I HAVE MOVED!!!

I now have got a new blog on wordpress it is still called being mum to cami but just ahs a few more things on it!

Attending Cybermummy11 wow wow wow!!!

Wow wow wow I just had the most awesome day, I was very lucky to attend the Cybermummy11 blogging event and I have never felt more at home with writing my blog than I do now.

I had been trying to get a ticket to cybermummy since one of my very good friends told me about it a few months ago; she is a fantastic Mummy blogger and has a good reputation and a lot of followers, she has introduced me to them via twitter. On the Tuesday before the event I was told by a lovely lady who I new as @mummytips that Johnson and Johnson still had some sponsored tickets available (little did I know that she was Sian one of the creators of Cybermummy I have never felt more honoured!) she forwarded all my details to them and they very promptly came back to me and said that they would be happy to sponsor me.

Well it goes without saying that I had a very whirlwind of a week, that built into a total crescendo of excitement that erupted when I got off he train at London Victoria to meet two lovely blogging twitter mummy’s @sussexmummy & @soph4soph. I had never met before but new from my twitter conversations, they had agreed to help this very nervous London traveller get to her final destination Cybermummy11 at The Brewery, Chiswell Street.

I walked in very nervous and like a rabbit caught in headlights I had never seen so many mums that blog in one place. We were 400 strong and all very proud of what we were achieving no matter how big or small! I have to admit I felt a bit like a fraud as my blog Being mum to Cami has only been going for 6 months, with only 7 followers, but was pleasantly surprised to be stopped 2 or three time by people to say they like my blog and thought my daughter was cute (my head really started to swell) I know my blog is out there and I am happy with it but was never really confident that anyone else really read it apart from close family and friends, turns out I am very wrong.
We had some amazing speakers, some awesome workshops, and some funny and very moving blog post readings from some very inspirational mummy bloggers. I came home with four of the heaviest goody bags known to man my daughter was in awe of all the things I had picked up for her. I have made some fantastic contacts learnt many things but the one thing that have taken away from this amazing experience that I love the most is that I have finally put many faces to names of blog writers I love to read and converse with on twitter.

I have to go back next year as there are so many that I did not get to meet and hopefully my blog will continue and grow with all the wonderful things that I learnt. Thank you to everyone who helped me on Saturday I am most grateful and hope to see you all again next year if not sooner!

Been a while.....

Well it has been a while since I have written a blog, "why" you ask well because things have just gone a bit manic. My role in social media mums has taken off thanks to my awesome entrepreneurial friend Chelle McCann, I have been baking for my Flour and Sprinkles business for a couple of events like the Brighton Mums website launch and another at my favourite spa Uniquely Organic Ecospa it has all been so exciting.

I have also just come back from the most lovely family holiday in Majorca Alcudia to be exact. It was the first one we have taken abroad with C and she loved it. She did not bat an eyelid at us being on a plane or taking off but tiredness soon kicked in and then she was all over the shop laying on the floor fidgeting not wanting to respond to anything we told her. When we arrived in Majorca and had boarded the coach we were told we would be the second drop off after an hours coach journey (which was one from hell thanks to C). Well how wrong they were, add another 45 mins to that journey a very overtired C two stressed parents and make us the 2nd to last drop off and hey presto that is how our holiday begins.

We had rain, thunder storms, overcast days and sun but to look at holiday pics you would never know as we made the most of the sun we had. C adored being in the sea more than the pool as it was freezing we have now all been buried in the sand, built many sand castles, made new friends from Germany who were the loveliest family with a daughter C's age who she is now pen pals with, they were like two peas in a pod and had much fun together.

My favourite moment of the holiday was when C started to ask to join in with the mini club as they did a mini disco every night most of the songs in Spanish or German, but by the end of the holiday she knew the words and all the dance moves and we are now the proud owners of the Mini disco CD and dance to it regularly. C even watched a reptile show in the hotel and was given the opportunity to hold either a snake or a tortoise and she chose the snake, it was huge but she was adamant she wanted the snake!!!.

My funniest moment of the holiday was when C was offered another ice cream and she said "no mummy I just want fruit" my hubby and I just looked at each other and laughed, she clearly takes after her Dad for good eating I would have had the ice cream!

I really loved the time the three of us got to spend together it felt like we were finally given the opportunity to really bond with our little girl since she has grown up so much and really appreciate what a smart little cookie she really is. Since we have been home she seems to just have grown up even more and gotten even smarter, nursery even said the same thing.

All in all we just had the best holiday and a family refreshed and reunited we are and appreciating each other all over again.



www.flourandsprinkles.co.uk
www.uoecospa.com
www.socialmediamums.co.uk
www.brightonmums.com

PLEASE we need your advice!!

Well another week has gone by and apart from some hearty colds my family has been fantastic, we celebrated my Nephew Alex’s first birthday with an awesome sunny family BBQ with all of my Hubby’s family. I made a giant teddy bears picnic cupcake for him.

