My new business venture

I've finally placed my first order and am a proper Phoenix Trader.

I've set up my website and I encourage you all to take a look and buy some of the gorgeous greetings cards and notepaper sets - absolutley excellent.

Don't forget Christmas Cards, I know it sounds early but they sell out so quickly as they are so good.

http://www.phoenix-trading.co.uk/web/jenniferlaidlaw/Store.php

I'm not allowed to post any images on here but if you would like a copy of the catalgue please let me know.

1st day at nursery & growing up too soon?

We did it and we both survived....

Will blog more about it later I am too tired out as the little man is not content with being in nappies at night and has decided to toilet train himself at night time whilst going through seperation anxiety which is so bad he can't even walk to the bathroom without holding hands. Then he won't go to sleep on his own afterwards. All at 2.19am!!!!!!!! We are not impressed!!

We were going to wait until after baby pips arrival but little man has decided otherwise. Should of known when he walked across the dining room at 9 months and 4 days!

Warning - I'm stressed...

I need to let off steam - excuse for a minute - AAARRGGGHHHH!!

We've just spent more than 24 hours in the company of both my parents, staying at their house. Wonderful you might think. On tap babysitting, free food, no cooking, being able to go back to bed in the morning after changing the little man's nappy for underpants.

But in reality for me it's more like this, bad food & far too much food, extreme lack of consisitency in parenting styles and mixed messages and mummy's "orders" being overwritten at the drop of a hat. I'm not brave enough to voice my opinions so I mutter under my breath and get annoyed.

The parents go on and on about their dream of taking the little man on holiday on his own with out mummy and daddy - I hate to mention but this is NOT going to happen. They talk endlessly about their upcoming cruise which we've been hereing about since June.

A one day visit also ends up being much longer than it should be.

I have also decided that we don't live far enough away, a 40/50 min drive made easy by the proximity to the motorway network and the horrors of all horrors - My dad has just retired!!!! Argh!!!!

He's just offered to come and pick me up on Thursday, take me to see my friend whom I am meeting in their hometown, then pick me up again and take me to the shopping villgae I mentioned, then I can go for tea at their house and wait for my husband to drive 30 miles out of way to pick me up after work so we can go home again. Lovely you might think - but NO! I'm 29 not 9. I need my space and I'm used to my own freedom and little man and I doing what we want WHEN we want to. If hubby drives to pick me up we won't be saving any petrol either so I'm sorry but I value my freedom and everytime I come back from a day out with my parents I'm stressed to the max, huffing and puffing, can't sleep and so wound up it drives me mad. Christmas is the worst, but that's another story.

As nice as the above is it will drive me potty. I'm going to have to disappoint him. Then comes the guilt trip - You can't bl**dy win!!!!

Right now where's the property section for the Highlands of Scotland..... no hang on maybe we need to look at emigration to a remote Carribeean Island instead...

Something New..

Little man will be starting at the local nursery in 2 weeks. We go on Wednesday for our first visit and I will stay with him for a while. Hopefully if it all goes well, we'll go for 2 mornings a week.

I've also signed up as a registered trader for Phoenix Trader. I'm selling greetings cards and wrapping paper and other lovely gorgeous things through the catalogue. I'm getting ready a book of samples to get as many orders as I can and may also do some "card parties" if I can pluck up the courage and also get some hosts! It's not like Pampered Chef as you can't really do much with cards other than display them and hope they sell themselves.

I love the samples I've been given they are wonderful, the Christmas Collection is fab and although there are cheaper cards out there, I think these are really unique and quite fab.

I hope it will make me some money and also give me an avenue into the adult world of working and organising oneself with something other than a toddler/baby bag.

Meanwhile I am wondering what has happened to the world of postnatal care, it seems that having a baby is no big deal and you should be back at home, cooking the tea withing 6 hours of giving brith. If you have a c-section you get 2-3 days before they want to kick you out. Personally I feel a little more support is required, otherwise the rates of postnatal depression will be shooting up all over the place and breastfeeding rates may not be as high if people are struggling at home and feel too scared to ask for help and support.

Can I hand in my notice...?

I'm beginning to dislike my wonderful, perfect job.

I'm fed up of the constant nagging, begging and pressure to do things NOW! I am constantly being asked questions and expected to know the answers, even the questions are obviously rhetorical or just plain and simply stupid. The worst question is "why". Almost every question begins with this.

