Dec 08 Mums - We wish you a Merry Christmas and a HAPPY NEW THREAD! And lots of lovely birthdays!

[Beans36]

Here is a new one - let's hope it's a happier one for us all. xxxx

Thanks ZJ the boy is quite excited about the big 3. Well more about the potential presentage. He has a Thomas train set coming his way. It's hard so close to Christmas isn't it! The girl is slowly getting better (has had an awful cough almost croup and cold brought on by teething we think) - finally ate last night and actually slept the whole night too. The tree is up - 8 foot tall and so far only one bauble has been thrown across the room by dd. DS had his last morning at nursery this week and I was quite sad. They are really going to miss him - hope he settles in the new one as well as he has the new house. Still got a few boxes in the garage (ok its full) that aren't unpacked but getting some order in the house finally! Belated congrats to your lil sis Jam Great news on the scan kayzHave a great trip Veggie
Lady I'm feeling v festive now my tree is up! Have you got yours yet this year? Must go, still have a load of moving related things to get sorted.

Happy birthday to little mr Rubes and little miss Trace hope they both have lovely days.

I can't believe DS2 is almost 3. It seems crazy to me that it was so long ago.

Well pleased to say that E managed a couple of decent kips and is now all smiles and lovely again, so at least she was good company after all that. I know I'll only be missing her like mad when I'm back at work so shouldn't have grumbled in the first place...

Beans if you love being pregnant you can incubate mine for me if you like, I'm sure there must be some way of getting him in there. It is the baby snuggles and the bf I want not the back ache, wind and vulvic varicose veins.

Shouldn't have mentioned those should I, it'll put you off.

Good news on scan Kayz

ZJ glad the funeral went well, sorry to hear that you lost your gran. My Granny's funeral was last week. Lovely but the end of an era, all those childhood memories really are just memories now. I'm going to have a Kellog's variety pack of cerals with all the tiny little boxes of cereals we would never normally have in the house in honour of her .

Ah children with the shits. Lovely. Hope it doesn't completely buggar up the last weekend before back to work.

On that note, I am being called to wipe a bottom. Why am I having another one?

Aaaaaaargh, all I seem to do is post and run and I have my MIL and her husband arriving in, like, two seconds. I am still trying to sort all the three blooming residences and off to London AGAIN tomorrow to do DIY on the flat. It's all getting really frantic. I hate not posting. However, when I am back on Sunday I will (and I really will) do a post so lengthy you will all swoon with boredom. I haven't even read properly! And I have missed birthdays!

I am glad your Nan's funeral went well, ZJ - so sorry. But a big yay for the cleaner. I had one for years (no hope now!) when I was in London and it was just marv. My best luxury ever.

No tree yet Rubes, I am aiming for the 17th which is when my fam come for the weekend ( so excited!)

Crikey JJ, is your mat leave over already? That has gone so fast.

You see, no tumbleweed, Beans! Sorry for the paltry catch up though.

Indith, thank you for reminding me of the less glamorous aspects of pregnancy Oddly Victoria Beckham didn't mention those.

Oh arseholes, they're at the door.

Happy birthday to miniRubes and miniTrace .

Beans: we have 1 Nigel S which is v good. But he has got thin. Not sure I trust a chef who has slimmed right down . I do have a good housekeeping, it's a great book but many of the pages are now a bit sticky (especially round the biscuit section). Maybe it's time for a new one?

I'll second the Nigel S days - just stick to the old ones! I like Appetite myself

Happy birthdays!

I am still trying to figure out what to get DS. Maybe dressing up stuff. I think his sister is more bothered than he is. Poor chap, he had a friend to play the other day and the other little boy took a big bite out of his back. I wasn't there at the time but its quite a sore red patch. Not sure there is any point taking it up with the mother though.

Just skipping on quickly as the boys are imploring me into the pool. Crappy weather here, cloudy and occasional rain but its warm so that's nice. Flight was ok, DS2 entertained the plane with a thirty minute rendition of "I want to go hoooooome!" Complete with high pitched squealing. But otherwise ok. They have both adjusted to the time zone ok and no nasty nights but their appetite is a bit messed up.

DHs brothers fiance had their baby on Wednesday which is nice, birth was fine but she is in hospital until Monday, not sure why, I think its just the way they do things here. Another reason I'm glad I had my babies in UK.

Sorry about the squits JJ & yay on cleaner ZJ.

Sorry I have to go DS2 is threatening me with a cold wet cuddle if I don't get in soon.

Hello Vag

Re presents, DS2 loves playing with the dolls houses at playgroup so have got a Svlvanian Families house (not pink) and some furniture. The small animals are a bit bizarre. Lots of gingham.

Now need to take DS1 to try out some bikes at the shop - that'll be his Xmas present sorted. DS2 is getting a scooter. Thinly disguised plan to get them out of the house on Xmas Day

Where is everyone????

Hallo sybs, I've just been sorting my sheet ready for back to work tomorrow. Very pleased to say that my work id card with a photo from 2004 has finally expored so should be able to get a new one at last :). Have got smart ojtfit laid out on the spare bed ready for getting dressed super speedily, just crossing fingers that E doesn't do her 'wake up at 1am and turn immediately into inconsolable blood-curdling screaming nutjob' effort again... Red eyes and bags not the best way to return to employment!

Cookery - defo Nigel, he is brilliant.

Right. DH and I celebrating the end of maternity leave, which will not be happeneing again!, with steamed sponge pudding and custard and massive glass of red wine. Hurrah!

hi ladies
Sorry this is so brief, but just wanted to say thanks for P's birthday wishes. She had a party and had such a fun time with her friends, it was a pleasure to see. cant believe my little one is 3 and [happy]!
must have tea now and clear up carnage of 80000 presents.
see you tomorrow xxx

whoops. so [happy] isn't one!

