The wonders of the library

I know that in this day and age probably not that many people ever go to their local library. Nowadays it's all Kindles and online bookstores.  As much as this is fine, there is just something so very special about holding a 'real' book in your hands.

The library played a huge role during our upbringing. If we weren't in the school library or local library in our nearest town we would no doubt be in the mobile library van that visited our village. I remember how much I used to love clambering up the steps into the weird, dark vehicle to be surrounded by books - something that you just didn't expect to see.

I was quite slow at reading when I was small, and didn't like reading aloud because I was so shy. However, I perservered because I loved being swept away into another world when I picked up a book.

The Bodleian

My love for the library carried me all the way to one of Europe's oldest libraries - The Bodleian in Oxford. I studied at Oxford Brookes, not Oxford University, but was really keen to apply for a library card for the Bodleian. I clearly remember going to one of the Oxford Uni Colleges to be sworn in with my friend Rozie (funnily enough). There were about 20 of us around a huge mahogany table with a rather scary looking dean wearing a black gown. When it got to my turn he asked me whether I would like to be sworn in in the Cornish language or English! (We actually only went into the library once, it is an incredibly beautiful place, however quite scary for us non-academic art students). With this library card I was also able to enter The Radcliffe Camera which was rather exciting too.

The Radcliffe Camera

I visit the library regularly to borrow chunky books for Eve. It was with great amazement that I picked up 'Rosie's walk' (1968) by Pat Hutchins a couple of weeks ago. The illustrations are so eye catching I knew it instantly, even though I had not looked at it for many years. It celebrated it's 40th anniversary in 2008, how time flies!  Our copy was a normal paperback book in those days, so it's really lovely that this is available as a chunky book for younger children now. If Eve gets her hands on a paperback book she just wants to scrunch it up or eat it...

Books are so important for children, I have so many cherished stories that I simply cannot wait to read with Eve as she develops.

Eve's first full week at nursery school

Eve having fun at the park - The first photos given to us by the nursery

I must say that this week seems to have gone quicker than I thought it would. We've had more tears from both me and Eve whilst we try to get over missing each other each day.  Thankfully Daddy has been on half term so he's been making us laugh by dancing around the kitchen and cooking us tasty meals. 

Eve clings to us when we drop her off or collect her from nursery, and seems to be worried that we're going to leave her there forever. I think she's getting the hang of it though, the nursery say that after the initial 10 minutes of tears she then proceeds to have a very enjoyable day.

They've taken her to the park this week on an outing with the other babies, and she's also done some painting and had fun with cotton wool, glitter and hair gel. 

Two big results of her first week at nursery: yesterday at breakfast Eve started feeding herself her Ready brek with a spoon, and can now clap properly as well. We have been teaching her to clap for about a month and she was pushing her hands together but not quite with the right effect.  Obviously being around the other children is paying off already. Proud moments for me and Sam!

Eve seems to be getting into a sleeping routine now too, which is great for me. She only wakes once a night at 12.30 and then wakes up in the morning about 6am. She naps well in the day at nursery, and seems to be really tired at the end of the day's activities. I am so relieved that I can now get enough sleep and function at work. She is such a little wonder.

Eve eating eggy-bread (aka french toast) that 

Daddy made for her

Hi ho hi ho it's back to work I go...

Before taking Eve to nursery school last week

I started back at work on Thursday after 11 months on maternity leave. I feel so grateful for the time I have had with my gorgeous daughter Eve, watching her grow and blossom each day.  I'm not going to lie, I cried almost every day last week - happy and sad tears, but I know that this is the best thing for our girl. She will just thrive at nursery I can tell.

After dropping her off at nursery for her settling in day, one strange thing to get used to is carrying a handbag again after all these months of taking a big baby bag around.  Something I miss very much is the buggy - such a fantastic shopping trolley! I now have to carry things home, rather than being able to dump it all on the pram. 

Thankfully Sam is be looking after Eve for two mornings each week, Thursday being one of them. Which made my first day at work easier as I knew they were spending quality time together.

Not much to look at from the outside. 

This rather hideous looking old 80's pub has been transformed into our lovely nursery. 

On Friday I dropped her off in the morning before getting the bus to work. I went a little bit earlier as I knew that the day before she had been very upset when Sam had to leave her there. The poor girl went crazy, and it was so hard having to walk out the door and leave her with other people to look after her.

I phoned the nursery at lunch time to see how she was getting on and thankfully she had had a morning nap and a good lunch which helped me to not feel so bad. However, when I got home that evening I felt so exhausted and ill. It seems that as soon as I left my little maternity bubble I picked up a cold straight away. Ten hours is such a long day to be away from Eve and I cried on dear Sam for 2 hours that night. I have a wonderful husband though and he cheered me up by cooking us a steak dinner and then we watched some comedy on tv together.

