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Arthurs really starting to use the teeth he has newly grown. 

He's been a great eater but always has to have things chopped up, now he's chomping away happily :)

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Whether you are broody, have children, without children it can not be denied these two loving each other is adorable. They were playing kisses for ages then giggling there little heads off. 

I love seeing them so happy together. 

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I love, love, love this image of Amelie, no edit!

I love the sun. Summer and the tiny bit of heat we get makes me feel much happier. But Autumn…well it's such a gorgeous time of year. My children really do look beautiful. Arthur will actually hold hands now without just wanting to run away! So walks with Auntie Megy and walks kicking leaves with Mummy. LOVE!

xxx 

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Huge blog post. 

Arthur attacked one of my eyes which has left my other eye with a crazy twitch making it difficult for me to concentrate on a computer screen. I have a huge head ache today! But needs must!

I love wigs! They can totally change your appearance whether it be for fancy dress or just for a change (probably not a bright pink one though) 

Amelie shares my love for wigs and loves her new pink one ;)

Her eyes are the same colour as mine. Strange I wish mine were darker or green but Amelie's I adore!

What is it about us mothers that we have so many hangups on ourselves but our children who generally look like us, we think they are wonderful?! 

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Little selfie gave myself a little hair cut! And a blow-dry! Well I did the front bit that I could see. 

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So when I asked Amelie this year what she wanted to do for her birthday she said play pass the parcel. So rather than paying hundreds to take her somewhere to do this we braved having it in the house! And actually it went really well. Granted we have to do it all again next week because we couldn't fit everyone in. It was great fun and not nearly as stressful as I thought it might be. 

Most importantly Amelie loved it.

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Sleeping, pouting, beautiful baby anyone?

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 It's Amelie's birthday!!! She was so happy she got a 2 wheeled scooter.

It was hard choosing something for her because there wasn't nothing she wanted. But she rides her 3 wheeler ally he time so time for an upgrade we thought :)

Unfortunately Daddy's away this week so missed yet another birthday :( Amelie can't understand why he can't come home from work when it's her birthday. 

Luckily rescue was on hand from Auntie Megan and Auntie Kristy who came over and made her feel special. Thanks for coming over ladies. Helped to make her feel like it was her birthday!

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I really can't believe I now have a 5 year old. I can remember so well the day she was born. Thinking how horribly painful childbirth is and still in the back of your mind knowing it won't be long until you meet that little person you created inside of you. We weren't sure whether she was a boy or girl and I wasn't in the slightest bit bothered by the end as long as she was OK. I remember her flying out on to the bed screaming her head off with arms out wide. Me, desperately trying to get the silly hospital gown off my front so I could have skin to skin. Then trying to get her out of the towel they had just wrapped her in. This all lasted seconds then she was there on me warm and so soft. I whispered that she was OK now Mummy here, she looked up at me with little dark eyes and stopped instantly. She was mesmerised by me and I with her. 

The feeling after having a baby, that euphoria, it is unique and nothing you can ever get back. For days your in a world of just you and your baby and nothing else matters. Martin was so fantastic I needn't worry about anything else, I just enjoyed my baby. 

She was awake most of her first night as was I just watching her and talking to her. Then the  next day it hits you. You have to take this little bundle of wonderfulness home and they will depend on you everyday for the rest of your life. She was all ours.

Our perfect little Amelie.

311/365

xxxx

303, 304, 305/365 - Halloween

The Halloween spirit has raised out of me. So the little lady and I have been doing some crafting.

