I was holding Daisy in her favourite position this morning, up on my lap where she can see everything that's going on, and she pulled my finger into her mouth for a chew. It was then I discovered that her two bottom front teeth are just poking through! I'm quite surprised to see them so early, and also that both have come through together. Jamie got his first one at about 8.5 months.
On closer inspection, I can see that there are more just waiting under the gums to come through. It explains why she's been a bit clingy of late - just wanting to be held all the time. It makes getting things done quite tough when she's permanently wedged under my arm...but a good excuse for doing as little as possible!
Monday, 29 November 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
6 months old and weaning time!
So, my little girl is now 6 months old and it's time for some proper food (well, if you can call pureed parsnip "proper"). I can't believe she's been around for half a year already, the time honestly has flown and it scares me that in the blink of an eye I'll be saying the same thing about her first birthday. I often think back to the night she was born...it's still very raw and emotional - in a good way I think, but I do sometimes think about what might have happened if she hadn't popped out pink and crying. I get flashbacks quite often to moments from that night, and I suppose my overriding feeling is that I'm so incredibly lucky. Not just that she was born healthy and well and didn't need any medical intervention (although that is the most important thing), but also that I'm so privileged to have shared that moment with her. No one else was there, it was just us and I do feel fortunate to have experienced that. I'd never plan a birth with no medical halp available, but there is something amazing about having done it on my own.
Anyway, back to weaning... For a few weeks now I've been cooking and pureeing fruit and veg, freezing it in ice cube trays all ready for the big day. So today we got the camera ready and offered Daisy her first food to try. She seemed to get the idea fairly quickly that it had to go to the back of her mouth instead of being pushed back out again. It seems such a big step as she is still really little and it's strange seeing her sat up in the highchair.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
2.5 and counting
Jamie is 2 and a half years old today...significant in my mind because the Toddler Taming book says the most difficult time for tantrums is between 1.5 and 2.5 years...so he should start growing out of them from now on, right?!
He's going through a phase where he says "no" to everything I offer him, even things he actually does want. And then has a big strop when I don't give him something he said he didn't want! It can be very tiring! Generally he is very good though, I just have to anticipate the tantrum triggers and try and avoid them. The biggest of all is "Pressing the Button to see the Green Man" when crossing the road. He is OBSESSED with it. The trouble is, once the green man appears and the road has been crossed, he wants to press the button again to go back over. A refusal on my part usually results in him throwing himself on the pavement and crying loudly for all to hear. As I have Daisy in the pushchair, I can't just pick him up and haul him home. The only solution seems to be bribery..."if you walk nicely, we will go and see the chickens when we get home" is the usual one, although I have also resorted to offers of crisps and biscuits... *bad mummy alert*
He is fab though. He can now count to 4o...yes FORTY!! And can recite the alphabet (although gets a bit stuck around u,v,w). He knows what letters and numbers look like, so I suppose the next step is to teach him to recognise individual ones. He also loves to sing and does a good rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep". He's generally very good with Daisy and she absolutely LOVES him - her face lights up and she squeals in delight when she sees him.
So, he's now closer to three years old than two...scary! He'll be going to school soon!
He's going through a phase where he says "no" to everything I offer him, even things he actually does want. And then has a big strop when I don't give him something he said he didn't want! It can be very tiring! Generally he is very good though, I just have to anticipate the tantrum triggers and try and avoid them. The biggest of all is "Pressing the Button to see the Green Man" when crossing the road. He is OBSESSED with it. The trouble is, once the green man appears and the road has been crossed, he wants to press the button again to go back over. A refusal on my part usually results in him throwing himself on the pavement and crying loudly for all to hear. As I have Daisy in the pushchair, I can't just pick him up and haul him home. The only solution seems to be bribery..."if you walk nicely, we will go and see the chickens when we get home" is the usual one, although I have also resorted to offers of crisps and biscuits... *bad mummy alert*
He is fab though. He can now count to 4o...yes FORTY!! And can recite the alphabet (although gets a bit stuck around u,v,w). He knows what letters and numbers look like, so I suppose the next step is to teach him to recognise individual ones. He also loves to sing and does a good rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep". He's generally very good with Daisy and she absolutely LOVES him - her face lights up and she squeals in delight when she sees him.
