wonderful wednesday #10

It's time for another look at some loveliness from the past week, and it's been a great one.

Marvellous Millie: That gorgeous little hound turns 4 years old today. We have celebrated with sunbathing in the garden and a trip to the park for a meet up with my friends, their children, and most crucially their dog who is Millie's playmate of old. They had a happy reunion, and I'm sure there will be treats for tea later too. She's such a wonderful companion, and has coped so well with the turmoil of a baby brother in the house. All she ever wants is company and cuddles (food obviously goes without saying), and I do enjoy the fact that now T has a more predictable bed time, we can have a couple of hours curled up with her just like the good old days.

Sunshine: It has been glorious here, although that has made me realise that I urgently need to purchase some suncream in order to be a responsible parent. The weather makes such a difference though, I've been walking T everywhere, and it feels so good to get out and about.

Cooking: The book I chose for this month's Cookery Calendar Challenge is proving to be a real success, I've already made three recipes from it and am planning a few more before I have to return it to the library! Everything I've made has turned out really well, and it has felt really good to be in the kitchen and making some more unusual dishes.

Getting Muddy: I took part in a Race for Life Pretty Muddy event over the weekend. I signed up on a whim, and then completely forgot about it. I was chatting with my mum's neighbour about starting going running with her daughter, we have grown up together over the years, and our two families are incredibly close. I suddenly realised the race was this weekend, got in touch to see if she fancied joining me, and three days later we found ourselves scrambling through cargo nets, bouncing on space hoppers, sliding down inflatables, and crawling through mud, mud and more mud, in the glorious sunshine. It was brilliant fun, all the better for having company, and felt like a real achievement. My family all came along to cheer us round (and take some brilliant pictures), and we are already thinking about doing a 10k one in June. My legs have been aching, and I've bruises everywhere, but I still get a huge grin whenever I think about it.

Impromptu Visits: The Husband's best friend from uni got in touch out of the blue to see if we were around. He lives a long distance away but happened to be in the area this weekend, so once I had managed to de-mud myself, we went for Sunday dinner followed by milkshakes, then had good chats over coffee at home. It was lovely to see him, really good for him to spend time with T, and it was also one of those occasions where we realised how happy we are where we live. It was so nice to be able to walk two minutes and have lots of options for things to do, yet also to be able to retreat back to home after and sit in the peaceful sunshine. A lovely weekend all round.

I think that's plenty of wonderfulness for this Wednesday, I feel like I could go on and on, I haven't mentioned photography, or stationery, or free gifts from fabulous companies, but instead, go and read some of the other wonderful posts:

Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #8

Back once again for another Wonderful Wednesday (I started writing that and I got intense flashbacks to this, which has simultaneously embedded itself in my head and made me feel very old indeed). Despite not being able to shake off another bout of the lurgy for nearly 2 weeks now (babies are germ factories it seems) there is plenty of wonderfulness to celebrate.

Baby Bliss: The picture above sums up the past week with my lovely little boy (with double chin artfully cropped out admittedly). He has been a delight this week, endless smiles and giggles, a particular fan, it transpires, of the chorus of Ruby by the Kaiser Chiefs (mostly the aahaahaahaahaaaah bit), still loves balls being thrown and caught with accompanying sound effects, and being swung around and tickled under his chin. He has now taken to eating with gusto, and I am much relieved, and spending increasing amounts of time trying to satiate his ever increasing appetite. We had quite a few weeks where everything was being spat out, and it brings me so much joy to see him enjoying (and swallowing!) food. Sleep has improved a little, or a least 4am starts are now 5am starts since the clocks have gone forward which feels much more humane somehow. This week has been all about the wonderful parts of parenting and I am feeling very lucky, and very in love!

Monday with Millie: On Monday night I took Millie to an obedience class. It is not that she has become particularly disobedient, if anything she is much better at ignoring other dogs when we are out walking, but I had a scary moment a few weeks ago where the lock on her extendable lead somehow failed as she pulled and she shot out into the road. She was absolutely fine but it shook me up, especially as just moments later two cars came whizzing past, and I had one of those what if moments for the rest of the night. Also, I wanted to start trying to make sure she had a bit of one on one time, as she has been so accepting of the massive change to home life in the form of T, and I thought it would be nice for her to get a bit of fussing and undivided attention. So it was, on a beautifully sunny evening, Millie and I were to be found in a field, with her getting lots of treats, praise and cuddles, plenty of fresh air, and I came home feeling very glad indeed for a bit of quality time with my lovely girl.

