Former international sprinter and Olympic medalist Katharine Merry is a regular commentator on BBC TV and Radio, Sky TV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and has mentored some of the UK's most talented athletes. But, with the recent arrival of baby Lucas, she faces an even stiffer challenge. In her open and honest blog Katharine shares the hopes, fears and daily surprises of life as a new mum
Post-pregnancy fitness and my boy's first birthday
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Our son has turned one, the big milestone where he has reached a full number! Who would have thought this first year would fly by.
With Christmas out of the way all my attention was turned to his birthday and we had a great day.
I was working the day before his birthday on the Aviva Grand Prix athletics meeting, so to save me rushing around like a headless chicken we decided to book a restaurant and invite 20 people. We would have loved to have had more but that’s the most we were allowed to book! So the last few weeks were spent ordering balloons and a special cake. A nice safari themed cake. All could be eaten apart from the lion and elephant figures!
The day was super, although Lucas really didn’t know what was going on. He loved being the centre of attention but did get a little scared when everyone sang him happy birthday. He got so many great toys; our house looks even more like a toy store now.
I got a little emotional on his birthday as it is a big day, right? My son, my little lion, turning one. I can’t believe how fast the year has gone and that scares me because before I know it he will be hitting double figures!
I can’t believe how much he has changed over the past few months alone. Literally running around now and giving the impression that he will be an Olympic Swimmer, the way he loves his bath time. He is still hitting the 50 per cent centile line in weight and height, although this last week everyone I met was saying he was a small one year old, they must only know the bigger 50 per cent of the baby population, no really - I’m not sensitive at all!
With Lucas’s sudden love for bath time, I thought I would get a few treats to keep him entertained and make things easier for me:
Shampoo Rinser:
This new and improved design makes washing your child’s hair even easier! The easy grip handle offers you complete control and helps keep soap suds away from little eyes.
The Rinser has a soft rim and is bigger than most allowing for fewer rinses. The Shampoo Rinser is available in blue and pink.
RRP £4.49
BathToy Scoop:
If you want bath time to be fun but not left with toys in the bath then why not try the Bath Toy Scoop from Munchkin. It provides a quick and easy way to pick up bath toys and, with a clear top you can see which toys are inside.
Practicality is paramount with this product which is why it features holes in the bottom to allow for faster water draining and includes a wall mounting hook for convenient storage and draining.
RRP: £12.99
Snail Stacker:
The Munchkin Snail Stacker is an ideal way of amusing your child during bath time. The fun Snail character floats upright in the water and features three stacks and sort rings with an interactive toy inside. The flower component also doubles up as squirter.
RRP £9.99
6 Grippy Dots
Perfect for protecting your child in the bath, the Grippy Dots are rubberised, textured grips that prevent slipping in the bath. They feature strong suction grip bases and are available in a variety of fun and bright colours which make them easy for children to see at the bottom of the bath. What’s more, White Hot reveals the word ‘HOT’ when bath water is too hot for baby!
RRP £7.99
I have started thinking about my own fitness. I am happily retired from training six days a week, but feel I need to start doing something again. Post baby I suggest to my friends light exercise in the form of walking and building up to jogging. I tell them to aim for the time of the run and not the distance. I am a big spinning fan, so may look for spinning classes near here as you can control how hard you do a work out and its non impact. I think it would be a great exercise for all new mothers to get into. We will see. I need a goal to motivate me and the time, apart from that, I’d be there!
My work is very busy in this Olympic year, which is great and that’s why I’ve held off going to visit local recommended nurseries for Lucas. I love spending my time with him and he is great when around people, including other kids so I am not concerned about him not going in just yet. Is there ever a right age to put your child in nursery? Surely it’s mostly work-driven by parents?
I am going to visit the Azaria Baby Show this weekend in London. I am excited as I love going to the shows and seeing such great products. I am sure I will get broody and I have to try not to spend too much money. It’s on from the 24-26th February at the London Excel. Come say hi if you're there!
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