Category Archives: Simon

Simon Is Going To Hate This Post

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Because it’s all about him.

Anyone who knows my husband will know he’s a very private person who doesn’t like to talk about feelings or things like that.  I’ve known him for nearly 10 years, married for 6, and there are times even I am not sure what he is feeling.

But the one thing I can always count on is that he’s there.  Maybe silent, just being a shoulder, but there.

I am not an easy person to live with.  Forget the Fibro/Arthritis/Early Degenerative Disease/Mental Illnesses/Diabetes.  I wasn’t easy to live with before any of that was diagnosed.  Imagine how I am now?

It was just after Simon and I started chatting as friends on the ‘net that I got my first Mental Health diagnosis of Bi-Polar Disorder.  Which was wrong, but not the point of this post.  Anyway, when he found out Simon did some research on what that meant.  Just so he could be supportive.  I was engaged to someone else at that point, by the way.  He was just being a good friend.

And he’s been a good friend ever since. And an excellent husband.

He goes out of his way to help, especially if he can tell I am in pain.  He knows I often don’t tell him how bad it is, just because there is no point.  He has a job.  He has to go to it.  I have Fibro and have to take care of Adam. So sometimes I just don’t mention it.

But he knows me.  And he watches me wince as I lift Adam or even take the milk out of the ‘fridge.  And he does what he can.  Comes home early.  Leaves a bit late.  Takes Adam up to Daycare so I can have an extra hour to myself.

He’s not perfect, who is?  But he’s pretty darn close.

And I couldn’t do what I do, run Designed To A Tee, take care of Adam, run our house, do our finances etc etc etc if he wasn’t right there behind me the whole time.

And now, to make me even prouder, he’s officially a Teaching Fellow at the University.

The only problem is he expects me to call him Mr Fraser now.

Imagine if he becomes a Professor!!!  🙂

Oh Right. I Have A Blog

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Apologies to everyone who checks regularly to see if I’ve updated.  (in other words, Hi Mom!)

I’ve been incredibly busy with work stuff and a boy who walks and doesn’t want to do anything else and baby proofing more and all that boring life stuff.

This coming Monday, 1st November, Adam starts all day daycare on Mondays, so I’ll have some extra time.

I do have a blog post about my trip to Dublin.  It’s just in a notebook.  In my sloppy handwriting.

But I promise it is coming.

Along with a special post about a special person who is going to kill me for writing it.

Speaking of him, he’s just accepted a job as a Teaching Fellow.  We’ve all been walking 3 feet in the air.

Letter To My Husband – Simon – 6 Years On

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Dear Simon

6 years ago today, at 10am on a Sunny Saturday morning, you stood waiting for me in the wedding room at City Hall.  About 30 minutes later we heard ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’.

Since then we’ve been through a lot.  Uncertainty about your job.  My health problems, mental and physical.  Bugs invading our flat.  Moving to our new, wonderful flat.  And, of course, Adam’s birth.

And through it all, you’ve been my rock.  As I’ve been diagnosed with Diabetes.  And Fibromyalgia.  And all my mental health issues.  Really, you probably should have turned me in on a healthier model.  But you haven’t.  And I know you won’t.

Every day I love you more and more.

Love

Robyn

Mama and Adam’s Newest Adventure

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So I’ve been wanting to go to Connswater Shopping Centre for awhile, because there is a Really Really Big Tesco (TM) there, but was always a bit daunted by the distance. Until I realized it was only about half a mile further than the Tesco I go to now.

So I put Adam in his new stroller and headed off.  Simon was a bit iffy about it, as its not the best part of Belfast, but I realized as we walked along that so long as I wasn’t wearing my ‘I’m for a United Ireland’ t-shirt, I’d be okay.  NB: I don’t actually own such a t-shirt.  My point is that the area is heavy LOL with lamp-posts with pictures of the Queen and everything.  Simon says about 1 block to the left is the just the opposite.

Anyway, it was a very nice walk, mostly flat (as opposed to my other Tesco, which is mostly uphill the whole way) and with traffic lights almost every crossing (also unlike my other Tesco) and then I was there.  Mecca.  Okay, so its just a very nice shopping centre with a Really Really Big Tesco (TM) and a Dunnes and Boots and all sorts of places.  It was fab.

So Adam and I looked around Dunnes.  And then went and did the shopping in Really Really Big Tesco (TM).  I carried through with a plan I’d been thinking about for awhile, which was to fold the pushchair up and stick it in a trolley rather than try to carry a hand-basket and push the stroller.  Worked a treat, except that there was no safety strap in the trolley seat, so I tied him in with a string I had!

Adam loved it.  I forgot to take a picture, though.  Maybe next time.

