Jasmine is 3

Our darling little girl is 3 tomorrow. Today was her party complete with frock, cake, candles, party bags, grandma, nani, auntie seema and some of mum and dad's friends and their respective broods. Ok. So it was really a bit of a do for us. But who cares? A great time was had by all. Only downside was that Jasmine's chestiness has returned, as have our suspicions of asthma, so she's been put straight back on the montelukast today after months of going without. We'll just have to see how it all pans out...

Piccies to follow.

Felix 1st birthday is a total cakefest

Jambeans 2nd birthday

Jasmine is 2 years old today. Apparently she turns terrible from this point on. We did a quick reminisce about the drama of the day she was born, but the nice thing I realised is that I just don't think about it much any more.

She learned a new word today: "present" and she had ample opportunity to practise saying it because we utterly spoiled her with clothes'n'books'n'toys'n'plates'n'other-eating-stuff and a beautiful new tricycle. And we bought her the obligatory bowling ball gift in the form of a humungous chocolate cake that can quite comfortably feed, ooh, only about 12 grown ups. And we went to the zoo too where we chirpily said "come and see the bunny Jambeans" only it was a dead bunny that a vulture was busy eviscerating and we thought it was bloody funny (which makes it a Bloody Funny Bunny) but Auntie Judith who came too was a bit horrified at our particular brand of parenting humour.

Felix opted out of most of the celebrations today by being The Amazing Sleeping Baby but did manage to stay awake for a gorgeous sofa scrumble with Jambeans and Daddy which totally made Daddy's day.

F-beans has landed

Felix was born at 10.47am on Monday 18th February at 6lb 9oz.

All went smoothly with the op. Mum, dad and baby all very happy. And exhausted from having two under two. Not to mention the round-the-clock nursing. And I'm sore and have no tummy muscles. But other than that we're all well.

Jambeans very excited and slowly getting used to having a baby brother around. There are good bits - she's loving and caring towards him and generally gets on with it - and not-so-good bits - it upsets her terribly when he cries and I'm not sure she quite gets what that's all about or that it's not her fault - but nothing that has worried us yet.

He's very cute in a looks-like-Yoda pink and wrinkly sort of way. And he has HUGE feet. Actually, they're more like paddles than feet. In fact, I think they are paddles.

Lots more to write but this is the first moment I've had since being discharged to even post the good news and even that I'm snatching.

Still buzzing off bamjeans' birthday party

only 2 days ago our house was filled with 10 bubs, 15 grown ups, a whole lot of mayhem, some sterling muffins and one very happy baby.

wot a fab birthday party.

the goddess is angry

after our muffin triumph we tried our hand at fairy cakes.

the cake bit was fine. the icing was a total disaster. we were so bad bf said we were worse than the losing team in the generation game.

either the goddess nigella pulled that celebrity chef lie on us, by making it sound oh soooo eeeeaaaasy (in the book she glosses through the icing part with a mere "i just use the back of a spoon and smooth it on") or we mere baking mortals have somehow made her very angry.

dear goddess - please spare us your wrath for the party next week. we will accept any punishment as long as it involves eating chocolate in a suggestive manner.

All hail Goddess Nigella

Yesterday

Made Nigella's blueberry muffins yesterday. Yet another triumph from the domestic goddess.

The motivation to bake is because we're having a floral-themed party in a few weeks' time to celebrate Jasmine's due date birthday. A flimsy excuse for a bit of a do really.

I've been panicking for weeks. It was my idea to have the party - it's been ages since I've had one - but ever since the invites went out and just about everyone said yes (why weren't any of them busy that weekend?) I've been mired in party paranoia. Food, entertainment, space (lack, thereof), decoration, what will I wear, is the house safe enough for all the little bubs, do we have enough space? all that worry has flooded in. But the panic has given us enough motivation finally to stow outgrown baby paraphernalia in the loft and offload boxes to the second-hand shop, most of which we hadn't unpacked since we moved in. Just don't open any cupboards in our house without a hard hat, that's all.

Today

Gloriously sunny today. We were planning tozzzz go buy stair gateszzzzzz at Brent Crosszzzzzzzzzzz (admittedly at my insistence - now the bub is crawling I am terrified of going to the loo without fear of her base jumping down the stairs) but such a boring plan didn't fit with such a beautiful day, and when boyfried made his usual joke about going to the zoo we both thought, why not?

Animals were on good form. Took the camera so finally have some more photos to upload. Jambeans' been running a fever today. We think, because of the MMR, but also she's dribbling like mad at the mo so there must be a tooth on the way. She enjoyed the zoo though. Particularly the fish. Man she just loved those fish. Her whole face lit up. I'm sure she thought it was like watching a zillion, enormous tellies, really close up, with no one saying no.

Jasmine is 1

On April 27th Jasmine turned one, and her birthday was perfect in every way.

We spoiled ourselves with 1 night in a 5 star hotel in absolute luxury at the Ickworth Hotel in Suffolk. It was so worth it. The sun was out and the estate and parklands are stunning - they really set the scene for a great day. Jasmine was on fab form, and laughed and smiled her way throughout.

We did do that reminiscing thing, where we kept going, "this time last year, I was going to the hospital/ screaming for painkillers/ telling Mum the baby was on its way/ in theatre/ looking at Jasmine for the first time." With Jam-beans being premature, it was a really traumatic day that reliving various bits of it were inevitable I guess. Her being early has also coloured our entire first year with her - I just can't believe what a healthy, happy little girl she has turned out to be. I'm so lucky to be able to say that.

We packed it all in. We went for a long walk, fed some mad ducks, did the stately home tour, had a swim and a bike ride (since I don't even know how to ride a bike I'm using the word "we" very liberally here), went on the swings and slide, had birthday cake complete with bad singing and with that all important candle (daddy blew it out on Jasmine's behalf, then ate most of the cake on her behalf too), and took loads and loads of photos.

About Jasmine's birth part 3: hospital

So it's installment three (see part two here and part one here) and I've only just made it to the hospital for my midwife's appointment. Hmm, I'm labouring the story a bit, if you'll pardon the pun. So I'll try and be brief.

Basically, after about 5 minutes of argy-bargying with the midwife about painkillers (none available in the ante-natal unit whatsoever, and it was in a bleeding hospital - you would have thought...) and how my back was killing me, and how I needed a physiotherapy referral, I heaved myself onto the table for an examination. Three short questions ensued:

MW: (placing hands lightly on tummy) Does that hurt?

Me: (crying) Yes

MW: And does it feel like period pain?

Me: Yes

MW: And does the pain come and go?

Me: Yes

MW: Girl, I think you're in labour.

So that was about that. So after some machines, tests, much denial, some anxiety, frantic phone calls and an emergency c-section later, Jasmine was born.



Here's a photo of her at about 2 days old, just after she came off C-pap. She just came out so beautiful.
At first I loved looking at her early photos but a few months after bringing her home I found it more difficult, and still come over all weepy when I look back at them.