April-September 2020

If someone had told me what a whirlwind of a year 2020 was going to be, I would have never believed them. Could life get any stranger? Well, after these past few months, I’d say anything is possible.

So, last time I wrote a post was in April, just after our sweet Joshy turned one. A lot has happened over the past months; I’ll try and summarise some of the highs and lows. Don’t despair, despite facing a global pandemic and trying my utmost best not to royally screw up two young boys; it’s mostly been positive!

So the rules during this Covid period are constantly changing and everyone most people are trying to keep up with the latest government guidelines, which can be somewhat ambiguous at times. We now have to wear face masks in public indoor spaces, but besides that, most rules have been softened to an extent. People are allowed small gatherings outside their families, and pubs and non essential stores and facilities have mostly been given the green light. It’s ever changing, depending on the infamous “R” rate (the rate at which the virus is spreading) and certain areas are having to lockdown, depending on local outbreaks.

All in all, we’ve been affected in a very minor way compared with what some have had to face. The biggest change for us was Donal having to work from home initially and Matthew’s Nursery closing. Lucky for us, Donal was able to head back to the office pretty early on and the weather has actually been amazing. So we’ve spent many hours outside in the glorious sunshine. Matt has turned 4 in June, which I will write a little post about later too. The first few weeks were certainly a bit of a change, but the boys got used to it and we simply had to plod on.

In June, certain school year groups were allowed back. Fortunately, Nursery was one of them. Matthew thoroughly enjoyed about a month back at school before it closed for the summer holidays. Just a bit of a tease really! Nevertheless, it was a much needed change of scenery, a chance for him to catch up with long lost buds and for us mums to have a quick catch up at the school gate. All so vital for mental wellbeing in my opinion.

We’ve mostly been at home, exploring local parks and outdoor activities, but we did manage a little staycation to the New Forest with Donal’s siblings. We had a wonderful long weekend in Lymington and really appreciated England and the beauty it has to offer. We did Peppa Pig world with the boys and spent most days at the beach, picnicking, building sandcastles and frolicking in the sea (something I thought I would never do in the UK!) It was truly lovely spending some time with family after many months of not seeing anyone.

Another highlight for me was having a pub lunch and catch up with my friend Claire only last weekend. We just sat and ate and drank bubbly and chatted. It was so great having some quality time doing something for me, that didn’t revolve around a playground or chicken nuggets for the first time since February. My goodness, I needed that. It was so good seeing my bud again.

As far as the boys go, I’ve seen their relationship change and grow as the months have rolled on. Matthew is now a determined, effervescent 4 year old. He’s a happy soul who loves being outdoors adventuring and exploring. He has an enquiring mind and strong willed nature, so as you can imagine, gives us a run for our money from time to time. But he’s at a lovely stage where he’s mostly happy to go with the flow and he says the sweetest things. He loves playing with lego and can spend ages occupying himself with play dough, paint, stickers, cars and water play.

He really enjoys spending time with his friends and neighbours and is a social, bright, confident and lively lad who’ll be starting Reception next week! At the playground, he’s in his element, climbing, sliding and jumping off everything. He loves his scooter and has mastered riding his bicycle with no stabilisers before his 4th birthday. He likes to chill out by watching TV, (Rescue Bots and the Lego series are among his current favourites) playing games on his tablet and still really loves listening to stories, especially when Daddy reads them at bedtime.

He has a sweet tooth just like his mama and will never say no to chocolate or ice cream! Everything in moderation I say. As far as the rest of his diet goes, I’d say he’s pretty good. He always gives everything a try and even eats his broccoli. His favourite foods are sausages, mango, pasta and chicken nuggets, not very cultured, but you can’t win them all!

He’s made such progress with his letter and number recognition. He’s also practising writing his name and adding and subtracting numbers up to ten by counting objects. I’m so proud of his persistence and willingness to learn- he seems to particularly like maths. I never force him to do any work, we incorporate into games and fun activities as well as every day life to try and make it effortless and enjoyable.

Matthew is a cheeky chap, a little boy who wakes up around 6:30am every day with the greatest enthusiasm; ready for breakfast and to take on the day!

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As for baby Josh, well he’s not so much of a baby anymore. He’s 17 months old today and the speed at which he’s learning and growing is truly astounding. I know they say the brain is a sponge, my goodness, at this age, it’s very evident. His speech is coming along nicely with “mama, dada, more, up, down, bubba (bubbles) shoe, no, bike, bye…” being some of his more regular words. What amazes me, is just how much he understands. He seems to really enjoy being given little tasks to undertake like fetching his shoes, giving a snack to Matthew or looking for a toy. He loves playing hide and seek and he’s actually great at finding his big bro. He also adores being outside and will often go and fetch his shoes and head for the door as if to say, “Hurry up guys, let’s get going!”

