Emmy's weebles are taking over mermaid's greenhouse!

[barbie1]

....therefore she cant throw us out!

Long may the support continue x

Thanks for the text barbie

curly hope you enjoyed your pennywalk today

blue you lucky lady sleeping in on Sunday, if only, but I suppose I was lucky with Pjay (loving that ) clearing up all the mess for me. DH is down your way tomorrow, it'll be a looong day for him, I'll tell him to give you a little wave, and he'll look at me like this .

Hi girls, sorry i havent been posting of late. I had a fab time with my mum and time just went by too quickly

Dropped her off at the airport this morning and 3 hours later dh went too...

It's been a funny old week, i wanted my mum to relax and enjoy Dolly so we didnt too too much to her routine the first week, and started the cold turkey thing on thurs..it was hell as i said before.

Mum has been doing the night wakings, taking in turns with dh so that D can start to get used to waking but not having a night feed. Its been tough but she will now settle within 20 mins and go back ok. Still two wakings but no feeding last night she woke only for 2 mins each time and stayed in til 6.30....i think she might be getting the message. Dreading tonight as i cant settle her to easy due to her smelling the milk

Took her to the doctors due to ear infection and cold, she is cutting both her canine teeth too . She has four teeth already and they are all come through thick and fast...oh the joy's. He advised me to feed her at night eg 6pm before bed and then again in the morning. This way she is getting enough milk with the little she is drinking from her sippy cup. neeko great link to the bottles, my mum is sending one back with dh next week, we have given up with bottles so hopefully she will sip from this cup.

Yesterday she took her first unaided steps, i was so pleased that my mum was here to see it, a brilliant reward for all of her effort in the past week

In fact yesterday was a great day, we had drinks in the burj al arab, its pretty gaudy inside, although the views and service is deserving of it's 7 stars. My mum was in awe, she kept saying 'oh the rooney's were here the other day' . I think ive been in dubai way too long and am turning into a expat brat... i just wasnt that impressed

Im glad there hasnt been any more scares from the medium bench. I hope both bq and louey are feeling rough, in the nicest possible sense

curly lovely to see you back, how is curlygirl? Dolly has yogurt in the morning, as part of her breakfast. She is getting much better with her food but she definitely prefers to feed herself. I give her the hipp apple juice, 1 part juice to 10 parts water. In fact our doc encourages it due to its natural sugars which helps to keep the poo regular!

blue i loved my 6.30 lie in, can only imagine how good it would be to have one til 8am or later. at sitting in bed with the papers, i cant read one with dolly around, half of it will go in her mouth...

mls sorry to here you also have a baby who is scared of sleep, it must be girls? i hope you do manage to get some you time...is it really hard to go from 1 to 2?

monkey the golf starts this week, every time i pass the advert board on the main road i think of you hope you are ok, have you started the journal? Sorry to hear you are sick, hope you both feel better soon x

Battery needs charging, back soon

Hi all

Barbie So pleased to hear that you had a lovely time with your mum and that Dolly rewarded her by walking. Bought H one of these yesterday and thought of you. Remember we're only a text away if you need some support over the next two weeks. Oh and 1 to 2 is the hardest and best thing I've ever done.

MLS Great birth story and about bloody time. Hope you get some sleep tonight.

Curly Great to see you back at your posting best Very that you're not back to work until Feb but I've decided just to count my blessings that I have a job to go to.

Vjay Hope your boys are al back to full health.

Blue Lol at girls names thread and Sophie being a token girl. Is it really good as a toy? Are you making plans for the big birthday now? I still remember your text about you clutching onto a chest of drawers with your contractions.

Monkey Hello busy lady. How's things with you?

Off to browse for more Christmas presents.

Haha VJ and MLS I'm going to have to do it... especially now that blue has put some BAD thoughts into my mind of wearing nothing underneath!! Where does one find these slankets??

So glad you had a good night and morning with DH blue. I do worry a bit about the impact having a baby has had on me and DH. A lot of the time it seems that we are just focused on her and aren't really so much a couple as mum and dad! How do you keep it normal?

barbie I'm in total shock at your clever devon. Happy birthday to her too!! curlygirl has no balance standing up but keeps letting go anyway and then looks surprised when she lands on her bum. Hope it's going well tonight hon x

vj The pennywalk was great but had to be stopped prematurely as it was leading me away from cake
I sold the pram YOO HOO and so now I have money for new boots :)

Hey Neeko that was the slowest post writing ever as I was guffawing at Miranda on tv and xposted!

