Category Archives: Personal

Adam And Mummy’s Big Adventure

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So, Thursday I had plans.  Plans to bathe the baby.  Plans to clean a bathroom.  Plans to watch some TV while cuddling.

At 1030, that all went pear shaped with a pounding on my door.  I was in the middle of changing a hugely pooey diaper, so I wrapped Adam in a diaper that wasn’t latched and went to answer it.  As I opened the door the smell of gas was overwhelming.  It was our maintenance guy.  We had a leak.

I finished diapering little man’s bottom, double checked the diaper bag, throwing a few more things in it, put on some clothes (I was still in my PJs, unwashed!!) and stuffed him into his Baby Bjorn.  No way was I going to risk the lift, even if it was working, so no pram for us!

Got down to the front of the building and waited for the gas company.  They arrived about 1100 and headed into the building.  Meanwhile people were casually coming out of the building, obviously having no idea anything was going on.  I don’t think they ever did evacuate the whole building.  Yes, I am writing a letter to the management company about this.

Anyway, maintenance guy comes out and says it will be hours.  The leak has been traced to the flat across the hall from mine (!) but they can’t get the owner on the phone.  I mention that I think he travels a lot.  And head into town.

At this point it is 1130.  Little man is, thank god, asleep against my chest in his Bjorn, but not at all adequately dressed for what turned out to be a very chilly day.  Luckily I had grabbed a blanket so I had that wrapped around him in the Bjorn.  Also luckily I keep a warmer set of clothes in the diaper bag.  As I was walking to City Centre I thought about where I could take him to put him in warmer clothes..AH HA Marks & Spencer has a family bathroom.  M&S it is.

Got to M&S and got him more properly dressed.  And then bought some knickers. 🙂

Then realized I was starving and needed a real lunch to make up for the fact that my day had gone to hell.  So I headed to Victoria Square.  Upon perusal of the options, I decided Pizza Express sounded good.  And it was.

Meanwhile I had not been able to reach Simon.  His mobile was going straight to voice mail. I knew he wasn’t teaching and didn’t think he had any meetings, so could not figure out what was going on.  I finally said DUH and called his office number.

Got him on the phone and told him a.) that his mobile must be off and b.) that we had been evacuated!  He was all WHAT? and said he’d call the landlord to see what was going on.  He asked me if I wanted him to come home, but I didn’t really see the point, so told him to stay at work, that I was going to eat this HUGE piece of chocolate fudge cake in front of me and then go shopping.  I mean, I was already at the mall. 🙂

As I was finishing up said chocolate cake, Simon rang again to say the landlord had no clue and he was coming back to see what was going on.  I told him to ring me when he got to Belfast and headed off to shop.

I have been looking for a new diaper bag, as ours was just too small.  I have been using it as a handbag as well and with all of my things plus the baby’s things, sometimes it just wouldn’t zip.  So my first stop was the Mecca of Handbags, aka the ground floor of House of Fraser.  I looked. I prodded.  I removed stuffing.  Nothing that would suit my needs.

My next stop was the Mecca of Sporty/Rugged Bags, aka Fossil.  And EUREKA! There, in the window, I saw it. Messenger style, so I could sling it from hip to shoulder. What looked like a tons of pockets…how much how much?!?!?  £108! Perfect! Started poking through it.  Pockets galore.  Large inner section..SOLD! A special thank you to Aunt Agnes and Aunt Sonny, whose generous monetary gifts went to paying for this bag to end all bags!!

I then headed out to the rest of the mall.  Wandered through Pumpkin Patch’s sale.  Nothing.  And then headed to Argos.  The other things Simon and I had been looking for were small lamps for indirect lighting in the baby’s room and a clock for his room.  EUREKA again.  These lamps were perfect.  One for Adam’s room and one for the front room.  Perfect for night feeds and changes!  And a clock? How could I resist this clock especially since people kept sending him sheep!

As I was waiting for my things to be brought to the counter in Argos, Simon rang to say he was at the flat, no sign of gas company, no sign of anything going on.  I told him to grab the pram and meet me at the bandstand at Corn Market, we’d run a few more errands and head home.

