Daddy's girl

I just had to get this down in writing before a.) I change my mind again, and b.) I forget and it never gets said again, and it needs to be said, at least once, in fact only once otherwise we're in danger of creating a monster.

So, here goes... Molly you have the best Daddy in the world and right now I can totally agree with you when you squeak with delight when he walks in the front door at 6.00 every night. I would squeal, but you know I can't be half as cute as you and fear I might just detract from the 'glad to be home' feeling he gets when you do it!

No particular reason, he hasn't done anything out the ordinary. He's so wonderful with you. Hard days and long nights don't diminish his desire to make you giggle, throw you around and generally make an idiot of himself just for your amusement.

And after all these years (16 to be exact... oh my god that is an awful long time isn't it?!) he still manages to know when I need an impromptu coffee and cuddle in the middle of the day, or for dinner to be waiting for me after I've spent an hour getting you to go to sleep, or just to sit and listen to me while I whinge without once stating the bleeding obvious until I do, that kind of thing. You've got to love him, well you know, I do.

It just makes me realise how good we have it, and although of course it won't stop me whining about anything in particular (it's my prerogative), I know that as long as I have you both I won't go far wrong. And I wanted to put it here, so that when you read this and you're all grown up and you hate us - or Dad anyway - you'll maybe think again and decide that we do deserve a phone call, Christmas card, visit or something?

Ooh it feels wintry!

Molly and I spent the day in our pyjamas today (while Daddy DIY-ed, the hallway is looking lovely!). Well, why not, we weren't going anywhere, the heat pump has been on all day and we were cosy. Yes, I could have changed into track pants, and Molly could have put on a babygro but what was the point? Exactly, none! We did put on clean ones after our bath though - we're not pigs, eh!! Ha ha!

Anyway, the point I was trying to make, while inadvertantly admitting to extreme sloth, is that today for the first time this year it felt really wintry. Proper thermal socks weather. Which reminds me, I must get Moomy some long johns.

Her Nan has sent her a snowsuit and if we want to take her up into the mountains this year (which we really do), she'll need all the right gear. We have gloves, hats, scarves, vests, socks and suit, but no long johns. We'll be buying her purple and black stripe ones to match Mummys (if you've not seen the photo of me in mine at approx. 9 months pregnant, you've missed the best laugh at my expense ever!)

I'm so looking forward to taking Molly toboganning and tramping in the snow. She's going to love it. She gets excited enough just getting into the back pack, the snow will be an added bonus. Can't wait!

Whooping Cough? No...

Thank the lord! I meant to write this over a week ago, but time got away from me, again.

So, the test results came back negative, and although the doctor can't give me a reason for her persistent cough, I don't really care - it's not the dreaded whooping cough, so it's all good. She is slowly improving and no longer sounds like a 20 a day smoker (well, not Woodbines anyhow!)

Sore knees and bumped heads

The more adventurous Molly gets the more damage she's doing to herself!

Short of wrapping her up in a bubble wrap suit (which I'm seriously considering, both making and patenting - go on, I challenge you to name me a parent who doesn't secretly want their little cherub wrapped in a protective coating. Impervious to all table edges, cupboard corners and hard floors!), I don't think there's an awful lot I can do to help her out.

At the moment I keep having to stop myself from just hovering a couple of inches from her all times 'just in case'. I keep reminding myself that this is the only way she'll learn, but although she's great at the getting up bit, the getting down bit is still a bit of a mystery to her. Add to this the fact that she'll only wait so long for assistance, and you can see the problem! And, oh my god! those sickening THUNKS as her head hits the floor/table/underside of the desk, you name it she's head butted it... followed by the inevitable squeal, or not. Sometimes she just gets up and carries on like nothing happened - and of course, being the paranoid freak that I am - I don't know which is worse?! If she cries I can comfort and cuddle her better, if she doesn't, I just panic that she's probably still numb from the last collision, concussed or worse...

For a couple of days now Molly has been practising the art of letting go. She braces herself against the furniture, legs far apart (in a kind of 'axeman of rock' stance), checks that I'm watching, grins and then lets go. For a few triumphant seconds she wobbles and beams - I can see her thinking 'I'm so damn clever Mummy!' - and then CRASH! scream, or not, and off we go again.

Oh for a room with padded walls, floors and furniture! Yep, I can hear you all thinking it, and you're not wrong, it might just be the best place for me!!

I really hate Airports!

OK, I knew it was inevitable. Mum had to go home eventually, but even with her extended stay this time, it was awful letting her go. It's one of the worst things about living so far away from our families, the visits are wonderful but since Molly arrived the partings are getting worse and worse. I know I've said it before, but she really makes me appreciate family so much more.

I've never been a great fan of airports anyway, since hubby spent a year working in Germany they've been a constant source of bad memories and lots of tears. The occassional holiday has been great, but I still get that nervous, anxious and upset feeling in my stomach as soon as we get to the carpark. But hey, if I want visitors I have to put up with the sorry fact that they will all go home in the end... bugger.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that we have finally booked our flights back to the UK! Woo hoo! I wanted to have it done by the time Mum left us, and it is. So we're off the first week of June. Molly will get to meet her Great Grandad and Grandma, and all her cousins and aunties and uncles from Scotland and Dorset, how exciting!!

