Snowdrops and Spring!

Darling little girl, we have already had 2 very busy days this week, and it is only Tuesday! Yesterday we went to the Argory with T&L, F&C and L&C to do the Snowdrop Walk. It was absolutely beautiful, even if I did spend a lot of time sprinting after you as you decided to make your way off in the direction of the stream, or the steps, or the kitten in the tree, or the big bush. Everything is a new challenge, and you are growing into a worryingly fearless little person. When you were smaller if I was having difficulty getting you to move, or leave something alone in a shop, if I announced 'OK, Mummy is leaving now...' and pretended to turn for home you would very quickly have a rethink and hurry alongside me again. Now, you don't even look over your shoulder to see whether I meant it - beware the Mummy who Cries Wolf too many times and the little person who calls her bluff at 23 months!!

Today we had Jo Jingles and a trip up to Carrick to see Nanna and Granda - they are coming to mind you tomorrow while we go to the hospital for our 20 week scan, to see your little brother or sister. We will bring you back a little photo for you. When asked where your baby is, you will tell people 'In Mamma's tummy' and then you add 'keep baby warm.' I can't believe that this time 2 years ago I was 5 days from my due date with you (and 21 days away from you actually arriving!)

And then I blinked and you were suddenly my big girl out for a walk in spring with the snowdrops!

Long time no post Mama!!

It has been a very long time since I last posted. I confess that this post is driven out of embaressment, having visited the blog of a friend and realised that I have let things on my blog slide shamefully!

So much has happened since my last post that I am not sure where on earth to fill in, so I will make this short and sweet and limit myself to 5 things to get me going again and break me in gently.

1. My little girl has been poorly over the last few days, and is now starting to come around today and be a wee bit more like herself - it has taken a lot of milk, cuddles, and watching cartoons on the sitting room floor in her new 'holiday bed.'2. I have finally started to write properly after all my procrastinating and dithering. Whether what comes out in the wash is any good or not is bye-the-bye, I have at least started.

3. I have had a really wonderful end to 2009 and start to 2010 - life feels good, friends feel close (even those who are so very far away - Sara, Lisa, Lois, Becky, Elena....) and worries have been thankfully absent or manageable. We have had very little sickness this winter, and even the snowy weather we had came and went relatively quickly - just lasting long enough for Toots to get out into the garden in her wellies!

4. We will soon have to change the name of this blog to 'Toddler Kay and her new little Baby Kay.' Due to join us at the end of July is another Special K (DV...)
5. It is nice to be back x

See you soon x

We are going to miss you for the next two weeks Daddy. Be safe and never forget how much we love you, and how glad we will be to have have you home with us again.

Keeping busy

Darling Kay - this has been a fairly hectic few weeks. It seems that winter has arrived in earnest and the rest of 2009 is slipping away faster than I can fill our days. You are getting taller by the day, and your vocabulary is developing at a scary rate. You can count from 1-6, you can complete your Melissa and Doug alphabet jigsaw that Nanna and Granda brought you back from holiday, and you now repeat almost everything that is said to you. Your words are getting clearer too - so it is not just Mummy who understands you while other people think she is mad!!

You brush your own teeth now, drink your milk from a 'big girl cup' (sometimes, other times you tip it over the side of your high chair!), and as we have discovered you can also open the front door yourself and go for a wee walk up the street. We have had to start turning the lock in the door now, but I would think it won't be long until you work out how to unlock it too!

We have our Jo Jingles on Tuesdays and toddler group on Wednesday - both of which you love. We still try to see L&I at least once a week, and you are getting much more confident about being around people you don't know and mixing with other children. You even made your first craft at toddler group - a 'No-mah' (snowman) from cardboard and cottonpuffs!

We have had Nanna and Granda back from Texas for a few weeks now which is lovely. We are going to go up there this week to stay with them for a few days while Daddy is over in DesMoines. Nanna is going to look after you so that I can slip up to Belfast and do some Christmas shopping. When you come along everything takes much longer because you are determined to touch every single thing we walk past. You don't pull them, or try to lift things you aren't supposed to, you just want to touch them to see what they feel like - which is lovely if we aren't pushed for time, but you get royally ticked off if you are hurried along to someone else's agenda!


