Mummy & Me - July 2018

Another month is coming to a close, which means it's time for our monthly Mummy & Me pictures! My friend Nicola over at Life Through My Eyes no longer hosts the linky on her blog, but having taken part every month for 2 and a half years I feel like I've got to stick with it now! They are lovely posts to look back at too.

This month has been crazy, with Noah finishing nursery for good and with the weather being glorious, we've been so busy! Most of our photo's during the month have been quick and silly selfie's, just like these two! You'll have to excuse my face on both of these shots but I was being daft, encouraging Ava to do the same! I love how we are all wearing yellow, twinning is winning! That was totally unintentional. Hopefully, we'll have time for some better photographs next month!

Mummy & Me - June 2018

Here we are, at the end of another month! Where is the year going? It's already time for our monthly Mummy & Me post. How gorgeous has June been? Summer has only just officially started but we've had glorious sun for weeks now, we really can't complain about the weather this year! We are in our element when it's sunny so we've had lots of days out this month, we've been to Alton Towers, CBeebies Land, to the seaside,  to the Sealife Centre and to our usual spots like Towneley Park and so on. We've also spent a lot of time outside in the garden, splashing about in the paddling pool and cooling down with ice creams. I wish the weather was like this all year round! 

Anyway, here are the two photo's I've picked for this months post. The first being one of the shots that Noah took of Ava and me on a warm summer afternoon. We'd taken a walk down to a local pond, sat down to have a little rest and to play I spy and he decided he wanted to take some photographs. I think I had about 50 shots of Ava and I and then half a dozen of his feet and random blades of grass. The second photo is a silly selfie that we took after a family meal out for Nick's 32nd Birthday. I can't believe how grown up he looks in the photo!

Mummy & Me - May 2018

May has been a fantastic month, we've had glorious weather here in the UK with lots of bank holidays and family days out. We've just come back from our yearly holiday abroad. Last year we went to Marbella in Spain and stayed in a relations villa with family. Ava was just 11 weeks old at the time, it was her first holiday abroad and Noah's second time. They both love to go on holiday and both travel so well.

This year we decided to go to Puerto Pollensa in Majorca, just the four of us. We booked 11 nights, all inclusive in a 4-star hotel and it was just what we needed!  The location was perfect, the hotel was fantastic, the food was delicious and the weather was stunning! Whilst we were there I celebrated my 30th birthday which really made the big day even more memorable. We came home this weekend and I've had major holiday blues, so much so I'm thinking of booking something else later this year.

With going on holiday I had so many photographs to choose from this month. Nick had taken so many candid shots of the kids and I but I've managed to whittle it down to three. The first is a shot of Ava's first time walking on sand and into the sea. Some children don't like the feel of sand and can be scared of the sea, but not Ava! She's so outgoing and loves to explore and experience new things. The next are two shots of me playing with the children in the pool and baby splash park. We spent so much time in and around the pool, the kids loved it! Oh, what I'd do to be back there right now!

Mummy & Me - April 2018

It's that time of month, it's time for Mummy and me! April has been quite kind to us weather wise, we've had days of glorious sunshine but then days of typical April showers too. We've enjoyed half a dozen family days out, no matter the weather and my favourite pictures of us this month have got to be these ones.

The first picture is just a quick snap at our Grandparents house. We'd stayed for dinner and the kids had been playing in the garden in the sun. It was such a lovely afternoon. The bottom two are candid shots that were taken yesterday at Knowsley Safari Park. One on the steam train, the other on the carousel. Next month we should have some great shots together as we are off to Majorca. We are all so excited! 

Mummy & Me - March 2018

On my Mummy & Me post last month, I wrote how it was a little bit of an emotional one for me. You can read more about that here. I'll be honest and say that this months post is no different. It's an emotional one, in the best kind of way. At the start of March it was Ava's 1st birthday and I still can't quite get my head around it!

March has been one amazing month, we've loved every minute of it. With having such a busy month we've taken so many photo's, it's been quite hard to narrow them down. That being said the first picture for this months Mummy & Me has got to be one from Ava's first birthday party. I've taken similar pictures with Noah over the years, him sat on my lap, with a birthday cake, blowing out the candles (Nov 2015 & Nov 2016) and I love looking back to relive those birthday milestones. I guess it's going to become a little tradition for Ava and I too.

