FEB 2010 Tottering into our second year...!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

A few first birthdays left, then we're full tilt into walking/talking and a mountain of mischief

We have a 9th tooth which is a premolar. None for nearly 2 months and then 2 in a week

PA yes she can have cake daily.

chinook I don't see why you can't ebay some, after all you can always say to the person that it her/his present.

scones sorry about your 1T tiredness. I did have it last time and I might still get it. I think I'm only 8 weeks. Got an appointment to see someone, but it's not for nearly 3 weeks, buy which I'll be 11 weeks. Last time I remember getting very angry with work for not having beds for pregnant people to nap and was sorely tempted a few times to curl up under my desk. I think post 8 weeks was when it hit so fingers crossed.

I've been speaking to other professors, but as the US government doesn't have a federal budget in place yet (as the republicans keep blocking it) a lot of people have money on hold so it doesn't look good. I'm waiting to hear back from a particular professor, but that won't be until later in the week. The one's that I've spoken to have been very sympathetic once I mentioned who I was working for.

Chinook I hope your DD had a lovely day.

I like the idea of fattening DD up on cake before her weigh in next week

Hello all....
Firstly Happy Birthday ESME! Sorry I missed it PA just been so, so busy getting DD's birthday ready and couldn't get online.

THANK YOU all for the birthday wishes... this time last year I was lying in the hospital feeling mega tired, and stoned, wondering what on earth to do with DD. Didn't have a clue! I kept her in bed with me all night but was in agony from stitches and the birth. How far we've all come!

DD's birthday was a big success, she loved her cake! She got so many presents and was completely overwhelmed. Of course, she ended up reading one of the twelve books I bought in a charity shop last week at 30p each. DP's brother took the day off work and came for the day and DD took one look at him and burst into tears. Very embarrassing! He had gone to so much effort and she kept on giving him these dirty looks . She finally warmed to him when we all sang "Old MacDonald has a Farm" and he played the tambourine. She then started showing him all her toys and giving him secret smiles ... Luckily he was very good about it! Anyway I am exhausted but just wanted to thank you all for remembering her. I will write more tomorrow and maybe post some pics on FB. DP is working for the next few days so may find it a bit hard to get online as DD is so full on.

Stangirl I hope your friend's wife is okay and pulls through.

Good night all.

Nipping in to say happy birthday to Abs' DD. DS2's alarm is going off a lot tonight (just before our mad day of two hospitals, two appointments, 50 miles apart (and DH in for blood tests beforehand too and me providing training for 18 teaching assistants!) The logistics involved tomorrow would be worthy of war strategy type planning! Anywya, off for relatively early night before facing a room full of people who last saw me when I only had one mad son to look after!!

Sympathy to BG and Schro. Adding myself to the 'mums of two who are utterly bonkers' list (and they had their first argument on Saturday in the car: DS1:"NO!"; DS2 "YEH!", repeat x10 and getting louder/longer with each one. DH could barely drive due to laughing so much. No idea what they were discussing). Will check lovely pics tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Abs DD!

Just wrote a long post and now it's disappeared. Suffice to say, I'm feeling like a bad mum, wife, employee, daughter and daughter in law at the moment :(

Aw, CS - you're none of those things.
You're lovely.

CS Give yourself a pat on the back because you are probably doing much better than you think! You can't make things right for everyone all the time, so don't be too hard on yourself

I'm really not.

Nursery phoned yesterday to say that DD2 had been sick - took me an hour and a half to get there to pick her up = bad mother.

I've only been back at work for two weeks = bad employee.

Was so busy mithering last night over how to juggle kids and work that I made a rubbish dinner = bad wife; was distracted on the phone to my mum = bad daughter; and haven't managed to visit my MIL who had an operation a few days ago = bad DIL.

DD2 is fine btw. I think her tummy was a bit sensitive after last week's bug and she reacted badly to a yogurt they gave her. She's gone back this afternoon after the standard 24 hours off for being sick.

You can't have it all as a working mum, can you?

:(

CS, you just sound like someone who's got too much on her plate at the moment and is doing her damnedest to juggle it all. Don't be so hard on yourself.

