Intro's Diary - Gilreth

sounds like it is all going well :-)

Hi Gilreth
Yes, enjoy your longer day of intros tomorrow (and steer clear of coffee mornings.....as Daisy didn't hehehe)
Loving all these intros..... can't wait 'til it's my turn
x

   

sounds wonderful Gilreth, looking forward to hearing more

nomoretears - waiting to see on rear view mirrors - cannot see child through ours in either car my husband tells me (he has driven I haven't yet). As to Little Life rucksacks he is doing fine with the strap attached when needed - but mainly it is the grab handle we need as most of the time he walks holding our hands. He won't wear a wrist strap either - same thing happens as with reins.

It sounds like it's going so well!

Day 5
Later start today - hence yesterday's post this morning. Starting typing this sat on the floor at FC's house waiting for her to return with her other 2 children from school disco. Was about to say no noise from upstairs having put the boy to bed but we then had to go to settle him. However seems ok now - she says with fingers crossed.

Today has been another great day. Arrived spent a few minutes in the house and then trundled off for the day. Ended up at Eureka (giving new car a decent run) spending most of the day we had there - just ensuring we left in time to get back to FC for tea. He loved the cars & trucks - and the alien in Soundscape. So we spent lots of time chasing him up and down between the 2. He slept on the way - and I just managed to keep him awake on the way home

Annoyed with our SW who we told this morning not to say anything about us tag-teaming with the other 2 last night. We were expecting it so were not worried but our SW was more concerned and talked to FC's SW who talked to FC while we were out. Not what we wanted at all - as we said to FC this evening before leaving we were fine, expecting this and have dealt with. I showed T evening routine this evening. He will see morning routine tomorrow and will show me eventually - but it is going to be his time with the boy - particularly once I am back at work as I am out house 7.15ish.

Now home - we left with the boy asleep. 7am get there in morning so early night tonight Which of course I am not managing. Need to persuade my body sleep is good. Another 6 he or less night coming I see.

Day 6

Ok how has it got to day 6 already ... time is flying by. By this time on Monday I will have had the boy & his FC at our house for a few hours without T who is working

Today didn't start very well with us waking up looking at clock and realising it was 6.49 and we were due at FCs at 7.00. Good thing it is 5 minute drive away We had an interesting morning with the routine - the boy was already up but doesn't get dressed till after breakfast it appears so was sat watching TV with biscuits. He didn't want much breakfast - FC said it was the same yesterday so think he is a little unsettled unsurprisingly. Once that was over it was get him dressed in lounge which ended up as FC says it usually does being fun as he did not want to be dressed. Eventually we managed and following a game of see-saw on FCs knees off we went.

Today we drove to the Deep - just for a bit of a change and to test the new car a bit more. He was happy enough in the car - eventually falling asleep with Mummy fighting doing the same thing herself (bad night again). Before we went into the Deep we wandered off for a bit as Mummy & Daddy needed coffee still - he was happy enough in his buggy with the rain cover on - we kept playing peekaboo round the sun cover with him as you can't quite see him when it is all on and you are pushing. I left Daddy with him while I queued for coffees but he asked where I was so Daddy had to bring him over to see me, and do a few laps of the shop while I queued (only one server on due to staff illness). Eventually we did as we had done earlier in week and sat him between us on a bench seat - he had a second cup into which we poured a bit of his babycinno so he only had a little bit to deal with. Managed to cover Daddy in chocolate from flake they gave him however

Once we had done that wandered back to the Deep past marina - which I know well as my grandparents lived in the sheltered flats that overlook the basin for around 20 years so I spent a lot of time around there in my teens and later. Managed to get handles on buggy set-up so it was more comfortable for me to push and also easier to deal with kerbs. Once back at Deep Daddy took the buggy to car while Mummy & the boy queued in pre-paid ticket line to get our tickets - trying to fill in the form for the annual pass was fun with a LO hanging on your arm - was glad to see Daddy. We had a great hour and a half wandering around the exhibition looking at all the fish. He enjoyed seeing them and looking at the different sizes. We did find Nemo (as he announced) as well as many other fishes. The boy insisted at end on climbing back upstairs by himself which was fine if a little slow at times - you go to top floor at start, wend your way down on ramps and then go all the way back up at end just to come all way down again.

Following this we gave him a treat by finding a McDonalds - he has been spotting them whenever we go past one ... one of the sounds I certainly do recognise now. He was very good and actually stayed with Mummy and didn't demand Daddy came and sat next to him. Pushed a little at boundaries - but on the whole was easily distracted and quite happy to wiggle around on the bench seat he and I were sharing. By the time we had finished was quite late due to the time it took us to find McDs (why is it you pass them all the time but when looking for one cannot find them - we missed one in Hull as we came away which was annoying but wasn't worth using junction to turn round on).

