11 November 2008 - 20 weeks & 4 days

Well, I was saving this picture for 1st December, but as usual, I'm behind with my posting! It was taken during a photo shoot I did with Joseph to try and get some pics to use for Christmas cards. I got some lovely shots, but in the end we decided not to use them as the cost of producing them was so much greater than just buying cards.

Fortunately I was well enough to go in to work. I was feeling much better and then started to feel worse again. Apparently it was some viral thing that I must've picked up from work - worse than a cold, but not as bad as flu. Work was good, and Adam and Joseph had a really good day at home too.

We then went down to Leicester for the weekend to see family and exchange Christmas presents. The following weekend we went down to Cambridgeshire to stay with my brother and his family. We had a lovely time, it's just a shame the car journey is so long.

So after all the travelling from the previous weekends, last weekend we stayed at home and had a nice relaxing time. We went to the Trafford Centre bright and early on Saturday morning. We were there at opening time, and all had breakfast while we waited for the shops to open. It was a great time to go and we got everything done quickly and easily. It was only really starting to get busy as we left, and we were home in time for lunch.

I went out to the work Christmas do on Saturday night. I drove, as it was in Manchester, so a bit of a pain to get back from, but I still had a good time. Joseph fell out with me before I went though, as he could obviously tell I was going out. He refused to cuddle me or let me kiss him goodbye. He wouldn't even let me feed him! So I had to express milk so that he could have a bottle instead. I think he thought that would stop me going.

Joseph has become an absolute joy to be around. He's so happy and chatty, full of smiles and giggles. He's developing such a jolly character and I find myself falling in love with him over and over again. His physical development is slowing coming along now as well. He is now able to sit up, although not for very long, and most of the time he decides he doesn't even want to try! He is more tolerant of being on his tummy now, and holds himself up really well, and has even started to push up on to his knees a little bit. He is capabale of rolling from his tummy to his back and also from his back to his tummy, but again, he chooses not to. He rolls all the way to one side, and then back again - he really manages to wriggle his way round the room! He'll be 6 months old tomorrow - I can't believe how fast the time goes.

Unfortunately Joseph has not been well today, he has been running a temperature, has a furry tongue, has been very sleepy, wanted lots and lots cuddles, not happy to play and off his food. I took him to the doctor, as I thought his furry tongue was thrush, but apparently it isn't, and together with the other symptoms, the doctor thinks he has a viral infection, er that'd be doctor speak for a cold then. Hmm, we'll see.

I'm not feeling good today. I'm really tired and woozy and hot and cold, got a cough and a headache. I don't have time to be ill - I was hoping to do some shopping and housework today, but I'm just fit for relaxing on the sofa. It makes looking after Joseph hard, but it means that he's getting plenty of cuddles, which he likes. I hope I feel better tomorrow, as I'm meant to be going in to work.

Joseph at 5 months old - 20th November 2008

Lots to update, yet again!
We didn't go swimming, as Joseph's cold got worse before it got better, and Elliot caught it too. We had several very interrupted nights, but thankfully the cold finally left after hanging around for over a fortnight.

Mum came to visit us for the weekend, which was lovely. Adam met up with a friend in Manchester for the day, while we went to the sensory centre, and then did a bit of shopping, and also took Joseph for a photo shoot. It was a "free" one with a complimentary print, but the other photos we so good that, of course, we ended up buying more. I have vouchers for several more free sessions with a complimentary print, but I'm not sure I'll use them again, as it's just too tempting and the photos are so expensive. Joseph loved the camera and seemed to really enjoy the shoot. I'm looking forward to collecting the photos on Friday. They're mostly presents though, so we won't be keeping many ourselves. I have looked into modelling for him, as I'm sure every new mother does, but it doesn't seem all that lucrative, and as I'm about to go back to work, it's probably a no-go.

We now have a highchair, but Joseph is struggling with it as he is so lazy! If he is sitting upright it is too much effort for him to swallow, so we have to recline it if we actually want him to eat his food.

Adam and I went to see The Feeling in concert last Monday and had a great time. Sally and Shaun babysat for us. We took Joseph to their house, bathed him, fed him and put him to bed. We then made sure he was fast asleep before we left. The gig was great and apparently Joseph was very well behaved while we were out and stayed asleep. He was a nightmare for us though! As he now is most nights. He really struggles to settle himself when he wakes in the night, so we're trying to leave him to settle himself before his daytime naps now to see if that helps. I'm also trying and failing to cut out his 10pm feed, as I'm not convinced he needs it.

I've done two full days at work now and Joseph has stayed at home with Adam. It's gone really well for me, I've settled back in as if I haven't been gone, and the days have gone really quickly. For the boys it's a different story, but I think things are improving! Unfortunately Joseph is a bit of a mummy's boy, so he's not impressed when I leave him for a long time. I went to the crop for a few hours at the weekend though, leaving him at home, and he was absolutely fine, so maybe we're turning a corner.

I know I say this a lot, but I really must try and keep on top of my updating!

Monday 3rd November 2008, 19 weeks & 3 days

So once again I find myself with a couple of weeks to update on. Joseph loves his food, and now eats 3 meals a day. I haven't yet given him anything he doesn't like or that doesn't agree with him, so it's all good.

Joseph and I travelled down to Leicester last week to visit a friend of mine and her little girl. They emigrated to Australia at the weekend, and we went to say goodbye. We then spent a few hours with my nan, before spending the night at mum and dad's. We also went shopping in Leicester, which is something I miss, although Manchester is better, not that I go there often either!

A couple of weeks ago we discovered JJ's Sensory Play Centre, which Joseph really enjoyed, so we went again last week. It was good to find a play centre that we can go to while he is still little. Soft play centres are quite easy to come across, but we wouldn't get much out of it while Joseph is still immobile.

Tomorrow I am hoping to take the little guy swimming for the first time, but he's full of cold, so we'll have to see how he is in the morning. He's got a really nasty cough, and it sounds like he's really suffering, although he doesn't seem to be too bothered by it. He's a little bit grumpy and clingy, but on the whole he's coping very well. I was expecting to be up all night with him last night, but he actually slept the best he's done for a long time, and we didn't have to get up to him at all.

We went in to nursery yesterday and it was lovely to catch up with all the girls. Joseph is starting to get used to the environment now, which is great. While I'm on maternity leave, I can use up to 10 keeping in touch days, which means I can go into work and get paid without losing my maternity allowance. I'd planned to use them as half days, with Adam using half days holidays to stay at home with Joseph. We planned them all out, and apart from the Christmas fortnight I'd be working at least one afternoon a week from next week up until me going back in February. But, unfortunately I've now found out that I can't use them as half days. Each time I work is classed as a day even if I only work an hour. So now I need to sort something else out. I'm so disappointed, as I was really looking forward to going back to work, and for Adam and Joseph to spend some time together. The biggest issue is that I'm still breastfeeding, so being away from Joseph for a full day is a bit of a logistical problem, although work are legally obliged to allow me time to express milk. I'm sure we'll sort something out.

This week's big news is that Joseph has now learnt to roll from his tummy to his back. He did it twice on Monday, but not again since!

Joseph at 4 months - Monday 20th October

The weaning continues to go very well. He has now tried carrot, sweet potato, pear and banana as well as the baby rice. I think banana has been has favourite so far. Starting solids has also helped to get the little guy into more of a routine. He has milk when he wakes up at around 7am, then a nap around 9am, some baby rice with fruit around 10am, more milk around 11am, another nap at 11.30am, more milk at 3pm, followed by another nap, some veg at 4.30pm, and milk before bed at 7pm with a quick top up at 10pm. He's not quite sleeping through again yet, as he's still suffering with his teeth, and now his tummy as well, but although he's waking up he isn't feeding, so I'm happy with that.

