Due May 07 - W/C 5th February

[charleymouse]

Good Morning all, hope you all had a good weekend will catch up later.
Hurrah it was light when I left the house this morning for the first time in ages so feel much happier about being up and at work.
Cheers CM

Hi TMP, I have a scan tomorrow will be 28wks then have a mw appt in the pm. Its all go here!

Ooh TPT was missed again! I have gone back up to 8.5sheets.

TPT - It's not working. I'm still 8.5 sheets around the belly button. If I measure round the biggest part of the bump it's WAY bigger though.

AM have appt at 10.55 with consultant, good luck with your scan tomorrow

TMP I will be having regular scans now due to history

Everyone looking forward to the snow tomorrow

Anneme, snorting with laughter about the capsule wardrobe thing! I wish my capsule wasn't quite so small and didn't fall down.

Scooter - What a dramatic life you have! hope you are ok and fingers crossed for your DD.

LWatkins - kept meaning to say, there is a thread\link {http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=49&threadid=252904\called bumps north of the border}that has quite a few people in Glasgow on it - don't think I've seen your name there.

TPT - almost 7 sheets

Try it again: called bumps north of the border

Evening all

Oh what a day Ive had, i will be glad to get in bed tonight.

To begin with I couldnt find ds2's shoes this morning. Both ds's had been tidying their room last night and the shoes had vanished, did a quick search of every room before giving up and putting him in wellies instead, then my parents were late picking me up for shopping (our little wednesday ritual) due to a suspicious package on a bridge which they thought was a bomb, the police closed all access to and from Portsmouth which also caused problems for miles around (it wasnt a bomb in the end but they blew it up anyway, the roads were finally opened about 1pm but it was still causing havoc up until a few hours ago) so i had to rush around the shops just so i could get back in time to get lunch for ds2 before pre-school at 1pm. While he was eating i tore the house apart looking for his shoes which were still nowhere to be found (i even emptied out the bins in case they had been thrown out by mistake) Again I resorted to wellies, dh by this time was up and moody, i was moody too because of the lost shoe so we had a stupid arguement about nothing. Then it was time for me to see the midwife, my appointment was at 2.45 giving me plenty of time to see her and get back for the ds's, only my midwife was running very late and only called her first patient in at 2.40. I was 2nd on the list but at 3.10 i had to walk out and pick the boys up without seeing her, she was still with her first patient. I told the receptionist i wasnt happy and would be back about 3.45 to see her (her clinic was due to end at 3.30 but I didnt care i wanted to see her today to ask about the dizziness ive been having and it wasnt my fault she was running late, i was still annoyed by the missing shoes and dh so that was the last straw)

Anyway on the way to the school we got stuck in traffic (caused by the suspicious package)even though the roads had been opened for a while so im panicking we wil be late then i get a phone call from my neighbour informing me that ds1 has been beaten up on his way out of school and had been taken back into the office where he would be waiting for me. So I get to the school with 5mins to spare before ds2 finishes pre-school and decided to go get ds1 first (dh was with me but I didnt want him confronting the teachers, he was very as ds1 has been beaten up by this boy before,its the same one we called the police about last year) Im just about to go into the main reception when i get a phone call from my neighbour, she has ds1 with her, the head teacher had just walked him round and left him with her. By now i was fuming, the school hadnt even informed me of what was going on which should have been the first thing they did, if it wasnt for my neighbours i wouldnt have had a clue and now they take him home and leave him next door with instructions to 'keep an eye on him'. I told dh who drove back home and i went to get ds2. On the way back out of the school i see dh and im sure if it was a cartoon i would have seen steam coming from his ears . He had drove past the headteacher on the way home and so after checking ds1 was ok where he was he stormed off down the road after her, Im not sure what he said (or how because he isnt exactly polite when hes p-ed off) but he wasnt impressed with her. Apparantly they wil ask the mother who witnessed the fight for her version and then look into it, only problem is the woman who saw it is a friend of the other boys parents so i cant wait to hear her version. Luckily ds1 seems ok but he has a large lump behind his right ear and his cheek is slightly swollen. I am so angry with the school. They are supposed to have an anti-bullying program yet ds1 is always being picked on, he even gets called racist names just because his skin is slightly tanned, they've now started slagging me off which upsets him even more (i couldnt care less but its getting to him now)And if ds1 retaliates he is the one who gets punished. He was upset on Friday because of the bullying and i made it clear to the school i wanted him to talk to someone yet they couldnt be bothered and just sent him back to class. They still dont know who it was who smashed his head on the floor back in January

