Dec 08 Ladies - LIghtning Strikes... and the usual gossip!

[Beans33]

Hope this works for everyone - I'm assuming Summer won't give birth in the next few hours!! x

Oh blimey - sorry guys, think I may have just broken the record for the longest ever post - that is a shocker, feel free to skip (or read, as an insomnia cure if required) xx

Evening ladies...ZJ, that story about the pudgy little girl made me so , so I am glad it had a happy ending. And your day today sounds lovely. No more steps for O today, her little feet didn't have much of a chance to hit the ground as have been in London for scan etc.

Oh DB, I am so sorry you are far away (from London). It would be so lovely to see you. I get v wistful when I think of our Northern ladies who miss out on our shindigs.

Scan was nice today, they think DD2 might be at least 7.5 lb compared to O's 6lb 12.

DP is seeing ex tomorrow at about 4... I am now returning to the country tomorrow early evening. Innit a surprise her visit still contrives to be when I am absent?

Sorry for crap response but am posting on phone. Where's Trace?

Hi all, will post more later today but just wanted to wish everyone a happy meetup today, I wish I could be there but work beckons. Making the most of DP's presence as he is off on a work trip abroad for 10 days tomorrow. . Had a night out in London last night and am v sleepy today as a result!

all quiet because most of you are on your way to the meet up. have fun!

Hiya all,

Just back from meet-up. It was a treat to see you all and your smashing DCs (especially the scrumptious BabySummer who is a delight). I have a few apologies though:

a) wg I took my camera along but totally forgot to take pictures. Unless someone else did the honours before I got there you will just have to use your imagination, but to help you along we are all looking fabulous & our DCs are all beautiful, shiny & gleaming and of course terribly well behaved.

b) sorry I didn't get to speak to as many people as I'd like or for as long as I would have liked, especially Nolda, Kiwi & Jam. Jam we will have to organise a local mini-meet some time.

c) Effie DD was playing with a Woody toy which I'm told was yours. I was going to bring it back with me then forgot all about it. Soz!

and d) sorry to LadyT for being such a whining, grumpy old sod.

Quick messag from me - lovely meet-up and we had a surprisingly good journey home despite having to change trains and tubes and trains being very busy. The boys were really good despite having to stay in the buggy and we had help with all the unexpected stairs. It was so nice to see everyone abd I thought the children played together really well. You are obv all doing fabulous jobs as mums because all the kids were great.

And I took covert pics on my phone hahaha. Should I put them up on the fb group?

Pd: the Woody toy was Jam's, did anyone pick it up? Ds1 was chatting about the afternoon and said, I saw M, he's my best friend. He loved playing with all the boys.

We did take over about a quarter of the RFH with rowdy children and collected a few more along the way. Did everyone manage to get home with the right ones?

So lovely to see you this afternoon. and particularly to see baby H. And thank you so much for helping me find dd when she did a runner. Phew. She could clearly spot a better mum than me at 50 paces and so was following her home. Maybe she'd heard about your cakes avo . have loads more to say but phone battery dying and we're on our way up to Yorkshire for the weekend. So will try to catch up then. Wish we did it more often though, and we could see our friends in the north too...have a lovely bank holiday xx

Yes it was a lovely meet-up. DD2 was utterly enchanted by little Summer (as any sensible person would be) and DD1 enjoyed playing with Nolda's lovely DD. I thought all us mums looked rather fab & it was great to meet Veggie, Bisou and Kiwi fir the first time. I am a little embarrassed that DD2 was rather a grump but I did deprive her of her beloved nap.

Urbane I am so sorry that you thought you'd lost DD. When we got to the lift I suddenly realised she had followed us and furthermore that she intended to get some air. She laughed very sweetly when I suggested that wasn't the best idea. Then DD1 said she would walk her back while I placated a cross DD2. Problem solved I thought until DD1 started leading her off to the cafe in search of cake... Anyway, sorry you were worried.

DD1 still awake. I think she is rather enjoying the jet lag excuse. It turns out she's rather an Ultimate Big Brother fan.

Effie, if there are any hideous ones of me with numerous chins, please delete

It really was so fab to see everyone but I thought what I always think, which is that it's tantalising and a bit sad as I always feel like I haven't spoken to anyone properly (and in fact some people I barely spoke to at all!) I hadn't met Jam, Nolda or Bisou before and barely managed to exchange more than a few words with Jam or Nolda (Nolda, how was your journey back?), or Effie or Summer! And everyone else I only spoke to a LITTLE more. PD, you weren't a whining, grumpy old sod. At.all. That distinction could be accorded to my poor DD, who was transformed into a clinging mute, and who only cheered up at the busker as we walked over to Charing Cross Mr Kiwi bravely made an appearance and the lovely Jam has a Scottish voice! And Summer's DD was sooooooooo cute and made everyone go a bit soft.

