ebay bookshop

Well the final count down is on. I've been buying books off ebay like there's going to be a shortage of paper, even managed to buy the same book twice, but then sold the duplicate for £1.10 more than I paid for it....
The GTTR website says I've officially got a place and Jacob is in his settling in period at nursery, so, slowly but surely it's all becoming a reality. This whole nursery business is a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Not only do you have to cope with the never ending anxiety of wondering if you've chosen the right nursery, not exactly helped when GMTV do a piece on how 1400 nursery's across the country are unsatisfactory. Then just when you've convinced yourself that they'll be OK there's a spanner thrown in the works. This particular spanner was in the form of Jacob having hysterics when his carer gave his a bottle and he then bit her. I arrived to find his crying and inconsolable, end result I end up blubbing as well, great!! Oh well, stay positive and tomorrows another day. On a nicer note and to alleviate my guilt Jacob went swimming. Had a great time and he definitely enjoyed himself, must resolve to do things like this at the weekend!

P45

So just over a week to go until I'm officially a student. In the last few days I've received my reading list and spent hours on ebay acquiring the recommended texts. Also have back my CRB check certificate a.k.a. police check to ensure I'm OK to work with children. Today I received my P45 and final pay statement from Harrods, very odd to think that the next pay slip I'll received will (fingers crossed) be as a qualified teacher. Thankfully I have received a couple of weeks accrued holiday pay which will come in extremely handy as we have to pay 2 weeks nursery fees up front, not to mention that the car desperately needs servicing!! The student loans forms are also through, would have been helpful to have got more of a grant but unless you're a complete benefits scrounger then you have to try and survive on peanuts. Seems a bit unfair that you can't get more help with childcare but it's a case of like it or lump it.
Will be sad to see less of the Southwark Babes in the coming months but I guess I'll have to make more of a effort to keep in touch with "Jacobs Posse" as slowing but surely all the mums are drifting back to the work of work and rediscovering that they do indeed still have an identity in their own right.
So here's to a successful settling in period at nursery next week, watch this space..........

Blue Lights

Just when I thought things were settling down............................... Young Jacob decides to give his parents a scare. He'd had a cold for about a week and even though I had taken him to the G.P. at the end of last week, I really thought he was on the mend, 95% back to his usual self. However, there we were on Tuesday evening, dozing off when we hear Jacob rasping and sounding like he smokes 100 a day. He sounded really dreadful and whilst Aaron was sitting holding him on our bed poor little Jacob started being quite sick, looking very pale and totally listless. Then Aaron started reaching and had to make a dash for the bathroom! Great that's all I needed. Called the emergency GP service and they told me to call an ambulance. So before we knew it we had a fast response veichle pulling up in the driveway. Next an ambulance turned up and all together we had 4 people from the London ambulance service. Jacob was still being sick but seemed to have perked up a bit. I went with him in the back of the ambulance where he proceeded to vomit over me and nearly got the paramedic. We go to A & E and the Dr. tried to get a line in but couldn't. His temperature was quite high and so we were told he'd be admitted for the night and that the registrar would come and see him in A & E. Thank God that after about an hour and a half he really started to perk up and his temperature was back to normal, so we were back home by 3.30am. He's made steady progress but I'd forgotten what the disturbed nights were like already! Had some straight talking with Jacob and told him I don't want to be going back to St. Thomas' for a quite a while!
Friday night was the "Southwark Babes", mums night out. Went to a local pub for drinks and dinner al fresco. Hardly recognised some people, looking very different from how we look in our day time mummy uniform with pushchair to accessorise. Had a good evening and even though I was in bed by 11.30pm, I was still knackered the next morning. Oh what a party animal! So definitely a weekend for crashing out and catching up on much needed zzzzzzzzzzzzz's

Oh my God, I'm in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I got "the call" on Thursday! So happy and of course immediately had to get on the phone to the rest of the family. Aaron was at home that morning as he was babysitting Jacob, I was just about to leave for my dentist appointment when the phone rang and I got the news I've been waiting to hear. So very excited!!!! Sally came for the day and lowered herself to be seen with a student teacher. Later that day I checked on the premium bond draw and discovered I'd won £50, so definitely my lucky day. Thank goodness Jacob is all now confirmed for nursery, so roll on September. Just waiting to hear on the student grant situation and fingers crossed that will be some more good news!

Will I be a student in 5 weeks?

So we made it to Gloucestershire and had a lovely day on Saturday. About 30 relatives on the Elgie side all made it to sunny Glos. and a good time was had by all. Mum's now in a bit of a funny situation, having been asked for the recipe for the lemon tart that she cheekily passed off as her own. Luckily her computers broken so I guess she's got some time on her side to try and come up with a plausible recipe. Jacob seemed to have got jet lag after such a long day so got a bit of a lie in on Sunday. Today Jacob and I went for lunch in Notting Hill, for the first time ever we were turned away from a bar/restaurant, thought Notting Hill was supposed to be full of Bugaboos and A-list mummy's, no wonder the place was empty. Anyway ended up having a nice lunch outside at Nandos. Was catching up with Liz who has just returned from a two year stint for the VSO in India and she's off to Nicaragua next month for another two years. Makes me think that my career change is a bit small fry compared to doing that!!!!
Unfortunately still no confirmation of a definite place at ULF so have no choice but to remain patient. It's getting close now................ just wish I knew what was happening for sure............... Another bug bear is the fact that I've been chasing up Jacobs prospective nursery to try and firm up on arrangements. They haven't contacted me and even though I went round there and left a message for the supervisor to call me I've still not heard anything, hope it's not a bad omen. So rather annoying I'm still keeping everything crossed but not a happy bunny this week with all the uncertainty and severe lack of finances. Oh well things can only get better, or atleast I hope they will!

Half way to 70!

Yesterday was my 35th birthday, my first birthday as a mummy, don't know where the time has gone, a cliche I know but it's true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Might seem bizarre to some but I spent most of the day in Harrods with mum, dad and of course Jacob. A good time was had by all and I'm pleased that m & d got some bargains. Got clothes and £300 of vouchers by way of pressies, so well chuffed. Looking forward to buying nice clothes and probably a pair of boots, once the shops have got new stock in.
Today has been a typical day but sadly I am on the home run in terms of maternity leave. Jacob got weighed and is now 8.83kg and so is tracking very nicely just above the 50th percentile. Aaron and I measured him at the weekend and at 74cm he is still above the 90th percentile for height which I'm delighted about. The best thing is that he has been extremely consistent with his height and weight percentiles since birth, so I must be still doing something right.
This weekend we are off to Gloucestershire to Uncle Richard apple farm for a family get together. Hope we get there ok as there has been terrible flooding in that part of the country, where's the summer gone?

One Step Closer

Have had a good couple of weeks. Spent some time at Riverside Primary and enjoyed every minute. Mum has mainly been looking after Jacob whilst I've been "at school" and everything seemed to work out really well. Got a phone call from the ULF to say that one person has dropped out and so I've now moved up to be 1st reserve. So looking more hopeful for a place this September, so long as someone else can not take up their place, for whatever reason! Starting to think that this may actually happen but don't want to get my hopes up too much in case the plan goes belly up. However, need to remain optimistic and prepare for September. That would mean that Jacob would be starting nursery in about 5 weeks, traumatic or what, jut hope tesco have got tissues on a bogof! I've also been trying to sort out the complex subject that is 'mature student grants'. So loads of form filling in the hope of getting a student grant, help towards the tuition fees and I'm even hoping for some financial help towards Jacobs' nursery fees. So as is my habit these days I'm keeping everything crossed.