E, you are three!

Two weeks ago my darling daughter E turned three. I know I say this every time I write an update on the children but time has honestly flown by and I can't believe that she's officially not a baby anymore. I think it's a bit more bittersweet because although I'm loving watching her grow up, it's hard because she is my last baby.

For the first two years of her life we co-slept and absolutely loved it but now she successfully falls asleep herself in her own bed, we've potty trained and she doesn't take a bottle or dummy anymore. Nope, I definitely can't get away with calling her my baby but I'll still do it anyway!

Personality-wise, she is amazing. When she was born, her older brother C was just turning two and I remember thinking, "He is just so funny. No other kid is going to compare." Then E came along. She is forever pulling funny faces, putting on accents to make us laugh and even the lines she comes out with have us in stitches.

Chris and I make an effort not to push gender stereotypical toys on our children and we let them play with what they like. E is a massive girly girl in the sense that she is obsessed with Disney Princesses and loves to do her hair and make up in front of a mirror. As much as she likes donning a dress, she is happiest in a pair of trainers and leggings or jeans, and pretending to be Wonder Woman or Maria Hill to her brother's Nick Fury. Yep, she's a Marvel and DC Comics lover too.

She is very much a diva and can throw a tantrum like no other. I see her huffy face 85% of the day and I've lost count of how many times she told me that she's not my friend anymore. She can be a grump but she is very cuddly and always tells us that she loves us. She and her brother are constantly fighting and bickering but I know that she loves him really and her little eyes light up when he gets out of school and she can't wait to speak to him. E is very into her family. She will always be asking to visit her grandparents and having a cousin who is four months older than her is fantastic. They are like two little old ladies when they get together and it's adorable to watch them interact. They'll always be swapping shoes and holding hands.

E has a brilliant imagination and can keep herself occupied quite easily. Even on car journeys, she'll give each of her hands little personas and make them have conversations. She won't really sit still long enough to read a story which is something that I want to try and work on with her but she has a great vocubulary, understands everything and can speak well. I just want to encourage her a bit more before she starts nursery next September.

I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

 

E is Two!

Two weeks ago my littlest baby turned two. Two years old. I can't quite believe it. C turned two after E was born and he seemed so grown up. E still feels like my little baby and so much smaller than C was then which is ridiculous. She definitely isn't a baby though! She's so feisty, cheeky and never stops talking.

Her second birthday fell on C's first day at preschool. Usually I would have wrapped all of her presents the night before and set them out on the sofa, ready for her to open in the morning. I still wrapped the gifts but hid them in the kitchen instead. I didn't think we'd have enough time to open them before we set off to preschool and I worried that C would want to stay home and play with E's new toys too. C was only in from 9-10.30 so my thoughts were that we'd just open them when we got back. I felt a bit guilty, as though C's first day took preference when really they were both equally as important but at the age of 2 she didn't really know any different.

After we collected C we took the kids round to Chris's mums house. A lot of the family were there, she got lots of presents, cards and money, it was a sunny day and my mum in law got the bouncy castle out. It was like a little birthday party for E! She had the best time and it meant that we didn't get home to open gifts until around 5pm. We had some party food, just the four of us, and she conked out by 7pm! It was a very impromptu day but it turned out to be a fantastic one. 

Happy 2nd Birthday!

 

E at 23 Months

I can't believe it. One more month until E turns two. She's still my baby. She can't be two soon!

She is such a little character, even my dad told me yesterday that he thinks she's really funny for how little she is. She is an absolute delight and is constantly making us laugh with little things that she does or facial expressions that she makes.

Her speech is incredible for her age. She picks everything up and I swear she almost speaks as well as her almost 4 year old brother. It is so odd! I'm not to someone so small speaking so much. 

She absolutely adores her brother. If he isn't around, she's off looking for him. As soon as she gets up from her nap, he is the first person she looks for and she loves giving him cuddles and kisses. The feeling is totally mutual and although they do bicker they are a funny little duo.

E had her first trip to the cinema recently! I worried a bit because she is still young but she sat really well. So well in fact that we had a second trip. I love that this is now something that we can do as a family. She also discovered the little rides at the shopping centre. They are now the bane of my life!