We drove the long way home as needed to waste a bit of time to make sure FC was home - he happily feel off to sleep and I once again had to fight my tendency to do the same as T is not as familiar with the roads as I am. Eventually got back to FC - via a short stop at Sainsburys for a nappy change and also picking up some cold medication. Both T & I are fighting bad sore throats today so reckon we have picked up the cold everyone in FC house has had recently. Oh well I get enough colds anyway during winter - just hoping it doesn't last too long. Definitely early night tonight as another early start in morning. Short day as FC having the boy's leaving party in afternoon so we have a free afternoon to get some bits and bobs done.

What a whirlwind it all is.

Just think you can very easiily feel unreal about it all.
Slowly over time you find your feet

The low key stuff, taking things slowly and doing gentle routine doesn't feel very rock and roll.
It really is needed

Mine needed to be busy a lot and needed me a lot to instigate that,

So exhausting quickly

It's wonderful being parents xx :-) many congratulations. :-)

Day 7

Much shorter day today as FC had the boy's leaving party today which we did not attend for two reasons - it was his and there was also a security risk involved (not for us directly but still better avoided).

We got there at 7am after a much better get up this morning - both awake at 6am so had time to think unlike yesterday. Got there to the boy opening door and went in and through morning routine again. This time he did eat some breakfast although was still trying to be Houdini out of his booster seat. As we left we had for the first time a bit of a breakdown with him calling for 'Nanny' - his FC. Ended up stopping 200 yards down the road and me getting in back with him which worked. Went to another soft play place today that was actually fairly quiet at first.

They had one of the moving cars that was Buzz from tractor Tom which he kept making a beeline for. Also loved the play house, but had a great time on the play area as well. Wasn't certain of big slide but liked little one and loved T pushing (& swinging) him on the dangling ball which he was sat on. Can see Soft Play areas are going to be come a semi-regular haunt for me as somewhere he can run off energy with me only having to keep a partial eye on him. He ran around for 90 mins and then as the place was getting very crowded we left. He demanded his Fireman Sam bag (which has spare nappies & clothes in it) as we left and happily sat with that and his drink. After a bit of driving we found a Greggs and got sausage rolls for lunch - which he loves - every time he has spotted Greggs on our travels this week there has been 'roll' from him. He played Daddy up a bit when we got back to the car - got onto back seat and wouldn't go into car seat. But bribery worked - he wasn't allowed a sausage roll till he was strapped in. Ok the flaky pastry went all over him and the car seat - but it was recoverable. By the time we got to a place to stop and eat our rolls he had fallen asleep so we ate accompanied by the gentle snores of a bunged up boy from the back seat. I tried to wake him a bit when I went to dust him and seat down from pastry, but he just wanted to snuggle into Mummy so I had to get T to deal with the seat. Then put him back in and had to join him on back seat as he wouldn't settle without me doing so. I did loose my hand for quite a while here until he was properly back asleep.

Dropped at FC house where a couple of the expected 20 extra children had already arrived along with their father. The children coming are either in foster care themselves or ex-foster children of his FC. As it turned out, our expected security risk wasn't coming but we still felt it better to leave - mainly as we needed to shop if we wanted to eat tonight or rest of week So we said goodbye to the boy, had a quick chat with FC and left - the boy who had been on gentleman's knee came out to see us off - we'd just turned in doorway to say goodbye to FC and there he was.

All in all it has been a fantastic first week - we'd been waiting for the wobble that finally occurred this morning. He is a little confused mite I think - he has a very secure base with his FC and we think is in very early stages of working out that he also has one with us. He knows something is going on involving him and us. As we left FC gave us a bag with his red book (NHS record not quite from birth unfortunately), his passport, his learning record from 5 weeks he did at nursery, photos from contact with birth family and a list of the toys that had come from birth family (which I was going to ask for next week). Finally there is an absolutely wonderful photo album she has put together for us which has photos of him from a few hours old. We feel so lucky to have this - both welled up a bit looking through it when we got home. She also had us made a copy of a photo canvas she has of him at his 2nd birthday party which is now hanging on our wall. We are now thinking of an appropriate gift for her - have been all along but no inspiration as yet. As T says we have lucked out big time with the boy, his FC and his SW who has been his since before he was born.

Now eating my dinner then it is bath and bed - this cold is still threatening and I am tired. Tomorrow is a whole new experience as FC brings the boy here for the first time - and Daddy isn't here. Really do think I am going to make use of the permission I have to take him to T's place of work on Tuesday & Wednesday to reassure him given the bond he has already formed with T.

Sounds like you are doing great gilreth.

Oh, I remember the hooks and eye's at the top of doors very useful to keep toddlers out of bathrooms. Today should be fun if FC is leaving him at yours for the day. It is so much easier being a mum at home in familiar surroundings, when you don't feel you are being watched all the time. LO may be more wary/tearful though, if FC isn't around.

Looking forward to hearing how it all goes. If Henry is anything like my two cats were he will make himself scarce and escape to the garden until LO leaves. They do get used to the noise eventually, but it's a bit of a shock when a noisy toddler arrives. 

Sounds like you're both doing really well and little boy. He'll soon be home........