I think im going to keep him off tomorrow and go in the school to have it out with them. This cant go on. My dad wanted me to have him checked out at A&E because of the lump behind his ear but as Ds1 has seemed ok all evening ive decided to leave it, i will just keep a close eye on him. Everyone is worried in case he has another seizure as a result. Since last January ds1 has been to A&E three times as a result of being bullied at school and each time it has been with a head injury, i doubt if its linked but ds1 never had seizures before that little shite smashed his head into the wall last year, does make you wonder, and the last time he had a seizure was two weeks after having his head smashed on the floor. Its probably a coincidence but god help that school if it is linked as they have known about the bullying since last year and done nothing. My friends little boy who goes to tha same school came home on MOnday with a really bad black eye because someone 'accidently' hit him with a wooden brick WTF

Right very long rant over Ive just had such a shit day today nothing has gone right, oh except ds2 managed to find his shoes tonight, not sure where they were but he carried them into me at 6pm all smiles and proudly holding them up. I think i will now have a glass of wine and take myself off to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be better (and there had better be a mountain of snow waiting for us when we get up too )

Hey scooter perhaps we should both have bought lottery tickets today although knowing my luck i would win then lose the ticket or something equally unlucky
Hope your dd is soon on the mend and your luck improves

Fingers tightly crossed for piles of snow tonight. If it does im going to build an effigy (sp?) of the little shite who beat ds1 up and we can happily pelt it with snowballs all day and if that doesnt make me feel better i may just have to throw them at Dh instead

Pebble that is disgusting! Whats the little shit's name, i'll deal with him! How far away is portsmouth from Bristol? God that has made me so angry for you and your poor ds! The school sound like there running a flippin zoo and tossing your ds into the lions den. For the love of pete, why don't they do more to stop it! Threaten to sue them if it turns out your little boys siezures are a result of these attacks, that should soon get them into action! Oooooo, i'm blowing steam sat here thinking about it! I was badly bullied when i was in year 7 and 8 by a group of 17 year olds and it made my life miserable. Lord knows how your little ones feeling being even younger and having it happen. And this is actual physical abuse as well. Have you spoken to the parents of this little gremlin? No doubt they think the sun shines out his arse! Grrrrr
On a plus note at least the shoes have been found eh

Haven't had a chance to catch up on all gossip from today so will do after lectures tommorrow. Am of to bed with some hot chocolate and a copy of only fools and horses to watch

Pebble Hope you had a nice glass of wine, this is disgusting behaviour from the school - why does they suspend or exclude this bully, your poor ds, it really does make me worry so much about sending dd to school - I dont agree with the school system anyway but it doesnt help when you hear that the teachers cant even control this type of behaviour - I know ther has always been playground fights but there was always a teacher there within a few minutes and the culprits dealt with - hope ds is ok and at least he has loads of snow to enjoy on his day off - hope you have a better day as well

So how much snow has everyone got - havent seen this much since I was a teen )many moons ago going to take dd out to build her 1st snowman when I get back later

Am hoping the buses and hospital are all running ok today

My friends "baby" is 9 months he weighs over 24lb and yesterday he got himself out of his cot - unfortunatly he fell onto laminate flooring but he is so padded he wasnt hurt - little bruiser

AM hope scan goes well today

How much snow!!! This is great, ds thinks it is wonderful. Has managed to get over his disapointment from the last round of it where all he could say was 'oh no'.

Pebble, I hope that the little shite doesnt get away with that sort of behaviour. It makes me so cross, although you know that his parents probably couldnt give a flying rats backside. Unfortunately it can just come from their upbringing.

