Hey everyone! So much to catch up on. Sorry if I miss anyone out.
Coco/Bell - my heart skipped a beat reading your posts. Hope all is now well xx
Tooth - Hurray! Knew Joseph would get there when he was ready. Have you read a book called "Baby led weaning" by Gill Rapley? If not, would definitely recommend it. Loved the kitten analogy too
Lolly - A puppy? Are you completely insane? We were actively TTC but those plans are all by the wayside as I am in a horrendously long anovulatory cycle. No AF since Feb

Guess it wasn't meant to be. I would like a sibling for Ava but at the same time I don't have that same drive that I did to have her. If the time is right in a year or so, then who knows, but right now I need to find some work nearer to home. Gorgeous photo of your gorgeous girls x
Bean - love the tattoo, the blue is cool.
Kelly - Wow. What success! So pleased for you. Lolly is right. We all have to do what we believe is best for our little ones.
Sigh - hope the swing breaking is a blessing in disguise. Sorry - no ideas you haven't already thought of.
Chloe - that photo is priceless! Scooby - yours too x
BLW - we started on purées which Ava loved. However, at 6 months she became much more independent and was desperate to feed herself. Despite my initial anxieties, I LOVE BLW. It's so much easier, especially for eating out and she enjoys it much more too. Incredibly her dexterity has improved and she has moved from clumsily chasing a bit of pepper around the table to deftly picking up a rasperry! At first it was all about exploration but there is now serious eating going on. We ate out On Saturday. I had taken loads of finger foods (sweet potato, rice cake, parsnip, carrot, melon, strawberry, mango etc) which she ate and then had some salmon, haddock, chicken, courgette and aubergine from everyone else's plates. Lolly - same going on with dropping the milk feeds here too. She only really has long milk feeds before her 2 naps, before bed and in the night (aargh!). She's much more interested in food than milk now but she's gaining weight nicely so Im not concerned. I read that this usually happens around 9 months though so don't worry if you have LO's who prefer to play and explore. Milk is still the primary source of nutrition for the first year......
Big hugs to those with interfering family. You all have far more patience than me xxx