The CRESH Creche and Spa - What's your excuse for not going back to work?

[Backinthebox]

Liking maternity leave too much? Can't be arsed to go back to your old job? Why not get made redundant, set up a company, have another baybee or even fall off a horse? Anything to spend more time with our little darlings! And it's so naice here - pass the gin!

Wonderful news on the scans Alps and Moo. It is all very real now non? Glad you are not feeling too shite either Alps.

I am just enjoying a moments peace. Peppa is having a snooze and mini is also asleep in his bed. However, I think he is ill as he actually asked to go to bed and that never happens. We were planning on making ourselves scarse as we had a house viewing but him needing sleep was more important. I did have visions of prospective purchasers viewing in the middle of me cleaning up vom and dealing with sickly child but he has just gone to sleep. Weird.

Silv men are like fucking kids.

Hope mini is feeling better today cokie.

Alps your tales of feeling better this pregnancy do reassure me. One of the things that puts me off a smaller age gap is the thought of feeling so sick while looking after a small baby. But maybe next time would be different for me too.

Same here muse. I really struggled with constantly feeling sick and the thought of it being the same again with MB and all the rubbish at work is just horrendous.

Bog roll pyramid reached 11 when I decided to broached the subject. He claims he was waiting to see how long I left it. Double bluff?

Okie yes, really real. In all likely hood I will have a real live newborn in exactly six months. (buries head in sand).

Want to tell everyone but have not and am not planning to tell work yet which makes it tricky. :-/

muser I am amazed. I honestly thought it was going to be a repeat of last time, but it's mostly good. I fell asleep at ten past seven last night so got 12 hours which was lovely. But when I'm awake I mostly feel good. I'll admit I did get the fear though when ms kicked in earlier than last time at 5 weeks and I wondered what I'd done. On the hyperemisis thread there's a lot of support but perhaps not all of it applies if you're working ft and/or you don't have a wonderful mother living 200 yards away. :(

Ha, that is always TBG's response when I do something like that Alps! I think they are playing us.

I quite want another baby now. Must move first. There is no space for another baby here.

There has been food play here today. I was getting a bit bored of trying to defend my lunch so dished out a banana today. I don't think any got eaten but she enjoyed playing with the chunks.

I get to meet Sprout today! So excited!

Huzzah for meeting CRESH baybees!!!

I need to go back to work, realise I hate it even more than before and then..... Who knows. Probably redundancy or summat. In truth I'm gonna be working for an extra person - think young, ambitious, hard, blah blah. Life/work balance is going to be grand. Not.

Am knackered. Have had a weekend filled with fireworks and fairies. I have a house full of edible glitter and two zonked kids. On the plus side, the other mother's are in awe of my party planning abilities even with a broken leg. Not that I am competitive or anything! Thank god birthdays only happen once a year!

Sprout saved up her weekly poo just for boo :o Lovely to see you and thanks so much for the hospitality and the cot. x

I am not sure if I am projecting this but when we got home I took her up to lie on the bed while I ran a bath and she wriggled and gurgled and smiled and just looked REALLY pleased and excited to be home. It was really cute but I am probably imagining it. We are all cream crackered now so I am hoping she lies in tomorrow morning.

Strangely TB and I have been discussing the possibility of a 2nd and he isn't as anti as I thought he would be. What is putting us off is that I am fairly ancient now so we would probably have to crack on PDQ and have a small gap and I just don't think we'll be ready for it when we would need to be doing it (if that makes sense?) Sprout is so easy going that no.2 would be bound to be a nightmare, plus we would need a bigger house. Also we really want to enjoy Sprout without the distraction of another child (god, that sounds dreadful!) It's way to soon anyway so we have agreed to forget about it for 6 months and then have a rethink.

I have cuddled Sprout and best of all I have ruffled her luffly hair.

Great to hear Sprout is such a happy, chilled baby Rocket....wouldn't worry about no. 2 being a nightmare - my 2 have both been pretty easy

BC is now completely switched to formula - how long before my boobs shrink back to their normal size???? He's also going great guns with his solids and now has brekkie & lunch which means he's dropped on of the nighttime feeds - sadly it's the 11 o'clock one rather than the 3am feed. Still trying to suss out what time to introduce his third meal as we always seem to be busy with horses etc. late afternoon. Hmmmm

Box - just think how knackered you'd be without your plaster on

T'riffic scan news Alps & Moo

Moo - have you tried increasing the bedtime feed??...might help with reducing the 10:30 one is all.

Muchos liking the new yard Alps - when do you move in???

Cluck big ESH thumps for that comment. It's very frustrating not being able to run around. I wore myself out shouting orders.

rocket That was the same issue we faced - me being so ancient that we just had to get on with TTC #2 and sod the consequences.

It was hard but I had several extra issues which you wouldn't have - looking after young toddler with SPD and terrible morning sickness, moving house and travelling across world with two little 'uns, undiagnosed PND, etc. If I got through it with all that going on I am sure you can do it!

clucks So you're prioritising pony dinner time over human-child dinner time?