I adore these photo's that were taken on our little holiday to Center Parcs a couple of weeks ago. These pictures show Ava finding her bearings, walking outside for the first time. I think it's lovely that she walked outdoors for the first time whilst we were away. Noah came over to help too, ever the protective big brother.

Last but not least is quite the signature shot of Noah and I. I've lost count of the amount of times that Nick has taken photo's of me holding Noah's hand walking through the woods, sometimes with Ava strapped to my chest or me pushing her in the pram. I never grow old of them though, I treasure them and I'm so grateful that he remembers to take photographs of me and the kids.

Mummy & Me - February 2018

This months Mummy & Me post is a little bit of an emotional one for me, and you can see why when you look at my post from last year. I was overdue and fed up, we were all aching to meet her! That photo on my birth ball with Noah sat on my lap is one of my favourites and I'm so grateful that Nick managed to take it for me.

Fast forward 12 months and Ava turns 1 in just three days time. I still can't get my head around it. It's been the fastest year of my life with chasing after two little ones but one of my best too. She's everything we ever dreamed of and more and has totally completed our family. This is the reason I take part in Mummy & Me every month, it's priceless to look back at all these posts with just a click of the button.

I had quite a few different pictures to choose from this month but I narrowed it down to three. The first one is from last weekend, when we took the kids to the Sealife Centre. It was Ava's first time and she was absolutely mesmerised by all the fish and huge tanks, the Jelly Fish in particular. The second photo is a quick shot of Ava being cheeky, Noah being 4 going on 14 and me doting on them. Last but not least just a quick selfie on a day out with the kids. Noah is such a little poser and so handsome!

Mummy & Me - January 2018

It's time for my first Mummy & Me post of 2018. The photo's I chose for this month aren't anything special, just a quick shot on the park and a couple of selfies but I love them none the less. It's so funny to see how much Ava poses for the camera, especially on selfie mode! She is such a little character! Noah is usually too busy to come and take a photo with me but I did manage to get a couple of snaps.

We've not been getting out and about as much as we usually do because the weather has been awful. We've had snow, rain, hailstone, sleet! When we do get out and about we sure make the most of our time though. I can't wait until it starts warming up and we can have countless family days out with the kids again. Bring on Spring!

Mummy & Me - December

As we near the end of 2017 I feel quite emotional writing my last Mummy & Me post. This time last year I was pregnant with Ava and one of the photo's I used was a picture of me holding Noah, with both of our hands on my bump. Fast forward 12 months and my baby bump is now a nine month old Ava bean and it's honestly been the fastest year of my life. I feel like I've blinked and a whole 365 days have just flown on by. She's well and truly completed our family and I can't remember what life was like before she arrived.

I had half a dozen different photo's to chose from this month, from days out or quick shots whilst we've been at home but I had to go for these three festive pictures. My favourite has got to be the one of Ava giving me a big Christmas kiss whilst we waited to visit Father Christmas. She looked so cute in one of her Christmas dresses, matching headband and fluffy white coat and it was such a lovely afternoon. The other two photo's are a little grainy with them being a front camera selfie but I love them none the less. We were all sat under the tree on Christmas Eve, so excited for the morning ahead! Christmas is always magical when you have a child but having two, it just made it even more memorable. Our first Christmas as a family of four and we've all had the most amazing time!

Mummy & Me - June

Another month calls for another Mummy & Me post and I chose two photo's which I absolutely adore. The first photo was taken on a family day out to Bowland Wild Boar park two weeks ago. I was sitting in the shade feeding Ava while Noah cooled down with an ice cream. We'd just had a big hike, fed lots of animals and been on the park and all needed a sit down and a little refreshment. I just love our family days out, even more so now as a family of four and I know they are only going to become more fun (and tiring!) as Ava gets older. 

Last but certainly not least is the photo below. I don't look very presentable but I'm totally besotted with this shot and it's because my Noah took it. It was first thing in the morning, we'd just woken up and he asked to take our photo. I lifted Ava up, gave her a kiss on the neck and he captured the moment perfectly. Just three years old and already a budding photographer I think! 

