Hamleys

My friend from the UAE came to London for a flying visit so we hooked up and took the kids to Hamleys. I hope she comes to London in the summer but her family is all further North. We always have such a good time together. Even when the family is jet lagged!!


Beth with a giant dinosaur. Sian had a ride on him later!

Sian and Beth in the "Hello Kitty" Section

Beth with a very tired little freind behind her

Sian with an even more tired little girl (they'd been off the plane from the UAE maybe two hours!)

The Christmas decorations down Carnaby.

Back to where I started

Actually, I'm almost 2lbs LESS than where I started just over a year ago. So, in the six weeks since giving birth I've lost at least a stone of the weight I gained. Possibly more as I'm fully dressed and have already eaten. Now I've found my scales I'm getting back on track with the weight loss. There's enough of me that it really won't affect my nursing relationship with Frederick!

Speaking of the boy, he's exactly six weeks today. I'm going to go off and weigh him out of curiosity. Then I'll weigh him monthly for the next year.

Oh My Gosh.

Rick was 5wks old yesterday. And he rolled for the first time. First after a nappy change- so he had the slope of the sofa to help- back to front. He's only ever gone back to side on the sofa till now. Then last night after his midnight feed I put him on his tummy, went out the room to sort out the nappy wash and came back to find him on his back. And I missed it!! On the one hand I want him to do it again so I can *see* on the other.. he's a baby and I want him to stop growing up so darned fast!!

The boy doesn't like his pushchair when he's awake. I don't think babies under 3mos should be sitting in pushchairs... he's trying to change my ideas! He fights the pouch sling if he's awake and I can't find my thicker ring sling to use. He's still too skinny for the mei tei (my personal favourite!)
Maybe in the new year he'll have me forced to put the seat on the pushchair... he already sits up on your knee looking round really well. His head control is excellent (and has been for a long time) and he can push his rear in the air aiming for a crawling motion.

I think it maybe time to start thinking about a new one......... however I always nurse my babies for a year at least first.

Sian got a hair cut

Please excuse the orange face.. I think it was tomato soup for tea! Anyway. Sian asked me to cut her hair short. So this is the result. It looks MUCH better when it's brushed!! I might get her an alice band as she wanted some hair bands and then decided to get it cut.

I have to give my big girl a big shout out. She has been THE best big sister. And the best big girl a Mama could ask for. She's had some moments (she's not quite five, she's entitled!) but for the most part? Sian has been THE most helpful member of my family. Not just with Rick, but with her little sister and just in general round the house. If I can't reach something or I need soemthing done quickly she'll do it.

Methinks Father Christmas may have to find a little special something for her this year. I know she'd like some Peppa Pig PJs and a T-shirt. And they're bringing out a Peppa Pig Wii game... Something will be forthcoming.

Fred. Rick. George!

What's this and where am i?!
r
Tummy Time

My sisters and Me

Zzzz

In the Night Garden... anyone seen Rick?

Clive likes Fred. I like Rick. So then Beth pipes up with George (giving him his full name LOL). People insist on adding "ee" to the end of kids names (even i do it) and I DON'T like Freddie. I don't mind Ricky. He looks more like a Frederick or a Rick to me.

He's a month old on Friday. I can't beleive it. I really can't beleive it! And how much has he changed in that month. I'll weigh him Weds (4wks) just for curiositys sake. I won't be suprised to find he's not gained much. All my kids are slow gainers.

Mr Man is trying to do things a bit too fast though. He likes to sit up on your knee and watch the world go round. He already rolls to his side.. won't be long before he can roll to his belly (eek!) and he likes to be on his tummy and lift his head to look round at the wrold from a different perspective. I get a good block of sleep from him from around 8-midnight. then he's a 2hour nurser till about 8/9am after that all bets are off depending on what we're doing.

Time flies.

Sian turns FIVE in a month. Beth was THREE almost two months ago. And next week sees Frederick reach a month already. How did all that happen? Seems funny to think now that we have three children. I still vividly remember thinking we'd never have kids. We were exploring our options, but I was told I was too fat to get pregnant... hmm. then I cancelled our infertility clinic appointment as there were two lovely lines on the stick. I'll always wonder though just how many times I may have got pregnant and the angels not stuck. If any. Guess I'll never know. What I DO know is I'm thankful and blessed to have my three little ones here with me. However much they may annoy me and push all the buttons on any given day, I wouldn't be without them.


