December 2011 - they'll soon be one, put away the <haddocks> and bring out the bunting!

[seven77]

I loved kate's thread name but thought we needed a birthday theme for this one. We'll soon have 6 weeks of birthdays to celebrate!

Good morning and belated Merry Xmas and Happy Boxing Day

I am up at this horrific hour (and have been for a while) as I am helping other people cope with their overindulgence...ahem. The child is at his other grandparents. I am using this time to catch up, and to clear up the kitchen- my Xmas present to myself was not having to sort out the bombsite cleaning and clearing post Xmas meal on the day!

DS has been given a ridiculous amount for his birthday and Xmas: I feel somewhere between sensible and stingy for not getting him an Xmas present, but he has had a huge amount and we need to buy a new car seat for him, so better spend the money on that.

Poor thing's got some sort of eye infection, so is having drops. He has knackered out all who come into contact with him- my Mum needed a lie down after he'd left and she doesn't even get involved with the physical wrangling of him!
And snap figgy, he wouldn't go down for his nap so ended up passing out on the changing mat and sleeping there for an hour !

Hope you're feeling a bit better MissRee?

And glad to hear another DC does the only-having-milk-in-bottles thingy, thanks GBT.

But most of all, welcome back Plu, SO pleased to see you! That sounds horrendous re. H, how did it not get diagnosed before? And hope the kidney damage isn't too bad?

Will get back to the bloody kitchen now and test out how hardcore the top setting on the dishwasher actually is.....

Welcome back Plu!
Another here that refused sleep during the day - he had 15 mins before 1pm, but that was it. We got him home at 8:30pm and he settled down then, but as has become customary, he woke a few hours later, screaming and inconsolable. He has a horrid cough ( just like mine, so I guess he has a sore throat too), and still got conjunctivitis.
How come you have drops, northern? The b'stards wouldn't even see us!

That sounds v miserable, but no, we had a fab day. He was spoilt by everyone. Loads of prezzies. most were fabulous, but some are just horrendous tat. A particularly nasty elephant popping ball thing from the SIL -which i can't see the point of.
We got quite a few percussion-type sets. So we will be a musical family!
My aunt surprised us too. In league with my parents, they kidnapped my BOi and my sister's son (the beautiful, long, lean, raven-haired, olive skinned, freckly, green-eyed Jordan -aged 13), and whisked them away to a photographer's studio.
I have a gorgeous mounted print of my BOi, and a huge mounted print of the 2 boys together. Me n my sis were both almost in tears. She could not believe that Jordan had kept it a secret. I am also astonished that BOi has been soooooo deceptive and that Santa still came.
DH is doing breakfast, I'm supposed to be having an extra hour in bed. But I banned phones for the Xmas hols, saying we need to devote more time to us... I'll go and join them. Enjoy the holidays! Xxxx

Welcome back Plu.

We were all very spoilt yesterday. Just a shame I had a bad back ache and Sky was poorly. However, am feeling better today and Sky is perkier but has conjunctivitis and can't get a script till tomorrow to sort it out.

I can have a few drinks today as couldn't due to my painkillers yesterday.

Next sale was disappointing this morning tho!

Merry Christmas everyone.

The whole world is on sale 365 days a year at the moment, so you won't find me at the January jumble sales. I hate 'em. I hate the messy shops, and everything piled high. Hate 'em!

We kinda cheated Oi; DP's Dad was a GP (retired a year or so ago) so sent DP out to the chemist to buy whatever it was. God knows if it would generally be used for babies, but we obviously trust his judgement!

Today has been scuppered; we were meant to be going to the PILs, but as Mum's foot has been knackered by a series of events, she can't walk, so we've had to cancel. DP is coming over for a bit with the boy, so we'll probably wheel him and Mum out.

Off to dose myself up with painkillers before my darling lumplet arrives

Welcome back plu.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas, sorry to hear conjunctivitis is doing the rounds.

Christmas was ok, my parents took over with DS as usual. I felt very sorry for DH, DS hasn't wanted him much lately, we got him a mechano set for Christmas which he started building yesterday morning with DH. They stopped to open more presents and DH promised to finish it with him in the afternoon. DS got down from the table before we'd all finished, DH was dishing up pudding, I went in the front room to find my dad finishing the mechano with him. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal but DH works long hours and doesn't spend as much time with DS as he'd like, and had an awful relationship with his own dad, he wants to be the one doing these things with DS. Plus my dad wanted a son and never played with me as a kid, I get the feeling he wants DS to be the son he never had.

