on the 1st day of christmas my true love sent to me a moosy and a baby

[tinkerbellstinkerbells]

new thread ladies

wuhoo Kayz- being a SAHM can make you go a bit loopy at times tho!!

Hi all,

it's my birthday today so we've had friends visiting for the weekend. It's been really lovely but I'm also enjoying the peace now everyone has left. DD has loved all the attention . She's been in a funny mood this week - getting tired and grumpy but not sleeping well during the day. Until last week she was still awake for 1 hour then sleeping for 2 (like when she was a newborn) and I think she is ready to be awake a bit more - which will be fun - but she hasn't quite got her naps sorted yet and struggles to sleep so she gets grumpy. She is so much fun in between though - she is grabbing toys, playing with her activity gym, kicking, wriggling and giggling and cooing all the time. She is so alert and smily now, it's great. Hopefully if she is awake a bit more during the day she will sleep more at night (or is that wishful thinking) as she is still waking to feed every 3 hours at night, sometimes more often. I'm not convinced she is always that hungry as she goes up to 4 hours during the day and takes bigger feeds at night but I'm not confident enough not to offer a feed and she always suckles for a while at least. I just don't knw if she's really feeding or just cmfrting herself - it's hard to be sure in the dark and she only feeds for 5-10min even during the day.

Oh that turned int a bit of a ramble .

Ses - hooray for the new puppy, I hope the toilet train doesn't take long and Lucy makes friends with her soon.

Kayz - hooray for giving up job, I know you haven't been enjying it. How are you sleeping after Most Haunted?

Gruff - wow, walking already . He's very determined isn't he.

Cant - hope you manage to sell your house quickly and find something you want to rent. We are just doing the opposite - I got a small bonus from my patented PhD work and it might just be enough for a deposit so we are looking for smewhere to buy. It's quite exciting looking for a new house isn't it?

Tink - hope the party is good

happy birthday RUGBY hope you have had a good day. nd goo luck with the house hunting hope everyone is having a goo sunday. ive had a free afternoon. jus got DS back from his dads and hes fast asleep now as he was nakered. hes ate tonnes too god knows where he puts it. he had a sandwich, biscuit, yoghurt for his dinner, then before he came back he had a sunday roast and was only gone 3 n half hours lil greedy guts. doubt he will want any tea but hey he may surprise me haha.

Is anyone here an interior designer? I have no idea what to do in our bathroom. We got some aqua colour paint but I just hate it. The tester pot was really nice but when we painted it on it just looked awful.

Kayz- i like to think i am... but i'm the sort who has to see it to be inspired!!

Well, house search came up trumps just today- have a viewing for a lovely detatched house not too far from where we are now. Then going to get the same agents to value ours and look into getting it on the market asap. gonna price it for a fast sale so we can move asap. We can get a lot for our money to be honest- when we take into account the difference in fuel costs for Dh to get to work, the amount we're currently paying off our debts (which will be gone with the house sale) and what we pay p/m on our mortgage we can get a very outstanding property... the one we're viewing is much much less than our limit too which leaves more money for a deposit once we get to head office!!

for anyone who's nosey enough the house we're viewing is this one

Dylan walked earlier!!! He took about 4 steps which he did twice!!!

Wow!! All these walking babies

Kay - must feel great to be handing in your notice

Tink - hope DD2 had a great party

Cant - glad house searching going ok. I couldn't access the link but it sounds great!

Rugby - Happy Birthday!! Sounds like DD is doing well. I remember when DS first started playing with toys - so cute!

MMM - yay for free afternoon!

We had a lovely afternoon with friends and exchanged belated Christmas presents. DS got a great little shape sorter and a noisy book

Now sitting munching Pringles and watching Wild at Heart.

yay well done dylan.

shape sorter and book sound good SES as do te pringles haha. im just led in bed feeling drained and got stomach cramps and pains

Happy Birthday Rugby - sounds like you had a lovely day and DD is doing well. The time does fly - it seems like ages since DD was at that stage, but it also goes so fast.

Tink - Happy Birthday to DD2, hope you had and she had a good party.

Can't - great news on house decisions, couldn't access link, but all sounding positive.