I do not want to play trains anymore and I have stopped putting bridges in track layouts as I cannot face "wixing it" 7 times a day. If I here another word about piston rods I think I will scream. The fact that "Hank" the train has a double personality as "Gordon" is equally annoying.

I don't want to have put all the crusts in the bin again, but if I cut them off he invents edges and won't eat those either. Luckily he's quite easy to please in the food departemnt.

I am constantly having to repeat that the television cannot be watched, nor can DVDs especially when requested. They are allowed of course but saved for when the best programmes are on which have some sense about them and rationed as to not over expose the child. (Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends, Come Outside and Chuggington) or when Mummy is so exhausted from the constant barrage of everything that she needs to drink a cup of tea with some degree of peace.

Oh and not to mention the mini strops after each request. "Please tidy up your toys, it's time to go to bed." "No, I won't!, I don't want to go to bed" - folllowed by screaming and foot stamping! We ignore it and persist with the request but it really does annoy you.

I've had to go upstairs this week to scream and throw something across the room. I try not to let him see!

Can I have a new job please?!!!

The joys of pregnancy..

are:

eating nothing but toast, crisps and breadsticks is perfectly fine and NO I won't get scurvy - this is just a temporary measure to stop the constant nausea.

Forgetting to drink enough water and becoming horrendously constipated. Constipation causing other terrible things to get worse (no need to elabourate I'm sure!) also having to take lactulose to help with the above.

Falling asleep at random times of evening.

Wanting to sleep and being nagged to play trains/cars/farms/building sites etc..

Being unable to take little man out for bike rides as I know I'll be to exhausted to run after him now he can do it so fast.

Getting strange looks off people when you're out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs or arriving at playgroup, which is only 200m away from your house.

Maternity clothes being far to big but normal clothes being too tight.

Needing to have a wee frequently

Constantly being asked - "are you going to find out the sex?"

Sad to say the excited hormones haven't kicked in yet, thankfully though we can now eat a sensible diet without having to rely on vitamins!

A little smile came creeping...

up on me this morning.

I am finally 12 weeks pregnant and I know when my scan is.

I can stop taking folic acid, I think it makes me feel sick.

I have activities planned for every day this week so hopefully looking after the monster will be easier.

For some strange reason I just feel happier, the prospect of going to playgroup this morning has excited me. Then we have a mammouth supermarket shop to do as we've run out of everything!

Meeting up with friends I've not seen for about 12 weeks on Tuesday for lunch. Food is much better received when someone else cooks it.

Usual Wednesday playgroup with spare afternoon to indulge the monster in painting with mummy or the park.

No visit from my mum on Thursday - I'm not being nasty but it's always nice to have a change, so I can go to Little Nippers and see friends from there who again haven't been seen for weeks. Then we are taking the little man to see the scan.

Tumbletots on Friday, Hmm not sure the little man enjoys this anymore but we've paid for a term so need to keep going.

Slight niggles to annoy me:

why why why? do we have to pay for the scan pictures this round?!

why isn't it Thursday now?

why is Fifi and the flower tots so annoying?

1 week to go!

I have 1 week and a few hours until we can see baby pip for the first time. I have fianlly rung the scanning department at the hospital as I still haven't had a letter despite being almost 12 weeks pregnant. Hubby has managed to get the time off work and the little monster/man is coming along to see everything!

If everything is okay at the scan I will tell the whole world and it's neighbours! I will probably announce it on facebook too. So all those who won't know, will soon know.

We're almost at the magic 12 weeks milestone. This time however I have told lots of people. I have found it very hard this time round. I have been feeling very sick, extremely tired and out of breath all the time. I felt so bad I had to tell people so I could have some help with the little man. I think it's the worst part of pregnancy except for the childbirth bit!! No one knows you are pregnant and you get very funny looks in Tesco when you are huffing and puffing after loading 5 carrier bags full of food into the trolley. I can't use the enviromentally friendly bags so well as I can't lift them!

Hubby also gets the award for sympathetic husband, most of the time. He's had to take on more child care, cooking the evening meals and been alone in the evenings whilst I've been asleep from about 7 until 11!!! He's done it without moaning but the housework is slipping as he doesn't seem able to remember to help out with that. But I am very pleased and can't complain.