Family: It has been a real family effort while I've been ill, I actually took a sick day from parenting just over a week ago, and my parents took T for the day, so I could sleep and try to recover a little. I know not many people have that option, and I felt so very lucky to have them so close, so that I could still get a middle of the day cuddle with him, but at the same time give myself a fighting chance of feeling better. Although I'm still feeling grotty, that day was so very much appreciated, and it was good to think he was having a day of being spoilt and doted on by his grandparents rather than coughed at by a bleary eyed mum!

Gardening: For Mother's Day, The Husband bought me a bundle of things for our veg planter, and suggested that we start a tradition of planting some seeds each year on Mother's Day. Initially slightly sceptical at the idea of hard labour on a day I had more traditionally associated with pampering and relaxation, we had lunch at a local garden centre with my family, bought some additional herb pots, pansies and strawberry plants, and then spent a happy two hours in the sunshine sewing seeds, planting herbs, and listening to music while T played in his chair and Millie lay on the lawn. Followed up by a fancy meal at home and some time spent doing my nails, and he had planned a pretty perfect day. I love that every time I come in the front door, or look out the kitchen window I can see the pots we planted up, and hopefully the products of our labours will be a happy reminder of those few hours for the rest of the year. He's cleverer than I give him credit for sometimes!

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

first things first

The first of March.

The first six months of parenthood to our incredible little boy. So at six months old, I wanted to take a minute to celebrate him exactly as he is at the moment, before any more firsts happen and another six months fly by.

He has the most incredible giggle, a real full-on chortle that lights up a room. His favourite thing in the world is Millie, and he quite often bursts out laughing just at the sight of her. He has started to recognise his family, and generally greets those he knows with a toothy grin. His bottom teeth have been through for a while, and we have the first top one emerging at the moment, so there has been plenty of drool, and some funny faces as he gets used to the new addition!

We are just venturing into the world of food, so he doesn't really have any favourites, except to say that if I have spent time peeling, cooking, blending and spooning something he is far less inclined to eat it than when my parents offer him a chew on some pear. When he does humour me, he wants to hold the spoon himself, and occasionally manages to get it somewhere near his mouth.

He got a walker from my parents for Christmas, and he is often to be found moving disconcertingly quickly around the kitchen in his wheels. He likes to make a beeline for anything dangerous, such as a hot oven, drawers open at head height, those kind of things. He also follows the dog around, to try and open drawers, and more recently has taken to sidling up to me and grabbing my cardigan to chew on.

He can sit up now, but mostly prefers to be on his front, and has mastered the art of shuffling backwards, which means he often reverses under the sofa until his bottom prevents him from going any further. He will sleep for ages as long as he is curled up against someone's chest, but when he is awake he has to be on the go, and will get grouchy unless you are moving him around and walking about the place. Nappy changes are becoming an increasingly complex operation, as he doesn't want to lie on his back at all any more, and has taken to strewing the contents of his changing table about. Being showered with cotton wool balls while trying to fasten a nappy around a back to front baby feels like some kind of weird game show and all the things that were conveniently placed nearby are now having to be moved further and further out of reach.

He has absolutely no routine whatsoever, with the exception of having a bath and a book around the same time each evening. Sleep, both at night and during the day, is still largely unpredictable, and he can't bring himself to go to sleep if there is something more interesting going on. No matter how sleepy he is, he will keep himself awake if he gets the impression he might be missing out. He has been droopy-eyed as we have arrived at the library, but the minute the singing session starts he is wide awake and bouncing around again. Christmas Day and my birthday meal both found him awake long past his usual times because he could tell there was fun to be had! He does seem to have moved into his own room without much fuss at all, but I haven't quite brought myself to put away the travel cot from our bedroom yet!

He has just started to join in a bit more when we go out, and has started squealing along to the songs at the library, and also splashing me with alarming gusto in the swimming pool. It is lovely to be at the point where he is starting to interact, as usually when something is new he quietly takes it all in, which meant the first few swimming trips felt a lot like I was moving him around in the water while he looked at me somewhat nonplussed. Now I have no idea what he looks like because he keeps drenching me with water and laughing!

