As I write this, I'm sat on a train with Chris on our way to London. We are attending my first event that I've been invited to through writing this blog
That means no children for us for an entire afternoon and evening. While I've been super excited for this, I've also been rather apprehensive. I've left Abi whilst we've had date night and other social events many times before, but other than 4 hours when she was 4 weeks old, I've not yet left Isabel for this length of time, or been so far away from her. Separation anxiety is at an all time high right now. It's been just over an hour and I've text my mum twice already... Judge all you want but it's true. When Abi was a week old I was readmitted to hospital for a few hours and we were unable to take Abi with us so my mum had her. It was the hardest night of my life but it did do me some good because I started to feel comfortable with being away from her. Chris and me enjoyed a few quick (I mean really bloody quick) date nights before Abi was 12 weeks old and it really did us good. But this time with Isabel it has been completely different. I have definitely struggled to leave Isabel. Even if I leave her with Chris for just 10 minutes while I pop to the shops, I find myself feeling a mix of anxiety and guilt. It's definitely subsided in recent weeks, hence leaving her with my lovely mum today so we can attend this event but it's not been easy. There are two things that have made it a little easier to do though and that's knowing I'll have a whole afternoon and evening with just Chris complete with no interruptions from a small child! And the opputunity to wear something that won't be covered in baby sick within an hour. I've also bothered to do my hair and apply actual make up- not a mum bun or greasy face in sight! I'm also planning on having an alcoholic beverage for the first time in over year too which really does soften the heartache of not having my littlest love attached to my hip! I'll no doubt be texting my mum repeatedly though throughout the entire day, like I said it's been twice so far in less than hour so who knows how many more as the afternoon continues! I really didn't expect to be as emotional as I have been when it comes to leaving Isabel but I am enjoying just how relaxed I am (when I say relaxed I mean I'm sat in peace and quiet and not being pestered by any little people... Just chris) When you spend all your time being a mum (which I LOVE) it is incredibly easy to forget how to be yourself and enjoy time without the children. It's also amazing how easily you forget what it's like to be sat in silence and pee in peace! How did you cope when leaving your new baby for the first time? Did you struggle with your subsequent babies more than your first? Let me know! Jess X
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On May 31st my little love will be 4.
I can't believe I've even just typed that. How is she 4 already? Abi has taught me a lot since I first got that positive pregnancy test. The first thing being that you really can love something so much it hurts. She's also taught me that you can ruin someone's entire day by giving them the wrong spoon... As I write this, she's sprawled out on the sofa watching Pokemon with the rain bashing against our windows. A stark contrast to this time 4 years ago where I was probably waddling around counting down the days till her arrival and devouring an entire box of cereal with 6 pints of milk in the garden. The last 4 years have been so many different things - exciting, fun, scary and testing. I would honestly say some of my hardest days have been in the last 4 years- those first time mum new born days to name a few. The love I've felt for Abi since the day she was placed in my arms is beyond anything I have ever felt before. And each day it's grown and grown into a love that's all consuming. I would literally do anything for my darling daughter. She's grown into the kindest soul, full of love (and naughtiness) and is forever willing to make new friends and experience new things. The last year she's come into her own, she's become my bestest friend, more than she ever was before. Some days she was the only person I saw when I was so poorly with Isabel and she never once misbehaved. She was my Little Rock, my little play mate. The person who kept me sane. I remever when I was first pregnant and I was being sick, she walked into the bathroom held my hair and rubbed my back. She held me together when some days I was pretty close to curling up in a ball and going into some sort of hibernation! Since Isabel has arrived she's been the greatest big sister anyone could ever ask for. It makes my heart hurt watching her dote on her baby sister and show her off. She can't get enough of her and I truly believe she will forever be like this and really be the greatest sister. Despite my nurotic tendencies, Abi is adventurous and fearless when it comes to animals. She is true little wildling and I fully expect she will be busting our chops for a dog (she already does!) and a horse by the time she's 10. Her love for her ballet is sensational and for a child who has no attention span, we ask ourselves every week how she manages to focus for a solid hour at her lessons. It's because she loves it so much and seeing her smile away in her tutu is beautiful. She is a kind and loving soul who could make friends with a corpse. She loves everyone and everything