Dec 08 Mums - Onwards and bloody well upwards!

[Beans36]

How's this? Thought I'd just press on with it!

Also how do you know when to take a pull offs off dc's at night? Da is dry most mornings and I've been able to reuse the pull up a lot. He has random odd mornings that he's wet but generally gets up to go to the toilet through the night if he needs it. Miracle as he was so late to toilet train. But I'm scared to put him in pants all night!! How do you know when?

Rubes, with the pants you just have to bite the bullet I think. M nowhere near that yet alas. With the girls, I just waited til they had been dry for about 10 days in the morning then went for it. The odd miss, but generally OK.

Thanks for MIL advice. If I could invite her and still do my own thing I would but that's out of the question. It will mean a formal supper, discussing the telegraph crossword and sudoku and generally being a waiter. Exhausting.

40th - definitely get people to pay for themselves. Otherwise skintdom lies.

Happy birthday WG XXX

Hello my beautifuls! (This is what I call the DDs so you should all be honoured I have so missed coming on here over Christmas but DD1's pox and the general hecticness of the arrangements have thwarted me. She really has had a bad dose (so glad DD1 has some relief now, WG. Super to see you on here and special 40th wishes. I dreaded mine but the year really perked up since I turned 40). Anyway, they were in her ears, under her eyelids, and between her legs. The fanjo ones were shocking and gave her so much grief - so many, and right inside She looked like a bad case of syphilis. She's been so miserable, but really turned a corner yest so that's great. D remains spotless. Unbe-hucking-lievable.

FIL came over on Christmas Day which was lovely as always, and DP had to make a sort of beef stew for them with sage sauted potatoes, cos it all had to be hob-based. We went to my Mum's for Boxing Day lunch - all too brief - and have been at MIL's ever since. Which has been a little fraught. DP's sister and her fam were over from Bermuda (renting a cottage locally to MIL's) but we haven't seen them as they've all got (proper) 'flu. So we've been under house arrest at MIL's On the subject of gifts, DP was genuinely upset at his Mum's effort for him: reduced price socks, a bar of choc and a pin on, patterned bowtie. He never wears a bowtie (except to black tie events which is practically never) and certainly not a monstrosity like that.

RT, we'd still love to take you up on your week's house sit offer - thanks so much.

Ooh, biggo thanks to my Secret Santa: book looks totally brilliant, Baileys glass has already been (over)used and the choc was stolen by DP!

Sorry for lack of personals but this is on my phone and I really need to get back downstairs...

Happy 40th WG! Sorry your girls can't join your family party. Have they both got pox now? Have a great party tonight.

Sybs - what have you decided to do re NYE. I think I'd invite MiL but say something like "we would live your company but we aren't doing a big dinner, just a tv take away and some games, we would love you to join in." Would that really not work?

Rubes - sorry your family are driving you nuts at times. Your 40th plans sound great but are you sure you really want them all there if they are so unhelpful etc? If you really want them there then could you explain how much it would mean to you if they made the effort?

Kayz - thank God you have found DD2 a spouse. Can they marry soon as I think it may be time for her to move out?

A few FiL gems for you all (although on the whole both PiLs were great over Christmas):

1. FiL gets a pulse monitor watch as a present. This is inspired as he loves showing off that his resting pulse is under 50. He thinks this proves he is the fittest in the family (we will politely nut mention the angioplasty he needed over the summer). He insists on me wearing the watch. I try and refuse and give him the satisfaction of admitting my pulse will be much faster than his. He says "yes but that is because of your sedantry lifestyle and size." thanks FiL.

1. DD2 crying in pain due to overweight chocolate on Xmas day. On boxing day I tell PiLs not to hive her anymore. FiL hides with her in the utility room and I hear him whispering "we can have 5 celebrations each and you just don't tell your silly mummy". Thanks FiL.

1. We sit down for Christmas lunch. FiL carving turkey and relating what a great cook he is, he muses that he has slaved all day over the meal. We keep quiet despite the fact he only prepared the turkey. MiL did all five veg, bread sauce, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets etc. I did chocolate log, pomegranate pavlova and homemade fudge. At end of meal FiL thanks neither of us and announces he deserves a nap after all that effort. We wash-up.

Bollocks, shit, arse....think DD has the bastard pox. That's new year with my sister ruined as her DS hasn't had it and has GCSE exams in January.

I fecking hate Chicken Pox!!

Sorry for that outburst!! I should have realised she wouldn't escape. Its also exactly 2 weeks since DS started with spots. I am just hoping and praying she gets a milder dose than DS. His scabs still look truly hideous and I think that scares DD the most. Poor thing.

ladyt I am so glad o is on the mend. Poor girls had a horrendous dose, and wg how are your girls today? Oh nearly forgot HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you still manage some fun without the girls the afternoon.

Righto, like jam I need to start putting presents away. I actually thinkwe need to move and buy a bigger house

Oh DB, that is such a shame If DD2 develops spots in the next day or two we will be in the same boat as we are due to attend a party in London with people who've not had it.

Arti, your FIL takes the cake. Good grief!

Sybs, I think I would prob ask MIL as I don't cope well with guilt. However, I do think you've actually done your bit by having her over Christmas - OR do as Arti says.

Rubes - Thailand sounds good - less of a journey for your fam but also a big treat. Have you been out and about much? New Year plans? Remind me when your folks go back.

Oh-oh, being summoned...

Happy birthday, WG!

Sorry to hear about all the pox. I hope the patients recover quickly/don't suffer too much.

Families [groan]. My mother in my case. Fortunately, my MIL is lovely .

