Month 9 as a mummy of 3

June 2015

June seems to have been just as manic and tiring as May, but it feels like there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel and as I write this as we're entering July life feels like it getting back on track.

E turned 2 at the start of June, and I really don't know where its gone, life's been so busy with buying the house, 2 job promotions and H coming along that since she was born it really has flown by. I often refer to E as my mini me not only because we have the same position in the family (we both have an older sister and a younger brother) but also her very determined personality and always wanting to know everything. 
We had a really laid back day, we were going to go swimming but she was so tired that she had a nap instead and we decided that we'd go in a week or two. My now big girl has also really surprised me and has given up her dummy. S was so easy when we got rid of hers, she cried at one nap time and never asked for it again. E has a completely different personality and I really didn't think that she would give them up, the 1st 4 days were really hard but after that and when she a got a present for being such a big girl it became a lot easier.

Mr had to do a week on nights which was tortuous for me. In theory it was going to work perfectly, he'd help put the littles to bed then have an hour to chill & get ready and go work at 9pm, finish at 7am and be home before 8, either spend an hour with us or help get us ready to leave if it was a nursery day, then sleep till 5/6pm eat dinner and repeat. In practice he didn't get home till late morning because of the amount of paperwork that he had to do, then was really grumpy when the noise of us running the bath woke him. Trying to keep us busy and out of the house was the hardest part. H had another abscess that week so he wasn't sleeping well, the girls seemed to have a bad week as well, I think they picked up on our stress. In a way I felt good that knowing that I could cope on my own and I've got a new respect for single mums, who have to do it on their own all the time.

Its been a bad month for my poor wee H, he has cut his first teeth, his top middle ones, and has had 2 more abscesses. the 1st abscess was when Mr was on nights, he went straight onto the strongest antibiotics which cleared it up nicely. It was helped along by the fact that he can now pull himself up to stand but cant get back down so he just plonks down on his bum which popped it, so with all the gunk out it cleared out quicker than normal. Having said that 4 days after stopping the antibiotics another one has appeared, in a different place this time. He was straight back on the antibiotics and have been told that if he has two more this year then we will be referred back to the surgeons at the children's hospital.

I finally have some news on S's school appeal. We received her appeal hearing date, which typically is while we are on holiday in July, but the letter stated that I don't need to attend if I don't want to as the school has indicated that they can accept all the children who have appealed as they have a enough spaces. I'm feeling so relieved about it all, i'm now hoping that when we get back of holiday there will be a nice official letter confirming it and that we can organise a visit to the school again and order her uniform. It's all becoming very real now that in just 2 months time my little baby will be starting big school.

Thanks for reading 

Elly x

Month 7 as a mummy of 3

April 2015

This is my last post where I'm a mum of 3 under 4. Which has surprisingly upset me, not that anything is magically going to change overnight, life's still going to be chaotic but it means that this magical time of having 3 really little children is coming to an end. It means that S will soon be starting school, E will soon be talking properly and be 2 in just a few weeks and H will be crawling and walking before I know it. I wish life had a pause button so that I could just sit back and really appreciate how special these ages are.
We didn't get off to a great start this month and spent most of the Easter weekend in and out of hospital with H, you can read about that here. Other than going to hospital we had a nice Easter the children got spoilt as usual with lots of lovely presents. Me and my mum both buy presents instead of chocolate because otherwise they end up with so much that I don't think they appreciate it.

S has had a couple of play dates over the half term and It's made me realise that she really is growing up. At both play dates the children wanted to play upstairs. But we've never put toys in S's room as she only goes in her room to sleep and get dressed. It seems that by the age of 4 it's the norm for children to have toys in their room and to spend time in it on their own. After S's birthday we decided that she could keep her Barbies and dolls in there and see how she gets on with them before putting anything else in.

More bedroom news that H has gone into his own room now, so far so good. The first night he slept through but unfortunately it was a fluke and he usually wakes at some point in the night. It's so strange having an empty room when I go up at night. But it's nice to not have to creep in anymore.

