Parenting the Shand Princesses

This week will make it 33 weeks of pregnancy and the closer the date gets, the more excited we get. I love the kicks and movements the baby makes and all I keep thinking is why can't it be January so we can meet her! When we had May May, we had a birth plan and as soon we got to the birth centre that went right out the window. This time around we will go into this thinking that whatever happens we will go with it. I have even been doing a lot more reading about babies and I still feel like I want to know more. We have also decided that we want a water birth this time around as this will help with the delivery of the baby. I just can’t wait for the day to come so I can hold her in my arms and see her beautiful eyes looking at me. Th is may be the second time but I still have those butterflies in my stomach, which makes me anxious about the birth. All I want is for Princess and Michaela to be happy and healthy for the labour with no complications. I. May May seems very

What a journey this has been! Currently 32 weeks pregnant and it's fair to say this pregnancy is totally different to when I was pregnant with Mayarna. For a start, I have been extremely nauseous from the day I found out and it has continued throughout my whole pregnancy. I have gone off so much food and drink and can't plan meals ahead at all. I can't complain though as my BMI has gone down and I have lost a few pounds!  What has been nice is feeling her movements. She's been super active from about 17 weeks (yes she made her presence aware from then!) and has got stronger every week. I now feel like I'm growing a baby octopus inside me as I feel kicks all over, some of them that leave me speechless. However, there is no better feeling than a baby's kick. It reassures you that baby is growing well and is strong. As you can see, I don't have a tiny neat bump! This picture is of me at 25 weeks and I look ready to pop. I am praying that I am carry

At the beginning of October, James and I had a weekend away in Manchester to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. It was so lovely to have some quality time together. We shopped, went out to eat and even played Junkyard Golf! If you have never been, I highly recommend you do as it's a great laugh. And it was whilst we was away that I realised the last time me and James had spent a night away together was 18 months ago when Mayarna was 1 month old. That's a very long time and it got me thinking, when you become parents, you become so wrapped up in parenthood that you start to neglect time as a couple. Yes, your responsibilities change. But that doesn't mean you can't keep the spark going in your relationship. You don't have to do anything expensive or fancy. Something as simple as going out for a meal, going to the cinema or going for a drink. Just being with your partner, having adult conversation and keeping that spark is great for your relationship. -

It's been a while since I last wrote a blog but I feel I've got too much to keep to myself. May-May is 18 months old and boy has she developed into a character! She is so full of joy and knows how to cut some serious shapes (making me look bad lol) with any music you can give her. The way she picks up things, responsds and answers in her own speech astounds me as I couldn't have imagined her learning so fast.  When we were on holiday in Benidorm, she would wave at anyone who passed and I think she made a few friends along the way with her quirky facial expressions. I can see how carefree she is and even at times goes into a full speech randomly. All the locals loved her and when we went it to shops they would give her treats like lollies and sweets.  I think for me, seeing May-May pick up all these new traits it lets me know that we are raising an amazing child who never stops surprising us. We have been trying to get her more used to walking and leaving

Last Sunday we had May Mays Christening which was so much fun and an absolute success. I haven’t been to a function like this before, not since I was a baby. May May had a really good time dancing and singing to the hymns in the church. But when the time came for the holy water to touch her, May May got a bit tearful, but we still managed to get it done. In that moment I couldn’t have been prouder, standing in front of all the witnesses and reading the declarations. It made me think about May Mays birth and how far we have come from then to now; having May May in my arms to seeing her welcomed into the house of God. Once we had completed the service, the next event was the reception. As soon as the music started, May May couldn’t not wait to start dancing. She took over the dance floor and she didn’t even care. Everyone at the venue couldn’t take their eyes off May May and it was like she was in a bubble where it was just her and the music. May May has always been a musical chil

May May starts nursery this week and I'm so happy and proud that she is doing this because I think she is getting smarter by the day and she really enjoys being around other kids. It feels like only yesterday I had her in my arms looking up at me with her little brown eyes. She is growing so fast but I know this is the right time as it will help her development. For Easter this year I'm going to cook a roast for the family. May May seems to love my cooking and anytime I cook she finishes it in no time!  This last week she has had her last set of jabs from the doctors yaaay! She was such a brave girl! When the doctor said she had to have 4 jabs I nearly fainted!!!!  I have noticed she is trying so hard to talk and when she says "dada" it fills me with so much joy, I can't put into words. She is really turning into a daddy's girl which, if I might add, is absolutely mint! I'm itching to take her on days out and experiences that I have always wanted

