A year of memories

I'll start with the good old cliché that this year has went by in an absolute flash. It has been the busiest year of my entire life - a complete roller coaster ride of ups and downs, but one which I wouldn't change for the world. As we close the door on 2018, I thought it would be nice to share some of my highlights from the year gone by.

In January, we saw in the new year with a few days away at Meiklebob holiday lodges in Dumfries with our friends. I worked the final few weeks before my maternity leave started on a film with Artist Rachel Maclean, and had to leave the job a week earlier than planned due to pulling a muscle in my back (I resembled a beached whale by this point, and felt like shit, so it was probably a blessing in disguise)

In February, after finishing work up early my friends and family threw me a lovely baby shower in Pete's shop... and three days later Reuben made his arrival! I had developed pre eclampsia, had to get an emergency c-section as he was still breech, and this little pudding weighed a hefty 8 pounds 10 ounces despite being three weeks early. Me and Pete also celebrated our 3 year anniversary!

In March we were still very much adjusting to life as new parents. Reuben had a newborn photoshoot (which I'm really glad I ended up doing, I'll treasure those pictures forever) and I had my very first Mothers Day. I got to meet old school blogging buddies Lil and Jen when they visited Glasgow, and in a bid to feel more 'me' I went to Blow and got my blonde hair back.

April saw my first night out (and first hangover) since having Reuben. I had a lovely spa day with Ashley at Gleddoch House Hotel, and Reuben went to the Childrens hospital for a hip scan which came back all clear, thankfully.

May brought a lot of exciting new firsts for Reuben, and we started getting out and about together more. This is the point where I started to feel like I'd recovered from the c-section and also had the confidence to drive places with Reuben. We took him swimming for the first time, he attended his first blog event at Braehead, and we also went to Drag Queen Story Time for the first time too!

June felt like a month long celebration for my 29th birthday! I saw Katy Perry and Beyonce/Jay Z in concert, got my nails done at the new Naf Salon, and had a night out on the town with the girls for my birthday.

In July, I had a little cameo on BBC Supershoppers reviewing some skincare products. I got my tattooed eyebrows their yearly top up, went on my first Punky Moms UK night out, and stayed the night at Loch Green in Troon for Pete's brothers wedding.

In August, we bought and moved into our very first family home! We spent most of the month organising and unpacking - with an extra sigh of relief as my Mum lives just 5 mins down the road from us now. Making the move out here has been the best decision for us, and although I do miss the city at times I love having more space here and a big garden for Bronson to explore.

By September we were STILL unpacking and getting settled into the new house. Most of my best friends live nearby which has been a godsend for catch ups and baby dates. Oh, and this is the month where one of my closest friends Heather gave birth to her beautiful baby girl, Violet.

In October, I took my little sister Tyler down to London for the BTS gig. We spent a couple of days exploring the city and she loved it. I also now love k-pop, whooda thunk it?! I also went to another Punky Moms meet at the M&D's pumpkin festival. We dressed Reuben up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween, and Bronson was a ghost, LOL.

November was a pretty tough month. My Uncle had a heart attack, and my Papa had a bad accident which landed him in hospital. It brought us closer as a family, as we all rallied together to get a care plan in place for him and make life as easy for my Gran and Papa as possible. Reuben visited Santa, and went to a soft play for the first time, and this month saw the official end of my maternity leave.

And finally, December. This month, my darling Binx left us to stay with a new family, and I am so over the moon that he is happy and thriving in his brand new home. My friend Katrina came back from Australia for the first time in two years, and it's been amazing catching up and being able to introduce her to Reuben. We celebrated Reuben's first Christmas, in our new home, surrounded by family and more importantly surrounded by love. Tonight me and Pete are going to have a quiet night at home for the bells, and today it's been emotional reflecting on what the past year has been like.

Right now I feel in a pretty good place when it comes to my mental and physical health. I'm kinder to myself, and I can mostly put this down to becoming a Mum and completely changing my outlook on life - along with the things I do and don't give a fuck about. In looking after a baby, I also look after myself more. I learn more about myself every single day, and rather than fighting change I have learned to embrace it. I have good people around me, and I've learned the hard way that sometimes you need to say goodbye to the people or situations who drag you down. 2018 has been a year of growth, that's probably the best way I can explain it in a nutshell. With lots of exciting plans and milestones on the horizon for 2019, I can confidently say for the first time in forever that there's no place I'd rather be ♥