Dec 08 mums - any more for any more?

[JumpJockey]

New thread! Hope this is ok :)

Lady, your travels sound lovely. I'd like to go to Ukraine. DH did some election monitoring there and found it fascinating. We aren't going anywhere at half term (for now getting to the end of the road feels like a challenge) but in early shyly we are going to Cornwall, then camping in Oxfordshire with friends, then a week in Devon with other friends and then a week in Provence with yet another set of friends.

MiL hates DS' name :-(. She won't use it and keeps suggesting alternatives. To add to that an American cousin said it sounded like a far Mid-Western car mechanic. I'm not getting paranoid and reading every card and FB message and noticing most complement the photo but ignore the name. I'm all hormonal and its getting to me. I wish I could relax about it. On the bright side DS is just gorgeous, I am utterly in love. He smells divine, he is all soft and floppy and just moulds into your body as you cuddle him. He feeds well and sort of sleeps well (if in our bed). I just adore him.

Oh Arti, don't you worry, everyone has opinions on names and if they're not polite enough to just button it, then that's their problem. I think it's a gorgeous name. It's one of Dad's best friends' names and I think it's magic as he is just the most lovely man. Heavens, I called my daughter Prudence, which people have to be polite about, but loads of people hate! I think it is a gorgeous gorgeous name. Stick to your guns!

Kayz, I do agree with Deids and Rubes, if you can, go hardcore. It is hellish for a few weeks, then it pays off. You can always come on here and moan about it if you need to. Although, I say that, but was totally unhardcore with DD2 and she is still not a particularly great sleeper. Although a lot better than she was! She was up 5-6 times a night til she was about 2.5 and it damn near killed me. Now it's only once every few nights, so feel I'm getting a decent amount of sleep finally. I just wish I'd nipped it in the bud early, rather than being nice about it!!!

Arti, I'm so impressed with your holiday plans for the summer. Honestly, I've blocked out pretty much everything in our diary until the new year from September! Don't worry and please please don't fret about the name, it's smashing. Your MIL will get used to it and frankly, it's just damn rude of her to suggest alternatives... Don't forget, he is YOUR baby (yours and DH's) and what you say, goes!

Arti, DS' name is gorgeous! Ignore people who think it isn't.

Rubes, I do remember your sleep problems. DS2 wasn't a great sleeper but at least he went in the cot. I don't want to leave her to cry just yet. I do think it might get to that stage though.

My brother is taking the boys to stay at my Dads in Norfolk for the weekend. They are going to London tomorrow. Trying to decide if we should go out for dinner tonight or tomorrow or to just stay in.

Gosh you lot have been busy. I was a good girl yesterday & didn't look in here once and as a result I am almost finished my assignment just the conclusion & reference list (I say just damn near killed me last time around). I did all the headings & TOC etc & I have to say it does look nice. Dh had to help a lot with that.

Rubes I hope you didn't think what I said meant I was offended its just with induced labours there is a risk of slowing things down and I thought that is what Arti's MW might have been doing. Believe me there is no love lost between me & midwives. Child Health always shares a budget line with Maternity in general hospitals and I used to turn up to all our budget meetings with brilliant savings only to find freaking Maternity had over spent by almost exactly what I had saved! However, I do know their pressures. I was in a meeting once where the midwives were told they were losing their offices because they were turning the offices into birthing suites so they could birth more babies. The midwives tried to explain that creating extra space for the actual birth was one thing but how were they ggoing to carry out all the extra antenatal clinics?

Also I hear you on the judgement thing, believe me I still get it, I've stopped telling people I had a home birth, & I'm moving to Australia, definitely won't be telling anyone there.

Arti I love his name & honestly he looks like he wears it well. He is an Arti. Ds2's name is not necessarily the most posh or sophisticated but he suits it & on the subject of your terrified out of control birth feeling, that's exactly why he got his name. DH was so amazing at getting me past that transition bit that I let him name DS2 that name.

DB can I write an email to them too?

Right more to say but I've gotta pick up boys from school.

Chat soon.

Oh rubes well done thrifty DH.

No no, not at all Vag. I only worry that I offend others then want to retract everything I type as I read how it sounds later, and it's never actually what I meant it to sound like - if that makes sense perhaps I should just stick to Twitter - not enough characters to offend!

Well I think considering some of the riff raff of the midwifery profession you had to deal with you have the right to be a touch miffed at them. I'm the same with HV's I'm sure there are some good ones I've just not met them yet, & I used to come in contact with them professionally.

Feeling really ordinary today Aunt Flo is visiting and I feel headachy and queasy. Anyone else get headachey with their period these days.

