New Baby Evelina

December 3, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 7 Comments

It is with tremendous excitement and pride I announce that our beautiful baby girl, Evelina finally arrived on the 28th November at 1.57am. She was born exactly one week ‘late’ at 41 weeks and I had the peaceful and natural birth I had wanted. Most importantly we now have a healthy happy daughter weighing 8lb 10. She is a true delight and makes us beam from ear to ear, her squeaks, big eyes and soft soft skin. Nye kisses and hugs his new sister before he goes to bed every night and my heart almost bursts with joy. I am intending to share the full birth story when I get a chance, but until then our days are filled with cuddles and broken sleep.

Evelina

My First Photo

Goodbye Hospital

Dearest Evelina,

Thank you for filling us with happiness, for reminding us what it is like to have a new born and making us appreciate our time as parents to you and your brother even more. Pregnancy drove me totally round the bend, but all the pain was worth it in the end. It amazes me how quickly I have forgottenthe previous 9 months in just a breath of newborn baby cuddles. We have had just 5 days of you so far and you are gentle and graceful. You have big alert eyes which you only seem to open in the evenings and long dainty fingers. I kind of want time to stop still and preserve your tiny body but I also cant wait to get to know you as you grow day by day.

xoxo

November 30, 2013
by Jenni Clutten
308 Comments

What’s your shopping style?

I was very proud of myself this week when I managed to get the majority of my Christmas shopping done in just one day. This kind of decisive behaviour is quite unlike me, but as I was 3 days overdue I thought a long walk around town and some retail therapy would do me some good. As it nears December I find myself thinking about gifts so I was intrigued when I was contacted by Barclaycard Freedom Rewards to complete a quick ‘what’s your shopping style quiz.

arctic.bargain.2

I’m sure no one will be surprised to hear that the quiz informed me that my shopping style was… A Bargain Hunter Gatherer. The quiz is based on a new consumer study from Barclaycard Freedom Rewards which reveals four new modern shopping ‘tribes’, the Bargain Hunter Gatherer, the High Street Pounder, the Screen Saver and the Profit Prophet. And here’s the most exciting bit, you can be in with the chance to win a £60 amazon voucher courtesy of Barclaycard Freedom Rewards, simply by filling in the rafflecopter below. Best of luck everyone, who couldnt do with something extra to spend this Christmas!?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
The promoter of this competition is Barclaycard. By entering this competition you accept the following terms and conditions. The competition is open to United Kingdom residents aged 18 and over only, excluding employees of the Promoter or anyone else connected to the competition and/or their immediate family. Information about entrants will be shared with Barclaycard

Winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries received before the closing date. The competition starts on 26 November 2013 closes on the 6 December 2013 2013 at 11.59pm GMT. Entries after this time will be discounted. Entry is deemed as a blog comment using the rafflecopter – bonus entries are allowed. Prize winners take full responsibility for any and all liability, claims, demands or causes of action they may hereafter have for injuries or damages arising in connection with any prize and the use thereof and agree not to sue or make claim against the Promoter for damages or other losses sustained from using any prize. The prize is a £60 amazon voucher

The prize is non-refundable and no cash alternative will be offered The winner will be announced on this website within 14 days of the competition ending. The winner will be contacted by e-mail, if they do not respond within 3 days another winner may be chosen. Entries using any software or automated process to make bulk entries will be disqualified. The Promoter’s decision on all matters is final and binding on all entrants. No Correspondence will be entered into. Entries that do not comply in full with these terms and conditions will be disqualified. Prize winners take full responsibility for any and all liability, claims, demands or causes of action they may hereafter have for injuries or damages arising in connection with any prize and the use thereof and agree not to sue or make claim against the Promoter for damages or other losses sustained from using any prize. Where prizes are to be provided by a third party Ginger Bisquite will have no responsibility for the acts or defaults of any other persons. All personal information about prize winners collected for the purpose of this competition may be shared with other Promoter entities and/or agents so that prizes can be delivered. Entrants accept that if they win a prize, the Promoter will have the right, without additional payment or permission, to use their name, age, town of residence and likeness for the purposes of announcing the winner of this competition and for related promotional purposes. By taking part in this competition you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions and by the decisions of the Promoter which are final in all matters relating to the competition. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant and/or winner in its absolute discretion for any reason and without notice in accordance with these terms and conditions. This promotion is governed by the laws of England

DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can find this giveaway on the wonderful Super Lucky Dec Giveaway Linky.
Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Washi Tape Ideas – Scotch Expressions Washi Tape

November 25, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 0 comments

Washi Tape Picture

Absolutely ages ago I was sent some lovely Washi Tape from the Scotch Tape Expressions Range. At the time we had just moved house so I immediately came up with some washi tape ideas to make our new home feel a bit more personal. So far I have already used it to make a birthday card for my step mum, put up some art in the nursery and update the shelves of our living room bookcase by running it along the front of the shelves. I really love Washi tape but it has until recently been quite difficult to get hold of in the UK.

What I especially like about the expressions range is that it come in different widths and the range of plain but vibrant colours as well as some really fun patterned designs, as well as the fatc you can buy it from WHSmiths which makes it instantly more accessible than ordering online. (Although you can buy it online too).

Washi tape is fantastic for making quick DIY updates because the tape stays looking neat and tidy but yet can be removed easily and changed later. I actually put the print up in the nursery with it as a temporary measure but now It’s up I actually really love the way it looks.

Washi Tape Card

And if that isn’t enough washi tape ideas to get you going there are absolutely millions of ideas available on pinterest.

DISCLOSURE: I was sent 4 rolls of Washi tape to review for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and pictures are my own. The range will be available from October 2013 from larger WHSmith stores, www.3M Direct.co.uk and . RRP £2.79 inc VAT for 15mm x 10m, £4.49 inc VAT for 30mm x 10m.

Autumn Garden Flashback – How Does your Garden Grown

November 21, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 21 Comments

Good morning and welcome to our autumn garden! I took these photos on the day we got the keys for our new home, as I excitedly took in the views and Nye and I explored the greenery. That was back in October and so the garden is now looking a tad different but I wanted to try and remember just how beautiful it was before winter sets in.

collage.1

Elizabeth Gardens. Collage.2

Now that everything has started to die back I desperately need to get out the clippers and start planting our spring bulbs. I just love the simplicity and vibrancy of daffodils and tulips and we went out to choose some to plant weeks ago which are yet to find themselves deep in the soil. The drive to plant them is ever increasing but my ability to bend down is somewhat hindered by the enormous baby I’m carrying. (It’s actually my due date today). Perhaps I will try and plant some this afternoon before I go into labour and have even less time to get gardening done.

One task we have managed to do is to collect lots of seeds from the millions of marigolds that the previous owner had. I have never thought to harvest seeds before but my dear friend Jess (who also happens to be a florist) advised me to do so and it seems silly to throw away good seeds! Neil also noticed that the gladioli seeds were ready to harvest so we have also stored these. I understand that Gladioli seeds don’t flower for several years so I suppose I better plant these up in the spring.

autumn garden We also have a raised bed, two vegetable/fruit beds and a greenhouse. These were mainly cleared when we moved in but the previous owners did leave us their last harvest of tomatoes and lots and lots of giant runner beans. In the raised bed I have already planted up some garlic and onions. I planted two different varieties of each to see how they grow. I noticed yesterday that some of the onions had already started sprouting, I have no idea if they are meant to be doing this yet as I have never grown them before but I’m rather chuffed that I was organised enough to get them planted.

I’ve also planted a head of rhubarb but as it is a perennial I planted it in the main garden by the pond. It’s slightly shaded by the tree and behind loads of roses so who knows if it will take or even if I plated it correctly. So far these are the only things I came across that could be planted at this time of year but I will happily take tips on anything else I can be doing.

