New toy

Last Christmas John got me an IPOD Nano which I love and use all the time in the car. For a while I've wanted a speaker set for my Nano so that I can listen to my music whilst in the house. Finally I got round to ordering one from Amazon after lots of research looking at reviews etc. It arrived last week and is just fantastic, the sound quality is amazing and it's quite small. It also charges my Nano and connects to my PC so updates my Nano with my new songs etc. Needless to say it has been on non stop and will get so much use :) Here it is:

Smiling

Finally caught Flynn smiling on camera and here he is:

Not the best photos but I have plenty of time to get more!

Ethan and Flynn

Here are some photos of Ethan and Flynn that Katy took for me at the weekend. I wanted some really nice photos of them both so Katy came with her DSLR and snapped away. I'm going to use a couple to give family at Christmas and to put on the walls at home. Here are a couple of my favourites:

Thank you Katy.

Conservatory

Here are a couple of photos of the conservatory with the outside finished. Not sure if you can see it from the photos but the left side has a higher brick wall with small windows along the top.

The plasterer came yesterday to plaster the conservatory and it's looking great. It just needs to dry out then John can start work. The list of things to do is: painting, skirting, window sills, lay flooring, fit light, fit window between kitchen and conservatory and move in the furniture :) There sounds a lot but it won't take long as it's all new and straight walls etc and will be done for Christmas.

It's going to be such a great space to have especially for the children to play in. I'm going to have a small unit in there for them to have a few of their toys in. Also in there will be a sofa and the dining room table.

Will post some more photos soon.

Busy week

It's been such a busy week this week and I'm so tired. I've been out and about every day so haven't been able to sleep when Flynn sleeps to catch up on sleep. I have also been having a lot of trouble feeding Flynn. After a couple of visits to the doctors and an urgent referral to the hospital to see a consultant I have now been prescribed something. Fingers crossed that it works.

I now have my new desk up in the backroom and the main computer back. It's great to now have my own space which will very soon house all my scrapping stuff. I went to Ikea this week to get one of the shelf's we're thinking of having above the desk to try out and it's great. Whilst I was there I had a look at some other bits I'd like and also got a few things that I can store my scrapping stuff in.

Here are a couple of photos of Ethan and Flynn taken at the weekend. Although you can't see it in the photo of Ethan he has a bad cut just in his hair line. He did it at the weekend when he fell and it needed gluing, he is fine now.

Full of cold!

Flynn was 4 weeks old yesterday and has been really suffering with a cold. He has had it for about 2 weeks now and it has gotten worse the last week. I just hope it clears soon, he's so young and there is nothing he can have. John was ill last week with a cold too that he probably

caught from Flynn and then I've had it this week too - only Ethan has escaped it!

Here are a few photos of Flynn asleep (so cute):

Time is really flying by and it'll soon be Christmas, which I'm really looking forward to. Thankfully I did a lot of my Christmas shopping before Flynn arrived and I'm going to go shopping next week and finish it off.

I can now drive again after checking that it would be OK. It is great to be out and about again and I'm looking forward to visiting friends and getting shopping etc done. I went out yesterday and have been out again this morning and it's nice to get out of the house.

Ethan's second tooth fell out on Monday and he was so excited. He came out of school with it in an envelope as it fell out at lunch time. He couldn't wait to put it in his tooth holder ready for the tooth fairy who visited that night. He is already feeling his other teeth to see if there are any wobbly ones!

3 weeks old

The conservatory is up and looks great, so much bigger now all the glass etc is in. Once I've took a photo, I'll upload it. We're just got the inside to finish ready for Christmas :)

Flynn is 3 weeks old now and I can't believe how quick its gone. John went back to work this week so I have been on my own. Its not been too bad and I've managed to get Ethan to school on time everyday so far.

Flynn has been a little unsettled as he has a cold which has got worse the last day, I just hope it clears soon.

I had a couple of little "photo shoots" last week. I wanted to get a nice photo of Flynn for the birth announcement/than you cards and also a nice photo of Ethan and Flynn. Here are some of my favourites:



I love these 2 photos and I used the second one for the cards.



I love this one of Flynn yawning, so cute.




This is Ethan and Flynn, I just love the way they are looking at each other.

Conservatory

The conservatory frame, glass etc has been delivered and is being put in this weekend. It's really exciting to see it all come together now after all John's hard work. Once it's up John will then have a good weekends work to finish off the inside - plaster boarding (then get the plasterer in), skirting, window sills, electric sockets, lighting, radiator, painting and flooring. It will all be done in time for Christmas so we won't be short on space to put all the toys etc that Ethan and Flynn will no doubt get! Here is a photo of the brick work part done (there was another row of bricks all round and the wall on the left being built right up).