and I hope she always stays that way, while protecting her heart and feelings of course. Her naughty days are few and far between and despite me feeling like sometimes she's out to ruin me and upset me, I know she's not. Her naughty ways are just typical toddler behaviour and we really are lucky to have such a well behaved loving little girl. I know that in 10 or 15 years she will read this and probably die of embarrassment and I'll Prepare myself for that! But for now, while it's not embarrassing for her, I will scream and shout from the rooftops how proud I am of my baby girl, the little human who taught me the true meaning of love. Who taught me that no matter how hard life gets, there's always a little person who is your biggest fan! Happy 4th birthday Abigail Marlie. I'll love you forever and a day, to the moon and back and more than anything in the world. When Isabel was born, the lovely people who Chris gets to call his collegues all rallied together and brought us a Babies'r'us Voucher for £100... I was ecstatic. You wouldn't think it with my pretty lose purse strings, but I'm quite tight when it comes to spending money on things that our children will outgrow within a matter of weeks. BUT this gift meant I could go a bit wild in my fave place... Abi had a pretty boring play mat, Pink, flower shaped and had a few dangly things that I'll be honest, bored me just looking at it. But we were given it by a family friend so was free and Abi enjoyed it for at least 10 minutes a day until she was about 6 months old. When Isabel arrived I got it out the loft and surprise, the high maintenance baby that we had lovingly brought into the world hated it. At only 2 weeks old I think she was actually disgusted that we, her parents, had tried to get her to entertain herself on something so boring. Fast forward a week and we received the voucher, Chris being Chris suggested we wait until we needed something, like weaning things and other practical baby related items. Me being me ignored his idea and headed straight to Babies'r'us and their ginormous play mat section. I wont lie, I spent over an hour picking up every mat they had and reading the description and actually googling some review while there. I'm fairly certain the staff were a bit suspicious of me at one point... I had quite a lot of criteria that I needed this play mat to match, not too big, not to boisterous, some sounds, and finally not so expensive we need to re-mortgage the house... There was one that ticked all these boxes and one extra... The Bright starts Light up Lagoon! First things first, the price. We paid £35 and if I'm honest I really do think that's a perfect price for this play mat, and you get a much better product than you expect. It is also the perfect size. There is plenty of room for Isabel to attempt to roll over and also for Abi and me to lay under it with her when we all want to play. At this point I hear people asking why I would want to lay under the mat as well and that's easy, Its relaxing. Not only does it have two different sound options- nursery rhymes and rainforest/water sounds. There is also some pretty great lights in the canopy of the mat. The lights combined with the sounds (more so the rainforest/water) is incredibly soothing for me as an adult so it must be even nicer for a baby. Isabel often falls asleep while on there! Both music features are great and not annoying either, they are subtle and like I said, relaxing. There are also 2 volume levels which means it doesn't have to be overbearingly loud!
Another great feature is that after 25 minutes the music and lights turn themselves off which is perfect for if Isabel falls asleep! It does however mean that if she hasn't fallen asleep and is still happy playing on it, we have to stop what we are doing and turn it back on immediately! It comes with 3 toys that hang off of the canopy and a mirror as well as an extra hoop for the 4th space on the canopy that we have actually hung the mirror off of a few times. As well as the toys it comes with a cushion that is designed to help with the all important tummy time. Its a great addition and has certainly helped to improve Isabel's enjoyment of something that Up until we got the mat, she wasn't a fan of! Like everything that babies come into contact with, it gets pretty dirty with sick and dribble. Thankfully it washes up perfectly and remains in great condition and doesn't fade at all. The Light up Lagoon is definitely my favourite baby purchase to date. It is great value for money and it has given Isabel hours of fun and entertainment since we brought it. We obviously got ours from Babies'r'us but it is available online and at several different retail stores! I was so disappointed to find out that there was actually a Bright starts lullaby lagoon rocker which is basically a bouncer with the amazing light up canopy, but unfortunately after hours of searching I don't think its available anymore! For any one expecting, or for anyone who is looking for a new play mat I would 100% recommend the light up lagoon. Its perfect in every way and I truly cannot fault it. Jess X When you become a parent for first time, it is pretty easy to take everything you read, or hear, as gospel. From breast is best to Co-sleeping, there are so many different opinions on appropriate care and parenting styles its easy to become confused and make a wrong decision for you as an individual.
