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

[Coriander73]

Hello...

Hi mandaz, I remember you and your situation.

(I used to post under a different name)

I'm glad you are getting through life OK. My dh is away a lot of the time and quite lazy when he is home so I do sympathise over the single parent bit, although one of the benefits is you can do things your own way without delay and debate.

They are adorable at 9 months aren't they, I think it's nature's way of making us want another one despite the pain and hassle.

Good luck with the driving instructor training, it really sounds as though you'll be better off without your horrid dh.

ds2 has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom ones and loves bananas but they make for very stinky nappies. He's still a menace pulling himself up your trouser leg and chasing (crawling) after his older brother. He's clapping and sort of waving goodbye and he still wakes at 4 or 5 am for a bottle of milk. If I wake him at 11pm or so and give him a dreamfeed, he still wakes at 4 or 5am so we are just going with the flow. I say we, but of course it's always me that gets up and sorts the bottle out.

Hi all and thanks for the messages. What was your old sign on Grrr?

DD is still struggling to crawl forwards but managed to get right the way across our living room by crawling backwards today! It's funny watching her trying to work it out and I'm sure once she's got the hang of it she'll be off! She's started trying to pull things down from sofas/tables etc. You really do have to have eyes in the back of your head!

I'm very thankful for the fact that DD is sleeping through. She goes to bed aprox 7pm and usually sleeps through till 6am and has her breakfast at 7am.

It's fascinating watching her see everything for the first time. I took her to a small city farm the other week with a friends daugter who is 2. She got to see pigs, sheep, chickens and a donkey for the first time. She loved it and particularly seems to have developed a love of cats!

We go on holiday to Turkey for a week in July with DD's Godmother. I'm a bit nervous about flying although the flights are over night so I'm hoping DD will sleep. Any tips from well travelled Mums? Also, any tips on how to stop your ears hurting when you start landing? Last time I flew I thought my ear drum was going to burst! Thanks

Hi zmandaz...grr had to change her name as she was being cyber stalked I believe....if you recall she was one of two that had v v bad m/s (not sure that helps much!) - not sure if she's on our yahoo site?

re flying, no real advice other than just have a drink onboard, normally works a treat at relaxing me!!! For ears, hmm...chewing nornally works - personally I never found blowing out worked!

Should I be getting worried that J isn't crawling?? DD crawled at 8 months & all this talk of everyone's lo's is making me a tad anxious. I wasn't too concerned before as I know they all develop at their own place etc but that was a couple of months ago & now everyone else seems to have moving babies at 9-10 months!!!

cori - you are absolutely right, you can't have it both ways...i will stop my ranting re: the wedding now (for the time being at least!)

I wouldn't worry about the crawling...my neice only started crawling about 2 weeks before DS2 did ....and it was her 1st birthday last weekend...for some bizarre reason my Bro and SIL have bought her a pair of proper shoes already!

right am going to settle down and watch how to look good naked!

Wow, I've never heard of a cyber stalker before! Poor Grrr.

DD has only just started trying to crawl. I know of a couple of similar age babies who live round here who are well into crawling, one is pulling himself up and standing. It's such an individual thing, I've heard that some babies skip crawling altogether and just go straight into walking so don't worry.

DD said Mama today. Well, at least I think it was mama, could have been nana (banana) or just baby babble, but hey, it sounded pretty close!

Am taking DD to a photo studio on Thursday to have some pictures taken. It's one of these very modern ones. A friend bought a voucher which entitles me to a free photo or I can put it towards a bigger one. I have to go back for a viewing in a few weeks to choose. The thing is I know it's a con and that I'm going to want to buy all the photos but I'm sure we'll have fun anyway and if I just come out with the free pic that'll be cool. I think I'll leave my purse at home

Cori, ds didn't crawl at all, but walked at 10.5 mnths, so don't worry, they all do things at their own pace now, but by the time they're all 5 they'll be in the same place.
Manaz, we spent over £300 on beautiful photo's a few weeks ago, money that we definatly don't have as we have no food and are bills are bouncing, but they were gorgeous and the photographer was a very good salesman. We've decided next time that we'll tell them what out budget is at the begining.

