March 2013 - time to wrap them all up in tinsel

[StormyBrid]

Old thread here.

worse we're like Plonky on the timings - we keep mealtimes and milktimes separate. I spotted something in Evil Baby Whisperer that suggested around this age milk should be at the time you'd give a snack. Thinking about it, that's pretty much what we do - milk at the crack of dawn, 11am, 3pm and bedtime, food at 9am, 1pm and 5pm. It seems to work, and Fartypants is definitely in the process of reducing milk herself. Those middle two feeds, she's having about four ounces now.

How is the worselet on mush? Does she show any preferences? If we were sticking with baby led weaning we'd be getting absolutely nowhere. Savoury mushes, she'll try a mouthful then get distracted by the cat. Fruit mushes, she practically inhales. For a reduced stress option, can I suggest getting yourself to Asda? They've a hell of a range of cheap fruity mushes, and then at least you're not having to throw away purees you've spent hours lovingly creating.

Incidentally, six month old Molly may love her porridge, but all that means is that Molly's a total weirdo - porridge is vile. It's weetabix all the way round here, with mashed banana in.

eco hang in there, it does get better. How long until 37 weeks for you?

I am thanking my heathen gods we don't have crawling yet. Nappy changes with rolling are bad enough. Especially when it's a particularly horrific one.

shattered, pud, gerry and worse, how are you all this morning? It's super blowy in Norfolk so can only imagine how things are further south.

Morning all. We survived. Yay!!!! Power still on and the tree still standing. It's blowing a gale out there but nothing like last time so all is looking good.

Thanks for the link Eco, I think we need it here. Awake 2am-5am for no apparent reason other she felt like it. That said it is possible wind was involved. The other type of wind that is. Apparently parsnips are number two on the fart scale, below jerusalem artichokes but above sprouts. Above sprouts . Who knew. I wish I had because I've been putting them in the worselet's lunch for days. She loves them.

Morning all, I hope you all enjoyed Christmas.

We are at the PILs, I'm just waiting to use the shower. Having a nice (ish) time but I'm more than ready to go home! Today were off to buy a highchair as little lord fauntleroy can't keep sitting on their cold stone floor to throw his food about. Somehow they're completely flummoxed by this, and are even using the wind as an excuse not to go and buy one! As were in wrexham I can testify that it's not a patch on the ordinary Peak District weather, just a bit blowy, so I'm striking out alone to fetch one (and for the sake if my sanity).

I enjoy seeing the pils but after a couple of days in my parents company I'm rather having to stifle my yells! DS has been completely overwhelmed by Christmas, but has had some lovely gifts. Star present for us as a family goes to mil , a national trust membership. we are now officially middle class.

Worse parsnips are a chief offender here, and not just with the baby .

We have a lobster Plonky and it's tres useful.

linky

Glad you're all alright and still standing worse

plonk I am incredibly jealous of your NT membership, as I sit here giddy at the fact there is a 'This way to the Ministry of Magic' graphic on the back of my toilet.

We had a lovely Christmas. DS and 4 year old nephew were so excited and kept each other very busy all day, and DS went nuts for Christmas dinner. And then Christmas tea. And then Boxing day dinner.

Right, the small one is asleep so I think it's only right that I go and find the chocolate that DP has hidden from me...

Belated merry Christmas, all. Didn't manage to get round to posting on the day, it was all a bit too hectic! DD seems very happy with all of her new books, and of course with her array of plastic tat. She can bang bits together and make a noise, so she's over the moon.

worse sounds like you'll have quite the story to tell the worselet about her first Christmas in later years! Glad you made it through in one piece. Are we over the worst of the weather yet, or is there more to come?

Parsnips make farts? Well that explains the smells I've been producing of late. Whoops. How do you cook them to make them baby-friendly, worse? Also, if anyone knows how to cook sweet squash, please tell me? And also tell me what sweet squash is. A vegetable of some sort? DD had some in a restaurant on Christmas Eve and loved it, so I should probably invest in some, because currently she eats bugger all by way of vegetables.

My mother's been talking about if she's here next Christmas. It's progress, in that she's obviously realising it's getting to the point where my dad can't look after her any more, but it's also thoroughly depressing. I keep coming very close to tears thinking about her. In fact I'm doing it now, so will stop typing and bugger off for a fag.

