Year 2 Day 212: A Bunny for Bunny

This arrived in the post this afternoon for Ryan from my Aunt Lisa in America. As you will have read before on here, while I was pregnant I referred to Ryan as 'Bunny' because we wanted to wait until he was born to share his name. Here my aunt has hand-crafted this cute little quilted bunny, but it is even more special for a different reason, and I didn't know why until I read the note that was sent with it.

You see, I noticed that it had two buttons and some ruffled fabric and I thought it a bit odd to have a couple of rogue buttons on it...until the note explained that it was actually made from one of my Mom's old nightgowns (she LOVED nightgowns). My aunt has kept a few all these years and said she knew she wanted to make something from them and then she got this idea. Now Ryan has something very special that once belonged to his Grandma Mary. It means so much to me and I hope one day he can appreciate it too!

From the bottom of my heart...thank you, Aunt Lisa! xx

Year 2 Day 211: Cottage Living

Semi-panoramic pic of the garden. It has been raining all day, but it's well worth it when everything is really coming into full-bloom. I love it here!

Year 2 Day 210: Catch Me If You Can

Nothing like a morning of Waybuloo and flutterby catchin'. Yep...he can finally reach them now!

Year 2 Day 209: Daddy's Home!

Since I am on maternity until August, I have the advantage of being able to stay home with Ryan while Matt goes to work. I have to admit it is nice being able to see him grow and develop each day. Something I especially love to see is the interaction he has with his Daddy when he gets home on an evening. You can see that they really do have a good time together.

I hope that lasts forever.

Year 2 Day 208: How Does Your Garden Grow?

I was unsure what all these green, leafy plants were in the garden until my mother-in-law, Josie, told me they were Bluebells. Then low and behold the blooms started to appear and rise up.

Did you know that estimates say the UK has up to half of the world's Bluebell population? I Googled that.

Anyway, I can't wait until they're in full bloom as they should make the garden even more gorgeous!

Year 2 Day 207: April Cutie

I already took Ryan's 4-month photo, however I later realised that I didn't use the sign I had made like all his other monthly photos. So although it was a bit overcast today, it was still quite warm and we headed outside with his Bumbo in tow to snap some quick piccys.

Year 2 Day 206: Having a Ball

Cousin Amy got a ball pit...win/win for everyone!

Year 2 Day 205: Sleepy Boy

Kiddo is absolutely knackered today. I suppose it makes sense now that he's napping less and less during the day and more stimulated by the things around him.

Year 2 Day 204: A Walk in the Park

The garden of our property backs right up to a local park, so it's very convenient when I want to pop out with Ryan in the push-chair for a little walk. Today was pretty nice and sunny so we decided to take a stroll.

Year 2 Day 203: Roughin It

I put up my 10-person tent today for it's first ever assembly in England. I remember I brought it with me during my first visit to the UK in 2006 and had a heck of a time explaining to security why one of my checked pieces of luggage had sharp stakes and a rubber mallet.

Here's hoping we get a chance to use it sometime soon. Camping anyone?

Year 2 Day 202: Story Time

He likes to hold the book when we read together.

Year 2 Day 201: It Goes So Fast!

My little bunny is four months old today! People aren't kidding when they talk about how quickly kids grow and how it all goes by too fast. It's mainly why I take so many photos because I just don't want to miss a moment

Year 2 Day 200: Ryan's Grandad

It just keeps getting better. Ryan is so social now and is all about touching faces. Today during his visit with Nan and Grandad, he convinced Grandad to get down on the floor and play with him. It was so sweet to watch!

Year 2 Day 199: Ryan Rolled!

This morning during tummy time my little boy ROLLED from his tummy to his back!! I was SO excited and I made sure to make a big deal so he would be encouraged to do it again. I also rang Matt right away to tell him.

Nevermind that this was 8am on a Saturday morning and Matt was upstairs in bed. Oops.

Year 2 Day 198: "Hold Still, Elephant."

His grasp is getting so accurate now!

Year 2 Day 197: I Love to Laugh...Ha Ha Ha Ha!

He pretty much thinks I'm hilarious.

Smart kid.

Year 2 Day 195: All Vaccinated!

Today Ryan had his 4-month jabs. Grandad took us to the doctor's surgery in Brierley Hill and although he was getting one more shot than normal (one in the right leg and two in the left) he took them like a champ! He didn't even seem phased when we got home.