So, he's now closer to three years old than two...scary! He'll be going to school soon!
Saturday, 6 November 2010
A birthday proposal!
So, yesterday was my 32nd birthday, and it didn't get off to the best of starts. We were due to be staying over at Wayne's mum's that evening, so I had a lot of bags to pack into the van. I decided to let Jamie sit in the "big boy seat" in the front of the van, to keep him occupied for a moment while I loaded everything in. Big mistake! Once we were all packed and Daisy was in her seat, I strapped Jamie into his seat, shut the side door of the van and walked round to the driver's side, only to find that the door was locked. And so were all the others!! Jamie has pressed the lock button down which had locked all the doors. To make matters worse, the house key was also inside the van.
So there I was, stood outside in the rain while my two kids were locked inside, Daisy due a feed any moment, and no way of getting to the spare keys. I called Wayne and luckily he was able to drive back from work and let me in the house. We then spent a good 15 minutes turning the house upside down searching for the spare keys, periodically running out to reassure Jamie, who was getting quite distressed by this point, as Daisy was crying for her feed. We were just about to take a hammer to one of the windows, when something made me think of Wayne's winter coat, and lo and behold, there were the keys! After releasing the kids and having a strong cup of tea to calm my nerves (felt like having a vodka!!), I decided to give the toddler group a miss and just chill out at home for a bit.
(By the way, this is not the first time that disaster has befallen me on my birthday. A few years ago I backed my mum's car into a motorbike belonging to one of the neighbours, knocking it over and causing a couple of hundred pounds' worth of damage. Perhaps next year I should plan to stay indoors!)
Anyway, the day got back on track with a nice lunch with my mum in Tewkesbury Wetherspoons. Although, it was one of those occasions where you realise you can never have a long, leisurely lunch out when you've got children with you. It was a case of, keep Jamie entertained, shovel as much food into him and myself as possible, and leave before either one of them got to meltdown stage. We were fairly successful anyway.
I spent the afternoon at Wayne's mum's and then Wayne got home from work and we got ready to go out for a meal. I knew that I was getting a fingerprint jewellery necklace from him, and was desperate to see it, so was bugging him incessantly - but he said he'd give it to me when we were out. It was a horrible night, pouring with rain, so we headed straight to Wetherspoons for a drink before going to the Indian. I carried on pestering for my pressie, so in the end he handed over the box. When I opened it, I saw that not only did I have a beautiful necklace with two heart pendants - Jamie's handprint on one and Daisy's footprint on the other, but there was also a ring on the chain. Wayne then said lots of lovely things and asked me to marry him! I wasn't expecting it al all, but said yes straight away.
We've been together for 10 years, through a few ups and downs, but have always been strong and I've never doubted his commitment to me. I suppose we never felt as though we needed to get married - we aren't religious, and have committed in other ways - mortgage, children, etc. Also, if I'm honest I'm terrified of the whole wedding thing, I hate being the centre of attention and the idea of putting so much time, effort and CASH into one day really scares me. So when we finally marry, I think it'll be pretty low-key with just very close friends and family there. Hopefully we'll be able to plan it to be just the way we want, and to suit us...after all, it's taken 10 years to get to this point so there's no rush! Wayne has made it clear he does actually want there to be a wedding though - it wasn't just a gesture to get engaged - he wants me to have the same name as the children and to be his wife (just writing that word freaks me out!!)
So back to my birthday - we went to the Indian for a nice meal and several drinks and then had to run back in time for Daisy's 10pm feed! It was a fab day in the end and our family seem to be very happy with our news.
So there I was, stood outside in the rain while my two kids were locked inside, Daisy due a feed any moment, and no way of getting to the spare keys. I called Wayne and luckily he was able to drive back from work and let me in the house. We then spent a good 15 minutes turning the house upside down searching for the spare keys, periodically running out to reassure Jamie, who was getting quite distressed by this point, as Daisy was crying for her feed. We were just about to take a hammer to one of the windows, when something made me think of Wayne's winter coat, and lo and behold, there were the keys! After releasing the kids and having a strong cup of tea to calm my nerves (felt like having a vodka!!), I decided to give the toddler group a miss and just chill out at home for a bit.
(By the way, this is not the first time that disaster has befallen me on my birthday. A few years ago I backed my mum's car into a motorbike belonging to one of the neighbours, knocking it over and causing a couple of hundred pounds' worth of damage. Perhaps next year I should plan to stay indoors!)
