Update....5 months...almost!

Nearly 5 months and we are 17lb13oz...still above 91st centile. Health visitor still shocked that she has 5-6 bottles a day, including through the night as well as porridge and purees. Gannet!! Progressing onto 2 meals a day now. So far she's tried my purees of cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, butternut squash. Broccoli was not so loved...see photo below!! She loves Ella's kitchen pouches too. And she usually gets a chew on whatever fruit we're eating. Cherries were a hit. Expensive taste!

We had our first swimming lesson, she was pretty happy. I hated the mayhem of afterwards though, nowhere for anyone to put babies whilst you get dried and dressed and they're all cold and hungry....not fun. Think i'll just take her myself from now on instead of classes, we are going to the newly refurbished commonwealth pool this afternoon. Hopefully get some photos if cameras aren't banned!!

We also went to Edinburgh zoo which was fun especially seeing the pandas...not so fun pushing a buggy up vertical hills in that heat!! We got some photos of the four babies and of course Ella and Ava held hands again....BFFs! Lol.

Ooh we got new wheels. I've never been so excited over a buggy, especially since it's our fourth now! Was fed up of struggling on kerbs, cobbles and buses with the Quinny zapp xtra. We then got cosatto yo stroller but the angle of the handles hurt my shoulder so I now have an out n about nipper 360. Its amazing, huuuuuge tyre wheels, lightweight, robust, and funky looking! Ella seems comfy too...of course lol.

Ella is still rolling about like a weeble. Except she still only goes one way...wish she would learn how to get back onto her back. Its no fun waking at 4am to flip her back, as well as night feeds and general waking to be settled again. Every night is still so unpredictable! Zzzzz

Think granny beanie is off work now so we will get a break and leave ella for the night. Woohoo. And we have a trip up north to nanny and grandad's which will be fun on the train :-)  so looking forward to it. Need to find clothes for us to wear for a photoshoot whilst up there though...aghhhh.

We have a few mummy meet ups planned over the next few weeks, a baby first aid course, meeting people I went to school with for the first time in years and our first family holiday!! We are taking a trip to a holiday village called ribby hall in blackpool. So excited. We're just going for three nights with kev, jackie and aidan and staying in a cottage. And hopefully seeing Luis whilst down there too.

Woop exciting few weeks ahead :-)

Old photos of a new human bean :-)

http://instagr.am/p/MoMCvKNqJZ/

and the little one said...roll over, roll over...

Ella has been rolling over for some time but due to weak neck muscles and arms getting stuck underneath her it just frustrated her a lot. Yesterday she learnt how to remove the elbow from underneath her and lift her head right up. Then she does a frantic leg shuffle to try moving, thankfully this will take some time to master before she is moving properly! She actually managed to do this for the first time whilst kenny had nipped out of the room for literally 5 seconds. Little monster! Now she keeps doing it in her cot and I have to keep rolling her back to her side. She doesn't like to sleep on her front and paranoid mummy doesn't trust her to move her head to the side.

After last week being a long long week of hourly awakenings in the night, it was Kenny's turn over the weekend. Oh and she only woke up ONCE both nights. Little shite then went back to hourly awakenings for mummy last night. I honestly can't believe it. What am I doing so differently?! Gahhhhh.

I got her a funky pair of shoes yesterday since all her girl baby friends have a wardrobe full of shoes. Love them but as usual, put them on and she had kicked off the first shoe before i'd even got the second one on! Waste of money? Me thinks so, at least they were only £2.50!

As much as kenny and i don't 'do' mothers' day, fathers' day, valentine's day etc etc, I thought since it was his first fathers day with ella, we got him a little posh set of preserves as he likes his jams etc...bizarre present but he seemed to like it. And we went to chiquitos for lunch/dinner since dads were allowed their main meal for free. Awesome :-) was such a yummy meal.

