Still brooking no argument whatsoever that these babies are happy, healthy and awesome for 2013 too.

[jaggythistle]

eh. attempt at new thread. yo.

Still no teeth here either Pet
Are you looking forward to going back to work? There's a teeny bit of me that's a bit of those with jobs to go back to. Over 4 years of not working and the novelty may be just starting to wear off . Never thought I'd say that!

No teeth for b, 2 for S. Still no crawling. Loads of howling though, nowt wrong with their lungs :)

Has S struggled with teething, Dream ? I love that your boys are so different in personality and development. Must be fascinating when you aren't too knackered to enjoy it

Scarlet hurrah for the gummy grin club! :) I'm not looking forward to going back. DS is still a baby and seems too young to leave, especially since I'm still bfing. And although there are bits of the job I like (like being in the classroom with lovely young people) there is a lot I could do without (badly behaved kids, poor management, marking, having to get up early etc). I'll just have to see how it goes. Obviously I do find DS hard work at times so maybe it will be nice to do something different. But I doubt it.

Scream ((hugs)). And as you were. :)

Hiiii all!

scarlet, I know what you mean (a little bit!) of the being a bit . And that's only with the one DC to look after, let alone two! Don't get me wrong, I love looking after DD, and I'm forever grateful to my DH that he both wants me to and money wise allows me to - but I adore working, and I do miss it sometimes (even though I am working evenings..).

Pet, eek, good luck with going back to work! Although DS seems little, I'm sure you'l enjoy bits like being able to go to the loo on your own etc!

Dream, hope you're doing alright - how are things sleep wise? Sorry the boys are crying lots... maybe once they're moving a bit more they'll be happier?

Stacks hope you actually get to massage T during one of the classes! I only got to do Iz during one or two classes out of six - the rest of them she was teething (at about 2 months!) and was inconsolable, poor thing!

Not much to report here. Calming down after a stressful weekend trying to complete four projects (three done, one extended, phew!). Have been struck down with tonsillitis though - or at least, what has been diagnosed as tonsillitis. The shivers/hot flushes and sweats, all over aching etc makes me worry it could be something worse, but we'll see what happens. Luckily Iz hasn't caught anything as of yet- doubly lucky as DH seems to be coming down with it too!

Still only two teeth here. She's been teething-again- for ages, but they haven't appeared yet!

Looking forward to the imminent triple whammy sneezes - exciting!

Hope you're doing ok Scream.

it's vair quiet in here...where is everyone? Are you off doing exciting real life things?

It's busier on the ante natal thread :)

We have 5 teeth here with a sixth on the way. The ratbag still sleeps in the bed with me as we can't get her in her cot without a major screaming session. When it is approaching midnight and she still hasn't gone to sleep I just give up and bring her in with me when she then falls asleep within a minute

Crawling going well here, she can move very fast when she wants to so the travel cot is now in the front room so I can put her in there when I need a wee.

Wow Rubber impressive tooth-growing there! Does she sleep well once she's in with you? I wouldn't mind DS being in our bed, it's the hourly latching on that bloody annoys wakes me up.

Hoping to try some sort of gradual withdrawal sleep training next week (half term) before I'm back teaching. Handover day at work tomorrow - eek!

Musical your illness sounds horrid. :( No brooking that it buggers orf pronto and doesn't infect DH or Iz.

Hello Ninja! what are you up to?

She will wake 1 or 2 times but that is generally it. I'm normally up for a wee at some stage so she wakes up then, has boob and goes back to sleep

too that sounds like progress already. From what you describe there I can see why he gets depressed, thats a huge lot of things to deal with. I really hope it continues on such a positive note. How are you doing scarlet?
No teeth here yet but I can feel a huge bump on the bottom so hopefully they'll pop through soon.
Hope you get more sleep soon pet. Both of mine are pretty good sleepers unless ill hence why I often don't join in the sleep chat. Not sure if thats because they were both ff from about 5 weeks or just their natural habits, both gave up night feeds by themselves early. Working on self settling is stressful though, no matter how you do it. I think you need to find your inner zen calm and know it will take time. I guess the fact that bf is associated with comfort, warmth and smell as well as food probably makes it harder for little ones to get back to sleep without it and more reluctant to give it up.
I've got a mega snotty coughing velcro baby here today. Can't see me getting much done. And my pushchair has a puncture which i really must fix. I'm so glad its half term next week, I need some lie ins.

I hear you on that Ninja. I never thought I'd long for school holidays but I'm so fed up with the chaos that is morning in this house. Some days DD doesn't even get to have her breakfast until after we get back from dropping off DS . And it's not even school FFS, it's just to get him to playgroup half an hour late on time.

