The beginning of the end...

After a short and busy summer we spent a few weeks at Nanny Nicola's house whilst Lee was working in Castle Hill and Hull Royal Infirmary. It was a lot of fun being near family. I had an enjoyable night out with my mum and my gorgeous aunties - yes mum you are way gorgeous too :o) Great Nan and Great Grampy took Finn and Rosa to play in the park and despite my nerves they were very well behaved. (the kids were good too).  Lee has vowed never to step foot in Hull Royal again - dump doesn't quite do it justice - oh dear. Now we are back in London and Lee is in his final year - yes can you believe it, his final year of being a student!!! And boy are we both ready for it to be over already... we're massively sleep deprived, running out of financial resources,  growing 2 insanely demanding toddlers (and 1 angel baby), with no family and few friends near. Yes, it's going to be a uphill  ride and we're running on fumes - bring it on!

Finn has recently started Nursery School and loves it so much. (Although this picture is of him in nursery at Church.) When I ask him if he missed me, "No!", "Did you miss Daddy?" he hesitated... but still "No", "Did you miss Rosa?" "Yes!" And Rosa is certainly missing him. My initial worry of Finn settling in proved vain, but what I hadn't anticipated was how devastated Rosa would be. She sobs and screams and fights and cries as we leave - "I want to go a nursey school", it breaks my heart! I've been spending so much energy trying to keep her happy when Finn is gone that I'm not yet enjoying the break. She is definitely missing her play buddy. We have spent hours in the park, read a thousand stories, been shopping together, made a hundred things out of play dough, painted various pink flowers - that eventually get smeared with this nasty murky brown colour  and when every pretty picture is erased she says "All gone now mummy. Again".  This morning we sat and made kites because Finn made one in nursery - only I couldn't get it to fly - I think we'll need Daddy's help for this on Saturday. Finn has only had a few sessions!

A word about Finn.

Finn has been my little bundle of joy and of course trouble from day one. Which really I should have anticipated after the carnage he left in the labour suite! Man, he makes me smile. As a newborn he latched onto his Daddy so quickly (possibly because I had to be wheeled off to surgery and wasn't there for his first few precious hours). He always settled in Daddy's arms and rarely in mine. 3years 5months later it hasn't changed. He has started to like everything Lee likes, he copies which breakfast cereal Daddy has, he tries to Dance like Daddy, he calls for Daddy in the night, he asks for Daddy when he's hurt, "Daddy do you like it?" if Lee says yes, then "I like it too Daddy." I don't think there ever was, or will be, more of a Daddy's boy. Sometimes it has been difficult for me because I felt like he loves Daddy more, I know it's not really the case , but still it can be hard when I love him so much and not feel much in return. I thought kids this age loved freely - apparently not. But in those moments I realise how much I love his Daddy too. I hope he will always want to copy him and be like him. I can't think of a better role model for my little boy than his Dad. My heart aches when I wonder what he's getting up to at nursery school. But he is learning so much and making friends and coming home so happy. It's difficult to put into words the feelings a parent has for a child. From the moment they enter your life love overpowers everything you are and were and makes you want to be so much more for them. They consume your heart and mind entirely. I am so blessed and happy to have three beautiful, lively, quirky and very funny children and I'm slowing learning how to be a Mum.

 

Zach is way bigger than this now, and a lot less alien looking! More on him next time.



... a long time coming!

And after a mess of exams, birthdays, studies, anniversaries and o.s.c.e’s Lee is now a final year medical student. Wow, a long time coming. When we set out on this adventure we had no idea how hard it would be, and how much we would love it! We have developed an eternal love hate relationship with London, which I’m sure will distill to pure love upon our final journey north.

So the first week of Lee’s fifth year he decided to take as annual leave (ha!) and south west to the beauty of St Ives, Cornwall. Our first holiday since our honeymoon, sad yes, and definately too long in coming! In tow: Kiddies, Nanny Nicola and Uncle Tom. We had one busy, fun filled week which included a 6am wakeup call every morning to “BE QUIET SEAGULLS” and “SHUTUP SEAGULLS” coming from Rosa and Finn. I’m sure you can probably guess that we couldn’t even hear the silly birds, but after Finn had a sausage roll pinched out of his hand by a cheeky gull he tuned his senses to them and we reaped the aftermath. So, not much sleep - which was ok because there was so much to do. We saw Lands End, Penzance, St Michael’s Mount, Took in the 3 miles of Golden Sands, The Minack Theatre – which is possibly one of my favourite places in the world, breathtakingly stunning with all the arts and culture saturating the sea breeze, shear perfection! Had a boat ride, went swimming, attempted church – disaster.  And The Eden project which we loved so much, despite the small fortune we spent in the gift shop. The more we did to try and wear out the kiddies them the more wired they became – can’t wait till Lee can just bring home some diazepam! 

 Tom spent the week taking pictures of flowers... I'd mock him, but they were pretty good :)

 This picture really doesn't do it Justice. The Minack Theatre.

The Eden Project.

 Rosa loved having Nanny Nicola's hand to hold.

 I really hope Finn was taking a picture of the motorbike...