Neither Chris or I drive so we use the buggy quite a lot. E is getting a lot more independent so she is always asking to walk. I don't think it will be long until she is out of it completely. We'll just need it for when her wee legs get tired.

She loves music and having a dance but her favourite thing to do is look after her babies. She has four dolls and she takes care of them all day, every day. She'll carry them about, have me mind them, share her food and juice with them, lie them down, tuck them in, kiss their heads and read them a story. She really is the sweetest! 

E is a proper little girl and loves getting new clothes, shoes and having her hair done. I recently painted her toenails for the first time and she kept showing them off and saying, "Look! Pretty toenails!" She also constantly reminds me that she is a princess.

I can't believe that the next update will be on her second birthday. Time needs to slow down now!

 

E at 22 Months

Wehh, another month has passed. There is only two months until her second birthday and I still haven't a single thing planned.
I say this a lot but as she's my second child, I do compare her to her older brother. Her speech is increasing quite amazingly. I can almost have full conversations with her and she can explain how she feels and what she wants well. She is like a sponge so I think having an older brother and us talking around her a lot means that she is learning lots every day.
She adores princesses and all things girly - which I love - but she loves "boy toys" (I hate that phrase as I believe toys are gender neutral, but you get what I mean!) like dinosaurs and cars. The Toot Toot Drivers track and Thomas the Tank Engine train set are probably her favourite toys at the moment.
E has become obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Her brother was exactly the same at her age. She can recognise and say all the characters and likes trying to tell me what's happening in each episode that she watches.
She loves having baths - she calls it splashies - but hates having her hair washed. She screams, cries and tries to climb out. After all the faff, I can never get her out! She especially loves splashing water around her big brother.
She has learned to click her tongue which is a source of major annoyance for me. She walks around the house not even realising that she's doing it! She has learned how to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" in her own little way and even had her first ever ride on one of those little supermarket rides - she adored it! She's tried her hands at making her own pizza! We've been doing a lot of dressing up and she always asks to be Anna or Elsa.
If you follow me on social media or read my blog regularly you'll know that I am always buying clothes and accessories for her. She's since developed a major love for bows (which she calls "pretties") and shoes! If her love of shoes continues then I feel sorry for her daddy when she's a teenager. Her facial reactions are the best and she's already a little diva.
She is still a fantastic eater which I am loving. At toddler age, C got a bit fussy so I'm so happy that I don't have to be making a completely separate meal for her at dinner. Recently she is preferring walking to being in the buggy. I can't wait to be pram-free!
She wears 2-3 year old clothing which she has been in for a while now. With her big brother potty trained now, she has been learning a lot from him. She has come up to me a few times saying "nappy poo!" so I do think she'll be training sooner than C did! 

E at 21 Months

This is a little late - as usual these days! - but on June 5th my baby girl turned 21 months old. I'm trying not to think about her impending second birthday because then I'll have to admit that I no longer have a baby in the house!

This month I really feel like E has learned so much. She never stops talking. I couldn't even tell you how many words she has picked up in such a short time. She has a few phrases that she always says, "Don't like it" - that one comes when she doesn't want to eat something, "Where's C/Daddy/Mummy/Granda?" and I've found that she can actually pick up any item in my house and tell me what it is. It's so strange considering her big brother didn't speak a lot at this age.

She is a lot more independent too. I think that's a girl thing! I recently purchased a slide for the kids and E will just climb up the steps by herself, pull her legs under to sit down and slide down on her own. When we go to the park she climbs on everything and she is just so fearless. 

E is still my little Velcro baby and always asks me "Up?" She constantly has her arms around my neck and gives me cuddles and kisses. It's super cute but sometimes I can barely get anything done as she's glued to my legs.

We've started taking her out walking more rather than being in her buggy. She holds my hand and her brother's hand tightly and always says, "I'm walking!" like she's really chuffed with herself. I cannot wait to be buggy free but as we don't drive, I don't think it'll be for a wee while yet.

She can be quite girly. For example, she absolutely adores shoes and bows but can be tomboyish too. She loves cars and dinosaurs. Dressing up is one of her new favourite things to do too - especially as princesses. I love watching her interact with her brother and just seeing her little personality. She can be quite bad tempered and will have a psycho if we annoy her or make her do something she doesn't want to do.

