July 2005 babies crawl into Spring

[merryberry]

Welcome, welcome!

Well done MB, what a relief that must be .

OMG Belo, that sounds like a nightmare. I quite fancy having a conservatory put up here but even the mess of that and having to redo the garden puts me off.

ds2 is supposed to have his 8 month check today but I'm not going because I can't get anyone to look after ds1 and dd while I'm out and I can remember dd's check where I took ds1, and she spent all her time looking at him and not showing the HV all her party tricks etc etc.

I have had to put up our travel cot as a makeshift play pen for ds2 as he keeps making a beeline for dh's beloved imac and all the related cables. He is remarkably happy to be in it for some strange reason - probably just happy to have his own space away from all the chaos .

Hub, I suggest that you pack some wellies and a sou'wester for your trip up north - it is very wet here today, have had to ban kids from the garden as the lawn is like a mud bath .

I've had to cancel DD's 8 month check as it was supposed to take place at home and I fear they would put my children into care if they saw the state of the house . I've also had to cancel her latest audiology appmt as I had to stay and talk to the builders.

Belo, you have my sympathy! For me the day they knocked the walls down was the noisiest and dustiest. Plasterers are inherently messy and sloppy, a bit like toddlers, so hopefully your building site will improve once they are out of the way!

Port Sunlight is on our list of possible things to do over the bank holiday weekend, so we may be there the same day as you. Do you fancy making a tentative meeting-up plan or will you be too pushed for time?

Taht sounds like a good idea MrsD. Can you CAT me your number?

My SIL is on about going to some waterworld thing. Do you know what shes on about? You don't go in the water, you just look at it. Sounds strange. She said that she's been assured by her manicurist (!) that a 9 month old will love it!

Saw a funny thing on gmtv yesterday - some kind of stretchy polytunnel you run through your house to the rooms builders are working in/between. i thought of you lot!

There is a waterworld near me Belo but I think that is a swimming pool type of thing so probably not the same one. There is a sea life place next to Cheshire Oaks - could that be it? (I can't remember its name off the top of my head). If that is the one then we have been there loads and it is a very good place to take small babies - ds1 and dd have both loved it .

SIL said we don't need swimming costumes... I don't think it's the Blue Planet (by Cheshire Oaks) 'cos we've talked about going there before.... I will report back after I've been and let you know if this mystery place is worth going to.

Yes, Blue Planet, that's it. Yes do report back - I can't think of where else it might be.

The skanky maggot! That was what it was called - that tube for the builders to move around your house in. Funny what pops into your head at 1am when feeding...

Am very impressed with everyone's easter plans. We're being lazy. I actually have a proper day off - dad is taking ds to grand[parents on satrday and i plan to lie in bed/sofa and do nothing for the first time in 9 months. Anyone care to join me? I promise not to do anything more complicated than reach for a book or the remote.

LOL MB! I am very of your day off, although at the moment the children are being fairly good and playing in their bedrooms (apart from ds2 who is in bed sort of asleep and keeps waking up and wailing and then going back to sleep). Had an apalling night here last night. 3am start and very hot baby with even hotter cheeks . Need to go for a shower now and wake up a bit.

DS2 has just jumped all over the newly-laid screed in our kitchen, which the builders laid today so that I would have the washing machine over the bank holiday. The floor is covered in footprints and DS2 is in his bedroom in disgrace

No, posting that hasn't calmed me down. I am literally shaking with rage!

Bet Hub, Bagpuss and Belo are SO looking forward to seeing Mrs "Incredible Hulk" Darcy now!

Hello all, been awhile since I posted and I have rather a few messages to catch up on. Have had a bit of a time of it recently. Holidays started off OK but all going a bit pear shaped now. ds1 been rather difficult with meltdowns, he had the worst one since he was aged about 3 today. We were out with friends and I had to shut him in the car screaming for 1/2 an hour. :( A lot of it is exacerbated by the fact he's not well with a sore ear, but not really ill enough to stay in bed. ds2 has been a bit off colour too and I hardly gave him solids for 5 days. I thought teeth but no signs and am uncertain about this anyway as my other two never had any teething problems at all. He is fine now though and still gummy as ever!

dd has been OK fortunately and is looking forward to her birthday which falls on Easter Day this year which is rather special :) My 'baby' will be 4! We are all going out on a Thomas the Tank Engine steam train event. Couldn't be bothered organising a party this year and she's happy with that. Having a small family gathering on Monday.