He’s such a little happy bunny, whose beaming smile lights up any room. Josh still loves a cuddle and really embraces them by tucking his head onto your chest to really snuggle in. He’s not a huge fan of staying in the buggy too long, and just wants to be part of the action. He literally copies everything Matthew does… to the T! Hence, he plays much more with the ‘big boy’ toys than his baby ones.

When it comes to food, lets just say, our Joshy is a champ. He loves to eat and snack and seems happiest when doing so. He is a great lover of protein and won’t say no to dry wors or biltong. Some of Josh’s favourites foods include spaghetti bolognaise (especially the mince), sausages, peanut butter, fruit of all kinds, cheese and avocado. He has a healthy appetite and still likes his mama’s milk before bedtime and naps.

There’s no question, he’s a tough guy. Such a resilient little boy. There are only a couple of things that’ll really make him properly cry- hunger or if he’s really hurt himself. After a fall, he usually just (literally) dusts himself off and carries on.

Saying that, he is starting to show a few more signs of being a typical nearly ‘terrible two’ year old who tantrums when he doesn’t get his way or he struggles to communicate what he wants. He likes a good shout and that’s how he usually lets us know somethings up. He also likes to take you by the hand to the ‘thing’ that he wants, which to be honest, is ever so cute.

Some days feel so long and taxing, and I feel a wreck by the time the boys are in bed. While others have been so full of giggles, tickles, dancing and happiness. Some days; the house is absolute tip, I have no time to even think about a shower, or use the loo without a little hand tapping at the door needing my attention. While other days, I feel I’ve accomplished so much as mum! Parenthood certainly has its ups and downs, but when I look at my two boys and their beautiful smiley faces, they have my heart, wholly, unconditionally and I wouldn’t have life any other way. I mean, there’s a reason why dry shampoo was invented anyway!

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Joshy is one!

Our bubbly, cheeky little monkey is one! And what year it has been. Joshua, or “Joshy” as we call him, is our feisty bruiser who is just the sweetest, toughest little guy around. I can honestly say that the first year of his life has absolutely flown by, it’s been an interesting, tumultuous one, with no dull moments, that’s for certain.

Life with two boys is exciting, wondrous and full of precious moments but at the same time; utterly exhausting. Some days I fall asleep after putting the boys to bed before 8pm, and other days I go wild and watch an episode of something of telly with a glass of wine (and probably pass out half way through!) How times have changed from the carefree pre-kid days, but I honestly wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

So our sweet angel is one, and because of the current global pandemic situation; we obviously couldn’t celebrate the way we would have liked to- but we actually ended up having a marvellous day- just the four of us. The weather was absolutely perfect, especially for April in England! A gloriously sunny spring day- and what better way to celebrate the occasion- a braai of course.

We were actually meant to be in Ireland with Donal’s parents for the Easter break, but all flights cancelled and no one going anywhere, home it was. We were naturally upset that we couldn’t be with family, but accepted that it was most certainly for the best. So Donal took the day off work, and we made the most of it. Joshua enjoyed his first ever bit of refined sugar with a piece of chocolate cake. He was rather indifferent to be honest! Spat most of out! Not like the rest of us who gleefully scoffed it up.

Joshy is such a little man. He’s adorably strong-willed, and now that he’s starting to understand and communicate more, his personality is shining through. He loves to be around his family, and is often seen playing on the kitchen floor at mom’s feet with pots and pans, and a wooden spoon to bang with, while dinner is being prepared. He loves a cuddle and a dance and laughs with his whole being.

Because of the virus, we haven’t had the opportunity to have Joshy’s one year review, but I can estimate that he’s on the big side and he’s doing well! He’s taken his first steps- shortly after his first birthday and is walking with increasing confidence. He still loves a good crawl, because at the moment, it’s way quicker! In fact, he’s a little rocket on all fours. He loves his food and eats like an champion. Some of his favourites include: spaghetti bolognese and other pastas, porridge with all kinds of berries and chia seeds, tomatoes, cucumber, yoghurt, cheese and chicken. He loves his protein and often goes for all the meat first, and then the carbs. He also likes his veggie crisps, broccoli, cauliflower and bananas. He’s not very keen on carrots or pears at the moment, but we’ll keep trying. He much prefers to feed himself, and we let him at it. He uses a spoon and fork, but the mess is something else! When he’s finished eating, he’ll pull his bib off and chuck any food left on his plate as far as he can, and often the plate and cutlery too! (We’re working on this!)

Josh is able to follow simple instructions like putting a toy in a box, or wiping his tray. He points to things he wants and shouts very loudly when he doesn’t get his way! He says, “no, no, no” and shakes his head to disagree and lifts his hands up excitedly when he concurs! He knows our ‘names’ and looks at mom, dad or Matty when prompted. He enjoys reading stories, listening to action nursery rhymes and is beginning to join in too. He loves to play hide and seek and is great at finding his hiding brother- who finds this game highly amusing. It’s very sweet to hear them giggling together. Water is a huge hit, he loves to splash about in the bath, at the kitchen sink or with the water troughs.