Her current favourite TV shows are Team Umizoomi and pretty much anything on CBeebies and Tiny Pop. She has recently gotten into the Toot Toot Drivers sets so they'll definitely be on the birthday list. Film-wise, she still loves Frozen but since discovering Finding Nemo, it's not been on much!

I better get birthday buying now! Any ideas for a two year old girl!?

 

E at 20 Months

20 months old. That sounds far closer to 2 than 19 months did. I think I need to accept the fact that my baby is growing up and isn't really a baby anymore, but a toddler.

I have to be honest and say that I find it hard to write these posts. The time is flying by so quickly, especially having two children, and E is learning so much from her big brother that it is hard to remember it all.

Her speech is wonderful. She repeats everything I say and has little set phrases ingrained in her head. I love having chats with her. She knows her food, can count to 5 (we're working on the rest) and her animals and sounds too.

Her appetite has been insatiable lately. On a number of occasions we've had her having second helpings of dinner and even C's leftovers! I think she's had a growth spurt. She's constantly asking for food and we still haven't found anything that she doesn't like!

She is obsessed with Frozen (still!), In The Night Garden, Bing (she'll shout "Bim's on!"), Miffy and My Little Pony. I think I have birthday present ideas sorted. As long as it's related to any of those, she'll be happy!

She is so affectionate. She got a couple of dolls for her birthday but has recently taken a huge shine to them. She loves to play mummy, giving them cuddles and kisses, talking to them in a pitch higher than her own and tucking them in with a blanket and saying "night night."

She is massively obsessed with animals. Dogs are her favourite but she loves cats too. Even today, her daddy took a spider out of the bath and instead of running screaming like her brother, she waved "Hiya!" and gave the jar that it was in a kiss.

We've been outdoors a lot lately with the good weather and she loves playing mini golf and football in her grandads garden. I'm excited to do even more outdoor activities this summer. 

I've bought a few age 2 items of clothing and they fit her already. She's so tall and she's reaching the door handles now which is a pain in the bum!

She is such a happy child and is always laughing, smiling and being so laid back and chilled. Apart from when she's fighting with her big brother over a toy!

E at 19 Months

I am so late with this post. E turned 19 months on the 5th of the month and if I'm honest, I don't think much has changed since my last update about her. 

Her speech is incredible. We have a wooden abacus with the alphabet and image relating to the letter and she repeats every one when I show her and it's like she files it away for use later. She just randomly comes out with the words. I hear "whatsat?" constantly and then she just answers her own question and tells me what the item she's pointing at is.

She is still Frozen obsessed but she has also developed a love for Bing (Bim!), In The Night Garden (especially Makka Pakka and Iggle Piggle) and My Little Pony, or boh-me" as she likes to call them.

We have a few teeth coming through and the bottom two next to the front ones have just cut. They don't seem to be giving her much bother and I actually didn't even know she was teething until I saw them through already! I'm really lucky that she does so well with teething.

I haven't had her weight and measured in about a year! She still hasn't had her one year check. She is snugly in 18-24 month clothing with size 4 feet and she could eat me out of house and home so I think she's bang on target.

We recently had a trip to the park and her brother can be very apprehensive and need reassurance for everything but with E, she just goes off on her own and does what she likes. C was taking too long getting up the steps to the slide so she just shoved him out of the way and went to climb up in front of him!

She has been getting embarrassed for the first time, usually when strangers speak to her. She'll turn her head away and blush. At home she chats a lot but when we're out and lots of other people are around she will sit quietly and just take everything in.

We are potty training her brother at the moment (I'll do a separate post on how we're getting on next week) and every time he sits on the potty, she takes herself off to sit on the other one - with her nappy on, of course! She copies everything her big brother does but this also has its drawbacks because she's learned phrases like "let go", "go away" and most annoyingly, "mine!"

C is Going to Preschool!

Back in January, we filled in the form with C's pre-school choices. I think we chose five different ones. Our first choice was the one we desperately wanted him to get into, second and third were perfectly okay and we wouldn't be disappointed if he got in there and the last two were more space fillers or safety nets.

