307.

As of yesterday, another one of our holiday is booked!
Obviously summer season were out of question so I chose September for this two weeks family outings for more than one reasons. Firstly, Lileeva will most likely to be walking by then (Fingers crossed!) which should make our lives easier, knowing how mobile she is. We can't really have her crawling around in a restaurant for example. Secondly, more or less I'm planning her to be potty trained by then. See how that will work out though... Thirdly, the weather is still nice then, and with the season over, the prices are a tiny bit lower.
This time the three of us are going to Rome for 10 days and to Budapest straight after for another 4 days.
We were hesitating about the destination, mainly because Lileeva is yet too small for example Disneyland, but is too big to get bored easily. Furthermore, both me and Lee prefer holidays where are things to do and places to see rather than sitting by the hotel's pool all day long.
I always wanted to go to Rome, Vatican City and their catholic culture especially among my interests, even though I'm not a believer in the so called 'one and only' God. In fact I'm leaning towards the Illuminati view, Dan Brown's Angels & Demons and all that haha! Playing Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and learning Italian in school also helped me decide about the destination.
And of course, it will be awesome to see my family and friends at the end of our trip. I even have a guess about my mum and nan wanting to spend as much time with Lileeva as they can, so perhaps me and Lee will have bit of a free time together, for the change.
I really can not wait now!

306.

My baby is very poorly. She's over the snotty nose but her chesty cough has gotten worse. It's so bad that she coughs while asleep, and wakes up for the pain crying. Therefore we have a sleepless night ahead of us.
I've tried everything I could possibly think of. CalPol before bath, sniffle-snuffle rub on chest and back, warm milk before bed, a teaspoonful of honey when she woke up crying for the third time, then some melted vapour rub in a bowl of boiling water in her room. This seemed to be worked for a little while.
I never believed when my mum said the same to me, but now I can 100% relate; I just wish I could swap with Lileeva, wish I could take and suffer her pain in return of her feeling better.
She seems to be settling with the soya products! We had a messy nappy day since I cut dairy out of her diet, but it was a one off thing so I'm not too concerned.
Went to visit Nicole on Thursday and she said Lileeva being independent is clearly visible. She knows what she wants, and she's going for it, 'telling off' people standing in her way.
With other words: She's incredibly demanding. I obviously love the fact that she knows what she wants, but per usual, whatever she usually wants are forbidden. Knives, plugs or a bottle of bleach. Damn do I dare and tell her off! She throws a screaming fit right away. Quite annoying, really, but I know the best I can do is act apathetic, otherwise she gets used to acting like a spoilt doll when she wants another candy/toy/outfit/whatever else.
She's also learning very quick. This week only, she managed to unplug the charger from the wall socket (Another risk factor, hallelujah!) and figured how to open the washing machine. Kind of scary, if you think about it. They just watch, explore and learn. I'm terrified of showing/teaching her bad examples, with my everyday activities, without actually realising it. Little things like shouting at the cat or sitting on my phone way too long and too often.
Me and Lee have watched a few videos of her, from the very beginning, and looking back, I honestly can't remember her being like that. Short hair, chubby face, fully dependent on us versus the cheeky, long haired beauty with a temper.
Regardless the hard times I'm having with her every now and then, in my eyes, she's truly amazing.

305.

Sleep deprivation makes my life hell currently.
Not really Lileeva related, maybe on terms of having to pull myself through each day and she might experiencing a moody mummy lately. I'm trying my best against it though.
I learnt to accept my earplug addiction and the fact that I never will be the person who goes to bed at 09pm and wakes up fresh as a daisy, ready for life at 05am.
But the fact that I'm unable to sleep next to Lee is ridiculous! I can't even blame him for it, since he's sleeping pretty much on the edge, while I'm taking over the bed, plus stealing one of his pillows and most of the duvet too. It's coming up two and a half year since we've been together and I only slept in the same bed at the same time as him for 9 months, throughout my pregnancy. Beforehand I had my own apartment, and after having Lileeva I had to transfer to a 'day person' and I'm finding it very difficult to adapt again.
I know it will get easier. It just has to.
But as of now, I've pretty much not slept for 2 weeks now. I go to bed a couple of hours before Lee, laying there still awake when he comes in. I drop off around midnight, just to wake up at 03am for my back aching. Or not being able to get comfortable. I obviously don't want to fidget a lot, in case I woke him up, but this just makes me even more conscious about how uncomfortable I am. If I did drop back off, I either have crazy dreams, or Lileeva's cough wakes me or in fact, Lee's snoring does. Either way, I wake up every hour from then on until 07am when I finally get up.
I could and did have afternoon naps with Lileeva, but that just resulted me staying awake for even longer and sleeping less during the night.
Therefore my new technique is sucking it up (Just when I was trying to cut down on coffee, obviously.), and after a couple of days I'm so utterly exhausted that I do pass out around 10pm and only wake up at 05am. That, or sleeping on the sofa in the living room, where the cat never leaves me alone, and one of the streetlights shines straight into my face.
It has to get easier.

