Further freakingly fantabulous adventures of the 40+ Mummies

[10000Fireflies]

For gorgeous, frolicking and fabulous 40-somethings to share the joys of becoming a Mummy, just a little bit later than most!! . Park your zimmer-frame next to your baby buggy, put your feet up, and come and join us in the snug.

somewhere I can totally relate to your feelings of cabin fever. I absolutely hate it. I had a meltdown last week about how little we've done while DH has been off, partly due to me, partly due to him DIYing. He's back at work tomorrow so I took painkillers and made us take both DCs out Thursday. We went to a museum which has planes and steam trains - DS's current obsessions. It was wonderful seeing how excited he got. Friday we registered DD and had a lovely lunch, which she kindly slept through. No lasting problems for me either though I was shattered. Painkillers are the way forward for leaving the house.

So sorry about the stress you've experienced. I hope your mum is doing better

knicky your grandmother sounds amazing. Women had it incredibly hard before our generation, but to haul her babies to the shelter every night. She must have been a very determined lady. Regarding your work, I have some knowledge of employment law through work. Compromise agreements are pretty common, but a year's salary is not! Let me know if you need any advice at any stage and I'll try and get my baby brain back into work mode! You're right not to dwell on it though. Things may well be fine and you're in a better position than your colleagues because of your protected status.

goat you must be shattered. Sounds like a bit of a nightmare at the moment. Nights are a killer at the best of times, let alone having just returned to work with a baby who can't sleep and a sick DH. No doubt things will be better in a few days. Hope so.

Last day before DH returns to work and it looks beautiful outside so I think we'll try and make it a special one. Then it's just me and DD tomorrow. I've arranged nothing apart from seeing a friend on Wed. Please tell me to stay away from baby groups! I'd rather watch daytime telly, or poke my eyes out with sticks, but the temptation when you're bored...

Oh, and after today no more cakes and biccies. I'm not actually dieting for another few weeks but time to be a bit healthier.

Have a lovely day all.

a lot happening.
somewhere second sympathy over cabin fever though weather helping. So far been almost too busy but am getting itchy feet for lack of ability to walk far. Also see yawning open diary for months ahead. Know it will fill up but like any of you feel a bit panicky at spending so much time in babymumsland.
I am actually planning sign up for A day a week ceramics course in autumn and let CM practice with T. it has always been a dream to do and fear might be last opp for something so indulgent pre retirement

Sounds encouraging about jeans, though apart from.anything thinking good sign your scar not hurting in pre pg jeans. Makes me wince but maybe the extra days will bring great improvement. Actually it's inside wounds that still more troubling me, but confident of small improvements every day. Doesn't help I have a house with converted attic so lots of stairs.

talking of which, Chairman, sorry you still in pain. is it from labour or the emcs? I'm still taking supply if diplofenac anti inflammatory and need 2-3 doses if paracetamol a day, though partly because doing too much toddler care. Yesterday had to lift her out of cot when DH went awol - though seem to have survived that.

DD back dropping coins down back if bed. Will return to finish post when calmer.

Soothing painfree sunshine all x

BBD hope A better. from memory she might want to or benefit from more smaller bfeeds with cold. also you can offer cooled boiled water for hydration. when DD had colds I propped crib mattress up a bit with towel under head end it while cot with a book or two.

Goat massive sympathy for your poorly household - especially you. Sod's law isn't it just when you back at work. so hope week 2 is a big improvement.

scarecrow it's from EMCS. I'm fine if I don't do too much. But I want to get out, play with DS, do his bath and bed (which involves lifting) and go for walks. I carry cocodamol with me (just the weakest stuff, not the 30mg trippy stuff I was on for PGP) and use if nec. I still have some Diclofenac. They gave me loads! I find as I do more I'm exhausted by the time DS is in bed but fine the next morning with no lasting pain so I reckon it's stamina as much as anything.

Re jeans, I'm at least 2 stone off the ones I was in pre-DS, maybe a stone over the ones I was in before DD. I want to get back to my 2010 size. I accept that it will be towards the end of the year though, but if I can start 2014 back in my old clothes I'll be delighted. It's a long time since I've felt attractive. It hasn't bothered me that much - different priorities - but I do want to enjoy wearing clothes again and feel good before I get too wizened and ancient.

