June 2009 - terrible twos here we come

[bigcar]

Here we are ladies

Evening all!

Strawberry, oh hectic days for you all (((hug))) Hope it all goes well this weekend. Are all your friends already lined up to help then?

Venetian, you've described very well my current state When MS is so bad you don't really "enjoy" the pg itself, and you start wondering whether you're insane to have another one indeed! I'm glad to hear all this goes away as one starts feeling better Thanks for your words. Ooohh exciting days ahead for you! I'm sure after F starts going to nursery twice a week and you start dipping your fingers in new business ideas/potential projects etc, you'll feel like a duck in the water again It's scary, as you say, but it'll be worth it

June, yep, CP is gone Oooh any news from your friend? Congratulations to them Wow is your area sought after, woman?! I really hope the catchment area stops getting smaller and smaller and C can get into the school you want. How was the manicure?

Bigcar, WOW... that is... WOW A minefield indeed! I never cease to be amazed at how complicated the education system is Oh well, first, as Snow said, we need to know where we'll be! We're thinking of relocating by the end of this year, so after we do we'll get cracking Thanks for your advice re. M's eating. It's hard not to worry, but I'm trying. She drinks around 1lt of milk a day!!! If she could she'd live on milk she would I'm resorting to offering offering and offering things, and hope that some of them she accepts. I hate waste, though, which is why cooking and then having to throw away things untouched breaks my heart.

Snow, how was the solo parenting last night? Hope not too eventful, and that you managed to rest. The idea of a nanny to be able to go swimming with A is good. Or maybe DH's help, like June suggested? I wish we were closer, I'd love to babysit but we're far far away unfortunately, boo hoo. Glad to hear your managed to get Z's passport sorted

Right, MS is still here in full force but on very bad days/or when I have to go out and work I'm taking some drops I brought from SA that are pg-safe and that help A LOT! It's amazing how everything changes once those queasy feelings are gone I feel I can function again!

Still uncertain as to where to go for a short break next week. Any suggestions, most welcome! I think there are so many choices we're ending up lost We're going for 3 days, 2 nights, somewhere peaceful or relaxing but where M can have fun as well We were thinking of the Lake District but then saw on websites very very few things that would be fun for M. So we're still looking!

Waves!

evening all

snow, hope yesterday went well lots of the mums here put their baby in the car seat on the poolside, think there's a small creche as well, so worth looking around at different pools to see what you're happy with. I think most things pass for 'normal' with babies, all mine have had a stage in the day when they're really grotty, can't keep them happy, usually between about 6 and 10pm, sounds about the same amount of time.

june, just thought it'd be easier to put the date, save confusing myself, dh usually says 'next' but means 'this' arghhhhh no need to worry yet, most places are keen to get the funding so they'll let you know when, it's not usually done until the start of that term anyway once they're sure you're using the place. How was the manicure, sounds good

venetian, good luck with the work, sure you'll get back into the swing soon enough I once saw Simon Groom, not really sure he counts as famous though

strawberry, good luck with the move

gauchita, keeping fingers crossed for the ms wearing off soon. Have you considered centre parcs, not to everyones taste but would fill both your requirements. We went to the longleat one a few years back and loved it, that site is just up the road, literally, from the longleat estate with the wild animal park thingy.

waves to all

actually gauchita centerparcs is a good one, we went to elveden.

snow i remember C. used to get wind and we used to give her infacol regularly, did that for ages and put her in one of these swings when she was colic crying too.
a friend of mine's son had reflux and was prescribed gaviscon, worth checking maybe?
i think it is normal to spit up a bit after each feed but there is a point where you start to think it should be checked out probably.

strawberry good luck with the move this weekend!!!

venetian you do loose your confidence when you haven't worked for a bit but it will come back very quick once you get started. are you still looking to start your own business? good luck with everyting.

getting fed up with AF...short cycles, 3 and a bit weeks. instead of 28 days. this mini pill is ok though hormones wise, not getting depressed and feeling quite normal overall so I don't really want to change it...

The manicure was great, mmy hands are soft and my nails are nice and dark red now :) downside is that it took over an hour, time to get there let the nails dry etc and so now i have not finished my work yesterday and better get back to it now!

take care!

Hi all!