I'm not doing too bad here thanks for asking. I took DD to her swim class this morning and the mum next to me told me her little boy still wasn't 100% after having a virus all week including puking and I managed to not leg it out of the pool. That's massive progress for me, although I am still about the fact she took him today and even more about why on earth she would tell anyone.

I hope your DH is able to ge some benefit from his sessions Too. Not sure what that 5 thing's about, maybe slightly different therapy to mine if his is for depression? My therapist is pretty sure that it's anxiety in my case, but it's the anxiety that's causing me to feel low at times rather than full on depression.

How's work gone today Pet?

I'm cooking for friends tonight and I really CBA. Been awake since 4am again because my f876ing arsehole next door neighbour who works on the roads reversed off his drive at that time with the bloody reverse alarm on his van beep beep beeping . DH has already been round once and asked him to try and remember to switch it off if he's going out before 7am. And he did for months! But the last couple of weeks he's started doing it again. I can't think that we've pissed him off so I'm fuming about it. Inconsiderate twat.

Well, work started well but ended disastrously. Since I went on mat leave they've promoted the man who was second in my department to head of department. I didn't get on with him that well before and was a bit worried about working under him. Anyway, he was friendly at first and it was lovely to see everyone again. But as the day went on I realised my workload was going to be huge because they've changed all the topics we used to teach. And frankly, not for the better. So while discussing planning with some other members of my department, I opened my big mouth and said I thought the new stuff was rubbish (it really is - you'll have to take my word for it, but I'm reasonably experienced and my teaching's been graded at outstanding twice recently so I genuinely can judge). Unfortunately this got back to the head of department, who went on the offensive and told me I was being negative and unprofessional. Well, I accepted that and apologised, but then he asked if he could help with anything and when I asked him to explain some of the planning he got really arsey and basically told me off in no uncertain language. I was quite shaken but went meekly to upload the planning onto my laptop so I could get my head around it during half term. It was the end of the day and most people had left but a member of my department came in and asked if I was ok and I'm ashamed to say I had a little cry. She was lovely and asked if she could help, and sat down to look at the plans with me. And then my head of department walked in and had a massive go at me, threatened to march me down to the assistant head's office (!) and kept interrupting me every time I spoke, refusing to let me finish a sentence. So I went straight to the head (and burst into tears again ). She seemed supportive and hopefully it will be dealt with (though he is obviously still my manager :( ) but it was a horrible end to the day and I didn't get home till 7pm!

Sorry for the epic rant. I'll post something less me me me in a mo.

Too I am that you find your work easier than looking after M. Then again, I find it hard being at home all day with DS, which is why we usually go out and meet friends :) I'm glad that going back to work has been the right thing for you and that DH is enjoying sharing responsibility for M. I hope the CBT is effective.

Ninja how's the velcro baby today? Less snotty, I hope.

Scarlet what did you cook and how did it go? did you get a lie-in this morning? for you about your neighbour. I think he needs another friendly reminder about the beeping before you smash it in yourself

Oh Pet, that's rubbish! :( It's horrible when they change things so much when you're away, and even more horrible when you then have an idiot HoD above you being really horrible :( Don't blame you for bursting into tears - I'd have done the same :(

Lots of un-MNy hugs for you :( Do you have the week ahead off then, and back the week after? How many days a week will you be working?

Hope your evening and cooking went well Scarlet. How strange about your neighbour :(

Too, your DH's CBT sounds like it's been very productive already? Fingers crossed it continues to help him! Glad M likes her toothbrush/toothpaste - Iz loves hers! I think it's her favourite part of bed time :)

Thanks for everyone's well wishes - I'm feeling a lot better now, though still nowhere near 100%. Foggy head and foggy ears are the worst bit :( DH has also come down with it. The doctor diagnosed it as tonsillitis - I never knew tonsillitis could affect you so badly as an adult! This particular bug has had us both full of aches, shivers and sweats for 5 days.. bleh. Had to cancel my teaching today as I'm not quite up to par but DH was definitely too ill to look after Iz... the one wonderful thing is she's seemed absolutely fine throughout.

Thanks Musical . Yes, I've got half term off then I'm back teaching Weds-Fri. Glad you're feeling better, but poor you and DH - it sounds like a horrible illness. :( Iz will stay well - I'm brooking no argument! :)

Rubbish pet, and I take it you have to go back? I'm applying for yet more unpaid leave, and have been told pretty much it'll be granted. So, dh is pissed off, as our nanny starts next week, but I've managed to wangle being off til April 10th, if it gets signed off when I send the form in. So losing yet more money with childcare we don't really need yet . But i can't help it. My babies are little, I can't get this time with them back, and at the end of the day, money is just money, I'm bloody knackered so the unneccessary help will be great, and I'd rather be off with them a bit longer

Also curious what you cooked scarlet? That would have driven me potty with the beeping. Where we used to live the guy who ran the chippy opposite our house used to park down the side roa by our house, and rev his beefed up car really loudly, for ages, when they shut up at 11pm every night he worked, Drove me crackers!!!!

