April #TBCSmiles 56 Months

The smiles are usually a bit of a pause on the blog, this week they're the sole action. As many of you may be aware, 5 days ago I was in hospital having pretty exciting surgery and I really haven't been incredibly well over the past few weeks. I cleverly drafted most of this post in advance because I wasn't sure just what fun painkillers I might be on right now. Fingers crossed most of it is at least legible!

My surgery was a second mesh hernia repair, placed above the first one. My insides were just so weak that despite losing a quite substantial amount of weight over the last few years, I sneezed last April and my intestines escaped. It was a bit of a shocker at the time.

The surgery went really well and I was actually allowed home the same day, much to my family's delight. They're all a lot happier if they can see me - I understand this entirely. My younger children especially understand too well that people can just die unexpectedly, and their need to be there to keep an eye on me themselves is massive.

I know no-one really trusted me to be a good girl, keep my feet up and simply relax, but nature took over on that one. My 18cm wound has very kindly refused to heal politely, so at the moment I am very much doing NOTHING. Literally nothing except taking myself to the toilet every hour or so and drinking lots of fluids - these things are related. There's really no better incentive to make me sit still than yet another bloody stain spreading across my t-shirt and the threat of having to go and be re-stitched. I admit defeat, cleaning can happen next month.

Aside from the small matter of major surgery and a 9th birthday for our youngest, our month has been quiet and the boys have already had their low-key Easter break and gone back to school. A couple of my big uni kids are home for Easter, it's always a treat to have them home, although it's weird not to cook for them. It is super weird to step out of the role of Mum and be looked after for a while. They're all being very sweet and helpful.

I'm cheating the #tbcsmiles this month. I have already had 3 naps today and have given up on reading a handful of articles because there were so many words. My brain is in slow motion and my body keeps telling me to give it up and have a kip. I promise I will go through all of the smiles I've missed so far this month - when I can better enjoy looking at them.

You have supplied tons of beauties though and my 10 year old has grabbed 9 of the biggest to pop into this collage - I know he chose bottom middle purely because he was grinning in the rain. A very worthy reason. There were loads of lovely photos with grown ups this month! Yeeeay. Get out from behind the camera...

As a reminder, anyone is welcome to join in with #TBCSmiles, just tag any of your photos on Instagram which have a smile - and if you need cheering up, go and take a look and grin yourself some endorphines!

These gorgeous smiles were only a few of those shared and courtesy of:

StephsTwoGirls / MyHappyEverAfter / KatyKicker

MemeAndHarri / MarvellousMrsP  / ClaireyHarpo

RenovationBB / TheMumDiaries / SuburbanMum

We have still managed a few smiles ourselves, although this month I didn't take many photos and it is very much dominated by our new 9 year old. I managed to get a few grins from a couple of my big kids though - they kindly helped me with a HARIBO hunt in the garden as part of a paid job I did last week - and they were very suitably rewarded...

A year and a day ago, Louise at Little Hearts Big Love lost her daughter Jessica. To remember her Louise has asked people to put on a smile and spread some joy, just as Jessica always did. Do something kind or nice, make a smile where there wasn't one. You can share your stories and photos with the hashtag  #givejoyforjessica

Although it really was meant to be yesterday, I am sure Louise will forgive me for being a day late, and I'm certain she won't mind if there are more smiles today or any day. It isn't only the first year that's hard when your family loses a member, it's every day afterwards. My thoughts and strength to anyone missing someone special.