The Great Switcheroo

The current room arrangement

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I have big plans in store for our house, involving swapping over the music room and playroom. This is no small undertaking. The playroom is, without a doubt, the most 'stuff heavy' room in the house and we have some very large and very heavy furniture in both rooms. It is something I have been thinking about for a while now and I have come to the definite conclusion that it is the best way to proceed. The music room is much bigger than the current playroom and can easily be shut off at the end of the day if I don't want to look at a room full of toys. It will also make it much easier to keep Emma away from all the tiny (read 'chokeable') toys that Tom and Lily love without having to restrict their play. Plus, the carpet in the music room is the original one we inherited when we moved in. It is at least a decade old, faded and threadbare in places and I really hate it. In short, it is certainly not something I'm going to be too worried about the Podlings messing up!
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The current arrangement was the best one when we moved in as Tom was only two and Lily only a year old at the time. However, now that they are older it will be much nicer to have a proper lounge in the main part of the home, rather than the playroom. Lily is quite excited about the change and is currently asking daily if we can change the rooms over. She gets that from me! Having decided to make the change I now want it all done yesterday! I am not exactly known for my patience in these matters and it is quite possible that I am currently driving my husband nuts. Due to the aforementioned heavy furniture, we can't make the change until we can rope in some help, so I have to try to be patient. Not something I'm good at! I can see how much easier my life will be with the rooms in the alternate arrangement, so I'm chomping at the bit. Hopefully we can get it done soon and my long-suffering husband can get some peace again!
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6 months old

Emma is six months old today. Six months. That's half a year! Would someone mind telling me what happened? Wasn't it only yesterday she was a tiny, helpless newborn? I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. At six months old, Emma has only just started wearing 3-6 month clothes, so she is quite dainty. She is on the verge of sitting alone, but will suddenly slump sideways or throw herself backwards, so she can't be trusted yet. She can roll from her front to her back, but hasn't quite made it the other way yet. I am in no hurry to encourage her mobility I can assure you. I have enough on my plate without worrying whether every last marble and Lego brick is picked up and accounted for. It's certainly going to be interesting round here when she is crawling! In the last week, she has started doing what I can only describe as a dance. When you are holding her, she will suddenly start jigging her little torso back and forth whilst bobbing her head up and down in a rather adorable fashion. It's hard to describe, but it makes me laugh every single time she does it!

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I started weaning Emma a couple of weeks ago and she has taken to solids like a duck to water. She LOVES her food, especially her banana cereal. She didn't go much on the sweet potato I gave her, but so far all the cereals and fruits we have tried seem to be a success. Unfortunately, it hasn't had the hoped for (by me) effect of making her drop her 3am feed. Boo! She still only has two meals a day, so maybe the introduction of breakfast may have the desired effect! I could do with a good night's sleep!

Emma is a very alert baby and now that she is a little older, she needs a lot more stimulation during her waking hours. She has a lovely selection of toys, books and rattles and has definite favourites. Perhaps I will do a post about them at some point. Her favourite toy, however, is me! She is very much a Mummy's girl and loves to be held. She also adores Lily, who gets all the best laughs from her.
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So there we are. My littlest Podling is halfway through her first year and I am left wondering where the time has gone. I am absolutely, completely smitten with this little girl and I am excited to see how she will develop over the next six months.

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(I left it too late in the day to do her proper six month photo shoot, so these were just taken in her swing. I like to do her portraits in the conservatory so I can use the natural light, but the sun was already setting before I got round to taking her pictures today. Hopefully I will get around to her 'official' pictures in the next couple of days.)

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What's cooking?

Lily likes to sit on the side and watch me when I'm cooking. Today, she was handing me potatoes as I chopped vegetables. I thought she looked sweet, so I took a picture.

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I can't believe I haven't updated the blog in over a week! Things have been quiet around here lately. I've been doing housework, cooking, looking after the Podlings...the usual, everyday stuff. I somehow don't seem to have anything to blog about! Unusually for me I haven't been taking many pictures either. Emma hasn't been sleeping too well lately, so I'm just tired and trying to keep life simple at the moment. I'm currently suffering from a cold, but hopefully things will pick up and I can get back to regular blogging again soon. In the meantime, here is a random picture of our tea simmering in the slow cooker...
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Beef stew, served with homemade cheese muffins and followed by rice pudding...comfort food for a tired Mummy!

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Bathroom break

We were tucking into our dinner on New Year's Day, when Lily suddenly announced she needed to go to the toilet. Hoping to be able to finish my food before taking her, I asked Lily "How much do you need a wee wee?".

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"About 4 ounces." came the reply.

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Snow day

I realised after it was taken that this is the first time I have been in a photo with all three Podlings. One to treasure.

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We have had a lot of snow here over the last few days and Mark has had to work from home since we got back from our break. School and playgroup have both been cancelled for the last couple of days, so we've been able to spend a bit of time together enjoying the snow. What's a girl to do when she has her whole family at home, unusual amounts of snow and a new camera? Why, take lots of photos of course...
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Lily making snow angels in the garden at 8.30am in the morning, shortly after learning that playgroup was cancelled.

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Mark took a break from his work to spend some time outside with us.
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We actually managed to persuade Tom to brave the cold and join us in the snow.
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I love this picture of Lily and her daddy. Mark, Lily and I made a fantastic snowman on the front drive. Lily got cold and wanted to go back inside before it was finished, but she insisted Mark and I finish it for her. We carried her outside quickly in her socks to see the completed snowman, and then whisked her back into the warm again.

