Happy Halloween

Spooky fun

Ollie tried to do scary but just looks so cute

Harry and I made some pretty scary lookings cakes

Nite Nite from me and my two little pumpkins

Autumn Artwork

Isn't it funny how setting up for the craft activity takes longer then the actual craft it's self? Even if Harry prefers to rub paint everwhere including on himself and after 10 minutes gets down from the table to play with his cars, I had fun!

Happy Birthday Harry!

Pictures from left to right: 1.The decorations 2.Ken, Mum, Suzy, Ollie, Jack, Matt, Steve, Dad, Mandy, Harry, Me 3.Luke and Harry in his pyjamas opening presents 4.Harry and his toy can of beans 5.Great Uncle Ken, Ollie, Great Auntie Mandy 6.Uncle Andy and Harry 7.Me, Ollie and Harrys Godmother Emma-Louise 8.The Dinner 9.Bloooww 10.Harry eating his 3rd piece of cake! 11.Lighting the Chinese lantern 12.The lantern in flight 13.Harry on Lukes shoulders 14.Asleep

Thank you to all our family and friends who helped make Harrys day so wonderful x

Harry's world

Recently Harry has taken to relating everthing to his family and here we all are:

 Daddy truck, Mummy car, Harry truck, Baby car

Daddy car, Mummy car, Harry car, Baby car

Daddy frog, Harry frog (we only have two plastic frogs)

We are in quarantine

Poor Harry developed Chickenpox at the end of last week so we have had to stay in for a while. He has been a very brave boy and has only had one broken nights sleep, which I am very happy about. We are really hoping that Ollie does not get it as he is so young but keeping them apart is impossible especially as last week we started playing kiss chase and Ollie cant get away!
At first I was dreading being stuck home with a 2 year old and a 15week old but the slower pace has been really quite fun. There is no rush to get out of our pyjamas in the morning, we can take our time over breakfast and we have done other things we don't always get time to do together. We have been very industrious with our time by making things together like bread, cakes, leaf prints and rubbings, however given that he is poorly and Mummy cannot keep up the pace of wholesome entertainment all day (I am good, but not that good!) we have also had copious amounts of Peppa Pig watching and of course Cars for about the zillionth time. Whilst Peppa has been on I have had some time to prepare for Harry's birthday including making the decorations for his cake (I am going for a bug and bee theme). On Sunday Harry turns 2 so he should be feeling better by then but unfortunately he will still be all spotty for his photos, I will post them anyway.

Bedtime

Last night after we had put Ollie to bed and bathed Harry, Luke read Harry his bedtime story while he had his milk. I went downstairs to finish making dinner where I had accidentally left the baby monitor in Harry's room on, so I could now hear the bedtime story telling too. It was the sweetest thing I have ever heard, Luke was reading Little bears trousers and was creating voices for all the characters, Rabbit was Australian, Bramlewell Brown very posh... My heart just melted as Harry giggled with his Daddy. I Love my boys x

Sunday evening

Why does sunday evening have to come around so fast? At least it is abit easier if you have had a great weekend and we have had a really great weekend. Thank you Luke for making all our weekends so much fun, I will miss you when you go to work tomorrow.

We mananged to catch up with my eldest brother and Harrys Godfather, Matt.

Matt is currently living in Worcestershire where he is an animator on a childrens TV series The Boblins, check it out. Both boys had lots of fun with Matt as he is great with them (as are all my brothers). Today envoled endless games of making tea, cars and a trip to play at the swings, plus he lets Harry do things I don't, thats what uncles are for!

Sleeping beauty

Today while Harry was having his usual nap, Luke went to have his haircut so I had sometime alone with the littlest one. We layed on our bed together, giggling as I gently tickled him, then I decided it would be nice for him to have a bath. So I placed Ollie safely in his cot under his mobile and went to get the bath ready, when I returned he had fallen fast asleep....

He just looks sooooo peaceful, he can have a bath another day.

Lots of fun

....with the inside of a kitchen roll

Ollie thought I was hilarious but Harry was abit camera shy today - well either that or he did not think I was that funny?!

My Pregnancy thoughts - By Luke Walker

Well, Emily has had her say, and my mother-in-law has given you her thoughts (Postings dated 1st and 2nd October), so thought I might proffer some thoughts of my own on the matter.

Where to start, where to start? At the beginning I guess. 1st time around we were living in Australia and it all came as a bit of a surprise, but an extremely happy and exciting surprise. I recall sitting in the lounge in front of the TV relaxing when Emily came skipping in to the room all excited somewhat like an excited little puppy, all bouncy and full of energy. I knew something big was afoot but at this stage I was unsure whether it was that she had found some awesome new trinket from the antique shops she had a passion for perusing, or whether there was a lovely new handbag that she had seen and was about to set about persuading me of the benefits it would bring to her life should she be bought said item, these were the sorts of things that until now would elicit this type of joy in Emily’s life. It was probably a good job that I was sitting down when she told me because I was completely hit for six when Em uttered those words that I now know would change my life for ever and forever for the good. Emily blurted out ‘I’m pregnant!’, I just laughed and we hugged, there was no way I could be anything but ecstatic about the news and the sheer enthusiasm and joy that it brought out in Emily. She is a very fun, happy and positive person all the time anyway, but it was like somebody had given her a whole bunch of sugary sweets or something, she was like hyper happy and I thought ‘well, if this is what I can expect, then having babies is going to be a joy!’.

