October 2011 - we can hardly believe its true, our babies are turning two!!

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Hi!

Hope you don't mind me starting a new thread as once again, birthday season has begun and the first of our October babies are turning 2! Would be lovely to hear from everyone past and present
Ill try copy over all the stats again when I'm next on the laptop.

Hope everyone is well :)

Ah of course you are going to NZ Tallulah Enjoy ! A holiday in a camper van sounds so cool. I got another sticker yesterday for a "good poo poo" too

Pene I am waiting for the overnight accident though. She often sleeps naked from the waist down (her choice, I don't understand!) Do you mean when to take them swimming? I am sure it was about 6 weeks when I took P.

Engels January is bloody miserable, pre-sprogs DH and I always used to go on hols in January as it was something to look forward to. The weather is atrocious this month too. Belated party sounds like a good idea, will the weather be better then ?

I decided that February was going to be the start of my healthiness - except that when 1st Feb came I actually forgot ! Feeling very fed up that after P was born she seemed to suck all the fat out of me feeding and my jeans were baggy, just got my jeans out of the loft and I can't even get some of them over my bum :( I have never felt I had a big bum but now I definitely have more than a muffin top (more a full cake top) and I am sure I am wider than before (no idea if this is possible). Conclusion I now have the bottom half of Princess Eugenie when she was photographed in a bikini - this is not a good look < no offence to Eugenie think she may be skinnier now > I can't understand how the weight can disappear last time and not this time

Thankfully no "why" here Straw, just lots of "what you doing"? (500 times per day)

Killa I don't find it particularly easy (sorry), it is definitely getting better but I think my main problems initially were that I was not used to be off work with P at her current level of interaction/needing to do stuff (whilst then having a newborn as well) iykwim. So when people said to me it's hard they didn't really explain themselves so I didn't really understand.

As long as I get snacks cut up and put in the change bag for the next day, I know what P is having for lunch and what we are doing for the day, e.g. tomorrow it's either Playgroup or Toddler Gardening in the morning, then the afternoon we are putting fat balls for nest material around the garden for the birds. Then I can usually cope. I also learnt that she has to go in the shower and get dressed basically as soon as she is up at about 7am otherwise she will kick off (one day she still had no clothes on by 10.30am). I feel I do not really speak much to M during P's non-nursery days :( he does get interaction but nothing like P did when she was newborn.

As long as I knew what we have planned and as much stuff ready as possible (pram in car, clothes out etc and I have had a shower before she wakes then it's fine), otherwise I have had to change my thinking so not be bothered if we miss something because she was not ready. We had a few shouting matches and a particularly bad day where they both cried all day and I text DH to ask if he could have the afternoon off ! :(

Sorry this probably all sounds really negative I feel a lot happier about it now and have stopped the shouting so have to be super organised in advance

Cheshire don't be sorry, you're the first person who's actually given me practical advice! Any other tips very much appreciated!

Happy Valentines day everyone

Your post resonated with me cheshire! I am finding things fine now Lily is finally in a wee bit of a routine, but at first, was trickier. I try and do what you do as well in terms of prep in the evenings, as it does make a difference. My main tip is to relax expectations for yourself killa - I had a strict no TV before 4pm rule and life got much easier when I decided it didn't matter anymore. I also find that going out every morning works well as otherwise A gets bored and listless and naughty- he's fine to be home all afternoon, but not the morning.

I feel like I don't pay enough attention to L either, which makes me feel very lucky that A still is in nursery about 15 hours a week so we can do some things together

How is everyone? W has become a proper little chatterbox (and is still why-ing arrrggghhh) his best friend (and her mum) came round on Wednesday and it was lovely to see him properly play I don't see much of it a nursery past the charge for the door they all do when someone arrives . Her mum is lovely too so I hope I'm on the way to a new RL friend as well

I'm good strawb. M is chattering away and pretending to be a million types of animal everyday. Heading into hospital Tuesday to have lump on his tongue removed so have to keep him entertained and contained for whole day at hospital until he gets discharged - curious to see how it goes.

Disney double bill in our house today. I am the laziest mum ever!

Great that its finally getting sorted eng hope it goes well. We find pre loading the iPad/phone with favourite TV program's helps and snacks if he's allowed them. Is it done under general or local? I'm guessing general because of his age so the snacks will probably only be useful for after.
In my experience children's wards tend to have a reasonable if tatty collection of books and toys for distraction purposes too.