I'll upload a photo of the conservatory with all the glass etc tomorrow. I'll also upload some photos of the before and after of the backroom now that's finished.

Halloween

Halloween celebrations started last Sunday for Ethan. Friends of ours always have a Halloween party and this year was no different. As Flynn was only 4 days old we didn't all go for the whole party. john dropped Ethan off and then we all went to pick him up 15 minutes early so friends could meet Flynn. Ethan had lots of fun at the party and especially enjoyed apple bobbing and the pinata.

On Halloween night Ethan helped John carve the pumpkin which looked great. He also enjoyed giving sweets out to children that came to our door, some were friends from school. Later on me and Ethan went out with friends for a short while so Ethan could trick or treat. Of course he had lots of fun and got some treats - not too many, we came back before we got over run with chocolate and sweets.



Flynn also took part in his little first Halloween baby grow that me and Ethan had bought last month. I didn't want to get an outfit with all the frills etc on as he was only a week old but Ethan really wanted to get something and this was very cute :D

Some photos

Finally I have been able to upload some photos. Blogger wouldn't upload yesterday and I've been doing these on and off all day in between feeding, changing etc.


Flynn about 2 hours old, back on the ward and dressed.


Ethan with Flynn, holding him for the first time.

The 4 of us, not all looking the right way and not a great photo of me but our first family photo!

Flynn asleep in hospital.

This photo of Flynn has the 4 little animal teddy bears Ethan got him.

A couple of cute photos of Flynn - I love how he's holding his hands in the first photo.


Flynn in his car seat ready to go home from hospital

Love these photos of Flynn, he just looks so peaceful.

Taken this morning, one of my favourite photos.

It's a Boy

Flynn Lucas was born on Wednesday 24th October 2007 at 10:24am weighing a lovely 8lb 3oz.

Will be back with photos and details soon.

Tomorrow's the day!

Well tomorrow's the day that baby number 2 arrives. After 3 years of trying and 39 plus weeks of pregnancy the day is almost here. I'm really excited and can't wait to meet baby and find out if it's a boy or girl. I was feeling a little nervous about it all after my pre-op appointment last Friday where I signed everything and they went over all the risks of the operation! I'm sure once tomorrow morning arrives I will be feeling very nervous again but for now it's more excitement.

I've had a lovely few days with Ethan just chilling out, meeting friends and eating out. Yesterday we went to Wollaton park with one of Ethan's school friends and he took his electric scooter with him. He had such fun on it and it was great for going up all the hills, it even kept it's charge the whole time. Today we have been for lunch at TGI Fridays and had a fab meal as we always do there. Ethan ate so much food including starter, main course and dessert! He did complain of a tummy ache after but it didn't last long.

The backroom is still not finished but it will be by the time I'm out of hospital. My dad has very kindly been round today painting and is coming back tomorrow to finish off. Then on Friday the fireplace and granite (which is what has held things up as we couldn't get it cut in time) is being fitted along with the carpet.

Hopefully I'll be out of hospital on Friday and back on here with some photos :D

House renovation!

Well things are progressing with the conservatory and backroom. The conservatory glass is ordered and we are hoping it will be fitted around the 10th/11th November. This should work out great as John will still be off from the babies birth plus it's a weekend I think. It saves me having to make all the tea, coffee etc.

Here is the conservatory brick work nearly done - will take a photo of it done and post soon.

The backroom is really coming on now and things are ready for the plasterer tomorrow. Yesterday John and his brother put in the new sliding doors which look great but took all day to sort as bricks needed to be removed and then some patching up. Today my Dad has come round to help too as the doors needed finishing, some boxing in doing and electrics sorting for the conservatory - this needs doing before the carpet goes down! I'm still trying to get hold of the carpet fitter as we need him to come next Monday so we can then put the furniture in on that Monday and Tuesday ready for the baby arriving on Wednesday.

Here are a few before and during photos of the back room, the top two show the door and window being replaced with sliding doors which will lead into the conservatory. The bottom two show the fireplace before and after it was widened and before and after with the built in cupboard.

