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June 2008: new year, new diets, new resolutions, but when push comes to shove creme eggs are still the solution!

756 replies

KnittingRocks · 06/01/2011 10:42

Sorry, couldn't cope with Christmas anymore! Blush

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
EenyMeenyMaya · 03/02/2011 08:35

No more children here. Pregnancy = not easy, but fine, childbirth (in my case CS's) = fine, recovery from childbirth = bloody awful and has put me off. As has the sleeplessness and F isn't that bad and neither was Ry, but still bloody hard.

Actually a friend took Ry yesterday morning and MIL took him this morning, so I am really lucky. But I miss him! What I really need right now is for someone to take F for a few hours so I can spend some time just R and me. He's being great with F, but funny with me. He cried when leaving me this morning, which is almost unheard of. I nearly cried too!

Someone remind me that this will all be forgotten in a month or two....Please!

And as I'm in whiney mode, did I mention that I also broke my toe a couple of weeks ago?

Whinge, moan, whine....SORRY!!!

ktpie · 03/02/2011 09:34

I've not posted for ages so a quick catch up whilst J watches Rastamouse.

Are they just at the age for major meltdowns now? We had one yesterday while we were at the shops. I had a whale of a time pushing a buggy and carrying a basket whilst dragging a screaming toddler across the floor, who refused to stand up and tried to run away every time I let go of him, fun.
It tends to be when he is tired and at the moment he is messing around for ages before he goes to sleep at night, then wanting to sleep all day, which if I let him of course makes evenings worse.

H is a year old now, I don't know where it has gone. For those of you worrying about coping with babies, I'm sure you will be fine if I've muddled through!

Best go, more Rastamouse is being demanded.

DewinDoeth · 03/02/2011 10:09

ktpie thanks for posting - that's really helped, at least to know I'm not the only one with a stroppy toddler. (I'm clearly not - Iestyn had a supermarket tantrum last week, refusing to go in the trolley, and a kind woman helped me force his legs in (!!) and when I thanked her, she said she'd been there herself and I was to help the next person I saw with the same problem!)
He's been quite annoying this morning. I think I'm just not coping with it very well because I have a lot of work on and I'm trying to spend as much time as possible with him, but when I do spend time with him and he's awkward, it's no fun for anyone. Sad

ktpie · 03/02/2011 11:19

More Rastamouse - thank you iplayer.

Dewin - I found it hard when I was pregnant, I was tired, felt rubbish and was worried about how I would cope with the baby. It makes it a lot harder to handle a toddler. In some ways it was easier once H was here because I could just get on with it, if you see what I mean. There were a fair few days when H was little when I didn't feel I was coping and DH would come home and find me in tears, or both boys were screaming at the same time and I felt at the end of my tether, but luckily there are plenty of lovely days to balance it out, and you get more of them as time goes on.

Rastamouse has finished and the boys have emptied the log basket out between them and J is looking everywhere for his saw Grin, I'd better go and take charge.

ShouldersBackAndNoBiscuits · 03/02/2011 14:23

C is also tantrums queen at the moment, very bossy at times and frankly a nightmare at tea time. Definitely was harder when pregnant dewin, stick in there!

Maya - we had tears on leaving me from C too, seems to have got better over the last two weeks. She announced one morning when we got to nursery "i'm not crying today mummy" and that was that!

DewinDoeth · 03/02/2011 14:46

Thanks Ktpie and biscuits! I was at a bit of a low ebb on Tuesday, and really panicking. Iestyn wasn't this bad when I got pregnant, which is annoying! Grin Makes me question that decision, but it's too late, too late...

C - so sweet. (Iestyn is also extremely bossy.) He does have cute moments tho. On Tuesday, after playing up endlessly (he's reprised his car seat tantrum - Spider I remember you were having the same issues; mine died down but he's decided it's just the right time now to go through that again!) and was refusing to sit in his seat, climbing all over the car etc etc at nursery. Eventually I managed to get him in his seat, and as I strapped him in, he said 'can I have some chocolate?'. I said 'no way, you've been very naughty so no.' His answer was 'yes, I have been very naughty. But look, right now I'm being a very good boy sitting in my seat so can I have chocolate?' Hmm

systemsaddict · 03/02/2011 14:54

Major meltdowns - oh yes. Though because ds' are yet more dramatic, I only really notice C's when I have her on her own!

