December 2011: Smiles and giggles and coffee and truffles.....

[aethelfleda]

Voila, a new positive thinking thread for us!

Onward and upward, ladies. Do come on and post if you're a lurker or want to join our merry band, all welcome!!

Tartly

It's a 'both kid's' day today so main aim is survival. Took both to the park earlier to blow the cobwebs away and it was good - unfortunately tripped on the way back and grazed her upper lip and nose but after some tears and sweets she felt better. She's in bed now so hoping to get ds asleep for a bit so I can clean up and have a peaceful cuppa!

I'm in the breast feeding so cannot control my appetite camp! I'm trying to up the exercise and not eat too much crap but ideally I need to be losing weight, not just maintaining! And I really need to curb my eating when I reduce/finish breast feeding because I didn't last time and put a stack of weight on which I still haven't lost...meh

Wonder if oi got the offer accepted?

Ha rash I am the queen of autocorrect typos!

Oi, any news?!

Haha just realised about the 'mental' speculum

I was weighed yesterday as Darcie & I had our Asthma check ups & Sky had her Imms done. I'm the perfect weigh now I just need to maintain it. (was under weight before) I find it hard to keep the weight on, it can fall off easily

Sky went to Jiggy Wiggles this morning and throughly enjoyed it, we went and had lunch at a friends after and then popped into see DP at work to say hey and then home before picking up Darcie at 4. Then back to school for 4:50 parents evening.

Hmm not sure where that extra apostrophe came from...

Wow busy times, DSM! Is Jiggle Wiggles as great as it sounds? I'll try not to be envious of your weight gaining problem (I am the complete opposite)

Ds not playing ball re nap

The visit from my friend and lunch out was good- DS smiled and grinned like he was on drugs, and charmed her completely.

This was the first time we had been out on a date, as it were, since he started on his routine- wondered how he'd cope with being out over a nap time, and the answer was he fell asleep on my shoulder.

I then held him as he slept, and he looked all newborn and lovely and squidgy and I'm actually welling up slightly just remembering it . It seems like aaaaaages since he fell asleep on me.

< pulls self together >

Sadly figgy, men plus colds often equals pathetic, but generally only with their partners. Can't imagine them doing it with their mates, 'oooh, no, I couldn't possibly make the game, I've got the snuffles'...

Warning heeded re. strawberry lube rashka!

Sounds like you had an appalling time with the birth MsB, but the valium is quite a good idea. My DP's parents swear by it for things like that, and his dad's a GP.

That is really crap from Mothercare MissRee, you'd think they'd offer you a voucher at least, especially given the stroller-blowing-over-in-the-wind-with-Freya-inside incident! Very poor customer service- are you going to take it any further?

Think we'll go outside for a bit, this sunshine's too good to waste.

Lucky you with sunshine Northern - we have had fog for the last two days and it is really rather depressing. I suppose it makes house containment slightly more bareable, on the basis we are not missing out on beautiful days. I have missed DS being at preschool today - doesnt that sound like a bad mother! I like having 2 days with just Freya and I and I had planned to go into town to pootle round the shops etc, not sit in and play endless games of cars and listen to DS whining. He is clearly better today, just such a hacking cough still. Freya is still coughing, bless her, but otherwise settled.

We did just manage a quick trip out in the car to the garden centre to get a plant and card for my mum. My parents are visiting tomorrow, so that will be a break from the dullness of this week! Will persuade them to take us out to lunch I think.

DS1 was still rather warm and grouchy this morning so I took him to the drs who've doses him up with anti-bs and an inhaler although that is pretty academic as there is very little chance of getting that anywhere near him. She also confirmed that he still had a temperature so I feel awful for packing him off to nursery this week. Plus he's just woken up from his nap and asked for a nappy change and then to go to bed 'shut the curtains please mummy' Aw poor thing.

