I’m a grown up now, mummy.

Rowan has spent a large proportion of the afternoon saying

‘I’m a grown up now, mummy.’

This was cute to start off with but tedium sets in pretty quickly for me when a 3 year old repeats any sentence 30 times a minute for 3 hours, it’s not just this one.

It got slightly funnier though when she said::

‘I’m a grown up now, mummy so when I get in [we were out shopping] I’m having a Red Bull..’

Obviously - I drink too much Red Bull. She does however think I’m grown up which is a step in an unexpected direction

Weekend stuff…

It’s been a really lovely weekend.

We haven’t really done anything so much except potter about.

I’ve cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom like I usually do on a Sunday… done a coupla bits… bought mother’s day card and pressie… (unknowingly intelligently I have opted to visit my folks on Mothering Sunday, meaning I have to buy a present can take the present with me)… this is a load off my mind as you can tell…  

We took the girls out for shopping yesterday and had lunch in a little cafe where utterly abnormally, they were a joy and a delight to be around. We found a little place with cheap cafe food in a slightly more faux-upmarket decor … if that makes sense..?!

The result though, was a really nice lunch and the girls were an absolute pleasure to be with.

We didn’t do much of anything else yesterday I don’t think…. (not sure why I struggle to remember yesterday…. Surely a sign of over working myself)

We organised some wedding stuff… getting measured for the suits and stuff, I picked my bridesmaids dresses all that kind of stuff..

Typical ‘weekend stuff’ stuff

Then today - we had a pretty lazy day again. We got up late… thanks to the girls playing in their room for a while this morning… we had a late breakfast… and went to the park, fed the ducks… had a run about…

[....Is it just me or does Ella suddenly look like a child and not a baby?! She's enormous ... and... today was our first ever trip out without the pushchair... (actually it's the second but first sounds better!!)]

There has been moments today when they’ve been a little hmmm…. how to put it….? Testing? Rowan is testing the theory of bad moods and possible causes at the moment…. for example … today she was absolutely fine in the park and then was suddenly … foul.

Her explanation?

The sun got in her eyes and that made her grumpy.

But.. hey. I can see it for what it is. She’s just not sure what the rules are for this type of thing. She has no idea what constitutes a good reason for a bad mood. For all I know she listens to my reasons sometimes and thinks I’m an absolute fruitloop!

So… we came back and collapsed unconscious on the sofa for 40minutes whilst the girls went brain dead to Peppa Pig DVD (gotta love it) and then put Ella down for a nap.

Rowan and I made biscuits …

(out of a ready to bake kit from M&S - really recommend it I have to say … the biscuits were really nice and it was dead easy) and we attempted to watch a movie together… we picked Cinderella Twist in Time (Xmas present from Grampty) … 5 minutes after this photo,

she wanted it turned off because it was boring!!

Then she specifically requested this movie (5 points if you can guess it from the still) and paid attention to it for approximately 9 minutes before she wandered off. Not quite time for the cinema yet then.

She is funny.

But one thing for sure….. she is gorgeous.

Er… possibly enough to get us arrested..

On Sunday - my favourite breakfast has to be porridge.

It just ticks all my boxes on a Sunday. Particularly in winter.

It’s warming, filling, comforty, sticky and yummy.

I like porridge sprinkled with sugar. Preferably dark brown sugar like Muscavado.

It melts quickly and creates a really treaty syrup over the top but isn’t overly sweet like caster sugar.

BN likes milk and a bit of sugar on his. I’m not a fan of the milk thing on porridge I have to be honest. I like the stickiness.

Anyway - Sunday morning, we had porridge. The girls had already had breakfast as I’d been up for a while while BN had a lie in.

The thing with porridge is that when it settles in the bowl it starts to crack over the top and the sugar melts and oozes into all the little crackles and creates yummy, sticky, syrupy yumminess all over the top.

‘What’s that?’ Rowan said, standing on tiptoes, peering & peeking over the edge at BN’s porridge.

‘It’s just cracks where the porridge has settled and cooled a bit, that’s all….’

