Dec 2011: The one where they sit on potatoes. And turn TWO!

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

New fred! Roll up roll up, potty adventures and birthdays galore!

Constipation wise, You can buy at least two things over the counter that can work well: one is laculose syrup (give 5 ml twice a day with plenty of drinks) and Paediatric Movicol sachets (starter dose one twice daily but your GP may advise more: it does have to be the kiddy specific version of movicol though as the adult version has much more salt in it) talk to your friendly local pharmacist about it.
I find prunes are v easy to get into the DC as they are so sweet and if they have several they will steal loads given half the chance it's very good at getting things moving!

Yes to prunes. At that age for DS I used to steep a few tinned prunes in boiling water for a few minutes, let it cool down and let him drink it. Always worked.

Miserable DCs here again, and I've ignored the housework and made mince pies.

Prunes never work for Minimopsy. But lactulose does after a few days.

It's DS birthday tomorrow, but he'll be at nursery and DH will be at work, so we pretended it was today instead. Went to park this morning then opened presents this afternoon and had family birthday tea. He amazed me by spending lots of time carefully playing with each thing as he opened it, before moving on to the next present. DD always rips presents open, looks at it for a nanosecond, then moves on!

My sister made DS another of her amazing cakes, a digger. I'll put photos on facebook once they're on the computer

Happy bday faffin jnr

We had a little fake party for DS yesterday and took him to panto I love him up here with my family he's so happy and loves my niece (she's 7mo older). My mum bought him a talking jessie doll from toy story he was so excited then she managed to cut through the pull cord while trying to get her out the box. We were rolling around laughing her face was a picture poor DS needs a new one today we going to pretend it broke .......I'm not going in with her to replace it as I will crack up again. Took him to panto last night he fell asleep in the car on way I carried him from car, we had his coat off and he still slept thru first 20 minutes. He was brilliant he laughed, waved, danced and held hands with niece.
Was v impressed.

Y'see woman, all that gin's getting to you, you really need to hand it over to the thread, clear your mind!! Chinchillas are indeed small, rodenty things of varying colours, looking like a cross between a squirrel, mouse and rabbit, and the most lux fur in the animal kingdom. We currently have three, one with said poorly foot.

When your message came up in the preview figgy, it just said 'I've lost my voice and my right eye', which made me do the mother of all . I know winter can be vicious in Scotland, but really... How're you doing now? Sounds like you're having fun despite any illness.

We're the same aethel, having avoided anything grim so far, DS is now snotty, and does the wonderful coughing full in your face thing and accidentally wiping the snot all over clothes/sofa, so I'm just waiting for the germs to strike, just in time for Xmas, gah.

Fairly knackered here, DS woke half three, settled in bed with me by about half four, and then work half five/six ish. Am looking forward to dinner and bed, the glamour. Need to start planning this week out in terms of jobs as we've got to get ready and packed for a week away, and only have Tues, Weds and Thursday to do so.

northern other than bronchiolitis at 5 weeks this is the first time DD1 has been poorly. She's almost better now but the only other person who caught it was DD2 so it is possible to avoid it, we had snot everywhere plus full-on-in-face coughing.

We haven't talked about Christmas much on here, who's ready? It's 8 days away people!

We have a real tree covered in real home-made craft, tinsel and many non matching baubles. The DC love it

This year's splash out were colour/changing "jumbo" (4cm!!) outdoor Christmas lights in a string. They are hypnotic and well worth the £25 we paid for them. Ican sometimes be found sitting by the window staaaaaring at the pretty lights....

I have done three "big" shops to get supplies but in my defence this includes bottles for school teachers and a mound of chocolate for nursery...and many many snacks/nibbles/deli for visiting relatives...

We are almost ready for Christmas. Most of the presents are bought and wrapped. We're staying with family so no food shopping to do (yeay!) but we'll pick up some wine at some point this week. We have no tree or decorations, since it would have been up for a week, then we go away for two weeks, and then it would come down. I feel a bit grinch like about it, but am sure my inlaws will have tinselled everything that isn't nailed down at their house.

