Dec 08 Mums - Introducing our new joiners, TrudyV and Al Fresco...

[Beans33]

Hope this is ok? Thought it was subtle enough for the wider MN and not offensive!!

Oh WG - it's really tough in the early days, but give yourself a few months and I promise it gets easier. I have two girls too and I love it now, but certainly didn't to start with.

I don't really want to go back to work, if I'm honest, but DH is putting pressure on for once the girls go to school. Am trying to think of something I could do freelance, which would make us a bit of money, but I could not do in the school holidays. Was thinking teaching assistant or something like that. But I just don't know!

That's terrific news WG. Nice to hear from you. I've got a lot of worries too, infact after my last post, was having a chat with dh (he had morn off but worked at home) and the goal posts have moved AGAIN. I'm not going to offload, as I do enough rambling for everyone - I'll save it for Spot, PD and Mom
Vag - hadn't heard that, no. Disgraceful. Hows the ankle? and the cabbage soup?
DH on call again (I forgot) so I'm canning the roast lamb.
Vag, quick baby medical q if you don't mind? DD has had a lot of what I call (and I'm sure you know) kangaroo poo in the last 2-3 weeks? She has the odd normal messy one but quite a lot of these others. I guess it's constipation / dehydration? I struggle to get her to drink much water - would this be why? Should I be forcing more water down her when she has her solids (pureed stuff) ? She doesn't seem too bothered although a couple of times I've seen her straining, although not often and not much strain really at all.

Just had DD2's 8 month check. All well. She's 8.5kg or 18.7lbs. I think that's fairly light. But she's ticked all her boxes. Phew! I want to go to bed, but DD1 doesn't. Bugger. Will mop the floor instead. Joy.

wg fantastic news about the series! Well done DH. I know exactly what you mean about sitting there fretting about the mess and the feeling of paralysis. Much as I would love to spend more time with the DCs and know they would feel happier with me around all the time, I know that I would get that feeling most days. I found when on mat leave that if I didn't have something to get out of the house for early in the day, things like getting myself and the DCs dressed would take all day and the house would end up a tip and me feeling grim. The days I went out though I felt that I got so much more done, even the stuff in the house, and I felt like I was coping and enjoying myself so much more. But even though I recognised that I still didn't manage to make myself go out every day. It's hard to find that motivation when you're feeling low isn't it?

Beans I'm sure you will be fine when you move - you seem a very fun, sociable. Not like me - I've only got Fridays off but I can't bring myself to spend them at toddler groups, hence I've made no new friends at all since moving.

Effie good news: one of the plants you gave me is still alive! The other 2, not so sure...

Invis I met HJ's son the other week. I remember thinking at the time you would be jealous!

Nudey I know what SATs are but what does 4A mean? Need to get DS revising.

Skipton v nice - used to go there a lot as a kid. When is the NW meet-up going to be? I don't suppose I will be around but would love to come along if I am.

Waiting for DS1 to get home, his class had a big trip today and the buses haven't come back. Luckily they will be pulling up within view of our front window so, oh there they are.

Sorry had a little break while picking up DS1 & sorting them out with play stuff & water outside. DS1 is currently scaling our back wall in his spiderman suit whilst DS2 runs around in the nikki nanna enjoying the feeling of the sun on his Willy.

Pubes you can try offering water or give her more watery purrees. Or you can start introducing sauces etc. Or you can give poo encouraging foods regularly. Pears in any form are the perfect food for regularity. Where prunes help constipation in the immediate term, pears help regularity. I think you know she is not yet constipated, it sounds like you just want to head any hard poos off at the pass. It is not unusual when the weather starts getting a little warmer that poos get a bit harder as the bodies need for fluids increases.

My ankle seemed better today, a friend popped over to visit and bought me a bother of ameretto as a convalescence gift. After having a little social company, & because DS2 was demanding strawberries I decided to go to the little fruit & Veggie stall at the end of our street. Sadly my ankle is really hurting now and has a weird numb & prickly feeling. I hope that doesn't mean it will swell again. I was going to go to a local mummy cafe tomorrow morning but not so sure now.

Rubes I'm loving my cabbage soup, that is the one good thing about my reduced exercise, I've just made another batch today. As DH is away I promised the boys a pizza night but I think I might swap my pizza for soup!

Hi PD!

WG PD saying about the motivation to get out, that is one of my big problems, but like you say then it just all gets me down & I feel really removed from everything. However, sometimes I find if I do get out I feel a lot better. So what I've started doing is just planning a little walk around the block with DS2. This endeavour can take quite a while but also it either leads us to a nice cafe or the park, or we just literally walk around the block and look at little things as we go along. It's actually quite nice as we don't have any time constraints we tend to just enjoy the little things we see, the dutch are quite big at decorating their front windows with little nicnaks & porcelain things so we look at those, and they many dutch houses have a little chair or bench outside on the pavement so we have a little sit down. Anyway my point is sometimes just getting out for a short pointless trip is quite uplifting.

