Loss of my Grandad ✨🤍

I’ve really been struggling recently… I was really close with my Grandad and he got diagnosed with liver cancer at the end of Nov 2021. He was put on end of life care immediately due to how aggressive the cancer was. We couldn’t believe it. It was suck a shock.

The cancer was unfortunately non treatable due to how far along he was with it, and they gave him a timeframe of a months life expectancy. None of the information sunk in at the time and we didn’t want to believe he was going to be gone from our lives.

I really struggled with his diagnosis as I no longer lived in my home town as I’m now married and live a couple of hours away due to my husband being in the military. It was extremely difficult to find the time to visit often and be there as much as we could.

My Grandad was such a family man, he loved being surrounded by his family, loved babies, loving being involved with everyone… he was an all around happy guy. I remember after his diagnosis me and my husband told him we had been trying for a baby for a couple of months (we got married in the September 2021 and had been keeping it a secret, but we knew how much he would love the news) which he did, he was so incredibly happy for us.

I had some fertility issues going on so we didn’t catch on as quick as we’d hoped… my Grandad passed away in March 2022 a week after his 73rd birthday. I was devastated… luckily we managed to see him the Sunday before he died (he passed early hours of the Tuesday morning after) so we got to say our goodbyes which was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’m so proud of him for showing the nurses he could last longer than they’d predicted! They didn’t even think he’d make it to Christmas. He’s amazing 🤍

On the 16th May 2023 we found out we are pregnant with our first baby ✨🤍 it is our miracle. I got diagnosed with PCOS at the beginning of this year and got told we probably wouldn’t ever be able to have children… we were so shocked but so unbelievably happy 🤍

Since finding out I have really struggled mentally as I haven’t been able to tell my Grandad this amazing news. He had been there for me through everything in life. He was there for me when I left my ex abusive boyfriend and he prayed I’d find someone who would make me happy… and he saw me do that and marry the most amazing man I’ve ever met ✨ I’m so pleased he saw me happy finally. I’m just so so upset he isn’t alive to hear he’s having a great grandchild. It breaks my heart.

I don’t think I’ve fully grieved the loss of my Grandad. I miss him terribly. I think it’s normal to feel this way when big life events happen as you wish they were here to see it. Losing someone is so tough, I don’t even know why I’ve wrote all of this out… I think I just needed to actually write how I feel down as I’ve kept a lot of it inside recently.

I’m seeing this baby as a gift from Grandad ✨🤍 I’m not usually one to think things like this but in this case I feel like he’s blessed us with our little miracle.

Heaven has gained an angel, and our beautiful baby will be entering this world in his place ✨🤍

Sorry for the really long and emotional post. It’s one of those days lol

in our community

Parking drama, I want to know what people think!

My mum parks across my driveway sometimes (maybe up to twice a week) as there’s limited on street parking nearby.
Someone has been pushing her wing mirrors in, obviously in protest. Her car is older, and the wing mirror has been broken twice by doing this.

See my doodle. The guy doing this lives at the house at the top of the road’s turning circle. He walks the path of the purple line across the turning circle to do it to the car.

The road is not a busy road at all, it’s a short culdesac/dead end road. The pavement by my driveway is blocked by a bush and a lamppost (drawn in my pic lol), and any pedestrians would need to go on the road anyway to get past, even if her car wasn’t there. There are no obstructions on the pavement on the other side of the road.

Do you think what he is doing is fair??

You just changed your baby’s diaper, but realise you have to use the bathroom. Do you wash your hands..

Should I make a poll series on hand washing because I’ve been here long enough to know it’s not happening as much as it should lol

When you had a baby and you decided to breast feed did you feel that nurses were pushing formula?

My baby is not even 2 days old and she's been nursing super well according to the lactation specialist. She was born by c section so weight loss is expected to be higher than by vaginal birth due to the fluids given. I'm booked into see my doctor for the baby and I and lactation consultant at the doctors yet this nurse won't stop asking if I want to give formula so she can pee more and gain back her weight fast.

Are we just staying in bed for 12 hours a night?

Right now I’m going to bed when my baby does at 8pm and staying there until his morning wake usually around 7. Does anyone else do this? He sleeps on top of me and usually wakes up and just crawls back on me when I try to put him down. What are your tips for sneaking away?

Sleep

7 month old still doesn't sleep through the night 😭 wakes up 2/3 times a night. Normal or nah?

Reducing formula feeds

I've just been told by my nursery that they wont give bottles of/and formula from 1 year one, my little boys 1 in 3 weeks.
Looking for advice on how to reduce his formula intake?
Hes loves both food and milk 🫣 I think he will drink cows milk so that's not the issue im more concerned about the fact that hes in a routine with his bottles.