Dec 08 Mums - happy new year, happy new thread and soon some happy new babies!

[sybilfaulty]

Happy new year!

Sorry for the rubbish title but wanted to get the new thread underway. Let's close the door on some of the sad events of 2011 and look forward to a better year in 2012.

The baby is still not wanting to show it's bits off. Or anything else for that matter. Still got 80% chance of a girl though.

congrats urbane! Lovely news and lovely name

Sorry the baby isn't cooperating kayz

Fraid I've been a bit brain dead and rubbish at keeping up - been regular house full of bugs since before xmas here, just a bit boring. Have been reading though and hope everyone is well

What a gorgeous name. I love it.
Gawd, roll on 7pm. Not sure I can wait til then for bedtime. Had 4 nippers under 4 staying last night and no one to help. Woe is me. Was fine, but had to go into all of them at least once. Moved DD1 out of the room with her mate at midnight and in with DD2. Naughty me. But her friend got up at 6.25 and DD1 not up til 7.45, so was good. DD2 same. Am exhausted now.

DD2 fell off a kitchen chair today. She insists on climbing onto them. She fell off backwards and clouted her head. She did scream, which is good, but after a few seconds blood came gushing out of her mouth. Terrifying, but it was just a little tongue nip. Mouths bleed!

I started writing this ages ago, so have probably missed loads!!

Ah yes. When I say it was good DD2 screamed, I meant that it's a good sign she wasn't concussed or anything. Obviously not good that she screamed generally!!

Just popping say a quick congrats to Martha and a big thank you to Effie. Actually I was just coming on to thank Effie for putting me in to Mr Holmes via the free upload thingy and then found out the wonderful news of another December 08 sibling.

We are still away, currently in Thailand but back next week so will bore you with all the details then.

A HUGE congratulations to Urbane Beautiful name!

Kayz Congrats on the 'girl'. I'm sure if it was a boy it would be much easier to tell ifyswim. I never found out with either of mine but, at the 20 wk scan I was certain I saw his todger!

beans Four littlies...you nutter. How is your Dad getting on?

lady Enjoy your break and good news on the tenants.

ZJ Please remind me when your due? I have to say though it seems to have come round quickly!

DS is going great guns at Pre-school. He loves it and seems to behave like a different boy there. Although he is totally exhausted from doing 3 full days...which is a bonus as he hasn't woke earlier than 7.00am now for a couple of weeks. Whereas previously he was a regular 6am-er. That extra hour makes all the difference.

Had a horrible experience with DD the other day. She has had a UTI and was literally screaming and writhing around when going to the loo. I think she was scared because it hurt so much but seeing her in pain like that scared me. Threw her in the car and went to the Em Dr. Much better now thank goodness!

How is DD2's head today Beans? It must have had quite a knock, poor mite. Well done on surviving the sleepover, I hope you got old more sleep last night

Jolly very god idea about Wilkos, I love that shop and so will look forward to a browse for some cheap tat entertaining toys for DD

Kayz it must be a girl, DD won't cooperate with anything I ask her to do, in fact she doesn't even bother listening most of the time. Sounds like your little one is practising being the same

I had a lovely pre natal massage yesterday (my treat from Santa for being good last year), but heck it was tiring being pampered and relaxed! I have another one to look forward to in 2 weeks, I can't wait

Crossed with your there Deids, I'm due in 5 weeks (16 Feb) - I'm at a bit of a loss myself how the time has passed so quickly too! That sounds awful for your DD, I hate UTI's. I was a bit worried about dd having one, as she tells me her bottom is s bit sore, but it only seems to be at time night time, and she's definitely not struggling to wee - it doesn't sound anything like your DD had to deal with, so it's probably just sore skin. She's happy enough one sudocrem has been liberally applied

Congratulations Urbane! Martha was the name of my absolute bestest friend in the world between the ages of 8 and 12, which bodes well :)

ZJ Its quite funny as loads of people have said that about it being a girl. Even the 2 people doing the scan said it must be a girl as boys usually show their bits off to the world on scans and the girls hide.

Kayz, DD was exactly the same they couldn't properly see but thought 90% girl so told me to go have coffee and walk around and rescan. They spent ages then finally said 99% sure!
Have a lovely time LadyT x

Hello. This is super brief from my phone because I type soooooooo slowly on it, but had to say congrats to urbane. Wonderful news! P's middle name is Martha so clearly I think it's beautiful. Hope you're getting some sleep. What do her siblings make of her?

kayz I don't know what that says about E, in her 20 week scan she was lying there legs akimbo with her bits there for all to see!