Lupins, will have to report back on the scans. At least having an early one means i can take my time getting ready as i dont have to go to work first! Am going to get them to double check that this bubba is a girl before i go wild on pink stuff!

Hope everyone keeps safe in the snow! x

snow what snow? unless its invisible, we have none

Have to go out now but will pop bac laterto catch up

Have a nice day all (ooh i sound american lol)

Morning all

We don't have loads of snow either in Lincs but do have a little bit with tales of more to come. I am at work though and have a 14 mile drive home so don't want too much really.

Sorry to hear of your troubles Pebblemum. Hope you can get school sorted out.

No now here either, or at least so little that you might mistake it for a heavy frost.

Pebble, Poor you, your poor DS. Sounds like you need to take this up with the school govenors if you aren't getting anywhere with the headteacher. Surely leaving your son with one of your neighbours without consulting you is not the head's choice to make! Might be worth putting this in writing. It is more difficult to ignore a letter and perhaps easier to set things out without it resulting in an angry confrontation (not that I blame you or your DH for being angry)?

Hi there, just a quick one to say that scan went well. Baby is fine and growing nicely. She weighs in at 963g and is on the average line for all measurements. Bloods are back and i am immune to Parvo Virus so panic over.

Lupins hope scan is going well.

TTFN X

Lupins, I know where you're coming from with your DH. Mine often sits up til all hours, farting about on the internet and making himself late for work. Or leaves really, really important presentations to the night before a meeting and ends up staying up all night and going straight to the meeting and then I get the brunt of his tired miserableness for the rest of the week. It's so irrisponsible.

Plus, I'm not speaking to him at the moment. I'm so, so bored of him being useless at home. I've got 7 weeks of work left and just for those 7 weeks I'd like him to take a bit of bloody initiative and offer to help me a bit. We currently don't have a cleaner, so the house is a dump and it's too big for me to manage on my own and I don't see why I should. We both work. I was at work til 7.15 last night and asked him to make some mash when he got in (which was at about 7.45) and put the oven on to heat up the casserole I had made the day before. You'd think it would take, what 20 minutes to do that? Got home after 8 and he had the laptop inthe kitchen, was fecking about for ages, decided to go to the off licence for wine at about 8.45 and dinner finally gets served jsut before 9. DD goes to bed at 9. I don't think it's fair to make her go to bed on a full stomach like that. PLUS I was knackered and asked would he mind clearing the plates and stacking the dishwasher. DId he? No, he went for a lie down on the sofa and fell asleep and I ended up doing it myself before bed. That in itself, isn't a crime, but the fact that that sort of thing ALWAYS happens just pisses me right off. I rarely ask for help, so when I do, you'd think he'd jsut bloody do it. Slept in the spare room. I just don't want to even speak to him. He tells me I do too much and then won't bloody give me help when I ask for it. When I thank him for actually doing something I ask, he says things like, "You don't need to thank me," or, "You didnt need to ask." Which way does he want it? FFS. I'm on strike now. I'm not making his dinner again, or washing his clothes until after I give up work. He can fck right off. I might as well be a single parent sometimes. Harrumph.

Sorry, that is all very inconsequential compared to what some of you have to deal with.

Pebble, I'm so sorry for your DS and for you too. What a complete nightmare. I would be furious with the school as well. If I child gets a head injury, they're supposed to keep him or her at school until you've been contacted, asked whether you want them to get medical attention and kept until you collect them. I'm outraged for that as well as the bullying. Sounds like they're just trying to ignore the problem. If you don't get any satisfaction from them, this page on the Direct Gov Website has links for how to complain to the local authority.

April, I'm glad your scan went well.

10cm of snow outside my house this morning, a two hour very packed uncomfortable journey to work and when I got off the Tube in the City, there wasn't even a bit of slush to be seen! How annoying. Oh and my boss lives in Herts - not far from you I think Scooter (I assume you're home today!) and he texted me at, wait for it, 6am to say, "Can't get in. Can you clear my diary?" FFS. Think I might put in for overtime from 6am.

