Sunny St Ives

Phill, Quinn and I have just got back from a lovely few days in St Ives, Cornwall with my Mum and Dad.

 

We have been going to St Ives for years with my Mum and Dad and we just love it there. It seems to have its own little climate and doesn't often let us down with the weather!

 

We arrived on Wednesday after a 6 hour journey (Quinn was an angel and slept through all the driving!) which included a few stops, the best stop being at Gloucester services and farm shop, they were lovely - much nicer than any other services I've ever been to.

 

This mirror was great on such a long journey

 

My tasty smoothie and pastry.

The lovely play area at Gloucester services.  

 

We stayed (as we do each year) at Channings Guest House which overlooks the sea and is such a lovely place. The rooms are all really light and spacious and the beds are huge and very comfy! The owners, Susan and Marcus, are so helpful and friendly and the breakfasts are ace!

 

The weather wasn't great on Wednesday so we left our cases at Channings then headed into town to have a jug of pimms and some snacks in the Hub on the harbour, even in the rain it was great to sit and watch the boats and people milling about.

 

That evening we had a lovely meal at Seagrass, Quinn had slept on the way to the restaurant and then was wide awake through the whole meal! She had everyone in the restaurant talking to her though and she was great.

 

Seagrass selfie!

Quinn wasn't really herself that night though and she ended up awake for a long time during the night which is very unlike her (she still wakes up often but has a quick feed and then goes straight back down) I think she had a bit of a cold as she was snotty, a bit whingy, more sleepy and was sick more than usual. Luckily, this didn't last and after about 24 hours she was back to her usual happy, smiley self.

 

Thursday was a beautiful day so we spent the day on the beach. We had a UV tent which was fantastic as we didn't have to worry about suncream and hats, we could just let Quinn play and roll as she wanted (it also meant she didn't get covered in sand!). I used a trick I'd seen on the Internet for getting sand off our feet -baby powder - it makes the sand come off really easily... Can you tell I'm not overly keen on sand?!

 

The beautiful Porthminster beach

Beach tent

Sand...

 

On Thursday night we had a meal in the Castle pub which is my Dad's favourite pub in the world! He loves the atmosphere and the range of real ales and beers. Quinn was a super star and slept through the meal.

 

The best beers in the best pub!

 

 

Friday was another lovely day so we had a wander through town and over to the Porthmeor cafe for an excellent tapas lunch, the food and setting are both fantastic. The cafe is so child friendly and welcoming for children with high chairs and toys.

 

 

 

On Friday evening we went to try a new restaurant on the harbour - Porthminster Kitchen - it was really different and really tasty. It has a great view out over the harbour too.

 

Delicious popcorn starter...

Mmmmmm!

Saturday's weather was beautiful so, after a walk into town and a cream tea, we went to the beach.

 

On Saturday night we ate in my favourite restaurant in St Ives - Porthminster Cafe on Porthminster beach. We had a fantastic evening with great food. We go every year and it is never anything less than delicious!

 

My bucket of pimms!

Phill and his lobster.

Amazing tuna starter.

Sunday was our last day and the weather wasn't great so we had a last wander round the town, a last cream tea on the harbour, a quick look at the seals and went to Blas for a burger before heading home.

The journey home wasn't quite as smooth as the drive there but still wasn't bad. Quinn was a little whingy for the first couple of hours or so but then fell asleep and slept the rest of the way home just waking up for a little feed at the services.

 

 

 

We had a great time away and loved showing St Ives to Quinn. She enjoyed Daddy, Grandma and Pops being off with her and being able to show them all her tricks!

 

Love Lisa x

Bump, birth and beyond...

I really should have started this blog five months ago but as anyone who has had children will know, I've been a little bit preoccupied (mainly having a whale of a time with my little girl and sampling lots of afternoon teas and lunches out around Lancashire!).

So I'll try to give a brief summary of the past few months... They have definitely been the best of my life so far!

Our beautiful little girl Quinn was born in February at the Midwife led unit in Preston and the months since have flown by (just like everyone told me they would!). She is a smiley, happy little girl. She has made Phill (my husband) and I so incredibly happy and proud right from the start. Yes it has been hard at times, yes I've been tired and yes the birth hurt but everything has felt manageable and we have worked together to make sure we are being the best parents we possibly can be for our daughter.

Our very first photo.

I have loved every minute of being on maternity leave so far and I have really enjoyed meeting new mummies and seeing much more of my wonderful family and friends.

All of our parents have been incredible. They have all been so helpful and supportive with everything from the first pink outfits brought to the hospital, meals on wheels in the early days to the more recent babysitting and days out together!

There's something quite wonderful about seeing just how much your family love your little one; I am very close to my Mum and Dad (in fact along with Phill they were both at Quinn's birth) so Quinn and I spend a great deal of time with them and I have really enjoyed all our lunches out and days just minxing together!

We have a big extended family so along with her doting grandparents, Quinn also has some wonderful Aunties, Uncles, Cousins and Great Grandparents.

I have an excellent set of supportive friends too, many with babies and children of their own. I have enjoyed regular meetings with the mums and babies everywhere from the Wacky Warehouse to Barton Grange to Macmillans of Penwortham.

It has been really helpful for me to have friends with children of all ages and one friend is the reason I didn't give up breastfeeding in the early days as she assured me it got easier after four weeks... It really did and after those first few toe curling weeks I can honestly say it is now so easy and hassle free! As much as I enjoy chatting all things baby with my 'mum friends' I also love a good gossip and catch up with my lovely friends who don't have babies.

Also, my best friend is pregnant and due at the end of August which is very exciting, I can't wait to hear the news of whether her baby is pink or blue and I know that either way Quinn will have a lifelong friend.

Having a baby introduces you to so many new people and I have been extremely lucky to have met 3 wonderful new mum friends. We met at aqua natal and our lovely babies (2 boys, 2 girls) were all born within 3 weeks of each other. These girls have been a constant support through our pregnancies and in the early weeks and months of our babies lives. As we met at aqua natal (Puddle Ducks) we only thought it right to take our babies swimming from an early age. We are just coming to the end of our first term of 'Floaties' lessons with Puddle Ducks which we have all enjoyed.

We have also done a fantastic course of baby massage with the fab J'Adore Mama based at a hotel in St Annes and we are in the middle of a baby yoga course with the same company. I thoroughly enjoy these classes as they are a time to bond with the other new mums but also a special time to bond with your baby. I would highly recommend both the baby massage and yoga classes and Roxanne from J'Adore Mama has been a great teacher. We have also been to our local Sure Start centre and have really enjoyed our tummy time/messy play sessions.

Messy play at the Sure Start Centre, Kirkham.

Baby Yoga

Phill and I have also enjoyed some great family time together and even managed to take Quinn away for a week to Kos. It was a lovely first family holiday and Quinn really seemed to enjoy the time we spent together and all the extra attention from having Mummy and Daddy to play with all day! The hotel was great and very family friendly. You could hire many baby essentials (from bouncers and pushchairs to baths and changing mats) and all the staff were very friendly and helpful.

You can see Phill's video of the holiday here:

A couple of items that were really handy on holiday were our inflatable boat (for using as a play area, paddling pool and boat in the big pool) and our UV pram cover. We also got Quinn a UV swim suit, this was great too as it meant we only needed to worry about putting suntan cream on her arms and legs.

   

We soon found a hat with a tie was helpful!

Quinn also hated the travel cot at first as the mattress is so skinny and hard, but with a new thicker mattress she now sleeps quite well in it.

Playing in her boat!

So, there we have a whistle stop account of the past five months. Hopefully I'll update this blog more than once in the next five months!

Love Lisa x