ZJ ah massages... Having only managed about a month ago to have the one Dh gave me a voucher for last Christmas, I am envious of you! Then again, i got a voucher again this Christmas and fully intend to have it soon

So today was E's first birthday. Crikey Mabel. How did that year go so fast?! Am feeling a bit sad never to have a teeny baby to snuggle again, but she has been so much hard work that there's no wy we could do that again... I did enjoy the whole 'i am woman hear me roar' aspe t of actually making and growing a baby but it's not going to happen again. Will have to come and give Martha a snuggly kiss!

Db poor dd, hope the meds get her fully sorted. From memory they can work within a few hours.

beans eeek about blood but yay to surviving 4 kids overnight! Go you!

Just need to have a moment of ranting ladies. You recall the friend who did the 'my child has a gender neutral name' thing? She and that baby's dad got together when she basically stole him from his wife (has 2 kids with her). She had also broken up another boyfriend's marriage some years ago, and goes on about being a radical feminist who detests the concept of marriage as patriarchal oppression of women. She has now proposed to her bloke, on facebook, and keeps going on about how they're subverting tradition because she is proposing to him and it's only for inheritance tax reasons.

Aibu to thing oh ffs grow up woman?! Either marriage per se is evil and bad, or it's actually ok and you've spent half your life ranting against it pointlessly... I know I should be happy for them but it just seems so laughable after all they've gone on about at everyone else for years - 'oh well you're married so you couldn't possibly understand the depth of our non-married commitment to each other'...

Oh dear I broke the thread with my mean talk

She sounds like a loon Jump.

I'm hiding from the family. Dcs ar being tired and grotty and annoying. I am also tired and grotty and very annoyable. It is far better we stay away from each other!

Indith you are very pregnant and so have the best excuse for being a bit grumpy. It is part and parcel of motherhood at most points, but esp when you are heavily pregnant, I find.

M has regressed after his illness and is weeing and pooing with abandon. To say I am unimpressed is an understatement. Am exhausted too and cannot face work tomorrow. Need to find some mojo from somewhere.

Invis, I owe you a message I know. I will try to get onto it today or tomorrow, promise.

Sybs, would recommend going to bed by 9.30 tonight and not worrying about the potty training for a couple of weeks xxxx

Syb - totally understand the lack of mojo and exhaustion. Thanks so much for the other - really grateful as am feeling really clueless, but do want to make a decent fist of it.

Jump - your rant sounds completely reasonable in the circumstances, she is a loon!

End of exhausting weekend here. DCs both full of snot up to their eyballs, but we had a stack of people here for lunch today and were at my parents yesterday, all good stuff, but not much downtime.

I turn 39 tomorrow. DH's birthday is 3 days later and we had the worlds most prosaic unromantic conversation last week where we both confessed not having a clue what to get, but realising that we needed to meet the DCs expectations with a package to unwrap on the day. Would go out later in the week except that everytime we've tried it its been an unmitigated disaster because someone is ill. Hardly feels like its worth tempting fate. Bah.

Invis - happy birthday for tomorrow lovely. Hope you have a good day and get something nice :) maybe just a return to health and bogey-free kids...

Sybs, this is why pullups were invented. He'll get there in the end. We had 4 accidents of various types on friday, s managed to get through not only her own but also the spare nursery knicks and came home in a pair of leggings with trackies over. Sigh.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INVIS

Lordy. Just had a text from my boss saying that there's no work to be done this week, on top of only 2 hours last week. While I am loving having 2 days to myself, I could really do with some money!!! So far this month, I have earnt £40 and she shut down for 3 weeks over Xmas, so I am really struggling. Bugger bugger!

DH away again this week, apart from Tuesday night. Heaven to have the house to myself in the evenings and watch crap telly and get the children into bed before 7pm. Bliss.

We're exchanging this week and hope to complete on 24th February. Live in hope! It's taking so bloody long!

sybs hope you're feeling better this morning. so dispiriting when they seem to go backwards. I am really sick of the winter rounds of colds and bugs - none of its major, so I know we're lucky really but we haven't had a day when everyone in the household has been well since Martha was born (chicken pox x3, DH had a really nasty virus last week, DS and DD1 coughing like miners).

