Hen Doooo

In 5 weeks time I get married and I celebrated my hen do at the weekend. It was organised by my best friend Amy who did an absolutely incredible job with everything. It absolutely exceeded all my expectations! 

I chose where I wanted to go, but the rest, Amy organised. 

We arrived in Manchester around 2pm and checked into our room at the Holiday Inn Express. 

To start, we went to Annie's in Manchester city centre for afternoon tea - I love tea so this had to be factored in somewhere. I also thought it'd be good for us to be in a relatively quiet environment for people to get to know each other. 

Upon arrival, I was presented with a bag fully of goodies, I had a bride to be tiara with veil, bride to be garter (which I wore over my jeans!) a bride to be sash, L plate, rosette, a willy whistle, several willy straws!! a huge flashing ring, a picture for all the hens to kiss which is such a lovely keep sake! The list goes on! I was so pleased that I was dressed up :) 

After Annie's, we went back to the hotel bar for a few drinks and played a game ... everyone had to write a funny / embarrassing story relating to sex / dating and I had to guess who it belonged too...... I am usually such a prude, but it was hilarious and everyone really got into it, even my Mother in law! It was such a great laugh! 

For the evening part, we had a meal at prezzo, which was just gorgeous, the food, the service, the atmosphere... everything was just perfect. After prezzo we moved on to the Birdcage. I had never been before, but heard so many amazing things. As soon as we got in there, I knew it was right up my street! It was a cabaret, with a mix of 80's, 90's 00's music. They'd have music on for half an hour or so, then they'd have a show on which was usually some kind of drag act, but it was amazing! I literally had the best night I could have wished for. I danced all night until my feet were numb with the best people. It was epic. I really cannot thank all the girls, especially Amy enough for making it one hell of a night to remember. 

I was sharing a room with Amy and my cousin Gemma who have actually become friends due to both being bridesmaids and I sat in bed at the end of the night realising how lucky I am to have such awesome people in my life. I'm one lucky, lucky girl and my hen do was beyond perfect from start to finish!  

Opening my bag of goodies

With my beautiful Bestie, Amy

with my fab bridesmaids, my L-R
My cousin Gemma, Best friend Amy
Sister in law Paula and my sister Emily

All of us at Annie's

With my amazing cousins - Anthony and Gemma

Ready for the night do

With My mother and sister in law

With my sister

Group shot in Prezzo

With my bridesmaids in the Birdcage

With my Mum 

Perfect way to end a perfect night

22 Months Old

My beautiful boy,

What a month we have had!

 

These months just seem to be whizzing by at an alarming rate! It's now only 6 weeks until me and Daddy get married so I've been really busy planning that and as such, the past few weekends have been running errands and doing jobs.  

 

At the start of the month, Daddy decided he was going to do controlled crying with you because you were getting more and more difficult going to bed at night. Long gone are the days you would fall asleep whilst having your milk and sometimes it was past 9pm when you were going to sleep, which meant me and your Daddy weren't getting much of our evening. So he decided enough was enough. The first night was absolutely awful. You screamed and screamed and cried and shouted for us for a long time. I couldn't bare it. Eventually, I came in your room to sit with you and held your hand. I made sure not to talk to you or get you out. It seemed to work because you eventually fell asleep. The following night, you cried for 15 minutes on and off, which was much more bearable. By the third night, you had cracked it. I had my bridesmaids round for a hair up trial that night, so Daddy took you up and when he put you down there was no crying. I was amazed because on that 1st night, I didn't think you'd ever get the hang of it.

 

Once we had bed time sorted, I still had to work on nap times. They can be hit and miss as sometimes you'll look tired, but when I settle you down for your nap, you will want to keep playing, which is fine if we are downstairs but what I didn't want to do, was to put you down in your cot too early and have to get you back out as I was worried that this would make you want to get up at night. A week or so after you'd started going to bed on your own, I would let you fall asleep in my arms at nap time,  then carry you up to your cot, so at least when you woke, you'd be in your room.  One day I asked if you wanted to go to your cot for a sleep and you pointed and said cot, so I took you up and you went to sleep and you've been the same ever since. We have cracked the sleep thing completely now though as you are napping in your cot and going down on your own at night. It's such a relief. I'm so very proud of you for grasping it in only 3 nights!

 

We had Father's Day this month. Unfortunatly, we didn't spoil Daddy as much as I wanted... The night before, you'd been on a sleep over at Nan and Grandad's as me and Daddy had been out with friends and I was working on the Sunday morning so it meant Daddy woke up on his own. As he'd stayed out the night  before with his friend until very late, we didn't really do much on Father's Day. But I promise we'll make it more special for him next year. You will be 2.5 then, so I will need your help!

