Dear Henry - April 2014

My little Pigwidgeon,

I can't believe April is over already. How did that happen? We've had another lovely month together. You're still being such a good boy and I love spending my days with you. I hear lots of people saying that being a mummy is such hard work but I love every second of it, it's all I've ever wanted to do so it doesn't feel like work to me. I love our little family so much. I can't wait for you to have brothers or sisters too, Mummy would like 5 babies but Daddy only wants 3. I wonder whether you'll have a brother or a sister or whether you'll be very lucky and have one of each. Who knows. For now we are making the most of every day with just you, our beautiful baby boy.

The weather is warming up now and you've had a couple of afternoons sitting in the garden. You like the feeling of the grass in your toes and looking at all the birds and flowers around you. It's lovely being able to take you on nice long walks in the sunshine too. We are going to Spain next week for your first ever holiday abroad. We can't wait! Before we had you, Mummy used to fill the suitcase with all of her pretty dresses and shoes. This time I'm taking the bare minimum because the case is so full of your clothes! You have so many lovely outfits packed, you will look gorgeous.

This month we found out that you're definitely allergic to dairy and eggs. I have a feeling you're allergic to soya too but we need to get proper tests done. Because I'm still breastfeeding you, I've cut all dairy and eggs out too. I don't mind cutting out all of these foods, I know that breastfeeding until you're 1 is best for you and in your whole life I will always only do what I think is best for you. I just wish I could take the allergies away and make them mine, little one. I really hope you grow out of them soon. 

The good news is your reflux has totally gone now that we've cut out the dairy and eggs. It's amazing. You're sleeping a little bit better and you seem so much more comfortable, especially at night. 

I can't believe another month is over and you're getting so big. Every night when you go to sleep I know that I love you so much and I couldn't love you any more if I tried. And then you wake up the next day and I love you just that tiny bit more. You are the very best thing that ever happened to me, sweetheart and I am so happy that I'm your mummy.

Until next month, baby boy.

Mummy xxx

Mealtimes are so much fun

A few weeks ago when we were looking at holidays we pretty much ruled out all inclusive because we didn't think Henry would be able to eat any of the food available and thought maybe we'd be better going self catering. We couldn't really see past the puree/mashed up stage I suppose. Fast forward a couple of weeks and we are now definitely going to book all inclusive because Henry is a massive food monster who will eat anything! I think it'll be so much easier knowing that we don't have to think about the next meal or where we are going to go or what we are going to cook. I'm sure there'll be plenty of food perfect for our little monster.

I love meal times at the moment, Henry has a mix of finger foods to feed himself and a 'meal' which we spoon feed him. I'm so proud of how well he's eating. The only thing we've found that he didn't like was raspberry on it's own. He's fine with it blended in with other foods though. 

Here's my cutie pie at dinner time. For his dinner he had chicken, sweet potato and apricot curry with rice and then apples, homemade spinach and tomato bread, carrot corn sticks and rice cakes to feed himself. Needless to say plenty ended up on the floor for Henry's friend George! He is definitely loving this weaning business; he just parks himself by Henry's highchair 3 times a day and helps to clear up! He even got the leftover salmon casserole in his bowl that Henry didn't finish at lunchtime today. What lucky boys.

PJ day

Today has been a no make-up, no contact lenses, PJ kind of day. I snuggled Henry for a few hours on the sofa for his nap and I haven't done a lot else apart from eating my body weight in crappy food. It's been lovely, just what we all needed 😊

Bishop Auckland Food Festival

Today we went along to Bishop

Auckland food festival. It was basically a huge farmers' market set up in the market place and castle grounds. There were loads of amazing stalls and plenty of tasters to try but it turns out that farmers' markets aren't the place to go when you can't have eggs or dairy. I literally couldn't eat a thing. I got excited when I saw a gourmet marshmallow stand which was advertising some dairy free marshmallows...until I remembered that marshmallows are made with egg white. 

In the end I shared a chorizo, meatball and butterbean casserole with Mr B for my lunch. But in hindsight even that probably had egg to bind the meatballs. Bad times.

Never mind, the lack of reflux and better sleep that we are now getting are totally worth it and it's not forever. Hopefully next year my little hen and I will be tucking in to all of the tasty cheese and cake samples.

A breastfeeding fact...

A little fact following on from my previous post...

Orangutans breastfeed their babies for 7 years and chimpanzees breastfeed for 4 to 5 years.

