Play date!

Darling Baby Kay, today we had another busy day in store. As well as Jo Jingles this morning we had an afternoon playdate over in Loughall with R&E - R goes back to work tomorrow now that her maternity leave is up, and it was the last chance of catching up for a while.

After Jo Jingles we came home for lunch, and I had hoped you would doze in the car on the way over to R's - but you stayed wide awake, singing away to yourself until we pulled into their driveway, at which point you promptly went to sleep!

What to do?? Well, usually you REFUSE to sleep anywhere other than your own cot - you won't even cuddle up in bed beside me (and believe me I have tried to convince you it would be a lovely way to spend a few hours!) But you were so tired that you did sleep when we tucked you into E's cot - for the entire playdate! E played away quite happily and didn't seem to miss the fact that her date had arrived but hadn't shown up! And it gave R and I a great chance to catch up with only 1 little girl twisting around the floor!

It was very sweet when I went to get you to bring you home - you have started to take your tights off when you are wearing a dress - why?? Because you have suddenly realised that you can I think! When I put you down for nap you wriggle and wrestle them off quite merrily and then go to sleep with them in one hand and Moo in the other. The problem with this afternoon was that I didn't take your little slippers off when I put you down to sleep, so there you were, fast asleep with Moo and your tights firmly round your ankles where you couldn't get them off any further! I wish I'd had my camera, but when you are old enough to read this for yourself my darling I am very sure you'll be glad I didn't! Sweet dreams little love x

Busy busy busy!

Darling Baby Kay, it has been a busy few days here for us while we have been unplugged!

Saturday saw Daddy and I off to the Culloden to stay for the night, and dinner in Aldens in town. Daddy had booked it some time ago to celebrate our wedding anniversary (which was mid-week when he was away in Spain) and Nanny and Granda had come down to baby-sit for you. I was a bit nervous about us both being away from you overnight, but you had great fun. When we got back on Sunday you were busy reading with Nanny and hardly gave us a second look! I am not even sure you realised we were gone!

Dinner on Saturday was lovely, and we even resisted the temptation to talk about you all the time we were away! It was strange, especially going to bed without stealing my last kiss of the day like I usually do when you are fast asleep, but I have to confess that the lie in on Sunday morning, and leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading up the road was a rare and very pleasant treat!

On Sunday Daddy took you to B&Q when we got home from our overnight stay. As usual the highlight of any trip out now is the obligatory trolley ride - you get very peeved when you are strapped into your pram if you can see trolleys about! While you were out I finally finished off the last of your birthday 'thank-you' cards, so that I can start the week without too many things carried forward from last week's 'to-do' list!

All in all it was lovely to be away, and Nanny and Granda had so much fun they have said they will happily volunteer to do it again for us. We might just take them up on that!!

Unplugged!

See you on Monday!

Post from the Prairie!!

Darling Baby Kay - tonight we have a very big thank you to send across the Atlantic to 2 very, very special people. Lovely Lisa and Prairiegirl have sent you the most wonderful box for your birthday, full of lovely things!

We had to go and pick the parcel up from the post office this afternoon, as we were out this morning when the postie tried to deliver it. As with all post to the house, you had to have a good inspection of it before anyone was allowed near it to start opening it. When it's being opened you do this strange arm flapping - up and down like you are trying to lift off. I think it's excitement, but it could also be your way of telling me to stop taking photos and hurry up and open the parcel!!

Inside was a gorgeous birthday card with Winnie the Pooh on the front. It has twinkle and glitter on it too, and you have had great fun scrunching your nails on the twinkle to hear the noise. When I was bathing you tonight you still had little bits of twinkle in your hair! It seems so strange to think that only a few days ago Prairegirl was writing your card and now it has made it's way halfway round the world!

And also the most beautiful top - your first Disney shirt!!! All the way from their holiday in Florida. Unfortunately I couldn't get you to hold the top up, or even let me set it on your knee - because once you saw that there was a big Disney label on it, you were just past yourself with excitement and kept grabbing the label and waving it about triumphantly, or trying to put it in your mouth!

There was a brilliant book on signing for babies - with colourful pictures and flash cards, so that when Prairegirl comes to visit us you and she will be able to chat away! You really loved the flashcards, and the book was a fantastic diversion while I was making your dinner and you were waiting in your high chair!!