He has a few songs that he definitely likes, mainly the ones that involve lifting him up and down very energetically, and I am anticipating that I will soon have biceps of steel. He found me swinging a sock about disproportionately hilarious yesterday, and after a morning where he had been particularly unsettled, this raucous laughter suddenly broke through at the simple act of sliding a sock around the bed and absolutely made my day. We have lots of songs, a song for getting him dressed (the hokey-cokey), a song for putting socks on (an adapted version of once I caught a fish alive) which we sing a lot, and the theme tune to the crystal maze is a sure fire way to a smile. He likes train noises, which I have just discovered works particularly well for teeth brushing, a very exaggerated version of the ABC song, and my night time concerts tend to include Elbow, Travis, and more recently the full length version of American Pie which I now know word perfectly.

Life as a parent is so all-encompassing. It feels like we talk of little else, and the smallest things take on such huge significance. He has grown so very much, and there is something miraculous about seeing this little person that you have made gradually discover the world before your very eyes. He loves playing with his feet, and studying his hands, all normal, typical baby things, but seeing the gradual transitions up close really bring it home how fascinating human development is.

 I don't find motherhood easy at times, the introvert in me is having to get used to the fact that quiet alone time is a thing of the past unless I very deliberately seek it out, but I do find being his mum the most natural thing in the world. I love the way his head rests on my shoulder, how he wraps his arms around my neck, and that he has started placing his hands on top of mine when I'm doing the actions to songs. As much as the middle of the night waking is tough, I find something so peaceful sitting in the dark stillness as he drifts back off in my arms, and often sit up longer than I need to relishing the quiet bubble and the cuddles as he clings to me in his sleep. I love seeing my close family in new ways, he brings so much joy to those around me, and it is so special to see. Watching The Husband be such an amazing dad is incredible, even if T did utter something that sounded suspiciously like DaDa the other day, which I am trying not to be too perturbed by! Motherhood hasn't made me any better at small talk, or any better at walking into a group of people and making instant friends, but it has made me more confident, more independent, more proactive, and has given me a sense of strength. I would do anything in the world for him, and love him so fiercely it surprises me. 

I think he is going to be mischievous, and a bundle of energy. I expect to need eyes in the back of my head, and lightning reflexes. I already feel that I am wearing new glasses that highlight potential danger everywhere I look, and home seems to suddenly be awash with sharp corners and protruding edges. If his current personality is anything to go by though, he seems to be a very happy, content little boy, loving, giggly, and so very excited by the world, long may it last.

wonderful wednesday #6

In true Sesame Street style, this week's Wonderful Wednesday is brought you by the letter C.

Coriander: I made a recipe at the weekend that needed coriander, and my parents picked me up a bunch while out shopping. I love coriander and have happily incorporated it into lots of different recipes, including fajitas, chicken and coconut curry, and has also been livening up my lunches. It always makes me feel a little bit fancy having fresh herbs, although I tend to be a little overliberal with my sprinkling, as the picture above attests.

Cuddles: This morning I woke up with a headache, and so, I chose to stay in my pyjamas, and when the baby took a nap I actually followed the sleep when the baby sleeps advice. It was a lovely snooze on the sofa, snuggled under a blanket, with the dog snoring gently by my side, and I woke up feeling all the better for it. The novelty of cuddling a sleeping baby has still not worn off, and I love the evenings where he drifts off in my arms after his bath, all damp hair and smiles in his sleep.

Cake: Obviously, cake is always good, but this week my mum and I baked, and it was the first time I had baked in a while. It was a successful, and simple, orange drizzle cake, and it was lovely to spend an hour baking together, and also having cake to eat at the end of it! 

Comments: Thank you to all of you for lovely comments on my recent posts. I will reply soon, but it is always encouraging to feel like your words are being read. I sometimes worry that perhaps this blog is too superficial and borders on the saccharine at times, so despite venturing briefly into the more serious realm this week, many of your comments served as a reminder that I can make what I want of this little space and it isn't a reflection of a lack of interest in the wider world if I choose to focus on the positive here. 

