Multi-Tasking!!

This week i have been mostly multi-tasking so it's been very busy. Sophie has been at work which has meant that i've had my gorgeous granddaughter to look after which has been fun and has felt very much like i've had twins to look after! Monday morning was fun because Max goes to nursery all day so it meant having to be organised and out of the door for 8.45 and with 5 children under 4 to get ready but we did it i had Daisy and Oscar in the double buggy and Max and Tillie walking then Casper was in his sling. Tillie did so well walking bless her and she's only 2 and a half she held onto the pram all the way there and back but it did take us quite a while to walk home then when we did get home Daisy woke up and wanted feeding so i just managed to get her fed before Casper woke up and wanted feeding. Max has been so funny because i'm feeding Casper myself he just can't get that Casper is getting milk from mummy he keeps saying no mummy thats boobies not milk it's so funny Oscar has been so good with him and will give him a cuddle but at the same time wants to poke him in his eyes so we have to be careful with him. yesterday the health visitor came out to do Caspers first visit and Oscars one year development assessment and i had Daisy crying to be fed then casper wanted feeding then Oscar wanted my attention and Max was being silly and showing off he was jumping off the sofa onto the bouncy chair and shouting  and Tillie bless her was just sat watching Peppa pig. The health visitor said to me if you want me to do anything then just tell me so i was sat feeding Daisy in her chair while i was feeding Casper and Oscar was sat on my knee multi tasking at it's very best, then hubby has had man flu so he's been ill for 3 days so i've literally been doing everything  and i really can't wait for the weekend to not have to be constantly running around but on the plus side at least Casper is sleeping well and only wakes up once during the night i really can't believe how good he is, he's settled in so well we're so very lucky i'm loving being a mummy to 16 gorgeous children how blessed are we.

Casper chilling out in our bed x

Daisy Tillie and Casper x

Daisy and Casper x

Our first week with 16 kids!

Well our first week with 16 kids has gone really well, Casper has settled in like a dream he's so good and such a placid baby he only cries when he's hungry or when he's been changed which he absolutely hates and screams the house down! He got weighed on Monday and had lost quite a bit of weight he went down to 8lb so i was told to keep waking him every few hours but in my experience i've found that if they're not hungry then trying to get them to feed is a challenge so it was hard work but he got weighed again on Friday and he is now back up to his birth weight so i'm feeling very chuffed that my milk is obviously filling him up.
The first night we brought him home we didn't get much sleep he just fed constantly but the last few days he has been doing really well and if i feed him at 10 then he will usually go till about 3 so i can cope with that but last night he actually slept all night so i'm feeling great though i doubt very much that he will do that again for us.
All of his brothers and sisters love him so much and are constantly asking to cuddle him so he's definitely not short of cuddles. I was a bit worried before I had him about how Oscar would cope with him but he's been really good which I think is partly because he's always getting cuddles and attention from everyone so he's adjusted really well  so that's been a big relief.  I can't believe Oscar is going to be 1 on the 22nd of this month! It  has gone so fast I can't wait to celebrate his birthday it's going to be such an amazing day for him and we now have 4 birthdays in October i definitely didn't plan that one very well lol.
Daisy is doing really well too, she's going to be 7 weeks on monday and now weighs 9lb 11oz she had a hip scan on tuesday because of our family history with hip problems and it found that she has to wear a hip harness and bless her she hasn't been bothered with wearing it at all we've found that if Daisy is awake then Casper will wake up and if Casper is awake then Daisy will wake up its as if they're in tune with each other its so sweet but the size difference between them is quite a lot. Daisy looks so big compared to Casper i'm sure that they're going to be so close when they're older.
Also this week we've been plagued with tummy bugs and that is definitely the downside of having a big family because once one gets it then they all get it so it's been constant backwards and forwards to school to pick up poorly children but touch wood we seem to be all clear for the time being so hopefully no more will come down with it.
This coming week we have a photo shoot planned at a big studio so that should be interesting, it's always quite a challenge to get them all to behave for long enough to have photo's taken last time we had a photoshoot done at home we had all finished and the photographer had put his camera away and there was a bang upstairs and sure enough it was Josh he had been up there the whole time so we had to start all over again!
So that's what's been going on this week in the Radford house.



