We have our neighbours back!

Hooray!

Do you remember baby Marley?  And his parents, Simon and Joanne?  They moved to Wales about a year and a half ago, and they are currently in the process of moving back in.  The house was rented by a group of single guys for the past year, so it will be nice to have a family living next door to us again.  Plus, they'll probably be a lot quieter on the weekends.

The kids were hard work today.  Edith had her baby immunizations on Friday afternoon, and she has been feeling a bit under the weather as a result.  She's needed coddling (and cuddling) all day long, and Dylan has been jealous and acting out as a result.  I was so happy to tuck them both in to bed.  Thankfully, tomorrow is Sunday and I will have my gorgeous husband with me all day long.  I am so grateful that he only works 5 days a week now.

Anyway, my Sunday School lesson for tomorrow is prepared and my manicure is done.  Pedicure and some ironing to do, then it's an early night for me.  This has been a long week, and an especially long day today.  Sometimes I think I'd like to have another baby, but then I have a day like this one and think that one is definitely enough.  Maybe even more than enough!

Some walking action...

The latest pictures...

Covered in children!

Walking...

Big cheesy grin...

So serious!

With age comes, um, acceptance?

I don't know why I feel compelled to compete with teenagers in the looks department, but I do. 

As part of my committment to myself to do more art, I did some self portraits a few weeks back.  It really made me think about the way I look, since I spent about 40 minutes just staring at myself in the mirror.  And the conclusion is, I like the way my face is ageing.  If I have to get older, this is the way to go.

As a teenager I was horribly insecure about my looks.  I thought I had tiny eyes and a Polish peasant nose.  I thought my freckles were hideous and my coloring just plain and ordinary.  I used to deck myself out in weird clothes and outrageous make-up in an effort to not blend in with the rest of the crowd.  But 15 years or so has changed that.

I don't consider myself to be a total Betty, by any means.  But I have realized that my eyes are NOT tiny.  They just look small compared to the rest of my family (who all have unusually large eyes).  My eyes are a normal size, and they're actually quite a nice color.

My insecurities about my nose came to me courtesy of an ex-boyfriend.  The fact of the matter is, he had a big nose that he was insecure about himself.  And he was a jerk who needed to put me down to make him feel better about himself.  It's a perfectly decent nose!

The English climate has saved me from the typical fate of a desert girl.  I have almost no wrinkles, and my freckles have faded.  Gravity is going to work, but it's actually ok.  Not too fond of what it's doing to my chin, but my eyes are looking good and my cheekbones are a bit more noticeable now.

And as for blending in with the crowd, well, I don't.  It used to be my goth girl make-up or my electric blue eyeliner that made me stand out.  Now it's the fact that I don't go crazy with the make-up that sets me apart in a crowd--especially in this country.  And if I don't stand out, well, so what?  There's nothing wrong with just blending in every once in a while.

I like my face.  I don't mind looking my age (or maybe just a tiny bit younger).  I've come to terms with what I've got, and with what I'm losing (like the fullness of my lips, which happens to everybody as they age).  I've learned to emphasize my favorite features and downplay the ones that aren't so nice.  I've learned not to fight my natural look.  It's much better to just go with it.

And, with acceptance of my faults and recognition of my attributes, comes confidence.  I am beginning to see why a lot of women feel their sexiest in their 30's.  Getting older is actually kind of nice.

But staring at yourself for 40 minutes straight is still kind of scary.  Glad I was just doing my face, and not a full body portrait.  How terrifying, to stare at my body and analyze all the lumps and bumps well enough to draw them all.  Argh!!!

Perfection...

Steve and Gina tied the knot on Saturday.  The wedding was lovely, as was the bride.  Both of them looked so happy and in love.  What a wonderful day.

Even the weather cooperated!

Our family really enjoyed most of the day.

Seriously, other than the meal after the wedding ceremony the day was perfection.  The food was great--our children were a little less than great.  But we dropped them off at their grandparents' house for the night and went back to the reception/party.  By far my favorite part of the weekend was meeting some of Martin's old friends from school and from the Sutton Beach Mission he attended as a teenager. They are some of the nicest people I've met in a long time, and I hope we see more of them!  We had a great time, then came home at about 10pm, got a chicken kebab, and watched Lost. 

This morning we got to sleep in until 8am, and Martin and I enjoyed some alone time.  We went to pick the kids up at 1pm, and has the most delightful summer afternoon ever.  The kids helped us wash the car.  We had home-made ice lollies.  We played in the back garden.  Edith practiced her walking (she's getting REALLY good at it).  We came home, had a light dinner, and Martin gave the kids their bath.  We tucked them in, then I went to Worlaby and gave two back massages (To pay for my hair color--see above picture.  Pretty, isn't it?). 

