November 2014 - The one where they outrun us!

[MrsAukerman]

New thread ladies.

She's getting so confident with her walking now. just thinking it will be nice for her to toddle while I'm walking ddog at the park, then strip her off to put her in the car rather than worry about her getting fithy! They are so expensive though! What are the sizes like?

Thanks ladies, I'm nearly there. Although on the plane I realised I'd only brought my electric pump so had to manually express! Watched 3 films and had a couple of naps though, it's like a day off for me.
I'm still bf'ing through the night anna moggle and I think that's why she wakes so much so I'd really like to stop.
eastmids I read that if you feel fine to drive you're fine to feed and then recently that actually even if you had a few a tiny tiny amount gets through to milk. I've fed after one or 2 no bother.
ark I've got a muddy puddle jacket and it's fab so I'll be getting the trousers as well, off ebay though :)

I'm pretty sure I'll carry on feeding, I think I'll just do the morning and just home from cm ones though, it's just so hard to say no when she's pulling my top down though!!!!

I have the dungarees. The shoulder straps are really adjustable so I got a size up so I could get a good year out of them. They're quite neat in the trunk so all I have to do is roll up the legs (there are stirrups but they're removable).

Don't know about the suit type. We have a heavy winter coat so basically all I wanted was leggings that didn't fall down so got the dungarees instead.

I find the reviews on jojo brilliant for sizing recommendations.

ladydolly perhaps after you get back you can just not start BFing during the night again. Or send your DH in during the night for a few extra days?

I def agree its not helping her nights so its prob not doing her any favours, nice and cuddly though it must be.

We bought a Jojo snowsuit for DD but due to the stupid mild weather she's only worn it a couple of times and only been asleep in her pushchair so not really tested it out! Size wise- well she is pretty short - around 10-15th percentile and the 12-18m size looked huge on the hanger but fits her fine and I'm sure will last into the spring. It's not super padded which I like as there's less michelin man effect and now she's walking hopefully she won't get too warm in it. We justified the price as a birthday present for her - it seems well made and everything but like i said we haven't used it in anger yet.
We've also got a regatta puddlesuit which is great (that is what she's wearing in one of the pics on previous page), the sizing for that is small though, that is 12-18m that she's wearing.

It's looking like the Puddle suit is the best bet. Dd is on the 91st centile so perhaps an 18-24 months would be a better bet. Thanks ladies.

It'll def get more use. And yes bigger size definitely good as then you can layer up underneath if it ever gets cold here!

I have been pestered with emails from Boden and finally cracked last night - with 25% off and a £10 voucher with no minimum spend I bought this for DD in the grey puffin pattern. i think it might be the cutest thing I have ever seen!!

Today was supposed to be my last childfree day to sort out Christmas, finish the present shopping, write the cards, tidy up, maybe even start some wrapping. But DD2 is too poorly for nursery. DH insisted on giving her a bottle of formula last night (I think he was trying to prove she sleeps through when he does that, it didn't work), but she coughed so much she was sick all over him and her and the carpet. I got her up for nursery this morning and washed her hair to get the sick smell out (while she screamed and tried to throw herself under the water because she hates it that much), then she just lay down on the floor and cried and looked so sad and poorly and tired from being awake coughing and crying for hours that I let her stay at home. DH suggested I pick DD1 up from school today instead of her going to after-school club so there is time for her to finish the Christmas hat she has to make for tomorrow and write the cards she wants to send her friends and teachers, which gives me even less time in my day.
Oh well, my children have presents, my nieces and nephews have presents or will have when they are delivered, I finished the photobooks with relatively few tears, I've got a couple of things for DH, I've given up on Christmas now. I've not got anything for my parents but I haven't the faintest idea what to get them
I am exhausted and running out of time. I thought it was bad trying to get ready for Christmas last year with a tiny baby, but this year is even worse, probably because I have to fit in work as well and everything the school demands I do/ go to/ buy.

moggle I love that coat

Happy that sucks, so sorry about both you and DD. Hope she is better for soon and you all can enjoy the Christmas. Could you get the missing presents bought online and delivered? But I am sure your parents will understand the havoc you have been going through recently

It's a lovely coat moggle!

