Comedy Gala 2015 - Night Out In London :)

Helloo,

I always have the mummy guilt of going out without Corey, because I genuinely hate doing fun things without him! However, last night I finally after years of wanting to attend got to go to Channel 4's Comedy Gala!!

My friends and I decided to make a bit of a day out of it, so we headed to St Pancras. A friend nipped into MAC to pick up a lipstick, so I ended up doing the same (even though I said don't let me buy anything in there). But it was fate, I had wanted Mehr for ages and the first lipstick I picked up to swatch was Mehr. It was just meant to be so I was a bit naughty and treated myself - glad I did though :)

We then headed to the very famous Searcy's Champagne Bar whilst at St Pancras. Oh wow, the prices were incredibly expensive. But our friend treated us all to a bottle to share. Felt like pure luxury - looking at the menu finding the most expensive bottle as you do just to see the price. £9000 for a 30 litre bottle?!!!

Heading out to dinner to a little pub garden near the Tower of London called The Minories. It was really sweet and so much cheaper than I was thinking it would be. We shared a starter between two people of potato wedges with pulled pork (yum!!) and then had a burger each with a drink - coming to just £10 and look how delicious..

Then we started to head off to the 02 Arena, and for those of you who don't know apparently you can take cable cars which is basically on a zip line. I was quite excited until we got closer and I saw them - I was panicking absolutely crapping myself. I get stomach cramps when I'm nervous, my heart was racing so bloody fast. The lovely friends I having a laugh at how scared I was because they had all done it before so was fine for them. I almost didn't get on but I was so glad I did as was fun once up there! However, when my friends started walking around mid air going across the River Thames so they could take a picture together - lets just say they heard a lot of naughty words!!! Have to admit though, I got a pretty good selfie with the 02 in the background..

Comedy Gala was meant to start at 7.30 but was almost 8 by the time it did. I was so excited as the opening act was Attraction (the shadow act) from Britain's Got Talent - I loved them then and seeing them live was so great. Plus Alan Carr - who was not on for long enough in my opinion. The good people were not on for long enough at all like Paul Chowdhry (my favourite from the night) who was beyond hilarious and some others like Trevor Noah, Seann Walsh, Kevin Bridges, Russell Kane and more. Michael McIntrye, who I have never really found funny before until last night and he was the best and I certainly want to go to one of his stands up now. I was gutted that Jimmy Carr and Paddy McGuinness weren't there as they are two of my favourites! I was really disappointed in the lady comedians - most of them sucked really badly and the ending was actually appalling like they really need to up that next time. I paid roughly £55 for my ticket and it was worth it, had great seats and will 100% want to go again next year.

my best friend and I :)

For those of you who don't know, Comedy Gala is held as a charity event to raise money for the brilliant Great Ormond Street Hospital in London who look after and help very sick children. When Corey was premature he was almost rushed there, thankfully he managed to stay at our local hospital but I have friends who had children who had to stay there and all the amazing work they do needs help to keep that going for many years to come.

So pretty please if you get a chance text GOSH to 70007 to donate £3 :)

I'm not sure when this year's Comedy Gala will be aired on TV but hopefully soon - be sure to watch it, have a good old laugh and of course donate! Now if you had to pick your ultimate favourite comedian ever - who would it be? Mine will forever be good old Jimmy Carr!

Love, Gemma xo

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Life Of A Premature Baby

Hellooo,

A little while ago you may have read my post about pregnancy loses, false hope and still births etc. It was a pretty emotional post talking about personal experiences and raising awareness. You can read about it by clicking here if you want too. I did say how I would be back to raise some awareness for World Prematurity Day which is today November 17th!

For those who know me personally and reading this will be aware that my little munchkin moo was born 6 weeks prematurely. I have touched a bit on it in my pregnancy and birth story here. But today I think I shall go into it a bit more!

Meet Corey Lucas..

So his journey began when I became pregnant back in June 2010, I was pretty far gone into the first trimester and wasn't expecting to be pregnant due to at the time being on the contraception called Implant. I had taken many pregnancy tests, spent lots of money and all were negative. So I worried, I worried something was wrong causing my stomach problems. So I went to the nurse, who saw me all the time, she was great. She was checking my urine sample for sugar levels etc. Starting saying about how would I feel if I was pregnant, obviously I responded I would be happy just shocked. She said "thats good because you're pregnant". My best friend was with me at the time and I cried. I didn't know what to do. Turned out my due date was either the 25th or 29th January 2011. He arrived 6 weeks early, just 6 days before Christmas. Not only that but it was actually 1 day before his dad and I first ever anniversary so it was a great present for us all.

