June 2009 - terrible twos here we come

[bigcar]

Here we are ladies

oh girls, I am having a shocker. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner

gauchita big big hugs to you my dear. Your SPD is miserable. If you are feeling a little out of control about the exercise/pain/size would you like me to send you up an Aussie physio exercise DVD esp for ante-natal? Very gentle, lots of things you can do, a focus on abdominal/pelvic floor strengthening and modifications to exercises for SPD? PM me your address, I would be happy to post it. If i were closer, I would happily give you some p hysio!

ninja love the photos!Wow!

june You are incredible with your running!Well done on a great time. I have been twice and although I can feel everything wobbling and need to wear enormous t-shirts, I felt great during and after the run. I now weigh more than I did when 38 weeks with Zoe and more than DH. Comfort eating has to stop. I need to keep reading your posts and keep up the motivation. You are an inspiration

As to keeping C happy on the plane- I bought a stack of cheap small toys/colouring books/sticker books, wrapped them and handed them out when needed. A is v v happy reading, so took a couple of favourite books. He also loves a fire engine/train etc so took a couple of little ones. 20p at the charity shop! We did have in seat TV, so he watched a bit of that too. Going for a walk around the plane helped. His meals were a bit crap so I took Ella's pouches and raisins and fruit bars. I took rice cakes too but they just crumbled in his bag. We were given a trunki which he loves. Spare clothes and a bib too. He threw up on landing into bangkok. Thankfully we were sorted for clothes/wipes/etc and has an amazing stewardess to help.

I have been trying to get unpacked, sort the kids sleep and have plenty of work on. To Pari s this week. Thankfully kids not too affected, just awake at 430 for 5 days . Now back to normal thank goodness.

bugger, got a teleconference and need to go get a from nursery, must sign off. Girls, am thinking of you and our littles ones! How the hell did they get to be 2??? .

afternoon all

june, wow a half marathon, very impressive you've plenty of time to prepare before september.

gauchita, yes thanks, rash and itch free again [yay] apart from the hayfever related stuff but I can handle that Any idea what you're going to get for Ms birthday?

snow, sounds manic! How's Z doing with her weight these days and the reflux? Time has certainly flown by, doesn't seem 5 minutes since they were all newborns. E is getting quite cheeky these days, he really makes me laugh though.

had a fab lunch out yesterday for a friends 40th, very, very posh restaurant with amazing food, all paid for by her dh as part of her present. Champers on arrival, different wine with each of the 5 courses, twas fantastic as was the company, hadn't seen friend much recently since they moved abroad so was great to see how well she looked, the warmer climes are obviously doing her good! We had a really good catch up, put a big smile on my face.

we've got dd3s finalised statement now with her new school named from september and the changes we asked for . . . happy days!

waves to all

ninja it's looking great already, do you know what colour you're putting on the walls?
We tried very hard to not have magnolia (mixing it with slightly darker white or lighter white etc) and yet people still commented on how "you can't go wrong with magnolia" ;) nevermind...
The idea was that we would put paintings up, it hasn't happened yet though.

gauchita started new trainer this morning in fact, how do you guys keep up with everyone else's stuff I don't know! He was great, very quiet and focussed, regimented (think military type) which is just what I need at the moment.

snow the hardest steps are the first ones, once you're in some kind of routine it is much easier to keep up, and when you start exercising I found that I automatically watched my diet very closely because you don't want the effort (and money) to go to waste.
In hindisght I would take some pictures now, and measurements (like weight once a week, measurements once a month) so that when you have lost a kilo or two you know it and you have a record of how well you are doing. (I used sparkpeople.com in the past but found it hard to find time to use it this time round. If you have an iphone they do have an app which I use for keeping a chart of my weight.)
Feel free to ignore the following advice, I just know that I liked being reminded of what to do and that worked for me.
Write down what you eat, it really helps. Then you can have a look at it and see some patterns, don't eat anything past 9pm, try and have dinner earlier. Cut some carbs out (dont have any for dinner, have some salad and veg instead. nuts/raisins as a snack (handful). drink green tea instead of normal tea. no alcohol. make sure you eat enough protein otherwise you're basically starving yourself and that doesn't work in the long run.
steam fish and broccoli and beans, cook chicken breasts in the pan with no oil, or roast chicken thighs in the oven but don't eat the skin.
What I found really helped was to have stuff ready to eat in the fridge so preparing lunch wasn't taking ages (cause otherwise you fall back on bread and jam too easily).
So I would get a lettuce, wash it and bag it ready to use, cook loads of chicken thighs on a sunday so I'd have two or three lunches sorted.
if you do have carbs make it wholemeal bread/pasta/rice, sweet potatoes.
I was aiming at 1500 calories per day, 350 breakfast (cereals, nuts raisins seeds), 250 snack (half a banana, small handul of cashew nuts and raisins for example, or poached egg with slice of brown bread), 350 lunch (salad and chicken, little bit of olive oil), 250 snack (fruit), 300 dinner (stamed fish or salmon cooked in the oven with broccoli). any less than that and your body thinks you're starving it and you'll end up a) not loosing any weight and b) getting ill. I also take vitamins (based on a nutritionist advice) which I think is important and very helpful for me.
Try something like that for 2 weeks. You only need to be strict at the beginning (at the same time I only cut down on some stuff progressively so as not thave cravings.) When you start to ses some results it's really encouraging.

