New York Photo Diary

Oh New York. Where do I even start? Anybody who knows me knows I've been in love with New York since I was about sixteen. It's magical; truly, truly magical. I'm so glad I went when I did (21st - 29th November). It was cold, but not too cold, and still so Christmasy and sparkly, even though I was there over the Thanksgiving holiday which is probably a bigger deal for Americans than Christmas is.

The highlight for me without a doubt was the Thanksgiving Day parade. You know the Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street, it's the parade at the start of that film. It's a big deal, people travel in from all over for the Thanksgiving Holiday and to stand and watch the parade. I remember being stood by a lady who laughed like Janice from Friends and she absolutely made my day. It sounds ridiculous but there were so many moments when I just felt that festive I honestly could have burst into tears. It was so worth the 5am alarm and standing out in the cold until about 11.30am.

I don't want to say too much. It's a trip that I'll always hold so dear, especially since it was here that Kyle and I decided to have a baby. It's definitely somewhere that everyone should visit before they die, but a week was no where near enough for me. I could have spent a whole day just walking around Central Park and even then I probably would have only seen half of it.

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Miami Photo Diary

It's been a year today since I headed off on my American adventure so I thought it was about time I actually shared some of my snaps - it's been a long time coming! I spent five days in Miami before heading to New York and I stayed in the Freehand Hostel, partly due to recommendation from a girl I used to work with (shoutout to Steph!)

New York still owns my heart but I love Miami so much. The Art Deco buildings are such a unique attribute of the city and I'm so glad I've been to see them for myself. If you visit the city then Ocean Drive is a must visit, in the day and at night when it's all lit up. I don't want to chat on forever but I'd highly recommend the Miami Beach Botanical Garden which is right opposite the Miami Beach Convention Centre, then right around the corner is the Holocaust Memorial (the images of the giant hand). The Memorial is kind of surreal, it's right on a main road but you wouldn't believe how quiet it is, and the amount of lizards I saw around here that were the size of small alligators was crazy.

On my last full day I booked a 24 hour hop-on, hop-off Big Bus Tour ticket. There are three different bus routes and I wanted to make sure I did all three before they finished so I didn't do any hopping on or off, but I'm telling you now, I learnt so much about Miami on those three buses!

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One Month Post-partum

Height/Weight The health visitor came round on Tuesday and Willow was a little chunky 8lb 14oz. We hadn't had her weighed for two weeks because we planned on going to Wales earlier than we did so I was shocked when she'd jumped from 7lb 11oz to 8lb 14oz. I'm not sure what she measures, and right now she's asleep so I'm not whipping the ruler out to measure her.
Routine There is no routine at the moment. In the first few weeks I completely allowed myself to spend most of my days sat on the sofa with her asleep on me. I would sit for hours just watching her. How could I not? People love to remind me how fast she changes so I refused to feel guilty or feel like I was spoiling her.
I think it's hard when breastfeeding to establish a routine, especially since I'm just feeding on demand. For a start I never know how much she's had to drink, all I have to go off is how long she's at my breast feeding for. In all honesty though me and Kyle are that chilled out routine is hard to come by. 
Sleeping They say when she sleeps I should sleep, but when she sleeps I tend to sneak off and do some housework, or in the morning if she's napping I'll have a shower. It took all my will power after a few weeks to start putting her down when she fell asleep on me during her feed. In the day she just sleeps whenever, although her longest nap tends to be late afternoon.
During the night she normally wakes around 2.00am, then again around 5.00am, then from around 6.30am onwards she'll go back down but only for about 30 minutes at a time until we actually decide to get up which tends to be around 9.00am. She is really good in the night, she wants her milkshake then goes back to sleep. I luckily don't have to spend ages settling her.

Feeding I always had intentions of breastfeeding, and luckily she has taken to it really well. At the minute she is solely breastfeeding, a teat hasn't been near her mouth, which I think it is recommended that they don't have a bottle or dummy in the first four weeks anyway to establish a proper attachment. A lot of people ask me if she has a dummy, I always tell them she's too pretty to have a dummy covering half her face, and I don't think she's that hard to settle anyway. I was always adamant she wouldn't have one so I didn't even bother buying any.
Sizes She's at that inbetween stage where her little toes are all curled up in her first size baby grows, but her 0-3 months look like little penguin flippers on her feet. It doesn't help that she's got a long body and short little legs. She's got so many little 0-3 outfits that just look so big, but I only like to put her in babygrows at the moment. She's not worn any proper clothes yet, I figured she spends most of her days asleep and she's not going to be newborn forever so for I'd rather her be comfortable than fussing with things like waistbands and tights.

Milestones I was surprised that little over a week old her she was holding her head up and throwing it around, she can be a right little head banger when she's got one on her. For the past week we've been getting smiles from little miss. Everytime she cracks one my heart just breaks.
Me A lot of people ask me how I feel and I never know what to say other than "yeah fine". I had to have stitches but they really weren't as bad as I expected, people made out like I'd have to be pouring jugs of water between my legs when I peed but it didn't sting at all. I was having to take painkillers for about 3 weeks but since Halloween weekend I've been okay.
I think I fit back into my jeans after about 10 days. There was a few days when there was no chance I could wear my maternity trousers without them falling down but I still wasn't ready for my Jamie jeans. I fit back into all my tops, it's just trousers and skirts I'm struggling with at the moment. I'm back down to 9st 7lbs so I'm about 3lbs off what I weighed in January. I definitely need to get walking more and that 3lb will be gone straight away, then I can start exercising more just to tone up my loose skin on my tummy. I'm holding out for my six week check just to be sure though. 
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Those first hours after having a baby

