Dec 08 Mums - Snot Beards, Farty Boos and Willy Milk (not how it sounds!) - let the fun continue!

[Beans33]

Here we are x

Yes Rubes, the sorting office is open 8.30-11am...just have to break it to DP about the 12 mile round trip now And yes Beans, drinks on your own are STILL fun, I quite agree.

Oh yay, a try for England.

Relocation Phil Downunder.... Homesick more necessary

Gah, I hate rugby. And I hate DH's Welsh tribalism when he was born in London. And his "Welsh" dad was born in London. It's going to be a long and boring night. I need a good book.

Jo Nesbo books v good

Oh, Graeme Garden, get you , very exciting indeed. We have quite a few celebs round here. In W Dulwich, probably the biggest one is Huw Edwards, who reads the news. My DD1 is friends with the DD2 of <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=images.totalscifionline.com/images/content//julietaubrey.jpg&imgrefurl=totalscifionline.com/interviews/1663-juliet-aubrey-deadlier-than-a-t-rex&usg=__bQSEc91rX7tfmFe1VgU00lrs204=&h=150&w=200&sz=17&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=p-Wx-sQ3yWsaQM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=158&ei=Il5MTa6UHsfPhAeo_oS7Dg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djuliet%2Baubrey%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1076%26bih%3D466%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C204&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=275&vpy=110&dur=468&hovh=120&hovw=160&tx=49&ty=99&oei=Il5MTa6UHsfPhAeo_oS7Dg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&biw=1076&bih=466" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Juliet Aubrey. Over in E Dul we have lots of Holby people, Jenny Eclair, Jimmy Nesbitt and other luvvies. It's fab. I love a bit of celeb.

No rugby here. Thank god. Everyone asleep and husband not back from hunter gathering. Peace is very nice.

The "best" celeb we have in Cam is Rory McGrath, he's just really smug and annoying. I did once pass Stephen Fry on an escalator going the other way and he's very very tall. Plus of course academic famous people that I get impressed by (look! Margaret Bent, the great authority on 15th century polyphony!) but nobody else would ever have heard of

Rory McGrath too furry to be smug, surely??

God, bloody Streatham is celeb-free. I miss working in West End for that reason alone!! Could do with a bit of a celeb spot. Even Huw Evans and his sideways mouth would do! I could never have made it as make up artist. Far too easily star struck. Say silly things, stare and, if they're sexy, dribble a bit.

Oooh what is this VVV good mumsnet techies.

Wish I could pop up for lunch on MOnday but DS1 doesnt finish nursery until 12.30 and I reckon by the time I could make it to RFH it would be 2ish. Have a super lunch.

Cute pic Avo, so exciting to be moving in 4wks. Are you going to do lots of redecorating that we can help you with trailing for lovely internet finds?

Beans blimey your DH sounds a bit like mine. Have a lovely afternoon tom, go to the cinema or something. I used to love going to the pictures on my own.

Oh and Beans is your DH running obsessed? Mine is such a fitness bore now I get long conversations which I just mmmm and uhuh to about sports massage and distance and heart rates and fastest mile.

Rugby is on, glad the boys are in bed the swearing in our lounge is disgraceful.

SYbs personally I think its shocking the way you were interviewed but I dont think it is uncommon. My mum worked as a paralegal for many years and her employers used to say some quite shocking things. But typically the wider mumsnet mafia who believe they are always right have jumped up and had a go.

Effie enjoy your weekend, where is this Snape Maltings you speak of is it close to our neck of the woods?

Oh and DH andI are JL whores. Love lovel love it.

Vag have a great weekend!

Rubes this passport milarky is practically epic. Have some more

JJ hurrah for discharge.

WG snacks for hossie, I had eat natural bars for the slow release energy thing, then also had minstrels. First time round had dextrose sweeties and lots of vimto squash (I am living in the 80's). TBH I would make sure when you feel it all start to kick off have a lovely big bowl of pasta and drink masses of water to keep hydrated.

Right I think chocolate is calling.

Oh and forgot to tell you my odd MIL stuff from when we were away last wk. She put the same clothes on the boys every day and just washed and dried them every night, hence using 2.5litres of Ariel. Oh and for someone whose house is immaculate mine not so immaculate when I came home. Stuff had somehow been squirted up the windows inside! Oh and my beutiful conch shell which I found on a beach in the Bahamas yrs ago has been broken so one edge is all bust. Oh and the weirdest thing of all the boys bathroom stank of white spirits!! Odd. But must add a disclaimer am very grateful for them having the boys.

Right defo chocolate time.

Jam - I think my DH is addicted to exercise. Seriously. He seems to put it first. Maybe I am huffy and biased though.

Leaving heating on tonight as DD2's room is so cold. Poor lamb.

Jam, am now finishing my Xmas choc orange because if your mention of chocolate. Thank you. Had forgotten I had it!!

