Had a nice relaxing day yesterday. We watched a film in the morning and then took Joseph to the park in the afternoon. We came home via the pub, and spent an hour in the beer garden!

Joseph is into everything now that he is mobile and is becoming a real handful at home! We're having to be very careful where we leave him and certainly can't turn our backs for long. Yet if we take him to a play area he is happy to just sit there and take everything in!

Today we are off to the Trafford Centre, just waiting for Joseph to wake and we'll be off



-- Post From My iPod touch

Oh dear, I have been a very bad blogger! I'll try and do a quick catch up now, which will be a series of short back-dated posts, with pics

1 year old!

In June our friends Sally & Shaun got married and we went to the evening reception. It was really lovely, although it was a shame that neither of us knew anyone apart from the bride & groom! I think if we'd known people we'd have had a really good time, but it was fun watching everyone and seeing how happy the newlyweds were.

The following day I went on a spa day with the girls at work. We recently received an outstanding Ofsted report which is really rare for day nurseries. We were the first and only in the Stockport borough to get one, so it really is a big deal. As a reward for being so fabulous, we got to spend a day at Carden Park. It was a wonderful relaxing day.

Joseph had his 2nd hair cut on the 16th. Like me, he has a lot of hair, and cutting it takes a long time and he lost patience and got very grumpy at the end! When it was styled, my little boy looked about 6 and so grown up. I have a picture, but haven't downloaded it from my phone yet, so will share it another time.

I've started taking Joseph swimming now. A friend of mine told me about a mother & baby swimming session at a local hotel so we gave it a try. The pool is nice and warm, not too big, not too deep and there's no older kids splashing etc and no serious swimmers to get in the way of. Joseph loves being in the water and has really enjoyed it both times we've been, so we're going to continue going.

On the 15th, my lazy boy finally decided it was time to start crawling! It was just a few "steps" at first, but he now has loads of confidence and really goes for it. Now that he is mobile I'm ready for him to walk, but I think that's still a way off. He is pulling himself up, but only on to his knees at the moment, so now furniture cruising for us yet.

The 19th was Joseph's last day in the baby room at nursery. I took in birthday cake (a day early) for the staff, and some chocolates for the children to take home. I have some lovely pictures but they still need scanning in, so again, will share them another time. We left at 1pm as we were heading to Leicester for a weekend of birthday celebrations, so there was lots to do before we left.

We arrived at mum & dad's around 9pm on Friday evening. Joseph stayed up and showed off for a bit before heading off to bed. On Saturday morning I had a long over due haircut, which I was really pleased with. Adam, Joseph and I then headed over to Adam's mum's house where we had party number 1. Elaine had done a lovely cold buffet and Joseph was able to eat the same as the rest of us, which he loves doing. He sat on the floor with his little bowl and helped himself. He made a real mess though, crawling all over the room at the same time!

It was then time to head back to mum & dad's for a BBQ. The rain held off and the weather was warm enough for us all to sit outside, which was a good job, as Joseph wasn't too impressed with his salad and through it all on the floor! He loved the meat though.

We finished the weekend with a visit to Adam's gran's house on Sunday, where we also saw Adam's dad and girlfriend and their little boy, before popping in to see Natalie on the way home.

Our little man had a marvellous weekend and was thoroughly spoilt. Thank you to everyone who made it so enjoyable.

After such a busy weekend, we took Monday off work/nursery and spent the day together. We went to Fun4All for lunch, and Joseph played on the soft play. It was funny, as at home we're constantly telling him "no" and "don't touch that" etc, yet at Fun4All where he could do whatever he wanted and go wherever he wanted to, Joseph was happy to just sit, taking it all in!

That's us up to date now, and I'll try my hardest to be better in the future

11 months

In May both our cameras died, so the quality and quantity of pictures declined as we had to rely on our phones.

I went to my very first baby shower at the start of May and it was really enjoyable. I know it's very American, but it's a lovely way to spoil a mum-to-be. The shower I went to was a little bit unusual, in that baby arrived a couple of weeks early so joined us at the baby shower! He was such a cutie and very tiny, just over half of Joseph's birth weight.