Daisy chilling in her hip harness

Daisy and Casper he wasn't very impressed


And i love this photo of the 3 little ones in there cloth nappies xx


Big eyes this is the only time he has taken a dummy he now just spits it out in disgust.
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My birth story for #16 Casper Theo born 3rd October @ 14.05

So here goes... on Monday the 1st October we were woken up by the tv crew at 6.30 they had arrived early because i was due to go in for my induction of labour. I had to ring the unit at 7.30 to see if they were able to take me in or if they were too busy but we tried to get through for about an hour and a half but it was just constantly busy so we decided to just make our way in so we said goodbye to the children and left for the hospital. When we got to the labour ward she said to us to go up onto the ward which we thought a bit strange because i was just going to be having my waters broke. Anyway, we got up to the ward and the midwife told us that they were very busy on delivery so couldn't induce me that morning but if it got quieter then they would take me down so we waited all day and it just didn't get any quieter so thought we would be able to go home and come back in the morning but my consultant wasn't happy to let me go home because of my labours being very quick and she thought that it would be the case with this one so i stopped in over night and hated leaving the children at home and not being able to see them.
So tuesday morning came and i was feeling hopeful that i would have him that day but when it got to dinner time and the woman in the next room was labouring up on the ward we realised that it probably wasn't going to happen again. I got very emotional and just wanted to go home to see the children so the consultant came in to see me and explained that she was going to do her best to get me taken down during  the night or early in the morning so Noel went home and was told to take his mobile and house phone up to bed with him just in case i did go down but morning came and i was still waiting. The midwife came in to see me and said that they had got very busy again so hadn't been able to take me down but would get the consultant to come and see me which she did very soon after she told me that she would go and find out what was happening on labour ward so off she went and an hour passed and we still hadn't heard anything so thought oh no its going to be another day of waiting and being away from the children but shortly after the midwife came in and said to me "right im going down to find out what's happening" and within 10 minutes she popped her head round the door and said to me "right are you ready to go have a baby" well the relief was amazing i never thought i would be so relieved to be going to be in alot of pain so Noel came in to the hospital and we went down to the delivery room. It was about 10.30 i had to go on the monitor for about 45 minutes because he was being very lazy and they wanted to see some movement from him before they went ahead and broke the waters. Eventually i was taken off the monitor and the doctor came in to put my cannular in and i really hate those things going in, they're so painful and the first attempt didn't work and it really made my hand swell up so she went on to try it in my other hand and that didn't work either so she decided to put it in half way up my arm, by this point i was just praying it would work so when she said yep its all done what a relief that was so we were all ready to have my waters broke so the consultant came in to do it and said his head was still floating around so they would have to do a controlled breaking of the waters so i had one person pushing down on my bump while another held his head in place to try and stop the cord from coming out first it was so uncomfortable but they broke the waters and there was so much of it but he still kept pressing down on my bump to try and get his head to come down so when he was happy that everything was ok they put me back on the monitor for another 30 minutes just to monitor that he was nice and happy after they had broke the waters which he was, he wouldn't stop moving around! So after i got taken off the monitor i was allowed to get up and move around to try and get his head to come down and start the contractions off i did feel a bit crampy but nothing much happened for a good hour then i had a really big contraction and thought right if the next one is like that one i'm starting on the gas and air well the next one was far worse so i grabbed the gas and air and got on the bed.
Well that was it! they just started coming one after the other till i said to the midwife i can't cope i need something else i think she had realised that he was coming she said do you feel pushy and i thought no i don't think so well with the next contraction i could just feel this overwhelming urge to push i think he took us all by surprise and before the midwife had chance to call a second midwife in his head was out and just one more push and he was out it was that fast i think Noel was in shock just how fast he was born he said all he can remember was the midwife saying just pant and him thinking no way is he here already it was such a lovely birth experience he is just absolutely gorgeous. He weighed in at a very healthy 8lb 8oz which is pretty much what i thought he was going to weigh so all in all, my labour is recorded as 16 minutes but i was actually only really in alot of pain for about 5 minutes. We brought him home yesterday and introduced him to all of his brothers and sisters. What a special time that was they all love him so much we feel so incredibly lucky and blessed to have what we have and it really makes me feel very emotional when i see them all together and see what we have created over the years and who knows maybe we will be lucky enough to have more in the future!!!!

38 Week pregnancy update with #16

So i'm now 38+4 and everything is still going great. I had my consultant appointment at the end of last week and we got a date for the 26th September which is today, but when we got home we had a phone call to say that they would have to change it to the 1st October so if Casper hasn't arrived by then i will be going in to be induced in just 5 days time but i have a feeling he will probably arrive before then anyway, but i am worried that if i do go into labour there won't be a bed for me because over the last week they have had to close the maternity unit a few times because they have been so busy that there haven't been any beds available. At my last check up his head was very low which is good and they still think he's going to be quite a big baby. I'm guessing he's probably going to be about 8lb 9oz. I'm still able to get a good nights sleep and i'm not feeling quite as uncomfortable because he's dropped so i have a bit more room but i have been feeling so crampy these past few days and after my sweep yesterday i thought i was going to go into labour because i was having some very strong contractions but after a few hours they died down. I've got another sweep booked for tomorrow so hopefully that will kick things off and we will get to meet our new addition. All of the children are so excited to meet him and keep asking when he's coming out so the next time i update my blog i WILL of had a baby! so excited!

my last bump pic x

My 37 week pregnancy update!

