christmas

happy

candles

wrapping presents

family

friends

food

party

jorja

my nan

noah's first christmas

snow

baking

laughter

james

films

snuggles on the sofa

church

cleaning and sorting

lights

jesus

all my thoughts for the season.

merry christmas xxx

december!

wahoo! i love this time of year :)

thoughts:

jorja

noah

birthday party

food

playtime

sleep

family

christmas

balloons

laughter

letters

in no particular order!

life is good, very good!

life is good, very good! xxx

they grow up so fast!

just watched noah pull himself up! im one proud mummy!!! clever noah x

porud!

i am so proud of my mum, she is amazing. well done mummy! love you xxx

waiting

why is it when you are waiting for something it takes forever?!?!

sleep!

ok i know i have been extremely blessed with 2 good sleepers!

but.. when they do wake in the night my body is just not used to it! its two days in a row with noah and i know in the huge scheme of things it doesn't matter but i was tired before and now im shattered. me and jim both are.

ok well moan over!

happy tuesday everyone x

cuddles

last night was a long night. noah was up from half two and didnt really go back to sleep. after teething gel, calpol, burping and anything else we could think of he ended up coming in our bed at half four!

he fell asleep within minutes. he just wanted snuggles. it doesnt matter what age you are i dont think it changes. if i wake in the middle of the night upset i always ask jim for a cuddle. there is nothing better then a cuddle from someone who loves you. the security and reassurance it brings. you cant beat it.

its the little things that count

morning, well i think it is! noah was up at 5 am! never mind!

i am really looking forward to this weekend. the kiddies are having sleepovers on saturday eve so it will be just me and jim. we have both been stupidly busy lately and i feel like we are two ships passing at the moment! it is going to be so nice to spend quality time with him.

we are going to change our living room round get a few bits and pieces and just give the room a new look. im so excited! i cant wait!

i love tinkering with our home, finding ways to make it better.

its the little things that make a huge difference, i have always believed that. from a lick of paint to someone remembering your fave flower.

a small random act of kindness can do so much. there is nothing better.

family

hello!

life is good! im a happy bunny and absolutely loving life!

noah is 8 months old today........ unbelievable! he is gorgeous, has 8 teeth and is loving all solid foods! he has just started crawling around which is gorgeous to see. and i love him.

jorja is gorgeous, such a happy, confident, social little girl. i think she is having a growth spurt at the moment, constantly hungry and eating all the fruit in sight! its her birthday soon and so plans are under way for her party. very exciting. and i love her.

james is handsome, loving, smart and following his dreams. im so proud of him. he works so hard and is an amazing husband and dad. and i love him.

so yeah, one very happy bunny :)

catch up

how is it that it only feels like yesterday i was pregnant and here we are 6 months on!

noah is now 6 months old, loving solids, has 4 teeth and desperate to crawl!

i cant believe how much he has changed the first few years in children's lives is such a learning curve. so much happens.

jorja will be 3 in december..THREE!

when did that happen! i cant believe it. she is such a beautiful daughter and a fantastic big sister. she adores noah and is always keen to help out and loves being with him. it is so lovely to see. im so proud of her and the girl she has grown into.

me and james recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary which has just flown by! so much has happened!

i love him more today than yesterday but nowhere near as much as i will love him tomorrow.

he is a brilliant dad and gorgeous husband. i am so blessed to have met him.

i guess that is why my blogs are not kept up to date i have been too busy enjoying my beautiful family!

how time flies when your having fun!

wow! i cant believe it has been so long since my last blog! i have a good excuse though! my babies are keeping me busy! i love being a mum and noah has completed our family. he is now 6 months old and eating everything going!

he has been kept under a consultant for a few months now, he had something called tongue tie that wasnt discovered at birth so he got very underweight for his age.

tongue tie is where the tongue is restricted in movement. a simple procedure is carried out where they cut under the tongue.

noah is doing so much better now. he is gorgeous if i do say so myself!

jorja is totally potty trained day and night! im so proud of her!

jim has had all the summer holidays off which has been lovely. we have gone for days out and just enjoyed some fantastic quality time as a family.

we have put our flat up for sale so we can buy a house. very exciting!

life is good, i love my family and couldnt be happier.

hope your all well! xxx

whoops!

i cant believe its been so long since i last wrote on here!

my bad, have ben a tad busy though!

noah is now 7 weeks old and gorgeous!

jorja is loving nursery, she has started potty training and no longer has a bottle of milk in bed. she really is growing up so fast, she is beautiful.

james managed to get his leg pinned between a minibus and a car when helping a friend reverse into a tight spot. he has really hurt it and is off work at the mo.

so yeah lots happening!

oh and the sun is shining, hurrah!

early mornings!

