Pregnancy Number Two

This pregnancy has not been as plain sailing as my last.  Albert’s pregnancy really was a walk in the park, until it was time for him to arrive and then he was 9 days late! Read about Albert’s birth story here.

At my (first) 12 week scan, we decided to take my mum along, as she didn’t join us on any of the previous scans for Albert and thought she might like it.  She loved it, but the sonographer complained that the baby was too small and I must have my dates wrong, I was a bit miffed as I knew I hadn’t, but she still put me back to 10 weeks!! So we had to wait a further 3 weeks for my scan as they were so busy.

Thankfully, everything at the scan went well, and we were free to tell the rest of the world, well, social media haha.

Then at the routine 16 week midwife appointment at the surgery, where she takes yet more blood etc and then checks the baby’s heartbeat, she took about 15 minutes and still couldn’t locate it.  She was freaking me out, whilst trying to be positive, but I could see she was concerned at the same time.  She called the day assessment unit at the hospital and told them I was on my way to be checked and possibly scanned to locate the heartbeat.  Thankfully I wasn’t on my own and my husband was with me, as was Albert.  I cried the whole way, I just couldn’t stop thinking the worst, who wouldn’t?  But when we got there, they were all so kind and comforting, yet it still took a midwife and a doctor 45 minutes to locate the heartbeat, they did need to use a special scanner where you could see and hear the heartbeat.  It was so lovely being able to get a sneaky peak at little babybee2 again.

My 20 week scan went well, but again there we found out I had an anterior placenta, which explains why we couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat and the lack of early fetal movement in second pregnancies. But due to this, she did have some trouble locating all chambers of the heart, bladder and liver and I had to be booked in for yet another scan!

We didn’t find out the sex – much to everyone’s disappointment. The second 20 week scan went well too and little babybee 2 waved at me, it was amazing.  I was actually on my own for this scan, there had been so many, I just had to get in and out quickly. I was really happy when the baby waved at me, it was like a little private bonding moment for just the two of us.

Due to Albert having shoulder dystocia at birth. I was put under minor consultant care, and she discussed with me that sometimes second babies can be bigger than the first. As Albert was 9 days late, she doesn’t particularly want me to go late again.  So at 39 weeks I have a growth scan and another appointment with her to discuss induction – If baby hasn’t already arrived by then.  I am really hoping babybee 2 arrives before this, 38/39 weeks would be perfect!

So, now I’m 32 weeks and things are going well.  Crippled with tiredness and heartburn/acid that makes me want to vomit and kill myself, but otherwise ok.  Second time round is definitely harder, I have to take care of a 3 year old at the same time, although I am lucky that he’s able to play by himself with his trains. He watches telly cuddled up next to me and we play puzzles and games on the table as I struggle to be on the floor.  Pre-School two and a half times a week helps me to get things done or just sit and relax in peace – before baby arrives that is!

As much as I am ready for this baby to arrive, I am loving how much baby moves and wriggles. I will miss it, just like I did when Albert was a few months old.  Who knows, we may have a 3rd.

Here’s hoping the home stretch goes fast with no hitches!

Victoria

Pre – School

Tuesday was the first full day of Pre – School for Albert.  I was excited for him as he has been desperate to go back to school most of the Easter half term.

We set off, myself on foot and Albert on his balance bike and we had a lovely walk/ride through the local park.  Albert loves it so much as he’s surrounded by all the older children and he’s in awe of the “big boys” on big bikes, often going very fast so I struggle to keep up!

We finally made it to school, and as we approached the little hut in the grounds of the infant school (that I really hope he gets in to), he was saying hello and good morning to the teachers and children and showing them his lunch box, seemingly very excited to be staying for lunch for the first time.

After hanging his coat and helmet on his peg, we put his book bag, lunch box and drink in to the relevant boxes and I settled him down with an activity whilst talking quickly with his key worker about his lunch – I have rules that he has to eat certain things before eating crisps and then a sweet thing like yoghurt raisins or custard etc.  His eating has got a lot better, but we are struggling to expand his variety of different foods.

Anyway, after I had finished talking, I said goodbye and to have a good day and I would see him later. 