You'll be relieved to hear that "a week in the life" is over, and I will no longer be blogging my days in quite so much detail!

This week, we had Rhythm Time on Monday, as usual. Joseph didn't enjoy it much this week, but he did manage to stay awake. I really need to try and schedule our routine on a Monday so that he is alert for the class. We had to make the decision about what we wanted to do next term, which starts in January. I'll be going to work part-time in February, and will be working Mondays, so we've had to request to change session, to a Tuesday. I think by the time January comes along, he'll be really enjoying it, so it'll be a shame to stop.

Joseph also had his final injections for this round on Monday afternoon. They seemed to upset him more this time, and he was also a little bit grouchy. I'm glad they're over as I hate taking him - I feel so mean. Especially this time, when he had to have three. On Tuesday Sally & Elliot came round for a chat and a play respectively. Unfortuantely Joseph was fast asleep until just before they left, so Elliot had to play on his own! On Wednesday the plumber came to remove the old boiler, and on Thursday we were confined to upstairs whilst the new one was installed. We managed to get out for an hour in the morning to go to the baby clinic. Joseph put on 11oz, so I was really pleased, as I'd been getting pretty concerned, even though he is clearly a healthy, happy baby. On Friday we went to Buggyfit, and yesterday, we went into Macc for the afternoon. Adam bought me a new Singstar game, and we spent yesterday evening playing it. Makes a change from Rock Band!

Joseph has been feeding loads recently and I've even had to feed him in the night again, so we've been counting down to his 17 week birthday to start solids! It finally came on Friday, so yesterday we got the baby rice out. It went surprisingly well. There was no crying, and no spitting and, although not much actually stayed in his mouth, I'm pretty sure he managed to swallow a small amount. We've tried again today, and I would say it was a success. He kept nearly all of it in his mouth and even seemed to enjoy it, whinging for more between spoonfuls. He managed to eat all of the bowl that I made up as well. Very proud of the little man, although he's growing up so quickly.

Joseph wakes for a feed at 5am and we go back to sleep after. Get up around 7.30. Coffee and toast for breakfast. We get dressed, pack our things up and load the car. We leave mum & dad's around 10.45. We visit Adam's Nana & Grandad - Nic and Glenn are there too. We then visit Adam's Gran & Grandad and have lunch with them. On the way home, we stop in at Natalie's to hand over cards and presents for her & Naomi. We leave around 4.45 and arrive home around 6.30pm. Unpacking and washing to do.

Joseph wakes up at 6am for a feed and goes back to sleep until 7.30. Cuppa and croissants for breakfast. Mum and I go into Leicester with Joseph to run a few errands before going to visit my nan. Adam spends the day with family. Joseph spends the afternoon fighting sleep, and finally falls asleep around 5pm. I leave him sleeping downstairs and go for a wallow in the bath. He wakes up, downs his bottle and cries for more, so mum brings him up to me and I feed him in the bath. So much for me time! I wash him and mum takes him off to get him ready for bed while I wash my hair. The little guy starts crying and remains distraught for quite some time. He's over tired. Big time. We walk to the local pub for a meal, hoping that he will fall asleep. He doesn't, so Adam and I walk round the block with him, while mum and dad go ahead. He's still not asleep when we arrive, but he's calm, and eventually drops off while we're at the table. I have a delicous meal of chicken stuffed with stilton with bubble & squeak, rounded off with a chocolate brownie and a cappucino.

7.15 – joseph still asleep. Am feeling good for a better night’s sleep. I get up and start getting on with some jobs for the day. Rinse out bottle and breast pump and put in steriliser. Sort out some paperwork

7.30 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

7.50 – make coffee

8.00 – sort photos with yesterday. Cross with myself as only taken 5 pics and all poor quality. The light in this house is so bad.

8.30 – not wanting Joseph to sleep too late, I go upstairs and start pottering, hoping that the noise and my presence will wake him up. He wakes up as I walk up the stairs. I feed him, get him dressed and also dress myself

9.30 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks. Realise I have to go out to Buggyfit in 45 minutes and haven’t had breakfast yet. Is it too late to cook sausage and bacon?

9.35 – start cooking breakfast

9.55 – eat breakfast

10.00 – feed Joseph

10.20 – head out to Buggyfit

1.00 – arrive home. Chat with Adam on the phone, feed Joseph, eat lunch. Check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

1.30 – start panicking about how much there is to do before we have to head out to mum & dad’s.

1.35 – change Joseph’s nappy, wash up, take a shower, pack the bags. Feed joseph, change nappy again.

3.10 – leave for mum & dad’s. traffic is bad, as get caught up in the school run

5.45 – arrive at mum & dad’s. eat tea. Adam feeds Joseph. Mum & I go out to watch Jekyll & Hyde at the Little Theatre in Leicester.

5.30 – Joseph has been awake for half an hour and is not resettling, so we bring him in to our bed.

5.50 – the little guy goes back to sleep

6.30 – Adam’s alarm goes off and he gets up

6.45 – Joseph wakes up

6.50 – feeding time

7.20 – Adam comes to say goodbye

7.25 – Joseph & I go downstairs and get more goodbye kisses!

7.30 – I make myself a coffee and we go back upstairs. Play with the little man while I drink it

8.00 – I have a shower

8.15 – I get Joseph dressed and then get dressed myself

8.30 – put Joseph to bed

8.45 – he falls asleep. I check email, facebook

9.10 – get ready to go out

9.15 – go to baby clinic. Joseph wakes. He’s only put on 4oz and it’s been 2 weeks since he’s been weighed. Health visitor seems unconcerned, even though I’m worried.

10.40 – arrive home. Joseph sleeps on the way. Peg washing out

10.50 – chat with mum on the phone

11.00 – joseph wakes up and I feed him

11.20 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

11.30 – put lunch on. Change nappy, and top as he’s been sick

12.00 – eat lunch of pasta in sauce. Order photos online for a present.

12.10 – get ready to go out

12.15 – leave for nursery, via the petrol station

12.45 – arrive at work. Spend a few hours at nursery, chatting with my friends and letting joseph get used to the environment. Sarah gives him a bottle at 2pm.
3.50 – arrive home. Joseph sleeping

4.10 – joseph wakes and is distraught. I give him lots of cuddles and apply teething gel.

4.35 – joseph calms down and is playing on the floor

4.45 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

5.00 – bring in the washing. Joseph starts to get whingey, so we play. I sort the laundry, Adam comes home, I make tea, feed Joseph, we eat tea, bath Joseph, put him to bed, look through some old photos, talk to the plumber on the phone about the new boiler, sit down and look at our finances and sort out the insurance claim from when the car got broken in to.

9.05 – our time is finally our own!

4.45 – Joseph is awake and won’t go back to sleep. Bring him in to our bed. After half an hour or so he starts to wind down and I think he’s close to sleep, so I return him to his own bed. He’s not impressed, so take him back out for a cuddle. He’s now decided he’s hungry, so I feed him. He falls asleep and I return him to his cot. This seems harder than when he was newborn.

6.00 – return to bed. Adam’s alarm clock goes off after half an hour and I do my best to stay asleep while he gets up, without ignoring him totally.

7.30 – adam comes to say goodbye and I go back to sleep properly

8.20 – joseph wakes up. He’s full of smiles as I change his nappy and dress him. I do my best to forget my tiredness.

8.30 – I go and make a coffee and return to the bedroom, laptop in hand

8.45 – Joseph is hungry. I feed him while checking email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks. He falls asleep on my lap.

