An Update on Francis

I think it's about time I gave you an update on Francis as I've got quite a bit of news!

Firstly he has stopped breastfeeding. A couple of months ago I noticed he was becoming less and less bothered about his morning feed so in the end I stopped offering it to him... and he stopped asking. I was a little bit sad to see the end of breastfeeding, but I always knew Francis would self-wean sooner rather than later. Still, I don't think I did to badlly to manage almost 15 months of breastfeeding, especially considering Francis was born with no sucking reflex. Thinking back I'm amazed I managed to breastfeed him at all!

The biggest piece of news is that Francis is now officially a toddler! Although it's months since he took his first steps, he remained a very reluctant walker until only a few days ago when he suddenly decided walking wasn't so bad after all. He now toddles all over the place. There's no stopping him!

Last, but not least, we have managed to wean him off his dummy. Well, I say wean, but really I just stopped giving it to him one day and he's never asked for it. There were a few tears at sleep time for the first couple of days, but now he happily chatters away to himself in his cot until he falls asleep. And to think I was worried that taking his dummy away would be a complete nightmare. I should have more faith in him!

Lisa xxx

It Never Rains, but it Pours

To say I have had a dreadful week is the understatement of the century. I'm still hoping it's all just a horrific nightmare and that I'll wake up any moment.

Last monday my Great Auntie Audrey lost her battle with cancer. My Mam and I knew Audrey was very poorly so were planning on going to see her. Sadly, we never got the chance.

That same day my Granda was rushed into hospital. On Tuesday, it looked like they may be keeping him in for a while so I arranged with my Mam to go and see him the following day. That night at around 3am my Mam phoned to say that the hospital had sent for us because Granda was so ill. We all rushed there in a taxi, but we were too late - he'd already gone. I went to see him in his bed and he looked so peaceful. He'd been ill for a long time and it was a reflief to see him free from pain. I'll miss him very much but knowing that he's reunited with my Nanna makes me want to smile rather than cry.

Just when I thought the week couldn't possibly get any worse, my Mam rang on Saturday morning with yet more bad news. It would be disrespectful to those involved to share the details with you on this website, but I will say that the news absolutely knocked me for six and had me in tears for the first time that week. This latest turn of events has had a profound effect on me and I really don't think I'll ever be the same again.

This afternoon I'm off to Auntie Audrey's funeral and on Wednesday we say goodbye to my Granda. Last week was tough. This week is going to be a real struggle.

Rest in Peace Granda and Auntie Audrey. Give Nanna a big hug for me!

Lisa xxx

Who is your Daddy, and what does he do?

Recently, I was wondering how many people actually read this blog. We hadn't updated it in ages, but nobody seemed particularly bothered. With this in mind, could I ask for a show of hands from the audience? If you have found yourself reading this, then would you mind leaving a comment on this post so I can see who's out there?

Thanking you muchly!

Graeme

Kongrats for Kerrel

Huge congratulations to my old friend Kerrel and her new husband Kenji who welcomed their baby boy, Hughie, into the world last week.

I was really shocked when I found out Kerrel was expecting and was almost bowled over backwards when she got married! She certainly doesn't do anything by halves!

Well done Kerrel! I wish you, Kenji and little Hughie every happiness and all the best for the future.

See you on Thursday!

Love and Hugs,
Lisa xxx

To Cut a Long Story Short...

Massive, MASSIVE apologies for the complete lack of updates recently. Life has just completely taken over meaning the website has been pushed totally out of my mind!

The big news is we've left Liverpool behind and are now settling into a lovely flat back in South Shields. Graeme has started a new job in Newcastle and I'm beating off family members with a stick as they all vie for Francis's attention. Unfortunately our Liverpool house hasn't sold so we're renting at the moment and will have to rent the Liverpool house out so we don't end up in financial dire straits. Hopefully the housing market will pick up soon so we can well and truly cut all ties with Liverpool and buy a new family home.

It's good to be back.

Lisa xxx

One Small Step for Francis

Francis took his first steps today!

His first attempt was very reluctant. He was resting against my legs and I moved away leaving him standing on his own! He hated this because he obviously didn't feel very safe. After a lot of encouragement from me and much protesting from him, he eventually took the two or three steps towards me and was rewarded with a big hug!

When Graeme got home from work we encouraged Francis to have another go. It took a lot of encouragement from both of us to get him to move, but once he realised he could walk without holding on he got really excited and was keen to keep trying.

He can only manage a a couple of steps, but it's a start!

Lisa xxx

It's A Girl!

Congratulations to our friend Ele and her partner Phil on the arrival of their first baby! Little Alice arrived at 8:58 this morning weighing 7lb 11oz.

Hopefully I'll be able to go and see mum and baby soon. It's been a while since I last saw Ele - I think I was only 5 months pregnant with Francis at the time!

Lisa, Graeme & Francis xxx