November 2012 - Summertime, and the babies are sleeping (mostly with a few notable exceptions)

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1800961-November-2012-Is-is-too-early-for-birthday-plans

Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunt how can you do that to us! Fuck!

I have every single toy out for O. It is giving me approx 5 minutes of peace before he whinges. Okay, he is whinging now. I have no idea what the fuck at.

He's just looking at his toy and crying.

I am wondering if it is because the light projector on his cot works through either crying, or hitting it. He thinks all toys must work in this way?!

He's funny in the morning, he lets out a piercing scream, the music starts, and he stops. 5 minutes pass, and the music ends. Scream erupts again, instantly stops to the music! He can do that for a good 30 minutes!

Can't get my bloody email working on my new phone. Arse

I reckon it is the change in weather. I feel very sick tosat because of the pressure in the air.

High five YW! O is in his cot for his second nap of the day right now. Took a grand total of 5 minutes to settle him

Stunt! That so isn't fair!

On a completely separate note, I am trying to work out my budget and see if I can actually afford to eat so any money saving tips would be fab

I'm sitting on the sofa with a cuppa while O naps in his cot. First time in 8 fucking months!

No weather change here, it's 40 degrees still.

chasing cloth nappies and wipes. Coupons. Cook from scratch. Veg and fruits from market. Batch cook and freeze. Meat once a week. Compare utility suppliers. No sky or virgin, only watch free view, subscribe to lovefilm instant instead. Walk, don't use public transport. Hotukdeals for presents.switch off everything before you leave the house, unplug if you don't have a switch. My electricity bill was £8 a month for a one bed flat bec nothing was on standby. If you need to use the oven, cook more things at the same time to make it worth while.

Oh and debrand. Check out some threads and buy supermarket value things. I can recommend a couple of things such as chopped tomatoes, frozen vegetables, etc.

stunt you tease!

Anyone else got a screamer? LO has just realised how fun it is to scream, just for the hell of it. DD1 joins in. It's horrible. I hope the neighbours don't think I'm up to child torture.

DD1 is being a PITA. I can't wait for the nursery workers to teach her some discipline (great mum eh?) because i am at my wits end with her. No means nothing to her other than carry on, see how much mummy will take. She plays with the dog's food and water, throws her and the dog's toys over the fence next door, just out of reach so every evening I have to go round and ask for them back, and deliberately wakes LO from her naps. That plus losing her temper if LO goes too close and either throwing stuff at or hitting her sister and believe me the creche won't be happening a moment too soon.

Naughty step (chair in our case)? Just walks away. Sent to bed? Jsut comes running straight out again (literally as I type she has just done that). Banning sweets/ toys? Couldn't give a flying fuck. Lots of one on one time and she's lovely. But the minute it is over she starts up again.

If I raise my voice she laughs. If I speak quietly she ignores me.

I love her very munch but these last few days I don't like her very much. I know what the trouble is. She is bored, and lonely, and needs some social interaction that involves other kids or, at least, other people, away from her sister. She is sick of being kept inside, but is so naughty when out with LO too that I can't take them both anywhere on my own. If I take her out just me and her she is an angel.

I give her masses of quality time - as soon as LO is asleep or playing quietly I am with DD1, but if I need to do something else, even go to the loo, she will do something naughty, or wake her little sister up.

I am so bored of being a SAHM. I loved it when it was just me and her. Feeling bad about wishing this special time away but I am so looking forward to them being in nursery. There is nothing for me to do with them other than home based activities which DD1 will not do as long as her sister is around. The pool is shut for the summer, even if I could have handled them both there, which I can't; playgroups don't exist; there's not even a safe childbased activity place. No open farms or even playgrounds that are suitable for under threes. And even those playgrounds aren't enclosed properly. I have a season pass to a local zoo but I can't handle them both on my own. DD1 misbehaves too much when I try. Plus it is too hot to go.

Fed. Up.

That's brilliant, thanks Lily. I got a letter the other day saying I am entitled to Healthy Start vouchers equivalent to £6.20 a week which I can spend on milk, fruit and veg. Me and Oscar will be eating the same thing at mealtimes to save cooking more than one meal. Am planning to do a Costco shop once a month for meat and fish. Luckily my flat has a big fridge/freezer.

Chasing agree with everything lily has said. We are on a massive money-saving spree this month. Batch cooking with reduced food and making/freezing several meals has saved us a fortune alone. We tried the cloth nappy thing but it really wasn't for us, but shop around on nappies. I bought Tesco's own ones when they had a baby event on - month's supply for £15 and so far no leaks. Scrapped the sky in favour of freeview and Netflix. Having orange mobile and broadband has worked out very cheaply comparatively too. No short journeys in the car. In fact, no journeys if can be helped in the car. And now I am on a MASSIVE shop around for cheap car insurance .

Stunt I want to know your news!!

Pass have a look at the IP address settings - I got a geek to sort mine as my outlook mail had a silly extension thingy. Wait, your a computing teacher? Ignore me.