Welcome back Mandaz
Cori - again our lo 's sound similar. Dd isn't crawling either. She is rolling and trying to get her legs up. She pushes up at the front with her arms but then just flails her legs around uselessly! Ds didn't crawl until he was nearly one and walked at 21 months so it seems I produce laidback babies
Looks like it is going to e another hot one today

interesting to hear about your experiences with photographers as this is what DH does, he doesn't work like the big commercial chains though, he charges £45 for a sitting then does the prints cheaply or you can just buy the disc with the prints on and get them printed yourself (whereas most of them lure you in with a cheap or free sitting then sting you on the print prices)...would like your opinions on this just out of interest...?

Having major problems with DS1 at bedtime again....we just have to leave him as going in to his room makes it worse and he flatly refuses to go back to bed, so i think we'll just have to sit it out again til it passes.

hello all,

Another busy beginning of the week on here! Taken me ages to catch up!

Hi again Mandaz, I'm glad you and G are getting on well. We've had some of those photos done when DS1 was small. They do lure you in then try and get you to buy lots of massive wall canvasses (no way!!). Don't agree to take out finance to pay for it (they tried to persuade us - I got so p'ed off I nearly told them to f* off! It made me really cross, so be warned!!!).

F isn't crawling either yet, so don't worry! He's 2 Sept, so one of the older ones. He does get onto all fours but then his legs go under him and he shoots backwards. Very funny, but very frustrating, as whatever he was trying to get just gets further away from him. He can get from lying down to sitting up now (which he loves doing instead of settling for a nap... keeps sitting up and laughing to himself). He can also kind of twirl on his toes and hands. So he does move around the room but not in a traditional crawling style, more of a bum shuffle/twirling motion. With the occasional head plant. Ouch.

Thinking about taking DS1 to see Shrek 3 at the cinema. He loves the other two Shrek movies, and I guess if he starts fidgeting or running up and down the isle, we just leave!!

Marls, I was thinking about you last night, I was at a pub quiz, and the question was what is the capital of Texas. We weren't sure, but didn't get it right - Austin? Eh? I've never even heard of it. We put Houston... Ooops. Got 9/10 on that round... But came last any way over all!!!! Ooops.

Hello all.

Thought I would introduce myself - have been lurking a while but just started posting. Have a dd who is exactly 9 months today & live in Oxfordshire. DD's not moving yet but gets around by twirling - sounds v similar to HH's DS, so I'm tryng to enjoy the (relative)immobility whilst it lasts!

Mandaz - believe me, you will need rhinocerous hide to withstand the very subtle but nevertheless hard sell techniques of those modern studios.

I refused to go despite having a voucher as I did it some years ago and the memory is that strong I just can't go through it again.

SORROWFUL RANT ALERT
Ds1 is going through a very challenging phase and simply will not do as he is told. I am getting very shouty in the evenings and then he turns on the tears and it worries me that he feels pushed out by the arrival of ds2 as I catch him hitting/pushing ds2 sometimes.

my nails are well chewed and I've gained loads of weight so hardly any of my clothes fit and I'm feeling like a very very fat, frumpy, shouty mummy plus I've had an e-mail from the library reminding me that ds1's library books are a month overdue. Oh well, I can lose myself in the final of The Apprentice tonight.

I want to join a gym but dh doesn't get back until late and I just don't want to go out and exercise at 9pm in the evening. I'm tired after leaving work, picking the boys up from nursery, sorting out a pre-bedtime snack/drink for ds1, washing bottles, making sure ds2 isn't drowned in the bath by his big brother, feeding ds2 and cuddling him before putting him down and then wrestling ds1 into his P.J.'s doing stories and cuddles then verbally bludgeoning him into going to sleep, making up bottles for the next day, putting on a load of washing or doing some ironing. Who wouldn't be tired but I need to diet and exercise or I'll be the blobbiest mummy at the school gates in September.

