A week on...

My one big achievement this week is I've one a full week at work for the first time since March 2010!! It should have happened last week but a transit van made sure that didn't happen!

I've been driving the focus around this week -I was told I would get an equivalent car to mine... OK, so they've given me a 1.6 car but it is like I'm driving an oil tanker to be honest! I look in the rear view mirror and it feels as though the back of the car is miles away! But as a friend pointed out I do feel safe in it due to it's size. The other positive this week was my diabetes check up - I'm now down to 1 tablet a day and there is a good chance that could be dropped further in 4 weeks time! It is possible that it was gestational diabetes as I was diagnosed after I was pregnant (I just didn't know I was!) + I got through the whole pregnancy without being switched to insulin... but they will still keep a close eye on me as it is very possible that I could still end up with full blown diabetes in the future so I guess I still need to carry on with the infamous diet.

We are heading over to Nanny & Grandad's this afternoon, but right now both Mikey & Daddy are having an afternoon nap, but I guess that means I will get to 'enjoy' Mikey singing in the car later, I forgot to warn Daddy that he does this earlier this week so I think it shocked him slightly...must find a child friendly CD to have in the car today - all suggestions gratefully received! We don't have any childrens cd's yet - except a lullaby one which I don't really want on when I'm driving! I know he likes Queen...maybe that is an option!

Work seems to be going well, I think my brain is starting to forgive me and also remember stuff which may be useful! I'm also improving my geography...we really do seem to work all over the world! I need a world map on the screen in front of my desk so at least I know where I'm chasing money from!

Mikey is loving his baby walker - he isn't too impressed with the carpet though as it means he can't move too easily! But I don't fancy going down to the floorboards as I have a feeling it would be a little drafty/cold for us! Nice if we have a hot summer, but not so great in the autumn/winter I guess.

Bad Day

I have now decided that I really don't like the 18th March. I was driving along Brookfield Road so I could drop Mikey off on my way to work when a silver van, in the inside lane (supposedly going left) suddenly turned right, into the front of my car. He got out and said sorry whilst I suggested he move his transit as he was blocking the road at that point (whilst I noted down his reg No and the company phone number, in case he tried to drive off)  Once we got to the side of the road his boss appeared as if by magic! Neither of them knew their insurance details so I left my contact numbers so they could call me later - at this point my overwhelming need was to get Mikey out of there and to somewhere safe. Bless him, he didn't even cry - which was lucky for Will as if he had the chances are I would have flattened him. The Boss followed me to Rachel & Brian's as I wasn't too happy to drive my car, one there Brian made me a mug of tea and I think the adrenaline wore off and what had happened really hit me - especially the fact Mikey was in the passenger seat and could have been killed.

What really annoys me is the driver had been on his mobile and never actually stopped talking to the person on the other end. I'm pretty sure he was talking to work as when he drove off he was given some oasis shapes to add to his load... This has all been reported to the Police - I just pray that they take some action against him as the company have told me that they can't control whether or not their drivers obey the law and can't/won't stop them using phones whilst driving. He also said he wasn't paying attention whilst driving so didn't see me... Basically I'd like him hung, drawn and quartered, as slowly and painfully as possible. Andy came home not long after I'd arrived at Rachel & Brian's and the rest of the day was taken up with me bursting into tears fairly frequently, going to the Police Station to make my report and then heading to A&E to be checked over. I now know officially that I have whiplash and over the weekend it has got worse so I'm currently living on co-codamol to try to keep the pain under control. Although the large glass of wine on Friday night helped too!

All that is happening now is a car is being delivered to work tomorrow and the repair garage should be picking mine up at some point...it would have all happened much quicker if the 3rd Party Insurer had just admitted liability on Friday, but they are still processing the claim at the moment (commercial claims never get done quickly) but the bloke that followed me on Friday pretty much admitted liability to Rachel when he got there - I wasn't listening at that point, I just wanted to get Mikey inside and cuddled. My poor little car will need a new bumper, wing and possibly a new bonnet and serious work on the passenger door as opening that makes a very odd noise, I'm also worried about the front tyre especially with the number of potholes in Ashford... if that blows the damage will be far worse and cost them loads more (so I am trying to mitigate any loss!)

First Day ....DONE!

Well I survived my first day back at work... I will admit I cried my eyes out as Mikey left with Andy to go to Auntie Nicky (I really need some new none cryable makeup) But I pulled myself together, had breakfast, and set off to park the car and face whatever was waiting for me in International House!

My main memory of the day is that my brain hurt! Well I did stop work at the end of April last year so all this thinking was a bit of a shock to my poor baby addled brain! Thankfully Nicky sent me a photo of my little monster at lunchtime so I could see he was fine - I doubt he even noticed I wasn't around! He was far too busy scooting around Auntie Nicky's kitchen in his new baby walker and going out for a stroll with Grandad and Barley etc etc Who actually needs Mum with so much excitement around!?!?!

As I left work there were TV cameras waiting! A little over the top for my first day back I thought! But it was actually to do with the light display on the front of the ofice block out up by SEEDA at a cost of approx £200k so people coming out of the station have something interesting to look at apparently! As I left in daylight I missed out on my starring role and just found my car and headed home for a cuddle - from Mikey not Andy...

More Bendy than I thought...

