Grace Emma Smith has arrived

Hiya all,

Grace Emma Smith arrived on Saturday 29th July at 7.08pm weighing in at 7lb 3oz. It was a very quick labour, 3 hours 8 mins, with only 13 minutes of pushing. Apparently this is very normal with a second baby. Having said that it was also a very intense labour, but I managed it with only Gas and Air, I seemed to go into myself and I was almost in a dream like state for most of it. All I remember was this Dance track going through my mind and the midwifes words were the words of the tract, very strange!!!! Oh yeah and everything was strangly yellow but I never opened my eyes till she arrived!!! She's amazing and it's so much easier than last time!! I'm not nearly as stressed about things as I was last time, which I think makes me a better mummy or at least a happier mummy. I'm loving having a little girl, even though I wanted a boy, I wouldn't change her for the world!! Sam adores her and helps me change her nappy, he spends a lot of time kissing and stroking her. Chris is still on paternity leave at the moment, he goes back to work next week, so that will be when it really hits home that I have two children. That's my lot now, I'm never putting myself through pregnancy again, the last few weeks of this one were too much for me and I couldn't put two children through what Sam went through in that last week. He didn't have a clue where he was from one day to the next, he was just being passed from pillar to post cos I couldn't cope. Anyway must go, my little girl needs a feed, will keep you up dated as much as possible

Em x

36 weeks and counting!!

Yep, 36 weeks already, so hopefully two weeks to go really, if it all goes the same as when I had Sam!! I know that's probably not going to happen but hey lets live in hope!! I'm quite big and had to give up work earlier than planned, I should have finished the week before last but I've been off for three weeks now. I gave up earlier cos I had another early labour scare, they gave me steroids for baby's lungs and all's been fine since. It's been hard work though, I'm aching all over and it's difficult looking after Sam when I'm in such a lot of pain!

Baby's names are Henry David or Grace Emma, it's changed a few times now, but this seems to e the final choice.

Anyway, I'm off, must feed my little boy then prepare Chris's dinner, I'll pop on as soon as I get chance after having baby.

Ohhh before I forget, my brother has brought his wedding forward to next month, can't believe it he was meant to be getting married in 2008 but he's had his posting and that means him and Emma moving to norfolk, so they're better off being married so they can go into married quarters. So that's three weddings for me to attend in the weeks following my due date, Thanks a lot everyone!!! LOL

eM X

The sun is out and I am fat!!! LOL

Yes, I'm massive, I'm sure I'm bigger this time than I was with Sam. Struggling to do much at the moment and still only 28 weeks, could only be 10 to go judging on the fact Sam came at 38. Sam's new bedroom is nearly ready and I can't wait to move him into it, I don't want him to feel like he's being pushed out so I want him in there well before bubs arrives. He's a proper little walking man now, and into everything, especially doors for some reason. We noticed this whilst on holiday in Butlins back in March, when we took him to the soft play, he would go straight to the play house and stand there for ages just opening and closing the door, much to the annoyance of all the other children! That's not so much a problem those things are built for children and they cannot really hurt themselves but proper grown up house doors can hurt, as Sam has found out a lot recently. The thing is as soon as we open a door he races to it and he's really quite fast now, so your lucky if you get there first. He also got a thick lip the other day when he fell on his toy box, he's very clumsy at the moment. He's still loving nursery but he may not be going for much longer as it looks like I may have to pack in work after this baby is born for financial reasons. I can get pretty much the same amount of money for being at home and not spend £260 a month on child care, it's just such a hard decision to make, because I'm so scared of loosing my identity. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get there in the end.

I finish work 7 weeks today, and I'm ready for it, like I say I feel so big and heavy, just getting up in the morning is hard let alone getting to work. Chris is fine, work's not going great for him but hey when is it!!! He's looking forward to baby arriving but I think he's under some strange illusion that it won't change our lives much, I'm fully aware it will this time! Sam's a perfect little sleeper and has been since he was six weeks old but I'm aware this one could be a nightmare, I feel it's probably better to think negative and hopefully be pleasantly surprised.

Anyway, I'll try to get on a few more times before I go on mat leave

Em x

Sammy 

Emma and Sam 

So sorry it's been such a long time!!

Well, I see Sam was 5 months last time I blogged! Well time does fly cos he'll be one next week! It's gone too quick, oh and I must tell you before I forget (Like I could) I've gone and got myself pregnant again, I'm currently 19 weeks and I'll be due August 7th 2006. Sort of hard to believe I'm putting myself through it all again so soon, but I'm excited when I get chance to think about it all! I've had all the sickness etc, and I'm now over that, which is great, now I'm nearly half way there and already feeling like a elephant, I've just got to work myself up to the labour, fingers crossed it'll be a positive experience like last time.