And I was thrown back to my own childhood when all four cousins ranging from 4 to 1 year were popped in the bath together to save time and water, they all enjoyed it splashing and playing. They had all been playing barefoot in garden so you can imagine how dirty the water was at the end, as all adults in the bathroom showed their shock at how dirty their kids had been, the kids just did not seem to care!

Well this week ladies and gents I really need you to post your helpful tips and advice, my hubby are desperately trying to find a way to prize C away from her much loved Babies bottles at bed time. She is not a big eater and struggles to put on weight so she still has a bed time bottle (this I have to say is in no way helping getting her dry at night!). C turns 3 in October and we really feel it is time for the bottle and milk to go BUT she has become so dependent on the bed time milk to help her get to sleep I feel it is going to be a hard battle.

We have tried a lot of things like telling that only babies have milk and she is not a baby like her cousins she is a super big girl. We have offered her the milk in a variation of cups but they are just rejected and she cries for her bottle. We have tried just not giving her the milk at all and not mentioning it at bed time, but normally after half an hour she is crying for it and we are so tired that we give in, on the rare occasion she does fall asleep without it she wakes in the night crying for it, and to me this is worse as I hate interrupted sleep when we have only just got her sleeping through the night.
I know she is only 2 and half so maybe asking a bit much of her, but we have got her toilet trained and we would love to get rid of the night time nappy to but the milk at night is stopping us doing that and we really would like to have her totally dry by the time she is 3.

So please post your comments as we really do need some help with this one, any titbit of advice would be very welcome, and I will do a follow up blog letting you all know how we got on and what advice we found useful.
Thank you in advance
H,R & C

Easter Eggs, and a really lovely week

Well this week has been a much improved week, My health has really picked up and C is back to her normal cheeky self. We had an awesome Easter with C getting to enjoy a day with her cousins Emma and Alex.

We had a delicious BBQ followed by a mini egg hunt for the girls. I took quite a lot of the eggs from C’s egg hunt over to her cousins to get rid of them as we had way too many, only to receive half of them back and another 4 from family members and they were way bigger!!! We now have a fridge that resembles a chocolate shop, good job every now and then Daddy enjoys a good gorge on choccy and can put away quite a bit (and he remains skinny so not fair!!)

C adored getting her new scooter but goes at a snails pace on it and has to stop and get off every 2 minutes to put it straight and inspect any bug that deems to walk by, it is delightful to see her engaging with nature but seriously 15 minutes to get to the bottom of our road is a little extreme and really quite frustrating

My daughter is a very caring sharing little girl she has the biggest heart and insisted that we make Easter bunny cards for all her friends and teachers at nursery. I spent a good 2 hours cutting out bunny silhouettes with her scribbling on them and scrunching up tissue paper for their tails. When we were getting ready for nursery the day after making them she announced that we had forgotten four people so I had to rush and make some more for her decorate. Bless her the look on her face when she was giving them out at nursery was one of pure joy she so enjoys giving.

We have recently had a parents meeting and been told that we have a very bright toddler on our hands, she is already trying to spell her name, can do at least half of hr alphabet and is very popular with both children and staff I cannot tell you how proud I was I left the nursery positively brimming. I was so proud that I bought C her much wanted Cinderella DVD as a reward. We have now watched said DVD a good 3 times a day since purchasing it, she worked out how to control the DVD player so we will not be getting a break.

We also attended my nephews 4^th Birthday C was so excited as it was a fancy dress costume and she chose to be a bunny, we had a battle to get her in the costume when we arrived, but after 2 hours off an entertainer and running around with her cousins we had an even harder battle to get her out of it. We have had a really lovely couple of weeks and it is really refreshing long may it last!!!

Migraines an ambulance trip and the most tolerant child in the world

Well this week has not been the greatest! I have started to have awful migraines again it started a week ago on a trip to the park with some friends for a picnic, they had just come back from their honeymoon and we really wanted to catch up with them, to give them their wedding gift and hear all about the adventures.

While in Sainsburys I got a pinched nerve feeling in my neck and shoulder it got so really painful While at the park I started to get weird fragmented vision and then 10 mins later I had numb fingers and then my arm went numb then my teeth and face and within 20 mins I was back to normal and spent the rest of the day in the park have a fab time. But by the time we got home boom it started again but my right side went this time. By the next day I could not move my neck and shoulder and my head was killing me, the docs prescribed some drugs and sent them to me but they made me so sick my hubby ended up having to take time off to look after C and take her to and from nursery.

Then just yesterday I was rushed into hospital again by ambulance as the same thing happened, I could not speak feel my hands and my sight had totally gone, I was needless to say really freaked out, but after an hour and half at the hospital some specialist IV migraine drugs and I was back on my feet feeling a bit spaced out and groggy but a million times better.

C has been amazing through this whole week she has just got on with it and come into my room every now and then to give me a kiss on the head and say I love you mummy. she seems so grown up sometimes, it worries me that because of my poor health it is going to force her to grow up much quicker than she needs to. She really is an amazing little girl with such a mature wise little head on her two and half year old shoulders, I am so proud of her, for being so tolerant of her poorly mummy.

