December 2011: Of Mice, Men and Tables

[NorthernChinchilla]

Here we go...I hope!

searched. No pools visible. Hummph.

Indoor pool maybe Oi?

Sorry for the me post!!

Figster has been pooing 4/5 times a day for last few days he seems fine in himself but they vary between being relatively normal to sweet smelling and quite stringy in nature. Because its happening so often and I guess with the heat his bottom is starting to look like some nappy rash is starting what should I do?

Am OK. No DH to have dinner with though, he worked late last night and will be home 9.30 tonight. He expects dinner ready (I do the cooking) but I'm tired and have a clingy teething DS still up slurping on my finger (he doesnt take dummies and the boob option is out). I'm hoping he conks soon. Given that DH is about to be away for 2 weeks these late nights aren't helping much....Scuse me, nreed to walk about with DS

Figgy. Try sudacrem after every bot change.If that doesn't clear it in 2-3 days get out the big guns (metanium). Both available over the counter. Oh and have some nappy free time each day (eg on picnic rug in the garden) as air to the area is the fastest way to clear it up.

Oh aethel, you do sound a bit down in the dumps; didn't realise that stopping bf made the hormones go funny, but I guess on thinking about it, it would. How come your DH is away for two weeks? Is it worth you co-sleeping with DS in that period to get a bit more sleep? It will all settle down- and you know it far better than any of us !- but that doesn't help when you're in the middle of feeling pants.

Sounds like he had fun BJR- all the pictures DP sends me of DS at the playgroup are of DS's bum disappearing into the distance, surrounded by toys !

I sooooooo know what you mean Oi; I went back into underwired bras when I stopped doing the lunchtime pump at six months, and that was great!

Sadly, none of my old sets fit (fancy underwear is my one girlie treat, love it, though it's no way as lovely sounding as yours-that Aubade is lush). Can't wear the type of little thongs I had, as they tend to rest in the CS scar; need the thongs with the slightly bigger front. Boobs are indeed a little saggier, but meh. However, as I've now come off long-term contraception after 10 years (and being pregnant) I've dropped the dress size it made me put on, so none of my bras fit, and all my clothes are baggy- I look like I've been raiding my Mum's dressing up box !

How did the HR meeting go Xiao, was it productive? Will they let you work from home?
How're you doing MissRee, guess the coach journey is taking it out of you?

DP signed himself and DS up to the local library today- they had a stall out at our local Morrisons! Got a few free books too. Really pleased that they did, and DP's going to do some reading with him.

Hoping your clingon goes over soon aethel. I never enjoyed the crash after de-boobing, so I'm sending sympathy your way.

Long day here, temperatures were obscene. Muggy night in process, might go sleep in the freezer:/

aethel sorry you're having a grumpathon. I hope he's now fast asleep and you're relaxing with DH.

xiao hope you got what you wanted at the meeting.

LMF the freezer sounds sorely tempting, I would consider it if I could fit in it.

We've had a lovely day. Our meet-up went well, she was really nice with 3 gorgeous kiddies, and her youngest is 16 days older than Eva which is great. They live about 20 minutes away and they're setting up a weekly HE group, there's 14 acres of land where they are and loads of animals so it sounds amazing! We got back around 2.30 and spent 2 hours round DS friends house playing in the paddling pool, even Eva enjoyed it. We had a BBQ tonight, DS was up over an hour later than usual but DH actually feels like he's spent some time with him today. Meeting at the bank tomorrow re the new mortgage (why isn't there a worried emoticon!)

Xiao Well done on your citizenship, my DH became British last week too :D One of the most expensive things he'll ever do...

mopsy really happy to see mini mopsy improved!

Sounds like a really good day Seven and great that the home ed family have similar ages to yours.

I've found the libraries great round here Northern they seem to put alot on for kids, lots of them run the sort of groups for free that other places try and charge upwards of 5 pounds a week for.