I know it feels impossible to find the time and that's just with the one child, I'm very lucky that I can take the time out to do all the exercise that I do but exercise alone doesn't do it, your diet is very important.
I also weighed more than dh who is 6 foot tall at one point, it's a long road but it can be done, I've been there. . You find a local 5k or 10k Race For Life and get another mum to run with you. There's loads from now on because of the nice weather.

Sorry for the long post, I get carried away!!

Hi all!

June, glad the first impression of your new trainer was good How's work going? Hope it's not too hectic these days. C already settled in her new room at nursery?

Ninja, phew, glad the rash is gone. We got M magnetic numbers for her board, plus the two books we had purchased before... we'll see what she gets from others on Saturday and then see if we get her something else I want to get her a Trunki, I found great prices on eBay, and I just love how they look!

Snow, aren't you sweet!? If you don't mind and you're not using it, I'd love to borrow the DVD. I promise to give it back I'll PM you. I didn't get from your post if you had been to Paris already or if you were going this week but in any case, hope it goes/went smoothly

I saw my MW today. I'm 28 weeks, measuring 29cm, but she seems to be OK with that, phew. They found a tiny trace of protein in my urine today, but as my BP is soooooo low (it's always been) and I coincidentally told her today that I've been having lots of non-transparent discharge (sorry, TMI) she thinks it might be a UTI and ruled out pre-eclampsia. Swabs were taken and sent so I'll know next week.

M's birthday party is this Saturday. I'm a bit sad as only 3 of our 6 friends can come, and as there's no family around of course, it shall be a tiny party... oh well. I'm baking the cake, and I bought a Toy Story icing topper to go with it so fingers crossed for no accidents

I'm trying to convince DH to escape to Alton Towers waterpark on Tuesday, her actual birthday, as otherwise it'll be just me and her while DH works. These are the times when I'd like to have my parents closer

Waves!

Wow! MN iPhone app is here!!!! I know, I'm sad... And all smileys are inserted automatically just by choosing them, no need to type them!! I'm even sadder now, I know...

another reason why I NEEEEEEEEED an iphone [wants to just press grin]

gauchita, I love the trunkis, haven't got one yet, can't see we'd get any use as don't travel but have you seen the gruffalo one!! How are you feeling after your appointment, hope all's ok?

june, no idea on colour other than dh wants lime green for the new staircase . . . seriously. As tee would have said, no is a complete sentence! Our last house was a new build, whole heap of magnolia there, it drove me slightly barmy I think I'd like pale/subtle colours like you have but think there will have to be compromise and I've given the kids some choice in what they want in their bedrooms [help] So far ds1 has chosen red and yellow and I'd like white for my bedroom, not sure how practical that will be though, may have to rethink that one.

waves to all

hehe gauchita I got C's trunki delivered today (the ladybug), we're only giving it to her when we go on holiday at the beginning of july.

We're also going to wait until after C's bday to get something for her, I told you mil got her a bike (ffs!) and dh wants to wait and see what it looks like before we buy the one we carefully picked sil said she's getting a scooter. C's had an early present from one of her best friends who can't make it to the bday party, a doll that you can wash in the bath It worked really well, the last bath time had no tears, no stress and we managed to wash her hair (with a flannel, what a brilliant idea from my friend!!). We're still on one bath a week, last time was this Tuesday though so I'm planning on trying again this weekend at some point. She's gotten used to having a bath with her friend htough and has been asking for her today when I mentionned it. we'll see how it goes. Such a breakthrough though because since last year in February I think it has been a nightmare!!!

gauchita I have to check this app out :D
The new trainer is brilliant (I think, early days still and I still miss the other one ), second session today and he's basically told me I should rest more, sounds good to me!
I'm going to ask him to help me structure my training week better next time I see him.

