Feb 2010 They're all walking and talking....and some are even sleeping. The babies are doing okay too.

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Pull up a comfy chair, grab a cuppa and a piece of cake, switch the monitors on low and let's PARTY.....!!!

I remember reading a thread about it at the time. Comes down to what you think is important I guess.

Well red marks have gone and only 1 (out of two) lumps left. Progress :)

I read that article too IC and it made me at how lax i've become with DD1's eating. Must make more of an effort to get some veges in her.

Mous no food advice here - DD2's diet is easily as restricted

SB hope your eyes improve. PA hope your boob improves (ouch).

bethy I really hope you enjoyed your day off. Never was a day off better deserved. First since last August...

We have bought a cotbed on eBay for £30 and a new mattress, just need to get the bigger sized fitted sheets. DD1 will move into the bigger room we decorated last year, and DD2 will move into the nursery (a very tiny room). I wasn't particularly looking for a cot bed but thought this was a good price, in good nick, and local. I'm chuffed. No big bed battles yet!

The article had been taken down because it broke an embargo by the time I went to have a look at it. Hopefully they'll put it up again soon.

At the moment DS is mainly living on pasta, fruit, ready meals and omlettes as my cold has had me out of action all week. I've been really miserable - sinus pain, nasty chest, terribly weak and now mouth ulcers but the cold seems more like a normal cold than a do-nothing-but-lie-in-bed-and-groan cold today. Mum took him out all day Thursday and for a couple of hours on Friday, I am so lucky to have her nearby.

Sorry to hear about all the bumps and bruises.

SB Fingers crossed that leaving off your lenses will help with the problem. Good luck with the ebaying. I'm going to put some stuff on tonight - do you find people bid less in Jan because they have less cash?

DH did roast chicken and mash and gravy (and salad, weirdly... we had broccoli in the fridge but I didn't say anything as I was just so grateful he'd cooked something from scratch). DS loved it too, bethy - he kept asking for 'more gravy'.

My mum has taken him out to the Museum of London today so I've been tidying and sorting the clothes out for ebay.

I'm a bit worried because the scar left by the falling into the bin incident which was a couple of weeks before Christmas is still there on his cheek. I had thought as it was a graze, it wouldn't take so long to fade. It doesn't seem to have changed for a while now. I bought some vit E oil on the advice of a friend.

scones good on buying a 2nd hand cotbed.

bc I hope you feel better soon. Take care and enjoy delegating to your mum and DH. Good lick on ebay (I'm not selling on real ebay yet, just a local selling page the island has on FB). I think bethy has sold a lot on ebay?

bc bio oil is good but it can take a few months for scars to fade. dd2's very red thick scar from her nasty fall into the fireplace grate in July last year has faded to a white line. The scar on her eyelid from falling from our bed on to the bedside table edge in September is now light red and should also fade with time. [I am watching her like a hawk now because two big scars on her face is quite enough for one childhood]

We offered dd2 home made gazpacho for lunch and she promptly burst into tears. Probably a bit too strong for delicate tastebuds... I had an alternative on stand-by

For his gouter (4pm ish snack) DS is having bread and duck pate!

I agree that scars take time to fade (DS teeth scar from falling is just fadding now)

I now keep mixing up my two who sound surprisingly alike from a distance. I went downstairs earlier to tell dd1 off for shouting quite so louldly, only to find it was in fact dd2 who was shouting 'I'm the winner!!' and chasing dd1 around the room, not the other way round . Will need to be much more careful to identify the culprit before I start on one of them...

bc DS scar is from September

BG oops

Ha ha, BG - my Nan used to do that - she'd shout all three names of her daughters until she got to the right one!!

We had a minor drama last night. I went to do my last check on DD before going to bed and noticed a bit of an odour in the air.... A sniff of her nappy area confirmed things. It was so against my inclination to wake her up to change her, but I figured I would either get woken up at 2 am when she realised she was uncomfortable OR she would have a horrendous case of nappy rash come the morning. DH helped and we changed her quickly in the semi-dark. Poor DD was so deeply asleep and didn't take kindly to being woken for one of her least-favourite activities.
I do hope she doesn't make a habit of bowel movements after bedtime...!

Little baby steps in the right direction for eating. DD isn't exactly trying new things, but she does seem to be returning to some foods she seemed to have gone off over Christmas. Scrambled egg is back in favour and she's eating some potato again, thankfully. She hasn't been spitting stuff out lately either. FX for some more improvements....

IC I nearly did it again just now (telling dd1 off for big commotion in the kitchen when I took some washing upstairs for a minute) but managed to catch dd2 in the act of shouting 'Watch out!' and running her sister down with the doll's buggy! That girl is getting SO cheeky!

You've all been busy on here! Can't remember everything but PA hope your mastitis is better.

I haven't had DD2 weighed or measured since her one year check (bad mother emoticon). It will be interesting to find out how she's doing on that front, as everyone keeps telling me how tiny she is (but she's perfectly formed!).

IC we had a post-bedtime poo a couple of weeks ago, and DD2 amazed me by not minding too much when I changed it and going straight back to sleep.

stone hope your eyes are OK. I literally couldn't function without my lenses (my prescription is minus 16, so I have no peripheral vision in my glasses), so you have my sympathies.

Oh, and very exciting news. DD2 is sleeping much better (most of the time I can just go and do a shush, which is the work of moments compared to the time I was spending in her room) and last night DH even managed to do it without DD2 going mad at him and shouting "Mummy". Honestly, you'd think there was a stranger in her room the way she goes on Still, maybe this means I can get a full night's sleep sometime soon :o

Leftover birthday cake anyone?

thanks BBB, it has gone now but still have a bit of blockage to finally massage out.

