CRESH - Crap ham, stinky Brie, gin and lol'ing at birth plan believers

[AlpinePony]

Heeyah.

We have had some gorgeous stuff from GAP and they can't be beaten for socks, but at the same time some really uninspiring stuff. Seems very hit & miss. Do they do "I'm a naughty shit" for adults? Btw, pls to be answering my email you uncaring wench. I need comments/validation about my rant.

We have ditched the "dream feed" - I think it was end of last week he started kind of refusing it and we've been expecting the 2am "I'm ready now" wail and nothing. Very happy we didn't force the issue!

Well done Artie - sounds like he's cracked this sleeping lark - this will raise your libido - stand by TGO - you're gonna get it !

Yeah I know bitch but typing on my phone is a ptia and have been massively busy at work.

His sleep is getting there fo sho. But I need about 6 months of catching up on my sleep before my libido recovers plz.

Cheeky fuckers, don't they know you have a social life to maintain? Send it to my work mail - as long as JB doesn't catch me working I get away with it.

I hope silv is OK. silv - are you in there?

JB took the hoss out for a hack yesterday. He's decided as these stables are more "man friendly" and with not being able to get a suitable rider last pregnancy that he's going to do it. So I helped him tack up and then off we went, walked with him for about 25 minutes and then I said I was heading back. Obviously this is a new area and neither of us know it apart from a scan on googlemaps. I kept looking back expecting him to come careering towards us hanging from a saddle flap, but as it was he was out over an hour and had a vaguely controlled canter! I was well impressed!

Nice one Artie!

pone i agree re: these classes. It's like a lot of these baby related things, they see you coming a mile off. As suggested, I am going to do the council pool ones and see how that goes. I was quite happy to dunk her under myself on her first time in the pool, after a few people told me 'how to'. No shoes on the go at the moment, next big project is a Mai Tai which I am hopefully going to get the fabric for today. Although I do need to crack on with a pair for a certain owlet.

Can you get Zara there? I haven't really inspected the boys stuff but I like the girls as it isnt overly babyish so I imagine the boys is similar.

Zara is mixed for boys, but I also think it?s quite dear.

We buy a fair bit in M&S actually as well.

Good for JB pone

and thanks for the nappy tip okie we are out today but i'll let her go nekkid as much as pos over the weekend.

yep its a bit dear here, i usually buy sale stuff but i THINK its not as bad on the continent due to the euro etc. could be wrong as its a while since i bought it abroad.

we use metanium, it's brill.

I think you're right re zara prices rockets.

Thanks for the heads-up on Zara, there is actually one within walking distance of my office so I shall pop around one lunchtime. I've had a look at the website (online shopping yay!) and they look great for coats & shoes. Some other good styles but very european in the way of grey/braaaaaahn/tan. :( Very good prices - e.g., 20-30 euros for a coat rather than 50-60! We've had some gorgeous M&S stuff, but their website is "too big" iykwim for browsing. If I had a chance to go in and look it'd be different. I love Mexx stuff but fuck me is it pricey! :(

Alps have just received my first boden delivery for little man and mat jeans for me. Was a bit optimistic on my sizing, so they are going back but the 18-24 months seems perfect for babymoo. I like the prints and illustrated tops they do. I also like gap jeans but not terribly keen on all their stuff. I'm a bit of a trad fan and I do like the classic breton petit bateau tops (am rationing myself on their stuff now) and their jackets. have learnt lesson tho and buy massive sizes. To be honest all the other brands I like I can't afford and would only buy in sales or for v special occasions.

Got christening tomorrow and fuck all to wear.

Boden for weekend clothes - like the baggy trousers and t-shirts.
Next tracky bottoms for nursery
H&M pretty good for basic t shirts
Gap for jeans - I like skinny jeans on toddlers. In fact I just bought a pair of girls skinny jeans for mini Oke which I think look fine and they will last for ages.
Zara nice for girls stuff. I inherited a lot of baby Monsoon stuff for Peppa. I wouldn't shop there myself unless it was in the sale but the stuff is lovely.
Polarn y pyret is my vice for boys stuff. Although I think they think our kids are as tall as giants like those Swedes.

Oh yeah, Clucks forgot about the holding on bit. Squib's hopeless at it. Everytime I try to take my knee away from under his bum his head just sinks under the water . Shall persevere. I figure the main thing is to make sure that he's not afraid of being ducked under the water and panicking when it happens. Agree with Alps that if you've got the confidence, you can of course do all that stuff yourself. There were a lot of mums in the changing room who said they would be too nervous to take their child swimming without having an instructor there to tell 'em what to do, which I found a bit odd.

Have no clue on where to go for baby clothes so I am making note of responses - so far I've been going on hand me downs and using this ace shop near us where you can trade in new/nearly new stuff for vouchers to buy on other stuff at the shop. Ashamed to say I got rid of practically every piece of clothing we received for Squib while it still had it's label on as we had enough stuff in the 0-9 month age bracket to clothe 10 babies... Amongst other things I got him a pair of Cacharel (dahling) trousers there for £4!

Rocket you might find a tooth pops out soon and the sore bot will clear up within a day - happened with Squib. Otherwise though, lots of air exposure, and frequent nappy changes I think help minimise.

I'm a Baby Boden addict too. JoJo Maman Bebe & John Lewis too. Debenhams not bad and Boots surprisingly good as well. Monsoon only on eBay

In other successes we have dropped all night-time feeds [preens]. Still need to trot across to replace dummy most nights but can't complain too much.

Didn't realise JB was a rider Alps - tres useful non?

