Edith's blessing day...

Martin blessed Edith in church today. He did a wonderful job, and Martin's family were very supportive. We had a good, though long, day.

Thank heaven June is almost over. It's been a tough month. Now we've just got Martin's birthday next weekend and then we can relax until Dylan's birthday at the end of August!

Fun pictures...

Have you ever felt like this???

Strawberry picking at the Abbot's Garden fields...

Martin and I picked strawberries. Dylan ate strawberries. But he was so cute, shouting "ta-da" every time he saw a ripe one, that the lady manning the field didn't mind!



Edith tries her first ever strawberry--she sucked the life out of it and really enjoyed the taste.

Dylan learns not to eat the green ones!

Ulceby park...

We attempted to go strawberry picking early last week but they were closed. So we went to the park in Ulceby instead, and had a marvellous time!

Out in the garden...

We've been enjoying the garden this year. Only one corner of it is still untidy and horrible, and that pile of rubbish gets smaller all the time. We've been enjoying a lot of meals and impromptu barbecues out there. Lovely!

Things that make me smile every time...

I will forget all of these things if I don't write them down somewhere, and I never want to forget the things my kids do that make me smile.

Dylan can't say his "TH's" at the minute, and he's replacing them with "M's." So when he counts he says, "one, two, free, more, six, se-eight, ten." Pretty good for a not quite two year old, though. And when he sings the song from "My Friends Tigger and Pooh," he sings "Now's the time to mink mink mink, when you've got a problem mink mink mink." This said, of course, whilst attempting to tap the side of his head. Sometimes he misses and sticks his finger in his ear or taps his chin instead. His aim isn't that good yet.

He is also starting to make up words if he doesn't know what something is called by combining the words he DOES know. Kind of how they create new words in German. Last night we were having a barbecue and we gave Dylan a sausage and part of a hot dog bun. Of course, he doesn't know "hot dog bun." But he picked up the bun and called it "sausage bread." I was amazed and delighted. He is getting so smart!!!

Edith has been a bit of a chore this week. She is going through a growth spurt and is waking up twice, sometimes three times, during the night for a feed. She is so tired that she can't finish feeding without falling asleep, but she wakes up when we put her down because she is still hungry. It's hard work feeding her at the minute. But, on a positive note, I finally got her to take a bottle last night. She went 4 hours with no milk, so she was desperate for it. Desperation, not necessity, is the mother of invention! She soon figured out how to use the bottle!

She still makes me smile though. Especially in the mornings when she wakes up and looks at me and her face looks like it's going to split in two because she has such a big grin on her face! And she is getting very active and vocal now, which I love. She has such a lovely voice--very husky. I think her voice is actually deeper than Dylan's is right now.

It's going to be a busy day. Edith has more injections at 11, then it's home for lunch and nap time. When Martin gets home we are going cherry picking in Thealby. Then it's home for dinner (hopefully another bbq if the weather holds), a little DIY after Dylan is in bed, and then some food preparation for the blessing on Sunday.

I wish Edith would sleep through again!

Well, it's done...

All of our contributions to listing the house are finished. The photos were taken yesterday and Martin filled out the HIP stuff online. Now we just need to wait for the brochure to be made and for the offers to start rolling in.

Of course, we still have stuff to do on the house that will (hopefully) make it more attractive to potential buyers. We need t finish tiling downstairs and scrape wallpaper from the landings and stairs. Then I need to patch plaster and Martin and I will paint. Oh, and Martin needs to finish the built in wardrobes in our bedroom.

Compared to the giant list of things we had to do when we bought the house, that list is TINY!

This house has been a real labor of love. It was in such bad shape when we bought it, and the in-laws were horrified at the state of it. But we could see past the nicotine stained walls and tatty carpet. We knew that this house could be beautiful in its' own quirky, unique way. So we took the plunge and bought it anyway.

I won't lie--there have been times when I thought we were crazy for doing it. Every time my mother-in-law came over she had this look of disgust on her face. The house required so much time and effort and money, all three of which have been in short supply at one time or another. But look at what we have achieved:

Stripped wallpaper, repaired plaster, stripped carpet and lino, refinished floorboards, painted, had window replaced, and built closets in our bedroom.

