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!!

Oyi Bisou! Have been thinking of dropping you a message on FB as we are coming home at Christmas. I assume you will be in Syders at that time of year but was just checking if you would be touring up in QLD as we'll be up there the whole time I think.

JJ was thinking about you last night and the whole being tied to baby & the stress that causes, and it occurred to me that if the govt is so keen on pushing BFing because it saves them money, why don't they look at spending a bit on home help for BFing mums. I'm a little miffed with the govt because their latest thing is advising those in breastfeeding support they need to 'urge' women to breastfeed, which is ridiculous because a) the majority of women do give it a go, and they need support not 'urging' & b) those who don't want to should have their decision bloody well respected. Anyhoo, it made me think about you JJ and I think as others have said you need support and you shouldn't have to get to the stage where you are considering giving up on something you believe in (not criticising that thought by a long shot we have all, including me, been there). Contact some of your friends at church or local friends and find out if there are any who would fancy popping over for a bit to watch the girls while you sleep. Also that Doula would probably love to do some overnight or day help. At the very least to see E, who she saw come into the world, an all that. Also don't worry about those feelings, I had the nice home birth, the gentle environment for my birth and the good rest with DS2 afterwards, but I think it took quite sometime before I really bonded with him, I've always loved him but it wasn't as all consuming as it was with DS1, I feel very guilty about it almost every day, & I worry that he somehow knows I didn't feel the same way about him. But all I can do is accept him for the screamer he is and show my feelings as I feel for him now. If I'm honest, I still find him harder to get along with than DS1 but what can I do but try to get along with that. Does that make sense?

Trace sorry about the hand. How did you do it, when do the results come back?

I'm babysitting a friends kids, they have left me chocolates and I've almost eaten them all & nicked some of their amaretto & coffee.

Lady I nearly spat out my chocolate with Alan, and snorted it with Yvonne.

Rubes, your leaving him downstairs is nothing I tidy up the dinner plates & clean the livingroom ready for the robot vacuum while the boys are in the bath. To be fair the bath is with view of the livingroom, but it's still a bit naughty. I love bath time these days, they are confined to a small area, happy because they could play in there for hours and I get a minute to get things back into some semblance of order.

I knew a couple called Yvonne and Alan. They got divorced.

snigger at alan and yvonne. sounds like a couple from a mike leigh film.

JJ wanted to say how much i identified with your anger with dd2, i often feel the same with b. even though i'm not bf i feel intensely frustrated with his epic screams, and feel v guilty because he is in pain. also sympathise with the rolling ontp tummy then screaming bit. and the wind. agree that you don't need anger management but a break.

trace i dabble in the 30 day shred and have seen a big improvement in muscle tone of arms and abs. i don't do it every day like you're supposed to but have still seen a change. are your weights heavy enough?

i can't leave t unattended for more than 30 secs as mischief and devilry inevitably ensue.

hi bisou! how're things?

Am now on a mission to find out Alan the horse's real name.

Hey lovely Bisou! I look forward to one of your epic catch ups of old - you must have about 40 threads to work through. That's only...1600 pages I hope you know I am being naughty and teasing you. And hope you've got some lovely work on and that the boy is well! Good to hear from you.

Am not going to post more for now cos on phone and I need to read some more of the book I'm crawling through in bed.

Div'horsed??

Hello darling girls

Just a quick one from me. Hope everyone is well and that, esp, JJ has managed some rest. I am afraid I have to go into work today to find out about redundancies. I may have lots more time for the thread in the coming weeks.

Have a good day everyone.

That made me giggle Trudy.

No Lady don't find out it might be something boring like Pharlap, seabiscuit or spooky baker (all actual horses names).

Gosh Sybs that's a bit yuky, what are your thoughts on the possible redundancy?

Hi Ladies,

Obama day was AMAZING. I was reluctant to have my shower this morning because I knew it would remove the last remnants of Obama DNA from my hand. His speech was great (as expected) and I can confirm he exudes charisma. He is however shorter and slighter than I imagined. It was an exciting day as I had volunteered to escort VIPs from their cars to their seats for the President's speech and I escorted, and therefore had quick chats with, amongst others, the Blairs, the Browns, the Majors, Nick Clegg, David Milliband and Tom Hanks (spot the odd one out there!). Quite a surreal day.

Got to run but lovely to see Bisou popping in. How are you Bisou???