I've though about exercising in the mornings before work but that would cut down on the time I have with the boys and mean they'd have to do a longer day at nursery which I don't feel would be good for them.

Dh wouldn't be keen on me disappearing off to a gym at the weekend either as he finds dealing with both children hard work as he isn't very experienced at it.

Oh Grrr, I have those feelings too sometimes. I do so understand where you're coming from. I too find DS1 pushing DS2 over, or trying to sit on him, or kick him with his feet. I find it really hard as I don't want to jump in every time DS1 approaches DS2, and worryingly, DS2 often laughs his head off when DS1 bashes him about. It's so hard, as I don't want DS1 to think that DS2 is the only one who's important. At 3, DS1 starts off so well meaning and then DS2 gets hurt as DS1 gets a bit hyper, esp when he's tired. Yesterday I tried a new tack of, instead of shouting and getting cross, counting to ten under my breath but loud enough for DS1 to hear. Seemed to work as he wondered what the hell I was doing... . Any way, I think maybe you should talk to DH, as maybe it's just an hour or so you could do with at the weekend, for a swim, or even a lie in (ha ha ha!!). I really find that just an hour out makes me feel much better about everything.

Also I started a "Sticker flower" for DS1 - it's a cut out flower shape, and he gets stickers for being "nice" to his baby brother. When the petals are full, he gets a little prize, like a dinky car or a bouncing ball, or a trip to the park - whatever floats his boat! They do it at his nursery and he's really into it. (I had tried stickers before and it didn't really work, but he seems to like the flower bit???!! Weird).

Sorry, hello Mumzarello. Welcome

compo, trace2 has had her girl- Chloe!!!

BTW zmandaz, I assume you are talking about Venture? I too fell for the marketing scpiel & instead of just walking away with my £25 7x5 photo ended up having 4 small ones of DD & me in a huge frame for a small ransome (am not going to say on here for fear of DH reading it...as he still doesn't know to this day how much it was & better it stays like that!)...the photos are beautiful but the whole thing is totally overpriced IMO - the problem is that now I feel I have to have some done with Jack...but just how will I afford them now I'm at home & don't have my income?!!!!

me again..(sorry!)....for those of you with 3 year old (nearly 3!) girls: today took DD into London with me for haircut, had lovely day, she was so well behaved etc etc etc. However on the tube she was sitting with her legs akimbo in all sorts of positions that litle girls get up to (as stupidly I'd put her in a pretty dress) & I was quietly telling her that she should keep her legs together etc as nobody wanted to see her knickers..as she was a young lady now etc etc. Anyhow, where I am going with this you wonder? Well, the amount of men that kept on looking at her made me feel positively ill. Coupled with the fact that DD was finding it hard to sit there still & lady like & kept asking me when she could sit with her legs open....I was just taken aback with the innocence of it all & the sheer sadness that she will one day realise that there is evil out there (obviously realise this does apply to boys too).

This evening DH went up to her when she was crying & she told him quite matter of fact that she went on the wibbly wobbly train & that Mummy had said to shut her her legs as everyone could see her winnie (don't laugh - it was what it was called when I was growing up!!) & that had she been naughty. Well, poor DH just couldn't handle it & just said she'd been a good girl & come & told me. My question is whether I've been wrong in addressing this with her? I did use normal tone of voice with her & tried to be as light hearted as I could but the fact that she mentioned it to DH this evening means it's obviously gone in & she's been thinking about it....I just felt I had to do something as I didn't want anyone looking at her in that way...aiii...am very confused...should I mention it to her in the morning or just leave it now?? I was just trying to do the right thing but I'd hate to think she was worrying too much about it IYSWIM?

