Thursday 24 January 2013

Happy? Busy? Mmm, that's me!

Well it's been a busy few days. JB, April & I have been minding Lyla between us for a few days and I have been on the school run a couple of days. Things are going great with the baby and Lisa is amazingly well given how grim she felt after the c-section, though we do think it was more about the comparison to having Lyla so quickly on the front seat of the car outside maternity..than the actual birth being bad itself, in fact it sounds like it was quite routine and no probs.

(Climbs on soapbox for second.. aside from them doing great..I cannot believe that there is such a shortage of midwives. They wanted Lisa to go to the surgery for 5 day checks, saying they do not have enough staff to travel out! But how can self-employed people get there if the men work and the new Mum is told not to drive.. and in the snow....

What happened to the old fashioned period of 'confinement' and the daily visits from the same (fantastic) local midwife when I had mine?  Lisa luckily had great staff on a quiet D-day last week but the following day all hell broke loose, no-one to help post-op women get their babies, no bells working so another lady got out of bed and ripped her wound, why don't they have some nice ladies in to help new mums, just to sit, hold their hands as they take those scarey steps into motherhood.  it incenses me when they talk on breakfast TV about the new maternity services they are planning.. hello..hello?!.. they were what we had all sorted 25 years ago!!! 

... off soapbox but carrying it with me just in case.. midwifery, childbirth and breastfeeding are my specialist rant subjects in case you hadn't noticed.. ;-)  )

This week ..

Work has been busy. Col is quite proud of a new composite block handler he designed.  The company have had a few clever units from us and called him in to sort this one.   Even our design guys didn't think it would work...but Colin did! He has a new Einstein quote he is proud of too, it so suits him as he has so many great ideas and doesn't need a batch of qualifications to know if something is do-able or not..

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
-Albert Einstein

We went to look at a house with the new baby and M&D. It wasn't really suitable , too much work required but lots of space if it had been good.. back to plan B, C and maybe D, but you have to start looking don't you.. and get away from renting when you can.

We had a builder over yesterday and he is starting on our extension in about five weeks. We have an old lean-to that was a kitchen before we came here. It was due to be knocked down to please our mortgage company but we just moved the kitchen indoors and kept it as a porch...It is a grim site, built half covering my hall window, so as soon as it is gone, even before my new room is done I will have more light into my house through the hall window.. yay!
Then there is the office extension and possible new building being contemplated so you can imagine we are mentally dead beat by bed...mind you, I'd rather be dead-beat than bored.. yeah, I am not happy when there is nothing going on, in fact when things are ticking along just fine I don't like it...

Thinking about the happy prompt this week...I like the ups and downs, maybe like Anne says you have to have the downs to really enjoy the ups.  It has never appealed to be too routine and prescribed, I like the unexpected, the rush, the chaos.. maybe because it is better to feel something (whether it is stress, panic or euphoria) than not much at all!

Zac has driven home this afternoon, he had a college half day and free tomorrow so we will be chilling out and maybe doing a few things over the next few days.  the girls got the house tidy and we had a lovely curry for tea, everyone was busy talking and I was just enjoying listening.

It reminded me of how Mum didn't always have a lot to say as she got older and all the family would be round the table.  Maybe she just liked hearing all her family swapping stories and getting along, there isn't the need to say much when you are content letting the world go by and your kids are your world.  I guess she probably hoped me and Ken would get our families together more, but we are so different and so far apart years wise (he was past 11 when I was born)... we have 13 children between us but his were having children of their own almost as soon as I started, so the generations are kind of out of synch.

Am I ever happy for no reason at all?...yes.. not sure why, guess that's because there is no reason! But it is nice to feel the sun, a good track on the radio and be near the sea.  The alternative is a grey day, Cornish mist and a dreary politics chat show and that isn't conducive to 'hapy' is it.

Do I demand my own way like a child?  Mmmm depends who you are asking! I would say no, that I am pretty easy going and not a shouter or a stamper of feet... but if I am honest I do hear myself sometimes hinting that I would like a job doing, or 'when we have time' or 'could you just'... so, maybe just like a child I use that wearing down tactic to keep my requests on the agenda!

And this is a secret ... shhh.. I think I have got better at getting round Col. Maybe we are both getting older, maybe both wiser to each others ways... or maybe he just got tired and gives in sooner.. I'd like to think I just know how to work him better, when to ask, when not to nag, when to make him happy and then just quietly mention it... ahh I must be learning from my teenagers.. it's all in the timing!