Oh wow, Arti - that's quite a list of VIPs! How exciting. Predictably, I'm most excited about Tom Hanks. Is Nick Clegg the odd one out as he's the only Lib Dem? Hee hee!

Sybs - good luck - let us know how you get on.

Hmmm, we had a cat called Alan. She died unfortunately.

Where is Arti we need a full rundown on Mr O

Haha cross post.

morning all, dd2 currently napping so time to try for a catch up on how everyone is.

SYBS fingers crossed for you lovey

bisou! hello you opposite-side-of-the-world person, your FB pics of J are super cute

DD2's godfather has cats called Alan and Barbara. Barbara only has 3 legs. But horse names - my absolute fave is from a victorian children's picture book I read at work (lovve my job...) where a small child had won a Shetland pony in a raffle (don't ask) and daddy didn't want him to keep it, so child said "Daddy I will look after him and feed him and brush him and be very very good to him and I will call him Donald". :)

arti wowza! Is he as dishy in real life as he looks on't telly, even if short? (yes I am that shallow) There was a great pic of him and Mrs O meeting the queen, she had to stand on the step behind him so as not to tower over him in heels! (Mrs O that is not the queen)

beans sorry the cheeky offer didn't get accpted - got to try eh! We put in an offer £15k below the asking on the one we like, think we move in different house circles Intriguingly, lots of houses are coming back on the market here so I guess loads of peoples' finances aren't working out. Wondering if we should try cheeky offers on ones where people are desperate to move...

rubes - I like your cunning plans for working part time! If they will give you lots of leave... If I stay the full year of mat leave and go back in January, a) because our leave year runs Jan to Jan and b) because I still have buckets of leave from last year to carry over again owing to early arrival of E, I could go back to work with 100 days AL to use up. Being kind, I'm going back this year with only 60 days... plan is to be full time on payroll, but work 3 day weeks for about 4 months so E still gets to see me while she's teeny.

bunk beds - how old does the one have to be in the top? We're pondering that for the future when girls are in together but S being such a little monkey might take to clambering out all night.

DB - how are the teeth at the moment? and Vag how is your ankle?

WG awesome news about DHs commission! We will all be sat round the radio like one of those vintage photos of the family listening to the King on christmas day. Big sympathy on the stuck at home feeling, I only have the two for one day a week (god bless you nursery) and it's v hard work. Getting out is the saviour of sanity, definitely.

Right, will post this before it gets lost, then carry on catchingup (currently on page 3...)

Arti I'd gathered that you work in the Hses of of P but what do you do? Are you going to tell me you're Yvette Cooper or something?? Your day sounded fantastically star-studded and about as far away from taking DS food shopping, quick coffee with a friend and doing the school run as it's possible to be - that was my day yesterday!

Today is a work day for me but I have to do one or two other bits too. I try not to on work days, but my chick peas will not benefit from lingering another day before being mangled into hummus. Also have to feed the friendship cake dough (it came with the moniker Herman for some unknown reason, which has morphed into 'Bernard' and even 'Gordon Brown' I'll see if it responds to 'Alan')

Okay, am off to tussle with Google Keywords Tool and suchlike.

kraamzorg! Vag that is a wonderful word, sounds a bit like robomum :) You would be wonderful at that job. How scary about the caffeine thing, are you going to ease off a bit to avoid any more withdrawals on coffee-less days?

PD your stats are very funny! Spot the gasbags though it is a little bit worrying that our discussions can be found by random people so easily - I know this is public, but it still feels somehow like a safe little bubble. Must avoid giving out too much personal info!

jolly, poor you with tummy bug. hope you're all better now

spot, sorry to hear about your worries for your mum. My dad is a bit like that, his mum had Alzheimers and he's very conscious of keeping a careful diary and calendar of everything he wants to do, will note things down as soon as they're mentioned. Would that help her feel more organised/secure? though ZJ I did smile at your early haircut!

trudy/urbs, can you say more about the mindfulness thing? Am intrigued,

trace - re jamwich, not quite the same but S has got it into her head that a baby pig is called an omelette :)

arti - your temporary change to Asparag... fooled nobody The plural of asparagus is, according to a veg stall on the market here, Asparagu's Any update on the mystery milky boob?

beans hurrah for the potty training success! I saw the weirdest thing in town the other day, a small girl of probably about 4-ish and her parents in the middle of the market square. Mum pulled a plastic bag out of her handbag, dad pulled down girls trousers and she proceeded to do a poo into the bag. Now I can sort of understand if there's some kind of urgency issue that means they couldn't get to the public loos 2 minutes walk away, but surely they could at least have moved to the side of the square next to a building to give the poor girl some privacy?

argh stirring baby noises, well at least have caught up with a lot of you and will hopefully keep in touch better. TO repeat yesterday, you're all lovely and absolute life savers.

