Tag: daughter

My first Mother’s Day 

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For this weeks flashback, I’m looking back on last years Mother’s Day.

It was a very special one and not just because it was my first one as a mum – we also had Sophia christened on this day.

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It took place in the very same church that I was christened in 28 years before, our local Brentwood Cathedral and we chose my sister and brother in law as her godparents.

It was a short and sweet service and we had lunch and cake at my parents house with our family and friends. The weather didn’t play ball unfortunately but hey, this is England after all so no surprises there!

One big surprise that did throw me though was the arrival of my darling Canadian cousin, my little sister Maylani and my uncle Tim. It was so special to have them with us for this important moment, especially as my uncle is my godfather and Maylani, my god sister. Love you guys!

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Here are a few pics of the lovely day we had courtesy of my mister.

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My favourite feature of this day deserves its very own mention, and no it’s not the cake (a family combined effort – damask stencils are NOT the one people!)

It is Sophia’s christening dress.

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I have always wanted to do something with my wedding dress and for a little while I was torn between keeping it as it is or turning it into something else. Being a sucker for tradition though the latter won out and I decided I wanted her christening dress to be made out of my wedding dress. My lovely friend Sindhu did the same for her daughter Avaana and I was sold when I saw the result – it was truly beautiful and a wonderful sentiment.

So who else would I turn to to take on this incredible task than my very own incredible Nora Walker, my mother. I don’t know how she is able to do absolutely everything I need/ask/want her to do, but she can and does, and always so well.

Here are a few pictures of her magic. I only hope I’m able to do the same for Sophia one day if and when the time comes

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It meant the world to me that on this special day, she wore a dress made by her grandmother from her mothers wedding dress.

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A tribute to heritage, one I will use for all my children and I hope it will be passed on for many generations to come. Special thanks to my mum for all that you have done and continue to do for us x2016-03-05_0001

Wishing you all a beautiful Mothering Sunday this weekend x I’m sure every single one with this little peach will be as special as my first x

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The title of this post sums up the last few months nicely and I’m feeling a little dizzy as I’ve only just stopped spinning (ok, who am I kidding? Sophia is now a toddler… I’m still spinning). It also perfectly describes the theme of Sophia’s first birthday party.

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The big ONE. I’m glad I can look back on it fondly even if the weeks leading up to it were a little stressful. Just a little. Her party was, as most events in our household have come to be, a labour of love but I’m so glad we went all in.

As you might know by now, I do love a good D.I.Y so most of my party planning starts with something I’d quite like to make and on it spurs from there. In this case, I decided I wanted to make Sophia a carousel cake!

I found a fantastic tutorial on Paul Bradford Sugarcraft online school which took me through it step by step (thankfully!) Probably one of the most challenging cakes I’ve made but also the most rewarding. I used sugar moulds for the horses and all the little details and gilded them all in edible gold paint and glitter – so chuffed with how it turned out!

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Now cake aside, there were a fair few other DIY details too. It’s lucky I have my very own Handy Andy as it definitely saved us a penny! My mister is a dab hand at DIY and helped bring the theme to life. He made two wooden structures for our funfair themed games (Tin Can Alley and Hoopla) and a Photo Booth out of a palette which went down a treat!

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He also made and wired the LED letters that spelt SOPHIA and it looked great as a centrepiece on the cake table.2016-02-21_0026

The cake table was finished with a fabric banner that I made – (surprisingly easy to do and much cheaper than buying one!) and these super cute ferris wheel cupcake holders – thank you Wilko’s, you gem of bargains!

Hub also painted a scrap of MDF in chalkboard paint for me to draw a milestone chart on – just like my previous posts on this blog. It took me ALL night but it was worth it and has served as a nice keepsake since. We hung her monthly photos on 11 helium balloons and had them hanging from the ceiling above the chalkboard. It was especially nice to set this up as it was a rather sweet trip down memory lane.

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As most of Sophia’s little buddies were babies and toddlers, we hired and set up a soft play area next to their little picnic tables.  Each little person had a lunchbox, a milk bottle with chocolate milk, chips in newspaper cones,  a mini pinwheel that we made and a pretty pastel balloon tied to their chair – not going to lie, I wanted to sit there!

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Considering my very sweet tooth, it’s not surprising that I frequented my favourite spot – the dessert table! Lovely Jade, of Jade’s Balloons delivered a perfect array of helium filled balloons for the party and I especially loved the arch she made for this area.2016-02-21_0020

A bit of home baking and a trip to Costco’s sorted this in no time. My mum made a whopping 80 cupcakes (they are better than Lolas) and I dipped some mini donuts in edible glitter for good measure. IMG_49782016-02-21_00302016-02-21_0029

For party favours, we homemade caramel toffee apples covered in nuts and sprinkles for the kids and put together some popcorn and candy floss. It was definitely a high sugar zone – oops!
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Phew! All in all, it was a lot of fun and we enjoyed a lovely day with our closest friends and family. A big thank you to our parents and siblings for all their help and to my pretty talented husband for creating a lovely day for our dear little Sophia!

