The One Where I Make An Announcement

When Joseph came home from hospital, I was a bit of a mess. I found it really hard to make sense of what had happened. I felt bitter and jealous. I found getting support really difficult. In my area of the UK there wasn't a strong support network. I floundered.

I started my blog purely as self indulgent writing to help me make sense of what had happened. As I wrote I was heartened by the support I received and the messages I got that helped me realise that my feelings were pretty normal.

Over time my confidence grew, I joined blogging networks, attended conferences, and joined some of the rankings like eBuzzing and Tots100. I was nominated for a MAD blog award and later a Britmums award.

I started working with charities like the March of Dimes in the US, with Bliss and with Tommys. I spoke to media and wrote for newspaper blogs. I found my voice.

But what I found most was support, friendship and love, often from the most surprising of sources.

Every single one of you who has read, hugged, encouraged and supported me, whether in real life or online, has helped me more than you will ever know.

I have grown so much as a person, in confidence, in personality, and most importantly as a mother, to use the experiences of Joseph's premature birth to grow and develop.

I am excited to announce that on January 17 I start work for Bliss in their brand new Manchester office as a Regional Volunteer Coordinator. I am so proud that I am now a Bliss employee, and to work for the charity that has given me so much. And to enable me to achieve one of my objectives, to make face to face, peer support much more available in our region, a goal Bliss shares too.

As a result I have decided that Not Even A Bag of Sugar will no longer be as it is now. My hours of work will be demanding and its time to work on my two important careers, motherhood and with Bliss.

I would like to thank each and every one of you, there are too too many to mention individually here, but I appreciate you all so very much.

Over time I will be creating a website to collate much of the content of Not Even A Bag of Sugar, and hopefully some more projects are in the pipeline. I hope to continue personal blogging in some way and will let you know once that has started.

Thank you again for all your kind support and love that you have shown Joseph and I over the past 3 years.

Kylie x x x