Primary school places were announced this month and like many other families we were disappointed and didn't get our first choice. I do feel very strongly about as it was the school that I went to, it's a Catholic school and although we're not Catholic me and the girls are practicing Christians and I want them to go to a school that has these Christian values, I know not everyone will agree with me on that, but I believe that we should all have the choice of where our children are educated for whatever reason that may be. So we are appealing which is really stressful and annoying because all of S's friends know where they're going and we are still in limbo. Hopefully by my next monthly blog post I'll know more.

Our major event this month was S's birthday and party! Peoples kindness never ceases to amaze me, she got so many lovely cards and presents and had such a lovely time at her party with her friends. Where the last 4 years have gone I really don't know. She's such a head strong and stubborn little girl and at times has me tearing my hair out, but she's also so kind and caring to E and H and will always come and apologise after she's been naughty, it makes my heart melt. Happy Birthday to the little girl who made me a Mummy and the person I always wanted to be! 

This month hasn't all been perfect and I've certainly had my bad days including the day after S's party, you can read about that here. It has had its good points especially the week after when we had some lovely weather and that instantly put me in a better mood. On the Wednesday, once we picked the girls up from nursery we went for a picnic in the park which certainly made me feel like a better mum seeing them all so happy and having fun.

I've also made myself start going to baby classes, I've never really gone to them before because I hate going to places where I don't know anyone. When S was first born I went to a baby massage massage class which I really enjoyed and I've been to the odd play group but usually end up sitting there holding back tears as I'm not very good at meeting new people as I'm really shy. I decided at the start of the month that I needed to overcome my fear as it's not fair that the children should suffer because of it. There was a new class starting locally which seemed like the perfect opportunity for me because with it being a new class there wouldn't already be 'cliques' so I wouldn't feel like an outsider and with it being a class as apposed to a play group I knew the parents wouldn't just be sitting around nattering drinking tea. We have been to 3 classes so far and absolutely love it. It's on a Thursday when S is having swimming lessons with nursery, it's nice to have a bit of time with the littlest two. It's been a long time since anxiety has severely affected me(nearly 3 years), recently I have felt it creeping back in but doing this has really made me feel like I've kicked its ass and told it to jog on.

H still can't quite sit by himself he just doesn't seem interested in it, he would much rather be on his tummy trying to crawl, I suspect that by next months post he will be off. he still loves cuddles which is so nice as by this age the girls weren't as bothered and would rather be off playing or exploring, I'm going to enjoy every moment  of my extended baby days. Has anyone else found that boys love cuddles more than girls?

Trying his hardest to crawl

Thanks for reading
Elly xx

Month 6 as a mummy of 3

March 2015

I cant quite believe that I've been a mummy of 3 for 6 months now, I really don't know where the time has gone, but here is my 6th month....

If you read my blog post last month, Month 5 as a mummy of 3, you'll have seen that Mr was having some interviews for a promotion at work and we are very relieved to say that he got the promotion *does a happy dance* It's going to mean some pretty big changes as although the money is much better it also means that he will quite often be doing 50 hour weeks. It's going to be strange as some days he'll be gone before we wake up and not back until the children are already in bed, I feel like I'm really going to have to step up as a mum and be there for the children more than ever and I'm going to have to stick to our Routine more just to make the days bearable. I am hoping that it means I might get a little bit more blogging done as I only tend to do it when Mr is working late and it looks like that's going to happen a lot more often now.

Mothers day wasn't quite as I'd imagined it to be as Mr was working all day and my parents were on holiday, so I spent the day at home with 3 rather bored kids, we made cookies but that was about as exciting as it got. The joy of  been a mother, never actually getting a day off as much as you want one, unfortunately children don't understand about mothers day so they still spent the day making a mess and filling nappies. It wasn't all bad I did get a bottle of wine, a nice bunch of roses and some chocolate to enjoy when they were all in bed.