DDs both asleep. What bliss. They've lost interest in bedtime telly and like to play at this time of day. House is in chaos. I can't quite summon the enthusiasm to tidy up yet. Then have to cook minty lamb chops with pea mash. Call me Nigella. DH not back til 10ish, so will have to have his nuked in microwave!

DD1 fell down the stairs this evening. Felt so guilty as had just been really cross with her as she wouldn't leave me alone. Was driving me insane. Then she followed me upstairs. I went down and she followed, slipped and fell. DD2 was crying, so had rushed down. Turned and caught DD1 as she hit the small landing that turns at the bottom. She banged her head a bit, but as I looked round, she was bouncing with her head bent right back on her neck, bouncing off her head. It was awful. Was so sure she'd have broken something. Anyway, they are very bendy, aren't they? She was (obviously) pretty shocked, but when I asked her what hurt her, she said "The stairs!" Which is about right. But poor little bear. Anyway, did bath and then the girls had their milk and I had my beer. Now need one more!

WG - second all the others. Getting out and about can stop the walls closing in and making you feel like you're going insane. It's an effort, but once you do it a few times, it gets easier and you start venturing out further for longer. We don't tend to leave the house til after DD2's sleep, which is about 9.30-10 and then we have to be home for around 12 for lunchtime and sleep(s). Then we can go out from 2.30 - 5, which is a decent length of time! Anyway, my day sounds very dreary and I'm boring myself. But it seems to work!

xx

WG that is fantastic news about your DH. I second third fourth everyone else with the get out. Tis the only way to cope.

Rubes, Spot, MOM, PD have a lovely meet tom.

Rubes talk to us whats up is it the DH job thing or something else?

DH is out again on thirsty Thursday has totally messed up my plan for body beautiful . Took the monsters to the zoo this arvo we have annual tixs and it kills a couple of hours when they are driving me bonkers. We saw no animals just visited the various playparks. ALthough DS2's bravery knows no bounds, He climbed a ladder to the very top of the tallest slide it was seriously tall. Then just threw himself down it. Then when DS1 was going to do it he pushed him down it. Honestly that boy.

Now does anyone fancy tickets to foo fighters at Milton Keynes bowl the beginning of July. We cant go as its when we are on holiday.

sooooo tired. when should E's 'immature gut' grow up and stop making her wake up all night with wind? Have been awake since 3, even when she's on the boob (only way to quiet her down) she's squirming and arching away and so co-sleeping isn't working, putting her in the crib she cries. And now dh's alarm due to go off and S will wake up any minute as well.

still on the bright side have just hung the washing out on the line for maximum exposure to sunlight. [wobbly smile]

Morning Jump hope the sun is brightening your day? Also up stupidly early, but at least I'm getting paid (badly) for it

WG I remember feeling like that when DD was small and agree with the others that getting out makes you feel like getting out more often and staying in makes you just want to stay in. But remember that if you make the effort, make sure it is to somewhere where you'll be handsomely rewarded with tea and biscuits. Many congrats to Mr Waiting

Bus stop approaching, back later. Happy Friday and happy meet up x

Lovely JJ, can I offer you a ? Always tastes better when someone else makes it. Sorry your nights are rubbish. Hope E settles soon.

huge congratulations to Mr WG on his commission. Excellent news.

Have been up (child related) since 5. Put Cbeebies on as soon as it started and wnet for 5k run. Very nice to be out in the fresh air ON MY OWN. We have a new nail bar open round the corner and I am going to an everlasting mani this evening with a glass of champagne thrown in. HUrray.

Have a good day everyone.

Hello and thank you for the extra 'welcome's. WG very impressed about your DH's series, great news. Is it Radio 4 he writes for? I listen to Radio 4 every waking moment, hve done since I was an obviously very square teenager.

Yes, getting out of the house is the only way to handle that dreadful feeling - paralysis is a great way to describe it, it really sums it up. Until DD was about 18m old she was the only child in the house and I did find mornings terribly aimless, esp as DH was going through one of his nocturnal phases and sleeping half the morning. I'm glad to say they are a thing of the past, I can't bear them. Anyway, I too noticed I felt much better when we had to be up and out, and then when SS came to live with us and we had to get him to school every day things felt much better - in that respect anyway. When DS was tiny I went a bit weird for a few weeks (I don't do newborn very well!) but no matter how crap a night we'd had, I didn't mind being up and out for the school run as it was an escape. I took absolutely any opportunity to get out! These days he's at nursery two days a week and we go to a toddler group on a Friday morning (today, hurrah!) but other than that we're fine at home. I've never heard so many mothers being so honest about how they feel at home with little ones and it's very refreshing - I felt like a real freak for not loving every minute of it.

