Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Half Birthday Holly...

... ok I have been rubbish....  and it has been two months since I lasted posted but hey - at the end of the day, this is my blog about being a mum to two lil' girls and the reason I haven't blogged for ages is because .... I am a mum to two lil' girls...  so it has become a bit of self-fulling thing!  But here I am... blogging into a new year - Bring on 2012.


We had a lovely Christmas.  My Mum came to stay for 10 days and we had a great time with lots of preparations and festivities.  I felt like I did a LOT of baking and decorating but hey - that is my thing - so that was fine.  Plus, of course, I do have my little helper....  even if she does just lick the spoon...  and the bowl! 

Greg made his first Christmas Cake this year.  It was gorgeous but he had to let me decorate it.  I was in Sugar Craft Heaven when my Holly and Ivy cutters arrived.  It took me nearly 2 hours to cut enough for the garland I wanted to make for the cake, and then another 2 hours to actually decorate it.  But it was SO worth it as I loved every second and was pleased with the result.

I also made a LOT of cupcakes (about 30 in total) ... with differing Christmas and festive themes, but my favourite had to be the Christmas Tree ones which went down a treat... especially with Ella and her friends that came to visit.

Ella did a Christmas Concert at Nursery and dressed up as a Christmas Fairy. She looks great, and she was so good...  (I shed a tear of course).  She sang and signed every song and was so exited through out it!  Made Mummy and Daddy very proud... 

And then IT WAS CHRISTMAS....

To be honest, Ella was a bit of a nightmare during the lead up to Christmas.  Expectation, excitement, it all took it toll, but on Christmas Eve she was brilliant at going to bed which I was very pleased about.  It was the first Christmas that she really understood and the first Christmas we had been at our house since she was a baby, so it was lovely starting our little family traditions.  

She put out apple Juice and a biscuit for Santa (her choice) and a carrot for Rudolf and popped up to bed.  Ok, so she called down once as she thought she heard Santa 'talking to Daddy' but once I told her that he wouldn't come until she was sound asleep we didn't hear from her again.  

Lets just say... she had LOADS of lovely presents and was a very happy little girl!  Holly, on the other hand, hadn't a clue... but was a little star as always.

2012 - can't believe that we are here already.  I suppose it is year that has been in our concious for so long because of the Olympics, especially as a 'Londoner' (I think I am now allowed to call myself a 'Londoner' after all these years)


When I heard London had won the Olympic Bid I was on a 5 week film shoot in China. It was hot, hard work and I was getting roughly 4 hours sleep a night.  The hours I am sleeping might be similar, but how my little life has change.


I feel very positive about this year.  I am loving being a full time Mum and any thought of heading back to the working world is falling rather flat.  I feel very blessed with our little family who are happy, healthy and our little girls both fill me with wonder and make me laugh each and every day.


New Years Resolutions...???  Well I have a general one really.  To trust in my skills as a mummy, and not bow to pressure from others and enjoy each and every day of this precious time of our lives together.  More of that to come in this blog in the next few months I imagine.


And on that note....  


P.S - Happy Half Birthday to my little Holly... 6 months old today.  Can't believe it.

Halloween and Holidays

All is well in our little house.  Both my girls are doing brilliantly.  Since my last post Holly has had her first holiday and had her first solids, Ella is officially out of bedtime nappies and I have lost 7 pounds on Weight Watchers!


First things first though  - Halloween - which was actually a lot of fun this year.  Although I still felt Ella was a little bit too young for Trick or Treating she did go to a Halloween Party dressed as....  A WITCH (I didn't see that coming), Daddy and Ella carved our pumpkin and Ella handed out sweets to each and every child that came to the door, which she really enjoyed although she couldn't understand why they weren't coming in for a party.  

Also, over Halloween weekend, we took Ella out to fly her kite. One of her new favourite things to do, and she is really good at it.  Might be time to upgrade her kiddie kite to one like her Daddy's for Christmas!