How did M's lump removal go eng?

Hi strawb sorry didn't see your pre-op message and just got back from UK (an wi-fi less hotel!).

Op went fine. He was quite distressed when he came round from the general anaesthetic - trying to rip out his IV and sensor - but calmed down when they took it out. He refused to sit on the bed being wheeled to and from theatre though so I had to carry him (and he's bloody heavy now!).

He was eating fine after (probably because tongue was still numb) and they put Thomas the Tank Engine on for him.

But I ended up home with him on Wednesday as well. His tongue was really swollen so it hurt to eat and he couldn't talk properly, and he didn't understand why so was doing a lot of crying. have to go back in 2 weeks for check up and results (they should analyse lump)

Just got back from a weekend in England. My mum and dad tok M to the zoo on Saturday so DH hung out with my BIL and I went up to London with Dsis to the theatre. Bliss! Have decided we have to do this more often! My mum loved having M and I finally got to feel like a grown up again!

Plus, my mum managed to get M to do a poo on the potty, and he did it again today. Am going to sit him on it whenever I can.

Also going to try and see how putting him back in his own bed goes this week (since I'm on half term).

Watching Peter Pan right now since he has a PP costume to wear to nursery tomorrow (it's Caranaval here so lots of parades and dressing up and drinking )

How is everyone?

Glad it went well eng you must be relieved to have it sorted too. Yay for the potty training too, we've not started yet!

W is fine, growing again and is a real chatterbox now, I live being able to have proper conversations with him. Our cat is really ill at the moment though, we're back at the vets for the fourth time in a week tonight and its getting to the stage where I'm honestly not sure if she's going to pull through.

Sorry to hear about your cat

M seems to have decided that all children speak Dutch. We went to a friend who has a DD the same age as him and he only spoke Dutch to her, and di the same at the zoo with my DPs on saturday (and would then switch straight to English with adults).

Also had some funny translations. He told us he saw meerpoesjes - whihc literally translates as "more pussy"! Logically translating Meerkat (Stokstaartjes in Dutch...not quite so easy!). Then when we told him that Mama says Meerkat and Papa says Stokstaartje, he kept saying "Papa more pussy" which had us in stitches in the car.

Thanks eng she's overnighting at the vets at the moment.

At all children speaking Dutch and the weird translations.

That trip to the theatre in London sounds fab engels! I am on the look out for things to make me feel more grown up as well.

Things are good here but it's getting cold, boo. Am half way through my year off and already wondering where it's gone, although baby L is looking so much more robust now and can even sit for short periods which is neat.

Strawb I know what you mean about real conversations, it's neat eh? Although most of ours at present are about things being scary. i.e. everything. We're working on that one though!

Oooops, signed in under my "other" name that I use sometimes when I don't want to be outed in RL - epic username change fail lol!

It's amazing the difference just one day can make. I stayed over at a friend's a few weeks ago for her birthday party. Even just the train ride (an hour each way) on my own, able to read and drink posh coffee made me feel grown up and free. We're probably going back again in April and July and am going to make the same arrangement and hopefully get tickets for the Globe. DH isn't really a fan of the theatre. He thinks it's overpriced (it is!) and west end seats are not made for 2 metres tall Dutch men.

Spring is on the way here. Still nippy (they keep saying we're going to get snow but haven't seen any yet) but lighter in the mornings and evenings and my daffodils have shot up (but not open yet like the ones we saw in Kent at the weekend).

M's imagination is going wild - he thinks he's an animal. I'm desperate to gget some dressing-up outfits. Wanted to get a Gruffalo costume for carnaval but DH vetoed. I think he was shoehorned into one too many embarrassing costumes as a kid and is taking it out on M!

Okay, lots of marking to get done on my childfree day today Once it's done I can enjoy the rest of my holiday, so too-do-loo!

Hi all (scheh here) just popping in to say hi, i'm still about! 13 weeks today. I made C a gruffalo costume for book day, my first ever go on the sewing machine!

Not bothering with potty training yet as am taking C on holiday in a week, so wanted to wait until that was over at least.

Twos 13 weeks? Are you pregnant? [Smile]

Engels i love the theatre but yes it is SO expensive - never surprises me that most theatregoers are of the retired early over 50 type !
Glad the op went okay, must be so frightening for them to be in hospital.

