32 Weeks With Bump

I'm not even sure you can call the little Sprogling "Bump" anymore. I think a more appropriate name would be more like, "Ginormous Ball Attached to My Tummy".

We're getting close now!

All the little apps are telling me that babies born from now onward have a much higher chance of survival,

the websites are telling me to pack my hospital bag

and I can't fit into any of my clothes any more!

Eap!

It's funny how your mind changes with it all too.

I don't know if this counts for everyone, or perhaps it's just the way my brain likes to get around things, but the reality of it is definitely hitting home now.

Before, all I could think about was having a new, tiny little human to play with and teaching them all of the wonders of the world. The thought of showing them a butterfly for the first time, seeing their face when they took their first steps into snow, and just marvelling at the way the human body learns to 'live'.

But now, things seem to be a little different.

All I can think about is that everything is about to change dramatically, and will never be the same again!

- Not in a bad way exactly, just that this is it.... we're about to become a family!!!

I'm going to be a mum!!

I'm going to be responsible for another human being for the rest of my life!!

*terrifyingly looks down at the bump and wonders what kind of monster I've created*

:)

It's such a strange thing to come to terms with.

I guess it must be something that all mums realise at one point or another

- your role in life has now completely changed!

Hopefully it won't stop me from being 'me' though...

I'd rather like to stay 'me'!

:)

So, what on earth to pack in my hospital bag!?!

Me and Lewis went to an antenatal class at the weekend.
It was a proper, 5 hour crash course.
I had heard that NHS antenatal classes were a complete waste of time, so I wasn't overly confident that I was going to learn anything, but I thought that I should go anyway.
And it was brilliant!

It might be that I didn't know a lot of things that other mothers to-be know, but I learnt so much and even the things that I had researched, it was great to hear a midwife who knew what she was talking about, go into more detail and confirm those details.
I would definitely recommend going to an antenatal class. Even if you know all of the information you'll need, it's so reassuring to hear it all from someone with experience, and if you have any questions, she's right there to answer them for you.

She went through all of the different pain relief methods, with all the pros and cons for each, she talked to us about positions for giving birth and ways to relax during labour.
So much information, and reassurance that I just feel so much more confident as the time (super quickly) approaches.

She also talked to us about the biological side of things.
I didn't know if this would reassure or scare me more, but hearing how the female body develops to be able to completely take care of having a baby was possibly the most reassuring part of the whole thing for me.
The different muscles, how they change and adapt, how the baby itself responds to the shaping of the muscles and how (hopefully) a normal birth should go.
It all just made me totally marvel at my own body.
I had all these ideas that my body will want to just get the baby out one day and then it'll be all hands on deck for the midwives and doctors to manage the situation, let alone myself trying to figure out what I should and shouldn't do...
and as much of that is true, I now also know that my body really will know what it's doing when baby gives the 'Go! Go! Go!' signals!

The midwife gave us a good list of things to pack for the hospital too.
So this will be my little job tonight...
pack!

For you/labour:

~  Loose clothes/top that you won't mind getting messy 

~ Loose pj's/nightie (possibly front opening)

~ Sponge to wet your face or filled with water to bite one

~ Lucozade sweets or non fizzy energy drinks (DON'T have any fizzy drinks!)

~ Paracetamol (for the early stages of labour)

~ Lip balm (you will dehydrate and will need to drink lots, but lip balm will help too)

~ Socks

~ Massage ball

~ Music

~ Snacks (honey's good for energy)

~ Ear plugs and eye mask (to help you zone out)

~ Underwear
~ Nursing bra (if breast feeding)
~ Loads of maternity pads
~ Breast pads (if breast feeding)
~ Clothes to come home in (loose fitting, comfortable. Maternity clothes will probably still be best)
~ Toiletries
~ Towels
~ Camera
~ Phone (and charger)
~ Money (for more food/making phone calls if your phone goes caput!)


Not a lot then...

And for baby:

~ A few changes of clothes

~ Nappies

~ Muslin cloths

~ Milk formula (if not breast feeding)

~ Cotton hat

~ Mits

~ Booties

~Blanket

These are all just recommendations. There are others that I haven't listed because I won't be taking them, like a TENS machine etc. It's all about preference.

I think that I might take my own pillow though. I've heard that it really helps to relax when you have your own pillow.

If you can think of anything I've missed out, please give me a heads up, I know I'm going to forget something!

Baby room's getting there!

x

Organising... Kinda!