Now he gets a bit of a break from the needle as he won't have to have any again until he is 12-months-old.

Matt was owed some time at work, so he was off early this afternoon and took us back to the baby clinic just before they shut. Our boy is now a healthy 14 lbs 8 oz and growing! Fantastic!

Year 2 Day 194: Bath Time

Now complete with floating duckies!! So much more fun!

Year 2 Day 193: Cheeky!

Just look at those cheeks! It's weird because in some photos he looks like a right chunky monkey with those cheeks and that chin. But he seems to have the same issue as Mommy at the moment...he's a shorty, so there's less place for it all to go!

Year 2 Day 192: New 'Kids' on the Block

A few weeks back I mentioned in a post that Emma & Daz had to take their cat, Sweep, to the vet because he was suddenly very poorly. As it turned out he had acute renal failure (unsure of the cause) and although they tried to give some alternatives a try, he had to be put down the following day. This was a very sad day because Sweep had a brother, Soot, who also had to be put down for the same thing in 2006 after ingesting some mercury that got on his fur from a thermometer that was knocked over and had broken.

Needless to say, anyone who owns or loves pets understands the bond you form with them and how heartbreaking it is to lose them. I am having a hard time just being separated from my own cats and still uncertain if they will be able to eventually join me here in the UK.

Well, when we visited Em & Daz tonight we were able to meet the newest residents. Meet Pepper and Ash. They reside in the kitchen at the moment where they are safe from the nearly-toddling 8.5-month-old and her walker of terror. Still, how nice that our niece will be able to grow up being able to love and appreciate animals as much as we all do.

Year 2 Day 191: Housework is Exhausting

He actually slept for a few hours today and I was able to get a decent amount of housework done. By the looks of this, one may report me for child labour. Yep, that's right...he does all the dusting...and it has clearly worn him out!

Year 2 Day 190: Any Day Now...

Any day now he's going to roll! I just know it. We do Tummy Time and he teeters back and forth, but then corrects himself before he leans to far, or just puts his head down. I love the looks he gives me though!

Year 2 Day 189: Flower Child

I've been taking Ryan into the garden more now that flowers are starting to bloom. The most heightened senses on babies this young are the sense of smell and sound, so we go down to smell the flowers, freshly cut grass, and listen to the birds. The daffodils don't have much longer so I wanted to make sure to get a photo before they were gone in a few weeks.

Year 2 Day 188: He 'Eats' Everything

"Mommy, how do I get the milk?"

Year 2 Day 187: Now Your Baby Can...

Where is the developmental milestone that says 'baby attempts to rip off your face by using your nose and mouth as handles'?

Year 2 Day 196: Cream Crackered

A little bit of spooning with Yojojo, anyone? This kid has been Calpol'd.

Year 2 Day 186: New Beginnings

It was only Easter weekend last year that Matt and I learned of the upcoming arrival of our bunny. As a matter of fact, we had also just moved into our temporary, crap of a one-bedroom flat in Dudley and it was only after the BFP (Big Fat Positive) that we decided the flat was completely unsuitable for a baby.

Now here we are in our 3rd residence in just less than a year, but this time we're so much richer than before. I don't mean monetary wealth, just in the things and people we have around us to be thankful for. A nice roof over our heads, loving/supportive family, and a gorgeous 3-month-old son.

Here's to our new beginning. Happy Easter!

Year 2 Day 185: What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks...

We get the sunrise from the East through our bay window. I've decided that is the perfect place for Ryan's Rainforest play-mat.

Fantastic photography light.

Year 2 Day 184: First Morning

 

Last night was our first night in the cottage and with a bit of a drop in the daily temperature it was FUH-REEZING! At one point in the early morning Ryan felt quite cold on his ears and hands so I pulled him into bed with us to nurse him. Shortly after he fell asleep and at one point woke up long enough to be sick on me. While I got up to change my t-shirt, I left him in bed with Matt making sure to tell him to not let Ryan slip too far into the duvet where he would risk overheating. When I returned, this is what I came back to. I quickly grabbed the camera to capture the moment.

Year 2 Day 183: Upside-Down Face!

We'll be in the cottage tonight! Since there is no furniture left here at Briars Close, I've been stacking a couple pillows so I can still breastfeed little man. I had him then propped on the pillows because he cannot lie flat for about 30-45 minutes after a feed. We were watching Waybuloo together and he kept looking up at me like this...I couldn't resist a photo!