My toddler loves taking snaps with his camera. To be honest I've never really looked closely at the pictures he takes until now.....
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The world my little guy sees.
To be continued...
Monday, 30 April 2012
Life from the eyes of a toddler...
My toddler loves taking snaps with his camera. To be honest I've never really looked closely at the pictures he takes until now.....
The world my little guy sees.
To be continued...
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Not Valid
Firstly I'd like to apologise in advance to any family members that might be reading this post and cringing. Thankfully I believe my Dad hasn't got round the reading what I write yet so at least that saves some embarrassment. Dad if you have chosen this moment to begin reading my blog...ha!
Secondly, kids, if you're reading this when your older your Mum's showed you up again. Tough, I'm sure your used to it by now. P.s. Tidy your bedrooms!
Here goes...
At this moment in time the last thing we want is anymore children. We love our boys more than anything but two is manageable (most of the time). Three would mean a lot of necessary changes and upheaval - bigger house, bigger car, bigger credit card bills, bigger stocks of patience.
With this in mind, once things had returned to something like normality in our household after the horrendous time following the littlest monkey's arrival the question arose of how we were going to prevent the making of any further little people.
We're not ready for making it permanent but a long term effective solution was called for. The last time I was on the pill was before we got married (I got pregnant with our first on our honeymoon but resisted naming the child Lake District.)
Before I met my hubby I came off the pill for a brief period of time thinking it would be good to give my body a break. This was not the case. When I went back on the pill a few months later it played havoc with my hormones and I'm convinced to this day that it played a big part in causing my anxiety/panic attacks that became a thorn in my side from around that time.
So, determined that the pill was a no no for me I went off to have a chat with the GP about my predicament and what the options were. I've never fancied the idea of the contraceptive injection/implant and given my worries about the effect on my hormones the doc suggested ruling these out.
The conversation then turned to the coil. There is the copper coil - can cause heavier/longer periods so I quickly dismissed this one. Then there is the Mirena coil which can be used for five years, does contain some hormone but not as much as the pill and has the added bonus of making your periods very light or non-existent and reducing pmt symptoms.
The doctor was very positive about this form of contraception and we decided it was the best thing for me.
After a bit of a faff getting it sorted I finally had my appointment earlier this week.
It was an interesting half hour for several reasons....
1. I swear someone somewhere is purposely popping a trainee in the room observing everything whenever I see a medical professional about very personal issues. I know you can ask them to leave but I never have the heart too!
2. The room was the smallest medical room I have ever been in.
3. At one point it felt like I was in the hot seat for a seriously intense game of sexual health 'Who wants to be a millionaire.' For £100...when was your last period? For £500... was it normal? For £1000...when did you last have sex? For £5,000 did you use contraception? And for the winning question...was there any contact whatsoever without the use of said contraception? I felt more like a naughty teenager than a woman that has had two kids and been married for five years! I should have asked if I could phone a friend?
4. It wasn't just the doctor and the trainee, a nurse was also thrown into the mix whist I was lying legs akimbo in this tiny room.
5. I made the mistake of having a good look at the instruments being used.
In all seriousness though I felt only minor discomfort and the actual procedure did not take long at all. The doctor explained things very well and I felt like I had all the information I needed.
I was told that the coil would not be effective for seven days so I wasted no time telling my husband that evening that it was not valid until next week!
I thought the very little dignity I had left after having two children was lost during this weeks appointment. Turns out there was more to be lost.
You know all traces of childhood innocence have vanished when your Grandmother asks you how your 'coil fitting' went.
I am not shy when it comes to talking to female family members about such things but I do draw a line. That line was crossed when said Grandmother proceeded to tell me how she felt when she had a 'coil fitted' back in the day.
Thanks Mamma.
Men really don't know how easy they have it!!!
Secondly, kids, if you're reading this when your older your Mum's showed you up again. Tough, I'm sure your used to it by now. P.s. Tidy your bedrooms!
Here goes...
At this moment in time the last thing we want is anymore children. We love our boys more than anything but two is manageable (most of the time). Three would mean a lot of necessary changes and upheaval - bigger house, bigger car, bigger credit card bills, bigger stocks of patience.
With this in mind, once things had returned to something like normality in our household after the horrendous time following the littlest monkey's arrival the question arose of how we were going to prevent the making of any further little people.
We're not ready for making it permanent but a long term effective solution was called for. The last time I was on the pill was before we got married (I got pregnant with our first on our honeymoon but resisted naming the child Lake District.)
