April 2007 ...... as the last stragglers trudge wearily over .......

[CaptainDippy]

That ok!!?

Glad all is better in your household SOKL!

Just got back from church, DD2 sleeping in cot, DD3 sleeping in hallway in car seat and DH out with DD1 who will soon be asleep in her pram in the living room ..... ..... THREE sleeping girls ..... We managed it!

Nutty - I left some info on your coccyx pain on the last thread .....

Do other first timers feel that the experience has brought out a new side to the father of their baby? We're both exhausted and switching between snapping at and laughing with each other, but a really touching moment for me was listening to dp telling baby stories - he brought a whole new dimension to Goldilocks although neither of us could remember the story ending.

Yep, sounds fairly "normal" to me, Elkie!!

Hi elkie. We live in Leeds. I don't think there are any "cheaper areas" of leeds anymore sadly, but i would have thought that trading a house from London to Leeds and you would be fairly ok!

Also from Leeds are Nutty and Lesley (though lesley hasn't been on for a while - hope you're ok?).

We have found it great being here cos its busy without being too busy (ie london) and living costs not as high either. Plenty for kids to do and when they get older even more to do. Plenty of "green" too and loads of parks etc - essential for kiddies. Even tho not london loads of shops, restaurants, bars etc etc and I think its child friendly enough. Couldn't bear the thought personally living out in the sticks - i like to be entertained, equally personally would hate being in London.

Am off to watch some boxing with dh but just wanted to shout at ELLIE again before i go, come on we know you're there

Elkie - I'm in Morley (South Leeds). DH & I went to uni in York and then DH got a graduate job in Leeds (Wortley). I got a job too but was on a client site for a while, when I knew I was going back to the Leeds office we bought a house. Have to say the prices were v reasonable, we couldn't have afforded anything this size in York even tho it's only a 2 bed house. We've got a good sized garden to which will be great for Erin.

CD - at thinking about number 4...how much energy do you have

Although I have to say I'm dying to have sex again...am I the only one?

Dh has just handed me a vodka with the words 'it's your last one' Anyone around?

Wow, that is exciting, 3 or 4 of you on this group in my hometown. I was brought up in Woodhouse and Headingley and don't think the latter would be either affordable or where I would want to be. As an inner city girl all my life, I've got my mum looking at house prices in Armley for me, it's not too impossible to get from there to Ilkley - not to insult former Leeds students as I was a Manchester one, but the student population has changed housing prices and area character beyond recognition from that of my youth. There are 4 bedroom terraces available in Armley for at least £50,000 less than our dinky two bedroom terrace in Tottenham would fetch, which would enable us to shrink our c £60,000 mortgage dramatically - I was lucky in that very substantial maternal help enabled me to buy in 1998 with a hefty deposit and house prices have shot up even in ungentrifed Tottenham. I cannot see how we could ever get a third bedroom in this area, and I don't want to move further out of London and still have to work here.

mammyjo, you're not being oversensitive, he's being undersensitive to the point of, oh I don't know, I don't know you and your post makes me angry at your husband just reading, how can he not be treasuring and taking care of the mother of his new child a lot better? I don't know what to say really, but I hope things get better. Does he ever read what you post on mumsnet? Is there anyway you could get him to?

Morning all. Just a quickie. Dh has gone back to work, so I am juggling!

CD, pmsl at swaddling dh and putting him in the shed! Not a bad idea at all!

Think may try the Aptamil Extra. Just seems starving, and I don't want to increase the volume too much. She is still only just over 7 pounds, and the tin suggests 18 oz in 24 hours, and she is probably on 28!

K was in her own room last night which was ok tbh. Had her door open, our door open AND the monitor on. I did feel though I was keeping an ear open the whole time, but I am sure I will get used to it.

Right, need to get B dressed whilst K asleep and then it is the pre-school run!

Hope everyone is well, and I'll catch up properly later. xx

Hmm, think ds may be in his own room sooner rather than later too - he is such a noisy sleeper. He fed at 4.30am then I lay awake listening to the grunts & squeaks so am more tired than I should be.

Had a great weekend, my mum cooked some incredible food and it was lovely all of us being together although I suspect each of the three sisters went away smug in the certainty that they had the most gorgeous baby of all !!! Mummy goggles are fabulous things.

Ds is three weeks old now but feels as if he's been around longer. He's starting to fill out and be less newborn-like but is utterly gorgeous - am feeling irrationally broody - DH getting worried !

dh mentioned sex last night GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME - YOU'RE NOT OFF THE HOOK YET - although the diamonds did help LOL Seriously though - no sex until contraception is well and truly sorted!

I have missed the Ellie thing - what has happened? Who is hellcat and what did she say? Someone can email me if they want to explain off here. I haven't had any emails for yonks (weeks) from Ellie. Get ones from others when they send but not ellie - must be the email account thing again.

ROFL at swaddling dh and putting him in shed now theres a thought ...