This weekend you helped me with the crossword in The Times - you were going for the freehand approach and not bothering too much with the clues or getting the letters in the boxes but it made for an interesting afternoon!

Things you love to do!

Darling Kay - Daddy is in the air as I type this, on his way home from London. You are in bed, fast asleep after a busy day of playing, walking and generally expanding your little world and mind! I am sitting here with my feet up, with a cup of tea waiting on Daddy and looking forward to our weekend ahead together. This is his last trip for a few weeks so we will be thoroughly spoiled having him here!!

Your latest favourite thing to do, wee love, is play with my make-up bag. I don't have much in the way of make-up, and don't use it every day (although I am endeavouring to make more of an effort with it and stop looking like a slummy Mummy!!) but you are fascinated by the little pots and brushes and will happily unpack them, put them in the bag, take them out again, roll them around and generally make sure that you have researched every possibility of mischief with them!! Who would have thought such little make-up would stretch so far!!
There are so many other simple things that give you so much pleasure:-

• Dropping little stones that you find outside down the gratings;
• Cheese on toast for lunch, with little cherry tomatoes and cucumber sticks;
• Doing the actions for 'jelly-on-a-plate' while I sing it when you are having your dinner;
• Putting on Mummy's handcream - you are costing me a small fortune in Molton Brown, but you have the most moisturised hands in the land!
• Going round pointing at things and saying 'Am-mah's.....', like 'Am-mah's hat' or 'Am-mah's shoes' when you see something that is yours. In fact it doesn't even have to belong to you, if you like it then it becomes 'Am-mah's!'

The list is endless, and changes everyday, but you are a joy to be with because you fill our lives with love and happiness by giving us the chance to share your wonder and love of life x x

A hint.....

......that Mummy isn't sweeping up as often as someone else thinks she should be!!

Beach, and hats, and stones and coffee!!

Darling Kay, we have had the most lovely weekend together with Daddy! We had lots of rushing about to do on Saturday - we had to pick up the tickets for Daddy's trip to DeMoines in November, and then off to M&S for some lunch and some grocery shopping. The weather was great all weekend - very bright and fresh and dry (for a change!) and you loved being out and about, walking around, getting carried by Daddy, going in the trolley, and just generally taking in the world about you!

On Sunday morning we got up and ready and headed off to Newcastle for the morning. It was another gorgeous, bright day, and we had you all wrapped up in your lovely red coat and warm, fleecy hat! The last day we went to Newcastle was on your first birthday, 6 months ago. That day you were in your pram and quite happy to sit and soak it all in - now you needed to be up and about and moving under your own steam!! We walked along the front, and you picked a wee daisy which you carried about with you, until you discovered some pretty stones on the beach which you decided you would rather have! We have brought 2 home with us for your keepsake box so you can see them when you are bigger and we can remind you of this wonderful day.

Eventually it was too breezy for walking, so we slipped into a wee cafe for some coffee and buns to warm us all up. You were absolutely pooped from all the fresh air and walking, and you were asleep within 10 minutes of getting back into the car. Daddy took some great photos of you this weekend, and it takes my breath away how grown up you are getting! Next time we head to the beach I am pretty sure we will have to bring a change of clothes, because you were showing plenty of interest in the pools and puddles, and very soon you'll be dipping a toe in whether we'd like you to or not I suspect!!

Welcome Home, Daddy!!

Darling Kay, tonight Daddy came home from Poland and you were so happy to see him! While I finished making the dinner you and he managed a quick stroll around to the park to play on the swings and pick up some stones and leaves along the way! You have had such a tiring day today - lots of playing at home, and walking to and from the Post Office, so it's no surprise that you were asleep within 2 minutes of Daddy feeding you and settling you in your cot with Moo. Now it's only one more day until the weekend, and we will all be spending the whole time together - bliss!

All growed up....

Darling Kay, every day it gets harder to get a photo of you which captures who you are right now and what you are doing. As soon as the camera appears you drop whatever it is you are involved in and make a breakneck speed dash to get the camera. As far as you are concerned it looks like the World's Best Toy, even better than Mummy's phone (which you used yesterday to call my dear old colleague Adrienne in Lincoln, Nebraska!) or the remote control (the real one, not the old one we took the batteries out of and which failed to amuse you!)