304.

Pancake day!
Regardless me feeling much worse this morning, I made my way to Tesco and bought some pancakes. Just for the sake of it. Until next month I only own a massive frying pan which makes it impossible to make pancakes. That's my excuse anyway.
We had a lovely, boob looking, calorie and sugar filled lunch today. With cherry on top. Quite literally.

I meant to post about being suspicious of Lileeva teething again, due to some serious dribbling, drooling, and biting on fingers. Looking into her mouth today I came to realise all four of her 'vampire teeth' have cut through already, in fact, the top ones are almost entirely out! Not sure when did it all happen, a couple of weeks ago they were nowhere near to be seen.
So that's us, only four more milk teeth to go and we are done until she's 6. According to the teething chart anyway.
Since Lileeva looks like she's doing better, I probably will take her to a baby group tomorrow. I hate staying indoors for days, no matter me feeling rubbish. We were invited for a toddler-mummy 'party' on Friday to Birgit's, Giulia's mum, but it's been cancelled so I shall make that a baby group day as well.
Wonder if being among toddlers will encourage Lileeva to walk more. I keep catching her with the corner of my eye making little trips by herself between the chairs and walls, but as soon as I turn my head towards her, she just drops on the floor, smiles and crawls away. Little shy puppy.

303.

Both Lileeva and I have bit of a cold, it's snowing today and freezing, so I awarded us with an official pyjama and cartoons day.
I also have a subtle suspicion that Lileeva is lactose intolerant too. We give her whole milk at least once, but usually twice daily, with her morning porridge and a bottle before bed. Lately, and I mean the past couple of weeks, every nappy of hers I changed contained nasty diarrhoeal poos. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with her diet or food I'm giving her, after all I've been feeding her with whatever we eat for almost a year. She was doing good on cow's milk too up until recently.
However Lileeva might only have toddler's diarrhoea, which is apparently more common than becoming lactose intolerant this young. Either way, as of last night she's on full fat soya milk and will stop feeding her with yoghurt for at least a week or so, just to make sure. So far her bowels seem to like the idea.

We are the first week down of Lee's new shifts and we all are loving it! Regular 'normal' hours done good on his moods therefor it done good for our family life too. It's one, 100% happy household.
On other news, I have a busy week behind me. Made new friends and ditched old ones. Some people are just so judgmental and two faced, thinking since I'm a mum I'm not allowed to have fun anymore. Long story short, I don't need these kind of fake friends or negativity in my life.
Now to make a cup of tea and snuggle up with my princess under the duvet and watch Peppa Pig marathon. Loving it!

302.

These afternoon naps do me so well!
Lileeva might be waking up earlier lately, but is having nice and sometimes fairly long after lunch kips. We put her down around 07pm and she wakes up about 0730am so it's still an amazing night time stretch, and as of the afternoon, anywhere between one to three hours! I came to realise just now, this interval may be depending on her lunch... When I give her fruits she tends to have shorter sleeps, due to their high sugar content maybe?! Either way, I've always been a better sleeper during the day, and since I started to work out 'properly' in the mornings I do need that little lay down after getting home from a noisy baby group.
Speaking of which, today's experience was much better than the other week's. Even that old lady made an effort and tried to have a conversation with me. Then half way through the session the mum walked in with her daughter, Julia, whom I kind of became friends with a year or so ago when I took Lileeva to baby massage regularly, then due to moving I haven't seen them since. Probably her being friendly with me and the fact that she knew most of the mums already helped them to accept me once and for all. I do understand that people judge by the looks of someone, but having tattoos and countless piercings should not mean I'm a bad person. We changed numbers with Birgit which I wished I've done when leaving the baby massage, so I'm quite happy about making an old-new mum friend.
History and society makes me laugh though sometimes. Where you are from, does have a meaning and is a subject of judgement, good or bad to others. I personally (Excuse if I offend you, couldn't care less really.) don't really like the French. Regardless our history and how I've been raised, I tried to befriend a few, but it never turned out good. I'm not big on their language either. As of Polish and Hungarians, I don't trust them. Heck, I don't even trust myself! Birgit is German and when she found out I was Hungarian her face lit up and said 'Oh cool, so we are 'friends'!' haha I like and share her thinking!
I have a busy schedule for next week, I can't wait. It's all planned.
Tomorrow I'm going to Nicole's again. Definitely less alcohol and getting home in time though haha!
Sunday we will be having a family time and will try to make Lee switch from nights to days.
Monday will be his first day! My friend Gemma is coming over to see me during the day time. Depending how things go, I might drag her along to check out a baby group with us.
Tuesday I'm going to see Kali and Loki and to possibly another baby group or two. Feels like I haven't seen them forever!
Wednesday is a baby group time too, might go to an afternoon one as well.
Thursday Danielle supposed to come and see me, if she couldn't make it I perhaps shall arrange Nicole to come by with Virág.
Friday morning is baby group time again, and possibly going to see Lee's parents after. Might even trade Lileeva, and see if we can have a free weekend with Lee. The first in a long long time!