30-36 Books for your babies !!!!

When i had my daughter prematurely i was told she would probably be behind on learning. I was determined not to let this happen and to give her the best possible start. I had always been an avid reader,and knew how important it is to read to babies.I read to her in her pram from the day i took her home,and she had her own library card from 3 months!(she weighed about 7lbs when i took her in-i did get some funny looks)
I read her about a dozen books every day ! and when she was old enough to crawl if i sat down i was bombarded with books! our home has always been full of books,and she still reads alot.She is now 8,she is not behind -she is above average in literacy,is a walking dictionary at times (she uses insane words!) and school always comment about her expressive reading!
Children learn everything from hearing it.The best thing anyone can do for there child is talk to them about everything (even what shopping you buy) and read to them often,it does`nt matter what ,even reading babies the tv mag-they don`t know the difference. You will reap the rewards when they go to school.I really miss the early years i spent with my daughter,we had so much quality time together.

30-36 Losing A Parent

Mum died when i was 31,and my daughter was 18 months.She had lung disease.We knew eventually she would die from the disease but they could`nt put a time scale on it.I am glad she did`nt suffer to long.She was only diagnosed the year before and was still working untill a few months before her death.She caught an infection about 3 weeks before her death and had to be moved around in a wheel chair.She then caught a second infection which she could`nt fight. I was`nt with her when she died,i was quite glad about that.It took a long while to forget how she sounded when she breathed. She was very chirpy till the second infection,she was a fighter!She was only little though (4ft.10) but a very tough lady,very strong willed and opiniated  a very strong character who ALWAYS spoke her mind. She was fabulous though.Sometimes i find myself standing a certain way or doing something,and i think "oh no i`m turning into my mother!!!"

30-36 Imaginary Friends Are Great Fun!

When my daughter was 2 she started talking to imaginary friends. They were her hands! Her right hand was called Onion and her left was Heddy! She would move them like hand puppets.She would sit at the table and Onion would say "we hate broccoli don`t we" Then Heddy would say "you don`t know till you try" It was funny! Another time my daughter threw herself on the floor and said "mum,onion just pushed me" and i had to say "onion stop pushing". Another time my daughter was pulling herself along by the neck of her jumper-she said "mum,onions pulling my clothes" i said "onion stop pulling her clothes you`ll tear them". I tried to tell Onion off one day,i said if he kept being naughty i would stop him coming to play.He said "you can`t stop me i`m attached to her!" That was quite unnerving! Onion and Heddy stayed around untill she was about 5,then she seemed to have other friends (not attached to her) She would come home from school with achievement stickers or certificates,hide them behind her back and go in her bedroom.You would hear "you guys look what i have" (she was into Hannah Montana by this stage so everything was you guys!) she would whip it out and baske in the praise ,one of her friends would say "wow you`re so clever" she would reply "i know!".
She is 8 now and still talks to herself,i think it is probably healthy.Worries me a little when she is talking while on the toilet!

30-36 Caring for a prem baby

I took her home at 4 weeks.She had to have a special prem baby milk that cost double what normal formula cost.When she left hospital she weighed ,4lb 5oz!
The birth had taken its toll on me,i never admitted it to anyone at the time but i think i suffered post-natal depression.I cried every day for the first year.I did`nt feel like her mother,i just felt like someone who was looking after her.I really don`t think my bond with her started untill my own mum died when baby was 18  months.I felt guilty for feeling like that but i felt that if i told doctors etc how i felt they would take her away.Irrational,but thats how it was! I was eventually diagnosed with post natal depression when she was 2.
She had a few health problems,asthma was one.The doctor we were with kept saying she was`nt asthmatic,but lots of my family suffer so i was sure i was right.I moved her to another doctors who diagnosed her.By the time they did she had to have steroid inhalers.Always trust yourself we parents basically know our own children.

24-30 Pre Eclampsia and a Premature baby

At week 32 of my pregnancy i developed pre eclampsia after months of high blood pressure.They rushed me to theatre to prepare for birth.I remember my body would`nt stop shaking violently.They seemed concerned which made me worse,i think it was probably just nerves.They gave me an epidural which stopped my bottom half shaking but my top half shook for the whole birth.After she was born i kissed the top of her head and she was whisked away to neo-natal,i was`nt allowed down to see her for 36 hours because my BP was so high,all i had was a picture they bought me.When i was allowed down to her i was still not allowed to pick her up because she was being fed hourly through a drip and she was sick after every feed so she could`nt be moved.I desperately wanted to breast feed but because i could`nt pick her up i had to express,it did`nt work for me,i think my maternal instinct was not there because of the birth,i could not produce milk which made me feel like a failure.I tried for 3 weeks then gave up.It took ages for me to forgive myself for this even though it was`nt my fault.I know my bond with her was damaged in the first year which is something that angered me for a long time,but you can`t change the past you have to let it go.

24-30 Pregnancy and sexual Discrimination.

I first met hubby a few days after my 29th birthday.I got pregnant a little too soon in our relationship which was a bit of a strain.I was working at a bakery at the time,i had only been there a couple of months,they were not impressed when i told them i was pregnant.As i had been there under 3 months they tried to force me out.They changed my hours to unsociable hours,tried to give me heavy lifting jobs and the manageress and asst manageress were complete cows to me.I left and on legal advice,after they refused to let me back i took them to an employment tribunal.The 3 month rule in work does`nt exist with pregnancy,you have the same rights as everyone else.My pregnancy was complicated and i spent most of it in hospital,my waters were leaking from week 19 making it impossible to do scans (we had to go to london for special scans),i caught an infection at week 26 and had to have steroid injections to prepare her lungs for early delivery.She was born at 32 weeks,i will divulge further in next post.
I was to ill to go to court and settled out of court,they admitted sexual discrimination,but would`nt admit unfair dismissal,i was too ill to fight.I did get compensation but not what i should have.But i made my point and stood up for myself!

24-30 Blind Dates.

I had a friend who i went to school with who i used to go out with occasionally.She liked to set me up with men,but i think they were probably her cast offs!!! One blind date she told me would be my type because he had long hair,what i did`nt know was that it was on his chin! He was mr ZZ TOP (remember them?) I dont like full on beards i`m afraid. Another blind date was rather nervous and when i asked what he enjoyed doing he replied",Ha Ha Ha i steal car radios",then backtracked and said "but i don`t do it now" I did`nt see him again.Another one spent the whole evening  talking about my friend,turns out he wanted her but she was already taken so she tried to pass him on! Another one only gave one word answers to everything i said,not the most exciting evening of my life-when he dropped me off he said "i`ll phone you" (the most he had said all evening)
So the moral of the story is blind dates=not a good idea,or are they? My husband was actually a set up by my sister and her hubby.Still not quite sure if i am grateful to her!!!!!!!!!!!