But every so often something catches your attention and I can get a snap of you which sums up what you are like around the house (apart from the all action shots when you are dashing towards the camera and which come out in a fuzzy blur!)

Today I had to call Nanny and Granda in Tennesse, where they have gone for a few days to celebrate Granda's 65th birthday (at the Grand Old Opry no less!) and while I was doing that you managed to grab the landline phone. I am not sure whether you were trying to work out if it was a remote control, or a mobile, or something in between (since you seldom see us use it!) but it captured your attention for long enough for me to get this wee picture of you. This is how you stand up against the sofa when something on the TV catched your eye, or when you sidle up to someone and look up longingly and say 'Up-pah!', or when you lean against my leg when we are out and someone kneels down to talk to you, and you are trying to decide whether you are going to smile at them or not!!

For those wonderful people who leave such lovely comments about you, this is the little girl that you will see when you make the trip over the pond to Northern Ireland to see us! And for those of you who keep us in your prayers - you know who you are, and you know why - my humble and most sincere thanks and appreciation to you all.

New additions....

Darling Kay, over the last few days there have been several new additions in the house - namely the stair gates at the bottom and top of the stairs, and a new bright pink potty! The stair gates have baffled you - but they do the job! The potty has been a big hit! We are getting you used to seeing it and sitting on it before the real work begins - even though you seem a little bewildered about the fuss! We leave it in the downstairs loo, but you have taken to going and getting it and carrying it about - Daddy took this photo of you sitting in front of the TV on it - a very serious business as you can see!!

En vacanes!

Darling Kay - last night Nanny and Granda looked after you so that Mummy and Daddy could go to Belfast for the evening. Daddy had been given an invitation to the preview evening of the RUAS exhibition, and when we were offered a baby-sitting service for the evening we decided to go for it! It was a lovely evening, and you were a darling for Nanny - you took all your bedtime milk and went down to sleep just as easily as if it had been me or Daddy tucking you in for the evening. You were very excited this morning when you got up and they were still here, especially since it meant you could spend most of the morning out in the garden with Granda!

While Nanny was here she dropped off some photos that were taken last month when we were all away for the weekend in Abersoch. There are some amazing ones of the family, but this one is my favourite - you, Nanny and Baby M - all cosied up in an armchair together ready to head off to PortMerrion for the day! This photo really makes me smile, because it is exactly the wee natural smile you do when you are NOT posing for photos, instead of your photo-cheesy grin face!
Baby M will be 1 year old next month, which seems so hard to believe! I remember when Auntie C came to see you after you were born and told me she was expecting - it only seems like a blink ago! We can't wait til Christmas when they are coming back to spend it here this year at Nanny's house - so hopefully we will get lots more pictures of us all together!

New Best Friend....

Darling Kay, every day I look at you you seem to be a little older, a little bigger, and a little more independent. You are chattering away, toddling about and trying to climb the stairs. You can open the doors now and regularly disappear up the hall towards the front door, which you just can't quite reach... yet! You totter off to the laundry room, where you will load up the washing machine or the tumble drier with the dirty clothes from the basket, and happily push buttons and turn knobs until you are spotted and carried away. Usually protesting!

We have also bought you your own little pair of sunglasses which make you look very sweet but a little too grown up for my liking, as you have re-discovered your fascination with people's glasses (including Mummy and Daddy's!) and in an attempt to de-mystify them we got you a pair for yourself. You were interested in grabbing glasses when you were very tiny, but seemed to grow out of it. When you got your Mr Potato Head (with his own removable glasses!) it rekindled your interest, and you started carrying them about and offering them to people to try on themselves. And then getting very agitated when people weren't as generous at letting you try their glasses on yourself, or Mr Potato Head for that matter!!

