Albies is 2!

Hey guys, sorry ive been so absent. As you can tell from the title its been a certain little mr's birthday this week and the build up has been hectic.

It only feels like yesterday that i was moaning about how 9 months of pregnancy was dragging and how much i hated it and i wanted Albie born and now hes 2? Really? How? It feels like hes been in my life forever but in the same way i cant believe how quick the past two years have gone. Hes gone from being an 8lb 11oz baby to a walking, talking toddler.

So i havent really updated any of you guys for a while on how Albies doing, whats he doing or anything like that so i thought his second birthday would be a great time to do just that.

Routine:
Albie has always had a routine, its forever changing and just when i feel like we have mastered one something changes. His day starts at around 7-8am and then in the morning i like to take him out to soft play or a toddler group or something to try and burn some of his energy. He has his lunch quite early around 11.30-11.45 so that he has finished by 12.15 ready to go down for a 2-3 hour nap. Depending on what time he wakes from his nap sometimes we will go for a walk to feed the ducks or to the park or something before Hayden gets home from work ready for dinner around 5. We then have family time after dinner before bath, milk and bed by 7pm. Albie has always loved his sleep and i am so grateful because i really do too. You know when you have new baby and they say 'make sure you sleep when the baby does' well i still do that haha.

Development:
Albies personality in the past year has really grown. He is talking so much now to the point he will have a full on conversation with us and tell us about his day when we ask him. His favourite word at the moment is 'no'. Everything we ask him is no until he thinks about what we asked him.He has very recently started to get a sense of humour, he has started to do things to make other people laugh and will giggle away at the most silliest of things before telling us how funny it is which makes my heart melt.  He is also now fully potty trained during the day and has been from around 19 months, we have the odd accident every now and then but its bound to happen.

Relationships:
Albie has always had a very strong family unit around him and hes really starting to form bonds with other family members now which is so cute to see. He now knows what all of his aunts and uncles are called and what his grandparents are known by and when we drive past their houses he knows who lives there which truly baffles me as to how he can remember stuff. Lately, hes been really enjoying playing together with other little people his age and we have some he sees weekly and is always asking about when we are going to see them next.

The past two years have completley whizzed by and my baby is now a little boy with a cheeky personality coming along, before i know it he is going to be a stroppy teenager. I love watching him grow and seeing him learn something new daily. Being a parent truly changes your view on life and the things that used to matter before you became a parent dont and the things that didnt matter, do.

Do any of you have children of this age? Id love to hear or read about them, leave a comment in the comments section below and ill be sure to check your blogs out.

Speak soon,
Megan x

Dealing with an invisible illness.

Hey everyone,

So ive been thinking about writing this blog post for a long time because although there is a lot of information about my illness on the internet, there isnt many posts from people giving there view on living with it.

So since the age of 18 years old i have been living with a condition called Hypothyroidism, i had never heard of a thyroid before so i was shocked to find out that i had something wrong with mine.
Hypothyroidism means that your thyroid gland doesnt produce enough of the hormone needed which can cause you to feel tired, depressed, to have dry skin and hair, sensitivity to the cold and may cause your muscles to ache.

A lot of people dont realise they have this condition as they ignore symptoms or dont realise they have them. I was the same. I had all these symptoms but i had no idea until one night my vision completley disappeared and my eyes started to shake, i was rushed to hospital but with no conclusive answers i was sent home that night. This happened three more times before i finally went to my local GP who decided to run some more in depth blood tests than i had done at the hospital which showed up that my TSH levels were normal but my T4 levels were abnormal which led to me being diagnosed with this illness.

I currently take 50mg of levothyroxine daily and have done since i was first diagnosed which although its a small dosage makes so much of a difference to my life. I always thought i would live this energtic life running round, chasing Albie, playing sports with him but sometimes i find it hard to even have the energy to get out of bed but i do and he really is the reason i get out of bed and do the things that we do together.

People always say to me you look so well and happy all the time, but they dont see how hard some days are, how exhausted i can be and how drained i am if i dont take my medication. Some days are harder than most but its something ive learnt to deal with and although i do have bad days i also have really good days where i do feel that there is nothing wrong with me. Taking my medication doesnt mean my life is back to normal and i do still experience episodes wear i lose my sight which doesnt happen to all people with this condition but it does to me.