I want to do a 10k run or "sprint" triathlon by end of year/before T's 1st birthday. Both things I did before DD. I was nearly back up to 10k runs by time found was pg with T. (Sprint is official term, as far as I'm concerned its just as slow, but shorter!)

I put on more that 3st this time pg, so low hope of those jeans! Like you, chairman, not very fussed now, but by end of year would nice to have energy and feel a bit sexier... For now I tell myself I have great fat energy supplies for my milk

does anyone know if you can do anything to help a baby keep his/her hair? T has gorgeous black hair Luke his daddy, and the darkest blue eyes... would love his hair to stay

Funnily enough we've just noticed that baby Wow's hair is starting to fall out, and she also has really dark hair like mine. DS is fairer like his dad and lost most of his birth hair after a few weeks apart from some straggly bits at the back. He looked like he had a scruffy mullet. DD is a really pretty baby, or at least we think so. Is it vain to not want her to have mullet-head?

scare I don't know of anything to stop the hair falling out. Shall we make little baby wigs out of the fur of tiny kittens or the down of fluffy ducklings ?

Btw, you may recall spunkgate (my DH's messed up attempts to procure semen for our lesbian friends by texting his mate). Well, we saw some friends today for the first time in nearly a year. They're a couple who have been travelling. DH thinks the guy might be willing. They don't want kids and he's a lovely, kind person and also very laid back. So DH said he'd ask them today. Can you imagine? "Hi, i know we haven't seen you for a year but could you just spunk into this jar? We need it to impregnate someone you once met at a barbecue. Ta".

I talked him out of it. Have told him to meet said friend for a drink once he's settled back in and broach it then. Gently!

Having the same problems here with Baby Eagle's hair - she's worn the back into a lovely bald patch, then has a lovely dark mullet below it. I've tried posing in front of a mirror with her, with my hair draped over her head to see if she suits long blonde hair (no)

Funnily enough Chairman, the day you first mentioned spunkgate, I was at the hairdressers while DP looked after DD, then when he came to pick me up, he brought her in so that the girls in the salon could see her. They were ooh-ing and ah-ing over her and she was smiling back charmingly. One of them (they are all under 25) said "I'd love to have a baby if I knew it was going to be as cute as this", to which DP replied "it can be arranged you know, fnar fnar". Ye fucking gods. He still insists it was a joke and that I've got no sense of humour.

Scarecrow I'm with you on the fitness, although I was only managing 5ks before I got pregnant. Just getting to the point where I could contemplate strenuous exercise again, although have managed to clock up a fair few miles walking with the buggy. DP has set up my bike on a turbo trainer in the lounge and I've just had a go. Was finding it really hard going, so started jiggling my arms around to make the time pass faster. DP walked in and said it looked like I wasn't trying so I got off the bike and stormed off. Hence me now spending time writing this post. Apparently I don't have a sense of humour (again).

Goat so sorry to hear about your troubles in the Goat household, and having to cope with work on top of that.

BBD hope you are coping better now on your own - it is so hard. Is A any better now?

at using the fur of baby kittens and at Eagle's DP (sorry Eagle, is wee small hours and entertainment scarce!)

Also laughing at eagle's DP. Did he feel a bit silly afterwards?

What turbo trainer have you got? I'm going to buy one next couple of weeks so am about to start researching them. I've missed my lovely bike.

Omg Lolz big Lolz. Not only has this thread got great advice it also provides comedy gold.

Kitten hair wigs, mr Chair's singleminded mission to procure a donor for his lesbian friends - tact be damned - and mr eagles 'did I actually say that out loud' moment!

Put such a smile on my face when I looked blearily at 6 am this morn.

Wanted to add knicky yes your grandma sounds extraordinary.how on earth did they do it.

AFM baby s has dark thick hair too. It would be terribly sad if she lost it.

Xxx

DH yesterday, and I quote verbatim : "you just sat around all day". I could give context etc, but in the end the words simply speak for themselves.

T was due today, but instead is a precious 13 days old.