After the easy start at the nursery last week, this week has been slightly challenging. DD must have realised that this is not some strange playgroup, but a permanent arrangement and has been crying last two mornings when I've been leaving. She has never cried before when I was leaving her with somebody else. It's horrible even if the room leader says that 2 minutes later she is fine, she sleeps, eats, plays with other children and by end of the day is drained. Before the nursery she was very much daddy's girl, she would even start to cry if DH was holding her and I would try to pick her up from him and very openly showing her preference for DH. Now she has started to even ask me to be picked up from DH . It's probably a stupid idea, but I just hope she hasn't decided that I am punishing her with the nursery for that? She will probably calm down by Christmas and then there will be the holidays and come 4th January and it we will be on square one with it, right? I just keep saying myself that her feelings are like taking somebody dear to the airport - feels really sad at the departures gate, but once you started to walk out of the building, things get back to normal.

how's everyone doing? we are a plague-ridden household once again :(
bah bah bah

happy I hear you on the exhausted and running out of time. I have at least managed to finish the major Christmas supermarket shop online. That took forever and wrecked my head but was still marginally less annoying and stressful than doing it in an actual supermarket either a)alone or b) en famille. Still a few more gifts to get organised what are you all getting your MILs

haven't how is your dd, I really hope the fever has gone away by now?
lady hope you are getting a good 'rest' while working hard! Not long now til you see DD again.
strawberry it's the start of a new era for DD. She sounds like such a little character, I'm sure she'll love it.

DH is for once organising his family presents... PILs are getting a bread maker and MIL some chanel no 5 and FIL golf lessons (between DH and his two brothers).
I have almost finished my shopping except for my bro and SIL - they have a new baby and based on what we were like this time last year, I know it is pointless asking what they want for christmas, for so I am having to try and just freestyle it! So far I'm thinking a bottle of whisky for bro and a pushchair hand muff for SIL... might get her a good travel coffee mug too as mine kept me going in those interminable walks to get DD to nap.
The only other thing I need to get is DH's present - I am buying him an Ipad and I have some vouchers I can use at John lewis which will pay for about half of it, but unfortunately you can only use them to buy in store which means a trip to Kingston with DD on Monday. Not looking forward to that AT ALL!! The rest of my shopping I've done online or on weekdays in November to avoid the high street crush, and I'll be walking right into it next week OUT OF CHOICE :0(

Halfstar I hope she does or her life will be a misery being there full time from January. The recent problems might be partially related to teething, she has one molar half way out and last night I took her home quite distressed, crying and kicking legs whenever I sat her down to play or picked up with hand under her bum. Finally decided to put her in bath before the dinner in a hope she would calm down. Stripped her down and there was a bright red chimpanzee bum. No wonder she had been teary yesterday in the nursery and couldn't sit down without pain, she's never had any probs in that area so that was quite stressful for both of us.

I have had the Christmas presents sorted by end of November. Had to get my family ones ready for my mum's visit in November and once I started with some, just did all of them. DH this year has been very organised with his family presents also. When we put up the tree in beginning of December, we both had all presents wrapped up ready to go under the tree. Apart from two presents I bought in September during visiting family, every other one has been bought online. I am finding that I don't know how to do real life shopping anymore, end up buying coffee then aimlessly walking around town and going home to get shopping online.

This Christmas I've had virtually no presents to buy. At the risk of sounding rather blunt, everyones dead.

Theres DHs family of course, but since they've been about as supportive as a sack of wet socks this year I've flatly refused to help with that. So he's bought them all tins of biscuits, lol. They'll get us fancier things and we'll look stingy. I honestly don't care. A body lotion set doesn't make up for never even mentioning my dead folks cos you felt awkward and didn't know what to say. Ugh.

Between everything it may actually end up being one of our easiest Christmases. Just the three of us and DS will be oblivious. We don't even eat Cnristmas cake or pudding! So I'm rather looking forward to the day. It'll be quiet, and quiet is good right now!

anna we have been 'just us' on Christmas day now for about five years and it's been fab. We visit families in the run up, deliver presents have a meal all together etc. But on Christmas we are at home and as we are miles away from everyone, so there's no one else. Before then we would cross half a country to be with DH family on Christmas until one year we spent about 8 hours stuck in traffic. Never again! You might be damn right about this being one of your best Christmas

Ah, thanks for asking halfstar - yes, she's a lot better now (thankfully!) - the fever stopped after 10 days and now all we're contending with is the nose continuously pouring with snot - I can deal with that! AND, (touch wood) her sleeping has improved no end, which is just as well as DH and I are absolutely full of the cold / virus she had and now we feel pants...ho hum. I'm just waiting for the net infliction - chickenpox. There was a notice up at nursery saying they'd had a case in the baby room...deep joy.

