Christmas 2014

Eeeeeeek. I'm so excited to be writing about Christmas, even though I must admit that it doesnt seem a year that I wrote my last Christmas themed blog posts! 

Alfie is older this year (obviously) so is now paying more attention to all the Christmas decorations in the shops and the songs on the tele. He is so in love with the Christmas trees and lights- he just sits and stares up at them. They are mesmerising, I still find the lights amazing at 23 years old. 

I've bought him two christmas books so far- Peppas Christmas wish and dear Santa. He loves peppa so I knew it would be a hit and he adores dear zoo so I know he would love this Christmas flap book even more! 

He can say Santa & Christmas and does seem to get excited when we read his Christmas books to him. We have also been getting into the Christmas spirit by making cards for our close family and friends! He didn't enjoy it as much as I did!! 

I'm not very organised this Christmas, I have lots more to get but I love the Christmas rush so that's fine with me. 

Michael bublé is joining us in the car starting today- it's defiantly Christmas when he gets in the car with us! 

Is everyone sorted for Christmas? Or are you a last minute Christmas shopper? 

Toddler Tantrums

Today has been a very trying day- we've never had a tantrum like it, and I hope we don't again. 

We were out shopping and Alfie was walking about- when we got to the car park. I put him in his pushchair, he wouldn't sit down and was stood in it with his legs stiff so i decided that he could walk around the shops as he does like being a big boy and he gets so proud wandering around so I put his reins on and off we set to the shop. At first he was fine, he wandered around happily until I tried to get him to come the way I needed to go to get him some wellie socks and then the screaming started. He stood still, stamped his feet and was screaming. I was very self conscious as everyone was looking at us both so I was trying to calm him down, I manged to pick him up and move him towards the boys clothes without anymore screaming.  He still didn't want to go where I asked but he wasn't as bad as he was holding his wellie socks. 

The worst was yet to come- he was screaming, crying, laying on the floor and crawling in next- I felt like a rubbish parent that I couldn't control my child and I felt that people were looking at me thinking 'she obviously can't look after her child'... And they're right!! I obviously can't.

Why is my child kicking off when he doesn't get his own way- please tell me that he grows out of this!! What can I do to stop this happening? 

He likes being independent but he is only one and a half so a toddler of that age can't run wild. He knows what he wants but he can't also tell me- he points to what he wants but he doesn't quite understand that I need to do things aswell as him.

I literally feel so drained today and I know it's maybe the 'terrible twos' so i have to grow some balls and not care what others think and parent my way! I am quite proud as I kept calm and a few strangers were smiling and reassured me that I wasn't doing anything wrong. 

Let's hope tomorrow is a less tantrumed filled day! 

The end is in sight.. PND

The end of my PND is in sight, the light isn't too far down the tunnel -however its not quite in arms reach.

 

I've said from the start that I didn't want to be haunted by my mental illness so I'm not letting it happen. I've been on my tablets for seven months and I decided that it was time to get on with my life so I've spoke to my doctor and she agreed that lowing my dose of medication is the next step I should be taking towards my new state of mental health.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its going to be an easy ride but I'm so ready for this- I'm focused- I'm prepared and I'm strong.

 

It's now day five of my lower dose of medication, I've gone from taking a tablet a day to taking one every other day. Surprisingly, I feel good. I expected it to be hard but from all of the support of friends, family and my readers I know I can do this.

 

Zach and I have rekindled our romance and I think I've come on leaps and bounds in my recovery as I'm so happy and content again.

 

I am a strong person, I didn't think I was but I know for a fact I am. I've been through the hardest days of my life and I'm still here.

 

I have one person to thank for the focus I have right now and that's Alfie. He's my rock, he cant talk and would not of known what was happening when I was really ill but he's saved my life. Everytime I feel low, I just look at my baby and a massive smile appears out of no where. He's my rock and I owe him a lot.

 

Here's to be the best mum I can be to my little guy.

My Daily Routine, Written by Alfie

Hello all mummy's friends, 

I'm Alfie. Mummys son.. 

