Me and my girls.....

I am gutted that I have to go back to work on Monday. I was really beginning to settle in life at home with my girls. All three of them! Just experiencing day-to-day family life has been delightful. I would be lying if I didn't say at times stressful! Having Amy, Lucy and Anna waiting at home when I get home from work on Monday will make it worth while. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but in recent months I have begun to realise that some things and some people are simply more important. Today we went out for lunch followed by 'pick your own' raspberries. Just to sit back and watch the girls doing it was simply enough for me. I wanted to take a picture, but the camera battery was flat! We were given a lovely comment today when I was told that Lucy was a credit to Amy and I. Very pleased and very flattered. Quote of the day: 'I really love your shoes mummy, they are very nice!' by Lucy 'I am trying to incur my mother's favour' Hammond. She truly knows how to play the game!

Have just been having a row/discussion with my wife about the layout of my blog. I am perpetually frustrated about her need to make everything in our lives Farrow and ball 'new white' - translated posh magnolia and so a compromise has been reached and the layout has now been made multi-coloured. Hope you like it!

I wish the sun would shine!

Typical bloody British summer. It has been raining or really cold for most of this week. Today for example was simply miserable. Indoor activities have been the order of the day this week. It is really frustrating as my two weeks at home has nearly come to an end and I will have to go back to work. We have had good weather for just a couple of days out in nearly nineteen days that I have been off. Anna is so good during the day, so weather permitting we could have gone out and done some lovely things. I am deeply disappointed. Despite this, family life with two girls has been very tiring but amazing. Now I will have to come to terms with not being around quite so much. (Have not included the day Anna was born (which was beautiful) but we spent it in a stuffy hospital.) I do have to say we are knackered. Lucy is active and needs a lot of focus and stimulation and Anna is still awake at night. Lucy still remains the only person in our house who actually gets a decent nights sleep!

This week has seen a great improvement in Lucy and how she behaves around us. The hitting out has virtually stopped, but I am not going to talk it up. We have worked hard to ensure that she has had so much attention and included her with what we do with Anna. She simply loves Anna, at times she can be overenthusiastic! Anna continues to sleep, feed, fart (she has a delightful windy smile that comes from the corner of her mouth), scream and go really red when she gets angry, sleep more and then wake up when we don't want her to!

A lovely family day out. Simple as that!

The family Hammond has had a simple yet lovely day out. There is no other way of describing it. We took Lucy swimming and by the end she really was enjoying it. We have been very neglectful of teaching her to swim and she is not at all confident in the water, but today she came on leaps and bounds. I did have a heart in mouth moment as she slipped and went face down in the water, emerged with no tears and went and told her mummy she had been a brave girl. Please see photo attached - note the missing bikini bottoms, they were too big and had fallen down by this point. The rest of the day was spent hanging out with tourists in Sheringham - jewel of the Norfolk coast (or is that Cromer) - we ate fish and chips, giggled, relaxed in the sunshine, ate ice cream and sprinkles, threw stones into the sea, my wife breast fed Anna in front of an army of northern tourists (mainly elderly men who were transfixed! It must be a generational thing), played animal snap in the shade and just all spent quality time together. I can't wait until Anna gets bigger and can play an active part in the general silliness and family life. I am not sure that I can remember a more special day in a long time with my family. Simple. Days like this is what life is all about. Me and my girls..........

Every child needs a role model, who leads by example and is wise in the ways of the world..

I thought I would begin a regular slot on Lucy and Anna's extended family. For a child to have an extended family is important in their life. They provide love, affection, knowledge and wisdom, presents so that their parents have less financial burden, they can support the children through hard times and impart their vast life experience and widen their social circle. Role models other than parents can be diverse, but do play an exceptionally important part in children's upbringing, well-being and development. Grandparents for example can provide all this and more, or so you would have thought?!? Exhibit A - Lucy and Anna's Granny and Grandpa. Make of this photo what you will. I am going to sit on the fence and make no comment what so ever!