Being this poorly again has made me appreciate how much I should make of my healthy time with C, get out enjoy the sunshine and not fret about things so much

But on a much lighter note I have the loveliest weekend planned with friends and family. I am doing Bbq on the beach this evening with friends, and when we come home we are putting all of C’s dummies in a bag and leaving them out for the Easter bunny, and when she discovers they have gone tomorrow she knows that on Sunday there will be a huge surprise for her, we have arranged a huge Easter egg hunt and at the end will be her new twist and roll scooter!! she has been desperate to own and not stopped going on about it.

We have been avoiding getting her one as they scare the hell out us, we have seen one to many kids face plant off them but if it helps ease her from her dummies we are willing to give in (I really hope I don’t l ive to regret this decision). On Easter Sunday we are also going to have a BBq at My hubby’s brothers house and some of his other brothers are attending to I am so looking forward to all the yummy food and seeing C running around with her adored cousin Emma.

Why not try and win yourself an ipad 2 this Easter by following the clues on these links: Win an ipad2 with the #easteregghunt 27th April - Join the facebook event page here http://on.fb.me/hER101 & follow @createdotnet for the clues

Win an ipad2 with the #easteregghunt 27th April sign up here http://bit.ly/fP4DdX& follow @createdotnet for the clues

One week, one stomach bug and some brainteasing toilet questions...

Well we have had an amazing week, NOT we went to Devon to see my parents for my Husbands Birthday and Mothers day (they were on consecutive days this year) we also managed to stop off in Linfield to spoil my amazing mother in law (she really is amazing!).

We were doing really well on the 250 mile trip with C sleeping most of the way until we hit a traffic jam of epic proportions! We were stuck for and hour and a half of non moving traffic and were going slightly bonkers by the time C woke up in the most amazing and funny mood, never have we been able to say before that she handled being stuck in the car better than us, but she kept us sane until we could get on are way again.

But poor C threw up in the car on the way which is rare for her, I can count on one hand the number of time she has been sick exactly 3. We had a first experience as parents of having to stop t the roadside on the motorway to clean her up. She kept saying she needed the potty but could we get her to go! She was not enamoured with Lorries whizzing by and rocking the car and all the noise, thankfully we had had the foresight to pop her in a nappy before we set off as we new she was not yet in control of her bowels enough to travel 250 miles, but bless her she did keep asking to go to the loo and her nappy remained dry (maybe I should have had a little more faith in her control)

I love visiting my parents that live in a stunning part of Devon and have amazing views of rolling green hills and everything there is done at such a leisurely pace, we are not allowed to lift a finger and they spoil C rotten a lot with their love and affection, and the well placed treat.

I think my mum had forgotten how much poo a toddler can produce, she let C run around without her morning nappy on (normally still on from bedtime) and she could not get to the loo in time and laid one neatly out the hallway carpet, it was at this point the hubby and I decided to pretend we were still fast asleep.

But little did we know that this was the beginning of a very nasty week long tummy bug that would wipe C out for 3 days. We went to visit the Living Coast in Torquay and visit C’s much beloved penguins, they are totally free roaming and even have their own little penguin crossing. C loved it as did all the family; the last time I visited there I was 6 months pregnant with C. She did get me a classic in the toilet though, which had my mum in stitches! C and I were sharing a cubicle she had already been to the loo and was waiting for me, when at the top of her voice decided to ask somne very embarrassing questions like

Do you have bit bits or a willy?

Are you doing a poo Mummy?

Can i wipe your bit bits mummy?

Then decided she had had enough of waiting for me to finish on the loo and flung the toilet door open with me still sitting on it! This had me frantically trying to pull her back (while sitting on the loo) shouting please noooo i am not finished close the door, all I could hear was mu mother killing herself laughing and not coming to my recue! I now feel this was Karma coming to bight me on the but for years of giving my mum hell?

C slept a lot that weekend and it broke my heart to see her so poorly. She has lost a lot of weight to and we have only just managed to get her weight back to where it should be! She had to have a week of nursery as anything that went in it came straight back out, and she as taken it upon her self to stop eating, this bit is really worrying me as she is now better and still refusing to eat!

Mothers day was wonderful I got spoilt as did my Mum; my hubby had a most enjoyable birthday and got thoroughly spoilt to. But at least while C was recuperating at home we had some glorious sunshine to roam about it!

Out The Mouth of Babes!

Well I missed a week of writing my blog as I was ridiculously busy baking cupcakes for a yummy mummy event at a local spa in Brighton, it took up so much time but I loved every second and felt like my new venture was really happening Flour and Sprinkles is here for good. Little C is now convinced that all cupcakes made in our house are for her and has discovered the love of having the last little bit of butter cream frosting squirted into her mouth from the piping bag, it is her little treat for being so patient with me and all the baking I have to do and it is only ever a tiny bit so really does no harm (I hope!)

