Dec 08 Ladies - Waiting for BabyLady & the usual grumpy tots with stinky bots

[DeidreBarlow]

Hope this is ok...

DB you clearly did not take my hangover advice never mind take 2 slices of heavily butteredmarmite toast now, 3 glasses of water and 2 neurofen & 2 paracetamol.

Beans DS1 was born at Tooting Bec so of course I love it, but also love it as it is such a random name. V. naughty of you DH to cook veggie lasagne if you don't like it, esp in view of your recently supreme wifeliness, no sex for him tonight. Are his friends veggie, if so it's also a very lazy veggie friendly meal so still no excuse. (please note, I actually do like veggie lasagne so if I come to any of your houses for dinner I'm happy to be served this dish)

DH & DS1 out at football this morning, it is DS1's first Bigboy soccer group as he was only in the littlies ones in UK. Also DH has signed up to be an assistant coach so he is very excited also.

Beans Please teleport over some veggie lasagne to new york for me right now. I want some!!

veggie you nutter, in charge of 13 kids??? I can't even retain control of one...

LadyT wow time flies, can't believe you're so close now!

Apologies for brief personals, just dropping in to say hello. Going ok in New York despite horrible nasty people writing annoying things on my blog (Veggie you can't comment on an ipod touch so thank you for your comments on facebook anyway!) - and more importantly DD seems to be coping without me. She is asking for me a lot and getting up at 5am (eeek, looking forward to that when I get back) but seems to be ok. First time she saw me on skype was very upsetting as she just tried to grab me and howled, but next time was ok, she laughed and waved etc. She's at her grandparents with DH this weekend.

Anyway hope everyone is well x

Kiwi how is DH going with putting her to bed? That really pulled on my heart strings when you said she was reaching for you on Skype but so sweet that she was waving the next day. I guess we don't realise their own ability to cope with things. I bet she'll give you the tightest cuddle when you get back.

Avo, I'm reading 'the girl who kicked the Hornets' nest'. After the excitement of the last book I'm finding this one a little more, well, boring. Does it pick up at anytime, I'm wanting it to get better soon.

Veggie I reckon she'll nonchalatantly wave like i"ve been away about 2 minutes..

I think DH has mastered the bedtime cuddle/putdown routine. Though apparently last night she was waking on the hour after midnight, teething perhaps...

Hi kiwi good to hear that both you and DD are doing okay.

veggie I woke this morning and KNEW I should have taken your advice. I don't like marmite so I had peanut butter on toast and am now feeling much better. Just a bit tired

Right, I'm off to sort the toy boxes - again!

Aawww DB you thought of me first thing in the morning when you woke with s hangover. That's kind of special.

Looks like we are having takeaway again tonight. DH went on a little man date with the DH's of some friends of mine. One he had met before but 2 he hadn't. They watched the Arsenal game at a local pub this afternoon. On his way home he noticed an indonesian restaurant around the corner that he thought looked good so wants to try it out. I'm not complaining. I'm feeling a bit peaky tonight anyway, I think I'm getting a headcold or something, I feel weird in my head, like fluey, but not snotty. Of course DS2 is being a monkey and not going to sleep.

Oooh, hope you feel better soon, Veg. It's chilli for me tonight. Mmmm. Love it. I love wholemeal rice as well

Kiwi, are you having some fun though? Doing some nice adult-y things and enjoying catching up on your sleep, or are you lagged?

DB, the last time I had a hangover was New Year's Day! Can't say I miss them but I am looking forward to a big fat cocktail in a couple of weeks Hope you are feeling more human now!

Beans, I was amused by your rant about veggie lasagne. Are you quite a meaty? Mind you, one of my least favourite things on the planet is something innocuous. I loathe and feel completely nauseated by...tea.

Ok, so the carpets are down. The house is transformed (mind you, the crazy decorating also helped). We both think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now...And it has probably done us good to have a break from it (we had to whilst the fitters were in) so we took DD to a farm/petting zoo today (she hated it, we loved it), though I am hoping I haven't got toxoplasmosis now as there was a sign telling pregnant ladies to avoid the sheep and goats. I did touch a goat before this but I have been scrubbing my hands ever since.

