Dec 2008 - Hello 2011 the Year of the Toddler!

[DeidreBarlow]

Totally unispired but hope you all find it...

crossed with you Jam - gosh I hope he is ok. When do you get the results? Do you not have Pet insurance then? Neither do I and I keep wondering if we should.

No pet insurance. DH refused as it would cost more to insure him than it costs for our life insurance.

Summer - what bike do you have?

Rubes maybe your virtual self just needed to do a really big poo.

Spot forgot to answer your question earlier. All sorted we move in on the 23rd Feb. The current owner contacted us as she wants to see if there is any furniture of hers that we want. I'm not sure that she is actually selling it, I think she just wants to see if we want it, otherwise she will get rid of. We are going over at 5pm Thursday to have a look. I'm looking forward to it as we haven't seen it since November.

Rubes I'm surprised i haven't mentioned the latest bloody wedding development. Apparently, DH told his mum that we had given up waiting for the wedding and were planning on visiting at Easter. Anyway she said to wait as they had photos done whilst in Taiwan at Christmas which apparently is the equivalent to visiting the minister, or going to the registry office as far as showing your intent to marry goes. His mum thinks we'll know in the next few days. Teeny bit annoyed as the south of France thing was supposed to be 2 weeks, but as this thing seems like it will happen in June/July we thought it best just to book the one week.

Jam does that mean he's ok?

In actual fact, my real self had to do that vag. I had time to do that, and check face book, and I was still squatting with my trainer saying "c'mon, you're not completing your reps properly"!!

Hmmmmm on the bil wedding thing. Well give em that few days, then make some plans, as you have to have something to look forward to with this hideous weather.

Right, some serious holiday planning / flight checking / hotel booking of my own to get done while dh is coherent.

Lady - did you get my application number 2 in the mail ok today?

I lost a nice long post to WG yesterday about my experience of being monitored, but my phone ate it, so I had a bit of a strop with it. So I'll come back and repeat myself, how annoying.

So WG, I ended up being continuously monitored, so thought I'd share what I experienced, although its likely to be different for everyone. The monitor kept losing the trace, even if I so much as had a contraction, so I had to lie on my back, on the bed and not move from that position. Which was a bugger as my birth plan pretty much said 'walk around, don't lie down' and I'd found being able to move really helped the early stages of my labour. My midwife was brilliant, and encouraged me to take regular 'toliet breaks' and kept having to ask me to 'get up and come and get something from my bag', but after each break I had to go back on the monitor which undid all the good work again. Being unable to control my contractions and the pain really started to knock my confidence, which again my fabby midwife recognised and at this stage she suggested an epidural. It was just what I needed, and I managed to enjoy the rest of the labour and birth rather than be completely overwhelmed and taken over by it. I'm pleased to read that JJ was able to move around, which means that I was probably unlucky rather than being the norm, but if you do end up in a situation like mine, remember that hospitals are full of drugs and tools for pain relief and they are there for a reason, so have your fill if it helps you. And as long as your little wriggler comes out in one piece, then you will have done it perfectly

I know the BF/FF discussion has passed, but I found it fascinating reading. I think it was Effie who mentioned something that really struck a cord with me and my experience of getting lucky making BF work, and that was to get everyone to take good care of me and to feed me. I literally felt as if every feed was draining every ounce of me, and without kind family and friends to care for me I really couldn't have cared for DD. Of my friends, the ones who really struggled with BF all said they just needed more advice and support, so it does make me angry that it wasn't there for them. Actually that reminds of my first visit from my HV, before DD was born, who was telling me all about our new surestart centre and I asked about BF support - there wasn't any, as they couldn't provide FF support and so if they provided BF support it would be discriminatory to those Mums who didn't want to or couldn't BF . Surely it should just be feeding support that is offered, because the baby just needs nutrition, be it boobie made or factory made (and surely food and medical standards are such in this country that FF is of the highest quality and nutritionality (is that a word??) possible?) And final note on this (and then I promise I'll shut up, as its an old conversation) - I'm not actually sure about the whole BF and bonding thing, there was many a day when I just felt like a pair of boobs and with DD being such a Daddies girl, she just wanted cuddles of him once she was full, which really riled me at the time. I marvelled at the way my body and diet of cheese on toast and cake managed to not only sustain another living person, but actually to nourish them and cause them to grow, but that was in exactly the same way I marvelled at the way my body and diet of cheese on toast and cake managed to grow a baby for 9 months before that.

Before my post failed yesterday, I also wished Invis a happy birthday, which is now belated. And I think that was all I wrote.

