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June 25 Hospital TripThis morning was a mad dash (so whats new?) to get everyone ready and out of the house on time. I was due at the hospital, a mere five and a half miles away, at 9am. Which meant that Hannah had to be at Momma and Jim's house and Louis had to be at Nan Nan's house for around 8am, in order for me to make it through the rush hour traffic. Parking is also a problem, and I wanted to leave enough time to walk through the park as I know its an easier place to leave the car.
It took me ages to waddle through the park but I arrived on time for my appointment with the physiotherapist.
I was relieved to find that she was nothing like I expected (imagined something like the groomer/sports therapist; very slim, very athletic, very young). She was a real human being, who explained exactly why I am waddling like a duck and how to use my muscles properly to hold everything together. She only ever gives out one exercise to do, as the rest is just down to posture and knowing how to use the muscles. I already feel much better, and now know that I'm not going to fall apart!
She left me with an open appointment for up to six weeks after I deliver, and I can also ask to see her while I am on the labour ward.
Quite a productive meeting, and she assures me I will not end up in a wheelchair (contrary to some people's beliefs!) and there is no real reason not to have any more children in the future. Next stop; my consultant to work out some kinks in my labour care.
I'm feeling positive! June 24 AlfieI really haven't said anything about Alfie since he came to us a few months ago. This is because the idea was to loan or sell him on, but it didn't quite work out that way. So he's staying here, officially Momma's horse, but our boys have always been OUR boys. One day Momma might even let me ride Alfie...
I was working at Thornberry Sanctuary when a lady came in looking for someone to take 3 horses off her hands. Her circumstances had changed and her 3 oldies had to go. With someone in mind I asked her about Alfie. All I knew about him when I bought him was that he was about 20 years old (no one ever tell you the truth about a horse's age) and that he was a black Welsh Section D.
The lady said that for a fee she would also be willing to bring him to our field ad we arranged the day.
I was somewhat surprised when Alfie arrived, he was miserable, his feet were horribly overgrown and he was wearing three rugs and a ratty headcollar. I was surprised again when it was suggested that I leave the headcollar on him for a while, but the reason for this soon became clear.
Alfie has obviously had some beatings in his life, he gets worried when his ears are touched and will flick his head away from you. At first he would not come to us in the field, even for food. There was no chance of grooming him, and we had to wait ages before he could be trusted enough for a farrier to look at his feet.
Eventually he began to settle, realising that no-one here is going to ask too much of him, or hit him. Now he does not wear a headcollar in the field, and is more than happy to come for cuddles and scratching on his itchy spots.
And although he has at least six years on Winston, it does not mean that he is the boss. Winston is still firmly in possession of that title!
Alfie came without a passport or any identifying papers. He has no freeze mark or other branding. This means that the paperwork had to be chased up, filled out and sent back, which seems to take forever. There is no way that horse is a Section D, and the vet isn't sure how old he is as Alfie tried to kill him for looking at his teeth.
All in all, Alfie is a cantankerous old man who has been used to having his own way, but giving him some love and care and allowing him his self respect has made him realise that there is more to life than being grumpy. June 23 Ponies; From a New AngleI was sitting on the floor in the field this afternoon, while the children were playing and the ponies wandered over. They were just munching their hay, and as I watched I realised that this was how te children saw them every day.
Their heads seemed bigger than usual, and their feet were dangerously close to where I was sitting. And yet the children are never frightened, having been brought up around these huge beasts.
I took my phone out and began taking pictures of what was to me a whole new view of the ponies. I have put them in an album, so you can all see things from my children's point of view!
June 22 Back to ThornberryFirstly, I have changed the music on my page, to a song that I love. I actually prefer the Russell Watson version to the Rod Stewart one, but I really liked the video that someone has put with this song.