Me and Eve, Dave and Huxley, Katie-Jane and Scarlett on a refreshing walk yesterday

Yesterday morning my rather lovely sister-in-law Katie-Jane, her husband Dave and their two children Scarlett (4) and Huxley (3) came down to see us. Sam's Dad and his wife Jeggsy also stopped by. This really brightened things up for me and I felt so much better for seeing them all. We have such lovely family times together. Drinking numerous cups of tea with them and a good chat sorted me right out!

I feel so thankful to have so many caring and kind friends and family around me. I've had some lovely emails, texts and phone calls this week to check that I'm ok. Dear Chloe who has moved to San Francisco with her family sent me an email that was so nice to receive. Our babies are a couple of weeks apart so we are often going through similar things at the same time.












Eve with her doll, Rosie


I've got to say going back to work has really given me mixed emotions. On one hand it was quite exhilarating to see all the people strutting to work in the morning, going about their lives. Which when you're on maternity leave you seem to forget about, as I would always be at home in the early morning making breakfast for Eve, doing the washing and prepping for the day ahead.  It was nice to get out and about. My hour long lunch break felt like it went on for ages - having an hour to myself felt most unusual.

When I spoke to my mum she said that there was nothing she could say to consol me and that it was an awful time, as she remembered doing the same thing with my brother Jon, her first born in 1971. It's a tough time mama's, but we know it's the best thing for our children's well-being and it will get easier.

Katie having fun on the swing in the park

I'm sure that we will fall into a routine and all will come good soon. In a couple of weeks time Eve will settle into nursery well. I'm glad that I didn't bother to work on any sleeping techniques prior to her going to nursery though, as the emotional upheaval for her has really messed with her sleep. She's waking up 3 or 4 times a night at the moment. I know this will settle down once she is happy at nursery.

The two cousins, Scarlett and Eve having an afternoon snack

Off to Nursery School

 In the Baby Room.
Happy and covered in gunk - she loves messy play and got stuck right in straight-away

Well, I can't quite believe it but my girl is now ten months old and has started nursery school already. Time really has flown by, all the usual spiel you hear about kids growing up fast is so true.

I've been prepping since last week, after speaking to my friend who said they get through quite a few changes of clothes each day at nursery with all the fun activities that they get up to. So I went to a charity shop and a second hand baby shop and bought some extra vests with sleeves and some more pairs of socks. Apparently it's also a good idea to write your child's name or initials in all of their clothes so that they don't get mixed up with someone else's. So I've bought a permanent sharpie pen to mark inside Eve's clothes.

I remember my name label which was sewn into all my clothes during primary school.  My mum carefully sewed one into the inside of each collar. I'm probably a bit mad but I'm looking forward to doing that in the future...

Eve is standing well holding on to things but often goes 'bonk on the bum!'...

The manager of Mama Bears Nursery told me about a cool website where you can order personalised iron on, stretchable name labels (good for all clothing especially swimwear and sportswear), and vinyl dishwasher and washing machine proof labels (great for any baby bottles, tippy cups, lunch boxes etc).

http://www.identitydirect.co.uk/

There are some cool designs, some basic and others more expensive using brands such as Disney. They range from £9.99 up.

They last for a year if stored between 10-25 degrees. Full instructions for use are included on their website.

I love these ones with unicorns and will get them for Eve's clothes at some point in the near future.

Eve has three settling in days this week. Today I stayed with her there for an hour, tomorrow she's there for an hour by herself and then on Wednesday she stays there for two hours by herself. Then on Thursday we're rolling.

We are really lucky that there is a nursery just down the road from our house, that is on the way to where both Sam and I work. So it's going to be fairly easy for us to drop her off and pick her up each day.

Eve is doing pretty well with food which I'm so glad about. I have quite a few bags full of frozen food cubes, so instead of wasting them (Eve won't eat them anymore) I am adding them into various finger foods. I've been including veg and fruit cubes into mixtures for mini potato cakes (sweet potato, normal potato and grated cheese), mini sweet or savoury pancakes and omelettes.

The potato cakes are so easy to make and she really likes them. When we have mash with a meal I just save some for Eve for the next day. I then add in defrosted cubes, herbs, pepper etc and fry 'em up - bingo!

