So long little kitty...

Sadly, the Jay household has lost one of our numbers this week. After a 3 week illness - which is still a total mystery to us all, despite numerous tests and overnight stays at the vet - our little cat Arthur had to be put to sleep on Friday. It was definitely for the best, but at only 2 years old he was still just a little kitty.

A very sweet little boy, with a miaow that could cut glass and make a sane person crazy, and he will be much missed. Most especially by Dexter (who loved to torture him) and Miss Isabelle (who loved to watch him).

Playing with the big boys (and girls!)

Isabelle is a very nosey girl; she is constantly watching other people to see what they are up to, and loves being in her sling because she gets a great view of the world around her. She especially loves being around other babies and children, and having a nosey at what they are up to. At Baby Sensory classes recently, I've noticed her paying less attention to the activities, and more attention to what everyone else is doing instead.

Even better if the children she is watching are older - that is her absolute favourite. She loves to watch them run around at super speed, in to everything, and playing with their big boy and big girl toys.

The gruesome twosome back in September

And the one person that my little loves to watch more than anyone, is that big boy she sees so much of - Master Jacob. She is totally fascinated by him, and loves nothing more than watching him zoom about, in to all his toys, and chatting about everything around him as he goes. And - when the mood strikes him - he loves to be around her just as much. Last week, he played a great game of peekaboo with her at the dinner table, and the other day held her hand to 'help her walk'. They are such a sweet little pair, and I just know how much she loves being with him.


Luckily, we are such a close family that she gets to see her buddy all the time, and I'm so thankful that she has a big cousin to learn from and, in years to come, play with and have a great relationship with. And, of course, there is little Isaac. While he's too young at the minute for her to be as intrigued by his antics, soon enough these three little people will be running around causing havoc and headaches to the rest of us!

Thanksgiving week: Sunday's thanks..

And finally, Sunday's thanks: no words can describe how unbelievably thankful I am for this pair...

(and for this ridiculous photo of Isabelle!)

Thanksgiving week: Thursday's thanks...

Thursday's thanks: today I am thankful for...

- family. I talk about my family a lot, but I am continually thankful for the close bond we share, and the love and support which is unconditional between all of us. It's so wonderful for Isabelle to get to grow up in a big, noisy, wonderful family who all adore her.

- the Internet, as it has allowed me to "meet" people who I wouldn't have had the chance to meet otherwise. For example, on Facebook I am part of several NI based groups for cloth nappies and baby wearing, and having the chance to share my parenting experience with local mums - both online and at our get togethers - is fantastic. I am also part of two "birth club" groups, through which I have been able to share my pregnancy and first few months of parenting with some amazing ladies, who offer unconditional support and kind words from around the world. Lots of people probably don't understand having online "friends", but these ladies are simply my friends who live too far away to get together, and I am so thankful to have them in my life.

Happy thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving week: Wednesday's thanks...

Wednesday's thanks: today I am thankful for...

- my iPhone. That may sound weird and materialistic, but the reason I am so thankful for it is the camera, which allows me to capture ever special, silly or strange moment of Isabelle's life. Almost all the pictures I live most of her have been taken on an iPhone, and it's so wonderful to always have a camera with me to snap that little face whenever she does something particularly fantastic.

-  Isabelle's relationship with her great granny. I've mentioned my granny before, and how much she adores Isabelle, but each week when we visit I continue to be struck by how much joy my little lady brings to my granny. Isabelle is always so pleased to see her great granny, and is always in such a good mood when we visit that it's clear the feeling of love between this pair is mutual.

What are you thankful for today? 

Thanksgiving week: Tuesday's thanks...

Tuesdays thanks: today I am thankful for...

- Simon being self employed, so he can take weekdays (or any day we want) off and we can spend time as a family. 

- my education: today it allowed me to help my 11year old cousin with polygon angles. My excellent primary, secondary and tertiary education are one of the things I value most, and they have led me to the place I am today

- having "enough" money: we certainly are not 'well off' but we have enough money to mean that, today for example, we can go to the Christmas market and enjoy ourselves without having to worry about how ridiculously over priced everything is. I read so much about how people have terrible money worries, and how families must account for every penny, and I thank god that - for now - that is not us

What are you thankful for today?

Thanksgiving week: Monday's thanks...

Since this week sees the USA celebrate Thanksgiving, I thought I would take the chance to post each day about some things I am thankful for that day, just to give myself a chance to reflect on how lucky I am.

