Heatwave!

We've had the most wonderful day here today. This morning Ray went for a bike ride with Rose in her bike seat down to the canal where they fed the ducks and watched the boats going up and down the canal. He sent me a video of Rose watching a boat going by whilst they were calling over 'Good morning!' and she looked completely fascinated by it all. It also meant that I had a good hour where the house was a little quieter with just Arthur and I in. Fortunately I managed to get him down for his morning nap quite quickly which meant that after getting dressed, I actually had a little luxury Saturday morning knitting time! Always a bonus!

We went down to a Fun day fair thing that was happening just out of Chichester but returned pretty quickly as it was heaving with people and Rose, who would have enjoyed it much more than us was actually sleeping in the buggy. So after a quick wander around, we returned home (stopping off at the shop for a few picnic goodies) and got everything together to head down to a really beautiful gardens that is a short walk from our house. Unfortunately there was a huge gust of wind through the house as we were about to head out the door and our hallway door slammed on a couple of Rose's fingers. The look on her face was just awful, it must have been so so painful. Luckily there wasn't too much damage and she's just scraped a little skin from above her fingernails on two fingers. But this meant that the walk round to the gardens was a bit stressful with me pulling Rose along on her scooter while she wailed away to herself. No amount of cuddles seemed to make her feel any better, so I ended up singing a Very long version of 'Old MacDonald' to her which she just couldn't resist telling me which animals to sing about next, it didn't stop her crying but we had a little pause between the wails at least!

I'd actually choose to have a simple afternoon in a park any day over a big busy event like the one we went to first of all. It was so lovely to spent some quality time together, just us. Rose was soon distracted from her sore fingers by running around the gardens chasing her ball with either myself or Ray (a little chocolate cake may have also helped here!). It was also peaceful enough that Arthur had a huge nap in the buggy and woke up a very happy chap. I could sit and knit a few rows of Rose's cardigan and have some lovely conversations with Ray.

Apparently the weather is supposed to be beautiful and even warmer tomorrow, so I plan to spend most of my time outdoors if possible!

xxx

The highs sometimes comes with the lows...

Today started out as a lovely day, we were all up early. Ray and I took Rose to get her first Proper haircut, my Nan has given her hair a little trim once or twice when we've been back in Dorset (she's a hairdresser) but it really needed a good all-over neaten up as it all seems to grow at a slightly different rate. It was definitely a challenge to get her to stay still, I was glad to have had Ray with me to help distract her!

We went to Petworth house for the day to meet up with Ray's Mum and brother, even though it's only about half an hours drive from us I'd never actually been and it was such a perfect day to go with today's sunny weather. Ray's brother that we were seeing today lives up in Scotland, which means that Ray rarely gets to see him so I think they really enjoyed each other's company.

We had a little picnic in the grounds and then eventually went for a walk through the house. Rose had on her backpack with the reins attached so I had some control over where she went and she had a great time, walking through the rooms pointing at the statues and paintings on the walls... The poor people walking through the house were trying to have a quiet and peaceful visit to the house but there was no way I could quieten down Rose's squeals of delight! Oh well, at least she was happy and not crying eh!?

I've been doing a spot of baking... only some basic fairy cakes but they were pretty yummy! I think I'm probably eating way too much at the moment but currently I have such a big appetite and I'm not hugggee yet, so I think I'll just carry on enjoying a fairy cake or two..!

So after our lovely day out, we got home about 4pm. Ray had to pop out for a couple hours at 5pm which was perfectly fine as Rose had been brilliantly behaved so far today and was looking exhausted so I thought she might even go down for an early night! Ha! I wish... 

...The next 2 hours ended up being absolutely awful. Rose usually has a beaker of warm milk before I take her upstairs and she goes to sleep by herself. I've probably been really spoilt lately with how easy she goes to bed as this evening she refused to stay in her bed.As soon I left the room, banging on the door.. crying hysterically! I'm not used to her acting that way before bed so I kept going up to bring her back downstairs when all she did was cry and whinge, she was Definitely tired but just refusing to go to sleep! A sort of vicious circle really... as the longer I kept her downstairs to try and make her happy, the more upset she was when I eventually attempted to take her up to bed again.

So anywayyy... to cut a long story short. Ray came home just before 7pm and I had only just managed to get dinner ready. I've never felt so tired and drained of energy in all my life... it was as if my lack of tiredness these past few weeks had been saved up for tonight. I ended up sobbing in the utility room with the relief of knowing he was home to help with Rose. I'm never like that! It must be the pregnancy.... must be! 

