September 2006: no longer baby babies (anyone feeling broody) !!

[Coriander73]

Hello...

Cori - i was in the same situation as you, earning the larger wage, i really didn't know how we would cope when i gave up work, although it's helped that DH's business has become more successful in the last 2 years, however, my advice is, if you can, try and enjoy the feeling of not having to cope with the pressure of being the main bread winner, it is something that won't happen very often or for very long, so enjoy it while it lasts and look at it in a positive way, rather than looking at is as losing your independance, at the end of the day, i am sure that you have paid for things for your DH over the years... i know i did, i cleared two of DH's credit cards when we 1st moved in together, so just see it as your turn!

Gosh Mabel, that sounds spookily similar to us! I've paid off DH's debts before now & had to sort out other stuff that was dependant on my wage etc. Yes, perhaps I will enjoy it...I have at times (many times!!!) resented being the main bread winner & all the pressure that brings but maybe I can just learn to live without that stress...because that's what's it's been for a number of years! I think also that DH is quietly pleased that he'll be "providing" now...(for a while anyhow!)....

They've agreed to let me go on Friday...fully paid until mid July. It's something I suppose....but I can't help but feel sad

Cori - I would echo what the othershave said about having something to do everyday. I almost have to have a timetable so if I got to M&T in the morning I try to do something in the afternoon like the park or shops.
I think years of working to a timetable has made me need something structured to do everyday.
I have to admit to getting bored by the mundanity of it all though which is why I'm increasing my hours at work.
Are the kids in nursery at the moment? Any chance of keeping them in for a morning a week so you get a bit of space?

Mabel - I guess the nanny is to occupy the kids during the speeches but agree it's a bit much if they make all the kids go off with someone they don't know. I think I'd end up going out of the room with the nanny to keep an eye on things.

Oh my word, lots to read...

Mabel, the posh wedding - I too would prefer my 3 yo to eat with me at a wedding - I think it's an important skill to learn. His manners are great, he could eat and then get down to play with the others. I suppose the thing about weddings is that the meal can last FOREVER, and the speeches are probably not good for kids, so I'd be really pleased to have someone look after DS once he'd eaten. Otherwise he'd get really bored, and be noisy etc. etc. I've been to some weddings where the children have been really loud in the speeches, so that's probably a good idea. I'd have another chat and see if there's middle ground.

Otherwise, no crawling here yet, although lots of getting on all 4s, grunting and then going splat with legs and arms flayling!

hello hello. hope all is well with everyone.

HH - i, for one, cant get enough ds "carpet swimming" as dh calls it! (on tummy, arms and legs going crazy). it cracks me up everytime. and even though ds is crawling and cruising, he will still resort to carpet swimming when he cant get somewhere fast enough...ie. me bringing in his lunch. hehehe

For those of you who have weaned lo's off boobie, i seek your advice...
How do you know its time? or when they are ready? or when they are only using your for comfort, etc?

also, should i decide to start weaning off boob, whats the best approach, In you opinions?

any commentary is welcome on this. ((and i know we've covered it before in the past, but i cant be bothered searching for the older threads! heheh ))

thank yoU!!!!!!!!!

Munki last time ds dropped one feed at a time...so 4 feeds by 6ish months, 3 by 8ish months (first thing, last thing and mid afternoon) and down to just morning and night by 10ish months. that kind of just happened by itself and so far is happening just the same with dd!

stopping feeding at morning and night was much more led by me though...for lots of reasons i'd had enough by about 13m. the morning one was v easy to drop - daddy got ds up for a few days and went straight for weetabix while I showered and dressed. The evening one was the hardest to drop as it was tied up with ds ssettling for the night, but only took a few days.

Hope that helps!

Munki, I agree with Tassis, if you decide to wean probably do it slowly. With DS1 I dropped one feed at a time, it takes the boobies a while to work it out and you might need to express a little by hand to relieve the pressure if it gets too much and you're sore. Will DS take a bottle? You could gradually increase the amount in the bottle gradually and top up with bf, that way you might not get so sore. TBH, when I stopped with DS1 I was so desperate to stop (he used to eat and eat and munch and munch... ) that I did it quite quickly. You can just stop altogether, but that might be more difficult for DS. I did that with Fraser, and had pain for a few days, but there were other reasons I wanted to stop this time.

Basically what I'm trying to say is there are a number of ways you can do it - cold turkey, gradually dropping a feed at a time, or even more gradually by reducing the amount of bf versus formula at one feed at a time. It's totally up to you!

boobies...lol.. ...FWIW I dropped a feed a day to avoid another bout of mastitis & it worked fine. compo, yes, they will still be doing two mornings a week so I will have time to a) clean the house & b) look for a job! It'll be strange I think for DD as she's only ever done full days since 5 months.....& for me!! By the way do you mind me asking what it is you do? Also does anyone know how the free nursery sessions work once their 3?

Sods law really...I'm leaving work tomorrow & today I have to be at home as J was quite sick yday. Just another good reason why I shouldn't work FT I guess?! He's a little brighter today even though it's been a BRAT diet all the way...got excited when he saw his bottle but alas it was only week fennel tea (works every time!) - I stupidly only made up a 4oz bottle thinking I'd struggle to get it in him but he drained it..

Feeling very PMT ish...I hate worrying every month now before AF arrives...didn't really used to think about it before we had DD but why is it that my body only seems to want BD just around ov?!! Nature is incredible isn't it?!! You must procreate...no not any more thanks..