If anyone is looking for a party venue in the Essex area, I cannot recommend Little Channels enough – a great space for littles with an enclosed courtyard to use if weather permits and the loveliest staff who went over and above to help facilitate everything we wanted.

The super talented Slawa Walczak (http://www.slawawalczak.com) took these precious photos I’ve shared here and below and we are so grateful for these memories!
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Some might say that the effort was wasted – I mean what’s a 12 month old going to remember? Yes, you’re right – she probably won’t remember all of the above but I will.  We will.

You see, to me, Sophia’s first birthday was much bigger than just a party – it was a celebration of 365 days of change, of chaos, of perfection, of imperfection, of challenges, and of accomplishment, and I’m not just talking about Sophia. It was also a congratulation to each other on surviving our first year of parenthood and most of all, a thank you to our family and friends for supporting us for every one of those days.

The above applies however you choose to celebrate, big or small. It really doesn’t matter as long as you celebrate it the way you want. So when your tiny human reaches this milestone, go forth and plan, or don’t, and enjoy it – whatever it is that works for you!

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ONE. 1. First.

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Well hello stranger, it’s been a while!

So much has happened since I last blogged- I went back to work, Sophia’s first birthday party, Christmas, New Years, my husbands 35th which somewhat got overshadowed by probably the most exciting news of all (sorry bubs) – the arrival of my brand new scrumptious nephew! As such, the blog took an inevitable backseat.

But hey ho, fast forward 4 months, and I’m baaaack and ready to get my blog on! I’m going to try and change things up a bit and get my structure game on. I’ll be posting twice a week (rather than sporadically which became my trend, oops!) Fridays for all the catch ups and Mondays for just about everything else. That’s the plan anyway.

And although it’s difficult to plan anything with a little one, I’m going to give it a damn good go. So for my very first ‘Flashback Friday’ as it were, I’ll be blogging about Sophia’s first birthday party! For now, I’ll share a few memories of her actual birthday which we spent at home with our parents and siblings – fitting as this is how we started.

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It was low key and just lovely. A relaxing day with good food, good company, cake and cuddles. Just what we all needed before her party the following week. More on that in my next post!

For now, a few snippets of her birthday. She absolutely loved being with all her favourite people, jumping up and down in her cot full of balloons, and of course, tasting the icing on her cake – well, she’s definitely mama’s girl then!

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Motherhood – the good, the bad and the awesome!

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So now you’re on the other side. Your little cherub has arrived and it’s overwhelming to say the least. You’re back from the hospital, enjoying those cuddles and luscious newborn smell, when out of nowhere as you look down at those big eyes, it hits you. You are acutely aware that you know NOTHING and you, you alone are wholly responsible for this perfect eeny meeny tiny human. *sharp intake of breath*

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And breathe. It’ll be ok.

You’ll get the hang of it. I promise. You’ll even get used to your little one spicing things up just as you get comfortable and in a routine. You know, just to keep you on your toes and make the sleep deprivation entertaining. So you won’t be surprised when I tell you I’m still learning, every day! And although I remember that moment of simultaneous joy and terror clear as day, I look back on it fondly. I did after all survive it. And so will you.

Here are a few things to look forward to that I’ve come across so far in motherhood.

The good

  1. Baby giggles cure everything. Fact.
  2. You’ll find yourself mimicking someone high on LSD come slapstick comedian to hear those giggles one more time.
  3. There was a time I didn’t understand the need for Parent parking bays. But oh ,do I now? Godsend. They mean not having to resemble a contortionist while strapping your baby into the car seat!
  4. Mummy muscles are real. After all, you’ve spent ages perfecting your title as Queen of multitasking and your right arm has had a workout continuously as a result. Carrying your growing baby in one arm while using the other to do EVERYTHING else – care to arm wrestle? I dare you.
  5. People probably wouldn’t pay to see you perform at the Comedy Club, but to your baby, well you might as well be Michael McIntyre! Best. Audience. EVER. photo-7
  6. They don’t know when you’re having a bad day, or doing it all wrong but they love you anyway.

The bad

  1. Kiss goodbye to hot meals and long showers. Your baby will know instantly when you try to have one or both of these and cry before your fork hits the plate or you pick up your loofah! It’s a conspiracy, I swear.
  2. Your super happy smiley baby will play up when your friends come over, the in laws are around or you’re watching Suits and someone’s about to get Litt up! Thank god for Sky Plus. Pause, rewind, play. Wait, rewind again.
  3. Bath time for baby is a sting operation that involves a ridiculous amount of planning – (also one of the most fun). Bath time for you will be…I’m sorry bath? Don’t be ridiculous – see point one.photo-1
  4. Getting out of the house can sometimes be a mission Ethan Hunt couldn’t complete. Especially as your baby will undoubtedly need a feed or change just as you turn the key to lock up and put the alarm on.
  5. Shopping WAS my cardio! Remember those days when you could do a quick run around, take ages in a changing room, go up and down the escalators without a care in the world? No? Me either. Now, with a pram, changing bag, bundled up babe, the pace is slower! So it’s all about being efficient. Take the time to plan a route around the shopping centre including Parent Room feed/change breaks to avoid hours of going up and down lifts!
  6. Your iPod playlist will be taken over by nursery rhymes – yes Wheels on a bus is my new jam!
  7. Your living room will look like a bad Hamleys display no matter how many which ways you arrange it. Little people sure do come with a lot of stuff!

