Come on and shine!

My belly has finally got to the point were it has developed a 'shine' due to being stretched to its limits. Although I am not as large as I was with Eleanor at this time, I am still bracing myself for a good 9 pounder mainly due to Wes' height and my obvious ability to create rather large babies!

While I am writing this, Wes is dancing like a frickin' maniac to a rather bad track on Air Lounge (our radio station of choice...have a listen on the right) Jesus even when I'm ignoring him he is stil practising his dad dancing. He seems to think it is 'cool'....yes of course it is Wes!

Things have been all systems a go-go (yea I said it) in the Baker, Bond & Parkin household. I've more or less purchased everything that we need for the new boy, so feel slightly more settled now due to this. The pushchair has now moved out of the loft and into its new home, car seat is, well it is in the car but not strapped in yet and bouncy chair is a-ready for bouncing our little bundle of joy.

Business for both the Baker-Parkin and the Bond is pretty good at the moment, although tiring. I'm still not completely sure how I am going to be able to continue this level of work with a newborn in my hands, but I'm sure something will work out. I'm hoping that Wes will be able to reduce his hours at work to more sociable hours meaning we wouldn't have the need for support from either a Nanny or a Nursery. However, as a back up I think I may have a quick gander at what Nannies are available within Skipton, even if it is just to be mean during an interview to them....anyone that has done an interview before will know of the slight pleasure you get to see people sweating!

Eleanor has turned into Mother Hen over the past few days, introducing one of her bears as 'our baby' and treating him like a newborn, changing his nappy, wrapping him up in a blanket and to the howls of laughter as she came downstairs, breastfeeding! She has already told me that we will be sharing that responsibility. My reply. Good luck with that!

Time my change me, but I can trace time

Today I was talking to Wes about how other people help you reflect upon yourself and it made me realise how much I have changed over the past couple of years, without really realising it. Big things from accepting other peoples points of view and taking them into account when making a decision to little changes such as making sure that Wes has a shirt cleaned for work the next day so that he doesn't have to get up even earlier then he has to...I suppose they are the same actually...caring about others before yourself.

With Little B-Bee's arrival only 7 weeks away (hopefully) caring about others has never been so important. Wes and I have had to make so many changes to our lives to make sure that it works for both Little B-Bee and Eleanor, with how it will effect us a mere after thought. 

Within just two weeks we have made really quite big decisions in regards to our businesses, where we want to live and how we are going to plan our current home to work for the new arrival. I have to admit that at first I resisted, wanting to live the life I thought 'I should' live, but it has been great to work together as a team to come up with ideas that just make so much more sense. We have even changed the name we are going to call Little B-Bee!

One thing that really hasn't changed is how compatible Wes and I are and how well we have worked as a little unit with Eleanor so far. The smallest things seem to entertain us no end! (Specimen far left)

So changes...

Business

I can be somewhat, shall we say, flighty at times, especially when things don't going to plan. 2011 was a VERY tight year in regards to web design and I had to think of a new direction to take the business, thus Label Amour was born. I have now been running for just 8 weeks and things are really picking up. I was tempted to by another company to help supplement the income, but Wes convinced me to stick to just one thing and make it the best it can be! Hopefully they'll be quite a few changes with Bean Loved this year although Wes will never be able to stop loving coffee. I'm sure it runs within his blood, actually I think coffee is his blood!

Location

Skipton, although quite pretty (at times), can be somewhat stagnent. It may have a number of good schools and the like, but it just doesn't really have a vibe. So we have decided to up sticks once we have settled into being new parents. Hebden Bridge is currently on the cards as it is close enough to Wes' work and close to family but alternative enough to keep us satisfied. And hey if I ever get bored of Wes, I've a bunch of lesbians to hit on...perfect!

Home

As most of you will know, we have a pretty small house, which has worked well for Wes, Eleanor and I, but could be a tight squeeze with the little fella involved (no not Wes'....dirty, dirty minds you have!) So we have had to think on our feet a little and lets just say 'we will be putting baby in the corner'!