S the little super star has got her 2nd swimming badge, I'm so proud of her and can't wait to take her again to show us how well she's doing. Although I received a letter from nursery saying that after the Easter holidays they will be having a new swimming teacher as they were not happy with the current one and some parents have complained, apparently she was grading them as group rather than on a more individual basis that they normally do. Neither me or Mr had private swimming lessons as children, I had lessons through school and Mr taught himself on a holiday one year. Because of that we didn't know what pace to expect her to learn, so we were pretty happy with her progress, maybe with this new teacher she'll have a few more before the end of the school year.

Yet again we have had an illness, this year we seem to have had one thing after another. This month its been stomach bugs,  we've had two! I desperately want it to be summer so we can have a break from all these bug, I've really had enough this year it's literally been one thing after another, as soon as we get over one thing we've got the next. Fingers crossed that's it for a while now.

We don't seem to have done much with the 'littles' recently, so we took them to the soft play centre on Mr's day off. It really reaffirmed to me just how much we need a car. We went for a bus waited half an hour for it turn up, when it finally did there were already 2 pushchairs on so we couldn't fit, another 20 minutes until another bus came that didn't take us as close so we had to walk the last mile in the rain. By the time we got there I was so stressed, but determined that we were going to spend a nice day together, seeing how happy they were made it worth it. But with a car we would have been there an hour earlier, I wouldn't have been stressed and we wouldn't all be soaking. It also wouldn't have cost us £10 for a taxi back home. I really hope we have a car by the end of year.

Thanks for reading 

Elly xx

Month 5 as a mummy of 3

February 2015

The biggest thing for us this month was E starting nursery one morning a week. She had 6 settling sessions, where I could stay with her as long as I felt I needed to. I stayed the whole 2 hours at the 1st one then left her 20 minutes on the second session and gradually built it up until the last one where I only stayed for 10 minutes. I'm so proud of how well she's settled in. She only cried for the first two weeks and now goes in quite happily to find her new little friends. Apparently the only time she cries is when her and S have been playing outside together and E's room have to go in a few minutes earlier, and she doesn't want to leave her sister. S thinks it's very novel having E at 'her' nursery and loves being able to be the big "know it all" sister, by showing her around and telling E what she has to do, she likes me to take E to her room first so that she can help drop her off like a mummy.

Mr's had 2 weeks holiday off work, it's been nice having him around in the mornings to help out but by the end of it I was definitely ready for him to go back and get back into my routine. He had to go into work a couple of times on his holiday to have an interview and tests for a promotion. It has made our relationship a bit fraught as he's been very stressed with it all and it's rubbed off on the rest of us. I really can't wait to find out if he has got the job but he doesn't know for another 2 weeks so it looks like I better get use to this stress. If he gets the job our entire lives will change its such a big pay rise and he has to be able to drive which will finally give him the push he needs. Neither me or Mr can drive, I learnt and even had a test when I was 36 weeks pregnant with S, but unfortunately I failed and my driving instructor told me to have a few months off while I settled into motherhood then come back and pick it up again. I never got round to it and now its one of my biggest regrets because it's harder to get someone to watch 3 children than it would of been just with one. Not being able to drive or have a car is starting to make me feel like the kids are missing out on all sorts of trips that are all part of childhood. Just little things like going to garden centres, farm parks and just general days out in different places, where they could learn so much. I'm really hoping that we will have a car by the end of the year.

This month E really has been growing up, we have finally weaned her off her bedtime bottle, she's 20 months old now and it's been bothering me for a while that she to old for a bottle. We have tried a couple of times to stop but she's been so upset by it that we've given in and given her a bottle. This time I got her a new sippy cup that had a silicone spout so she could still lie down, she used that for about a week then would happily have her usual cups, which is much better as she sits up with them and I don't need to worry about her having prolonged contact with the milk that could cause tooth decay. The next step now is ditching the dummy, I'm hoping to do that around her second birthday.

