January 2014- the one where the babies move more, but sleep less!

[AMillionNameChangesLater]

Hope this is ok!

puggle, that must be so hard. I don't know what to say other than I'm thinking of you and wishing I could do more!

L only says mummy, daddy, bup (up, usually when she wants us to pick her up) and quack. She points to her head, ears, nose, belly, legs and feet when asked though, which is pretty cute.

Puggle I'm so sorry

S doesn't say much and still won't walk either. Or stand up on her own any more! She had a few days of trying to stand up about 4-6 weeks ago but hasn't done it since even though I'm trying to encourage her. She's 17.5 months now so I don't know when to start worrying!

She says 'Dada' which used to just be DP but now every human is referred to as 'dada.' She also says 'gone' and 'dog.' She will woof and quack but that's about it. She babbles a lot though and it always chattering her own little language.

Oh, puggle, you're having a tough time of it, aren't you? My uncle is a psych nurse in the Highlands. Give me the nod and I'll send him round to get your 'D'H committed
I'm so sorry about your gran :(

felix, loads of people have told me their children didn't walk til 18 months. It must be a thing they say to people with late walkers!

puggle. So sorry to hear about your granny.

I am actually Scottish, so Highland weather is fine with me. Most of the family have moved away but I still have my Mum in Angus and an uncle in Perthshire.

I am not really enjoying Egypt Toby, you are right. Not sure about prospects for moving; it mostly depends on DH getting a job elsewhere. He in a quite a senior role in a public sector body here but is considering moving to the private sector.

Most of the things that are making me unhappy would probably be the same elsewhere though. I hate staying at home with small DCs but didn't establish a career before having them, so it is my own fault! Mostly I don't like Cairo because it isn't Paris or Edinburgh. I am much happier now than when I first came back from Paris but it is taking me a long time to adjust.

Glad to hear N isn't the only baby without many clear words. Like others he clearly understands, he brings me stuff when I ask etc and lots of babbling but not much that can be understood.

Sorry to hear you are concerned about P book. Hope the SLT appointment is positive. P sounds so great from all your posts.

Felix both my nephews didn't walk til over 21 months. Just because people telling you that all the time is really helpful, like.

Cramps and diarrhoea here today. N in good form too. Too ill to take him to MIL but not sure I can look after him either.

Day 2 of diarrhoea and cramps here. I feel really rough and was very relieved that DH has the day off, except that apparently he is too busy with work to help out and probably all weekend too. He is such a self important arse at times and this is the real reason I hate Egypt. I don't really think leaving is an option though because the kids love him so much and if I left quite apart from committing a crime they would lose contact with half their family and my beef is only with DH.

N is in a mood today because he wants four yoghurts and I only let him have two. He is jumping on my stomach and.pulling my hair as punishment.

It is a sad fact that my BIL has done more childcare than DH over the past year and he lives in Morocco.

:( altered that sounds crap :( it's so tough living away from family, I'd have gone crazy a long time ago if DH wasn't so helpful. I hope your DH steps up soon, or at least takes N to your MILs so you get a break. Get better soon!

Thanks GSR

DH took both DCs to MILs just after I posted, so things were fine in the end. I wish he could do it without the self important work speech and making my blood boil first though!

I also read Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller today. It was really good, hope I can scrape more time for reading now that N is getting (only slightly) older and more sensible.

How are you enjoying your new found freedom from studying?

It does sound annoying. Hope your feeling better today :)

I'm loving being able to waste time and not feel guilty about it! DH got me some logs, I'm trying to make one into a little chair but not sure how successful I'll be!

Bit worried - H has marks on his front upper teeth. Had been brushing failry religiously but realised we weren't getting the toothbrush onto these front ones as its awkward. Bloody hope its not decay..
Also massive fight - accidentally left the thread open and DH only ever uses my laptop (which he moans about but I'm "not allowed" to buy a new one. Ooops!
Today he has done some childcare but things are still a long way off being good. I don't think he understands me much at all,
I'm off to hide the thread!

