The Adventures of Murray and Harris with Mummy (Kaz) in Tow!: It Has Been A While!

It has been a while - 5 months to be precise. Life got a bit crazy!

Work

Finally in Jan, my work settled down to 2 regular days, but Nov and Dec were a juggle of sometime 1, sometimes 3 days which kept chopping and changing.This was hard for me and the kids as everyweek childcare had to be altered.

Bugs/ Nursery and a 'Blitzed' Finger

Since that stomach bug we had in Nov, we've had bug after bug and poor wee Harris was left lactose intolerant from it. Unfortunately it took a while to diagnose and I'm pretty sure it's turned him into a fussy eater. Once the lactose was fully cleared out if his system he was a lot happier and can tolerate it again now, but then he started nursery 1 day a week and it has been 1 thing after the other.

Harris started nursery as my course was starting to increase in work load and we thought it would help me get study/hmwk done. It did eventually, but the first month he had a virus that left him exhausted and miserable. We all ended up with it and I was studying and going into work on 1 hour sleep as Harris was up during the night. Tired doesn't even come close. I was so tired in fact I ended up not concentrating while preparing dinner and while scraping food out of a stick blender and switched it on. OUCHHHHHH! Blood, screaming, tears (mine, Harris' and Murray's) and a trip to A&E! Thankfully no bone broken and no loss of finger but a good mess and really a lot of pain. I can't tell you how hard it is to dress a 16 month old with 1 hand! Blood poppers! I'm just so glad that (if I was going to do something so silly) I did it the Monday after my mock exams so had 5 weeks between mocks and final exams. Even then it was still a little awkward.

Massage Therapist and Tantrums

Thankfully it made no difference and I came out with an A in my written, oral, practical exams and my essay. I even got a prize for best essay! Chuffed! So I am now a qualified massage therapist.

I have done a post-grad workshop on postnatal massage and am booked in to do prenatal in June.

I had thought I'd crack straight on and do the next level of sports and remedial, but I think the kids and hubby need a break from the constant juggle. In addition Harris has really hit the 18 month tantrums and I think he needs his foundations laid. He is a screamer and I think it is going to be hard work and I need to have the energy for him.

On top of that we've decided to use our downstairs bedroom as a therapy room which means we need to decorate the en suite, move our room back upstairs and move both boys into 1 room - all of which will take energy/time.

Then of course I need to create a website, register as self employed, get business cards and set up my therapy room with equipment, so I think it is better to wait until September before taking on the next 8 month Diploma especially as I have to continue to work 2 days a week. So gutted in many ways though as I find it all so interesting that I'd love to crack on. Still, September will fly in before I know it.

My Blessings

I have to take this moment to say how blessed I feel. My boys are gorgeous. Murray is hilarious, intelligent, cheeky, determined and stunning. He's great company (most of the time - he is 3 3/4 after all) and I have to say extremely tolerant and kind with Harris. Harris is hilarious, sharp, cheeky, physical, determined and stunning. He is a screamer, which is HARD, but knowing that I had to work my ass of with Murray at this age steels me the resources to work my ass of with Harris, so that he too is as kind, gentle, polite but still determined as Murray in his own unique way. We are working on Harris' language as much as poss, because although he has some words, it is not as many as Murray had at this age and I'm pretty sure that will help the screaming - that and getting some more teeth (he still only has 4 - which is 4 more than Murray had at this age). His whole top gum is swollen and it is really shortening his temper! I questioned myself so much - well if I'm honest - from the minute he was born, but particularly from when he needed boundaries setting. I def found it hard going when Murray was terrible 2-ing and Harris was non stop feeding, but I do feel like the hard yakker has paid off (hoping I'm not jinxing myself here). It turns out perhaps I'm not quite so hopeless as sometimes I could convince myself! LOL! I'm not perfect, I yell, I get frustrated and exasperated, but everyday I do my best; I try not to yell and count instead (1,2,3 MAGIC) and most of the time I do do that and when I get it wrong, I say sorry and explain why I shouted, but what I should have done and if that means my boys can say sorry for errors they make then they'll be all the better for it. We can, but ll do our best and as time ticks on, my boys teach me that more and more.

Harris' Vocab at 18 months:

Quack, woof, Moo, oo oo (monkey), Rahh (lion) and with more rahing force (dinosaur), Arhargh (pirate complete with arm movement), mew,queak, queak (mouse), akle (apple), aarroooom (truck/car), vroom with outspread arms (plane), There-you-are, Hiya, daddee, and this week, (finally) Mama and tonight's elephant trumpet sound.
Any way here are a 'few' pics from the last 5 months!

Christmas.

The only way we could get a double pose was to strap Harris down inthe High chair and even then, it took about 6 attempts!

January

New Thomas Pyjamas - choo choo!

In the park.

February

Mummy is a great place to sit! Hmm, think I'll stroke Murray's here while I'm here too!

Walking with my boys hand in hand for the first time.

Both boys at the Snack Table for the first time!

Another snack time - just so cute!

This was so funny: Harris was sitting on the red chair watching some tv and we watched Murray go fetch another chair and put it behind him and there the two of them sat. So adorable!