One year on..........Christmas December 2011

Blowing the cobwebs off the blog after a long time !!!!  Not many readers lurking around anymore but even after closing my follow on blog http://www.nowthefunbegins.blogspot.com/ back in the spring my time in hospital isn't ever far from my mind. I have had a couple of lovely emails from ladies who found themselves in hospital with the same condition that I had and have read my story and been in touch. 

I have been back to NGH a couple of times to see my eye consultant and I have on both occasions walked past Robert Watson ward  'for old times sake' and those doors to the ward still make me have a massive lump in my throat - such emotional times this time last year........Since November I have been re-reading my hospital stay blog each day and as I have read each day from 2010 on the same day a year later in 2011 its brought some really funny, sad and happy memories for me. I am so glad I wrote it because without it I would have forgotton so much already.

As I write this its the early hours of Christmas Eve 2011 and I am wide awake. I really should be asleep as its been a busy month and Alex will be awake in a couple of hours. We celebrated his first birthday on Thursday - the year has flown by so quickly its unreal. Seems like only yesterday when he was born.

We had a brilliant summer - Center Parcs, Take That concert (obviously Alex stayed at home - too young), Christening day on 3rd July which we had a great party afterwards for family and friends, spent the whole 6 weeks school holidays at home with DD &Alex going on day trips and picnics with friends, Alex's first trip on an aeroplane for our holiday to Menorca aged 8 months - he loved it.  I returned to work in October 3 days a week ( I was an emotional wreck leaving him at first) and I am now enjoying being back in the land of recruitment.  We sat in the garden in the paddling pool, BBQ for lunch on the 1st October - very strange weather. And of course as I turned 40 in January (Alex was just 4 weeks old) have had to celebrate that too -  had two separate weekends away with some of my oldest girlfriends. DH was brilliant and looked after both children to allow me to go away.

Finally stopped breastfeeding in July and started yoga again in August (my stomach muscles will never be the same again after 2 C-sections). Managed to lose all of my baby weight before I went back to work but in the New Year I really must do some proper exercise (famous last words).........

But for me this month has been the best. As I missed so much last year, I have enjoyed every moment of the build up to Christmas. We must have seen at least 4 different Santa's (!), been to Cadbury World for DD's birthday, saw her in her nativity play at school, taken her to her school disco (complete with blow dried hair, handbag and lipgloss), celebrated her 6th birthday. Alex is so easy going and goes along with everything - he loves all the sparkly lights. We put up the decorations first weekend of December and have at least 8 sets of lights up so its very festive. Me and DH must have clocked up at least 5 hours of wrapping presents - 2 birthdays and Christmas. And of course made it to my work Christmas party. Last year could only look at the pictures on facebook from my bed. And of course have been addicted to the X-factor (even DH watched with me this year). I am so easily pleased now - just simple stuff like sharing a bottle of wine with a friend at the pub, watching a good film on the sofa with DH, baking cakes in the kitchen with DD - there's nothing like a long stay in hospital to make you appreciate whats important. Of course I have done my fair share of rushing around, making to-do lists and get a stress-head on every now again but who doesn't???

I sent all my Christmas cards early this year and I did include one to Robert Watson ward with a little letter and photos with an update on Alex's progress over the year. The ladies there will be on my Christmas list forever now !!!!!

Every now again I get a little memory from my time in hospital. I started a new bottle of shower cream the other week and didn't even realise it was the same brand as the bottle I was using back then. The smell of it just sent me back to the communal showers and the plastic glove I wore over the dreaded ventflon (shudder). We unpacked the Christmas decs and there was the mini Christmas tree and DD's drawing of a bear I had on my bedside locker in the box (lump in throat).  I got my DS game out to play with and found on it countless photos of my bed/bump/BP monitor/my own legs in hospital stockings/visitors/my holdall aka 'the wardrobe' (could I have been that bored?).  I so wish I had taken photos of the staff on RW too although most off them are still there in my memory as clear as it was yesterday.  Sadly even a year later the Alan Sugar book remains unfinished (not enough hours in the day)

You have probably gathered by now that its not the early hours of Christmas Eve anymore - I had to get back in bed so its now the 29th December as I write.............

I had a lovely Christmas card back from Paula and the team on the 23rd which was a great surprise.  On Christmas Eve I went with my little family to the crib service at church in the village which was just perfect and we had friends back to the house afterwards and we indulged in a few glasses of wine. DD was so excited - scattering reindeer food on the lawn and leaving out sherry for Santa.  And Christmas Day was spent in our very noisy house opening pressies, cooking, eating and drinking (not necessarily in that order) Alex loved it, was quite confused with all the strange activity.............What a difference a year makes. I hope the Mayor of Northampton didn't miss me bawling in her arms this year !!!!

So there you go, there's my update done.  What a year its been and you know what, I wouldn't change a thing - its been exhausting, emotional, uplfting, sad and funny. But here I am a year on and so happy - 5.5 weeks was nothing really when you look back. And the reason I was there was because of my little baby boy who has just turned one............I have my DH, DD (a little star) and my gorgeous son. I am a very lucky lady.

Wishing you a wonderful happy new year xxxx