you want to use cloth nappies, but you fancy disposables, no problem, for there are many uses for squares of absorbent terrycloth. If someone else thinks that baby boys can wear pink, and you disagree, worry not, for you are bound to meet another new mum (of a baby girl, natch) who will love you for your generosity. Perhaps you plan to breastfeed, but are presented with many a feeding bottle and formula mix. Doesn't matter at all, for nothing is certain, and they may be jolly handy. And so on.



But, if you ignore Muslin Mummy's advice on asking for many a different size...you will receive lots and lots and lots of teenytiny outfits, bootees, hats, bibs, buttons, bows and furbelows. All of which, assuming your baby is born average-sized and not slightly larger than normal, will last about three to four weeks, before you'll be folding up your favourite into a keepsake box, and packing the rest, hardly or never used, into the loft for the next one.



Admittedly, newborns poop and goop a lot, and so you may be changing babygros up to six times a day at first. Admittedly, the early weeks are when you get visited a lot by people keenly waving cameras. But you will be physically weary and emotionally sandbagged, and will not feel like inserting your fragile newbie into anything remotely complex (see post about the pros of babygros). Nor will you feel up to cycling outfits before the baby grows out of them, so that everyone's gift gets modelled at least once.



Whereas, if you heed Muslin Mummy's sage advice, you will have a big bagful or two of babygarb in many different sizes, into which to dip as your baby grows. The sizes or age guidelines listed on the labels often differ between shops (some measure by weight, some by months, some shrink in the wash) and babies (some may have a plump tummy, some may suddenly grow long legs), so just hold things up against your baby every couple of weeks, and especially after a growth spurt. You may have to buy the odd few vests from Mothercare to plug a gap, but hey!