2013.garden.autumn.planting I’m now trying to be organised and make a list of all the things I’d like to grow next year. I ordered a seed catalog a few weeks ago which I have been flicking through, but there are so many things it’s difficult to concentrate on what we would actually use. Realistically the things that would be really useful to have would be, potatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, salad leaves, courgettes, raspberries and strawberries. Nye gets through apples like nobodies business so I’m also thinking about buying a tree to grow up the side wall. (No idea how feasible this is or just how many years it will take to get any fruit…) We already have lots of rosemary growing but we regularly use thyme, basil, oregano and coriander as well so I’d like to plant some of these when the time comes. I keep thinking there must be somewhere that sells a basic variety of seeds or even seedlings for a small home fruit and vegetable garden but I haven’t come across quite what I’m looking for just yet. If anyone has any tips on where they buy their seeds and/or plants and what they have had success with I would love to hear from you. I quite like the idea of growing butternut squash but I have no idea if that is even possible for a novice like myself.

Mammasaurus - How Does Your Garden Grow?

I am linking up with this weeks How Does Your Garden Grow post on the Mammasaurus blog.

The Smelly Book by Babette Cole – We Like To Read

November 19, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 6 Comments

The smelly book

The Smelly Book by Babette Cole is a book I remember so vividly from my childhood. We had it at our school and if I think back I can just see it sitting in our Year 1 class. I recall it was one of the books that was always taken first when we were asked to choose books to read from the book box, (along with the wonderful Ketchup on your Cornflakes by Nick Sharratt). I remember racing to finish my work so I could be one of the first to choose a book to read. Competitive? Moi?

When I saw this book come up as I was browsing online I wanted to get it for Nye immediately. I wasn’t sure if he would enjoy it just yet but I was wrong and to my surprise he has already taken it. He seems to really be getting into the rhythm of rhyming books and unlike quite a few story books he will sit and listen to it from beginning to end and then ask me to read it again. He has recently developed a taste for some very dull board books that Neil and I try to grin and bear as we are asked to read them for the 7th time in one sitting. (Amber the Ambulance is not a favourite of ours let’s just say, Chicken Licken is somewhat more tolerable… and in the version we have they do all get eaten by the fox in the end!)

Hence, Nye taking to a book that I loved as a child was a welcome change. I admit I love the slightly strange storytelling and fantastical illustration of all of Babette Cole’s books. All the books of hers I have read are so far removed from twee, cute and predictable. I find that they are engaging as well as being truly funny for children and adults, which is probably why the stories have stayed with me all these years.

Here are just a few pages from the book for you to enjoy:

The Smelly Book

Teacher said The Smelly Book by Babette Cole

I am linking up with the TigerlillyQuinn blog We like to Read Linky, you can click on the link below to see what others are reading to their children this week. You can also see our previous We Like To Read posts, Hooray for Fish and Courtney.

Mid Century Dining Room – Stylish Sunday

November 17, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 4 Comments

So now the nursery is finished and off my radar I have moved my attentions towards the kitchen / dining room and Neil and I have decided that we would like to go for a mid century style. Our new house has a lovely big kitchen dining room that is furnished in a inoffensive neutral way. It was a shame to move out of a house where we have designed every inch of the kitchen but this one is far bigger and feels somehow more grown up. Of course there are things I would love to change but at the moment we are trying to personalise it decoratively rather than splashing out on new tiles, kitchen doors.

Here is the a picture of the kitchen as it was on the day we got the keys. I failed to take a picture of the other side of the kitchen (on the right hand side of the picture). It is purely an empty space with a cream wall and grey floor tiles just the same at the kitchen.

Kitchen Before

We started thinking about how we wanted the room to look when we realised that our previous kitchen table and chairs were too big (and getting a bit rickety) i.e we lost a screw from one of the legs… When I eventually gave in to the idea of a new table and chairs we immediately agreed that we would love a mid century dining room. I was quite surprised that we agreed so quickly on the style we would like, especially as it is dramatically different from our previous country kitchen look. The good thing is, I knew that we would be able to get a lovely solid table and chairs for a reasonable price either on Ebay or at an auction house.

