April 2011 - Hello Grindstone. Nose here, reporting for duty.

[DairyBeetle]

Plumps comfy pillows, shakes warm fluffy blankets, passes them round, sleeps

Why thank you, star! I was looking at pics of P the other day too thinking how cute she was then thought they're quite similar looking really so perhaps that's why we're drawn to them! Glad you're feeling a bit better. I'm the same with broken sleep- it's like hell getting up in the night but then I'm ok through the day

Secret Santa present posted off today

Quick q - those with ear defenders which brand did you buy?

get well soon dairy!

Dairy you poor thing(s) You need a plague sign for the door! Hope you are all better soon.

Fizz - your CM sounds fantastic!

Frak - Kidz something or other. I nearly couldn't buy them because I object violently to 'z' being used in that manner!

Star - P and T are sleep twins! He always wakes somewhere between 11pm and 1am and needs a feed before he will settle. I loathe waking up soooo much that I have got into the dreadful habit of staying up until that first wake up. It is really stupid and I know I need to go to bed earlier, but I just find I need a few hours sans children otherwise I go bonkers.

We are taking the boys to see Father Christmas tomorrow, it is a ride on a steam train and FC comes along the train delivering presents!

ali we are doing that next sat. Can't wait

Ps cycle glad all is ok.

I'm the same Ali. I know I should go to bed earlier but I can't. I need my baby free evening too. I always get a second wind in the evening as well, which means I struggle with early nights.

Went to bed at 11 and P woke at 12:50. She's been fed and has fallen asleep about 100 times but wakes the minute she goes in the cot. DH and I are currently tag teaming the resettling attempts. She's crying and chewing like mad, so I really hope she's working on another tooth (there better be a reason for these recent performances!) Unfortunately bloody DH has had a brainwave and has given her Sophie the giraffe. Not his greatest idea - I can hear it squeaking through the wall. She'll never sleep with that in the cot!

Yy to the second wind in the evening when you know you should be having an early night. What is that all about?

I had a 7 hour stretch of sleep last night so no doubt I will feel like shite later

Star - can you nap with dd beside you in the bed? If I need a nap in the day that's what I do with baby I as I know that is the failsafe way that both of us will get a sleep.

Yesterday afternoon we had went to a Deck The Halls celebration in the village. The village Christmas tree lights were turned on (which you can place stars of remembrance on), the toddler group, pre school and primary school sang carols, the village bell ringers ding dong'd a few tunes and there were Christmas crafts for the kids. Twas lovely, a great way to start the festivities. I think we will get our tree today

The Deck the Halls celebration sounds lovely ILike. Really festive! I think we might get our tree today too. Yay!

Well, the battle with P ended about 2:30 and she slept until 8ish - so actually, had it not been for the length of last night's wake up, it would have been a good night.

We've never had much success with co-sleeping or co-napping. She thinks it's playtime in the main . Maybe we should re-investigate...

First night of only offering water - fail.

It was dhs night to do the wakes ups and he is weak. Gave b the water then 20 mins layer was down stairs making a bottle. Its my turn tonight. We'll see if I'm tougher!!

Cm is fab. She has a bumper sticker that says away with the faeries which sums her up quite nicely!!

Just sent dh to Asda to get the non perishable Christmas stuff! We have snow again here and the sky looks full of it.

Our tree is going up today too. We were going to wait until dad finished the kitchen but I can't wait!! I bought extra lights the other day! I drew the line at an outdoor 3d reindeer though!!!

Snow - I want some!

I might lend you my DH Fizz. He's frustrating stubborn as a mule (or has the patience of a saint, depends how you look at it ) when it comes to P. There's no way he'd be backing down in a resettling battle! I on the other hand will do anything for an easy life!

Star - can you feed laying down? Both of you laying on your side, face to face. It's my way of getting a guaranteed nap when we are both tired.

The tree is up! The house smells of pine and the fairy lights are twinkling. The chocolate decorations and the candy canes have been stratigically placed at the top of the tree. I have gone to town this year and bought hotel chocolat tree decorations and jelly belly candy canes. Dh and I are feeling cream crackered, so tonight we are pouring the Baileys and troughing on tree decorations

Hotel Chocolat do tree decorations?! ILike you may have just given me the incentive to face shopping in town again tomorrow! I lasted two hours today, needed a very strong by the time I escaped got home.

Why is it that on as Saturday morning, the one day of the week non of us needs to be up and out for 8am S decides that 6.45am is the wake up and play time?! Every other day this week I've had to wake him up at 7.30!