I was back at Thornbrry today, after having last week off. The kennel manager phoned me yesterday to check I was going in, apparently she had a lovely little dog for me to groom. It was an 'all off', as the dog was very matted and dirty. The problem was that he is very aggressive, possibly stemming from an incident way back in his past that has made him distrusful. No-one knows his history, so it is a case of dealing with him as well as we are able.
We ended up with two muzzles on him, and it took two of us to clip and bath him. I couldn't do his face properly because of the muzzles but the rest of him is much tidier. I didn't take photos of him as I was being a dizzy blonde again, but everyone commented on how much better he looked.
The next task was Tyson, an old, retired guard dog. He is a HUGE german shepherd with a wonderful temperament. Most of his undercoat came out by hand, but it was starting to irritate him, and I certainly didn't want to argue with such a big dog! After a good brushing I returned him to his owner (he lives at the Sanctuary) with the promise of giving him another go over next week.
The children are now running riot upstairs when they should be tucked up in bed, but I think it is Daddy's turn to see to them.
Or not, by the looks of things. June 18 Naughty LouisWe recently developed a sticker chart in our house, because the children just weren't sleeping. It worked wonders; after 2 weeks of refusing stickers to naughty children we had a perfect bedtime routine, and happy children receiving stickers for their chart in the mornings.
Unfortunately, Louis has now decided that he is not sleeping again. So I am back to running up and down stairs in the evening, bribing, cajoling and threatening. Last night was Daddy's turn, to no avail. Eventually I took over and struck a bargain with Louis. If I let him have a cuddle with the cat while I fetched him some milk would he PLEASE go to sleep. Yes. Good. But he still wasn't getting his sticker this morning, not after a good couple of hours of messing us around.
So this morning's conversation went something like:
ME: Who went to sleep last night?
BOTH CHILDREN: Me!
ME: No, you didn't, Hannah did.
LOUIS: Me did!
ME: No, you didn't. (Putting Hannah's sticker on chart, followed by large X for Louis)
ME: Did you come out of your bedroom last night Louis?
LOUIS: No.
ME: Did you go into Hannah's room last night?
LOUIS: No.
ME: Were you naughty last night?
LOUIS: No.
ME: Did you tear Hannah's book last night Louis?
LOUIS: No.
ME: Did you scream and cry a lot?
LOUIS: No.
ME: Are you lying to Mummy?
LOUIS: No. (Followed by cheeky grin that he uses to get away with things)
ME: Louis?
LOUIS: (sheepishly) Yes. Me have sticker?
ME: No!
And scientists and doctors try telling us that children under the age of 3 or 4 years cannot lie. Do these people actually have children?
Louis does all this very cheekily though. He was obviously very tired last night and got himself too worked up, but he meant no harm by the fibs this morning. At least Hannah managed to get some sleep! June 17 Ladies and Gentlemen, Place Your Bets Please...So, what is it going to be? Girl or boy? Early or late? I can almost guarantee it's not going to be on time!
We have a new name for a little girl, but I think we'll keep that one under wraps for a while. I have been bidding on baby things on eBay, playing the game but not too well. The idea was to wait until the last minute to place my bid so I didn't look too eager, but it didn't quite work out when I forgot what time the auction ended! At the moment I am bidding on a leopard print cozy cocoon with matching hat. I have already missed 2 blue ones!
Anyway, the children had a lovely weekend, thank you so much to Momma and Jim for giving us some peace and quiet for a couple of days, even if we didn't know what to do with ourselves! The photos are loaded onto my computer and Louis has been very excited about viewing them all again, although he can't quite figure out why there is always someone missing from the pictures. That's because they are taking the photo...
The only downside to the weekend is that some idiot (or idiots) decided to pull up all my electric fence posts and fling them around the field, along with several bricks and stones. As a result Alfie was back to his old self for a day or two, scared to come near anyone even for an apple. He has recovered from his ordeal though and I have sent yet another desperate email to the relevant council department asking if there is any more grazing land available. I know there is an empty field not far from us, but I also know what waiting lists are like and that the person renting it will not let it go even though she has no horses at the moment. And sub-letting is NOT PERMITTED! So, chances are nothing will come from my pleas.