9.10 – I risk moving the little guy. Procrastinate on the internet

9.30 – get dressed

9.40 – I text Sally to make plans for later and she calls back, which wakes Joseph.

9.45 – still not dressed, what have I been doing for the last 15 minutes?

10.00 – go downstairs to make breakfast. The plumber arrives to take details for a quote for a new boiler. Eat breakfast, wash up, make coffee

11.10 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks.

11.15 – play with Joseph

11.30 – put the little guy to bed. Sort laundry – it’s never ending!

11.50 – he falls asleep. Clean & tidy bedroom

12.15 – make lunch

12.20 – just as I take my first bite, Joseph wakes up. Bring him downstairs then eat whilst browsing the web

12.40 – using notes from this week, start analysing Joseph’s routine

12.55 – change nappy

1.00 – feeding time

1.20 – get ready to go out
1.30 – go out with Sally & Elliot to the Discovery Centre. Very interesting to see lots of old pictures of Bollington

3.10 – arrive home and sit outside with a glass of juice and a choc ice

3.20 – the little guy starts getting whingey so we go inside.

3.25 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

3.30 – play with Joseph

4.00 – feed the little guy

4.30 – go out to meet Adam from work

5.45 – return home. Have drink outside.

5.50 – Joseph starts crying big time

6.00 – Adam gives Joseph his bottle while I go to the chippy

6.30 – I return home. Joseph starts crying as soon as he sees me.

6.45 – Joseph is getting increasingly upset, but doesn’t seem hungry. Got a glimpse of broken skin on his bottom gums, so filled his mouth with teething gel! We suspected he was teething a couple of weeks ago, so it's good to see we were right. He fell asleep fully clothed on Adam, so we've put him to bed without a bath and PJs for now, as we get him up at 10pm for a feed anyway

7.15 – settle down on the sofa with a glass of wine.

6.05 – Joseph wakes, I go and get him and bring him to our bed for his feed

6.30 – Adam’s alarm goes off and he gets up. Me and the little guy go back to sleep

7.30 – adam comes to say goodbye, and joseph wakes up. Poo! He woke lots in the night and I’m shattered (even though Adam was the one who got up most of the time!) and was hoping for a bit more shut eye.

8.00 – change joseph’s nappy and get him dressed. He starts crying just before I finish. I need a shower, so getting dressed myself will have to wait til he’s in a better mood. We go downstairs, I put the playmat down, turn on the tv, but the little man is still whingy

8.15 – I give in and feed Joseph. He definitely seems more hungry now, and I guess weaning isn’t far away.

8.30 – put joseph back on his playmat, and he seems happy again now. Check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

8.40 – chat with adam on the phone

8.45 – watch piece about HSM3 on BBC breakfast

8.55 – send message to a friend

9.00 – watch Dawn French on BBC Breakfast

9.15 – take joseph upstairs and put him to bed.

9.20 – take a shower and get dressed

9.50 – laundry. Horrible weather today, and coupled with no heating, I’m not sure how I’ll get it dry. Check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

9.55 – make and eat breakfast of porridge, orange juice & coffee

10.15 – joseph wakes up. He’s got a dirty nappy, so I change him before taking him downstairs.

10.30 – joseph is still crying. Hungry. Again. I feed him while watching Supernanny. 2 hourly feeding is going to drive me nuts!

10.55 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

11.00 – feeling tired an unmotivated to do very much today

11.10 – feeling peckish, so make myself a coffee and grab a banana

11.20 – cuddle up with the little man on the sofa and watch some tv

11.55 – put joseph to bed

12.00 – put another load of laundry on. Check email, facebook, flick, blogs, uks

12.05 – can’t decide between getting some rest myself while the little guy sleeps, or ploughing on with the housework so I can rest later. Adam will be home late as it’s his badminton night

12.10 – make lunch

12.30 – chat with adam on the phone. Boiler is terminal and we will need a new one. Eat lunch of pasta in sauce

12.40 – I try and find places to hang wet clean laundry to dry

12.55 – joseph wakes and I take him downstairs

1.00 – I start working on some household admin

1.30 – I feed Joseph then change his nappy

1.50 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

2.00 – I continue with the household admin

2.20 – chat with adam on the phone. Chat with mum on the phone

2.30 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

2.45 – put Joseph to bed

2.50 – bravely peg washing on line

3.00 – Joseph still awake so I stay upstairs with him til he goes off

3.15 – chat with adam on the phone

3.20 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

3.30 – make drink of hot honey & lemon – my throat is really sore. Devour 2 fun size boxes of smarties

3.35 – return to the admin whilst watching Countdown

3.45 – knock on the door from, Luke – it’s raining, so dash out and bring the washing in

3.50 – Joseph wakes up. Go and fetch him and bring him down. Play with him

4.05 – return yet again to the admin – rain is lashing down
4.10 – feed joseph

4.30 – change the little guy’s nappy

4.35 – put washing in tumble dryer

4.40 – little man whingey, so abandon all hope of getting any more jobs done until after he’s gone to bed for the night!

4.45 – I play with the little guy, chat on the phone with mum, cook my tea, eat my tea, prepare a bath for Joseph (not an easy task with no running hot water), bath Joseph, get him ready for bed, feed him, put him to bed, put the wet laundry on the airer, make the bed, fold the dry laundry, put more wet laundry on the airer, sort the rubbish, tidy the kitchen, fold the dry laundry from the tumble dryer, clean the lounge and sweep and mop the downstairs floors.

7.45 – collapse on the sofa with the Sky remote and a glass of sherry!

Today's pictures are here

*I would like to say that I've been using a Word document to keep track of what I'm doing and that on a normal day my computer wouldn't be on all day and so my internet usage would be considerably lower. When its on I just can't help myself!*

I'm taking part in this project this week, and today is my first day. I'm sure I won't post a full run down like this every day, but this is what I've done today:

6.25am – Joseph wakes. I go and get him up and change his nappy

6.30am – Adam’s alarm goes off as I bring Joseph into our room for his feed. Adam gets up.

6.45am – Joseph finishes feeding and I lay him down next to me in our bed

7.00am – clock radio goes off – listening to Chris Moyles

7.30am – Adam comes in to say goodbye to us both. Joseph cries when Adam kisses him – his little face just crumples. (Adam’s just had a week off work and today is his first day back. Does the little guy know what’s going on, or is he just tired?)

7.45am – I get up and take photos of each room as it looks at the start of the day. A real mess after a few days away and from having Adam at home during the day!