DS2 had his bcg this am as we live in a dodgy london borough. He coped very well and has also passed out following a taking an additional 100ml of formula this afternoon - HE WILL PUT ON WEIGHT THIS WEEK.

mister I would email the CEO of mothetcare and ask if they want the level of their customer care publicised. Might do the trick

Gah that meant to say misree

Thanks all for asking about the house. They will let me know on Monday afternoon. They want to check with their financial advisor first. (?!) I can wait until Monday, que sera sera!
Had a good day today. We went to PuddleDucks this morning, Alistair cried a lot after being ducked under - both times. :( He stopped crying when I put my thumb across his gums and he could really chomp down. Them teeths are a-coming!
Mum and Sis came to watch the swimming and then we went to mum's for lunch. Sis went home and we went to entertain the old folks at Granddad's residential home. Then back to entertain my dad for the afternoon. I think he'd only be happy if Alistair promised to visit him every day. Tis nice.
Ali is currently watching Pointless and is chuckling away. I'm not sure what he finds funny, but he's calling out to the screen and chattering away.
mopsy you don't have to wait for nappies to dry - just wash and wash and wash again.
jiggle not sure yet where the cottage is in Dorset, I shall find out.
missree haddocks to Mothercare, threaten them with exposure on Mumsnet - they#ll be terrified!

Sorry DS1 is still ill hawthers. And DS2 is already putting on weight, but I'm sure he'll put on even more this week, and gain even chubbier thighs . Glad he coped so well with the bcg.

Can't believe we all you have to wait until Monday to find out Oi.

Well, DS and I are sitting on the sofa watching the footie. Since I've been taking the anti-bs, he's started screaming at the breast in the evening. Not sure if it's connected or just co-incidence but he just won't feed- fine earlier in the day and at night, just not in the evening.
Am off to express to see if he'll take it in a bottle....

Rash Sky loved it - she likes dancing & singing and waving shakers around bashing herself on the head

Oi Roll on Monday :)

Hawthers Sorry DS1 is still ill. Hopefully he will be better soon.

MissRee Sending Large Haddocks for Mothercare.

Northern Hope DS takes his bottle for you this evening.

Darcie had a glowing report @ Parent's evening and has almost completed Level3 for literacy & reading in YR2! Not sure what they will do in Juniors.

Fell really tired tonight. Think may have something to do with my period starting boooo.

Hmmm I did consider replying to Mothercare's email without sounding like I'm standing with my hands out expecting freebies which I am

I'm taking Freya to get weighed again next week as at her 8 week check, I'm sure the doc said she's 10lb5oz which means she's put on less than a lb in 4 weeks She was 7lb7oz at birth so she's put on just under 3lb in 9 weeks. I'll admit I have NO clue how to read the charts and nobody has explained the whole centiles thing to me it's far too complicated for my frazzled maternity leave brain

I look forward to your update on Monday Oi I love hate the whole house buying process with all it's ups and downs! Our purchase of this flat nearly fell through so many times - the one closest to exchange was entirely the fault of the estate agent not telling us of a deadline on the vendors new property! Another complaint I never got round to writing

That first sentence about mothercare is not what I wanted to say at all... I meant that I considered replying to the but didn't know how to without sounding like I'm standing with my hands out expecting freebies!

Gah, my brain is definitely frazzled since going on maternity leave!!!!

Hiya missree. centiles are simple if you think about it using an example.
I'll try to make it as easy to follow as possible so excuse the repitition.

Stick a hundred kids in a line as if you're about to take a photo of them. Put the shortest kid on the left and the tallest kid on the right, and all the others in between them in height order.

The fifth shortest kid is on the "fifth centile" ie he's child number 5 in the line of 100.

The kid who's halfway up the line is on the "50th centile" ie half the kids are taller than him and half are shorter.

The kid who's 95th in line is on the "95th centile".

Repeat the lineup but this time use weight to stack the kids in Line from left to right. This means that a kid who's chubby can be on one centile
For weight and a completely different one for height.

If a kid is a skinny but long baby, he will probably ( but not always) continue to grow along those centilea into a skinny but long baby. Gradually children can alter centiles as they get older, not a big deal as it often mirrors what their parents did. You can also get "catch up" or "catch down" growth, when a kid is meant to be big but was born early, or meant to be small but mum had diabetes so they come out huge, and after birth the child gets back to the size they were "meant" to be.

Ooh, it's so much fun. Hope you're still awake! Overall centiles are not to lose sleep over, they are just a method of monitpring with their own limitations and benefits.

And I'd like a collective sigh of relief as I went to work to negociate my mat leave return (early but I am an obsessive planner type!) and phew, they were OK. With all the stuff that's going down I've asked to delay my return til sept 1st (meep- no mat pay!) and they seem OK with that. I was quite apprehensive about that discussion so glad it's over.

