Florence dips her toes

What a monumental week it has been for this little baby. Now I must gush ohmygoodnessmybabyissoclever but seriously she's started to roll, to 'balance' up (almost sitting up but with lots of side tumbles), she's showing early signs of teething, had a little taste of apple and had her first ever trip to the seaside. Big week for a baby!

Our little family, along with our friends and what seemed to be half of the population of the south of England traipsed down to the pebbled shores of Brighton to relax and picnic under a perfectly clear blue sky.

Here we discovered just how trying being a parent can be when all the conditions are game for one lazy, hazy afternoon. When the baby woke up the sensory stimulation must have completely overwhelmed her as she was one grumpy little girl. The husband had to cut our relaxation short to distract her by introducing her to the sea. And it cheered her right up! She loved it!

I had been dreaming about this moment for a long time. When we approached the water she stared, wide eyed and awestruck at the vast expanse of green before her. She put her feet to the wet sand first in an attempt to make sense of all this new. The viscous surface gobbled up her toes encasing them with warmth, a great contrast to the coolness of the tide that then came in all around her ankles. She didn't fuss or complain, she just appeared intrigued at the idea that there was something better than bath time.

Visits to the seaside should be magical times where the days seem to last forever and little minds are filled with excitement and adventure with notions of pirates and mermaids. We intend on making this just so for our children, just as our parents did so for us.