Anyway, should go to bed as the Amazing Non Sleeping bbay's antics continue. It rally is shit he doesn't sleep for more than 2 hours still. Have left him crying to see to the other two twice recently, he escalates to completely distressed and vomiting within 5 minutes, Every time. I'm sick of scrubbing sick off the floor, out of travel cot mesh etc etc. So am relieved its yet another reason cc will not be for me :)

Dream it was when the 2-hourly wakings started that I began co-sleeping. Are you still getting up for S? Could co-sleeping help? It surely couldn't make things worse, could it? Is B still feeding twice? Will you revisit PU/PD? I'm going to try a mixture of that and gradual withdrawal later this week. Anyway that's great about getting the extra leave. I do have to go back, really. I mean, it's my job. If I didn't go back, I might not get another one. Though I'm going to apply to two schools nearer me this week, but they've advertised full time posts. WWYD ladies? Escape an unhappy job but go full time, or go on working in a place you're unhappy, but for only 3 days a week?

Nothing exciting was cooked, just a chilli con carne. I go through phases of cooking the same thing. Once everyone has been for a chilli I'll have to think of something else. Lasagne was the last speciality. (100% British steak mince used ). I do cook lots of non-mince meals too, it's just the ones I tend to be quite good at seem to contain it. I do make a mean chilli. A lot of our friends don't know each other so we do a lot of socialising in different groups.

Pet I could have cried for you when I read your update. What kind of excuse for a human being gives a new mum a hard time on her first day back at work?. Are you able to raise a grievance about the way he handled it or are you hoping he will acknowledge his shocking behaviour? I don't get how some people get to manage other people. Just because they might be good at the actual job, so teaching in your case, does not mean he's any good at managing other teachers FFS. Communication and being able to inspire someone are the 2 most important skills, sounds as though he's a major failure at both!

Dream I think you deserve a few weeks of having unnecessary help! Although I fail to see that it's unnecessary tbh. Did you tell the chippy man to STFU? I'm getting close to shouting out the window. My very conservative DH would die of embarrassment though.

What a relief DD's been ok Musical. So pleased to hear you're on the mend.

I managed to have a couple of hours relaxation in the hairdressers this morning. Had a lovely neck and shoulder massage while I waited, was bliss. Then came home to the carnage that is DH alone with the 2 DC...

Hi all. Sorry for disappearing.

I've not been doing anything exciting, just really busy!

Not a lot to report, discovered 2 teeth this week so we're up to 7. Sleep is still rubbish, up every 2 or 3 hours max. He did 4 and a bit one day and DS1 woke in the middle of it :-( I couldn't get back to sleep either.

DS1 never stops talking (don't know where he gets that from) and has discovered the word why. He is doing ok at nursery.

DS2 is a super fast crawler and is highly entertained by his big brother. They play together quite nicely. :-)

DH doing ok with the two boys, we're still falling out too much though :-(

I am convinced that things will improve when I get some sleep. . .

Washing to all and I'll try to catch up a bit.

Very quiet in here. I hope everyone is well and much sleep is being had.

We're good here. Took T for his jabs today, hated hearing him crying in pain. Luckily he calmed down quite quickly then fed to sleep and has been sleeping since with just a couple of wake ups (2:30pm till now). We're off down south tomorrow to see my family and meet my nephew who was born this morning. Looking forward to seeing everyone, but not the long car journey. Really hope T doesn't react badly to the jabs.

Pet out sounds like that guy was maybe on the defensive a bit with all that blustering. Arse!

Hope T is ok stacks and your trip goes well. Hope the situation with your new nephew works out ok too.

Phew for some thread activity, I thought I'd killed it

Jaggy things haven't been great between DH and me either since DD arrived. We're plodding on and both hoping that things will get better. I feel a lot of it is down to me and how I've had few issues to overcome. I know I haven't been myself and I'm irritable with him a lot of the time. But to be fair, he is bloody irritating! We know we both still want to be together so we'll keep working on it.

We hear "but why" ALL THE TIME! It was funny to start with...
The boys sound as though they're doing well.

Good luck with your trip Stacks.

How's work been this week Pet?

raah, Pomme, Scream if you're out there lurking please come back and talk to us!

So can I come & hang out here too now?!