Open Letter to Jackson, July 19

Dear Jackson, 

I looked to see when the last time I wrote to you was and it was when you had not long started preschool. Now you are starting school in just 6 weeks! It's crazy how fast the last 4 & 1/2 years have gone. Everyone tells you it goes quickly, it really does. 

You are so excited about school. I told you today that it was coming up to the last day of preschool and your little face lit up and you said 'do I go to big school now?' I'm afraid you still have 6 weeks with me first though! 

We have bought your school uniform already and I know everyone says to wait until later but I got 5-6 year sizes so they all have room to grow into. I don't think that you will shoot up 2 years worth in the next 6 weeks (maybe I'll eat my words now, haha!!). 

You have so much confidence nowadays - on our holiday you would walk up to other children and just start chatting away. A family arrived at the caravan next to us the day before we left and hearing you talking to them was so lovely. You barely let them get a word in, chatting away about your holiday. 

Since my last letter, you have become a big brother again and it has been wonderful watching how you have been this time. You are so caring and protective and if I am busy with Florence or something else and Elliot cries, you are straight over trying to comfort him. Even Florence has started copying your behaviour and the 3 of you are so lovely together, which makes Dada and I so proud. 

This will be the first year that you will not be going to Greece since you were born. To be honest, it's only my 2nd ever year of not going - unfortunately it was not in our budget this year but I am going to try to make this summer the best ever anyway!!! The great thing is that Dada will be around more and we may get a few bonus days with him! We did have an amazing family holiday to France last month too, which should get us through the rest of the summer holidays without another trip! 

On Thursday mornings Florence has started going to preschool, which has meant that me and you (plus Elliot) have had some special bonding time and I have loved it. We have had time at home making your potion kits, been to the skate park on your scooter and had coffee mornings together. You have asked, on the odd occasion, if we could send Florence everyday and spend time as just the 2 of us all the time (I wont tell her you said that, haha) but it does make me happy in my decision to send her one morning a week. 

I am going to miss you so much when you go to school but I am going to make the most of the summer with you and treasure our weekends and school holidays even more in the future. 

Your Dada and I are so proud of you and love you so much. 

Love Mama xxx

Slimming World

After I had Florence, I joined Slimming World to lose the baby weight for my sister's wedding. Now, after Elliot has joined our family, I have done the same but this time with the knowledge that I will not be having any more babies! I started on the 6th May and I had put on the most that I have put on out of all of my pregnancies - a whole 2st more than my pre- Elliott weight. So far, I have managed to lose an amazing 1 stone and 7lbs, bringing me only 7lbs away from my 'target', which to be honest I might now move down another stone. 

I haven't found it too difficult so far as I am still breastfeeding so I am allowed more dairy, which is your 'Healthy extra A'. To be honest I am allowed so much of it that I don't keep count! 

Here is an example of my meals each day: 

Breakfast: Blueberry Wheats with extra blueberries and skimmed milk.
Mid-morning Snack: Banana. 
Lunch: Pasta with lots of veggies. 
Mid-afternoon Snack: Melon. 
Dinner: Tandoori kebabs, rice and salad.
Evening Snack: Yogurt, fibre one bars and berries. 

The biggest thing that I have changed is eating more regularly, so mid-afternoon the tiredness and hunger doesn't kick in, which is when I would usually head for the biscuit tin. 

I have been using a lot of the Pinch of Nom recipes - they are so easy to follow and full of flavour. 

One thing that I am really struggling with is trying to fit in exercise! I have started the Body Coach's 7 Day Challenge (only 15mins per day) but I as I write this I am only on day 3 and already struggling to walk, haha! 

Recipes that I have loved are: 

http://pinchofnom.com/recipes/syn-free-chicken-tandoori-kebabs-slimming-world/

https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/spaghetti-carbonara

I keep giving myself mini targets, this month's being to get to the next stone bracket, for which I have another 3 pounds to do in 2 weeks. The next one will be to get to target, even though I have already mentioned that I want to lower it, which makes it about 7 pounds in 4 weeks. I think that it will be harder now I am getting close to pre-pregnancy weight, plus now it is the school holidays but I will give it my best! 

Elliot's 5 Month Update

Dear Elliot, 

This month has had lots of family and friends time and most importantly we had your Dada's birthday, as well as your cousin's Christening. To top it all off, we have had the best weather too!!

It's crazy to think that next month we will start thinking about weaning you. Time needs to slow down!!! 

Milestones 

You rolled front to back, only a few times so far but you're getting there. 

Sleep is still not that great but luckily you are pretty darn cute! 

Your first tooth came through, which was horrible and I really felt for you. The second is on it's way but hopefully then you'll get a bit of a break!!!

Routine

We have started to get you into more of a routine this month:

6:00-7:00am - wake up. 
9:00am - nap. 
(The middle bit has no routine and you are fed on demand). 
5:30pm - bath with your brother and sister. 
7:00-8:30pm - we aim to get you to sleep (doesn't always work). 
10:00pm - dream feed.
For the rest of the night, you often wake a few times and in no particular pattern. 

Weight 

You now weigh 17lb 1oz! You fit into mostly 6-9 month clothes, still wearing a few 3-6 month outfits but I think they are going to be packed away soon. I have also got you out a few 9-12 month ones and even though they are giant, I have still put them on you. 
You're currently in between the 50th and 75th percentile. 

