FESH Spa & Creche - The Messiah is late - 'e's a very naughty boy!

[AlpinePony]

2010 - the best year of my life, for half of it I was pregnant and for the other half had my baybee.

Moo I told you the hairdryer has many more uses that the one for which it was intended..

Silv yes I used steroid cream on sore bits. It is best to keep on using it to clear it up imo - don't fear it. It is only really irresponsible use (ie thickly spreading it on every day) that can cause more damage than good. Mini Oke got an infection in his eczema once and we needed another cream for that. If you are worried it is infected then go back to quack.

The big bed was a success - hurrah! We only had one incident of wanting to escape but that was only for "another cuddle mummy" so that is OK. I am out tonight so if it all goes tits then tis someone elses (Mr C's) problem.

Alps I hear you on the shit up the shoulder thing. We have that A LOT

oki will use the steroid on back of his knee then! For one week max??

Ooh tis quiet round these ere parts.

we have had an interesting morning. Insurance people round to look at the damage caused by snow and gutters coming down. Happily they are going to pay for our entire ground floor to be redecorated. Was needing doing anyway so quite pleased about that. Does mean that me and babymoo going to have to move out for a few weeks whilst the painting is done and dust etc sorted. Not so great and means I can't keep my beady eye on things.

Doggymoo had a long worm pulled out of his arse by mr moo. Weird as he is up to date with his worming tabs but anyway straight to vet and apparently all ok now with another tablet and no risk to us. Esp as we sleep with him...

Nightimes extending from 1030 to 4am now which is good but I can never get back to blooming sleep! And babymoo wakes up at 5ish with the birds but luckily coos and just goes back to sleep himself until 7ish. All good progress I think when I remember how hideous it was not that long ago.

Anyway grandmas on her way .

Just checking in. Missing you all. Sorry about gruesome Victorian-style diseases.

We are still camping in a cardboard box city, one week after moving in. It did not help that MrP went away for 3 days in the middle of that. I have been drawing on resources which I do not have.

Highlights of my last week include:

• Bonnie vomiting a bucketful of stinking puke down her front / all over the car seat while on my way to the child minder for the one day when I had some child care arranged. Had no spare clothes, both kids crying, couldn't go to childminder due to sickness policy, etc.
• Babysitter who was booked to help me with bath time / bedtime cancelled 40 mins before she was due to arrive.
• Bonnie is now refusing to stay in her bed at bed time, screaming the house down, clutching the bars of the stair gate sobbing and wailing 'Mummy cuddle!!!'
• Clyde has bitten me for the last time. I have been weeping with the pain and decided that enough is enough so he's on bottles only from now on (he drew blood). I now have aching, engorged breasts and don't know what to do.
• Both children have been sleeping in my bed clutching me and refusing to let me move or put them back in their own beds.

MrP is now back and said that as a treat (apology?) he would like to book me in for some luxury spa treatments. I said stuff that for a joke - you can book me into a 5 star hotel on my own, with a huge bed with nobody else in it, a good book, a room service menu, and a bottle of bubble bath, then don't disturb me for 48 hours. (I'm serious.)

Sorry for all complaining. I think that right now is the 'perfect storm' in the Priceless house. We are paying for the age gap now (currently 2.5 yr and 8 mth so both v high maintenance) and it has happened at a time when we have stupidly thrown all these other changes into the equation too.

This too shall pass.

Fanny god poor woman, pour yourself a glass of wine immediately.

With engorgement can you pump each feed and then skip a pump/feed for a week and then another one the following week, so you are weaning yourself off just as you would a normal breastfeed if you see what I mean. That's what they advise to do in the books anyway.

Must be a bit of unheaval for bonnie - new house, new room. Poor love. Sounds like you all need a bit of tlc. Fucking babysitters should be shot when they don't turn up. What is that all about? I hope you don't use her again.

It can only get better.

re. age gap... do you think it's too little or too long a gap? I'm confused about what people deem to be the best. I'm quite tempted to get on with it I must say, but equally would like to keep my hair, sanity and sleep for a while...

Honey - I think all age gaps have sticky points at some stage, or so they say. This particular sticky point is that we currently have - all at the same time - both still in nappies, both still having bottles (yes Bonnie at 2.5, so shoot me), Clyde stopping BF, Bonnie moving to big bed, Clyde weaning to solids, Bonnie wanting to start potty training, Clyde crawling and into everything (choking on packing paper and scraps of brown tape his current fave), Bonnie at age of climbing on/jumping off/tearing apart every cupboard/box/etc.

So every day I have a mountain of bottles to wash, nine meals a day to prepare (adults, baby and toddler all eating different things/different times) and a mountain of poo-y, food-caked clothes to wash in between stopping children from injuring themselves/each other. Right now I am kind of wishing I had a job to go back to...

I am so ashamed for complaining so much. Thinking of the BESHes trying to achieve what I have.

P.S. Bonnie gave me a hug and said 'I love you Mummy' for the first time yesterday. So actually all is OK. Ignore post.

