At the end of May, I was scrolling through my personal Facebook page when I saw a competition that one of the local photographers in my area was running for a Family Photo Shoot. I entered (thinking I wouldn't have any chance of winning) only to be surprised when we actually won! I was over the moon as I had really wanted to get a lovely photo of the 3 of us while Erin was small.
We headed over to B Captured Photography in Leek on the day our shoot was booked in and were met by Leanne and one of their lovely photographers (whose name has totally escaped me). The only thing that worried me is we wouldn't be able to get any good photos if Erin was bothered by the lights or different poses however the team at B Captured were absolutely fantastic.
We took everything very slow, letting Erin lead us in how she wanted to pose and started with a few photos of the 3 of us together before getting a few of us separately and a few of Erin on her own. The team were so patient trying different angles and positions to get the perfect shot!
We then went back to the studio a week later to have a look through the photos! I was so excited. As part of the competition win we got a free photo, with the option to purchase other packages if we wished. We decided for the time being we would just get the one photo although it was so hard choosing just 1!
If your local to Staffordshire, I would defiantly recommend B Captured if you wanting to get some photos done. They have a great range of different packages available including parties and make overs. Head over to their website HERE for more info or look them up on Facebook.
If your a new mum, or toying with the idea of getting some family photos done I would say do it! It was such a great experience! As I say we are absolutely over the moon with the photo!
Heres a few tips I would suggest if it is something your considering:
- Try and coordinate your clothing - if you want to look consistent on the photo, try to all wear a similar colours. The dress Erin wore was white with Minnie Mouse on the bottom with red and blue on so I wore Red and Blue and Adam wore Blue. It just meant we all tied in together and it didn't clash.
- Book the best time - If you have a really little one, try and time it for when they are likely to be awake. We were able to get some good shots of Erin awake at our shoot as well as some of her asleep on us both too.
- Avoid black and white outfits - Photographers tend to use a mix of black and white backgrounds to shoot photos so don't wear all black or all white otherwise you will just blend in!
- Take a change of clothes (especially for little one) - Its all well and good taking the time to pick out the perfect outfit for baby but don't forget to take a change of clothes too just in case of any accidents! Some photographers will also let you change outfits during the shoot if you want a range of options.
- Include special objects - Again something many photographers will let you do is included special items in the shoot so if you have your tiara or veil from your wedding or a special piece of clothing or jewellery you want to include, take them along.
We absolutely loved the day we had at B Captured and it is something we will defiantly do again when Erin is bigger, or when we have any more children
As I creep ever close to 30.. and especially as a new mum, I am always on the look out for new skin care products to give my skin a perk up.
I was contacted by the lovely people at Eye Wake a couple of months ago to see if I wanted to try their Eye Wake collagen gel and of course I jumped at the chance!
Using an eye cream or eye gel isn't something I use religiously as part of my skin care routine so I was excited to see what using this product did.
The first thing I love about it is the packaging! Sounds daft eh but part of me really hates those eye creams you get in a pot where you have to put your finger in them. Although I keep my hands super clean all the time theres just something I prefer about a squeezy tube or a pump. The other thing to note about the packaging (while we are on the subject) is this is 100% recyclable. Thats a big tick for me! I'm not a massive recycling nut but I do try and recycle as much as I can so nothing annoys me more when some of the packaging thats made of things like plastic on products can not be recycled.
In the past when I have used eye creams, I have tended to lean more towards a cream so this gel was a lovely change. My first thought when I pumped it out was how watery it was, but actually I found this to be a positive thing as its not so much watery as just a thin texture if that makes any sense? However because of this it means you don't need about 10 pumps to get a decent amount. I just use 1 small pump on each side and go under my eyes and then on my brow bone too. If there is any left on my fingers I also go around the the sides of my mouth too (where the points of your lips are on the side) as I read somewhere using an eye cream here can stop ageing showing here (hey I'll try anything).
In some ways the formula of this kind of reminds me of a primer as the texture is quite a silky one. It feels absolutely lovely when you pop it on and isn't sticky which can sometimes be a problem in gel formulas. Its also lovely if you pop it in the fridge as it is very refreshing!
So the most important question.. have I noticed a difference? Its a huge huge YES from me! The skin around my eyes is defiantly softer and feels really hydrated. The dark circles have defiantly reduced too which is a big bonus for me!