Bigcar and June, thanks for the recommendation yes, I remembered June had recently gone and had enjoyed their stay very much so I went online the other day to give it a looksie Unfortunately they have set days, it's either a weekend (3 nights) or during the week (4 nights) and that's looking complicated as we'd only be able to go for 2 nights. Oh, and weekends are almost impossible as DH usually works. I'll talk to him when he gets home and see... otherwise I'll have to keep looking!

Sorry to hear AF is giving you a bit of grief, but as you say, it's good that hormone-wise the pills turned out OK Glad to hear you enjoyed your manicure

It's suddenly very cold here, temps dropped yesterday quite a bit and you can feel it

Off to bed soon Waves!!!

Hi everyone,

have been v. busy this week marking tonnes of practise SAT papers so haven't had much time to post .

June - what a lovely thing to get a free pampering, whenever I paint my nails they always end up chipped and wonky so I stick to plain ol' short nails. I used to love having and painting long nails they just don't suit teaching. DH and I were having a discussion the other day about SIL's nails, which are v. v. long and false, we were wondering how she manages to wipe her bum :o, it must be painful if you have talons!

Bigcar - Thanks for the low-down on the pre-school/school funding/entry times. We are starting to think about it already, but could be faced with moving out of area before N would be entering school and then be faced with choosing all over again.

Strawberry - good luck with the packing and the move this weekend, I hope it goes smoothly for you guys.

Venetian - Don't worry, it will all come back to you. I feel like that every time I go back after a long break with teaching, then within the first 10 mins I am flung straight into it and it all comes flooding back!

Snow - Thanks for the recipe, love tarte tatin :) N used to have terrible wind around that age, then it was almost as if as she grew her gut became more able to pass wind by farting and it all went away. My best trick for wind is to wind them sitting upright on your knee, with chin resting on thumb and forefinger of one hand. Then bend over and place your mouth on the middle of their back and make low sounds like a digeridoo. The heat and the sound seem to help them pass the wind and eases the cramping in the belly (I did it on my friend who had bad period pains and it worked for her too). Alternate with pat and rub. Infacol for really bad nights. If reflux bad raising the cot helps too. Hope you can find time to swim with A, you could get a mothers help for a couple of hours (I did this as a teen) so that you can go once in the week and then if DH is around at weekends you could have a family swim and swap over maybe?

Gauchita - Centerparcs sounds like a good idea, that way there is something for everyone and in all weathers too. Glad you found something that works for MS at least some of the time, I tried loads of the standard prescriptions for MS, none of them did anything for me. It was changing my diet that helped, I found that anything fatty triggered it so stuck to mainly veg, ice lollies and savoury snacks (such as toast and marmite!) for a while. With regards to M's eating, have you tried finger food on the run (if she doesn't like to sit and eat it could mean she gets more in). What are her likes/dislikes/general meals maybe we could help you by coming up with ideas for easy on the go food?

gauchita - research it beforehand. Prices can be very steep, but apparently if you read up beforehand and plan it carefully you can keep it reasonable i.e. if you plan to cycle, bring your own bikes, find out what is free and what costs etc etc.

allsheep can you give me some vague hint as who you were before your name change. I used to have the name of a flower beginning in d then a number after it.

snow - dd had silent reflux, son had colic. Reflux is acid rising from stomach into the throat - because the little 'trap door' doesn't close completely. It can be agonising for them and is usually worst 60-90 minutes after feeding and when they are lying flat, so sleep best in slightly upright position. There are websites with many other tips about what to do. If very mild then sometimes baby gaviscon is enough. Here is a flow chart with the steps in how to address it. Colic is usually upwards of 2 hours anytime from 4pm onwards. Pain comes from the bowel. I'm not sure why a bowel complaint is associated with nighttime but maybe the combination of tiredness and pain makes it worse then.

Quick tip - I just went on to Boden site to buy my almost 5 year old a second hooded cardigan in red in the sale (she has a blue one which she has practically lived in this winter), and they were all sold out.....

