Morning Jules,

Was just wondering how you got on when you visited your Mum this week, and also how your daughter got on at hospital?  I do hope things are not too stressful for you and that you can try and have a relaxing weekend.

I'm waiting for my eldest to come home, he has spent somewhat of Freshers sleeping on fellow pupils floors after social events - latest was a toga party last night!  I'm off to my counsellor this morning, had originally been thinking I wouldn't need to see her for too much longer but have been so emotional this week so will talk things over with her.

The weather is forecast to be nice this weekend but is looking a bit gloomy at present.  Here's hoping it brightens up and the sun shines on us all.  Take care  Hope x

Hi Hope

Hope you visit to the counsellor was helpful and its good for you to be able to talk things through and this should last as long as you need it.

I have just returned from visiting Mum and she was ok though I am sure a little concerned at how long she will be able to stay where she.  She has amazed the staff at how forthright she was when social worker 'interviewed' her and they are left in no doubt as to what she wants. All the care staff came to see me whilst I was visiting to make sure I was okay too - very sweet.  I stayed until she was due to go into lunch and we even managed a bit of a laugh when I showed her latest photos of her great grandson.  He has really enjoyed his first week in Reception and keeps telling his mum that his teacher is the most beautiful one in the school!!

Hubby and I picked him up from school on Friday as my daughter had to return to hospital for a second day of tests and monitoring.  Specialist blood tests with regard to her liver function have been sent off and unless she hears otherwise she returns to clinic next Friday.  The last set of bloods were borderline but all readings for the baby were good.  If the new blood tests show certain 'rises' she may have to be taken in and possibly induced (she is now 37 weeks and would probably welcome is being over and done with!!).  Anyway so far so good.  I have an overnight bag ready and waiting and she has several friends on standby to get her to the hospital if her hubby is at work.  Mind you she is still driving herself at present!!

When we met our grandson at school (its only 10mins to his home) he told Grandad that he could meet us there as it was healthier to walk!!!  My hubby's face was a picture as he drove off and I walked the little tyke home!!

Life's stresses seem to come and go but having the forum to offload certainly helped me to see things in perspective this week though I think my mood swings are more due to hormones than current circumstances.

Sounds like your eldest having a great time during Freshers but will no doubt be looking forward to some home cooking.  Have a great weekend with the family and will catch up again soon.  All the best and look after yourself. Jules xx

Hi Brian, Jules and Everyone

Brian - sorry to hear about your father and of course age does come into it but with all your father has been through lately Brian hopefully this will prove to be a walk in the park for him.

Jules - hope you are still enjoying your time off with your new little grandson.  Your daughter needs to take things easy.  I had a similar birth with my second and it did take me some time to get back to some sort of normality.  Sometimes I felt as if I was on autopilot because my iron levels had dropped so much but I got there in the end thanks to my mum being there to help out just like you are doing.

I have been thinking about you all after hearing about the storms which affected parts of England and I hope you are got through it.  It is very cold here this morning and someone joked that the snow could be on its way.  I hope not.

Still no further word on the work front but I do recall the same thing happening this time last year and we survived for another year let's hope that is the case.

Take care and chat soon

Mickied

Afternoon friends

Sorry this has to be a response to you all at once but as you have probably realised am a bit of a busy bee at present.  Seems like the last couple of days has been a whirlwind and thats not just with the weather!!  We were out for a meal at our sons on Sunday evening and had a lovely few hours with them (son cooked the main and his girlfriend the dessert - all beautiful).  Our son then told us the good news that he has got a new job, still within the University campus but more business/marketing based which incorporates his degree better.  He is very happy as it will be back to mon to fri instead of the shift work he is on now and there is a better chance of advancement in his field.

Spent all day yesterday at my daughters. She had midwife check up at clinic in the morning. Went well and they have signed her and the baby off.  Baby has regained and then passed his birth weight, now a very healthy 9lb ish at 2 weeks.  Daughter is healing well and just has to take things a little slower than she would like (somewhat frustrated with this!!) and remain on iron supplements for up to 3 months.   She also had first health visitor appointment in the afternoon and this is being repeated in another 2 weeks to check on her emotionally (had a few babyblue days with her first and so they keeping an eye bearing in mind what she has been through).  She is otherwise coping very well and our eldest grandson still continues to help (in exchange I was invited to play cars in his bedroom as a guest) and we have been colouring his worksheets whilst baby sleeps and his Mum had a rest hour.