Sorry I don't seem to be writing so much at the moment folks.

I am still here!

- just multi-tasking poorly I'm afraid!

I've been re-organising things in our house.

I love my new -kind of functional- shelf!

~ To Lewis: "It looks really pretty and puts lots of colour into the room!"

~ Secretly to myself: "Now I won't have to tidy up my wool stash after a crochet/knitting binge! Mwahaha!"

I've been knitting away at some little bobble hats for Innocent Smoothie's Big Knit!

TheBigKnit

Some people have made some amazing designs! It's worth popping over to the website just to have a peek at the teddy bear bottle hat. And it all helps Age UK too, so definitely not a bad thing!

And I've heard that some people have literally knitted hundreds! Hundreds!! I feel quite guilty with my little mob of 6... hopefully they'll do some good though, I'll try do more next year. Let me know if you see one of them about, it'd be great to find out where they end up.

I've been doing some more baby organising too!

~ it feels like that's all I do now, organise this, organise that! But it feels good knowing it's all done ~

I attempted following a knitting pattern for a baby's "elf-style" hat. It's not great, and I'm half tempted to cover it in pom poms, but hopefully when there's a cute little head in there it'll look much better!
Plus with a winter baby, it'll need all the head warmth it can get.

:)

AND... are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Get some red baby wool, pop a white pom pom on the end... hey presto! Baby Santa hat!

Oh yes, there will be many an embarrassing photo for our poor little Sprog to try and hide when it's older!

We got this too:

I know it's a bit main stream, and I probably could've knocked something up myself, but I just adore this little pond-style play mat.

And the little Caterpillar plays music! Hehe, hell, if the little one isn't entertained by this, I certainly will be!

Taggies Bugs and Hugs Playmat

I think it'll be perfect when our little one starts seeing and interacting with things. The mat's really soft too, and will be a great little play area when the mosses basket and baby bouncer get boring!

And look at all those tags to attach things too!

I must be careful not to go too nuts!

But I'm thinking pom pom garlands, toys, bells, soft bunting... ok, so maybe not all at once...

I've got an idea for one of our little rugs too. It's all fluffy and a bright green, kind of like grass, so I'm thinking of sewing in some crochet daisies and other flowers and making a mini indoor garden mat.

Maybe I'll make a few worms and butterflies too!

~

So with all of these wonderful distractions, you might be able to tell that I haven't been able to felt as much as I normally would.

I still have a custom order on the go, and keeping a few ideas open for Xmas and Halloween.

But I'm also trying to plan some 'baby safe' designs to keep me going when the little one is here.

To be honest, I don't feel 100% comfortable with the idea of having my felting needles about when I have a new, teeny, tiny human to look after!

So I've been branching out with my wet felting and trying some designs to keep me going until I can organise my felting world!

 I'm loving these cake topper and garland ideas. Simple, wet felted balls and a bit of glue or thread, but they look quite effective.

And having a few bowls of warm soapy water around a little one sounds a lot safer than a foam block stuck full of sharp felting needles!

I need to work on some lovely colour schemes, but hopefully these designs will be hopping into my Emporium soon.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week,

and haven't been struck by the doom of Friday 13th!

I apologise if my next post isn't for a while, my to-do lists seem to be getting longer rather than shorter at the mo!

But still, a couple of months to go, and then the only to-do I'll have will be to feed, burp, change, hug 

and repeat!

x

Back From Scotland

 

Hello lovely people!

I sneaked away, but I'm back now.

A lovely week away in Scotland has left me with such a buzz.

If you've never been, you definitely should!

 

Me and Lewis  popped up to spend time with some friends and family, and it was just so lovely!

 

Admittedly, we did shoot ourselves in the foot a bit with travel. Travel is never easy if you're going from one end of the country to the other, but when you've left it too late to be able to afford a flight or a train fare and the only other option is to travel by coach... it's just no fun at all!

Especially when you're tummy's the size of a football!

My advice to all pregnant ladies out there thinking of travelling far, the most important things that you will want will be:

 

~ Leg room!

I've never been so frustrated with the seat in front of me before! Make sure you wriggle your little feet around whenever you can, especially if getting up for a walk on a wobbly, moving coach isn't much of a great idea. (The coach did stop once for a 20 min break, so that is the perfect time to go for a good walk and stretch those muscles).

 

~ Food and drink.