Can you do my shopping too?

Helllooo

Sorry, really suffering and to boot brown bleeding re-started yesterday. Seems to have stopped again. Have decided not to bug bother with EPU unless it turns red. Did violently chuck up this morning so think things are ok still.

Will try and catch up, have just consumed a pret christmas lunch sandwich (yum) so hoping I can get through at least another 30 minutes without food and finish this post.

curly fab long post lovely. Any walk should definitely not lead you away from cake. You have the right idea . Did you get a good price for your buggy in the end? Re being just mum and dad - we found date nights were good - organising a babysitter and going out for a meal or drink where we could just talk. Also if you can persuade grandparents to look after DCs overnight then a night away in a hotel is fab (or even just a lie-in without kids as blue has said). It gets easier the older they are (IME) or perhaps that was partly due to going back to work and having other non-kids things to talk about?

barbie woohoo walking Dolly!! I do sympathise - its not always great having an early walker - one of my sisters walked at 9 months and they just don't have any sense at that point. Glad you have had a nice time with your mum and you got some me-time in. I know the next 2 weeks are going to be hard without DH. How is the not-feeding Dolly at night going? Fab pics from the top of the Burj btw - I was impressed even if you weren't

vjay your poor boys and a big clap to pjay for clearing it all up. Hope everyone is on the mend now. Strictly - Felicity and Vincent got voted out (not really a surprise). X-factor - major drama as Katie wasn't in the bottom 2 for a change and nor was Wagner (despite murdering 3 beatles songs). So it was between Cher and Paije and Paije went. I still don't know who is voting for Wagner. Your night in edinburgh sounds lovely

monkey hope you haven't succumbed to a horrible bug and something else is making you feel sick (sorry - couldn't resist). How did your trip out go?

blue sounded like you had a wonderful night and an even better lie-in. I need ebay advice - what do you use for packaging things and how do you work out postage costs before you list the item?? I don't want to spend loads on jiffy bags but not sure how other people do it? Want to take pics etc now so I can list next time they have a "free weekend". Also have buggies to sell but think I will probably try on the local netmums board first as ours is really active. Really want an ipad for christmas but DH is being sensible mean and saying we can't afford it. Not that I'm going to raise that much selling on ebay...

neeko what happened about the jobshare?? I'm sorry it doesn't seem to have gone to plan. I'm sure it will be fine once you're back and I know what you mean about having a job in this climate. Well done on losing 5lbs - nice that you can see the difference now as well.

mls am at your birth story ouch ouch ouch - well done for posting it. Hope you are ok in amongst the sleep deprivation. And you know you can come on here to moan whenever you want. Thank you for saying you were in maternity clothes at 8 weeks (you too blue). That makes me feel a bit better - I've got my maternity clothes out of the loft but the problem is that all my trousers are too big (as I was bigger before I got pg with DTs). I bought a load of smaller stuff at around 11wks last time and then of course had the mc and took it all back. So I'm feeling a bit superstitious about buying anything before we've had the 12wk scan. I think I will have to though everything is so uncomfortable.

BQ how are you doing? I can't remember whether you are 2 or 3 weeks ahead of me but have you got a date for your 12wk scan yet cos I know you must be getting close??

Waves to mermaid, 4ever, buddha, iggy, moon, cupcake and sabs - hope you are all ok.

louey the elastic band around the button trick should see you through a few more weeks. I just got bigger and bigger elastics and hid it under a baggy top
I bet your bleed is due to one of the reasons i mentioned before, i hope it stops and you dont suffer with it through out this pregnancy like i did.

