Birds and Lilies

Oh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside!

May 8, 2013

We’ve just had a wonderful long weekend by the seaside. It was filled with sand, sunshine, sausages, some family time, sea and…. sandwiches. We were there for four days and had beautiful weather throughout. This is very unusual for England, and especially the usually freezing cold and windy English seaside, so we were very lucky.

Ava got to paddle in the sea (in wellies – the sea is ALWAYS cold!), and build sandcastles for the first time. We had our first barbecue of the year and I wore flip-flops for the first time this year! They will now remain on my feet for the next 4 months.

We were there with my mum and step-dad who are travelling around the country in a motorhome and are staying in Whitby at the moment. Ava absolutely adores her Granny (as well as her Grandma) for some strange reason (love you mum!) so was very happy all weekend and ignored me whenever her Granny was there. I can’t say it didn’t hurt when she reached for her from my arms for the first time ever. Sob.

Ava also experienced some more first’s whilst we were away – the first time she fell on her bum in the sea (nobody likes a wet bottom); met her first horse and learned to gallop like one, noises and all; she learnt that Grandad looks silly in a hat and Granny WILL read Each Peach Pear Plum to you ten times in a row if you are cute. She will also encourage you to gallop like a horse in your highchair when you should be eating your dinner.

It was a really lovely few days away, and a great start to the summer.

{Re: ‘nobody likes a wet bottom’ – when I was travelling years ago in New Zealand, there was an advert on the tv for nappies and it said this phrase (obviously in a Kiwi accent) and it made me laugh and I’ve kinda said it ever since. You’d be amazed how often it is relevant. Nobody likes a wit bottum.}

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16 Months

May 2, 2013

I can’t blummin’ believe it; Ava is 16 months old today. SIXTEEN MONTHS!!!! I know all of us parents are so boring and say the same thing every month/year/second… but the time goes by so fast! It’s scaring me a little bit actually. She’s two months away from being one and a half and that is just crazy to me. I STILL can’t believe I’m a mother to be honest.

Every day she understands more of what we say and ask her to do. She says ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ in the cutest little voice, and she spots babies everywhere and says ‘hi baby’ (even if it’s a picture of her). She is so much fun to be around and she makes me laugh all day long. She’s also very clingy and whingey right now, but we’ll let her off because she’s cute and we love her.

She can run around pretty fast now, can climb UP her slide the wrong way (not scary at all!!), has sprouted two new bottom teeth in the last few days, and is finally started to learn to settle herself back to sleep. Hallelujah. She’s also becoming very bossy. I don’t know where she gets it from.

I’m so excited for the summer months; playing in parks, making friends with other bubba’s, running barefoot in the grass, going on holiday for the first time, our first plane trip with her and watching her be a flower girl at my sister’s wedding. She makes everything into an adventure and I can’t wait to see how she changes in the next few months. Happy 16 months baby girl!

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And then…. {There’s always something new to figure out with these kids}

April 18, 2013

You have a baby.
It’s hard.
You start getting used to changing nappies and feeding 24/7.
You start to get in some kind of routine…..

And then….

You have to start feeding them actual food.
They start to crawl.
They grow teeth that you have to clean. You add that to your routine and start to get used to it….

And then….

They start to walk. Now no-where is safe. You get used to that….

And then….

They start to climb.
They can reach higher drawers.
They start copying what you are doing and saying. You can’t swear anymore. Or listen to Jay-Z.
They enter a new clingy stage. And you CAN’T LEAVE THE ROOM. Or go to the loo. EVER.

And then….

They can reach door handles. Now you can’t even shut them in a room, I mean, ahem, shut them in a room with you obbbvvvviously.
They can also shut you out of rooms, saying “bye” to you as they trap their fingers.
They can take off their clothes, open gates, climb out of their highchair, run rather fast (away from you). It’s only a matter of time before they figure out how to take off their own nappy. I.Can’t.Wait.

I don’t even want to think about all of the new challenges that lay ahead. So don’t tell me. Please.

