Bank Holiday Monday - mucking about in the garden

Monday was such a lovely day, and since we had all week off, there didn't seem to be any point in rushing out with the hoardes, so we got the pop up tent out and a few blankets and played in the back garden. Someone once said to me that you don't take as many photos of your second child as you do of your first, so I got the camera out and took loads of shots of Zoe. Here are a few of the best...

She loved crawling around in the tent.

She's still dribbling loads as well - I'm sure I spotted a couple of molars peeking through, but I don't get many chances to have a look , and when I do I risk getting my fingers bitten!

Our Garden Makeover

As promised, here are a few photos of the garden on its way from overgrown to lovely!
This first photo is taken from Ben's bedroom, and as you can see, it had got a bit overgrown and neglected. In my defence, I was a bit busy looking after a small baby last summer, and Ian doesn't know a dandelion from a dahlia! I wanted to make it a more practical garden for Ben and Zoe to play in, but needed some help!

This photo was taken about a month after the garden was finished. Ben has a lovely big lawn to run around on, and now the grass isn't wet all the time, Zoe can crawl about on it too! The plants at the back are filling out, and hopefully in another month some of them will have some flowers!

The Saga of Zoe's Finger

I can laugh about it now, but at the time every day just seemed to be one thing after another caused by someone's incompetence! I'm still working on a complaint letter that won't end up with me being sued for libel or something. At least Zoe is too young to remember any of it. I, on the other hand have got loads more grey hairs and a couple more wrinkles ;-) Anyway, here is a pictorial record of our journey (but entirely suitable for those of a delicate disposition)...
This photo was taken about three hours after she'd come round from the general anaesthetic, which probably accounts for the slightly dopey look. Note the gigantic bandage, which was supposed to stay on for ten days, but didn't even last ten hours!
We took Zoe to the dressings clinic and got a much better dressing put on by someone who actually knew what they were doing. As you can see, having a bandage on didn't dampen her spirits much! And it didn't stop her getting about and having fun either! I'm amazed by how well it has healed up, even though we were told that babies have incredible regenerative powers. This last picture was taken four weeks after the accident, (it's her index finger that was hurt) and it just astounds me that only four weeks before, the top of her finger was literally hanging off!

Starting my updates!

I keep trying to do this at work, but my computer there is so old, it has rubber keys and you load the programmes with a tape recorder, and it hasn't been co-operating with me at all! Also with everything that's been going on lately, updating this has slipped my mind a bit. But now I'm back with a vengance and aim to keep you up to date with all our half term hi-jinx over the coming week :-D

Anyway, imagine some wibbly lines like they do on the telly, and I'll take you back to the 18th and 19th of April.....

I just wanted to put this one in, because she looks so cute!

Here she is, having a go with her tunnel and tent that Linda & Robert gave her for her birthday. She really loves it - she likes anything she can play hide and seek in. Ben also loves it too, and fortunately it seems to be quite sturdy so he can play with it too. (albeit under close supervision!)

On the Monday after my birthday, I had a day out on my own. I did town, Crown Point and the White Rose, and was shattered by 3 o'clock! I got some material from Sammy Taylor - the two pink ones are for a dress for Zoe and the green stripe is for a sun top for me. I aim to have them both done for our holidays, so watch this space! I also got two tops from Debenhams, a great pair of jeans, a pair of combats, a pair of cropped trousers, a pair of sunglasses, and have ordered a cotton top and sweatshirt type top from Boden, so I feel like I've given my wardrobe a whole new lease of life!

Its getting to my bedtime now and the laptop battery is nearly flat, so I'll keep updating over the weekend.

Monday 13th April - Zoe's First Birthday

I think Zoe's teeth know when there is a major occasion happening - the last time she was this bad with her teeth was Christmas! Still, I think she had a nice time (sponsored by Calpol!)

Zoe with Ian's mum, Emily and Rachel, Ian's nieces, Linda, Ian's sister and Robert, Ian's sister's partner in the background.

The Birthday girl in her new frock

Zoe and the party spread - it soon disappeared! (apart from the mini rolls for some reason which have been sent to work with Ian before I eat them all)Zoe tucking into her party lunch.

Ben helping with the cake and candle. The cake was delicious - I love M&S cake!

I didn't give Zoe any birthday cake (that would have been far too messy) but she did enjoy sucking all the chocolate off one of the chocolate finger 'spikes' from the back of the hedgehog :-DBen giving Zoe her Upsy Daisy dolly.

Getting to grips with her Wheelybug which my mum and dad gave her. She got some lovely presents - a Fisher Price 'Pretty Learning Purse' from Ian's mum and dad; a baby tent and tunnel from Ian's sister and family; a 'buggy driver' steering wheel and book from my brother and sister; a cutlery and plate set from my cousin Angela, and some money from my aunties and uncles.

Sunday 12/04/09 Easter Egg-stravaganza!

We have had a lovely easter weekend, despite Ian working for some of it. I had my parents on hand to help with Ben and Zoe, so it was good.

My dad and brother have been sorting out our back garden to make it more child friendly and just more practical in general. It was a bit of a state as I didn't really do anything to it last year, and Ian can't tell a geranium from a dandelion! I will do a full before and after once it is all finished, but here are a few 'moments' from the weekend.

Ben playing with his tools and the wood offcuts - he's had a great time, running from job to job in the garden and getting lots of adult attention.

Stephen, wondering whether my dad is going to fall forwards through the new trellis or backwards into the garden of the house behind ;-) (whose washing I am trying to hide with the new fence!) Ian put Ben's hard hat on and Ben sang 'Daddy the builder, Can he fix it? Daddy the builder, No he can't' :-D

Finally, I could not believe how much chocolate Ben and Zoe were given for Easter, so I took a photo of it. This is just for them, Ian and I also have a more modest collection hidden from little people. I've been through it all and checked the best before dates and it will probably last them till Christmas!