March 2010 - Babies: "Climbing like an evil genius". Mummies: "Avoiding the Shred DVD"

[Arcadie]

Welcome to those with a March 2010.
Happy Easter from me....
Unwrap it quick!..

Oh, it's a new thread. I was hoping for chocolate.

Morning ladies

Pacific welcome back! Glad you had a good holiday, though sorry that the weather wasn't great. If it's any consolation, it's also been pretty rubbish down saaarf in Laandon. Thanks for the congrats though you've summed it up pretty well about how MCs take away excitement. Still, am still pregnant, which is a huge achievement for me (only about 5+6 but still happy).

Evitas that's annoying about your neighbours. Not sure what advice I can offer, but getting the council involved is a good idea. And just constantly reminding them that they have neighbours, including young children but also people with jobs and lives who need SLEEP! I remember being a student myself and I definitely didn't have a clue about how late night shenanagins impacted on neighbours (as getting out of the house before neighbours was considered early!). Hope you get it sorted.

MissP glad you had a good time in Edinburgh. And so with you on the skinned knees front - we're off to the States in the end of August and I'm going to stock up on all the novelty plasters they have (I love American drugstores so any excuse to go to one and stock up is good for me!).

Heckle, shroomer, Evitas I hope the perfect jobs come up soon...

Rinders hope you're off enjoying the carribbean sunshine and relaxing!

Siamese I saw on FB that you're looking for a structured carrier. I just wanted to say that I've fallen back in love with my Ergo now that I've discovered side/hip carrying with it - super easy once you get the knack, and means you can sit down (which is why i hate back carrying - not good for London with public transport etc). DH carries DS that way to drop him off at nursery and I carry him home, now that we're both cycling to/from work.

Ladies, I have a bit of a dilemma. Actually, PD you may have a good view on this. Or Afribaby if you're looking in. I applied for a work competition to visit Uganda before I knew I was pregnant (long story but my company has a long term charitable relationship with a particular village). And of course I've won a place, which I'm super excited about but there's a malaria risk. And all the NHS stuff I've read is to avoid travel to malaria countries while pregnant. There also seems to be some issues around what drugs I could take...

The trip isn't until October, and so I'm telling work I can go as a) don't want anyone at work knowing I'm pregnant yet and b) I could still lose this baby and I'd hate to lose this chance as well. But of course I wouldn't want to do anything stupidly risky...

Anyway, enough rambling. It's very quiet on here. I'm just going to assume that everyone is super busy with glamourous holidays but it would be great to hear from IWCAS or Valium or Manda or Sariska or Donttry or any of the many lovely March Mums we have! RKD have you met your new nieces yet?

Speaking of glamourous holidays, we're off camping this Thursday for 4 nights - we're staying in Cardigan bay in lovely wales, so of course we're expecting wonderful weather . My siblings are coming over from Ireland for it, so there are going to be 11 adults and 10 children - don't think Wales will know what's hit it . But it means that we don't mind rain (Cork is a super rainy part of Ireland) - as my younger sister said to me on the phone last night, the rainy days are good for the beach/swimming as we'll be wet already!

Right, must pretend to do some work - laters!

hello everyone! have been lurking and wanted to say a huge congrats to arcadie's sister and to flip, with fingers firmly crossed.

Also flip re: malaria - I have had lots of dilemmas about this as we often go to India and I am often pg! What I have always done is not go during the first three months but go after that. Obviously it depends on the risk and type of malaria but I think it is reasonable to think the benefits outweigh the risks after the 1st trimestre. (BTW Uganda is my favourite country in the whole world - tiny bananas, red roads, beautiful greenery and blue blue skies, gorgeous)

Hello everyone else

Will see if I can find a recommendation for a lawyer for you, evitas. It's not at all my field but I have access to all the directories (where law firms and chambers are rated) at work. I'll look tomorrow when I'm in the office and will PM or FB you. Citizens Advice Bureau, assuming you have them in Scotland, might also be worth a go.

Glad to hear bean is still in situ, Flip. Very exciting about Uganda. I've been to that part of the world before and it's amazing. The last time I went was on my honeymoon and we initially wanted to try for a honeymoon baby but were very strongly advised not to because of the anti-malarials. AFAIK, there are only a couple of types considered suitable for sub-Saharan Africa: Lariam (which did not agree with me 10 years ago) and Malarone. Neither type is considered safe in pregnancy. And I don't think just taking precautions against getting bitten is sufficient because the type of malaria parasite (falciparum) that's most prevalent in that part of the world can cause cerebral malaria, which is the most dangerous. Sorry. I must sound like I'm raining on your parade and I don't mean to. It's just that I did look into all of this four years ago. But perhaps PD will have some more encouraging, up-to-date info. In the meantime, I agree, don't say anything to work about the pregnancy.

