Chest Infection

Yes that's what it is. Emily has been unwell since her birthday with a cough and runny rose. We went to Blackpool on Saturday for a day out at the Seaside. We had lots of fun walking on the sand, going on the rides (no more rollercoasters for us!)We visited the Sealife Centre to see the Sea turtles, sadly they didn't have any but we saw Dorrie from Finding Nemo and some sharks. It was here that we realised that she was running a temperature over 38 degrees - closer to 39. We had to strip her down and bring her home. The news is now she is getting better ...her temperature is being controlled with Calpol and Ibruprofen and she has antibiotics for her chest infection. Incidently we saw a great doctor yesterday who was just fab with Emily and really reassuring. We love the NHS!
We are enjoying the holidays, the sun has been shining today, we had lunch outside in the garden; it was a fun time as recently Emily has been refusing to eat for about a week, so we opted for finger food whilst we were eating. It was a success! More homemade pizza tomorrow!
We went to a garden centre with a miniture railway. Emily enjoyed travelling al fresco on her dad's lap! (I was relegated to behind!)

Emily is obsessing over windmills; she has 3 on the go at the moment and won't let them out of her sight! (Note the cute shirt, Thanks Greg and Sara x)

Jamie has been working hard during bathtimes teaching Emily to call him 'Da da'. She has got the first bit but is still working on putting them both together. There is a video of this but it won't load to night. I will post it tomorrow.

School's out for Summer

Emily has enjoyed her chocolate birthday cake. Look at those smiles! She has also been having fun with her new musical instruments... gifts for her birthday.

It's the summer holidays for Jamie and I. Yeah!!!!! We have had a busy couple of weeks; Emily now has another tooth on the top, she is standing more readily unaided. I have been to York for a Hen Weekend. My lovely friend Lucy is getting married on the 4th of July. It was lovely to meet up in York again as that is were we originally met at University. Note the inflatable bustline and Kevin Keegan wig!

The weather has been pretty miserable. We have hardly made it outdoors at all; Emily has even had a wooly hat on in the middle of August. Now that school is done, we are looking forward to a summer break. We hope to spend days out and about before we go to France for 14 days. On the house sale front, we have had no success. We are changing estate agent and as soon as we get back from France we will try again. Since Emily's birthday our house feels smaller with her bigger toys including prams and walkers! She has even learnt to feed the baby!

Next week will be our 7th wedding anniversary. With having lots of gifts as wedding presents, 7 years on they are starting to go kaput. In the past month our washing machine, hoover, lawn mower, dvd player, Emily's room CD player and toilet cistern have all broken.

We hope to repair the toilet cistern (and it wasn't a wedding gift!) but all the other stuff has go to the recycling man. All gone! The other very sad thing is yesterday at school I lost one of the diamonds from my wedding ring. So many things falling apart or breaking, but we are all ok. Just broken possessions!
Bathtimes continue to be fun especially with new birthday bath toys! Sometimes food is good especially when it it lasagne or pasta, but the food refusal and spitting continues. (No smirking from you parents out there!)
Well that is all for now, busy busy busy. J and emily have had fun times together as I have been away and at work. Big smiles all round tonight.

Happy holidays everyone. School's out for Summer!

Birthday snaps

Just a few pictures, there are loads ... so be patient, it will take a few goes.

Tree hugging at one.

She was supposed to bash them together.

Catching the bubbles during Rhythm time

Yummy Birthday cake... chocolate.

Birthday girl.

Wow, our little Emily turned one today. We can't believe how much joy she has brought to our lives, how much change and how many times we have laughed with her over the past 365 days.

We are blessed with a little bundle of energy who brings smiles to all she meets and whose 'hiya' is as clear as day (But in a strong mancunian dialect!)

This weekend we celebrated in Belfast with cake, presents, birthday tea and Ellie May, Emily's cousin who is one day younger.

Birthday cake, mmmmmm........

mmmmmm..... cake tastes good.

Today we celebrated at Grandpa and Grandmum's with cake, presents, birthday tea but sadly no cousin.

A great book called 'Emily's Balloon'

(Granny and Granda's dog is lurking in the photo.

She waves it around like a wand, instead of rolling it on the ground)

A new bike from us complete with a steering handle.

How not to enjoy birthday cake!

( We stopped her from holding the burning candle)

Well, she is sleeping now, something I have missed these past 365 days, she has been a good sleeper at night but is an early riser. Maybe the early riser in her may change over the next year.

On a final note tonight, thanks be to God who has given us people who have listened, advised, supported, cooked for us, written notes, prayed and been patient with us over the past year as we have learnt to become parents.