The storm bought a few branches and one tree down in the immediate vicinity but think we got off quite lightly having seen other areas of North London.  Our front garden looked a mess but was mainly dustbins being overturned and rubbish needed to be cleared up (10mins before dustmen came!!) - the lid now appears to have gone for good (typical as we only bought new bin a couple of weeks back, hey ho!!).  Hope everyone else did okay and Mickied hope that mention of snow is a long way off!!  Today is lovely here, chilly but sunny.

Brian, hope your Dad does okay with  his hip replacement - what a guy!!  Nervous time for the family awaiting news and will be thinking of you all.  Also hope y our results are good (am sure they will be).

Hope, trust you doing okay and enjoying the work break.

Catharine, hope Elizabeth responds to the second round of antibiotics - earache is so painful. Pleased to read that your Dad is managing okay and hope you enjoy your next stay with him.  Take care yourself.

Lastly but probably (for me) most important we visited the  Consultant for my hubby's check up this morning and GREAT NEWS, he is still stable and does  not need to change his medication and also unless he feels there is a change in his condition does not have to go back to see her until end of Jan.  In the meantime they are arranging physio/aromatherapy treatments as he has some stiffness in his shoulder and they do not think it is related to his cancer (scan shows no spread since his holding chemo treatment) so he has agreed to go and have the physio to see if this helps his muscles rotational ability!!   Worth a try.  We actually both came out smiling.

Well my forum buddies thank you so much for your kinds words and support and hope to be chatting again in the near future.  Tomorrow I am Christmas shopping (hopefully to a finish) and on Thursday I am taking my daughter( and baby) out to lunch locally as our son is taking elder grandson for a day out as he has been so good he has certainly earned it and is very excited).  With a bit of luck I will have Friday free as I have everyone coming to me Saturday for Dinner and would like to wet the baby's head in style.

Take care everyone.  Jules xx

Jules,

Wow! You are a busy bee! So glad to hear that your daughter and baby have been signed off! And what great news for your son, on the job front.

The news about your husband is absolutely fantastic! I'm so thrilled and no wonder you both came out smiling!

Enjoy all the lovely things you've got planned over the next few days.

Big hugs to you and your family, Jo xxx

Hi Jo

Thanks so much. Must say I have been kept busy but so much more appreciated than if I was at work so does not seem like its a chore if that makes sense!!

Hope you and the family are all doing okay and you are still getting plenty of rest. Take care and have a good week/weekend ahead.  Best wishes Jules xx

Hi Jules,

Glad to hear your keeping busy. Thank for the words about my dad but i have just got an e-mail from my sister in Canada to say dads operation has been cancelled indefinitely as when they did the pre op they found has has heart problems and a bladder infection. He is apparently quite upset as he was looking forward to getting rid of the pain he's been experiencing.

That's great news about your son's new job. Please take care, Brian.

Oh  Brian

So sad to read the news about your Dad, after all he has been through this year I expect he must be devastated to have the op postponed.  Will keep everything crossed that having found these problems they can treat them and get him as fit as possible.  Sending peaceful thoughts to you and the family during this difficult time.  Jules x

Hi Jules,

Fantastic news about hubby, that must be the best Christmas present he could wish for, so you may have a problem shopping for him tomorrow!  Also good news about your son's job as well as your new grandson doing well and of course your daughter - a good October eh!  Hope you enjoy wetting the baby's head on Saturday.  Speak soon  Hope x

