City of Stars, are you shining just for me?

Good Morning and more importantly, Happy Hump Day!

I hope everyone is well and not too cold?! Another good week here at The Uni Mummy HQ. (i’m just going to skim over the fact that I am coming down with a cold, eugh.)

Little Man meet Elgar…Elgar meet Little Man

Last weekend was my first whole weekend off from Placement in a few weeks which was great as it meant quality time with The Husband and The Little Man. Due to Little Man’s current obsession with all things Thomas, we thought we’d take a little day trip on the train. He definitely got the true British train experience as the train we had planned to catch was cancelled, great. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait/freeze our toes off for too long and I don’t think he minded too much as it meant an extra trip in the lift to change platforms, apparently he loves anything that moves.

Malvern Priory in the fog.

When we eventually got there, we had a great time wandering around Great Malvern, it was beautiful even when freezing cold and thick with fog! We made a pitstop for lunch at Gallery 36 which I can thoroughly recommend, the food was delicious (Children’s menu went down a storm) and the staff were great. Plus, by catching the train, both Mummy AND Daddy were able to try their own ‘Gallery 36’ beer which also went down a storm. It was a little trip down memory lane for me as in my previous life as a care-free teenager, it was known as ‘Ollie’s’ and the bar I frequented with my friends. I’m glad to say it’s had quite a makeover since those days and the smell of stale beer has been well and truly abolished. On Sunday after more embracing the cold and a walk through the woods, we had a very lazy day. Little Man spent hours playing with my brother’s Thomas the Tank Engine set, he didn’t care that it is about 20 years old and we all enjoyed a change from his non-stop playing with cars!

Lunchtime tipple

Also on the weekend The Husband and I managed to sneak in a Date Night (thank-you Grandparents for babysitting). It’s so tempting when you’re working full-time and exhausted, to just go to bed early and basically have no life. But, this year, as I am channeling “You can’t pour from an empty cup”, it is important that I am happy in all aspects of my life, especially my marriage. So, on Saturday night, we spent an extortionate amount of money on popcorn and sweets, I utilised my student status to get a cheap ticket and we went to see ‘La La Land’. Now, if you are, like I, a fan of ‘The Gosling’, stop whatever you’re doing right now and book yourself a ticket to see it, now, go. I mean, he plays the piano, sings and dances, what’s not to like!?! But seriously, even if you’re not a Gosling fan, it really does live up to the rave reviews it’s been getting. Beautiful, touching and the soundtrack is immense. And now I have ‘City of Stars’ stuck in my head again…

In other news, Placement is still going really well. The realisation that I only have 4 weeks left brings with it a mix of emotion. I am SO looking forward to shorter hours, seeing my Uni ladies, not having to do the hideous commute (especially when it’s foggy) and being able to do the drop/off pick up of for nursery. BUT, at the same time, I am really going to miss working with the patients, the thrill of not knowing what my day will entail and most of all, the brilliant people I get to work alongside. Everyone has made me feel so welcome on the ward and I leave each shift feeling like what I have done really matters and that is so satisfying!!

When I started this journey to becoming a Mental Health Nurse, due to my lack of experience, it was the Placement bit of my training that I was really apprehensive about. But the past 7 weeks have shown me that I really need to give things ago before I assume I’ll be rubbish at them. I’m also left thinking, if I have learnt this much and changed this much in Placement one, what is in store for me over the next 5?!

Snail Mail wins!

And finally, for anyone who doesn’t follow me on Instagram, I received some lovely post from one of my oldest friends this week so to reiterate what I said on there, I really couldn’t do this without your support. So, thank-you.

Have a good one everyone!

The Uni Mummy, over&out x

Woooah we’re halfway theeeere…

This week was a bit of a momentous one…I reached the halfway point of my first Placement! I cannot believe that I’m halfway already, it is absolutely flying by. This also meant a visit from one of my lecturers so they could speak with me and my mentor to see how I’ve been getting on. Well I’ve been absolutely loving placement so far so I had nothing but great things to say and it appears my mentor felt the same. I don’t ever remember being described as ‘Exceptional’ in anything I have ever done before, so for that word to be used in that meeting made me fill with pride. It also made all the sacrifices so far feel worthwhile and the choices I’ve made feel like the right ones.

So although I can’t talk much about my Placement, you’ll just have to take my word for it when I say, it’s brilliant. Not always easy, but brilliant. The hours are long, the work intense, the commute is beyond horrid and yet I STILL think it’s brilliant.