I thought how brilliant we all were and what a credit all the kids were to their Mums.

And that is the news.

DP didn't see the ex in the end as she decided to drive by tomorrow as they traffic is bad. And he is not available tomorrow. So they are making tremendously heavy weather of the whole thing.

Have lovely weekends all! My sister, BIL and younger nephew are rocking up tomorrow at 8 (too early! too early!) and by the evening I may have something approaching my kitchen.

Oh, and PD was reassuring me about the fact that my section date, which is either 39+2 or 39+5 due to the uncertainty about dates, should be ok as you have loads of notice when you are going into labour. But DP has got Doc Martin on, and the mother of his child just had a baby in about 20 mins flat

Ladyt you are funny you will be fine.

Absoloutely lovely to meet you all today and have sort of 2 min conversations with you before having to peg off and catch my escaping DS2. He us a right pain in the bum but cute so we forgive him. Apologies for not talking to half of you I am rubbish at meeting new people and tend to just sit there and listening to all that is being said. DS1 loved running around with everyone. Amazingly they both kept going and we had a lovely tea with DH before driving home both of them fast asleep before we had even driven out of the wharf.

Am posting from phone so cutting this short. DH is fixing my laptop so back properly over the wkend.

Ugh, this insomnia is seriously doing my nut in. Have been awake since 3, my head is pounding and I feel depressed. I've got a really busy day ahead of me tomorrow and I can't afford to be weary. Also, my life always seems terrible in the night as I have said before, yet I know the truth is that it isn't and I rarely think stuff like that in the day. Well, I won't bore you people with it all. I will be ok once the night is over. Night feeds aren't the same as this - last time I was so knackered that I always got to sleep quite fast, none of this frightful brooding malarkey. Hope you are all fast asleep!

Have the hordes descended LadyT? I hope you have them working hard. The pics are a bit blurry alas (crap camera and worse operator) but there are a couple that will pass I think. Is everyone ok with me putting them up on FB or on my profile here? FB wd be more secure I guess.

ladyt Don't suppose uou managed anymore sleep. Still I hope you have a good day with your family and get them to do plenty of work.

Wonderful to hear that you all had such a good time yesterday. Oh and PD I would love to meet up with you but next weekend is not so good, we have friends coming over and as DH is not at work I suspect we will be busy for most of it. Which is a shame as he works every other weekend and I'm normally bored silly (like today). Next time your up Norf come when DH is at work

Oh and DH's friend (well his GF) has just had a baby and called it 'Junior'. Problem is when he said what he was called I said "Don't worry, you'll think of something to call him soon", thinking he meant Junior was just a little nickname till they decided Is it just me that finds it a bloody awful chav-tastic name? Damage was done by that point as when he explained my jaw kind of hit the floor.

Oh and I have lost 5lb after my first week of dieting, so to celebrate I had 2 V&T's last night (slimline of course). However, as I have not had a drink in about 10 days I have woke up to a stonking headache and feel like I've had about 2 bottles of wine!

Right off to visit the GP's. Neither of themin good health, Grandad has just started Radiotherapy for the cancer on his face. And my Nan has never really recovered form her Cancer treatment she is so frail. I am hoping a little visit from the DC's cheers them up a bit.

DCs and I enjoyed the meet-up so much and I'm very glad that we went. It was great to meet Lady, Jam and Bisou for the first time. Sorry that I didn't get to say hello to Veggie or Kiwi. DD is still talking about Avo's DD1 and the fun they had together. DS was not so eloquent but I'm sure we all understood from his screaming that he resented being separated from the toys he had borrowed and his new mates when I tried to stuff him back in his pushchair to head for the station. Had a good trip back although if it had been 5 minutes longer I think it would have all gone tits up.

Deirdre Well done on the 5lbs, good effort. I hope your DCs cheer up their GPs, sorry to hear they are not so good. I'm afraid I did laugh at you putting your foot in it about the name. You are right, it is truly dreadful!

Forgot to say that I would like to join the FB Group. What is it called and who do I have to suck up to, to get my name on the list?

Nolda - I think Kayz holds the key to the FB group. I am a member but can never remember how to find the group so haven't seen the page in over a year. Hopefully someone with more tech savvy can tell you how to join.

