gurgle.com blog

This morning The Bean surprised me by saying 'gurgle' (I swear she isn't being paid!) so now I can say: 'What's the best website in the world?' and The Bean says, 'gurgle'...
I've put a ban on The Bean socialising with sickly child for a while because she always gives The Bean some nasty illness. I feel like the meanest mummy for doing it, partly for The Bean's sake and for mine. (I inevitably catch it too), but hey - needs must.

There is smoke rising from our keyboards today in the gurgle office as we are busy writing lots of features for you all. Obviously we've got a few Christmassy themed ones coming out, but we're also planning lots of helpful features such as a focus on single parenting and how to lift your spirits. We'll let you know when they are done!

So many members have been chatting about babynames this week, it's obviously something everyone feels strongly about - not least your Mother-in-law who is probably dropping into conversation a few 'suggestions' she's thought of...

I hope you all enjoy Friday and the weekend and if you're baby is learning to talk, why not teach him to say... gurgle!

This morning I taught The Bean to say 'shiver my timbers' and to give out a hearty 'Arrrrrrrr' just like a pirate. She has trouble closing one eye (as pirates do) and just blinks both whilst attempting quite a sweet 'Arrrrr'. I can just imagine her first day at nursery as she tells her teacher all the new 'words' mummy has taught her. She also thinks that the sound sharks make is the Jaws theme tune...

All is going well at gurgle. We love that so many members are chatting and helping each other out. There is a genuinely 'nice' feeling on the site. Perhaps it's the festive spirit shining through. I had to attend a very interesting Mothercare and gurgle 'experts lunch' on Tuesday. I found myself in very esteemed company, midwives, dieticians, child psychologists, child nutritionists and childcare experts. Phew! What I wanted to do was get the wine flowing and talk to each woman individually as i'm sure they all have fantastic stories and experience to share. I came away from the lunch with a new found respect for anyone who has worked for years to better, understand and improve the experience of having children, from conception right through to making sure they eat those greens! Of course I kept it to myself that I was teaching my 19 month old to become a pirate...

Help! Just realised that Christmas is only a month away and I have officially done nothing. Luckily The Bean is still a bit young to realise about Father Christmas and sending a note up the chimney so I can probably get away with coloring pencils and some sweetcorn (her too obsessions at the moment) in her stocking.

The Bean refuses point blank to wear gloves, even on the coldest days. On Sunday an old woman passed The Bean and I on the street and remarked that my child 'should really be wearing gloves.." Grrrr Had to stop myself shouting something pathetic like 'she has no fingers' or 'she has a condition that makes her fingers really warm', instead I just mumbled something like 'she refuses to wear them thanks', whilst The Bean laughed her head off.

At gurgle.com we've been hit by the Christmas bug and our pens are busy writing Christmas features and planning lots of exciting Christmassy advice for all our members - at least at work we're on top of Christmas this year whether or not we've grasped it at home. Look out for our features on Top tips for traveling with a baby and Top tips for traveling with a toddler if you are planning on a journey soon, and don't forget to add to today's discussion What was the worst present you received for your baby?

What a week! Mainly because everyone at home, Lula the Nanny, my husband and The Bean, are all recovering from terrible colds. The loo paper situation has become critical from serious nose blowing. There has definitely been some finger pointing at which child we all caught the cold from (my guess as always is The Bean's best friend Sickly child who wiped her snotty fingers all over the kitchen before sneezing in The Bean's face). We're all pretty shocked by the news from the Government that our account details, children's names and who knows what else could have fallen into the wrong hands. My twin sister was delighted with the misfortune because she hadn't realised all new parents are entitled to child benefit and filled out the form straight away...

This week we are planning to move the gurgle.com offices to a new and swankier location. All us gurgle mums are checking out which stores are close by for Christmas shopping opportunities. You'll have hopefully noticed a few changes to our site, mainly on the homepage, so now you can see everything that has happened each day including top parenting news, new features and of course this blog!

Banish those winter colds... Pregnancy experts Dr Dawn, a GP based in Gloucestershire who runs a women's health clinic and Dr Sonia Kumar who is a GP at a surgery in South-East London, talk us through how to handle those pesky winter colds.