Wednesday 30 January 2013

Guilt.

I have been a mummy for just short of 5 months. For at least 80% of those 5 months, i've been riddled with 'mummy guilt'. As Freddie grows, so does my 'mummy guilt'; I feel guilty that soon it may be escalating into uncharted territory.

Apparantly it comes with the job. Unbeknown to me, becomming a mummy means that you are plagued with a constant feeling of worry and guilt. Like a leech, it clings to you, making you doubt yourself and your actions.

Am I doing this right? Should I be doing it this way?

I feel guilty that I get insanely tired. Sometimes I feel like I want to retreat to my bed and sleep for a whole week.

I feel guilty when I do sleep. I should be spending every second with my son.

I feel guilty that I spend too much time with him. He won't be able to settle with others when he's older.

I feel guilty when I leave him with his Daddy. What if he misses me?

I feel guilty when he cries.

I feel guilty when he doesn't cry and he's been asleep in his own sh*t all night.

I feel guilty that, someday I want to return to work.

I feel guilty that, someday I may have to leave him to return to work.

I feel guilty that, if I don't return to work, we won't have much money to spend on treats.

I feel guilty that, if I do return to work, we'll have more money but not enough time to enjoy it.

I feel guilty that sometimes I want to put on my favourite heels and dance the night away.

I feel guilty that, other times, I do not want to do that and i'm being a rubbish friend.

I feel guilty that I spoil Freddie.

I feel guilty that he doesn't have enough.

I feel guilty that he watches too much Cbeebies.

I feel guilty that i've given him Calpol; simply because he was 'grouchy.'

It's obvious; guilt is a terrible emotion. It's useless and unproductive and, sometimes, drives me round the bend.

I do my best towards Freddie. I could do no more so why am I plagued by these bloody feelings of 'mummy guilt'.

I suppose I could stop feeling guilty but, do you know what'd happen then? I'd feel guilty about stopping feeling guilty!



Monday 28 January 2013

My 100th Blog Post.

This here, is my 100th blog post.

Don't expect too much. No blog party in sight. I wanted virtual chamagne and party poppers; instead I had to settle for a blast to the past. Enjoy.

In the early days, my blogging journey began as an outlay for my thoughts, worries and ideas during my pregnancy with F. I wanted somewhere to document my journey, a pregnancy diary, so to speak.

When it comes to mummy blogs, I have lots to be thankful for. Being one of lifes 'nosey parkers', I found that reading about women's personal experiences made me laugh, cry and sometimes wonder what the bloody hell I'd let myself in for! I had no idea what motherhood would mean except what was portrayed in a text book. Mummy blogs opened my eyes and prepared me for a whirlwind life of sh*tty nappies, night feeds and the wonders of projectile vomit! Thank you mummies!

In celebration of reaching the 100 mark, here is a re-cap of a few of my favourite posts so far.

By far one of my favourite posts was 'Where the Journey Began.' One of my first posts; short and concise, I talked about the moment I told Mr C I was pregnant. Shattering every illusion of any romantic ideal I ever hold, it turned out I told him in a pub car park. Not as I imagined but reading the post, it feels like yesterday and has made me emotional already. (That is without the virtual champagne!)

The next few posts followed in quick sucsession and were also pregnancy related with 'For the First Time' and '20 Week Scan... Half Way There!' . Initally, I felt that i'd not really found my blogging feet. I was stuck for ideas as to what to write about and lacked inspiration, worried that my writing was boring and that I didn't use 'big words.'

Soon after came an all time favourite of mine; 'How Important is Marriage?' in which I discussed my fears of being Miss B once Freddie came along. You'll be sad to know, I am still Miss B and he's still not put a ring on it, or even attempted. These days we are too busy to even contemplate planning (and funding) a wedding. Mr C has assured me that 2013 is the year of the diamond; I await with baited breath. This post also gained my first ever blog comment.

With my confidence growing and my first blog comment under my belt, I felt like i'd found my blogging feet and I was no longer sinking. At this point, I took the opportunity to introduce myself properly with the help of a blog challenge: '#1 Introduction & Recent Photo'. This post was shortly followed by more testing questions such as 'Should Men be present at the birth of their child? and 'Is it time to give us Women a break?'

I went on to blog about NHS Parentcraft Classes and my Baby Shower. During this time, I had taken reduced hours at work prior to my maternity leave starting so I felt that I had more time to immerse myself in the blogging community. I wrote weekly pregnancy updates that are lovely to read and reflect on. My only regret during this stage was not taking more pictures of my pregnant bump. I miss it greatly and have made a pact with myself that I will take weekly snaps during my next pregnancy.

