Wow

June 8, 2013, 3:11 am

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So i went for my first ultrasound scan this week, to get a better 'due date' and got somewhat of a shock when the technician told us that i am expecting twins again.

i knew that i had a higher than normal chance of conceiving twins, due to the fact that non-identical twins happen when a woman releases 2 eggs at once, and that some women tend to do that most cycles. But to be honest i didn't really expect it to happen again, and even when my tummy was showing much earlier than 'normal' i kind of blocked it out and convinced myself it wasn't a sign of twins, especially as i haven't had anywhere near the level of morning sickness that i had with the boys.

But it is twins and after spending the last two days feeling pretty worried and stressed about the whole thing, i am now feeling much more settled and positive. Yes, it will be difficult to have 5 young children. Yes, there will be a lot of nappy-changing and feeding and looking after to do. Yes, it is hard enough to care for newborn twins without having other children in the mix too. Yes, Finn and William require a lot more care and attention than most children their age. So it will be exhausting and difficult to give everyone the amount of time and attention they need.

But Sir and i had a chat and decided that we will hire a nanny, at least for the first year, to help with all 5 of the kids, so that when i am busy looking after the new twins, she can be seeing to Finn and William. When i am spending time doing therapy with Finn or William, she can be caring for the new babies. And she can make sure that Poppy doesn't get left out either. Though Finn and William will be out of the house at least for part of the day, there will be 3 kids to collect/receive from 3 different schools/nurseries, plus plenty of appointments, clubs and therapies to get to, so having someone else who can help with all that will be great. And it will be nice to get some help with cooking, cleaning, laundry, tidying up, shopping, etc., even though the cleaning lady who comes in each week is great, with 5 young kids i know it will get even tougher to keep on top of things.

Last night i was reading up on twins on the internet, just to refresh my memory on some of the pregnancy stuff, and i saw an article on 'vanishing twin syndrome', when twins show up on one scan and then next time there is only one baby. Although i am shocked at expecting twins again and it's not what i would have hoped for, i certainly don't want anything to happen to either of them, and reading that made me feel so protective of my little sprouts and feel so much love for them, that i realised that i should be seeing this as a good thing, i should be feeling blessed to be given twins again and i should be celebrating this event and looking forward to meeting them and making happy plans for their arrival. So that's what i'm going to do. We've sold our house and the paperwork is going through on the one we want to buy, and all going well we should  move in later this summer. Then we will have a few months to get everything ready before the babies are born, and our new nanny can start and be a much needed extra pair of hands. Sir is great with the kids and i know He will continue to do everything He can to support our family, financially and practically. We are blessed to have 3 fantastic kids already and i am so lucky to be expecting 2 more.

i am to have my pregnancy closely monitored, with scans every 4 weeks initially. The twins are di/di again like last time, which means they have their own sacs and their own placentas, which is the least risky type of twin pregnancy, but they will also be monitoring closely for any signs of tuberous sclerosis as we have a slightly higher than normal chance of having another child with that condition. To be honest, i'm not really worried about that as i don't think we will end up with another William, but if we do, we do, and we will just cross that hurdle when we come to it and make the best of what we're given. Sir has put me back on the 'Brewer' diet, so i have lots of food to eat (there's boxes that must be eaten and extra snacks that can be eaten) but so far i am realllllly hungry, so that hasn't been an issue.

This morning i was reminded of just how special twins are. William had a big seizure and i was getting him settled for a sleep afterwards, as it really takes it out of him. Finn had stayed with him during the seizure as he usually does and then had zoomed off after, but he suddenly came running back, carrying his all-time favourite toy from Disneyland that he is fiercely protective of (just try getting it off him to wash!). He put his toy in William's cot and said "Rat Rat looks after William", then grinned at me and zoomed off again. i just stood there thinking what an amazing little boy Finn is, how special and precious William is and how lucky they are to have each other. So i am glad that my new babies will get to experience that special twin bond and can't wait to meet them.

Thanks for listening to my ramble :) BTW, i am about 8 weeks 5 days pregnant today, which makes the babies 40 weeks on 13th January. But since twins are considered full-term at 36 weeks, they are expected anytime December-January. Could be an interesting Christmas this year!

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House

June 8, 2013, 3:51 am

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Reading back the last few posts i realised that i haven't been keeping you all updated on the house front. After going to see that amazing first house with the indoor swimming pool, the estate agents sent us details of other places in the area which also have pools - there were more than i thought, it seems that many of these old farm houses tucked away up private lanes around our village and the surrounding villages have been modernised and converted and lots of them have swimming pools, several have gyms and a couple even had mini-cinema rooms! We went to see a few of them and they were all great, but had something not quite right for our family's needs (one bedroom too small or the garden not big enough or too close to other properties). Then we found the most amazing place which is (almost) perfect for us:

It used to be 3 cottages, which have now been knocked together, so that the property is now in an L shape. Downstairs it has a big lounge with original fireplace and patio doors, a study with plenty of room for Sir, a good sized dining-room with another fireplace, a separate breakfast room which we would turn into a playroom for the kids, a nice big kitchen with a range cooker and plenty of room for additional work spaces and a table for all the family, a family room with patio doors which we would make into William's therapy/sensory room, a utility room, a walk-in pantry, 2 bathrooms - one with a corner bath as well as a toilet, plus an indoor heated swimming pool (10m x 5m) and a jacuzzi. Upstairs has 5 bedrooms plus a nursery, a separate dressing area off the main bedroom plus large ensuite bathroom, another toilet and shower room for the kids (we would convert the nursery into a bathroom with big bath in for the kids). Outside has a double garage, private drive, courtyard garden with patio and BBQ area, large side garden with a big lawn and room for the kids' play equipment, plus a back garden with an orchard and vegetable area. There is also a garden storage area and a wood shed attached to the back of the house (one of which would probably become our 'play' room, though without the dungeon furniture as it wouldn't fit). It's such a beautiful house inside and out, has exposed beams and original features but modern enough for our tastes and plenty of room for the kids. Plus it's tucked away down a private drive, completely surrounded by tall hedges, nice and secure, close to fields and woods and lovely walks, but also close enough to town and Poppy's school and Finn's new nursery. i am soooooo excited about moving in and decorating and using the swimming pool with the kids every day. Sir says we will have some money to be able to get a really nice adventure play set for the kids in the garden that will last them as they  grow, plus a bigger trampoline and nice big sandpit.

i am really lucky that we can afford somewhere as nice as this and that it's so close to where we are now so there won't be too much upheaval for us all. Can't wait to get our moving date!

Names

June 9, 2013, 2:48 am

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Lots of posts (relatively) from me in one weekend, i know.... but there's lots happening recently so lots of news to keep you guys updated on.

