Tuesday 26 March 2013

Saw my little car today!

As I said before for me like I know many other people driving is a huge issue. I lost my licence 3 times... so now I try not to focus too much on it. But anyway I had the same car, Fido - a blue ford fiesta, from when I learnt to drive, even when I wasn't able to drive we kept it and Rich used it but last year we needed a 5 door car obviously due to the arrival of a little person... so we had to sell it... Fido had to go :( and with 120,000 miles on the clock he probably didn't have long left with the mileage Rich does...

We sold him too a friend locally and I occasionally see Fido zapping around, it still has my stickers in the rear windscreen. It gives me mixed feelings, happy Fido's still on the road, but sad I'll never drive him again.

It's Purple Day!!!!

International Epilepsy Awareness Day is today. Sadly our cake sale on Thursday has to be cancelled as we're both ill but we'll hopefully rearrange it for early next term.

Hopefully today will spread some more awareness of epilepsy to the world :)

Nursery ~ what a nightmare!

Well returning to work is looming, in just over a weeks time I'll be back. I'm now going back to the unit I left until a new unit opens which means I can settle back in where I know I can do the job and have a lot of support. So at least that's sorted.

But nursery is a nightmare, Riley was ill Friday, had a temp of 39.2 so we went off to the doctors as I was very worried she seemed really distressed. The doctor said she had a sore throat so was probably a virus. Well over the weekend she was fine, couldn't believe how quickly babies can go from well to ill to well again!

Well maybe she wasn't so well... after spending an hour in nursery with me there screaming she came home and had diarrhoea yesterday evening so obviously she can't go back for her sessions today and tomorrow.

She was so unsettled and distressed there, it really upset me and now I feel bad as maybe she was feeling rough and that's why she was crying... anyway now her first settling in time on her own won't be until Tuesday and then Wednesday I'm back at work but luckily Rich is off :( so she won't have to do the full day in nursery.

It's all just being drawn out and it was really hard yesterday... wish I didn't have to go back, but I do so I just want to get into a routine and for Riley to be happy and settled, hate seeing her so upset :(

Tuesday 12 March 2013

My 1st Mother's Day :)

Well it was my first Mother's Day being a Mum and I got a beautiful card :) from my amazing little girl, a meal out altogether the day before...



...and roast beef and yorkshire puddings cooked by my own super mum, my favourite :) perfect day

Monday 11 March 2013

Activity of the Week ~ O ball

Ok, this involves buying something... but for a fiver on amazon, it's worth evey penny.  It doesn't look like much and to be honest when I first saw it I wasn't sure how long it would keep Riley amused  But it was a present from a very good friend who is fantastic with kids, at my old job she was so proactive and creative with the challenging teenagers we cared for, that I though there must be more too it...


click for more information:  Rhino Toys

Well I was right, Riley loves it (and I think it might be her Nanny's favourite too - always ends up in the bag when she takes her out).  It is squidgy so you can squash it and it pops back up (also good for squeezing into the last small space in an oevrflowing bag!), you can throw it, roll it bounce it, hide it, chase it, it is perfect for little fingers to grab hold of and if it hits you or anything else it doesn't cause any damage!  It has provided us with hours of fun :)

So maybe give it a go, it's a very simple, practical yet time wasting toy!




Purple Day ~ 26th March

Purple Day ~ 26th March 2013

 Purple day is the International Day for epilepsy awareness...  this year I maybe rattling a tin outside Burgh Heath ASDA or Bantead Waitrose, planning to take Riley along as she loves meeting people and thinking people always seem more open to talk to you when you have a baby so hoepfully I can raise some awareness.

I'm also planning a Mum and Baby cake and cup of tea sale on Thursday 28th March the Baby Group I go to in the afternoon in Sutton.  So if you are a Mum in the area looking for something to do, to have a good natter over a cuppa tea with friendly people and a yummy cake with a purple theme then come along.

It'll be at The Nest 12.45 ~ 14.30, The Scout Hut, Stayton Road, Sutton Surrey SM1 2PS, there are signs from the road but it's ina building tucked behind the main scout hut.

 

First Word ~ how do you define it?

Everyone seems to know their babies first word, but to me it seems to be more of a gradual progression...  Riley is very noisy, she babbles away and really seems like she is trying to tell us something but she's not saying words.  But then again when my Mum was saying down to the dog she seemed to be trying to copy but it wasn't very clear and like wise she will try to copy ta when we give and take things...  she says dada all the time but it doesn't seem pointed at Rich particularly clearly so when is 'first word' defind? Anyway maybe it will become clear but at the moment she seems to be learning new sounds and trying to copy us which to me seems like she's going in the right direction :)

9 Month Development...

I haven't said much about how Riley's progressing recently...

Well she's 9months and growing up so fast!!!  She is eating really well and I think I could stop her mid morning feed completely as she's quite happy eating healthy snacks like babybel, breadsticks etc to tide her over til lunch, but not sure about it as a lot of people seem to be giving a lot more feeds than me, so I think I will maintain our routine a bit longer...

She is still sleeping pretty well, she has her moments when we have to do the odd bit of controlled crying, recently she seems to be feeding more at night, don't know whether that's due to a growth spurt or just for comfort... we will have to see how it goes, but considering trying to cut out the 11pm ish feed so she just has the one feed overnight.