CS IC is right. Don't be so hard on yourself. If it makes you feel any better when I started back at work in Feb I had to take the first 2 and a half days off due to my own illness and then a day and a half off the week afterwards because DD was ill. I don't make dinner - DP does (BTW that's one thing you should explore doing, if you are the primary childcarer then your DH should do much more round the house). When my Mum phones I tell her she bores me and I can't be bothered to listen to her latest ill health complaints and I try to only see my MIL for 2 days a year because I don't give a damn. Both my Mum and MIL are both lovely by the way and don't deserve such treatment it's just I have limited capacity to do things and they are way down my list.

OK attempt two, due to DD being a nightmare this morning.

CS you are not a bad mother, ever thought to think it's the other people not being as supportive. Probably not, so what makes you so special

bad mother: nonsense. You dropped everything to go get her, it's not your fault the world doesn't let you get from A to B in one second

bad wife: well couldn't DH have made the dinner or brought it since you'd had a stressful day. You had scarified your work day at the end of the day. Also has he been to see MIL. I'm sure she understands.

Bad daughter: well she can't have expected your full atention considering and if she wanted it, she could have had the grace to call at a time that would obviously suit you better. Working mums and evenigns do not mix

No one can have it all, doesn't matter if your a SAHM or a working mum.

You care and you're great.

CS you are none of them. I too juggle all the time (it's part of being a working mum) and while the guilt comes as soon as the cord is cut, you are doing extremely well and care for your 2 DD. I agree with the previous comments.

Abs glad to hear your DD had a great day.

bethy fingers crossed you'll manage tomorrow.

DS is getting more confident in 'walking' but still has a bit of temperature by the end of the day plus he had a pooplosion just before going to bed. And he is back to nursery tomorrow! DH has already been warn that I can take some TOIL tomorrow but that he'll be in charge of DS on Thursday if needed as I have to be at work on that day.

Give a glass of to CS and anybody else who needs one (or a cup of for the pregnant ladies/non drinkers)

Thank you, you are all so lovely.

I know I'm being silly - DD2 is fine (which is the main thing), and nobody minds anything that I am or am not doing. I'm one of life's worriers (though nobody knows it - I always appear in control, but I'm like a duck frantically swimming under the water!), so I was always going to be beset with maternal guilt.

DD2 was fine at nursery this afternoon, DD1 has been a delight this evening, and DH is on duty tomorrow (he has the day off as my ILs usually do childcare for us on Wednesdays but obviously can't at the moment). So I'm just finishing a freelance article (not due until Sunday - that worrying streak of mine won't let me leave it until the last minute, I'm the oddest journalist in the world!), then will go and make pancakes.

It's bacon and mushroom filling for main course, then blackcurrant and pear compote with whipped cream for pudding, though I can do lemon and sugar if anyone would prefer that. Any takers?

I'm a pure lemon and sugar fan myself

Oh, can I have one too CS? Meant to do pancakes tonight but dd1 had some at nursery which flipped me into 'Oh well, can't be bothered then' mode

CS I'm in for the pancakes! After our mad day here, we haven't had any (and don't think we've had last year's yet either!!) The fillings alone suggest that you are a great wife and mummy cos my lads would get lemon, sugar and if they're relaly lucky a bit of sliced banana I found that I felt I was serving no-one when I went back to work but it has become the norm again. It's all a balancing act, and I get it worng every now and then, but I figure that if we are doing our best, we can't do any more. Give youreslf a break and some of SB's wine!!

Quick resume of today in the Bethylou household: I went to work to train 18 teaching assistants (went well I think): DH and DS1 went for DH's blood tests; DH and my Mum went to hospital with DS1 - now going to have overnight pH study for reflux and gastro type stuff (on DH's birthday in a couple of weeks ) DH and I then linked up (while Mum took DS1 to nursery) and took DS2 to Birmingham for his appointment. He's going to have an overnight sleep study done there in the coming weeks to try and see if anything goes on apnoea-wise on an average night. Mum collected DS1 and we all met up again at 6pm for speedy tea, bath and bed - phew!! Both boys are now getting what we wanted (if only nearly a year too late in both cases) and we feel that we have finally been listened to and taken seriously. I'm now drinking SB's wine and am ready for an early night (and feel qualified to lead the army logistics corp!!).

