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

[KnittingRocks]

Sorry, couldn't cope with Christmas anymore!

Great job with the weight loss Amber! I knew a girl at uni who had a nose job - she was a lovely girl, and I think was really shy because she had a very prominent hooked nose - it totally transformed her, and meant you looked at her lovely eyes instead! I have no idea what your nose looks like though!

I am doing lots of baking this evening - have made a batch of marshmallow cupcakes and am now making coffee meringues. It's a friend's birthday tomorrow and we are having an afternoon tea. I have been avoiding baking due to the WW, so it's been nice to have an excuse to make some stuff and a reason not to eat it!

rolf bad news about your party, could people not just have gone for a gathering instead of refusing to go? glad T's speech has the all clear!

neenz sorry you didn't get the job, hope it was a useful experience for the next time?

Snacks are the worst for weight gain and I know I eat more when I'm tired (because I need the cheap energy) than when I'm well rested. I'm trying to lose 5lbs but it's hard to get the last bit off when I'm working late three nights a week.

Have sent you a fb message biscuits!

I've always said that if I won the lottery I'd get a nose job - mine is really crooked and I hate getting my picture taken because of it (and always try to tilt my head to minimize it).

We're off to a party this afternoon - our English friends are hosting it - it seems like most of the locals around here are a bit shy about throwing a party. Actually it's costing us a lot of money as DH's office is shut for the day and none of the contractors are allowed to work from home. That's pretty rubbish - losing a day's pay. My work is open and all the men have gone in (we're paid partially by how many hours we bill) so I could have worked an extra day (I don't normally work fridays) if we were really stressed about money but I'm pretty exhausted and I've worked a lot of extra hours in the past two weeks (which are paid) so I figured I could take the day off. Needless to say it's time for DH to look for another job - his company is crap. (And I'll admit that in public).

rolf do you have any words of wisdom about boys and bedwetting? DS1 is turning 5 and he's wet the bed a couple times this week. We've heard it might just be that he's growing - what's the advice on how to handle it? I thought we should wake him at 10 and get him to pee (and DH normally wakes him at 5:30 when he gets up so that DS1 will sleep longer) but DH thought maybe we should let him wet himself so he'll learn to wake up. If it's a growth thing though that feels unfair... (and a pain for laundry).

abdn DS1 wet the bed until he was about 7. I was all ready to worry about when the (GP) father of his best friend said that he sees loads of boys that age who bedwet, it's very normal and they grow out of it. I kept DS1 in PJ pants until he'd stopped. We also would stick him on the loo when we went to bed and that seemed to help. He was pretty much asleep when he was doing it though so I don't know if it made any difference.

DD1 betwets (she's 5) every night, and I don't think sticking her on the loo would help. Maybe it's to do with the other problems she has but at the moment I'm trying to be relaxed about it and assume that she'll outgrow it when she's ready.

Amber what don't you like about your nose? I knew one girl who had it done and she looked great. Before she op she also looked great but had a very distinctive nose . I'd love to get my tummy fixed but it's a big op and £££.

Biscuits I think the unexpected republicans were only part of the reason it was cancelled

Do you put plastic covers on the bed under the sheet? DTs still wear nappies in bed but will take that step soon, just wondered what you do. I don't remember ever having plastic sheet when I was a kid but do remember bedwetting.

We got them a climbing frame for the garden for their birthday. The Little Tikes Explore & Seek but got it second hand off ebay for £70. My sisters are buying them the fire station between them. i wil buy them joint things if they are expensive, when they are older they may not want that but atm they don't know the difference. They get £50 each. I've also bought them a few bits and bobs each - T has a mack Trailer from the Cars film and a rug from Ikea with a road on (he loves them). Esther has a Little Kitty mini playhouse but still want to get something else for her. Any ideas for about £10?

Amber, good luck with the nose job! I am a bit squeemish about surgery but if it will make you feel happier go for it. You are gorgeous though, you really don't need any work done.

Rolf, I am getting the feeling I am going to find 3 harder than 2! They fight now, hitting each other and I find it hard to get them to do what I say sometimes. We were at kids' animal display the other day and all the kids were sat nicely on the mat watching. Theo and Esther kept getting up to poke their fingers through the cages or just run up and down. I was on my own (with D too) and I just spent the whole time chasing them trying to get them to sit down. It was quite embarrassing cos they just ignored me and I don't know what to threaten them with when we are out and about (can't send them to their room!). I know the rest of it is mostly attention seeking and they are also very good a lot of the time. We went to bbq at PILs yesterday and they were brilliant all day. I was very proud of them

Neenz - the age for no nappies at night seems to vary widely - ds1 was just turned four. He does need to pee most nights though so we were very proud of him. I think there was a while there where he didn't need to pee (don't remember being woken up by him slamming toilet seats etc) and that might be why he's bedwetting now as he's out of the habit of getting up. There's an integral breathable layer backed with plastic cover in his bed with plastic underneath so if he pees we can just whip off the top bit and he spends the rest of the night on the plastic. Since he only bedwets when he's tired, it doesn't seem to bother him.