Every day you learn more words and ideas. You can say 'shoes' and 'arrow' as plainly as a grown up, and regularly have little conversations with yourself and whoever you are with. You know what noises all your little farm animals make, and even recognise some of your letters - A for Ah-mah, M for Mama, Sssss for S, and you make a loud smacking noise with your mouth for kiss when you see the letter X. You new word is Cap-pah-pah - which is what you call your new best friend. Nanna saw him when we were out for lunch on Friday, and when she showed you what she had found your face lit up and you showered him with hugs and kisses in the shop.

You couldn't quite believe that your favourite friend from your books was right there in the shop. There was no question of not bringing him home with us, so now you have your very own Hungry Caterpillar, or Cap-pah-pah - who you carry around cuddled up to you face and pet him and pat him like he was a real little animal. Hopefully he will do you for a very long time before you decide you want a real little pet!! When we read the story now you wave him about frantically every time we read 'but he was still hungry!' and then go back to tucking him under your chin for a cuddle. Just as well Moo is not the jealous type or He might be having his nose pushed out of joint at the moment!

Tomorrow after Jo Jingles we are heading up to Carrick to see Nanna and Granda - and leave Granda's birthday present for him - some US dollars and a guide book for Texas! This time next week they will both be in Nashville at the Grand Old Opry for his 65th birthday, and then on to Texas for a 4 week road trip! It will be funny for you to not see them for such a long time, but at least you have your cap-pah-pah to take your mind of it!

For Lisa x

A little photo of Baby Kay taken last week, modelling the lovely bolero cardigan her Auntie C knitted for her. Just to confirm that I am still alive and will get back to blogging properly this week!

Here comes the weekend!!!

My darling daughter, today we have had a busy day out and about. We went up to say goodbye to T&G and their gorgeous boys. It was sad to see them off for the last time, but they made me promise that we will come to Baltimore soon to see them. G wants to take Daddy to play golf at Rendition - and Mummy just wants to spend some time with T and her babies!! We had some of G's birthday cake from yesterday, and you were able to play with S&L and also Benjy the dog! Mummy also had to spend a lot of time reminding you that ornaments were not for babies!!! While they were here both S&L got their first tooth - and as if you were out in sympathy we spotted tooth #16 this morning too!! It definitely explains why Mummy had to get up 3 times the night before last and twice last night, because you were not a happy bunny!

To cheer ourselves up after saying goodbye we went to meet Nanny and Granda at M&S for lunch. We had some lovely tapas together, and then when Nanny saw you eyeing up a little set of farm animals she decided that you had to have them, together with a little red barn to keep them in. She assures me that it is a Nanny's prerogative to spoil her grand-daughter!! You are delighted with the little set, especially since the little chicken inside the barn makes a 'cock-a-doodle doo' noise, just like Granda Billy's cockrel!!

And Mummy was spoiled today too - by lovely T - who gave me a going away present - a gorgeous bag which just about sums me up. I am so touched and pleased with it, and will definitely be using it. It is so thoughtful when someone you know and love manages to show you that they know you even better than you know yourself! I just can't decide which is my favourite side!!

Friends from afar!

Darling Baby Kay, this week we have been lucky to be able to spend some time with our wonderful friends T&G - who have come home from Baltimore for a few days to show off their gorgeous little twin boys - S&L. They are just the most adorable little boys going - they are non-identical twins, and very different, in looks and personality! Little S got his first tooth this week here in Northern Ireland - and they have coped very well with all the different faces and voices.

Daddy and G played golf on Sunday, and T and I had a great afternoon with the 3 of you. You were very taken with the babies and were doing a lot of patting and 'kind hands' on their heads and faces (this is what we tell you to remind you to not be rough when you are touching people's faces and getting over-enthusiastic!!) Yesterday we met G and the boys for a coffee at M&S while T did some shopping, and tomorrow we are heading up to see them before they head back to the US. It has been fabulous having them so close by - it reminds me how much I miss them and how great it would be if we lived closer.

You are still walking very happily and gaining confidence every day - you spend almost every waking moment toddling about, fetching things back and forward, moving things around, and then moving them right back again! You have been a bit unsettled the last few nights in bed, and we think that maybe you have another tooth on the way. You are also becoming more attached to your 'babies' - 2 or 3 little dolls that you have - over your other toys. You make them walk along, and clap hands, and kiss one another, and occasionally cuddle them in to yourself and kiss them. It is the sweetest thing I have ever seen you do my darling. Every day you grow a little bigger and a little more like a wee girl - and we love you more and more x

Who needs Kerry Katona.... Auntie Linda's gone to Iceland!!!