He plays alongside his brother, who is ever so patient and kind with him. Allowing him to join in games, often wrecking towers he’s spent meticulously constructing, but rarely loses his cool. In fact, he said just yesterday, he likes it when Joshy is awake so they can play together because it’s so much more fun. Don’t get me wrong, they have their tiffs, where Matty is sometimes a bit heavy handed, or Joshy takes Matt’s favourite ankylosaurus, but on the whole, they’re grand.

Josh is now in his own room, and he’s starting to sleep better. Waking on average once a night. He still enjoys his mama’s milk, which is probably why he’s still waking, but it’s not too bad. He seems to have dropped his second nap already and tends to have one long one around 11am. Both my boys are early risers, so as long as I don’t go to bed too late, we’re ok. Although, we’ve had a couple of pre 5am wake ups, which can be pretty rough.

On the whole, Joshy is a smiley, loving little boy who gives the most heart-melting cuddles. We love him beyond words and I simply can’t believe our baby is a year old already.

 

 

 

A month at home; what we’ve been up to.

Another few weeks of social distancing means that we’ve spent the majority of our days at home, with the exception of our daily walks to the duck pond or the green. I really look forward to this time outside. The sunshine and fresh air does us all the world of good.  Although Matthew sometimes needs a bit of persuading to get out, he relishes it when we’re actually outside. When I asked him why he is sometimes reluctant to go, he replied, “Then I have to keep washing my hands all day long!” He knows that when we go out, we have to wash our hands immediately on our return, seemingly, he’s had enough of it! To be fair to him, the poor dear’s hands are as dry as dust after all this thorough washing. (Makes me realise that we really didn’t wash our hands all that thoroughly before!) We have been utterly pedantic about it and it’s obviously highly annoying to a 3 year old.

Matthew just loves riding his bike or scooter and Joshua gets so excited on our walks. He really enjoys sitting facing out in the buggy, laughing at the ducks and geese and taking in every little detail of the flowers and tree bark. It makes me pause for a moment to appreciate the beauty of the nature around us. Seeing life through a baby’s eyes is truly wonderful and magical.

This big shift in our lives has made me realise how much the change of routine can affect the little ones.It can be hard enough for adults to adjust. It’s the simple things like popping to shops as and when we need to, stopping over at a friend’s house for a playdate, or playing with the neighbours. And then of course, missing out on Nursery and all the structure and familiarity that brings. Donal was getting the shopping out the car, and both boys wanted to sit in their car seats and they were happily entertained there for a good ten minutes. This made me chuckle; they even missed the car!

We have been up to all sorts over the last few weeks, completing tasks from Nursery and lots of free play. Picnics in the sunshine are a bit hit and we recently bought a trampoline for the boys, which is proving very popular.

 

I found the first week rather challenging, trying to get to grips with this pandemic, and the chaos it’s brought to our world. I had to make a bit of a mental shift and not worry too much about setting big tasks for Matthew. There are countless websites offering daily scheduled plans, filled to the brim with hourly tasks. While some of the ideas might come in handy, I’ve learnt that my sweet boy thrives when he can choose his activities and most of all, he just loves to play. We complete some of the nursery tasks- the ones that Matt is interested in. He’d much rather be playing in the sandpit or playing with cars or toy animals than writing his name. Happiness and wellbeing is more important than pushing a 3 year old to learn his numbers. At this age, I believe kids learn so much more through play anyway, and where Matthew shows interest in numbers- we go there and try and make it fun!

 

The boys are really starting to play together more. Joshua is very interested in anything his big brother has, and is so inquisitive about everything. I must say that Matthew is a great older bro, he’s learning the ways of Joshy and knows how to distract him when he’s got a toy that he wants!

Josh also loves to play in the sand pit, throw a ball and he takes particular delight in water play and making big splashes. The beautiful sunny days we’ve been experiencing are wonderful. The boys spend a lot of time in our little garden, and they love it. Joshua is known to be banging on the door in anticipation of being let out!

 

Our sweet little Joshua will be one soon and although it won’t be the celebration we envisaged, we are so glad and blessed that we are healthy and we’ll make it a special day for our youngest clan member- not that he’ll remember it-  but we most certainly will.

 

Staying at home: Day 3-5

It’s been quite a strange week. In some ways it’s been exciting, positive and adventurous and in others, it’s been draining and worrying. The coronavirus is still prevalent, with the peak predicted to hit only around June. Today we heard that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has the virus. Also, having a few family members that have tested positive or are showing symptoms makes it all that much more real.

Last night at 8pm the country came together to show support for our NHS with a nationwide applause. Our street came out in full force, with everyone standing on their doorsteps, clapping for our health system’s wonderful staff.  The solidarity was very touching and actually made me rather emotional.

My main goal has been trying to keep the boys busy and happy and I won’t lie, having to stay home most of the day, entertaining the boys (with no reprieve)  has had me absolutely knackered by the time the boys have gone to bed. But we are all well, happy and healthy and that’s all that matters.

