End of an Era

This is the end of my last week off.

I tend to count Sundays as the beginning of a new week so will make extra effort to enjoy Preaster tomorrow!  (As we're in Kent for Easter with Steve's family we're having a 'pre-easter' on Palm Sunday instead) and everyone will be together :)  Including baby Martha!

Then I'm off on Monday (who wants to go back to work on a Monday?!  Not me!) and Tuseday, off I go, heigh ho heigh ho.

I've got a box of stuff to take in such as a mug, a glass, some hand cream, just the little bits I used to keep in my desk.  Ironically I left with a paper box and my stuff, and I'm going back with a Pampers box!  

Toothy Pegs

We're getting the top two teeth coming through finally!!  Joel seems to be struggling more with these ones and is waking in pain, getting temperatures and being a lot more grizzly than normal.  I don't blame him to be honest.  But the left one is poking through and the right one is right behind it so not too much longer I hope!

We almost may be walking soon too!  He's working on cruising one handed and tries to stand unaided for moments as well!  It's all very exciting progress!

Strollin', Strolling', Strollin'

When I walk Joel to nursery they have a buggy storage area but Joel's giant Rubix buggy takes up all the space as it's not collapsible.  Plus it takes up the entire boot space in our car if we take it out anywhere.

So I've known that a collapsible stroller would be more sensible for going out and about with and having looked online decided that I wanted a Maclaren Techno XT.  I couldn't find a bad review about it and they're in the pricier side of strollers but with having been paid, I wanted to splurge on something so I did.

Yesterday I went to Mothercare and got a Techno XT in red.  I had thought about the Crown Blue colour but red is cheerful and gender neutral and in stock!

And it's very smart looking for now anyway!

We trialled it this morning walking to nursery and Joel seemed very happy in it.  It feels sturdy enough, (not as sturdy as my Rubix of course but not wobbly like other strollers I've seen) and we zipped along in it after having fitted the straps to fit Joel.

The test will be fitting the rain cover and him napping in it but so far I'm very happy with it.  Oh, except when I got to nursery I couldn't work out how to collapse it so left it taking up space anyway!  I'll have to re-read the instruction manual!!

Mixed Bag

So here we are.

My last week off with Joel.  He's actually at nursery today but I might collect him a bit earlier than normal.  I'm technically on holiday at the moment having begun work on the 5th March but it's nice to be paid to be at home!!

I'm not sure how I feel yet about everything.  It's all very strange to think that on Tuesday I'll be heading back to the office.  On Tuesday and Wednesday Joel will be going to my parents for the day and on Thursday he'll be at nursery.  I only have three days to work before the Easter holiday and we're heading down to Kent for the weekend to see Steve's family there.

So three days is not too bad is it?  I'm sure I'll be ok with that.

But then it's not the going back to work that's the issue.  It's the missing Joel and missing his cute face, and funny smiles, his first steps and just having a lovely time with him.  It'll be someone else having the lovely time with him.  I'll just have a photo on my desk to see him.

Is it worth it?  I'm not sure.  But I know he'll be fine.  He seems to really enjoy nursery and he loves my parents and playing at their house.  And he'll have tea and play time here after work.  And there's the walk to and from work we'll have together.

I just wish that things had gone my way and that I'd been allowed to go part time.  August is ages away and I can resubmit another application on the 24th.  But I'm a full time worker until then at least.  I don't think they could turn me down a second time.  That would be awful :(

I also hope I don't get used to the extra money and being back at work.  This month on getting my first pay slip in months I went out and bought a stroller (Maclaren Techno XT!) a new vacuum cleaner (as our old one gave up the ghost and we've had it fixed once already for £35 and paying a second time for fixing is silly when a new one is only £70) and I bought Steve a new outfit and myself and Joel a new outfit, and some eye cream.  And that's it for now!  We're going to use my wages to start some savings towards the house and for Joel's future.  It was nice to have a day of spending lots of money though.  It's been a while since I could.  I'd also like to get a new toilet seat.  Wild aren't I!!

Anyway, this week is all about Joel and getting the most out of the time we have together and I'm enjoying every day, especially with this sunshine which feels as though it's been sent to ensure we have a nice time together!  And we have the weekend, and then Monday.  We'll do something special on Monday like visit a farm and look at baby animals!  And I'll treasure the memories.

Sunny Garden Day

Our garden at home is a bit rubbish.  We had a nice lawn but our dog killed it with her toxic pee.

However, my parents garden is lovely and perfect (no female dogs there!) and today they put all their Little Tikes garden toys our for Joel to play with and we had lots of fun!  It's like a baby play park all for him!

Stepping Out

This weekend Joel has begun stepping out using his walker to walk himself in a line!  He can pull himself up to stand behind his walker, and set off, pushing and toddling after it so we're very excited!!

He looks so cute toddling about and he is obviously so very proud of himself!

This afternoon we were at my parents and they have a turtle walker which we put in the garden and he enjoyed the extra room as our lounge doesn't allow for a long walk before hitting the furniture!

