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?

HEAT EXHAUSTION

A - 365

Baby girl, I can probably count on one hand how many times you have fallen asleep during the day since you started nursery back in September, but you are not used to hot weather like we're having at the moment as we have had very little of it since you were born.  The heat is not only causing you to wake earlier and thus be more tired during the day, but it is also providing a lovely opportunity for spending time outdoors at nursery, playing in the garden at home and for having picnics in the park and so you are burning energy by the bucket load hence this cheeky little snooze on the sofa.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to watch you sleep; it just melts away all of the difficult moments that we have some days.

TRANQUILITY

Teeny - 365

BAGS OF FUN

A - 365
D - 365

I am afraid I am cheating a little with your photo today and you are sharing one.  It's for a lovely reason though and that is because we were so engrossed in making a thank you gift for Mrs Roden that I forgot to take any until quite late in the day!  Our project today consisted of you using felt, buttons, fabric paint and shaped sponges to create a special shopping bag and I think you did a beautiful job; so much so that I would quite like one myself.  I hope that Mrs Roden loves her bag as much as me. 

BEST OF THE BUNCH

Teeny - 365

Today I was trying to take a lovely summery photograph of you with your big brother and sister to replace last year's summery photograph that we have framed in our living room.  Unfortunately none of you were willing to cooperate as you were too busy having fun playing to stop for me.  Looks like that will be a project for another day, but in the meantime here is the best one from today; you having fun in the pool with your partners in crime and looking oh so different from this time last year.

ICE CREAM SODA

D - 365

Wow!  We are really having some lovely weather at the moment, albeit a little stifling at times. Here you are reliving my childhood summers with an ice-cream soda!!

A BEAUTIFUL HEART

A - 365

Even in the paddling pool in the garden you had to have on your new 'bikini' (actually it is a tankini, but who am I to argue) accompanied by a necklace, a bracelet and a flower in your hair?  I am forever trying to tell you  that you are always beautiful no matter what you wear or look like because it is about whether your heart beautiful, but I am never sure whether those words are sinking in.  I really hope they are.

ARMS STRETCHED OUT

Teeny - 365

There is so much love and happiness in this photo I feel like my heart might burst; your brother with his arms stretched out tightly around you and you with your arms stretched out to Daddy.  Oh how I love my boys (and my little lady too of course!)

BOUNCY BOUNCY

D - 365

STRIKE A POSE

A - 365

"Mama, you take a photograph and I'll pose!"

UP THE SLIDE

Teeny - 365

Already a dare devil and a thrill seeker this was your new trick today.  Apparently climbing up the slide is more fun than sliding down it.

MALE BONDING

D - 365

Bonding whilst working on the car; anybody would think you were grown men!

WEDDING ATTIRE?

A - 365

Playing dress up with Hannah you tell me you are on your way to a wedding complete with clip on earrings and "clippy cloppy" shoes.

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Teeny - 365

Everybody here is revelling in the fact that our summer has finally arrived, but not you!!  You are constantly hot and bothered and by bedtime just unsettled beyond belief; definitely too hot to handle!!

IRON MAN

D - 365

I'm not sure how it happened, but, in typical boy fashion, you seem to have discovered a love of the Avengers and so here you are trying on rocking your new Iron Man shorts.  I rarely buy character clothing even though you always lust after them in the shops, but I couldn't resist today, especially as you needed some more summer clothing anyway.  You were extremely impressed with my purchase and thoroughly appreciative.

SPACE HOPPER

A - 365

I am trying to acquire a little collection of inexpensive outdoor toys for while the weather is nice and as this was £3 in Asda today I thought it would be rude not to buy it.  It looks like you agree!

FIRST DIP

Teeny - 365

Today was your very first dip in the paddling pool and Daddy tells me that you had a ball; splashing around with your big brother and copying all of the things he was doing (which made him extremely proud I would imagine).  I wish I had been here to watch you all having such fun together.

SUNSHINE!

