Thomas Ryan

Well it has been hectic since my last post!!

The main thing that has changed is that we now have our son, Thomas Ryan. He was born at 6:11am on Friday 23rd October 09 weighing 7lbs 14ozs.

It was a really long labour, I was exhausted before the hard part of the birth, I was so drugged up to the eyeballs I was talking to my husband about god knows what and he was just agreeing with me lol.

Thomas is the spitting image of his dad!!! He is lovely, got his day and night muddled up but slowly getting better with that. He is been fully breastfed which took its toll on me the first few days but I am so glad I persevered. He is gaining weight like I don't know what. He went from 7lbs 14oz, 5 days later he was 7lbs 9ozs which is only a 5% loss (they allow up to 10%) then 5 days after that he was 8lbs!!! Then 3 days after he was 8lbs 5ozs then 6 days later he was 8lbs 11oz. He will be weighed next Tuesday so I will update with his new weight.

My back seems to be worse than it was before I fell pregnant, I have an altered sensation in my left buttock which doesn't seem right to me. Also have more pain in my right side of my back, before I fell pregnant it was more on my left side. Once I've had my 6 week check I am booking an appointment with the pain specialist who will then send me for another MRI to see what is happening. Hopefully something they can fix, because when Thomas gets heavier I will not be able to pick him up.

Anyway, I best go tend to Thomas, who has just woken up from his nap.

Well thins will be a long one seen as though it has been over a week since my last post!!!

It seems I was miss informed about the camel and the hairy bikers when they visited Mainsgill, well the actual story is that Kevin the camel spit at Dave and the camera man never caught it, but they prodded and poked him until he did it again but only just caught it!!!! I didn't see my mam there but they only really showed the butchers part and the camel, but they did show the outside of the kitchen where mam works.

Well it was a hard week last week, I travelled up to Cheltenham on the train with Rob and Dylan, Rob then went onto Stoke to be there for his family before the funeral. I then got picked up from the station by Paul, we went to Tescos and then up to the moors to let Dylan have a good run around. The next morning we set off about 8:15 and called in for petrol and was on our way, we were making good time and stopped for a loo break just before we got off the M5 onto the M6. Unfortunately we got held up in traffic just where the M5 and M6 merge, we turned on our travel alerts and found out that the bloody M6 was shut!!!! Then about 10 minutes later one lane was open, eventually we got moving when all the lanes were open, which put us behind on time and we didn't think we were going to make it in time. I was meant to go to Robs Nans house to get in the car and follow the coffin to the church, well that didn't happen and we had to go straight to the church, well it was a bit hit and miss as I didn't know exactly where the church was!!! I found a church that seemed to be in the right place, but I didn't recognise any of the people standing around, so I thought I was in the wrong place, luckily I wasn't and actually beat the cars to the church.
The funeral was so emotional, I hadn't actually cried since we found out, but I think if I was up in Stoke the whole time then I would of, but because I have been away from it all I haven't been too bad, but all the emotion came out in the church!!!!

I then had to shoot off as we were travelling all the way to Darlington, we had had this weekend planned for ages because we were celebrating my grandma and grandads 45th wedding anniversary. Their anniversary isn't until the 26th but as we surprised them with a trip to the Isle of Man over that weekend, and we were coming up for the British Superbikes at Croft (Basically on our doorstep!!) they decided to celebrate while the family was all there. Well not all the family because Rob stayed in Stoke to help sort things out.
I really enjoyed my time in Darlington and it will be my last until the new year.

On Mon we then piled in the car and travelled to Cheltenham, where we stayed the night at Pauls, we went to Tescos to pick some things up for tea and then went up to the moors to let Dylan have a good run off. Then it was up early on Tues morning to get back to Plymouth for my midwife appointment which was at 2:15. We thought we had plenty of time to get back let the dogs out and then get to my appointment, in the end we had to go straight to the appointment. Thomas is head down and 4/5th engaged, which I have come to learn that this is pretty much glued in until labour. My Midwife listened to his heartbeat and he seems really content in there and in no hurry to come out!!!

