2 years. Our own love story.

Today is our second wedding anniversary! It's being spent slightly different to last year's anniversary, where we spent it at a luxurious lodge, in the hot tub drinking champagne. Things are different now; we have a 5 month old baby and no money!! But champagne will still be involved and possibly a yummy take away.

So I thought I'd share some of our wedding photos with you. It was a beautiful sunny day when we got married, in fact it was blisteringly hot and I got sun burnt whilst hanging around for the photos! But everything was wonderful and everyone had such as good day.

We got married at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire and then moved onto The Spread Eagle at Sawley. We had lots of photos taken in the ruins of Sawley Abbey and they were fantastic. But here's just a snippet....

mummystartingout is on Facebook!

You can find me here 

 please hop along and 'like' me!

mummystartingout x

What happened to my baby that slept through?!

Charlie was not a fan of sleep for the first three weeks of his life, just like lots of other newborns. From about 10pm - 4am every night, he screamed or moaned or whinged and then about 4am he would drop off for a couple of hours. Then, at Easter, when he was about three and a half weeks old, we went away to stay with my parents for a week and all of a sudden one night, he went to sleep at 11 and stayed asleep until 5am! I couldn't believe it. He carried on doing this and gradually the 11pm became 10.30, which became 10 which then became 9pm. Annoyingly he would not go to sleep before this though! The 5am also started getting later and he would sometimes sleep until 7am ish. I started to feel better and look less tired and everything was running along smoothly.

And then, all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, he woke at 1am, then 3am, then 5am and then 7am! What?! The next few nights he continued to wake up a couple of times, if not more. We are now approaching the end of two weeks of this and I am knackered again. Fortunately, I am still off work, but I go back in 5 weeks so how the heck am I supposed to plan and teach lessons to hormonal teenagers if I am not getting much sleep! When he does wake, he won't go back to sleep without a feed, so he gets in bed with us, meaning that I have to cling to the edge of the bed and therefore I don't sleep well. Co-sleeping was easier when he was teeny. Don't get me wrong, I still love it, but the logistics are slightly different now.

Charlie was 20 weeks on Tuesday. I am not sure if his constant wakening is due to a) the weather; it has been so humid here lately, b) milk isn't satisfying him enough now and he needs more; or c) he just fancies more cuddles! I went into work for a week just before he started doing this and I was told that this can often result in babies wake up more frequently during the night as they want to be with their mummy as they haven't seen them as much and haven't fed as much. But it's still happening so I don't know if that's the case or not.

We have started giving him a few spoonfuls of fruit puree and veg puree here and there. Hopefully this might start filling him up if it is hunger, but I am also trying to stop him dropping off too soon during his last feed to try and ensure he is completely full. What else it could be down to, I really don't know!

I miss my sleep! I had got used to it and was clearly taking it for granted! I really hope he settles back down as I forgot how lack of sleep, also coupled with anaemia can make you feel!!

Please Charlie, be good for mummy and go back to just waking the once.

mummystartingout x

Co-Sleeping

Sorry I've been a bit absent, having a baby is much more time consuming than I had ever imagined! And much more worthwhile than I had imagined. I have lots of posts coming up soon, but Shona and Cecile from Wriggly Rascals asked if I'd like to write another post for their website for other Mums on the subject of co-sleeping.

I felt very uncomfortable about co-sleeping with my baby, that is, until I had a baby! And then everything changed. So here is the link to my article and I would also like to know what you think about co-sleeping? Have you done it? How was your experience with it? Or if you don't agree with co-sleeping, then what are your reasons?

Also, Shona and Cecile would love you to share your experiences of co-sleeping on their site too, in order to help other mums just like us! Please click here to be directed to the survey.

mummustartingout x

Some things that I love

It's been a while since I last blogged - babies do take up quite a bit of time, but things are getting much easier now and he is letting me put him down for more than 5 mins at a time!

So I decided to link up with butwhymummywhy and join in with her 'Some things that I love'

Something I read

When Charlie was born we had some difficulties getting to grips with breastfeeding and so my lovely friend lent me her book - The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding. This book has been my lifesaver and when I felt like giving up breastfeeding completely it really helped me to focus and give it another go. I am so grateful for this book, without it I would probably be using formula now.

Something I watched 

I don't get a lot of time to watch TV! I tend to have This Morning on in the background in the mornings but in the evening hubby takes over the TV! I was out the other week in town and popped in to Superdrug where they had Les Miserables for £9.99. Hubby wouldn't come to the cinema with me to see it as he hates things like this so I hadn't seen it. So I got the DVD and managed to watch it whilst hubby was out last week. It is amazing! I didn't know what to expect but it is really good. I wasn't too keen on Russell Crowe as Javier but the rest of the film was fab.

