Catch me if you can!

We've moved...come find us!

In an effort to offer more to my readers, I've started a new website/blog. I'd love it if you could come visit us and hopefully subscribe. I highlight one brilliant blog a week (it's Being a Mummy this week), share the Adventures of Little Miss, blog just like on this site, review products and recommend other blogs you should be reading. You can find us at:

http://www.cafebebe.webs.com

Same witty writing, different address. Come on over! :) Cheers for now...see you there!

Throwing Teddies

Who knew that a one-year and two week old Little Miss could throw a temper tantrum? Where did my placid, cheerful, mostly agreeable daughter go? The explosion can be triggered by many different things and depending on the severity of the situation, the result can be any and all of the following:

• Sitting down forcefully on bum and crossing arms over chest
• Fully pursed lips and a rather angry glare
• Fully pursed lips, a lift of the chin & forceful shake of the head
• Protest slump- when you manage to pick her up, she goes slack and limp which makes carrying her nearly impossible.
• Swiping of formerly crossed arms to push you away
• "No, No, No!"
• Throwing back of the head & fiercely arching her back- when done while being carried, it's very difficult to stop her from hurling herself from your grasp
• The "SHE'S ABUSING ME!" cry

Triggers can include, but are not limited to:

• not reading a book for the seventh time in a row
• attempting to remove Sippy Cup/Dog's toy/Ball/Alfie (V-Tech bear) from tiny grasp
• peeling her off Daddy when he leaves for work
• re-installing her in her pushchair/highchair/Smart Trike after having a taste of freedom

As challenging and frustrating as this is, I love that my daughter is so clever and independent at such a young age. Because I have been her constant care-giver from day one and have hardly spent more than two hours away from her at a time, I worried that she would be too much of a Mummy's girl. I needn't have worried! This is one head-strong Little Miss that we have and I'm proud of her every day. I do worry a bit for what's to come but I can't wait to see what our not-so-Little Miss has in store for us!

Wordless Wednesday

I LOVE SUMMER, MUMMY!

Work in Progress

I've been blogging here now for a couple of months and have wanted to try something bigger and hopefully better...so...

Please check out my new website: http://cafebebe.webs.com

It includes a blog (I've reposted my latest blog so forgive the repeat), links, product reviews and eventually photos of my Little Miss and all the adventures we get up to. It is a work in progress so bear with me, enjoy and spread the word if you like. Thanks for supporting me! :)

Tag, You're it...

It seems that I am making some impact in the blogging world...I'm on someone's list to TAG! Ooh...I feel just like I'm back in school and I've been picked by the Cool Team! Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy has tagged me so I'm doing as I'm told...I am a good girl after all. I'll add my 8 bloggers to tag at the end!







THE RULES ARE:
1) Mention the person who tagged you (done)

2) Complete the list of 8’s

3) Tag 8 others and let them know (I'm going to break the rules here)
So here goes…..


8 Things I’m looking forward to
1. Father's Day...hoping my pressie from Little Miss to Daddy turns out right

2. A trip back to the US in October for my brother's wedding

3. Trialing Tumble Tots with my Little Miss

4. More sunshine

5. Getting more time to expand the blog

6. My family coming to England for Christmas

7. Talking to my sister-in-law when they get settled in Australia

8. Getting some money from Child Tax Credit!


8 Things I did yesterday.

1. Attended another 1st Birthday Party

2. Took pictures of my Little Miss swimming for the 1st time in in-laws pool

3. Cried because I couldn't fit into the swimsuit I thought I would fit into

4. Had a day-long headache

5. Posted a blog entry

6. Wished I could have been at the BMB meetup

7. Kissed my husband

8. Laughed with my daughter

8 Things I wish I could do

1. Afford to get my Little Miss some great outdoor toys

2. Bake and ice a Victoria Sponge cake

3. Cook Chinese!

4. Enjoy exercising

5. Get a new computer...all this blogging and a rubbish laptop to do it on

6. See my family in the US more often

7. Speak French fluently- I can get by pretty well but have an in-depth conversation? Non!

8. Take one of my BRILLIANT IDEAS and make it happen


8 favourite fruits
1. Watermelon

2. Pineapple

3. Mango

4. Nectarine

5. Strawberry

6. Plum

7. Canteloupe

8. Raspberry

8 Places I’d like to travel

1. South of France

2. Australia

3. New Zealand

4. Scotland

5. Ireland

6. Hawaii

7. Paris

8. Madeira

8 Places I’ve lived

1. Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA

2. Decatur, Illinois, USA

3. Lancaster, California, USA

4. Peoria, Illinois, USA

5. Hopkins, Minnesota, USA

6. Chicago, Illinois, USA

7. Caen, France

8. Northborough, England


And here are the 4 Blogs I'm tagging to carry on the trend (you're supposed to tag 8 but I don't want to burden too many people!). Sorry...and good luck!