Blimey I have been rabbiting on for ages...time for sign off...oh David, can you sum up this year for me?

Wish you a very merry, cherry cherry Christmas

Who would have thought that the day would come when we would have Neil Diamond belting out on the stereo in our house? Eleanor has now decided that the above is the tunes of all tunes for Christmas and has taken to singing it around 50 to 60 times a day...great!

We've had a lovely day, Eleanor and I, making christmas tree decorations and colouring in pictures. It really brought home the fact that I'm not going to have as much time to do this with her in a couple of months. With this being my first soiree into being a mother of two children I really don't know how I am going to share my time so that both children feel like they are getting the attention they deserve. But then again, before Eleanor came along I had no idea how to look after one child, and it all seemed to come together, so I'm sure I'll work it out someway.

Oh Little B-Bee has just given me a kick in the ribs, so hello from him!

Big wheels keep on turning...

Everything seems to have settled into a nice rhythm of late. Little B-Bee is cooking nicely, work is slowly picking up for the both of us, and to top it all off, Eleanor took part in her first production, Paradox, at The Mart Theatre on Saturday...the big wheels are tuning nicely.

Wes came home with quite a bit of depressing news today. After an hour talking we noticed that we hadn't said anything positive at all about the day. It really made me think how easy it is to dwell on the negatives in both your own and other peoples lives and the good bits just pale into insignificance. Why do we do that? My theory is that it is easier. Concentrating on the bad stuff means we don't have to make any changes to ourselves or our surroundings. I suppose another thought is that we are ultimately scared of rejection and failure, so this will be prominent in our thoughts. I'm not too sure really...what do you think?

Moving just keep moving

The above track by Supergrass really details how I'm feeling at the moment and while I'm writing this, Little B-Bee is going mental in my stomach...so two birds and all that!

Oh I am so confused I don't even know were to start with this post, so I'll come back to it later!

All in all you're just another brick in the wall

Over the past month I have played more of an active role in Eleanor's academic environment. I've always took the standpoint that as a parent it was my responsibility to make sure that she is a respectable human being and a happy one at that, and I left the schooling, as in learning 2+2 to the teachers. However all through reception I have watched her just slip further and further down to the point of being a completely different child in school to the one I see everyday, so I thought it was time for me to intervene.

I started in October to do extra academic work outside of school hours. This has included working through a system called Toe by Toe. Her achievements over the past four weeks has been pretty astounding and what is most satisfying to see is Eleanor actually enjoying her work and proud of her achievements.

However, today I had the year 1 surgery, which is basically a chance for all the parents to sit down with the headteacher and voice any concerns they may have. The main topic was that Eleanor's teacher had indicated that Year 1 was an unruly and misbehaving class, with many concerned about her techniques to handle this. Completely valid point and one that I would also liked nipped in the bud, but this topic then moved onto the realm of 'it is the lower able kids that cause the disruptions' and actual shock and despair (I mean clasping hands to mouth sort of shock and despair) when told that the class as a whole were low achievers. 

Clasping of the hands?

So even when children are really trying hard, they are still written off? I felt like I had to defend both Eleanor and all the children who were average or hell forbid, below average in the class. Academic ability does not determine how well behaved you are. Obviously I'm going to defend my daughter, however I'm not one of those parents that consider their child as an angel, as they are few and far between. Every kid has their moments, bloody hell, every adult has their moments and for parents to think that their child never says or does anything bad just because they are bright, are pretty naive. 

Eleanor has her negative points, just like the rest of us, but to write her off and to point her out as the reason why your child is suffering, because she is a behind at the moment, just doesn't seem right to me.

Is it 'cos I'm cool?

Unfortunately my dear son, this is your mother, yes one half of the partnership that brought you into this world. I'm afraid, this is what you have to come.

To be fair though, your dad isn't any better...