Cori, not sure if you mean me, but I'm a lawyer, do insolvency work.

The free nursery sessions start the term after their 3rd birthday, so DS was 3 in May, and it starts September. I think it's 5 sessions a week, and the nursery/pre-school supply all the forms which you fill in, sign and give back. They sort it from there.

I'm going to have to fill it all in twice I think as DS goes to pre-school 2 mornings, and nursery 2 days. Complicated!!!

forgot, I hope J is better today? When F had a sicky bug, he still wanted his milk, so I tried giving him a couple of ounces at a time, much more regularly than normal, and then for one day he only had milk, no solids. Seemed to do the trick (although he woke up at 4 am for more milk that night...!!!).

HH I remember what you did..meant compo

Thanks for the info about nursery etc. I'm also confused about pre-school..do they have to go to a school to do that or if the nursery offers it should they stay there? DD is 3 in September so I'm assuming she'd qualify after Christmas then?

not sure about when their birthday is in Sept... best ask nursery.

I think you can do what you like. DS1 has started pre-school round the corner 2 mornings as well as nursery 2 days (he's in the pre-school group there too) so that when he goes to school he'll know some of the children, and to let me take F to a sing and sign class while DS1 is there!

You can use the vouchers at private nurseries-pre schools, or LEA run ones, or I think with childminders?? It's basically the govt giving us the right to have 5 sessions of childcare a week once a child reaches 3.

hi, I work in a library which is the hours can be very unsocial!
Hope your last 2 days go okay.
So you are going from FT work to being a FT stay at home mum?

Temporarily yes...& I'm scared stiff.. Really hoping to have pt work by September if not before. There is a dearth of good part time jobs out there...quite depressing tbh..

Cori - I hope the transition to being at hom eis smooth for you and your family and that you find something that suits you (if that's what you want!) before very long.

I'm a SAHM and I love it. Dh (church of scotland minister) works iregular hours and this really suits us. I'd love to have granny/best friend round the corner to have my kids while I work PT, but don't love the idea of childminder/nursery when they're tiny. However, I've decided that I don't like being skint (brief forray into ebay selling made less than £25!!) and so have decided to work a tiny bit from August. I'm a teacher so I'm in the process of getting on the supply list. Dh could take the odd day of during the week and work a Saturday instead so we're going to do that for now. Don't think dh is loving the idea but he's humouring me!! My only other problem what with toddlers, swimming lessons, church stuff etc etc will be fitting it in!

Dd loves putting things in her mouth. ds never really did this. ds has just got into "big boy lego". Fantastic combination.

Anyone dithering what to buy for an 8 month old can I suggest a garden swing. We had one already but recently bought a little tikes high backed seat for it and it's amazing. dd sits in it for ages and ages watching ds and his wee friends in the garden (while I sit in the sun!).

Cori, I'm interested in the fennel tea. What does it do and do you always give it when LOs have a tummy bug? I'm really into my herbal remedies but don't know much about fennel.

Fennel tea...a little housewife trick I learnt whilst living in Spain! Basically it aids digestion & is excellent in aliviating tummy upsets & colic too! - as it's rather mild it can be used without problem with babies & children...it seemed to have helped J today -although he didn't want anymore at bedtime but has settled with no fuss

Cori, Hipp sent me (among a large envelope of junk) a couple fennel tea bags and my ds oddly enough, luvs it.

I'm not a fan of anise taste/smell, but dh luvs it as well....

Ah yes I meant to add that about Hipp!!! My DH loves it too, buys tons of the stuff..I think it's grotesque!!

do fennel tea bags taste like fennel the veg? I detest fennel, so if so, maybe it's not for me...

where are you all???

HH i was just wondering the same! in fact, all of my threads have been quite over the last week...

Even the Big Brother thread () has been surprisingly quiet, with an exception of a few bursts of posts...

strange...

must be the warm weather.

Hello,
I think its fennel the herb and it tastes like aniseed. What does the veg taste like?

Got to go to a presentation at work today by a graduate who now works for the BBC. It was really good, he'd been working on Radio 1's Big Weekend and as a celeb booker for Jools Holland and he was soo enthusiastic. It was good to see how well he'd done since leaving uni and he gave all the current students loads of great tips and advice on how to get into working in tv.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend.
How did your last day go, Cori?

Cori, How's being a SAHM going? (I love it too, Tassis )
Helps to have at least a hobby - I survive on my art, emotionally; it's one thing that's mine for me, iykwim.

HH - Where is Liquid these days?
Been posting less regularly as super-busy with house on market + pre-move/house hunting travel. Going to Dallas 1st weekend in July; DH is gone ALL next week to annual convention ... hope won't go bonkers, 5 nights handling DSs alone ...
But seriously, I'm a fun-loving optimistic person usually but these days I'm feeling wrung out!! maybe it's the terrible 3s + a baby I'd rather have more time to enjoy? (Anyone else?)

hiya myrtle. fennel the veg also has a taste of anise. very crispy and fresh. if raw, it goes particularly well in a green salad with citrus, maybe orange segments or something. (very Med) And cooked, i love it braised in stock & prunes with chicken or ((forgive me!!)) rabbit. GORGEOUS!

*side note - i've only prepared and eaten the rabbit/fennel dish once..and it was very very nice. I put it together as one of my final practical exams while in the Culinary Academy. i dont think i could prepare it again. it's too sad.