Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Tamzin has a weekend away...

Week 36

We finally left Isla for a whole weekend – well, Saturday morning to Sunday evening! Pete and I decided we should get a ‘romantic’ weekend in before the baby comes so we went to London. It was great and I didn’t cry once, I was more than ready to hand Isla over and have a break with my husband, it was lovely; I found myself giving him hugs and kisses like I used to before they all went to Isla – who, to be fair, does smell nicer and has softer skin!!

We got the train up which was really relaxing other than the loo situation and when we arrived at Waterloo we got a cab and checked into the hotel and then went straight out again. Had lunch, bit of shopping, which was a bit frustrating for me, but it made a change me sitting around outside changing rooms rather than Pete!

Then we did some people watching over a cup of tea in Covent Garden, then went for dinner, then went to the theatre, then went for ice-creams and wandered around Soho, then finally got a rickshaw back to the hotel at about midnight! Impressed by my stamina at 36 weeks?!!! I was! The rickshaw was most uncomfortable however and I did think there was a strong possibility I might be jolted into early labour so Pete asked the poor man to avoid the bumps and holes!

I think the best bit though was the lie in the next day followed by a leisurely breakfast and a read of the papers.....I can’t remember the last time I did that, well I guess it was 16 months ago. Then we wandered along the South Bank, went on the London Eye and got the train home, it was great and did us so much good, although Pete got an earful when we got home and I realised he hadn’t packed my wash bag which I’d asked him to do and it had my glasses in which I’m lost without – I’m allowed to be scatty, I’m pregnant – he’s got no excuse! I got it back minus my very expensive new bottle of foundation..... never mind!

Isla hadn’t missed me at all which was brilliant, but she was absolutely delighted to see me and wouldn’t let go of me – even to hug her Daddy – oops, poor Pete. She finally relented about an hour later and gave him a kiss. But every time I left the room she wailed, she was fine the next day though. It was worth being away just to have that welcome home.

Monday, July 28, 2008 Tamzin lets non-sleeping babies cry...

34 weeks

When I saw my midwife the other day she had a feel of my tummy and said that the reason I still look so small is because the baby’s head is right down where it should be at 38 weeks! She wasn’t worried but now I keep thinking she’s going to come early.

Tonight I’ve been having some really uncomfortable pains and it really feels like she’s trying to push her head even further down. I was actually gasping with the pain earlier and my Mum got quite worried but I’m sure it’s not anything, there’s too much other movement and they’re supposed to get quieter before you give birth....aren’t they?!!

The other thing my midwife said was that they do get the sex wrong sometimes which I knew but hadn’t really thought about much and now I keep thinking how weird it would be if I had a boy! I wouldn’t mind at all but it would be strange because – well, because it’s a girl! She’s very firmly in my mind, Isla’s little sister, my 2 little girls, I see us in the future with our two daughters etc. It would be a shock; I think I better have a few boys names on stand by.

A while ago I wrote about how badly Isla was sleeping and it continued on and off until four nights ago. I finally did what I never wanted to do and that was not go into her at all when she started crying. It was soooooooooo hard, I lay there listening to her and feeling like I had someone twisting my heart (dramatic, but that’s what it’s like isn’t it?) until she went back to sleep – 50 minutes the first night 40 the next and since then she’s slept through, is it going to continue? I’ll let you know! It was horrible but if it’s worked I shall do it much earlier with the next one! I did go in to check her as soon as she went back to sleep, just to make sure she was ok!

You feel so cruel but as someone said to me recently they don’t have any conception of time, they’re not like us checking the clock and saying ‘hmmm I’ve been crying now for 10 – 12 – 16 – 30 minutes’ and you can tell with the cry whether there’s anything really the matter. It was never a desperate cry, just a ‘I’m awake and I want my Mum to come and stroke my brow’ cry. I do feel bad but I tell you what , we are all loving our good night’s sleep now!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 Tamzin is out on the town!