...but there are still some in for £16 for 2-3yr olds. I really recommend it as an lovely jumper. hooded cosy cardy link

Venetian - think you have me confused with Ineed (can't remember her new name), I joined you guys late so have always been AllSheep

afternoon all

it seems really cold here today [brrrrr] E is having a lovely long nap, probably because dd2 woke him at 8.30 last night and it was midnight before I got him back to sleep. He's been really unsettled since last week, it's his teeth, I'm not used to sleep deprivation any more, he's been really good for a while now

dd3 has been asked in for an assessment at the school we want, hopefully that will be ok, then it's back to panel again for a final decsion. I've been told they've got the dla forms and have made a decision already, they just can't tell me over the phone what it is so I'm waiting for that letter now. I need for all this to be out of the way and over with, I need to destress, the usual medicinal glass of wine is not cutting it right now

waves to all

bigcar Hope everything goes ok at the assessment. Why are they not allowed to say over the phone? how stressfull, I don't have anything stronger to offer to destress (you should try boxing sometime, it's amazing for that purpose ;))

I'm trying to make a compilation cd and regretting it already, it's not going fast enough

My friend has had her baby boy, yay! I haven't seen her yet, giving her space and all that. What shall I get for the baby?Something useful like a blanket maybe or some towels?? I got a bottle of bath oil for the mummy. She said there had been complications and she spent a few days in hospital (since friday, came out today) she didn't say what kind but they're all ok now.

Right, back to my cds...

aaaaahhh, just wrote a huge post and the computer ate it.
We ok here, thank you so much for all your helpful ideas for Z. Def a reflux baby like her big brother, fortunately not as severe. More of a happy chucker .
Beautiful morning, going to get into town and get a new cosi. Swimming lesson childcare solved- hired a nanny for a few hrs- she is lovely and A and I had a great time in the water.
Ah A, well, my beautiful boy is biting his sister on her head. He also hit kids at nursery yesterday . Lots of tantrums, throwing himself on the floor and crying. He loves her, wants to cuddle her, shares his toys etc and mainly gives her gentle kisses but then goes and bites her when kissing her . All I can think to do is keep her out of his reach, but he wants to give her things and just be near her.

Will come and redo the personals later. Hope you all ok and thanks again.Bloody computer.

hey snow C went through a phase where she was biting at nursery, we just kept on with a firm "no", then telling her to say sorry and/or kiss the baby she's bitten/hit instead. She doesn't bite anymore. She occasionally hits children who are smaller than her on the head, not sure whether it is affectionate or just to get more of a response/interaction from them iyswim. they grow out of it I think (hopefully!).
Glad to hear you got to swim! How did you find a nanny? Desperately trying to get dh to take me on a date but he's just not comfortable with leaving C. with anyone.

Hi all!

Snow, oh so glad you got to go swimming with A and got to sort a nanny for Z. Hope you had a great time! I think, as June says, it's a phase and they all go through them. A consistent "no" together with a kiss and sorry, again as June says, might help? He might be SO excited to spend time with her and give her things/share toys with her that he doesn't know how to control his emotions You know when adults sometimes say "oh I love you so much I could squeeze you" or things like that but the difference is we can restrain ourselves

June, aww congratulations to your friend! Towels sound like a good idea, I like how you're thinking practically I had completely forgotten to get some before M arrived and a friend of mine saved the day Hope you're friend is feeling/getting better now. Oh, I hope you manage to convince DH to let you get a babysitter for a night so that you can go out on a date

Bigcar, yay! great news! Although there is something I didn't quite understand. If they told you they've already made a decision but won't tell you, why does DD3 have to go through the assessment? Or are those two unrelated? Keeping things crossed here then.

Venetian, you were right there, prices can be very steep, especially if you're not booking in advance. The range of choice is so vast, though, you end up even more confused Is it this week that F starts nursery twice a week?

Allsheep, thanks for the offer although it might be a bit more complicated than you think She likes things one week and then reject them the following one, which is what confuses/frustrates me the most. One week I buy clementines and she loves them, then I buy them again and they go untouched. But generally finger food "would" be tried (and rejected at first). I've bought Ready Brek and started offering that for breakfast and she's accepting it so far. We'll see! Hope work is going well

Right, after I left the getaway organising to DH and he failed horribly, I found myself this morning desperately looking for a place to go I ended up finding a very nice child-friendly spa hotel not too far away from here (about an hour or so). Off tomorrow for two nights and three days, yay!