Very oddly I just fainted. I have only fainted twice before in my life. Once due to starving myself, getting drunk and stoned and then getting to the top of a very high ski slope when I could hardly ski, and once after losing pints of blood during DD1's birthday. But today I felt fine. A bit tired but fine. We went to the park and I said to DH how tired I felt. Then I stood up and all these coloured blobs crowded in front of my eyes and my legs just gave way. DH caught me and luckily nobody else seemed to notice. I felt fine within a couple of mins although my legs are v heavy. Why would that suddenly happen. I have been on a no carb diet since I got back from the US, could that make you faint? Maybe I should have a big pasta lunch (any excuse really).

Avocadoes How scary for you. I guess it could be caused by your diet. A no-carb diet would mean you have very limited stores of glycogen, which you would use when exercising, so that would cause your tiredness and I guess the extreme of this could cause the fainting. I hope you had a big plate of pasta and that you are now feeling better.

avo - sounds scary. take care of yourself. not a fan of no this or that diets - a bit of everything in moderation, maybe?

nolda - type in december 2008 mums in the top search bar of fb and ask to join - kayz should get the request and if you say who you are, i'm sure she'll let you in.

well, dh is working his nuts off today and will be in monday, too, all my friends appear to be busy, so it's another "weekday" for madam and me. i didn't sleep v well either last night, so v tired. and today is the 3rd day in a row madam has screamed herself to sleep at lunchtime and to be honest i am bawling my eyes out. i just feel like the shittest mum in the world - can't think of anything to do with her, don't know how to get her to sleep without incessant screaming. feeling pretty sorry for myself, i must say. and another one on the way to enter my crap world of crap motherdom. great.

feeling v lonely - missing my mum v much.

me me me me me me me...

WG So sorry you are feeling lonely and missing your mum. Pregnancy hormones and tiredness are making everything feel so much worse. You are not a shit mum, you are a fab mum and your little girl loves you so much. Is it sunny where you are? Could you go out to the park/swings? It's a shame we live so far away as I'm also having a weekday. My other half is on safety boat duty at the sailing club, grrr!

WG - you aren't a crap mum. Screaming overtired toddlers are no fun and would test the patience of St Peter. Do the following:

Order sommething nice on the internet, be it a book or a pair of shoes;

Put screaming infants in the car, brave the supermarket and buy something delicious for supper, plus a trashy mag and a daft comic for tot(s).

Say "I am a great mother" x 100

Avo, that diet could cause you to faint. You looked spectacularly thin yesterday and totally fab, but you have to watch your blood sugar. If you want to stick to the no carb, snack on a cube of cheese or 6 almonds or a few olives, but you do need to keep that blood sugar on the level.

Right, back to painting...

Sorry you are feeling so low Waiting. You know you aren't a crap mum really. From what you have said about R she is a bright, inquisitive child with great language skills, an advanced interest in the potty and a personality which takes real joy in things. Could a crap mum really have raised such a creature? I find on days like yours there are two good routes:

1. Pretend to be super mum. Force yourself to imagine a camera crew making a fly on the wall documentary of your life. This will motivate you. Try cooking muffins. DD will love helping and you will feel unbelievably smug when they are in the oven emitting gorgeous smells. While they bake do something arty like chalk drawing on your garden wall (no mess, will wash off in rain, DD will love the scale). Your imaginary audience will boost your self confindence by perceiving you as an active, creative mother with domestic goddess tendancies. Sounds mad but don't laugh as I actually have tried the imaginary camera crew approach...

1. Have a duvet day. Accept you are too tired & low to go out. Bring your duvet onto the sofa. Make you and DD a huge bowl of popcorn (toddlers love it and it keeps them happy for ages). Put on musical such as Grease which you will enjoy and DD will appreciate because of the music. Let her potter and make a huge mess around you and revel in it rather than trying to stop it.

WG: you are not a crap mum. DS2 screamed himself to sleep as well - if I miss the window when he's tired but not overtired it's an awful business to get him to sleep. I hope you had a peaceful afternoon.

Avo: eat some sugar! If you're going wobbly your body is telling you you need more energy. Maybe try low GI rather than carb free? I loathe all diets and never stick to them, so not the best guide.

thanks, lovely ladies. been sobbing now because you are all so lovely. feeling better - dh out getting a curry, madam in bed (not a peep in the eves), x-factor on (i cannot tell you how out of character it is for me to like something like this - a real guilty pleasure). today wasn't my greatest mothering day, but not the worst, either - just felt utterly unable to cope with any of it. thank you all.