Eye Wake Gel retails for £18.95 and can be purchased here on their website. For every gel sold they also donate 5% to Women's Aid, a charity which helps women suffering from domestic abuse.
This is for sure going to be part of my skin care routine from now on!
I was contacted by the lovely people at Eye Wake a couple of months ago to see if I wanted to try their Eye Wake collagen gel and of course I jumped at the chance!
Using an eye cream or eye gel isn't something I use religiously as part of my skin care routine so I was excited to see what using this product did.
The first thing I love about it is the packaging! Sounds daft eh but part of me really hates those eye creams you get in a pot where you have to put your finger in them. Although I keep my hands super clean all the time theres just something I prefer about a squeezy tube or a pump. The other thing to note about the packaging (while we are on the subject) is this is 100% recyclable. Thats a big tick for me! I'm not a massive recycling nut but I do try and recycle as much as I can so nothing annoys me more when some of the packaging thats made of things like plastic on products can not be recycled.
In the past when I have used eye creams, I have tended to lean more towards a cream so this gel was a lovely change. My first thought when I pumped it out was how watery it was, but actually I found this to be a positive thing as its not so much watery as just a thin texture if that makes any sense? However because of this it means you don't need about 10 pumps to get a decent amount. I just use 1 small pump on each side and go under my eyes and then on my brow bone too. If there is any left on my fingers I also go around the the sides of my mouth too (where the points of your lips are on the side) as I read somewhere using an eye cream here can stop ageing showing here (hey I'll try anything).
In some ways the formula of this kind of reminds me of a primer as the texture is quite a silky one. It feels absolutely lovely when you pop it on and isn't sticky which can sometimes be a problem in gel formulas. Its also lovely if you pop it in the fridge as it is very refreshing!
So the most important question.. have I noticed a difference? Its a huge huge YES from me! The skin around my eyes is defiantly softer and feels really hydrated. The dark circles have defiantly reduced too which is a big bonus for me!
Eye Wake Gel retails for £18.95 and can be purchased here on their website. For every gel sold they also donate 5% to Women's Aid, a charity which helps women suffering from domestic abuse.
This is for sure going to be part of my skin care routine from now on!
Dear Erin,
Its hard to believe how you are already 16 weeks old already! Every day, your changing so much.
The last 16 weeks have had a lot of highs and a few lows but every day with you is an absolute pleasure and watching you grow and change makes me all squishy on the inside 💖
Last week you rolled over for the first time! I think you completely shocked yourself when you did it! Mummy was very happy that she managed to get it on camera!
Over the last couple of weeks your personality is starting to really develop and shine through! Your defiantly going to be like Mummy. You know what you want and go for it! You’ve started smiling more and more, at pretty much everyone we know now and if you see the same people your defiantly recognising them more! I love how you have your extra special smiles for me and daddy too!
Last week you rolled over for the first time! I think you completely shocked yourself when you did it! Mummy was very happy that she managed to get it on camera!
Over the last couple of weeks your personality is starting to really develop and shine through! Your defiantly going to be like Mummy. You know what you want and go for it! You’ve started smiling more and more, at pretty much everyone we know now and if you see the same people your defiantly recognising them more! I love how you have your extra special smiles for me and daddy too!
I really don’t think it will be long before you’ve got a couple of teeth as that is really bothering you at the minute. Luckily your so chilled the rest of the time but them naughty gums are really bothering you!
We’ve got an exciting month ahead as we have Uncle Tim and Aunty Deanne’s wedding this month and we are going on your first hen party at the weekend for afternoon tea! If only you were big enough to eat some cake - nevermind Mummy will take you for some when your big enough! Because daddy is working on Saturday me and you are going up to Sheffield on the train which will be your first train ride!
We are also counting down the days to your first holiday! We’re going to centre parcs in September with nanan and grandad (daddies mum and dad) and uncle Craig and aunty Lisa! I really love centre parcs and can’t wait to take you! And wait till we take you in that swimming pool!! Hopefully you will love it as much as when me and daddy have taken you swimming at home!
We’re also counting down the weeks until you can start to eat some proper food! 10 weeks to go! You’ve started watching Mummy and daddy eat and are fascinated! I can’t wait to see what you think of it all!
Exciting time ahead!
Lots of Love.
Mummy xxx
♥
I've thought long and hard about sharing this on my blog as I know there is a lot of chat online both positive and negative about formula feeding vs breast feeding. However I wanted to share it because as a first time mum, there are things I wish I had known before starting out and World Breast Feeding week seemed the perfect time to share it...
