One Today!

The big day has finally arrived, my little girl is ONE today. Not the day we planned but a nice day never the less. We had planned to go to the Blue Planet Aquarium, but the best laid plans an all that.

This morning we woke up to find Isabella with more spots than a spotty dog. She was covered in them. The usual menigitus panic ensued, with the no ok we think it's not that. Could it be measles, eek! Call the doctor and get her in to find out what she does have.

We had breakfast and even shook a few maracas this morning, Issy's first present of the day. After breakfast we flew to the doctors to be told she has a virus and to give her rest. On her first birthday the poor little girl. Glad we had a weekend of birthday so this day wasn't so bad.

All in all we've had a lovely day with Isabella and she has enjoyed it I hope. She is a little under the weather but she doesn't stop smiling she is just wonderful. This time last year I was wondering what the heck do we do with her. Now I am wondering what the heck we did without her. It's all good and my little girl is the best thing on the planet. Fact! (Catch phrase of a good friend sure she won't mind me stealing it in this situation.)

So, here is a little dance Isabella prepared earlier, enjoy!

Blink of an eye

I first started out on this blog not really that long ago I was too tired in the early days to think or sometimes even speak, never mind write. The intention was to help other mothers of a more mature outlook get an inkling into motherhood. Then I suppose a year is a good time to assess how it has all gone.

As I stand here today, well sit really, I have to say it has been some of the best and most traumatic times of my life. A roller coaster isn't really on par with what a parent goes through on a daily basis in the first year of a childs life. You have to have fingernails the length of your forearm to hang on sometimes. All that being said, I would do it all again for Isabella to be here with us now and there have definitely been many more ups than downs.

Ups that come to mind. That first smile has got to be one of my favourite ones and a proper smile at that where they really engage you with their eyes this is the beginning of them really having character. The first crawl or bottom shuffle that was pretty amazing as you start to think eek they'll be walking soon. Then you only realise that everything seems to take an age after they first start something for them to really get the hang of it. Then the giggles, this really is a magical sound. When they are tickled or find something funny how can you not laugh and giggle along with them. Isabella is a real giggler especially when Daddy tips her upside down, Mummy of course has palpitations.

So much good stuff which enriches your life more than you can ever imagine. Then there is the other stuff. The sleepless nights. The strange nappies that seem to go bump in the night. The not eating. The eating but throwing it everywhere. The eating but only having a tiny bit and then wanting a tiny bit of all sorts of other things. The not sure what baby should be eating and when.

Then there's the mind field of baby proofing. Where to begin. Once they can move around that's when the fun starts. Cupboards, drawers, stairs, toilets, doors, bins, well anything really that little fingers can find. Things you never thought could be so interesting suddenly hit top of the interesting charts. Isabella's firm favourite the computer on off button. Distraction is one technique. Cardboard blockers for us was the only answer.

So just over a week away until my wonderful little girls first birthday and she has changed so much from that wee little bundle of joy. We have had the first steps in the last week on her own. she even managed them when her grandparents were here, how fabulous is that. We don't get to see them that often and she produced such magic for them. Then we've had the I am now going to start taking everything off the shelves and try to put it back on, of course not quite in the same way. Her sorting is definitely coming on a treat.

She is such a proper little person now no longer that little baby I first held in my arms. How time flies, it seems to have rushed past in the blink of an eye. Lets hope the next instalment takes a few more blinks as I don't want to miss a thing.

It's all Swings and Round a bouts or is it?

It's funny how you take for granted some of the things you think, say or even remember. I say this because only recently I was actually wrong in the way I was thinking. I was putting a lot of emphasis on the negatives and not focusing on the positives in life. It's hard when you're always tired I suppose but it's not nice for the person you're with. So Saturday I got snapped out of it very abruptly.

When someone tells you something and it makes an impact you know you've got to change. So from now on every time I think, say or even remember something it has to be in a positive way. I know as much as anyone else how important it is to be positive, but you slip into these bad habits. So, like a chocoholic fiend over the Easter weekend whose eaten themself silly, I'm going cold Turkey. Can't do without the chocolate so it's got to be gone with the negative thoughts. Lets see how I do.

The other thing I thought I knew but also didn't remember correctly is the word for the thing that goes round in the park. As we have little ones we've now started taking them to the playground. Upon a friend of mine saying something about Roundabouts not being Roundabouts, that they were actually called something else. For days we pondered what it could be. Is it so hard to remember anything these days. I lost my bank card for the second time in 2 weeks yesterday and thank goodness found it again today. So, still not functioning up to speed yet. Will I ever?

Anyway back to the Roundabout story. Of course I'd been doing the Internet Google thing but for some reason I wasn't getting the answer I was looking for. My friend was adamant it wasn't a Roundabout. So, there I was lay in bed and of course it popped into my head what it was called. I texted my friend immediately this sort of thing can drive you batty you know. Doh, of course. The answer was simple, but I have to say, I had to say it to myself a couple of times in my head before I was convinced it was right, it just seems such a strange word.

Anyway, I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about but Zebbedde might disagree. If you don't I'll add it to the title of my next blog. So see you then.