The CRESH spa and creche: we ALL deserve crap ham

[FannyPriceless]

Enter all ye ESHes. We've been Barren, we've been Pregnant - now at last we are Child-Rearing.

• Come share your questionable tips on raising a real live baybee!
• Compete with Cunty to take control of the bad mummy crown!
• Eat crap ham - after all, you deserve it!

Moo that is funny. Mr C is at the Races today. I dread to see the state he will return in. As long as he doesn't bring home any waifs and strays.

As I have said before mini Oke would sit with gob open like a little bird and have the food shovelled in, Peppa keeps trap well and truly shut and turns away from spoon. Today she had chicken and apricot puree sandwiched in a pita bread (there is no way I am wasting all the fucking purees I made which are in the freezer) however she seemed to remove the puree and just eat the pita. Minx. Meal times take approx 1.5 hrs. She also ate 4 strawberries and a piece of melon. The only thing she will have from a spoon is yogurt. Any great finger food ideas much appreciated.

Box I bought the bibs you suggested. I like. I could not even pick her up without getting covered in the remains of her lunch due to the mess she was getting in pre sensible bibs. I still have to remove food from the inside of her ear though.

well, we're prob going to go and visit anyway. Turns out she has a few flexi kids and is already looking to hire another staff member. There's no harm in checking her out. The place Squeaks goes to at the mo is good enough, but not perfect. They do a little bit of outside play, but not much, and the management side has been a bit pants.

cunty and cossie you use CMs don't you? Any words of advice, what we should be asking/checking for?

alps the place we use at the mo is gagging for business too. And involves a few more "unsavoury" families . I'd just rather she spent the day chasing hens and pigs than sitting around in a lump of plastic. But if anything looks dodgy when we viist, I'll knock the whole thing on the head.

Wow CC. Am v. . Don't suppose she knows anyone that would do that in London Zone 2? No? Oh well...

I shall be feeding sprog strawberries post haste. Attempt at omlette not so popular this lunchtime, but was so paranoid about under cooked eggs it may have been a little on the...er...dry side...

casp I went for the CM option for the flexibilty - she is happy to work late, early, she has offered to do weekends, whatever. Ie this week she is doing 2 earlier mornings and a later night because TGO works further away than I do so has to drop off and pick up earlier and later than I do. I also wanted him to have a home from home setting. The only downside is holidays / sickness, we have to be off when she is, which you don't get with nursery. But on the flip side, cms tend to be more flexible with your childs sickness than nurseries are.

re what to ask/check for, obv all the ofsted stuff needs to be up to date, but other than that I went purely on gut instinct.

I saw about 6 cms, and I knew I'd found the right one when I realised I wasn't feeling as bad about going back to work. My CM actually is only classed as statisfactory in her oftstead report, but that's not what I was looking for. I was looking for love and attention and cuddles and caring, and he gets that by the bucket load. I am happy that I can leave him with her and basically forget about him for the rest of the day because I know how happy he is with her and her family and how much they love him.

I think that as long as you feel comfortable with the woman when you meet her, that setting sounds idyllic and if it were me I'd go for it.

Erm, what Cossie says. Childcare is a very personal decision - what suits one person will not suit everyone so go with your intuition.

I always thought the strawb avoidance rule was due to allergies rather than the seeds....in fact, aren't the seeds a bit too little for choking hazard . Would also mean you'd be told to avoid many other fruits, no?

Hurry for LG finally getting the crawling sussed - he's been on the verge of doing it for months. Guess that means your floors will be cleaner from now on

Third round of jabs today - BC didn't even notice the first needle entering his pudge but screamed at the second one. Am hoping he'll sleep a bit better tonight as I'm getting a bit fed up with feeding him every 3 hours. Tried to get him to drop one of his night-time feeds and eke the other one out for a few hours but it hasn't worked. Ho hum, back to the drawing board.

Hurry Hurray!!

I also though strawbs was due to allergies.

Right kidz, I'm hitting the road and leaving glam coventry for the grim north again. Laterz all.