Dewin ds behaves as you describe when he is witholding poos, except he doesn't make it as far as the potty, just hops about. And if Iestyn is having streaky pants too he could well be witholding, with soft poo falling out round a blockage. Very common when for some reason they have developed negative associations with poos - even one hard poo can do it. And it's not uncommon for this to start around potty training time. (I have read a great deal about this issue, can you tell? Grin) It's true that poos often takes a lot longer than wees for them to get the hang of, but worth bearing the constipation / witholding possibility in mind too - watch his behaviour and see if you think it fits. Lots of fluids, lots of high-fibre fruit and veg, aim for really soft, easy to pass poos and if that doesn't work, there are lots of different safe laxatives to address it.

SpiderWilliam · 03/02/2011 15:04

Dewin I could have written your post about I last night with P in mind. The car seat adventures have also returned. This morning included. A couple of weeks ago DH had taken P out and he was late getting back. The phone rang - he had spent 30 mins trying to get P in the car seat. He hands P the phone I say "P are you hungry?" "yes". "Why don't you get in the car and come home for lunch?". With that he jumped in the seat and came home. Hmm Poor DH.

And yes, some enormous tantrums here too. Some elements of 2 and a half I am really not enjoying.

Night 2 of rapid return not good. At least 40 mins getting him to sleep, and then an hour at 2.30. Surely it's meant to get better each night rather than the other way round?

Biscuits s'all right I know these things are down to luck. P did a wee on the loo the other night: that's a step in the right direction!

KeepCalm DH has started muttering about a job in Edinburgh again.

systemsaddict · 03/02/2011 15:13

Yes our last major tantrum was a getting to the car / car seat one. Always outside nursery, too, so all the staff and other parents can see. Fortunately I'm a bit more inured to this by now, and just tuck her screaming under my arm and nod and smile to everyone!

SpiderWilliam · 03/02/2011 15:33

Haha - there's an art to the "not giving a damn" face Systems.

This week I was overheard in the supermarket saying to P "Mummy needs gin". A woman laughed then did a double take to see if I really looked like I had a drink problem.

SpiderWilliam · 03/02/2011 15:46

My first ever AIBU

Eek!!

DewinDoeth · 03/02/2011 20:19

Great thread! I'm convinced I'm having another boy (although there is no actual medical evidence or anything Grin). I look wistfully at well-behaved little girls of Iestyn's age, and think, well, it's a girl thing. (E.g. in church, we were fine until the vicar's wife had a little girl, 8 months younger than Iestyn. She is (annoyingly! Wink) angelic, which really puts Iestyn in a bad light!) My Mum, and my good friend Paula, would both say that boys are easier (but generally dirtier, a bit like dogs!) Mum had two girls, and then a boy. Paula, two boys and then a girl.
Iestyn's been angelic tonight though! He's funny, he's naughty and challenging but often quite straightforward sometimes.
The other day, I was just getting him in the car when the girl next door (child psychologist, leading expert in bilingualism and language acquisition, always talks to Iestyn and I swear she's taking notes!) asked him 'where are you going?'. He said 'to the pool'. Where? We both asked, puzzled. He said it again, and ran forwards, jumping into the large puddle and soaking his trousers to the knees. He had said...

Systems dare I say it, that pooey phase may have passed? No accidents for 2 days (ok, only two, but still!), including at nursery, and successful poos on the potty without too much dancing around. But crikey, emptying that potty turns my stomach. I am so bad with bodily fluids!

KeepCalmAndCarryOnMNing · 03/02/2011 20:27

Was just having a quick catch up without posting but can't resist pointing out to Spider what a fab city Edinburgh is for bringing up children in. Grin

Dewin - have you tried the toilet seats instead of a potty to get round the cleaning out issues?

DewinDoeth · 03/02/2011 20:38

KeepCalm we have one, but he's reluctant. He will use it if persuaded but not for poos! The potty, however, lives in the bathroom now (as per Queen Gina of Routineland's instructions) and the next stage will be to get him on the toilet with the seat. We need bigger steps though!!
My Mum got a pingu DVD in Wilkinsons last week, and Iestyn loves it. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life. But there's one episode all about Pingu weeing on the floor next to the toilet because he can't reach (see - totally weird) and so they build a massive throne all around the toilet for him. My Mum was crying with laughter.