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a nice weekend, and those with snow have the good snow, not the getting stuck for days type snow!

Morning! DH still in bed even though I did all the wake ups last night. To say I'm pissed off is a slight understatement. We both got up at the same time yesterday, but I did say to him to lie in if he ewanted to, expecting him to do the same for me today! Fat chance!

Anyway .... I opened my chocolate hamper from work last night and I'm slightly disappointed. I don't like anything in it. The list that was on the order form isn;t what I got. I got 1 box of chocolate brazil nuts, 1 box of chocolate covered blueberries, tub of hot chocolate, jar of chocolate curd, box of after dinner mints, box of chocolates (I have eaten theses, but left the nutty ones for DH), Chocolate stem ginger biscuits, and some honey nougat. There was also a bottle of red wine, which I do like so not a complete waste!! I was most disappointed at the Chocolate Curd I thought it would be like choclate spread, but it really lemonny which I should have expected seeing as its "curd" but I didn't and took a huge spoon of it!

I'm going to make myself a bacon sandwich. Maybe that will make me feel better!

Hi All!

Rather off topic but I need to stealth boast: I met Brian Cox & Tim Minchin last night! We were out for DH's birthday. They're both lovely & amazing! and a little bit of a !

And our next stage car seat is ordered, we're getting the Britax First Class plus, with the intention of using it rear-facing for a while yet (F's still a little bit little).

What's everyone else getting?

I have informed M he is not allowed to outgrow his Pebble until next July.

I think we're going to need to look into a gp 1 rearfacing though :( ~~

I am VERY jealous of your sleb hobnobbing Buck

I have done some cursory research, scared myself witless at the risks of front facing from 9 months and booked myself an appointment at a shop in Milton Keynes where they import car seats for extended rear facing to 4yrs. Not sure if it's strictly necessary but I read the phrase 'internal decapitation' and decided I'm going to allow myself to get all PFB about it . The are mother?§£}£ing expensive thoughbut my Dad has been on about wanting to buy something "proper" for the baby since she was born and I keep telling him we've got everything we need(mostly as hand me downs). So I spoke to him and I think he's going to get it for us. We are very lucky!

I'm not even going to ask, ecuse. I'm just going to repeat the words "risk" & "hazard" to myself and think about statistics.

I think people think I'm being pfb wanting him rear facing till 13kgs.

Well we have dithered and gone for the 'do nothing different' option so DD will move into the next Recaro seat that we already have from DS1 & 2.

She is heavy enough now for the next seat (and in fact rode in it last week when DH had the other car) but I feel isn't old enough to totally make the switch.

If we were starting out now looking at the next stage seats I would definitely get extended-rear-facing if i could get to somewhere that would help fit them properly as they seem so much harder to fit than standard forward seats.

JKS we have done the same. T is already in the next seat, his shoulders were totally crushed in his Group 0 seat. We would definitely have gone with RF if we were starting now though.

T has really got the hang of food this last week, and has finally decided he likes fruit, so yay!

Buck I loooooooove Tim munching! I've had some quite rude dreams involving him! And professor cox is sexy coz he clever!!

Can I join the head in the sand crowd with the car seats. I did some research and decapitation is one word thats stuck in my head. we are thinking of getting a new car in the new year so will hold off until then. because mo doubt we'll get a seat that then won't fit the new car!

I think we're getting a hand me down car seat from the ILs, so it'll be a front facing for us. I must admit that I haven't really though about it, although P is such a long baby that her head is getting ever nearer the top of the current seat.

Fizz - Just had (yet) another giggle at one of your messages. Can I assume that your phone has been at play again, or is Tim Munching your pet name for him?!

My Secret Santa pressie has now been purchased. Just needs wrapping and posting. Did we decide we we were having an official opening day or are we saving them for Christmas Day?

Hi all. Ss wrapped and ready to go. So exciting. Can't put my tree up yet cos the builders are coming wed to fix my plumbing! Ooer!
Not sure re car seat. Struggling to do the seat belts up on s with his winter coat on

I've told M not to grow too much until we get a new car. I want another rear facing seat but with 3 door car it'd be a right pain getting her in and out. We chose carefully with group 0 to get one with a base to save messing with seatbelts.

Secret Santa is all wrapped and in a bag ready to take to the post office (with lots of other stuff) tomorrow.

I hear cries...

auto correct fail!

I thinkwe should leave the presents until Christmas day because if I staropening presents early I may not be able to stop!

Tree is up lights on windows, outside along front of house and on the conifer in the back garden! Tis like Blackpool illuminations round here!