Make sure you have enough water to keep you going throughout the whole journey. It can get quite warm, and keeping hydrated is so important. Especially when you know you can't stop as and when you please. A good picnic stash is great too. We had sandwiches, dried fruit, sausage rolls and a few sneaky chocolate bars. Well you've got to cover all your craving needs ;)

 

 

~ Temperature.

I found that I went from hot to cold quite easily, so wearing layers that you can easily take off and put on is definitely a plus! They do have those little air vents above the seats too - take advantage of these!

 

and of course

 

~Toilets!

A must, and they do have them. They're not great, take a little bottle of antibacterial gel with you, but they are there.

 

 

Just incase any of you out there are as nuts as us, and think that travelling on a coach for 9-12 hours is going to be ok!

:)

 

And then of course, when you get to your lovely destination, make sure you've got somewhere to crash out

 

Bless!

 

(Can you spot the oober cute baby, tartan booties?)

 

 

We had such a lovely time.

Our friend showed us an AMAZING coffee shop.

I would move to Edinburgh just so that I could go to this shop every day!

 

 LOVECRUMBS

 

Their cakes were wonderful.

I chose a Bramble and Lime cake, and I practically melted into the squidgy sofa as I ate it!
Check out their delicious cake menu.

 



Yum!

 

 

And the coffee was delicious, let alone the mugs they came in!

 

I even fell in love with the ceiling

 

The whole café had a wonderful 'mish-mash' feel about it. Odd furniture and cups and saucers that didn't match. They even had an old piano which they used as a table!

So, I admit, I'm a little in love with this place and will be back!

 

Even Jemima loved it!

(Our friend's traveling companion! She comes to all of our little meet ups!)



 

 







We didn't spend the whole week eating cake and drinking coffee though... however much I would've liked to!

 

We took Jemima for a swim.

 

 

 

Found a pub that had Battle Ship and Scrabble!

 



 

 

And got stalked by a squirrel!

 

Evil Squirrel!

 

 

What an adventure!

But far too quickly, it was all over and we had to come home again.

 

 

 

...on the coach!

(We sneakily found some seats with loads of leg room this time! Handy tip for any of you coach travellers out there - find the seats by the emergency exit near the back!)

 

*sigh*

Can we go back please?

 

 

I hope you've all had a lovely week too. And if you're ever stuck for a little holiday somewhere, I would definitely recommend Edinburgh! It's a wonderful combination of city-crafty/artyness.
And it's on our list as the first mini holiday we'll take little bump on!

 

x





Crochet Love

 

 

Sorry I haven't been very bloggy of late folks!

I seem to be having my time zapped away from me lately

How it's the middle of August already is beyond me!

 

I hope you're all having a lovely, summery month!

I've been seeing lots of family and friends, going on lots of little baby shopping sprees and I'll be off to visit Scotland at the end of the week!

I can't wait!

 

 

 

I've also been finding myself diving into the crochet world a little more this month.

I've dipped in and out in the past, seeing all of these lovely creations people have been making with a simple hook a yarn.

I was quite jealous.

I managed to teach myself the very basics using books and YouTube tutorials, but once I'd figured out how it worked, I admit, I became less interested and didn't pursue it further.

 

But recently, I've been venturing back into it.

With little bump getting bigger and bigger, I've been starting to think about things that I would like my little baby to have. Little keepsakes like I have.

And I have 2 very lovely crocheted blankets, made for me by my Gramma.

One of them was my baby blanket, and I want my little wriggler to have one too!

Especially seeing as it'll be a winter baby. I want it to be all warm and cosy, snuggled into a homemade blanket.

 

So - back to the hook I go!

 

I've just been focusing on making a granny square style blanket.

I'm aiming to get 2 done before baby pops

~ One, quite loose using a larger hook, in pastel purples and white.

~ And one, more tightly crocheted, stronger, and more a collection of little, different coloured squares.

 

I haven't got any photos to show you yet, but I will take some soon!

 

 

This is the same granny square idea that I'm going to work with.

I made this small blanket for a family member's new little baby boy.

I think he likes it!

 

 

I have to admit, I'm surprising myself with how much I'm falling in love with crochet!

 

I followed a pattern in my

Mollie Makes

magazine and made this adorable bow brooch

 

And I will be hopping back to their website for more crochet inspiration!

 

:)

 

 

I think I've got the bug.

I'm finding myself wondering what I can attack with my crocheting hook next!

 

 

 

One of my lovely followers on my Facebook page told me about an online crocheting club that I couldn't resist joining too.