33 weeks

Went out on the town last Friday and managed to stay out until TWO O’CLOCK!!!! ROCK AND ROLL!! It was quite strange actually, I hadn’t been out for ages but it was my best friend’s birthday and we went out for a meal. I was expecting to be home by 11 but then Pete offered to go and relieve my Mum from babysitting while we went out, so I couldn’t say no!

We had a great time but I did feel very protective of myself! I was wearing a dress and it was obvious that I was pregnant but drunk people don’t really notice these things and there was a lot of them about! I did a lot of big elbows and arms out in front of me dramatically! It was fine until I started needing the loo and after the second time of queuing for more than 15 minutes and no-one letting me push in I couldn’t bear it anymore!! I put my coat on and stood waiting for my drunk friends! I felt like my Granny when she decides she wants to go – she doesn’t tell anyone she just puts her coat on and waits for someone to notice!! Selfish really but it’s the only time we have an excuse – pregnancy and old age! Got to make the most of it!!

Anyway I don’t know if it was the late night out, or if the baby was having a growth spurt but the last few days I have been more tired than I’ve ever been in my life and that’s saying something. I just didn’t have the energy to do a thing, it was horrible! All I wanted to do was sleep and lie around which is a bit difficult with a 14 month old Isla. Luckily she’s very good at entertaining herself, so I could lie down and she’d play with things and bring me books to read to her. Today I woke up and felt fine again thank goodness, but I’ve got lots of catching up to do now.....housework and tidying.....boring.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Tamzin starts thinking about labour...

32 weeks

I had an appointment with the consultant this week regarding the safety of having a vaginal delivery after having had a caesarean. It was actually rather a waste of time as she didn’t tell me anything different to what my midwife had already told me. She basically said, “yes, that’s fine any questions?” And I didn’t really. There is a risk of rupturing but there’s risks with the whole thing so nothing’s worse than anything else! The only thing that worries me a bit is the fact that I’ll have to be monitored and I also have Strep B which means I may have to take antibiotics through a drip during my labour, I have visions of being attached to two things and unable to move around as I want. But my midwife said that I’ll only have to take antibiotics if the Strep B is in my urine and that I won’t have to be monitored constantly, so I should still be able to move about. My friend had to spend her entire labour on her back in a bed due to various reasons and I can’t think of anything worse! I spent most of mine on my knees with my head buried in Pete’s lap – it was very comforting!!! My yoga teacher talks a lot about having your forehead pressed against something during labour and I know a lot of people who have found it helps, sounds odd I suppose but it is oddly reassuring.

Isla is so adorable at the moment, how can it be possible that she just gets more and more amazing? I know all Mothers (and Fathers) find this, you don’t think parenthood can get any better and it just gets more and more!! She is getting really cuddly and she gets jealous when my Mum hugs me or I hug her, she immediately grabs my arm and hugs it, it’s so funny. She’s still not saying any words really, everything’s still ‘Da da’, she sort of manages ‘fish’ – ‘ish’ and if she’s in the mood ‘duck’ – ‘guck’ and ‘mamamamamamamama’ if she wants something, which I guess is the first stages of the demanding ‘mummy!!!’ I’m just really glad I gave up work when I did because these few months have been wonderful. I’ve not been out too much, I’ve just spent lots of time at home relaxing and playing and laughing with and at her, it’s been brilliant!

Thursday, April 10, 2008 Tamzin is public enemy number one...

30 weeks

I’m feeling pretty good at the moment, back’s good, not too tired, I could even be said to be “blooming”, though I think that’s pushing it a bit far!

Our main issue at the moment is getting our new drive done. We live on a steep hill and our house nestles into the side and has wonderful views but the downside is that we have a long, steep path and steps up to the car park which is on the other side of the road! You can imagine the battle with baby, dog, shopping etc!! The thought of doing it with two babies actually defied imagination and Pete has been intending to dig a drive into the hill on our side of the road since we moved here, so work finally started last month.

