Ben is in exam time... again! He is cramming as much as possible until his two weeks of exams start next Tuesday.
My current journal begins with this day last year (Mon 24th May 2010) so it's quite funny to read how nothing much has changed for him... not like my 'Oliver' day job! It talks about how I was 11 weeks pregnant then: "I am accumulating a bit of 'podge'- whether it's baby fat, extra water or too many puddings I'm not exactly sure- but my tummy does feel harder than usual! I am now at 11 weeks. Lovely!!"
I wrote about Ben's intense revision too: "He is being reeeeasonably productive... with breaks only to jump on top of me or to break into his favourite rendition of "Abby Woo, oh, I love you, oh..." (to the tune of Holst's Jupiter!) All he needs is a 2.i. to stay with BP (phew, haha)"
It's funny to read how my life has changed so much, but Ben's is totally the same!
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Goal Review 2011
I love making lists and I practically ADORE setting goals! I am not sure if that means I am a bit OCD or if that is just a girl-thing, but I am often planning my life and setting and re-setting goals, to make sure I know what I'm aiming for.
So far I haven't achieved ANY of the goals I set at the beginning of the year, but I am happily plodding along and improving gradually!
This means that so far this year I...
- have lost one stone and 3 lb (I planned to lose two stone this year)
- am making a quilt veryyyy slowly. I am stitching all the pretty bits of material together at the mo, before I can move on to the actual quilting part
- have read the first couple of chapters of the Book of Mormon in Spanish! This is mainly because it's a real effort and it takes such a long time to read a page...
- have not tried a new recipe every week, but I have made at least 10-15 new things. I've decided not to bake much though, since that doesn't help my first goal!!
- read to Oliver most days... but not every day. He has a library card (!) and we walk to Histon village library every couple of weeks to change his baby classics over.
- read one new book ('Call the Midwife'- it was excellent, although if you'd like to read it there are a couple of serious warnings I'd like to give you before you do!) I've also re-read a favourite teen book, 'Stormbreaker' and tried to read 'Northern Lights' but I couldn't get into it.
- am studying the scriptures at least five times a week (that means by myself as well as with Ben every day, which we already do) and I am loving it. I am hoping to up that to seven days a week, and make it a real habit.
So! I have revised my goals for the second half of the year. There are about 20 but here are a couple of highlights:
- To improve my geography!! I want to study some maps and know more about places in the UK, and also the world
- To read a science book (or other non-fiction). Possibly Origin of the Species or something by Stephen Hawking?
- To IRON at least every two weeks (I honestly have only ironed a handful of times since being married, so I really need to improve that one)
- To gradually becoming more stylish (but not too fast- it would shock people!!) :)
Since it was a family goal session Ben was wonderful and thought of some for him too- over the Summer he wants to learn how to do some complicated computery stuff (including building one, woah) and go back to doing a couple of intense workouts every week.
Token picture of one of my very favourite people-
So far I haven't achieved ANY of the goals I set at the beginning of the year, but I am happily plodding along and improving gradually!
This means that so far this year I...
- have lost one stone and 3 lb (I planned to lose two stone this year)
- am making a quilt veryyyy slowly. I am stitching all the pretty bits of material together at the mo, before I can move on to the actual quilting part
- have read the first couple of chapters of the Book of Mormon in Spanish! This is mainly because it's a real effort and it takes such a long time to read a page...
- have not tried a new recipe every week, but I have made at least 10-15 new things. I've decided not to bake much though, since that doesn't help my first goal!!
- read to Oliver most days... but not every day. He has a library card (!) and we walk to Histon village library every couple of weeks to change his baby classics over.
- read one new book ('Call the Midwife'- it was excellent, although if you'd like to read it there are a couple of serious warnings I'd like to give you before you do!) I've also re-read a favourite teen book, 'Stormbreaker' and tried to read 'Northern Lights' but I couldn't get into it.
- am studying the scriptures at least five times a week (that means by myself as well as with Ben every day, which we already do) and I am loving it. I am hoping to up that to seven days a week, and make it a real habit.
So! I have revised my goals for the second half of the year. There are about 20 but here are a couple of highlights:
- To improve my geography!! I want to study some maps and know more about places in the UK, and also the world
- To read a science book (or other non-fiction). Possibly Origin of the Species or something by Stephen Hawking?
