When I first had Miss E in 2000, I was what some might consider to be quite a young mum. I was 25, just finishing a degree in English, and pretty broke. Mr B was also studying, and though I worked between 24 and 31 hours a week on the Slimming World Sinline (that’s another story), I stopped after Miss E was born as motherhood and finals were now my focus.
Miss E was a child who never slept in the day, and in the evenings she would start screaming at 11pm and stop at 1am. We suffered a full 11 months of colic. They tell you 6 weeks, but lucky us we got more. I say we, because although it was Miss E who was in pain and needed the cuddles, the walking, the jiggling and the constant movement, it was Mr B and I who suffered the exhaustion, the desperation and the horror that colic can be.
Lucky for this kid she was a happy baby in the day, otherwise I might have given up.
The rule in our house at that time was, ‘whoever needs the car gets the sleep’ as we were both studying in Nottingham. Luckily Mr B’s work was in walking distance so he could get there, zombie like, without fear of crashing into a poor unsuspecting bollard, or ending up in the middle of one of the enormous roundabouts that dotted their way along the ring road, but if either one of us was at Uni, we got the sleep.
I was the first in my immediate family to have a child, and none of my friends were ready to reproduce. My amazing friend Ju was down the road, but she worked full time and had her own little boy, and besides, it wasn’t fair to call her up in the middle of the night, which is generally when we were in dire need of support, so at times I felt pretty isolated.
Don’t get me wrong, there were websites I could look at to gather information, but most of this seemed impersonal and quite often made me feel worse as my child didn’t fit. There was no answer.
Because of my studies I was rarely able to attend playgroups and meet new mums, and I was kind of shy, so I plodded on, struggling, battling and hoping.
It is only recently that a site came to my attention that would have been the answer to my prayers (And I was definitely at the prayers stage.)
Go on, click, it’s fantastic.
I know there are a ton of other parenting sites out there, but this one is so much more.
gurgle.com is a social networking site for parents, so not only is it spilling over with information and advice for new parents, but it also enables them to meet and chat online.
“As a member of gurgle you can now ask questions and have other members and our resident experts answer them. ”
Oh my Bob I could have done with that.
In the wee small hours of the morning, when Miss E was screaming in my ear as I bounced her up and down on my knee or over my shoulder it would have been so good to have somewhere to go where other fraught parents, who were also jiggling their screaming child on their knee, were there for me to chat to, and whinge to and cry with.
The thought that I could have turned on my pc and immediately made human contact would have quite probably changed my life. I mean, it’s all well and good to have information at your finger tips, but information can’t tell you to,
“Put your baby down, go downstairs and get yourself a cup of tea and a chocolate hobnob.”
A fact page can’t say,
“Oh my bob my child is doing the exact same thing. Shall we just throw them out the window, tee hee 
.”
And let’s face it, when it’s 3am and you’ve still not managed to take both feet off the floor and climb into bed, then you don’t necessarily want facts, you want sympathy, empathy, humour, hope.
I have loved looking through this site, even though Miss E is now 7 and Miss M 3, and although gurgle.com is mainly aimed at those trying to become pregnant and then with children up to aged 36 months it brought back wonderful memories watching the videos on every subject you can imagine, flicking through the galleries of pictures, and reading through the forum.
In short, gurgle.com is fantastic and I would recommend it to any parent, grandparent, Auntie, Uncle, or parent to be. Over 40000 members can’t be wrong.
I only hope they’ll be bringing a site out for parents with children over 36 months.
Maybe they could call it ’strangle.com.’
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A little while ago, when I was doing the Fun Monday rounds, I happened upon this fab idea at Hootin’ Anni’s and volunteered to take part, and lucky for me I was accepted. It originally came from Mary at Mary’s Writing Nook, and Anni was one of her recipients.
The idea is, I pick out the names of three volunteers from a hat, who would like to receive a small gift from me, by snail mail, and who in turn will pass on three gifts to three other people on their own blogs. It’s all about spreading a little lurve and friendship around the blogosphere, and who doesn’t like prezzies right?
I received my lovely gift on Saturday,
Firstly this cute windchime that is now hanging on the holly tree in my garden. Miss M thinks it is wonderful and has bashed it a few times already to hear it tinkling. Lovely thanks Anni.
Then there is this adorable bookmark. It is at this moment cosied up inside Sue Townsend’s Queen Camilla, my current read. My mum will be so relieved as she hates that I bend pages over in books, but I don’t mind as I like my books to look read and well loved. (I’m not so fond of the dropped in the bath look that often occurs though. Bugger.)
And lastly these little crocheted mats. I have in my head that they’re for an old fashioned china tea service, one for the pot, four for cups, but as I’m a mug and teabag woman I will be using them as rests for a couple of trinket boxes that used to be my Gran’s that live on my bedroom window sill. I don’t know if you actually made these Anni, I have a feeling you might have done, but thank you.
Thank you so much.
Miss E was also very excited that a parcel had arrived that came from Texas and informed me that that was where cowboys came from, and where they filmed westerns.