Kate I keep meaning to say, I saw the pics of your LC's new toy and all I can say is absolutely superb! Well done! Nag moves 1st September so hopefully I'll get a hack or two in before I lose my bottle.

rocket How long did it take you to lay the type of golden egg good enough to be fertilised last time? There are no guarantees of course. honey dropped the butterdish and other ESHes have waited a long time for number 2. A new house is not mandatory - you've got a good few years before they start whining about sharing a bedroom. Ours will be sharing for a good while even though we have the room. Mummy ain't forsaking her office innit. I am very glad to hear though that he's come around to the idea because I know just a few weeks ago you said he was a no for more. :)

fanny You are a trooper, I don't know how you made that flight. It's vile enough when you're not looking after others - I have done it with a very fucked back though and it wasn't fun - so with the remnants of SPD? Pass the gin indeed.

Rocket Alps speak wise words. If age is not on your side and you want number 2 then get cracking. You will still enjoy Sprout and a 2nd will never take the focus away from that. Even though I am finding it pretty tough at the moment (mainly to do with PFB typical two year old behaviour) I love the dynamic between them. Peppa laughs hysterically at mini and mini luffs her (when he is not pushing her over and standing on her).

Oh, a friend on mine has just had her second at the ripe old age of 45 (the first she had at 43)

What is the gap between yours okie?

I agree with Alps and Okie. If I were older I'd be cracking on right away, even as it is I am not planning on waiting around too long. I want to learn to drive and move out of the flat but that's it. Flat is going on market in September if I have to start whipping TBG every weekend to finish getting it in sellable shape. My first driving lesson is on Saturday.

Clucks I am impressed by your hungry weaned baby, good going.

I know this is all very wise words as it took 3 years to win Sprout BUT 2 of those were not serious TTC, just 'see what happened' I know it could take a while again but its not just TB that isn't sure about having No.2. If it takes me/us as long to decide on No2 as No1 then I will be closer to 50! I suspect such dithering would make the decision for us, so like I said we are going to wait a few months and then make a proper decision so we would not be leaving it too long before TTC No.2 and will be making a very concerted effort if thats what we decided to do. Definitely don't want to end up in the same boat as with No.1 (fannying about for ages then realising it was nearly too late)

box impressive party planning and clucks impressive meal planning.

Exactly 2 years Alps. It took 18 months to fall preggers with mini and 3 months with Peppa. I decided 2 years was probably the minimum age gap I wanted to we started to TTC when mini was just over 1 thinking it may be a long old slog again but nope, a bit quicker 2nd time.

Yep, the party was most impressive Boxer. Particularly liked the balloon game, genius idea, right up until the popping began and at least a dozen children started bawling, leaving TT to harvest all the chocolate coins & Squinkies hidden inside them.

Thanks Muse & Rocket - have to say I'm much more confident about the weaning thing second time round. LC had a variety of lovingly prepared cubes of mush; BC is straight onto Ella's kitchen and even managed 3 whole chips at TGI's on Saturday

alps I used to seriously hate long haul in my younger years. Now the thought of 26 hours on my own, in my very own seat, with nobody crying, hungry, pooing, etc clinging to me seems like absolute bliss. I really don't know what I was complaining about before having to travel with kids attached.

And how do you know that cheggs is lurking? [spooky]

Am I the only one who thinks there is something not quite right about clucks going to TGI's on a Saturday?

It is the Priceless wedding anniversary tomorrow. We have booked a babysitter and a Michelin starred restaurant. Any bets on how far through the evening we get before babysitter phones with an emergency 'come home now' call?

Now I must get back to cleaning and tidying so babysitter doesn't think we live like squatters running a chinese laundry.

Happy anniversary FP it is also the Leaf wedding anniversary tomorrow. We are going to attempt to go forca picnic if the weathers nice. not holding my breath though. Failed to get to baby massage AGAIN. Got Hal way there and realised I hadn't replenished the change bag and Sprout was due a feed. Turned round and came home.

Ha ha, I geddit Fanster. Akchewly even on a Friday it wouldn't be my first choice but was right next door to the BMW shop and the kids were hungry.

So, MrCluck has the daunting task of selecting his new car and has been agonising over it for ages. The list he's been given is to say the least - top of the range 3-series with all the gadgets or bog-standard Mondeo. Weird, huh. 3-series estate has been ruled out due to lack of boot space....next best option would be Passat (estate also). He can choose 2 extras - first needs to be a towbar for el tento so is a choice between leather or heated seats. What to do, what to do....

Clucks it has to be the car with the biggest boot and the seats which are the easiest to clean, so that'll be the leather option.

Yep, dogs + children + leather = man.

Young, single gal-about-town = dry-clean only magnolia silk spun by worms only found in the foothills of a remote part of china which can only be found by tribal elders reading rock carvings from the 3rd century BC.