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How I’m Getting Back to My Happy Weight in 4 Minutes of Exercise a Day

April 8, 2013

Today I weighed myself. I am just under a certain amount of stone for the first time in years and years and years (I wouldn’t mind saying what the weight is, but I don’t think it’s necessary). I know, I know, it’s not supposed to be about weight. But but but, I’m not an idiot. I know muscle weighs more than fat and I know not to be (too) disappointed if my weight is higher some days. But I want to check my weight ~~every day~~ sometimes because it shows me that I am progressing and even though I’m older now, I don’t see why I can’t get back to the happy weight I was ten years ago, before baby and before, well, I got old ;)

I want to get in the best shape I’ve ever been in and apart from the pooch I really want to get rid of that’s still kind of there, I think I’m heading in the right direction. So…what am I doing?

I’m doing four minutes (yes, really) of exercise every day. I’ve only been doing it a few weeks after getting off track when I got poorly, and I’m already seeing and feeling a big difference.

I do 4 minutes of 8 reps. 20 seconds of cardio and then march it out for 10 seconds.

That’s it. For the cardio I do star jumps, jogging (lifting my legs up high), and bum kicks, but you can do whatever you want, as long as it gets your heart rate up.

I do it first thing in the morning in my bedroom while Ava plays around me. I think that probably helps as I’ve started off the day well and feel better for it, and am also more aware of what I’m eating and drinking (more water) throughout the rest of the day.

Most days I also do a few other exercises when and where I can fit them in and if I remember. I do sit-ups, squats, tricep dips (really want to get rid of the bingo wings) and punches. I’ll do some squats whilst Ava’s having her lunch, for example. And some tricep dips whilst she clambers all over me…

It’s really making a difference to my life already. I’ve got more energy on the days when I’ve had no sleep and should be collapsing on the floor, I’m automatically drinking more water because I’m thinking about it. And I don’t know if its just a coincidence, but I’m eating smaller portions too, and less chocolate!

I can see a difference in my body already, it’s more toned all over and I’ve lost weight, and my clothes feel looser. And a couple of days ago somebody noticed! Without me mentioning it! That made me a very happy bunny.

I also drink a warm (not hot) lemon water first thing every morning. It’s supposed to help you digest food better during the day and it helps your body be more alkaline (which is always good). I’ll often drink some during the day as well because I like it and I know it’s good for me.

I’m really excited that I’ve found something that I can actually fit in easily, even if A’s whinging at me; and even though it doesn’t feel like much, it really is making a difference. I’m so determined to feel comfortable if not completely confident in a bikini on holiday this year, and to actually be happy with my body for once. Now, to work on getting rid of that stubborn pooch….

(P.S I obviously also run around after a toddler all day as well which probably helps a bit, but I’ve only really started seeing a difference since I started doing the 4 minutes.)

How do you fit exercise into your busy life? Any tips?

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5 Things I’ve Learnt So Far As a Mother

March 27, 2013

- Try different things and see what works for you and your family. If something isn’t working, try something else. Just because the books/your family/other parents tell you it should be done a certain way doesn’t mean they are right. Trust your instincts.

- NEVER judge. You never know how you will feel or how you will do something once you are a parent yourself or you are going through the same thing. We are all just trying to do our best and we all have different views about what that might be. There isn’t only one right way. And it’s horrible to feel judged as a parent when you are already judging yourself enough. I think it is human nature to judge people based on our own perceptions and what we feel strongly about sometimes. But keep your judgey pants to yourself. Years ago I judged someone for keeping their 6 month old baby out late at a friends house. I thought it meant she was putting herself before the baby (who was perfectly happy or asleep the whole time). Now I would have done the same when Ava was younger and she would sleep anywhere. It’s about what works for you. I still feel bad for judging her when I had no right, even though she never knew about it. (Little side note: even if she DID put herself first, that’s ok too – we all need to do that sometimes or we’ll go crazy)

- It’s just a phase. Everything is just a phase.

- No matter how prepared and ready for parenthood you think you are, you will never really be ready. I don’t think you can be. We went through four years of trying to conceive and two rounds of IVF. I have never wanted something so much in my entire life. And yet, I was in no way prepared for all of the changes motherhood would bring, and the whirlwind that entered my life! It’s crazy. But that’s ok… you learn as you go along.

- You might not be the type of parent you thought you would be. I babywear, did baby led weaning, breastfeed still at 14 months, and co-sleep often. That would possibly suggest I am a bit of a hippy mum, although I really don’t think I am. But I never thought I was the type of person that could potentially be described as a hippy! You’ll always have ideas of what kind of parent you want to be, but until that babe is in your arms and you have to make decisions that will affect that little bundle, you don’t really know how you want to do things. And even when you do, you might not be totally sure. I’m starting to look at other things in a whole new light now that I’m a mother, and am thinking about how I want to approach certain aspects of parenting when we come to them when I thought I already knew. Don’t let those preconceptions you originally had affect the parent you want to be once you actually are one.