Relishing our outdoor time

Lunch in the sunshine

Just like Matthew, I got so used to our new routine. With Matty at Nursery 3 full days a week and Joshua having just started with nice long naps during the day; I was loving those 1 or 2 hours to catch up on chores and errands, take time to make myself a decent lunch, and honestly just sit down and zone out a little. These last few days have been full on, with both boys needing love and attention and stimulation.

I’m able to have some quality time with Matt while Joshy naps, which is truly lovely. We focus on his nursery tasks if he wants to, or simply just play or chat. We still have our meals together as a family which is great and look forward to our one walk a day.

Here are some of the activities we’ve been up to these past few days.

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1.The brothers have been playing so sweetly together. As Joshy grows and becomes interested in his big bro’s toys and games. More often than not, he will try and demolish whatever Matt has built, which can cause a bit of drama, but Matthew is learning patience and how to distract him with another toy which normally does the trick.

2.While Donal is working, he often gets two little visitors come in and sneak a little cuddle.

3. Matthew sends a picture he’s drawn of himself to his teacher every day, showing how he’s feeling. This week he said he’s felt great, silly and scary!

Both my boys are doing well. They’re happy little souls, with adventurous, wild natures. They so enjoy a tickle and a wrestle with each other. Now I know why they say second and subsequent children are tough! One of the sweetest things to witness is when we hear Josh waking from his nap… Matt is so eager to greet him with “Hello my adorable baby!” or another favourite, “Hello my sweetie angel!’ Honestly, my heart has melted a million times over at those words that are always welcomed by the sweetest smile by Joshy.

In these strange, uncertain times, I’m starting to realise a few things;

• Nothing in life is guaranteed
• Family is everything
• Be kind and compassionate
• Appreciate the simple things
• Love more
• Be hopeful

Doing puzzles

Making music

Keeping busy at home

With two little lads to keep occupied and engaged, it’s not an easy feat when you have to stay home just about all day. We’ve been told that we can only leave the house once a day for a bit of exercise or if it’s absolutely necessary to shop for food or medicine. Other than that, we must remain at home. The police now have the authority to fine people who are not adhering to the new lockdown rules. The Coronavirus is still rife and as of today, there are over 400 deaths in the UK alone, nearly 20,000 worldwide. With a lot of depressing facts, it’s obvious to see why we must take government guidance seriously, but that doesn’t mean we can’t at least try and have some fun while doing so!

One of the positives we can take from this is the extra family time we are getting. With Donal working from home, we get to enjoy meals and take our afternoon walk together. Usually the boys were just getting into bed when daddy got home from work, now he gets to do bath time and story time with them every night and the boys just love it.

Matthew’s nursery teacher has sent us a list of activities for him to complete for the week, so that’s a good start and it seems to keep Matty motivated as he’s very keen to please her.

Here are some of the things we’ve been up to so far. (Day 1 and 2)

After brekkie and some free play with our toys, we kickstart our morning with a fun 30 minute workout at 9am- PE with Joe Wicks.

We have our snacks and then Joshy usually goes down for a nap around 9;30/10am. During this time, Matty and I spend some time together looking at the tasks Una has set. This week the focus is on practising name writing, basic shapes, the number 1, sinking and floating experiments- to name but a few.

Sinking and floating experiment

Morning reflection

tracing the letter M

We searched the house for the number 1!

 

 

 

 

 

We have lunch together, some playtime in the garden if the weather allows and then our late afternoon walk. Matthew enjoys scooting or cycling.

Joshua is absolutely loving the water play. Both boys just love being out in the sunshine.

Matt is allowed to have some time on his tablet or watch a bit of telly. The main challenge is trying to keep Joshua from pulling at it! We also read a lot of stories, play lego or megablocks, do puzzles and art.

After dinner together, it’s time to wind down for bed. We bath, read bedtime stories and hopefully sleep soundly. Saying that, Joshy still wakes a few times a night. Let’s hope it doesn’t last too long, but in the grand scheme of all the world’s problems, this is certainly a minor one.

Sending love to all x

Coronavirus: staying at home.

It’s with immense sadness and a sense of  surreality that I write this blog today. We are in such a strange place at the moment, facing one of the most colossal challenges the world has ever faced.

The year 2020 has certainly got off to a tumultuous start. Corona virus, or Covid-19 as it’s been named, has swept through just about every country on Earth. Having said to have originated at a wet market in Wuhan, China around December 2019, it’s now been declared a global pandemic. At the moment, devastatingly, there is no end in sight.

My home country of South Africa has just this evening announced that they will be on a 21 day lockdown. Similarly, Ireland has enforced social distancing and closed schools, restaurants and pubs quite early on. The UK has been a bit more reluctant to bring life to a complete standstill and schools have only just been shut. People have been advised to stay at home. The problem is that many people have become complacent and are still going out unnecessarily. I’m sure tougher measures will be implemented if this type of behaviour persists.

