December 2009 - Still waiting for our Silent Night

[BlathIceSkate]

New thread

Oh Blue, wish I had something useful to say.. hope the HV has something useful for you. Have a cyber hug from me instead.

I guess you have to have a 3/4 year old to truely get who Kwazii and Tunip are. I bet ABF knows :)

We've had a lovely day today. We had a great time at the Sea Life Centre and then both Alex and Catherine ate everything they could get their hands on at Pizza Express! Both even slept all the way home :) Alex got to have a go on his new bike too. We've had presents from Dh's side of the family - and the lounge alreay looks like a branch of ELC - more tomorrow when we meet his friends at soft play and even more on Sunday when my family visit! Where am I going to put it all??? Luckily, a lot of this things he's gotten so far are outdoor toys so I can store them in the garage once the initial excitement has worn off.

Hope you get something sorted soon Blue. Sleepless nights are the worst

OK, you did ask....

Kwazii and Tunip are characters in the latest pre-school Cbeebies offering called Octonauts. It's all about a Polar Bear called Captain Barnacles, a Penguin Medic called Peso, an Ex-Pirate Cat called Kwazii, an Engineer Rabbit called Tweak, a Zoologist Sea Otter called Shellington, Professor Inkling the Octopus and Dashi Dog who runs Octonaut HQ and takes photos...Oh, and Tunip who is a half vegetable/half animal "Vegimal" who bakes fish biscuits and looks after the smaller Vegimals, who all live in the 'Octopod' under the sea helping the sea creatures they come across out of various predicaments.

All clear now?

Alex is obsessed which is why we chose the Sea Life Center yesterday even though we went last year too.

Yup Jake is also obsessed, he has several books and is constantly watching it on iplayer!

My operation is all set to go for April 13th. (keep fingers crossed that there are no cancellations!!!)
Had letters back from hosp regarding DH, he is having to have a heart valve replacement in a few months aswell! Shame to spoil two houses as my mum says...

We exchanged contracts on house yesterday so it is now legally ours! We are getting the keys on the 31st. Was hoping for the 25th but they cant manage that.

Thanks for the support guys. Got to keep things in perspective - it's just a bit of sleep deprivation, not an earthquake, and it will pass - but we all know it's tough at the time.

Conrad is desperately trying to talk, which only adds to his frustration with life I think.

ABF typical that the house move and the op should end up so close together - hope both are a roaring success. We'll all have to have a virtual on 31st for you - should we ask MN for a champagne icon?!

Thanks Blathers, I knew I recognised them from somewhere...

Good luck ABF, for both of you and huge conrgratulations on the house!

Blue it is horribly tough when you are sleep deprived. I think in some ways the worst bit is not knowing what to do to make it better, even if you know it will take ages if you see what I mean. Let us know how you get on, and always come and let off steam on here!

I will be pleased when DH is back tomorrow, Imogen although mostly better still isn't quite right. I thought she was and gave her some milk yesterday morning. As a result (I think)I had to change her nappy about 6 times in about an hour and a half yesterday afternoon/evening - lovely! I think I put both my brothers off who were here to play off having children for life!!!!

However, I am not happy at all that he told me last night he is away next weekend as well - taking the scouts away, I know this is a good thing for him to do but it was sooooo annoying, he said "oh I thought I had told you..." when I am sure he knew full well he hadn't reminded me anytime in the recent past!!!!!

Hi all

Sorry not been on for ages. seem to have been really busy! Good to hear all your news; hope your tonsillitis has cleared up now Blathers. Hercules, hope that DH is planning a lovely mother's day treat to compensate for being away! ! Blue, hope the HV has some useful advice. ABF great news on the house! Lee, i was none the wiser on the octonauts either; it is all peppa, dora and ben and holly here, with some postman pat and ITNG thrown in from time to time!