dd2 had a hospital appointment yesterday. she's now 17lb2 . the dr said she should just grow out of her bad behaviour soon. she's just started crawling today, it's so funny, she moves her arms forward and kind of bounces her legs forwards. he isn't worried about her not being able to sit yet and says she's coming on very well for a baby born 11 weeks early

cori - don't feel bad. my mum never told me things like that and i wish she had. i let a man sexually abuse me thinking it was a game when i was growing up. it was my sister who found out it was wrong in school and told on him (he got away with it as well even though he pleaded guilty )

i would make a point that down there is a part of her body that belongs to her and it should be kept private. i'm really worried about how i address this with my girls as they grow up. dd1 is still in nappies and can't communicate, she will be going to a sn's school with a male teach in the nursery part. i know it's less than a 1% chance that something might happen but i know it can and it scares the life out of me.

KK, thank you for your advice & for being so open about your experience. I'm really very sorry that you had to go through that....

Just catching my breath .. really is much harder when DH out of town.

Had a heck of a day today. Had to put my cat (of 12 years) to sleep at the vet's her kidneys failed - she hid that she was ill until Monday when suddenly lethargic; liquid therapy 48 hours didn't do any good ... anyway. It was very sad but there was nothing more they could do. DSs had to come with me this morning as didn't want her to suffer any longer. Triggered all kinds of conversations with DS1 about the great beyond & how he didn't want me to leave him like Fun (our cat) left us.

Then went to friends' house for DSs to play with theirs; her DH switched companies so they're staying in this area, permanently. Don't want DH to leave Big Blue, but maybe we can come back in 2-5 years.

Then met real estate agent this afternoon to sign seller disclosure & etc. Fighting a cold (allergies?) as well. (Sigh.)

KK - If I'd had a spider land on my chest I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to clean that garage!
Sorry abt that horrible man

DS1 says things like "Mommy I like your boobies" in exactly the same manner as "Hey-that's a nice shirt." He ignores nakedness otherwise. But soon, I know, that will be changing ...
Wouldn't worry, Cori. How to handle that whole issue is so subjective. You just do the best you can!

Grr - been feeling overwhelmed as well; completely understand!!! Told DH on the phone tonight that once he's home, please "take the kids and leave me alone"

The cat, the house, the move, an art commission due next Tuesday ... the gym helps me so much, emotionally. We belong to one with childcare; otherwise don't know how I'd exercise. Agree with HH - try to get an hour during the weekend to yourself. Don't think that's too much to ask of your DH!

LOL; Austin - went to grad school there; Univ. of Texas' campus is 4 blocks away from the state capitol building ... Austin's known for its migratory bats, live music, annual SXSW film & music conference & laid-back hippy culture. But Houston is the largest city in Texas by a long shot so, good guess! What did the winners get?

Welcome to Mumzarello!

And welcome back, Manda! Great to hear from you.

morning everyone.

had a horrible night last night. we had maggots coming out of our wheelie bin and they seemed to be heading for the light so our glass back door was covered in them

have put a thread about in in the good house keeping area.

also, tried dd2 with a bottle again last night, just wondered if she'd take to it finally and she did the only problem was it still had a newborn teat in so it came out too slow for her so i've ordered some new ones. don't know whether to give her a bottle or a beaker when she's not on me, she spits most of the beaker out and now i'm going to start using formular and there's no markings on the beaker. i know a beakers better but she looked so cute with a bottle and seemed to be more comforted by it as she was falling asleep with it.

marls - so sorry about your cat

cori - i don't mind telling people now, don't go into detail but to be honest i've had so much worse happen when dd1 was born and us almost losing her, that's definetly been the hardest time in my life. then dd2 arrived 11 weeks early, it wasn't as much as a worry but again it's been another stressful time in my life. sorry don't want to bring anyone down both girls are doing well and that's the main thing.

Marls, so sorry about your cat . I have two, and love them very much.

The winners won a box full of nice beers and wine. Nothing for the sad losers (us... we snuck out the back while no-one was looking...)