Rubes, not sure if you are both deffo still on for Tues but if you are I will FB you with what your DH might be able to help with. You will be on v light duties, if anything! Sitting down work only.

The Blind Side was actually quite good last night! And it was a true story.

Evening all, new thread! Will do some catching up later hopefully but just to report back on Venice... well we've concluded that if DH gets any invitations like this again, we leave dd at home with GPs and I go for an actual holiday... I was utterly knackered most of the time because of all the bridges - it would be a lovely place just to wander the streets, but I kept ending up at yet another bridge and people would tut and sigh as we battled up and down but not offer to help... and having a practising-for-2-year-old in a place with lots of open rivers is a bit dim really... Anniversary celebration dinner ended up being a takeout pizza as the babysitter the B&B lady had promised to organise never showed, but I did manage to get out for DH's big concert and he was completely brilliant [proud] so the main event was a big success. It's a lovely city and we'd like to go back in maybe 10 years when dd is old enough to actually appreciate it all, rather than see running away towards open water as a great game.

Sigh, that makes me sound like a real moaning minnie doesn't it? But once again much like France last year, it wasn't a holiday of any kind for me, just an exhausting single-handed looking after dd while dh has all the fun but I don't have any of the home comforts that help make childcare easier. One of the other ladies on the course who lives out in Venice agreed that it's a pretty child-hostile environment - eg to use public loos (of which there are about 7 spread about the city), you have to pay E1.50. I bought a card thingy that gets you access for a week, but was told repeatedly that I couldn't bring the buggy in (despite the baby change picture above the door) and no they wouldn't watch said buggy while I took her in to change. Gah. So dd ended up having her nappy sorted on the floor of the loos in "most expensive place in Venice" Caffe Florian, after I managed to chat up the maitre d' in slightly iffy Italian.

Next time, self catering somewhere a bit safer with fewer tourists and more Italian nonnas... :)

Oh JJ...I spent a day there (only!) last summer as you might remember and was v concerned for you as a result. Child-hostile environment is exactly it. But I am glad there were some good bits. Welcome homeo. Venice is a bit of an anomaly though. Anywhere else in Italy and your DD would be borne away by doughy armed mommas whilst you and your DH enjoyed a candlelit supper for two.

Speaking of travel, has anyone been to Morocco or Tunisia in Jan/Feb? If I can get us a cheapie deal for a week, after the rigours of the past few months I could do with some winter sun but as we will be taking both DDs, can't face a long flight. Don't really fancy the Canaries, but would like warm weather...

LadyT I am having some fun. Last night I went out with a very old friend, and tonight went out for dinner by myself (strange how I have every confidence doing that in New York but wouldn't dream of it in London..!) and ended up being chatted up by a neurosurgeon at the bar of a restaurant

DD seems to be ok, she's proving a bit of a nightmare to get to sleep - not surprising as she's so used to boob-then-bed but fine in the day - my DH and his parents took her to Whipsnade Zoo today and sent me lots of little iPhone videos, so lovely to see her clapping the sea lions and sssshing the lions to sleep and generally having loads of fun.

Aaahhhh I used to love eating alone in restaurants and cafes. And chatted up by a neurosurgeon, cheeky. Are you 100% convinced he was a neurosurgeon or that was his chat up career. I had a friend who used to tell people she was an Archeologist and used to tell guys I was a freelance wildlife photographer. So was he good-looking, what did DH say?

Oh gotta go play doh alert!

Hi
Kiwi sounds like you're having fun there. I love NY Glad dd is having a nice time at home.

