April 2011 - We understand no but we choose to ignore it.

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Welcome Aprilites

yay MrsW. hope it's an easy labour.
How's it going with you Jolly?
So far so good here, but we could do without M having nightmares between baby feeds.

Eeeeek! How exciting MrsW. Good luck! Hope it's an easy one

Brilliant! So excited for you MrsW!

Sounds tiring, Green. But you sound fairly upbeat. Well done!

Go go go, MrsW! Impressed you can still type..... Will be thinking positive thoughts.

Well she wanted Daddy so DH sat with her for an hour. He's back at work now too and seems to suffer more than me with lack of sleep (no breastfeeding hormones to help ). Getting us all up and dressed is a challenge. Can't imagine how early we'll need to get started when I eventually go back to work!

Whoop whoop MrsW. Strength and cervix dilating vibes coming your way

firefly - I remember ds2 having disturbed sleep when ds3 came along. It sometimes felt like they were tag teaming it. It seemed to stop quite quickly though, I always wondered if that was him adjusting to what having a new baby in the house and all the changes it brought.

I am a bloody big bag of nerves this morning (which is why I am on MN, to take my mind off of it). Ds2 starts primary and ds3 has his first session at preschool. It's the first time he's been left with people who aren't family. Ds3 is excited, ds2 is ambivalent , dh left for work with tears brimming and I'm full of nervous energy

Excited mrsw. Hope ur ok. Can't wait to hear ur news

Nearly a full week and no posts, we're slacking ladies. I know MrsW is extremely busy this week but what have the rest of us been up too? Personally, I have been leaving (and collecting) a crying DD at preschool for all her visits so far and DS is very impressed to no longer be one of the youngest ones at school. Every other sentence seems to contain the words "now I'm in Year One".

I've been wondering where everybody is too!

Bless DS Yoni. Sounds like he's enjoying being a big boy! How have the other school / preschool starters got on this week?

I'm having a bad spell with my sleep at the moment. Been awake for a couple of hours now and just can't get back off again. It's been the same for the last couple of nights and I feel like I'm barely functioning. Think I last had a spell like this when I was still BF. At least I was on mat leave then though. Urgh...

I was just coming on to post a similar 'how is everyone?', Yoni.

I've mainly had a week of feeding, friends visiting baby A and too much TV for M. Got probably my final midwife appointment ever this afternoon. A had put on 14oz in 8 days last week, wonder if she'll beat that this week. She was driving me crackers yesterday evening, but I think she had wind. In general she's being fab - quick feeds, well spaced out and doesn't mind being put down too much :)
M is still refusing baths :(

Poor DD Yoni - does she enjoy it once she's there? I'm so glad M has been at the same nursery for 18 months and will be there until school, and longer if we use the after school and holiday club. It seems anything new at the moment is met with refusal or strops - even down to a new toothbrush

Glad Baby A is settling in well Green My DD has refused to sit down in the bath for about the last 2 months * I decided to ignore it for a while and then last week I sat her down again every single time she stood up. She had a good strop but my stubbornness outlasted hers. Now she's quite happy to sit in the bath again.

Sorry to hear you're sleeping badly 20th DS likes us to lie next to him when he goes to sleep but if I nod off too I find it really hard to go back to bed/sleep later on if I've napped. I was still awake at 3am the other day, after a 20min nap at 8pm. I usually try and have at least one early night a week now when I'll have tea with the children instead of waiting for DH and then I go to bed the same time as DS.

DD had her 3rd morning at preschool tomorrow. I think she is enjoying it a bit as she doesn't get upset when I talk about it. She was crying when I left her and again when i picked her up. I was expecting it as she had never been left with anyone else before except for her GPs. As soon as we were out the gate she was happy and waving back to the staff. She has the same keyworker that DS had and I have no worries about the care. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Sounds like DD3 is doing really well Firefly Long may it continue! Poor M and the bath front though. Is it water in general that she's developed an aversion to or is it restricted to the bath?

Hope DD has a better day at preschool Yoni. What are the staff saying she's like once you've left her?

I'm struggling to sleep again. Went to bed no probs but woke at 12:30 and can't get back off. Things are definitely not being helped by DH heavy breathing next to me! If there was a bed in the spare room I'd be in there! It's so frustrating - I'm exhausted. My eyes are screaming with tiredness. I might go and find myself one of the night owl threads to moan on!

It's DD2 20th! No plans for a no. 3, thats us done .

It's mainly the bath that M doesn't like, but she wouldn't go in the paddling pool either. She will play with the water and toys from the side, just reluctant to immerse herself. Its nearly 4 weeks now and I fear we're just going to have to put her in and keep doing it til she gets used to it again :( bribery with choc buttons didn't even work!

Hope you can get some better sleep soon.

