Happy half birthday!

It's the munchkin's 6 month birthday today and she's celebrating it by being poorly :-(

She has a stinking cold, is very snuffly and has regurgitated all of her last 2 feeds (first one all over me - I needed a bath afterwards! and the second one all over Mr H's jeans!).It does worry me a bit as she's had a bit of rash for 10 days now that we could find no reason for, but maybe it was just the first sign that she's been fighting off this bug for a while. She had us up lot of last night needing cuddles and feeds and comforting before going back to sleep...and waking up again a couple of hours later.

Hopefully she'll sleep a bit better tonight and feel a bit better in the morning. It's nice that Mr H has tomorrow off so that I feel I can wake him if I need his help/support (he so rarely gets woken up by the munchkin...grrr)

Anyway, need to go and have dinner....been a bit held up by the munchkin....Bye!

My update...

Well, I saw the GP all the other mums at baby group warned me about....he was not much good at listening though he did prescribe me cream and tablets to try and sort out the infection/excema on my foot, he's also upped my antidepressants and is pleased that the health visitor has refered me on to the mental health team. He was so grumpy, will definately try and avoid him in future...

I am feeling a bit better knowing that things are happening (and that the munchkin's birthmark is ok) and hopefully we'll find some reason why I'm struggling with things, it doesn't appear to be simple post natal depression

Birthmark update

Well, the munchkin was a complete flirt at the hospital this morning. Grinning away at all the male doctors and student nurses!

Her birthmark is fine. It doesn't appear to be growing into her head as her development is completely on track. Phew!

This afternoon's challenge is to see the GP and try and work out what to try to make me feel better and more on top of things.

Bloomin' blogger!

Thanks Mrs Aginoth for letting me know that one of my posts has been posted 10 times!!

Blogger was refusing to publish the post and just kept refreshing the page. I gave up after a while (did check my blog inbetween) and posted again later on....grrrr.

Oh well, at least if blogger shows me the same thing again I know that the post will show up eventually! I'll now go an delete 9 posts!

Got the appointment for the munchkin's birth mark tomorrow so I'll post properly after then.

Sleep well! Bye!

Raspberries!

Well, my alarm clock went off at 4:40 this morning!!!

The munchkin woke me up by blowing raspberries in her cot. Even without the monitor I would have been able to hear her! I thought she'd go back to sleep, but no...she got more grumpy and I ended up having to get up and feed her before settling her back down. She did go back to sleep for another 3 1/2 hours, but that was the end of a good night's sleep for me. I did manage to get back to sleep myself, but I'm not good with disturbed nights. I've started to get used to the munchkin sleeping through till 6 or even 7 which has helped make me feel a bit better.

I posted a few weeks ago about going back to the doctor for more anti-depressants and feeling better, well, that's changed. I've been finding it harder and harder to cope and have gone back to the point where little things could be the end of the world! The health visitor came round yesterday and has refered me to the community mental health team to try and work out what's causing my depression and what we can try to help. I was also supposed to be seeing the GP tomorrow to check my prescription, but I've just been given an appointment for the munchkin to get her birth mark checked out so I'm going to cancel that and try to see the GP on Friday. I know that finding out about the munchkin's haemangioma will help reassure me as there's a slim possibility that it's growing down into her head.

Anyway, I can hear raspberries again so I need to fetch the munchkin down from her nap. Bye!

I did intend to...

...post sooner than this...sorry!

The washing machine is fine. Somehow it decomposed one of my bras which caused the grey residue. It would be one of my favourite bras (typical!)....but it does give me an excuse to go shopping!

We've also just spent the weekend at my gran's house with all of Dad's side of the family. She's not much of a computer/technology fan so there's no internet access there. It was great to see the family, though two weekends running with my sister was hard work. It was made easier by the prescence of Mum, she does help keep us calmer. It was great to introduce the munchkin to my uncle and cousins who hadn't seen her before Saturday. My uncle doesn't really like being a great uncle aged 50....it makes him feel old! He was so good with her though. The munchkin is a complete flirt she's far more likely to smile to laugh at a man or boy than a woman or girl!! At my gran's party on Saturday all the elderly gents who came to coo at her got grins, but of the women it was rather more hit or miss!