C had been going on for ages about how he couldn't wait to go to school and make friends so we waited patiently, then letter-arriving time sprung up on us. On Saturday morning, I grabbed the white letter as soon as it hit the floor and saw the school stamp of our first choice in the top corner and tried not to get my hopes up. I was delighted to see that he had in fact gotten in and even C said "oh my word!" He's been really excited all weekend, learning the name of his new school and I keep having to remind him that it's a few more months until he starts!

There are a few school activities during the summer so I am excited to take him and possibly meet some of his new classmates.

He has a family member who attends the primary school so that will be nice for him, plus it will probably be a natural progression from the pre-school to primary school; not just for him but most of his classmates too meaning that he'll keep the same friends. Then, when it comes to E's turn to apply, we'd have more of chance of her being with her brother.

I'm still a little in denial of how my little baby is big enough for pre-school but I can't wait for him to begin on this amazing journey.

 

E at 17 Months

I'm well aware of the fact that I sound like a broken record but I can't believe that another month has passed. My baby girl is becoming a big girl before my eyes.

She has turned into such a cheeky little monkey and she knows she's being funny too. When myself or her daddy tell her to stop doing something she'll tell us "no!" - a word that I was dreading her learning!

I mentioned last week that she was walking and she has come on leaps and bounds with it. We have almost no crawling at all, she thinks she's great when she walks. Although she does fall on her bum sometimes, it doesn't faze her and she gets straight back up.

Her speech is bloody amazing! I am so shocked. I do compare her to C (I know I shouldn't but I do) who didn't speak much until he turned two so I am really shocked by how much she repeats at only 17 months. I do think that watching and listening to her big brother helps. Just the other day, she saw a picture of Miffy and started to sway from side to side like she was dancing then attempted to "sing" (in her own little way) the Miffy theme tune! I was really surprised she remembered it!

She is really independent and knows what she wants. I love watching her figure puzzles out, you can almost see the cogs whirring in her brain. She has also discovered how to get out of her pram which is a pain. She'll manouvre her way out of the arm straps, pull herself up to step over the harness then slide under the bar. She always finishes it by walking out and saying "ta-da!" Little trickster!

We have gone up a shoe size into an infant size 4 and she is still wearing 18-24 months - I don't think I could squeeze her long legs into 12-18 anymore! We also have two new teeth - molars! They seem to be growing in the strangest way. She still loves her food - especially bananas. She'll take herself off into the kitchen, point at the table and ask for "nannys!" Oh, and she is absolutely bloody obsessed with Peppa Pig!

I can't wait to see the mischief she makes this month! 

 

E at 16 Months

I'm such a bad mummy and forgot to write E's 15 month update last month and now here we are at 16 months! December was such a hectic month so it completely slipped my mind. Now it feels like E has grown up so much since I last wrote about her. 

Firstly, we had steps! She can take steps when I put her on her feet and let her walk to another person but she will not do it of her own accord and would much rather crawl. She seems far too big not to be walking so I hope she does it herself soon. 

Her speech is coming along wonderfully. I remember C didn't speak at all around this age and we worried about him so much. E has picked up on a lot and waves "hiya" but can also say words like juice, help, dude, dolly and probably loads more that I can't remember right now! 

Clothes-wise she has shot from being a baby to a toddler and wears age 18-24 months. She loves her grub and would eat anything that's put in front of her. I hope it keeps up. She has recently mastered using a spoon so eating rice and mashed potatoes with it keeps her entertained as she thinks she's great.

Her little personality is just wonderful and although she hasn't fully mastered speaking in sentences, she is really funny with all her little facial expressions. 

Her favourite things to do are play with any type of doll or figurine and give them kisses and hugs. Shes recently discovered her big brothers Mr Potato Head toy and likes to put the pieces in the holes. 

C is a child who loves to watch TV shows but E is more of a movie lover. I've discovered that she loves all of the Toy Story films but she is obsessed with Frozen. A proper little princess!

E at 14 Months

Eek, time needs to slow down!

My baby toddler is 14 months old and she has changed so much. She is very cheeky and does lots of funny things. She knows she's being funny too and it makes us laugh constantly. Fake laughing and coughing are her favourite.