Darling Baby Kay - you got mail this week!! Mail from the most wonderful lady who I hope you get to meet before you get too much bigger. The mail was a gorgeous pastel, fleecy hat, with 'Iceland' and a little row of snowflakes embroidered in beautiful silver writing on the front. It was bought for you by an amazing lady - who has been in my life for a very, very long time, and now she is a part of your life too.

My 'Auntie Linda' was actually the girlfriend of one of your Nanna's brothers - at least 30 years ago! I was only about 7 or 8, but she made me and your Uncle Ricky feel so special. She used to babysit for us, and do treasure hunts around the house; she sent us a set of the Royal Stamps issued for the marriage of Lady Diana and Prince Charles; she even brought me a Spanish Barbie doll back from her holidays. And Baby Kay, I still have the stamps and the Barbie which will be coming to you when you are bigger.

Auntie Linda moved away, married a gorgeous man and had the most wonderful babies. One of her babies is just about to go to university after getting fantastic A level grades! We managed to find each other a few years ago via the Internet and it was like nothing had ever changed! She is the most lovely lady, so beautiful and kind, with the most amazing heart and soul - and I can't wait for her to see you, so she can be your Auntie Linda too. When they were away on their holiday to Iceland a few weeks ago these fabulous people were thinking of you all those miles away - and then the little hat arrived for you.

Auntie Linda - thank you for everything - we are blessed to have you in our lives x

Birdy, birdy.....

Now I am big enough to feed Granda Billy's hens myself!!

Would I be a little rascal??

I have 2 more teeth coming through.....

I think that 5.00am is a perfect time to waken up in the morning......

I think it is just fine to only want to eat salmon and broccoli pasta (pah-tah) for every meal.....

I reckon that the only kind of fun is the kind that involves Mummy walking around holding my hand....

I can't wait to have my Daddy home tomorrow! Me and Mummy have missed him so much x x

Buttercup!

Darling Baby Kay - we have had a busy day today, with shopping to do, and parcels to wrap for Daddy while he is away! You are going to bed these evenings absolutely exhausted, which means that you are asleep almost before I get back downstairs, but because we are still getting lovely bright summer mornings you are wide awake very early! Thankfully you will sing and play with the dollies in your cot until you drop back over and we don't have to get up until after 6.30.

We have been out in the garden for much of this afternoon because it is dry. You spend your time trying to spot dried leaves to stomp on, to hear the cracking - and also spotting buttercups (because we haven't cut the lawn for 10 days!!) which have to be picked for you and you carry them about all squashed up in your hand in case you lose them! Everything is so interesting, especially things that I would walk right past and not notice, but they don't escape your eagle eye!

Sweet dreams little darling - only 3 more sleeps til Daddy gets home x

Ducks and more

Darling Baby Kay, it has been a very busy few weeks here in County Armagh. Daddy has been away almost continually with work, and is now away in Galway until Saturday. Mummy has gotten herself a little behind in almost every aspect of life this last month, and your blog is one of those things. I will try to summarise for you what we have been doing over the last few weeks so that I can get back into the swing of your regular updates.

1) You are now officially walking - you are also doing a lot of falling over, and a lot of dramatic crying and shouting until you are picked up, but you can now walk, turn corners and turn around by yourself.
2) You are now up to 13 teeth, with #14 sitting there like a little pearl waiting to appear too.
3) You are adding to your words every day - you can say apple (ah-paw), and ganna (grandad) among other things.
4) We spent this weekend up in Carrick with Nanny and Grandad which meant you got lots of practice walking around the garden, and up and down the furniture.
5) We went to Hillsborough Forest on Sunday to feed the ducks which really tickled you! I think Grandad had a good time too!

I have now bought an annual ticket to Gosford which is just over the road from us, so that we can do that at least once a week together. I just have to work out how to stop you eating the stale bread that is meant for the birds!!