This Week : Exhaustion/Emotion

This week by Katie..

This picture explains how we all including the dogs have felt this week..

Oh Jesus what are stressful week!! Exciting things happen like my getting an iPhone 6 (my upgrade) and getting more Xmas pressies for everyone but then Beth got rushed to hospital and then I found out my operation is on 24th December yes Christmas Eve.


Beth is now out of hospital and is alot better so now it is just a waiting game on Bella and Beth got to keep an eye on her breathing as if it continues she has to go straight back to hospital. It has been so weird not being close to her while she was in hospital as last time it happened she was living in Windsor, So I was around to look after Ava and had regular updates on Beth and Bella but it was quite difficult with the hospital being in Essex this time. 

My operation!!! ARGHHH. So I knew I was expecting to get a call or a letter to tell me when Im having it done but my Specialist did say it 80% chance of it being in the new year as its close to Xmas... Well I obviously was in that 20% of having the operation this year. Its nothing to do with my back and its abit too much detail to go into the actual op itself but I'm kind of glad now it will be before the new year so then next year I will just have my Back to concentrate on. I actually have zero plans for Xmas eve and day so the op hasn't bothered me but at first I was like OMG!!! Although it is day surgery, I don't get into hospital til pm so there a likely I might have to stay in overnight if anything goes wrong ect but waking up in hospital on Xmas day will defiantly be different!!! 

Getting an iPhone 6!!! Now my upgrade on my iPhone 5 was due over 2 months ago but I generally kept forgetting to go into a Vodafone shop to sort it out. I knew I wanted an Iphone 6 and also knew I would have to pay £99 for the phone as my Iphone 5 was abit old, the buttons were either broken, slow or on the way to die and also was full of scratches. So I saved up money to get the phone, but I didn't expect Vodafone buy back to want my phone for £70 so I only ended up paying £29!! Tbh the phone aint much difference from the 5 but the battery, camera and screen is alot better!! I got the spray grey one and have a lovely mint green case for it. 

I had a few gifts left to buy for Ava's 3rd birthday which is on 6th December, and while I had to wait for my phones to be sorted I had an hour to spare and luckily I found and got everything I wanted for Ava birthday gifts and also more stuff for her Christmas. Maybe I will do a blog post on how I done her birthday and Christmas as their only 2 weeks apart. I decided her birthday was peppa pig themed pressies and Christmas is Frozen themed pressies and it has worked out to be sooo easy and enjoyable to buy.


I did plan to get back into blogging a few times a week this week but I can't seem to find the motivation and passion for it lately. I might do a post on how low I've been feeling and how it has effect so much of my life lately. Here is just a quick update/this week kinda of post. I don't think Beth will be continuing her Pregnant update post as she isn't very well, shes busy and also Bella is expecting to come any day soon but I will speak to her and plan a blog post for when Bella is born. Hope you all are well and are getting into the Christmas spirit :) 

Lots of love
Katie xx 
  

A Blog Update

Where have we been?

So few weeks ago we had no other choice than to take a break on our blog due to many reasons which can't be said online. But Me and Bethany are not living in the same house at the moment and where Beth is, she hasn't got a laptop or WIFI so she has been doing her best to keep up to date with her pregnancy update via her phone and rubbish wifi. I obviously have got access to laptop and internet but past few weeks I have been extremely down, ill and lack of motivation to even switch on the laptop. I didn't want to write a blog post just for the sake of it. Hopefully in the early months of 2015 we should have our blog back it's normal 2 blog post a day but for now we will be trying our hardest to keep you up to date with Beth's pregnancy and also few other random post. 

With Beth being back in Essex and me being in Windsor it has meant we haven't seen each other at all over the past weeks which has been so so weird as we were so used to living with each other daily. Not only is Beth my soon to be Sister In Law but she is also my closest friend so it has been hard without her also not having my Niece and Brother around has been so lonely. So the post we use to write together will obviously be taking abit of a break but hopefully our separate updates and other blog post will start again and be back to normal in the new year. 


Essex To Windsor will hopefully and we hope will be back to normal in 2015 where we hope will a new fresh start for all of us and for our blog. We apologies in advance if some days or weeks there is no content and obviously with Bella due any day soon, Ava's 3rd birthday, Christmas and My operation/health there will be days/weeks when it's impossible to write. Sorry!!! 


Lots Of Love,

Katie xx 

36 Weeks Pregnancy Update

OMG 4 weeks left!! This pregnancy is deffo going fast! The excitement of my due date growing nearer is really taking over at tha moment and it's all hand on deck as final preparations are made for Bellas arrival :)

How pregnant are you? 