Classes: I went to a session on weaning run locally, and my mum came along too. It was quite helpful, if only to reassure me that I've been doing the right things so far, and it is exciting to think in a week or so we can start introducing the baby to food. I always sit him in the kitchen when I'm cooking, and generally have to sing and talk my way through every ingredient to stop him getting restless, so I'm looking forward to him being able to have a taste too. He is also at the point now where he seems to be interacting more when I take him to things. He starts bouncing very excitedly when we go the singing and reading session at the library (though I am certain his overenthusiastic rattle waving is going to cause another child an injury). Friday was also the first time I have taken him swimming where he did more than just let me move him around, having discovered the joy of splashing, I spent most of the session wiping water out of my eyes, and having my first experience of show-off parenting as I kept trying to strategically swim nearer to the instructor so that she would notice, and compliment, his first attempts at kicking (it didn't work).

Camera: I know this is becoming a bit of a frequent mention, but I really enjoyed taking part in #1day12pics again on Saturday, and I have also started to take my camera with me just a little more regularly. My parents and I took the dog and the baby to the park yesterday, and we also went out for lunch with my Grandad today, and both times I picked up the camera on the way out, with some encouragement from my mum. I didn't take lots of pictures, but I'm glad I'm starting to carry it with me without feeling pretentious, and that I'm enjoying playing with it and trying to remember what I've learnt.

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #4

Another round up of some of the wonderful things going on this week.

Understanding Aperture: Although slightly bizarre, the picture above definitely makes my wonderful list this week. I signed up for Emma's A Year With My Camera project last year, and though I read the emails for the first few weeks I didn't actually pick up my camera and get started. This year I've managed to stick with it, and the above is my attempts at playing with the aperture settings on my camera. Not only am I chuffed that I managed to get the basic effect I was looking for (blurred vs focussed background), I was particularly proud of myself for taking my proper camera to the park, with the baby and the beagle, and actually being brave enough to lift it out in public and take pictures, even with other people around!

Catching Up: I've had quite a sociable week for a woman on maternity leave who knows exactly no other parents on maternity leave! Some friends from work popped by, and it was great to catch up and introduce them to the baby. Today I visited a good friend at 10am, and what started as a cuppa turned into multiple cuppas, and then lunch, and generally a good time. Made even better by getting home and finding flowers, eclairs, pies and pork chops (a random assortment I grant you) left in the kitchen by my Grandad. 

Shepherd's Pie: Firstly, the grammar fiend in me is deliberating whether it is the pie of one shepherd, or many shepherds, but I settled on one hungry one! We had another happy Sunday night where Grandad joined us for Sunday dinner, and another comfort dish, The Husband's choice this time, of shepherd's pie followed by rice pudding. 

Daffodils: The Husband brought me flowers last week, and as well as roses, he also picked up our first bunches of daffodils of the year. They have been a little source of joy all week long, and a lovely hint that spring is on its way soon.

Giggles: Now well and truly over his cough, the baby is back to his lovely, happy self, and has been giggling merrily all week. Current favourites include me saying oh-oh, oh-no, or just opening my mouth very wide and saying ahhhh. Sometimes just opening my mouth wide and not saying a thing. He also likes me pretending to eat his fingers, and loves it even more if I then proclaim that they are delicious. He is in raptures at round and round the garden, and can barely contain himself when he knows the tickles are coming. He still thinks being lifted high up over my head is hilarious. More than once this week I have found myself laughing uproariously, at him laughing uproariously, at me saying oh-oh. It is a wonderful confidence boost spending so much time with someone who thinks you are the funniest person on the planet!

Snoring: Last night I sat on the sofa with the baby fast asleep in my arms, snoring, and the dog stretched out at my side snoring. I needed to put subtitles on the television, and I'm relieved The Husband didn't join in and complete the hat-trick, but it was a pretty lovely sound nonetheless.

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

first things first

The first of August.

Which also means it is the first day of the August Break, the photo project organised by Susannah Conway. I have joined in on the blog in previous years, but this year I will do the daily posts on instagram, as I anticipate my capacity to take part might reduce over the coming weeks! The first prompt was Morning Light, and above is a version of the photo I chose.

