First year of being a mummy

Where do I start this blog? Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to Jess, I feel so incredibly lucky to have been chosen by Jess to capture some beautiful timeless memories which we will have to cherish forever & blogs that I can keep to look back on my pregnancy & first year of being a mummy. Im in a complete mix of emotions reflecting on the last year of our gorgeous boy and the little character he is, full of such a cheeky, confident little personality, full of smiles & baby chatter.

I

ow much has changed over those last 3 months before Kobe turned one & how many special moments and milestones we celebrated in those last few months of 2025.

In September I found out that I have been accepted in to my university course so I’m back to uni in February. We had lots more teeth popping through. Trying to enjoy as much of the beautiful sunshine with lots of time outside as possible.

Then the month I had been dreading as my maternity leave finished & I went back to work. I had really debated having longer off with Kobe, but due to all of the rules with being to claim for the “free childcare” I needed to go back to work and be earning 3 months before he was going to start nursery. Luckily, I had annual leave that I could spread out so I ended up only working 1 day a week, which grandad (my dad) looked after Kobe. Then Halloween came! Me & Kyle have never celebrated Halloween & in our old house no one came round to do trick or treating either so we have never bothered. But this year with Kobe and a new house it was my opportunity to get involved in Halloween! We had decorations up in the house, made Halloween crafts, we went pumpkin picking, daddy carved some amazing pumpkins as lion king & Winnie the Pooh! & then we stayed home as Kobe dressed up as Sully to answer the door to trick or treaters .

Kobe took his first solo steps in November after a few months of furniture sofa or walking with assistance – so there is definitely no stopping him now! We also had Kobes first haircut this month, his hair & curls were getting crazy & in his eyes. Wow, how much more grown up does a hair cut make them look! I don’t think we were prepared for that. We also had an impulsive but lovely night away to go & visit Kobes auntie Claire & his big cousins Harry & James who live in Coventry.

Kobe was such a good boy on the journey, slept the majority of the way there & back again & slept so well in the hotel in a travel cot & was lovely to finally get him down there to meet them all. We went to lots of garden centres to see the Christmas decorations and all of the pretty lights too, something I have always loved doing with my Mum. We also started going to a lovely little stay and play group in Hoveton called Lilypads, which Kobe absolutely loves exploring all of the different themes and play stations that are set out.

Then in to the busiest month, lots of Christmas activities, nursery settle sessions, germs, first birthday prep (how is that even possible?!) and Christmas prep. Kobe was poorly for the majority of December – his first proper illnesses. We went through, hand foot & mouth, which he lovingly shared with me haha, coughs, colds, conjunctivitis & he was such a trooper through them.

Kobes first birthday feels like it came around so quickly, but also looking at photos of him as a newborn seems so long ago! I got very emotional setting everything up for him the night before his birthday. A lot of mixed emotions at how lucky we were to have such a cheeky, amazing little boy who has thrived in his first year and also missing my Mum like crazy and wishing more than anything that she was there with us.

We had a little party with a Winnie the Pooh theme in honour of my Mum and invited a couple of friends and their children & my dad over which was so lovely. We then went on the Aylsham bure valley train to go & visit Santa – Kobe absolutely loved the train, popping his head out of the window to watch everything that was happening around him. Christmas again was very bittersweet, Kobe still is at an age where he doesn’t understand Christmas, but I felt I needed to try make it special for him, but again just felt such a loss with my Mum not being there.

Kobe took 3 days to open all of his presents bless him, but was lovely to watch him and enjoy it all (rather than in a few years time where everything is opened and done within a matter of hours – if that haha).

Now for us we are going in to the new year with Kobe starting nursery, me going back to work more hours & then in February me restarting the next part of my university course. I want to focus on us building lots of core memories & taking every opportunity as you really don’t know what life is going to throw at you. I can’t wait to see all of the new milestones that Kobe is going to keep going through and all of the new things that he learns. He is in the copy everything we do stage at the moment, which is the cutest! I still feel like I am the luckiest Mummy in the whole world to have been blessed with such an amazing .

