Bye Bye 2016

It's been another whirlwind of a year here in the Herridge/Houchin household.  We have had more ups and downs than a bloody theme park ride but somehow we have made it to the end of December and to the start of a fresh new year.

I love reading these sorts of posts, reflecting is one of my favourite things to do. I don't dwell and I don't have regrets I just like to review my journey and work out how on earth I got to where I am today.

In the world of motherhood, this year has been a challenge to say the least! Harry hit two and a half and suddenly all hell broke loose.  It's safe to say the threenage era came a little early and we were experiencing all the tears and tantrums.

He has gone from the prefect sleeper to the all night raver and we still aren't any closer to potty training.  However Harry's speech has come on leaps and bounds, he chats away but finally he's forming words and sentences that actually make sense. He is so close to his peers now that it's hard to believe her spent 14 months in a world of silence. He is so god damn funny, his little quirks make me giggle, however devilish he can be

In 2015 my best friend (also known as my fiancé Scott) had a life threatening brain tumour, had surgery to remove it and then spent 7 weeks back and forth from hospital every day to have radiotherapy. In fact we spent last Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and even New Year's Day there for him to have his treatment. BUT it was all bloody worth it wasn't it.. because he has only gone and had 3 scans which have all been crystal clear - most definitely the absolute best news to come out of 2016.

I hope he knows how proud I am of him. To be diagnosed with such an awful thing at 35 just isn't fair, but he was a hero and you really wouldn't have a clue what his body has been through now. 

And little old me.. I almost lost my life to an ruptured ectopic pregnancy at the beginning of the year but I'm still here to tell the tale.

I then spent an entire blurry summer with my sister in and out of hospitals caring for our very sick dad and fighting the NHS for his right to treatment.

But I had so so many highs to compensate for those crazy heartbreaking times. I saw the QUEEN aka Britney and had one of the best nights ever!  I travelled more this year than ever before. I went to Morocco for my beautiful friends hen party.  Visited Santorini for a toddler free break, and it was the most stunning place I have ever been.  Then of course hopped to Paris with my love who finally asked me the question I have been dying to hear. Getting engaged was a huge huge highlight of 2016.

I also pushed myself waaaaaay out of my comfort zone and put myself in front of the camera again. Believe it or not I cannot stand public speaking and that's how vlogging feels to me at the moment. However I am really proud of myself for jumping in at the deep end and becoming part of a YouTube network called Channel Mum.  After almost joining and backing out twice before, I was shocked when they got in touch again and asked if I was ready to be a part of their tribe.. and this time I said yes and I'm so glad I did! I've met a real great group of gals whom I can actually call my friends and not just in the online sense.

I've never really had goals as such for my blog and channel, I guess I still really don't. I just want to create content that's informative but enjoyable to watch, I have this overwhelming sense of wanting to share all my experiences in the hope that someone out there finds comfort knowing they aren't alone. 

Things I have learnt this year….

• It's OK not to be the perfect Pinterest mum
• I really need my sleep.
• Chocolate bribery is essential 
• Threenagers are WAY harder than terrible twos 
• It's OK to sometimes think that your child is a bit of a dick
• Friendship isn't about who you've known the longest
• My mum tribe is awesome
• Soft play sucks
• I can't run 

So another weird year of super highs and mega lows for us, but I guess that's just life.  I've learnt yet again that I am strong and to make every day count. 

Sure there are things I want to achieve, I want to fill my empty picture frames, get semi-fit, drink more spinach and all that but I'm not really one to make big plans or resolutions.  I just want to enjoy life and the normal'ness of it.  I want to have way more PJ days. I want to meet new friends and squeeze the ones I already have much much more. 

Happy New Year, I hope 2017 is kind to you.  I say stop focusing on life's big plan and live a little.  Make mistakes, have crap days but learn from them. Enjoy the little things

Ta rah 2016, you're the year that was full of surprises.

A New Year & No More Secrets

We are already heading at full force into January and I've written and deleted this post what feels like a thousand times now. Its almost like writing it down means that it happened and it wasn't just a blurry nightmare.  My blog is somewhere I not only give you guys my opinion on certain products, present ideas and updates on Harry's hearing, I also use it as a sort of online diary so to keep secrets from my readers feels like telling a lie. 

Let me start again. Firstly Happy New Year to you (when is the official cut off to stop saying that??!)  I hope your Christmas breaks were spent with your loved ones wherever you may be!

I for one have waved goodbye to the weirdest year of my life, it started off full of fear and anxiety when we put our baby through 6 hours of surgery for his cochlear implants. Then a month later our hearts were bursting with joy when they were switched on and we were high on that insane bubble right through the summer.  But right at the end of the summer, back in August, I received a devastating phone call.  My boyfriend Scott had been rushed to hospital following a seizure and no one could tell me if he was OK.   I managed to get to him within a couple of hours (he was taken to a hospital in another county) and the doctors were sure it was an isolated incident, something that shouldn't reoccur and we shouldn't worry.  Of course we worried but we trusted in their words that nothing seemed to be wrong with Scott and people have seizures sometimes for no reason at all.

Unfortunately they were very wrong as exactly a month later Scott had a second seizure in bed next to me and was taken to hospital yet again.  Obviously this time it was taken a little more seriously and we booked to see a neurologist ASAP to find out what was going on.  That was when we found out the terrifying news that Scott had a brain tumour that needed to be operated on immediately.  The words brain and tumour together are probably some of the worst you can hear and of course every single thought and emotion went through our bodies and we cried for what feels like an eternity

Just 5 emotional days later we travelled down to the Spire hospital in Southampton for him to have his surgery and I'm so happy to say that the operation was a complete success and he was home with Harry and I just 2 days later.  I will never ever forget those tense hours at the hospital pacing the room, waiting for him to be brought back to me safe and well.  When he was finally brought back up to the ward he managed to give me a little thumbs up and a half smile and that’s when I let out that breath I had been holding for god knows how long.

Although the operation was successful our journey didn't quite end there and after a couple of months of healing Scott had to undergo almost 7 weeks of radiotherapy to kill the cells around the area and help prevent the tumour from attempting to grow back.  Travelling down to Southampton every day for him over Christmas was very tiring and time consuming, but he got on with it and did what he had to do.  Despite losing half a head of hair hes managed to stay so positive which I truly believe has helped his body recover from everything that its been through

 Even though he will be monitored regularly and closely, it finally feels like its all over and we can go back to being a happy and normal family of three.  I'm so immensely proud of Scott, its so true that you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice that you have.  If this whole thing has taught me anything it is to love so much harder, to not take life for granted and to enjoy the little things.

I am so excited for the year ahead of us!!  GOODBYE 2015!

Did you face any challenges in 2015?