Meanwhile I have accured some birthday money which I am going to spend on some new shoes and as soon as I am feeling better, I'm off for a bit of pampering at a beauty salon.

Little man's behaviour is improving slightly, the new trick is running away to hide after being naughty so we can't tell him off. Or so he thinks. His idea of hiding isn't exactly very well hidden, sometimes it's just putting his hands over his eyes!!

Anyway, roll on the scan and the second trimester!!

The waiting game..

Pregnancy is a big long wait, almost 40 weeks in fact which is just very long!

I've finally almost hit the first milestone of 12 weeks. I'm 11 weeks today and I was desperatly hoping for a scan date through the post this morning. They are very spot on with the scans doing most of them at 12 weeks, not 10 weeks like they do in some other areas, unless they've changed their ways of course?!! Maybe I should ring the hospital and check I'm still on the list?!

It's my birthday and very unusually I didn't get any post at all. mimble wimble and some of the usual cards are absent. Hmm maybe you get less as you get older.

Anyway had a nice day with the hubby off work to take me shopping, out for lunch and ice cream and then help at home with the little monster. Ended up buying nothing for me and a Postman Pat SDS van for little monster! (very early birthday present).

Now please just send me that scan date NOW!!!!!!!

Slightly miffed

I went for my booking in appointment today. I'm 10 weeks 2 days according to my dates and the midwife didn't really bother about a due date.

Lots of writing in the green notes again and lots of sticky labels. Lots of silly questions about family history and if I'd had any bizarre diseases or blood disorders.

Bad points:

Still no scan date

Didn't get to hear heartbeat

Can't give birth at Chorley unless the consultant says so due to forceps delivery last time, so will have to have a referral appointment at Preston, personally don't think I can be bothered with the hassle of the appointment so might just accept the situation and ask for a tour of the unit as I can't remember much from last time.

All the above has left me feeling rather confused and upset, the first time I've cried in a long while anyway. Maybe it was the emotional shock of leaving little man with a friend for the first time almost ever, maybe the shock of being pregnant has hit me suddenly. Maybe it's hormones!

Will start focusing on upcoming birthday next week and organising lunch out.

Secrets

I've been keeping a secret, not very well because I've probably told at least 10 people by now! It's been very hard but I can't wait any longer and the lovely people who read my blog are now to be told "I'm Pregnant!" Yes really. Personally I don't think it has sunk in yet.

Oh yes the sickness, nausea, burping, bloating and extreme exhaustion have all brought me down to earth with a bump. Looking after a terror tot going through a naughty phase is and has been overwhelmingly awful, thank goodness we've done potty training before the strops and tantrums began, these have now given way to just sheer naughty behaviour!

Little man has entered the next stage of intellect, Why? why? why? he asks constantly and after most requests to perform actions or after each explaination. If you are wondering when it will come it seems to be proceeded by "what's that?" and later "what's that noise?" He knows about our baby who is being called baby pip for now and has asked on several occassions when it be coming. After telling him after Father Christmas has been (January) he now seems to think Father Christmas brings babies and that he will be going to live with Grandma and Grandad when mummy goes to hospital. We've corrected him of course!!

Fears of miscarriage are still floating around, I am yet to have my 12 week scan but I feel confident that all is well and if not then it obviously wasn't meant to be. Also slight worries over the birth bit & whether the labour will shorter than last time. However I am really to consumed with feeling awful to think much into it all at the moment.

I ask if you know me in real life - away from the blogging world to keep the secret safe and to yourself until I have had my scan, just in case there is a problem.

We're off to Scotland..

on Sunday, in the caravan. Hoping it will be nice weather and that I will soon start feeling better. We're not cancelling this holiday after we lost out at the beginning of the month.

The route is set up to Loch Lomond, the east side of the Loch which is quieter and is where the West Highland Way runs. We could climb Ben Lomond if we fancied but personally I think we'll look at it from a boat and hope the loch sickness isn't too bad!!

We're hoping to visit The Sealife centre, the falkirk wheel and enjoy many days sat by the loch hopefully without midges. All planned to be relaxing and non-stressful and lovely. Oh (big screeching hault noise) we're taking our 30 months old toddler!