Before I met my hubby I came off the pill for a brief period of time thinking it would be good to give my body a break. This was not the case. When I went back on the pill a few months later it played havoc with my hormones and I'm convinced to this day that it played a big part in causing my anxiety/panic attacks that became a thorn in my side from around that time.
So, determined that the pill was a no no for me I went off to have a chat with the GP about my predicament and what the options were. I've never fancied the idea of the contraceptive injection/implant and given my worries about the effect on my hormones the doc suggested ruling these out.
The conversation then turned to the coil. There is the copper coil - can cause heavier/longer periods so I quickly dismissed this one. Then there is the Mirena coil which can be used for five years, does contain some hormone but not as much as the pill and has the added bonus of making your periods very light or non-existent and reducing pmt symptoms.
The doctor was very positive about this form of contraception and we decided it was the best thing for me.
After a bit of a faff getting it sorted I finally had my appointment earlier this week.
It was an interesting half hour for several reasons....
1. I swear someone somewhere is purposely popping a trainee in the room observing everything whenever I see a medical professional about very personal issues. I know you can ask them to leave but I never have the heart too!
2. The room was the smallest medical room I have ever been in.
3. At one point it felt like I was in the hot seat for a seriously intense game of sexual health 'Who wants to be a millionaire.' For £100...when was your last period? For £500... was it normal? For £1000...when did you last have sex? For £5,000 did you use contraception? And for the winning question...was there any contact whatsoever without the use of said contraception? I felt more like a naughty teenager than a woman that has had two kids and been married for five years! I should have asked if I could phone a friend?
4. It wasn't just the doctor and the trainee, a nurse was also thrown into the mix whist I was lying legs akimbo in this tiny room.
5. I made the mistake of having a good look at the instruments being used.
In all seriousness though I felt only minor discomfort and the actual procedure did not take long at all. The doctor explained things very well and I felt like I had all the information I needed.
I was told that the coil would not be effective for seven days so I wasted no time telling my husband that evening that it was not valid until next week!
I thought the very little dignity I had left after having two children was lost during this weeks appointment. Turns out there was more to be lost.
You know all traces of childhood innocence have vanished when your Grandmother asks you how your 'coil fitting' went.
I am not shy when it comes to talking to female family members about such things but I do draw a line. That line was crossed when said Grandmother proceeded to tell me how she felt when she had a 'coil fitted' back in the day.
Thanks Mamma.
Men really don't know how easy they have it!!!
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Ten Things I Tell Myself Every Day
I have been tagged by the lovely Mrs Jones over at Keeping up with the Joneses to take part in this lovely meme. Take a look at her blog for witty posts, beautiful pictures and great reviews.
Here are ten things I tell myself every day...
1. It is normal to be tired... you have a toddler and a baby.
2. Getting out of the house often takes a lot of effort with the brood but it is so much better than going stir crazy at home all day.
3. Pre-school is good for the toddler and he only says he doesn't want to go to get a reaction from you.
4. Do something with your hair.
5. Do something with your face.
6. Note to self - check the washing basket for never ending black hole as am convinced someone is having a laugh.
7. You will regret eating that chocolate.
8. Disney films are good for the kids. They teach good morals.
9. Drink more water.
10. Stop letting the little things stress you out. It's not worth it!
I now tag some lovely ladies to write their own list if they fancy it...
@dandilionkisss
and
@karenspofw
Enjoy xx
Here are ten things I tell myself every day...
1. It is normal to be tired... you have a toddler and a baby.
2. Getting out of the house often takes a lot of effort with the brood but it is so much better than going stir crazy at home all day.
3. Pre-school is good for the toddler and he only says he doesn't want to go to get a reaction from you.
4. Do something with your hair.
5. Do something with your face.
6. Note to self - check the washing basket for never ending black hole as am convinced someone is having a laugh.
7. You will regret eating that chocolate.
8. Disney films are good for the kids. They teach good morals.
9. Drink more water.
10. Stop letting the little things stress you out. It's not worth it!
I now tag some lovely ladies to write their own list if they fancy it...
@dandilionkisss
and
@karenspofw
Enjoy xx
Cute Cakes
There is nothing better than celebrating a special occasion with a unique cake made with care and attention just the way you want.
Claire at Cute Cakes in West Bridgford made these wonderful cakes for us...
Claire at Cute Cakes in West Bridgford made these wonderful cakes for us...
