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!!

Freya sometimes does the wriggle/cry thing and it's usually wind. I find if I sit her up and she doesn't do a good burp, bending her side to side, forward and back a few times, she does a proper man-burp and we're set to go again and finish the bottle

Next year I'm giving up eBay for lent >_

missree, if you have a costco membership the batteries are cheap there. If not, DS has lidl batteries (4xC) in his swing, it's going for 6+ hours a day (he has his daytime naps in the swing) for 2 months and we've not needed to change them yet!!
Good luck with arguing with Mothercare! I hate them so avoid as much as possible, although we got loads of vouchers when DS was born.

seven, since labour I've realised that my period pains are as strong as my contractions at 2-4cm, but they've always been that painful (been on meds for them since they started), they start 12-24hrs before I start bleeding...
Has the GP checked you over to say everything is back to normal down there?

I get it to Seven Goes pretty quickly.

Welcome Rash :)

MissRee Hoping Mothercare take note of your complaint. We've got the Lamaze Dragon her name is Doris.

I don't want to Jinx it but Darcie has been brilliantly behaved and is at her first Brownies session tonight.

Sky had her 2nd lot of Jabs today and was a brave little lady, am hoping she sleeps tonight tho.

DP is up the pub meeting a mate he hasn't seen for 5 yrs.

I'll try the Lidl ones next AWCH but I bought Duracell on Monday from Wilkos - it cost me £10 for 4xD batteries

MissRee rechargeable batteries are the way forward!

Going back to Bumbo's, I'm looking forward to DS being able to go in our one. He has thighs like Chris Hoy so no worries about him slipping out, but his head's still a bit wobbly to use it yet. I also can't wait for him to be able to go in the doorway bouncer. DD absolutely loved that. Feel bad that at the moment DS just has a small rotation between sleep, feed, bouncy chair and playmat although I'm sure he's perfectly well entertained because everything in the world is still so new to him.

DS has had no adverse effects from the jabs so far, and we made it swimming. Had a traumatic evening with a very upset DD who did 10 poo's today and is very sore as a result . Hoping for no more poo and that DS stays OK so that we have a peaceful night ahead.

Well we've taken the plunge and booked tickets for the States, leaving next Friday. Two weeks with my parents, possibly 5 days in Yucatan as well! And the flight is only...8 hours.

(Will catch up now, Pirran is kicking about on a changing mat in a vest and no nappy, about the only time he doesn't want to be entertained by yours truly!)

Tyel good luck nwith the flight and two weeks with parents. Have you got a sky cot for Pirran? We flew to New York with DD when she was 8 months old and it was fine because we could put her in the cot. I wouldn't have wanted her on our laps the whole time!

I think I need to have a look online for rechargeable D batteries cos I haven't seen them in shops anywhere!

Jealous of the US trip! We went in September to visit family before Freya came along. PILs are out there for 3 weeks at the mo Not so jealous of flying with such a young babe tho!

Well, I made someone happy today!
Going through town, two alcoholics sitting on a bench, both- sadly- younger than me, about mid 20s, and huge. Bloke on the right is sharing his can of Special Brew with his equally enormous black Staffie sitting between then (yup, it's that kinda classy town).
Clocks me beaming like a loon as usual smiling and chattering away to DS. Starts grinning and hails me with 'there's a proud Mum for you'! As I walk back past them, he's still grinning, going 'I can't get over it, it's so lovely, what a proud Mum'!

Quite made my day actually

So glad you got your pram back LMF, that's brilliant. I've found that with charity shops though- you either get about eight shirts for £3 each, or find absolutely nothing.

It is a bit tiring MissRee, but it's better now he's in a little routine and sleeping earlier (she says ignoring the wails from upstairs), and I really find it helps getting out each day at least once, as that's one entertainment period sorted.

We've had that YBR, although what with the teeth and anti-bs it could be a range of things here! But I do find that if he's going to be stroppy, it's then, probably because on the last feed of the day he's most tired...which is a pain in the bum when you're trying to settle them...

Glad to hear Darcie's been good DSM- one day at a time, but it's a great start!

Not in the same league as that tyel, but I'll be doing five hours in car, train, taxi, train then taxi again to get up to see family. It's a rather daunting thought isn't it . Mind you, I know figgy flew successfully, but not eight hours. You must be really looking forward to the visit though!

