Our first days in the U.S.

So yeah, we made it here safely after a relatively uneventful day of flying. Dylan did really well, all things considered, though he had a little bout with travel sickness. And when I say a little, what I mean is Monty Python-esque quantities of vomit on the transatlantic flight. Let's just put it this way--Martin ended up wandering around the plane wearing a t-shirt and an airplane blanket in lieu of trousers whilst trying to calm down a screaming baby. I brought a spare t-shirt for myself so it was just my bra that ended up saturated in vomit. Martin looked rather fetching though--skirts really suit him!

Our flight was late getting into Salt Lake City, so we didn't get to Nephi and to bed until around 3:30 am, then Dylan woke up at around 5:30 or so. That first day was a little rough, but Dylan was adorable and played well with his cousins that he met. We went for a walk and he explored mom and dad's house. Things got interesting on Thursday.

Dylan woke early again, so we got up and gave him breakfast. He had finished eating and was toddling around the kitchen when all of a sudden he just toppled over. Martin picked him up, and he wasn't breathing. Then he started having a seizure. We called 911, and then ended up just driving him down to the hospital ourselves (faster, believe it or not, than waiting for an ambulance). On the way there he started breathing again, but he was totally limp and unresponsive. It was the most terrifying car journey of my life.

The on-call doctor took about 15 minutes to arrive, and when he got there he ordered blood tests and observed him. He sent us home about an hour and a half later, telling us that sometimes kids just have seizures for no apparent reason, but to watch him carefully and make sure his motor functions and behavior were normal. We took him home, very shaken up, and put him down for a nap. He slept for about an hour and a half, then woke up and had some lunch. Martin was getting him dressed for the day when he had ANOTHER seizure. This time we called the hospital to let them know we were on our way, and the doctor was waiting for us when we got there. They did a lumbar puncture and a CT scan, both of which were totally normal. Since he had 2 seizures that were totally explained, they referred us to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake. And since Dylan had been seizing, they wouldn't let us transport him. So Dylan and I got to ride to the hospital in an ambulance.

We spent the next 24 hours or so at the hospital with doctors of all sorts observing Dylan. He was a trooper--only struggling when they had to put in an IV (it took three nurses to hold him down) and when he had his blood pressure taken. He had an EKG and an EEG whilst we were there, and was examined by a few neurologists. They couldn't find a single thing wrong! That was kind of a relief, but kind of frustrating as well. They discharged him about 22 hours after we got there, but sent a copy of his EEG with us and recommended that we get him an MRI on our return to the UK. They also suggested we have the EEG repeated at a later date, and gave us a prescription for an anti seizure medication to take on the flight home with us, just in case!

So that was the first three days of our vacation. Fun, huh? The best part is, we're not sure if our travel insurance covers Dylan. Could be a VERY expensive holiday.

After all the stress of the hospital and whatnot, my asthma flared up. And because of the flights and the drama, I had not been using my maintenance inhaler. So after Dylan came out of hospital, I spent the next 3 days totally laid up not able to breathe.

But since then things have been better. I've been enjoying visiting with family and friends and showing Dylan off. He's adjusted quite well to the time change and LOVES hanging out with his uncle Jace and his cousins. He's really warming to his grandparents, as well. I think dad is sick of having us around, and I think ShaNeil is getting a little bit frustrated as well, but I know it's not easy to have house guests and I totally understand. We're hanging out at Krystle's apartment right now (mom and dad don't have internet access at home) to give them a little bit of space.

Christmas was lovely, and most decidedly white. It has snowed nearly every day since we got here. Dylan was incredibly spoiled by Santa and Martin is happy because jace got a Wii that everyone's been playing on.

Hey Lewis and Emma, I am no longer a Wii virgin. I did bowling and tennis on it last night, and even have my very own Mii. And Krystle told us about a friend of hers who bought a Wii with her boyfriend and signed a "Wii-nup." Just thought it was funny and had to share.

The time is going quickly, and even though it is nice to be here, I am actually missing home. I never thought I would feel this way--I am missing england and all our friends there. Plus, it's nice to be in our own space. Being company isn't any easier than having company! Plus, I am noticing a lot of little Utah quirks that are driving me nuts--like calling Sacrament meeting "Sacrent meeting." Oh, rural Utah accents!

I'm not sure when I'll be posting again (remember the lack of internet access at the house) but I'll try to keep my loyal readers updated. I'm getting some good pictures, and can't wait to get them up.

Later!

Lightening quick post...

The US family already know we made it across the pond safely, but my UK readers haven't heard from me in a while. There will be plenty to post about later, but I don't have time now as it is quite late and we need to get to bed. No internet access at my parents' house, you see. We've had some major drama, but all is well now. I want to wait and write about it when I have time to do the events of the past week some justice. So hang in there and be patient!!!

Midwife appointment...

So I had a doctor's appointment and a midwife appointment today. I saw the doctor to get eyedrops in case I get pink eye from Martin. He was very nice and gave me the drops even though I'm not currently showing any symptoms. My eye has been a little itchy and runny, so I figured it is always better to be safe than sorry, and much better to pick up my prescriptions where I don't have to pay for them!

The midwife appointment was fun. Dylan came with me, of course, but he was really well behaved. Everything that they check is normal, and the heart beat was fun today. Obviously, the heartbeat itself was just a heart beating. But the baby had the hiccups when they were listening, and it was so great to listen to! They drew some more blood, and I got the results of my last blood work. Good news--I don't have syphillis or AIDS.

We're pretty much ready to go now, and I am seriously tired. Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight and tomorrow will go well. I've got butterflies in my stomach, just like I always do before I fly. I'm really looking forward to Wednesday!

Tomorrow is the big day!

We have been pushing Dylan's bedtime back and we've managed to get about an hour and a half. I am in the process of packing our bags (have to finish the laundry first since I have a limited supply of maternity clothes) and our carry-on. I even got a few excited butterlies earlier today that overrode the hideous anxiety about the flights! I just tried to check in on line, but can't. I guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

I hear that winter has hit Utah with a vengence and we are on target for a white Christmas. The mother-in-law will be so jealous, and we are going to freeze our tails off! I also hear that there have been major ice storms somewhere in the northern U.S. and am hoping that Minneapolis isn't affected, since that's where we have our layover.

Ugh--so much to do and I am just putting things off. But I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Art???

I have been plastering this evening. It's been absolutely ages since I did any plastering, and I'd forgotten how much fun I have doing it. I get better at it every time I try, and by the time this house is finished I should be REALLY good at it. We had a giant hole to fill and wires to cover up in Dylan's room (which is temporarily our room so we can work on it late at night and I am closer to the bathroom for my pregnancy).

I remember viewing a home in the St. George Parade of Homes where the walls had been plastered the "old fashioned" way. The plaster had been mixed with a colored glaze and had been rubbed with a trowel to heat and shine the plaster. At the time I thought those hand-plastered walls were stunning, and I still do. I certainly never thought that several years later I would be perfecting the technique myself.

I think that hand plastering is a dying art in the U.S. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think most homes are done by machine. I'm not really up on my building techniques, but it certainly doesn't look hand done. It's too uniform and perfect. I remember watching the plasterers do our front room when I was pregnant with Dylan--it was amazing! Plastering is hard work, and it really does take a lot of practice to get good at it. Even though a finished room isn't a work of art, doing the work certainly is. Professional plasterers are really skilled craftsmen.