I must do some packing now

Waves!

wow gauchita a spa break sounds fabulous :) have a great time!
how's your learning french going by the way?

allsheep how is your new job?

i met my friends newborn yesterday, wow they are so tiny :) how quickly i forgot! that's made me even more sure i'm not ready for the next one, problem is i think it's had the opposite effect on dh, he was holding the baby getting all emotional, awww :)

i've started having very graphic horrible nightmares again like when i was pregnant, not sure why this happens, very unsettling though. maybe because dh has been mentionning second baby with a kind of now or never undertone to it...
bigcar i never did get the appointment with the midwife or got my notes but i do have all the paperwork to send back so i think i definitely need to do this thanks for reminding me.

off to do some more work now, take care!

morning all

june, yay for your friend! Dla won't tell you over the phone because it's policy not to, think probably because people don't always get what they are expecting and they don't want to get shouted at

snow, pleased you made swimming How's A doing, he will stop doing it soon.

gauchita, sorry for confusing things. Dla is disability living allowance that dd3 gets, it's a benefit that comes at various rates so you always worry that you won't get it or they'll give you a lower rate even though circumstances haven't changed. We finally got the letter and dd3 will continue on the same rate as before. The assessment is completely separate and is about the school place we want for her, they want to see if she is suitable for the school and if they can meet her needs. Hope that's a little clearer Hope you've had a fantastic break and the ms held off

strawberry, how did the move go, everything settled at your parents?

dd2s birthday tomorrow so getting ready for the onslaught of a house full of 12 year olds for the afternoon. So much for a peaceful weekend

waves to all

Morning all!

Bigcar, oh I missed the DLA bit and got all confused, sorry Glad to hear they've decided to continue giving her the same rate, and not lower How was DD2's birthday? Happy belated birthday to her. I bet it was fun having 12 yo running amok Hope you get a deserved rest today

June, oh, my French has been... interrupted. Remember I said I had to send the DVD back because it had stopped working? Well, they took a month to send the new one and when it arrived it didn't work either!!! So I had to contact them again and have them access my computer remotely from there to see what was going on. They fixed it, but I've lost almost a month and a half. Not too much luck on the customer service department for me lately, huh? Anyway, I'm now torn between asking for my money back (guarantee expires in March) or start again

How's work? Hope not too hectic. Aw, it's nice to see DHs all cooey over babies although I got a bit when you said this bit "with a now or never undertone to it" Do you think he means that? You had a very hard time with C's birth and those wounds are still open, otherwise you wouldn't feel the way you do. Hope you manage to talk about it and he understands (((hug)))

Our break was very nice, although the hotel managed to do some strange things like thinking it was OK to leave our new towels ON the floor outside our room I've been to plenty of hotels, both cheap and not, and I had never seen that. When we asked the guy to replace them he looked puzzled Oh well... M hated the pool The first day she just stayed quiet but the second day she cried horribly as soon as we went in I hope it's just the fact she hadn't been there in a while

And another bit of news is I'll start working two afternoons a week for DH's boss Things are quiet on the work front and too much time at home feeling queasy is doing my head in. The best thing is there's a nursery 200 yards away from where we'll be and M has been accepted so she starts on Monday for a couple of hours of "adaptation" The only thing is what it will be like to work "with" DH Any tips June?

Right, off to start Sunday cleaning, oh the fun!

Waves!

I'm killing this thread too often these days

Hope you're all well, ladies Here MS is still at it in full force and now it has started waking me at night as well!

Waves!

gauchita, MS waking you at night, that is horrid.How are you managing with M, the new job and functioning in the day? Hope DH has taken responsibility for all things housework/cooking wise.
bigcar how was the party?b What do 12 yr old girls want to do at a bday party?
june so about your nightmares. Can you go to the hospital for a birth 'debriefing'?Do they offer it?

Bugger that your DH does not feel comfortable leaving c with anyone. We use A's key worker for babysitting. I found the nanny from Gumtree- she was doing two part time jobs and had a few hours free.
strawberry I hope the move has gone ok, thinking of you
allsheep new job ok?
venetian any progress on the return to work front? Got your cv sorted? Motherhood has many transferable skills

Can't believe it has been a week since i posted, sorry, house of snotty kids and dh being at work sooo much.
waves to all

heya gauchita I had replied to your post but when I pressed sent it all disappeared and I had no spare time ;)
So working with dh is not always easy, but we have been doing it for over 10 years now (god I fell OLD saying that out loud!)

