Monday 31 January 2011

Project 354 - Week 4

January 24 My sister was a star for the day , she was interviewed for an article that appeared in a newspaper and the photographer came to my house to take her picture

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January 25 Another "I want cheese please" Photo shoot with me and my boy

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January 26 Little trip to the dentist before school

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January 27 Having fun with the camera again

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January 28 A little Friday night tipple

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January 29 Making a Den

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January 30 Morning Snuggles

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Sunday 30 January 2011

Silent Sunday - One of these things is not like the other

Silent Sunday

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(Breaking the silence to add - Kitty was in their of her own choice , could not get her out at all . She is a silly one....)

Saturday 29 January 2011

Behind Closed Doors

I admit this is something i am guilty off , i assume that because you blog or we have been friends online that i know you . If someone asked i could rattle of little details and facts about your life . I could tell them about your family , friends and in alot of cases beyond . I know how you were bullied as a child or how your irregular periods made it difficult for you to conceive. I know you hate your bum but think your breasts are awesome. I know you love chocolate and that carrots make you sick . I know your hopes , dreams and fears .

In a world such as blogging where we are free to express our true selves it is easy to forget that behind these words may lie a different person. No matter how much we feel we know someone you don't really know what is going on behind closed doors.

I remember the first time i really realised this , a blogger announced her husband leaving her for another woman . She has always seemed so open and to the world projected no idea of what was going on behind the scenes . In the years that have followed i have read her blog in amazement as she raises her children and rejoices in single parenting . She alone though made me realise that not everything is as it seems..

A few months back i witnessed another marriage breakdown , this person i have known online for years in both blogging and online email group . I always got the impression she was incredibly happy, they were recently married and trying for another child . There love was clear to see. When they split , i think everyone was surprised . Her perfect partner had been not so perfect and behind her happy words was violence , abuse , drug problems and more heart ache than i could ever imagine.

I wonder how many of my online friends are holding back secrets ? Money problems ?Infertility ? Struggling with parenthood ? . Behind those funny blog posts i wonder if there lies something more and i hope that there does not .

Of course you may wonder if i myself hold secrets and of course i do , is it anything major and shocking ? No but as with us all i am not willing to share every part of my life with the online community.

 (I am not sure just what i am trying to say with this post accept it has been on my mind for a while )

Thursday 27 January 2011

Lotus Olbas Facial Tissues

"The clever girl's way of keeping a clear head"


Product – Lotus Olbas Facial Tissues

Available from – Boots and Sainsbury priced at £2.29

Official Sitewww.lotusolbastissues.com

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Product Description – These tissues are embedded with tiny oil capsules that when crushed release soothing vapours . The vapours include menthol , eucalyptus , juniper berries and cajuput .

My thoughts – These are tissues that smell pretty , the smell can linger on your nose and fingers for a while after using them . They are good quality tissues though and the vapours really did help to clear my nose and keep them clear .

Would i buy it myself ? - If i got them on special offer i would .

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Children - Then and Now



For week 43 of The Gallery CHILDREN are the topic ..easy peasy for us mummy blogger of course.

You know how pregnancy seems to go on forever ? As do the sleepless nights and screaming babies ...how come looking back it has all went in the blink of an eye . I remember the excitement of the pregnancies , the labours and the tiny babies . I remember the good , the bad and all the laughing and fun. Here are my babies - Then and Now.


Rebecca

Becca

Eilidh

Eilidh

Ruaridh

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Tuesday 25 January 2011

7 Things About Me

This meme seems to do its rounds in blogging every so often and i always enjoy it . I love learning new little facts about my favorite ladies . I have been waiting patiently for someone to tag me and it seems no one loves me *sob sob * lol .

So here is my take , 7 things you just have to know about me .

1 - I am going to be a Doula , i am doing the course with Nurturing Birth in April . I have also just finished doing a Mother Supporter course with Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and plan to train to become a full councillor as soon as i can . I am also doing a Health and Social Care course with the Open University


2 - I hate Coke and all its related products (including Pepsi and other brands) . If you include Dr. Pepper as a coke product that was the only one i liked , i craved and drank lots of it when pregnant with Eilidh and this continued afterwards . Once i fell pregnant with Ruaridh i stopped being able to drink it , it still makes me feel sick .

3 - I am going to be an Aunt for the 2nd time any day now , my brother in law and his girlfriend are expecting a baby girl . She was due last Saturday ..and at 9 months pregnant looks amazing .

4 - I have been blogging for almost 4 years now , i started my family blog in February 2007 - my first post is here

5 - Our flat has been on the market for over a year now and we have only had one viewer and no other real interest . I am beginning to think we will be stuck here forever , 2 bedrooms between 5 people is just not enough and i so want a garden for the kids . On the other hand i don't want to ever leave - it is just beside the school plus my children were all conceived here , i got engaged here and not to mention my son was born here ..how could i leave this place behind ?

6 - I have Plantar Fasciitis (which is currently hurting like heck , my entire leg is in agony because of the way i am walking with it) and also a Cystocele something between grade 2 and 3 , nothing can be done about it just now because the drugs are not compatible with breastfeeding and i don't want surgery for it just yet.

