Bethlett .

 10 years...10 long but very fast years!! Okay, I admit, I'm late to the 10 year blog anniversary, like 7 months late haha but I've been busy. I can't quite believe I started writing on here over 10 years ago. About my Dad, who has now been gone 10 years as of only a few days ago! Which is mental. This pocket of space helped me a lot back then, and it continued to help a little while after but it's definitely time for me to say goodbye to this space now. It served me well back then, but like we all do, I've grown and found other things now that suit me better. You see, I couldn't express in real life how I felt back then, what I was dealing with watching my Dad with MND. So this was my voice. Then I realised oh wow I can say a lot of things here that I can't express due to fear or embarrassment and general learning things about myself etc. Who knew writing a few words on a few posts could help heal so many broken pieces. I'll always be pretty grateful fo...

 Hey... It seems this blog is getting a lot of attention recently. I honestly don't know how or why, I don't even know how people view it if they don't know me personally. I just wanna say, thank you for reading. It means a lot. This blog is coming up to be 10 years old. I started it when my Dad was dying as an outlet really. I would write about him, what was going on, how I was feeling etc etc. It kinda just continued that way for a while. I'd find that when I was struggling I'd come here, post a post and I was able to move on. Its why the majority of my posts are pretty downcast. My little mind isn't always the kindest to me. I last posted on here in December (I have since unpublished this post) because I was in something that was tricky. The last 3 months have been up and down but a corner has been turned and I'm feeling more positive. Which believe me I'm so happy about! I'm not sure if I'll post again anytime soon but please know despite my ...

147 . I love the smell of freshly cut grass I love when cherry blossom trees bloom I love when old couples hold hands I love when men show their vulnerability I love people who are creative I love seeing people with their own styles  I love when people are passionate about things I stupidly love teen rom com movies and programmes because they warm my heart I love the idea of a soul friend, more than a best friend I love the idea of being in a group of ride or die friends  I love when people are supportive, understanding and caring  I love music that has a story  I love candid photographs  I love real physical photographs  I love memories  I love when people can see beauty beyond the obvious  I love when you listen to a song 100 times on repeat because it perfectly sums you up in that moment  I love the fictional love story I write in my mind I love seeing genuine joyous reactions from people  I love so much I wrote thi...

146 . It's nearly the end of 2019, it's nearly the end of this decade. Sometimes when thinking about life and what I do I see it all as very dull, very simple and not a lot happens. But as I think back about each year of this past decade, things have happened, major things. It hasn't been as dull as I first thought. I dont need to tell you this but I just deleted a whole section I had written. I was going to write about each year from 2010 to now and highlight what happened in that year but I wasn't liking how it was going... In these past 10 years I have suffered with crippling anxiety leading to making myself highly reclusive, I crawled out of that and sought help. I got a job, I enjoyed that job, I gained confidence in that job, I felt liked in that job. I went on my first holiday abroad, saw things I'd only ever dreamt of. I got engaged. I got married. I lost my Dad. I bought a house. I got a new job. I had a miscarriage. I got pregnant. I had a baby. I go...

145. I promise that the big gaps in my writing show I’m happy, instead of writing about the good times I just live them. It’s when I write you know unfortunately there’s been a dip in the road. So, here I am, currently walking through a valley. I say walking, it feels like I’m camping actually. In all honesty, TMI you may want to say, I had the coil fitted to stop the happens of anymore babies for the next 5 years. That was done in January and my mental health has been entering the pit I’m now in ever since.  I’m lost, totally and utterly lost. It’s horrible. I’ve had two big bouts of emptiness before in my life, the first time I was a young teen, my mum got very poorly and I just felt pain, the second time in my very early twenties, a phobia of mine heightened and I became a recluse. And then now, I feel no self worth, loneliness...empty, but I don’t think it’s real, I think the hormones this thing inside is creating are hurting my head. I feel like I’m a faulty pu...