Hannah has a meeting at Big School tomorrow, to meet the teachers she will be with in September and so that we can have a chat with the Headteacher. Which I wouldn't mind doing, as Hannah and her friend have both been telling us that they do no counting, no writing or spelling in nursery. In fact, Hannah can now only count to five without prompting, instead of about 20 which she used to manage. Louis can actually do it better than her at the moment.
I would like to know what nursery is doing to prepare my little girl for going up to school. It must be bad, because the Hubs has taken the morning off work to come into school with us! Watch out, Headteacher...
June 12 Random ChunteringsI keep meaning to write a blog but can't quite decide what the subject matter should be. My mind is working overtime at the moment and so many things are flitting through, so here's a glimpse of what I mean...
Yesterday was 11th June, my brother's birthday and a year since I had my cat put to sleep. I have never put an animal down before it's time, but there have sometimes been days when I wondered, "did I do the right thing?". With Lucy there was no question. She had been my constant companion for 22 years, since she was dumped at 2 weeks old. She lived a very full and happy life, went through four house moves, was regularly attacked by magpies (to which she bore a grudge) and was always the top cat on the street. When her time came, it was not unexpected but it came very quickly. I am very glad to have been owned by this cat, and she will always be in my heart.
The new children's centre has now opened at school, so to enter nursery we have to use the new entrance. The problem here is that despite it being a children's centre, there are no pushchairs allowed past the foyer. Most nursery children have younger brothers or sisters (sometimes both) who are in pushchairs. One mum in particular has a problem with a toddler with learning difficulties. He has to be left in the foyer as per regulations (there's no way she can get him out even for this short time, he will not be put back in the pushchair!) and will kick, scream and cry at being left alone. One solution was to have the nursery child taken in by another mum, but she is then upset that her mum is not there saying goodbye properly. So far, no compromise has been reached.
The other problem I have come across with the new entrance is the new-fangled automatic doors. They are wonderful, they open at the touch of a button, but also close on their own. Regardless of whether there is a child in the way or not. One parent put his hand out to stop the door closing on his child, and was told by staff "don't push the door, that's worth £1000!". I don't really care, my child is worth more than that...
Mehitabel is due at the vet's this afternoon for her next lot of injections, so I am desperately trying to keep her inside. Cats are wise to this sort of thing, and she is creeping around under tables and chairs in the hope that she can sneak out. According to the paperwork that she came with, she shouldn't be allowed out yet anyway. I should give her 6-8 weeks to settle into her new home, and she should not go out until she is fully inoculated. Oops. At least she's spayed. I think.
My eyes are sore, the hayfever is really getting to me even with my spray and eye drops. I constantly look like I've been crying, as my eyes are puffy and red. I know, cucumber on the eyes works wonders, but when have I ever got time for things like that?!
And finally, the children are going away for the weekend with Momma and the Highlander, is sending them up the motorway on Friday 13th really a good idea? I'm sure everything will be fine, and I might even find some time to myself! So on that note, the children are harassing me to finish their packing, Hannah says she needs lots and lots and lots of shoes (for 3 days!) and Louis is just interested in his Scooby Doo suitcase. Better sort out those winter woollies, just in case! June 11 Dare I?For all you bikers out there with that zany sense of humour I know you have...
Now, when I receive an email with the word 'dare' in it, what am I supposed to do? So here is the link I was sent.
WARNING! May offend, and certanly contains strong language, albeit in subtitles. Not for young children to be watching.
May take a couple of attempts to play, I managed to make it work on full screen. June 08 SPD and GBS!I visited the midwife at a drop in clinic on Friday, as I had a few issues and questions that I didn't feel I was getting anywhere with. The two main things were the intense pain I had been suffering in my lower back and hips, and then there was the Group B Strep.