D - 365

Sunshine is one of my little pet names for you and so these rays of sunshine in this photograph are very fitting.  Sunshine for my sunshine!

PADDLING POOL

A - 365

You have been wishing to have the paddling pool out for a while and now that it looks like summer is here to stay (well for a few more days at least) your wish is our command.  Unfortunately I had to go to work so I missed out on all the fun, but Daddy did such a good job at documenting your delight today.

AND HE'S OFF

Teeny - 365

Nappy changes are a real battleground with you at the moment.  After such a slow start at moving around there is no keeping you still now.  As can be seen here I've even stopped fighting to get you dressed properly.

TOP GEAR

D - 365

Well done to you for trying so hard at all of the sports day events today.  Our favourite event has to have been the tricycle race; you went so fast into the turn around the cone that you actually went around on two wheels.  We thought that you were going to come off  for a second, but you managed to control it enough to bring it back down to three wheels and finish the race.  Well done sunshine!

SPORTSMANSHIP

A - 365

For sports day at nursery today you competed in each of your family groups.  It was so cute how afterwards you went straight over to your brother for a congratulatory cuddle.  It's moments like these that cleanse my mind of all of the bickering and teasing and make me think about how amazing it must be to be a twin.

ANDY...

Teeny - 365

...Murray won the men's singles final at Wimbledon today. 

 

Here Teeny can be seen doing his post match interview and analysis.

STRAWBERRY PICKING (2)

D - 365

You were so excited to go to see Auntie Dana today.  She is ALWAYS good fun and happy to get stuck in with whatever you fancy doing; today's fun being picking wild strawberries in her garden.  Here you can be seen inspecting the quality of said strawberries.  They must have been good because it didn't take you long to eat them!

STRAWBERRY PICKING (1)

A - 365

Today, at her request, we took you to see Auntie Dana to help her pick her wild strawberries in the garden.  We actually seem to be having a bit of sunshine at the moment so it was extremely hot outside and I was forced to take cover for a bit in the house with Teeny, but  the heat did not phase you.  You took great delight in picking the strawberries and then eating them with ice cream afterwards.  What a lovely afternoon we all had and how thankful I am for the special friends we have who make Sunday afternoons like this one so possible.

EH-YO

Teeny - 365

Why is it that, even when there are plenty of toys to play with, you (like your brother and sister before you and no doubt millions of other children) love  to play with things you aren't supposed to?  At the moment picking up the phone and saying "eh-yo" into it is one of your favourite things to do .  You aren't yet walking, but your sounds and 'words' are coming on by the day so I suspect that you may well have inherited another of your sister's traits, talking for England!

SAVE FLOPPY

D - 365

Worn out from the heat of the sunshine and the opportunity to play outside until your heart is content you decide to wind down with a story from Auntie Karen.

MANICURE

A - 365

Today we went to see Auntie Karen and so it goes without saying you wanted to have your nails painted.  It is so lovely to see your innocent young hands intertwined with the beautiful hands of somebody so wise and treasured.  I hope to that these hands are forever intertwined.

FRESH START

Since taking time out from posting my 365 project to plan Teeny's naming day and then subsequently going back to work in April I have struggled immensely to find the time to take what I would label 'good' photographs and to then post them regularly.  I think that, in turn, my enthusiasm for this project has waivered somewhat resulting in me posting even less because I feel like I am facing an uphill battle to catch up.

So today I decided that I am going to spend my blogging time each day TRYING to post that day's photographs instead of attempting to catch up with posting the missing photographs.  I have no intention of leaving that gap in this project; I will, over time, go back and fill in the gaps as and when I have an extra few minutes here and there.  If it takes me six months into next year to finish it all then so be it. 

 

I am making no promises, however I am hoping that by doing it this way I will see progress being made and my excitement for this project will return.  Fingers crossed!!