But on a positive note! I saw the baby kick as well as feeling it this evening, I've only been feeling small fluttering movements recently but over the last couple of days the little guy in there has gotten really strong! It's so exciting and every time I feel the movements, I feel so ridiculously happy. :-) Even after an evening like I had!!

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Our 2nd wedding anniversary!

I had a lovely day on Tuesday as it was our 2nd year wedding anniversary. Considering we weren't Supposed to be 'doing' presents this year (we are trying to save our pennies for Ray's big GP exam and our little arrival due at the end of the year, not to mention that big occasion in December that tends to cost quite a bit of money....!) I was thoroughly spoilt! 

Not that I reallllyyy minded all that much though! ;-)

Ray had hinted that I had to stay in for a morning delivery of the floral kind, he couldn't get to the shops to buy some nice flowers due to work apparently... but when the doorbell went I was surprised to have the delivery man hand me one Huge box, I thought it must be one Huge bouquet of flowers! haha

But inside the massive box was This shiny new laptop! :D I will point out that my previous laptop was really on it's last legs and as well as the hinge being so broken that the screen couldn't be adjusted at all, there were  dodgy wires on show... (not great when you have a very curious toddler in your home!), you couldn't unplug it even for a minute and the fan was so loud that Ray would have to turn the TV up high just to drown out the noise! So it was only a matter of time before it died and we Had to get a new one... but Wow was it a great surprise as I had no idea Ray had even ordered it. :-) 

I'm sat here tonight,  laid back on the comfy sofa as the laptop stays alive without being plugged into the plug point at all times... and it's pretty much silent as the fan is So quiet on this laptop. I'm chuffed to bits with it as you can Probably tell! 

I didn't expect flowers after that extravagant gift but in the afternoon the doorbell went again and I was given these beauties! The lilies are just Stunning and fill the room with the most amazing scent - Thank you my lovely xXx

Ray really earnt his brownie points that day as then in the evening my friend had Rose to stay for the night and we went out for dinner, then to a show at the theatre, it was amazing and it just felt so great to be out for a night out together in the evening time!

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Best £2.50 ever spent.

A few weeks ago I was helping out at our local NCT nearly new sale and I bought a few things for Rose, mainly things for future Christmas/Birthday gifts which included a bargain priced doll that came with a baby bath and a bottle. She spotted the doll as soon as she came through the door with Ray later on that afternoon and even though I had originally planned to put it away until December for Rose, she was so happy sat playing with her new baby doll that in the end I just let her have it that day.

I then realised it's probably a good idea to get her used to playing nice and gently with the baby doll in preparation for our new arrival in December, although it has got me a little worried when I see her doing things like this... apparently the baby wanted to bounce on the trampoline as well!!

There are plenty of lovely moments to watch as well though when she shows the baby some affection...

This baby has a serious thunder thighs problem, check out those hips!

  

Generally the baby is being smothered in slobbery kisses though, the baby on it's way doesn't know what's going to hit him/her! I actually caught Rose straddling the doll the other morning trying to shove a toothbrush in it's mouth... apparently it needed to have it's teeth brushed too! Somehow I think the new baby will have to be carried around with me wherever I go, otherwise goodness knows what Rose will be getting up to when she's out of my sight!

We're having a very lazy afternoon here watching the tennis (it's more background tv for me!) and I've been spoilt with a roast beef Sunday roast from Ray and he's just brought me in strawberries and cream... yum!

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Oh! Almost forgot to say, one of my favourite bloggers Nelly has just restarted blogging again and has begun a lovely new blog... please go and have a look here: http://notjustnelly.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/at-last.html#comment-form

A quick photo round up of May - Part one

Even though I haven't quite got around to blogging much this month, I've still been taking quite a few photo's so I thought I would get a good load of them on here before they get swallowed up and forgotten in a folder somewhere in my laptop.

I have a really good friend here in Chichester who has 3 kids and her youngest is around 7 months older than Rose. The girls get along like a house on fire, which makes it really handy when either of us needs someone to watch the others child. Rose seems to want to copy everything that my friend's little girl does which makes her try loads of new things faster which is great, I suppose it's similar to when children have older siblings to learn from. It's so funny hearing them have one of their conversations as Rose hasn't really got the 'talking' thing down yet so it all sounds like gobbledygook to anyone listening! The other day at the swing park they were both so impatient to let each other go on the only available swing first, that they ended up going in together. Fortunately they safely wedged each other in and absolutely loved going in together, Rose was actually holding her around her shoulders... so sweet! :-)

Ray had a few days off work so on one day we had a lovely picnic in the park and had a trip to the beach in the afternoon. When we got to the park Rose was sleeping in her buggy and I thought we'd have trouble with her running away from us as soon as she was up and active but fortunately she was more interested in playing peek-a-boo from behind the big tree we were sat next to. :-)

I now have to hide the lens cap from her if I'm attempting to take any photo's though as it seems one of her favourite games is trying to replace the cap whenever I'm pointing the camera at her! Very cute at first and then it gets a little frustrating...!