When I first met my midwife, she came to the house and it was a given that I was going to get the dreaded pre-eclampsia. I had a fair few of the signs to indicate it was a possibility including family history of the condition, high bmi, and being young. The midwife had said because of this I would get consultant care but I guess she never filled the paperwork as I didn't. I only had the usual 2 scans, but all the girls my friends at the time had around 5 because of their age - yet I was the same age. Just 17 years old.

You can probably imagine my frustration by these 2, I do feel that if I had proper care that was needed like those extra scans or consultant care that there was a possibility maybe Corey would have got to stay in my belly for longer. At 32 weeks pregnant, I started my maternity leave so I could enjoy Christmas etc and move into my first home. I felt this was enough time to relax etc and I had suspicions Corey would arrive early.

At 33 weeks, it was a Wednesday. I started to develop symptoms mainly the swelling of everywhere. I went into a local walk in clinic with my mum, I was tested for high blood pressure which was very high so I had a urine sample which indicated high protein.

I was sent to the Hospital Day Unit, where I was monitored and further tested. Told to stay the night for further care and monitoring. So something I forgot to mention was that the first appointment with my midwife, that little green book - I wrote on the front "no c-section unless an emergency". You see, I hadn't had an operation before, I chickened out of my tonsils being taken out a couple of days before. I was scared!

Over the next couple of days I was given tests, scans and painful steroid injections. These injections were needed to help develop Corey's vital organs quicker but my god it is the most painful injection possible and leaves your bruised like a peach.

That evening, my first ever stay over night in hospital (well from what I could remember anyways!) was so awful. I was left on my own after 9pm, which was then when the doctors decided to make their rounds. They told me I would have my boy within the next week but they wanted to keep him in there for as long as possible. You have no idea of the panic that started to happen, safe to say I cried for a very long time on the phone. I didn't know what to do.

The next few days were a bit touch and go, one day I would be supposedly having him that day and the next they wanted to send me home. Then Saturday came, first thing in the morning and I was being prepared for surgery, But that day wasn't the day, after all that waiting around - they just were too busy.

Sunday came, I was having visitors. I had Corey's dad and his mum there with me looking after me. They popped down for a fag whilst my cousin, who was my best friend and her partner were visiting. But I started to get ill. I was swelling a lot so much that my throat felt like it was closing. A nurse brushed it off and said it was just my glands. Didn't even look at me. But my cousins partner wasn't used to these situations, he panicked as he saw how ill I got. You didn't want to mess with him, he was 6 ft 5 and not the tiniest. He demanded a doctor see me. Who immediately said I had to be rushed to surgery. I quickly rang his dad, they ran up to me. I rang my mum and just as I was heading downstairs in the lift, she came just in time.

I was so scared, I was panicking, I didn't know what to expect. In that moment, I don't even know what I was thinking at the time. I wasn't prepared. I didn't think that the worst could be possible. I remember in the waiting room sat my mum, the mother in law and my dad.. Then Corey's dad was in the operation area with me. I went in at 6.30pm on Sunday 19th December 2010. At 6.45pm Corey was born. I didn't wake until around 7.10pm.

Frankly, when I woke I was in a daze. I had no clue what I was talking about. I had Corey's dad at my side supporting me and holding my hand. All I remember is talking jibber jabber. I had lost a lot of blood and I could feel it. I was lucky to have a really nice nurse whose name I can't even remember but so thankful for her. Finally, when someone told me how Corey was and that he was ok but just running tests. I was so relieved. I was shown this picture:

Everyone that was there had seen him except me. Eventually everyone had to go because of the visiting hours. Finally at 1am, I was taken up to the ward with a little detour to the NICU to see Corey. But in all honesty I was out of it, I remember crying my eyes out. I was the whisked off to the ward in the c-section room with the special beds. Everyone had their crying babies with them, it was torture. I didn't get any sleep, I was in pain and I was worried. The next day I managed to get up and was carted off to see Corey around mid day. For the first time, I got to see him properly. Hold his fingers and cuddle him. This isn't a picture of my first cuddle, it was the second at 2 days old:

I was explained a bit about Corey's conditions. I can't remember what they were called unless I looked out the paperwork. His x-rays were like bubbles, you couldn't see his organs. It was all bubbles which was from gas. Which possibly meant that he had a hole in his stomach as it might not of obviously developed quite enough. They decided to give him I think it was Gaviscon and Antibiotics to try and see if it could sort the problem. A couple of days later there was talks of operating on Christmas Day non the less. He was in Intensive care for roughly 11 days. However, I was very fortunate for the fact that I had a very strong healthy little boy who did fight it and it all went up from there.

Here is a few pictures of his time in NICU, which was Bedford Hospital.

