Feb 2011. Now they are (nearly) 3 <gulp>

[Reastie]

Just starting a new thread as noticed old on nearly full up.

Ah thank you ladies...has been a long time now, but just times like this & being a mum now just make you realise what your own mum went through/did for you & that life is just too short.

Sis arrives today for a few days...thank God, as the whole house got woken to nate shouting "I waaannt Aunty Triuinnnaaa!!" At 6.10 this morning...so we were all so delightful first thing this morning!

Taking nate into town to meet sis off the train at Euston..first need to get us all dressed & wrap some presents before age arrives..

Here, Nate's wee girlfriend at nursery got him a crimbo pressie...is the elefun game & some frozen toy...but her mum kindly put the receipt in the wrapping so I know what he's got (he's already got the game)...but she caught me unawares...Martin suggested nate get Hayley a gift but I thought they were too young for it?! Anyhoo, she's spent about £20 ...I haven't even spent that on sis!

Any suggestions as to what to get her as a gift? She's not a particularly girly girl if you know what I mean?

Oh & adam is kinda doing the long stretches...I just need to get to bed earlier to take advantage...but easier said than done when hubby falls asleep with baby on top of him wgen he gets home & I 'm sorting washing, doing dishes etc for all the jobs that didnt get done in the day...

Granny not sure how much you'd want to spend but play doh would be a safe bet this looks fab . Books always go down well, Alice loves Father Christmas needs a wee

Yay to the name change win reastie!
Ponyo, hope Anya feels better.
Granny, hOpe you have a nice time with your sis.

Wiggles, hope the afternoon is going well.

I'm ok'ish, keep swinging from excitement to sheer terror. Having an optimistic day as I have washed all of Bob's bedding and clothes ready to pack hospital bag. Three weeks on Thursday until Bob O'clock!

A's cough is much improved, thanks everyone!

Reastie big congrats on the win! We're off to my mums tomo until the weekend, A had her last day in pre school today. We have tickets for the gruffalo on Boxing Day which should be good!

Wiggles how was the lunch on Saturday? Did you have enough booze? ;)

Granny wow at the Xmas gift from N's girlfriend :) that's a lot of money! What did you get in the end. Agree that books are always a safe bet.

Blizy I love bob o'clock three weeks! Hope the moments of sheer terror aren't too overwhelming and you're enjoying your mat leave.

Right am off to wrap final presents and stress about packing tomorrow ;)

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and it's not just my house that looks like Smyths outlet store !!!!

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas (though reastie makes me feel like a slacker!). L got a bike and fortunately there was no snow so he was able to ride it outside (and have a tantrum in the street). He and I spent the weekend with my parents and sister so L had a second round of Christmas pressies - loads more than he got at home. Fortunately half his presents were clothes so he has an entirely new wardrobe.

We spent a week with MIL before Christmas. It was lovely to see her but much lovelier to be back at home.

blizy - I hope Bob's arrival is uneventful (if you know what I mean). Not long now.

Granny - how's your MIL?

Hey ladies...merry crimbo all & a happy new year when it comes!

We had a very chilled 1st crimbo as a family of 5...sis visited from 20th-24th dec & then it's just been us...kids have been utterly spoiled,no idea where we are going to put the extra crap, I mean toys ??. I am feeling the need for a proper clearout, moving rooms around etc but DH having none of it.
Adam is almost outgrowing the Moses basket at 9 wks...It will be travel cot in our room for a bit then need to move nate & amelia in together & adam into his own room & sleep will be mine again. Anyone using bunk beds currently?

Had 4 hrs sleep & doing the drive to glasgow today. MIL was having diagnostic tests etc & had a reaction to the sedative used during the bronchoscopy procedure to take biopsy sample...looks almost like a mini stroke tho scans etc haven't showed a bleed anywhere. That was a week ago...she's almost fully recovered after scaring everyone but won't fully recover mobility it would seem. Think DH is getting bored/overwhelmed with monotony of 3 at home so he's suggested going up for a few days. Plus some family haven't met Adam yet. I suggested a few weeks back we should go up but he was having none of it...now thinks it's his idea...plant the seed & let him think it was his idea...win win .

Wish us luck for the drive!

Happy new year everyone!
Granny, hope mil is ok? Enjoy your time up,in rainy Glasgow.

13 sleeps to go...

Blizy - how are you feeling? xxx

All good here, girls all go back to school on Wednesday. It's been lovely having them off for 2 weeks but they miss school!! and I could live without listening to Olivia play Minecraft again!

Terrified wiggles! I have three hospital appointments today and two on Friday. Pretty much physically organised for Bobs arrival just need to get my head round it now!
How's your Dad?

Blizy - I'm sure you are xxxx Does that mean Bobster will be arriving tomorrow week? Have you both settled on names? I'm thinking of you a lot x

Dads ok, he's beginning to feel a lot stronger, he's very proud of his scar and is showing it off to the kids, Olivia is enamoured by it, strange little child. He had an appointment with the oncologist last week and although everything went as well as it possible could have, they're recommending a very strong course of chemo and lots of repeat scans, checks, colonoscopies etc. He wavered a bit on going for the chemo but he's going to start it and see how it goes.