Hope DS settled for you eventually Aethel and that you got some much needed sleep.

I'm jealous of this talk of nice underwear, I keep putting off buying new stuff and try and use it as an incentive to lose weight. Back to pre-pregnancy weight but got a bit lazy with the gym for a few months before I got pregnant so have another half a stone to go.

DS decided sleeping was off the agenda last night, was ok untill midnight and then woke every half hour to hour after that and wanted to play. He's developed a lovely 5am monster poo habit this week, which is wonderful for my co-ordinated morning brain.

Off to spend another hour at nursery today and then to enjoy some sun.

3 days to my hen in our nations capital

23 days till the best day of the year

Both girls slept well last night

Doing some more wedding stuff and chilling in the garden, will get the pool out I think!

Morning girls. Thanks for the sympathy, was going to post again but it turned into a right wubble so instead I ranted/blubbed at DH (who took it manfully). I think the main pressure on me at the moment is trying to keep up with everything with a tight get-house-ready deadline. So I told him that I wanted him to understand it's not going to happen in the timescale he wants because there just isn't the time to spare to do all the decluttering/prepping that's needed when I have the three. I think it just didn't occur to him that I was stressed about it, we've agreed to see how things go.

xaio, how was the meeting?

seven, the HE stuff sounds exciting!

lmf has your neighbour wuietened down? Hope the brainache went away.

Everyone else repeat the mantra "these are lovely children and it's all worth it when they giggle".....

Enjoy the sunshine!
And enjoy your countdowns dsm!
figgy - nappy rash - I mentioned yesterday that BOi has a bad rash around his genital area. I normally use Bepanthen, then as aethel said, I got out the big guns Metanium (bob that stuff gets everywhere!), it still wasn't clearing. Mum thought it might be eczema because teh rash was dry. But no, she says it is fungal, therefore nappy rash. She's prescribed some low grade canesten to be used 2x a day. This nice weather (and wooden flooring) makes it easier to give him some nappy free time. And I'm going to stop using the Huggies Stay Drys, the dr wasn't convinced, but i think it could be a reaction to these new nappies... (I've just bought 3 more big packs in the Tesco baby event! Such a bloody waste. :( I've opened two (one upstairs, 1 down), so I can take one back I suppose.
aethel I hope you're feeling better today. I didn't know about potential deboobing crashes. I think I've been saved by being too busy paintingthe patio, and stressinmg about the house. And of course, being apart from him whilst at work makes it easier. It's only when I'm with him that I think about that closeness. He seems to have survived the transition. For the last few days he's sucked my hand or cried when he's been hungry, rather than dived for my boobs or grabbed at my clothes.
And whilst he's been very restless at night, and needed soothing very frequently, he no longer needs feeding at night - so we're on the path to sleeping through. He's still in our room. I hope to paint his room soon. I'm waiting for his bedding to arrive to get the right colour.
northern lucky you with your baggy clothes! I need to tighten things up a bit. It aint only my boobs that are saggy, my tum needs some work. Hopefully all the painting we've been doing will mean we will soon be able to enjoy the outdoors soon. I've not had a go on the table tennis table yet! Oh and I've been shopping again, I bought a day bed and a firepit table and four chairs. The day bed is for our bedroom patio, and hopefully will double as a bedrrom sofa in the evenings/winters, and the firepit table and seats are for the balcony. :) I want some sexy loungers for the garden next.
House warming party is going to be 4th August, I think. Anyone up for a visit to Bolton? You are all invited.
Xiao any news from HR?
and sssh! DH has got the day off today to do more patio painting. I very sneakily have not told my mum and dad, as they look after BOi today. It feels a bit cheeky using our free /favour childcare for holidays. They are helping us out to save money, and it feels v v sneaky to have them look after BOi while one of us is on holiday. I did it on Monday, but I told them, so mum brought him home early to play in the garden whilst I painted. But I felt cheeky doing that twice. So I dropped him off at 6:45am as usual, and came to work, when DH is still in bed. bob I feel quite bad about it...
(How long is this post? Sorry. me me me me me....!)

