BEAUTIFUL BELLY

Teeny - 365

Look at your lovely round belly my beautiful baby boy.  The sight of it makes me want to blow raspberries on it and make you giggle until you have no laughter left.

FITS OF GIGGLES

D - 365

You and you sister have a bond that can never be broken, no more so that when you are mid giggling fit for a reason unbeknown to anyone other than the two of you.  How special it must be to be a twin.

HEADS TOGETHER

A - 365

I cannot even describe to you how much joy I feel when you have moments like this.  Seeing your love for your baby brother makes me feel like my heart might burst out of my chest at any moment.

IT'S BEEN A HARD DAY

Teeny - 365

SNAKE CHARMER

D - 365

Last time we went to the museum to see the Minibeast Roadshow you were very wary of the snakes, but not today; today you were the snake charmer!

ANIMALMANIA

A - 365

A cuddle with the tortoise thanks to school holiday fun by Animalmania at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

HOLDING ON TIGHT

Teeny - 365

Bedtime booby is not what it was; for you to fall asleep at the breast like this at bedtime is a pretty rare occurrence nowadays, but what gets me about this photo, and what I hadn't noticed at the time of taking it, isn't just that you are asleep, but it is the way that you are holding on to my top as if your life depended on it.  Fist clenched tight as though if it weren't I might run away at any moment.

SCHOLAR

D - 365

I adore how, despite the fact that you cannot read that many words yet you and your sister still love to "read" books to each other and to Teeny.  In this picture though you remind me of a wise old man who has been here before, reading over the top of his glasses to a crowd of children who wait eagerly in anticipation of the knowledge you are about to impart on them.

SELFIE

A - 365

There are two reasons why there are very few photographs of me in the project.  The first one is that I am, more often than not, the one behind the camera and secondly I am really not a huge fan of photographs of myself.  Having said that I am very conscious of the fact that there are too few photographs of me with our children so in an attempt to improve that situation A and I were playing around with selfies on my phone today.

FEET UP

Teeny - 365

Since when is putting your feet up on your highchair table the done thing?

"LIKE WILLIAM"

D - 365

"Like William".  A phrase I hear so much that I would pretty much be a millionaire if I had had £1 for every one of those times.  When we shop for clothes; when we see certain caps or footwear or motorbikes or cars.  When we see people who do the same job as him or who own the same things as he owns.  The list is pretty much endless; not that  I mind though.  There are only a handful of men that I wouldn't mind you idolising (almost) as much as your daddy and he is certainly one of them. 

ARMS FULL OF LOVE

A - 365

Seriously there are no words for the love you have for this man.

SUMMER SILHOUETTE

365 - Teeny

UNDER THE TREE

D - 365

LOVING LILY

A - 365

DOWN IN THE DIRT

Teeny - 365

How did you get to be this little boy who is big enough to want to play in the park?  I am so sad that your babyhood is slipping further and further away, but you are such a sweet, affectionate and happy boy that it makes me so excited to get to know toddler you.

SON-SHINES IN THE SUNSHINE

D - 365

PINK GERBERA

A - 365

Today, on the way home from your hospital appointment, I bought myself some flowers from a little flower stall and, much to your delight, the lovely man on the stall gave you this gerbera of your very own.  How special!

SUMMER FEET

Teeny - 365

We all know that I am a mama who loves little feet and as you are not walking yet I find it completely unnecessary to put you in shoes.  Most importantly though it provides great opportunities for me to take more feet photos.

SIBLING RIVALRY?

D - 365

I know she isn't always kind to you, but there's no denying that she really does love you and would be completely lost without you.  Never forget that my gentle soul.

SOFTLY SWINGING

A - 365

SWEETNESS IN A SWING

Teeny - 365

The swings are your most favourite thing to do at the park and an infectious smile like this will always remain for the whole time you are in there.  You are much less impressed when it is time to leave though.

GROUPIES

D - 365

Look at you showing off your muscles in front of the girls.  I'm not sure they're actually that impressed though, more likely they want you to get on with it so that they can have their turns.  You might want to try again in a few years time son.

PUSH!

A - 365

Invited by Kate to join her and her little loves in the park we gladly joined them this afternoon after a short stint at the breastfeeding café.  After all how could we refuse given the lovely sunshine we are still having and, having finished nursery last Friday, I think we all needed the exercise and the company.

NEW CHAPTER

Today was my first day working from home and the start of a new chapter in the life of our family.  In a couple of weeks I will also be starting a job share as a breastfeeding peer supporter; working two days per week in addition to my evening job and Teeny will be starting nursery for a day and a half per week.  Finally, in mid September A&D will start full time school in their respective reception classes.  There will be quite a bit of upheaval in the short term, but in the long term we are sure that these changes are a really positive step for our family.

 

To mark this new chapter and given that I am not normally here at bedtime on Tuesdays (I am normally in the office working) I took the opportunity to take three quick photos before the Tiddlers turned in for the night.