Mid Century Dining Room

In the end we won a lovely extendable teak table and 4 chairs on Ebay for less than £30 and I used the wonderful Shiply courier service to get them here. All together it came in under £100 which I don’t think is too bad for a set of solid and stylish table and chairs. When I put my moodboard together on Polyvore I tried to find something similar to show the kind of look we were going for and the table alone is over £1000! So after we got the table we found some Marimekko kippis wallpaper on ebay for £30 and I’ve designed everything around that for now. We’re still deciding on the colours but I think I good lick of bright white paint will be a good starting point and a marked improvement on the lovely shade of cream we’re currently living with.

Mid Century Dining Sources

The first job we have to do is to recover the cushions on the dining chairs as they are far from Nye proof. I am planning to cover them in a child proof vinyl, but still on the search for something that compliments the wallpaper. So far these geometric triangles are my favourite but I haven’t committed to it just yet. There are loads of tutorials for recovering dining chairs with vinyl online. I’ve pinned lots for inspiration on my Board as well as lots of other nick nacks and gorgeous style inspiration.

What do you think of the look so far? Got any dining room renovation plans of your own?

Nursery Reveal

November 15, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 0 comments

I am very pleased to finally share our baby girls nursery reveal. It’s less than a week to my due date now and I am gradually working my way through my to do lists (catching up on blogs I need to write being one of the items on my list). I’d be happy for the baby to arrive any time now but equally I am not feeling so uncomfortable that I am getting irritated. Who knows how long I’ll be feeling calm, but as the baby moved further down I am feeling more able to breath and eat!

Nursery Reveal

As you can see above, when we first moved in, the nursery was a beautiful shade of pale pink. Perfect for a baby girls nursery any normal person might think. ( Truth be told, it is such a pale colour I hadn’t even realised it was pink until I got the keys.) Needless to say I wouldnt normally be one to choose pink for a baby girls nursery anyway. So, initially thinking the walls were white, I set about finding the perfect paint colour for the room and was set on having a light turquoise. (I wrote about my ideas for the nursery a while back.) It didn’t occur to me that a blueish tone would be odd for a girls nursery but as I hope you can see I think it has worked out beautifully. In the end I chose a gorgeous colour called Lucy Locket made by the Nursery Paint Colour. I find choosing paint colours really difficult and daunting so I trusted that a company that makes paint for nurseries would narrow the choice down for me, whilst also meaning that I could do the painting myself as the paint is VOC free.

Nursery Reveal

The room is quite a small one so it has been difficult to give an overview of how things look altogether but I hope that the details will show off what we have been able to do. Realistically I think having a small room as a nursery is nice as it can be cosy and compact, but it is much smaller than Nye’s room (which I am yet to tackle style wise). Even this small room allows us plenty of storage, including a changing table, nursing chair, cotbed and bookshelf. We have re-used lots of things that were Nye’s when he was a baby but also added a few new things to add the finishing touches and give it a more feminine touch. All the furniture apart from the shelving we already owned. One of my favourite items have been the vinyl cloud decals that I bought on ebay. These ones are inspired by toy story but I personally liked them because each set had 2 sizes of clouds to give a bit of variation. I was going to measure them out so they looked nice and neat but in the end I arranged them horizontally by eye and so far lots of people have thought it was wallpaper so I obviously didn’t do a too bad job.

Nursery.6

The clock is from Ikea although they don’t seem to sell it online anymore, I wasn’t sure about it at first but I really love the contrast between the blue and pink, especially as it works so well with the print we were kindly given as a wedding present by some friends. I also love how fantastic the curtains look in this room, I actually bought them about 6 months ago in a charity shop hoping I’d have somewhere to hang them once we moved house. Thankfully I then found out we were expecting a girl and they have brought such a unique vintage feel to the room. The curtains themselves arent lined but are the perfect length for the window (that’s fate for you.) We’ve also bought a blackout blind to make sure we can create a nice space for naps in the day time. We’re yet to hang it, but I really loved the owl pattern and the blue and pink colours should bring everything together.