I thought on Wed we would be chilling out and not driving anywhere, but Vic had other ideas, she wanted to go to the beach somewhere, so we ended up going to Paignton for a few hours, I actually enjoyed the day even though that morning I could have just stayed at home!!! We took the dogs and found a cafe and the arcade that allowed dogs which was brilliant. We found a huge park to give them a big walk and then came home. Paul, Vic, Jesse and their dog went home on Thurs. I really enjoyed seeing Jesse again and played some new games with her. She is 1 and really clever at picking things up really quickly.

Yesterday we had someone knock on the door, normally we are really careful who we answer the door to, but Rob wasn't thinking and answered the door. I had been saying to Rob that he would have to cut the grass at some point this weekend as it was getting too long, but the problem is our garden is not flat it is so steep the only thing we can use is a strimmer. The guy at the door was someone with a petrol strimmer offering to cut and collect our grass for us for £15. We said yes because it saves us doing a job. But the problem is that he cut the grass no problem, but didn't come back to collect the grass. So with Rob been at work today I went out with the rake and moved it to the bottom of the garden. When we lived in London we had a wheelie bin for garden waste and veg peelings, another bin for general waste and 3 recycle boxes. Here we have a bin for recycling that doesn't take glass (that is kind of defeating the object!!!) and another bin for general waste that neither take garden waste, so I don't know what to do with the left over grass as I don't have room for a compost heap. Any ideas???

I have also given in to taking my engagement and wedding rings off as my fingers keep swelling with pregnancy and the heat. I have kept them on for 18 months well the wedding ring and nearly 3 years (in Nov) for the engagement ring. I have got them on my necklace so they are still close to my heart.

Anyway I am now catching up with my hairy bikers tour of Britain while Rob is at work.

Rant

In my last post I told you about the lack of time me and Rob would be spending together, well that was made worse when he then tells me that he might be working shifts now and is down to work tonight. Luckily he was not needed however, even thought we have all the sports channels and the free ones including ITV which is showing the bloody football, he decided that seen as though he had been asked to go to the pub to watch it he was going to go. I asked him not to and what did he go and do - he went anyway.

I am so annoyed with him, as he knows we won't be spending anytime together properly until Tues, and then my brother, his girlfriend and baby are coming down to stay for a few days so its not the same as been in the house together with nobody here (and no getting any dirty ideas I'm 8 months pregnant for gods sake!!!).

On top of all that, my hips and back are killing me, the baby keeps turning breech and then back to been head down, but when he is turning its so uncomfortable as there is not much room for him in there, and there is soooooo much pressure on my hips. Its not comfortable at all.

The house is not up to my standards of cleanliness either, and I just don't have the strength to put myself through the pain of cleaning!!! There are pots to be washed and dried, washing to be done, luckily I have packed for going up the country for the funeral, there is both bathrooms to be given a once over, hoovering to be done and just generally tidying round before my brother gets here (it needs doing anyway I'm just using my brother as a deadline). And as I'm home alone tonight Rob expects the dishes and washing to be done, but I hurt so much. I then only have tomorrow morning while Rob is at work and in that time I have to find the strength to take Dylan on a walk before a 3 hour train journey!!!

I feel so down at the moment and Rob doesn't understand, I am sat crying as I type this :(

I think I'm going to get a bath to help with the hips and back and then go to bed and try and get comfy.

I won't be updating until next week now unless I am still annoyed in the morning then I might be ranting again. Who Knows.

This week will be a hard one

Well as the title says, this week will be a hard one and it has already started.

Not sure if I have mentioned it yet but me and my husband Rob are both in the Royal Navy and we have to do a 24 hour shift which is called a duty, well as I am now signed off I won't be doing duty until I go back from my maternity leave!!! But Rob still has to do them.

Rob was duty yesterday so I was home alone and had to take Dylan (Our dog) out for his walk, well me having a bad back and been 8 months pregnant going up hills in the fields is not a good combination. I did it but he didn't get a very long walk like he does when Rob takes him out, also there are cows in the field at the minute so we had to go where we could avoid them. So Rob left at about 20 past 7am and he didn't get in this morning until 20 past 8am. These timings are strange because its normally later but as Plymouth are hosting Navy Days this weekend everyone had to be on the base earlier.