It feels like ages since I've had my own idea and made something unique. OK so it's just a trick and treat bag that ended up looking more tiger than Halloweenish. But we still had fun and it felt good :)

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So proud of Amelie! As we know she has been at her sports camp this week learning and playing sports. She has loved it everyday and for her achievements she got a trophy for 'most improved player of the week'!! SO chuffed! So now I have to find a foot ball club for her to join :) 

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YEY. Halloween is here and we've gone all out decorating our front window! By we I mean me and Amelie of course! Amelie wanted a happy smiley pumpkin and I was going for some cheeky fear can you tell which is which? All this effort made and no one has come a calling :( Our house isn't on the main bit of road so I think people just skip us out :(

We had such a good time trick and treating Arthur thought it was fantastic knocking on everyones doors! I imagine he will carry on the same tomorrow :/ It was lovely to see so many kids out this year as the last was wet and cold. There was pretty much our gang and another trailing around. 

Seeing all these children dressed up in bought costumes makes me think of when I was younger. Seriously EVERYONE had a bin bag or toilet roll wrapped round them? We don't seem to have the time or even think to do that. I'm just as guilty for this. I don't think Amelie would even allow me to take her out in a bin bag! Maybe next year we'll go a bit crazy and see what we can create. But then again I'll of forgotten all about this by then so probably not :/ 

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

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xxxxxx

299, 300!, 301, 302/365

The coolest guy in town? Yeah that's right!

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Don't try buy me! Stick 'em up!

Cutest teddy going, but of course his heart belongs to his mummy so sorry everyone else you LOSE!!

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Woah, 300 guys! Only 65 more days to go until it's finished :( Little bit sad, a little bit happy :) 

I'm going to carry on blogging but maybe only when I have time.

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This was so cute because Arthur has always been throwing out the kisses, apart from lately he's decided he doesn't want to be that kinda chap. So no one can get one! 

Unless of course you have your nose and lips pressed up against a window. Irresistible! 

At least he got loads of kisses and great giggles. Wish I could put videos on sometimes.

302/365

Their at such different stages right now. Amelie is all precise and painting an actual flower that actually turns out to look like a flower. Arthur is just damn cute how he bends down on his little, tiny, squishy legs! He was as precise as he could and was actually really good at understanding poke the pot and more paint comes on and then go to the paper and dab it on there. I was impressed I thought he would just try and climb in the bowl…usual Arthur shenanigans! 

(he did end up painting himself with a little help off Amelie and tried to paint the fridge)

Any hoot…

Amelie went to a sports half term camp today. She was going knowing she wouldn't know anyone and not knowing what she was really doing. She was a little scared yesterday and this morning. Not really showing it but saying she didn't want to go. When we got there I felt a bit panicky too. But the teacher was lovely and she went right in with 3 older boys that had already arrived. They were kicking balls all over the place and she just grabbed a ball and joined in. I was so proud I could have just cried there and then (don't worry I didn't). I would never have been so bold or brave to even want to go to something like that. She's so confident, yes slightly over confident sometimes, but I want her to try everything and stand up for herself. She's a great example to Arthur (most of the time!!) I hope he learns you should be brave and throw yourself at everything. 

I suppose she's an example to us all.

Be brave!!

xxxx

296, 297, 298/365

Firstly thank you to everyone who has viewed, liked and shared Lisa's story. We are both totally overwhelmed with it all. We hoped to reach a few hundred so now we've hit the 2000 mark it really has made an impact. 

Now back to usual life stuff :/ Namely me boring you about my kids, sorry about that!

Yum! I love these 2! I could just eat them all up.

They're so good with each other. Arthur climbed up first and then shouted for Amelie to come sit next to him which she happily obliged to.

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What a face?! He's a nutter. He cried because he wanted to get back in. The picture I was going to take of him was him tipped over trying to get back in but by the time I got my camera he was just stood shouting at me.

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He is a stubborn little man, just like his not so little Daddy.

He had a Halloween party at Nursery and they had to dress up. He loves his pumpkin costume and once it's on he does not want it to be coming off!! They got to stroke centipedes and snakes. Arthur loved it and even had a snake wrapped round both his little arms at one point loving it. He is a natural animal lover :) So he might be the type of child to constantly ask for another pet but also, let's hope, will look after them. 

298/365 

xxxx

295 - Cancer Awareness

Here is one amazing women. Someone who anyone would be proud to know. Strong, kind and gorgeous all in one lovely little package. 