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY SEVEN



 

This is the final photograph in my little series to celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

 

Granted, this isn't the best quality photograph, but I really love it.  It was taken at my lovely mother in law's 70th birthday party, so Teeny would have been 11 days off 13 months old and this is what I call snuggly boob.  It was way past his bedtime and he was tired and so *gasp* he was feeding for comfort, but you know what?  That's ok!! Even though there are plenty of parenting "gurus" who will tell you otherwise I am telling you now that the world will not end if you feed your baby for comfort.  Yes I could have let him cry, but what would that have achieved?  I tell you what a stressed out mommy and a very distressed baby.  This is the beauty of breastfeeding; it can be used to calm a baby who is hungry, tired, teething, feverish......the list is endless.  Mother nature made it that way.  Isn't she clever?

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY SIX

This is the penultimate photograph in my little week long project.

 

 

I wanted to include this photograph because it was taken at Teeny's first birthday/naming day celebrations*  Its really special for me that there is a photograph of me nursing him on his big day.

 

*Photograph taken by our lovely photographer for the day, Nasar Hussain (Cropped and edited by me.  Sorry!)

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY FIVE

And here we have the fifth photograph in my series of seven.

 

This photo of me breastfeeding Teeny (not that you can tell) was taken in line to see Father Christmas at Thomas Land where we had gone as a treat for A&D's fourth birthday.  That's one of the great things about breastfeeding; you can do it completely on the go  which is a necessity when buzzing around a theme park with two (not quite) four year olds.  After all there's "no time to stop Mommy".

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY FOUR

Today's gorgeous photograph, the fourth in my little series of photographs celebrating Breastfeeding Awareness Week, is courtesy of my lovely sister in law

 

 

Breastfeeding doesn't just have to be about baby and Mommy.  It can be something special for Daddy too.

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY THREE

Here is the photograph I have chosen for day three.

This photograph was taken whilst on holiday in Woolacombe last year; Teeny would have been a little over four months old. 

 

A&D were having a fabulous time in the pool, but I had a hungry baby and my choices were to:-

a) have a crying baby in the pool;

b) get out and miss out on all the fun;

c) get everybody out and have two cold and unhappy children to deal with

or

d) feed Teeny whilst in the pool.

 

So for me it was a no brainer and I fed him.  Teeny was satisfied, nobody missed out and A&D stayed in the pool for a while longer until they were ready to leave.  Everybody was happy, nobody around us batted an eyelid and I got a photograph to add to my weird and wonderful places I have breastfed collection.  Perfect!

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY TWO

Here is today's breastfeeding picture in honour of Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

 

 

This is Teeny's first breastfeed; snuggled up on our sofa after a gorgeous water birth at home.  

 

I remember, throughout my pregnancy, looking forward to this moment so much.  What a different feeling to how I felt about breastfeeding with A&D.  It is funny to think now that when I was pregnant with them I knew I should try it and that it would be good for them, but I was very non-committal and not really interested in it. 

 

It is amazing how quickly things can change, believe it or not if you'd have told me four and half years ago that my biggest passion after my family would be supporting families with breastfeeding and birth choice I would have laughed in your face!

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY ONE

So today and for the rest of the week, in honour of Breastfeeding Awareness Week which seems to be being celebrated at varying times throughout the month of June, I will be posting a breastfeeding photo per day.

So here is today's...

 

This is one of only two photographs I think I have of me feeding A&D and I think I may have posted it elsewhere on this blog at some point.  My mother in law took both of the photographs I have when A&D were just four days old (I think!) and at the time I hated them because breastfeeding and being a mommy was very new to me and I was oh so very aware of being completely exposed. 

 

How times change, now I am eternally grateful for those two very precious photographs.  I will get my boobs out anywhere (for a baby who needs feeding) and couldn't care less what people think.  Oh how I wish I knew then what I know now.

I THOUGHT MARCH WOULD NEVER END

...I have finished blogging my 365 photos for March. 

This work lark is playing havoc with my blogging!  Hellllllp!