The prospect that Matthew will no longer attend Nursery is a real possibility. When we heard the announcement last week that all schools would shut indefinitely, I honestly assumed that its wouldn’t last much longer than the Easter break. Now people are speculating we could be housebound until the summer holidays. That means the the next time Matt goes to school, he’ll be in Reception.

Now I know that these measures are definitely for the greater good and I have absolutely no objections to them, however I can’t help but feel dejected that life as we know it is changing in the most dramatic way I’ve ever seen.

Thursday the 19th March 2020, was Matthew’s last day at Nursery. As the class parent representative, I managed to organise a care package for Una, Matthew’s wonderful teacher and the rest of the Nursery team. I was overwhelmed by the eagerness from all the parents to give. With so many idiots panic buying and obliterating store shelves, we thought it would a kind gesture. We all came together and donated bits and bobs ranging from food like pasta, tinned tomatoes and cereals to chocolates, wine (God knows we all need a bit of that) soaps and detergents. Una was so touched by this, there were many teary eyes that afternoon at pick up.

If there’s one good thing that I’ve witnessed come out of this terrible situation is how kind people can be. We have set up a street WhatsApp group to help out anyone who needs it. People are shopping for the elderly, offering to walk dogs and run errands and it’s truly heartwarming.

A trending concept that I really love is rainbows displayed in people’s windows. They are popping up everywhere. Just that little bit positivity and it’s actually surprising just how much joy they bring when we spot one! Matty certainly loves it too.

So from today (Monday 23rd) Donal is working from home, not an easy feat with two wild boys running amok! But we’ve survived day one. Keeping busy is key. Let’s just hope and pray this comes under control soon. I’ll try and update the blog to keep you posted on some of our activities.

Here are some photos of the last few days.

 

 

 

Sending love to all xx

Starting Nursery

As both kiddies are sleeping soundly (famous last words), I thought I’d take some time to reflect on some of the big events of the past year, that I simply hadn’t had time to blog until now.

One of the milestones in our sweet Matthew’s life is of course starting Nursery school. Here in the UK, we are fortunate enough to be given 15 free hours per week of childcare for 3 year olds. You can send your little one to a childcare setting the term after he or she turns 3; as Matty is a June baby that meant we had to wait until September for his start.

Having been at home with his mama for all his 3 years of life, and with the recent arrival of his brother just a few months prior, I felt our little bubbly boy was more than ready to broaden his horizon. Although Matt was already a confident, social and adventurous little boy and we regularly frequented toddler groups like messy play, Movers and Shakers, swimming lessons and art classes (to name but a few); Matthew had never spent much time away from me. I felt that Nursery would be ideal for him to play and learn and socialise on a daily basis. And with little Joshua at home and trying to get into routines, I was at the point where I felt I wasn’t engaging Matthew as much as he could be.

After viewing a few of the local nurseries, both Matthew and I fell in love with St Catherines. I think it was the dinosaur setup that swayed Matt in the end! The school just has a lovely feel, the headteacher is warm and welcoming. The tour of the nursery also won us over. The environment was so inviting for the children, with a great variety of activities for them to learn and play. Matthew certainly didn’t want to leave and he made that quite clear at the end.

So we put our application in and when we received the news that Matthew got a place, we were overjoyed. The nursery is attached to a primary school which we hope Matt and Josh will attend in the future.

During the holidays, we received a home visit from Matthew’s teacher Una and assistant Jane. Matt was very excited at the prospect to show Una and Jane his toys and his new baby brother. The visit lasted around 30 minutes, where we were given an outline of the daily structure and other important information. It was also an opportunity for the teachers to observe Matt’s character in his home environment and ask him about his interests. They commented that he was a very confident boy who they’d be happy to have at nursery. This heightened Matt’s anticipation!

It was the last week of September and it was Matthew’s cohort’s turn to have their settling in period. This consisted of a 2 day ease in. The first being an hour on the Wednesday with mum and dad present. Matthew lapped it up entirely. He loved exploring and spent all his time outside playing with the diggers, big blocks, water areas and workstations.  Donal and I kept our distance and watched as Matt ran around ever so excitedly. He approached us once or twice to show us something amazing he’d discovered, he was very happy to be there.

The next day, Matt would attend for 2 hours on his own. We were given instructions to stay local just incase our little ones got a bit teary or anxious. Matthew was so excited to put his uniform on and to spend some more time at nursery. I said goodbye to him at the door, and he literally ran in before even giving me a cuddle. I think (actually, scrap that) I know it was a lot harder for me than it was for him! I had my phone on me the whole time, just in case. I had done a little grocery shop with Joshy, headed home for a cuppa and then it was time to collect Matt again. No call from the school. On pick up, Matty was so content and Una commented that he’d had a great time. Matt concurred.

