You know you're a mum when....

After weeks of feeling totally useless and spending a lot of time in bed, I finally feel like me again.

It really took it's toll, especially on how I saw myself as a mother as I wasn't really doing a huge amount of actual parenting as I either in bed or the bathroom.

But I've got my mama crown on now, and am feeling top of my motherhood game. In fact I'm pretty excited to become a mum of two this year.
So I thought I'd share some things that are clear-cut signs that you are a mum (tongue in cheek, of course).

Why reading is my favourite self-care therapy

Even since I can remember I've been a bookworm. I've always been the one in our family with my nose in a book. However for some years I kind of lost my reading mojo in favour of hours of mindless scrolling and binge TV watching.

Last year I started to make a real effort to read more, which started well but did slow towards the end of the year. This year, again, I'm trying to continue my reading efforts, and broaden my horizons. With one very important reason behind my decision.

I realised towards the end of the year that reading was part of my own self-care regime, and a really big part of it. I think it really hit me when an old man on my bus stopped to talk to me on his way off the bus to say "you're never alone with a book". And he was right. That's why I find books so important for my personal mental health and wellbeing.

18 thoughts about winning the lottery

This is a collaborative post*

Do you know what one of my favourite, completely useless, pastimes to do is?

I like to plan what I'd do if I won the lottery.

It might seem a teeny bit sad to be planning something that has odds very much not in my favour, but it's a nice little thing to think about when walking home from swim class whilst Henry chills in the stroller.

Now when I say a lottery win, I do mean a big one. Go big or go home.
And my thoughts usually go a little something like this:

What to expect with an 18 month old (and some unexpected things too)

2018 is already flying by which I think is one of the symptoms of having a small child - the months just seem to fly by and you're constantly trying to work out where you are in each month.

Back in December, Henry turned 18 months old, but due to lots of pregnancy nausea/sickness/fatigue/can't be arsedness I never got around to doing a little update on his progress. So apologies this is more of a 19 month update, which now I've typed it, makes him feel EVEN older!

So what can you expect at 18 months of age?

A childcare rant:The Nursery germ breeding ground

It's just a week into the new year, and Henry has been back to nursery for approximately two point five days when I get the call. The dreaded call. The call that all parents hate to see on their mobiles.

One missed call from nursery.

A call can only mean bad news. He's ill or hurt. Neither is good, and generally means your working day is about to be cut short.

The first trimester... The second time around

You know people always say every pregnancy is different. Well I categorically agree!
I'm officially out of the first trimester of this second pregnancy and oh man has it been a journey.

I really truly believed that having "been there and bought the t-shirt" that a second pregnancy wouldn't be all the difficult or surprising.

I was so very wrong.

I'm not sure if this pregnancy is just plain worse, or my memory isn't all that great, or maybe because I was out of work for quite a bit of my first pregnancy I was able to cope better, but the last seven odd weeks have been mildly hellish.

Now I will say now I know I'm very fortunate to be pregnant again, and with not much difficulty, and I by no means have it as hard as some mum's (shout out to the HG mum's because girls I honestly don't know how you do it and you're heroes in my eyes!) But I have struggled. Really struggled.