The Zoo!

[WinomoreTheFruitbat]

Is it feeding time yet?

pull up a rock or patch of grass and get comfy in our new enclosure!

Hello animals !

Another ashamed entrance... apologies for total lack of posting but this working mum business is busy busy !

Nemo toss a slice of carrot cake over here So good to hear from you my dear. Am so sorry to hear about your FIL, hope the medical staff get their act together and can give you some good news soon. Glad all working out well with being back at work - it is so hectic isn't it !

mamafox good on you studying - I am very impressed ! I am lucky if I can read a trashy mag at the end of a busy day

Penguin going back to work is so daunting and depressing but it is not as bad as you think. I am honestly quite glad to be going to work some days as E is such hard work now that he is running about - it is genuinely a rest a work !! I treasure our days together more now and really enjoy the balance I now have between baby time and mummy-time . Plus it is so exciting at the end of the day collecting him and hearing him say 'muuuummy' delightedly !!

DS has had a nasty tummy bug the last 2 days - I was concerned we had an early onset of terrible twos as he was having lots of wobblers yesterday but then he had some dodgy nappies and then woke up and vomitted everywhere . He has been on top form today, but hasn't eaten much and still has a runny bum. Poor wee man. Other than that he is getting on brilliantly - he says over 70 words [proud mummy emoticon] and says almost anything you ask him to ! My fave word is clock - he says 'cock' so immature but it amuses me ! he only has 1 speed and that is FAST - as soon as you put him down he literally runs off at top speed. At least I am saving a fortune on a gym membership as there really is no need !!

Hope all of you are doing well and still lurking - the thread has gone really quiet.

Anyway, sat night and have a large glass of vino in hand and a lovely Easter meal planned for tomorrow - mmmmm good times

A belated happy Easter to you all - I hope you all had lots of chocolate I'm bringing a couple of bottles of wine with me by way of an apology for being so slack about posting... No excuses really, just trying to juggle work, a spirited toddler, husband, house, family, friends etc. like everyone else on here!
Nemo So sorry to hear about your FIL, hope things are a bit clearer over the next few days with the outcome of the op. Hope DH's test results come back clear and that you all get over your colds. I do sympathise - we've had one cold after another this winter too. I think it's down to E going to nursery and bringing back all these germs that DH and I haven't been exposed to. I can't wait for winter to be finally over, although we've had another round of illness over the BH weekend - E had a stomach bug (sounds very similar to E's Hippo) and now DH has got it. I'm hoping I don't get it too!
Mamafox Good for you with your studying, but how on earth do you fit it all in with 3 children? Do you have 36 hour days or something?? I frequently wish there were a couple of extra hours in each day just so I could have some "me" time occasionally, but I bet I'd end up doing chores or something!
Penguin When are you back at work? I agree with Hippo, it will be a wrench at first but you'll come to appreciate being able to eat a sandwich uninterrupted! I look forward to Wednesdays when E is at nursery for that very reason and then can't wait to pick her up in the afternoon Once they're toddlers it really does get exhausting - someone please tell me it calms down again at some point!
Hippo Am very impressed at E's vocabulary - wow, 70 words that's brilliant! E keeps trying to copy what we say, which is really sweet.
Hope everyone else is OK and I promise not to leave it as long next time...

Morning
We finally have our laptop back! MNing form iPhone is OK but not ideal.

Must be quick as taking J to have his jabs in a bit...

Nemo I'm so pleased you have found T a childminder - and two! That's pretty good going
I'm so sorry to hear about your FIL So frustrating and upsetting to be messed around like that. I do hope things improve for him.

I had to google Kefalonia - it looks amazing! I'm very
We're hoping to go away in June with friends but H still owes back our Honeymoon money which we were going to use for a family holiday (yes he got his way - no peace for me ) All £1100 worth! I can't believe he hasn't paid it back yet

Oh, crap. Will have to come back later, babies up and gotta fly or we'll be late........

Back.......