 

 

 

slugsontherefrigerator

 

 

And Innocent Drinks are doing their Big Knit!

http://www.innocentdrinks.ie/static/ie/bigknit/crochet-pattern.pdf





Mwahaha, so many things to keep my new crocheting addiction busy!

And, with my sensible head on, it might be a better thing to be addicted to when baby comes along too.

- Less spiky needles involved!

*baby kicks in agreement*

 

 

On a sneaky side note, I couldn't resist a bit of knitting as well.

So many woollen adventures!

 

I decided to try to make a small, very amateur attempt at knitted bunting!

 

With pom poms of course!

 

Not too shabby?

 

Hopefully I'll get better in time to make more fun things for the little one when it gets here.

I just hope the poor little thing likes wool!!

 

 

I would advise anyone and everyone to have a go at crocheting something.

It's very therapeutic, and being able to create something useful/decorative with a simple hook is so rewarding!

Join the Crochet Club for beginners help, they're lovely folk!

 

 

Hope you're having a lovely day all!

 

x

 

 



 



Post Bump Bodies

 

 

Pottering away through my pregnancy, I'm learning lots. I think it's impossible not to, but I do think it's important to take note and pay attention to all of the little things happening.

My body is changing.

It's lovely and terrifying.

Sometimes I wonder if some things are normal and if all other pregnant ladies are going through the same things.

But as they say:

'All pregnancies are different'

The changes that my body is making and going through is its own little way of dealing with the growth of a little life inside me.

 

I trust my body to do what it needs to, to get this little life safely into my arms.

 

 

 

 

 

But there is something that I wanted to mention that I have only recently become aware of myself

 

~ The Post Bump Body ~

 

It might turn out that you all know about it, and I've just been skipping along with my head in the sand... but I came across an article on the BBC website about the body after pregnancy.

I know that you would have to do a bit of exercise to get your 'normal' body shape back, but reading this article really opened up all of the changes that will stay after you've had a baby.

 

'Are women's bodies still beautiful after pregnancy?'

 

 

I'm not the most body conscious person in the world.

I've never been slim, I like chocolate biscuits way too much, I haven't found a sport that I enjoy doing except walking, and I have all those random bumps and moles that I secretly hope every other lady has.

:)

But still, this inevitable body scaring was at first, very scary.

I didn't realise that excess skin that you wouldn't be able to shift would become a permanent part of my body. I didn't realise that the stretch marks could be so dark and large (I have small ones on my thighs from growing hips, but they've turned a beautiful silver/white colour now).

 

So, it appears that after I get my little bundle of joy, I will have a new body to get used to as well.

 

At first - scary

 

It's out of my control

 

But then, after reading through this article a couple of times, dipping in and out to re-read some things, visiting Jade Beall's website jadebeall.com/a-beautiful-body-project, and talking to a friend who has recently had a baby, I've started to feel my opinion towards it changing.

 

'Tiger Stripes' is what she calls her stretch marks now.

It makes me smile and hope that mine remind me of a shape or animal to nick name them by.

They're like a natural tattoo.

A souvenir of a whole 9 months creating life, and bringing life into the world.

 

After all, a human body having to deal with a whole new way of growing and ballooning so much to fit a baby inside it, and then giving birth to that baby and releasing it into the world, all within the space of 9 months, less than a year!

I don't blame it for having a few scars afterwards.

 

 

I've got 3 months(ish) to go and my body's already feeling quite huge.

3 more months of growing, how much bigger can I get?!

 

I wouldn't be surprised if my body did have a couple of scars after the big day! I think I could owe it a few marks and scars for bringing a little life into the world.

You're doing good body, you keep going!

 

 

 

 

I would be so honoured if any of you out there have any advice on a post bump body. I have a feeling it must be one of those things that you can only really understand through experience.

I'm glad that I now know about it at least and it won't be a surprise afterwards, but I think that I won't truly understand it until it's reality.

I'll keep you posted!

 

 

I will certainly look into buying Jade Beall's book when I can. Not just for me, but for my other half, and for my future child. It's important to not cover these things up I think.

 

'Normal' shouldn't be secret.

 

 

 

 

Please visit Jade's website

 

JadeBeall.com

 

Her work is stunning!

And I would like to write a great big thank you for making accessible something that I didn't even truly think existed!

Thank you!

 

 

x

 



 

Wild Lime

 

 

I've never done a review before... not really, but a couple of days ago, me and my sister decided to meet up for dinner, and a new bar/restaurant had opened in our local town, Reading, so we thought we'd pop along to try it out!