Hello all just a quickie. Am still house bound, ds #3 still poorly and was isck again last night about 2.30. DS #4 still pooing water, fills up his clothes from neck to socks. He did it at 2 am last night. I had the lergy too but it doesnt seem to be too bad today (im not eating though) Grrrrrrrr WTF is going on?

Phoned the doc for advice who said just come to the surgery, fill out a temp residents form for all of you and the doctor will call you later!!! I pointed out that i had 5 children 2 of which are liable to poo or throw up at any moment and could not take them all out to the surgery. So the doc wont even speak to me!!!

Shoot me now someone, no sleep for days, constant poo and sick scraping.......

Pebble your poor ds, move his school but not before raising merry hell. Hope he is ok. Mine always hide shoes too, usually in a bag or a box or inside a toy. Has driven me crazy lots of times.

Lwatkins size 8........ will dig in wardrobe when i get home for dim and distant small sizes that will accommodate a bump!

Am off now, ds#4 sleeping but the rabble have just gone in to the front room where he is so i fear his slumber may be disturbed.

I must also mention the local tesco here had some glazed donuts on the shelves night before last. I got them in high anticipation of a KK copy.....they were not. Was gutted, dh probably thrilled as i resemble heifer at the moment and having KK's close by could be a major downfall

Oh love. Not the rest you were hoping for at all.

TBH, I don't know what the doc could do anyway, other than tell you what you already know. Perhaps some Dioralyte? I took DD to the hosp when she was a baby and had gastroenteritis and hadn't had more than half an ounze of water all day. That's all they did. Gave me some Dioralyte and said that even an ounze of it(at 6 mhts old) would be ok if she kept it down. Thanks a lot...

I just feel so sorry for you. Wish I could help.

Life is definitely needing to get better for everyone - big hugs to all of you with these things going on. DS's illness has been put into perspective (basically just a bug and cough) Pebble - I am so angry for you. I am a teacher and that kind of thing just SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. Take it further. TMP - write him a letter? DOn't know if that would help - it has been my strategy in the past when I have known that I will just blow up if I try and discuss things. LG&T - hibernate!!(I know, some hope)

On a lighter note - I am convinced that DS is not getting better because he will only sleep on pillows on the floor. THis is, apparently, his Beaver House. Not sure where this has come from but there is a lot of talking about him snuggling down in his beaver. OK so it might be immature of DH and I but we keep sniggering and I will definitely remind DS of his beaver fetish when he is older (I guess at 3 it is quite sweet!)

xx to you all - and keep your fingers crossed for me. We are having DH's Xmas family get together this w/end - first time that the rest of them could be bothered to turn up (not that I am feeling p'd off with them). On the plus side we get to stay in nice hotel.....

Hi All - will catch up with all your news later

AM glad your scan went well

I didnt end up getting scanned, saw consultants assistant who doesnt have a scanner in her room grrrr - anyway am booked for a proper growth scan in 4 weeks will be 28 weeks

On the good news front my section is booked for the 15th May - day before dp's b'day - just got to get brave enough for epidural now - quite excited tho

I meant to add - I am having a scan at 32 (ish) weeks and another one later to check size of LO. Also had glucose test the other day - results next week.
With ref to varicose veins down below (which I was worrying about before) I have found that forcing myself to sleep on my left really helps. however, have developed a new pregnancy niggle called tender ear - ie I sleep so heavily on one side that my ear gets squashed and REALLY HURTS in the morning. DH suggested that I could go on Dragons' Den with a suggestion for a left ear protector for pregnant women....
Has anyone got any views on those belly belts - do they work? Or is it better to get support pants? Oh, the glamour....