Yes of course Scarecrow, we sit all day, feeding a naby, rocking a baby or playing with a baby.... Men... Life would be so dull without their presence !
AFM, I m surviving, reading all your posts and laughing (thank you for bringing joy in my days!) but no time to reply, house is a bombsite, fridge almost empty, no energy to cook ! Glad evey one s fine. Hope this week is easier for you Goat. A definitively crawls, mostly backwards, at least no carpet burn on her forehead :)

Yes yes to the comedy gold. Only on MN!!
Am shattered. But everyone hopefully on mend. On train home to check...
A is a clever girl. She stays upright!

Oh. Question. Why do newly-mobile babies have elasticated arms when it comes to things like coffee tables and bookshelves that two days ago were waaaaay too high, but the floor is a foreign country that only mummy has a visa for and therefore can pick everything up

Goat, it is grown up's fault, if only we had not carried them in our arms to show them the very interesting stuff on shelves and tables. BTW, have you secured shelves, TV to the walls ? And door catchers so that we don't pinch their little chubby hands ?

Not sure we can do anything for babies to keep their hair...
DS was born with black hair, had very bad craddle cap, was bold at 6 months and oily ! But now has slightly curly brown hair. A had hair too at birth, had little craddle cap, was less oily, lost a patch at the back of her skull around 4 months but it is now re grown, she has 2 little curls by each ear ! To go with her dimples.... Yes, I m besotted !

Bbd, he is a climber, so he would have found out all those interesting things anyway, I think! We have secured as much as possible, but I fear that his intrepid nature will result in a little trial and error, a few bumps, and a tiresome habit on the part of his parents of using the word 'no' rather a lot...
How are the new mums?

Goat, we moved to our flat when DS was 10 months and had made to measure furniture fit in (weird ceiling and flooring), so glad we did ! There is only one free standing shelf in the flat and DS moved it away from the wall with everything on it to access his toy car which went underneath, he was 2 then. We also used a lot the NO word, result is he does not stick anything in plugs nor open cupboards nor draw on walls, unlike some of his friends, but like some of his friends, slides down the stairs on his bottom, jumps on his bed with his baby sister lying 2 cm away, climbs on the edge of the sofa.... You have funny days ahead ! Definitively, soft play in Swiss Cottage next time we meet !!!

Gosh BBD and Goat you've reminded me I need to get my ass into gear and get on with childproofing my house asap... Have got major issues with my bannisters as they're very gappy and will need to be replaced with safer ones (major job I think). And then there's all the other hazards...

Chairman just taken a look at the turbo and it's a TacX - not sure which model though. Will ask DP next time I speak to him - he's notoriously stingy so imagine it must be one of the cheaper ones (and no, he doesn't feel at all silly re spermdonorgate as he thinks he's a comedic genius and still fails to see any of the multi levels of wrong in his comment). Baby E is fast asleep in her hammock this evening so really I should have been on it, but I found some wine in the fridge so have been spending my time instead downing a glass and listening to some nice music while sat at the kitchen table staring at said turbo and bike. How's the BF going? Any improvements? I'm with you re the baby groups - fill me with horror too, although the sling group I've joined is great as it's all different ages with lots of useful info/advice.

Baby Eagle is 12 weeks old today! She is such a charmer and I could just eat her. Tomorrow is jabs day and the weather is looking reasonably warm and sunny so think I will treat her to an afternoon in the garden snuggled up in the hammock with mummy. She slept through from 9pm til 3.30am last night, which was nice, although didn't actually benefit me sleep-wise. Really wish she would do her 7 hour sleep from midnight onwards.

Her passport has arrived in the post, just as well as we are off in less than 2 weeks! Going on holiday has opened up a whole new world of baby-gadgetery - sunshades, baby baths that double up as boats, hats, baby suits without legs - I've had a field day with internet shopping...

Weightwatchers is going well - another loss this week, taking lbs lost so far to 5. And the BF allowance coupled with the amount of pram-pushing miles I'm doing means that I'm still eating really well. People always say diets not a good idea at this stage, but all I've done is made some fine adjustments to my existing intake really, and I'm in no danger of wasting away.

