One month in...

Who would have thought I'd be as calm as a cucumber one month into having two children.
Who would have thought I'd got lots of sleep during the night
Who would have thought I'd actually have time to get dressed AND put make up on?
Who would have thought I would have lost the baby weight apart from 4 kilos?
Noooooot meeeeee!!!

I am so proud of myself and pleased that everything has been so smooth up til now. We've managed one month!

Little Jessie is the cutest little thing and sleeps like a trooper. We forget she's here most of the time and when she's hungry she kind of meows... Suits me!

I've just had two hours to myself as they timed their nap-time beautifully. Ellen asked to go to bed, just as little Jesselina had dropped off. Bingo-Stingo!

So I've had time for a snooze, done some washing, tidied the house, eaten lunch and surfed round in the net of inter! I've just heard some grunts from Ellen's bedroom so I expect her to wake up anytime now.

Its raining loads today and I am not too keen to be outside. However, Ellen has just got a new umbrella (pink with a little princess on top) from a friend of mine and she LOVES it. She wizzes round the house shouting Umbrella, and then points to the door pleading: Walk, pees Mummy! Raaaain!!!
Hmm...bad timing to get an umbrella that makes her want to go out in the rain... But its only water, so I expect we'll be out there in an hour throwing pebbles in the pond as usual...

Anyway, making myself a cup of coffee before it all kicks off again. But I am a bloody great mummy I am!!! Brag brag brag brag!

Ellen dictionary

Our little Ellen is adorable at the moment. I thought I'd jot down a few little things she's saying at the moment.

Nook! = Look!
What's that noisy-noise? (holding one hand over her ear) = What's that noise?
Goggie = Doggy
Oh, nook! Whazzis here?! = Oh look, what's this!?
Mummy Daddy Mummy Mummy = Mummy
Daddy Mummy Daddy Daddy = Daddy...!
E-o = Hello
Ice gweem = Ice cream
Kicka = Kaka
Bummie pee Daddy = Brum please Daddy (Brum being her favourite TV-programme)
Tat = Cat
E-board = Keyboard
Atteries = Batteries
Basically, everything looses its first consonant in Ellens world...

Baby days

So....

Little Jessie Sara Newman came to the world on the 3rd of September 2008.
5 days early, which suited me down to the ground (looking back at the previous posting...) as I was getting stabbed and kicked from within and was thoroughly fed up with the whole thing.
The labour was excellent and I found it really amazing this time. My contractions started about 2pm on Tuesday and I was roughly timing them etc. I knew things were starting, I just didn't know when things would really kick in. About 4pm I felt the urge to bake...so me and Ellen whipped out our aprons and baked a chocolate cake and a sponge cake. Well, Ellen ate most of the mixture while I was baking, but she was good company anyway! As I haven't been baking since 1943 I thought it must be a sign that things were happening.
We went to the hospital about 10pm and things kicked in about midnight and I was straight on the gas & air. And many pains, laughters and tears later little Jessie popped out at 05.32.
She was sooooo beautiful and I am still in awe of this whole baby-making-thing today.

Life as a mum-of-two is great. It is hard of course, but so far so good. Ellen is really great and Jessie has been behaving herself at night, so we're getting plenty of sleep which is the most important thing. I am trying not to overdo things and have been hanging round the house a lot, not buzzing round to see too many friends. But a few walks and visits have been lovely.

Today is the first day I am on my own with the two of them for the first time. Its 14:27 and both children are asleep, the house is tidy, I am dressed and got make-up and hair done, dogs are fed and watered and asleep (of course) and all is surprisingly quiet... I am great I am!!!

Going to try to get into Wickford today to get some errands done. Need some wrapping paper and birthday cards, lightbulbs and batteries. Plus some fresh air would be nice.

So do your best children - I am ready for it - Bring on the madness!

Martial Art Baby

The guy on the right is me and the guy on the left is the baby in my belly...
Around 10.30pm the baby starts practicing its mae geri kick and I am in absolute agony from it. Sensei Baby, please stop...

Chicken Pox

I belive my little Ellen has got Chicken Pox (svenska: Vattkoppor). I found one big spot on her leg yesterday and today she's got another 3 on different parts of her little body. She seems as happy as Larry still, no temperature or anything like that, so all good so far. Hoping its going to be a mild one.
I'm not 100% it is, but 96% of my motherly intuition tells me it is...

So I will update later on to tell you all how we're doing.
Thank god I've already had it.

Oh Rennie my Rennie!

"You lift me up
And I'm touching the blue sky
You lift me up
I'm on top of the world
I'm getting closer to heaven
In every little thing I love
You lift me up"

Sleep

I find it extremely difficult to get comfy at night now. First I try my left side but after 2 minutes I get kicked in a spot just under my right rib, the same spot every time, and its got really sore now. So, with great effort, I move over to my right side...all quiet for a while, then BANG, a kick straight into that same spot again. I bounce up and try to lie on my back. After about 10 seconds on my back I start feeling dizzy and sick, and slowly roll over to my left side again... and it all starts over again...Left, right, back, left, right, back...
Then I sit up, swear a bit, chew another Rennie Dual Action heartburn tablet...and lie back down. Huff Huff Huff...

If anyone knows of a sleeping position that I haven't yet tried, please let me know. If there is some kind of contraption which lets you be suspended from the ceiling by your heels, so that there is no pressure whatsoever on any part of your body...tell me!

Exhausted

Let me tell you a bad combination - workmen in the house and a tired child!

