January in Photos

January was quiet for us, almost too quiet, but with the craziness of the last few months of 2016 it was nice. I'm ready to get stuck into 2017 now though and make the most of my maternity leave.  
I can't believe how much Willow has changed this last month. I spend all day everyday with her and even I think wow, you've changed. It's true what Peter Pan said: "Little ones should never be sent to bed, they always wake up a day older." The days fly by these days and it really is the most bittersweet feeling. 
Here's a few photos from January, mostly of Willow obvs, but a silly kitty's paws thrown in for good measures. We didn't really venture far from home, I think the furthest we went was IKEA. I'm looking forward to a trip to see Nanna Nia the sea during February half term, I've missed being by the beach so much.
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An Oldie but Goodie

H&M floral two piece

H&M jacket

Primark shoes

Primark sunglasses

Note to self: don't take Willow to take photos because she will cry and you will only end up with about three half decent photos. It was chilly though bless her. I thought I'd quickly share an outfit that has been in my wardrobe for a couple of years now. It's one of my favourites, although I hate the fact that the material of the top doesn't match the material of the bottoms. 

It's the first time I've worn it post-pregnancy and I still love it as much as before. Along with my new Primark sunglasses. After six years working in retail I've learnt that the summer gear appears in shops very early and it's better to get it then than when all the sunglasses have been thrown around the floor, or all the bikinis have had somebody else's bum in them.

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New thoughts for a New Year

We're nearly three weeks into our new year now and although today felt like every other Thursday in 2016, it's a nice thought to refresh ourselves and make some changes. Don't get me wrong, I guarantee I won't stick to these all year. I failed at the first one already having not put up a blog post last week, but the thought is there to work towards.

01. Keep on blogging. I'm aiming for at least one blog post a week and anything else is a bonus. I enjoyed my weekly bump updates so much last year, and I honestly never imagined so many people would read them which was such a lovely boost. I do feel like blogs are a bit old school now and everyone has moved over to Youtube, we did film a vlog back in November and I really enjoyed it, so watch this space. I'd love to have that to look back on when Willow is older.
02. Take more photos on my camera, especially now Willow is around. My aim is at least 45 photos a month because that way I can get them printed for free using the Free Prints app on my phone.
03. Go on a date night at least once a month. We took our first trip out without Willow in December. We didn't go far, just to the Christmas market about a ten minute walk from home. She was fine, albeit a little weird being without her, but lovely to spend some time just with Kyle. I think it's so important Kyle and I get even just a few hours to ourselves every now and then.
04. Get organised. This is in regards to a few aspects of my life. I want to be better at birthday cards and presents, I'm normally so last minute and I always feel terrible. I'm also going to keep on top of housework. I strongly believe in the saying 'tidy house, tidy mind' and with Kyle, Willow, a dog and a cat there's always something to be done. 
05. Look after myself. I want to start getting early nights, midnight at the very latest. I also used to be so much more active up until I finished work in August and I want to get back to moving more. Also just little things like a face mask and painting my nails make such a difference. If I look after myself, I'll be able to provide the best for my little family.    Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

Three Month Little Willow Update

It seems so long since I wrote about Willow's two month update but at the same time December just flew by! I hate to be 'that person' that goes on about how fast their baby is growing but it honestly is such a bittersweet thing. I love every new stage but at the same time that newborn stage was gone in the blink of an eye. 

Weight I took her to the clinic to be weighed just before Christmas and she was 11lb 14oz. It always seems so long in between, I won't get her weighed again until 24th January and I bet you she'll be nearly 13lbs.
Routine We've still not tackled day time naps, but I don't mind so much. Don't get me wrong an hour in the day would be absolutely wonderful though to get something done around the house. I find if we get back from being out in the car and she doesn't wake straight away I end up running round the house like a headless chicken throwing washing in the machine and tidying where I can.
Sleeping I really don't want to jinx us but oh my goodness she is SO good at bedtime! I take her up anywhere between 7.30 and 8.30 feed her and pop her in her basket, more often than not she'll have a little moan but within ten minutes she's settled then for the night. She'll sleep then until around 7.30/8ish. It's not very often now that she wakes for her 5am feed, although the last few days she's started waking for a feed at about 6, but I think that's just because we're reaching the 3 month growth spurt.
Feeding I'm still exclusively breastfeeding. I'm so glad we've managed so long without any hiccups like mastitis and latching problems. I expressed a few bottles for Kyle when I went to my Christmas party and she reluctantly took it but she's not keen at all. I've luckily never had any problems in public either, it's funny how normal it becomes to just whip your boob out in the middle of a restaurant. 