Well you should know that by now. She talks about me on this blog all the time and she puts enough pictures on Twitter and Instagram of me posing! (I love the camera! :).) 

I've written my daily routine for you all to enjoy, the routine doesn't always go to plan if I don't want to nap or mummy has planned something for us to do. But this is a general routine of mine and mums;  

5-6AM- Wake up& shout at mummy for 10mins until she decides to finally wake up. Recently I've been waking up at 4- she pretends she's tired but she loves the extra time she gets to spend with me, Obviously!!!! Snuggles in bed, while watching the CBeebies advert thing repeating over and over again.. until I decide i want to go down for some Milk then I will shout juice and pull her out of bed! 

6-7AM- Milk, Play and CBeebies.

7-8AM- Play with family before School, University, College and Work. They always end up leaving late but pushing me around in my mini is so much more important. 

8-9AM- Breakfast- sometimes I want abit of everything. I like a choice but then I can't eat it all so it gets chucked in the bin. I'm so fussy.

9-10AM- Head to bed for a nap, this is where the fun starts.. Sometimes I'll just stand in my cot shouting mummy for an hour or chat to monkey about what we are going to do today. I do play up because I know mummy wants a cup of tea and breakfast. If I hear the kettle boiling, I will start shouting! Mummy just waits until I settle down, if she didn't I would just play all day. I hate having a nap!

10-12PM- Have a 2 hour nap, While mummy does housework, showers and gets ready. Sometimes if I hear her get out the shower, I'll wake up so that she doesn't have to time to do her hair and make up! Hehe! I'm so funny!

12-1PM Dinner.. then mummy gets me dressed for the day. She used to get me dressed before dinner but I like to play with my food and my clothes get mucky so after a few months she's finally realised its best to get me dressed afterwards.

(Not a flattering picture at all, cheers mum) 

1-4-30PM Out and about. If mummy doesn't know what to do, we go for a walk to the park which is down the road from our house and walk through the woods. We look for squirrels, watch the quack quacks swim around and then we go on the play area. I do love the swings and the slide and I kick off when it's time to go home! Sometimes mummy takes us to asda or next. She wanders around looking at the clothes and trying silly hats on me. She thinks it's hilarious and I'm just like.. Ok mum, it's embarrassing!

4-30-6PM we then come home for Tea, I don't really like eating meals. I'm fussy so I chuck it all on the floor. I just want yogurts and sweeties. After tea. I will play with my toys, until it's time for my bath. I usually play with my aunties while mummy gets everything ready for my bath. 

6-6-30PM BATHTIME!! My favourite time of the day, I love splashing about, playing with my ducks and trying to drink the bath water. Mummy doesn't like me drinking it, that's why I do it! 

6-30-7PM- Snuggles, then bed. Mummy always baths me earlier than needed so that she can have a cuddle with me before she puts me in my cot. It's more of a wrestling match though because, I don't stay still. I would rather get the toys out my toy box and get the remote and change the channel on the tele. Mummy enjoys CBeebies more than I do, she just pretends she doesn't like it! When mummy has had enough of chasing me round the room, she puts me in my cot, tucks me in, gives me a kiss and tells me she loves me. She puts the monitor on and switches the light off and leaves me to go to sleep. It doesn't take me long to fall asleep after that because I have such a long day playing and I'm knackered. Then I drift off to sleep and dream about the park and what adventures we'll get up to tomorrow! 

Thanks for reading my mummy's blog, love Alfie 

xx

Autumn Walks

I never really walked anywhere much when I wasn't a mum. I would just get in and the car and go where I needed to go and come back again. I didn'tappreciate my surroundings but what 19 year old does??! 

This is the first year that me and Alfie have been out for walks in the autumn season, last year I was depressed so I just stayed in all the time and because Alfie was tiny I just wanted him in the warm with me. 

