Hello and Happy New Year!  It’s 2016, wowee!  2015 was a pretty awesome year, so I hope it continues through to 2016.  We had quite an eventful 2015 which included our wedding, me turning 30 and having our second child, Reuben.  Quite a lot really!  It was also a very bittersweet year as we discovered Reuben had a heart condition (pulmonary stenosis) a few days after his birth and he has undergone two heart procedures already in his little life.  Luckily he is perfectly well otherwise and you’d have no idea his little heart is struggling.  We expect he’ll have open heart surgery this year, but until it happens we won’t dwell on it and shall continue to remain positive and just get on with things as though nothing were wrong!

A bit sleepy Reubs?

December was a fast and fun month.  The build up to Christmas was very exciting both business wise and personal.  I loved the buzz in all the networking hours leading up to Christmas.  It made it even more exciting talking about the festivities every day and knowing people were buying lots of Christmas gifts from my little shop! 

Bella was so excited too this year.  She was three and a half in December so really understood what was going on this year.  We took her to see Santa Claus and she asked for a wishing well!  She was asking for this for weeks, so my Grandad made one!  It’s about 3 foot high and will go outside her garden playhouse.  We did look around a few shops and couldn’t find anything, so I’m glad we couldn’t as it’s even better than I could imagine and super special as my Grandad made it.  The first thing Bella did when we came down to the living room was squeal with delight and joyfully exclaimed ‘my wishing well!’

We unexpectedly stayed at a friend’s house on New Year’s Eve.  We were going for the day anyway and they kindly asked if we wanted to stay, so Ben was happy as he could relax and have a couple of celebratory drinks!  Bella was also happy as she always wants to have sleepovers now (thanks to Peppa Pig!).  We managed to stay awake to midnight too!  It’s the first time in at least three years we’ve seen the New Year in!  We usually get to 10.30pm and start getting really tired so give in.  I was absolutely amazed by the London fireworks on TV – incredible!

The big Reuben event in December has to be crawling!  Yay (and oh no)!  He was bum shuffling and crawling backwards in November so we knew actual crawling was close.  It was so cute when he started – really careful, slow and jerky.  Now he’s whizzing around and trying to pull himself up on the sofas! 

I stopped breastfeeding Reuben in December, so that was quite a big event for me.  I’d been thinking about it for a while and once I started introducing bottles I decided I was ready to stop.  It’s still strange to think I can leave him and do things on my own.  I keep forgetting!  I’m hoping to have a day out with a friend soon which will be so strange.  I’m also going to have a massage at the end of the month and do a spot of shopping, by myself!  Crazy I know!

Reuben enjoying his Yorkshire pud on Christmas day!

Bella amazed us the other day by counting backwards from 10 to 1.  It’s the first time we’ve heard her count down from 10.  We were so impressed!  We then practiced counting with her and she did to 30!  Go Bella!  She’s also obsessed with time and days at the moment.  She’s really trying to understand the concept and tells us she’s doing things ‘next week’ or at ‘half past six’.  She suddenly seems really grown up and her language is so much better.  She doesn’t stop talking and will chat all day if she gets the chance!  She likes to tell us everything she is doing all the time, as she’s doing it!

2016 looks set to be quite an eventful year already, thinking about it!  Another bittersweet year as we may have Reuben’s operation, but also very positive.  I am meeting Theo Paphitis in February to collect my #SBS award so I’m super excited about this.  I’m having braces fitted in March which I’m dreading, but I’m excited for the end result in a few years, you can follow my braces at 30 journey here (http://www.lyliarose.com/blog/categories_34332/braces-at-30.html).  Bella will start school in September, eek!  I’ve visited five schools and sent in my application listing my top four.  Hopefully we’ll get our first choice – it’s an outstanding school currently and just a five minute walk with Bella.  We loved it when we looked around and she’s already at the preschool there.  We’ll be very disappointed if we don’t get it, but we just need to forget about it until April when we find out or else I’ll worry too much!  We have a couple of rooms to finish in our house which I hope we’ll complete this year.  I’m dying to do our kitchen and furnish our bedroom.  We’re also hoping to go on our first family holiday this year.  We want to go to the Lake District which is where Ben was born and lived as a young child.  I’ve never been so I’m very excited as it looks a beautiful place!

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2016,

Victoria :)