My blog this week is about the comedy lines my daughter comes out with as I really want to keep a record of some of the classics my beautiful and very articulate 2.5 year little C has come out with over the last few months, her speech is astounding and she never ceases to amaze me with her comments and one liners:

• While standing on a chair in a service station waggling both her fingers at us with a really stern look on her face “listen I will not be eating a ham sandwich and that is final!!”
• Man walking past us on the street at the top of her lungs “that man belongs to the church” me “why??” C “ because he is tall and he talks!”
• While walking past a church “look mummy Jesus, he lives in a castle with a dragon”
• Briefly waking up in the car searching for her dummy she giggles her head off just says “eew bogies” pops her dummy back in her mouth and falls straight back to sleep!
• That is just ridiculous Mummy!
• My daddy is at work; he works really hard and is a dude! (this was said to a random stranger at the park)
• When asked are you beautiful C she turns round looking horrified and like you are totally dumb and says “no I am a princess”
• When she does something wrong and you point it out she turns round and says “silly me”

My how she manages to make you feel so small sometimes yet have you in stitches the next!

Whilst booking our holiday the shop assistant started to admire the picture C was drawing and said “wow isn’t that a beautiful picture is it of Mummy and Daddy?” to which C replied with a look of pure are you stupid and a little humph “nooo it is dolphin cant you see that!” the tone of her voice was one of are you totally stupid? The shop assistant laughed and said she had never been cut to the quick so fast by a 2 year old, thankfully everyone found it quite funny.

While doing something she is not comfortable with C will chant “oh God” like when she goes down the waterslide at the swimming pool. And when she hits the water “goodness me”.

Sometimes is not so much what C says but the look on her face and the tone or intonation in her voice it is of a child much older than she is. I feel that when she hits her teens I am going to have a very hard time, if she can answer me back so well now what will she be like when hormones kick in!!!

It's a miracle!

Well this is a really good week and I mean a really good week!! I am writing this blog with a smile on my face and a spring in my step!

My delightful, adorable, amazing little C has been a true angel, she has slept through every night for the last week going to bed between 7:30 and 8:00pm and sleeping through until 7:30am, I wll not lie to you she has got up in the night but as soon as we put her back in bed she is asleep without fuss or chatter she is so accepting of her bed time routine I almost don't feel like it is real!

apart from not using the buggy on nursery days and her having tea at home we are doing nothing different, C has done it all herself, maybe it is the sudden change in the weather that has effected her mood or maybe a growth spurt I really don't know, but I am certainly not complaining about it.

But at the moment our house is a very happy harmonious one we are all sleeping so much better and C wakes up in the morning and asks for her breakfast, is happy to walk to nursery and is having the best time at nursery and is full of chatter and funny little comments and stories she is a true pleasure to be around.

I am loving the weather to and hoping that with the improvement in the weather will come an improvement in my arthritis as it has been pretty awful recently, but the fun I am having with C and all the stunning clusters of beautiful spring flowers that I keep spotting all over Brighton are really lifting my spirits, oh and the fact that my hubby has booked our first family holiday abroad I am currently a very happy bunny!

I still plugging away at my cupcake business, if anyone wants to try my cakes i am baking for fresh new beginnings Yummy Mummy event at a wonderful Eco Spa in Brighton called Uniquely Organic

Yummy Mummies

With rebirth and the patter of tiny feet in mind, our 'Yummy Mummy' event is taking place on Wednesday 30 March, 6-8pm. It's not just for mums though as anyone can come and help us celebrate this evening of girly fun. For £3 entrance, you get two talks on pregnancy massage and pregnancy yoga by UO practitioners Susie and Lucy respectively and there's 20% off all products and treatments booked on the night, plus 15-minute taster facials for just £5.

To secure your place at our event and to book your taster treatment simply contact reception on

01273 726973 or email info@uoecospa.com.

Sorry for the plug but I really want to succeed in my business it is my passion and I love being so creative final plug please check out my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flour-s it fu

Sprinkles/189413704427678

Thank you for reading and until next week stay healthy and happy!

A quiet week and a bad bus journey!

Well this is a surprise we have had a very quiet week, we have had no major battles with C she is sleeping fairly well and I actually feel like I am making up for some lost sleep.

My hubby made my weekend by booking us our first family holiday abroad for early June I cannot wait BUT it means I really have to sort the beach body out!! I feel that with the state it is in I could clear the beach in 5 seconds flat and have it all to myself. It is going to take a lot of will power and hard work but i will have to do it.

Since C has been getting some sleep she is like a different child, so vibrant and cheeky, she woke up the other morning walked into the kitchen were my hubby was making the tea and said "Daddy I had a lovely sleep!" she has been so much more affectionate and her temper has calmed right down. We have had no more biting so I feel I have succeeded and made a few steps forward.