I love going for walks now, Alfie loves being out in the fresh air and taking in the environment. Especially now he's older. He loves walking in the crispy leaves and picking up fallen leaves and pinecones. He would love to jump in muddy puddles like peppa pig but i haven't got round to getting him some Wellington boots yet. 

Alfie's favourite things

Alfie is now showing signs of liking and disliking different things and isn't shy on telling you if he doesn't want things.. He will say no, shake his head or chuck it on the floor. 

Food/ drink- 

He has been very fussy with his food lately, he isn't keen on gravy dinner and it always ends up on the floor. He would prefer chips/ onion rings.. With chicken/ fish fingers. His all time favourite food is pasta! He always gobbles it up in record time and doesn't leave any.. Literally none AT ALL! He is also in love with fruit, the favourites in our house are bananas, strawberries, raspberries, grapes and blueberries. He likes tomatoes and cucumber too so I tend to give him a lot of salad with his meals. He has a lot of yogurt too.

He drinks a lot of juice, he loves every flavour really and doesn't really show a preference for a certain juice. 

Toys- 

He hates being sat down for too long as he prefers to be wandering around.. But when he does play he likes his car garage.. And he likes pushing his monkey around in his walker. I think he would love a little pushchair to put his monkey in. 

Music- 

He LOVES dancing, he dances to any bit of music he can hear. I listen to pop music and 50s/60s. He loves both and gets his boogy on. He's a right little mover! 

Activity- 

He prefers to be active than stay in so I would have to say his favourite activity would be the park. He giggles on the swings and screams 'weeeeeee' on the slide and he loves the open space to run around in. We go to the park about 3 times a week, it won't be that much anymore as the colder weather is now coming. I want to get him some wellies, he would love jumping up and down in puddles!! :) 

Tv programme- 

He doesn't sit still long enough to watch a whole show but he does like Peppa pig, Fireman Sam, Noddy, in the night garden and Mister Maker. 

Favourite time of the day- 

He likes meal times as he loves his food! Little chunk.  

Favourite animal- 

He's learnt how to say cat and we do have millions of cats that live surrounding us. They're taking over our estate! No word of a lie! Haha. He stands at the patio waiting for next doors cat to come in the garden and gets so very excited when he does. He loves watching the bird table from the patio door too. 

His favourite things change on a regular basis, but he's a toddler and they're fussy little things. His favourite food will probably change next week and he'll probably never play with his car garage again. That's toddlers for you!

Does your little one have any favourites like Alfie? :)

October!

It's October!! 

Lovely walks among the crispy leaves

A chill in the air

Picking conkers and pinecones 

Snuggles on the sofa 

Hot drinks to warm us up 

Scarves and coats 

The year has gone so quick but I'm looking forward to all of those things!

PND UPDATE

On my last post about 5months ago I had been diagnosed with PND. It was a horrible time for me, Alfie and my whole family as I hit rock bottom but you'll be pleased to know. I'm finally feeling back to the old me. 

I was in a very dark place, I didn't want to do anything, I would sit on my bed just shaking, and I was scared of myself. It really was awful, but it wasn't me. Depression is an awful illness, you literally can't control what your thinking and however hard you to try to block things from your head and think positive, something inside you keeps telling you to think about the horrible things. I wanted to run away from it all, I thought Alfie would be better off without me and I felt like a rubbish mum for even getting this in the first place. 

Thinking back to it now, I'm so proud of myself for getting through it. I can be quite a sensitive person but I managed to stand up against this illness and come

out the other side. I am so proud of my son Alfie, he wasn't even one when I got diagnosed but he was so good and loving towards me. He would give me cuddles and kisses and come and rest his head on my knee. He was good as gold and in a way he saved my life. 

It's so amazing when you start to feel you again, it makes you appreciate what you have even more than before. Especially because of Alfie, it's been even more amazing. I adore being a mummy to my clever little man and actually love doing mummy things now. I take Alfie out a lot, we go on days with other mummies and babies and I've met some lovely people that I know will be friends for life. 