By the time we get there I think Molly will be unrecognisable to my Mum again, even more so to Kris' folks, the last time they saw her in person she was only three months old and now she's almost walking - well, you know cruising around the furniture - what a difference a few months makes.

I just hope her Auntie Kerry can contain herself until then, the way she's talking about it now I'm imagining her camping out at Heathrow to wait for us, bless her. It's been almost three years since we were there, that's an awful long time. I can't wait to see everyone.

Maybe next time the airport won't seem so daunting, ha! as we embark on 24 hours of air travel with a one year old! Nah, should be fine!

Broody? Moi?

No, not really, but talk about a rush of hormones when I held the newest arrival in the harbour!

Our friends, finally, delivered a beautiful wee baby boy, Elliot Matthew, 8lb 4oz of cuteness!, on Saturday morning at 2.15am. After 2 days of labouring - on and off - and a couple of weeks of high tension, he turned into position and came into the world 2 weeks early. And no, I'm not really feeling broody, but goodness he is the sweetest little thing.

It's bizarre, he's bigger then Molly was when she was born but I really can't remember her ever feeling so tiny in my arms. After holding Elliot, Molly felt like an absolute giant in my arms, and yes, I know she's big for her age, but still...

So, a new baby, it's so exciting! And we felt so involved this time, it was great. We were honoured to be trusted enough to look after their daughter, Eva, while the birth took place (she's a braver girl then me, and decided to labour and birth at home!).

She was an absolute joy, and really no trouble at all, and who wouldn't want to spend a couple of nights watching the Disney channel and eating chippies eh? Not, I'll admit, great parenting, but it worked! She eventually fell asleep in my arms. Molly loved having her here, she was having so much fun I thought we'd be in trouble when she eventually went home.

But, it certainly bought home to me that two children is a whole different ballgame! Without Mum here to help out I think we would have had a very much tougher few days. I really don't know when we'll be ready to do it again, but am also conscious of time getting away from us and that if we don't do it soon we may have the choice taken out of our hands. Saying that, our new mum has a few years on me and her babies are just perfect so no great panic eh! Phew!

I must visit again, and get her to tell me the 'real' birth story, maybe that will make me reconsider number two for a little while at least!

Did you know?

That even after your child has been vaccinated against whooping cough, they can still get it? In fact, 70% of kids who've been vaccinated will still get it?! How uncool is that?!

Molly's been coughing and a little bit wheezy off-and-on for almost a week now. Apart from this, she's been her normal happy little self, it really didn't/doesn't seem to be bothering her too much at all. Initally we put it down to her cold that developed after her ear and throat infection (I know, she's not had a great time of it just recently, what with the teething too!). But this weekend whilst lunching with our friend, lovely Lesley, she coughed so hard it made her shake and cry, with a distinctly whoop-ee sound at the end of it.... Sunday night she coughed herself sick. Oh dear.

Now, we don't know for sure that Moomy has whooping cough yet, she had the nasal swab today - sounds like a fairly innocuous procedure, but oh no, it's not just a cotton bud up the nose, it's a bloody great big long wire with a tiny little hard looking cotton tip that they stick in as far at it will go! Needless to say, Molly was not best pleased, screamed the place down and looked very, very cross indeed! So, now we have to wait 8 days for the results. We could have opted for a much quicker blood test but since she is so well in herself this felt a bit like overkill - and after her reaction to the nasal swab, I can only imagine how much angrier she would have been a about a needle in her arm!!

In the meantime we are treating her with ventolin (with a little spacer and facemask, poor little poppet!), in case she has asthma - very unlikely in one so young - but either way it will/should relieve some tension in her chest, if we can only persuade her to take it!

I'm thinking this is enough for now, and that we are really about due for a normal week sooner rather then later, eh? No more colds, ear or throat infections, bouts of teething (possibly, possibly not, what do we know?) at least for a while, that would be nice. Good job she has such a cheery disposition - not at all like her Mum!!

What a fabulous day!

It started off as a fairly normal day, Molly woke up too early and would not go back to sleep, and I had a slight headache, nothing new there....

First, I checked my phone messages and there was a call from a good friend who's been having a tough time of it the last month or so. She's very pregnant and the baby was in a breech position. Not good for a lady who desperately wants a home, water birth and as little medical intervention as possible. Anyway, she's been trying homeopathy, osteopathy and lots of other 'pathy's , we've been swimming and basically doing everything to try to make bubs turn right way up/down. But it's been a stressful old time for her. Long story short, after manual manipulation (ouch!) yesterday, baby has turned! Woo hoo! Home birth is back on and all is right with the world.

We are on stand-by to take Eva (big sister to new baby, and one of Molly's favourite friends) when the going gets tough... ooh, it's so exciting!

And then I checked my email. And what should I find, but an email from a dear, dear friend, with news which is not mine to share, but which absolutely made my day. If you're reading this hun, love you xx

If only every day was filled with this much good news. Fabulous!