Dolls and Babies - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Ok so at two we were in the dinosaur phase, at two and a half we entered the Disney Princess phase and now added to that we have just entered the baby phase. Every day I pick Honey up from school we have the exact same conversation. Me - "Hi darling did you have a nice time at school? What did you do today?" Honey - "I played with babies." That's it. Every. Single. Day. Which is a little more info than before, "I played with toys" (no sh*t Sherlock) which I've had every previous day.

Anyway, babies, I have vivid memories of my mum buying me my first baby. I must have been about four, we got all dressed up, and just the two of us went into Brighton for the day, we must have ditched my brother somewhere. I specifically remember begging my mum for a lovely baby with long hair, not very realistic obviously, and my mum explaining babies do not have long hair so why don't I chose a more realistic baby. I probably had a huge screaming tantrum because I left the shop with a baby with knee length hair. Anyway, in this vein, and since Honey has become obsessed with babies (and ramming them up my top so I have a baby in my tummy), I decided to buy her a nice doll with long hair. Big mistake. I bought her this doll from Argos Dream Toys, I don't know what I was thinking. Not only has it got a hideous Peppa Pig outfit on, which Honey actually wants to wear, it is absolutely huge. Like nearly the same size as Honey. It's so freaky even Honey doesn't like it. In fact she really, really, really doesn't like it. It's so scary it's rammed in the bottom of a toy box and will probably never see the light of day (I did manage to bribe her with a juice for you all to see it though!)

To make up for it Bea is getting a Baby Annabel for Christmas (see bottom). They are sweet little French babies that cry and wee and do all that gross stuff, her bff has one and she goes on about Baby Annabel all the time so at least I know she'll like this one. In the mean time though, and if you're looking for any Christmas doll type presents, we do have a little baby from the ELC, which must be naked at all times, and which she sleeps with everynight, she adores it. We also have a super freaky Rapunzel styling head from the Entertainer which she can plait the hair of and paint the nails etc. See below. Warning though, do not leave it anywhere sitting up, I've nearly given myself a heart attack when walking into a room to be confronted by this staring at me.

Our current favourite doll/ baby selection

Baby Annabel

The Natural History Museum

Honey is obsessed with dinosaurs, really really obsessed. Potty training involves watching Jurassic park on the iPad, (the scary T-Rex bits not the namby pamby Triceratops bits,) and any walk anywhere always ends up hunting for dinosaurs in bushes and behind trees. So a trip to The Natural History Museum has been on the cards for a while.
I haven't been for about ten years and it did not disappoint. The dinosaur section has been completely redone, the main event being a moving, roaring, giant animatronic model of a Trex at the end of a walkway, which roams over the top of huge skeletons of a Camarasaurus and a Diplodocus. Honey loved it, and we had to sneak back in to see the Trex so she could watch it's fearsome roaring until we finally dragged her away. The whole thing was hugely interactive for children with lots to see and do and despite being packed didn't seem crowded or rushed.
Another point to mention is that the museum is free entry, which is a rare thing on a family day out. We did gladly make up for this in the museum shop however. The baby changing facilities were clean, easy and always free, and there were lots of very helpful staff ready to point us to where we wanted to go. One of which pointed out that due to huge queues at the main entrance you can walk straight in round the side through the smaller Exhibition Road entrance where there is rarely ever a queue.

The whole day was a delight and I am sure we will be heading back for another dinosaur hunt again very soon.

For more info see the Natural History Museum's website here.

French Plaits

When I was little I used to shamelessly make my poor mama (or god mother, or anyone else who could) plait my hair so I looked like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. In fact, so obsessed was I with said hairstyle I learnt pretty quick to do it myself. I was so good at french plaits that by the time I went to Primary School I used to have queues of girls waiting for me to braid their hair before any school swimming/ gymnastics/ play or any event. I used to endlessly plait my poor pony's mane and tail, I religiously went to Pony Club and gymkhanas for this reason alone. However by the time I turned fourteen, I noticed boys and started focusing more on Take That, the obsession with plaits ended. It just wasn't cool anymore, and my skills have stayed hidden away for fifteen years.