We had a rubbish night, but im not going to give in and feed her. I think a combination of being over tired due to missing a nap and teething/ear etc made her a bit grumpy. I will win!

oh and louey the views from the hotel were amazing, its just the rest of it. I guess its just not my style, i prefer shabby chic to gold and chrome plated everything

Will you girls please stop posting links and making me spend dh my money! I have a sophie, a tommee tippee cup and a few previous links on order, no need for a slanket though, i would over heat!

oh and louey the views from the hotel were amazing, its just the rest of it. I guess its just not my style, i prefer shabby chic to gold and chrome plated everything

Will you girls please stop posting links and making me spend dh my money! I have a sophie, a tommee tippee cup and a few previous links on order, no need for a slanket though, i would over heat!

whoops!

hi girls

im so sorry i havent been on for ages and ages . ive not been too good

ive been suffering from post natal depression and was put on anti depressant about 3 weeks ago . i have been feeling like im a rubbish mum and jack can do better than me and i said i didnt want to live anymore as jack didnt love me . so enough was enough off to gp i went . i have been fighting these feelings since july . when i went back to work in oct i felt i didnt see him .

sorry about the me post i just feel now i can talk to poeple about it as i felt a faliure and ashamed about feeling like this .

Hey kate good to see ya!

I dont know if you have been lurking, but i could of written your post a hundred times over. Unlike you i have just put my head down and battled on, i wish i was brave enough to seek help at times. Well done you...going to get help just proves that you are a good mummy and only have baby J on your mind onwards and upwards!

mrskate poor you - but well done for getting help and I really hope the anti-depressants work. You are NOT a failure, PND is very common and please do not feel ashamed. I think some of the other emmsys may have had experience of PND and so may be able to give you advice if you need it. I just wanted to quickly post and give you my hand if you want it and a few hugs too x

Hi mrskate you are not a failure at all, and you've done the most brave thing, you've got help. I know where you're coming from, infact I have had a low day today.
Remember you are not alone, you are not the only mummy feeling like this, and with the help you will now start getting better. Please stay in touch, and post about how you're feeling and what's up and down, we are all here to listen.

Hi. Having a quick lurk but had to post to MrsKate. Being a mum is a lot harder than anyone ever tells you and we all struggle daily a lot. Well done for seeking help. I'm sure the anti-ds will kick in soon and the world will seem a little brighter. It's especially hard to cope with being so down when you've fought so hard for your baby.
I'm sure you're doing brilliantly with Jack and that you love each other very much. I hope you're getting plenty of RL help, but come back whenever you need us. Always room for one more in the greenhouse. Take care.

mrskate I am so sorry to hear about the PND. you are a wonderful mum. Anyone who has known you as long as we have knows that. PND is so cruel as it puts all these thoughts in your head. My friend was diagnosed a few weeks ago too and she is only just starting to feel normal again. She really couldn't handle talking to people either until she felt more herself again. I just want to give you the most massive hug and tell you that I am so proud of you for dealing with this illness. It is not your fault, you are a lovely mum and obviously crazy about Jack, and it will get better :) Are the AD's working yet? If not make sure you get back to your GP as sometimes they need to change the dose. Hang in there lovely and pop in the greenhouse whenever you need to chat xxx

louey you are being so brave - glad the nausea is still strong though. Always a good sign :) Are you anywhere near a topshop? I did a big shop in the their maternity section when I first started busting out of my clothes and I'm still wearing some stuff because it's so cool. Date night is a great idea - unfortunately our families are hundreds of miles away but I need to organise a babysitter!

barbie a friend of mine stopped off in Burj for the last night of her honeymoon and brought me back one of the chocolates they put on your pillow. I;ve never seen so much gold ribbon and packaging in all my life Hang in there with Dolly, you are doing great x

waves to the lovely vj :)

Hi curly me and dh have been meaning to do 'date night', but like you our familes are hundreds of miles away too, so it does take a bit of organising, and then we find we're too tired, it needs a bit of effort, but worth it I'm sure. Me and dh are out next month for his works do and although lots of other people will be there I'm really looking forward to it

Ooh VJ what are you going to wear? I've got some christmas drinks coming up too and there is more prep (hair nails outfit etc) going into that than for my wedding

Hello ladies :)
Have been reading every night on my phone but never have time to get on laptop and reply properly but here I am... baby in bed, dh out...catch up time.

Firstly, kate massive hugs to you. Thanks so much for telling us lovely and just hope we can support you in whatever way possible. But know you have already crossed the biggest hurdle- asking for help. Onwards and upwards.

Next most important thing Vjay I did not know you were a Strictly fan! Yaaaaay I adore it and am also obsessed with the BBC 2 Claudia Winkleman show Who's your fave? I'm loving Matt and Kara.

