Hello, Hey, Hi there…
My very first blog post. Hopefully the first of many. I kinda wish it was acceptable to use emoji’s in blog posts as that’s how I convey most of my emotion (insert scream emoji here) but I guess I’ll have to be grown up and use my words (insert eyeroll emjoi here. Last time I do that, promise).
I’m going to get it all out in the open and say that I am in no way a writer. At all. I think I got a B in GCSE English and then left it at that. I use a lot of slang, don’t know how to use a semi colon and usually only talk about kids, fashion and food.
This first post is a follow on from the About Us page (if you haven’t had the chance to read it, go check it out).
Becoming a Stay At Home Mama
Our little, blonde bundle of baby was born in 2016 and we decided to name him Ted. He also goes by the nicknames of Tiny, Toddler T and Tiny Terror. It was my full intention to go back to work after a year of loveliness with the tiny one. I looked around nurseries, prepared for my back to work interview (thanks @mother_pukka and Flex Appeal) and even started thinking what appropriate office wear was (definitely not my fav ASOS Mom jeans and a slightly Ella’s Kitchen stained basic tee). I assumed I would be welcomed back with open arms, with senior management happy to accommodate my request for a part time role.
I was wrong.
It turned out, even after all my research and spending a ridiculous amount of time writing my back to work proposal, it’s a lot harder than I thought to go back to your old job after having a baby. To be fair to my old work place, I wasn’t budging with my requests. It was part time or nothing for me. So, when they kindly told me that I could work a four day week doing my old job, but for less pay. Lets just say I told them a HELL NO and got out of there.
I hadn’t prepared myself for being a SAHM. It had never even crossed my mind that that’s what I would end up doing. Friend’s would ask me what it was like and I'd surprise myself. I would honestly tell them that I loved it. And I really did (and do). Getting to hang out with Ted everyday, to take him to the park, to go to lunch really made me so, so happy.
Sure, it was also mega hard. Being around that tiny dream boat was like a rollercoaster of emotions. Then came the sleep regression, the nap transitions and the all round douche bag phase that seemed to raise it’s unwanted head at sixteen months. Luckily though, the fun times kept on happening and me and Ted spent the next year exploring London, making new Mama friends and spending our first summer together in the sunshine.
Relocation, relocation, relocation
Fast forward to now and a whole lot of things have changed. Firstly, we moved out of London. A massive decision for us, as London had been our home for the past five years. It was where we go married, where Ted was born and where we called home. What was not there however was family. Sure, we were surrounded by loads of amazing friends, but when you have a four months old who’s going through their first sleep regression (I can still remember it VERY vividly) all you really want is your Mum. Or your Dad. Or your MIL. Or just someone who will look after your baby for the night so you can go and sleep in a hotel and get a whole nights sleep (we actually did this. It was pure bliss).
Our family all lives in the South West, which isn’t too far to travel when its just you. But when you have a lil baby who gets car sick and it takes two hours to get out of central London it seems like forever away. On one particularly bad car journey back to see the fam (five hours to get to Cheltenham and the Duke of Puke aka Ted was sick six times) we decided then and there that we were moving back to Bristol. It was probably the easiest and quickest decision that we’ve ever made. We decided just before Christmas that we were going to be moving back, and by the end of February we had made it happen.
We’ve been back in Bristol five months and I can confidently say that it’s been the best thing for us as a family. Ted starting nursery one day a week has given me the time to turn What Ted Wore from an Instagram page into a website and online shop. Being so much closer to family has meant that not only do we get more toddler free nights out (yaaaaas!) and prosecco lunch dates with my Mum, but also a bigger support network which is actually the shiz.
And Bristol. The beautiful city of Bristol has given me the most wonderful inspiration and the most colourful backdrop for our first photoshoot. Not only has it been a great city to transition to after London (it's got SO much fun stuff going on), it's also given me the much needed self confidence boost to get this whole thing going. This first one's for you Bristol, you total mega babe.
Big loves,
Lucy (and Ted) x