Sept 06 Babies - trying to sit and roll....

[clairemow]

new thread here!

Oh dear mabel, what a day!

Cheers coriander, I did try some oil, we use grapeseed oil, the smell isn't so bad but after a lovely massage and BF she fell asleep for 2 hours at 5 in the afternoon
I had decided that I would enjoy a good cuddle for this snooze too, little did I know it would be two hours long! Nevermind, I took a snooze with her and DH kept looking in the window at us and then dashing back to play with his new car, he said he would only be half an hour but when he saw us asleep he grabbed the opportunity to play with his new toy, so all was peaceful in our house this evening.

It may be teething rash, I spotted two wee toothy pegs poking through her bottom gums whilst we were at PIL too! What a busy weekend, so many things to rule out before I decide on the cause for the rash! Cos we also used baby lotion for the first time! But I don't think it is that, the only reason I used it was cos we had used the same brand bath wash for a week or so before hand with no probs.
So now, I am away from ace bleach, mid scotland water, johnstons anything and watching for those teeth!

fairy, hope the rash has gone?

Cori, it sounds like you are v. miserable. Can you afford to quit? Or to get a less pressured job doing something else on fewer hours?

Hey Myrtle, we are going to Cornwall this weekend too, but to Newquay. I am really looking forward to it too, although we're only going Fri-Sun. But in a week and a half, we're going to Centerparcs in Wiltshire for 5 days, which will be lovely. Despite the kind of feeling of being in an enclosed bubble, we love it there. V v relaxing, and no cars to worry about with DS1.

Sent both DS to nursery today with sun hats and cream! Feels like summer is really here... Yesterday lunchtime while F napped, DS1 and I were in the garden playing Fireman Sam in a tent, and it was BOILING out there! Makes my mood so much better...

DH says as I started the appeal process I have to be patient & wait for them to come back to me - even though I've decided to quit. I've realised that even doing part time in the role I've held for 7 years no longer fills me with any sort of enthusiasm. I need a new challenge of sorts...we can't really afford for me not to work at least 2-3 days to help with general living. On the other hand the less I work the less the children have to go to nursery which currently is £1000 a month & that's only 3 days a week! I just feel tired of the same old same old...I do want to continue to use my languages if possible but I have to make a chnage before I die of bordom & get stuck for another 7 years. I know I'm feeling v. miserable & it really has got to the stage where I have to quit moaning & do something positive, however scary that seems after the same job for such a long while. I can't emphasise enough just how much I miss the children & how strongely I feel that I need to be around more & spend time with them - it's such a short while in all honesty (before they go to school etc) that something has to give & that in this case is my career for now...

FWIW, Cori, DH is probably right - is there a limit on how long they have in which to come back to you? It would be a shame to throw in the towel now, but find later you could have got what you wanted... (although it doesn't sound too positive at the mo...). Poor you.

I hate it when he's right!! Legally they have 14 days to come up with a response - which is a week today. After they rejected my first application they let me know 2 days later so I suppose I was hoping they'd be as quick this time!! The postman has just been, so in my haste to get to him thinking there could be the letter I tripped in the hall, only to discover he was trying to push some bibs through the letterbox (I've ordered some of those silly billyz ones with sleeves for J as meal times are just such a messy affair it's doing my head in...can you tell I've been used to a rather neat & tidy girl!!)

cori - have you considered doing something from home using your languages, like translation? Ideally I would love to be able to do a bit of work from home, but i have been out of the industry for a few years now and I would have to get up to speed with things again.

Well I have a stinking cold. It is days like today where I really struggle being at home...you get no sympathy from a 2 yo and 6 month old, they are not excatly feeling great either. DS2's teeth are really bothering him and DS1 has a really nasty cough, i just want to run off and hide somewhere....!

My friend had her CVs results back yesterday, the baby has Downs. I think they are intending to continue. Obviously it is a lot for her to take in at the moment.

Just having a quick skim through and noticed a thread where someone is 'leaving' mn due to all the bullying that goes on and i believe it stemmed from a weaning thread - not that i want to dig all that up again, but it is such a shame.

Cori - don't have anything to add really. The others have said it all. Hope all goes well with the appeal and that things get clearer for you soon.

Myrtle - agree with you. However, I was following that thread and everyone gave as good as they got. People seem to get a new found strength when online. I'm sure they'd be different in RL.

Have been fantically searching the archives on here because DS has done two really black poos this morning. Have been so worried. Anyway, good old MN has come up with the answer: he had blueberries yesterday! Phew.