I have had enough and just want to go to bed myself. My eyes are stinging and I am dizzy with fatigue. We've got a workman in the house sorting out a hole in the ceiling (where Steve almost fell through while moving some boxes in the loft) and he's making a hell of a racket up there. Meanwhile, downstairs, everything is covered in dust and bits of wood and Ellen can't really be let loose anywhere in the house without treading on something dangerous. So we've been watching a DVD all morning and she is now shattered. But because of all the noise she can't sleep. So I am stuck with a very grizzly child, while the house echoes with the banging of a hammer.

I've had quite productive morning though, before the madness began, and done lots of little jobs that I've been putting off forever.

Just had a huge portion of Korv Stroganoff and not sure what to do with myself now.
Please please sleep Ellen...

Aaah, I am so good

Today I've had sliiightly more energy than yesterday and I managed to clean the house, well half of it. Hoovered, mopped the floors and polished the wood surfaces with lovely smelling polish.
So now it smells nice and I don't have to walk on bread crumbs.

In the kitchen I've got a casserole cooking and I am just about to go and pick Ellen up from nursery.

I've even had a shower and done my hair! Can you believe it! I look half-decent!!!

Annexe - before & after

This is what our annexe bedroom looked like before we attacked it last weekend.



And this is what it looks like after!
I have now ordered a lovely bed set to go on the bed, instead of that horrid brown duvet cover. Then I'll hunt down some lovely decorative pillows and voila - a loooovely spare bedroom.

It helps being a Bitch!

What a morning! Its been such a busy morning with workmen and cleaners rumbling up and down the stairs - one making a mess and the other trying to clean it up!!
Anyway, the carpet was going down nicely in Ellen's new bedroom, when I got a call from the Carpet Showroom. They said they'd only quoted me for the bedroom, not for the stairs and landing...(when in fact the stairs and landing is part of the bedroom, like a little loft thing) and they were now telling me over the phone that to get the rest done it was going to cost me £480!!

But being a grumpy old hormonal bitch these days, I was having none of it, as it was definitely their cock-up and I was not going to pay double the price for an area that's tiny.
So I told them where to go and they rang back 10 minutes later and had chopped the price down to a mininum, which I was happy to pay.

Steve has had his fair share of grumpyness from me, and today it was the carpet company's turn.

Queen Bitch - hormones aren't all bad. They save me money too!

Chemical woman

This little bugger seems to be the source of all my troubles at the moment: Progesterone
The pregnancy hormone.

Reasoning with a brain that is pumped up to the max with this little fella, is like reasoning with a bloody tree trunk. No use what so ever.

New pram

I have been browsing around looking for a new double buggy. I came across this one and thought: Perfect!

Wide Awake

Yesterday I felt like this:
And today I feel like this:

A selection of Swedish horns...

This posting should have been posted a few weeks ago, about 90 minutes before Sweden got knocked out of Euro 2008. We had hope...
Steve pretending to be Helga!

Dakota posing as Ann-Marie.

And last but not least, Indy posing as Charlotta.

Things that makes me feel good

This lovely body butter makes me happy. I love the smell of it and it wakes me up immediately, if I am feeling drained.
Body Shop Monoi Moisture Balm from the Spa Wisdom range.

Washington DC & Babel

Steve is now on his way to Washington DC, British Airways style - flatbed style! I want to try one of those seats one day! He is back on Monday, so I'm on my own til then.


I wish I could have gone with him but I'm at home, looking after doggies and Ellen. We're going to have a lovely girly weekend (sorry dogs) with this film among others - Babel. That's my Saturday night treat.


Seeing Sarah on Friday and look forward to seeing their new place in Colchester. Barney touched down in Afghanistan yesterday evening and will be back in 3 months time, juuuust in time for the little baby!

Right, I am off to rest my eyes and my fat body for 1,5 hours, before heading down to Southend to see Clare, Ellie & Sarah.

Plaything

This afternoon I am picking up this jolly playcentre for Ellen. Have been looking for ages for something with slides for her, that she can climb on as well. Ebay had loads, but they are still quite expensive and I really wanted one for this weekend.
Luckily I bought the Wickford Gazette this morning and this beauty was being advertised about 20 min away for a fraction of the prizes on Ebay. Lucky Ellen! So at 5pm we're loading it into the car and should have it in the courtyard, all ready to rock, by tomorrow morning!
Hurrah!

Henry & I

We have just had our quality time for today, good old Henry and I.

I love it when he's been round the house and it now smells of Wood Polish and Grumme floor-cleaner.
I've also got my Summer Fruits oil-burner going and oooohhh it really is summer.

I can relax and concentrate so much better when the house is clean and tidy, which it is to 90% right now. Spotless no - Tidy yes!

Even the kitchen is sparkling. The only thing that's not sparkling right now...is me!
I need a shower badly and will grab one later on when Ellen's gone to bed.

Getting excited

This lovely changing station arrived today from Mamas & Papas. Ooooh I am getting excited now about the new baby but less excited about my evergrowing belly which is weighing me down.

Also, to go with it was this little changing mat. The one we've got at the moment I am going to throw away - it's seen too much crap!

The little toy chest and toddler bookcase arrived today as well, and I will ask my dad for help on assembling these pieces. I just can't bend!!

Just been out to water our plants in the garden (about 1,000 of them) and sweating like a hyena. My neck starts to hurt when I am on the laptop for too long, so I am taking regular breaks.