One of the biggest things that concerned me and caused me more stress and worry than anything else when I first had Abi was the dreaded 8 week jabs. In brief, from 8 weeks your baby can have 3 jabs and an oral solution that ultimately protects them from tetanus, Meningitis B, sickness and diarrhoea (also known as rotavirus) diphtheria, whooping cough, polio and pneumococcal disease. There are also 2 more lots of jabs at 12 weeks and 16 weeks. If you for any reason are a bit behind on your jabs, for example Isabel has only just had her 8 week jabs at 12 weeks as she was sick then its actually no issue at all. There just has to be 4 weeks between visit. Anyway... I was terrified of Abi having the jabs for no other reason than I knew she would cry. But when I was researching and looking for hints and tips on how to lessen the horrible effects of the jabs I was astounded to find that a lot, and I mean ALOT of parent's are completely against these immunisations. I found myself reading pages and pages of parent's who had awful experiences with their first childs jabs so refused to allow subsequent children to have them (which you are completely within your rights too!) From such high temperatures that their children were hospitalised to some people blaming the immunisations for their children's disabilities. The list was endless to peoples reasoning. As a first time mum reading this a couple of days before I was due to take my first born, it was safe to say I was terrified. I found myself in a complete state of panic at all the possible horrific outcomes, all the while knowing in the back of my mind that everyone in our families had had them and they were all fine. Eventually I realised I was being foolish and went to our appointment where I had to endure Abi wailing in agony at just 8 weeks old because of the horrid needle. BUT she got over it and so did I (eventually) and she fell asleep for hours and woke up like nothing had happened. Barely a sniffle of a temperature and that was the last we heard of it. She did the exact same at her 12 and 16 week jabs too. For some reason, I have been a lot more worried about Isabel having them than I was with Abi. I think its probably because of the pregnancy and her first few months being testing that I feel slightly more protective. But when she was 9 weeks old, we headed off to the surgery only to be sent away because little Miss B had a temperature. We were rebooked in for 2 weeks time and that was that. The nurse who does all the immunisations at our surgery is really lovely and it made me feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed. Before she sent us back home she gave me all the paperwork I needed so I could read before our next visit and be prepared. It is only in the last year or so they have added the MenB immunisation, and that along with the tetanus causes the baby to have quite torrid time for roughly 24- 48 hours I was told. So for 2 weeks I certainly worked myself up. Our next appointment rolled around and when we got there Isabel was a dream, smiling, cooing and being the biggest cutie pie, which made me feel worse because I knew that those smiles would vanish in a minute. There were two nurses doing the jabs unlike with Abi where there was just one. This meant that they could do both legs at the same time and therefore 1, didn't give Isabel chance to thrash away and know what was happening and 2, it was over and done with a hell of a lot quicker. By far the worst part of the jabs is your baby screaming the surgery down, hearing their heart breaking screams and not being able to help them understand and that is quite frankly, shit. But they do get over it pretty quick because that's the great thing about babies, they are pretty resilient to pain at this age. Abi and Isabel have been so different so far so I was not at all surprised that Isabel reacted completely differently to Abi. For one, where Abi slept all day and all night and only woke for feeds, Isabel didn't even entertain the idea of a nap... That being said she was In a great mood. Barely any tears and full of smiles, and other than be a lot more clingy that usual (by this I mean screaming if I left her sight and needing me to be touching her at every second) she was herself. The nurse however really wasn't lying when she said that the Men B could cause a horrible temperature. At one point she reached 39.5 degrees out of nowhere but after some stripping down (urine all over the carpet and sofa) and some calpol it came right back down again. The great British weather also decided to finally act like summer to and as well the jabs giving her a temperature, we also had highs of 26 which of course made her worse. She woke up the next day with a bit of a rash on her face which is a combination of the immunisations and the heat but it really hasn't bothered her at all. Although our post immunisation experiences have been pretty easy compared to many others, I thought I would share a couple of things that I did that I think definitely helped us. Specially with the MenB temp! 1- Calpol First of all, before you even get the jabs, a dose of calpol just before your appointment. The nurse actually suggested it and it really helped. Her temperature didn't shoot up like it tends to and I think it helped her a little with any pain! Just before we left I gave Isabel a dose of 2.5ml (she spat a lot out but the tiniest amount will help) and that was that. Her next dose coincided perfectly with her next feed too so that made it a lot easier to give her some when her temperature was high and she really needed it. 2- Minimal clothes To help with any temperature spikes (especially in the summer) strip your baby down. Both the girls jabs have been in the Summer months and both times, as soon as we got home I put them in just a vest. Their temperatures can shoot up really quickly so unless its freezing cold, just a vest should stop it from spiking too high too quickly and reduce any risks associated with high temperatures. 3-BATHS! If your little one loves bath time like Abi and Isabel then a nice splash should really help them feel happy and if they are feeling particularly rough it should distract them for at least 5 minutes! With both Abi's jab's and Isabel's a bath has really helped to cool them down and also settle them. If they have been a bit hot and sweaty it also should make them feel more comfortable. 