Friday 29 April 2016

Logan's one year update!

Logan's one year update is one I never thought I'd be writing any time soon. 

How on earth is my baby 1!! 

He is without a doubt the funniest person I have ever met and the cleverest 1 year old I know! 


The words he can say are;

* mama 
* Dada
* Bubble
* Stairs
* Juice
* Bed
* Grandad
* Ball
* Duck

He only has two little bottom teeth! (I swear a top one was coming through but it disappeared) 

His favourite foods are anything with mashed potato and gravy! I could soak anything in gravy and he'll eat it. 

He loves bananas and pears and any food that's naughty! 

He had his 1 year injections and was such a trouper. The tiniest cry for the 3rd one and he was over it immediately. Pretty amazing if I say so myself! 

He can climb the sofa now and he climbs his slide and slides down by himself. 

He is walking!!!!! He doesn't walk 100% as he's still a bit nervous and gets places faster on his knees. But he walks around the house so much and gives me daily heart attacks when he just walks around the hard kitchen floor as though he's never going to get hurt. 

I am so unbelievably proud of him! 

He is So Cheeky!!! He'll pretend to give you something and quickly steal it back and burst out laughing at himself. 

We recently did controlled crying and so he now finally sleeps through the night! 

(Hallelujah only took a year!)

He has definitely hit terrible twos. When he wants to have a dramatic tantrum he does it so well he could win an Oscar! 

(And usually laughs through it because he knows he's being an utter fool!) 

For his first birthday we went to Thomas land and have since been a lot! He loves it and goes on all the rides and has so much fun. I'm always up for a Thomas land day out!! 



Logan's top 1st Birthday Gifts!

As you can imagine Logan had a lot of presents. 

Mainly clothes as we were over run with presents at Christmas! 

However here are my top picks of what Logan had for his birthday or rather Logan's top picks of his favourite toys! 

I think by far the 
"Little Tikes Car" 
Is top of Logan's list of favourite toys. 
Every single day he gets in and shouts to be pushed, we've even took this car to the canal because he refuses to get out and there's only so many times you can go around your kitchen! 


Another of Logan's absolute top favs and daily used items is his bubble machine! 
Alllll day it's "bubble bubble bubble" and I am on the 4th large bottle of bubble liquid in just under two weeks! We had a bubble machine before but nothing compares to the amount of bubbles this machine kicks out. 
*not recommended for wooden or hard floors as ALOT comes out and the floor will get very wet and very slippy*

This exact one is from Mothercare :) 

Another fav was actually an Easter present but I'm going to include it in this list! It was Logan's swing. I love it and the colours are gorgeous! It is an outdoor swing but it's currently indoor so it doesn't get wet ha ha 

Another daily used item is Logan's swing! He is on it every day all day. Unless he's throwing balls down it instead! It's a toddler slide so he is able to climb up the steps himself and is so confident to slide down it! 
This is from Toys r Us and was an Instore only exclusive and was half price for only £60! 

Another present that you can't go wrong with are his building blocks! He had a box of Zoo blocks that are sooo cute and also a farm building blocks base were he can build on them. Both presents together made one extremely happy boy! 

And lastly his kitchen and food! 

Beside the fact the hundreds of pieces of food are everywere he loves it! He's always putting things in the oven and I'm hoping one day he'll learn to cook me something yummy :) 

This kitchen was from aldi and the accessories from Argos :)








Monday 25 April 2016

Timed Controlled crying


When you hear the words "controlled crying" you automatically cringe! 

Who wants to leave their baby to cry themselves to sleep? 

I tried it once a long time ago. Logan was younger and everything I new was from Google and net mums. I was all over the place. Constantly going in his room, picking him up, talking to him, offering him a bottle etc. All the things your not meant to do because it was easier and it was the way to get him back to sleep! 

This was a very long time ago. When he first went into his own room. 

It failed and our own solution was to sit with him in his room and he would settle. This of course was with a dummy and a bottle to sooth him! 
This meant every single wake up in the night I would have to sit with him till he went back to sleep again. 

