On your marks...

Well, as with all things Alex, it has taken me a while to catch on to this 'blogging' thing - so much so I actually went to ask the teenage boys next door how to do it. They were, not surprisingly, having a tea break from their summer work of digging the front garden, and so I was left still wondering. (I did, however, go out at just the right time to bring the buggy inside from the rain that had started!)

James will be 6 on Saturday. Goodness, I don't know about you, but I can hardly believe it when I think about having a child of that age - I just don't seem old enough, or responsible enough (some would agree!) to have a 6 year old! He is a charming boy, and quite bright, but that said, can be a right royal pain in the rear end at times. Currently we are having issues surrounding his behaviour towards Edward (nearly 3). I think that it is because he was the big brother and now that William has arrived, Edward is also a big brother. It really is so sad as they were the best of friends before William's arrival. I'm guessing only time will tell how the relationships will develop there.

Edward is a pickle of a child. Really caring, loving, sensitive and cheeky (mostly the endearing kind) but can be a monster at times too. Last night he refused to go to sleep. Now, you would think that his mother and father could somehow take control and enforce the bedtime, wouldn't you, but no. Rick and I were outside in the garden and he kept appearing at our bedroom window shouting 'Mummy, daddy, I awake...' Just what you need!!!

William is only 5 months old. We have had some horrendous times with him as he had colic very young and he seemed to permenantly have tummy ache, poor love. The amount of pacing, rocking, holding and carrying that we've all done is indescribable, not to mention feeding from me. He seems to be on the up now, but with the odd day of colicy symptoms which are a wake up call when you we thought all was well! Weaning is, well, going. Not especially well, but going. I have been giving him a bottle at night for about a week as the sleep (or lack of) was just awful. One night I fed him at 7pm, then again at 8pm when he settled down for the evening. He was then awake again at 11.30pm, 1.30am, 3.30am and 6am, by which time, it was time to get up. Boy, what a night that was. So, I instigated the start of bottle feeding the following night. All ok at the moment, but think just needs a bit more solid food to fill him up.

My wonderful Rick has just started a new job, having been made redundant last May. He was self employed for a year and has just taken up post as Maintenance Manager for a local private school. He loves spending time with the boys, and they all have their individual requests for his time - James likes football and swimming, Edward loves horseriding and swimming. He has a penchant for sci-fi books, series and movies, and does enjoy the garden - digging, shifting, building, generally 'achieving'.

So that's us, hope you will be reading and joining me in my love and frustrations of motherhood!

xx