Just because somebody looks well and happy, doesn't necessarily mean they are. Never judge someone by what you see on the outside because you never know what is happening on the inside, always remember that.

Hope this helps some of you who have an invisible illness or know somebody who does. Let me know in the comments if have an illness and what it is and how you deal with it.

Take care

Megan x

Becoming a working mum!

Hey everyone,

I wanted to write a post about an issue most mums go through, going back to work after having your baby.

When i decided i was ready to go back to work, i felt like my heart was ripping in two. The thought of leaving Albie for any amount of time was awful, i had never felt anything like it. I went back when he was about 9 months old to work in a shop, it was only for 15 hours a week but it meant i was missing out on putting him to bed and family time on the weekends which to me was really important. So i found a new job working early mornings at a school, it meant Albie would be at the childminders only one hour a morning and the rest of the day i would be with him, i never want to miss out on anything with him so this works well for us as a family.

The first time i left him, i sat in my car and cried but the more i did it the easier it got. He was so content at his childminders that i knew when i was leaving him he would be safe and happy and the reaction i would get when i went to collect him was like no other, his face would light up at just seeing me and i know it sounds silly but i think he appreciates me more now.

Mum guilt is a thing all new mums experience and something that through time does get easier, although you think it wont it does.  Never take time with your little one for granted as each day is another day that they are growing up and you wont ever get it back. Before you know it they will be stroppy teenagers.

Some mums need to go back to work for financial reasons and some mums just want to go back to work, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a stay at home mum and there is also nothing wrong with being a working mum, all that matters is that you are there for them when they need you and are always being the best mum you could be. Never feel guilty for trying your best and for doing what you want to do.

I really hope this helps your mum guilt ease just a little and helps make you feel a bit better about your decision to go back to work.

Megan x

What i got for christmas 2015

Hey everyone!

Happy new year! Can you believe how quick last year went? I certainly cant, it honestly feels like it has just flown by.

I thought i would do a little what I got for Christmas post as I absolutely love reading other peoples, so i thought mine my be of interest to some of you. I genuinely love just spending time with my family at Christmas and believe its more about us all being together and celebrating so i am in no way showing off what i got and i am truly very grateful for my each and every one of my gifts that i received. I was truly spoilt and received so many gifts so i wont list everything i got otherwise this will be a very long post.


My main present from Hayden and Albie was a watch, i have been after a really nice dainty and simple watch for such a long time and i just haven't found any i liked but Hayden proved to me that he knows what i like better than i know myself and got me the perfect watch. It is just a simple black leather strap with rose gold detailing (although in the picture it looks yellow gold) and i  just love it so so much.

From my mum and step dad, i got thoroughly spoilt. There are some gifts i haven't included as i want to do a separate blog post on them but i got some new hair straighteners as mine are old and i need to make more of an effort with my appearance, haha. I also received a chrome cast for my TV which i am still trying to figure out how to use but i am getting there and my main present from them was a new laptop which means i can now do more blogging, yay!

I cant believe even at my age, how much i love Christmas and how many gifts i still get but i am so grateful to of received every single item i did and feel so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends.

I cant wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

Hope you enjoyed this post.
Megan x

5 things nobody tells you about when your about to become a parent.

There are so many things people just dont tell you when your a parent which if i had been told, would of helped so much. Sometimes all you needs are some tips and advice so i thought i would do a little list of things i wish i had been told before i became a parent to Albie.

1) You become so paranoid and anxious. Now i have always suffered with anxiety but the level it reaches when you become a parent is at a whole new level, i was worried someone might drop him if they hold him or if i was doing something wrong. Every little thing i did i questioned whether or not it was the right thing to do and every little bump or illness he got i was ringing my mum or the doctors. I was your typical first time mum but it is okay to be anxious and it is okay to worry, as soon as your child is born you become very protective and it is just your protective side showing through when your worrying. What i will say is always trust your instinct, as a parent you always know what works best with your child and if their is something not quite right, you will always know.

2)  You will compare your child to others. No matter how much you say you wont, you will. Especially if you have friends with children around the same age as yours. I live by the saying every child is different and they will all reach milestones at different times so treasure them while they are young. Dont worry to much about if your friends child walked at 10 months and your child still isnt walking at 14 months, they will get there they all learn things differently. 