We've just hit the next stage of terrible twos, the defiant "NO!" accomopained by kicking, screaming, loud yelling and point blank refusal to co-operate. This has happened before but now it is more severe. Distraction techniques are becoming less successful.

We're also trying out "what happens if I do this" behaviour. Examples include banging one's fork repeatedly on the dinner table and resorting to banging with hands if fork is taken away. Other examples have included throwing things down the stairs (mainly toy cars) and basically just being plain naughty.

Little man seems to have no remorse, shouting at him makes him laugh and the only thing I think is working is the naughty step. We introduced this all of a sudden last week but it's taking time.

All this behaviour I could really do without right now. I'm feeling very awfully ill and exhausted. Thank goodness for half term holidays so parents in law are around to help with the monster.

Oh well back to dreaming of realing by the loch........ AHHH!

New things

It's Spring, well it looks like spring but feels more like Autumn as the temperature isn't quite living up to it's expectations. Little man hasn't made it into a pair of shorts and sandals yet and I'm still wearing jeans. I have swapped my comfy boots for ballerine style pumps though.

Lots of plants coming up and our tomatoes, runner beans, strawberries and my lone corgette plant are all in the new greenhouse and growing ok ish as far as I can tell.

The garden in still going through it's summer makeover and tidy up but there is still a lot to do and a garage to empty. Then the shed and lean-to will be demolished and their contents put back into now more empty garage (in theory). Hopefully the contents of the garage will go on ebay and earn us a pretty penny.

We're swapping out gas guzzling giants (2 volvos with 2 litre engines!) for a deisel 206 and a diesel 7-seater touran, the latter has been kindly donated to us free of charge by my in-laws!! Both cars will hopefully do 45+ mpg so we will be saving and the enviroment will have a few less grams of CO2 in it.

Also I'm eagerly awaiting my doctors appointment next week, why oh why do you have to wait for 2 and half weeks to get a simple appointment?!!

Sir Stropalots day

Hello I'm bombarding mummy's blog. Here's my day.

I wake up to some beeping noises, oh that's daddy's alarm, talk to myself for a bit about random things and listen to daddy have a shower. Daddy comes in to say good morning so I decide to start my moaning, groaning stroppy noises so mummy will come.

Mummy doesn't come so I go into her room and refuse to take off my nappy and put on my underpants. Mummy asks me several times to do this, I don't really know why.

I eat my yorn-yakes and demand jam on toast, say goodbye to Daddy and then Mummy and me watch Peppa Pig, Thomas and Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. Mummy tells me to come and get dressed so we can go to the hospital on the bus but I want to play with my cars so I say no. Mummy tries asking a few more times and I repeat my answer.

Oh mummy has gone, I go upstairs to find Mummy and then Grandma arrives. Grandma comes to watch Mummy dress me and I select a bright yellow t-shirt, some dark blue jeans and a pair of monkey socks. I play with Grandma for a while as Mummy has to go to the doctors on a bus and I have deciede that I don't want to go anymore.

Mummy comes back and we go to the supermarket. Grandma comes to. I decide to see what happens if I poke mummy in the breast when she bends over. I try it again later and Mummy tells me off. So I decide to throw a bottle of milk on the floor from my seat in trolley. Mummy gets very angry and tells me I can't go to cheeky monkey's if I do anything like that again, apparantly the milk could of come out and made a big mess on the floor. We keep loosing Grandma although I think Mummy is doing that on purpose.

Oh goody we're at my favorite place in the whole world, cheeky monkeys. However I don't feel quite right but not sure why - oh I'll have a screaming fit and hide under the table for 5 minutes. MMMMmm biscuits and juice, that's better. I have a play, decide to go down the big slide once on my own and then decide it's too scary again. I eat my sandwich and run off to play with my new found friend.

Mummy says we have to go now so I cry and scream for a while but we still have to go. I do a standing up wee-wee in the toilet just like Daddy does but wee-wee goes down my leg at the end so I have to wipe it off.

I go home and play trains while mummy and grandma drink tea and coffee. Then Grandma goes home. Daddy comes home with sausage and chips from the chip van and it's very yummy.

Daddy played with me after tea which is very unusual but Mummy was packing for our holiday. I go upstairs to help mummy and try on all the shoes in the cupboard which mummy says I can't wear as they are too small for me. Personally I don't see the problem and am very upset when she puts them in the cupboard so we can give them to another baby.