I'm 36 weeks :)

How many days until due date:

I only have 27 days till I'm due! 

Weight: I still have no idea ha ha

Pregnancy symptoms:  I was sick this morning! And I have back ache 

Stretch Marks: No more than last week! 

Cravings: My cravings have died down a little bit at the moment I'm just getting the urge to snack a lot! 

Movement: Bella is getting very active moving more during the day and not just in the evening! 

Gender: girl 

Sleep: sleeps okay at the moment but my hips are aching in the night due to spd 

Worst moment this week: This weeks been okayish just that I'm still waiting to wash bellas coming tights is frustrating! 

Best moment this week: Best moment this week was putting up Bellas Moses basket stand! I felt so proud of myself 

Nesting: I have been a bit more domestic this week! Getting on one about getting Bellas stuff sorted 

Labour signs: I've had a few tightenings and Bellas been pushing down 

Belly button in or out? In but it's rising! Ha ha 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on :)

Happy or moody most of the time: happy with a bit of moody! Ha ha 

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to getting all my hospital bag sorted! 

Lots Of Love

Beth...xxx

Toddler Tuesday

Last week when I did my toddler Tuesday update Ava was not very well:( she has only just gotten over this after passing it on to mummy & daddy! 

That's the thing when you have children you nurse them better and get them back to full health and then come down with it yourself! But I must say it's totally worth it for them to no longer be ill. It's like you literally taking it off them and although left under the weather it does feel rewarding.  

It is safe and I'm so happy to say she is back to her cheeky self ...

Bedtime Battle

The old bedtime battle is back! She won't go to sleep without anyone sitting with her till she falls asleep nor will she stay in her bed all night, I think when she has change she takes it out on her sleep and knowing that the arrival of her baby sister is soon also adds to her insecurities of anyone leaving her alone. Thanks to great help from family we are all chipping in to lay with Ava so we all get the chance to eat and rest. With Tommy at work all day and me heavily pregnant with only 4 weeks to go it comes as a great help! If anyone has any tips then please feel free to tweet us on our Essex To Windsor Twitter :)

Ava does certainly entertain me during the day and her speech is really coming on even in this last week. Although her sleeping pattern is a bit up the wall at the moment she is still showing what a happy bright little girl she is doing us proud every day :) 

Ava's night time antics are making her sleeping during the day!...

 

That concludes my Toddler Tuesday for this week:) hope you all enjoyed as I'm sure a lot of you mums and dads may be able to relate. With all the factors of parenting all the ups and downs it is the most rewarding job in the world :) 

Lots Of Love 

Beth...xxx

Throwback Thursdays - Nursery/Pre School

Throwback Thursday

Nursery/Preschool

This week being Ava's first week back at nursery school after the half term we though it would be a good idea for nursery to be our throwback theme. Though quite a long throwback and limited pictures due to them getting misplaced over the years we thought it would be quite a nice theme. Its quite nice to reminisce about the innocent times of our lives. 

Its now we see how easy life was back then when being kids. Both of us have very good  memories about being in nursery, we remember the things we used to do and play and the people who we went with. Its amazing the things your mind chooses  to remember. 

Beth

Beth in her pre school days

I have many memories about pre school. Some of the best to be honest. That was back in the day when I hadn't a care in the world. I was an innocent child who went to school to play and make friends. Much how Ava probably feels now. I remember one day at pre school where they had a donkey come and we all took turns in riding this donkey. I cant remember why exactly they had the donkey turn up, I just remember how I felt. I remember looking up at the animal thinking wow. To me it was so big, and something I had never really seen before. I couldn't wait to  have a go riding the donkey even though it was a short ride it filled me with most wonderful excitement. This makes me realise about children. That the simplest of things when they are new give children a lot of excitement the unknown to them is not scary its exciting. So why now does the unknown scare us adults? That is now a question in my mind. Where does the fear of the unknown develop from?

Katie & Tommy

Katie & Tommy at Pre School 

Mine and Tommy's pre school was called Teddy's and my most remembered memory was having "Teddy Bear Picnic" where each child would take a teddy bear each and go onto the field near pre school and have a picnic. I also remember my Mother being at every pre school outing as she would always come with the staff and other mums. I have abit of a memory block from that age and a few blips from my childhood, I think because when me and Tommy first started out first school, a few months into it we Moved to Windsor to start another school so our friends and surrounding changed alot so for young kids I think I sort of blocked my life previous to Windsor. But that is my most remember memory from pre school. Because of this I always want to make sure we take loads of pictures, drawings and videos of Ava during pre school so she can remember lots when she is older. 

