I can’t believe as I sit here writing this she is already 4 months old! Without repeating myself too much but time really flies and you forget how quickly they change each week let alone each month.

I love trying to get abit creative for her monthly pictures to try fit in with the seasons and all these leaves and conkers were found by Polly on one of our many walks.

So what have we been upto then… Well as of Thursday 5th November we went back into a national lockdown of 4 weeks until the 2nd December (fingers crossed) Luckily this time things don’t seem too different for us as Polly is still at school, Andrew at work and my mum is in our bubble (being a single household). You can also meet one other person outside your home including children under school age which has meant I’ve been able to meet several friends (individually) and go for walks with Lola and her not count. I think actually the cut of age is 5 but who knows for certain?! Also it’s weird writing things like this as we are living through it here and now but I want to jot all this down for the girls to read when their older and 2020 goes down in history as the craziest year ever! Like this time alot more shops are open etc including garden centres so no doubt I’ll be taking Lola there to see some Christmas lights soon.

Times like this I’m grateful for where we live, the beautiful walks and forestry and for my carrier for Lola as she always falls asleep in it. Best baby buy so far! Talking of good baby buys, I’ve found alittle company online who sell fab sensory toys so have stocked up on some bits to do some sensory fun with Lola. She loves being on her tummy and although can’t roll from her back to front just yet she can roll from tummy to back, so I always know when she has had enough as she just rolls back.

So far she is loving them and I will change it up every week and try to do different themes from what we already have around the house etc. But she is now starting to grab things and hold onto things which is really cute. She is getting a very strong grip that’s for sure.

Were still very much making the most of autumnal winter walks and enjoying the changing seasons. I really do love the colours of autumn and the sound of crisp leaves under your feet.

The only other new thing I had started to introduce Lola to was swimming lessons, but of course this was short lived due to going into another lockdown and leisure centre’s closing. I know she won’t know any different but I do feel so sad that her first year hasn’t been anything like Polly’s was. Hardly any classes or groups and not even having cuddles from friends and family. I mean she hasn’t even met my Dad in person yet and video calls just aren’t the same. I can’t wait for the day he can hold her. She even looks at me strangely on the school run having to wear a face mask, it’s crazy really!

Although I am rather careful where I take Lola I did take her on a little shopping trip to our local city to finish off our Christmas shopping. I was lucky to get alot online this year but you can’t beat going into a shop sometimes buying a gift because it’s caught your eye and perfect for so and so. Still odd that you have to wear a mask out in a shop but can sit down in a restaurant and take it off to eat but still but quite close to other people. For this reason we haven’t gone out much and hardly will much more now.

Well we’ve had some more sensory fun which Lola loves. I try to do things like this when Polly is at school so that I get that one to one time with her which is so lovely. These were all items I had around the house, she loved the textures of the pinecones and always loves the noise that foil blanket makes. You can’t see very well on the pictures but I blew her some bubbles and you could literally see her little mind trying to work out what was floating infront of her.

We’ve also been making the most and going for walks down our road and in the forest around us as fresh air is good for the soul and if I time them right Lola always naps in her pram too. Plus it always helps Polly burn off some energy too hehe.

There hasn’t been much else to report really. We haven’t done too much although we are now out of lockdown I’ve decided to get Christmas out the way and then take the girls back swimming in the new year when hopefully things are getting better and back on track. Polly has been busy at school getting festive and is the donkey in her school nativity. Gutted that we can’t be there to watch her but we did get to see it recorded at least so that’s something I guess.

The house is getting all Christmassy which I just love, feels so warm and magical especially as it’s Lola’s first Christmas, not that she will remember it but still super exciting as Polly is such a fab age for it too. She is always asking how many days left. I’ll do a separate blog on Christmas as I’m sure I will take many pictures of the day. One place we have been with my Mum is a local garden centre to see their Christmas lights outside which were really pretty and good that they were outside.

One of the main things to happen for Lola is she can finally roll over bless her. If you put her on her tummy she would roll onto her back and had been doing that for a long time but now she has mastered back to tummy and then continues to move all over the floor. I literally can’t leave her now because she won’t be where I left her.

The difference a year makes 🙂

We had a lovely Christmas day, the girls were very spoilt and we got to spend it with my Mum and skyped my Dad. It felt very strange not seeing him in person for the first year ever, especially on Christmas day it just brings it home how much this virus is effecting normal day to day lives with things you take for granted but I’m really hoping and praying 2021 is a better year and things get back to normal soon, fingers crossed.

If I made Christmas cards this would have been on them. Much harder and messier than it looked but at least Polly had fun, Lola wondered what on earth I was doing to her feet but I just love doing these as little keepsakes.

We then very much enjoyed the slow pace of the Christmas holidays. Polly enjoyed playing with all her new toys and I found homes for them all. I’m hoping to freshen up the playroom in the new year and make it a bit more baby friendly for Lola for when she is on the move more.

The last weekend of the Christmas holidays we went on a a family walk to our local forest just 5mins up the road from us. Polly enjoyed whizzing off on her bike with Daddy and Lola loved looking about in her carrier. She finally fell asleep just as we got back to the car typically but I did manage to then transfer her into her pram when we got home because we keep her pram in the hallway at the moment and rather than rocking her to sleep in my arms to then go in her swinging crib which she doesn’t sleep well in if its daytime. Over Christmas I’ve started putting her down awake in her pram and she has been sleeping well. The next thing is for Andrew to build her cot and then start putting her down in there in the day as she is still in our room in her swinging crib as she isn’t quite sleeping through yet.

Monday 4th January 2021. Today was back to school for Polly although I had doubts in sending her because we are now in our 3rd national lockdown. I sent her in to then hear on the news that evening that actually school’s will now be closing. Personally for me if I’d had known this I wouldn’t have sent her in for just one day to mix with her class bubble after two weeks off etc, but as a Mum you just always try to do your best for your children don’t you. So here is to home schooling ekes! The very first lockdown we had back in March 2020, I took Polly out of preschool because I was pregnant and as she was only at preschool there wasn’t work set as such. I mainly downloaded bits and pieces for her and fun activities to do plus I just had her to worry about, now I have a teething Lola too! I was hoping January would be a month of weaning Lola and making everything from scratch and being a right Mary Berry in the kitchen but now I feel I’m going to have my hands full with both of them with the home schooling. Wish me luck hehe!

But for now here is this little beauty a whole half a year old!

9th January – 6 Months old!

Lola can now roll around all over the floor, she love’s it when Polly is playing next to her. She tries to grab Polly’s toys and has such a strong grip. We’ve started the weaning journey and so far Lola is loving different tastes of food. I am going to mainly be going down the baby led weaning route this time but will be blending things to begin with and see how we get on. I didn’t do BLW with Polly but feeling more confident this time so look forward to seeing how it goes and getting messy is all part of the fun.

Much love

Sophie