We have booked our summer holiday - yikes. We have all (yes, I mean all - there's 11 of us going in total) booked a villa for the end of June. My mum will be 65 in the summer and this was her hearts desire - couldn't really say no ;). So 5 of us, my sister, her husband, my niece, my parents and my aunt are all going - fuck I feel queasy even typing it

He will be making his arrival on the 15th, next Thursday. No names yet, waiting to see what he looks like. Had a growth scan today and he is measuring on the 95th percentile!

I'm sure dad will be grand, my friends wee boy has just finished 12 months of strong chemo for brain cancer and is doing well.
I done the whole family holiday last summer, i actually enjoyed it!

Hello lovelies,

Blizy wow the 95th centile?! Big bob! Can't believe it will be the 15th so soon

Wiggles we did a big family holiday years ago (so pre kids for me and most of my cousins) and I loved it! It was really nice doing our own thing in the day then meeting up for dinner every night. Don't know if yours will be as relaxed but you can hope!
Positive news about your dad it seems, love that he's showing his scar off! Let us know how the chemo goes.

Granny how is your mil?

All is going well here, back to work/pre school etc.
Looks like we might be moving this month! Eek! Getting some quotes from removal companies this week. I can't bloody wait, our house is full of stuff and we're not even bothering to find places for it all now because we know the move will be soon and we'll have a garage to dump all the crap plus an extra lounge and bedroom! (If you can remember the pics of our house online when it was up for sale, all nice and uncluttered and minimalist, just imagine the complete opposite of that and that's how it is now )

A got so much stuff for Xmas she seems a bit overwhelmed and doesn't really play with it all, it's more a couple of things and the rest is in a big box :/

Pil came to visit for 2 days, there was a definite atmosphere for the first 20mins or so! I've noticed mil makes lots of promises to A that she doesn't keep, eg "I'm going to take you out clothes shopping" - never did. Just sat and talked at me and dp for hours (not exaggerating) while A watched the ipad/played. "I'm going to teach you to read" she didn't read to her once.

Also mil has a very unhealthy relationship with food, and she will comment on anything A eats as soon as it touches her mouth, A had a slice of cheese for lunch and as soon as she took a bite mil said "ooh you love your food don't you, what an appetite" etc.
the slice of cheese for lunch is a whole other issue, A's eating has been shocking lately!

It's my half day off work today so I'm going to go and do useful house things, hope everyone else is well now Xmas is well and truly over!

Ponyo - so you've found a house? Can we have a nosy? L's diet was shocking during our holiday and Christmas too, I've reined in his sugar intake now and am enforcing actual meals (for all of us).

L got a set of Lego from DH's aunt that has hundreds of teeny tiny pieces which he leaves scattered on the floor.

blizy - not long until Bob o'clock now! L was 50th centile for length and weight at birth but over 95th centile for head circumference. (

Ponyo - exciting about the house - hope all goes quickly and smoothly! Anna has decided that she'd like to eat nothing but crackers and cheese and maybe tuna!!! At least the pils visit is over and done now, I know what you mean about the food commenting. My mum and her family do it and they gave a desperate relationship with food. I have to watch them closely with Fia, they're always commenting on how skinny she is, they say it in a good way. But Sofia is actually very very slim, she's totey, she has totey wrists and ankles and really fine across the back. She also doesn't eat a lot, she was never a huge eater, I've just maybe noticed a lot more the past six months or so.

Anya sounds like Olivia, she has unopened toys from Christmas, she didn't get mountains but she got the books she wanted, her hudl, her cuddly wolf (don't ask :) ) and that's enough for her

Americanexpat - I feel your pain with the lego .... It only gets worse.

Hello ladies..and a happy new year to you all!

blizy can't believe the Bobster will be here next week...eek! Absolutely cannot wait to see/hear your lovely news!

ponyo exciting stuff re house move!

american yes I feel your pain re Lego. We've just bought some storage containers in the shape of a Lego brick..I am loving chucking it all in there!

wiggs glad to hear your dad is getting stronger & recovering well. I'm impressed at you all going away on hols together..not sure I could do it...

MIL was better than expected when we saw her...tho she's 71, she's always looked younger but I think she looked older when we saw her which was sad to see. On Monday there, she got the official diagnosis that it is lung cancer & has spread to lymph nodes in her chest. Possibility it has spread to her neck too tho they're double checking that.. If it has spread to neck, then more than likely it will be a case of managing it rather than actively seeking to reduce with radio & chemotherapy. I'm already dreading the convo with nate when she's ill...he absolutely adores Her...

Thought we'd cracked bedtime routine for Adam but not to be...wee bugger knew we'd ordered a Chinese takeaway & that I wanted a cheeky glass of wine...and of course 'ping' he wakes as I'm about to eat it...wee monkey, albeit cute!

Hello all,

You drifted from my threads I'm on.

Granny I'm so sorry about MIL. That feels like a crummy thing to say but I don't know what else to say. How rubbish. Keep us updated and hope you and DH are coping through it.