Wife of Bold
A Modern Mother
Maternal Tales
Perfectly Happy Mum

A Ha Moment...sniff...

The subject of post-pregnancy poundage is a popular one. I dealt with it in a previous post entitled "Yummy Mummy...Not quite yet!" and another brilliant blog, Maternal Tales from the South Coast issued a rivoting post called "Pregnancy Weight- its just so depressing". I have had a depressing A-Ha Moment today that I feel compelled to share...why, I don't know...just need to write it because then maybe I'll be forced to truly do something about it. After a lovely party at a friends for their daughter's 1st birthday, my hubby, Little Miss, the dog and my mum and I went off to the inlaws for a bit of a splash in their in-ground pool. The pool is not heated and even though the weather was gorgeous, we knew a swim would be REALLY cold. But I thought, I'll brave it for my Little Miss and her maiden swim in Nanny and Grandad's pool (she was a newborn last summer so there was no swimming on the cards then). I threw swimming suits and towels and cover ups and clothes to change into afterwards into a bag, threw the swim ring in the car and away we went. When we arrived at the inlaws we bustled about getting Little Miss in her swimming suit (so cute) and hubby got in his. I then attempted to squeeze into my swim suit which, 3 years ago, was too big for me. Multiple helpings of fish and chips, chips and more chips over the last 3 years plus massive pregnancy poundage in the last year have seen that weight of three years ago off into the distance. I am no longer too small for that swim suit I brought...I am now way too big for that swim suit. And with nothing else to squeeze my gigantic-ness into or a tshirt to cover it up, I was unable to wear my suit and had to let Daddy enjoy the first swim with Little Miss. I sat on the sidelines, taking photos and laughing on the outside for my girl while inside I was appalled with myself. Why can I not get my act together? How have I let myself get this way? How am I ever going to be able to keep up with my Little Miss and go swimming and not be ashamed? By making a change...and really making it work this time. I've seen myself in some pictures from the last week (birthday parties coming out our ears) and I've thought, "Who is that woman and what tyre attached itself to her midriff?". I'm so sick of not having anything to wear! I'm so sick of wearing the same blousy rubbish to hide my pudgy middle! I want to feel good about me and be proud of the way I look! When my daughter pats my belly, I don't want it to jiggle and wobble. I know I'll never be flat-tummied or have a six pack but I would like to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes and maybe have the struggle of affording a few new clothes because everything else is TOO BIG!!! So, starting tomorrow (15 June, 2009), I will make better eating choices, I will do those abdominal exercises I've been meaning to do, I will attempt to work out to the Pilates DVD that I got 6 months ago and I will stop being a LARD ASS!!! Who's with me???

Wordless Wednesday

Please add your caption!

Halo....is it me you're looking for??

Cool Silver Cross Halo Mummy!

Don't I sit up nicely Mummy?



Silver Cross Halo

Sleek, Modern yet Retro...

Again, lucky me, lucky me! I've been given the Silver Cross Halo pushchair by the lovely people at Silver Cross and Amy Johnston at Wolfstar to test and review. Such fun getting presents for no good reason! Similar to the Silver Cross Doodle, I dove into the Halo box when I received it and was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to get the pushchair assembled. There was no need for tools or even, really, the instruction manuals (again, one with words, one with pictures). I only needed a quick reference for attaching the canopy, popped on the front wheels and added the optional seat liner and I was set. I've decided to review the individual features with a Pro/Con method...here we go!