Monday's thanks: today I am thankful for...

- my breastfeeding group as it has given me the chance to meet so many wonderful like minded ladies, and make new friends who I never would have met otherwise. Going along each week for a cup of tea and a chat is great, and Isabelle and I really love our Monday morning outings

- having two beautiful, healthy nephews who (along with Isabelle of course!) bring so much joy to their family, and who are so wonderfully special

- FaceTime, as it allows Simon's mum and dad to chat to us each week, and to get to see Isabelle even though they are so far away. It makes being apart from them that little bit easier

Isabelle's baby cousin...

Our family grew by one person yesterday as Isabelle welcomed her baby cousin into the world!

My sister-in-law telling us she was pregnant in March didn't come as any real surprise as we all knew that there would be more babies before long! As soon as I saw the front of Jacob's "Shhh! I've got a secret..." t-shirt I just KNEW the back would say "I'm going to be a big brother!"- I just had a feeling that Helen had been a little off for a few weeks.

After suffering from horrible morning sickness and an awkward breech baby, little Isaac arrived safe and sound yesterday!

He looks just like his big brother did when he was first born, and when Isabelle and I went to visit him today, I just couldn't believe how SMALL he was! I know it's only a few months since Isabelle was as tiny as that, but I just can't remember her being that little teeny bundle.

Isaac is, of course, just gorgeous, and I could have just bitten a chunk of his cuteness right off!! I can't wait to get to know him, and find out if he is going to be a loveable, silly, outdoorsy, chatty boy like his brother, or if he will be completely different. I think he is going to be a really chilled out boy, and bring a moment of calm to our totally crazy family!

Whoever he turns out to be, one thing is sure - his has a huge family to love him. From his cousin, to his brother, aunties, uncles, grannies and granddads/grandpas, he is one very lucky boy.

No photos of the little one to share as yet - but I'm sure there will be MANY to come in the next few months! Instead, here is a picture of my own little lady when she was the same age Isaac is now - just one day old! 2

Splish, splash, baby swim lessons

I am not a great swimmer at all. I like a bit of a splash around on holiday, but nothing more serious than that. However, I have fond memories of my dad taking me swimming at our local pool every Sunday, and both Simon and I think that swimming is a really lovely family activity to do. We also want Isabelle to be confident in the water from an early age, both to enjoy swimming and to be safe in and around water.

With that in mind, we started taking her swimming when she was almost 3 months old. There are loads of swim schools in our local area but, at £14 for a half hour lesson - £140 in total for the 'term' - we decided we would just take her to our local pool ourselves.

Very worried about it being cold, we ordered Isabelle a Splash About Warm In One, which is a fleecy lined wetsuit, so she would be nice and toasty in any pool. The first time we went I was very nervous, but we assumed that she would love it as she really enjoyed splashing about in her bath. Instead, she gave us the most non-chalent face she could muster for half an hour, and couldn't have looked less bothered about the whole affair! But, since she wasn't screaming, we chalked it up to a success and decided we would continue to take her each week - or as much as we could at least. At at just £7.30 for  us to go to our local pool, it was certainly much cheaper than the lessons!

However, a few weeks later I saw a great deal on LivingSocial for 8 swim lessons with a local swim school for just £40. Since that is even cheaper than it would be at our local pool, we decided to snap that offer up, and I'm really glad we did!

Yesterday was our last lesson and I have to say, the lessons were super. We hadn't quite managed to 'dunk' Izzy ourselves, but of course this was something the classes focused on. The main idea of the lessons is to teach small babies what to do if they should fall into the water, and all activities focused on teaching them to float on their back, be confident under water, and move to the edge and grab the bar to stay safe.

Izzy was the youngest in the class, but she did a great job every week. She wasn't worried about being dunked, and generally enjoyed splashing about, singing the songs, having a look at the other babies and playing with all the new toys. I think Simon and I both benefitted from learning a bit more about how to help her become confident in water, and we both know that we need to continue dunking her under and teaching her how to float if we want her to remember the skills she has learnt. So, overall, the lessons were a success. I have to say that we were both really surprised that, after the first week, Simon and I were the only parents who both went into the water with their baby - everyone else had one parent in and one on the side. But, for us, swimming is a family activity, and we want Isabelle to be safe and happy with both of us in the pool.