I have so much more patience with Alfie now and I love seeing him grow into a cheeky little monkey. He's so well behaved and he is a credit to me. Everyone says what a lovely little boy he is, he smiles and waves to everybody. He's so friendly and sociable. 

Now I feel more happy in my self I want to get out the house, even an hour walk makes me feel better. It's exercise for me and Alfie loves searching for pinecones and conkers at the moment. I love autumn and I'm looking forward to everything to come. 

It's so easy to feel like giving up when your down but don't. Be strong and stand up. 

Open letter to Alfie- 16month update

Hello baby boy! 

..it's mummy!! 

I haven't wrote a letter on here for a long while but you know mummy hasn't been very well. And you've been an absolute diamond. Your a very special little boy and blessing to me. You've made me happy and got me through each day when I felt like I couldn't. You made me strong and put the smile back on my face, you cheeky monkey! 

You've changed a lot since the last update on here, it's been 5months! You are a very active little boy- walking, running and jumping everywhere. Your so quick at running and you actually can run quicker than mummy and daddy sometimes. Your favourite place is the park and we take your football and you run around for hours. You loves the swings and slides at the park and we've had quite a few tantrums when we've had to go home for tea recently. Cheeky!! 

You go up the stairs by yourself and come down on your bum. Even though it's scary for me, you know what your doing and are so very proud and have a massive smile on your face. 

You are a friendly little boy and everyone we meet says your a gorgeous boy with a cheeky smile and a funny personality. It makes me very proud to know that everyone thinks your a star. No one can be more proud than I am of you! 

You spend the weekend with your daddy and love it. As soon as you see him your face lights up. You love it at his house now as your cousin Oliver lives there and you love spending time with your baby cousin. 

Mummy and daddy have been getting on very well and spending a lot of time together. You are so happy and excited when we all go out for tea. You constantly have a massive smile on your face and mummy and daddy are very happy too. Me and daddy have planned lots of days out for me, you and him and we can't wait to do them with you.  

Love you lots 

Mummy 

xx

What kind of parent am I?

Recently I did a quiz on Facebook about what kind of mother I am. I know it's not accurate and no one can tell you what kind of parent you are from answering a few questions but it made me wonder.. What kind of mother am I? 

This quiz told me that I'm the sort of mother that wraps their child in cotton wool and try's everything in my power to protect my baby from harm. But what sort of mother am I and want to be in the future? 

When I was pregnant I thought I would be the laid back parent and let Alfie get what he wants, to a certain degree it's true. I do spoil him but I do know when to stop. I don't go over the top. When he shouts at me for chocolate in the morning, I give in? And give him 2 squares of white chocolate. Does that make me a bad parent? I don't believe anyone is a bad parent if your child is happy and healthy. I know when to say no, and if he does something I don't agree with then- he does get told. 

I wonder what I'll be like when he's at school, primary and secondry. Am I going to be the mum that's embarrassing and makes him give me a kiss before he goes into school and the mum that shouts and screams at the football match to encourage him. Probably yes! 

I will try to be laid back but teach him the right and wrongs. The way I parent will obviously change with what happens in his life but I'll do my best to bring him up to be happy with himself and treat people with respect. I will try to protect him from harm but I won't wrap him in cotton wool, I believe they all need their own room to grow into their own person. 

He already is a very kind hearted boy and likes to look after his baby cousin, he gives kisses and cuddles. He's my little star and I'm very proud of him and his little personality.

You never know what will happen in the future.. 

All I know is that I love my baby more than anything, and whatever I do is in his best interest. I just hope that whatever happens, he's proud to have me as a mummy even if I embarras him in front of his friends when he's older. :)

I'm back!!

Guess who's back.. 

It's Me!! 

Firstly I would like to apologise to all my regular readers for the lack of blog activities for quite a while. I have not really been up to blogging and certinatly not had time to do my blog. 

I will be getting back into blogging and this post will start us off.. 

Many of you know, that I have been battling with post natal depression but you will be pleased to know that I'm back to the old me. And very nearly finished my recovery!! Hence why im back to the blogging business :).. It's been a tough journey and I will go into more detail about it when I feel up to writing a post on it. 