Knocked down a brick wall and stud wall, took down a suspended ceiling and lathe and plaster ceiling, stripped three layers of wallpaper and beadboard, stripped carpet, built a stud wall, re-wired, plastered, painted, made a built in bookcase, and had carpet laid in the front room.

Stripped wallpaper, repaired plaster, reconditioned window, installed tongue and groove wooden paneling (recycled from the front room), replaced skirting board, stripped carpet, painted, sanded and painted floorboards in the top bedroom.

Ripped out kitchen units, stripped lino, knocked down a stud wall, re-wired, stripped wallpaper, plastered all walls and patched ceiling plaster, built a closet, replaced skirting board, painted, and had carpet fitted in the nursery.

Tiled, repainted, and replaced cupboard doors in the kitchen.

Painted the dining room, music room, and bathroom. We will be tiling them soon, as well.

Ripped concrete out, expoesed brick patio, sifted rubble out of the soil, created raised beds, planted grass, and created gravel area in the garden.

Painted the front of the house, including scraping down window frames and stone lintels.

Created, plastered, painted and tiled an entrance hallway, including large storage cupboard.

Not bad for three years, huh? Just making that list exhausted me!

I relish every time my mother-in-law tells me the house looks great.

We've constantly had a project on the go since we moved in, but I've loved doing most of it. After all, we haven't just been working on the house. We've been building a home.

I have so many memories in this house. Although I can't wait to sell it and move back to Utah, I will miss it when we do. But we are planning on buying another "project" when we move back, and now we know how to do all this remodelling stuff so we can do an even BETTER job on our next house. I look forward to making another home!

people in Arnold...Hello!!

We have a blog counter so we can see where people are who look at our blog. Jamie mentions that it can be innacurate. But this evening I have seen someone looking in Arnold and wondered if it really is someone in the Nottingham area that I know. So, if it is anyone I know just pop in a comment. Thanks.

Dads...

We celebrated Father's Day yesterday--had a lovely brunch at our house with us, Cathy, and the in-laws. Laurie was supposed to be at work so that's why we had brunch instead of an afternoon bbq or a nice dinner. Then he ended up with a chest infection and couldn't go to work. So he was not well, but had a good time anyway.

I hope Martin had a good Father's Day. He celebrated it by leaving the kids and me and playing baseball in Harrogate!

I know it sounds like I am bitter about that, but I'm actually not. That's what he wanted to do with his day, and he had a good time. Dylan spent the night at his Nanna's house and I picked him up after church. Then we came home and made Martin a card. I cooked dinner, we ate, and then blew bubbles and played patty cake until Martin got home. The kids all got some quality time with daddy while I prepared for bath time and cleaned the house.

Oh, and I taught Dylan a special father's day song for his daddy. It's "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home," from the Children's Hymnbook. We've been working on it all week and he sang it brilliantly!

I think my best gift to Martin was being happy when he got home. He really knew that I didn't mind him playing baseball today and just wanted him to have a good time.

After Dylan was born, I hated Martin to leave me alone with the baby. Now it is twice as hard to do things on my own, yet I really don't mind doing it. I take it in my stride. Of course, I do get a little bit lonely when I am on my own for the evening. But I actually enjoy doing bedtime by myself because I get all the cuddles from the kids!

I feel really fortunate to be married to Martin. I know I complain about him sometimes, but I really do love him to bits. He is such a good husband, and such an amazing father.

I knew when I married him that he would be a good dad, but I had no idea just how good he would be. Dylan loves him to distraction, and every time Martin comes home from work Dylan runs to the door screaming "daddy" at the top of his lungs. He can hardly wait to give him hugs. Edith is still a bit young to enjoy playing with her daddy, but she loves snuggling with him and always has smiles for him.

Martin supports me in my role as mother and always provides help and support in major parenting decisions. He provides love as well as discipline. Mostly love.

In completely unrelated news, I got a breadmaker off Freecycle, and I've used it 4 times in the last 5 days. I've made white bread, wheat bread, brioche, and I'm making spelt bread tonight (for my father-in-law). It's AMAZING! I used to think that bread makers were cheating and scorned them deeply. Now I don't have time to knead bread dough. I can just see myself up to my elbows halfway through kneading a loaf of bread when Dylan started throwing things in the toilet or Edith woke up from a nap screaming. So even though it really IS cheating, it's a necessary cheat. And I LOVE having fresh homemade bread.

