Sept 2010 - Another 6 months past, it's going too fast!

[comixminx]

Our lovely new thread for the September 2010 babies. Dive in folks!

That should be the c word... C* ha!

Oh not doing three stars but you get it!?

To be honest most parents ask about money! I give them a copy of all of my policies, permission slips, a continuity of care form and details of names, address, dr and allergies. I just have a chat really and things come up about what they are worried about. Perhaps ask about food, I provide it and don't charge but lots of childminders charge and since 2009 childminders have to register with environmental health if they prepare food so they may want you to provide your own then they won't have to register but they're not allowed to heat anything if not registered.

I have NEVER had anyone ask to look at any of my certificates or my lovely folder of photos I have of activities we take part in! Parents want to know I'm not going to forget their child if I collect them from preschool/school. What time they can drop off/pick up and how much I will cost. I haven't had anyone come to me and not sign a contract, apart from one who phoned and cancelled the evening before they were due to start giving the reason that her husband didn't want her to spend that much money on a childminder! I have a profile online so perhaps people have read what they need to know there and have no questions. I've had a couple who like to see where the children sleep and generally I have children here and toys out so they can see what I'm like with children and that the children are happy, that's the best advert really- if she has happy children there who behave well and interact with her and each other in a way you're happy with then that's half the battle. I would always check certificates but that's just me, depending how safety conscious you are about fire drills, places she visits with the children, about transport/pushchair, whether she would use reins, buggy boards. When/where he will be able to nap, how much the TV is on, how often she has planned acitvities, what school runs so you know how much Jack is in and out. Ds1 was woken every day when he was at the childminder to go on school run which used to annoy me but now I'm doing it there isn't much choice! I do try to keep them asleep if possible but if they are children that are easily disturbed there's not a lot you can do. How and when she likes to be paid, some take deposit, some like payment in advance, I'm kind and charge in arrears but so far haven't been stung! Charges for holiday and sickness, hers and Jacks and bank holidays (I charge for them but don't work). She can't show you her observations of children but she may have a blank to show you examples (in Suffolk they are learning journeys). I wouldn't worry about the ages of the children she cares for I have a 13 month old, 16 month old, Luke and almost 4 year old and they all play in different ways together. Luke is very happy to play with the older girl but also gets lots from being with the babies and they all have me too. The older ones I have are good with the littlies but that might be something to ask too. I have three 9 year olds, two ten year olds and a 14 year old as well and ds1. Once they are 8 and over they don't count in the cm numbers they are allowed to have so could have a housefull of older kids which is totally legal but can be a bit hectic. I have all the older ones as well as my two and the 13 month old after school on a wednesday and it can get a bit manic, couldn't do it every day that's for sure!!!

Sorry dixiebell I didn't answer you, I have no experience of this but from my experience with ds1's speech therapy I would suggest you get it checked sooner rather than later. It's a slow process and if there is a problem the sooner it's treated the better and the easier it will be to treat. The fact that he's frustrated would probably make me get it checked out. When I went with ds1, the gp wouldn't do anything as apparently under 5's come under the hv so that might save you a trip! How's your pregnancy coming along?

He's only been frustrated that one time, I think that disturbed me most, if that happens more often I'd definitely get advice. I think I'll speak to my dad (he's a GP), and maybe give it another week or two and see what happens. FC it just disappears as quickly as it arrived!

Pregnancy is good, I'm 31 weeks today . There's been 3 babies born already in the November 12 thread, twins and a EMCS due to pre-eclampsia, so makes me realise I'm getting close, although I'm not due until end Nov. Feeling like I'm getting pretty big now. With Arlo, my waters started leaking a few days before they properly went, which I didn't really realise at the time (thought it was just weak bladder!). I'm getting to the point where I keep imagining I can feel that happening, especially at night time! Think I will just be anticipating it all the time from now, but not yet please, I've got 6 more weeks of work still to go! Really intrigued to see how much like Arlo DS2 will be.

Hope your foot's starting to get better cinnamon.

Anything like my two dixiebell and he will be nothing like Arlo! There are not two more different children on the planet, it's amazing how two children with the same parents can have nothing similar at all. So exciting, really wish I was having another (well not right now as it's hard enough getting myself about without a bump to contend with!).

One of the ladies on nov thread broke her foot a few weeks back, she has 2 DDs, and was 24 weeks ish. Spent several days hobbling before getting it checked out and was found broken, then in cast for a few weeks! Yes don't fancy that. Hope you're back to fitness soon, FB pics pretty spectacular!

I was suprised about the diary thing too cinnamon They did give a really good handover when I picked him up tho so I think that was maybe their way of doing it, It was when dh picked him up and didn't remember what they said or didn't ask the right questions that I struggled tbh! dixie I agree with the school preparation thing!