Alfie is now 16months!! He runs, jumps and loves anything that means being active. He can say a few words and can quite happily tell you what he wants. I can't wait to let you all know what he's been up to! 

All in all, me and the little man are well and thank you all for the well wishes via twitter. I have been in two minds about deleting the blog and not doing it but I do love doing this and I love all my blogging pals! 

Thanks for your continued support and I shall be back with my next post this week 

Falling in love again..

Due to my post natal depression i cant remember what love feels like- I loved my baby and my boyfriend and made sure i looked after them both but i would stress about every little thing and wouldn't enjoy them. At the time i thought i was enjoying them but i wasn't. I didn't love my love my life but i didn't hate it either. I just got on with it...

That's what i've been doing for the last 10months- plodding along. I would do the normal household stuff and then it would be bedtime. That's it- everyday. I wouldn't have time to play or didn't feel like i wanted to but somethings changed..

Since being diagnosed with PND, i am falling in love again. You don't know what you have till you think you'll loose it. The last few weeks have been so hard- some days i didn't think i would get through them and i felt alone and lost. I didn't appreciate my life before but i do now. 

I'm starting to fall in love with my life again and most importantly falling in love with my little boy all over again. I want to play with him- I don't stress about mess and don't stress that the housework and that the tea isn't cooked in time.  

I look at him now and can't believe how amazing he is- Hes my world and i love him more than anything. While i was suffering in silence with PND i would look forward to bedtimes and naptimes so i could get the housework done- i liked a tidy house and i couldn't relax until the house was spotless. I loved him before but not in the same way as i do now, i'm looking forward to what the future brings for me and my little guy. Now that i've realised what my actual priorites are, i can work on making my life happier and my son.

I want to work on sorting out my relationship with Alfies daddy- I didn't appreciate the good things he would do. The bad would just stick in my head- i couldn't find good in anybody but now i realise i am also partly to blame for the relationship breakdown. The PND made me argue with him and have a go at him for silly little things. In reality he did a lot for me and his son- he works all week to earn money to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. I know i need to get this sorted, i miss him and need to prove i love him and i am changing. 

PND is a horrible mental illness as we don't have control over what we're saying and how we feel emotionally and however hard we try to snap out of it we can for a little bit but the demon creeps back up on us. For months i tried to make myself happier- and i would but then something would happen and i would fall back into that place i was in. If you think your suffering please speak to someone- our babies deserve a happy mummy and daddy. 

If any of you would like a chat i'm over on twitter (@Elw_23_) and you can email. Don't suffer in silence like i did. Its not just you that its affecting- Its your whole life around you too.

A big thank you for all your support too :) xx

Alfie- You're One!

Alfie- Bear, You're One.

One year since you came into my life and changed my life for the better. You've changed so much in the last year and I cant believe how quick the year has flown by. You've gone from a tiny little baby to a toddler- Im so proud of all you do and I love how you know me so well too. Your daddy and I have decided to split up so we can both concentrate on you and make sure your happy and you've tried your best to cheer me up and you always come up to me, put your head on me and say 'awwww'. Your cuddles cheer me up like nothing else, mummy has been going through a rough time and you've been so well behaved and haven't minded playing with your aunties.

Your biggest milestone this month is your walking- you've gone from taking a few wobbley steps to full on walking. Its amazing to watch your confidence grow and your so proud when your toddling around. Your picking up speed now and are often nearly running around. You know how to make everyone laugh, your a proper cheeky monkey.


You are starting to say more, you ask 'whats that?!' to everything and everyone at the moment. You are starting to communicate so i know what you want, if you want a drink you will go to the where the juice is kept and you go into the kitchen and point at the cupboards when you want something, which seems to be all the time at the moment! 


I switched your milk to cows milk, you didn't seem bothered about the change but you don't drink as much now. 

Your still wearing 9-12m clothes, and some of those are still abit big. Your filling out more now and got the cutest chubby cheeks! 
Your still in in size4 pampers nappies. 

