March 2013 time for shoes!

[Plonkysaurus]

New thread ladies...

Happy birthday not so baby Gerry, and also miniRainbow!

Happy birthday babies Gerry and Rainbow!

Good luck Betty

Nearly the weekend everyone...

Happy birthday gerrybaby and rainbowbaby!

I must say it has been exciting these couple of weeks as the babies turn 1.

stormy (i can't remember who else there is) it's us tomorrow. You ready for the emotional rollercoaster?

This time last year, I'd been in labour for twelve hours and was still wondering if it was just persistent Braxton Hicks. I do wish it was the done thing to celebrate mothers on birthdays too. It was a majorly important day for us too!

This time a year ago I was about to have a second failed sweep silly midget woman with her doll sized hands

I agree though, first birthdays are so emotional for mothers, we deserve a bit if recognition. And I can still tell I had some downstairs stitches.

After a day and night of food refusal and even bringing up calpol, DS is finally eating. I hope this means he's getting better as I'm making his birthday cake tomorrow and will be beyond gutted if he can't eat it.

Happy birthday GerrynotsoBaby and RainbownotsoBaby

Plonk so glad that DS seems to be on the mend. He won't be able to resist the cake if he's anything like us!!

Betty I hope today is going well for you. I cried a lot the night before I went to work and all I did was sit at a computer. That's all I do now, to be fair, but for half as much time. DD will be fine and so will you. It does take some getting used to but it'll soon just be another part of the ever-changing routine.

I keep looking back on "this time last year" with such rose-tinted glasses. DP and I are going out on Saturday night to pre-celebrate DS's birthday just the two of us. I can see myself getting emotional all week leading up to his birthday. I love seeing all the celebrations everyone is having

Just asked the man distract DD while I got her presents out and took them upstairs to wrap. A normal person would have picked her up and taken her into another room, right? Not left her on the floor to crawl over to me and climb up my leg? Mutter grumble useless arse mutter mutter grrr.

This time last year I was up and down the stairs like a yoyo. Wanted to have a lie down but kept needing the loo. I was still point blank refusing to call the hospital.

Quiet on here today. I hope that is because everyone has been out and about enjoying some wonderful sunshine, or partying till the sun went down with the birthday babies. Those of us that aren't at work that is. For those that are I hope you had a POETS day

Not much to report here other than madam is continuing her food refusnik behaviour, which is a tad tedious, but totally understandable. My tastebuds have died too now thanks to yet another cold, and food really does seem pointless when you can't taste it.

On a related front I have a milk question. Has anyone ditched formula completely yet? Is there a recommended way of doing this? I'm assuming a sudden change might be a little hard on small tummies, and if there is one thing I am keen to avoid it windy tummy trouble. For the worselet that is, not me, although if I was at risk of it I'd not want it either.

Stormy aside from the man being a bit rubbish at perfect parenting are things better between you guys at the moment? It's good that youve got an amicable situation - all credit to you both.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend planned as apparently the weather is going to be glorious. Eco I think that means a picnic. Yes? We might copy, and go for a stomp round a forest.

End of a lovely birthday for dd, after last night's emotions I've been fine today. We enjoyed a girls only birthday breakfast, had visits from various grandparents, and went for a swim. Party is on Sunday. Right now I'm too knackered to think about that!

Worse- we dumped formula (and sterilising) at the beginning of the week, because I couldn't be bothered to buy another tub of powder. She seems ok, although there has been a rather drastic change in poo colour.

Talking of worse, if ever I needed a reminder that she's a proper grown up and I'm really still a little girl who is rubbish at the world, it's the fact that wobblegerry (no toddling here yet!) got a birthday card this morning from toddleworse and family. I'm so rubbish, and didn't get round to sending one to toddleworse. But I was very very touched and wanted to mention it. It is, after all, over familiar Friday

Right. Eyes are shutting of their own accord. To bed!

Still quiet. So it's just me with no life on a Friday night is it?

Another question for your collective wisdom. Has anyone had the MMR vacc done yet? We've been summoned for next week and I'm a bit wibbly about it. I know the hysteria was just hysteria, but I'm still wibbly. Someone please tell me it is absolutely fine and will be no worse than any of the others!