She still isn't walking! She learned to crawl early and was cruising the sofa at 9/10 months so I was sure she'd walk early too. I do try to encourage her but she's having none of it. As soon as she realises that I'm not holding her up, she's straight down onto her bum or knees. She accidentally took one step a few days ago, freaked out and grabbed the footstool. Maybe I'll be writing about her walking in her 15 month update? That is when C started. We'll see.

Her vocabulary is impressive! I know I shouldn't, but I do compare her to C. He was only really saying "mama" and "dada" at this age but E tries to copy everything. She knows 'duckie', George (from C's George Pig figurine), "hiya" and "bye!" She likes to accompany those last two with waves and kisses. She does babble quite a lot and I love hearing her voice and giggles.

She is really adventurous and I do feel like I need eyes in the back of my head. Although she isn't walking, she can move very quickly. Most of the time she is permanently attached to my legs as she's quite clingy with me.

E is quite the poser and loves having her photograph taken. If you follow me on social media, you'll see that I do have a bit of an obsession with bows and handmade clothes and boy, does E love to show them off!

She still loves her food, especially home cooked meals packed with veg, and she is taking at 8oz bottle of cows milk at bedtime. I'm hoping it stays that way!

She fits comfortably in both 12-18 and 18-24 months clothing which may sound a bit odd but that's mainly due to her height - she's quite tall!

I can't wait to see what she discovers next month.

E at 13 Months

Wow, this last month has gone quickly! It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating E's first birthday.

There hasn't really been much of a noticeable change in E's development really. She is becoming a lot cheekier and very funny, much like her older brother. I love seeing her character shine through and she's going to be funny girl!

This month, E is sharing my love of bows and clothes. Every time she gets a bow in the post, I'll show her it and she'll get all excited, kicking her legs and wanting me to give it to her. Equally, when we're out shopping and I show her things she'll do the same or point at toys that she wants and says, "ta-ta!" This is very helpful when it comes to Christmas shopping!

She still isn't walking unaided which I'm very shocked about. She has been cruising the sofa for what feels like forever but as soon as she realises that she hasn't got anything to hold onto she's straight down onto her bum or knees. Hopefully we'll get there soon!

Her vocabulary is picking up and she does try to repeat words. Now she can say, "don't touch", "kiss", "mama", "dada", "ta-ta" and "juice".

E had her first trip to W5 which is a science and activity centre. We went mainly for C as I thought he's at the perfect age for it but E got really involved too and loved the puzzles and books.

C is 3!

I can't believe my baby boy is three! He actually turned three on September 21st so I'm a bit late in writing this - bad mummy!

We just had a small family day at home with lots of presents, balloons, party food and cake and both kids really enjoyed it. This is the first birthday he's had where he understands it and loves the banners. As soon as he came downstairs and saw his presents he said, "Oh, thank you, mummy and daddy!" It was adorable. He ripped the wrapping paper off himself (this is a first as he wasn't interested last year or last Christmas) and he was overjoyed with everything.

This month he's doing amazingly well with phonics. He tries to read his word books by sounding out the words. I was pretty shocked the first time he did it! He also never stops talking. All day, every day, it's incessant! It definitely makes a change from me constantly worrying because he wasn't a big talker when he turned two!

He is becoming more and more obsessed with dinosaurs and he loves to use the iPad to teach himself about them (mainly using the Andy's Dinosaur Adventures activity on the CBeebies app). He can now tell me the different types of dinosaur using his figurines.

I love that he's starting to eat more again. When he was little he'd eat anything but he started to get fussy and slowly he's trying new foods. I could squeal with joy!

Clothes-wise he wears 3-4 years in tops but only 2-3 years in trousers. His feet are a massive size 8! 

Finally, potty training. This is a total no. No matter what I try he will not entertain the fact that he has to use the toilet. I am worried that he's getting too old to still be in nappies and I'm a little embarrassed if I'm honest!

C is the funniest little boy. He's so witty and makes me laugh every day and I am so proud to be his mummy - even if he does throw an impressive tantrum!

E at 1 Year

Five days ago, my baby girl turned one. I cannot believe a whole year has passed already. In the days leading up to her birthday, even after buying balloons and banners, it still seemed so surreal and I was a little in denial. Now, in the days following her birthday, I'm checking Timehop every morning and I'm greeted with pictures of my little newborn and I still remember posting them like it was yesterday.