I just need to get my arthritis back under control and all will be right in our little world, on that note I would just like to say to the women that had a go at me on the bus the other day for sitting in the "Disabled or those less able to stand" seats, that just because my disability is not visible and I am young does not give you the right to shout at me on a packed bus "there is nothing wrong with you get out of those seats, the cheek of you taking up seats that some people really need" I was having an awful day with my arthritis my lower back was aching so badly I just wanted to sit and cry, my hips felt like someone was trying to pry them open with a crow bar. I had constant muscle spasms going on in my neck and shoulders I felt so low and she just made it 10 times worse.

I know my disability is not visible but I look like hell at the moment and I know I am young (well 32) but it is so unnecessary to try and humiliate someone, if she had asked kindly I would have moved and she just made such a flash judgement on me without even considering that I could have a serious problem and I don't normally sit in those seats no matter how bad I feel but the bus was really busy and everything was hurting so much I did not fancy pushing through hordes of people, I would just like people to not have a go at me, I really have had enough.

It is hard enough constantly being uncomfortable tired and feeling in general like an old lady, as well as having a 2 year old to look after and yes I know I chose to have a child so I cannot really complain about it, but I did not choose to have a child that does not sleep.

I have an auto immune disease which means my own immune system is attacking my body, I am on immune suppressing drugs to stop it happening which means I have next to no immune system, so to sum up I have pretty crappy health, and I really try not to moan about it but sometimes I just have to let it all out.

I have the most amazing family who listen when I moan and give me love when I most need it and the most amazing hubby who is always there for me, even my little C asks to give my back a kiss when I say it hurts and gives me the best cuddles that really do heal the worst of ills so I am going to stop this little rant right now chin up and best foot forward (and I really do have one of those)

Have a happy week xx

Weddings, Flower Girls, Little C the Disco Diva and Biting...

This week has been all about building up to two of my best friends wedding, and making sure that little C kept her mitts of her pure white flower girl dress.

She was very excited about meeting another of the flower girls Luli who according to C "lived in a pan" meaning that little Luli comes from Japan. C certainly fulfilled her duty as flower girl she managed to keep her dress clean right up to the point that the food arrived! she walked back up the aisle with the wedding party, she interacted with all the adults on our table even getting them into the sticker books given to her in a goody bag (I think they enjoyed them more than her) wearing her animal masks and feeding them her much loved peas.

We thought she would be shattered but she heard the disco start up and was the first on the dance floor, Little C is a total disco diva throwing some impressive shapes. she was enjoying it so much she lasted until 11pm and out danced both the hubby and I, we had to call it a day as I had forgotten my flat shoes and was really feeling the pain of wearing heels for the first time in a long time, and it wont be happening again any time soon!

Bless her she was so tired that when we put her in the car seat and before we could even close the doors the Duracell bunnies batteries ran down, she was snoring heartily with a content little smile on her face as if to say "my work here is done!"

C still managed to wake up twice in the night and was up at the ungodly hour of 6:30am much to Daddy's horror and disgust as he was at the hotel bar until 2:30 in the morning as he had not been drinking due to driving and tried to make up for it by meeting up with the wedding party in the bar and relaxing into a few pints (much earned and deserved I have to say)

This beautiful wedding will not be forgotten in a hurry it was so emotional and heartfelt, and you really felt like a part of the whole day and experience, and I could not wish my to friends a happier future together they really are two amazing people!!!

We had a great week of sleep and seem to be taking little steps to getting C into a better routine. Potty training is going from strength to strength with her wearing Knickers all the time and even being able to take a nap for 2 hours without any accidents and whenever she is at home with me she has started to nap during the day again, total and utter bliss!!!!

And then we had 3 awful biting incidents at nursery just to add to our ever growing list of things we need to educate C about NOT doing because it is not nice and naughty. The first two incidents were in retaliation two other incidents during the day (this in no way excuses what she has done), but the third was to tally unprovoked, the biting did however start after C herself was bitten on the face which left a bruise and four nasty little nasher marks.

As a parent I know I should not feel this but I felt embarrassed and slightly ashamed that it was my child doing this, you never at nursery want your child to be known as a biter!

We have demonstrated lightly on her arm what happens when she bites her friends and she seemed to be quite shocked and got even more upset when I demonstrated it on her Bun Bun and Moo Moo her much loved soother teddies, this seemed to effect her even more and since we have done this we have not had any more biting but we have to wait and see what the next few weeks hold?? as I feel most of the biting came from being very over tired, but hopefully with the new routine and C getting more sleep the biting will not happen again.

I would love to know how other parents have handled a child who has started biting, if you read this blog and have any advice please please leave a comment as I am really interested and may be able to take on any advice given!

Oh so tired!

I know it sounds like I moan a lot (yup I do!!) but blimey this week has been exhausting.

I have been trying out a new routine with C to see if we can help ease her major sleep issues which i spoke about in my last blog, so i will try not to repeat myself to much, and unfortunately I have a habit of doing just that!

We are no longer using the buggy on nursery days, we have our long walk to the bus stop at least 30 minutes with the speed C walks, calling a snail speedy would be quite accurate she walks so blooming slow, and then she stops to point at and aske to stroke every hound we come across.