7 - I have been breastfeeding for almost forever well that is how it feels sometimes lol. My youngest was born in June 2005 and i fed her till February 2008 , her sister was born in November 2006 and she fed till July 2008 . I had a break from the July till September when Ruaridh was born , he was 2 in September and still feeds plenty . So except for those two months i have been feeding non stop for 5 years and almost 8 months.

Monday 24 January 2011

365 - Week 3

January 17 Ice cream after dinner ...and wearing a georgus cashmere top from The London Cashmere Company

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January 18 A lovely new toy (the kids lovely new jewellery box from Pink Heaven)


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January 19 Out for breakfast

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January 20 Getting weighed at the hospital

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January 21 Kid made birthday cake (for Nana)

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January 22 Learning new life skills

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January 23 New old toys

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Friday 21 January 2011

Zoobles

Another day , another fun toy review . The kids just love getting these little extras in the post . I have decided to try doing a template for reviews , i borrowed the idea
from New Mummy Tips (where i am part of a lovely parent panel ) and hope it makes writing reviews just a little easier for me .

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Product - Zoobles
Cost – Around £6 for a single pack .
Official Sitehttp://www.zoobles.com/#/Home/

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Product Description – Zoobles are cute, friendly animals who curl up into balls in their "happitat" homes . But when you drop them onto the special hot spot they open up and come to life ! 150 Zoobles are available for collection .

My thoughts – These things are seriously cute little animals , i sort of felt it was little pet shop the next generation . In a curled up ball their nothing then place them on top of the habitat and they pop open . Loved how the habitat opened so the ball could go inside to keep it together .

Kids thoughts – Girls were impressed , they are just getting into pet shops and found this adorable . They loved watching her spring open and petting her little head .

Would i buy it myself ? -  I think i would , at only £6 they make the perfect gift for someone but also for my girls to be able to save and buy themselves.

Thursday 20 January 2011

Pink Heaven

I have two girls just in case you were not aware . Two girls who love pink , fairies and all things girly . When i was asked to review something from Pink Heaven how could i possibly say no ?

Looking through the website i fell in love over and over , how i could imagine my girls wearing this

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I could pick dozens of objects from the site that i would love to buy for them , everything from jewellery and hair accessories to bed canopies and personalised pictures . No matter what your budget you would be able to find something for the little girl in your life from here .

We were sent Pink Fairy Friends Musical Jewellery to review .

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Tell me just how pretty is that ?

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It came wrapped up in pretty pink paper and bows and my 3 children opened it with excitement. They were not disappointed and all 3 (so yes my 2 year old son is included ) have not stopped playing with it since . It is great quality , sturdy and very pretty . Glitter sparkles on the outside , fabulous ear muffs on top (note there is not really ear muffs on top , my 4 year old just calls them this), plenty of space inside and who could forget the twirling fairy that plays music.
I cannot believe i never though of buying my children a jewellery box before , they all love hidying trinkets in it and watching the fairy go .

Oh and my son was the hit of playgroup when he bought it with him to show off (yes i let my boy take a pink fairy box out with him) .

It is a lovely site , ran by a husband and wife team and highly recommened by everyone in the McIntyre household . What are you waiting for - go shop

(Just in case you don't have any little girls in your life to buy for they have a boys site at Boys Treasure)

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Mother Nature


This week we are given the prompt "Mother Nature" . I immediately thought of an amazing pictures captured when i was 14 and on holiday in Tunisa . It captured a hurricane (or tornado or... i am not sure what it actually was ) over the sea in front of us perfectly . I remembered being shut inside and watching it , half of me terrified and half of me excited. That picture unfortunately is somewhere at my mums house and not on a computer i can share so i went searching through my archive looking for something to use.

I came across these shots taken in 2005 in Inverness , Craig and i were on our Honeymoon and spent a magical few days there taken it all in. It was such a beautiful place and i cannot wait to go back

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Monday 17 January 2011

365 - Week 2

January 10 Mummy and daughter playtime

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January 11 Yummy Ice Cream

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January 12 Funky clothes and huffy child

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January 13 Loving thy sister

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January 14 Day of shopping and lunching

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January 15 Another family lunch out

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January 16 A family lunch IN

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Friday 14 January 2011

To Give

I seem to be having a little theme week and talking about the time my eldest was in hospital (for anyone interested full story can be found HERE ) . This week as part of the Writing Workshop we are being asked to write about giving and i have a giving close to my heart.

When was the last time you gave? Have you ever gave?

Of course i am talking about giving blood, i have not gave in many years. I have spent the last 6+ years pregnant and or breastfeeding but before that i would give it a few times a year . It is a small procedure which takes a few moments but YOU could save someone’s life.

Most people can give blood. If you are generally in good heath, aged 17 to 65 and weigh at least 7st 12Ib you can donate. You are asked to wait around 12-16 weeks between donations, so donation would be possible at least 4 times a year .

Why give though ?

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This is my baby girl in hospital , during her hospital stay a blood transfusion was one of the many medical procedures that saved her life . Some kind person had donated and my daughter was able to receive it .