Now it's home and snuggles with my wonderful husband.  And I have had the most perfect day ever.  I haven't had this good a day in such a long time.  I even had one of those rare moments when life seemed absolutely perfect, and I haven't had one of those for several years.

Life doesn't get much better than today!

Information at last!

My newest nephew arrived on Tuesday.  Greyson Gregory was 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 20 inches long.  He has big ol' feet--3 1/4 inches long (incidentally, that's roughly the size of my darling little Edith's feet right now)!  Apparently, he has his daddy's lips and nose, and his mama's beautiful eyes.  This means he will be every bit as gorgeous as his big sisters.  I can hardly wait to see pictures.

It took a while for my mom to get the info to me because there's been drama at home.  Not to worry about the mother of the new baby--she's doing ok though labor was quick and hard and she spent an extra day in the hospital because of it.  When I called my mom to get the details on the baby, she told me some bad news.

My lovely brother-in-law to be's father passed away yesterday.  They are getting married on Saturday.  I know I've never met Blaine, but he is marrying my sister so he must be amazing.  And my heart truly goes out to him right now. 

So, a birth, a death and a marriage all in the same week.  Life is truly strange.  And it moves on, whether we want it to or not. 

Have you ever wanted to stop time?  Or maybe to go back to a time when things were simpler and happier?  Have you ever wanted time to fly by so you could get to something you've been waiting for forever?  I remember reading something in a Stephen King book once.  I know, not the most deep and intellectual of authors to be quoting.  But still...he said that adult emotions were a contradiction--like mashed potatoes with chocolate syrup.

I'm looking at the pictures on my wall, surrounding the words "Family is Everything."  I hope my sister and her fiance can find that delicate balance between mourning for the man they have lost and celebrating the family that they are about to become.  And I hope my other sister can find even more joy in the life that has joined their family this week. 

Most of all, I wish I could be there to celebrate and mourn with them.

Such a slacker...

It's been nearly a week since my last post, and I really do feel like a slacker.  But,in all honesty, I haven't had anything to blog about.  No kid drama, no trips to the hospital, no fights with my husband, NOTHING!  It's fantastic!

I'm currently just trying to get information about my big sister Angie and her new baby.  All I know so far is that she had him.  I'm going to call my dad in a few minutes--I know he's an early riser so I won't wake him up, even though it's only 6am back home.

It's been a busy day today, and tomorrow is going to be busy as well.  We had stay and play this morning, and a visit from Jen around lunch time.  Martin's grandparents will be here in about 2 hours, and we'll all be having dinner together at Stables.  Then it's bath and bed time, and I'm having my hair highlighted again once they're asleep.  Hooray for being a massage therapist and knowing a hairdresser who likes massages!

My little sister Krystle is getting married on Saturday, and I'm seriously sad that I'll be missing that.  But we have a wedding to go to over here, so at least I feel a tiny bit included.  Steve, the best man at out wedding, is marrying his girlfriend of about 5 years.  I'm looking forward to the wedding, as it will be my first English church wedding.  The kids are invited as well, so it ought to be fun.  We'll all get dressed up and be on our best behavior (hopefully), so maybe we'll even take some family photos.  Martin is taking the day off, so I'm especially looking forward to an extra day spent with him.

The kids are doing well.  Edith is really getting into this whole walking thing now, though it's still a bit of a novelty and she doesn't seem to view walking as a way to get around--more as a way to get praise and extra cuddles.  Dylan is getting SOOOO tall now.  Seriously, I don't even have to hold him up to most public toilets so he can pee in them any more (is it sad that I use this measure to determine how much he's growing?).  He seems to have stopped putting on weight and just started shooting straight up.  He doesn't look like a toddler any more.  He looks like a proper little boy.

Today is one of those days that reminds me why I don't really like English summers.  It isn't too hot, but it's quite warm.  And that makes it sticky!  If you do anything more strenuous than walking slowly, you get all sweaty and this sort of film develops on your skin.  I miss the desert sometimes!  But we are all enjoying the warmer weather.  Especially now that the garden is looking nice.  Both kids really love going out there and climbing on the slide and sand box.  Edith especially--that girl is a climber.  I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk as she gets older.

That's really all there is to say.  I have not other news, and am currently content and so have nothing to rant about.  Things are just nice, slow, lazy and good.  Just like summer ought to be!

Baby no more...