Something I wore 

Whilst I was still pregnant I bought a few bits of clothing with some Christmas money I had been given to save for after Charlie was born. One of them was these jeans from River Island. I love them! Even better I had to return them and get a size smaller as they were too big after pregnancy as I lost so much weight to begin with, down to breastfeeding I think. So I am loving wearing these, they are skinny but stretchy and I love the pattern down the side of them. 

Something I listened to

As I am not watching much TV I have started downloading more music onto my iPhone, especially to listen to in the car. Charlie seems to be soothed by music, particularly Empire State of Mind! But my favourite track at the moment is Still Into You by Paramore. It seems a bit cheesy but I think it sums up hubby and me at the minute. 

Something I cannot live without 

This has to be Charlie! He is my world and I cannot believe I made him! I miss him when he is in someone else's arms, which I know is stupid, but I just can't get enough of him. He is really growing up now and has begun to smile and laugh quite a bit. He is still small in weight for his age, but he is gaining weight well so no one is concerned about him. He has such as wonderful little personality and he loves to play, especially with his daddy. He sits and talks to his animals and it is just the most wonderful sound! 

If you would like to join in with Some things that I Love, please pop along to butwhymummywhy.com and click the linky to enter. 

mummystartingout x

Another one taken too soon

You might remember that throughout most of my pregnancy I worried something would happen to my baby. I worried I would miscarry and then once we got past 24 weeks I worried each time I didn't feel him move for a while. So the sense of relief when they finally placed a damp, warm creature on my chest I cannot describe. Tonight I thank my lucky stars that Charlie was born safely and I have my gorgeous, wonderful nine week old. But I will never, ever take it for granted.

On Sunday my lovely friend who I first met at nursery, before going onto the same primary and secondary school with and then the same college, had her long awaited baby girl. She and her partner had been trying for 15 months to conceive their baby. During delivery the baby's shoulder got stuck and she was deprived of oxygen for far too long. When they did get her out she needed to be resuscitated and they then put her in an incubator. Unfortunately she didn't respond well after being starved of oxygen for so long and on Tuesday night heaven decided to claim another angel. 

Another angel taken far too soon. I cannot even begin to comprehend how losing your child, whatever age, must feel  like. How do you even begin to carry on after that? It really makes me wonder about god and religion. If there is a god, why would he give someone the wonderful gift of a child and then take it straight away? What is the point? 

My Grandma always used to say that heaven always chooses the best ones first, but that's no comfort to the ones left behind. 

I am utterly devastated for my lovely friend and her family. It would have been their first grandchild. It still is, but it will always be tinged with complete sadness and devastation. 

The past two nights I've cuddled my boy so tight and not been bothered when he cries. I've checked on him every few minutes when he's been sleeping and told him how much I love him. I feel blessed that I have my healthy boy but I will never take him for granted. Nothing is forever. 

Rest in peace little baby Annabella. Sleep well xx

Mummystartingout x

8 weeks as a Mummy - what I've learnt

1. That the first few weeks are as hard as people tell you they will be. Stupidly I thought "how bad can it be" haha I laugh in the face of my naivety now! Those first few weeks ARE tough, but they do pass and it gets better.

2. That just because baby naps between 10am and 1pm one day, does not mean he will do it again the next day. Or ever.

3. If you have a boy baby, always point his willy downwards when changing his nappy!

4. If you're breast feeding and don't use a boob for a few hours it will hurt! And go huge and very hard. I have willed Charlie to wake up a few times just for some relief!

5. That even if your baby sleeps quite well at night, you will still be tired. There is so much to throughout the day.

6. The washing bag or washing line/maiden will never ever be empty again! Babies go through a lot of clothes. Plus if you're using real nappies that's never ending too.

7. Baby poo looks like chicken korma.

8. You will miss your baby even if he is in the same room as you but in someone else's arms.

9. Nothing can prepare you for seeing how upset they are at their 8 week jabs.

10. That you cannot comprehend the love you have for this tiny little person. Even when they've woken up for the fourth time in the night for a feed, they are still the most precious thing in your life and nothing can prepare you for the love you will feel for them.

11. You will never have clean clothes or bedding. Babies can puke without any warning!

12. Sitting down for a cup of tea in peace will start to be classed as a luxury.

13. Getting out of the house takes 10 times longer. You think you've got everything/everyone ready and then the baby throws up/needs a clean nappy/change of clothes/needs feeding etc.

14. Despite saying 'Oh I'll never watch trash like Jeremy Kyle' you start watching it and look forward to it every day.

15. The first few weeks you will survive off  toast, tea, diet coke, water and haribo. Oh and a lot of chocolate. I couldn't stop eating giant cadbury buttons in the first few weeks!

It's still the best time of your life though and smiles like this make it all worthwhile.

mummystartingout x