Wrapping Up and Heading Out

... again it has been ages since I have written here... it is amazing how life is flying by with my two little girls to look after day in and day out.  Holly is 3 months old today!!! How did that happen?  She is fab.  The happiest baby I have ever known.  She hardly cries, flashes the most wonderful smiles and fills our days with wonder as only a bubba can. 

She is still far too huge for her age.  I recently got out all her 3-6 month wardrobe and a lot of it is already snug!  But she is feeding well and for the last 3 weeks has been sleeping through the night without a feed.  We still have some wind issues which wake her sometimes at 5am, but I know we are so lucky and it is so rare I am just telling myself it is nice to be able to have a very early morning cuddle.  We have also put up her cot now in our room. She is still sleeping in the Moses basket inside the cot to help with the transistion but I am sure in a few more days she will be fine.... and I think she will have to before she just no longer fits.

 

The girls relationship is already taking shape.  Holly looks at Ella with a mixture of wonder and adoration.  It is rather lovely.  Ella still coos to her more than I do and every day we hear phrases like “... hello my beautiful baby girl..” coming out of Ella’s mouth.  

Although the weather is getting colder by the day we still have our days out in the park wrapped up warm and snug – at least it is sunny out there.

I have started Weight Watchers and have a stone and a half to lose.  Most of it is from after Ella was born as I have lost all the baby weight from Holly. I basically just never worried too much to diet after Ella was born as I hoped I would be having another baby in the coming years.  Now, there is NO excuse.    I am only allowed to lose 1 pound a week as I am breastfeeding which I did achieve last week so hopefully that will continue. 

I also started swimming this week.  My body still feels rather broken after being pregnant with  Holly (and still carrying her in my arms of course) but I feel that swimming should be gentle enough to ease me back into excerise with out too much worry... oh and I also plan on doing my Davina Post Natal work out DVD and Ella has said she will do it with me... which will be a laugh if nothing else.

Ella and Daisy...

With Halloween nearly here Ella is still deciding what she wants to dress up as.  Currently it is a Pumpkin Fairy (would be a fairy or princess!) so Holly might just have to be a pumpkin.  Any excuse to dress up to be honest with you so watch this space!

Out and about with my two girls...

Well we have been busy getting into the swing of life with my two girls.  We are now getting out and about more and enjoying the autumn weather which so far has been better than the summer I had hoped for.

Holly is doing really well... still putting on a tonne of weight, and I have managed in the last couple of weeks, to get to the stage where I am fully breast feeding her by day, thanks to a lot of support from my Health Visitor, my Mum, Greg and my sister in law Nicky (who should become a breast feeding guru!) who have all told me NOT to give up and work through it with my very hungry baby...  It has been hard to feel like I can’t satisfy her and I have wanted to give up a few times, but SO pleased now that I haven’t.  I also take Fenugreek which is a natural India Herb, and increases your milk supply. Let’s just say – it works!

 


Ella is doing so well on her bike... she is such a speed demon and I was sure that she would get it once she got up some speed....  now she is really into it.  We have had numerous trips to Greenwich Park where she has whizzed around and collected conkers in her little bike basket.  She calls them Ponkers!!?  Why?? NO IDEA!  But  she loves her afternoons in the park and Holly loves napping snuggled up to Mummy in the baby carrier...  that works a treat!

 

Holly also slept well in the carrier the day we went Veg and Fruit picking with the Patterson’s on Bank Holiday Monday. It was such a nice day and Ella and her best mate Daisy loved picking apples, cucumbers and carrots.

Ella is still loving being a big sister – thank god.  It can still be tricky juggling the two girls demands, but it makes for more laughs than tears these days. 

The other day I was getting Holly down for a nap and heard Ella coming up the stairs really slowly.  She was whispering something and I couldn’t make it out until she got the top of the stairs.  Whispering back I asked her “all ok darling?” and got the reply “ yes fine Mummy...  I went for a wee in the potty downstairs so to not wake Holly and I am just bring it upstairs!”  YIKES!!!  Poor Holly got thrown into her Moses Basket as I ran to the top of the stairs imagining wee being spilt all down the stairs... she hadn’t spilt a drop! Phew!!  I was SO relieved!

by Ella aged 3 1/2

So all in all everything is good here in our little family world...  we have had our first trip away to my family in Warwick and every week life is getting easier.  Holly is GREAT at going to bed, and although it is hard work getting both girls to bed at the same time, Greg and I have our evening back, which only 2 months in is pretty bloody amazing – even if I am in bed not too long after them!

6 weeks, 1 Sinus infection, 2 mirgraines and too many broken nights to mention later..

Well I am still alive ...  and out the other side of having a New Born  - FOR NOW!

Seriously, all is well.  Holly is doing brilliantly.. and is now nearly 12 pounds and feeds like a monster.  She is such a HUGE baby I am not used to it but she is truly gorgeous and a really good little girl.

