Never enough time in a day

Yes, we're still alive - just never enough time in a day to get everything done - let alone think about posting a blog! I actually uploaded this lot of photos to Blogger a full week ago, but haven't found the minutes before now to add any words to a post. So I'll try to be brief and post this before another week goes by. Several of these photos were actually posted to Facebook already (as it's quicker & easier to put things there), but about half of them are new - all taken in August, I think.

I've been struggling over the past 2 weeks with an awful sinus infection - I've had lots of them over the past 15 years or so, but I think this is the worst yet. Never had a sore throat so long either, with sinuses bleeding and coughing up blood the whole time too! I think I'm finally getting over the sinus infection part of it, though my chest is feeling bad now - bit of wheezing/asthma sort of stuff, as well as coughing. Seems my weak chest gets rather ill during pregnancy! I'll always blame the toxic mould that was in the nursing home that I used to work in back in Texas - don't think my lungs were ever the same after spending a year and a half or so working there!

Ever wondered what an absent-minded little girl might look like? ;-)

Yes, I know - not very proper or polite to be walking on the table! [oops] Several weeks ago I was busy doing something in the kitchen and asked Abigail to distract Clement at the table. He was probably sitting on it and I was hoping she'd show him some books. However, before long Clement was gone - and Abigail was totally unaware of what she was meant to be doing. Instead she'd ended up *on* the table, walking around reading books to herself! I think it's a "Robin Hood" story in her hands from the Oxford Reading Tree series, and scattered around the table are various "history stories" which she's been enjoying.

She didn't even realise I was taking her photo - so *into* a book! :-)

Clement learning to ride a stick horse

Clement was a bit afraid of the turnip that came in our organic veg box one week - he didn't know what to think of all the roots! :-) Eventually he attempted to attack it with a pencil!

My lovely little Clement, who seems such a big boy these days!

My favourite photo of Benjamin! I've failed to get any really good pics of him for some months now - he always seems to be looking away from the camera. So I was really pleased when I managed to get him looking at me with such a lovely smile - while the camera was available to capture it! :-) And speaking of Benjamin, it's been 8 weeks since we saw the dermatology nurse and got prescribed the Elocon steroid & Dexeryl emollient for him. This also means we've managed to go 7+ weeks without using the strong and dangerous Fucibet Lipid cream (steroid & antibiotic) and his skin has never been better - ever. I find myself amazed at how lovely his face looks, and the fact that there is zero eczema on his feet or legs. We haven't managed to get him *off* of using the Elocon steroid for 2 small places on his hands, but I'm using the absolute smallest amount every evening or every other day and it's keeping the hands from a bad flare up and means that the eczema is very much held at bay. I think the Dexeryl is helping his skin to not get too dried out. And whilst it's not exactly natural (and does have ingredients I'd rather not put on him) the fact that it's working, and we're having to use so little of anything, means I'm just sticking with it and afraid to change anything that's working. It's really a wonderful blessing to have the eczema so nearly gone. At the same time, some people might think this means life is rather easy now that it's so controlled! Yes, it's much easier. But unfortunately Benjamin still has to be closely watched as he has scratching/attacking habits that remain, somewhat unconnected with actual eczema! And he will have a chew of his hands/fingers on occasions when he gets bored/annoyed/upset! So he still requires rather more time/attention than other children might - just so he doesn't remove layers of skin and we end up with open wounds! But we have so much to be thankful for with the progress regarding the state of his skin.

Abigail and Clement - another favourite photo of mine! :-) At the moment Abigail finds her brothers (in particular Clement!) rather annoying at times. And the fact that Clement can get such a reaction from his sister is quite exciting and makes him try all the more to annoy her!

Again - big sister and littlest brother!

A couple of weeks ago my friend Lorraine came to see us for several days, along with her 2 little girls. It was lovely to see them and Abigail had lots of fun with Salome and Apphia. Here they are making bead necklaces together. Unfortunately I didn't manage more than this one photo from their visit!

Benjamin and his wood construction models that he made with his mummy!

The children are enjoying the new park that is sooo close to our house! It's still not officially "open" - no idea what silly requirements are yet to be fulfilled, or if the responsible people just can't be bothered! But I think the local citizens just got a bit fed up with it being closed all during the summer holidays and a few days before the schools went back, someone moved/opened some of the fence panels/barriers and un-officially opened the park! It's now been like this for several weeks and no one has bothered to shut it - and several more panels have fallen down since. So, there's Benjamin above on some of the park equipment one morning.

Abigail - who always loves parks!

Clement who was rather un-interested in the park that day. ALL he could think about was the ball he'd seen in someones garden as we walked to the park, and he kept trying to leave and go get it!

Boys climbing and sliding

On the slide again

Benjamin and Abigail enjoying the "birds nest" swings. These swings are extremely popular with the teens and pre-teens around - so you have to go in the morning when they're at school to get a chance to use them! :-)

Brothers playing with Bob the Builder toys in the front garden

Clement sorting the vegetable peelings into appropriate categories! :-)

Making some fruit cake for daddy! :-)

So, I should get to bed. It's no wonder I can't get over colds when I always stay up so late. It's only just over 4 weeks now till baby is due, so I really shouldn't be getting so little sleep. But there's always so much to do - not to mention things like 2 hours appointments with the local midwives to go over a massive stack of paperwork covering every possible risk of a home birth! And then a 1.5 appointment with them, as well as the Supervisor of Midwives yesterday - again because of them thinking I'm "high risk". The main thing comes down to having a mild shoulder dystocia when Clement was born, and the midwives being worried if it happened again or was worse. If only it was possible to really know how big this baby was and if it was likely to be bigger than Clement was. I've got a growth scan and have to meet with a consultant about this on Tuesday next week. And then I have to make a final decision about continuing with my wish for a home birth or giving up and letting them push me into the idea of a hospital birth. As a compromise they've offered me a "Domino birth" where one of the local midwives would accompany me into hospital for the birth and try and get a 6 hour release for me afterwards. Certainly sounds better than the standard hospital procedure, though I don't know how likely it would happen to plan - and I do still prefer home. Oh well. Decisions to be made!

Goodnight.