Like most little miracles our newest was conceived over one too many glasses of good wine. Shall we?…should we? ok, yes.…why not…lets do it!

And so Smalls was born and we welcomed a new baby in to our lives. Well…. thats what it feels like most (actually all) of the time and we just can’t get over the similarities.

For a start no one warned us how hard it would be, well on second thoughts they probably did, but we chose to ignore them because…how hard can it be right?

Well, nearly five years on and two and a half years since launching, we can tell you, it is hard, and like all labours of love there is no firm rule book.

Our creation is our own, it reflects us, our influences, our loves and our passions. We are creating something unique to us and we are feeling our way and learning as we go. Just like we are as parents. Every. Single. Day.

We have happy times, and down times, it’s an emotional roller coaster. Our baby seems to get out of control and have a mind of its own and we sometimes feel at breaking point.  (like this week, or when its school holidays!) Then our baby will do something dazzling (like getting some fantastic awards  – thanks Junior and Smallish!, or a new stockist yay @Harrods), and we melt.

All is forgiven.

We look at each other with wide, proud smiles. ‘we made that’ we say. And we are happy.  (and occasionally also holding a pet chicken)

The challenging times aren’t helped by sleep deprivation. Our baby keeps us up all night, working madly until 12-1 am, then we get up and carry on with our real babies, jobs, and fit our husbands and friends in occasionally. Our friends wonder what ever happened to us. “we never see you any more” they say, “we need to get you out”!

Our newborn is demanding of our time, we can’t take our eye off the ball or something may slip. We are very responsible parents of this baby and are monitoring it constantly! luckily we are co parenting and we have each other to take up the slack if the other doesn’t. Answer an email, write a post, make a phone call. Supporting each other is everything.

This baby is getting older and we have been through many stages. At every point there is something new to learn. Every time you think you’ve cracked it, there is another challenge. This is all part of the joy though. Our creation is helping us grow and we learn something new every day.

One day we look forward to this baby growing up, gaining independence and needing us a little less so that we can spend a little bit more of that precious time on our real babies, and to enjoy the really good bits.  Growing a new brand is fulfilling, challenging and infuriating all in equal measure but we would never be without it now.

We sometimes think how much easier our lives would be if we hadn’t taken the decision to create this, but we realise that we are so attached that we just wouldn’t know what to do without it. We would be lost. We find we thrive on the work, our achievements at each small step and the pride in what we have created.

Our husbands are amused by our now modern blended families. Emma has hers, I have mine, and we have this child together.  We need to consider who looks after it when one of us goes on holiday.

When our baby finally does come of age it may even start taking care of us in return!! For now though we carry on. We put our best foot forward every day and do our utmost to be the very best parents of this baby that we possibly can be!