I think we will maybe take a break from swimming next week, giving us a chance to do something else on a Sunday afternoon, and will maybe only go once every few weeks from now on. But we will continue to take her swimming as often as we can, and help her build up her confidence and skill in the water so she is a little water baby in no time!

After a quick dunking! 

(Simon took the photos one week when he was sick and couldn't join us in the pool.)

The joy a baby girl can bring

I've always made a big effort to visit my granny as much as I can. When I was little, I went to her house after school, and as I have gotten older, I have tried to visit as much as I can. While I was working full time it was more difficult, but I knew when I was off and Isabelle arrived I would try to visit her each week.

My granny was beyond delighted when Isabelle - her 5th great-grandchild - appeared as a girl, after having 5 grandsons/great-grandsons born in 5 years. Throughout my pregnancy, she told me she was praying for a girl, and she must hold some weight with The Big Man, as her prayers were answered!

Since Izzy arrived, we have visited her (almost!) each week, and her delight at watching Isabelle grow, and at getting to spend time with her, is so clear every time we see her. She simply adores Isabelle, and Izzy is always so content to simply sit with her, nice and quietly, giving her great-granny a nice cuddle. Everything Izzy does, my granny thinks is simply the most marvellous thing, and it's so lovely for me to get to watch them together and see the joy Izzy brings to her.

On Tuesday when we visited, the sun was shining so I suggested we go for a short walk around the park. Since a fall last year, when she broke her hip, Granny hasn't been able to get out and about much, and I know she sometimes feels very trapped in the house. So she jumped at the chance, and we enjoyed a lovely little walk round the park, before Isabelle had a push on the swing.

The pair of them are like two peas in a pod- Izzy was more interested in looking all round her than the actual swinging, and my granny was more interested in looking all round her than watching Izzy! Then, when we got home, they both conked out! (And no joke, I actually thought my granny had died as she fells I deeply asleep!)

She later told my mum it was the best day she has had in a long time, and it made me so happy to hear that something we had done with her, something as simple as a walk round the park, had pleased her so much. Granny is 84, so the likelihood is that Isabelle won't know her for long, but I love knowing that at the minute, while she is still with us, Izzy and I can bring so much joy to her great-granny.

Enjoying a push on the swing

Two Days of Two under Two

You may have read my post last week about looking after my nephew as he began his potty training. Well, as I mentioned, after looking after him one day that week, last week, I was charged with looking after Jacob for two days (so I must have done an OK job the first time round!). And so life with 2 under 2 began... (Technically, Jacob is 2 and a quarter, so two under two isn't quite right, but it's not far wrong!)

On Thursday, Jacob arrived at 8am at my house, not long after Isabelle and I had gotten up. Luckily, as I mentioned last week, Jacob is a very good boy, and he and Isabelle seem to amuse one another pretty well. Unfortunately, this day, Jacob was not in his finest form. Since he is half made up of genes from my family, this is NOT a good thing! A moody Gray is not something to be reckoned with - and a moody toddler Gray is even worse! To add insult to injury, the weather was not great, which meant we couldn't do much outside as we almost got blown away when we tried.

That said, the day didn't go too badly overall. In the morning, Jacob helped me get Isabelle washed and dressed, and helped me change her nappy - getting in lots of practise for when his new sibling arrives in just a few weeks! He loved using the wipes to help me 'clean' Isabelle's bottom, and was convinced he could see poo everywhere, so spent more time dabbing at her feet than anything! They had lots of cuddles throughout the day, and other than that, Jacob spent some time reading through a toy magazine (coveting the 'Scooby Dooby Doo' toys).

Before lunchtime, I decided to relocate to my parents' house for a change of scenery for us all, and unbelievably BOTH babies fell asleep in the car on the way there. This meant I managed to get a nice quiet cup of tea in, before Miss Isabelle was awake again. Jacob slept for an hour and a half (almost a miracle in his case!) and the only massive mishap of the day accompanied this. Since it's only a 7 minutes journey from my house to my parents, I didn't put any pull ups on him. So he was in pants. Imagine how soaked the poor boy was when he woke up from that nap! And imagine his car seat...!

At lunchtime, I became more glad than ever to be a baby wearer, as Isabelle decided Jacob's lunchtime was her nap time, so in an attempt to manhandle two grumpy bums, I had her in her wrap (asleep soundly) and him at the table munching on toast and Bob the Builder spaghetti. This was followed by him demanding I push him up and down the driveway in his buggy - which would have been impossible if I didn't have Isabelle snugly wrapped on my front, giving me both hands free.