And that was that, Matthew was all ‘settled in’. From Friday, he’d be attending for his usual 3 hours. We’d decided that to start, afternoon sessions would be best as trying to get Matt and Josh dressed and ready for an 8:30am start might have proved challenging at the beginning. Matt went in on Friday no problem, in fact, he’s been attending nursery for almost 6 months now and he gone in every single day with a beaming smile on his face. Every single day! He absolutely loves his teachers, he’s made some wonderful pals and I’m told he’s a confident, happy, caring, good boy. What more could a mom ask for?

We are a family of four!

 

With good reason, I haven’t been able to write a blogpost since January…That”s over 6 months ago and so much has happened. Even now, I am sat here typing with one hand, at a rate no faster than your great grandfather (who abhors technology) so I’m well aware this post may take me about a week to complete… UPDATE- it’s taken me months to complete this one! Moving (not so swiftly) along, to my main reason for writing this today.

On the 8th April 2019, we lovingly welcomed the latest addition to our clan: Joshua Edward Nevin. And honestly, we couldn’t be happier. Just like his big bro, Josh wasn’t wasting any time when it came to arriving into this world.

I had a routine check up with my lovely midwife, who suggested I could have a cervical sweep as I was 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The most pregnant I’d ever been! I agreed as I was very keen to meet our new baby. Mostly because I wanted to hold our sweet new bundle in my arms, but also because my bump felt huge, my hips were more loose than Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, and the heartburn was real! As she administered the sweep, she commented on the fact that I was around 3cm dilated already and how she could actually feel his little head! Additionally, how I must have a high pain threshold as I was most likely in the early stages of labour. I new his arrival was imminent, but I didn’t realise that by the end of the day, we would be a family of four.

Donal had come with me to the midwife appointment, but had to go back to work. The midwife advised him to keep his phone handy as she was certain our new baby would come soon.

Our last photo as a family of 3. Joshy was born 3 days later.

One of the concerns we did have, was what we were going to do with Matthew when my labour started. The midwife, knowing my history of birthing rather quickly, suggested I call an ambulance and take Matthew along if no one was around to help. That’s one of the most challenging things you face living in a huge city, far away from home- the lack of family support. It’s really tough being away from loved ones at the best of times, let alone when you’re about to give birth and need a hand. Nevertheless, I am a firm believer in that everything always comes together, and that’s exactly what happened.

As if by divine intervention, my good friend Claire was scheduled to come around that day for lunch. She was well aware that I was 3 days over my due date, and as the day progressed, it became glaringly obvious that she would stick around longer than anticipated. In fact, she commented that she was mentally prepared to help deliver the baby in the end!

We ordered some Mediterranean food for lunch, caught up on all the chat and entertained Matthew as he played with cars, lego and dinosaurs, oblivious to the fact that he was about to become a big brother very soon! I sat bouncing on the swiss ball as I watched him play with Aunty Claire on the carpet, and I felt my heart ache for him. He was so happy, lapping up all the attention. Life was about to change in a big way for our sweet two year old.

Soon after lunch, I began experiencing period-like pains in my back and tummy. They were quite mild at the start, but as the day went on, it became more intense. I kept bouncing on the swiss ball as Matty played. As the pain intensified, I decided I’d best send  Donal a message to let him know. It must have been around 4pm, my lovely Claire had cancelled her plans for the afternoon to stay with us, should baby decide to arrive that day.

Matthew and daddy setting up Josh’s crib.

I told Donal to head home a bit earlier as I had a feeling we’d be meeting our sweet baby soon. Thankfully, he was able to do just that, and we didn’t have much time to spare. At 5:10pm, as I sat on the swiss ball, I realised that my waters had broken and I knew that this baby was ready to make his entrance.

I’m so grateful that Claire was around, to help with Matthew and get me ready to leave for hospital. My bags were packed and Donal was just walking down the road when he rang to check the progress. I was pleased that he was so close by, as I really didn’t want to have to deliver another baby on my own, let alone in the car!

We only live about 10 minutes away from Barnet Hospital, so I was hopeful that we would make it this time. My contractions started quickly after my waters broke, and just like with Matthew’s birth, they came every 2 minutes, very intensely from the start.

I had one or two contractions at home before I kissed my dear Matty goodbye, and explained that Mommy and Daddy were going to hospital to get his baby brother. I am so impressed with how he reacted. He simply gave me a hug, said “OK mommy,” and carried on playing with his dinosaurs. As we drove away, I felt emotional, knowing that things were about to change a lot for us. In amongst the rush to leave, I felt guilty for leaving my big boy, but took comfort in the fact that he was happy with Aunty Claire. As planned, Uncle Cathal and Aunty Michelle were called to come and stay the night with Matty.

There were road works on Barnet High Street, so our journey was lengthened a bit. This felt like a lifetime as I breathed and hummed through a further 5 contractions, remembering my positive affirmations and hypnobirthing strategies. With the hospital in sight, I felt optimistic that the midwives would be able to deliver our baby in the delivery suite.

Unfortunately, we didn’t quite make it to the delivery suite. I was assessed at Triage, and the midwives were quick to observe that the baby was ready to arrive. She said we had about two minutes, I was fully dilated and that we wouldn’t make it to the suite, so Triage it would be! I was just pleased we made it indoors, so anything after that was a bonus.

