March '13 - The One With The Babax

[Plonkysaurus]

New thread , and I can assure you all, it'll be a corker.

Hello campers. Hope you're enjoying a fun weekend. Bit blowy here. I'm on day five of operation survive cheerfully whilst dh has fun in new York. He's back tomorrow. Which will be nice!

Stormy I've no idea if that's what two year olds are 'supposed' to do. When we had our pre school induction they told us that upon arrival the child chooses their laminated name from the table and sticks it to their photograph. We will have no clue about this.....we haven't looked at her name or letters or words at all. Like probably never. I will begin looking at her name with her so as she doesn't get the class dunce badge when she starts this week. Ecotod is unsurprisingly good at naming plants, flowers and trees though because that's the stuff I teach her about when we're out and about. I guess they're good at whatever direction we encourage them in? Meanwhile, pompoms out for farty! You go girl with your mastery of the English language just like your mummy!

Which reminds me. We just read owl babies. The last line of which is 'I love my mummy'. As soon as I read it Ecotod said 'and I love my mummy too' That was a nice moment; she's not overly demonstrative with her affection despite her mum and dad being soft cuddle bears.

Shattered, you say five weeks but owt from two weeks from now is within the realms of normal! This makes me excited for you! Was your night out a success?

Everyone else I'm doffing my cap to you and trusting you've had nice weekends?

Uh oh were we supposed to teach our toddlers their name? I have been too busy with ds playing playdoh and painting.

yummy that was our morning this morning.

I figure, in a couple years time, someone will be available to teach DS reading and writing using trained methods, I've seen such progress in my 5 year old nephew, it's really incredible. So until that time, I think we'll just carry on climbing trees and drawing circles. He's really good at drawing circles and although he's yet to say his own name, he's exceptional at shouting for ToddlePlonk

Hooray for FP. When my sister was 2, she could say "hello my name is first middle last and I live at address and my phone number is number", I get excited enough when DS calls me 'cute'

eco are you looking forward to. DH coming back? Is he bringing goodies? Are you into American food? I love when friends come back from America and bring me lots of fatty snacks.

We're one week into our easter hols and have done something active everyday. DS comes home red faced and sticky with a big smile on his face, and that's just what the hols are about!

Eco did you say what DH was in NY for? Was it a lads thing? I love New York. Nowhere else like it. But I bet you can't wait for him to step through the door! Five days solo is a real test.

Wow FP is streets ahead. Fair play! I think ds can join ecotod on the dunce bench. He's a happy little chap but earlier I asked him how old he was and he said kangaroo. Then he stacked all his many tractors atop one another and said crash, so I fear he's got that dark disturbing streak from his uncle for us to keep an eye on

Something I think ds has had a smashing easter holiday. He must be sleeping even better than usual!

We're looking at going down to Dorset again for a week or so before I go full on whale the schools break up for summer so ill have to start thinking about activities to keep us going for a whole week. Other than that the only thing going on here is my waistline and thoughts turning to potty training.

Ds says his name about 700 times a day. But while he also keenly discusses the merits of jumping he isn't very good at it. And while my bff was admiring his colour recognition, which her dc can't yet manage (turns 2 in a week) her Deccan spot lots of emotions and goes through books spotting happy, sad, cross etc which ds wouldn't know where to start with. Very impressed with spelling though! We haven't really don't much with letters yet, he has a sticker of his name above his changing mat but doubt he'd recognise it out of context. They all go at their own speed and also with what we've focussed on I guess.

Deccan? Dc can

Well, in fairness, DD does have about the easiest name here - it's only three letters long. They're all absolute sponges at the moment though, they pick up whatever's presented to them so quickly. I expect I'd be astonished if I saw EcoTod naming everything in nature; Fartypants can distinguish pigeons by sight and seagulls by sound and that's it.

I'm enjoying catching up on the news but am supposed to be resting well away from the computer so won't be doing much posting. Just spent 3 days on the acute ward with pneumonia. The ambulance crew told me had they arrived any later I'd have gone into crash. I feel lucky to be alive and awful at the same time. So no more bfing as goodness only knows what antibiotics were in the iv but they've scorched my vein. Def not baby friendly. I'm sad about that but he needs me well more than he needs slightly toxic chemical flavoured milk. It's so hard being away from your kids when you're ill. Cried in that night over it although my mood may have been influenced by the mad old lady who sang war songs. All night. Every night

Oh Worse ((big hug)) hope you feel better soon x

Oh Worse! You are having a crap time of it aren't you? Re bf, you could always pump and dump through the abs if you felt up to it and wanted to keep going. But if that all seems too much then don't. You've had a basin full since babax came along. Go easy on yourself.

worse the sounds so scary and miserable. Hope your DH has been able to prioritise you over being away to help with the recovery. If you feel your breastfeeding journey isn't over, I would second *Wotta's" pump and dump suggestion until you can feed again. Its also perfectly possible to build up supply again after a break (adoptive mums can do it from scratch so there is a load of info out there with tips etc). In the meantime I hope you are managing to get some rest and recovery time you deserve x

worse !! You do things properly don't you. Are you still in or back home? Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can get back to your little people ASAP . wotta hope you are better too .

