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

[AlpinePony]

Heeyah.

We are buying artie a balance bike for Christmas. We don?t care that he can?t walk unaided yet, or even push along his sit on plane thingy, it?s what we want to buy him he?ll get plenty he can actually play with this minute from other people.

I am probably going to buy clothes for Christmas. I fear that she will get a ridiculous amount from other people. I'd rather wait and see if there's anything I can pick up afterwards. Especially as she has a February birthday and we are lacking in space.

Having watched her go nuts for wrapping paper at her cousin's birthday party I suggest you just give Sprout all the wrapping paper and be done with it rocket.

Yeah I know muse that's why we are definitly not going mad. But my mum is a bit crap when it comes to pressies and pils are skint and tend to err on the plastic crap quantity before quality (no complaints, IMO exactly what gparents are for!) So we want to get her one nice proper pressie. I am under no illusion that this is more for our benefit than hers ;-)
Ps all the best people have February birthdays you know.

I'm assuming Christmas is when our house will really start to be filled with plastic crap, so I'm trying not to buy any from us - there are plenty of family members to do it. I have thought about trying to find something more expensive (a nice rocking horse was one thought) and ask family to contribute to that rather than buying lots of little things, but I'm not sure I'm going to be that organised. Given that Peedie'll be not quite 4 months I'm guessing if anything interests her it'll be the wrapping paper.

We had our first night away with her on Sat, and miraculously all survived (including MIL which means I'm not wanted for murder - hurrah!). Peedie did however decide this was the ideal time to increase the frequency of her bowel movements - it's weeks since we last went less than 48 hours between them, but no, while we were away we had two mega-poos, both while we were out and about. It's a good job we took lots of clean clothes, and I'm v glad we've discovered washable wipes - soooooo much better at dealing with poo than the cotton wool and water we'd been using.

Alps am deffo in favour of buying presents way older than current age/go for what they're ready for. My only thought was was it worth spending spondooliks now for a present that they really won't even realise they are getting, or wait until he's older - like 3 or something, and get him a rocking horse that'll last him longer - one of the 6 and up age range type. For anyone thinking of going down the rocking horse route, this site has some nice looking ones. I remember I had one of the bigger type, which apparently I was given when I was 3 (they're supposedly for 6 and up).

One benefit of most of Squib's rellies being forrin, is that rather than expecting us to lug mountains of toys around on the Eurostar, they are happy for us to say what we want to get Squib and just give us the dosh for it. My current cunning plan is to tell various rellies who are not going to meet each other that they are buying the same present - then buy one present and put the dosh in an account for Squib.

Gosh very posh lights! Of course bear will have his own real pony by the time he's three anyway, he's been riding since he was 8 weeks old I don't think a rocking horse is going to cut it when he's 6. Too used to mum's sports horse.

ocarina poos are best done when out and changing spots scarce.

Indeed Alps...another reason I might save up and get it when he might be old enough to appreciate it... I know it's futile, but I'm trying to resist the plastic crap and just get a few pressies that will last more than 5 minutes before he gets bored of 'em/they break.

Ocarina washable wipes are the biz. Tend to use degradable wet-wipes when Squib's on potty and just chuck 'em in the bog crosses fingers they are not going to cause major bog blockage. At what age does one decide a baby's bum can handle good old fashioned bog roll I wonder?

alps Is that the cutest rocking horse ever? Love it! Our was 'free to a good home' from Bonnie's old nursery when they were getting rid of all the old toys too skanky too keep any longer.

Bonnie got a labrador for her first birthday. Clyde got a trike scooter thingy. Bonnie now has an Early Rider balance bike. But these are the biggest things they've ever got. Simple pressies are the best. We always buy books. Bonnie's personalised Thomas book is the best ever! £7.99! And the Ikea basic wooden train set rocks.

alps Feel free to PM me over the work crap. I found it delightful how they kept finding ways to drain away all my confidence and self esteem. Even though I frankly have tonnes more ability than any of those sad little men. Shits, the lot of 'em.

Loving all the pressie chat! That Labrador is fab fanny might be cribbing that idea. I am getting more sanguine about the plastic crap. My sister is even more hard line about waste/plastic than me (she always gives recycled/2nd hand/home made pressies) so I know there won't be any from that direction and mum will probably give money or want to be told what to get. So that's half the battle.

occers the washable wipes really are the shizz (scuse the pun) everything else just smears. Looks like they will come in handy when weaning too although bit about whether to keep them separate!