All excitement here because my mum and dad arrive from France this afternoon. They're here for two weeks to help us with LO so that DH and I can go to a couple of weddings. Am frantically dusting and cleaning. You know how it is!

Am also going to make a chocolate cake this afternoon. Meant to make it on Sunday for Easter, but the weather was so lovely I didn't want to be stuck in the kitchen. Lovely today too but it'll be a nice welcome for my parents.

fairy - hope the rash is getting better. My DS has a raised rash on his tummy too. I reckon it must be due to teething. Doesn't seem to bother him.

Cori - just skimming and wanted to extend my sympathy to you. I found going back to work really boring this time to, you get so used to 'doing' all day and it's like your body still expects you to be on the go so you have all this energy and nowhere to channel it = severe boredom! You'r childcare sounds v expensive - our comes to just short of £750 for 2 of them at 3 days a week. We get the childcare vouchers and in January next year DS1 should start to get the funded sessions which will help - still feels like a lot of money. I hope your appeal goes well.

Kind of related (as in hopefully to inspire Cori) WHile I was 'away' () I left my old job and am now having a month off before starting a new one which will be an 'on the go' type job - I'll have clinics and groups to run, panel meetings and discussion forums to go to, no time to sit down at a computer. I'm really looking forward to it. Hope you find something to inspire you to find a new career Cori - maybe you could list your skills/qualifications and we could rack our brains....

wrt to petit filous - it's made from completely different stuff than the yeo valley pots so could be an allergic reaction - before you let J swallow any more you could try rubbing a bit round his mouth to check for a reaction - second allergic reactions can be more severe as the body's had time to build up a response to the offending substance so be a bit careful.. Hope it's not theough, those PF's are a godsend when they have sore throats!

Fairy - try not to read too much in to a one-off rash - it could easily be a mild virus that you just had immunity to and LO didn't. Hope it's better now.

Hi everyone!

Fairy - how's the rash? Are you in Scotland btw?

Cori - sorry you're so fed up. Hope you're having a better day today.

Mabel - praying for your friend and her precious LO. Must be hard.

Bristols - happy tidying and baking! Have a great time with your parents. Enjoy the weddings! What're you wearing? We have 2 weddings this summer and I keep seeing lovely dresses but I know I'll still be BFing too much for dresses to be practical - typical!

LC - Congrats on the new job!

I had a lovely morning with dd. Ds is going to a football club each morning this week and today his wee friend's mum took them so I had a morning in town. I've moved dd from her carrycot into her pushchair top (mamas and papas 3 in 1 affair) and she looked so cute sitting right up and grinning her toothy grin at everyone. I'm quite smitten can I just say and I do love this stage (think I say that every month!). And having had a boy can I'm loving how adorably cute girl clothes are! Ds is 4 in a weeks time (time really does fly, 4 seems so grown up!) and he's having a pirate party at home (really hope I don't regret that!). It was great to be in town without him and get stocked up with pirate tableware etc.

The only thing I miss about being pregnant is my wardrobe! I had hand-ons from at least 3 friends last summer and had way more clothes than usual! Must do something about that!

bristols, wait til you get a lovely bright green one after an avocado and kiwi fruit.... Ha ha! glad you found the answer though, that's what MN should be for, rather than a barney...

Cori - sorry to hear work is not working out for you. I can imagine it must be really hard with two at home. I'm finding it hard enough with one at home and I love my job and also know that DS seems very happy at childminder and is also spending a lot of time with DH, who works shifts, so spends part days with him on some days. I hope that it all works out for the best for you and you are so right that it is only such a short time - I look at a fair number of the women in management/leadership positions in our place and they all have older children, so they too have done the time off work thing and still had careers to go back to, so it can be done. I think if we have another child (only say if, 'cos you never know if it will actually happen), I would not be able to work full-time like I am now.
Bristols - hope you have a lovely time with your parents here.
Claire - at you playing Fireman Sam in the garden - sounds like a lovely way to be spending the day.
Sorry, only have short time, and have read all posts, but struggling to remember what everyone's up to . Should really be washing bottles, and getting ready for tomorrow, etc.!
Do have a question for you - do you still use your monitor overnight? We went to my Mum's on Sat and forgot the monitors. He slept in travel cot in next room (door literally right next door to ours) and he went from ca. 8.30pm (when we got there - he was ready for bed before getting in car and slept on way there and only had about 5-10 mins of being awake when we got there before going straight back down) to 6.40am without disturbing us - I woke up at 5.15am as per normal, but no sound from him. So, don't know if was travel cot, lower room temperature (our house gets ridiculously warm with no heating on), or that we didn't have the monitors on. Last night, we woke up to him grunting and stirring and kicking cot as he moved, but not actually needing us to go in, so am thinking of switching monitor off in our room when we come up to bed tonight to see if we can get better sleep (not being callous, but I've been in when he does this and I think he's just stirring and then settling back to sleep) - we would leave our and his doors open obviously so we would be sure to hear him if he needed us, but thought I would do a straw poll to see what you guys all do?
BTW Liquid, I take it from mention of pf that you have not found your DS to have an allergy/intolerance to anything after going on the hypoallergenic formula. I'm still weaning very cautiously to see if anything causes a reaction.
Fairy - DS has a spotty red rash, which comes and goes down his back and round his middle, but HV said as long as he is well in himself it is nothing to worry about - it could of course be to do with the higher temperatures this week.
Right, must dash! Sorry so long !

