Happy Birthday

It was Isobel's 5th birthday yesterday. She isn't having a party until next Tuesday, in the half term, but we had my Mum and uncle over yesterday to see her. It's my birthday tomorrow too!





This was Isobel then...


And a few of her now...

It's been a while

Taylor's football team won their league, so for a treat a few Saturdays ago we took them all to watch Southend United's last game of the season. They had no idea where they were going. They even had a small article in the programme, which was the best bit as it's something he can treasure forever.





I've been very busy trying to complete my course the last few weeks and I'm almost there now. My final essay went in last week, what a relief that was! I just have the final block of coursework, revision, and then the exam on the 17th June in London. I can't wait to get it all over and done with for a few months. I'm probably going to have to hold off on year two until I go back to work anyway, as I can't see the training department signing it off if I'm still on maternity leave. I've been glad to see the back of it recently, but this week I seem to have a renewed vigour for it and want to try and get the whole course done in a few years.

It's Isobel's birthday in a week, and in true mental fashion I've decided to have the party at home and do the entertaining myself. It was going to cost about £200 for her to have it elsewhere, and I'm way too tight to pay that. She's having fifteen friends over and we are painting flowerpots in the garden, which the children will be planting a seed into to take home. I'll make sure I post photos of the finished pots. It should be fun, I hope the kids enjoy it!

I can really see me in Christian at the moment, which is nice as they all end up looking like their Dad eventually. I'm making the most of the family resemblance. When Isobel was little I really though she looked like me...until I met Christian that is! Holy doppelgänger Batman, it's the same baby!

School Holidays

The children go back to school on Monday, and although I love having them home(especially the no early mornings part), this time it can't come soon enough as I'm dangerously behind on my coursework. I'm not entirely sure I'm going to be able to catch up. I think I'll be doing these last few weeks on a wing and a prayer, and trying to blag my way through the exam in June.

We've had an easter egg hunt last weekend, but as the weather has been a bit hit and miss we haven't got out as much as I would've liked.




The boys have been to Portsmouth to stay with Grandma and Grandad, and Ryan has now gone to stay with his Mum for a few days. We picked Taylor up yesterday, and went to a history museum in Basingstoke while we were down there. It was great. They had dressing up clothes, so Isobel picked out some Victorian clothes and wandered around the mock Victorian streets looking the part.



Isobel pretending to be a mannequin;


They had an old fashioned 1930's sweet shop where you had to pay with old pennies(given out at reception). Taylor then pulled this face in every photo as he chose Acid Drops!


I realised yesterday that I didn't have any photos of me with the baby yet...he's only a month old for goodness sake. I'm behind the camera too much, clearly.



Christian still sleeps too much, bless him. All that growing must be hard work. He wakes up every three hours for a feed, all night and all day, but between that he rarely opens his eyes. The crochet blanket in this photo was made by my Nan when I was pregnant with Isobel, and it's one of my favourite things. When I'm feeling ill, or low, I love to snuggle under it as it feels like she's here looking after me. I can feel the hours she spent making it, and her thoughts and excitement about meeting Isobel five years ago are inside the blanket. It's the closest Christian will ever get to her, sadly.


I bought him this mirror toy yesterday with some vouchers given to him as a gift and he loved it, and actually stayed awake for about 10 minutes looking at himself this morning, so we'll get that out more often. All that vanity looking at himself must have been tiring though, as he's now snoozing, again, next to me.

Ready to plant

I finally got out in the garden today. I'm really late to be digging over and adding manure, hopefully not too late, but at least it's done. I've decided to scale back what I'm growing this year as I don't want to take on too much work. I'm sticking with onions, lettuce, rocket, tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries. That's it. I have two varieties of potato and onion ready to go out, so I may try and plant them tomorrow. Here is what it looks like now. I wish I'd taken a before shot, the whole thing was overgrown with Couch Grass.


My rockery and herb garden are still looking a little worse for wear though. Looks a little pathetic, doesn't it?

Proud

This was part of a thread on a forum, but I thought it would make a nice positive blog post too. So, I am proud of my children because...

I'm proud of Ryan for not always bowing to peer pressure, and standing up for what he believes in. It often gets him bullied, or picked on by his friends, but he still refuses to always follow the crowd. He is often stroppy, and messy, and a whiner, but he also doesn't get into much trouble, and keeps himself to himself, and does just enough school work to see him through. What more can you ask from a fifteen year old, really?