Hair

Jamie has been practising his future hair cut on Emily in the bath.
Hair bobbles are now needed or we will have to cut her fringe.
She now realises that clips can taste good.

Happy Birthday

to Iulia
Happy birthday to Iulia
Happy birthday dear Iulia
Happy Birthday to you.

Hope you day is great.
xxxx

Birthday Weekends

Bath time with Granny

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday. It was a great time. Last year I was 4 days away from my due date and quite big, so this year I felt very different, not only because I am a stone lighter but because I felt I could celebrate. Last year J took me out to my favourite restaurant, The Lime Tree. The food was great and very tasty but... I ended up being very unwell. No such thing this time. My Parents came to visit from Belfast and we along with my McCulloch family went out for a lovely dinner... no sickness to report!

We went to visit Llandudno for the day, we had great weather. Mum and Dad had never been to visit so it was great to take them somewhere we really enjoy going.Emily is having a not so good week. She now has 6 teeth through and there are more on the way. She has caught a cold which has brought a nasty cough. Jamie and I are very tired, she is really struggling at night to sleep.(we know Emily has always been a good sleeper so when this happens it does give us a reality check.)

Anyway...

Jamie is still exam marking

Our house is still for sale

It is still raining outside

and we are still smiling.

We are off to Belfast this weekend to celebrate Emily and our niece, Ellie-May's first birthdays; so it will be two weekends in a row of birthday celebrations for us.

More

Teeth!
A fourth one arrived today!!

Teeth

A third tooth arrived today. It is on the top on the right hand side but still quite central. That explains the drool, tantrums and increased dosages of Calpol!
Well 3 down, I'm not sure how many to go!

Another first

Jamie and I are blessed with such great fathers, fathers who have been supportive and kind, loving and loyal and most of all great role modles for us to be parents.

Well today was Jamie's first Father's Day. (With a baby in the fresh air, Emily hadn't arrived this time last year!) We have had a fun day; it has been a bit manic as J was leading worship and I helped plan the service, but we squeezed in a couple of cool things. Jamie had a lie in whilst Emily and I made cards, then we went to visit Grandpa David to drop off his pressies, (Granda is coming home from Romania to visit us on Thursday). We went to the Trafford Centre, then to grandpa's to look at the pressies we delivered. Then home to sort ourselves out and for J to mark GCSEs.

Can you tell Emily was feeling restless?!

Jamie wants to enjoy cooking and experiment a bit more so he received a cheesy commercialised apron, Incidentally Emily does think he is the best Daddy in the world as J can get the biggest laughs and giggles out of her where others, including myself fail!
On a side note but a first from yesterday... Uncle Greg,Auntie Sara and Auntie Deirdre... Emily is learning to throw a ball. Maybe she will like sports as much as you do!

I will leave you with these piccies, He adores her and me and we adore him.

xxxx

Emily loves Hummus

We think! Well, she definitely likes feeding herself. (The carpet is taking a bashing!)

Summer days in the garden

Can you spot her tooth?

What a great week we have had. The weather has been fab and Emily and I have had a fab time. Today we chilled out in the garden and took advantage of our new swing (thanks Uncle Delwyn) and lots of toys on the picnic rugs. What a great day!

Do you like my specs?

Emily learning to be gentle.

Look at that concentration!

Enjoying a swing. Look at my smile!

Fabulous weather

After having 3 days of consistent sunshine, limited breeze and pleasant temperatures, it is safe to say that summer is on it's way. I have even ventured out in flip flops and am now sporting my first blister of the year!
Anyway I complain about the weather when it's bad so today I am reporting that the sun is out, the sheets are drying on the line, the windows are open and I am off to to B&Q to get paint charts for my class next week as we are learning about tones, tints,shades and Monet!

Wrong

Tomorrow at 12.15pm at Stockport Crematorium a young boy who I taught last year will be cremated. He was knocked off his BMX bike at he played near his house. There are lots of 'wrongs' in this story.

Craig was only 12.

He had his whole life ahead of him.

In the one year I worked with him (for one hour a day) I saw him grow in confidence as he battled with a stutter. He was a fighter. He reminded me to be thankful for the ability to speak without difficulty.

He had an infectious smile and a goofy laugh.

He only was at secondary school for nine months.

The man who knocked him over, left him dying on the roadside, only to go the the police the following day.

Tomorrow is a sad day for Craig's family. A day in which it is wrong that parents have to say goodbye to a child. A day that robs our world of a great kid; taken away by a tragic accident.

All wrong.