April 2011 - nearly 2, it's still all about you <disclaimer, I might be having a bad day>

[UnderwaterBasketWeaving]

Thanks to Frak, thread title queen!

[GreenFirefly]

Well that all went ok :) I saw the lovely midwife who came to visit after M was born - she asked how she was and tried to work out who she looked like from photos.
I mentioned I'd like an elcs to avoid the long unproductive labour again. Kitty it worked out well for you, didn't it? I'm also hoping that my red lumpy scar might get tidied up at the same time. But I'd suddenly wondering if I'm being wussy, but c-sec recovery isn't wussy is it?

I had a visit from Children's Centre people yesterday delivering the second bookstart pack - M is thrilled with more books. I've lost count of how many times I've read Wow! Said the Owl in 24 hours

[Kittycatcat]

The only thing with the c sec this time is 10 weeks u til u can hold your toddler. I didn't wait that long. But you will need help for the first few weeks tho for sure. I was ok after 6 where with s it was 3. My scar is bumpy this time but wasn't last time.

[GsyPotatoPieEyed]

Glad all is well Firefly, very of your 2 year Bookstart pack, they stopped producing the 2 year old one last year due to cutbacks and my library's supply ran out months ago. Your CC must have stockpiled.

Frak DH'S cousin has a similarly multilingual household. He's English, currently lives/works in France and met his Bolivian wife when working in Spain. Think he knows some Japanese too. I on the other hand got an E at GCSE French but do know a few phrases in Guernsey Patois, unfortunatly mostly ones which are not to be repeated in polite company.

[Kittycatcat]

Help pls. Need a blender to make A's food. No clue what to get. The one mil bought for s was useless so binned it (after breaking it with potato). Any recommendations? And any purée recipes pls? We bough for S but it was expensive.

[fraktion]

I'd get a hand held stand one although I love my magimux. We did BLW though so no real advice!

[Starshaped]

I used my kitchen aid blender, which is a beast. They're expensive though so only worth considering if it's something you'd be using a lot. Such a faff to wash up though...

I know some people don't like her but I found the Annabel Karmal purees to be alright. DD wolfed them down anyway. We just got a book out the library. The River Cottage Baby and Toddler cookbook also has some nice stuff in it - there are recipes in there for the whole family.

I think the starter purees are just common sense tbh. We just steamed or roasted fruit and veg and then mushed it up. It's worth investing in some ice cube trays or little tubs so that you can make a load and stick some in the freezer.

[JKSLtd]

I got a handheld one from Tesco which was cheap and good. Then we switched over to BLW anyway so hardly used it.
ps - trying them on potato will kill most of them though! not speaking from experience, oh no

DD getting into wooden puzzles big time all of a sudden, and counting to 3 too. Though she knows that '4' is a big number so asks for 4 of anything good she wants. e.g. Do you want a biscuit? 4!

[Kittycatcat]

Note to self. Mash the potato.

[GlaikitFizzog]

get a ricer for the potatoes and you'll never have lumpy mash again. I'm of your kitchen aid star. its too big for us.to.have one. what colour do you have?

my blender is a Kenwood and it shzuzes whisks and has a mini processor bit.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Kitty I've got a Braun handheld which has done 5+ years and is still going strong - I use it all the time to do onions, garlic, carrots etc for bolognaise etc. It has a whisk, a stick blender and a little pot thing which has a v.sharp blade in it.
Saves me getting my big ken wood out all the time - it is lovely but huge and takes ages to clean.

Second the ricer recommendation, they are brilliant.

JKS - at 4 biscuits! Sounds like she and T have similar ideas!

[Kittycatcat]

Ok blender is sorted. Just need to get my head round what to make.

I think I might be heading for depression. It's that it my hormones shifting. I'm not coping at all well. I seem to be shouting all the time and then crying. Alex has got all clingy. Prob teething/ sleep regression/separation anxiety. (4.5 months now). I tried talking to dh who said Im ready to go back to work. I'm not. I don't want to. I don't like myself at the moment.

[MrsWajs]

Aww kitty have a hug from me :)

It's not easy when you're feeling like that. Take my advice and speak to someone sooner rather than later. I sat on my PND for months and it was awful. I really wish i'd dealt with it sooner. And i don't want to scaremonger but it came to a real head as soon as i went back to work. I was having panic attacks and all sorts. That's when i knew something was really wrong.

Try not to be too hard on yourself though.You've got a tough job on with 2 under 2 and it sounds like you're doing a fab job with them both :) x

[Kittycatcat]

Thanks mrsw

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

{{Kitty}} I don't really know anything about PND, but what I would say is that your current situation will probably be one the hardest times of your life. Looking after children is tough. Looking after 2 under 2, well I take my hat off to you, I really do.

My advice would be to talk. Talk to someone who listens and isn't dismissive of how you are feeling. If there are changes that can be made to help you, make them. Sometimes situations are just tough and you have to weather the storm, but sometimes you can do things to address the problem.

I hope this makes some sort of sense to you x

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

I also meant to say don't underestimate the effect sleep deprivation can have on you. This time last year I thought I was heading towards PND, then ds's sleeping improved and so did my mood and outlook.

[Kittycatcat]

Thanks ilike.sleep isn't too bad. Only do one feed in the night now.

[abbyfromoz]

On my way to Heathrow ladies. Flying home to Australia solo with DD as my grandfather is sadly terminally ill. 30 hours in transit. Got the ergo and plenty of snacks and toys... Wish me luck!

[Kittycatcat]

So sorry Abby. Good luck

[GlaikitFizzog]

Oh kitty I've been there, I know how you feel. I'm like MrsW going back to work was my catalyst. I just couldn't cope with one extra thing in my life. Please speak to someone you trust. I called my HV who came to visit and was totally non judgemental. I was snappy and shouty and felt like I had constant PMT.

We are here to listen. (((Hugs)))

[Kittycatcat]

That's exactly how I feel fizz.

[GlaikitFizzog]

Facing up to how you feel is the hard bit. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Do you get any time to yourself away from the boys and the house?

[Kittycatcat]

Not as much as I probably should. But I feel like a bad mum if I want to! I have suffered with depression in the past but not for years.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Sorry to hear about your Grandad Abby, safe journey.

A Mother's guilt is bottomless, but I do think that it is really important to have 'me time' - I do hate that phrase, but it actually says what it does on the tin. Needing time away from the kids is quite normal - who wants to be at work 24/7? I sure as hell don't.

In my experience it gets easier to leave them the more times you do it. I used to have to say to myself over and over, 'they are with their dad who loves them as much as I do. They are loved and being taken care of.' I used to rush home out of guilt, I'd get home and the boys would be having a ball and dh would ask me why I was back home so soon! As the years have passed I very rarely rush back

[GlaikitFizzog]

Wanting time to yourself doesn't make you a bad mum, it makes you human. :) Going back to work was the trigger for me to seek help, but not because work was too much. It made me realise the Lisa I used to be at work was not the Lisa I was anymore. Work kept me sane when I thought I was losing it everywhere else. I'm not saying go back to work to get time to yourself, I hope you can see what I mean.

Looking back now I suffered depression in the past too, but was on my own, only had myself to look out for so I plodded my way through it.

You have two beautiful boys, under two! You are a brilliant mum, but you are also Kitty. Wife, sister, friend, daughter.

[Kittycatcat]

Thanks fizz. I think I'm gonna call my hv.