4-Loose clothing If you cant spend all day at home or somewhere where you little one can remain in a vest all day then I cant recommend loose clothes enough. Especially around the thighs as that's where the injection site is. It causes quite a horrid bruise like in adults so its best to keep anything from rubbing on it. Loose clothing also helps with reducing any temperatures and keeps baby comfortable in general when they are feeling grumpy. 5- Naked bum time The rotavirus immunisation does cause some pretty horrible nappies, so as you can imagine their little bums get pretty sore pretty quick. I made sure that after every nappy change, be it just wee or poo, Isabel could be completely naked and have some air on her pretty uncomfortable toosh. I also applied some kokoso coconut oil and each time it protected her bum from getting too sore and dry. My last tip? Write off your entire day in advance. Every baby is different so you never know how they will react. They may sleep the entire day, they may scream the entire day. You never actually know so be prepared either way. Abi slept and was pretty easy. But Isabel, despite not screaming much, was so clingy I had to wee holding her... Not even joking. Your babies immunisations are the perfect excuse to spend the day cuddling and being lazy after all! Hopefully these are of some use to anyone reading... They certainly helped us! Jess X Before I had Abi, I never understood the whole children starting school scenario, as in I genuinely thought they just "get In" and there isn't any difficulty to it. And even after Abi was born, I didn't quite get it. I didn't understand why parents got so hung up on what school their children got into- I know that sounds completely stupid but bare with me.
I would often hear stories on the news of parents lying about their addresses and religious beliefs just to get their little ones into a specific school and that baffled me beyond belief. I'm a pretty nurotic parent- and everyone who knows me knows this! So when it came to choosing Abigail's nursery I did a lot of research and although we only visited one nursery before signing up her, that was purely because I knew that was where I needed our daughter to start her "school" Years. Fast forward 2 years and she's had the best start we could of asked for. Choosing her nursery was my first sort of understanding as to why parents get so obsessive about first schools. September 2016 I received the Email telling me it's time to apply- I'll be honest, and feel free to judge but I ignored the email and completely refused to believe it was time for my first baby, my little love who was just a bundle of fresh pink skin not 5 minutes ago to start school! I partly blame the fact I was pregnant and having a horrific time for this stupid behaviour but I also hold my hand up and admit it was denial. We attended a meeting at Abis nursery that helped explain the starting school process and I felt a lot better and really started to do my research. I had a pretty good idea of the school I would love her to attend but at this point I still wasn't obsessive. Unfortunately the open mornings coincided with days we couldn't attend but because of the power of the internet, from access to ofsted reports to honest mum reviews I had a pretty good idea. December rolled around pretty quick and I finally plucked up the courage to apply for three schools. Our first choice was the school that I could really see Abi going to and I loved, but I knew it was extremely popular so wasn't counting my chickens and fully expected to have it declined. During all my research I found that each school has its flaws. Not one school was completely perfect. There will always be families that aren't to your personal taste and there will always be aspects to a schools approach to learning etc that you don't agree with. Which is why I personally never have and never would have an opinion on a school nor would I criticise someone for attending a specific school. When we found out we had gotten into our first choice I was shocked and I'll be honest, cried a little with happiness. It was then that I realised that actually, I do kind of get why some parents get so hung up on school admissions. On the day people found out, my Facebook, Instagram and twitter were awash with people who were thrilled at there school places and people who were upset and angry. And I can understand why- specially for those parents who got into a school 15 miles away that they didn't even apply for!!! (I still don't understand how they choose who goes where to be honest) Before we found out that we had gotten our place, we had began our search for a new home. Because of Chris's work, house prices and just general curiosity we had been looking towards Somerset. Only an hour down the road and therefore meaning we could still see our families and friends whenever we wanted. At this point I wasn't bothered about wether we have to change Abis school etc. Like I said above, I was still very much in the mind set that a school is a school and I couldn't fathom why parents get so hung up about it and as a 4 year old, Abi can adapt really well and would thrive even she had to make a big change... Then we got our school place at our first choice and suddenly my excitement at moving to a new place changed. I suddenly didn't want to move out of our beloved Verwood. The place we had started our family. I wanted our children to go to Verwood schools and grow up in Verwood. And most of all I couldn't possibly justify moving Abi and uprooting her at such a new and exciting time in her life. A few weeks down the line and we've decided that we want to stay where we are, in Verwood, in a bigger house admittedly, but in Verwood all the same. And why? Because of a bloody school!! That's right, in a matter of minutes I became a parent who is willing to drop all plans we've worked on for months for a school. We attended an introductory meeting at the school last night and I was secretly hoping I'd walk away feeling a bit less In love with the school and feeling like actually, I did want to move out of Verwood. But