Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Grace O’Reilly

The last week or so has just been up and down mentally and physically.  I have an upcoming abdominal scan approaching and nerves are getting to me.  Is it a bird, is it a plane, no it’s the next friggin’ E.R drama to happen in my ever falling apart body.  I am 30, not 90 years of age, so God what will I be like when I am 90, if I indeed reach that nice, old age.

Ben started in playschool last Monday.  He is 14months nearly and very clingy (compared to his older sister Olivia who is 3 and a half).  He was breastfed, she was not.  He does NOT sleep, she did.  I could be wrong but for me Breast was NOT best, as I say for me.  Ben has been a never-ending Duracell bunny for the last 14 months with no intention of stopping or slowing down.  He rarely naps and goes down with a fight every night and finally after round 100 DING, DING, DING, falls asleep for a mere 2 hour period if we are lucky enough before being back to square bloody one.  I feel so bad for him but also for me and Daddy.  We are the walking dead, zombies out of minds.  “COFFEE”, one of us usually yells to a grumpy other at some kind of ridiculous o’clock as the one making orders kicks the other out of bed.  We do love you Benjamin, just we used to love sleep too.  Ben has his monkey school bag with his loom band key ring with BEN on it that his great aunt Avril made him.  He has gone from wailing like a banshee for 20 solid minutes to crying for a 2minute period before seeing new toys and another baby to play with. He was in for 30mins every day last week and 45 mins today and hour tomorrow, hour 30mins Wed, 2 hours Friday.  Thursday he isn’t in.  So next week he will be in from then on for just Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

Olivia has started the ECCE Scheme and is now in playschool for 5 afternoons a week as opposed to the 2 she was in before that.  She is so good.  Her teachers do nothing but sing her praises each day.  She has her Peppa Pig school bag and her Olivia princess lunch box Leonie made her.  Ben has his monkey bag with his loom band key ring with BEN on it that his great aunt Avril made him.  He has gone from wailing like a banshee for 20 solid minutes to crying for a 2minute period before seeing new toys and another baby to play with. He was in for 30mins every day last week and 45 mins today and hour tomorrow, hour 30mins Wed, 2 hours Friday.  Thursday he isn’t in.  So next week he will be in from then on for just Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  I feel rally mean but I know it is for his best interest and that he will benefit greatly.  Olivia loves playschool too.

Last week I started to make lots of carrot and raisin cakes and banana loaves.  They turned out really well.  The kids and Simon go mad for the banana loaf.  I was just dying for my friend Sinead’s carrolt cake and since she lives in Manchester I bravely had to try and make my own which is nice but just not quite as nice as Neds.  So I went mad baking for our friends BBQ last week and for Si’s Nanny Josie and my own Gran and Mum.  I turned into a Betty Crocker wannabe overnight.  I also was making the scones with the scone mix too and proudly did a roast last week for my Granny, parents and Si and the kids and nobody died.

The week before last Ben had his 13month injections and was very cross with me that I let that mean old nurse (who is actually very nice) hurt him.

I was up a lb and a half last week in Unislim and so I really now need to keep focused.  Wonder if the scales will give me a nice MINUS or ugly PLUS tomorrow.  I need to take Anne’s advice on board and declutter my kitchen cupboards.

I spent all weekend in bed as my stomach and back have been killing me.  Yes it was my time but I t mean it was PAIN so I am hoping that it’s not to do with this upcoming scan.  Every day last week I had a headache and still do and just don’t feel rested so have started to take iron supplements.  My tummy is just so tender I can’t keep anything down and have just hurled for the umpteenth time in the last 3 days alone just there so I better be down tomorrow LOL.

Friends really are great when you feel blue.  Leonie gave me a nice girl chat this morning and then Leah this evening.  Really perked me up.  My friend Katie was mailing yesterday to see I was ok and my friend Nick too texted.  My sister send me a nice letter and card last week and my Aunt Avril made me 2 lovely loom band bracelets.  My parents brought me out some rhubarb yesterday which I’ll stew tomorrow if my tummy bit better.

I can’t believe that it’s September again.  Back into NEW stuff.  Si went back to work his usually hours after having reduced hours over the Summer so hopefully the bank account as well as out routine go back to normal.  As I said the kids started on the ECCE Scheme and in playschool this week.  My friends Leah and Patrick’s little one Katie started school the week before last.  One of my friends Jamie Ryan started his psychology course today well done.  Leah is started Childcare Level 6 in 2 weeks and Jamie Richardson Social and Community Studies in 2 weeks time also.  So proud of everyone.

My sister Karen is back to work after having hip surgery so am delighted she is back on her ...em 2 feet lol (well she was on crutches).  She made the work gang muffins today.  My other sister Susan and my brother in law are off on holiers soon.  JEALOUS.

My sister in law Willow started in a new school last week and my 2 brothers in law started secondary school last week too.  Willow’s first day didn’t go well as Cruella de Ville her teacher SHOUTED at her in front  of her new class because she was never taught joint writing.  Feckin’ nerve.  If I was the teacher I would have said “no worries, we’ll be up to speed soon”.  Luke loves the computer club he joined for the lunch times and David is already wooing the girls having broken up with his first girlfriend after the first week.  Ah puppy love!!!

I have been having weird dreams lately of my teeth falling out and of my own death in different ways.  Very weird.   On the death subject my friend Yvonne’s mum’s passing has already been over a month.  Time flies.  Alfie and Russell (relatives on my husband’s side) 1^st anniversary is now.  That year flew too.

Simon (my toyboy hubby) is 28 on Friday.  He is 2 years plus my junior.  Now we are in different decade brackets I feel older again.  On the plus he makes me tea all the time as I say “Respect your elders”.  We are hoping to go for a small, cheap meal with some friends on Saturday and then back to ours for games.

Just off the phone to Nick.  Looking forward to seeing him, Roisin, Leah, Patrick and hopfully Jamie, Leonie and baby James on Saturday.  Ok chamomile tea calls, as does hot water bottle and nerofen plus.  Please nobody ring.  Please Olivia and Ben keep sleeping soundly.  Mummy is hopping into her leaba.  Night all.

THE END xxx