It is hard when family are far away sometimes, the smaller parties are often the best ones though, have a good one!

Can you go somewhere with Mila on tuesday? A nice child friendly cafe /wagamama London? You could also arrange a little skype with relatives maybe?

We ordered a cake for c's bday party. Sil also said she was going to make cupcakes like last year, they were fab!

I need to get a few gardens toys and hope for good weather, we had a massive ball which was a hit with the kids but it just broke!! I'm thinking of getting a tunnel and a sandbox maybe, we have a little inflatable swimming pool but I don't know if everybody appreciates their kids getting soaked :S It is fun though, we give them a few watercans and they usually go and water the flowers ...

ninja Can you mix lime green and a lot of white to make it kinda pastel? LOL @ T's "no's a complete sentence" I have said this to other people myself since ;)

We have a visitor this weekend, I have a ton of work to catch up with and feel like I'm coming down with a cold. I'd better be off!

hello girls, hope you are all having lovely weekends.

Had a great trip to Paris. Was a long day, but training went well and I LOVE going on the Eurostar. MIL helped out and A had a great time at nursery. I did have a small amount of guilt as I ate my rabbit terrine and had a glass of wine, speeding through France, while DH and MIL did the bed routine. only for a minute though ,insert bad mother emotion>

gauchita how was M's party? Any joy with DH and a day out on Tuesday?
I don't have a PM from you yet, DVD packed ready to go!
Nothing wrong with a small party- A has 2 families with 2 kidlets each coming tomorrow afternoon.

Have my fingers crossed for good results from your tests. Measurement error on the fundal height is +/-2cm anyway, so please don't stress too much.

ninja YYEEAAAAAAAHHH for DD3's paperwork/placement all being sorted. What a relief. Finally! The fancy lunch sounds amazing!

Thanks for asking about Z. Still vomiting every feed but more settled and now on the 9th centile! Fat rolls on her legs and everything . I hope we have our last paed appt next week.

june the tips were brilliant. Did really well on the breakfast and lunches last week (apart from Paris ). Glad your trainer going well.

Ah, DH just in the door with dinner. Must go. Made two cakes for A- a shark and a train- one for nursery and one for home. I will have to link to a photo of the shark in the roof of a house in Oxford- will try in the morning!

A was born this time two years ago!

Happy birthday snow's a :)

snow, happy birthday to A, hope you all have a fab day Good to hear Z is getting there now

june, hope the weekend visitors proved fun

gauchita, hope the party went well, how did the big buzz go down?

waves to all

Morning ladies!

Snow, Happy Birthday to A!!! We hope he has a lovely day today Great news on Z's weight front! Hopefully the vomiting will decrease and subside soon for good. She's 6 months already, isn't she? Oh, don't feel guilty about Paris! Please think of every single night you've been in charge of both DC single-handedly! You deserved it, my friend. I forgot to PM you, silly me, I'll do it after this post

Ninja, lime green, huh? I think June's suggestion is a good one, do you think he'll agree on it buy it? Great news on DD3's school front, whoo hoo!

June, did you like the app? I was trying to post from it yesterday but we were on our way to my friend's daughter's birthday in Stoke and DH was talking to me so I couldn't concentrate but I really like it, for a first version it's fab! Glad to hear things with the new trainer are on track. More rest sounds good! Especially as you're already doing SO well. Maybe, as you say, just a little structure is all you need now to go on Wow, a bike from MIL, you mean like a big bike? or those smaller ones for toddlers? Fingers crossed for not another huge rocking horse repeat!!

We ordered M's trunki in the end. We bought her the princess carriage Ninja, I saw the gruffalo, it's brilliant! Although M wouldn't know what it is, so

M's party was lovely, in the end 5 girls came. Only one had RSVPd, then I called 2 more, and then 2 more said there were coming as well. We had it at DH's work private dining room so we had lots of space just for them to run around and help with the preparation and cleaning up We blew up balloons, took M's blackboard and DH bought a big colouring booklet at the very last minute which proved to be a hit with the little ones They all sat and coloured together, it was very sweet.

The Buzz piñata was a hit! M almost flipped when she saw him (and it's still here at home standing next to her bed every night ) DH had to help a bit with the "opening" of it, but they all enjoyed all the things that rained over their heads DH took charge of the cake icing and topper placing, and he did a great job, phew! I'll try and upload a few pics for you all to see.