My work isn't that good, but one of the advantages of living in a nearly 200 year old house is that you can have things like slightly imperfect plaster and it just adds to the character of the house. If we had perfectly smooth sections of wall in the nursery, it just wouldn't look right. The original plaster is old and lumpy and wavy, so my slightly imperfect patching job, once it's been painted, will blend right in!

In non-mundane house news, we are flying on TUESDAY! Still dreading the flight, but I've got Dylan's clothes all ready to pack, and I've started on mine. We know what we want to take in our carry-on--just have to actually put it in. I hope it goes well, and I am so excited to see all my American friends and family!

Big sigh of relief...

Martin is still at work, but it is his last Christmas party before we head stateside. Dylan is asleep and my hard week is over. Now we just have a manic few days of packing ahead of us, and 12 hours of flying plus layovers. I will breathe a big sigh of relief when I wake up on Wednesday morning in Utah.

We've had a very lovely day, all things considered. It was the Primary Christmas party, and I went as a show of support but was no help at all since Martin was at work and my little sidekick went along. After the party, which Emma and the kids rode in with me for, we all hopped in the car and drove to Cleethorpes. It was Nathan's birthday yesterday, and we went swimming with them to celebrate. Then we went to MacDonalds for dinner, and rushed home because Martin's Nanna and Grandad were popping 'round before they went to a concert here in town.

So we had a full house for an hour or so this evening. It was the grandparents, plus Martin's dad came by. Martin popped home for about 45 minutes as well, and we were so happy to see him!

We are trying to push Dylan's bed time back a bit this weekend in preparation for the time change, so his bath was nearly 45 minutes later than normal. The morning we fly we will be putting him to bed late and waking him up early in the hope that he will sleep a lot on the longer flights. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, that's the update. Oh, and by the way, it looks like Martin's eye is getting better with the antibiotics. Good, huh?

Almost more drama...

We almost had more drama at our house this evening. Martin woke up this morning with a really sore eye, and he was concerned that it was a flare up of his iritis. Remember about 6 years ago now when Martin did his pirate thing? His eye got all disgusting and his body tried to reject it? Yeah, a little bit worrying. So he saw the doctor this afternoon, and was sent to see the opthamologist at the hospital in Scunthorpe. So Dylan and I picked him up from work and drove him in. Luckily the specialist thinks it's just pink eye, and gave him antibiotics. If Dylan and I get symptoms we will just have to see the GP and get a prescription. What fantastic timing!

Martin still thinks it's iritis again, and I think he might be right. If it is, we will know within the next few days. We'll need to get him started on a course of treatment before we fly over, so it doesn't cost us a fortune like it did last time. He was seeing a specialist twice a week and we had to buy REALLY expensive medication for him. Plus he walked around for a month wearing an eye patch!

Martin's back at work now doing a private Christmas party for the Caistor flower club--the one that his mom goes to. Dylan is sleeping like a little angel and I have scrubbed the bathrooms and am relaxing and watching Heroes. Such a good night, other than the trip to the hospital!

The promised pics...

A very dopey looking Dylan, wearing daddy's hat



Daddy and Dylan love snuggling up and watching "In The Night Garden" every night before bath time



A rare occurance--Grandad Gilbert helps with Dylan's bath



The Thanksgiving Day dinner guests



I have a proper dining room now!!!

Knowing your limits...

My body is on the mend again, having spent the last three or four days suffering from asthma again. I have decided that the key to controlling my asthma while I am pregnant is knowing what I can and can't do.

I spent the last three days doing as little as possible, and it seems to have really made a difference. As opposed to the week or two that it took me to recover last time, four days is a HUGE improvement! Although I feel really lazy when I am sick, I've realized that it's what I need to do.

It really takes a lot for me to sit back and let Martin take care of me. I am so proud of the fact that I manage this house, cook the meals, clean it, and take care of Dylan on my own. Don't get me wrong--Martin helps out a lot when he gets home. But there are things that he just doesn't think about doing, and the house isn't done to my standards. A lot of times I push myself and do things even when I am tired or unwell, just because I know that if I don't do them they won't get done. But I can't do that right now.

I am having to take a step back and consider my health and the health of the new baby rather than the cleanliness of my house and having a home cooked meal on the table when Martin gets home. It's frustrating, but I am starting to see that I have to let things slide if I want to be able to take care of myself and my babies. So I have to let Martin carry laundry up and down the stairs. I have to let him vacuum the stairs when he comes home. I have to cook really simple meals and let him fetch and carry stuff for me when he comes home. I have to just be a little bit embarrassed when people drop by unexpectedly and my house isn't very tidy. And I will do it, though I hate it, so that I can breathe and Dylan and newbie are healthy and happy.

Though I do sometimes feel like Dylan is being raised by the BBC. I guess we'll see if he starts talking with an English accent instead of an American one!

By way of a general update, we now have a car that is registered in our names and is insured. It's lovely to drive, but it's HUGE compared to our old cars. I will have to get used to parallel parking a boat and driving a bigger car on these tiny roads. SO nice to have wheels again. I drove to go grocdery shopping, run to the bank, and take Dylan swimming yesterday.

Dylan had a great swimming day! He actually swam by himself, with no help from me. We put one of those little noodle things under his arms (He won't wear arm bands and doesn't really like having a life jacket on) and let him swim after a beach ball and some bath toys. He was kicking like crazy and doggy paddling. I just stayed right next to him to steady him when he started to slip. He's going to be a fantastic swimmer as he gets a little bit older. Plus, he was absolutely exhausted last night and went to sleep really easily.

Martin is staying busy at work. He's actually cooking today since it's Karen's birthday and she took the day off. Plus, he's doing a lot of stuff when he gets home (as mentioned above). He finished fitting the double glazing film in the windows last night while I watched a movie downstairs. What a superstar! As soon as I am feeling up to it, we are going to do some plastering in Dylan's bedroom so we can get it painted. I do the actual plastering, but Martin mixes it up for me. I hate dealing with the mix because it smells funny and is a dirty, goopy mess. He's done most of the wiring work already.

I don't think the house will be ready for putting on the market in January, but it won't be long after that--February or March at the latest, I hope. We'll need to tidy up the garden a bit and finish off a few corners, but we're nearly there. Martin's Grandad Priestly is going to come and help us wallpaper the stairways and landings after Christmas. I know that I have said some not too complimentary things about wallpaper, but we can't afford to have plasterers come in and do the space, and I won't be up to doing it myself during my third trimester of pregnancy. I don't have very good balance at the best of times, and can just imagine myself heavily pregnant and standing on a ladder to plaster the 20 foot stairway. Fantastic!

Anyway, must get on with a little light housework. Pictures coming up soon--maybe during Dylan's nap?

A busy week ahead...

Martin has loads of parties coming in this week, so it was great that he had the weekend off. Unfortunately, I am sick (a cold and asthma--again!) so we didn't get to do anything fun. I have been suffering from insomnia again and this weekend have been taking obscenely long naps during the day as a result. Plus, we were still carless all weekend. The car is parked outside our hosue and is in our names, but we were unable to insure it over the weekend. SO frustrating!