I then waddled home – desperate for the loo, as with all the walking the baby bounces on my bladder! Then it was time to get the shopping done whilst I was on my own and sort out a few things, have a sit down and then it was time to collect Albert before I knew it. 

I decided to drive halfway, and park at the park.  I thought that he might be quite tired after a full day, and I was right.  His teachers came out and said that he was great, but got tired in the last half an hour.  Still, I managed to keep him awake until dinner time, then Daddy came home and did bath and bed after a little puzzle and play, whilst I sorted our dinner. 

He must have had a great day as he was asking to go back after we had been at gymnastics on Wednesday. 

Victoria

Safari Park Antics

My husband Richard had been planning a piss up with his friend Andrew to Aberdeen for a beer festival event.  Thus leaving myself and Albert alone for the weekend. 

Andrew’s wife Lindsey asked if we would like to join her, their son Alasdair and a few of their friends to Woburn Safari Park, so we snapped them up on the offer and we headed off bright and early up to Bedfordshire. 

On arriving at Woburn we saw lots of animals roaming in the fields. We parked up to meet the others and have a quick toilet break and stretch our legs.  Then we all climbed back in to the cars and headed towards the start of the safari route.

We saw Rhinos and Zebras before we came to the Lion, Tiger and Bear enclosure.  We were queueing between the big gates to gain entrance, and Albert decided that it was a good idea to open the door!! I freaked out, and reached round and managed to slam it shut and Lindsey promptly clicked the child lock button.  That was an exciting start to the afternoon. The boys really liked the Lions but mostly kept pointing out the ranger vans “TIGER RUCKS” as Albert called them.

We then headed to the monkey section, this seemed to entertain the boys most, and also myself and Lindsey!! we saw a couple of monkeys on another car and as we cruised past them I snapped a photo.

This got the monkey’s attention and then jumped on to our car!! The boys thought this was highly amusing.  They then slid down the windscreen and jumped off the bonnet.  There was a Land Rover with a ladder on it and the monkey’s were instantly drawn to it and swarmed the car, and had a little scrap over who was going to sit on the roof! This was fun to watch too! We also saw some cheeky monkey’s rip off the rubber door trims to a car and try and take the ariel off too! We creeped past without notice and got away lightly.  On our exit another little monkey was taunting the ranger and jumped on the car, over the roof and  was jumping and bashing his feet on the rear view window, he jumped off when the ranger got closer, we all found this amusing.

    

On our way toward the picnic area we went past the rhinos again and one walked right in front of the car in front (friends of Lindsey’s) and it got very very close. 

We had a lovely lunch and Albert had run around the trees and watching the train take people on rides.

We left about 3pm and the boys had a long nap in the car on the way home, which meant a later bed time for my little dude. 

It was a great day, definitely a trip to repeat again.

Victoria

3 Years Later…

Well, It’s been a while since I last posted here and quite a lot has happened in that time.

Albert is now THREE years old (Where has the time gone?!).  We have had an extension on our house, and I am also expecting baby number 2.

I might do a post on the stresses of building work, but I’m not sure I want to re live it, it wasn’t the most pleasant of months!

I will talk about Albert though, he has grown in to such a cheeky, smart, kind and loving little boy and we could not be prouder of him.  September 2015 he started pre-school for 2 mornings a week and he has thrived from it.  His speech has improved and in the first half term (October) he was potty trained!! but only now at 6 months later has he finally (I hope it sticks!!) mastered pooping on the potty – for some reason he does not like sitting on the toilet, even with a nice child friendly seat!! I have also been only giving him a few sachets of movicol to “help” him on the pooping way a few times a month, so I think that’s a bonus too.

So, I am also currently 31 weeks pregnant and I’m due in June. We found out back in September, much to our surprise, as I had been out celebrating my sisters birthday in London and having a fair amount of what Albert calls “mummy juice” (wine, haha).  It wasn’t like we were preventing anything to happen, but we were back and forth from our house to my parents house (we had to stay there a while whilst the house was being done) as our house was being finished – we had moved back, then had to move out again 2 weeks later for the new flooring – lots of that stress I mentioned! So it was a bit of an exciting surprise, considering it took a fair amount of months to get Albert.

We are all very excited to meet babybee 2 in roughly 8-9 weeks.  I am really hoping this baby arrives on time if not a bit early.

Victoria