the me and mine project {april}

Rich is loving

* watching Dylan and Everly in the dance show.

* doing Panini stickers with Dylan.

* Game of Thrones returning.

* spending the day at Packwood Hall with Nainy and Taid.

* Liverpool beating Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League.

Lucy is loving

* a lovely family day trip to the seaside.

* being a finalist in the Mad Blog Awards.

* how much the big kids have loved their show performances.

* all the funny faces Ashlyn pulls when she is trying a new food.

* working on her 'happy place' blanket. 

Dylan is loving

* having science day at school. 

* a fun day out in London at the GLTC showroom.

* putting stickers in his Panini football album.

* a day out in the sunshine at Packwood House. 

* talking about St George.

Everly is loving

* gatecrashing the stage in show rehearsals.

* telling us stories about 'tagpoles' and frogs.

* anything to do with My Little Pony.

* singing to 'Taylor Swish' in the car.

* the new sand and water table. 

Ashlyn is loving

* smiling at everyone she meets.

* eating avocados and bananas.

* rolling all over the living room floor.

* chewing and sucking her clothes.

* watching the world go by from her bouncy chair. 

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a third birth story {part seven}

You might want to check out the story so far over on my third birth story page before reading this final part of the tale...

"Are you ready to start pushing Lucy? Let's give it a really good push down into you bottom." And just like that I was pushing. The gas and air was cast aside, and I was pushing with all my might. And just like that the pain changed. It's a really hard thing to describe, but pushing actually stopped the pain. I could still feel really intense pressure, but pushing seemed to stop it from hurting in quite the same way. Pushing felt really helpful and powerful somehow.

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introducing... ashlyn quinn

We had a tough time settling on our little Ashlyn Quinn's name, and there was a LOT of going around in circles. We foolishly thought that actually finding out what we were having the third time around would make the job easier, but I randomly think it made it harder. I think had we been having a surprise we would have been splitting our energies between picking the perfect boy name and the perfect girl name. Instead we were so focused on this one name needing to be just right that we tied ourselves up in knots. 

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introducing... everly grace

We get so many comments on Everly's name. Strangers will stop us to tell us how lovely it is when they overhear us using it. I've lost count of the amount of people who have said they've added it to their baby name lists. Everybody always says the same thing; how it's so unusual, but so pretty, and how much it suits her And honestly our little Everly's name came to us like a bolt from the blue, it was destined to be her name before she was even a twinkle in our eyes.

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introducing... dylan aiden

It feels so incredibly strange to be writing this post... it's like a birth announcement 5 years late! When I first started to write a blog, it was private. And it was simply for me to write and share photos, and for family to read and catch up on what Dylan was up to. In those days I used his name. But when I discovered the blog community and decided to "go public" I quickly made the decision to edit those early posts and remove his name. When I tucked him in at night I would say "sweet dreams beautiful boy" and so I just went with that. A snap decision. And one I based my whole blog on. I didn't know at that point that blogging was going to become quite such a big part of my life. Along the way it's become a big part of all our lives really. 

But five years on, it actually feels really good to be sharing his name. My beautiful boy. My Dylan Aiden. And I promised all the details on his name, so get comfy and let me introduce my little man.

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a third birth story {part six}

If you haven't read the first few parts of my birth story, it might be worth popping over to my third birth story page to catch up on what's happened so far...

Things seemed to simultaneously speed up and slow down from that point on. Rich came back with a midwife very quickly and said they'd better get me over to labour ward quickly and ran off to get a wheelchair. Rich helped me try to get off the bed in between two contractions, which wasn't easy considering how quickly they were coming together now. When the midwife returned I was hunched over the bed, moaning through another strong contraction and fighting, what was without a doubt, a strong urge to push. 

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whats in a name...?

I talked a little while ago now about some of the issues I had around anonymity for my children with regards to blogging. And I have to say that I was pretty overwhelmed by the response, the thoughtful comments and different opinions that people gave me with regards to their own decisions about their children's anonymity, and what I might like to consider when it comes to my own. Honestly, I don't feel like there is a right or a wrong answer. There is simply a "what feels right for you and yours".

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the siblings project {april}

With two weeks off school and preschool for the Easter holidays, we've had an abundance of opportunities for taking sibling photos lately. But in much the same way that when I'm having a really really good time with friends I completely forget to take a single photograph to remember the moment, my camera has spent much of the holidays abandoned. I just didn't think to pick up the camera to capture one of the many lovely moments these three have shares, because it's been nice to just enjoy watching them. With a baby sister on the cusp of being able to play and join in more, it feels like they are at a bit of turning point as a trio. 

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you are six months old {dear beautiful little lady}

dear beautiful little lady

Wow... where did those six months go? It feels a little like you were born, I blinked, and now you're half way to your first birthday already. I think those baby days always fly by quite fast, I know that they did with your big brother and sister too, but your's seem to be going at warp speed. I guess its because we are always so busy with things, and we all know time flies when you're having fun. I'm desperately trying to hold on to every second of baby-ness with you, because I know that growing up just happens far too quickly, but you seem pretty determined to grow up however much I may want you to stay a teeny baby just a little bit longer.

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a third birth story {part five}

Make sure you check our part one, part two, part three and part four of my birth story, so that you know what has happened up to this point. It probably won't make very much sense otherwise.

When they finally called my name to go through I was mid contraction, and rocking back and forth in a trance like state. I was aware of Rich telling the midwife that they would have to wait a minute before I could move again, and I heard her saying to him that they clearly needed to hurry me through the assessment unit and get me into the labour ward by the looks of it. I remember thinking "No s**t Sherlock" but not actually saying anything at all. I didn't have any desire to enter into any conversation with medical professionals, I wanted them to just do what I wanted but to telepathically know what that was; and looking back at it now it's so obvious to me that things were progressing quickly. With both previous labours I became quite moody and grumpy and basically rudely refused to speak to medical staff right at the point I was in active labour.

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my sunshine rainbow girl

I like babies wearing clothes that look like children's clothes... you know what I mean; baby grows, playsuits, simple styles, practical, fun, colourful. Because isn't that what childhood should be all about? They have their whole adult lives to wear "dull". In fact I'll confess that while I'm naturally quite averse to wearing very much colour in my own wardrobe, I relish living vicariously through my children with a riot of colour in their wardrobes. And no more so than with my littlest one. 

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