Afternoon ladies

Glad all the scans went well. Still have 6wks to go before mine

Anneme I get tender ear sometimes and it bloody hurts (didnt know it had a name though). The pain seems to last for ages too. Its worse if I wake up in the middle of the night with it because then i cant get back to sleep due to the fact the only way i feel comfortable is sleeping on that side

Well ds1 went to school today against my better judgement but he insisted as he didnt want to miss the practice for his dance festival or whatever its called. I checked up on him when i took ds2 to pre-school and he seemed happy enough playing football. When he came home i asked him what had happened about yesterday and it appears its been swept under the carpet. The Head got ds1 and the bully together, she then apologised on behalf of the bully (WTF) and made them shake hands. As if that wsnt bad enough she then punished them both by making them stay indoors at breaktime. Why the hell Ds1 was made to stay in is beyond me, he was the victim in all this yet he is given the same punishment as the little shite that beat him up. I am so I tried to talk to the head several times today but amazingly she was unavailable so now I have got the addresses for the LEA and my local MP and tonight when the boys are in bed I am going to write to them. If I still do not get any joy I will take it to the local newspaper afterall according to the government they are cracking down on bullying and yet here is ds1's school willing to ignore it time and again, Im sure the paper would be very interested in what is going on in our schools.

Apart from that today has been a lot better than yesterday No lost shoes no fights with dh no other problems. The contact lenses i ordered weeks ago finally turned up, i actually bought the baby some bodysuits and when i went to count the money in my purse earlier i discovered I had more than i thought thanks to Primark. I went in there to get ds2 another coat as he has broken the zip on his and got exactly the same one in the sale for £2, I then got ds1 a pair of jeans for £2, and a few tops for the both of them and it only came tp £12, now thats what I call a bargain!!!

I have to admit Pebble that tender ear is my name for it - I thought then I could just say I had T.E. in a kind of doleful way and get lots of sympathy as long as noone asked too much.
Can't believe your head - surely she has got to do more - particularly bearing in mind that this is not the first time. Do make sure that you keep a log of all conversations etc that you have about it. Is it worth speaking to the Child Protection OFficer at your DS's school to see if they have anything to add. Sometimes the CPO is more switched on about the legal stuff than the head who just wants to keep the peace.
Good luck

WTF made to stay in at break! I would just blow my top! Thats awful, well i hope that your letter does the trick.

Morning. I'm glad you're taking it further Pebble. I don't think it's something the LEA/ Council etc will ignore.

I don't know if it's a coincidence, but have slept on an airbed for the last two nights (still in a strop with DH) and the discomfort in my pelvis is much better today. I read that memory foam matresses improve SPD; I wonder if an air matress is a cheap alternative?

Gah - just popping in - no time to read through all of the thread , but just wanted to say that I read your last post, Pebblemum. I would advise you to check out your LEA's website and get the address for the 'School Improvement Office'. If it's not there, (it might not be widely publicised) phone the Education Offices directly and ask them for the address and name of someone to write to with a complaint. In your letter of complaint, use dates, times and refer to any witnesses. Try and be as factual and objective as possible (I know it's hard but it will make your case even stronger) and detail the impact that this has had on your son and your family.

Once you've written the complaint, make it clear that you are cc'ing it to the headteacher and that both parties can see this from our letter. Explain in your letter that you've tried to discuss the matter with the headteacher on a number of ocassions but she has always been unavailable and has not made any attempt to contact you when she has been free. Also refer to the school's anti-bullying policy (it should have one and it should be available from the school's website, if not the school office) and how this has been contravened. This way, both the head and the LEA will have to take some action, including opening a full discussion with you about the matter.

Sorry if this all sounds a bit formal - I do think you need to step things up a bit if you want to get anything sorted out, as it sounds as though the headteacher is indeed sweeping the issue under the carpet and trying her best to avoid any discussion/responsibility/proper action.

I hope this helps and that the situation is sorted out soon. Bullying, especially when coupled with physical violence, is unacceptable and should not be tolerated or excused. The bully in question here is not being given this message - he obviously thinks it's ok to pick on another child to the extent of physical assault. I would be tempted to point out to both the school and LEA that if this happens again or is not dealt with to your satisfaction, that you will be seeking the advice of the police or maybe even a solicitor.

I really hope that this is sorted out for the best soon. It's not pleasant nor acceptable. I must say though that your son is obviously a strong, independant individual with a mind of his own - he's still determined to go to school and do the things he enjoys without being put off by a bullying thug. You've done a good job there, Pebblemum.