The next few months, saw the arrival of F, juggling night feeds and nappies. There was no better way to celebrate than with a commemorative post; Welcome to the World!,
This was shortly followed by an occasion to divulage too much information about bowel habits, episiotomy and 'plugs' (and not the electrical sorts.) These posts were' My Labour Story Pt. 1, then followed by even more gorey details in 'Part 2'.

These were my all time favourite blog posts that I thoroughly enjoyed writing. Blogging allows you the opportunity to write about things you may not necesserily speak about in day to day life; afterall, my Grandad didn't want to know about my episiotomy but through 'A Whole 9 Months', I could document the whole occasion, even the grotesque.

More recently, my posts have revolved around Freddie. I have been writing monthly letters to him; usually written on a night fuelled by a glass of Rose, they are often emotional! I love the thought of having these to look back on and remember when he's a horrible smelly teenager who 'hates me!' Only a few days, I spoke about how I've become an emotional wreck since having F. I worried that it wasn't normal but since blogging about it, other mummies have been able to put my mind at rest and reassure me that, we're all softies!

I love the fact that I have somewhere in this huge world of cyber space to write about me and my F.

A place where I can reflect; somewhere I can be me, whatever mood I am in.

Sometimes I want to write a piece that is hilarious; sometimes I want to be emotional and I may write a raw post. Sometimes it may contain too much information, others it may be about the mundane occurances of day-to-day life. Whether I get a million readers or just those few that stumble here by pure coincidence, | am enjoying continuing to blog.

Here's to another 100 posts.

Thank You! x

Sunday 27 January 2013

This Week #4

I hope you've all had a lovely week. It's late so without further ado, here is what happened this week #4.


Monday

We woke to LOTS of snow. I love the way that snow brings such a sense of community so we decided to don our wellies and go out for a walk. We ended up walking about 3 miles into town and enjoyed a lovely lunch with my mum. Afterwards, we were way too tired (and stuffed!) to walk home so we got the bus! I have not been on a bus since I was about 15 so it really was an eye opener; I hadn't a clue what to do!


Tuesday

On Tuesday we went to baby massage where we concentrated on the tummy massage. Freddie has a habit of deciding he wants feeding as soon as we get into centre! Little monkey! I really enjoy the social aspects of baby groups and think it's a brilliant way to interact with mummies who are in a similar situation as me. We spent the evening at my mum's house where we had a chinese takeaway whilst the men watched the football.

Wednesday

F had slept at my mum's house on Wednesday and I awoke to the news that he'd been up in the night and had a couple of spots on his head. To cut a long story short,  he has CHICKEN POX! Due to his age, we were advised to take him to see our GP who confirmed it was the pox. We spent the evenings with lots of cuddles & kisses to make myself and F feel better! 

Thursday

I was conscious that F may have been infectious but I wanted him to get some fresh air. We went for a walk around our local reservoir where we are regular visitors. The snow and wildlife make it a beautiful place and F enjoyed the chance to get out of the house. I then had my parents over for dinner and I cooked a meat & potato pie. 

Friday

Mr C is still off work (damn his industry!) so I took full advantage of the fact that I could enjoy a baby-free shopping trip. Myself, my mum and her best friend enjoyed a trip to Ikea and the retail park followed by an M&S lunch. I didn't buy anything but have spotted lots of potential presents for my upcoming birthday! I dropped lots of hints to the OH that evening! 

Saturday

I'd kindly (read stupidly) volunteered to help my mum make two curries for the 'curryoke' event she was hosting at her work. The whole process could only be described as horrific and our initial product looked like tomato soup! A phone call to the local Indian supermarket provided us with the solution and the end product was lovely! We spent the evening at the event which was very enjoyable and one of a few nights out I have enjoyed since F's birth.

Sunday

Sunday has been spent relaxing. The whole day revolved around the fact that Top Gear was starting (MrC is a petrol head!) and eating left over curry. 


Friday 25 January 2013

My little Chicken (Pox!)

Unfortunately, we have been hit with a case of the Pox this week. Poor F, at the tender age of 20 weeks, now resembles a dot to dot.


He's been very grumpy over the last few weeks, not like himself at all turns out this was all for good reason, the pox were brewing; waiting to rear their ugly heads! 