They're opening new children's centres around the borough and we went to a planning meeting at one this week. Mainly so the early years worker had someone there that she knew! But the funniest thing was Sian. Sure start provided some nibbles for lunch time. Normally, my limit is one cake. Today, the girls for some reason got away with two... till

"sian, you've already had another cake"
"that was my next cake, this is my last one"

how can i refuse logic like that? i was laughing to hard to push it. she got her third cake!

Busy week (almost over thank goodness!!)
This was our calendar for this week.

Monday 24 Nov
11am Sure Start @ Bedfont Children's Centre
2.30pm BSL Class
4.45pm Rainbows @ Southville Centre

(there is a space for Sian to go to rainbows in the new year. She'd have loved to ahve stayed but she's not 5 yet)

Tues 25 Nov
12pm Lil' Pins Feltham
Scratch taht... electrician on call. Stay in all day (yawn) cue emergency recruits... parents take girls to hampton court palace.

Sian "We saw the big fire in the kitchen, it was hot and they were cooking meat"

Weds 26th Nov
Electrician back PM
2pm MW (she wanted to see us at home, I did offer to go to her)

Thurs 27th Nov
12-2.30pm Home Ed Group Northolt.
Thanks to the kindness of one of the other mums coming and getting us we got to this. She's also offered to take the girls if I need a break. So sweet.

Fri 28th Nov
8-10am Water Board coming to establish water supply and fit meter
12pm lunch date with freind and her son (yay!)
4pm Sian eye test
4.20pm Beth eye test

Sat 29th Nov
Clive working... bang goes christmas shoping!

Sun 30th Nov
12pm Birthday party at Snakes and Ladders

Hmm so what's on NEXT week?! Hopefully nothing so busy!!

I REALLY want my washing machine!

We had some odd jobs that needed doing around the house. Our landlord got back into the country MONDAY and called us to arrange it the same day- if we hadn't been busy it would have been ready Mon.

Tues all the jobs are done so I think YAY no more despicables! (both nappies and pads) but the washing machine has developed a major malfunction since we moved it to here... i gotta stop putting they boty in real nappies. i can't believe how many black sacks i put out this am... and it's cause of the nappies/pads... normally onm a bad week it's 2. today? 4

Friday update...

I have a washing machine!!! The builder didn't take the plastic cap off the drainage tube! ah well, i have cover now in case it breaks down again (it's 3yrs old, it might just as it's gonna be on permanently!)

Now to get my cloth nappies over the airers and teh kids clothes that i've washed up into their room.. preferably on hangers so they get hung straight up!

I want my washing machine!

So, we've been in the new house (it's still the new house LOL) 3 weeks now. Our washing machine has yet to be plumbed in. NOT because we're being lazy, but because there's nowhere for the waste pipe to go.. it won't reach to the sink and we've not heard from the landlord about re-opening the outlet hole which has been bricked over.

I can't keep relying on my parents and freinds washing my clothes for me. And the ONLY person I'd even ask to wash my cloth nappies is my mum. It was nice putting mr man in cloth for a couple of hours. So much less smelly and EASIER than a disposable! And? They look cuter!

A PROPER nappy!

We're at mums at the moment with frederick in his last disposable waiting for the washing to dry so we can go home. and he's likely to be stuck in that nappy for a good hour while we're on the bus as well poor babe. We wouldn't be here still however if elisabeth had left the darn washing machine alone!

Photos from my friends visit

Beth playing photographer

Frederick

Frederick at the park

Sian on the ONE swing.. check the LENGTH of her legs!

Beth on the swing.

My freind Claire came to visit from Manchester. The girls and Frederick adored her. I have a photo of her holding mister man, but I won't be sharing.. she'll kill me! It would have been a better one if she hadn't been scrunching up her face LOL.

We took the kids up to the park at the end of our road. It was rather dissappointing as there wasn't much for the girls to do. We did take lots of photos though. I think Claire took 50 of Sian on the swing alone! After that we hobbled back to the bakers for elevenses/lunch and I persuaded her to have a look at some wedding gowns (evil grin!)