Right, I will read over the last few pages again and catch up with everyone else

Oooh Vag we're going to be near bordeaux in first week of august. Maybe we can have South of France meet up. Will let you know when we book cottage. Was thinking of you the other day as they've just finished building another hotel on the route we walk into greenwich and DS really wants to go and stay there (they're been building it as long as he can remember). I think it would suit the family veg very well on your next london trip (too much of a hint?)

Would love to do friday meet up - can we do half term? Think that is w/c 7th Feb but will have to check. otherwise I have to take the boy to school which ruins middle of the day. He is having whale of a time at dance class - this week he and a little girl spent most of the class whispering to each other and holding hands. Her dad unimpressed. And when i said to DS on the way home that she was very pretty (which I shouldn't have said really, but she was) he looked at me and said "of course" as in "d'oh mother what would you expect" rocky road. Then the poor mite got a lecture from me about it being about what people were like on the inside. he was very confused

JJ lovely to hear from you. 13 names . You have much more grace in terms of time to choose given she was early so take your time . In stark contrast to lack of grace I had when still dithering about DS's name 5 days post birth when he was 14 days late...

Sympathy to you SL - not sure I have anything constructive to offer beyond wide advice you've had so far - the only thing I would say is that if you're going to try something, decide to do it consistently for a few days and then decide whether it made a difference. For what it's worth I think you either have sleepers or you don't. No consolation I know but DS still doesn't sleep very well and DD slept through from very early and we did pretty much the same.

And Jam sorry about the dog. hope it's ok.

Beans sounds like you're doing all the right things by being there and being patient. Poor man.

Rubes at the notion of you being stuck squatting perpetually. I hate being shouted at by trainer so am hiding from my wii. Pathetic. Also I have rolls of fat and spots. Attractive. Thank god for black clothes. I used to look better naked than clothed - those days are definitely behind me.

Trace i hope the consultant helps you. You're not back where you were and there is something hugely sensible and brave about recognising you need help and getting it. That by itself is fantastic. But it's an illness like anything else and you have to get the treatment you need and look after yourself.

I want to go to Bordeaux . We were there last Easter for my Mamie's 90th, no idea when we will be able to go again. My new little cousin is 5 months old now, I want to meet him! Such an great city.

Dd mostly slept last night! If she can keep it up for a few more days I might even start feeling human.

Vag: book an Easter break and sod BIL . Glad the gym is a help. You come across as so strong, confident and centred that maybe those around you forget that you need plenty of support too. Roll on spring! TS Eliot was rong, February is definitely the cruellest month.

Jam: when do you get the results back? Hope the pooch is recovering well.

Spot: come to Essex! As you know I have zero experience of living in villages, but there are some v pretty ones. Or I would seriously consider Wivenhoe - it has a uni campus so a bitmore cosmopolitan. And a nice pub and two fish and chip shops.

Indith: hope your DD continues to sleep!

I'm now officially down to 2 days a week, but going into DH's office today (childcare doesn't change till Feb) to do some boring stuff for him. Suppose I can't mooch about all the time. Shame.

Urbs that's when we are going!!! We are staying in the Bordeaux area (is it a province as well as a city, or it that just my ignorance) maybe you and I could sneak out and find an establishment that serves the local specialty.

Effie, mmmm fish and chips.

Have to forgo my gym sesh today as DS1 is off school. He fell of a chair at school yesterday and hit his chin quite badly. He was ok when I picked him up at school but hasn't been able to eat properly so we didn't want to send him in when he can't eat his lunch at least at home I can make him soup. I'm a little annoyed as school didn't even mention it, I only knew because he told me and the cut on his chin.

Good morning all.

JJ Huge congratulations and so glad you are home now! Hope it's all going well. Name yet!?

Vag When you are trained as a doula, I will have to come overseas to you to have a baby. I demand it.

Had lovely day with DH yesterday - both took the day off, packed DD off to nursery and went to Brighton for lovely boozy lunch and shopping. Bit like life used to be before DD came along, as I very dimly recall...

Unbelieveable! Didn't bother trying formula and she settled first time, and slept! Dream fed at 10:30 woke at 4:30 for a feed. After this I put her back down and she was wide awake, I left her and she went back to sleep! Amazing. Indith I hope it is something in the air and they both continue to sleep.