Another BIG fan of the "just us" Christmas here . Definitely a winner as far as we're concerned. This year we're at home until 27th then off to the continent to see the PIL for 4 days; and then back home for a few days together before work starts again.

Since we got together 17yrs ago we have had Xmas day on our own even when we lived near family and once we moved 200miles away we have stayed home Xmas day working shifts as a nurse always helped! We didn't even visit last Xmas with new baby but will visit this year at some point.

Think we have brought all our Xmas presents n slowly wrapping them all - we need a second play room!!

I am also going to make a Baileys chocolate brownie trifle that I got a receipe for on here:

Recipe for Boozy Brownie Trifle

Serves 10-12

100g dark chocolate
500ml ready made chilled custard
400g shop bought chocolate brownies
3 tbsp coffee
100ml Baileys plus 1 tbsp for soaking the brownies
121g bag maltesers
500ml double cream
25g icing sugar

Melt chocolate gently in the custard. Cover with cling film to prevent a skin, and leave to cool.
Put brownies in a trifle bowl and drizzle over the coffee and 1 tbsp Baileys.
Crush the maltesers a little and sprinkle three quarters over the brownies.
Spoon the cooled custard over. Cover and chill.
Combine cream and 100ml Baileys in a bowl. Sift over icing sugar, and whip until soft peaks form. Cover and chill.
To serve, give cream a mix and spoon on top of the custard. Sprinkle over reserved maltesers to decorate.

I think I'm looking forward to that more than Christmas itself!

Oh god Anna, that sounds divine! . Will also now be making that!

Yes and I think there are shortcuts. You can deffo get chocolate custard and over here you can also get Baileys whipped cream (dunno about the UK as its Avonmore) so it'll be even easier!

anna you might convince me to like the trifle with this one! The lack of jelly is a definite advantage for me.

Keep falling off the thread.........
3 molars coming through here. Pass the matchsticks.

Oh MrsA - still got that to come....

Feeling very sorry for myself - got tonsillitis; glands all up; ears aching ...can't take much as still bf. Better be gone by next week. DD been brilliant with dh though

Had a lovely day yesterday mum n sister n 2 nieces came for day n we had a mock Xmas day Inc presents Xmas dinner and going church chrustingle service. Mum drove and its 200miles each way for them all to come so they left home at 6am and got back at 10pm they were here from 9.30-6.30 so long day for them but good to see them.

School hols here I am off today then husband off til New year eve I at work Inc Xmas eve but then not back til 5th January. Baby at nursery tommorow and Wed.

We're also having a 'just us' Christmas. Well Xmas day at least. I'm cooking a goose! We're paying for it though because we have 4 sets of grandparents to get round. We've already done one though.

I survived the trip away but brought a stinking cold back with me, dd has it as well. Better now than end of the week I guess. I slipped straight back into breastfeeding though! Even in the night which I wasn't going to do but it's so eeeeeeasy and she was pulling at my top and... well I just love it too much to give up. I think I have an addictive personality, this feels like when I quit smoking. I'll have to start smoking again to give up bf'ing ;)

Wrapped dd's presents last night, I actually held a few back because she had some that were a bit too old for her and tbh she's got so many bloody toys. I think I went a bit overboard on the tags though, I wrote a little note on each one and as I finished writing 'Leopard print is a neutral' on the tag for her new leggings I realised that she really is my PFB.

Anyone else a next sale loser fan? I only really get boots/shoes for me but I get lots for dd so was miffed to get a 10pm slot, called and gave them a sob story (although it was true, I didn't get the invite despite them having thousands of my pounds this year) and they bumped me up to 5pm. Thank you!

ladydolly I stopped going to next when few years ago me and a colleague had exactly the same top on the same day, we only sat few desks away so got lots of comments I know it's virtually impossible to avoid that completely unless ready to spend a fortune on one-off pieces (not!) or make clothes yourself. I now buy plain and simple (white t-shirt is a white t-shirt, right?!) things from the high-street and anything more elaborate comes from trips abroad or I knit myself. But I have bought lots of things for DD on recent sales, in fact she is pretty much fully dressed for the whole of 2016 and few pieces she already has for 3yo. Love your leopard print tag!

Now that all the different family members and friends have given us their presents, I am dreading to open them on Friday due to how many presents DD has. She is only 1, but already has so much tat, there's no space for more of it! I think the day when I will turn into evil mummy and will take a big bag of toys to charity shop is much closer than I could have imagined.