Yet people are disgusted by a human breastfeeding past a year. Strange.

Breastfeeding a 5 year old

This week in the news and on every parenting group that I'm part of was a debate about breastfeeding older children. It basically stemmed from a mum appearing on TV to defend her choice to continue breastfeeding her 5 year old.

The fact that someone has to defend herself over breastfeeding her own child is absolutely ridiculous.    

I personally won't be feeding Henry for anywhere near that long, but that's mainly due to the practicalities of breastfeeding once I'm back at work and also because it will be nice it have the odd cocktail and dairy product once in a while! Why people are so offended by a 5 year old still drinking breast milk is totally beyond me. Breastmilk is made for humans, it is perfectly suited to the needs of humans. Cows milk is perfectly suited to the needs of calves. Surely that is weirder?! A cow has 4 stomachs and eats grass...not all that similar to a human. One mum on a Facebook group was horrified by the thought of a 5 year old drinking breastmilk; her argument being that breastmilk was 'just for babies' and cows milk for adults. What bizarre logic. Since when do cows lactate for the needs of adults from a totally different species?! Another ridiculous argument that I read was that breast milk is no longer healthy after the age of 2. That is like saying that tomatoes have no health benefits past the age of 12.

Our society's attitude to breastfeeding is just so bizarre and I wish people weren't so judgemental about it. I know there are people that think Henry is too old to be exclusively breastfed and think we should have tried harder with the bottles. When I tell people about me cutting out all dairy because of Henry's allergy, so often their first reaction is to ask why I don't just put him onto formula. I know that many people who chose formula feeding for their baby say that they feel judged for not breastfeeding, but I have it say from my experience that it happens the other way around too. How we choose to feed our babies is our decision, no one else should even have an opinion on it.

At the end if the day no one is telling us to feed our babies until they're 5, it's just a choice one mother has made. How anyone can be offended by that is totally beyond me. I really wish we lived in a society where we weren't so judgemental about how others bring up their children, especially when it's with the best interests of the child at heart.

Never mind breastmilk, Henry wants prosecco!

Green and pleasant land

England is breathtakingly beautiful. Living here, we often take it for granted but I just love the countryside and miles of coastline that our little island has to offer.

This is where I spent the afternoon. Herrington Country Park. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and life was good. Henry adored the swans and ducks, he shrieked when we first saw them. He loved sitting and lying on the grass and feeling the fresh air on his cheeks as we pushed him in his pram. I loved spending quality time with 2 of my very favourite people in the world. Happy days.

Trusting your instincts - nap time

I remember a few months ago having a conversation with one of my friends about our babies. We were worrying about letting them fall asleep on us and worrying that it'd mean they'd never be able to nap on their own. She told me that someone had advised her that there's no point in worrying now about something that may not even happen in the future. That really stuck with me and it has turned out to be so true.

My instinct told me to let my tiny son nap wherever he wanted. I knew that he needed me close and he needed to feed himself to sleep. I knew that I needed the rest and my housework could wait. Other people, some without children of their own, told me I was making a rod for my own back and I'd regret it. They told me that I needed to put him down to sleep and I should never ever feed him to sleep. This opinion was backed up by some of the books that I'd read too which looking back now makes me so cross. I was confident enough to ignore the books and unwanted advice. I knew my baby and I knew what was best for him. I could have wasted precious weeks locked in a stressful battle to get Henry to sleep alone in his cot while I hoovered and cleaned downstairs. I cherish the cuddles that we had in the early days so much and I am so glad that we had them as much as we did. Doing these things hasn't made my son a bad 'napper', he's happy and secure and now knows that whenever he wakes up, I'll be close by. He rarely cries when he wakes up, he knows that I will be in to get him as soon as he murmurs so he just lies happily for a while, waking up slowly.

Now, at 7 months Henry will sleep wherever. In his cot, car seat, in bed with me, in his pram, pushchair, swing, my arms, Daddy's arms, Marmar's arms. Anywhere. He has 3 good naps every day and when he's in his cot, I miss the days when I used to have to cuddle him to sleep. 

I haven't had one day where I've had to battle with him to get him in his cot. I've never followed a napping schedule, he's just fallen into one himself. If I'm tired too, we'll just go and lie on the bed together, if I have jobs to do, he'll go in his cot, if I have somewhere to go, he'll sleep in the car. Yesterday was a perfect example. His first nap was in the car on the way to baby group, his second was in his cot while I got on with a few jobs and had a cup of tea with my mum and his third one was in his cot while we ate dinner. Today will be totally different; we've both just woken up from a 2 hour nap in bed and are going into town in a little while so Henry's next nap will be in his pram and his final nap of the day will probably be in his cot while we eat.

