Our last summer

This summer will be our last as a three and although we're obviously all getting really excited for Simba to arrive, I'm also really sad that these are our last few days and weeks with just Henry. We're a little team, he's beyond easy, such good company, and we have our own little routine; I'm really sad that all of that will come to an end so soon. Of course we have more adventures to look forward to next year, and we are super excited to  have another little crazy to add into the mix, but for now I'm just trying so hard to cherish these days of just us. Me and my boy. Even without Simba's arrival, Henry will be off to nursery every day from January, so our mornings and afternoons will be very different to how they are now. And then it'll be school for goodness knows how many years. Our days of just the two of us are definitely numbered.

This morning I had a rare morning off work and Henry sat up in bed and said "what's us plan?" He still hasn't mastered the us/our me/my we/us parts of the English language, love him! I told him what I'd planned and he told me he was so excited and "us so happy mummy" which he says ALL the time at the moment. He constantly checks that everyone else is as happy as he is.

We started off with a trip to Brocksbushes to pick strawberries. It wasn't a typical hot summer day that you'd equate with picking strawberries but it was warm enough and we had wellies with us so it was all good. He absolutely loved picking them and was much better than last year, discarding the mouldy ones or unripened ones before they made it to the basket. He absolutely refused to eat any, he's obviously not a rule breaker and told me that we had to pay the man first.

We collected a basket full pretty quickly and once we'd paid we headed off to Wheelbirks for our lunch. Henry played, we had a really tasty lunch and a run around outside in the orchard too. He's such good company now he's older, he chats away and makes me laugh, shows off to all the old ladies that think he's great and I absolutely mean it when I say that I love to be with him. He's my very best friend in the whole world. We saw all the cows in the fields and the barns and then I put a very excited boy back into the car to head to Prudhoe Waterworld for some swimming.

He is so much more confident in the water since our holiday and absolutely loved our hour splashing around in the pool. He was just so grown up compared to all of the little toddlers and babies in the pool, the only one swimming himself in his arm bands, the only one refusing my hand going down the slide. He's growing up so so quickly.

The plan was to come straight home, but he's a creature of habit just like his mummy and as soon as we were all dry he told me he was very hungry and needed a 'snacka' in the little cafe. The one we ALWAYS go to after swimming. I foolishly had thought that a Wheelbirks lunch would be good enough but apparently not. So off we went for juice and snack by the poolside.

I then had an exhausted boy so loaded him back into the car where he fell asleep almost instantly for the drive home. He was still out for the count when we got home and snuggled into me on the sofa, telling me he needed a cuddle every time I tried to lie him down. So do you know what, I cuddled him, I stopped thinking of everything I needed to do: the wet towels still in the swimming bag, strawberries that needed washing, laundry ready to go on the line. I just cuddled my sleeping little baby because the days that I'll be able to do that are numbered now. Very soon there will be no afternoon naps or there'll be another little one who needs a mummy cuddle at nap time too. I spent a whole hour just sitting cuddling him, kissing him and loving every single second of it. I'm so intensely proud of him, I never dreamed I could love anyone like I love him and I hope that this summer is filled with plenty more happy days just like today. Just me and my little pigwidgeon.

30 Weeks Pregnant

30 weeks....how the hell did that happen?! The less said about it the better, we're officially 'almost there'!!

How far along? 30 weeks 

Baby is...the size of a cucumber 

Stretch marks? No, still stretch mark free! 

Sleep: Not bad at all, usually one wake up with Henry and one toilet trip which is pretty good going considering the size of my bump.

Best moment this week: just loads of lovely big rolls and kicks 

Miss anything? There have definitely been a couple of days where I've fancied a glass of wine but it's not long until I can have one now I suppose.

Food cravings: Nothing at all. There isn't anything in the entire world that I fancy eating, nothing! How tragic is that?! Pregnancy is all about the cravings and having a husband willing to go to tesco at all times of the day or night and I'm not making the most of it at all. 

Gender: leaning more towards girl this week I think 

Symptoms: Not eating a lot; mild heartburn; braxton hicks ALL the time; really good skin - way fewer spots than usual, if any at all; non-greasy hair (which is amazing for someone who usually needs to wash their hair every other day as an absolute minimum), achey pelvis when I've overdone it the day before and nesting has definitely set in too.

Mood: Pretty good, I'm beyond busy/stressed with work things but feel like I'm doing way better than I was at this point in my last pregnancy when the heat and full-time work were really getting to me at this stage.

Labour signs?: Other than the braxton hicks really ramping up, nothing thankfully. 

Appointments: Finally got my anti-d injection and now I have no appointments for another fortnight.

Looking forward to: getting started on Baby Simba's room in a few weeks time 

Father's Day 2016

Today was Father's Day, Mr B's 3rd as a daddy. He certainly wasn't a natural from day one, he'd tell you as much himself. I remember the early days of being so frustrated with him for not just knowing things like I did, not having that instinct that mothers seem to have with newborns. It took him longer, weeks, months even. But slowly he began to grow into the perfect daddy that he is today. Not the stereotypical 'perfect'. Not the grown up 'perfect' that you expect a daddy to be....

After all, he lets Henry have chocolate for breakfast when I have a lie in; seems to have an innate ability to wind him up just before I have to do bedtime; dresses him in total randoms when I'm not around; not only allows him to bounce on the sofa every night after dinner, but does it with him; gets him to say stupid things to record and send to his friends and also shows him stupid videos of said friends singing and dancing and wrestling to make him giggle.