no. I walked away even more in love and even more adamant we must stay here and Abi has to go to this school. The teachers, the schools values, and the location of school fill my heart with so much excitement for Abi and what the future holds for her and her first years at a proper school. I walked away knowing that she would have the best possible start to her education and she would be able to thrive and be happy and continue to love attending school like she loves nursery. Chris also fell in love and he's actually harder to please when it comes to anything that concerns our littles more than I am. Since getting offered our place I am surprised at the competitive nature of some parents and I've been faced with some pretty "off" reactions when Ive said we are going because unfortunately their little ones didn't get in and they don't understand why we did. And I'll be honest, I'm sure I would of been the same had the circumstances been different. But I would of always been happy for the child and their family. Not angry, but I guess this is my first taste of the famous school ground competitiveness that comes from parents. Now that we are only a couple of months away from Abi starting school, I am really starting to feel a mixture of excitement and some worry as to how she will adapt and wether she will enjoy it- which I know she will because she keeps telling me she can't wait to go and asks everyday if we are going to big school yet. Abi loves new people, making friends and learning and I really can't wait to watch her develop and experience all the new things that come with school. My one bit of advice to any parents who will be starting their school journey for their little ones this year would be relax. Which is silly I know, but true. No matter how much research you do, open days you attend or wether you apply on sepetmeber 1st when the admissions first open, it won't make a big difference come April when your place is offered. Your child will thrive wherever they go. They will make friends, learn new skills and have fun, because when you're 4 years old it's easy! Now to start filling out our registration forms, ordering uniform and accepting that my little babe will be a school goer in 3 months!! Jess X When you're a mum, it's easy to forget to have some good quality time to yourself- partly because it's near on impossible to find 2 minutes to pee alone let alone an hour to bath, shave and moisturise. I am the worst for remembering that I'm more than just a mummy and recently I've really tried to make an effort and make some time for me. Of course that's easier said than done and like I said, finding time to shave or wash your hair is a task that's near impossible. When I do find myself with some time to get myself ready in more than just a mum bun and trackies or time to pamper myself (a shower will do!) I have a go to products which I thought I'd share. I'll start with my 3 bathtime products! When I do have time to shave (big emphasise on the WHEN) I go for some cheaper but good quality razors. My favourites at the moment are the Wilkinson sword Xtreme3 beauty. They come on a pack of 4 and for ladies on maternity pay who may have a smaller budget for such things they are perfect. They are great quality and by far the best disposable razor I've used. There is nothing better than applying a face mask and enjoying a bath and I'm certain I've mentioned it before but I really do rate this- The origins clear improvement clay face mask is my absolutely favourite. It leaves your skin feel healthy and fresh and you do notice an improvement after first use. It's also super easy to apply and remove which Is always an added bonus. It is a little bit pricey but worth every penny as a little goes a long way so lasts what feels like forever! There is nothing better than a good body scrub after a shave and my go to is the Calcot Manor perfect day body scrub. It's such great value for money and it does a great job of really exfoliating your skin and leaving it feeling smooth and soft! It also smells AMAZING which is always a bonus! If I find myself with more time on my hands and somewhere to be that isn't the doctors, I do love to apply some proper make up (proper for me anyway, it's actually bare minimum!) my day to day make is the no.7 intelligent colour and I love it. But my proper make up is actually Arbonne. It's taken me so long to find a primer and foundation that doesn't leave me feeling a bit cakey and I'm so happy I invested in the Arbonne perfect liquid foundation and the make up primer. Both are super light but also buildable for different variations of coverage depending on my mood and at no point does my skin feel suffocated. I've also found that since wearing it my skin has much less breakouts as it's so light but still offers the same, if not better coverage. In keeping with the make up routine vibe my next mummy must have is the Benefit They're Real mascara. I love it. Again, I've been through so many mascaras and this one is by far my favourite. It stays put and it doesn't leave me looking like a panda by the end of the day. It's also so easy to apply and is buildable so depending on my mood or tasks for the day I can either have subtle lashes or big spiders as Abi calls them! I can't have a full pamper make up look without a great blusher/ highlighter and my all time favourite is the New CiD I-glow in ice pop. It's incredible and matches my quite pale skin perfectly. It really highlights my cheek bones (which with my current weight gain are pretty much invisible) and really sets off my make up look! When applying my full make up I use the real techniques brushes which I can't fault. For my foundation I use the foundation brush which is perfect for applying my foundation without leaving horrid brush strokes. And for my blusher/highlighter I use the duo fibre face brush which is the best for applying a light layer of my blusher and not making me look clown like... My ultimate mummy time must have is my Kindle. I love reading and this is amazing. It was such a great investment and it's not only used for my books but also lots of Apps for Abi and is perfect to take on holiday and car journeys so she can amuse her self! So there you have it, my time to myself must haves.