I'm proud of Taylor for being such a sensitive, unique, quirky little soul. He really is one in a million, walking his own path through life. He is one of those people that will always be happy, and always be successful, no matter what he chooses to do with his life. His artwork is brilliant, and I love the fact he enjoys it so much just like I do.



I'm proud of Isobel for doing so well at school, she's achieved the targets for the whole year even though she only started two months ago. She's also taken to being a big sister, and no longer being the baby, really well, and loves her baby brother. She is astoundingly beautiful, and doesn't even realise it.





I'm proud of Kit, my snuggly baby son, for making his way safely into the world. It will always amaze me how they are created from such tiny cells, and end up being so full of life and beauty. We've been very blessed to have had four healthy, strong children.

Loved up

I am so in love with my snuggly little boy. He really is the cutest thing ever. He has this aura of comfort(I said this while he was in the womb too), you just want to hold on to him as he is really calming and it sort of envelops you. It's a lovely feeling. He sleeps a lot during the day, so I try hard not to pick him up, but I miss him when he snoozes all the time!

Life here right now is just babies, babies and more babies...not much else going on. We went to Portsmouth to visit Pete's family on Friday, then had my uncle over on Sunday. Pete has gone back to work now, so the mornings are a bit of a nightmare, and I am missing him and a bit bored. Taylor played in the semi-final of the cup on Sunday morning but they didn't get through. Such a shame, but his team are in division 7(going up to 6 next season as they've won the league), and the other three teams fighting it out for the cup are in division 4. They did really well to get that far against the much stronger teams. We have half term coming up, so I'm planning on taking Isobel to the cinema to see Monsters Vs Aliens, and we'll do our annual easter egg hunt at some point too.







I have this huge list of jobs to do(ironing for the week, gardening, write an essay that's a week overdue etc.), and all I want to do is snuggle up with Kit. Oh well, life isn't going to go anywhere, and he won't be this small and endearing forever. I'll forget about the jobs and end up cuddling him again, I'm sure.

Lazy Days

We are having a lovely time with Pete being at home. We just get the kids to school and potter around with Kit doing snuggly things, or having people round to see him, or running errands. Going out in the car is a bit of a mission as I have to sit in the back and don't really fit. We really need a bigger car. We are taking Kit into my work tomorrow to be cooed over by old ladies, and then we are off to Portsmouth on Friday to visit Pete's family. My Dad and Pauline were over yesterday, and we've had lots of visits from friends with gifts of goodies for me and clothes for the baby. I feel great, considering I've just given birth and am getting no sleep! I'm having quite a bit of trouble with my hips and back though, still, and am dreading Pete going back to work on Monday as I'll have to do the school run again. The painkillers really aren't touching it, and the support belt isn't helping. I'm sure it'll get better over the next few weeks as my body starts to recover.




He's changed lots already. He's such a good baby, so easy-going and content, and it feels like he's been here with us forever.

Look how alike Kit and Bel are, you can really see it in these two pictures-Isobel is on the left and Kit on the right in the stripes:

Kit has arrived!

Christian Victor Frederick
20th March 2009
2.47am
9lb


Well, what a crazy day yesterday! I woke up feeling a little odd, I had a severe headache and the midwife suggested I take a strong painkiller, which I think later contributed to my dismissal of my early labour symptoms, as it was masking my contractions. I felt tight around my stomach all day, it wasn't Braxton Hicks, it actually felt more like a tummy bug. Pete took me for a long walk along the beach, he was adamant the trek through the sand would start me off. In the afternoon I started feeling even weirder, but just ignored it until about 9pm when I started writing down the very weak and irregular contraction times. At 11pm I thought I felt his feet kick my ribs while I was lying down, but it was my waters breaking really high up. I didn't realise until about 20 minutes later when I stood up and they went everywhere! It took a good half hour after this for the pain to even start to register, the contractions really were so, so weak.

We left for the hospital at about 12.30am, and when I got checked out I was 5cm dilated, and we also we discovered that there was meconium in my waters so the baby had to be continuously monitored, which sucked. I hate being immobile in labour.

The actual labour went really well. Of course I hated most of it at the time, was bloody terrified, and never want to do it again, but it was short and easy and I got through it. I'm feeling that rosy glow that lasts a few days, before reality sets in, so am making the most of it. I'm loving being looked after by everyone too. It's lovely being pampered.