I have a bath and soak the bathroom by jumping and doing "wees" (not wee-wee) I read 2 books with mummy and daddy and turn off my little light. Night Night zzzzzzzzz

all about me

A lot of my posts are about my little man. He's gorgeous and I love him to bits. Just as all you other mums out there will know, there's an extrememly strong bond of love between you and your child/children and it can be overwhelming sometimes!

This week is me week! So here are some facts about Me! More to come in the week that follows and more about what I have done.

I dislike phoning people on the telephone but don't mind texting or emailing?!

I think I might be becoming slightly addicted to the farmville game on facebook

I worry far to much about things I shouldn't do, although this has got much better recently.

I don't swear (expect very occassionally) and really hate it when people use harsh swear words in ordinary conversation.

I love musicals and would secretly love to star in one.

I like almost every type of music except opera

I have a teaching degree

I think some people find me dull and boring

I would love to live in middle of nowhere away from all the hustle and bustle

I will have been married for 3 years on Wednesday - something I thought would never happen!

I would like a teapot and some new clothes for my upcoming birthday.

I hate the caravan - but we couldn't afford to go away otherwise so it has to stay for now!

it's time...

It's arrived, the end of my period. This is significant because we have decided that from today onwards we're throwing caution to the wind and allowing baby making to commence. Despite having terrible PMS (cold and flu symptoms and icthing all over) from some huge hormone inbalance I am hoping that this time will be the right time to concieve. Hopefully the docotor won't have any concerns when I go for a check up on Monday.

We've been avoiding the November/December due dates as we have many family birthdays around this time and don't want another birthday near Christmas. Little man will have to make do with 1st December but hopefully his brother/sister will arrive sometime between Jan and October 2011. Oh, very exciting - also scary. I do hope it works quickly, I am not patient and do not expect to be so when the waiting comes. Little man was a happy accident so we avoided all the waiting last time!

I'm also worried about coping with a tantrum throwing toddler whilst pregnant. I was very tired and nauseaus last time until 16 weeks. At least then I could have a sleep when I needed it! Only time will tell.

Maybe we will be in team pink next time? That would be great but I feel quite strangly convinced that it will be blue! No preference this time round and love the one I've got so much I can't describe it.

Naughty hubby!

Hubby has been naughty, He's been bidding on Ebay. He's spent a lot of money on a LGB train, track and some trucks. He spent £138 on it. It's pretty much what you see above.

We don't have very much money and at the end of the month we have almost nothing.
Do we really need this when our toddler is perfectly happy with fake Brio?!!! We always discuss big purchases, I don't spend our money on anything other then groceries, clothes for the little man and the odd lunch out with friends but it's all agreed in advance.

I'm more upset than angry. Don't really know what say, might have decided when the credit card bill arrives. Hmph!

Me not like it here mummy

Little man has now had 3 of the major tantrums. Just as you think you're having the terrible twos, they suddenly rear themselves up and come at you with the even more terrible than the terrible twos!

We are now into screaming for ages and thrashing all body parts around wildly whilst crying and tthrowing oneself around. Any attepmt to cuddle, pick up or even approach is met with shouts of " No, no, no, me not want you to come here, me not want a cuddle. Distraction, tickling and even bribery (not recommended) do NOT work anymore, even if you do resort to bribery you find your little darling will suddenly declare he doesn't like his favourite thing in the world, even chocolate!

Attempts to remove tantrum throwing child from car seat or pushchair are at ones own risk and the likelihood of receiving a wallop from one of the thrashing limbs is quite likely.

Whilst in mid major tantrum the terror tot will shout out sentences such as, "me not like it here", "me not like trains", "me wants to you to go away" and the gut recthing "me not like you Mummy" cue biting lip to prevent tears.

By the end of it (and you will be waiting a while) you may also be crying, it's not nice to watch this happening to your little darling. You may also be rather angry and there is no point shouting at your little monster. Anger is rather contaigious so walk away and scream into your pillow.

Eventually your little darling will be returned to their previous state, beware of the eye of storm as sometimes this is only a temporary restoration of calm.

Post event, lots and cuddles and kisses, don't talk about it just hold them tight and tell them you love them. Make them a small snack and suggest an activitiy to do together.