Morning Hope

Thanks for your reply and though hubby still keeps feelings close to his chest afterthe hospital appointment and visiting our daughter briefly he tucked into a large plate of egg and bacon so that 'said it all'.  As to Christmas shopping for him no problem as he will never buy himself clothes so his gift is always something new to wear - boring but appreciated!!  With such a small number of people to buy for I have it relatively easy which is why I like to get it done early (hate going round the shops after I have been working in one for nearly six hours).   For years as a family we have fixed a small budget for the adults (£10-15) as this makes it easy for everyone to cope with the expense and the grandchildren have money put in the bank plus a few little presents to enjoy on the day (usually spending more time making things with the boxes so always include drawing stuff!!). This year its my sister in law's turn to host so I get out of the cooking but we all muck in and it tends to be pretty traditional get-together with carols on the CD player and if the weather holds a long walk (2 dogs this year though we always went out anyway) as she lives in the country.   Once the little ones are in bed we get the board games out and generally play till the early hours (with a newish baby this year we may crawl under the covers a bit earlier) but most of us are staying from Christmas Eve through till 27th so valuable family time.  Strange this is so different to how it used to be when I was growing up. As soon as I was old enough to be left (mid-teens) my parents used to go away for Christmas (Mum never enjoys the festivities never having been a social person) to escape!!!  Luckily I married into a much more 'normal' family and when my in-laws were alive Christmas was  a revelation and think thats why the traditions have been continued ever since (over 30yrs since I lost my father in law and 20yrs for mother in law but still remember feeling part of their family. They always referred to me as the extra daughter they were lucky to have(made me so welcome from the first day I was introduce. My hubby introduced me to them on a night out saying .I would like to introduce you to my best friends, my Mum and Dad.  The rest as they say is history.

Well I had best think about  tidying up and getting breakfast for hubby before setting out - at least the sun is shining today.  Hope you did not suffer too much during the storm.  Enjoy the rest of your week off and have a peaceful weekend.  Take care Jules xx

Hi Jules

Sorry to intrude in your reply to Hope.  Typical men always keeping their feelings to themselves.  My father-in-law was exactly the same and anytime you asked if he was OK he would say I'm OK love even though you knew yourself he was in pain but wouldn't admit it.  I think it was a fear of being taken into hospital again.

I agree with your budgets for family at Christmas.  I think we have to draw the line somewhere.  I love your idea of the board games once the kids are all in bed.  I remember when we were younger my mum's brother used to call every Christmas Eve around 10.00pm to have a few pints with my father and his daughter would have a rummage through what Santa was leaving us.  The things you remember.

I like the traditional Christmas get-togethers.  My mother-in-law isn't one for these and never was never described as being a social person.  We go over to her house on Boxing Day.  She tells us to be there at a certain time and nothing gets done for another hour or so.   She isn't one to rush things.  We go to my mum's on Christmas Day and she usually has the dinner partly prepared from the night before.  Me and my husband buy the dinner and this has been the done thing since we got married over 15 years ago.

I hope you weren't affected too much with the storms.  It was a bit blowy here but nothing else.  Apparently Friday here isn't going to be too cold.

Glad to hear daughter and baby are signed off now by midwife.  It is such a relief to hear that there is no need for me to call out to see you.  I remember with my first nearly 13 years ago they called out to see me for almost 2 months.  They had told me to arrange for someone to get my Christmas shopping in as I was in no fit state to go about the shops but little did they know I was planning to go out that day to buy a new tree for our new arrival.

Take care Jules and chat soon

Mickied

Hi Brian

Just saw your reply to Jules about your father's operation being cancelled.  The only thing is Brian he will have to put up with having the hip pain much longer but God only knows what complications he may have faced during the operation.  Hopefully they will get the bladder infection sorted soon and he can be referred back for the operation to take place.

Hope the storms didn't affect you either.  Any more bouts of Brianitus and hope Mrs B is keeping well too in this weather.

Take care and chat soon

Mickied

Hi Brian

Just saw your reply to Jules about your father's operation being cancelled.  The only thing is Brian he will have to put up with having the hip pain much longer but God only knows what complications he may have faced during the operation.  Hopefully they will get the bladder infection sorted soon and he can be referred back for the operation to take place.

Hope the storms didn't affect you either.  Any more bouts of Brianitus and hope Mrs B is keeping well too in this weather.

Take care and chat soon

Mickied