Must check on the ds's as they are both sleeping in the car and dd wants me to help with some stickers... no rest .... will catch up later.

Hi all, Well, today we spent about 8 hours driving from Liverpool home to North London. Grrrrrrrr. Motorways somewhat buggered as was the North Circular.

I was mightily miffed not to be able to meet up with you, mrsd (our ride claimed they needed to leave early and in the end faffed around for an unacceptable amount of time), but hope we can make something happen at some point in the future.

For anyone going to Liverpool, the Hope Street Hotel is really very nice indeed. Recommended. Thanks again mrsd for the suggestion.

Hope everyone's builders are behaving and not pishing into milk bottles to leave under your floorboards...

Tomorrow I am picking up our new car from the garage (we had it a week and the suspension started clonking). I do hope she's not a lemon ! (She's not new new... year 2000, 75K on clock, Merc E class estate), so I hope to be able to go for a spin and hear nothing but over-engineered German silence. merryberry has seen her and was polite enough not to comment on her appearance, LOL...

(Has Cassie started yet, mb ?)

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter / Passover...

Woohoo, the builders have gone. There are no floorboards but maybe they've left fishheads in the pipes. There are various bits and pieces for them to finish off (and lots of crap to take away if they want their money!!) but most of the demolition, building and plastering are done. Just another month until I have a kitchen again!

Poor DD is having the most horrible time with her teeth and was up quite a bit in the night. She's got the works - bright red cheeks, temperature, drooling, grizzling.....

Never mind Hub, I will track you down another day . So glad the hotel worked out.

Eulalia, very for you about your DS1's meltdowns. That must be very difficult for you to cope with.

Blimey Mrsd, that was quick! Bet you are glad that's over now though. ds2 has been exactly the same as your dd earlier on in the week but last night was more or less back to normal thankfully.

Hub, sorry your meet up didn't go as planned - as it happens I could have met up too as dh was off work yesterday. It rather took me by surprise as I forgot that Easter was this weekend - really must get myself a diary. Car sounds nice btw. dh would rather like a merc but I am trying to get him to buy a people carrier next as I think it might be better for us.

We ended up in Manchester yesterday and took all three children for a chinese meal which was somewhat ambitious. ds2 was really good though and was quite content to sit and watch everything.

Eulalia, I hope that the holiday improves for you soon and that your dd enjoys her birthday . My dd will be 4 in August and going to school in September which I think is rather scary as she is still so little - they do grow up so quickly though.

ds2 now has 5 teeth and is sliding on his tummy all over the floors really quickly. It is really funny to see and he looks so pleased with himself too .

Mrs D - great news that everything is getting back to normal. Hope your dd gets better soon - have any teeth popped through yet?

MB - glad that you found a Nanny at last.

Bagpuss - 5 teeth already - wow! Your dd starts at age 4? That's early.... is it different in England? My dd won't start till the following year - here the cut off date is end Feb so you can go when you are 4.5 but no younger.

Well things are a lot better here. ds is much better physically so feeling better in other ways too. Looking back we kind of rushed him (we were in the park and it was freezing so decided to leave quickly) He hates being rushed and wants to do this sort of 'replaying the tape', ie go back and do everythign again and I offered to walk back to the car with him but he wanted everyone to go ie my friend and her two kids, her nephew and another little girl oh yes and my dd and ds2 in pram.... so you can see it was kind of difficult on this occasion! Anyway had a nice day out together and looking forward to tomorrow!

That should say we had a nice day out together yesterday, we went to a rare breeds farm. Must go and check on the birthday cake now. Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow. :)

Maybe we should all try and do something centralish in the Summer, Bagpuss, after their first birthdays ? For everyone on the thread... that might be fun. And noisy.

Glad everyone enjoyed the rare breeds farm, E ! Those big hairy cattle are fab, aren't they !

