March 2013- the one where plonk gets married!

[Gerrythetootallgiraffeswife]

Perilously close to filling the old thread suddenly!

Interesting thought stormy. I will definitely be thinking about that one. Could be some truth in it.

No one is around to help with ds. Dm is still abroad and dbro has my lurgies. Ddad is a bit useless with babies/toddlers so I am not comfortable leaving him with him. I have to wait to dh to come home this evening. Ds is being good though he has been asleep since 10.45am. probably exhausted from partying last night

I'm back. Eating a too bananary banana. Anyone hear me on that? Yuck. I needed fond quick so I can take these ibuprofen and the banana was to hand. I always have a banana to hand these days. I have a bad head. The earlier paracetamol didn't help so I'm trying a drug cocktail as previously prescribed by Wotta.

Thanks for the enveloping hugs. Doli I have tried to take control these last couple of days. I'm reading an (for want of a better word) 'expanding' book called Happier. I'm always better when I have an expander on the go, a couple of pages a day. So I've started that alongside my crap fiction. I've decided to begin a couple of rituals each day, I'm starting out with ten or fifteen minutes of meditation whilst Ecotod naps (Gerry will be proud) and some bed time writing. That and my assertion that I will eat properly again, exercise each day and get fresh air is my attempt at a drug free approach to whatever it is that's bringing my world down. The fecking patriarchal system I reckon Stormy. I do, to an extent, agree with that. It's only since having become pregnant and having a baby that my feminism roots have taken a tighter hold on me. It's all so bloody frustrating and unfair and stupid. And then there's the 'if women made more world decisions I'd be less scared about my Ecotod's future' element too. Men! Pah! Except I love mine.

Posted early because my phone was being a knob.

Any, if you're feeling like that too then no harm trying a chat with doc is there? They can't force our hand with anything and hopefully will guide us helpfully and in negotiation with us. I will report back tomorrow though. You take care meanwhile.

Plonky love sorry you had a sucky birthday. Onwards with the business though. Did my earlier notes make sense? Any might be able to help too, and perhaps Rainbow?

Yummy that's a great nap you had from ds there. Just what the doctor ordered. I hope you took it easy? Are you feeling any improved? Is dh now on duty? He'd better bloody well be or else me and Stormy will come and chastise him.

I'd best get out of my luke warm bath and get downstairs to eat proper food to take away taste of Yuck banana. Happy bake off Betty

I hear you eco - espesh when they repeat on you. Then you get another hit of the bananayness.

My day had a few wobbles - DD keeps having tantrums from which I just walked away, but I noticed another tooth poking through before bed. I think I am helped by having a purpose - today, I decided to clean the kitchen floor, then I went for the cupboards. I've found a new obsession with getting things really clean (and i've always been a 'life's too short to clean every day' kind of girl) and I wonder if that might be part of my problem?

I'm going to make a list of any behaviour that worries me and see the GP. At best, she might just tell me I have OCD...

Any I'd say that it's a bit of an anxiety thing, the sudden cleaning. Like Doli The Wise says, loss of control causes problems. And these toddles...well, they're certainly cute but they bring a hell of a lack of control into our worlds.

I hate overripe bananas. A single dark speck and I won't go near them for fear of overbananariety.

Eco I admire your resolve to take control of your situation. I think it's fair to say that an awful lot of the last two years has just kind of happened to you, and you've dealt with it admirable thus far. On exercise - I've utterly lost any gymming opportunity I fought so hard for. I don't really miss it, but I do need to start carving out time for regular running again before the weather really turns. It seems running in the summer heat does not a happy Plonky make, but autumn should be perfect a light drizzle jog. I hope you manage to get this time for yourself.

I've spent my day a-photoing. And I've only actually taken a handful of snaps. Instead I've focused a LOT of my time on sorting out ordering a wedding album and some snazzy prints to say ta to our kind and generous parents.

Oh and my mum decided to show up in the middle of DS eating his tea, so that put the kibosh on him eating anything proper. We had a dinner of ricecakes, chocolate buttons and cubes of cheese instead. Can't say I don't envy him.

Ooh also eco, thank you for your tips. I am now registered as a sole trader. Best sort the rest out!

Is it all broken?

We're still here!

So, this non-event of a wonder week is my favourite so far. No devil toddler, and the developmental leap is making itself known in the eating department. I put a bowl of tuna and rice in front of her and handed her a spoon, and she fed herself several mouthfuls before deciding she didn't like it! This, from the child who famously thinks all food is poison, is phenomenal. Then I gave her a sausage roll. Ate two thirds and threw the rest at the cat (or possibly to the cat, if we're being charitable). Yoghurt for pudding, a proper grown up size one rather than a teeny toddler one. We had a spoon each, although I gave up about a third of the way through, when she decided to use her hands instead. The mess is impressive, but I'm still grinning.

I am here bit too tired and yuck to post so just lurking. Don't worry doli dh is helping with ds. .

The mobile site has had a makeover now I need to get used to it.

Looks the same as always to me. What's changed with it?

I do not have high hopes for an easy bedtime. Fartypants just kicked me out of her room so she can play with her menagerie...

I'm here, hiding under a mountain of paperwork and online thingyness. In fact, you lot are great guinea pigs, so here... I'm just testing.

Stormy yes, this one has been pretty lacking in trauma. It's great, isn't it? DS has been trying to say bathtime. He's gotten as far as 'batbo'. We love batbo in this house.

Yummy I hope you feel better soon.

eco how have you been today? And any, how about you?

Right I'd best go sling some of that food stuff in one of them pan thingies. Sigh. Today is one of those days when eating is just too inconvenient. I'd rather have an astronaut food pill and be done with it. Shame, as there's piggy ragu in the slow cooker.

