We had just *the* best holiday on the Isle of Wight a few weeks ago, our first proper family holiday. We has such a good time that we extended our stay by two nights! We visited an Animal Park where Sophia giggled as she patted rabbits and guinea pigs for the first time, and worked out how to go down the slide by herself amid much laughter from the three of us. She is going to love rollercoasters when she is older; she can't get enough of going upside down/swings/slides/being whizzed around!




We spent a wonderful sunny afternoon on the sands/pebbles at Freshwater Bay, where Sophs paddled in the ocean and ate mouthfuls of delicious crunchy sand after swishing her little hands endlessly through it and relishing the sensation.





















We visited Carisbrooke Castle where King Charles I was held prisoner and saw the room where he spent a year imprisoned; we also walked the castle walls which had spectacular views across the island back to the mainland. The doors at the catle gate were the original medieval ones, incredible to think how many people had passed through them.




We enjoyed the facilites in the place where was stayed, including the indoor, covered heated swimming pool which my little water baby just loved loved loved!



The island is beautiful, we stayed on the west side which is less populated and enjoyed the incredible views everywhere we drove. All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing, much needed break and we all came back refreshed and content.

wibble wibble wibble - need the sound on for this new noise that Sophs does when she's tired...

My exam results are in. I somehow managed to get two firsts (A's) and a 2:1 (B). Extraordinary. And to think I thought I'd failed one of them and scraped a pass for the other two. I'd like to dedicate my results to Sarra for giving me a big kick on the behind when I said I wasn't going to take them, and to everyone who loaned me their notes - you gave me the information I needed to pass. Thank you!

My Mum's group (minus 2 mums and bubs who were unwell) celebrated a joint first birthday party for all our littlies on Saturday. It's lovely to get everyone together again, as now that most of us are back working we don't have the luxury of time anymore.

I miss being with my beautiful beguiling little girl throughout the week. Time with her is even more precious now. At the weekends we three indulge in a morning nap together in our bed and it is heart warming to wake up to little eyes smiling at you as she coos and giggles a hello before clambering over you to get to the ground. Sophs is properly walking (toddling - so cute!) now and gives herself a clap every time she does; clapping is relatively new too, and she uses it to express happiness at places, objects, actions, anything that pleases her. Today for the first time she clapped as we drove around the corner and she saw our home out of the car window, and then clapped again as we drove into the carpark. She ate all of her fruit with dinner and before I could clap and praise her she started clapping herself with a big grin on her face pre-empting me!

We've seen a glimpse of tantrums to come as she throws toys hard on the ground and pulls a disgusted face if we misunderstand what it is she wants, or don't respond quickly enough. I try hard not to laugh at her but it is quite comedic. She continues to explore the world around her with a fascination and relish that enables us to see things with new eyes. She goes up stairs at top speed with such excitement about being able to do so, and keeps turning around whilst doing her self-congratulatory giggle to look at us as if to say 'look what I can do'! Her little personality is emerging more and more and she is just delightful, every day we feel so lucky and blessed to have Sophia in our lives. She is worth all of the hard work!