‘Are you going to have all your crack Daddy?’

‘er… yeah…. you can’t really say that, Rowan…’

‘Why not?!’

‘Er…. yeah… Can’t really explain… but you… but just don’t say that in front of anyone else, ok?’

Ooh yer bugger!

This evening was Rowan’s first venture into the world of swearing

We decided against bath time tonight and let them stay up a little later and just got them ready straight for bed after a coupla episodes of Peppa..

Just as she was getting dressed for bed upstairs - she yanked her trousers down and pointed her naked little bum at me - wiggled it, laughing at me.

Don’t point your bum at me! Actually - let me kiss that little bum!!!

…. and I grabbed her and kissed her butt cheek

She gave me the cheekiest little grin and laughed out loud -

Don’t kiss my bum you little bugger!

It was so cute It was so cute how she paused before she said bugger. Almost imperceptibly. But she did pause.

She was so close to not giving it a try and decided that she would… how brave.

My first reaction was to say no and almost tell her off. I wasn’t angry at all but I guess my quick reaction made her nervous and she thought she was in trouble. She teared up - worried and I felt so bad for her.

Bless.

So I gently explained that this was a grown up word. Mummy’s and Daddy’s were allowed to say it sometimes but sometimes there were words that could make other people upset and so she couldn’t say them yet and she had to wait till she was older. She understood that perfectly … I explained she wasn’t in trouble and gave her cuddles….

Where did you hear that word anyway sweetie? Who said it?

You did, mummy…

…

Oh crap

Pizzaaaaaaaah!

So - another recipe day today!

We thought we’d have a stab at Pizza So we bought pizza base mix (we may be enthusiastic chefs but we’re not that enthusiastic )

So - we bought the pizza base mix and some pineapple chunks and ham etc etc and had a little go

It was a good time actually - even if BN is a bit of a control freak and wants the pizzas decorated ‘his’ way … he claims it’s so they cook evenly throughout but we know better hi honey

The sisters worked as a team until the little one got bored and wandered off to watch Peppa Pig… Rowan was super interested in rolling them out and getting them ready for the oven… only weird thing was she didn’t quite want as much ham *on* them as she chopped up in the first place! Typical

Pouring out the mixture for the cheat’s Pizza Base

Add a little water…

Mix well….

Get a little bit of help from your baby sister..

Knead it…

Dough balls…

Roll it flat…

Pretend to roll it flat… although worth mentioning at this point.. that after watching Rowan get taught how to knead dough, we gave Ella a little ball of her own dough to play with and she rolled it exactly as Rowan was taught. Flat palm, push away etc. etc. She had the actions exact. Very impressive.

Copy and paste… BN did one first to show her the concept of pasting the tomato onto the pizza base and then she copied! Copy and paste!

Decoration…

An extra specially BIG piece of ham going on Mummy’s. I was lucky BN was there to guide her as this was nearly the only piece of ham I got. She decided that one was enough!

What do you think?

This was actually really tasty - she did a fine job

Is there a doctor in the house?

Is there a doctor in the house?, originally uploaded by Little Nut Tree.

Rowan being the doctor to me this morning. I mentioned that I had a headache and she whipped off to the playbox to get her Unicef Doctor’s set that she got from her Grampty for Christmas.

Unusually for Rowan she actually asked for a photo and stood and posed (with smile and everything) for 3 goes until she got the picture she was happy with…!

Ella meanwhile …. saw her opportunity and grabbed the stethoscope for some investigating

Rowan - a funny..

BN took Rowan to the shop on Sunday evening to get some drinks and whatever else it was… we’re trying to remember but we really can’t …

She was wearing her new Peppa Pig tights and was in a spritely mood .. cheeky isn’t the word for her sometimes…

So they got to the checkout and two of the girls that work there were both there… Rowan knows them both pretty well as they’ve been there for a while … she talks happily to them whenever we go and goes to playgroup with one of their daughters…

Anyway… they got to the checkout and Rowan was chatting, saying hello and wotnot.

