Scary!

University is a scary prospect, especially when you're a parent - how will you manage to put all the hours of study in while still looking after your little monkey? As many of you may know, I want to make it work; life won't get the better of me and I will get through a degree.

However, before I am able to do so, I need to actually get onto a uni course. I am looking at Interior Design courses, as I have always had a great interest in 'designing' rooms - I say it like that as when I was younger my idea of designing was scouring the Argos catalouge for pictures of furniture and decorations that I liked. I have to admit, I do still do this now! When my parents were ever wanting anything from Argos they would just ask me and I would find it in the catalouge in a flash, I was the Argos Queen!

Before I had Willow, I used to dream about going to the University of Massachusets, and in my head it was a reality but unfortunately becoming a parent changes your plans. Now, I am limited to the choice of 3 unis: Portsmouth, Southampton and Southampton Solent, just because of the fact that I don't want to move away from home and the brilliant support network I have here, not just yet.

If I could, I would love to go to Richmond University, I don't know why. I think I just love the idea of a degree that is acceptable both here, and in the US, 'cause you never know, I might just move to the US one day...

Open days are fast approaching for the uni's that I want to look at, which is very scary. I'm so far planned to go to three open days, so I will report back on how those go.

Much Love,
Young Mummy xxx

What I Never Expected When Expecting

As regular readers will know, I didn't have the longest of pregnancies, in fact it was only three week long. No, my chile was not a miracle baby and didn't survive being born as a fetus. Nope, that wasn't it - I didn't find out that I was pregnant until six weeks before baby was due.

Three weeks down the line I found myself laid in a hospital bed looking at my gorgeous little doll - it didn't seem real. It's incredible how life-changing giving birth can be. One minute you're thinking about babies and nothing seems like a reality, the next moment you are a parent.

Here's the four things I didn't expect when I was expecting:

1. Under the ribs pains
2. Stretch marks - my poor beautiful bod!
3. Sleepless nights - <3 my V pillow!
4. Increased and unexpected bowel movements in labour...

It's incredible how most pregnancies experience the first 3 on the list, and the day I found out I was pregnant I was experiencing all of these! Most parents probably expect these things, but not knowing anything about pregnancy I knew nothing! How my body wasn't experiencing these for the first 33 weeks of being pregnant is a mystery, 'cause the day I found out I then experienced all of these.

I will never forget my Mum's wise wordsd: "When you need a poo and you need it now then the baby is on it's way." Anyway, I won't go into detail on that point as I'm sure not many of you are interested in reading much more about my excrement...

Much love beauties,
Young Mummy xxx

The Name She Nearly Was

Willow wasn't always going to be called Willow you know! Nope, at some point in my incredibly long pregnancy (if you don't know my story you can read it here) Tyler and I decided on the name Rosa. And that was that, we started calling my belly Rosa instead of 'Bump' and I guess it sounded right.

However that didn't stick. For some incredibly strange reason, once I held my gorgeous girl in my arms I called her Willow. Poor Tyler, he was a little confused about this! I didn't consult him on the choice, which I suppose was a little mean, but hey it's happened now. The poor guy was calling her RoWillow for days - I didn't mean to confuse anyone, honest!

Anyway, once Willow Smith's song 'Whip your hair' came on, instantly I knew why I had chosen the name. Willow had an incredible amount of hair!

Would love to hear your 'The name they nearly were' stories! If I were a boy, I wouldn't have had a name, guess it's a good job I am actually a girl and could be called Elle...

Comment away!

Much Love
xxx




Thanks to Mama Kat for the lovely writing prompts. I have been subscribed for a while to her weekly prompts email, but this is the first post I have ever written after being inspired. :)

Young Mums Rule

I came across a new blog today - it's lovely.

This post specifically really made me think - is this why I seem so much more motivated about school than some people?

This picture is from my GCSE results day, the day I found out actually how well I had done! I got 4 A's and 5 B's, I was sooo proud of myself, and it seemed that Willow and everyone else was too!

Much love guys xxxx

From now on, I promise I will be posting more frequently!


http://www.theyoungmommylife.com/2012/05/30/student-mama-young-moms-have-the-advantage-in-the-classroom/

Can Kids Walk Dogs Alone?