Sorry I'm feeling really miserable today, DH is back at work already and I keep feeling really dizzy. Can't even have a :(

Very quick post to say belated Happy Christmas to everybody! We are eating far too much, not sleeping enough and having lots of fun. Exhausted though and looking forward to being back at home just the 4 of us! Welcome back plu! X

Hiya plu

bailed early from my Dad's as both girls exhausted from two days of "partying"(DD2's still a bit under par) and we still have MIL to visit tomorrow. We need another holiday!

Hope everyone's doing OK.... (hope you feel better seven, tell your DH what a great Dad he is. Even if he knows already, a little reminder may take the edge off the PIL's behaviour a bit.)

Welcome back plu, it's good to see you!

Another one whose DS hasn't wanted to have daytime naps over the last couple of days. We ended up chucking him in the buggy yesterday, pushing him round the village until he went off to sleep, and then parking him outside the patio doors all snuggled up when we got back. Relative peace and quiet this evening, back to just us and FIL here. Then tomorrow it's going to get really chaotic

Oi DD was given the elephant ball popping thing by my SIL last Christmas. She seems to have the knack of buying the loudest and / or most irritating things she can find, such as the giant stuffed elephant bigger than DD which is too big to play with and just gathers dust. I have taken my revenge this Christmas when choosing presents for her two sons

To be fair, we haven't even got batteries for it yet to find out what it does, it just looks pointless (as well as big and ugly). One niece bought BOi an inflatable race car/ ball pit/swimming pool. This is a surprisingly good present, and one of my favourites. (Very comfy indeed!)
BOi didn't nap yesterday, so flaked out at 6:45pm. He had his bottle as a dream feed.
He woke up at 2:30am wanting to play. We brought him in with us after the initial battle, but eventually DH took him back to his room so I could sleep. I don't know how they got on. (I have a really awful cough/cold).
Ah. I've just heard them upstairs, they must've bypassed the nursery. Oh dear. Poor DH.

Hey seven, how're you feeling today, has the low mood passed? Those sort of family dynamic things can be so intense and yet so hard to describe. Hope you and your DH are feeling a bit better.

And hope Kate and aethel and the various DCs cope with more family party stuff today!

We've got a couple of nice, sociable days- friends dropping in, or going out for lunch, and generally showing off DS to people who haven't met him yet/recently.

On the down side, DP texted last night to say that DS's ear had gone again (no.5 for righty) so off to the ooh doc's they went. The referral to the ENT can't come soon enough

On the upside, DS randomnly kneeled up yesterday and gave me a peck on the check! He followed it up with one of his open mouthed, 'how much saliva can I dribble on you' kisses, but I got my first real kiss !

Aw feeling awful today last night round at friends drank far too much wine and (shame faced) blue wkds and ate party food for hours. DS got to spend time with my friends from home and then took him back to be with my mum for rest of the evening. DS woke up at 3.30 and had a massive screaming session for half an hour which really didn't need and he needed milk to get him back down.

Feeling massively fat Today but meeting friends for lunch and then mum doing beef for dinner .

Belated happy christmas to everyone. Freya has unfortunately been ill for most of it, with yet another virus, high temp, crying in pain type thing. She seems to be ok in the day (if not on great form) but by evening she has been very difficult to settle and has slept in bed with me or DH for the last 3 nights, with not a lot of sleep all round and lots of calpol.

We had a nice weekend with DH s family and then my family when F seemed well. But from Christmas eve she has been increasingly poorly. The inlaws were her christmas day and boxing day so we had enough adults to cuddle her and help entertain DS , who has had a lovely time. Despite F we had a pretty good time overall. We too have the elephant popping thing oi and it is quite a hit with F and with DS! Along with a very tacky piano thing for F which she has been singing into the microphone of quite sweetly.

We bought her a doll. We thought she might be a bit young but it is a long time until she gets more presents for birthdays etc . She took to it straight away.

We were meant to have a friend coming over today but cancelled it to give F some time (and us!) to recover. We are meant to have friends with children coming for new year but think we will have to wait and see on that one. Nothing planned today now or tomorrow but off to the pantomine on Saturday.

Welcome back plu though sorry to hear of all the illness. northern sorry to hear about the ear infections. DS used to get loads. He was down for grommets at 10 months. We felt it was a bit young but when we moved here it took ages to get ENT to act and he only had grommets fitted recently (at 4 years) but his ear infections did lessen but he was left with glue ear, which has affected his speech and hearing so do push for that referral.

