...little baby teeth

Jessica got her first tooth today and I wanted you all to know how excited I am. She didn't appear to suffer too much with them so I'm hoping this continues with the remaining teeth :)

I'm so proud of my little girl and her ickle teeth :)

... new website to check out!

I was fortunate to know Peter Brumby for just over 5 years before he sadly left us to return home. I won't go into all the details as you can read all about him on the new website, but for those of you who don't know him he was a great preacher/pastor and Phil's Dad. He spent most of his ministerial days at Whitby Evangelical Church.

For many years now we have talked about getting some of Peter's sermons from tape and online. Andy (Phil's Bro) has finally begun this huge task. The website is in it's early days so please do check back regularly but already there are many sermons available for download.

Happy listening and may it be fruitful.

http://www.peterbrumby.co.uk/

p.s. apparently the links aren't working, I've tried to fixed them and failed. But if you click on the link and then press F5 the correct page should appear!! Sorry for the hassle, will try and fix soon.

...the best use of 55mins in quite a while

You can always find 55mins to watch a favourite TV programme or read a favourite book or listen to a favourite album, but I must compel you to watch or download to your MP3 player this 55min talk by a remarkable mother.

http://deathisnotdying.com/eventvideo/

...sleeping all night

Since my last post my travelling has not stopped. I feel as if the last few months have been spent packing, unpacking ans washing clothes! I can't complain however as we've had a few fun weekends away. Phil hadn't had any time off since Christmas so he took a week off in March and we headed over to Whitby for a few days. What a glorious few days visiting Whitby museum, walking along the beech and having coffee and cake at Sandsend in the sun. Jessica loved spending time with Granny Jean and loved having some help during the day. It was a proper rest for us all.

A friend of mine came over from Belfast the following week and she was kind enough to babysit and let Phil and I have a night out :) When headed to bed that night Jessica (who was still sleeping in our room and waking when went to bed) was totally out for the count so I suggested that we leave her to sleep and see what time she wakes. Until this point I had been waking her for a feed when we went to bed. I was half expecting to see her at 3am but when she started crying and I looked at the clock it was 7.10am. I was thrilled and she has been sleeping through the night since. The very next night we moved her into her own room so that we wouldn't disturb her at night. She looks so cute in her big cot. :)

Last week I had a few days in Belfast for a friends 30th. I love going home because my mum is more than happy to do everything she can to help me out so I get a good rest and evenings out to catch up with friends. It's always sad to leave but I'm glad to be home and Jessica is happy to see her Daddy again.

Weaning is going well, we are up to 2 meals a day and I'm hoping to introduce lunch this week. So far she has tried carrot, parsnip, potato, broccoli, leek, mushroom, banana, pear, apple and baby cereal. Some things are preferred to others but I'm keen to let her try as many flavours as possible. Dairy products can be introduced soon so cheese and yogurt are ready and waiting. My earlier fears and anxieties about weaning have all gone and I'm enjoying cooking for and feeding Jessica. Watching her really enjoy something you have made is wonderful and if she really doesn't like something then I get to have a little pre-dinner appetiser!!

With Easter just around the corner we are looking forward to a few days with the extended Brumby family.

...some time away from home

Okay, so it's been far too long since my last post and I'll try and use Jessica as my excuse but I don't think it's a very good one. Lots has happened since my last post. Phil has been away with work twice in the last three weeks and both times I have gone and spent time with family. The first week he was away in Spain and I flew home with Jessica for a week of parent pampering. It was lovely to have some help with the little lady :). I then had a week at home to unpack, wash clothes and repack before Phil went off to Germany for a week. This time I went to London and spent a week at my sister-in-laws. Jessica and I had a lovely week with the Pattersons but it was hard work with 4 little ones under the age of 4 to look after. Poor Ali has a tough time.

