Parents evening

Yesterday we had parents evening for the girls, they are doing fantastic! Lacey is doing amazingly, she is so clever, where she gets her brains from I do not know! her teacher said she is brilliant at reading, numbers and shapes and her writing is great too, she is very outgoing and confident and she never misbehaves she had nothing negative to say about Lacey at all, I couldn't be any more proud. 
Rhianna is coming on great too, although she is quite behind she is making progress, she went into year 1 with small goals set and she has reached them goals, her teacher has now set her new goals for the end of the year which she thinks she is more then capable of reaching, she does tried hard though and I have seen an improvement in her reading (gone up two levels) and her writing, she is very well behaved at school also. So proud of my girls.

After easter Lucas will be attending nursery 4 sessions a week! two mornings and two afternoons and best of all it is now FREE i have been paying for the last 7 months but now he gets to attend free, he is going to love it, he gets bored at home having nobody to play with and he is better behaved on the days he does attend nursery (he currently goes two mornings a week). He is getting better at walking to and from places, aslong as they are short distance, a few months ago i couldn't even think about letting him walk the girls to school he was always strapped in his buggy, if he walked it would end up with him on the floor throwing a paddy and me sweating like a pig and getting very stressed out, but this morning I walked him with the girls and he walked really well not throwing one tantrum, my big boy will be three at the end of April and he is starting to grow up. 

Connor is doing well, I am getting him weighed this afternoon, he had alot of trouble with diarrhoea and last week went through 8 pairs of clothes in just one day, he was very fussy and had lots of wind, infacol was not working, I decided to change his milk from cow and gate to SMA and within a few days he is no longer a pooping machine! his poop is still soft but it's not pure water anymore and he doesn't have as many explosions. He is no longer fussy during the day but he does still have his moments every night from 7pm to about 12am he is very fussy, wingy and colicky, nothing compared to Lucas though which is good, I am going to get some gripe water which i used with Lucas and see if that works in the evenings, fingers crossed. 

Pictures off my piglets

So after a down entry I thought I would share some updated pictures of my piglets to hopefully make everyone smile.

The youngest piglet 

The eldest boy piglet

he is going through a "no pictures of me mummy" stage so that's your one and only!

The youngest girl piglet

Oldest girl piglet

little miss grumpy after red nose day at school yesterday

My daughters future.. what does it hold? Perthes Disease

... When you have a child you should pray they are going to be healthy ...

PRE RHIANNA'S DIAGNOSIS OF PERTHES DISEASE

Sadly our first pregnancy ended at just 4 months pregnant - our daughter had Turners Syndrome, Cystic Hygroma and Fetal Hydrops. I was young and very naive I was only 18 when I got pregnant, despite this my daughter was planned by both me and my boyfriend at the time (now husband) we tried for 6 months to conceive Ryleigh. When we got pregnant I did not think once about what could happen in our pregnancy, something being wrong never crossed my mind in the beginning, I was naive, thinking about all the clothes I could buy her, top baby gear she could have from buggies to furniture for her room the future and being happy together as a family. 

Which is why when I got pregnant with Rhianna all I prayed for was a healthy baby (although secretly inside I did wish for a girl, I wanted what I felt I should of had and lost) but had she of been a boy it would not of bothered me in the slightest, all I wanted was a baby, a healthy one, girl or boy. 

My pregnancy with Rhianna was tough, very tough, all I did was lay around and wait for her to be taken away from me, it didn't help that I got pregnant only 5 months after Ryleigh and I was still very depressed - again Rhianna was planned and we tried before my bleeding with Ryleigh even stopped I was scared of missing an ovulation even though I knew getting pregnant while still bleeding was unlikely. After the loss of Ryleigh i started self harming (which wasn't a first for me, I was a self harmer from an early age and did it all through high school, and I also suffered with depression on and off all the time Pre-Ryleigh.) I went to the doctors and got put on anti-depressants but as soon as I got pregnant with Rhianna I stopped taking them as I did not want to take any risks when it came to her health and development however small the risk was. My depression obviously came back full force, the anti-depressants were only masking the hurt from the loss of Ryleigh - there would be times I would lay in bed and cry with *feelings* that it would be the last night Rhianna would be alive in my belly, I would play her *favourite* lullaby bear to my belly and cry saying my goodbyes while rubbing my belly. My depression got bad and by 28 weeks I was signed off work with it to relax at home until Rhianna came along. 