Lady - yeah we're on for Tues. Hope I'm not too Rubbish - Had a really bad day yesterday with the shoulder as sometimes the pain radiates down my arm and it was aching a bit like a toothache. Some days it's fine, like nothings wrong and I barely notice it and other days really sore. It's just that it's my right shoulder and I'm right handed but otherwise dh is fine and healthy! Even if I'm not much help I'm looking forward to seeing you! Just spoke to mil and she is ok to come over - just needs to get home not too late on Tues.
Anyway, I'll FB / text you so as not to bore everyone! Let me know what jobs dh would be best doing as he may need to pick up tools today while we are mil's as a lot of his stuff is there.

ds will only eat sloppy stuff if he can feed himself now he is ok with us loading his spoon now thank God, otherwise he get's nothing on it but it takes FOREVER and holds his spoon out now after each mouthful for me to load it and if I don't, he just plays with it and makes shapes in his weetbix / shepherds pie, whatever! I have to cut down his milk I think as he's waking at 6am due to nappy overflowing - thismorning he was in his cupboard rummaging around the nappies - if only he could change himself! He goes back to bed until 7 now after I change him so will try and reduce his milk intake!

dd is good, and growing v v fast!

Right off to mil's today via Bluewater

Hey Rubes, will catch up later just wanted to say on the overflowing nappy front we just got a size up (even though he still officially fits the other size) so he could still have the same amount. Do you think that might work?

IKiwi - I looked on your blog and saw a nasty comment. How unnecessary people are. Tits. But glad DD coping - sure she'll be delighted to see you!

Veggie lasagne was... DELICIOUS! I take it all back. DH did himself proud. We even had leftovers last night at my request. I couldn't taste the peppers - hurrah! So I ate no meat at all yesterday. Unheard of! So am having lamb chops for supper to make it better. Lady Yes, I am a meat person! Terrible addict!

Just been for a run this morning, so feeling quite proud of myself. DD2 12 weeks today, can you believe? When she woke up for a feed at 3am, I remembered that that time 12 weeks ago, they were trying to tug my placenta out and had put in a catheter - it was worse than the birth!

Anyway, sorry, am dull!

Big love to JJ who's back! Hurrah!

And Anti-headache vibes to Avo - are you better?

Watched United 93 last night. Sobbed. As did DH. It is now officially worse watching films with people dying in who have children. Once you have your own, it seems so much worse, somehow. Or is that just me??!

I love the image of you loading DS's fork Rubs, cheeky little begger. My advice is do whatever it takes to get food into him it all works out in the end. DS1 is quite a good eater these days, after a rocky start (understatement of the year alert). He even announced last night that he would be trying broccoli today. I'm steaming some with his dinner so we'll see. If not DS2 is sure to eat it. It's amazing how different two children can be. I can serve the same dish to both boys & DS1 will plow through all the protein & carbs & DS2 will eat his & DS1's veg?! DS1 has made lasagne tonight from 'i can cook'. It's a meal they both love so it's a good one to do. Will have the steamed veg on the side so will see if DS2 gets to eat it all again.

We've been shopping at the Eco store and the Chinese supermarket so the cleaning product are stocked as well as our freezer with assorted dumplings and Chinese buns.

Oh & happy 12 week birthday to Pru! And well done on your run, I should get out myself but enjoying this sunny Autumnal afternoon with the boys & Emily the Rat/hamster in the back garden.

Beans I have actually had to stop watching loads of movies because kids die or parents die or just anything sad happens to kids. I could never ever read one of those books written by people abused as children.

Goodness I'd better send babypubes and lighteningbaby's presents tomorrow before they are grown out of them!

Exciting news! My SIL finally had her baby yesterday, 11 days overdue... a 'little' boy, he's 8lbs15 and she was in labour all of yesterday. V exciting about seeing pics but she said not yet, he was forceps helped out and his face needs to recover [big hug for little baby] MIL the mad old itch is apparently 'livid' because they've given her first grandson an Italian name. Maybe that's because the dad is Italian and it's the Italian parents' first grandson as well... God she needs a good kicking. This is the lady who objected hugely to their marrying in the first place (he's not a doctor, lawyer or accountant, only owns his own hotel...) and she charmingly informed SIL that any children they have will be half-caste and need to be given growth hormones because he's a midget.

Will stop now before I explode with rage. Poor SIL, if her mum was even a tiny bit supportive the whole thing would be so much easier but the Italian side of the family are all over the moon so that helps a bit.

Books/sad films. Oh dear. I read a detective novel at about 6 months PG where the storyline ended up with the second main character's pregnant wife on a life support machine and he had to switch her off [:(] man poor DH had to mop me up off the floor after that one. But once you've started a book/film, you don't always know what's going to happen and it takes you by surprise.

kiwi sounds like you're having a v glam time in NY have you actually seen that geeky little 12 year old that everyone's drooling over? Perky, or something like that. And how are your boobs, given the sudden break?