Nursery Reveal

Ta-da that’s our big nursery reveal. We are finally at a point where everything is organised, the nappy bucket is deep cleaned, the re-usable nappies have been stacked and the blankets have been laid out. We can’t wait too meet you little one!

Source List:

Cotbed – Freccycle (originally John Lewis)
Changing Table – Freecycle
Cotbed Matress – Coir and Wool Mattress
Expedit Bookshelf – Ikea
Pine Shelves – Wickes
Blue Paint – Lucky Locket by The Nursery Paint Company
White Paint – Crown, Pure Brilliant White
Pink & White Pom Poms – Ikea
Pink Clock – Ikea
Floral Storage Baskets – Ikea
Love is All You Need Print – Not on The High Street
Crochet Blanket – NCT Nearly New Sale
ABC Pillow – Primark
Floral Curtains – Salvation Army Charity Shop
Bunny Mobile – Flensted via Ebay
Cloud Vinyl Decals – Ebay
Felt Lampshade – The Modern Baby
3 Plane Storage Boxes – The Modern Baby
Cloud Mosquito Net – Ikea

This gallery contains 6 photos

November 13, 2013
by Jenni Clutten
0 comments

Blackberry Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Author: Jenni

Recipe type: Baking

Cuisine: Muffin

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 16

I haven’t posted a recipe on here for ages, and after I cobbled together this yummy Blackberry Blueberry Muffin Recipe I tried to make sure I took a picture so I could share it with you. Last week this house was running low on pretty much everything. There’s no shop to walk to and loading up the car with a toddler whilst 9 months pregnant is not much fun. I considered what was available in the fridge and thought that surely there had to be something in the cupboard that might pass vaguely as breakfast.

Ingredients

200g plain flour
70g caster sugar
2½ tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp grated orange peel
½ cup blackberrys
½ cup blueberries
200g Mascapone (half a tub)
2 medium eggs
80g melted butter
TOPPING
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange peel in a large bowl.
Stir in the blackberries and blueberries into the dry mixture, coating the fruit thoroughly.
Mix the mascapone, eggs, butter and add to the try mixture.
Stir until the mixture is just combined, add some milk if you have it to loosen the mixture if too stiff.
Next make up the muffin topping by combining the brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Divide the mixture equally into the muffin cases and sprinkle the sugar and spice topping to the top of each muffin.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 200°C.

Blackberry Blueberry Muffin Recipes

I haven’t posted a recipe on here for ages, and after I cobbled together this yummy Blackberry Blueberry Muffin Recipe I tried to make sure I took a picture so I could share it with you.

Last week this house was running low on pretty much everything. There’s no shop to walk to and loading up the car with a toddler whilst 9 months pregnant is not much fun. I considered what was available in the fridge and thought that surely there had to be something in the cupboard that might pass vaguely as breakfast.

INGREDIENTS:

200g plain flour
70g caster sugar
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup blackberrys
1/2 cup blueberries
200g Mascapone (half a tub)
2 medium eggs
80g melted butter

TOPPING

2 tbsps brown sugar
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon

RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange peel in a large bowl.
Stir in the blackberries and blueberries into the dry mixture, coating the fruit thoroughly.
Mix the mascapone, eggs, butter and add to the try mixture.
Stir until the mixture is just combined, add some milk if you have it to loosen the mixture if too stiff.
Next make up the muffin topping by combining the brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Divide the mixture equally into the muffin cases and sprinkle the sugar and spice topping to the top of each muffin.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 200°C.

What to wear after labour

November 11, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 0 comments

Sources for What to wear after labour.

Ok, I realise in just writing this post that I probably sound ridiculous, thinking about what I am going to look like on leaving the hospital. I haven’t even gone into labour yet and I’m already worrying about what to wear after labour, or so you must think. But, I’m writing this post not really because I’m focused purely on looking good, but more about regaining control of myself after giving birth. It truly is the most physically and emotionally draining experience.