Now just to work on actually having time to myself some more and making time to apply my make up with a bit more effor- mumlife at its finest! Jess X I can't believe Isabel is 3 months old already!
I'm posting this when she's actually 11 weeks old because I actually have time- unusual I know! The last 3 months have been pretty rough on our littlest love, with her cows milk protein allergy which saw us in hospital, silent reflux rearing its ugly head and horrible sore and dry skin. But that hasn't stopped her being an absolutely superstar full of smiles and she really is thriving! I have been dreading taking her to get weighed because I've been pretty worried that she isn't gaining enough weight. It sounds really silly but I couldn't face going to her weighed and be told we had another thing to worry about. But I stopped being an absolute worry wart and took this week. While we were there she was actually sick a few times and the health visitor commented on how much it was. She also pre warned me that in her experience, if she's that sick after every feed then we should expect little weight gain. WELL Isabel Bolton surprised us again and weighs a whopping 12.5lbs at 12 weeks!! The health visitor was super happy with her weight gain but also with how alert she is and how strong she is. At only 12 weeks, Isabel is already pretty eager to be able to get close to Abi and join in with what she's doing. There's been a couple of occasions where I've come back in the lounge and she's rolled onto her side and has complete swivelled around- none of this Abi even contemplated till she was about 6 months! As exciting as it is to see her progressing like it, selfishly I'm also wishing it would slow a little so I can make the most of our littlest love! Already Isabel is very VERY vocal. In her sleep she's noisey but when she's awake she's a constant little chatterbox complete with groaning and bubble blowing. I'm hoping that unlike Abi, Isabel's first word will be Mumma!! Unlike Abi, Isabel seems to be already teething and it's definitely bothering her. We didn't even know Abi was teething until she was 8 months old and she bit my finger... That was it. She never cried or had any signs of teething and that's how it stayed throughout. But Isabel is already very different, she's dribbling like a bull dog and chews her hand like she hasn't eaten since she was born. She also has nappy rash which comes with her milk allergy but has certainly been worse since the suspected teething began! In the last few weeks we've seen Isabel's Silent reflux really start to bother her and have had a few horrible days full of her screaming hysterically with nothing that will even touch the surface of consoling her. Luckily the doctor upped her gaviscon dose and touch wood she seems to be a bit better. Her skin has also healed and cleared really well and she finally has beautiful baby soft skin (special shout out to Aveeno baby!!) It's taken 12 weeks but Isabel is really starting to look like Abi. Albeit she has darker hair and eyebrows and her eyes are ALOT bigger but they are so similar. I'm really hoping they look quite alike but Abi has lighter hair and Isabel has darker hair! One of the best bits of this update will be me telling you that she now either sleeps through the night or wakes up once for a feed at around 2am, which ill happily accept. Because Abi doesn't leave her alone it does mean that her day time napping isn't as good but we are getting there. I'm just happy to have atleast 5 hours of sleep at night that's uninterrupted- i say that but I still wake up every 2 hours and check she's ok! I really can't believe it's been 12 weeks already and how much she's growing up (as silly as that sounds!) It also feels like she's been here forever and I can't remember what it was like before she finally entered the world and joined our family. I really didn't think it would be possible to love another little girl as much as I love Abi but I really do. They are the greatest little blessings in my life and together they really break my heart. They already have the greatest bond and I love it! Here's a few pictures of the last few weeks! Enjoy... One of the greatest things about pregnancy is feeling your baby kick and watching your belly move. When I