That is until Honey's hair became long enough for me to french plait it. Yay hooray, my inner Dorothy returned and now I can plait till my heart's content. Although I do have to bribe Honey to stay still long enough for me to actually brush her hair let alone plait it, thank goodness for Tangle Teezers.

So anyway, here she is plaited up, and looking pretty as a picture (actually the above french plait has been slept in, worn for a whole day and had a hat on it, hence the mess). In defence of my obsession they are in fact incredibly practical, when wearing bunches or a ponytail her hair falls out all over the place and her hair resembles a birds nest within the hour, but with the wondrous french plait she stays relatively neat the whole day, if you ignore the crumbs on her face and jam smeared up her cheek that is.

WARNING: Attempting a french plait on a toddler must be done with great caution, make sure neither you or they are tired or hungry and they have Mr. Tumble or some chocolate buttons for distraction, or else you will never be able to make it look anything like a plait and chasing round a screaming toddler whilst pulling their hair any which way is not the most relaxing way to start the day.

Seven months

My youngest turned seven months last week, so I thought it only fitting that I dedicate a little post to the sweetest boy in the world.

At seven months old you have learnt to eat real big boy food, chicken stew and porridge being the favourites. You have grown one tooth, you have learnt to sit up all on your own, and you smile all the time. When you're full of cold, or just been woken up, or been hit over the head with a giant Peppa Pig, or had your toys stolen, you still smile. You have really ticklish toes, but they don't make you laugh as much as Honey bug playing "boo" with you. You always hold your arms out by your side, that combined with your sticky-out hair makes you look like a baby penguin.

You have your mummy's hair, your mummy's nose, your daddy's eyes, your daddy's dimple under your right eye, your daddy's calm and good nature, you daddy's height and even your daddy's big toes.

My darling little dude, I struggle to conceive how I could love more than I do, yet every passing day I love you more than the day before....

Weaning - Baby Led and Spoon Fed

So I have started weaning baby dude and it has been completely different second time round. As many of you know I had no clue about babies before Honey arrived, having never even changed a nappy before, which was probably why I was such an ardent Gina Ford'er. I liked having a set routine and rules, so I knew what to do, and so both of them got exactly what they needed, (not to mention both slept through from 11 weeks, but thats a different story) I digress. Anyway, being a much more confident mama second time round, weaning has been very different. First time around I followed Gina to the letter, she is very much spoon/puree led. This time round however I swatted up on The River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook by Nicki Duffy and have decided to go more baby led.

The River Cottage book in my opinion is the best baby weaning book out there, and I have read a lot. It is very much a mixture of puree and baby led, which makes complete sense to me, and progresses into really good recipes for the whole family. Not only does baby led seem more natural but also so much easier as the bambino can eat elements of our supper i.e. strips of chicken and steamed vegetables, rather than having to cook different meals every evening. Yet I like the idea of giving a bit of puree too so you know they are eating something and you can measure the amount they are eating a bit more. Research shows that babyled weaning leads to much less fussy eaters in the long run too, and I have had my fair share of problems with Honey. (After eating anything up until the age of 12 months old she then decided to refuse anything bar pasta and cheese see this post.)

So anyway, after the little dude not being a huge fan of baby rice, which incidentally doesn't even exist in France so French mamas don't use it, we thought we'd offer him a few sticks of cucumber while we ate dinner, WHICH HE LOVED. He literally sucked the cucumber to death for about 20 mins. Result! So going forward I think I will go half and half puree, he loves apple, pear and cauliflower, for lunch and baby led for dinner so he can join in and watch us eat. If he prefers one over the other I'll go with that but for now that's the plan. Will keep you all posted.