Gosh epic post but just wanted to add that DH and I have both been making an effort and though things are not amazing they are better than they were.

Thanks northern. I was looking forward to just a quiet day at home with the DCs today after the madness of Christmas. Instead I've had my mum phone up twice nagging me that she wants DS to go round hers to play with my nephew, who when he came yesterday had bought his x box and spent all afternoon glued to it whilst ignoring DS, he's also 4 . Plus MIL turned up as she forgot DH is at work and sat here for over 2 hours.

jiggle sorry to hear F has been poorly, glad things are slowly improving with DH :)

Anyone seen LMF? Hope she's ok.

I say nothing about LMF's Okayness, but she's posting on The Other Site and seems to be pretty coherent...I'm taking it that is a good thing :)

I'm sure someone, sometime will invent a Christmas Banish the MIL charmed cracker seven. they will make an absolute fortune....

LMF seems to be ok according to FB.

Am enjoying my first glass of wine over Xmas. Sky is in bed already and Darcie has just finished her tea and is munching on some chocolate.

We are watching the documentary about the Military wives. Brings tears to my eyes thinking I was listening to this when my baby was born and in SCBU.

Any sign of AF yet DSM?

Just found out my friends very shy and quiet sister who has never had a BF is pregnant by a sperm donor, she announced it after a scan today!

Seven, AF started Xmas day.

3rdnight in a row we have had a 2hr+ scream fear at bedtime am in utter shock as this has never happened before I don't like him being 1

Scream fest even.....bloody iPhones

Can't believe how ill everyone is! Could it be these crazy swings in weather? It was so cold in mid-December (we had no heating - hahaha) and now it's so mild! Well,there was the crazy rain, as well.

Kate, we had to promise Father Christmas wouldn't come in here, either

Hi all hmm stressful enough festive period it seems. Boo. We had a nice time. Minimopsy is properly toddling now and I had no rest at my parents house which is completely unbabyproofed and wooden or tiled floors throughout. Minimopsy straight into everything dangerous. It meant constant vigilance. But was lovely to see everyone. Today spent 12 hrs straight travelling to get to MILs (boat and motorway, boat was grand, motorway hellish queues) but we are here at last and minim is asleep. Bed for me! Hope all poorly babas better soon.

Figgy, we've had unexplainable nighttime screamfests here for the last week too. But, drum roll and festive tinselly Pom poms please, because last night he slept through!!
He did. All by himself.
(LMF - why don't you like Christmas? You HAVE to like Christmas. You are not allowed to link one bad event that happened once to a particular time of year. Bad stuff happens all the time, don't tag 'em to particular dates. Whereas magical stuff always happens on 25th December, guaranteed, every year, even when shit happens too. Gotta love it. Eat the cheese, crack the nuts, eat Matchmakers, snuggle up and watch the crappest TV movies ever made. Embrace the cheese. Magical. ((Hugs))

I posted the other day... The internees munched it

Christmas and I are not as bad as we used to be Oi! Its not something I can pin on one event, just a general mood dip and several shitty christmases. Annual aversion therapy is working slowly! One day I may even look forward to it

We had a quiet Christmas. Squidge was violently ill on Christmas night, but is over it now. Was very impressed that he had the presence of mind to hang her head over the edge of her high sleeper to spew though. Much easier to clean the floor than a five foot high mattress!

Her favourite new thing is a satchel, Boo is wallowing in playmobil heaven and Octoboy has nicked a wooden spoon and spending a lot of time shouting at the Christmas tree:o

We're off out to the big fish tank today, we won a family ticket before Christmas so it's a free day out!

Hope all the lurgies are on their way to pastures new:)

Belated Happy Christmas everyone

DS had a lovely birthday and Christmas and has been spoilt rotten! He took quite a while to settle down to sleep at night on both days - massive overstimulation I think, and has a horrible snotty nose, but he's been very good.

I've packed away the bottles and he's not drinking milk at bed time, but I'm giving him a third of a sippy cup of milk after each meal and he's drinking that. I give him water during the meal, then when he's finished pour the milk in. So lovely not having to sterilise and boil the kettle and make up formula!

We haven't played with all of his toys yet, but favourites so far are the ball pit, the ride on, stacking cups, toy cars and board books.

DH is going to look after DS this afternoon and DM and I are going to brave the shops and get the party bags and check out the sales. DS and his friend are having their joint party tomorrow, so that should be fun.