ZJ I love your diet of cheese on toast and cake. That is a bit crap about the continuous monitoring. Someimtes it would lose the trace with me but I would just jiggle it around to get it back on, quite annoying but ok. Also continuous monitoring meant you have some geeky numbers to look at while labouring, which appealed to me, even though the contraction number is pretty meaningless, it reminded me of wearing a heart rate monitor, which use to keep me sane when bike racing. I would also look at my watch during contractions to guess when they would finish! Sorry that was just a sidetrack of an advantage I thought of the monitoring. ZJ why did you have to be monitored?
Right gotta go

rubes, I have a cannondale R1000 road bike, it looks like this, though it is quite old now and it is not that clean. It is a mens bike not a womans. I also have a specialized stumpjumper hardtail and also a specialized full suspension mountain bike. The hardtail is old now (maybe 2004) and has had bits replaced many times. I also share a pieced together singlespeed which is painted in cow print by a friend with DH! And a Ridgeback commuter bike, which is very boring but is the one that gets the most use as it has rack for child seat on the back and is easiest to ride in normal clothes as it has a sort of chainguard. Sorry everyone else for the boringness of that (except vag who may also be interested) I bet you end up with loads of expensivish bits on your newly built up bike! Oh I also meant to say that I would have kicked up a fuss if DH dared say to me that I would lose weight if I exercised for longer. WHEN?!!!?!? Actually I would go, oh great, you're looking after the kids on Sunday, I'm going for a 5hr ride, thanks.

Oh and thanks for all the sleep tips everyone, I tend to agree urbane that they sleep when they will sleep. Can't help thinking it's possible to nudge them in the right direction. I don't think she's actually a very bad sleeper it's just that she's had one thing after another, growth spurt so hungry in evening and waking up loads at night, then cold so still waking up loads, then too interested in the world so waking up at 5, then too interested in the world so won't settle at night, etc. I think it's been about a month and a half since she's slept well (apart from last night). Hopefully she can keep it up, and then I can try and get her to sleep through when she is on solids.

Oh Vag poor DS1.

And beans thinking of you Dad and you and your family. I hope he can get treatment brought forward.

Summer great news on the non-formula fed self settling sleepy baby! DD was in bed at 7 then woke at 1030 for a feed which was unusally early, then at 2am and then refused to eat until about an hour ago At least I got to sleep from 2-730 so things are improving!
I will check out those bikes (not that they will mean a lot to me!) no, dh was saying I look fine, but if I wanted to lose weight it would mean more / longer exercise than I'm doing (unless I cut back some cals with the cheerfulness!) then he went on to say (which I didn't really post properly) that the reason he is doing this bike up for me is so that we can all go out and ride together at weekends so we can "do stuff as a family" (so he's kind of got me there really )
I was asking as he was about to spend more money and he decided that it might be a better idea to do the mountain bike up for himself (it's his really anyway) and then buy me a new one which he found on sale which is cheaper than the finished product of the one he is building, but I got a bit worried about all the money and bikes etc, and he reckons this bike he found is suitable for me, and suitable to tow a trailer and all that but I have no idea whether he is going overboard or not (suspect he is) and I said I can always just ride the old bike of his mums which is in the shed, on the occasions that we all want to go riding as a family (as we would probably hit the towpath and stop at the required watering holes along the way which is off road) but he think's I will "hate him Mums bike in about 2 minutes as it's a piece of crap". Anyway, I will try and find the link later to the bike he wants to buy for me which is on sale and post it. He still says the original bike of his which he was doing up for me is better as it's carbon fibre and I might find the one he wants to buy too heavy with the trailer?) I'm so !

Oh and Summer I meant to say, I'm sure your mountain bikes are way better spec than either of the two dh is building / buying! Just want to make sure he doesn't go overboard as it's just for me but he keeps going on about it's the fact that i'll be towing a trailer with kids in it so you need good brakes etc. he said he's really shopped around though with parts of the one he's building and reckons it's worth about 1k now with all the parts although he didn't come close to paying that. I know due to eBay emails I get for purchases that I can add up he spent 3-400 on bits so far. Reckons it's all heavily reduced.

Rubs my commuter bike is 35kg without the little passengers or trailer, I always figure I have to work harder so its good. But yes it does necessitate good brakes. I have some nice barrel ones which are lovely for these style of bike. JJ probably has the same on her bakfiets.

SL DD must have heard talk of formula and bottles and decided to sort herself out. I have to say I never got the whole completely sleeping through thing maybe as both mine at least woke 2 times overnight until over 6 months and on and off after that. I think it reality depends on the bub and the developmental stage.

Phew, just had a huge clean up, defrosted the freezer and cleaned the fridge out! So I am now having a well deserved coffee and catch up

jam How is your dog? I hope he'll be alright...poor mutt. I'd love dog but am allergic to most, so bit of a problem.

Vag Poor DS. Does the school not have an accident book/letter in bag sort of thing. I'd be mightly peeved. I'd get cracking on booking a holiday this weekend if you still haven't heard from BIL.