KK, it's maggot time again here too. We had those horrible flies in the brown food waste bin, so the maggots will be there soon. It makes me want to vomit, and smells so horrible. I don't know how to deal with it either, so if you find out, let us know...

Cori, at people looking at your DD on the tube. I find that really disgusting, and it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. I wonder if at 3 children start being interested in their "bits" a bit more. I caught DS1 pulling the front of his shorts down at the gym on Tuesday, and dangling his willy out. He thought it was hilarious. I didn't, but struggled to explain why not, so thanks to KK for your suggested words. I'll use them too.

HI all

Marls - so sorry about your cat, kidney failure seems to be so common, one of ours has to be on a special diet because of problems with his kidneys. You really have a lot on your plate at the moment, when does your DH get back?

KK - sorry to hear about what happened to you. you are brave to be so open about it and i guess it pays for us all to be vigilant where our children our concerned. On the bottle subject DS has formula for his 2.30pm feed now and i have put it in an avent anyway up cup that i suitable from six months. He seems to get on really well with it, i thought rather than give him a bottle and then have a battle getting him to give it up (as i did with DS1) i'd go straight to a cup.

Grr - could you arange to maybe get your DH to come home early just one evening a week so you can get to a class? or do you have grandparents who would be willing to volanteer? I do my yoga class once a week on a wed, it isn't much and I am not going to get a body like elle macpherson from 1.5 hours a week, but it is 'me' time and very important to me, I think you need that time away from everything to concentrate on yourself.

Well i am just going to have a little rant now....(not wedding related i promise) yesterday a woman at playgroup told off DS1, he was obviously having a bit of a paddy and threw a plastic tea cup and saucer, it was nowehere near this womans daughter, maybe DS1 had tried to snatch something off her, i didn't see, but she snapped at him, and said 'stop that now that's enough!' really sharply, i was stunned and said to my friend who was next to me 'did she say that to DS1' my friend said yes, so i said to the woman ' I can discipline my own child thank you' ..... is it me or is that totally out of order? i really wish i'd handled it differently now, but at the end of the day he is 2.5 he is going to have a paddy every now and then and I saw him throw the stuff and was dealing with it. The thing is, this has happened before (different woman and different playgroup) and I am beginning to think maybe people think i am incapable of controlling my son??? I told DH and he just shrugged it off and called her a stupid cow, but I am now questionning my parenting skills...

Mabel, I & am sure the majority of people would have said the same thing tbh. You felt slighted that some stranger had the audacity to tell him off when you could / should have done it yourself. In the heat of the moment when we're feeling emotional etc we can all say things that perhaps we wish we hadn't but I honestly don't think you should berate yourself.....it wasn't her place to tell him off...it's not like he was at nursery / pre-school with just teachers to hand when of course you'd expect them to discipline in the absence of parents etc. If you were there then it's something you should deal with not her, unless you weren't aware what was happening then perhaps understandable to expect someone to draw your attention to it if DS was badly misbehaving etc but goodness me he's only 2.5!.....

To add to what Cori says, it doesn't sound as if he was doing any more than flouncing a bit, and my take on flouncing is that it's best ignored, unless it's dangerous! No-one ever died because they got hit by a plastic tea cup... So don't beat yourself up - just look out for this little girl's mum and try and catch her out next time!!! That's the devil in me...

mabel - i wouldn't like that too. i can understand why you said what you did and hopefully the other mum will think again, maybe she was having a bad day? personally next time i see her i would act like i was forgetting about what happened and forgive her but if she does it again then i would let her know she was in the wrong again and then avoid her.

i tried dd2 with a bottle again, she took 5oz and looked like she wanted more she only has sips from a beaker and spits loads out. i know it's not the best thing to do but i might only feed her from me morning and evening and in the day let her have a bottle. i still can't bf in public se often going out is timed around this or on long days out i end up in smelly nappy changing rooms feeding.