I also thought it was strawbs/allergies.

alps I just saw a mum with two, different aged, kids in a double buggy (P&T style) and a younger one strapped to her chest in a sling. And I thought of you

Thanks cos. Happy trip home. And hope you get a better night clucks.

Cluck hurry might have been closer the mark. He is off everywhere at speed, jamming anything in his path in his mouth. Turns out he has a very capacious mouth! I am going to get fitter quickly I think.

Okes pittas or tortilla wraps with grated cheese and random grated vegetables - carrot was always a favourite here - then either stick it in the toaster or cook on a dry griddle to toast and melt the cheese to stick it together. We like this so much we quite often have the grown up version with ham, cheese and chilis. Falafels, meatballs, sugar-free banana loaf all went down well here too.

Cas CM sounds lovely.

Cos and FP, yes, those loos. I was taking a break. Someone else was doing the vital bits for a short while. I had 'do not forget breast pump' tattooed on the inside of my eyelids after that though. It didn't put me off trying to keep up working and BFing though, and I plan to work and BF LG too. It was TT's teeth that eventually brought BFing to an end!

box I think you should just pump at your "desk"

I think some of my work colleagues would be horrified, but rather too many have spent too much time locked in a small box, as it were, and would watch in fascination with a little bit of dribble trickling out of the corner of their mouth while rubbing their hands on their thighs! As an aside, last time I went back to work, the family affairs rep tried to get me to take a test case to argue for the full right to breastfeed at work. Only a man could think I could exercise the full extent of the law in this respect! I can BF my children when I am at home, but clearly cannot either a) take my child in with me (could be a terrorist!) or b) ask for a quiet room to express in. I will be a bit more pushy about not doing long trips this time though. It was a bit of a shock to be dropped straight back in with a 4 day trip last time, and I didn't complain. I will this time!

On the crawling front, LG has had his first experience of The Step today. Masterfully attempted, I must say!

Box i have a friend in your line of work (he wears orange though iyswim). Can deffo confirm he would be doing the drooling thing...

I am imagining the lady halfway down this is roughly the professional working image one would be looking for non?

Huge RANT!

Stupid bloody woman today walking her dog, caused me and MB to fall over. He was on my back as we were about to start our own walk. I've torn my jeans and got a nasty cut on my knee. I twisted myself so I ended up face down to protect MB.

The worst bit about all of this is that the bitch didnt even say sorry, help me back up off the floor, check MB was ok. Nothing. Didn't even look back just kept walking. When she drove off she stopped and decided to respond to me (my words were an apology would be nice) and told me it was an accident and she wasn't sorry. It was her EFFING fault.

Silly fucking cow should be in control of her dog and to not even give a shit that i fell over cos of her is disgusting. I wouldnt have been half as bothered if MB wasnt involved. He didnt even scream or cry when we hit the deck Obv i haz stunt baybee with nerves of steel.

Hateful bitch. Bloody karma better exist.

That's brillaint Lighty - cheered me up no end!!

Am fucking fucked off with MrFuckingCluck. Have started going to Equilates classes with Box and this is my second week. Class starts in 1/2 an hour & he has rung to say he is 45 mins away. Fucker.

As you were.

What a fucking bitch Silv. You OK???

I am RAGING!!!!!!!!

And I have a poorly knee....

What a complete cow. I am raging on your behalf Silv.

What a complete bitch silvs if karma doesn't get her the combined malice of the ESH will.

What an arsehole Silv.

Want us to stake out the area wearing our Wonder Womans Women Woman costumes?

Silv, you poor thing. I hope you and mb are ok. I can't believe how horrible people can be, I can't even begin to imagine in which circumstances you'd leave a woman and baby on the ground. :(

Hail the venom of the ESH! Thank you!

It's left me fairly traumatised. To not even check that we were both ok sickens me. Was saying to HI I could have really hurt MB if I'd landed on him.

Hope her tits fall off and she is cursed with incontinence so bad that she needs shares in Tena Lady.

What a bitch!

Late arrival but have some more venom from me (and a nice cup of irish hot chocolate to help you get over the shock and the ouchy knee...