This month should also be our first as parents, which is an unbelievably exciting thought. Although, with my fondness for firsts, I had liked the idea of our baby arriving today on the first day of the week, and the month, the midwife has assured me this morning that it is showing no signs of making an early arrival just yet! It is exactly a week until the due date now, though I am anticipating we may go past that point. It is strange to think that the next time I do one of these posts, our family will have expanded, and our much longed for baby will be here.

This is the first Monday in a while that we don't have an antenatal class too. The sessions covered all sorts, although there was no sitting on the floor practicing breathing and panting, which disappointed The Husband a little as he had been fully expecting it to go down that route. Instead we have had a myriad of things, including fabric babies with a placenta attached by a press stud, knitted boobs, relaxation exercises involving magic carpets, and a tour of the various delivery rooms, which made everything feel rather real. It has, in the most part, been reassuring, though having booked on to the classes many months ago, it is strange to feel that we have now attended them all, and that the baby could arrive any day.

As tonight will be gentler than recent weeks, where we had to dash out as soon as The Husband got home, and try to squeeze in a meal somewhere along the way, I am planning to make gnocchi for the first time today, as well as homemade pesto. I think my nesting instinct has been mostly focussed on the kitchen (unsurprisingly) as I am getting the urge to batch cook, and try new recipes, which unfortunately tends to have the opposite effect of making the place messier rather than the typical approach of intense cleaning!

Right now, I have a dog snoring gently beside me, flowers in front of me, and a wriggling baby in my belly. I think I shall have my first cup of tea of the day, and enjoy the peace while I can. Whatever August may bring us I am sure it will be full of incredible firsts, and for now I am excitedly anticipating each and every one. 

Project 52: Week 29 and 30

I know I keep promising pictures of something other than Millie, but after the disastrous deletion of all my photographs, I had to use one of the pictures I had sent to The Husband so that I could rescue it from his phone! This is a good representation of my early mornings of maternity leave, The Husband heads to work and Millie takes his place, keeping me company as we listen to the radio and I get ready for the day.

Then yesterday I made a start on replenishing my photo collection, and took this as we walked Millie across the fields. She loves to go bouncing through the crops, which is a very welcome sight after she was poorly last weekend, and a clear sign she is back to her normal self.

word of the week

It has been tricky trying to sum up the recent days in a single word, and in the end I have opted for "change".

Since I last blogged, maternity leave has kicked in and there has been a real change of pace! Funnily enough, having never been a morning person, I am suddenly up with The Husband as he heads to work and pottering around the house from quite early in the day. Not, unfortunately doing anything overly productive, the nesting instinct has been stronger in The Husband who is cleaning and sorting things at an alarming rate, but it has been nice to make the most of the mornings, with the radio and the dog for company.

There have been some lovely days with family and friends, including a surprise spa day with my best friend just over a week ago, a fabulous afternoon tea with my Grandad, and a few trips out to garden centres. After the spa day, I also got the courage to visit the local pool this week, and really enjoyed swimming a few lengths and being in the water after so long. I've also got back into the habit of planning meals, enjoying stocking up the freezer and trying some different recipes, like the onion bhajis I shared on instagram. Tonight there will be toad in the hole, with Grandad joining us, and potatoes from my parents allotment - it's all very domesticated around here isn't it!

I also treated myself to a new radio and bluetooth speaker for the conservatory, and once that arrived I splashed out on some new storage baskets which I have been meaning to buy for years! It is one of my favourite rooms, especially in the summer, and it is lovely to sit in there with Millie and enjoy the peace and quiet.

There have been a few unwanted changes too, like this time last week when our food-obsessed beagle suddenly stopped eating and starting being sick. We were having a lovely day celebrating my mum's birthday, with presents, a family meal, and a successful attempt at an eton mess cake creation, but she definitely wasn't quite herself. After lots of watching and waiting, we finally succumbed to a trip to the emergency vets late on Sunday, and after some injections (and giving thanks that The Husband is on the ball with pet insurance, because I definitely am not) we were sent home with a rather lethargic dog to look after. After a few days of rice and some paste from the vets which she seemed to adore, she is entirely back to normal. It's funny that we spend so much time telling her not to jump, lick, bark, and so on, but when she stops doing all those things we desperately want her back to her mischievous self!