Thanks for the b'day wishes for ds here too! Happy belated to P Trace! Great informal Thomas-tastic family day was had- gotta run....

FB Sybs!!

Hello everyone,

Happy birthday to those I've missed.

JJ Happy end of maternity leave! Hope E sleeps beautifully for you and tomorrow goes well.

L's party went really well. She was so happy with the little things, balloons, her hedgehog cake with prickles, it was very touching! I can't believe she is nearly three.

Back for proper catch up tomorrow. Night all.

Evening.

I've just been having a cry I can't believe Dylan is 3 tomorrow. He seems so grown up already. I'm so glad there's another on the way

So touched that Frieda is still on the birthday list! Hello ladies! How's life treating everyone?

Really wish I could have another but DH and I decided earlier this year that we just could not do the lack of sleep thing again. I'm VERY broody though: babies in cafes have been known to set me off . He's had the (ahem) snip though so it's a medical impossibility (in case either of us weakened in our - very sensible and grown up but also very sad - resolve). DH has got a lot worse in the past year and has now retired on health grounds, so it would have been madness in the extreme to have gone for another. I have (yet) another new job, which keeps me v busy too - so yes, I think we need to know our limits!

V envious of those expecting though. V exciting.

Sybil... when are you around over Christmas? Can we make a time to meet? I'm off for TWO WEEKS so hope we can fit something in!

Love to all
xxx

Hello everyone. Quick me-post, sorry. Well, her-posted, anyway. DD just had 8 week check and weigh etc. She's gone down from the 50th to the 25th centile BUT the doctor measured her on the scales on the padded patient bed thing. Surely not accurate? I thought they had to be on a flat surface?? I thought she'd been putting on weight nicely, and while I know it's not accurate, on our bathroom scales (which are flashy digital superduper ones) she's been measuring at more than the 4.76kg the doc had her at.

Also, bizarrely, her head is 91st centile while the rest of her (length/weight etc) is 25th-50th. Again very strange because she really doesn't look like she's got a big head - if anything it's quite small!?

If it isn't the same type of scale kiwi then it isn't a great basis for comparison. 50th to 25th isn't actually that much and it isn't that she has lost weight, just not put (maybe) as much on as you might have thought. Anyway, it is perfectly normal for babies to drift up or down the centiles for a bit before they settle on a line. Did the Dr seem worried? You can always take her to a clinic in a couple of weeks and weigh her again.

Another one who can't believe their baby is turning 3. She is such a big girl! Party next weekend but dh has the day off work for her actual birthday (23rd).

Verso not a complete medical impossibility, dh's highschool girlfriend's dad had the snip twice and it failed both times! They had a lot of children .

Urgh. Dd has decided she has finished her rest in front of the TV, ds due back from choir any minute. Must. Find. Energy. For. Homework. And. Cooking.

Very quickly - Kiwi, could this be catch down growth? How big was she when she started? Mine all started big then grew very slowly and plummetted down the centiles. So long as she is growing, and her wee / poo is plentiful, I would not worry. I think it is quite common for BF babies to increase more slowly as they use food efficiently and you make the milk they need IYSWIM, so it might be different from another baby who wasn't BF. HTH.

Kiwi As you feel that she is doing well, I wouldn't worry at all. Wait a couple of weeks or so, have her weighed again and you'll probably find her following the 25th.

Thanks v much guys. She was born at 50th centile which tbh was a bit of a shock anyway, as DD1 was a little 9th centile titch and we are generally speaking a small baby family iyswim. She's very unlike herself last night/today as she had her first jabs too and had a temp/ feeling grottiness - possibly has her sisters bug too as she was sent home early from nursery w temp too. We are a house of germs and dd1 has given me conjunctivitis and have sinusitis too. Lovely

So anyway yes I guess wouldn't be at all surprising if she did end up being smaller. Tempted to stretch the docs "check her again in a week" to more like 12 days or so as clinic is ony on Friday near me and this Friday seems a bit soon - specially as she's not overly keen on feeding post-jabs (nothing worrying, just doesn't seem super hungry)

Very oddly tho the doc says her head is 91st centile. It looks tiny to me! She did measure it twice though.

at the big head. Ds is like that, he is still at almost 5 a skinny bag of bones with ribs and knees poking out all over the place (you should see how much he eats though, I odn't think he ever stops eating!) but he has a massive head! It doesn't look that big but he never grows out of tops because of width or length, he grows out of them because he can't fit them over his head.

Is anyone else's Dec 08 children still wearing 18-24 month clothes too? My DD1 can't wear any older jeans as they're too long, but the 18-24 month ones have space for nappies in, so they're massively baggy on her! And loads of her tops are still 18-24 months, which DD2 is fast approaching. I feel a wardrobe purge coming on. They're only 6lbs apart in weight now as well!

No but my Dec 06 baby was. In fact last summer so aged 4 and a half he still wore age 18 to 24 shorts! I dug his shorts out for the summer, gave the shorter ones to dd and put him in the longer ones . 2 years apart, ds weighs 17 Kilos and dd 15. She is stocky but not really chubby, just a completely different build.

The nappy space is a pain at this age. Ds had a few pairs of Frugi trousers as they had the space but expensive, quite glad I'm having another boy to use them as by the time dd grew into them she was out of nappies and they just looked daft on her. Sainsbury's are quite good too, lots of their trousers are roll ups so you'd get the 3-4 now (with adjustable waistband) and they would be the right length with the roll ups.