Appointment with the Haematology Paediatrician

Well it's been a busy day today, I had the dentist in the morning which went well apart from Chloe starting to cry as soon as I sat in the chair! She got lots of attention in the waiting room, and at Morrisons when I popped in on the way home to get mince for spag bol for tea!

Anyway Chloe's appointment was at the childrens day hospital, it's a separate building from the rest of St James hospital and it's really nice and has a lovely friendly relaxed atmosphere. She had to have some blood taken from her heel again, this time daddy held her and she did cry :o( and all the nurses made a fuss of her. She was weighed (4.45kg = 9lb 8oz)and had her height measured (55") The consultant explained that Chloe's haemaglobin levels were fine and she is doing well. They were going to repeat the test to confirm she definately has HS (Hereditory Sphereotysosis) as it is a fairly new test. We have to keep an eye on her and if she ever looks yellow and pale we have to get in touch with them, and we can phone them directly. They are going to review her in 2 months time.

After we had tea, (Dave decided he couldn't face my cooking and ordered a chinese!) I called my mum to tell her how it went and then my sis, as alongside me, she also has HS and so does my nephew Jason.

We are going up to visit at the weekend. :o)

Bev's visit

We had a lovely day today, managed to get out and go to the post office around 11am, called at tesco's too. When we got back Chloe was still asleep so off we went to the pub and Bev treated me to my lunch, Chloe kept opening her eyes and I was panicing that she was going to start crying and want feeding, but she drifted off to sleep. We then even managed a trip to Sainsburys also, Bev spent a fortune, a new microwave and a panini maker for her new house.

We had a lovely time, talking about, babies, weddings and Bev's new home. We also talked about our friendship, and how odd we have managed nearly 30 years of being friends! How our lives have kept meeting up, after Bev moving to Carlisle and how weird it was to discover we were both doing YTS's with ATMays, and we ended up going to college together, then Bev staying with me everytime she was working near by for Thomas Cook. I would like to scrap this, I can't think of a word to use at the moment which best describe's it all. Will get back to you when it comes to me, although suggestions are apprieciated!

Anyway it was lovely to have Bev here, and I really enjoyed her visiting and it was just what I needed. :o) Thankyou Bev! xx

25th Scrap your day - Shimelle

Well my day started at 4am in the morning when Chloe woke up, I took some photo's but as you can imagine they aren't great because I was half asleep! Later on I read the prompt from Shimelle which suggested reflections, so I tried taking pictures of things with a reflection, such as our kettle and the TV, unfortunately none of the piccys turned out great, I think the idea was there but I could have done with someone else taking the photo's.

Bev came down to Leeds on the train, and met Dave at the station at 4pm ish, then Chloe and I met them both at Woodlesford.

Ian, Claire and William popped in to visit too, unfortunately Chloe spent most of the time crying, I tried to feed her to settle her but she was having none of it!

Dave and I couldn't believe how much William had grown, he is gorgous and was smiling and giggling the whole time he was here. He is not far of walking either at only 9 months old!

After they went, Chloe decided to settle down and we had a chinese for tea! By this time I forgot about scrap your day and didn't take any more photo's apart from bedtime!

Anyway we had a lovely evening, and I had half a glass of wine!

Chloe Victoria Born 18th August at 8:15pm

Welcome my beautiful little girl!

Chloe's arrival 18th

Well after I had my breakfast at the hospital the midwife came in and said she was coming to induce me, and let's get cracking, she said once she was given the go ahead, she got a move on incase they changed their minds! So after being checked she induced me at 10am, using some gel, she said I was already a very tiny bit dilated (it must have been all that raspberry leaf tea I drunk!) I called Dave but said there was no rush as it could take a while, he appeared an hour later after he had took his parents shopping for some food,as they don't drive they would be stuck at our house with nothing to eat!(they arrived yesterday by train from Birmingham)

I had a lovely lunch at hospital, jacket potato and salad, this could be my last meal for a while! Dave was on the phone to work, giving his boss an update as they hadn't seen each other for a handover because he had just got back to work that day after paternity leave, I was getting contractions and they were getting alot stronger and I was pacing around the room! Saying this has got to be labour, if it isn't I dread to think what is! I went to see the midwife to ask her, she came and put the machine on me to monitor the contractions, at this point all the family arrived to see me, (Visiting time, 3pm) my parents and Daves parents! Luckily they weren't all allowed in, just 2 at a time! A few minutes later they were taking me to the labour ward as I was 3cm dilated.

WARNING PLEASE DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH! only joking its not that bad!

They got me onto the bed and I managed to be sick all over the floor! I was given gas and air, Dave was really good, he told me when to breath, he held my hand, he mopped my forehead with a cold towel and he encouraged me the whole way through, he wasn't just good he was amazing! (I found out later he was also updating the Leeds Paper Doll's thread on his iphone! How many pairs of hands did he have?!) I was given pephadine as a pain relief, I didn't think it was working but Dave and the midwife said it was! I also kept saying I had had enough now and I want to go home! I then asked for an epidural and was told it too late, I was 10cm dilated! Next I was feeling the urge to push and the midwife said don't! Then she said push and after 3 or 4 pushes out baby came, she held her up and Dave said it's a girl!

Dave got to cut the cord, then there was a slightly scary moment, as she stopped breathing, the midwife pressed the buzzer and another midwife came rushing in, she took her away and within seconds we heard a cry from our baby! Thankgoodness! The midwife said it was expected and it was a reaction from the pephadine.

Dave's phone started to ring and it was Richard, Dave's brother, he was told that he was an uncle but not to tell the grandparents because they didn't know yet!

I still had to deliver the placenta, and also get some stitches for the three tears! Apparently I was giggling while the midwife was stitching me up! Dave then phoned the grandparents to give them the good news, the arrival of Chloe Victoria, born at 8:15pm weighing 7lb 10oz.

The grandparents were allowed in to see us before Chloe was taken to the Neonatal ward, Dave went with her to see where she was, then I was taken down to see her. I didn't last long seeing Chloe because it was very hot and I wasn't feeling too well, then on the way up to ward 3, I kept being sick, it wasn't nice, thankgoodness they had given me a bowl, as I filled it! Dave got me settled on the ward in my own room, then went home shattered and starving!

Inducement Day

Well on the morning of the 17th September at 7:30am, I called the hospital as instructed to see if we should go in, and they said YES! OMG! I was told to have breakfast before we went, so we did at the hospital we waited and they put some machines on me to monitor the baby's heartbeat, as the continued, we were told that there was 2 other women who were also waiting to be induced, and there wasn't enough cots. Then in the evening, the doctor came to see me and advised us that a lady was having twins so they would be unable to induce me as they needed the cot's for them! They said I could stay in or go home, so we decided after a while that I would stay in so if there was a chance of induction the following day, I would be there and ready.