I decided to have a bit of a weekend off WW. It was going to be very hard to count points and no count would have been nigh on impossible when I wasn't involved in the cooking and we were eating out a bit. I did manage to eat less than I used to do which I'm quite pleased about. We did some nice walks down to the river and along some of the nearby fields.

I love spending time out in the countryside, I wish we could live there one day. At the moment, though, I don't drive and need to be able to get around to the suermarket myself. I am considering learning, but did start when I was 17 and hated it (I did have a very strange instructor though, he kept needing toilet breaks in the middle of my lessons!). I think Mr H and I will do some sums as we'll also need to get a second car. Although he'll be cycling to work fairly often (hopefully!), I hate the idea of driving (and parking) our big Mondeo. I am due some inheritance soon so we can afford to pay for lessons and get a car, it's whether or not we can afford the insurance on a second car.

Argh!!!

The washing machine is on the blink!!!! No idea when we'll be able to get someone out to fix it. Mr H is calling then when he gets in from work (I'm not technical enough to be explain what's wrong and what needs doing...) Hopefully they'll be able to come tomorrow as we're going away for the weekend on Thursday and need to get some clothes washed for the munchkin. Mr H and I have enough clothes to get by for the moment (may need to wash some of Mr H's shirts for work though).

How people used to cope without washing machines I have no idea, but then I suppose they just didn't wash their clothes (or themselves!!) as often as we do today.

I'll keep you updated as to what happens....

I've been Tagged!!!!

Kerry from Mean Mom has tagged me, so I'm going to tag these bloggers (ok, so there's only two....lots of the blogs I read are read and commented on by many and somehow I feel a bit scared of tagging them...not sure why....but Jeni and Jenny don't seem scary!) and keep the tag chain in cycle...

Parenthood for Beginners
Demob happy teacher

And here's what you gotta do...

Rules

1. Go write weird facts/things/etc. about yourself in my comment box and on your blog, then tag six more people!
2. Then leave a comment that says 'You are tagged' in their comments telling them to read your blog.

My weird facts:

1. I used to pick my scabs and eat them!
2. I don't drive (and can't get my pram on the buses that come by my house)
3. I'm double jointed; my thumbs, knuckles and elbows bend a lot further backwards than most peoples do.
4. I'm too short to reach the top shelves in our kitchen cupboards
5. I've very pattern orientated....if I can fill the munchkins bottles in an order that makes a pattern with the different coloured tops I will do....

That's all I can think of for now....

Where did the time go?

Can't believe it's been almost a week since I posted last! Sorry to anyone who came looking for an update.

Weaning wise things are going quite well. The munchkin will eat butternut squash as well as carrot. She'll now tolerate apple and peach with rice (yay fruit!!!) and she'll eat pea and parsnip (surprisingly smelly green goo!).

My little sister and her fiance have been staying this weekend after going to a wedding not too far away from here. It's been great to see them but has reminded me of how we find it hard to get on with one another after any length of time.... We still bicker like little kids at times. I try so hard to be patient with her and try not to let her get on my wick but it's difficult. She's very prejudiced at times and doesn't really share my views at all.... We're about as different as 2 sisters with the same two parents can be... Oh well, they're going tomorrow...though we'll see them at my gran's birthday next weekend. Don't get me wrong, I love her dearly, it's just hard work spending much time together.

Anyway, better go, we've just finished watching Four Weddings (been typing as I watch). Will try and be back later. Bye!

Apples!

Well, the munchkin doesn't like apple puree! That was our new taste today, cue much screwing up of her face and gagging noises! I'll just have to try that again in a week or so... She was quite happy with her carrot at lunchtime, maybe I'll try the butternut squash next....

Napping...