Please share any baby led weaning tips and favourite foods. xx

Lucky Boy Sunday and Maileg

Lucky Boy Sunday

Maileg

We all know there are gorgeous toys you buy your kids for aesthetic purposes which the bambinos aren't remotely interested in, and then there are the toys you buy you little darlings that they actually like i.e. brightly coloured cartoony type monstrosities. My youngest is five months and loves nothing better than gnawing on a Little White Company fluffy penguin but other than that it is plastic, flashing, noisy toys all the way, and the toddler has a million teddies all of which sit unloved on shelves and stuffed under beds. She is very attached to a huge hideous giant Disney piglet but other than that and a couple of short love affairs with a baby Gruffalo and grubby Peppa she's not hugely fussed. Yet I keep finding more to buy them.

Lucky Boy Sunday and Maileg are both Danish design companies high up on my soft toy wish list, which are definitely the in the toys for mummies category.

Lucky Boy Sunday create beautiful, almost sinister toys, cushions and blankets which are definitely more for the mamas than bubbas. Their work magically straddles the worlds of adults and children, the everyday and the unusual, bringing a poetic, artistic sensibility to both the living room and the children’s room. I love the Mr. Bell rattle (top left), which is also machine washable, bonus. The gorgeous crochet bunting balls have even inspired to me to start crocheting, (watch this space).
I have also fallen in love with the giant bunnies, lion and pirate rattles and little mice from Maileg.

If both babies weren't spoilt as much as they were this Christmas I may just have added to their collection, for now though I'll wait till birthdays to indulge my weakness.

A Week of Firsts

Not loving the baby rice

in the big girl bed

new mini hunters

This week has charted a few milestones in our household. Firstly the little dude has gone from the basinet part of the Bugaboo into his big buggy, which may not seem that significant but to me signals the end of the newborn stage to the big bouncy baby stage, and being a bit more robust when random toys go flying at him.
Secondly the honey bug has moved into her big bed out of her cot. This is big news, she is now officially a little girl and not a baby anymore *sob*. The best thing is it went relatively smoothly, without hitch and only one night of waking up, hurrah.
Thirdly the dude has started solids. Scary crazy and now definitely not a newborn. He hated and detested his first bowl of baby rice, screamed the house down at the first spoon, yet every day since can't get enough. Even though he's only just hit the five and a half month mark I decided to wean him a little early, (so shoot me health visitor busy bodies), it was the right thing for him. Not that I need to justify it but he drains 9oz bottles left right and centre (7/6oz is recommended) and chews anything that goes past his mouth. I'm currently swotting up on baby-led weaning. More weaning posts to come, bet you can't wait :-) So any baby-led weaning advice or tips would be greatly appreciated (Honey had puree Gina Ford weaning).

So big news on the baby front for the first week or so of the year, potty training is next on the list, heaven help me! Hope everyone else has had a good start to the year. x

Why it Takes Two Hours to Leave the House with Babies

I will never forget trying to explain to a friend of mine why I have no time since having babies, why I am always late and how some days I'm in my pyjamas till lunch time and never put make up on or have breakfast. From an outsiders point of view, and mine pre baby, it must be hard to comprehend what takes up all my time. Babies either sleep, a lot, or eat. To be honest looking back I can't believe how much spare time I did actually have, having two is like living in a circus.

So to all my non mummy friends here it is, a typical morning in the life of a mummy plus two trying to leave the house.