Some more cuddles later, and a bit of shouting which upset Jacob so much that it was the first thing he told his mummy on her return home, and the day was over without any MAJOR incidents.

So, despite Jacob's bad mood, and the awful weather, we all survived. I was glad that Simon had the next day off to help out though, especially as Uncle Simon is considered much more fun and interesting than strict auntie Sawah! While Izzy and I went to Baby Sensory, the boys went blackberry picking, before we all had lunch and took the dogs for a walk.

Here's my favourite picture from the two days - it captures the love these two little cousins already have for each other, and the fondness they can show one another when the mood strikes them both. And it makes me sure than when he becomes a big brother, Master Jacob will do the most marvellous job.

Celebrating daddy's birthday

Yesterday, Isabelle and I helped Simon celebrate his 27th birthday, and his first since becoming a daddy. We always try to make our birthday a day for family anyway, so this year it was extra special having Isabelle join in our celebration. Simon took the day off work and, after a totally hectic few weeks, we just enjoyed the chance to spend some quality time together and relax as our little family.

I got the chance to use some of my new buttons and put my Pinterest pins to use when I (with Izzy's help of course!) made Simon's birthday cards, and I used another Pinterest idea when wrapping his gifts. His main gifts were some tickets to Russell Howard's tour next month, and the new Lightroom upgrade for his photography, then a few little bits and bob.

My handmade cards

Pinterest wrapping idea

We made pancakes for breakfast, got ready, and took all 4 dogs to the beach for a walk and a little picnic. Nothing major, nothing over the top (we're talking sandwiches and Lucozade, not champagne and strawberries!) but we enjoyed spending the day together. Isabelle was a little grumpy during her first beach outing - maybe something to do with the dogs constantly shaking on us?! It wasn't the nicest weather, but we wrapped up warm with Izzy in her sling, and at least it didn't rain! Back at home, I made Simon steak for tea, before we Skyped his parents and then watched the Great British Bake Off. We are very rock 'n' roll!

Not 100% sure of the beach at this point

Throwing the ball for the doggies

And this is possibly my new favourite photo of Isabelle...THAT FACE!! Totally ridiculous! She was loving the beach and daddy's birthday at this point! Those little chubby cheeks...

A lovely family day, and a chance to relax together before more madness this weekend as we host Isabelle's baptism - stay tuned for some pictures next week.

People making me a better mummy

A lot of the time I feel a bit like a one woman band.
I think it comes from the fact that Isabelle refuses to take a bottle, so I can't leave her with anyone else for more than an hour or two at a time (not that I would have it any other way! I miss her too much!). Of course, Simon has to work, so because it's Isabelle and I together all day, I often feel like I am responsible for everything concerning Isabelle, and that can be difficult, and a little tiring if I'm honest. Of course I get unlimited help from my family, but it's often the mental responsibility that I find hardest. However, I realised that if it weren't for the people below, I would be totally lost, and in fact I am unbelievably lucky to have such a great group of people to help make a better mummy, and help make my life so much easier - practically AND emotionally.

Source

* My sister in law*

I don't know whether it's because she's a mummy to a little man herself, or if it would be this way anyway, I suspect the latter, but she gives me so much advice and help that I'd be pretty lost without her. Silly little things during pregnancy, and now during our first few months, that I wouldn't have known without her have all helped me make the decisions which are helping me build Isabelle into the person that she is. She is always there when I need her, and her constant support and love for both Isabelle has been overwhelming and helped me out so much. I can't wait until her next little arrives so she is off work again! 

* My mum *

I think your own mum is probably the most influential person when you become a mummy yourself that  she is a no brainer on this list. Yes, she can be a bit of a pain in the bum sometimes, but overall she knows more about raising babies than I ever will and so many of my ideals about how I want to raise my family come from how we were raised. She has been an invaluable source of support and love throughout Izzy's little life, and I know she will be for evermore.

* My mother in law * 

I've mentioned before that Simon's family live in England, but that doesn't stop Simon's mum being a wonderful influence on my parenting. More than anything, she has been ever supportive of everything I have done with Isabelle, and some of the kindest words I've received about being a mummy have come from her. The confidence boosts she unwittingly gives me make me feel like super mum, which in turn help me become more sure of my decisions affecting Izzy.