...or not! Well the munchkin refused to go to sleep. Ended up lying on our bed with her in my arms trying to get her to rest (I know...not always a good idea, but I was getting desperate!), well that didn't work either, she just wanted to eat my fingers, chew my hair, pull my nose off and grab my glasses! We gave up after a while and just brought her downstairs again. It was raining by this point so I couldn't take her out for a walk. She had another feed soon after and went for a short nap after that. I just hope she sleeps well tonight, she's gone down fine so far.

We've made some good progress on sorting out the living room in the house today, it'd been full of boxes and pretty much un-usable since we moved in, but with my sister and her fiance coming to stay next weekend and probably sleeping on an airbed in there it needed doing. It'll be lovely to have proper chill out space. We're going to try and have it as a kid free room unless watching TV or a video/DVD...that's the aim anyway...

Sad discovery today in the process though, our last surviving tropical fish has died. NOt really a surprise, the only place the tank could go when we first moved in was in one spot that got a lot of sunshine (and hence grew a lot a algae), we're going to reorganise a bit and then restart the tank in a sheltered spot that shouldn't get any direct sunlight. Hopefully we'll manage to breed some guppies (been an ambition of mine for a while...is that sad?).

Summertime (well almost!) and garden

Well, I didn't make it back on yesterday after all.

Mr H, the munchkin and I managed to get some time out in the garden in a brief bit of sunshine before we needed to bring her in for her bath. It was lovely.

It's the first time we've had a useable garden. In our old rented house we had a little patio with what must have been the world's biggest ants nest underneath it (we had suspicions the nest extended right under the house and out the front too, there were that many ants and an unhelpful landlord who didn't do much to help us get rid of them). The little blighters are rather off putting, especially when I'm allergic to insect bites and don't really fancy a week plus of ridiculously itchy lumps on my legs... We still have some ants here, though no where near as many of them.

This house has a dinky little lawned area right outside the door and a raised decking area with a shed and a gate that leads out to the road out of the estate. We need to do a bit of work on the garden. There's a raised bed at the side of the lawn full of dodgy ornaments and weedy little shrubs (and weeds!) that I want to completely revamp (possibly into a little vegetable patch....), plus Mr H needs to cut the grass (I have no idea how to use a strimmer [Mr H decided to get one of them instead of a lawn mower as the lawn is only small]...though I suppose I could learn...)

Anyway, need to go and put the munchkin down for a nap. enjoy what sunshine you can find for the rest of your Sunday. Bye!

Interesting day....

...or maybe not!

We spent 5 hours wandering round Cambridge yesterday mainly looking at bikes for Mr H to cycle to work on. Now I'm all for him saving us money on diesel, but did it have to cost £530?!?!?!?

It could have been a lot worse I suppose, we were spending time together in the week (Mr H booked the day off for a break from work before we realised that with bank holidays and other annual leave days already booked he is only working one 5 day week in the next 6 weeks!!!), we were having time away from home and getting fresh air and exercise (well walking several miles with the pram).

All I managed to buy for me was a new purse to replace my one with a broken zip (not as easy as it sounds actually, most of the purses I found were far too small or far too big and usually woth out much space for cards (I have far too many of those, can't seem to reduce the numbers anymore either!).

The munchkin was really good, she didn't nap very well (probably why she didn't sleep brilliantly last night) but was calm and happy being admired by random people in shops.

The challenge for today is to get Mr H to have a break. Since we moved he's spent time every weekend fixes things, installing wardrobe poles, blinds etc. So for today we're trying to have him doing nothing of the sort. We're not going out (bought some very nice looking food in M&S yesterday to eat today - big treat!) and we're going to chill. He may end up mowing the lawn though so that he can play with his remote control car! At the moment it would get all of 2 inches into the jungle!

Anyway, we're going to chill out in front of a DVD the I need to put the dishwasher on. Maybe back later! Bye!

Weighed in

I'm now more than half way to my goal!!! Lost another 2 lbs this week. If I can lose another 2 in the next week that will be 2 whole stone lost since the start of the year....need to be really good and walk lots if I'm going to do that.....
BMI at start: 31.5
BMI now: 26.9 (getting to the healthy range!)