The Awesome

  1. Snuggles. My favourite time. They morph into koalas and I mean who doesn’t love koalas!?photo-4
  2. Get ready to be the most organised version of yourself. This starts even before the baby comes really thanks to nesting and good thing too. After they arrive, you can no longer wish time away. Productivity and efficiency is key – I haven’t mastered it yet and maybe I never will but Sophia has definitely kicked me into a better shape.
  3. Look forward to being the most positive you’ve ever been. They pick up on everything! Before Sophia, if things didn’t necessarily go as planned, I would wallow in my own self-pity. Now however, I find myself picking up, dusting off, being more positive and finding the silver lining in most clouds. And it feels good.
  4. Finally, despite being vomited on, pooed and weed on, woken up at some ungodly hour because its playtime according to Sophia, and not having had a break in 5 months, motherhood is still the most rewarding thing  I’ve ever done. 

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For after all, your eeny meeny tiny human is rather perfect and utterly worth it.

So mums to be and new mums like me…Breathe. It’ll be ok.

We got this x (plus baby giggles cure everything!)

A Love Letter

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Being my sole motivator and supporter, I felt it only apt that my first post be about him, so…

To my husband on your first birthday as a father x

Over 11 years, we have weathered many storms together and watched several rainbows appear following but I think it’s fair to say that this past year has been our most eventful.

And I’d do it all again, as long you are right where you are, beside me.

Becoming parents has been both the hardest and best thing we have ever done. Over these last few months, no one forgets to ask how I’ve been doing or how Sophia is or even how Oscar is! But not everyone remembers you, the Geneva to the international crisis behind our front door.

So this is my way of saying, I remember. And thank you, for all these things and more.

Dear S,

Happy birthday daddy!

A year ago today, I had just told you our big news! Procrastinating from revising for a fairly important exam, I found out something that would and has changed our lives forever. Our happy accident.

I was blessed with a pretty wonderful pregnancy and I’d go as far as saying I enjoyed it, hell I kinda miss my bump a little. Reflecting on this past year, I know I enjoyed it because of you.

So here lies a multitude of forgotten or ‘not said nearly enough times’ thank you’s x

When I was with bump:

Thank you for entertaining my promise to not fall asleep after starting a movie when the pregnancy tiredness was too much to go out.

Thank you for not being mad when I did anyway at 7 minutes in.

Thank you for taking over with feeding/walking/washing Oscar when I couldn’t stand the smell of him.

Thank you for letting me nag you with no complaint when my nesting monster reared her ugly head.

Thank you for helping me create a beautiful nursery and patiently putting up the wall decal despite my dictator-esque direction.

Thank you for all the foot rubs, bubble baths, delicious homemade meals, breakfasts in bed and constant fetching of my mislaid phone/charger/laptop/remote control.

Thank you for never judging my frequent need for an Oreo milkshake and making them at home for me.

Thank you for laughing with me as I danced with Oscar to Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake it off’ at some ridiculous hour of night, just because!

Thank you for holding me when all I wanted to do was cry. And I had no real reason.

Thank you for never doubting my ability to be a mother whenever I questioned it.

During labour….

Thank you for not making a fuss when I asked for my mother to be there when that wasn’t the original plan.

Thank you for trying to feed me and keep me hydrated and play our favourite music to keep me calm.

Thank you for not taking it personally when I told you how stupid it was to try playing a Kevin Hart movie while I was in the pool.

Thank you for encouraging me to use the gas and air. And knowing when to duck when I threw it back in your direction.

Thank you for allowing me to push and pull you when the pain was too much.

Thank you for asking for the wheelchair when the midwife thought I could walk down the corridor to the high risk room fully dilated and contracting.

Thank you for never leaving my side and for welcoming our daughter into the world with me.

Thank you for giving her the most impressive head of hair and longest eyelashes in the world ever.

Thank you for being so proud of me.

And now…

Thank you for staying up countless nights with us and helping me stay calm when Breastfeeding wasn’t going very well.

Thank you for taking those beautiful and precious newborn photos of our little girl.

Thank you for looking after Sophia in the mornings so that I can shower – and for letting me have ridiculously long ones (I now live for these).

Thank you for daddy, mummy, Sophia and Oscar walkies.

Thank you for pointing out subtly that my ‘things I will get done today’ lists are unrealistic.

Thank you for not saying ‘I told you so’ when I don’t even finish point one on said list.

Thank you for never saying no when I ask for your help even when you’re busy.

Thank you for always making me feel like I’m doing a good job. Especially when I’m not.

Thank you for pretending not to notice my unwashed hair or my unthreaded brows.

Thank you for making me feel beautiful despite the above.

Thank you for always smiling and for always making Sophia smile whenever she sees you.

Thank you for making this the most wonderful chapter in our story.

Thank you for being an amazing husband, a phenomenal father and my best friend.

Happy birthday. I love you more than I ever thought possible. Here’s to even more incredible memories x

Everloving x L

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