16 Months, 3 Weeks, 3 Days

Good news - last Friday, I finally got to my pre-pregnancy weight. I think, the last time I weighed myself before getting pregnant, I was 9st 12.8lb - last week I weighed 9st 12.6 lb and this week, exactly 9st 12lb. Only 4lb to go now until my 'ideal' weight. Can't believe it took me nearly 18 months but I got there eventually. Finally starting to feel a 'bit' better about myself. Completely lost my boobs again - gone back to the saggy bags that I had after I stopped breastfeeding. Seems you can't have it all! Now just need to get the exercise going again. Went for a 2.4 mile run yesterday and am going to military fitness tomorrow - wish me luck, eeek!

I've finally had clearance from Occupational Health at the new job and they are now asking for my references. Hopefully, they will come back to them quickly and then I can sort out a start date. I am hoping for Monday 8th February but the agency said that might be a bit too optimistic - we shall see. One thing I'm excited about is that the Occupational Health said they do exercise classes like circuit training and boxercise. It is the boxercise I'm really excited about. Fit Debbie, here I come! That is 'fit' as in healthy, by the way, not 'fit' as in "she's well fit" goodlooking!

Callum had his 3rd day at nursery yesterday. He really cried and screamed when I dropped him off. I tried to settle him with a toy but was just really clingy. I tried to let him know that I'd be back later and tried to keep it all cheery cheery but just had to leave him in bits.

Thankfully, he was fine when I went to pick him up. He didn't notice me and was just playing with a walker/trolley. I wouldn't say that he looks like he is happy and having fun but he did look comfortable and confident which is important for me. I would have found it hard if he was hiding away in the corner somewhere looking miserable.

I know he'll get used to it when he goes full time and it will become routine and the norm. Silly me is then worried he'll love going to nursery so much he'll prefer it to spending time with us at weekends! *mental slap around the head* - I know I'm just being silly and it'll be fine. Its hard not to let these thoughts slip in though.

Callum has started trying to stand on his own again without holding on to anything. He often stands then falls over immediately but he is trying regularly. He is also getting more confident about trying to walk - though he is still not walking. He can turn around on the spot on his own, although he is a bit wobbly. He does like to drag these things out! He walks on his knees quite a bit and gets around like that or through crawling.

16 Months, 2 Weeks, 3 Days

Well, today is Callum's second day at nursery and it was much harder to leave him than last week.

Last week, he was reaching for me when I left and cried when I picked him up. They told me that he had enjoyed meal times when he was happy and quiet but in between meal times he had whined.

This week he was really crying and reaching out to me when I left him. I wish that I could go in with him for a couple of minutes to set him up playing with some toys and then I know he wouldn't think twice about me leaving.

I think, if this was 2 months ago, he wouldn't have been in the slightest bit bothered and wouldn't have even looked around for me, but recently he has got really shy with people he doesn't know or clings to me when we first go in somewhere, even if it is familiar to him. Even when people visit us, so in his own home, he goes shy.

In some ways, it is very cute as he snuggles in to me and gives the other person a little shy smile. But I liked it when he was really confident and now I am worried that I am leaving him at nursery at the time when he needs reassurance and it could make him more clingy and cause separation anxiety.

I'm not regretting taking him to nursery. If I have a regret, it is that we didn't put him in sooner. Well, I guess that was the intention but circumstances with sorting out childcare vouchers meant it didn't happen. Nevermind, when he goes full time, I bet he'll love it and forget who we are :o(.

Regarding progress with the job - we are just waiting on the occupational health interview now. It got postponed from the first week in January because of the snow and they were sending me out a new date. I rang up on Tuesday and apparently it was meant to be that day. Frustrating to miss it but have booked in an appointment for next Thursday now. If that all goes well, as I am expecting it to, I should receive my final offer and then look to be starting about 2 weeks following that.

I'm getting in a panic now about all the people I want to see and all the things I want to do before I start working! Eeek!

Did I tell you Callum's latest word is 'shoes'. Very cute. I think anything you put on your feet comes under 'shoes' but he is learning.

Still now walking though. I'm sure he could but just doesn't 'think' he can. He was walking into a room yesterday and was holding onto my finger. My hand had a glove on so I carefully slipped my hand out of the glove so he was still holding it and he stood still and then continued to walk forward. He then fell over but only because another child walked into him. He is much better at it than he thinks he is. We should really try to encourage him more.

I took him for a walk to the shop Tuesday with his trolley. He loved it and did really well on the way there. Virtually ran all the way to the shop - well, about 2/3rds of the way. But then it became very hard work as I kept having to carrying him and the trolley. And then on the way back I had the milk too. He really wanted to walk so kept asking to be put down but then was too tired to walk so kept going down on his knees. We stopped for a rest in the park and bumped into Lou, Ben & Toby. Toby was happy to push Callum half the way home while he was sitting in the trolley and then I carried Callum while Toby pushed most of the rest of the way home. I was shattered when I got home.I was going to take the pushchair with me so that I could plonk him in that when he got tired of pushing the trolley but once he got behind the trolley he was off and I didn't get time to get the pushchair out. He would have been out in the road before I knew it so just left it in the car and chased after him. Not again - next time the pushchair is definitely coming with!