Sir and i have been talking a lot this weekend about the fact that i am carrying twins, and what that means for our family and making plans for our new house and the rest of this year in general and September in particular, when Finn starts a new nursery (and receives 3 hours per day free due to government funding), William starts mornings at a special school nursery (and receives free school transport there and back) and we are planning to get our new nanny to start (once we have interviewed and chosen).

One of the decisions we have made this weekend is names for our twins. i chose 2 girl names and Sir chose 2 boy names and we both chose the boy/girl combo names. So here they are:

both girls = Kaitlin and Madison

both boys = Zachary and Oliver (Ollie)

one of each = Kaitlin and Oliver (Ollie)

i can't wait to find out which sex(es) we're having, prolly at the 20 week scan, but i'll ask them to look at the 16 week scan because i can't remember when they can tell. i know those scans are going to be a bit scary around that time because they'll be looking closely at the babies' hearts to check for the abnormalities associated with tuberous sclerosis (which is how they first detected it in William), so it will be nice to have something positive to focus on.

Obviously, we both are just hoping for healthy babies, but i know that Sir would really like a boy that He can play with and teach football to and do boy stuff with, as neither of the boys are really into all that, due to their different conditions. And Poppy is reallllllllly hoping for a sister (or two!), to do girlie things with. So i guess the best combo would be girl/boy, but girl/girl would be nice too, to balance out our boy twins. In the end we will be grateful for whatever we are given and will love our babies for exactly who and what they are, no matter what. But it's still nice to dream and hope and plan :)

Time

June 30, 2013, 5:40 am

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Time seems to be doing weird things at the moment. i'll start the day off feeling nice and relaxed, get a couple of things done, glance at the time and it's 5pm already! Or i'll check the date and suddenly realise that it's nearly the end of the month and i have no idea where the past few weeks went to or what i got accomplished.

That includes keeping this blog updated - i could have sworn that i posted here a week or so ago, but it seems that it's been 3 weeks instead. So apologies for that and a warning that things may not get much better for a while as we have a busy summer lined up.

Here's a quick catch-up post to fill you all in:



- i go for my next scan this Thursday, when i should be 12 weeks and a few days along in my pregnancy and hopefully both little sprouts will be doing well.
- Poppy finishes school on 23rd July and we are due to move the very next day! We've started sorted things, throwing out the junk and packing some stuff into boxes already, which we're having to store in the barn to prevent Finn from rooting through, unpacking it all and spreading it round the house in huge piles of 'tressie' (treasure). The boys are going to spend a couple of nights at their grandparents when we move to give us a little bit of time to get sorted. And next weekend we are taking the kids to see the new house, because it's just been me and Sir who've seen it so far.
- we've been busy choosing paint and wallpaper, curtains and bedding etc. and Sir has some decorators lined up to get the new house ready for us before we move in. The other people have already moved out and are pretty relaxed about us carrying out some alterations to the place, once all the paperwork has been signed (which should be about a week before the official move). Also we're getting bannisters fitted to the stairs, William's therapy stuff installed in the 'family room', the 'breakfast room' converted to a playroom, a shower installed next to the swimming pool and the nursery upstairs converted into a bathroom for the kids as there's only a shower in the current upstairs bathroom (Sir and i have a large ensuite to use). We've chosen an amazing climbing frame/swing combo for the garden, plus we're getting a large trampoline for the kids. And once we're settled in we're going to get some chickens for the garden, and of course we'll be taking our 2 bunnies with us.
- we go on a 2 week holiday to a lovely cottage in France - leaving on 3rd August and returning on 17th (i realised we were away for the boys' birthday, but hadn't clicked that it incorporates my birthday too!).
- the rest of the summer will be spent getting comfy in our new house and enjoying time together. Then Poppy returns to school on 2nd September and William starts at a special school part-time then and Finn starts a new nursery full-time, so quite a lot of changes for us all. Also we're going to have our new nanny start with us then too (we've got 4 applicants to interview later this week), so lots of new things happening.

i think that's all the updates for now. Please ask if i've left anything out or you have questions! (Baby brain is frazzled today, especially in the heat).

Nudity

July 14, 2013, 6:50 am

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i have gotten a lot more comfortable with being naked in front of others since being Sir's slave. In the beginning i found it hard to be naked even in front of Him, but of course i quickly had to overcome that.

Then He required me to be naked in front of His Dom/me friends and their subs/slaves at play parties and private events and also during some of my training sessions. i have also got used to this, though i do find it more difficult being naked in front of Dominant females and submissive males for some reason.

But Sir has pushed my nudity further than that. He had me pose nude as a life  model in art classes last time i was pregnant - so effectively i was naked in front of complete strangers every week. Again, this was really difficult at first, but i quickly got used to it and it was fine after a while. Sir has also had me sunbathe topless on holiday and in the back garden and we have also had sex outdoors in the woods, which i found scary but exhilirating.

Then today i went for a spa treatment to use the remaining part of the voucher i was given at Christmas. i had a lovely 'pregnancy' treatment, consisting of a cold stone massage on my feet and legs, a cooling body wrap on my bewbies, belly and thighs and a scalp massage. Afterwards i used the swimming pool and decided to go topless for the first time of my own choosing (it's allowed for people not to wear clothes there!). And i felt find about it - i wasn't worried that people would be looking at me or judging my body. i just felt free and natural and relaxed.

Which is really good progress for me :)

Feeling very blessed

July 29, 2013, 7:10 am

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So we moved! And, thanks to Sir, it wasn't anywhere nearly as stressful as i inagined. Sir organised for us to get the keys a week before, so that he could arrange for the decorators to go in and wallpaper/paint all the rooms we wanted to redecorate, the two sets of stairs to have banisters fitted for the kids' safety, the 'breakfast' room to be converted into a playroom, the 'family room' to be fitted out as William's therapy room, the upstairs nursery to be made into a bathroom (there was only a shower room before), a shower and changing area to be put in at the side of the swimming pool and a large adventure play set and trampoline to be installed in the garden.

Also, we'd arranged for the boys to spend 2 nights at my parents' house when we actually  moved, which meant we were free to concentrate on unpacking and arranging everything rather than looking after them and keeping them safe. It would have been too stressful for the boys (especially William) to be surrounded by so much chaos and the amount of movement would have been too much for them. It worked out much better that the first time they came to the house it was all decorated and set up and they could see all the familiar furniture and things from our old house.

Since then we have been spending time at home, getting used to our new house. And it is amazing, inside and out. i can't believe that we now have 5 bedrooms as well as an ensuite and a dressing area, plus 2 bathrooms upstairs, and 6 rooms plus 2 bathrooms, a utility room, swimming pool and jacuzzi downstairs! And the gardens are huge and so much fun for the kids - Finn has been so happy using the new adventure play area, the trampoline and the pool, and William loves the pool and the sandpit. Poppy is also very happy and loves her big bedroom and has been for lots of swims.

i am feeling very lucky to live in a house like this, to have access to our own pool (which has been so nice for me to swim nakie in to cool down when it gets too hot), to have such fantastic and special children and to know that i have 2 more little ones on the way. Just a few more things to get to complete the new nursery for the babies before they come and we will be all set.