PROS:

• Looks- The Halo is very sleek and stylish. It looks cool and a bit flash as well as the Halo frame is a brushed steel finish. The canopy adds a touch of Silver Cross nostalgia. It reminded me of the traditional pram canopies. This will suit all the Yummy Mummies out there looking for a modern, light-weight pushchair for busy days.
• Initial Set-Up- As stated above, the assembly of the Halo was very simple and straightforward and within 5 minutes of taking it out of the box it was good to go. The instructions manuals, should you need them, are very user friendly with both a WORDS manual and PICTURE manual for all of you visual learners, myself included!
• Canopy- The canopy secures into place with a latch on either side which makes it feel more sturdy than some other pushchair canopies. There is a brilliant tinted, plastic "window" which hangs off the front of the canopy to provide more than adequate face protection from the sun.
• Seat- The seat seems very comfortable (wish I could feel for myself but I'm not wee enough!) and has a bit of give to it- almost like shock absorbers! My Little Miss sits up nice and straight and has the pleasure of being able to see out to either side. In our current lightweight 3-wheeler pushchair, she's in more of a "sling" which makes seeing out a bit limited. My favourite feature of the seat is the extendable leg rest. Simply lift under the leg part of the seat and pull out a u-shaped bar which very adequately supports the legs making the ride very comfortable. Little Miss' legs are no longer hanging from the knee! She looks like she's lounging in an easy chair in the Halo!
• Smooth ride- The ride seems very smooth and easy. We went around a park and market town and found the ride very seamless. The pushchair itself, despite being classified as a LIGHTWEIGHT pushchair, feels very stable and solid. Some lightweight pushchairs feel as if they could blow away in a stiff breeze- not the Halo!
• Recline feature- The Halo can be reclined to virtually flat and as stated above, has a nice give or shock absorbing quality. The reclining was very smooth and gentle which is vital when trying to keep a sleeping child asleep. It was also very easy to raise the seat back when my daughter was awake. Her current pushchair sees me struggling mightily to raise her to the full upright position when she's in it. Not so with the Halo. The canopy comes down at the back when the seat is reclined which offers excellent protection from the elements and keeps your child cocooned nicely when you need them to be.
  

CONS:

• Folding Mechansim- The mechanism is a bit awkward as you have to push in a button on the right latch and lift both the left and right latches to fold the Halo down. I struggled the first few times but after it's been done several times it becomes easier. It just requires a bit of coordination. There is also a carry handle under the seat in order to lift and transport the folded Halo- I did find this handle a bit too small. It is difficult to fit your hand in comfortably and I think a man would struggle even more.
• Canopy- While the canopy is brilliant, there is no viewing window to see your child! In order to see your child when the canopy is down you have to peek around the side to see them. Not the worst thing in the world but I would prefer to peep at them from above.
• Handle- The handle seemed a bit hard and was a bit high for me personally (I am 5'3"). This higher handle made going up and down kerbs a bit tricky as I didn't have the same leverage as with my current pushchair. The handle could use a bit of padding as I do a lot of long walks and my hands would bear the brunt of it, I fear.
• Lack of Storage- There is no storage basket, per se, but there are criss-crossing "bungee" cords that attach to a shelf under the seat. I was able to attach my changing back to the frame and set it on the shelf under the seat which worked very well.

On the whole, I found the Silver Cross Halo to be a very stylish, sleek and smooth pushchair. I think most Mummies would be very pleased to add this item to their arsenal. Thank you to Silver Cross and Amy Johnston for the opportunity to review both the Silver Cross Halo and Doodle. They are welcome additions to our family. Little Miss says "Thanks...I love 'em!"

Silver Cross Halo teaser...

Little Miss and Mummy with the Silver Cross Halo

Little Miss and Mummy going for a walk around the garden

Love the new pushchair Mummy!

Later this week...my review of the Silver Cross Halo pushchair. Please read below to learn more about it!

Silver Cross has just launched two new and innovative products, the Halo pushchair and the Doodle high chair and play table. Halo is a revolutionary product that is sleek and safe. Not only is it lightweight and fashionable, but it’s so compact it fits into the boot of a Mini! The Halo is available now at Mothercare (exclusively in Dandilion design), Toys R Us (exclusively in black denim fabric) and independent retailers across the UK (available in 4 colours.)

Halo
Key information
Lightweight, folding pushchair and travel system ideal from birth to toddler.
Exceptional protection and flexibility.
Super compact and will fit in the boot of a mini.
Converts to a complete travel system with the Ventura car seat.
The Halo comes complete with a seat liner, footmuff, rain cover and cargo net.

Phil Taylor, head designer at Silver Cross, said: “The Halo is our newest, most innovative, lightweight, folding pushchair and travel system ideal for babies from birth to toddler. The Halo looks different because it is different – the unique elliptical frame (the ‘halo’ around the child) delivers exceptional protection and simple flexibility.
“This product is perfect if you want a great looking, durable and compact buggy – and in addition, it will be the only buggy you need to buy. It is just as suited to new born babies as it is to toddlers and older children.
“The Halo is so compact, when folded it will fit in the boot of a mini!”

