I haven't had a decent, proper pair of slippers for a long time. So, a couple of weeks ago I treated myself while out shopping, especially thinking of the cooler days ahead, night feeds with a newborn and also just the day to day mundane of being able to nip outside with the rubbish without having to change my shoes (or, in reality, without getting my socks wet).  I got them home and enjoyed having snugly, warm and comfortable slippers to wear around the house.  For all of about 3 days... then they mysteriously disappeared.  This isn't the first time things in our house thi ..read more

I hadn't actually realised that it had been so long since I posted something, anything on here!  The blog has crossed my mind over the last few months but I've been struggling a bit with 'writers block' and not really knowing what to write about or what makes people want to stop and read something little old me has written.   So, we are all fine, Ella is doing well and about to finish Year 1 at school.  Lots of preparation currently happening to make sure the transition from Yr1 to Yr2 is a smooth as possible for her as a child with special educational needs.  There are go ..read more

Being a regular viewer of the BBC One drama 'Call the Midwife', I noticed last week during the preview for this weeks episode that there was to be a character with Down's Syndrome appearing.    I was intrigued and a little apprehensive. Mainly though, I was excited that there was someone with Down's Syndrome being represented on such a well loved show with high viewing figures. I wondered how well the part would be incorporated into the existing premise of the show and also what the storyline surrounding the character would be.  And bearing in mind when the show is set (ea ..read more

Pizza dough recipe Something a little different from my usual content but as it's a new year, there are new things to share and new directions to explore!  After being repeatedly asked for the recipe whenever I've made pizza for friends and family I thought I'd do a little post and pop the recipe here so if you want to, you can print it and try it for yourselves.   There are hundreds of pizza dough recipes online and after trying a few of them, this is the one I keep going back to both in terms of its ease and because most importantly, it produces a yummy pizza. I've shared befor ..read more

A letter for Ella... To Ella, our wonderful girl, today you are 6! Six years since I missed my own baby shower because you decided to show up three weeks early. Six years since our journey into the unexpected started. Six years of being a mummy - your mummy. A lot has happened in the six years you've been here and it's hard to remember what life was like before you.  We've certainly been on a roller coaster ride but you've managed to keep our hands skimming the clouds for most of our time together.  This past year, you've changed and grown so much.  You're settled and hap ..read more

I have fond memories from my childhood of my time as a Brownie and Girl Guide...  Drinking my first cup of tea at Brownie camp, first time away from my mum and dad (a whole 3 miles down the road), being a sixer, the honour of carrying the flag for our unit at church parade, doing a reading in church, trips to the pantomime, indoor marshmallow toasting with candles (probably not allowed these days), bonfires, playing 'murder in the dark' - always a favourite as we could do lots of screaming when we 'died' - as well as other games and making new friends I didn't go to school with.  I ..read more

I'm still getting used to the double drop off and pick ups on the school run, with Ella and Lucy being at different places for this school year.   Wednesday to Friday, Lucy is in pre-school which means I drop off and pick up Ella first and then make the 5 minute car journey to Lucy's nursery to drop her off or pick her up.   The mornings are generally fine, as Ella has to be in school for 8.55am at the latest and then Lucy's drop off is 9-9.15am which gives me plenty of time to drop them both off without rushing or worrying either will be late.   Pick-ups are a little differe ..read more

I will write more about 'A World Without Down's/NIPT soon - need some time to gather my thoughts first (and I've got a poorly Ella to look after at the moment!).  The following post is cobbled together from my Facebook posts over the last few days... Alternatively you could read 'Losing Down's Syndrome?' - a post I wrote earlier in the year. Many of you may have noticed that Down’s Syndrome is big news at the moment. Something that I'm sure you know is important to me. This is the week that Sally Philips’ important documentary is due to air. She will explore the ethical issues and quest ..read more

I'm still struggling with getting back into the school routine.  Mornings particularly are a hectic and stressful time of day for me - as they probably are in most houses where school age children live.   Ian leaves for work at 7am so most days I am left to get everyone else fed, dressed, organised and out the door for school at 8.30am.  The clock seems to go at superspeed during that hour and a half in the morning. Once again, this morning 8.30 came around quicker than I was expecting.  Ella was wondering round chewing her toothbrush I'd given her a good 15 minutes earli ..read more

When Ella was a baby, one of many things we were told (that subsequently turned out not to be the case), was that as she had Down's Syndrome she would teeth later than other babies and when they did start appearing, they would take longer and come through in the wrong order.   I didn't get any teeth until I was 15 months so had visions of Ella being toothless well into toddler-hood.  In reality, she cut her first tooth at about 6.5 months old and then continued to get all her teeth by the age of about 2.5/3years old.  We were also told that she may be late to lose her baby teet ..read more