Arse. Have just had a call from nursery. DD, who had Friday off, is not herself. No temp or upset tummy but grizzly, clingy and "not herself". Suppose I'm going to have to go and get her. Work will be delighted.

Waves to Skidd & Sariska - thanks for your response! Love that you've both been to Uganda (well travelled thread or what!?!).

Skidd it's funny, we've been invited to a wedding in India in October - have never been to India and ironically I didn't want to go because of malaria risk (mainly for DS), then my last pregnancy's EDD was two weeks after the wedding, conveniently making the decision for us...still not going to go (mainly a cost issue now though!).

Sariska I've decided that I'll go and see the doctor here - they specialise in complex advice, including to pregnant women, so I'd trust them. Lariam/mefloqine seems ok in second/third trimesters (eg see here) but I'm not sure I'm totally reassured when I drill down a bit further. It's that drug resistant strain you mention that worries me. Plus DH is v worried by it, and a far more thorough researcher than me - I've said that if he isn't happy with me going I won't go. Sorry to hear that DD isn't herself - it's funny, on the one hand I'm really glad the nursery calls me when DS is like that - they know him, they care for him well - but part of me groans because it's so inconvenient for work. Which makes me feel a little guilty. Hope it just is one of those days and that she's fine.

Oh yes Larium - I remember hallucinating that Father Christmas was climbing into the dormitory where I was sleeping after a few weeks on Larium (loved it btw ) - but now that I think of it that was in Kampala and my friend was lying next to me delirious from malaria - so maybe my advice was a little reckless...

Hi ladies, funny to jump back intro the thread, straight into a malaria discussion! Where I'm based all pregnant women are strongly advised to go on malaria prophylaxis as they figure the risk of contracting malaria outweighs the risk of using prophylaxis. I was on DELTRAPRIM (standard here) during my pregnancy, but I've seen that this is not really recommended at all . Flip If you think you're going to worry the whole time, you might not enjoy yourself in Uganda - which for me would be a reason not to go. If you think you can live with the risk - and there will be a risk, either of catching malaria (also depends on whether it is rainy in Uganda in October) or of using whatever prophylaxis you decide on - then go and have a great time.

Some time ago, someone asked about DHs job - that didn't materialise, and we were sad for a bit but are actually now quite relieved, realising what it would have meant for us if DH had been gone for so long. I took DD on a week-long holiday about a week ago, and that was the first time DH had spent a night apart from her since she was born! I've had to do it loads for work, since she was tiny, but my SAHD/H had the experience for the first time, and found it hard.
Ok, I've said my piece - as you were!

(Congrats of course to new beans, babies, nephews, nieces, Ofsted (?) reports...)

p.s. Flip - if it's after 3 months when you're scheduled to go, I would say go! Personal opinion, obviously. :-)

aargghh - DELTAPRIM, no additional R.

Sariska and Siamese thank you very much for trying to help. A police officer was here today. He went upstairs and had a chat with one of the guys. Unfortunately it did not work because they are having a massive party at the moment :( (just feel like crying, this is really affecting me)
Anyway...

Flip Uganda sounds lovely! My father has also been there a couple of times (he worked for the U.N. and was in Africa for many years) and he has good memories from it. It is a really tricky decision, but I don't know anything about malaria, etc. Whatever decision you make I'm sure will be the right one.

Glad to see hear from you Afri and skidd

I will stop lurking to say to evitas can you contact the freeholder of the building? There will surely be something in the lease about peaceable enjoyment that the landlord is breaching by having noisy tenants? (ignorance of possible Scottish law issues emoticon)
Also the council could and should serve a noise abatement order for prolonged and excessive disturbance (again may be different in Scotland) but keep a diary of the times and level of noise (eg could not hear tv over noise) and this should help with ammunition.
None of this helps with the immediate problem I know but wanted to try to help!

Would you going round there with DS and trying to appeal to their human side help?! explain your need to work and for the baby to sleep?
Really for you, nothing worse than noise in your own home.

While I am here big congratulations flip and of course to auntie RKD too

Poor you Evitas i had a similar situation when I lived in London and after weeks and weeks of frustration, moving to another room to sleep and murderous fantasies, we got the council noise guys involved, who came out a couple of times, we kept a log book etc - the police were not interested at all. I believe the council got in touch with the owner of the flat and the noisy neighbours eventually moved out. But I feel for you - it's a horrible situation to be in. Here's hoping it improves.

Thank you ang and Afri. Last night was ok, so we managed to have a stress free evening. Anti social behaviour team has scheduled a meeting with us.

Our childminder is on holiday so I have my mum and grandmother over to look after DS. But guess what, my mum took V. for a walk this morning and managed to get not 1, not 2, but 3 flat tyres on the phil and teds!! do you think she'll be able look after V.?