 

 

www.wildlimebars.com

 

 

I thought I'd share our little experience with you!

 

 

We weren't after much,

just a small, healthy-ish dinner in a relaxing place, and if I'm honest, this place ticked all the boxes!

 

It was their opening night, so naturally they'd be friendly, but the lovely lady that welcomed us in seemed genuinely kind and lovely, and interested in us having a good time.

(You know, sometimes people can put on 'that' smile and talk 'that' talk? There didn't seem to be any of that there. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to help)

 

 

The menu looked delicious!

I would advise a little gander if you're planning going out for something to eat.

Hungry?

 

The burgers looked great. The platters, the pizzas, even the side dishes got me a little excited - Mini Macaroni Cheese - Oh yes!

And to any pregnant ladies out there, you know how tricky it is eating out and about. Everything seems to have something in it that you can't have!

But this menu surprised me with how many options I had.

I could actually choose from most of the dishes there!

*happy face*

 

 

We both decided on an interestingly named

 'Upside-Down Chicken Barbie'

Salad.

Lime chicken with a lovely selection of salady bits and dressing, and best of all...

it came in a jug!

The waitress asked if we'd like our salad dressing put on

(of course!)

and she poured it into the jug with the salad and then turned it upside-down onto the plate!

Just like tipping a sandcastle out of a bucket.

 

I know, the simple things amuse me, but this was awesome!

 

 

 

We ordered a side of Rosemary and Parmesan chips and a Ginger Beer for my sister and a Chocolate Milkshake for myself (which came with a sneaky, teeny Daim bar treat!)

 

Yum!

 

 

Everything was delicious, and reasonably priced, the staff were lovely and the décor had a really refreshing feeling about it.

I'm definitely popping back there the next time I'm in Reading with the munchies.

 

Their Brunch menu has captured me a little... so many things that I want to try! They have toast that comes with peanut butter and jam - this is definitely MY kind of place.

And I just know that Lewis will want to try the burgers.

Mmmm

And we didn't even get to try the puddings!!

 

In my opinion, I'd definitely recommend this place for a fun, relaxing and refreshing place to get something to eat.

 

 

 

Have you been to a Wild Lime bar?

I'd love to hear what you think!

x

 

24 Weeks With Bump!

 

I can't believe it's been so long!

24 weeks old today and little bump is getting bigger!

 

(Please excuse the workplace background!)

 

I don't know if this is the same for most pregnant ladies, but I feel like I've been pregnant forever. It's weird to think of myself without having someone else to constantly think and worry about, growing away inside my tummy!

The little wriggler has started properly poking away at my insides now too, which is a lovely feeling.

It kind of makes me feel like I haven't been making it up the whole time!

hehe

 

 

And the due date is creeping up now

19th November

I've started to see a few leaves on trees go golden already, and I even saw a ripe blackberry on my way to work today...

The inevitability of Autumn has never felt so scary!!

 

 

But with the terrifying thought that November is really only months away, comes a rather fun bit...

buying baby stuff!

 

Planning a little room, and little clothes, and little toys is so much more fun than I ever thought it would be!

Play time!

:)

 

www.mothercare.com

Cow print baby is a must have!

:)

 



 

 

Mooching around some lovely websites, I've got a good idea of the kind of environment I would like to make for my little baby.

 

 

 

 

www.kiddley.com 10 basic tips for designing a nursery

 

Bunting is a lovely idea. It brings colour into the room and if you get a gentle breeze through an open window, the gentle rustle and sway can add something exciting for baby to watch.

 

 

 

 

www.mothercare.com

 

We bought this adorable mosses basket from Mothercare and it's just perfect. Bright colours, but not too vibrant. A sturdy basket, removable covers to wash and a great size. We love it!

 

 

 

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pomtastic

 

I love paper pom poms! I think they're so much fun, but are light and easy to hang without adding weight. And they can come in any colour you like. So if you have a colour theme, want something very neutral or really want to go bright, I think they're just perfect!

 

 

 

 

 

Admittedly, not for teeny tiny babies, but when they get bigger and grab and play, these are such a great idea!

I saw this DIY tutorial for making your own drums over on

A Beautiful Mess 

Such an inspiring page!

I'm definitely going to be having a go at making these for my little one,

and aren't they just gorgeous even as room decorations while baby is growing! 

 

 

 

Just a few ideas, but there's so much more!