Introspection...

Most of my day is taken up with mundane tasks. I cook, I clean, I feed the baby, I change diapers. I sing and play with my children, I hang clothes on the line, I try to juggle housework and teaching Dylan new things and making sure Edith gets enough love and attention. I am so busy doing these things that I just do them and get through the day.

But sometimes, when I am alone with my beautiful babies and they are drifting off to sleep, I get to take a few minutes and think about the things that happen every day. I get a chance to look at how beautiful they are and reflect on the way they are growing up.

Dylan is more and more grown up every day. He is so happy and intelligent and helpful, and I am starting to see how he will be as he grows up.

And Edith, oh my precious little Edith! She is more beautiful with every passing day. I held her tonight and watched her sleeping, seeing the way she still suckles, even in her sleep. I stroked her beautiful skin and admired the smooth even features. I thought about the way that her growing beauty means she is getting older.

Having a daughter is strange and wonderful. I see her and wonder if she will be like me. If she will make the same mistakes, share the same joys and heartaches. And I know that as she grows more beautiful, my beauty will start to fade.

Dylan's baby days were stolen by my depression after his birth. I spent the first 4 months of his life barely surviving. I want to get that time back, and I never will. So now I want Edith's early days to last forever.

I wonder if my mother had these same thoughts. Did she watch me as I slept and marvel at the wonder of new life? Did she stroke my hair and wish to keep me a baby forever--and at the same time feel so proud of my growing independence and intelligence? Did she vow to do anything she could to keep me safe and happy? Does she look at me now and still see the tiny baby she held in her arms all those years ago?

I still see tiny babies when I look at the innocent faces of my sleeping children. I see them as tiny babies and I feel the most incredible rush of love. I have never felt this way before.

What will he sound like???

That was the main question on my mind when Dylan started talking. Obviously, we live in England so the chances of him having an English accent are pretty high. But he's around me pretty much every waking hour, and I am 100% American. So does the influence of dad and grandparents and friends win out over mom?

What is developing is the most delightful mixture of both. He uses a lot of English words, like calling it a "bin" instead of a "garbage can," but he pronounces a lot of double t words with a d instead, like "budder" instead of "butter." He pronounces tomatoes the English way, and zebra as well. But he says a lot of things with an American accent and, at my insistence, calls me mama instead of "mum."

Because of the difference in the accents, I have become hyper-sensitive about the way I say certain words and I am trying to teach him to say them properly. But every once in a while I lapse into a strong Utahn accent and I hope and pray that he won't pick up on some things.

Oh my Utah family, I wish you could hear Dylan's sweet little voice. He chatters so much now and he sounds so cute when he does it. He also has an unfortunate tendency to shout when he gets excited about something, and he is very easily excited. But he is just about the cutest kid in the whole world!!!

blech...

Pretty good day today, all things considered. The kids weren't bad--they were just very high maintenence. I only had 30 minutes to myself all day, and they were the 30 minutes I took to go to the doctor's office to make sure we don't have any more of the little monsters!

I am now the proud owner of the Mirena IUS. We'll see how that goes. The appointment was not as bad as I thought it would be. I just feel a little bit weird and have been walking funny all evening.

The strangest part of the day is that Edith fell asleep almost immediately after her bath. At 7:30pm we had the house to ourselves because both babies were asleep in bed. It's always nice to have some baby-free time!

Things that have been on my mind...

I love drying my clothes on the line outside instead of in the tumble dryer. So eco-friendly and nothing beats whites dried on the line. Unfortunately, over here it means you have to wait for good drying weather. And absolutely everything has to be ironed. But I really enjoy ironing the kids' clothes. I adore tiny little t-shirts and trousers. I especially like ironing Edith's dresses!

Getting two kids out of the house is way more than twice as hard as getting one ready and out! I was thinking about how I used to just stay at home with Dylan because of what a hassle it would be to take him out. WHY??? Now if I can go somewhere with just Edith it is a special treat! Then again, getting ready and going somewhere with a baby is a LOT harder than just going on your own. It's all relative!