Accessories

Halo bag

Halo rocker

Halo car seat
Colours available

Fusion, Green tea, Ice
PriceHalo buggy retails at £275

Halo rocker is £100

Halo bag is £35

Halo car seat is £115

Blogging Carnival

Greetings All!

In my ever growing efforts to get this blog viewed, I am being featured (along with a lot of other bloggers) in a Blogging Carnival through British Mummy Bloggers. You can find the posts at:

http://rosiescribble.typepad.com/rosie-scribble/

You'll have to scroll down a ways to find me as I'm number 21 in the list but there are some really brilliant posts by other Mummy Bloggers that I'm sure you'll find fascinating. Do try to follow their sites because they write some great stuff. Thanks for reading and following! Next post to come from me... My review of the Silver Cross Halo pushchair! Come back soon!

Keeping up with the Joneses

Little Miss had her 1st Birthday this past week! It's been a week of parties, parties, parties. Home parties, friend parties, family parties. And while this week has been so happy and lovely, there's been one small regret which is silly, really. This economy and my stay-at-home Mummy status has meant that we don't have much disposable income which has definitely affected what we're able to give our Little Miss. Namely, hardly anything! :( We've received some lovely gifts from family and friends and Little Miss is loved and happy. But, why then, do I feel guilty about not having much for her? I guess it's because I'm trying to keep up with the Joneses. Little Miss' friends got sooooo many things! Trampolines, ball pits, swing sets, toys, toys, toys. In fairness, Little Miss did get the Smart Trike that all her friends have so we are in the loop on that front. I want for her to have nice things and fun things...things that entertain her and inspire her and allow her to PLAY. I want for her to go to Tumble Tots where she'd thrive in such a physical environment (she's a mover and a shaker, Little Miss is) but it's not in the budget! This is one of the sacrifices we have made for me to stay home with Little Miss and I wouldn't give that up for the world. I do miss being able to afford things for us but much more than that, I hate that our budget is so limited for Little Miss as well. Again, this is a bit silly as Little Miss has lots of clothes, lots of love and enough toys to keep her busy and mostly entertained. We have friends that we can visit (who now have Activity Centres in their living rooms) and we can mooch their toys. We attend classes at our local Sure Start Children's Centre so Little Miss is educated and having fun. That should be enough, shouldn't it? But there's still this lingering regret...I want Little Miss to have the world and we want to be the one to give it to her. Maybe someday, when the economy improves we'll find ourselves in a better position...

Hey Doodle Doodle...Part One

I've been given an amazing opportunity! I joined a FABULOUS blogging group called British Mummy Bloggers and through one of the groups I have been given a chance to review 2 Silver Cross Products. Silver Cross was founded by William Wilson in 1877. Silver Cross first began designing transport for babies back in 1877. It all began when former postman William Wilson combined his ideas for an innovative spring suspension systemwith a handy reversible hood, and invented the modern pram. It was truly revolutionary, and was duly patented followed by over 30 more design patents filed in his prolific lifetime.
Royal approval in the 1900s ensured a special place for Silver Cross in the nation’s heart. Since the very first Silver Cross pram, every new idea, every smart design, every improvement in manufacturing, every single change has been a response to the changing needs of parents, babies and children. Those of you who aren't living in the UK...think about the stereotypical British Nanny pushing a pram through the park, it was probably a Silver Cross. They have become very popular in the US amongst celebrities. They are gorgeous things! But Silver Cross has come into the 21st century as well with some brilliant products such as the DOODLE- a sleek, modern-yet-retro high chair that most children will be happy to eat their meals in. When I received the Doodle, I tore into the box (with minor difficulty as there was some industrial strength glue keeping it shut!). There were five separate parts- the table, seat, tray, legs and basket/cupholders. The manual had very clever instructions- one which had just PICTURES and one which had WRITTEN instructions. I chose PICTURES...I like pictures! The assembly was very straightforward and the entire thing was put together in about 10 minutes without tools. The Doodle is very sleek in appearance and will fit very well in a modern kitchen/home. The Doodle comes in 3 colours- apple, stone and lilac; we got lilac. I was very impressed with the tray as it has a magnetic removable feeding tray. When broken down, the high chair converts into a table and chair for your DOODLER and has a removable basket in the middle of the table and 4 crayon cups which fit into the high chair leg notches. I feel that the table has an additional feature- a handy, safe and sturdy coffee table for the adults when the kids are in bed! I wouldn't worry about my Little Miss running around the lounge with the Doodle table in place either as it's round and the material would be very forgiving to small body parts if bumped into. So, we assembled the Doodle in all of 10 minutes and later installed the Doodle in the kitchen to be used by Little Miss in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised that the Doodle actually took up less space than our current high chair (a Chicco).