The day after we moved was mine and Sir's wedding anniversary (4 years) and we had a lovely celebratory dinner in our new house. Oh and incase i don't get time to post again before then, we're going on our holiday this Sat (3rd Aug) for 2 weeks - back on Sat 17th Aug, so we will be away to celebrate mine and the boys' birthdays. We're going to a cottage in France with a pool and access to woods and the beach, taking our own car and going over on the ferry. So that should be a lovely, relaxing family holiday for us all.

Enjoy your own summer/ holidays, and see you soon :)

News from the bump

August 2, 2013, 10:50 pm

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Before we go on holiday today (2 weeks in a cottage in France) - me the bump sprouts, Poppy, Finn, William and Sir - i just wanted to update everyone about my 16 week ultrasound scan this week.

Everything looks fine with both babies at this stage, including their hearts - she had a close look at both of them due to William's condition which was first picked up by irregularities with his heart on an ultrasound. They are growing well and good sizes for twins at this stage and both moving around lots (which i can already feel).

i think the ultrasound technician has a good idea of the babies' genders, but she wouldn't tell us because she said it was too early to be certain enough. But next scan (at 20 weeks) if the babies are facing the right way, we hope to find out - can't wait!

So off we go on our holidays for rest and relaxation :) See you in 2 weeks!

Holiday in France

August 17, 2013, 1:12 am

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We're back! We had a lovely time on our holiday in France for 2 weeks and are now back feeling relaxed and rested and ready to enjoy our new house, get acquainted with our new nanny and get ready for our new class/school/nursery for September.

We stayed in a lovely holiday cottage with its own garden and swimming pool, close enough to the beach that we could go there everyday if we wanted, but far enough from the main tourist areas that we could also enjoy the peace and quiet and go for long walks in the surrounding woods and fields.

It was great to be self-catering and not tied down to specific meal-times in specific places, especially with the kids who can be super fussy about food (William) or find it difficult to sit still and wait and eat nicely (Finn). Most of our meals we ate in the garden, which was lovely, and we were also able to take picnics with us for lunch when we went out for the day, which made things a lot easier. It was also fantastic to have our own pool, like we do at home now, and we have found that giving Finn a 20-30 mins swim first thing each morning really helps him to be less hyper for quite a few hours, so we're going to look into incorporating that into his daily routine at home. William also really enjoys being in the water and it helps with his core strength and coordination skills, as well as keeping him calmer overall.

We celebrated my 34th birthday on holiday and i got to go to a French spa and be pampered! But i found out that there's a lot more nudity in French spas, compared to British, that the French therapists are a lot more 'hands on' and less discrete about it, and that they're very thorough in their work. But it felt great and i am getting more and more used to be naked or near-naked in front of strangers anyway - and Sir had me sunbathe topless throughout our holiday. We also celebrated the boys' 3rd birthday while we were away and took all the kids to a special children's adventure park for the day, which consisted of a huge swimming complex with flumes and slides and river rapids, traditional fairground rides, and climbing, jumping, swinging activity areas. Finn especially loved it and kept Sir busy all day! We decided to give the boys a big adventure play area in the garden at home as their main present, but we took a couple of smaller gifts with us to open on the day - William was very pleased with his sensory toys and we got Finn a Lego set, which has turned out to be a great choice as he is starting to create some amazing models with it and will actually sit and work on it for quite some time before losing focus and zooming off. But the great thing is it's something he can leave and come back to over and over again, and i can see that he has a real talent for construction and putting things together, so this is something we are going to continue to encourage him with.

We also went to some other fun places, such as the local zoo, which all the kids loved, a reptile park, which Finn found amazing, a castle, which William found very calming for some reason, horse-riding, and all the kids got to have a go (William with support), some gardens, and a boat trip, which the boys absolutely loved. i have to share a Finn conversation from the reptile place, as i think it is probably the longest chat i have ever had with him and shows how his speech is really coming along when he wants to communicate something:

Finn: we gets a crocodile yesssssssss?
me:    you want a pet crocodile?
Finn: yes pwease!
me:    where would we keep it?
Finn: in da swimmie pool!
me:    but then it would eat people!
Finn: (laughing) eats, yessssssssss!
me:    but then it would eat Mummy when she went swimming.
Finn: oh..... eats Mama?
me:    yes.
Finn: eats babies?
me:    yes.
Finn: oh..... no crocodile?
me:    no, I'm afraid not.
Finn: gets labbas?
me:    no, I'm afraid we haven't got room for llamas either.
Finn: oh.
me:    but we can go and see the alpacas when we get home.
Finn: yayyyy! Lubs you big much Mama!

and with that he zoomed off, calling out "Dada, come see da snakesssssssssss!".
i'm really hopeful that his new nursery placement is going to help his speech and attention and behaviour even more, so that he will be ready for school in 2 years' time. He is doing so well, considering he has severe ADHD and it's manifest at such a young age, and he truly has a heart of gold and is so kind to his brother. And little William is doing great too, he should be able to roll himself over independently any day now and is getting much stronger when we support him to stand up holding onto something. So all good news :)

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More news from the bump

August 31, 2013, 7:12 am

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Sorry i've not been up to posting much recently. i'm dealing with some mixed emotions related to our new nanny starting and the boys going to their new nursery/school, which is making me rather stressed and frazzled. But hopefully things should settle down within the next couple of weeks, and then i want to post some updates on here about our new house, etc.

So i had my 20 week scan recently and it was all good  news. Both babies are looking good and growing well and there's no signs of anything wrong with either of them (and in particular the hearts look fine, which was a worry with William's condition). And the lady doing the ultrasound was able to get a good look at the 'parts' of one baby straight away and told us it was definitely a boy, but the other baby was being really wriggly and it took a while - eventually she was able to get a good look and told us that one was a girl. So we have one of each, which i am really happy about because i wanted at least one girl, to give Poppy a sister. We have decided to name our babies Katelyn and Oliver and i'm looking forward to buying lots of things for them and getting their nursery properly ready, now we know their genders.

Think that's all for now, except to say that the outcome from the doctor's visit i had recently is that my iron levels and thyroid levels were both low, so i am on increased supplements for both of those and have been feeling much better since.

A big week for us this week and then hopefully i will be back to posting more. Wish us luck!

Punished preggo

September 21, 2013, 9:34 am

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i'm actually feeling in a blogging mood this weekend, which makes a change as i haven't felt the urge to post anything here for a few weeks now. So expect a few update posts from me this weekend about our new house, nanny and how the boys are doing at their new nurseries.

i warn you now, though, that i have a bad case of 'baby brain' at the moment, shown through the fact that i keep forgetting things i am meant to be doing, have lost numerous items recently only for them to be found by Sir, JJ (our new nanny), or even Finn in really obvious places, and this morning went to put a washload on only to find that there was already a load in which i had started 10 mins previously and completely forgotten about! So if parts of this weekend's posts don't make sense, you were warned.....