The midwife quickly diagnosed SPD as a cause for the back pain, and organised for me to see a physiotherapist. Unfortunately, I have to wait a month before anyone can see me.
The Group B Strep is another issue altogether. I was found to carry the infection in my first pregnancy and was automatically tested in my second, where it was found again to be present. While I can live quite happily carrying this infection, it may cause problems for any babies that I have. There is only a very small chance of it actually causing problems, but this can be reduced even further by antibiotics in labour. However, this means that I have to go into hospital soon after labour starts so I can have a drip put in. My own reasearch suggests that I can have the treatment without being hooked up to a drip, but this apparently is not the way it happens in Sheffield. I was given no options, and this subsequently means that I cannot have a water birth, I cannot stay at home for as long as I want and I cannot be as mobile as I want in labour.
The midwife I was seeing got back on the phone and organised an appointment foe me to see a consultant to iron out any problems I have with my care during labour, before they actually happen. I feel that the problems I had with Louis were because of the environment I was in, and not really knowing what was happening. I will not blindly follow, I will do my own research and not conform to what I am told. I want to hear all my options first, even if it means sneaking around and seeing a different midwife to my own!
June 06 So TiredI don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I am so tired with all the running around. People keep telling me to slow down and rest but there is so much to be done every day.
The children have to be up, fed and dressed for 8.30am so that Hannah makes it to nursery on time. The ponies have to be fed and watered every morning which means dragging Louis down to the field and trying to keep him out from under the legs of the beasts when they are grumpy.
There is the dog to be let out, the cat to be looked after and the ferrets to be fed.
Hannah finishes nursery at dinner time and there is always something else that needs doing; shopping, trips to the vet, toddler group, the midwife. Today it's the drop in clinic. And that has caused a whole other set of problems. Usually I drop the kids off at Nan-Nan's at dinner time so I can go to work but today I have to drop them off at 9.30am so I can get to the clinic then to work on time.
Just as the children are getting tired in the afternoon it is time to go back up to the field. More hay, water and feeds to be prepared and taken up. The last few days I have been so tired that by this stage I am usually shaking. Last night I didn't even manage it, I had to wait for the Hubs to come home and ask him to take the water up. That was two barrels (80 litres) in a day and the ponies are drinking it all.
Tea sometimes gets cooked, sometimes thers jsut no chance. I was making a simple meal last night; fish, mashed potato and a cheese sauce. I put down the whisk to do something and just went blank. All I needed was the black pepper but I couldn't even remember that. It took three attempts to peel some potatoes because I couldn't remember what I was making! There's just no hope.
Hannah and Louis are quite good about going to bed but it can be hard work getting two children ready at the same time when they are arguing about who is using the toilet first and who is brushing their teeth first!
That's it, I think I'm going to go on strike!
Oh well, Momma and the Highlander are taking the kids away next weekend, so I might get some rest.
And thanks, Danny, for all the help with the field etc. June 05 Simple as...I set the Hubs three simple tasks last night. I gave details, because I know how confused men can get.
The first task was fine, because as the Hubs went outside for a smoke the bin bag was in the way and had to be removed. Similarly, the second task was also fairly easy, because he had actually noticed that the neighbours had all put out their bins already.
Task number three? No chance. Apparently Mehitabel did not want to come in at midnight so was left out. I know that when I went to bed at 11.30pm she was in our front garden mooching around looking for insects to annoy, so she won't have gone far away at all.
I awoke at 3am to find the dog eating Hettie's food, so he was kicked downstairs while I hunted around in the dark to ascertain whether the cat was in or out. There are only two places she would be at night, at the end of my bed or in the wardrobe. As she wasn't in either of these places I crept downstairs and opened the front door (for some reason she won't use the back door) to be met by Hettie hurtling into the house at about 100 miles per hour. Lots of purring ensued, and Hettie made herself comfortable on the bed. Don't think she'll be stopping out at night again in a hurry. Lesson two learnt...