Summer's on the way!

Just been out for a walk with the munchkin, it's been so cold lately that I put my big coat on as usual, however I ended up taking it off fairly quickly and walking round in the blazing sunshine with just a t-shirt on! That was in spite of a frost this morning. It's such a nice change. It's bright enough outside that I don't need to put the light on in the kitchen diner (has been a gloomy room since we moved in, just one north facing window, sheltered by porches on both sides), the sun's streaming in through the patio door into the living room. I'm just hoping this weather keeps up all summer, it'll be really nice to be able to spend time out in the garden with the munchkin, getting lots of fresh air and hopefully going on lots of walks.

Diet decisions

I'm currently doing Weight Watchers Online following Full Choice, but I'm trying to decide whether to try the No Count or not. I like being able to eat anything and just add the points up, but I do still eat junk at times (some choc and crisps almost every day!!!) so I think I may eat a bit more healthily on No Count but I don't know......

I'm weighing in tonight so I need to decide today whether to try No Count this week or not....if I don't try it this week it will be a few weeks before I do as my sister and her fiance are coming to stay for Easter and then we've got my gran's 80th(!!) birthday party the weekend after and it'd be easiest just to eat whatever then.....

Maybe I'll try No Count the week after Nana's birthday.....I'll keep you updated!

Just finished....

....reading Hannah's Gift by Maria Housden. I love this book, even though it makes me cry (the only reason I didn't cry part way through it today was the munchkin waking up and needing attention!). Hannah's strength and faith are amazing for a 3 year old. I like the way Maria writes about the effect Hannah's illness has on her own faith and it really challenges me about my faith. Anyway, if you get the chance to buy/read this book do, but be prepared to cry!

Memory...what's that?

Just remembered that I needed to book a doctors appointment this week, my memory is like a sieve, I was supposed to call up on Friday to try and get an appointment with the nice doc I saw last time, as it is, I've just called now and got the locum, nice doc is on holiday. At least all I need is a repeat prescription of the anti-depressants that nice doc gave me a month ago, he can't really complain about that (sorry, have had experience of very unsympathetic doc at the practice before who didn't really listen/want to help much). Oh well, the challenge now is to remember that my appointment is at 10am tomorrow....

Just for a change.....

....we're on white goo in this house now.

We started trying the munchkin with baby rice yesterday. She seems to think it's ok, though I think she'll prefer a bit more flavour. We'll just have to wait until we try adding in veg next week!

She's actually managing to nap properly today which is nice. She's even sleeping through Mr H drilling in our bedroom next door to hers as he put up the new wardrobe rail (how the people who owned this house before coped with no full length hanging space, I have no idea!).

Birthday trip out.....or not!

Well, we didn't make it to London after all
I had my first ever migraine last night (at least that's what we think it was) and was feeling too tired this morning to face the tube and all the crowds. Another time!

Had a quiet(ish!) day at home instead. Saved up some WW points (partly from not being able to eat dinner last night) and have enjoyed being able to eat nice food (bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon.......). We may be going out for dinner tonight (the munchkin will sleep in her carrycot - she just about fits in it still!!)

Got some lovely pressies from Mr H and the munchkin. Mr H was lovely and didn't buy any more chocolate to tempt me off the diet with, and just bought me a cute mini birthday cake so I won't be tempted by it all week (it may be gone by the end of the weekend!). There wasn't any one big thing that I wanted so I was given lots of little bits, books, dvds, bits for card making and a scrap-booking starter kit (the challenge will be to find time to do it!).

well, we're going to have to go out for a walk. The munchkin is refusing point blank to go to sleep in her cot, having only slept (during the day) today for about an hour (usually 2+ hours by now!).

I wrote this at about 4pm.....blogger wouldn't load it before we went out....grrrr.....anyway, we ended up at Ikea. Never been there before. Bought some nice wine glasses and some plastic bowls and beakers for the munchkin. Trying to feed the munchkin now and get her to bed now before I fall asleep. Never realised how draining a migraine was :(