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

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Welcome Aprilites

3.5 weeks till D-Day - until I am fully prepared for it to be longer than that. So unprepared compared to last time though. I've not washed any baby clothes or even thought about my hospital bag. I need to get on it I think, although it will have to wait until I finish work now. The countdown has begun

Hellooo!

Exciting times for 20th's imminent arrival!

Nothing exciting happening here. Unexpected day off work with a poorly F. He's had a cough for the last few days, I wouldn't normally take him to the doc with a virus, but the middle-of-the-night coughing is getting worrying.

Of course, he's seeming more-or-less fine in between coughing sessions. Hopefully a good nap will sort him out too.

Oh, and we had ofsted last week. It was stressful!

Hellllooooo?!

Where is everybody? Don't you know I'm on maternity leave and have got time on my hands to chat .

Actually, I haven't. There are so many things that need doing before the new baby arrives. Must stop procrastinating...

Hello 20th!

It's half term next week and I'm planning some serious cbeebies & mn time!

Splendid - something to look forward to!

I've achieved very little today. I've managed to wash one load of baby things and that's it. Hopefully I'll manage to accomplish more when DD is at nursery tomorrow

Come on, you know we're going to tell you to take it easy, and you know you should too!

Hello, I'm here too, also salivating over the prospect of half term next week.....
Am also having major dilemma crisis over the Do We Have A Second Child thing. It's doing my head in. All help gratefully received...... I'm sort of almost completely sure I want one, mainly because I get tired and overwhelmed enough as it is and I think I'll be a better mum with just one to focus on.....but then....but then....

(Brilliantly expressive emoticon!!)

All power to those of you with two or nearly two, by the way, I'm just not sure it's me!

Completely unhelpful but I just knew I wanted two. I'm absolutely dreading the early days and am sure that I won't be a great mum at times but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. Absolutely no chance of pushing for three though, that's for sure!

How many times did I say 'sure' in that post?! I blame the baby brain...

I've got to the point where I'm sure I want a second. I always wanted 2, but DS was such a shock to the system I couldn't understand why anyone would have a newborn and a toddler by choice.

We are financially constrained though - I want to keep working, I'm not cut out to be a SAHM, so we'll have to pay for childcare. So we need to wait till DS is in school. So that puts us at ttc from this summer, although likely later. And since DS, DH - who was all for babies before - now says no. But I think he'll come round to it!

It was so hard when DS was small, but I figure we know what we're letting ourselves job for now, lowered expectations and all that. And learned a few tricks too. We've also got things like childcare vouchers and the cm already sorted. And I can't imagine DS not having a sibling to share the load when we get old, etc.

Thank you for sharing. We too are financially and temperamentally constrained like you, Regaining, so will also be waiting till at least July to start ttc. My DP is as dilemma-ridden as me which is sort of nice but also annoying - I feel that if he was one way or the other I could just go with that. But then it might drive me to want the opposite, I guess!!! Maybe it's better to just stop thinking about it until July!

We are financially constrained too. TBH, this pregnancy happened a bit much sooner than we anticipated and it's going to be tough when I go back to work. DH and I both have decent jobs but if DD continues in private nursery rather than a primary school pre-school in September, then my salary will basically pay for childcare until she starts school in September 2015. I shouldn't moan though, we were lucky to conceive quickly and it could be much, much worse.

I take my hat off to the Aprilites (and my RL friends) who had babies closer together. I can't imagine what it must have been like having two under two!

Morning ladies long time no see.

Another one looking forward to half term here. Fingers crossed it doesn't constantly piss down with rain

When dh and I discussed about trying for ds3 the phrase we kept coming back to was 'what will we regret more? Having another child, or not having another child?' We ignored the cost factor (which is probably the biggest reason for saying no), and went with our hearts.

Each time you have a baby, it generally gets easier to get through the early days, weeks and months. You know what to expect and you don't spend so much emotional and mental energy on worrying about if you are doing the right thing.

All has been ticking along here. I've been busy on my sewing machine and decorating the living room. Ds2 is loving school and it's a real blast seeing him reading books. I can't believe he has gone from begrudgingly writing his name in Sept to actually reading and free writing. It will be our April babies doing that in no time at all!

Ds3 had a wobble at pre school drop offs after the Christmas break, but this last week it has improved significantly...... Just in time for the half term break

We've been terrified at the cost factor as well - the main reason for us waiting this long is that (if we're lucky enough to conceive again) J should be getting her 15 free hours childcare whilst I'm on maternity leave and by the time I'm back at work she should be going to school. There is absolutely no way in hell we could have afforded two lots of childcare at once. If that hadn't been an issue, I think we would have liked to try for them a bit closer together. It occurs to me it would be easier still if we waited till J was at school before having a second, but since we can't be sure how long it will take we decided to get cracking now.

I say that - I'm probably going to ovulate any day now and have been meaning to DTD for the last 5 days and found myself too busy/tired every day so far! Was working till 2am four days last week... ouch!

Whoa! Starting School in summer 2015? As in proper school, primary 1 as we call it??

B won't start p1 unti 2016 when he is five. We have a year of ante preschool starting this year, then preschool nursery next year, but they are only half days.

