CharlieBeth's "My Life As Mumma Walker"

This is something of a mini milestone when the countdown drops into double figures.... For some reason it just all seems that much closer and more real! Tomorrow we'll be 26 weeks gone, so that's just 14 weeks until the due date... 12 weeks until they *might* bring Squiggle into the world early, 16 weeks until they drag Squiggle out regardless of if Squiggle want's to come! I'm hoping Squiggle will choose to come at a sensible time without any forced intervention. If we could manage something similar to Jack (are you listening Squigs?), a nice handful of days early, all by your self... that would be perfect! (wont happen like that!) This is really a short farewell post, as tomorrow I am scooting off to mums for a bit. It'll be March next time I'm on the blog, and I might even be in my 3rd Trimester (unless I sneak on the computer on Thursday when I call up to see Mark). I'm really looking forward to having Jack all to myself for a few days (aside from

That's all that's left until my due date!!! There is still so much to do as well. I am abandoning my husband next week so that some painting can be done without me, Jack and Squiggle being exposed to the fumes. We're having to do things slighly out of order.... The livingroom now takes priority over Jack's big boy room because a lot of the stuff that's in the middle bedroom needs re-homing. Books and so on that we don't want to part with. So Mark is building some storage for the livingroom, a combination of bought and home made stuff. And there is very little point in doing all that and fixing it to the walls if in the next 6 - 12 months it all comes back down again for redecorating. So. On Sat morning, once Jack is finished with the nursery room for the day, we're packing up stuff from the livingroom and putting it in there for safe keeping, and then me and Jack swan off to Nanas. Poor hubby is expected - over 4 to 5 days - to strip the walls and cei

25 week bump Originally uploaded by chiggster Look at my bump! I love my big belly. I love being pregnant. I love feeling this wee baba shuffle about and kick. I love watching my belly twitch and roll around. I love grabbing Marks hand just in time for him to miss the best kicks, but that baby's timing is impeccable when it comes to kicking him on the nose. Afternoon naps are WONDERFUL! I find it funny that I forget how big I am and that I get wedged in small spaces, or knock things over when I turn round. I don't care if I get stretch marks. I don't care that I can't see my feet or shave my legs. I wonder if I'll get a line up my tummy or of my belly button will pop out. I'm a tad embarrassed that some times when I bend over I make strange noises, or fart, or simply can't get back up again without help. I'm slightly erked that my knickers have started to pinch and that my bras fail to contain my bust. Mark just finds it funny. And

Midwife's growth chart Originally uploaded by chiggster Went to see the midwife today. While I had been waiting a stroppy madam had swept into reception and demanded (rather than asked) so see a midwife. She was told that sorry, they were fully booked. Was it an emergency? She simply said she wanted to see her today and tried for tomorrow. The midwives are at a different surgery tomorrow. They're back with us on Weds, but again they were fully booked. The receptionist suggested that this girl called the midwife and asked to be fitted in (which is normal, I've done it), but warned her that 3 people were already being squeezed in. At this point the girl swore and stormed off, complaining that she had walked all that way for nothing... Now, I have suffered with pre-natal rage so I can understand the need to blow up occasionally.... but at the same time I can't help but wonder why she didn't call in advance, or simply agree to call the midwife (I'm sure

Had another chappy in today to sort out the loft! Ooooh! The house is lovely and warm now! (not that it was cold to start with, but now it's toasty!) Mark is a little worried about putting stuff BACK in the loft though because there is SO MUCH insulation in there now that you can't see the beams :oS Mark has pulled 17 boxes of stuff and two suitcases out of the loft. And a window. No idea where the window has come from, or what it was for. It's getting tipped! As for the boxes and suitcases.... I have no idea! Some of it looks like my ex's stuff! Well that can all go, simple as. If he wanted it he would have taken with him, and I certainly don't have any use for Kylie videos or Blackburn Rovers momorabilia. I haven't dared look inside the suitcases! In truth, most of this stuff has been there since I moved in back in June/July 2000. Some of it was already there when I moved in! If I have gone the last 9 1/2 years without giving it a second thought I imagine

