baby

My Month In... March

March has been my favourite month of 2017 so far - here's why:

1.  alertness

J is now out of the newborn phase and with that, his alertness has rocketed. He recognises certain people, goes to grab toys, takes in his surroundings so much more and enjoys quietly watching me as I clear up his toys or pick out his outfit for the day. His character is starting to emerge too, which is a thrill to watch. Every day something changes - whether it's longer eyelashes (thanks to his dad!) or a new noise (he's currently making a baby dinosaur noise when he gets excited).

2. Mother's day

Sister S and I were lucky enough to celebrate our first Mother's Day together as new mums. The sun was shining so we went for a park stroll before tucking into a Sunday roast with our boys. Mama B was away at a wedding so we took her for a seafood lunch earlier in the week. I couldn't be a new mum without her - she's been incredible. For the story behind the photo above, take a look here.

3. spring sunshine

The biggest lesson I've learnt so far is that taking a baby outdoors is so much easier than trying to entertain them indoors. Spring couldn't have come at a better time as J is starting to need more stimulation during the day now he's taking in more. While I love the classes we're signed up to, going for walks in the spring sunshine is free, will help me shift my baby weight (!) and there's so much to stimulate J. Everyone's a winner.

4. keep rollin' rollin' rollin'

J rolled for the first time this month - from front to back. He isn't rolling regularly yet but this was a huge milestone. I am one proud mama.

5. holiday planning

This month we worked out our holiday plans for the year so we have some quality family time to look forward to. While we enjoy our evenings and weekends together, there's something about getting away that makes it extra special. We're off to France next month for a wedding (J's first flight-!) followed by a trip to Rome for our anniversary. We've also got some staycations organised with family and friends as there's so many baby-friendly places we're yet to explore on home soil. I can't wait.

Get a closer look at what I've been up to in March over on my Instagram. What were your favourite March moments?

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My Month In... February

Spring has finally arrived! Here's a look back at my favourite things from chilly February:

1. New Nephew

Earlier this month Sister S gave birth to adorable N and I'm completely in love with him. I'm now an Auntie! I still can't quite believe we both had our first baby within weeks of each other. And boys too! J & N will be in the same school year! Not to mention how fantastic it is to have my sister on maternity leave the same time as me. Looking forward to all the day trips and FaceTimes from now onwards.

2. Valentine's Day

This year I received two cards from my two boys, L & J. As it was our first as a family, L & I decided to skip gifts this year and spend the money on a Deliveroo. An evening involving no cooking or cleaning up was gift in itself when you're busy with a little one. We managed to get J to snooze in his sling long enough to enjoy the meal, while we caught up over candles. 

3. Six Nations

As a rugby family, it was a big moment to enjoy our first Six Nations with J! Sporting his official England shirt from Sister S & Uncle G, he actually enjoyed watching the matches! I'm not sure if he's taking much in but he gurgles a lot at the screen. Seriously cute.

4. New Classes

Sorry it's another baby one but it's what I've been up to-! J & I tried out Mummy & Me yoga and it's so much fun! A chance to stretch out my aching back and arms while J looks up at me giggling. He's pretty zonked by the end of it (as you can see!), embracing the relaxation side a little too much-! J also started his swimming class this month. He's only on his third lesson but he already loves it, even the underwater dips! I got his first smile in the pool this week as he looked up at me from his float while we were swimming around. A big mummy moment for me.

5. Early Nights

Having a baby has meant a pretty hefty lifestyle change, especially when it comes to our evenings. We've started to introduce an evening routine for J so he starts to understand night and day a bit more. While we're not strict with it (as he's only just 12 weeks) he does love being put down after his evening bath now. While I'd love to use my evening addressing all the niggling house tasks that I can't sort when I have my hands full with J in the day, I've quickly learnt that sleep takes priority, so I regularly sleep when J does.

Get a closer look at what I've been up to in February over on Instagram. What were your favourite February moments?

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My Month In... January

Happy New Year!

January is a blue month for most, but as it's my birthday month I always welcome it in with open arms! This year however it's all been about motherhood: my first full month as a new mummy and getting to know J as he starts to grow and develop.

Seven weeks in, sleep deprivation has definitely been the biggest hurdle! - Mixed with the additional energy it takes to navigate new parenting skills. L is now back at work too, so I've had to figure some things out solo and scrape the extra energy together to amuse J in between feeds and sleeps. (Mostly dancing to The Jungle Book soundtrack, singing Twinkle Twinkle and researching baby classes to try out.)

Here's what I've been up to so far in 2017:

1. FIRST SMILE

The biggest highlight of motherhood so far: J's first smile. Mostly because it's a sign that he likes us. - And that in between sleeping, feeding and crying - we're doing something right and he's happy. Always good to get some reassurance!

2. WINTER WALKS

I had no idea getting out of the house would be easier than staying indoors with J - the motion of the pram helps him drift off and it gives me some time to clear my head and get some exercise. Or if L's with me, the opportunity for us to chat - whether it's baby-related or a completely different topic such as holidays and future plans. England has seen some beautiful sunshine this month (even though it's been freezing!) so we've been enjoying bright family walks in the fresh air. This particular walk around our local park's boating lake was fun as it was frozen over apart from a small section, which quickly became a watering hole for birds of all shapes and sizes, with many of them ice skating their way there.

3. BIRTHDAYS

Papa B, my brother-in-law G and I all have early January birthdays so it's always a month of celebrations. I love it this way as it keeps the happy momentum of Christmas going that little bit longer. This year, L and I decided to celebrate a trio of birthdays with our nearest and dearest as L's big day was overshadowed by my labour (!). We booked an area in a local pub and not only celebrated our birthdays together but we toasted J's new arrival. We received so many lovely presents for him from outfits to toys, including this Daddy Cool dog from L's friend, which I thought was lovely as sometimes the dads can get overlooked a bit.

4. BABY CLASSES

I've been scoping out some local baby classes with my NCT friends, from swimming to baby sensory. It's great to get J experiencing new things while getting out and about. J created his first piece of (abstract!) art for L this month. Very messy, but aren't all the fun things?

5. PUB LUNCHES

We've always wanted to explore our local area more and with J now in the mix, we've been using our time at home to enjoy weekend walks to local pubs for lunch. It's also nice not to have to wash up at the end of a long week(!). We recently enjoyed crispy roast potatoes with the BEST steak sandwich overlooking a stunning view of our town one Sunday. It was just what the doctor ordered. 

You can get a closer look at my month over on Instagram. What have you been up to so far this year? 

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