Anyway, the day got back on track with a nice lunch with my mum in Tewkesbury Wetherspoons. Although, it was one of those occasions where you realise you can never have a long, leisurely lunch out when you've got children with you. It was a case of, keep Jamie entertained, shovel as much food into him and myself as possible, and leave before either one of them got to meltdown stage. We were fairly successful anyway.
I spent the afternoon at Wayne's mum's and then Wayne got home from work and we got ready to go out for a meal. I knew that I was getting a fingerprint jewellery necklace from him, and was desperate to see it, so was bugging him incessantly - but he said he'd give it to me when we were out. It was a horrible night, pouring with rain, so we headed straight to Wetherspoons for a drink before going to the Indian. I carried on pestering for my pressie, so in the end he handed over the box. When I opened it, I saw that not only did I have a beautiful necklace with two heart pendants - Jamie's handprint on one and Daisy's footprint on the other, but there was also a ring on the chain. Wayne then said lots of lovely things and asked me to marry him! I wasn't expecting it al all, but said yes straight away.
We've been together for 10 years, through a few ups and downs, but have always been strong and I've never doubted his commitment to me. I suppose we never felt as though we needed to get married - we aren't religious, and have committed in other ways - mortgage, children, etc. Also, if I'm honest I'm terrified of the whole wedding thing, I hate being the centre of attention and the idea of putting so much time, effort and CASH into one day really scares me. So when we finally marry, I think it'll be pretty low-key with just very close friends and family there. Hopefully we'll be able to plan it to be just the way we want, and to suit us...after all, it's taken 10 years to get to this point so there's no rush! Wayne has made it clear he does actually want there to be a wedding though - it wasn't just a gesture to get engaged - he wants me to have the same name as the children and to be his wife (just writing that word freaks me out!!)
So back to my birthday - we went to the Indian for a nice meal and several drinks and then had to run back in time for Daisy's 10pm feed! It was a fab day in the end and our family seem to be very happy with our news.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Can it get any better?
Beware: gushing, sickly sweet post coming up!
I'm SO happy right now. I just love my life, spending the days with my two babies, seeing them grow and change in front of my eyes. It's a total privilege to have them and be with them and I feel so incredibly lucky. Things are far from perfect - we don't have loads of money and have even less space, but those things don't matter to me. Part of the reason I feel so content is that it's a real possibility that I won't be going back to work at all. We have to see how the money goes over the next few months, but we think we can manage with me not working, or perhaps doing the odd day of supply work here and there. There won't be much cash left over for clothes or holidays, but I value the time with my babies far more than material things.
I can't help feeling though that things won't stay like this, this good, forever...deep in the back of my mind I have a feeling of dread about what might be around the corner. I don't know why. I read stories in the papers about children who get ill, or parents who die, and feel as though awful things like that are just a heartbeat away. You never really know. Perhaps it's good to feel this way, as it means I appreciate the good things I've got, never knowing when they might be taken away. It's almost as though I feel I don't deserve to be this happy, and one day it'll all be different. I hope it isn't.
But for now, I love my life and feel so lucky to have the things I do. The key, I think, is to live in the moment, enjoying the simple everyday things that it's all too easy to take for granted. I just know that when I'm old, I'll look back and remember those happy little moments...walks in the park to collect leaves, watching Jamie squealing with delight as he feeds the chickens, putting my face close to Daisy's and seeing her burst into the most beautiful grin and breathy chuckle. Things that almost don't merit a mention...those are the really special moments.
I'm SO happy right now. I just love my life, spending the days with my two babies, seeing them grow and change in front of my eyes. It's a total privilege to have them and be with them and I feel so incredibly lucky. Things are far from perfect - we don't have loads of money and have even less space, but those things don't matter to me. Part of the reason I feel so content is that it's a real possibility that I won't be going back to work at all. We have to see how the money goes over the next few months, but we think we can manage with me not working, or perhaps doing the odd day of supply work here and there. There won't be much cash left over for clothes or holidays, but I value the time with my babies far more than material things.