We had friends round last night. M graced us with her presence until 11.30pm. And just to make sure we couldn't possibly have a lie in, decided 5am was when she was starting the day. AND I have a hangover after 2 glasses of wine

lily you are fab

chasing my friend writes this blog, she is an amazing budgeter and great at making meals stretch. She managed to save up for a holiday by saving on her food shops last year. no running in the kitchen

We have stopped Skye for when we move and we will do free view and Love Film

Oliver has started not going to bed at night till 9 pm. His daytime naps are limited to no more than 2-3 hours a day but since Thurs he just kicks up a stink at bedtime. Once he is back up he is no trouble tbh, he just scoots around on the living room floor and we get on with whatever we were doing, but I am concerned it is becoming a habit. I am all my children have gone to bed at 6:45 no questions. Is it the heat? Is it his snotty cold? Could it be a surprise tooth?

stunt is it nearly nap time? It must be?

It's number 4 isn't it?

Yes, Costco too. Although double check as I've found things are often cheaper when on offer in supermarkets.

Aldi nappies are fab too and cheap. Can't comment on wipes as I only used them a handful of times, I still use cloths or cotton wool and water. I don't use fabric conditioner either, no need really. And break dishwasher tablets half, believe me it works the same as using a whole. Use eBay to buy oscar's clothes, I got 44 items for £9 for O.

In the uk I used to shop in tescos and used the vouchers for flight tickets. I miss that!

Either an offer on house accepted or No. 4 I reckon

Ohhhhh pr you need a network. Maybe there are lots of other mum's where you are feeling the same. Maybe this is your niche.

Or both?

pr same here. Nothing to do. Apart from playgrounds, river and zoo. But too hot to be out even for an hour.

PR this will cure DD1!

It's not good 'big news' I'm afraid, I was at the GP today and have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine at the tender age of 37. Apparently it's common in people over the age of 45 so talk about old beyond your years. I did something to it last year, ending up on hospital with a suspected ectopic pregnancy which turned out to be 'just backache'. I think everyone, including me, thought it would get better after the pregnancy but it has got worse, I can't sit comfortably in the sofa, lie on my back to sleep, or walk easily in the morning. I'm a bit shocked tbh, I thought they were going to tell me I had a slipped disc or I needed an operation, not that I had a degenerative joint condition of old age. So I have spent a bit of time on Google wondering where to go now with diet, exercise, lumbar supports and physiotherapy.

I've been in the area for five years. Making friends has proved almost impossible, especially as I don't even know of any other mums in my village that don't work. We've moved house a few times and as is so often the case once you move village you'e out of sight and out of mind. Some old neighbours came for a bbq a few weeks ago and we just suddenly had nothing in common anymore.

I'll be fine once the kids are at nursery. We'll meet other parents there and little by little we'll fit in with the community. Maybe the fact I'm going to help some local kids with their English will help.

I'm just crap at being a SAHM. The children and me will all be happier once they are out of the house a lot more. I can't get on top of the housework now they never nap at the same time and LO is so mobile I can't just put her in her pen while the floor dries for eg. I need my personal space back, time to read a bloody book. Bdtime routine is still a fucking nightmare, because she is so fucking disobedient and makes so much noise we just give in and let her sleep with us.

I'd like to think I have PMT as I normally do when I feel as shit as this but I don't.

Besides this is a strange are for making friends. There is an MNer in a town about 100km away (so too far to pop in for coffee) who gave birth to twins last year. At the pre natal twins special class at the end she stood up and suggested they all exchange email addresses and phone numbers as they were all due with twins at about the same time. Not one person did it. She felt like a right wally. In this area you have the people who have been here forever and have their own network, then you have the newcomers like us. Most of us work in banking and finance (so dull socially) and anyway they make their friends via work. I work in a team of three, and i don't think I'll be seeing either of my co workers socially any time soon.

There are expat mum and baby groups up in Luxembourg but, ok, it's only 20 miles away, but getting there will be a nightmare. With the traffic it'll take ages and anyway, I did the whole expat scene in Paris and quite honestly it is extremely dull. They are all trailing spouses of bankers or EU people if they remain SAHMs. Everyone else goes back to work.

Nevermind, in a few weeks things will get easier. Just got to get past the heatwave.

stunt that must have been a shock to hear that. I'm due to go for xrays on my wrists as my GP things I am showing signs of arthritis. It's a horrible thought isn't it. I also know what it is like to live with chronic back pain - also horrible.

Nothing to suggest I guess except to research the facts, and try and work out some support as needed. though.

Oh Stunt I am so sorry x hopefully your Google search will come up with something helpful.

PR I have similar problems with DD2 and dread going out with all three on my own as she bolts. She is over 3 now and I was hoping she would be a bit better. She is an angel at Nursery though.

Stunt sorry to hear that :( What did the GP say to you? Can they offer treatment etc?

Good idea to google and get some information. You have to be pro-active these days, sadly.

Yes a lot of things you have said about your DD2 have resonated VQ

I just assume when she is in nursery full time in the evenings she'll be knackered and weekends are always easier as we are both here so can either all go out together or take her out and about separately.