October 2010 Arrivals Lounge

[SeaShellsOnTheSeaShore]

Welcome, check in is now open!

Nymph we tried a bottle fairly early when DD was cluster feeding in the evenings and on a couple of occasions I hit the wall. Then we didn't try for ages and I'm back to getting her trying in preparation for my mum having to look after her at the end of the month. I know what you mean and I also can't be bothered with the faff of bottles! It is the best time to get them used to it though. Perhaps you could try one feed in the day and don't tell anyone?! .

Dh is always here I've agreed to a book club thing in march so dh will have to do bed then but at the moment I don't need to. She has taken a cup so if all else fails that works.
Still on her feeding frenzy. Apart from school run she has been feeding or dozing( & only on my naked chest!)

Seashells we've just booked a few days at a haven through daily mail. We are using it as a base to go to Alnwick & that area. We were looking at London but £££££ for 5 of us. If we can work we will but looking doubtful. Also hoping for Cornwall to see dh family. Trying to get dh onto budget holidays is interesting though...

hello all-yes still around!

I'm so jealous of you all with your sleeping patterns. I'm so shattered as I'm still only getting around 4 hrs a night as Erin needs 2hr feeds constantly. Might have to think about introducing a evening bottle.

Welcome to the new people. I hope to be on a bit more again as the sleep thing is just putting me on auto pilot and its becoming more normal!

Nymph at the Mail, are you sure you want to admit that here it sounds like a good idea though...we'll be camping again this year, I doubt we will go far from home though incase it all goes wrong.

Roobear- ow! That sounds rough :( it has to get easier soon for you, surely!

Someone posted a list of codes on here so didn't have to buy it! Saved me buying the Sun for the holiday!
Last Easter we went to NYC , now we are going to Berwick. How the budget has fallen

Nymph Funnily enough I was talking to DH about this last night, I told him we'd have to get used to butlins rather than a nice B and B. Where are the codes btw?

I've had a bit of a depressing morning, I went and saw a friend from work and she was talking about family friendly hours etc etc. She was saying, well you can do nights and then go home and look after the baby or send the baby to childcare. How depressing is that!! I go to work all night and spend my day sleeping and then see my poor child for two to three hours and then repeat the process all over again. It was horrid enough doing it without having a child.

This has spurred me into getting into contact with work to try and sort out family friendly hours. Although how 'friendly' they will be remains to be seen. I very much doubt I'll get what I want, but it has to be done.

You're meant to "enjoy" your maternity leave, not have to worry about organising your return to bloody work!

Hermya- what do you do?

I'm over thinking work too at the moment. I'm not sure when to start applying and what to do. I had worked 4 months sine aug 2008 in my profession, and feel totally unemployable. Dh says apply and let ten make the decision but I've lost my confidence :(

Still, I do get another summer on the beach at this rate!!

You don't need paper vouchers, you just need the codes that are printed on them which you type into the website.

The Daily Mail are running a similar offer, and use the same holiday parks. If you go to www.dailymail.co.uk/promotions and put in any 5 of these code words...

swim
dance
cycle
laugh
explore
play

...and your details, you can book your holiday there. Prices ranged from £10 per person upwards, with most being £15 per person (min 4) plus service and entertainments passes etc. Basically the same holidays as The Sun!

That was the post from the other thread.

Hermya- not sure Many jobs are v family friendly. None that I have done have been. Though I've never done proper nights only occaidional sleep ins

Nymph I suppose in my head family friendly means more 9-5pm with set days and hours and fitting in with more main stream childcare. Mine doesn't

I know what you mean but I was trying to make you feel better doesn't come over online
Is there anywhere to move to that is?

Oh sorry, I hope I didn't come across as rude back . Thank you though . It is what it is in the end, I'm lucky I have a job and lucky that they should be somewhat flexible and understanding. I may not get what I ideally want, but hopefully I should be able to get something workable. Actually my friend did mention a department I could work in which might suit my needs a bit more (could suit work as well, not many want to work on it as it can be a bit boring).

I've broached the subject with work. I want three days. They've said they'll come back to me.

I'd rather have to watch the pennies and have four days with DS than have more cash and someone else gets the fun/milestones with DS.