Tassis - we are going to two wedding celebrations for the same couple. Its a hindu wedding so this Saturday is the 'Sangeeta' celebration. I'm not 100% sure what that means but it involves close friends and family with food, singing and dancing. Sounds good to me! its only an evening thing and the invite states 'smart/casual dress' (ugh) so will probably wear a dress. For the main event, I have a new sari. Can't wait to wear it. Have been prancing around the house in it a few times to get used to walking in it etc. Its beautiful (if I say so myself). Both of the celebrations are a couple of hours drive away so we will be staying over, hence the arrival of my parents!

The baking went very well. Made a huge Nigella Lawson Chocolate cake. Absolutely delicious.

Fairy - we have a monitor with an apnoea alarm on it so we have it on every night. But... I cannot bear to have it in our room! I wake up with every little noise and so we have it switched on, but in another room. If it wasn't for the alarm, I'd definitely just leave the doors open. I think that being a mother means that you wake up almost as soon as they make a noise anyway.

Claire - can't wait!!

Liquid - congrats on new job. Bet you're enjoying the time off. I'm lucky in that I have a very physical job which, from reading what you guys have said, should help with the transition back into the work place. I hope so anyway...

Better go and get on with dinner. DH's late night at work but he'll be in in half an hour or so. Have a good evening all. Cori, hope tomorrow's better for youx

The rash is fading, thanks guys for your support and concern, it's lovely to have and another thing that I love about MN. Can well believe that someone would leave because of bullying I very nearly did myself!
But we will see how the rash goes tomorrow, DH washed her in johnstons lavender wash and put lotion on! I was not around to stop him (Folding his clothes downstairs harumph)! So if it gets bad again I will know it is johnstons stuff that disagrees with her.

But I am not too worried about it now, she does not seem to be suffering at all with it bothers me more too, mabel, than DD!!

Tassis, yes I live in Scotland, in the far North and PIL are Aberdeen way, so there shouldn't really be much of a difference in water. Though I swear ours is sooo much fresher, theirs seems to have a metalic taste.

Ooh Bristols Choooocolate cake (drooling at mouth!!)
It is terrible isn't it, when the parents come round, you run around like a mad thing trying to pretend that you live it this beautifully tidy house!!
Do you know I do that for my mum but don't really bother for DH's parents! They get me as I am!? Funny that!?

Though, just a quick whine. My mum lives about 5 miles away and very rarely come to my house, I always go to hers but I am sure that that is partly cos she knows I don't live in a house as clean as she would like so she just avoids coming lest she judge me. Is that bad?
Whenever she does drop in I can just feel her looking around going euch, (in her head) I get so paranoid I normally point out the mess first just so she knows I know already!
Dumb Huh!?

Jinglebelle - we never used a monitor here, our upstairs is very small and we hear every murmer unfortuantely

Thanks for your input ladies. Shall try it tonight and see. Not a peep out of him today and he went for a nap of 2 hours with childminder at lunchtime - hardly ever done that here. Maybe being around other children is tiring him out (although he does love to be around other children, so in a good way ).
Fairy - know what you mean about needing to tidy for your Mum coming round, although I did get past that somewhat when DS was born and I couldn't do my weekly clean of whole house and eventually gave in to let her help - now I don't see any comments as judgemental - I just let her get on with doing some cleaning and then we're both happy !
Ooh Bristols, the wedding celebrations sound fab and how lovely to have some quality time away with your DH.
We are busy planning our trip to Australia for my brother's wedding in November - bit nervous of going all that way with DS who will be 14 months, but really excited about it and not least because will be first time DB and his fiancee meet DS! Ah, weddings, dontcha just love them, I've got 3 this year - 2 cousins and my bruv - lovely, lovely, lovely.
Well, waffling again - guess you are all used to it from me by now.
Off to a monitor-free night (our upstairs is quite small too, so not really worried about hearing him).
P.S. Welcome Nally!