You steer clear, mrsd with your Scouser threats...

We've had the most lovely Easter lunch at a brilliant Italian restaurant. One of the plusses of having no kitchen is that we eat out all the time . It started off SO badly, with the boys misbehaving and DD screaming and flailing but by the end DH was mellowed out on grappa, the boys sated with lovely food and DD wore herself out.

Poor DD is still suffering though. She has a horrible ulcer on the tip of her tongue which looks very painful. I think roaming the streets for the last month has taken its toll. She had a great time at the restaurant slurping on lovely fresh veggies and getting lots of olive oil on her poor dry skin.

Happy Easter everyone.

We all had a lovely birthday / Easter - bit too much it really being both on the one day as the kids were bombarded with cake and eggs. dd was so sweet - she looked such an angel in her birthday dress and took such a delight in everything. 4 is a lovely age :)

Mrs D - how's your dd now?

Can I ask everyone if, and where they have invested their Child Trust Fund voucher. Still not done ours yet. My mother is giving me £100 to put in it and keeps nagging me about it. I don't want exact details of course - just if you've put it in a bank or share/investment type thingies, or something like the post office etc.

Hi Eulalia. She's much better today, thanks. DD, DH and I are all out in the garden together and she's in much better spirits.

I'm ashamed to say that I haven't done anything with DD's voucher yet. When we do invest it, I'm not planning on supplementing it as I don't want her to have the option of blowing it all on a brown mini with crap brakes when she is 18 . I'd prefer any investments we make for the children to be under our control for a bit longer.

i sent dd's ctf voucher off last week :o. we went for shares, with foreign & colonial. no supplements, but both children have savings accounts (opened & maintained by grandparents).

dd is a super-speedy crawler now, it's a bit scary. she is so pleased with herself, none of us are safe (including the cat). she is particularly happy that she can get to me wherever i am, including the shower..... still can't deal with steps. yet. she's beginning to pull herself up as well.

we had a lovely easter, went to stay with my parents in york for a few days. the children are back at nursery tomorrow, & i'm hoping dd will be happier now she can move. i'm picking up tomorrow so that's a shorter day for her.

we've still not done the ctf. no, i mean i've still not done the ctf. the ones listed as ethical investments aren't - and that's all i want ds to leanr of importance from the exercise. any one got any leads to one?

our easter was ok til sunday when ds got a temp, cold symptoms etc. still just getting over it. has his 9 month check today, seems well enough to go.

he therefore had to deal with new nanny and first real dose of seperation anxiety while under the weather. poor him, poor her. i thought i was doing ok but when i made it to the gym last night i realsied i was rock solid with tension! the gym thing i do is called curves - an american franchise. three x 30 minutes of very taregeted resistance and joggin basically. shaping me up no end and i do recommend++ if one opens near you.

nanny is great. glad i have loads of staff at work, as if she was my onlyever employee i bet i would feel wierder than i do already. it is odd to have a stranger, however lovely, getting so intimate with your household but being used to being the boss keeps my head clearish about it.

on the seperation anciety front, how are yours doing? does this sound par for the course - howling when i leave the room when with dad or nanny about half the time. disturbed nights - he's now started crying as he goes back down after a feed or a wake and soothe. takes up to 10 minutes to settle himself now where before he used to drop off straight away. i will give a long haired rare breed cow to the first one to reassure me its just a phase...:)

sorry to witter on so. i hope the house is coming togethyer now mrsd. how is nursery for dd HC?

i meant to ask mrsD - did you have a brown mini with crap brakse at that age then? your fear is so specific...mine is that ds would pish it up against the wall, reflecting what i was doing at 18.

nah, no brown mini for me. I was just being facaetious. I do get scared of dizzy teenagers behind wheels, though, so I guess that's why it was my first thought.

Good luck with the nanny and the body of steel project, MB. I am still very squidgy and there are no gyms round here with creches. There's always walking I suppose.

I had a definite moment yesterday of major broodiness . I'm sure it won't last though.

I reckons the crying is just a phase, MB. I'll CAT you my address so you can send me the cow

When are you back at work?