Hello

Just a quick blog post to let you know that I am still here, still pregnant, and still aching! Due date is the 15th so almost there. I had lots of regular twinges last night, they were even 13 minutes apart for about an hour, but they were so mild that I knew they wouldn't amount to much. I had a nice hot bath and got a good nights sleep, and feel fine today. Today isn't a good day to go into labour anyway, as Pete would struggle to get away from work. They are severely short staffed, obviously he would have to leave, but it may take him longer to get home than a normal day, as he'd have to organise some cover. Stay put please baby!

Both the boys have open evenings after school tomorrow, so lets hope that it's good news all round there. Ryan never puts any effort into his school work at all, and he knows that his games console is being taken away indefinitely if he has a bad report tomorrow, so that should be fun for all concerned! Last time we took it off him for bad behaviour he packed his bags and phoned his Grandma crying about how unfair life is. Don't you just love teenagers? I remember being much the same. I just ignore him when he's like that, best way to deal with it.

I'll leave you with some pictures I've taken this week. I'm finding it hard to get out with the camera at the moment so haven't taken many.

A weekend of injuries

Pete was going out with the lads on Friday night and planning on staying at a friends, so I had the nice prospect of a bed to myself and a takeaway for me and the kids. I have no idea what I did, but at some point in the evening the lower right side of my back completely seized up. I couldn't walk at all, or put any weight on my left leg(but the pain was transferred to the right). I put a heat pad on and went to sleep, hoping lots of rest would help. Pete ended up coming home at 3am and waking me up as he'd lost his friends. I had a hot bath in the morning and was able to get my foot about three inches off the floor, so we went out for breakfast, and again it totally seized up. I ended up spending most of Saturday and Sunday resting with Pete, the kids and my Mum running around helping me. I called the midwives for advice, being so close to labour, and they were useless. They suggested I come in to be induced early. Why on earth would anyone want to go through hours of labour when they are in pain already? I couldn't even roll over in bed, let alone get comfortable during contractions! Him coming early was the last thing I wanted at that point. I obviously declined their kind offer, and sent Pete out to get me some nice strong painkillers, which make me feel like I am happily drunk. I have no spacial awareness on them at all, and have burned myself twice making hot drinks, and can't cross the road without walking out in front of a car, but at least I can actually walk now. I managed the school run this morning(had a friend do it for me yesterday though so I could rest), dosed up on drugs, and it was manageable. Hilariously, Pete sprained his ankle at football on Sunday morning so he's been hobbling around and popping the pills too. I've been joking with him saying that he couldn't bear me getting all the attention.

Nearly finished baking this baby

Now that the birth of the next addition is imminent(two weeks to go!), I'm really missing my Nan. It's times like this when you really notice the hole that they leave behind. She'd been really involved with the pregnancies, births and childhoods of the other children, so to not have her here feels weird. She was always the first person on the list of people to call with the news when they'd finally made their way into the world. It makes me sad that Kit is never going to know her. We are incredibly lucky that Isobel remembers so much about her, as she was only two and a half when she died. I think most children would've forgotten, but Isobel has the memory of an elephant, like me. She talks about her a lot, and gets the photo albums out to look through at least once a week.

On another family related note, I felt a bit sorry for Ryan this morning. Isobel touched a raw nerve I think, you know how children have a funny way of saying things the way they see it. Isobel has been asking lots of questions lately about our family, and with lots of step parents, half siblings, and hundreds of grandparents, it can get a bit confusing. Trying to explain to her that I'm not Ryan's real Mum, and her Dad isn't Taylor's real Dad, but that we are both her real parents, can get a bit much for her to take in. She seems to be asking me about it a lot lately, probably because of the arrival of a new sibling.

This morning she said "Ryan, your Mum is nasty, that's why you live here with us". Yikes! What do you say to that. Ryan just went "Huh, even a four year old knows what she's like".

She is being particularly horrible to him at the moment too, ignoring his phone calls and stuff, so Isobel must have picked up on it. It made me very sad. :(

Anyway, I must get out and finish the garden while the sun is shining. :)

Garden prep

I've been trying to get out in the garden for about a fortnight, but what with my course project(a disaster from start to almost-finish) and half term, I haven't had a chance. I finally got out there today, and I have no idea how I managed it as I can barely even reach the floor now, but I got one of the beds cleared of weeds, composted and fertilised, and I've put some polythene over it to keep the cat off. I must get it done this month as the spuds and onions need to go out in the next few weeks, and nothing will grow if I don't fertilise it now. Only another two beds to go. They'll probably take me another fortnight.