Ooh that's the postie finally delivering our last lot of ebay clothes. Have been selling her smaller clothes to fund some new ones. Can't believe I have bought a load of 6-9 months stuff off ebay as she is so big. And they look like they wont fit for more than a few weeks!! She's such a chunk. Oh well at least I got them cheap,  whole point in buying second hand clothes I suppose, and they're still funky :-) will take some photos of her dressed in them when I remember!

Better go, i'm being yelled at for play time now :-) think it's time for some bouncing in her jumperoo to make her sleep for 20 mins since that's how long her few daytime naps are now.

Lost my post!

Boo, lost my last entry...
Anyway, we've now had the third set of jags so thankfully no more until she's one year old. She screamed the place down, but as usual, settled as soon as a bottle was in her mouth! The health visitor was quite happy at us weaning early since she's so hungry and such a big baby. So we got some info on weaning and a weaning group which I will go along to soon :-) we have been eating baby porridge which she loves. If you haven't shovelled the next spoonful in her mouth quick enough, she cries or shouts!
We've also tried Ella's kitchen purees (of course...!) And she hated the brocolli pear and pea one. Lots of shivers and gags...it sounds gross but Kenny and I quite liked it! She also tried strawberry and banana pure which she liked. And I've just pureed a load of sweet potato for the freezer. :-)
We went to a jubilee garden party at Tamsin's house in Polmont. We went with Kelly and Ava on our first train journey. We didn't drop any babies down the gap, result! I had a serious bout of baby brain when I got to the party and realised that i had bought party food, paid for it at the self serve checkout and left the bag in sainsburys...d'oh. Was a great day with lots of babies and mummies.
I can finally see a little tooth just poking through on the top gum. Cute but omg is she irritable when it's bothering her. Thankfully we've not had a screaming banshee yet though.
Last 2 nights I have been attempting to start a bedtime routine rather than sitting waiting til 11pm or later (!) To feed and put her to bed. Last night she had a little play until about 8pm, tired herself out. Then I took her through to the bedroom to get pjs on and give a little massage using a few of the things we've learnt at baby massage with a little sing song. Then she went straight to sleep, she woke up 5 mind later had a little cry for less than 5 mind and then drifted off again. Result. Well...if she hadn't continued to wake up just for a pat on the back about 5 times through the night it would've been a result. Knackered.com. but i will continue for 2 weeks at least to see if it helps.
Oh yes, we've started baby massage, can't remember if I've mentioned this before. It's been 2 weeks now, and of course the first week Ella missed half the class due to feeding! At least it wasn't sleeping like her usual trick at baby sensory class (we successfully stayed awake for the full sensory class this week, just!!) But the second week of massage she stayed awake and didn't get grumpy until the end of the class when he had to rush off for immunisations anyway.
Ahhh she's fell asleep after her bottle and porridge brekkie now so i can get a coffee and hang up the washing...oh exciting!

Nom nom nom

This morning we have a happy baby. And a hungry baby.
First time in her new high chair eating some yummy strawberry and banana baby porridge.
Last night she had her porridge and bottle at around 10pm, fell asleep midway through, then slept until 2am. Shooshed back to sleep until 3am then was desperate for a bottle. Bottle drank and slept on until 6am, shooshed back to sleep again then awake at 7am for cuddles and chats. Sleepy mummy is sleepy.

Been a while...

Well I gave neglected my poor blog over the last 4 months, but in all fairness I think I have a good excuse ;-)

The last 36 hours have been rather eventful so it has prompted me to update on motherhood and Ella's latest antics.