The delivery was straight forward as I breathed through the final contractions. I can only but praise the midwives who helped, they were professional and friendly and made the experience as smooth as possible. I won’t lie, the pain was intense, but knowing that we’d be meeting our precious little boy soon, made it all worthwhile.

Our sweet little Joshua arrived at 5:45pm on Monday the 8th April 2019, weighing in at a healthy 3.9kgs, healthy and well. I think my heart melted just seeing his sweet little face, and holding his perfect little body in my arms.

Because we didn’t end up in the suite, I had to stay the night in the main maternity ward, which is just a single bed and little cot separated by a curtain, I said Donal should go home and be with Matty. He’d at least get a decent night’s sleep in our bed and Matt would be so happy to see daddy in the morning. Even happier when he discovered the brilliant present of a toot-toot police station track that his new baby brother had bought for him! Great idea by the way, he couldn’t wait to thank his little bro.

In the morning, I had my two boys visit us in hospital. It was the most heart melting moment when Matt saw Joshy for the first time. He was so sweet and curious and held him ever so gently.

Our family is now complete and we couldn’t be happier.

 

9 months old smiler and his bubbly big brother.

As both boys are soundly asleep, daddy’s making the lasagna for tomorrow’s dinner and the washing is miraculously up to date (won’t be for long!) I find myself, for the first time in a very long time, with a minute to sit down and write a blog post.

I quickly scrolled through my previous posts and was hit a huge pang of guilt as I realise I haven’t even finished a post about our little baba Joshua- or Joshy as we like to call him. It’s certainly not for lack of trying, I have about 7 unfinished drafts in the outbox, trying to describe his birth story and first few months, but have failed to complete even one. This probably sums up how life as a mum of two is just so immensely busy, I don’t even have time to think some days!

As I mulled through the posts I’d written about Matthew, I realised just how lovely it was that I’d written them in the first instance, as I’d honestly forgotten about all the small details, milestones and little quirks. I’ve also realised just how similar my two babas were at the same age.

So, having skipped a few months, let me take a moment to talk about our sweet Joshua at 9 months old… So let’s talk physicality- our wee one is quite the bruiser! At just over 11kg, he weighs proudly in at the 91st percentile. Most of his weight is held in his most adorable chunky legs! Seriously, he loves his mama’s milk and drinks a lot of and it shows. Everyone who meets him, instantly comments on how much he looks like his daddy, and there’s no denying it from my side- he really does. With bright blue eyes and an oval-shaped head (with very little hair!), the resemblance in uncanny.

As far as a development is concerned, Joshy is doing very well. He started sitting up independently at 5.5 months old. Currently, he’s rolling over, leopard crawling all over the room, pulling himself up onto furniture and trying his little heart out to crawl. You can tell he finds it frustrating when he can’t get to a toy nearby, but he’s using his skills to make his way around the room, quite efficiently already. I’d say he’ll be crawling pretty soon! And then the fun begins.

He’s a real little happy chappy. Loves being cuddled, tickled and dancing around the room in mom or dad’s arms. He always has the biggest smiles for his older brother, who I must add, is amazing with Josh. He’s quite a laid back little fella for the most part. As long as he’s been fed and not too tired, he’s content. He loves playing on the carpet, with anything that’s not a toy! Like a lunchbox, remote, piece of cardboard and so on… Just recently though, he’s taken a keen interest in cars and likes to move them along on their wheels. He’s also quite happy to be with other people he knows, and isn’t too bothered if mom or dad leave the room.

He was a real trooper on our recent trip to South Africa. Just loved all the attention from our family members and really just went with the flow. Along with his big boet, he was super star on the aeroplane. People actually remarked how well behaved our boys were, which made us very proud. Both our boys laugh a lot, which is just the most wonderful sound to hear. Don’t get me wrong, we hear our fair share of moans and groans too (we just try to block those out!)

Joshua is babbling away. He even wakes up calling ‘mamamama’ and ‘dadadadada’, It’s ever so precious. We still hear ‘ngoo’ from time to time, which was one of his first distinguishable sounds, He says, ‘didididi’, “babababa’ and ‘nonononono’ and has recently started really pursing his lips together like a fish and makes kissing noises! We also hear random screams and shouts. It’s hilarious. His brother Matthew definitely thinks so anyway,

Other developments to note- he can look to the light or fan when asked. He looks at mama or dada when asked. He also recognises words like ‘dudu’ (sleep) ‘dog’, ‘up’ and ‘milk’. He waves hello and goodbye and copies us when we tap on things.

So when it comes to food. We had a slow start at 6 months old. He was never ever really that keen on being fed purees, he much prefers to feed himself, so we decided baby-led-weaning on the most part was the way forward, Some of his favourite foods include strawberries, mangoes, cucumber, carrots, Nanny Crouser’s spaghetti bolognese and toast, Just like his brother, he loves fruit, so we try and give him the savoury food first and fruit as a dessert. He’s still drinking a lot of milk, but has not yet taken a bottle. Oh and he has two teeth, with a few more threatening to pop through anytime now.