When I say “dig”, I’m talking bulldozers and dumper trucks and structural engineers and lots of concrete, not spades and a bit of gravel!! As usual it’s turned into a much bigger job than Pete expected, we’ve had the village ‘society’ representative up to check it’s ‘safe’, (they really like to make everything their business around here) and we’ve held the traffic up on numerous occasions – so we are public enemy no 1 at the moment.

To try and keep people sweet I have been going to the top of the road (it’s a single lane, very windy, steep road, which a lot of people use as a rat run – much too fast!!!!) to divert the traffic and generally people have been very nice and polite; but the day I was actually revealing my bump I had two horrible old people get really unpleasant. I couldn’t believe it – and in my condition!!!!

Anyway, it is due to be finished by the end of April, two weeks before my due date.....we’ll see! For the time being we are using our very kind neighbour’s steps as there’s a gate between our gardens, however they are very steep and long and slippery, I’m getting slower and slower but I guess it’s keeping me fit!! I can see that in about a month’s time I shall be calling on my father-in-law to walk the dog in order to avoid the climb myself!

Monday, March 31, 2008 Tamzin's daughter is on the move!

28 weeks

Isla’s walking!!! 13 months and one week exactly! She took her first three steps before we went on holiday and then practised a lot while we were away, but the most she did was 5 or 6. Then, when we got back we went to friends for lunch and some other friends from my NCT group were there and their little boy Harry seemed to inspire Isla! She crawled out of the room and he overtook her on foot and when they came back, she was walking!!! It was so funny, it really was like she’d thought “Hey!! I can do that!”

Anyway, we went home that afternoon and there was no stopping her and she’s walked since. She’s not yet got the hang of walking from falling in a space, but if there’s something to pull herself back up she’s off again! It’s wonderful, much easier on my back and just so sweet to watch. Everyone says “oooh, it’ll be more difficult when they walk” etc etc, but actually it’s not much different, she was already opening cupboards and going everywhere she shouldn’t on all fours, so nothing’s changed really. I thought there’d be more tears with the frequent falling, but she seems to be quite an ‘ard nut! I’m amazed at how little she cries, I hear a crash and then wait, holding my breath...nothing, just a bit of scrabbling!



I don’t know if it’s the fact she’s walking, I don’t think so as I still have to regularly pick her up, but my back is miraculously better! I think the baby must have moved because one day it just wasn’t there, (the pain obviously, not the baby!!). I’ve had the odd twinge and a bit of general lower back achiness which is only to be expected, but nothing like the previous discomfort – I feel like a new woman!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008 Tamzin is back from Egypt...

Well, we had a wonderful time and no-one got ill...thank goodness!!! The flights were a bit of an ordeal, just going to Gatwick and manoeuvring baggage etc was probably the worst bit and then when we arrived, there were no trolleys so we had to get our cases, hand luggage and 2 babies all the way to the mini bus – with no help at all (I’m writing a letter of complaint to the travel company actually!!). But other than that it was great. The Egyptians absolutely adore babies, everywhere we went they were admired and cuddled, it was lovely. It was also interesting to see how many other people were travelling with very small children and quite a few pregnant ladies!
We had our bucket and our Milton tablets so sterilising was no problem, but we had to go to the shops to get mineral water that had less than 20 g sodium – or something – the nurse had told us this was important for their kidneys although I didn’t know that when I went on holiday before so I may have already damaged Isla’s kidneys.....the guilt!

Our other drama was the weight restriction on luggage because they didn’t allow extra for an infant and we were told it was 20kg, which is not a lot when you’ve got a week's worth of baby food and nappies to transport. We had a right old palaver trying to get all we needed in and ended up taking very little for ourselves, we were actually repacking in the hotel at Gatwick the night before in order to leave stuff in the car. Typically, on arriving at check-in the sign said no baggage over 32kg accepted, so it was all for nothing! Flipping travel company!

