4 days done...

I've been back working for 4 days now and I love it! OK, so I get rather shattered by the end of the day, but hopefully that will change and improve!

I'm working in a village called Yalding on the outskirts of Maidstone. The journey there is pretty easy and once I'm out of Maidstone rather nice to look at! I made one mistake on my return journey... I thought I'd go home through Maidstone. I'd forgotten that the closure of Knightrider street for gas repairs was causing a few problems. The journey that took me 40 minutes there took 80 back. I'm not making that mistake again! The remaining 3 nights I went through Teston, on the first the level crossing was closed and I really don't like turning right out of there... but the Sat Nav and I are going to try a different route on Monday!

My new job is still credit control, but I have a posh new title! Group Credit Controller. And it appears the job profile/spec will be created as I go along! But I'm really enjoying it. The office I'm in only has  people, me, Jason (one of the Directors) and Tanje who is currently in Finland having a vacation!! The rest of finance is in an office on the other side of the building (all 5 of them!) But I'm quite chuffed with my first weeks result, and even more importantly that some of my long buried insurance knowledge seems to be coming back to me!

Whilst I'm busy re-programming some of the pathways in my brain Mikey has really got back into his old routine and is back with Debbie for 3 days a week and with various grandparents on the remaining 2 days. He has settled back into this routine easily and is loving it...which has really helped me as it was harder leaving him this time than it was last year. The only way I can justify the feeling to myself are that last year he was only 9 months old and wasn't so much 'Mikey' compared to the 2 year old small person who is fast making his likes and dislikes very clear!

The only other major news is I pick up my CPAP machine on thursday, this should stop me waking up so tired! The consultant likened it to running a marathon in your sleep. This is the closest I'll ever get to running a marathon and I am more than ready to retire from the sport! I hadn't realised sleep apnea is so dangerous! It isn't just snoring, your heart rate increases as does your blood pressure whilst your brain is going into panic mode as it isn't getting any oxygen! I have no idea how long I'm supposed to use this machine for, but my follow up appointment is next May!

The Eve....

Tomorrow I start my new job... It is safe to say that I'm nervous, but I also know I CAN DO THIS...So why on earth am I getting so wound up?

Today was my last weekday with Mikey for a while as we had a trip to the hospital to a 'Community Clinic'. Before we went I have no idea what this was for and was doing my usual thing of winding myself up! Mikey and I arrived about 10 minutes early, which I was impressed with as getting Mikey into the car and walking in the direction I want to go in can be a bit of a battle! We played in the waiting room for a while and then Mikey was weighed and measured. He's grown 2 cm and has put on 700 g so is nicely sticking on his percentile line. I guess I should also stop worrying about him not eating enough, the days he doesn't eat are usually made up for on the days he is in dustbin mode! What actually happened this morning was a development review...mainly I think because the consultant we saw about his lack of interest in walking was horrified that Mikey didn't know the parts of his body. But today's 'tests' were a walk in the park for my lovely boy! His current development level is 22 months which everyone is quite happy about as he is only just 2 (plus he hasn't read the book which tells him what he should know by now!) All in all I am now a proud and happy Mum...we must be getting something right!

This weekend has been another first...Mikey's first trip to the beach - including building and destroying sandcastles and trying paddling for the first time, whilst holding tightly onto Grandad's hand! It is safe to say he loved it, and rather than getting scared when the waves got a little larger and splashed him more Mikey was all set to go deeper! I think next time we may need an extending dog lead to try to keep track of him! I'm also threatening to buy the neon coloured sun block so he'll stand out!! But it's safe to say at the moment our son has no fear and is not getting a lilo or dinghy as I think if he does he'll head for France!!

We've also discovered that our son is following in his mothers footsteps with his love of chocolate! This face was the result of a very small piece of cake! I'm not quite sure how he gets this messy, but I have seen him hugging a piece of cake quite tightly so I'd really not suggest getting between him and his cake! Unless you have a desire to wear chocolate frosting!!

On that note I'm going to finish... I need to decide what I'm going to wear tomorrow and really go into full blown panic mode (but I'd better feed Andy before I do!!)

The day after 'THE BIRTHDAY'

Yesterday was Mikey's second birthday...Our garden which used to look a nice size is now way too small thanks to the recent addition of the slide which now has a small trampoline and playhouse to keep it company! Meanwhile inside the toys are undertaking a bid for world domination with the help of their new owner who seems to feel they should be spread out as much as is possible by a toddler!

I would like to point out that nobody else pulled a face like that when they tasted my cake!