We had a lovely little party at grandads for your birthday, lots of cake, balloons and food! 

My PND experience

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you may have noticed that i haven't posted on my blog as much as usual recently and if you follow me on twitter you will know that i have been suffering from PND. 

I wasn't sure weather to write this post or not, as this whole experience is horrible to think about but I figured it may be some comfort to people if I do and hopefully I'll be able to help other parents recognise the signs of PND as they can often be not as obvious as just being upset, crying and the feeling of not coping. 

I know many mummies on twitter that have PND, I've always felt like I needed to give them support but never realised how bad it can make you feel to experience it yourself. 

I've always been a very shy, nervous and queit person. At school I didn't want to talk to people and kept myself to myself had a close number of friends. After school I went into hairdressing which is where I became more confident with myself, I was still shy but I would talk to people if they spoke to me and didn't feel as secluded from people. 

I met Alfie's dad when I was working full time in a hairdressing salon and was quite confident and happy with my life at that time. My boyfriend gave me the confidence I always needed and I did come out my shell some more when I was with him- Then I ended up pregnant. 

The pregnancy was a shock and I was very scared when I first found out, I wasn't sure what to do about it but Zach said he would stick by me whatever my desicion was so I kept the baby and loved being pregnant. I was very happy that I was having a baby with the man I loved and couldn't wait to start a family with him. He was a lovely boyfriend and he always looked after me.

I gave birth to Alfie a year ago and I was over the moon- so was Zach! We were a family at last and I couldn't wait to start our lives together. 

At the time I didn't look into this that much but i have realised now that I have suffered from post natal depression quite early on as a mother. It wasn't so bad when Zach was at home but as soon as he would go to work I would feel alone and on my own. I know I had Alfie and that does sound really bad but I just felt so alone. I had my sisters to talk to but they had school and uni so I couldn't go out with any of them. I find it very hard to talk to people about how I feel as I never really knew what the problem is myself half the time. I had always kept myself to myself so I didn't feel that anything was wrong, I thought it was just me. I had gone from being on top of the world when I was pregnant back to feeling shy, anxious and worried about everything. I put it down to being tired and being a first time mum but it eventually got worse.. 

In the last couple of months I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to go out, I would get anxious, and get worried about how busy places would be and find an excuse to leave. I've always been an impatient sort of person but it was getting silly- I couldn't stand in a shop looking at things I had to go straight in and out. No messing about. I would get irritable with silly little things and I would get annoyed with my boyfriend as I felt like I was doing everything on my own. I wasn't- he was helping but I felt that way, due to being depressed. I would sleep when Alfie did in the morning and didn't feel i could function if i didn't go for a nap with him- it was all in my head but thats how i dealt with it. 

I felt alone, worthless and rubbish despite Zach trying to make an effort with me I wouldn't want it. I wanted to be on my own but then I felt alone!?! I know it doesn't make sense does it? But I just didn't know how I felt at all. But I couldn't talk to anyone, I couldn't find the words to explain my feelings. 

I blocked it out and tried to get on with life, which i was doing but then I started getting physical problems quite a lot. I felt light headed, pains in my tummy, headaches, my eyes would hurt, you name it. I had it! I assumed I was run down or not well so I went to the doctors- he said from a doctors point of view I was fine and maybe it was a viral infection. Alfie had one the week before so I thought that would be a logical explanation. 

The pains carried on so I went back a couple of weeks later to another doctor after I tried drinking loads and loads of water and taking vitamins- nothing was helping. I felt worse so I went to see her. She asked how I felt mentally- I said I was fine but seconds later I burst into tears. I couldn't stop crying- the tears kept rolling and it was awful, as much as I tried I couldn't stop crying. I felt rubbish and I was letting out all these emotions that had been building up for the last few months come flooding out. 