After my last long and somewhat traumatic time in hospital when I gave birth to Nye, I am willing to give anything a try that might make me feel rapidly more human. This time I’d like to feel brave enough to leave the baby with the midwives and have a bath. I must admit when Nye was born I felt very vulnerable and naturally very emotional, some of this is to be expected because having a baby is not an easy thing. This was not helped by a massive loss of blood that left me initially unable to even stand up without collapsing. Last time I recall staying in the hospital gown for days and I really don’t think that did me any favours. I became less confident in my ability to make decisions, as I continued to feel more and more weak. When you have a new born baby it is so easy to flounder without everything else feeling a mess as well. It made me feel like a patient, not like a new mother ready to take on the world.

I know it sounds nieve but I had no idea long it would take for me to feel comfortable in my own skin after giving birth. I kind of assumed that once the baby arrived I’d be back to myself, not at all aware of how totally shell shocked by what had just happened I would be. After being induced for several days it seemed I’d almost become a piece of the furniture in the labour ward, until suddenly, (I mean eventually,) Nye arrvied and then I’m off to the postnatal ward, We waited days and days for blood test results and assessments. Of course I have no idea what will happen this time, I can only hope we will have to stay for one night and I do think I’ll naturally feel more confident as I have already got one child at home. Some of what I felt last time I’m sure stemmed from the fact that I was seen to be young and therefore my judgment and feelings were a little disregarded. That may just be how I felt at the time but I can only hope this time I will have a better experience.

Since I put this post together I also found a great post on the guardian on postpartum outfits.

What to Wear After Labour

Breastfeeding Ready?
At first I found breastfeeding so difficult, especially whilst I was in hospital trying to get to grips with latching a very hungry baby (and dealing with some very unhelpful midwives). I never realised I’d need a whole wardrobe of stretchy vest tops to provide food at a moments notice. The first few weeks I had it relatively easy, but the requests for food only increases month by month. Be prepared to put the high neck tops and dresses on hold. Last time I got by on a selection of vests from Primark, Marks and Spencer and H&M, these are a must have.

Comfy Clothing
I did not believe how sensitive my body would be after I gave birth. Anything that was tight around my waist in any way was truly intolerable to wear. I thought this time that a nice baggy dress with an adjustable neckline would provide style as well as practicality. If it were warmer I wouldn’t need anything for my legs, but in November I think high waisted leggings will be great (avoiding pressure on the stomach area). I’ve also invested in some new converse so I don’t have to walk to the car in my slippers this time and I think they should be roomy enough for the swollen feet I will no doubt be sporting.

Treat Yourself
There is something to be said for wearing lovely familiar things, but I also think it’s nice to feel special by treating yourself to something new. Last week Neil surprised me with this gorgeous Neils Yard mother and baby set which I have already been enjoying. I’ve had the stretch mark cream out at the ready in the evenings and I just adore the relaxing fragrance of the bath and massage oil. I have also been wanting to get a necklace to commemorate my two children. I am certain that I only want two children so I have been looking for something meaningful which I will be able to keep forever. I originally wanted a locket but I’m yet to find anything that I love that I think will last a life time of abuse. I have been admirning the work of Alex Monroe, especially the Mr & Mrs Bird Necklace.

Do you have any post labour tips for getting back to normal? Feel free to add any suggestions in the comments box below

21 months on this earth.

November 4, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 0 comments

21 months on this earth

Dear Darling Boy,

You are now 21 months old and you have changed so much since I last wrote. My mind is somewhat preoccupied by our new arrival but my immediate thoughts and body are still here with you day in day out. I find balancing thinking of you and preparing for the new baby a constant trial. When I think of your sister I feel guilty to push you out and when I think of you I worry that I am not preparing and loving her enough. This parenting business is hard.

Everyday I try to teach you new words, show you new things and give you new experiences. Everything is a learning opportunity for you, whether we mean it to be or not and we have to keep an eye on ourselves to make sure we are setting a good example. It is not possible to be perfect all the time and find ourselves watching what we eat, drink or say. You will evidently think what we have is FAR more exciting than anything we offer you if we do not all eat the same thing.