I'll keep you posted with how our little baby space is coming along.

We've got another delivery of baby stuff coming today - it really is a bit like Xmas!

 

I hope you're all having a lovely week folks!

 

x



 



The Importance Of Me Time

Sometimes, when the world gets a little bit dizzy and so much is happening, it's important to spend a little time by yourself, just to watch the world go by.

We each have our own way, but for me, an early morning whilst the world is still asleep, a cup of tea in that mug that always makes tea taste awesome, a friend who won't talk, or question, but will be there with you, and time to appreciate the world and the little things, is exactly what I need.

'my' mug

a beautiful sunrise and a cool breeze 

life and all its wonderful complexity 

and who could be without Hamish!

It's so easy to get lost in this busy old world, but I can't recommend enough how good it feels, and how important it is just to spend that little bit of time with yourself.

Treat yourself to some 'me time' 

You'll love it! 

X

Goodbye To A Friend

 

Yesterday I lost my dear friend,

Cat.

 

I don't like spreading sad news through my blog, but I feel like I need to mark her passing somehow.

And here is a personal place where I feel I can do this.

 

I know a lot of you out there are animal lovers, and know their unique characters and qualities, and know what it is to love someone so much, even though they're can't tell you that they love you back.

 

She was lovely. She played with me, she cuddled me, she got angry with me on her off days, she ran off with any unguarded piece of felt she could get her paws on and she was always there.

My heart broke a little yesterday.

 

She was my friend.

My little felting friend.

 

 

miss you

xxx

 

 

 

 



Launching Uniquely UK

 

 

It's time!

 

We have officially launched our very own website for

 

 

Uniquely UK

 

 

In my previous post RebeccasEmporium.blogspot.co.uk - UniquelyUk

I've written about the beginnings of our little adventure and now we are pleased to introduce you all

to our brand new website!

 

Visit out new website at

 

www.uniquelyuk.co.uk

 

 

 

With our Folksy shop being a success, we felt that it was high time to put our plans for creating our own website into action.

We've been working away at this little gem for a couple of weeks and we're finally done!

 

 

 

 

A combined venture with similar minded makers,

we've all come together to sell through our very own website

where we are proud to share our uniquely handmade work.

 

 

Here you have a chance to find out about the individual makers, browse our range of products and even custom design your own wedding!

There are more products being added every day, so keep popping back to see what we're up to.

 

 

And don't forget to check out our

 

Facebook

 

Twitter

 

 

Exciting times!

x

 



Hand-Me-Downs And Ice Cream

 

Something I've discovered more so through being pregnant than before, is a great appreciation of gifts and hand-me-downs!

 

I actually sat down and started to write a list of everything we'll need for our tiny, extra family member. I've only covered feeding and cleaning so far and already the list is huge!

And there's so many brands to choose from!

I've never done this before, and it's all getting a bit overwhelming

"which is the right one?"

 

But at least I'm being saved some of the big decision - thankfully!

 

My wonderful parents have saved so much from when me and my sister were babies and they have offered them for myself and Lewis to use for our little bump!

I am SO thankful!

 

We have a cot all sorted, needs a bit of a clean and possibly a re-paint, but this cot was my dad's when he was a baby and has travelled around all of the family babies, so it's definitely a hardy piece of workmanship!

 

We've also got a lovely pram that they had saved.

 

 

Isn't it adorable!

We might have to get a new buggy as well, but it's good to know that we have this if we can't afford the buggy straight away.

 

So many things to buy, and we're running out of months and pay cheques.

It's all whizzing along so quickly!

 

Before we know it, it'll be November and little bump will be on the way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I get too carried away by the madness, it is still summer!

It's lovely and warm out there,

but I'm getting rather big now and nothing summery fits me any more.

(More shopping to be done!)

 

Without being too much of a grump though, there is one brilliant thing about this

summery weather....

 

Ice Cream!!

 

The ice cream van visits us at work now, and I've never been so overjoyed to hear that twinkly tune of childhood fun!

And best of all, this ice cream van sells my all time favourite ice cream/lolly

 

 

 

Mmmm!

 

I love Zzapps!

 

 

Lewis went for the classic 99 flake

 

I think it's fair to say he rather enjoyed it too!

 

Mmm, the best thing about summer I'd have to say!

And everyone has their little favourite, be it an old classic or one of those rather

glamorous new ones you can get,

 

 

What's yours?

 

 

Enjoy the sunshine folks!

x