Sodding phone not letting me post! Having another go.

Aha! Right, doing this in small bits.

JJ: you've had sone great advice, just wanted to add that non sleeping babies are hard and having a toddler as well must be hellish. DS1 was bad enough and I had DH around a lot to help and only him to worry about. Chin up, you're doing a great job.

Can I ask something? How do children know when you've been drinking? I went out for a curry with some girlie friends last night and drank a fair amount of pinot grigio and had a very hot curry. Last night, DDs were up 4 times each! Even had to take DD1 to the potty. I made DH do DD2 because he's buggering off cycling round Cornwall tonight until Sunday, so I figured he's got 3 nights of no waking ahead of him and he could damn well do one night of it, as he rarely does get up! I am now totally knackered and DD2 started squawking at 5.45. Although I lay her back down and she was relatively quiet til 6.30, which is gooooood. Now very tired and have had to change 3 pooey nappies so far today, plus I have squits from my very hot curry. Nearly didn't make it round the shops. Lordy me.

JJ - the house we offered on was very lovely and we knew we couldn't afford it, but were hoping they might accept - the house is gorgeous, by MASSIVELY overpriced. I mean, really terribly so. Beautiful beautiful and with a lovely garden, but really not very big and rather poky on the inside. But heyho. We didn't get it and we couldn't pay any more, so that's that!

Jump - that is weird that pooing in a bag story. Surely at 4 she might have been able to make it to a public loo!!!

Trace - Sorry for tardy response to your 30 day shred Q. Like Spot, I'm wondering what weights you are using and whether you need to up them. I would have thought you would have begun to see some improvement by now if you have done it 6 days in a row (if you're not phoning it in, of course).

Haven't had time to catch up but saw Spot's 30 day shred mention and hunted back for Trace's comment. I've been using my computer time recently to research a possible move to Winchester (whispers, as well as the usual Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway trading on Ebay). I thought that we lived in one of the most expensive areas in the UK (outside London), but it is really depressing to look at what we could afford there [moan, moan].

Back later, hopefully

Hello ladies, DS2 is having his nap so I'm having a little lie down next to him because I feel a bit lurgyish. Today.

Arti, so exciting you should say that about him being slight I looked at him on the news next to his mate Dave and was surprised how broad Mr Cameron looked in comparison.

JJ I love Donald. I think you should sneak us all onto the library one day. I used to go to.the QLD university library in the old old old references books section absconder just look at the covers of some several hundred year old books, so beautiful. I once bought an old copy of 'the Iliad' at little book store. DS2 found it and has become quite attached to it, calling it "my bootiful book".

JJ pooing in bag in public, wrong!!! Unless child young & desperate, in which case I would even go as far as holding them over a bin.

Trace, I feel really sorry for you, you have been saying how are the Shred is and now Spot & Nolda want you to add weights!

Nolda I really like Winchester, DH had to work there a few times & I went with him. Bit posh.

Oh gosh. A friend of ours' little girl is in hospital with terrible reflux. This is the same thing you went through, I think Spot? Is there any advice I can give her?

PS Mum of the girl who had her baby here a couple of weeks ago rang me this morning to thank me for my help and tell me I was amazing. I was very moved and nearly wept. I had to give DH credit too, but I was so grateful. It's so nice when people are spontaneously kind like that. Gives you hope somehow.

Arti your day sounded uber glam! Although the sight of Nick Clegg in the flesh would make we want to either kick him or vomit - I despise the man! Vag totally agree about Cameron looking, dare I say, a little portly next to Mr O!

Beans, my two always act up when I've been out, so unfair.

Just done a 4.5 mile run while DS was at playgroup, so am very pleased with myself. But now the heavens have opened and I have the urge to eat biscuits all afternoon....and that is the reason I'll never get thin

Oh rubes, did DS sleep any later? DS managed till 6.20am, which made things seem a little easier this morning being on the other side of 6!

Beans x post, hope your friends little girl will be okay, spot should be able to help with some good advice.

And how lovely of your friend to ring you. Are they both doing well?

Yes, they are both doing well. We're off to her house this afternoon for her little boy's 2nd bday party. Am about to try putting DD1 down for a sleep once Nemo has finished.