How's the hoss Silvia??? Hope all's ok xx

Have to say, I am one of those mums. I hate getting my face wet, hate being under water and wouldn?t have had the confidence to dunk Artie under on my own. Neither TGO or I are big fans of swimming, but we want Artie to be, hence the lessons.

Turns out it's not eczema in MBs groin. It's a fungal infection.

Hoss is being xrayed tmw.

Tbh I'm about ready to fucking top myself after this fucking bastard bitch of a week.

Why didn't the doctor spot it earlier silv? Sorry you have had a shite week. Not what you needed going back to work and all that.

lightspaper I am at your fancy second hand shops. They just don't seem to exist over here - however I can see Bear ending up in Burberry/Dior/etc. shoes as they retail at around 70 euros (less in sale) and "normal brands" at around 50-60. What the fucking fuck indeed?

Poor Cossie. :( You are so not a feeb mummy, I suppose we all have "one" thing we "can't" do.

silv How rude, I only had the crown for a few hours - it's tough around here trying to retain it! I hope it goes OK with hoss, what are they x-raying for? Sounds like a big fat hassle and of course NOT what you need on your first week back. Don't top yourself yet - have a go on HI and see what pops up.

Kate He's not a rider per se - but he's happy to "have a go" and he's very good at picking up sports. When I first met him he expressed an interest in riding the nag and I thought "oooh interesting, could be a keeper" - then when I told him about skiing, unfortunately he went to the dark side, but he's very able. So this is why I was a bit nervous on weds, his first solo hack - but he coped with aplomb! :) And tbh, I'd rather have a crappy rider taking her out for a spin that someone who gets hysterical if something goes a bit wrong. Apparently she got a bit nappy with him but he's very much "we'll go back to the yard when I'm ready, not you!" - also my trimmer has been teaching him natural horsemanship stuff so he's actually very good with animals. He just has a bollock problem right now. Says he got the hang of rising trot doing it up a long straight lane rather than trying to do it in the school - makes sense, but during the canter a ball dropped and apparently he sat on it. [AllGreekToMe]

I was awake from 2.25 to 4.30ish. No, the kids and husband were all in the land of nod, I just couldn't fucking sleep. Grrrr. You know when things just won't get out of your head..I was even thinking about the C word (Christmas) which I am sure has something to do with the fact I saw the first advert relating to it yesterday. Double grrrr.

Okes with you there. By some miracle our son slept until after 7 this morning. Did his mother? Did she arse. Awake at 5.45 and incapable of getting back to sleep. Fortunately it's my turn for the lie-in tomorrow so hopefully I'll do better then. Is there some miracle sleep training book for parents of young children out there I wonder?

Silves that sounds like one hell of a first week back at work. On the bright side, it will only get easier. You'll be looking back on this in a couple of months time, when MB is loving nursery, your routine would make Adam Smith impressed with its smooth running efficiency, and you'll laugh. Really, you will.

Alps I know. It's a great little place. You take stuff in, and if they like it, you can either take 50% of sale value in cash or 75% in vouchers. They sell new stuff too - all organic/fairtrade etc - so a bit pricey. Wish I'd had that idea. Maybe I should persuade the Belgian to return to his home country and we could set one up in your parts. Sadly he'd rather scrape his eyes out with a spoon than return to the land of chocolate, Chimay and moules frites though. Sigh.

ok clearly the doctor is a moron. HI saw a locum or summat and she was great and prescribed Aveeno! Wait til the practice see that!! Do you think I can take him swimming next week or not?

Hoss has a chip where the injury is. So happy it's a tiny one so no x-tying! Hurray. But box rest and hosing and mucking out twice a day and all in all veh time consuming cos it's not like you can ask for help with such a massive job so looks Luke MB will be having late tea and late bedtimes as he'll have to come with me twice a day.

I want to throttle HI. Why is it he always makes me feel like he is criticising or telling me how to look after the boy.

For some stupid reason HI has made all of us go and get the tyres changed on the car. Why? Fuck knows. Why he couldn't leave us at home who knows. I could be giving him his lunch. So now he wants me to leave MB sleeping in the car whilst they change the tyres. Of course HI and I won't be in the car. Men!

I mean Aveeno as well as the treatment for the infection. As that reads like her solution was Aveeno! Doh!

Silv sounds like you've had a right shit time of it the last week. Hope this one is better for you.

Well my court case was heard on Monday and I consider myself very very lucky. I got away with 6 points and £100 fine. Phew. Could have been a lot worse. That is one less thing to stress about. Must not speed any more as can't afford a ban.

In case anyone hasn't seen I haz posted regarding an ESHfest on 12/13 Nov in t'other place.

In other news, I am getting excited about college now.

okies they are selling mince pies in co-op already ta, for bum advice, regular airing seems to be helping.

silvs sorry you are having the week from hell. :( but glad the news on the hoss wasn't more drastic. Hmm what fun family trips HI likes to organise for you

pollypoo glad you are getting excited about college. blardy student It's going to be aces. When will you actually be allowed to stick things in people?

My dad has just phoned to try and put me off going down tomorrow because of the arse end of a hurricane that will hit Scotland. I am not going to be anywhere near there (and i need a practice run for ESHfest) But now he has sewn the seed of doubt. Damn him.

oh and GREAT news on the small fine although 6 points is a bit I guess its a trade off.

rocket could I use said storm as an excuse to not drive back from Scotland tomorrow and therefore not go to work on Monday? i reckon you'll be ok.

pols well done on surviving court. Sorry I failed to ask how it went.

silv, have some gin, you bloody deserve it.