Mine can! And she's only a year old, really clever she is. Well ok, she might have been sat in the pushchair that I was pushing and keeping a very watchful eye on both her and the dog, but she did it! All the way to the wreck and back (which is only about 10 minutes walk in total..) Willow held the dogs lead. And we had a very well behaved dog aswell, she didn't pull the slightest. So here are some pictures from our lovely walkies:

Fellow Mummy Blogger

Hi all,

Sorry I have been absolutely useless and haven't posted for ages, but life has been a little hectic! Exam season is nearly over, and my god I can't wait until I've finished my final exam (this afternoon) :D

I have been keeping up to date on everyone elses blogs, just a bit useless when it comes to actually posting on my own.. how peculiar.

Anyhow, the reason for this post is I have just come across a fellow Young Mummy blogger, who lives about 20 minutes away from me! She is 16, and sounds like she is going through all I've been through, so show this lovely lady some support and visit her. She's called Shannon, and you can find her blog here. It's called 'We Don't Remember Days, We Remember Moments'. 

Much Love,
Young Mummy xxx

http://remembermoments-shannonpearce.blogspot.co.uk/

Camper Comp

www.volksisle.com

If you are a regular reader, then you will know that I've just began a new business with my Mummy. We are running a competition, one lucky family will get money off their holiday! Volksisle is a funky new firm that are hiring out Volkswagen camper vans for your pleasure. The use of our vans is unfortunately limited to the beautiful Isle of Wight due to insurance purposes, however this is not a problem. There are plenty of gorgeous places to visit, and is there really a better place to holiday when we have 60 miles of coastline - think of all the hours on the beach that means.

Carisbrooke Castle

There's plenty of history on this little island. How about visiting Carisbrooke Castle where Charles I was kept prisoner, or Queen Victoria's holiday home, Osbourne House? Both of these beautiful places are both English Heritige sites. Carisbrooke Castle is the home of the islands first set of traffic lights, well there's an interesting fact for you!


So, we are offering one lucky family a chance to get 25% off the cost of their holiday. To enter, simply email elle@volksisle.com  with the answer to this question: "How old was I when I gave birth to my little girly?" Also give me two reasons why your family deserves a holiday. The competition is open from now until midnight on Friday 27th April.  Edit: Competition is now open until midnight on Sunday 29th April. 


Find us on Twitter @VolksIsle and tweet #campercomp 

Go on, enter!

My Bed!

Someone doesn't like hospital food!

So we are home from the hospital now, and boy am I excited to have a sleep in my own bed. However I can't, I don't know why, seeing as I am shattered from this weeks hospital stay!

Willow was finally diagnosed with Pneumonia which is a good explanation for all the coughing and the wheezing. It doesn't quite explain the state that she was in on Wednesday though, so I suppose we'll stick with the first explanation for that - a febrile fit/convulsion.

The past few days have been scary! But for now I better get some sleep, we've got a busy weekend ahead. Firstly we have the first of a series of Caterpillar Music classes in the morning, and then I have all of my work toward my photography exam to complete! I do so hope I get it all finished!

Good Night :) xx

More Hospital Stays

So, the first week that I actually make a blogging schedule due to the amount of school work I have to do, I have to go an break it. And, I've not got any work done either. This is all due to the fact that Willow has been ill. 

We spent 24 hours up in the Childrens ward at our local hospital Sunday and Monday. Yesterday we got home at half 7, by 8.30 we were on our way back up there with our poorly bubby.

Can you imagine how hard it is to keep this on her face?
HARD!

She's had a cold and caught some kind of infection which has caused her airways to become inflammed. This, combined with the horrible cough that she gets due to the fact that she had Whooping Cough nearly a year ago meant that she was really struggling for breath. It's amazing how quickly the struggling can come across though, one minute she is alright, then BAM, the next she is really struggling. 

When we got up to the hospital, the first thing that they did was check her oxygen sats and her heart rate. The poor bubba had only 90% oxygen sats, but that is nothing compared to what she had when she was tiddly. The low oxygen levels meant her heart was racing to pump oxygenated blood around her body, hence the high heart rate. 

Of course, all of this is scary. But one thing is for sure, it's nowhere near as scary as it was the first time round. Now we're getting used to it! Willow is recovering, and is dosed up on steroids, anti-biotics, calpol, ibuprofen and with her inhaler!

That's all for now, I need some sleep!
Young Mummy xx

Photo credit - Rakuten
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Guest Post over at Slummy Single Mummy

Hop over to Slummy Single Mummy to check out the guest post that I wrote for her.

It contains a full story from when I found that I was pregnant, to now! Jo wanted a story that would challenge the view on teen mums, and I hope my post has done!

You can find the post here.

Enjoy!

Young Mummy xx