Thursday 25 May 2017

Freddie at 18 months old

Freddie how can you be 18 months old! It feels like I have blinked and you have gone from this tiny newborn to this grown up cheeky rascal!

At 18 months old you are wearing a mixture of 12-18 and 18-24 clothes, a size 5+ nappy at night and a size 4 pull up in the day. 

You hate having your bum changed or having your clothes put on or taken off! Trying to dress you in a morning is like dressing a moving target! The only time I try and lie you down to change you is if there is poop! Rest of the time your have to stand up!

You absolutely adore your big brother! And the feeling is actually mutual now! James comes rushing over to see you after school when we pick him up, and then once we are home you follow him around like a little shadow! You actually play together pretty well now, you love it when James tickles you and you actually let him pick you up!

You are very much a mummy's boy and if I go out your sight for more than twenty seconds you are screaming blue murder! Unless of course nana and gaga are visiting then you glue yourself to gaga!

We have started going to a new toddler group on a Tuesday morning at a local church hall which you love! We still go to sure start on a Thursday morning and you have been having ball there lately in the nice weather playing in the garden and going on the slide! Although you did get soaking wet playing in the water the one day mummy forgot to bring spare clothes! 

You are learning lots of new words, but your favourite words have to be mama and J! As soon as you see your brother you start shouting J! J!

You have a real love for Iggle Piggle after our trip to CBeebies Land and you cuddle up to your little Iggle Piggle every night, so I think we might need to invest in a bigger one for you!

I can't believe we are now on the count down to your second birthday! But of course first we have your big brother turning five!

Love you always my little bear
Mummy xxx 


Saturday 20 May 2017

SnoozeShade #NotJustForSummer

Last summer we were sent a SnoozeShade Original to review and to say we fell in love with it, is an understatement! We absolutely adore it! So when we were asked to take part in the Not Just For Summer campaign we were thrilled!

Even before we got involved we were already using the SnoozeShade over the winter. Freddie was in a forwards facing Mamas and Papas Armadillo pushchair and even though it has a big hood and a pull out sunshade. It just doesn't stop the winter sun from getting in his eyes.

We live in the north east where the winter wind can be bitterly cold. I have not only been using the SnoozeShade to keep the sun out of Freddie's eyes, but also to keep the bitterly cold wind off him.
 
This has been so good for the school run as a few times Freddie has fallen asleep in his pushchair before I can get a coat onto him for going to pick up James so I have had to wrap blankets around him then done up the footmuff and put the SnoozeShade over to keep the wind off him. A few times I have even added the rain cover on top of the SnoozeShade just to keep any drizzle off and give him an extra layer. 

When we were away at Alton Towers in Easter holidays the SnoozeShade was first thing I packed into changing bag! This ensured Freddie got a decent nap in the park. For this trip we were using our Sola pram as we needed the seat for on the coach. 

The SnoozeShade has got to be my favourite product I have used with Freddie. It it permanently in the basket so it's there when ever we need it!

I would recommend the SnoozeShade to anyone and a few people have even stopped and asked me where it's from and what it is!

Monday 15 May 2017

Ten things that make me happy



I've been tagged by the lovely Chelle at http://www.chellemccann.com to write a post on ten things that make me happy. 

1. Hearing James read his school book. James is the youngest in his class at school and does struggle with his reading and writing, so hearing him sounding out letters and blending them into words makes me happy.

2. Hearing Freddie snoring on a night. My good sleeper has turned into a rubbish sleeper so I value anytime he's actually asleep.

3. My friends. My best friends may not be local to me, but I know they are always at the other end of the phone.

4. Andy. My wonderful husband is probably my best friend and he's always been there for me in good times and bad.

5. My iPad. I'm such a geek and love technology. I tend to do most of my blogging work on my iPad as Freddie tries to slam the laptop shut on my fingers or climb up the chair or even try and tip me off the chair!

6. Tea! I love a good cup of tea and generally drink about 6 cups during the day! 

7. Photography. I actually have an a/s level in photography and I love the work of Ansel Adams.

8. Spending one on one time with James. Since Freddie came along I don't really get much time with just James, so when I get that time I love it!

9. Freddie giving a big smile as you know he's either done something mischievous or is about too. He's way more mischievous than James was at the same age!

10. Having a day out as a family. Andy used to work every other Saturday, so now he's off every weekend we try and do something as a family. 

I'm tagging the lovely Lucy at http://mrshsfavouritethings.com/

Wednesday 10 May 2017

James and Freddie do CBeebies Land!

The day was finally here and boy was it an early start! Mummy and daddy had their alarm set for 0545am! 

We got the boys up at 0615am and got them dressed. We had layed out all the boys clothes the night before on the sofa. Both boys had breakfast which was great as we were planning on feeding them on the coach.