Had a bit of a paranoid moment today while walking through town - quite a few men smiled at me in passing (would not normally have this happen, especially as I have unbrushed hair, comfortable clothes etc) I got so paranoid I suddenly worried I must have left a boob out by mistake and had to look down to check.

Knicky - your amazing grandma reminds me of when I got the 1911 census records for my house - the family had had 14 children (although not all survived). I sometimes try to figure out where they all slept and what they did with their time. Feel quite spoilt having the house more or less to myself - how times have changed.

Right - off to bed now with Baby E, who is currently farting like a trooper and about to wake up and scream... Sweet dreams everyone

Just going to elbow my way back in here in a rather rude stylee for a quick hello. Sorry I've temporarily abandoned you all. DS proving hard work - he's basically ok, but seems to have some kind of digestive issues making sleep difficult, so that combined with having to do regular trips away means I just don't have time to keep up with you all at the moment. Is all driving me very slightly (more) mental. Hope things will settle down soon and I can keep up a bit better. Missing our chats.

Hi to all newbies.

Looks like you're all having fun, though TBH, I've only had time to scan the last page.

Hope to be back soon. Love to you all in the meantime. FF xx

Eagle, hols ! Somewhere exotic, I suppose. Lucky you ! How is baby Eagle after her jabs ?
FF, glad to have you back, sorry though baby FF has digestive issues.
Knicky, I don't know how I would do without washing machine and no disposable nappies or no fridge. Life for women was very hard, even if it is still hard today, it was very different back then. That puts things in perspective, as in some places, it has not changed much.
Scarecrow, 10k ? Eagle 5k, my God, I have never dreamt of being as fit. But MrsW has a very good point, healthier life to keep up with these bundles of energy.

One week of single motherhood, it is getting easier, A is on the mend, DS starts getting rules very clearly, I even managed to work for 2 hours and went for a walk in thisbriliant weather !

SBR, Chairman, Scarecrow, LRM, mrsW, Midget, all enjoy the weather ? Goat, is DH better ?

Lovely to see you back here FF! Hope DS's digestive problems settle down soon.

We're off to Greece - I always had this idea (while I was pregnant) that it would be nice to head somewhere warm for a while while Baby E was young, and a few people laughed and said 'just you wait'. But after she was born, I still felt the same way, especially after such a horrible freezing winter. Also thought it would be nice for us to spend some proper time together as a family as things are always a bit hectic with DP working away. So I found some cheap(ish) flights and off we are going (while she is still small enough not to be able to crawl into the swimming pool etc).

The jabs went ok, although I was pretty wrecked today after an unexpected screaming/pain fit in the night from Baby E. Had this idea that after jabs we could spend the day lying in the garden and I could catch up on some sleep. Some chance!! I put her new new travel cot up on the lawn (it's like a miniature tent) and she wasn't happy being in there unless I lay in there with her. Hmm just hope the neighbours weren't watching. Gave up in the end after she had a feverish screaming fit, which was brought under control by Calpol, and she's now fast asleep upstairs in her cot - a first as normally she spends the eve in the lounge in her baby hammock (and then there's this agonising transfer around midnight).

Glad things are getting easier for you BBD - sounds like you've had a busy day! I find walking is my saviour as it's the only time really that I'm guaranteed any peace. Looks like it's been really warm in London too?

Am off to baby cinema tomorrow - can't remember what the film is but I will probably sleep through it anyway

Hope the rest of you have been enjoying this lovely weather

Eagle, you are so right to travel as much as you can while baby Eagle is not mobile yet. I found it more difficult once babies start to move around, they don't sit quietly on planes, they climb on you, pull on people's hair sitting in front of you, or kicking in their seat, or worse, screaming during the flight ! Travelling by train is easier but we can't go very far. Although I'd love one day to take the Orient Express and watch the time go by.
Greece, oh, it must be lovely in this season, not too hot, not too crowded either. Lucky, lucky, lucky you !
Off to bed. It is getting really late, A has not woken up since 8pm, yeah ! Hope she will go back to her 7/7 pattern soon. But DS kept coming out from his room between 8 and 9.30pm. It will be a long day tomorrow for him. And for me....