...Edith is officially toddling!  Tonight she took about 5 steps on her own, and then did it three more times.  She was so proud of herself, and I was, too.  She looks so adorable walking around.  My heart almost stops every time she totters (I am picturing more trips to the hospital), but I'm so excited that she's reached this milestone.

Our hospital adventure in pictures...

The kids enjoy their bedtime cartoons together at the hospital.  Dylan LOVES watching telly in bed!

This look is what happens when you make a trip to the emergency room before breakfast is even finished.  SCARY!

But Dylan still manages to look great.  Unfair!

Awww, Martin is such a good daddy!

Just look how happy Edith is in his arms.

And here she is--the cause of all our drama.  Don't worry-her nose is looking much better now!

Good times...

Having had as much sleep last night as I had in the previous two nights combined, my brain is a lot less fuzzy now.  So I just wanted to share two things about the hospital that I found amusing.

Number one:  the GI Endoscopy unit is on the same floor as the hospital cafeteria.  Poor planning, or sadistic architect?

Number two:  Edith was seen by a consultant named Mr. Aziz, who is Asian.  He looked at her on that first morning and asked if she was always so pale.  The nurses and I all had a giggle and he got teased unmercifully about it.  I informed him that yes, she was always that pale.  I believe my exact words were, "She's a whitey."  Other comments were, "She's got ginger hair.  Of course she's that pale," and "Pale and interesting, Mr. Aziz.  Pale and interesting."

He was quite a good sport about the whole thing!

Home again...

Boy is it good to be here!  Both kids are sleeping soundly in their own beds, Martin and I are watching all the programs we recorded in the last week to watch together, the house is (reasonably) clean, and I am going to sleep in my own bed tonight instead of a too warm hospital cot with other peoples' children waking me up and nurses coming in every 4 hours to check temperature, heartrate, breathing, and administer IV antibiotics.

Edith is better than good--she's great.  The heavy antibiotics kicked her runny nose and she is just as healthy as can be.  She was really happy to be home tonight.  She enjoyed her home cooked meal and her bath with Dylan.  She REALLY enjoyed snuggling into her own cosy crib for bed, and we're just hoping that she sleeps all night.  I've had to give her night feeds while she's been ill, which I hate doing but felt obligated to do at the hospital so she wouldn't disturb the other people on the ward.

Hopefully things will settle back to normal soon, because this has been a very exciting week and I'd really love to have a nice, boring one!

Second verse, same as the first...

Well, we are back at the hospital with Edith.

I received a call yesterday at about 12:30 from the hospital.  They had received Edith's blood cultures back from the lab in Manchester, and they discovered the underlying cause of Edith's fever.  She has a mengicoccal infection.  Yes, that is the bacteria that causes meningitis.  Because of the risk involved should the infection spread to her spine or brain, they re-admitted her.

Thanks to the in-laws, we made a mad dash back to Hull and got Edith started on intavenous antibiotics.  We will be in until Monday afternoon.  Clinically, she is fine.  But they don't want to take any chances.  She has been a star throughout the whole process.  She has a shunt in her arm for the IV drugs, and it is all splinted up and wrapped so she won't pull it out.

Until this morning we had to stay in our little hospital room, but the consultant told us this morning that Edith dodn't need to be confined to her hospital room any more.  What a relief!  We have 6 hours between doses of antibiotics, so we are actually in Ulceby at the minute.  Martin is helping his dad build a deck.  We just have to be back for 6pm so Edith can get her next dose, and spend another night there.  Then Dylan has his final appointment to have blood drawn--also at Hull, though in a different hospital on the same complex.  So I will spend another night in the hospital with Edith (oh the joys) and the boys will pick us up after Dylan has his blood drawn in the morning.

So everybody is doing fine, though we're all fed up with this whole hospital business.  It makes it even more frustrating because nothing is outwardly wrong with Edith.  Still, better to be safe than sorry, right?

Thank goodness for the NHS, because this drama isn't costing us a penny--other than the extortionate bridge toll, parking, and hospital food for me!

Excitement...

On Tuesday morning Edith woke up with a temperature.  Martin gave her childrens' ibuprofen and I took her out in the back garden to cool her off.  She perked up, and was just tucking in to her breakfast when she started convulsing.  She had a febrile seizure that lasted for around 5 minutes.  We called for an ambulance, they came, and took me and Edith to Hull Royal Infirmary.  She had another seizure in the emergency room (I think), was given a dose of anti-seizure medication, had blood drawn for a whole bunch of tests, and was admitted.  We spent just over 24 hours at the hospital.