Sam's keeping me very busy, he started crawling in the week before christmas, which made the presents less interesting to him, it took 9 hours to open all of his presents and then another four hours on boxing day at my mum's to open all the ones from my family! He's not a present opening child, and not overly interested in wrapping paper! Strange child. He's recently started to cruise around the furniture, but prefers crawling to anything cos it gets him places much quicker.

We're going away for a few days next week. Having a proper english family holiday at Butlins in Skeggy, I just want to have a holiday before I get too big, it's not cost much either, £109 for 4 nights and that dinner, bed and breakfast so we only have to find our lunch!

I reckon I'm going to have another boy! I'm really quite pleased about that though, cos we have so many lovely clothes that Sam only wore once it'd be nice to get them all out again, also I think it'll be lovely when they're a little older, having permanent play mates! This baby is a lot less active than Sam was, it doesn't beat me up quite so much, hope that's not a sign of something bad.

Anyway must get off, I'll try to blog more regularly, I promise

Take care

Luv Em x

Sorry it's been a while

Well life as a mummy has taken it's toll on me completely. Sam is now 5 months and one week old and I feel like I've had the best and worst few months of my life. 6 weeks after Sam was born I suffered badly with post natal depression. I can honestly say those couple of months were the worst I have ever experienced. I could hardly look at my little boy. I felt like I didn't love him it was horrid. Looking back I now believe I never properly bonded with him from birth, I was no focused on being Supermummy. I remember when he was born I didn't cry, which I thought was wierd. I don't hink I had that immediate rush of love for him. I managed to pull my self out of the black hole I was in, the health visitors were rubbish, as they were more bothered about whether I was going to harm Sam, they were checking on me daily, when I needed something like counselling or a support group that wasn't offered.

When Sam was ten weeks old I had a meeting with work, I felt I needed some adult conversation and to feel needed by someone other than Sam. I came back to work one day a week when Sam was 12 weeks old, and I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did. I'm due to start two and a half days a week at the end of september. I now enjoy the time I spend with Sam but also look forward to going to work. Sam is a much happier contented little man cos his mummy is calm and relaxed.

My house may not be immaculate and dinner may not be on the table when chris gets home from work every night, but what does all that matter when we are finally the happy family we always wanted to be.

I hope to write again soon, especially when i'm at work a bit more

Em x

I'm a mummy

Well, my little one didn't want to wait, and arrived two weeks early on the 26th March.

Samuel Christopher Smith was born at 04.58am weighing 7lb 11oz, and boy is he a handfull!!! I don't think 9 months is long enough to prepare yourself for having a baby.

The labour itself wasn't too bad, I was in labour for about 24 hours but only in hospital in established labour for 6.5 hours, I was pushing for 1 hour 15 minutes. I would go through it all again, it's the most amazing experience ever. Sam has dark hair and he's the spitting image of his daddy, who is extremely taken with him.

He's a right screamer, but luckily mainly during the day. Nights aren't too bad, sometimes he sleeps for 6 hours at a time.

Anyway, i'll tell you more when I have time, just thought I'd let everyone know!!!

Daytime Telly is soooooooo boring!!!

Hi everyone, well the title says it all really. I'm still pregnant, although I nearly had the baby a couple of weeks ago. The hospital stopped the contractions and I've practically been housebound since then. I know it's for mine and the baby's own good, but I'm so bored now. The nesting has kicked in but physically I'm pretty much unable to do anything, the baby's head is now so low down, walking further than a few hundred yards at a time is quite painful. I did manage to hover the baby's room yesterday after we had the new carpet put down, so that was quite an achievement. I had a midwife appointment on Thursday and I'm measuring 39 weeks when I'm 36 weeks, so baby could make an early appearance!!! At present I'm analysing every twinge etc, it's a little frustrating, I just want my physical energy back and soon!!! Chris is getting impatient also, he couldn't understand why they had to stop my contractions, I had to explain that at 34 weeks although the baby would survive and probably wouldn't need any help breathing, it would still be premature and that would not be the best start in life for our little one. Anyway we have since been told that the baby is large for it's age so if the contractions start again they will not stop them again so we'll have to wait and see.

I'll blog as soon as I get chance or feel up to it after baby Grace / Samuel has arrived but you may have top bear with me for a bit.