Nov 05 Babies, cryin', talkin', sleepin', walkin', livin' dolls

[babyonboard]

Ladies, babies, and bumps, welcome to the new thread!

Should we start this off with an update from us all like last time? I thought that was nice, especially for those who get little chance to catch up.

Thanks so much Beks.
Good to hear your update too. You must so be looking forward to getting your house back into some sort of order. I'm sure Tom will have benefitted somehow from all the extra assortment of stuff to play with that having the builders in has brought and I imagine he probably found it a very entertaining experience unlike his mummy. Hang in there!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SEAN!
Hope you have a wonderful happy day! Elizabeth sends hugs and lots of bits of 'treasure' she found on the floor.

(thanks for the tip-off Beks)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN

Better late than never but Happy Birthday Sean!!

Really enjoyed reading posts from Nova and Enthusia, good to hear from you again Enthusia, glad all is well with pregnancy and life in general. Sam sounds lovely.

Nova - Nice long post from you, hadn't seen you post in a while. 20 week scan already eh? There's really not that much difference between us - I'm 25 weeks tomorrow - actually had to check my calendar last week as lost track! With you on neglected baby feeling, can't quite believe that hospital bag was getting organised as well as every crevice in the house this time during pregnancy number one - the shame!

Beks - Glad you mentioned the 'flooding back' feeling - sure hope that happens to me. Have days where I am so besotted with DS I can't imagine having any love left for another!

Londoner - abbreviation for childminder makes me giggle as when TTC I remember CM as being a major 'something' to look out for, ROFL
Great the H/V is so supportive on b/f front. Sure hope I manage a few months more next time round, fingers crossed.

Well after an hour's hard work finally got the last of the safety gates up and one clear room is now DS's own with all my stuff in the other that he can't get to - have to admit it was a challenge but am confident in leaving him alone to play now - there are no hazards other than sofa which is inevitable and radiators which i have to leave on just warm now. It was a good excuse to get 'clutter free' downstairs - we were living in a mess!

Right chatterbox is off for bath. Love to all x

Argghhh!!
Just lost major post! Not happy as its been ages since I've had the chance to post

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes, and thanks to GG and BEKS for the cards (and the book BEKS which Ash has carried around ALL day today - he's very into cats at the moment!)
We had a lovely birthday few days! We went swimming with a load of friends on Sunday and came back here for cake and then took more cake to our Mums and Tots group yesterday. We certainly had the same thing with Tessa and Ash's presents, we had to keep trying to reclaim half unwrapped pressies from Tessa and I think my most used phrase of the past few days has been ' Tessa, please let Ash have a go at unwrapping that'

Lovely to read everyone's news.
Londoner - definitely agree with the others that you'll make a great child-minder. They will be beating a path to your door as soon as word gets out.
GG - I'll buy Usbourne books from you (and pay the postage) The woman who does it locally is one of the few people I know who really hacks me off - pushy isn't the word!! Only advice I've got, from a short stint as a Body Shop Direct party person, is get to ALL the pre-school/school/church/community centre Christmas fayres that you can. That way people will get to know you locally and you can get a few bookings for after Christmas when it all goes quiet. HTH.
Nova - lovely long posts, it all seems to be going so quickly (with you too ChaCha!). Meant to reply to your bottle query from a while ago. Tessa was still having a bottle last thing at night well after she was 2. Just asked her one night if she would like a cup and that was that. Little boy next door was nearly 5 when he was persuaded to leave his bottle for Santa and the baby reindeer. Santa left him a big boys cup to say thank you

Hello to everyone else.
I'm sure I wrote loads more but can't remember now - still have baby brain. Either that or its old age

Sorry it seems theres no way I can keep up!

Happy Birthday Sean
Hope you all had a lovely day. at grandma's card and mis-spelling his name. My FIL is the same with my name he's spelt it Launa for as long as I can remember although the denies it of course!!

