Wednesday 7th November....A day in the life

Hello. Once again I'm back on the blogging. I must apologise for the delay; I promise married life has not resulted in my being chained to the kitchen sink. Yes, the wedding was amazing and the day was perfect! I won't update you on the last six months just yet, as Claire has requested a 'day in the life' blog to kick-start us lame bloggers back into action. So expect an update on my life in a couple of days time. I promise it will be full of wedding gossip. Now onto the main event - Wednesday 7th November in all it's glory.......

9.10am Wake up to Lee kissing me goodbye. With his usual charm he tells me I am smelly and breezes out the door whistling. I am completely confused and don't know where I am. Still tired from the exciting events of yesterday I force myself to get up and make a cup of cherry tea. (still have 2 boxes of the limited edition nectar left!)

In case you are wondering what exciting events happened the day before, well, my sister gave birth to Josh Alexander in rather dramatic circumstances. Time for a flashback methinks, in the style of Lost.....

Monday 5th November

9.10pm Suzanne phones to tell me she's been feeling strange all day. She thinks her waters are starting to break slowly and feels like 'something is going to happen'. I decide to pack a bag and be ready for a call anytime onwards to go and babysit Eva.

9.30pm Mum phones rather excitedly to discuss said possibilities of childbirth through the night.

10pm I go to the kitchen and bake rather yummy ginger parkin. I am too nervous to watch tv, read or surf the internet. In a crisis - let's bake. How Martha Stewart.

11pm Speak to Lee who is in Brighton for Flash on the Beach conference. He's in bed ready to sleep.

12am Go to bed and start reading the second Harry Potter book.

12.30am Decide to put light out and start pondering potential baby names for Suzanne's baby.

12.50am Ian phones - 'Come quickly, things are happening fast.'

1.10am I arrive at my sister's house to find her at the top of the stairs, bent over and moaning. The contractions are very close. I find myself very distressed but hide it and rub her back. I keep reminding her to breathe.

1.25am Suzanne and Ian leave for hospital, but take 5 minutes to get into car. She has to stop three times going down stairs to have contractions. I can hear her cries echoing up the street. I pace the bedroom and put my jammies on. I go to bed and try to sleep.

2am The phone rings. I think - oh no, they are sending her home! It's Ian, happily telling me Suzanne gave birth to a baby boy at 1.50am. In the disabled toilet in the foyer of the maternity wing! She couldn't make it to triage. Luckily nurses and midwives make it along as just before she gives birth and have towels and blankets to hand. I cry down the phone and feel so relieved.

2.10am Phone Lee -he screams 'It's a boy! It's a boy!' And is confused but happy.

2.15am Phone parents - delighted, relieved and proud to have a wee grandson.

3am After trying to fall asleep, my niece Eva wanders into the room. 'I am lone. Where's my mummy?' She gets into bed and cuddles in tight behind me, promptly falling asleep and making snottery snores in my ear. Needless to say, I barely sleep at all.

Flashforward.....

Wednesday 9.30am Can't believe I am still tired from the other night. It always takes me a few days to catch up on sleep.

9.45am In bed, watching Notes on a Scandal on my laptop. Watch the first half and find it rather chilling and nasty. Judy Dench is just fantastic. Get up and have a shower.

12.15pm Rush into car and head down to the post office depot to collect a parcel. Am delighted it has arrived and decide to open it later on in the day. I like to savour parcels. Plus I have lots to do.

12.45pm Put on my Cyndi Lauper 'Night to Remember' CD and tidy the house. I aim to get the house ship-shape by the time the CD is finished. Nothing like a power-ballad album to get the chores done.

1pm Find myself singing along and air grabbing to a dramatic song. God, I love that album. No-one has heard of it. It's just fantastic.

1.30pm Make up egg mayonnaise and cress rolls. Eat as fast as I can. Check emails. Feel so tired and decide I need to rest. Otherwise I will be no use to man or beast. Watch the second half of Notes on a Scandal. It was very enjoyable, not half as good as the book. The book is one of the best I've ever read, fantastic character description and such critical observations from the narrator - it chills your heart.

3pm Open parcel. It's art prints I've ordered from USA - I am delighted with them. Update my stock lists. (will explain all this in future blogs)

4pm Find myself falling asleep on the sofa. Potter about the house for a while.....Fiona phones afer work and we discuss the merits of Notes on a Scandal, both the novel and the film.

5pm Go to lie down and sleep as I can't stay awake.

5.45pm Wake up to my alarm confused and don't know who I am or where I am. It takes me a minute to remember my name, or my location.

6pm Finally rouse myself and make dinner. A yummy mince and tomato with some curry powder for a wee kick.

6.15pm Lee arrives home and falls asleep on sofa.

6.45pm I wolf down dinner and watch Lee catch flies. Lucky for him it was yet another free curry day - so all the more food for my dinner.

7pm Rush out the door with a huffy face as Lee has moaned at my lack of speed. I am even more huffy at having to go into the Spar to buy him fags. Bah humbug.

7.20pm Arrive at the hospital for my second visit, and Lee's first, to see baby Josh. He's feeding away quite happily. My sister is glowing and rather happy. We chat, fuss over Josh - at 10lbs he's a big'un, and have a cuddle with him. He's warm and super soft. I love his chubby cheeks and arms. I adore that serious look that newborn babies have. So cute.

8.30pm Leave to go to the pub and watch the second half of the Ranger's game. Go to two pubs before we find one showing it. It is rough and there is only one other woman there. She looks like a diehard football fan. I am unimpressed. I sit and catch up on texts. Feel the urge to shout 'c'mon the Celtic' as we leave the pub, but know that would result in hospitilisation. Must have experienced a mild Tourette's syndrome moment.

9.30pm Go home. Try not to fall asleep on sofa. Watch crap tv, finish knitting a glove and surf the internet. Lee shows me an amazing photographer and tries to explain theories he learnt at Flash on the Beach. Frankly, I am more into watching the latenight repeat of Ugly Betty, but try and remain in his design world. Feel guilty for having done very little work. Remind myself I am tired and I will work tomorrow. Go to bed.

Day ends.