Hi Jules,

I'm so glad to hear that your daughter is doing well now, didn't realise things had been so dodgy at the birth.  Yes life is precious and we have to try our best to make the most of every moment.  Thank you for the birthday wishes, I have posted on my site.  Everybody has been very kind to me today and I'm feeling more positive, as well as feeling a lot better from the "bug".  Speak soon.  Hope x

Hi Catharine

Thanks so much for your message and good wishes, really appreciated.  So glad you managed a relaxing birthday and weekend away (probably long overdue and much needed).   Ear infections are a real pain in the ..... and my eldest grandson suffered with them a lot during his first 3 years, so much so he ended up under the hospital to be monitored and was borderline at one point at having grommits fitted but then miraculously seemed to grow out of them and was eventually signed off!!  Now, nearly 2 years on only seems to get a bit of trouble when he has a really bad cold. Hope Elizabeth is feeling better now and am sure got lots of attention from her grandparents.  Just seems so typical that these little problems crop up when you having a break.  Hope too that your Dad is keeping well.

My daughter is slowly regaining her strength and is managing really well.  We visited my Mum on Thursday for about 30mins and managed to get a photo of the four generations (she was not so happy about being snapped!!) and that was first time driving for four weeks and managed well.  Think now its more a case of building her energy levels back and being careful.  Certainly all very frightening at the time but she says she has learnt a great deal more about how precious life is no matter how old you are!  I have been helping out the last couple days (housework and being that extra pair of hands) and the mums up the school have been so supportive - one even dropped in a family sized casserole (along with present for baby and big brother!!).  Big brother very proud and being such a good boy though did not like leaving Mum the other morning (first time she had had tears before school) but once in his classroom with his friends was all smiles and no problems since.  Lots of extra cuddles from Mum and Dad and the grandparents all helping no doubt.

My hubby is, of course, enjoying seeing the new edition and has had cuddles galore (baby very relaxed and already settled into my daughter's routine feeding wise  and apart from a couple of evening yelling sessions has  been just waking for his night feed and going back in his moses basket  till the next feed - long may that last).  Big brother also sleeps through baby crying which has helped enormously.  I have next week off (its half-term and we can help with outings to the park, shops etc.  My son and his girlfriend are also on holiday from work and are taking the eldest nephew out for the day so if all goes to plan I am taking my daughter/baby out for lunch as their treat).

I hate to admit it but I am so enjoying not having to go into work and its going to be very hard when I h ave to go back!!

Well enough of my rambling, have visitors coming this morning and helping out at a kids party this afternoon (that extra pair of hands syndrome again!!).  Hubby is out this evening with his friend as their local pub is having its official opening night (following re-fit and new landlords) so I shall sit down and watch Strictly Come Dancing and enjoy a little peace and quiet.  Have a good weekend and take care of yourself.  Jules xx

Morning Hope,

Was so pleased to read that you are feeling better and that the bug seems to be going at long last. Am sure you appreciated being surrounded by hubby and sons for your birthday and hope you have a relaxing and peaceful weekend and some R&R during half-term week.  Take things easy and get  your strength back and look forward to chatting again soon.

My daughter continuing to make slow an stready progress though still having to take mild painkillers (not surprised) alongside iron tablets and antibiotics.  Has managed first drive and also doing the walk to and from school (not one to sit around)  so I have been doing the housework and keeping her company (lovely to have time to chat too).  Baby so far so good, quite content and feeding well.  They both have appointments at clinic on Monday and then first Health Visitor visit in the afternoon so as its half-term  I am going in to keep the older brother amused.  Am really  enjoying being useful, having someone to talk to and NOT having to go into work for another week.

Have a good weekend.  Best wishes and virtual hugs. Jules x

Good morning Jules,

So pleased to read daughter and baby are doing well and that you are enjoying helping out. You sound like a very proud mother and grandparent.  Glad your husband got the phone call from work and he is also enjoying the new addition to the family. Your daughter is very lucky to have you helping out as it must take a lot of strain off her. I hope you continue to enjoy your well deserved holiday and the children's party today.

Take care, sending best wishes to you and your family, Brian.

Morning Brian

Well I remembered to turn the clocks back but hubby didn't so for once we have had breakfast together.  The children's party was fun (been a good few years since I had been to one for 4/5yr olds!!) and though there were around 25 children the majority were girls so it was not as noisy as I though it might be.  My grandson only actually knew about 4 of them (mainly the birthday girl and her siblings) but initial reluctance to join in (first game) soon disappeared when the second game involved balloons and then balls (they had an entertainer).  There were only a couple of games where they needed adults to help and that was when I stepped 'up to the plate' as my daughter not able to 'run around' yet bless her.  Baby was happy when the loud music played (stayed asleep but a bit cranky when they played pass the parcel as the music kept stopping!!). Our daughter took him for a short walk and then he snoozed until we left. By the time they would have got home he would nearly be due his next feed so it all worked out well.  The last 'dance' of the party was the Hokey Cokey (seemed to go on forever) so after all my excertions I happily walked home (we were only 5mins from our house) and as hubby was out for the evening I adopted a spot of Brianitus and ate a small bag of chocolate to help my energy levels.

