Alice

Alice is now 2 and a half, and she is amazing. Seriously. She is the funniest, most fascinating, most incredible person I have ever met. I'm sure everyone says that about their own child, and it is true. Your children are the most wonderful people you will ever meet in your life.

Thanks to this pregnancy, I am finding it incredibly hard to put Alice down for her lunch time nap. It was just so draining and I would spend the hour she was napping, sleeping myself! So I have had no choice but to cut it out. So far, so good. I think the summer is helping a lot as we can get out and about in the sun. She goes to sleep at about 6.45 every night and wakes anywhere between 6.30 and 7.30 the next day.

She eats fruit! Hooray! Ok, veggies we are still working on, but fruit is a big bonus. Strawberries are a favourite, as is good old apple and banana. She's eating a far greater variety of foods now too which means meal times are quite fun. I never stress if she doesn't eat her dinner or lunch, because I can't see a 2 year old knowingly starve themselves. I leave dinner for half an hour and if she hasn't eaten it, I'll offer a sandwich or cereal a little later.

Tantrums are fun, aren't they? NO! Gosh she is stubborn. She throws the biggest, craziest tantrums and then 2 minutes later is smiling and laughing as if nothing has happened! I swear she does it just to wear me out in the day. But I do know where she gets her stubbornness from... guilty as charged!

 When she tells a story she is just so funny. She uses so many hand gestures, and we can only understand the odd word so we just end up nodding along and going, "uh huh, uh huh...". I wish she would let me film one of her stories, but she's a little shy in front of the camera. Still, it's something we will definitely treasure and reminisce over in the future.

She's going so quickly and sometimes I find it hard to keep up with her. I very often find myself frustrated that she wont go to bed like she used to, and then realise that she just doesn't want to be held and sung too, instead wanting to put herself to sleep. Or when she stopped wanting me to follow her about the playground. Now she just puts her hand out to me and say's, "no mummy" and she's off playing with some other children instead. It's quite hard to let go and let them grow up. But when I do see her grow and become more and more assertive, it makes me feel so proud.

And I am sure she will keep on making me proud. Every single day :)

xx