So I'm feeling all emotional tonight, My Grandma is going into a home. Thats massively sad in itself but its also a bit of a relief because she'll be looked after and have company. Whats really upsetting me is the fact that we'll have to let her house go. Its a beautiful cottage that was built in the 1500s and its my childhood home! We're farmers and its where my parents lived from getting married until my Grandpa died when I was 15. We then moved into the farm and grandma moved into our house and has been there ever since. I've spent every christmas morning there, all my childhood when life was happy and carefree! My teenage years when I rebelled where spent at the farm so only happy memories. The saddest thing that happened to me when I lived there was grandpa dying and us having to move! I feel pathetic for getting so upset about a pile of bricks but its my home!!!!!

We're in a roll at the moment on this thread, eh? I agree that the fact that Arlo seems frustrated with the stammer would incline me to get it looked at but I guess it makes sense to see if it recurs first. Dixie, 31 weeks already! Fantastic stuff. I didn't get round to doing my hospital bag until I was at least 34 weeks I'm sure - I kept meaning to! But yeah, it must all be looming now. Where are you aiming to have the baby?

Diddly, it must be difficult with your gran going into a home, though at least if she will be well looked after and have company that'll be a relief as you say. But why do you have to lose her house - is it to pay for the home? It seems a shame if someone in the family can't take it over, but obviously that's not always possible / practical. When my gran moved out of her house it needed to be sold though my mum was really keen to see if there was some way to keep it in the family, but it would just have been way too much of a stretch for various reasons both logistical and financial. Mind you my grandparents moved into that house only in the late 80s so it wasn't quite the same...

My news is that Bruno is finally gaining weight really well (yay!) by virtue of me practically giving up bf and moving to ff (boo! Except it's so much easier). Last week I suddenly snapped and bought a box of formula and started giving him that for most feeds. It broke the cycle of prolonged feeds with him not seeming very content / satisfied, and most importantly I immediately saw a massive increase in number of wees and poos. He'd been having wet nappies but not many dirty nappies, and in hindsight I realise that even the wet nappies weren't as frequent as really they should have been. Poor devil, I've been properly underfeeding him. He's put on 500 grams since last week! In my own mind I'm sure he has a tongue tie and am pursuing that, but have ended up having to go to a private lactation consultant who specialises in it because the local healthcare folks have been either unable to diagnose it / dismissive / slow. DP has a tongue tie too and his mother wasn't able to bf him despite feeding older brothers successfully, and it does run in families. At this point I'm properly fed up with bfing him because it's so difficult and unrewarding; I know the lactation woman is going to want to see me feed him so I'll give it another try but honestly his latch has also got so much worse over the past week too I'm just not massively optimistic about doing anything other than a pretty token amounts of bfing to give him a little bit of my antibodies and suchlike. I'm resigned to it psychologically, just think its a real shame that this seems to always be so difficult and take so long to be diagnosed (looking at other threads on MN).

It's a leasehold house Dixie! We either have to keep on with the rent or give it back to the estate that owns it! I'm working on dh to let us take it on as a holiday cottage but he's not taking me seriously just yet!

Yey for Bruno! My friends lo had tongue tie. She have formula top ups after every bf

Marking, be back later!

Diddly i remember when my grandma and grandad moved into their sheltered housing flat (i was maybe 18 at the time) i was devastated that they were leaving their house. That house was my childhood. The memories are still so strong and now they're both dead i find myself walking past it (only 5 mins away from me) and wishing i could go in and just be there for a while. I remember every single room down to the fine details like what was on shelves and in cupboards. Oh god i could cry just thinking about it even though i know they were far better off in the flat than in that big house. I totally know where you're coming from. I hope you can work something out.

To add to it all she's been admitted to hospital today! :( I can remember every crack in the ceiling of my bedroom! They made a pattern!

On a happy note, Tobys doing really well at school. He got his 1st set of words on Friday and has come home with more today cos he's learnt them. They're not supposed to be changed till Friday. I'm so pleased. I knew he'd be ok but did worry a bit cos he's such a young one!

Beady, how's jack getting on?

So sorry to hear about your grandma diddlybop! I felt similar when my nan moved into sheltered housing. Her house was a council house so no chance of keeping it but her and my grandad lived there their whole marriage and my mum was born there. I spent a lot of my childhood there with my cousins.

Glad to hear Bruno is gaining comixminx and sorry to hear about your bf. It's great that you've come to terms with it but I hope lactation consultant can help you as you've gone to the effort/expense of getting her involved. Don't beat yourself up about the past, you've been doing what you think is best. I would have been gutted to have given up bf but in the grand scheme of things and the long life he will lead its only a tiny part and I know loads of healthy people who were ff (me included- no allergies, very rarely ill and not a genius but certainly not thick either)

I have had my cast off today, thy have me a choice of a cast that I couldn't walk on or a boot that has a huge heel that I can walk on and take off, hmmmmmm....... Tough choice! So now I'm hobbling, can work and have a shower in the morning, yay!!!!!! Another x-ray in two weeks and then hopefully I can walk normally. Still quite sore and swells up when I'm on it but goes down pretty quick when I sit with it up.