The chaps came round today to put in the carverty insulation. They did a quick and tidy job and we're both pretty happy with it. Mark swears he feels warmer already. Unfortunately they came round right in the middle of Jack's nap and it woke him up. So all afternoon we have had over tired, grumpy, whiney Jack. Top that off with grumpy over tired poorly mummy and you have a pretty stressed out afternoon! He refused to go back down for another sleep after they had gone and has wound up in bed early tonight as a result. He's been nipping us and throwing his toys about. Not behaviours I am going to tollerate when I'm feeling peachy, let alone when all I want to do is be sick or go to sleep! So it was a firm telling off from both mummy and daddy, and off to bed. I might not be far behind him actually. I started off so well this morning too, packing up boxes and moving stuff out of the middle bedroom ready to start redecorating.... Aside from Jack being likely to wake up

This is going to be a major task! This is how the room looks at the moment Phase 1 of Jack's Big Boy Room: De-clutter It's a mess, right? Well all that stuff needs to come out. And be re-homed somewhere.... the big set of drawers is going back, and he's getting a set of bunk beds from my mum's house. The carpet needs cleaning, as do the curtains. We needs to strip the walls and redecorate (we think there is wood chip under the painted paper which is on the walls. What fun!) and the ceiling too... We've gone for a blue and cream scheme, with a dark blue up to about 1/3 of the way up the wall, a border (Disney Cars) and a warm creamy colour from there up. We'll probably use the cream for the whole of the window wall. I've also got some Thomas the Tank Engine removable wall stickers. His two favorite things at the moment at Thomas and Toy

Valentines Day 2010 Originally uploaded by chiggster I was spoiled rotten all day! I got to have a lie in for a start which is always nice. When I managed to drag myself out of bed I was handed breakfast and my gifts of Red Roses, Thornton Chocs and 2 DVD box sets. Mark took care of Jack all morning so I could put my feet up. Then he went and cooked up homemade veggie soup for us all before taking Jack up for his afternoon nap. My lovely husband then spent all afternoon in the kitchen baking a chocolate fudge cake, from scratch including whipping the cream and making the fudge! AND then he did a whole roast leg of lamb dinner! I didn't have to life a finger ALL DAY! It's been amazing!! Thank you Mark. I love you!

Virtual Lancaster News Blog: Lancaster Nursery School Rated ‘Outstanding’ This is the one at the bottom of our hill, where I take Jack for his baby / toddler sessions, and where I have an application form for him joining nursery proper (I got that BEFORE reading this too) ! Whooohoo!

Mark was getting Jack ready for bed tonight as I am shattered.... and Jack did a wee on his potty for his daddy! Yay for Jack being clever, and Yay for daddy coz he never gets to be do this stuff early on (Jack seems to save this for me, and rough house with his dad instead)

Today Squiggle is 24 weeks! That means we are Viable! Naturally I don't want this baby to come just yet, another 14 - 18 weeks is fine. But it's nice to know that should something happen and we go into labour early, there is now a chance the Squiggle would live (and also that the medical people would TRY to save the wee baba). Had a busy day today. Yesterday we had planned to do so much, but with having to get a new battery for the car and everything else we only did a fraction of it. So today we got up relatively early and made it into town for 10am (mainly because daddy cottoned on that it's Valentines day tomorrow.....) and did some stuff like buy some under-bed storage boxes, a few more bits for Jack's birthday, some thread for my sewing. Mark did his shopping. We had lunch at KFC. And then trawled round B&Q getting stuff to decorate Jack's big boy room with (blue and cream paint, Cars border). When we got back Jack went for his afternoon nap, and I passed

I'm getting sick to death of this wages situation at work. 2 months ago I was docked 2 days in my wage from November when the floods hit Cumbria and my site was shut. And yes, I did take 2 days off. I also made up that time over 4 days over the following 2-3 weeks. Not that I needed to when you consider how many hours work have had out of me for FREE over the last 3 1/2 years.... I have been chasing this money for 2 months and getting fobbed off. Today I get told there is no record of me making up the time, I should have gone through my line manager etc etc. There is NO RECORD of me being OFF! My line manager was in Africa with the MD at the time, and since my dept head SAW ME IN THE OFFICE while I was making up the time - as did the accounts & wages people - just how much notice to they need that I am WORKING!?! Oh, and they have accused me of taking a day off in Jan without making it up, and are also now asking me for my maternity finish date (I have already finished. 12