Banana pancakes

Eve liked mashed up banana when she first started eating, then went off it as it was too slimy. She then liked holding and eating banana but has now decided that she only likes to squish it to death and not eat it. Therefore this morning I cooked up some wheat-free banana pancakes - simple, just 2 eggs whisked up with 1 mashed banana and a tiny pinch of cinnamon if you fancy. A good way to get banana in her!

Eve was weighed last week, just after her 10 month birthday and weighed 18lb 9oz. She had slightly dropped some weight, which is quite normal as she is crawling all over the place using up lots of energy.

Casio SA-46 - Keys for Kids

We've been a bit naughty and have bought and given Eve her first birthday present a couple of months in advance.

Eve loves playing in the studio on Daddy's synths so we thought this sturdy, colourful keyboard would be a lot of fun.  She is learning at such a rate that we felt bad to hold it back until December. We weren't wrong, she's been playing away on it. As I'm cooking and cleaning it's nice to hear her tinkering away in the other room, so I know she's not bored, or getting up to mischief. Eve has worked out how it works much quicker than I have. I'm still not sure what all the buttons do!

If you would like to have a look at the spec for this keyboard click this link. It can be bought at various places online for between £30 and £40.

www.casio.co.uk/products/musical-instruments/mini-keyboards/Product/SA-46H5/

My sister and I both received a mini Casio keyboard for Christmas one year when we were small (much more basic than this one, but still very cool in the 80's), and we just adored playing tunes on them. I have such fond memories of those days. 

I think this keyboard will provides hours of entertainment for our girl, and will also help her with various developmental skills.  I know that she will feel just as much enjoyment as we did. 

Organix Book of Weaning

I thought I'd share a link for Organix's Book of Weaning with you today. They are offering a sneak peak before it's release. 

You can download a presonalised preview. I made mine last night and though we've been weaning for five months already it has some useful tips and ideas.

If you use the Facebook or Twitter links on the page you are automatically entered into a free prize draw to win a weaning starter kit by Organix and Nuby.

Click the link below to create your own personalised preview:

http://www.organix.com/support-advice/little-book-of-weaning?field_is_organix_value[0]=1#products-top

Stowe Baby Fest

This weekend we were invited by our lovely friends Duncan and Anne to their home in Buckinghamshire, along with another dear couple Dan and Ocky. We thought it was time that we all got together with our babies for a nice wholesome weekend.

We were so lucky with the weather, so after a few glasses of celebratory prosecco we went on a short walk through the countryside, around Stowe. It's such a beautiful part of England.

Daddy loved carrying Eve on his back in the rucksack

General Wolfe's Obelisk

Arthur and Eve having fun with bubbles

Both Arthur and Eve enjoyed 'driving' about the kitchen in Huey's car - such a cool toy.

Duncan cooked the tastiest stew n dumplings that I've had for a long time. It was really nice to just kick back and relax together and have a laugh once the babies had gone to bed.  Us gals are so lucky to have amazing husbands. They are all such devoted dads!

Sam and Eve, Duncan and Huey, Dan and Arthur

Eve's new cousin Jago

My sister Claire and her boyfriend Jody's baby, Jago arrived last Thursday 2nd October at 6.06am, weighing 6lb 1oz - exactly the same weight as Eve was when she was born.

They live in Teddington, just outside of London.  Eve and I got the train this morning to go and visit them. Holding my new nephew was a dream, he is such a gorgeous little chap. I am completely besotted by him.

Me and Jago

I've been on the phone and email to my sister a fair bit this past week, which really brought home the memories of those exciting yet frantic early newborn days. They're all doing well, it was lovely to see them looking so happy. I wished that I could have stayed longer, especially to chat with my sister.

Sisters and cousins

The first six weeks of Eve's life were a very stressful and tiring time for us - I feel like I've learnt so much much this year.  It must be the most intensive job training in the world.  I'm glad that I am able to offer advice and tips to Claire.  I know how much I appreciated my sister-in-law Katie-Jane's help and support in those first few crucial weeks - she was always there on the other end of the phone.  My oldest friend Laura was a real star too, bringing me yummy cakes and treats to keep me going through the difficulties of breast feeding.  I wasn't eating much as I was so tired and stressed - which of course did not help the breast feeding at all. The best advice I was given was to 'take everything with a pinch of salt', which I definitely still stick to. Friends and family are so important to have nearby or just on the end of the phone, someone to listen and offer support is the key to a happy heart and of course a happy baby...

The amount of times Laura stopped by to see how we were doing (whilst I was still in my dressing gown with crazy bed hair) was just what I needed. Having a little laugh about some baby related thing with her got me through the day.

I was so thankful for programmes on the Sky planner and the internet. I'm not sure how I would have made it through breast-feeding in the middle of the night without them. 