Just a quickie to wish (with less than 2 hours to spare!!)Sean a very happy birthday!!! And thanks for all your advice re: the party - especially on the party bag front, I hadn;t thought of that one!!
Will try and catch up properly tommorrow, can hardly keep ny eyes open at thge moment!

Chacha - I'm the same, I can't even begin to imagine how I could have enough love to give the same devotion to another child. I often get quite scared at how much I adore noo, and have to reign myself in sometimes and get a grip on reality. I'm really really looking forward to having this baby though, and it is already very much loved.

Thanks for your bottle feedback TM. Noo has started pushing away the second part of her night time bottle that we give her just before bed, so she's dropped that herself. I'd just been talking to DH that we should start dropping it as well! Just need to sort out the water and milk during the day now, but thats a bit harder as she's at nursery and they don't really have the time to fuss about with her cup.

Have been complaining at the nursery actually, but not sure if it's just me being a neurotic mother - see what you think:
It was all going well until they had a staff change over a couple of weeks ago. The co-ordinator of the baby unit swapped with the one from the toddler unit, and they've also had two staff off on a/l and sickness. My main concern is that the cover/new staff haven't been doing things like using the nappy creams I've taken in, using her cup at lunch time, and don't know her little habits that I'd gone through with the old staff. There is a communication book, but it doesn't seem that anyone has read it. I complained to the new co-ordinator yesterday and she wasn't very helpful, so I was left quite dissatisfied. Noo could be in the baby unit for another 3-6 months. She seems in good spirits when I pick her up, so I wonder if it's just me being over-protective?

Hi guys,

Wonder if you can help me? - long, sorry.

DS2 is taking 11+ tests over a few days. I don't drive so getting him there and back, it's not local, would be really difficult and I wouldn't get back in time to collect dd1 from school.

One mother who I'd helped out before offered to take and bring back my son to all the tests which was so kind of her. Day before the test she rang and said she was only happy to give a lift but not to look after my son so I should come too, which would mean being in the car with the baby for almost 4 hours, mostly waiting in a car park and not guarantee I would be back in time to collect dd1 after school. I said I still wanted the lift as only other option was bus and that would be more difficult I think.

That evening I braved a phone around to some other mums and found him a lift with someone who I know well whose son is a friend and who would happily take him and bring him back. I phoned to thank and apologise to other mum but could get no reply. I tried again and eventually got her 4 year old daughter (was with father who has no English) so left my name and said I'd call back. Called back in the morning and left an answer phone message saying I no longer needed her to take my son, thanking her and saying I was sorry for any bother. I looked out for her on the school run but didn't see her and didn't hear from her so assumed all was okay.... it was not.

At afternoon school pick up she blanked me and I went to talk to her to thank her and again apologise. She got really cross with me in a busy playground, she hadn't got my messages and didn't believe I had phoned at all. I said I was really sorry that I'd upset her and that she hadn't got my messages and was really calm but she was so cross with me, it was awful. I came home and cried. It was all a bit too much. Anyway, I hope she gets my original message.

What should I do now? I'm torn between wanting to run out and buy her some flowers, or just forgetting about it. I feel bad but part of me wonders if a lot of her behaviour is down to the strain of secondary transfer. What do you think? Sorry for this epic, was going to post in education but then thought I'd much rather hear what you guys thought? Thanks.

Londoner,
It seems to me me that you haven't even done anything wrong. At the end of the day she wasn't actually being that helpful if she insisted you go along to the tests anyway, what you wanted was someone who would just take your DS along with theirs and save you hassle of trying to get there.
YOu rang her and left messages you couldn't really have done any more, if she didn't get the messages or doesn't believe you left them then thats up to her!
Keep trying to talk to her if you want to but only apologise for the misunderstanding not for what you did.

She's obviously got nothing better to worry about has she?

Don't worry in a few days you will see that this was nothing like as bad as you thought it was at the time.
xxx

Remember that she got cross with you in a busy school yard!! You are not a child for her to berate just because things didn't go her way!!

