WELCOME TO THE WORLD SYLVIE INGRID

Instead of having a Christening or a Naming Day for Sylvie, we decided to have a 'Welcome to the World' party instead. We invited our nearest and dearest, hired a caterer (best decision ever), bought too many cases of prosecco, put up a bouncy castle for the kids and made a playlist. We didn't feel anything else would suit us or be appropriate, but we did still nominate some special people in our lives to be 'godparents' to Sylvie as she grows up - our friends, my sister and her boyfriend.

It was totally unfussy which suited all of us just fine, and even though at one point the heavens opened and people had to hold the gazebo down in the wind (!) it was just a lovely chilled out way to spend the day. Obviously it ended in a dance-party until the small hours in the kitchen once the kids were in bed.. it's always the perfect way to end the day. We really are luck to have the best people around us.

TRAVELLING WITH A BABY - WHAT TO PACK

In April the four of us survived our first family holiday. I was working in Majorca so we decided to turn it into an excuse for our first proper trip away as our larger gang. I LOVE a good list, especially when it's an old-school list that I can strike things off with a pen as I go. After trawling through forums and articles online in the weeks before I came up with a list that I felt really covered everything; and, you know what, I think I did pretty well (if I do say so myself..)

Sylvie was three and a half months when we travelled, and she's exclusively bottle fed which meant extra planning had to go into formula, equipment, sterilisation and working out in advance exactly how we'd have the 'baby station' set up in our hotel room while we were away. We also had to consider what travel system we wanted to take, and how she'd sleep while away from home. Her being in a little routine for the first few months did help so we went away feeling like it was possible to get there in one piece and be able to set up a similar environment for her over there too.

Firstly, be prepared that getting you plus 'the stuff' over there is a full body work out in itself, and there was *a lot* to take (I genuinely thought we'd be able to get over there lighter than this, but we used 95% of what we took, the only things we didn't use were a few outfits). 

We decided to take the pram top instead of just the buggy top as Sylvie is still little enough that it's recommended that she lies completely flat when she sleeps during the day and we felt more comfortable with her in the pram for this. It also provided her with more shade and we just angled her throughout the day so that she was never in direct sunlight.

We also packed the Sleepyhead baby bed, which we put inside a travel cot while we were there. It also comes in its own travel bag which is handy. I think we could have gotten away without it (she doesn't sleep with it any more) but we wanted her bed to feel the same for her so hopefully she'd carry on sleeping - which she did. I also packed extra elasticated covers for it so they were easier to change and keep it clean and she often dribbles where her head goes.

One of the best purchases I made ahead of holiday was for the self-sterilising MAM bottles. We took our Tommee Tippee bottles and Milton tablets too but these MAM bottles were amazing and Sylvie took to them really well. We sterilised them at mealtimes in a microwave in the restaurant and it was so, so easy.

Another amazing tip I found in a forum is to pre-order baby formula and have it delivered to Boots at the airport, through security in the lounge. This was a total game changer and meant we didn't need to worry about space and weight in our cases with 10 days worth of milk. We also took 8 bottles of the ready made 200ml bottles in the baby bag which they just scanned through without any problems.

So, here's the boring bit. The actual list. Obviously some of it is personal to Sylvie but it was generally quite comprehensive for a bottle fed baby too; we used everything here over the ten days, so, for us, everything on this list was worth it! 

• Sleepyhead in its travel bag, with spare cot covers
• Comforter and a small toy (spot piggy above!)
• Baby 'GroBag' sleeping bag
• 7 x sleepsuits
• 5 x vests
• 6 x outfits
• Cardigan x 2
• Hooded sleepsuit for travel
• Summer hat x 2
• Nappies (we packed enough for the entire trip)
• Wipes and nappy sacks
• Bottle brush (we bought washing up liquid there)
• Milton sterilising tablets (we borrowed a basin from reception)
• Swim ring
• Milk powder (we packed one in case there were problems collecting formula from the airport)
• Buggy with buggy top and pram top
• Lightweight blanket
• Muslin cloths x 10
• Travel wash
• EHIC card for the baby
• Sun cream
• MAM self-sterilising bottles
• Sudocreme
• Socks x 4
• Swimming wetsuit and swim nappies
• Hooded towel
• Baby sling/carrier (this was a life-saver. When the buggy goes in the hold under the plane and you're out at the other end carrying your own bag and the baby bag, carrying the baby *on* you frees you up and makes everything so much easier. Also when we were getting through the airport on the way home, we loaded up the pram with smaller bags so they were easier to push and I carried the baby)
• Formula (collected at airport)
• In the baby changing bag we packed - 5 x Tommee Tippee bottles, 6 dummies with caps, 4 x muslin cloths, wipes, nappies, 3 x sleepsuits, 2 x vests, Baby Calpol, disposible changing mats and 8 x 200ml ready made formula bottles.