6am / 7am - get woken up by one or both babies singing/ laughing/ crying/ shouting
6.45am - change both babies nappies and clothes if covered in wee/ poo/ snot
7am - prepare and give bottles to both children, two cups of tea for mummy and daddy
7.20am - burp baby/ pacify screaming toddler who wants to be chased around the house
7.25am - change baby's baby grow after he's been sick all down it
7.30am - read toddler a book/ play with baby
7.45am - put toddler on naughty step for hitting baby/ stealing his toys
7.55am - try and cajole toddler downstairs for breakfast or do a strong man life and carry both downstairs at the same time
8am - give the toddler breakfast while baby is in bouncer, ram a piece of toast down your neck and take a slurp of tea which is now stone cold
8.15am - clean up toddlers breakfast which is now all over the kitchen floor
8.20am - change both babies nappies and get dressed for the day
8.30am - try and get everyone to clean their teeth/ brush hair and wash face
8.40am - get yourself dressed/ put make up on to cover huge dark circles so as not to scare the postman
8.45am - hold baby/ pacify screaming toddler who wants you to play with toys and not hold the baby
8.50am - wash and sterilise bottles ready for the day/ fill formula dispenser/ make toddler a packed lunch
9am - pack nappy bag for the day, spare clothes/ nappies/ wipes/ drinks/ toys/ bottles/ snacks
9.15am - put baby in car seat ready to leave the house and have a sleep
9.20am - chase toddler round trying to get coat and shoes on
9.30am leave the house

So there it is. This is just a couple of hours in the morning, it is like this all day until 7pm bedtime. If Honey is going to nursery this all has to be condensed and rushed along even more. Notice too I hadn't even factored in showering and doing my hair, mainly because I don't even know where to squeeze it in on paper let alone in real life.

If everything does go to plan as above then perfect, but as you can imagine it never does. It will always happen that when you are trying to leave the house, usually late, one of the children does a dinosaur-size poo so the nappy/ clothes need to be changed, or the baby burps and pukes everywhere so you and the baby need to be changed, or the toddler falls over and starts screaming so needs calming down or said toddler refuses to put any shoes or coat on.

Anyway, today is a good day, both are asleep. At. The. Same. Time. So I have at least thirty minutes peace with a cup of tea.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I am going to cut to the chase and say it.... my hair is falling out. How shit. Baby Dude is four months old now and laughing and growing and couldn't be happier or healthier, I however am LOSING my bloody hair. Again.
Postpartum hair loss really is Mother Nature's cruellest trick. The first time round started exactly the same time at twelve weeks post birth, and I think I must have blanked out how awful it is. There are hairs everywhere. My hair is very long at the moment, partly due to the fact I'm too scared to have it cut and therefore purposely getting rid of it, so it is even more noticeable. Every time I brush my hair huge masses come out in the brush, and when I wash my hair it falls out so unbelievably I can't believe I'm not bald. Well actually the sides by my temple are nearly there. I'm not quite as concerned as the first time it happened because I know it stops, and grows back, and know I don't actually have alopecia, but it still hurts none the less.
You are meant to keep washing, colouring, heat and styling to a minimum so as not to increase the hair loss. The baby centre.com even advises "now is a good time to go for a short cut. Plus, a short, wash-and-go hairstyle can be easier to take care of when you have a new baby in the house and you're strapped for time." which personally I think is ridiculous, surely advising you adopt a frumpy "mummy style" and changing your hair dramatically will make you feel worse?? Mummies can have long hair you know.
I can't wait for the next phase when it starts growing back, which granted is equally as hideous, as a short fringe appears framing the whole face, yuck. Most of my mummy friends have the tell tale shorter layers underneath their hair after months of regrowth but it doesn't happen to everyone, so don't fret. Anyway, I have a beautiful baby to show for it so must not grumble, just count down till I can book a super duper cut and colour as soon as possible.

If you do want more info on postpartum hair loss see the baby centre here. But remember, it does stop, and grow back, and you forget about it pretty quick.

If you have any hair tips do let me know!

Neom Organics Cocooning Set

I recently won a Neom Organics Cocooning scent set for new or soon to be mums on my favourite beauty website ever A Model Recommends (I want everything Ruth tries out and I am addicted to her videos which you can see here). Anyway I never win anything, so to win some Neom goodies which I have been meaning to try for a while was a massive bonus.

This kit includes a mandarin, ylang ylang & chamomile Cocooning Travel Candle, Cocooning Bath Oil and Cocooning Body Oil.

They say
The light and fruity Mandarin top notes are enveloped to combine beautifully with cosy, ultra-florals such as Ylang Ylang, Chamomile and Jasmine for the ultimate new or soon to be mum scent.