At 7pm or whenever your little one is finally asleep, collaspe onto bed and have a big sigh!

Oh and these can happen at night too! We were up for 2 hours on Tuesday night, with one he woke up having a major tantrum.

After a few days you will probably feel quite emotional, I do. I don't want anyone to take my little one for a while to look after him. I just feel a bit overwhelmed, I think it sneaks up on you all of a sudden!

We're now working hard on tantrum avoidance tactics, which involves quick thinking and lots of patience. Turning everything in to a game or race and pretending to be a steam train in the middle of Tescos also helps!!!

aaarrrrrggghhh!

Little man has mutated into a naughty, answering back, screaming, stropping and generally being rude toddler!

AArrrghhh! Let's hope it's the lack of routine.

They've changed the Cbeebies schedule - no more show me, show me and for those whose children love Waybuloo at bedtime, it's been replaced by 64 Zoo Lane.

Luckily little man doesn't like many of the Cbeebies programs but the current lunchtime run of Show me, show me followed by I can cook has been a hit for us and allowed me half an hour with a cup of tea. Very annoyed they've chnaged it all, just as little man has become a nightmare!

Also I may have gone a tiny bit fast through a mobile speed camera recently, still not got the letter, if I'm going to get it and it's annoying me as I want to know. We all do it, everyone speeds, admit it, I might have just been unfortunate enough to be one of the ones of gets caught.

Mummy the world has ended because....

It's very hard being a toddler, sometimes the world is obviously against you. These are little man's major moans from this weekend and this morning. Each is to be followed by tears, screaming NO! in a loud voice and more tantrum related behaviour!

We're not giving in to him, he has to learn. We now need to teach his Grandparents to stop giving in to him.

.....Daddy not let me help fix mummy's car (taking off the wheels)

.....My wiggle-wiggle worm fell off my hand and down a crack (in the pavement), I want that wiggle wiggle worm to come back, mummy, no (another one won't do), it has to be that one.

......I want to eat my choc choc egg now!!!! (After being given an Easter egg at playgroup)

......I want the train one! (because they didn't show the fish-finger cat/train thing on show me, show me today)

.......me not need a wee wee (despite drinking almost half a pint of water at a pub lunch this weekend)

......I want to go to Grandma and Grandad's house and play trains (at 6.30pm at night) and mummy said no. (going another day is not good enough) me want to go now!!

Choo Choos, Chatterbox and Chicken Pox

No we haven't had the pox, we've had the 3 week wait after playing with some friends who came out in spots 2 days after playing with the little man. Their kind mother phoned me to warn me and since then I've been examining the little man's body in the bath each night checking for spots. Apparantly it has a 3 week incubation period before the spots appear. We hit 3 weeks on Wednesday and no signs so I can finally relax and stop worrying about it. (touching wooden desk top)

We enjoyed a short break in our caravan this week, up to Ravengalss in the rainy Lake District. We learnt sereval new things about our little man, particulary that he will stand outside in pouring rain, without moaning or whinging for up to an hour, more if there is a steam train at close range. The rain just didn't seem to bother him.

If you've been in an enclosed space with a toddler, particulary one that has just mastered the next stage of talking and is intent on talking non-stop for all his waking hours when he isn't eating or throwing a tantrum, (He even talks non stop whislt on the toilet/potty!) you soon learn an awning on the side of your caravan gives a wonderful play area and increases the space. However caravans have attractive things for toddlers such as steps, heaters, fridges at low level and the joy of joys, the cassette toilet!!

Also you learn to just get your coat on and get out in the weather. We met fellow caravanners abonding their holidays after a particulary windy and rainy night. Yes it rained all morning the next day but due to being on the coast it blew over and by 2pm there was lovely sunshine. Then it rained again! We got out and about and chose to go somewhere where there would be an indoor area so we weren't exposed to the elements all day.

We loved the trip, little man loved the steam trains and we are planning on going back again in the summer. Hopefully then we can take advantage of the lovely walks in the area and see more of the mountains at the Dalegarth/Boot end of the railway line!

One of the not so nice things in life

** Warning of to much information below**

I'm feeling delicate today, yesterday after continuing stomach ache, I had finally deduced the problem was constipation. Eventually I decided to take action against it in the form of tablets. I have only ever done this once before and I found it didn't work.

