Carry on up the blog

I doubt whether anyone is still bothering to check if I've updated recently as it's been so long, but I hope that somewhere, someone will read this! I don't seem to be able to get enough time in front of the computer to keep regularly blogging and I have to admit that it's causing me a bit of stress! I don't want to feel as though I'm letting people down all the time, so I'm going to take a leave of absence for a while.

Cyberspace has come to feel so real for many of us that this feels a bit like an obituary or something! I will of course keep an eye on friends' blogs and who knows, this blog might re-emerge in a different guise.

For now though, thanks for reading and for commenting. Happy blogging and stay in touch x

Will it really get that bad?

We're just watching The Day After Tomorrow. It's very scary. I know it's OTT and it's a good old-fashioned disaster movie, but this stuff could so easily happen. When are we going to change our ways to try and slow down climate change? More to the point, what are Nick and I going to do about it?

We have a plan of sorts. When we finally move into our own place (hopefully before too long, more news as we get it!) we're going to make it as carbon neutral as possible. Super efficient double glazing, max loft insulation, internal wall insulation, energy efficient lightbulbs everywhere, most efficient electrical appliances as possible. We're going to explore solar water heating options. It might not save the planet but we hope our actions will help in some small way. If we could all do something, it would make such a dramatic difference.

Preaching over for tonight. Plus father and son have just been reunited in the film...!

A year on...

A year ago to the day, I had managed to get one girl baby from the inside of my body to the outside world. It was the most excrutiating thing I've ever experienced and the most awesome. The result is a very cute Faye who was one today. She's almost walking, waving, clapping, smiling, laughing, frowning, trying to talk, trying to feed herself and annoying her brother (not all at the same time you understand). How did that happen?

I have been useless and haven't taken any birthday pics! Suffice to say she looked gorgeous and got far too many presents, all of which were opened by a very helpful big brother... Knackered today as the princess was up for an hour and a half last night and we had lots of babies here this afternoon. Another post soon with up to date pics of the babes I promise.

Oh, and it looks as though we might be buying a house at some point! Offer accepted so we'll wait and see. More soon xx

Why am I so nasty sometimes?

I have had an officially bad day in the parenting stakes. This seems to be happening to me rather a lot at the moment, and I am not at all proud of what is coming out of my mouth. I sound like a candidate for Tiny Tearaways where they video you and then say 'Is it any wonder your child had a hissy fit today?'

I exaggerate of course. As my wonderful husband often points out, there were lots of good points during the day where I wasn't a bitch to my children. I just wish I could rein in the anger that sometimes whooshes up from somewhere when I'm trying to get Oliver to sit in his car seat so I can strap him in; when Faye is virtually pulling down my trousers or pinching O's bum when I'm trying to change him (that one was quite funny actually!); when Oliver has a meltdown because we have to leave Emily behind at a playgroup (she's a green train, not a person...). We kissed and made up today but I hate that residual feeling of guilt mixed with exhaustion.

Ah, exhaustion. I suspect that's a large part of the problem. Plus trying to flog a flat that might have subsidence (or might not, don't ask) and putting in an offer on a place which is gorgeous but bound to cost us a fortune over the years if we get it!! As they say, it's all happening here in sunny (I wish) Bristol. I suppose that could be another factor for my malaise - the bloody weather.

Anyway, enough for now. Whinge, whinge, whinge. Self-pity is a loathesome thing...

Coming up for air...

As usual, apologies for being so remiss in my posting! O didn't have a tummy bug at all but a urinary tract infection - poor darling was very ill indeed and it took him over a week to get back to normal. Thank heaven for antibiotics - I can't imagine how he would have recovered without them. I know it's not great to use them on kids, but in this instance I had no hesitation what so ever.

We had a wonderful holiday in France. We were actually quite lucky to get there at all given all the fog nonsense that was going on - somehow Bristol airport escaped it all. We were thoroughly spoilt for ten days and N and I managed to reignite marital relations which was very exciting!! I had my first period for nearly two years too so it all happened...

Hopefully my poor skin will return to normal with the hormones settling down. For those of you who haven't seen me for a while, I'm rivaling my 16 year old self with awful acne!! In other news, Faye is 1 in a matter of weeks. Unbelievable how the time's gone by. Work is going well - two days a week suits me just fine and my first staff newsletter was very well received! (OK, I was working from a low base, but hey, I'll take the credit). We launch the Intranet in a few weeks which is another major milestone so I'm hoping I can persuade my boss to keep me on permanently.

We've got an offer on our London flat (ludicrous price, hurrah) and are looking in earnest for something here. Can't wait to get settled at last. O's sleep is still pretty bad, but we're all used to it now and we can't bring ourselves to do anything drastic just yet... Potty training looms, but I'm still in denial. Think that's about it for now. Much love and a happy new year to everyone (if anyone's still reading this!!)

My poorly boy...

I wouldn't be surprised if you've all given up checking my blog as I never seem to post anything! Like another friend in a similar position, I do have some kind of excuse. We've moved house (again), I'm back at work two days a week and life has been extremely hectic. Plus husband has been hogging the computer of an evening for work.

Add to all this a very sick boy - we're off to the docs in an hour and I have never seen O so poorly. It's heart-wrenching - he was sick lots yesterday but today he's just listless and sleeping the whole time. Feverish too. I'm hoping it's nothing more than a vicious bug... Selfishly I'm also hoping the rest of us don't get it.

Off to France for Christmas next week but will try and update on the lighter side of life soon! Keep checking me - I will try and post more often I promise!

Six hours unbroken sleep? What's that?

Now, along with the rest of the parenting world (or most of them at least), I love my children. I would go so far as to say I would give my life for them. But I would dearly love it if they could devise a way of sleeping all the way through the night at the same time. When O's sleeping like a trooper, F's waking two or three times and vice versa. We've had three stints of six hours unbroken sleep in the last three months.

I blame teeth. What a hassle. Even though O is now past two and a half, we're still waiting for his last back molar. This process - we have now learnt - turns our lovely son into a bit of a demon. He becomes very aggressive, particularly towards his little sis, sucks anything in sight, loses his appetite, cries a lot and sleeps really badly. Today was a classic example - constant whingeing and twatting of said sister, dreadful getting to sleep and ate virtually nothing all day.

And I'm still feeding F. I know, I should have got her onto the bottle by now for my own sanity and energy levels, but hey, she loves it and I have to admit I'm more loathe to stop with her given that we're unlikely to have another baby (finances and selfishness!).

So, all in all I'm exhausted. Functioning alright, but exhausted. And spotty. My skin is worse now than it was when I was 16. I'm not exaggerating. I've tried acupuncture (not impressed) and am delaying the day when I go to the GP. I presume it's being run down and having hormones which are still a bit all over the shop (shame it's not a sex shop - that part of our lives has vanished for the time being).

Sorry if this is all a bit too much information but what's blogging for if not to exorcise a few niggles? Oh, and we've got to move house in four weeks too. Not that we know where to yet... Bums.