Your don't know who will get the blood you donate , your blood could be saving the life of a child just like mine.

How would you feel if your child or partner or someone you cared about needed blood and there was none available ?

I know we often see local blood drives around here and i am hoping next time i will be able to go into one (as part of this post i have contacted the give blood website to see if it would be possible for me to give blood . I seem to find mix reports on it). If you are looking for somewhere check out the following websites

Scotland
England and Wales

The whole process takes a few moments and is no more painful that getting blood drawn while pregnant BUT IT COULD SAVE A LIFE .

So please make it your new year resolution to give at least once this year x

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(This was written as part of the writing workshop on Sleep Is For The Weak) i was not paid for this post or received any other compisation . It is just something very close to my heart

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Body Parts



Yah The Gallery is back and this makes a very happy me . I have missed it .

This week we asked for Body Parts um...

This was actually easy and goes with this post from yesterday very well.

After waiting for so long to hold our baby , each minute spent with her in our arms was a miracle and we were constantly amazed just how small and perfect she was .

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Now those hands have grown , now those hands belong to a school girl . Those hands are now used to write , draw and be big .

But once they were little and belonged just to us...

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Waiting and Wanting

Last night i put the kids to bed and snuggled up on the couch to catch up on my soaps. Hubby was working and i was enjoying my free time. One of these soaps was Coronation Street and one of the characters was thrilled to be allowed to hold her premature baby for the first time. Isn’t it strange how something so simple can send you back? For a while last night i was that mother waiting and wanting nothing more than a hug from my child. Not being allowed to pick up your own child is something so horrible that it’s hard to explain.

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We were lucky we got to hold Rebecca after she was born , straight after birth she was taken away to special care while i recovered a little but as soon as we got to the SBCU (Special baby care unit) both hubby and i got to have a little shot . She did have some tubes and wires, we had to be careful and i could not feed her but i could hold my baby. I was able to hold her, change her and smell that amazing newborn scent.
She was born on the Wednesday, on the Friday she was moved hospitals. At this point we were still hoping her breathing issues were nothing, we still expected her to be home any day now. On the Friday she was put under and a scope placed down her throat, they discovered then the webbing and blockages and all of a sudden our daughter was seriously ill . No longer could we hold her, no longer could we pick her up and be with her. She had to spend the weekend in the incubator hooked up to wires and tubes while we could only watch , the doctors were worried it may get worse before they could perform surgery on the Monday and everyone was tense .
On the Monday, at just 5 days old she went under major surgery. We were warned that she would more than likely need a tracheotomy and so happy when she came back without one. She was however on a ventilator, her body needed to heal and this was the way to do it. She was kept on it and sedated for a little over 2 long weeks.
You need to understand this was our baby, our first child and we had no idea of this problem. We were expecting a healthy child and these issues were sudden and scary. I was meant to be spending the summer showing off my baby not crying by her bedside. We had no idea when or even if our baby would come home, she would wake from the sedation occasionally and we could do nothing more that stroke her hair and whisper sweet words. We could not hold her, nor bring her in our arms and make us all feel better.
I remember being allowed to hold her again, we had to be careful to not disconnect wires but our baby could be back where she belonged. It was not the sitting for hours with her in my arms i dreamed of (that would come later) but it was something amazing. It was something worth waiting for and it was something that still makes me smile 5 years later.
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This was not the end of it, at 3 years old we went through it all again. As traumatic as the first experience seemed is had nothing on the later one. I still feel haunted by the events of that summer and just how close we came to losing her...
We knew something was wrong with her, our vivacious 3 year old was unable to breath and we could see it was getting worse. When we let her leave our arms and go into the surgeon’s room we did not know what the next few weeks would hold.
We waited around for hours beside her empty bedside, waiting for someone to tell us everything would be ok and she was fine. Someone screwed up and we were not filled in properly, we were told she was out and to come and see her. In silence we were led through corridors and lifts arriving at intensive care, we walked through the sterile environment and were taken to our daughter unconscious and on a ventilator. No one told us this, we thought she would be awake and groggy from surgery not unconscious and unaware. I found it hard to talk through the tears and the following weeks were the hardest of my life, i am not sure how many times i said i just wanted a hug . Rebecca was always a child who liked her cuddles and i was lost without her. She would come around from the sedation sometimes and be in pain , you could see her confusion and fear and all i wanted to go was gather her up in my arms and be her mother again.
So twice now i have had to wait . I have had to just sit and watch and do nothing. I have not been able to hold my child when she needed me.

This is the stuff that will stay with me forever...

Monday 10 January 2011

365 - Week 1

A photo a day - every day - for a year . Here is week 1 ... (yes i am aware it is more than a week , i want to do this post every Monday )

Pictures may not be the best but they represent something from the day they were taken.

January 1 New Years dinner at Grans

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January 2 Sleeping Child

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January 3 A Late Christmas gift

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January 4 Playing Octonauts behind the curtains

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January 5 Schools BACK

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January 6 Morning Snuggles

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January 7 Computer Time

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January 8 Sleepover with Cousins

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January 9 Afternoon bath

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