Then on the way home we walk the 25 minute journey to the bus stop with C asking if every adult male and female we come across is somebody's Mummy or Daddy and no matter how much I try to explain to her that not everyone is daft enough to have children she still insists in pointing and shouting at the top of her lungs, thankfully people find it quite amusing and say whether or not they are a Mummy or Daddy.

C no longer eats her tea at nursery, she was so put off eating with 4 kids hanging off the table gawping at her food and trying to stick their fingers in it, she just gave up trying to eat.

We now have a routine of Tea, Bath, books, milk and thankfully so far sleep! yes I really said sleep glorious sleep!!! Her little legs are so tired and heavy, and it seems we have found a way to zap the left over energy from the day. She is now sleeping about a 5 hours straight before the first wake up and she is much easier to put back to bed, by the third wake up which is now about 4:30am she will get into our bed which I can handle.

BUT from all the walking and picking up of C when her legs go to jelly and she is tripping over every 3 seconds and the half a ton of gear we have to take to nursery now that she is potty traing, 3 days a week i resemble a pack horse, my poor back is in pieces and this in turn makes me super tired.

I have since stopped believing that my caffeine eye roll on will have any effect on my incredible panda eyes. The toe joint steroid injection I had a few months ago is once again so painful that it hurts to put my foot in my trainers. I feel another visit to the docs is coming to approach the subject of my painful elbow which is now so sore i cant ignore it and I know this is going to involve more needles and steroids.

I am going to leave you with this little anecdote:

I have nagged my hubby to clean our fish Wobble out for months, the poor blighter was in a very sorry state. My hubby had a lack of storage for wobble while he cleaned the foetid tank and decided the only receptacle available to him was my daughters unused pink potty!!! and much to his amusement sent me in to the bathroom to take a look but did not tell what I was looking for? Until I looked down! I did try to berate him but could not for giggling, he was sniggering like a naughty school boy with such delight at his little prank.

Till next week peeps

What a week....

This week has been exhausting C has been a mare for going to sleep, it has been taking sometimes up to two hours to get her to sleep, and it is so frustrating as she will scratch the mattress hit herself on the head with her Bun Bun and Moo Moo, keep getting out of bed telling me the gap in her door is not perfect that she needs a wee, or that she needs squash or the V Tech ceiling projector on her little chair is not in the right place!!!! aaarggghhhh is all I feel like screaming!!!!

She has a million excuses for not settling to go to sleep.

So this week I decided I had to try and do something drastic I stopped using the buggy, in the vain hope that it may make her more tired, on the days we go to nursery we walk to the bus stop which is a good 20 minute walk and on the way home from nursery we walk a good 20 mins and get off the bus and then a ten minute walk to get home.

C usually falls asleep in the buggy on the way home from nursery and I walk the 45 minute journey to get some exercise. I put C to bed while she is asleep, but this is a big problem as she sleeps for2 1/2 hours and then wakes up and it can take another 2 hours to get her back to sleep, it is almost like she uses this as the day time nap she does not have during the day any more.

Well the first day we did it at bed time C fretted for a short while in the chair in her bedroom had a couple of stories read to her and then asked to sleep on the floor, we laid down together and within 5 mins she was out cold, only waking once that night and then on Tuesday we had hell again and the week just continued like this, needless to say my eyes could now rival a pandas and I am getting more forgetful and ditsy by the Second (and for those who know me well, yes it possible)

On the days that she is not at nursery I try to make sure she is using as much energy as possible and trying to stick to a good routine, she does tend to take a nap during the day which is lovely and she does not do this at nursery, but it really effects her sleep and the enduring battle starts again.

My worry with C's sleeping issues is what effect the lack of sleep is having on her, she still seems very happy keen and eager, she still whizz's around at a million miles an hour, but does constantly tell the hubby and I that she is tired and will flake at various times in day for a period of time to sit quietly. Her eyes look purple and she looks like she has bruising across her nose and as a fairly pale child this stands out quite a bit. We both look a completely state at the moment both so tired.

But the week also had it's big upside, I won two clients for my cupcake business, and did some work for TJ at Bras for Mums at the Baby show in London which was really good fun it helped that I had a good friend by my side! and I got meet some lovely Mums who I now have have contact with on twitter

Through this work I was given a baby sling to try it takes children from newborn to a child up to 35lb and I have been using it. C was delighted by it, and really enjoyed the face to face conversations we have been able to have while walking and she seems really comfortable.

I feel like all I do and speak about at the moment is C's sleeping issues and how tired I am, I am a mum on the edge. I promise my next blog will be lighter and fun

Until next week xxx

Sorry this is a mushy one!!

Well I am a little late on getting this out this week, mainly due to the fact that little C and I have had horrid colds. With C being completely wiped out, loosing her voice and having a throat infection. But enough about that I really want to tell you the following:

I had one those moments with little C this week that I will always remember and cherish, where I realised that I am not a bad or useless mother!!! I went out for the first time leaving my daughter with a babysitter from nursery (she was amazing but it was the first time she had sat for me) and went out on my best friends hen do, while my hubby was on the stag do in Manchester. Never before have we been apart in separate cities and left our daughter in the care of someone else.