We've been thinking about buying a baby/toddler basketball net lately. I had searched around on the internet but hadn't seen anything I thought was really suitable for Eve. And then, a few days ago the post arrived with the 'Nuby Fish Swoosh Bath-time Play Set', which I had won on another box of Organix baby cereal. It's such a cool little thing - very colourful and sucks on to the side of the bath or a window so your little one can have hours of fun throwing the fish 'balls' through the hoop. What luck that this was my prize!

If you want to buy one they are between £5 - £9:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuby-Fish-Swoosh-Bath-Time/dp/B00A9N21HI

My journey to Teddington was such a success.  I came home to Bristol buzzing with good vibes. I sat next to a mum and her 4 month old baby boy on the train on the way home. It was really nice chatting about our babies and experiences so far. I am thankful that I was helped by quite a few different people on my trip. With all the crazy things going on in the world, it really puts your faith back in humanity. There are so many kind people out there who are genuinely interested in your little one, and I love to hear about their lives.  Even if only a few passing words are mentioned, little happenings such as those make my day.

Creative play

Eve starts nursery in a couple of weeks so I thought we really should let her do some painting before she goes there. Thankfully our bathroom floor is dark lino (easy to clean) so we just let her 'go to town' and then plonked her in the bath once her art work was complete. She had such a great time and really enjoyed herself.

Eve loves playing in Daddy's studio whilst he is working on his music. She is a big fan of the bongo's! 

Banging on pots and pans with wooden spoons is also one of her favourite past-times.

Now that Eve is crawling around so well she loves investigating in the studio - in particular she loves a bit of digging! The girl has good taste in music already...

We had the most fantastic weekend, painting, playing, walking and eating.

We enjoyed another exploration of Arno's Vale Cemetery yesterday, through some pathways that we had not been down before. We all had a lovely time - especially Eve who had a good sleep in the rucksack!

A rather lovely canopy of trees held up by a grave stone

Very sleepy after the fresh air and wondrous sights

There are so many fascinating and beautiful memorials in the forest cemetery.

It was such a gorgeous day we decided to wander down to The Star and Dove pub in Totterdown to try their sunday roast, which we have heard very good things about for years. Now that we are in the area we thought we really should go and try it out. We were not disappointed and had an incredible lunch. Eve slept through the whole thing which was brilliant, being able to eat our meals hot whilst having a good chat and a laugh. We hadn't been out for a meal in ages so it was a welcome treat!

It's just fantastic and boasts being Britain's first Gastro pub. It is really 'our kind of place', we felt like we could have stayed there all day and all night.

http://www.staranddove.co.uk/

Eve woke up at the end of our meal and had a great time eating her lunch with a fig for dessert of course...

Wearing a new Nuby Dribble Bib that I won from a box of Organix baby readybrek style cereal

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuby-Art-4275-Bandanna-Paisley/dp/B00LOMQXRC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1412583834&sr=8-6&keywords=nuby+bandana+bibs

Happy days

Happy figgy times...

Eve has been enjoying fresh figs for a few weeks, but today for the first time she devoured the entire fruit. I was looking for the remnants and was so surprised when there was none to find. Even the skin was gone, hurrah...

She's a curious little thing and has already worked out how to break out of our cordoned off play pen (we didn't want to put her in the cage style play pen as it seemed a bit mean - but we'll see as the days go on...), so I've had to devise another idea. I came in the other day and she had escaped and emptied the wicker bin on her head - thankfully there was not much in it.

I've been playing roll the ball with her for a couple of days this week and this evening after watching me do it, she started bouncing the ball, repeatedly with ease. Things that seem so simple to us as adults are so thrilling to see when your baby does them. Daddy got rather excited and has already found a Nerf hoop that he wants to buy her - watch out Lebron James!

Daddy and I took her to soft play in Knowle this week. We'd never been with her there together so I think it was nice for her to have us both there. I carried her up through the squashy fun house and then down the slide together which was great fun, for me as well.

Our new health visitor Carla stopped by at our home at the beginning of the week. We chatted for about an hour, along with Sam who had the morning off work. It was so nice to have someone who is so supportive an understanding. We really clicked.

Our health visitor at the beginning was ok, but there was a slight atmosphere between us.  We were only passed on to her at the time as I had informed the midwife department that we didn't want our home visiting midwife to see us anymore. I felt bad at having to do that but she upset both Sam and I so much that we couldn't take her visits any longer. Sometimes as a mum you have to do what is right for you and your family...

Carla is such a positive and cheerful person, finally being told by a 'professional' that we're doing a good job made our day!