It did work this time, well I took 2 tablets instead of just the one and and I woke up at 2 am with terrible pains and spasms and it felt like I was going into labour all over again!! It was awful, not at all what I expected and it took a good few "contractions" before I got any results. The pain was quite shocking! I was up for ages getting everything out!! I ended up with the complete opposite problem at the end and was cold and shaking!!

Judging by the large amount of waste produced I am convinced it was well needed but I will now be upping my fibre intake and water intake greatly to avoid ever having to do this again!!!

My upbringing wasn't the best in terms of a healthy diet, I was fed salty food, drank very little and when I did it was strong cordial. I ate very little fruit and veg except for tangerines! I also had very large portions.

It is very hard to reverse 22 years worth of actions but I am very proud of completely cutting out added salt from my diet (except for on fish & chips) and not taking sugar in my tea. We try to eat well and eat small portions. I am no saint and have a long way to go to improve but I have seen the benefits and I am trying to convince my parents to change their eating habits. Not much success there though!

Bob the Builder

Is coming to Chorley on Thursday 18th February!



We are going to see what it is like, if it's awful we'll go home via the park. No idea how these things are done . I imagine it could be very busy as it is half term but I think Bob is more for Pre-schoolers than school children. You never know.


There's more info on the market walk website.

Best laid plans....

I've got itchy feet to do something, something big but I can't decide what. I am very good at wanting but not very good at going about getting it!

Ideas so far:

Buying rural ruin in Scotland and doing it up to become fab holiday house (have been scanning property pages up there despite having no cash!)

Starting a website selling baby/child related items

Get a pet rabbit or some chickens or a cat

Have huge urge to go on holiday to somewhere lovely and warm (despite going to Centre parcs next week!)

Teaching myself to play a new musical instrument and buying one!

Having another baby...

Some of the above can't be achieved due to lack of capital unless we consider re mortgaging the house! Others have been tried but darn hormones seem to be getting in the way and preventing things from happening. Grrr

Valentines Day

We haven't really bothered with the above. A few years ago we resorted to just cards, we didn't need to pay over the odds for an expensive meal or get each other silly gifts.

This year Hubby stated he needed to go to the card shop on Sunday. Doesn't take a genius to work out why as there are no family birthdays currently and if there was it would be me sending a card from the box I have at home.

Last night he let it slip that there would be a delivery coming for him soon, and I wasn't t oo look at it. I thought this might be a gift for valentines and I am very excited!!

Until I logged onto the laptop today and he'd left his email open - I saw the "you won this item" email in the summary window below and it's spoilt the surprise - the description of the item was far too obvious and I DON'T LIKE IT!! Not at all what I want and I certainly havn't been giving him hints in this direction at all!!

I shouldn't have looked but I couldn't help seeing it - ahhhh what do I do on valentines day? I wish he'd just done the card and flowers/chocolates!!

Mispronounced Mondays

Little man's speech is rather startling good now. If he doesn't know the word he will make something up and he will copy new words he hears if he likes them.

However as many other toddlers will be doing he can't say certain sounds and therefore certain words often cause amusement. There are many more than the ones below just thought of blogging about a few of todays sentences.

Todays highlights:

"mummy, me pay (play) with me (my) cock (clock) pease (please)" LOL but had to smile nicely and say yes!

Wii, Wii, mummy - meaning Fifi from the Flowertots.

The above two are very amusing now we are fully toilet trained during the day! (Woohoo!) He even asked to go for a wee wee in the middle of tescos today and on a steam train ride in Preston yesterday.

The best one had to be at bedtime - I lub you Mummy! Ahh Nearly made me cry, I don't think translation is needed here.

Me nappy wet mummy

After breakfast this morning, little man was playing with his trains and suddenly announced that his nappy was wet. This is true as he's still in his overnight one, we usually change it after Peppa Pig and Thomas and friends have finished! Do you want a new one I asked? Yes, upstairs, dessed (dressed) was the reply! shocked Mummy alert!

Little man has managed to spit out the entire English language since Christmas, comments like the above have become common place and he surprises me everyday. He can say so much and gets very very excited it. The big change with this has also been in the toilet training department.