However, since it was a Really Really Big Tesco (TM) and it was laid out differently from my usual Tesco (and why is that? Why can’t they all be laid out the same?) shopping took longer than usual.  Suddenly it was noon and I had a hungry, cranky boy on my hands.  I wasn’t feeling too uncranky myself, actually.

So what’s a Mama to do?  We went to the food court.  Where our choices were Chinese, Burger King, Subway or Chicken Cottage.  And I knew the one thing Adam *might* eat was chicken.  So Adam had his very first ever child’s meal.  Chicken and Chips.  He ate about one nugget and some chips.  I had some chicken as well.

And then we headed home.  And belly full of chips boy fell asleep in his pram about 10 minutes from the flat and stayed asleep for about an hour.

So it was a good adventure.  I was feeling guilty about the lunch until I spoke to Simon:

‘Forgive me Dada, for I have sinned.’  I said to him on the phone.

‘Oh?’ He replied

‘Adam had his first ever fast food lunch today.’

‘Oh.  Well he’s had bits of my Egg McMuffins when he’s been with me and I’ve had one.’

Guilt 100% gone.

So Simon is Out Of Town On Business

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he is ‘staying in college’ at Cambridge and his rooms are ‘dead posh’.

My day so far?

4 am dummy cry

430 sounds of shuffling

445 come get me mummy

446 in bed with me

500 no no no I want up up up

515 MASSIVE Poo.  Teething is fun!

530 back to sleep, Adam, not me, I’m awake now

615 reaching for peanut butter knock down baby rice.  Baby rice is about the consistency of baby powder. Grab GTech carpet sweeper.  Battery dead due to Simon not charging it all the time to save the battery.

630 baby back up.  Toast cold.  Coffee, however, hot.

7 Simon rings to check in.  I explain new battery £20.  My sanity? Worth much more, plug the fucking thing in!

705 Simon agrees

717 baby playing in bouncy chair with car attachment.  Mummy drinking coffee.

Today has got to get better, right?

Right?!?!

Last Night…

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a miracle occurred.

Last night was my night off.  I woke up, on my own, at 0715.  And I’m thinking, how nice.  Simon let me sleep in.  He must be wrecked, poor boy.  And he won’t have much time to go back to bed since I have a doctor’s appointment at 0945.

So I peek into the front room.  And Simon is on the sofa, sipping a cup of coffee.  And Adam is in his chair, happily kicking his legs.

And Simon said, ‘He slept until 630.’

And I fainted.  Dead away.

Okay, not really that last part.

But the rest of it? 100% true.

Adam Jacob, aged 3 months and 2 days slept the night through!

Tonight is my night off again, since Simon is on holiday this week and is doing two nights in a row.

I wonder if the miracle will occur again…

No, I Have No Idea

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who Jenny is who commented on my last post. Nor do I care.

I didn’t have to let her comment through moderation.  But I did.  Even though, she, like everyone else I was talking about in that post, totally missed my point.

But enough about that.  Let’s move on to other, more interesting things.

Like the fact that 5 years ago tonight at about this time I was sitting in the pub of a local hotel with some of my family.  Drinking.  Celebrating.  Why?  Because I was getting married in the morning.

That’s right.  5 years tomorrow.  Hard to believe its been 5 years.

5 years since we were married.  6 years since I moved to Northern Ireland.  8 years we’ve been together.

And now 12 weeks since Adam was born.  Next Friday he’s 3 months old.  Talk about time flying.

Before we know it? He’ll be starting school.  And going on dates.  And off to University.

Yes, I am feeling maudlin tonight.  Thanks for asking.

Baby Brain, I Think Its Catching…

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So, every Monday night Simon and I have groceries delivered for the week.  This means that on Sunday we figure out what we want to eat Tuesday through Friday and order ingredients accordingly.

This morning I began pulling the items out to make tonight’s Chicken Cacciatore, so I could prep veggies while Adam was being happy in his bouncy seat.  Then I would just have to bung them and some chicken into the slow cooker at lunch time and 6 hours later, dinner would be on the table.

So I am rummaging through my veg drawer and I realize Tesco had sent me 4 onions.  ‘Why four onions?’ I said out loud.

Simon said ‘What are we having this week?’

‘Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken Casserole, Goulash, Veggie Lasagne and…wait, what’s the fourth thing?’ I replied.  ‘Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken Casserole, Goulash, Veggie Lasagne and…’ I repeated.

‘Check the ingredients we have.’ Simon suggested, ‘and that will tell you the fourth thing.’

Can you see what we both did there?  Both of us?

That’s right, for the non-baby brained out there…I was naming four things. And Simon was agreeing right along with me that I was missing one.

Once it occurred to me, just a few minutes later, how stupid we were, I then still couldn’t figure out why I had four onions.

It just occurred to me 10 minutes ago.  Because all four things have an onion in them.

Simon says his excuse was that he was on night duty last night and what was mine?

Baby Brain.

And I think its catching…

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!