8.00am – Joseph falls asleep. Still in our bed. I check my email, facebook, flickr, blogs and UKS

8.15am – go downstairs and cook breakfast and start tidying things up. Jamie Oliver talking on radio about his Ministry of Food show

8.40am – eat breakfast of sausage, bacon & beans

8.50am – make coffee and go back upstairs to get dressed

9.05am – little man wakes up and has a kick about on his playmat while I straighten my hair

9.30am – do laundry

9.35am – dress Joseph

9.45am – Joseph’s world ends for the first time today, as he is put down while I go to the loo and get myself a drink before feeding him

9.50am – feed Joseph while watching Supernanny. Cuddles with the little man

10.35am – get ready to go out to Rhythm Time

10.45am – pick Sally & Elliot up

11.00am – Rhythm Time

11.25am – Joseph falls asleep and misses the last 10 minutes

11.35am – drive home, dropping Sally & Elliot off on the way

12.00 – arrive home – let Tigger in. Open post

12.05 – Joseph wakes up

12.10 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

12.15 – hang washing out to dry and put another load in machine to make the most of the beautiful weather

12.30 – eat lunch of jacket potato and beans – more Supernanny

1.00 – feed Joseph and have some cuddles

1.15 – change Joseph’s nappy

1.20 – chat with Adam on the phone

1.30 – put Joseph to bed. Check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

1.35 – attempt to make bed but fail, as Tigger is sleeping on it

1.40 – clean loo and wash basin. Finish making bed now that contrary cat has moved

1.45 – look up book on library website. Joseph falls asleep

1.50 – head back downstairs to tidy up

2.30 – joseph wakes. Check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

2.35 – bring Joseph downstairs and put him in his bouncy chair while I finish off my jobs

3.00 – washing machine finishes so go outside to peg laundry out. Put Joseph on his playmat in the lounge while I finish off in the kitchen

3.30 – jobs complete, I sit down with a hot chocolate and watch a bit more Supernanny while I check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

3.45 – cuddles with the little guy

4.00 – feeding time

4.20 – change nappy

4.30 – go out for a walk to meet Adam

5.30 – arrive home, have a drink, bring the washing in and start preparing tea

5.50 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

6.05 – Adam joins me in the kitchen to make his lunch for tomorrow

6.15 – tea is served

6.30 – tea over, I prepare joseph’s bottle and begin tidying the kitchen

6.40 – adam feeds joseph while I wash up

7.00 – adam tries to run Joseph a bath, but discovers the boiler is broken

7.20 – joseph goes to bed. I check my email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks while I wait for him to go to sleep

7.35 – little man fast asleep, I head downstairs to spend the evening snuggled up on the sofa with my husband

Photos can be found here

No photo today as I'm blogging from Adam's computer.

We've had a lovely week. As we didn't leave for The Lakes until after lunch, I made a last minute decision to take Joseph to Rhythm Time. He was a bit sleepy though, as he hadn't had much of a sleep beforehand. But, both Sally and I noticed that the boys were more involved this week. They were both keen to hold the instruments (although not so keen to let them go again), which is something they struggled with before. Joseph's head control is finally improving too (Elliot's has always been very good) and he is starting to enjoy seeing the world from an upright perspective, which is nice, as it means I get more cuddles too!

When we arrived (we went to Haven holiday park) we had to wait an hour before check-in, so after feeding Joseph in the car (!) we went for a coffee. We had a brief explore and were disappointed with the facilities. A lot seemed to be closed as we were out of season, and everything seemed a little run-down and shabby. We checked in and found our caravan. Fortunately we were much happier with the caravan than with the site in general. We were able to move one of the twin beds in the second bedroom so that we could set the travel cot up, giving Joseph a room of his own, which we weren't sure we would be able to do. The caravan itself was well equipped and comfortable, although we found the bed a little small, especially in the mornings when Joseph joined us after his first feed, as we have a king size at home. Still, at least we didn't have the cat aswell!

On Tuesday we went to Barrow in Furness for the day. It's always nice to go shopping in a different town. We stopped off at Asda on the way home, and spent too much! We used to shop at Asda before we moved, but there's not a convenient one for us now and we really miss it. We got some pyjamas, t-shirts and a hoodie for Joseph, a jumper for Adam and several DVDs, as well as the basic groceries we went in for.

We had originally planned to take Joseph swimming every day, but the facilities were not as I imagined them. I thought the pool would be open all day and that there would be sun loungers and chairs around so that it would be an area for relaxing. Unfortunately it was just a pool, and was only open from 10-12 and then from 2-4. On Wednesday we decided we'd take the little man for a dip, but unfortunately the opening times didn't fit in with his nap and feeding times, so we didn't make it as there would've been little point in taking him if he was tired and/or hungry.

We had a lovely few days spending time as a family, but it was very cold at night and Joseph wasn't sleeping well. He was waking pretty much every hour from 1am onwards, so consequently we were all pretty tired. The little guy was also refusing to sleep in the day, so he was absolutely shattered! So, on Thursday morning, after checking the thermometer in Joseph's room and finding it to be a mere 11C, I suggested that we come home early. As we needed to check out by 10am on Friday anway, we'd have only be staying another night for the sake of it, so I thought it would be best if we came returned to the land of central heating!

Joseph slept much better on that night, and again last night, so I'm sure it was the cold disturbing him. I'm also trying to get him back in to some kind of routine in the day, as he really does have a lot of sleep to catch up on. Yesterday we went to the Trafford Centre and I went out for a meal with the girls from work. Joseph was a bit of a monkey for his daddy at bedtime, having a massive screaming fit, but by the time I picked up the messages, he had fallen asleep! He only slept for around an hour and then spent the rest of the night awake til I came home, fed him and put him back to bed - he's certainly got his daddy wrapped round his little finger!

Today has felt very Sundayish to both Adam and myself, so its nice to know that there's still a day of the weekend left.

Sunday 21st June 2008 - 13 weeks & 2 days

How grown up does my little man look here?!

And another week has flown by without an update, so we'd better have a quick catch up

We went back to Leicester last weekend to go to a wedding reception, and to visit family. It was only a flying visit, so we didn't get to see as many people as we would like, but we'll be back again in a few weeks and hopefully we can have a bit more of a catch up then.

We missed Rhythm Time on Monday, as I thought it was more important to do the first aid course at the post-natal group. Unfortunately the little man was awake and lively, so I found things a little more difficult to take in, and as there were no handouts, I perhaps didn't learn quite as much as I'd hoped. We had the last baby massage session this week, which is sad, but I'm finding time to put things in to practice at home, and we all exchanged phone numbers, so hopefully all the mummies can get together another time.

At clinic this week, Joseph had lost 3oz, which I was a little concerned about. The health visitor told me I need to eat more, as his slow down in weight gain has directly co-incided with me trying to shift the baby weight, so I now feel awful that he may not have been getting everything he needs. I wasn't dieting so much as cutting back on the junk food and cakes etc, so I need to find a healthy way of keeping my calorie/carb intake high.

We've had a lovely relaxing weekend, slowly getting things ready for our holiday. We are off to the Lake District for a few days, which we're really looking forward to. Unfortunately, Joseph appears to have a slight cold, and is almost definitely teething, which means he has been quite grumpy lately, especially in the afternoons, so we're hoping he'll be okay while we're away. But we're fully stocked up with Calpol and teething gel just in case!

Monday 15th September 2008 - 12 weeks and 3 days

This is how my little man looks most of the time - hands in mouth. His cheeks are always pink too. I know it's far too early for teeth, but I had a look in his mouth this morning, and it looks a lot like there's some coming through at the back. Which is just odd!

We've been having a good week. Rhythm Time on Monday was good; Joseph seemed to enjoy it even more this week, and tolerated being held upright for longer too (the little man likes to lie flat and to have his own space).

On Tuesday I was ordered to rest by Adam, as I had to get up a few times in the night. Unfortunately "rest" isn't that easy; I went in to Macc to return some library books and then to Tesco to do the weekly shop. When we came home I put all the shopping away, made a cheesecake and the did some washing. I rested after that. For a little while anyway! Adam went to badminton straight from work, so I bathed Joseph and put him to bed and he was fast asleep by 7.30pm. I then cleaned the living room while my tea was cooking, that sat down and read the paper while eating my chips and brie. It was nice to have some me time in the evening.

Yesterday we went to baby massage. Unfortunately Joseph hadn't slept first, so wasn't quite as co-operative as usual, but he was still good, and we still enjoyed it. Sally and I both really enjoy the class - it's only small, the room is nice and relaxing, the teacher is great and we all sit and have a nice chat afterwards with a cuppa and a biscuit, so we'll be sad when it finishes next week. I must find the time to put what I've learned in to practice.