We've been swimming, to the park, to a play centre, and had a nice overnight stay at the hospital with Taylor too, so a busy school holiday. Taylor went over his bike handlebars on Friday afternoon and had concussion, and as he couldn't stop being sick they put him on a drip and kept us in overnight. Sleeping on a fold-out camp bed at this stage in pregnancy was not fun at all, I could barely put one foot in front of the other last night when I got home. I was so stiff.

My pram has arrived, and it is beautiful. It's the nicest one I've ever had, it's just so well designed. You can tell it's German, every little knob and lever has a very important job to do, but it's all so simple. The blasted cat keeps sleeping in it though, I keep shooing her out and frightening her, hopefully it'll sink in before the baby arrives.

I had a midwife appointment on Friday morning and baby is almost fully engaged(not that this means anything with 2nd babies onwards - he could still drift back out of position), and I'm getting cramps and tightenings pretty much all the time now. I can't walk anywhere without getting contractions, which I never had with the other two.
Just as I thought he's posterior like the others were, which means he's face up instead of face down and it's supposed to mean a long, painful labour. I seem to grow them this way though and thankfully so far have had nice easy labours. I'm just a freak of nature. He does favour a slight turn to the side which my others never did. Maybe he'll turn the correct way in labour. At this point, having birthed two posterior face up babies with no trouble I'd be happier for him to stay that way. At least I know what I'm dealing with.

She also said she thinks he's 7lbs already(yeah right!), so I'm on target for a monster baby...even though my belly is still two weeks smaller than it should be. It's a good job I pay no attention to her whatsoever. Why do they even bother trying to guess the size? Here I am last week, at 36 weeks;

Isobel

I just took these pictures of Isobel today. We've been lazing around enjoying half term.



We are all so excited to see what Kit looks like. I think he'll look a lot like Isobel, he certainly looked like her on the scan. She wasn't the best looking baby(they never are, but you can't see it at the time), had sort of grown up features, but she's certainly grown into them now. When you are pregnant you try and picture and imagine your child, but you never expect them to end up as beautiful as she is.

No more work!

I'm feeling very calm and zen like today, which compared to the last few days is an improvement. I finished work on Friday, they gave me a lovely send off with balloons and a collection, which has paid for the pram which is hopefully winging it's way to me right now. I fully intend to try and relax these last few days - easier said than done.

I'm doing a team project as part of my OU course at the moment, it lasts for two weeks and we are in week two. From a team of six, only three of us are doing the work. The rest are AWOL. We have to do web research on care topics and write a report as a team, with me chivvying everybody along, answering questions, and compiling the final report because I'm the team leader. One of the women on the team, whom I have actually met(lovely lady), barely speaks/writes a word of English. She messages me daily asking me how to do each section, which is all there already on the project website in plain language. I have to hand-hold her through it every day. I have no idea how she is a) even doing the course, or b) writing the essays. How is the tutor even marking them? Her messages are gibberish. These things are sent to try us I guess.
Yesterday, one of the missing team members decided she'd quite like to join in now, halfway through, when I've divided up the report writing roles and we are muddling through just fine without her. In fact, her joining in now would put us back by about 4 days while we waited for her to catch up, and that's if she even put the commitment in and actually bothered. I may have blown my top in an email to our tutor, basically saying the team member can bugger off. I don't want her joining in. Apparently she had a chest infection. I don't give a damn. I'm 37 weeks pregnant, have been working, feel like a complete invalid who can now barely get out of bed because of my hips/back, and I've still managed to do the work with 3 children hassling me. It's not a good enough excuse I'm afraid.

*breathes*

I had a lovely valentines day, I took Pete out on Friday with some spare money I'd put aside, first time I think I've paid for dinner in our 9 years together. It was a novelty. Then on Saturday we packed the kids off to bed early and had a nice dinner alone with some wine and a baileys cheesecake. My whole world revolves around sleep and food these days!

Happy 10th Birthday Taylor!

I can't believe how grown up my baby boy is now *sobs*, he's only a year off going to senior school. Where has the time gone? This time a decade ago I was in that glowy just-had-a-baby haze that you get that lasts for a few days. I can't imagine him ever being that small and helpless.













Bless him, he was so cute!

We had a little party yesterday, just a few friends and family members and his girlfriend Molly. I can't believe it's all over and done with now, because that means the next thing on the calendar is Kit being born. A scary thought indeed. I counted earlier today, I think it's 34 days until my due date.

Don't be fooled by the cute...

...I had to bribe her with the promise of an ice cream cone after dinner just to get her to even smile.