was pregnant with Abi she would kick throughout the day but I never experienced the alien like belly movements! Isabel was a very different story and she had set routine of movements from 20 weeks and from 24 you could see her moving around my belly. I had a few days throughout my pregnancy where her routine of movements would change and I would be in a panic until I felt her move again. I would try everything- a nice cold glass of squash, a sugary cup of tea and laying on my side and giving her a good poke. They always worked and got her moving and I never had to worry about calling up and asking to be monitored to often. The couple of times I did though, as soon as I was hooked up to the monitor you could guarantee she would start having a party in there and I would feel a bit silly for wasting their time. But the midwifes at Salisbury were incredible and never made me feel stupid or like a time waster. When I was 37 weeks and Isabel's movements started to really change, One lovely lady actually explained that you should never ever wait to see if they start moving and if you feel their movements have changed, be that they completely stop or they slow down, you should always go in to be checked straight away. As the Mumma carrying the baby you know best. That really reassured me and I'm sure if she hadn't said that I would probably of had a very different last week of pregnancy. If you've read my birth story of Isabel, you'll know that when I was 38 weeks and 4 days Isabel stopped moving. I actually have a video of her last ever movements and I do have a little internal cry when I watch it. We spent a week in and out of hospital before the decision was finally made to induce me. At first, even though I couldn't feel her moving, the monitors could still pick up some movements but by the end of the week she had completely stopped. It's a really scary and horrible feeling when you're constantly in fear that something is wrong. Despite being monitored an hour every day the week leading up to her arrival as soon as I was taken off the machine I would feel terrified and literally count down the minutes until the next day when I'd hear her heartbeat again. You should be able to feel your baby move right up until they are born and with Abi I was feeling her move while I was in the throws of labour. It's a pretty common misconception that as you approach babies arrival your babies movements should reduce if not completely stop but that's not true at all. Tommys has a campaign about the importance of foetal movements and it really helped me to feel at ease and understand the importance of taking note of what's normal for your baby. Every baby is different, just like every pregnancy so never compare! I would really reccomend heading over to the tommys website and checking out there campaign video if you're an expectant Mumma... https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/symptom-checker/baby-moving-less/movements-matter We were lucky and fortunately Isabel was born healthy and happy- admittedly with a poorly foot which they do suspect is one of the reasons she may of stopped moving as her foot was stuck in my rib. (That also explained why for the last week of my pregnancy I was in some serious discomfort in the rib area) I often ask myself what if I had ignored my concerns in fear of wasting the hospitals time? It could of been a completely different story and that does scare me. Remember that you know your body, and unborn baby best. If you feel movements have changed, be it stopped, slowed down or even increased always call to seek professional advice. And never think to yourself 'I'll just wait till morning'. So much can change in a very short space of time when it comes to pregnancy and you should never take the risk. Expecting a baby is one of the most worrying times for a women, albeit the happiest. Which I think is why sometimes we don't like to worry other people in fear of wasting their time of even confirming your own fears. Always listen to your heart and head and always get checked out if you're concerned. If it hadn't been for the caring and calm nature of the wonderful midwives at Salisbury hospital we probably wouldn't have this little pickle as happy and healthy as she is... Trust your mumstincts!