Then on Friday, when I was already having a day fretting about whether the baby was moving enough, I inadvertently wiped my whole phone. Despite The Husband's extensive efforts on Friday night, the photos and messages were not retrievable, and I learnt the hard way about making sure you regularly back up. I was pretty devastated on Friday, there were (perhaps a slightly disproportionate amount of) tears, and I generally was feeling rather sorry for myself, especially to think I had lost the pictures from the last eight months, particularly with it having been my 30th celebrations, and the duration of the pregnancy. Gradually though, The Husband and my mum set about sending me photos that I had shared with them, and pictures they had, and there have been more than enough to fill the void! It was also lovely to look back over them all and reminisce about so many happy occasions, and realise how many wonderful memories there have been. In that spirit, the picture above is one from the collection I have re-acquired in the past few days, taken from the birthday meal my parents treated us to at Northcote.

So, while not all of the changes this week were particularly planned, and in some cases, weren't that positive, I'm glad to say I end the week feeling very happy indeed, with our beautiful beagle, as giddy as she can be, with the wonderful memories we have made over the last year, with the fabulous family we have, the new addition that will soon be joining us, and for tonight, with the prospect of toad in the hole and good company!

Project 52: Week 27 and 28

Week 27 was another Millie photo, this time of her cuddled up in The Husband's arms, and slowly drifting off to sleep.

Something a little different for week 28, we went away for a few days for our anniversary and had a look around the beautiful Chester Cathedral.

Project 52: Week 26

I must try and take a better variety pictures, Millie seems to be the dominant subject these days, but with a face like that can you really blame me?! 

Project 52: Week 23 and 24

Having been away on holiday and thoroughly enjoying getting away from it all, I didn't post last week's photo. This was taken in the orchard that was attached to our holiday cottage. It was lovely to wander there for a walk each day, to sit on the bench looking out over the greenery, and most enjoyable was the fact that it was fully enclosed so Millie could enjoy running around off her lead to her heart's content. If you look very closely you may well be able to spot the beagle shaped blur dashing towards us.

As part of our trip we visited Stratford races this week, and although the weather wasn't the best, we had a brilliant day. The centre enclosure allows you to drive on and also to take dogs, so we could shelter in the car with our picnic and walk Millie between races as we went to place our bets. We had a great view, just near the finishing post, and even won on one or two races, the fact that we only ever wagered one or two pounds doing nothing to dampen our excitement!

word of the week

After going away for our holiday last Friday, I think the word of the week has been "peace". We escaped with Millie to a beautiful cottage in Gloucestershire, and had a wonderful trip. The setting was idyllic, and I do have plans to post separately about our accommodation, I was that impressed with it. The week included plenty of walks with the dog, a day at the horse races, a farmers' market, board games, jigsaws, lots of books and leisurely days.

The secluded setting meant that we woke each morning to birdsong (occasionally drowned out by Millie's barking!), and the cottage was a lovely home from home. Days were spent pottering around, wandering for walks with Millie, curling up with cups of tea and enjoying our own company. In what seemed to be a particularly violent week as far as news goes, it was jarring to be enjoying such tranquility yet to be greeted with relentless bad news on the radio each morning. I was grateful for the space and calm we had, and was even more appreciative of the peace in the wake of so many different tragedies.

I was thankful to have the time together, our little family, and without the demands of work or the chores of home it was a gentle reminder of how happy we can be just sharing our days together. It is exciting to think that our next family holiday could well include another member, and that it may be a very different experience as a result! Perhaps peace might not be as suitable a word then, but hopefully no less enjoyable! 

first things first

The first of June.

The first day of summer, I heard on the radio this morning, apparently according to the meteorological calendar. The solstice isn't for a few weeks yet, though. Either way, we had a glorious bank holiday weekend which certainly felt fitting for summer time, and despite the clouds overhead, my walk with Millie tonight proved we are definitely in no jacket required territory now.

Summer is also the season when our first baby is due to arrive. Having first found out in late November, the due date felt so very far away, especially as we spent those first days of knowing curled up in a cottage in the Lake District, surrounded by the floods and storms that hit late last year. Summer seemed so distant, almost untouchable, and yet here we are with just weeks to go. It still feels just out of reach at the moment, not quite real somehow, though the acrobatics that have been happening in my stomach all day are certainly helping it to sink in.