Hope you feel better soon Londoner, you sound so understanding of this womans possible reasons for being like she is. Me , I would just think she was a bolshy, rude cow!!!

Oh thanks so much L&S you've really made me smile and brought a tear to my eyes all in one go. Thanks so much, it's really hard to keep an objective view or any handle on things at all when you're tired and hormonal like I am atm, thanks for your opinion, I feel much better for hearing it. You are so funny and right, she did tell me off didn't she! Thank you. I will put my hair vest and birch sticks back in the cupboard for now then and keep my chin up like this little emoticon.

Lol, "bolshy rude cow", lol, you'll send me into over emotional hysterics now lol....

Londoner, we aim to please.
Anyway takes my mind off the looming babies jabs clinic i've got to do later!!

Ah an expert hormonal hysterical mothers handler![respect] Do you enjoy being surrounded by all those gorgeous babies? I can imagine it being quite a stressful but interesting and satisfying job?

Hi everyone! LONDONER, yes totally agree with L&S, it's she who should be buying you flowers!!!! Seems like you've done absolutely nothing wrong, but have been wronged by her through her thoughtless response in the playground!! I would be really mad if I were you, but them probablly would have cried too, just through the unexpectedness of it all!
NOVA; great to hear from you, really interesting to hear about the nursery situation. Would be a bit if I were you, and certainly don't think you are overreacting. Having put all three dds through the nursery-mill, I know how easy it is to fall into the trap of imagining you're overreacting, and that they're all talking about you as the fussy mum when you're not there! I would say, for sure, things won't be done 100% to your liking, but there again, they should be able to accomodate things like helping noo get used to a cup - hardly outside their job description! It's good that she is happy and relaxed when you get her, but I would certaintly say something to them. Maybe make an appointment with the nursery manager, when you know they'll have to listen and address your concerns??
Right, better get back to work, colleagues are wondering what I'm doing typing so furiously from my desk, lol!

Thank you Diege. Lol at puzzled colleagues and your furious typing.
Good advice for Nova, have no experience so have no idea how to help, but good luck in sorting that out Nova, must be so tricky. The politics of making sure your child gets what you want but keeping staff happy and on your side, it's a fine balance. I'm sure you're more than up to the challenge once you've thought it through. Maybe write down the things you want/you're unhappy about and either put them in a letter to the manager or as Diege says speak to them in person.

Sneaking 5mins while BooBah keeps the demolisher entertained.

Londoner - L&S Mum said it all, but i have to admire your 'giving humanity the benefit of the doubt' something that I am taught to do but always fail in miserably. Well done for thinking of her feelings when it was you're feelings that were hurt and you that was the victim here. Give yourself a shiny!!!! [sorry couldn't resist] and sending you a massive hug! [H U G]

Nova - Haven't any experience either but Diege's advice sounds spot on. Good luck!

Diege - LOL Furious typing! He he!

Just back from m/w, everything fine, but walk back home quite tiring. Spent ages trying to wash DS's face this morning in bath, could not get rid of horrible dirty cheek until i realised it was the mother of a bruise and felt awful - how did that happen - duh!

See you all later. BooBah has obviously finished...

Hello all.
Thank you ChaCha.
Ooh really felt for you struggling back feeling heavily pg with bruised baby with well scrubbed cheeks..... can you put your feet up at some point this evening for a well earned rest and put the day behind you? So glad all is well with the little bump, it's v. exciting - do you get lots of kicks and flicks? Seem to remember Z was very active in the womb. Any inklings about whether baby is a boy or a girl?
x

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hi,

Thanks Rodeo, spring is now back in my step thanks to you girls.
Who are Kath & Kim?
RIght, on with housework[yawn]...

Londoner - glad spring is back in your step. Bear with me on this..

I would probably have behaved like the be-atch (no surprises there ) BUT because of this I can say that her behaviour is HER problem not yours. You did nothing wrong, and I agree with the others that:
She was not very helpful by insisting you went along, which kind of defeated the object of the lift.
She must be aware that she was difficult to get hold of, and if you have plans it always pays to check your messages before leaving.
It's very unfair of her not to believe that you tried to contact her.