Way over a month and a half ago now we got rid of the dummy... It was sooo much easier than I ever thought it would be... (Blog below somewere!) it was gone within days and I was so proud of my little man. 

Next the bottle became his soother, the thing he sucked on to send him back to sleep... Super mum fail! 

He was being fed to sleep and if he woke in the night he was being offered the bottle... Did he need it? Probably not! Did it mean quicker to get back to sleep for me? Yes! 

After constant bad nights and wakings of 6-8 times a night I was exhausted to the point I literally cried from exhaustion. It's not too bad in the day you soon get over it... But in the night it is hard and it is emotional and exhausting. 

I rang the health visitor and she came around with a list of demands I had to follow... 

1- loose the bottle completely 
2- turn the music off on his mobile so his room was silent 
3- controlled crying 
4- feeding out of a cup for his milk before bed 
5- always give him the same teddy to go to bed with 

My first thought was... So you want me to take away the 3 things I do to make him sleep! The bottle, the music, and mummy? No way!

I promised her I would give it a go though... It's my last shot at sleep? 

Night 1- it took 45 minutes to get him to sleep, he was sick and I had gone in his room a few times but I didn't give in! 
1st time after 2 minutes, 
2nd time after 5 minutes,
3rd time after 10 minutes 
4th time after 15 minute 
Sadly (and quite hilariously) he fell asleep stood up! Of course I went in and lay him down! 

He also slept through!!! 

Day 2- we were out so naps happened in the car! 

Night 2- logan was asleep within 10 minutes and woke once at 12.30, it took around 30 minutes to get him back to sleep but he slept till 7.30! 

Day 3- nap 1 (and the only nap as we seemed to only want one nap) and he was asleep within 5 minutes! 

Night 3- logan was asleep within 3 minutes of me putting him down to bed... Absolutely amazed. 

(My chart says it takes 10 days and that at day 5 I should expect him to cry for 45 minutes before I go in the first time) 

Woke up about 10.30 and cried on and off for a while but I only had to go in once :) 

Slept till 6.30! 

Day 4! Party prep day so I needed Logan to be good for his nap! 

I didn't expect what he blessed me with though. I took him up for his nap he cried as I walked out then I shut the door and he rolled over and just went to sleep! Such a good boy. Beyond proud. 

His donkey is his new sleep aid. Not his dummy or bottle or me. If he wakes he grabs donkey and back off he goes. 

It's now been two weeks since I started controlled crying. For the last week I have had no wake ups at all. At nap time Logan will say "bed" and goes towards the stairs, so we'll go up and he'll go to bed and go to sleep. Bedtime he'll watch Nick Jr. go go go bedtime song and go to bed at 7.30pm and go to sleep. He has done amazing. 

I am so proud of him and so happy with how he is sleeping. He naps around 1-2 hours and still sleeps 7.30-6 ish! 

If anyone needs any help feel free to ask! 

Good luck!! 

Saturday 9 April 2016

A letter to you...

Baby boy your one in a week, were has the last year gone? 

I don't entirely remember how you used to be, it feels like a lifetime a go but yet also like the last year has gone way to fast, but at the same time like Iv never been without you! 

Your currently asleep on my chest, you sleep in your cot for naps now so this feels amazing that you woke up and came down to sleep on mummy. 
Last night we couldn't find your lavender shampoo (probably because you hide everything) hehe. So I used your old one. The one in the Orange bottle, it smelt like baby Logan and suddenly I remembered baby Logan in his bath. 

One night one of your first baths you pulled your own hair soooo hard it pulled your scalp and you cried so bad! It broke my heart but after a nice mummy cuddle you fell asleep and were happy again. You hated baths for a little bit but you love them now! (Until daddy gets the shower head!) 

Lying on me now I can smell your hair. Just yesterday you were a baby. Here I am with a fully committed toddler lying on my chest. 

I never imagined I would be a good mum. I would run a mile from kids, but my god, you've changed me into an amazing mum and sometimes I can even stand other people's kids lol. 

Stop growing so fast baby.

 I can't wait for you to play football with daddy and play games with mumma and your little brother or sister. But please slow down. 

What I would give to have our first day again, just to hold you again and really appreciate that that moment wasn't going to last forever. It really doesn't. 