Dylan's head is nearly adult sized now. This is especially obvious to me when we are snuggling (which he is really getting in to again)and his head is right next to mine!

Martin shaved his goatee today, and he looks 5 years younger and really cute.

Edith went swimming for the first time today, and she loved it! She also fell asleep at around 7:45 tonight, so I will definitely take the kids swimming whenever possible.

I made meringues tonight and we are going to pick strawberries tomorrow. It'll be Dylan's second time (remember the pictures and video last year). He calls them cherries, and should have lots of fun eating them straight away. We will be having one of Martin's favorite desserts, Eton mess, for dessert tomorrow. Strawberries, fresh whipped cream, and meringue all bashed together and lovely.

I'm thinking of getting my hair cut short again since it has started falling out from the pregnancy and is looking a little ragged. Any opinions about my hair? Is it better short or long?

Anyway, I need to get a bath now.

Relaxation...

We've had a very busy and productive yet restful day!

Martin was at work all day, so the kids and I just kind of chilled and got stuff done as and when it needed doing. Tidying, laundry, meals, naps, shopping, etc. Laurie and Christine came 'round in the afternoon and Christine did a bit of gardening with Dylan. Martin came home from work, the in-laws left, and the Mundays came over for a barbecue, Jamie style. Meat on the grill, cold salads prepared in advance, and minimum fuss.

After they left, Martin and I went through all our clothes because we are going to sell them (or attempt to) at a car boot sale tomorrow. We then cleaned up the mess from the barbecue and gathered up the rest of the stuff to sell. I hope we do well tomorrow, because it will get unwanted junk out of our house AND earn us some money to go toward tiling and painting and finishing up bits and pieces on the house.

The new neighbors were having a barbecue, though it is the noisy, late kind rather than the early family kind with noisy kids running around. They invited us over, and we went so we could meet them all properly. Good bunch of boys, really. We spent about 20 minutes because the kids were home alone and we didn't have the baby monitor hooked up.

So fingers crossed for tomorrow, which is going to be a very busy day! After the car boot sale we are going to Stake conference to find out who the new Stake president will be. We had a good time speculating about it with the Mundays! And now I am going to bed while Martin watches a program about Manet. Classy, isn't he. Oh wait, he's decided to watch "Kill Bill Vol. 2" instead since I'm going to bed. Never mind on the classy comment!

Would you take a closer look at this house?

Well, would you? Be honest! And what can I do to make it more appealing?

House pictures

Great grandparents...

The house photo shoot...

What can I say, besides it didn't happen!

After Martin and I busted our buns all week getting ready for today, and the man who takes the photos got here right on time, looked around the house and did his measurements for the write up of the property. Then he sat down with us and advised us to wait and do the photos in about 10 days time. The rooms we want photographed are all done and pretty close to perfect, but the transitional areas are not so good. In fact, they are full of junk and timber scraps and all sorts. He said we should wait and try to get things a bit tidier elsewhere so it is easier to do the photo shoot. The pictures will turn out better that way.

I just want to cry! Dylan's been at the Mundays' house all day so we could get stuff done, and the downstairs (minus the bathroom) is PERFECT! All the bedrooms are clean. The kitchen is gleaming. And I am going to have to do it all over again for next week.

Martin is grateful for the extra time, but I am seriously depressed. Though we have accomplished more in the past 7 days than we have in the past 7 months. And we will get even MORE done for the photo shoot later on. Having a deadline is a real motivator. I'm going to take some photos of the house so everyone can take a look at what we've done. It's seriously beautiful!

Now it's time to pick Dylan up and get pie and peas for dinner--I'm too tired to cook!

???

How on earth can my husband throw his dirty clothes NEXT TO the hamper, walk past stuff lying on the floor multiple times when he's going in to the room they belong in, leave cupboards and drawers and doors open, and leave all of his DIY stuff lying around, yet use a spirit level, tape measure, and pencils (perfectly sharpened)to hang a picture?

We're getting there on the house, but Martin and I are both exhausted and a little bit irritated with each other at times. Like last night when it took him around 20 minutes to hang up two pictures. I told him when he was finished that I would do it in the future--he is not allowed to hang anything since it takes him 4 times longer to do it than it would take me. And he leaves pencil marks all over the walls!

