Twelve years... and one month.

Twelve years ago today, Pete and I promised to love, honour and keep each other, until death us do part.
(At least, I think that's what we promised - we were married in the Dominican Republic, so the ceremony was in Spanish. For all I know, I could have been agreeing to anything. I could even be married to one of the waiters or something...)
Anyway, twelve years down the line - twelve very eventful years, full of joy, sorrow, surprises, shocks, sickness, health, life and death - we're still here, still together, and happier and more in love than ever.
To be honest, we have dealt with more in our dozen years as husband and wife, than many people do in a lifetime, but it has all just pulled us closer together and made us stronger.
Happy anniversary, PT
I love you. xxx
(By the way, this pic wasn't taken at our wedding - it was at the reception Mum and Dad threw for us when we got home. Don't we look young!)

Another big milestone today - Rosie turned one whole month old!

I have absolutely NO idea where the past month has gone - it has flown by far too quickly for my liking. And I think I'm fairly safe in saying that it's only going to go faster and faster.
I've read quite a few blogs by other mums, who are always incredibly organised at documenting what their babies are doing on a month-by-month basis... but those of you who've been reading Charlie-Barley's Baby will know that I'm really not the best when it comes to organised, documentary blogging!
But I'll do my best - and at least the first installment is arriving on the right day!
So - what is Rosie-Posy up to these days? Other than idolising her big brother, as you can see in the slightly blurry picture above...

Well, the health visitor came and weighed her yesterday, and she's currently 11lbs 4.5oz - so she's gained over a pound in 12 days! (I have to say, I'd never realised just how much of a battle it was to get Charlie to gain weight. This is SO common with heart kids, but I remember each week he'd gain maybe an ounce or two, or would stay the same. It was pretty soul-destroying, and I remember hoping that he wouldn't fill his nappy until AFTER he'd been weighed! For us though, it was just the norm, so I'm really enjoying this time with Rosie - it must be so hard for parents who have a heart child AFTER a heart-healthy baby...)
So, on with what Rosie's getting up to - she's still in Newborn size, but only just - all of her babygros are getting a big tight and a bit short in the legs, so I think I'll have to break out the 0-3 month stuff before too long. (Makes me a bit sad in a way - I love her little rainbow babygro, and the minty green one she's wearing in her pics today - Charlie calls her his 'Peppermint Rose' when she wears that one!)
She's already grown out of size 1 nappies, and is now in size 2.
She is a really happy, placid little soul, and - I know everybody says this, but it's true - she hardly ever cries. Charlie has never heard her crying in the night, because she doesn't! If she wakes up, she just chats a bit until I get her out of her crib. During the day she doesn't cry much either - unless I don't feed her pretty pronto when she's hungry.
She eats really well, and is also pretty good at sleeping for someone who's only a month old. She seems to be settling nicely into her own little routine, and tends to have her last feed at about 10.45pm. She'll usually sleep through until about 4am, when she'll feed for about 15-20 minutes and then go straight back to sleep. Then she wakes up at about 7am.
I know this might change at any time, but it really seems pretty civilised for the moment!
Her hair seems to be growing in a bit fairer on the top of her head, so I don't know for sure what she'll eventually end up like. It does have a slightly coppery hue in some lights, so maybe it'll be a bit sandy like my hair. I think her eyes are pretty definitely darkish blue though.
She's starting to like to look at and play with things a bit now - she likes her baby gym, and black and white patterns.
She has a brightly-coloured crinkly dolly and a noisy wobbly pink hippo that she really likes too, and bats at them with her hands. (I'm not sure how intentional it is, but it seems to be happening too often to be totally accidental.)
Like her big brother, Rosie has a bit of a thing for Alfie Boe - on the rare occasion when she does cry, if we turn on his CD, she stops straight away! I do wonder if it's because she heard it so often in utero.
Rosie received her first 'official' letter in the post this morning - her NHS card. It was nice to see her full name 'Miss Rosie Hannah Turner' in black and white - she's well and truly in the system now!
We also had to put in her registration form for playschool today, although she won't be going until just before she's three. The playschool in the village, which Charlie went to, is massively oversubscribed, so you have to get your child's name on the list almost as soon as they are born!
I think that's about it for now - and I need to go and read Charlie's school book with him, so I'll finish this 'Month 1' post with Rosie's latest new skill...

Smiling!What a cutie!