A week after we saw dad, he flew out to join mum for her last two weeks in New Zealand and together they came home on the 15th. Joseph and I went down to see them the following day, as I had missed mum so much. It was lovely to have them both back, and mum enjoyed seeing Joseph as he had grown up so much while she had been gone.

10 months old

In April we paid a visit to JJs with some friends. This was the first time that Joseph was a little more active, and he played on some of the soft play and in the ball pool, with Felicity. We went down to Leicester and spent Easter weekend visiting family. Adam's baby brother, and Joseph's uncle, was welcomed safely in to the world on the 15th.

Joseph had his very first hair cut on 30th April. A local salon specialising in cutting children's hair comes in to nursery and he had it done then. He looked like this before

and like this, after

Center Parcs round up

Monday 16th March

We set off around 10.30am, and after a very smooth journery, arrived at Center Parcs at 12.30. We checked in, left the car in the car park and went to explore until we were allowed to take the cars to the accomodation to unload. We walked up to the village centre and got some lunch from the Parc Market. We had a good walk round the village centre, taking everything in and getting our bearings. We then walked to the Lakeside Apartments to check out where our accomodation was before heading back to fetch the car. We unloaded and unpacked and then walked back to the shop to get some pizza for tea and to collect our pre-booked breakfast passes from guest services.

Tuesday 17th March

A lazy morning in the apartment before heading out to breakfast at the Sports Cafe. Joseph had already eaten and was in need of a sleep, but that still didn't stop him from pinching some of my toast!



After breakfast we went to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise. It was already pretty busy, but we managed to find somewhere to sit. Joseph was still awake, so we took him for his first dip in the pool! He loved it. After a short while we brought him out and gave him his bottle and he eventually fell asleep.



Unfortunately it was very hot and noisy, so he didn't sleep for long. We took him back in to the pool, venturing to the big pool from the kids pool, even trying the waves!

After swimming we headed to the Lakeside Inn for a late lunch of pie and chips, which was delicious, while Joseph had another brief snooze.
In the evening, I headed over to the Aqua Sana for a couple of hours me time. Bliss.

Wednesday 18th March

Our third wedding anniversary!



After breakfast Adam and I played crazy golf, while Joseph watched from his pushchair. I wasn't anywhere near as bad as either of us expected, and the game as far closer than we anticipated! We went for a nice long walk, exploring all of the grounds, during the afternoon. In the evening we went for a lovely meal at Cafe Rouge in the village Centre

Thursay 19th March

Our last full day came round far too quickly :(

Adam and I both went out separately for a run before breakfast. We went swimming again, and we all spent more time in the pool. Joseph thought it was brilliant!



We went back to the apartment for a rest, and while Adam was snoozing, Joseph and I went for a walk. I took him to the beach, where he was far more interested in the toys than the sand



Eventually though he fell asleep while we were walking and I enjoyed the scenery.



When we got back, Adam beat me at Scrabble, before we went out for a marvellous chinese banquet, at Yang.

Friday 20th March

Joseph is 9 months old



We packed up and loaded the car before having a late breakfast. A last visit to the village centre to pick up some snacks from the shop, and then we set off. The journey home was a bit of a pain, as we got stuck in traffic a few times (I hate the M6!) but it wasn't too bad. A lovely week, and some lovely weather. Already looking to go back later in the year!

Joseph @ 8 months & 3 weeks

Sorry sorry sorry; it's been an absolute age again, I don't know how I do it! Life just gets in the way. So, where to start...

I am now properly back at work, working all day (8am-6pm) Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Fortunately Joseph has now settled in to nursery and loves it, it only took him a week or so. I'm so proud of him, and I often get a little tear in my eye as I watch him through the window playing so happy, confidently and independently. He still loves cuddles as well, but doesn't need to be sitting on someone's knee all day like he did at the start. In the last couple of weeks, he finally started to notice the other children as well, and its great to see him interact with the other babies. The downside is that he hasn't been well since he started. He's had a couple of viral infections, and the last one was coupled with a secondary ear and chest infection too! He doesn't let it bother him though, and on the whole he so cheerful.

