Gracie Update.

 Prior to my last post (World pandemic) I had posted about our Breastfeeding struggles. Gracie continued to refuse the boob, this lead to me expressing her every feed for the first 8 weeks of her life. I decided to introduce formula when she was 8 weeks old because it was half term, Archie was on holiday and he wanted to go out on adventures not sit watching me expressing for Gracie then feeding Gracie. I managed to express milk off and combi feed until my milk ran dry. 

Our personal breastfeeding journey was a hard one but I took it on for as long as I could given the circumstances. I tried getting nipple guards, bottles with teets that mimicked boobs, the works but she was determined, more determined than I had the fight for. 

Since day 1 shes known her own mind, shes strong willed and wants things just how she wants them.. her sleep has always been an issue and continues to be even at 2. She went through weaning at 6 months and point blank refused sweet things, we finally got her to try sweet at the age of 9 months. She started walking unaided, just after her 1st birthday. However the moment she could walk holding onto someone's hand, that is exactly what she wanted to do. For her 1st birthday we went to  a local farm, she spent the whole time wanting to walk 

The pandemic hit and we found ourselves home more than we had ever been, the 4 of us as a unit in each others pockets all the time. We took family walks together across the farmers fields, along the river and around the estate we lived in, parks were closed due to stop the virus spreading through touching of play equipment, so we was unable to release archies energy in the means of a climbing frame. The kids went from spending time in a park on a near on daily basis to not being able to enter one for 6 months. Due to the location of our flat we was able to use the delivery area (where we parked out car and the shops recieved their deliveries) as a little garden, the only shop to reciever delivery's were the bakery and that was always early mornings. We used to set a little tent up in our second allocated parking space along with a picnic blanket and enjoy the sun to the best we could. Our neighbours used to get out a padding pool for their daughter in their little area. It was the only way we managed to get by on the hotter days. 

When we moved we was able to enjoy lazy days in the garden and it was the best feeling in the world.  By chance we stumbled upon this house and are so very lucky it worked the way it did. We viewed, agreed terms and had a move date within a week, we then had 3 weeks to pack up our whole life of 8 years, with 2 kids, in the middle of a pandemic where people were not allowed to enter other peoples homes. We genuinly thought we was going to have to move on our own, with no help from family. 

Thankfully it was a beautiful day the day of the move so the inlaws had the children in the garden while my dad helped Steve and myself move everything..

Fast forward to April 2021, Gracie celebrated her 2nd birthday in lockdown last month. We couldn't do anything and steve was at work 12-9 that day, Archie was in school so it was very low key. Shes obsessed with peppa pig so we hope to take her to peppa pig World at some point this year (if restrictions allow). Her speech is still very much gracie babble however next week she starts nursery half a day a week, until sept where she will go one full day a week so we hope her speech will come along more then. Sleep is non exsistant, she don't sleep, some how she managed to survive on 3-4 solid hours then broken sleep. Her normal time to wake is between 1.30 and 2. We usually spent on advridge 40 mins in her room settling her back down before she wakes again between 3 and 4 where she then expects to start her day. Its hard going because of how active she is through the day. 

I'm hoping, preying that she finally decided to sleep through soon. However knowing gracie and her strong willness ill be waiting a long time for that. 

World Pandemic

 Well hello, its been a while. 

Life really has been one huge struggle for us and many people alike since my last post. For purposes of reading back in years to come we are currently coming towards the tail end (we hope) of a world pandemic. A huge spreading virus known as Coronavirus (covid-19) a world spread virus that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives that orginated from wuhun in China. It is believed to have started due to a man eating a bat with the virus, although their are many theories out there. 

We entered a UK wide national lockdown on 23rd March 2020, our first confirmed case within the UK was in January 2020, the virus has swept through the world and many countries have had to do full lockdowns to help ease the spread. 

LOCKDOWN 1, (23rd March) it was tough, but my world the government came up trumps with furlough (80% of your wages paid if you was unable to work) all none essential shops, play zones and pubs/bars were closed. It originally started as a review in 3 weeks, however for myself in the hairdressing world it ran until July 4th although many other busisness found themselves closed way beyond that. We was to stay home, we couldn't visit loved ones and was allowed out for one walk a day. Living in a flat it was seriously tough going, especially as the weather picked up almost instantly. 

Life slowly started to get back to normal however we were thrown into wearing masks when going about our day to day life. I must so add we moved house through the pandemic June 12th (steves birthday) we moved from thr 2 bedroom flat we had lived in for 8 years, to a 3 bedroom house with a garden. It was a god send and happened just at the right time. We were so lucky and still to this day feel very fortunate. 

LOCKDOWN 2 ( 5th Nov-2nd Dec)   cases started to surge so once more Boris Johnson put us back in a lockdown. It was expected so his announcement wasn't a shock. We had done it before we could do it again. We slowly got back into life again through December however we was all very awear of how easily it could all spread.  

We soon found this out when my sister contracted it through her line of work, she is what is known as my childcare support bubble, she looks after gracie  while I work, because we had contact I was told I needed to isolate. Isolation was like lockdown only you could not leave the house for any reason. This happened on the 18th December, 2 weeks after starting back in work. I was allowed back in the salon from Dec 31st however this leads us nicely onto.... 

LOCKDOWN 3 (starting as regional 26th dec)  Yes another one. This one started as regional, the area we lived in had spiked with a new varient of covid. It was more easily spread and fast paced. Reginal only lasted a short while before it once more became NATIONAL. 

And this is where we are currently at, restrictions are easing in the next few days (April 12th 2021) non essential retail, hairdressers and beauty, pubs and restaurants- if seated outside are allowed to open. Its part of stage 2 of releasing lockdown. 

I did forget to add that the schools were closed from March 2020 until September 2020, they was allowed to continue to be open through the November lockdown but we once more closed with the December lockdown. Parents were having to home learn the children on a daily basis until they returned to the classroom once more March 8th 2021. Google classroom, Windows 360, purple mash and zoom were a huge part of life to help aid our children's school learning while at home. 

Lockdown has been a mixed bag for many people, its been fantastic for spending time with my little family, watching the children grow but there is no doubting its hindered so much of their life. Gracie has spent half her life in lockdown, or under hard restrictions preventing her from seeing many family members, shes not had the interaction with other children that Archie had at this point in his life an I 100% believe that shows, with both her speech and mannerisms.