Our son was into the Gruffalo around the time of his third birthday so this was the cake Claire made for him. It was a complete hit with him and his friends and tasted yummy. Obviously the birthday boy got to eat the Gruffalo himself!
This is the cake Claire recently made for my hubby's 40th. He's a big Barnsley fan so I asked for a Barnsley shirt cake! He loved it and it tasted delicious and stayed fresh for longer than expected.
Click on the above link to see more details about 'Cute Cakes'.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
School's In...
We found out last week that our eldest little monkey has received a place in the primary school that was our first choice.
It was a day of mixed emotions.
Relief came first. We were relieved that he has gotten a place at a school that we think will be wonderful for him. An extra dose of relief came when we discovered some of the children he already knows from pre-school etc have also got a place in said school.
Then came excitement. On my part this was. I have very fond memories of my primary school and am excited about all the new things the little man will get to experience and the friends he will make along the way.
A sense of being underwhelmed was next. We don't expect the little man to understand the concept of 'big school', we are starting to talk about it more with him so it doesn't come as a complete shock. At the moment he is not really interested in anything regarding school. I don't expect this to change until September has come and gone.
Then the nervousness hit. Our little guy despite having gone to nursery since he was one still gets upset when separating from us. He is much better now that he ever has been and he's absolutely fine once he gets on with playing or having his breakfast at pre-school. However, I am rather nervous about how he is going to be when he realises he is going to be dropped of at school every day. I have visions of me attempting to get a screaming child into the building whilst pushing his brother in the buggy and trying to retain some kind of dignity! I am going to remain optimistic that this wont happen and he'll go to school with no problems. I know children pick up on nerves from parents so I have banished them deep within!
On the evening of finding out about the school allocation when all was calm and the boys were both asleep, the feelings of sadness and loss kicked in. I found myself standing over the kitchen sink with my rubber gloves on bawling my eyes out while my husband looked on in complete bewilderment possibly thinking that I had finally lost the plot. I know babies don't stay babies forever but I honestly could never have comprehended just how quickly they grow up. It doesn't seem like two minutes ago when our eldest was learning to walk and couldn't say many words. Now he scales the climbing walls on the park and randomly tells me he has changed my name to poo head.
I am making the executive decision to never let boy number two grow up. What am I going to be like when he starts school? With all the problems he had when he was born seeing him walk into the school gates dressed in his little uniform with his bag over his shoulder just might be too much pride/emotion to handle!
It was a day of mixed emotions.
Relief came first. We were relieved that he has gotten a place at a school that we think will be wonderful for him. An extra dose of relief came when we discovered some of the children he already knows from pre-school etc have also got a place in said school.
Then came excitement. On my part this was. I have very fond memories of my primary school and am excited about all the new things the little man will get to experience and the friends he will make along the way.
A sense of being underwhelmed was next. We don't expect the little man to understand the concept of 'big school', we are starting to talk about it more with him so it doesn't come as a complete shock. At the moment he is not really interested in anything regarding school. I don't expect this to change until September has come and gone.
Then the nervousness hit. Our little guy despite having gone to nursery since he was one still gets upset when separating from us. He is much better now that he ever has been and he's absolutely fine once he gets on with playing or having his breakfast at pre-school. However, I am rather nervous about how he is going to be when he realises he is going to be dropped of at school every day. I have visions of me attempting to get a screaming child into the building whilst pushing his brother in the buggy and trying to retain some kind of dignity! I am going to remain optimistic that this wont happen and he'll go to school with no problems. I know children pick up on nerves from parents so I have banished them deep within!
On the evening of finding out about the school allocation when all was calm and the boys were both asleep, the feelings of sadness and loss kicked in. I found myself standing over the kitchen sink with my rubber gloves on bawling my eyes out while my husband looked on in complete bewilderment possibly thinking that I had finally lost the plot. I know babies don't stay babies forever but I honestly could never have comprehended just how quickly they grow up. It doesn't seem like two minutes ago when our eldest was learning to walk and couldn't say many words. Now he scales the climbing walls on the park and randomly tells me he has changed my name to poo head.
I am making the executive decision to never let boy number two grow up. What am I going to be like when he starts school? With all the problems he had when he was born seeing him walk into the school gates dressed in his little uniform with his bag over his shoulder just might be too much pride/emotion to handle!
