Crikey where has that year gone??

Well isn't it amazing how time flies when you are having fun?  Of course I am using the word “fun” rather loosely.  With moping around for a bit after being made redundant, then relocating the family back to NZ, finding somewhere to live and of course moving in, I missed the grand occasion of Frankie Parker turning 1.

 

So Happy Birthday to Frankie P or is it Happy Anniversary.......???

Yes it was back in March last year that I decided to give this blogging lark a go and in that time I think, no I am pretty much sure, I have seen it all.  The good, the bad and very ugly side of the blogging and twitter community.  Everything from the cliques, bitchiness and backstabbing, to the caring, well meaning and supportive comments and tweets.  It always makes me think whether I would see this sort of thing if I wasn’t in a “mummy” blogging network?   Really, if you don’t like what someone has written, let it go, move on, life is far too short to worry about the opinions or thoughts of someone you are never going to meet!

Like all new bloggers, there were times where I was continually obsessing about posting something, why I wasn’t getting comments, where I was in the monthly rankings,  but then real life would pop up and make me realise that blogging isn’t a competition or the be all and end all.  It’s what I do to keep the grey matter still ticking along.  I do it for myself and for no one else.  Of course it’s great to get comments and know that someone is actually reading my ramblings.  So a big thanks for taking the time to read my little corner of the blogosphere especially those that have been there from the start.  You know who you are....

In that time I have meet (not in person, but you know what I mean) some great bloggers and read some great posts, some have made me laugh, some have made me cry, some have made me think (yah!) and some that I can just relate to so well its quite scary.  More importantly I now know what I like to write about and what I like to read.

So is it “Chin-Chin” and here’s to another year?  Not sure, I would like to think so but the lack of desire to blog which I wrote about back in January is still lurking about.  But I am now picking up pen and paper to jot things down.  So that has to be a good thing, right?

But what I do know is that Frankie P needs some loving so a new blog profile and photo are top of the list for her me thinks.

“Hold this one....”

41 years ago today these infamous words were spoken to my mother “Here hold this one while I get the other one”. “Get the other what” my mum was heard to shriek.  “Baby?” came the reply.  Yes, all those years ago I entered the world the elder of twin girls to the utter surprise to my parents.  It really was an utter shock to them, as not only was the pregnancy not planned, as they already 3 children, but twins!

Back in those days there were no scans available to check on what was going on with your pregnancy.  My mother had absolutely no idea that she was carrying twins.  There was the odd disagreement between the doctor and midwife about the number of heartbeats, the third faint one was just an echo apparently!  But the doctor was adamant that there was one very large baby and that was all.

Times where so much simpler then, my mum like many in her generation, ate what she wanted, drank (she wasn’t a big drinker) and smoked (like a chimney) unaware of the affect to her unborn babies.   They just got on with life, no sitting back and feeling sorry for themselves over morning sickness, or what to wear as it wasn’t a fashion show.  There were no celebrity mummies showing off their fantastic post baby bodies, to make you want to reach for the cookie jar.  You weren’t unique you were just pregnant like millions of women before and after.   If they had a problem or unsure of anything they just asked their own mothers, no going online to self diagnose yourself.  

I can hardly compare her experiences with mine as it is a far cry from the stresses of having a baby today.  Apart from the medical care you get now, which I must add helped me have my two boys, so I will be eternally grateful to the NHS.  There is the endless bombardment of the media telling you want you should and shouldn’t be doing.  How the decisions you are making now mean you are already a bad mother before you have even given birth. All the must have baby items that you need so you have a happy baby.  These items that you don’t really need, but think you do otherwise you aren’t a good mum.  That you eventually dig out of the bottom of the cupboard months later never used and wonder why on earth you brought it in the first place.

Makes me think, perhaps she had the better pregnancy experience than me.  Perhaps ignorance in some ways is bliss.... 


P.S.   Finally I thought I would share my birthday card from Mr P, arh he knows me so well...

Silent Sunday

For more great photos for Silent Sunday pop yourself over to mocha beanie mummy

FlashBack Friday - Before and After

For this week’s Flashback Friday over at Cafe Bebe, Karin has put a theme of Before and After on it.  So it got me thinking of what I could do and then it dawned on me. 

I am going to take you back 5 years almost to the day, when I was very heavily pregnant with Son No 1.

So here is the Before.  My 39 weeks bump picture, this was taken the night before I went in to be induced.  Pretty impressive bump don’t you think, there was a 9 pounder hiding in there.

Here is the After, taken last week when we went into London to see his daddy for lunch..

Tomorrow we are having his 5^th birthday party, it’s a cliché but I really don’t know where all that time has gone.  Even with my youngest the time just seems to be flying by, which when it comes to my youngest might not be a bad thing!

 When I look at this slightly cautious, stubborn, bad temper but gorgeous, cheeky, funny, loving, bright little boy I can’t help but think “Yeah he’s just like his mum”

For more great Flashback Friday memories pop yourself over to Cafe Bebe...