3)   It is 24/7 for the rest of your life. Now im quite lucky that mine and Haydens family's are so supportive and are always offering to baby sit Albie but even when hes with them and we are out on a date night or out with friends, my mind is on him continuously. I am wondering what hes doing, if hes being good, did he eat his tea, the list continues. Now Albie isnt even 2 yet but im sure it will never change even when hes moved out, it might ease off and i wont be thinking about him all day but im sure he will cross my mind and ill be wondering if hes okay or if he needs me. You become so selfless that all your focus is on them sometimes you do have to put yourself first but your childs needs should be your main priority.

4) No books will ever tell you how to be the perfect parent. I read book after book after book when i was pregnant with Albie and although they gave me plenty of tips, ive hardly used any of them. The best way to be a parent, is to quite literally be a parent, what works with mine may not work with yours and as long as what you think your doing is right for you and your child thats all that matters. Sometimes mistakes are made but as long as your learning from them thats the main thing.

5) There is no better job in the world. Being a parent is like being in a full time job, you just never get to clock out. It is so much more rewarding than any salary you could ever get. When your child does something or learns something new you will burst with pride. Its so hard to describe the emotions you feel when you become a parent but it is a love like no other, some days you may want to scream at the top of your voice but you will always look at them and just feel a rush of love. They can put a smile on your face in the darkest days and they will become your best friend.

Becoming a parent is the best thing to ever to happen to me and im sure is the same for most of you. I feel privelleged that i have Albie in my life and that i get to watch him learn and become the perfect little person he is. I wouldnt change it for anything. Let me know if you guys have any tips that you wish you had been told before you became a parent. 

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Megan x

Little tikes kitchen review

Hey guys, ive got a surprise little post for you.

Albie has been loving the play kitchen when he goes to his childminders when me and his dad are at work and also when we go to all our local little toddler groups. I get the most horrific tantrums when I tell him its home time and he hasn't finished making his play tea and cakes - terrible twos are starting to arrive I think :(

Anyway back on what I started to write this post about, with Christmas approaching I thought I would buy him his own one. There are so many to choose from that I spent many of nights trawling the internet, reading reviews and other mummy blogs until I came across a little tikes one that I thought would suit his room so well.

Albies bedroom is a Thomas the tank engine theme so the colour scheme is white, blue, red and yellow which coincidently are the colours of the kitchen. Albie really enjoys opening all the doors and all the different sections with a large kitchen so I just knew when I saw it and read the reviews that this was the one I was going to get for him.

I managed to get it at a complete bargain on black Friday reduced from £110 to only £55. I was dreading putting it together on Christmas eve, expecting it to take up our entire evening but to my surprise it only took 45 minutes to put together.

So I was on to a winner, it went perfect with the colour scheme of his bedroom, it has lots of little compartments for him to open and shut and it didn't take forever to put together. I cant comment on the durability of it as hes only had it today but hes given the cupboards a good old try and they haven't broken as of yet. His face was an absolute picture when he saw it so I would say an overall very good choice on my part. I speak to a lot of other mummys and child carers and they have all recommended little tikes for its amazing durability and how much they can withstand so for now im going to eat some tea and cakes cooked in Albies fridge, haha the life of a mum to a toddler. Ive inserted a picture and a link below if any of you were interested.




http://direct.asda.com/Little-Tikes-Gourmet-Prep-'n-Serve-Kitchen/000797828,default,pd.html

Its christmas!

Hey everyone!

I hope you're all having a fantastic Christmas, I cant quite believe how quick this year has gone and that we are almost in 2016. It only feels like we was all welcoming 2015 in but hey time flies when your having fun.

Im so sorry ive been so quiet on my blog, unfortunately my laptop broke and ive been so busy that I haven't even thought about buying a new one but thankfully santa was ever so kind and I got a new one for Christmas this year. (happy dance) So that also means that throughout 2016 I will be able to post regular and consistent posts for you guys :)

I have decided that I will upload a new post every Friday on a variety of different topics so let me know if there is anything you want me to write about in particular and I will try to cover it.

Anyway, I will let you all get back to enjoying your Christmas turkey and celebrations and will see you all on Friday with a new blog post.

Megan x