Strewth, do you usually turn the heating off Beans? I'm a wimp. No wonder dh 's that I do. I thought it was normal to in Winter!

Celebs - Got my fav's, my worst, and my most memorable (Ms Winehouse) meetings with at work! Not sure round here. I'm sure there are some. ms Cole /Tweedy? aint far or rather wasn't!!

Sybs I may be ok for the 10th evening? DH reckons it isn't his late night but would depend on the day how it goes for him and when he'd get back, therefore when I couold get to meet you? What time were you thinking? Clapham J would be best for me.

Jam I so badly want to come to yours on the 11th, but dh reckons you are at least 1:30 or 1:45 without traffic from us, and it would take me even longer as there is roadworks and a long 50mph zone on the M-25 If you and SL do think about somewere in between (Northish) I'd love to join, but otherwise I'm not sure it'd be doable unless I was stopping at mil's on the way back and I can't that day. Bugger I wish there was one of us that lived in between as people's houses are SO much easier! I'll still have a think though and see if I can come up with anything.

Right Rugby on for a brief score check - back to more and trashy TV Crikey I'm dangerously low on for a Friday night!

No worries Rubes when you say Northish london what area are you thinking? There is Whipsnade but I think that is too far North.

Hey folks, just a quickie from me as am bushed and drinking . Doesn't rain but it pours chez les cheerfulnesses, DS2 admitted to hosp last night as he was throwing all feeds up and they wanted to rule out pyloric stenosis. Cue loads of horrible invasive tests, he was nil by mouth for 24 hours in case he needed surgery so screaming all night (zero sleep for me), then ultrasound today showing no real signs of it. They reckon just (just!) severe reflux, so upping the meds (will try Omeprizole if nothing else working) and keeping him in again tonight to see if he can keep any feeds down. They're also concerned about the laryngo malacia and he's booked in to see ENT next week to make sure there's nothing too sinister going on with that. It's heartbreaking to see him in so much pain feeding, they're worried he might start refusing feeds because he associates them with agony . He may have to stay in for a while until he can get enough food into him.

DP is there tonight, never thought a night on my own with a broken T would seem like an easy ride, but sitting here with a glass of wine watching the humping scene in Brokeback Mountain says otherwise.

DH is welsh, despite sounding v v English. And he takes rugby so seriously. There is misery in the waiting household.

Thx for snack advice. Last labour started so suddenly and so hard I cdn't conceive of eating a bowl of Pasta. Like the idea of it though, and minstrels. Yum.

Oh, and trace, that is v reassuring. Thank you. Caught between the people saying you should go for the birth you want and my feeling which is you get the birth you're given. Ugh.

Oh Dear God Spot poor ds2 I am without words at what has been thrown at you and your family. You are a superhero to be still coping with all of this. Really well done, you've been through the wringer and it can only get better from here. Wish I could help. Is there anything I can possibly do?

Jam - is one of us off here up there? I don't know it except for looking on the map but yeah it's a bit North I suppose. I was wondering about around Watford or basically Nth London-ish area's - no? I have no idea really - anyone live around there that we could invite ourselves to visit

SPot my poor love. I hope you are having mucho I hope to god that things get a bit easier for you.

Right ok Watford. Am sure there is bound to be some sort of hideous indoor play area or Cassiobury Park has a fantastic play park. One of my bessies lives there will ask her whats good for toddlers. Yes is there noone who lives in the middle that would be happy to have us all rampaging through their house.

Oh dear Spot my love, what a complete and utter nightmare! You sound remarkably composed for someone who has had all that. Poor little fellow, sounds very uncomfortable and sad. When he is back home and DP back at work, could we club together and get you some help from sitters or someone as a post birth present? Totally understand if you don't want to leave your littlies with strangers, but you could be in the house upstairs and they could amuse the boys whilst you rested. If there was an emergency you could deal, otherwise you coudl have some kip.

After Matthew was born, I came down with a rotten sweaty cold and was rank. Got one of my many 16year olds to amuse the girls whilst I sweated it out upstairs and dear lord it was a godsend. I would just doze upstairs with him whilst she did puzzles with the girls, and it really helped. Only for a couple of days or course but enough to get my mothering mojo back. Would you consider it? I'd love to be able to offer some practical help, but we are a little too far to do anything helpful in person alas.

Rubes, I may not be able to find a sitter at short notice alas - the teenagers are in hot demand! I will ask though. Shall we do something once you are back? We can always do both if I get lucky on the childcare.

I am delighted to report that 2 very sensible and knowledgeable posters came across my other thread and catapulted it from 50s Britain into a sensible discussion. I found a couple of the posters a bit offensive to be honest. Glad they didn't have babies in Dec 2008. We are very lucky here. I do feel I can say anything and be listened to and respected. Hurrah!

Right, more .