As I was leaving Argos, who do I run into? My hairdresser, who takes one look at my unwashed, standing on end hair and says ‘good thing you’re coming to see me on Saturday.’  I thwacked him with a package, showed off my son and headed off to meet Simon.

And then it started to rain.  Where’s my umbrella? In the pram.  Am I wearing a coat? I am not…

Eventually it stopped raining, Simon met me, we picked up a few things and headed home.  No sign of any gas incident in or around the building.  I fell into bed around 1500 and slept until 1800.

The moral of today’s story?

When your husband says to you ‘I have 10 minutes until I leave, do you want to hop in the shower’ say yes!

So, He Did Crack A Rib

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along with his head.  And he’s over 12 lbs.  And 22 inches.  My big boy!

He’s also having some colic, which is less than fun.

But he’s still adorable. 🙂

In other random news…just asked my mother how weird it is that the ages of her grandchildren run from so young they still get up in the night to eat to so old that they can fly across the country with their brother and girlfriend to pick up a car to drive back across.  She said its very weird!  In case your wondering, the age range is 6.5 weeks to nearly 21!!

Let’s Talk About Swine Flu

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Or rather? Let’s not.

Why?

Because it should be a non-story.  Instead its everywhere.  And its totally irresponsible reporting on behalf of all the news outlets in the UK.  Possibly the US as well, but I don’t know about that.

The information is contradictory, the headlines have been proven to be misleading over and over again.  And all it is doing is causing mass panic.

I believe 100% in freedom of the press.  I don’t believe 100% in bad reporting.

Sample? Okay.

Some major big wig doctor here in the UK said something along the lines of ‘there will be between 2,000 and 65,000 deaths.  Which, overall, is less than the regular flu.  And don’t quote me as saying “there will be 65,000 deaths.”‘  The next day’s headline in The Times? 65,000 Deaths Expected from Swine Flu

Another doctor said there might be 100,000 new cases every day during the worst of it.  The news blurb I heard the next morning on BBC? ‘100,000 new swine flu cases a day.’  As if it was happening that way right now.

Its causing panic.  Its scaremongering.  And its confusing people.

Pregnant women should avoid crowds? Really? Define a crowd.

Small children should be kept away from nursery and school?  Really? Define small child.  And if that small child has an older sibling, who could bring the flu home with them, then what do you do? And who watches the small child? Perfectly healthy Mum and Dad who won’t get paid if they take time off ‘just in case’?  Who may need that paid time off later, if small child does get the flu?

So what are we doing around here about it?

Nothing.

Because, let’s face it.  Its the flu.  Its in the air.  Not going to school/work/out to the mall isn’t going to stop others from bringing it to you.  Its everywhere at this point.  The mail man may bring it.  The grocery delivery man.  Your husband as he comes home from work.

Pandemic does not mean OMG WE’RE ALL DONNA DIE!!  It means world wide.

Try to remember that, okay?

And The Ways They Stay The Same…

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I was told, by more than one person, that I’d never get to finish a book again.  I’ve actually finished the entire Dresden Series in the past approximately 3 months.  Slower than I would have pre-Adam, its true.  But I still find time to read.

I was told, by more than one person, that I’d have no time to go online.  I’m on almost as much as I was before he was born.  There are lots of times he will only sleep in my arms (or Simon’s).  So one hand surfs the net, the other hand holds him.

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I was told, by more than one person, that I’d never get to eat a hot meal again.  Well, sometimes that is true. Other times he sleeps away while Simon and I eat.  I am sure that will be more true as he gets older and sleeps less.

I was told, by more than one person, that I’d never get to soak in the tub again.  Why not?  Simon is just as capable of taking care of Adam while I did that (for almost 2 hours!!) the other day.

I don’t know, maybe I’m a bad mummy because I still do the things I enjoy even though I have a 5 week old baby? Or maybe I just know that sometimes it is more important to read a book/play on the computer/eat a meal while the baby sleeps than it is to hoover the floor/do the dishes/dust the front room?

Or maybe its because my husband and I share the load 50/50?  That he is up in the night with Adam as much as I am, while I sleep in our spare bed?  And vice versa?

Are we really that unusual in this?  If so, how sad for everyone else.  And how fantastic for us.