Now, the question is, what did I actually get? Was it a joy or was it something else?

Truth is, it was definitely a joy, and any tough times during this amazing journey were soon forgotten with each new phase and each new discovery. The sickness that Emily experienced is one surprise I could have lived without, that was definitely a tough few months. Whoever coined the phrase ‘morning sickness’ was a liar, the sickness was all day every day for 14 weeks (16 weeks second time around). However, when it finally stopped I got my Emily back, glowing, happy and with a bigger spending habit than ever now that she was spending for 2!!

For my part it was clear I had a lot to learn in the 9 months ahead, and like a true bloke I started reading the ‘manuals’!, but nothing can ever really prepare you for all the 1st’s that are heading your way as a new parent. Watching the first scan pictures, feeling the baby kick for the first time, seeing an arm or leg pushing out Emily’s tummy, all these 1st’s are like nothing else imaginable, really jaw dropping stuff. Talking to the bump I am sure I looked like a total mad man, lounging around having one way conversations with my wife’s tummy, but hey, the ‘manuals’ says they can hear you and distinguish your voice, so I was doing it don’t you worry about that!.

I love Emily always, no question about that, but when she is with baby it is like the bond strengthens even further. I think it is a wonderful 9 months and what an end result you receive. Getting to meet your up until now silent friend and enjoy the baby smell that people have spoken to you about is just wonderful, and the innate connection you have with your baby is a beautiful thing. It is fair to say that I love being a Dad and I have to say that I love the journey of getting there. It was amazing the first time around and wonderfully different, yet equally fantastic, the second time around. If we are lucky enough to experience it all for a third time in the future or even more, I will totally look forward to the experience even though it will most likely mean that I will have to start robbing banks to fund our growing baby habit!.

October is here

And Autumn has really begun

The tree outside the front of our house

Yesterday we took the boys on a long walk to see 'the nature'. Harry had to take his red bucket, which comes on any walk with us at the moment just in case he finds something interesting.

After all that walking and collecting interesting things both boys were very tired. Harry could not walk back to the car on his own so Daddy had the pleasure of carrying Harry on his shoulders complete with bucket banging in to his head every other step! and Ollie just could not stay awake any longer bless him.

At home the boys went to bed very nicely so we had a cosy night in with a full on roast beef dinner (cooked by my lovely Luke) and a glass of red to complete what was a lovely Autumn day.

My Pregnancy thoughts - written by my Mum

After telling my Mum about the Designmom postings on pregnancy thoughts and my own posting (see previous) I suggested it would be nice if Mum could write her own and she was more than happy to.
Thanks Mum

Winter 1979 pregnant with Emily

I am a very happy Mum of four children, one daughter and three sons all of whom were very much wanted. During each pregnancy I could not believe the love I had for each of those unborn babies. I would cradle my bump in my arms and just long for the time I would meet them. Trying to imagine who they would look like the most. I loved being pregnant even through those months of feeling constantly sick, one of which the sickness lasted 9 months. With each of the boys, before they were born, I bought new blue rompers so strong was the feeling of a little boy growing within me. My first child was my beautiful daughter Emily, how I longed for a girl and sure enough my dreams came true. Nothing compares to the feeling of your baby kicking, trying to distinguish whether you could feel a little foot or a hand or even an elbow, gently singing or quietly talking those moments are truly special just you and your bump and feeling so safe.

My Pregnancy thoughts

This posting was inspired by one of my favouite mummy blogs Designmom as the author Gabrielle has announced she is pregnant for the sixth time! Ganrielle has asked readers to write their throughts on pregnancy, so I thought I would write mine.

Summer 2007 pregnant with Harry

I love being pregnant, every bit of it, even the sickness, which I have suffered with terribly carrying both babies, it reminds me of the tiny bub I am growing. Although I will admit having your first one still in nappies while having sickness is very hard and there were a few mid nappy change throw ups, in fact I started changing Harry’s nappy in the bathroom to save on the running distance to the loo! But once that bit is over and you get that 'I don’t need to where make-up' glow everything changes, and it become the best feeling in the world.

I think one of the most memorable points of every woman’s pregnancy is the first time they feel the baby move. When I was pregnant for the first time I was living in Australia and in the evenings would call my mum with endless questions and give her little update on the bump. One thing I would ask her was what it will feel like when the baby starts to move, to which she said it feels like a tiny butterfly fluttering. Then one evening while watching TV snuggled up with Luke on the sofa it happened, it was amazing; I then sat really still for the next few hours just waiting of the baby to move again. As both pregnancies progressed Luke and I would sit together and be able to share the little kicks and movements together, bonding with the baby before we had even met them.

During my first pregnancy I would spend hours at my desk at work daydreaming about my baby and endlessly searching the internet for information; most popular baby names, birth stories, nursery equipment, clothes, you name it I looked at it. Then when I wasn't at work I would daydream looking at the tiny white baby grows I had lovingly placed ready on the lavender scented draw liners, in fact I spent most of my first pregnancy daydreaming. With my second pregnancy I felt guilty that I did not have the time to indulge myself with daydreams as I had a very busy toddler to look after. But I do remember one lunchtime during Harry’s afternoon nap laying on our bed with one of the tiny white baby grows resting on my enormous belly imagining what my baby might look like, would they have thick dark hair like Harry, would they look like me or Luke and most of all would they be a boy or a girl?

I am so lucky to have had two fantastic pregnancies and I defiantly hope for more in the future x