Rain, rain and more bloody rain!

I think I've remained quite good humoured about the rubbish weather we've had for longer than I can remember. Today though I have lost my sense of humour. I had a playdate at the park with a friend who has two boys the same ages as my girls. It's the second time we've had to cancel. I had all three girls in their coats, in the buggy and ready to go when it started to pour. After speaking to my friend I turned to DD1 and said "It's too wet for the park" and she burst into tears. I had been telling her since she got up, all throughout the babies nappy changes and feeds that we were going to the park.

So we went out anyway. I'm past caring about walking in the rain. It's that or we stay home. The rain cover on the monster buggy is good so I'm the only one getting wet. It seems a small price to pay.

We fed the ducks and by the time we were on the way back past the swings it had stopped raining and the sky had cleared so as it turned out DD1 got a go on the swings.

Going to have a whinge...

My Carpal Tunnel is back.

I lived at home until I was 29. My wrists went into shock at having to cook and iron for myself, not to mention cleaning the house we bought, which turned out to be filthy.

I've been through two rounds of referral appointments to the local 'hand clinic', two lots of physiotherapy and tests at the county hospital which concluded that I do have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and that it's worst in my left wrist.

The only time I've not had it at all in the last 5 years is when I was pregnant, both times, which apparently makes me very weird since most people get it during pregnancy. Lots of consultants and Drs have squinted sceptically at me as I told them this.

It's been worst when I bottle feed DD1 and now, bottle feeding the twins. At least five times a day I grasp their bottles and I guess this exacerbates the nerves in my wrist but all everyday tasks hurt at the moment. Even typing now is hurting. And it wakes me up at night.

After the tests which concluded CTS a not very sympathetic consultant told me I should have an operation on each wrist. A simple operation with six weeks recovery, six weeks of not lifting ANYTHING. Worse than recovery from my EMCS. Even with just one child I couldn't contemplate it. By the time I actually got referred this time round the symptoms were more bearable as DD1 was no longer solely bottle fed. Plus I was just about to go back to work and didn't want to mess them around. And more importantly we were planning on trying for another baby and I didn't want to put that off.

So really I only have myself to blame. Especially since I don't spend my evenings resting my hands. I tap away on my laptop.

I've written to the head Dr. at the hand clinic to see if he would consider letting me have steroid injections 'to get me through the next few months' as I am fairly confident when I wean  the twins it will settle down again. My mum had it and it has gone. I live in hope that I will be as lucky. I live in fear that I may do permanent nerve damage, as a person who really values her hands. And I know everyone values their hands but as a craft person it's a scary thought. We'll see what they say.

While I have been not blogging...

... in no particular order

* The twins have had their second round of jabs; they were very good.

* We finally have an appointment for their hips (suspected clicky at 6wk check) to be scanned next Thursday.

* They've outgrown their moses baskets and 0-3m clothes!

* DD1 does seem to have arrived in the "terrible twos" - cue tantrums and picky eating. But she's so lovely and funny the rest of the time!

* I've been investigating some new 'business' ideas and just generally getting more organised day to day

* We've been going to and loving Twins Club. So nice to feel unfreaky and talk to mums with the same experiences. There's even talk of a Mum's night out.

* I have started swimming again.

A month's worth (I hope) of nappies from Lidyl

* I have started shopping at Lidyl once a month in an effort to save money on basics like nappies. I reckon we could save £15 a month on the 360 nappies I think we use.

* I have now lost more than a stone! Another 1/2 stone and I shall be at my pre-twins weight with more clothes that fit available to me!

* I went shopping by myself yesterday for two hours during nap time (I <3 nap time and I <3 Gina!). It was so nice to go in shops that the monster buggy (hereafter MB) doesn't fit into and to be 'invisible'. I never am when I am pushing the MB. I even got ID'd in Tescos buying a bottle of wine? Quite a compliment at 33.

* I have had a contraceptive implant fitted - no more babies for me (that's another post). The Dr said to me "That's it, all being well we don't need to see you for three years". Which led me to reflect, aloud, on what had happened to me in the previous 3 years. I got married and had three babies! "I hope not as much happens in the next three years!" I said to the Dr. "Well," she said "that's the sign of a contented life then."

A poem I read today...

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth, 
Hang out the washing and butter the bread, 
Sew on a button and make up a bed. 
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking? 
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking. 
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue 
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo). 
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due 
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo). 
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew 
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo 
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo. 
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue? 
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

3 under 2 to 3 under 3

This weekend my big girl turns 2yrs old! Which means people will begin to pity me less as I can now claim to have three children under 3yrs instead of three under 2yrs. Probably people will still say things to me like "I'm in awe of you" and "You're a brave lady!" A) What is my alternative? B) They should ask my husband if I am really that brave, or worthy of their awe!

Reasons to be cheerful

* We're having a birthday trip out on Sunday and I'm very much hoping my best friend can come. Haven't seen her for ages

* I've made a decision about the twins routine which I hope will be liberating. Explain in another post.

* I am just about on top of my to do list

* I lost 1lb this week when it was feasible I wouldn't loose anything.

Reasons to be cheerful

* The twins have had two really good nights in a row now

* It's sunny

* I'm going to have a go at a new recipe tonight. I like cooking.

* I have a nice week ahead with a couple of visitors coming to see us.

* I've finally managed to get organised to Ebay some unwanted bits. They're all photographed and ready to go on, during their free listing, tonight.

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow is my birthday. To be honest, it's never been such a non event! In my 20's it was a BIG deal. I would take the whole week off, it became know as my birthday festival and I had something planned every day including dinners, shopping trips and theatre outings. I spend a lot of money, but then I still lived at home. It was also a chance to invite some uni friends to stay as to be honest they all waited for me to organise us to get together. I don't see them so much these days. Of course their lives have changed too, two of the four of them also have children, making weekend gatherings harder.

My mum is cooking lunch and DH and I are taking the girls round there. My sister and her family will also be joining us. I am just hoping that the babies will have a sleep when we put them down in my old bedroom. I hate social gatherings where babies won't settle and we have the dilema of leaving them crying and seeming mean or getting them up and seeming weak!

I don't know whether to be sad about my birthday festival or not. I've wanted to be a mother since as long as I can remember, more than I ever fancied any job. But right now it is quite tough. I guess the fact is that as I turn 33 tomorrow I will have to remember that I had a really good long run of birthday festivals.

Reasons to be cheerful

• We met one of my NCT (DD1) friends and her son today at the park near their house and the babies slept, parked up, not moving for nearly an hour while we chatted and the toddlers ran around. It was fab.


• The babies slept well (again) at lunchtime and I read my book


• There's a substantial pile of presents on DH's office chair


• The babies are really smiling and trying to talk to us now