Blizy not long now!!! I can't wait to see pictures of you all together. It must be such an exciting yet nervous time for you.

at the eating. Alice is a pain too. She refuses to eat so many things I give up and just tend to give her things she'll eat (which mainly is rubbish) for a quiet life . She's started eating lunch at nursery for the first time this term which I thought would be great, she might eat some healthy stuff how wrong was I. They have about 4 choices of lunch, a traditional main meal, veggie option, pasta/baked potato, or soup and roll. So we've looked at the menu every morning so she knows what there will be and what she'll have. They have lots of veggies available but of course she doesn't have any of them [despair] . Yesterday she just ate chips and a teeny bit of fish with jelly for pudding. They seem to have a cakey pudding or fruit and yoghurt. I'll let you guess which pudding she chooses . I suppose I should be glad she eats something and doesn't waste our money refuse to eat lunch and come home hungry.

Having internal inspection at work on my dept next week so just busy marking and planning. Also busy planning Alice's birthday party next month. Has anyone done a party avec lots of children on their own with no entertainer? Here they all have people to do the parties for them and I'm the first and only person I know to do a party with 20+ children without outside help. Am a bit nervous and in need of ideas of easy games which don't require much explanation or skill.

MEant to say good luck ponyo for the move. Any chance of a nose at the new place on zoopla? it's my secret hobby nosing at houses

Grannyapple - I'm so sorry pet to hear about your mil. It must be a horrible time for you all, I hope you get better news with further tests xxx

Ponyo - how's all things housey related going?

Reastie - very impressed with your organising for As birthday, the little birthday packages looked gorgeous on FB. I'm no help with birthday parties, sorry. We don't do anything for Anna yet and with the other two it's soft play, activity type parties. You'll be fine, the kids will amuse themselves, failing that balloons, balloons and more balloons and if you're doing party games the toy medals you get in packs from Tesco/Sainsburys were always a big hit with us for the winners - just make sure you have enough - voice of bitter experience.

Blizy - how are you all doing? xxx

Granny, I'm sorry to hear mil's news,I hope you are all doing ok?

Wiggles, counting down the hours and having loads of meltdowns here. I'm so anxious about everything. We have told family they will probs not be visiting hospital in the afternoon and only parents in the evening, dh sprung on me that sil and dn will Be visiting along with fil in the evening. I can do without her dramatics and attention seeking!

Reastie, the party plans sound fab! Are you planning traditional party games? How about a wee treasure hunt?

Hope everyone is well.

Thank you ladies for your well wishes. DH seems totally give about it...he's a fairly practical kinda guy...but being 1 of 5, there's lots of family politics/dramas now. blizy you know one of my BIL's...I'm sure you can imagine his reaction. I feel for SIL tho as she's expected to deal with it all as well as her own job & family.. I've said to DH he's going to need to go up a few times over the coming months, to also support his sisters. Plus, found out the one in the neck is cancer so treatment is focused on prolonging & improving quality of life

But just wanted to log on to say happy birth day eve...wishing you lots of lovely birth vibes & so looking forward to seeing your lovely news. I'd be the same as you & only wanting it to be you 3 for visitors....don't blame you at all for not wanting attention seekers around you at that time. Can DH not say that it's not a good time til a few days after at least?

Ooh what is everyone doing for 4th birthday celebrations? I'm feeling a wee bit of pressure to have a party for nate as he 'gets' it this year & has so many invites to other parties. Plus I keep thinking this'll be the last year for all his wee pre school pals as they're all going to different schools...

Trying to multitask...not going well. Happy birth day Eve message was obviously for blizy

Hello everyone,

Blizy I have been thinking of you lots, I hope family members don't make things harder than they have to be for you Good luck and big hugs from me.

Granny sorry about the bad news, situations like that can really bring out people's true colours can't they? Or just cause people to behave in an even more arseholey way
We are planning a soft play party again for A this year, similar to last year. Except we're meant to be doing it joint with her friend, but I've not heard from friends mum and we need to book it! I need to contact her again... I know some children who aren't having parties yet though, I don't think it's a necessity.

Reastie I'm reluctant to link to the new house on rightmove because the photos are grim and make it look like a horrible hole when it's actually quite nice in 'person'! Haha. It's also quite an ugly house, ha, I'm not selling it () am I.

No house news yet, we are hoping for a move before 21st of this month

I'm on my phone so I can't remember what else has been said, sorry. Where is ledkr these days?!

Oh and A's eating has also got worse at preschool though I feel relieved it's not just her by the sounds of it!

Granny - that's shit news, hopefully it's not aggressive and she has some years ahead of her.

blizy - good luck for tomorrow. What time is your section? I can't wait to see photos.

Ponyo - our house had dire photos and is a bit ugly too (but we got a bargain).

I think we might have a party for L this year. Soft play or similar because the thought of a bunch of 3/4 year olds and their parents in my house gives me the vapors.

American yay, fellow ugly house owner! Ours wasn't a bargain (shame) but we like it which is the main thing.
God yes about having a load kids plus parents in my house, it may be cheaper but would be a whole lot less stressful! Soft play is great, they sort it all out inc food, you just show up, drink cups of tea then pay