December 2011- <Haddocks> are in the deep freeze as we won't be needing them, no, siree! Grab a <cuppa>.......

[Aethelfleda]

Shiny new thread: we forgot to discuss the title this time!

Evening all (it is here!), I arrived safely, thank you. The place is... But the hotel is gorgeous! We arrived at lunch, grabbed a light meal, then attempted to nap for a couple of hours. Maybe that'll turn out to be a mistake. Time will tell! But then I went for a swim! I did 20 lengths before I got bored.i am now sat in the bar with a martini waiting to be taken out. [hgrin]

Happy Birthday Oi

Thanks for all good wishes everyone - am fighting fit again, was 48 hours of aches and crawling skin and high fever but I have bounced back completely, thank goodness! I credit DH's waiting on me hand and foot, including making chicken noodle soup, plying me with honey ginger lemon tea and doing all parenting. It sounds like Octoboy has something similar so I hope the fever is gone now LMF.

DH said last night that it was so lovely and relaxing to go back to work after a half term of being a SAHD and looking after me too He is reminded yet again that he has the easy job working full time!

Something lovely I read this weekend: 10 ways to be an unhappy mother. Not scary but inspiring (I am especially guilty of number 10, need to nip that in the bud!).

awch big hug and hope you're doing ok today.

Oi rather jealous of your glamorous martini in the hotel bar!! Glad you arrived safely. Hope the jet lag doesn't catch up, exercise and a nap seems like a good plan.

kitty I'm sure one of those applications will bear fruit and good luck with the DIY.

aethel I'm joining you on MFP - reducing BFing and exercise but not addressing how much I eat - plus LOVING autumnal rib-sticking food - has not helped the waistline. I am aiming for this last stone to come off by Christmas. We can do it!

DSM hope Matalan yields some nice things and your legs feel ok.

Northern hope you got everything done and some sleep in the end.

mopsy hope the snots are drying up and you can go for a run! in fact your description of running in the cold has almost inspired me to go for a run myself...almost...

Bee hope your DD2 is getting used to the cot and not so scared anymore.

BJR so glad your boss is understanding and hope the dry toast has done the trick.

I ought to get my buns back on MFP :(

me too

I have an empty living room!

Happy Birthday Oi i hope your colleagues take good care of you since it is a biggie!!

Am scouring the argos catalogue online for their toy sale offers, ball pit has been ordered for pick up tomorrow and then must must must put away until his birthday!!

Had my judgey pants on earlier a workmate's son and daugher in law had a baby 10 days ago and they have put him in his own room at 10 days old so they can get some sleep!!! I had to really bite my tongue amazing how quickly we have opinions on how other people parent......bad figgy!!

An acquaintance of mine had her grandson overnight when he was the grand old age of seven days old. Not for any other reason than she wanted to and is a very overpowering personality. I very much bit my tongue.

Xiao I am guilty of so many things on that list. I suppose the fact they listed them means I must not be the only one doing them.

Bee absolutely. I think the fact that we post here on this thread is a big step towards solving number 8 on the list!!

That post is so interesting, Xiao and so true. I clicked onto a few of the links to other blog posts and it's all really helpful (oops, procrastination, but really, Excel is doing my head in!). It is really useful to just stop and take stock once in a while, and realise that we ARE doing okay. You know, I think the biggest lie our generation was told was that we can have it all. Maybe we can, but not all at the same time. And it's a myth to think that men have it all. The years that my mum spent being a stay-at-home mother, she missed out on the positives her career brought her, and she really missed that, but she got to bring us up and see us change every day and take part in all the little happenings in our daily lives. My dad, on the other hand, kept the positives of his career, but missed out on all the little events of our lives growing up. Neither of them had it all, but neither of them had that expectation. My mum has only started telling me since I had minimopsy how hard she found it sometimes at home with a bunch of kids, how she felt like her opinion didn't count, and that nobody would think it important anyway, and how when she went back to work it was so amazing to have a community again and to feel valued. But at least she didn't have anyone judging her for not being at work, I guess, which I think a lot of stay at home mums have to deal with now.