144 . I began 2018 finding out I was pregnant with my second child, 6 months after having my first child...crazy I know! But very much welcome and utterly exciting. So because of that the first few months of 2018 were me sitting on the sofa feeling queasy and the most tired I had ever felt. The first trimester exhaustion is truly shocking. I would tell people I physically hurt I was that tired. Anyway I thought after the first trimester it would be all smooth sailing like the pregnancy before, oh boy was I naive! 2018 became the hottest year that seemed to ever exist here in the UK and as a big girl anyway made even bigger because of growing a human the heat was overwhelming, I'm pretty sure even my eyelids  were sweating! Anyway the months went by and my eldest turned one! A day I couldn't believe arrived so fast it felt like I had only just had her. Watching her grow up has been incredible, hard work but incredible. Myself and Rob celebrated being together for 10 years,...

143 . I’ve realised this Christmas that it’s such a bitter sweet time! I looked at my 18 month old open her presents with utter amazement and joy whilst I held my 3 month old, and I thought each year the happiness they will feel on this day will grow and grow and that will fill my heart so much. Yet, I felt a sadness, deep in my heart, that I carry everyday but it felt heavier, heavy to the point where over the Christmas days I just wanted to sit and wallow, the smiles felt forced and I felt like I had nothing to say. Silly really. In all honesty I shed a few tears over the Christmas days. Christmas is all about being with family, it’s creating memories with those you love the most so when someone is missing, even if like me, all you got was an early morning phone call, it’s missed more than ever. I couldn’t help thinking how many people find this time of year difficult, how many may find it quite lonely. But at the same time, trying their hardest to be happy.  I hope that if...

142 . I look at my girls and think ‘wow, I’m so lucky’. I admit I have a toddler who drives me crazy at times and a 11 week old who I worry about constantly but they are mine, I grew them, I love them so much. My eldest is learning words all the time, she’s growing into such an independent little being it’s incredible to witness, its shocking at how fast she is developing. I keep thinking about who she’s going to be when she’s older, what is she going to find interesting. I hope she’ll be happy. Then I look at my little fresh one and I can’t believe 11 weeks have passed already, I’m excited for every milestone that she’ll go through, when she learns to sit up, crawl, walk and start saying her first words. I wonder if ‘hiya’ will be her favourite word just like her sister.  I’m blessed. I get sad at times, I’m sad my Dad isn’t here to meet them, hold them and grow a bond with them. I wonder how he would have felt that his youngest child now has two children of her own. You d...

141 . I’m not feeling myself. Three weeks ago I had my second baby, Daisy, she’s amazing! I feel so blessed to have two daughters who fill my heart with so much love!  However, now this will be hard for me because I’m desperately trying to stop myself from feeling this way but I’m struggling. I feel like I’ve lost my happiness, I haven’t laughed in days, smiles are feeling forced and general conversation is becoming difficult. I know you’ll be thinking ‘oh post natal depression speak to the health visitor or drs’ and yes maybe I should, maybe I will but it’s up to me. Let me explain... I do not do well with lack of sleep, before children I would be vile if I was tired and I mean vile. So now with two children, a newborn and a very active toddler I feel exhausted!! If I could just sleep for a solid 24 hours I’d be tip top I just know it but that’s not going to happen. Is it too soon to rush on teenage years when they won’t get out of bed? Haha So yes I’m pretty darn tired,...

140 . It’s been some time hasn’t it? Even my husband keeps asking me when am I going to write again. Truth is I just haven’t had the words to write, yet so much is going on. Writers block I guess. I don’t know if you who don’t personally know me, know that I’m pregnant again, 8 months in fact! We’re going to have two under two...crazy! I won’t be having anymore in a hurry or at all if I get my way. I’ve struggled this time around, it’s been very painful and stressful. We got told that she was measuring small so I have been having scans every 2 weeks but I’m happy to say that the last 2 scans she has grown and gone above the bottom line woohoo! I’ve also been suffering quite badly with my pelvis, I’m good with pain but crikey it’s not been comfortable at all. I also get very intense braxton hicks most nights, so much so there have been a few occasions we have thought the hospital has been needed but I think I just know subconsciously that labour isn’t happening so I ride it out at h...