Urgh.... I am SO tired. I'm wanting to do stuff. I don't know if it's nesting that's kicked in early, or if I am just going nuts because I'm not at work, or what.... but I want to DO things. And I keep forgetting that this baby doesn't like me doing much. But I feel bad lounging on the sofa while Mark does all the clearing and refurbishing of Jack's room. On Saturday I went through a load of stuff in our bedroom and the middle room (which will become Jack's room) and made up a car load of stuff to go to the tip, only to find out the car battery is dead and I can't replace it yet. Sunday I went a little nuts and blitz the kitchen and living room, then baked two loves of bread (properly, no bread making machines in THIS house) and cooked a full roast dinner. Yesterday I took things a bit more gentley and had a friend round with her little girl which meant the kids could entertain each other while we put our feet up and gossiped. But clearing up

This is a milestone day! Jack now loves to sit on his potty and be read to. We've been doing this for the better part of a week now and he's really liking it. This morning he sat on his potty and waved a book at me, so I grabbed a handful of books and sat with him after helping him take his trousers down and removing his nappy (note to self: buy pull up pants next week!) Just as I finished the last book he scooted backwards (laminate flooring, so he can scoot a long way on a potty) and had a look of concentaition on his face. Then I noticed a small pool next the potty. He'd managed to pee in the potty, but had also tugged his winky out of the side of his potty and the last bit was on the floor. I mopped that up and gave him chance to finish, but when he saw me wiping he cried. I think he thought he was going to told off. So I hugged him and called him a good boy saying it was so good that he'd done a wee in his potty. I made a bug fuss of him and gave him a little b

My mum has been so excited about this for ages, but (for the sake of secturity) everyone at Towneley Hall was sworn to secrecy.... Prince Charles came to visit today! She got to shake his hand and he asked her if they got many visitors. She said that they did. Apparently it's going to be on the local news tonight, but she doesn't think she's in it at all, and isn't sure if it's BBC or Granada. But I DID find the link to the Burnley Express web site which has it's own little video. http://www.burnleyexpress.net/burnleynews/Prince-Charles-visits-Towneley-Hall.6047828.jp She's not on that either.... but she doesn't care. For my mum the bog deal was to meet, shake hands, and speak with the Prince of Wales.  Chuffed to bits for her!

Reading on the potty Originally uploaded by chiggster To say his is a poorly little boy, Jack is trying really hard to be a Big Boy this week. He has taken to sitting on his potty with a book, and has a good go and pulling his trousers off first (with varying degrees of success depending what he's dressed in). He'll sit there for 10 mins or more if you read to him, and remember to bring lots of book with you so he doesn't run off at the end of every story to get a new one. But he's not actually managed to "go" yet. Still, it's early days and I think he's doing well! He's also making more of an effort to feed himself using his fork and spoon which is GREAT and means we don't have to let our food go cold while we feed him. He still needs a little help with it - he gets very wound up if the food he is trying to stab with the fork wont play nice and just be stabbed! So we still have to stab the food for him, but he's getting better an

After a rough night poor Jack was up, showered, lotioned and dressed in time to go off to the docs for 10.30 - despite the powercut that affected the whole street and all the way down to the Spar. The doc took one look at Jack's belly and agreed that it was Chicken Pox. And that the waxy ears and grumpiness in the run up to the blisters showing was all part of it. I said we were giving him calpol and calamine lotion and he said that was exactly right. His appitie should be back in a few days and in the meantime letting him have the fruit he wants and plenty of drinks is fine. We've also been given some piritin for him which he canhave a night to help sooth any itch and help him sleep. On the plus side, since the highest concentration on blisters has been inside his nappy, we have been able to get Jack to sit on his potty a lot. We needed him to get some fresh air to those parts to help the blisters heal, and since he's a little tired and clingy, getting him to sit on hi

The new bed came today. It was supposed to arrive between 10am and 2pm so Mark thought he'd get a good early start on pulling the old bed to bits ready to have it out of the way so the new bed can go in. This was around 8.30 - 9am It's not quite worked out that way so far.... as it is now 8pm and we still don't have the new bed up, even though it arrived at an excpetionally early 8.55am. My dear husband doesn't just chuck stuff out. I would have just skipped it or tipped it. People like me are the reason why we have landfill issues. He hasn't just separated the two halves of the divan, he has removed all the fabric, salvaged all the wood, and and spent most of the afternoon pulling the springs and other metally bits off what is left. There are neat(ish) piles of foam, boxes and bags of springs, and a stack of beams. He's still going. I think the beams will become parts of shelving at some point. I was offered the foam if I could think of anything to do wit