We aren't considering a second until b is in P1. Wouldn't be a disaster if we did have a second before then, but my PCOS symptoms are back and AF is a bit erratic again. Should probably see the GP.

Anyhoo, hello we have had bug after bug after bug this last month or so. I'm so over winter.

Sympathies with the bugs Fizz, we have somehow managed to mostly escape them but have picked up a few minor colds along the way. DS3 was proper poorly yesterday afternoon, then woke up this morning like nothing had happened

The English Aprilites will start school in Sept NEXT YEAR!!!! We can apply for their places THIS YEAR. Holy shit!

Blimey, it all seems so surreal talking about it.

Yes, huge sympathies for the sick ones. We've been pretty lucky - F's had some colds and a couple of nasty coughs, but nothing too bad.

I can't believe they'll be starting school in just over a year. We're still in a quandary about the 15hrs bit: F goes to a cm 4 days a week and nursery one day. He'll have part of the 15 hours on that nursery day, and the cm is studying to be accredited to claim the 15hrs. I don't know if he'd benefit more to an extra half day at nursery (prep for school, etc) or staying with the cm for longer (he is only little and will be in school for, like, ever!). Any suggestions? He enjoys nursery but loves the cm more.

I would take the extra half-day at nursery but I am tight . He'll still have 3.5 days with the CM?

Yep, I keep having the HOLY SHIT moment too. I don't know anything about how/when to apply but I guess I'll have to start finding out soon...TBH I think 4 is too young for school, but then it's probably not really different to nursery - still EYFS etc for the first year (or two?)

We've found out today that DD has been offered a full time place in the pre-school class at the school that we hope she'll be going to. That means no childcare costs between September and me going back to work next Spring - hooray . It appears that I am also tight to be rejoicing in this fact

It means that we'll have to start looking into childminders to do the after school pick up once I do go back to work though...

Sometimes I think that 4 does seem too young for school (particularly as some of the kids in the class will virtually be 5) but tend to think that Reception isn't really that different to nursery. One of my friends is a Reception teacher and it sounds like they still do an awful lot of learning through play, so hopefully it won't be too much of a shock to the system.

Is reception full days? Our education systems are completely different.

B will be one of the oldest in his class (we run march to feb). Fingers crossed, B will be in the preschool nursery attached to our local primary school every morning for the next two years. CM will do pickups, I'm hoping to change hours and do drop offs when the time comes. We have no option but to use the LA nursery a for the 15 hours, the withdrew all finding for CM and private nurseries because some nurseries were doubling the hourly rate for 3 year olds so they were effectively being paid twice. And writing off any saving a parent might make. What this has meant is over subscribed nurseries. When I applied I had to grovel in my application that out CM could only do mornings at local school, if we don't get that we are up shit creek. But on the reverse of that, b will definetly get a P1 place at local school because we are in the catchment.

I'm illing again, b has conjunctivitis. Can I hibernate next year please?

Reception is 9 - 3.30pm and is compulsory. Some primary schools also have a nursery class, which is where DD will be going in September. You can use your 15 hours free childcare entitlement there (or at a private daycare nursery, registered childminder etc).

I made a mistake in my last post - as DD will be going to the nursery class full time (9am - 3.30pm) from Sept, we will have to pay for the extra 15 hours. However, it's only £10 a day - so much cheaper than our current childcare arrangements.

Crazy how our systems are so different!

Boo to conjunctivitis. Sometimes it just feels never ending doesn't it?

I don't think there are any state pre schools here, just he preschool groups in the nurseries. Our CM should be able to offer us some of the 15free hours, which is why there's a decision. If it turns out she can't, it'll be nursery - no question (an extra £180 a month for us!)

F's just stuffed himself silly at Pizza Hut and had his first ice cream factory. Then it was a long trip down windy roads across the moor. I totally thought he was going to puke in the car - got the old puke box ready and everything (left over from when he had travel sickness). But it was ok! Phew! We had conjunctivitis before Xmas, I feel like it never really goes away!

Lol @ puke box!

Boo to conjunctivitis, it's one of those things that isn't serious but is painful and irritating.

You can go part time in reception year inEngland, how long for depends on where in the academic year you are born. You can also defer the reception year, which means you apply at the same time as if your child was starting reception, but you don't send your child until year one.

Reception is very much learning through play still, but by the end of the academic year they will learn all of their letters and sounds, be able to read and free write. The rate of learning is phenomenal.

Most pre schools and nurseries will give you a leaflet which will tell you how and when you need to apply for your place. From memory, in England we have from Oct -Jan to apply, then your place is confirmed in April. Then the time to appeal after that is very short.

I am so fucking sick of vomit. Surely a 2 year old being sick every other day for over a week should warrant a GPtodo something?? I'm at my wits end.

Gp today (according to Dh) looked at him, didn't take a temp or check his ears or anything, just prescribed drops for his eyes (they are fun trying to administer. NOT) and said he is fine. He isn't fine, he really isn't fine. He is pale and sallow looking, I can't remember the last time he actually ate anything of any nutritional value. He is living on weetabix and custard because that is all he will eat.

Now I'm mad at myself for not taking him to the GP. Dh stayed off work with him today. I should have. Fuck work, why do I feel more obligated to that fucking shower of shits than I do my own son.