Love, Kay

Bed & rest, probably two of the best things to do on a lazy Sunday; they're almost as good as Netflix and chill.  Perfect combination and once you add in some ice cream and snacks, I'm in heaven.  Or so I thought! My pregnancy decided to step up a gear and go from annoying and uncomfortable to painful and worrying. Whilst watching my son's gymnastics, my contractions started... holy shit bags, who knew watching forward tumbles could have such an effect on my uterus!  We rush to the hospital and yep contractions have started, baby isn't coming but if I'm not put on meds and start bedrest asap, she will be. And here I am... bedrest for a week until my next hospital check up. I know my body, & my baby, need me to rest but this is gonna be torture!  I hate sitting still, I hate staying at home and watching the clock until school pick up and I know that'll be on the agenda when baby arrives but for now I would much prefer to be making random trips...

Well if it's good enough for Kate Middleton & Jessica Alba, then it's good enough for me! Roll on baby number 3!  Since we announced our third pregnancy, I have been stunned by how ridiculously different all 3 of my pregnancies have been.  Reflecting on them today has been so therapeutic for me; it is funny how society has very different views upon pregnancy, depending on how many other children you have. As Jacob was our first, this pregnancy was met with much celebration from others and not much information or guidance; with Sienna, she was our second so everyone assumed we knew what we were doing and were eager to share their own horror labour stories and empathise with the lack of sleep to come but she was our first girl; she was viewed as the missing piece to our family puzzle and with our third... well this has been amusing!  2010 He was our first & we were the first people ever to have a newborn! I read all the books, I ensured to wash all of h...

"Girls are mean!" How many of us were told this when we were growing up? I know I was. This topic is one that is really close to me, as a mum of a young girl & another on the way and someone who was bullied as well as, and I'm ashamed to admit, a bully. I was never physical and I never went out of my way to be mean to anyone; but when my group of friends (especially the "Queen Bee"... every group has one) decided not to talk to someone, i joined in. I didn't do this as I had a personal grudge against that person, and majority of the time I didn't know why that person was being ignored or ostracised, I was just relieved it wasn't me. Writing this now I am so ashamed of my actions and I would love to go back to myself then and give myself a bitch slap and remind me that I am an individual and can like and talk to whoever the hell I wish, but I was weak. (If I'm being completely honest, I would also go back and tell myself that I ain...

There is no better feeling than waiting for your child at the school gates and you see one of their classmates walking out with a construction they can barely carry, made with old loo rolls, tissue boxes and bottle tops! "Yeah!! They've been junk modelling!" You watch the proud munchkin stagger towards their parents with their prized creation and you watch the parents delighted response. "Wow! What a wonderful rocket? Elephant? Batcave??" And then you meet their eyes... there is that moment where the empathy is strong but your relief is stronger, thank God I don't have to carry one of those home today! But obviously I make a point of complimenting them on their child's one of a kind creation (such a bitch)  Karma often kicks in at this point and a teacher staggers out of said gates holding a Pisa-esque monstrosity with your proud baby running towards you. It's then that you know that this work of art will take pride of place in your home fo...

I am delighted that in 9 weeks we will be welcoming our new baby girl into the world. I am delighted that we are going to have a gorgeous bundle filling our days will even more love, laughter, sleepless nights & explosive nappies. And I am so delighted that in 9 weeks, I won't be pregnant anymore!! Pregnancy sucks!! Even as I write this I know some of you will be enraged by this. Don't get me wrong, I know how fortunate I am that I have been able to carry 3 babies, fall pregnant without any stress or at any financial expense and I am well aware that I am supposed to be embracing this wonderful chapter of my womanhood.. but I don't. I adore knowing there is a new life growing inside me & feeling that the growing a baby in my body is the most incredible thing ever; But I have hated being pregnant. I find that complaining about pregnancy is a complete faux pas, how dare i complain! Does this make me a terrible woman? A terrible mother? A complete selfish...

"So what do you do?" This has become a question I have been asked many times whilst moving abroad and have to be honest,  it's  my least favourite. Since moving to Thailand, as an accompanying wife, people are always keen to know what I do as a career. A few years ago, this question would have been a breeze to answer, "primary school teacher" and this would then have led on to more questions about what school i taught in, which year group did I teach and we would always then get into the debate about the amount of weeks holiday I got each year!! But now, as soon as I say "stay at home mum" .. the reactions always seem similar; there may be follow on questions about my kids and then I'm asked, "so what do you do with all your time??" "All my time" is generally made up of visiting several different supermarkets as only some source the items we need or trust, taking care of our home, cooking, transporting my children ...

From the second I found out we were pregnant (well, maybe 5 hours later, once the shock subsided) I have been dreading this question. I knew it would come my way and I knew I had to be ready! I am a primary school teacher and have taught "the birds & the bees" to a class of 11 year old kids so felt confident with the task ahead. (Haha!!! Again I am writing this and reflecting on my naivety! It's so different when it's your own babies; when it's someone else's, you can just fob them off by saying, "maybe ask your mummy or daddy?".. no fobbing this time Ashton!) First port of call was my children's school library, let's see what we can find here I thought...I was horrified!! Semen soldiers invading my insides on the hunt for a rogue egg! A daddy seed shooting along a water slide to find the mummy seed in the love pool!?! WTF?! All of these analogies not only had me in a cold sweat but they also helped me to realise that I ...