The highlight of the holiday was snorkelling and a pod of dolphins turning up! Apparently they can sense pregnant women, so whether it was my little girlie calling to them I don’t know but it was magical! Isla was happy on the glass bottomed boat in her life jacket, she was fascinated, but what I was really disappointed by was not getting a photo of pregnant me in a wetsuit, it was such a sight and I would have loved to share it with you!! I almost was tempted to put it back on especially, but it was just too tiring!



So I’m really glad we went, but I have to say it really seems to have done for my back. It wasn’t good before and now it’s awful, which could have happened anyway I suppose. I went to the osteopath on Monday and was right as rain Tuesday but then awful again Wednesday and since. It’s stopping me doing things now but I think I just need to rest more.....I’ll try!

Thursday, February 14, 2008 Tamzin is off to Egypt!

I’m going on holiday tomorrow!! It’s my Mum’s 60th in April and obviously I’m not going to feel like doing much then. I know some people are comfy and active right up until they give birth but I wasn’t one of them! I could harldy move without needing the loo, shopping was dreadful because there was never a loo near enough, bending over...aaarrgghh. I was so so uncomfortable. So I thought if we’re to enjoy ourselves we need to do something now, so I booked a last minute holiday to Egypt, we’re staying in a 5* hotel in El Gouna so fingers crossed it will be great!!

My friend Sally and her son Ben are coming, he’s the same age as Isla so that’ll be nice. I went to see the midwife this week for a check up, people kept saying I looked small and ‘are you sure you’re pregnant?’ and comforting things like that! I was confident all was well as she’s been wriggling like a good 'un! I was actually the perfect size and we listened to her heart – so amazing hearing it, always makes it seem more real!

Lyn my midwife wrote me a letter to say I was all right to fly as apparently some airlines require that. However, we haven’t had injections. Now, some people may think I’m a bad mother and generally irresponsible to go on holiday being pregnant and with a one year old..... perhaps I am too lackadaisical, I don’t know, but the nurse obviously thinks so! Sally (who’s coming on holiday) had to go to the doctor for Ben’s jabs and the nurse was very cross with her for not getting him and herself injections. But when I went abroad in October, the nurse had said Isla’s current jabs would be enough and she was too young for anymore anyway, so I assumed – wrongly- that a few months wouldn’t make any difference.

I think I’m up to date because I’d had some before I knew I was pregnant, if I’d known I probably wouldn’t have had them anyway. Anyway the nurse made Sally feel very guilty about even going and when she went back for her injections today the nurse had kindly(!) looked up some more information and told her that we mustn’t let our babies crawl around on the floor........ok.

The rest is common sense: don’t drink tap water or rinse bottles out with it – I’ve got my Milton tablets and you don’t have to rinse the Milton solution off. Be careful of the food – well my case is filled with jars and tubs of baby food! I’m sure we’ll all be absolutely fine, but of course I will feel terribly guilty if we’re not!

Will let you know – honestly – how we fare! Very excited though , looking forward to floating around in super salty sea and snorkelling and SUN!!!!

Monday, February 4, 2008 Tamzin joins the great double buggy debate!

I’ve got a Phil & Ted and it’s WONDERFUL!!! The whole pushchair thing is mad really, you read up and ask friends and it seems like no-one is ever perfectly happy with what they’ve got! I found myself regularly stopping people during my last pregnancy and saying “Are you happy with that pushchair/pram?” And they’d look at me as if I was a crazy woman and say “Yes thanks - are you trying to sell me something?” before they scuttled off, holding onto their ‘Bugaboo’ tightly!!

Actually most people were less suspicious than that and it was quite useful really. In the end I got a ‘Pliko Pramette’ which was/is great in some ways, although what I did find was, as Isla got bigger, the pram got less supportive and ended up with a big dip in the middle so then I’d have to shove things under it to pad it back up. I remember accusing Pete of losing something like a blanket and getting irate, only to find it a couple of weeks later under the Pliko mattress!