Anna is keeping us very busy! she is into everything at the moment and also is teething so we have, on average, one meltdown per day. She is still doing really well with sleeping and walking is going great, but she is hard work. i am bloody knackered by the end of my days at home with her! She is constantly on the go, climbing up on stuff and sneaking off when she thinks you are not looking. We have a slide in our front room at the moment (it will be going outside very soon!) and she has already started climbing the wrong way up the actual slide bit and tonight DH was helping her to climb up the steps and then she was going down it head first! Arrgghh! basically anything she shouldn't be doing, she wants to do! but she is still great 95% of the time, it's just that the 5% where she is naughty is verrrry trying... Last week we had an incident where i picked her up from nursery and then from leaving the nursery it took me THIRTY MINUTES to get her into her car seat. Eventually i think she was just so tired that she couldn?t put up as much resistance and i managed to get her in but i was getting really upset with it as i needed to go and pick DH up from the station and couldn?t go anywhere without her in the seat. Since then, my mum suggested basically distracting
bribing her with food whilst i am putting her into the seat and it seems to have worked so far (fingers crossed.)
She babbles away all day but still really only says a couple of recognisable words; dada and teddy. Thought she was saying mama today, but think i just imagined it :o
Work is going ok, still no word on the bloody restructure. it is turning into a drawn out saga, wish they'd just get on with it.

anyway, off for a glass of . spk soon and enjoy the rest of your weekends everyone. xxx

All quiet so far on the HV front. DH and I slept in shifts at the weekend, but last night was marginally better.

MrsHercule in our office we use the phrase "I've slept since then" when you fail to remember something/have a sneaking suspicion you were never told in the first place!

I managed a cake for Alex in the end and have added a photo on my profile as ABF asked for one. I was very tired by the time I'd finihsed as I did it after he'd gone to bed so the letters are a bit wonky but overall it was OK I think.

Sorry everyone seems to be struggling recently, I hope things improve soon.

Catherine's back to waking before 6am again. I'm just leaving her to cry it out until 6.15 but it's still waking me - and everyone else - up. I just cannot start the day that early

Blathers the cakes are amazing You've added ones on there that ive not seen before.

I noticed on the photo of your phil and teds you have one of those ikea footstool thingys. We have one of those (currently still in storage) Jake used to eat his breakfast on it.

Sorry about the early mornings. No idea what to suggest.

Elizabeth has 8 teeth now! She's just getting her back ones starting to poke through. She has flaming red cheeks and a runny nose to go with them!

Ethelred I always find tickling helps when forcing, manhandling persuading them into their buggy/carseat. Elizabeth has started doing the back arching when she doesnt want to be strapped in. Either tickling or doing a really loud suprised noise usually does the trick.

OH yes, back arching getting in the car here often too - although Imogen seems to do it because she thinks it is hilariously funny. She basically tries to stand up and grab onto the coat hanger/hook thing. Then when I am trying to put her in, she thinks it is a game and giggles, whilst I am not finding it funny in the slightest!!! Nappy changes often also an issue, whilst I have to pin her down and just keep her pinned down until she gives in crying sometimes. Usually because she wants to play with something instead - and usually something too big for her to hold. If I offer her anything else she throws it on the floor in anger. Lovely.

Blathers - fab cake!

Last night was better - just an hour's wailing 10-11pm, or thereabouts. Then he slept with us and woke just before 7. I honestly don't know what the shouting is all about - nothing we do seems to make a difference (cuddles, calpol, milk, toys), so we don't get any clues as to what's causing it, and he keeps getting nosebleeds as well.

Still, I am feeling better with a bit more sleep.

Ah - the "toddler plank" - yes, I second tickling! So much better to have a laugh not a fight.

Will give HV a couple more days then chase, as I was warned they were all off on courses this week.

Good day today.

Alex is going up a level at swimming lessons which meant the usual tedious queue at 9am this morning to try and get a place in a decently timed class - ie the early 4pm one so we can be home for diner and he's not totally knackered and too tired to want to do it. Luckily we got a spot in the exact class I wanted which made the half hour wait with a wriggly Catherine worth it.