Just 8 days until we fly to see the family, and I am getting even more excited to go. Not about the flight, mind you. We can't even manage to keep Dylan still for all of sacrament meeting, so I don't know how we're going to manage a trans-Atlantic flight. We still have so much to get done before we leave, so the next week is going to fly by!

I'm going to charge up my camera batteries tonight so I can get some pictures of the dining room and also the new car posted. I'll probably get those on the blog on Tuesday or thereabouts.

Fingers crossed that I can sleep tonight and we can get everything done that needs doing in the coming week. And we'll see all of you real soon!

Blah...

I'm sitting here watching my toddler read his books and enduring the sensation of a 6 month old fetus pressing on my lower intestines. OUCH! This never happened when I was pregnant with Dylan. This time around is so much more uncomfortable and inconvenient!

I'm also facing a rainy, cold day with no car. I need to go to the supermarket to pick up some milk and peanut butter, and I'll have to walk there to get it. We're still waiting for the check from the insurance company (the check's in the mail, apparently. We'll see.) and our rental car went back this morning. I've been awake since 5:30 am and would have been able to get back to sleep around the time that Dylan woke up. I can hardly wait until nap time!

On a positive note, despite being "high risk" for pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, as of yesterday at the midwives I am showing signs of neither one. I have another appointment right before we fly over, and then will have another just after we get back. As I head towards my 3rd trimester they will be seeing me around every 3-4 weeks. I didn't get seen at ALL during my second trimester until yesterday. Weird! Also, the baby's heart sounds fantastic and my iron levels are apparently very good, especially for a pregnant woman. What can I say? I feel pretty crappy, but I'm pretty healthy all things considered. Thank goodness for prenatal vitamins.

Dylan has learned a new word. He's now very good at saying "hat," and he knows what it means. But he's at the age where everything that you put on your head is a hat, all bath toys are ducks, and every animal is a cat. He loves using his new words, especially since he gets lots of praise and encouragement when he does. So now we've got his animal sounds, cat, hat, splash, and ducks. I wish he'd learn something useful, like "drink." He's right where he needs to be for his age. Apparently, by 18 months most children have a vocabulary of between 10-50 words. We're a few months shy of that, and he already uses 4 words in context plus his 4 animal noises. He just mastered "moo" and now we are working on pigs and horses.

Talking isn't Dylan's strongest skill though. He's very good at figuring out how stuff works! He can do doors and simple closures on things like Martin's tool chest. He loves opening boxes and playing with hinges and things like that. One of his favorite things to do is open and shut the lid on the piano. He has this insatiable curiosity, which makes him a real handful to look after but very entertaining when he's playing.

I'm constantly amazed when I watch Dylan just going about his daily business. A year ago he was completely helpless, and now he is becoming so independent and is so proud of himself when he can do things without any help from me. I'm so proud, too. I can't believe that my little baby is getting so grown up!

Hmmm...

I actually had something to write about earlier this morning, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was. Too bad, really, because I remember thinking that it would be good.

Life continues on much the same as always here in Barton. We got some snow this morning, which was lovely. As a result, my Primary presidency meeting was cancelled (the people in this country are completely incapable of dealing with snow--it's annoying and funny) so Dylan and I are just chilling at home. I adore the snow, as long as I am tucked up all snug in my house with a hot chocolate watching it fall. Amazing, really, that it has snowed twice this year when it usually only snows once every couple of years.

Dylan is doing really well. He is a little chatter box, and he is walking like a champion. He loves doing things just to make me and Martin laugh--he's quite the entertainer. We went swimming yesterday, and he was great--just giggling and shouting and swimming like crazy. He was really exhausted by it, too. He slept until 8:30 this morning!

Martin is staying really busy at work, which is good. He has this Saturday off work, and then next week he will be putting in about 70 hours. There are a bunch of private Christmas parties in the evenings, so Dylan and I won't see much of him. Good thing we are going to Utah in just two weeks' time.

Our insurance company settled our claim on our car (it was written off) and we should be receiving a check from them any day now. As soon as we have the check, we can buy our "new" car. It's going to be nice--it's much bigger and more powerful than the little Renault was, and there is room in the boot for Dylan's push chair. It will be better for when the new baby comes along. We should only be carless for a day or two this time (our rental car has to go back tonight).

In pregnancy news, this baby is growing like crazy! I am very obviously pregnant now, and the baby kicks and jiffles a lot. He/she is especially active around 10 pm, when I go to bed. I love this stage of pregnancy. I feel really good and am not too uncomfortable yet. Wow, as a matter of fact, the baby is kicking even as I type.

Anyway, Dylan and I are going to go to the library and pick some new books for him and pop in and visit Martin. Must dash!

Success...

Well, Thanksgiving dinner was a success. Cathy's boyfriend John was working away in Edinburgh, so she brought her friend Katie instead. Everything was ready at roughly the same time (shock!) and it all tasted really good. My father-in-law didn't start to get annoyingly drunk until just before they left, which was also nice. Dylan was a super star. He stayed up a little bit later than normal, so he slept until after 8 this morning, which was the best of all.

I was SO tired by the time we were done cleaning up and everyone was gone. Martin and I both went to bed at 10 pm, and slept for 9 1/2 hours straight. Pregnancy really takes it out of you!

So the fridge is full of leftovers, the house is reasonably tidy, and Dylan is sleeping soundly in his crib upstairs. I am indulging in some relaxation time, and have jsut finished my delicious lunch of Turkey, mayo and cranberry sandwich. What a fantastic day! Martin is working tomorrow night (private party) but he has the day off. It's the Barton Christmas Fayre, and we'll be taking Dylan 'round it. We're also going in to Scunthorpe to pick up the last bits and pieces for making Christmas gifts. It's been a good week, and it's going to be an even better weekend.

Life is really good right now!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all my American readers, may you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Obviously, it's not observed here in the UK. After all, why would they want to celebrate the successful harvest of the people who left the mother land and broke away completely? I think they're still a bit bitter that we left and become more successful (sorry Emma).

I celebrate it, though, and force Martin's family to celebrate it with me. I know I am still quite young to be doing my own Thanksgiving feast, but I am really an old hand at this by now. I hosted my first Thanksgiving when I was just 22. It was the first year we lived in England, while we were applying for Martin's green card, and it was a DISASTER!

We were working at Winteringham Fields at the time, and didn't make it to the supermarket during opening hours to get a turkey since we were at work ALL the time. So our turkey was still frozen solid and we had to have ham hock instead. Delicious, but not quite the same. I made banana cream pie, though, and that turned out perfectly!

Since then, I have steadily becomre more confident in my hostessing. I have learned to make pumpkin pie from scratch (made it last night, and it looks perfect) and this year am even doing a floral centerpiece (chrysanthemums in a pumpkin surrounded by ivy from my back garden). It's only a meal for 6 + Dylan, but I am doing home made stuffing and roast sweet potatoes instead of candied yams. I have altered the menu slightly to cater to the English palate, but it should be a good meal.

I always miss my family at Thanksgiving, but it makes me happy to host a dinner over here. Martin's family are the only ones I've got at the minute, and they'll do in a pinch. I love them, and they are happy to humor me in my silly American traditions.