Love you so much,
Mama xxx

Elliot's 4 Month Update

Dear Elliot, 

This month we left your brother and sister behind for a few days and went to Lyme Regis for the weekend, to see our gorgeous friends get married. 

We celebrated your first father's day with your Dada. 

We also went on our first holiday as a family of 5, when we drove to France and stayed in a Eurocamp - it was so much fun! 


Milestones 

You did your first proper little laugh this month, which was so cute and now you just can't stop doing it. 

You slept bloody amazingly when we went to the wedding but just before our holiday, unfortunately we went a tad backwards. I think it's the dreaded 4 month sleep regression. 

You loved all the swimming on holiday but definitely struggled some days with the heat. I think that it was Mama's fault, as I would sometimes dress you in too much. 

Routine

I am still not doing any sort of routine but you normally go to bed at about 11:30pm, wake loads during the night and generally up fully by 7am. You have occasionally had a few naps in our bed upstairs but on the whole you just nap where and when you want.

Next month I will start trying to get you into a routine.  

Weight 

You now weigh a whopping 16lbs! You fit into both 3-6 and 6-9 month sizes (I have already packed away some 3-6 month ones). You're currently in between the 50th and 75th percentile. 


Love you so much, 
Mama xxx

Elliot's 3 Month Update

Dear Elliot, 

It feels like only yesterday that I was writing your 2 month update, you are growing so fast! 

We started this month with a sleepover at Yaya's house, as your Dada went away on a stag do. It was so lovely to have some bonding time with Yaya.

Most excitingly we started your swimming lessons. I have to admit you didn't love it but at the same time didn't hate it. 

You also had your first trip up to London and went on a bus, which was probably the funnest thing ever for both of us (we were your typical Marlownian's on a bus, haha!!)!

You also went to your first concert, for which you slept most of the time, letting your Mama and Dada have a drink or two. 

Milestones 

Amazingly and slightly worryingly, you learnt to roll front to back!!!!! I totally blame your brother and sister for this one. 

You are such a smiley and happy baby. You have also started being so good at night, which literally happened over night!!

You have started to make the cute baby noises too and you have definitely found your hands! 

Routine

I am not doing any sort of routine with you yet but we are having a lot more periods of awake time. At night, you normally go to sleep at 11:30pm until anywhere from 4:30 - 6:30am, which is the best and I hope that never changes, haha!!! 

Weight 

You now weigh a massive 14lbs 13oz. You are are well and truly in 3-6 month clothes and seen as Jacks was even bigger than you at your age, his summer bits were more 6-9 months, so you have worn some of those without them looking too ridiculous. 

Love you so much, 
Mama xxx

Elliot 2 month update

Dear Elliot, 

You went to your first kid's party recently, your big brother Jackson and big cousin Livy's joint 4th party. You slept through the whole thing and were so good!!! 

We celebrated your first Easter, this year we went round your Yaya's for it and we all had great fun. 

We had our first mini-break too, when we went up to Newcastle to meet your new cousin. All of you were so good in the car, as well as in Newcastle and it was sooo lovely to see Gigi with her 5 great grandchildren! 

Milestones 

We have started to get a couple of giggles this month and you smile all the time, even at Dada!. 

We have gone a bit backwards with the nights, waking every 2-3 hours but you do feed and then go straight back to sleep, so I can't complain too much.

You absolutely love your baby gym, I have never known a baby to like it so much. You kick your legs giggling away, sometimes even for up to 45 mins!!!

You still love baths loads! So much so, I have started bathing you every day, which they don't recommend but I really love it too.

Routine

Still have no routine at the moment. 

Weight 
You now weigh a whopping 13lbs 3 oz, actually dropping to just below the 75 percentile but still doing very well. You are are just starting to out grow 0-3 months clothes. 

Love you so much, 
Mama xxx

Elliot's 1 month update

Dear Elliot, 

What a month it has been! You got fully discharged but they do still seem slightly concerned about your jaundice, so we will be going to the prolonged jaundice clinic soon. 

You had your 2nd hearing test (the first one, in hospital, came back inconclusive), which you passed with flying colours. 

In your first week, you went to watch your brother and sister at their swimming lessons, have been to soft play and even been to the park a couple of times - so much for keeping you indoors!! 

Milestones 

At the end of the month, we even got a big toothless grin, which melted my heart. I am currently the lucky one and getting all the smiles, Dada always moans that you don't give him any yet!

We have no routine yet but you do tend to cluster feed from about 4pm until bedtime. You're eating so well and feed anything from an hour to 3 hours apart. 

You definitely like cuddles and generally only settle when either feeding or being cuddled. I don't mind, I love soaking up the baby cuddles while I can!!!!!! Although, you're always going to be our baby boy! 

You're so good at holding up your head and you constantly lift it up, trying to have a look around. 

We have given you a few baths now - you love them and so does Jackson and Florence, as they fight over who's turn it is to clean you with the sponge! You're not too sure on the whole getting out of the bath at the moment but I totally agree with this, after a lovely warm bath it's freezing when you get out. 

One thing you hate is your car seat. Your big sister was just the same!! You are fine when we start moving though. 

Routine

We have no routine at the moment. 

Weight 

You weigh 10lbs 11oz, following the 75th percentile nicely and in mostly 0-3 month clothes now.

Love you so much,
Mama xxx