We still need to go to Ikea to sort some of the furniture for the backroom. We had planned to go yesterday but as John didn't finish doing the doors till late we wouldn't have had enough time. Hopefully we can get there one night in the week so that everything is ready. Well almost everything - John is having a fully working cast iron stove in the backroom and we have the surround sorted but not the hearth and it sounds like it has to be in sections because of the heat. John is going to have to some how sort this out before next Monday as it needs to be in for when the carpet fitter comes!

Next weekend will be spent doing skirting, coving, painting, sanding and last minute fixings etc. This week I need to sort a curtain pole out along with curtains but we could use the old ones if I don't find any as they are fairly new and really nice ones, just not really the right colour.

I've got lots of shopping and appointments next week before Ethan breaks up for half term on Thursday. He has an inset day Friday so I get to spend an extra day with him although it will start with a trip to the hospital for my pre-op appointment. I want to make sure that all the shopping etc is done before Ethan breaks up so I can spend those last days with him and meeting with his friends, don't think he would appreciate going shopping for a nursing bra LOL

Maternity leave

I am now on maternity leave and I'm not sure where the time is going. Its already been over 3 weeks and I have just been so busy with one thing or another. I have felt a lot more tired recently and after a telephone call from the doctor at the end of last week I now know why - I'm anaemic! I really hate taking iron tablets and they just don't agree with me but it has to be done.
I have been doing quite a lot of baking the last week and have been trying out various loaf cakes from Nigella Lawson's the Domestic Goddess. I love this book and how it is laid out and a lot of the recipes are really quite simple with out too many fancy ingredients. So far the lemon drizzle cake has been the most popular with the chocolate one coming a close second.

Ethan lost his first tooth a few days after his birthday and was so excited after it had been wobbly for ages. He put it in his little tooth box and left it for the tooth fairy, who surprise, surprise left him some money :) The tooth next to that is is wobbly but think it will be a little while before that's out.

The conservatory is coming on and all the brick work is done now. We have ordered all the glass so once that has arrived we can arrange for the fitted to come and do it. In the mean time John is starting work on the back room and that should be done just in time for the baby arriving. That will give us more room to spread baby things and Ethan's toys around! Plus I can have a little scrapping area too :)

Ethan's 6th Birthday

Ethan had his 6th birthday last week and not sure where those last 6 years have gone. He had a great day and got lots of lovely presents, cards and money. He had thought he was going to buy an electric scooter with his birthday money but John's Mum and Dad got him one after asking us what Ethan wanted for his birthday. He loves the scooter and I have to say it's great, more than fast enough and a bargain at £25.99!



Out of some of his birthday money Ethan got a watch that projects the time. His friend has one and he loved it so treated himself to one. At the moment it goes everywhere and keeps telling us what the time is! The rest of his money has gone into his bank account - he must have more savings than us LOL

We went out for a meal when John got home and took one of Ethan's friends with us. He had wanted to take another friend too but because of where we were going he couldn't come (food allergy). We had a lovely carvery meal which is one of Ethan's favourites and Ethan and his friend had a ice cream sundae after.



He had his party on Saturday before and loved every minute of it. I was totally shattered after having catered for and supervised around 40 children!!! It did go well though considering how many were there and I had some great help from a few close friends and John.

Where did the summer holidays go?

I can't believe Ethan is back at school already, it doesn't seem five minutes since the end of term in July. It's been a great summer catching up with friends and not having to rush around in the mornings.

Last week we went away for a few days to my Mum and Dad's caravan. It was a lovely break and we had such nice weather, it was great to get away and relax. Ethan had a fab time and loved being on the beach, he had so much fun. Here are a few photos including one of me and Ethan :)

This week Ethan has been back at school, he is now year 1 and in a new class. Although he was very unsure about his new class he seems to have settled in and is enjoying seeing his friends again.

It's his 6th birthday in a few weeks and all holidays he has been excited about giving out his invitations. We did this yesterday and he couldn't wait to go to school and give them out. He is having quite a big party as we are hiring a function room so have said he can have who he wants - not sure this was a good idea but as long as he has a good time then that's all that matters!

I'm now 32 weeks pregnant and probably have 7 weeks left till I have my C-section so time is really flying by. I have been off work the last two weeks and go back next week for my last week. It's going to be strange finishing work but in some ways I'm looking forward to it and have some major sorting out to do in the babies room so that should keep me busy for a few weeks. I hadn't planned on taking so much time off before the baby arrives but as I've got 5 weeks holiday left to use that I can't carry over so I thought this would be the best time so that's what I've done.

Things are really progressing with the conservatory but I'll leave that for another post and include some before photos and where we're at now.