Poor Edith had a rough night, but she is doing just fine.  All of her blood work was totally clean, and unlike the seizures that Dylan had while we were visiting Utah, we KNOW this one was a febrile seizure.  They just wanted to make sure that there was nothing seriously wrong with her that was causing the fever.  She is ok.

It was more than just a little bit terrifying to see her convulsing like that.  I was worried, because it lasted so long, that she would suffer some lasting damage.  But she seems to be doing great.  This evening she was crawling around, laughing, and playing with Dylan like nothing had happened.  She's been babbling away and clapping and doing all the things that she was doing just two days ago. 

The only thing that seems to have been affected is that she just wants me to breastfeed her all the time.  I fed her a lot in the hospital because it was easier and she prefers it.  Tonight she wouldn't take her bottle at bed time. 

Thanks for your concern and prayers, everybody.  She is a stubborn little fighter, and she is strong.  And, best of all, she is sleeping peacefully with no temperature!

A morning at Thornton Abbey...

Dylan was really excited to see the "castle" at Thornton Abbey, though I had to coax him to climb up onto the wall.  This was, of course, after we had already "watered" the dandelions.  Oh the joys of the newly potty trained...

Martin and the kids dressed up in monk attire...

For this scene, Martin was playing the "naughty monk."

The sun was beautiful, shining through the gothic windows onto Edith's glorious red hair.

The two of us played together at this window while Martin took our delightful son for yet another toilet break!

When the boys re-joined us, we took advantage of the light for a photo of the kids together.  Awww, how sweet!

I just liked this one because Dylan looks like he's praying and also looks absolutely angelic.

Dylan had so much fun exploring all the twisty turning passages of the Thornton Abbey gatehouse.  It was a big adventure for him (though slightly terrifying for us at times).

We also explored the ruins of the Abbey, and Dylan was fascinated.  He kept asking us why the church was "broken."  And he loved crashing Lightening McQueen off the ruins.

There were some other people at the ruins, and we took advantage of their presence to get a very rare photo of all of us together.  The happy, bank holiday sight-seeing family.

Random springtime pictures...

Here it is--Edith's giant carpet burn.  Thankfully, it looks a lot better now.  Poor thing!

Dylan decided to play cameraman in our garden.  Looking pretty good now, huh?

You seriously can't even tell that we used turf back here.  The grass is so lush and beautiful and thick!  Hooray for that week of rain we had after we laid it.

Loving all the blossoms on the trees right now.  Mom, this is why I suggested you come over in the spring rather than the summer.

St. Mary's church in Barton--about a 10 minute walk from our house...

Beautiful, isn't it?  Dylan is fascinated by old churches.  It must be genetic!

I feel like a frickin' genius...

There are certain things I really miss about home (other than my family, of course).  I miss the mountains.  I miss the smell of the sagebrush after rain.  I miss the bright stars at night.  I miss Stephen's Gourmet French Vanilla hot chocolate.

Tonight I was watching 50 First Dates and I started thinking about white chocolate.  It's really not chocolate at all, is it?  Just cream and sugar.  So I decided to give something a try. 

5 minutes, a mug of full-fat milk, two sugars, and a splash of vanilla essence later, I sipped down a VERY close approximation of French Vanilla hot chocolate.

I wonder why I never thought to do that before.  I've been missing that blasted stuff for nearly 5 years now.  Truth be told, my hot milk version was even better than that powder rubbish.  I love figuring stuff out.

I have some pictures to post--maybe tomorrow.  They're kind of sad.  Martin left the stair gate open, and Edith is a climber.  She has a massive carpet burn (about the size of a dime) on the tip of her nose.  It happened on Wednesday, and every time I look at Edith I either want to cry (poor little baby) or hit somebody (careless husband)!  I just hope it doesn't leave a scar!

Silence...

They say that it's golden, and I would have to agree.  When the kids are tucked up in bed, silence so thick you can almost taste it descends on my house, and it is bliss.

The house is so noisy during the day.  I don't often listen to music, but the kids are noisy.  We have telly on for part of the day.  Dylan plays really noisily, making crashing noises and having "emergencies" with his cars.  Edith has started shrieking.  They fight, and Edith cries when Dylan pushes her over or steps on her or squishes her.  Then we have the evening, with bed time cartoons and the noise-fest that is bath time.

But after 7:30pm, it is just me.  And when I turn off the Wii or the telly or the radio and go to bed, I feel the silence all around me.  It's nice. 

Torn...

Edith is getting some HUGE front teeth.  I watched her eating her dinner last night, and admired the way she's figured out how to use them to tear her food.  Getting teeth is always exciting, because a whole new world of food opens up to the kids.  She's learning how to rip, tear, and chew much more efficiently.