DB go you and your cocktails lifestyle! I too had deirdre specs, there are some very very bad old school pics some 'friends' of mine have taggen on FB, I was into massively oversized sweaters to go with my massively oversized specs, it wasn't a good look...

Nolda hope you're having fun in Monkey Land

veggie you are mad very brave having that many kids in a public place!

mmmm lots of talk of food, indonesian takeouts and curries and veggie lasagna, I am v hungry and have already managed to accidentally inhale 3 packets of wotsits but my argument is I must have some urgent physiological need for, erm, cheese powder or some such?!

OMGoodness JJ that is horrific! Your MiL is pure evil. Very jealous of the Italian family though, that bubba is gonna get some serious spoiling. We love going to Italy as people just grabbed DS1, not in a scary way like that did in Greece but in a lovely way. Same in Italian restaurants. We always get to eat our dinner because an Italian momma always appears out of nowhere and grabs the kids. Oh and don't even get me started on the waiters, too lovely. It's true Venice is not very child friendly (a fact they need to change as it's becoming a very old population) but the rest of Italy is amazing for kids.

Oooh hungover, just had a huge chinese yum yum. The wedding was beautiful. The bride although god love her was a bit of a bridezilla it worked as she had thought of everything. The jumpsuit thing went down a storm, hurrah. Lots of lovely compliments. Bit of an arse to get on and off when I needed a wee. Even worse when several sheets to the wind.

JJ what an absoloute cow. I cant believe people behave that way. on your behalf. But mahoosive congrats.

Veg hope you are feeling better. Boys both have a bit of snot going on here. Tis the season.

Beans I did chuckel about your 3 poos today.

Kiwi glad you are having a good time in NY didnt get a chance to read the blog but it looks like loads of comments have been removed. What did I miss? I kmow what you mean about eating out on your own. In NY I would do that loads and go to the cinema all the time but it feels weird to do it here.

Am sort of reading posts backwards but have to go to bed to recover. So will do a bit more catching up tom.

Hello everyone,
Not been on too much as DD not sleeping so well due to cold, then DS ill with high temp/miserable, then DH catches it, and it has now turned into pneumonia!! So not much sleep and lots of illness here, plus lots of looking after both of them as well, most stressful.
Fortunately my parents say they will come down if I get to stressed out so that is good, and DS is definitely better, and DD's cold is going I think.

Rubes i have to agree with everyone else in that you look v glam, and I am very jealous. If you have 10kg to lose I dunno where you are going to lose it from! I am quite lardy but not as lardy as last time (half a stone less than after I had DS, which means I have 1 - 1.5 stone to lose to get back to realms of normality). I am not worrying about it or even weighing myself again until 6 weeks though this time. I got a bit obsessed last time, and I am sure I can lose the weight eventually. Re losing weight while bfing, I think another factor might be the night wakings, as I am sure it makes your metabolism go a bit wacky and make you starving at strange times. I have heard that it can be really hard to lose weight if you work night shifts so I reckon it might be a factor as well as breastfeeding.

kiwi glad you are having a good time in NY. Sorry about miserys being mean on your blog. Boo.

jj welcome back! Venice sounds a bit of a nightmare though but glad that some of it was good. Congrats to your SIL, boo to misery guts MIL.

On the feeding thing rubes and everyone, DS won't let me spoon feed him either, except yoghurt, which he loves so much he seems to relent as he realises he is less likely to lose out on some if I feed him as I am better at it . So he just feeds himself badly with a fork or with his hands. To be honest he doesn't eat a great deal of variety (as you all know) so it's mostly pasta with pesto or pasta with cheese or sandwiches.

veggie i too am reading the girl who kicked the hornets nest. I am getting near the end now and it is hotting up. Though I agree the start was a bit dull, I have to say I just wanted Lisbeth to break out and kick some arse, sod all this boring Swedish secret service infrastructure crap. I think these books are always going to be forever associated with lack of sleep and reading in the middle of the night for me though...

beans hurrah on the run. I can't wait to do some exercise, though I suspect the reality of doing it may not be so appealing when i actually can. V impressed with wonder woman dinner party antics!