Sian and Beth did "filming" with our cameras. I don't think Sian got to much in teh way of photo taking done as Beth ratehr hogged the camera. I need to get a tripod as they played with it both with and without cameras! Luckily, Sian likes to be in FRONT of the camera and Beth behind it more so all was good in the end LOL

Frederick Photo's

His hand..

4days old

first ride in the car (2days!)

Proud big sisters. Sian had been up since i went into labour bless her.

all clean and new :o)

Remember, Remember 5th November...

Because that's when Frederick George made his appearance to the world outside Mama's tummy! And just a day later, I'm sharing the story with you dear blog.

2.30am (or there abouts) I woke up with that nagging back-achey-feeling that was the early part of Beth's labour. I knew there was no point going back to sleep as I'd just be getting up every ten minutes so I pottered downstairs to prepare the front room. The heating and hot water had packed in (again) around 9pm the evening before so I found our little fan heater and plugged that in to make the room a more acceptable temperature (if it hadn't have worked? I'd just have gone to the birth centre!)

2.50am told Clive I was calling Trish, but he could go back to sleep. I should have left him! He didn't go back to sleep. And when Sian woke up at 3.30am he was like a bear with a sore head with her. I did call Trish and she said she'd be on her way. Cue, more pottering and finding *something* on the telly. I ended up with the radio.

3.25am Trish arrived and we had a listen to "Orlando's" heart beat. All was hunky dory, and wriggly still! I did however refuse a vaginal as I'm no lover of them (and see no point to be honest!) Trish was fine with it. Heh. If Beth's birth was anything to go by, there'd be a new baby in an hours time.....

4.15am Contractions were getting more painful, but no closer together. "Lando" tolerating them well. But why can't I labour "normally" they're always in my back rather than my abdomen. LOL Trish said nothing's "normal" about labour!

4.45am The contractions are getting a little closer now. It's hard to let Trish listen in on bump. Some how we manage it. Baby's doing good. Still wriggly and still a "boyish" heartrate!

5.15am It's getting more intense, and my prediction for a 4.30ish birth has been and gone (so that's the date(s!) and time i got wrong LOL. Clive said 7.30am... Told Trish to feel free to put her feet up on the recliner and have a doze. I got online for about 10mins.

5.50am The contractions are getting stronger now. Clive's taken Sian to get milk, ice and donuts from Tescos. I'm feeling pressure with the ctx. And Beth is due to wake up really soon. Clive can't get anyone to take over from his route, and although I originally wanted the girls with me? Now I would rather they were elsewhere...

6.15am Trish phoned labour ward to inform them of my impending home birth and to find a second midwife. I'd been trying to contact Chelone (our first backup) since 3am with no luck. I called my parents to come and take the girlies out for breakfast somewhere.

6.20am Girls heard bumps heartbeat in utero for the last time. They would be picked up soon and taken to Mcdonalds (they're choice!) for breakfast.. I hear they ate a LOT!

6.50am.. More bloody show.. lots of it this time LOL. getting harder to lie through ctx for a listen in.. still tolerating it well though! I started to vocalise through the contractions around now. And introduced Trish to the phrase "Oh, Buggery Bollocks" as well!!

Now, I'm waiting for my waters to break and starting to feel the need to go to the bathroom.. for goodness sakes, don't push on the toilet!! (I didn't!)

7.30am while I'm leaning up against the sofa, Trish lets Carolyn in and I know instinctively that I can give birth now... but it hurts and I don't want to!! (ok, I'd been saying that for a good 10mins now!)

7.32am.. membranes bulging... hmm, they still haven't gone! no wonder that hurt. I still don't want to do this.. but the sofa is good to scream into!

7.33am.. Hello baby! There's a head.. .in a sac.. that's hard to break! (I only heard about the toughness later) Not too much longer and I've pushed the whole baby out. I asked to find out myself what it is...

It's a boy!!! Trish, take him, I'm shaking like a leaf and we need to let his Daddy know (Clive knew he had a boy 2mins after I pushed him out!)