What started off as a few small spots on his head quickly turned into an abundance all over his body. I'm feeling very sorry for him and in turn, he's feeling sorry for himself!  

When I took him to the GP, the nurse said it was pretty impossible to get the pox at such a young age. Obviously not! My younger brother had it at 3 months which according to my mum, was horrific.

People have said that at least he's had it now. One of my (childless) friends said it was a good thing he'd caught it and we should have a chicken pox party.

As a mummy, no time is a good time for your child to get ill. No mother wants their child ill, even if it is only chicken pox. I take no comfort in the fact that he's caught it young and it is 'out of the way' so to speak.

The only consolation in all of this is that he isn't able to scratch properly, meaning that he shouldn't be left with scars. On the other hand,  he's too young to understand the feeling of itchiness,  resulting in sheer frustration and anguish for him. 

Lots of cuddles seem to be helping and I am enjoying giving them. 

Has anyone else's young baby caught the pox? How did you deal with them? 

Thursday 24 January 2013

When did I become so soft?

Motherhood knocked me sideways.

I don't mean in coping with the mass upheaval and changes that it brings,  I mean the sheer and utter complete devotion that you feel towards this little life.

Sometimes I look at Freddie and I can't believe that I had a part in making him. I see him gurgle and smile and I wonder as to what good I've done in my life to deserve such a blessing.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the emotion and love I feel towards this tiny little man who I gave birth to less than five months ago. I look at him and I feel as if my heart could burst. He is a gift from God,  greater than I could ever imagine. 

I was driving with my mum the other day and something she said made me laugh. She said that becoming a mummy had turned me into a 'big softie'.

Prior to pregnancy, I was quite thick skinned. I found the sheer concept that my mum could cry at Coronation Street hilarious. I was loving but I just had a firm grip on my emotions.

Now I'm a mother, well I'm an emotional wreck.

The world scares me. I recognise danger so much more now. I read the newspaper and I sob. A boy of four years was brutally murdered just a couple of miles from our front door last week. We have only recently moved; hoping for a better life in a new, more affluent area. We live in a village which is quite well-to-do. Ignorantly I believed that crime wouldn't happen here.

But it does. It happens everywhere and now I am a mother, that terrifies me. The thought of my baby ever growing up and tackling this big wide world alone is horrendous.

Another thing that strikes me since F's birth is the fierce desire to protect him. I could quite easily kill anyone that harmed my precious boy. Coming from someone who wouldn't say boo to a goose prior to giving birth, that extreme hypothetical rage against anyone who would hurt my baby is crazy. My mum described it as a lioness protecting her cubs and it is, I will protect him till the day I die.

This post wasn't meant to be so raw. The inspiration came from the fact that I cried like a baby at Celebrity Big Brother tonight. Coupled with the fact that I wept at a Save the Children advert yesterday,  Mr C is highly amused that I've turned into such a softie after all these years of ridiculing my mother! Once I got writing about my feelings towards my son, they all came flooding out.

Sometimes I worry that I love him too much but I know that is not possible; all mothers feel like this.

This worry comes with being a mummy. I have an understanding with other mothers now and I appreciate that there is always someone worse off than yourself. I think of how I'd feel in their situation and my compassion is greater than ever before.

When I think about it; being a mummy hasn't made me soft. It has made me a better person; more kind, caring, appreciative and compassionate. I am experiencing life without selfishness, for the first time ever. I am also experiencing the greatest love I've ever felt, ever. My love for F has made me into a better person, an emotional wreck and the proudest person there could be 


Sunday 20 January 2013

This Week #3


Here is our week #3. I hope you've all had a lovely week and have been safe in the snow! Read on to find out what Freddie & I have been up to this week.

Monday

Monday is my mums day off so we usually spend the day with her. She has her own business so me & Freddie sometimes spend time with her at work however Monday is normally our day out. We were greeted with snow when we awoke which seemed to excite Mr C no end. Luckily the roads weren't too bad and me and Mama B were able to resume normal procedure of Monday shopping!  Mama B is the queen of Next and owns pretty much the whole shop. We went into our town and Freddie was treated to a few bits ans bobs. Later on, I went to our local farm shop which I love! I stocked up on wood logs for our log burner and we enjoyed a cosy evening in front of it.