New Kid On The Block

Welcome to the world Martha Rose.....

Born 23rd March, early in the morning to my sister and her husband.... 8lbs 13 1/2oz.....

Aunty Sarah having a cuddle

Proud Daddy gazing at his daughter...

It's lovely that Joel will have a new cousin with less than a year between them!!

Back to Routine

This week has been quite a wipeout!

After Mother's Day was spent holding a hot, sick baby, the rest of the week has been much of a likeness.  We've struggled with his temperature, kept him away from all his groups, he's slept loads, not eaten much at all and tried get him over this virus but it's been hard as I came down with it too!

On Monday my Mum came over to sit with him for the afternoon and I slept for three hours!!  I was running a fever too, having some very strange dreams and kept feeling ever so dizzy.  On Tuesday he perked up a little and my Dad came down in the afternoon as I was feeling worse and having a perkier baby was almost more difficult as he wanted entertaining!  Dad took him out in his buggy for a couple of hours and I relaxed, read and dozed.  On Tuesday night he went to my parents for the night so I could get a good night's sleep but in the morning he was floppy and hot again.  We got into the dr's to be be told once again it's a virus, there's nothing we can do.  Honestly, he's been feeling poorly and virussy for days and I was fed up of feeling hot and dizzy and neither of us were eating a lot.  It's been the worst poorly spell ever for us yet!

Thursday I kept him off nursery.  He got up at 6.15, downed a bottle of milk and went back to sleep in bed with Daddy till 8am.  Then he got up, refused breakfast, played for a little while and went back to bed till 11.30!  That's a lot of napping.  I was determined to get out into the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine so off we went to town and did some mooching, and went to the park.  Joel enjoyed the swings and we sat in the grass and he liked that then he fell asleep in his buggy.  Again!!

I guess it was the first outing we've properly had all week and it made me think he needs to get back into his routine of doing stuff as with me feeling ill, I'm afraid he's had CBeebies as a babysitter more this week than he's ever had before.  And it's driven me crazy.  I had no idea there were so many shows in the daytime.  I had to turn it off after an hour though.  We put a cd on instead for background noise and played with his balancing bugs and looked at books.  I'm sure kids love CBeebies but it felt as though it was trying to suffocate me!!

Today Joel has gone up to nursery and sat happily eating his breakfast there whilst I snuck out.  I warned them he may need extra naps but I'm hoping getting back to normal will mean he's getting better still and with next week being my last one off, we can make the most of the time.  Although saying that, I guess I should be glad I was here to nurse and look after him whilst he's been so poorly, as I'd hate to have been in work whilst he was ill so there is a silver lining after all.

Mother's Day Sickness

My first Mother's Day seemed to be a bit of a boo this year!

On Saturday we'd been over to Grantham to see friends and during the afternoon Joel began feeling hot and didn't seem himself.

During the night he woke up a couple of times so ended up in bed with me with Steve taking the spare bed.  Then Sunday he was very hot, he felt like a little roasting man and we kept monitoring him with calpol and checking his temperature until it seemed it wasn't working so we rushed him off to the emergency doctors where he got amoxycillin, ibuprofen and paracetamol to help work on his temperature.

I'd been cooking a roast chicken dinner for my mum and dad and left them to finish it off so we did get to sit down and eat, but Joel just wanted cuddles and was very listless all day.

The night was awful.  He couldn't settle unless he was near me and during the night kept crawling onto me, flinging himself across me and sleeping so I didn't sleep well at all.

However, looking down at this little man, tucked into my body with his little hand trying to cling onto me, my heart melted and I knew I'd do whatever it takes to help him sleep and get well which meant staying awake and holding him to soothe him.

I've been run down and exhausted today and feel that I need a mothers' day mark two where we're all healthy and well but Joel is getting better with the help of his medicines and I hope he's over this virus in a day or two.  In the meantime, it's cuddles on the sofa and lots of waybaloo to help him feel better.

My First Mother's Day Card

This is what I got from nursery this afternoon when I went to collect Joel!  I was rather moved!  Inside is a little picture of Joel with a paint brush in his hand, and wearing a plastic apron!  he has such interesting things to do at nursery and seems to be really thriving there!  It helps, with only having two weeks of maternity leave left.

Tiredness Competition

I'm having an argument with Steve today about who is the more tired.

His reasoning that he should win involves the fact he has been up every morning to go to networking meetings and worked all day and got in at 6pm and he's weary from this.  Plus he went away last weekend and had late nights and early starts and hasn't been able to lie in at all.

Fine.  I'm not disagreeing with that at all.  Everything he has argued is true.

BUT.......

I too have been up every morning to look after Joel.  I have been officially on duty 24/7 for almost three weeks without a morning lie in.

When Steve decided (without talking to me first) to go away for a weekend it meant I lost my weekend.  He didn't even give me a moment's consideration that his decision to have boy fun would mean I didn't get a lie in.  Normally when he's got a busy week I'm sympathetic and let him have a weekend lie in.  But not this time.  I'm cross that he thinks he can do whatever he likes whenever he likes without any consequences.