Josh is little ray of sunshine in our lives. His smile is truly contagious and he is just so soft, squishy and adorable. However, he is not yet sleeping through the night. He is still waking on average 2-3x a night, sometimes more, sometimes less. Hopefully with him becoming more active, eating solids and weaning off night milk, this situation will improve so we can all get some damn sleep!

He’s napping 2 or 3 times a day, and is getting better at that too. He’s an extremely light sleeper, so even the slightest squeak of a door handle, can wake this babe from his slumber. Since Matthew is attending nursery, his sleep during the day has improved… hmmm, I wonder why? I’m so glad that Matthew can go to Nursery and playing learn freely in such a stimulating environment He really loves it and I think it’s great for everyone!

Overall, we have two happy, healthy boys who really do love each other. It’s precious to see. It’s tiring and crazy and the sleep deprivation is real. But the love I have for my little family, outweighs all the other things by a country mile. I do feel truly blessed.

Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I publish another post and even get to complete those drafts! I’ve written this one quite quickly, and just added in the main facts, so hopefully it all makes sense. Did I mention I’m tired? x

Pregnancy and managing a toddler!

I think the fact that my blog posts have been so sparse lately is testament to just how different it’s been being pregnant the second time around. With a very energetic, inquisitive two and half year old in tow, life is rather busy (and sometimes exhausting) at the moment.

I’m currently 28 weeks pregnant with our precious baby number two. That means now, we are officially in the last trimester of pregnancy and I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone by so far. With my first pregnancy; although I did feel fatigue from working full time as a teacher, it’s really a different kind of tiredness this time around. I got so much more ‘me’ time when I was pregnant with Matt. The late weekend morning lie in’s, going to bed early when I felt I needed to, just being able to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to. Once I was on maternity leave; (about a month before Matt was born) the luxury of it all really set it. I religiously attended yoga and antenatal gym classes, whipped up healthy meals every day, read numerous books and had loads of time to prepare for our imminent arrival…

This time around, the picture looks a little more like this.. early mornings, interrupted sleep, swop yoga for soft play or rhyme time, trip to the park, throw in a few cheese and ham sandwiches, fruit cut and arranged into faces, making sure that the blue cup is on the table (and not any other colour!) although tomorrow it might have to be green, so handle this situation with caution… add a bit of messy play, dozens of stories and songs, toilet trains, a runny nose, and a nutritious, creative dinner that you pray will be eaten. Hope the day only consists of manageable tantrums. Don’t forget about a bit of Peppa Pig or Peter Rabbit or whatever the show of the day is to ensure time for mommy’s toilet break or shower, or just to maintain an appropriate level of sanity… When I say toilet break, there is a huge possibility your toddler is actually in there with you, or even on your lap, so telly isn’t always a guaranteed 5 minutes peace… In between this all, remember the dishes and washing pile and trying to make the house as un- pig sty like as possible!  Add loads of cuddles, tickles and laughter, chatting and puzzles. Daddy’s home, yay! Thereafter, bath time, bubbles, more stories and then FINALLY bed time.

The day with a toddler is jam packed and certainly a roller-coaster ride as he is learning to deal with the huge developments happening in his body and brain. But honestly, as much as it can drive you mad sometimes; I wouldn’t change it for the world. I want to remember these moments, the most precious things he says and does, I want to breathe in all the cuddles, those toes and that contagious laugh and imprint them in my mind. Because I know this phase will go by so quickly, and it makes me sad thinking that one day he won’t need his mommy and daddy as much, and certainly not in the same way.

So as you can imagine, there is little time to focus too much on being pregnant at the moment. I am fortunate to attend a weekly yoga class in the evenings and get my relaxation time when Matty is asleep. Matt is also only napping on a very rare occasion these days, so not much reprieve there, but he wakes up a bit later, so there is a plus side!

We have been trying to prepare Matthew for the arrival of his baby brother as much as possible. We talk about him a lot and he knows he’s growing in mummy’s tummy. He seems excited to be able to help his brother learn new things, to share his toys (so he says now!) and to assist with changing and bathing. We will definitely involve Matt as much as we can so he doesn’t feel left out. I know it will be a huge adjustment for us all, which we will have to handle as the time comes.

Being so far away from family does make these situations a lot harder as we don’t have the luxury of simply calling grandparents or aunties to come and help at the drop of a hat. London is such a massive city that it takes most people a good hour to get anywhere. So there is a bit of dilemma when it comes to giving birth.. As my labour was extremely fast with Matt (only an hour!), my consultant has told me that it’s quite likely the second will be as quick, if not quicker… baby may be here before any back up can arrive! So we will see what happens! I’ll keep you posted. EEEk! Less than 3 months to go.. And did I mention we are moving house in between now and then?