Back Track

The last six months have been so busy, exciting and stressful. To start with at the start of June we welcomed our second daughter 'E'  into the world, it was a nice, easy and relaxing homebirth. When 'E' was 6weeks old we began house hunting,  the 5th house we viewed was the 'one' a nice 3 bed with a garden and lovely veiws, the offer was excepted and then began the most stressful 10weeks of my life. People say that getting married, having a baby and buying a house are the three most stressful things you ever do, well weddings and babies are a walk in the park compared to buying a house. Eventually we got keys on the 12th October and began to decorate and move our things over before we moved in on the 22nd. We had been in a very fortunate position because in January we moved back in with my parents to save for the deposit. After two and a half years of renting our own place it was very odd been back home but at the same time it was brilliant having help on hand with a newborn and toddler.
Its been alot easier having two children than I thought it would of been, S has been really brilliant and hasn't really shown any sign of jealousy. At the minute E is wanting to play (chew) with anything she can get her hands on, so S is having to learn to share, which isnt going down too well, id like to think that this will get better over time but I think im being very optimistic!
When S was 26 1/2 months old we potty trained her, she made me so proud of her and within 2weeks was completely dry in the day and another 2weeks after that refused to wear a nappy at night and has been dry at night aswell. That about concludes my catch up, so heres to happy and healthy 2014!

Busy, busy, busy

Well iv gone and done it again and been so busy with the kids and buying a house that iv not blogged.
I am now officially a stay at home mum and quite often feel like im not using my brain anymore so thought id try and do abit of blogging again.
Not going to give to much away in this post i'm going to do some 'back track' posts of every thing we've done in last few months.
Ex

'Back Track' 39 & 40 Weeks pregnant

Well not a lots happened, had a few twinges and period pain like cramps but nothing's that turned into anything unfortunately. After weeks of being impatient and trying to bring labour on, as soon as I reached my due date I lost all my impatience and just decided that it will come when it wants and that even if I have to be induced it won't be more than 2weeks away, so I'm just happy spending time with Lottie and getting a decent nights sleep.
As i suspected 40 weeks came and went, with no sign of labour. It really didn't bother me like I thought it would. The only annoying thing was everyone else asking me and giving me sympathetic looks.
At 6 days over due we went to soft play centre, which was great fun as it was the 1st time Mr has come with us. I did get quite a few funny looks while I was crawling round after Lottie. I probably did look abit odd with such a big bump, but I don't like it to affect how I play with her.
Pudding will hopefully be here within the next few days. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.
Can't wait to find out if its a boy or a girl.
E x
I wrote this post a couple if days befor pudding arrived and just never got chance to post it. Enjoy x

The Name Game

For me, naming my children has felt like one of the biggest responsibilitys of being a parent, you are giving your child their identity and something that has to stay with them for life. So how do you make such an important decision? For us the names seem to have just come to    us and the names have been picked from pretty early on, except for our boys name this time which now at 39weeks pregnant we have decided we're not to sure about and are now desperately trying to find one we love. I also find that picking girls names alot easier as there are alot more pretty names.

With 'Scarlett Rose' the middle name was chosen first because it's mine and I wanted to pass something of mine onto her, because when she was born we weren't married so was having her Dad's surname. The only other contender for her was 'Maddie' but we felt that she would need a full name, my choice was 'Madison' and Mr's was 'Madeline' when we couldn't agree we had a look online and found 'Scarlett' it was perfect for us. It goes so well with 'Rose', it's pretty and feminine, and most importantly suits her. I also like names that can be shortened so 'Scarlett' became 'Lottie'.

If Lottie had been a boy she would have been called 'Finian Thomas' Which Mr had asked if we could use, as its a family name. Looking back I'm glad that we had a girl as I've really gone off 'Finian' now, I still like Thomas so we have decided to keep that as a middle name for him whatever we decide. 

I'm just desperately hoping we find a name that we like, I'd hate for them to be born as us have absolutely no clue what to call  him (thats if its a boy anyway) im really hoping its a girl now so I don't have to have the dilemma.

Hiw did you choose your childrens names?

E x 

37 &38 weeks pregnant

As my due date gets closer I've been trying to make the most of being a mummy of one and  enjoy just spending time with Lottie, giving her my undivided attention because I know as soon as Pudding arrives its going to be impossible to give her this level of attention especially when I'm feeding Pudding. We've been swimming and to an indoor soft play centre because I think these are going to be the things that are going to be hardest with two little ones, even when there are two adults as neither of you can have a break for even a minute as you're each have a child to watch. I really hope it's not going to be as hard  as I'm imagining, although I suspect it will be.