Dylan had his hospital appointment yesterday. It was his ECG, and as expected his heart is structurally normal. He's such a healthy little boy (and a hungry one at the minute!!!) but he will stay under the consultant's care until the murmur goes away.

Edith continues to be an absolute joy. She is so happy all the time and she just keeps getting cuter. I have some great pictures to post as soon as I have a few more on the camera. I hate to pull them off the camera just for the sake of 10 or so pictures. Be patient!

Live traffic feed...

I'm intrigued!

You may have noticed, dear blog readers, that I've put a "live traffic feed" gadget on the blog. I was just curious, and now I'm even more mystified!

Who is reading my blog in Wichita?
Chesterfield?
New Jersey?
Solihull?
San Francisco?

I read random blogs--there's no shame. I just wish you guys would reveal yourselves because I really am dying to know.

And I have a lot more UK readers than I thought.

Our busy week is going well, but Martin and I are both already exhausted. Martin got loads done on the top floor window last night, and I got all of our paperwork sorted out and a bunch of stuff ready to shred. It feels like I've tackled a major hurdle with that one. We would have gotten more done, but Edith had a tough night. Of course, in Edith talk that simply meant we had a hard time getting her to bed. She slept fairly well. But Martin and I went to bed late so we could get more done, Edith woke up at 5 am, and then Dylan woke up at 6. It never fails--they always have bad nights when we have a late one!

We bought some paint yesterday and the downstairs is going to get freshened up tonight (I think). We also bought a cast iron fireplace surround and gas fire for our dining room. It's second hand, and we got a real bargain on it! It's going to replace that horribly tacky gas heater we have in there right now. AND we got some old wooden sash windows so Martin can make me a cold frame out in the garden. I'm going to use part of the window as a picture frame for the living room.

So much going on at the minute! Today is a busy one, with painting and gardening to do, and baby massage with Edith at 1:30pm and WI at 7:30. Tomorrow morning brings a hospital appointment and the afternoon and evening will be devoted to even MORE housework. It's bathroom day tomorrow, but bathrooms will be skipped so I can do a little bit of painting or tidying of the rooms that will be photographed on Friday.

I'm getting even more tired just thinking about the rest of the week! But this is one more step toward moving home!

Oh, and I found $140 last night while I was sorting through paperwork. That'll pay for most of the tile downstairs. It was a great night!

All things Edith...

I finally got a few pictures that do her justice. Hooray!!!

al fresco diaper change



cleaning out the toy chest



look at this one close up and you can see the red hair



the two redheads have a quiet moment together



enjoying his ice cream

My grown up girl...

Edith discovered her hands tonight. We were lying on my bed playing and talking to each other, and all of a sudden she started staring at her hand and clenching and unclenching her fist. It was such an amazing moment!

An ode to Grandma Lofley's home cooking...

My Grandma Lofley makes the most delicious tater tot casserole in the whole world. I used to look forward to trips over to her house just on the off chance that she'd make it for us. I also love her potato salad and it seems like her oatmeal tastes better than anybody elses.

You can't buy tater tots in this country. Unless one of my UK readers knows a secret spot for them?

I have discovered that waffle cut potatoes make an excellent substitute--especially the spicy ones since the spice bakes into the sauce in the oven. Consequently, we have had tater tot casserole 3 times this month.

My sisters all love tater tot casserole, too. And we all make it differently. Here is how I make mine. Do you girls want to post how you make yours?

Saute onions and garlic together with minced beef (that's hamburger to you Yanks).
Add 1 can of condensed "cream of" soup & 1/2 can of milk.
Stir in enough tater tots (or the waffle cut spicy potatoes) that the soup and beef mixture is coating all of them.
chuck it in an oven safe dish, sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese, cover with tin foil, and bake at around 375 F (about 190 C) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
I like to take the foil off the top for the last ten minutes so the cheese goes all lovely and bubbly.

You know, I'll bet Grandma Lofley doesn't make hers anything like this!

Nearly pain free...and BIG news!

