March 2005 Part 7 - Welly Boots and Toddler Tantrums!

[JoPG]

Here is the new thread

Leo - well done on that outing. I remember how intimidating it was just taking one baby and a toddler out, let alone two babies!!

Pidge - well done for the Marathon. I didn't know you'd be doing it this year. You must be exhausted.

Leo - sounds like you had a v good day with your three.

Umum - good to hear you like London. I got so used to living here. Shall we meet in a couple of weeks? I'm away the week after next (Ft Lauderdale, Florida) and busy next week preparing for the conference, but relatively free afterwards. My mobile is 07946 165 726.

Sylvia is well, really resisting her lunchtime nap which is becoming increasingly late, meaning she goes to bed late at night and so on. I think she's too young to drop it yet, although I remember Dominic did at about the same age. I thought at the time it was because he'd changed groups at nursery with the older kids and was too excited to sleep at lunchtime, but Sylvia has no excuse, she only goes to nursery 1 day a week.

Our news is that I'm pregnant. It's taken a while to get used to the idea but after much denial it's time to accept that it is happening. I would have been very keen just after Sylvia was born as it seemed so easy compared with DS but now I'd got used to our family had given away baby stuff, maternity clothes etc. With every item I gave away I felt a "moving on" feeling and the thoughts of "let some other poor cow make use of them". Ha, who's the poor cow now? Anyway, the baby is due early-mid October. I had a CVS test too, all came back fine, although we are still awaiting the culture results. I feel absolutely fine otherwise, no sickness or anything at all. I've even kept my weight under control so far. I dread telling my boss (and I'm 16 weeks) and haven't yet told my parents, sister, or anyone else really. I don't know why I feel quite so shocked.

Christina - That is astonishing news! Congratulations, and although it seems as if it was not planned, I hope you are getting used to the idea. You will look back and know that the right thing has happened for you and your family. I am a teeny bit cos I am like you, I feel I have moved on and I have started to give stuff away, but a new baby is always something to celebrate.

cristina - what exciting news - many congratulations - I think pregnancy takes quite some adjusting to even if it's planned for, so all the more so when you'd seen your life going in a different direction. But you've got quite a few months yet to adjust, and then you'll probably find it hard to imagine your family being any other way.

Cristina! Congratulations on the pregnancy! I hope you do get used to the idea and enjoy it! Oh, I'm getting excited again now !!!!

We have also pretty much given up on Niklas's daytime sleep, he sleeps if we are in the car and sometimes at nursery (although we have asked them not to put him to bed anymore), its the only way we survive as he won't go to bed until 10 if he sleeps during the day and that is way past my bedtime!

What are you doing now Cristina?

Congratulations Christina! Sure once you're used to the idea, you'll be very happy about it. At least it gives you an excuse to shop for lots of new stuff!
My DH and I are about 90% decided that we are not going to have any more children. I've been very stressed by my thoughts on the matter, as for some reason I just don't feel in my heart that I want another child and feel so guilty about feeling like that. My DH always said that he wanted at least 2, but when he finally got me to tell him why I was a bit out of sorts the other week, he said that was also feeling that maybe we would be happiest with only one. My MIL is horrified by this, my Mum not phased. I am an only child and grew up very happily that way. Know we don't have to cast our decision in stone. I'm 38 this year, which isn't a spring chicken by any means, but I still have a couple of years before it's too late I suppose.
Other news is that we are thinking of moving to France. We are going for more of a look around before going to Croatia in June and will then go back in about April next year to look for a house. We have always wanted to do a renovation on an old house and you just don't get that opportunity in SA. We have done 3 renovations here and are really itching to do something challenging. Secondly, as much as I love my country, I just don't feel safe anymore. The crime rate is so high; we live behind high walls and have our alarms on 24 hours a day. I want Lauren to grow up with the freedom I had as a child, which you just don't have here anymore. The kids are ferried everywhere and constantly watched over, just in case something happens. It's horrible.
Am going to put some new pics of Lauren on the PB.

Hi everyone. It is sooooo long since I checked this thread and have just done the best I can to catch up with everyone (although have skim-read so have probably missed loads). It's lovely to hear all your news.

Huge congratulations Leo on your two gorgeous new additions. You really have your hands full now!

Christina - congrats to you too on your pregnancy. I can understand how it must be a lot to get your head around if you had decided your family was complete already. You do know though that you won't have any regrets once you have that new bundle in your arms .

Grace is doing really well. She chats away nineteen to the dozen and is putting some quite complex sentences together now. She has a great sense of humour and is just so funny and adorable I could eat her up sometimes! She's pretty much potty trained as well - she seemed to have no interest at all and then about 3 weeks ago just suddenly started using the potty and for the last week has been out of nappies completely. She is dry at night as well although I'm still putting her in a nappy at the moment as I'm convinced that as soon as stop, she'll wet the bed!