One of the girls, Jade, commented that Rowan looked nice and warm wrapped up in her coat and Rowan said

“Yes I am warm! (boring question… seriously… let’s liven it up here) Have you got socks on?” (Much more interesting question to be honest …. I’m not prepared to wait around here and see what you come up with on your own)

Jade said yes she had and Rowan replied

“Are they green?”

“No - they’re black… Have you got socks on?”

“No - I’ve got tights on!” (Are you a bit slow..? Or are you just an idiot… how could you not know I had tights on?)

Reprimanded Jade said — “Oh right - are your tights green?”

and Rowan just looked at her like she was a moron and said “No.. they’re pink!”

BN said it was like - why are you just copying everything I’m asking!?! Think of your own bloody questions or leave me be!!

Rowan and the Red Umbrella.

BN took the girls to the local playgroup again this morning as usual for a Tuesday.

We have the shockingly shit weather that everyone else seems to have at the moment and there is just rain all day every day.

Boo.

But not for the little Rowanberry

BN took them into town after playgroup today to fetch in a few bits .. and bobs… Rowan was being very good apparently and after leaving Wilkinsons … digressing ever so slightly actually….. are we the only ones with a brand new little mini market in our city? It’s ace! Wilkos are now stocking everything from milk (all varieties unlike snooty Boots), cereal, crackers, drinks, sandwiches etc. etc. I know I sound pathetically impressed but hey…. I don’t get out much …. and actually…. it’s really good when you’re only other options in the city centre are overpriced Marks and Spencers and weirdly cheap and suspect Co-op…

Anyway - they had picked up a few things there and on the way down one of the aisles, Rowan spotted a little unmbrella. BN checked it out and it was v kid friendly, small and red and spotty… and only £1.98!

Who can argue?? Not me … (not that it’s ever me when it comes to cheap accessories of any kind to be fair…) show me a cheaply priced red umbrella any day!

Rowan loved it … and had great fun on a rainy day …

If I’d known you were coming..

I’d have baked a …. frittata?

Rowan and BN did some more cooking today. Rowan’s whole attitude to food and poop seems to have taken an upward turn over the last coupla days and she seems to have developed a bit of an interest again…

We went shopping to the dreaded monopoly of Tesco at the weekend and saw a great deal on a children’s cookery book… £14.99 book of recipes on sale for £5. You can’t complain really.

Well you could. But you’d be daft.

We had a look through in store and found that really most pages had something either fun or something nutritious and easy looking to make on it.

Kids in the Kitchen - Great Buy - Go and Buy it…!

So… today the guys at home had a go at Vegetable Frittatas - if you want to make these boil and cook through, 8oz of potatoes and 4oz of frozen veg (like peas and chopped carrots and sweetcorn kind of thing). Brush a Yorkshire pudding tray with a little oil. Divide some grated cheese and the cooked vegetables in the holes and then fill each with an egg mixture made with 6 eggs, 1/4 pint of milk (salt and pepper to taste).

Place in the centre of the oven and bake at 190C (gas mark 5 or 375F) for ten minutes until the egg is set.

They come out looking like this:

Obligatory arty shot of Frittatas as made by Rowan and BN…

And you get a child this happy to match!

The Royal Mail

On the way to Nursery this morning and we went in a cab the back way round the streets avoiding the main road.

Suddenly Rowan shouted out ‘Look Mummy it’s the Post Office - I saw the red!!!’

Rowan is amazing at product recall. I can’t think if I’ve mentioned before her ability to recognise the symbol for Vauxhall, Sky… there are others…. So..

I realised that she must have seen the sign for the local Post Office.

‘Yes! That was the Post Office - did you see the red sign post?’

‘Yes it was red with yellow letters! I saw it!’

‘Do you think it would be hard to make a red sign post?’

‘Yes mummy. I think it would be really hard … it would take a man a lot of hours to make a red sign-y post.’

So much to catch up on

And yet not much to say. This blog is on my mind so much. I am really letting it slip but it’s not out of preference, only out of tiredness and the fact that work is that busy I literally have no.spare.time.

So.

I have loads to catch you up on. So I thought I would do it in installments.