139 . Hi,  Gosh it’s been a while since I’ve wrote about you, it feels like a long time since I’ve spoke about you out loud too. I’m sorry about that. I guess life all of a sudden just starts moving and each day flies by as fast as the next one comes, it doesn’t mean I don’t think about you, or talk to you in my head (crazy I know) because those I do all day long. I have a 10 month old little girl now Dad, she has your auburn hair, a lovely reminder of you even though I’m afraid she looks nothing like us Aboe folk, she’s Robs twin! I say it’s karma because while I was pregnant I would say to him she’d look nothing like him at all because our gene is so strong...more fool me ey?! I also have another baby on the way, it was a shock to us too! But a very happy one at that. He or she is due at the end of September, I wonder if they’ll have your hair too. So much has changed over the last three years, especially this last year. My goodness it’s all different. I’d like to think y...

138 . What a year! The first 6 months where lived by a very angry hormonal mess! I’m pretty sure most people couldn’t wait to get away from me, I had zero tolerance for anything! So during this time we got new carpets and our bathroom redecorated and the second bedroom turned into a nursery, even though all these things were my idea, my goodness they added to the uncontrollable rage I seemed to have developed... Those first 6 months consisted of me wanting to buy every single baby related item I saw, baby scans and test and a belly that grew and grew to the point where I alternated 4 or 5 dresses I had as they where the only things that fit, and when they became too tight I ended up basically living in a maxi dress and pjs! Then June appeared, the month I became a mummy, a long 10 days later than I should have but anyway, 3 days of contractions followed by a 2 hour ‘active’ labour! At 16:22 on June 14th my life forever changed and I became a mummy! Amazing. The ...

137 . Sometimes a crack in the wall will appear  It starts small but over time grows larger Eventually a section will break away Then that section needs to be rebuilt It gets rebuilt onto a fragile structure The new piece is only temporary  How long it remains intact is unknown The crack is  inevitable Sometimes a new crack appears The repairs take even longer The structure more fragile than before Which is to be fixed first? Each brick weighing heavier than the last More repairs needed More and more bricks But the wall refuses to break  The cement becomes thicker with each break The structure gets stronger The cracks never disappear  They add to the beauty of the ever growing wall Beth x

136 . It’s 8:50pm on a Friday night and I’m in bed! Rock and roll! I’m just so tired, the darker evenings make the evenings drag out so my brain is ready for bed at like 6pm.  I just wanted to update you on how things are going. Millie is sleeping through the night. Woohoo!! It’s something I’m cherishing and not taking for granted as I know it can all change instantly! I don’t feel like I have a routine, my routine is a none routine kinda routine. But it works, she’s happy and we’re happy so all is good! I sometimes doubt myself or feel like I’m a bad Mum when I talk to other mums who have solid routines, but then what I do I’m content with so I won’t fight with it.  I’m trying to teach her how to sit up, it’s not going well. She’s a strong girl but just not strong enough yet to hold herself up sitting. She’ll get there, I reckon in a few weeks we will be there and loving it!  This week I’ve pushed myself a bit, I went to the playgroup on Tuesday morning, I hated ...

135 . So thank fluff it’s Friday!!! This week has felt like a very long one. I’ve had zero baby free time and the husband has worked late a couple of nights and been to the cinema so I haven’t had that chill time I can usually get. (This is no poor me poor me btw!) Anyway! This week I took the little Miss for her 4 month check with the health visitor. I wasn’t worried about it I just wanted to get it done with.  So she was asking me about Millie etc and she’s doing really well so that was good. I told her I can’t cook so weaning will be interesting and she asked me if I knew how to peel a carrot *insert eye roll here* I quickly told her I’m no imbecile to which she apologised for being patronising. I was rather shocked myself with how quickly I snapped back, and that I even snapped back at all to be honest. Anyway, She wanted to know about me, how my body is recovering etc etc and then she asked if I was lonely, I lied...I said I wasn’t, but of course I am because everyon...