19 WEEKS | MONSTER BABY

It's official.. she's HUGE. I've been a bit 'meh' about bothering to get this little chunk weighed. She eats well, sleeps well and seems happy enough so I didn't really see the point. But one Tuesday I realised I had a chance to pop down to the local baby session, stripped her off and popped her on the health visitor's scales. 17lbs 3oz. At four and a half months old. She's on the 91st percentile. HUGE. No wonder she's already in 6-9 month clothes. The health visitor mentioned that they might need to put her on a diet (sod off) but she's doing well. 

We started her on a little bit of food here and there. She devours porridge with apple or strawberry puree, and loves carrot, parsnip and sweet potato. We've also moved her into Vivienne's room which we never thought we'd do. We moved her cot in as a trial but Vivienne was so happy to discover it there that she cried and said it was the best thing ever. It obviously won't be forever but for now we get to keep the spare room and Vivienne has a little buddy in her room with her so it's perfect. She sleeps through every night now from 8.30pm-7.20am so why not?

In other news we've been trying to sort the house out and finish decorating (we have been living here for nearly two years now, after all) but that'll be another post. Work, for me, is getting busy again so I'm savouring the last few slower days and trying to balance work and down time with the baby. It's fab to be getting back into everything but I sense it won't be long before I'm teetering on the edge of chaos like I am every Summer very soon. We're also a week away from Sylvie's 'Welcome to the World' party that we're throwing instead of a christening. We've asked my sister and her partner and our friends to be 'godparents' and it's basically going to be a chill out day with good food and lots of prosecco and gin. Fingers crossed for sunshine!

11 WEEKS | FAMILY SHOOT

My lovely photographer friend Hannah put a family shoot offer up a few weeks ago and I jumped at the chance to have her come and visit and take some pictures now we are a family of four. We wanted some beautiful but *normal* pictures of us all at home, doing what we do naturally in our own setting. Here are some absolutely favourites.. I've just spent so long planning which ones to print too <3

All photos taken by and copyright of Camera Hannah.

9 WEEKS OLD | THE BABY'S NO LONGER A NEWBORN

Over two months has passed in the blink of an eye.. Sylvie seems so grown up it's crazy. I know she's not 'grown up', but she's not a smushy little newborn barely opening her eyes any more - she's an alert and excitable little baby. I forgot to get her weighed today (she's fine.. I'll try and get there next week..) but last time I did she was growing at a rate of half a pound a week. She's suddenly creeping into age 3-6 months in some items and is kicking around furiously, smiling, cooing, still sleeping well and also playing hell when she wants to. We've taken her swimming a few times and she's really enjoyed it - going between smiling and just looking fascinated with the new sensations around her while we're in there.

Vivienne is amazing with her. Still completely besotted. She's helpful, kind and rushes to see her when she gets in from school. We haven't had any sort of transitional period with her going from only child to one-of-two so *fingers crossed* we may have skipped that part.

Sylvie is still in our room, in the Snuzpod, and we still have muslins and sleep suits spilling out onto the floor most days. Our room isn't particularly big so the floor fills up quickly, and I've started looking forward to reclaiming our space again, in hope that it won't always be a noisy crowded room with four of us on the bed and baby paraphernalia everywhere. I've got plans to paint, decorate a little more, and make it into a little adult sanctuary where we can actually relax and it smells of something other than baby milk and nappy bags.

In other news I've finally got round to sorting out a new car.. one that actually fits things in! We are hoping to do a little road trip to celebrate. I'll be sad to say goodbye to my little Honda Jazz but I always felt a little too tall for it and probably expected too much of it running up and down the country for work.. I'm sure it was designed for little old ladies popping to the shops.

The next big thing happening is planning to go away to Mallorca for our first family holiday. I'm there for work but so glad we turned it into a full blown trip away - it should be mild and lovely to just hang out. We have an apartment in a resort where Vivienne has kid's clubs and we have a room each so we can take turns with the baby. I forgot, however, just how much STUFF you need to take. I made a packing list and Sylvie's section is the longest by far. We've also been talking about transporting milk and feeding equipment out there pretty much all day and weighing up different options (this may be where breast feeders have it sorted - the alternative is bringing sterilising kit, bottles, bottle brushes, roughly 11 litres of formula milk, muslins.. the lot) I'm going to write more about this, if only so I don't have to spend hours researching and rewriting a crazy-long packing list again in the future..

I also had my first full day back at work when I shot a wedding in Derby. I loved being back out there and luckily didn't feel too tired or worn out. It was on the day Sylvie turned 6 weeks old, and as much as I missed her, it felt great to go out and be 'me' again. My friend Hannah helped me on the day and it made a huge difference. Physically I felt fine, but mentally I think I needed a little boost here and there to be as sharp as I should be. The next one is 1st April but I'm itching to get out there again, though something else in my head is telling me to enjoy this quieter month first.. I think I'll try and take it easy a little longer while I can..