Anyway. Rubes we have a hen called Rhubarb/Ruby/Rubes so my mental picture of you now involves feathers and a beak

Hope everyone with injuries is better soon and those with tinies had a better night. We were out last night (a Tweet-Up, no less!) and not home til gone 11.30, which is unheard-of for me these days. I went wild and crazy and had a pint and a Pimms and DS woke one in the night and then at 6.30, but I actually feel fairly human this morning. Maybe I'm not such a fruitcake after all??

Sybs - how do you have the energy to do a 5k run. I just cannot be arsed. Am determined to do one tomorrow. And am feeling quite perky after a night of 8 hours uninterrupted sleep for the first time in months! Might even agree to have sex with DH tonight.

Offer on house was rejected, but we knew it would be. Don't think we're going to bother with a counter offer. It's gorgeous, but we'd gone to nearly top of budget with our offer.... bummer eh? But no surprise.

Trudy you made me giggle with your image of Rubes, I can assure your she definitely doesn't have a beak. It is funny how mums often don't feel they can whinge about home life. I'm a sahm, I've not returned to work yet mainly because of the language thing here but for the most part I do enjoy it. But there are definitely aspects of the job that annoy, and its strange that women feel ok about complaining about paying jobs but feel uncomfortable about complaining about their mothering job. As if by complaining they are betraying the 'profession' or saying that they dislike their children. I loved my old job, the fact that I complained about aspects of it didn't mean I didn't like it overall.

Speaking of work, I'm looking at ways of getting back into it. Im lucky that I don't really need to for money but it would be nice to have my own income (being dependant on DH has effected our relationship a little, more my issues with depending on him). I'm thinking of health journalism, or maybe seeing if I can get work as an English speaking Kraamzorg, that's a kind of maternity nurse that all women get here for up to 2 weeks after their baby is born, usually around 8hrs a day. Also another friend works as a teaching assistant at a special needs school for Expat kids. I used to work in special schools as a nurse and loved it so that would be nice.

DS1 has a little friend over today which is nice as all the boys are happily playing together outside. We are going camping again tonight so should try to start packing soon. My ankle feels better today. I have been getting it moving a bit more doing little walks & even drove a short distance this morning. I'm going to see how it is on Monday. Rubes, what is DHs thoughts on sprains is there anything the GP can do? It's still swollen & bruised but its definitely improving.

Beans your "I might agree to sex tonight" made me snort my coffee.

hello all, feeling more cheery in daylight, everything's much harder to deal with in the middle of the night. Apologies for being a big grump. :)

Pd you've confused me with possibly joining the NW meet up, but then I am a bear of very little brain. I thought you were an Essex girl? Or do you have friends/family oop North? It would be really lovely to meet you. We're sort of thinking half term, but it's getting close and still not sorted, so it could be anytime. PM with your email address and hopefully we can have another happy face on our trip

How was the Brighton day out today? It's raining here in York, but I hope it's been sunnier at the seaside

I'm impressed with the early morning run Sybs, that's dedication!

So I took Beans advice and had some sneaky me time when I left work today, and had one of those fishy pedicures. Weird, but very pleasant once you get used to it, and my feet are AMAZING now

Oh jump don't apologise, living on no sleep is just a long hard slog. Dealing with these little buds, that we love, late at night brings out the worst in all of us.

DS1's school friends mum came to pick him up this afternoon& asked me when I'm due!!! So I guess the weightloss really isn't happening.

Have also discovered why DS2 can sometimes be Mr Screamy McScreamy-Grumpypants. This morning he was particularly grissly and screamy, everything was 'NO!'. We walked DS1 to school then came back made my coffee & sat down to have his morning feed. He was looking up at me when I noticed that a big section of his eye lashes from his upper lid had folded down and got trapped under his lower lids. I easily pulled them out by lifting his lid and he instantly brightened. I asked him if that felt better and nodded very vigorously (boob in mouth). My poor boys seemingly got the best of both our eyes, my long thick lashes & DHs epicanthic eye fold but there is a very good reason why Chinese people have short lashes. Poor DS1 used to have problems with his lower lashes sticking to his eyes and now poor DS2 has this. It must have been like it for a while because the lashes are actually kinked from the fold.

Lovely to see spot, Rubes and MoM & various lovely littlies today. Doubt I will be allowed back chez spot as I turned up empty-handed and left without saying thank you . Charming. With me as an example is it any wonder DD crapped in the garden?

ZJ I am a Lancashire lass forced to live in exile by my wicked DP (actually I might just blame DD's garden antics on her being an Essex girl now that I think of it). I get up north about every couple of months and I don't think I'll be up before the first weekend in July so it's unlikely I'll be around for this one. Would love to meet you and the rest of the northern contingent at some point though.

