13 Months

A month has spiralled by in a breath since F's 1st birthday and as with all children, he is developing so fast and I swear I blink and he's grown a centimetre taller. 

Here is my baby at 13 months:

He is approximately 27lbs.

He is wearing 18-24 month clothes. 

He is sleeping 13 hours a night.

He is wonderful.

He is obsessed with Toy Story. 

He can walk unaided for about 20 steps.

He can wave, clap & point.

He can say around 12 words; Mama, Dada, Nana, Grandad, Car, Buzz, Brum, Yes, Sit, Down and Shut Up! (Don't ask!) 

He can feed himself, although somewhat messily. 

He can ask questions such as 'Whas' sat?'

He can follow instructions such as 'Go find George' or 'Sit down'.

He can climb onto the sofa & the dining chairs.

He can drive me round the bend and then make everything ok in a moment with his cheeky smile.

He has 6 teeth.

He has given up his bottles and has for the past few months, had his milk from his 'big boy cup'.

Teething Problems.

It's safe to say we're having more than a few problems in our house right now, many of which are to do with a certain little mister and his new teeth.

 Up until the week before his first birthday, F was a proper Gummy Joe until, overnight, 6 appeared within a few days of each other. 

 F was, as to be expected, dumbfounded by the arrival of his new pearly whites and since then, has put them to use. 

He's a biter! 

He's taken to chomping on everything and everyone and I'm getting to the end of my tether now with what we do. I take him to lots of groups and he especially loves play gyms where recently he's taken to playing independently on the equipment whilst I watch tentatively at the side terrified that he might bite another child. 

In the past weeks, he's bit my heel whilst I knelt folding the washing, he bit my armpit whilst I cuddled him and he bit my nose when I was asleep! He bites when he's happy, when he's cross, when he's excited and especially when he's tired. 

So I need your help blogging world, what do I do? 

I don't want to shout, smack or bite back; this isn't my parenting style and something that I'd never resort to. I've tried ignoring and he carries on. I've tried been firm and he bites again. This is most definitely the biggest hurdle I've faced so far! 

Who could believe that this gorgeous little man has the bite of an Rottweiler?!

Help! 

Here I Am.

 In case anyone was wondering, I've not disappeared. Here I am.

As it often does, life got busy and any 'me' time that I had the luxury of disappeared. Running round after a 13 month old toddler means that I am shattered come 6pm which put the blog on the back burner for a while! 

I had a panic earlier this week though when I thought that 'A Whole Nine Months' had been deleted from the blogisphere! I was absolutely devastated which made me think that it was high time I pulled my finger out and got back here. 

So, here I am.

Nothing major has changed and we're still plodding on like you do. Freddie is now 13 months old. (Time flies like you can hardly believe!!) He's such a character with a real personality;  cheeky, curious and with that glint of mischief in his eye. He's also fiercely independent and at times, a bit of a rascal but we wouldn't change him for the world. 

I made the decision not to go back to my full time position a few months back as it meant a 90 minute motorway drive and leaving Freddie in a nursery which I just couldn't handle. As it works out, I'm now much happier working in events for just a few hours a week. It means that I can juggle my childcare around work commitments so I can be a working and a stay at home mum! Fabulous! 

The wedding plans are well underway and with less than 10 months to go, this too is flying and I'm sure that it'll be here before we know it. It's ever so exciting!

I'm hoping to take the blog in a new direction with lots of arts & craftsy type things that we have been doing recently which I'm keen to share. I'm sure they'll be a few more wedding planning (read, rant bridezilla style!) posts to feature also. 

I know I've said it before but I'm going to try my hardest to return. I miss this world! 

Hey Baby, I think I wanna Marry You!

Whilst I've been away, a lot has happened. My BIG news is that myself and Mr C are finally tying the knot! 

If you are a regular reader, you'll know that being a B whilst the two men in my life are C's was my biggest barebug! It bothered me immensely  and I've blogged a few times about Mr C's inability to 'put a ring on it.'

Well I know have said ring so to speak. Actually, I don't as it's still been made but I am well on my way to becoming Mrs C. 

Mr C, the old romantic had been secretly saving up since 2 weeks after we met to buy me my dream ring. At the end of April, we took ourselves off on a 'romantic' weekend to Manchester where Mr C finally got down on bended knee and asked to make a honest woman of me! The traditionalist that he is, he'd asked my Dad and my whole family were waiting at home with baited breath to hear my answer.

