Blogger Photography- Update.

So it's been a few weeks or so since I decided to take the photography side of my blog and life in general for that matter a little more seriously and start using a more capable camera.

After choosing to shoot with a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses hubby has been very supportive and let me have a play with his Fuji X-E2, his pancake & zoom lenses.

I've got a nice supportive neck strap and protective camera bag to keep all the photography gear clean, safe and be able to carry it round with me with two kids in tow.

Since then I've had the chance to take some photographs in different environments, at home, out for dinner and at the play park and I must say I'm feeling rather happy with the results.

I've had to change the way I photograph in the sense that I can't just click away hoping to capture everything. I fear action and moving subjects more so than before but I do keep practising. Instead I now spot a 'photo' moment and aim for it. Don't get me wrong I still take a couple of shots and am indeed working on my focusing but I find myself concentrating more on the shot at hand and what I'm trying to capture.

I adore some of theses images and am really starting to enjoy my new hobby:

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates as next month I will be working on my first collaboration here at Bebe bear and will be featuring some great products here on the blog with a distinct pictorial theme.

Trendy Tot Thursday- My Cool Aviator Jacket.

I am so glad to be joining in with this weeks link up for Trendy Tot Thursday as the winter wear is approaching our high street stores.

Oscar has quite a few coats including a matching duffle coat to Daddy's and they usually come up big in size, but he appears to be gradually outgrowing them (still squeezing into 9-12 months) so we've been on the look out for something new. I'll be honest my eyes lit up when I saw this coat, it is just too cute for words.

Here are a few snaps I captured of his new wardrobe piece whilst we went for a family dinner:

Its imitation brown leather featuring a soft white pile collar and applique on the front and two patch pockets with button press studs.

He's had lots of lovely comments and quite a few ladies cooing at him as he struts his stuff.

The jacket doesn't feature a hood so it's not ideal for rainy days but for those brisk cold mornings and fresh cool afternoons it's ideal.

It goes perfectly teamed with a pair of jeans and a snuggly jumper.

We found this from the Kids range at H&M , the majority of the children's clothes we snap up at second hand sales, baby booties or buy & sell groups but occassionally we like to treat them and this was one of those occassions.

We think he looks super smart in it (:

Breastfeeding milestones

I am so super proud and pleased with myself to be able to write this post because this week is mine and Lottie's 5th month of exclusive breastfeeding (:

Lottie was born seemingly having 'read all the books' as the midwife said regarding feeding and latching on and went straight to the breast after birth for her first feed. She did have tongue tie and there have been days and weeks where we've been on the edge of giving up but here we are still thriving on mummy's milk.

My son was quite the opposite and struggled to latch at all, was a lazy feeder at the breast and often fell asleep and just suckled on me. Oscar suffered with Colic and had real trouble with settling at night alongside suffering a dairy intolerance which we are still working through to this day.

Lottie on the other hand is what some refer to as an 'efficient feeder'. She feeds in 10-15 minutes rather than 45 mins-1 hr. This all took me by surprise, so when I  saw how keen Lottie was to feed I felt it was my duty to do the very best I could to persevere with breastfeeding as much I could.

I managed to exclusively breast feed Oscar for 6 weeks and then combination feed him (a mix of mainly bottles in the day and breast at night) for 6 months. At the time I felt a bit rubbish about it. I'd suffered an injury which meant the majority of time was spent at hospital or physiotherapy and this made feeding for an hour at a time on the breast near on impossible with the sleepless nights. I was struggling to juggle all my appointments and hours in the hospital waiting rooms with a newborn.

But looking back i'm actually incredibly proud. Most recent UNICEF statistics released in 2012 still state that by 6 months only 1 in one hundred of mums will be exclusively breastfeeding. Even at 6 weeks the rate of exclusive breastfeeding is only around 24% and Oscar I managed it together despite all the obstacles we faced.

Becoming a parent second time around has meant I've been a lot more prepared for what breastfeeding entails and understand its being confident enough to choose the best for you and your baby. After all you know your baby best.

We all get 'breast is best' etched into our thinking even before baby arrives but that doesn't prepare you for the reality of feeding for you or your baby and you must learn and trust in what you feel is best for you both and for the family.

I truly feel I made the right choices for both my children because they were based on their needs, the situation at hand and what worked best for them as individuals to grow, develop and thrive.

I will endeavour to continue exclusively feeding Lottie from the breast until she show signs that she might need otherwise. But currently we are still going strong and it's the most beautiful bond to share (: