Snow? In December?

Lucy was not happy to come inside after all this excitement. Needless to say, Harriet and I didn't go out to play, I don't think snow and two week old babies are a good mix. She didn't have a good night last night, so is sleeping peacefully now.

Two weeks with Harriet

Harriet's cushion
Originally uploaded by juliaclare123
It's been an experience having a new born again, but one that I wouldn't have missed for anything. I don't think I want to repeat it though.

Lucy has been an angel, except for yesterday when I was reduced to tears by her having two tantrums at bedtime and had to just put her in her bed and go and have a cry on ours. I went up when we'd both calmed down, and we had a lovely cuddle and a happy bedtime, but it was super stressful while it lasted. What a little ratbag that child can be. Today was much better, although she is pushing it a lot with more and more stories, as she doesn't want to go to bed yet. It's only a phase though, since she's developing more and more language and soon we'll be able to negotiate with her a bit more and compromise on 3 books a night. I hope.

It was her Nursery show today, and very lovely. The Nursery ladies had helped her make a hat with Lucy on in glitter, and she joined in some of the songs, so we were very proud and happy. We also had a chance to look through her "day book" with all the observations and work that Lucy's done this term, and lots of photos, and it was lovely to see. I know that they know her pretty well, as they mentioned the stropping when she's told not to do something and a couple of observations mentioned that she acted "with purpose". Everything my elder daughter does is with purpose; she is extremely determined at all times, and always knows what she is doing.

This post was meant to be about Harriet, who is continuing to grow and be lovely and snuggly, but as she is only 2 weeks old, there's not a lot else to say about her. I will take some more photos next week and talk about that.

Spoke too soon...

Oh yes, Harriet loves to sleep at night. Oh yes, I've got tonnes of milk and there's nothing wrong with our feeding pattern. Huh. We were up a lot of this morning - a brief wake up at 3, then at about 4.30 until 6.30 and then again at 7, which I suppose is alright. I then slept in until quarter til 11, and then read and dozed and listen to radio 4, while Harriet slept and slept and slept. We did get up eventually, and then went to Waitrose and then up to collect Lucy, which made me feel as if I'd run a marathon. It's not very far and I didn't walk that fast, but it pulled on my scar a bit, so I'm feeling shattered now.

I don't think I'm eating enough; I weighed myself and I've lost almost all the baby weight and got down to less than I was before I got pregnant, so I think I got a bit over-excited and thought that this could just keep on. So today, I've eaten masses of food and have lots of milk (I hope) and am also going to take a bottle and some Aptimel up to bed in case we have another disturbed night. I think an early night is called for - Simon has taken Lucy to a cubs party, which will be a riot. I'm sure he'll want a drink, a hot meal and a bath as soon as they get back, so I am resting and feeding Harriet and encouraging her to sleep more so that I can take over Lucy as soon as they get back.

Lucy is being a bit foul in the evenings as she doesn't care to sleep during the day anymore and by 5:30 is only good for watching TV and drinking milk. She is also going through a phase of squishing up all her food in both hands, which is disgusting and we can't seem to stop her. I'm sure it'll stop soon, but it really winds up Simon and I think that's why she does it.

I've nearly finished my 11th jumper for the IntSweMoDo 2010, and am going to start the 12th either tonight or tomorrow; I don't think I've got enough yarn for it, so I've ordered some more, which, of course, has to come from the States, so let's hope it arrives in time for me to finish the challenge. The 12th is an owls jumper, which took me less than a fortnight to make earlier in the year, so I am hopeful.

Nothing else. I want a couple of these little things but at £30 each, I think I'll settle for 1.

Future Knitters of the World Unite

It's an old photo, but a good one. She's grown a bit since then, as has my stash.

Harriet isn't showing the same interest in knitting as her sister, but it's still early days. She prefers being snuggled up in a rainbow blanket, having a little sleep on the sofa.

We are getting on very well really, especially at night. Considering she's only ten days old, it's a real benefit that she only really wakes up once or twice for a feed. I woke her this morning for a feed as I was leaking unpleasantly into my nightdress (lovely) and everything was really quite uncomfortable. Obviously my milk is coming in properly as Harriet has put on lots of weight, and is now 200g over her birthday weight, and I am 200g under my normal weight, and as such we've both been signed off by the midwife and into the tender loving care of the health visitors. She's paying us a visit this afternoon, and I suspect she will ask me the same stupid question she asked me last time - "are you a victim of domestic violence?" It's as direct as that; how incredibly bizarre.