It's starting to seriously freak me out with how fast this year is passing us by. You think time goes quickly when you have one child but oh my it goes even faster when you have double trouble on your hands!

Mummy & Me - May

We've just got back from a week in Marbella so there was an abundance of photo's to choose from for this months Mummy & Me post. It was Noah's second holiday abroad but it was Ava's first being just 11 weeks old when travelling. I dreaded taking such a young baby abroad but it was really easy! I think breastfeeding made everything much more straight forward as I didn't need to worry about bottles, formula and sterilising. We all had such a great time and are already planning next years holiday as we like to have a couple of holidays both abroad and in the UK to look forward to. I decided to choose 5 photo's this month as it was so hard to decide which to go for. Two are from an sunny afternoon at the beach and both candid shots, two are from the pool and the last one is another candid shot of the three of us all curled up in bed after a tiring day in the sun.

Mummy & Me - April

We've now been taking part in the Mummy & Me link up for two years, ever since it began and we've never missed a month! It's lovely to look back at how Noah has grown over the years and of course now we've added another baby to the mix, our beautiful Ava Jean.

April has been a good month. I'm still getting used to having two children as it really is a big adjustment, especially considering both their ages as they both still require a lot of attention from me. That being said I wouldn't ask for my life to be any other way and I struggle to imagine what life was like before we had Ava.

Our pictures this month seem to have a theme, hello big sunglasses! We've had quite a bit of sun for April which is the perfect excuse to wear my sunnies as I can shove them on to cover up my dark circles! My favourite photo's from this month is the top one of Noah smiling, he looks so handsome and happy and the bottom photo of me feeding Ava in public for the very first time. I adore them all but I really need to stop taking selfie's and actually ask someone to take the photo instead! 

Mummy & Me - March

Our baby was due in February so when writing last months Mummy and Me post I explained how I thought she'd have arrived by then but lo and behold I was still pregnant. When I look at last months post it feels like a life time ago when I wrote it, not just a mere 31 days. That's the thing with pregnancy, as it draws to a close you are desperate to meet your baby and are looking forward to not feeling fat, swollen and sore anymore but as soon as you have the baby you miss it right away, well I did anyway. For me I think it's more to do with the fact that we are stopping at two children and the knowledge that I won't feel those kicks ever again but on the flip side I'm glad not to have to go through another traumatic labour! 

That being said the past month has been a huge blur, a blur of absolute bliss! I'm absolutely besotted with my baby Ava and somehow love Noah even more deeply since her arrival. So for this months Mummy and Me posts I have two selfies taken with my two babies as I'm yet to get a photo of all three of us, we've just been so busy. I'll promise to have one taken by next months post! 

Mummy & Me - February

When writing last months Mummy & Me post I was convinced that when it came to my February Mummy & Me that our baby would be here by now and that we'd finally be a family of four! She had other ideas in mind though as I'm currently 5 days overdue. As I type this it's the 25th of February and as the month draws to a close I've decided to go ahead with these two photo's from the February as she may now be born in March! The first photo is a slightly candid photo of myself on the birth ball while having a tender moment and big cuddle from Noah. He insisted on sitting on my knee and I just had to ask Nick to take a photo. It's a photo I'm going to treasure forever and one that I'll be showing both children. The second photo is my bun in the oven who has decided to keep us all waiting by being overdue. Come on little one, we can't wait to meet you! 

Mummy & Me - January

It's 2017, the start of a brand new year of Mummy & Me. I can't believe that it's been almost two years since my friend Nicola over at Life Through My Eye's created this amazing linky and I'm proud to have taken part since the very beginning. 

January is a very important month for us this year as it is probably going to be the last month of us being a family of three. Noah will no longer be my only child and as excited as we are to meet our new addition that thought is so surreal at the same time! Although I've now been pregnant for over 250 days it still doesn't feel real and that's probably down to how fast it's gone by!

It's rather fitting that this month's photo's are of Mummy, Noah and baby bump. Although our baby girl isn't born yet Noah is already showing such endearing moments of affection towards her. He's always talking about his "baby sister" and often asks her to hurry up! On a daily basis he will come over to me and will cuddle or stroke my bump on his own accord and this week he's been telling me how excited he is to meet her! Just think on next months Mummy & Me we might be including our daughter, that's if she decides to show up on time!