Last night we all went to Sally's for tea. We had a lovely meal; Sally and Shaun made a gorgeous steak and kidney pie, and I took the cheesecake that I'd made on Tuesday. The boys were very good (Joseph slept and Elliot was nicely chilled out) so we were able to relax and have a good old chat. It was the first time Adam and Shaun had seen each other since the ante-natal clasees, so it was great that they got on so well too.

This morning we have been to the baby clinic. Joseph has put on 8oz this week, taking him up to 16lbs 9oz. He has been feeding lots this week and has been taking more at his feeds as well, so I wasn't surprised. He's been quite grumpy at times, and I was a little concerned that he isn't getting enough food, so I'm pleased with the gain. Unfortunately one health visitor was on holiday, and the other was off sick, so we didn't get a replacement red book, and there wasn't really anyone to talk my feeding concerns through with.

Sunday 7th September 2008 - 11 weeks & 2 days

My little man is growing up. He now weighs 16lbs 1oz, which is almost 6lbs over his birth weight. weight gain is slowing down now though, thankfully. We have injections again today, which I am not looking forward to, but I guess it's another set out the way.

We had a lovely weekend. Shopping at the Trafford Centre on Saturday, then I went out with the girls from work on Saturday night. It was good to go out and let my hair down, although I was out later than I intended. I didn't get home til 3am! So, unsuprisingly, we took it easy yesterday, just relaxing at home.

Today we are off to Rhythym Time, so I need to make sure the little guy gets a sleep before we go.

3rd September 2008 - 10 weeks & 5 days - 15lbs 14oz

So it's been a while. The problem is, the longer it is since I've blogged, the longer it takes to catch up, so the harder it is to catch up!

Joseph and I went back to Leicester a couple of weeks ago, and went to the drama group's BBQ with mum & dad. It was lovely to catch up with some old friends. Since that weekend he has been sleeping through the night. Initially from 10pm to anywhere between 4am and 5am, then until around 6am or 7am for a couple of weeks. But, just as we were getting used to a full night's sleep, he's gone back to 4-5.30am again. Fortunately he's still going back to sleep after a feed, but it was a shock to the system to be getting up in the night (well it feels like it!) again.

Adam's mum and step-dad came to visit for the day, which was lovely. They hadn't seen Joseph for 6 weeks, so he had changed loads. We also went to visit my old boss in Wales, which was great. Joseph was an absolute angel in the car (3.5 hours each way, although we did stay over night), and charmed the socks off them all while we were there. Adam's dad and his new girlfriend came to see us as well, and we had a lovely meal down the pub, where, as always, Joseph slept!

I've been going to Buggyfit for several weeks now and am really enjoying it. Am feeling my fitness levels improve, and enjoying exercising outside. Unfortunately, while I was there yesterday, I had my car broken into, and my nappy bag stolen. Fortunately there was nothing of value in there, but my house keys were there, as was Joseph's red book (his health record) with our address inside, so we've had to have the locks changed. There was also a photo album of pics of Joseph, and although I still have the pics (god bless digital), I don't like the idea of someone else having them.

We've now started Baby Massage, and Rythym Time, and we are both really enjoying them.

I think that's it for now, but will try and keep up in future!

I know this isn't the most flattering photo, but I love it! The little man just looks so cheeky.

The last week has been pretty manic. Last weekend I noticed that my c-section scar had become infected. It was very painful, and a little weepy, so I went to the doctors on Monday and was given some antibiotics, which has really helped. On Monday afternoon some friends of ours came over to see us, and more importantly, Joseph. On Tuesday we went to yoga. This week Joseph stayed awake for the whole session, but he was happy and smiley, so that was fine. In the evening, we had a visit from some more friends, Jen & Carl, who we hadn't seen for 2 years, and it was really lovely to catch up.

On Wednesday Joseph and I had our check up at the doctors. Joseph was smiley, co-operative and full of charm - the doctor was smitten! She was pleased with his development and said that we are both doing very well. I weighed in at 14lbs 6oz. In the afternoon, we went to see my friend from work, Lucy and her two little boys. Mike is 3 days older than Joseph, and Danny is 15 months. I hadn't seen Danny since Lucy went on maternity leave back in March, and I couldn't believe how much he had changed. He is a proper little boy now, not a baby. He is desperately wanting to talk, but isn't quite there yet, but he understands when you talk to him.

On Thursday we met up with Sally and Elliot and went for a two hour walk without realising. We just kept walking and chatting, after an hour decided we probably should turn round and come back! We then went back to Sally's to feed our starving boys, and to have a well earned cuppa. Both boys had a good kick around on the floor. Elliot is becoming more alert now - he seemed to be very sleepy for a while. Joseph had a play under Elliot's baby gym, but he didn't like it - there were too many toys and they were far too close and he just freaked out! He's much happier just kicking around on the floor. I also showed Sally the reusable nappies we've been using, and she was impressed and will probably give them a try.

On Friday Adam took the day off work, and we went to Cheshire Oaks. We're going to a wedding next month, and I had been hoping to find an outfit to wear, but I was unsuccessful. Still, it was nice to have a day out as a family. We went to TGI Fridays for tea before heading home.

Joseph has been doing really well with his feeding and is now regularly going 4 hours between feeds, which is great. He has also been going longer spells at night, which is even better! This time last week I was only having to get up once in the night, but since he's been going longer in the day, he's not been going so long at night. Although, saying that he went 7 hours last night after a full day of 4 hourly feeds! He certainly seems to be getting in to more of a routine now.

A lovely day yesterday, but not an especially productive one!
When we got back from the baby clinic yesterday, Joseph was fast asleep and as I didn't want to disturb, I left him in his pushchair and sat outside with him. But, by the time he was awake it was almost time to go out. I had arranged to meet a friend in Stockport for a coffee and a chat. We had a lovely time, but a bit of an adventure on the way back. We went on the train and I forgot that the doors don't open automatically, so by the time I realised I needed to press the button to get off, the train was moving on, so we missed our stop! Fortunately there was only 2 stops left til the train terminated, and it simply went back the other way, so we were pretty lucky and not too delayed!

So today I need to catch up with the housework and pop out to the Trafford Centre, which, of course, is why I'm sat here blogging ....

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of Wii Fit! :D
I was in town and noticed 2 people walking around with it in Game bags. I thought they'd be doing it on a ticket basis like they did when the DS Lite was gold dust, but I thought I'd go in and try my luck anyway. There was nothing out on shelves, but I asked the assistant and he got me one from the back - the second to last one in the shop! i set it up and ran the basic test straight away, and then we both played on it in the evening. It's great fun and I think I'll get a lot out of it. It should help me get back in to shape as well, as it's hard to get out to exercise at the minute. What with yoga, and Buggyfit and now Wii Fit, I'll be a goddess in no time!

I took Joseph to be weighed this morning and he is now 13lbs 13oz at a mere 6 weeks old.

I had a lovely weekend. I had a good time at the crop and managed to start 4 layouts - they just need titles and a few embellishments to finish them off, which I'm hoping to do this week. It was also good to see mum and dad for a few hours. We just spent Sunday relaxing at home as a family, which is always nice. Adam seems to still be struggling a bit after being ill, so we're trying not to do too much.

So far this week Joseph and I have been to yoga, and shopping in Macc. Joseph was very good at yoga again this week, but the class itself was a bit of a let down as the usual instructor was on holiday and his stand in was rubbish! He was also very good in Macc and people kept stopping to admire him! The main purpose of the visit was to buy Joseph some new vests as, unbelievably, 0-3 month ones really are too small for him now! Most of his clothes should last for another few weeks, but as he is so long, and we are using terry nappies, it was too much of a struggle to get the vests done up.