We headed to the East Devon / Dorset Border two weeks ago for a long weekend.  We stayed in a great little cottage owned by my brothers friends and it was perfect for us. Have a look here!  What was brilliant was that it was very kiddie friendly and they lent us loads of stuff so we could travel a little lighter than normal.  Ella had a really pretty little bedroom with a big grown up bed which she just loved.  In fact she was actually really upset when we got home to our house... might have been because the cottage was actually bigger than our house!  But we had a lovely time, fossil hunting, ice creams by the sea, visiting family and we went for lunch at the River Cottage Canteen in Axminster.  Hugh F.W is a firm favourite in this house... especially with Greg... and it didn't disappoint.


The only downside of our holiday was that it became apparent that our little Holly was no longer content on milk alone which meant I had a baby who just wanted to feed all night.  On our return I went to see the HV team and they were not against me beginning to wean her but were going to give me a call to confirm their thoughts and give me some advice.  

They never called!  So, after being told by many of my lovely friends and family to go with my instincts I went for it and Holly has been having Baby Rice now for a week and is LOVING it.  She is nearly back to sleeping through the night and has already twice this week.  I always think you should go with your instincts on these things ...  but sometimes you just have to get the confidence to do it.  


As I am writing this Holly is having her afternoon nap and Ella is watching Dora the Explorer, her new favourite (although she does suffer from a Jonathan Ross impediment sometimes so it is more like Dowa The Explower in this house) ....  Agghh have to love a chilled Friday afternoon.  This is even more important when we have a weekend away planned.  This weekend we are off to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers with my brother and sister-in-law in Birmingham and I am leaving both the girls for the first time - but in the very capable hands of my Mum.  It will feel very odd but it will be great I am sure.  Can't wait!  


Well lil' Holly is stirring and Ella's eyes are slowly turning square...  until next time.

Wrapping Up and Heading Out

... again it has been ages since I have written here... it is amazing how life is flying by with my two little girls to look after day in and day out.  Holly is 3 months old today!!! How did that happen?  She is fab.  The happiest baby I have ever known.  She hardly cries, flashes the most wonderful smiles and fills our days with wonder as only a bubba can. 

She is still far too huge for her age.  I recently got out all her 3-6 month wardrobe and a lot of it is already snug!  But she is feeding well and for the last 3 weeks has been sleeping through the night without a feed.  We still have some wind issues which wake her sometimes at 5am, but I know we are so lucky and it is so rare I am just telling myself it is nice to be able to have a very early morning cuddle.  We have also put up her cot now in our room. She is still sleeping in the Moses basket inside the cot to help with the transistion but I am sure in a few more days she will be fine.... and I think she will have to before she just no longer fits.

 

The girls relationship is already taking shape.  Holly looks at Ella with a mixture of wonder and adoration.  It is rather lovely.  Ella still coos to her more than I do and every day we hear phrases like “... hello my beautiful baby girl..” coming out of Ella’s mouth.  

Although the weather is getting colder by the day we still have our days out in the park wrapped up warm and snug – at least it is sunny out there.

I have started Weight Watchers and have a stone and a half to lose.  Most of it is from after Ella was born as I have lost all the baby weight from Holly. I basically just never worried too much to diet after Ella was born as I hoped I would be having another baby in the coming years.  Now, there is NO excuse.    I am only allowed to lose 1 pound a week as I am breastfeeding which I did achieve last week so hopefully that will continue. 

I also started swimming this week.  My body still feels rather broken after being pregnant with  Holly (and still carrying her in my arms of course) but I feel that swimming should be gentle enough to ease me back into excerise with out too much worry... oh and I also plan on doing my Davina Post Natal work out DVD and Ella has said she will do it with me... which will be a laugh if nothing else.

Ella and Daisy...

With Halloween nearly here Ella is still deciding what she wants to dress up as.  Currently it is a Pumpkin Fairy (would be a fairy or princess!) so Holly might just have to be a pumpkin.  Any excuse to dress up to be honest with you so watch this space!