Tuesday

Today I attempted to clean my house. We have a small 2 bedroom cottage so its not an enormously big task to clean however today was just not happening. Mr C is still off work as he doesn't have much work on. This time of year is a pain in the proverbial for the joinery trade so he's under my feet at the minute. It's lovely having him home to spend time bonding with his son but it means I am totally out of routine.  

Baby massage was cancelled this week so we spent the afternoon watching films before taking Freddie for his 16 week jabs. It breaks my heart listening to him scream but I know it is for the best. Admittedly,  I did well up a little; afterall, no mummy likes seeing her baby in pain! We spent the evening at my mum's where she made a lovely dinner whilst I did some typing for her business. 

Wednesday

We spent Wednesday with Mama B again. We had a lovely day of shopping. I managed to get Mr C some bargain t-shirts which resulted in a very happy me. After Mr C's chef success last week, he'd invited my mum, dad and cousin over for a meal and he whipped up his speciality of 'Sizzling Beef in Black Bean sauce.' Once again he excelled himself and I was very proud; and glad I didn't have to cook.

Thursday

Today we went for the most lovely walk to a nearby reservoir.  It is truly beautiful and looked even more wonderful in the snow. I got some gorgeous pictures which seem to have set off some sort of photography bug within me. Freddie slept the whole way round but it meant Mr C & I could have some quiet time to chat and relax! We then visited my Nanna & Grandad who were over from the East Coast. It was lovely to catch up with them and for them too see Freddie; they couldn't believe how he had grown.

Friday

I set about giving my house a great clean today. We have a 2 bedroom cottage but in terms of cleaning, it is like a mansion. I kept getting side tracked and playing with Freddie so it took me 6 hours to clean 3 rooms! Ooops! Mama B had asked if she could have Freddie stay overnight so Mr C ventured out in the snow to drop him off. I then enjoyed a lovely candle lit bath with a glass of wine followed by pizza & films with Mr C! 

Saturday & Sunday

We have had another relaxing weekend, mostly consisting of football, shopping & playing with Freddie. We are now watching Dancing on Ice followed by a (very late) Sunday Lunch with chocolate fudge cake.




Friday 18 January 2013

15 things nobody told me about becoming a mummy.

1. That I would be urinated on, alot. Infact numerous times every day.

2. That I wouldn't mind. Urine, sick or even worse, poo; wierdly enough it doesn't bother me.

3. That lovely shiny pregnancy hair? No one told me that it'd fall out in clumps. In fact, just the other day, Mr C said "your hair WAS lovely and shiny when you were expecting". That man has no tact.

4. That you would know the words to every theme tune on Cbeebies and every nursery rhyme ever invented. What's worse, they seem to stick in your head like glue and you spend hours aimlessly humming them.

5. That all those piles and piles of expensive clothes you bought are useless. They grow so fast that you end up with bags full still with tags!

6. That even though you know they've got too many clothes, you still insist on buying more, simply because they are 'cute'. You walk around in last seasons Primark whilst your child is proudly sported designer chic.

7. That no matter how old they are, everything takes an hour longer than it did pre-child.

8. That no matter how old (or young) they are; they needs lots of 'stuff'. What this 'stuff' is, I'll never know but packing it is what takes that hour longer.

9. That you'll find bibs EVERYWHERE. In every pocket, in every drawer, there will be a bib.

10. That you can never find said 'bib' when you need one.

11. That poo I was talking about in #2? It gets everywhere. For a tiny little person, they don't have go. It always happens at the most convenient times as well, i.e, whilst they are wearing their last change of clothes which happens to be a white baby grow whilst your 20 miles from home.

12. That you forget the pain of labour. Hell, I remember it as a walk in the park. According to Mr C, it wasn't but it as if your body is trained to forget so you can go through it over and over again.

13. You never forget your pre-pregnancy boobs. You will mourn for them as they are never the same again. Think spaniels ears. Only me?

14. You won't mind the fact that your size 10's are a distant memory. (Actually, I haven't been a size 10 since I was about 12 so this doesn't apply to me!) 

15. That you will experience a love you have never felt ever before. Excuse the cliché but it is a love so deep that sometimes it hurts. Like a little piece of your heart that you've never experienced has suddenly flooded open and you know what, no one could have ever told me that; because its undescribable. 

Thursday 17 January 2013

Dear Mr Sainsbury...

Good Evening Mr Sainsbury,

I am taking the time to write this letter to vent my actual frustration. I would much prefer to be sipping my wine, or at least my hot chocolate as I climb into my bed but needs must and I feel that I need to vent; and you sir, you're the 'ventee'.