Work can be a stressfull environment, what with deadlines, budgets etc so you just have to not take things personally (say if he asks you to do something that's not exactly in your job description or something that bores the hell out of you or tells you you have done something wrong/made mistakes) and not get offended if the manner/tone is a bit short.

I think it depends what kind of relationship you have, we have disagreements but we hardly ever argue and have never had a shouting match. If we have one rule it's that we always make up/find a compromise before going to bed.

Over the years I have learnt what irritates dh and I avoid the triggers. Also I know that nothing nice will come out of his mouth before he has had coffee and a cigarette in the morning so I leave out the bad news until later! (and I make him his coffee when I can, it's in my interest! ;))

We also don't really work from the same room which is good as dh interrupts me all the time otherwise (his stuff is always somehow more important than mine!).

Have you started the new job now, how did it go?

You should carry on with learning french ;) can you get a tutor instead of a cd? someone who wants to learn portugese as well? I taught french to a little greek girl and her parents were supposed to teach me greek (never happened though I got ripped off!!!)

snow there is a debrief I can do, I applied for my notes and I need to fill in the forms and send it all back. No more nightmares since then, phew.
I hope the kids are getting better. our nursery won't let us ask the staff to babysit, such a shame.

It does make me feel a little bit down that an evening just the two us is not a good reason enough to get a babysitter.

We went to see my friend's newborn yesterday, she had an episiotomy and the stitches have come undone, OUCH, she's also not getting much sleep as you can imagine.
I think I got her the wrong present, relaxing bath oil, I don't even know if she has a bathtub, but I realised yesterday it's a lovely idea but she won't have time to have a bath at all will she.
I should have stuck to "towels"! (never too late to redeem myself, I'm sure I'll come up with something else.)

morning all

gauchita, sorry to hear about the ms, that's miserable to say the least. Are you managing to keep food down? Have you started working with dh, how's it going? Are you thinking of getting a double pushchair, someone posted a link last week to the new double bugaboo, my god, the price is just jaw dropping

snow, what do 12 year old girls want to do at a party? BE LOUD!!!!!! Hope dd and ds are feeling better. How are your friends getting on that moved away?

june, that's a lovely present, she may not get to make the most of it right now but she will at some point in the fairly near future. We don't have a bath but we have been known to nip round to mils to borrow hers to have a bit of a soak. Hope you manage to persuade dh that a child free evening out is a must, having time as a couple is really important, I'm sure someone you know could recommend a really reliable and responsible babysitter.

dd2s party went well, thanks if a little loud! At that age they fairly much amuse themselves, so it's a case of making sure there's enough food and drink available really. We got dd2 just dance 2 for the wii so they all had a go on that, was very amusing, dd1 came over as well, she was up joining in too

spent yesterday up at the hospital, dd3 was a body for the doctors paediatric exams again, felt sorry for them having to assess her speech and language when she barely spoke! Couldn't believe a couple of them asked if I had concerns about her hearing, um, yes, can you not see the whacking great bright pink hearing aid not that I would say that but jeez. It turned out to be quite a nice day, about 4 of dd3s friends from sn groups we used to go to were there so managed to get a bit of a catch up. Found out one of the little boys from the physio group had passed away in october he's the third lo we've lost from our groups over the last 4 years, this is the part of the sn community that I hate, it's so bloody unfair

waves to all

Hi all!

Oh, so nice to see the thread busy again

Bigcar, glad to hear DD2's birthday party went well Bless DD3 being a "body" again for them, you've mentioned she's very good and stays still for them I guess they didn't score many points on the hearing section of their assessment Oh, so sad about that little boy We discussed the whole pushchair issue with DH and couldn't reach a conclusion tbh I don't know whether to get a double one or not. We'd have to switch cars for starters as my boot is big enough for one only And then's the whole what do I do with M's Maclaren? Do I keep it for later on? do I sell it? Decisions decisions

June, thanks for the tips I'm also working at a different office from DH's, and I also think that's the best option It's not within my job description but I bring him water and food (he goes into things so much he forgets to eat ) He doesn't drink coffee and thank God as I don't know how to work those big machines. Basically I'm given everything he or his boss don't have time to deal with (usually paperwork) but I heard yesterday they're handing me all the payroll/payment responsibilities The good thing is this doesn't prevent me from doing my job as a translator/interpreter as I can just go to assignments or work on translations from home Ouch, hope your friend's stitches get sorted and they heal soon. As Bigcar said, she can leave the oil for a special relaxing occasion soon Glad to hear the nightmares haven't returned. A debriefing sounds like a good idea, it might offer the closure you need

