Start your runners (talk) and your new jars of Jam, 'tis the season-almost.

[Vagolajahooli]

Here we are ladies, time for all that talk of christmas table runners and chrissie deccy colour combos. And will we be getting some new Jam in this thread! Maybe not quite.

Forgot to say Arti that is a cracking nights sleep! Well done DH, is he doing it again?

RT I was about to say hmmm not sure about stopping feeds overnight as still little but if DH is willing to put that much effort in than I think it is definitely worth a go. Well done to Mr.Arti.

Jam dh announced last night that we were getting another tablet and I was also a bit . But actually his arguments were fair enough as we are using them like laptops and like Rubes to control stuff in the house and will be doing more of that. Plus he can buy it through his company so a bit cheaper. Deids see if you can take the tablets out and charge them up and use them first. We bought some cheap ones last year for the boys to use on the long drive to Austria for Christmas last year. It was about 30 minutes into the long drive to Austria that we discovered one didn't workasit's battery wouldn't charge properly. We were able to return it. But then just outside the 30 day return period the other one did it too.

Yeah we've had a play on them already vag. They are pretty good for the price. They'll certainly do for the DC's.

Man I feel rough. Need to tidy the garden. I hope the fresh air will help me.

wow arti!
He is still little but I guess if he really was hungry then he wouldn't settle for dh and you really wouldn't have slept through it. so of it works and gets him settling between feeds again then that's fab.

ds2 is still selling for dh at night and is improving. He has even fallen asleep in his own bed a couple of times . He still quite likes a feed around 4 or 5am though and then dh pops him back in bed.

I got a Wii off eBay for the dc for Christmas. ds1 especially is feeling behind his mates on the tech front. But I don't want stuff they will play too much on alone so went for something the family can play.

I have this fancy new phone too so I'm going to sort out my old handset with some suitable games and then disconnect from the wifi and let them have that.

The Battle of Christmas had begun with who we see when and trying to prise dds birthday presents of people so she can have them on her day and not get handed both Christmas and birthday ones on boxing day.

love Christmas but could do without the stress. .

Turns out DH had a god awful night with DS awake from 11-2.30 then 4-5. I think he might have a sleep problem because even when I feed him he refuses to settle and is just awake loads in the night. He is six months now so not so tiny Veg, at least not so tiny as to justify the terrible sleeping he displays. He was a pretty great sleeper for the first 10 weeks of his life. I'm not sure what has happened.

Sorry to go on about sleep but I just wanted to add that he happily goes down into his cot wide awake at bedtime and puts himself to sleep. Once my other two could do that they also put themselves back to sleep after night wakings. DS just won't. I'm mystified.

Well done Mr Article! Hope you get another turn at sleeping

Hope you feel better soon Deids. Have some OJ with salt in it if you can bear it, or a barocca in lucozade, or if all else fails a Bloody Mary will sort you out! Sorry about the foot. For what it's worth, I felt my leg was an AGE off getting better then sort made a massive improvement almost overnight. Different though I guess as I'd been doing strengthening closed chain stuff at the gym which you can't really do, but nice job with the swimming

Hons - yes regarding stockings, "they are in the loft" I'm filling them myself and then she can just deliver the stuff she has at some point if she so desires or bring it Christmas day. I'm going pick what I want to go in from her pile (if anything) take out the chocolate, and then the rest of her things bought for their stockings (without consulting me again) can be little presents under the tree from Santa.
Another issue I have is DH works like a b and we barely get time to see him these days, and this weekend is the first in many he's off - right on time the email arrives last night from mil "are you around at the weekend"...... I'm so fed up of finally getting a weekend with dh and the kids, then mil wants to be here too. The answer is going to be "no, we are not" I just need a weekend with my immediate family please! DH slept until 930 so better get off here and carry that out then!

Sounds like you are making progress with your DS Indith. Good on your DH.

Looks like I'm the only mean mummy who won't buy a tablet/console etc. maybe I should relent but I'm such a screen addict and I don't want the girls to be like me!

