Pick Me Up! 25-Aug-2022

Having loved writing poetry in secondary school, with English lessons being one of my favourites, you could say I always had a natural affinity with words. Only this time around, in July 2020, I started writing my thoughts down to aid my grieving process. Me and my husband Patrick, 32, had lost our girl, Evelyn, at 14 weeks pregnant. And after experiencing three miscarriages before that, I felt numb. Although we didn’t want to tempt fate by buying anything for Evelyn, it was the first time we had reached the dating scan, and I prayed that this time around we would be able to start a family. I prayed we would be able to start a family Whenever I felt an emotion linked to my grief, I decided to write…

WE’RE LOVING With the final weeks of summer coming up, you may be running out of ideas – and money! That’s why Decathlon are launching a rental service from just £20 per day, so you can explore new sports with equipment like kayaks, e-bikes and paddleboards! The sport retailer are making your summer fun by allowing you to pay per day, compared to per hour. Available in London, Southampton, Poole and Glasgow, the service will be rolled out to more stores in the future – so get outside and soak in the last of the summer! ● Visit: decathlon.co.uk HAVE YOU HEARD? Disneyland Paris has officially opened its gates to the new Marvel Avengers Campus. With the promise to empower guests to take an active role alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and…

Here I am on holiday in Egypt posing with a large chess set. ‘Smile for the camera, my wee pawn star,’ my hubby Mike bellowed in front of onlookers – much to my embarrassment! Fiona Deans, North Ayrshire Here are my two lovely black cats, Eric and Ernie, doing a spot of window sunbathing. Carol Casan, Devon This is my son Amari with his daddy Antony, enjoying playing on the slides at the park – there’s nothing sweeter than watching my boys together. Sian Walker, Cradley Heath Here are my two children – Andrew, eight, and Chloe, six – having a great time at a local farm and petting zoo. As you can see, they didn’t want to leave! Natalie Mould, Lincolnshire Jack, our black and tan Jack Russell, is…

Fluffing another elephant toy and placing it inside the newly constructed crib, the room was starting to come together. Adding a splash of grey paint, and standing back to admire my work, it was clear to anyone what my favourite animal was! At 20-weeks pregnant, the nursery was set for our newborn’s arrival, even though I was nowhere near full-term. Me and my partner James, 30, couldn’t wait! Finding out we were pregnant in November 2020, after deciding to start trying, we were over the moon. Even the wait for the two lines to show was unbearable, so there was no way we were stalling the nursery! Deciding to tell our families at Christmas, we wanted the surprise to be magical. ‘Congratulations, you’ve been promoted to grandparents,’ my mum Heather,…

Taking a few attempts, Ross eventually found the words to talk to me. ‘Are you OK?’ he repeated over and over. ‘Yes, I’m fine, what’s going on?’ I replied, listening to Ross’ voice tremble. ‘James has been stabbed,’ he suddenly blurted. ‘Stabbed? What are you going on about? Is this a wind up?’ I said, sharply. Only, with the phone being passed on to a more authoritative voice, I knew it wasn’t a prank anymore. James wasn’t on his way home to me and the bump. ‘I can’t give you any more details, all I can say is that he has been taken to Leeds General Infirmary,’ the police officer said. I didn’t know where abouts James had been stabbed, what had happened to him, and most importantly if he…

My little boy Teddie giggled as I tickled him under the arms. Bending down and blowing a raspberry on his belly, he squealed with joy. ‘Do you like that?’ I said, chuckling at him. At just over a year old, he was such a little character. My other children – Oliver, 17, Poppie, 15, and nine-year-old Noah – were all older, so it had been a while since my partner Duncan and I had gone through the baby stage. But I loved every second. Tickling the soles of Teddie’s feet, I grabbed his big toe. ‘This little piggy went to market…’ I whispered, as he laughed. ‘This little piggy stayed home…’ He loved it. His happy giggles were infectious. One night, back in April this year, we were all sat…