Capturing those moments

May 15, 2013 | ashley

I always considered myself lucky that I never had to find a photographer to document my son in the early days, and as he grows. I have albums full of photos that I am very happy with thanks to a brilliant photographer, Gareth Slade, that we just happened to know.

I am very much looking forward to our wedding too, where he will also be in charge of documenting our big day. I must admit, it is nice to not have to worry about it at all! Photographs of our wedding will be blogged here in a couple of months!

He took the beautiful shots of our family you can see here.

And the photo collage below is one of my favourites. It’s amazing to see how much he’s grown. I highly recommend contacting Gareth for your own family portraits!

*Please note: I have not been given any sort of payment to write this blog post. I have written this recommendation because I feel it is relevant to the blog & to my readers.

It feels like another life

May 2, 2013 | ashley

Looking back on early photos is a very strange experience. Henry has changed so much in the last year that it feels like a lifetime ago. I remember back then, when he used to cry or laugh but no words would come out. I remember when we got really excited because he smiled for the first time. I remember these things as if they are fuzzy, like a memory that has been blurred with time. Although it has only been 17 months, things have changed so quickly that I have barely noticed the days whizzing by.

It is very strange to have a life so well documented, through photographs and blogging. Never before has a generation had such easy access to computers and cameras and other methods of capturing moments. Go back a few years and you’re lucky if you got one posed portrait. Go back a few more years and it was only the ridiculously wealthy that could afford a sitting with a portrait artist. But now, every moment is stolen, and edited, and posted…

My little baby isn’t a little baby anymore. He’s a little boy. He’s grown and grown and taught himself so much and he impresses me every single day with a new word or new skill.

I feel sad that it has gone so quickly, and I feel sad that I have missed so much of it, but being at work is important and more to the point, necessary. I wish I had the funds to be a SAHM at least until Henry goes to school, but alas, it is not to be. But at the same time, I am so proud of Henry and all he has acheived so far. When people moan about wanting their babies to stay babies forever, half of me understands. The other half, though, wants to tell them how annoying and ridiculous they are being – the alternative to growing up is not growing up and that is every parents’ worst nightmare. Nobody wants that.

So, my baby, my big boy, I will watch him grow with a smile on my face. I feel a twinge of sadness when I read the past posts of this blog, but then I remember, I was there with him, enjoying it at the time.

Henry's Mother the early days

SUMMER (almost)

April 30, 2013 | ashley

At the weekend just gone, we managed to get out for a short while in the sunshine! It’s been a long time coming, and still hasn’t quite got to what could be classed as ‘warm’, only ‘warmer than it has been’. We packed his ball, a picnic of ham sandwiches, Pom Bears, Babybel and juice, and a blanket. Henry was sporting his new dinosaur (or crocodile – I can’t quite tell) sun hat from H&M. He enjoyed himself, even if we did have to leave due to the cold…

Picnic in the park – so much interesting stuff to look at!

Has anyone else managed to make it out into the sun? It feels as if it has been winter for a VERY long time. I keep buying summer clothes just wishing it to warm up…

Recipe: Straight from the gingerbread factory

April 30, 2013 | ashley

Here is a quick and easy gingerbread recipe – great for getting the kids involved in baking and for saving money on sweet treats!

Ingredients:

350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g/4½oz butter
175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg
4 tbsp golden syrup

Icing and decorations (smarties, sprinkles, raisins etc.) – optional

Method:

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfim and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. When cooled decorate with the writing icing and cake decorations.

Henry had a really great time eating these bad boys. I had fun icing funny faces on them. It’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned.

So you want to have another baby?

April 30, 2013 | ashley

It has been on my mind lately, since a few friends have announced/had second children, and it is getting to the point where I miss some parts about having a newborn. I came across this post by A Baby On Board and it seems we’re not the only ones debating it – so when is the right time to have another child?

There are of course practicalities that need to be considered. Childcare cost doubled is not a prospect we would welcome right now. As is finding another house to live in when we’ve only just settled where we are. I don’t think I could have another baby without an extra bedroom though…

There’s also the prospect of going back to sleepless nights again, just as we have gotten into a lovely routine of actually getting a full night’s sleep every night! I’m not in a hurry to give that back. Also, I know a lot of women love being pregnant, but I hated it. I think I had every symptom under the sun, so by time he arrived I didn’t even feel human anymore, let alone ready to parent a newborn. I really don’t like the thought of going through that again, but it could be different with the second. It could be a whole lot better.

It could also be a whole lot worse.

Henry is a lovely child. He makes it easy for us. He’s good at routine, he likes his sleep, he’s been ready to experience new things and will fit in with us easily. I’m worried that the next won’t be as accommodating. Although, I have said “It’s all worth it” so many times about Henry that I really shouldn’t be put off.

Henry & his best buddy – he thrives on interaction with other children.

I don’t want there to be a massive age gap though. I like having Henry in toddler-stage so that we can do more with him, enjoy him more and really get to know him as a person, not just a poop-making-machine. I am enjoying being a mother more now than I did in the first days. I guess you know what to expect more with the next too. It won’t be such a terrible shock. I remember clearly thinking “what have we done?” and wondering why anyone ever did it more than once.