KnittingRocks · 03/02/2011 20:59

Lol Keepcalm, I nip back on to catch up and not only find you taking my name in vain but also trying to nick my friend again Grin Wink!

Was talking to spider earlier on as we're going to a toddler group tomorrow and thought I'd pop on and see how everyone is. Nothing particular to report here, potty training planned for half term and bloody dreading it! Boys are being lovely and watching them play together is a joy (so for all those with small babies it really does get easier, as AH and others reassured me it would!).

Hope all well x

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ShouldersBackAndNoBiscuits · 03/02/2011 21:07

C won't use a potty, only the toilet without a seat on, as her 4 year old cousin showed her how to perch on the normal seat and apparently she 'doesn't need the princess seat any more' I am convinced we are going to have a falling down the loo incident like (was it P spider?) C's cousin is somewhat akin to a deity in her eyes so anything she can do to be more like her she will!

abdnhiker · 03/02/2011 21:24

Fraser is only using the toilet now too - one day he will get his bum stuck in there as he's insisting on going all on his own (I have to wait outside the door some of the time and apparently the nanny does all the time).

knitting I see on FB you're broody again... I'm so not!

dewin Iestyn will be six months older when the baby is born and he'll be fine with it all. Maybe it's good he's getting all his tantrums out of the way! I can remember DS1 having a full tantrum on the pavement (he was 26 months) when Fraser was two months old and in the sling and there was nothing I could do...

KnittingRocks · 03/02/2011 21:51

I never stopped being broody tbh AH Blush.

I'm really struggling to come to terms with the thought that my family is finished and really feel like I have a baby missing Sad. But I know it's extremely unlikely that we'll do anything about it now.

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SpiderWilliam · 03/02/2011 21:58

We got a Toy Story toilet seat in TK Maxx at the weekend and Peter loves it! He is now sitting on it everytime we go in the bathroom. I managed to have a shower this morning whilst P sat there!

KeepCalm out of all the possible relocations that Dh has muttered about Edinburgh would be my top choice. (Dublin and Peterborough were the others)

DewinDoeth · 03/02/2011 22:22

Spider Edinburgh and you can meet up with KeepCalm, but Dublin, I'm 50 mins away! (Well, on a good day and with calm seas...)

systemsaddict · 04/02/2011 09:52

I must watch this Rastamouse by the way, both kids are loving it. Liam said to me last night, "Do you know what you call three mice together? An easy crew." In a not bad patois accent too. Grin Grin

sybilvimes · 04/02/2011 12:25

You will be fine with two Dewin. The trick is to get little routines going which make the difficult tasks (eating sleeping bathing etc) easier.

You will find what works best for you and then just adapt it as you go along. I found it easier moving from one to two than I did from two to three, but I think that was because we had the school runs and nursery runs to do when J came along and that was tricky with breastfeeding on demand. With dd, ds1 was at home so we had no time schedules to keep.

One of my friends told me this morning she is 4 days late this month. They have 3 dc and definitely didn't want any more. Her dh turns 50 this year and is not going to be pleased if she is pg. I feel really sorry for her, while at the same time feeling a tiny bit envious, and a tiny bit relieved that its not me. Which strikes me as a very bizarre set of emotions to have!

neenz · 04/02/2011 16:19

Sybil I know exactly what you mean!

Dewin it must be hard to be pg now, I am glad I am not pg now cos the twins are so demanding atm. I know I have daniel as well and that makes things harder but i feel i got the pregnancy out of the way while the twins were easy iyswim!

I am really struggling atm with giving them enough attention, they whine, moan etc and I have too much to do. But it is just some times of the day like tea time, when I am tired and they are tired and there is so much to do.

They are not really tantrummy just whiny, and really it is only Theo!

DewinDoeth · 04/02/2011 17:35

Neenz no I know exactly where you're coming from, and I suspect it's an age thing (for them, not us! Grin). I got pregnant when things were easy really (whereas you got the pg out of the way at that stage). And since then, the whinyness and low level annoyances have crept in! We do get the occasional tantrum, but really it's the slightly tedious niggles - the refusal to do basic reasonable things like wear trousers or shoes (!!) - that's the problem!! Very low level stuff but when you're tired it kind of makes things worse!

SpiderWilliam · 04/02/2011 17:52

I must have amnesia as I can't ever remember thinking that I was going through the easy part of toddlerdom Confused.