Ella's update - In the last 36 hours I have graduated to 6-9 month babygrows, so it's not just the odd bigger outfit now, I am officially just a massive baby!!
I have started properly eating baby porridge for breakfast and dinner and today i managed four massive heaped teaspoons mixed with milk. Hungry babba is me!! Plus in between spoonfuls I get rather ravenous and impatient so i also attempt to eat my hands, the muslin and my bib...it's messy business but it has to be done.
I stayed at granny Beanie's house overnight on my own. My first night away from mum and dad and i pretty much slept through the night for the first time ever....hehehe I like to prove the olds wrong. But last night I then did 5 and a half hours sleep for mum and dad, thought i'd give them a little respite as they were getting pretty grumpy and mum seems to be carrying shopping bags under her eyes...not a good look.
Oh this morning I have enjoyed my jumperoo bouncer for the first time. I was in it for a whole half hour bouncing away and chewing things and grabbing everything in sight.
Also have graduated to size 4 nappies, this means more space for poos...good thing really as this weaning business is mucky. I mean mum was gagging at my milk poos...now she really struggles. I hear they smells like chicken.
Anyway I have to go cry and grump because I'm tired and fighting sleep now. This really winds mum and dad up...apparently it's 'easy' to fall asleep. I know this. I just like to be awkward of course. It's in the job description.

Now that Ella has drifted off I can finish...we have been going to plenty meet ups with Kelly & Ava, Lorri & Tilly, Carol & Cameron and Shai & Amina. We have also been going to baby sensory classes, Ella likes to sleep through these. Unlike other babies...she sleeps through chimes, bells and maracas...apparently that's meant to wake them up. I wouldnt mind but the class is expensive and she makes me out to be a liar when I say she doesn't sleep through the night! We started baby massage this week too whvih she decided to feed through half of. Hoping this week will be better.

I think teething is occurring. You would be lead to believe that if you 'think' teething is happening then it probably isn't. However, we have chewing, extreme drooling, frustration at not being able to get everything in her mouth, red hot cheeks, runny nappies, moaning and the newest trick...chewing on the bottle teat (boy does that make me glad I'm not breastfeeding!). These symptoms, if you like, are on and off on different days. I thought I saw a tooth bud weeks ago but it seems to have gone again?? Someone said they can go back in again though. I'd like it to make up its mind instead of teasing us and stringing the trauma out, thanks.

I've realised that sadly, I don't gave any pictures of me and Ella apart from when she was a few days old. This has to be fixed. And when I get the opportunity to have hair and makeup done (vanity indeed!) And Ella is calm and happy enough for a picture, I will of course post them on here. In the meantime i'll put up a few of our photos over the last months.

Better get ready, I should have been showered myself, bathed ella, cleaned and prepped bottles by now but I'm still in my pjs eating porridge and drinking my obligatory second coffee of the morning.

About time to update since the birth!

So...I have 5 minutes to update since having baby Ella...yes she was definitely a girl thankfully! Named Ella Gordon (nope, no middle name!) and she was 8lb11oz born 9th February (only 2 days overdue) at 4.14am.

1 day overdue, had a membrane sweep at the midwife appointment, and a few hours later she was here! I was already 2-3cm dilated to be fair but I'm certain it helped things along and boy was I glad!! Didn't really think I was in labour as I could feel slight twinges but nothing that I would think was real contractions. I just sat on my gym ball watching One Born Every Minute (having joked earlier in the day that I'd love to be in labour whilst watching it...who knew I actually WOULD be!). Thought my waters had gone...so called the hospital and I went in expecting to be sent home again.

Arrived at hospital and was monitored, definitely having strong regular contractions...not very noticeable or painful to me yet! Still had high blood pressure so I wasn't able to use the birthing centre but this wasn't that upsetting as I was more excited that I was finally in labour.

They examined me and I was about 5cm I think...apparently waters hadn't gone. Until POP they went during the examination and the midwife had to jump out of the way. I ended up in fits of giggles out of nervousness and because it was the weirdest feeling EVER. She had to quickly move all my clothes and everything away from the side of the bed as I flooded the place!

Anyhow, my giggles very abruptly stopped once that first contraction came after the waters broke. OUCH!!! Immediately I was in agony, they wheeled me up to the labour room and I was in so much pain I started puking everywhere. Poor Kenny had to clean it all up. It was completely undigested leftover spag bol that I thought I'd snack on before going to hospital. Think it'll be a while til I eat that again...