June 04 Time To MyselfIt is just after 7pm, and the children are fast asleep. Louis has been asleep for nearly an hour, and Hannah crashed out after seeing Momma and getting giddy about the prospect of a trip to the seaside.
The dog and ferrets are fed, the cat has mysteriously disappeared again and the Hubs is running late. So I have a few minutes to myself to try to relax. Or sit at the computer!
Mehitabel gave us a fright on Monday, she left the house at the same time as me; 9am, and by 5pm I was worrying. I called Momma who hadn't seen her but promised to keep an eye out. As I put down the phone there was a mewing noise at the front door and I opened it and swept Hettie up into my arms. Momma was duly informed that she could already stop looking for the cat, but what I hadn't noticed at that time was that Hettie couldn't put her front paw down. It was swollen to twice it's normal size and she was hissing, spitting and scratching to stop me looking at it. I was concerned that she had dislocated a toe joint, but it seems that she may have been on the losing side of an argument with a bee or wasp. No trip to the vets was needed and she is much better now. One lesson learnt!
Hannah has come home with a uniform order list for school in September, if I only order the minimum I need from school it is still the best part of 20 quid. And where exactly am I supposed to find burgandy PE shorts? Better get onto eBay I think!
Right, Mehitabel has appeared through the wondow and is currently trying to help write this blog, so this is where I sign off!
Think I'll go and put my feet up...
June 01 Catch UpSo what has been happening? Lots, but not much.
The cat has settled in, walloped the dog and made her presence known in the neighbourhood. She is now happily coming and going through various doors and windows and sleeping on the end of my bed at night. She is a pretty little thing, and still has some kitten attributes; she comes in exhausted in the evening and falls asleep in my arms. Mehitabel is so much like my first cat, Lucy, I sometimes have to look twice. She is naughty, cheeky and into everything.
Winston is much happier, he gets on with Alfie (when he thinks we're not watching) and they eat, groom and even roll together now. He has stopped pining for Apollo and is gaining weight well. His fitness levels are still well below what they should be, but he really needs to be built up very gradually to avoid over-working him. Winston has also decided he does still love me, he gave me big slobbery kisses in the field the other day, nearly knocking me off the fence I was sitting on!
Alfie is becoming much more sociable, he will now allow us to catch him and put on a lead rope without having to spend half an hour chasing him around the field. His head-collar is causing a few problems as he is still nervous about his ears being touched, but I can adjust it and put it back on when he pulls it off.
Istnofret the ferret did have her litter of kits, but they did not survive the day due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. She is well though, and happily bullying Rocco and Bear, the male ferrets. Bear is already making amorous advances, so there is still a chance of a litter this year. This is her last chance though, she is now 4 years old and has not yet reared a litter. If she can't do it this time, she never will and I can't let her go through this every year.
Jasper is Jasper, what more can I say about him? He is currently charging around the garden barking at magpies that he knows he can't catch and getting as dirty as he can.
Louis and Hannah have both been poorly this week, and are now trying to catch up on sleep. They are back in their own rooms as I could not cope with one more night of them taking 3 and a half hours to settle. On their own they are more or less straight to sleep and therefore much nicer children! Both are also having a growth spurt so food portions have doubled in size just to keep tummies full. They have new bikes, which were fine in the shop, and Hannah's is fine out of the shop, but Louis has discovered that roads are just not as flat and safe as shop floors... Cue lots of screaming and one panicky small boy. Oh well, I'll just have to take him to Rother Valley Country Park, training place of Strike...anyone been watching Britain's Got Talent?
And lastly, Bump is growing, growing, growing. It is larger than it's dates, but no surprise there. All is fine and well, strong heartbeat, lots of movement but not much room for my stomach and lungs anymore. Even my blood pressure is healthy still!
I think that's about everything for now, all caught up with my mad world. There's bound to be something else happening soon though! |
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