Dear Mothers/Fathers/Parents/Carers et al,

Try not to worry if your baby spends the day dressed in a babygro (onesie.) I used to fret about this, that my son didn't look "properly dressed." But who cares? Several months down the line I don't. And I wish I'd done it more often. 

Don't be too quick to wish their babyhood away - savour each phase before they hit the next. Smile when they learn to crawl, laugh and cheer with them when they begin to pull themselves up onto the furniture and do you know what? It's okay to shed a little tear when they begin to walk, not least because they will drive you crazy with how much more they can do!

Let them feed themselves - at least once in their babyhood. It will be very, very messy (and your OCD-meter might go off the charts with the  mess) but it is also very, very good for them.

Bath time is a baby's playground. It will cause you to go into complete melt down mode as they go after everything at their eye level...just baby proof the bath and enjoy bath time.

Have at least one 'run and grab camera' moments before you help them out of a tricky position they've got themselves into ;).

Enjoy the babyhood. The chubby cheeks. The blue eyes. The soul-searching looks they will give you. Even those late night snuggles.

Play with hats often. They might begin to hate wearing hats.

Let Granny get a look-in. Even if you have to squash any paranoid thoughts. Unless she's a reckless child carer she will bring a calm to your new motherhood that you can't culture until you've been there and done the whole hog of motherhood. 

Indulge their cheeky tendencies every now and then. And try to find new ways of saying 'no' without actually saying no ;).

Also, buy the best camera your budget will stretch too. These memories and moments are precious and are worth capturing so you can have them in your family for generations to come.

House Hunting.

Well, it was one of 'those' days today.

I woke up annoyed and tired; I'd been on the phone till 3.30am to my sister and it was roughly about 8.45am when I heard cries coming from Roman's room and my day began. 

As the day wore on at 12pm I was so exhausted I wanted somebody to shoot me. However, we had to go and view a house we're looking to rent at 2pm and I so wanted to reschedule. But I figured if I stay in I'll fall asleep on the sofa and not be able to sleep tonight until 5 in the morning. If I go out, however, it will keep me going even if I feel like death warmed up.

Or so was the logic.

Well we set off with plenty of time to kill - Bryan has this weird thing of being on time. Pah! Over rated completely if you ask me...but it actually worked out pretty well as Google Street View doesn't do things justice and I was able to have a proper nose around the area versus if we'd been running late, going at 100MPH (I travel at a cool 2MPH at all times, however. One of the joys of having M.E) and all frantic and not get a shot at seeing stuff about us. Also, I got some perfect opportunities to take photographs as we waited the ten or so minutes for our agent to show up.

The house was actually really great, minus a few details. Like the bog that was the garden. Or the fact the living room matched the size of a dolls house living room. But then I reminded myself to take off my Perfectionist cap and look at things objectively.

It more than fit our needs. The kitchen was a healthy size - one of the most important rooms in a home. The bathroom was also a decent size. The stairs aren't too steep. The living room has blinds. It comes with a TV and DVD player in the bedroom - nope, still don't plan on connecting a TV up, paying for and owning a TV licence as I see it as an unessential expense when there are so many TV shows on-line and which idiot thought that one out, anyway?

Also, once summer rolls around hopefully the bog of a garden won't be so water logged - it was like stepping onto the surface of a chocolate mousse. Only, not at all tasty. And we have some vegetables that need planting by May. It means we can have our own vegetable patch - the idea of that sounds great but I know how much work my Mum put into her veggies.

There is also a teeny tiny little play park about three houses down. It probably won't be suitable for Roman until he's nearer his second birthday, but it's there. 

We've honestly been searching on and off for months for a place and it's rare when I feel comfortable about moving to somewhere. And I definitely feel it about this place. We'll see how things pan out in that department, this might not be the place we'll call home. And I have this horrible feeling that before the ink is even dry on the tenancy agreement that things will start to go horribly wrong for us.

Roman's Room.

Noun

hoose (plural hooses)

1. (Geordie and Scottish) house

If you walk into our flat (I call it "the house", "my house", "our place" ect but it's really a ground floor flat. I despised the idea of being on the ground floor because people told me horrible things about occupying the ground floor. It's made me never want to live on the first, second, third or heaven forbid FOURTH floor) and turn left and open the first door you'd come face to face with this view of Roman's room. These pictures make everything look smaller than it is - or perhaps my perception is messed up, I don't know. His room is pretty big. It houses his drawers, old crib (that he never slept in, we were given two and this is the one I still haven't returned balanced against the wall), new cot (that he has spent about 3 and a half nights in), single bed and a radiator that's never turned on because the room heats up in about 4 minutes straight.

