I started 2019 38 weeks pregnant so I knew I was going to have a baby very soon. All Christmas decorations were down, loose ends of work tied up and a lazy attempt at a hospital bag packed as I was hoping for a home birth. I wasn’t expecting Baby Boy's arrival until after my due date (like his sisters), but he surprised me by coming at 39 weeks. I got the home birth I wanted and he even managed to time his arrival perfectly so that my contractions didn’t ramp up until after the girls were asleep and they slept through it all!

My Family In 2019

As is the way with babies our year has been pretty dominated by Baby Boy. He isn’t the easiest baby and he spent pretty much all of the first 3 months crying. As he has got older Baby Boy has been happier, but a standard day still involves him crying a fair bit and him being held a lot.

Little turned 3 at the beginning of the year and she has grown from a toddler to a chatty, funny preschooler. My little ray of sunshine must have heard about “threenagers” and she has been embracing the concept with tantrums, tears and an ever growing independent streak. She makes us laugh all the time and she loves cuddles.

M turned 8 and seems more grown up than ever. She has been a huge help with her younger siblings and she absolutely adores Baby Boy, mainly because he is too small to take many of her toys yet (we spotted a similar theme when her sister was a baby). 

M still has a fiery temper and also increasingly obvious anxiety, but she is more in control than when she was younger which I am grateful for. I don’t know if it is her age or Karate, but I am loving the result and I will continue to work with her to try and prevent the outbursts (that both she and I have regularly).

A difficult baby can be hard on a relationship even without 2 other children or a stressful job, G and I are doing ok though. We don’t spend as much time together as we would like, but this Christmas break has shown us we still make each other laugh, can talk well and love each other.

Work Life in 2019

Financially it has been a tough year. 3 children mean more expenses and I have earned less than the year before because I haven’t had the time or head space. We have been lucky to receive second hand clothes from friends and family and have had a lot of support too. I’m hoping 2020 will be easier and maybe Baby Boy will start sleeping to give me more time to focus on work.

I didn’t set any goals for work in 2019 beyond keeping my blog and social media ticking over. It’s been a mixed year with some months where I earned nothing and some where I exceeded my financial target several times over. There have been great campaigns with my photography being used by Pampers, an ambassador role with Konfidence, collaborations with household names like Knorr and shopDisney and lots of brilliant days out locally including an ongoing relationship with Marsh Farm which the girls have absolutely loved visiting.

It has been great to get more recognition for my blog with a growth across all social media and even being interviewed about my blog on the local BBC radio station. It has been strange, but lovely to be recognised at several events and I've had some great PR agencies contact me to work together. I've also been asked to write guest posts for a few websites. I'm proud of what I have achieved in 2019 and I'm really excited for what I can do in 2020.

Our Personal Blogging Highlights Of The Year?

G’s highlight from my blogging year was meeting the Cookie Monster and Gonger back in April, it was one of the few times I have been allowed to share photographs of him! The girls have loved all the toy reviews and days out they have had throughout the year. Me? Well blogging gives me so much. It has helped me with gifts, products, days out and money I wouldn’t have been able to afford this year, it has given me friendships that have supported me throughout the year and it has provided me with an outlet for my frustrations and creativity which can be a challenge for any stay at home mum. I also love it when readers have reached out to me and let me know how I have helped them: anything from making them feel more normal to buying something after seeing my review. I love blogging and I am grateful for everything I get from it.

Thank you to everyone who reads my blogs and social media. I hope you have a great 2020.