Bloody hell Worse, you poor thing. Make sure you take the time to recuperate properly. I know that's easier said than done with two little ones but it's better for all of you to have you at full strength than halfway there and getting ill again. As for breastfeeding, you still can on a lot of abx so if you want to its worth checking but its not the worst idea to stop either, what with this and the allergy and everything else you've got on your plate I don't think I'd be carrying on either. I really hope you're on the mend soon and even though you'll be a background figure for a bit do shout up if you need anything.

Betty thank you, but they've got me on something awful and told me it isn't safe. This stuff has literally burnt the inside of my vein where the IV was. I would pump and dump if I could but again I've been told it would be foolish. My body doesn't have the strength to keep up milk production.

I'm properly scared, temp is soaring again, pulse has gone crazy and earlier my blood pressure crashed. I drank a lot to get it up. I want to go back to hospital but I'll get no sleep. I think I maybe shouldn't have taken ibuprofen on top of everything else but I've the max paracetamol. I don't know, but I'm scared. Standing up typing seems to be lowering my pulse which is reassuring, so probably just too medication and nothing serious

DH has a chronic chest infection and is very ill, I worry he'll be next. Village GP sent him home with cough medicine. They will kill someone soon, they are dangerous. Thank goodness for a private one coming out straight away and getting him on antibiotics and me in hospital. At the risk of sounding melodramatic if he hadn't I'd probably be dead.

Oh goodness me worse that's properly scary. I hope you've managed to enlist help to look after the tinies.

Your gp sounds absolutely shocking. Worth a complaint? I hope a few days in bed is possible so you don't have to go back to hospital, but if you do need to then just go. It's not worth being a hero.

Worse which antibiotics are you on? It definitely sounds sensible about feeding when you're that poorly. You couldn't be up feeding in the night not knowing if you could stay upright.

How high was your temp? If you're still getting temps above 38 and your pulse is over 90 you need to go back in. If you've had more than 48hrs antibiotics and are still getting temps like that you might not be responding to them. Please don't stay at home if that's happening or you might get yourself in a real jam.

Thanks Betty I was in a bad way last night, temp 38.9, pulse 100. The ibuprofen took my temp down to 37.7 which is why I took it. I had a weird period lying in bed kind of hallucinating but that passed and I went to sleep. This morning I feel ok. Still have a high pulse, but not as high, and temp normal.

I'm on a double dose of amoxicillin (I personally believe this isn't working, as I had it before but they wouldn't give me another), and a double dose of clarithromycin. I think that's the one that burnt my vein, but I can't be sure. I wasn't very with it when they were hooking the bags up.

I'll leave it another 24 hours and readmit myself if necessary - thank you so much for the advice, I feel so alone with this.

But enough doom and gloom. Back to the toddles. We haven't tried spelling here, but she can say parts of the alphabet quite reliably, and can count up to 20.... usually with pieces of food on her tray. It's very funny.

Good Lord, worse, you are in the wars at the moment, aren't you? Look after yourself, those kids need you and so do we!

Fartypants isn't exactly spelling much, it's just that what she has done demonstrates that she's starting to grasp the link between language and these random squiggles. I think it was just luck though - someone bought her the right book at the right time and it really clicked with her. Still a bit hazy on the counting to twenty though! Knows the numbers but the order is a bit random.

We had crying and calpol and cuddles at 2.45am, then slept in until 9.25. I feel slightly discombobulated. Where did the morning go?

Oh crap. All my misery has scared you all off. Except Stormy of course. Nothing could scare our Stormy. But I am no longer convinced of imminent demise so it's back to toddles, and bumps, and holidays and of course the mystery that is why DPs are so rubbish at times. Take mine. When he brought my clothes into hospital he put them in a bag with a beaker or water. A beaker without a lid . I mean, it's just what you need when you are ill isn't it? Soaking wet clothes!

Shattered how are yoou feeling. Excited or just willing pregnancy to end. plonky how about you? And your sister? All well?