Like I've posted before, babies aren't supposed to be independent. They need us for such a short period of time and I'm  making the most of it. 

So if you're a new mum reading this and you're wondering whether to risk putting your sleeping baby into their cot for a nap ...don't bother. Sit down, put your feet up, telly on and enjoy snuggling your little person. 

Easter weekend, in pictures

Here's my big boy in his smart clothes ready to go out for lunch on Good Friday.

The amazing sharing starter platter at The Pavillion. 

Henry's lunch. He had a chicken and noodles Ella's Kitchen pouch with loads of different finger foods to keep him occupied.

 

After lunch we went on a long walk in an attempt to burn off some of the calories!

We stopped at Knitsley farm cafe for some cake and coffee....more calories added rather than calories burned...fail. This is my brother's lemon meringue pie. My dairy free, egg free offering isn't worth sharing, it was so boring! 

We went to Ebony champagne bar on Saturday for lunch. Here's my pear fizz cocktail with fresh raspberries. It was SO good. Only 5 months to go and then I can drink more than one drink at a time again. Watch out Durham!

Here's my little bear all snuggled for bed with his doggy friend, Patch. Mr B was away for the weekend so it was just me and Hen which was really quiet. I enjoyed all of the snuggles to myself though and we got an early night.

Feeling so grateful for my beautiful family on Easter Sunday.

My lovely Gran and my baby boy.

Pigwidgeon in amongst the daffodils

Just love him so so much 

Easter Sunday night - Henry in the bath at Marmar's house. She babysat for us while we went out with my brother for dinner.

My chicken and spinach balti in Akbars. Best curry ever and bonus that there's no dairy so we will be coming here lots in the next 5 months.

Simon attacking the huge naan bread. Double whammy of eggs and dairy meant that I couldn't have any. Better for the waistline I suppose!

Easter Monday was the day that Henry officially turned 7 months. It's definitely harder to take our monthly photo these days! I used to just plonk him down with the card but now he wants to eat the card, turn it over, flap it, throw it and just getting his attention is a challenge in itself!!

We had a lovely quiet day; had lunch with my mum, went for a wander round the shops and then when we came home all of our neighbours were in the street and Henry had great fun sitting in the garden with all the other children. One of the little boys from next door was so happy to spend the afternoon with Henry and Henry was just fascinated by all of the older children.

A very tired little mouse surrounded by all of his toys but just zonked out watching the tv before his bath. 

Overall a pretty lovely Easter weekend. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy and happy family.

Non-dairy swag!

Finally went to Sainsburys today to check out their 'free from' aisle. We make all of our dinners from scratch so they're not really an issue but I'm really missing snacks and treats in the house. I also picked up a half price 'made without dairy' Easter egg in M&S. Their 'Made without gluten' range looked pretty good too. 

I got a Dutch apple cake from Mrs Crimble's, ginger truffle slices and millionaire's shortbread from Lazy Day Foods, a freefrom chocolate bar and some dairy free Sacla pesto. We use pesto lots in cooking so it'll be interesting to see what this is like.

They had loads of things that were egg free and loads that were dairy free but not huge amounts that were free of both. Looking forward to tasting them and just hoping that they don't taste of cardboard!!

Henry at 7 months

I can't believe another month has passed and our little boy is 7 months old! Here is his monthly update. 

Weight: I finally got round to having him weighed last week and he is 20lb 3oz. He's now sitting nicely between the 75th and 91st centile lines in his red book...so he's around the 85th centile I'd say.

Routine: Henry tends to have 2 daily naps now, one morning and one afternoon. If he's staying up a bit later he'll have an early evening one too. His naps are totally flexible and as long as he gets one good, long nap a day (around 2 hours), he's a happy bunny. His other nap is usually about 30mins-1 hour long. 

I'm so glad I trusted my instincts and let Henry nap on my lap or in bed with me for the first few months, rather than listen to other people who told me that I'd NEVER get him into his own cot for naps if I did that. He now happily sleeps wherever suits us and as I type this he has been napping in his cot for well over an hour.