Saying all of that, he also works all hours of the day but is more than happy to spend his wages on farm trips, ice creams at the park, new toys (he's a total soft touch) and CBeebies magazines; builds the best dens and caves; gives as many kisses as are requested at bedtime; lets Henry pour water all over his head at bath time; squeezes tighter than anyone; knows every line from Toy Story and does the best Buzz Lightyear impression around and is also better at rough and tumble than anyone else.

He wouldn't win any prizes for the most grown up or sensible daddy in the world, that's for sure, but he's perfect for our little family and I'm so proud of how far he's come, from the terrified dad in the hospital dressing a newborn baby, to the daddy that gives the best cuddles, throws my little boy high in the air and looks after all of us so well. Happy Father's Day Daddy Pig, we love you millions. 

28 weeks pregnant

How far along? 28 weeks 

Baby is...the size of an aubergine 

Stretch marks?  Not yet, fingers crossed it stays that way 

Sleep: Not too bad, I particularly made the most of my long siestas every day in Spain 

Best moment this week: Enjoying my last holiday with only one child!!

Miss anything? I quite fancy a glass of wine on warm evenings this week. We've also just booked to go to Alton Towers with our friends next month and I'm a bit gutted that I won't be able to go on any rollercoasters. I'll be hanging out on the Postman Pat ride I think! 

Food cravings: Not much, I'm not really into food at all this week and am hardly eating any dinner. I'm getting full really quickly and just don't fancy anything.

Gender: Who knows!! 

Symptoms: Achey, not eating much, heartburn some days and crying over anything - news stories, tv adverts, old photos, anything!  

Mood: Pretty good, I'm not one of these people who turn totally crazy with pregnancy hormones I don't think so I feel pretty normal.

Appointments: 28 week midwife appointment went well except for them not receiving my anti-d injection so I have to go back next week for that. My bump is measuring big at 30cm, way over the 90th centile growth line on my chart so they'll keep an eye on that. Everything else was good though, lovely strong heartbeat and no problems with blood pressure etc. They've taken a full set of bloods again to check my iron levels and also for any antibodies so hopefully they'll all come back fine.

Looking forward to: Our 4d scan on Saturday morning.

Spain 2016 - Day 6

We started off our morning with a long lie in (finally, wahoo!) and then went to the beach for a few hours again. Henry loved playing on the shore and swimming in the sea again and we had a break half way through the morning for ice lollies and drinks at a beach bar.

We came home for lunch, the 'end of holiday eat everything out of the fridge' kind of lunch, and then went to bed for a nice long siesta.

After we woke up we headed up to the pool for a few more hours of sunshine and snack time. We ate loads of watermelon and played dinosaur adventures, the same as everyday with the little crazy dinosaur obsessed 2 year old! Today's obsession has been postosuchus which Henry pronounces 'sook a sookus' so we've heard all about his big teeth and what he likes to eat. Funny boy.

After our showers we went to a really lovely posh restaurant on the beach front at Vela Beach. The food was really tasty and well presented and we came out absolutely stuffed. I've been loving decaf cafe con leches this holiday and hoping I can find a decent replacement when I'm back home! It could definitely be a new pregnancy craving and all the milk seems to be keeping the heartburn away too.

Spain 2016 - Day 5

After breakfast this morning we drove straight to the beach; a different one this morning and it was absolutely perfect. Nice and busy but with easy parking and a few lovely bars and restaurants for our morning coffee and ice cream stop. Henry found a huge hole which had no doubt been dug out by some older children yesterday and parked himself in that for the morning. That hole was a boat, the three pigs' house of bricks, a garden, a pot of soup, all sorts. His imagination is just wild at the moment. He also had his first ever swim in the sea which he loved. I went in with him up to my waist, it was actually a lot warmer than I expected, and he was almost out of his depth but had his armbands on so he was kicking his little legs and swimming so well. The water was so so calm with only a few tiny waves on the shore which were great for jumping over. Lots and lots of fun. We had an ice lolly up on the promenade overlooking the beach, Henry told us he was happy to have an ice cream but "no more cafes please". Think he's a bit sick of our constant coffee stops! 

After we left the beach it was lunchtime so we stopped for a roast chicken and potato wedges from the pollo asado shop in town....the best type of take away in Spain. We ate that on our terrace and then all went in the shower to get rid of the sand before our sleep. 

We had a couple of hours siesta and then headed up to the pool for an hour or two and had our snack up there too. Henry and I had a little swim in the big pool but generally he was more than happy to splash about in the baby pool while we sat on the edge.

We then got ready for dinner and drove into town and parked by the port. We went straight to the fairground which Henry had been talking about all afternoon and he had a couple of rides on a little roundabout, first in Peppa's car and then on the Paw Patrol fire engine. He was the happiest child on there by far, the younger children looked a bit overwhelmed and the older ones a bit bored, but two and a half is a pretty magical age for a roundabout on holiday apparently and he had a huge smile on his face the whole time and we could hear his shrieks the whole way around.

We found somewhere nice to eat and had a lovely menu del dia, playing dinosaur stickers between courses and also 'writing' Henry's postcards to send home. I say writing, but he drew pictures of his Parpar and Daddy and then used his Postman Pat rubber stamp to stamp all over them. We're going to pretend to post them tomorrow and then sneak them through Daddy and Parpar's doors when we get home. 

After dinner we headed back to the fair for a few more rides and an ice cream and then went back to the car to go home. A very very late night for us but a really lovely busy day.