Our sweet little bug is four weeks old today so I thought I'd finally try my hardest to sit down and write about those first hours after birth, (it's taken me ages, inbetween feeding Baba and settling her). We ended up staying in hospital until the Friday afternoon, I would have been out earlier but I think somewhere during the day we got forgotten about. 
I'll always cherish that first night in hospital with her just after I got moved into the side room. I was left alone with her for pretty much the first time since she'd been born. Just me and this tiny little human that would need me more than she needed anybody else in the world that night. It's scary, but also liberating watching her chest move up and down as she slept, knowing I'd carried and kept her safe for the last nine months. The photo in the bottom right corner is my favourite of her, taken at 5.45am, she was just over 24 hours old. I'd nipped out of the bed that we ended up sharing all night for a wee and she just looked so peaceful when I came back, much like she does now as she lies next to me on the sofa four weeks on. What a four weeks it's been, so I'll start our story from the very beginning of Willow's first day.
9.00am I've just woke up since we got moved here three hours ago, even just those couple of hours sleep I got I feel so much better. I can vaguely remember them wheeling me from one end of the hospital to the other and thinking how quiet the main corridor is compared to during the day. I really need a wee but do I just leave her sleeping soundly in her little tank? She's beautiful, she looks like a little bug right now.
Alice has text, she said she'll come round on her break because she works in the hospital somewhere. She doesn't know the gender though, she wants a surprise when she gets here. I meant to phone my brother and sisters but I don't know if I'm allowed to make calls in here.
A couple of ladies changed my bedding so I took the opportunity to nip to the toilet. They burst around my curtain asking if I was staying or going home. I was under the impression I had to stay in at least 24 hours because of the strep B. I told them I was staying, I mean, they're the only people who have come to see me since I got moved here so I have no idea if I'm fit to go home or not. In all fairness I don't fancy going anywhere at the moment, I thought I was going to pass out going to the toilet.
10.00am Alice has text me again to say she's not allowed in until visiting at 2pm, they turned her away at the door, I bet she's gutted. 
I phoned Nan and Grandad to let them know, Nan fully squeeled down the phone at me! I told my eldest sister and my brother too. God I've never made so many phone calls in one day before. 
12.00pm I must have fallen back asleep at some point, because I've been woken up by a phone call from Kyle. His Mum's dropping him back off to me with a Mcdonalds, I think the most I can stomach is a Happy Meal at the moment. Willow is still asleep, I keep checking she's still breathing. 
Baby's got her first bits of pink! Kyle's bought her in a little flowery bodysuit and pink leggings (the one in the picture where she's screaming), and she's got a big bunny with floppy ears. I said give it five years and it'll have one eye and a stitched on ear.
1.00pm It's about time we give this baby a name. She can't be Baby Pritchard forever. I'd been thinking about it briefly this morning and I quite like Rose for a middle name. My sister is Alice Rose and Kyle's sister is Tanya Rose. It's so weird, Rose isn't a name we'd mentioned at all throughout the pregnancy. Willow was though, I remember us both putting Willow on our lists when we were playing our game of pick five girls names and five boys names and we'll see if any are the same. It seems like a nice autumnal name too, naming her after a tree in the one month of the year when the trees are the most beautiful colours. Willow Rose, it suits her.
2.00pm Willow still hasn't fed since 7am so the midwife suggests some skin to skin to try and wake her up a bit. Scratch that, whilst she's been lying there looking prim and proper all day she's done her first giant poo. Nice. The midwife opted for a quick bath to clean her up, I'm not sure a few baby wipes would have cut it. I just sat on the bed and watched, standing up is still a struggle, I just feel so faint.
Auntie Alice turned up midway through bathtime so there was no chance of making her guess the gender. I think she was shocked, she said all day she's been convinced we'd had a little boy.
3.00pm Auntie Tanya and Nanna Nia have arrived and I think they've kitted Willow out with the whole of the baby girl section from George at Asda. So much pink, I'm so grateful! Auntie Em's popped by too whilst Mum picks Abbie up from school. We think it's time to tell them her name, but Kyle can't bring himself to say it. He said once he's said it that's it, there's no going back. I can't see her as anything else now. I liked Eliza and Martha, but she's definitely a Willow (and I don't think Kyle liked either of them anyway). 
Auntie Tanya's dressing her in her little pink leggings and vest that Kyle bought in. I don't think she's happy with all the attention. She's still so sleepy, and still not fed! My littlest sister Abbie is desperate to see her so Mum's bought her to the window by my bed so she can see her through there, that'll have to do until we come home and she can meet her properly.
5.00pm Steak pie and mash for dinner, Kyle's sitting out on the ward with me, I'm still so faint, but I've been told not to take my iron tablets I brought in with me. My midwife Deb has been past because she'd heard I had the baby. Oh I'm gonna miss Deb, she's so lovely!
I spoke to the midwife about going home but she said she'd rather I stay here until Willow has fed and they know she's properly latched on. She said the first 24 hours they do tend to just sleep, then they start to wake up and feed properly from then on. If that's the case I'd rather do another night here, as much as I want to go home I really don't want to formula feed. Kyle's headed home for some rest, it's been such a long and surreal day.
6.00pm Mum and Dad have come to visit and Auntie Alice has popped back again, I told them Willow's name, I think Alice is pleased that she's a Rose too. Mum's bought her lots of bits from Tesco, I've got enough to stay here for a month I think.
8.00pm Just as Mum and Dad left, I had another smelly nappy to contend with. Two midwives poked their head around my curtain, I thought they were about to watch me change her nappy. They said they'd noticed that it was quite smelly from a couple who had arrived whilst Mum and Dad were here, (in all fairness I thought it was either me or Mum that smelt - sorry Mum!). They're moving me into a side room which I'm pretty sure they probably regretted instantly when they realised how many bags I've accumulated. 
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