A year ago. X

Amazing what a year does. 

This exact day last year, we went for our 12 week scan at the hospital to see baby number 2.

We saw bubba wriggling & waving. It was so amazing to see a little moving thing in there again:). 

To go home & show Harry was so cute. Trying to get a picture with him wasn't so easy as hoped, but we did it for our annoucement to everybody. 

Scary to think this time last year I was 11 weeks pregnant. And this year we have a gorgeous 5 month old little girl x :)

8th May..

Having friends surrounding you makes all the difference. I don't know how I coped for the first year and half of Harry's life with no friends. I met them all at a walk around the village I live in, & gradually got closer & friendlier with everyone. We have a close group of about 12 of us that all have kiddies the same age as Harry (around 2). And some are now having kiddies around same age as Lacey or getting pregnant so the next age of kiddies will be around the same age :).its such a good little group of friends we all meet up rather regularly & just letting the kiddies play it's nice to be able to get a cup of tea in.    

There's a few lessons you need to learn about play dates though!: 

1. Don't tidy up until they've gone:

The kids will make sure they watch you put every single toy away, back in that box for the 5th time since it being out and just left because another thing caught their eye....as soon as you sit down the toy will be back out even messier than it was in the first place. Just leave it until the friends have gone home ;). 

2. The tele:

You will put cartoons on tele for some sanity; for 5 mins peace .. even though they won't watch it whenever they walk back in the room & you've turned that programme off that they didn't even watch, they will have a heartbreaking meltdown. Keep the cartoons on (I think I watch them more than Harry does if I'm honest). 

3. Don't discipline your friends kids. 

Okay, if they're doing something bad & their mummy hasn't seen its okay to tell them not to do it. But don't shout at them, don't feel like you need to tell them off. It's the mums time to deal with their own buns :). We all discipline differently and I would never want to have to leave somewhere early because Itd be horrible that they aren't being good and someone else told them off for me. :). 

4. Have fun. 

It's your chance to relax. Your out the house. With your child. Happy. Alive.

You have a few hours that your child will have fun & eventually (hopefully) run their energy out...and on the way home you may even be lucky for a nap too! ( the kids not you.) you are even able to sit down & have a (even a hot) cup of tea while each other's kiddies can amuse each other for a while. 

I do love having play dates. They're perfect if you really can't be bothered to leave the house that day, and then you feel bad for staying in with them all day...invite people over & your child is happy :):) 

7th May..

Being a mum & a wife; you need time for yourself. That's where I've gone wrong. I hardly ever go out on my own without the kids. When Harry was younger me & Mitch would go out once a month for a date night which slowly grew to being none existent. I preferred to being at home, watching tele and having a bath. I'm not one for being out, socialising & drinking.   

Since Lacey I've decided that it's a good idea for me to have some time out. I've started going to Bingo with a few of my friends that I've met through having the kiddies. 

It's so nice to literally not worry about the kids;where they are, why they're quiet, why they're trashing the bedrooms, what they're doing. Knowing that it's my night off and I can go and have a laugh being Fiona and not the mummy or wife for 3 hours is lovely. Not having the need to drink alcohol as I see that ruins the night...and just having me time. 

Me being selfish , yes.... But in my eyes you need that to keep yourself sane. :). 

My new outfit for my night out :) x 

6th May..

The bank holiday is over and fully under swing with the week ahead of ourselves. Which means we have to get back into a routine with the joyous house work that I put off when the hubby is at home. We try and do family days rather than tidying days. So then it takes me the following week to tidy. 

It's good when your eventually there and it's spotless everywhere and you feel you need to get out the house incase it gets ruined by your wonderful exploring 2 year old that wants to "just check right at the bottom of this toy box. Or the book that's right at the start of the piles because he read it a year ago and he now thinks it's his favourite"! 

We had a full blown tantrum earlier due to him wanting to shut the front door and mummy doing it too soon. But when I opened the door "it's already done and happened now"! 

I can tell the proper troublesome twos are  kicking in at full speed (y). 

Needless to say I was pretty looking dorward to my nice relaxed bath and bed tonight :) x 

5th May ... X

5th May. 

Being a mummy you hardly get any time to yourself. Especially being able to go out. Yes you may get a few nights out with the hubby, every once in a while. But I try and get out with my "mummy friends" that have converted literally into my "friends" atleast once a month now. 

We met from having the kiddies. And I wouldn't have met them if I hadn't have had Harry. 

But I don't just class then as my mummy friends. They are pretty awesome people with their lil bundles or if they're just on their own. 

I try and get to bingo atleast once a month with them; be it one other or 9 others. It is a very good laugh & I enjoy just sitting there and not having to worry what's going on indront of you. Why the children have gone quiet and what they're doing or destroying. Or what the hubby may be destructing and moving. 

Making sure holly city was on to keep the hubby happy i went out. 

Just not feeling like a mummy when you got out for 3 hours is so nice...but the first thing I do when I get

Gone is go into their bedrooms and give them the biggest kiss and squeeze(without waking them up!!) x 

You just have to remember to make time for yourself :). Xx 

4th May...x

4th May....

Our little lady, Lacey...turned a whole 5 months today! How our lives have changed in 5 months have been pretty dramatic. 

We've celebrated our second wedding anniversary, we've been on holiday for the first time with kiddies, we've learnt how to deal with two kiddies underneath our feet, we've felt like we've been the best we can for them & we've felt like we've failed. 

Tonight I am going to bed, happily, after having a lovely day spending time as a family of 4 ..

(ofc + the dog making it 5). 

Today I learnt that being a mum, you should never have to justify to anyone. 

You do the things you do, because you find them the right thing to do in that moment in time. No, it may not seem relevant, not worth it to others...but to you, yes it does. Having to justify why your parenting the way you do, just makes you feel guilty. And no! I've stopped feeling Guilty. My kids are happy & they are happier when I'm laying on the floor playing with them knowing that am every little thing is going to be okay.

They can't get up and just walk out the house...(even if Harry did try today because he couldn't put his wellies on to go to bed, and he thought nan would let him...so he was going to walk to nans house. .... 5 mins later when the bath was running he soon came running in arms wide open forgetting his tantrum! The joys of being two). 

It's been an amazing 5 months of being a mummy to two & I am excited with what lessons I get to learn throughout the next few weeks :) x 

Photoshoot.

I Having two kiddies for a whole week was such a difference. It was so amazing to see how good Harry was with enjoying a beautiful little sister. There was literally no jealousy and he was so excited to show her off to everybody that knocked on the door that came to see her. 

My friend came over to give my kiddies a beautiful Photoshoot so we had the pictures to keep forever. They were the majority of the families Christmas presents & was such a good idea. I'm so happy to hAve so beautiful kiddies xx