First i wanted to post about the punishment i received this morning. i still feel kind of ashamed about it, but not as bad as i used to feel after a punishment - i guess i'm getting better at moving on when they're done with, just as Sir does.

The reason i was punished is that recently i have been somewhat neglectful in taking care of Sir's needs, such as not doing His laundry correctly or on time, forgetting to make His lunch for work a couple of times and allowing His favourite grocery items to run out and not replacing them. At first Sir was just reminding me, but then He said it got to the point where i wasn't learning from my mistakes, and pregnant or not, He would have to punish me. Sir waited until the new nanny had taken the kids down to the park this morning with my parents, and then told me the time had come.

i was very nervous because i haven't been punished in a while and i was scared about what kind of punishment Sir could do while i am pregnant. But i should have known that Sir would think about that and do something that was safe yet still unpleasant. He brought out a wartenberg wheel, but one with multiple rows of spikes, not the normal one i am used to, and told me He would be using it on my most sensitive areas whilst lecturing me about all the things i had been forgetting to do recently. So i had to stand still while He used it on my titties, then my pussy and then on the bottoms of my feet. He did it over and over each spot before moving on a tiny bit, covering all areas of my sensitive parts, and it felt like He was pressing in really hard, though there's no marks at all afterwards. It was really hard to stand there and keep still because i am so sensitive at the moment, especially on my aurealoas and my pussy and my feet have always been super sensitive and i hate anything prickly on them.

In some ways the lecturing was worst of all and it made me feel so ashamed that Sir had to tell me off for such basic service needs. But eventually the prickling and the lecturing was over and i was allowed to get some lotion rubbed into my skin. i still feel extra sensitive in those areas now, but like i said no marks are visible, so i don't have to worry about hiding them from the nanny when i go swimming or at my ultrasound and doctor's appointments this week.

Sorry Sir, i will do better in future.

A new nanny

September 22, 2013, 1:28 am

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So our new nanny has been with us for a few weeks now and i figured it's time to do a blog post on her. Her name is JJ (that's a shortened version of her real name that everyone calls her because her actual name is so hard to pronounce) and she is originally from the Phillippines, though she has been living in this country for many years and is now a British citizen.

JJ is in her late 40's, is not married and does not have children of her own. She has always worked as a housekeeper/nanny and evidently loves her job. She says that she prefers to stay with the same family for many years and this is what has happened in the past, so if it all works out and we want to keep her on, she would be very happy to do so.

JJ has a lovely manner about her. She is friendly and cheerful, great with the kids, very inventive and playful, encouraging and positive, yet won't take any nonsense and is firm but fair and super consistent. She loves cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, crafts, gardening, all practical things like that and so far has done lots of these activities with the kids, which has thrilled Poppy in particular who is very creative herself. JJ has lots of energy, which is a good thing with Finn and she has that knack of having eyes in the back of her head and can supervise without hovering over him and seems to know instinctively when he is up to mischief, which is very useful! She does not have much previous experience of children with such complex special needs as William, but so far she has shown herself willing to learn and has been happy to supervise him, play with him and carry out some of his therapies.

JJ can be very discreet and knows how to fit into a family without taking over the mother's role and without treading on toes. Despite that, is was difficult in the beginning for me to get used to someone else doing some of 'my' jobs, but i have got past that now and can see how much it is benefitting the kids to have her around and how it gives Sir and i more time together and lets me look after the sprouts inside me without getting too exhausted. Also, after the new twins are born i know that most of my time will be spent on caring for them, so it will be extra important to have JJ to make sure that the needs of the rest of our children are still being met. JJ has quickly learnt the way that i do things and has fitted in seemlessly with the routines of the house. She will do her prescribed jobs automatically and efficiently and will ask if she sees something else that needs doing.

JJ is also a naturally caring person and has been taking care of me in my pregnancy as well as looking after the kids and helping with the housework. She has been giving me special Phillippino massages, which are actually really good, once i got past the awkwardness of having to be almost entirely naked for them! Infact i have continued to swim naked even when JJ is in the house, because i figured that if i start restricting what i normally do around her i am going to start resenting her presence, and she genuinely doesn't seem at all bothered by it.

JJ is quite flexible in her working hours, but at the moment she starts at 11am each day to do some of the household stuff before William arrives home at 12:00 from school. Then she will help me with his therapies or taking him to clubs in the afternoon, and will drive me to collect Poppy and Finn from school and nursery at 3:30pm, and help look after all 3 kidlets until Sir arrives home from work. JJ will cook for the children if they are going to eat before us (which is often easier) and a few times she has made a big family dinner for me and Sir to have as well - she loves cooking so this is something she is very willing to do, and she is a fantastic cook! Sir usually gets home just after 6pm and JJ normally stays on for about an hour to help start getting the children prepared for bed, do a last bit of tidying up, that sort of thing. So she normally works 11am-7pm, but on Wednesdays she has the day off if we want her to work on Saturday instead and help us take the kidlets out somewhere for the day or even just help look after them at home.

So far it has been working out well and i feel very grateful for having JJ in our lives (forgot to mention that all the kids love her and respond well to her, especially Finn). i know how lucky i am that we can afford to have a full-time nanny to help, and i wouldn't be coping so well with mt pregnancy without her (not that it feels like i am coping well on some days, but that's another story).

Think i have covered everything nanny-wise, but feel free to ask questions.

New starts

October 20, 2013, 2:17 am

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So the beginning of September was a new start for pretty much everyone in our family, with Poppy going into a new class at school (mixed Year 1 and 2, rather than Reception) with a different teacher, Finn starting a new nursery which has a specialist 'speech and language unit' but which we were hoping would also be able to support him with this ADHD and William starting part-time in the nursery of a local special school. Plus our new nanny starting, of course, which i have already posted a bit about.

 

In the beginning, i found it quite hard to adjust to all these changes and was worried about the effects they might have on the kids, especially William. But now we are coming up to the end of October, things have settled down a lot and i feel able to look back and reflect on these 'new starts' with a more positive mindset. Let's report on each kidlet, one at a time:

 

Poppy

Poppy is the easiest child to report on, as she is the most adaptable to change and actually looks forward to new things with excitement. She loves new challenges and sees opportunities, rather than difficulties, everywhere. i try to be more like her and adopt her mindset, but fail, i'm afraid.

 

Poppy has settled into her new class really well. She loves her new teacher, who is really encouraging the best out of her, academically (she is in the 'gifted and talented' programme and really being stretched this year so that the school can identify her true abilities and work out how best to support her with meeting her potential) and in other areas, such as interests and hobbies. Poppy now attends several clubs each week, at lunchtimes, after school and during 'golden time' on Friday afternoon when different activities are set up for the pupils to choose from if they have completed all their work. She is really thriving and excelling in this school and i am so pleased for her. She has lots of friends, is confident and popular, developing nicely as a person, without getting a big head about how bright she is, has a good mix of work and play (though would go to every single club available if we would let her!) and truly loves school and learning.