Dinner soon, thank Bob, I. Am. Starving.

towards tyel!! Will Pirran need more jabs than 'just' the usual ones for Yucatan?

D&SM, hope Darcie has tired herself out at Brownies & that Sky has a good post-jab night!
We've got the Lamaze captain calamari as I DS can't resist a pirate themed toy!!

Kate, don't feel bad! I'm sure he smiles himself silly no matter what he's doing!
Do those door bouncers always need to be screwed/drilled in?
Hope your DD feels better soon!

Must b nuts at soft play now! At least i have a starbucks. Hope teething and i promised air i would take him when dady got home!

Wow loads of posts, how do you remember what everyone has said?!

tyel the States trip sounds great and I'm sure LO will sleep a lot. We're sticking to the UK this year as we're not brave enough to fly with two! Trouble is, my passport needs renewing next year, ds will need on and dp and dd need renewed ones in 2014 so going to cost a small fortune!

Kate glad jabs and swimming went ok! I washed our bumbo this afternoon and plan to try ds in it tomorrow. That, of course, will only happen if dd will vacate it! Funny, she didn't like it as a baby but has taken a shine to it now she's nearly 3 :0o

DSM good to hear that your dd is being well behaved - even a few good days between the bad ones can give you a new lease of life! Talking of Lamaze, we have a dog, a book and Freddie the Firefly!

Northern your alcoholics story made me smile - even hopeless alcoholics can be sweet. Enjoy your dinner!

LMF hope your ds is well and nice work getting the pram back. I have no patience with charity shops but spend too much time bargain hunting online. I should join EBay Addicts Anonymous!

I'm currently posting while ds sleeps on me - he hasn't had enough of a feed but I'll have to put him down now and hope he doesn't wake too early! Off to do the Biggest Loser workout on the Wii now (although I'll lose nothing fast when spending my days eating giant bags of crisps!!)

hawthers if it makes you feel any better, I can count on one hand the number of times we've done the deed, and LO is 14 wks. The discomfort does not inspire me, but I really should just get on with it as I'm sure it'll get better with practice. Sorry your OH is being a bit of a pillock about it. Mine's ok. But I feel we need to make an effort to have some time for us. Everything we do is for the baby, and DH is tired as he wouldn't consider sleeping in another room. Maybe I should express some milk in advance and ask friends to babysit and plan an evening of romance. (if you want inspiration for "romance" I can recommend a game called Monogamy... Excuse: we love quizzes, crosswords and boardgames, I thought I'd get him/us a stockingfiller one Xmas, searched boardgames on amazon, saw this, giddy curiosity made me read reviews and it had to be bought.:D it's great to get you in the mood when you really lack inspiration. I must find put which packing box it's in!)
northern congrats on a rolling DS! Mine has shown an interest in rolling, and I've been encouraging, but only got 1/2 way so far.
jiggle and tyel congrats on the impending holidays! As we're hoping to move, I don't think we'll get away until later in the year perhaps. But being ina new house is like being on holiday, n'est-ce pas? My mum and dad have booked a cottage hol in Dorset in June, and we've been invited to go down for the middle weekend. ( the weekend after a work mtg in Canada )
missree good luck with your complaint. May you receive a multitude of goodwill vouchers and gifts. I have a £20 voucher for mothercare but the nearest store is about 25 miles away.
Gold stars for Darcie, determined. things sound better with you, i hope the nasty phase is over and you've turned a corner - and that your relationship with your fiancé has improved, and that the prospect if getting married is making you giddy again ( and that he's learnt a lesson and will become more supportive and pull his weight a bit more).
I recalculated our savings, and at 16:30 this afternoon I decided that I wanted the house enough to offer the extra 2k. I made the call. I expect to hear back tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed. I'll have to check that the fixtures are included -including the range oven and the fridge. That 2k would've meant a new settee without projectile vomit stains...

AWCH The door bouncers don't have to be screwed in. You just clip them over the architrave.

Rash Yes, DD is showing a sudden interest in the Bumbo again now. The problem is she thinks it's a potty and keeps sitting in it and saying "squeeze"! We're also wimping out of flying anywhere with two kids just yet, and have booked a cottage in Somerset at the end of May.

Oi fingers crossed the offer is accepted. And remember, it's best to wait for a new sofa once the projectile vomiting days are over anyway in 20 years or so

Oooh, good luck oi!

