Day 32 - Sunday roast

I don’t cook a Sunday roast often – mainly because of the time involved – although I do try to make sure we have a ‘proper’ dinner on Sundays (not fish fingers and chips!)  I love cooking though and it always feels good to make the effort and cook a full roast dinner – hubby appreciates it and Jessica usually enjoys it too!  Plus it makes dinners for the next couple of days so much easier.  I’ve got much better at thinking ahead and using leftovers (or cooking extra) so that whatever I’m cooking can stretch to make another meal the next day.

Things which make me happy

Things which make me happy:

• Seeing Sophie smiling and starting to really look at people.
• Watching Jessica chattering away to herself when she is sitting in her chair with her books.
• Snuggles with my babies – the way Sophie just curls up against me and nuzzles into my shoulder and Jessica climbing into my lap and snuggling up to me (miss the days when I could just sit and cuddle Jessica all day without her wriggling to get down)
• Watching my husband with our beautiful girls and seeing how much their daddy loves them – my three favourite people in the world. 

Coughs, colds and concerts

There's just a week to go until our Christmas concert. I haven't managed to do very much rehearsing over the last week thanks to a sore throat and a cough which have left me with very little in the way of a singing voice. Things seem rove gradually improving although the cough is still being quite persistent. I really hope it disappears by next week otherwise things could be interesting! I'm looking forward to being on stage with Sophie for my solo and it would be quite disappointing if I wasn't able to sing after all. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Life in rhymes

Before we had children our Christmas newsletter was always written in rhyme. It started when I sat down to write our first joint newsletter and my husband grumbled that every suggestion I made for the first line was either too cliched or jumped in too abruptly into our news. We switched back to prose after Jessica's arrival - discussing her heart condition and surgeries in rhyme felt too flippant. This year, life has felt more 'normal' and although I wasn't originally planning to write a rhyming newsletter somehow I couldn't resist the challenge. Not sure I'll manage it every year though!

Giving thanks

Whilst Thanksgiving isn't really celebrated in the UK, it is always good to stop every so often and focus on all that I am thankful for. Particularly in my current sleep-deprived state when it seems easier at times to grumble about what I don't have and would like (sleep, an extra pair of hands, hubby home for the bedtime routine etc.) So here are some things I am thankful for:

*my two beautiful daughters and my lovely hubby

*supportive friends and family

*faith

*the NHS - Jessica wouldn't be here without the wonderful medical care she has had so far

Countdown to Christmas

It has recently dawned on me that Christmas is only a month away and I haven't even started thinking about buying presents yet. Of course having a new baby is a very good excuse for not being organised but over the last few years somehow Christmas seems to sneak up on me almost without me realising. I'm never really quite ready to think about Christmas until October is through and so I wait and then all of a sudden I realise it's the end of November and I need to start shopping particularly if I want to order things online.

Recovery time

Hubby has been unwell over the last couple of days. It's a classic case of man-flu which has required bedrest, paracetamol and lots of TLC. I'm lucky apparently as I don't tend to get 'that ill'. It's just as well - staying in bed is rarely an option for me - the girls still need looking after. To be fair though, I did get to have bedrest and be looked after for a few days after Sophie's birth whilst hubby was on paternity leave and it was very nice to be waited on and have time to recover from giving birth.

Time with Nanny

Now that hubby is back at work, my mum has come up to stay for a few days to help out whilst I get used to being a mummy of two. Although my first day on my own went well, it is good to have mum here to help - particularly as it is a very busy week for hubby with events - I really would have been on my own as he has been working late and having to leave very early in the morning. It is also lovely for my mum to be able to spend time with her granddaughters.

Busyness

This month seems to be full of different appointments and check-ups. Hearing checks, health visitor appointments, trips to the chiropractor, eye check-ups , cardiology appointments, visits from the community nurse, midwife appointments. It is so good having my mum here for a few days to help me get my girls out of the house and off to the various appointments or groups that we go to. Life is very busy at the moment but it is nice to be busy. Not that a little more sleep wouldn't 't be nice but being with my babies is such a joy.

Going out for the night

We had our first night out since Sophie's arrival last night - going out for a meal with a group of friends. When Jessica was a baby we used to take her with us but now that she has a more fixed routine, we can't really bring her along as it is too late for her and she would get grouchy and tired. Much better for her to have time with Grandma and go to bed at a sensible time! Sophie, however, has no fixed routine as yet and so came out with us and slept through most of the evening!

