@AndSmelly
This time of year always brings a nostalgia trip for me. I think back to the surprise of my waters breaking at 36 weeks and then spending another four days waiting to meet large boy. Remembering that induced first labour, my body completely ignoring my plan. The jaundice, the reflux, the exhaustion, the sore boobs,… Continue reading Warning, Eleven Incoming!
My parents are both facing big birthdays this year and himself's will follow suit in the next couple of years too. Yep, the big 7 0. We wanted to make sure they got some treats for their important birthdays that show how much we appreciate them. Here are some of the ideas we looked into.… Continue reading Ideas for big birthdays
It's time to look back again and wonder, baffled, how small boy has arrived at another birthday. It was the same last year and the year before. The years seems to be flying past, it feels like no time since he was the baby who would only sleep wrapped in a fleecy blanket in my… Continue reading Small boy is 7
This time of year always brings a nostalgia trip for me. I think back to the surprise of my waters breaking at 36 weeks and then spending another four days waiting to meet large boy. Remembering that induced first labour, my body completely ignoring my plan. The jaundice, the reflux, the exhaustion, the sore boobs,… Continue reading And now he’s ten
Hmm, so I just turned 40. Honestly, so far, it feels just the same as 39. I could write lots of things about how I was when I was born, when I was 13 or 18, 21 or 30. But, from my point of view, all those milestones are artificial. In fact, why am I… Continue reading Forty
It's time to look back again and wonder, baffled, how small boy has arrived at another birthday. It was the same last year. The time seems to just fly past so quickly. What's more, he's grown and grown up so much in the last year. He's very nearly 120cm tall, sprouting about 7cm in the… Continue reading Somehow 6
Well, I faced it again. 17th June wasn't baby boy3's birthday and I made it through. No toddler joyfully screaming, running amok, smearing cake everywhere, overtired and spoiled by their family and friends. No midnight wake ups or relief at sleeping through. No teething drool, no funny ways of saying new words. No adjustments to… Continue reading Not a birthday
The last couple of birthdays for the boys I've written a post about who they are and how they've grown and changed. Himself has just faced a big birthday, so I figured I'd give him a similar treatment. He probably won't like that because I'm likely to get soppy and write nice things about him.… Continue reading Himself at 40
Over the years we've done all sorts of birthday parties for the boys. From a local village hall to rugby in a sports hall, from a house full of small kids to a day out with friends at the Natural History Museum, from a transit van on the drive with Xboxes to playing Scalextric in… Continue reading How (not) to throw a kids birthday party in lockdown
The last three days have been an annual nostalgia trip for me. Remembering that first labour, the total lack of respect for my plan shown by our bodies. The complete naivety about birth, sleep, new borns and parenting in general. How easy that pregnancy was compared to the four that have followed it. But here… Continue reading And now he’s eight
Smelly Socks and Garden Peas 