Jan 2009, baby D0Gs and bumps galore.. lets make room for many more...

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here we are. am going to start a bet on who is next to get broody!

Lenni about scan... don't know what I was thinking.

The plan for this property to build is to do a slow build so basement first, live in that, then the next floor and so on. I've seen lots of people do this and in this time when money is carefully spent, its the most intelligent option to go slow. I have to figure out first the build limitations as it is on the lake and all that. I've got my concerns together for the realtor (friends dad) and we'll go from there. We'd likely rent the two cabins for the winter though. Good income for winter months.

Feeling guilty today about not taking DD to gymnastics today, but I'm knackered. We went to an appy party last night with all the kids and it was fun. Nice out today, but don't feel like doing much. There's a chill in the air.

Dog, sorry things are tough, you should let it all out on here, it won't bring the thread down at all, everyone on here has been there at one point or another so we're all here to support you and hand you virtual chocolate and wine on demand.
I'm 29 weeks now I think, have lost count, the nice blooming bit of the second trimester is well and truely over and I am now achey and full of heartburn and generally grumpy and the size of a whale. Am starting ML on 4th Jan, but will have 2 weeks xmas hols off before that, so will keep going to around 37 weeks...bring it on.

Chef that sounds like a cool plan, will you get to design the place yourself? DOn't feel guilty...rest while you can, you'll start feeling better soon, that first bit is hard work. I wrote in my journal several times during the first 12 weeks to remind me not to do it again should I get broody in the future

Tree, hope you had a quiet nightshift. I love newcastle too, DH is a geordie and I had never been before I met him. His parents live there so will be cool to get some help with child care, although they are in their 70s so we shall see. I am probably not much help on the form filling front, in the past I have just tended to talk about my experiences and how they have driven me to want to do a particular course, so nothing very insightful! I guess looking in TES and keeping up to dat ewith any education reforms and proposals that the tories coalition come up with...
Is your DH looking forward to starting the course? ANother advantage will be he will have the academic hols so maybe lots of oppertunities to get experience and get paid doing holiday playschemes that schools often run. I don't know what its like where you are but round here they are always looking for people to run these in the hols. Is he CRB checked? Might be worth getting that doen in advance.

Lenni, I am sure you are up to the challenge. It is reassuring you canget back into the career thing where you left off, I am feeling very nervous about leaving this summer and taking time out.

Well I rang up the estate agents yesterday and the house has just been let for a year, so am a bit annoyed, but something else might come up in the mean time. Its typical, just when we made a decision and started to investigate mortgages

Have had a nice lazy sunday, lie in followed by city farm and fry up, followed watching UP on the sofa with DCs and am contemplating a roast later. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Ello, ello.

Disappeared of me'threads as I have not been on in an age.

Just too many things going on so had to jettison MN for a few weeks!
Last relate session this week so things moving positively we hope, making plans for christmas and next summer so thats good.

Good to see scan, pregnancies and all going well for chef and MissJ. Lovely house HKZ, can't believe what you can get up there for very little wedge!. DH made a roast today, I do love the fact that he thinks he does it better than me, I don't object!

dog hoping you are ok, your pictures are so cute of the 4 pups.

Good luck Mr Tree with application.

Ray- glad E is better, how worrying for you

big overdue YAY! for lenni (although we all knew she would get something great), nice that D will be 2 when you go back and not long till T at school.

Speaking of school we have had a cake sale, parents evening, harvest festival, storymaking morning and family assembly already and E is only just full-time............tree, tink, moose, dog how do you cope with it all? I have not enough space in my head to remember all this! Very funny that she has been made school council rep for the class, they clearly picked the 2 gobbiest children, 'confident' is a word I am hearing often!

waves to tea, books, 120 (have you sold yet?) and stripey(spooky!) and anyone else I have missed!

Got up at some ungodly hour to do a car-boot this morning and made £85!!!. I have never done one before and was really worried but desperate times and all that. At least we can afford some pressies for DD now for xmas, it was looking doubtful for a moment.

Sorry, forgot to change my name for halloween, here it is!

Oh Dog, hope your friend is ok, maybe message us on FB or on here if you want to share and not have it googled. I know what you mean, its why I have been deliberately evasive about my home situation I just can't stand the thought of anyone putting two and two together. Whatever it is I hope it passes and we are all here to help if you need it.

Dh's back is still bad, the MRI results were shocking but there have been miniscule improvements in the amount of movement in his toes so the consultant wanted to leave it 3 weeks and re-assess as there was risk of paralysis from the surgery as the disc was pressing on a major bunch of nerves. So he has an appt next wednesday to check if there is any improvement. He can pick the children up now though so that has relieved the situation for me a little although he cannot do cleaning, washing any of that sort of thing and still no sport which he is depressed about.

DD has a badge too! She is very proud, she cannot tell us what the meetings are about though, she just says 'stuff'!
I really liked the harvest festival, luckily it was on my day off and it wasn't too long, so funny seeing their little songs 'big red combine harvester' had me peeing myself with laughter

Sorry HKZ didn't read the bit about the house being let, what a bummer! Hopefully something else comes up. Are you going to be handing in your notice this year then? They keep asking me about full-time next year, I really don't want to but I am terrified that with the budgets slashed if they have to get rid of staff it will be more expensive part-timers who will go first (although at 0.76 I am hardly part-time really!). We are having meetings fairly regularly about
'lack of this and that......no funding for this.......can't do this........TA's will have to go........no printing......no photocopying' its all so negative and yet at the same time we are supposed to be improving reults year on year, it just doesn't equate!