Midwife tried to set up the bed for me but it was broken, so I ended up on the floor on all fours whilst two of them pissed around trying to get me a replacement bed. Eventually I got the gas and air, wahooo, it was fab. I was totally off my face, barely spoke or made a noise through the whole thing. I kept apologising for making a noise...even though I wasn't! After about 3 hours of contractions coming thick and fast, barely a break inbetween them, I asked for more pain relief, it was way too late for that. I suddenly had to push. They said baby would be here by 9am, she came at 4am. She was obviously eager to meet us :)

4 hours of labour, just over an hour of pushing and she shot out "like a salmon on an ice rink" as Kenny so fondly describes it. She was a super long 57cm!! And that explains why she's already growing out of 0-3 month clothes at 6 weeks old.

Sadly the post-natal ward had no beds for me so I said I'd go home, but we had to wait around for hours for her hearing test and physical checks before we could be discharged. A very tired me and Kenny after being awake 48hrs finally got home about 7pm and went straight to bed. Not that you sleep in that first night!! She's perfect in every possible way. And a pretty baby with no big cone head or anything! lol.

Since then I can practically set my clock by her 2 hourly feeds...hard work!! Started off breastfeeding, it was AGONY. Moved to expressing and managed to solely express for about 5 weeks. She's now mainly on formula and a couple of expressed bottles a day.

She loves going in the big bath with mummy or daddy, she's already giving us huge smiles and cooing and "googling" away...baby brain makes my child sound like a genius. Googling at 6 weeks old...she could be a miracle! She stares at the big triffid plant in the corner and the painting on the wall, and slam man! She LOVES tv...poor thing is subjected to BBC news by her dad and Jeremy Kyle by her mum. She'll be well-informed on life anyway! She is now weighing a healthy 12lb9oz and doing well in every way according to the dr today at her checkup.


First trip outside at only a few days old...all wrapped up!
















At 3 days old her new Nanny, Granddad and Uncles all came to visit...

She went out in the sunny park for the first time yesterday...check out the sunhat :)

At the park with daddy :) Totally a daddy's girl already! <3








Lots more pictures to follow :) I just can't stop taking them!

She's currently in her swing grunting and groaning...must be almost bottle time! Can't believe I've managed to write this entire entry and eat my dinner in the time she's been asleep. We usually have to eat dinner in shifts! Spoilt today :)

6 weeks and 5 days old today and growing far too fast for my liking. Although I'm loving how she's becoming so responsive to us now. Can't wait until she's playing with toys and trying to crawl! Exciting times ahead...

Due date today!

Hopefully final bump pictures!!

Spent Friday and Monday at the hospital due to high blood pressure. Was monitored for BP and baby heartbeat and contractions. Monitor was picking up very very regular contractions, but I could barely feel them. Midwife said to come back Monday but she thought I'd have had baby over weekend. NO SUCH LUCK! GRRR.

So back I went yesterday for further monitoring. Blood pressure was up and down constantly. Was in hospital for about 5 hours (SO much waiting around...snore!). They aren't concerned as I have no swelling/headaches etc so after asking me to wait for a consultant and taking more bloods and saying they may choose to induce me sooner rather than letting me go overdue...they changed their minds and sent me home and said to see normal midwife on Wednesday. And I've to see if she sends me back to hospital again!? So fed up of back and forthing on damn buses to hospital. Midwife was fully booked for Wednesday...argh! But she's going to squeeze me in at 3pm and hopefully she will be giving a membrane sweep to see if that'll kick things off naturally. Fingers crossed!

Today is due date and a full moon. Since records began they've noted that more babies are born on full moons than other nights...bizarre. It's a well-known midwifery thing that labour wards are always busier on full moons. Hoping it means Ella will get moving today as raspberry leaf tea, pineapple and bouncing on the gym ball is not working. I shall be getting my belly out tonight and dancing under the moon LOL worth a shot no?? Kenny will think I'm mad. In fact, I think I'm mad...

Finally finished the 3 canvases for the nursery, just need to put them up now. I've grown to dislike them now, you always see the faults in stuff you've worked on for ages. But Kenny likes them and they've taken ages so I'll still be putting them up!

