Selection Box Left…. Sweet Pain???

So this year I’ve resolved I WILL get fit and toned. I’m v lucky in that I don’t put on weight (don’t hate me) and even after two babies I sprang back to my pre-pregnancy size and weight (ok, hate me if you want) but sometimes that makes it more frustrating when I say I want to get fit and I get the same old response ‘But you don’t need to lose weight!’ Why are the two always seem as intrinsically linked???

So now with no ‘But I’m pregnant’ excuses to stop me from exercising, and no ‘But it’s Christmas’ excuses to stop me from eating healthily I’m making a valient attempt to make the best of the body I was given. And its bloody hard! I’ve spent months tucking into the biscuit tin whenever I have a cup of tea (an awful lot), and eating what I like when I like. Cheeeeeese! During my second pregnancy (girl) I also developed a sweet tooth. My husband has always had one and will inhale a pack of hobnobs without even noticing but I used to be able to take it or leave it. Not any more!

But as I have said I am determined. I’m cutting down on bread, pasta, cheese etc and increasing salads and veg (which incidentally I also love. They’re just not very comforting). I’ve never thought about food so much or felt so hungry though I surely can’t be.
The trouble is we still have selection boxes and tubs of sweets lying around from Christmas. Not to mention the blue and smoked cheeses that were in the fridge that I polished off yesterday. But I am DETERMINED. And somehow by ignoring those tubs of chocolate that call to me every time I reach past them for a carrot I feel just a little bit more virtuous.

Happy New Year… Just wait a bit will you.

So here we are again. New Year, New You. Actually for the first time ever I’m intending to start my good intentions on Jan 1st (so today then). I normally defer til Feb 1st figuring it’s boring to follow the crowd and it’s more achievable to start your goals in a shorter month. But this time I’m four months post cesarean, both children are sleeping for a decent chunk of the night and I really am feeling flabby and unfit. So new year, New fitness plan, New organised, motivated me!

Only problem is I could do with another six weeks just to finish last year…. The show cupboard needs sorting, the dining room needs decorating, there are things to go in the loft and things to come out of the loft. I’ve baby things to sort; some for charity, some for now and some for the loft for later. This year I was proud of my organisation for Christmas (started shopping in November, finished early December and most things wrapped BEFORE Christmas morning doncha know!) But in all that I forgot to plan for my clean slate. How can I be an organised scrummy mummy from this state of chaos??? All’s not lost though – I’ve planked for thirty seconds 2015 will NOT beat me! :D

TVM
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Saving Time with the ‘While You’re Waiting’ Jobs…

So, having read a Mumsnet post a short while back in which another Mum said she saved a lot of time doing one job while waiting for another, I.e clearing out a drawer while waiting for the kettle to boil. A brilliant idea I thought (probably everyone does this and I’ve just been lazy…). Anyway I tried it today again. Just a spot of weeding while my toddler was happily playing in the garden…. And then he came to help…. And so did the dog. 

The result is the garden is partially weeded but my son is covered in soil and the weeds have been carefully emptied from the bucket and distributed over the lawn. I look forward to bedtime when I can clear it all up then leave the established weeds to carry on growing.

You know what though? We had fun. He had  fresh air and sunshine and he loved ‘helping’ mummy. Although time is precious, precious time is better.

TVM

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Oops I did it again….

Or strictly speaking ‘we’ did it again…. Yup, the virgin mummy is now going to be a second time round mummy. My first born will have just turned two when our newest addition comes along. And do you know what? We’re petrified!

I almost feel guilty writing this because actually our gorgeous son is really pretty good (generally). I think we’ve coped fairly well with the first 22 months (or is that nature’s way of making you think you’re ready to procreate again?!) But whereas the first time round we were full of hope, excitement and good intentions (though I did draw the line at my other half deciding what the baby’s sleep pattern was going to be… I knew THAT wasn’t going to be up to us), this time we know what to expect… but twofold!

Don’t get me wrong I can’t wait, but already this pregnancy is SO different from the first. With him I could tell you, up to the hour, how far along I was. This time round I’ve got an app on my phone that I have to consult whenever anybody asks. We haven’t yet done the big shopping trip (though to be fair we’ve got pretty much everything we need. Poor hand-me-down baby!), and I’m constantly having to check when midwife and other relevant appointments are.

I like to think that we’re actually taking a realistic view of things now. I know so many parents who say that their second child was harder work than their first. My theory has always been (even pre-children) because you somehow get complacent about it. ‘Been there done that’ etc, however the first thing to remember is that nature does have a funny habit of playing tricks on your mind, and the second is that every baby is different… Just ask all those Mum’s whose baby slept through the night from two days old whereas mine held out until 18 months. Maybe Daddy’s sleeping schedule will work with baby number two after all….