Thanks Anni. You’re a star. 
So, who wants to play?
If you’d like to enter, and are willing to pass a gift along to three others in turn, please comment below and I will draw your names out of a hat, quite possibly this one…
And three lucky people will be sent a prezzie. Doesn’t that just warm your cockles?
Anyone can enter, even if you’ve never commented before, in fact, I’d love a few of you lurkers, newbies and one offs to enter, as well as all my yummy blog buddies. The more the merrier.
Lets spread the love babies.
P.S. Sorry for all the folks waiting on gifts from me. I would blame the post but that would be a lie. I know, I’ll blame the gerbil. You’re prizes are not there yet as our gerbil ate the postman. Sorry.
![[MFM's mummy bloggers you really should read]](http://www.madeformums.com/news/images/mummybloggerlogo.jpg)
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I’ll play and maybe it will motivate me to get off my tookus and sent your prezzie.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
That sounds a fun thing to do! Count me in!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
*sprinkling magic name picking dust over your hat*
Pick meeeeee!
Also, thanks for the heads up on gurgle. Will check it out if I’m knocked up this turn around.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
This post made me want to have a chocolate Hobnob. YUM!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Girl! I didn’t really know what a computer was when I had DJ. I wish I could had a little insight. But luckily a little ole lady helped me out.
I’m still going to do your My Six Word Memoir, but have one more post before I do. So, IT’s looking like Friday before it’s up.
That sounds like a neat idea that Annie came up with. I haven’t had time to make it around to all the FM’s. I 3 days of nothing but my computer to get caught up on all my reads. But count me in please. I think this a wonderful!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I am so glad you liked your little gifts! Reading this made my heart filled with pleasure. I loved the Pay it Forward so much, I just may do it again sometime!!!
Good luck with your group of three! It’s fun, trust me!! [I too dog ear my pages in a book...and like you, that makes them look and feel more 'loved'!]
Happy day to you Jo!!!
[ps...that gurgle dot com sounds fabulous, doesn't it. I'm gonna pass that link to other young mothers I know!]
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Lee, ‘tookus’ snort.
AOJ, you’re in.
Thalia’s Child, chucking magic dust right back at you. I have my fingers crossed.
Susan, they are gorgeous. DO you have them in Chicago?
Kitten, it’s lovely isn’t it? And you’re in.
Anni, books need to be loved
. And yes, gurgle is pretty cool. I really like it.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
i love hobnobs. i want a hobnob. sniff sniff. holly doesn’t get any hobnobs for 14 more pounds…
anyway. yes. the colic thing. that was the first time i went “yes, thrower, you are the last to come out! you are officially going to always be my youngest!” although i didn’t call him the thrower yet because he didn’t throw stuff.
he still likes to cry, but not nearly as long. and at least at the end of it he’ll go ‘bed now.’ niiiice.
i love that lee said tookus. it is my favorite word. one of them anyway.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Where was gurgle when I needed it?!! I didn’t even have a computer until my daughter was six months old!
Now, please do send me those lovely cookies.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
No kiddin’ ….. you’re brilliant.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Mmmm…coooookiesss….
Wait…what? What was I meant to be doing? Oh, right…yes, I’ll pay it forward! Honest I will!
And sympathies on the 11 months of colic – gah! I could barely handle the one hour a night when Emma was a wee one, 11 months of long stretches…oi…I would’ve crumbled!
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I signed up for Gurgle!
April 24th, 2008 at 6:35 am
No such thing as computers when mine were young! Good post!
April 24th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Enjoyed your post today. Anni sent you beautiful gifties. She is an avid crocheter, so I believe she did make those. Aren’t they beautiful? And the bookmark and windchimes are pretty too. Glad to meet you. I’m glad I dropped by.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Holl, hobnobs are special aren’t they? I notice in Schmesco now they have Oreo Cookies. I remember them from reading Stephen King and Dean R Koontz books as a kid. Everyone had Oreos or Hershey bars. Are oreos nice or nasty? I might buy some just to see.
And the colic, God it was bad. Miss M cries at night too sometimes before she drops off but she always goes in the end.
Momo, it would have been soooo good. But at least it’s there now if we ever get any little, erm, surprises.
David, ahh thanks. You’re such a sweetie.
Kim it nearly broke us, but we’re still here.
Maria I hope you like it. Let me know.
Maggie May thanks you. They are a godsend at times in that ‘information at your finger tips way’ but other times that’s not so good.
Mary I thought she probably made them and they are beautiful. My Gran’s boxes look lovely on them. Thanks for stopping by and come back anytime.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I would love to play ..
April 24th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I am still alittle worried about Holly being a tree. eeeeeekkkk poor girl, but at least she has a nice windchime to entertain her.
oh and do count me in.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
jo. oreos are gorgeous. i love them so so so much. don’t eat any without me. you must be inducted. i will help you. never worry.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
There is no substitution for human empathy in time of stress. Hate to say it, my kids were all sleeping through the night at 2 months or earlier (3 weeks for our second child). Sorry. Sounds like such a tough time for you both going through that.