Then, we found out that Alex has got a place in our first choice Primary School which is really good news

Then, my friend texted to say she'd had her 20 weeks scan and new baby is the Boy she wanted

Then, Catherine walked from our kitchen door, across the hall and across the lounge to the sofa and then back across the lounge to the TV...all without holding hands!! She looked so cute wobbling along. We did lots of clapping and smiles so hopefully she'll try it again later.

Felling very lucky today :)

ABF, I put some more photos on for a cake thread I was on. Glad you like them. The stool is for me We have the extra tall kitchen cainets from Ikea but I am not extra tall to match so I need the stool to reach things on the top shelves. Catherine is obsessed with trying to climb it at the moment. I've caught her stood on the lower step more than once! Alex uses it to raid the fruit bowl too.

Argh youve had your letters through already Blathers? Congratulations you must be pleased. I'm still waiting for Jake's it's nerve racking. I think I'll find out 1st April. The handy thing was that putting down his selections coincided with moving into my parents house and they live in the catchment area for one of the best primaries in town!

I use my stool to reach the top of the fridge freezer. I'm such a short arse!

Letters are due tomorrow. We did our application online so we were able to check our offers online today and got an email reply too.

We do seem to have got ours early though. I have one friend who applied for a school on the very edge of the town which is actually in Bucks and she has to wait until April for her offers and another friend in Wellingborough who has to wait until May! I'm just so glad we know now and we got the place we wanted.

Good news about your parents place being in such a good catchment though. Fingers crossed for Jake.

Will you be taller after your op ABF? If they're straightening your spine a bit then you might get another couple of centimeters....

I'm not sure Blathers. my surgeon says it's extremely risky to try and straighten my spine due to the nature of the curve and the fact that my spine is so rigid and old (practically ancient at 27...) He says he'll try to get some minimal straightening but will mainly fuse it in the position it's in now. The cutting of my ribs will make the most difference though, I have a huge rib hump which is very noticible so that will be corrected.
I shall be brave enough to post before and after pictures on my fb once it's all done. Wouldnt want to do it before op because it's very freaky!

Ha! If 27 is old for a spine then mine is practically ancient at 32! Bar a once sprained and still slightly dodgy SI joint, it's holding up so far though :)

The phrase "cutting of my ribs" made me shudder. I used to be totally fascinated by surgery and would watch those hospital type programs whenever they were on TV but it all makes me go a bit wobbly since I had the children. Silly really as I've now had 2 c-sections done while I was awake and aware what was happening but the thought of the blood makes me go all pale! I still have to watch them though

I hope it all goes well for you and you get a good result.

You're all spring chickens, from the grand old age of 41! ABF you're very brave and I hope it all goes well.

According to council website we don't hear about DS1's primary school place till the start of May.

HV phoned yesterday evening and said the nosebleeds aren't normal in this age group, so will get them checked out by GP (tomorrow hopefully) and report back to her - she's parted with her email address! Last night wasn't too bad, but problem neighbour has been spotted in the back garden. Hopefully on her meds so she'll be reasonable, otherwise we'll be calling the cops again.

Blue, I missed the part of your previous post where yu mentioned nosebleeds. I hope the doctor is able to put your mind at rest.

I hope they can find a reason for the nosebleds Blue and that it's something minor. My sister had loads as a child and it turned out to be blood vessels too close to the surface. She had to have them cauterised (sp?) but they haven't caused her trouble since.

I hope your neighbour isn't too much of a problem either. Was she spotted in your garden?

Thank you for your thoughts - GP said nosebleeds probably due to the winter's colds and the inside of the nose being sensitised, rather than being symptomatic of anything serious, which is what I expected to hear really. We came away with some ointment and I got a bit of time out of the office on a nice sunny day .

No Blathers, neighbour wasn't in our garden - that would sent us straight back to the authorities - she was in her own. All quiet so far.

Conrad is now cutting tooth 11 - all this sleep disturbance may simply be the seamless sequence of teeth and colds - but I reckon it's been going on for 4 weeks now which is a bit much. Having been an early walker, he's now starting to run!