Silv use for up to a week or until it clears then have a week off to let the skin rest.

Moo dont like the sound of pulling worm out of dog's arse - that is pretty grim.

Oh FP it really is all going on at the same time for you. How often is Bonnie at the childminders (when she is not vomming?). The hotel trip sounds perfect and totally reasonable IMO. Mini Oke is still in nappies and still has a bottle so don't worry about that. I have tried on numerous occasions to get him to have milk in different cup and he flings it across the room shouting "NOOOOOOO, BOTTLE" I have therefore stopped tring. He also still has a dummy but only to go to sleep. I think sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to make your life easier. I hope you batch cook and freeze potions of toddler and baby food? I have discovered Waitrose soups which are really chunky and mini oke and I share one for our lunch - he loves it as he is having the same as mummy and I don't have to do anything other than shove it in the microwave. Also Burroughs baby food is good wholesome food or babies up to about 1 year, you can order on line. It is expensive compared to making your own but it is fresh and wholesome and it is good to have in the freezer for convenience.

SOrry have to post and run as ironically mini oke has just woken up howling...

fanny Why are you making life more hard for yourself than it needs to be? Tupperware - not just for sex-starved housewives. Cook e.g., spag bog without "interesting stuff" - decant, blend, put in to small tupperware suitable for microwaving/freezing for Clyde. Make a bit more interesting for Bonnie. Go heavy on the whine for m&d. Bonza. 9 meals a day? You ain't Gordon Ramsey my love. Don't you know why mums go to Iceland?

Got keys to new house, almost passed out in solicitors with nerves. :( Have cleaned kitchen & bathroom and unpacked. Only 6 billion boxes left. JB thinks "it's only a few bits". He's only moved a couple of times in his life. I have moved closer to 30. I know the score. Punch punch punch. Need to cook & pour G&T.

okes Thanks for the reassurance on Mini Oke re nappies, bottle, dummy. The NOOOO, BOTTLE is very familiar here. One thing at a time, methinks.

To answer your question - p/t child minder was a temp thing while we were looking for houses, but just yesterday she has started at a new nusery 3 days a week. It's brilliant for her as she is currently very precocious sociable. Do you have anything for Mini Oke?

Oh, and:
*
(Ella's pouches rule)

• Though I have to say that I did have brilliant success with batch cooking chicken congee for his very first meals after he refused pureed fruit.

alps Oh god - you have all my sympathy. Shall we have a massive cardboard box burning recycling party when we're both unpacked? (Assuming you have a date free in, erm, 2014?)

And I should clarify - I really ain't cooking all these meals from scratch! Just getting them all served up with appropriate dish, spoon and bib is hard enough!

Yeah I am with Alps on the one meal with varying consistences for different family members. Annabel Karmel's "lovely lentils" is a great success in our house. Pureed up it will be fine for Clyde and leave it chunky for Bonnie, easy.

Mini Oke has been in nursery 4 days per week (luxury I know) but will reduce to 3 days in a couple of weeks. I saved like hell as soon as I found I was diffed in order to keep him in nursery. He currently has Fridays off and I can't seem to get them both to have daytime nap at the same time so oke woke a 2.30 after only an hour and peppa went down at 3.15. and will nap from probably no longer than 30 mins. I have just tried to encourage oke to have a little nap with me on the sofa but he thought it was a game (eyes shut "Im sleeping", eyes open "I'M AWAKKKKKE"). Have resorted to Cbeebies! Would have gone to park but Peppa is sleeping in her basket and she prefers it to the undercarraige of the Phil and Teds..
FP you will certainly feel better once Bonnie gets into a 3 day at nursery routine. Lif will seem so much more manageable I am sure.

Moo Wrt age gap I think there is no ideal. There are problems and pleasures with all gaps. I have friends with a 3 year gap and hear stories of the eldest ones spontanuosly pooing themselves despite being toilet training as soon as they start BF the little one. Mini Oke loves Peppa but will whack her across the head to get my attention but he is not jealous of her at all. You have to go for what is OK for you as there is no ideal. Would imagine a 9 or 10 month gap would be pretty tough though..

Hello... hope I'm in the right place! Tis me, dressing gown and I bring news of great joy....

The Ginhag hath produced a baby! It happened at 10:37am and they are both fabulous. She wanted me to let folks know as she has just been given a generous dose of morphine and is really in a very nice place indeed, but will report in with names, weight etc when her eyeballs resume focus. Hooray!

Lovely to see the power of 'ESH continuing on

Oh hurrah for the ginhag and ginbaby!!!!! yipeeeeeeee!!!! nekkid dancing!!!!!

FP what a nightmare you are having :( I second moo's advice re expressing and dropping feeds gradually, that's got to be the way to go. Have a huuuuge g&t from me and a chinese burn as I am no longer near enough to be of any other assistance

fanjo sounds like a bleeding nightmare. I struggle enough with an almost 15 wk old so hats off to you my girl. You are doing better than you think and have not sank your sorrows liver in gin so there you have it. You are still sane. Just!

moo yuk yuk yuk! Tho I have had to remove stuck poo from the dawgz butt before. I retched.

okie and other weaners I noting down your tips. Tis all good.