So we've been busy and Jessica is well and truely out of any daytime sleeping routine that I managed to get her into before we went away :( She is still sleeping well at night so I'm not really complaining. This week Jessica has started eating solids, yipeeeee!!! Baby rice is so far the only thing she will eat. I tried apple and she screwed her face up. I then tried potato and she wouldn't open her mouth after the first mouthful. I have bought some pears, carrots and parsnips so they are on the menu for the rest of the week and next week. Lets hope she likes one of them. I'm not massively fussed if she doesn't take to it immediately. She is only 5 months old so for now any feeding she does is just to try the new flavours and get used to eating off a spoon. Weaning will start in earnest when she reaches the 6 month mark. I'm not really looking forward to it if I'm honest because at the moment everything is so easy. Her food is in ready supply anywhere we go and I don't have to be organised or worry about sterilising. However. I'm sure the change will be a good thing and we'll both enjoy the new experience.

Got to go now and look after Jessica who's attention span has dropped to about 10mins before she is looking to be lifted up or played with!

...some home made steak pie and cookies

This week I told Phil that I would make a concerted effort to clear the spare room so that he can build the new computer table and move the computer out of Jessica's room and into the spare room. All of this is to be done so that little Jessica can move into her own room and out of ours so that we can sleep better. She's a great little sleeper but all her scuffling and finger munching can keep us awake!!

Sadly, my efforts to clear the spare room have been thwarted by with antics in the kitchen. I have been working our way through the freezer since Christmas, eating the random meat I buy on offer. So this week I took out stewing steak and decided to make a steak and mushroom pie, I even made the pastry. I thought it tasted pretty good for my first attempt, but it took me most of the afternoon and Jessica was in particularly grumpy form and whimpered the whole time I was cooking so I kept on having to stop and look after her.

Today however Jessica was more than happy to play in the kitchen whilst I baked some choc chip cookies, they taste great....not sure how many there will be left when Phil gets home from work.

Life as a homemaker is so far a lot of fun and really rewarding. I'm off now to clear the spare room before Phil gets home in 45mins...let's hope Jessica doesn't wake up. ;)

... Christmas and New Year

Jessica with 'Father' Christmas

This was a very special Christmas for Phil and I, we had our lovely daughter to share it with. Phil was really busy at work in the build up to Christmas so we were please to finally be heading for the airport on the Sunday before Christmas. I was a little anxious about flying with Jessica because I know that the air pressure can be sore on little ones ears, but Jessica was an angel. She fed as we took off, slept and then fed during landing. On arrival in Belfast Jessica immediately became pass the parcel with family, friends and half of Mum and Dad's church! She loved it but I think she was secretly pleased to get to bed each evening. In the run up to Christmas day Phil and I travelled about with Jessica so that she could meet our friends. It was great to catch up with friends, especially those we hadn't seen for a long time and I even managed to catch up with some school friends (it was great to see you Nic).

On Christmas Eve we always head over to Church for the Christmas Eve Service. As there was no-one to babysit Jessica she was lifted out of bed and put in the buggy in her sleeping bag and rapped up in a snugly blanket.

Jessica ready for the Christmas Eve Service

Christmas morning was the usual 7am start with lots of present opening before a yummy scrambled egg and smoked salmon breakfast. Jessica was dressed as Santa for the occasion and sat quietly in her bouncy playing with the wrapping paper whilst we all opened our pressies. The rest of Christmas day was filled with Church, family, food, good chat and some napping!! It was a really lovely day but I'm not sure how much Jessica appreciated it.

'I'm ready to open my presents mummy!!'

After Christmas day we put our feet up and chilled out. We treasured the moments in our bedroom when Jessica was awake before we went down stairs for breakfast because we knew that would be the last time we would see her all day (except when she needed food!).

We had a couple of days at home before we packed up again and headed to London. It was a lot of fun in London eating great food and playing with our nieces and nephew. Oh and it was great to see Ali and Michael too. I just about managed to stay up for the bells at midnight and we watched the London fireworks from the attic window!! How cool.

Now we are back home and back to porridge. I have to admit I'm actually quite happy to be home and getting back into our old routine. I'm drowning in a sea of dirty laundry, but i have conquered the Christmas decorations. Taking them down always makes me slightly sad because it means that Christmas is over for another year.

All in all it was a great holiday and we're already looking forward to next year!!