Agh dh is ill so i have 2 babies to look after. I think we can guess who is slightly more independant.

worse i have tried cows milk in a beaker at breakfast for about 2 weeks now however ds doesn't like it. He prefers water. Bad mummy run out of formula last night so had to top up half carton of formula with cows milk and he drank it. Phew! So my plan is to mix the milk bit by bit until he is fully weaned on cows milk and blow a big fat raspberry at the unnecessarily expensive formula. I am assuming its ok to mix. Im sure i read that somewhere. Ds has cows milk with weetabix since 10months with no problems but its ok in food from 6 months anyway.

This time last year i was trying to sleep at home but contractions were disturbing me. After every contraction i needed to go loo. This was when the vomiting started too. Poor dh kept timing the contractions.

I looked through ds red book today and got emotional. I also completed most of his baby book.

W

We've also been offering the odd beaker of cows milk. He's been having it for ages now on cereal etc so I guess he's fairly used to it. He becomes transfixed by whatever I'm having for breakfast so frequently gets a spoonful of milk with the odd piece of branflake in it. But I'm not sure about switching in one fell swoop - as you say it can't be hard on their tummies - so playing that one by ear, and maybe some 50/50 like Yummy.

Speaking of wind I have a very windy baby now. His systems had a good old clear out and he's like a whoopee cushion. I'm assured this is uncomfortable. He's managed to eat a bit today though (a very healthy 1/2 crumpet with jam, some birthday choc, 1/2 a pack of raisins and some nibbles on a cracker) so I'm hoping the birthday bash wo t have to be cancelled.

How are toddleBetty and miniPud?

Gerry how you continued sterilising for a whole year is beyond me! It doesn't even occur to me these days as everything goes through the dishwasher, and he's fascinating by footwear and likes to give most household items a good ol' lick.

Funny development here : the cat is baffled by stair gates. Maybe seeing through them makes them Evil and Untrustworthy? Maybe she's a complete Dipshit.

DS is flat out asleep avec his petit gob wide open (see Eco, Je parle Francais) with his head on my boob. I've taken a photo. I have one of hi months exact same pose from 10th March 2013, and seeing them together is heart melting.

Oops Gerry I've just read that and am worried it comes across as rude. What I mean to say is wow, that's quite a feat. I couldn't wait to give it up so kudos for stoking with it.

And happy birthdays to BabyStormy and BabyYummy. I think I've got that right. Any others?

Yep babyyummy is 1 today at 5.50pm precisely. The party is tomorrow though.

Happy birthday babystormy!

gerry you get the award for the mummy with the sterilised bottles. We stopped ages ago. It seemed pointless when (just like babysaurus) ds licks anything and everything.

How are tge poorly babies?

Betty how is work?

Gerry you are not alone... we've kept up the sterilising too in an effort to counter balance her unwavering desire to eat dead beetles. Not that we have any dead beetles anywhere about the place. Oh no

Thanks for the milk advice - she's just had her very first beaker of it, and you know what, she loves it. Yoghurt is a favourite food so I hope there won't be won't any explosive reactions.

Ah, must dash. She who must be obeyed shouts.

No sterilising here since 6 months. Dishwasher all the way. Impressed by those that stuck with it!

When boy wakes up we shall go for a park jaunt in the sun .

Happy birthday mini stormy and yummy.

A week tomorrow before we have a one year old. No party planned as family mostly far away and dealing with stressful things while only my dm nearby as df in a home now. Sure we'll do something with granny but not sure you can call one person a party?!?

No sterilising here either. Realised long ago I could either sterilise the cats, or just give up, so give up it was.

We may have gone slightly overboard. DD has sixty six new books. And I've got an aching arm. Remind me to buy an electric whisk before her next birthday.

Sixty six? Zut alors! I feel like a bad parent. I don't think ecobaby has many more than sixty six in her whole collection! 'my name is stormy and I'm addicted to books' Happy birthday toddlestorm! (are they all toddles when they hit one?). Have you had a fun day?

And toddleyum! Happy birthday to you too. I cannot believe your mummy has completed the baby book. I just did month eleven having not done the previous twelve months

Betty you are still in the midst of hardcore work. How has dd been getting on and how have you actually found the work? You're surviving it all that's for sure. Great work!