There's an up-to-date picture of her on my profile. I'm off to check the photobucket now in the hope that the rest of you have got recent pictures on there.

Hope you are all keeping well. x

BonyM - Good to hear from you. Sounds like Grace is doing really well. Am very over potty training, but we are off to Greece next week for a holiday and thought I would def keep Freya in nappies until after that cos didn't want hassle of taking a potty everywhere with me! Also, DS was late to potty train, so maybe Freya will be the same.
Checked out the photos on your profile, Grace looks lovely.

I have added some photos to the march photobucket, including a couple of the two cakes that I made for Freya's birthday.

Jambot - I think that every couple needs to do what is right for them, be that a decision not to have children, or to have 1, 2, 3 or whatever. As long as yu are happy, then Lauren will be happy too. Good luck with your decision regarding France. It is a big step, but could be very exciting.

Freya is beginning to talk quite a lot now, though is def not as advanced as some of the other March 2005 babies. HV at 2 yr check said she was fine though, and she has improved again since then. She is trying to put sentences together, but often uses just nouns and verbs to get her point across, rather than messing around adding in all those annoying joining words!

Went to the London Aquarium last weekend and had a great time. Freya spent ages standing by the Ray pool where you could touch the fish, and then freaked out when she actually touched one! Ethan loved it, and we practically had to stop him getting in for a swim!

Also enjoyed a great trip to Hever Castle recently. Beautiful day in early spring, and made you feel lucky to be out. Would def recommend it as a day out (great cakes in the coffee shop too)

Who likes my name change?
(JoPG, btw)

Iris is OBSESSED with wonderpets - we don't get it on TV but we were given a free DVD at some point and it is hysterical. We watch it on the compter and Iris now shouts "underpets" whenever she sees a computer. And she does a great rendition of the "wonderpets, wonderpets we're on our way" song.

So she likes your new name and so do I .

BoneyM - great to hear from you. Iris is also out of nappies - it already seems like another lifetime that I was grappling with the bucket of disgusting nappies! She is also dry in the morning about 4 times in 5 ... but I don't know whether to risk taking her out of nappies completely. Thing is she is still in her cot, so can't get up to go to the loo even if she wanted. Plus dd1 (5 in July) is still in nappies at night .

Oh we are SO quiet these days! Having too much fun with our little monsters I guess !

Bonym - great to hear from you again!

Jambot are you back from your trip to Croatia yet? Got any further wiht your plans to move to France?

Christina, how is the pregnancy going? How are you feeling about it now?

Wonderpets? Sigh, I miss out on so much over here don't I!

Niklas is still in nappies, but it will just needs a tiny bit of effort from us to get him out of them. If we take his nappy off and tell him to use the potty he does without fail.... oh, baby crying....!

How is everyone????? :O!

!

Heellooo!
We're still here! we are just back from holiday in Greece, very lovely and very relaxing.

Freya is doing fine, has started some settling in sessions at pre-school and is due to start 2 mornings a week in September. She seems too little to be going, but Ethan was at nursery 2 full days a week by her age and having great fun.
Freya is not potty trained either, I keep putting it off cos I am too lazy to tackle it! Maybe over the summer holidays...

Leo - You need to check out Wonderpets. It's great and Freya is hooked. I think it's really funny too!

Cristina - How are you getting on? How many weeks are you now?

Freya is really funny at the moment, and very cute. She is just starting to emerge from her snatching and 'mine' phase, and it is quite funny to see her friend (who is a few months younger than her) starting it! She is also talking really well now, and chatters away all the time.

Hullo all - still here too!

Iris is on fine form 99% of the time. Though today she decided to get up at 5.30am and then be thoroughly miserable because she was so exhausted. "Me get up too early" as she so aptly put it.

Amazingly we have no napppies in the house these days - Iris potty trained a while ago and has been dry at night for about a month, and Cleo finally got the hang of nighttimes without nappies in the last couple of weeks (only 2 years 8 months behind her sister!!). Still hanging onto those reusables though as mutterings continue about a possible number 3 offspring in the pidge household. Don't hold your breath though - we're thinking sometime late next year.

The two girls are interracting really well these days - they play together pretty nicely - usually with some kind of crazy role reversal where Iris is the mum and Cleo the baby, or Iris the teacher and Cleo the pupil!!

Have added two new pics of Iris to the photobucket, plus one of Cleo for good measure!

Not thinking of potty training till next year! Tried Caleb without a nappie and he sat on my knee then wet himself, also hides when he's doing a poo and then denies all knowledge even though the smell gives him away! Think we will start trying for number 2, how exciting, terrifying ect!!!

Have also uploaded some new photos to photobucket and am about to have a look through everyone's folders!