We finally got round to taking the kids swimming. They had so much fun, it was H's first time and we hadn't been with the girls for about 6 months. It was great to see what S has learned in her swimming lessons, I couldn't believe how much she has come on. E was quite scared when we first got in but after watching S for a few minutes she soon wanted to join in. H really liked it as well, I was worried he was going to cry but he spent most of it laughing at the girls and being able to make make big splases when he kicked his legs. After we'd been swimming we took them to feed the ducks in the park which finished the day off nicely.

Thanks for reading Elly x

Month 4 as a mummy to 3

January 2015

This month has been mainly spent indoors, started by a week of quarantine while S had chicken pox. I was really impressed with her, she never moaned or complained, she just spent the days doing jigsaws, practicing writing and watching her favorite TV programmes. She had to miss the first week back at nursery which we were both upset about, the last few days of the Christmas holidays she was becoming quite hard work, I think she missed the stimulation. The spots soon scabbed and she was back the next week. I thought E and H had got away with it but 12 days after S's had scabbed they both came out in spots. It was definitely harder as E & H couldn't tell me what was up and the fact that two of them had it at the same time didn't help and we had a couple nights with only a few hours sleep. But I'm glad they've all got it out of the way now while they're still young.

H has had a nasty cough for over 5 weeks so we decided that it wasn't just a cold that his sisters had given him and we'd better get it checked out. I'm still not 100% sure on what any of it means and whether he has got asthma or if he might have it in the future but the doctor gave him an inhaler to take 4 times a day for a couple of days then just as and when I feel he needs it. The problem is I've never dealt with asthma, so I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking for. Luckily Mr had it as a child so has a rough idea, but the Doctors appointment was so rushed as he was already running 20 minuets late and you could just tell that he didn't have time for me, so we left more confused than we started and have decided to keep giving him the inhaler as he needs it and in a few months take him back to a different doctor and see what they say, unless obviously it gets worse then we'll go back sooner.

It's been another big month for H as I've weaned him. I'm sure there's a lot of tutting at me now for not waiting till he was 6 months, but after 2 weeks of constant crying and wanting so much milk he kept throwing it up I decided it was time. And he's taken to it like a fish to water, the girls only had a spoon or two of baby rice for the first few days but H ate 10 spoons at his first taste and hasn't stopped since. He seems so much happier now that he has a full tummy. I'll probably do two weeks on an evening meal, then introduce breakfast and another two weeks and introduce lunch. I much prefer to make my own baby food, but this time I don't feel that I'm going to have as much time as I had with the girls so I've stocked up on jars and pouches for him. So far his favorites are Ella's Kitchen - Bananas bananas bananas and Hipp organic - Vegetables with rice & chicken. The girls are both really fussy eaters and I'm determined to give H as wider variety of food as possible in the hope that as he grows he'll be more willing to try new things, unlike his sisters who seem to live off the same 4 meals! 

After been stuck inside with chicken pox we were just starting to enjoy getting out and about again when we had a load of snow, S just had to have one day off nursery because I physically couldn't push the pushchair through the snow, we had lots of hot chocolate and snuggled up watching telly. It was nice having an unexpected relaxing day at home, but I didn't fancy doing it for long. The next day Mr went and bought some sledges for the girls to make getting out and about a bit easier, and life carried on as normal. I use to love the snow but now I dread it, as nice as it is to look at, all I want is to carry on with life as normal.

Thanks for reading

E x

Month 3 as a mummy of 3

December is always a special month for us, as it's our wedding anniversary on the 1st, which Is a lovely way to start the month or it would have been if I hadn't forgotten to buy a card, and had to go dashing down to the shops at 9 am! This year I also decided to start a new tradition, a 'December box.' I filled it with some new books; activity books; Snowdog pens; chocolates; a magic Santa key; jigsaw and most importantly our "Elf on the shelf" Eddie although I didn't buy an official 'elf on the the shelf' because to be honest they're faces freak me out a bit. The girls loved him and really enjoyed hunting for him every morning, this is definitely a tradition we will be doing every year.

