Geek Mum

December will be the Group B Strep Awareness Month,  this is something very, very close to my heart.

Four and a half years ago when my daughter was 30 hours old, it was discovered that she had contracted Group B Strep when we were in labour (from my waters being broken and then being left in labour for over 24 hours).  However I didn’t have a clue what Group B Strep was when I was woken in the middle of the night, by a doctor telling me that my baby needed a spinal tap and did I have anyone who could be with me ‘in case of the worst’.

By the time I arrived in SCBU, as quickly as I could shuffle down the corridor after a 27 hour labour, c-section and no sleep for 3 days. I was welcomed by a lovely nurse who sat me down and gave me a Polaroid picture of my daughter wired up to every conceivable piece of medical equipment.  When I asked why she explained they took pictures to give the mother something to ‘remember their child by’….at this point it sank in, my baby was probably going to die.

Thank god she’s a great little fighter, and she had excellent care by a very experienced group of medics and she pulled through to be the sassy little bright button she is today.  However by no means is everyone else as lucky as we were and the most annoying thing about the whole situation….IT’S ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE!!!

December is Group B Strep Awareness month read more about the infection and what can be done to prevent it here, 700 babies are affected a year of whom 75 tragically die and about 40 have serious long term problems

Please sign the petition to allow every pregnant woman to be tested for the disease

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/groupbstrep/ 

I’m horrified that in nearly 5 years the situation hasn’t really gotten any better and I hate the thought that any other family would have to deal with something that should be eradicated by now. Please support this very good cause - thanks x

Although I’m back to work this week and I’m horribly depressed at the thought, this is the week the iPhone is released (6.02pm on Friday to be exact!).   It turns out that although I can break my contract it means I’ll lose my phone number, which is such a pain in the ass
So, I’m going to get my iPhone on Friday, move everything over from my Nokia and then cancel my contract after I’m sure everyone has gotten my new number and I don’t get calls on it anymore.  Back in the day (sometime in the late 90’s) you used to be able to buy a phone number and port it wherever you like.  I laughed at my friend who spent 70 quid on a number..I’m really wishing I’d done the same!

Help! We’re re-doing our downstairs and I can’t decide which one to go for top, middle or bottom? I like them all and anything is better than what we have - thoughts please!

I can only blame the lack of Dr Who, Torchwood & BSG, for my falling back in love with the X-Files. Anyway for those who are interested, here’s a good article about Darin Morgan who wrote some of the best X-File episodes and who hopefully has had something to do with the new film. Check it here

From the Live Lounge Radio One this morning. Leona is covering Run by Snowpatrol (one of my favourite songs). Just brilliant!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgdRHH1gis4&rel=1]

Happy Halloween Everyone!

About bloody time!!!
The second X-Files Film starts filming in December. Read the article here

I can’t find the original article on Comingsoon.net though, so it could still be a load of crap? However and I never thought I’d be saying this I really hope the filming doesn’t mess up the shooting of Californication, which I absolutely adore. David Duchovny has finally managed to shake off Mulder with Hank, and I think I prefer Hank…I must be getting old
**UPDATE** it’s official they are filming in Vancouver (the spiritual home of the X-Files) starting 20th December. Here’s an article that one of my friends sent me and an old school picture for fellow Philes

Scully, Mulder return to theaters on July 25

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK, TATIANA SIEGEL

The long-awaited second “X-Files” film is finally a go, with 20th Century Fox setting a July 25, 2008 release date.Untitled project reunites “X-Files” creator Chris Carter with thesps David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, who will reprise their signature roles as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

Carter begins lensing in December in Vancouver from a script he co-wrote with Frank Spotnitz, a veteran scribe of the long-running “X-Files” television series, which became a worldwide hit in its 1993-2002 run on the Fox network. Spotnitz also co-wrote with Carter the screenplay for 1998 feature “X-Files.”

Studio is keeping the film’s logline under wraps, but stressed the pic is a stand-alone story and supernatural thriller that takes the complicated relationship between Mulder and Scully in new directions.

As of now, there are only two other titles skedded for July 25, both comedies. Sony unspools Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly starrer “Step Brothers,” directed by Adam McKay, while MGM has bows untitled Ice Cube family laffer.

Bringing the “X-Files.” sequel to the bigscreen was waylaid when Chris Carter brought a 2005 lawsuit against Fox over how the “X-Files” syndication profits were divvied up. Suit was later settled.

Earlier this year, the issue seemed to have been resolved, with Duchovny and Anderson both indicating the that the film was finally forward.

Released in 1998, feature film “The X-Files” grossed $187 million worldwide, including a domestic haul of $83.9 million and an international cume of more than $103 million.

We’re big on Halloween in our house, baby geek loves to dress up and is incredibly theatrical, so she’s really into the whole thing. Today we started the decorating with choosing our pumpkins at Tesco, Waitrose was far too expensive. Anyway we had the Supercook pattern book from Waitrose so away we went.

Sometimes you stumble across a blog and you are completely captivated by it. I found this blog by accident, I didn’t really take much notice of the words, I just thought the pictures were amazing and beautiful. I have a 4 year old and it’s incredibly difficult to get them to stay still to have their picture taken, and Sheye’s photos are just gorgeous.

Anyway once I actually read the words, I cried my eyes out (a rare thing for me) Sheye lost her daughter Ava to an accident a year ago today. Ava was the same age as my daughter and I just can’t imagine what they have been through. Check Sheye’s blog here and Ava’s memorial site here it’s moving and a tribute to all her children, not only Ava. I admire her no end, and I’m thinking of her and her family today.

*Update* Pass this on to anyone you know who has small children. Ava’s rules

::SOB:: It’s been what 6 years..maybe 7 but I feel quite homesick watching this….. never thought I’d miss the hole, but seeing St George’s Walk and Panino’s where I used to meet up with my friends after school has made me a little weepy I miss my friends and I miss delivery food - other than that not much else!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ4739UoEPw&rel=1]