Now, I’m going to put my fringed skirt on and dance around a rock…. so long hipsters!

Please share what you’ve learnt as a parent, I’d love to know.

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35 Before 35

March 22, 2013

I was going to write a 30 before 30 post (30 things I want to do before I’m 30), but then I realised I’m 30 next year (eek) so that doesn’t really give me enough time to do them! And it’d be an expensive year!

So here are my 35 before 35:

#1 Get in the best shape of my life.
#2 Get married.
#3 Have at least one more baby.
#4 Take a road trip across America.

#5 Move house.
#6 Learn to be happy with who I am and stop comparing myself to others.
#7 Learn to salsa.
#8 Skydive.
#9 Go to Paris.
#10 Start my own business.
#11 Live in New York.
#12 Be a bridesmaid for the first time.
#13 Walk in Central Park.

#14 Do Karaoke.
#15 Learn to sew.
#16 Take Ava for her first holiday abroad.
#17 Ride a horse bareback on a beach.
#18 Learn to play the piano.
#19 Create a photo wall in our house.
#20 Take my children to Disneyworld in Florida.
#21 Go back to Vietnam and Thailand.
#22 Learn how to use my DSLR camera in manual mode.
#23 Spend Christmas in New York.
#24 Meet my niece Caitlyn who lives in New Zealand.
#25 Swim with dolphins.
#26 Learn to surf.

#27 Skinny dip.
#28 Print out all of the hundreds of photograph’s we’ve got on numerous memory cards and put them in albums.
#29 Stay in a tiny village in Ireland.
#30 Try Oysters.
#31 Go to a ball.
#32 Hear Ava say “I love you Mummy”.
#33 Attend a blogging conference.
#34 Meet people in real life that I’ve met and become friends with online.
#35 Have good health – no more migraines, no more operations.

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Eight Questions

March 11, 2013

I found this meme on Musing’s of a Housewife’s blog and thought I would join in. I love answering random questions. I am linking up with The Miss Elaine-ous Life and Theta Mom.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was 18 and in my first year at York University, studying Chemistry. I worked as a part-time waitress in the holidays.

What are 5 things on your to-do list?

- Make some appointments to view wedding reception venues.
- Get a million photos from the last year printed.
- Ironing (but that’s always on the list and I never do it)
- Ring the hospital to make an appointment for a routine scan and check-up I was supposed to make after I wasn’t pregnant anymore! What? I’m only 14 months too late.
- Write blog posts on Infertility, Baby Led Weaning, The Cub and the (not quite) hub, and start making vlogs.

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

- Chocolate
- Cheese. I LOVE CHEESE.
- Berries
- Avocadoes (I’ve hated them all of my life but now I love them)
- My Mum’s Malt Loaf (that my Granny made before her)

Name some things you would do if you we’re a millionaire.

- Travel through America and live in New York for a year.
- Buy a beautiful old house somewhere lovely and have it done up (we did this house up ourselves whilst living here and… NEVER AGAIN!). And a second home in another country somewhere (France?/ Italy?/ USA? – all of them?!).
- Buy lots of clothes.
- Get a nose job. No, I’m kidding. I think. (I am – I would worry that I wouldn’t look like me anymore, even though that often seems like a good thing.).
- Learn to play the piano, horse ride and salsa dance.
- Put money away for my children.
- Give some money to charity.

Ok, I think I’ve ran out of money.

Name some places you have lived.

Only Nottingham and York, but I’d like that to change as soon as possible.

Name some bad habits you have/had.

- I swear too much.
- I let little things get me very angry when I’m tired. So, all the time.
- I worry too much and struggle to relax.
- I am impatient.

Name some jobs you have had.

- Waitress/Bar Person. I used to love Friday nights behind the bar when there was a DJ on and I could sing and dance whilst working. The customers probably felt differently.
- Customer Product Advisor for a computer company. I had to help people fix their computers over the phone. I generally didn’t have a clue what I was doing.
- Data Entry Assistant

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Wonderful // Blah

February 28, 2013

Wonderful

My mumma is staying with Ava and I this weekend. Yay, my huge pile of ironing will finally get done!!! I’m kind of joking.