Dog Sorry for news of friend! I take it mastitis cleared up as no more mention of it? Joss is just gorgeous.

Pat So good to see you on here! We all go AWOL every now and then, i am more guilty of that than anyone! well done you on the car booting! Brilliant.

Lenni Adding to the crowd of congrats, well done you!

Chef house sounds lush (Esp the lack of UG) and makes sense to do it in stages.

Tree Are you talking about the garlic and herb dip from Dominos? We've just ordered the first pizza from there in forever, and i'm actually salivating at the idea. Hurry up Mr. Pizza man! Mmmmmm!!!

waves hello to all

Hi Pat, like your halloween name! Sorry DHs mri results weren't more positive, sounds like he is getting more movement though.
Your school sounds like ours, think the budget that employs me will be slashed by next april, especially if ECM is to be scrapped. They have decider that post holders can't be p/t, so I have no choice really as there is no way I want to be f/t next year. (Or remarketed under another name, its pretty fundemental to any good school though, Maslow n all that) My plan is to take maternity leave from Jan until may half term, hand in my notice and work til the summer to qualify my maternity pay. I'm gonna take at least 6 months off and then look for something part time, perhaps in non mainstream setting...hmmm...if there are any jobs left!

Dog, sorry about your friend and that you are having a rubbish day. Just saw your picture of a yawning J on FB, he is very delicious.

Pat and Dog your descriptions of school council and your DDs are making me chuckle, my DD is very 'confident' too (read that as talkative).

My friend has just had her 5th baby, a girl after 4 boys...they are all under 6, she is quite mad and the most energetic person I know!

5th baby? Crumbs...

Books there is a very funny AIBU about Christmas I've just posted on. Makes me realise how bad some others have it. Happy birthday for yesterday x

I am lurking and reading but seem to have retained very little again No news here really, DCs lovely but challenging at times as usual. Flying by the seat of my pants in my parenting as ever.

Wow, crafty Books, I like it! I think she will be fine tbh, DD came of dummies onto nothing at just over 2. I think if they are going to thumb-suck they do it from the word go, but I could be wrong!
We have the IL's and my Dsis and Dnephew coming to us this year and quite frankly I have only just started to think about what that all means in terms of stuff, preparation etc. Thankfully MIL knows we are skint and has offered to buy the turkey, chocs, veg and other crap. Also, nobody (except me and DH) drinks that much so not spending a fortune on alcohol. Do you have to go to MIL's or can you get out of it? Will they come to You? Sorry if we have had this conversation last year! Glad you had a nice b'day yesterday.

Ray- good pizza? I just had a huge bowl of carte d'or for tea, how healthy is that

Dog- hope the Cranial stuff goes ok for baby J tomorrow. Thing is, at least you are doing something rather than kicking yourself weeks later that it could have been certain things. Thanks for the advice re. elevation table. I was reading about them the other day and told DH, I think he would rather do anything than be cut open so he has looked into it.

how about demonDOG? or skeleDOG? They are shit, I know! I won't be offended if you don't use them

HKZ- 5 under 6???! Ok that is total madness, I would only do that with a full-time cleaner, nanny and chef and even then I might think twice. fair-play!
I know what you mean about non-mainstream jobs. They are few and far between around here and loads being made redundant atm, teachers who went into advisory roles a few years ago are now out of a job, not nice for many but is it ok to feel a little bit LESS sympathy for the ones who were SO smug about their huge pay-rise and cushty jobs a few years ago

I wouldn't buy anymore dummies either if it was me. Does she always suck her thumb/ finger when she doesn't have a dummy then? That's a tricky one if she does. I found weaning DD off her dummy so hard as I've said before on here, I'm so glad she didn't resort to sucking her thumb instead. I suppose if you're going to do it now you might as well make sure she doesn't revert to something else at the same time, that she then needs weaning off in the future? That is the logical solution isn't it? I feel so guilty and such a bad mummy on decisions like this though....

Oh cheers dog, will have a look x

Bloodandsnakes........is that you tea? Love the name!

Hi Books, I am not sure about dummies, but have read a bit about thumbsucking of late as both of mine are and have been from the word go, apparently most drop it by 4 or 5 and it doesn't effect teeth until they are older. Am humming and harring about what to do with DD, might wait and see if she drops it and if not...bandage! Your DD sounds like she is ready to give up dummies though, I guess if she is sleeping well and fine with it then leave it? I think they thumbsuck from the beginning rather than pick it up, but not 100% sure.
Good luck with MIL at xmas. I just managed to get out of that one, the result is everyone is coming here

Blood and snakes have just figured out who you are! How is N doing now he is home?

Dog how about bloodhound? Hound from hell? Gah! I can't even think of one

My friend with 5 is the oldest of 7 and she is quite mad!

Where is moose? Is she ok?

Sorry I thought I'd said it was me when I first name changed. Sorry for confusion

Noah is ok SIL is having problems with his latch, it's so painful as he only latches onto the nipple only, as his mouth is so small he doesn't seem to open it wide enough. She has used a shield a bit but is mainly expressing and feeding by bottle as it's all so hard right now. Really feel for her, her HV is rubbish about it all. she did see a BF counselor in hospital before going home. I gave her the LL number the other day.

wow busy busy

dog - sorry for stresses with joss and bad news about friend!!

hi hkz wow pregnancy going quick

hi pat - good 2 hear from u