Thought I'd better post at least something, as it's nearly a month since I last updated. Apologies to anyone who I owe an email to - I know there are lots of emails I've not replied to lately. But life seems quite busy lately.
Part of what's kept me busy the past month was trying to get through a driving test. Unfortunately that didn't happen! :-( I'd hoped to pass the practical part of the driving test before the baby arrived, but I took the test twice in the past month and didn't pass either time. I had several lessons as well (the first instructor not being very helpful or encouraging) and the 2nd one (thanks to the recommendation from my friend Sharon!) was great and helped me loads in just the 2 lessons I had from him the week before last. I managed to successfully (with correct speed/gears/observations etc) do both a reverse around the corner (which I failed in my first test) and a parallel parking (my most feared "skill"). However, just after that, I got "seriously faulted" (i.e. failed) because I approached a blind junction in 2nd gear (instead of 1st) and the nose of the car was too far forward into the junction. The road is very narrow with the house walls right up next to your car, and the "give way" lines faintly painted on the road - some junctions being "give way" for traffic the other way etc, so slightly confusing really. Anyway, I still felt quite annoyed that I'd messed up on something that ought to be so easy. But there's no slack with UK driving tests. So, just have to put it behind me for now. There's no way I wanted to take a test any later in my pregnancy (having done the 2nd one at 36 weeks!). So maybe some other time I'll try again. But at nearly 60 pounds for each try, it could be an expensive experiment!
There's me at 36 weeks! (self-portrait of sorts, so no face included! lol) I had a scan on Friday last week (36w 2d) and the baby was measuring 37w 1d, so should mean a healthy sized baby. Everything was just perfect (position of placenta, amount of fluid, baby's size etc), so consultant was happy and signed his approval of my plans for home birth. That was really the reason for the scan this far along, to make sure placenta especially was in good position. Seen my community midwives today and baby has started to drop into place, so that's good too. :) They'll be bringing round the "home birth kit" (all their gear) next week. I'm sure I had everything here the previous times when I was only around 37 weeks (which I'll be this Wednesday), but they're not delivering the stuff (or going on call) until I'm 38w 1d - so just hope baby doesn't decide to come anytime before then!
Here's Benjamin and Abigail playing in a box together. I think they were pretending it was a boat.
Oh yes, was going to say that we learned the other day that Benjamin has a very good memory! Abigail has quite an amazing memory for insignificant things and remembers them in great detail. But we hadn't realised Benjamin did too - until last Friday when we were at the hospital for my scan. We were in the waiting area where there's a table of toys/books for children and Benjamin started to get upset and said "it's missing - it's missing" (or something like that). We asked him what was missing, assuming he meant his favourite Pooh bear (or the plastic bunch of bananas he'd brought along for Pooh!) which were in the pushchair, but he replied saying "the fish is missing!" It was *then* that I realised what he was talking about! When we were at the hospital before (for my 12 week scan in *September*) there was a large stuffed fish. Something from a Disney film I think, and about 2-3 feet long. He remembered it! He'd only ever been there *once*, and 6 months ago at that! Obviously being such a big stuffed toy it made quite an impression on him - but still, to think something he saw briefly when he was 18 months old, he still remembered!
Benjamin lying in the baby's bed! He doesn't quite fit like he used to! lol
Benjamin wearing a special suit of clothing I made for him (minus the wet bib, which was to help keep his neck dry while he had a nasty cold that made him dribble a lot!). I managed to find a pattern from USA (which I could buy, download & print) for a sleepsuit which goes up to size 4y (the one he's wearing being 3y) and I modified it to have the opening in the back instead of front, and put a zip in. So, this is my version of a secure eczema day suit! :-) He manages to get his hands into *anything*, even the mitten suits that the speciality companies sell for 30 pounds each! I got him some sleepsuits from Verbaudet (a French company) which have poppers on the back and back flap (which I sewed up), but they only go up to 3y (which he's nearly outgrown already), and they have a seam across the foot (which is right where his worst eczema is), so aren't ideal. So, I'm hoping to have a major sewing session in the next week or so and get him several of these made so he'll have some clothes to wear (around the house at least!). I have approx 42 metres of fabric being shipped to me this week (no, not all of them are for Benjamin!). But I happened to be looking on eBay for some cotton jersey fabric to make him some clothes, and it happened that the very day I looked, a lady (who I bought fabric from last May!) had just listed 13 auctions, each with about 6 metres of fabric. All cute cotton fabrics (cord, jersey, sweatshirt fleece, canvas) with lovely children's prints, for both boys & girls! And they're all a discontinued line of fabric from USA which has bright print on a white background, meaning it can be dyed to any colour! (The one he's wearing above was made from that fabric). Best of all, when the auctions ended on Thursday last week, there was hardly any interest and I got the fabric for next to nothing! So I was very excited to say the least - and best of all, nice boy prints to make clothes for Benjamin - at the very time when I was most in need of finding suitable fabric!
Anyway, sorry for the long ramble about fabric! However, if you knew the stress of dealing with an almost 2yo boy with rather severe eczema, you might understand! :-) Sometimes I'm not really sure what to do with him! I think my last blog was after we'd first taken him to the doctors and he was on his first course of steroids. Anyway, the eczema just about cleared up while he was on the hydrocortisone - but 2 days after the 10 day course of it, the eczema was back, and worse than before! We took him to the doctors again, this time seeing a different GP - but again, he just said to have another course of the same. He did give us different cream & stuff for the bath (both for moisturising). Again, the eczema cleared up quite nicely while taking the steroids, but 2 days later, it returned and even worse than the last time. I am very wary of putting them on him again - it seems that doctors really aren't coming up with any solutions for it, and at least in Benjamin's case, the resulting eczema is worse than before steroids. Plus, they can thin the skin, so aren't a good idea to be using all the time. Where to go from here, I really don't know. So far, what seems to actually give Benjamin the most relief is Beelief Botanics Emoliex First Formula ( http://www.beeliefbotanics.com/proddetail.php?prod=emoliexfirstformula_50ml&cat=7 ) which is all natural. I can't say it's actually clearing the eczema up, but it makes him feel a *lot* better! It has lovely cooling properties (from the lavender). When he wakes up in the night miserable and scratching, he is soothed back to sleep by me applying the above cream. You can tell it relieves the itching and cools his skin, but I just don't know how to keep the eczema better under control. We bought some Propolis repair cream from the same company the other day, so I'm trying that on him too. At the moment he's got inflamed skin on both feet, behind both knees, his neck (front & back), and all around his face. I'm just trying to "manage" it at the moment, watching him all the time, trying to keep him cool, in secure cotton clothes to cover most of the skin etc. But it also means I'm not getting much sleep - he was awake for a period of time twice last night - quite miserable. I hate to see him in such discomfort, but I feel that continuing the steroids is just making him worse, so guess we just have to see how things go over the next days/weeks.
One last photo of the children, which was actually meant to be above with the other similar pic.
Must get to bed, though I think I hear Benjamin stirring - so might not get to sleep for a while yet. Oh well - such is life for a mother, I guess.
Coming downstairs in the morning - he thought balloons were the best part and had to be told that the presents were meant to be opened! :-)
Opening his first present! I think Abigail's hair features in quite a few of these photos! LOL 
Cars and trucks are his *favourite*
A big wooden Bertie the Bus!
"oooh, there are more presents to see!"
Benjamin's "Bob the Builder cake" - he was verrrry excited when he saw it! And he's had lots of fun with the minature machines afterwards!
Bus/van shaped sandwiches
Birthday lunch
Just before lighting the candles
OK, off to bed!