SL & indith hooray for sleep! I agree that I think they sleep through whenthey are ready. I still weep when I think how awful DS was at sleeping till he was about 1. Sorry SL that doesn't help you miuch does it? But fwiw, neither FF or weaning or giving him supper ever made the slightest bit of difference to his lack of sleeping.

beans Thinking of you, your Dad and all your family. How long has he to have RT for?

rubes I was cracking up at your squatting virtual trainer

trace Good luck for appointment, I'll be thinking of you

DS is OBSESSED with Toy story 3. Caught him earlier trying to put the DVD in the machine, box and all! And who mentioned Fish & Chips...I'd kill for some right now. I have managed to lose about 6 lb so far and the running is easier but by heck its hard work. Plus I'm off work this week and I seem to eat a lot more when I'm sat on sofa -on MN-- at home.

Blimey. DD STILL often wakes twice a night.

Deids but did you do the oven? at Toy Story DVD! Yes I'm a bit nervous of the ole PS workout today. I hurt my calf yesterday and it kind of hurts to walk - that was before the virtual gal got stuck in a squat - heavens, can't wait for today if there are any cock ups I'm ditching it for tomorrow.

Vagola, crikey the Dutch must have thighs of steele! That's a serious workout! That's my biggest fear - getting dh sized thighs. I think you must be super fit.
DH's road bike weighs 7kg and his mountain bike about 12 I think.

Right well dd has had her lunch and now doesn't want the milk I'm sure she will in a bit. She's no morning lass this one!

How are the new Mums? (I say that like I'm an old hand!!

I have swiftly polished off ds's chicken nuggets he left, well done Rubes, excellent self control (and nice parenting I might add with the nuggets lunch!)

Right might be time to pop the littles down and don the workout gear
Standby for an update on the virtual workout cock ups today.

yes Jam - when do you get the results back on Louis?

Beans my mum had RT for Breast cancer several hyears ago. Happy to report it was quite successful. Wishing your Dad the same.

rubes my oven is self cleaning! So it is actually doing its thing while I catch up on trashy TV as DS naps.

Good luck on the work out, I have a Zumba DVD I should do but last time I tried it I nearly passed out doing the dance moves and never actually made it to the work out at the end

Hello everyone,

Congrats JJ! What a fantastic weight for a teensy bit early baby. Can't wait to hear on the name. ladyT Mentioned my full name - correctly spelt- as one of your prospective names earlier. I'll put my vote in for that!

jam Fingers crossed for your dog's treatment.

indith I chuckled at your MIL cleaning. My house only gets a good clean when MIL is expected! I was asking DH the other day what his house was like when he was younger, hoping that when he was young MIL didn't have such a good grasp on housekeeping but apparently it was always tidy and sparkling. Oh well!

trace Please don't feel down about seeing the consultant again. It is important that you look after yourself properly and if that means seeing the consultant then so be it.

beans My dad had RT a few years ago. It was very draining but it sorted him out.

We must be mad but we've made an offer on a house and we are trying to get everything sorted so we can complete our sale, buy and move before DC2 arrives . I'm 28 weeks tomorrow . There is so much that could go wrong, I'm not sure what to worry about first! Just thinking about the logistics makes me want to have a lie down.

Rubes, its made of steel and has a child seat front and back. They have good components here but they think light weight is for softies I think. They do believe nothing is worth doing unless you have to work hard for it....strange I know. Very different to the English ethic, unless it requires a good cup of tea and a stern letter of complaint its not worth getting off the couch for. However, having said that they all seem to cycle in the easiest gear and while their legs are pumping away they are barely moving. I cycle in the hardest gear I can tolerate and am always running late so I have to speed along. As a result I always turn up to school flustered and sweaty while the other mums look cool and sophisticated. My road bike weighs about 7kg and my old commuter bike weighed 9 kg without extra bits.

DB we got nothing, it might be a dutch thing. But this morning DH rang the school to tell them he wasn't coming in and he spoke to the deputy head about it. From DS1's story it seems to have happened at lunch time so possibly the dinner supervisors didn't hand it over to the classroom staff. He's been soup and yogurt today poor little guy. The crazy dutch lady is coming over later with her kids so that will cheer him up.

JB I demand that you go forth to your bed and have a good lie down.

DB are you finding all the exercise shattering, I'm so tired, I feel like I'm recovering from jet lag.

right workout was cocking up again on the squats and the skipping but I looked up a forum about it and adjusted one of the sensors slightly and it seemed to fix it - we shall see but at least I finally got out of that squat before she woke ds with her yelling at me to "get up, push through it" etc. stupid cow. It was a pathetic workout and I didn't even bother with the cool down as I hardly warmed up!

Buns of steele wow Vag. DH must be happy with that! I've got buns of jelly at the moment!

Nice Deids. The oven in our flat is self cleaning but the one in our house here sucks - big time.

Rubes I may well have buns of steel but the thick layer of lard helps to disguise them as buns of flab.