Being wheezy, isn’t easy !

Being wheezy, isn't easy !.

Being wheezy, isn’t easy !

 

The past week has thrust upon me a very difficult situation. I have been asthmatic for as long as I can remember- always my friend Ventolin Inhaler on my person 24hrs a day. But this week I had a terrible scare.

Well cast back to last year at roughly this exact time of the year I had a severe reaction to a nut, resulting in Anaphylaxis !!!!! Most scary experience known to man and I have lived through a few.  Since then I have been vigilant in the looking after of myself for me, but also for the family. As I am the main care giver and responsible for most goings on within the home. 

I have mentioned I always carry my reliever inhaler with me at all times. They are in every room of my house and possibly every hand bag I own lol! I also have to carry some epi -pens a bottle of piriton tablets and identification cards alerting medical care givers to my known allergies.Nightmare really -no small clutch bags for me from now on. 

Well last Tuesday I had a very busy day as hubby is off early to work but also had two other planned activities for the evening. I was delighted when I was able to get all younger 5 children bathed and in bed hooray single handed ( with a wee bit of assistance from older siblings entertaining younger ones whilst the neccesity of hair washing and the like were carried out.) I do admit that at the end of the day I was very tired but was still standing …just!

The following day we always try and attend our local toddlers group. I think it is important to escape the confines of your home and chat with others and it provides a wonderful setting for the kids to socially interact, build friendships and play freely. So that particular Wednesday was no different. Kids all turned out – I even had time for myself to get ready – which was more than a quick splash out the sink and some leave in dry shampoo lol!!

Once there we had great fun dress up, role play decorating biscuits and having a ball. Towards the end of the session my youngest son was being mischievous running in and out of the main playroom and up a huge flight of stairs at one point. My tiredness from the evening before had caught up with me and I was looking forward to chilling out at home. So belongings gathered we made our way home. 

Its so beautiful at this time of year where I stay as the blossom in all in full bloom and petals scatter around you like small puffs of candyfloss dancing in the breeze. But it was this natural beauty which was to be the trigger for my down fall. My breathing became laboured I felt my temperature soar and tried my hardest to just get myself indoors , take my medicine and all would be well. BUT NO!!!!! I left the changing bag at the toddler group. Luckily my 5 month old was sleeping and the older two could sense Mummy was not well. I panicked!!! 

After a few bursts of my inhaler I remembered I had the organiser of the groups number was in my phone and got on the case of my bag getting to me. Hooray! Within minutes a few friends delivered my bag to me and almost instantly the overall feeling of dread and doom subsided, my heart stopped racing so much and I was calmer. So thankful to my friends Rena and Gillian you are stars!!!!

I think being responsible for so many people and their time tables, needs and wants makes me, even though I would not possibly admit it in any other circumstances, very controlling. I think that is why this past half week i have found so unbearably depressing and unnerving as I have had to sit  back and relax ( doctors orders accompanied with a short dose of wonder drugs steroids to sort my chest situation out.) 

So today, now in the wee hours of Monday morning I am beginning to feel like myself. I had a super better day today been able to cook and contribute to the day to day goings on in the household. I have wound down with the help of a few good movies Chocolat , The Hobbit and a large glass of red wine. Ready to face the next week rested and recouperated – which might be necessary as the youngest three have all started to display early signs of chicken pox grrrrrrr!!!!

Silent Sunday

Pirate Ship Eggs

Perfect lunch to accompany viewing of Peter Pan on a cold wet day

Is today over?

It’s 23.57 not quite Sunday yet, and I have been on the go since 5 ish this morning.I thank partying hard (life before kids) for enabling me to function on such a meagre ration of zzzz’s.

Our youngest is teething 😦 It seems no amount of calpol, teething powders or hugs in general are providing her with any relief. I do not know why I am surprised, as the other 5 were exactly the same, but when expecting a new baby your mind softens the hard bits of parenting- that is until they happen.

My tag team member was no where to be seen either as he works all day Sat. So for the best part of the whole day it is little old me and my half dozen brood. I do get a small amount of respite- as without fail my good old Mum pops in for a cup of coffee,and  chat. I think she is just checking we are all still alive Ha! The work of a mother is never done.