That was the same night we were away in a hotel and I got furious with him for losing a baby-gro, I was convinced he’d tidied it away somewhere (he’s a bit anal on the neat and tidy front) only for him to finally spot it hanging out the back of my jumper where I’d shoved it to warm it! He was exceedingly smug! That sort of thing seems to happen quite regularly since pregnancy and childbirth!

Anyway, back to pushchairs...I was generally pleased with the Pliko despite the saggy middle (makes two of us!), it was good for out-and-about shopping and when she was too big for the pram the pushchair was lovely and comfy for a day out somewhere. However as time went on I started to wish I had something lighter to lift in and out of the car and more manoeuvrable around shops etc so I ended up getting a Maclaren too, which is brilliant. It’s been on holiday with us to various places and it’s so light and quick to deal with, you just flick it up and down. But of course now I need a double buggy and so after asking friends and, of course, stopping people on the street, I went for the Phil & Ted. I love it with a passion, I go on about it to friends and family the same way my friend goes on about the wonders of her magi mix.

I love it because:

1. It’s great for walks on rough ground (now I can’t carry Isla)
2. It’s soooo smooooth!
3. It’s got a single bar handle rather than 2 like the Pliko which makes it easy to push one handed – which you do need to do sometimes!
4. It’s incredibly easy to put up and down.
5. The straps are really easy to manage – a lot less stiff than the Pliko.
6. I hate to say it – but it looks cool !
7. Lots of room underneath
8. The hood is nice and small so Isla can turn round to look at me, which she can’t do in the Pliko.
9. It’s light.
10. It’s brilliant and I wish I’d got something like it originally!

Monday, January 28, 2008 Meet another new blogger: Tamzin!

Hello - I'm Tamzin. I was a secondary school teacher but I have just given up my job (for now anyway) to be a full time mum. I have a one-year-old daughter called Isla-Rose and I'm expecting another girl in May.

All my former colleagues have been back at school for two weeks now - I can’t believe it! People asked how I’d fill my time when I stopped working….?!!! I haven’t stopped. There is always so much to do! I’ve been trying to get the house straight and organise everything like photos and cupboards and baby clothes, things that I intended to do when I last went on maternity leave over a year ago and of course never got round to. I know that if I don’t get them done in the next few months it definitely won’t happen after May when I will have TWO tiny tots!!!

My husband Pete and I have just been discussing how we forget I’m pregnant - this was the result of him sprawling across my fat tummy and hurting me! The baby kicked in indignation but then refused to make herself felt when he put his hand on my tummy – he still hasn’t felt her kick and she’s been at it for over a month now!!

I’ve been going to an osteopath because my back’s so bad. It was the same during my first pregnancy and she completely sorted me out, but this time I’m not getting any rest inbetween sessions so it’s taking longer. It’s a real drag but I can’t complain as I never had any sickness through my pregnancies and I think I’d rather have a bad back than that!! My osteopath said – tongue in cheek – “Well you musn’t pick up Isla or do anything strenuous, get some servants in!” Hmm, that’d be nice I wonder if I can persuade Pete…

I’ve also started fatty yoga (for pregnant people) again. Sharon who takes it is this beautiful, petite lady with a completely flat tum and I think she’s had 3 children! She’s absolutely lovely and has this wonderful relaxing voice. I did it in the evenings first time round and I always used to fall asleep during the relaxation at the end, I thought it was because I was working etc but I still fell asleep at 10.30 in the morning this time!

It was nice to get away and do something purely for me and my well being. Walking the dog isn’t that much of a pleasure at the moment because I can’t carry Isla anymore so I have to take the pushchair which restricts where we go and it’s soooo muddy and then of course I need a wee so frequently!! Ahh the joys...