Anyways, I know this post is a bit short and show-offy (sorry) but I’m honest with you all about the low points so it’s important you’re with me for the highs too.

Hope everyone else has a very lazy Sunday, think of me when you’re still in your PJ’s at midday, I will be four and half hours into another shift and probably on my fourth cup of tea!

Happy Sunday everyone.

The Uni Mummy, over&out x

Back to life, Back to reality.

Good Morning!

Well I’m back to it, back to the 5.15am wake ups and the 9pm returns home. It’s not been easy getting back into the routine and after two 12 hour shifts, I am exhausted!! It’s hardly surprising after having two weeks of rest, and even a little relaxation.

Our little corner of heaven in Mid-Wales, we can’t do anything but relax here!

The Husband and I are really lucky to own a timeshare in beautiful Mid-Wales, I’ve been going to the same spot every year since I was born for the week before Christmas and to me, Christmas doesn’t start until we’ve been there. We always have a good time but in comparison to last year where Little Man couldn’t walk yet and also had Chicken Pox, this year was extra special. We were able to make use of the swimming pool almost every day and with the use of his newly acquired pink armbands, he was able to let go of us and ‘swim’. He also shared our love of the onsite pub during the week, mostly due to the fact that we let him eat Bombay Mix (minus the nuts) which he has developed quite a taste for! We made a special trip to see Santa on the train and I even managed to squeeze in a massage in the Spa (heaven!). The Husband was my hero as he took Little Man downstairs some mornings and let me catch an extra hour of sleep and BOY did I need it!! We also managed some walks on the beach which may sound a little nuts in December, but I still feel like Winter is the very best time to visit. It’s so quiet and because it’s out of season, our family dog, Archie can join us too. We came home on Christmas Eve and the following days were spent eating delicious food and spending time with a lot of our favourite family and friends.

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my post about how Little Man and I had our plans between Christmas and New Year thwarted after my poor in-laws were hit with a horrible virus which knocked them out of action. I was pretty upset, mostly as it meant no evenings with the husband but I tried to see the positive…3 full days of just me and Little Man! Okay, I wasn’t THAT positive, I was actually a little terrified. I know there are people out there who parent on their own 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they are truly, superheroes. But I’m just so used to sharing some of the responsibility of parenting with The Husband or my parents, that 3 days with Little Man seemed like a mammoth task. Now, I’m not going to claim that we didn’t have a single cross word or that I didn’t spend a good half an hour trying to wrestle him into his winter coat every day when he was desperate to go for a walk, BUT, we did it. I was pleased to see the Husband when he arrived on the Friday evening but I actually really enjoyed Little Man’s company. He is growing into such a beautiful little soul, headstrong and self assured and it made me proud to know that I contribute to that. Not sure the rest of the family are so keen on him inheriting my ‘Headstrong Gene’ but I know it will put him in good stead as an adult as long as we teach him that in some circumstances, his strong will does need to be reined in a little!

He thought we were just taking Baby for a walk, it was all a ploy for some peace and quiet on one of my solo parenting days!

So everything was really lovely and then, it happened. On Monday night as I packed my bags ready to go back to placement, that pesky beast that is ‘Mum Guilt’ smacked me right between the eyes. I felt truly awful that I was going off to ‘work’ for 2 days, meaning I’d miss his first nursery drop off of the year, countless opportunities to read one of his 50 (yes, 50!) Thomas the Tank Engine books and my favourite time of the day, our pre-bed cwtch. I have to keep reminding myself why I am doing this and I have to keep steering my mind clear of the thoughts that I am being selfish for wanting to have a career. I then get cross to think that as mothers we should even have to consider this desire to have a career as selfish. It’s the damn ‘Mum Guilt’ that is so engrained in us, rearing it’s ugly, fat, face again. It’s not fair. I am lucky to be a Godmother to 3 beautiful little girls and if they chose to have children of their own, I hope I can give them the support and confidence in their abilities to follow a career and be wonderful mothers too, without this stupid guilt hanging over their heads.

One of the lovely ladies in the super Girl Gang that I am a part of (aka The 6am Club) shared this post from Hurrah for Gin, that sums up this stupid Mum Guilt perfectly, so if you fancy a giggle, go have a read of THIS.

Anyways, I must love and leave you all as TECHNICALLY, I am supposed to be doing Uni work, but my excuse is that this has warmed up the writing part of my brain that was in hibernation for a little while! I hope everyone else had a super Christmas and New Year and if you have any tips for keeping the Mum Guilt at bay, do get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!