("she says it's fungal" = the dr who I saw yesterday, not mum.)

Ps very exciting dsm I don't comment about your wedding plans often but I'm in awe of your organisedness, it sounds fab!

Glad minim is better. dS has been a snot monster and still has an icky cough: he's pickier with bottles when he's snotty. If he doesn't perk up soon we'll be off to the docs for a chest-listen.

misree hope the commute is bearable in this heat...

Ah aethel = cross post - you've having similar get house ready pressures, I'm with you there. We were just interpreting our stresses differently. Good luck getting the house ready.
If I can share one decorating tip with you, it is this: buy the cheaper rollers and paintbrushes (just buy more). Then, at the end of the day, if you feel like it, you can put them in the bin and not clean them to use the next day. I hate cleaning brushes and rollers. I love painting and seeing your achievements, but I hate the scrubbing and tidying comedown. Oh and of course, instead of cleaning you can use clingfilm to keep the brushes/rollers wet with paint to continue the next day too.

An update - HR meeting was good, but just the start of what seems to be quite a long and involved process. I now need to complete a three page application form (which luckily HR will review before it's submitted), then feedback will be collected from pretty much everyone in my department including my PA and the head PA, and finally a memo will be written summarizing everyone's views which will then be sent to the Flexible Working Committee for consideration with my application. If they give me the green light there will then be a three month trial period before it becomes a permanent change to my contract.

Anyway the HR lady thought my request for Mon/Tues/Thurs in the office and Weds/Fri from home seemed reasonable enough so I'm really hopeful that if I argue my case well I can get them to agree

Seconding the clingfilming idea, if you do it properly it works well:)

My headache went about lunchtime, today's is easing already as its cooler. Trying to drink more and stay out of the sun. Thankfully it's overcast here today:)

Glad you managed to have a chat with your husband aethel, I do hope it means you can do things at a slightly less manic pace:)

Hope everyone has a good day.

Cross-posting!

So glad it was a positive meeting Xiao, fingers crossed the rest of the department are on board. Feel free to utilise the haddock supply to keep them on side

Wow xiao, that's great! Most similar meetings I've heard of are along the lines of "by law we have to consider your request. Here is us considering it.....mmmmmmm...lalalalala......mmmmmm....no!"

DS ok but 'orribly chesty sounding. Off to docs for a quick once over, I bet he's a smiley fraud once we get there! Then to the library, for lo, it is large and airconditioned. Hope you're all coping in the heat.

Sounds good xiao! ...apart from the very long-winded process.
Glad you're feeling better lmf.

Morning all, as ever have left it too long between posts to name check.

Xiao sound positive, will keep everything crossed for you.

Have currently got Seb in his first back carry in my wilkinet. Seems reasonably happy, but have just realised I didn't put his hat on, so need to start again before we go out. D'oh!

Aethel Thanks, I like to be organized

Xiao Sounds positive. let's hope they agree to it.

Sky's not really enjoying the hot weather. still just managing to get her first bottle into her for the day

Oi and aethel thanks for the nappy rash tips, it seemed much better this morning but will keep up with the cream for a few days, he had been in new nappies since the weekend as i bought some superdrug own brand 1s which felt like cardboard so he is back in pampers.

I love the summer holidays no traffic means i get more time before i leave for work with him even had time to give him a quick bath this morning and then some nappy free time (he weed all over his bedroom wall and the towels he was lying on woops).

Hope you get your home working Xiao i bet it will be a big help for you!

Figgy Hope Figgyboys nappy rash disappears soon.

Well Sky has perked up after her 2hr nap and drunk another 8 oz and we are just waiting for our BBchoo to cook. Sausages & chicken is on the menu today

DD1 is over nanny's at the mo and will be dropped back later x