Jess X Since getting our National Trust membership, we have stuck to our old faithful Kingston Lacy. The great thing about the National Trust sites is that there is so much to see that they never get boring, so revisiting the same one is great fun every time. This week we decided to travel further a field and we headed to Mottisfont near Romsey. When we left it was quite overcast and after a night of heavy rain there was a chill in the air. We put on our jumpers and jeans and Abi was wearing her welly boots expecting lots of muddy puddles and more rain by the looks of the sky... When we arrived it was a completely different story and we actually spent the day being a tad hot! It took us 30 minutes to get there and it was a really easy drive up the motorway and through some beautiful villages. Mottisfont is tucked away and for somewhere so big and beautiful we questioned how we had never known about this place before. Mottisfont is actually an Abbey set in some beautiful grounds and gardens with walks and plenty of places to sit and relax and enjoy a picnic. The walks around Mottisfont are incredible and full of so much to see and even do. There is a fantastic play park, which admittedly was my neurotic mum brains worst idea but it is so much fun for children. It's made entirely of logs and wood and it really encourages children to step out of their comfort zone when playing as its not your ordinary play equipment that you find at your local park. As well as the play park, they have an amazing pump, pool and paddle area where children (and adults I'm sure) can splash and play. It's a great way to encourage children to again, go out of there comfort zone and also a perfect way to cool off when it's hot! It's all perfectly safe and there's some benches for the grown ups to sit and watch! There is a fantastic walk along the river which is beautiful. Its such a perfect scene with the fish in the river, beautiful views with gorgeous flowers and the sounds of water and birds. One of the best things about the National Trust locations is that the majority are pushchair/pram friendly which is essential for families. There is also plenty of places for little legs to rest, which is also essential for toddlers who you can guarantee will suffer with some sort of 'my legs are broken' plea at least once during your visit- Or is that just our little menace that does that? Unfortunately there is currently a sewage issue in the Mottisfont walled garden so the flowers weren't in the best of condition, but they were still absolutely beautiful. Abi loved walking around and sniffing all the different flowers, for a 4 year old she really does love wondering around gardens and admiring all the different flowers and plants. It's so relaxing in the walled garden and we could of easily sat and chilled out for hours but Abi couldn't wait to wonder around some more and explore. Mottisfont is a truly beautiful day out and has fun for all the family, the young, old and four legged! Which is another great thing about National Trust- they are all dog friendly. As you walk around it feels like you're in a completely different world as it's so peaceful and calm, and the views are breath taking. I would definitely recommend a visit to Mottisfont if your based in or around the Hampshire/Dorset area, it's worth a trip just for the amazing ice cream they sell! I went for salted caramel and I would honestly say it was one of the best ice creams I have ever had! Chris had Lotus biscoff flavour which was also amazing and Abi had Strawberry which was super tasty. Our National Trust membership has been one of our best purchases in a long time, and I'll be the first to admit that I was a little apprehensive. I have always underestimated just how much each National Trust location has to offer and since starting our membership and visiting I've been astounded by just how much beauty there is in one place. I can't wait for the weather to properly warm up so we can make the most of these great places and everything they have to offer. Here are a few more pictures of our day... If you haven't already I would highly recommend investing in an annual membership for the National Trust. Its such great value for money and like I've said a million times, there is so much to offer every member of the family at each location! Fresh air, beauty and amazing facilities are at every destination which means an amazing day out for the whole family.
Jess X Yesterday Abi woke up with a horrific cold, and Isabel was a bit iffy too! So we spent our Sunday being pretty lazy and relaxing and pottering around the house. Abi woke up this morning feeling a bit better and seemed a lot more chipper so we decided to blow out the cobwebs and start our week the right way with a walk around hengitsbury head. If you live down Dorset way then I'm sure you've heard it. It's a beautiful coastal walk and is perfect for blowing away the cobwebs because it's always windy! We put on our 'running' shoes as Abi calls them and got in the car! It's actually pretty sunny so Isabel was showing off some her new summery clothes- not that you could see them once she was in her carrier and wrapped up in her trusty grey cardigan to protect her from the wind! Like everywhere you have to pay for parking, and as usual I had absolutely no change on me! But luckily there was plenty of parking on the road so that crisis was averted. It wasn't actually as cold as I expected but like I said above, it was pretty windy. We walked to the beach and spent half an hour searching for shells and playing in the sand. Isabel took a while to settle in her carrier (she's not the biggest fan but I think that's because she's so nosey and likes to look around- I'm hoping she will like it once she can face forward!). We started to head back after about 45 minutes because Abi started to say she was tired and her legs hurt but she walked back like a super star and didn't complain once, though I do think the fact that an old lady with a pug was walking with us helped a little. She is now adamant she wants one, so chris if you're reading this, I apologise but it looks like it's Mumma like daughter on this one haha!! Unfortunately Abi went a bit down hill on the way home and it appears her cold has no where near gone. She's currently crashed out the sofa and shows no signs of waking up anytime soon- something she only does when poorly. So it's an afternoon of cuddles and relaxing for the little wildling. I grew up going to hengitsbury head and every time I go I remember why I love it so much. Especially on days like today where the sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky. I got a little emotional as we were walking around as I realised that I last time I was there, I was heavily pregnant with Isabel, and purely walking to get her out! It felt great starting our week with a lovely walk and it's put me in a great mindset for the week ahead. Now to add some healthy eating once our shopping arrives tomorrow and some excerise and I'm well on my way to my new healthy life style (as I write this I'm drinking a cup of tea and eating biscuits...) Here are a few pics of our little walk! Have a great week!
Jess X |