Jam! A friend of mine is in Watford, but she is not on MN and would probably be overwhelmed. She frequents Parents Paradise a lot, but I've never been myself eek. Argh, so much easier at peoples houses.... We're gonna have to start having sleep overs I'm all out of it's disasterous.

x-ed Sybs. Right no worries - Got loads to do before hols anyway. I'll have a think about other dates.

oh and I meant to say, Jam that is really odd behaviour of your mil and washing the clothes etc! What's that about and how did you know? Also, did they say what happened to the broken shell or did you ask about it?
Right, enough of me tonight I hear you say...
Lady hope the reveal of the missed posty goes ok and dp was suitably ed up for the news [eek]

Just a quick one as am in bed on phone - Spot, I really want to do something for you but am at a loss. Can scarcely believe how you've all suffered.

Rubes - DP was remarkably sanguine about the unscheduled trip tomorrow so don't worry.

Spot - that sounds really tough, poor little fella and poor you. Hope it all comes good soon.

WG - Thinking about your post, I think the trick is try for the birth you want but accept the birth you get. All a bit doublethink. On food - I think depends partly on the hossie. I packed all sorts of random stuff (drinks, cereal bars etc). Turns out here was a whacking great M&S under the building (Royal Free) so just lived off that.

Rubes - someone was telling me about an incredible soft play type place in Watford (Gambado?). Not been but they were raving on about it...

syb - I was going to say, you seemed to be getting more sense on your thread. I know my anecdote was pretty shocking, but I should say it had a decent ending in that she did get a decent job elsewhere. On the "where are you from" question, I have to say living in Bxls was an education on how far we have come here - I remember having a conversation with a cab driver - I said London and his follow up was "no, where are you really from"!! Bascially everyone assumed I was morrocan, which is not a good thing to be in Brussels...

SL - yay to feeding/sleeping.

On the whole going out stuff and time to yourself - DH and I are royally rubbish. We end up all doing everything together at the weekend which is sort of nice, but also a bit mad and neither of us gets any real downtime.

LadyT - in answer to your q about hols, its a case of more universal rubbishness. Some friends were trying to tempt us to go to the Canaries with them over the whole easter/royal wedding week. In some ways its great as their kids and ours get on fabulously (as do we) but I don't think I have ever managed to do that kind of holiday and they are going somewhere smart so £££ for what would be a bit of an experiment. We should sort something out sometime soon. Am almost tempted to take a sneaky week over half term and not do anything too ambitious. Much sympathy over the freehold - it sounds very familiar. My sis just organised the freehold purchase at their place and sounds much the same. Otherwise things mostly good - am kind of enjoying work, but do feel my motivation levels are not what they should be (or were pre kids). Bad confession.

Thank you so much for being so lovely and supportive, and to Sybs for such a kind offer. What I'd like most is to meet all of you and your DCs. I do sometimes feel like all I do is come on here and moan at the latest drama, but everyone has them, mine just seem to be similarly health-related and not nearly as bad as what some go through. I had actually been musing coming to the RFH meet up but as T is still in a bad way with his collarbone and can't go to nursery I can't really face the idea of bringing the two of them in. It is this coming Monday, rather than the following one isn't it? And I think Jam's place is prob too far, is it? Jam, can you PM me your postcode and I'll see?

You're right, we probably do need some time off once we get off the medical merry go round. DP is off to Amsterdam at the end of next week and my mum is coming up for a night so at least she'll be able to go entertain T while i take B to the hossie.

It's tricky because I know my mum would be ok to stay 2 nights, but I think we would all end up in a fight if that happened. Sad but true.

Not heard yet from DP but I suspect last night was hideous - it was bad when I was there as he was crying form hunger, but as he was nil by mouth at least he could be soothed lying down. Now he's feeding again he can't be put down on his back, even at a steep incline, without a lot of pain, so I suspect DP will have done some serious cuddling. T slept through so I got 7 uninterrupted hours. But really weird to have an empty cot next to the bed to wake up to. Don't like it.

Have a friend coming round this morning with her DS to play with T then hopefully B might be able to come home this afternoon if he's been able to get enough food down him. Fingers seriously crossed.

Spot: poor little DS2, I hope the hosp gets things moving in the right direction. I like Sybs' idea v much. Would love to give you some practical help but am a bit at a loss as to what that could be.

My gosh Spot. I am also shocked by what you are going through. I have to say that you sound like you are coping really well. I guess it's hard to tell when all we see is your written word but you sound very calm and collected. Do you feel like you might avoid PND this time round? I have all my fingers crossed for B coming home today.

I will have to come down to Brighton in March as once we have moved we need to empty our storage box in Brighton which is full of my Mum's stuff. I also need to tend Mum's grave. When I know a date I'm going to post it on here and see if You are free. If you are then we could arrange a mini meet-up and see if we can tempt anyone else down. I'd love to take my girls up the pier and maybe to the Sea Life Centre. Would you be up for that?