I think I'm done breastfeeding her.

OUCH!

My dilemma is this:  How on earth do I wean her?  I'm still feeding her two or three times a day.  I feed her when I wake up, I feed her before her nap, and I feed her when she wakes up from her nap.  She doesn't need the nourishment, but she loves the comfort and the cuddles.  And, truth be told, I like the cuddles as well.  She's my baby, and part of me wants to keep her my baby for as long as possible.  But seriously--ouch!

I guess I could give it a few days and see if she stops scraping me to bits with her big (and, incidentally, VERY sharp) top teeth.  But if I keep feeding her now, when does it stop?  I certainly don't want to be one of those freaky women who feed their kids until they're like 3 or 4 years old!

Dylan was easy--he was down to just one feed a day when I stopped breastfeeding him, and I was already pregnant with Edith.  I wasn't sad to stop.  I needed to stop because I wanted my body to myself for a few months before I had a newborn to feed.  And I couldn't imagine trying to feed two of them at the same time.  Now I just don't know.  Dylan was about the age that Edith is now when I finally weaned him, but she seems so much younger.  She's so tiny and delicate, and still seems like such a baby because she's so small.

The WHO advises women to breastfeed their babies until they are two years old.  Culturally, most women in England stop between 6-9 months.  I've managed a good compromise, I guess.  But opinions would be helpful here, so I am officially soliciting advise from you, my readers.  If you think I should stop, give me some tips for how to manage it.  And if you think I should carry on, give me some tips for dealing with teething pain!

Lazy outdoors evening...

Hooray for girlfriends!

I blogged about Jen on Friday, and here I go about Noelle.  Having a busy and often absent husbnad is really forcing me to develop more friendships with women, and I guess that's a good thing.

Some of you probably saw my Facebook status about going to Ikea and offering a lift to any of my friends who wanted to go?  Well, Noelle took me up on it.  I picked her up at her house yesterday morning, and we had such a good time.  It was wonderful to have some company on the drive to Leeds.  Especially because Noelle is Canadian (almost as good as American in my book, because she also lived in Utah for a while and went to BYU).  It's just so nice to hear other North American accents!  Anyway, she is such a lovely person.  So friendly, down to earth, plain spoken, and out-going.  I especially love the plain spoken bit.

Ikea was a big success.  I got a new duvet and cover for Dylan since his old one was getting too small and he kept waking up in the night when his covers came off.  His old one has now moved to the crib for Edith.  I also got some cute shelves for the kids' room (bit of a bargain at £2.99 each) and some storage bins from the bargain corner for just £.70.  I'm always looking for more storage!  We ate a delightful lunch in the Ikea cafe and wandered around for about 2 hours.

After we got done at Ikea (with some baby and icecream juggling and a last minute toilet trip) I drove Noelle down to Sheffield where her boyfriend lives and where her car was parked, and she took us to Costco.  Can I just say, FANTASTIC?  I got some nice bagels, a big jug of Pace salsa, some Ranch dressing, and a giant pack of diapers for much cheaper than I can get them elsewhere.  It was like being home for about 45 minutes.  And the kids loved all the free samples.

We dropped Noelle off at her car and then drove home--just me and the kids.  I was quite proud of myself, since I don't usually do the driving on long trips away (I'm usually with Martin and he prefers to do the driving).  I didn't get lost once, and I didn't get stressed out in the heavy traffic around Leeds and Sheffield, either.  I felt cool, composed, and so independent.  I know that sounds kind of stupid, that I felt independent.  I've lived on my own before, and I used to pride myself on my independence.  But I have become highly co-dependent, so that feeling of being able to do it on my own is kind of heady.

It was dinner time when we got home, and then bath and bed time.  I had prepared for the night time routine before we left our house in the morning, so it was pretty easy.  Then the kids were safely tucked up in bed and I collapsed on the sofa--totally exhausted, but in such a good way.

The best part of the day was how well behaved the kids were.  Seriously, they were SO good.  Even Dylan, running loose in Ikea.  He was amazing!  It's nice that we can do things that they enjoy, like going to to park, AND things that I enjoy, like shopping at Ikea, and we can all have a good time.  I'm starting to feel less restricted by my children, and that can only be a good thing.  And, I think that feeling will only become more frequent as the kids get older and less dependent on me.

Martin started his new job 6 weeks ago on Friday, and we are all adjusted now.  It's a good thing, because it's giving us extra income, more self respect, and time apart to do our own thing.

But I still miss having so much time together!