At play...

Last weekend we had so much fun with Grace. She is so busy and inquisitive about EVERYTHING!

For the last few weeks I've been trying to introduce structured activities such as time spent outside, time spent singing & dancing, time spent reading etc. She has a very short attention span and so any activity lasts for 10 minutes max. (except stirring saucepans - Grace would happily do this for hours)!

It's lovely watching her develop. x

Little book worm x



An aspiring Delia Smith perhaps?



Getting hungry?



Yuck, these crayons don't taste so good mummy!



Gorgeous handmade artwork for the home

I have taken a real interest in handmade pieces for the home. I think that handmade crafts bring a really warm, homely feeling to a house. I recently bought the items below. How cute are these!

This one is for my parents home :)

Couldn't resist!

I cannot wait to hang this from the garland next Christmas!

At the creche

I must say that nothing has made me feel as guilty in my whole life as the feeling I get when we drop Grace into creche before we go to work. It is a horrendous, gut wrenching feeling and I find it very difficult.

I always wonder is she happy? Does she fret?

I have no worries whatsoever about her carers, they are wonderful women and I know they work very hard.

Because I find it so difficult to leave her, Seamus takes her into the creche and collects her while I wait in the car.

Yesterday, Seamus was working late, so I went ahead to collect Grace from creche.

When I walked into the room, I spotted her straight away among the other six or seven kids. She didn't see me. I asked the carer not to make her aware that I was in the room. I just wanted to watch her.

She was busy inside a playhouse that had a cooker with an oven, a few teddy bears and a gate. I watched her open the oven door, lift up a Winnie the Pooh bear, sit down and pretend to feed the bear. She was lost in her own world of imagination. Then she opened the gate of the play house and set Winnie the Pooh bear outside the gate. She closed the gate and went back to the cooker. I could see from her face that she was completely content. She was happy. She was not fretful. She was a beautiful little girl who was having a brilliant time playing with toys and interacting with the other children.

Those few minutes that I absorbed myself watching her were the happiest few moments of my year to date. I was so proud of her, so in love with her. And then she saw me. And from the smile that filled her little face I knew that she loved me too. x

I love you daddy x

A picture paints a thousand words!

"I adore you daddy!"

 

These shoes were made for walking

It has taken me so long to write about your first steps little Grace but just like you, I didn't want to rush it :)

It all began on Sunday 18th December (14 months old). You and daddy were visiting Granny Barron when you took three little steps. Back at home that evening you took some small steps again. I was so excited. I was thrilled that my baby would be walking for Christmas Day.

Below is a video clip of those first unstable tiny steps - very cute little one. x

We had to wait until you could confidently take 20 independent steps before you could wear your first walking shoes. So ten days later, we went to Clarks shoe shop in Derry to have you fitted.

You grow more independent every day. Now you want to sit by yourself in the evening to have your bottle before bed rather than snuggling up on my lap.

Stay my baby....I love you.

Five in the bed and the little one said "Roll over"...

Chilling out on a Sunday afternoon with teddy bears x 

I hope the magic of Santa Claus stays in this house for a long, long time...

We have just taken down all the Christmas decorations for another year.

For the first time ever, I feel sad that they have to come down. Grace is crazy about Santa Claus and Snowman - or 'man' as she calls him; Santa is called 'Ho ho' :) For the last 4 weeks she has sustained our Santa and Snowman figures in the living room with drinks from her bottle and dinner from an empty spoon and bowl. She has really enjoyed caring for them both. When her daddy puts on music for him and Grace to dance (Little Drummer Boy is her favourite song), Grace calls for Santa and Snowman to be lifted up into daddys arms to join in the dance. Each night before she goes to bed she bids them 'Bye bye'.

I truly hope that the magic of Santa Claus remains in this home for a long, long time! x