November 2012 - All our babies are 18 months, where has the time gone?

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/2079383-November-2012-Roll-on-summer-we-want-paddling-pools

[Lily311]

We are still in Hungary, flight is not till 7pm. I have snacks, rolls, drink for O as well as a lot of new cartoons on iPad. She has only watched baby Einstein so far so barney, night garden and peppa pig hopefully work as a treat. I also bought a travel doodle for her, in her backpack there are 2 books, pencils, papers, a dolly and obviously brunyo, her cuddly elephant. I have a bottle in my bag, will buy some milk in Starbucks at airport and I have a thick scarf doubling up as blanket. What else do I need?

vq I'm glad you said what you said, you just expressed how I personally feel as well. The quiche is a safe and open place and we should be able to say whatever we want. Having said that I hope that there won't be any flouncing or fights or name calling, we are all grown ups and hopefully can work on this.
Bye bye quiche, see you when I'm in uk.

[PetiteRaleuse]

Safe trip Lily have a wonderful time in the UK and leeting up with chasing of course.

[YellowWellies]

Lily that sounds super organised to me. I'd like to travel with you!

Wanda beer, curry, high heels and no dress!

Pidj please don't flounce but I think the comments on FB were pretty offensive as they read (to me) that the ladies in the group on their own through domestic violence were on their own because of poor relationship choices / bad choice of partner when the same could be said of your situation but that would be a really cruel thing to say (and I don't think that so wouldn't say it). It just seemed a really unnecessary comment unless you were trying to lash out. I think the ladies that are parenting on their own, whatever the reason, deserve our awe and respect not trying to separate them into those more or less deserving of sympathy. If you need more support from us just ask hon - comments like that just come across as passive aggressive and have the opposite effect.

As for the stuff here yesterday the quiche has always been a place for honesty and sharing but I personally don't enjoy reading what comes across as bitching about strangers (in parks, pizza restaurants, wherever) so maybe keep that to AIBU? I don't smoke anymore but I can totally see why a Mum would smoke a good distance away from children. Hell I used to when taking my nephew to the park whilst his sister was in the NICU. It was my only chance to smoke whilst looking after him. And we've all missed our kid doing something they shouldn't do. Hell Jonas got out the front door last week! I'd hate to think what someone would say about that if they were being judgy.

I hope we can move on or continue to discuss this without name calling but I'm sure you appreciate sometimes comments can be taken as offensive (I'm thinking of the fecktard debacle, when you were offended) and feel the need to say so, without it being a personal attack. You're a valued member of the quiche so don't do a runner!

I have two new freelance projects, phew, last month was pants not being able to work (or earn any money!) for 21 days whilst I had J at home on chicken pox watch! Fingers crossed I'll be able to get the last items on our new baby shopping list this month. Its so much easier this time. I've got the double buggy and bassinet (£270 in total on eBay compared to over £1k new!!! ), the ergo newborn insert and I just need to get a new mattress (£19) for the bednest and two universal cosytoes. I've my eye on the John Lewis fluffy star ones (£25 each)... so only £70 left to spend. I'm feeling v organised. Ah shit, he or she is going to need a chest of drawers for their clothes aren't they?

[PurplePidjin]

Definitely the easy option for the first night home, then plan a lovely night of posh cooking and making an effort for each other later!

Have a safe trip, Lily I have no idea what you should pack but it sounds like you're well prepared :)

I won't flounce, and I'm trying to avoid drama here as it is a safe place for many. I won't be discussing it further but I will say that yes, I am needing a lot of support at the moment but I don't actually have the self-awareness or skills to ask most of the time. Monday night was awesome sleep but last night was bad again so I'm back to my usually slightly-nauseous-vulnerable-when-the-boat-is-rocked state.