Well the car has gotta go back! Fuckers. They have not serviced it despite saying they have!!! Me and MB are making the journey on out lonesome and I will be demanding to see the Sales Director or some other equally senior knobbage chap for some serious words and possibly tears too. I'm not fussed about who sheds the tears here.

Big huzzah for the Minister of Hag and BabyGin! Can't wait to hear all the gory details.

*MrsFC" sorry to hear of your trials - hotel plan sounds dreamy.

Sky re car, was that tears or tears? Do let us know.

Nag hooray to Blighty visit!

Moo great news on corner-turning! Glad you are feeling sprightlier.

I spent the afternoon with a lovely friend who told me she is 5 weeks diffed - that was me this time last year. I'm so excited for her (she's not even in denial any more and chatting to her brought back loads of memories of BESH/PESH/FESH chats and support....so I just wanted to say thanks for being all fab & stuff

Ps 'streme! Lovely to see you & your dressing gown in the Spa! Thanks for coming to visit & bringing such lovely news

Pps Minister of Hag? Blimmin predictive nonsense. Sorry Ginster

Voila tears from your peepers! I find that crying gets you where you want more than shouting/foot stomping however I am more than prepared to do both. Not forgetting that the salesman who sold is the car told us when we could pick it up and that it would have various bits done/corrected and then he was off sick when we showed up to collect and none of the bits had been done. Think he was trying to wing it. Once they've got your cash they don't care and fob you off to the Service Department - not me they won't!

Well done gin! :) And yet another entrant to the double cat-flap category! extreme I hope we see you here too shortly.

moo That is absolutely disgusting - but then, that's what these filthy mutts do. Disgust us I mean.

fanny Well I find myself in the most unusual position of being in possession of the keys but not having to move within 12 hours - never done that before! So right now it's quite chilled really, am just taking a car load around at a time, unpacking and then back for more.

Talk to me about stairgates.

Stairgates - great for keeping the dog away from the cats . We took ours down when LC was about 18 months....we'd always let her practice going up and down stairs (so did the nursery) so she was pretty competent and never held any interest in playing on them.
Only other concession we made on safety was door locks on the wedding crockery cupboard - at 20 quid a plate that's too expensive to replace

I reckon go for a Nissan Pathfinder Alps - better suited to pulling horses...no idea on the tax thing tho [helpful].

No sign of babychick but we're 10 days over now so should be here by the end of the week [hopeful emoticon]

Friend at the yard has the pathfinder - 200 euros a month tax! So it won't be that. Fiat 500 = 0 euros tax. Must be a compromise somewhere right?
Sorry chicklet is reluctant to come, but then Feb is rather dull.

Alps where is the bloody invite to the house warming parteee then? I loves a good party I do.

congrats to gin you old soak! Plz to come and give us all the details.

Re stairgates we have the most ridiculous narrow stairs so most would not fit. We ended up with lascal kiddyguard one which I like a lot as it retracts when not in use. We only have one at the top of the first flight of stairs which I am using a lot now mini oke is in his big boys bed and happily gets out of it and wanders about. He never seems to be interested in going up to the loft room only when we have visitors who get put up there.

On my own today, Mr C is at some major sporting fixture. I am negotiating a "day off" in return like FP. Your hotel idea really has struck a cord!

We have normal yellow creamy poo! Hurrah! Peppa's arse has returned to pretty much normal. After 2 weeks of green watery poo about every 30 minutes I really did not mind an explosion of yellow up the back and through the clothes this morning as it means business as usual!

Silv I am not sure who are worse to deal with, car salesmen or estate agents.

Can`I just have a big cry? I've just admitted to TG that I feel I am not coping, that I have PND again and I need to see the quack for some of the old happy pills. This was prompted by the realisation that of the next five weekends he has booked places on gaming tournaments (his geeky hobby) for four of those weekends. Most of them are just a day, but involve him leaving at 6am and getting home around 8pm, and one is a whole weekend.

His response? 'Oh bloody hell, now i understand why you don't want me to go tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me before? I should have known... you haven't spoken to me in days except to criticise and you can't even look me in the eye. It is no wonder I want to get out, I'm not wanted at home and I'm not wanted at work...' blah blah blah as he left the room. I'm so sorry - I thought this was about ME? Tosser. [sob]

Soz for mememe. Congrats on new house Alps, sounds ace.

I am also muchly liking the hotel idea - where do I sign? I seem to remember suggesting something similar when Boo was little, but I think all I got was a raised eyebrow.

Oh Pol cry away. There's no way I would let Mr C go I'm afraid. What was he thinking anyway? I mean 1 weekend is fair enough but 4 out of 5? I am sorry but you are not in this alone, it is a partnership and you need his help PND or not. BB is only a month old and you have a toddler too. FFS men! Don't feel bad about the PND. At least you can recognise the signs and act now rather than suffering. Big hug x