All set!

Moses basket retrived - now baby has somewhere to sleep!

Too much effort

For some reason it seems like blogging is too much effort nowadays! I think I've also been putting it off because I haven't taken any pictures of the kitchen to put on here and really need to do that. It's lovely but still a bit bare - need to get a mirror up or some pictures in there or something but just about everything that should be in the kitchen is in there now so that's good. I will take pictures soon!!!

My mum arrived yesterday so all those things that live at the bottom of the washing baskets for months at a time because I don't know quite what to do with them are all dealt with. I got chance to sort out the clothes that need to go back in the loft and also tidy the toys in the living room and various other things that had needed doing for some time. So between my mum and me we are getting on top of the house!

On Sunday morning I thought I was in the early stages of labour - turns out I wasn't which was good since we were speaking at a church 50 mins from our house (we had gone last week thinking we were speaking last week but weren't so had to go again this week - note to self: always check the diary!). I'm feeling pretty stretched now probably more so than in previous pregnancies and everyone keeps telling me how low I am! I get Braxton Hicks just by breathing so it seems so hope it's not too far off! Thursday (my due date) would be a good day to give birth but I know whenever it happens it will be the right time! We've checked and we can just about squeeze the 3 car seats across the back of the car, all we need to do now is get the Moses Basket out of the loft and I think we are set!

Ryann threw me a great 'Anna's having a baby' get-together with delicous fondue on Saturday night. She asked me if anyone was givign me a baby shower but I said I'd feel a bit guilty having one for girl number 3 so she suggested the party instead. It was alot of fun and I think we all went home stuffed full of chocolate though I still maintain I made it quite a way into my 5 a day with all the fruit!

Ben has just come home with a tumble drier for us - thank you Liz and Travis! We haven't really had one since our other one broke the day before we had Esther. Since this week is rainy all week I'm looking forward to getting good use out of it!

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Transformation

The kitchen is just about there - everything is hooked up - there are a few smaller jobs to do but we can put all our stuff back in - yay, no more kitchen table and chairs in our bedroom! It looks great - I can't wait for the finishing touches to be done! Tomorrow I am actually going to cook food in the kitchen! Just in time really, Ben is away for a few days next week and I think I might have gone mad had the kitchen not been back in use.

We went to Ikea today and bought a light fitting and some other bits and bobs - you go to Ikea with the intention of buying 1 thing and come back having bought a lot more - got to love it though! We hadn't been in years but I love the fact it was so kid friendly and I loved even more the hot dog and icecream you HAVE to buy at the end! Some poor child had left behind their well loved toy dog on the seating. We had a case of the lost Ellie (Eliza's soft toy) this week, eventually he was found in a ride on toy at our mother and toddler's group after searching Ramsey and our house for it. So I was feeling very responsible towards this poor dog's owner and parents and made sure I handed it in at customer services and that they were aware of how special this toy dog was. Hope it has been reunited with it's owner! So sad!

On a happy note.... did I mention I can now use my dishwaher? Woo hoo! Roll on normality and sanity!

Fame!

When the girls and I were up at my parents we went to a little local museum (Dorman Museum) 3 times in 2 weeks - the kids love it there even though it is pretty small. The last time they were having a family event with all sorts of activities going on to promote the environment in the local area - it really was fantastic for kids of Esther's age and above especially, Eliza enjoyed it too but the activities were more geared towards kids a little older. They made cards, key rings, coloured in, made an owl mask, made fossils, watched a clown, were given balloon dogs on a straw, idetified different shells and seaweeds and had their faces painted! Whilst they were making cards a photographer came from the local paper and took pictures of the girls and a quote from me! I forgot to remind my parents to buy the paper but I found the story online! So here it is along with pictures of the girls (you have to scroll through the pictures to see them all....):
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2010/03/16/teesside-kids-show-green-credentials-84229-26037565/