 

So no worries about my little girl!

 

 

Finn

Finn also approached the start of his new nursery with enthusiasm, though with him i think it's more him not really thinking about it at all, rather than looking forward to the opportunities ahead. Finn never really gets worried about anything, though he does look forward to exciting events such as holidays and Christmas, so has some concept of the future and things about to happen. i think though, with most things, he takes them as they come, and this attitude seems to have served him well so far, so maybe i should try to be a bit more like him rather than fretting over things i can't change!

 

Finn also settled in well into his new nursery - it is close to Poppy's school so we drop him off and collect him at the same time as Poppy, which means if she is staying late for a club he gets collected from nursery later, but he doesn't seem to mind. The unit he is in has 8 kidlets, all with a recognised speech and language problem/delay (which Finn does have as he is a lazy talker, won't say every word in a sentence, talks about himself in the third person most of the time, mispronounces his words and has set patterns of speech), but most of them also have another condition or special need which the nursery also do their best to support them with. So the speech problem was really the secondary reason we sent him there, as the unit manager told me they are very experienced in helping youngsters with ADHD.

 

In the beginning, there were the usual problems of Finn being boisterous and overly-enthusiastic about exploring the world, resulting in him pushing children off the top of the slide to see if they would fly, shoving crayons up kids' noses, breaking toys by being too rough with them, etc. But the nursery soon got the measure of him and have devised a daily schedule which doesn't really give him any time at all to get up to mischief. And they have catered for his ADHD by giving him plenty of physical activities and sensory input just prior to expecting him to sit at the table and work on a task (even for a few minutes), so that for the first time in his life, little Finn is actually taking part in 'work' such as letters, numbers, shapes, colours, cutting and sticking and he even painted me an actual picture of him and William rather than a random scribble as he zoomed past the page (the picture is now in pride of place on the fridge)!

 

It turns out that little Finn is very bright in most areas, though seems to have some difficulty in recognising letters, even though he is trying really hard, so we are going to keep an eye on that. But in all other areas he is making good progress, learning new things and sailing through the curriculum that the nursery usually use, to the point where they are already having to advance him on more quickly than they normally would. Finn also loves going to nursery, asks me everyday "nursy day yesssssssss?" and beams at me when i tell him "yes", though he does also make the most of his weekends and evenings at home. The new swimming pool in our house in particular is helping him to start his days in a calmer manner than before, and he makes full use of the play equipment, trampoline and extra space in the garden to use up some of his boundless energies.

 

So no concerns about Finn at the moment, either, except for him still being a whirlwind!

 

 

William

William is a bit of a different story, with his starting at nursery a mixed bag. In the beginning he was very unsettled there, would cry when i put him on the bus to be taken to school (he qualifies for free school transport as his school is several miles away) and was reportedly quite unhappy there for most of the morning - alternating between temper tantrums or opting out of everything. He also refused to eat or drink anything whilst there, which is a sign of anxiety with him, and had more than the usual amount of seizures during his mornings at school during the first few weeks.

 

Which as you can imagine, was very stressful for me as his mother, as well as for William. But we stuck with it, because i knew that one day he is going to have to get used to a school environment, and better to ease him in part-time now. Also i really wanted the extra support he would receive from being in the special school system, so persevered with sending him, even though i knew he was unhappy there. And gradually, little William has started to come around to the idea of being in school every morning. The teacher reports that his tantrums are becoming less often and that he is beginning to show interest in some of the activities and is willing to join in for short periods of time, with help. He is now drinking at school, but still refusing to eat most days, but i am not too worried as he comes home in time for lunch anyway - so this is something to work on for the future when he will attend full-time. The seizures have also lessened, so that he has the 'normal' amount for him, which i think is a big indicator of his stress levels decreasing. And he no longer cries when i put him on the bus every morning, and seems happy when he arrives back home, which makes it so much easier on me.

 

Most importantly, William is currently being assessed by the staff in the nursery there and will soon have his first IEP with individual targets for him to work on, which we can also support him with at home. And he is also being assessed by the therapists and has had a specialist class chair and standing frame ordered for him to help his posture when sitting and to start working on him gaining strength through his legs ready for him to stand and walk! i'm so pleased that he has access to these services as i know how important it is to start from a young age.

 

So, after some initial difficulties, little William is now doing much better at his new school, and is not so much of a worry as he was at first. And we are starting to see the potential benefits for him, so i feel like we made the right decision in sending him at this age.

 

 

Thanks for reading this far, sorry if some of it came out scrambled due to my baby brain! Will report back from my ultrasound scan this Tuesday :)

 

 

Ultrasound updates

October 28, 2013, 1:35 am

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i am now 29 weeks pregnant and continuing to go for scans every 4 weeks, though i think that increases to every 2 weeks after the next scan (at 32 weeks).

So far all the scans have gone well, the babies are growing nicely and there's no signs of any problems with either of them - including the heart issues which led to William being diagnosed while he was still inside me.

Katelyn is a bit bigger than Oliver and she is definitely more wriggly than him - it can be hard for the ultrasound technician to get a good look at her as she moves around so much! When the boys were inside me, they tended to keep to the same sides, but so far these twins haven't done that and have been in different places each time they are scanned. Though i think now they are beginning to run out of room, that could change soon!

At last week's ultrasound scan, Oliver was estimated to be 3lbs 5oz and Katelyn 3lbs 8oz, so they are good weights, especially for twins. i am aiming for 36 weeks minimum to keep them inside me, for their lung development, and then after that they can come out anytime they like, but preferably not Christmas Day! We are going to wrap some presents for them though, incase they are with us for Christmas, so that they are included in the celebrations and the other children see that they are part of our family.

i'm getting to the stage when i just want them out now, as it is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and achey having them inside me and it can be tricky to breathe sometimes when they are pressing upwards and it makes me pee a lot because they also push on my bladder. i am getting backaches, pelvis pains and aches down the sides of my bump, though all of those have been alleviated a bit with a support belt i was given by the physio. i am going to water relaxation classes and pregnancy pilates, both of which are very beneficial and JJ our new nanny is great at massage. Also going for a gentle swim each day seems to help and i have been resting with my feet up as much as possible, which has greatly helped the swelling in my legs and feet to go down.

i find that i have to eat and sleep in short, regular bursts now as i don't have room inside me for big meals anymore and find it hard to get comfy to sleep for long periods. But with the help of JJ and Sir i am lucky to have time in the day to nap. Oh, and no stretch marks so far, which i am very pleased about! Can't think of any more news, but please ask questions if you have any.

Hurricane St Jude

October 30, 2013, 8:29 am

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Just a quick update on the hurricane which happened here in the UK on Monday.

