Moog's meanderings

Baby boy born 10th April 2009 @ 1255 weighing 6lb11oz

Today I have: accidentally pulled down the end of the curtain rail in the front room, half sorted my desk, cooked and eaten breakfast, made chocolate chip cookies*, made Rosemary Chicken with tomato sauce for later (we’re having my grandad and my brother and sister-in-law over for supper tonight). I still have to finish tidying my desk, make a cake for pudding tonight, make sausage rolls to freeze ready for when I am in hospital to have Pumpkin (they provide gluten free for lunch and supper, but not breakfast as I discovered last time around. I need a substantial breakfast otherwise my Lupus medication makes me feel VERY sick), rest and read the paper.

Hubby has verified that the transformer for one of the kitchen lights was duff (had to go under munchkin’s bedroom floorboards to get it first), been to buy a new one, fitted the new one, fitted a new dimmer switch, mended the curtain rail in the front room, done all my washing up (quite a feat considering the cooking I have been doing), had a long telephone conversation with his sister about his thesis and her dissertation. He’s currently on making modifications to Chapter 6 of his PhD based on the comments I made yesterday after reviewing it. Other things he has to do are go to the allotment and pick veg for tonight and help me with the crossword. And probably some more washing up

Munchkin is not here otherwise very little of the above would be possible! He’s with his grandparents having a holiday while we work on the PhD (and I make sure that Hubby gets breaks and properly fed) and catch up on a few proper nights of sleep.
So far so good…

* This recipe I made up and it worked a treat:
Gluten free choc chip cookies (not the gooey kind):
125g butter
125g caster sugar
1 egg
~1 tsp vanilla essence
150g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
chocolate chips (I forgot to measure but I guess about 30g??)

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg & vanilla essence and beat. Mix flour and baking powder together then add to the bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add and mix in choc chips.  Put teaspoon dollops on a baking sheet (well spaced – they spread!!) and cook on gas 4 for ~ 15 minutes until golden.

We’ve booked our tickets for Greenbelt 2009! Hurrah! Not sure how it’s going to work with a just 2 year old and a 3 month old, but other people manage so I’m sure we will. I can’t wait after missing out for the last 2 years )

..well, I suppose if we really put our mind to it we could get out and about. I have walked up the road to buy eggs. Munchkin, hubby and I walked round the block and threw snowballs. Getting the car in and out of the garage is not easy in the snow (as hubby experienced on Monday evening) so we’ve decided not to bother. The small roads where we live are bad (and not gritted) although the main roads seem to be ok.
It turned out that hubby wasn’t needed for the thing he was supposed to be doing workwise down south for Tues-Thurs so he never went. Given the situation on the roads according to the national travel news bulletins I am very relieved! It’s also been useful as I had a weird Tuesday and Wednesday and needed the help with Munchkin. I spent most of Tuesday in bed aching and feeling sick – all I managed all day was half a ginger biscuit and an apple. Of course, having not eaten anything I spent all of Wednesday feeling absolutely shattered. Today is very much better, but hubby feels shattered and has a nasty headache (and doesn’t look great). He’s gone for a nap.
I’ve been suffering quite badly from heartburn the last week or two. I did have it a bit when I was pregnant with Munchkin, but it started a lot later on and didn’t seem to bother me as much. It means that napping after lunch (well, lying down anyway!) isn’t a great idea because of the reflux so my plan is to watch TV or read instead. Not that I have been napping – more like rushing around the house getting things done, making bread or supper, tidying up or whatever. That’s probably not the best thing to be doing straight after lunch when one’s stomach is somewhat limited on space due to a hyperactive member of the next generation incubating down there.
Hey ho – TV it is! )

Earlier in the week hubby went out to the pub. This is something that doesn’t happen very often. I can’t remember the last time that it happened (well, with the exception of when he’s away working for a few days – obviously then he has to get some food somewhere and it’s usually a pub). I have mentioned before the dad’s group he takes munchkin to once a month which is attached to one of the parent and child groups I go to in the week. He really enjoys it and this week he went out to meet up with some of the other dads he’s got to know at that group. He had a good evening and I was really pleased he is getting to know a few of the guys locally. I mean, it’s all very well for us mums going to groups and meeting different people at different places and getting to know them, but the dads can end up just going to work and never really get to know local people in similar situations. I hope that they get into the habit of doing it on a semi-regular basis – I think it’s good for him!
In other news I have started doing pregnancy yoga again. It’s taken me ages to get around to contacting the teacher and getting a space in a class but I have been to two now and am enjoying and appreciating doing it. I don’t have as much time to think about the little one growing within this time so it’s nice to spend some time preparing, relaxing and spending time with myself and the pending addition to the family.
Today I’ve been to London and back. Not too stressful this time around but it was an earlier start than I am used to. I am looking forward to an easy cop-out of a (take-away) supper – chicken and chips (but must remember not to eat too much even though I am really hungry – the baby is taking up more and more space resulting in a bit of acid indigestion here and there). Yum!

We are all very pleased that everything is now back to normal. Munchkin was very much his usual bouncy, active and mischievous self this morning. He’s been getting better and better since the end of last week but today is a more ‘normal’ kind of day in lots of ways. It’s very reassuring. Of course, he still has a runny nose – but hasn’t everyone at the moment??
Hubby is off somewhere at work and with Munchkin being well and happy we went off together this morning to our usual Monday morning ‘parent and toddler’ group. It was good to catch up with everyone after the Christmas break. I think the group has already been running for two or three weeks but what with the PhD week and the croup we’ve been out of circulation. It was also good to get fresh air and exercise (we have got rid of the older of our two cars to save money so now have to compromise when hubby needs to get to different places for work) as I had no choice but to walk. It was good for Munchkin to get out and socialise and to play with other toys in a different place than our same old things inside the four walls we call home.
Another good thing is that he’s now been napping for coming up to 2 hours – much needed rest for both of us!! I am starting to get a bit of that backache one gets when ‘blossoming’ to the extent of being 6 months or more into pregnancy. I do hope that he keeps on napping well until the next one is born.
In other news – the conservatory is still not quite finished off yet. I am starting to get a bit annoyed that the fitter hasn’t managed to arrange to come back and finish off the last few little bits. We are using the conservatory, but we want to get it decorated so we can ‘move in’ properly and we can’t arrange that until the actual building, etc. is properly finished off. Fingers crossed for it all being sorted by the end of the week so we can book in the decorator.