Progress

Around 9.30 this morning the kitchen guy showed up and started work followed at 10.30am by 2 more guys! I was over the moon! The first guy didn't leave till 9.30 tonight. We've got running water (turns out the tap was busted so needed to buy a new one), the dishwasher is plummed in (though didn't work when I tried to put it on - I wonder if he forgot to turn the water on...), the window boards, kick boards, skirting boards and architrive are done, base coat painting has been done and the tiles are grouted! There is still quite a bit to do but we can start moving the furniture back in tomorrow evening. Yay hey! Sooooooooooo happy! It looks great - I'll have to take some pics soon to post so you can see for yourselves!
I also had my hair done today. Ben had mentioned a few times how he liked it when I used to have my hair highlighted so I took the hint and had it done today.
To top it off the weather has been gorgeous! I even went out without a coat at one point. I saw my first real life daffodils flowering - I don't know if that's because I've been up in the cold north and they haven't bloomed up there yet but it made me so happy to see them!

2 weeks

Well, it's been 2 weeks and the kitchen is not finished. It will be in working order by the time I get home tomorrow night but still things to finish. The heating got fixed yesterday - after they drained the system to take the radiator off the wall 2 weeks ago Ben has been without heating or hot water poor guy! Luckily he borrowed some heaters from work and uses the shower at the farm too so it's not been too bad for him I think. It's been frustrating that progress has been slower than expected but at least it will be all done in the end. I think when I get home I'll have to clean all the cabinets thoroughly - they've been stored in a unit at the farm since November plus we bought them 2nd hand and the people didn't clean them before we got them! Cheeky!
I'm looking forward to getting back and sorting everything out! I've been able to do quite a few things I didn't get chance to at home whilst I've been here - finished 3 books and made the stroller liners I'd been planning on for ages (pictures will be posted soon...) still a few more things I want to get done before the baby arrives but it seems the kitchen is not going to be finished for a few days at least so they will be on hold till I can get things in order. I'm not sure how much chaos I can deal with!

One week

We have been up at my parents for a week now but time has been flying by and the days are merging a bit into one... We've been to 3 different parks, big nice ones, not like the tiny ones near where we live - these ones have big play areas, band stands, water fountains, lakes, ducks, museums, mini zoos and lots of space to run around - one of them even has a roller skating rink (Esther is desperate to have a go but obviously I can't take her at the moment...). The kids have been enjoying themselves! We fed the ducks yesterday only to discover when we were on our last piece of bread that we were not supposed to feed bread to the ducks because it encourages rats....you can buy some special duck food from the shop....but we thought we may as well give them the last bit of bread! It's amazing how much more there seems to be to do here on your doorstep in comparison to where we live.
Last night Eliza had a high temperature but seems to have been fine before, during and since. Hopefully she will not get it again tonight because tomorrow it's my cousin's baby blessing and I really want to go. Who doesn't love a family get-together?! I know 3 people having their babies blessed tomorrow - must be a good day for it!
Kitchen update: the plaster was taking its time to dry out so they brought round some heaters to help it out, Ben says it's looking pretty good now. So they are starting tiling on Monday and have a deadline of Thursday to have at least the bottom kitchen units in as the worktop guy is coming to cut the worktops. Our kitchen units are all in the living room now so poor Ben has nowhere to sit and relax! I think Ben got the last bit of the hideous flooring up today - it's been a lot of hard work! Thank you Ben! Hopefully less than a week left of the mess!

Kitchen Wreck

Didn't I tell you there was only the kitchen sink left? This was on Friday morning before all the rubbish had been taken away and the floor taken up. Ben skyped me last night and showed me the plastering that had been done so far on the kitchen, there was 1 wall and the ceiling left to do today. so hopefully Ben will skype me tonight with the updated plastering!
We are having fun up at my parents - can't believe we've been here 3 1/2 days already -time is passing pretty quickly so far. We've been to the park, shopping, out for walks etc. Apparently it's going to snow tomorrow so maybe I'll declutter my mum's house since that's the kind of mood I'm in!