The perfect antidote to tired, stretching bodies, nauseous and weary spells and when you are in need of some well-deserved me-time... because a happy mum makes a happy (and contented) baby!

I say
I have become increasingly obsessed with reading ingredients on beauty and make up products recently, so am increasingly opting for organic and natural products as much as possible and these gorgeous Neom goodies tick all the boxes. Luxurious, heavenly scented, beautifully boxed, aesthetically gorgeous and of course really good products.
The candle smells heavenly, the bath oil is gorgeously luxuriant and the body oil is about a million times better than slathering bio-oil on your bump.
This heavenly set would be a gorgeous preggers treat to yourself when feeling huge and fed up waiting for baby, or an extra special pressie for someone special you know who is pregnant. I love love love it.

Thanks Ruth and Neom.

Baby Dude has no interest in posing for photos when there are fingers to chew

Chicco Rainbow Cube and a Happy Moment

Last week baby Dude was sent a gorgeous blue rainbow cube by the lovely people at Chicco. Chicco are a well known and trusted baby and parent brand and I'm sure 99% of parents either own or have used some of their products, which range from car seats and high chairs to toys and buggies.

The rainbow cube is a gorgeous little projector which lights up your choice of stars, hearts, clouds and kites or a plain night light in you choice of colours onto your babies nursery wall to help them drift off. You can also choose to play the accompanying melodies, or not, which include a "sounds of nature" rainforest frog noise, our particular favourite. Honey dances around to the songs as soon as I put it on in the mornings, not that she needs an excuse to try and grab the spotlight, so even toddlers can benefit! This is a great little toy, especially as baby Dude is yet to find his thumb (not through lack of trying), it keeps him entertained while I try and sneak an extra 10 minutes in bed. In fact just looking at the dreamy projections above makes me feel like having a quick snooze.... 

Details

This clever new projector concept allows you to select the projection images with different individual colours to taste, or multi-colour changing effect, creating a sort of colour therapy atmosphere at bedtime.
The cube can be turned over to place the favoured projection in that specific direction: upwards, to left or right! 3 different styles one on each side: hearts, kites and clouds or stars - with plain nightlight projection on the 4th side. Each projection style can be used singularly in one of the 7 different colours or in the constantly changing multi-colour option. 3 styles of melodies accompany the light show: classical, ambient and the sounds of nature. A soft “first dreams” character face can be seen on one side, so baby can see its favourite bedtime friend as he drifts off into the world of dreams!

You can buy these lovely little rainbow cubes (they also come in pink) plus more here.

I must also mention Chicco's genius "Happy Moments" experience booklets which rewards you with four experiences such as family days out or pampering sessions worth £100 when spending a minimum of £29 on Chicco. A complete bargain and treats the whole family at the same time as making a very happy baby. You can find out more at chiccohappymoments.co.uk

Excuse me while I sneak off for a spot of free reflexology....

Winter Warmers for Girls

After doing a post on Winter warmers for little baby dude here, I couldn't resist sharing some of Honey's cutest Winter accessories, (with all this talk of Winter can you guess it's my favourite season? Good riddance hot, sticky, frizzy hair Summer).

I can't resist a bit of Cath Kidston for little girls and have bought her a super warm navy duffle coat to stop the floral girlies looking too twee. And as for the glittery Miu-Miu-esq hight-tops, I only wish they did them in my size.

Baby Winter Warmers

I absolutely adore this time of year, in fact give me a crisp Autumn morning over a hot Summer's day any time of the year. The cold crisp mornings, dew glistening on the ever present spider webs, the walk to nursery leaves crunching under foot, splashing in puddles and of course wrapping up in cosy knits and whisper soft scarves.
This year is baby Dude's first Winter and I couldn't resist getting him some of the cutest knits imaginable. The Uggs above were Honey's, perfect for keeping little toes toasty in the cold, his little cow hat and cream booties are from Baby Gap and bib is from Cath Kidston. Who knew dressing a little boy was as fun as dressing a little girl!