* My sister* 

My sister doesn't have any babies of her own, but I think that's why she is so helpful to me. She makes me feel like a parenting genius (not because she doesn't know anything, I hasten to add!) which again gives me so much confidence in my parenting abilities. She is always there for me when I need her, and knowing that she would drop everything to help me out if I was in a parenting pickle means I can relax and I know I have all her expertise and knowledge at my fingertips, even at 3am (although I'm sure she'd prefer it was at a more sociable hour!)

* My dad*

My dad is responsible for one of the kindest things I have heard about my parenting so far - and I heard it second hand from my mum. He told her how proud he was of how well Isabelle had grown, and how great it was that I had done that all by myself. Giving me a confidence boost in my breastfeeding 'ability', and hearing how proud he was of me made me feel 100ft tall!

* Simon *

Of course, it goes without saying that I wouldn't be half the mummy I am without Simon's unwavering love and support for both Isabelle and I. 

So, in reality, I'm a lot more like a symphony than a one woman band - and all thanks to my amazing family! Aren't Isabelle and I lucky to have such a great team behind us? (And let's not forget my father in law, brother and brother in law who are all pretty amazing too!)

Source

Who is it helping you become the parent, or person, that you are?

5 things I hope Izzy DOES inherit from me...

After my "5 things I hope Isabelle doesn't inherit from me" post, someone remarked that there must be some good qualities I have that I hope she does get. So after a little think, here's what I came up with...

1) My dedication to family

2) My love of children and animals

3) My love of reading
4) My hair (she seems pretty set for that one!)
5) My myriad of unusual laughing styles

And while we're at it, 5 things I hope she inherits from Simon...

1) His gentle nature
2) His musical ability
3) His artistic talents
4) His calmness in every situation
5) His love of the outdoors

Hopefully, she'll get the perfect mix of all our best bits. Either that, or she'll get all our worst bits.....

The Story of Us

Since my blog focuses on being a mummy, and my life with my family, I thought I would give a quick guided tour of the Jay family history - how Simon and I met, and how we ended up where we are.

Incidentally, how/when we met is actually a topic which has never been resolved. One thing IS certain, we both studied Physical Geography at Lancaster University, and we were in the same year. This is where the stories diverge...

Simon's goes that we were in the same tutorial group in first year for another subject, and we spoke then.

My version is that, while I had potentially seen Simon... but I certainly hadn't ever spoken to him before  the middle of second year.

Christmas Ball after 2 months together

In any event, at the end of second year we started to 'date', having gotten to know one another while studying (or should that be 'studying'?!) for our exams, and things started off brilliantly. To throw a spanner in the works, I am from Northern Ireland while he is from England. To throw a chainsaw in there, I was spending summer 2007 at summer camp in the USA, followed by a family holiday in Mauritius. When we returned to uni in October 2007 for our final year, we picked up where we had left off, and spent that year together. Realising pretty early on that this was quite a serious thing, I lined up a job as a nanny in his native Norfolk for when we graduated in 2008, and we planned to go travelling after my sister's wedding in May 2009. The plan was for me to work in Norfolk until around March, but by Christmas I was too homesick and had to leave early. That left 4.5 months of living in different countries. We made a monthly trip to see one another and, before we knew it, we were on a round the world trip together.

In Sydney after 1.5 years together

When we arrived home, I started a PGCE, and Simon made the pretty amazing decision to uproot his whole life and move to live with me in NI. Obviously, at this point, we knew that we were heading for marriage and both knew we wanted a family, but we just weren't quite ready. Moving into 2010, I began to think more seriously about it all, and we discussed that by the end of that year, we would be engaged. Imagine my surprise when midway through the year, on holiday in Cornwall, he pulled out a beautiful ring! That kick started the busiest year of our lives - I started a new job, he took on our business, and we found and bought a house, all while planning a wedding!

22/07/2011 - married after almost 3 years together

We moved into our home in March 2011, and got married in July 2011. Then, it was baby time! Starting our family didn't come as easily as everything else had done, but we were delighted in January 2012 to find out I was pregnant! Unfortunately, our wonderful little baby wasn't meant to be with us, and it took us both quite a while to recover from our loss. We knew we still wanted a baby more than anything and in July 2012 we were blessed enough to fall pregnant again with our beautiful little lady. 

10/04/2013 - Our family is completed after 5.5 years together 

She joined us on April 10th, 2013 and since then, our little family has been happily muddling along, finding our way together. Hopefully, someday in the future, I'll be able to come back and amend this post to include the birth of our second baby. And third....and maybe even a fourth?!