Its quite  good thinking about your life in the past no matter how far back, just to see where your life is now and how much has changed. There are always good and bad memories but there are a lot of memories that are special and that filled us with joy in our childhood that we all would never change...

Lots Of Love 

Katie & Beth...xxx

Date Night - Annabelle

Date Night

When you have children sometimes your relationship can suffer. All your time goes on your children, work, house work ect that you forget about quality time together. Its important to not let that happen.. you need your quality time too. So one night a month find a baby sitter & push your housework to one side and go out enjoy yourself. 

Since moving to Windsor this is something me and Tom have been able to do thanks to Shelly and Katie. Last week for our October date night Tommy took me to Wetherspoons and Cinema. 

I had the most AMAZING ribs to eat. they fell off the bone and melted in my mouth they tasted delicious too!! It was the ribs and chicken combo. We went on Tuesday so it was steak night and the ribs and chicken combo was on that we got the meal and drink for just £6.25 each!! 

After our lovely food we made our way to the cinema where we decided to watch Annabelle the recent scary release. I had been wanting to see it for a while so I was very excited! Me a Tommy found a way around the expense of cinema prices, we ordered a popcorn and fanta ice blast each, usually this would cost you quite a bit but me and Tom bought a Child's size of both and it cut the price down by over half! The disappointment at this stage was that the screen was not cleaned til late which meant delay in time and Tom had drunk all his drink!    

The film was all I thought it would be. Really good! Yeah some people may say oh aint all scary films following in the same pattern? but you get that with all films, romance, comedies ect all follow the same sort of pattern. I thought the acting in the film was really good and clear. The film had loads of jumpy parts and on the whole it was really creepy so it didn't let me down. I think the fact it was set a bit back in time made it different. I would really recommend this film. :)

Date night made me and Tom appreciate each other, and we saw that the spark we always have had is still there. We are still very much in love and are a tight family unit that will never be broken. We look forward to many date nights together.

Me And Tom

I would certainly recommend that more couples have date nights!! 

Lots Of Love

Beth...xxx 

Toddler Tuesday - Unwell Toddler

Toddler Tuesday 

Unwell Toddler

It is the begging of November which mean weather changes! As its gets darker earlier cold days and long cold evenings. We all feel it. No matter who we are, no matter where we from, male or female or young or old. Though I do find the first to notice weather changes are little ones. 

As the weather has changed slowly the past few days so has Ava. Gradually getting a little cough which has got worse turning in to sneezes and a runny nose, now making her feel full on under the weather. 

Little Ava much is not the kind of girl to lay down and let something make her feel rubbish, she will just not give in to it and rest. Like many toddlers I presume. When they do finally hit the sofa you know that its because they really do not feel well. Ava has had her bursts of energy but always has a come down straight after resulting in her laying on the sofa for a bit which is unlike her. 

I knew Ava was not feeling great from this morning. She laid in bed until really late morning watching children tv. She does this anyway but not for this long. She stayed there when I went to the loo and made her breakfast. On a usual day she would get up and follow me, start running around and causing havoc, being the Ava we all know and love. As a mum you know instinctively when your child is under the weather. Always follow your instincts when being a parent. A mothers instinct is very rarely wrong. No one knows a child better than  their mother. 

Another tell tale sign of a child being under the weather is their appetite. Nine times out of ten their appetite goes down, you may offer them loads of different types of food and they will not be interested. Ava barely ate any breakfast only some and she loves peanut butter on toast! She was not interested in lunch, and she only ate some dinner of a pizza not much of that. I gave her finger foods thinking and great big dinner may look intimidating when she feels like this, the only thing she is liking is vanilla ice cream, that is most likely because it soothes her throat. 

Every child has a comfort. When they are ill they tend to want them more. This is what I find with Ava anyway. She loves milk and it comforts her. She has been carrying around cups of milk all day. When she wouldn't separate herself with it, it confirmed what I obviously knew. Thats she under the weather. I have got my partner to bring  Ava in some calpol  medicine and cough syrup, see if that helps. 

Though she is not feeling great my little angel has kept a smile on her face refusing to be beat. 

Ava keeping a smile on her face

Remember too keep your little one wrapped up when going out make sure they have their winter coats clothes and shoes on! Children for some reason are the first to catch these things.

Lots Of Love 
Beth...xxx