After a few weeks - Christmas and New Year had been and gone. It was approaching the weekend before Corey was due to come home on I think the 10th January 2011. However, that weekend if things were not working in our favour. Our water and heating broke, no one would fix it until the Monday and then his dad write off the car. He was fine, I was very pleased though as never liked the car - it was an excuse to get a new one. We postponed Corey's leaving date until the Tuesday whilst we sorted things as I was not bringing him home with no water or heating. So the Monday night we are sorting out some bits, getting the bouncy chair and everything ready. But then the worst happened. My stomach started cramping. I had never felt pain so bad, it was horrific. I could not move at all or breathe. It could have been my body thinking I was going into labour, it felt like possible contractions. Although, since then I have had my gallbladder removed so it may have been that too. I was rushed to Hospital and treated. I wasn't admitted until at least midnight.

The next day he still got to come home with me, it was a scary thought. It really was but it was amazing and he was still so teeny weeny. This is when Corey's dad took his paternity leave as we felt it was a more appropriate time for me to need to help as I will still recovering from my painful c-section. Here he is waiting to leave the hospital:

Before he came home, we were provided with a lot of help from the NICU they were great. They even came to our house to give us first aid training how to deal with choking etc.

The day came where Corey's dad had to go back to work. I was horrified at the thought of being on my own every day, I was scared something would go wrong. Corey had a couple of sniffles, we decided to get it checked out at the doctors but were sent to their children's day unit for a proper assessment due to his prematurity. Best to be safe and get it checked out they said. So off we went again to the Hospital dreading the worst. But they brushed it off as if nothing was really wrong. I didn't believe them. I had planned to go back to the doctor the next day.

However, Corey took a turn for the worst that evening. I remember having dinner on my own with Corey whilst his dad was at his brother's. I thought Corey was looking a bit blue around the lips but I warmed him. Then it was bath time whilst his dad was working away on the computer. I decided to sit there and cuddle Corey on the bed, chatting away discussing how our days had been etc. When I started to notice that if my arm moved, Corey would get this really sharp red blood mark on his forehead as if it was a sudden blood rush. My heart stopped because I thought he may have a brain tumor or something. I then noticed Corey was not breathing. I panicked, I went into a complete shock. We only lived literally a 2 minute drive from the hospital so we drove as it would of been much faster.

As soon as we arrived and we said he wasn't breathing we were seen immediately by a nurse in A&E, we sat down and put Corey on the table in his car seat. She stood up, whisked him away and literally did not return for like 10 minutes. The worst 10 minutes of our life. She eventually came back, we were taken to see Corey surrounded by doctors and nurses every where. A&E had to be put on a stand still. By this time, both of Corey's nannies were in the waiting room, having to listen to people moan about the longer wait due to a severely ill little baby. I went out at one point to see my mum to let them know what was happening. I walked into the waiting room, but I saw mum and I froze. I stood there and I cried for a good 5/10 minutes before I could even begin to explain what was actually happening. She thought the worst had happened. I eventually explained the following..

During the next few hours - Corey was given tests, x-rays and all sorts. There was talks of him being transferred to Great Ormand Street Hospital but the journey would have been risky as Corey would of had to be put to sleep. But it was decided Corey would be put on a CPAP machine and looked after in the hospital we were at in Intensive Care.

I remember later that night when we were put in a waiting room whilst he was transferred to the ward - I was handed his baby grows which were all cut and it just broke my heart. We slept by his side the whole night. Here he is the next morning on a CPAP machine:

He luckily made a fairly quick recovery after this, we were home on the Friday. The scariest week ever possible or imaginable. I remember this all so vividly - it is quite a scary thought, at first I chose to forget that moment because even to this day as soon as I think about it, I cry and cry. I never want to have to relive that. It is a memory I do not want. I honestly couldn't tell you what part was worse the premature birth or that moment I thought he was gone.

All babies are at risk for this but being premature because they are smaller and a bit more fragile made him more prone which is why somehow he caught this horrible bug that almost ended his life.

I am so beyond lucky and thankful that Corey has only really had the old cold and cough since with no serious life health problems. He was a little behind on walking as he didn't take his first steps until he was 18 months. I am not saying there may not be aspects were he will be a little behind in the future, he may need glasses, he may not do as well academically - who knows but then again every child is different. He may be prone to having certain illnesses later on in life life heart problems. But there is no indication of that at the moment.

We are now fast approaching Corey's 4th birthday next month and I am very proud to say he is doing so well, growing up into a cheeky monkey and as of January will be in full-time school. My baby is no longer a baby!