A week and a half

Gosh. Well, I had my baby, as you can see. Her big sister adores her and is as gentle as any 2 year old can be; she keeps on kissing her and she looks at her, and then says "I like my bibi" to anyone who'll listen, which is great. We've had a few little problems - some tantrums, some refusals to do as she's told and a lot of food mashed into the table, hair, clothes and floor. Lucy was very upset the first time she saw me feeding Harriet, and said "No bibi, no eat up mummy" and went to get the phone to "ring doc-doc" to check that this was the right thing to do. She is a very determined young lady.

Harriet is gorgeous and spends most of her time snoozing peacefully. She sleeps in the day and at night, and we've all been getting between 3 and 5 hours consecutive sleep a night, which isn't great, but is wonderful for a week and a bit. Simon's been home on paternity leave and that's been really lovely. He takes Lucy and spoils her rotten - they've been swimming, to the cafe with Uncle Jamie and all over the place, including the supermarket, which Lucy perversely loves, especially when she can eat 4 satsumas, one after another. I'm able to do bedtime with Lucy and we have lots of cuddles, and read lots of stories, especially Charlie and Lola, and we play and sing songs and the whole thing takes about an hour, so I hope she's not feeling too sad about not seeing as much of Mummy as she's used to. It helps that she's suddenly decided that Nursery is THE greatest place in the whole world and that every day that she is not there is a wasted day, and so it makes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that much more straight-forward. Plus we're going to see Ninny and Owl (Granny and Grandpa) next week for Christmas, so that will be another distraction.

Despite the sleep, I'm still very tired; the whole elective c-section thing was OK, but surreal, and even though I lost barely any blood, it was still a pretty shattering experience. I'm breast-feeding as well, and have lost a lot of weight, in fact I'm almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight, which is great. Sadly, that is about a stone more than it should be, so I've got a little way to go after that. Ho hum.

I think I might have to go and have a bit of a lie down and a cuddle on the sofa now.

Only 3 days to go now

So. The baby will now be born on Friday. I have "elected" to have a c-section on consultation with two senior obstetricians, and she will be coming out then. I'm a combination of excited to be seeing her and pissed off that it has to be this way. Apparently, my chances of a natural birth are slim to none, having been an excellent candidate last time who didn't make it, I'm now a high risk candidate and it's "better" medically for me to "just" have major stomach surgery resulting in me being unable to carry my older daughter for 6 weeks. Although, she did say that as Lucy had been in the right position, I'd had the oxytocin drip, I'd gone into labour naturally and it was bang on 40 weeks, and then things just got stuck, it's probably something to do with my pelvis, and a natural birth was never really going to be an option.

I'm trying to be philosophical about it. This little one is really quite large, and I'm feeling pretty terrible all the time, not being helped by having a cold at the moment, so it's better to get her out so we can get on with things. Also, it means I'll be able to stop worrying so much about what I'm eating, as the gestational diabetes will be gone on Saturday. Hurrah. I've already bought some brie and pate, and I think a Mars Bar will also be a good post-op snack.

Can't wait.

Some crafty things

It probably won't come as much of a surprise, but I love Cath Kidston's stuff. Especially the stuff that you have to make yourself. I think what she sells is a bit over-priced, so I don't really buy it, and then she brings out two books that I fall in love with - above and below.

and they become the basis for a whole new interest in making things for people.

I've yet to make anything exactly the same as the things she provides patterns for, and I've got no interest in embroidering two thousand damn birds onto a towel, but I've used both books extensively as inspiration for my baby gros.

The girly ones are more fun to make, but I think I need some different, more subtle felts.







I've also made one for my new baby, but I haven't quite finished it yet. It's the most Cath Kidston-y one as it uses fabric very similar to the stuff she designs and sells. I think it's a Liberty print though, and a remnant at that.


Some knitting:




Next stop, a sewing machine. And as soon as I get myself organised, some pictures of my new craft room. Yay.

29 days to go?

It's all rather exciting really. I'm feeling completely full and fed up of waddling around like a weeble, but the end is in sight. Hurrah.

