I Remember....

I can remember lying with you in that hospital bed on that very first night. I watched you sleep and took in every little detail of the little life I had just welcomed into the world. 

It was just you and me as visiting hours had now been and gone, it was well into the night and I still couldn't take my eyes off you. 

I still remember how my mind was racing, racing with thoughts to what the future would bring. 

Wondering what you would grow up to be?

How you would change over the first couple of years and what those very first words would be to come out of your gummy mouth.

Would you like all of the food that you tried or become a little fussy monster?

Would you be a Mummy's boy or one of the boy's with Daddy? 

Two years have passed and I have seen you grow and change right before my eyes. Every day brings a new adventure that we take on together. 

You make me laugh like no one else can and we truly our a special team.

Your a Mummy's boy through and through, and I think I always knew you would be from the very start.

Even now I still sit and watch you dream. I let my mind run away with all of those future moments that we will experience together, those milestones you will surpass. 

I wonder what the next two years will bring? 

What your next new word will be? 

It is hard to believe that in two years time you will be four years old.

But even then I will sneak in to watch you dream your dreams, and I will keep wondering what the future will bring.

20 Months Has Past...

Leo has spent the last 20 months growing. 

He has grown from a tiny newborn baby into a big bouncing boy. 

A toddler who knows no limit, who runs, leaps and bounds his way through everything life puts in his way.

I love comparing how far he has come against where he was ‘this time last year’ because although you can see that it is clearly Leo in the photographs, the difference in him is incredible.

Month by month he has learnt something new, a new milestone has been achieved and mastered.

Even in those early days when he was just starting to be more wakeful in the day to that magical moment he took those very first steps.

Leo is now turning 20 months old. 
87 weeks or 611 days.

The baby days are far, far behind us and everything now is his toddler hood. 

I guess this is one of the reasons I love to reminisce, to catch glimpses of those magical moments all over again. 

To watch my boy grow up, again and again.

These photos capture every stage of my little man, 

week by week. Month by month.

Those fleeting moments that mean the world, but are gone in the blink of an eye.

Memories that are forever imprinted upon your heart, a familiar whisper in your ear.

This is 20 months together with my beautiful boy. 

Proud

Through all of Leo’s mischievousness ways, his cheeky smiles and his dirty laugh, I find myself staring at him.

Captivated and proud. Very, very proud.

Even 17 months later I have to pinch myself, just to remind myself that he is real and I played my part in bringing him into this world. I have helped teach him life lessons and to sit, crawl and walk, I have been there on many a sleepless night... but through it all I am just incredibly, inexplicably proud.

I am proud of every milestone and achievement that Leo makes, even when it means I have to keep putting the same load of washing on three times in one day, all because the little tinker has turned it off three separate times.

I am proud of the smiles he beams at me and the way he takes in everything around him, he really does not let anything get past him these days.

Watching him become more and more independent with each passing day fills me with wonder, wonder of what tomorrow brings and what he may discover. 

I casually asked Leo today to bring me a nappy so that I could change him for the umpteenth time. And off he went into the cupboard under the stairs and brought out the pack of nappy's for me. When I asked him I did not think for one moment that he would actually do it, but he did.

Leo surprises me everyday in one way or another, and with each passing day I become the proudest Mummy in the world, because to me he is perfect. It doesn't matter how many temper tantrums he has or how he throws all of his clothes out of his wardrobe, to me he is my world and all of these moments just make the journey more exciting.

Toddler See, Toddler Do - Week 16 & 17

17 whole months have now passed since Leo’s arrival and I still find that incredibly hard to believe.

I was just looking at baby photos of Leo this week, photos that date back to the very start of our adventure together. Photos that show a fragile new baby, who relied on his Mummy for absolutely everything. Looking at Leo right at this very moment in time, it is so hard to believe that he ever needed me in all of those ways.

Now he has no problem drinking his milk all on his own, or feeding himself anything and everything he could possibly fancy, and he has no problem getting himself around. Much to my dismay of course…

In every single way, shape and form he is growing up.

Leo has developed a real passion for helping Mummy with the laundry, well I say helping. I do of course mean hindering. Leo can be sat as good as gold on the sofa, and then when I decide to put the wash on, as soon as he see’s me playing around with the household appliances, he is by my side in the kitchen like a flash.

He loves to open and close the door and play around with the dials, sometimes he even manages to get the wash on, which usually entices his ‘wow’ face. A look of pure amazement with… you guessed it, a wide open mouth.