Hippo That's so funny about E's fave word I love it when they learn to talk. Even C still comes out with corkers and he's nearly 5! Although by that age you start having to constantly correct them. For instance, his latest annoyance is "haitch" for "H" I will lose it with him if he says it again. It doesn't help when your husband talks like some saaarf london oik - I'm not a snob you understand but I do like one to speak proper
J only has two words so far. "Beebee" (our cat, Phoebe) and "Da" or "dada".
Talking of terrible twos. I don't believe in them. Tantrums start waaaaaaayyy earlier than two! J has some major wobbles. Especially when trying to change him or when he doesn't get what he wants. He literally throws himself on the floor and kicks and screams and shakes his head from side to side. He's seriously stressy! I don't remember C being like that at all.

Impala Thanks for the wine! Not sure it's winoclock yet but cheers anyway
Hope you don't get the tummy bug. I've had a really dodgy tummy the last couple of days - not pleasant!

J had his jabs. Three of them - poor thing. The nurse offered the 1st MMR too as he's due to have it at 13 months and it saves us going back so we got it over with. He screamed at each one but was absolutely fine after, as they often are. We don't have to go back now until he's 3

Lovely to see so many of you here. Just bumping so I can catch up tomorrow. J still thinks sleep is for wimps. At five months we're managing maybe three hours between feeds. Still EBF and hoping that weaning will make a difference in a month or I'll be using matchsticks to keep my eyes open xx

Moomin Flip ! 5 months of EBF, you deserve a medal, that is seriously committed. I managed 10 days of EBF but thankfully DS latched on after that - not sure I could've EBF for much longer. And the sleep is a nightmare isn't it. E was 6 months old by the time he slept through - not long after starting solids, so fingers crossed for you.

Frazzle good to hear your chat, you are always funny to 'listen' to ! Love the fact that you are losing it with C for not speaking like the Queen (well at least not like his dad !) I LOVE Beebee for your cat, how cute !! E says 'Mimi' for DP's mini !

Get your FREE COFFEE at Starbucks today girls!!

hi ladies

i have been a bad zoo buddy havent i it has been over a month since the last time i posted here

not much has changed here...DH is working as a subcontractor at the mo and his job has come to an end today so we are back to a one income family again until he can get another contract DD got her school allocation and it is for the school i was desperate for her to go to so my baby will be starting school in september still not TTC (even though there may have been some developments on that front) and i am still hlding out for that lottery win so i can get a holiday this year

glad to see so many of you around recently

Hi ladies,

Another one who has been a bad zoo buddy Keep meaning to come here and keep up but keep forgetting Hope everyone is well, K has a chest infection atm and is in desperate form so not much fun in the turkleton household The twins have finally started "talking" well babbling to each other, very funny, they will sit for ages giggling and laughing, holding hands and babbling away, very very cute Have also started to fight over toys, not so cute A seems to be the "ringleader" which is funny because she is actually the smaller of the two, It is amazing to see them playing with each other.
A has had to have a few head scans, Her doc was a bit concerned about her head growth but all seems to be well, she has to have one more scan in 4 weeks just to be sure, fingers crossed will be good news then as well.

Moomin how is the blw going? seen your photos on facebook, looked like J was having great fun

Frazzle How did J get on with his jabs after, hope they werent to bad, belated happy birthday to him

Panda, Developments?!?!?!?! Come back and tell us more pleeeeeeaaaaaaase!

better go and start putting these crazy babies to bed, bed time is mental here, normally descends into chaos

And another here - everytime I'm about to post I get interrupted...

Started trying some solids this week - aiming to BLW but have made a couple of purees for him to play with. He hates the spoon so I don't think we'll make much progress there. Sleep still a huge issue. J's waking 4 times or more a night and is always up by 6 at the latest. He's learnt how to roll onto his tummy but then gets stuck (L was far too independent to need help from anyone) which is amusing and annoying at the same time . I just feel as though time is passing far too quickly and I want to press a pause button (and occasionally a mute) to keep him a baby for longer.