Ds1 is off down to Rotterdam with a friend & I have DS2 & one of his little mates at home. Lady if you want to practice & improve your Italian find a child friend for your DS' s who only speaks Italian. I think trying to speak to kids is the best way to practice. They are closer to my level of Dutch but I can't get away with throwing in gestures as they can are less able to comprehend these. This kid speaks german & French too, so feeling very inferior.

Still stuck in sunny Florida (although it's not quite the same when just observing the sunshine through the window!). DD2 seems to be on the mend and is looking fairly grotty with scabs so hopefully the doctor will give her the nod to fly tomorrow. DH and DD1 went home a couple of days ago and I am just bored now. American tv is truly crap!

We don't have any more holidays planned but I'm hoping to fit in a couple of weekends away before school starts in September. Should be easier to manage once I don't have work to factor in!

PD - I have 5 more weeks until I become a SAHM and to be honest I'm a bit scared. I feel like I've finally made some friends in town so hopefully I'll be able to actually spend time with them but still....

On tooth brushing, DD2 can't get enough of it so has never been a problem and DD1 used to get put in a headlock and learnt pretty quickly it wasn't optional!

Kayz - on sleep both of mine were a bit of a nightmare to begin with but found their own way (with some gentle and possibly not so gentle encouragement) by the time they were 12 months but ultimately you have to do what you are comfortable with and works for you. I remember reading the No Cry Sleep Solution and thinking it had some good ideas - might be worth a go if you haven't already tried it?

Deids - I think an email is a good idea because it means you get everything you want to say out there without getting sidetracked etc as you might in a meeting. For what it's worth it doesn't sound as though pre school have handled it particularly well.

DD2 is waking up so have to go....

Sorry you are still stranded, Pingu. Hope you can get back soon. Don't worry about the SAHM thing - if it makes you feel better, consider it a sabbatical! I do.

Arti, your DS sounds absolutely gorgeous. Your description of him was so lovely. As for your MIL...she said the same thing about your DD2's name. It's bloody rude. People are so daft about names. You can well imagine the remarks we have had over the years but now I just snap "Well, we love it" in the sort of voice which brooks no argument. But Arthur is a charming and above all classic name - like your other two.

Don't be anxious, Rubes, you will make me feel bad. Who cares what those particular yacky midwives thought or said, they had no effect on how everything went for you. Bum to them. And incidentally, seeing people supposedly have a right to a section if they want one now, the disapproving ones probably have to hide their cat's bum mouths behind a hand. My MIL is here and I have a LARGE Hope you do too. xx.

It has taken DP all of two days to go from being pleasant company because his long trial is over and he is glad to be at home for a rest, to being grumpy and shouty. We have just had words because he gave DD2 a meringue nest and she had a reaction (thankfully not too severe). Yes, she is supposed to have small amounts of baked egg in fairy cakes to try to build up her resistance. But not effing meringue. Egg whites are where the proteins that egg allergics have a problem with, lurk! Also he gave the girls squash in crystal tumblers. Smash, on the slate floor.

I am not a very spotty person but because I have a black tie dinner tomorrow night I suddenly have a pizza face.

DB - you are doing JUST the right thing by emailing. But I bet you will find that the school have seen it all before and will handle it sensibly. I bet they actually think the pre-school lot are complete dafties.

I feel quite grumpy myself actually! And I always wake up so bright!

Oh yes - hoping against hope you get a bit more rest, Kayz. Thinking of you!

At DS1s swimming this morning feeling a bit rough cos aunt flo is here and I think I have what DH had last week (though not as bad because I lack a Y chromosome). Had a nice cycle down though I do like my Saturday morning ride to here. He doesn't have Chinese school this weekend as he has a birthday party to go to so he & I are going to cycle by the Haagse Markt (the biggest market in Europe apparently though I'm dubious I'm sure there are bigger in the UK) & get our veggies & have a browse. I miss time with just him. He has gymnastics this evening so dh will take him & ds2 & I going out to dinner together.

I think I've decided against another baby. I know it would be lovely & while i could definitely give the 9 months of hugeness a miss I didn't mind the birth bit at all and would like to do it one last time. But I like what we have now, it feels enough. I might regret that when they are grumpy teenagers not speaking to me & I could have had a smaller one to snuggle with still. But I think I'll take the chance.

Sorry DP is being a grump Lady & you have to deal with your MIL also. I did giggle a little at the crystal tumblers, but did you mean they actually broke them with that last sentence. Was she ok with the egg whites onslaught? Your right to be cross, that much could send her right back.

