Due April 2009: Episode 9 - April Mums with Guns: Rise of the Fanjo Warriors?

[BabyBolat]

Here we go again....

Right, back to my day out. The main purpose of the enterprise was to test out my new wheelchair.

We went to a nice museum cafe for lunch, and then DS2 looked at the exhibits and drew some Egyptian artefacts in his Ben 10 notebook - he is into Egypt big time at the moment.

We then went shopping and I bought things like a ceramic tea/coffee/sugar storage jar set for in my bedroom, where I am building up a stash of stylish and useful things (eg refreshment facilty) so I don't need to leave there if I don't want to. We also bought me some paracetemol, but I tell you, it's probably easier buying weed these days as they will only sell you 16 at a time, and I get through 8 a day!! I went to Waterstones and got a new Carl Hiassen novel, and bought some peanut brittle at the market which I scoffed straight away. We also went to HMV and I bought DH a DS Lite for his birthday.

It was very interesting being pushed in a wheelchair. First of all I realised how often poor DS2 trots along behind and how he has to speak at hip height to everyone. For a change my face was at his height, so I spoke to him a lot more, wiped his nose more often (poor kid) and kissed him a lot more because I couldn't resist his lovely chubby lickle cheeks. He was very good about this because none of his friends were present.

It was also quite hard to manoeuvre the wheelchair through the crowds and a couple of times I ended up almost being propelled into a bicycle or up against people's bottoms. I got a good adrenaline rush from that. It is also extremely cold sitting down the whole time, so I can understand why people wear little tartan blankets when in wheelchairs. You also get a numb bum, and it occurred to me this is why toddlers might get fed up and have tantrums so you take them out.

All in all a very interesting excursion.

Something my students did last year ... I wonder what Sarko would think of these as a way of passing time in HE

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BlDh-S8KWj8

PS The words that keep coming up over their faces is because I am too much of tightwad to buy them video editing software and made them use a free version.

God Boffin, I can only begin to imagine his reaction. He might actually go into cardiac arrest.
Last week he made a speech saying that the Economic Science baccalauréat was "a joke" and that the pupils who take it are the dud ones who go nowhere later in life. Incisive comments from a man who did an Economic Science baccalauréat himself .
While we're youtubing, there's a nice montage here showing Sarko asking the Romanian president if he can keep the shiny pen they've just signed an agreement with, followed by Angela Merkel wittily giving Sarko the pen they just used.
He is so very, very dignified.

Hehehehe LOL Auld!
That is the ultimate in uncool.

Have just realised DS1 smells of cheese, and he tells me he gave up using soap weeks ago. I am ill for 5 minutes and the children start growing their own micro-organisms!! I have forcibly put him in the shower with instructions to wash particular areas ... he is very disgusted at having to do this!

See, all you first timers, this is how you will end up spending your Saturday nights in years to come ... fumigating 11 year olds.

LOL Boffin re saturday nights although have to say I am hardly rocking the saturday night pre baby - I am 26 and this is how I spent my day...

1. Wake up and drag DH out of bed - make tea and breakfast
2. Pop in to town buy new rug for hallway, maternity pads / paper underwear and some handles for the bathroom lights as well as some bits from Tesco for lunch
3. Come home, make lunch
4. Wash three loads of baby bedding, clean the house from top to bottom
5. Organise paperwork / bills from January
6. Paint undercoat of rocking chair with DH
7. Make dinner
8. Paint rocking chair with DH
9. Make a cup of tea

10. Sit on the sofa at almost 8.30, wondering what time I can go to bed

My closest friends are currently:

1. At an engagement party
2. At a birthday party (most of them are here)
3. In New York for a long weekend

hmmmm, my life is so very very different now - although I actually quite like it!

Interesting views from today tho - will make me more conscious not to leave my toddler in the buggy too long!

Why do they only sell you 16 at a time - I bought a big pack of 32 today!

I am somewhat reassured by that, BB. Although when I was 26 I was usually to be found roaming around London on a Saturday, albeit fairly sedately.