This year December has also been a special month as we got H Baptised. I really enjoyed myself as I was so much more relaxed and laid back about  than at the girls Christenings. I think because I've done it twice before I knew exactly what to expect. Everything went to plan the only thing that didn't was that it started to snow about 40 minutes into the party, so a few people who lived out of town had to go in case got worse and the roads were closed (this happens quite regularly through winter here).

My nephew turned one in the middle of December, It really upset me, I really don't know where the last year has gone. I wasn't even pregnant with H when I met my nephew for the 1st time. I remember holding him and being really broody and really wishing I could have another baby, but thinking that I can't because it wouldn't be practical. Little did I know that less than a month later I'd be getting a positive pregnancy test!

S's nursery concert went really well, she did great and really enjoyed herself. I felt a bit of a loner as Mr had to work with it being so near Christmas and all the other children seemed to have both of their parents there, she didn't seem to bothered that daddy wasn't there and had such a big smile on her face when she saw me sat in the audience. 
Nursery has had her so hyped up for Christmas, I love it as much as the next person but its been getting a bit to much, she's constantly bad tempered because shes so tired. I know this is just what happens but its our first proper year of it and i'm really surprised just how much it does effect them. Its like nursery treat them like a wind up toy, they keep winding the children up then let them go as the holidays start, so you're let with one over excited child!

This month we had lots of fun doing Christmas crafts; we painted baubles; made reindeer footprint pictures; made magic reindeer food and lots and lots of Christmas biscuits. It was a great way to pass a few days when it was too cold to go out. And they made nice cheap presents for people.

Keeping up with the tradition that we started last year, we went to see Santa on the 23rd, with my mum and this year my sister and nephew came with us. We go to a lovely one in a cavern, we were really impressed as well as it was the same one from last year, he has a lovely welsh accent, which for some reason makes him feel more authentic. 

Christmas was a bit of a blur as usual- after months of build up, a late night building toys and then overly excited children waking you at some unearthly hour, it seems to pass in a sleepy haze especially after that glass of bubbly with lunch. We spent most of the day with my family which I love as its just like being a child again and love seeing my children having the same wonderful Christmas's that I had. Last year we had Lunch at home that Mr made, it was nice but it's not Christmas without my mums Chrismas Dinner. Like every year I can't believe how kind and thoughtful some people are and all 3 of them were spoiled rotten, as a parent its one of the best things seeing your child's face light up as they open their presents. The only problem this year was that E decided that she couldn't be bothered to unwrap them as it looked to much like hard work so insisted that I unwrap them and she'd play with the toy.

Month 2 as a mummy of 3

This month has definitely had its ups and downs, it started off in October half term when we went straight from a chest infection to a stomach bug on Halloween. I was so upset the girls didn't even get to wear their costumes. I'm glad that they were too young to know that they had missed out on it. I'd had such an action packed week planned with them, with lots of crafts and fun activities for them to do, but they'll just have to wait until next year.

When we were finally all better Me and Mr went shopping for some new clothes for me with my birthday money, that I had saved from September, but typically I spent most of my money on Christmas presents and clothes and treats for the kids. And then I spend half my life complaining that I have no nice clothes that fit me, but some how children's clothes and toys look so much more appealing.

Me and H had our 6 week check, which went great, he's putting loads of weight on, now weighing in at a hefty 11lb 8oz. I still can't get over how big he is compared to the girls, I almost feel like I've missed the newborn stage. But I'm just glad that he's healthy. The Health Visitor came to our house on the Monday to do weight, height etc. And then we went to the doctor on the Tuesday for the physical exam. H had a few tiny spots on his private parts which I'd assumed were a little bit of nappy rash, But my Health Visitor was positive it was thrush and made sure she wrote a big note about it for the Doctor, sure enough mother knew best and it was nappy rash, I know its better to be safe but sometimes I feel like they just like to make you feel like a bad parent for not thinking it might be serious and taking them to the doctor, but I'd have wasted his time anyway.