Yeay cinnamon you'd be alright in Yourkshire though cos everyone has resorted to canoeing up her given all the rain!
Glad you're more mobile

Good stuff about Bruno too........ Bet you're so happy you've sussed his feeding out. I remember it all well with Jack but didn't manage to bf as long as you have.

Diddly really sorry about your Gran. Same situation here minus the lovely house! She is in a hospital but can't go into a home until she's assigned a social worker. It's so sad.... She still kinda has her marbles but is blind. She was coping in her home but is incontinent so that's the biggest problem now
Your gran will have company and will be really well looked after I'm sure..... I know it doesn't stop it being really sad though. Hope you manage to work something out with the house. Do you have siblings? What are their thoughts?

Jack was distraught at drop off this morning but better on collection though didn't eat a thing and came home saying "food" "food" "food" I still have big concerns but can't be bothered typing now..... Much the same as my old post though. Gonna hang on till after tomorrow's session and the visit to the cm on Friday. Think I might end up stopping with nursery though. Pain cos I really need the time and thought it would be much better than proven so far

comix, will be going into same hospital Arlo was born in. I hope will be more straightforward this time tho (his was induction after waters broke, ventouse, almost csection, 3 days in hospital afterwards...). I have done nothing wrt hospital bag, need to get baby clothes down from loft...main priority is getting Arlo's new room sorted. Have all the stuff from ikea, just need to assemble it! Also considering potty training...!

cinnamon, great news about yr foot. Bet your parents are pleased to have their cm back too!! Our cm just told us she's taking week of 29tg oct on holiday. Argh! Not much notice, and that was supposed to be my last week at work, might have to take more time off now!

I think they are, one of my little boys won't be he's been goin round a friends after school every day and playing on his wii!!! That's rubbish dixiebell I try to give quite a bit of notice but sometimes take the odd day with a week or twos notice. It's half term so maybe she's doing something with her dc? I wanted to take a day off in half term to do something with ds1 on his own but feel so guilty now with having taken time off with foot and havin lost so much money I don't think I will :(. Only have one little boy on the Thursday so we can still go out and do something, should be able to drive by then :)

Yeah she gave us all her leave for the year in January so was not expecting it! And Dh thought he'd booked all necessary holiday with work. But never mind. We'll cope!

Well, thats tea in the bin! I like to think I'm a pretty good cook but sometimes I'm just crap!!! Frozen pizza it is! Good job I can't ruin the wine!

I'm sorry for all the birthdays I've missed! I really want to do birth stories so please let me know & I'll get them!

Hi all, some news! Went to see the tongue tie specialist today and Bruno definitely did have a tt - now snipped! So it wasn't just me being crap. The first feed afterwards was good, and felt proper, which is fantastic. Getting back home, the poor love has been grizzly as she said he would be, but I am now thinking I'll be able to breastfeed him a lot more in the future.

Anyway onward with the many many things that need to be done - sorry not to catch up with other folks properly...

:( diddlybop, pizza is always good!!!

YAY! That's great news comixminx, that's the good thing about tandem feeding I guess you don't have to worry as much about your supply as Aphra will have been keeping it coming! Luke didn't feed for 4 days while on holiday and as soon as home he started asking. Dh said it was time to stop so I initially said no but he got himself so worked up that I gave in and he's now having a feed at bedtime again but nothing in the morning. He still seems happy and there is milk on my nipple when he's finished so I guess it's still there and ok. Now we will have to sort out when stop as dh is finding it increasingly weird and makes comments resonably often but I don't want bf my last one to come to end with a fight and upsetting Luke lots.

DH and I are on our first night away from Arlo ever! Hotel is lovely, our room is huuuge. We've had afternoon tea and walked round gardens. Drinks and dinner soon. Keep looking at my watch and imaging what Arlo up to! Hope he's behaving for Nana...

Dixie, the wondering about arlo I can understand but posting on mn. Haven't you got better things to do?! ;)

Comixminx, good on you for pushing it and not giving up. Mums always right! We've had a lovely family day and I've made progress with the whole grandma house thing, I love that house. My childhood is there but the memories are inside. Where ever I go they'll be with me and I want to make happy memories for my boys and they are being made right now in this house and I love it. We have a lovely life here, lovely house and great friends. I need to live in the present, not the past!

Haha diddly, maybe I'm a bit obsessed?! Don't worry, we had lots of fun . And Arlo was very good for Nana despite a bit of an early start!

Glad you had a good time Dixiebell!

That sounds much more positive diddlybop, I still live quite near the first house I bought and I sometimes drive past and wish I could go in but I have it all in my head like photographs :)

My foot is improving which is great but still painful at times. Luke said Mummy for the first time at the weekend! He mostly calls me 'Mamma' but on the rare occasion he tries to say mummy he can't make the middle mm so says myeeeee. He's the same with daddy actually says dyeeeee. He's so cute at the moment with his little 'daff oooo myeeee' when I give him something :)