Neenz luke is out of nappies at night but has peed once. We have a corned waterproof undersheet from the White company which is ace - it's more rubbery than plastic and is soft on top.

Surprisingly we've had a nice weekend even though luke has turned into the brat from hell. Marks 85 year old nan has been such a help bless her.

Nosejob all depends on marks bonus which by all accounts will be dreadful. Also potentially he may need to buy me a ring!

Ooh are you getting married Amber? You know he has to buy you a ring that is one month's salary . Theo is dry in the night every night but E wets a lot. We still put nappies on both just in case cos I haven't the energy yet with D still waking. He was sleeping through but has had a terrible week with his teeth but one has popped through on the top now and he has been better the last 2 nights. He is getting the cc treatment tonight

I am trying some new discipline techniques with the DTs atm. Remember I went to that event where I coulnd;t control them and they refused to do what I said? well obviously I feel with 3 of them if I am on my own I need to know they will do what I ask. So we have been practising at home - when it's mealtimes I ask them to sit 'nicely' ie properly on the chair with legs out in front, and they sit like that till everyone has finished eating, then they ask to get down. It is hard cos they still don't do it, I have to be on top of them all the time telling them to get back up sit nicely. They usually sit pretty well but they are up and down and they crouch or lean all over the table. I accepted that cos at least they were eating. But they eat pretty well now. I don't want to be shouty mum that my kids are afraid of but I need to get 'that voice' iyswim . We are seeing results quite quickly and DH thought he could see real progress while we were out today - we've been to Day Out With Thomas today which has been excellent.

I would be really interested to hear our more experienced mums' views on how to get 3yo's to do what you say! SIL said she was going to introduce a 'listening well' sticker chart for her DS (he is 3 in 7wks) but I really think they should do what I say because I say it not cos they get a sticker

Well I'm hoping to get married next year although there has been no proposal yet! Mark's salary is heavily weighted in favour of his bonus so i'll base it on last year's salary! To be honest I'm not that bothered about the ring. I never wear jewellery anyway and a big diamond would look silly on me as I'm such an old scruff bag. I have seen some really pretty ones in Hirsh with coloured diamonds.

Let me know how the discipline techniques go as Luke is being a complete brat at the moment

I am totally in love with Luke's school. The headmaster stands outside and shakes every single pupil's hand as they go in and he knows everyone's name - it's lovely!

Arse - the babies both have chicken pox.

The pics of the girls' pox look really awful Amber . Hope they are OK and not suffering too much. Was it Madeleine's pic on FB? She really looks like Mark doesn't she!

Where is everyone?

My little babies are three! We have had a fab couple of days, their birthday was yesterday, their party for friends today. Having all my family over tomorrow. Happy days! We had Peppa Pig today, it was great.

The discipline techniques are going well but it is hard work. I had to be on top of them all the time at mealtimes the first few days but it has paid off. They seem to be responding much better now to simple requests eg sit nicely. I have also introduced the naughty step and threaten them with 'time out' if they are misbehaving. Doing lots of positive stuff too like praising good behaviour and generally trying to give them lots of quality attention. Their table manners are much improved and I am finding mealtimes much less stressful. So although it was hard work in the short term being quite strict, it is paying off long-term.

Daniel is sleeping through again now - he got the cc treatment, it didn't take long this time. 7-7 last night for the first time in his life! I was still giving him a dream feed but dropped it last night and he still went through . Life looks a lot different when you have had a few nights' proper sleep!

Neenz - happy belated birthday to Esther and Theo

Amber - your poor babies, hope you get some sleep

Marking spot as this dropped off my threads!

Blimey 4 posts in a week. Where is everyone? Neenz that was madeleine. She looks more like luke and mark and his family. Isabella looks like my mum!

Glad you had a lovely party / we are having a dinosaur one for luke. Already panic stricken about it! Luke got a mid sleeper bed for his birthday although it's a bit early. He loves it! Going to get him a bike with sta bilisers too.

Glad the DTs enjoyed their birthday party Neenz. We've just booked a bouncy castle party for S and we're having an Octonauts theme (which S is mad about). Have found someone on the internet (via MN!) to make some Octonauts figures for the cake and have been enjoying playing with my MacBook to create some Octonaut themed invitations and other bits and pieces. Am ridiculously pleased with myself with them .

I've looked at some mid-sleepers too, though I think it'll probably be next year before we get one. I think we'll move S into a bigger bedroom in the summer, but probably leave him in his cotbed for now. It's a funny shaped room and a full sized bed wouldn't leave much space for toys etc. Hopefully we'll move next year so will get a new bed then.

Octonauts party sounds fab! Who's birthday is next?

The doula course last week was brilliant. I am now a trainee so need four birth clients and four postnatal and I'll be 'qualified'. I found it really inspiring and it really re-affirmed my belief in natural birth. Not that all doula clients want natural birth - it is just about making sure the woman has a positive experience, no matter what that might be. It will be tough to do with childcare issues but I will just try to do my four trainee jobs and muddle through with my mum, dh and mil on standby and then see how it goes. Wish Dewin lived nearer, she could be my first client! I heard from her on fb today - she is 32 weeks PG now but having a really tough time at work (you might have seen on her status a few weeks ago).