Any I am much more house proud at present too. I can't bear the thought of the door bell going and someone coming into a less than tidy and clean house. Which is ridiculous because I know no one here to knock on door and I live with a chaos creating monster who creates mess!

So I got ill again. Dh had to stay home from work. Again. He took me to prearranged doc appointment and doc spent a good while checking those symptoms out as they thought I had meningitis Anyhow, it seems I have a virus and they've given me strong pain killers. I feel pretty shite to be in bed incapacitated, again.

Anyhow, with regards 'feeling low' (hate that) he thinks I do have post natal depression. It is classed as depression that begins before the first birthday and it's been since Jan or Feb that I've been feeling not normal. He has booked me in for bloods and is seeing me next week. Plonky he suggested moodgym (thank you for heads up, I'd already registered). Meanwhile I'm in bed in pain not meditating, not exercising, not eating, not writing. Bloody vicious circle.

Sorry to hear you've been struck down yet again though. Goodness me, thank god it's not meningitis! Viruses are nasty buggers aren't they?

Moodgym sounds a load of tosh but I found it really helpful. Something about making positive neural wotsits or somesuch science speak. I prescribe Bake Off and ibuprofen. And lots, and lots of cuddles with your delicious fella and scrummy toddle.

Good blog link Plonky, it worked.

Now, let's get this straight, I have the fever lurgy and am in bed and I fancy piggy ragu! Down with food pills. Go grab a bowl full and have a TV dinner. Sounds delicious.

Because I took triptan drugs for first time since pre pregnancy this morning I have been unable to feed my girl at bedtime. I realise you got over this a long time ago but man, it makes me sad. Her first offering of formula went down like, well, like I'd offered her liquidised slugs. So she had to go to bed without.

And she's crying and shouting mummy. She doesn't understand I have poison milk in me. Poor thing.

Sorry I'm so delicate at present everyone! Not a bundle of joy I'm afraid. We need Betty with more tales, this time from labour ward.

Eco if I was in bloody Bedfordshire I'd be round with a bowlful of piggy ragu and gbbo on the iPad toot sweet. Tout suite? Bah.

Would she drink ordinary moo milk?

God I think my v already stunted vocabulary has been toddlerised.

Moo milk is liquidised beetles. I have probably only offered it at snack times about ten times, it always got rejected so I stopped. Not wise! She can't drink mommy milk (that's what it says on the breast milk bags we had when she was tiny....Yuck) in her tea when she's twenty can she. Better address that soon. No bitty required around here.

You're only just up the a6 plonk. Send dh down with the ragu.

I think he's in for the night, unfortunately. Perhaps I could UPS you sOme in Tupperware.

How about hot choc? Or horlicks? Clearly breast milk is very yummy, but so is Green & Blacks...

eco big hugs and sympathy for you. Not feeding at bedtime must have been really hard - my DD would have been devastated too. Maybe you could try cows milk instead while you can't feed as formula not necessary at this age anyway? And don't worry - you are years away from being in "bitty" territory or still feeding to adulthood!. Natural weaning age is somewhere between 3-6 years. There is a great facebook group called breastfeeding older babies that lovely and supportive for those of use doing full term feeding and helps to normalise it in our bizarre culture that we live in that tries to make us feel bad about something totally natural. That aside, sending you all my best wishes for a speedy recovery on all fronts.

Ecotod may yet take to moo milk. Eldest and middle niece were both on formula (sucking at the boon juice production being a family trait) until first birthdays, whereupon they were offered moo milk in a cup. Neither was impressed, and both refused it for a few years, but at eight and five both drink it happily (although my sister doesn't; she developed lactose intolerance during her second pregnancy). So there is hope for Ecotod's tea drinking future.

Speaking of labour wards, I bumped into one of the midwives I saw during ante- and post-natal appointments today - one of my dad's neighbours has just dropped a sprog and they were doing that first visit at home. Last time I saw that midwife, she said, "See you in eighteen months!" That was March last year, so she wasn't far off!

I'm here with labour ward tales! What can I offer you Eco? Funny names? Funny tales? Things to stop you thinking about a bowl of ragu?

I had a lady that bit the midwife when she leaned over her in full blown labour. I once got called a rancid cowbag which is now my personal favourite insult. I was there when a lady who was completely off her tits on diamorphine started screaming because she thought she'd developed a wild bikini line in the previous hour when actually my registrar who was repairing her perineum had a huge Afro maybe you had to be there for that one

I'm trying to decide whether to kill DH or pack his bags and leave them outside. Fucking manchild. Grrr.

Oh Eco, you poor thing. If I could I'd give Life a big fat smack in the face and tell it to give you a break. You need one. I completely sympathise on the feeding front. We went through similar here when I had to cold turkey wean the Toddle before either of us were entirely ready due to the antibiotics I was on. It was awful, as I couldn't comfort her, but it didn't last long as once she was hungry enough she realised formula was really quite palatable. It's another of those 'this too shall pass' moments I'm afraid.

Couple of major steps here today. First, like ToddleStorm she's got all full of herself and seems to be willing to try most foods now. Today fish fingers were eaten. They are probably banned in MN world, but they are easy, and a change from scrambled egg. Plus she's got the hang of drawing. Just a few weeks ago pens were for chewing. Now they are for doodling on walls

Off to the lake District for a week on Friday. Wish us luck. I'm packing her long sleeved all in one bib thing for car sick management purposes, and crossing my fingers we manage it on fewer than 3 changes of clothes.

Betty my vote is for bags outside. Kill him, and you get an uncomfortable night down the cells. Kick him out, and you get to sleep in your own bed... but he doesn't. You can see I have put much thought to such dilemmas can't you

Seconding bags over murder. Would you like to have a good rant, possibly with lots of expletives, Betty? We're all ears if so.