If work say no I'll look for something else.

Oh and Ds had had a bottle twice since birth and need to reintroduce it again otherwise as much as I love bf'ing I am worried u am cresting a rod for my own back!!!

It's ok you came across as if I'd been flipant & I prob sounded it

Nymph I must admit from the amount of stuff I see around MN a lot of jobs aren't very flexible at times with families. Also there seems to be a sort of resentment to those who have kids and take advantage of flexible working and have time off with sick children. Maybe we should all move to Switzerland, they seem to be a bit more 'on' with those types of things. I suppose its all a matter of perspective isn't it. Switzerland would mean copius amounts of Swizz chocolate wouldn't it.

Silver What did you do again?

Seashells You were a vet type person weren't you?

I'm going to be stricter with my work/life balance when I go back. If im in the same Job I can work later but no more having other people arranging stuff that finishes 8-9 pm then an hour home. Last time that happened was in my sleepy phase & when I told my boss she went mad so it's not compulsory! Think that will be able to come under bfeeding RA.
We dont have the CC problems others do though so it's easier for me

H not a lot if I can help it! Lol!!

My job is nowt special and is the kind that you should be able to switch off at the end of the day. My firm do have loads of PTers and a few job shares so I am hopeful that I get the PT request approved.

If anything I'll just be manic on my reduced hours as in a FT week I can be twiddling my thumbs now and then. Itsna real peaks and troughs.

Silver They do say that don't they that when you work part time, it's full time but with less hours.

Nymph Gosh yes, I've seen so many people whose life at home has suffered from the job, it's just not worth it is it. I think my lot have a breastfeeding risk assessment as well. I'm trying to find out what it covers at the moment.

That's why I'm trying to get out. Just can't afford to drop money with dh not working

Has he had any luck so far or is he still looking?

Nymph-I hope you dh gets work soon, it must be tough.

I spoke to a mortgage adviser today- I'd hoped to go back part time but it sounds like we can only afford a family home if I'm ft...which means a lot more stress for everyone and w/l balance totally skewed wrongly oh well...there will be a solution some how! I'm thinking begging may work!

God its stressful thinking about work isn't it?! I'm not a glamorous spy, I'm in the military and I opted for my post not to be kept open for me as I wanted a year's maternity leave and did not think it was fair on the area I worked in for the post to be vacant for a year (we have the right to return to the exact same job unless we waive that right.) My predecessor arrived in the job pregnant and she left the Service and her predecessor was rubbish so I thought it wouldn't be fair to leave the post vacant! I need to contact the person who organises our postings soon to remind him that I exist and to organise a new post. I have no idea whats available around October time. If he offers me a dream job that comes up a bit earlier I'd take it but thats a slim shot. Its something I'm trying not to worry about too much. Also, depending on where you're posted there might be childcare and there might be none available. Some stations have nurseries but they're also open to the public so places may be filled up by local people. More and more colleagues are getting au pairs for that reason. Our normal hours are 0800-1700ish but some places expect loads of longer hours. I'd also like to be near my DH but thats only happened twice in 10 years. Here's hoping. I'm really quite loving being a housewife/SAHM!!!

DD has been smiling loads recently (she seemed to be behind the drag curve compared to all your DCs but then she didn't have much to smile about what with a crack on the head then to be fitted with a pavlik harness). So she's not laughed but there's been plenty of gummy grins and cooing. She laughed for the first time today and I missed it . She laughed at my dad when I was loading up the car.

She went to bed 20 mins ago and she's taken to opening her eyes wide when I put her to bed but fortunately (fingers crossed) she seems to be self settling really well.

My spaniel closely resembled a toad today. He stole a bird's fatball at my parents, snuck it inside and scattered it all over their sitting room carpet. He was being curiously quiet and when I went to investigate I caught him furously trying to bolt the plastic net that the fat ball comes in. I just love stikcing my hand down a spaniel's mouth to retrieve this type of thing from the back of his throat. At least it wasn't my Scottie, she has a massive mouth with huge teeth and an incredibly strong jaw (designed to slay rabbits swiftly) and it can be very hard to retrieve unwanted things!

Sorry that was a really long post!I don't blame any of you if you don't read it!!