Thank God I decided to wait until the party to see what we got her, she got quite a few things, included one of those Leaptops from Leapfrog that we were thinking of buying She got a "ball-pit" tent that is staring at me at the moment in the middle of the living room but she loves it. These are times I think we need a garden She has definitely taken over the whole living room now.

Right, off to start the day. Hope you have a great start of the week ladies.
Waves!

hey gauchita Glad to hear the party went well :D Let us know when you've got some pics up. Have you made plans for tomorrow?
Wow I didn't know there's a princess carriage! we only looked at animals ones.

re: trainer. Well just after he told me I'm training too much I came down with a bad cold/sore throat which prompted a "see, told you"... Also got slight allergy to ibuprofen I think as I almost passed out yesterday. That's not the first time this happens to me. (last time was a couple of years ago - not just before I found out I was pregnant before someone puts 2 and 2 together!;).

The app is great, much easier to post on it than the regular site from the phone!

Did I not tell you the story of the bike? I might not have, I was so livid. We spent ages picking a bike (chose the types of handles, tyres, handle at the back, etc etc) and then mil announced that she put a deposit on a bike for C. she got it from an adult shop and it was the only one there so I doubt it'll be suitable. I have not seen it. I was gobsmacked, then furious. I don't want her to buy C her first bike. And I don't think it's all right to give her both because then she'll have two and it's not special anymore. (one for IABU...)

To answer an earlier question C is settled at nursery now I think (touch wood). The last two times I dropped her off she waved me goodbye. when we pick her up we have a little look first to see what she is doing and she always look like she's having fun. I think it'll be nice next year when we start getting funding for them to go to pre-school. (When do we get that again? I think ninja had worked it out, sept 2012?)

She's also had her first bath on her own yesterday since she started being scared of it, no tears at all and she let me wash her hair. This is looking promising for our holiday in Dubai as they have a little water parc in the kids club.

How are we all doing with potty training? There was a little girl on the potty at nursery today, she's only a little bit older than C. Last weekend I had to sit on the toilet for quite some time and C sat on her potty and spent ages getting toilet paper to wipe her bum and looking if there was "weewee" there (there wasn't). She doesn't yet get the concept that she has (well, should/will have) control over that!

right gotta go for now, take care juners!

Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes for A.He had a lovely afternoon tea with his friends. Didn't bite anyone!Sun came out so we played in the garden,and my house remains tidy. He can say 'two' too.his language finally coming along.
Night girls,am shattered.

Happy Birthday Miss M hope you have a lovely day. Did you convince DH to take you out gauchita?
Gorgeous day here, but must get some work done before heading out

Hope all are well

happy birthday to M, hope you have a fab day

Morning ladies!

Snow, Ninja, thanks for the birthday messages for M

I forgot to say that yes, I had convinced DH to ditch postpone a meeting he had today to go to Alton Towers. Everything was ready until M started with temperature and a very runny nose yesterday (Sod's law!). We're still doing something all together today but no water park.

She's not too bad, I think it might be a mixture of cold and teething as her last two molars are coming through atm.

Her trunki arrived yesterday, she saw it this morning and is already riding it around the flat

Will be back later for a catch-up.

Waves!

Happy birthday M :D, hope you have a lovely day and the temperature comes down.
Need to sort some "stuff" out for C's bday party, I haven't really got much of a plan other than let the kids play in the garden...and put some music on in the living room.
Party bags need to be sorted as well. I saw some small toystory buckets in a pound shop and dh suggested they would make a good party bag!

What is everyone else doing? Any ideas of garden toys we can add? I have a small slide and a swimming pool, some balls, a ball pool, a small ikea baby tent, a couple of hula hoops, some water cans. I think that's plenty actually.
if the weather is nice!!!
I probably need to think of a way to make it more festive, like put some tacky "happy birthday" decorations up or something. Need some balloons obviously... Lots do do.

right dh is off the phone and C is sleeping, time to have an important conversation about decorations

Belated happy birthday to A and M! Glad everyone enjoyed themselves even if as parents you were completely knackered afterwards.

Finding it difficult to arrange party for N as she has so many cousins of very varying ages. We have settled on going swimming followed by a picnic/party food at home depending on weather the weekend after her birthday so all the cousins can be there. This weekend will be seeing my mum, my brother and his girlfriend and park with paddling pool and sandpit so she will still enjoy herself.