I am working hard, and loving it. At the moment I think I have the balance just right. 3 days at work and 4 at home seems to be working really well for all of us. I'd love to be able to chop my days down by a couple of hours, to 9-5 or 8-4, but the nursery fees would still be the same, so its just not affordable.

We haven't been travelling as much lately, as at times it was starting to feel like we were never at home, but we have had a few visits from family, which have been lovely. We are off on holiday next week, which Adam and I are very much looking forward to. Just a short break at Center Parcs, but hopefully it'll be nice and restful and a much nicer experience than the time we spent at Haven last year! It's also our wedding anniversary while we are away - the last 3 years have absolutely flown by, and our lives have changed so much, but we are extremely happy, and I feel blessed to have a wonderful husband and a beautiful son. We also love living in Bollington, it's been such a great move, if only family weren't so far away.

I don't really have much else to report, it's been quite a quiet time, just wanted to let you know I'm still here. We'll have internet access while we're away next week, so you never know, I might blog again soon! Joseph is hoping to update his blog later on tonight.....

Joseph @ 7 months - 20th January 2009

So it's an old photo now, but one of my faves all the same. The little man is really growing up now. 7.5 months old, 5 teeth (with a 6 on the way), confidently sitting up for play time, exploring absolutely everything, full of smiles most of the time, non-stop chatterbox and an absolute joy. He currently has another cold, and has been pretty poorly with it, but it hasn't bothered him at all. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet settled at nursery, but it's still very early days. He's done 2 full days so far; the first day went pretty well, he was very clingy, but was teething and suffering with his cold, so would probably have been clingy at home. He did get upset at times, but on the whole, coped very well. His second day was a different story. He seemed to spend his day crying, taking a break only to eat and sleep. It's such a shame, as I know he'll love it as soon as he lets himself, but it's difficult to know what to do in the meantime. We'll have to see what Friday brings. He may have just been tired on Monday, after a busy weekend.

Nursery for me, however, is going well. I have been based in a room now, which will help me to settle back in quickly. It always helps to know where you're going to be. Makes you feel more useful. I'll be working with 1-2s again, but in a different room - we have 3 for that age group. The children are great, and I'm confident that I will be able to work well with the staff. I am also due to finally start my NVQ very soon, which I am so excited about!

We are slowly making changes to make things work better at home and to make us feel better about the house, as we really can't afford to move, and I am loving this website for inspiration and ideas. I am starting to build up a wish list of things to get from Ikea, but need to get the thumbs up from Adam before I make the journey as, unfortunately, he holds the purse strings now.

I went to the crop a couple of weeks ago and managed to complete 6 layouts for Joseph's scrapbook, which I'm thrilled about. Had such a lovely time doing them and think I am starting to refind my mojo, so now need to keep the momentum going and find more time to create. There's another crop this weekend, so need to convince Adam that he would like to spend a day at home spending quality time with his son!

Now that I'm all caught up, I'm hoping to be able to post brief updates every couple of days from my iPod...

I didn't realise it'd been so long since I blogged. I tend to access the Internet from my iPod most of the time now, like I am now, and it isn't really good for long updates. It's fine for quick updates though, so I really should get into the habit of posting at least a couple of times a week. Hopefully I'll be able to blog from the computer later on and I can catch up properly

15th January 2009

Today Joseph has decided that he no longer wants to play lying down, something he has always loved to do. He is now much more confident in his sitting ability and wants to show off his new skills. He's still very wobbly, and I wouldn't dare to leave him without cushioning around him, but he really has come on in leaps and bounds over the last couple of days.

Last weekend we travelled down to Leicester. We visited family, and, as mentioned in my last post, Adam's mum & step-dad babysat for us so that Adam could take me out for a lovely birthday meal. Much as we love our little man, it was great to have some time to ourselves, and to eat a meal without little hands trying to grab everything on the plate!