We are supposed to be moving to our new house over the weekend but DH has just revealed that he hasn't booked/picked up a van and has a feeling that most places are closed on Saturday. Hopefully, it'll still work out!

DD hugged most of the house goodbye before she went to bed [gulp]. We are doing the right thing aren't we? ...

Nolda, on these occasions it's best not to think too deeply cos it's done now. On with the new! I must say I find it hard to embrace change (like many humans I guess) but doing so is positive and rejuvenating.

Usually, at this time of year (probably brought on by too much booze) I tend to reflect in a gloomy way about all that I haven't managed to achieve in the year gone by. I don't feel like that for the first year in a long time. Not because I have done anything major, but because of a series of small things: lost a bit of weight, made some local friends, travelled despite having no cash, rented out two properties, started learning a new language, sold a lot of crap on Ebay...I even drink less and read more. I am only making one resolution though. It's very tame. I want to read more history. There are loads of periods of history about which I'd like to know much more, so...that's it. Not very rock 'n' roll, I know.

Obviously I need to write more and lose more weight, but those are a given And I am doing that anyway.

Will I have another baby in 2013? New deadline for decision is the spring

Sorry to hear about your DD and the pox Deidre. Its hateful illness, I am thinking of getting DC3 vaccinated as the DDs had it so bad and are both scarred.

Nolda, good luck with the move. As Lady says change is always scary and I find I regret moving for the first month or so and then the new place finally starts to feel like home.

Lady, it's lovely to hear you so content. it sounds like 2012 was a satisfying year. I'm on tenterhooks for your DC3 decision. Is your DP still v keen?

48 hours until my 20 week scan. I'm so scared because if our initial dire Downs screening result which could also have indicate cardiac abnormalities. Can the basket send white light at 9.30am on NYE?

You want to be careful about decision making in Spring. That's how you end up with more than one Christmas baby .

[Fgrin] Indith, I know. I rather like a baby late in the year.

Arti - will be whitelighting you on NYE but I have total faith in the Fetal Medicine Centre's tests I really really do. So hopefully it will end up being a scan you can enjoy.

Re: decision, DP adores babies but is concerned.that a third might rock the boat with our two, or that we might get a particularly disruptive one, and is a little less than keen about another child in our bedroom (DD2 has to go in the NY - she's quiet as a mouse in the night and doesn't wake early, but enough is prob enough). However - he'd still go for it. Oh - he is also worried about potential abnormalities cos I'm old. I'm less worried about that (maybe foolishly) and more worried about whether I could give my existing two the sort of time I give them now (I already feel spread a bit thin some days) and, more shallowly, the sleepless nights and getting fat again. I know it shouldn't bother me so much but it does. ANYWAY, the whole thing is conditional on whether we can refinance because if we can't, the whole thing's not a goer.

I suppose that I just have this very strong feeling that not only do I want a baby but I want another person in my family. But strong as this feeling is, there are other considerations as above so I will continue arguing with myself every single day until the final decision has to be made.

We leave here and go to my sister's tonight for a party. Yay. And Mum will be there - double yay! And then home for two days to regroup and drink nothing stronger than soup.

Hello all,

Happy birthday to all I've missed. Hope your party was great wg.

Gee whizz, poor babies with pox. It sounds horrendous.

Thanks so such to my ss. I'm looking forward to settling down for my perfect night in!

So DD defo has the pox. She's very weary, spots not so bad at the moment. But that means nothing. I guess tomorrow and Monday will see the worst of them if DS was anything to go by. Our New Year festivities with my sister are cancelled. I feel like I am going crazy...I seem to have been sat in the house on this sofa for weeks now!

arti Will most definately be thinking of you on NYE, I am sure the FMC results are right and you can really enjoy seeing the baby at his scan. Remind us, are you going to find out the sex (or do you know already)?

Nolda I hope the move goes well.

I need a drink....in fact I have drunk way too much this Christmas! New Year needs to start with a mahoosive detox.

Oops, had to rush off mid-post as DH was bathing the girls when dd2 pooed in the bath! Not fun for dd1!

Back later when girls are sleeping.

Where is everyone? Happy New Year, my lovely friends! Love to you all X

25 minutes 'til my scan. Please send that White light ladies, I'm really scared.

I am here Arti and am thinking of you. Holding your hand. You are in the best place and can trust the Drs there. Take care and much love

Good Luck Arti.

Thinking of you Arti. xx

Lots of love Arti. Good luck xxx

Hello Arti, I'm here, you must be in there now, lots of white light.

Happy new year ladies. Have been lurking but busy unpacking and clearing up after ski trip. DH is in NYC with his family. I messed up the time difference this morning and rang him when it was about 3 in the morning. Oops he is sharing a room with his brothers. Hehe. Oh well serves him right for leaving me at new years.

Rubes we took Ds1 s night pull ups off when he was only wetting twice a week and got robust waterproof covers from Ikea. A friend does a great thing were she puts two sets of sheets & waterproofs on the kids beds. Then in they wet in the night she just removes the top layer of sheet & waterproof and there is a dry sheet set underneath. Genius I thought. DS2 refused to wear pull ups at all but generally if we get him up for a wee at 10pm he is fine for the night. The only time he wets is if he is so tired he doesn't wake to get up to wee at 7.

Love to you Arti! Hope you're having a nice celebratory coffee somewhere now.

And relax... Such a reassuring scan. FMC spent 45 mins carefully scanning. All looked really normal. Lovely doc said to totally trust the DNA test and remember there were no soft markers at all and therefore to just forget Downs risk. I feel so much better. Got amazing photo of the willy so off to tell the girls they will have a brother.

Thank you for all the White light and hand holding.

Yay brilliant news!! And a boy woohoo.