October 2011 - my, oh my, how the first years flew by!! It's birthday season!!

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

So excited that the first birthdays are upon us! Will try get a copy of the stats..

oh no, I hope Seb is doing much better today, poor little guy :(
N has finally taken some steps all on his own! he marched across the sitting room yesterday, possibly to get to his 8 yo cousin who he adores, and realised he'd done it by himself then promptly sat down again! his cousin has promised to teach him to walk today after school, as N is there on a monday. Bless him!

N has had a tantrum or 2 straw, the funniest one being when DH took a wooden block off him as he was merrily appempting to bash the tv in with it. He started properly shouting at DH, telling him off in babble speak then he had a proper tantrum when he realised he wasnt getting the block back. Lets hope its not the terrible twos come early!

A started saying hello yesterday - it's so cute! He says it all the time -hello hello hello - although don't know if he actually knows what it means!

Poor S. Ouch.

Are any of yours using forks and spoons themselves? I am trying to teach A but am wondering if he's too young. He does it sometimes. Apparently he uses them at creche but wonder if it's easier when he sees the bigger kids doing it.

N does use a fork and spoon, but you have to help him get the food on. Most of the time he's great, but if he's tired he gets too impatient as he can't feed himself quick enough. I def think that watching other kids at nursery has really helped him there. Sometimes he just likes to wave them about while I shovel food in

Poor Seb has been crying so much and not been able have his dummy that he has a really sore throat. He sounds so hoarse, it's awful. He's not eating much either; just formula and petits filous. Dh took him back to the doctor this evening as he wouldn't stop crying - got some more stuff for his thrush.

This is awful - I feel so helpless :(

Poor poor Seb and poor poor Tally . I hope it gets a lot better soon, in the meantime have some , and .

Had a letter through today with my appointment to see the midwife and get my scan . Not been feeling too good, on the brink of tears all the time, it's a combination of tiredness and sadness I think. Oh well, things can only get better.

On a completely different subject! I have a moral maze question for you ladies! (Not intending to cause controversy!)

I have just been looking at my online banking and there has been a deposit of £180 into one of my bank accounts. I've no idea who it's from, and it's an account I would never give the details of to anyone as I barely use it. I've called the bank to see if they can give me any more information other than the name of the person who has transferred it to my account, which I could see anyway. They can't, but did say that if I called back during office hours a different department might be able to tell me what bank it's come from. They can also send the money back if I wish.

So, do I call the bank tomorrow and send the money back or just wait and see what happens and if the intended recipient hasn't noticed £180 is missing then hell mend them...?!?!?!

Tally- poor baby!!! Really hope it all clears up soon

Mrsh- how really insensitive that you got your letter through!! Really thought they would be more on the ball with things like this. If you ever want to meet and catch up a day/afternoon, please just text. Are you at work or do you have some time off?

Waves to everyone else!!

We have more teeth popping through! Currently on 3, 4, 5 and 6!! She has been very good with them, doesn't seem to be bothered by it so I don't think they are hurting at all or she's a tough nut, unlike her mother

Mrs how awful to get that letter

I'd probably send the money back, but am aware I am a massive goody two shoes. At the same time I wouldn't judge someone else for keeping it.

tally Poor S. My twins got it when i was breast feeding them, although i don't recall it causing any discomfort to them (although i was in agony) I had to chuck all the dummies out and they never had them again- so it might be a way to wean him off. If you want to that is. I don't know if you are bottle feeding or still breast, but it might be a good idea to buy some new teats for the bottle and keep throwing them away after 1 feed. I think it's about £3 for 3 in tesco, which might be a bit expensive but hopefully only for a short term. Not sure if sterilising will get rid of it or not, but it's what i would do to make sure.

Mrsh So sorry you got that letter. Hospitals are never on the ball are they? I think i would let the bank know that you have no idea who it is from, wait a month and then spend it.

Not been on for a while. Got ill on new years day, and was slightly bed ridden for 3/4 days. Fever, headaches, nausea, coughing, cold etc. Almost better now.

Kids also been ill. I think ive had one full nights sleep since........well, i can't even remember. I counted 9 times i got up on thurs night. Kids have all been burning up, had the runs, coughs. Chloe has been off school with it since thurs too. I've never known us all be this ill! Roll on spring.

pene i decided to start letting Eva use a spoon for her porridge, as it's quite thick and i thought it would be a good starting point, as it is easier to get on the spoon and stay on the spoon. Unfortunately she loved feeding herself and then screamed blue murder if i tried to spoon feed her other things. so she's on her own now, with either a fork or a spoon.

oh the mess!!!!