Turk It's so lovely to hear about the girls interacting with each other. I can't imagine having twins - it must be twice the work but twice the joy. Sorry to hear K is poorly. Great news about A's scans. Hoping they're both back on form v soon for you.
Panda Update please .
Frazzle I missed my free coffee - damn it. Giggling at C and his London accent. L's tantrums started much earlier than two and I'm convinced J's already having them. He's got such second child syndrome..if someone takes something from him he screams blue murder.
Hippo Thank you. It's been tough going at times but I'm glad to have made it this far. Really happy to hear that E started to sleep through once solids were establised...fingers crossed we'll have a bit of that once J becomes interested. E sounds like a clever little tot - does he have a Scotish accent yet?
Impala I could really do with that wine. Hoping all is quieter for you than when you last posted.
Nemo You've had such a tough time recently and you've often been in my thoughts. Sending you lots and lots of love. Have a fantastic holiday - I hope you get some time to relax and clear your mind xx Tips for the flight - a tonne of sedation and lots of little cheap pressies wrapped up (including edible stuff) - get on the plane last and don't worry about what other people think - you're never going to see them again.

Lots of love to you all.

Made it back again, not so long between conversations this time
dd1 turned 8 yesterday so she had a pool party today. 13x8yr old girls, plus dd2 and ds, they all had a great time. It's 4.55pm here now and I'm in my pj's with a glass of wine Long weekend here at least, because of Anzac day, so dh gets 2 days to recover, not that he did very much
Does anyone live near Oxford? One of dd1's friends is moving there for 6mths, and I was talking to her mum at the party this afternoon. She has 3 schools that she likes for her 2 girls (aged 6 and 8), but her preferred one, that they will be in the catchment area for, has space for only one of the children. They don't plan on buying a car when they are there, so she is trying to work out who actually decides, the school or the county council, & what can she do to try and get into one of the closer schools, so they don't need to use public transport each day? Any advice would be helpful, thx
Not much news here otherwise, dd2 has been very ill twice in the last 7wks with giardia. All good now, but both times her weight dropped dramatically, she was down to 12.5kg at one point, a little too skinny for a 4yr old We've got her back to 13.8kg now, getting over the 14kg mark is a big deal for her at the moment.
ds still a delight, found his voice this week and full of shreeks and squeals, you can tell he lives with 2 sisters
dd1 was 8 yesterday, 8 going 15........the mood swings, they don't tell you about this when you take your baby girl home from the hospital
Hello to everyone

Hey ladies. I'm just marking my place before this drops off the list.
Having marriage crisis at the moment so apologies for not being around.
Hopefully be back soon
single parentage coming up and I'm terrified

Oh now Frazzle, what's happening now

of course that should read 'oh no'..... 1 sentence and I can't get that right

Frazzle hope everything is ok x x x

Hi to Mamafox too, glad to hear your dd2 is on the mend what is giardia? Pool party sounded like good fun 13x8yr old girls! you are a brave lady lol

Frazzle you ok missus ? big hugs xx

All fine - for the time being.

Hope you're all well

Just marking my place so I can catch up tomorrow

Oops its PenguinPoo

Hello girls, I've decided to stick to Buddhabelly as I still post on another thread as this and I think the coast is clear, also I'm too lazy to keep swopping
Well I hope you are all well? We have been very lax lately, not sure if its because everyone feels that their journey is complete? I hope not as we still have EI to support plus all you other yummy mummies who want more little ones
Frazzle Hope things are all quiet and well on the relationship front?
Turkleton Loving the pics on facebook of the girls
mamafox You always sound so busy but chilled out, pool party sounded like fun. Sorry to hear dd2 has been so poorly, bless her and dd1 is obviously giving you a run for your money by the sound of it
Hippo Any more new naughty words from E?
Impala Are things any calmer in your household or still really busy?
Giraffe Need some new Noah pics on FB, not seen any for a while? Hope you are all well?
Nemo How are you and little T getting on? Work still busy? Is your Mum any better?
Meeow I see from FB that I is getting on really well, are you still thinking of taking up childminding?
PickledMoomin What could I possibly say to you as we text every day! {grin] You are my personal baby whisperer!
EI You never came back to update, how are things with you?