Unfortunately for you (and my long suffering 'partner' Mr C) I am climbing up high onto my soap box and have taken to my favourite past time, having a rant. The long suffering partner has taken to hiding behind the couch so he doesn't have to listen. He'd sit in the garden but it's snowing; anything to save the earache he says. He's taken a Carling can with him so I'm hoping that I haven't single handed-ly drove him to alcoholism.

So Mr Sainsbury, it's up to you to listen. Count yourself lucky you don't have to live with me. Apparently it's a 'mean feat'. Don't get me wrong, I love your store. I love your chocolate fudge cake. I don't love how it makes my jeans tight and I didn't love the incident when consuming too much made the button ping off my jeans but I do love the fact that I am always lucky enough to find a bargain when I shop in your store. I also love the omelette's you sell in your cafe.

But Mr Sainsbury,  I DO NOT LIKE YOUR PARENT & CHILD PARKING. To a mother with an exceptionally heavy baby who resides in an exceptionally large car seat and the unfortunate mishap of owning a 3 door car, that is a big thing not to like.

In an ideal world I would have my own space. It would be conveniently located right outside the store and permanently reserved for me, preferably under a cover so my hair wouldn't get wet running from car to store and vice versa. The long suffering partner says I expect too much too much of the time. This may be one of those times so I'd happily accept another P&C space along with the other parents.

Although come to think, I'd quite like someone to push my trolley as I have a frequent habit of picking one with a dodgy wheel and I spend the whole time sounding like I have extreme flatulence because of a squeaky wheel. If you could fix that for me, I'd be eternally grateful.

Whilst I'm walking around your store, I am usually trolley dodging a number of wayward, on-the-run children who are making a dash for the overpriced ride which is conveniently (and annoyingly) located near the exit to tempt our children to have a tantrum when we are feeling smug that we have got through an entire shopping trip with no problems. Don't get rid of it though; I use it to bribe my niece into behaving when she comes shopping with me. What she doesn't know is that I never have a pound coin and the poor child sits on the ride whilst I dance around making it as fun as possible without it actually moving. 

With all these children, it makes sense that the majority of your customers are parents. Therefore, common sense would prevail that you would need more than six P&C spaces within your car park. P&C spaces have been a god send since becoming a mother 4 months ago. That is, when I can find one.

P&C spaces mean that I have extra room at the side of the car to take my son out of the car. They provide me with the space to assemble my pram in a safe zone rather than in the middle of the car park because luck'll have it that I'll have forgotten to put the brake on and as I turn my back to lock the door, my pram is rolling down the car park.

They also mean that I do not have to scratch the paintwork on the 62' plate Audi that is, always, without fail parked right next to me when there is only one space left in the car park hence saving me an argument which I usually blame on my pregnancy hormones. (Do you still have pregnancy hormones four months after birth?) It also saves my son having to grow up with the prospect of hearing every possible expletive known to man because his lousy driver mother can not get into a normal sized parking space.
What would also make my life easier is if you patrolled and enforced these spaces. The reason I need a M&C space is not because I'm too lazy to walk; it's because I need the extra space either side of the space. For mothers with two children, it means that they have somewhere safe to stand whilst they are getting their other child out the car, meaning that they are not venturing off across the busy car park in search of that god forsaken ride.

Does a mother with a 12 year old 'child' need this extra space? Does a 17 year old boy racer who has come to stock up on his White Lightening and Clearasil need this extra space? I think you'll agree not.

If I was to park in a disabled bay, I would receive a hefty fine. Why does the same not apply for people who violate the rules of P&C spaces?

My local Sainsbury's is patrolled by a car park attendant and the other day, I proceeded to vent my issues with him. I told him that Clearasil kid was parked in a P&C space and he went on to tell me there is nothing he can do as Clearasil may have been picking up a child. The reason he couldn't do anything was because he was playing Angry Birds on his phone. I'm almost certain Clearasil hadn't even reached puberty yet, never mind fathered any mini Clearasil's.

How about you sack the Angry Bird attendant and invest the money in more P&C spaces. You could even donate some to my 'bigger car' fund so I could afford a 5 door car, making it easier for me to get my car seat out. It would save a whole load of earache for Mr C (and the Audi drivers) and it'd mean that I'd be at your store much more often buying that delicious fudge cake of yours.

Let me know your thoughts. 
Kind Regards

Jess  xx

P.S - I accept cash, cheque and card donations towards my 'bigger car' fund, if you were wondering.