Incidentally am i the only person who has not had a night away from their toddler (and whose toddler has never stayed over elsewhere without us) ? It's not deliberate she hasn't but i feel like a right saddo now

DH is putting up P's.new wendy house in the garden tomorrow i am.very excited and hoping for sun. I have been getting her very excited about it, that and our holiday to Wales in a caravan (poor child).

DH and i have decided to try for No3, although as M is feeding every hour over night i cant see it turning up

strawbs how is your cat now, i hope she's okay

ips how is baby D doing ?

High 5 for the poo on the potty engels

Great news scheh . we are just starting ttc again.

#3 chesh I don't think I'll get DH past 2!

I have spent 6 nights away from M and for all of those he was with DH.

Little devilwas kicking me in the head this morning.

We're spending the day outside too chesh - DH is emptying the trailer at the dump as he sorts out the garage. I'm going to weed, dig out an old prickly shrub and spruce everything up. I need some sunshine (and it's a beautiful day here already).

Cat is much better thanks chesh she's pretty much back to her old self again, the vets think the confusing symptoms were because she had a big that the antibiotics they put her on cleared up but she then reacted badly to the antibiotics. Still she's all better and home where she belongs (although I'm very glad we've got pet insurance!)

DH and I have had one night away from W and MIL stayed in our house with him. (and I suppose technically a second where he was in PHDU after his head op and we weren't allowed to sleep there but I don't think it really counts.)

Fx for those of you ttc and glad things are going well sch we are waiting a bit longer before trying for no2 as we can't really afford full time nursery fees for 2!

I am! Keeping it quiet until after the scan next week. Going into it prepared this time, no breast feeding (maybe a couple of weeks) and straight onto meds.

A friend picked me up in her car today, I vomited twice, had to get her to pull the car over!!

Cheshire 3! not sure I'm that brave this pregnancy is harder on my body than the last) although feel better in myself IYSWIM.

Scheh hope scan goes well.

Pen we're just having the first of our spring days here, feels like it's been such a long time coming. I'm glad this LO will be born at the start of the summer.

Good news on cat Strawberry

Engels we had a night out in London last weekend and it was so lovely to have a meal out and cinema. It doesn't have to be often to make a difference I think.

I'm 29wks pregnant now in longest pg ever and feel huge. Not sure how big I'll be by the end and think this one will be bigger than E so am panicking about the birth a bit.

Glad pg is going well killa

Good luck with scan scehe.

good to hear cat is okay strawb.

If everything goes to plan we'll have another winter baby. DH reminded me how much I hate having a birthday mid-winter, but there's no way I'm waiting to ttc after the last 8 months (and I reminded him that his birthday is in the middle of summer and he hates it too...so looks like our children will inherit our pessimistic personalities! ).

M is having major sleep issues. As well as coming into our room he's now wide awake at 5am

I've been away from A three times, all for work trips, so I wasn't terribly happy about it! Had it been for fun though I wouldn't have minded so much DH and I are already throwing out the hints to the grandparents for a week of babysitting for our 10 year anniversary in 3 years. Yup a while away, but still ...

Scheh hope all goes well, exciting you're having a second!

engels you should just come back Down Under for your birthday, then it won't be midwinter!

Killa I found #2 much harder on my body too, hope it's not too hard going though!

cheshire am impressed you're thinking #3 already! I'd like a third I think but DH isn't so keen, so we've agreed to park the issue until they'd be a 3 year age gap between Baby L and the new one, so a couple more years. We'll see. I might change my mind once the reality of being a working mum to 2 sets in later this year (am off until Sept)

I reckon in a few years M will be old enough for us to park him at my parents's and then for us to have a weekend away (in England of course!). I don't think my ILs could cope with him, and atm with sleep issues it's not a realistic option.

Had a lovely birthday in NZ when I was travelling pen . Waved (now) DH off at the airport for his flight back to Europe then spent the day at Mission Bay, lunch on the quayside and up the Sky tower to round off the evening.

M has been driving me crazy! He is pushing the boundaries big time, and I know it's because he's bored and wants someone to play with. Wondering what to do today. Back to work romorrow after half term so could take the opportunity to take him out on bike in national park or to the zoo (he went to the zoo with my parents when we were in England and all I've heard for the last week is, "Go and see the animals?")