 

Eating is hit and miss again. Some meal times you are a joy and will eat every scrap and ask for more, other times more of your food will end up on the floor than in your belly. You are getting better though - it helps because I will allow you to watch Peppa Pig on the iPad whilst I continue cooking for us, so I think it disctracts you enough. Whenever I ask you what you want for  dinner, you will always ask for 'pata and brocci' which is pasta and brocolli. This makes me really happy as I don't like the little green trees. Another favourite is choc choc. We have child locks on the drawers but you can reach your little hand in to get whatever is at the front of the drawer and you will very often help yourself, even if Mummy has said no, but you are so cheeky with it that it's hard to stay mad!

 

Speech - where do I begin with this one? I have said this every month since you started talking, but I am literally blown away by how much you know. The other day we were in the car, and you were saying a word that we couldn't understand... when we figured out what you were saying, it was 'transporter' How on Earth a 22 month old can remember the word transporter and recognise what a transporter, is just totally beyond me! You can easily put sentences together now and you will still take us by the hands and say 'show Mama' or 'show Dada' if you want to show us something or take us somewhere. When we are in the car you will play a game with your Daddy. You will see a van or a bus or something and you will shout what it is and tell daddy to chase it. As we get closer to it, you will say, we're coming, Mummy, Daddy and Alfie coming, then when we pass it, you will shout 'got ya'. It's the cutest thing!!! There's far too many words in your vocabulary to list and you speech is just so clear. I've put a couple of videos of you on facebook recently, one saying Alfie George Bradbury and the other one saying best thing ever and so many people have commented on how good  your speech is for you age, which just makes me so incredibly proud. I am so excited for you to be talking properly. (Although I may regret saying that haha ;) )

 

The cutest things you say which we love, are; 'dub ew' (Love you), best sing eber (best thing ever), Alfie Dorge Brabry (Alfie George Bradbury) ordindge (orange). Gosh Alfie, there's just so much stuff you come out with in your own little way which is the cutest most adorable thing ever.

 

You are very head strong and know what you want and don't want. You've taken to paddying this month if you don't get your own way. We have had a few instances where you have thrown yourself on the floor in a supermarket  and not let us pick you up if we don't let you run riot. We don't want you to be one of 'those' kids, but it's so funny adn we tend to just laugh at you rather than shouting in the middle of the shop. It is so funny ;)

 

Overall, you are such a good boy and I know the naughty spells are just you testing boundaries and knowing what is right and wrong. It can be tricky sometimes as you really can try our patience, but the good far out weighs the bad.

 

I really can't imagine my life without you in it and I am so, so proud of you and I'm so proud to be your Mummy.

 

I love you so much

 

Mummy xxxxx

 

21 Months Old

Dear Alfie,

I have been a bad Mama and not wrote your 21 Month letter!

The months are whizzing by and with us getting married I'm getting lost in the day. I will try my best to remember as much as I can. 

Your speech has continued to amaze me this month and so many people are saying how great it is for your age. This is lovely to hear as of course, we have nothing to compare you too! You are making us very proud though. 

I've managed to get a couple of video's of you talking this month. The 1st one I got was you saying 'Best Thing Ever' You have also learned how to say your full name too, which I don't think I'll ever get bored of hearing. You are just super cute! 

So many people keep telling us how advanced your talking is but to us, you are just Alfie and we are happy for you to learn at your own rate. I do love being able to have little conversations with you though :) 

It was my birthday in May which was lovely as the weather was the hottest of the year so far. It was very different to all my other birthday's though as we went to Manchester for the day with your Nan and Grandad to watch your Daddy run in the Manchester 10k. It was an amazing day, the weather was perfect, the atmosphere was great and your Daddy did brilliantly in the race. He was so quick that we actually missed him crossing the finishing line! We didn't make proper arrangements, so I was waiting with you and Nan and Grandad by the finish line and we ended up missing Daddy and it took us an hour to find him. I was so proud of him though and you even got to wear his medal :)

At the end of May, we went to London for the weekend and stayed with Uncle Ant. You were an absolute star on the journey there and were so well behaved. We couldn't have wished for better behaviour. Not long after we arrived in London, you fell asleep, which worked out quite well for us. Once you'd woken up we had a walk down the Thames and we saw the London eye. You were in your element being able to run around and pointing out all the different things. You went to bed really well too -  you shared with me and Daddy that night. The following morning though, you woke a 6.30am and it was quite difficult to keep you settled until it was a reasonable time to get up! Once we were all ready, we went out to a little diner and had brunch and afterwards went to the park for an hour before we had to leave. I think this was quite possible your favourite part of the whole trip - you absolutely loved running around the big open field chasing your football with Daddy, Uncle Ant and Jason. It was a joy to watch you be so happy and I know Daddy is secretly over the moon at how well you've taken to kicking a ball. Sometimes, you even shout 'goal' which is super cute.  The train journey back was a bit of a nightmare though, as you woke from your nap just as we boarded the train, meaning we had to entertain you for 3 hours. It was not easy, let me tell you. Daddy did a great job though as it seemed you only wanted him on that journey. I was so glad to get home that night! 