Rowan.

She has entered the very terrible 3 stage and is pretty much constantly horrible with slight glints of normal personality that really don’t stick around long enough to enjoy them.

It’s generally over stupid stuff. She is still incredibly stubborn. No shock seeing as she is the child of me.. stubborn extreme and BN, stubborn extraordinaire.
She will refuse to walk to you when asked even though she can see it’s getting her into trouble. Refuse to eat tea, refuse to tidy, refuse to go to the toilet, refuse to share toys, play nicely, say please, thank you etc. etc. and the list goes on and on.

She has definitely picked up after the health scare (but is milking it somewhat). She is having a follow up paediatric appointment still but I am now happy to believe it was a virus that knocked her off her feet far more than we realised. Well, I say that.. we didn’t even know she had a virus at the time, but you know what I mean.

She and Ella have had constant coughs, colds and chest, ear and teeth problems for the last 3 months. There has literally been one thing after another since we moved them into the same room. That is somewhat wearing. I feel that I am more knackered now than I have been in a long time. A good couple of week of uninterrupted sleep would be fantastic.

A little glint of happiness …

Rowan is happy, don’t get me wrong. I sound like I’m just bitching about her but she is happy too. She’s funny and cheeky as per usual. Smart and learning so much it’s amazing. Amazing to me anyway. Every day I hear her say something and I’m stunned by how far her vocabulary has come and by how much she picks up. She sees things every day that just add to her knowledge and understanding of the world. I can’t think of a single example now of course but there has been many.

Uncle Rich with 3-4 day old Rowan…

She is growing up so much as well. I know that’s a ridiculous thing to say seeing as she’s only 3, but she is. She is almost 38 months already which has just gone so quickly. I know that you don’t really talk about kids in terms of months at this age but when you say 38 months, you realise how little she still is and how tiny and vulnerable and… well… *new * she still is. I spend so much of my time telling her not to be a baby as she’s 3 now and yet I then see her asleep, looking so tiny and ickle and I’m then totally consumed by how much she is just that. She is just my baby. My little baby that was so skinny she had no arse!! No butt cheeks. Just thigh and then…. back. My little baby that was so tiny BN could hold her in one hand when she was born.

2 day old Rowan…

 

Anyway… she’s changing. The stubborn, headstrong daughter we have shaped and molded and designed is emerging stronger and more headstrong than ever and really… I do have to acknowledge that we have no one to blame but ourselves…

Nature nurture and all that. There are some traits in her personality where you really would have to be very stubborn not to acknowledge they are a carbon copy of us.

So, Ella.

Ella is just such a cutie at the moment (elements of annoying-ness appearing). She is loving and gentle and kisses and cuddles you constantly. She is so tactile, just as Rowan has always been… but weirdly different in a way that I can’t put my finger on. She is loving, Rowan is loving, they are both touchy feely… they are both cheeky and funny… but I don’t know… Ella seems to feel the need to show you affection whereas when Rowan was a baby maybe it was more reciprocated rather than instigated…? I’m not sure but I’ll ponder it.

Ella is really starting to talk. New words are emerging every day. She now not only says head, but ‘ose’ (nose) eyes, hiiii, baaaa (bye) (both in conjunction with waving hand) … juice, shoes, k (OK), bup (pick me up), meeeee ( in answer to questions such as… who wants to get out of the bath first) meeee! … yes… and she is starting to talk to us….

You can ask her if she’s tired/hungry etc.. and she’ll answer yes.

She is addicted to Peppa Pig (as is Rowan) and Dora. They both love Lazy Town and Wonderpets. She instantly recognises the theme tunes and runs in excitedly when she hears them starting.

Telly Addicts…

 

She still has the somewhat aggressive penchant for banging Rowan on the head with her Avent Juice cup… slightly amusing but it’s a bit unfair to laugh as it really does hurt.. I have been got once!

She is running around now. Walking is generally a thing of the past if she can run. She is still hugely big although she has slowed down. She’s wearing 18-24 month clothes and is just about to turn 16 months so she’s still tall but not bizarrely so anymore. She is climbing the stairs and BN and Rowan have painstakingly taught her how to get back down them so she’s pretty much running a mock most days!