He is on the adult baseball team for Plymouth, and they had a game today, it wouldn't have been too bad if it had been in Plymouth as he could have spent some time with me but no the game was held in Bristol, so he had a cup of tea and jumped back on his motorbike at 8:45 and didn't get back in tonight until 20:20!!!! He is absolutely knackered so he is having another cuppa, getting a bath and then going to bed.

Then tomorrow he is duty again but has to be in work for 8 so he will be leaving at 7:30, and when he finishes duty on Tuesday at 9am, he has to go into work and see his boss to see if they need him in, if not he could be home by 10, if they need him in then he could be at work until 5pm!!! So all of these days I have to struggle to take Dylan out and try and keep myself occupied. I know its all part of the job and normally don't mind but with what happened last week I'm still not myself.

Then on Wednesday I have my first antenatal class, so looks like I will be going to that by myself as Robs boss is an arse and prolly won't let him go.

Thursday we are both travelling by train up the country, I am getting off with Dylan at Cheltenham and I am staying at my brothers for the night, and Rob is carrying on to Stoke to be with his family before the funeral. On Fri me, Paul, Vicky, Jesse and Dylan are travelling to Stoke for the funeral and then carrying on to Darlington. We have had this weekend planned for ages, as its my grandma and grandads 45th wedding anniversary so we are celebrating while the family is together. This plan has now changed with the funeral and Rob is staying in Stoke for the weekend to be there for his family and help out as much as he can. He then has to be back at work on Mon.

Paul, Vicky, Jesse, Me and Dylan are then travelling from Darlington to Cheltenham on Mon staying at Pauls for the night and then all travelling to Plymouth on Tuesday. Paul, Vicky and Jesse are then staying for a few days and going back home on Thursday as Vicky is back at work on Friday.

It is going to be so hard for me and Rob with this sad time as I will be there for the church service and then will be on the road again and won't see Rob until the following Tuesday!!! Dylan misses his dad something rotten when he is duty, but this weekend won't be so bad as my grandma and grandad love him and make a big fuss of him and Dylan feels right at home there.

I am hoping to see my aunty Eileen while at home, she is my dads sister, and when my dad left when I was 2 she is the only member of his side of the family that has kept in touch. She says she has a big basket of things for Thomas, so to save her postage I think she is coming to see us while we are in Darlington and will collect it.

Anyway I'm babbling again. I'll leave it at that.

Hairy Bikers

As expected I haven't really been myself or been able to think straight for the past few days. I have been pottering around the house trying to keep myself busy, but also found myself watching daytime tv which I have to say is rubbish!!!

I have found two programmes I love I find them so funny and also found out some news about one of them, the programmes are Ace of Cakes and The Hairy Bikers. I have been watching Ace of Cakes on the Godd Food channel, they are a cake shop based in the USA and they make all sorts of cakes. They have made cakes for the premiers of Kung Fu Panda, Get Smart and the latest Harry Potter movie. I can bake but I wish I could decorater cakes like those guys!!! They haven't released a dvd over here and not sure if they are going to, but check out their website and you will see what I mean when you see the gallery. http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

With regard to the Hairy Bikers, I am watching the tour of britain on BBC2 at 5:15, they are so down to earth and funny, they have cheered me up a little bit. I have also been told that when they visited 'up north' they visited the farm where my mam works, its called mainsgill farm and they have loads of different animals including a camel called Kevin!!!! This episode is airing on Friday 11th September, I wonder if I will spot my mam on tv??? Apparently when they were there the camel spit at one of the Hairy Bikers but they never caught it on camera, so they tried getting him to do it again but he wasn't co-operating!!!

Oooo I have just seen an advert for the Hairy Bakers lol, it starts next Mon at 9pm, I think I will be watching that!!!

Anyway, I have managed to get some of the babies clothes washed and put away, I need to sort out which clothes I need to take into hospital with me and his coming home outfit. Also I need to get some cheap nighties as I have been told that if I have a C Section then the bottoms of PJ's normally sit right where you have been cut open, so Ii thought against that and am opting for nighties.

I'm going to bake again tomorrow I think, I need to pop into town as I have an appointment at the optitions, hopefully my prescription hasn't changed too much, I think I am going to get contact lenses again, unfortunately they won't let you go straight into the continous wear lenses when you haven't worn them for a while. So I will have to put up with taking them out before I sleep and putting them in first thing on a morning for 3 months then they will trial me with the continous wear lenses, which will be a lot better for when Thomas arrives.

