Auntie Jamie

Jamie came home yesterday until tomorrow to visit us and of course, Maddie. She was thrilled to bits to meet her new neice and before she leaves to go back to Devon tomorrow, she hopes to visit Maddie once again.

Although it is such a short visit, it has been great having Jamie home, she is very busy at the Vet's practice she works in and is awaiting the results of her practical exams, if she passes, then she will be fully qualified vet nurse.

Adam has just left us, he came for dinner. Carly wanted to spend time with Maddie (the truth is, she cannot face another roast dinner after all the xmas meals she has eaten!!!). It was lovely having Adam and Jamie here, it just needed Marisa to pop her head around the door to complete it - ah well, I can dream can't I?

two weeks on

Well, young Maddie is now 3lbs 7oz as of today, she is doing so well that the staff think she may be leaving the hospital in about 2 weeks time or before if she carries on doing so well. She is now taking her feeds from a bottle and is up to 42mls every 4 hours. Needless to say, Adam and Carly are getting very excited about getting Maddie home as everyone else is. We keep wondering what colour her hair will end up as and in some of the photo's, she is showing signs of being an auburn, anyway, time will tell. Carly is doing great as is Adam and they have spent a lot of time running backwards and forwards to the hospital. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that Maddie gets home sooner rather than later.

a week on

Well, it's a week since little Maddie arrived early and she has been a star baby. Not only has she been able to breath without any help from machines, she has now graduated into a 'glass' cot in a room all on her own. She now only has her feeding tube in and is up to 23mls of milk every 2 hours, today she was weighed and is a fraction under 3lbs so is growing. She is gorgeous and I got to change her nappy (diaper to you american lot) and cuddle her for ages on Friday when I went to visit her after work. Carly is doing really well and she doesn't even look as if she has had a baby!!!!!!!!!!! its just not fair. Adam is the doting dad and he got to wash her yesterday, he admits to having taken him hours to do, and felt exhausted afterwards - he has a lot to learn thats all I can say. I hope you all like the recent photos that Adam took on our camera (he says he will get Carly to sort their camera out tomorrow, hope Carly finds the time). Anyway, we wish you all a very happy christmas and a very peaceful 2009,

Maddie Ann Hardy

Well, here she is, our tiny little Maddie all 2lb 13oz of her. She is a real doll, in fact, I am thinking of going to the toy shop to buy some doll clothes for her!!! She looks like Carly but has honey blond hair, not sure what her eyes look like as she appeared reluctant to show us. Carly and Adam are over the moon with her even though they are still in shock by her early appearance. Not sure how long she will be in the special care baby unit so it looks like Father Christmas needs to be told where to go to leave a little something for Maddie. Will keep you posted on how she does.

Friends

This picture is of four of my very good friends who I did my nurse training with nearly l8 years ago. We try to meet up every three months to catch up on all the news we have and this time, Gill offered to cook us an Indonesian meal at her beautiful cottage in Wadhurst. Unfortunately, Alicia and Elaine were unable to make it which was a real shame but we hope they will make it for the next one. We are all doing various things, Gill and Alicia have retired, Lindy now works as a Librarian, Raine is a Practice Nurse and Veronica is one of the Outreach Sisters in our local hospital and Elaine works for our friendly Tax Inspectors!!!!!!!!!!

christmas cactus

I took this cactus plant on after my mum died 4 years ago, it was one of her's and it was very tiny and looked very poorly. Since then, it has grown so big and just 3 weeks ago it came out into full bloom and was pretty spectacular. I just had to get a picture of it and show it to you all and once the flowers drop off, I may even use it as my christmas tree!!!!!!

Colin at Rusthall Common

You will have to forgive me, but this picture was supposed to be with the one of me when out walking, but I appear to have pressed the wrong button on the computer and it didn't come up with the other one. Never mind eh, at least I am trying to do this blogging lark. Anyway, Colin also enjoyed the walk, or so he tells me.

A walk on Rusthall Common

Marisa has been 'nagging' me as I have not been 'blogging' enough. I do not take the amount of photos that she does. Anyway, Colin and I went for a long walk not too far from out house on a lovely sunny day and found a part of the common that we hadn't been to before. The views were lovely and the walk did us the world of good - or that is what I am led to believe!! I hope to download a couple more pictures really soon. Hope everyone is keeping well.