I keep finding her ransacking my underwear drawer (rather funny) … come to think of it she does seem to have a love of pants…..

Ella sporting Rowan’s pants!

She is funny and definitely has a quirky little sense of humour… she likes to make you laugh and if she’s not making you laugh, then she’s giving you a cuddle… I imagine this will change in line with the normal progression of children’s personalities as they hit 3, but hey… we’re enjoying it while it lasts!!

I am caught up I think… I have another little conference coming up. I had a fab experience in Debenhams yesterday. We put the girls in nursery for the day so we could take a trip to Nottingham and do some Christmas shopping. We had a great time but I was a bit disappointed to come away with absolutely eff all.

We went everywhere and I tried on quite a few but came away with nowt. Very annoying seeing as the conference is next week and it’s this same, managers blah blah blah in the day, followed by awards, meal and piss up, not necessarily in that order.

Anyway… thought we would try Debenhams in Lincoln when we got back and I was going to settle for the first dress I’d tried a few weeks ago. I went in and picked my size (now a 16 don’t you know)and just as we were selecting it, a girl came up and asked us if we needed any help.

I actually said no in the start.. but she seemed vaguely persistent liek she had nothing else to do… and actually turned out to be a little eccentric delight!

She was called Lyndsey and was a personal shopper. Got my name easily, but couldn’t for the life of her remember BN’s and kept calling him whatever she liked when she’d got it wrong a couple of times… was very funny to hear him being called Jason and Darryl

Anyway… she showed us to her ‘lounge’ and we were given star treatment.. she disappeared whilst I put the dress on we had selected… she whizzed back in with things under and over her arms … she busied about me while BN sat in an armchair … watching and trying not laugh I think..

I thoroughly enjoyed it!! I have come away with a great dress that I don’t think I would have found… a great little jacket to go with it and great new undies to help with everything underneath….! I look lovely and I don’t mind admitting it!!!

I am also going to have a much better time this year and hopefully not get mistaken for pregnant!!!

Girly day out

Had the most wonderful day today.

It’s BN’s birthday a week on Tuesday and I know that things are so busy at the moment that I planned all week to take Rowan out alone with me so that we could get everything for him.

It’s hard this year. I have no idea what to get him… it’s very hard to buy for him … he’s a stunning artist but I remember years ago he told me that he had already got a bit bored of the fact that everyone used that as a reason to give him ‘art related’ presents. Ornaments of paintbrushes in jars, pencils, paper etc. etc.

So.. thankfully being given that hint very early on in the relationship… I have never made that particular error!!

So.. that leaves man things… socks, pants, shampoo, shaving foam… all useful things to fall back on for any man in your life. Especially when you have kids and .. let’s face it… we do need pants and socks! It’s only when you get to this age that you realise the gifts of underwear you were given to hand over to parents from the other parent were probably genuinely appreciated.

I always need pants!! I love buying new pants! I especially love new socks.. because honestly… where on earth do one pair of socks know each other for more than one low temp (eco friendly) spin cycle?

It just doesn’t happen…

Obviously I have already recognised and come to terms with the fact that I am quite clearly ageing. You don’t need to point it out to me….

No really.

So then… we went out. I promised her lunch out. I took her to Starbucks.. she ate half a tuna sandwich and a chocolate marshmallow thing on a stick that she dipped into her hot chocolate (along with the tuna sandwich actually… she has the oddest eating preferences)… The girl dunks everything. It’s not even restricted to her own drink. Not out of choice anyway.

Please don’t photograph me while I dunk my tuna sandwich in my hot choccie! They’ll laugh at me!!!

She was as good as gold for 3 hours or more. When we first got into town she said she needed a wee cos she knows the nearest toilet is in the ELC just inside the shopping centre. We went in but I took half a minute to explain to her outside that she wouldn’t be playing with any toys just now as we were going to go and shop for Daddy’s birthday. I told her that if she was a good girl, then I would let her play in the toy shop on the way home.