We're both tired but one has to give and I really feel that for once, it should be him.

Larks in the Park

Now Joel is a proven park enthusiast I find that we're heading to various play grounds all over the place.  Just so he can sit in a swing and be pushed for a while!

Yesterday my mother-in-law came up for the day to see Joel, so we went to Victoria Park which is a wonderful little town park with lots of different things to do and being a Monday afternoon was nice and quiet.   The last time I brought her here, he was too small to do anything really but this time...

Joel went on the swings.....  (he looks quite small still doesn't he!!)

Then we tried rocking him on a bouncy horse thing.  Then we put him in a spinning cup thing (didn't get a picture of that as it didn't last long!).  Then we put him on a climbing frame sort of toy with sides and he crawled up and down it for a while (with one of us at each end he was quite safe)

and he loved it being something new and different!  I get the feeling it won't be too long before he's running around of his own accord jumping on toys rather than being held by me or Granny!

The funniest moment was afterwards when we went to look at the birds in the town aviary as there was a rather malevolent looking parrot which was very loud indeed and Joel loved him as he could talk to him in it's own language!!

The parrot went 'squawk' and Joel went 'squawk'!  They continued to copy each other for a while and Joel giggled to himself and it was all rather lovely!

I caught it on camera too so here you go!.....

Lacklustre

Oh dear.  I've not blogged for what feels like ages.

Pretty much I've not been well, Steve's not been well and Joel's not been well either.  We're catching the same lurgy that seems to be doing the rounds.  I think they all originate from Joel's nursery to be honest!  There's always something coming back with him now he's going for full days on a thursday and a friday.

Joel isn't too bad with it now.  He's got a rattle in his chest that will be seen by a Dr tomorrow and my head is very woolley with popped ears and a chesty cough.

He's rather brilliant at the moment.  He's all about passing things back and forth.  He'll pass us a toy, and we have to take it, smile and say thank you, then pass it back to him.  If it doesn't go his way he gets cross!  In creche at Church this morning he was trying to play this game with a baby a month younger than him who was happy to take the toy, but didn't quite grasp the concept of handing it back.  So he had to take it off her and try again.  It didn't work properly for him but it was cute of them to be interacting so nicely!

What else did we do?  Steve was away for the weekend (and didn't bother calling or texting at all on Saturday to see how we were so is in the dog house) so Joel and I went to the park again!  And we fed ducks and swung on swings.

And I helped Joel slide down the slide which he thought was marvellous!  He saw an older child playing on her own and he really seems to love watching other kids and it inspires him to try to do more!!

he's also starting getting cars and vrooming them back and forth with noises which I guess he's picked up at nursery as I've not played that game with him.  As a girl it's never occurred to me to 'vroom' a car about so we got him a cheap one to play with at home as it's still 6 weeks till his birthday.  I don't see the point in making him wait for something when he can get the benefit now.

And baby is now sounding tired and bed ready so off I go......

Attached

Joel is quite simply besotted with his blankie.

On being lifted out of his cot now he insists on bringing it with him and cries if it's left behind.

It's always around somewhere even if he's not playing with it at the present moment.  He'll have stashed it up a corner and be able to grab it if the need arises.

He likes having it at nursery and holds onto it when he needs reassurance.  His photo is on the wall and a coat peg and blankie appears in both!

He sucks it, chews it, plays peekaboo with it, wipes it round his face.  He only has to see it, crawl to get it and he'll roll on the floor whilst stroking it to his face with his thumb in.  It's like instant sleepiness!

And it gets rather stinky, rather quickly.

I do have two.  I alternate them for regular washing.  He doesn't seem to mind a clean one!  Yet....

Holiday Booked!

Hoorah!

We've finally decided on a holiday!  Gone are thoughts of cruises to Norway (we are going for cheap and cheerful and saving for a new house instead!) and flying anywhere (I don't want to risk Joel's ears on a plane yet)  so we're camping in south Wales which will be new for us as neither of us has been to the south.  We'll then be able to have a weekend in a B&B in North Wales after the camping week.

I've found a nice looking, family friendly site, Izzy can come too, there are animals to see and a play park.  It's 3 miles from the coast and there are some beautiful beaches and lots of places to see and visit.  Best of all it's £17 a night for all of us!  We already have all our camping equipment and Joel will probably sleep in with us but we have a travel cot from my sister if needed and we'll get him a little sleeping bag!

It'll be lovely to have something to look forward to once I have to go back to work!  I'll be counting down the days from the 3rd April.

Waybaloo Time

This program seems to really relax him! At least it means I get to have some cuddle time once in a while!

Snack Time Mess

I gave Joel a laughing cow triangle on a biscuit for a snack and he loved it!

And made a bit of a mess!!

First Shoes

Joel is a standing man at the moment and beginning to cruise. As he's meant to wear slippers for nursery we went to get him some from Clarks!

These tiny things were £12! Cruising shoes were £24! Wowsers! Who knew?!

We'll leave cruisers for another day but he's getting used to them!