We are about to settle down to watch the Indian Grand Prix and I have promised myself a lazy day which will be nicely rounded off with dinner at my Son and girlfriends place.  Her parents are picking us up en route as they are just a few minutes away from us which means my hubby will be able to have a glass of wine with the meal.

Hope you and your wife are having a peaceful weekend and that you are  both feeling better having recovered from the tumble and cold.  Chat again soon. virtual hugs  Jules xx

Good morning Jules,

Pleased to hear the party went well and everyone enjoyed themselves. As regards to the dance, I have to admit that is something I have never been any good at. I'm like an elephant on the dance floor, one with four left feet and no co-ordination whatsoever. The government has stipulated I have to have a big red warning sign stapled to me when I get near a dance floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mrs B went round yesterday putting the clocks back in the afternoon. As a result I was quite surprised when she said it's time for tea!!!!!!  Have virtually recovered from my cold but it has given me very bad tooth ache and the dentist has told me I have an infection under one of my teeth that has a deep filling, I have been given some antibiotics but if they don't work I will have to have the tooth out which will mean I will have to have a new denture made which could cost quite a lot. Just hoping the medication works as cant really afford it with Christmas coming up. Mrs B has almost fully recovered from her fall thank you for asking Jules. I am due a blood test for my psa (re the prostate cancer) next Tuesday and feel confident it will be the same as the last one.

Hope you enjoy the Grand Prix and your meal later on. The weather doesnt look too good for later on so do take care.

Have a pleasant and peaceful weekend, best wishes to you and your family, Brian

Hi Jules,

Glad to hear the children's birthday party was a great success.  I hope you have a lovely week off work, I'm sure you will be kept very busy with your grandsons (may need another holiday to recover afterwards!), hope Zack continues to lift hubby's spirits.

I had a day in London yesterday with hubby and friends, out for a meal and drinks which was very nice.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and fingers crossed the storm which is forecast doesn't affect us too badly!   Hope x

Hi Jules,

Thanks for the lovely message and all the updates, you really do sound like you are loving every minute of being a grandmother again and relishing looking after your daughter as well.  Also sounds like lots of other people re rallying around, which is also so welcome following the birth of a baby - I remember friends coming to visit and making me sandwiches or cups of tea, things liked that just seemed to get forgotten about during the first few weeks!  Fantastic that baby is sleeping and feeding so well, as that will make a huge difference to your daughter's recovery and energy levels. It must be both an exciting and slightly confusing time for your eldest grandson, but I am absolutely certain that all the love and and attention (and all those cuddles) from his family will help him adapt very quickly.  Good that he can sleep through the baby crying at night!!  And am sure he will have a lovely time this week on his half-term, and spending time with his other relatives -I hope your lunch with your daughter and baby Zack goes well!

It is no wonder you are not looking forward to going back to work, this will be a time that is full of special times and memories, it will be a shock to the system to get back to the world of work - even if you enjoy a job, I find it hard to go back after holidays let alone a time as special as that for your family at the moment....!!

How lovely to read about your visit to your Mum - it reminded me of when we first visited my Grandma, the idea of 4 generations of a family (and in our case 4 women!) is very special.  I have a lovely photo of my grandma, my mum (her daughter), me and Elizabeth that I look at regularly.  Lovely that your hubby is taking so much joy from his new grandson, and am sure it is helping him massively to spend time with him.  There is somethign about a new baby that just lifts people's spirits!

Thansk so much for the words of support about Elizabeth - it is such a worry at the moment, I appreciate an ear infection may not sound serious to some, but this latest one is recurring very couple of weeks, and seems to have combined with a chest infection.  She is on her second lot of anti-biotics, which we thought were working, but now her ear is bad again so it's back to the docs for us!  She is so miserable, and also just won't leave my side which is hard as she gets upset every time I leave the room....hopefully we will get sorted soon.  Fortunately work being very understanding.

Thanks also for asking after Dad, who continues to do well - we have a long weekend up with him next weekend, and then a couple of weeks after that he is taking a short break with a small group of close friends which I think will be great for him.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the rest of the weekend and were not too affected by 'The Storm' - we seem to have got off very lightly here, which is strange as I keep hearing on he radio that places very close by have been hit quite badly.  It is  very windy here still but not as bad as expected.

Take care, have a good week and thinking of you,

Catherine x

Hi Jules,

Have just spoken to both my sister and father in Canada. He is going into hospital tomorow for a hip replacement. My sister is quite concerned because of his age. He has been in so much pain, he has not been able to walk at all much recently. So I spoke to him but the phone was bad and kept going so quiet when I spoke both to him and my sister. I guess it could be because of last nights storm. Hope you are still enjoying your time off, take care, Brian.

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