Just back from the docs re sprouts flakey bits. He prescribed the aveeno no quibble but also a mild hydrocortisone for her ankles which look quite bad (although don't seem to be bothering her) AIBU to hold off using it for a weekt to see if the aveeno and weleda does the trick? It's already been getting much better on the rest of her just using lotion and weleda bath stuff so I am lothe to slap the steroids on my PFB if not needed

Forgot to say to pone I hate to hear you sound down on yourself. You have always struck me as wonderfully confident in your abilities and it fucks me right off that someone should be undermining that. Not sure of the whole story but it sounds like someone else's problem not yours. Bastards. Obviously the timing is shitty with your second diffment but you deserve to work for someone who appreciates you.

Rocket it seems entirely reasonable to hold off the steroids for as long as possible.

Peedie had her first jags today making me feel like a very mean Mummy for letting someone stick needles in her. She's mostly slept since, but absolutely wailed when she woke up, to the point where she was crying too hard to latch on to feed :( Now TH is home and has bathed her she's happily lying in her Moses basket chatting to him while he cooks dinner - as ever, Daddy is the one who makes her happy. I'm just hoping she sleeps OK tonight.

Aw occers the evening after the 8 week jabs was the first time sprout ever really melted down. I remember her latching on, sucking a few times then crying again in bewilderment that it didn't make everything better. Heartbreaking but an hour and a dose of calpol later she was sleeping it off and was fine the next day.

Aw, poor Peedie and poor you. She'll be ok by morning.

You're right, she's fine. Rocket you described what we had yesterday afternoon perfectly. Do I really have to do it again in 4 weeks time? :(

The second set didn?t bother artie at all, so you may be fine :)

Sorry occers meant to say the 2nd and 3rd lot were like water off a ducks back so she should be fine!

Thank you rocket. I wish I had something flippant to say but I'm done. On the plus side I am finally relaxing at home, someone has said they've done the 'boiling frog' thing on me which makes so much sense.

fanny I will message you later when I'm on the laptop thank you. Assuming I can still work a laptop. ;)

It is shit what they're doing to you Alps.

Going back to toy discussions. The new favourite thing to do here is stand up against the sofa, chair, any handy object. Then she gets bored. But she doesn't want to stop standing. Is there any sort of toy that would let her stand and have fun and isn't the size of a small planet? Those Jumperoo things are way too big for our tiny flat.

Right now I have gone for "put some toys on the sofa".

I've gone and done a long absence again. I suck. OcarinaBalerina I forgot you would have had jabs around this time too. We had ours yesterday and were traumatised. I was shocked by the SIZE of the needle. How are your nights nowadays.

Anyhoo, hello all. Special shout out to Rocket and cheers for all the BF advice.

Does anyone have any fave parenting books to recommend?

Hows it going?

I have decided most age recommendations on toys make bugger all sense so I'm going to ignore and just get things I think she will like. No idea muse the jumperoo scares me, TB was all for it but it does look like we would need to build an extension first anyway. We are going for a meet up with NCT folk next weekend and they have one so I'm going to assess the situation. But I think 2nd hand ebay something similar will be the way to go.

He, he, like my nickname, Rockette. It's all right. MM has been very sleepy for a second day after vaccinations. Should I be worried?

Fairy I would just enjoy the sleephead.

Toys are weird. I mean, mini likes stuff which is way too old for him one moment and then really simple baby stuff then next. May be it is to do with him wanting anything Peppa has but saying that once he gets hold of it he plays with the baby stuff with a new sense of interest.

Did I mention that Clyde has hand, foot and mouth disease? Ewww, I hear you say.

I admit it's a bit gruesome and leprosy-like. But I am comforted that the doctor says that once it appears it is way past the contagious stage. So no holding back on the cuddles, then.

You what, Fan? That sounds bad. Tickle's got a manky eye. WTF do I do with that?

Okie, I have been enjoying it and feeling a bit guilty...

As for toys, I know nuffink. Should probably educate myself.

Hand express a bit of breast milk in tickles eye. lego it's a cure all! Sounds a bit odd but worked for Sprouts gammy eye.