It’s March tomorrow. This month it’s the boy’s birthday and we’re going to Whitby.

Ava is so much fun!

I have fallen in love again. We just got an iPad. IPad iPad iPad iPad iPad.

And Netflix! We are trying it out for the free month. I have watched four films in three days. Before that I hadn’t watched a film in months. Rom Com Ahoy.

// Blah

Ava is sleeping terribly. Blah blah blah.

I am poorly AGAIN. The third time this year. It’s only freaking February. Everything hurts. Woe is me.

It’s March tomorrow. How is it March already? I still think 2011 was last year (I’m sure it takes me a few months every single year to realise that the year has changed).

I have so much to do and I am POORLY AGAIN. I am rather annoyed. Especially because I generally eat well, take vitamins, drink lots of water and think about exercise regularly. Unfair.

The boy is going away for a few days tomorrow for a stag do. We will miss him. Even more I will miss being able to make him change pooey nappies.

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Pancakes and Steak and Cheescake, Oh My!

February 16, 2013

At 28 years I think I have finally mastered Pancakes! Other years on Pancake Day, it usually takes quite a few attempts (and failings!) to get them right (not burnt, not too thick, not stuck to the pan). But this year the pan was hot enough, I used butter so they didn’t stick and made them the right thickness and they were yummy.

I made them for lunch for Ava and I using a recipe from Oh Joy’s blog, with peanut butter, bananas and an egg (plus a bit of flour), so lots of protein for Ava. And then I made normal pancakes for Paul and I in the evening. Yes, I had them twice. It was the day of pancakes after all.

Then on Valentine’s Day, Paul made delicious steak and potatoes for us and we had a Gü Cheesecake for dessert. Oh, steak, how I love thee. And of course I love the boy too. The three of us had a lovely Valentine’s Day together. We don’t do anything much, usually just cards and nice food, but the boy did buy me a skirt I had been wanting from Topshop :)

I heart food. And the boy. And the babe. And Topshop. Happy days.

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Motherly Musings – Immunisations

February 6, 2013

We never considered not having our daughter immunised. It was something we always planned to do; we would rather a little bit of a disease be put into her body than risk her catching something serious and something awful happening to her. And I know that there is supposedly lots of horrible stuff in the injections (although mercury is not in them anymore – unless you read certain things saying it is), but I choose to trust the Department of Health and vaccinate and hope nothing bad happens to her. I hate her having them, and I hate the thought of putting horrible ingredients and disease into her little body, but I feel it’s the best thing to do.

I can kind of understand why people would choose not to vaccinate but it scares me that some of these diseases might be coming back because of this, and I worry for the babies that are pre-vaccination age. I don’t want a debate. I think it’s a hard decision for any parent to make, and after all we all just want to do the best for our babies. We are not making our choice to annoy other people or to make a point.

It’s so hard because there is so much information out there, so much mis-information and it is hard to know who and what you can trust. And then there’s the scaremongering and separating the fact from fiction, and bloody hell how do you make an informed decision? I think most of us may doubt our decision at some point or worry what might happen even when like us, you never really questioned whether you would vaccinate or not.

Yesterday Ava had her 12 month immunisations, her two boosters and the MMR. I had read up a bit about splitting them up so they would be given a few weeks apart as it seems like a lot all at once for her body to take and it scared me. Lots of people choose to do this and it seemed like a sensible idea to me, despite her having to go through it twice. Even the red book has them a month apart. Most of what I found was just mother’s opinions on baby forums and the discussions always seem to escalate and cause a debate when it comes to baby’s jabs. Everyone thinks what they have read/heard/been told is right. But everyone also wants what is best for their little one.

We had a really lovely nurse last time who was willing to discuss options with us, and I was hoping for her again but we got a different one this time. She was very nice but I felt like she wasn’t really giving us the option to split them (although I would have insisted if I had been sure). She said until recently there were given a month apart but now it was actually recommended that babies have them at the same time, plus there is obviously less trauma for them. We decided that we would do them all together. I had to trust in the medical professional in front of me at the time. That was the right decision for us.

Ava was a complete star and only cried with one of the boosters (the same one that hurt her last time), and quickly got distracted with a mummy cuddle and the nurse to grin at. She wasn’t given a sticker though. Bloody NHS cutbacks.

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