Despite the extra scans during my pregnancy to keep an eye on her it was never enough and I never felt at ease, I had a few extra scans towards the end too as she was measuring too small and in the end I was induced on my due date with her because she was not benefiting from being inside and better out then in so they said. My labour was easy it was only 5hours 45minutes and an hour of that was pushing. I did end up having an episiotomy but that was the only negative thing about my labour/delivery. She came out and she was tiny, still covered in all the vernix weighing only 5lbs 13oz! I was asked if she was premature by the midwife but I knew she was not, I used the clearblue fertility monitor to conceive and we only ended up having sex once that month due to me feeling so down and depressed as my due date with Ryleigh was approaching and i wasn't yet pregnant (which was my goal to be pregnant before her due date came) so I know exactly when she was conceived. They checked Rhianna over and she appeared to be healthy the only thing that was a concern was her sucking reflex she would not take bottles, and after our first discharge she was re-admitted the next evening as she had not taken a single bottle - after a few days she finally caught on and she stated taking her bottles and we were discharged. 

Life with Rhianna was easy she was sleeping in her own room and through the night by 9 weeks old (kept an eye on via a video monitor that was in our room) she hardly cried and she was very laid back which probably led to me and the hubby getting carried away and creating Lacey (not planned) when Rhianna was only 11 weeks old!! there was meant to be a 11 month age gap between them but Lacey was a bit late making them have a 12 month age gap, We love having the girls close together and although it wasn't in our plans we wouldn't have it any other way, I love my girls so much. The next few years with Rhianna were relatively normal. 

RHIANNA'S DIAGNOSIS OF PERTHES DISEASE

The following story has been copied and pasted via her facebook group.

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"In February 2012 rhianna came home from school limping, when i asked her what happened she told me another girl had kicked her in the leg at school, i was angry but thought nothing much of the limp, maybe that the little girl must of gave her a bruise under the skin. A week later and Rhianna was still limping but there was no sign of any bruising, i again thought that it must of bruised pretty badly underneath the skin and asked Rhianna if she had been kicked any more, she said no, I went into the school anyway and spoke to one of the teachers and told them what had happened and asked him to keep an eye on Rhianna and said girl. 

Two weeks had passed and she was still limping and it wasn't getting any better, i decided to make a doctors appointment, which we had to wait about a week for, when we got there the nurse checked her leg over and said she can't see anything wrong but watched Rhianna limp, said it seemed "strange" and she couldn't give us an answer, prescribed Rhianna with ibruprofen and told me to make an appointment with the doctor if it didn't go away soon. 

We tried the ibruprofen with no change but i gave it a good few weeks before making another doctors appointment, by this point 3 months had past, when i told the doctor what had been going on he gave her a good examination and said there seemed to be nothing wrong, i kept going on about how long she had the limp and how it's not getting any better and that she hasn't had any x-rays done on the leg (i was beginning to think it may be broken from the kick!) he reluctantly made a referral to the childrens clinic at the hospital although by the way he spoke he made me feel like we were just wasting his time. 

It took about 2 weeks before an appointment come in the post and then a further 3 weeks for our appointment which was at the end of July 2012. When our appointment came the consultant did a good examination of her leg (the same as the doctor) and because she could hop and walk (she didn't have a limp on that day typically) that her leg seemed fine and she thinks "it's all better now" but as we were getting ready to leave she decided to do routine blood tests and x-rays just incase, she made us a new appointment for the beginning of October for updates on the tests. We went down to the x-ray department and got them done, then headed home. The next day we went and had her blood tests done. 

 A couple of weeks past and we received a letter in the post that the consultant had wrote to the doctor stating that she had seen rhianna and that her leg seemed fine, she was able to hop with no problems, walk, that her movement did feel a bit stiff but apart from that all was ok and that she sent her for routine x-rays and blood tests to rule out infections etc. I read that and automatically thought she was in the clear that nothing was wrong and just put the letter to the side and carried on waiting for our october appointment to be updated. 

One morning i was at the park with my cousins and our children (i have two other children) and my husband rang me on my mobile to say we had a letter come through for Rhianna. It read that rhianna had been diagnosed with a condition called Perthes Disease and then told us they would be in contact for an appointment at the hospital, it said there was a leaflet of information enclosed (of course there wasn't!) so i had to do all my research on perthes disease through Dr.Google! i read some horrible stories and automatically thought the worst, had a few cries. 

So yesterday (11th September 2012) Rhianna had her first appointment with a different Consultant , first she had to have another x-ray to check the progress of the disease, the Dr explained everything i researched on Dr.Google and how it meant no trampolines, bouncy castles, running, skipping, indoor play parks any kind of physical activities how swimming and cycling is good and how Rhianna would get a referral through for Physio in about 3 weeks time - about an hour after i got home i got a phone call from the physio department at the hospital who said the Dr wanted her to start physio treatment ASAP so she has her first physio appointment next week, we don't know how often the appointments are going to be yet, we will find this out at her first appointment, it could be weekly or monthly. She also needs to have regular x-rays to keep following the progress of the disease, depending on the x-rays and how physio goes will depend on her treatment, some of the outcomes of perthes disease are not nice at all, but there are many different outcomes.