I love you Logan Andrew. Your my world and I promise to never hurt you or make you hate me. 
If I say you can't have sweets it's probably because I'm doing a yummy meal. 
If I say it's time to come in its probably because it's dark outside and I want you to be safe inside. 

Everything I do will be with you in mind. Your literally the most important person in my world. 

Gosh. How will you be 1 already 😢 

I need to wipe the tears away now and kiss you and hold you because soon I won't have a baby to hold. Before I know it you'll be leaving home and I won't get peppa pig cuddles in the mornings or milk cuddles at night. 

I love you Logan. Slow down your growing please :( xxxxxx 

Sunday 27 March 2016

A day at the Zoo!


For my birthday present Luke (My fiance and Logans Daddy) took me out to Chester Zoo, it is my absolute favorite zoo ever and I spend the whole day there ( on this occasion it shut whilst we were there) 

All my photos are on my camera and for some reason i cant get them onto my phone so this is more of a photo diary for me so may be a little boring (sorry!)


This is Luke, he is Logans daddy and he was mainly the Logan carrier for this day, we had the pushchair but Logan did not want to be in it, so as my back was agony all day Luke got the job of carrying my 19lb 7oz little man around the whole zoo! (near enough)


Logan loved looking at the Lions, the female was pacing up and down (which always makes me sad as it is a behavior they express through boredom)


Me and my little man chilling in a palm tree :) (how is it possible to love someone this much?!)


As much as I hate that I have hamster cheeks on this photo, my god this boy looks adorable!



Everyone has to pose in the monkey leaf don't they..... 



(i actually have a phot of my best friends little boy in this exact leaf many many years ago... its a tradition!) 


Ahhhh... I let logan run off and get them little knees dirty, daddy got worried and had to go play with him to make sure he was ok... meanwhile... a pigeon was doing a nice hot poo on my leg AND in my hot chocolate at the bench!





I LOVE THIS PHOTO OF LUKE!!!!!!! I dont know if its my amazing photography skills and the amazing angle, but isnt it just the cutest?! 


Waving at the camels.. 


Logan having fun on daddys shoulders why we were watching the camels and the donkeys in the background... 


When you find a random old fashioned car you have to get in for a photo... 




Hahaha... trying to take a photo of Logan infront of the Zebras but he was too interested in looking at them... cheeky monkey! 


This photo looks so cute and innocent... here is Logan looking at the painted dogs, fighting over something, little does he know they were ripping apart some large animal that was probably alive ten minutes earlier... 


oh look... you can see the poor animals left overs on the floor...


We took photos on the rangers car too! 






And Logan LOVED the Meerkats... these ones are fake... 



These ones are not... 


I had the best day ever... I could go to a zoo every single day with my boy and never get bored, I love how much he loves animals and hope that when he grows up he will be some sort of animal freak like his mummy :) 

Thanks for looking if you got to the end!!! 
x
x
x




A day at the farm for my birthday!

A Day At The Farm


So for my birthday I decided to do what I love most and go spend it with animals and not humans (haha except my favourite ones obviously)...

On my actual birthday me and Logan went to the farm with our besties Jade and Ethan. Ethan is a few weeks older than Ethan but they love to play together so we decided to enjoy the day as a little family :) (obviously that kind of family you would choose... not the ones you have by blood)


Heres a few pics from the Farm :) (Ash End Adventure Farm)

Ethan enjoying his hand :) 

Logan loving the baby sheep (yes i know they're called lambs)


Stroking a horse! (bravest baby/toddler ever)


HORSE KISSESSSSS!!! 


Logan absolutely loves the Donkeys, his favourtie teddy in the entire world is his donkey... 

Clearly the Donkey loved him too.... 



The closest Ethan got to the horse (it tried to get closer)


Shetland Pony :)


More horse kisses... xxxxx


Logan - "stop kissing me"


Me and Logan on the swings :) 


Jade and Ethan on the swings :) 


Best Friends playing on the Tractor and in the dirt... 






All in all we had such a fun day. The weather was perfect and the babies were so good... and there is just something satisfying about boys getting dirty :)