Food: Henry now eats solids 3 times a day and has tried pretty much everything.  Beef casserole is his favourite at the moment and I'm still loving cooking and pureeing for him. He has finger foods at every meal, things like toast, rice cakes, fruit or veggie sticks etc. He's getting much better at feeding himself but George the dog still eats the majority of it that ends up on the floor! 

Henry is intolerant to all dairy and eggs and so we are currently totally cutting them out of our diets to see if it helps his reflux and eczema. Milk and eggs give him hives all over his face when he has them, poor baby.

Henry is still breastfed and feeds around 4 times during the day and usually 2-3 times at night (on a good night!)

Sleep: Henry is still not sleeping well but I feel like he's definitely improving. We get the odd 3 or 4 hour stretch of sleep now which we weren't getting and I'm hoping that after another few weeks of being dairy-free, we'll see a big difference because he isn't being woken up by his reflux.

Sizes: We are coming to the end of the  6-9 month clothes and have started wearing some of the 9-12 month ones that we have, although they seem huge! He is still wearing size 4 nappies.

Milestones: 

•He can now push himself forward onto his tummy from a sitting position, but isn't always sure what to do next so tends to just lie on his tummy and get cross that he can't go any further.

• Not really a milestone as such but a very cute quirk. He will smile at anyone and I mean literally anyone. Any strangers that give him the tiniest bit of attention and he turns into full on flirt mode and his eyes light up and he breaks out into the biggest grin. So cute.

• He can pick up anything he wants, even really small objects and he passes them between his hands, hits them and throws them. He loves making noise so spends a lot of his day just whacking his toys to make plenty of noise!

• In the last few days Henry can now hold himself in a proper crawling position. He doesn't move or anything, usually because he is way too happy with himself and so just looks around grinning!

• Despite having all the signs of teething, there are definitely no teeth yet. 

Spring time Henry

We took Henry for a spring walk earlier to get a few pics of him with the spring flowers. In true Durham style it was bloody freezing but we got some lovely pictures. Love this little cutie pie so much.

My weaning must-have....

If you are planning on doing baby-led weaning with finger foods, get yourself a Labrador!

Whenever Henry is eating George parks himself next to the chair and as soon as Henry drops something on the floor, George hoovers it up for me. We are all winners haha

Fed-up Mummy

So today we found out that on top of all the dairy products that Henry is allergic to, he is also allergic to eggs. He had the tiniest amount of egg and then within minutes had broken out in hives all around his little mouth. So on top of the milk, yogurt, cheese, biscuits, cake, crisps and every other type of processed food, we now can't eat eggs either. Good.

On top of that Henry's reflux has been hideous tonight because of the egg. He screamed and screamed all the way home from my mum's earlier, screamed through his nappy change, weed everywhere so then needed a whole PJ change and only finally settled after a huge milk feed! Needless to say I cried at various points in this process.

The worst part of it all is not being able to help him. He absolutely screams and screams and he looks at me and I feel so terrible that I can't make it better for him. Today I feel so guilty that I gave him the egg, which I know is ridiculous, he was going to have to try it at some point. I did everything by the book; I ate healthily when pregnant, didn't drink alcohol or even coke, avoided all of the foods I was told to, I carried him to full term, gave birth naturally, exclusively breastfed him and continue to do so, make all his meals from scratch with fresh ingredients, make sure he eats a balanced diet everyday. Yet none of that was enough. I feel like I haven't done enough for him and wish more than anything that I could take his pain away and that the allergies could be mine and not his. I know that all this is totally irrational and I know none of it is my fault but I guess that's just part of being a mummy isn't it?

A rant about body obsession...

This is going to be a mini-rant about the Daily Mail....if you choose not to read on I don't blame you but I need to rant about it and I don't think poor old Mr B wants to hear another Daily Mail rant from me anytime soon.

I have the Daily Mail App on my phone and always read the showbiz news on it. I may be a saddo, but I like to keep up to date with who's marrying who, who's pregnant and the like. They have good pictures of Kate and William in Australia and looking at Kate's pretty dresses and shoes is currently one of my favourite past times whilst filling the bottomless pit that is my son's stomach with breastmilk.

I've noticed recently that any article on any new celebrity mummy always comments on her weight. To be fair, it's usually a positive comment like 'Kerry already looked slim in a juicy couture tracksuit' (Looking slim in a juicy couture tracksuit is no easy thing, just had a baby or not!) which was written about Kerry Katona this week. Why does there even need to be a comment about a new mum's weight 24 hours after she's given birth?? I'm so fed up of reading about Frankie Sandford's weightloss since having her baby 7 months ago. The poor girl put on a lot of weight and certainly doesn't need the Daily Mail scrutinising how she's losing it every time she's seen out in public. 