I'll let you all know how the dinner goes. Last year I knew that I should be thankful for my many blessings, but I was still depressed and not liking being a mother. I tried so hard to put on a cheerful face for everyone, but life wasn't that happy for me. This year, I feel as though my cup is running over with blessings. Even though we are poor and have had some bad luck recently, I have never been this happy in my whole life!

And the best part is, in 2 1/2 weeks we will be visiting MY family in Utah!!!

A snowy day...

We've had a really nice weekend, even though Martin worked on Saturday!

Dylan and I got to hang out with Nanna for quite a while on Saturday afternoon and then she came over and gave him his bath and put him to bed. Martin and I went over to Hull for the Stake winter ball. It had a chinese theme, and Martin decided on Friday that he didn't want to go unless we dressed up, so I pulled together some very last minute costumes for us...



My costume was simply all black with a chinese print wrap and some pretty awesome make-up. Hardly worth posting a picture, to be honest. Martin's costume, on the other hand, turned out brilliantly!

We went with the Mundays, which was extra nice. We adore that family (don't get jealous, OK Nick and Michelle?). They also drove, which was even nicer. Not having a car is such a pain!

Anyway, so a good time was had by all. Christine spent the night at our house, and I made breakfast for all of us when we got up this morning--American style pancakes (from scratch since you can't get instant mix over here). We enjoyed our breakfast, as well as the snow that had fallen during the night!

Yes, that's right, it snowed in England. It doesn't happen very often, which makes it even mroe nice. It was gone by around 1 pm, but I did manage to get a nice shot from the train station...



Since we couldn't get to church today (bus schedules didn't work out) we went to Hull and spent the day as a family. We got plenty of fresh air and a few necessities that we've been needing--like pajamas for Dylan that actually fit him and fabric to make Christine's Christmas present.

Dylan is asleep now, and we are just relaxing. Martin has another 6 day week coming up, and then he has several weeks with lots of Christmas parties. He's going to be working some really long hours in the next 3 1/2 weeks, so it was good that we got a chilled out day.

GOOD news...

Martin heard yesterday that the Place is not going to close after Christmas any more. So when we get home from our visit with the family, he will still have a job. He's still keeping an eye out for other options that will bring in more money, but it's a relief that things will be stable when we come home.

We're doing well over here. My asthma gets a little bit better every day. I've only had to use my inhaler twice today, which is a BIG improvement. Dylan is walking like a champ--crossing rooms and standing up on his own without pulling himself up using furniture. Martin is still a bit sore from his accident, but he is doing really well.

Hopefully this latest good news is the beginning of a trend!

extra info on my james bond stunt...

So I just thought I would say hi just so you know I am doing okay. I have a few things to say about the incident just so you know how weird it was. Jamie did get the details of how it happened about spot on, but strangely, when I got out of the car, I didn't call the police first. Instead, I called our friend Lewis. I still can't figure out why, but it was probably to tell them what was happening and to have them come get me.

Weird thing no.2. We cannot figure how the car came to end up where it did. The car was on its side across the road, with the top of the car pointing back the way I had come. But as I run through what happened, it just seems so strange as I would have had to spin right around, but I don't remember doing that. But then I don't suppose I would.

No.3. I find it quite odd how calm I was. Once I got out of the car, I didn't feel panicky or worried, just thought how we needed to get the car out of the road. Afterwards I was sat in the ambulance (always good to have just in case, right?) I had my blood pressure and pulse taken. And they were 130 over 78 and 64bpm. 64!!! that's a resting heart rate, not that of a person just involved in a car accident. But I guess I am one of those people who doesn't get too uptight about things I can't affect, or worry too much after the fact.

that was all I had to say really. I am very irritated by it all, but the car was insured, I am fine, and the insurance company is being very good (so far)

Martin and me...

1) Where did you meet?
Martin and I were both working at the Grand Canyon. We met at a bonfire out in the forest, and were properly introduced by a mutual friend a few days later. I still remember what I was wearing the night we met. Even what underwear I was wearing. How sad is that?

2) How long till you got married?
14 months. most of that time was spent in seperate countries, as well. If we'd been living in the same country we might have waited a bit longer. But who knows?

3) How long have you been married?
It was 7 years in September.

4) Your favorite feature of his?
So many to choose from, but in the end it has to be his bum.

5) Your favorite quality of his?
Martin is the most kind person I have evermet, and he has an incredibly good work ethic.

6) Does he have a nickname for you?
Martin doesn't do nicknames.

7) His favorite food?
Anything sweet. He loves Eaton mess and bread and butter pudding and Christmas pudding and chocolate.

8) What is his favorite sport to watch?
Anything that happens to be on, but mostly football (that's soccer to you Yanks).

9) When was your first kiss?
First date. How embarrassing!

10) Whats your favorite thing to do as a couple?
We love to go to movies and we also love to people watch. Not doing as much of either, now that we have Dylan, but that's OK. We also really enjoy cooking together.

11) Do you have kids?
One gorgeous little boy and a surprise on the way.

12) Does he have a hidden talent?
Martin can do all sorts of "manly" things that constantly surprise me. He can do architectural drawings, basic plumbing and electrical wiring, build stuff, use most power tools, stuff like that. He doesn't look the type at all!

13) How old is he?
28. I am 1 1/2 years older than him. Before we had our baby I was his sugar mama.

14) Who said I love you first?
Not really sure. I think it was me, but I honestly don't remember!

15) What do you admire most about him?
Martin is never mean to anybody and he has almost boundless patience--especially with our son!

16) What is his favorite type of music?
Martin doesn't really have a favorite type of music. He like most everything except for cheesy dance music and country. But he does have a peculiar penchant for whiny Brit pop/rock.

17) Do you think he will read this?
Maybe--if I tell him I posted it. He is a very infrequent blog writer.

18) I tag: Velecia and Angie

Bad things happen in threes...

So I really hope we're done now. With my tumble on the stairs last week, my asthma, and the latest in our series of drama, we could really use a break!

Last night I went over to the Mundays so Martin could move furniture around and give the bedrooms a really thorough clean. I got a lift with Lewis as he was already in Barton for work, and Martin was going to join us later.

At about 9:30 last night we got a call from Martin. Lewis asked him if he was alright, then where he was. Then he said he'd be right there. He hung up and told me that Martin had slid on some mud. He said he was OK, but the car was on it's side. We drove out as quickly as possible, and it was so scary!!!

Martin had been coming down a hill with a bend at the bottom of it on the back road between Barton and Wootton. It's near a farm, and the farmers had left some mud on the road without putting up warning signs or cleaning it up. Martin hit it, lost control of the car, over-corrected, ran into the hedge at the side, and tipped the car over onto the driver's side. He never lost consciousness, had his seatbelt on, and was fine. He switched off the engine, opened the passenger side door, and climbed out of the car. Then he called for help.

Lewis and I got there about the same time as the ambulance. The crew checked Martin over and were amazed that he was so calm and collected. He is sore and may have whiplash, but he is back at work today. The police were called, of course, and they took his statement and tested him for alcohol. Apparently, they were pretty surprised that he had none in his system at all. It was a good night to be Mormon!