We're doing Ok, all DCs in bed and I'm stuffing cuppa and choc biccies in with my feet up. No more poo, no puke, and DD2 seems Reasonable in herself despite the grotty ear (I confess I had a quick look and it's pretty red so am giving her the antibiotics: its her first ear infection ever that needed them, but she's a hardy little thing with a Spartan mother!! ) dosing with Neurofen has also occurred to be on the safe side...

rash, it's a job to keep up on the thread- result being that no-one minds if the conversation goes all over the place (there's a lot of cross-posting too!) no-one has yet received a Mafia-style hit for not remembering to namecheck enough people or comment on every point.

Somebody hand me a small haddock, please, and a copy of 'The Idiots' Guide to Parenting 101'.

Or, alternatively, any one of you is welcome to explain to DP that when a baby is crying in their cot, they are unlikely to settle back down again if you go in to see to them and find their dummy whilst still talking on the phone to your father.

Loudly.

Twice.

And that when your partner huffs upstairs to (successfully) sort the child out, her temper will not be improved by you disappearing into your room leaving the door to the child's bedroom open whilst she is doing said sorting, whilst there is a chinchilla running around in the corridor outside.

Hope you get the house Oi!

Kate surely in 20 years time the alcohol induced projectile vomming will be in full flow and that's just us parents

haddocks over here please. Collected some post from our old house in Horwich. We're now living in a village called Blackrod.
Blackrod clinic sent me an invite to get the second set of jabs to our old house. Que?
Barclays Bank sent a letter to our old house confirming our change of address,... and also want DH to change his address in person in branch, with his bankcard (joint account). I said he didn't have a card. They said they'll send him one... obviously to the old address. So this week, they sent his card to the old address and statements addressed to him to our new address. Que?

Oi I believe you can use mothercare vouchers online:)

Northern Can you train the chinchilla to bite your husband on the arse squeak to remind your husband to not be a prat?

Rash My eBay habit is bad at the minute. Peril of breastfeeding and having an iPhone >_<

Right. I'm going to go lie down, then octopus will wake up and I can feed him and all will be well. He's coping well, he had his jabs this evening and has been asleep pretty much since he was stabbed. Tired though, been another loooooong week.

Thanks Ladies I'm hoping she has turned a corner as its been lovely & peaceful few days and wedding is getting very close now

Oi Hope your offer is accepted.

Northern

Reminder: As some of you know, we thought it might be nice to create a photobook of all our babies as a reminder of this thread and all the help and support we enjoyed whilst pregnant, and that we are still enjoying as we go through the delights of sleepless nights, baby illnesses, breast feeding nightmares and jaffa cakes.
If you would like to join in, all you need to so is upload your baby picture to the album in a snapfish account online. And then add it to the "Project". add the text: baby name, weight, DOB, Son of/daughter of mumsnet name.
Alternatively, name the photo you upload "babynameXlbsXozXX1211_mumsnetname" to the album and I'll do the rest. Or send the photo and details to me by email (the easiest option!).

There is, of course, no obligation to join in.
When we have all the photos uploaded, you can create whatever projects you like - calendars, posters, different style photobooks,...
The photobooks start at £9.99, I think, but there are always 50% off offers.

PM me for log in details or my email address if you want to join in.

Thanks. X

Fun day here, DS was not up for the idea of sleep last night and today we had booked to have some professional photos done. He spent the first ten minutes chewing on his hands and then screamed for ages followed by falling asleep, I don't think i'll be buying any of the photos!

Goodluck with the house Oi have my fingers crossed for you and haddocks to the bank.

Will throw you over a copy of idiots guide to parenting Northern have been attempting to use it to train DP. It did seem to be working although he does slip up ocassionally! Your alcaholics story has made me grin, such a delightful area we live in, I did wonder what i'd got myself in for when I moved here :o

Couple of people mentioned door bouncers, i've been meaning to look at those, what age are they suitable from?

Right, need to finish my online food shop and try and move sleeping boy from my left arm to the cot without waking him up!

Door bouncers - I picture Hale and Pace teaching my son to walk. Da doo ron ron...
Good point about the photography, I was thinking of organising something, but he would just chew his hands, or want to feed.

You are all really making me chuckle tonight!

Hi raze! I can't keep up either and forget half of the responses to people I mean to post before I type the first sentence! I'd prob be a bit better on a computer but it's not too easy to scroll up on a phone.

Oi hope your offer is accepted!

What are these Lamaze toys? Not heard of them. But then I haven't b