Ella is being the best Big Sister ever.  There has been no jealousy and she is still just SO chuffed with her little sister.  It is really lovely to watch her relationship with her unfold.  All the guilt that I had before having Holly for Ella has gone as I just know that Ella loves her. And we have had the funniest moments with Ella trying to get her head around me breast feeding with comments such as “...so Mummy there is milk in your boobies?  Should I go and get a straw??” and “.. if there is milk in your boobies Mummy where is the lid?” and my personal favourite, “.. I know Mummy why don’t you have another baby and I can feed it with my boobies!”

Yes it has been tough.  You forget how hard work it is having this little thing who needs you 24/7, and then you have a 3 year old who still wants cuddles, you to take her for a wee, make her Cheesy Pasta.  

Post- Natally I have been really well, unfortunately I have got low and that gave me a Sinus Infection and then last week I had 2 migraines. But I am getting there...  and really must stop telling Greg I am tired!!! OF COURSE I am.

My brilliant best mate Jo has been over twice to bring me lunch and keep my spirits up and I am on the phone to my Mum every day.  Moral support is all around! At least this time around you know it only gets better and easier!

We are slowly, but surely, getting into our groove.  Holly is putting on just under a pound a week!!!  YES A POUND! And life is getting into a whole new normality.  I think the biggest thing to get my head around is having a HUGE baby rather than a little one...  and that is the amount of milk it takes to get her full... phewie.. 

So until next time.. and my lil’ one being just a bit larger and a few more broken night sleep...  zzzzzzzzz

Welcome to the World my beautiful Holly....

Holly was born on Wednesday 20th July at 5.02pm at Lewisham Birth Centre weighing 8' 6".

The morning of the 20th started for me at 6am when I suddenly realised, "...  my waters have broken!!!" I leapt out of bed and woke up Greg and ran into the bath room.  It was a strange feeling.  Exactly the same thing happened with Ella and she was born so quickly...  I was exited thinking "wow I am going to have a baby today" and yet knew... "oh my god - here we go...  ".

My Mum had been staying with us for the past week and a half and was sleeping in with Ella. I quietly went into her and told her.  Ella was fast asleep so Mum got up and made us a cup of tea while we got the car packed up with our stuff.  Mum, bless her, made us the worst cup of tea in the world as she panicked and made it so quickly it tasted horrible...  so we took a breath and Greg made one whilst Mum and I just tried to chat!

We left the house 20 minutes later, with Ella unknowing and with that strange trip to the hospital.  I am not even sure Greg and I uttered a word on the way.  When we arrived, I got the once over and then was told I didn't have to go home (my Labour with Ella was SO fast that they were concerned about me going to far) but that I should go for some breakfast, a walk and see what happens. 

So we found ourselves in a cafe outside the hospital where Greg had a full English (to keep his strength up) and I forced down a couple of pieces of toast.  We then took a walk around the park near to the hospital and rougly an hour later my contractions started and we headed back to the Birth Centre where we were shown to our room (with out a pool) and were made a cup of tea.

Then we watched daytime telly whilst I had some random contractions which were not too bad and annoyingly not moving too fast.  'The Baby', as Holly was still at that time, was not in a great position so I had to do a lot of walking to get her to move.  Then we had problems with my blood pressure as it kept shooting up so eventually I had to have a blood test.  I HATE blood tests...   but after I had it the rest of my water broke and then I had a contraction which, when it had finished, I turned to Greg and said "that's more like it!!".  1 hour later and I was ready to push!  So in the end it was all as quick as we were scared it might be - but we were safe in the Birth Centre, but I STILL wasn't in my Birthing Pool!

Ok - so I kicked off a bit at this point as I really wanted her in water.  And they sorted it for me with even the Birth Centre Manager mopping the floor of the room opposite ours were they had just moved someone out for me.  As soon as I got into the pool I needed to push....  but it was also lovely to be in the warm water, the lights down low and some classical music playing in the background!  Ok - so the pain was immense and I can't lie and say that there wasn't a moment that I thought "WHY DID I WANT TO GO NATURAL...  WHERE IS MY EPIDURAL?????" but just 40 minutes of being in the pool a little girl was past to me and my heart melted in a way that only seeing your own child for the first time can melt it....  she was perfect in everyway.  I looked up at her Daddy and just loved him even more than ever - if that was ever possible. 

But the biggest shock of my life was that Holly was 8' 6".... HOW?  My bump was smaller this time, I was smaller this time....  Ella was only 6' 12" ...  I am only 5 foot 3!  Wow.

Greg and I bought Holly home - via the Fish and Chip shop -  5 hours later.  Ella was in bed fast asleep. I had spoken to her before she went to bed and she had told me that I was bringing home her baby sister that night...  she was so exited!  So when we got home I ate (some of) my chips, my Mum had a cuddle with her freshly born Granddaughter and then Greg and I headed to bed for a well deserved cuddle with our new bundle snuggled up beside us.  Shattered, sore, but chuffed to bits!!!