So we are all fine, but the car is most likely totalled. The good news is that we have full coverage on it, but the bad news is that we have a £250 deductible to pay and just BARELY forked out over £300 to have the repairs done on it. We are carless again! But we are coming to visit the family in just under four weeks, and will be there for 3 weeks, so we don't REALLY need a car for about 2 months. We just won't be going to church.

So that's the drama, and us hopefully done with bad luck for a while.

On a positive note, my asthma seems to be improving a lot. Emma and Lewis kept Dylan last night since it was so late by the time we got everything sorted out, and I slept for 7 1/2 hours, only waking once with a really bad coughing fit. I'm using my Ventolin inhaler a lot less now, and the steroids have really kicked in. I still can't do much by way of housework or anything like that and am pretty much trying to stay on the sofa as much as possible with my feet up, but I'm not in pain any more unless I try to breathe too deeply. And the baby is moving like crazy, so I know everything is OK there.

Oh yeah, and Dylan is now taking about 10 steps at a time on his own without any coaxing from us. He's doing brilliantly.

Like a broken record...

Well, another weekend and another trip to A & E. Same problem--sinus infection leads to asthma attack that is out of control, leads to nebulizer, steroids, antibiotics, and pain.

I'm so tired! I have only slept for 8 hours total over the last two nights because I can't sleep sitting up but I can't breathe lying down. Martin's mum has taken Dylan for a walk so that I can get a little bit of rest. She also had him last night while Martin took me to the hospital. We went to Grimsby instead of Scunthorpe since we had to drop Dylan off in Ulceby and the care was the same but the facilities were much nicer and newer.

I've also been to the doctor today. I've got a steroid inhaler to use daily for the rest of my pregnancy. Apparently asthma symptoms become worse for 1 in 3 women during pregnancy. I guess I just got lucky with Dylan. It might be the time of year or the fact that my body is exhausted from a pregnancy and 13 months of breast feeding and then another pregnancy on top of that. Either way, I'm going to have a rough week or so trying to get this under control. The nebulizer treatment wasn't nearly as effective this time. I went to the hospital because I sincerely could hardly breathe at ALL! I don't think I've ever had an attack this bad in my life.

Dylan has aslo been to see the doctor. We have both been sick off and on for about 6 weeks now, and I think we just keep infecting each other. I figured we should try to get both of us healthy at the same time, and go from there. We just share EVERYTHING, including all of our little germies. So Dylan will be having his first course of antibiotics at the tender age of nearly 15 months. I don't like it, but I can't have both of us getting sick all the time.

Martin has been a super star through all of this. He worked 7 days last week as there was a private party at the Place on Sunday, and he still took me to the hospital and was relatively patient and understanding about the whole thing. We didn't get to bed until 3 am, and he went to work at 9 this morning. He doesn't have a day off until Sunday (maybe Friday--it all depends)and will be taking care of me and Dylan when he gets off work. I married the best man in the whole world!

There is nothing in this world more terrifying than not being able to breathe. I hope it doesn't take too long to get the stupid asthma under control. I need sleep and air.

Our week...

My newbie with the perfect profile!


Proud as can be that he's walking on his own--sort of.


Big dozy smiles for the camera


Less than pleased to be wearing a crown!

Baby steps...

Dylan is walking! Sort of.

He has started taking steps on his own. He'll take about 4 or 5 steps on his own, and then he either grabs something or drops down on to his hands and feet. It's so much fun to watch him toddling around, and he looks so proud of himself.

Unfortunately, he had his first walking accident today. We were up visiting Martin at the Place and he was walking to me from Martin. He fell on his face and cut his little lip. My how he howled! But he's sleeping peacefully now, so I am watching Gilmore Girls and putting my feet up. Still a little bit sore from my tumble on Monday, so I'm taking it real easy.

Anyway, that's the latest update. Once he starts taking more steps I'll try to get a little video of him walking.

Pregnancy drama...

I fell today. I was coming down the stairs with the laundry hamper fullof dirty clothes and forgot I had the stair gate up. I tripped over it, and landed on the edge of Dylan's toy chest. Unfortunately, my baby belly bore the brunt of the fall, so I ended up going to the hospital to make sure everything was ok. The baby is fine, thank goodness, but I am going to have some sweet looking bruises and I feel like I just got beat up. In effect, I did. It's just that I did it to myself.

I've been to the hospital more times in the past 10 days than I have in the past 10 months. Thank goodness for the NHS!

The week in pictures...

Dylan really enjoys my home made blackberry jam!


Resting after the wallpaper scraping in the nursery.


Dylan's room--almost looks like a proper nursery now!


Our dining room in transition.


What was the dining nook is now the music room!

Hooray for Saturdays!

Well, hooray for the ones that Martin has off work anyway. We've had a fantastic day today!

We drove to Ikea (in Leeds) first thing this morning to pick up a few bits and pieces for the nursery and dining room. We met a friend there--one of Martin's ex-girlfriends named Charlotte--and had lunch together. Then we came home and dropped Dylan off at his nanna's house for the night. Martin and I rushed home and started working on the nursery. We stripped wallpaper for over 5 hours, and man am I feeling it! We got a lot done, but it looks worse than it did when we started. I hate that, but I know that it has to get worse before it can get better. Anyway, I will post a few pictures tomorrow.

We took a quick break from DIY to pick up a cheeky Chinese for dinner, and got to see all the fireworks going off around Barton (it was bonfire night on Wednesday). It was lovely, but made us very glad that Dylan is spending the night in Ulceby.

By far the best part of the night was the shower. Nothing feels better than a hot shower when you are really filthy dirty!

Tomorrow is Cathy's birthday, and we are all having lunch as a family in the afternoon. What a busy weekend!

Working girl...

Just a lightening quick post--I gave a massage tonight!!! I spoke to the owner of the Pamper Place (salon next to the Place) last week when I booked Dylan's haircut and told her I could do massages if she ever needed someone to do one for a client. She called me a few days later and had some work for me. They had issued a gift certificate for a neck and back massage several months ago, but no longer have a massage therapist on staff. So I made £10 for 45 minutes of work, and got a £5 tip in the bargain.

I feel so awesome--it's the first time I've contributed financially for months! Hooray!!!

Guess what? It's a...

...Baby!

We went to the ultrasound this morning. It was a bit stressful getting into Scunthorpe for the 9 am appointment and Martin and I were on less than loving terms when we left the house, but all was good once we got there.

In the words of the sonographer, "I saw everything I expected to see."

This baby is so cute. It was waving, covering it's ears with it's hands, bending double and stretching out, pounding against me with it's tiny fists, and waving. The spine looks great, and it has long legs (though not outside of the normal range). I still think it looks like it has the Priestley nose, but Martin thinks I'm crazy.

I must say, I enjoyed this scan much more than my 20 week with Dylan. The sonographer was way better--more friendly and helpful. She explained everything and got more detail than on the last one.

And, by the way, I think it might be a girl. We told her we didn't want to find out the sexof the baby, but the first view when she started the scan was bum cheeks and legs, and I didn't see any bits. Of course, it could have just been a bad angle. But I'm sitting here thinking to myself that I could have a daughter in 19 weeks. Kind of scary!!!