I knew when I was pregnant that I wanted to breast feed. I was determined that I was going to give it the best go that I could. Everything during pregnancy pointed towards Breast Feeding and there was so much information about it but like I say I was determined I was going to throw everything at it. So much so that I after going to our birth class, they suggested if we wanted to give it a real go, not to pack any formula in your hospital bag, so I didn't...
As I mentioned in my birth story (here if you haven't read it), I ended up in theatre for an assisted delivery. I worried that this would effect my ability to be able to breast feed if I couldn't get skin to skin and a latch soon after birth however the theatre team were absolutely amazing and as soon as I was wheeled into the recovery area she helped me to get Erin latched on and our Breast Feeding journey began. I was so happy. It felt so natural. However I won't lie it was after that moment when the problems started.
I don't want to sound like I am not grateful to the midwives on the ward I was on, however as a first time mum, I won't lie, I felt a little... left to it.. I wasn't really sure what I was doing. We were both new at this and I felt a bit like a duck out of water. I was also the only person in my bay which was lovely but also very isolating. I persevered with it doing what I thought was correct. The midwife came round to do a Erin’s new born check and mentioned a tongue tie but then brushed it off (and I didn’t think any more about it) and I kept trying. We had to stay in overnight and I’d heard loads of people say if your not happy with how it’s going then ask and ask and don’t let them discharge you until your completely confident however the midwives seemed more concerned with the fact I hadn’t done the needed amount of wee’s since having my catheter out than how I was feeding particularly in the middle of the night. The first night was very hard and Erin basically cluster fed all night. If your pregnant and you don’t know what it is, look it up, research it and prepare yourself for it! I had never heard it uttered before but man it was hard - it basically meant she would feed, fall asleep and the minute I would put her down she would be crying to be fed again.. every 20 minutes or so... all night.
I knew when I was pregnant that I wanted to breast feed. I was determined that I was going to give it the best go that I could. Everything during pregnancy pointed towards Breast Feeding and there was so much information about it but like I say I was determined I was going to throw everything at it. So much so that I after going to our birth class, they suggested if we wanted to give it a real go, not to pack any formula in your hospital bag, so I didn't...
As I mentioned in my birth story (here if you haven't read it), I ended up in theatre for an assisted delivery. I worried that this would effect my ability to be able to breast feed if I couldn't get skin to skin and a latch soon after birth however the theatre team were absolutely amazing and as soon as I was wheeled into the recovery area she helped me to get Erin latched on and our Breast Feeding journey began. I was so happy. It felt so natural. However I won't lie it was after that moment when the problems started.
I don't want to sound like I am not grateful to the midwives on the ward I was on, however as a first time mum, I won't lie, I felt a little... left to it.. I wasn't really sure what I was doing. We were both new at this and I felt a bit like a duck out of water. I was also the only person in my bay which was lovely but also very isolating. I persevered with it doing what I thought was correct. The midwife came round to do a Erin’s new born check and mentioned a tongue tie but then brushed it off (and I didn’t think any more about it) and I kept trying. We had to stay in overnight and I’d heard loads of people say if your not happy with how it’s going then ask and ask and don’t let them discharge you until your completely confident however the midwives seemed more concerned with the fact I hadn’t done the needed amount of wee’s since having my catheter out than how I was feeding particularly in the middle of the night. The first night was very hard and Erin basically cluster fed all night. If your pregnant and you don’t know what it is, look it up, research it and prepare yourself for it! I had never heard it uttered before but man it was hard - it basically meant she would feed, fall asleep and the minute I would put her down she would be crying to be fed again.. every 20 minutes or so... all night.
The next day, not completely confident but not reassured by the midwives, I went home. The day after (Friday) my health visitor came and I mentioned I was struggling. She suggested I ring the community support team who I have to say were absolutely amazing! I had a really good chat on the phone to her and she offered to come out to my house on the Saturday which she did! When she came it was like a breath of fresh air. She watched me feed and then corrected my technique of how to hold. She also did another check of Erin’s tongue (she was now the 3rd person to have) and said she has a tongue tie which she suggested could have been one of the problems which her latching along with my positing. She booked me in to the tongue tie clinic the next week and said if she was right about it then it would be sorted there and then.