I've found that she's better with a metal teaspoon, than her thick chunky plastic ones.

I don't think we have any new words apart from MUMMY but she has started to shake her head no earnestly. Especially when she's had enough to eat- which is a revelation as she was a bit of a chunkster when it came to food.

sassy hope you all feel better soon. W is a big head shaker too sometimes I wonder if he makes himself dizzy he does it so hard!

Tally how's Seb today?

MrsH sorry you got that letter how rubbish of the hospital. Re the money I think I would set it to one side for a bit and if nothing happens after 6months or so spend it. An unexpected £180 would come in very handy right about now (esp. as I didn't get paid for most of December)

Wrote a massive post at midnight last night and it didn't upload! Argh.

MrsH about the letter and hope L keeps cheering you up when you feel down x

Tally how is Seb?

MrsH About the money it would depend where it was from as to what I would do with it. If a person I would send back, if it was a company I would wait for a few months and see what happened but I'd only spend it if I knew I could pay it back if asked.

Ipswitch great about N walking

Sassy hope you're all feeling better and heading for a healthy few weeks. It's bad enough with one poorly child I don't know how you cope with four poorly!

Eli is teething and has temperature managed about three hours sleep last night hoping for a better night tonight.

pebble I hate it when that happens- so frustrating! Poor Eli. Hopefully better sleep tonight.

All mine slept through last night hurray.

Having a particularly shit week though. I have to go into chloe's school this morning for a meeting about her attendance. I'm going armed with a letter of explanantion from the hospital and all her medication. (all designed to make her have loose bowel movements, so how i'm supposed to send her to school, i don't know) I'm also going to tell them about my ex, cos even though she says she's ok, i'm not 100% convinced. It might be stressed related. If all that fails and they want to fine me, or send me to prison (get in line) i'm just going to whip her out and home school her, until she's better.

And then tomorrow, i am back in COURT !!!!!!!!
Even though the decision was that chloe gets to decide the contact from now on and he can't apply for a court order for 2 years...........HE IS APPEALING!

ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

swap lives?

Anyone?????????

Oh sassy. That sounds fucking shit bloody awful!!!

Thanks everyone, Seb seems a bit better and is back at the childminder but he seems to have forgotten how to sleep! Arrgggh! He is so unsettled throughout the night. He's certainly not loving his medicine (aniseed flavour, urgh).

MrsH How horrible to get that reminder. You WILL get through this...

Sassy I didn't think it would be so painful but it seems it really is. Perhaps there are degrees of thrush. I would love to get rid of the dummies but he simply can't settle or calm down if he is really upset without one. He's still a bit wary of it now as it hurt so not always keen to have it but then not settling. Sorry to hear you've had a sicky household - how horrible, but hurrah for the sleep last night.

I didn't realise schools did that, do they need to be signed off like with work? What happened to taking the parents word for it?! Hope it all goes OK tomorrow in court. Sending and to you too.

If you swapped lives you wouldn't have your babies. Would you give them up?

Straw Seb loves to shake his head too. Goes mad when we do it :) He's mastering the nod, but he still prefers the shake!

Good luck today sassy

sassy sending you a big hug today.

I'm sure the school wouldn't fine you given C's circumstances. They're just trying to tick all their boxes, but it sucks that you then have to jump through hoops for them!

Tally M had a sleep blip last week - up at 4 or 5 every morning - but it's passed. Think it was teeth - he now has all of his canines!

M isn't using knife and fork yet - if you put it in front of him he pulls the food off to shove in his mouth as quickly as he possibly can

Was going to go out today for a walk in open air museum but too cold. M is a total snot face atm.

Thanks tally Mummy but i cancelled. Received exdp's skeleton argument for the appeal yesterday on Liverpool County Court paper. Checked the original order and it said it was at Liverpool!!!
Which adds another 3/4 hours on the time i would need someone to look after babies, and it was my dad and his wife who would be having them, and they never have before, also the weather is terrible here and it's 2 bloody trains there and back!! Thought sod it!