Just the other day Leo was emptying the dirty wash basket on to the floor and throwing Daddy’s pants at his Godmummy who was sat minding her own business in the lounge. He continued to empty the entire basket contents onto the floor before putting them all in the washing machine. The right place to put them but I do think that his Godmummy was a little bit flustered by the time Leo had put them all away…

All was forgiven though when Leo decided to brush both mine and his Godmummy’s hair. We both looked a little bit tangled afterwards…But Leo loved playing hair dresser!

I have talked about Leo’s blankie in the past, and how his love for blankie has increasingly grown in recent weeks since the house move. Blankie literally comes with Leo all around the house, it is the very first thing he reaches for in the morning before being picked up out of the cot, and he gives it numerous snuggles throughout the day. Usually around sleepy moments and always, always with his bottle of milk.

I love that Leo has such a comfort in his blankie, and I love how he cuddles in close when he has it in hand. It is one of the only times he really has a proper cuddle during the day.

When it comes to bedtime, it is the same story each night, after Leo is in his baby grow, it is not long before blankie is in one arm and the milk bottle is in the other. We sit together in Leo’s bedroom with just the glow of the night light upon us, when the time comes to go to sleep I lay him down in his cot.

I will then put my finger to my lip and make a ‘shh’ sound, and these days Leo will do exactly the same back. As I leave his room he continues to ‘shh’ me, making it harder and harder for me to get out without giggling.

It would seem that Leo has really settled into his new home and his new day to day routine. Mornings can be a bit of a rush what with having to get Leo to Granny’s house, but our evenings are usually relaxing in front of our new log burner. Leo is so fascinated by it and watches Daddy so intently as he puts more logs in to burn. Having said that though he never tries to touch it, which of course is great as at present we don’t have a fire guard. He will however stand there and say ‘oush’ while pointing directly at it. I can only imagine that he is saying ‘awch’ as I have tried to drum it into him that it is hot and it will hurt if he decides to touch.

What have your little ones been getting up to this week?

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Baby boy is growing up!

Leo is a very determined baby, he knows to a certain degree what he wants, and what he most certainly doesn't want.

The latest thing in the long running line of things that he does not want.....is his hatred for the pram, at 18 weeks old he is telling me in his own special way, that he is far to old to be lay down and pushed around like a baby.

Leo tells me that the pram dis-pleases him by screaming all the way to our destination....or just on a stroll around town. He tells me by arching his head and rivalling his shoulders, trying to pull himself up. Upon picking him up....silence...he can see all around and is once again the usual bubby baby I know and love.

This has gone on for a number of weeks but today, I decided enough was enough and it was high time for me to accept that my baby is growing up, and he wants to see the world and no longer stare at the sky.

It only seems five minutes ago that he couldn't move much at all. Now he is so determined to do things, and it is only a matter of time before he is doing all the things he longs to.

So I ask you, where has my tiny newborn baby gone!?

We are the proud owners of the Mothercare Spin, it is such a fab travel systen and continues to do us proud. So now the pram component has made the transition from the travel bed into......the stroller.

Please Leo just slow down, stay small and don't rush. Mummy is not ready to let her baby grow up just yet. Just try to.... never grow up.....it could all stay this simple!

Soooo....it is weaning time!!

Leo is now 16 whole weeks old!

My oh my....I am finding myself just wondering where the time has gone. The changes that have taken place in my little baby boy are so very clear, he is no longer a tiny baby but a little chunky monkey!

This last week he has become even stronger and I am sure he is not far off sitting up...all by himself!

As the title of my latest post suggests, I am at the point where my little boy is after a little more than just milk. I know there is so much controversy on when you should start weaning your baby, but I firmly believe that the baby will let you know when they are ready.

Leo is downing 8oz bottles…..he has gone from sleeping in the night…..to waking up for bottles! He watches in awe at the family when we are sat eating dinner, he is so head strong and as you can see is not far off sitting.... as a final demonstration of readiness, he is taking the food so well off the spoon!

I know that there is a 4 month growth spurt and that could be partly to blame for the waking in the night....but I do believe he is ready.

I know this will raise a few eyebrows and there will be some people who may disagree with me introducing solids at this stage. Leo is thriving and we shall not be running before we can walk so to speak…..we will take it slowly and go at his pace….I have simply taken the first baby steps into introducing Leo to food.

When I say I have made the initial move to introduce solids into Leo’s day to day routine, I have only implemented baby porridge, I feel this is not as bland as baby rice and gives him some different flavours and textures too! Which he is absolutely loving!

What are everyone’s views on weaning? When did you plan to introduce solids? Did you stick to what you initially planned out?