Disclaimer: I haven't actually sent this letter to Mr Sainsbury, instead he will have the pleasure of reading a 'grown up' letter with lots of big words; written in my bestest Parker pen, in a hope of receiving lots of Nectar points, or possibly free fudge cake for life!

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Oh Baby it's cold outside.

The majority of the country have been greeted with snow at some point this week. Love it or hate it; you have to admit it makes everything look that little prettier. Admittedly I am a member of a latter group, normally I HATE snow. It disrupts day to day running and turns a small job into a death defying mission but when it's unspoilt, snow is picturesque. 











Sometimes the most beautiful things are right in front of you. Take the time to look and you'll see.


Monday 14 January 2013

Time flies whilst you're having fun...

Today I was flicking through my phone and came across a picture that I just had to share. (If you follow me on Twitter,  I apologise because you may have seen it before, if you don't follow me; do! @awhole9months) 

So before I digress any further... here it is.


This picture was taken exactly 19 weeks ago today when Freddie was a mere tender 1 day old. Even though he was a big baby at 10lbs 1.5oz, this picture made me remember how tiny he used to be in comparison to how he is now.

At the time I found the picture, coincidence may have it that Freddie was laid on his play mat watching TV and I couldn't resist taking a photograph to compare.

So here he is; 19 weeks & 1 day.


19 weeks is no time at all but seeing these pictures side by side, every minute of those 19 weeks has made a massive difference to my boy.

Looking at these reinforced the fact that every second is precious. Tomorrow Freddie will be another day older and that's another day towards the day he'll no longer need me.

Now where is that stop button? 

Sunday 13 January 2013

This Week #2

Here is how we spent our 2nd week of 2013:

Monday

Mr C is originally from Liverpool and we met there when I was at University. When we moved to be nearer to my family, we left a lot of upset C's behind, especially Mr C's mum who adores Freddie. Because of this, we try and visit as often as we can. Mr C was still off work this week as they are especially quiet so today we took the opportunity to drive over to Liverpool to visit them. We went out for a nice lunch and did a bit of shopping in a nearby town where me & Mr C lived prior to having Freddie. It was nice to take Freddie there to show him where mummy & daddy met! We then got Freddie ready for bed and drove the 1 1/2 hour home where we transferred a Mr Sleepyhead straight from the car into his cot! 

Tuesday

On Tuesday we started our baby massage course. I originally applied for the course when Freddie was 4 weeks old but apparently,  it is very popular and over-subscribed so we've only just been given a place. It will go on for the next 6 weeks and I am very excited about it. We had a lovely time & it provided me with a great opportunity to meet some new mummy friends. Freddie was supposed to get his jabs but, as I posted before, he had a viral rash and the Dr said no jabs for him today. I finished the evening off with a lovely meal in a nearby restaurant with my two best friends. Neither have children but we are all always exceptionally busy with work and me with Freddie so it was wonderful to catch up and I had a lovely evening. 


Wednesday

On Wednesday, my mum was off work so we planned to go for a shopping day. Freddie woke up with a sore on the back of his head so we ended up at the doctors yet again! Mr C is still off work and I think we are all getting a spot of cabin fever so we went to my mum's house for the evening where she cooked us a lovely meal. Freddie enjoyed lots of laughs and cuddles with his Nana & Grandad!



Thursday

Today was baby clinic day. I enjoy going to baby clinic as it means I can see lots of other mummies and Freddie can see his little friends. He got weighed and I was astonished to find out he weighs 18lbs 6oz. Big boy! Mr C who never normally cooks, decided that he was going to cook for us and some friends so we went to our local farm shop to buy ingredients. It has a lovely little cafe so we had a sandwich and saw all the animals. Once we got home, our friends came over and we ate Mr C's yummy meal. I was very proud of him! 



Friday, Saturday & Sunday

We haven't done much over the weekend so I don't want to bore you with our mundane antics. We have spent our weekend with lots of walks, food and tv! Mr C & Freddie have enjoyed watching the Liverpool V Man U match today and we are now snuggled on the couch watching films eating pizza whilst our boy is tucked up fast asleep! 



Friday 11 January 2013

Fashionable Friday


(Shy) Freddie is wearing:

Jeans: Next
Aztec print shirt (under Body warmer): Next
Body warmer: Next Sale (last season)
Hat & Glove: Next Sale
Shoes: Converse at Harvey Nichols

Wednesday 9 January 2013

In the Wars...

