A Hug in a Mug

I am enjoying yet another mug of hot tea on this chilly winter's day. I feel exhausted, suffering with ye olde winter blues and lack of sleep brought on by my daughter's teething, cold, and her general refusal to sleep a full night.

A cup of tea is the perfect tonic for such feelings.

This time a year ago, I couldn't even smell the stuff without my stomach attempting to do horrific somersaults, above the tiny person who was doing real somersaults inside me.

Morning sickness started when I was about 6 weeks pregnant, and from that moment on I couldn't even stare down a mug of tea, let alone drink it. The sickness finally abated at about 20 weeks but even then I still couldn't drink tea.

I missed it dreadfully, especially during the winter months when I wanted warming comfort. Cake and biscuits were nowhere near as enjoyable without a brew. I tried, on several occasions, to drink even just a small cup, but I couldn't manage it.

I began to fear that I would never be able to drink tea again. Me! Never drinking tea ever again. It was an unthinkable yet terrifying prospect.

After my daughter was born I was brought some refreshment. Water, toast, and...tea. Suddenly all those yucky feelings were gone and I was absolutely gasping for a cuppa, and I was able to drink every last drop. Even though it was a tepid NHS brew, it was just perfect.

I began making up for all those missed mugs over the past nine months. However, weeks went by where I never got a hot mug as I was so busy feeding my daughter or otherwise changing her nappy, winding her, cuddling her, taking her for walks, and then trying to catch up on sleep whenever she slept.

But the last few months I've sometimes been able to enjoy a hot, strong cup of builder's tea with a good helping of milk. Just what I need on a day like today. Lovely.

Professor Elemental raps about tea! Can't say I agree with him about Earl Grey, but we definitely share the same views on Assam and herbal teas!

Our Baby Girl

6 weeks old 

Our daughter was born in June almost two weeks past her due date. I had to be induced, and unfortunately for us my body did not react well to the induction. She was born extremely fast and in a somewhat traumatic fashion, something which I am waiting to receive post-birth counselling for.

Anyway, trauma aside, our beautiful daughter entered the world covered in her own poo but screaming her head off - the best sound parents can hear, knowing that those lungs are working at full pelt! We had the briefest of contact before she was rushed over to the paediatrician to be cleaned up while I received stitches, and then we had a long skin to skin cuddle and the first breastfeed.

Everything had been such a dramatic whirlwind that I almost didn't know what to think. The only feeling I strongly remember experiencing was that of total joy. Joy that my baby had survived the traumatic birth and that despite it she was doing brilliantly. Joy that she was finally in my arms after what had felt like a very long pregnancy. Joy that I could see us in her - straightaway we could see that she had my nose and my husband's ears. Just pure, unadulterated joy. Our God had blessed us so richly and seen us through so much.

After I was all cleaned up and had some much needed refreshment, I was able to sit back in the bed and take it all in as I cuddled my little girl. This was it. She was here. She was here and she needed me. I'd wanted this for so long and now it was reality. I was definitely overwhelmed. I looked at her tiny eyes looking at mine and I began falling in love, knowing with every fibre of my being that I would always want her, always want what is best for her, and would always be there for her.

Now she is almost seven months old and I cannot imagine life without her. She has brought so much joy to my husband and I, to her grandparents, her great grannies, her uncles and their other halves, and to many of our friends.

In Italy

She is a smiley, chatty, sociable baby who loves attention. When she is happy she is very happy and when she is grumpy you certainly know about it!

At the moment she is attempting to crawl, loves putting her feet in her mouth, saying "Dadadadadada!" on repeat (guess that means she always wants my husband for a nappy change then...), and defying sleep both during the day and at night as much as she possibly can.

She loves her baths and her swimming lessons. She loves toys with faces that she can babble at and all other toys as long as she can chew them. She loves other people, is fascinated by toddlers and other babies, and enjoys whacking people in the chops, grabbing their noses, or pulling their hair. She is also a pro at removing glasses, and almost threw my husband's designer pair in the Kennet & Avon Canal when we were on holiday there in September.

She has already been abroad at 11 weeks old, when we travelled to Italy for one of my best friend's weddings. So she has now travelled in cars, buses, trains and planes, and spent a week on a barge - not bad for someone who is still less than a year old!

She has just started eating a bit of food. Her favourites so far are broccoli, carrot, banana, egg, and bread. She likes drinking water from her Doidy cup or just pouring it down her front. She enjoys catapulting spoonfuls of Weetabix or porridge around the room or in my direction.

She loves going to church and to mum & baby groups. She loves watching me sing nursery rhymes with actions, being tickled, and playing Peekaboo with her muslins. She loves going for walks either wrapped up against me in the sling or chilling out in her pram.

She doesn't like me leaving the room, things that are out of reach, or loud, sudden noises.

She is already such a wonderful little personality, prone to tantrums (if you can really call them that at this age), but always keen to play, dance, jump about, and chatter. She is exhausting yet amazing.

I look forward to the many adventures to come as we continue to get to know each other.

At the Sealife Centre, in awe of all the brightly coloured fish and other marine animals

I'm Back!

Yes, that's right. I am back after a whole year away. What can I say? I have no real excuses other than pregnancy related sickness and tiredness, moving house, and having a baby, all of which held me back when it came to writing of any kind, let alone updating my blog.

2014 was an amazing year for us. We bought a house, both of my brothers got engaged, my husband was promoted at work, and best of all we welcomed our precious daughter into the world.

There have been many ups and downs, highs and lows, throughout the year as there are always are, but I can't deny that 2014 really was fantastic as far as years go.

I'm not one for making New Year's Resolutions but I've had so many things I've wanted to write and blog about that I am determined that 2015 will be a better year in that respect.

I have had a chance to think about what I want my blog to be. I want it to continue along the same vein it always has, sharing my adventures, philosophies, and my faith, perhaps with a little more structure (if you're lucky!) I will of course be blogging about my daughter too. Although I have no intention of making this a "mummy blog" there are a lot of things I would like to share and discuss about being a mother and the things that God is teaching me through motherhood, as well as how my life has changed. I am a mother but I am also a wife, daughter, sister, and friend. I have a job that I will be returning to. I still write fiction and yearn to write more. Above all, I still have my faith. So my blog will be much the same but also very different. And who knows? Perhaps 2015 will be my most disciplined blogging year yet. We shall see.

For now, may I wish any of you who may come across this post a very Happy New Year!