Feb 2010 - turning two and turning heads

[BigBadBear]

soc at your dd2 reading over your shoulder

Thanks dor the hugs. I'm still tearful but getting better. DH told me that he realised DS will start school in September 2014 so there is no reason not to have another child after that.

Smiled about dd2 telling me in the car that her feet were dancing . They were indeed to the music I had on but I loved her way of saying it as if she is not in control of her own limbs and just observed what her feet were doing . Toddler logic

Actually SB if I were to advise anyone on having a second child I'd say wait until the first is in school. That's the gap my friend also with a 6m DD2 has, and I've been green with envy as she's enjoyed ML and now her baby, without a toddler to constantly deal with. And her DD1 can help with the baby too. It looks really chilled out and enjoyable from where I'm standing (baby in sling, toddler trying to run into the road).

Scones - agree. My sister has a gap of nearly four years and it has worked really well in terms of enjoying each child on its own (says the mother of two bonkers children who is counting hours until dd1 is back at school on Monday and dd2 has some peace!)

Not sure about the big gap being better . It is very difficult to go back into the baby things while you have tasted freedom again, and having homework and a toddler/baby is a nightmare (if you are alone in the evening). Also it is not really fair on the eldest as the interests are very different and I had to stop theatre/movie/museum/school shows/activities... for DD1

But yes you do have time with both as a baby.
IMO it is better to have them close so the babyhood/toddlerhood is all in a blur and do it only once... But then you get what life gives you

you ARE 2

mous in the toy chest? under a pillow? in the fridge? in the washing machine? laundry basket? The bin seems too obvious. Good luck finding it

I think there are pros and cons for all age gaps. My two are just over three years apart, as I didn't want a double pushchair or two lots of nappies. It has been good in some ways, but hard in others.

I don't particularly like reins, but I have been lucky that I haven't needed them with either of mine. I can see that they have a place for some.

Had a great day yesterday and had one of those rare moments of thinking "I can do this". It wasn't anything major, just the school runs went well, both girls behaved really nicely and I managed to get lots of stuff done (cooked a meal and took it to a friend who has just had a baby, took dd2 to a soft play place and to see the baby, sorted out some of dd1's old school uniform for a friend's dd, didn't go mad when i found that dh had left ibuprofen tablets scattered on our bedroom floor, had a casserole in the slow cooker by 9.30am, had some of dd1's friends round after school for play and tea, did bedtime on my own including hair washing). Sounds pretty silly when I put it all down like that that i felt such a sense of achievement, but there it is

Right, off to make waffles for breakfast. Anyone want some?

mous hope you found your camera.

SB I have done everything, I mean everything (it has been more than a week already), all what you mentioned, inside every single shoes, bags, drawers, all the beds, behind the radiators, inside the freezer, moved the furnitures, inside the sofa...

mous When my car keys vanished I found them just behind dd2's nappy bin. She had tried to stuff them in but I disturbed her... (just as well).
Probably too obvious but have you checked all coat pockets, the balcony, behind radiators... that sort of thing?
Oh, and are you sure it was your dd2? dh once blamed both of ours and in the end it was him being daft and putting his keys somewhere 'safe' himself!

Oops, just read back and you checked behind the radiators...

SB Sorry to ask but I don't know the back story to this, can you only have one DC because of fertility issues or economical ones?

I always leave a potty out for DD1 incase I'm downstairs etc and don't hear her calling and she's started to try to empty it in the loo afterwards, so far no spillages but sometimes I thoroughly dislike toddler 'help'.

Also, DD1 has a obsession with her amazing play sand pit the cat litter box and I'm not sure how to deter her, I've told her no gently, more forcefully, shouted at her (hands in cat wee and poop), told her to have a time out in the corridor but nothing seems to be getting through to her, any ideas? Can't move the cat litter as cat needs to use it obviously.

Bee that sounds a tricky one . Would the cat go outside to do its business? (Our neighbour's cat seemed to think our gravel is cat litter )

Well, dd2 has gone and tumbled down the stairs... I guess it had to happen because she is so keen to be like her big sister and go forwards rather than backwards down the stairs. I really didn't like hearing the 'small child falling down long Victorian staircase onto hall tiles' sound again. Luckily unlike dd1 at a similar age (who pushed the stairgate through and fell the length of the stairs while repeatedly hitting her head against the banister) dd2 managed a softer tumble without hitting anything too hard and seems more shocked and astonished than hurt. She does complain of her neck hurting though so I will keep a close eye on her today.

Oh Soc that sounds awful You don't have stairgates because DD1 pushed through it (as you just mentioned), is that right? Hugs to your DD2.

Mous what's going on with your electrical goods situation? Sorry I can't think where you should hunt for your camera. It does sound that you've looked everywhere. FX it turns up (lame sorry).

Bee no amazing wisdom from here, I would be trying what you're trying, probably would remove Peppa Pig watching (her current obsession) until the message got through. 2yo can understand reasoning I think. When we removed DD1's dummy (failed attempt, lasted 6 hellish days) I repeatedly told her it was because she was biting them. No more biting since they came back.

BBB it sounds like you did a LOT in one day! Phew! And why not be proud of yourself. I feel proud if I get load of washing done and dinner made (true). Let alone leaving the house (really true. Harder with the double buggy now there are steps). Am I too late for waffles...?

DD1 threw up twice yesterday, at 4ish and

Scones - yes we have done without stair gates this time because of what dd1 managed to do (she was fine on the stairs, it was the gate that caused her to fall!). Our house has crumbly old walls and the only way to secure a stair gate safely at the top would need to be one with a bar at the bottom to make it more rigid. We decided one of those would have been lethal for dh and myself!
Dd2 is sleeping but I've been in to check on her twice

11pm. In between she had a small dinner of plain pasta and half a banana. Not much came up at 11, dry retching mostly (the poor love). Today she's had two small bowls of cereal with milk, no vomiting. DH and I are supposed to be having our 1st night out together since DD2 was born. 16yo neice (with a toddler stepsister so experience of babies/toddlers) babysitting. Does DH go...? It is my friend's 40th so I will still go.

bee yes this is due to our financial situation and the cost of childcare over here. No advice on the cat litter sorry

soc fx she'll be fine. I only use our stairgates if I can't keep an eye on DS

We went out for lunch today and DS ate all his fishcake then saw the fish tank which was in the restaurant and went to see them saying 'pish numnum'

scones if she's okay and you are linked by phone if there's a problem I think I would go

My two just had their first Tv dinner or rather I fed them gnocchi while they watched iplayer. Felt like feeding baby birds with them asking for more . Dh is painting the kitchen ceiling... (As you do when you haven't seen you dw and dds for two weeks , you spent all Saturday preparing walls and painting )

soc what has he been doing for the last 2 weeks? for you

I've just put on sale my maternity clothes! I thought that as I still have to wait 2 years (unless an 'accident' happens) I may as well sell the clothes as I may not be a size 1 in 2 years. Fx I'll get a few quids for them...

sorry size 14