I love wearing my mummy goggles

Better go have bath while quiet - catch up soon xxxx

Well, I am back from the preschool run unscathed, apart from my arm feels like it is going to come out of its socket! Car seats are so effing heavy! And K is only a dinky doll!

Even managed to run in to Superdrug and get some Aptamil Extra!

Liath, I know what you mean about mothers' cooking - I leap for joy when mum asks us over for lunch!

Saying that, I am still having to force myself to eat, as my appetite is still really poor.

I think it may be a stress thing even tho this is second time around - I am such a stresshead!

Nutty, you are just one rampant woman btw! Weren't you having orgasms 5 minutes after lo was born?? Your dh must be over the moon!

Going to enjoy a quick cup of coffee and a read of Heat before K wakes up.

Due a call from the HV today, tho tbh from my previous dealing with her, I really don't want to see her - she is an opinionated old bag!

Back later. xx

Morning! DH's last day at home with his Harem.

DD1 safely installed in Pre-School, DD2 safely installed in Cot and I was going to say, DD3 safely installed in pram asleep; but I can hear her sqeaking now .... bum!!

Octo - quick update - Ellie was offended cos Hellcat (joined the thread in Feb) sent a bit of a snotty email saying she didn't want to be on the email list any more .... I think Ellie's just feeling a bit knackered and like her fantastic efforts with the email updates etc were not being appreciated by certain parties (i.e. Hellcat) - I think that is sort of the drift. Poor Ellie. COME BACK!!! I'll text her in a mo....

Right - hope you all have great days if I don't get back on here ..... Gotta go and satisfy the Boobie Monster ..... ....

Morning girls! Now I'm not going to spend too long on here this morning as far too much else to do, so haven't had a chance to catch up - sorry! Just a few bits and pieces:

Captain Dippy - was it you who had composted Moltex nappies? I've been saving the wet-only ones but now not sure what to do with them - I presume I have to rip them up a bit? Do I just stick them in with the rest of the stuff (we have those dalek-type bins)? Any advice gratefully recieved. I am longing for her to weigh 11bs so I can break out my Cotton Bottoms - I am horrified every time I look in our bin!! Am also stingy and can't stop myself thinking "that cost 20p" every time I throw one out!

A recommendation - check out Dorothy Perkins summer T-shirts. They are 3 for £12 and are nice and long so cover a multitude of sins. And so cheap that I didn't mind buying one size bigger than normal so if they only last this summer I won't care!

Quite a good weekend here - DH on a stag night Saturday so my mum came to stay, which was nice although made DD1 more hyper than normal. Now of course DH is very tired and grumpy from hangover and lack of sleep, and I am supposed to be sypathetic . Have got to the point where I am thinking I would just SOOOO like to leave the house by myself for a few hours (not even to go on a big night out, just to go out just me!). Only lost it with DD1 once over the weekend - Sunday night when she moaned "mummy play with me" for the hundred-millionth time - I launched into one about how mummies can't always be playing Ariel and don't enjoy playing those sort of games, then sat looking exhausted and pissed off, and she went upstairs to tell DH "Mummy is downstairs being grumpy"!! Mind you, then yesterday she was lovely for most of the day, so maybe it worked!

Tip on summer t shirts useful - I'm probably slimmer than I was this time last year due to all that nasty acid and sickness, but a completely different shape as my milk is coming through with a vengeance and I seem to stick out at different angles every day. Do Dorothy Perkins have any of those t shirts in ordinary sizes (no stretch fabric) but with buttons down them that would help me for feeding? I had 5 identical tops in 3 different colours that were a godsend during pregnancy - 3 quarter length sleeves but not at all tight so didn't bug me at work and easy to roll up for my blood pressure tests at every medical appointment.

I'm shocked by how hard the Child Benefit claim form is to fill in, so many weird questions. I can't even remember my last two addresses properly, and I'm concerned by the number of questions which seem to be more about catching out fraudulent applications. I wonder how many people don't manage to claim their entitlement because the forms are hard - I mean, I know I was filling it in at 6 am this morning and suffering serious sleep deprivation but honestly, I'm a graduate and work as a secretary in local government, loads of fiddly detailed paperwork as a part of my day to day job, and if I find it hard....

My first expedition out of the house apart from going to and from hospital today, my mum is going to take us to register baby at the Town Hall, in Islington as the place of birth (hospital) rather than residence.

I did mine online and it took about 5 minutes - maybe because already have CB but all had to do was log it online then send off birth cert with a ref no. given - and have just had the birth cert back this morning.

Didn't get my bath - went to toddlers but closed - so have bought choc and having nice cup of tea - ernie asleep outside in pram and think dh is in bath! peace ....

I am thinking about some new tops - style seems to be evading me at the moment despite most of my old clothes fitting - not sure why - think my heart just isn;t quite in it yet

Thanks for the update CD.

Ooooooh, DP tops sound gooood - Thank you for the tip hon!