- To IRON at least every two weeks (I honestly have only ironed a handful of times since being married, so I really need to improve that one)
- To gradually becoming more stylish (but not too fast- it would shock people!!) :)
Since it was a family goal session Ben was wonderful and thought of some for him too- over the Summer he wants to learn how to do some complicated computery stuff (including building one, woah) and go back to doing a couple of intense workouts every week.
Token picture of one of my very favourite people-
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| In his new door bouncer! |
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
The greatest night of my life for nearly six months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wahoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
You can probably guess what has happened: after two months of tearing my hair out with Oliver waking up 5 or 6 times a night, and reading lots of books and working out all the methods and extra food I am planning to give him as soon as he gets to six months, yesterday a Mum at a group I go to suggested that I put him in his own room (This was earlier than I was planning- I thought I shouldn't do it til 6 months, and since he wakes up so frequently anyway I was dreading it!) So last night he slept in his cot in the second bedroom, went down at 8pm, woke for a feed at 12 and then not again until 6.45am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, my best sleep EVER! (Although I actually was awake for a while at 4.30 and 5.30 when he woke up, chatted to himself and went back to sleep. Cos he wasn't too sad I just left him and he didn't wake up Ben since he was quieter on the monitor).
Wahoooooooooooo! I will be doing the same thing every night from now on, and not start the poor boy on three meals a day today after all :) Life is ESPECIALLY good today.
You can probably guess what has happened: after two months of tearing my hair out with Oliver waking up 5 or 6 times a night, and reading lots of books and working out all the methods and extra food I am planning to give him as soon as he gets to six months, yesterday a Mum at a group I go to suggested that I put him in his own room (This was earlier than I was planning- I thought I shouldn't do it til 6 months, and since he wakes up so frequently anyway I was dreading it!) So last night he slept in his cot in the second bedroom, went down at 8pm, woke for a feed at 12 and then not again until 6.45am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, my best sleep EVER! (Although I actually was awake for a while at 4.30 and 5.30 when he woke up, chatted to himself and went back to sleep. Cos he wasn't too sad I just left him and he didn't wake up Ben since he was quieter on the monitor).
Wahoooooooooooo! I will be doing the same thing every night from now on, and not start the poor boy on three meals a day today after all :) Life is ESPECIALLY good today.
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Oliver's latest achievements!
Oliver learnt how to roll over on Wednesday (Uncle Eddy's 18th birthday!) and he has been rolling, both ways round ever since! It is quite amusing to watch his tilting dangerously just before he flips over. So, at 5 months and a little bit old he is finally on the move a bit more! I also saved him the other day, when he had magically managed to get out of his bouncy chair! He was hanging out of it, held on by only his head... Ben and I have now worked out that we've got to strap him in (it wasn't an issue before since he couldn't move even if he wanted to).
We also started going to 'Sing and Sign' classes on Friday afternoons, where we learnt a bit of baby sign language. It looks like it's going to be fun.
As always, the downside is always night times... Oliver still wakes up to feed five or six times a night, every night, and has done for more than two months now....!!!! But isn't he cute?? I still adore him.
We also started going to 'Sing and Sign' classes on Friday afternoons, where we learnt a bit of baby sign language. It looks like it's going to be fun.
As always, the downside is always night times... Oliver still wakes up to feed five or six times a night, every night, and has done for more than two months now....!!!! But isn't he cute?? I still adore him.
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Monday, 9 May 2011
Baby Wrestling
I am considering suggesting a new Olympic sport for 2012: I would call it 'Baby Wrestling'. To participate you need one particularly wiggly baby, and one unexperienced and unsuspecting mother caught in the crossfire.
This evening I made the bad decision to give the baby a bath, followed by a tea of baby porridge and then bed. Oliver LOVES his porridge, and today was a prime example: He gobbled it down very fast, while also attempting to use his new favourite toy- his sippy cup- and tipping it all over him (he hasn't worked out how to get any out yet, only push bubbles in) and tries to cram both hands AND FEET into his already-porridge-filled mouth. "Ahhh, licking porridge off my toes" he thinks, "what could be better?" He grunts for more, and I, as a poor unexperienced mother, oblige, while trying my hardest to keep all his limbs away from the mean machine that is his mouth. Unfortunately, by this point he has a tummy ache from eating so fast, which he cunningly plans to overcome by crying out for moe, flailing his porridge-y legs and desperately grabbing hold of his once-clean pajamas.