134 .  This was me nearly 10 years ago. I thought I was fat... Only now do I see how much time I wasted being concerned about the opinion of others regarding my size. Yes I was the biggest girl in my classes in primary and secondary school and when I got to year 11 I had had enough of feeling huge. I would eat breakfast, eat nothing all day at school, then eat tea and that would be it. I continued this pattern until I was 17. All because I felt so fat! Now I think, sheesh I spent most of my days hungry because I was so anxious to eat in front of others because I worried about their judgement, when I shouldn't have cared!  Now at 27 years of age, I'm still fat, I'm not going to spend my days hungry because what's the point? My size should be no ones concern but mine. Yes I'd love to lose weight but I'm lazy as hell and I hate salad! Shoot me. I'm happy, I'm content, and I'll do something about it when I'm ready. As most of you kno...

133 . Many times I wished for a different life I've wished to be another girl The skinny one, the pretty one, the popular one, The all of the above one  I wished to live in their big houses With the nice cars With lots of money I wished for their everyday Then I've seen traits I don't quite agree with Friends who don't seem genuine  A happiness that doesn't seem true I've realised that if I was them I wouldn't have my morals  My memories  The core that makes me, me I wouldn't have or even know my husband, my child or even my cats  I wouldn't know my parents, my siblings, or anyone familiar  I wouldn't have those and the things that make me who I am  I wouldn't be happy  So I may have wished to be many others  Others who aren't me I'm very happy those wishes won't come true As I only ever want to be, me   Xx

132 . Sooooooo maybe I should explain... My last post was written on a down day, quite a heavy down day so like usual I vented my feelings the only way I know how, and post 131 was created... I wrote that post 12 weeks after giving birth. 12 weeks of tiredness, stress and the creeping feeling of loneliness. I don't want you to think this is a cop out but I was very VERY hormonal. I still had not had the reoccurrence of the ol friend, lady time, so I think my body was screaming for it to happen just so it could breathe a sigh of relief. To which since, it has WOOHOO! I finally feel like a normal human being again instead of the ball of mood swings and uncontrollable anger walking around the place.  I would just like to say a thank you to those who sent me messages asking if I was okay, I am fine and dandy, just a tad over dramatic sometimes haha  I'd just like to say though that being a new mum can be a lonely job. All your friends are working and you don't have ...

131. I really want to write about some struggles I'm facing right now being a new mummy but I don't want to come across miserable alllllll the time because I love being a mum! Do I stay honest and true and just write what I feel or sugar coat the tough stuff and act like it's all okay??? 😕 Sod it!! Now whether this is a hormonal thing or if it's something deeper, the truth is, I am struggling! I've wrote before about wanting a best friend etc but it feels like it's more than that now, I feel, alone! I felt alright for the first few weeks, you are in that new baby bubble, lots of people come to visit and it's all round love but then, like now, there's none of that. This isn't about attention, people work, life is a continuous thing, I guess it's just highlighted my aloneness, my worries and anxieties about everything. I took baby girl for a walk around in her pram this morning and I just kept thinking to myself 'my god I'm so ...

130. Ironically I'm writing this on mine and my husbands 9 year anniversary (from first going out not marriage)  Relationships are difficult, marriage can be difficult and after a baby, more so. This will be quite honest in places which I'm sure will piss Rob off to no end but look, this is my outlet.  We have never argued so much in our whole 9 years like we have in the past 10 weeks! Our baby girl is our absolute WORLD but yes it has been hard on us! You never get told really that there might be a strain after a baby is born in a relationship, I pictured it to be all wonderful and bliss and the three of us just so in love all the time. I'm not saying I'm not in love all the time! Of course I am! However, what isn't ever mentioned is how tiredness and hormones and emotions can cause absolute tidal waves!  It's so daunting coming home with this little person you have only ever imagined in your mind. All of a sudden they are there, needing you to keep the...