THANK YOU, Carly, for your honest account of Motherhood it has been lovely to have you write blogs for Phoograph Kobe across his first year. You can read all her blogs here.

Blog 6-9 Months – Margot

Month Seven: Flight No.2

Margot’s seventh month kicked off with an exciting trip to Sweden to visit my family. We stayed in a great Airbnb and spent most of our time catching up with distant relatives. Our days were filled with beach outings, visits to an elk farm, poolside fun, and long walks, all under unusually warm September weather. It was in Sweden that Margot truly began to move around. While she didn’t do the traditional crawl, she somehow managed to end up in different spots around the room, whether by rolling, commando crawling, or pulling herself along. This new development meant it was time to put up the baby gates again and be more vigilant about her surroundings, especially with Albie’s non-age-appropriate toys. With Albie’s love for Lego and its tiny pieces, we had to be extra cautious. Thankfully, Albie is incredibly clever and protective, always keeping an eye on Margot and gently removing any small pieces she might pick up. It’s heartwarming to see him being such an amazing big brother.

Month Eight: Our Favourite Season

October is my favourite month of the year. I adore fall, the darker evenings, the cooler temperatures, and the vibrant changing leaves. This October was particularly special as it coincided with Margot turning eight months and our sixth wedding anniversary. We celebrated by spending the day at our family pumpkin place, Algy’s farm. It was surreal to bring Margot to a spot we’ve cherished with Albie for the past four years. October also marked Baby Loss Awareness Week, a time for us to reflect and remember the babies we’ve sadly lost and support our friends who have experienced similar losses. A delightful surprise this month was Margot taking her first steps. She’s only managed two consecutive steps so far, but she’s incredibly steady on her feet. She’s consistently pulling herself up and standing, looking both happy and surprised with herself. It won’t be long before she’s walking properly, just like her big brother, who started walking at the same age.

Month Nine: Tis the Season of Flu

Month nine has been all about the flu… with children, it seems the illnesses never end. We’ve taken it slow this month to rest and recover. Albie and Margot bounce back so quickly, while us parents take a bit longer. The highlight of our month was watching Margot take seven consecutive steps. She’s becoming more confident with each step and looks so proud when she does them. The cutest part is when she’s concentrating so hard, she sticks her tongue out. Albie is loving this stage because he enjoys chasing her around the room and playing catch. It’s the first time I’ve seen them play together properly, and it excites me to see their relationship grow.

Emily  – please check out Emilys other guest blogs here.

Margot’s latest images aged 9 months xx

Carly – motherhood blogger 6-9 month update

6-9 month Kobe update. The most heartbreaking blog update.

My last blog I touched on the fact my Mum had been admitted to hospital & in such a short amount of time between the two blogs, it still doesn’t seem possible or real, but, my Mum, my best friend & the best Nanny to Kobe has passed away.

There were so many times during mums hospital admission & the times she was at home that I felt so torn, the overbearing feel of needing to be the best Mummy to Kobe, but also needing to be there for my Mum & to be the best daughter to her when she needed me the most. This overwhelming feeling more often than not left me feeling that I was failing in both, but ultimately all that Kobe needed was to be with his Mummy and family, to feel that constant love & to spend as much time as he could with his Nanny.

I am so lucky with Kobe that he is just such a content & happy little boy. He just goes with the flow with everything. The amount he has already been through in his short life, with his silent reflux, moving house, losing my Grandad (his great Grandad) & then through my mums secondary cancer diagnosis in May & all of the hospital visits, Kobe just takes it all in his stride.