Another lovely day yesterday. We spent a couple of hours outside again - Joseph playing on the floor, while I caught up with some household admin. We then went for a nice long walk to meet Adam from work. I'm already seeing my fitness levels improve and am coping better with all the local hills (of which there are many!)

I did some research yesterday in to post natal exercise classes, and found one called Buggyfit, which really appeals. As I had a c-section I have to wait til Joseph is 8 weeks old before I can start, but he's already 5 weeks, so not too long to go.

I'm really excited to be going to the crop tomorrow, and need to spend some time this afternoon sorting out what to take. I'll take Joseph for an hour or so, to show him off, then mum will ocme and take him for a couple of hours. Hopefully I can be really productive

Has summer finally arrived? I hope so. I always feel so much better when the sun is shining and it's nice and warm. I went to visit my friend Sally yesterday, and we sat outside all afternoon. Both boys slept for a while, but Joseph woke up after an hour or so, and then just kicked around happily on his mat, while Sally and I chatted. Elliot seems so tiny. He is 12 days younger than Joseph, and was a nice sensible weight at birth, so still weighs 1.5lbs less than Joseph did when he was born! Their differences seem so great at this stage, but I guess before long, we'll barely notice.

I woke up this morning to lots of beautiful smiles from Joseph, which more than made up for the big smile he gave Adam when he got in last night, after being a grump for me since we got back from Sally's! We got our appointment through this morning for our 6-8 week check up, and then I guess it won't be long before Joseph has his injections. I'm not looking forward to them, but I am looking forward to being able to take him swimming afterwards.

Joseph smiled for the first time on Friday, which was amazing. He's still very selective about doing it, but its lovely when he does. He spends so much of his time fighting sleep that he is always a little grumpy. He is growing so quickly - in the picture above (taken today) he is wearing a 3-6 month romper suit! He has outgrown his moses basket already and has been sleeping in his cot in his own room for a week. It's a little earlier than I would like and far earlier than the guidelines state, but he's taken to it well, and his room is right next to ours, it's just a bit of a pain when he wakes in the night.

Adam went back to work yesterday and is slowly gaining strength. Joseph and I went to post-natal yoga, which I really enjoyed. Joseph was an absolute angel and slept all the way through - the only baby that did. One poor woman paid her £6 to spend an hour feeding her baby! I went for a coffee with a few of the other mummies afterwards, which was lovely.

I plan to spend the next few days observing Joseph as I want to try and encourage a routine, but one that's natural to him. He already feeds 3 hourly like clockwork, but his sleep is a lot more erratic. It then means that I can plan my days better to try and fit more in. As well as the usual household chores, there are other things I want to try and fit in each day, such as going for a nice long walk, scrapbooking and, blogging. I also want to do something social for both of us a few times a week. This afternoon we are off to see my friend Sally, and her little boy, Elliot.

One month on and time for an update!
As I'd been in labour all night, by the time Joseph arrived, Adam was feeling pretty shattered (I was still running on adrenalin) so he went home around tea time. Friday night at the hospital was pretty stressful, as I was unable to get out of bed after my c-section, so every time Joseph cried I had to call for someone to pass him to me. (They do have special bed side cots for mums who've had caesareans, but there weren't enough to go round!) Joseph also wasn't yet feeding. He had latched on, so we knew he could do it, but he was choosing not to!

Adam came back to visit us as soon as Father's visiting started at 11am on Saturday. One of the auxiliaries took Joseph for a bath in an attempt to clear some mucous, as they though that might be why he wasn't feeding. It was then my turn for a clean up! I had my catheter removed, and was then able to go for a shower. I took my dressing off and was really surprised by how neat and clean my scar was. I was struggling a bit to get around, but it felt good to be finally out of bed! Adam stayed until he had to leave for "mother's rest hour" at 1pm. He then met up with my parents, and the three of them came to visit us at 2.30pm. Mum and Dad had to leave at 4pm (visiting over), but Adam stayed til around 9pm. By this time Joseph still wasn't feeding properly, he'd feed for 5 mins or less and only from one side! I tried expressing a little, and gave it to him in a bottle. This seemed to help, and just after Adam left, we tried feeding again, and it finally clicked.

Saturday night was much less stressful. I was able to get up and Joseph was feeding 3 hourly. So when the midwife came to see me on Sunday morning I asked if I could go home, and she agreed! As we'd already arranged for Adam's mum, dad and sister to visit, we decided that I would have my visitors in hospital and then go home. So at 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon we took our little boy home.

Our neighbours, Sarah and Luke popped over to have a look at Joseph, and then, after a few hours, we bundled him in to the pram and went out to get a take away. I was walking slowly, but pushing the pram helped, especially uphill. Downhill was a bit harder though, as it tended to pull a bit on my tummy. Finding a position to sleep in that night was a bit tricky, as I had slept propped up in hospital, and getting out of bed was quite difficult too, but it was good to be home.

We had a day at home on the Monday, partly because we had to wait in for the midwives, who didn't come til about 3.30pm. On the Tuesday we ventured into Macc and spent half of our time there in Mothercare's Mother and Baby room! We then went home via Tesco. On the Thursday my mum brought my nan to see us, which was lovely. By now I was feeling much more myself and was a lot more mobile and experiencing very little pain from the op. We planned to take Joseph in to work on the Friday, but unfortunately he woke up with conjunctivitis, so we took him to the doctor instead!

On the Saturday we decided to go to Stockport on the train, and had a lovely family outing. While we were there we met up with my friend, Sarah, from work, and also bumped in to a couple of others as well. On the Monday, we met a couple of Adam's colleagues for lunch. We decided to walk, as Adam does to work, along the Middlewood Way, which took about an hour each way, which was great exercise for me, although a little tiring.

On the Tuesday, we registered Joseph's birth and also popped back in to Macc. We planned the visit a little better this time and got more done! On the Wednesday we were finally able to take Joseph in to work to meet my friends and colleagues. We also decided it was an ideal time for me to try driving again, as the route was a decent length without being too long, and one that I knew well. I had no problems or discomfort, which was great news, as we both prefer for me to drive. We spent a good couple of hours at work, as all the girls wanted a cuddle! Adam's mum and step-dad came to visit that evening too.

On the Thursday we were discharged from the midwife, which was an odd feeling, as we'd got to know them pretty well, and all of a sudden all contact with them stops. Both Nicola and Ann were great, especially towards the end and during and after the birth. I hope they're both still working this patch next time!

My brother, sister-in-law and nephew came to visit at the weekend, and we had a lovely time. But then, unfortunately, it was time for Adam to go back to work.

On our first day on our own, we went to visit my friend, Sally, who had also just had a little boy. And we also had our visit from the health visitor. I found the second day harder, as Joseph just cried and fed all day, and as I knew Adam would be out in the evening as well (a work meal), it was all a bit much for me. But things got easier, and I even took Joseph to the Trafford Centre on the third day, where he was an angel. Our final day alone that week was spent preparing for the weekend, as we were travelling down to Leicester on the Friday, where we planned to stay until the Monday. Adam's sister was having a Birthday/Graduation party on the Saturday night and we decided we'd make a long weekend of it and use the extra time to visit family/friends.

We popped into Hobby Horse Crafts on the way, to say hello to Rachel and Sally, before heading to mum's (our base for the weekend) to unload the car. Unfortunately, by now, Adam wasn't feeling too good (a bit fluey), so he went for a lie down, while I sorted things out. After a couple of hours, he decided he was feeling well enough to visit his Gran & Grandad and introduce them to Joseph. We then went to Adam's mum's for tea and spent a lovely evening with them.