Being mum ...

I hope you don't mind (materialistic buggy buying wife has invaded my blog) but I thought I would write a little bit on being mum.
The last 9 months have been pretty tough for me and I felt so tired and sluggish for most of the pregnancy. I did hardly anything with Lucy as I just didn't have the energy, consequently she is now addicted to anything on the telly!
Now, after having Anna, I finally have some get up and go! Even though sleep is lacking, it is bliss to be able to get up off the sofa, sleep in any position I like, enjoy all food without acid reflux, get into my old jeans (!) ... the list is endless! And, most importantly, have time for my girls; run around with Lucy, sit her on my hip (I hadn't even noticed that I had stopped being able to do that) and my lap, do some gluing, read her a story without sounding completely out of breath ... I hope things can only get even better.
I wondered how I would feel about having another child. As I was going through the unbearable pain of childbirth I reminded myself how wonderful Lucy is and how exciting it will be to see another little being travel through life. The gorgeous eating/sleeping/crying/pooing Anna will become even more interesting as each day goes by. We even saw her eyes today for quite a few hours!
Finally, I must say a big thank you to my marvellous husband. He has been through a tough time watching me go through a tough time. Thank you for sticking with me x

The war rages on....

I have positioned my troops, briefed them on their duties, homed in on every possible parenting skill I might possess and I am going to win the war. Me and you Looby - lets get ready to rumble. I have had a pretty good nights sleep. I am vaguely refreshed and today is the day I make history and I win round one of 'The Toddler War!' I am learning a few tactics this week and they are paying dividends.

• If you can't beat them, then hit the male stereotype and leg it down to your favourite pub. Cowardly I know, but the peace and quiet was amazing.
• If they strike, ignore the toddler, do not give them the reaction they want.
• Don't always offer choice, lack of understanding about choice can often lead to a severe case of stropping!
• Play the fool - it can often provide a welcome distraction.
• Always listen to your wife, even if you don't want to admit it, she usually talks sense.
• Above all stay calm.

The list above indicates that I am a changed man. Not! But I am trying to learn and there has been considerably less conflict between me and the toddler. It was going well. Going well - until bed time and a very tired Lucy started kicking out. Never mind there have been many positives today. Best Looby moment today - armed with a torch she did an exceptionally good Blair Witch project impression. Tried to get a photo but failed.

Scrumptious Anna slept fairly well last night, we added two bottles to her night time feed. This is one hungry baby! She has had a lovely time on her play mat today and seems to be looking in the mirror. Baring in mind I am not sure about her ability to see.

I know the more I muse, the more I contradict myself!

In May I made a very naive reference to the fact that I wished that I could go back to having an inanimate baby for just one day. Lucy had run me ragged on that day and I think I was tired. Now I am not so sure. Anna had another bad night and the family Hammond is shattered. One hundred percent cream crackered. Anna - when you read this. Please see picture attached. I know you can sleep. I know you can sleep. In fact she is spark out in the room next to me! The problem is settling her down at 10pm. She will settle at any other time in twenty four hours except this time. Tonight we are going to try a bottle and fill her up. Amazingly despite all this crying (and it is loud) Lucy does not wake up at all. My turn for the nightshift tonight, Amy needs some sleep and rest.

To add to our woes Lucy has decided to drop her sleep during the day and is slightly grumpy with it. Despite this we had a really good day. We went to mega fun and she had a lovely time with a girl called Jodie. Jodie was five and Lucy completely bossed her around! A little boy picked a fight with her and threw the ball pool balls at her. Looby replied with a powerful throw and hit him right in the nose. He promptly scuttled back to his father in tears. That's my girl. Get in there! This should be the way you treat men for the rest of your days.

Had a deliciously lovely cuddle with Anna for about half an hour this afternoon. She fell asleep on my shoulder and I loved every minute of it. There have not been many opportunities for this in the first week of her life and it was good to have this time with her.