Thinking about my tiny baby there and looking at her now, makes me realise just how much she's grown up. She is beginning to chatter. She says, "mummy", "daddy", "don't touch!" (clearly I say that a lot!) and "hiya" as well as babbling. She is very adventurous and loves to crawl and climb up onto the sofa. We're not yet at the walking stage. She'll happily cruise along the furniture and can stand unaided for about 20 seconds but as soon as she tries to walk, she'll freak out and grab onto the nearest thing. We'll get there soon.

E has five teeth; the two bottom ones and three at the top. We have one front tooth that is showing no signs of making an appearance so she looks a little like a hillbilly. Maybe she'll look a little less goofy when that comes down - ha!

She has discovered how to clap her hands and she is really bloody proud of herself when she does it. 

E comfortably wears 12-18 month clothing and has only a bedtime bottle - hurrah! She loves her grub and will eat anything going. I'm not sure on her weight and length as she hasn't had her one year check yet.

She has come so far in a year and her little personality just shines through. She really makes us laugh with her silly little facial expressions. Before she was born I always wondered how I could love someone as much as love C but it was so easy. She has slotted into our lives perfectly; the final piece of our puzzle, and I cannot imagine life without her now.

E at 11 months

I am seriously finding it hard to believe that my tiny baby girl is 11 months old. Where has the past year gone?

I can see her changing from a baby to a toddler more and more every day. She has begun pulling herself up to stand against the sofa (or anything she gets her hands on, really!) and cruising the sofa too. She has been a little more adventurous lately and lets go for a few seconds before realising that she isn't steady and quickly grabs hold of something. 

E is always wanting be on her feet so I really don't think it will be long before she is walking. 

She is quite clever and her little personality is starting to shine through. I just know she's going to be as funny as her brother. She loves the camera - especially when the flash is on!

She loves giving everyone kisses though they are a little slobbery! Speech-wise we only have 'mama', 'dada' and 'ta ta'. She has made some noises that sound like words but I can't be 100% sure that she knows what she's saying. 

She has developed a love for TV shows thanks to her big bro! Twirlywoos, In The Night Garden and Pocoyo are her favourites. She also loves stealing C'a toys. 

E still wears some 9-12 month clothing but the majority are 12-18 months. She is so tall! She is having three meals a day and absolutely loves her food. She will gobble up anything I give her and even tries to take C's too! She is still taking a morning and bedtime bottle but I think I need to drop the morning one soon. 

I can't believe this time next month I will be writing her one year update. I must get panic buying presents!

C at 34 Months

Yesterday, C was 34 month old. I'm  a day late with this post and funnily, my 22 month update from last year came up on my Timehop - I was a day late with that too! 

C is changing from a toddler to a proper little boy before my very eyes. Every month, I say his speech is getting better and that very true this month too. He has his own little set phrases that he loves to say like, "oh no, XYZ is in a bad mood again!" and "come on, XYZ, we're friends!" when we won't do something for him. 

The good weather meant he could play outside more and we got the paddling pool and sand pit out. He absolutely loved them and refused to come back inside when it got late! 

He was a great eater as a baby then as he got older that changed and be became more fussy. He's finally eating better but only at home. He's still a little defiant when we are at my parents house. 

Before E was born, C and I always used to stay over at my parents on a Saturday night. A few weeks ago, C, E and I stayed over again for the first time in about a year. He enjoyed himself so much. He adores my dad and every day without fail, C will ask, "Can I see granda tomorrow?" He is his favourite person ever. 

C is completely in love with his little sister. He is always over taking care of her and making her laugh. He even told me once, "Baby needs a sandwich. I'll make it better baby". 

He is so funny. I touched on this last month but he honestly is the funniest kid ever. He will come out with some really hilarious thing without even needing prompting at all. Last night, he put his daddy's boots on and said, "I'm daddy. My tummy's full of cookies!" Chris and I couldn't breathe for laughing. 

He has the best imagination. He is always making up games, stories and songs and he loves role play toys. I will definitely have to get him more adult imitation toys and dressing up costumes for his birthday and Christmas. 

C has always been one for not wanting to go to bed. He always wanted to stay up with us in case he missed something. Now he's getting older he knows when he is tired and asks if he can go upstairs to bed. It makes my life easier!