Hi All

Seems like an age since I was on here last. Got back from our trip to France and Croatia on Monday. Had a wonderful time although I have decided that over 2 weeks away is too long to be away from Lauren. I start looking forward to going home after the first week. She was ok without us although kept asking for me all the time. This will be the last long holiday we take without her for many years now I think. Loved the part of France that we were thinking of moving to. Very beautiful and lots going on, but DH and I had a real heart to heart about it and decided that we don't think we could make the move when push comes to shove. It's just so far away from anything and anyone we know and love and I decided that I would be dreadfully homesick. So, unless we feel that things get really bad here and we don't have a choice, we are staying put.
Have made some attempts at potty training, but Lauren is not interested in the potty and gets quite upset when I try and push the issue. She still doesn't seem to have any idea about when she's doing a wee, although is aware of doing a poo most of the time. I'm going to leave her until the weather warms up in October and then give it a fully concerted go.
Otherwise she's great. Very mischevious, full of beans and bossy. Very caring little soul and hates to see anybody looking sad or crying.
Got my SIL's 40th birthday party on Saturday. She's having a very fancy Bond party, so we are all having to dress up in our best frocks and tuxes. As they normally do, they are going BIG, with a band, caterers etc. So we are really having to make a big effort. Should be fun, I suppose. Big parties aren't really my thing.
Hope you are all keeping well and that the March monthers are all happy and healthy. Hope your pregnancy is going well Christina.

Good to hear from you Jambot. Nice to hear that Lauren is doing well.

We are looking forward to the end of term here. Everyone tired and grumpy and looking forward to no rush in the morinigs. Will probably be fed up with them both one week in !

Freya is now dry during the day. No trouble atall to potty train. TBH, just took her nappy off one day and all done. Sooooo much easier than DS1! She has also dry at night really, I just can't bring myself to take the nappy off -I know she will then have an accident. I am finding it very difficult to relax and believe she's done it, partly cos DS1 was nearly 6 before he was dry at night. I do remember Pidge saying though that her 2 girls have been very different, so perhaps I really have got lucky this time!

Hello girls.

Gosh,it has been quiet here.

Well,me and mydh have moved to new flat in Enfiel.Lovely area.Very quiet.Love it.been doing some redecoretion here.And wen from minor project to major.It is all nearly done.

Calle to my parents today.Well,not the very good news.ksenia has an inhernia and it has to be removed.I planned to go home anyway in mid of September and i will it just realizing that she has to go thruogh the surgery procedure makes my heart ache.
Ksenia is groing up and becoming smart little girl.And ther was anothere quite upsetting thing.On the weekend after day nap looked at the picture where we are together and said that mama is not coming back.So,finishing some stuff here and definatly go home in september.

I asked my parents how is Ksenia with nappies and all that and mum said she is completely out of them now so earlier potty taining gave us a reward.

Hope everybody is good,enjoying summer holidays,though not so much of a summer weather here,especially in the flooded areas.I don't know where evrybody lives in UK but i sincere hope that floods did't affect anybody.

Stay positive,sunshine it is on it s way
And speak to you soon.

warm wishes,Sasha

Hi all, its nice to read up on your news occasionally!

Hope everyone still thinks to look in on here sometimes.

Niklas is going through a wonderful stage at the moment. He has really grown up the last few months. He role plays all the time, his favourites are a little cat, spiderman, little boy and recently he has become bob the builder and a lion!

His language has also really developed as well, he now differentiates between German and English and at last speaks to me in English ! He is actually exhausting and never stops talking!

DTs are also doing well, a little slower than Niklas was, but lovely happy, active babies. They do unfortunately still sleep badly, i often thing about Popsy when I have got out of bed so many times in a night that my sanity is hanging on a very thing thread .

oh wow is this thread still going (tis misdee btw).

pictures on my profile of dd3.

Hi Misdee, how is Peter doing? how are you and the girls?

Did you know I have 7 month old twin boys now?

LadyVC (aka misdee!) - what a BEAUTIFUL pic of dd3. She is a stunner.

And the pic of Peter post transplant is amazing. What a transformation.

Leo - great to 'see' you! And lovely to catch up on Niklas and the twins.

Iris is in a big bed these days, and generally trying to catch up with big sister. She keeps asking when she can go to school too! And big sis was found the other night crawled into Iris's bed fast asleep (they usually sleep in separate rooms, so she'd traveled quite a long way). When asked why she did it she said "Because I love Iris and wanted to cuddle her"! Aaaah.

Hallo All after such a long while. Busy typing while Lauren builds houses next to me. Very into construction and cars - quite the tomboy.
Still in nappies. Just won't release anything on either the potty or toilet Not fussing, she'll get there in the end.She's at school three mornings a week now and loving it.
Her imagination is really starting to run wild now and she is coming up with the craziest things. After a late start on the speach front she has caught up hugely and now never shuts up.
Hope you and yours are all well and preparing yourselves for the Christmas madness. Quite looking forward to it really as it'll be the first Christmas where Lauren will really be able to participate. Will post a new pic on photobucket.