Martin had to take Dylan out about 10 minutes into the ultrasound. He was getting a little bit noisy and bored. As we were leaving Martin accused me of finding out the sex once he'd left. As if! I actually enjoyed having a surprise with Dylan. Although it would make a lot of sense to find out now, I have totally come around to the idea of having a surprise on the big day.

But I still think it might be a girl.

Anyway, that's the update. The baby looks completely healthy and normal-heart, spine, kidneys, bladder, stomach, brain, etc.

Can't wait to meet this one!

Dylan's first proper haircut...

Just hanging out and furniture walking--still no sign of the real thing!


Dylan is about to go in for his first real haircut...


I held Dylan while Sharon took the clippers to his fuzzy little baby hairs!


Very stylish and SO grown up!

What should I do with myself???

Emma and Lewis have Dylan at their house for the day and Martin is at work. I am home alone and rattling around my big ol' house. I am still not feeling great, but a lot better. I am so torn--I have gotten some housework done and have made my pumpkin puree for Thanksgiving pies, and I am trying to decide if I should clean the house or rest.

Rest is appealing. I'm still not sleeping that great, though better than I have for several weeks, and my lungs are a bit on the delicate side. But I have an opportunity here to get the house clean without ANY interruptions and NO BOYS under foot to mess it up as I go along. And I do love having a clean house. I think the day will be a combination of housework and rest.

I hope Dylan is good for Emma. He is in a very good mood today, so he should be alright. We have started weaning him off bottles now. He only has two a day anyway--one first thing in the morning and one at night. This morning he had his milk in a sippy cup instead of a bottle, and he was ok. At first he pushed the cup away and refused to drink. He threw a little paddy. But he got there in the end. We'll get him used to the cup in the morning, and then we'll work on the night time bottle.

I'm pretty pleased that we'll have a baby again soon, because Dylan is getting so big and grown up now. He's even having his first proper haircut tomorrow. I love his little personality and I love that he is becoming more independent, but a new baby is sweet and helpless and ever so adorable.

The car is getting fixed today. It needs a new water pump, some kind of cap, timing belt, exhaust pipe, and brake light. Ouch! But it's still worth fixing rather than getting a new car. Our little Clio is small but nice and economical, and it is pretty much perfect for us. It might be a little bit cramped when newbie comes along, but you have to love 40 mpg and very low tax. Plus, we do need a car!

Martin got a new calling. He is now the 2nd counselor in the Elder's Quorum presidency. I'm still calling-less in the new ward, but I play the piano for Relief Society and sometimes for Sacrament Meeting. Fun stuff!

So yeah, we're going to the Mundays for dinner tonight and that's the first time I'll see Dylan. I always miss him so much when I get a few hours off. Heaven bless Emma and Lewis--they are such good friends!

A & E...

That's Accident and Emergency, for all my American readers, and that's where I went last night.

I called the NHS Direct number to just make sure Volmax for my asthma was off limits during pregnancy. I've been having an asthma attack for about three weeks straight now, and last night I just reached my breaking point. I spoke to a nurse and told her all my symptoms, and she told me to go to the Emergency Room. Martin called his mum so she could sit with Dylan, and we drove over at around 10 pm. We were out of the hospital by 11:10 pm. Pretty impressive by anyone's standards!

Nothing radical in my treatment. I had a nebulizer treatment and they started me on a course of steroids. It's only for 4 days, so a pretty light dose, really. They also gave me antibiotics to clear up a chest infection that I have. I felt better almost immediately, and though I'm still not feeling good I am breathing better than I have in weeks. I only had to use my inhaler twice today, rather than about 6 times.

It scares me to take all this stuff while I am pregnant, even though it has been prescribed by a doctor. But I was reading up on the potential risks to an unborn child if you don't keep your asthma under control, and they're pretty severe. One of them was low birthweight, which wouldn't be so bad. But there can actually be brain damage if the asthma attacks are severe, because the baby will suffer from oxygen deprivation. And I guess it's just a matter of weighing the risks and making an informed decision. Luckily at this point in the pregnancy all of Newbie's body systems are formed and he or she is just getting bigger, stronger, and more refined.

So that's the update. A little bit of drama, but I'm on the mend now. If the insomnia will just ease up I will be so happy!

Stir crazy...

It is FREEZING cold over here!!! The weather is decidedly wintry in Barton today, and it has been raining for most of the day as well. The temperature is more like what it is in January than in October. So Dylan and I have stayed in the house pretty much all day, and he has been very needy. I think he's just bored, but so am I. Thank goodness Martin will be home soon.

Still struggling with the asthma, and I'm so frustrated that all I can use is my inhaler. 3:00 am is the witching hour for me--I have been waking up then coughing and have been unable to get back to sleep. I'm sick and tired and Dylan is demanding loads of attention. Sucks to be me right now. I still think that taking care of a baby whilst sick is the most difficult thing I have ever done!

Yesterday was the magical 20 week marker in my pregnancy. I am half way done, and that's really great to me. I'm actually getting very excited to have a newborn baby again. I was looking at old pictures of Dylan and got all broody. Only 20 weeks to go!!!

Anyway, must finish dinner as Martin's grandparents are coming over and will be here any minute.

Frustration...

Well, Martin and I got a lot done in the nursery yesterday. Not as much as we would have liked, but you can only do so much with a one year old crawling around in the dust. The frustration comes with the fact that even though we worked for hours, it looks like we didn't get anything done. Martin cut a channel out of the ceiling to conceal the wiring for the bathroom light and shower. He also chiselled a channel in the plaster and brick to conceal the wiring for an electrical outlet.

Christine came over, and she and I stripped wallpaper. Two of the walls are nearly ready to paint. I have two more walls to strip the paper off, and then we'll be ready to get some paint up. The plaster is in good condition, which is nice. We'll have to do a little patching, but nothing major.

We're having a good time trying to decide how to decorate the nursery. Last time we just needed the room to be usable. We didn't actually do much decorating because our front room was a hollow mess of a shell and I was heavily pregnant with no energy to spare. This time I want the room to be cute and comfy, and we don't have any major projects going other than this one.

We've also decided that we are going to move the piano into what is now the dining nook and convert the middle room into a formal dining room. We couldn't do that before, because we didn't have a living room. It's full of kitchen cabinets at the minute, but I'm excited to make the change. The piano will fit perfectly into the tiny dining nook, and we'll actually have plenty of room for Dylan's high chair in the middle room.

Our house is really starting to get cozy and comfortable. Well, it's really cold at the minute, but it's still getting comfortable as long as you are wearing socks and a wooly jumper.

So that's the update. It's not worth posting pictures of the nursery yet, because it hasn't changed much since the last pictures I posted of it. But I'll get plenty of photos as we make more progress.

Happy Sunday, everybody!

Picture Tag...

Picture tag--for all blog readers. You go to your 6th picture file and post the 6th picture in there. See what you come up with!



This was Dylan's first birthday, while he was opening up all his presents. He's wearing his life jacket--the pressie from mommy and daddy!

Dylan at the park...

Demolishing the nursery...

Quite a change, huh? Dylan is currently having a great time helping us strip the wallpaper. He loves helping around the house, though he mostly gets in the way at the minute. I'm going to encourage him to "help" a lot though, in the hope that it will continue as he gets older and more helpful!