To finish the post, here's a bit of what we have been up to this week..

Lyla at only 22 months is adept at working a cameraphone with her fingers to swipe and tap. She likes playing faces in the camera and loves browsing videos of what we have done..a child of the century.
Amazing, she may never have to learn an old fashioned keyboard if tablets and pads keep changing so much..

I read a quote which applies so well to learning and children these days :

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
  .....by writer and futurist Alvin Toffler, creator of Future Shock







Oh and baby Annabelle, I haven't seen her properly awake yet.. and see Lilly there in the bottom corner.. what a sweet pea..not missing a trick, I didn't even know she was there xx

15 comments:

  1. As always a great blog x midwives and nurses we just need more x
    Huga
    Yvonne

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  2. What beautiful photos. I agree that someone there to help in the immediate time after baby arrives would be lovely,

    One of my girls was rushed to special care after delivery and no one had really told me what was going on. I still remember the midwife who sat on my bed that night and explained it all to me and just generally made me a lot calmer. Her surname was 'Rainbow' and I remember thinking that she had a lovely name that really suited her!!!! Funny how those things stick with you!

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  3. I agree about the midwives. We are low on them but not as bad as it seems to be in your area.
    I love the photo of Annabelle with little Lily peeping in the corner. She is adorable

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  4. Annabelle is such a cutie. Can't you bring her down in March, lol ? Bubbles absolutely loves babies too.

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  5. N.N.E.B. that is me and that was our job, looking after mom and baby and teaching them both that all was just fine. Couldn't comment on what things are like today, or in Cornwall but, I loved that job.

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    1. Ahhh Mandy you should really get back into it again.. Even volunteering, you would have so much to offer.. And all thise mums needing a baby lover xx

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  6. I love reading what you write. You always have such interesting things to say and then there is the humor. I saw myself when you were on your soapbox. I have a tendency to do that as well at times. Thanks for sharing. I am hoping with more practice, I will get as good as you and the others with the blogging thing. I truly love reading everyone's thoughts. Even though we have never met and we are thousands of miles apart, I feel like I have known you all for years. xxx

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  7. Great post - I feel so sorry for today's mum's not having the support that we had. I loved my midwife she was like a second mother to me and so very down to earth, calm and matter of fact. In fact it was her who got me into drinking guiness!!!! LOL. xx

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  8. Love your soapbox rant!! Once again a great blog. You have such a lovely relaxed nature and a real natural Mum and Nanny!

    If you are in Anne's area in March could I come over to see you, we can do Portsmouth in a day:)

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    1. Hi Lynne, that would be brilliant. I will get your email off Anne or Jen and we can bat and ball the timings! Lucky I saw this as it was sent as notification to my email but somehow you got allocated to spam!

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  9. beautiful photos...i could also go on about the nhs midwife support, but i will spare you :) It isnt always a shortage of midwives, apparently we are ok here but the new service is the same as yours, we have to go to the childrens centre for postnatel checks and baby weigh ins...was great fun in the summer hols taking 2 older siblings along!

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  10. I can never work out how first time mums survive being throw out so soon with a new baby. And it really does seem stupid expecting a woman who has just undergone surgery to get to a clinic in the snow.
    Col's Einstein quote is great. Some time I will have to make a book of quotes!!!

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  11. I'm with you on the period of confinement. I loved the help and attention I got at the maternity hospital and now they can be home the same day! How scary is that especially with your first baby. It's so short sighted not to provide good maternity care. Your little ones are gorgeous.

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  12. I'm with you on that soapbox! Any hospital stay now isn't what it was even twenty years ago. And it's not good!

    I'm so glad you enjoyed the journaling list and that your group might get some use from it too. Thanks for letting me know :)

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  13. Kathi, I am finally catching up and when I saw your lovely, lovely long post, I stopped and went to get a glass of wine :) It was worth it, I really enjoyed it. Yes, if there is room for me on that soapbox I can get on it...the hospital maternity unit was not in a good place and renowned for problems but I have to say the majority of the midwives were awesome and my district maternity nurse came to see me and was brilliant, just the facilities and 'process' they were working under.
    Annabelle is looking so beautiful and I adore little Lilly is making sure she is still getting in there - good girl :)
    Col is awesome having that outlook no wonder you are happy and enjoy the family you have built, especially when they are under your roof. xxx

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I am hoping that 'Anonymous' has stopped stalking me with his Spam now, but may have to put verification back on if it comes back.. I just can't buy any more over the counter drugs or Louis V handbags girls!! ;-)