A few days ago I decided to air Roman's mattress out. He doesn't sleep on it so I wanted to keep it fresh. I turned it on it's side and faced it towards the window. I air his room out everyday because dead skin cells just love to congregate and accumulate in there. Bogging, I know. 

Halloween is a-coming. And man am I excited! Halloween didn't really mean anything to me in the past but it was probably the only festivity I got excited about because the build-up of it was always better than the outcome (unlike Christmas or New Years Eve where everyone gets drunk and starts fighting). This year we'll have a little spider to dress up! My Aunt bought him this cute little outfit and I am so pleased with it - it's adorable.

 My Mum bought this bunting from Blooming Marvellous (I love that site ever since I got pregnant) and it is blooming lovely. I always feel disappointed with the photos I take of it because I never feel it captures what it really looks like. The photo is one I took of Roman months ago and the "photo frame" is actually a mouse mat we got sent from Organix (the baby food company, we love their food!).

I love being organised and prepared for the next day. I always line out his clothes for the next day on the radiator. I'm a tad anal at times. 

One of my obvious favourites. I got the photo frame in Relief Society and I tracked down where it was bought because I had an idea I wanted to do and wanted more frames. However, Snapfish photo paper is officially crap and sticks to the glass.

More stuff my Mum bought us :). Again, another Blooming Marvellous item. Yay! I love these book-ends. If I was a boy and I had a room I'd totally want these to hold my books together. I know that Roman is too young to even notice their presence in his room but I am not too young to adore them a little too much. On the left book-end is a paper weight that says "Baby Boy." I love it. It's the shape of a moses basket and is adorable. To your right is the car Roman had his beady eye on when my brother and his Uncle Fraser bought him when they took a stroll through Tesco. My brother asked him what car he wanted and it was reported Roman kept looking at the red one. This is a true story!

As you can see we also have a "name train" for Roman. As I mentioned before, I had wanted one for ages. I am so grateful that between me, my Mum and my Aunty Jeannette we seem to have mastered the art of ESP. And we seem to understand each others needs - be it concerned with baby issues, family issues, health issues. You name it we have it down to a T between us - or at least that's my take on it. My Mum got this name train for him and I nearly died out of excitement when I saw it.

Bryan's driving instructor bought us this aforementioned "Baby Boy" paperweight. It was wrapped in home made paper (I love crafty home made things!) and came in a lovely box that I may have shamelessly kept. I am a hoarder. I also kept the home made paper. I'm a sentimental chocolate teapot - I melt at anything to do with events in life and can't let go of every keepsake lest I lose a memory. I don't know why I'm designed this way. I don't even cry at weddings or funerals. Seriously. I fake-cried at my brothers wedding because everyone else was doing it. I feel so bad admitting that, but it's true. I didn't want to seem like the Tin (wo)Man, with no heart.

Just some clothes! I love his little star sleep suit! Bryan loves the red one the most. Haha. We're so geeky.

Poor old Rufus has been rejected for a while now. I'm too scared to get a picture of him with Roman because I am afraid he might be too dusty and I haven't got round to washing or airing him out. I'm a slob when it comes to such tasks. Bryan bought me this on our first Christmas as boyfriend & girlfriend together. We didn't last long in that state of our relationship. About three days. Then we were engaged! It felt right. And it feels even better now.

 

I got this rug for £1! (Maybe it looks £1 worth, but to me I was severely chuffed with it). I love it. It seems to match the blue in his book-ends perfectly. I bought it before the book-ends were even a thought. It's funny how things work out.

I wasn't going to post this picture (mainly because I want to keep up a facade that I'm an organisational Nazi and mainly because Bryan will not like it) but I want to portray that even organisational Nazi's have their piles. You know what I'm talking about. It starts off with just a few clothes innocently put down and then more is added. Before you know it...you have this monster creation. I am a 24 year old Mummy of one. Married. Living in a two bedroomed flat. With no real storage for clothes. No drawers, no wardrobes. Our landlord graced us with lovely crappy furniture from Argos that fell to pieces as soon as we sneezed used it. We have plans to move so we haven't bought anything ourselves. Just heaped our clothes on top of the spare bed :). I have no idea where this balancing act will go when people come over - but I'll have fun trying.

 Also, I am seriously hoping you all don't think I'm a major mink for this photo! Not that I would care if you truly did think that; I'd tell you to go to hell anyway ;). Haha.