Can't remember other news on the thread and can't scroll back on phone. It's really quite boring lying in bed. Thank goodness for phones! The highlight of my day was the toddle tucking herself in beside me and giving me a box of chocolates she had picked in the shop herself. Actually giving them to me. Not hanging on to them for dear life. It's a cute age. Babax is gorgeous too, and growing so fast. I think he looks like my dad. Not such a bad genetic hand all told, my dad was a looker in his day whereas DH has always been a funny looking bloke

worse ! You haven't scared us off. Pleased you're better, I think we were all quite worried . Is DH waiting on you hand and foot? Apart from the wet clothes of course...!
Frankly I haven't thought past the end of pregnancy/labour. I'm sure I will be excited to have a newborn, but it all feels a bit abstract at the moment, If that makes sense . I feel like I've been pregnant forever!!!
And eco yes you are right, not long, actually less than a month assuming I don't go 2 weeks over....
In other news, turns out our neighbours smoke dope. We went out in the garden this eve and there was a definite odour. They don't seem the type either!!
How's everyone else?

Shattered is it bad that my first thought was that it's a shame you're pregnant and can't partake in a neighbourly smoke? In my head I'm still a student. But it's quite astounding the number of people who smoke weed on the sly. As long as they're not daft and the smell stays outside they may well be nice neighbours.

And wow you're so close to the end. Lovely!

Worse you sound a bit more chipper. And who wouldn't with such a lovely gift from a lovely girl. How old is Babax now? I'm well thanks. I have the odd grim day but generally feel fantastic. my scan is in two weeks and tonight DH felt the top of my uterus then retched. So business as usual dsis is doing well in the main but is very anxious. She's already receiving excellent care though and will have a scan soon.

Stormy you've reminded me of an eggcorn. When I was little my mum always used to tell me I looked like I'd been in the wars (rough and tumble childhood) but I didn't know what a war was. I presumed she meant walls. Spent many an afternoon wondering why folk wokls hang out in walls.

Evening all!

I thought I'd better write a proper post seen as I'm off jetsetting again in the early hours of Thursday morning for a few nights away with my loveliest mate! I can't wait!

We just got back from a family trip to Cyprus yesterday for a wedding. It wasn't really my kind of place but our apartment was lovely, it was fairly warm during the day and madam loved it so it was nice to get a bit of quality time in. The flight back was hell on earth though and not something I fancy repeating in a hurry!

As for spelling, madam can spell about 5 words in one of her bedtime books and she does it with DH every night but if she sees the same words out of context she hasn't a clue ! It makes him happy though! Her alphabet is a work of fiction but she can count to twenty as long as you don't have a great affinity for 13-17. She can name a daffodil, a daisy and on a good day a nettle but her nature knowledge stops there but she can name every obscure character in Ben and Holly, Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig yet another example of the exemplary parenting in this house

Plonky it's wonderful news about your sister and although it'll be a worrying and stressful time for you all it will be good for her to have someone to share it with.

Worse don't do one on us and go silent on the chat about your shitty time. That's what we're here for, crappy times and good ones. I for one would like to know that you're on the mend and if not that you're hot footing it back to the hospital. Pneumonia's not something to fuck about with and if you're going back downhill don't mess about at home for too long. You're right it's the clarithromycin that's like bleach, it's good stuff though but there's a decent amount of antibiotic resistance around so if you're not getting better they can be changed for an alternative.

As for DPs being rubbish, I have a list a mile long but he is trying harder at the moment and I'm trying to be less of a critical witch so hopefully we're on the mend. He's one of the good guys so probably best keep hold of his chubby ass!

Shattered I can't believe it's so soon. You might feel like you've been pregnant forever but I feel like it's flown by! Fingers crossed you're not kept waiting too long!!

Right I'm off to bed. DH is on 24hr on call and has been called out to Hull so probably won't be back now until some point tomorrow morning and madam's still a bit unsettled from getting back from holiday so best get a bit of kip in before she throws me a curveball.

Night all.

Worse how are you? I've been worrying!

Hope everyone else is ok too!

Bloody hell worse you have been through so much. Sorry I haven't been around for moral support but I have no doubt our lovely Marchers were there for you. How are you feeling today?

How are you, Yummy? Hope these last few weeks go quickly and as stress free as possible.

Betty it sounds like you had a nice time and made the most of a bit of a break in the sun. From your photos I see we have the same strategy when it comes to entertaining toddles in confined public spaces! Glad to hear things are on the up for you and DH too. This parenting thing is such a big adjustment, I reckon it rocks even the most stable relationships.

Worse how are you feeling today? Has Babax taken well to formula? Hope DH is better too.

Oh dear. Seeing what all these toddles can do with numbers and letters has me worried we've been too complacent. DS doesn't know the alphabet exists. He knows about numbers - we count toes in the bath and steps we walk up and down - but doesn't recite anything in sequence. should I pull my finger out a bit? He's more into crashing around on his bike than anything quiet these days.

Although we are going to take the plunge into potty training tomorrow. We have gruffalo pants, chocolatey bribes and a clear schedule for the weekend. And an empty laundry basket in preparation for all the spare clothes we'll need