All change for us (again!)

As seems to have happened too many times recently, family life in our house has undergone yet another dramatic change – all in the space of the past week!

In fact, it is hard to believe that only just over a week has gone by since Tony found out his job was ending and he was being made redundant.

But, fear not, in those 10 days we have formulated a grand plan which has left us feeling much more positive about our future and about how we will cope, not only with the redundancy bombshell, but also with the terrifying prospect of paying nursery fees for two children under 2 next year!

Basically, with some financial reshuffling and some cost savings made (bye bye my old Fiat Punto, faithful friend of three years, hello one-car family!), we think we have found a way to make it work if hubby becomes “Daddy Daycare” and stays at home with the children for a while, and I return to full time working from my previous four days.

Luckily, my work were very accomodating and changed my contract the same day I put in my request. And nursery were kind and only made us give one week’s notice for the girls. Lilly will still go three afternoons a week, using her 15 hour free entitlement (something all over threes get), but Isla will stay at home with her daddy full time for the time being. (She is already the biggest of daddies girls, so don’t think she will mind this!)

I am now the proud owner of a railpass, and hubby is full of ideas of places to go, things to do. And, after many hours of calculations and worry, we think we can make the sums add up.

And now, as we start to settle into the new routine and come to terms with how things have changed over such a short space of time, I think we are both starting to think that things will be better, not worse.

Now we just wait to see how hubby will cope with his new job… ten times more demanding than anything he’s ever done before!

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10 weeks, three days pregnant

Well, we’ve reached double figures!

I am still feeling a bit “car sick” every day. It last all day and fades in the evening time. I think it might be slightly less than a week ago, so hopefully it’s starting to go away as all the books promise. My boobs are now very tender for the first time this pregnancy too.

Went out shopping for maternity jeans today – my belly is pretty big already and although I can still squeeze into my jeans I don’t really like to in case I’m putting pressure on my tum. I tried on three pairs in Next and then swapped the ones I wanted for a size smaller as they felt a bit loose. When I got them home, I realised I’d picked up a different style…. grrrrrrr…. these ones make me feel like Kris Kross cos they fall down when I walk!! So, back to square one on that front.

Aside from the pregnancy, we’ve had news on T’s job. He works as a courier driver for a fairly small local company. The run he currently does, a cheque clearance one for a big bank, is going as his company have lost the contract. He’s been lucky as they want to keep him on and he has been spared redundancy for the second time. But his new run involves working 3pm until midnight every day – which means we won’t be seeing much of each other during the week, and we’re having to totally rethink all our childcare arrangements. Currently, Tony goes to work at 5.30am (which admittedly wasn’t great either!), I get Lilly up and drop her off at nursery on my way to work. Tony finishes work at lunchtime and has a couple of hours to himself before picking her up at about 3pm. As of next week, he’ll be dropping her off at nursery late morning, I’ll be finishing work early everyday to pick her up from nursery around 5pm and doing the bedtime routine by myself.

Neither of us are looking forward to this, and I think it’s going to be pretty lonely in the evenings once Lilly’s gone to bed, but at least he still has a job. Which is something we can only be greatful for in the current climate. And we’re taking heart in the fact that it won’t be forever – all being well I’ll be on maternity leave in six months time, so even if he hasn’t found anything else by then, at least we’ll have all day together with our babies.

Now we’re looking forward to the 12 week scan – only a week and a half to go – although I feel so nervous about it, I think i’ll be a wreck! I just want to know everything’s all right.

Oh, and I had my first slightly sleepless night last night thinking about the birth. I’d been having a conversation with T’s mum yesterday about Lilly’s birth and how unhappy I was with the way the consultant handled things. When I woke up last night about 3am to go to the toilet, my mind started racing about what would happen this time and I couldn’t get back to sleep for about an hour. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come…

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