It was a little tough getting out the house making everyone late for our meal, C was very aware I was going out and totally thrown by the fact a nursery staff member was in our house.

When I arrived home slightly tipsy at the ungodly hour of wait for it ...... 12:30pm, I am not a huge drinker due to my medication and I let my hair down a little to much, my gorgeous little C padded down the hallway at 1:20 in the morning calling out "Mummy where are you I need you" I picked her up and she snuffled into my neck and started snoring heartily (one trate she picked up from her dad I wish she had NOT!!!) all the while me telling her how much I loved her with tears poring down my face, I know I know it was probably the alcohol!

But never before have I felt so needed and loved, my heart swelled to such proportions I thought it would burst. Not since my wedding day and the birth of beautiful little C have I felt this way.

I know alcohol induces strong emotions and as a practical non drinker it will effect me more, I feel that with or without it I would have been in floods of tears with a swollen heart for I finally felt like I had been accepted as a mother, and by the one person who I wanted the approval of the most, my daughter and she is only 2, I finally feel like she knows I am doing the very best I can. That I am not just the one who has to administer the discipline in our house and play bad cop to Daddy's good cop, that all the routines we follow are for her good.

Man how is it that someone so little make you feel so much emotion, it is phenomenal what what motherhood can do to you!

I love you my gorgeous little C

Potties and Sleep Deprivation

Well this has been an extraordinary week, to me maybe not others i will explain later But mainly it has been about little C sleeping or not and potty training!!

In my beautiful circle of Mum friends (and believe me they truly are!!) it is the dreaded thing and few were surprised when I said I had started the dreaded potty training, but I have to say so far it has not been to painful.

We have had a potty in house for probably the last 8 months and it has been used for everything you can imagine, on one occasion before it was ever used for its true purpose I walked into the room to find my little C eating her much loved fruit from the pink plastic pot!!

I have on many occasions tripped over the retched pink plastic pot, thankfully never with any pee in it. We have gained a second one to, this one being a chair type number higher off the ground still pink, now there is more to trip over in the dark! this one was given to us by Little C’s much adored Cousin Emma in the vain hope that it would encourage C to try the potty more. so now we have two pink potty’s one includes images of peppa pig.

C did start to use the potty but it was hit and miss she went through a period of time only wanting to sit on it while watching Mr Tumble and if a wee appeared it was by pure fluke and she was just as shocked as we were when it happened.

But the last 6 weeks have been great she has been using it more and more and we invested in a toilet seat and step and we have discovered that she C is a little toilet monster only using the toilet, leaving the two pink pots loitering in the corners of any room C has deemed to move them to.

She is now going to nursery 3 days a week in a pull up due to the length of travel we have to do, Idon’t fancy a pee soaked buggy! and wearing knickers all day and home again in a pull up for the night. Wearing knickers at home and even waking in the night and asking for a wee so we are making good innings on a lengthy process. Maybe one day i will be able to turn the 10 alarms off on my mobile phone that go off every 45 mins flashing up potty time on the days that little C is at home (They are seriously turning me into a dizzy dribbling wreck and make my ears hurt and all my conversations stop!) My husband recently commented to a friend “never has taking a pee been so celebrated” really made me chuckle

Well sleep is another matter we have had a nightmare with our daughter since she went into hospital just after her 1^st birthday with a serious chest infection and breathing difficulties, 3 nights spent in hospital and our little C’s came out of hospital with a mended chest but seriously damaged sleep.

Up until the last month C was waking up on average at least 4 times a night after 12:00pm,being put back in her bed for her to sometimes not fall back to sleep at all. The worst case being trying to get her to sleep for 2 ½ hours for her to end up getting up with me and watch DVD’s and not go to sleep until 1:30 the next afternoon. I was seriously delirious my hubby had to come home from work to calm us both down. That was the day after 3 months of being off her dummy I gave it back to her to save my sanity, as soon as I did she asked to go in her buggy and fell straight to sleep and proceeded to sleep through to the next morning, this was the most extreme.

Recently though things have improved, instead of taking over an hour to get her to sleep or sometimes more she seems to have accepted that she has to go to bed and will willingly get into bed have stories read to her, drink her milk, and what seems like ages of twitching, fidgeting asking for a wee and her new favourite “can i have just a little milky” she gently nods off to her glow worm (the best £10 i have ever spent!). But at any point in the evening we can hear the thundering of tiny elephant feet coming down the hall.

Normally this just means she is still asleep and easily popped back into bed but again an hour down the line she will be up again, we pop her back into bed and another two hours later she will be up again asking for milky and getting quite upset until we give in and give it to her. By 3:30 in the morning she is in our bed kicking the covers off making the hubby and I very cold and pretty naffed off and very tired!!, this on top of the medication I take that makes you tired , the lack of sleep and a lot of pain from a pint size foot being thrust in your eye you get to the stage that I reached, I had to give up work as my arthritis was off the chart and I was going as a mad as a march hare.

