life lately - sunshine and smiles

I noticed a huge change in Hugo this week with lots and lots of smiles. Because of all of the groups we've been going to I had lots of new songs in my head so I was singing constantly! The more singing I did, the more smiles I got, so Hugo was incredibly smiley and responsive to me :)

It had been sunny all week but by the weekend the weather was incredibly hot and it was the first time Hugo experienced proper heat. He was a bit hot and bothered and over tired as we'd packed so much in but coped remarkably well.

Here's the other bits from this week:

My friend Frankie popped over on Tuesday evening with the new man in her life Tom. They are making plans to move to London this summer which is kind of odd, as we're switching places. I'm really envious at all the possibilities that lie ahead of her as she makes the move. London was home to some of the best years of my life and all the advice I could offer is enjoy it. It's probably not forever, so you just have to go with it while you can. It's a shame that one of my friends is leaving Leeds as I arrive back, but on the upside Frankie won the award of the most visits to our home (hotel) while we were in London, so I'm sure I can pay her back!

Adi was off on Friday and the sun was beaming so I took him along to St Aidan's for a picnic. It was his first visit and apart from lots of midges, I think he appreciated it like I did. Because of not working I've had the opportunity to do so much more than him which feels strange. I want to fill him in on all of my experiences and take him to the best bits. 

It was lovely having some quality time together, but it was short lived because we were heading off to help Adi's brother and sister in law move house. The weather wasn't ideal (sweat inducing) but better the sun than rain I guess. We emptied the van and cars pretty quickly and were able to use the van to move some garden furniture to ours which was a bonus before Friday night fish and chips.

Sunday was spent with my sister. It was so good to have some time just the two of us (well with Hugo too). Since moving away from London we do less as friends and more as sisters with other family members/ husbands around. While that's great too, it's sometimes good just to be the two of us. We went to Temple Newsam which you can read here, and came home for a BBQ with Adi. I also developed hayfever. I blame the beautiful blossom.

(16th - 18th May)

discovering Yorkshire - Temple Newsam

Auntie Layla came to visit on Sunday and it was a beautiful day so we headed out to Temple Newsam. It's probably the nearest large house and grounds from us, only about a 20 minute drive either up the M1 or through some prettier back roads.

The house itself isn't really much to shout about, (it's pretty industrial as Layla said) but the grounds were beautiful. We didn't manage to explore it all as pushing a pram in the sun is surprisingly hard work, but what we did see was plenty.

We parked (for free which was a bonus) in a shaded area by the lake, ideal for keeping the car cool on a really hot day. Although there was a map, it wasn't very clear so we wandered along the lake in the direction of the house. The most amazing walkway of blossom was in full bloom, with spring colours to the right and autumnal colours to the left (I only captured the spring colours) below.

To save money we had a sandwich from home (can't quite call it a picnic as it was a little pathetic) but we headed to the cafe for something sweet. It's in a lovely courtyard area next to the house which also has a gift shop and plants for sale.

On our walk we passed tree lined gardens, a walled garden, rolling hills of open grass and lots of secluded spaces but there's plenty more to explore next time - even a farm for Hugo to meet the animals when he's a little older!

Considering it was a really hot day it wasn't a problem to park and the grounds didn't feel overcrowded. The only downside of the day was noticing a huge area full of litter on the grass that a group had obviously left behind. A couple of girls had started to clear up and we joined in. It's so frustrating that people would ruin such a beautiful spot for others. Especially somewhere that is free for everyone to enjoy. Hopefully some people saw our combined cleaning up effort and will pass on a good deed.

It was so good to wander around somewhere new and put the world to rights. I'm lucky to have such a spot right on my doorstep. As we were chatting non-stop I didn't take many photos. I really want to start taking more but it's always the way, the more fun you're having the less chance to capture it!

life lately - a very happy week

Last week was ace, mainly due to the fact that I finally got to catch up with some of my favourite girls from my old workplace the Brooke. I don't usually leave it so long, but having a baby kind've put halt to any London trips for a good few months. Not only did I get down to London (read here) but I also met friends at one of my favourite spots, Rutland Water, later in the week. Double win. 

I also had two meet ups with girls from NCT so I finally feel like I'm settling in to the area. Monday was coffee with one of the girls who is still pregnant. I love how I say 'meeting for coffee' when I don't actually drink coffee, or even tea for that matter. It was great to be able to share my birth experience with her and be so honestly positive about the whole thing! There are so many negative stories out there and I'm very lucky to have had such a smooth ride. 

Thursday was lunch at another's to introduce Hugo to her son Harry, before heading to it first mums and babies group. And what an experience that was! Never have I ever seen so many mums and babies all under the age of 12 months. There must have been about 40 mums at least - two huge circles around playmats in the middle. Although I got more out of the group than Hugo we'll definitely be back. It'll be fantastic as he becomes more aware of his surroundings, with lots to play with, song time and a parachute. 

I'm not sure what's made me more happy, time spent with friends and Hugo or the sunshine! Having a spring baby is just the best! On Sunday we had friends over and were able to get out into the garden to let the kids run about. It's made me want to make our garden a little more child friendly now, even though Hugo won't appreciate it until next year, it'd be good to have a few toys for visitors. For now we're lucky to have a park with swings and a slide a few minutes walk away.

My happiness level could also be high due to some breakthroughs with Hugo. It turns out that the bottle does have some great upsides which seem to out way the guilt I've felt. An update on Hugo's development will be coming soon. 

(28th April - 4th May)