She was ok thanks, Vag, just a bit swollen and red. Antihistamine sorted her out. I was cross though. There is such a difference between a fairy cake (a small amount of baked whole egg) and meringue (larger amount of the baddie, egg white). And we lost one crystal tumbler not both.

I get the baby thing. Getting huge really puts me off especially as I struggle to lose it. However, a bigger gap (like Arti and Jam will have) just seems easier. If I had kids your age I'd be more inclined to go for it. But it is a major, major decision....which we still haven't made So many cons, but the pros are significant.

Lady glad dd is ok. My dh repeatedly does idiotic things when in charge of kids do I can imagine your rage if its a one off. Main thing is she is ok. I'm sure the work thing is quite a worry too.
I def did have several a large glass of last night.
Vag I had neg opinion of hvs too. 4 weeks post dd, signed off for home visits after my repeated cries for help with bf issues. 2 min with consultant at local hospital and quick snip of on the spot discovered tongue tie (which id already suggested to hv but she dismissed) then too late as bf well and truly buggered (for lack of a better word)
I totally get the baby thing too. We are a tight knit unit here. Plan to travel more, and I'm not like these overly capable mother of 3's round ere! I need at least 1 adult per small person or the trip would fall apart have no doubt in my mind that you could do it though (like the beans and Sybs of the world) Vag! But understand the cons too.
Have been eBay ing like mad here. Clothes as usual, but buggies, travel cots, and full leather interior of the old car we've had off road and taking up space, of which we will put orig. seats back in (floating around a friends house still hopefully in Fulham) then will be calling "webuyanycar.com" and hoping they actually do since you can see daylight through the floor!

Oh, I need to do some Ebaying, Rubes. I could do with the dosh. I haven't had much luck with it recently, after making approx £2000 last year (that was a LOT of work though). Because I like to travel as you know, that's another question mark although a third would just have to muck in cheerfully somehow like the other two. I don't know that bit of Spain you're going to, will look it up.

As for HVs....no, not at all a fan Just busybodies full of unsolicited, out-of-date advice, right?

Ok, so one of the Le Bon daughters is going to this dinner tonight as she is the gf of one of the sons of a judge. I was just feeling goodish about my outfit. Ummmm...less so now. I don't think my 40 year old bingo wings can compete. I thought I just had judges, Lords and Sirs to contend with...

I loathe HVs...what exactly is the purpose if them?? MWs always been biased because my mum was one. However even she acknowledged plenty of shit ones, like the one who never emptied my catheter for about 10 hrs post section. She'll never make that mistake again after my mum gave her the hair dryer treatment

Ladyt, I'm sorry but all this talk of Judges and posh dinners makes me think of that Bridget Jones scene. Please carefully apply your make up .

According to the seating plan I've got a judge at each elbow. Plenty of scope for disasters

Teehee that's funny DB, is MrLady Colin Firth.

I'm watching mamamia with ds2. He didn't want to go out for dinner he wanted to stay home watch a movie and "get that person that brings a pizza to our house". Seriously I don't get that much delivery.

Lady when do you go to Barcelona. I need to tell you of a brilliant vegetarian tapas bar. It has a gun menu.

Shit GIN menu!

Deids dh's sister was one. She quit the biz as she didn't like the midwifery attitude where she worked / trained. But I don't like her general attitude so not sure where I'm going with this!
I emptied my own catheter post dd. with ds I had to call dh to ask if I should have had painkillers at 11am. He said yes at 8. they forgot and I had a private room both times! Anywho. Enough midwife bashing talk. Indith I'm counting on you to make some changes
Lady it's about half an hour from Gibraltar. 40 from Malaga.
Yes Deids it does sound like our Bridg! Lady I hope you've got a 250ml wine bottle while you carefully apply makeup

Pmsl vag! Thought you were in America then with your gun menu.
Love the pizza guy. He comes here too mainly when I'm away I've heard
My two think the postman brings their clothes. Mainly as I buy so many things on eBay.

Aww vag I got excited about a gun menu then!! Gin will have to do then...

And rubes Ronda is beautiful! My duster lived in Gibraltar for about 4 years so we went a couple of times while we were over there.

Lady I now have visions of you sweet talking a couple of drunken, rambling, ruddy cheeked Judges! Brilliant

Sorry for the forth post...my sister lived in Gibraltar not my duster. That would just be ridiculous to visit my cleaning apparatus!!

I've been lucky, only had 1 awful MW with DS2. I refused to see her with DD which sent them into a tiz when they were going to send her after I gave birth.

HVs are absolutely bloody useless here. Never met anyone so useless in all my life.

Ooh, Rubes we went to Ronda last year for a wee. Loved it!