June 10 babies are growing apace, teething and crawling all over the place.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Here we are ladies. Let's see if we can manage to chat a bit more on this one :).

well, I seem to have come down with whatever D has got, and it's no wonder that he's been so shouty: the headache is terrible! He's lucky I've made a chocolate cake.

Really looking forward to tomorrow. I keep thinking of what stage I was at this time last year. It's definitely a nicer memory than waiting for an emergency c-sec without going into labour like DD. Poor DD. I must never tell her that!

LaT- enjoy the day!

I know what you mean about looking back a year. Although DH's comment on the anniversary of contractions starting... "Ooh- Mum's had Sky tv for a year now!" (she had it installed that morning). You've got to love him

DIMB- I've got agreement in principle. Not sure when it will translate into agreement in practise. I sent him a message on my first day back at work, saying that we needed another baby to give me maternity leave to look forward to. That was met with silence! But agreeing to the idea o a second is a huge step forwards from just a month ago.

Filly- love the idea of letting the other DC decorate the cake. Gets them involved.

Got to go now, but instead of my nice easy day at work in the local office with an early finish, I've got a late afternoon meeting in the office 40 miles away. Grrrr! Roll on the weekend.

Sorry laT- hope you feel better to. They have such good timing with passing on illness don't they.

How are you feeling now LaT? Did you manage to sort out the presents?
J enjoyed his birthday today I think. He had just a few presents, but all went down well. Really liked his little tikes garden, and the photo album with recorded messages from us all to go with each picture, and I think the scramblebug will get lots of use too. And a Galt frog in a box was good once we sussed how to push it in correctly.
And we got to a year still with no teeth! I love gummy smiles, but it would be nice for him to get some I think as he loves putting corn on the cob in his mouth, but obv can't get any corn off yet!

So, what are we looking forward to now that the birthdays are all done?

Coldy virus thing is still around. Plus molars are leading to hysterical sobbing for an hour at a time at night. I've never had an inconsolable child before, but it really does take an hour to settle him down, even with all the usual teething tricks. It's not very nice but we did have a good birthday. Little red wagon was a hit, as were all the little bits. Little! Schleich animals cost a fortune. If I hadn't bought them little by little I never could have done it.

The Galt frog is great. We've had one since DD. We've played with it so much. We've done , 'Knock knock Mr frog' with it a million times and we also put surprises in it, so sometimes it's not Mr Frog who comes out.

I, and DH , are gradually coming round to the sensible option of only having the children we can really afford. It struck me at soft play at the weekend (which is £2.50 up till now as only DD paid) that we're not going to be ableto drop in if we feel like it any more now it will be £5 a time and £7.50 would be awful for just doing that. I also got to thinking about 5 plane tickets to see the grandparents and I feel life will really be a struggle, especially as there are no English grandparents any more.

Personally, CSWS, I am looking forward to me stepmother visiting for my birthday next week. 38 How about you?

I must admit I haven't paid for Alice at soft play yet. Luckily she still looks babyish enough at 13 months to get away with it, but am not looking forward to the cost doubling as we won't be able to pop in quite as much anymore I don't think.

On the subject of trying for number 3, DH and I had been a bit careless lately and were convinced I would be pregnant this month but it hasn't happened. We were both a bit disapointed even though it would be hugely unplanned so it has made us reconsider the subject again. Have agreed at the moment that it is too soon, but we'll discuss it again in 6 months or so and see where we are then.

I'm looking forward to Alice learning to walk on her own and talking more. Am loving seeing more and more of her personality emerging as she gets older. Hoping she gets a bit more safety conscious soon as she managed to fall down stone stairs in the garden yesterday, but luckily just scared herself with a bit of a bump on her head.

Am also looking forward to spending the rest of the summer here in Devon, I keep having to remind myself that I actually live here and am not just on holiday

We have to write down the age of the child. Plus, the young woman on reception is someone I used to teach, so not only does she know his age roughly, it would also be super embarrassing to be caught in a lie. And naturally, I am honest as the day is long.

Its only £1 here for soft play if they are under 2, seems a bit steep charging full price for a baby. We are trying for number 2 as of this month but have very mixed feelings about it. Fergus is still a terrible sleeper so the thought of having another one like him is scary. At the same time I love him so much I dont like the idea of another baby taking up all my time. Fergus would be most unchuffed also I think as he is quite a demanding baby. But I also wanted 2 close together as I think in the long run it will be easier andthey will be closer so I am just going to bite the bullet and go for it (worried face).