If she was especially good… she could pick a toy… ah, the bribery…

It worked though.

She was excellently behaved for the entire time and walked by my side, no tantrums, no moaning, no shenanigans. Excellent.

She didn’t have a wee (shocking…. I was well aware it was a plot to play with toys) but we exited the shop without so much as a murmur.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of murmurs… she seems to be picking up most days. Have had a couple of days where I’m still not convinced but on the whole, she seems to be perking up)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karaoke playing keyboardy thingama-jig

We got back to the house, laden with bags after spending ten minutes in the ELC so she could play with the karaoke and the oven… she was immaculately behaved and I smugged about whilst another parent coped with her yelling toddler.

glee

I obviously can’t tell you exactly what BN’s presents are cos he reads this but suffice to say she obviously knew what we had because she was there when we bought them… We got home wrapped them all … BN walked back into the room and went over to his wrapped gifts… tapped a couple and Rowan said…. “That one’s shampoo!!!”

Also have to mention minibean today. She pointed to her head and said ‘head’!!

Yay!!

Ella could be the next brain surgeon!

I think maybe it’s time I stopped being so busy…

So… yet another busy week and yet another eventful one.

Let’s think. The last time I blogged was … Wednesday.. or Thursday? Can’t think.. but anyway. Major update needed.

Rowan.

We have been pretty concerned about her for about a month now and I really can’t articulate it any further than to say.. we just feel that something isn’t right. She’s become a big sleeper, lethargic, pale.. paler than normal… not eating, lost weight… all little things that don’t mean much alone but when you see them all together and you can see that they are becoming more frequent/pronounced it’s enough to make you worry.

So last weekend was the weekend that really made me think something wasn’t quite right. The day with the Starbucks cup. On the Saturday the day before, she went to sleep for her afternoon nap… that she still has religiously although we don’t know a single other 3 year old that still has one. Not only is she still having one… it’s getting longer.

She had reduced to having about 90 minutes most days … sometimes two hours and then suddenly we were watching it get longer and longer to the point where last Saturday she was asleep for four hours. We woke *her* at 5.10pm and brought her downstairs where she then took a further 30-40 minutes to come round properly. Drifting in and out of sleep.

She barely ate tea and then went back to bed at 7, slept till after 7am Sunday morning and when she woke up on Sunday.. she looked… well, she looked shattered. White with red bags under her eyes.

I noticed it and mentioned it to BN and he said that he thought she was probably fine but agreed she looked pale. We went out shopping that afternoon… late morning ish. We don’t have a car so it’s very usual for her to get plenty of exercise, walking around town and on a weekend, it’s not unusual for us to be out and about for 4-5 hours.

She never usually has a problem with this and has happily walked around without the need for a pushchair for probably… 10-12 months. On Sunday, we walked into town and when we got to the pedestrianised area, I told her she could run ahead. Something she’s normally waiting for.

She ran maybe 10 steps, stopped, put her hands on her knees and said she was tired and she didn’t want to run. On the way home later on in the day, bearing in mind, an hour maybe was spent in Starbucks drinking and eating lunch.. she asked to get in the pushchair and was almost falling asleep.

She’s being sick often ish, maybe once a week and often saying she feels sick although not actually being sick.

At this point, BN agreed that he felt there was something not right and that we ought to get her looked at.

That was it… he’s normally the earthed one and I’m the worrier… so when he says he’s worried.. I go into maternal meltdown!

I booked a doctor’s appointment and took her in to see our GP on Wednesday.

He looked her over and agreed that (knowing her since birth) she didn’t look quite well and that he could see she was pale/ lost weight etc.

While doing a general MOT he noticed a heart murmur. He noticed it a year ago exactly and referred her. I can’t think if I blogged then.. maybe I started just afterwards. He noticed what he thought was a mild systolic murmur and referred her to a paediatrician anyway.