She now seems to be settling for a sleep in the morning, when we're at home, after her mid morning feed I have been putting her into her car seat tucking her in with her blanket and rabbit and I sit in the room and do some work on the computer and she drifts off to sleep on her own :)



Moving around... well she hasn't really mastered the crawling yet...  she sort of squirms around and can wiggle to things near by but she can't seem to crawl!  She will lie on the floor kicking her legs like she's in the swimming pool!  Yesterday she did push her bottom up and her arms and shuffled backwards a bit and then got frustrated and cross but maybe it will happen soon, we will see.  I know that when she is crawling I will wish she would just stay still and be in the same place I left her... but there's always that little nag in the back of my brain that maybe my meds did effect her... I know it's silly as she is so alert and interested in everything and she really babbles away all the time :)

Sunday 10 March 2013

To my wonderful mum ~ Happy Mothers Day

I don't know what I would do without my mum, she does so much for Riley and me. She takes us to appointments and baby groups, rescues us when things go wrong and looks after Riley so I can get a couple of hours to myself.

But aside from all the practical things she does for us, she is my best friend, I love spending time with her.  She is always there to listen, to share the highs and consol the lows and help turn things around.  Rich and her are like a little team supporting me, I feel very lucky.

So today I just want to say I love you and thank you for being my Mum.  I hope I can be as good a Mum to Riley as you are to me :)

Friday 8 March 2013

More Research ~ Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation

Well yesterday I took part in a study to try to predict the effectiveness of epilepsy medication before you start taking it.

I went up to kings college hospital and my wonderful mum looked after riley. they did a simple test called transcranial magnetic brain stimulation which measures brain excitability.

Basically the hold a big plastic thing on your head which stimulates the part of your brain which moves your hand, it makes it twitch and they measure that. A bit weird but totally painless! Don't ask me what how it helps research, went way over my head (hehe) but if it helps I'm happy to help.

For more info here's the website, it does only say they are looking for people changing meds but they also want people with controlled or uncontrolled epilepsy

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/research/take-part/projects-you-can-take-part-in/anti-epileptic-drug-effectiveness

Or contact Adam Pawley on 0207 848 5162 or 07594 527592. Email adam.pawley@kcl.ac.uk

New Driving Laws from Today

UK driving laws change today!

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/news/news/date-uk-driving-licence-law-announced

while this won't change anything for me hopefully it will give lots of people their independence back.

The main changes are:

  • if you only have nocturnal seizures you can apply if you have only had these and no other seizures for 1 year (it used to be 3 years)
  • if you have only ever had seizures that don't effect your conciousness you can reapply a year after diagnosis even if you are still having seizures
  • if you change your medication and have a seizure and then go back to the medication which made you seizure free for a year before you only need to be seizure free for 6months before reapplying.
There are other more complex rules but contact the DVLA for more info on them:

0905 801 7211

Thursday 7 March 2013

Nursery ~ Riley's first taster...

Yesterday was Riley's first taster of nursery... we went to look round the nursery to see what it's all about.  It seems like a really good nursery, the days are much more structured than I imagined them to be.  They have amazing toys and so many activities.  The emphasis seems to be on messy play, I wouldn't send her there in her best clothes, but in my opinion the messier they come home the better time they've had!!! The have a mud pie making area which basically looks like a mud pit with lots of kitchen things and toy kitchen stuff, looks amazing!

While we were looking round Riley was sat on the floor playing with all the toys and smiling at everyone. Well I left her with a couple of the carers for 5minutes while I went to book in some more sessions for her and when I came back she was in tears, I thought she'd be fine me leaving her there but it would seem this nursery business is going to be harder than I first thought.  I'm sure she will settle in and love it but it was aweful seeing how upset she was with me just leaving her for 5minutes...

Anyway we've booked in a few trial days the first with me in the building doing the paperwork and then 3more 2hour times where I leave her on her own!!!  We will see how it goes...

Going back to work is becoming more real and more daunting, I have my second return to work meeting a week today, it's getting a bit close to my starting day and I really just want to get things sorted out and know where I am going.

Monday 4 March 2013

Grandad's Memoirs ~ getting there

My Gandad was a wonderful man, not perfect but who is? Earlier in my blog I wrote about him as he died suddenly 2 weeks before Riley born.  I was very close to my Grandad, I saw him all the time, he used to drive me everywhere, he supported me so much and we had plenty of time to chat.  I feel very lucky to have had such a close relationship with him and losing him so suddenly was hard for us all.

He wrote some memoires which my Mum and Uncle are writing up and getting together and which I have been helping with and this weekend my Mum came round ours and we put together some more of it.  It was nice having Mum here and being able to share some of the memories she has of him.


 I don't know whether you've ever watched 'Evelyn', it's a lovely film, in it Evelyn talks abour Angel Rays...

"These mean that your guardian angel is reminding you that he's waiting to help you. All you have to do is believe in them"

Whenever I see angel rays I always think of my Grandad up there looking down on us.

Pregnancy Research - Trip to London

I don't think I posted about our trip to London last weekend... we went to meet a girl to be part of a piece of research she is doing on the psychological impact of having epilepsy and pregnancy. She is interviewing women who are pregnant or have been in the last 9months, about their experiences. If you're interested in taking part e-mail Stephanie:

S.G.Boardman@2010.hull.ac.uk

Well we made a day of it, we went to watch the changing guards at Buckingham palace, it was freezing cold and snowing and still hundreds of people had turned up to watch so we did the sensible thing of getting yummy hot chocolate and cake in a warm cafe instead.

Then we went to Covent Garden, watched some street art, got a free hug :) (Riley made the girl's day!) and found a Moomin. Many people probably know I am terrified of people dressed up like this so this shows how much I love Moomins :) There was a shop full of Moomin stuff. Riley's first toy in hospital was a Moomin.

www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/shopping/articles/the-moomins-shop-opens-in-the-market-building