V pleased to hear of avo and rubes going to help out down at LadyT's. PLease post us some piccies!!

Dierdre v of your piss up night out. Can't wait til i can do that! Not jealous of hangover tho.

Right I think I should go and think about SLEEP now.

Tee hee jam, am picturing you battling like a lady in salopettes in a mountain lav trying not to drop your straps down the pan! Sounds like a fabby day, you must FB pics of the jumpsuit in action.

MIL gets better.. not only is she cross about the name, she's also a mammoth hypocrite. Baby's name is along the lines of Jeanbaptiste, to be known as Baptiste. She said Oh but how silly if they'll only be shortening the name why not just use that name? This is the lady called Betty who has a family tradition that eldest daughter is called Betty, SIL is called Betty Mabel, known to everyone as Mabel, on MIL's insistence. So how is this in any way different to [Jean]Baptiste?

• not real names

Gah...

X posts with jam - haha to the jumpsuit removal probs. Hadn't thought of that.

That reminds me, I have to go to 2 weddings in the next month or so. One is in Scotland at the beginning of Oct so will be brrr, also I will be breastfeeding and I am a bit fat. WHAT CAN I WEAR?? I have nothing that fits!

JJ what a cow!

Spot - will definitely try that - too late tonight to get nappies but will get some one size bigger and see if it helps- ta.

Beans I'm exactly the same. In fact I cried when I saw the news story about the nanny who was pushing the baby in the buggy in London and a lamp post feel over it and killed the one year old. Awful.awful all those stories. As for 9/11, I was on call that day at the airport. Horrific. I have seen some of it but I have actually worked with a couple of the ladies who were in that film talking about her son who was on the flight so I had to flick it over

Thanks Summer - so kind of you, but seriously, I'm tall so hide fat well. But it's there, and when I gain / lose / carry a baby it doesn't seem like the amount it is - it's just evenly distributed. My doc confirmed at my 6 week check that you usually lose between 5-10 lbs when BF stops as during BF your body holds on to fat stores, plus there is a lot of fluid that will go so a fair amout is that.

Back from mil's. Nice nice dinner and naughty apple crumble (so much for lo carb see how [not] seriously I take it!

Bluewater was ok. Could have spent a small fortune in Baby Zara, Monsoon Kids and The White Company, but I didn't - just a cute winter coat for dd (though I was looking for one for ds) and dh spent a small fortune on sunglasses I have full permission to spend away for my birthday though
We had lunch at GBK - yum, and ds wasn't hungry and also refused to sit in his buggy but pushed it about 2 laps around Bluewater himself until he finally got tired and actually wanted to get in it!!! THIS NEVER HAPPENS!!

Oh and I won that brand new Coat from Zara on Ebay New with tags and all! for about 4 quid!! It's red, but not the same as O's Lady but still very cute.

Lady - will chat tomorrow about Tues, but should get to yours by 10-1030 as MIl will be here by 9 (although she's usually late) let me know what I can bring too food wise or what we can do? not sure what your situation is up at the house.

JJ what a sad sad lady your MIL is, I love Italian names. We actually wanted Alessandro for DS1 but thought we would run into trouble with pronunciation of that in the mother country. Otherwise I love Davida (it's like someone is singing the name David), Matteo, Atillio, and well a whole bunch of others. Silly because in the end neither of the bits has a remotely Italian name. DS1's nonreligious godfather is Italian and he calls him 'Alessandro e grande!'

Sorry I'm waffling now.

Summer sorry for your house of ills, no sign of you getting it? Such a strong women. So apart from a cold how is the lovely snuggly babylightening?

Finally tomorrow we have organised a courier to come picknupnDS1's passport application to take to the British consulate in Paris. Because we are outside the UK it's going to cost ?103 to get the new passport plus delivery costs etc. Bloody cheeky beggers. Really should have done it before we left the UK. Next up is his new Australian passport & DS2's first Aussie passport. The poor child is nearly 2 & still doesn't have his Aussie passport.