He snuck in after bath. Look at his yummy chubs. This towel is a newborn size but we used it tonight because the bigger towel was being washed. Don't worry, we have more than two towels for him. It just so happened they were either dirty or being laundered. 

So there we go - my son's wonderful room. We're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. We're just doing our best with what we've got (which is a lot by my estimation). I think people who spend fortunes on little people are off their heads - there is a lot of junk they just don't need. Although in saying that I'm torn between spoiling him rotten and being sensible. I think our approach to things right now is the best way - a meeting in the middle of the two. There is also a time and a place for spoiling them and every day is a bit much.

And I hope that my 365 Project will be one of the crowing glories in my gift-giving to the little man.

If Elton John's gift is his song then my biggest gift I give to Roman will be this 365 Project. I hope he is a sentimental chocolate teapot like me and relishes this photo Project. 

Sort it out, woman!

I'm committed to actually updating (and keeping it in that state) my blog.

What's spurred me on?

Well, Bryan has grown tired of my rants. He's my husband for those of you not in the know, although we have been married for a good year and a bit - yes it has been good. Admittedly not a whole year and a bit of being good, that would just be weird and Stepford Wife-y, but for the majority of that year and a bit it's been amazingly amazing!

This is the rant following off from another rant part coming up. Being married is great. It's actually the best legal contract I could ever wish to enter into. But it's weird. It's like those American films where the kids go off to "college" (we Brits tend to stick to calling it Uni) and end up with room mates that they have to adjust too. If any of you have never lived with A Boy before - brother's, uncles, cousins, fathers, step fathers etc don't count - you'll understand my perspective on the subject.

You start to admire Bruce Lee. Eating as much as you like? Sure. Go for it. There's no girls to sit with and have those "Oh I'm so fat and here's a list of what I ate today" conversations. Dirty bathroom? No problemo.

Uh, wait a second. Did I just say dirty bathroom?

Why, yes, I did.

Okay, so maybe it is a tiny bit of a problem. And not only does the bathroom start to be a problem...other rooms start to get messy. The bedroom. The living room. The kitchen. And before you know it the landlord is calling you up to tell you that a flat inspection will be carried out because they want to re-evaluate the property and so you're scrubbing, polishing and stuffing things in over-stuffed wardrobes 'till midnight and setting an alarm for 7am so you can get up and finish the job before your eviction notice is served.

See, being married is all about team work. You yell at each other over who should do what in terms of housework but then you snap out of it and like a whirlwind you pull your resources together when the Health Visitor/landlord happens to "pop by."

Oh, and talking of Health Visitor this brings me abruptly to my next point; we had a baby boy on the 9th of February of this year (2010).

I got pregnant within a few months of being married. A few nosey people who I don't particularly care for have asked us "So did you plan this pregnancy?" as if we were two 16 year old chavs who'd feel very welcome on the Jeremy Kyle set. Of course, the answer is yes.

I'll spare you (and my boy who might read this one day) the details, but yes, it was planned. I used to feel a mixture of nausea and laughter whenever people said they "planned" their pregnancies. We just decided why wait for this to happen? And I'll be honest I thought it would take a good few years for any little people to appear on the scene so I felt ready.

Then the Boots bought pregnancy test revealed I was pregnant and my World crumbled. I don't mind saying that, or having it on the World Wide Web for every one and their Granny to read. I'm more than aware that there are many childless couples out there who suffer all kinds of heartbreak and more than ever I really felt for them when I was pregnant.

No joke intended. I thought more and more about those couples who have their hearts broken at the thought of never being pregnant and here I was, up the duff and miserable with it. It didn't really lift for the whole pregnancy. I don't know what was up, but it was weird. I didn't wish my baby any harm whatsoever, but I really didn't feel excited at the thought of it all. I felt scared at the thought of giving birth - actually, more than scared because I had it in my head that my family don't do "easy labours." Not even middle of the road labours. Every labour story I'd heard that came from family members was like a scene from some scary film. Everything seemed to go wrong for them and their labour took about a week to produce any baby.

I'd been building up these stories for years. Making them worse in my head.

Then I went into labour. I got on with it. I breathed through my pain. And yes, okay, I cracked and said "I can't do this, you're all wrong I'm weak!" and "Get me to hospital and get me an epidural." Then we hit the hospital and I was back to being Mrs. Calm.

Yes, I did end up with an epidural but that's a whole other story. For another time. 'Cause this entry has gone rather long and now you might have some insight into what it's like in the Life of Bryan ;).

So for now I bid you a farewell!