I've been to see my Arthritis Consultant today and it appears that I have joint hypermobility... or I'm double jointed!!  I have never been known for my flexibility and in the dim and distant past when I had ballet lessons (honestly, well I went anyway!) I wasn't very good and my turn out and extension was pretty awful! But recently when I've had knees and ankles give out it has occasionally felt as though my knees are bending backwards (like a flamingo!) I have mentioned this to a GP who told me I was talking rubbish... It now appears I wasn't and it was the ligaments in my knee not holding it properly! My nephew has just been diagnosed with the same thing and my sister also has it... I will have to keep an eye on Mikey. Maybe he will be a Billy Elliot and will want ballet lessons as well!

I'm really hoping his teeth come through soon, they seem to be hurting him big time now and lunch time today was a real battle, 2 pots of Petit Filous when Daddy came home seemed to sooth the pesky gums though and he now seems quite happy. Mummy on the other hand is going through so much guilt at the thought of leaving him, luckily he'll leave before me in the morning so I can re-do the mascara once he's gone...

But being positive (to stop leaky eye syndrome) I am looking forward to getting my teeth back into something I know how to do and I'm not guessing at and/or making up as I go along! But Mikey seems to have survived so far without too many ill effects. My wonderful health visitor kept telling me to go with my instincts from the very beginning and it seems to work! I'm also trying to keep as calm as possible so Mikey picks that up rather than my normal panic mode! And I don't over react when he does something unexpected - which is something he is very good at and seems to enjoy!

He is also one very friendly little person - today he was charming the ladies in the blood test room at William Harvey as the consultant wanted another 6 or 7 vials of blood and my veins were not in helpful mode! It all came out of my wrist again but I have been assured I won't get a bruise like the one I have from Monday morning. This is a relief as it;s my left wrist and if I don't have my watch on I will not be a happy bunny!

One thing I've had to do is get some passport photos done for tomorrow... I admit I haven't had any done since 2003, but £5 for 4 tiny photos...and as usual they are not at all flattering so I'm now desperately hoping they are not for a security badge! As if they are, I'm not wearing it! But what is even better in NO MORE HI-VIS!!! I will no longer look like a tangerine with legs walking into work!!

All change

I got a phone call yesterday offering me a job...I'm slightly astounded to be honest but also totally excited whilst feeling terrible at the thought of leaving my little darling Mikey... Why do we have to be torn in 2 directions?? I know Andy is also being affected as he would prefer me to be looking after him but, to put things simply, we can't afford for me to stay at home unless we both stop eating and wanting to go anywhere! At the moment I am hopefully starting on Friday but I have not yet had the paper work through so it could be Monday or later instead! But we do have a time restraint as the person I'm sort of replacing goes on Maternity leave at the start of April so the date isn't exactly a majorly movable one!

Tomorrow we're off out with my sister - Bluewater beware! I think we're going out for lunch to celebrate slightly... All I have to do is convince Mikey he wants to get up and moving earlyish and that he actually wants to get dressed rather than stick to one of his nice comfy babygrows! I need to pack lunch etc this evening as it'll save me no end of time in the morning. I have a feeling we will have to visit the Disney Store - another first for someone provided he doesn't fall asleep at the wrong time!! But I doubt he'll fall asleep - there will simply be far too much for him to see! And knowing how nosey he is he won't want to miss a thing!

Yesterday he gave Ashfords new garden centre his seal of approval! And seeing him chat to the chickens was wonderful! Also the look of total amazement when he saw the tropical fish was wonderful! He sat in his push chair with his mouth wide open (and not screaming!!!) Luckily Bluewater should be animal free (at least real ones!) so he won't have to process any more new animal images just yet!

This morning we had a very exciting experience. I had to go and had an ultrasound scan done on my knee and whilst driving round the carpark to find a space I heard a rather odd noise. My first thought was my car was about to become very expensive...I didn't notice the helicopter sat in the field... By the time I parked and got Mikey out of the car it took off over our heads. One little boy got so excited I thought he was going to take off himself! His arms were flapping so fast I nearly dropped him and the squeals didn't get drowned out by the engines,  I think everyone in the waiting area was told all about it as well! The scan just showed I have creaky knees... also known as ostoe arthritis  (or however it's spelt!) All I know is it hurts especially when it's cold or damp...or even worse both. I need to be somewhere nice and dry and warm!!!

noisy week

Mikey is still very much into exercising his lungs at the moment! To be honest I would be grateful if he could lower the pitch but he seems to feel the higher the note the better!! When do their voices break exactly!??!?!?

We are still not showing any inclination whatsoever to roll over! But at least it means he does more or less stay wherever I put him! But the wriggling is getting stronger and he can move himself around on his back and the poor hanging animals are eaten on frequent occasions (I do feed him, honestly!) But eating stuff is Mikey's usual way of working out what stuff is! Although his usual reaction if it is edible is to spit it out straight away!

This week I've sort of re-discovered baking! I've been making bread and today has been cookies and muffins! Mikey has sampled the muffins which ended up behind his ears somehow! My son is amazing at managing to get mucky in any and every situation! We were weighted this week and he is now 8.7kg...or 19lbs 2oz so I must be getting the weaning right as he isn't failing to put weight on which is one thing I'd been worrying about!

We've had to buy a bigger car seat now - to be honest I can hardly lift Mikey in the carry seat we started with, so we now have a seat which is rear facing for now but from 12 months old he can face forwards.. A whole new perspective on life is going to open up for him! I just hope he doesn't start screaming whilst I'm driving as that will really be distracting! He has, so far at least, enjoyed looking at the lorries on the M20 - I can only assume that it is the colours that grab his attention. It can't be the noise as I always have the radio/CD on in the car and he is usually subjected to my singing so any other noise is totally drowned out! But he does join in sometimes as well so we have quite enjoyable trips when it's just the 2 of us travelling along the motorway to see Nanny and Grandad!