For more specific information on perthes disease and to find out what exactly it is and what happens, please go here to this link, it gives you a full description of perthes :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perthes_disease

also here is the link to the offical perthes charity and website:- http://www.perthes.org.uk/"

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So since September she has had Physiotherapy appointments once a month and she had another x-ray done in December 2012 which showed the disease was still progressing slowly and she is still in the stage I of the disease, She has also attended sessions of Hydrotherapy. She does her exercises daily and she also does them at school when the other children are doing PE. What scares me the most is her future the disease has such little research that nobody knows why it happens and every case is very different. Will she need to have operations on her hip? will she be stuck in hospital on slings for months unable to move? will one leg end up being smaller then the other? will she have to wear a wedge in her shoe? will she ever resume normal activities again and get to enjoy her child hood? I don't know the answer to any of these questions and we just have to take it day by day but what may happen does scare me, nobody likes seeing their child go through pain, and the thought of her being in a broom cast, in a wheelchair for up to 6 months straight does scare me. 

Since her diagnosis she has been very brave and although it has been difficult for me and her dad she seems to have taken it well. She is not allowed to do PE, run around in playgrounds or at school, skip, jump or use a trampoline or bouncy castle, walk longer then 15 minutes (she has a wheelchair she has to use) She feels left out quite a lot but she covers it with a smile. She is my brave girl and through it all I have to smile and be grateful that it is only perthes disease and while i don't want my daughter to have any type of illness - who does? so many mothers are sitting watching their children suffer from cancer and terminal diagnosis, watching their child go down hill knowing they will pass away soon and I am thankful that my daughter has a disease which I know she cannot die from, she could be left with upsetting results but she will still be here & having to go through a loss of a child, giving birth to a dead baby, not watching her grow up and having a funeral for her then I can honestly say that perthes is nothing compared to that. If i can get through what i went through with Ryleigh and the months after then i can get through this - we as a family can get through this. 

I am just sad that it had to be her.

The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger ~ TAG

This tag was created by Hannah over at http://hannahheartss.blogspot.co.uk and i was tagged by Sarah over at http://mumx3x.blogspot.co.uk/ Thank you!! below are the rules! read and do a tag entry yourself :))

Rules:

1. You must copy and paste these 'rules' onto your post when you write it, it doesn't take long!.
2. You must state that this tag was created by “Hannah” and link http://hannahheartss.blogspot.co.uk/
3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post (link their blog as well) -follow them if you're feeling nice!, and then at the end of your post state who you tag, and then comment on their blog on their latest post to let them know you tagged them, and link your post so they can see what to do.
4. Title this post 'The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger TAG' so everyone knows what it is about.
5. Have fun! :)

So that's the rules bit out of the way, and now... Onto the questions:

1.Name a beauty regime that you rarely do?

Moisturise!! I just can't be bothered with all of that tbh i don't get the time anyway lol.

2. Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly?

Nope but then i only use one brush and i only use foundation powder! maybe i should get on to that brush washing.

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

I only paint my nails on special occasions (so not often) if it chips it doesn't bother me, i am not a very girly girl.

4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it? (i.e purchasing a new topcoat, or a new foundation etc.)-

I always replace foundation when it has about one day left of use! i won't leave the house without it.. not being vain but it's confidence and self esteem issues due to bullying at school age, I do not feel confident without it. 

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

Ditto Sarah with the nail biting!! 

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?

Sorting and putting the laundry away, it's so boring and with 6 of us in the house, it takes ages! i wait until i have no washing baskets left (3) to put it all away lol

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?

Again like Sarah my hair is so very thick i have to start that in the morning with washing and conditioning it, it takes 45 minutes just to dry properly and that's with a hair drier then a further 30-45mins to straighten, and even after that it still looks thick and somewhat fuzzy.. my hair is AWFUL! my make up i can do within 15 minutes as i only do foundation, mascara, lipgloss and eye shadow.

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

If there is a sale i get very carried away buying clothes for the kids even when they do not need anything!! i just love sales and if i see something cheap i just have to get it. Connor has plenty of clothes to keep him going until 6 months and Lucas has clothes all the way up to age 5! when it comes to food shopping though i am very good at cutting back and only buying what we need. 

9. How organised is your makeup and nail polish collection?

haha i have a make-up bag and it's all just thrown in there and kept in the bathroom, i probably have empty pots etc in there that can go in the bin.