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Charity Fun Day
Hello lovely people,
Since out little fighter arrived very dramatically into this world last year there are a number of people, organisations and charities that will always remain very special to us. Two of those are the Nottingham City Hospital Neonatal Unit and Heart Link which is an East Midlands charity based at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester which supports children and families affected by congenital heart disease.
I recently discovered a lovely lady who also has very good reasons to support these wonderful organisations.
This lady has organised a charity fun day at the The Nabb Inn in Hucknall, Nottingham.
There will be plenty to keep the kids entertained, a bouncy castle, face painting, disco, cake stall, an auction and raffle. All proceeds will go to the Neonatal Unit and Heart Link.
It's all happening on the 5th May from 11:30am.
From a personal point of view we have so much to thank the Neonatal Unit at Nottingham City Hospital for. Our little man was born with very little time for anyone to prepare and knowing that something was very seriously wrong with his heart but what that was was unknown. A large team of experts whisked him away as soon as he arrived and he was given the best possible care from the second he was born. Despite needing to work round the clock to save his life they still made it possible for us to see him very quickly after he was born and the doctors passion and care was genuine and comforting.
Heart Link based at Glenfield hospital have provided much of the life saving equipment that helps children of all ages. They provide support for families who are in very difficult situations. Our little one had to be transported to a number of different hospitals and the equipment needed for these transfers is something that Heart Link has and still does raise money to buy. He had to have heart surgery when he only weighed five pounds, the expertise and equipment needed for this is unimaginable so funds are constantly needed to be raised.
If you live locally and are free that day please show your support for these organisations by popping by, even if just for half an hour and a cake and a go on the raffle.
Thanks for reading.
Since out little fighter arrived very dramatically into this world last year there are a number of people, organisations and charities that will always remain very special to us. Two of those are the Nottingham City Hospital Neonatal Unit and Heart Link which is an East Midlands charity based at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester which supports children and families affected by congenital heart disease.
I recently discovered a lovely lady who also has very good reasons to support these wonderful organisations.
This lady has organised a charity fun day at the The Nabb Inn in Hucknall, Nottingham.
There will be plenty to keep the kids entertained, a bouncy castle, face painting, disco, cake stall, an auction and raffle. All proceeds will go to the Neonatal Unit and Heart Link.
It's all happening on the 5th May from 11:30am.
From a personal point of view we have so much to thank the Neonatal Unit at Nottingham City Hospital for. Our little man was born with very little time for anyone to prepare and knowing that something was very seriously wrong with his heart but what that was was unknown. A large team of experts whisked him away as soon as he arrived and he was given the best possible care from the second he was born. Despite needing to work round the clock to save his life they still made it possible for us to see him very quickly after he was born and the doctors passion and care was genuine and comforting.
Heart Link based at Glenfield hospital have provided much of the life saving equipment that helps children of all ages. They provide support for families who are in very difficult situations. Our little one had to be transported to a number of different hospitals and the equipment needed for these transfers is something that Heart Link has and still does raise money to buy. He had to have heart surgery when he only weighed five pounds, the expertise and equipment needed for this is unimaginable so funds are constantly needed to be raised.
If you live locally and are free that day please show your support for these organisations by popping by, even if just for half an hour and a cake and a go on the raffle.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
The Versatile Blogger Award
Karen over at 365 Pearls of Wisdom was lovely enough to give me this award! Please check out her wonderful blog and have a good read!
As per the rules of this fab linky I now have to tell you seven things about myself so here goes....
1. In my last job I worked as a Smokefree Compliance Officer.
2. I don't like seafood.
3. Chesney Hawkes' 'I am The One and Only' was mine and my friends' favourite song at university. We have drunkenly requested this song on every night out and have screamed like teenagers whilst watching Chesney perform said song.
4. I want to write a novel.
5. Before getting married my husband and I purchased an aquarium, a lovely hamster called Ritchie and two guinea pigs called Hedge and Hog.
6. I love vampire fiction.
7. Last night I had a dream that I found a celebrities dog. Then the dog got in bed with my son and my husband. My husband is allergic to dogs so it didn't end well. It was an odd dream.
I am now going to pass this award onto five lovely bloggers of my choice:
Mummy's Cheeky Monkey
A twenty something mum
My darlings and me
Makeshift Mummy
Our orange crush
Enjoy these wonderful blogs.
For those who I've nominated here are the rules: 1. Link back to who nominated you. 2. Write seven things about your lovely selves. 3. Nominate five other blogs to receive the award.
Have fun xx
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