Well we have hit 37 weeks and are now classed as full term! This week I have had my consultant appointment which didn't really go to plan. As she was checking me and listening to Casper's heart rate I noticed that it was high so she carried on listening to him and it didn't come down so decided that I needed to be monitored just to check that he was happy in there and pretty much as soon as I had been on the monitor his heart rate started to come down thank goodness but he did give us a bit of a scare. if I was to say I have been feeling anxious I think that's an understatement I just really want him here safe and well now. I really hate these last few weeks I always worry until they're here safe and well. I have got another consultant appointment on Thursday to check to see if they can induce and get my date for hopefully just a few days later. I think we're all ready for his arrival now i've finally bought all his cloth nappies and my bag is now packed. i've been having loads of braxton hicks and feeling really crampy and irritable so hopefully he is getting himself ready to come and meet us all and we're all so ready to finally meet him everyone is so excited but we still can't decide on a middle name for him, that's proving to be quite hard but we do have a short list so i'm sure we will have chosen one by the time he's here.

What the radford's have been up to this week!!!

This week has been a super busy week for us and of course our first week being grandparents and all i can say is it's totally amazing we're loving it she's such a little cutie but has been making her mummy and daddy very tired because she has her night and day all muddled up so there not getting much sleep, and to make things that bit more difficult Sophie's boyfriend Joe just got a new job shortly before Daisy arrived and had to start the day after she was born so things have been even more hectic so on Monday i offered to have Daisy for the night so they could both catch up on some sleep,  i got to spend time with her and she was very good and only woke twice in the night for me and i really enjoyed it. I think we're so lucky that they still live at home with us so we get to have as many cuddles as we want and there's always someone that want's to help out i think that's got to be the best thing about having a big family, is the great support network and all the love that comes with it i really can't believe just how lucky and blessed we are.

Daisy having cuddles with Nanny and Grandad x

How gorgeous, her hair is amazing x

We have also been really busy with the filming for our new programme, we travelled to Dundee for another big family wedding and it was just the best time we have had in a long time getting to meet up with another big family that we have become very good friends with since our last programme went out. It really was a lovely day. We stopped in caravans when we got there and we had booked two but as usual we only ended up using one with most of the children sleeping on the sofas in the lounge and the younger ones in the beds they really dont like not being with each other. We had Oscar in our bed with us which was lovely because hes normally in his cot so i got to snuggle up with him at night to try and get him off to sleep which was funny because he kept playing peek a boo with me

Oscar playing peek a boo with me little monkey i could just eat him xx

Some of the children being filmed going to sleep in the caravan they weren't very sleepy x


The children all ready to go to the wedding we took 11  and the older 4 stayed at home x

So on Wednesday the children went back to school and it was Luke and Millies first day at high school. They looked so smart in their new uniforms
Millie and Luke all ready x
When we dropped them off at high school Millie did get a bit upset because she didn't know anyone but she had her big sis Chloe to look after her and she was fine after she settled into her form. They both had a really good day and so far are enjoying it, it now means that we only have 5 at primary school which has been a big difference in the making up of the lunch boxes but they have settled back into the school routine really well and then we have little Max who started nursery on Wednesday too! He only goes for a few hours in the afternoon but he is really enjoying it, he was a bit teary and clingy the first day but the following day he was a lot better so the Radford house has been so quiet we're just not used to having no noise and just having the little ones at home i think it's going to take a while to get used to, i dont like it when it's this quiet i like it to be full of laughter and chaos which some people will probably think is crazy but we love it.

My 35 week pregnancy update!!

Well this is a little late I've been very busy this week
So i'm now 35+3 weeks with #16 and i'm feeling so much bigger this week but i am managing to sleep a lot better my restless legs have eased so much over the last week which has been nice to actually be able to get some sleep, i actually though i was going into labour last week because i was have strong pains during the night that actually woke me up and because we were 250 miles away from home i was praying he didn't decide he wanted out, anyway they eased up after a few hours but i'm still getting a lot of strong braxton hicks so maybe he will make his appearance in the next few weeks and as you will probably know from my last post he has been breech so i have been doing lot's of things to get him to turn i have tried the bag of frozen peas on the top of my bump which my hubby thought was so funny and said to me that will never work, anyway we went for another 4d scan yesterday to check if he was still breech or he had gone head down so she had a feel of my belly and thought he was head down before she started scanning me and what do you know he now is definitely head down we did get to see so much detail at the scan he looks so gorgeous and has lots of hair and such chubby cheeks and we did notice that on his right cheek he has a little dimple so i will be checking on that when he's born he was also sticking his tongue out and frowning and he kept kicking the wand that she was pressing on my tummy he was a proper little show off and we got to find out that he now weighs 6lb 1oz im so in love with him and can't wait to welcome him into our family only a few more weeks to go. hear are some pics of our gorgeous little Casper.




My 35 week bump pic