We are ok thanks eco , thanks for asking.
Windy here too!( the normal type). Glad
you're ok worse. Enjoying being home
although we are getting ready for round 2
as the PILs plus SILs etc coming tmrw. DS
Was obviously pleased to be home as he
slept through rather than waking twice as he
did when we were away!!

stormy are you ok? What's going on with
your mum? Sorry if I've missed this, I
didn't realise she was poorly. You poor thing
can we help?

Happy holidays ladies, I've been eating way
too much chocolate so need to stop!

Oh stormy I think sweet squash is
Butternut squash?? You can just cut in half,
roast and scoop out the flesh.

Hello stormy. I agree with shattered on butternut. You can also peel, cut into chunks, cook with some baby stock with red lentils and carrots and cumin and then mush up a bit. I am really sorry to hear that your Mum is not in a good state; that must be a really hard thing to see. Hope the cigarette helped soothe your soul a tiny bit.

Glad our friends in the windy localities are still earth-based. It's still very blowy here. Blowy but not dangerous. Love it. We also got NT membership! Must be something in the middle class air.

Just back from city. Mistake taking baby and buggy into Fat Face and White Stuff. Awful and rammed with people like me liberal types. My DH's stepmum gave me some size 14 PJs from M and S. I was a bit because I am pretty skinny, but it was M and S so that doesn't matter does it? Just pop them back, swpa and no one knows. Well, I spoke to the assistant and she scanned them. They were last on sale in January for £4 so she suggested a) swap them for a sandwich or b) give them to someone else Also, MIL gave ecobaby some animal print jeggings. Is that wrong?

The ends my bitchiness. Bad person.

Ecobaby is asleep, the ham is boiling and DH is catching up on the final episode of Homeland. There's nothing for it. I better go and eat cake.

Oh I sound like a knob again. I didn't mean that size 14 is big I just meant that they fall off my skinny size 10 hips. As with most things (like wanting curls when you have straight hair) we often hanker for what we don't have and I for one would love some more womanly curves.

Eco I got some size 12 M&S PJs that I could swap them for, try might still be big but comfy big rather than falling off you big and yours would be comfy rather than very snug on me! You can have my curvy bits but they may not be the curvy bits you hanker after curvy bellies aren't that attractive

I am a terrible and ungrateful person. I am so very lucky that so many people bought DD presents and care about us both but I am now buried under a pile of noisy musical things and clothes that just aren't her style (now I really do sound a complete knobber) but better say it in our lovely safe environment than in real life. I also forgot to write down who bought what and can't remember, oops.

We're home now and I'm going to spend the evening after DD is in bed trying to start the unpacking and rearrange the dining room to include a play area that's the plan but in reality I'll probably eat chocolate and watch TV

Afternoon all. We're driving home now, had a nice couple of days with the PILs but I'm definitely ready for my own space now! Pud if we didn't already have the highchair at home I'd have definitely gotten a lobster. They look amazing.

Eco maybe ill bump into you at a NT property sometime soon. I've ordered myself an ergo specifically for buggy free garden stomping expeditions. Ooh I see your size14 m&s jammies and raise you size 14 fat face bird print jamas. They're very comfy but dp finds it too easy to pants me in them.

Stormy so sorry you've had such a bittersweet Christmas. Sounds really tough, I bet you sucked that fag down to the butt in 30 seconds flat. Good news on the butternut squash though.

Worse glad to find you in tact.

It's strange to look at the year ahead. New job, marriage, hopefully buying our first house. And of course a wonderful journey into toddlerhood. Here's to bigger and better things, more teeth and the advent of scraped knees.

Betty I'm so glad I'm not the only one to have succumbed to ungratefulness over presents. Every time I look at the monstrosity of a high chair that I was given before the worselet was even born I want to break something. It is specifically designed to harbour pockets of rancid food in the cushion creases, and the only way to even attempt to address this is too completely dismantle it. The tiddler went over board in proving the point yesterday by puking all over it. The straps now smell of vomit. They will forever smell of vomit. My joy at this knows no bounds ... If I wasn't a present from the lovely MIL it would have long since made its acquaintance with cousin oxfam.

Stormy are you sure you want a baby friendly parsnip recipe? Really sure? You have been warned..... Preferred method of serving here is steamed or boiled with an equal quantity of carrots, then mashed with a knob of butter. It's yum. Even I will eat them like that and I have an aversion to all forms of root vegetable that my dad grew when I was a kid. I still struggle with beetroot. Yes I know you can put them in chocolate cake, but even then... no, just no.