Pudding seems to have dropped a little bit as my ribs aren't in as much pain, when I saw the midwife at 38+2 she said their head was just sitting on the brim, so it's already to engage and since then I do feel like my bump has dropped a little bit.
I've had a few twinges with period like pain and back ache but after an hour or so it all dies down again, hopefully it means everything is heading in the right direction direction though. I've started taking raspberry leaf tablets and drinking the tea, which should help prepare my uterus and cervix for labour and apparently will help make labour quicker and easier. Fingers crossed it works. Been eating pineapples and doing lots of bouncing on birthing ball but neither of these seems to be bringing on labour, as much as I try to start things early I do believe that Pudding won't come until they're good and ready, so I can see me having an induction at 42weeks, I think I've made them to comfy in there.

Did anything help get your labour started?
Thanks for reading E xx

Happy second birthday Lottie

I really can't believe that 2 whole years have passed, everyday Lottie changes and I wish I could keep her just as she is for a bit longer. She's growing into such a strong minded little lady with her very own personality and always lets you know if she doesn't want to do something, but she is also the kindest and sweetest girl I have ever met,  always giving kisses and cuddles and hates seeing anyone sad. It makes my heart melt every time her toy doll cries and she runs over to cuddle it and gives it a bottle of milk. I know she's going to be an amazing big sister.

Over the next year I she's going to so much more, she'll be talking properly and be interested in so many more things, hopefully be potty trained and enjoying life as a big sister. This year I'm going to try to cherish every single second I have with her as it just goes to quickly.

Happy Birthday my beautiful little girl!

36 weeks pregnant

Its been a really busy week but we are now all ready for Pudding to arrive, I went and saw the midwife for my 36week check and everything is going well, Pudding is measuring exactly right for dates, my iron levels are slightly low so midwife wants me to just boost them up a little bit ready for birth, while there she arranged to come around on Monday for my pre birth visit and to drop off the home birth kit and gas & air.
 While she was round she answered all the questions we had and talked us though what would happen. She also prepped Mr on how to deliver if they don't make it in time. Having a home birth is going to be so different to my hospital birth with Lottie, I feel more like I'm going to be the one calling the shots, I can go where I want, eat and drink when I want, after Puddings born I can curl up in my own bed and have cuddles with both my children and I don't have to be left by myself overnight on a strange hospital ward. I just hope now that I won't end up in hospital being  induced if I go overdue.

My midwife has suggested that from 37weeks I start taking raspberry leaf tea to help prepare my body for labour, so I'm going to give it ago. I'v also read that evening primrose oil is also meant to be good but not sure if I should try it or not, as some people say that it can just give you false starts and end up giving yourself contractions for no reason, maybe if I go over and start getting desperate I'll give it ago.
I really wish that Pudding would engage so that my bump would drop, my ribs are physically bruised now and even lying down doesn't relive the pain any more. As much as I'm ready for Pudding to be born I also don't want to wish my pregnancy away and try to enjoy it as much as possible.

Thanks for reading 

E

34 weeks pregnant

After 6 Weeks of not seeing the midwife I had a check up, everything's fine, Puddings head down but not engaged, which supposedly won't happen until labour with this being my second. I'm measuring a week bigger than I am  but the midwife didn't seem to concerned about it. Only two weeks until I see her next and I'll then hopefully find out a bit more about having a home birth as I still feel very clueless about it all. Been having a lot of pain in my ribs this week and keep getting stomach cramps and indigestion at night, which I luckily didn't have with Lottie.
Everything is ready for Pudding now I'v packed an emergency hospital bag just in case they put in an early arrival, picked out their first outfit and set up the moses basket, just need a baby for them now.
This week I'v also being for a bump photo shoot, which I was quite nervous about but had so much fun doing it, I didn't do one with Lottie or take many bump shots myself and really regret it now, it will be lovely to look back on , I think you soon forget just how big you were.I will post some photos when I'v got them.
Thanks for reading E x

long time no blog -a catchup

We've been very busy since I  last blogged so going to do a quick catch up and hopefully from now on keep it more up to date. Our biggest news is that we're expecting baby no. 2 (Pudding) and due May 23rd.

4.5weeks - Monday 17th September 2012- Having done a pregnancy test on the Friday what I thought was 4 days before my period was due I was disappointed but not surprised to see only one blue line, as it was only our 1st month of TTC. I still have no idea why, while bathing Lottie on that Monday night, I felt the need to do another test I'd had no symptoms  and was sure that I wasn't, but as I was going to put it in the bin I noticed a very faint blue line. It took five days and 8 pregnancy tests to assure me that it was real. I think the thing that shocked me most was that it was only our first month of trying and I'd been preparing myself for at least 3. After finding out I put Lottie to bed as calmly as I could and went down stairs to  wait for Mr to come home from work. I put the test In an envelope and gave it when he walked through the door he guessed as soon as I handed it him, but we promised not to get excited (although we did) until the blue line was stronger.