Arti you asked about birth . Late pg was pretty grim. I was really tired and hormonal and had a horrendous stop start labour - which mw kept telling me can happen with 3rd babies. So I would have anything up to a couple of hours of contractions and then it would stop. sometimes for days. so basically spent last 3 weeks (until 41+5) in this sort of state of suspended animation. didn't help with mood or tiredness as pretty difficult to sleep. And then actual birth was brilliant (they did keep telling me that all the faffing around would mean it was v straightforward). as we were going to bed on the friday night (induction booked for monday) I thought that the contractions felt slightly different. I didn't go to sleep, DH did and then I woke him about 12 to say I thought we should phone our nanny to come over. Meanwhile DD who has broken out in chicken pox is bouncing around and trying to cuddle me during contractions and I'm having to show no outward sign of anything much so not to alarm her. I told DH that I thought the baby was coming and he sat up and said right and then promptly fell back asleep again . Nanny arrived, we set off to hospital and arrived about 1:30. They were really busy so put us in one of the labour ward rooms while we waited for birth centre and gave us lovely student midwife. I kept walking about and leant into DH and used tens for contractions. Was all v peaceful in nice darkened room overlooking the river. I knew I was pretty far gone but helpfully didn't say anything. Then decided I didn't want a baby any more, sensible brain recognised this as transition so I got up onto bed, contractions changed and I got gas and air thing and pushed her out in about 4 contractions. Midwife was a bit taken aback by speed. And I was a bit stupid as I was so determined to actually meet her I did it all a bit quickly and so got minor tear. She was born at 3:45 to chimes of big ben. I was really euphoric afterwards. Was actually lovely and quite romantic experience . Hypnobirthing really helped as did absolute joy at finally being in proper labour.

Aside from short stay in hospital when she came out in chicken pox she's been doing really well. Feeding brilliantly - they left her on me for a couple of hours so we had loads of skin to skin and I think that made a real difference - other two were dressed within 15 mins of being born.

Trace - so far DS and DD1 very taken with her but am sure that will change when she starts on with their toys.

ZJ I seem to remember reading lots of stories to DS - one tip I remember sybil giving us was to make sure that you have everything to hand before you sit down to feed (entertainment, drink for you, drink and snack for little one if going to be needed), so you're not constantly either breaking latch or explaining to older child that they'll have to wait. This time I think it's a bit easier - as 2-3 doesn't feel as much of a change to them. Jolly's idea on baby stuff is a really good one - DD1 has been very into her doll since DD2's arrival. Although to be honest doll is a bit of a bad lot and has been behaving extremely badly. We hadn't thought through managing that psychological impact. . Present from baby important with transition from DS to DS and DD but we didn't bother this time as was so close to christmas and she had very thoughtfully bought presents.

Deids - hope your DD is better. Sounds awful experience for both of you.

jump happy birthday to E for yesterday. And yes you can snuggle DD2 any time you like . Your friend sounds like a madhouse

And Sherlock is over already. Isn't this technically the most depressing day of the year? Although is beautiful day so I must get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Thanks to inspiration from PD, Jump and Summer I got myself one of those wrap slings. DD2 loves it - and I can't believe how easy it is. Invaluable when entertaining other two. Although am probably using it too much in the kitchen .

urbane Thank you for sharing that - sounds wonderful! Clever you, almost made me broody again

beans Bummer to lack of work/money. Surely you should be back next week then? I guess she's still getting back into the swing of things after Christmas.

Invis HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you have a lovely day.

sybs get thee some pull ups, and wait till he's all better before trying again. Just before Christmas I decided to remove DS's potty thus hoping he would use the toilet instead. The lazy monkey constantly wee'd/poo'd in pants because he refused to go on the toilet. I was dreading him starting pre-school however quite the opposite happened he now uses the 'big toilets' all the time and never so much as trickles

I actually have to confess I am quite sad at the moment about the fact DS is getting grown up. In just 2 weeks he has starting acting so grown up in everything! His talking, the way he plays, sleeps...I would never want another (couldn't anyway thanks to snip) but its a little heart breaking at the same time. Plus DD is 5 going on 15!!! Oh my she's adorable but is just growing up so fast. Do I sound silly??? It feels it

DH bought a Dustbuster on Saturday. Why oh why didn't I get one years ago? Amazing. I know it's sad to be excited about it, but I LOVE IT!

Urbs - that sounds like a lovely lovely birth story - apart from exhausting 3 week build up to it!!! But wow, it makes me want another one. DH and I were discussing it at the weekend on a drunken night out. Just the two of us. And my friend had the kids for the night. Brilliant. But I don't think we're going to have a third. Relieved and sad in one go. You are so clever squeezing out Martha so quickly - well done!

xxxx

Invis Happy Birthday!!! I hope it is going well.

We've just rebooked the wedding for the 5th April. There is going to be just 15 people there and then we are going to renew the vows etc next year to have the big reception that we had planned.

Will be back soon. Got to get DS1 from school!!

Marking my place for later. J is having her first settling in session at nursery at the mo.