10. What is the longest amount of time you have gone without writing a blog post?

Just over a week with my new blog i think.

I Tag...

• Julie 

Biscuits & Syrup

Biscuits and Syrup

I hope that everyone had a good Mothers Day - mine started with breakfast in bed (a very random breakfast chosen by my daughters) It consisted of porridge (yum)  a little dish of banana custard (yum although a little random with porridge) a handful of grapes and 3 rich tea biscuits with a little dish of syrup to dip them in!!  my husband said they picked it themselves  I'm glad he said that as I would have been a bit worried had he chosen the biscuits and syrup for my breakfast. They also got me some flowers and a  teddy bear.

We spent the day out of the house paying visits to our own mothers, still it was a nice day as my children were with me. We got home around 3pm and spent the rest of the evening bathing the kids, washing school clothes and doing dinner before putting the kids to bed and crashing on the sofa.

Tummy time & Smiles

Connor turned one month old today (where did that time go?) and he also had his first tummy time, he amazed me at how well he could hold his head up especially for a first time. 

He is also starting to do his first smiles, he did two yesterday and I am trying to catch one on camera but no luck yet.

He is doing really well and I am sad at how fast the time seems to be going but I am enjoying every minute of it, even when he screams for what seems like hours with belly ache but compared to Lucas' colic his is nothing I can't handle, I am just thankful it's not as bad as Lucas' was. 

Thank you for your views

Thank you to everyone who left their views on my previous entry, I also had views left on Twitter, Facebook and a mummy group I visit, and it seems the majority of woman never feel content with their decision to be done, even though they know they have to be done, it must be a maternal thing and I feel better knowing that it's considered "normal". 

Red Nose Day

Today is Red Nose Day and the girls have gone to school with red hair and red clothes. Rhianna has very blonde hair and I am hoping all the red comes out as it is very bright!

They also have a cake stall on this afternoon which I am sure Daddy will take them too as he finishes work early on Fridays and likes being able to join in with some school events when he can, he misses a lot being at work during the day. Who will be watching Red Nose tonight?? I sure will.

As a woman do we ever feel "done"..

I'd like to get as many opinions on this as possible so please spread the word of this entry and lets see what other woman feel.

Connor was my last baby, in pregnancy I knew I was completely done and I was happy with my choice to close the mummy hotel (aka: tummy!) when he was born I felt done, coming home from the hospital I felt sad .. sad that I will never be pregnant again, sad that I will never cradle my own newborn again or watch them grow to the age of 1, 2, 3 etc again... this was the last time I was going to be doing all the milestones.

The idea was my husband would be going for the snip (as far as I know he still is - although that appointment has not been made yet) that would give us no choice but to be done, but i found myself stopping and asking him if he was really sure this is what he wanted.. no more children.. EVER? what if we got to 5 years time and we wanted another? which brings me to this..

I know we cannot AFFORD another, if we had another then it would be taking from the 4 children we already have in terms of our haven holidays, Christmas, birthdays, days out etc and my body cannot physically handle any more pregnancies I get pre-natal depression as well as post natal depression and I have had problems with my back for many years and with Connor's pregnancy I had times where I could not move at all for up to a week and had to rely on family to care for my children (take them to school, pick them up, dress them..) there is no room in our house for any more either and moving is not an option right now. 

So why is this not enough to make me feel done? even though in my heart I know we have to be done. So my question to other mothers... are you done? did you 100% feel at ease with your decision? did you ever have any regrets? 

am I truly 100% done?? I don't know but I know my husband is in his words "You cannot keep having babies forever..." maybe that's it.. is it just the pregnancy and baby years I will miss? in time will them feelings fade away? should I count my blessings and move on...? 

Mummy Vs Tinned Spaghetti

Monday night and my husband went out to pick up some baby outfits I had bought and I was left too do dinner, I was very tired and opted for a quick meal (or so I thought!) Spaghetti and chicken pops. It took me almost half hour to open the tin!!

First off the tin opener had broke, there I was trying to open the tin little by little with the left over blade, Connor kept crying and I had to keep stopping to pop in his dummy and soothe him and then the kids start arguing, Rhianna falls over and starts screaming and then Connor starts crying again, Lucas gets scared and starts crying, I have three crying kids and a tin of spaghetti that just won't open - mummy was almost crying herself! 

After what seemed like forever the tin finally opened and I was able to cook the damn spaghetti, even better the kids ate it all, if they didn't I would of definitely been crying over my efforts of getting into the tin ;-)

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Bare with me, the sickness bug is still making it's rounds, it's been through Lucas, Connor and last night it was Rhianna. I am getting used to the no energy now and not taking as many naps so I will be back in the swing of things soon.