Escalator

Tuesday morning, me and the boys relaxed at home. The builders had come to do the en-suite so we couldn't go out, even if we wanted to.





Ellis had been awake since about 5:30am so was acting out a bit by the time I put him down for his nap. He had been quite hard work really and I phoned my Mum to see if she was coming over as I could have done with a break, but she had other things planned unfortunately.

Changing mat time is always a good chance to have a chat with my youngest.







After some lunch we went over to Sharon and Sophie's house for Mummy afternoon. Sharon had bought some lush cookies and cakes which I promptly tucked into while she had a cuddle.





We all stayed in as the weather wasn't that great and Ellis started to play up again. He kept pushing everyone and Faith went flying at one point. I was not impressed and made him sit by me for most of the afternoon.

It was a really nice afternoon and I had nice cuddles with Leo which I don't normally do as I am usually running around after Ellis.







Ellis was still being naughty just before we left and when we got home, I had this to contend with.



At one point they were both screaming and I just did my best to ignore them, while trying to eat my dinner.

Bath and bed time could not come soon enough. I was very pleased to put Ellis to bed and he must have been tired as I didn't hear a peep out of him. Leo on the other hand took ages to go to sleep but he did sleep through to 3:15am.

While Ellis and I had our breakfast, Leo chilled in his chair watching us.



I spent a long time in the morning just sat on the floor playing with Ellis. I was hoping that the extra Mummy time might help us to avoid another day like the one before. It seemed to work and he was really good all morning. I think it helped that I got more sleep the night before too.

As soon as I put Ellis up to bed for his nap, Leo woke up. I didn't mind and it was nice to have some one-on-one time with him as well. I would like to try and do that more often really.



It was a mad rush once Ellis woke from his nap as I had to get him his lunch, feed Leo, get them both changed, dressed and in the car. Nanny helped with some bits of course which is always very welcome.

We had a busy afternoon planned and lists were filling our pockets with things we had to do. We went to the big shops first and picked up my ring that had been repaired, bought some birthday cards, presents and made a wish in the fountain. Ellis threw the coin in and then wanted to do it again. I said only one wish a year.

We also stopped in the Early Learning Centre and bought Ellis a few birthday presents. He loved it in there but was really good when it was time to leave.

My Mum carried Leo in the sling at one point but I forgot to get a picture. It wasn't really done properly and I think she found it uncomfortable.

We zoomed back to Ikea where Ellis experienced his first time on an escalator. He seemed to love it.



We went straight to the cafe for drinks and a snack before grabbing a couple of things and then going to Tesco. I ran in the store on my own to pick up a photo album and then the next stop was Sainsbury's.

We put the kids in a trolley and Mum legged it around the store to pick up all the bits she wanted.

We got home, unloaded and Mum left straight away.

Rob made it home just as I was putting Ellis' pyjamas on and he sat on the bed with us to read the story. It is the same story that I have been reading every night since Grandad and Nanny bought it for him 2 and a bit weeks ago!

Leo didn't take too long to go off and I spent the evening chatting to Rob and blogging.

Gutted

Unfortunately my computer has had a slight problem and I have lost some photos and videos. Hopefully it is only temporary but if it isn't then I am going to be slightly more than upset.

I have however still got the photos from Friday onwards so I can do the blog - yay!

Friday morning, Caroline and Angus came over for a visit. I asked her to come over at 10:30am so that I could put Ellis to bed and we could sit and chat in peace. It worked out rather well.

Ellis and I had lunch, the remains of the spread put out on Thursday, and then we just messed around until it was time for Little Stars, the last one until September!



We were there on time and Rob arrived soon after.

Ellis was really good again, and even went under and on the parachute that he usually hates!

As we were leaving, Ellis always goes up to Lucy (she helps out at the class) to say goodbye and this week was no different. They have grown quite close over the weeks so we were sad to hear that Lucy is going to University in September and so wont be around any more.

I asked her to have a photo taken with Ellis and she shed a few tears as we said how much he would miss her. He always talks about her whenever you mention Little Stars or Steve the main teacher. She said she would pop in every now and then so hopefully we will see her soon.



We popped into Sainsbury's on the way home for some dinner, after which the boys had some chill out time.









I attempted to take a family picture by propping the camera up but as you can see, it didn't work well at all.




Good job I have a very long neck!



Saturday morning, Rob went out and once Ellis was having a nap, I relaxed with Leo, who also snoozed for all of 5 minutes!









Rob came back and we had lunch and it wasn't long before we had to get ready for Anna's party.

I dressed Ellis up in new jeans and a shirt. He looked so smart and I couldn't get over how much he has grown! When did my little boy get so big!?



We walked around to the party as it was only around the corner. Rob had Leo in the sling and I walked with Ellis who was using his umbrella for the first time. He looked so cute but it made for slow progress as he couldn't walk very fast with it. Picture to follow as Sally took it for me.

The party was great and everyone had a really good time. Ellis enjoyed playing pass the parcel and so did I as I pinched a chocolate button!





I tried to video Anna blowing out her candles on her cake but unfortunately I was led to believe that the cake was going on the table and not in the living room so I was unable to get a clear view.