I'm guessing when her confrontation with you happened she was probably still annoyed about hanging around for your DS, BUT she should realise that she was in the wrong once she's had a chance to think about it, and apologise to you when your paths next cross. She certainly should not harbour a grudge about it.

Diege - thank you for your feedback. Just writing it on here helps me to see it a bit clearer. I had a long chat with one of the carers yesterday and feel a bit better, but you're right, I'll never be 100% happy (rolls eyes)

Nova thank you, you really summed it up and made it clear which I couldn't do - you know she didn't even have to do any waiting as all collected kids including hers were waiting outside the school office together and my son told her thank you but he was getting a lift with someone else.

Thanks for your thoughts and well done on tackling Noo's nursery asap. IME those sort of things can make you feel really frustrated and powerless especially if you let them stew and invariably require your attention when you least feel up to it. You done good girl- Noo was prob sitting there egging you on ..." yeah mum you tell 'em..". What did they say btw?

Wow Londoner, if your DS was able to tell her the situation, she has absolutley no right to behave like that . You should treat yourself to the flowers

I think the nursery are used to me sticking my nose in by now. I think I'm the only parent that doesn't drop and run, so I have a bit more time to mooch and annoy (lol).

Overnight noo has become a bugger with her daytime naps. She always goes down for a nap 10mins after we get back from nursery, and sleeps for up to 2 hours. However, on wednesday she refused point blank and wailed when I put her in her cot. Same thursday and friday. Apparently she was also a bugger at going down for her morning one at nursery yesterday and took ages to go off today, but is finally asleep. It happened so suddenly I'm not sure what to do about it (if there is anything)? Is this normal? Diege - does she who cannot be named say anything about this?

Morning all

Happy Birthday Josh, hope all the Twinkle family have a great day today.

Londoner, buy yourself the flowers, the woman was obviously behaving like a complete witch and you and your ds did all you could to avoid causing her any inconvenience. You know what to do next time she asks for a favour

Nova hate to say it but they do drop their second sleep at about this age. Tom dropped his ages ago which was a killer, best way might be to give her an extra bottle and cuddle up on the sofa in front of the tv with her, she might not sleep but she will rest which means you get some rest too.

By the way I'm with you on getting what you want at nursery, they might think we're interfering mothers but at least they know we care. If you don't look out for your kids wellbeing no other bugger will

Don't know if you've seen Jenjams post on the yahoo site, she suggested doing secret santa for the kids, which I thought was really great let me know what you all think , but definitely think there should be a limit of say £5 or less, to save putting anyone under any pressure.

Right best go and give Tom some milk before we go out, speak to you all later, hope your all having good a good weekend. Beks

Happy birthday JOSH!!! . Looking forward to seeing you soon .
NOVA: Re 'Queena' (shall we call her, in respect of her elevated status on my eyes at least ), they do go crazy between 12 and 18 months. Nap-wise she would suggest dropping the morning one if it's still happening, and have full 2 hours from 12.30 to 2.30ish. Then bed by 7, with no naps in-between. Not sure how this fits in with nursery; I have given up on trying to get my nursery to structure naps - think it's impossible to get them to sleep when at least one child is crying and the room is bright and light! In fact L only has about 20 mins nap all day at nursery, and as a result gets overly tired at 7, and wakes 4ish (am) whinging. She settles back, eventually up at 6ish, but always sleeps better when she's at home, having up to 3 hours in the day.
Agree BEKS, brilliant ideas of JENJAMS re: secret santa, count me in .
LONDONER - hope the behaviour of your 'friend' is but a distant memory - treat yourself to a nice bottle of wine and some choccies in front of the x-factor tonight .
Right, off to see what's happening on that weird thread about the e-bay cot/ikea/nutcase woman on 'classifieds' (for sale). Has been running through the night . (dh says I would have been one of those women knitting at the guillotine!).
Speak later,
Diege