well im sitting here watching kids tv at 7am, after being awake with noah from 5am till 6am and sorting out jorja who mysteriously woke somewhere in the middle. i finally fell asleep and 20 mins later jorja is up and ready to start the day!

i love being a mum but some mornings its like 'really?!? your ready to start the day?!?!"

i have to say though that i am very blessed in the sleep department. jorja slept through from 5 weeks old and noah only wakes for 1 feed usually around 5 am. so i really cant grumble!

anyway, got back from center parcs friday afternoon, it was fantastic as i knew it would be.

we went with my mum, dad, sister and nan. it was brilliant. so relaxed and funny and really, really enjoyable.

i love my family so much, they are always there for me.

we have so much fun together, i know how truly blessed i am.

good times, even if i am writhing this at 7 am!!!!

holidays!

off to centre parcs! see you in a week!!! x

good times!

well im pleased to say the smith family are feeling much better.

its amazing how much we take our health for granted, it makes such a difference to everything when you dont feel well.

its been really nice being back to normal, running round after jorja, shopping, cuddles with noah etc.

i love being a mum and wife, its a privilege and im so blessed.

jim has got work till friday and then we have 3 wholes weeks together, im so excited. real family time. i love it.

the first week of our holidays we are going to centre parcs for a week with my mum, dad, sister and nan. i cant wait.

so yeah good times are here for the smiths and i intend to keep it that way x

heres to good health .......

the last few weeks have been amazing having noah but also very hard.

i have had an infection of the uterus which has completely wiped me out.

my midwife was great and got me on antibiotics and my parents and jims mum and step dad have been great. really supportive.

cooking meals, having jorja, cleaning and the list goes on.

they really are very special.

i was just on the mend having rested for what felt like eternity when jorja had a severe allergic reaction and had to be taken to hospital.

jorja was very brave and i am pleased to say is feeling much better. we are just waiting for the blood results to find out what caused it.

again my family were there and jims too to help and support.

we really would be lost without them and it is so nice to know that there are there.

of course with everything that happened it put me right back where i was health wise so back to resting for me.

i did manage to enjoy some of this lovely sunshine today. went for a lovely walk just the four of us along the harbour.

it was so nice to be out and about.

blissful days

well the last few days have gone by in a magical blur.

noah is now 4 days old and beautiful.

jorja is a fantastic big sister like i knew she would be and my husband is a tremendous support to me and loves me and tells me how proud he is.

we have been in undated in cards and visitors and cooked meals.

i am so happy.

yes my body is exhausted but it is so worth it, my family is complete and i couldn't be happier.

noah david smith

has arrived!

born on the 3rd of march 2009 at 6:09am weighing in at 9lb 5oz.

march it is!

ok well we are no longer having a feb baby! i cant believe it is march already! 

got up early with jorja today, done the house work already. going to let jim sleep in for a while. then going for a nice walk along the beach, perfect.

lets just hope noah wants to join us soon.

still pregnant

ok so i know im only 2 days over due but im so fed up and uncomfortable. ive got the midwife tomorrow so hopefully that will help.

anyway lets hope the next time i blog it will be to say how lovely our new arrival is!

due date

ok so today is the 'big day' its my due date today.

i know the chances of him coming today are so slim but the fact that i have reached it safe and well is good.

the end really is in sight now.

i cant wait to meet him and spend the rest of my life watching him grow.

being a mum to jorja is a real pleasure and delight. i love her so much.

i cant believe we are going to have a boy this time! one of each, its going to be amazing.

but for now i am going to enjoy my last few hours/days of pregnancy and eat a zillion pancakes!!!

sunny days

these last few days have been gorgeous weather. we have really made the most of it.

i love the freshness of spring, giving the home a good clean, fresh air, sunny walks. fantastic.

we have just come back from a really lovely walk with my mum, dad, sister and dog meg.

it was lovely playing on the beach, walking sitting in the sun and then having hot chocolate and chips in the cafe on the beach.

i feel so refreshed and content. nothing like a good walk to clear your head.

jorja loved it and seeing her have so much fun from something as simple as being out in the sun with her ball and my family.

i am very happy, the smiths are in a good place and things are getting better daily. each day is better than the last. its excellent.

soon noah will be here to join in the fun.

perfect.

contractions

ok, so today is tuesday the 17th of feb and i have been having contractions on and off since the 13th. i'm tired and ready to meet our son now. i know he will come when he is good and ready. im just impatient!

the whole house had a major clean yesterday, i mean windows and everything! i was at it for 3 hrs just couldn't stop! i did look a sight! especially scrubbing the kitchen floor!

well i have 7 days till he is due so lets just wait and see.

