Well today marked a big step forward for us , me as a parent, Charlie and all of us as a family!

Charlie got his first pair of glasses, and they have tinted lenses ! The hospital gave us the prescription and off we went town ! Went into specsavers first who only had one pair to fit (they have curly sides to keep them on (yeah right!!)) and they were PINK! His daddy would have divorced me if I had taken him home in them ! So we went off to vision express who had a pair to fit him that weren't pink ( phew! ) So she puts it all through the computer and says "thats £20!" ok so I am looking slightly shocked at this point and convinced my mother is about to pop at the thought that we had to pay for something he needs for a medical condition! But surprisingly she doesn't so no asbo this week for her ! *yay* We pay and leave and whilst I am happy that we are finally gonna be able to go out in the sunshine without Charlie being very uncomfortable it was really bugging me that I had to pay for them !! he is under 16 and needs glasses so why are they not free ?!

I talked later so someone that works for another vision express who is very shocked and said they should have offered me a free alternative which just annoys me even more ! But I thought I will have a quiet word when I pick them up and did do !

The response I got ? Well the computer says pay so you have to pay ! wonderful when you can blame technology hey ?

So am going to get intouch with head office and ask WHY there are no free glasses to babies on the nhs ! The man in our shop tells me there are LOADS of free ones once he gets bigger ( LOADS of use ! ) But what concerns me is that I could afford them, but what happens if someone CAN'T!? Why should their babies have to suffer for it ?! Surely when there is a medical reason for something then it should be provided free on the nhs , if its free to a 8 year old why is it not to an 8 month old ?!

Anyway rant over ! ( for now ! ;-) ) And Charlie looks FAB in his new glasses which have made a huge difference already ! although typically now he can go out and play in the garden now its not stopped raining ! LOL He is really taking everything in now he is fascinated with the sky ! He's never really been able to look at it before because it's so bright and hurt his eyes so its a whole new world out there for him at the moment ! ( that is when he isn't pulling them off and eating them ! LOL )