I was really struggling with Theo's behaviour last week. He's jealous of D and kicks and hits him, or cuddles him too roughly and makes him cry. I was so tired last week too cos D's sleep went backwards and the doula course wore me out so by Friday I was at the end of my tether! I felt seriously near to depression - although I knew it was only due to the tiredness. So D got the cc treatment again last night (just 1x20min crying at 2am ) and Theo is getting the time out treatment (a lot). It is working and he is much better today (and I am much better cos had more sleep!). I am warning him once then putting him on the step but not waiting till he does something really bad cos by then I have lost my rag. So even for low-level stuff (like kicking out and not making contact or continuing to touch Daniel even after I have asked him to stop) I am putting him on the step but trying to keep really calm myself. Then I make him say sorry. I have seen a big improvement today - now after he's been on the step he says 'I want to say sorry'. Terrible twos? No way, it's terrible threes in this house!

Sorry you're having trouble with Theo, Neenz. T is being much stroppier than usual, too. She had the screaming abdabs when we wouldn't give her (or DS2) any pudding as they hadn't eaten their supper. It didn't really help that DS1 made yumyum faces whenever our backs were turned .

My doula was fab, if I was having any more I'd definitely have her again. I hope you get some clients

Neenz how are you going to get clients? Will you advertise yourself or is it word of mouth (or mn?!!)

ah octonauts party sounds great - luke never watches it which is surprising considering his love of sea creatures. He's a nick junior watcher so he's into all those characters. We were going to get a bouncy castle but I chickened out of doing it at home!

Neenz as you know via fb I also say terrible 3s. Two was a dream. Luke is June 15 so still a few weeks. Who is next? Hardly anyone seems to come on mn these days! Do you think knitting went when spider did?

Going's LO turned 3 the other day, she put it on FB, and MakeCakes' (not sure what her last MN name was but you know who I mean Amber cos you went to the party!) CJ was 3 too the other day. Not sure who is next!

Attempts as discipline still going OK here - I try not to be so strict on the time outs now. I try to use distraction or just ignore them sometimes. They are only 3 and can't be perfect all the time! Usually the threat of time out is enough to make them stop whatever they are doing. I have also introduced a sticker chart - if they go all day without a TO they get a sticker. They absolutely love it and have had a sticker every day since we introduced it. Though I have been being quite soft because I don't want to put them in TO cos then they won't get a sticker! But the threat of TO and 'you won't get your smiley star sticker' seems very good for making them behave themselves.

I have to do a post-course module for the doula course then I can register with Doula UK and can go on their list of doulas - so anyone looking for a doula in this area will find me. That might bring me some clients. Otherwise it is word of mouth and maybe through the BFing groups I do I will find some PN clients, and I know the HVs through doing the BF groups so maybe they can recommend me. You can advertise, produce leaflets etc but I will have an issue with childcare for quite a while so quite happy just to let people come to me at first and take it slowly.

Daniel not sleeping so well again (teeth/cold) so pretty knackered again but having a couple of beers and a pizza tonight . Rock n roll.

Hello...? Is anybody out there? It's been a week since anyone posted! Not much going on here. Got three nights of sleeping through from D (woo!) so feel like a new woman. It makes such a difference and puts me off having any more kids!

Hi neenz! I think the thread has died as there have only been a couple of posts in two weeks and hardly any before that. Will have dropped off everyones thread lists which means you have to find it. I'll post with you if you like and maybe people will come back at some point!

Oh and it all died when Spider left more or less so if it was all my fault I truly apologise.

I don't think Spider left cos of you and I don't think it died because Spider left... it's just coincidence, we are all busy and FB takes up so much of my time now (well, also having three young children!) I hardly have time for MN. Maybe others are the same or maybe they have a proper life .

Hello . I'm just popping on to share my hideous moment. I had a group of people over to my house last night - some I knew, some I didn't (church thing). I was wondering where I'd previously met one of the women as she looked very familiar and realised she was the GP who saw me about my dodgy ladybits and jabba the hutt belly last year. Maybe she didn't recognise my face .

Ah Rolf that's priceless. I'm sure it happens to her all the time though .

Everything's good here. Trying to get my doula business off the ground. Had some cool business cards printed cos I keep seeing women at playgroup or in the village with newborns or pregnant and I think 'wish I had something to give them with my details on'.

Daniel is pretty much sleeping 7-7 now. Sometimes 6.30am but the twins are awake most days at 6 now anyway! Thank goodness they just play for a bit though before coming to get us.

Oh Rolf! I'm sure she had no idea but I would also have been mortified!!!

Hi neenz - sorry to hear about the chicken pox! Sleeping going well here too. Madeleine sleeps 7-7 with a 10pm feed and so does isabella but she wakes on and off from 5 and I have to pop the dummy in. Do you think I need to wean her off the dummy?