Your favourite sign is teddy bear - I am having to learn them fast, because you keep pointing to the pictures in the book and then looking at me, as much as to say 'What's that one then!'

And there was also a more grown-up book on signing, for when you are a little bigger. This didn't stop you insisting on being allowed to look at it for yourself now - and make sure that I wasn't going to sneak it away for myself!

And there was even something in there for Mummy. You know when you have met someone who is very special, with a kind and thoughtful heart, when they send you a gift you never realised you needed (indeed never knew existed) because they DID know that you needed it, having remembered something you said a long time ago. Lisa, you are a complete sweetheart.

Lisa even snuck some great magazines into the box that you can't get here in Northern Ireland - so I will be enjoying a flick through those this evening in bed while Daddy is away.

What a wonderful parcel - and thank you again so very much to the very special people who sent it to us - your kindness is so much appreciated, and will not be forgotten.

Multi-tasking.....

Dearest Baby Kay - tonight Daddy is in Barcelona and it is just us girls. You have gone down tonight in top form after a lovely bath and a busy day visiting Grandma. She is always so pleased to see you, and is very excited about baby-sitting this coming Saturday night.

When we got home and I was sorting out the washing you were tearing about the kitchen in your walker with your sippy cup. I am trying to move you away from your baby-bottles for milk so that we can eventually drop them altogether, but at the minute since you are still doing a lot of spilling and dribbling we are sticking to practising with water! I have warned you about drinking and driving, but to no avail - you just pull up, throw your head back and glug your water! It is very funny to watch and you get all excitable when it comes out too fast and splashes up your nose! At times like these I am glad for tiled floors and a quick mop!!

Goodnight my darling, sweet dreams of Daddy to you until he gets home x

One year, and one day!

My darling Baby Kay, today we are almost back to normal service! We had great fun at our Jo Jingles morning. You do a lot of bopping along to the music, and recognise many of the regular tunes. We only have a few weeks of term left, but we are already registered for next term. Taking you along to Jo Jingles was one of the best things we ever decided to do, you have so much fun with the other babies, and love the music and songs.

You spent most of your day at home playing with your new birthday presents. Yesterday I packed away a few of the things you got at Christmas into a box in your nursery, so that in a few weeks time I can swap them over again and you can have 'new' toys you forgot you had. We decided to do this because you seemed so overwhelmed by how many things you had to play with here in the sitting room. You just kept pointing at things in slight bewilderment, and when they were fetched for you (as you are still resolutely determined not to shuffle or crawl towards them yourself!) you just looked at them, and then pointed to something else. I think that if we have fewer things for you to play with at a time you will get more chance to play with them and enjoy them - at least that's what we hope!! You don't seem to mind though - in fact I am not sure you have even noticed they have gone!

Happy birthday to me!!

Darling Baby Kay, this time last year, 19.54pm - you were 5 hours old. We were in the hospital in Craigavon, and you had met your Grandads and Grandma, your Uncle J and Aunt D - and your shell-shocked and euphoric Mummy and Daddy had finally held their baby girl in their arms after more than 42 weeks of pregnancy, and more years than I would like to think of hoping and praying for you to come along.

And you did. And this year - this last 12 months - have been the most amazing, tiring, incredible, exhilarating, terrifying, exhausting, humbling of my life. I have never known such tiredness and fear - how was I ever going to look after this tiny little person who needed me for everything. But I have also never known such overwhelming love and happiness.

Today, my darling daughter, we we took you to the beach in Newcastle where Daddy and I walked when we had only just starting dating. It was freezing - the kind of day that they say would 'skin you alive' here in Northern Ireland. But the sun shone brightly as we walked along the shore and we talked about everything we have been through together. You just watched the world go by from your little viewpoint in the pram, and I am sure that you had no idea just how much we love you, and how much we both feel that our lives are so blessed for having you with us. There is not a day goes by when I am not reminded of how lucky I am to have you - or the joy you have brought us both, even today when the wind took our breaths away and made your little red nose run!

Happy 1st birthday, darling Amelie. May you know yourself the love you have brought, and the changes you have blessed us with. This last year has been an incredible one for you, and for us - and may this amazing journey continue to be blessed with love, happiness and joy - for the 3 of us, and for those who know us and care for us.

And may you not catch cold because of irresponsible, but romantic parents who took you to the beach on a freezing March day!