Oh, cross posted Arti - strong coffee for MrA, and let's welcome him into your world! Eeek, hope you get it sorted, are you calling in the pro's then? Can the AP get up?

I'm a screen addict too Arti, mine are doomed.

RT it has taken me a while before giving in to the technology! Ds1 will be 7 in Jan.

I think I've been mulling it over for a while. A bit ago we did a fab summer activity thing that was a couple of days a week for the summer holidays. It was run by an artist who did animation (wallace and grommet style with plasticine) and he got the kids to make models and then to animate them using the computer. He also had a couple of ipods and things with apps to maniplulate images so they took photos and did cool stuff with them. Ds1 especially loved it and got a lot out of it so I guess I can see what technology can bring and how being familiar with it can be a good thing.

So I have the wii because I'm hoping it will stop him from begging for a ds. And I will pop stuff I consider suitable, mainly stuff to have fun with images and some learning games on the old phone. I feel more comfortable with that that I do letting them play wiht current phone or my computer because I know I can disconnect from internet and they will be totally safe from stumbling upon anything unsuitable and they won't be able to accidentally buy anything!

Sorry Dh had a crap time at night. It was however the first night of doing it!

Being able to settle himself is great even if he only does it at bedtime.

How about you agree that you feed around 11pm and 4/5am but that at waking between that dh settles him? That is a reasonable amount of feeds for his age, you will know in yourself that he isn't hungry and your dh can work on getting him resettling between feeds.

He was only poorly pretty recently too and that can stuff up sleep for a long time. Plus some babies are just like that. So many things could be disrupting his sleep, growth spurts, developmental stuff. Lots of things make their brains buzz and stop them form being able to resettle. He will get there eventually. It just sucks getting there.

You know at 4 months ds2 was dropping off to sleep after a feed all by himself at night and only really waking a couple of times for feeds. He was doing nice 4-5 hour stretches and I thought he would be like ds1 and sleeping 13 hours a night by 6 months.

Ha bloody ha.

A couple of nights ago was the first time he had ever settled himself since then. He is 19 months.

And we are only just now returning to 4-5 hour stretches.

But on a positive note having a cold and stuff isn't ruining any progress the way it used to, he is getting more into sleeping things off.

Busy weekend this weekend. More stuff to tick off the to do list (I have to make lists with things like tidy garden for the winter as dh seems to think the faries will do it), family film night tonight, I promised ds1 we'd go look at shelves for his bedroom, then tomorrow ds1 is playing rugby in Sunderland, I have to take dd to training in Durham and entertain ds2 during it, dd has a birthday party in the afternoon, ds1 is buying some second hand playmobil with his pocket money so needs to go pick that up, dh wants to go rowing at some point. Oh and I have shed loads of uni work. Which is why I'm on MN of course . Plus usual house is a shit tip, laundry, ironing etc.

Not all Arti I think if it is something you want to stick to for whatever reason then stick too it. We are such an IT household because of DH but I make sure reading gets forced into their lives over the screens. At the moment dS1 can't get enough of books and DS2 still loves being read to and just looking at books. But I think at the moment they have a healthy relationship with the IT stuff. DH is building a server for their mine craft worlds and he is involving the boys in that. He is also going to start teaching DS1 simple programing. So we are trying to balance the screens with a bit of education. The only thing I harp on with the boys is that they sit up properly and engage their abs when they are playing. I've looked after a lot of teenagers with poor posture and crap muscle tone from too much gaming and sitting badly,

Indith, we use the Wii all together. But I find the boys mostly use it when their friends come over. Contra to my initial belief about video games, they are actually quite social. The kids have to work together in games like phineas & ferb and there is a lot of histerical laughing.

Do agree with you Vag. Although we also have all the tech. Reading a book and playing lego are by far the most popular in our house. I think you can strike a healthy balance. I allow them to play on our old ipad when we are stuck in the car at various after school clubs and when we travel. It rarely gets used otherwise. They do also use ipads at school every day as part of their lessons. Its the way things are going for the future of our children. I dont think not letting them or restricting access would have a detrimental result. Everyone should do what they feel is best for their children. Thats just parenting isnt it?

