Marking milestones and making memories — great new journals, cards and toys

There will also be a science show, a pop-up science shop, a Red Cross teddy bear clinic, face painting, storytelling, and more.

It costs €5 to enter a project and places are limited. Contact Emma at 086- 2675575 to reserve your child’s place.

Milestones and memories

The first year of a baby’s life can pass by in a blur of sleepless nights and endless feeds. Parents often find it difficult to remember anything through a haze of exhaustion.

This is why Rose Kelleher, a midwife and mum of four, designed ourbabyjournals.com. These beautifully bound baby memory books allow parents to record all the milestone moments of baby’s first year.

As well as being packed with photo pages and space to write about special memories, these journals include practical advice to help make the transition to parenthood easier. There are also sections dedicated to things such as outlining your postnatal plan, jotting down ideas for baby’s nursery and listing the things you need to do in any given week. Kelleher also encourages parents to reflect on their experience of parenthood and to devote time to their own self-care.

These journals come in a range of colours and make a great gift for a baby shower. They cost from €30.

Happy first birthday

A child’s first birthday is a momentous occasion. It’s one their family and friends are sure to want to mark in style.

What better way to do so than with one of these personalised cards from cuando.ie? Cuando is an online giftshop that showcases the work of makers and designers from all over Ireland and these cards come from one such small business. They can be personalised with the child’s name to make the card extra special and unique. Each card costs €5.

Toys for babies

Playing with toys helps little ones to learn about the world around them while mastering key developmental skills. Sarah Kelly is a speech and language therapist, Montessori teacher and mum of three who understands this well. It’s what inspired her to create Baby’s First Playtime, the first of what she hopes will be many toys designed to support children’s development.

Kelly spent months curating this box of toys, which contains a sensory book, rattles, a hanging toy and a peek-a-boo square. All of these items have been chosen to foster attention and interaction, to enhance communication and to refine motor skills.

She also put together an accompanying booklet in which she provides tips and advice to help parents use each toy effectively and maximise their baby’s learning.

These toys are colourful and suitable for teething babies. They come in an attractive presentation box, making them ideal as gifts. Baby’s first playtime costs €74.95 and is available from playeasy.ie

Nappies and toilet-training advice and information

Few people talk about just how much time you’re going to spend thinking about your young child’s poo. When they are newborns, you worry if their poos are the right colour and consistency. At some stage, almost all babies get constipated, which can cause them extreme discomfort. And then there’s toilet training when little ones often have no problem with peeing but refuse to poo in the potty.

Check out @pooandtheloo, an Instagram account run by the paediatric nurse, colorectal specialist and mother of three Ann Costigan. It’s full of practical advice on what to do when you’re presented with poo problems.