I am being fed mince and rice and watching demons on the telly with one eye whilst trying to read the paper.

Can she give my DS1 lessons, Nutty??
DS2 loves baths though and has at least 2 a day given the chance, preferably companiably with another family member.

BTW can I ask you a hairdressing question Nutty? DS1 has flaky bits on his scalp, which he's had for years and years, which is a bit odd, because he's the only one of us that doesn't get eczema and things like that. We are rinsing his hair properly, so I am wondering if I should be getting a different shampoo for him or something? I don't think it's dandruff, btw.

Ginger - how awful that you're another certified SPD victim. Terrible Considering how rare it's meant to be, the April ladies aren't doing well.

Boffin, what lovely things on that John Lewis list you made - makes it all seem a bit more real! I'm still torn on the Moses basket thing - I know that they're only ever short term anyway, but I'm expecting a very long baby & I don't know if it'll be worth it at all...

Bleu, you don't half get a lot done - I'm sure you're pushing yourself too hard! Up at before 8am (at least!) to tidy? Put your feet up! After continuing to read, I've noticed that my advice has been given many times already - pay attention, woman!

& in answer to your question, I'm seeing my midwife again a week on Tuesday (who I first saw with the kidney problem a couple of weeks ago) so I hopefully won't need to see a GP again, assuming it all clears.

Vasectomies - I'm not against them at all. When DP & I have finally finished for certain (not for a while yet - it'll be at least 4 or 5 years until the next one & we're having at least 2, plus I'll want a while to make sure that the family definitely feels complete), I will ask him to have one. That may be swayed by the fact that I know that my dad had one when my sister was about 18 months or so - my mum had hideous pregnancies & births (she had terrible SPD with my sister worsened by the fertility drugs she'd taken weakening her pelvis too much - she was told during labour that her pelvis would break at the front [but "it's okay, it's standard practice in parts of Africa to break a woman's pelvis in labour" !] & had to be admitted to hospital for weeks at the end because she simply couldn't move from the bed & had a resting pulse of 140) & definitely wasn't wanting to do that again. It's much less invasive for the man to have that sort of procedure than a woman & after the trauma of childbearing, I think it's only fair anyway But although I find it a bit sad to think of no more children at the moment, that's because I know I'm not done. When I am, I don't think that I'll be too upset about it - it saves the worry of contraception, which hasn't been my greatest friend so far.

On the topic of contraception I'm planning to get that sorted ASAP after the birth, really. I know that I'm not going to be feeling up to sex at first, but when I am I don't want to be risking anything & the pill's let me down enough as it is & we both hate condoms, so I was wondering what I do about it? Do I just wait until afterwards & see my GP, or see my GP first & discuss it & make an appointment? I'm not sure... I'm not even 100% clear on what the options are. I want something like the implant, or perhaps a coil, but I don't know whether they'll fail in the same way as the pill? & I also have a vague awareness of a non-hormonal coil, but know nothing about it... I shall obviously do more research at some point, but wonder if any of you have any tips?

Cor, I want a Bump Bag! Look at the comfort! It'd be great for proper, painful piles too! (I'm still dodging that bullet, you'll all be pleased to know!) Although I'm tending to agree with Auld - how would you get in & out?!

I saw a really fat woman earlier sitting in Meadowhall shopping centre (I mean really fat - DP pointed her out saying 'I've never felt so sorry for an inanimate object as I do that chair') & honestly, I wanted to throw myself off the upper-floor balcony when I saw how quickly she leapt up when it was time to leave. It was the most depressing thing I've seen in a long, long time. How dare she be more agile than I am? I'm not even massively suffering with anything in particular & yet... DP tried to make me feel better by saying that he was sure he heard someone shouting 'free cake', but it didn't help. Even if someone had said 'if you can get out of the chair quickly enough we'll give you your baby right now, perfectly healthy, without any pain at all' I still wouldn't have been able to move that fast

Haha, Sarkozy's a proper nutter. I do hope he doesn't accidentally read me saying that & sack someone for it Just reading what Auld said about his utter rudeness about researchers. I'm genuinely in shock - you just wouldn't think that it'd be possible for someone like that to be in power these days (& also for it not to be very widely known across the world just how awful he is!).

