Bit of a difficult week last week as Ed had a virus and by Wednesday it looked like I was getting it too. Looking after 2 kids isn't really possible when you can barely look after yourselves. So we all piled in the car and went to the grandparents in Stoke. Well, actually it wasn't that easy - Ed worked pretty hard all morning so we at least had some clean clothes to take with us and wouldn't come back to too much mouldy stuff in the kitchen and then he had the honour of driving us there, so we were pretty worn out by the time we arrived.

Anyway, I didn't come down too badly with the lurgy which I feel very lucky about, and by Saturday we were well enough to proceed with the plan and head down to near Reading for Ed's cousin's UK wedding celebration (the wedding having been held in the US) which went very well. Charlie turns out to quite enjoy the hubbub of such gatherings for the moment at least and Philip was entertained for the most part by running round the grounds and then a babysitter. We overdid it a bit and he was exhausted by the end of the evening but conked out fairly quickly once back at the hotel.

On the Sunday we visited Ed's granny and then called in on Liz's farewell do in Woking, both of which were very pleasant, before the long drive North, which was less so but we made it eventually.

And so to another week full of promise where I haven't managed to get as much done as I hoped on the days Philip was in nursery. But I have finished Harry Potter.

Where to start? Have been having a child centred few weeks and feel lucky not to have had to worry about the bad weather going on outside. Now it's picked up a bit we've had some lovely trips out but I can't walk v far and Philip always wants to walk in the opposite direction so it can be a bit wearing for Ed.

Anyway, in general I'm recovering well from being chopped open to extract Charlie and we are starting to get into some sort of a rhythm. Philip found the whole thing very stressful for about 10 days and took every opportunity to tell us about it, but having weathered refusals to eat, bathe, have nappy changed etc. and antics including finding any cup with liquid in it around the house and deliberately and carefully pouring it all over the floor (my fault for leaving cups around, I might finally be cured of that bad habit) he cheered up and is very cute with Charlie at the moment.

Philip is gaining vocab at a rate of knots - one's I can remember from the last few days he's started saying as well as understanding include red as in red car, mouth and carpet. He's tryed eating playdough today (oops!) and in the better weather of the last couple of days we've got out the sand pit and the water play and have been having great fun.

Better go - time for next grub for Charlie. Who's putting on lots of weight and will soon be in the 3-6 month clothes.