A - Z Challenge 2023 - W is for Walking

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

Oh my goodness - I should rename this post winging it!  This is the first post I've done on the day so far in the challenge.  All my others have been pre-prepared and scheduled to post.  Ooops!

Anyway, if I had a pound for all the miles I've walked with my grandchildren I think I'd be rich.  Having looked after Nathan, Rory and Vinny on a regular basis at various times, taking them for a walk was usually part of the daily routine unless the weather was really bad.

Of course it was a good way of getting them to sleep if they needed a nap and that gave me an often much needed break lol.

It also kept me reasonably fit especially when I had Nathan - the family were living in Muswell Hill at the time and the area is definitely hilly!  Oh my goodness pushing him up the hill to the shops was hard work.  Of course on the way back it was downhill but even that was challenging - I was glad of the hand strap on the handle of the buggy so that there was no risk of it running away from me.  Alexandra Palace was on the doorstep and there was a park nearby with a playground which was good if it wasn't nap time.

Rory and Vinny are just 5 minutes away from a lovely big park that as well as a playground has a lake with lots of ducks and swans to watch.  And the ground is much more level!

Nathan

Ella

Vinny

Rory

Couldn't find a pic of Rory asleep in the buggy but he was quite easy to get down for a nap in the cot so he often stayed awake when we were out walking, especially in the park as he was very interested in all the trees, squirrels etc.

Of course the bigger boys no longer use the buggies and it won't be long before the little ones won't want to be confined to them either.  Then taking them out for a walk will come with a whole new set of challenges!

A - Z Challenge 2023 - V is for Vinny

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

Vinny (Vincent) is Grandson #4 born on 22nd September 2020.  Another day we won't forget as it's also the day we moved house.  We had arrived at our new house and were beginning to try and make sense of everything when I had to down tools and go and look after big brother Rory.

Vinny was another one impatient to be here arriving early and weighing in at just under 6lb.  Unfortunately he was jaundiced and had an infection so he had to spend a few days in the NICU

It was actually a week before he made it home.

Grandpa enjoying his first cuddle.  You can see the bruising on Vinny's hand from the canula he had to have.

I'm so proud of all my kids though because having babies during lockdown was not easy.  Fortunately all the partners were able to be there for the births but they couldn't stay with them for the whole time of the labour so it was quite stressful for them.

I've spent a lot of time with Vinny as once his Mummy went back to work I looked after him 1 day a week to help with the cost of childcare.  They were lucky to find a good nursery a five minute walk from their flat which both boys attended.  

After we moved house I would often look after him here and he went through a spell where he was always definite about what he wanted for lunch - scrambled egg, baked beans and toast.  He was always good for me but he wasn't happy if I tried to vary the menu lol.

He's a really good talker now - he seemed to go from just using words to talking in whole sentences that make sense.  (His Daddy was the same.)  He also loves reading books with me.

I miss having him but I decided I didn't want to be tied down to a particular day each week so since January he has gone to nursery full time.  

Of course I'm still happy to help out where I can during the week and some weeks that means several days involving some form of childcare for one or other grandchild. 

Vinny loves roaring like a dinosaur, playing with playdough and spoiling his brother's games.  He's also becoming quite cheeky and slightly naughty at times but it's hard to be cross with him.

Most days he doesn't have a nap now, or just a short one but there are still times when it just gets too much lol.

This was after he'd had a haircut recently.  Looking very grown up!

A - Z Challenge 2023 - U is for Unexpected Surprise

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

I'm being creative here with the letter.  Some of you may have wondered why Nathan wasn't included with Noah for the letter N.  Well I didn't want to have 2 grandchildren on the same post, especially when the others all have their own letter.  So Nathan is here because he was our Unexpected Surprise.

In two ways really.  Regular readers will know he is the son of my daughter Rebecca and her wife Vicky.  Of course that meant a clinic being involved etc etc.  We had no idea they were going through the process (although I knew that they wanted children) so the first surprise was when they announced Rebecca was pregnant.  At only 6 weeks!  Vicky is particularly bad at keeping things secret.  Of course we were delighted.  We looked forward to a long wait for the baby's arrival.

That wasn't to be.  The day before Hubby and I were due to go on a cruise I got a frantic phone call from my daughter.  She was heading for the hospital as she thought she was going into labour - at 29 weeks.

Well she was in labour and the following day will be etched on my brain forever I think.  There was a bit of dithering initially as the hospital didn't have a NICU space available so they were suggesting that Rebecca would have to be moved to another hospital before baby arrived.  She and Vicky were not happy about that as the hospital they were at is one of the best in the country for NICU facilities.  However when a doctor came to check on her to see what was happening it was a case of "You're not going anywhere - the baby is coming!"  It was 31st March 2017.

I don't think the Mummies even had a birth plan at that point but it would have been torn up and thrown away.  I never intended being in the delivery room for starters.  Hovering outside in a waiting area maybe but not in the room trying to support both of them but that's just the way it happened.  So many staff poured into the delivery room once it was apparent birth was imminent I don't think I could have escaped if I'd wanted to.

Nathan was born fairly soon after but of course quickly put in an incubator and transferred straight through to the NCIU where they somehow managed to find a cot. He weighed just over 2lb.

Those first few weeks that he spent in the NICU were challenging although he actually did really well.  He didn't have to be intubated  which was great but it did feel sometimes that it was 2 steps forward and then 1 step back.  And of course his Mummies had to leave him there every night as there were no facilities to stay.

Eventually, on 21st May I got my first cuddle - the day before he was allowed to go home.

Of course even though he was home there were still hurdles to overcome.  Initially he still had a feeding tube but thankfully he transitioned to breast feeding but of course there were lots of check ups to monitor his development, including eye tests because of his prematurity.

But now....he's just like any other 6 year old.

Who loves his sister - most of the time lol.

A - Z Challenge 2023 - T is for Television

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

Television programmes have changed so much during my lifetime.  My memories of children's TV are things like Watch with Mother and Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men.  But then I can also remember the test card when programmes weren't on air.

This one was introduced in 1967 when I was 8, following the introduction of colour TVs.  

Now of course you can watch TV 24/7 and the choice of programmes is mind boggling.

Naturally children's TV has progressed too.  My kids had things like Thomas the Tank Engine, Rainbow and Playschool.

Thomas is still around but he's definitely had some work done! lol

Of course lots of the programmes claim to be educational but some are more so than others.  And some are just mind numbing.  One of Ella's favourites is Cocomelon which is about a family with 3 children.  Lots of songs and repetition.  But at least it's fairly normal.  Unlike In the Night Garden which has characters such as Igglepiggle, Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy as well as the Ninky Nonk and Pinky Ponk!  It's a lot of nonsense but it is oddly calming and good at bedtimes.

Then of course there are lots of action programmes such as Paw Patrol and Octonauts.  And you can always find a programme with dinosaurs, trains or trucks.

But there are times when the television is useful:

Especially when you want 5 minutes peace!