We are all fine, no damage to our house/property, no injuries, not even much inconvenience to us in the end.

Sir worked from home that day as He wasn't sure how safe or easy it would be to get to work. He was up early to watch the storm and check it didn't pose any danger to us, but although there were some strong winds, it didn't seem as bad where we were as predicted, so we just sat and watched the winds blowing around through our patio doors.

Little Finn was very excited about the "hurryhane", but disappointed that nothing went "boom" as he was hoping. Poppy and William weren't too fussed, but annoyed that we had to stay in all day. A couple of trees fell down elsewhere in the village, blocking the roads and all the trains were cancelled for the whole day, but otherwise it was all fine.

i know that elsewhere in the country there were much worse problems, gas explosions, significant damage to houses, cars, railway lines, piers, etc. and 4 people were killed. i also know that in some places there were power cuts and flooding for quite some time. So we got off lightly.

Sorry!

December 2, 2013, 10:31 am

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Didn't mean to worry anyone by not replying to emails or posting on here for a while.
Been finding the last couple of months of my pregnancy tough going - physically, mentally and emotionally. i just want these babies out now and for me to be able to have my body back. But everything is fine with the bump sprouts, they are growing really well and all the scans look good.

Might be back to post more soon if i can summon the energy. Thanks for all the good thoughts.


libby
xxxx

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Sooooooo things may finally be happening......

December 22, 2013, 5:06 am

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.... i have been getting some contractions on/off all morning. They're not really painful yet and not lasting very long or very frequent, but it's a sign that my babies may be on the way if my last 2 births are anything to go by. i haven't lost my mucus plug or had my waters break yet, but am hopeful that the contractions will progress, those things will happen and i will be going into hospital to have my babies later tonight or perhaps tomorrow, depending on how things go.

Is it silly of me to hope that i can be back home with my babies for Christmas Day? Part of me is just focused on delivering them safely and not worrying about when it happens or how long we have to stay in for afterwards, but i really don't want to give birth on Christmas Day itself (both for my sake and the babies) and i will feel like i have missed out on an important day with the kidlets if i am in hospital for Christmas Day and don't get to see them open their presents or have Christmas dinner with them.

i know there's not much i can do about it, but going by what happened with the birth of Finn and William, a part of me is hoping i can deliver and be discharged back home nice and quick, like before. But i guess we'll just wait and see.

In other news: we took the kidlets to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park recently, and it was great! Finn was relatively calm (for him), which made things easier for Sir, but now he is bigger he wanted to go on lots of the rides, so that kept Sir pretty busy! All 3 kidlets met Father Christmas and told him what they want as presents - Finn had a long list, but at the end he said "and member you bringing da babies" and pointed to my belly! He truly believes that 'Sannie" is going to bring the new babies for Christmas, so i really hope i can make his wish come true.

Poppy played the part of an angel in her Christmas show, and was fantastic at it, remembering all her lines and all the words and actions to the songs. my Mum helped out by making her costume and we have purchased the DVD of the show to keep and treasure. William was a donkey in his school show and was pretty cooperative with going on stage, though he did get a bit restless at one point - it's a special school though, so lots of the kiddies didn't even make it onto the stage and a few were wrestling with their costumes once on there, so everyone understood. William did pretty good with his costume, but wouldn't have the donkey head/hat on as he hates things on his head. Finn was an innkeeper in his nursery show and he was great! He came bursting out of his 'door' when Mary and Joseph knocked on it, delivered his line with enthusiasm and then closed his 'door' so hard that the middle part fell out and he was left standing there in the doorframe! It was hilarious and so typical of my little whirlwind - not that it phased him at all, he just stood there shaking his head at Mary and Joseph until they moved onto the next 'inn'.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. Have a very happy Christmas everyone and i hope to be able to bring news of 2 healthy little babies next time i post on here :)

libby
xxxx

Safe and Sound

December 23, 2013, 4:07 am

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libby asked me to let her blog readers know that the babies arrived this morning, at 1:04am and 1:13am, via a natural delivery. Katelyn was born first weighing 6lbs and 4oz, and Oliver second, weighing 6lbs. Mum and babies are doing well - though libby was not too happy about needing a couple of stitches - and expected to come home sometime tomorrow. We will be creating a Tribbit site, as with our other babies, where people can see a photo and leave comments.

libby and Myself wish all her blog readers a very Happy Christmas.


Peter

Christmas babies

December 27, 2013, 2:25 am

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So i wanted to post an update with information about the twins' birth and how they have been doing since then, and also some details about our Christmas as a family of 7! i still can't believe that i am the mummy of 5 children (plus 1 angel baby), but our house is definitely full of plenty of noise and activity, so i guess it must be true!

Anyway.... i started getting some contractions on the morning of the 22nd, a bit painful but nothing bad and they were still quite spread out. So i pottered about the house, had a bath, rechecked my hospital bag, sent emails and blog posts to let people know this could be it, and then waited. By the afternoon the contractions were getting stronger and gradually closer together, so Sir took the kidlets to my parents' house, as we had arranged and then sat with me until i felt it was time to go to the hospital. i lost my mucus plug and my waters broke at some point that afternoon, but i can't remember exactly when as things are a bit fuzzy in my head. i just remember focusing on getting through each contraction and feeling excited but nervous that the babies were on their way.

We got to the hospital at about 8pm and i was checked and found to be 4cms dilated and progressing fine. And most importantly both babies were fine on the monitoring and not getting distressed at all and Katelyn was in a great position ready to come out. To be honest, i don't really recall much of the next few hours, i was just breathing through the contractions and using my birthing ball and relying on the support of my Sir, who was fantastic as always. i know i was given the all-clear to start pushing at about 12:30am and Katelyn was born at 1:04am on 23rd Dec and i remember looking at her and thinking she was absolutely beautiful and i was so lucky to have this baby, and not only that but there was another one waiting to be born still! i got a bit of snuggle time with Katelyn before my contractions returned and i started pushing for Oliver, and like last time he came out really easily with some hands pressing on my belly to give me something to push against - at 1:13am. i know i was really lucky to be able to give birth to 2 sets of twins naturally, without needing a caesarean, and i am grateful for that, but i was upset to be told that i had a tear that would need a couple of stitches. But now, looking back, i just feel incredibly lucky that i had relatively easy births each time and that my babies were all born fine and did not need any special help or to stay in hospital for any length of time.