I was relived in a way that I had eventually been diagnosed with PND but also felt sick- I felt rubbish. No one wants to be ill and I think the taboo of mental illness is worse on a person as no one wants to be known to suffer a mental illness. I was scared my boyfriend would think I was stupid and I was worried my family would think that too. 

I explained to them and they understood which was a relief, I decided to move back to my dads while I started my tablets as they had a very negative effect on me- I felt like I didn't want to be here anymore and that was constantly on my mind for a couple of weeks- I tried to block it out but it wouldn't go. My brain couldn't switch off from these horrible thoughts. It wasn't me, it felt like someone else had taken over my brain and was telling me what to think. Everytime i tried to take my mind of the horrible thoughts in my head, it was like i was getting told to think about these horrible things.

Eventually my body has got used to the tablets and I'm back to how I felt before- still abit low but no where near as bad as I had been! I felt like I couldn't look after Alfie on my own for the first couple of weeks and needed someone with me- I was scared of myself. I just wanted to run away, I would never wish it on anyone!

Unfortunately me and Alfie's dad are no longer together- this didn't really help my recovery and I seemed to have taken a step back from the progress I was making towards my new life. 

I wanted to be better for Alfie and Zach- My little family- but now I just have Alfie.. He's my whole world, i want to be better for my little guy and I'm glad that I am taking steps to getting rid of this horrible illness. 

If you think your suffering, speak to your GP or health visitor, its nothing to be ashamed of and if you catch it early on, you can enjoy your babies. You can always contact me on twitter if you fancy a chat or you can email me :) 

I'm a lot happier now :) and so is Alfie! 

Mamas and papas Ellis shoulder bag

Since having Alfie I'm obsessed with changing bags, I know what your thinking- Not another changing bag post but yep it is.. Sorry!!

I spotted this gorgeous stripe bag in mamas and papas and knew I needed to add it to my ever growing changing bag collection.

 

 

MAMAS AND PAPAS ELLIS SHOULDER BAG- STRIPE

The bag is spacious and brilliant quality as you would expect from mamas and papas. It feels strong and you could fill it up so much and it would still take all the weight. You have the main pocket fastened using a zip with a couple of storage pockets for nappies and wipes. Also one insulated bottle holder too. 

There is lots of room for other bits and pieces you may need when out and about with your little ones. Some bags can look massive but this one doesn't look big, as soon as you start putting stuff in you realise it's very spacious. 

Also included is a changing mat in the same design as the bag. 

There are two pockets on the front and back which blend in with the bag, I use these pockets for dummies, my phone and any other little pieces we end up with on our journeys. 

The strap is adjustable meaning you can wear it on you or put it over the pram handles. I prefer to walk around with the bag on my pram but I know some people prefer them on them and this is perfect both ways. The strap wouldn't be uncomfortable for short periods but there isn't a shoulder pad so I would say if you wore it all day it may start digging into you and become uncomfortable to wear. 

The best feature of the bag is that it doesn't look like a changing bag. Some mums prefer a bag that doesn't look like a big bag with so much baby stuff crammed it, it's so stylish. 

The Ellis shoulder bag comes in a range of designs and colours perfect for any mum and baby. 

Definitely my favourite changing bag I own to date. 

Mamas and Papas do a fantastic selection of stylish changing bags, which you can browse here.

Alfie 11Month update.

Alfie is 11 months old, who would have thought the time would go so fast! 

He changes so much all the time, its amazing to watch but i'm sad that hes not my tiny baby anymore. 

He is now walking, he is so proud of himself when he is toddling around and i'm so proud of him too. He walks around with a massive smile on his face and he always gets up and walks when we go see family and friends. He likes to show off his new skill. Hes getting quicker and quicker at it everyday. Its quite sad for me that he'll never be that baby that just lays there playing on a playmat or sitting in a bouncer anymore, But i suppose they can't stay babies forever. 