News from us, E is doing fab he now weighs 15lb 5 oz he's 5.5 months old and wants to walk already He is gorgeous and I love him to bits and I don't want to leave him which is going to happen in just under 6 weeks when I return to work He will be at nursery for 2.5 days and then I have dropped a Monday my Dad will have him on a Friday and my Mum for half a day so he's got a good mix, just don't want to leave him But on a lighter note, we have started weaning, nobody warned me I'd quadruple the number of dirty nappies! E LOVES food, can't get enough of it, just like his mum He's now sleeping through the night (12 hours), just wakes once and resettles quite quickly and has a dream feed at 10pm ish so I'm very lucky really. He's just startng to stir now so I'll shoot off and feed him, hope when I next check this thread some of you will have posted, do I sound like a mum telling you all off
x

hi

bhudda lovely to 'see' you
nothing to update from me unfortunately me and DH have pretty much stopped ttc now...we have had a few marital problems recently so it is for the best to not carry on trying to add to a family that very nearly was split things are better now but not 100% so i think that whilst we are not using protection/contraceptives we are not actively TTC. i thinks 2.5 years has taken its toll as i am not that excited by the prospect of having another baby as i was
ahh well... i have my beautiful DD who i am massively proud of and i love her to bits so if i only ever have one child im am so glad she is the one i have

hope everyone is doing well

Hi everyone

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted for such a long time and as you can see I've reverted back to my original name - I never felt quite right as a giraffe considering I'm so short.

I think I've just fallen out of the habit of posting but am always interested to read what you're up to on facebook.

N now keeps me so busy as he is a complete ball of energy - he exhausts me. He is crawling at super speed, standing on his own and walking while holding a hand. His current obsession every time we leave the house is to walk to the top of the road to watch the cars and trains and if we don't go there's trouble.

Ei That is such a sweet thing to say about your DD and she is lucky to have you as well. Sorry you and DP have been having troubles, hope things are on the mend now.

Buddha So glad that E is sleeping through. Can't imagine having to go back to work if he wasn't. I'm sure once you are back at work and you see that he's fine with nursery etc things will be easier but it must be so hard.

Moomin How is the lovely J doing now? Still improving his sleeping I hope.

Frazzle Hope things have improved on the home front and have a great holiday. Is it next week that you go?

Nemo So sorry to hear about Lola. Very sad. Hope your holiday gave you the break you so clearly needed and that work has sorted it's self out for you.

Mamafox You always sound so busy. I am in awe with 3 children to contend with!

Big hello to the rest of you. It would be so great to hear how you and your little ones are all doing. How did we let it slip so badly!?

Will return soon- promise!

Hurray people have posted!!

EI Sorry to hear you've had a few relationship issues, can fully understand about TTC and I it must have been hard to come to the decision that you will probably just have your lovely dd, but I will continue to hope for you
TeeHee Another old name hurray sounds as if N is keeping you on your toes, these kids are just so demanding aren't they my ds is having temper tantrums already! Sounds as if it won't be long before he is fully mobile, then look out you will have to have even more energy to keep up with him!

I think I spoke too soon about E sleeping through, although he's not waking for a feed, he has been disturbed over last week, and I'm getting less sleep than when he was feeding every 4 hours Only 4 weeks to get this sorted or I will look like the living dead when I go back to work Over the last few weeks he really seems to have grown, he's trying to roll over but not quite there yet, he wants to walk so no interest in crawling, think he'd rather miss that stage out, if you hold him by his hands he will walk across the floor, I think I'm going to have my hands full with him!

Hope to see more of you soon x

It's so lovely to see you all here. I keep saying this but I really will find more time to post - I've missed you girls...
Bhudda Maybe we should start night texting again....
Teehee I hope you're not getting rid of Dai and Lloyd as well as your giraffe name . Sounds like little N is going to be getting around even faster soon. How lovely. Sleep pretty miserable again - he had a bit of a virus and so I started night feeding him ondemand again and can't find the energy right now to stop...he got up at 3am today. N still sleeping?
Ei So sorry things haven't been running smoothly for you and your DH. We too had a rocky patch a few weeks back - long story but D is now on his best behaviour. Really hope things are looking up for you now - you've had a tough year xxx
Frazzle How are things with you? I love seeing the pics you add of the boys on FB.
Turk How are the girls? Well I hope. They're changing so quickly and I think they look more and more alike.

News here is that J is still not sleeping. Nights unpredictable and the weaning doesn't seem to have made any difference. He's not really into food - whinges the whole time in his high chair and spits most of it at me. He had a reaction to dairy last week and pasta today but we're seeing pead tomorrow so hoping to get some advice on how to cope with his explosive tummy and spotty skin.