I can't help feeling though that things won't stay like this, this good, forever...deep in the back of my mind I have a feeling of dread about what might be around the corner. I don't know why. I read stories in the papers about children who get ill, or parents who die, and feel as though awful things like that are just a heartbeat away. You never really know. Perhaps it's good to feel this way, as it means I appreciate the good things I've got, never knowing when they might be taken away. It's almost as though I feel I don't deserve to be this happy, and one day it'll all be different. I hope it isn't.
But for now, I love my life and feel so lucky to have the things I do. The key, I think, is to live in the moment, enjoying the simple everyday things that it's all too easy to take for granted. I just know that when I'm old, I'll look back and remember those happy little moments...walks in the park to collect leaves, watching Jamie squealing with delight as he feeds the chickens, putting my face close to Daisy's and seeing her burst into the most beautiful grin and breathy chuckle. Things that almost don't merit a mention...those are the really special moments.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
The rules!
Well, after a couple of weeks really struggling with Jamie's behaviour and getting to the point where I was scared of taking him out, we seem to have turned a corner. I have introduced "The Rules", and Jamie can recite them perfectly - "no throwing, no hitting, no screaming, no shouting, share the toys with all the boys and girls"....and the more recently added "no hit Daisy" (after an incident where he hit her on the leg in frustration at not being allowed to do something).
We talk about The Rules a lot, especially before we go out in the morning, and when we're at a playgroup, I follow Jamie around and tell him all the time what a good boy he's being, how nicely he's playing, etc, etc...basically going really over the top with praising him. It seems to be working and he's been an absolute joy for the past couple of weeks. I had been worried about how I would occupy him last week, as it was half term and there were no toddler groups to go to. But we had a fab time - we did painting, made playdough, collected leaves and made a collage, went to Over Farm to see the animals and get a pumpkin, and rounded off the week with a fab day out in the Forest of Dean on Saturday, walking the Sculpture Trail.
As well as being very cute and well behaved recently, my big boy has learned to count to twenty! We started off with just 1,2,3, and have built up from there. It's amazing seeing him learn new things. He's also fab with colours and can recognise red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, brown, black and white. I don't feel that I've pressured him into learning these things - it's all come from his curiosity. I might start showing him what the numbers look like and perhaps letters too, but I don't want it to be a chore for him.
On the subject of learning, we have been told that Jamie has a place at Christchurch Playgroup, from February next year. He'll be going on Thursday and Friday mornings. I'm excited about it, but also quite apprehensive, as he has never been left without either me, Wayne or one of our mums - ever. I think he'll find it hard at first and I'm anticipating him not wanting to go to begin with. But I do think it'll be good for him and by then he'll be 2 years 9 months old and ready for it. From September next year he'll be able to go 5 mornings a week, so I think it's good to introduce him to it gradually. I'm going to find it hard leaving him, so I suppose it's just as much an adjustment for me as him.
We talk about The Rules a lot, especially before we go out in the morning, and when we're at a playgroup, I follow Jamie around and tell him all the time what a good boy he's being, how nicely he's playing, etc, etc...basically going really over the top with praising him. It seems to be working and he's been an absolute joy for the past couple of weeks. I had been worried about how I would occupy him last week, as it was half term and there were no toddler groups to go to. But we had a fab time - we did painting, made playdough, collected leaves and made a collage, went to Over Farm to see the animals and get a pumpkin, and rounded off the week with a fab day out in the Forest of Dean on Saturday, walking the Sculpture Trail.
As well as being very cute and well behaved recently, my big boy has learned to count to twenty! We started off with just 1,2,3, and have built up from there. It's amazing seeing him learn new things. He's also fab with colours and can recognise red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, brown, black and white. I don't feel that I've pressured him into learning these things - it's all come from his curiosity. I might start showing him what the numbers look like and perhaps letters too, but I don't want it to be a chore for him.
On the subject of learning, we have been told that Jamie has a place at Christchurch Playgroup, from February next year. He'll be going on Thursday and Friday mornings. I'm excited about it, but also quite apprehensive, as he has never been left without either me, Wayne or one of our mums - ever. I think he'll find it hard at first and I'm anticipating him not wanting to go to begin with. But I do think it'll be good for him and by then he'll be 2 years 9 months old and ready for it. From September next year he'll be able to go 5 mornings a week, so I think it's good to introduce him to it gradually. I'm going to find it hard leaving him, so I suppose it's just as much an adjustment for me as him.
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