After all the fun and frolics of the Holiday we journeyed to Birmingham to say a fond farewell to Jet and his beautiful new wife Laura who are beginning an adventure down under. I’m so happy for them and this incredible experience. However, I can’t help but feel I’m going to miss them so much! There will be a temporary hole; that I expect filled in a year.

   

Lee is having a great experience in his Surgical Elective, already seen so much and stitched on a thumb! High Five!

And I can’t go without saying a word about the London (and the rest) Riots. I couldn’t help but feel anger and condemnation toward those involved. I felt a little scared and vulnerable when they talked of spreading to Southgate – then I realized Southgate is full of takeout’s and charity shops, not much to rob there! But my anger has given way to pity now. I think it’s a sad reality when people behave this way, with complete disregard to anyone or anything around them. I read this in the ensign this week, Elder L Tom Perry of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “We live in an interesting world. The desire for worldly toys seems to be overpowering. Developed nations are becoming so secular in their beliefs and actions that they reason a human being has total autonomy. The pursuit of so-called individual freedoms without regards to laws the Lord has established to govern His children on earth will result in the curse of extreme worldliness and selfishness, the decline of public and private morality, and the defiance of authority. Amidst the bustle of the secular world, with its certain uncertainty, there must be places that offer spiritual refuge, renewal, hope and peace.” Need there be any more evidence that this man is inspired of God. It is so true that events like the riots are a result in a lack of Christ and his Laws in the lives and hearts of all His children.

... early in the morning.

Well, the pile of dishes I have woken up to this morning is pretty shocking! However at 7.30am I would much rather enjoy some Ben and Jerry's and blog... ok, so its frozen yogurt - i still have muchos pregnancy weight to lose. I figure, eating this early in the morning I have all day to work it off instead of eating in the evening and letting it grow and grow on my hips. Needless to mention that Finn is sitting almost on top of me - what can I say but he is as big an ice-cream fan as his mummy! Rosa is now sitting on my neck and making this a little more than difficult. She is such a little climber, and very very snuggly, so cute!

So, May - what a month. First off Rosa turned 2, 10 days later Finn was 3, 5 days after that Lee became 35! Birthdays and cake galore. We enjoyed more than one energetic and funfilled trip to 'Toys R Us', took the kids out for dinner and generally had a jolly time making their birthdays special. And for Lee's special treat we made the dreaded journey north - first time with 3! Zach slept the whole 4 hours - what an angel he was, and Finn and Rosa watched DVD's on my netbook. Winner.

Spending the bank holiday weekend with our family was so much fun. Most of the family were meeting Zach for the first time and he didn't fail to inspire many a 'awwwws' and 'coos' and general mushy baby talk (he really is a dream). We just cannot wait to be back home with our family, we miss you guys so, so, too much!!!

Yesterday we had a very intimate Naming and Blessing of Zachary Michael Robinson, which was beautiful. Lee blessed him that he would have a peaceful and calming influence in whichever home he lives. And this really has been the case so far in ours. He has clamed our lives down so much, and given us a new focus and a dynamic that was desperately needed. He really is a special little Spirit. I know Finn and Rosa feel it too. I just can't get enough of him, love him to bits!! Love them all to bits!!


                               Zach with Grandma and Grandad:

Zach with Great Nan:

Finn disappeared, and I found him in Aunty Kim's bed with his cousin Sam watching Batman!

Fairy Rosa was too busy being a fairy to pose for a photo:

... from the beginning

So, to catch you up quickly:

June 23rd 2007: Lee and I were married.
May 22nd 2008: Finn born.
August 2008: Moved to central London.
September 2008: Lee started an extremely competative postgraduate Medical school 4yr programme.
May 12th 2009: Rosa born.
May 16th 2009: Lee's exams start for yr 1 and y2, yes two years in one!
July 2010: Move a little further north on the piccadilly line to Southgate.
March 31st 2011: Zach born.

And that brings you to now, and as you can see we've had a busy time of it since we became 'The Robinsons'. We've experienced so much as a family and are loving every minute. Okay, well not every minute - not the half a minute it took Rosa to scold her foot in the bathroom sink and needed some pretty serious surgery, not the many minutes we spent cooped up in the house with chicken pox, and not the thousands of minutes Lee sits in exams, presentations and osces (practical exams). But I think the worst minutes of all have to be those when Finn poops in his pants - he still hasn't quite cracked the whole toilet training nightmare, disgusting!

Lee is spending a few nights of the week away because the hospital he's been posted in is so far away.  Lee seems to spend most of his time on the tube and buses commuting to and from hospitals and home - annoying yes - but only 11 months left to go before we can journey north again and set up camp. What a joyous day that will be, and for those wondering we're hoping Lee will get into the North West deanery so we can move to Chorley.

Rosa is currently sitting next to me linking arms. She's so loveable - I could squeeze her all day long! Which i am going to do now, so i'm signing off of this my first Blog - i'm feeling rather trendy now - although i'm sure that'll disappear when no one reads this!

By way of post script (if that even counts on here) to the left is photo if the month - Rosa's sudocream indulgence... what can i say, she wants to put face cream on just like mummy :)