Potty training this end going well, N wears knickers and does poos and wees on potty when at home (comes and asks us to pull knickers down) and often asks to go at bedtime now once I have put a nappy on so will be moving to pullups at night soon. My success with potty training came from modelling it by pulling down own knickers and pretending to go on her potty, also talked a lot about me and her older cousins (who she loves to emulate) going on the potty and wearing knickers. Now thinking about next phase re: portable potty or putting child seat on toilet when out and about, bit difficult for DH as he will have to take her into the ladies. Ninja you've done this all before many times over, what do you recommend as the next step?

Right off to write more end of year reports, catch you soon ladies x

Z is 6 months today. Bloody hell, where did that time go.
gauchita package sent, hope it is to you today or tom
Zhen N's birthday celebrations sound fun. She is amazing with her potty training.
june your garden sounds fab!The other things we have are a wendy house and a little tikes whale rocker.
ninja how is the lime green debate?
Bugger, Z crying and I have a work conference in 15 mins. Wish me luck to sound vaguely professional with kids runnign arounfd. Thank god for the mute function!

Hi all!

Happy birthday Vene's F!!! Hope you're having a great day!!!

Snow, thank you I'll let you know as soon as it arrives. Wow, 6 months! My calculations were not wrong then I remembered her being born a few days after my birthday I'm amazed at your ability to take on a conference call with the DC at home! Whenever I'm offered telephone interpreting assignments I have to make sure DH is at home to be with M, hats off to you, lady! Hope the call went well today

Zhen, N's birthday idea sounds brilliant! Swimming + food party/picnic sounds like fun Well done N on the potty training front. M's quite on and off about it, sometimes she sees me going for a wee and asks for her nappy to be removed and sits and wees... then other times she just stares at me while I wee and if I ask her whether she wants to sit on the potty she just answers "no" Not quite there yet I think

June, OMG, I'd have been livid like you. The lady is not the best at understanding boundaries, is she? despite you two discussing these things several times in the past with her. What are you going to do about it now???? Has DH said anything? Can she retrieve the "deposit" and get something else? Your ideas for the garden party sound fab as well, you've mentioned plenty of things for the children to play with and entertain themselves for hours!!!

Ninja, I second Snow, update on the lime green front?

M had a nice day yesterday. We came to DH's and invaded the place Nah, we waited for him to finish some things and then went for a walk together, got her a Toy Story balloon she saw on the street and practically spent all day together, which was nice. I guess Alton Towers shall have to wait for a bit. She was fine all day and again got a temp during the night, which now I'm practically fully attributing to teething, come on those last two molars!!!

Right, off to finish some work!

Waves!

oh sorry I didn't realise today was F I'll put on my best singing voice happy birthday F!!! Hope you've had a fab day

vene how was F's birthday? Hope he had a lovely day.
Also hope that any friends and family Christchurch way are ok.

My goodness, has anyone ventured on wider mumsnet at the moment. It is scary out there. AIBU particularly nasty (you know, more than usual, with plenty of inflammatory threads)

Anyone's kidlets still biting? I have signed 2 incident forms at nursery this week. Plus still biting Z too. No pattern to it. Can go days without any problems. Nursery ones mainly related to fighting with bigger kids over toys.
I know he will grow out of it and we are very consistent with time out and saying sorry etc at home and nursery. But aaahh, there is such a stigma of being a 'biter'. He rarely hits but this bloody biting is doing my head in.

gauchita would you believe i had managed to get both kids asleep by the time the call started. Incredible. Usually I am muting myself and then excusing the noise when I try and say my bit. I do try and do most of it when A is at nursery,but actually he is pretty easy to keep happy with a train set or some books. Screamy Mcscreamy on the other hand is a little more tricky.
So pleased you had a lovely day with DH and M. How was the cake? I went a little overboard on cakes, one for nursery (a train) and one for home (a shark).

Right, must go to bed.DH on call and I didn't even take advantage of having the remote to myself. Silly!

happy birthday F :D hope you had a good day vene!

need to cach up on the thread!

zhen im impressed with the potty training. i have sat in the toilet with C sat on the potty and she is waiting to do a wee, gets up and checks every now and then but nothing yet. other times like M she just doesn't want to go on there.

are your little ones still sleeping in a cot? im really tempted to try and put C in a bed. our ones are too high but we had a look at the ones ikea do and the wooden ones look nice.

Happy birthday C!!! Hope the weather down south is as sunny as here and you're having a great party outside in the garden Hope you have a lovely day!

Back later for a catch-up.

Waves!