Venturing out

Sophie is one week old today!  After spending the whole of the last week enjoying a bit of a babymoon and being snuggled up at home together, we finally ventured out into the world today to go to church and introduce Sophie to our lovely church family.  It was so lovely to go out as a family of four - both our girls were so good during the service - Jessica played happily on the floor with some toys and Sophie just slept through it all.  Our friend Brian came over in the afternoon and took some lovely family photos of us.

Firework frustration

I’m sure that when I was a child, fireworks were generally only set off on the Saturday after Hallowe’en, the 5th November, during Diwali and New Year’s Eve.  Now it seems that for several weeks from about this point in October, somebody seems to be setting off fireworks somewhere in the local area almost every night.  It is very annoying, particularly when your toddler is just dropping off to sleep and a neighbour decides to start having his own fireworks display causing bedtime to become very disrupted and prolonged.  It must be a nightmare if you have pets as well.

Location, location

One of the things I love about where I live is being so close to all the village amenities. The infant school and children’s centre are both opposite my house, the junior school and nursery school are five minutes’ walk away as are the village shops (which include a bakery and pharmacy – the latter being particularly useful as Jessica has regular medication) and the doctor’s surgery is next door. The only downside is that getting out of the driveway can be a challenge at certain times of day when the road gets busy and sometimes people park blocking it altogether.

Ponderings on plants

I’m not very good with plants.  Houseplants rarely last very long with me – I forget to water them and then I overwater them when I do remember.  I was telling a friend about this a couple of days after my birthday earlier this year and was a bit embarrassed when she then presented me with a pot plant for my birthday!  I think that has helped motivate me a little to try harder to keep this particular plant alive – so far it is still going strong and still has flowers on it – this may well be a record for me!

Saturday coffee mornings

I love the Saturday coffee mornings at my church.  Each week, someone different organises them – usually in aid of a charity close to their hearts (we usually organise two or three each year for the charities that have helped us since Jessica’s diagnosis).  Sometimes there are cakes, other times just tea, coffee and biscuits but we always have a lovely sociable morning and Jessica loves going along to church.  It is such a familiar environment for her – she knows where the toys are and I can sit and chat and just watch her play, knowing that she will be safe.

One of those days...

Why is that there are some days when absolutely everything seems to go wrong or at least be a lot more difficult than it really should be?  Yes, I know mental attitude makes a difference – making things seem to be a problem that really wouldn’t be seen as such in a more positive frame of mind but even allowing for that today has really been quite a trying day.  Jessica has been generally adorable throughout though which has helped as has a nice long soak in the bath once she was tucked up in bed.  Oh well, tomorrow’s another day…

The joys of online shopping

I love online shopping. I never tried it before I became a mum but it is much easier to order groceries online and get them delivered than to traipse around the supermarket with a toddler. It also means I'm much more likely to stick to my shopping list rather than buy things on a whim or because they are on special offer (when I wouldn't normally buy them). Plus with some supermarkets I can do my shopping using the app on my phone which is particularly useful when Jessica wants me to sit in her room until she falls asleep!

Lunchtime challenges

All of our downstairs rooms are on the small side and having the pool set up means the dining room is pretty much out of action at the moment. The table has been folded down and put away as have the chairs and there is just about enough room to put the highchair up with me sitting on the piano stool during dinner. It did make having a friend and her toddler over for lunch somewhat challenging - in the end we had a little picnic on the lounge floor which worked fairly well even if it was a bit messy! 

A very productive day

It has been a very productive day.  We have bought a new car seat for Jessica, put the birthing pool back up again (the replacement heater arrived yesterday and so far seems to be okay, fingers crossed!), and started filling it up.  The pram cover is washed, the muslins have been washed and ironed, and I have finished the little pile of mending (although sewing is really no fun with carpal tunnel!).  Nesting has definitely kicked in!  I’m not in a hurry for Pod to arrive but I am at least feeling fairly ready for his or her arrival now.

Pool dramas

It took a few attempts to get the birthing pool assembled (due to the padded floor mats which kept separating) but we finally got it put up and filled late last night.  Only to discover at 4am that the carpet was soaked.  The pipes we put together and checked were fine – it was the heater that was faulty and leaking.  So we had to pump out the water, take the pool apart again and try and dry the carpet.  We now have an industrial dehumidifier going to help dry the carpet and a replacement heater should be arriving on Friday.