Brave girl, I also would like to cut down on breastfeeding but not sure how to, fergus is really keen on milk still and has no intention on drinking out of a bottle. Any tips appreciated.
Just back from holiday in France which was great, stayed with friends who moved out there a year ago. They have a gite so we had our own space which was perfect. As they have five kids of their own it meant I had to do very little packing of toys books etc . Weather was so hot but sadly we are back to scottish summer of torrential rain now. Have managed twotrips to the beach this week though s cant really complain, feel very lucky to live so near to the sea just wish we could spend more days of the year enjoying it.

Hi alll. Good to see the thread is still alive and kicking. I've been absent for a couple of months now as moved house from London to Oxfordshire in May (via my parents house for 2 weeks - stress) and then after a week in our new home, we went off on our planned extended holiday to France for 7 weeks which was great. But have had very limited internet access which has been hard!
I can't believe all our babies are now 1. The boys had a fantastic birthday party with family at a beachside restaurant in the South of France. We didn't actually buy them a present. They very much enjoyed being beach bums for the summer, and not having to wear many clothes.

Great to hear of people trying for more babies. Not for me though, 3 is enough. I'm back to work this week (on Thursday) full-time which is going to be a massive shock to the system. Our new nanny started last week and so far, so good. DD will be fine when I go back to work, but I sense the twins might be rather more unsettled. They are definitely noticing when I leave the room etc at the moment. Still, things will undoubtedly settle down in time, as they always do.

Wow, lots to catch up on with birthday news and other happenings on this thread. CSWS has J got teeth yet? Alice was toothless on 1st birthday then got two the following week. Like you, I am thinking it would be an idea to get on and get some coming through.

We have had, even by our sleepless standards, a particularly bad few days. Alice has had fever, cough, cold, croaky voice and I suspect more teeth coming, and has been like a sad limpet, didn't eat solids for nearly two days, just wanted to bf. At times it felt like life of a year ago, except, thankfully, without mastitis. Like others of you, I've been wondering about how to ever cut down on bf, especially after the last week.

Today we took DS to look round his primary school in readiness for starting Reception. He has been really quite unkind to Alice for the last few days, I think it's a combination of being anxious about the big transition to school, and the amount of attention she's had all weekend. I keep finding him whispering to her 'my mummy, not your mummy' and he's pushed her over a couple of times today. We are trying to be strict with sanctions, but at the same time I feel he's going through a lot. Oh well, all the kids in Reception class obviously thought I was the slummiest mummy ever, as one little boy asked me why Alice had food in her hair and on her t-shirt.

LaT - is it too late to wish you a happy birthday? You are just a couple of weeks or so older than me :).

Great to have you back MM. How did your first day back at work go yesterday?

WWISA - no, still no teeth here. Though he's hardly eaten a thing, been miserable and clingy and sleeping terribly the last few days, so I guess there's a chance that one's on its way. Can't see any of the front ones close under the gums though, so who knows?!

We have now entered the joyful phase of objecting strongly to going in the car seat, and doing the back arching move to try and prevent me strapping him in. Hoping it passes quickly this time!

I am looking forward to August I think, as dh is taking it off work.

Thanks CSWS. Work was okay......i think. My feet hurt (not worn heels for a year) and my jaw ached from smiling. But I survived. I missed the children, it didn't appear as though they missed me all that much!

Hmm - the carseat objection sounds like a chore. My boys aren't keen on being strapped into the buggy these days but once on the move, stop complaining. We have 4 teeth per boy here (only just).

Hello - Happy Birthday LaT and CSWS I hope you have had / are planning some lovely celebrations. I have messed up the Maxi Cosi priori carseat that I was going to use for Zoe. Took off the cover to wash it, and now trying to put it together I spent 2 days at it before I figured out that I was missing the splitter handle and that is why it wouldn't work. I've asked Maxi Cosi to send me a handle, but it may not be here in time for our trip. So - I may have to buy a new carseat - do you ladies have any recommendations? The Maxi Cosi Priori is pretty cheap over here - is there a reason for that? Has there been a trouble with it?

afaik that's a well rated seat dimb, so I wouldn't worry there. We have the Britax duo plus as it used to be - think it's the kidsomethingorother now, and always been happy with them (we have 2).

I've just figured out why the Priori is cheaper - there is a new Maxi Cosi Pria coming out in a few weeks over here and I suppose they want to sell off their stock of Prioris before it comes in as it is an improved version of it.

We have a Britax Evolva and a Britax ermmmm something else, but I much prefer the Evolva.

Thanks. I had a lovely birthday. We drove up to a place that has a good fish restaurant. I was sceptical as I didn't know what else was there but it turned out the place was very child friendly, with golden sands, buckets and spades and fancy ice creams. They also had shops selling nice women's clothing aplenty so I even did a twenty minute grown up shop. Good news is I bought a size 12 skirt for the first time since pre DCs. I went to the cinema in the evening - also first time since DCs so all round a child and adult friendly day. A rare thing

We have 2 evolva 2 3s too, but not the evolva 123 as which? rated it poorly when we were looking a few years back.