Plonky I'll keep my eyes peeled for you when I'm next NT-ing. You'll recognise me easily. I'm quite small, the worselet is quite large. When I put her in the carrier the result is quite comical.

Eco you are so lovely that I cannot believe you possess even the tiniest amount of inner bitch. No idea what you could do with the PJs, although the sandwich option sounds good

Big hug Stormy sorry to hear about your mum.

plonky sounds like a very packed year
ahead!!! When are you getting married?

eco that's a bit . She bought them
in the sake the year before?! That's a bit
cheeky!!!! I'm loving the sales person's
idea of swapping them for a sandwich
though

Knackered here. Poor mini shattered has
had 2 rubbish naps today and I was awake
half the night with next doors newborn.
not that the baby was loud- just
You know you have your ears out don't
you for baby crying!! Hopefully I'll tune
it out tonight.

Ahhh, so I am sensing that animal print jeggings are in fact ok!

Lovely to hear from you guys. Sounds like babies make Christmas even better than normal but that we all have a similar tolerance level when it comes to being away from home. It is easier at home isn't it? You get to know your 'safe spaces', you don't care who hears the crying and you can wear the top with the vomit stain on until you find time to change without fear of "she's let herself go" gossip.

We have been able to go for a picnic today, so lovely was the sunshine. I hope similar with you. I made baby sandwiches from the ham we boiled yesterday. Ecobaby's were half the size of scrabble peices so we could just pop them in her mouth in her P & T's sleeping bag thing in the buggy. Worked a treat! The sunshine also prompted me to do some outdoor jobs (cleaning the bird feeders and making some space in the garage) so I tried to take ecobaby with me. I put her in a padded all in one thing that covered her hands and feet too but she just couldn't crawl and instead just sat there looking forlorn and ended up crying with frustration. Has anyone else had any joy with having theri baby outside in the winter months other than in a sling/buggy? I just can't figure out a way of making it work.....

Ah, back later, my milky skills are being hollered for from upstairs.

Shattered I hope you're in your comfiest pjs, eating chocolate and watching something silly. Sounds like you certainly deserve it! Our wedding is in July, bit of a formality really considering we already have DS, so we're having a big knees up at my folks house. Lots of planning to do!

Worse the carrot and parsnip combo sounds lovely! Your lucky dd. I also have a monstrously large padded highchair but I love it. Most days it gets a wipe down but every now and then I do have to take it apart to clean its dirty crevices. On the other hand it looks comfy and DS sits nicely in it.

Eco a picnic! My! The weather was nice today but we spent most of it driving/packing/unpacking. A bit of good weather is a great motivator though. I forgot to mention, I'm now in the moon cup club. Due any day so hopefully it'll get a road test soon enough. Strangely dp didn't run a mile or let out a big childish 'EURGH' upon seeing it. Progress!

Glad everyone has had a lovely Christmas (even if yours was mainly lovely because it wasn't awful worse)

After a ridiculous number of miles driven, an enormous volume of red wine consumed, and one very spoilt little girl, we are home, fat and exhausted. We had a great time, but have decided we won't do it like that again. I want dd to have really powerful memories of Christmas traditions. I don't want her to say 'oh we didn't really have traditions as we were always in different places' and I don't want her to dread all the travelling like we do. So as of next year, we will always wake up in our own house on Christmas Day with the magic of Santa/stockings and a morning spent in pjs.

Talking of which, my fat face pjs are amazing, but my uber trendy step mum gave me an oversized white hollister jumper. No one told her that a) oversized and b) white are not flattering if you're a size 18... It's pretty disgusting.the stupidly posh skin care regime she bought me, however, may have left me destined to future bankruptcy. No more boots own brand for me, this stuff is amazing!!

One more family get together tomorrow, then a few people over for dinner on nye, but I'm glad that we're finally getting a chance to relax. I say we, I mean DH is getting to relax. (He has the most unusual type of migraine that means he can't do anything useful but can sit in front of the tv all day) whilst I do everything. Obviously I'm back to my usual sympathetic self.