The Way Things Change…

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Obviously Simon and I knew our lives would change, once we had Adam, even before we knew he was Adam!

But I am not sure we knew about some of the things that would change.

We eat together at the table now, rather than in front of the TV.  Well, together in that we both have a place setting at the table.  Usually not together as Adam has that baby ability to get fussy/hungry as soon as our dinner is ready.  So one of us is usually feeding him while the other one eats.  But still, we’re at the table!

The three of us have been out of the flat nearly every day this week.  That’s a huge change for me, who would be content to sit on her butt in the flat every day all day for the rest of her life.  But, some how, knowing I am getting Adam out into the air, even if he sleeps the whole time, makes it easier for me to get organized to get out there.  That might change the other way once Simon goes back to work next week, but this week it has been nice.

I’m sure I’ll think of many others, but those are the two big ones.  Next entry will be about the things that haven’t changed.  Despite people telling me they would…

Has Been A Rough Couple of Days…

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Adam has not been settling easily and eating constantly.  Tried changing his formula, doesn’t seem to have made him any less hungry.  I will speak to the Health Visitor about it on Wednesday when she stops by to see him.

Also, my arthritis is kicking in.  My hands have been hurting a lot and my legs.  Part of it is fatigue and the reason I do think I may  have fibromyalgia.  I am suppose to have another appointment with the Rheumatoid people in a few months and we’ll pick back up the investigation.

I am counting down the days until I can start doing yoga again.  I really miss it.  I may have to do some basic positions with Adam in a sling, but at least I’ll be able to get moving again in a couple of weeks.

Being a mummy is the hardest and bestest thing I have ever done.

Letter to My Baby – Adam – 1 Month Old

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Dear Adam

Today you are one month old.  Its been quite a month, my son.  You spent the first week and 3 days in the SCBU getting your breathing straightened out.  Then you came home to mummy, daddy, grandma and pops.

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Then a week ago today Mummy dropped you on your head and you spent another 2 nights in hospital.  Mummy will never be able to tell you how sorry she is that that happened.  She doesn’t even exactly know how it happened.  One second you were safe in her arms, the next you were flying through the air and hitting the floor, with her screaming your name.  It turned out that you cracked your skull.  Just a small fracture that did no other damage, but the sentence Daddy and I never want to hear again is: ‘The good news is his ribs are fine, the bad is that he cracked his skull.’  We both thought we would throw up right there in the cubicle at the A&E.

But after two nights observation in hospital and a set of full body XRays you were announced right as rain!  And Daddy and I were so glad you were home.

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You also had your SCBU follow up this past week and were officially discharged from their care.  Your lungs and your heart are perfectly fine.

The other exciting thing that happened was the birth of your younger cousin.  Aidan was born 3 weeks and 3 days after you, so you can lord that over him as much as you like. 🙂

Mummy and Daddy have been having so much fun learning about you.  About how it takes you a good 10 minutes to wake up.  About how you like to play with your bottle for awhile before actually swallowing any of it.  About how you really hate getting your nappy changed 99% of the time.  About how you enjoy a hair wash, up to a point, but hate a full body wash.

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About how you love being swaddled.  And we are learning more things about you every day.

The adventure that is your life is just beginning, my son.  And I can’t wait to watch it unfold.

I love you.

Mummy

Yesterday Was A No Good Very Bad Day…

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Adam was a fusspot from noon until he finally fell fully asleep at about 2100.  Daddy had night duty and he apparently woke up again at 0145 and 0445.  Mummy, however, put herself into the spare room and slept from 2230 to 0600.  Daddy has gone back to sleep!

Today is Adam’s follow up appointment from SCBU.  They want to XRay him again, but I am going to ask if that’s such a good idea, since he was XRayed so much over the weekend.  They want to see how his chest is now.  I am wondering if this much XRay exposure is okay or if it might cause harm.  He’s so little they can’t exactly put a big lead apron on him!  Maybe they can see his lungs on the XRay they did of his ribs on Monday? Or is it a different kind of XRay for lungs? I have no idea!

He might have a little sniffle, poor wee dote.  He is just not having a good week.

And Happy Four Weeks Old Today!!!!!