Overall, it's been a good month for us and on the whole you have been such a good boy. We really have to be careful what we say now though as you are picking up so, so much on a daily basis! It still amazes me that you are learning so much from listening to me and Daddy and copying us! 

You are one very special boy Alfie George. I love you with all my heart 

Mummy xxxxxx

Me and Mine {May}

My blog has been extremely neglected of late... Planning a wedding single handedly will do that!

I've been taking the pics for Me and Mine, but just not posting them... Ooops! 

This Me and Mine picture for May, is quite possibly my favourite picture of the 3 of us to date

A birthday family selfie

It was taken on my birthday. We were just on our way out for a meal and I'd asked Dad to take some pictures of the 3 of us, only Alfie wouldn't co-operate as he wanted to keep playing. As we were leaving I managed to quickly snap this picture and it happens to be my favourite picture of us. I just adore it :) 


We actually got  quite a few snaps of us this month with it being my birthday and us having a weekend in London. Here they are: 

Dad's attempt - Alfie was not one bit impressed!

In London Baby!

Just before we left London

You can't beat a train selfie ;)

20 Months Old

My Beautiful boy,

This blog has been somewhat neglected over the last few months as I've been so busy planning our Wedding. I've still been writing you letter, but just not posting them, which I intend to catch up on now... So here is your 20 Month Letter: 

I’m a few days late with your letter this month. So much has happened, I’ve struggled to be able to find time to sit down and write to you.

What a month it’s been. At the start of April, we had our 1^st over night stay away in the Lake District and you absolutely loved it. You were in your element exploring your new surroundings and going for a walk on the nature trail. I loved seeing your little face light up when you were pointing to new things or you saw birds etc. It was so lovely.

The following weekend was very different. You became really poorly. We’d been out on the Saturday afternoon and when we got home you started acting out of sorts. I’ve written another post about it, so I won’t go into all the details here, but it was horrible to see you so poorly. It was like you were my baby again and you just wanted your Mama. When we took you to A&E, the doctor told us you had tonsillitis. After he’d given you some medicine you were back to your best in no time. I am so proud of how well you take medicine. You never fuss or spit it out and you are such a good little boy which makes us very happy.

We’ve had a couple of long weekends this month with it being Easter and the May day bank holiday, so it’s been lovely having your Daddy home a bit more than usual. For Easter, we managed to see the whole family. We went to your Nan and Grandad’s in the morning, with Auntie Paula, Uncle Mark and Jack and Holly, then later on we went to Nana and Papa’s for tea, so you were spoiled that day as everybody made a big fuss over you! I really enjoy it when we all get together, especially with the kids because you are becoming firm friends with Jack and Holly. In fact, you’ve started to ask for Jack all the time and will give us our phone so we can find pictures of him for you to look at which is seriously cute.

During this month, we’ve had a couple of incidents with you where you have been naughty in that you have head butted me twice and cut my lip. It’s been really hard because I know it’s just your way of expressing your frustrations as you can’t articulate them. I forget sometimes that you are still so young and you don’t know right from wrong. Thankfully, it’s not happened since and on the whole you’ve been much better behaved.

Your talking has taken off totally now and you are putting sentences together and can pretty much say anything we ask of you. The letters you struggle with most are your l’s and h’s. I’ve been totally amazed by how much you know and have picked up in such a short amount of time though and you really are a little brain box. 

Your favourite thing to watch is still banana’s in pyjama’s and now that you are talking, you will ask us which one to put on for you. For  example, if you want to watch the one about the Ducklings, you will tell us ‘Peck’ as that’s the Mummy Duck. Bernard seems to be your favourite character at the moment though. The thing I’ve noticed more this month is you are starting to say full words more.

Daddy  still takes you to the Chickens after tea every night and when you 1^st started talking, it would be chick and pea (for peacock) but now you are saying the words in full no problem. You are leaving your baby days behind more and more all the time and whilst I’m excited for you it is very bittersweet as I miss you being my tiny baby. 

I will sign off for now. 

Love you more than anything

Mummy 

xxxxxxx