Well, Mister Puggle, if you're still reading this, PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE AND STOP BEING SUCH A THUNDERCUNT.

Yes, mrpuggle, toby is wise. Also, we are double hard, so SORT IT OUT YOU TWAT.

Don't make us come up there...

Yep, MrPuggle, you don't want to mess with us. We're watching you.

I don't think I've laughed so much in ages! Thanks guys
Altered I'm amazed by your book reading in a day - that used to be a sign of a massively relaxing beach holiday for me....them was the days! (though I do rather like building sandcastles)

Pissing it down here worse luck. Hope you've all got decent weather and something nice planned

Well, I haven't read a book that quickly in ages. I have been wading through A Tale of Two Cities on and off for months, and I've been trying to get into The Comforters by Muriel Spark too but it can't keep my attention. I worry I am beginning a slow slide into chick lit.

Sorry the weather is crap, hope it is brighter today.

In other news, I have unleashed DH on you all so watch out. He is in London until at least Thursday. If I could just have sent DD and N too...

Lost the thread then! Had a slightly panicked moment

Altered is he in London for a work thing? He definitely should have taken them along too. Then you could read as many books as your heart desires!

S is getting worse behaviour-wise. She just screams constantly and the clingyness is exhausting. The ladies from my play group have told me to consider putting her with a childminder for one morning a week to get her used to being away from me. I don't know if DP will be convinced but I think we could just afford it. It's not something I'd thought of before and now I'd really like to do it!! I've just put her down for a nap so enjoying a rare moment of silence...

Haha Felix, can see your panic now. Someone might have reported us for threats and had the thread deleted!

Yeah, it is a work thing and quite a high level delegation so not sure that Peppa Pig on repeat and N self-feeding yoghurt would have gone down well with other members of the party. Still, I should have given it a go.

My cunning plan to order in food for the week and be lazy has been foiled by me not so cunningly giving DH almost all the cash in the house in case his cards don't work. D'oh! Still, there is plenty of meat and veg in the freezer so I should just get off my arse and cook it really.

It is too hot to go out again and N is a bit bored. Trying to get him to work off energy in the house but when I try and get him to dance he just looks at me with a mixture of awe and amusement and sits on his arse clapping. His preferred option is making a obstacle course out of the furniture and launching himself from the coffee table onto the sofas but I am not sure my heart can take it.

Re: childminder I would definitely do it Felix. I have been toying with putting N in nursery for ages but money is a bit too tight just now. I rather optimistically have his name down for a place in September but I wish I could send him now. More to the point, he wishes I would send him. He really wants to play with other babies more and get out and about. He tried to leave the house with the guy who came to read the gas meter today. Toddled out the front door waving and saying "baaay!" I felt a bit superfluous.

felix I'm currently looking for a nursery for P. The plan is to send her for a couple of sessions a week, so that I can piss about on the Internet have some time to do things like knitting and sewing. I visited one the other day but I wasn't that keen on it, so once we're back from the in-laws next week I'll start looking again. Her Tuesday creche sessions come to an end next week, and I don't want to have to go through the settling process from scratch all over again. Probably will have to anyway because she is being very clingy at the moment.

How are things with you puggle?

Hope everything is OK with you puggle.

and to everyone with clingy babies.

Thanks for the advice re childminder! I am friends with someone who lives close to me and she has space for S in a couple of weeks time. It's only £15 for half a day so I'm considering changing it to a full day after a while depending on how much sewing I have to do. Someone else quoted me £25 for the same amount of time the thought of 4 hours child free fills me with joy!

That sounds really good Felix.

I'm debating sending L somewhere as she'd love it, but it looks like we'll be moving sometime in the next 8 months so will probably leave it until then.

Gah, fell off the thread.

Moving sounds exciting GSR. I hope it is somewhere cool like Cyprus. We would be (sort of) neighbours!

I love moving! Except the packing bit.

Glad you're back Toby.