On Saturday morning, Adam still wasn't feeling right, but decided he was well enough to run a few errands with his sister as arranged. I went and had my hair done while mum looked after Joseph. It was a strange feeling, being away from him, but something I'm glad I did early. As I knew I'd be away at feeding time, I had expressed some milk, and he took a bottle from mum without any problems. (Another thing I'm glad I did early.)

We went for a meal before the party. Mum and dad came too, and then took Joseph home while we stayed out. Unfortunately Adam really wasn't feeling good by this time, so we arranged for dad to pick us up at 10pm, and it was a good job we did, as he started to feel worse and began to suffer from diarrhoea as well as his other symptoms. He went straight to bed as soon as we got home and stayed there, as he felt even worse on Sunday.

Mum and I went shopping on Sunday morning and I took Joseph to visit Adam's other grand-parents in the afternoon, as we didn't know what Adam had, but we didn't want to risk passing it on. On Monday he was still really ill, so we decided that we would stay another night, as he couldn't be away from the bathroom long enough to get home! I took him to visit the doctor, who said he thought it was gastroenteritis.

On Tuesday, Adam was still feeling awful, but, as his bathroom visits were reducing (he hadn't eaten since Saturday!), we decided to make the journey home, as we thought it would be better for all of us to be in our own home. When he still wasn't better on Wednesday I took him to the doctor again. She asked him to do a sample, which they would send off for testing. Upon producing his sample, so to speak, Adam noticed blood, which he decided must've always been present, just unnoticed, so we made yet another doctors appointment. Fortunately this co-incided with the Baby Clinic that I was planning to take Joseph too.

So while Adam saw the doctor, Joseph got weighed. He was 12lbs 3oz, exactly what he should be at this stage, which was reassuring. The doctor was concerned by Adam's sample and said he would try and get the testing rushed through so that he would have the results the next day, but in the mean time he gave him some anti-biotics.

The results weren't in on Friday, but Adam gradually started to feel a little better over the weekend, but as he still wasn't eating a lot, he was very lacking in energy. He got the results this afternoon which showed he has campylobacter. He seems to feel better for knowing what it is, and the anti-biotics seem to have helped. He is going back to work tomorrow, but I think he's going to find it a struggle, and it'll be a while before he's back at full strength.

So, Joseph and I haven't yet had much time to get into a routine and I still don't really know what it's like to be a full time mummy, but hopefully we'll get there soon! And, you never know, I might get back in to the swing of blogging regularly again!

Right then, let's start at the very beginning...

2 weeks before Joseph was born, I started to feel some mild contractions on the Thursday evening. These continued through the night and into the morning. So, thinking that this was "it", Adam took the day off work on Friday ready to whisk me off to hospital once they became more intense and regular. The contractions died down, although they didn't disappear, but still, we felt a bit silly about Adam having the day off work.

On the Saturday, Adam's mum and step-dad came to visit and I didn't really feel anything while they were here, which was good job because if they'd known they'd have gone home. There were more contractions during the night, and again during the day on Sunday. Things continued in this vein, but, having had the false alarm on Friday, Adam reluctantly went into work on the Monday.

By Tuesday I was still feeling contractions that, although relatively mild, did appear to become regular, but then they'd eventually drop off, so I made myself an appointment to see the midwife. She checked me over and everything was fine. She reitterated that my body was warming up and preparing for labour, and that hopefully I'd be in for a relatively easy ride. She also told me that if things continued to ring the hospital and ask if I could go in to be monitored and examined, as an examination may stir things up a bit and get things moving.

By Thursday the contractions were starting to get stronger, and although still irregular, they were becoming more painful. On Monday I saw the midwife again for my routine appointment. As I wasn't yet overdue (hospital EDD has always been 24th June, but we've never believed it and always worked towards 16th) she was unable to give me a "sweep", but told me again that if the episodes continued to head to the hospital to be monitored and checked.

The contractions then started to get more painful and kept me awake most of Monday night, so at 6am on Tuesday we headed to the hospital. I was monitored for around 45 minutes, and at first glance they said it looked like the very early stage of labour. I requested an examination as I wanted to know what was going on. Unfortunately it showed that I wasn't dilated at all, and therefore not in labour. I was sent home feeling very small after being patronised by a fairly unpleasant midwife.

I went back to bed when I got home and was able to get about 3 hours sleep. I then went for a coffee and a moan with my friend from ante-natal classes, Sally, which helped to cheer me up.

The examination seemed to do something though, as I had a "show". The contractions remined irregular, but painful. They were pretty much too painful to bear when lying down (and sometimes sitting too) and I found the only way to cope with them was to remain active. This resulted in total lack of sleep, as there was never a period of more than 30 minutes without any pains. I spent most of the night pottering in the kitchen and reading standing up. Adam took Wednesday off work, and, believing this was finally it, I set about cleaning the house. It also gave me something to do to remain active.

At bedtime on Wednesday the pain was really bad, so I phoned the hospital. Again I spoke to a patronising midwife who told me it was all normal, to take paracetmol, have a bath and just ride it out. She also had the nerve to call my pains, "niggles"! Adam said I was too calm on the phone, and didn't get things across very well. Again, I spent the whole night pacing around downstairs, rocking my hips and reading standing up.

On Thursday I was feeling really bad and very sorry for myself, so cue yet another day off work for Adam. Unfortunately there was nothing left for me to do at home, so staying active was difficult. But we went for a really long walk, even getting a bit lost to extend it. By now I really was exhausted as I'd only had 3 hours sleep all week, and was feeling concerned that I wouldn't be able to cope with labour when it finally came and that I wouldn't be able to have the delivery that I wanted (as active as possible, water birth, gas and air, no intervention). So, after the football finished(!) on Thursday evening, I rang the hospital yet again, mainly hoping to get some pain relief to enable me to finally get some sleep. I guess my exhaustion and frustration must've come through over the phone, as I was immediately taken seriously and was told to go in without me explaining my circumstances at all.

We arrived at the hospital at around 10pm and I was put on the monitor for about an hour and a quarter. Despite the pattern of the contractions feeling pretty similar to me as before, albeit the pain being much greater, the resulting trace was very different. The midwife explained that it was very good/reassuring and showed that baby was very happy and healthy. She then examined me, and had a good root around, telling me that if I could bear the discomfort, she would explain what she had done afterwards. It turned out that as I still wasn't dilated, she had given me what she called a "really good sweep" and that I was now 3-4cm dilated. We both knew that she shouldn't have done it, as I still wasn't overdue, but she had checked my notes, knew my history and wanted to get things moving for me. I was just relieved that finally someone was taking me seriously.

She explained that I would now have a pretty heavy show, and that the contractions would get stronger, and asked us to go for a walk to try and get things going, which we did. We then returned to our cubicle on the assessment unit and I continued to pace. I encouraged Adam to rest, as I knew I'd need him later, but the chair was uncomfortable, and he was unable to relax seeing me in pain. Things then seemed to get pretty busy on the labour ward, with at least two women coming in for assessment and being moved on to delivery rooms.

At 3.30am, the midwife finally came back to us! She examined me again and I was now about 5cm dilated. She said she could really feel my waters, and felt that they were holding things up, and that if there was a delivery room free, she would break them. But there wasn't. She said one should be ready in about half an hour and that she would come back for us then. We assumed that one had just been vacated and just needed cleaning up.