Katelyn weighed 6lbs 4oz and Oliver 6lbs, which are both great weights for twins, especially at 37 weeks, so i am proud of that and again so thankful to my Sir who controls all of my food intake while i am pregnant and ensures that i get enough calories as well as enough of each type of food. Both babies scored 9 out of 10 on the Apgar test and were given a clean bill of health and allowed to stay with me without needing to go off for any special care. i was able to breastfeed them about an hour after they were born, and both of them have a really good latch but are completely different in their approach to feeding - Katelyn is a guzzler and drinks as fast as she can and is done within 5-10mins, whereas Oliver likes to take his time and savour his food (drink?) and takes much longer. This has stayed true since - Katelyn is already on a 2 hourly schedule and will feed for approx 10-12 mins and be done, but Oliver is very erratic with his feeding, it can be anywhere from 45mins to 4 hours apart and he takes up to 30mins with each feed. Which has been making things a little tricky, but at the moment i am happy to feed on demand, as each baby needs, though i am trying to get Oliver to tie in with Katelyn's schedule as this would make things so much easier. At the moment, though, he completely refuses to feed if he is not ready to, and will not be put off feeding when he wants to, so i have to just go with it and hope he settles to a more regular schedule soon.

Having said that, Oliver is in all other ways a very easy-going baby - he rarely cries, is not demanding of anything except when he wants to feed, will happily wait his turn if Katelyn goes first with something, is easily soothed by being sung to, will settle himself to sleep once put down in his cot and loves being in his swing or being held by someone. Katelyn is a little different - if she wants something she lets you know about it rather insistently and she is not happy to wait! But she is not too bad to get settled down to sleep, after some rocking in someone's arms, and she is a great sleeper once she is down and can be resettled fairly easily if something does wake her up. Katelyn is definitely the bossy one, she likes to go first with everything and is not at all happy if she has to wait, but we can work on that as she gets older! She too loves to be held and snuggled and rocked and sung to and she is a very contented little girl when in her swing. We have 2 swings in the lounge where we can put the babies to be near us during the day, and 2 Moses baskets in the lounge where they can take a nap. Then at night we have the babies sleeping in a bedside cot in our room, but their nursery is all fitted out with 2 bigger cribs for when they are ready to transfer into there when they are a bit older. i like to have my babies sleeping in with me (but not in my bed) for the first few weeks at least.

i was able to come home from hospital with the babies on the evening of the 24th (Christmas Eve!) after Sir had put the kidlets to bed and left them in the care of JJ. Both Sir and our nanny JJ have been absolutely fantastic since then, with JJ doing extra hours over the Christmas holidays to help out. She has been brilliant so far at taking care of things like the laundry, cleaning, tidying and the cooking/shopping so that Sir and i can focus on looking after our children and she is also great at keeping Poppy, Finn and William amused and safe whilst i am seeing to the babies. She will get them washed and dressed, change nappies, provide them with food and drink, supervise them playing or in the garden, organise activities in the house to keep them amused, generally be a modern-day Mary Poppins. And she is great with the babies too! Sir has also been wonderful, so that all i have to focus on right now is keeping the babies fed, warm and clean. my stitches have been fine so far, just a couple of twinges if i move in the wrong way. i was given some advice on looking after them and helping them to heal from an email friend, so that has been helpful too. i have a check-up with my doctor scheduled early in the new year and i know he will want to talk about birth-control options with me, as i tend to fall pregnant by Sir realllllly easily! But until then i am just enjoying being with my new babies and spending time with the other kidlets over the Christmas holidays, and of course with my wonderful Sir. i feel so incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic Master/husband, live in such a beautiful house and be mummy to 5 such amazing children! i feel that my family is now complete and i have been feeling very content and happy since the babies were born. So it looks like 2014 is going to be a really great year!

Before i finish, i wanted to write a bit about our Christmas as a family of 7. i didn't actually see the kidlets on Christmas Eve because i got home after they were in bed and i didn't want to risk waking them up again (especially not the whirlwind Finn, who was soooooooo excited about Christmas!). So on Christmas morning when we heard Finn calling from his room and Sir went to get him and William, and Poppy wandered through at about the same time (it may sound awful but we have to secure Finn into his room at night using a door security chain, so that he can't wreck the house but we can still check on him and get inside easily) it was a surprise to all 3 kidlets to find Mummy home. After lots of hugs and kisses, and some excited jumping and rolling from Finn, suddenly one of the babies made a noise in their cot and the kidlets then realised that the babies were there too, and Finn was absolutely beside himself with joy - bless him. "Sannie bring da babies!!" and he is now convinced that they were brought by Santa Claus on the night of Christmas Eve, just as all the other presents were. Poppy i think has more idea of where they really came from, but she was just pleased to have Mummy home for Christmas and the new babies here at last, and she hasn't stopped chatting and singing to them since. She is very pleased to have a sister, but can't wait for her to grow a bit so they can do girly things together, and she is a good helper when i need her to fetch something for me. Finn's first question was whether each baby has a "dilly or frilly" (in other words boy or girl bits) and we ended up having to show him as he was quite insistent in knowing. Once he had seen, he seemed satisfied that he had indeed got 1 brother and 1 sister as we had told him, and then attention turned to the presents and we watched (or helped) as the kidlets opened up their presents from their Santa sacks and we also opened a couple of presents from Katelyn and Oliver's stockings that we got for them just incase they had arrived before the big day.

After breakfast, it was time for more present-opening and all the kidlets seemed pleased with what they had got. For their main presents we got Poppy a kiddie laptop of her own, as she is always using mine and it will be useful for her school work, we got Finn a 'police' go-kart, but one you have to pedal yourself as he would be dangerous with a powered one, and for William we got a hammock swing for the playroom as he has outgrown his baby one and loves the swinging motion. i was very lucky with the presents i got, as always, and while i am very grateful for what i got i am not going to post about them here as Christmas was about being with my babies and my kidlets this year. Sir cooked the Christmas dinner for us, and it was delicious with plenty to go round (and Finn actually enjoyed the sprouts this year and did not throw them at the wall!) - we are still finishing up the leftover turkey now; i think Sir is making a turkey curry for later. For the rest of Christmas Day we watched the kidlets playing with their toys, watched some TV and a DVD together, ate far too much and just generally enjoyed being together and getting used to the new additions to our family. The kidlets have been great with the babies so far - very gentle and patient (well William has been pretty much oblivious to be honest, but no negative reaction so that's good), except that Finn seems to be developing a jealous streak towards Oliver when he is feeding or being held by me. Finn suddenly becomes very demanding and must have my attention immediately during those times and tries every trick in the book to get me to put Oliver down and come and see to him (Finn) instead. i'm doing my best to work around it and give Finn plenty of attention at other times, but so far he still seems jealous (he even asked if he could nurse this morning), so we'll see how it goes.

i think that's all for now - i've actually written this post in 3 sittings in between feeding the babies - but i'm glad i've been able to post an update. Tribbit isn't working for new pages for some reason, so i'm trying a different site which i hope will work out ok. The link is below if you want to see a photo of Katelyn and Oliver and please leave comments:

http://community.babycenter.com/announcements/179470e67122d7addc0ff365f809f15e

Looking back

January 1, 2014, 9:16 am

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1. What did you do this year that you've never done before?
Hired a nanny, sent William to school, chose to swim topless in public (in a spa), had our own swimming pool.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i don't think i ever got round to making any for this year, but i do plan to make some for 2014 - see next post :)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth this year?
i did - right near the end of the year, and i was so thankful to have them out of me at last!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit this year?
We had a lovely family holiday in France in the summer.