DD has yet another big bump, any slight touch with vests on/off etc. leads to her crying. We've had our fair share of large ones but not ones as tender as this. She was also awake for a few hours in the night last night

BBB did you have a great day? Sorry I missed it fb.

Any dates for farm chosen yet?

IC I think DD got the gist of your post and ate some dinner tonight. 8 big potato wedges (paprika and garam masala - not together half the batch seasoned with one...). Didn't touch the yellow split pea dal, mushrooms, carrots or onion/vinegar thing but still a great night.

ps anyone is welcome at mine even if the place is tiny

DS seems to only want his milk bottle in the evenings now but pasta and butter did the trick once again. I'm not worried about him not eating much evening (PA'm impressed by the food selection you're offering in the evenings ) as he eats a large variety during daytime.

BBB my vision is less then perfect with my glasses but if it has to be, I'll relearn not to see perfectly The most annoying at the present is that I can't wear sunglasses and it's sunny weather (but cold). Also great news on the sleeping.

IC DS does evenings poo too but if it's after bedtime it goes unnoticed until the morning

PA glad to hear that you're on the mend.

PA I think Feb 1 or 3 had the most support (though I think there were only three of us). Anyone else? I'll put it on the FB page too.

SB :(

For those with food issues, I can highly recommend my butternut squash daal recipe with rice. I have tried it on a lot of children and haven't yet found one that doesn't eat it. Can provide a recipe if anyone wants one.

Ooh, yes please BBB!
Do I get a prize if DD turns out to be the first refusenik?!
Although actually, I'd rather not win the prize and watch DD tuck in.....

as it happens I have a butternut squash in so I'd welcome it too

I have butternut squash too, so yes please BBB

bethy how is your DS2 doing?

Sounds delicious BBB, I adore bnut squash, if DD1 won't eat it I know someone who will

How are you doing PA, bc, SB....?

DD1 ate all her dinner tonight. After reading that article on French children I'm trying to limit her snacks. She asked for a banana while buying veges mid-afternoon, I'd usually never refuse (the first) banana request but did, and she practically licked the plate clean (sausage and bean casserole). She even ate the carrots!!! This is the first cooked veg to pass her lips in months.

Is there something going on re developmental spurt when our darlings are about to turn two? dd2 has turned down gnocchi last night and porridge this morning (normally 'mine favourite') and for the past three days has totally refused to have a lunchtime nap

She certainly sounds a bit hyped up, BG!

I also didn't offer a snack this morning Scones and DD at least prodded at the lentil casserole I had offered alongside her gnocchi. Usually she would have ignored it completely! Mind you, she's just starting a cold (sigh....at least we had a two-week respite) and it's affecting her appetite - or at least, her ability to eat.....

Right, finely chop half an onion and sweat in a tiny bit of oil for a few minutes. Add half a teaspoon each of chilli powder (mine is quite mild at the moment), roasted cumin, ginger powder or paste and garlic powder or paste, and the amount of salt you feel comfortable giving your DCs (half a teapsoon for me). Add half a mug of lentils (at the moment I have washed mung, which cooks really quickly, but red would be fine too) and two mugs of boiling water. Add half a peeled and coarsely chopped butternut swuash (I'm assuming your squash will be big as mine all seem to be at the moment). Bring to the boil, then turn down as low as it will go and stick the lid on. After about fifteen minutes, it should be cooked, but check that the lentils are soft. Blend (I do this when hot as it makes it smoother, and because I'm impatient), adding a bit more water if it's a bit thick. Put back in the pan and stir in a generous knob of butter. Serve with steamed rice (DD2 has hers stirred in, DD1 just has hers on top). This also freezes well.

Hope that's OK. No prizes for refuseniks! But if they don't eat it, you will (though you may want to add a bit of extra chilli)!

DD2 slept through last night :) First time I've had undisturbed sleep since Dec 27. Here's hoping it continues.

Hoorah to the sleep-through, BBB!
And yum to the recipe, thanks very much. I'll definitely give it a try on DD and as you say, if she doesn't go for it, it certainly won't be wasted!

Thanks BBB for the recipe. I'll try it this weekend. And great news on the sleep-through (push the MN jinx away).

DS had another breakdown today at dinner time when he realised he will not get his milk bottle as supper. After 5mn of tantrum and me completely ignoring him, he calmed down, pucked up his Oui-Oui magazine, came to seat on my knees (I was seated at the dining room table) and pull his plate and ate his carrot, swede and potatoes puree. VICTORY!! After 3 days on non-dinner I was well happy

IC boo about the cold

bethy what's wrong with your DS2 (I read your FB status)? And how is your DS1, any news from the hospital re his results?

scones in case your as slow as me today I had a stroke of genius (if I say so myself). I have trouble putting DS down as DD shouts if I leave the room or because she wants me to put her down so everytime I nearly have him in the cot she wakes him up. Once I had got him to sleep, I got her in her highchair, in the middle of the room with a colouring book and crayons.

I'm been having a strange day... Went to get some money out this morning and could not remember my pin number, which is one I have used for years! (Had it jotted down in a distant drawer at home and when I located it it did not even look familiar ). And when I just put pyjamas on I realised I spent all day without a bra on..... (to be fair, doesn't make much difference in my case really ).Night all... hope I am a little more alert tomorrow!! I think my brain is telling me I am about to turn 40.....