We now do our number 2s on the toilet although they are still called beebies. He has even done them on the toilet in strange places like playgroup and pubs. Very shocking. He is still happy to wear a nappy although we are using pull up pants around the usual time he needs his beebies. He hasn't yet started to indicate he would like to do wee wee on the toilet although he does do sometimes. He's very young still and I don't want to rush him.

We haven't toilet trained our little man, he's been sitting on the toilet before his bath since 19 months and done a few wee wees on it. Recently he started coming up to us and telling us he'd done a dirty nappy and wanting it to be gone. Gradually this changed to him being able to tell us just before it happened. We gently suggested he tried sitting on the toilet to do them and it worked! I think he likes doing it there!!!

We tried no nappy the other night but he got upset about there being no nappy there so we substituted for a tiny pair of underpants. They have pictures of George pig on them so we told him not to get George wet. With the help of careful watching he did a wee on his potty and didn't wet the underpants. However the next day he wanted a nappy one so we've stuck to that for now. He's only 25 months and I don't want to rush him when he's not ready.

Maybe be this is baby led toilet training!?! Either way it's been very easy and stress free so far.

The Favourite Photo Meme

Okay - I wasn't tagged but I wanted to join in after seeing pictures from Sandy at Baby baby.

We have so many photos of the little man, thousands in fact. We recently had to break the "baby" folder down into 0-3 months, 3-6 months etc.. so it didn't take 20 mins just to open the folder of pictures!

I have many favourites from his baby days but I have chosen this one for my blog. Here is a picture of me and little man. He is just a day and a half old and we were waiting to be transferred back to Chorley hospital from Preston hospital. He looks so tiny and his legs are so small! Gorgeous! I think he had just had a feed.

bit upset

I don't see my good friends very often, my husband is my best friend and my best girly firend lives half an hour away so nipping round for a cup of tea isn't as easy as it could be. I have made many friends from playgroups but I don't see them outside of playgroup. I really need to make an effort to invite people round more.

I needed to say this to someone, so my blog it is! Our friends who had a baby on Tuesday, invited all the blokes to the pub last night for a "wetting the baby's head" drink. My husband wasn't invited and it's quite upset me, why did they leave him out? Maybe they just forgot? Either way I feel bad for him especially after they commented about it being a good night out on facebook several million times!! The baby's father was our best man at our wedding. I'm not one to make a big deal of something but it's just got to me a bit today. They probably didn't mean anything bad by it.

baby envy

A friend of mine has had a baby this morning - although I am very pleased for them for some daft reason I am also jealous. This has happened whenever someone I know has had a baby after I had my baby!

I have unfortunately inherited the tendency for jealously and possessiveness from some relative somewhere - not sure why but I know it got a lot worse when my little sister arrived on the scene. Incidentally she's the only one who can really wind me up, make me extremely angry and I can't let her borrow anything of mine as it eats away at me.

It made me wonder if my baby envy is me being broody, or is being broody making me jealous of other people having babies? Do I want another baby or is society just making me think that I should have more than one as stereotypically most people have more than 1. I don't want little man to experience the same emotions if I give him a brother or sister. I was wondering if timing was the key, I was 2 years 10 months when my sister arrived and if I was to get pregnant now it would be exactly the same for little man. Maybe we should have gone for a smaller gap?? People I know with smaller gaps don't seem to have the problem but then they are different to me.

I think part of it is missing the baby phase little man grew out of so quickly, he was sitting up at 4 months, crawling at 5 and 1/2 and walking at 9 months! By his first birthday the only thing he hadn't mastered was talking and jumping. He went a bit mad running off everywhere flinging open cupboards in peoples kitchens and just didn't stop! He's never been big on day time sleeps and was also down to only one nap a day by 9 months old. I never wanted to be one of those mums who boasted about what their child could do - yet I felt like it because other babies of similar ages did not develop as quickly, he also got teeth early and had most of them by 12 months. I loved the baby phase despite the lack of sleep and sometimes frustrating crying spells and not going to sleep problems.

I need to focus on what's so wonderful about my little 2 year old, he can now talk - he started over Xmas and can now say everything! He's talking all the time. He's also doing all his number 2s on the toilet! He's beautiful and I love him to bits. He's learning to sing the bing bong song and the wheels on the bus. Maybe I won't have another - just yet anyway!!