Sizes She's still in 0-3 months. Some of her baby grows are on their last wears, but her clothes are still okay on her. She's still got little short legs for tights, but she's wore them a few times. She's my dainty little dot bless her.
Milestones If you push her over onto her belly, sometimes she'll roll back over onto her back, but not all the time. I lift her up into a sitting position with her just holding onto my fingers and her head is pretty much steady. I love her little face when she's sitting, she looks so inquisitive and proud of herself. I loved it on my birthday whilst Kyle was running her a bath, I had her sat up on the bed just in her nappy, her little belly was all squashed and I could have cried how cute she looked.
She laughed the other day for the first time, my eyes were pretty much taped shut whilst I was having my eyelashes done and Kyle was playing with her on her playmat and there was definitely a little giggle, my heart burst. It's not happened since though, I doubt it will be long.
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Willow's 1st Christmas

Needless to say Christmas 2016 has been magical. Willow's 1st Christmas has been filled with endless Christmas films and me dressing her in all the Christmassy outfits without a single complaint from her. There was a lot of talk of next Christmas when she's a little more aware of what it means and trotting round causing mischief, god I can't wait! Although I do hate to wish our lives away.

We've had Christmas jumpers, a Christmas party at Nanny and Grandad's next door. We've celebrated Auntie Tanya's birthday and Auntie Em's eighteenth. We went to Birmingham to visit my Nanny at the crematorium, where she made it quite clear she was hungry and ended up having lunch on a bench surrounded by plaques of all the deceased. We've queued over an hour for chips at Blists Hill, about 50 minutes for a photo by the Coca Cola Christmas Truck and half an hour to see Santa. But it's been worth it (maybe not the chips, I won't make that mistake again). 

Oh baby girl, you've made my life so much sweeter. I hope you've enjoyed your first Christmas.

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Two Month Baby Willow update

Weight She was last weighed at her 6 week check two weeks ago and was 10lb 4oz. I missed the clinic last week so I'm not sure what she is now but I might ask the nurse to weigh her tomorrow at her first jabs if they don't already do that.
Routine We still don't have a routine. We've pretty much tackled bedtime but there's still no dead set time that I take her up. Now I'm ready to tackle daytime naps. Yesterday I put her upstairs and she slept for about 45 minutes on our bed, but some days she can only sleep for 45 minutes all day in 5 minute slots. If we go out in the car she can sleep the whole time we're out and stay asleep for another hour when we get home.
Sleeping She was six weeks old when she first slept through from midnight to 7.30am. We got a baby monitor last week and since then she normally goes up between 8pm and 10pm. I'll give her a feed and pop her in her basket which she will normally wake again. I'll leave her ten minutes maximum to try and settle herself and if not I go back up and feed her again. Normally that does it and she'll sleep through until about 5.30am have a feed and go back down until about 8.30/9ish.
Feeding I'm still breastfeeding, and thankfully we've had no problems so far. I did start expressing and she's had about three bottles now. I need to try and get into a routine of expressing a bottle first thing in the morning whilst she's still asleep because now that she sleeps longer at night I wake up and my boobs are rock hard. She's still not had a dummy. It came close a few weeks ago when every night at 9pm she'd have a meltdown for anywhere up to two hours. We'd take it in turns to try and comfort her until she'd finally accept the boob and that would calm her down and settle her. She's grown out of it now thank god, and Kyle's Mum and sister always say how well we've done not giving her a dummy.

Sizes All her clothes at the moment are 0-3. Some of her sleepsuits are a bit flappy at the feet and I put her in tights the other day and ended up changing her outfit, she's got such little short legs (I wander where she gets that from). She's got a big head though, her little Santa hat is 0-3 and it's tight on her head bless her.
Milestones Her head just keeps getting stronger and for the last couple of weeks she's really been finding her voice. She's probably not far away from giggling either and I guarantee that it'll be Kyle who makes it happen first, she's such a Daddy's girl!
Me I still never know what to say when people ask me how I am. A few weeks after Willow was born my SPD flared back up and it still hurts now from time to time, I think I'm just that used to it now that I don't notice it as much. Other than that I feel good, just finding my feet juggling a baby, housework, sleep and everything else inbetween.
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The Pink Bomber

Topshop jeans

H&M shirt

H&M jacket

H&M boots

Stokke Crusi pram

My pink bomber, a firm new favourite after Willow was born and I could wear a bomber jacket without looking twice the size I actually am (turns out they don't look so good with an 8 month bump). That said, I get a lot of stick every time I wear it from all my family after X Factors finest, Honey G, was spotted wearing it in one of her clips a few weeks ago. Not cool.

It's looks nice with Willow's grey wheels though, only the best ride for this little baba. I want to do a review of my Stokke Crusi in a few months, when Willow has moved from the carrycot to the pushchair, that way I can talk about the whole travel system. It is most definitely my favourite purchase of the year by far.

Also this shirt, they don't sell it in H&M anymore, but god has it been my saviour this year. It's one of the few tops I had that weren't maternity but managed to fit me right up until the end of my pregnancy. I promised I ironed it, it's just that silly material that creases as soon as you look at it. 

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