Snow, hope the snot clears soon at the Snow household. So great you get to hire A's keyworker for babysitting At the moment M's going to a new nursery while I work (it's about 200 yards away from work), MS is not controllable at all, unfortunately, but housework is OK as DH is helping A LOT, during the weekend, obviously, but if there's a deep clean at the weekend, then I just have to do minor things during the week

MS sucks!!!! It's literally with me ALL day. I don't actually throw up, thank the Lord! I'm just nauseous and queasy, and dry retching ALL day I have to have something in my mouth all the time, as the "non-taste/flavour" makes me nauseous. Water is a no-no unless it's sparkling It's just ridiculous, ladies

Oh, and on Sunday M sliced the top of her little pinky finger when she sat on her doll's pram and fell backwards I was hysterical but thankfully DH was here and took over. I could only see the blood and jeez, how much blood can come out of such a tiny thing!

Waves!

on no, is M ok? It's horrible when things like that happen. E fell over in school a couple of weeks ago and gave himself a black eye because his face landed on the play house, ouch. At least you've plenty of time still to decide on whether to get a double, keep an eye out for the summer sales may be. It could be that come the summer M will want to walk everywhere anyway, dd2 never used the double after she turned 2, she hated it. Buggyboard may be a good option? Unless you're really short of space definitely keep the maclaren, they come in so handy.

hi gauchita my friend who just had the baby has bought a double buggy, I know she was researching it a few months back so I can let you know what she got in the end.
Most people I have talked to about this have said that the one where there is a child on top of the other are heavy to lift when going up kerbs for example, which makes it quite difficult. The good point being that they're not as wide.

Does M still use the buggy a lot? C. is just not bothered about it and we have not used it in 2 months. as bigcar said, a buggyboard might work?

Hey bigcar Ouch for E and the playhouse!
I slipped down the stairs (towards the bottom thankfully and on my own more importantly!!!!) last week and had a bit of a swollen wrist for a day, all fixed now though.
re: dh and going out, we get plenty of couple time in the evening as C. goes to bed around 7 or 7:30 pm and I'll stay up later at the weekend so I'm not too worried about that side of things, it's just the going out to the cinema for example, or a three course meal in a nice restaurant where there won't be screaming kids to entertain--.
dh just wants to wait until C. is older and that's that as far as I can tell.
It does make me sad everytime I think about it. I'm starting to think that I should find some mates to go out to the cinema with to be honest.

Are you guys celebrating Valentine's day? We're planning on having a bit of champagne and blinis once baby is sleeping.
Now that I have held my friend's newborn a couple of times it feels wrong to call C. a "baby" still , she is so much bigger than him!!

Well dh and C are both sleeping already and I don't know what to do with myself, this is unexpected! . I wish I had a good book to read. (any recommendations welcome, I'm into comedy/light hearted easy reading).

afternoon all

june, I don't think an evening out is too much to ask, as you said, she's not a baby any more, would valentines not be the perfect excuse We'll be doing our usual for valentines, nothing really don't have the energy at the moment to do much at all! I reckon 1 glass of wine would put me to sleep right now How's your wrist, that must have hurt!

E is definitely teething again, sleep's been pretty all over the place for the last 2 weeks, hope this passes soon, I need my sleeeepppp! Ds1 has a sleepover at a friends tonight, dd2 is away with the scouts from tonight until sunday so it'll hopefully be pretty peaceful round here [yay] may even catch up on some sleep, you never know

dd3 has her assessment at the school we want her to go to on tuesday, I'm getting really nervous, if they don't feel they can meet her needs then I've no idea where we go next [panic] there's not much provision for dcs like her. Also found out on wednesday that dd3s annual review is in about 4 weeks time so that's added a whole heap more paperwork and stress to the pile, arrrggghhhh. My to do list gets bigger by the day, I've asked for Es speech to be assessed as he's not really progressing, think the glue ear may be back [sigh] Oh well, at least I've no excuse to be bored, roll on the peaceful weekend

have a good weekend juners whatever you're doing, waves to all