In R news, he woke last night at 8 to poo. Mum got him up and played with him then after 9 he took her up to the bathroom so he could wee. I got in at 9:15, popped a clean nappy on and put him to bed but he wouldn't settle. Because he'd wee'd in his clean nappy. This morning at playgroup, he took me out to the loo. Sat for a few minutes but got bored. So I put his (clean) nappy back on and we went back to play. Less than 5 minutes later he came over and took me back to the loo to change a wet nappy! I'd been chatting to a couple of friends with slightly older dc and they were as as me. I'm really not feeling ready for all this but am trying to go with it. He did poo on the floor this morning, but I've got a seat for the toilet which he likes so I think I need to be a bit more vigilant at home - I usually leave him playing in the safe, gated living room while I potter doing jobs - until his language develops a bit more? Quiche wisdom here please, I'm struggling there I managed to ask for help yay!

[StuntNun]

You need to distract him while he's on the toilet Pidj. Take a book to read and try and get him to sit there a while longer. Once he starts to go in the toilet then talk him through it e.g. 'You're doing a wee wee in the toilet. What a big boy.'

[PurplePidjin]

I've been singing to him, but after about 4-5 minutes he's had enough and I can't keep the toilet paper away from grabby hands forever He gets an immense amount of praise though! Alongside a matter-of-fact "whoopsadaisy lets clean up now" and suggesting he use the potty next time if he has an accident. He helps me wipe the floor after I've sprinkled the almond cleaner stuff, thank fuck for naice organic Method stuff to go over the Milton hey?

I really thought I'd have another year before I had to even think about this at least the other adults at playgroup could see that it was him asking and not me forcing in order to be Mrs Smug Mummy, I find it hard sometimes to find the right balance between being proud of him and being unbearably boastful. Which I think is why this Quiche is so valuable - we can all be proud of our dc without worrying about the others thinking we're up ourselves. I hope?

[Wandathewindfairy]

I think this is the one place we can be proud mummy's without boundary.

[Wandathewindfairy]

Oliver has been hard work today. I am working from home, just today and tomorrow to go. All I need to do is write up a one sider on something and send a load of attachments out. But he keeps climbing on the table. I take him down he climbs up again, I say no, take him down he has a tantrum and climbs up again.

So I served lunch and thought I would give him lunch and to bed. He nearly fell asleep in his twirly pasta! I have just out him to bed and he can have the rest later.

Now I am just staring at the screen trying to get my brain in order to do the one sider.

[PurplePidjin]

Yeah, nobody here hopefully thinks we're saying our child can do something but ner ner ner yours can't. I have an inordinate fear of appearing that way in real life, yet am genuinely please when another child does something before R - like my best mum friend's dd who can say his name!

Wanda we always do nap before lunch. I think that's unusual as most babies i know eat first, but it works for us and he doesn't really snack unless he's having a wee grow so he obviously needs the sleep more. I find R can be awake for 3-4 hours at a time these days, much like the 90 minute rule of the newborn era. Anyone else noticed similar? Or is it just Mr Gina-Ford Routine here?

[YellowWellies]

Wanda WAH with kids is medal worthy.

Pidj we're the same - nap then food. He's a dreadful eater when tired yet doesn't need a full belly to nap. Nursery does it the other way though so maybe they're just better at getting food into the wee blighters. Great progress on the loo!

On a different note I do think Jonas's outgrowing napping now (argh!!! why couldn't he nap til age 3 so I get some respite with the new baby), he sleeps 11-14 hours a night (mostly through now except if ill or teething) but even if I let him just have a 40 minute nap in the day he's a bugger to get to sleep. Last night he lay in DH's arms / his cot giggling "drink, cuddles, teddy" alternately making DH fume and then crack up laughing. He knew he was winding his Daddy up and found the joke hilarious, patting his Dad's cheeks to make him laugh. He just gets really giggly at bedtime if he's napped now. Days without naps - he's asleep in minutes and sleeps deeper.