Kobes weaning journey continues, he loves his food! He hasn’t had a single thing he doesn’t like (yet). Even liking sucking on a slice of lime. I can’t say that I’ve been doing anything in particular with weaning.. I thought I would be doing home cooking & prepping for him, making him lots of tasty treats & doing baby led weaning. But in reality with the way my maternity leave has led us, I’ve barely been at home, I’ve been here, there & everywhere with my Mum so this hasn’t gone as I had “planned”. But, ultimately a fed baby is what is needed and he is happy & thriving. It’s only been in the last few weeks that I have felt I have been able to start to trial making things for him, he absolutely loves my homemade yoghurts for him. Seeing him enjoying things I’ve made for him is such a lovely feeling. Kobe got his first tooth come through at 7 months, it took a little while for his second to come through, but he got his second bottom tooth & two top teeth all at the same time at 8months, the next two are just peeping through as well.

At the end of June Kobe had his first family holiday to sunny Hunny with his Mummy & Daddy. This wasn’t what we had planned as it was meant to be for my parents as well, but with mums diagnosis, my parents didn’t come with us & we were so close to cancelling altogether. But they both still wanted for us to go for Kobe & make some memories for him. It was the most bittersweet holiday. Kobe absolutely loved it, but we were constantly feeling sad for my parents not being with us & feeling like we should be with my Mum. Kobe had so many firsts again, he went in his first playground, on a swing with Mummy, he LOVED the kids club in the evenings, the music & characters. His favourite is people watching! We went swimming everyday, which he gets so so excited for. Went to the sealife centre & the beach where he had his first dip in the sea, chippy chip & ice cream (you just have to at the coast don’t you ) & we even got to feed some duckies as Mummy is a duck whisperer!

We tried to make a lot of memories & normality as much as we could for Kobe, but also so that my Mum could be apart of things with him too. So when we had the beautiful summer weather, Kobe went in his first paddling pool & being such a water baby he loved splashing around & doing bum slams in the water & Mum was able to come outside in the shade & watch him having the time of his life in the water.

After losing my Mum, Kobe has definitely been my rock & my purpose. I really don’t know how I would cope without him. On all of the days I feel like I can’t get up or can’t get through the day, Kobe is my reason & my purpose to keep going. But equally, every little new milestone or question I’ve got I just want to speak to my Mum & so much has changed already. Even silly things like Kobe sitting in a trolley for the first time, his teeth, he’s now clapping, he’s now doing a proper crawl rather than his army commando crawl, he’s now waving hi & bye. Kobe & my Dad are little besties & we have been spending so much time with him. My mums funeral was such a blur, I was determined to stand up & speak in the service & I am so pleased that I did. At the commital Kobe waved goodbye to my Mum .

We also celebrated Daddy’s birthday, his first one as being a Daddy. This fell a few days after my Mums funeral, but I tried my best to make it as special for him as I could, although he’s really never bothered about his birthday, he still deserved a special day & Kobe enjoyed opening daddy’s presents with him. We’ve had some little family days out & went to Taverham Mill to see the highland cows.

Going in to September I am starting some KIT days at work & planning what my next steps are with going back to university & planning childcare/nursery for Kobe. Luckily I’ve got a lot of annual leave to use up, so it will be a slow transition back to work until the new year. I’m trying to find my new version of a ‘normality’, I’ve started getting back in to seeing friends again, we had our first soft play play date with one of my friends & her little boy.

It seems so surreal that I am planning things for Kobe without my Mum being there or being involved, but I know she would want me to carry on doing things for Kobe. The thought of Christmas and Kobes first birthday without her breaks my heart, but I know I need to put my feelings aside to try & make it as special as possible for him & I know with all of the butterflies & robin visiting in my garden that she is here with us 

Motherhood blog- Kobe 6 months update

Wow. How are we already at 6 months? When people say time flies with a baby, they are not kidding.

We started Kobe in weekly baby swimming lessons at 12 weeks old. He has absolutely loved water since his very first bath & we have both wanted for Kobe to feel happy and confident in water & eventually learn to swim. Watching his absolute love of the water is just purely magical. His little face light up as soon as he is near the water and splashing around like crazy is just heartwarming to see and be a part of.

At 13 weeks Kobe started to change & I knew something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t really work out exactly what. But my once very chilled, content little baby was suddenly really fussy, upset, refusing breast milk & started a horrible ear piercing scream. I took him to the doctors & felt so silly for saying “I know he’s 13 weeks old, so I don’t know how I can say this isn’t his ‘normal’ but it’s not for him” but I just knew something was wrong – that good ol mothers instinct. Kobe was diagnosed with silent reflux & given medication & it made such a huge difference so quickly & our happy little boy was back to himself in no time

People say some of the most stressful times in your life as planning your wedding, having a baby & moving house. So in our craziness we decided at the end of May when Kobe was just under 6 months to move house. Trying to pack boxes & declutter a house, while looking after a nearly 6 month old baby, who is just trying to start to crawl constantly was not something I ever want to repeat in a hurry and I would not recommend. But, that being said all of the stress, exhausting ourselves with the move, was so so worth it in the end. As soon as we got moved in, Kobe started to commando crawl everywhere & I was shocked by how speedy he is so we have now had to baby proof everything! As soon as we think we have baby proofed enough for a little while, something else changes & he has already started pulling himself up in to standing.

Kobe also completed his first 10k race for life with his Mummy and Daddy for his Nanny who was meant to be joining us & also his great grandad who passed away in January. Kobes Nanny (my Mum) had been admitted to hospital at the beginning of May so wasn’t able to take part with us. So during the preparing for a housemove, we had visits to the hospital nearly every day visiting Mum/Nanny.

These 3 months there has been so many ‘firsts’. My first birthday as a Mummy. First Mother’s Day as Kobes Mummy. Kobes first Easter. House move, commando crawling, & he had his very few first tastes of food at 6 months. Kobe outgrowing his pram & having to move into his big boy pushchair was also something that I didn’t realise would make me so emotional! Still adoring being a Mummy to my little miracle.

You can read Carly’s other blogs here 

The Fourth Trimester: 0–3 Months with Margot

The Fourth Trimester

Three months.
84 days.
2,016 hours.
120,960 minutes.
7,257,600 seconds.

Gone in a blink.

It’s hard to believe it’s been three months since we welcomed Margot into our lives. These early weeks have been filled with love, change, and a fair share of challenges. Here’s a look back at how the journey’s unfolded so far.

Month One: A Rollercoaster Start

The first few days after my C-section felt surprisingly easy—just like my first experience. I was mobile, in minimal pain, and Margot was a dream sleeper, happy to nap anywhere.

But by day five, things took an unexpected turn. I ended up back in hospital with dangerously high blood pressure (180/110) and a pounding headache. After three nights, I was sent home with two medications to manage it. What followed was a busy blur of medical appointments and family catch-ups.

Our biggest priority was making sure our son adjusted to his new role as a big brother. He’s done it with so much love and tenderness—constantly cuddling and kissing Margot. We’re so proud of him.

Month Two: Finding Our Rhythm 

As much as I didn’t want time to rush by, I was counting down to the six-week mark so I could drive again. Not being able to get out easily was hard—it meant relying on others and finding ways to keep Albie entertained at home.

This month brought more smiles—Margot’s little personality started shining through. She lit up especially for her daddy and big brother, though eventually I got my fair share too! She’s completely fascinated by Albie, tracking his every move with wide eyes and big grins. Their bond is already so special.

Month Three: The Toughest Days Yet

This month has tested us more than I imagined. Margot has been dealing with colic and digestive discomfort, often crying in pain for long stretches. Watching your baby suffer, knowing there’s little you can do to help, is absolutely heartbreaking.

There have been tears—hers and mine—as we try different remedies recommended by our GP, hoping for relief. It’s hard not to feel like I’m failing her, even though I know we’re doing all we can. We just want to see our happy girl again.

These three months have flown by in a haze of newborn snuggles, sibling moments, postpartum healing, and emotional highs and lows. It’s been a journey—messy, beautiful, and deeply humbling.

We’re learning every day, holding onto the bright moments, and growing stronger as a family of four. Here’s to what comes next…

You can read Emilys other blogs here