As soon as S went back to nursery after the October half term they have been leaning the songs for the Christmas concert. Now don't get me wrong Christmas is my favorite time of year, I love everything about it, I start thinking about the next Christmas on boxing day, but my patience is already starting to wear thin with songs that I've never heard before and bless her she only knows half the words and gets frustrated that she can't remember the rest. I know she'll be amazing in the concert and will love every minute of it, i just wish they would of waited a few ore weeks before starting or at least send a song sheet home.

It's been a very tough few weeks and after 7 weeks of it I was at my wits end, always someone crying or needing something, E and S fighting over stupid things, the never ending jobs that are messed up as soon as you do them, the hundreds of nappies that need changing and the sheer tiredness of it all. So after me breaking down in tears to Mr, on his day off I was sent off to the shops with just H who slept the entire time, to get some fresh air and time to myself. It was a great chance to reflect on everything and by the time I'd done I was missing the girls and ready to go back to the mad house. I need to learn to take a break before it gets too much, Mr keeps joking that I'm going to give myself a heart attack because I get so stressed trying to leave the house on time.

I would love any tips on how to stay sane.....

Ex

First month as a mummy of 3

Week 1

We had a great first night with H, he settled himself in his Moses basket and slept loads, the girls spent the night at my parents so we could concentrate on getting to grips with feeding especially since we were told after he was born that he was tongue tied. It was great to have some time alone with him to bond.

This time I decided that instead of rushing around and going out straight away that I would rest at home and try and keep visitors away for a few days. I've felt a lot better in myself for it, after having E I had terrible "after pains" 4 or 5 times a day some lasting nearly an hour and were so painful I would debate ringing A&E, this time I've had one after pain that wasn't as bad as I remember them being and generally my whole body has recovered quicker.

Nursery runs are pretty hard luckily I've got Mr to help and some days he takes S on his own which is much better, I'm so worried about how I'm going to do it on my own.

On Tuesday (4 days old) I finally felt up to going out, so just after Lunch we started to get ready but all 3 of them started to play up. Both girls started having paddys over silly things like which shoes they were wearing and H filling his nappy twice and getting hungry.  Mix that with Mr getting stressed because he couldn't figure the pushchair out we ended up staying at home everyone having a nap, then we started again and went for a little walk down to my mums for a brew. So we made it out in the end just 2 hours after we intended to leave. 

On Wednesday my student midwife came to do the usual checkups, he lost 5% of his birthweight and they allow up to 10% so that was fab. She checked his feeding and we're doing great with that aswell so I'm feeling really pleased with myself this week.

Week 2 

On day 10 came a really sad day for me, saying goodbye to my wonderful midwives. I really wish you could have midwife care longer before being passed onto the health visitors, Midwives know all your history and know you personally mine saw me through 3 pregnancies, delivered two of my babies and looked after me postnatally for all 3. My health visitor on the other hand has changed for each baby and I've never really taken to any of them I've and have always felt very judged by them and always feel like I'm treading on eggshells with what I say and if I say the wrong thing I'm going to get told off like a child at school. As silly as that sounds In my experience its how I've been made to feel, I really hope that I've just been unlucky and there are some lovely health visitors out there.

This week we also braved our first shopping trip to the local shops, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it went. H pretty much slept through it, E was really we behaved and happily stayed in the pushchair and S stayed close and walked nicely just with the odd blip because she wanted to go on the buggy board that unfortunately doesn't fit on my iCandy Pear when its in double mode. All in all it was a success, the next step is going to be doing it on my own!

E seems to have suddenly grown up she can now point to the correct body part when asked and now says please and tries to say S's name it really does only seem 5 minutes since she was H's size.