Jingle, we too have never used a monitor for DS2 at night or for daytime naps. And he has his door shut, as we have cats and I don't want them in there with him. With DS1 we had it on downstairs for months and months, but left it off with DS2 after about, ooh, half a day?!

Fairy I am impressed you do a weekly clean... I do a bit of cleaning every now and then... I think maybe I am a bit of a slattern... I hasten to add I do make sure the toilet is clean!! DH told me off today for walking grass in the house, and is always moaning about clearing up after me. I figure I have more important things to think about, and no-one has yet died or become sick eating anything here! The children seem to be v. robust and rarely get ill, so I think exposure to a)cats and b)dust is a GOOD THING!

Jingle, we're off to the other side of the world too in September for DH's brother's wedding in Fiji! He lives in Sydney so we're going there first for a week, then Fiji for 10 days, back to Sydney and then home. All in all it's about 3 weeks. I am really looking forward to being there, but not to actually getting there with a 3 1/2 and 1 yr old. We're going direct, with 2 hours in Hong Kong. Figured just get it over and done with as it'll be fairly horrific anyway. We leave on F's first birthday . DH is best man, and is currently trying to write his best man's speech to the tune of American Pie.

PS Jingle, sleep well!

Oh My! A weekly clean! That would be the day!!No, I am figuring that I am helping DD to develop her immune system what with a dog and a cat going about and my erratic cleaning!
That is why my mum avoids my house!
Sorry not sure where you got that from

I am figuring that I may have to hoover a little more often than a few times a month now that DD is carpet swimming and maybe try to keep the kitchen floor clean with that detol stuff advertised on the box but that is the extent of my efforts!

Just felt I did not deserve anyone congratulating me

Sorry, late at night, had a glass of wine, feeling a bit chatty, sorry for the ramble! Must take myself to bed!
Bugger! Gotta hang out DD nappies yet!
See, good housewife!? not me!

he he, having read back, it was Jingle who does a weekly clean! So I congratulate her instead!!! I left my nappies hanging out from yesterday morning and just got them down just now... and put them in the dryer, as they are damp now from dew!! Oh dear. Think we sound quite similar Fairy... dear oh dear, our grandmothers would be ashamed (I know for a fact, mine is...!! - she talks about how she used to get down on hands and knees once a week to polish the wooden floors...!)

Morning

Pfff...another great day in the office Still haven't heard (although I wont know if the postie has been until I get home). Thanks all so much for your kind comments & support....Maybe I'll post on our yahoo site for listing of what I do etc to see whether you guys have any inspiration as I'm devoid of any!

My boss (the really understanding one!!! obviously note the less than sincere tone in my voice) had her baby girl yday & called her the same as my DD!!!!! Can't believe that tbh....!!

I wonder if your boss will suddenly develop an understanding of what it's like trying to juggle children and a career. Let's hope so, and let's hope she gets it FAST!!

That is the 64 million dollar question

I've been worrying myself sick with the could I be pg question. Now, I'm fully aware that we perhaps, we should have had the condom on way before he came near me (oops sorry no pun intended!) but as it was day 14 am worried some of the little buggars may have just escaped before. I guess it's because DD was conceived using the withdrawal method (first time in 10 years we didn't use any contraception & only because we'd run out so thought oh what the hell!) & am thinking what is the difference with that & putting on a condom at last minute??? Oh God...should I really be pancking this much?? I don't want anymore now...who knows in a couple of years but can you imagine when J is only 7 months? I'm getting ahead of myself aren't I....probably all OK....but I'm starting to really panic....

Cori - TRY NOT TO PANIC! Very difficult, I know, but there's nothing you can do until your period is due and you'll just get yourself into a state. Not very good advice, I'm afraid.

Anyway, I can't talk. DH and I got very tipsy last night and did the deed with no condom... right to the end! Was most enjoyable last night, but certainly didn't seem like such a good idea this morning. Sorry if TMI. Oops. Am hoping all will be well because I haven't had a period yet since having DS. We'll see. So at least you're not on your own anymore!

Better go and get dinner all sorted. More later or tomorrow.

Ohh Bristols... ....are you still bf?