Have bought a peppa cake for DS to take to nursery on Thurs. I'm having unreasonable thoughts about his birthday at the minute. We're doing it on boxing day, rather than on the actual day. My folks, DH's parents and us are just having a little tea party and cake at my inlaws house. Except now my BIL and his wife and baby are coming up on boxing day too. And want us to wait to do cake unti lthey get here, which wont be until late afternoon/early evening. And can we do present opening then as well, since they will need to exchange Christmas presents etc. the entire point of doing it on boxing day was so that it isn't totally overshadowed by Christmas. So no, actually we wont be waiting to do cake and presents until dinner time. AIBU to not want to exchange Christmas presents until after DS has had a couple of hours of his presents and just 'birthday-ness'? I don't know if I'm being all PFB about this, but I can see it happening every single year and I'm already fucked off that they have bought him a joint Christmas and Birthday gift.

In other news, a much bigger child bit DS at soft play yesterday. The poor mum was mortified and the kid got a proper telling off 'get your shoes and coat we are GOING HOME RIGHT NOW!' style. DS is fine, but it did leave a bruise. And now he is regaling everyone with tales of how 'bigger boy bit fingers!'

Those that are travelling - just been given the best tip: pack all your clothes into those vacum bags! The car is going to be choka with stuff, and this will save loads of room in suitcases/bags!

hop no, you're not being unreasonable at all. Of course you want DS to have a nice birthday too, and every child deserves to have that special day that's all about them!

I'm sort of ready for Christmas. Presents all bought and wrapped, and house decorated, but we still don't know if we'll have a kitchen we can use or not. We know it won't be completely finished, but may be finished enough that we can use it and have Christmas here. If not we'll go to my mum's. For that reason she's currently done most of the food shopping and put stuff in her freezer. I'll then send DH late night shopping for veg etc. next mon

Not at all unreasonable Hop. Makes perfect sense to me.
(Btw - have a little gift for your LO so we'll have to figure out a meet up or a suitable time to drop it off.)
Boi has been sent home from the cm. temp and bad cough. I know about the full on in yer face coughs. Especially after last night when he kept us both awake... Yawn! Poor lamb! :(
Am semi ready for Xmas. Still lots to do. Better get on!

Oi thanks very much!

When co-sleeping, does anyone else's LO do that thing where they get so close to your face that it feels like they are practically breathing into your mouth all night? Grim.

Yes hop and how can my beautiful tiny little child have such stinky breath in the morning?! It seems all wrong!

We have (teeny tiny) tree up plus pressies wrapped. But will have to brave the big food shop this weekend. Yuck.

Since we've stopped the day time nap DS has started sleeping in longer in the morning, and waking up happy and singing (previously he was a right grump in the morning). He will still sleep for about 20 minutes in the afternoon but wants to be in the sling, or the car for that. I don't mind, making the most of slingy cuddles while he will still let me.

Glad to here I'm not being unreasonable. When DH told me about the gift I got really and he said 'but it's a really expensive gift'. And I just feel like, that was their choice! He's going to be 2, he would be just as happy with a bottle of bubbles or a football FFS. He isn't going to care that they have spent £££ on a present.

Think I just need to get over it though, as it looks like it's happening anyway.

Two suggestions hop: one, specifically ask the relatives to wrap up a "seperate" birthday present, tell them a £1 teddy or squeaky dog toy from the pound shop is fine, but you really want him to have two things. (This actually won't matter to him this year, but ask nicely and say it matters to you, then they can choose two medium gifts next year or a big and a small again.

Two: you could do what my boxing day cousin did and have a "queens birthday": on the 26th June! This means when he is bigger he can have a "summer birthday", it's during term time so his schoolfriends will all be able to make his party (as opposed to xmas hols when many will be away: my DD2 also has this issue being late August). It means his "big" presents get spaced out too. Of course you may feel you don't like this but it worked brilliantly for my relative! ( does mean a lot of home made cards...)