 

A - 365

D - 365



Teeny - 365

CAN'T SLEEP

Teeny - 365

I have no idea what time in the night I took this photo, but I do remember that it was hot and sticky and my poor boy could not get comfortable no matter how hard he tried.  Even curling up with Daddy didn't do the trick.

LITTLE OLD MAN

D - 365

TAXI!!!

A - 365

Here you are being chauffeured to a destination of your choice.  Your taxi driver was happy to take you wherever you wanted and didn't even want paying. 

MISCHIEF

Teeny - 365

Look at that mischievous grin; caught red handed trying to open the front door with my car keys.

RACE FOR LIFE

D - 365

Here you are with your sister cheering on your Auntie Clare and Auntie Dana (and all of the other ladies) who were running Race for Life today.  It was a really lovely opportunity to talk to you both about charity and what a special thing helping others is to do.  We also talked about how lucky we are to have our health, a roof over our head, food on our tables and each other.  Life is so precious and fragile my darling, never take it for granted.

CHECK OUT THE SHOES

A -365


Oh my,  how you love trying on my "heel shoes",

CLIMBER

Teeny - 365

Check you out!  You cannot walk yet, but that doesn't seem to be getting into the way of you climbing;  Over the last week or so I have found you on chairs, tables and boxes as well as trying to climb out of the trolley and the swing in the part; in fact every time I turn my back you climb onto or out of something.  I'm not sure how many more thrill seeking adventures this  mommy's heart can take.

IN A HEAP

D - 365

Daddy and I went out for dinner tonight and when we got home I came to check on you, expecting you to be snuggled up, but no you were bundled up width ways on top of your bed, still with your glasses on looking extremely uncomfortable!

SO GROWN UP

A - 365

Today you looked so grown up to me, I don't know why.  Maybe it was because you had new clothes on; maybe it was because we've been having lovely whether and so you had your little legs out, but whatever it was you just suddenly seem like a little lady to me.  Gone is the roundness of your early years and in its place are long slender limbs and the development of a nipped in waist.  I am finding this new stage of your life both exciting and extremely challenging and I am wondering what lessons I will learn from this young lady before me.  Please be gentle with me.

FROM BEHIND THE DOOR

Teeny - 365

Heya Mama!

SOMEBODY'S NOT TIRED

D- 365

Given all of the excitement of today being your last day of nursery *Mommy wipes a little tear away* and then the hour and a half you spend in Smaland at Ikea I thought you would be asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow, but clearly you had other ideas.

TWO BROTHERS

A - 365

I know we all want what we can't have, being one of five girls though, I was always desperate for a brother so when I look at this photograph I cannot help but to think how completely blessed you are to have two, especially these two, who dote on you so much.

LAST MINUTE CUTIES

I have a confession to make.  Today was quite hectic and I completely forgot to take photographs.  I text Daddy from work to ask him to take some on his phone, but he did not read the message until just as he was putting you to bed so these photos are last minute and ill thought out, but loved just as much because they are of my three little loves.

A - 365

D - 365

Teeny - 365

HAD ENOUGH!

Teeny - 365

As much as I love the gorgeous sunny summer weather we're having I am not loving how much it is bothering you; my poor boy you just are not coping well with this heat.

ALISON AND ABIGAIL - FINALLY THE PERFECT GIFT



A - 365

D - 365

We have spent weeks and weeks trying to figure out what to give to Mr Walby as his thank you gift.  As a woman I know what I would like, but I find it difficult enough to buy for men that I know well on a personal level never mind for a young man who I know very little about.  We had a couple of ideas like a key ring and a lovely sweetie jar, but nothing I was really happy with so with two days of nursery to go we went to Hobbycraft for inspiration and whilst looking for ceramic paint we found a leaflet for decorating egg cups.  Not very original I hear you cry; not normally except for the fact that one of the few things I do know about Mr Walby, thanks to his openness with my children, is that he keeps chickens named Alison and Abigail so this was actually the perfect thoughtful homemade gift for him.

JUS' CHILLIN' MAMA

Teeny - 365

I left the room for a couple of minutes while you were playing with your brother and sister and when I came back this is how I found you.  Sat on a box, slouching back with one foot up and banging a toy fork on a toy plate; looking very slick son!

NURSERY THANK YOU CARDS (2)

D - 365

Daddy was trying to take some photographs of the thank you cards you and A had made today, but look at that face; you just wanted to be mischievous!

NURSERY THANK YOU CARDS (1)

A - 365

With only a few days to go until you finish nursery we decided you would both make some thank you cards today for your wonderful teachers to go with the lovely gifts you and D have made.  I asked Daddy to try to take some photographs for me when I went to work, but you two had other ideas and decided to play at being daft!

SWEAT IT OUT

Teeny - 365

This, my boy, is what happens to your beautiful hair when you sleep.

FLAT OUT

D - 365

When did you get so big sunshine? I think I must have blinked and missed it.  Why don't you go back and do it again; slowly this time?