Keep getting the odd stomach pain some have actually woken me up in the night and they come and go...but then I fall back asleep and wake up still pregnant, so they must just be stupid braxton hicks Aghhh! Not fair! Last night I actually only woke up for a wee once....!!! I was in shock. Every night for the past 3 months I've woken at LEAST 6 times a night for a wee...I feel refreshed!

Today I am doing nothing, yesterday's stint at the hospital totally knackered me. Although I really really want homemade sausage rolls...Jamie Oliver ones. But I have none of the ingredients. If I conjure up some energy I may go get some pastry and sausages etc.

Right...better get on with this laziness...(still washing to be hung up though...d'oh!)

Quick update

Only 5 days to go until due date! So I'm 39+2 weeks.

Got the cot built up with the bumper and mobile on it. Angie is going to buy us a mattress for it and then that's the nursery finished. Looks so sweet :)

Had Midwife appt and blood pressure is slightly raised so need to go back again tomorrow for another check. Also had bloods taken to make sure I'm not developing pre-eclampsia. Fingers crossed it goes down as I really really want to go to midwife birthing centre. Trying everything to keep BP down...relaxing bath, drinking lots of water, healthy food, no salt, relaxation app on my phone. Let's hope it works!

Ate a ton of pineapple yesterday, have bounced on the ball, drank raspberry leaf tea...I think it's all lies! They don't work!! Saying that, I'm not the best at keeping things up, so I don't drink near enough of the tea or spend enough time bouncing on the ball. Must try harder!

Not much else to update on but each post now could be the last before baby is here. How exciting!! :o)

38+1 less than 2 weeks to go til due date!!!

Latest bump picture...front and side on. For some reason the pictures make it look so much smaller than it is in real life. I feel huge. Kindly was told that I look like I'm carrying about 20 kids...lol CHEERS KENNY!!

Things I really can't do anymore: reach over the ironing board to unplug the iron, get comfy on the sofa THEN reach for laptop/cuppa/remote control, run for a bus, go anywhere without peeing twice first, get up off the sofa/roll over in bed without grunting like a pig, go to sleep without taking obligatory Rennie first. (amongst MANY other things)

Things I've mastered: peeing in a pot, going to the loo 8 times during the night without opening my eyes, eating constantly, functioning on minimal/broken sleep, washing baby mittens/socks without losing them to the washing machine monster, spotting dirt in just about every nook and cranny of the flat but not actually being able to do anything about it!

Got the midwife this afternoon so hoping she will be able to feel the baby better today and see that she is definitely head down and engaging! I have a horrible feeling she's not though, I've been getting pointy legs and arms sticking out all over the place! Really would like to have a natural birth and not a c-section, so fingers crossed.

Got some bits and bobs in the Asda baby event, got my widgey breastfeeding pillow, which is amazing! Got some newborn bottles and a kit with thermometer, clippers, scissors, nose sucker (YUM!) etc. So I think I'm pretty much set now, just got to collect the moses basket and cot from kenny's mum and sister. Oh and I need to go get measured and buy some nursing bras, but I realllllly can't be bothered! Must do it sometime soon or it'll be too late!

Well sadly baby didn't turn up on my birthday yesterday so we haven't started a family tradition following mum having Nathan on her birthday! But then again, we could see that Ella turns out to be a boy and follow the tradition of being told it's a girl at the scan and actually being a boy. Hope not, too much girl stuff!!!

Have filled out the baby books we've been bought so far, need to print some bump pictures for them. Was a laugh trying to fill out family trees with mine and Kenny's families, we've got family all over the place...none of them straightforward! lol.

Oooh finally succumbed to stretchmarks too :( boooo I thought I'd managed to avoid them. But there's LOADS at the bottom of my bump and there's a few angry looking ones threatening to get bigger on the sides too. Could be covered in them over the next 2-4 weeks :( not fair! But thankfully everyone says I've not put on a huge amount of weight (not been weighed in donkeys so it's probably more than I think) so hoping to not take too long to get back into my normal clothes. But I refuse to even get those clothes out just yet, they scare me! lol.