16 Months, 1 Week, 2 Days

Well, last week's weigh in day showed a 5lb loss, which got me nearly back to my pre-New Year binge! Been really good on diet so hoping that I am continuing to lose at a steady rate. Its been really tough with feeding Callum his usual diet. Especially as he hasn't been well so has often left a lot of his dinner. He very often has a cheese related dinner. I never realised how tough it would be to give up cheese for a month. Sometimes it is torture! I was trying to use up a cheese board we bought for Christmas and didn't eat so made Callum a pasta dish with blue cheese sauce. Firstly, I have to test whether it is cool enough to eat by touching it against my lips, then he left about half of it (there was too much there to start with). It took all my strength to just throw it in the bin. But, I did it and am proud of myself!

So, as I just said, Callum has been poorly. Last week he had a high temperature and was pretty miserable. Then he wouldn't sleep on Saturday night. Stuart and I were up with him for most of the night. We brought him in to our bed in the end but every time one of us moved he would wake up screaming. Stuart got up with him early in the morning in the end so I got a few hours sleep. I so appreciated him doing that. So then a tired Stuart had to entertain a grumpy, tired and ill Callum - I didn't envy him.

His cold eventually broke out on Sunday and then on Monday, he was much happier. Although stuffy with a croaky voice he has been lovely the last few days. Its like he appreciates what it is like to be well and is extra happy because of it. His croaky voice is quite cute!

We have had lots of snow over the last couple of weeks. Last Tuesday/Wednesday we had 6-9 inches. That hadn't thawed completely before we had another couple of inches last night. We have spent a lot of time indoors but have managed to get out occasionally. I walked into town last Friday, I think it was. I had to get some emergency supplies - i.e. bread & milk - so I walked down to Sainsbury's (which must be about 2-2.5 miles walk) with Callum on my back. It was still too scary to drive so thought the walk would be good to get us out of the house too. It was beautiful and I took lots of photos. Will try and upload a couple at the end of this blog. Going there wasn't too bad but by the time I had got to Sainsbury's and walked around shopping, my back was really hurting. I stopped for a hot chocolate before making the journey home....up hill! Was shattered by the time I got home, but still pleased I had done it. The walk was twice as

hard on way home because I had put the milk in the backpack which made it heavier!

As long as Callum is wrapped up warm and it is made fun, Callum is happy in the snow - especially if he is practising his walking! He wont let me go inside the house if we have been out until I take him for a walk up and down the road!

We made a snow bunny in the garden today :o) - First time I've made anything other than a snowman in the snow.

Again, he was happy to walk in it but when I left him propped up against a tree, he wasn't so keen. But then I plonked him on the snow so he was sitting in it and he realised it wasn't so bad!

So, Callum still isn't walking on his own. He does like to stand on his own without holding on and then gets all pleased with himself and then did decide to try to walk to me the other day but forgot about the big toy car garage in the way. I moved the obstacles out of the way and then he did a really good 5 steps, paused to regain his balance and then did the final step. He is taking his time but I guess he is a perfectionist like his mum and dad!

Callum still hasn't had his first day of nursery because of the snow. He is due to go tomorrow but since we have had more snow, not sure whether that will happen. I hope so. Not sure if we still have to pay for it if they close the nursery again. They sent me a text message on the Wednesday last week saying it had closed but I haven't heard anything today. We shall see. I'll update again after if he does go.

No more news on the job front at the moment. I was meant to go in for an occupational health interview last Thursday but that too was cancelled due to snow. Now I am waiting for a new interview date and time to come through the post.

Speak soon. Some more photos of the snow:

16 Months, 4 Days

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well, the diet starts today and I was very disappointed when I weighed myself this morning and checked back on where I was last year. I weigh the same today as I did on 3 February last year :o(

Must try harder this year!

So, 10lb to go to pre-preg weight, 1 stone to goal weight. The plan is to lose the 10lb by 5 March (Weigh day is Fridays and 5 March is the first Friday in March).

Now, enough moaning - that's no way to start the new year! On with a Callum update.

Well, still no full on walking but lots of practicing with the maximum steps taken being about 6. Still, I don't think it will be long. He is standing unaided lots more now too. He loved showing off his new walking trick to everyone over Christmas to New Year. He also learnt to stand up from being on the floor (i.e. from crawling) unaided. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it at mums and then Stuart saw it a bit later that day. He hasn't done it much since. I think there is too much around to help him and so he doesn't think to try, just uses the support because it is there.

Callum has given us lots of lay-ins until 8.30ish over the Christmas period but, unfortunately, I think it is having a knock-on affect to bedtimes as there has been a couple of times this past week that he hasn't gone to sleep until over an hour later. It wasn't until about 9pm last night. Normally, during the week, we wake him up at 7am to stop this and then he is ok if he sleeps in a couple of days at the weekend without it affecting his bedtime but I think a week of it is starting to make a difference. Oh well, only two more sleeps until Stuart is back to work and it is back up at 7am again. Going to miss Stuart when he goes back to work :o( It has been lovely having Stuart home for the whole time too so we have been able to spend loads of time as a family.

Callum got very spoilt over Christmas (as did we all). I wont list everything but among the stuff he got were, Happyland sets, playmat, train set with Thomas and carriages, clothes, an aeroplane toy that makes noises, not to mention a whole stocking full of bits from santa. He has been pretty good over the whole holiday period too.

Now we just need to try to store it all and still keep the place looking relatively tidy! Stuart bought some storage boxes and I am sad to say that I got excited by the fact we have more storage for Callum's toys. They are still a bit of an eye-sore in the lounge as plastic boxes don't look pretty but at least they are behind one of the sofas so you don't notice them too much when sitting down. I still need to go through all his toys and put some stuff in the loft. I might move some of his toys to his room too. After all, he does have a toybox in his room!

Not really much more to report at the moment. Callum starts his first full day of nursery next Thursday so I'll probably have more to update after then.