This week H has become a real person when we registered him, I'm hoping the doubt about his name will get,  I think it's just as everyone's said it goes with the surname but he's a HH so I wasn't  100% about it, I love his 1st name but I dislike my married  surname.

Week 3

Mr started back at work after his 2 weeks paternity leave, it's  been a hard week I wasn't ready for him to go back, the thought of being on my own was so daunting. But I found the best trick is to split the day into sections, get to lunchtime, then till 2, then till 4 when I start making tea, then till bath time at 6, then it's just bedtime and RELAX! I never know what shift Mr's going to work so some days he's home till late morning and works late, others days he leaves the house before we wake up and is back in time for tea. It's hard with it being like that and I wish he had a job with a regular shift pattern, but I'm grateful he has a job that can support me being a stay at home mum.

Week 4

This week has been incredibly hard we've all had colds and just generally felt rubbish and I've really not felt like doing anything at all, the washing pile has built up and up and  the house is an absolute mess. It's surprising how mush washing we make, I'm optimistically hoping that I'll get into a really good routine of doing it, and it won't seem as bad. 

The nursery run is still hard getting 3 children and myself up and out of the house by 8.30 is tough, but the girls know the routine and we've not been late so far.
I'm making the most of H sleeping a lot and when S is at nursery spending as much quality time as I can with E. I'm really concerned that she's going to feel left out 

It was my local NCT(national childbirth trust) sale this week . I love going there's  always amazing bargains and it's nice to spend some time with my Mum and sister. I also sold at this sale which is a great way to have a clear out, and unlike a car boot or table top sale they take all the stress out of it, you label your items up in your own time at home, drop them off and them pick up any unsold items after the sale,  then just sit back and wait for your cheque in the post. 

  E xxx

23 & 24 weeks

23 weeks 

Been a bit of a mixed week this week some glorious hot days and some cold wet ones. We had a lovely picnic in the park with my mum, it was the type that you dream about all winter, it really was perfect. S has decided that she loves playing football and spends all day everyday pestering to go to the park to play, luckily there's a football pitch a couple of minuets walk from our house so if its not raining we go, but i'v discovered that at 6 months pregnant playing football isn't a great idea and i'v managed to pull loads of muscles doing it. 

I'v found my new favorite hobby, crochet. I love sewing but now my sewing machines not permanently set up, as my sewing room is in the process of been turned into a nursery, it seems such an effort to set it up and pack it away so the girls don't mess with it the next morning. I'm a very slow knitter so get bored before i'v finished anything, that's why crochet appealed to me so much, the only equipment you need is a hook and it builds up really quickly. In a matter of two hours i'd already made a square and i'm hoping to build it up to a blanket before Peanut arrives. 
I'v never experienced heartburn in pregnancy before, but this week its been in full force and has got quite unbearable. If the old wives tales are righ and heart burn means your having a hairy baby then i'm having a gorilla!! Both the girls especially E had head fulls of hair, but I never had heartburn once with either of them. It's making me so impatient to meet him now i'm so curious to what he looks like. Will he look like his sisters? Have hair or be bald? Have fair hair like S or dark hair like E?  

24 weeks

What a busy week! E is now properly walking so we've been to get her her first pair of shoes, I always get 'proper' shoes from Clarks as I feel they do the best job of measuring and making sure that they have the right shoes for they're feet, I tend to buy trainers, wellies and sandles from elsewhere but I like the girls to have a good pair of shoes especially while they're young. Clarks have such nice designs as well there's something for every taste. They last so well that even though they are a bit more expensive they last a lot longer than cheaper high street stores.

I'v become a godmother for the first time to my nephew which was lovely, it was a gorgeous day and the girls looked adorable in their matching dresses and were so well behaved I couldn't believe that they were my children. The only bad point of the day was when my next door neighbor rang to tell me that our fire alarm was going off, Mr raced home to find that luckily it was a false alarm. It scared me so much at how easily our home could of been ruined and precious memories lost.