Hope everyone is well
x

sorry no relevant advice re malaria or noisy neighbours but I just wanted to rant about parenting 'newsletters' well I've just had an email one from Boots about my 17m.... apparently she will be talking in sentences soon WTF? She babbles digum digum digum mostly

Smac No sentences here either. He mostly seems to say 'diggladiggladiggla..noooo...nooooo...dirty...daddy'. Variable order. Daddy isn't dirty.

I can't add anything to the malaria discussion. What an opportunity though, Flip!

I was talking to my MIL the other day about my forthcoming job interview. I said that they'd allow me to work from home, and it would be 3 days a week. [rant alert!] She said 'oh you don't want to do more than that, even 3 days will be difficult, in a couple of months he'll want more attention and be more demanding'. Turns out she thought I'd be working from home with DS AT HOME TOO! Is she on this planet? DS will be in nursery on those days. How could any mother work from home and look after a 15 month old? Gah! I can't even wash the dishes without a cling-on crying at my legs. [rant comes to a close]

Ha, sentences. No. About 80% of Izzy's vocabulary consists of the word 'ba', which can be for ball, book, bike, bee, blanket, box, bath, bus, bin, Boo (PIL's dog), and probably some others I'm forgetting. Her only 'proper' words are ta, baby and yeah (and mama and dada, if you count those). She says 'Eez' for Izzy, 'deez' for daisy (both floral and Upsy varieties), 'wuh' for flower, 'pees' for please, 'baba' for Bambi , 'ees' for squirrel and 'peh' for Pepper, our cat. Granny and Nana are both 'nana'. On our last visit to Edinburgh she learned 'gra-gra' for Grandpa, which was cute. Oh and she does loads of animal noises!

Shroomer at your daft MIL. I'm guessing that she has actually raised children so really she has no excuse for such ridiculous thinking.

evitas I hope the meeting with the antisocial behaviour team leads to a positive outcome for you.

Flip Uganda sounds amazing. I hope you're having a great time camping :)

sentences???!! No definitely no sentences here: no, yes, hiya, mama, and lots of animal noises

FWIW I know from my job (research in language development) that speaking in sentences at 17 months is absolutely not what would be expected. 18 months is when many babies start putting two words together (daddy gone) - sentences come later

shroomer at your MIL - rose tinted glasses I think. My mum tells me that me and my brother never had tantrums, were out of nappies by 20 months and out of pushchairs by 2, yeah yeah

evitas sounds awful - hope the meeting helps

Does anyone else have a stroppy baby? DS2 is soooo stroppy but also I think at his cutest when cross (bottom lip out, furrowed brow, avoidance of eye contact) so it's hard not to smile and encourage it!

Shroomer as someone who has tried to "work from home with DC there" I can confirm that it does not work. At all.

We don't have sentences really - we have "bye bye sun" to the setting sun (sooo cute) and the latest is "Wow. Boobies." said in tones of awed appreciation. DH thinks the latter is hilarious and encourages this little statement no end. I speak German to DD and DH speaks English, so am super chuffed that she seems to understand both - most things now have two words.

But I never thought I would hear "No, DD, that's not Mummy, that's Rebekah Brooks" I look nothing like her at all But DD insists on crowing "Mummy!" each time the woman appears on TV!

IWCAS I don't know if you've been lurking, but just to let you know that last night, I dreamt that you were going to be the next prime minister

hope everyone is well!
x

Sentences???
We get 'aaaaady, aaaaady, aaaaady' with increasing frequency and volume shouted in the morning which means 'slave, come and get me, you lazy feckers' (DH assures me that is does not mean 'Daddy' ).
There is also a lot of 'gagagagack', 'vvvvvvvvvvv', 'mamamamama' (deffo does not mean 'Mama').
Sentences??
And, my goodness, MissP, I has lots and lots of words, brilliant! 'Tis so cute. DS1 used to say 'di' for light and 'brombeen' for blackberries - don't ask .

Anyway, sorry I am late to the malaria debate. I have nothing to add to all the experienced advice already given. Also Travel Clinic sounds like the right way forward.
Where exactly are you going to though, Flip? Is malaria endemic there? Many, many moons ago in what seems like a different life I spent a few months in Fort Portal at the extreme West of Uganda which was at 1800 m elevation and just did not have moskitos hence no malaria risk.
It is not unreasonable to consider (if you are a head in sand risk taker like myself) to concentrate on avoiding being bitten (long sleeves and trouser legs tucked into socks at dusk and dawn, lots of insect repellant, always sleep under repellant impregnated netting etc etc) rather than antimalarials.
Having said that, some antimalarials most certainly pose a lesser risk to the pregnancy than a dose of Malaria, that's for sure.
(Please note how I am with no word suggesting you should not go . Uganda is magical and terrible, breathtaking and heartbreaking, simple and complex and my stay there certainly taught me humility).