Moral of the story? Accept that feeding porridge to a wiggly baby requires both parents, and all available limbs. Or rather, next time give the boy a bath AFTER tea :)
This evening I made the bad decision to give the baby a bath, followed by a tea of baby porridge and then bed. Oliver LOVES his porridge, and today was a prime example: He gobbled it down very fast, while also attempting to use his new favourite toy- his sippy cup- and tipping it all over him (he hasn't worked out how to get any out yet, only push bubbles in) and tries to cram both hands AND FEET into his already-porridge-filled mouth. "Ahhh, licking porridge off my toes" he thinks, "what could be better?" He grunts for more, and I, as a poor unexperienced mother, oblige, while trying my hardest to keep all his limbs away from the mean machine that is his mouth. Unfortunately, by this point he has a tummy ache from eating so fast, which he cunningly plans to overcome by crying out for moe, flailing his porridge-y legs and desperately grabbing hold of his once-clean pajamas.
Moral of the story? Accept that feeding porridge to a wiggly baby requires both parents, and all available limbs. Or rather, next time give the boy a bath AFTER tea :)
Friday, 6 May 2011
I am on a real "LIFE HIGH" at the moment!
- Oliver is at the perfect age- he is happy and smiley and does things... but he can't move quite yet!
- I have a wonderful, fun and strong marriage to a good man
- What I have called "Get Thin May" is going really well so far: and it's all due to my rubbishy jogging- hurrah! So far I have lost 9lbs in the last 6 weeks, I have 4 more to lose to get back to pre-Oliver, and then a further 7lb, fingers crossed!
- I went to Girton Art Exhibition today, with lots of paintings by local artists, and I feel inspired to do some of my own, maybe for our house if it turns out any good!
- We have a vague, but happy Summer planned
- We are leaving Girton next month!! That is actually really sad, since I LOVE living in Girton (and Cambridge) and all the lovely friends I have made (mainly churchy and now lots of Mums with babies!) but NO MORE DAMP OR MOULD, wahooooooooooo!
- Lisa and Libby Thomas are coming to visit from America and I will see them next week!
- The weather is absolutely gorgeous at the mo, and even though its set to break at the weekend, it's going to HAIL, and that is cool for May
- I love drying laundry outside! After a whole winter of rotating laundry on radiators because we don't have a tumble drier, it is all done outside in a couple of hours
- It's my birthday next month!!!!! I'm young, so birthdays are always exciting
- I have a really clean bathroom- Ben attacked it with bleach (tiles and all) and it's looking better than it ever has done. Ahhh that's true love :)
- I have a wonderful, fun and strong marriage to a good man
- What I have called "Get Thin May" is going really well so far: and it's all due to my rubbishy jogging- hurrah! So far I have lost 9lbs in the last 6 weeks, I have 4 more to lose to get back to pre-Oliver, and then a further 7lb, fingers crossed!
- I went to Girton Art Exhibition today, with lots of paintings by local artists, and I feel inspired to do some of my own, maybe for our house if it turns out any good!
- We have a vague, but happy Summer planned
- We are leaving Girton next month!! That is actually really sad, since I LOVE living in Girton (and Cambridge) and all the lovely friends I have made (mainly churchy and now lots of Mums with babies!) but NO MORE DAMP OR MOULD, wahooooooooooo!
- Lisa and Libby Thomas are coming to visit from America and I will see them next week!
- The weather is absolutely gorgeous at the mo, and even though its set to break at the weekend, it's going to HAIL, and that is cool for May
- I love drying laundry outside! After a whole winter of rotating laundry on radiators because we don't have a tumble drier, it is all done outside in a couple of hours
- It's my birthday next month!!!!! I'm young, so birthdays are always exciting
- I have a really clean bathroom- Ben attacked it with bleach (tiles and all) and it's looking better than it ever has done. Ahhh that's true love :)
***********
I took these the other day while walking around the Girton College grounds.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
William and Harry came to stay! (NOT the Princes)
Two of my brothers, Billy and Harry, came to stay with us for the long weekend. We had a fab time punting, picnic-ing, museum-ing, having a barbecue and playing LOTS of boyish games (Risk, Settlers and frisbee in a lot of wind!)
It was a great family bonding weekend.
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| Ben shows us how it is done! |
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| I held onto Oliver tight! |
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| Billy had a go, and we went round in circles for a bit, but then he got the hang of it! |
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| Ben and Oliver at our picnic |
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| Looking and minerals and other rock-y things at the museum (of course it was a rock museum!!) |
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| On a Sunday walk (They were super Uncles) |
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| We saw lots of small horses |
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| They played man games at the park... |
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| ... so I balanced Oliver precariously on the swings |
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| ... and he later conked out from all the fun! |
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