Iestyn had a good time by the looks of things.



We stayed quite late and as soon as we got in we went straight upstairs to bath and put the kids to bed.

Leo had slept most of the afternoon so I was expecting him to not want to sleep. He did go down okay but I had possibly the worst night with him. I lost count after 5 times and one nappy change. The whole night just merged into one, although I didn't hear the heavy rain around midnight so must have got some shut eye.

I was very tired on Sunday morning and so Rob got up. At first he got up with only Ellis and I'm sure he went straight downstairs and onto the sofa for a little bit of a snooze but I just really needed to try and get an hour in before the day began so I asked him to have Leo too. It didn't last that long though as Leo had 2 feeds between 7 and 9:30 which is when I got up anyway.

Just after 11:30, Nanny and Grandad George and Uncle Dave came over for a visit. Ellis was napping so Nanny had cuddles with Leo for a bit.



It wasn't long before Ellis joined everyone else and had fun going between everyone asking them to read his new Thomas books that Nanny had bought for him.







We all watched the Grand Prix and then straight after it was time to leave for Faith's party.

We didn't walk this time as it is a little bit further away and we were running late.



Leo was fine until I took him out of his car seat which is when he started crying. He pretty much cried on and off all afternoon, but he did enjoy some cuddles of course. I had no idea what was wrong with him. I checked his nappy, fed him, winded him, cuddled him, and eventually wrapped him up a bit. I think he just wanted to sleep.



The kids played lovely in the garden where all the toys were.



We then all got together to pass on our Secret Santa gifts that we had bought for each other. Ellis received a Thomas hat, a box of Thomas puzzles and a t-shirt. Thank you Secret Santa Sophie ;o)





Faith's Daddy made an amazing cake. It tasted really good too, especially the icing.



We arrived home and we were just putting the kettle on when Nanny and Grandad Rennolds popped in. They had bought Ellis an alphabet puzzle and he loved it and Leo got a stackable dog called Puck.

Rob was messing around with his car number plates so Nanny helped me to bath the babies.

Leo was asleep by 7pm which I think is a first for him, so fingers crossed the routine may be working.

Ellis then requested that Grandad read the bedtime story, which he did.





Mum and Dad left straight after and I had a bath before chilling out shortly before I went to bed myself.

Rob stayed up for a while working on some things, one of them being the hand and foot casts. He finished Leo's and put it next to Ellis' for me to see in the morning. I think they look great.





Monday mornings are always a bit of a rush as we have to get to Sing and Sign by 9:45am, on top of that Leo got me up at least 4 times during the night and Ellis was awake at 4:30am. I didn't get up until 6:30am though.

Sing and Sign this week was the last one for Ellis. I am hoping to take Leo when he is a bit older but it was still sad to say goodbye to Jane the teacher. Ellis loves her too.



There was an animal theme today so Ellis wore his lion t-shirt and took his lion teddy with him too. Leo had the monkey rattle, which we call Monk. Leo was allowed a sticker today as he was awake for part of it.



We got home just gone 11 and I put Ellis up for his nap straight away. He stayed there for 2 1/2 hours but Leo wasn't exactly letting me have some free time. I have so many serene pictures of Leo, I thought I would post some pictures of the other side of him.







Ellis woke up on his own at around 1:30pm and we sat and had lunch together.

We had to stay in for the afternoon as we were expecting some men to come around to fix the en-suite. Unsurprisingly, they didn't show up.

I popped out to the Sainsbury's petrol station to get some milk but they were closed so we ended up going into the main shop. This seems like quite an easy thing to do but Ellis didn't have shoes on, it was raining and I didn't have the sling in the car either. Luckily I got a parking space right by the door so I was able to get a good trolley and get them in the store very quickly.

I did a bit of shopping, bumping into Sally, Anna, Sarah, Oliver and Toby on my travels before rushing home for dinner time.

I have been recently encouraging Ellis to use the potty or at least talk about using it as I am soon going to attempt potty training. He is already copying his Daddy though as you can see.



Bath and bed time was a success again too. Leo was asleep by 7 and I had Ellis in bed not long after.

I was able to have a soak in the bath and a read of my book before going downstairs to do some blogging.

Ellis was still kicking his bed at 8:50pm and at one point screamed which woke Leo up. I was not impressed but after a quick top up feed, Leo went back to sleep.

I am so tired, my eyes are almost sticking shut so I need to go to bed. I only hope that tonight is better than the last 2. Rob is away so there is a bit more room in the bed if I choose to bring Leo in with me. It's just easier that way.

Gooey

Wednesday morning started off very lazy. Leo was still snoozing at 8am.







He later found his thumb and continued to snooze downstairs.



He then decided to wake up when Ellis went for his nap so I was kept busy until my Mum arrived.

We drove down to Music with Mummy as I needed to do some shopping and it looked like it was going to rain too.

It was the last class of the term and we don't start again until September which is ages away! Ellis was really good and very outspoken which was quite funny as he kept copying Debs.

We were supposed to stop for a quick drink in Sainsbury's but we ended up staying quite a while and rushed around after doing the shopping.