Oh Vag how galling. Were you wearing something particularly billowing? I don't understand how anyone could think you were pg unless you have taken to stuffing a pillow up your jumper since last time I saw you. Career options all sound v interesting.

syb 5k run at any time of the day v impressive. God I'm such a lardarse. Very much brought home to me at the meet-up today when everyone except me had little babies yet I was the only one with any baby fat.

Glad you're feeling better jj.

Crikey, just had to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on DS.

Right, DP out with the lads so better get on with putting the DCs to bed. Here goes...

Oh meant to ask spot how did the house viewing go today?

Oh and another thing (can you tell I'm looking forward to putting them to bed?) I was telling Rubes & spot about this today. Congratulations Vag, you are officially Queen of the Thread.

So lovely to see the Poisons, Spots and Mom (+ M) again after so long and meet Partner Poison & Partner Spot! The new tinies are adorable and I had forgotten how much babySpot would have grown by now. That time has flown by!
PD I missed the actual Alfresco poo done by dd as I was indoors getting dd but witnessed the kitchen roll cleanup She gave Beans a run for her money I'd say suffice to say, mom and I (and no doubt Spot) are firmly staying in our "not ready for TT just yet" corners - so thanks for that!
I was able to have a quick chat with MrT on my way out too - cute as can be. I was home in an hour Spot, and even managed to put on the lamb roast. Had a delightful day, so thanks again.
PD, what did DS choke on?

Jam - it's nothing really - just more of the same uncertainty of where we will be next year. DH has been advised to delay his completion cert or fellowship as there are too many coming through at the mo for his career to benefit. long story, but it means he may not take exams late this year and instead either we go abroad and go longer, or stay put, or go to the Sth Coast for 12 mths or so. Then there's the house buying sich which is also up in the air, and I was just fed up when I wrote that as we'd just had another discussion about it all (instigated by me) yet he comes across a bit non-chalant about the whole thing. But I really think it's probably because HE doesn't know either, to be fair. Anywho, I was having a moment.

Vag, unlikely! Not a chance you could look anything close with all that exercise you had been doing! That's funny, and weird and interesting about the lashes - glad you found out! My mum had a problem with her eye watering for years, and finally found out that one eyelash would grow sort of backwards and tickle her eye, so when she finally figured it out, she started pulling it out and never had a problem since.

OK must go. DH working AGAIN (from home) but kitchen is a state and I think I'm going to have some ice cream with baileys on it

Oh and bloody heck PD that thread counter thing!!!! (I told PD how I once looked up who posted the most in 2 weeks manually) I can't believe I'm number 2!!! When i counted I was number 4!! Crikey, rein it right in Rubes!

Oh and while I remember (as I need to curb my posting evidently) Rudey, that's funny, but Vag is wrong. I really do have a beak. I have the largest nose ever - Vag you obviously didn't look at me from the side - it's a honker, and in the top 5 things I dislike about appearance. However my name is a combo of my Dog and my son (and actually a formal version I call my dog when she is naughty)!

Hello, on phone so just marking my place really. D&v bug lasted all week, have l ost half a stone and am shattered..

Zj count me in $or meet up. Will.email you

Night all.

Oooh vag, poor little chap, I winced just reading about it. Interesting snippets I'm learning about people as I read this. My children also have unfeasibly long eye lashes which they get from their father

PD you and me both - I was arranged in a relaxed manner on the playroom sofa earlier and realised my tummy was doing something unattractive so I'm back on the wagon from today. With all the madwoman stuff lately I haven't had the strength of will to be good, and we now have no less than THREE bottles of Pimms in the house (having an 18yr old stepson who works in a supermarket has its advantages, though we'd rather he was penurious student) but I was having a thin day yesterday and felt really good, so must keep that feeling in mind. DH said the most ridiculous thing the other day: "you really don't balloon and shrink in the way that you think you do" - duh!

Minor irritants this morning included discovering some arse had put a loo roll down in a puddle of water, so said loo roll was a soggy mess this morning and was, of course, the only loo roll in the bathroom Of course, had the person who cleaned the barbecue grill shelf thingies last night cleaned up after themselves (this is in our cavernous downstairs loo with the utility room sink in it) then it wouldn't have happened. One of the hardest things about having older children is that they're eminently capable of doing a great deal, but they do it differently from you, and it's a fine line to tread between being grateful for the help but getting antsy because it hasn't been done properly. Must get out more.

Speaking of which glad to hear yesterday was fun. I haven't used FB for a couple of years now after someone hacked my account, used my pwd to get into my PayPal account and put through a £300 transaction. I know I miss a lot of photos and natter but I'm not risking all that again. I know, stupid of me to have the same pwd for FB and PP. We have an FB page for the business but I'm very puritanical about that and don't do anything personal.

Anyway, can hear DH is out of the bathroom so my turn. En-suites are lovely, but an en-suite each is what I aspire to!