I went to work on Monday and didn't have the best day. I was working in the younger pre-school room, and the children were a nightmare! They didn't listen, they hit each other, threw toys, got everything out, wouldn't tidy up, wouldn't listen, shouted etc etc. There are a lot of children who have only just moved in to the room and I don't think that helped matters. Not a room I'm keen to be based in! Adam and Joseph had a good day though. Just one more to go. Joseph has 2 settle-in sessions at nursery next week, and then he does his first full day the week after.

Rhythm Time went well again on Tuesday. Joseph is definitely enjoying it now. I enjoyed it more this week too, although I still prefer the old class. Yesterday we went in to Macc. I had some cheques to pay in to the bank from Christmas/birthday, and some clothes to return. I also popped in to Boots and discovered that they had massive sale on their Christmas gift stock, so bought a whole load of things that were just too good value to leave behind. I was really laden up, so had to take it all back to the car. I then went back, and got a second load and had to take that back too! I then went back and did the other things I needed/wanted to do. Got some absolute bargains, but boy do my arms and legs ache today from carrying it all!

So, what do you do on a day when all your muscles ache? Well, if you're me, you decided to move a load of furniture around! I decided to rearrange our bedroom. We had planned to do it together, but I got sick of waiting til we were both free and had the energy to do it. Basically i swapped the ends of the bedroom over, which mean taking everything off 2 shelf units and removing the stuff and the units from the room. Moving the wardrobe to the other end of the room, moving the bed to the other end of the room, returning the shelf units and stuff and adding a 3rd shelf unit!! Can't believe I managed to do it alone and in 1 day, especially as I went out for a couple of hours too - I took Joseph to JJ's to meet up with some friends from work and their babies just after lunch.

Joseph now has 2 teeth, and I think his third might be about to make an appearance too. His gum has been swollen for around a week, and I think I can see something there, but he won't let me look properly. Still, we'll know soon enough.

Wow, technology is great! It was my birthday yesterday and I was lucky enough to receive enough money to buy myself an iPod touch. Right now I'm currently lying in the bath and using it to blog! How fab is that?! I had such a lovely day and was very spoilt but the very best present was one that couldn't be bought. My wonderful mother-in-law very kindly babysat for us while Adam took me out for a meal. It was so lovely to spend time together, just the two of us. The meal was delicious. Afterwards we met up with Adam's sister and her fiancé for a couple of drinks. Adam's step dad also played chauffeur for us so that we didn't need to worry about taxis or buses. A great night out and a very thoughtful gift for which we are both very appreciative. More to say but battery dying (too much playing!) so will leave it there.

Monday 5th January 2009

We went to the Trafford Centre on Saturday morning. We got there for 8.30, thinking that the shops opened at 9am. We all had breakfast and started to wander, only to discover that in fact, most of the shops didn't open until 10am! Fortunately Boots was open, and we managed to spend ages in there browsing the sale goodies. Adam bought me a couple of Singstar games for my birthday (this Saturday), and I bought myself some clothes in the sales.

On Monday we went to the dentist. I hadn't been for around 18 months, and Adam hadn't been for abut 4 years, so we're both pretty chuffed that our teeth are fine! Joseph now has 2 teeth of his own, so he'll be seeing the dentist when we go again in 6 months time.

On Tuesday we went to Rhythm Time. We've changed classes this term, as we used to go on a Monday, and in a couple of weeks time, Mondays will be nursery days for both of us. Joseph seems to be getting more out of it now, and was happier to sit for longer, although he still wants to eat the instruments rather than play with them! From my point of view it wasn't as enjoyable, as the other mums are quieter, and the instructor not as good. But, we go for Joseph not for me, and he seemed to enjoy it, so that's the main thing!

Yesterday I used another Keep in Touch day and went to work. Everything is very different now as there's been a lot of staff changes, and we are gearing up for an Ofsted inspection. I see the majority of the changes as positive though, and am still very much looking forward to going back. Adam and Joseph had a good day at home - they only have 2 more days together before Joseph comes to nursery too.