6. What would you like to have in the next year that you lacked this year?
Same answer as last year - more time and more energy! A Statement for Finn would be great, as we have been refused that twice this year and have to wait at least a year (i think) before we can apply again. Also i would like to have more of this feeling of contentment and peace that i have been feeling since the new babies have been born. 

7. What date from this year will remain etched upon your memory and why?
24th July - the day we moved into our new house; 23rd Dec - our new baby twins were born.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Giving birth to twins naturally, for the second time, and completing our family. Also i think i have done well to get used to having a nanny in our house, so i am proud of myself for that.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major - just some issues with my thyroid and iron levels while i was preggie.

10. What did you get really, really, really excited about this year?
Getting pregnant and meeting our new twins.

11. What song will always remind you of this year?
Took me a while to think of this one, but i have chosen 'What does the fox say?' from the viral YouTube video because i remember watching that and singing that lots while i was preggie.

12. Compared to this time last year are you:- happier or sadder? :- richer or poorer? :- thinner or fatter?
happier i think - i've been feeling very contented since giving birth to the twins, like a part of my life is complete and i'm doing what i'm meant to do; prolly poorer (i don't have anything to do with the finances as Sir takes care of it all) - due to paying for a nanny; fatter - as i have a mummy tummy i need to get rid of.

13. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Swimming and using the jacuzzi (not been able to do that while i was preggie - looking forward to spending lots of time in there to destress). Also i would like to have had more opportunities to express my slave side and serve Sir in different ways - i am going to try to be more inventive in finding ways to incorporate service with being a wife and mummy with 5 young children and a nanny in the house in 2014.

14. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Not sure of this one - probably getting stressed and anxious and grumpy.

15. Did you fall in love this year?
i am already in love with my Sir.

16. What was your favourite TV program for the year?
i haven't watched many TV programmes (as usual), but i did enjoy 'I'm a Celebrity', 'Strictly Come Dancing' and the new series of 'The Big Bang Theory'.

17. What was the best book you read this year?
Haven't had time for much reading this year, but i have been reading some craft books and hope to try out some of the projects (in my free time - haha).

18. What was your favourite film of the year?
The second Hunger Games film, and i am also expecting that the second Hobbit film will be great when i get to see it.

19. Who was the best new person you met this year?
Again, some new people from the chatroom.

20. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned for this year?
That i don't need to personally care for all of my children all of the time to be a good mummy to them.

Hopes for 2014

January 2, 2014, 10:32 am

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So i'm not going to set actual New Year's resolutions, but i have been thinking about things i want to work on and achieve this year, and also Sir and i have been talking about some of our plans for this year, so i figured i'd share some details here:



- with regards to the new babies, i want to try to breastfeed them exclusively for the first 6 months or so, then see how i feel about carrying on after that. Also i plan to get them involved in some 'mother and babies' clubs, possibly some of those i went to with Poppy and the boys, but maybe some new ones too. Most of all, i want to really enjoy every moment with these babies while they're still little, because this time is precious and i'll never get it back again. We plan for this to be the last time we have new babies in our family, so i'm going to snuggle them close, spend quality time with them, take lots of photos and videos and treasure the chance to get to know my new little beans this year.

- for William, i want to try to get his seizures a bit more under control by talking to his doctors at his yearly review this year and perhaps tweaking his current meds if they agree. i also want to get him even more settled at school, so that he will eat there and drink better there and join in more activities - all of which will show that he is feeling happy in his environment. i plan to use his IEP meeting, which is coming up later this year, to speak to the therapists working with him at school, get copies of his current programmes, and work on the same targets at home. It would be nice to get William weight-bearing better by the end of the year, perhaps even pulling himself to standing or standing independently holding onto something, maybe even taking steps using a walking frame. my greatest hope is that he starts to walk independently this year, but it may be a bit early to push for that yet - we will see. It would also be nice to work on some of William's sensory sensitivities some more this year, to get him to tolerate a wider range of textures and get him eating a wider variety of foods. Overall, my hope for William in 2014 is that he continues to make progress and develop as much as is possible for him, and that he is happy as much of the time as he can be, and doesn't suffer any major health issues. Sir and i have talked about revising William's current therapy schedule at home, as we feel that it isn't working as well as it could do now that he goes to school every morning - more details on that soon.

- for Finn, we would like to get him involved in some clubs and activities this year to try to use up some of his physical energy, provide him with sensory input and boost his self esteem. We have talked about Judo, gymnastics, horse-riding, swimming and trampolining lessons and are currently looking at what is available, what would suit him best and what would fit into our family schedule the most. Apart from that, my hopes for Finn in 2014 are that he learns to control his behavioural outbursts a bit better, learns to cope with his ADHD a bit more, and continues to be his happy, cheery self. Oh, and that his jealousy of Oliver completely resolves.

- for Poppy, i just want her to continue to enjoy her lessons at school, and have as many opportunities to be stretched and extended as possible, without overdoing it and tiring her out. We are looking into which extra clubs and activities to start Poppy on this year, both those offered by her school and by other companies. And i also want to try to spend more 1:1 time with Poppy in 2014 as i am aware that i don't always get the time to do this as much as i would like.

- as a family, we would like to do some new outings and activities together, spend time at home with each other, make full use of our pool and garden, and bond with the new babies. Also Sir and i have talked about going to Center Parcs for a little family holiday in the summer, when the babies are a bit older, and taking our nanny away with us to help us out. Sir is currently looking into whether this will be possible or suitable for us, and if so we will book it up soon. Our other plans include making full use of the vegetable garden to grow more things, learning how to preserve more of the fruit which is grown in our orchard, possible starting to sell the excess produce we have, and possibly hatching some chicks from eggs and keeping a few chickens in the back garden for their eggs.

- with regards to my submission/slavery: i would like to find ways to serve Sir whilst being the mummy of 5 young children with a nanny around, feel more 'balanced' in my life, learn some new skills and start some simple training with Sir as and when we can, and get back on track with the D/s side to our relationship, even if it needs to be somewhat muted at the moment. Sir has talked about incorporating new rituals and routines into my day which keep me reminded of who and what i am, but won't be too overt. So i am feeling hopeful about this aspect of my life in 2014.

- and finally, personally, i would like to learn and develop new crafts and practical skills this year, work on my scrapbooking, do more cooking and baking and jam-making, things like that. i would like to start some gentle exercise as soon as the doctor gives me the OK to do so, gradually work off my mummy tummy and get myself back into shape by the end of the year, make full use of our swimming pool and jacuzzi and enjoy being in our new house. Basically i want to become a country housewife!

i think that's all our major hopes and plans. Please feel free to ask questions and leave comments :)