Leo slept in the trolley and Ellis was bugging Mum playing with her zip on her cardigan so I pushed them around.

I bathed Ellis and Daddy came home in time to do story time while I fed Leo.

I then went out for the evening to Nic's house for a book party. I ate cookies and crisps and bought a few books for Ellis' birthday.

Leo spent his time sleeping and having cuddles.

As soon as I got home, I changed Leo's nappy, fed him and put him to bed. He went straight back to sleep.

Today was hectic. I forgot the builders were coming to sort out the en-suite in the morning and it wasn't long after that, that my active birthing Mummy friends started to arrive.

I only managed to take a few pictures but I love the one of Leo smiling at Sophie with Maggie's hand on his head.





We put on a good spread for lunch and the boys pretty much played in the garden while the babies had cuddles and naps.













Ellis did well with all the company although at one point he was being very mean to Maggie. I think he just really likes her. He said sorry but then continued to pull her hair so I had to put him in the hallway for a time out. It seemed to work and from then on he was fine.

Leo behaved amazingly well and pretty much slept the entire time. He did have a couple of feeds but just went back to sleep. When he was awake he seemed very content on kicking his toys that hang from his chair.



The girls helped me to clear up before they made their way home. It was very hard work trying to get out of the door as the stair gate kept getting in the way.

I had the kids in the car and was on my way up to my Mum's house, while Sophie was still getting ready to go. I hope they didn't feel like I was pushing them out the door as I really had a nice time today. I wasn't too stressed which was great. The girls all help out which makes it so much easier.

On the way to my Mum's, Ellis kept saying that he made Maggie cry and that he was sorry. It was very cute but a bit late in the day.

Mum prepared us some lush dinner and we all sat at the table together. Ellis was rather excited to be at Nanny and Grandad's house so he played up a little bit while eating, but overall he has been a really good boy for a while now. I hope it continues, forever!

Leo fell asleep in Nanny and Grandad's arms while they were dancing around to some music that Ellis had kindly put on, but it was soon time to leave.

I arrived home around 7pm, gave Ellis a quick wash and put him to bed.

The en-suite was a mess so I decided to have a bath, which is quite impossible when you have a newborn who keeps crying because of wind or wanting more food. I managed to have a very quick soak before getting out to top Leo up.

It took me a while to get him to stay in bed but by 9pm I was downstairs blogging and watching, So You Think You Can Dance.

I'm really looking forward to having Rob home tomorrow. I really could do with the help, even though my Mum has been fantastic recently. I've said I would treat her to a meal next week as a small thank you.

I've started to collect the Sun tokens so that we can go on holiday in September. If anyone has any that they don't want, then please pass them on.

I've also been looking into schools and pre-schools for Ellis. It is so hard to work out what to do! Will hopefully get something sorted out soon. I can't believe that it is already that time when I have to actually think about it. He is still my baby!

I so love my boys! I cannot put into words how I feel about them. They make me feel so amazing when I look at them. In Sainsbury's on Wednesday, I couldn't stop kissing them and just grinning. It makes your heart melt. You would only feel this way about your own children and it is indescribable. I would love to add to my brood one day.

Having said that, there are days when you could strangle them! But in a nice way. ;o)

Off to bed now as I am exhausted and my job is never done as Leo will probably feed around 2am, then again at 5, 6, 7 and 8. Greedy little bugger.

Multi-tasking

Ellis was on top form again today. We had such a laugh in the morning, just messing around and playing games.



I did lots of pottering in the morning, even cleaned out a few cupboards, and then to my surprise, my Mum turned up again.

Today she did my ironing, which I am always very grateful for, and we had a nice chat before Ellis woke up from his nap. He then takes over the conversation.

Mum left and it wasn't long before we had to go to the medical centre to see the health visitor.

Leo was weighed at 10lb 10oz, up from 9lb 13oz. Very good weight gain, along the 50% line still.

We managed to get home in one piece and soon the Mummies arrived for Mummy afternoon.

Ellis did really well sharing his toys with the girls, there were only 2 or 3 spats.

The kitchen gate was open today so the kiddies took their chance to explore. For the main part, they stayed in the kitchen and the adults were in the living room enjoying biscuits and a cake I had made for everyone.



I managed to capture a little bit of playtime in the kitchen, while I was feeding Leo. I'm getting quite good at multi-tasking but it was really nice that Charlotte and Sharon took over the tea making when they arrived.



Everyone left around 5pm and I finished the clearing up and ran the vaccum around before giving Ellis his dinner. We had my Mum and Dad on the webcam for a bit too which was nice.

I bathed the boys at the same time which worked quite well, but it is very hectic. We then had story time on the bed while I fed Leo.

I did the same as the night before, put Ellis in bed, had a quick shower, topped Leo up and then tried hard to settle him in his bed without feeding or rocking him to sleep. It worked quicker again tonight and he was asleep by 8:15pm. Took me about 45 minutes. Tomorrow will be different though as I am going out to a book party. Hopefully it wont upset what I have done already too much.

Going to try and update my pregnancy/post birth diary now and then if I have time, will play Sims 3 until I can't keep my eyes open, about 5 minutes then.