The morning started with a quick trip to Folkestone Hospital to see a thoracic consultant. I have no idea why I had to go there (Andy thought at first I was being sent to Brighton, he only works for the NHS) but it is now official, I am causing the damage showing up in my brain myself, but there is a 'cure' I will shortly have a CPAP machine which will stop my throat closing up, my blood pressure rising and my heart going into overdrive! I should also not get as hot in bed (I've no idea what she has heard about me!!) The biggest advantage as far as I'm concerned is I should now start to wake up feeling more refreshed... I can't remember the last time that happened!

On our return Mikey had to go and inspect his house... I think we will need to get him a chair and/or table etc to keep in there, I can't really insist Andy sleeps out there as it has very large windows and only a half door so it could get drafty... Plus I'm not sure Mikey is willing to share it with anyone, he didn't look happy when Daddy crawled in. I have to admit I laughed and watching him come out was even funnier!

I think Mikey has really noticed that things are changing, he's suddenly much more welcoming when I try to cuddle him and does let me comfort him if things don't work the way he thinks they should. I am going to miss my little man when I go back to work, but in return he is going to have a happier, more sane mother and   I am very aware how much he loves being with Debbie, and how much she has helped him become the little boy Andy and I have now. Plus with the advent of the terrible twos I'm not going to miss his tantrums!

730 days ago...

Things have changed around here a little over the last week or so... The main thing is I have  a job! I had an interview a couple of Fridays ago, I thought it was just a preliminary interview which would be followed up with a second, more structured, skills testing type of thing! I have an interview on the following Tuesday with Marley in Lenham, this also felt like it had gone well. I wasn't sure when I'd hear about the first interview as I was aware they had other people to see, but I knew the Lenham job wanted to move quickly. I ended up hearing about both last Wednesday! I didn't get the Lenham job...it was the usual excuse I've heard twice recently, that the job isn't challenging enough and I was over qualified. The Agency said they think my interviewer had decided I was after her job!! But I did get the Friday job!!! What is even better is the company was created through a type of management buy out from a previous company I worked for until 2007! And I can say, hand on heart, I had a wonderful time there and met some really great people... I start there on  the 26th and I'm a mix of excited and nervous now!

But before I get ready to immerse myself back into the world of work we have the small matter of a birthday to celebrate tomorrow...It has led to a period of reflection for me... The tiny scrap of humanity that I gave birth to 730 days ago has now grown considerably! Today he has also discovered the joy that a snail can bring to a small boy! Thankfully he has yet to try and eat one, but on this afternoons showing it won't take long! He was trying for quite a while to stick his finger into a shell and scoop the inhabitant out! He eventually gave up on that game and dropped them all into a flooded flower pot, he seemed to feel this was fair as they had dared to climb up his slide! The photo was lunchtime today...he has also discovered the joys of tomato ketchup (thankfully the reduced salt & sugar version!) and prefers to enjoy his sauce with the occasional side of chicken or fish... we also added fromage frais to the mix before he retired upstairs for a short nap before we headed outside to do some serious playing and snail torturing! I told Andy recently that I was really going to miss him (Mikey) when I start work... after this week I'm more than aware that Debbie earns every penny we pay her!! And to think I even considered training as a Child minder... I do have some pretty daft ideas at times!

Jubilee Weekend

Well the Jubilee weekend has commenced... and the warm/hot sunny weather has vanished and the rain has arrived! Well, what would we expect over a long bank holiday weekend!

This last week has not been that much fun to be honest. After the sleep test on Monday I had a CT scan on Tuesday. Apparently the consultant had decreed that contrast was needed so the hunt was on the find a vein in my arm! The nurse was very kind and tried not to hurt me too much and thankfully didn't tell me to expect a 'sharp scratch' But it went into my left arm eventually and the saline was cold as it was flushed through. Next stop was the scanner itself... I much prefer these to MRI, the noise isn't as nasty and they are no where near as claustrophobic as the MRI feels to me. The contrast was soon attached and it is the strangest feeling! It made me feel as though my skin was burning... I don't remember it feeling like that before. The cannula also left a lovely bruise....Maybe I should have told them about the blood thinning stuff I now take!?!?!

My CT was followed by a Diabetes review. Thankfully last weeks blood tests came back more or less OK. My kidney function has worsened slightly so the sample I had actually remembered to take with me was dip tested and ....SURPRISE!!!...I have yet another kidney infection. So it as another load of strong antibiotics. They actually have made me feel worse for the last 3 days but all done now and hopefully they have sorted it all out!

The rest of this week was mostly taken up with the garden! Andy's Dad was already chopping stuff down when I got home from the Dr. and Thursday brought Martin as well! We now have a new fencepost that doesn't wobble and it is proposed that tomorrow will bring a refitted gate which will stop a small person escaping so easily!!! I can't wait as right now getting Mikey into the car is always a challenge involving several circuits of the car park, or further and more if I don't catch him!!