He loves his food, he would eat all day if he could. He has three meals- breakfast, dinner and tea. He has a snack mid-afternoon too. He is still drinking Aptimal First Milk in the morning and at night. And he drinks apple and blackcurrant diluted juice throughout the day. We had trouble getting him to drink out of anything but a bottle but we bought an oxo tot cup that grows with your child and hes got used to that one very quickly. We are going to start introducing whole cows milk soon, he already has it on cereal but we are going to start putting it into bottle either his morning or bedtime bottle. I'll let you know how we get on with the transition. 

He is now in 9-12 months clothes- with lots of room in them so i think we will be in them a little while longer. He always a little behind on his clothes but he is quite a slim build so he just doesn't fill them out. I'm not sure why he isn't chubbier though he eats loads!! I'm sure he'll get abit chubbier when hes drinking cows milk too! He's still in size4 pampers nappies.  

He enjoys being a cheeky monkey at the moment, if you ask him to do something he shakes his head or nods. He tends to go for the shaking head more than nodding though. He will play with his toys for a little while- he does prefer to play with things he shouldnt be. His faves are the dvds, switching the sky box on and off, turning the tele round (it swivels round), opening the cupboard under the stairs, chucking our shoes all over.. Just a few of his favourite games for you there. Haha! He likes to make us laugh, he likes to turn his head really quick back and forth when me and his daddy are chatting. It makes me laugh but then he laughs too, he knows hes funny. 

Birthday wise- I havent decided what we're doing yet, and i havent really bought anything either. I bought him some little ted baker shorts and some plimsolls and thats it so far for presents. I'm thinking of getting bath toys for him, he has lots of toys that he doesn't really play with so i need to sort out what he doesnt play with and buy him a couple of news one. 

This boy loves to talk- hes always babbling to himself and there are some words you can tell what they are. He says, 'dada', 'mama', 'yes', 'no', 'tickle', 'don't know'. Hes constantly screaming and shouting. Hes always been really queit when were out and about but recently he's been one of those babies that screams and shouts and then you can hear another baby screaming and shouting at the other end of the shop and they keep doing it. Haha, Its quite funny but i dont like the way people look at him when hes doing it. He's a baby, hes going to make noise! 

He still has his dummy, i've been told i should get rid but i can't. He likes one in his mouth when hes going to sleep and he doesn't have it in the day now. He doesnt wake for it if it falls out in the night so i'll leave him be for a little while longer. 

He still loves bath time, he loves the bubbles and he puts them on his hand and just sits there laughing at them for ages! Strange child haha! He likes doing big splashes and wetting us and he pretends to swim too. 

Hes grown up so much this past year, i cant believe hes even going to be one!! 

Alfie First Birthday Present Ideas

I can't believe my baby will be 1 in a months time. It doesn't feel five minutes ago that i was waddling around with a massive bump and giving birth to my baby and now hes a whole year old! The years used to last forever but having a baby speeds up everything! He'll be stroppy teenager before i know it!

 However, Todays post is about the present ideas i have for alfie, he has everything he needs so its quite hard to think about what to get him but i've come up with a few things that i have decided i might get for him. 

Mamas and Papas Rocking Animal- I've always loved these rocking animals, they're bright and colourful and look great fun for babies. I wanted to get one for Alfie for christmas but they are recommended for a year and over so I didn't bother and decided to wait until his first birthday to get him one.

Vans- He does already have some vans but he is in size4 shoes now so there is so much more choice.I love white plimsolls but i know as he gets older they will just get so dirty, so for now he still sits in a pram i'll get him white. He only has grey vans at the moment and they only look nice with jeans but not so keen on them with other trousers. These white ones will go with his chinos and little joggers. 

Clothes- He will most likely get clothes the next size up for his birthday so they are there ready for him to grow into! I've seen a few bits on Zara that i want for him. And of course, there are some bits from next I would like for him too! 

Books- I love reading books and I love reading to Alfie- we already have a few but I would like to build Alfie's collection up abit more so we will be getting more for him! 

Photo Frame- you probably don't think this is very exciting but hopefully Alfie will having his own room soon so I've decided to get a collection of photos in a frame ready for his own room. I can't believe that he's been in the world a year in a months time!!