And DD2 survived school- phew! I have a man with a steam cleaner coming tomorrow to try to rescue the landing carpet from the effects of DD2's poosplosion from Tuesday night. He seemed nice but said I shouldnt have scrubbed it with stain remover... How was I supposed to clean and sanitise an enormous (and possibly contagious) poo without using stain remover and disenfectant?!?! Leave it there for him to clean? I don't think so!!!

sigh of relief as ds went to bed at 6pm - he is hard work when ill. Starts early with men I think - the whole woe is me I am ill etc! DH is much the same and I am not the most sympathetic! Freya on the other hand is still smiley and happy despite a horrid cough and a few pukes. Hope they are both better tomorrow though.

Thanks for the explanation Aethel definitely still awake I understand it now! From that I've worked out that Freya is following the 25th centile for weight so I'm now not worried about the fact that she's only put on 3lb since birth as she is still following the line! I just thought she looked a bit skinny still but maybe that's just the way she's meant to be and not chubby like ma and pa

At least her little leggies fill her tights now

We used stain remover on our cream carpets in a few places due to DS's reflux snd it has left lighter patches than the rest od the carpet. Hope uours survives asethel!

I'm another one bfeeding who finds it impossible to diet, I am just too hungry and tired and crave sugary things and sarl chocolate. I need to lose 7lbs to get back to pre-pregnancy weigt but ideally I would like to get to my wedding weight of 5 years ago which would be a stone lighter biut not sure how realistic that is.

Msb how do you survive bfeeding on smoothies?! I would be climbing the walls and then bingeing on crap!

That's really good news about Darcie DSM, you must be proud.

Ditto re. the maternity leave aethel- I know we were all talking about that at BW, and how employers can be unsympathetic even though there are various legal obligations. So phew!

And a phew for you too jiggle! I have the same approach, having suffered a total hypochondriac of a bf for years. DP knows, in my phrase, that unless it's changing colour, dropping off or spouting blood I am not interested.

I think the way it's put- and the comments of a few of the health professionals- can make people concerned about centiles MissRee, but as is often the case aethel has provided the answer!

We all need a pocket Aethel to keep us sane

Northern My friends think I'm heartless when I ask the following of the kids when they're trying to claim they're dying of woe: "is it bleeding? Has it got a bone sticking out of it? Has it fallen off? No? Not interested then!" it cures them of most grumps, and my four year old is desperate to be able to answer yes to one of them so very earnestly checks to make sure:o

MissRee Octopus boy is on the 25th too. He started at 6lb on the 9th, but was a low birthweight for his gestation, and has since hopped up a level and is cruising along it nicely. He is 11lb 5oz at ten weeks:)

After the digestively pyrotechnic start to the day, the octopus has managed to hang onto most of his stomach contents. There have been the odd burps with extras, but here's hoping he's going to have a better night. Most of his bedding is drying, so he is in his crib under a pile of granny squares that I have crocheted over the last few years, which is a satisfying sight in some ways:)

I forgot to shop for foodstuffs, so I have had a large coffee and am headed to bed. Kids ate while we were out, so I'm not doing bad mum, just not particularly looking after myself. I'm buying a joint for the slow cooker this weekend as a treat for myself though, I love slow cooked meat. Will probably end up being beef. Yum. With mustard mash and Yorkshire puddings:o

Hope everyone has a good night of snoozes:)

Has anyone else noticed how bob damn heavy rubbish sacks are with nappies in?!? Still managing only to put one black sack of takeaway boxes rubbish out each week but they're soooo heavy!!

Also, if anyone was thinking of reusable nappies, the shop that shall not be named mothercare are doing the bambino mio new baby kit at 70% off (£30).

Our rubbish is only collected every fortnight so our bin is extra heavy!

DD went down at 8, as did I, but am lying awake. V aNnoying. Shoulf havr had a G+T to help but can't be bothered to getout of bed now. DH is out so can't get him to be dogsbody.

Love listening to DD breathing though. Is very peaceful.

I used to hate fortnightly collection when I lived in Bristol! We had about a zillion different bins/boxes/bags for recycling too. The worst was forgetting to put it out on collection day as it then meant you had a months worth of rotting waste in a stinking wheely bin

Nothing personal misree but if anyone wants to try reusables either
look on clothnappytree forum or thenappylady website for information: don't just go out and buy bambino mio: they are a type of nappy called "prefolds" that are notoriously bad at containing breastfed poo and honestly there are tons of different makes out there that may suit baby better. I'm happy to be PM'd offlist about using cloth. I do have friends that used bambino mio and quite liked them but they are not for everyone. (having said that £30 is pretty cheap. They have lousy resale value though.)