This month also brings our first holiday since the trip we went on for my birthday in February. With all the bank holidays recently it hasn't felt like a particularly long time since our break, but as the weeks go on, and especially with work being busy these last few weeks, I have been increasingly excited at the anticipation of our time away. We are renting a cottage in Gloucestershire and taking Millie for a week of peace, quiet and walks. We've also got tickets for a day at the races, having found out that Stratford racecourse has an enclosure that you can drive onto (a picnic in the car is planned), and that dogs are also welcome. 

The first weekend of June includes celebrations for a wonderful friend's 30th birthday and hopefully a catch-up with my lovely cousin and his family too. There will also be a trip to the hairdresser, I have been doggedly growing out the short crop since February, but while pregnancy is making my hair thicker it doesn't seem to be helping it grow longer. I am at the mullet stage, and had warned the hairdresser that I might get it all chopped off again and undo the months of persistence just to have it feeling something more than a mop on my head, but she did warn me that she wouldn't let me, so we shall see who succeeds!!

I think that is enough firsts for now, as an hour on the sofa with The Husband, Millie and a cup of tea beckons. Hope you all have a lovely June.

Project 52: Week 17 and 18

The main project for the Bank Holiday weekend was the nursery, and after lots of DIY I am absolutely thrilled with it. We keep going having a little peep around the door in the mornings, and it feels very exciting to have the room ready. Millie, however, was less pleased with being banned from the room, and particularly when the construction process meant that she was physically unable to join us she made for a very sorry sight indeed. I loved this picture of her peering in as we put together the changing unit!

This weekend we have done lots of travelling, and I took this picture in my cousin's garden during our visit to see them. It was a lovely trip, and there was fabulous sunshine. It was great to be able to sit out in the garden, enjoying the weather, and the company. 

Project 52: Week 16

Back to Millie for this week's photo, after our Sunday walk was perfectly timed with a major downpour, just as we were half way round a rather lengthy route. The Husband, having seen the weather turn, decided to take a quick drive to some of our favourite haunts, and I must admit the sight of his car sat waiting for us as we trudged across a field was a particularly welcome one. We got home and dry, but not before taking a few pictures of our rather fluffy looking beagle.

Project 52: Week 12 and 13

Over the Easter weekend, we made use of the one good day of sunshine to take Millie for a walk. I took lots of pictures of her running around the fields, and I think this one is easily my favourite, there's something about those ears billowing in the breeze that makes me grin every time I look at it.

This weekend has been a lovely one, especially today spent with relatives visiting from Australia and a celebratory lunch at the place where The Husband and I got married. Dessert was this incredible apple crumble inspired dish, the apple was made from a white chocolate shell, and we later found out it was based on last week's episode of Great British Bake Off Creme de la Creme. It was a superb end to an incredibly special meal.

Project 52: Week 3

I haven't used the camera much this week, so today's Sunday photo is actually from Sunday night, a last minute snap  of Millie as I sat down to write the blog post. It's a good job she's so photogenic!

Project 52: Week 1

After toying with idea of doing project 365 again (or 366 as it will be this year!), I only got a few days in to 2016 and realised that during the week I often end up resorting to the same few images around the house, and it makes it feel pretty uninspired quite quickly. Instead, I have decided to post a weekly photo, so that I can enjoy joining in with a photo project over the year, particularly as I'm also going to try Emma Davies' A Year with My Camera workshop.

So instead, I'll be posting a weekly photo on a Sunday, and linking up with the 365/366 page, and also with the My Sunday Photo page too. I'll also be making more of an effort to use instagram a little more too, to try and encourage myself to take more pictures when I am out and about.

This week has included lots of snuggles with Millie, and whilst this isn't her most flattering angle, I love the way her mouth scrunches up when she's dozing. She often sits up from a nap with one ear turned inside out, and her mouth ruched halfway up her face, looking adorably comical.

I got a new phone in the last week, a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, which is a much improved camera from my previous iphone 5S. Whilst I do hope to use our "proper" camera more over the coming year, I know that realistically, I'm much more likely to take pictures on my cameraphone, and I'm looking forward to getting to play with this one. Here's to twelve months of improved confidence with cameras, and getting to find lots of lovely blogs to visit too.

first things first

The first of January.