Freddie is well and truly in the wars recently.

As his mummy, even if he had a cold, I feel deeply saddened. I would take it 15 times over instead of him having to suffer. 

We went for his 16 weeks vaccinations on Tuesday but whilst I was changing him before setting off, I noticed he had a rash all over his body. I took him to the surgery and asked the nurse to take a look at it before he had his jabs.

The doctor came and said he had a high temperature and was not allowed his vaccinations because he seemed to have a viral rash. We took him home and he had some Calpol and all seemed to be fine.

He is also struggling with his teeth and I have a sneaky suspicion that it may only be a matter of days till on cuts through.

To top it off, when he awoke this morning, he had an awful weeping graze on the back of his head that had seemed to appear overnight. We went back to the surgery and it turns out that he's rubbed his cradle cap in the night and it'd become infected! 

He seems OK in himself. He gets that off his Daddy; soldiering on. He didn't mind the Doctor checking him over, in fact, he liked him that much that he wanted to chew on his finger! 

Laughing with Daddy regardless!


Obviously these are only minor problems and I am very lucky that my boy is healthy. I count my blessings and thank God everyday that Freddie is well. It got me thinking about those parents whose children who aren't well. My heart goes out to you. 



Manners cost Nothing.

Growing up I always had the importance of manners drilled into me. They cost nothing, and mean everything. Whether it was saying please and thank you, excusing yourself or holding the door open, my parents did an exceptionally good job of ensuring that myself and my younger brother were raised with morals and manners.

That's why it continues to amaze me that some people fail to have them, or if they do have them, fail to use them. I'm not talking about young children here, I mean full grown adults who should know better.

Over the last few weeks I've had several encounters with people who had forgotten to use their manners. People swearing in front of children, not saying thank you when you hold a door open, even people that barge past you in the supermarket. It is down right rude and certainly not setting any sort of example for the youngsters. People moan about the 'youth' of today; I am a firm believer that children learn by imitation so what chance do they have with these people as role models?

It isn't everyone mind and I certainly wouldn't generalise however one particular situation made me question where exactly manners have gone.

I got the train home from Leeds with Freddie in his pram. I have a Quinny Buzz so not the smallest of prams which meant it wouldn't fit on the train as it was rush hour. I was with my mum so she put the pram down and held it whilst I held Freddie in his car seat. The train was packed out and Freddie decided that, although he'd only been fed an hour before, he wanted milk and he wanted it now! I tried to soothe him but he pretty quickly started becoming extremely restless which soon turned into a full blown screaming tantrum. 

I realised I'd have to get him out of his car seat to feed him or he'd be responsible for deafening the whole of the 5.22pm train from Leeds! 

I was stood up on the train; one arm clutching Freddie and the other, desperately clinging onto a pole for dear life! There was one free seat but a woman practically clambered over the car seat and dived into it, leaving me to stand once the train had started to move.

So here I was, 'lady with a baby' so to speak. The train was moving at a pretty fast pace and I was stumbling about all over. I looked about for a seat, petrified that I was going to fall over and squash Freddie. I caught the eyes of about 6 or 7 different people, both men and women, and not one offered me their seat. 

Now I wasn't expecting a seat because I was a woman. I am something of a feminist (although I certainly aren't burning my bra!) and I believe that men and women are equal so I didn't expect a man to give up his seat for me.

I expected a man, or a woman to give up their seat because I was holding a baby on a fast moving train and it could have been dangerous if I'd have fallen over with him in my arms.

Was I expecting too much?

Monday 7 January 2013

This Week #1

As part of my blog in 2013, I am going to include a diary of the adventures Freddie & I have been up to in the past week.

Here's how we've spent out first week of the new year.

Monday
Monday was New Year's Eve. Both myself & Mr C are not big fans of New Year's Eve. I find it ridiculously overrated and overpriced. I refuse to pay £10 into my local pub when I can go there any other night of the year for free! We spent a lovely evening in our PJ's at my mums however we were home well before the clock struck and spent 12 o'clock dozing on the couch. My mum had made lots of yummy food and I had a final blow out and stuffed my face before I was to begin my healthy eating regime!


Tuesday Tuesday was a boring day. Freddie & Mr C spent the day with my Dad watching New Year's football whilst I went at kept my mum company for a few hours at work. We then went to our local Farm Shop to stock up on organic veggies for Freddie and finished the day off with long walk. The Christmas tree is still up in our village so Freddie enjoyed looking at the twinkly lights before he nodded off! 


