Jan/Feb Photo Update

By no means a comprehensive photo update, because I don't want to bore you. Here's some gems though...

Oooh look, Christmas tree in the background! See, it did happen. Here, J-cub has taken a bunch of annoyingly-breakable plastic mini-things, and sorted them on top of a load of numbered blocks. Because he is a genius (and not at all obsessed with sorting, stacking, lining things up etc). This is his 'Yeah!' stance.

Ooop North, visiting the Pili Palas - due to the cold there was a distinct lack of pili but this Royal Python called Samantha captured J-cub's heart instead. He was far braver than the rest of us.

There were also a lot of lovely birds, which flapped and flew around all over the place, just out of reach and often just out of sight, leading to J-cub's complete bemusement and bafflement. He could hear them, he could *almost* see them, but they were just too fast to catch.

The in-laws beautiful living room proved the perfect velodrome for JC's trike (which we sensibly crammed into the car at the last minute).

Back home, being utterly gorgeous.

Oooh, see, this is why I shouldn't stop writing for so long. J-cub's affections are no longer solely reserved for Jemaine. In fact, Jemaine is very much playing second fiddle now to bunny, who has slept in J-cub's cot since birth but he's barely paid attention to. Now though, bunny (seen here being signed for) is synonymous with nanny (dummy), and we barely get through 10 minutes without one or the other being begged for. (Also note the Gruffalo t-shirt, and Gruffalo DVD on in the background. The Gruffalo is very popular right now).

New year, new carrier. This is our beautiful SSC, bought second hand to try out and instantly fallen in love with. It's a Babyhawk Oh Snap! and it is so comfortable, and so easy to use. Everywhere we go now, as soon as I open the door J-cub begs 'Mummy back? Deee [please] Mummy back!'.

Bear hat, Gruffalo coat. J-cub is now officially the coolest kid at school. When I went to pick him up from nursery the other day, his little posse all gathered around his coat and raaaaar'd it at each other. Yesterday, I tried to put on his blue hat with a bug on the front. 'No Mummy, no bat [hat].' (J-cub ran off, and returned a second later with his bear hat) 'Bat!'.

And just cos he's awesome...

J-cub's bucket o' bapples and those who like to eat from it - giraffe, zebra, reindeer and Mummy-with-a-bag.

November Photo Update

More lovin' between J-cub and Tilly-bear...

A walk around the village to see fireworks (and eat apple pies in front of the village shop, it was awesome)...

J-cub discovered finger puppets and has become very adept at puppeteering...

And there have been far too many days that look like this, as a poorly baby has had to cope with a tummy bug, a chest infection, an ear infection, and his last 4 molars trying to put in an appearance. All at once...

Which has led to countless coughing/panic attacks complete with inconsolable screaming and eyes that don't seem to recognise us, raging temperatures, sleepless nights, a washing machine on constantly, a kitchen knee-deep in vomit-covered laundry, watching Coast at 3am, falling asleep at work, refusing to eat for a week, returning home after driving half-way to nursery before J-cub has thrown up all over himself, and a permanent comfy-area in the lounge for desperately trying to cope with very little sleep...

(Oh and note how the sofa is lower on the left than on the right? The springs broke. We now need a new sofa on top of everything else.)

October Photo Update

We kicked October off with a return-to-pre-baby-life as we DJ'd at Chick Habit in Cardiff. It's been too long since I last DJ'd and I was very nervous, so I enlisted my lovely friend Claire to work with me. After getting told off for playing 'too much heavy stuff' we kicked the boys asses by filling the dance floor and keeping them there. We rocked. It was freaking awesome, and we rolled into bed at sometime around 5am. It was light.

We had a couple of days of Indian Summer, and took full advantage of it with snoozy walks through the forest...

J-cub perfected his innocent 'I'm not touching that dummy Mum, honestly' look...

And was just generally gorgeous...

J-cub and Tilly's relationship went from strength to strength, with her joining us for pre-bed story time...

I re-read all 7 Harry Potter books in preparation for the 7th film, and J-cub got in on the action too...

He's so clever ;)

September Photo Update

We both had the first week of September off, and spent it trucking back and forwards from Cardiff. We had a gorgeous park-picnic with friends, enjoying the last of the Summer sun and chasing ducks and dogs around, then went to the Doctor Who exhibition. J-cub was less than impressed by the Daleks, and was not even excited to see K-9. I had a great time though, and had to stop Jamie smuggling Amy Pond's outfit out under his jumper.

We went to IKEA twice, to get some toy storage for the living room sorted, and a new chest of drawers for our bedroom, and just because it's a great day out (really, it is, J-cub loves all the play areas and I could spend a fortune in there).

He especially loved the cot layouts, I think he would have fallen asleep there if I'd let him...

We spent a day scrubbing the garden furniture and toys, J-cub helping by cleaning his car (and emptying my buckets of soapy water as fast as I could fill them)...

We spent rainy days inside huddling under umbrellas, which also make excellent boats...

We learnt that J-cub's all-in-one waterproof is just that - he stuck both his arms up to the shoulders into a bucket of water and was as dry as a bone underneath...

Saturday morning laundry provides me with 50 minutes of peace as J-cub sits on an upturned nappy box and quietly monitors the washing machine...

I learnt that I can sit atop a toddler swing relatively easily...

We took a poorly boy to soft play to cheer him up, and he conquered his fear of ball pools...

And we replaced the faithful Jumperoo with a rocking dinosaur called Dorothy, who J-cub fell desperately in love with...

August Photo Update

When I last posted before the Great Lull, it was just before my birthday. We spent the day at our favourite beach on Gower, just as we had done 2 years previously when I had a tiny bump and very little idea of what was in store.

It was a gloriously sunny day, and it was fab having my new wrap to carry Jacob down the long walk to the top of the cliffs surrounding the bay, and then to carefully climb down the steep path to the beach.

He had a whale of a time throwing sand around, falling face-first into the sea, and chasing seagulls. He got a little bit chilly after a while (his lips started turning blue...) so we sat him on the rocks in the sun and wrapped all 4.6 metres of wrap around him to warm him up. We finished the day with fish and chips and triple-layer Rocky Road cake, it was gorgeous.

The day after my birthday was our 8th Wedding Anniversary, and we celebrated with a play in the paddling pool...

...which concluded with a very cold baby making himself a bed in front of the telly and cuddling his cat for a good hour before he warmed up. Awwww.