The paediatrician said that he thought there was no murmur at all and that perhaps our GP was a little over zealous basically. At this point her lips were turning blue about once a day (a very dark plum blue after running, in the cold and after bath times) hence our interest in having her examined. We’re not total hypercondriacs you know… there were things that we thought needed attention

He decided that there was nothing to be concerned about. He thought that the blue lips was nothing significant as she has great pulse-ox and that she was slight of build and probably just thin skinned.

SO we went away happy. That was about January.

However, last week… her GP, MOL I’ll call him… said that not only could he definitely hear a murmur but that it was definitely more pronounced that it had been a year ago and that coupled with the symptoms he was seeing, he would like to see her checked out.

So… we’re back here again I thought. So we’ll just wait for an appointment then?

Oh no.. you’re going up now!

So… we then spent 8 hours in the paediatric ward at Lincoln Hospital waiting for her to be assessed by different doctors. 4 different doctors agreed that she has a systolic murmur. One thinks it’s nothing, one ordered an ECG, a chest x-ray and blood tests and the other one thought that the tests were a good idea to put our minds at rest but that basically he thought it was most likely she had a viral infection with no outward symptoms apart from lethargy, weight loss etc and that give it a few more days and she would start to pick up.

All the tests were clear, so that was good. Both of us still feel that although we’re happy there’s nothing wrong with her heart, there is still something that both of us feel uneasy about. She is oddly pale and she has lost weight, she’s inhumanly grumpy (not her usual self), sleeping lots and etc. etc.

We left on Wednesday night and brought them both home in a cab only for Rowan to puke up everywhere in the car on the 5 minute journey. The lady driver was not impressed.

Charged us £50 fine for soiling the car (which incidently I cleaned up and left nothing!) and wouldn’t drive the car (after pulling over) one single further foot until she’s spoken to the office. Meanwhile, poor old Rowan is on the side of the road, covered in vomit and seriously tired and overwhelmed with all the things that had happned that afternoon.

Not the best day.

I am glad to report though, that the last 24 hours, she suddenly seems to have picked up. Is eating shed loads. Sereiously She-he-hed loads and has dropped the lethargic signs and seems to have improved her mood somewhat. Hoping that Doc 3 was right and that she had viral infection that is working it’s way out.

MOL still thinks that they should have done an ultasound to actually look at the valve but says when we go to the paediatric clinic (scheduled for after Christmas) that we should push for that as an extra to satisfy us that everything possible has been checked. He is unhappy that they murmur seems to have become more pronounced as he says that they are normally either present or not. Not worsening, not changeable. Just there. Or not.

So… I will follow his advice I think and get that pushed for.

The only other weird thing she has is slight hypermobility in the joints of her fingers and hips. So.. will just keep an eye on her….

Rowan at the doctor’s surgery… taking a picture of me with a plastic bear in a cup… I had to return the favour… I mean I really had to. She demanded that I take a picture of her taking a picture so she could see what it looked like   

Witchy

I have so much to blog… argh… again!

Right so… Last week was Halloween and Rowan is at Nursery on Wednesdays so we had to get her dressed up for the day. She was absolutely thrilled with the idea needless to say and got on board with the idea very quickly.

The costume preference changed a few times but she eventually settled on a witch and this was the result…

We told her to look…’witchy’

So.. what have we done since then? We had a really good weekend… went out shopping on Saturday and Sunday and on Sunday afternoon we took the girls to Starbucks for lunch…

I had the genius idea of getting Rowan some hot chocolate and when she wanted a mug… I got them to give us an espresso mug and… it was perfect!!

Giant Rowan in spotted in Starbucks!

Rowan with her cool mug …

And… another little milestone in Ella’s life… this weekend she learned how to use a fork. Bless her … she saw us all doing it and wanted to have a go on her own… and I think it took her about 4 or 5 goes till she got it… clever little girl that she is..

Forking Good Muffin!

You know what I love?

I love the way that Rowan holds my face in both hands each night as I bend down to kiss her goodnight. She holds my face, kisses me on the lips and says

‘I love you mummy, night night’

.. and then nuzzles her face into my neck and wraps her tiny arms around my neck and cuddles me deeply.

Every night I look forward to that as I put the girls to bed. And every night she delights me with how loving she is