A Week in Pictures - 50 Shades of Pink

A few pictures of Honey's 2nd birthday.
Pink strawberries and cream cupcakes, homemade pink pom poms, pink party dresses, pink balloons and plenty of pink food.  We had a small gathering of friends and family over for a BBQ. Luckily the weather held out (the tantrums didn't).

Two under Two

So we are just over six weeks in to two under two and despite the sleepless nights it seems to be all going swimmingly. The first two weeks I was practically a zombie but the last couple of weeks I have felt a bit more normal as longer stretches of sleep are returning.
Having a second baby is much easier than I thought. The day we brought Honey home I didn't know what had hit me, but by the time baby number two arrived I was already used to never having lie ins and knew my way around a baby a bit more.
So, the newborn bit is a breeze. It's the toddler bit that is a bit more taxing. Having to juggle a little girl who needs constant exercise and entertaining whilst also feeding and soothing a new baby is the tricky part, although we have now settled into a routine, Honey has learnt to play on her own and her confidence has improved enormously. She has learnt to live with the new addition too, who incidentally is the most laid back baby of all time. I have been following Gina Ford, and he seems to have finally fallen into the routine. As long as I feed him roughly every three hours and make sure the day starts at 7am, he magically follows along. I did Gina Ford with Honey and she is the best sleeper imaginable, which is fab as it means I put both babies down to sleep at 12.30pm ish and I can have an hour snooze too, which I can not function without.
We finally bought the very awesome Phil & Teds Explorer double buggy too so I can get out and about with both babies. Although I'm not sure how long the newborn part will last, as the "newborn" is off the chart in height (he went straight into 3-6 month clothing!)
So far having two is a dream, only to get better.

Baby Shop of the week - Little Bird for Mothercare

Little Bird floral skirt

Little Bird turn ups

I am a massive fan of Jools Oliver, in fact her baby book "Minus Nine to One" is my favourite pregnancy book of all time. I love her honest and normal approach to parenting, despite being one half of the most wealthy couple in England. She also has great style. Laid back yet effortlessly stylish, she rocks a pair of jeans like none other. Dressing in my favourite designer Isabel Marant for the launch of her new range of children's clothing range was a sure sign Little Bird for Mothercare was going to be just my cup of tea.

Born in the 70s, Jools is the youngest of three daughters and is an inspirational, hands-on Mum. As a mother of four, Jools embraces strong family values and plays a crucial role as the supportive, strong woman beside her husband, Jamie. The Little Bird journey began with a visit by the Mothercare project team to Jools' home to gain an understanding of what she loves; and to see first-hand the things that have inspired her personal style to help her design an eclectic range that reflects her unique, modern approach to motherhood. Little Bird is a distinctive and fresh expression of this collaboration.

The Little Bird range includes gorgeous newborn clothing to fun and eclectic boys and girls clothing that can be easily mixed and matched. I had to stop myself from buying the entire range, but did come away with a pair of jeans, Little Bird top, floral skirt and dress. Both the jeans and top can be worn by the Dude when he grows up too which is a huge bonus.

You can buy Little Bird for Mothercare online here.

The One Where Three Become Four....

Just a quick update to let you all know about the arrival of our gorgeous second bambino who will be know as the dude. He is much loved, and sometimes hated, by big older sister Honey bug and is a dream baby! Sleepless nights and feeding, as well as looking after a toddler in the midst of the terrible twos, has slowed up the blog posts a little, but stick with me, all content will be doubly as good, even though it may come a little slower. I have lots of goodies in store! xx

Baby Shop of the Week - Cath Kidston

Cath Kidston Hampton Rose T-shirt

I love Cath Kidston, subtly though, as it can become a bit twee. The children's section is great, the clothes are always classic, well cut and beautiful (apart form a lot of them being hand wash only, for a baby? Come on!) and the good thing is you don't see as many babies or kids dressed in it as say JoJo Maman Bebe.
Anyway they have an amazing sale so I popped down to our nearest store and bought Honey some leggings and a t-shirt this week which are super cute rose print and gorgeously girlie. They are 100% cotton and unbelievably soft. I thought the rose print would be great at hiding spillages and splashes too, which Honey seems to always be covered in at the moment. I could have bought the whole collection, but with the weather being so unpredictable did not want to buy too much summer stuff in case I was tempting fate and we don't end up getting any sun. Below is my current wish list.