Jump for joy...

Petrol has fallen below £1 per liter for the first time in over a year! When we filled up last night it cost us about £3 less than it has been, and that will add up in a hurry. I hope fuel prices continue to drop. When we moved over here 3 years ago it cost around 88p per liter and the highest it got was around £1.16 (I think. It reaches a point where you stop looking at the price and just fill up).

Remember, all you Americans, that there are approximately 4 liters in a gallon and the current exchange rate is about $1.80 to £1. So we have been paying around $9 a gallon for our petrol for over a year.

Mom made the argument that we don't have the long distances to drive over here that you Yanks do, but we drove to Grimsby twice a week for the last three years, three times a week while I was at college, and it's a 54 mile round trip journey. Plus, when I was working it was a 34 mile round trip journey every day. It soon adds up. The price drop is such a relief!

Hooray!!!

DIY Weekend...

So we had this work day all set up for last weekend, then we had to postpone because of the Place and Nadine. The stud wall in Dylan's nursery had to come down as we needed a bigger room for when Newbie comes along. We thought we had some help organized, but it ended up being just the two of us. Luckily, Martin's dad stopped by in the morning and helped us get the old kitchen units out as I am useless when it comes to carrying stuff. Not a good idea to do any heavy lifting in my delicate condition.

Dylan went to his Nanna's house for the afternoon and evening, and Martin and I dove right in. He did the heavy stuff with the crow bar, and I was on clean-up duty. He had to mess with the electrics as we had a few power sockets and light switches in the stud wall, but he's pretty good at stuff like that now, after wiring up the front room and installing a consumer unit with his dad. It went really well. I probably over did it a little bit, but everything's ok with me and the fetus. And the nursery looks good. It's kind of rough looking, but Dylan is sleeping in there again. We are going to have to strip wallpaper, repair plaster, and do some painting before it's finished. But the nasty job of gutting everything is done and everything else is just cosmetic and actually really fun.

Dylan is getting so he loves spending the night at nanna's house. She lets him watch the telly while he's having his bottle, and he gets to play with Smudge (the insane springer spaniel). They have really bonded lately, and it's lovely! We are hoping that Christine bonds with the new baby faster than she did with Dylan though. It has only been the last two months or so that they've really started to get to know each other well.

Now, on our peaceful Sunday evening, Dylan is sleeping and Martin is putting up secondary glazing film on our windows. Since we are in a conservation area and a listed building we are not allowed to have double glazed windows. Grandma Lofley always had the glazing film on her windows. I hope it works well, because our house gets really cold and it is huge and expensive to heat.

So we've still got a lot to do, but getting that wall down upstairs gets us started on the last big job that needs to be done before we can sell the house. And that's exciting stuff!!!

Where has my angel baby gone???

Don't get me wrong, Dylan is still a little cutie. But, I swear I'm not exaggerating, he's hitting his "terrible twos" terribly early. He still gives plenty of cuddles, loves to play with me and Martin, and is adorable. But he has started to assert himself--big time! He has started refusing to eat--especially if WE try to feed him. There are still a few things he will eat, but he is awfully fussy. And he has started to push boundaries. He is trying to figure out if I really mean it when I tell him no. When he does something he knows he's not supposed to, I tell him no. Then he gives me a big, angelic looking smile, and does it again!

Is this normal behaviour for a 14 month old???

I want my sweet little baby back!

Playing at the Humber Bridge viewing area...

Dylan's first words...

Our little guy is turning into a chatterbox! He loves to babble--especially first thing in the morning--but he is starting to say a few things properly.

His first "real" word was DUCKS! He says it more like "dutts," but we know what he is saying.

He is also saying hello--sort of. The Brits say Hiya a lot, and even though Martin and I don't say it, Dylan's started. He says it a lot--especially when he picks up the phone.

Another favorite is "book." Once again, it doesn't sound much like book. It's more like "guk," but it's still cute.

He has also learned cat, dog, and conker (horse chestnuts). His language skills develop a little bit more every day, and it's so exciting to watch. He has also started laughing a lot more, which is wonderful. I don't think there is any sweeter sound than my son laughing out loud!

Dylan chases the cat...

Recent pictures...

Solomon, the beautiful new kitten, just after having a bath.


Daddy and Dylan enjoy feeding the ducks.


Dylan was overwhelmed when I cleaned out the toy chest!


Playing hide and seek with Solomon.


Feeding himself!

Raised in captivity...

I've been thinking about my ridiculous parenting worries, and I've finally discovered the perfect way to describe them.

I'm like an animal who was raised in captivity who has a baby and doesn't know how to raise it.

They say you learn to be a parent from your own parents, right? Well, my mom is kind of far away (if we were any farther apart, we'd be getting closer) so I can't always go to her for advice or see her in action. When I was younger I just wasn't interested in kids or parenting. Well, now I have my own little guy and I have no clue what I should be doing. I kind of just have to make things up as I go along and hope for the best.

I'm starting to see just how major it was to move to England to have a baby. If there's one time you need your mother, it's when you have your first child. How was I brave enough to do this? Fortunately, I didn't even think about it. If I had, I don't think we ever would have left Utah!

I think a lot of my worries also stem from the fact that I am sometimes overly critical of other peoples' parenting. I see kids that are completely out of control, and I wonder if their parents ever bother with discipline. I see kids who are anti-social and I wonder if their parents ever talk to them or play with them. When they're really young if they are terrors it is totally their parents' fault! I judge other parents, so expect them to do the same to me!

Speaking of bad parenting, I really ought to turn the telly off now and get my son breakfast!

Worries...

I have an amazing son! He is beautiful as well as good natured and well behaved (well, as much as any 1 year old can be). But as our trip to the states comes ever closer, I really worry that he'll be a nightmare when we get there. If he is, it wouldn't be his fault. It would be jet lag and an unfamiliar environment. But nobody will believe how sweet he is.

I also worry that my family will think I am a terrible mother. I mean, it will be weird enough for them to actually see me with a baby, since most of them didn't see me pregnant and most of them have never met Dylan. But what if they think I am doing a bad job of raising my baby? They probably wouldn't say so to my face, but what happens after we go home?

Totally paranoid pregnant woman concerns. I'm sure Dylan will be fine and I'm reasonably sure I'm a decent parent. I guess we'll see!

Dylan's favorite song!

Just thought I'd post a link to Dylan's favorite song. It's on CBeebies, and it calms him down when nothing else will...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/presenters/music/hugomonkeysconga.shtml

Oh the joys...

I know I already posted today, but it's been such a great evening that I just had to share.

We drove in to Scunny to do our grocery shopping because we needed a new vacuum cleaner. We went to a nearby pub to grab a quick bite to eat. We sat down and got ready to order, and then Dylan threw up all over me. And I do mean ALL over me. I had vomit down my back, on my sleeves, on my trousers, all down the front of me. We were, of course, 20 miles from home and still needing to do our shopping and have our dinner.

I headed for the toilets to get myself cleaned up, and Dylan and Martin ordered our food and went to Tesco. They had to buy me a new outfit, because mine was completely covered in vomit. And this isn't baby vomit, either. This is proper throw up with chunks of food and curdling milk. DISGUSTING!