Hmm I am rambling a bit, but anyway just to say thanks for the link, I love posts that remind me that it's okay to just stumble along, and that noone has it all, it's all just an illusion. And it's okay! I have spent so much time worrying about my career and what I will do after I hand in, and what if I don't get a job in academia, what else can I do blah blah blah. I should just focus on the fact that I have a gorgeous little girl, a wonderful husband, lovely friends, I am doing work that I really enjoy and remember to feel privileged that I am in this position, rather than worrying about what might be. So thanks Xiao.

(Oh to be succinct rather than rambling and incoherent !!)

Xiao That was an interesting thing to read.

Well I haven't been to Matalan. Only been an had our hairs cut. Done some online xmas shopping and finished both the girls and spent no more than £120 on each of them [proud emoticon] Also finished my nephew too.

MissZombRee, I bought the blocks walker thing you gave the link for, bargain! That's minim's Christmas pressie sorted. Now only need to worry about husband and my Chriskindl. Thinking of Christmas is making me long for a break away. We only had 4 days holiday all year, and minim was projectile vomiting for half of that. Maybe we could get a long weekend away at short notice, sometimes cottages are cheap if you book at last minute ...

I've just booked my first Christmas dinner with friends! I don't want it to be Christmas yet, that means my baby is nearly 1!!!

SMS, congrats on the empty room! Hope operation room primp is going well?

Happy Birthday Oi!!

Interesting link Xiao, cheers!

Didn't go to the epu today, DH couldn't cancel his appointment, still don't want to go tomorrow...had a BFN today & no bleeding, it's so early in the pg so I can't see how there can be anything left over.
Will have to argue discuss with DH when he gets in (I hate hospitals).

First of all- warning! We need to choose the new thread title shortly!

Secondly Oi, I missed it was your birthday, so many happy returns (or are we all just wishing you happy birthday because others have [hconfused]?) Glad you landed safely though, and enjoy the martini, nom nom.

The pain in my side has actually got worse- it hurts when I breathe, cough, blow my nose or do anything interesting. I did not do my morning exercises today [oooowww emoticon], deepest joy.

I think you're right mopsy...I was thinking the other day that it's becoming more and more common that both parents want to do a bit of each. Both want to work in a job, iyswim, and look after children: I think that it's quite natural to want to do both. Previously you only had the options open to your gender: man, job, woman, children, but now we're moving away from that, lots more people are saying they enjoy and and want to do both (as well as some who simply want to stay at home and some who just want to work with or without kids)... and all three are normal.

But society is slow adapting!

And I'm glad I'm not the only one wibbling at where the bloody year went! I can't believe it either MissZombRee... I still find myself rubbernecking at all the babies on the street and thinking about more.

We've said that owing to job issues for both of us, and the need to delay until DS would be getting free nursery time, that we'll see where we are in summer and either move or have more babies [hgrin]!

I inevitably read that as 'room pimp' AWCH, and was thinking that was a bit avant garde even for Laurence Llewllyn Bowen [hblush]

Hope you come to an agreement about the hospital; I'm not a medic so don't know about the health issues with having a scan or not. Rotten decision to have to make...

Northern Feel better soon.

I'm feeling much better this evening. So proud of myself that I have finished the girls Xmas presents & Sky's birthday presents too.

Highlight of my evening is a fire engine full of firemen delivered to my front door just for meeee they came to do a safety check, put new smoke alarms in and check an exit route. They also run thru emergency situations with Darcie and what she needs to do

Time to chill now hehe

((( AWCH ))) hope today is ok if you do decide to go to the epu.

DS is better so has gone to nursery today, he has very kindly passed on his germs to me so i'm having to have another day off work.

DS has managed to figure out that if he stands in the corner of his cot he can reach the door handle to open his bedroom door, he is very pleased with himself as it seems to make yelling at us to come get him more productive.

Right off to bed to hide under my duvet and hope my tummy is kind to me.

BJR That means as soon as he's tall enough he'll start opening ALL the doors - arg!

Ah that will be fun then Bee he's already obsessed with closing doors and has shut me in the front porch several times!

I'm stressing myself out massively here. DP has been at the hospital today to get the results of the MRI on his back. He doesn't have a perforated disc but they are now urgently testing him for bone marrow defects

Hugs missree that's a worry!!

DS is in his pumpkin Halloween suit, massive tub of sweets by door and it's pissing down bet nobody knocks.......which is fine with me