17/52 + 27/40

It's week 17 and no one can stop these two from moving around, one inside and the other out! We had a busy and tiring week, a bit stressful on the work side, but enjoyable on the family side.

This is you chasing "papus" (as you've been calling dad lately) in Richmond Park

Olivia: she has been unstoppable, running around, shouting and singing out loud. She seems to be having a really good time, interacting with other children, being more and more independent whatever she does. I let her jump into muddy puddles on Friday afternoon after nursery, and although she was wet from top to toe, I think she had the best time. Shame I don't have any pictures of that.

Baby boy: this tiny baby is a very active one. I had my appointment with the midwife this week, and although she couldn't find the heartbeat straight away, she could clearly see him moving! his head is still high up, basically in the upper right side of my rib cage, and that's probably why sometimes it gets a bit uncomfortable when he moves. 

16/52

It's week 16 and we feel truly exhausted after the Easter break! Our move to Rome is getting more complicated than expected (damn you Italian tax system!). Olivia has outgrown her afternoon nap, and when she does have a nap, she doesn't go to bed before 10 pm in the evening. We need some support or we'll go mental. Other than that, I hope you had a lovely Easter holiday!

This is you smiling to the camera on Easter Sunday while eating chips @Nandos

Olivia: Experiencing her tantrums to the fullest this week, but also enjoying her soft and sweet voice when she calls us in the morning after waking up. She loves getting out of her bed and quietly leave the room to go playing on her own (her latest favourite activity is to tidy up the bathroom towels on their rack). And she discovered she loves playing under the sheets, so now we are mastering the art of building blankets forts.

Pick of the Month: April // Easter crafts

1. Blue Easter eggs2. Easter bunny rolls / 3. Easter centerpiece / 4. DIY Easter eggs / 5. Easter gift tags / 6. Tattooed Easter eggs / 7. Fingerprint Easter eggs / 8. Easter handprint art / 9. Easter strawberries

This month I have been feeling very crafty, and although I have no plans, or time, to tackle any craft project, I had fun browsing on pinterest to see what other people are doing. Easter is literally around the corner and it is fun, especially if you have kids, to spend some time during the holidays and get creative (read messy!) together. Eggs painting is probably one of my favourite activities, despite not having it done before. But I bet hand printing is going to be very popular with my little miss who likes to get messy and, fortunately, clean up afterwards!

15/52 + 26/40

Let's just say that it has been a very intense week! And this late post clearly proves it.

Olivia: she keeps surprising me every single day! on Wednesday morning she told me that her dummy was broken and she was going to throw it away. I replied saying that we didn't have a new one to replace it and that if she was going to get rid of it that would have been the end of it, no more dummy! she went ahead anyway and her dummy ended up straight into the bathroom's bin. And that really was the end of it! she only asked for it a couple of times, and we simply reminded her what she has done and she was perfectly fine with our answer. I still am in disbelief, if I think about all the worries and attempts trying to get rid of the dummy. She thought me a very valuable lesson, that there is a time for things to happen naturally, without trauma and stress free. Children are ready when they are ready, I just need to trust my little girl a little bit more. On the other end, she's outgrowing her afternoon nap, and we are truly exhausted!

Baby boy: there's been a lot of movement with week, clearly visible from the outside, too! I'm just hoping it's not just a taste of what is going to be like, otherwise we'll be in trouble. This week this baby boy should be about 36cm long and weight about 750g...I guess all the weight I'm putting on it's not just because I'm eating without control!