Here are a few photo's from our afternoon on the beach, it was the first time we went to the beach where she actually just enjoyed playing with the sand rather than eating it. I bought a bucket and spade for her from the Pound shop and it was the bet £1 I ever spent... she must have been playing with that bucket and spade for almost an hour straight!!

It's the perfect kind of beach to take small children to because the sea is really shallow for miles, so you don't have to worry that they're going to get dragged out to sea when only going down for a little paddle. Well that's what I thought until there was a really sad case a week after we were there where a man drowned saving a little girl that got into trouble in the sea. So sad... 

On another completely random note... I don't seem to have been blessed with this whole 'pregnancy bloom glow' that every one goes on about yet. If anything, my skin on my face has gotten a lot worse! I'm starting to feel a bit rubbish about it and was wondering if anyone can recommend the best foundation and cover-up to disguise my current spottiness?! I'm willing to pay a little more than usual if it helps me feel a little better about my skin!! (Sorry that this blog isn't one that only talks about the nice pretty things in my life!)

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Life according to my Instagram.

I've been using Instagram on my iPhone quite a lot lately and thought I would give you a little peek at some of the photo's I've put on there.. 

I meant to put a few of these photo's on my blog before but never got around to it so here's a little catch-up!

 

(Rose's new favourite place, she climbs up onto the buggy to have a peek through the blinds to see what's going on in the street outside.)

(This photo reminds me of the lovely sunny weather we were having a little while back... where has it gone!!?)

(It's been a very gradual process but I've been working a little English paper-pieced patchwork.)

(Hot milky time before bed!)

(Now that's a whole lotta citrus!)

(Apparently this is the new way to travel... not in the comfy padded buggy seat no, but down in the shopping basket..! Sooo normal, haha..)

(I've been busy sewing pin cushions to go in my Etsy shop, now I just need to actually list them on there!)

(It was a day for polka-dots)

(Mum came to stay and we were pretty unlucky with the weather, so we enjoyed having mornings in our pj's while crafting together.)

(Rose has discovered a love of tomato ketchup... I'm rationing it!)

(and finallyyyy... I'm actually almost finished sewing all of my patchwork shapes together, it's only taken me Months!)

If you fancy following me on Instagram you can find me by searching 'countryrosecrafts'.

I can't wait until I can get my iPhone upgraded, the camera picture quality is pretty pants on the one I have now. It does the job okay though..! :-) 

I hope your all having a brilliant bank holiday weekend. Ray is working lots to try and get us some extra pennies but we have the whole day together tomorrow, pleassseee don't let it rain, again!

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Our first trip to Wales with Rose.

Well it's me again! What do you know... nearly 2 weeks without a post and then 2 in one day! I seem to have had a blogging turn-around.

This post is wayyyy over-due. 

We went to visit my best friend Vicky and her boyfriend James at their new home in Wales last month and soon after we got back, I put all of the photo's together in this post but it's taken me until now to actually add some writing to it!

This was where I finished knitting Rose's 'Ring around the Rosie' dress... I'd had it nearly finished for ages but just lost the motivation to knit the edging, but with an almost 6 hour car journey there and quiet time in the evenings, I finally got around to finishing it off. It's Such a good feeling when you eventually finish off a project that should have been over and done with a good while ago..!

We went on a lovely walk while there... the views around Vicky's place are amazing!! Incredible! Very lucky. :-)

I'll admit that Vicky took a whole load of these photo's. I think she was enjoying having a play with my camera (she's a Photography graduate!) and I was enjoying having the lovely photo's to look over afterwards!

I think Rose fell in love with Myrtle the cat, she's not really had any contact with cats before and couldn't believe her luck when she spotted her. Poor Myrtle was probably very relieved when we left for Sussex and she didn't have Rose following her around Allll of the time!

Vicky and James live in the most lovely little cottage in mid-wales, it's been really well renovated and now they have the option of underfloor heating and solar panels. They even had an Aga! One dayyyy I might get one of those beauties! ;-)

See what I mean about the views!? Imagine having this right outside your front door!

Rose enjoyed being up in the rucksack carrier where she could see everything that was going on...

Ray Did carry Rose for the first half of the journey but she is a Very heavy lump and it was all up-hill so I offered to take her for the return journey where it is was mostly down-hill! ;-)

Rose loved spending time with her God-mother and I enjoyed seeing my best friend again. It had been quite a while...!! xXx Thank you for having us to stay my lovely xXx