10.4weeks - Sunday 28th October 2012- Had my booking appointment at home and although I was disappointed that I didn't have the same midwife that I had with Lottie, my new one is lovely and is brilliant at reassuring me that I'd be able to have a home birth and despite having a very quick labour with Lottie that a midwife would make it to me in time.

12.5weeks - Tuesday 13th November 2012- Our twelve week scan. Just as amazing as it was with Lotties, for me its the time when the pregnancy becomes real. I realised that this baby is going to be a lot more awkward than Lottie was, as the baby wouldn't get in the right position for the sonographer to see everything, but after a bit of jumping about and a walk around the waiting room pudding decided to get into the right position. Everything was fine and my due date was moved up by two days.

13.1weeks- Friday 16th November 2012-  Felt like a living nightmare, started out as a normal Friday morning got up, took Lottie to nursery and went to work, but after an hour I started to get a terrible cramping pain, after half an hour I felt like I needed to go home, but on the way to tell my boss I realised I was bleeding as well. In a panic with the help of some of the other staff I rang every phone number I had with me, the local midwife led unit (MLU) had been closed in the summer, so every person I rang told me I'd phoned the wrong place. Thankfully the people I worked with were amazing and took me straight to the local minor injuries unit where the MLU used to be and some midwives base them selves there, luckily when I arrived there was a midwife there picking up some paperwork, so she rang though to the hospital for me.   I was told to go home and wait for them to phone me to arrange an emergency scan. 5 hours later I finally got the call and was told to call them on the Sunday morning. The next 40 hours were a blur. We tried to prepare ourselves for worse but as I lay in bed on Saturday night I was sure I felt a flutter of a kick, but tried to dismiss it as my mind playing tricks on in, in hindsight I think it was Puddings way of letting me know they were okay. The next morning at the scan they found every thing was fine and as it should be, they think that I had a blood clot somewhere but couldn't figure out where it had come from as it should have shown up on my 12week scan.

15.2weeks- Saturday 1st December-  We did it. After two years and two months of  planning we tied the knot. It was a beautiful clear December afternoon, as the ceremony finished it was just going dark so the church lit up beautifully with candles and fairy lights. Everything went pretty much to plan I just can't believe how quickly the day went. When you get married every ones favourite question seems to be does it feel any different and for me the answer was most definitely NO! Other than a lot phone calls to make and copies of the marriage certificate to send off it feels no different for me, with us already living together and having Lottie we'd been living like a married couple for the past two years. It is nice having the same surname as Lottie now though and makes me feel like we're a proper little family. Our honeymoon was in Chester for 2 nights, which even though doesn't sound a lot for a honeymoon was plenty for us and we missed Lottie to much to have any longer away, although I think  she was having to much fun staying with Grandma and Grandad to notice that we'd gone.

20.5 weeks - Tuesday 8th January - 20week scan. Pudding behaved at this scan, and is doing brilliantly, looks like he/she is going to be similar to Lottie as the stomach was measuring about a week behind the rest of the body, so the sonographer wasn't worried about it. We have decided not to find out the sex again this time as we already have a lot of nutral things, and will be such a nice surprise when they're born.

21.6 weeks - Wednesday 16th January- Move house. after weeks of packing (its surprising how much crap you collect with children) we moved house.

23.1weeks- Friday 25th January-  Redundancy. As if I hadn't already just been though enough stress my boss decided to dump this on. I was been made redundant as of the next week. I honestly could not believe it, he only had to keep me on another 6weeks and I could of gone on maternity leave, luckily I was still entitled to maternity allowance, but I'd have go near enough 8weeks before I got my 1st payment. Unfortunately this means that I will have to find another job when Puddings only 6months old which for me still seems to young to send to nursery although I don't think I'm going to have a choice as there is no way we can survive on one wage.

29weeks - maternity leave officially starts. for the next 9 months we can stop worrying about money as my maternity allowance has started and get the 1st payment in two weeks time.

30.4 weeks Monday 18th march- Reduced fetal movements. Over the last few weeks I'd kept debating whether I should ring the maternity unit as I wouldn't feel Pudding kick for ages then just as I was about to ring they would give me a few kicks, so I'd decide against it. But this time I'd had enough of just assuming everything was okay and after not feeling any movement in 16 hours I rang up and was asked to come in for a CTG. Typically whilst having the CTG Pudding decided to kick me 37 times, I felt so stupid but at least it put my mind to rest and I could sleep better at night and not keep lying awake worrying.

I will be trying to keep the blog a lot more updated from now on, so please come and see how we get on with baby no. 2.
Thanks for reading  E