I have decided to return to work and within a couple of weeks of applying for jobs, I had got myself an interview at my local County Court. How awesome! And then I realised I'd have to have an interview (obviously) and I started to worry and freak out. I hadn't had an interview in 3 years. 3 years ago I was super confident, an interview would be no problem. But since having May-May I had lost quite a lot of that confidence, and the thought of trying to sell myself to a couple of strangers made me feel so anxious. And no matter how much OJ or my family & friends said I'd be fine, I worried. I wondered what it was about becoming a parent that I lost my confidence. Was I the only person who experienced this? I asked some mums if they wouldn't mind sharing their experiences of confidence issues and these 3 wonderful ladies have. 1. Introduce yourself (2-3 lines, name, what you do and age of children) My name is Claire I have 2 boys, age 6 and 8 and

Exciting News! The Mummybou Chronicles blog is a favourite blogger over at MyBump2Baby ! MyBump2Baby is an "online directory of the baby/toddler and family world" You can find out what is going on in your local area, such as classes, pre-school groups, days out and more. Plus there is a great blog section full of bloggers!  When I started my blog, I just wanted somewhere to share my experiences on being a first time mum whilst juggling studying, planning a wedding and holidays. And when OJ wanted to share his views, I was extremely happy.  Now I'm featured on a great directory and I'm ecstatic. Knowing that someone thinks my blog is good enough is a great feeling and reassures any doubts I had about blogging. Happy Days!  Click here to download the free app. Find me under the Bloggers section and show me some ❤️ -x- Michaela - x-

Since my daughter has turned one it has been a task adapting to the changes in her body as she is experiencing teething for her back teeth. Night times have been hard as May-May struggles to settle at night and is so used to night breast feeds. This is the time i find it difficult as May-May just wants to be on mum most of the time when she is going through the pain. May-May generally is really bubbly and is interested in anything she gets her hands on. We have fun with her facial expressions and when tries to talk its so adorable. I feel a bit helpless as when i try to calm her down May-May d oesn't seem to want to respond and I would then have to give her back to her mum. My partner is so good with May-May and I can see there are times when she needs a break but never really gets the chance due to May-Mays clinginess. When i come home from work I try to help as much as I can by doing housework and cooking and cleaning but i still feel like I can't help as muc

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Charlotte Heathcote, owner of the fabulous company Individual2You   Charlotte sells some wonderful products that you can see pictured below. Charlotte is a mumpreneur too and wanted to hear her journey.      What inspired you to start a business?  In March 2017 i suffered from an Eptopic pregnancy which caused me to have emergency surgery. After my surgery and recovery as a family we decided that it would be best for us, for me to find a way to work from home - hence the start of Individual2you  If you could speak to your younger self, just starting out, what advice would you give her? Pay attention in school, i never really knew what i wanted to do when i left school - i worked in Administration for a large manufacturing company for 13 years and was never truly happy in my job. Had i known what i know now years ago i would of had no doubt i would make the right decision. Who inspires you (alive or not) and why? Plain a

I havent blogged for a while as it has been such a busy few months. In that time I have seen May-May grow into such a cute and cheeky child with such a bubbly personality. She makes the best effort to try and stand and every chance she gets she is trying to balance herself to stand up straight. She laughs each time she falls and has learnt to stand up leaning against the sofa and is already make sounds as if she is speaking. May-May has also been trying to teach herself to walk and she has picked up walking with support quite rapidly. I'm amazed how dedicated she is to teach herself these skills. We bought her a jumperoo for xmas and she absolutely loves using it as it is helping to support her posture. I feel she will be walking without support very soon and I am so proud of her. After months of sleepless nights and commitment to giving her the best possible start in life, its moments like this that totally make parenting worth it. Next weekend May-May is going to be 1.

In 2017 I decided I wanted to go to University to study a degree in Events. But to do that I had to study an access course which was really intense. Trying to study that with a baby, plus apply for Uni at the same time was just too demanding and I decided to stop. Fast forward to Christmas 2018 and I was offered the opportunity to study my Diploma in Events Management and to have a careers coach for 3 years. What was the catch? A monthly fee for 12 months.  After reading through the course modules and talking through the T&Cs, I though no I had to do this. I had to invest in my future and this course is so flexible. And to make it even better, my partner OJ is also studying it! He's taken to Events so well. He's super creative and his mind comes up with all these awesome ideas and plans, so he's going to help with my business. I couldn't be more pleased! Invest in your future! It could be studying a new subject or investing in a business coach.

MummyBou is back! Happy New Year everyone! Surely it's time to stop saying that now right? It's been a while since I blogged but I had to take a break, not only from my blog but from my social media too. Sometimes we have to take a break, refresh, re-evaluate our situations and come back stronger. See where changes can be made, what you need to stop doing and what you can do to improve your situation. That's what I did. I went on holiday with my family and had a well deserved 10 day break. When I got back, I sat down with OJ and brainstormed about our future; business and personal. We celebrated our first Christmas as a family and wedding plans are in full effect. May-May's development has been beautiful to watch. She hates sand, has 2 teeth and loves to dance. But I will explain all this in upcoming blogs. I will be blogging every 2 weeks, so ensure to keep an eye out on my Instagram and Facebook . -x- Michaela -x-