Sorry for 'me' post but it's been quite a day! Will look forward to reviewing the recent video clips and photos in the next couple of days.

p.s. Talk about bad mother CS - DS2 has cut two pre-molars without me even really noticing! I've been aware that he's been dribbly, snotty and generally a bit 'off' (and have medicated from time to time) but gums might have benefitted from some calgel!

Hope you all enjoyed your pancakes - you should have got them when I flipped the thread .

In fact, DH actually did them while I finished writing my fifth freelance article in three weeks (two hours to write 1,600 words this time). If any of you want to see the boring drivel I write, google my RL name (you'll know it from FB) and you'll come across one on the liver that was published a couple of weeks ago. Feel free not to, though!

beth glad it's not just my DD that grows teeth in secret (doffs hat to PA who coined the term a couple of weeks ago when I was berating myself for having not noticed).

I came home from work quite angry, really upset just holding back the tears and DH has prepared a good amount of vegan pancake batter.

It was very yummy (I had 6 for my dinner) and am feeling much better now :)

Now con-air is on

Hello everyone, belated happy birthdays to Abs DD and PA's DD.

Am away a lot this week so CS I am with you on the guilt... Poor dh left at home with an empty fridge, poor dd cared for by a series of relatives who are coming in to do the mornings when dh is at work.

Big wave to everyone else need to pack for next trip away.

PA I am curious how do you make pancakes without milk or eggs, is it just buritos or galettes?
I did crepes yesterday with DD1, but was unable to cook them without a non stick pan (our attempts were stuck and burned)

CS FC bethy I do admire working mums, I couldn't do it. I thing you have to let go your standards, nobody expect you to be perfect all the time. Even for SAHM you have to give up somethings because you can't do everything in a limited amount of time (without outside help).
bethy I am impressed by your organisation skills.

According to my mum (who is divorced from my dad ) DH should come home to a set table with diner ready and a wife dressed and freshly made up re. That has really helped her to have a good marriage... So I have accepted (DH too), I am a bad wife already .
Most of the guilt comes from family pressure, my advice: ignore them.

DD2 scared me to death, she can open the front door unbeknown to us. Got out of the kitchen to an empty flat and an opened front door (4th floor with a really dangerous hand rails, she can fall straight through ). She was just behind the door pondering on going down.
Now I have to ponder my fright of being locked in, in case of fire versus a baby loose on the stairs. Sleepless night to come thinking of all the possible ways I can escaped the fire and the possible earthquake with a locked front door.

She is also like DD1 when they know they are not allowed to do something and they hear me, they hurry to finish before I can physically stop them. Stubborn little devils!
DD2 do things (plugging wires or climbing on the table...) saying non non... gaah!

Will try to go read CS paper before DD2 wakes up.

Good work CS

Thanks for the pancakes, CS - yum!

We had cream cheese with onion and garlic stuffed broccoli and spinach pancakes for main course, followed by ordinary ones for pud. We put fruit puree in DD's - she loved them all!

Mind you, she fell and did something in her mouth which caused a lot of blood (we think she must have bitten her tongue) shortly before lunch, but it didn't seem to put her off. Although strangely, she did have a problem with "solid" food at supper time, so I resorted to giving her yoghurt, puree, soft cheese and porridge.

She decided to wake at 04.45 this morning and took three attempts and a good hour and more before she went back. She then slept until 07.50, which was lovely for DH and I, but complicates naps slightly. She's asleep now and I'm going to try and keep her asleep as long as poss because this late in the day (after 11.30), it's most unlikely she'll fit in a second sleep. Fingers crossed, although she has managed on 45mins before now....

Blimey, your DD2s are ones to watch Shro and BG!! They must be giving you grey hairs...

bethy, what a day! Sounds like you navigated the logistical nightmare pretty well, though.

Vegan pancakes, PA - sounds interesting! I presume you're using soya milk (or some other milk substitute), but what do you do for a binding agent? I used to live with a couple of vegans, but I don't think they ever attempted pancakes...

Schrodinger dd2 read your post over my shoulder and then tried her best to copy your dd2 and open the front door... . We have a very simple bolt at the top of ours like this which is easy to open but impossible for my girls to reach. Would that be an idea for you?

you don't need the eggs. He basically just used flour milk and marg (vegan varieties of course). I've seen some recipes with a bit or corn starch in. They tasted pretty much like the real thing and DH didn't complain. Apparently mixing it all up properly was the difficult bit.