So the pain in my chest is nearly gone. It has subsided to the point that it's just a pulled muscle, which is a big relief. I have been pain medication free for over 24 hours now, too. I'd like to still be taking something, but the meds were making Edith restless and cranky, not to mention constipated. I have to consider her needs before mine at this point, so I will struggle through if I can.

The big news is...

We have officially started the process to put our house on the market!!!

The front of the house is tidied up and very nearlt there! The inside is moving more slowly, but we are having the photos for the brochure done next Friday and we will be doing MAJOR work until then. We just need to make sure the best rooms are totally clean and completely finished. It means some carpet cleaning, a few fresh coats of paint, and lots of cleaning. But we're starting things, and that's the important thing.

I'm already apprehensive about moving back, though I'm obviously excited about it. How will that work out, moving two kids across the Atlantic? How will Dylan adjust? Will we be able to make new friends when we move over? Is it going to be fast and easy to find a new house? What about the cost?

Of course, all of these concerns fade in comparison to the main one. Will we be able to sell our house for a good price in a timely manner?

Well, lots to do. But I wanted to let everybody know the good news.

And you all thought I was going to say I was pregnant again, didn't you? FAT CHANCE!

Sunday and Monday...

Sunday was a pretty good day. Martin went to Manchester to play baseball, so Dylan spent Saturday night with his nanna and went to church with her on Sunday morning. Apparently, he was very popular there and was amazingly well behaved. He is welcome back any time, as I understand it.

Edith went to church with me, and I had lots of help with her. My chest was still really sore and I was doped up to the max so I could move, so she was held by friends unless I was feeding her.

After church, Edith and I went to the in-laws to meet up with Dylan, and we all drove to a village called Willingham to get ice cream. We came back to their house and had a barbecue. Martin was supposed to meet us there, but the games ran late so we bathed Dylan at the in-laws' house and got all of us bundled into the car for the drive home.

While I was driving us all home, I hot the most horrible shooting pain in my chest. It felt like someone was stabbing me and I honestly thought I was having a heart attack or something. I have never prayed so hard just to be able to make it home. We made it, obviously, and then I had to get both kids in the house and Dylan into bed. Interesting, but I made it. I had just sat down to feed Edith, the pain completely unbearable at this point, when Martin got home. He walked in the door, asked me if I was OK, then asked me if I wanted him to call an ambulance.

The ambulance crew drove me over to Hull Royal Infirmary, and Martin stayed with the kids until Christine could get here. He joined me at A & E, and the waiting game began. We got there at 9:00pm and Martin left at 1:30am when they decided they were going to admit me. We needed to make sure I didn't have a pulmonary embolism as a blood clot in the lungs is potentially fatal.

The hospital was interesting. Between a completely full ward and not actually getting a bed until 3am, another flare up of the pain that nobody did anything to help me with, trying to get a breast pump, etc. I got to sleep (sort of) at around 4am. The next morning it was an ultrasound on my legs and a CT scan to make sure there were no clots when the ultrasound was clear.

Martin brought the kids over on Monday morning because we thought I'd be going home them, but I didn't actually get discharged until about 7pm. He left Edith with me for the day, and she was very popular on the ward. I was able to feed her as needed that way, and Martin took Dylan into Hull for a boys' day. It worked out OK. Most of the hospital staff were happy to hold my beautiful baby while I had the necessary procedures. Martin took the babies home at dinner time because we still weren't sure what was going on, and he had to come back and get me 2 hours later.

So they ruled out pulmonary embolism, and still weren't sure what was causing the pain. They wanted me to stay another night for observation and pain medication purposes, but I just wanted to come home! They saw a little bit of infection in my chest on my CT scan so I think it might have been pleurisy. Either that or I HAD a clot that dissipated with the blood thinners they gave me when I was admitted. At any rate, I was still in pain last night but am feeling MUCH better today. I'm trying to keep the pain medication to a minimum for Edith's sake, but I'm taking it every 4 hours religiously!

So that was my big medical scare, and it was scary! You don't really think about having a baby as being potentially life threatening, but having a c-section puts you at high risk for blood clots. I could have died on Sunday, and that really makes you stop and think--and appreciate the little things. Like hugs from your children and the beauty of a perfect English summer day.