13 days

ok so the count down is really on now and i am hoping and praying that noah arrives early.

i cant wait to give him a cuddle and watch him grow.

reflections

i cant believe that im nearly done being pregnant for the second time in 3 years! where has that time gone?

im sitting here on the sofa watching my gorgeous girl sitting at the table with her daddy eating her dinner like a 'big girl'.

it seems so hard to believe that just over 2 years ago i was at the end of my pregnancy and awaiting her arrival like i am with noah.

jorja is an amazing girl (bias i know). i am so proud that she is my daughter. she is something that me and james have made and to be honest being a parent is the best thing ive done.

the love i have for her is so strong. 

she is doing new things each day, it is such a joy to watch and be part of it.

i have 15 days to go till my due date and i cant wait to meet noah and give him a cuddle and watch him grow.

i got married over 3 years ago to james and in that time so many fantastic things have happened. 

i know how blessed i am to have james as my husband. he really is great. he brings me happiness even if he does sound like a warthog when he snores!!!!

i feel safe and secure in who i am.

i have everything i need and more. 

so here is to another 50+ years being married to the man of my dreams watching our children grow.

 

20 days

ok so i have only 20 days to go and i cant wait to be on the other side and just get on with being a mum. jorja has been brilliant but i miss the nice cuddles and carries. my belly is just too big to support her. that and the "trapped at home feeling". it is agony to walk to far and way too painful to drive. i am always such an active person and me and jorja are hardly home. always meeting up with people and playing out and just fun things like that.

i find it hard asking for help and i am having to do it a lot at the moment. my family and friends are really great and supportive so that helps, just cant help but feel like a burden.

still not long and it will all be back to normal and i can enjoy the future with my 2 precious children and amazing husband.

sounds good to me!

come on baby!

everything is ready for him just awaiting for him to come now!

it will be so nice to finish this part now. im done with the pregnancy and not being able to drive or walk very far of carry and cuddle jorja properly. i cant get comfy ever and im tired of being tired all the time.

i am such a doer and i love packing loads into each day and being out and about socialising and generally keeping busy. these past few weeks have meant doing as little as possible, im so tired ive have to cancel all my evening arrangements.

anyway moan over, i know its not for much longer and i am blessed to even be pregnant. im just being impatient.

still 3 weeks and 3 days left!

baby shower!

on saturday evening i thought i was just going out for a little drink with my mum and friend karen. they came to pick me up only for me to realise that they had actually planned a surprise baby shower for me.

it was so lovely to walk into mums lounge filled with friends and family and blue balloons and a lovely big stalk balloon.

we were given so many lovely baby things and toys and lots of blue!

the food was great too.

i had felt so tired in the day that i was going to cancel on my mum and have a quiet night in! it was just the boost i needed.

so much fun and i am so proud of everyone keeping it a secret for so long! even jim!

i have only got 4 weeks left now, hospital bags are all packed, everything is awaiting his arrival. all i want to do now is have a cuddle with him!

xxxxxx

tiredness

ok so over the last few weeks i have been really struggling with sleep, usually surviving on about 4hr blocks.

it is really difficult because i am so tired all the time yet i cant get comfy enough to let my body rest. i have been scraping sleep here and there in the day where i can.

my mum and jims mum have been great and had jorja for the day so i can just sleep and rest.

in a time like this support is the key and the people that we have around us have been great.

last night however i managed 7 whole hours sleep! how amazing.

feel like pants today though but still, seven hours!

jorja is being a complete angel and is so understanding for her age that mummy needs to rest on the couch sometimes. she will often come and give me cuddles or kisses.

i am so thankful that i have her as my daughter. she is amazing and i am so proud of mine and jims genes! we did something right!!!

today the weather is rubbish so me and jorja are having a chill day playing with toys, having fun, colouring and eating!

what more could us girls want!

love

i just want to say "JIM I LOVE YOU" x

celebration

i love the weekends, two whole days to spend together as a family. perfect.

thoughts:

the sun is shining
jorja
making rice crispy cakes with her later
spring cleaning
noah
happy feelings.

i rang my midwife yesterday to get the get the results of my strep B test that i had done. when i was pregnant we found out i had strep B and that i would need anti-biotics when i went into labour. strep B is very harmful to the new born but has not effect on the mother.

strep B tests are not routine here and i really think they should be. i only found out because i went to the hospital with abdominal pain when i was pregnant with her.

anyway it meant that as soon as labour started with jorja i had to go to the hospital asap to start the anti-biotics. they made me feel really sick and it was all a bit of a blur and very stressful.

when i went into this pregnancy i prayed to god that he would protect me from this stress and that i didnt want strep B for this pregnancy. i wanted to be able to labour in my own way in a relaxed environment.

the only way this could happen is if the test can back negative this time.