Gorgeous cotton sun dress, great layered, also comes in blue

Super cute plimsolls

Gorgeous wellies, in fact we need these!

High on the wish list for the new baby, especially as I don't have a conventional changing bag

You can buy it online from Cath Kidston here.

Getting Ready For The New Arrival

The moses basket in situ!  

As I mentioned in the Hospital bag check list post, I am feeling much more prepared now for the new baby's arrival. In fact I would quite like him to arrive early, or on time at least, as I am getting far too tired and uncomfortable to go on much longer. Under two weeks till the due date, scary. It's amazing that this is our second baby and we already have all the kit but there's still endless things to prepare and buy.

So, the moses basket is washed and clean and in position waiting for it's second owner, and I have finally got round to buying new bottles, formula and dummies just in case he doesn't take to breast-feeding.
The Medela breast pump (best on the market apparently) has been borrowed from a friend (I hated my Tommee Tippe one last time), and I can't believe I will be pumping again in a few weeks, surely the worst part of the job?! The noise, the time, the whole dairy cow feel of it, yuck.

I have also bought dummies, to to try and give us a little bit of peace in the evenings. I was dead against them with Honey as they have such a (ridiculous) stigma attached, and spent hours rocking her and feeding her. Honey started sucking her thumb at 3 months anyway so we didn't need to use them. This time round I'm definitely going to be a little more lax and try them out, just to give ourselves a bit of a break.
The nursery is still not 100% finished, we're waiting on a  few storage boxes, and new cot so I will post updated pics when it is. The moses basket will be in our room, then the spare room, until the baby is sleeping through so as not to disturb Honey's sleep, then he will go in with her in the nursery.

Can you tell I am getting a little bit excited?! 

Swaddle, dummies & clip, Medela bottle

The nursery is still a bit girlie

Baby Stages

The offending photo!

My hormones are wild at the moment, one minute I'm crying at TV adverts the next I'm shouting about emptying the dishwasher, but I saw a picture of Honey on my mobile the other day and burst into tears because she is just so cute. How stupid is that?! When you first have a baby people tell you they just get better and better, which is hard to believe because you love them so much you can't believe you could love them any more, but it is so true. Each stage they go through they just get more and more awesome. From newborns, to sitting, to crawling, to getting the first tooth, to walking, then learning, and now talking. Honey is at the cutest stage ever. She is 22 months and for the last month has been picking up new words and trying to copy everything we say (we're currently trying very hard not to swear).

At the moment her favourite words are; 

ater - water, she loooooves jumping in muddy puddles, too much Peppa Pig I think
uzzy - muzzy/muslin, her comforter, amazing she now tells me she wants this
nee naw - police car, obvs
down - dual meaning for up and down. She says down when she wants picking up or wants to get out of the buggy
bispy - universal word for crisps (rice cakes) or biscuits
bubble - she loooooves bubbles
tacktor - tractor, somehow she spots these everywhere
no - one of her favs, she says it all the time, even if she doesn't mean it
car - literally at every car
oh no! - when shes dropped something etc. it's super cute!
do - dog, again she loves dogs
bee buzzzzzz - for bees, flies or anything buzzing around
peppa - new name for all pigs

Anyway I could go on and on, she loves picking up new word sand saying them all the time. She has mummy and daddy on repeat all day long as well as the above. So anyway, this is the stage we are at, it is just amazing and she makes me smile everyday (ignoring the monumental tantrums peppered throughout), I can't wait for the next stage.