Wednesday
Wednesday was a family day. Mr C is soon back at work so he wants to spend as much quality time with Freddie as possible. He is a true water baby so we went to the local swimming pool to take him in the baby pool. In the end, the pool was shut for repairs so we had to trail around to find another pool which ended up being cold! For a supposed baby pool, it was bloody freezing! Freddie enjoyed himself nevertheless and loved snuggling in his new fluffy dressing gown once he'd gotten out of the pool.

Thursday
On Thursday we went to nearby Saltaire to the Pandora shop. It was my best friends birthday on Saturday and I wanted to buy her a special gift to celebrate as well as thanking her for being the most wonderful friend and godmother to Fred. We finished off the day with a lovely Spag Bol.

Friday
Friday was spent in Leeds shopping with my mum. We go on the train quite regular and have a mooch around the shops. Today we ate lovely cakes and drank tea Al Fresco as it was such a lovely mild late Afternoon. Freddie was very well behaved as normal and slept around most of the shops. I planned on treating myself to new clothes as I've still not updated my wardrobe since giving birth but instead, I wanted to treat Freddie to some new Ralph Lauren boots. He really is a spoilt monkey but I just love treating him! The day ended quite sourly once we got the train home and I certainly won't be getting the train again however, I'll post about that later!


Saturday
Our lovely friends came over for the day from Liverpool and we enjoyed a lovely stroll around our local reservoir. It is a lovely walk however, as normal, I was unprepared and ruined my new Uggs! We rewarded ourselves with a lovely lunch as our local gastro pub sat next to the log fire to warm ourselves up. Saturday was also the night of my best friends birthday party. It was strictly fancy dress but, as a new mummy who hasn't got her figure back from before baby, I opted to cheat rather than don a skimpy fancy dress. I wore my lovely pearl dress that I've been dying to wear for ages combined with some glasses and tah dah!... I was a movie star! Mr C went as Elvis and provided the comedy factor for the evening, finished off by a flying fall across the garden lawn on our exit! 

Sunday
Today we awoke feeling a tad delicate. I never seem to sleep after I've had a few glasses of wine! When my alarm clock went off, I was tempted to roll over but I then remembered that I had to pick up my beautiful boy who had slept at my mum's house overnight. It was lovely to see him and even though it'd only been a 12 hours, I'd missed him lots! Sunday is football day followed by Sunday lunch at the golf club so we all enjoyed a yummy roast minus Freddie who ravished his porridge! I'm now relaxing after a lovely bath, revelling in the fact that normally, I would be back at work tomorrow after the school holidays but because of my maternity leave, I'm not! 



Friday 4 January 2013

Fashionable Friday

Freddie wears:

Navy Polo Shirt: Ralph Lauren
Denim Jeans: Next
Shoes: Converse

4 months: For You, Freddie x

Freddie, or shall I say Freddie Boy as you are now affectionately known.

You are now 4 months. 17 whole weeks. This week saw a year go by since we found out we were expecting you. What a difference that one year has made. I have found a place in my heart I never knew existed. A place with love for my boy.

Every day provides a new laugh. You are quite the comedian. Always laughing or smiling. Today I took you on the train to Leeds,  the man who sat next to us said you were the most well behaved baby he had ever seen. You thanked him with your signature gummy smile that lightens up your whole face. I was a very proud mummy, in fact, I'm always proud of you. Only the other day, I was told you were 'a breath of fresh air', and you are.

You are so close to sitting unaided now but mummy, being mummy, refuses to move away from you incase you fall over! You are very strong and often mistaken for a baby of 7 or 8 months. You are in age 6-9month clothes and costing us a small fortune in designer gear! You are more than worth it.

Your first Christmas was amazing. We spent it with both sets of your grandparents and you kept us all entertained with your first proper 'belly laugh". You idolise your Grandad Rich and he is the only one who can get one of these hysterical laughs from you. You got lots of presents and, Mummy enjoyed dressing you up in comedy fancy dress. Mean mummy! 

After much deliberation, Mummy & Daddy made the decision to start you on solids when you turned 17 weeks. You are such a big boy that you were guzzling bottles at a phenomenal rate, faster than I could keep up! We are taking it one step, a day at a time but you are a lover of sweet potato which is fast proving your firm favourite. 

As always, I Love You.

Forever & More,

Mummy x