Evitas, grrrr to noisy neighbours. I have nothing to suggest, sorry. Your building seemed so gentile and lovely as well... as would be fit for a 'princess' (DS3 kept referring to evitas as 'princess' after our visit there ).
And where can I make my cross on the ballot paper to elect IWCAS ? If you are watching, IWCAS, I hope you and your DS are doing well.

Shroomer, at your MIL. My own brother who is very dear to my heart and who has a now 4 year old DD himself asked me after my return to work last year when DS4 was 6 months old whether 'the baby came to work with me'?? WTF?? Has he ever been around a crawling/toddling/melt-downing baby?? Here, and for you and your MIL.

DH, DSs3 and 4 and myself are back from Germany together. I flew out on Thursday, following DH who'd gone with the Big Boys a couple of days earlier. It was all in aid of being present for my mother's big 70th birthday bash. Sigh. I am glad we went. It was Very Hard Work. Suffice to say, Joe does not fly easily, calmly or quietly (we were the Nightmare Seatneighbours of Legend). But my mum was very happy that we were all there, photos were taken, speeches were held, hugs were given and received and emotional tears were shed. V little sleep, lots of screeching, lots of fighting and shocking amounts of Bad Words from DS3 . Needless to say, my bunch did not recite any poetry by heart at my mum's bash like some other kids (of some 3rd cousin 25times removed) did, grrr.
I am very very glad to go to my own bad tonight. DSs1 and 2 are still at my parents, back in a couple of weeks, and our Littlies went to bed early tonight.
And I am also relieved that my mum has already announced that for my dad's 80th in a couple of years they are going on holiday .

That's it from me; over and out for now.

hello on enad all x how lovely is the weather- i must say we are having a fab summer holidays x hope ur all well and the babies are toddling well x

Waves to all.

Arcadie Was that a third niece that arrived the other day, or am I mistaken? Congratulations on the Auntieship (whether it's to two or three!)

I know nothing about malaria so have nothing to add there.

We have a collection of words now, nothing near sentences, but my favourite is Monday's addition of Mummy

I am pleased to report that I have at last stopped avoiding the Shred DVD, and since Friday I appear to have lost 3lbs and the first week isn't over until tomorrow. I feel more toned as well - don't look it yet, but there's definitely a change in how I feel. Why did I avoid it for so long?!

Yay for 'Mummy' and for the Shred, fliss! 3lb loss is great :) I'm Shredding part-time atm, 3 days/week, also doing Davina and running. Determined to lose the last 2lbs before my sister's wedding in 6 weeks; if I could just stop eating so much the weight would fall off easily.

Horrible day here today, but pouring rain is almost welcome after yesterday's mini-heatwave. Took Izzy to a fair in the park and was relieved to get into air-conditioned Sainbury's afterwards! Izzy had her first go on a bouncy castle She was a bit unsure at first, just stood there looking a bit sheepish, sucking her thumb. She enjoyed it after a while though, and laughed every time anyone fell over. Great appreciation for Shadenfreude, that child.

Another new neice RKD, you greedy lucky thing. Congrats to your brother and SIL :)

Afri at 'Wow. Boobies', that's very cute.

evitas any progress with your neighbours?

Pacific glad you survicied the trip to Germany, and your Mum must have been thrilled to have you all there.

Hope everyone else is well.

I thought I'd share the epiphany I've had this week with you all:

"TWO HANDS, TWO CHILDREN"

Those of you with 2 DCs: stick with it
Those of you with 1: have no more than one more
Those of you with 3 or more: what were we thinking??

Can you tell I am enjoying being a mother of 2 for the last few days ?
So easy!

But I miss my Big Boys

Have a nice weekend, everybody !

DS has started grabbing my boobs and saying 'diddies'. Sounds suspiciously like titties. I don't say that word, so I wonder if a toddler at nursery is saying it. Interesting.

DS is surgically attached to me. He, unfortunately, won't be held by my DP. If DP tries to pick him up, he throws his arms up and cries. He will give him a kiss, but sometimes actually pushes him away with a hand. Does anyone else have this? I'm sure it's just a phase.

Hysteroscopy is this Wed. Finally, I'll find out more about my situation. Will keep you posted.

Hi all,

just wanted to wish Shroomer good luck! I'll be thinking of you. Apparently I was just like your DS (and maybe I still am ) no daddy, just wanted mummy.

PD glad you had a good time at your parents and at the two hands two children

Fliss well done with the exercise!!

neighbours... things have improved a little bit. But the main reason for that was that DH asked if they could put their bass on top of cabinet/table et.c and not on the floor, this way the waves don't propagate directly to our ceiling.
I'm so tired... I've been working a lot. But another couple of weeks and things will improve.
Waves to everyone

x