The following morning Holly woke up with a little mewing cry, and very soon after there was a knock (yes a knock) at our bedroom door.  Ella came in slowly and quietly, stood at the end of the moses basket and just looked shocked for about 2 minutes, but then came into bed with us, had her first Holly cuddle and just there and then our lil' family was complete.

Ready, Steady.... 1 day to go!

Well this morning I got a reminder on my phone and a calender reminder on Outlook both saying "Due Date" which is ....  eekk... tomorrow.  As most people know the likelihood of this lil' girl coming tomorrow is SO small but it is always a day to mark even in an annoying way because you know that from the day after it you will be in, what can only be described as, 'No-Man's Land'.


To be honest life has not been very eventful since my last post, but that is the way life is supposed to be right now I guess.  There is a rather huge event on the horizon so being 'boring' now is actually really rather a relief. 

I am continuing to have a lovely time with Ella, and her favourite thing of the moment is painting Mummy's bump (like Auntie Nicky did). It is actually quite a nice thing to do as I can sit quietly and chill out whilst she just gets on with it.  Of course I have to join in!   But I LOVE painting Ella's face, especially her nose, and she does let me paint her as a pussy cat...  as long as she does me too...

So we are ready to go.  We picked my Mum up from Heathrow on Saturday (my brother was flying to the States  - we hadn't gone to extra expense to fly her down from Kineton) and so she is now at home with me (and everywhere else... my shadow) until the baby comes and we are filling Ella's days full of fun and creative activities.

And how am I going to Celebrate my Due Date tomorrow?  With a hair cut...  thought I would l leave it to last minute in case I don't get to the hair dressers for another 6 months!  However it might be the quickest hair cut I ever have if they know it is my Due Date...  get me out of there as quickly as possible.

Let the Ground Hog Days commence.

Spa, The Birth Centre, Ella's First Sleep Over... and more Nesting...

I am, through all the waddling, being kicked to death and feeling the size of a Tower Block, having a rather nice time of it!  Since my last posting, I have been enjoying some pampering, some quality time with my Man and with Ella and getting even more prepared for the arrival of my next lil' girlie.

So we are now into my 'Delivery Month'.  It is funny to think that, even if she is really late, my baby is going to be born this month.  Then again it is not hard to hide it.  I am truly huge now.  I know the tell-tale signs. I now have to sit down to put on my knickers, I have to take a large deep breathe before getting off the sofa and every kick she gives me feels like she is going to break something in my insides!

However, I have been able to watch Wimbledon  - which I LOVE - and the best thing of all is that Greg decided it was a good time to take me away for a Spa Night!  Ahhh just what the doctor didn't order but should have...  it was wonderful.  We went off to Rowhill Manor near Dartford on Monday afternoon.  The two of us hadn't even been out of the house alone together, child-free, for nearly 11 months so that alone was a treat.  Ella got to have her first sleep over with Max her 4 year old cousin (and really didn't care less about Mummy and Daddy leaving her...  ) and I got to float away in a pool on the hottest afternoon so far this summer. Then I had a gorgous facial followed by dinner, bed and the following morning  - A LIE IN!  Couldn't have been better. 

"I am really missing my Mummy and Daddy"
(thanks for taking some lovely photos Chloe)

Ella was, of course, shattered on Tuesday.  Apparently her and Max lay awake 'chatting' until very late (what the hell do a 3 and 4 year old 'chat' about) and so she slept for 3 hours on the sofa on Tuesday afternoon.  It meant that I had to go alone to the Birth Centre Chat and Tour later that day (I was the only woman there alone...  but hey ho).  I have been accepted to go there which is great.  It is really nice, and I should get my Water Birth which I am hoping for.  

It looks like a rather nice Travelodge (ok it does have some weird chairs / swings / birthing balls and a HUGE pool in the room) and not clinical at all... which is perfect as I hate hospitals.  Check it out here. My labour with Ella was so scary because it was SO fast, and that is my only concern this time around... i.e. I don't want to have her on our bathroom floor. Because of this they have promised me that any twinges at all and I am allowed to go in and just wait...  which is a great relief.  Only a week now until my Mum is due to arrive to start the waiting game with us.  I really want this baby to hang on until she is here now, which I think she will.

So the rest of my week has been spent trying to do as much as possible with Ella and making the most of her whilst so it my only child  - quality time with her now feels so important. 

Even a quick trip to the park is worth the effort, but she is also happy for us to be doing colouring, playdoh (or playdydoh as she calls it) watching Toy Story (for the 100th time) or just reading stories. 

Bless her  - she is so exited about her new baby sister....  and yet she has no idea what an impact it will have on her little life!  But I am sure she will be a great Big Sister.