Everyone out enjoying the sunshine?

Daniel has an obsession with edges at the moment which is keeping me on my toes. He hovvers on the edge of the back door; he teeters on the edge of the bed and today at the beach he refused to stay on the beach and insisted on climbing a little wall and wavering there. My nerves are shredded.

Relations seem to be developing well between my two, despite Daniel's habit of knocking on DD's head with whatever he is carrying. We play a little game of I spy to tidy up in the eveings (I spy Iggle Piggle who needs to go back in the red box etc) which DD always wins (which she knows). When I get ready to declare the winner, she now says, 'We both did well mummy.' ahhh

Any ideas here would be appreciated.

Hi everyone, it feels like i've been away from this thread for ages. We've had lots of visitors over the last few weeks and its been a bit hectic. Hope you're all well and enjoying the sunshine.

Alice is getting closer to walking but is mainly just throwing herself about and covering herself in bruises. Today she spent a lot of the afternoon climbing on and off her sister's potty and looking very pleased with herself until she somehow managed to fall off it with enough force to give herself a black eye. I'm not sure exactly what is going on with the potty obsession at the moment but she managed to do a poo on the toilet yesterday after asking for the potty. I guess she's just been paying a lot of attention to what has been going on with DD1.

Hope the biting is resolving a bit LaT. Alice bit DD1 yesterday when DD1 was trying to stop Alice joining in with her game but hopefully that was a one-off. Generally they get on together brilliantly and are always laughing at each other and spend a lot of time holding hands and kissing each other

How is the car seat issue going CSWS? Alice is now objecting strongly to getting into her seat although is ok once she is in as DD1 entertains her. I think she'd be much happier if I moved her into a group 1 seat but as she is tiny she's still a long way off outgrowing her group 0+ seat so I want to keep her where she is as long as possible. DD1 is heavy enough for a group 2 seat but i'd prefer to keep her in her group 1 rearfacing seat until one of them outgrows their seat.

That sounds tough LaT, but I have no useful advice, as my first 2 weren't biters, and since J STILL has no teeth, neither is he!
Car seat still much the same greensnail. I generally try to lure him in with food, but there are only a few foods that he really likes and can manage to eat, so we are getting through a lot of humzingers!! He too is fine once in. Ds1 weighs 16kg so also heavy enough for group 2, and we do have one for him, but he is still in his group 1 for all bar a very occasional trip without dd in the other car.

Ouch for the black eye.

Poor LO. I remember my DD's baby black eye. She did it in the Gp's surgery

On the biting, pulling, pinching front - I think it's much better already. I've been saying no and moving him away, or a no and giving a huge hug and lots of fuss to the hurt child if not possible to move him away. I did it at soft play today and his little face was a tragedy as he was not on familiar ground.

Daniel will now sit on command. I trained him to do it as we've had a lot of friends about so snacks have been on the floor picninc style and I don't want him walking and eating as he's a climbing maniac. I told him to do it at soft play today and he obeyed like a dog and some mothers gave me some very worried looks. Felt a bit

ALso, today we were sharing a banana and I was saying 'banana' alot to him in the way that you do with babies and the next time he wanted some he pointed and said 'baawaa.' I think that constitutes saying banana, don't you?

The black eye is amazingly improved today, she seems to heal very quickly which is good as she has given herself another 2 bruises on her face today. One from falling off the bottom of a slide and the other from falling off a stool in the bathroom while trying to "help" me clean the bath. I think I might need to buy her a crash helmet before she does any serious harm.

She's also been referred to the eye hospital today as we've noticed a bit of a squint in her left eye. Anyone else had this? What tests will they do at the hospital?

I had to google humzingers CSWS as I'd never heard of them and they sounded very interesting. They sound like they should be very tasty :)

Loving the image of Daniel sitting on command. DD1 likes to pretend Alice is a dog and takes her for walks on an imaginary lead so I'm sure would enjoiy teaching her that trick too.

I'd count that as saying banana LaT, especially if he repeats it. DH accidentally taught Alice to say fuck a few days ago, we're hoping she won't repeat that one

Greensnail Ruth had her referral the other week, because nobody could be sure if she had a squint and there's a strong history on DH's side.

It's mainly seeing how light reflects off each eye, and whether it's at the same point on both. Also they checked that neither eye moved when they covered-then-uncovered each eye in turn when they were looking at a toy.

All fairly simple, unless your child continuously tries to take the toys.

Turned out Ruth didn't have a squint, but they said one could develop at any time and we're going back in 18 months for another check.

They also said that at this age it's only an indication, as of course the baby can't talk so they can't be sure. They said they probably wouldn't have done much at this age to correct one either, because of the difficulty in getting babies to wear glasses etc.