So today is World Prematurity Day and I ask you to really think about the causes of being premature not only to the baby but the family, the mother and the father. It isn't easy, being a parent isn't easy. Nothing worse than seeing a baby poorly, having that some what doubt it could all be over. It is always hard whether it is your baby or another. I am so thankful for the Hospital and the care they provided for us as a family and all the treatment they gave Corey. They done really well and I was lucky that Corey is now as healthy as he is. Here are a couple of charities who can help maybe find a prevention or provide support for when the dreaded comes - Sands, Tommy's and Bliss. If you can spare some change to help donate or do even more, it will all help.

P.S sorry for this being the longest post, ever. Thankyou if you managed to read it all.

Love, Gemma xo

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Pampers Unicef Campaign - 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine

Helloo,

I am helping raise awareness for these because it is important causes that I fully back and want to do my bit in helping spread the word and also joining in the campaigns myself. As I am doing my bit, please keep reading to find out why and how you can join in too!

If you are a parent, then you will no doubt heard of Pampers nappies. By far my favourite and the only nappies I have ever used on my baby. For as long as I can remember I have always seen adverts, some of which can be really upsetting on how if you buy Pampers, for each packet they will give 1 vaccine to the charity Unicef who provide vaccines in poorer countries who don't have proper health care like we are fortunate to have.

So a little bit more about the back round of this all, Pampers have been doing this campaign annually since 2006, so this is their 9th. It has funded over 300 million vaccines, eliminating disease is 15 countries. Which is just an outstanding amount. But there are still babies in over 24 poor countries who are still at risk.

Do you remember when those firsts you had with your child? I do and they are the best moments of my life, and I will never forget them. Many of you may be aware that Corey was a premature baby and he was very poorly in hospital for the first few weeks of his life. But I remember the moments when he was like 2 weeks old and got to wear his first baby grow and stop being a little naked baby or the first time he actually got to feed from a bottle. That moment was one of the most precious to me, I got to feed him that bottle and here is that picture:

As for Christmas my favourite time of year - Corey was born 6 days before so his very first was spent in hospital non the less. But the year after, we got to celebrate his first Christmas at home. It was a great day and I have this beautiful picture of us two that is still by far one of my favourites ever that I will cherish forever.

All the other firsts too which I don't have a record of but first words, first steps, first everything. Every child, no matter whether they are your first or last - those firsts are just magical every time. Something to cherish, but firsts last for a lifetime. I am 21 and I still have firsts that I will take, like first (and hopefully only) marriage, maybe first degree etc.

The unfortunate thing is many children out there don't get any firsts because their lives are taken too early, for many reasons all over the world. But by the help of Pampers and Unicef, these poor countries will receive help to fight the main causes of child death of diseases which can be prevented by vaccinations. We all make sure our children get the vaccinations that our NHS provides, just encase to give them the chance and help them fight against nasty stuff we would never wish upon anyone, even our worst enemy.

These children everywhere need help, our help. We may not be able to ever come to world peace, even if we ever do, unfortunately death will still be a part of life. But we need to help charities to help fight illnesses and even create cures. One day we can hope this is all possible to help give people a fighting chance of prolonging lives to be healthy like we all want to be.

Now Emma Button - the famous Spice Girl, amazing designer and brilliant mum is actually the Ambassador of this particular campaign for the second year in a row. This is a 2 minute video of Emma explaining a bit more about the campaign and see some of the amazing work that has come out of helping some babies in Madagascar through the help of Pampers campaign:


Here is a another great video on Pampers YouTube, of many wonderfully cute babies having some of their firsts, please take a moment to have a quick view as it will make you smile. But whilst watching, remember the realisation of some babies that don't get their firsts like these, it is a heart breaking thought.


For every like or share of this video, Pampers will donate 1 vaccine. So think 100,000 likes means 100,000 vaccines. So please I ask of you to quickly give this video a like (and share) to help save a babies life.
Here is a little collage of some more precious moments with Corey over the years. I am so lucky I have been able to watch him grow and have these moments that I shall cherish forever with many more to come :) From that little baby above having his first bottle by me his mummy, to pictures from the past years. Not all are some of his firsts, but all great memories we have created and each pictures has a different reason to why I love him so much :) 

If you can share this post with someone too whether it be by email, social media via Twitter, Facebook etc then it will mean someone else can read this and be aware of the good work that is going on in the world and maybe they will like the video and help donate a vaccine to save a babies life. It doesn't take long and won't even take a few minutes of your time so please I ask you to like and share to help a baby, so every baby gets the chance to have their firsts and share it with their parents.
Remember that every 1 pack of Pampers you buy in any shop, will be 1 vaccine for a baby! 
I would love to hear about your most precious first moments with your child or children? :)
Also a very big thank you for taking the time to read this if you managed the whole way through to this point. I appreciate this is a very long post but I hope you took a moment to just like the video and help save a life - myself, Pampers and Unicef will be very grateful if you can :) 

Love, Gemma xo

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