Kayz - yay for becoming a SAHM. Hope it all works out for you. Yay for DS2 walking too - how exciting.

MMM - sorry for feeling rubbish, hope you get some good sleep and feel better tomorrow.

Ses - so lovely that you got a new puppy, hope she and Lucy get on well.

Gruff - said it on FB, but yay for DS taking steps too. That's amazing in a 9mo. Watch out - he won't stop keeping you on your toes from here on in.

Well, had an "interesting" week here. Went back to work last Mon. Lots of people not in due to snow (mostly because of nursery/school closures), so just spent the 3 days getting my head round the project. Then DD sent home with high temp on 3rd day. Has been ill ever since. Figured it was a virus - then she got a rash all over on Saturday, so visited out of hours doc, who said it was just a virus. After her sleeping through the night for the first time on Tues night, the last few she has been very disturbed and last three has been in bed with me. Now I feel like a really bad Mum, as I just realised today that the choc I have been eating all week has dairy in it - is just the same as one I normally by and is dark choc, but this one has milk in. Am so for DD, at myself and at being such a crap Mum. I tried not to feed her tonight and give her first formula and then oatmilk (which is what she has on cereal and in cooking) from a bottle, but she wouldn't take either and was so distraught, so I ended up feeding her, but I know it will upset her stomach and she'll be uncomfortable later tonight - I don't know what's worse, to just not feed her and have her screaming, or to have her writhing and screaming later tonight...

Ah well, should hopefully pass out of my milk within 3 days and then be clear of her system a few days later. Am soooo cross at myself. So, week 2 at work tomorrow and I will not be in in morning, as I will have to stay at home with DD as she won't be well enough to go to nursery. Hopefully DH will come home at lunchtime. Luckily, my Mum has offered to come over for Tues and Weds, so I can go into work (am very lucky that she doesn't work - well, she does lots of county stuff at the golf club, but it's not a full-time or paid job).

Right, must head to bed and try to get some sleep in - think I managed about a broken 4 hours last night (the most comfy of which was from 7-8am in DS' bed - he has a cold, so was in our bed with DH and DD was finally back in her cot for an hour)! We're really playing musical beds in our house

at anyone else lurking.

feeling better this morning. but was up at 3.15 with DS talking away to himself and shouting. god knows were he got his burst of energy from at that time lil monkey. but hope it doesnt happen again. think its another lazy day today. as the weather is rubbish so not much can do. anyone doing anything exciting?

Morning MMM, quiet day here too as I'm shattered. All these nights of broken sleep are starting to catch up with me. Last night DD was up at 11 - I tried to give her a bottle which is what we were doing before xmas but we got out of the habit over the hols and she just refused. I had to breastfeed and then she took ages to sleep again. She then woke again at 2.15 and it took till 4.30 to get her to settle and she woke up again at 6. She had a nap just after 8 but only for about 45min.

Urgh - what I wuldn't give for just one full nights sleep!

awww no doesnt sound food RUGBY hope she settles down soon into a better sleeping pattern for you. think max was just awake due to haing a late nap. and waking an only an hour before bed time.

kay - great news about job - i luv being a sahm

rugby day sounded good

max - hi

star - hi

cant - good luck

went into town today with brackens bday money bought elc - wooden bus sorter and click clack track for later
plus stack n suprise blocks for now
in next jumper plus socks

went swimming she is doind well

off for lunch now

Me again! Just letting you know I'll be back on-line on Friday (so they at Tiscali say )so will 'see' you all then!!
Happy birthday RUGBY!!!! (have I got that right?

The place that DH was going to work have just rung to say they don't want him to work there after all. So I won't be able to stop working. The old place can't take him back so he is now unemployed.

awww no not good at all KAYZ thats ashame

ive (stupidly) decided to make a cake for DS birthday. probably not such a good idea. not baked since school like 3 years ago haha. but we shall see if it turns out ok. making a chocolate hedgehog cake for him :D should be good if it turns out how its meant to.

Kay - noooooo!!! You must be so disappointed

MMM - good luck with the cake! Make sure you post some pictures on FB

Diege - look forward to having you back from Fri then

Rugby - poor you It can be v wearing. Hope you start to get a few better nights soon.