So, there I am with a baby and cord dangling between my legs LOL. I can't actually move till the cords cut but we do leave it a wee while first while little man gets cleaned up. Trish, Carolyn and I all have guesses at his weight, he's a biggun! I stuck to my 8lbs, Carolyn said 8.5-9lbs and Trish went in the middle with 8.5lbs... We'll find out later!

8am.. The placenta still hasn't been delivered. It'll be soon enough. So while I try various ways to get it out we weigh him and see how big he is. OMG He's 9lbs dead on. How on EARTH?!?!

8.10am.. In spite of plenty of snuggles, skin to skin and offering of boobage Frederick hasn't wanted the boob yet. Good job here comes the placenta and all the other bits and bobs! Oh, and blood. Trish and Carolyn said it was the least bloody birth they'd ever seen LOL.

8.15am.. Frederick George took to a boob :o) Nothing like his sisters who both nursed immediately after birth for a good hour.

We sat around and gossiped, ate some breakfast, had a drink and just admired this little man till Sian and Beth and GrannyJan and Grandad came to meet him. (oh, carolyn cleaned up too!) Daddy walked in about 3mins after them so Trish and Carolyn left me with them.

Frederick George has dark hair, Mama's ears and toes. A cute button nose and two smitten big sisters. He has Daddy's non-existent eyebrows and lashes! And huge hands and lovely fingers. We're in love. He's asleep at the moment but soon will want more boobage. Chelone popped by to do his newborn baby check today. He's perfect! And as soon as I find the USB lead for my camera I'll share photos as well.

More Customer Service..

British Gas... Not so good. I spent an HOUR on the phone. Mostly on hold. As we're *still* paying someone else's £1300+ debt. The second gas card they sent should have reset the meter. But it hasn't so Tuesday morning between 8-1 an engineer is coming to do that for me.

E-On... Excellent. 10 minutes on the phone. I'm getting a paypoint card to spread the last £180 we owe on the old property over a few months. There's no way we can afford the whole lot in one hit. As it is we're well into the overdraft and Clive doesn't get paid this week as last week was half term.

Currys... Another Excellent. I asked for a more suitable cooker. We found the original model STILL BOXED! At another store. It's coming some time on Tuesday. There was no problems changing it. In fact, they didn't think that gas cookers were still MADE that needed lighting by match/lighter! We tried to get a new TV but were declined this time. We think it's probably cause we've been in the new house a whole week! Ah well, we can't really afford the payment anyway.

Moving house is getting expensive!

My MIL bought us a cooker. They damaged it so I had to go and choose another one. No-one told me that the one I picked out DOESN'T have a grill or ignition button. The grill I could live without (although no cheese on toast!) but there is NO WAY ON HEAVENS EARTH I'm having matches lying around the house with a 5yo, 3yo and newborn. That is an invitation for disaster. So, today we're going BACK to Currys (who have actually been nothing but helpful, luckily, even down to agreeing that the new cooker ISN'T suitable and I can exchange it) to get one that fits the purpose.

The Expensive bit..

The TV which was on it's way out just before we moved... Died pretty much completely yesterday. So that's something else to budget for that we don't have the money for. We've used all our savings already. Either finance from currys (as we'll be there) or on the argos card it goes (we've paid off more than minimum every month so far)

On the bright side? It's almost worth paying the council to come and remove our electrical waste! We have a tumble dryer, microwave, hoover and now TV. They charge £5/item with a minimum of £25... what can go wrong next? The Freezer?

Sian's Dream didn't come true!

she wanted "Orlando" to be born on Halloween, and bump is still here! They did get to go trick or treating last night to say hi down our new road. There are LOTS of children down there which is nice. I'll get pics on here of their Halloween Costumes later.

The phone calls have started *sigh*

I wish I'd just told everyone that it was due the end of November! All I'm getting (and my parents) are "any news?" "has it arrived?" I'll let you know when I do, and I'm pretty sure I'll notice pushing out a baby!

Speaking of baby. I had my between EDD appointment yesterday. My Ultrasound EDD was 28 Oct..and my LMP EDD is 2 Nov. BP was fine (and lower than you'd expect for being thrown a house move in there!), Urine fine as ever (in spite of this one really liking sweets and chocolate!) and "Lando's" Heartrate was right between 135-140 so still "boyish" although Trish says she always gets it wrong LOL.