While writing this C has been up twice and I anticipating she will be in my bed by 3:00 (not so bad tonight as hubby is on a stag do so leaves us plenty of space). We have tried every combination imaginable to ease the sleep situation and can come to no conclusion as to what is causing it, we can only pinpoint the time it started. Anyone who reads this that as an suggestions please do leave a comment and i will try it out and let you know how it went.

Two good thing that has come from this is my ability to fulfil a dream of starting my cupcake business and boy have things taken a giant leap this week When I have more details I will share but for now Flour & Sprinkles has been born.but I have also had good news from the hospital on my 6 monthly check up at the hospital my specialist was very happy with the improvement in my condition purely down to the medication and giving up work (oh and a lot of steroid injections).

Well this thing has really begun!

Well since last Friday and my frst blog post it has been an interesting fun and uplifting week with a a tiny downside. It all started late Friday night when I had recommendations to follow people on twitter from my colleague at Social Media Mums. My phone started to go bonkers as follower requests were accepted and more recommended lots of welcome messages received some amusing conversations exchanged. As the week has gone on I have opened up a new world of contacts and suddenly feel like a part of something again!!! I had no idea that a social networking site could suddenly turn me from a slummy mummy to a mummy in touch with the world and a spring in my step that tigger would proud of, let the fun continue...

I have also made a small tentative baby step towards realising my dream of running my own cupcake business. I have done my first wedding cake sample which I spent days trying to perfect, I ended up looking a bit like a smurf for a few days from the blue food colouring i was trying out, and a few yellow stains which looked slightly dodgy. Even if the order does not come through it has given me the confidence to really do it and I feel like i have the confidence to go ahead with my plans.

My downside was that since Saturday my little C has been really under the weather with raging temperatures, a runny nose, hot and itchy heat rash and a chronic case of the grumps, with no real illness manifesting, apart from a nasty case of sounding like Angelica from the rug rats!!! She has looked like she has been in pain, but she still went to nursery and seem to appreciate being out the house and out from under my fussing wing

And today I was supposed to have friends come over to play with her and she sobbed that she did not want anyone here, and while putting my coat on to get out the house and get her some fresh air and some of that elusive sunshine that seems to have made an appearance I turned round to find she had nodded off in the buggy to the very loud computer game music from next door before we could even get out the house!! So I get some much needed chill time to have a snuggle on the sofa.

This has not been a good week for my poor back either as I have spasms and twinges going on all over the place and cant afford to get a massage or chiropractic treatment. I currently feel like a 90 year old women probably from my child being permanently in my bed doing her acrobatics.

My little C has picked up some interesting vocabulary recently she insists in a very adult manner while trying to chivvy Mummy and Daddy along to say "Come on boys and Girls" and her current fave is "Oh my God" always said at volume loud enough for people hear and have to double take on the bus. And best not last and most delightful one always said at a volume I wish she would not say is "Bum Peanut"and yes that little gem really means what you think!

Over and out for this week see you in 7 days.

Well let this thing begin!!!

I have been totally inspired by a good friend to get on and do this blog, she is an inspirational Brighton Mum who just see's no barriers in this world and always sees things as just within reach, Yes Michelle McCann that person is you! so a huge thank you to you for always being so blooming lovely.

I am a 32 year old married mum living in Brighton. I have a very very energetic 2 year old daughter who really keeps me on my toes and out of my bed and there in lies the problem.

I have a form of arthritis called Ankylosing spondilitis which is an autoimmune disease in the spine and hips and has a massive impact on the muscle skeletal system. I am on a lot of drugs to help ease pain & inflammation but this suppresses your immune system making you super tired!! on top of having a child that wakes up on average 4 times a night before 3:30am and then ends up in the marital double bed doing acrobatics the Cirque du Soleil would be envious of, making our double bed seem like a single bed with 3 people in it!!!!

I find life tricky enough what with being tired all the time, constant various body parts doing weird and wonderful things like Jamming, swelling, aching to the bone, muscle spasms, people constantly saying "oh god what's wrong with you now!" "you are always ill" which makes you feel super crappy. I have now had to give up work for a while to try and get my health back on track and sort my daughters sleeping issues out.

My gorgeous daughter blue eyes, blond curly hair, stunning teeth and a set of lips Angelina Jolie would covet. She oozes personality from every pore and has the comedy timing of Michael Macintyre, is a total Daddy's girl and constantly wants to be in your arms dancing (this really is a killer for the back!)

My husband the entrepreneur in waiting, is the hardest working man i have ever met and risen to his success through pure hard workand respect of the people he as worked with. He has the patience of a saint is ever doting on our daughter and so laid back he is horizontal, needless to say i am the bad cop in our house.

When stressed I bake and bake a lot, i am trying to get myself sorted to started selling my wares so watch this space!

I am going to stop my ramblings here, and will post once a week with the adventures of the arthritic Mum and her energetic monkey that shall be named C!

Ramble to you again soon xx