Our house is now finished. The loft is done! Lucy slept in her big girl's bed in her big girl's room last night and is very happy with the distinction between "bibi" and "me" which is great. I've managed to persuade her to give some toys to the baby - of course, it is debatable whether this will last the week, but so far, so good. She's even given away some of her books, but as she's just about to get a huge load of new ones from my teaching stash, I don't think she'll notice. She's far more into picture books now, and isn't so keen on the touchy feely ones that she used to love. So these have gone to "bibi" and she was very happy to say goodbye to them.

I've stopped work at last. Thank goodness. We had a small tea party on Friday, and then that was it. I'll miss my little degenerates, but not that much. They are now mostly settled and happy, so at least it won't be too much of a nightmare for Lisa and Beatrice who is replacing me. It's very strange to think that I potentially won't see some of them again as they won't go to our Reception Class. I'm glad and a bit sad that I won't be there until September next year, but I'll have far more to worry about soon, so work will just be a happy memory. My colleague, who might also have diabetes, is clinging on until the end of term - she's not due until January, so I suppose she feels that she just has to keep on going. It's her first too, so she's got more energy than I have.

I've been making little baby gros for my friends' children:





as well as knitting socks, blanket squares and other fun things. I've started a red jumper - the Boatneck Bluebell Sweater, from Fitted Knits, but will be making it without the bulk increasing garter stitch around the tummy panel. What a stupid idea. How to make yourself look even more dumpy and unattractive.
I don't think we have any other news. My birthday came and went in a blur of pregnancy, not eating cake and decorators, so I am thinking that I should have a non-birthday party in May to make up for it. Oh yes, and my brother is getting married in July, so that's something to be excited about.

What? Twice? In one day?

I thought I'd put a picture of Lucy on her birthday up. She is so beautiful. I can't believe she is 2 already, and that that happened a whole month ago! I still haven't written my thank you cards, I've just been too disorganised and tired. Yes, tired. That's it. Not lazy or ungrateful, tired.

My twins were fine today, but Natalia twith the mental mother had a proper 2 year screaming tantrum when mum finally consented to leave, and Hasna who had no problems settling, and who we had such high hopes of, has shown her true colours by having a tantrum every couple of minutes. I am living on paracetamol.

I appear to have broken facebook and my computer by trying to upload all my photos at once. Ho hum.

Month plus round up

I haven't had the energy to write recently. It's not that we haven't had anything happen - off the top of my head, we've had Lucy's 2nd birthday party, a funeral, a couple of hospital appointments where I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a load of children starting at Nursery who have been "difficult" and lots of finished objects that I can't be bothered to photograph.

I've got some pictures on my camera that I can't get off - I was going to pop some up today but the battery is completely dead, so that will have to wait. Lucy turned two very happily, she enjoyed her party and was actually reasonably well behaved.

I had my glucose tolerance test last week, and, as I'd been having pretty bad headaches, was shoved on a machine with beeps and all sorts to check I didn't have pre-eclampsia. I don't, but I do have gestational diabetes, so I have to go to a clinic tomorrow and see what's what. I think, in practice, it'll mean having to go on maternity leave a bit early - work is stressful, and it's really not worth putting any extra stress on my body. It's working pretty hard at the moment, and having a toddler and a loft extension is taking its toll. It might also mean that the baby is induced/removed by caesarian a bit early, so we're probably looking at early December. I can't say I'm either that worried about it, or that upset - the baby will be 38 weeks, so ready to come out, and I won't have that interminable wait that some people have. I think we're ready for her to make her appearance.

I've been cleaning a whole lot recently too - the house is full of bloody plaster dust, and wood dust and more dust and I can't bear it. It's giving me super headaches, and forcing me out of the house during the day as it's too much. This isn't a bad thing when I've got Lucy, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it means that I go into work. Which is rubbish.

I now have 18 children in my class, but 5 of them aren't really settling properly, so we're having to try all sorts of different tactics to encourage them to enjoy Nursery. It's really hard; it's not their fault, of course, how can it be, they are three, but sometimes I really think that they are playing us and playing their parents, and know exactly what they are doing. Everything is complicated by having a multitude of different languages, and the parents don't always speak or understand English either, so it makes things that bit harder for everyone. We have extremely spoilt twin boys who have clearly been treated like princes since they were born, and they used to scream the place down. At the moment, they are crying in a sort of half hearted manner for 5 minutes or so, and then going and playing; refusing to have anything to do with us or the other children, of course, but playing in the Nursery and actually very happy.

We also have two Polish children with absolutely no English at all. Difficult. Still, two more weeks until half term and then I've got 12 working days before my maternity leave starts.

Hey ho.