The journalists probably think they are being really supportive of new mums by describing them as slim or thin within hours of giving birth but it's the direct opposite. Women aren't thin after having a baby, they're not supposed to be. The day before their uterus was the size of a beach ball and their body was working harder than ever to push out a baby...getting thin again is honestly the least of its worries at that stage. Making out that celebrities are slim as they leave the hospital is totally unobtainable to the normal woman. It isn't the case. I was so glad when Kate left the hospital after having Prince George with her mummy tummy very clearly on display. That is what women look like after having a baby and she looked amazing. Feel free to comment on the baby's name, the hospital, any previous children...but the comment about the weight loss is totally unnecessary.

The other thing that is also really driving me mad at the moment are the pictures of Sam Faiers (from TOWIE) in a bikini looking very slim. A couple of years ago she was really curvy, but a totally healthy weight. You'd think she had been obese the way the press are going on now about her 'incredible' weight loss. The girl has just been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, she hasn't eaten solid food for weeks because her digestive system can't cope with it and she's been living on medicated shakes. Now it could be just me but I think there is something seriously wrong when we are celebrating how amazing a poorly body looks. A body that is struggling and a girl that is living through horrific pain. I think it's so so sad that younger girls will see those pictures of her on the beach and aspire to look like that. Crohn's is an awful illness and I'm sure that because of it and the many medications she will try in the next few years, her weight will yo-yo hugely. The press will have a field day. 

I've just checked the app now and out of the 20 or so showbiz articles, 6 are heavily focused around celebrities bodies, including a good look at Coleen Rooney and Kourtney Kardashian's 'bikini bodies'. And then we wonder why we have so many issues with eating disorders and body awareness in the western world.

I know there will be many of you who would tell me to simply stop reading this drivel but honestly I don't understand why celebrity news has become celebrity body news. Like I say, I enjoy seeing photos of celebrities in pretty dresses or seeing what wedding dress Kim Kardashian will choose for her next wedding. It's totally sad but it's escapist reading and I enjoy it. I'm just so glad the Daily Mail app wasn't around when I was an impressionable, self conscious 14 year old.

How times have changed...

This is my much loved Mulberry Bayswater that Mr B bought for my 21st birthday.

It used to hold my purse and phone, a brush, car keys, lipgloss, lipstick, a vanity mirror and chewing gum.

As you can see it now holds an array of toys, baby wipes, nappies, a change of clothes, a sippy cup, baby snacks and car keys...this time made of plastic which double up as a teether toy! 

Just shows how much has changed in the past year.

Morning snuggles

My favourite snuggles of the day are my morning snuggles with this little cutie pie. I'm going to miss this so much when I'm back at work.

We are out with friends this afternoon so we are just making the most of our quiet morning together, just the two of us.

Cielo Blanco, Leeds

Yesterday the three of us went to Leeds for the day to have lunch with my cousin and his girlfriend who are at uni there. I love Leeds so much, I did my degree there and love going back.

The thing I've always loved about Leeds is the amazing restaurants that it has. I honestly don't think there's anywhere better in the UK outside of London. We ate at an independent Mexican restaurant called Cielo Blanco in Leeds Trinity. We had a sharing, taster type menu, here are a few pics from our lunch.

I started with a detox juice which was made from raspberries, cucumber, pomegranate, lemon, elderflower and soda. I love fresh juices and wish I had space for a juicer in our kitchen. Once Henry has finished having blended food I'm tempted to swap our current blender for a juicer instead.

Starter selection. Pulled pork and pineapple tacos, root vegetable empanadas, butternut squash and habanero chilli tacos, chicken and smoked salad quesadillas and rump steak, grilled cheese and salsa tostadas. 

Our next course was enchiladas. We were served 2 types; smokey chicken and grilled pepper and chargrilled root veg and black bean. I had the veggie one and it was so good.

Our next course was a chicken platter which was half a free range barbecoa chicken, achiote pollo pot stew, barbecued sweetcorn, charred peppers and onions, fresh salsas, guacamole, sour cream, rice and warm corn and wheat tortilla wraps. So tasty.

We finished with the only dessert on the menu. Traditional churros with warm chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

We also ended up getting strawberry daiquiris for free because the waiter made a mistake with our drinks order, so that was a bonus! They tasted amazing but were so strong, I'm not used to drinking these days!!