My happiest (and scariest) news of the week is that E turned 1 on Monday. The past year has really flown by, I really can't believe that my littlest girl is one. We had a lovely day and were even treated to a lie in until 7. We spent the morning at the soft play centre, frantically making her cake in the afternoon while she napped, then went to my parents for a buffet. So although a little manic we had a great day. 

24 weeks is a milestone I love passing as it means that should the worst happen and Peanut either decides or has to come early, the medical teams will try their best to resuscitate and save him. Its not a nice thing to think about but nice to know that he at least stands a chance. 

Thanks for reading 

Elly x

19 & 20 Weeks

19 weeks

Other than my scan at the end of the week not alot has really happened, I looked after my 4 month old nephew for the first time which was great fun. It was on S's nursery day so I had a go at the nursery run with 3 children and got to use my icandy pear in its double mode for the first time which I loved. I also made a start on the babies nursery and have striped all the wood chip of the walls, just got to buy the wallpaper now, we've decided that although we know the baby's sex we're still going keep it very neutral, just incase they got it wrong because I doubt I'll feel like decorating when iv just had a baby.

20 weeks 

Another boring week really, Mr had 2 days off in a row so managed to get a little bit more done in the garden it might be half done by the end of the summer if we're lucky. Im sure my bump has gotten smaller since 18 weeks im not sure if its just the early bloating has gone now or if the rest of me is just getting bigger making my bump look smaller. Kicks are definitely getting stronger and more of a routine now, which is comforting for me as I feel like I can keep an eye them.

17 & 18 Weeks

17 weeks 

This week i've been feeling kicks most nights when i'm lay in bed, it really is one on the nicest feelings in the world. I saw someone complain about their baby kicking them at night on Facebook the other day, it made me so angry, your babies kicks are one of the best ways to check that your baby is okay. Whatever time of the day or night it is even at 30 weeks plus when they start getting behind your ribs, its letting you know that they're alright in there, every baby has their own routine and as long as you recognise it and report any changes to your midwife or health professional that really can save your babies life.
I'v been full of cold this week and have been feeling dreadful, its a week that I could of done with spending at home in front of Disney movies but with it been S's birthday next week, I seem to have spent all week cleaning and baking. I really over did this week and haven't helped myself all i'v managed to do is make myself feel even worse and get myself down, so now I think its going to take twice as long to get better. With me getting pregnant at the end of winter I'v not been offered a flu vaccine like I was with the girls, I think I still could of done with having it.

18 weeks

Well S's Birthday went great on Thursday, we had a lovely day and she got spoiled which is the best bit. Friday was Good Friday so had a lovely day planned with my Mum and Dad in the sunshine. Mr's parents haven't looked after the girls before and have been asking if they can for a few months, so when I needed to pop out for an hour on Friday morning it seemed like a great opportunity for a tester as Mr would still be there to keep an eye on things if needed. With it been a nice day they decided to go to our local playground but while there S tripped and fell funny, when I met up with them all I could tell straight away that something wasn't right she never crys that much over a fall. So off we went to A&E where she had a X-Ray on her collar bone as they thought she and either broken or dislocated it. Luckily the X-Ray came back clear and she just had severe soft tissue damage, which will heal its self. Its still been hard though as shes been in so much pain for the first few days and it's hurt when i'v picked her up. It's been horrible seeing her in pain, 3 years and 1 day I had managed to protect her. Its making it very hard for me to trust anyone but myself to look after her. The stress of this pushed me over the edge at weekend and I hit rock bottom, I could of easily stayed in bed all day on Easter Sunday I was so run down, I had an eye infection, got a coldsore and four ulcers appeared in my mouth, on top of that I still have this horrendous cold that I can't seem to get over, im just hoping that I can start to pull through next week. Next tuesday at 19+6 weeks I have my 20week scan. We have decided that if possible we are are going to find out the sex of Peanut. So whatch out for my next blog post where hopefully I will be revieling if we're having a boy or girl.