Today we have been to the baby clinic. Joseph is now 20lbs, and has almost doubled his birth weight, just another 4oz to go. We have also been out to a local cafe with Sally and Elliot for a rather scrummy hot chocolate.

All in all, quite a busy week, especially when you include all the housework etc that is far too dull to mention here. I really am worried about what'll happen when I go back to work, and how we'll struggle to keep on top of things. I guess we need to work out where our priorities lie, and compromise on the things that are less important

Joseph at Chester Zoo on New year's Eve 2008 (aged 6 months)

Happy New Year everyone!

Since I last updated, my parents came to visit, and we said a tearful goodbye to my mum, who is working in New Zealand for a few months. She flew out to South Africa on Boxing Day and is currently staying with my brother in Cape Town. She'll then spend a few days in Sydney before making her way to NZ. It's a wonderful opportunity for her, and she will have a fabulous time, but we will miss her very much.

We've also had an enjoyable festive season with ups and downs. I managed to pick up a tummy bug, which laid me low for a few days, Adam had flu, and Joseph got his first tooth for Christmas, which made him a bit cranky and put him off his food. We're all fighting fit now though, with the exception of Adam, who always an ailment of some description.

Joseph was thoroughly spoilt on Christmas Day, and had a mountain of presents to open. Santa was also very kind to Adam and I. We are currently drowning in a sea of chocolate! We saved Christmas Dinner for Boxing Day, as Adam wasn't up to eating it. It was quite nice to do things like that as it meant that we could focus more on enjoying the festivities without stressing about the food. This year we had roast duck, potatoes, parsnips, carrots and sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts. Joseph had the same (without the chestnuts and pancetta), just blended up, and he loved it.

We also travelled back to Leicester for the weekend, and spent some time with my dad, and Adam's mum. We also took the opportunity to do some shopping, and I treated myself to some underwear now that I am no longer breastfeeding during the day!

New Year's Eve was a quiet affair. Joseph was in bed, and Adam and I played Singstar and watched a bit of TV. We toasted the New Year in and then went to bed, after settling Joseph who had been woken by the fireworks.

So, 2008 was about as life changing as it gets. We started the year having just moved into our new house and then spent the next few months trying to make it a bit more habitable. Mum took me on holiday to Tunisia in February, as I was shattered from working too hard, doing too much at home, and being pregnant! I started my maternity leave in May, and spent the first few weeks putting together flat pack furniture and madly organising things. I then twiddling my thumbs in the blistering heat for a few weeks. Finally, our amazing baby boy was born on the 20th June after a fortnight of contractions and 4 consecutive totally sleepless nights!

We spent the next couple of weeks getting used to our little bundle of joy. Then Adam contracted food poisoning and I found myself with 2 boys to look after. How did I find time to work? September was a hideously busy time for me as a new mum - Joseph and I started Rhythm Time and Baby Massage, and along with Buggyfit and baby clinic visits, there was little free time. October saw our first family holiday, which was a bit of a flop. The weather was awful, the accomodation dire, and the location dismal. Still, we got to spend some time together, and that was lovely. The rest of the year continued to fly by, and culminated in a wonderful festive season.

So, what does 2009 bring? Well, I'm back at work in February, and will be working once a week in January leading up to that. I'll be working 3 full days; Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Joseph will be coming in to nursery with me. This means that I have every other day at home with the little guy, and it's never a big deal to go to work, as there's no long period off. I'll be starting my NVQ when I start back, and my aim is to be qualified and promoted to Senior Nursery Nurse before the year is out. This may sound optimistic, but is definitely acheivable. I want to focus a little more on my career before we hear the pitter patter of any more tiny feet.

We also intend to start living a healthier lifestyle. We both need to exercise more, and our diet leaves a lot to be desired at times. I also still have around a stone of baby weight to lose. I want to acheive this by Joseph's birthday, which gives me plenty of time to do it slowly and sensibly. I have started to come to terms with the fact that my body shape has changed, especially my tummy after the caesarean, but I am definitely still carrying extra weight. Finally, we'd also like to move house, but it won't be easy, especially in the current economic climate, but it's certainly something we'll be looking in to.