Oh, and whilst we may not have had a tree down (what was the damage worse?) we are going to have to get our entire garden refenced as we lost most of our panels whilst we were away. Joy. Keep telling myself how lucky we've been compared to local towns, many we're badly flooded, many others have only just got power back, and the town where I work had no running water for days and days. But I could still do without the expense of the fence. Sigh.

eco - I think you should take a photo of
DD in said jeggings, send a pic to MIL
then you don't have to use them again!!

plonky sounds great. Have you sorted the
dress now? Sounds like it'll be a good
celebration. I was indeed in my (also new
and too big) PJs and yes eating way too
much chocolate. It's got to stop! I've told DH
He is now on night duty until he goes back
to work - so I can wear ear plugs. Fed up of
doing all the nights and now this newborn
next door keeping me up now DS is finally
having a good stretch of sleep! Agh. I also
eat a lot more when I'm exhausted and I
don't want to start putting any baby weight
back on thank you!!

gerry to your fence. It's just extra
hassle isn't it. Hope you get good deal and
it gets sorted. I know what you mean about
the Christmas traditions. You feel a big pull
to keep everyone happy but often it's at your
expense/the expense of your sanity so I'm
with you on starting our own traditions.
. Hope everyone well

I'm currently sitting in my size 12 pjs which are, quite shockingly, a teeny bit too big. Yey! Must be a thing though - get mums some pyjamas. And yes, in them at quarter past 4 but that's because DP, DS and I are having the laziest of Sundays to recuperate after the busyness of Christmas. We kept to tradition in that we went to my mum's, which is 3 miles away and then hosted a Boxing day for 15. Eurgh!

Glad all the storm troopers are alright and hope the fences, etc aren't too much of a strain at this time of year.

Question: would any of you like to currently be newly pregnant while having a 9 mth old? Sil is saying she wants to start trying for another when her DD is the age our DCs are now. Her DD is currently 4 and a half months. I think she's crrrrrrazy!

something my cousin's expecting ds2 in April. Ds1 will be 18 months. Personally I think she's insane! If we have another I'm thinking two or three year gap. That way the elder is old enough to talk to and explain, and to help out, and to be left alone for a moment while you sort the baby out, etc.

In other news, we have made food progress! DD had pasta for tea, made by me not out of a jar. Ate it and enjoyed it. The trick was giving up on blw and just mashing it up a bit and spoon feeding. Mashed banana for pudding also went down well. So it's spoons all the way in this house.

Phew... knackered. Am hosting the ILs this weekend, which is lots of fun but exhausting. That said they are currently entertaining the tiddler, so that's a plus.

The storm damage wasn't too bad Gerry as by some fluke of nature the tree hit the roof, then bounced up and was caught by a gust of wind which blew it sideways just enough for it to slide down the front of the house. We'll need a roofer out, some new guttering, and the porch is a bit cracked up but if it hadn't been for that gust, we'd be missing half the bathroom.

Ah baby 2, well I'd be 'trying' personally if it wasn't for the cysts. I think I need the biggie removed . Totally rubbish. I'm seeing the consultant in a couple of weeks so will know then.

Right, back to playing host. Catch up with you guys tomorrow.

Forgot to ask: did anyone else manage to rack up some seriously bad mummy points over Christmas? We may have possibly got the baby a tiny bit pissed on trifle...

Stormy, my bad mummy points came from being badly organised when it came to road trips/food for the tiny one. Should have packed some sensible food. Instead, she has had biscuits for lunch 4 times in the past week. And today she has eaten porridge, biscuits, bread, and potato. Not a single vegetable. But tomorrow the world goes back to normal a bit, I hope to make it to sainsburys, and will load her up on veg for a while to make up for it!

I'd have another one now if we could afford it, but we'll have to wait until dd gets those previous 15hrs of childcare before that's possible, we just can't afford 2 in childcare at the mo.

Tomorrow's job- finding fence putter uppers, planning and shopping for nye party, and finding the bottom of the laundry pile. My life is totally thrilling.

Precious, not previous!

We're waiting at least a year before trying for another baby. Ideally I'd have a 3 year gap. They can help and understand it more, but by then DS will also have had his full baby-toddlerhood with my full attention. Horses for courses though. The 15 hours is also a huge factor here.

Plus we're planning a trip to California for the autumn. Hmm! (Eco tell us it's horrible, not worth the stress etc please!)

My bad mummy points over Christmas are from giving DS chocolate buttons. I just felt so guilty eating that much chocolate that I had to share. Mum gave him a posh truffle on Christmas Day, expecting him to take forever eating it and make it a nice bonding experience. Little bugger shoved it in whole and it was gone 30 seconds later.

Stormy we abandoned blw months ago and have recently had a very successful return to it. Don't feel imprisoned by the spoons!