Wednesday 8 August 2012

Big Welcome to my little boy Mason Tate


In June 2011 we found out that we were expecting. After the 12 week mark was passed, I let my employer know. It was rather tricky to announce as it was at a time when we were expanding the Search Marketing division and I was recruiting for a new Search Marketing Executive (potentially two) due to increased wins in the field of Search Marketing (interviews already lined up). Thankfully we found a new graduate in online marketing to join and head up our team. Along with getting ready for the new recruit, giving our clients and partners the confidence that they were in good hands, processes were streamlined to assist the team and I provided several master classes in the field of white hat SEO, PPC and Social Media. As you can imagine from August to February it was very busy indeed and from about October to February, Pregnancy left me exhausted and five days a week life was very much "Work, Tea, Bed".     Marissa Mayer who joined Yahoo as CEO at 6 months pregnant may wish to note that fact, you may want to work, but your body says 'BED'.

I worked right up to a week before my due date. Thankfully little Mason was 2 weeks late, so this gave me time to consider the fact that "I was soon to be a mummy" and listen to my 'Effective Birth Preparation" Podcasts by Maggie Howell.

When Mason arrived on the 25th of February 2012, the lead up time to the arrival day became a distant memory.  I discharged myself the same day (I honestly thought I had been there longer) as we couldn't wait to get him home and settle him in to family life.  I had thought that I would be on call from work and blogging while baby Mason slept, alas Mason had other ideas. He was on a growth spurt for the first 3 months and wanted to be fed around the clock. When he did sleep you find yourself reading up about development milestones, sleeping patterns etc. Your life is very much baby, baby, baby along with making sure you find the time to let your partner know how much you love and appreciate them.

My employer has been fantastic and they have just got on with everything. Although I mentioned that, I would be accepting of phone calls whilst on Maternity leave, I haven't been contacted at all. This is greatly appreciated as the time with your baby from birth is so very very special. As you parade your baby around the streets for the first time, so many people say "awww they aren't that little for long, enjoy it".  As Mason reaches 6 months on Saturday, I am becoming one of those people who say that phrase to new parents.

At around 3 months into mummyhood, you do start to find time for yourself as you start to understand more about your babies cues that they are tired, hungry etc. But then you are then on catch up to do the paperwork you didn't do in your final months. Booking weigh ins, booking jabs, looking for nurseries, reading on the internet about sleeping patterns.  It's all go and I have loved it all.

At 6 months, I am now returning to work from the start of September. A childminder has been found from recommendation for a couple days a week and nurseries have been vetted by me and Mason and the winner will soon be announced. Mason is a real socialable baby so will love the interaction in the day with the other children. Most of the nurseries I took him to, he screamed with delight, so I won't have the guilty feeling of leaving him that some mothers struggle with. Although I will almost certainly miss him. The love that you have for your little baby is so different to anything I have every experienced before, it is much more than awesomely amazing. After sourcing on twitter, before returning to work, I have had support from a life coach, specialising in 'empowering mums', she talks to you about your core values and future aspirations. The initial talk with Tracy has helped loads, I will profile her some more on this blog, as it is something that I will be taking up again once the salary starts coming in (again). If you would like to find out more about it engage with Tracy on Twitter, or visit the Empowering Mums website and sign up to the inspiring newsletter.

Now I have written the above, about what I have been up to in the past year, I don't feel so guilty for not updating my blog. Priorities changed.
I am now back in the blogging game, pleased to return, feeling very ambitious as I look to provide support for the amazing little man in my life Mason.

I need to mention here too that I wouldn't be feeling as positive or ambitious if I didn't have the support from my amazing husband to be, Wayne (Aka Burb). He has been more supportive than I could ever imagined, he is the most amazing partner, Dad, friend that I could have wished for. I love him soooo much, and can't wait for our wedding day.

I am a very lucky mummy indeed.

Talking about how great my life is: I also have to mention that I have the bestest friends in the world and the most fantastic 'on call' parents. Not surprisingly my mum and dad are regular visitors and love their Grandson to bits, having already had two lovely Granddaughters, pleased that Mason can be their special boy.

See you very soon,

Sarah xx



Wednesday 1 August 2012

Web Lab at the Science Museum London

Science Museum Web Lab Logo


Google has teamed up with the Science Museum to create Web Lab, a year-long free exhibition which never sleeps. The exhibition opened
in July 2012. It looks so up my street, will be scheduling a visit for the new year.

The web lab exhibition features a series of interactive Chrome Experiments intended to inspire a new generation of computer scientists and enthusiasts.

To interact with the exhibition in realtime visitors can log on to www.chromeweblab.com where you will be invited to interact with the below five unique experiments.

My favourite Google Web Lab experiment is the 'Lab tab explorer'.

The Google Web Lab experiments:

Universal Orchestra: An Internet-powered eight-piece robotic orchestra.

Sketchbots: Custom-built robots able to take photographs and then sketch them in sand.

Data Tracer: A map that traces where the world’s online information is physically stored.

Teleporter: A series of web-enabled periscopes through which you can instantly access the world happenings.

Lab Tag Explorer: A real-time visualisation of all Web Lab visitors from around the world that groups and categorises participants in a clever way.

Google's Steve Vranakis, creative director of Web Lab, said: "The internet is incredible. It powers our lives everyday, allows us to explore the globe and lets us communicate with friends the world over. Until now, all this magic has remained locked behind our screens"

Web Lab opened - both in London and online on Thursday 19 July and is scheduled to run until Summer 2013. Entry to Web Lab is free.

More information can be found at the links below:

http://sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/galleries/weblab.aspx

http://www.chromeweblab.com/