Need to get a frame for the button picture I've done for the nursery AND I really need to finish off the 2 canvases I started to paint and then they can all be hung up :)

Right, better get myself in gear, have some lunch, get showered and dressed and eventually head to my midwife appointment to see what delights are in store for the next 2 weeks.

35+5

Less than a month to go...

Yesterday's bump picture at 35+4, everyone says I'm tiny, certainly not feeling tiny!!

Not sure if Ellabump is still the wrong way around since my GP appt at 32weeks...I have been on my knees, on the birth ball and hanging over the edge of the sofa in vain trying to get her to turn. I've no idea where she's at now. I constantly have a very large round lump under my right ribs which I think is a head but it could be a bum? And I have some very sharp pointy body parts poking out at the bottom left of my bump...no idea! Can't wait til midwife appt on Wed 11th to find out for sure. Probably will have to discuss having her turned and/or c-section dates if she is breech/transverse/oblique. Kacking my pants, really don't want a c-section. It's the last thing I want. But nothing I can do about it I suppose and just have to go with the flow!

The urge to pee every 5 minutes is really driving me nuts now, it's never eased up through the whole 8 months but jesus christ, I can just have been and then literally 5 minutes later be bursting again. Wish she would stop squashing my bladder!!

Went to see Ciara yesterday and she'd got a really cute pressie for bump from Ireland when she went visiting home at Xmas. So cute, a little pair of Irish leprechaun sock/booties. :) Was good catching up with her, last time I saw her I was only about 4 months gone!!

Made a cute piece of artwork to hang in the nursery, I got some bright coloured buttons on ebay and glued them a bit like a mosaic in the shape of an "E", just need to get a nice cheap frame and hang it up and I'll post a pic. Also need to finish 2 of the 3 canvases which I painted to match the bumper and curtains.

I got a bargain in mothercare the other day, got a cute animal mobile to hang over the cot for £10. And got some blankets and we finally for a moses basket stand and chest of drawers for cheap as they were on gumtree. Who says having a baby is super expensive?! We've managed to source everything pretty cheaply. I must admit the only extravagant thing I've bought is a nice big colourful rug for the nursery. I love it, and so does Kenny (that's a first!). But even this rug which is pretty decent quality and huge was cheap off ebay. Bargain hunter Vicki here :)

Just need to get the chest of drawers in from the car later today and put all the nice clean clothes away in it. Then we'll just be waiting for Kenny's mum to make the moses basket covers so we can bring it home and then we're sorted :) So exciting.

Re-packed my hospital bag this morning too and reduced what's in it. Just need to get some nursing bras and dummies for baby. And when the time comes we just need to remember to grab me some clothes for coming home in and a hairbrush and I'm set! MUST remember to put baby's carseat in the car too...they wont let you away unless you have it!

Was back to work properly for the first time in about 5-6weeks this last week. Wasn't too bad. Having to wear stupid business dress but at least it's not for long. Struggling though, only have about 3 outfits that fit! I managed to speak to personnel and they've said I can use holidays at the end of Jan so that I finish up earlier too as I doubt I'd make it to 31st Jan as originally planned. So hopefully this coming week will be my last, then 2 & half weeks hols starts and then maternity leave starts. Woop! As much as I'm fed up sitting around the house and getting bored and it makes the time go slower...I'm struggling with work. It's stressful, tiring and lots of getting up and down and walking involved which is destroying my hips.

Hopefully i'll post a pic of all my finished artwork and the finished nursery with moses basket in it/clothes put away soon. We'll see! And I wonder how many more bump pics I'll do before I pop/be popped?

Off for a cuppa, and for the past 3 days I've really wanted  sorbet... we don't have any and Kenny wont get it for me. He's trying to keep us healthy...boring!!! I'm so hard done by...!