I also need to get around to getting my hair cut and my eyebrows waxed, I have been meaning to do this for a few weeks now. I'll do it eventually.
I am going to see how I feel next week and get cracking with assignment 7 and 10 and get them sent into my tutor. I am still waiting for my last two assignments to be marked, I understand that my tutor also runs her own business and is tutoring more than me. I am not bothered by how long it takes to get them back, I just want to be working on the remaining assignments in the mean time.

Well I am going to get the washing in off the line before it starts raining again :( and have a cup of tea, have a bath and go to bed for an early night as I am knackard!!!!

Sad Day

My and my husband woke up this morning and Rob mentioned about lots of people dying and people status' on facebook that have RIP in them. We got on with our day, went into town and did what we had to, came home and I was getting tea ready (a nice lamb dinner) and Rob took our dog out. When he came back in he said in a sad voice 'my nan's just died'.

We don't know much about the cause yet, but the funeral is looking likely to be the 11th Sept. We are both in shock were wandering around aimlessly, now I am on here trying to find something constructive to do and Rob is currently killing people on the xbox to make him self feel better.

Finally

Well I have been meaning to sign up to a blog site for a while now and low and behold today was the day!!!

A little about me, I am 32 weeks pregnant with our first child we have had it confirmed it is a little boy. I am married and have been since 15 March 2008. We found out we were pregnant a week before our first wedding anniversary which was nice. I also have a bad lower back and have done since November 2006, I have degenerative disk disease in my L4/L5 disk, the same disk is prolapsed and sequestered, this is pressing on my spinal cord and resulting in sciatica in my left leg. It is very painful but I try to get on with my life the best I can.

I have been signed off work for my bad back until I start my maternity leave in October, so I have been using this opportunity to finish off my studying for my Diploma in Wedding Planning before the baby arrives. I also have enlisted my brother to help me create a website for the company I will set up once I have completed the Diploma.

I have a name for the company and that is Tilly's Dreams and our motto is 'Where dreams become reality'. I am setting up this business with my Mother In Law, and when we spoke about names we both liked Tilly's Dreams, the name has a meaning for both of us.

For me Tilly was my Great Grandma's nickname so to speak, she was actually called Hilda but was known as Tilly, my mam and grandma have always said if they had the money they would open up a coffee shop and call it Tilly's Teapot, so I thought along those lines to get our name. For Jan (my Mother In Law) Tilly is a little girl who is disabled, and the company Jan works for now is giving her and her family all the help she needs to get by.

Jan currently works for Caudwell Children, which is a children's charity Caudwell Children changes the world for special children throughout the UK, with direct donations of treatment, therapy, specialised equipment and dying wish holidays.Caudwell Children is a Special, Efficient and Unique Charity. Special because it helps children in desperate need. Efficient because every pound raised goes directly to the children – these two points making it truly Unique.
All the management and administrative expenses of the Charity are covered by John Caudwell. For every pound donated not one single penny is spent on overheads, salaries, rent, electricity, postage, stationary etc. In addition we negotiate the price of every item we purchase and if we can get it for free, we do, which means that your donated pound works even harder. In fact, because of the efficient way we spend and manage the money we are able to double the value of every donated pound.
Caudwell Children receives hundreds of applications every month from children needing our help. When a donation has been approved, we then organise every detail of the donation, to alleviate any stress from parents and guardians.

I had a friend visit me today and he has a little girl who is about 14 weeks now, he brought me some unisex baby clothes that didn't fit Isabelle anymore and thought he would bring them to a good home. They were greatly received, once he had gone I had a look through the bag and all of the clothes are good quality from places like Mamas and Papas, Next, Disney Store and Mothercare. I like these shops but have found when I have gone into look for things the prices are really high and for saying babies grow out of things so quickly, I cannot justify spending that much on clothes they might not even wear. I think I will wait until our little one is two or three and had stopped grown so quickly to buy him more expensive clothes.

Before I set up this blog I thought I wouldn't have anything to write in here, but look at it the post is huge. I'm going to stop before it gets out of hand.