Time ticked on, 4am came and went, as did 4.30am, and 5am. Then another lady on the assessment ward started screaming that she needed to push and we knew we'd lost our delivery room. By this point we were both shattered and falling asleep on each other between the increasingly painful and regular contractions. Adam wanted to chase things up, as by now I really could've done with some pain relief, but we knew there wasn't a lot that could be done. I was getting more anxious about the upcoming shift change. I knew from my previous visit that the night shift finished at 7.30am and a new team took over, and having finally found a midwife that wanted to help rather than patronise, I really didn't want to lose her.

Fortunatley at 6am, she finally returned, apologising profusely for the delay, and told us that there was finally a room for us, and we could move in. She told us that they'd delivered 7 babies that night plus a c-section. The hospital is small and they only have 6 delivery rooms! Once finally installed in our very own delivery room, the midwife attempted to break my waters. It was a real struggle and took around 10 minutes. She said they were really tough and would probably never have broken on their own. It was no wonder that things weren't progressing for me!

Everything is a bit hazy for me from this point onwards, due to the combination of the tiredness and gas and air! When the shift change happened, I was very relived to discover that I was being cared for by Nicola, a midwife from my own team, and she also happened to be my favourite and the one I've seen the most. Nicola was worried about my tiredness, and we decided that I would have some diamorphine, and that would hopefully enable me to get some rest. I was also put on a syntocinon drip at some point to try and speed things up as I was still dilating very slowly. Consequently I spent all of the time on the bed, as I was hooked up to drips, and was also being monitored quite a lot as well.

I'm not sure of timings, but I'm guessing at around 2pm, Nicola's shift finished, and my care was taken over by Jane, and a student midwife, Alanna, just as my monitor readings started to show some very early signs of the baby being in distress, and an examination showed that my dilation seems to have gone backwards from 7cm to 6cm. Initially it was decided that I would be left for another 2 hours and the situation re-evaluated then. But within 15 minutes the decision had been made that I would have an emergency caesarean. Nicola was still around and waved us off to surgery.

I think we were both pretty nervous, as we'd already discussed epidurals/spinals and were adamant that we didn't want one for a vaginal delivery as we just didn't like the idea of them. We went into surgery at about 3pm and I had a spinal, which was an odd feeling, as although numb, I still had sensation. I could feel tugging in my tummy, and at 3.21pm I heard my son cry for the first time and was so relieved. He was passed to Adam for a quick cuddle before being checked over and returned to his daddy. Our 10lb 2oz (4.6kg) baby boy was finally here and healthy.

It was another 30 minutes before I got my first cuddle, but it was worth the wait. I immediately fell in love with this dark haired, blue eyed boy.

Baby Joseph Luke, born 15.21 on Friday 20th June 2008, weighing 10lbs 2oz
Full story to follow

I am now officially bored! There are plenty of things I *could* be doing, but there's nothing that I feel like doing. Just feeling a bit sorry for myself now. Still, it's very nearly the weekend, which means I get two whole days of company!

Well, I’ve had a busy few weeks, but have achieved everything I wanted to do before the baby arrives. All the furniture we ordered arrived, and I have assembled it and put it all into place. Barr a couple of lampshades and a new bedside lamp, the bedroom is about finished. The nursery is complete – the only thing missing is the baby! And now the lounge is about done too. We still need to buy some new curtains and choose a new armchair, but other than that, it’s ready. We have a sofabed on order, and it should arrive in about 6 weeks. The house is now starting to really feel like home, and I am finally happy to bring a baby in to it. You can see the progress at Flickr

We still have about 3 weeks before baby is due to make an appearance, but we have a feeling it may arrive sooner. Whatever happens, we feel ready now and I am finally resting.

I've decided to take part in this project. I started a month late and have decided to make my day 26th, but you can see my May pics Flickr. Next month should be very different! I am hoping to find more time for scrapbooking now, and this project has inspired me so I’m feeling ready to get creative again.

Well, a day and a half into my maternity leave (well, holiday if we're going to be picky) and I've accomplished loads. I went to Tesco yesterday, and to ikea. I also went out for a walk to the library and the chemist. I washed the pots, cooked the tea, and changed the sheets on the bed, replacing the quilt with one with a lower tog. So far today I have caught up with loads of outstanding messages on Facebook, chased up a couple of utilities companies that still owe us money from the move and ordered next week's groceries. This afternoon I am off out to meet a friend who is going to loan us a load of baby goodies.

Well, setting up the baby blog seems to have negated the need for this one! All is well here, and I think this period will be the calm before the storm. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and left work yesterday. I'm on "holiday" til the 14th, when my maternity leave starts. I plan to rest lots, but also have a list longer than my arm of jobs to do before baby comes.

The week is over, and I feel we've accomplished loads. The pictures don't really do what we've done justice, but we're really getting there. All that's left now is to decorate the lounge and kitchen, buy the storage unit we want for the lounge, and a couple of other pieces of furniture for the bedroom, furnish the nursery (current state in pic above) and get rid of the huge amount of stuff on the get rid of pile! House pics are here. Before pics, at various stages are here

Right, I seem to have a spare hour, so hopefully there's time to write an update!

So, last time I wrote, I had 2 weeks left at work before starting at a new nursery, and Adam had just passed his Phd.

Changing nurseries was definitely the right thing to do. I am much happier now and it feels more right. Two days after starting, I found out I was pregnant. Although this was horrendously bad timing, work have been really good about it all. We were trying, but everything happened a bit quicker than we anticipated! Generally I have been fine, no sickness, bar one week of nausea. But I have been totally knocked out by it. I'm so tired when I come home from work its unbelievable. Still, I'm 18 weeks now, and things seem to be improving a little. I've set up a separate blog for the full pregnancy ramble, which is here.

We finally moved into our house at the start of November. Upstairs was decorated and carpeted, and we had laminate flooring fitted downstairs. But due to my weakened state, we hadn't managed to decorate downstairs, which left us with a lot of bare plaster following the completion of the damp work. Dad came up for a couple of days to help us move stuff from the flat, which was a great help, as we were both only able to take an afternoon off to move.

We were overwhelmed by boxes, but managed to get things reasonably straight by dumping most things in the "spare" room. But, as we only have 2 bedrooms, we knew we needed to get things sorted sooner rather than later. At the start of December, a visit to my brother and sister-in-law yielded a plethora of baby stuff, which was fabulous, but resulted in yet more stuff being dumped in the spare room. Pictures of the house, 6 weeks after moving in are on Flickr.

So, we both took a whole week off work this week to try and get things sorted. And we're getting there. We've been to the tip twice (and I suspect there might be another visit tomorrow) and have Freecycled quite a lot too. The bedroom now looks pretty good, as does the kitchen (bar the bare plaster), and there's space to move in the nursery. The lounge now looks pretty bare, but we're avoiding putting too much in as we plan to decorate soon. Unfortunately we can't afford to buy the furniture that we want/need for the room just yet, but we know how we want to the room to look, and have planned lots of storage, so we're getting there. I don't have pictures yet, but I'll take some at the end of the weekend and get them posted ASAP.

We also managed to take a day off from house on Thursday as it was my birthday. We started with a trip to Ikea, before heading in to Manchester to spend some birthday money. Adam then took me out for a lovely meal at our favourite restaurant, which happens to be a mere two minutes walk from home.

Tigger is settling in to her new surroundings very well. She loves that we have stairs, and thinks it's great fun to trip you up on them. She goes outside now too, at every opportunity and is having a whale of a time. She's also more relaxed and affectionate now too, when she's inside, which is fab.

Right, time to sort some lunch, before I get cracking on the house again!
Back soon - I promise