When our newly-1-year-old Little Miss was given the opportunity to road test the Doodle, she was immediately drawn to the magnetic tray. Within 10 seconds, however, Little Miss had removed said magnetic feeding tray and dropped it on the ground. She's certainly clever but I was a bit surprised that she managed to sort out the magnets so quickly. We later learned that the magnets also attract metal silverware! Little Miss has just started using a fork and lo and behold, the fork stuck right to the tray when placed over one of the magnets. Interesting way to keep the silverware off the floor, for sure! The tray is a bit tricky to adjust when using one hand (which as Mummies we often are) due to the flipper paddles which need to be depressed to open and close the tray. One criticism of the tray- the magnetic feeding tray is very slick which makes a great launching pad for cups or bits of food. Little Miss has talent in this area. It would be good to have a cupholder as well for this reason. The seat seems very comfortable and is extremely easy to wipe clean. The smoothness of the design also makes cleaning a breeze...no nooks and crannies for Cheerios, bananas and yogurt to crawl into. The straps are simple to adjust and leave a lot of growing room. I found Little Miss sat up very nicely in the chair and seemed much more secure in the seat than in her current high chair. She seems very happy in the Doodle in it's high chair form. We look forward to trying as a Doodle Art Table. Due to our busy week and weekend of First Birthday parties, Little Miss has to take it easy. We'll Doodle next week. We were very happy to welcome this product into our home as we call our Little Miss Doodle or Doodles for her nickname. How coindidental! I would recommend this product to anyone particularly because it will grow with your child and would be a good investment piece. It's functional, good-looking and durable- all things that are a must with a growing family. We'll be Doodling for some time to come. Please review the information below for more specifics about the Doodle courtesy of Silver Cross. Check out Silver Cross at www.silvercross.co.uk . Thanks for reading...let me know what you think of the Doodle!

Silver Cross has just launched two new and innovative products, the Halo pushchair and the Doodle high chair and play table. The Doodle is a dual product, beginning life as a funky and fashionable high chair, but then evolving into a play table and chair for when your child is older. This innovative and unique product is available from Toys R Us (exclusively in Aqua) and independent retailers across the UK (available in 3 colours.)

Doodle Key information
Doodle is a handy high chair for meal times, but once you break it down, it also provides a low chair complete with table for playtimes.
It can be used with the tray attached when in high chair mode or detached when using the table.
Comes with fully adjustable and removable feeding trays that are dishwasher safe, a five-point safety harness, toy basket, crayon cups and removable, easy-clean seat pads.

Phil Taylor, head designer at Silver Cross, said: “The best inventions begin with a Doodle. Now, our own Doodle has become a truly unique and inventive nursery product. The high chair has all the necessary features for busy parents – it’s easily adaptable and easy to clean and store.
“However, the thing that sets the Doodle apart from other high chairs, is the fact that within seconds it converts to a table and chair with crayon cups and a toy storage basket, creating the perfect place for your budding artists to get creative!”

PriceDoodle high chair retails at £150

Lower your expectations woman!