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Snow Baby

Emma's first snow experience. Look at her little red nose!

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"You might think this is fun, Mummy; I couldn't possibly comment."

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Emma actually enjoyed the snow more than these photos seem to imply. She was fascinated by the brightness and smiled when I first showed it to her through the window. We had already been outside a little while when these photos were taken and I think she was starting to get cold.

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Wean, Baby, Wean!

Prepare to be weaned Baby Emma!

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In the last week or so it has become very apparent that Emma's bottles are no longer satisfying her. Since she is now 5 1/2 months old, I thought it was time to start the weaning process and try her with some baby rice. I only made up a tiny amount at first because Tom and Lily both hated baby rice when I gave it to them as babies. Emma surprised me by devouring the lot and looking for for more! She ate like a real pro and knew exactly what to do with the food in her mouth (i.e., swallow rather than spit it straight out, for anyone who has never weaned a baby!). There was hardly any mess. I made up a larger portion for her next feed and again she cleared the lot.

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In a startling and very welcome development, Emma then proceeded to drop her night feed last night after just two meals of baby rice (chorus of Hallelujah!) Hopefully, it wasn't a fluke. She tucked in to two meals of baby rice again today, so here's hoping!
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"Okay, this is new. What am I supposed to do exactly?"
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"Hmmm. A curious sensation. Perhaps I will try a little more..."
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"Hey, this is pretty good mush. Keep it coming!"
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"Actually, Mummy...
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...why don't you just give me the spoon and I'll do it myself."
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Let it snow...

Our house at about 3.30pm this afternoon. It was a bin day, but the bin men didn't make it. Hope they got to have some fun with their children instead.

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We've had about four inches of snow here, so we weren't surprised to learn that Tom's school and Lily's playgroup were both closed today. We had a lot of fun playing in the snow and I took a lot of photos, but it's very late and I'm tired, so I'll wait until tomorrow to share them with you. I wouldn't be surprised if there's no school tomorrow either, but I'll still have to get up early just in case. I'm off to bed...
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Yet more photos from Devon...

My parents' Yorkshire Terrier, Molly. She's so sweet, if a little crazy!

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Molly trying to persuade Lily to part with her bacon. Lily loves bacon and wasn't about to share!
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Emma wasn't really sure what to make of Molly. I love the look of disgust on her face!
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I love this photo I took of Lily after her bath one evening. She's such a poser!
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I was so thrilled that my sister and her husband spontaneously decided to pay us a fleeting visit on our last evening. They live in Bristol, so they had a long round trip to see us. This was the first time either of them had seen Emma. Thanks for coming guys, it was great to see you.

N.B. This is the last of the 'catch up' posts from our Christmas/ New Year break..

Isabella

My cousin's adorable little girl, Isabella. Would you look at those gorgeous eyes!

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During my visit to my parents', my auntie Diane and cousin Jodie came round for a visit and brought Jodie's adorable daughter Isabella. I am so in love with this child! She is only ten months old and I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that she actually walked across the room during her visit. I have never seen such a young child walking and it looks so cute! She must keep her mum on her toes as she is very mobile and very curious. Tom and Lily both thought she was wonderful and put on a very loud show for her, which Isabella seemed to find highly amusing. I was so glad we were all able to meet up as we were only in Devon for a short visit and I don't often get to see the rest of the family.
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I just can't get over how mobile Isabella is at only ten months old.
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Lily is quite the little mother and enjoyed playing with Isabella
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Chillin' on the moors

I'm wearing the lovely new scarf my mum made me for Christmas. It is so soft and warm I'm hoping to persuade her to make Emma a baby blanket out of the same type of wool.

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On the afternoon of New Year's Day we suddenly decided to go for a walk on the moors. Not one of our brighter ideas as it turned out. We got to Yelverton (about ten minutes drive from my parents' house) shortly before dusk and it was COLD! Tom, Lily and the dog kept warm by running around, but the rest of us were freezing. Hardly surprising as our car thermometer told us it was -1 degree. This didn't stop Tom and Lily from wanting an ice cream from the surprisingly busy ice cream lady in the car park. Crazy Podlings!
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Dad stayed nice and warm in his 'You Can't See Me' coat.
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My parents' Yorkie, Molly, trying to get Lily to release the ball.
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Mark ended up with the spare ice cream. He had plenty of time to eat it as it wasn't going to melt at the subzero temperatures we were enjoying!

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Seeing in the New Year

It wouldn't be New Year's Eve without Big Ben. I took this picture of the television at midnight.

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Apologies for the long delay in posting. We had a little issue with the laptop involving Tom and a glass of coke. Amazingly, after a few days the computer seems to be working again, so I should be able to get back to regular blogging again. I have a huge backlog of photos to post, so I'd better get on with it...

Having spent Christmas with Mark's family, we travelled down to Devon to spend the New Year with my parents. We spent New Year's Eve quietly at home with a DVD and lots of finger foods. Tom and Lily very nearly saw the New Year in with us. They are not used to sharing a room and were having a little party of their own upstairs. They finally gave up and went to sleep at 11.30pm!
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Mum and Dad
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Mum with her young African Grey parrot, Jack. He's a real character
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..Mark and me at the end of 2009.

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