It's Official!

We're now tenants in a three bedroom house. With a huge garden. And permission to decorate. And to do pretty much what we like to the garden.

We met our housing officer this morning, she's most defintly a get done type person. We had no heat/hot water till last night as british gas make the landlord phone to get it sorted (we're switching from them asap!) but she got them to come out and get it fixed. And she'll have us teh ability to plumb in the washing machine by next weds as well (they seem to have filled in the hole to the over flow pipe so the waste water has no where to go)

The girls room is ALMOST finished being painted a lighter blue. Bumps room IS now yellow- it took three coats to get the pink covered! We'll do the other rooms as and when we can. Next task.... unpack and place everything!

Excellent Customer Service!

All too often we hear the bad about companies. This time, I have the good.

Virgin Media... I phoned them asking to switch us off at the current property and how soon could they get us back on at the new.. and were there any deals they could do as technically we'd be new customers (a year or 18mos back they took over telewest who were our suppliers)

Saturday they're switching us OFF here AND getting us set up at the new property. I'll need to re-set my paperless billing. And for 6mos we get both evening and weekend UK landline calls free. (reverts to weekends only after that)

NPower... I phoned this morning at 9 to get the electricity switched back on at the new property. MIL and I pulled up to the electricians outside at about 10.15! We have electricity now!

and i want to tell you about a great website i found too... iammoving a place to tell everyone necessary about your move! and they'll help you find the best deals on gas/electricity/phone/tv/internet as well!

i'm hoping to get as good a response from british gas tomorrow when i call to get the gas back on... it's cold in that house once the sun isn't glaring through the windows!

New House Pics.

Back garden from bumps room. Look how LONG it is! It's very bumpy though!

Back garden from by the house. Sian wants to get a football out there!

Front garden (and clive locking up after we'd painted the first coat on bumps room and he'd laid most the flooring in the kids room)

Back (dining room)

Front (sitting) room.

Bumps room from window (it's NOT going to stay this colour!!!)

Bumps room from door

What will be the girls room from the corner.. just to give an idea of the colour. They've chosen a lighter blue. There should be room for their toys up there as well as their beds!

Our room from the window corner. Wow. We might be able to have some storage this time! No more clothes in a box for me!!!

Bathroom... it's small but better than the current one. It has a BATH!!! Can't wait to get the gas on and in that!

Belly Painting Pics

Beth and the Belly (Sian was there too, but Clive's a lousy photographer!!)

Kissing the bump.

Heh. They're moving us further and further!

Away from my parents that is! All the while we bid on locata on properties near my parents as I'm my dad's carer (when I can get there at the moment!) Today, we saw our new home... for the next who knows how long! And it's another 3miles away! So NOW i'm a good 6-7 miles from them if they need me to come over at a drop of a hat. Only one bus, but a good 30mins on that one bus!

The House... (bad pics to follow!)

Has a HUGE back garden, that needs flattening!! But there's room out there that if we can get permission to play with it? Vege patch, Kids area AND a washing line. with space between the three! And there's a concreted bit just outside the kitchen door that even in winter the girlies could go out to play if it's not to wet. I didn't get pics of the front garden, but it has a couple of pretty purplish flowers in it and a grassy patch. and a drive for the car (so, just DH's work bus to find a parking spot for then!!)

Downstairs we have two reception rooms. The slightly smaller (front) one will be the sitting room. With the TV and Wii in it. Oh and the sofa! (and maybe some bookshelves!!!) The rear (larger) one will house the computer (finally out of my bedroom!), dining table, tumble dryer (possibly- later about that) and homeschool stuff. And a small kitchen. That is much better laid out than our current one. We do need to buy a cooker however.

Upstairs.. Small bathroom (couldn't swing a cat!) but bigger than what we have now- it has a BATH!!!! Small double bedroom (ours) at the front, large double bedroom at the back (girlies) which is currently a kind of dark blue. The girls chose a paler shade for us to paint it tomorrow- and we need to lay flooring in there. And "Orlando" who is now most DEFINATELY not allowed to come this week! has the box room, which is currently barbie pink, but will after some hard work become pineapple yellow!