Why oh why do I try to make everything PERFECT?? It always kicks me up the backside in the end, doesn't it? If I just lowered my expectations a bit, life would be so much easier! I tried to make my daughter's first birthday special and lovely and to her, it was. My Hubby and I both got up with her at ridiculous o'clock yesterday and we had present opening and a lovely morning. Hubby took most of the day off work, my mum was here from the US and it was mostly a good day. But then I tried to make a cake! Where I live there's not a bakery in sight. Nothing to tempt us with fresh scones, yummy tarts, scrummy cakes and gooey doughnuts. This probably is a good thing, really but it didn't help me out much yesterday. In an effort to NOT feed my child copious amounts of E-numbers, additives and wretched cake that was made 2 months ago, I decided to forgo the crap store bought cakes for a mix...time was an issue. We slumped off to the inlaws for our usual Wednesday afternoon and I attempted to make the mix into a lovely first birthday cake that my daughter could dive into face first. It turned into a total disaster. MIL's oven was a bit hot so the cake was nicely browned and the inside was still nicely liquid. We turned down the oven, covered the cake with foil and let it sit for a bit before transferring it back to the oven. After doing this and letting it bake for a bit I pulled it out to find a nice crater in the middle of the cake. Leaving it out on the counter and then putting it back in the oven was not the best of ideas. However, it was now cooked. I had assumed that my MIL would have icing sugar so I could do a quick icing but as she no longer bakes, there was no icing sugar or jam for the sponge. I shuffled back home, waiting for long trains and roadworks along the way and arrived back home to realise that my husband had the house key. Arghhhh! I had to go to one of the neighbours, who always keeps a spare for us, and let myself into the house. I whipped up some nice BRIGHT PINK icing in a bowl, grabbed the jam from the fridge and shuffled back to the inlaws (no train this time). When cutting the cake to put jam in between the layers I discovered the full extent of the crater...all the way through the cake! Not only was the hole complete but the cake had stuck to the dish so it was all crumbly and horrible on the outside. No amount of pink royal icing was going to cover it (I needed butter cream!)...It became a soggy, crusty pink nightmare. I dutifully stuck pink, purple and white candles on it and just decided "what the ****". My Little Miss, when presented with the candle topped pink disaster, scrunched back in her high chair and gazed at the wonderment with minor disgust...perhaps it was the flames coming towards her?? I presented her with a mangled piece of rubbish which she dutifully mashed into the tray of her high chair. She liked the icing anyway! I'm going to attempt to redeem myself for the weekend party...please wish me luck for that venture. I was only trying to make it special...why do I do this? I put unrealistic expectations on myself and everyone else because I want it to be memorable. Well, it was, but obviously for the wrong reasons. I know I just need to lower my expectations but that's hard when you're a late 30-something Mummy who's a bit more than an over-achiever. My Little Miss had a brilliant day, got lots of presents and love and never knew the difference. She's never seen a WONDER CAKE. She doesn't know what cake SHOULD be like. It was gooey and mushy and nicely sweet and Mummy gave it to her and that's all that matters. That should be enough for me! I'll try to remember this when the next major event comes around. Sigh...

Wordless Wednesday

Sorry Little Miss...your 1st bday cake will not look like this!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

I love you!

What a difference a year makes!

One year ago, on this day, I was labouring to bring my adorable, precious Little Miss into this world. The entire birthing experience was nothing like I thought it would be and, thankfully, all the experts are right. You do forget it once you hold your baby in your arms. I look back on our lives before Little Miss and they seem rather hazy; something that was forever ago, not a year ago. We didn't have to plan and pack for every eventuality if we were going out. We got ourselves ready without it being a tag-team orchestration and patted the dog on the head and walked out the door. We could stay out as long as we wanted and as long as the animals were accounted for, we could even stay out past midnight! The grocery shopping never involved a trip down the baby aisle and the food items we bought were not scrutinized for salt or sugar content. For that matter, I used to add salt to our food! A lie-in was 9:30 or 10am...not 6am. There were no gates on the doors, no high-chairs in the kitchen, no toys on the floor. Our pictures and nick-nacks were on the lower shelves and cords to appliances were not necessarily neat and tidy. Remote controls laid on the tables, the tv guide never lost it's cover. The curtains hung all the way to the floor and the cat was not afraid to come downstairs during daylight hours. I didn't have fears like...what happens if I pass out upstairs and Little Miss is with me?...would hubby know what to do with Little Miss' breakfast if I wasn't around anymore. Our lives were so very different. But I wouldn't change one thing for £10,000,000. Our Little Miss has brought so much joy into our lives which is why the times without her are so hazy. She makes me laugh every day and I am constantly amazed at how much she's grown and learned. To think back to one year ago when I was laying on a hospital bed with this mushy, tiny thing on my chest...it's so hard to believe. How can so much change in one year? Little Miss is talking, walking, laughing, dancing, eating, smiling, pouting and stropping! She's a proper Little Miss, she is! We've become better people because of her, my hubby and myself and I am so grateful for all that we have. When I was wheeled into the recovery room after a difficult c-section and had had my first cup of tea and toast, I looked at my Little Miss wrapped up in the basinette next to me and thought, "This is the best thing I have ever done". And oh, has it been! Happy Birthday my amazing daughter. I can't wait to see what happens next!