Yesterday went really well. They were 3 of them on the attendance panel, but they were very understanding and sympathetic. Apparently there is a special educational class for children with medical problems, but due to chloe's problems, she couldn't even attend that. So, they are going to see if they can possible get her tutition at home part time. They are waiting on the consultant appointment that i have 6th feb, to decide what to do.
In the meantime i have asked for all the scheme of works from the teacher and i'll have a go at teaching her myself. I know i'm a qualified teacher but having 3 under 3's isn't massively conducive to giving chloe 1 on 1 time but i'll try my best. I've already bought her 6 keystage 3 books to have a go at.

tally I wouldn't swap for anything and I would fiercely fight anyone who tried to take them off me!

x posts eng Thanks.

Eva would do that with the fork. I just joked that it was obviously slowing her down! She gives it more of a go now, but she still scoops up things like mash, weetabix, porridge with her hands more often than not. Or i'll put some on the spoon for her (if she'll let me) and then she promptly turns it upside down on the way to her mouth. It is quite funny to see her shocked look when nopthing ends up in her mouth. Bless

Sassy I agree, sod ex-dp!

Seb was so delighted to see the snow today :). Dh brought in a little snowball from the garden and Seb was poking it and chuckling - so cute. He's not walking properly so we don't have wellies or a snowsuit for him yet, so I feel a bit like he's missing out.

Not tried Seb with a fork yet but he likes to chew on his spoons!

Hope things have improved Tally :( DH & P had to have Monday off nursery because she was poorly (still had to pay for it though of course ! )

Pene P uses a fork herself once the food has been stuck on it but in the last couple of days she has started trying to spike things herself so I just hold her hand which has the fork in it and help her stab said food then she stuffs it in her mouth (this is usually followed by some clapping by P ). She does scoop food too in the say way with "assistance". I figure no harm trying.

Aww MrsH I am not surprised you feel like that now, I do think it is sometimes a bit of a delayed reaction (even a good few weeks later) to such an emotional situation. FX for you for a sticky bean soon :) I would just leave the money there for a bit and if the bank doesn't ask for it back spend it on shoes, wine and coffee

I "think" that sounded good from your meeting Sassy ? Hope so.

Glad some others are having rubbish sleep too, I think P is having nightmares/something - every BLOODY NIGHT, yawn!

Hope everyone is okay.

M has worked out how to walk backwards so he keeps moonwalking round the lounge and when he hits a wall he runs forward and repeats!

eng M sounds as much as a nutter as Isobel. She orbits you if you stand still for any length of time!

cheshire Hope P is better soon.

I've just been hit by feeling what love for your child really is. I was working nightshift last night so while S stayed at my mums, I came back here to sleep this morning as I'm working again tonight. Not long up so I called my mum to ask how she was. Said S had been very clingy this afternoon and just wanted to lay on the couch. She said everytime her phone beeped with a message, she lifted her head up, smiled and said 'mama?' to which my mum gave her a cuddle and she lay back down again. So when she heard my voice on the phone, she started crying and shouting 'mama, mama'. Sat here sobbing .
I'm all dressed and ready to run out the door to go and see her, just need to wait on the damn washing machine finishing with my work clothes
Honestly, I've never been overcome by such a feeling of love and protection for her

random thought while I curse the washing machine for taking so bloody long

Finally have time for a proper post! Was feeling really emotional in last one after I heard her wee voice. Got down to my mums and my poor girl was burning up with a fever. Got some meds into her and we snuggled up together. After an hr, her temp had came right back down thankfully, and she wouldn't let me out her sight for the rest of the evening! I've done 3 night shifts in a row now and I'm so tired. I've hated only seeing her for 2 hrs per day! So thankful to my mum for having her, but I've missed her so much. Now have only 2 shifts in the next fortnight which is why I took these on.. Plenty of time together for us
Cheshire- sorry to read in fb about your job. Fingers xd you manage to get something very soon!!

How is everyone else?

Tally - hope little S is doing better.

How are all the teething babies? S two top front teeth are really pushing through now. I'm wondering if that's what caused the high temp today. It's still so funny to see her with teeth after having none for so long!! I'm really enjoying this age, the things she does/says just have me laughing so much.

Re cutlery, S likes to hold spoon/fork but struggles with them still. She can dip the spoon in and get stuff onto it, but is usually flipped over by the time it reaches her mouth. The fork she struggles to dig into the food enough. If I load them up though and hand to her, she is able to self feed that way.

Hope those of you who have snow are keeping warm and safe! We seemed to have missed it here, it's bitter cold though!! Making me look forward to spending 4 weeks in Canada in May! Yes, I booked us a trip to the sunshine! Staying with family, but I can't wait for a change of scenery for a few weeks