I do not know what possessed me but in amongst the chaos of the teething baby, mischeivious toddler, wailing 4 year old, middluns ( the affectionate term we use to describe the 2nd and 3rd born- very close in age and also full of misheif ) and the pre- teens demands I scheduled a delivery of shopping or messages as we call them in Scotland. 

I embarrassingly do not drive, I have sat tests the -first sending me into premature labour (well I think so anyway ;-))but need to work on my whole confidence first before attempting again.The idea of all 7 of us traipsing on a bus and navigating a supermarket fills me with dread. God bless internet shopping!

So all 8 crates ( the poor delivery man had to make two trips) are transported to the house and packed away without much fuss- many hands make light work and all that!

The rest of the day disappeared into a haze of food making, clearing up,re-cycling, nappy changing, chasing our 2 year old, cradling of baby, breast and bottle feeding. But somehow I managed to whip up a chicken roast dinner (Ta da!) in perfect time for the hubby’s return from work- much to his delight. He was famished.

Unfortunately this adult company was not to last as he was to attend a 40th birthday party without me. Another evening of staying home with the kids for me then. We rarely go out and finding a babysitter who is willing to take on the six of our crew is like finding a needle in a haystack. My mum normally steps in but was timetabled  to work boo hiss!

So feeling a bit like Cinderella, been slaving away all day and there is no sign of a fairy godmother making an appearance ( All those fairy tales I read as a youngster – i feel robbed.)

So once hubby closed the door off out galavanting again baby was sleeping, I bath half the children the other half can be done tomorrow. 3 in bed and 3 still up not so bad could be worse.

I have a very close bond with my eldest child. I was very young only 20 when I brought him into the world. We have been through a lot together.Hes only been on this earth 12 years but its hard to remember life with out him. Anyway enough sentimental gubbings. 

After my tough day, I come downstairs weary and disheartened to find my wonder boy is cradling his baby sister, has the kettle on, a dvd selected and by heavens the biscuit tin has been brought out too.Brilliant! 

So just when you are about to give upon fairy tales ( silly woman tat I am ),remember someone- somewhere will be there to help.Not in the usual form of a fairy godmother but even better your own son ❤

Night Mamma GC X

 

 

Get back on your bike!

As its coming up for my little baby’s fifth month upon this wonderful earth of ours I think it is now time I have to think about getting back to fitness.

I suffered horrendously, and still am if I am honest, with severe pelvis separation whilst carrying my 6th baby. This lead me to being housebound for quite a while during the run up to her arrival. As a mum of 5 then having to be held together by a velcro fastened belt and hobbling about on crutches-It was not a good time!

This has restricted my recovery from pregnancy quite considerably. In a former life I was a dancer and have always been very supple and on the whole very healthy. This condition has not only affected my mobility on a day to day basis, but totally knocked my confidence too.

I am adamant to resurrect this feeling of confidence and positive thinking once again and also re-gain my pre- pregnancy shape or should that be cast away the baby weight. Whatever way you look at it I am going to give it my best shot.( Also the recent engagement of my elder sister may indeed require me to don a bridesmaids dress of such and at the moment that is just not something I would be comfortable doing at the minute.)

This is not the first time I have turned to exercise using a bike to get those happy hormones pumping. My wonderful husband bought me a second hand bike after I went through a particularly hard time after the loss of my dearly beloved Dad to Cancer. The freedom and overall feeling of well being which going out for a nightly cycle gave me was astounding, and I thank my friend Claire for joining me on many an occasion XX Cheers Mrs Kennedy XX

 

This is my new bike his name is Vlad. I took him for my first spin the other night after a particular stressful day full of bickering, whining and general day to day mundane activitiessuch as washing and doing dishes ZZZZZZZ.

Vlad I hear you say. Why call your bike Vlad ?? Well after my first journey on this awesome new means of transportation I caught my leg on the mud guard causing me to rip my only good pair of leggings which were 1) not covered in stains baby sick 2)had not seen me through a pregnancy and been stretched to oblivion and back. Ripped leggings were not the worst of it the spoke impaled in my lower knee- so hence Vlad the impalor!!!

I count myself particularly lucky to live in a part of the world which is touched by such indescribable beauty. This is a shot taken when I paused to have a wee sip of water on my way home with ripped leggings and a bleeding leg. Great isn’t it!t

So I made it! My first exercise outing on my new friend Vlad.I was delighted to come to the spot where I see before me the picturesque village which has such a special place in my heart Rhu Argyll & Bute.