Sometimes bad things do happen to good people.

She is living proof you can fight cancer!

Lisas' story.

March 2007, Mammogram, followed by ultra sound scan and deep core biopsy, all on the same day, told on that day that I had cancer. Three weeks later I had a radical mastectomy to remove a 10cm tumour.

 

June 2007 - 4 weeks of radiotherapy, going to James Cook everyday for treatment, which was successful.

 

April 2008 - Second Mastectomy (prophylactic) this was a skin and nipple sparing mastectomy, During the same operation I have a double latimus Dorsi reconstruction, taking the skin and muscle from my back to 'build' a new breast shape. 7 days in hospital, 6 fluid drains in situ, and lots of morphine, recovery time was 6 weeks.

 

February 2012 - Replacement of left implant, due to capsular contraction, scar tissue had formed around the implant and strangled the implant - recovery time was 4 weeks.

 

January 2013 - Nipple reconstruction, lyposculpting fat grafting carried out, to fill out my boobs and soften the look of the implants, Fat was removed from my stomach, love handles, hips and thighs, it is then processed and injecting into the breasts. Wore a body cast for 10 days, and recovery time was about a month, Results were excellent but a very painful procedure with very bad bruising. 

I had no idea, until we had finished shooting, that Lisa was scared for me to see her scars in case I was horrified by them. 

The only thing I thought was wow! Her boobs look amazing. Her body tells you an amazing story of survival and courage. I've always thought Lisa was a gorgeous women. Remarkably she has wonderfulness inside and out! Impressive. 

Now I know that carries on to the rest of her. 

Lisa - 

 Mollie was only one year old and I was only 36, and instead of being able to enjoy my new baby, I was having to face the hardest battle of all. It was unfair and it mad me so angry, but being told that I might not make it to Christmas focused my mind on just dealing with the treatment. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was to make the phone call to my mum to tell her that I had cancer, she too had breast cancer when she was in  her early 50's. I know that she blamed herself for what was happening to me.

 

Having a mastectomy is such a double edge sword, you know it is saving your life, but it makes you feel less of a woman, it took me months to stop crying every time I had a shower! Radiotherapy was scary but the treatment itself was OK, it just makes you really tired and feel a bit sick, but you know its for the best. It was difficult six months later though, when my hair started snapping off at the roots, and I ended up looking like David Walliams, with a very lopsided haircut!

 

The reconstruction was a long operation, 10 hours in total, and afterwards I felt like I had been hit by a train! but it did make me start to feel like a woman again. The scars on your mind are often worse than the ones on your body.

 

When I met tony, I had to tell him what had happened to me and warn him about how I look, its an awful conversation to have to have, and its the fact that cancer keeps on defining who you are - its just unfair.

 

My friends and family were amazing and helped me so much, especially following all my operations and allowing me to recover fully. It really is at times like this that you realise just how important true friends are.

 

Tony has been my rock since meeting him and has given me confidence that I didn't know I would ever have again, without him I wouldn't have had the strength to be able to do today.

  

An incredible women. 

Thank you so much for having faith in me and trusting me to take part in your story to tell. 

In the words of Lisa, 'Good on ya girl'.

It's an honour. Thank you 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

293, 294/365

When the hubby put's his mind to it (with help from his nagging wife) he gets the job done!

It's a little confusing for Martin to realise Amelie wants to help with all the jobs whether he thinks it's a boy thing or not. She loves it when all the tools are out and he's measuring things up.

She will quite happily help out in a tutu :)

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Arthur was desperate to go out when all Amelie and I wanted to do was be lazy! 

Quickly Mummy!!!!

Oh and he likes his pumpkin outfit Mammar. In fact I thought he would hate it but I couldn't get it off him :/ At least he likes it though!

I'm really looking forward to taking them both trick and treating. Hoping it doesn't pour down with rain again this year. 

294/365

xxxx