Anyway,put your foot down gently and do Christmas things the way you like: it's not all about your in-laws!

Hop we never co-sleep he has his bed and we have ours but yes the breath is grim in the mornings. Also totally not unreasonable on the bday front it must be really hard having it on xmas day i have some friends who are xmas eve and xmas day and it was hard. DS is 22nd and DH keeos saying we should do things in June but dont want to as it isnt his bday!!

Xmas day we are going to PIL so no cooking or shopping for us, cards were done last week, some presents are wrapped will do more on Saturday, have to make Reindeer dust for his party bags on Sunday on Sat too. Having been with him when he opened his fake bday pressie with my parents this weekend i am feeling festive. Been home 4 hours and DH is in full grinch mode so that has brought me back down.

WORST OF ALL i have left my veggie haggis in my parents fridge....new year is ruined!!

figgy does DH not like chrismas or is he just being miserable? I suggest putting some Christmas music on loud to drown him out

hop good suggestions by aethel, though of course there's childish option number 3 of writing happy Christmas and birthday on their babies present label to prove a point.

Seven he's not a big Xmas fan he's Tight with presents, doesn't appreciate Xmas films or tunes either GRINCH!!

Hop - I agree with everyone else and do it your way. I can't stand the thought of a joint Xmas and birthday pressie for Sky just because her birthday is so close together.

Figgy, we are going to have a little birthday party in September time for Sky next year as 22nd is just to close to Xmas for everyone.

We are ready for Xmas, just fresh veg to buy on Monday other than that got everything. Also got a bargain for crackers today. 12 premium crackers (good bits inside) £2.99 home bargains

Hop, If they're anything like my PIL I'd throw in a casual 'ooh, that's lovely, can't wait to see his other present' and watch them squirm.

It's frustrating that DS1 isn't old enough to care about Christmas because I feel like we should be pulling out all the stops but I really cba to do anything Christmassy when they won't notice. I like the Muppets movie, It's a wonderful life, Nightmare before Christmas & Gremlins but aside from that I'd rather not have Christmas!

There should be a ban on Christmas songs unless it's the 24th or 25th...cannae listen to the radio atm without hearing Fairytale in New York.

DS2 is away until tomorrow night, I've missed him a bit but it's been lovely to just have the one again. So much easier.

Snap figgy, my DP is a bundle of stress and shouty tonight, am rather glad he's gone up to watch the football and leaving me to plan the next few days' arrangements.
Tho veggie haggis ?! There are no words.....

Glad DD1's on the mend seven, but don't jinx yourself- you and your DP will come down with the lurgy on Xmas eve.

We're Christmas-ified here: tree's been up ten days, all presents brought and wrapped, don't do cards, and Xmas CD in the machine. There are a few 'rough round the edges bits' - Amazon sent a parcel by bloody DHL and not the post, and we're trying to get it redelivered without success so far. Pretty sure it's DS's main present too .

Have sorted out food shopping with Mum, so only thing to do is (hopefully) go and enjoy myself! Have still got office do and the journey up North to go though...

Hop, there is no question that you should do DS's birthday bit first, let him have his presents and cake. I bet your inlaws wouldn't let their own child wait to enjoy their birthday on the whims of other relatives. We do the 'summer birthday' thing too, like aethel's family, 12th of June is DS's special day.
And no, I'm lucky if I get DS's bum in my face, he ferrets...the other night when I had to take him into bed in the middle of the night, he spent an hour wiggling, going through bits of the face "it's a MOWF!", and then occasionally a little hand would creep out and twiddle my nipple...and be firmly removed.
Very relaxing

DS has been a bit of a horror today, you can really tell when he's had a broken night or not slept long enough at nursery- it took DP and one of the staff together to get his shoes on, and they gave up with the coat in the end...

Figgy.....vegetable haggis...there are no words except bleurgh lol

Vegetarian haggis is all oatmeal, pulses, lentils etc they are lush!! I shall defend them for the good of my people

Veggie haggis is lovely. Nom nom nom. Tis all.