The first day of 2016. A beautiful brand new year to look forward to with all the promise it brings.

The first day of a long weekend, with plans for dismantling the decorations, pottering around the house, enjoying some leisurely afternoons before the return to routine on Monday. Although both The Husband and I were in work this week it was that odd kind of atmosphere where some people came in dressed casually, and everywhere was quiet, with trays of mince pies hanging around and that general air of conviviality and comraderie amongst the few of us that had ventured in. Next week will no doubts be back to normal, with that gentle disbelief as the day begins that Christmas is over for another year, and that slight disorientation of having to write 2016 for the first few times.

The first family gathering of the year, with a visit to my Aunties, and time spent chatting, making plans for the year ahead, reflecting on the incredibly year that has passed and generally realising just how much we achieved, helped almost singlehandedly by my fabulous Grandad and my amazing parents.

The first day of setting up my new phone, or should that be The Husband setting up my new phone. My contract was coming to an end, so I decided on a whim to order a new one, with a swanky new camera, ready for a new year of photography, hopefully with lots of lovely memories ready to be captured. I always have a few days of regret when a new phone arrives, feeling like I'll never get as accustomed to it as I was to my previous model, but I seem to have taken to this one quite quickly. I've moved to a new provider, and made the switch from Apple back to Android for the first time in years, so am very excited to start playing with it and finding out what it can do.

The first, as you may have noticed, blog post in a while. If you visit here frequently you won't be surprised that I have reappeared today, with my love of fresh starts, new beginnings, and the optimism that comes with a new week, month, or year. It wasn't a deliberate break, but once I missed a week of the different projects I was taking part in and realised it didn't suddenly undermine all the weeks I had done, I relaxed a little. It was a shame not to finish the projects, like 365 photos, and the year in books, and I'm still contemplating writing my last two bake off posts, especially as I was so proud of the Millefeuille! I've been trying to get a bit of a better balance between being a perfectionist and giving up entirely when something slips, and taking a bit of a break from blogging was a good way of realising that I can take a bit more of a relaxed approach to it for the year ahead without packing it up entirely. In the last few months I moved placements yet again, we had a lovely family holiday to the Lake District with my parents and grandad (who was making a fabulous recovery from his second knee operation in less than six months), Millie ended up very poorly in the vets for a second time (we have now discovered that it was caused by her finding her way into her food supply and literally gorging herself sick so at least it has been easily remedied!), I have rediscovered calligraphy, and of course there has been the fabulous festivities of the season. It's not really surprising that blogging took a back seat for a little while, but I am very glad to be back and will hopefully be posting a little more regularly and visiting all of those blogs I have missed very much over the last few weeks.

And now I think the first dog walk of the year, followed by the first early night, and perhaps the first few pages of one of the new books I got for Christmas. I wish you all the very best of years ahead, and thank you for finding your way to this little corner of the internet today, and for any previous visits you may have made. Happy New Year.

project 365: week 44

I'm afraid it all went a bit awry this week with missing photos all over the place! I'm not entirely sure where last week went, but thank goodness for Millie, and apologies for the beagle themed set of photos!

298. Coffee and pain au chocolate for breakfast. The Husband lined them all up on the board "because I know you're going to take a picture" so I had to oblige!

299. Is absent I'm afraid. The only picture on my phone was a cartoon my friend sent me to cheer me up after a rubbish day at work last week. 

300. Lots of early nights this week and Millie made the most of bedroom privileges, getting quite comfy on the blanket.

301. After work I went to visit Grandad and then it was straight home and to bed, with a quick snap of the bedside table on the way.

302. Getting licked by Millie, despite my protestations.  

303. Well there's a phone full of pictures for Friday but they are all screenshots of possible hairstyles for my appointment on Saturday morning! It seems in the midst of that I completely forgot an actual picture, as we spent the evening making fajitas and watching a movie. 

304. And just to complete the theme, Millie looking entirely disinterested in my new hair and far more fascinated by something on the wall, either that or she was trying a new pose after a week of being my subject! Hopefully more variety next week, and a full complement of photos too!