The Costs....

laminate flooring for kids room (and underlay) £160, Paint for both rear bedrooms (and rollers/trays) £60, new cooker (and fitting) around the £200 mark, new tumble dryer as ours has just burnt out... i don't want to know! Maybe we can deal again. Nappies and all. I'm hoping that it just felt it ahd been worked too hard!

having a room for the baby that can house it's changing table and cot (moses basket for now) PRICELESS!

OMG! OMG! OMG!!!!!!

If you've read this blog from the begining you'll know about all the trials and tribulations we have with trying to find housing in our area. And that the lease on our current property was up back in JULY.

We got a phone call yesterday morning asking if we could be at the temporary accommodation office this week to sign for a new (temporary, but hey!) property. Good job I was sitting down or I may have fallen! So, this morning in just a couple of hours we'll be finding out where our new THREE BEDROOM!!!! house is. I have a week to go before this baby is due to make an appearance, so I'm really REALLY hoping that it stays put while we move stuff from house to house.

Luckily my In Laws are both retired and can come and help us to pack, I have a super freind who's having the kids all day Wed-Fri and Beth's Godfather can help us out with a van after work and saturday pm/sunday all day. And one of the health team is coming to help as well after re-arranging her schedule for me (taht's how much she loves me and the kids!!)

So, we go this morning, sign paperwork, find out where we're going, how the council will help (they said they'll help with the removal), hopefully pick up keys and maybe start moving some bits later. WE HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE BY NEXT MONDAY!!!!!!!!

Car...

Holy Moly! £180 for two car keys. And then ANOTHER £60 when they arrive to have them programmed into the car?! It's daylight bloody robbery. But it will make life a little easier as at the moment we're having to lock/unlock the car manually wich means remembering to leave the passenger door open when you get out.

curses on you woman!!

you'll know who you are when i say dunelm mill we went to get a shower curtain and some pillows. we came out £50 poorer! why a shower curtain? it's cheaper than anything else to protect the floor while i give birth! we also have some new bed linen and the girls got new cutlery.

Baby Show....



new nappies (bitti d'lish) modeled by the girls. funny how i was looking for fleece liners for the new one and this happened!! i have to say even stuffed to the brim for over night use (only time the girls wear nappies now) they're very trim. I also had a look at the bum genius as i've heard good things about them, but i'm not a velcro person so didn't buy one to try (and these two cost only £5 more than one BG would have!)

Clive is now a member of the first ever sausage club Sian tried the wild boar and apple yesterday and said it was deeelicious. So they had sausages for dinner when we got home. For his money he gets 10lbs of sausages delivered to the door twice a year. we split the membership with mum though as she and dad go through the bangers too. I have to say i was most impressed iwth how well these hold together when cooking. and they don't smell like the ones you get in tescos!!

Baby update..

well, as much as. it's still in there baking nicely thanks! We bought "lando" a coat and baby grow from pumpkin patch. The coat is grey with a hippo embroidered on one pocket and the baby grow is white iwth a hippo. And s/he has an infant carrier now as it's too awkward to strap sian into her booster seat iwth the convertible in there.

trish is away again. so an appearance is not allowed to be made this week LOL. we have plans anyway. (sign class, car keys, high school musical 3) come on oct 28th and i'll win my own birth pool!!

Beth's Birthday Pictures.

Birthday Cake!!

We took over this table!!

with most the kids

Uncle Stevie is the best uncle 2 years in a row. he found a giant makka pakka!!!

opening sian's present

opening mama and daddy's present

upsy daisy bed!!

night garden counter, neat.

Kew Gardens

Random Geese. Like babies with no nappies, they do their business EVERYWHERE!

Daddy and Boo messing around

Sian-a-banana (ask her!) playing hide and seek in the trees

Eww... sticky!

making the venus fly trap work

Tree Listening. Yes, really!

More Tree Listening (they creak!)

How does it work?

Well this one you hit!

A wooden snail.

We went to Kew Gardens a few weeks ago. The girls went into climbers and creepers (where there were far too many people, and not nearly enough supervision) and had fun with the inside and out exhibits. We tried to find the giant badger sett and tree top walk but neither was findable so we jsut had a walk! And if you get the chance to listen to a tree, they creak. Lots.