Arti well at least DH has a bit more of an idea of how you are feeling. I would be secretly delighted at the huge sleep I had.

Fun morning. Baby had not moved since last night except in extreme pushing of tummy and then not much just a nudge really. So went up to the birthing centre to be monitored for half an hr. Of course the second they put the trace on he was all over the place. The consensus of the midwife was that energetic dancing at the school disco was prob to blame.

Off to pick up DH this arvo after DS1 has his karate grading. I have even ironed his Gi for him.

Right really must crack on.

Happy Saturday all.

Much better half an hour on the monitor to make sure than ignoring it.

I die a little inside when someone rings up having not felt the baby move for well over a day.

Jam, DD did that. I had a morning of her hardly moving so I went into the hospital. Where she started breakdancing as soon as the monitor went on. Felt like a right idiot

Back from swimming lessons with ds. now an afternoon of cycling. I'm gonna freeze! Fire side pub meal at the end I hope
Yes ds also enjoying his reading and writing thankfully as he's huge on the ipad / computers and actually his teacher was quite surprised at that as she said he doesn't scramble to one when it's computer stuff time at school. I actually caught him using the phonics app unprompted the other day and showing his sister so good balance here. Right. Better get cycle ready

Today is going so well. DS2 karate grading has really over run. DH flight has landed an hr early. He is now having to get the train home.

Is it bedtime yet??

We're not getting any tablets or anything for Xmas or birthdays either. They play with mine enough as it is.

DD3 also turning not hell child at the moment. My back is aching from carting her around as she won't be put down. Hoping its the jabs making her grumpy!

Sorry, interrupted by DH! Jam, I think you we're definitely sensible to go to be checked. Far better safe than sorry.

I got checked at about 30 weeks as I had pink on loo roll when I wiped after a wee. That's when they found I had Group B Strep, but forgot to tell me til the day before I had DD3 and discovered I couldn't have a home birth. Not that I minded as I'd forgotten how messy the whole thing is!

Jam, Tuesdays good for me xx

Back to back pub meals. Celebrating dh being home more than 10 hours in a row.
Love British pubs

Up from 1am-5am with various puking and pooing daughters. All of them! DH left for work at 7.20 and I barely heard him. Luckily the earliest waker was the youngest at 8.20, so I got a bit of sleep. DD1 up at 9.00 and DD2 up at 10.30!!! Very tired, sickly girls. DD1 was sick again at 9.30, but nothing from either since and both on good form. DD3 pooing like a trooper, but seems to be ok now. Phew!

I am very excited about bedtime tonight...

What's news with you lot? Rubes, I love your pub meals. How very sensible.

Did everyone have a good weekend? I definitely did amped am feeling quite refreshed by it, despite the crap night last night!

Oh no Beans how rubbish. Do you want to do lunch next Tues instead?

We too did the pub lunch yesterday was fab.

Next Tuesday would be great if you're up to it?? X

Sorry about nighttime dd activity in bean household. Hope a long peaceful night ahead awaits.

Nice weekend. Barely cooked. A pub meal each day. Nice though as dh hasn't had full weekend off forever. I am not piss fit anymore. 1 glass of straight to head. Thought it must be coming down off hormones. Dh says more likely getting fitter - less tolerant. Pleased.

Reception reading workshop today. Mufti day tomorrow. Wow reception is busy.

mmmm pub lunch.

Sorry about the vomit and poo beans. Hope better tonight.

ds2 who was doing so nicely on sleep is pooing constantly, had a sore red bum and isn't sleeping. Ho hum. guessing molars though no sign yet but poo and red arse are good indicators!

went to try to buy bras today and failed. current ones too big though. down side of night weaning

need a couple of hours in Newcastle to do bravissimo and a few other shops for more clothes. went to metro Centre, big shopping centre combined with retail Park place of doom on the way from uni today. Was hell then got caught in rush hour traffic. Not my idea of a nice place to shop. Some uni work to do. Need dh to get the baby to sleep so I can go down and work where it is warm.