Of course, I said yes.

So after a commotion with the original ring (the first was horrible so I had to break it gently to him that there was no way in the world that I could possibly wear that on my finger for the rest of my life!) we went to a lovely jewellers where I had my dream ring commissioned exclusively for me! 

As a born natural organiser, the planning is well under way and at precisely 12pm on Friday, 1st August 2014 I will become Mrs C in our beautiful church. 

In other news, my baby is fast becoming a proper little person. He is now crawling, saying 'dada' and causing absolute mayhem. It's rediculous how fast he has grown and I'm desperate to freeze time! He is into EVERYTHING and keeps me well on my toes! 

Hello.

Hello!

Is there anyone there? Have I been deserted in my long winded absence? 

I am back and with any luck, I will resume regular blogging on a more regular basis. As always, life has got in the way recently and I have felt snowed under with the mundane-ness of it all. 

I want to relight my blog fire so to speak. The initial romance of blogging had slowly dwindled and prior to my disappearance, I felt blogging was a chore.

Recently I have missed the community that comes with blogging. I have missed the advice,  the laughs and familiarity of people who I have never met but with whom I can associate more than my life-long friends.

I blog to remember. I blog to capture memories. I blog to reminisce and reflect and most of all, I blog for me.

6 months: For you, Freddie x

Dear Freddie,

You have now turned 6 months; half a year since you dived into our life, tipped it upside down, shook it on it's head and injected an unimaginable, impossible amount of love.

I love you more and more each day. Events that have happened this month have affected mummy lots. A fellow blogging mummy lost her precious girl. Taken far to soon. Behind her, she left a legacy; teaching mummies all over the world to love that little bit more, to hug that little harder and cherish every moment. 

I've learnt this lesson and even though I thought impossible, I love you more now than ever.

You are at a wonderful age. I wish I could capture this moment forever. You have the most wonderful personality. You are hilarious, cheeky, slightly rebellious and painfully determined.

This determination has seen you master the art of sitting unaided which you have now well and truly conquered. It is a joy to see you sit and play with your toys, exploring and imagining. Joyous for mummy to watch and, I can literally feel my heart swell with pride but on the other hand, the selfish part of me wants you to stay like this. I don't want to venture further into the depths of independence until one day, you no longer need me at all.

You are loved by so many, literally adored. You are worshipped by Nana who is well and truly your biggest fan. She has loved you from the second she met you. We all have,  it was impossible not to. 

You are still wonderful at night, touch wood! You have a bedtime story at 7pm which is mummy's favourite time of the day. We all lie on mummy and daddy's bed and read to you in a whole array of funny voices. We laugh and giggle and drown you in kisses. In return, you reward us with ooo's and ahh's and listen patiently, eagerly awaiting bath time where you have bundles of fun with your frog bubble machine. 

The day you turned 6 months we had a half birthday party for you at the golf club. Nothing fancy but it was an opportunity for us to show you off. People laughed and said it was a silly idea but we don't care, we love you and as mummy has learned, everyday is a blessing and should be celebrated.

Speaking of celebrations, we have had 2 milestones this week. Mummy's birthday and the birth of your cousin. Mum thoroughly enjoyed her first birthday as a mummy. You and Daddy made it wonderfully special and it topped every birthday I ever had. You wrote my card yourself (with help from Daddy of course!) and helped me unwrap presents in bed. You were very funny and we shared a little chocolate in mummy's bed (sssh, it was a birthday one off treat!). It was lovely, perfect and I am bound to remember it forever.

Every day has felt like a birthday since you arrived. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. 

I love you.

Forever & More.

Mummy x

Van Gough.

Yesterday I took the opportunity to indulge in Freddie's first ever painting session. I have been meaning to set up this activity for a fair few weeks but as ever, we have been rushed off our feet with this, that and the other.

As a boisterous,  mischievous and curious 6 month old boy, I was worried that he would seize the opportunity as an excuse to eat his body weight in paint. For that reason, I was overjoyed when I found Yorkshire Teacher Mummy's recipe for homemade (and completely edible!) paint, here.

Both Fred & I had lots of fun. It was some what messy and this activity calls for a large mess mat or laminate floor! Thank you to Yorkshire Teacher Mummy for the recipe! 

I think I've got my very own Van Gough on my hands, don't you?