The quiche is definitely a place to be a Mummy bore! I am loving the personality I'm seeing develop - he's becoming a giggling joker like his Dad, he's really affectionate like DH too and is really into nature. I got a 1000 animals picture book from the zoo - thinking he'd like it in a few years. He's obsessed with it now. I hope this avoids any forays into Thomas the tank engine as I HATE those books - so Anglican judgy full of weird punishments and dull engine chat. From me he gets a love of doing stuff on his own, frustration with inanimate objects and the tendency toward hissy fits. He's a nice mixture of chatty without having to talk ALL THE TIME unlike my nephew who was already driving my sister mad at this age with a constant stream of consciousness.

I wonder what the boy and the man will be like?

[Wandathewindfairy]

Thomas is a funny one. Ds1 loves it but I tried to avoid it. So we don't ever watch milkshake just CBeebies and although he has some hand me down Thomas books, I try to avoid reading them because actually, the way they are written doesn't really encourage or help them with learning to read the way other books do. There is no repetitiveness or rythmn to the stories.

Anyway, qq. This morning when I woke up I felt rough. I have been getting mouth ulcers on and off for a while and I had a sore throat. So I had a lemsip and got on with it. I still have a bit of a sore throat but I just noticed I have a tender lump in my neck, thinking swollen gland. Should I go to the gp, or just look after myself at home?

[Wandathewindfairy]

yw I wonder that all the time. I always think what with they say when they can talk? What will they be like. It is so exciting.

[YellowWellies]

Wanda I'd gargle with TCP (nice!) and keep an eye on it. If you get fevery or fluish go to the GP for antibiotics I reckon?

[PurplePidjin]

R is obsessed with his Tell The Time With Thomas book, but then he's also rather attached to his Ladybird Peter And Jane books at the moment too. V cute watching him stack a pile on the sofa then climb up to read them to himself! even if he then climbs down again to crap all over the floor :o

I think at nursery they're more likely to go along with what the other kids do iyswim? R has definitely started copying the bigger kids at playgroup. FX he gets 2+ funding because I really think he'd benefit from a few hours of independence.

As YW says gargle - salt water or dissolvable aspirin if no TCP around I would review tomorrow/overnight and go to the GP if it gets worse.

[YellowWellies]

Yes to the herd effect at nursery - the wee sod will even wear a bib at nursery whereas at home he takes it off and calls the dog and gives it to her!

[PetiteRaleuse]

My DDog has patiently been bibbed up by the DDs many a time. :o

[PurplePidjin]

Haha, good stripping skills! R seems spectacularly uninterested in taking off anything but socks and hats although I have taught him to pass me his sunhat from the sling if he doesn't want to wear it, which means one less job sewing elastic on the damned thing :o

[Elizadoesdolittle]

you lot need to stop writing about food. As soon as I read it I want it. I just ate a greggs sausage roll walking down the road. I don't think I've ever had one before, was bloody lovely.

I seriously need to stop eating. I'm hungry all the time. Don't remember being like this with the last 2.

[YellowWellies]

Eliza I call team blue! I was so voraciously hungry when carrying J!

I've just sorted the house from top to bottom. And finally varnished my shabby chic 'up'cycling projects (a chiffonier and three chairs). Last coat tonight and I'll pop some pics on FB. It occurred to me mid blitz that I only really do consistent house work when preggers

[ChasingDaisy]

Me: "O, why are you walking like you're drunk?"

O: "drunk, drunk, drunk, drunk, drunk..."

[fruitpastilles]

Haha chasing that's hilarious

[Wandathewindfairy]

I have just spoiled a thin day by eating two digestive biscuits and two mini sausage rolls.

[PetiteRaleuse]

Sausage rolls. I want sausage rolls. Mmmmmmmmm. i really have to order from the British butcher. Do they freeze well? He delivers in fridge packs so would want to order about 10 million packs.

[ChasingDaisy]

Lily has just boarded the plane. She left me with this message - 'Jude Law is on the plane'

[Wandathewindfairy]

I think they should freeze well. It is also easy to make own sausage rolls, nice ones, by getting some sausages and popping the middle out of the skin, wrapping up in puff and baking. I do that if I have a small end of left over puff after making a pie.