Star - please don't give yourself a hard time. It must be so difficult watching every little thing you eat & drink. Hope it all clears quickly for you.

tink - sounds like DD2 had a great time. Happy birthday to her for tomorrow!

Now the snow has finally cleared here, went into town today and picked up the ceramic Christmas bauble that Owen and I made with his footprint before Christmas. Guess we'll use it next year!

DH has agreed that we can have a cleaner as I'm going back to work 4 days. We're just having a debate about whether the cleaner should come whilst one of us is here or whether it would be better when we're out. What would you do?

SES wouldnt know what to suggest with the cleaner as it seems a toughy. as if your out u wont get in the way, but if your in you can 'keep an eye out' for anything if you get me. so i wouldnt like to say. ye if the cake goes to plan then ill post pics on FB just decided to change the idea of a full milk chocolate to having white chocolate icing and vanilla sponge and jus mmilk chocolate buttons so hope it looks as good

Ses - I had cleaners but DH only let me have them if I worked from home. It worked good for me, it means that I can keep an eye on them, focus them on the bits that I really need doing the most, and show them new 'jobs' as I go along. I never found it awkward as I would just sit in the lounge working on my laptop, they would just clean around me.

Having a late night crisis - DS is desperate to do something tomorrow, he wants to go to a farm but I'm really not sure that's a good idea with me and DS2, without any other adult support, on a potentially cold day...

Anyone got any ideas? So far, its either take him to soft play, where he'll spend all his time begging me to go and play with him, when I can't as I have to stay with DS2, or take him to 'musictime', which is a lady singing songs, using props etc, which goes on for an hour, at a venue I've never been to before. Again, I'll have both children...I'm thinking I should perhaps try this one...

God, entertaining a three year old is tough with a baby in tow. He's at nursery 3 mornings a week at the moment, so its not even as if I have him full time. Are all kids of his age so demanding, or is he just rubbish at playing on his own, coz he's never really had to I guess, being at nursery for so long (full time since he was 9 months old )...

Morning.

It's far too early to be awake for work. I feel really really sick and I am not really awake.

I hope everyone is ok.

oh no kay about job whart pants
sorry you feel sick!!!

bracken is 1

pressy time in a min as dd1 @ school

my due date was the 15th of jan.
contractions started @ 5am on monday the 19th. they were very painful and 5-6 mins apart already.
dh went out to get tens from birthing centre came back with it at 8:50am contractions still painful even with tens on.
mum was due to come over anyway. she turned up @ 9am. left for birthing centre @ 9:45am as wasnt copying with the pain with tens and contractions mostly 5 mins apart already!!
got into birthing centre for 10am. they timed my contractions definetly 5 mins apart lasting 40secs to a min.
did an internal 4-5 cms already!!.
had gas and air from 11am as contractions unbearable.
12pm waters broke while standing up leaning on side of birthing pool had meconium in them so couldnt have a waterbirth but at least had her in birthing centre.
then got onto bed not long after on my back then they started to get excrutiating. gas and air just about making pain bearable.
this birth was so much faster and painful then with dd1 and baby much bigger.
finally after midwife said 20 mins of pushing :-
bracken hope willow born 1:51pm weighing 8lbs7ozs
dd1 was only 6lbs12ozs!! so abit of a shock
had 2nd degree tearing same as with dd1 no where near as many stitches doesnt feel anywhere near as painful!!
all doing great she is a very contented baby

a big happy birthday to bracken. hope she has a great day, n hope she had a fab party.
another day in today. hopin to get to the shops this afto tho as want a nice curry for tea. but nuffin in to make it
hope everyone is well. and having a good day.

Hi everyone - well, I started a thread in chat to see if I could get some ideas of what to do today...

...and we've been to a local farm.

It was muddy, very very muddy, and not much there, but just enough to entertain a three year old for a couple of hours on an otherwise pretty miserable day.

We've seen loads of animals and he's had lots of fresh air.

Feeling quite proud of myself too, I managed to pack spare clothes, change bags, packed lunches, spare shoes (for when the wellies come off) and fit it all into the buggy! Its a monstrosity but great for lumping it all about!

Now he's being grumpy again - off to feed him in the hope that sorts it!

Men!