Now here I am, not even two years down the line, thinking about if there ever will be a ‘right time’?

So did you always know what age gap you wanted? Did other things get in the way of your plans or are you still debating it?

There’s nothing like a wedding diet

April 29, 2013 | ashley

Baby weight is ridiculously hard to get shot of. I think half the problem is having such a great excuse to be a little chubby – with a new baby it is expected of you to put on few excess pounds. I envy those who bounce right back. I look at the people that fit straight back into their pre-pregnancy jeans with a jealous eye. However, for the rest of us normal ladies, it can sometimes be a battle. Weight loss can sometimes feel like running uphill – especially when you are actually running uphill in a vain attempt to better your health (and your waistline).

I’ve been doing it right. I haven’t been using the fad diets. I’ve been eating less and moving a lot more; I grace the gym with my presence six days out of seven, have recently invested in an exercise bike* (which is not a clothes horse yet) and have only given in to the odd piece of chocolate. I have recently plateaued on the weight loss front however. I have hit the dreaded wall. Last week, I tried the 5:2 diet for one fast day in an attempt to kick start my metabolism again. I found it too much in the end, and couldn’t bring myself to try another day.

I think I’ve actually been undereating and overexercising of late. This may explain the lack of weight loss. I haven’t been eating back the calories I have been burning. I will start from today.

Slim Fast Adverts – What you don’t want on your wedding day…

The deadline is looming though. I have two months left until my wedding day. I tried on my dress again at the weekend and it is so close now! I have made such progress, it would be a shame to let myself down now. I have also dropped another dress size – two down from when I started this thing. I’m feeling proud and stressed all at the same time.

I’m one anxious bundle of fear and excitement – too tired to carry on going, too rushed to stop.

Are you losing weight for a special occasion or after the birth of a child? Let me know how you are finding it – it’d be nice to know I’m not alone in this!

*For anyone who wants to know what one I invested in, it is a York Quest Exercise Bike (£119.99 from Argos). I spent a lot of time wondering which I should get, how much I should spend. For me, this one is perfect. It’s smooth, has enough resistance to push yourself, and looks great. It has pulse sensors in the handles and was really quick and easy to put together. If you’re like me, and don’t know what to go for, this one is a safe bet!

Port Lympne

April 7, 2013 | ashley

Today we went to the zoo. It’s rare that we have a family day out. Normally it’s either mummy or daddy but today there was both!

We went to Port Lympne zoo, Kent.

It was a lovely day. The sun was shining for the first time in about 6 months (it feels like longer!) and Henry loved it.

His favourite animal is a tiger. They had them there, but unfortunately we didn’t see any in the enclosure. Thankfully, Henry was excited enough by the cheetah, which he called a tiger and roared anyway.

They also have a really cool safari truck that goes round too. Henry loved this part. He chatted the whole way, I guess about the views and how exciting it all was.

Such a lovely family day out. I would definitely recommend it.

I was impressed at how family friendly they were too. They have pushchairs at different points which visitors are free to use. This came in handy when Henry got tired of walking and needed a nap.

The highlights were seeing three amazing giraffes, zebras, an ostrich, a huge gorilla. The size of this gorilla – it made it easy to imagine some sort of King Kong scene playing out in the enclosure.

There was also a lovely little baby gorilla and it’s mummy. It just wanted cuddles – we’re not so different really.

We also got mooned by a troop of baboons. They looked like they had a bad case of nappy rash.

We let Henry choose an item from the gift shop. We now have a ‘Henry’ lorry to add to his ever growing collection of cars.

Water Play

April 6, 2013 | ashley

Today, we got out the tuffspot, bowls, red heart-shaped sugar cubes and a little washing up liquid. Henry starting by putting all the sugar cubes into one bowl of water, then transferring them one by one into another bowl of water. Then he began tipping water from one bowl to another.

This was quickly followed by a splashing frenzy.

He has been engrossed in this for about half an hour so far and there are no signs of letting up yet.

Toy Story fan

March 31, 2013 | ashley

There’s something about, well no, not Mary – Toy Story!!

Such a brilliant film, all these years later. I still laugh at the jokes (although how many times can I watch it before I start wishing for a change?).

We’ve bought Henry a Bullseye previously as a reward for being so good at his vaccinations, but a Woody and Buzz is definitely on its way soon!

(Oh and a potato head he got for his first birthday! This developed into an obsession with carrying around Mr Potato Head’s ears. Now they have disappeared but I’m sure they will turn up in some really strange place. Hopefully not in my son’s nappy…)

Definitely a little fan in the making.

Most loved toys

March 31, 2013 | ashley

Henry has a lot of toys.

This photo shows only a small selection -the rest are piled up in his room. I rarely buy him toys as he gets so much from all the family and friends who love him. The pirate ship (Little People, Fisher Price) in the foreground however, that was from me, for Christmas. And I’m pleased to say it is one of his most loved toys.

Little boys and pirate ships. It plays sea-shanty type songs, and he sways to it. He pushes it around the living room on it’s hidden wheels, and puts the little pirate in the hammock and pretends the little man is going to sleep.

And if I recall the purchase from as long ago as three months, it wasn’t too unreasonable. From Argos, I believe it was around £30-£35. A bargain considering how much use and fun imaginative play it has created.