Overall it was a really tasty meal and definitely better than the usual chain Mexican restaurants. I'm looking forward to going back to Leeds soon for another tasty dinner. Henry was a really good boy all day, even though he was a little bit under the weather with a runny nose. It won't be long before he can trade his red pepper and lentil purée with a chicken fajita when we eat out!

Dairy free

So today I finally saw the doctor about Henry's reflux. He is 99% sure that Henry is intolerant to all dairy, not just cows' milk which we had first thought. 

Since Henry's been born he's had really dry skin that's prone to being really rashy. We've always assumed that he got it from Mr B who has really sensitive skin but the doctor today said it's eczema, probably caused by the dairy through my breast milk and more recently, through the yogurt and cheese that Henry's been eating. He's pretty sure that's what's causing the reflux too.

So we are both under strict instruction not to eat any dairy whatsoever which means no chocolate at Easter!! I am definitely going to struggle without the cake and biscuits that I usually consume on trips out but will be trying out lots of dairy free recipes. If it means that Henry's reflux improves and in turn his sleep does too, it will definitely be worth it. Hopefully my poor baby won't have this awful pain for much longer.

All this talk of siblings...

So all this talk of siblings clearly got Henry worried and he decided to keep me up all night. This news article is so true!

Click here for article

He's fast asleep now!!

National Siblings' Day

So Facebook has informed me that today is National Siblings' Day and I am so grateful for my 2 brothers. Siblings play such a massive part in our lives when we are young and nearly all of my memories and shared memories with my brothers...that is such a special bond that you never have with anyone else. They are your very first friends and often your first enemies too! I can be totally honest with my brothers and often I'm the only person to tell them exactly how it is...everyone needs a sister for that! 

Although Mr B and I haven't totally agreed on a number of babies we'd like (he'd be happy with 2, I'd have 5 if he'd let me!), we have agreed that we definitely don't want Henry to be an only child. Both of us have such happy memories of times with our brothers and we want Henry to have a sibling too. 

Happy Siblings' Day everyone, and to J&S, I love you both very much xxx

Missing snuggles

We have been so super busy this week that we seem to have hardly had time for snuggles. We are rushing out on a morning and then coming in on an evening, having dinner and bath time and suddenly it's time for bed again. My niece is here all week staying with my mum which is why we've been busier than usual. It's been lovely taking Henry out and about, doing things that we don't usually do, but I have to be honest...I really miss snuggles with my little boy. Most days during the week we are in the house for at least few hours on our own, and a most of those hours are spent playing and cuddling and singing together. I've missed that this week. Tomorrow morning we are going to have a nice quiet morning together and we are going to cuddle in and enjoy it. Then we'll be ready for exciting adventures in the afternoon with Henry's big cousin and Marmar.

After I'd fed Henry this evening before bed I just kept him in my arms for an extra 10 minutes. Usually I put him straight down into his cot, but not tonight. Tonight I snuggled him in close, talked to him and told him how much I loved him, smelt his gorgeous hair, still damp from the bath. I kissed his sleepy eyelids and enjoyed every second of him. I love this little boy so much and I feel so very lucky to be his mummy.

Jamie's Italian

Today we went to Jamie's Italian which has just opened in Newcastle. The restaurant itself has been done out so well, it's full of atmosphere and character. At the top of the stairs is a man making fresh pasta and the kitchen is totally on view from the restaurant, which I always like. It was really family friendly and today it was absolutely packed with it being the Easter holidays. 

The food was so good and pretty reasonable too. I would say it's a similar price to other chain Italian restaurants, but the food is much better. During the week they offer 2 courses for £12 which is great value. It's a limited menu, but perfect for a lunchtime. Here are a few snaps of our food today. Even Henry had an Italian inspired Ella's Kitchen pouch!

We took my niece and the kids' menu is brilliant. Really healthy and fun versions of kids' favourites. It was £5.95 for a main and drink and an ice cream was only 50p extra.

They brought stickers, colouring pens and an activity sheet to the table when we sat down and generally I'd say it was a great place to go with kids as there's loads to look at (great for I-spy!) and plenty of noise from other diners so no one notices if you have a particularly noisy brood! 

Overall we had a fab lunch and will definitely be back. The one thing I didn't like were the highchairs, Henry just slipped down in them and ended up uncomfortable and stuck so he ended up on my knee which didn't make for the easiest meal!