Worse I am totally ignorant about MMR. I'm guessing Betty and rainbow might have some knowledge to share? I guess it's about relative risks when compared. The minefield of parenting choices continues. We like eating moss in this family, so don't feel too alone with the beetle eating.

Gerry I loved your emotional recollections of your labour and birth. It made me quite damp eyed just thinking about how you were feeling and why. Ecobaby's birthday is still a few weeks away so I'd not stopped to think about the emotional element to it. Except that I guess turning one signals they're not babies anymore I'm glad you had a grandparent filled day. Is your dad in the country too? Party tomorrow! Bet you're stirring or sticking something right now

Belated happy birthday to both toddlegerry and toddlebow. Hope you enjoyed your days babies.

Pud I wanted to say something but can't for life of me recall what it was. but not quite as old as worse

Today we had our joint birthday party for our nine babies. Yikes! That was fun. I'm so pleased I didn't have to do everything myself. It was lovely. The babies all started climbing the walls and having melt downs at half two ish. A combination of sugar, overtiredness and over stimulation. My dad, niece and sister made it too which was a nice effort. Then gave ecobaby mega blocks which is very cool. But they got pink ones. Can't really believe they even sodding make exclusively pink ones. Sigh. I guess as part of a balanced play diet it's ok. I am aware that makes me sound like a grumpy ungrateful cow and I'm glad you lot don't hang out in aibu or you'd pick me up on it.

The weather is beautiful. I could pontificate about it endlessly but I'm sure you all appreciate it too. Hope from north (stormy) to south (worse and gerry) and from East (any) to west (pud) you have had the warm spring sunshine too.

For first time in ages I have a day in Norfolk with both dh and ecobaby tomorrow. Yippee! Beach might be calling. What are your fair weather plans everyone?

I have a little story to share. dh cooked a curry whilst I was in the bath. I exited bathroom thinking the house smelled (stormy is that correct?) very much like cloves. I got downstairs and it was much stronger. Dh declared the spicing to be a bit off but not quite sure. I took a mouthfull and it was a clove curry essentially. I asked him how much he'd used and he said 'the recipe said two cloves but I couldn't find the whole cloves so I put a half teaspoon measure of ground ones instead'. By my reckoning that's about fourteen It was inedible and dh is currently at the Chinese takeaway. Never go heavy on the cloves. That's the moral of the story ladies. Bleurgh.

Oh, and! Do any of you know Aylesbury at all? Ever visited? What do you think about it as an area?

Cloves eco? Bleugh. The spice of the devil.

Happy belated birthday to all the toddles i've missed - sorry

We haven't had the jab yet - i've had the summons but not made an appointment. Primarily because the pn babies who already had it coincided it with a ww (55?) and had clingy, crying messes for the three weeks since. Apparently they've come out the other side much happier, which is reassuring. I'm not keen but I'll book her in next week. Promise.

66 is a lorra lorra books. Not sure why I went Cilla, but there we go. DS has a lot of books, but not many baby books. Mainly things like Narnia that I can't justify keeping for myself. Stormy have you considered opening a library?

Mmmm aniseed curry Eco! I hope your Chinese was considerably better. Sadly I've never been to Aylesbury. I've no idea where it is. Are you looking at moving there? Enjoy your seasidey day.

MMR wise, well I have no problem with DS having the jab. Weren't the autism claims totally unsubstantiated? Tbh if he doesn't have it soon he'll only have to have it if/when he goes to university, and I have pretty strong feelings about it tbh. He's having it, we just need a date.

Our birthday lunch out plans have been shifted to my parents. DS is still not right tummy wise but I'm sure he'll be happy to see both his nannas at once. Now were having a cuddle and watching Monty Don and beautiful Italy. This time last year I was being given cocodamol while a lovely midwife ran a very deep bath for me. Aaah it was hard in every sense to get out of that bath.

Mmr - we're doing it. The claims were never substantiated, in fact not only was his methodology for the study flawed the dr in question had developed a single vaccine and was only ever going to make money from it if the combined vaccine wasn't used. He has been struck off for his involvement in the affair.

In addition, I have a friend who works with children with substantial special needs. She doesn't believe the claims either but I quote her on the topic "but even if there was a link, I work with profoundly autistic children, which is what was claimed mmr could do, and I work with deaf blind children, which we KNOW measles can do. All of my children will have mmr".