& Ginger, even your mention of Ronaldo makes me I hate that man so much more than is at all rational.

Boffin, it sounds like a really interesting experiment spending time in a wheelchair. I've always felt a bit envious of people getting pushed around whilst they just sit there, but the getting cold & numb probably balance it out in terms of comfort, never mind the social aspect. Still, it's great that you could go out & do things without damaging yourself even if you were confined to a chair.

Auld, watching that video of Sarkozy's bizarre pen romance made me really miss French I hope you're proud of yourself, inspiring love of the language from across the channel

Boffin, he's given up using soap?! Oh the joys to look forward to... & as for Saturday nights, well. You can see where I am

& I do hope frekkles is okay...

Was just popping in to catch up and was about to go to bed when I saw BoffinMum asking about DS1's flaky scalp. You could try using some dermol lotion to sort out the flakiness. Just rub it into his scalp and leave it for about half an hour before washing it out. Do this about 3 times a week for a few weeks. Dermol has some benzylkonium chloride in it that lifts scale gently. It was absolutely fab for treating DD's cradle cap (and my nan's varicose eczema ).

Hey springy!!

Just a very quick note on contraceptives...

Re coil, I have had this and was in absolute agony every month, just wasn't worth it so had it removed after 12 months! also my mum got pregnant 3 times on the coil so I don't have the greatest faith in it

Re Vasectomies, I wont ask DH to have one but if he wanted one, that is up to him!

I am torn on the moses basket thing - I do need something for our bedroom and don't really want to spend a lot of money on a cradle thing but everyone has said the moses baskets only last a month or two so not sure what to do especially if LO is quite long!

Hi Springy. Some of my students swear by Mirena coils (why do they tell me so much??) and IMO the best way to ensure good contraception is to use two types at once. That is practically foolproof (as long as one of the types is not a Persona machine, Boff snorts cynically - there's a whole Boff back story there, and it's the very thing that refuses to get washed properly on Saturday nights).

about your mum and the pelvis breaking thing!!

The wheelchair experience was strangely relaxing, as all I had to do was to sit there while people scuttled out of my way and let us queue jump, etc. Not bad when you know it won't be for the rest of your life. And it was great not to have to hobble in pain on the crutches.

I think I really would recommend a cheap Moses basket because they are under £30 including the bedding, they are very light and portable to hump around from bedroom to living room, etc, and they look adorable. I bought a second hand Mothercare one in 1987, used it for 3 babies, then gave it to my sister who used it for one more, then finally it fell apart. We are buying a replacement because it has been so useful in the past. I reckon we usually get 4 months out of it (DD was a very long baby btw). The kids have used it for dolls and teddies as well.

Nutty, we wash his hair a couple of times a week. He has been known to use wax when attempting to be cool. We discourage it because he piles on pints of the stuff and he just looks like he has got out of a deep fat fryer.

Swali, that sounds good, maybe DS1 has teen-onset cradle cap . Can I get this at Boots??

Boffin/Springy - my mum is paraplegic and so in a wheelchair all the time ... have to say that she's never found it interesting or relaxing. I've lost count of the number of times people have flicked fag ash at her because she's at fag ash height, or where people speak over her head to me as if she's incapable of answering simple questions, people ignoring us saying 'excuse me' to get past them, idiots without blue badges parking in the disabled spaces 'because it's closer' or rude shop assistants/cafe staff who refuse to move pens/credit card machines/coffees/carrier bags etc within her reach. Certainly it's getting much better, and I'm glad you have the option of using a wheelchair Boffin rather than being forced to stay in all the time, but be aware that you might have some pretty miserable experiences as a wheelchair user over the next few weeks.
Sorry, rant over.

Ooh and no idea on the contraception lark. I think DH might be persuadable to have the snip, but I'd like to keep our options open. Still would love a girl one day. But as I react badly to hormonal contraception and we don't like condoms I don't think we have many options!