I've been so, so slack and lost you all. Mea culpa. Perhaps now nursery is back I'll have more time to chat. Or do my pregnancy yoga DVDs and encourage this one to go back to head down. I'm dreading a repeat of the transverse saga.

M is being a PICKLE of the first order about bedtime. We no longer BF (apparently I'm yukky :() but he just can't lie down and go to sleep, much like T. We've progressed to lying in bed and patting but lying down is a hurdle to overcome every night.

Potty training is going horrifically. I've kind of given up really. He'll sit on potty, not wee, and then wet his nappy. But he doesn't seem to get uncomfortable or bothered if he's not wearing a nappy. Bribery isn't working either, but he's done nothing on the potty for about 3 weeks so he probably doesn't remember it. Any good strategies?!

Errrh, ooops Green! I knew that you've only got two. I blame my sleep deprived state (and the time of night I was posting!) for the mistake!

Sadly no illuminating advice on either front Nom. The only thing I think I've taken from potty training is that it's perhaps just a case of them being ready when they're ready and not before. No help I know!

How much longer have you got now until the arrival of no. 2?

Hiya - I'm still here too, just lurking. Congrats to MrsW on the new lovely little Ethan. I'm getting quite broody here.

Been in floods of tears this morning - dropped Joanna off with the childminder this morning and shortly to be off to the aiport for a week in Abu Dhabi for work. I am (kind of) looking forward to it, but feeling very sad about leaving my baby for a week. It feels totally wrong . I went a bit overboard and bought her a little treat for DP to give her every day I am away. He told me I'm a cliche of a working parent!

Awww ecuse I was in a state when I left DS for 2 nights so I sympathise. The little treat is a lovely idea! And I want your job if it involves trips to Abu Dhabi!!!

No 2 isn't due until December but I'm more worried this time possibly because M's birth went so well and I know it's possible for me to get what I want but they won't let me have it if there's the slightest indication of a problem.

Hi everyone

Caught up. In the middle of both boys refusing their boiled eggs.. Forgot to take my tab last night and its noticeable.
A had his first hair cut this am ready for his FIRST BIRTHDAY Tuesday. Party is Sunday.

Oh my goodness, kitty, your second is 1??? really must get thinking about No2....

If I were you I would plonk both boys in front of Cebeebies and eat both the boiled eggs myself. But then I am a slummy mummy and a gannet.

Yeah can you believe it! 2 and 1!

I mixed the eggs with tom to try and get the to eat it. Unsurprisingly they didn't. Now what shall I have...

Mmmm- boiled eggs...

More importantly, how on earth is A two? This year has flown by! And the next couple of months will fly by too. It'll be December and time for number two to arrive before you know it Nom. Are you going to be in France for the birth?

Hope the trip isn't too awful Ecuse. What's the time difference like? Will you be able to Skype?

Yup no real possibility of going back to the UK in December, twentieth, but feeling a lot better this time round about getting what I want providing baby is in a good position. I know my body can do it and that's a pretty amazing confidence boost already.

I cannot believe A is having his first birthday party tomorrow! I bet S will love it

I'm so excited. Its dear zoo themed. Will put pics on fb

Where did that year go kitty??? I hope you all had a fab time at the party.

School and pre-school are going well for the boys, but strangely I am the busiest I have ever been now they are out of the house more I am trying to straighten the house out, do the little jobs I've been meaning to do for the past goodness knows how many years, and selling anything that moves on FB and EBay.

I remember having insomnia between feeds, it was fecking horrid. There's nothing worse than not being able to sleep when you are bone tired. I think I resorted to having the radio on a really low level, and it defo helped. I would listen to that and drift off, rather than lay there obsessing over being awake.

I hope you can enjoy Abu Dhabi ecuse

Abu Dhabi is fun so far! I blubbed quite a lot about leaving but actually am having quite a nice time. Two days down, five to go. I tried to Skype home this evening to talk to Jo, but she had a friend round to play and was too distracted to talk to me. So she's clearly not broken up or anything... . She does keep posing for photos and telling Daddy to "show Mummy", though, so I've had a nice stream of picture messages to cheer me up.

DAMN it's hot in Abu Dhabi. You don't go out here really in the day time at all. Certainly not to walk. When you walk between building and taxi it's like walking into soup. It's 42 degrees in the daytime, and about 35 at nighttime, the only time I have ventured for a stroll so far. But, actually, we're all wearing tights and thin cardigans as the aircon is set to cold everywhere. Very odd. The hotel buffet is quite something. Nothing but cake as far as the eye can see... I am going to try to take photos tomorrow, discreetly! The hotel we're having our meetings is one of Abu Dhabi's newer and more luxurious ones. Obvs we're not staying there, we're just in some anonymous mid-range businessman's hotel but I'm quite tempted to book in at the fancy hotel for some spa treatments on the last day. I have about 6 hours to kill between the end of meetings and having to set off for the airport for my 02.30 flight home....