Resolutions

As the sun sets for the final time on 2013, it's time to pen those resolutions.

• Pack my hospital bag - this is becoming increasingly urgent!
• Keep on with that bucket list.
• Blog at least two times a week and start a linky.
• Keep on top of the laundry better.
• Broaden my photography skills and get to grips with my new lens.

I think five is a fair number... Time will tell how well I stick to them! 

2013 has been on odd year. Some real highs and some real lows... Let's hope 2014 is full of highs and the lows are left behind.

Onwards... Happy New Year! 

Family Photo Friday

I sorted through trying to find my thirteen favourite photos of 2013 a few days ago. It was so hard to choose, but it made me look through images from all the way back in January and I couldn't believe how much E had changed, how much my hair had grown, some of the big things that had happened, the clothes she's outgrown. 

I thought I'd like to start taking a family photo each week as a matter of habit to record some of this too. And what better way than keeping it up on my blog? Then I thought others might like to join in, be it weekly, monthly or whenever they could.

So starting on January 3rd, I'll be hosting a new linky, Family Photo Friday. Share the link to a family photo from the week, grab the badge, tweet and use #familyphotofriday. It doesn't have to be a portrait. It can be a snap from your phone or something more formal, an activity you did together, something that happened during the week, a milestone event... Write a few words about it and then enjoy reminiscing at the end of 2014!!

I hope you'll be able to join me whenever you can. See you on Friday and in the meanwhile.... Wishing you a happy, peaceful, prosperous and well-photographed 2014!!

#familyphotofriday starting January 3rd 2014

My Top Thirteen: Photographs

2013: Quite a journey for my camera and I.

We've come a long way and captured a lot of stuff together. Fun times, good memories, milestones, family, lovely things. How we have grown.

I could have picked 2013 favourite photos, but I narrowed it down to my top thirteen, in absolutely no order, what so ever. 

Seasonally plump

Visiting a friend's newborn today, I felt a pang of broodiness and a little ache in my ovaries. And then it dawned on me: My pregnancy countdown is into single figures. I'll have one of those in less than ten weeks. 

My darling little girl looked positively grown up as she sat on the sofa eating Christmas cake, shhh-ing the adults that spoke as the baby slept peacefully in the moses basket on the other side of the room. Just yesterday D and I had to remind ourselves that she's not yet two years old. Her new fringe has taken away a bit of that messy haired toddler innocence. Having her home for the holidays, her language has come on tremendously. There are so many new words everyday and she is so wise to everything. It makes me well up a little just thinking about it. 

My unborn is currently breech. Christmas Eve eve was a horrible night as it turned itself around. The heartburn was horrific and the pain in my bump intense and tender. E was breech for a long time and now I remember how uncomfortable it was. I have hit the third trimester wall of tiredness and I am thankful that I am blessed with such a hands-on husband who has done the baths and chasing and running around with E that I'm finding more and more difficult. 

Christmas was divine: Round 1, a buffet lunch at home with friends and family before driving to my dad's in Norfolk for Round 2 where we were waited on and spoiled silly and enjoyed being suitably lazy while E lapped up time with the family we don't see so much, then onto Round 3 on Boxing Day for lunch with 'Grauntie' (my mum's sister) and more lovely gifts before returning home and then scratching our heads about where on earth everything would go and how we were going to cope next Christmas with gifts for our two children. Minor palpitations.

If I'm not fortunate enough having a husband who just loves being a dad and does an amazing job of it, he also went over the top with gifts for me, the crowning glory a new lens for my camera and a tripod...  You can expect a deluge of photographs over coming weeks, starting now, with a brief Christmas round-up.

Peace on earth

We are home from a quiet and calm Christmas at my dad's in Norfolk. 

We were all thoroughly spoiled and have no inclination to eat anything for the next week... And purely selfishly, a Christmas out of the kitchen was just wonderful!

Hoping you all had a merry one too and that you're able to take some time to relax and enjoy the peace now the big day has passed.

Silent Sunday

Preparing, greeting and beyond

Lots of guest posting for me during December, which is such a pleasure!

Today I'm absolutely over the moon to be over at The Oliver's Madhouse, talking about my top ten things I wish I'd known as a first time parent.

Testing

My daughter took her first unaided steps just after Christmas last year. Two or three steps between furniture and such continued until February, when she just let go and never looked back. She gets around on foot. Most of the time. Maybe I've been spoiling her and carrying her out of convenience and speed. Who knows.

This week we reached breaking point. Yesterday she point blank refused to walk to the park (circa two minutes at toddler speed) and I refused to carry her.

E planks on a wet pavement and screams for five minutes, unbothered by the fact that I am still on my way to the park. Proper face down, covered-in-mud-kind-of-planking. People walked by chuckling at the stand off between two incredibly stubborn Aries women. Eventually I gave in, put her in the car and went home. So much for making the most of my Fridays off and dry weather. 

I needed a plan. I resisted Dr Google for this one, however, and tough mum is out of the box. A kiddo somewhere between the 98th and 99th, by the age of 20 months weighs in excess of two stone. I cannot carry two stone and be 28 weeks pregnant. She has legs and can walk. End. So as of 7am this morning the "no carry" rule was enforced Chez Thursday's Child. Mostly successful. I am feeding her more fruit shaped snacks to keep her hunger induced grumpiness at bay and some bribery and coercion is needed. 

But we managed an early morning trip to the park, 99.9% on foot. I am sad that the colours of autumn are gone, but I do love an early winter morning. E enjoyed the ducks, the puddles and the swings. 

Let's hope that 99.9% is a figure we can stick to. Day one has set high expectations...

Baby movements - Friday's Thoughts are elsewhere.

This week I'm thrilled to be blogging as a a guest over at Wriggly Rascals about baby movements with some tips about what to do to get your baby moving.

I'd love it if you could pop over and have a read, and maybe even share your experiences of baby movement too.

Happy Friday!

Festivity

Cabin fever was setting in after a few days at home with a poorly kiddo.

Our tree went up last weekend and is decorated, but our beloved wreath disintegrated last year and we hadn't yet replaced it so inspired by Mummy Rawles' early start and dedication to Christmas tree picking this morning, we headed over to Welford Christmas Tree Farm to buy a wreath, see some animals and enjoy a cheeky mulled wine.

I am sorely regretting not having bought a real tree now. As we browsed the trees, some still growing, the smell of Christmas and the wonderful buzz of anticipation and preparation surrounded us. No one seemed stressed, they were just enjoying the magic that the tree farm had to offer. 

The farm offers a small selection of animals to see, including a donkey who will take your tree to your car for you, some free festive crafting for children, a wonderful little shop selling decorations and lovely Christmas gifts (supplying complimentary mince pies, mulled wine and jelly beans for fussier pallets) and if you're there at the right time, the opportunity to meet Santa. Good old fashioned festive cheer in the outdoors, mud and all. Obviously it's a business, but there's nothing commercial about the way it feels. Just lovely. And the excitement resulted in E's first muddy-knees-and-muddy-bum-with-no-spare-trousers situation. Perfect. I would highly recommend a visit

I ended up buying a plain wreath and spent this afternoon decorating it. I'm so pleased with it! Remember my post about festive traditions? Without even thinking about it, we just started another... 

Overjoyed that we got out to link up with #countrykids and #magicmoment this week.

I'm trying to be more savvy with Facebook, I'd love it if you could join me over there too!