Hi Curly :) So hear you on it being difficult to do a date night. I never realised how flipping hard it would be doing this baby thing without family nearby. I feel guilty asking friends to babysit and often find myself wishing I could just call my Mum to come over so we can have a night out. When we went out for our anniversary when SIL was staying it was AMAZING...it's nice to be able to appreciate it a lot more now.

On that note, blue I am massively of your night out/lie in. When you described getting up to make a fry up then going back to bed with papers I could have cried.. I can't wait til we can do that one day!! So glad you had a good time though.

Neeko so sorry the work meeting made you feel :( but I love how organised you are about xmas so you can just soak up time with your girls til you go back...that's so lovely. (I have bought one gift )
Diet's good thanks...half a pound away from pre-preg weight :)...(but still a few pounds off my target weight. Just over 4 months til the wedding! I have my dress now though so can't lose too much weight

MLS yay, a birth story! I also loved the bit about the shouty doctor and you most definitely have my sympathies re back to back labour! I'm spending my next pregnancy (God willing) just crawling on all fours the whole 9 months in an attempt to avoid it!! I echo what others have said that you must rant on here if you're having a hard time! We've all done it.

barbie so sorry you've been going through it this last week...but glad you seem to have reached a happy compromise. Really hope the night weaning works- I'll be asking for tips on it in a couple of months!! Jude's sleep is still all over the place and I am beyond shattered. Though last night dh gave him a bottle of ebm at bedtime and he didn't wake til 4am (previously totally unheard of, its usually 11, 1, 3 or various other times in between) so I'm wondering if he's not getting enough from me at bedtime

lbm have you started weaning now? I'm finding it quite a hassle now ds is on 3 meals a day...takes a lot of planning! He's very much enjoying his food though.

QA was so so pleased about your news. Hope to see you back again soon ready for battle :)

Hope our medium pants ladies are doing ok :)

moon our resident lurker... thinking of you

iggy if you're lurking, we miss you!

And where is the lovely 4ever? Hope you're ok :)

mermaid have you started the mulled wine yet? Time to brew up a pot in the greenhouse I think; it's getting chilly in here!

louey fab news about your sis, fingers firmly crossed that it's a smooth journey for her to a sticky bean.

sabs thinking of you...I know you can't post as much now you're at work but hope you're reading...hello :)

Not much news on dh's job. We're waiting for them to confirm whether they can extend his notice cos there's still so much to be done on his project...so at least that would mean he wouldn't be jobless at Christmas but the outlook is still pretty bleak :(

At least ds is being ridiculously cute. He's been in such a happy mood today and just chattered to me all day. He kicked his legs loads at swimming today too and got a well done from the teacher Love him! :)

Ooh and forgot to say- curly dh and I LOVE Miranda too...we always have to rewind bits cos we're laughing too much to hear it all

Hello

curly I am going to wear what I wore last year, I know that sounds really boring, but I always buy something every year and then never wear it again, the good thing it will be a totally different set of people so no one will notice, and I'm a stone lighter so I'm looking forward to getting all dolled up

cupcake Strictly is the countdown to Christmas for me, I love the sparkle , I love Kara too, the dance she did, not last week but the week before was sooooo good, I also like Jack from Enders, but I can't remember his name just now.

neeko thanks for yesterday

I need help, I have lost the TV remote and I have turned the house upside down today but no luck, it's doing my head in now, so any helpful tips will be much appreciated .
Big waves to everyone

Hey cupcake total melt at you being a proud mum :) He is such a gorgeous boy. Night wakeups are so hard to deal with especially as time goes on. Are you doing a dream feed and would you consider giving formula just for that feed? It really worked with curlygirl though I know they are all different

vjay are you sure that YOU lost it?! Could it perhaps have been a little monkey who wandered away with it. In which case, I'd suggest crawling around and looking under everything . I bet your outfit is lovely and besides, if you are a stone lighter it will look completely different

Any word from monkey? hope you and dh are feeling better :)

curly I've just found it, I started looking for the flippin thing last night, and it's taken me til now to find it. It was in Ajays Noah's Ark!!!!!

The other news up here is that it's SNOWING!!!!!

SNOW?????

Ive been to the beach today....naa na na na naaaa!