You are challenging and know your own mind but even when you are at your most difficult I still feel I understand you. You are funny, cheeky, happy and busy but most of all independent and determined. You have your moments where you flatly refuse to do as you are told, throw yourself on the floor, scream hit and have been known to headbut us. (There have been 2 headbutting phases, both have now passed.) Sometimes I am that mother that people are looking at with raised eyebrows. When you are so adament that you want you own way it is hard, you are so strong and so loud that I try my best to calm you and find some way of distracting you without giving in. However, the majority of the time you are making people smile, politely saying hello and goodbye and I am frequently complemented on how you are always smiling. You are so perfect to us, we are proud to be your parents because the unique character that you have is so special.

You love to learn new things, and you pick things up so very quickly. You are a small person, certainly not a baby and you like things just so. You revel in any opportunity to learn and prove that you do not need our help. I have learnt already that it is best to let you try to do things yourself and offer my help for acceptance. You do not like things to be snatched away from you, you do not understand why you cannot try for yourself. It makes sense really, but perhaps that’s not how other mothers are. Maybe I am being neglectful by not doing everything for you but I really feel you learn so much more by me sitting back and letting you do your thing.

Your vocabulary revolves around food and although you are somewhat picky and faddy (despite being baby led weaned), when you want to eat you scale your highchair and sit shouting out the names of things you can see. You love toast and this is your word for food in general, you pronounce it toas and you rarely eat your crusts (where do you learn these things!?). Peanut butter on toast is your favourite and you call peanut butter pup-pup-pup for some reason. Sometimes you go in the cupboards and bring cans of beans in to me in the living room as if you are starving to death! Your pronunciation of chocolate cake has changed but you still love to say it every so often on the off chance we might have some available. You use the word please like a pro and seem to think that grinning sweetly whilst saying ‘peassse’ and giggling will get you anything you want. It has mixed results depending on our susceptibility for cuteness at the time. You have started to say thank you and even said “share” to another child at the soft play today as you stole a foam block away from him. (Application of the word share clearly needs some work…)

PicMonkey Collage

You will happily entertain yourself with almost anything. Today you have been playing with our picnic basket and you also like to get involved when I am mopping, hoovering, brushing. Like the cheeky and timely boy you are you even decided to play ‘clean the table with a duster like a slave’ when the health visitor came round a few weeks ago. I can’t help but wonder what alarm bells that started ringing.

The pictures I’ve included are from this weekend and are testament to just how much you love your trains. This is hardly surprising because I also love trains but to see your face when the train pulled onto the platform you literally shook with excitement whilst waving your Thomas flag over enthusiastically. You can’t say train yet, you always call trains ‘choo choo’ but to hear you say “bye bye choo” whilst waving at the platform when we left yesterday melted my heart a little bit

One of our favourite times of day is putting you to bed where you truly show how remarkable you are. In our new house you have taken to selecting books from the book shelf and sitting on a small rug either flicking through the pages yourself and chattering, or climbing into our lap and asking us to read to you. Although your tactics for delaying actually getting in to bed are impressive, once we stay firm you willingly climb into bed yourself and snuggle under your duvet. It makes me so happy to see you growing up but it is bitter sweet as I feel you moving further away from me. My little baby who I cuddled so close to me for all that time is learning all the things that will eventually take you away from me and into the big wide world.

Colour train collage

You answer questions with a firm yes. I would say yes is your most used word, which makes a change from everything I hear about a toddlers favourite word being No. Don’t get me wrong, you say no, but more often than not the answer is yes. In general you are much happier to do anything if you have been asked. Recently changing your nappy has been battle free and I can’t help but think this is because you feel you have agreed to do so rather than been forced. I hasten to add, up until this point changing was a complete nightmare. I’m talking full scale battle with screaming, fighting and tears. We’ve had almost 3 weeks of calmer behaviour but I won’t get my hopes up too high just yet!

I’m sure there are a million other things that I could say about you and all the funny things you do that make you who you are, but for now goodnight. xxx