its hard to explain but you can have strep B for one pregnancy and not the other of you might always have it.

anyway i got the phone call i had been waiting for yesterday........... it was NEGATIVE! what an answer to prayer. i am so excited this time round as i am able to let my body do what it needs to without intervention.

so yeah very excited!

happy, happy, happy!

emotional outbursts

i have found this last week really hard.

my hormones have completely taken over and my body is exhausted.

one minute i am happy and content, the next i am sobbing my heart out.

life is an emotional roller coaster anyway and recently things have been difficult.

jim and i have had to make a big decision in our lives and it has been really hard. i dont want to go into detail about it. its personal and i wouldnt know where to begin.

all i know is that we have had to do what is best for our little family.

i am getting near the end of my pregnancy now and am feeling really tired and uncomfortable. hence the mood swings and sudden outbursts.

jim is amazing and he is there for me when i need him the most. he is a great husband and a brilliant dad.

i love, support and respect him.

i had to go to the hospital recently because i was getting really bad tightening's around my tummy and hadnt been feeling great. everything is ok, they monitored me and said that it was likely to have braxton hicks. very painful ones i might add!

i had a consultant appointment yesterday and he has requested that i have another scan in two weeks time as he thinks the baby is 'bigger' than my weeks. i am 34 weeks and my bump measured 37 weeks! i am not worried by it. i am excited to see my little boy again and i know that god is in control.

anyway that is me for now.

she loved it!

well as i expected jorja absolutely loved nursery.

she was so excited and as soon as we arrived she went to the table with all the children and sat down to eat her lunch.

apparently she was a bit upset after i had gone but then spent the next 2 hours playing and having fun!

when i arrived to pick her up she had her coat on and was standing at her table waiting for me. it was incredible. she looked like a proper little girl.

she had done a painting and some colouring to take home which was nice.

so yeah as scary as i found it i know that she had a great time and that is the most important thing.

well done jorja, mummy and daddy are so proud x

a new chapter

i cant believe its been over a week since my last blog.

the main big thing that has happened is the jorja is starting nursery today!

it is such a weird feeling. she is only two and yet she is so ready for it. i am a full time stay at home mum so i don't need her to go for work reasons. i just know that she is such a sociable girl that she will benefit from it.

i took her to see the nursery on Friday thinking that like all the others there would be a long waiting list and that i had done the right thing in registering her but wouldn't actually have to take her yet!

as we walked into the room she immediately had her coat off and was getting stuck right in and playing with all the children as if she had done it for years.

the lady who runs it was really lovely and welcoming and as we talked through what happens next, she said that they did have spaces and jorja could start Monday afternoon. arrgh!

jorja will only be going for one afternoon a week to start off with and then in a few weeks go for two afternoons if she is enjoying it.

im sure she will. i am so proud of her.

dont get me wrong i am excited by this new chapter but also apprehensive.

i love jorja very much and cant believe how quickly she is growing up. it only feels like yesterday that we found out i was pregnant with her!

with only a few weeks till our new addition arrives i am glad that jorja will be settled into the routine of nursery. i didnt want her to feel like her baby brother arrives and then she has to go to nursery.

so there you go, its monday morning and in a few hours i will be dropping her off for the first time.

she has stayed with different family and friends but this time it is different, they are complete strangers to us. i know that they will look after her but still, i am nervous!

i will let you know how we get on!

she did it!

this afternoon we have let jorja be nappy free in the hope that potty training will commence soon. she did a tiny wee on the carpet and said 'toilet mummy' took her to the toilet and she sat there and told me she had finished.

Although nothing happened she has been on and off the toilet for a few months. she has been curious about using the loo for a while. always wanting to come to the toilet with me. we have explained what happens and the process of going to the loo using toilet roll, flushing the toilet and then washing and drying your hands.

then just now she said to jim she needed the toilet, all of a sudden i heard jim say 'thats right, well done jorja!"

i rushed in and she had done it! a wee on the toilet! without and accidents!

i cannot tell you how proud of her i am! we were all in the bathroom praising her and clapping!

its the small things in life that are great.

well done jorja, mummy and daddy are very proud of you x

2009

i am so ready for 2009. bring it on.

this is the year for so many new beginnings.

as i have said before the last few years have been hard. what with deaths in the family, divorce, illness, family issues. its been tough.

on the flip slide it has also been the best few years of my life, got married to the man of my dreams had a beautiful girl, being pregnant with our son, owning our own place, building and strengthening relationships.

2009 brings the birth of our little boy. that is the only certainty. the rest i am not sure but one thing i do know i am not going to let people or situations rob me of my happiness. people can hurt, upset and scar you but it is how you let it affect the future that counts.

i am surrounded by so much love. i am a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend.

i couldn't ask for anything more.