We corrected the hold and it got slightly better however the fact she couldn’t latch properly was causing us lots of issues as even if I eventually got her in the right position she would pull off. Plus a couple of days of bad positioning before actually being shown what do to meant Erin was making my nipples really sore.
Saturday night was one of the worst nights we’ve had! She screamed and screamed and screamed all night. I tried putting her on the breast and she would go for a few minutes then pull off - that was probably the worst night of cluster feeding there was! By the morning I was a broken woman! I sat sobbing on the phone to my mum at 10am and Adam decided that enough was enough and he would go to Asda and pick up a tub of formula so we could try combi feeding.
She instantly took to the bottle and was so much happier! I felt all kinds of mum guilt for having to give her a bottle at 5 days old but then reminded myself that if she had been fed that was surely the best thing.
I continued to express and we did a combination of breast from the boob, expressed and bottle. She had her tongue tie sorted at a week old and it made the latch so much better! I though YES that’s it! We’ve got this!
We then spent a few days at Adams parents house in Sheffield when Erin was about 10 days old and I’ll admit I found it very hard, finding it easier to offer her a bottle with all the visitors that there were. I expressed as much as I could while we were there but again it was hard.
I then made the massive mistake of leaving the top to the breast pump in Sheffield which meant if I wanted to express I had to use the manual pump I had which worked great but needed 2 hands and twice as much effort!
Then just after we got back from Sheffield we had another set back when I noticed Erin had trush in her mouth. It also caused something called nipple thrush which meant every time she fed from the breast it caused absolute agony for me! I tried expressing as much as I could with the hand pump but she ended up with more and more formula.
At 4 weeks old, as I sat in a puddle of tears, I decided enough was enough. Trying to express as much milk as I could from an ever dwindling supply was making me really miserable and Erin stopped latching properly, preferring to take from a bottle and was screaming any time I tried to feed her from the boob and thrashing around so much she was going to hurt me and herself, so I decided enough was enough! If it was making us both unhappy then was it worth it?
As I fed her the last expressed bottle of milk I had, I cried, feeling like some kind of mum failure that I had only been able to make it to exactly 4 weeks - no where near the recommended 6 months - but then I reminded myself that 4 weeks was 4 weeks! She had the best start I could have given her and that ultimately fed was best for her!
I can’t help thinking so many obsticles were thrown in the way for us! I feel more confident that when we have baby no2 I would be able to give it a try again however ultimately I have realised that if it doesn’t work then it isn’t the end of the world. Erin is thriving and healthy and following all the charts as she should! At the end of the day isn’t that all that really matters?
♥
It’s been a whole month since I sat down here in my little sanctuary of my blog and what a month it has been! Life has definitely been challenging and testing in July!
If that wasn’t enough to be going on with, my dad also had his surgery. I can’t remember if I’d mentioned that he was waiting for heart surgery but he finally got it done on the 20th July. It’s been a difficult time but he is thankfully on he mend!
I can’t believe how quickly she is changing and developing her own personality! She is such a calm and placid baby apart from a few moments of teething pains! Bless her!
I mentioned briefly about the work we were having done at home after the leak we had. Our house has basically been upside down! There have been a building site! A total nightmare when you have a little one! We had to have the living room and bedroom replastered, redecorated, new carpets, bathroom redecorated and new floor and the loft reboarded! Hectic to say the least! Me and Erin moved in with my mum and dad while the main part of the messy work was done but frustratingly we’ve had quite a few delays!! Anyway it’s nearly done!! As we speak the guy is just finishing the loft and that’s it! All done!
If that wasn’t enough to be going on with, my dad also had his surgery. I can’t remember if I’d mentioned that he was waiting for heart surgery but he finally got it done on the 20th July. It’s been a difficult time but he is thankfully on he mend!
Erin is growing quickly and changing every day! She’s 16 weeks old today! I’m not quite sure how that happened!!!
I can’t believe how quickly she is changing and developing her own personality! She is such a calm and placid baby apart from a few moments of teething pains! Bless her!
She’s almost rolling now - she gets half way and is nearly there! There have been so many close calls! I don’t think it will be long!
August is a pretty exciting month! I have a really great month planned business wise and have started planning Christmas already!
We have my brother in laws wedding at the end of the month and my future sister in laws hen do in a couple of weeks!
September is going to be a good month too as we have Erin’s first holiday when we go to Centre Parcs!
I am hoping now I’m back to some kind of normality, that I can find the time to sit and enjoy my little space again!
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