Another lovely weekend!

My husband is just upstairs putting max to bed (yes, the routine worked yesterday!) and I'm sat feeling blessed and slightly tipsy from one glass of Pimms and lemonade (pregnancy made me a light weight!)

We have had the loveliest weekend. I expected the weather to be a bit warmer to be honest but it was sunny nevertheless and it's been so good. Yesterday we got a bit too apprehensive, expecting the hot weather, and headed to the lakes. Unfortunately, when we got to Grange over Sands we were greeted with huge grey clouds! Instead of getting out (with our summer outfits on and no cover or blanket for max) we decided to have a nice drive instead. It wasn't the lovely sunny walk I'd anticipated but it was great seeing all the countryside and taking in the sleepy toy town scenery of Grange. 

That evening we had a little BBQ as the weather was a bit nicer back home, and set to at getting max into bed for half 7. We have allowed him to sleep and feed on demand before, under recommendation from the midwives, and I didn't want him to use a dummy as I dislike them, never had one myself and was worried he'd become reliant on them. Instead he ended up breast feeding to sleep or for comfort. He's always been happy but it got to the point where me and Dave were arguing a lot from lack of sleep and he couldn't see where I was coming from when it came to not giving him a dummy. Because of the way we have fed and allowed him to sleep as and when he pleases he hasn't got much of a routine and we are seeing the repercussions of that now as he reaches three months old. I read the book, the baby whisperer, and decided to try the EASY method where he eats, spends time doing some kind of activity, sleeps (and I get some me time) and then does it all again. It was hard at first, as he's been used to feeding to sleep, sleeping in someones arms and I felt horrible waking him during a feed and then struggled to get him to sleep later on at first, but he's adapted well and he's now sleeping from a lot earlier too, giving me and the hubby some "us" time.

Last night we watched a film together and it was really good just cuddling together and having some time alone. I haven't left Max with anyone else at night yet as I've been breast feeding and I don't feel quite up to leaving him so we literally haven't had any time together alone for three months and our relationship was suffering because of it.

Today we both got a little lie in, me getting up earlier and then going back to bed for a couple of hours at around 9. We did a quick food shop and then went swimming this afternoon to Ribby Hall. Max loved it. He loves being in the water, and we have an inflatable trainer seat for him which he really enjoys being sat in. Me and Dave got to mess around and play too and the sunny weather when we left and got an ice cream ended up giving us a lovely holiday feeling. We popped in to see my mum and dad where max enjoyed a quick play on the trampoline and the swing, before heading home for bath time and bed. 

I'm sat smiling (yes I'm still feeling tipsy) as I listen to Dave read Max a story as I know I'm one lucky girl to have the special family unit that I have. I hope you've all had such lovely weekends too - here are some photos from ours!

Ice creams and walks!

Well today has been a lovely day, despite waking up feeling as though someone had stomped over my head a thousand times and stabbed me in the throat with hundreds of cocktail sticks! 

My mum was off visiting family and asked if I'd like to go with her. As much as I felt like burying myself under the covers and not waking until the hubby came home, I knew max was never going to let that happen so I might as well get out and about and see some family!

We set out and it turned out my mums cousin, who we was visiting, wasn't in. As we knew she'd be back later on we had a drive round the area, where my mum grew up. My mum started pointing out places as we drove past them, like an over excited tour guide, and before we knew it we'd been driving for an hour! Me and my sister did a bit of buttering up, and managed to convince mum to buy us an ice cream. (I may have a baby, but I am still a huge child at heart!) 

After visiting family, I headed home with a sleepy maxi moo and we went visiting the vicar about Max's baptism. It's booked for the 18th August after a huge commotion over the date, and I'm really excited but desperate to lose weight before then!

After tea we went for a walk which you would think would be a good effort towards the weight loss, however, I'm not sure it'll do much after the chippy chips we had with tea! Oops! 

*Yawn!*

So I'm led here at 3.29am with what can only be described as a banshee feeding off me. I think it's safe to say Max is still not feeling great. He's refusing any kind of bottle or cuddle and will only calm for boobies (which currently feel like I've been horrendously tortured and not in a Christian Grey kind of way!) 

So as I'm up and led here, nose blocked and running at the same time, sweating as the hubby cuddles up under the covers, I thought I might as well post an update on our bank holiday weekend!

I'm not sure what's going on with blogger- I think my time settings are wrong, but the last blog I wrote was Sunday morning - meaning the walk I wrote about was on the Saturday. 

Sunday we spent the morning taking photos. We really wanted a photoshoot of Max doing but with me being on statutory maternity pay and us now owning a very cute financial leach, it just wasn't going to happen! So I got our digital camera out, and an editing program and tried my hardest to get some semi professional shots (all encouragement/criticism/help would be accepted gratefully!)

Here is my favourite photo:

I'm incredibly biased but I think he's the most gorgeous baby ever!

Later on my brother was racing his motorbike just over a mile away so we had a walk down as the weather was lovely! My brother has raced since he was little and is fairly good! My dad would have Max on a motorbike from as soon as he could walk but I'm so not liking that idea! He did look super cute sitting on his uncles bike though!

That night we had a BBQ which Max slept through, before sitting and watching War Horse, which he also slept through! All the walking and fresh air tires him out! He's not the only one and I was feeling sleepy too but it was lovely to spend some much needed time with the hubby.

Monday was fairly chilled, we did our shopping in the afternoon and put Max in the trolley seats for the first time. (We normally just push the pram as well or use the trolleys that allow you to sit your car seat on, however I always end up banging my head on the car seat part when trying too get food from under it at the tills!) I was a bit worried he'd hate the seat and we'd be pushing the trolley around in a way that could only resemble an episode of supermarket sweep, with a screaming baby and disapproving stares from other customers! However, I think it's safe to say he loved it!

That night we went to visit Dave's dads.

We were lucky in that hubby had the Tuesday off work too as it fell on my sisters birthday. She turned 16, and I couldn't believe it. I can still remember helping mum looking after her at Max's age. Here are some photos from the day:

(An outfit my sister had bought him!)

Happy birthday Lou xxx