Anyway, Martin and Dylan did a good job of picking out some new clothes for me. They came back and I got changed in the bathroom. We had our dinner, and then did our grocery shopping. Dylan even had more dinner. I really hope he manages to keep it down. I thought we were done with the throwing up thing.

I think he waits to puke until I'm holding him. The best part was, there wasn't a drop of sick on Dylan. It was all on me.

Maybe he just likes to share with me?

Update...

Well, Dylan is officially weaned! Everyone keeps asking how we're doing, and I tell them that Dylan is fine and I am ECSTATIC! It's so nice to only be sharing my body with one baby instead of two. And it's a good thing that I weaned him when I did. I was sick this weekend and don't think I would have been able to take care of myself, newbie, and Dylan if I was still feeding him.

Although I was sick, it was still a good weekend. Martin worked Friday night and Saturday during the day, so we didn't see much of him. But we stayed really busy! We had our Stake Enrichment Day on Saturday and then we watched the broadcast of the General Relief Society meeting. Since Martin was at work, Dylan had to come along. He was in heaven--loads of women making a fuss over him! He was flirting like crazy, and the 40 minute drive home meant he took a nap in the car. I even got to listen to the talks, because I brought his tennis ball and he threw it and chased it for around a half an hour.

Saturday night I went to Mablethorpe with Christine. Martin's cousin's wife Clare was in a community theatre production, and we went and watched her. We were late because Christine had to pull over a few times so I could be sick, and I nearly lost it a few times during the play, but it was fun all the same. It's nice just to get out and do something new once in a while!

Yesterday we spent the day together. We went to Hemswell market, but when we got there it was deserted (it rained on Saturday, so nobody came out on Sunday). Since we were that close to Lincoln anyway, we popped down there instead. We just had a wander. Dylan loved watching the ducks and swans, and he even fed a few pigeons! Then we went to the in-laws' house for dinner. I felt pretty sick all day, but the fresh air helped. When Martin has so little time off I hate to force him to stay home all day when he wants to do something together. After all, you can throw up anywhere!

Dylan's been having trouble sleeping. On top of the gastroentiritis he jsut had, I think he's getting his back teeth. Plus, his appetite is catching up now that he's feeling better. He went to bed at 7:30 last night, and woke up at around 10pm screaming his head off. We tried everything to calm him down, and nothing worked. Finally we gave him another full bottle. He had all of it and then went right back to sleep. Weird!

Martin and I are watching conference on-line this week instead of watching telly in the evenings. We watched the Saturday morning session yesterday, and we'll be watching the Saturday afternoon session tonight. We were both amazed that a temple was announced for Rome. Surprised and very pleased. I love it when the church expands in Europe!

Anyway, we have a busy day ahead of us so I'm going to get started now. I've been lazy and on the computer instead of starting on housework. I shouldn't do that on Mondays, since they are the busiest day of the week. Oh well--I'll catch up when Martin gets home tonight!

Ugh...

Today was a rough day!

Dylan was sick last night--big time! He woke up at around 10:30 pm and Martin went to check on him. He discovered Dylan's dinner lying in bed with him--ewwww! We got him cleaned up and his bed linens changed. Then I have him a 6 oz bottle. We got him nearly back to sleep and I was about to lay him down in his crib when he threw up the milk--all over both of us. So Dylan and I had an 11 pm shower, and we put him to bed with a totally empty tummy. Poor kid!

So we both had a late night last night, and today was hard because of it. Dylan was happy this morning, but really tired and drained. I couldn't get him to eat hardly anything, and he drank even less. He had the runs, which was also fun. He didn't eat much dinner, but he DID manage to keep his milk down and went to sleep like a little angel. Good thing, because I'm exhausted and Martin is working late.

I had a strange but nice moment when I was getting Dylan settled in tonight. Ever since he was born I've felt like I was just a big kid pretending to be a mommy. But tonight I actually felt like a mother for the first time. I guess all it took was 13 months and copious amounts of vomit. And you know what? It was totally worth it!

Breast feeding, the Place, and a random rant...

Today is the day. Dylan has started trying to pull my bra and top down when he wants more milk, so I've decided that he is done. We've been down to one or two feeds a day for about 3 months now, and he hasn't had any breast milk today. We're done. He had a morning bottle and slept in the car for his afternoon nap. He's just fine. I'm a teeny bit sore, but not too bad. I won't be missing the feeding, that's for sure! I'm a bit tender because of the pregnancy, and it's been like the first few weeks of breastfeeding for the last month or so. OUCH!

Nadine stopped by the Place today and Karen convinced her to stay open until Christmas. I think that's a good thing, but I'm not sure! It means nothing will change for a few months, but Martin is still looking for something else. He may have an interview at Forest Pines, a really nice resort in Scunthorpe, to manage the restaurant there. It'd be a great opportunity, though it would mean long and unsociable hours. They have a nice golf course there and he would probably get a discount if he was an employee.

I have a strict no-drama policy in my life. I instituted it at around the age of 19, and it has seen me through some tough times. But seriously, how can we have this much up and down in our financial matters and keep the no-drama policy in place? This is so stressful!!!

Thinking soothing thoughts. At least Martin won't be changing jobs in 10 days' time, which was the closing date of the Place before today.

Happy place...

My Smith's shopping list...

Lynn Wilson burritos
Monkey Bars
Steinfeld's kosher baby dill pickles
Ranch dressing
Saltine crackers
Golden Oreos
Stephen's vanilla hot chocolate
Jalapeno poppers
IBC root beer
Sugar cookies
Blueberry muffin mix
Bagels (from the in-store bakery)

In my fondest dreams I would be able to run to the grocery store and pick up all of this stuff. Oh, I am getting hungry now!

Drama...

So, as most of you know, nearly two years ago my mother-in-law found the "perfect" job for Martin--managing the Place. She convinced him to quit his 9-5 with medical benefits to manage a locally owned restaurant. Because he made the move, he didn't get paternity leave or pay. He also started working unsociable hours and working 6 days a week. But it was ok, since he didn't have to drive to work and I could go see him, but I've never liked him working there.

Well, today Martin came home and announced that the Place will be closing in two weeks. Nadine, the owner, has offered him a job at the Habrough Hotel. Unfortunately, she also has plans to sell that. But he will still have a job. He's in the process of looking for a new one anyway. Nadine might let Martin and Karen (the chef) take over the lease, but it will be scary financially. We've got some serious thinking to do.

Oh, the drama! We'll be OK no matter what happens--I'm confident of that. But I hate having things change just when we are getting comfortable and we've got big changes coming up anyway. ARGH!!!

The weekend...

We've had a wonderful weekend! Saturday was spent at Normanby Hall. Martin and John had a good time golfing, I got to go on the bike with my father-in-law, and we had a great time playing on the grounds at the Hall. Then we got a kitten. We've named it Solomon, and he is absolutely adorable (if not a little bit whiney). Church was good today, and we enjoyed our video call with mom and dad. Then we went over to the Mundays' house and got to hang out with them. Oh, how beautiful! The only wayit could have been any better is if Dylan had been sleeping well. We've had two nights of interrupted sleep--Dylan's been waking up at about 4 am.

I wish every weekend could be like this one!

The world's tallest baby!