 

TVM

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A Scary Night

So my little one has now reached the ripe old age of eleven months. All in all we’ve been very lucky. We had a LOT of problems with him sleeping (probably more our fault than his) but other than that he has been a very happy, healthy little boy. I wouldn’t change that for the world but it meant it was even more of a shock to the system when last week he was out of sorts and had a high temperature. We managed to bring it down with Calpol (I remember months ago being reluctant to use it but don’t knock it til you’ve tried it!) and he seemed to perk up a bit. We then went off to the seaside with him for the day. He still wasn’t quite himself but he was able to lie in his pushchair and enjoy the sea breeze, which is more of a breeze than he would have had at home. We actually encountered, I think for the first time, him crying uncontrollably in public. He really isn’t a very tearful baby as a rule. We returned home and he perked up again. Bedtime came and he went to bed with no trouble. He was a bit restless but it was a hot night so I’d imagine a lot of babies across the country were hot and restless too. Then at about half past midnight I was woken by him crying. I went to fetch him and could immediately feel how hot he was. He was also shaking and I could tell that he smelled different to usual. I stripped him off (he’d only been wearing a vest and nappy) and woke my husband to fetch the thermometer. I actually now can’t recall what his temperature was, I think it was 38-something. Not knowing the best thing to do we called an ambulance. When the first paramedic car arrived the paramedic took his temperature again and got a reading of 40.3. This was after my little one had been in front of a fan and the open door for about ten minutes while we were waiting for her to arrive. She initially said we should take him to the local hospital’s minor injuries clinic but then after disappearing outside to her car it transpired she had called an ambulance to take him to A&E. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and it was at this point that I started to become a bit disappointed in the service we received. The first paramedic relayed the details to the ambulance team but also added, ‘He’s been to the seaside today so another baby that’s got too hot.’ I didn’t really have time to respond to this as we then got loaded into the ambulance and were away. On the journey the paramedic told me this was the third baby they had taken into hospital that night. I assured him that my child had not been out in the sun, had been in the shade nearly all the time, had suitable sun cream, hat, clothing etc and had been relatively cool given the heat. He also asked me if we had considered taking him to an NHS walk in clinic earlier in the day. A fair question I suppose but as our son had appeared to be more or less ok through the day, no we hadn’t. That question, however added to my feeling that I was being looked down on as a bad parent and was wasting the time of the paramedics. When we arrived at the hospital again the facts were relayed to the Nursing staff with the added comment of, ‘Another hot baby – been at the seaside.’ Accompanied by an exasperated look from the Nurse. She later told us, ‘Babies just can’t take the heat you know.’ Grrrrrrr! I know that, WHICH IS WHY WE KEPT HIM COOL AND SHELTERED ALL DAY!!!! She also said that they would test his urine to see if there was any infection though she didn’t think there was… It turns out there was. He was prescribed anti-biotics and is now as right as rain.
A few people we have spoken to have said that they would have complained about the attitudes we encountered. I personally think the frontline staff of the NHS do a tremendous job under very difficult circumstances (with very little funding/resources) so am always reluctant to make a complaint. On the flipside we couldn’t have been more happy with the service we received when my son was delivered by C-section, and I made sure I wrote in to express my thanks, not only to the staff concerned but also to their Manager’s.
My concern is that not only are parents being treated as if they are stupid but that things can get overlooked. Had the staff dismissed my son’s symptoms without doing any tests I would have… well I would have hit the roof, and there would definitely be letters of complaint going in, however they did do their job and I was happy that my son received the correct treatment.
As I have said previously I know they are working under difficult circumstances and on a daily basis will meet parents who have not taken proper care of their children, however it is wrong to make assumptions and make people in a vulnerable and upsetting situation feel even more vulnerable and upset. A serious blog I’m afraid but it was something that upset me quite a lot. Just wondering what other people’s experiences have been. I have to add that when we previously took him to A&E with a rash (that turned out to be nothing) we were constantly reassured that we had done the right thing in taking him to be looked at. Swings and roundabouts I guess but professionals… Please don’t think you know me before you’ve got to know me…

TVM

Also can’t claim this as my own work but do love it…

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.

Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, ‘What happened here today?’ She again smiled and answered, ‘You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?’ ‘Yes,’ was his incredulous reply. She answered, ‘Well, today I didn’t do it.’

Ode for Parents Everywhere (Not my work)

I hope my child looks back on today
And sees a mother who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and cooking,
But children grow up when you’re not looking.
Tomorrow I’ll do all the chores you can mention
But today, my baby needs time and attention.
So settle down cobwebs; dust go to sleep,
I’m cuddling my baby, and babies don’t keep.