We had a taxi booked for 0715 to take us into town as our national holidays coach went from Bewick Street, across the road from Newcastle Central Station and we did not want to chance public transport early in the morning!

Mummy and daddy had prepared for the trip by downloading lots of programmes and films onto our tablets for the boys to watch.

Our coach left at 0750am. We had to swap coaches at Wetherby, The boys were so good on the first coach, in fact Freddie slept for a good chunk of the time! We had plenty for them to do and keep them occupied plus they each had a new toy Teletubby! We left Wetherby at ten to eleven. Freddie started to lose his patients a bit, but lucky when that happened, we were close to the park! 



We arrived at the park just after 1pm. James was so excited! After getting the pram we headed straight into CBeebies Land! 

The first ride we went on was the Go Jetters Vroomster. We had a short wait but James loved it! We then did the Octonauts ride with quite a long wait but again James loved it.

After the Octonauts it was time for lunch! Sandwiches, tea and coffee for mummy and daddy. Jacket potatoes, beans and fruit for the boys!

Then it was Postman Pat which we could all go on! Freddie absolutely adored this ride! He sat on the seat hitting the horn! We got a great photo on this ride! We then went into Nina's science lab which James was running round trying everything! 


We then went into the photo studio n got a photo with Go Jetters! 

We were back on the coach to the hotel just after 5 but left coach park at half 5. Our hotel was about an hour away from the park and Freddie slept the whole way!

We got into our hotel room at 7pm, then went down for our meal which was lovely. Both boys were asleep by half nine!

Day two was another early start with having breakfast at just after 7am! 



We left the hotel at 9am and got to park at 10am for opening! James wanted to go on the Octonauts first, so daddy took him on that! Then they went on the Go Jetters ride! 


We then did the In The Night Garden boat ride. Freddie absolutely loved this one! His face lit up when he saw Iggle Piggle!

 
We then left Cbeebies land and went over to Mutiny Bay to go to Sharkbait Reef, both boys absolutely loved this! James was very excited to find Nemo and Dory!

We then got a cable car up to cloud cuckoo land. We had lunch at the burger kitchen which was lovely and hot! Both the boys loved their food! Mummy and James then went on a carousel! 

Jame did the driving school and got his driving license! While daddy and James queued up, mummy went and changed Freddie's bum, I put the snoozeshade over the pram to see if Freddie would get some sleep which he did - two hours! 


After the driving we went back down to the cable cars and went back down to Tower Street and had a look in the shop before heading back into CBeebies Land to go into the Something Special Sensory Garden. We then went into the shop where James got a grandmaster glitch toy and Freddie an Iggle Piggle! 

We then went out into Tower street to let James have a run on the grass while mummy nipped into the shop and bought keyrings and a pen. 

Freddie woke up and we went into a coffee shop. We needed a chill out before we did toilets and bum change before getting back on the coach. 

The coach left just after 4pm. After a half hour break at Wetherby services we finally got into Newcastle just before 10pm! 

It was a brilliant couple of days but a very long trip home! Freddie did lose his patients a few times and need out of his seat for cuddles, but James was brilliant!

We would love to go back, but maybe try a different way of getting there and back!

Disclaimer: We paid for this trip ourselves and are writing about it to show how much fun we had! 

Saturday 6 May 2017

Freddie at 17 months

So I'm over a week late this month since you have been pretty poorly with an ear infection plus tonsillitis, so I've not had much time for anything bar you clinging to me! You barely ate or slept for over a week! 

So 17 months Freddie! We are nearly half way to you turning two! 

Your walking has come on such! Especially when we were at Alton Towers! You walked everywhere on the first day in the park! You got to drive Postman Pat's van with James which you loved! You were hitting the horn on the steering wheel and laughing! You had an absolute ball while we were away! You fell more in love with Mr Tumble and Iggle Piggle too! You even came home with a toy Mr Tumble and toy Iggle Piggle, who join you in your cot every night! 

So you are in a mixture of 12-18 and 18-24 clothes, you wear a size 5+ nappy at night and a size 4 pull up in the day. You take a size 4.5H in shoes! You love walking on your reins especially when James is holding them!

You are still very much a mummy's boy and love nothing more than snuggling up in bed or on the sofa with mummy! You adore your big brother and miss him very much when he's at school! You love going to your group at sure start although you have missed a few due to illness lately!

You have been known to start hitting the door during the day shouting for James or J as you call him! 

Your eating has taken a few steps backwards since u were ill. Your back to eating basically mush. You are starting to eat more solid foods like fruit but I think your throat might still be a bit tender as if u are given pieces of Chicken you are gagging a bit.

I wonder what new tricks you will have by 18 months

Love you always Freddie Bear
Love
Mummy
xxx