Parenting the Shand Princesses

This post is about me realising I wasn't just stressed, I have Postnatal Depression. It's also a post that I am hoping will show others going through this, that they are not alone and it's okay to talk 💗 "Postnatal depression is when you have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, guilt or self-blame all the time for weeks or months after you’ve had a baby."  (Taken from Tommy's Website) I guess you could say this started from my antenatal depression. I was 7 months pregnant and our landlord had decided he wanted to sell his house, serving us eviction papers. Imagine that. 7 months pregnant, a nearly 2 year old, Christmas was a month away and I was now being told we would be evicted. Obviously I was stressed! I wasn't having a smooth pregnancy as it is, I did not need this on top of everything. OJ tried his best to keep me calm, but I could see the effect it had on him too. We spoke to our local council who said there were steps the landlord had to take befo...

It's no secret that Covid-19 has, and still is, having a massive effect on all of us. For someone who suffers with anxiety and worries a lot, this "lockdown" has been quite difficult. Don't get me wrong, we have absolutely great days! Mayarna's speech has developed so much. She is now starting to form sentences, her fine motor skills are getting stronger as she learns to stack things neatly and she enjoys helping with housework, such as putting the clothes in the washing machine and putting things in the bin. Zenayah has also come on in leaps and bounds. At 4 and a half months she is now reaching out for things and has mastered how to pull off her scratch mitts (cheeky!). Mayarna loves playing with Zenayah, and Zenayah loves watching her play and laughs at her, which is too cute! But it also comes with difficult days. Mayarna is in the terrible 2 phase (yes it's real, I didn't believe it existed) where she kicks off for the smallest of things! I opene...

This week May-May reached 2 years old and I can't believe how far she has come with her development. She has got a cheeky personality and she dances to anything randomly. For her birthday we got a first words book. She has managed to recite most of the book by memory and whenever she sees any of the items, she shouts out the word.  For her birthday, me and Mics took her out for the day to Eureka Museum , which is a children’s museum that gives them a real-world experience. She absolutely loved it there! Her favourite room was the Sensory Section. It was a huge, dark room and the walls were an interactive magical kingdom. The floor was an interactive under the sea and when May-May stepped on certain areas, sensory eels would swim towards her feet. There was also a M&S store for children with plastic fruit and vegetables. I adored how she was pushing the trolley as if she was shopping. She then had a go with the cars as well, pretending to drive and making the e...

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. -...

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...

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-