I put my Moltex in our wormery, not too sure about composting them - why don't you pop one in & see what happens!!

Grrrr! Been calling DH for ten mins, no response, he really is as deaf as a post - Grrrr! He's only in the room next door .....

Hello All

Hadn't disappeared, been in Northumberland all weekend, eating lovely food cooked by my MIL and allowing SIL to fall in love with George.

It was lovely and relaxing and G almost made DH and I look like big fibbers by being angelic. Then he had a 3 hr screaming session on Sunday night and the family understood why we looked so tired when we arrived. He'd been really unsettled on Wed and Thu here in Leeds.

Going to try and quickly scan the thread to catch up then pootle down to clinic to get George weighed. He's filling out, but it's been nearly 2 weeks since he was last weighed as we were in hospital last week.

Scrap the thread reading he's waking now!

Hope to get back on soon.

Hi ladies

Just a quick visit to let you know I am stil alive - all fine here - just had a busy weekend with many visitors and we also visited our in laws.

Not a great deal to report here - all is calm!!!

Had a quick skim back - Mammyjo - HUGS to you - was so annoyed with your DH when reading your post...I would feel exactly the same if I was you.

Laith...glad you mentioned the broody thing...I am terribly broody - in my heart I think Robyn can't be my last but head just says NO WAY!!!...lol as does Phil!

Hideous weather here today...playdoh looming this afternoon as we have baked and read books to Robyn all morning...I hate wet days especially when I cannot drive anywhere...got not driving is such a HUGE PITA!!!

Plus before I forget Maveta - the pic of you and Noah is GORGEOUS!
x
x

Hi All,
Just wanted to register a MUCH better night (and so far, day) with the baby's mood: he is back to being pretty much chilled. I know, after the hell that was yesterday, that I can't rely on this, but we have to take everything day by day at the moment, don't we? Just now, Gabe is asleep in the old downstairs crib, and DS1 is at his little singing group with DP. Ah, lovely peace. I have just eaten a sandwich USING BOTH HANDS (those of you with hungry babies will so get this) and am feeling almost human

Mind you, am dreading DP going back to work next week . I just don't know how single parents do it; I have always admired them, in a casual sort of way, but now I REALLY admire them. Like our own Ellie - and can I just add here my COME BACK message as well? We need you!!!!!!!! For what it's worth, I thought the wording of the email was really off as well, though I guess Hellcat could be having trouble coping or summat.

And as for those of you with crap DH/DPs - that seems to me an even harder situation than being alone, in some ways. I really hope things improve for you mammyjo and anyone else in that kind of circumstance.

I know I had loads of things to say, but have forgotten them all.
xx

Morning all! Feeling better today, thanks for all your kind words. Basically I had it out with dh as he was making my blood boil. I know I am tired at the moment, Ffion is feeding every 2 hours overnight (hoping it is a growth spurt and not here long term)! Every time I say I am tired I get comments like "join the club" or "you are not the only one". He changes one nappy overnight and sleeps the rest so think I am winning in the knackered stakes. I am still breast feeding and feel really proud of myself that I have made it to six weeks. Dh asked me this morning if my supply was not as good anymore and that was causing Ffions feeding frenzy. Bit of a red rag to a bull that one. I lost it big style and told him exactly what I thought! I dont think there is anything wrong with my milk, if there was then surely Ffion wouldnt have gained 13.5oz in 2 weeks would she? His answer to everything is that I should give up and start bottle feeding her. Nothing wrong with that but I dont want to and dont need to either. Sorry I dont think I am making any sense and am just rambling now.

Can I ask a question about sheepskins? I think thats what they are. I have a vague memory of someone talking about them for the baby to sleep on? CD do you have them at work? Just wondered if they are any good as was thinking of one for the buggy for dd to make it comfy for her. Or maybe its the wrong time of year, anyone know?

Also, what do you guys do with your babes in the evenings. Have you started a bedtime routine yet? Up to now dd stays downstairs with us til we go to bed but I am wondering whether I should start thinking about putting her to bed say by 8pm and just going to feed her later. She can be quite fractious in the evening but I wonder if a lot of that is tiredness as she always settles very quickly once we go upstairs. I really cant remember what I did with ds, and he used to take hours to settle so dont think it was ever a huge issue! Would be grateful for any ideas.

Hope everyone is doing ok. Ellie, where are you? Hope everything is ok with you. I am sure I am not alone when I say that if it wasnt for your emails I would never have kept up with what has been happening.

Hi Bugmum! x posted with you, took me an age to type my monster post. Glad you are having a better day. Dd is asleep at the mo too so am getting a quiet bit of time on here which is blissful!

mammyjo - Glad you are feeling more positive as well

Re bedtimes: we put DS1 in a routine from 12 weeks (bath and bed, basically), which he is still in, with just a half-hour extension. The baby is still downstairs with us, as he wants to cluster-feed in the evening, and this helps not only the baby's sleep (in theory, I hasten to add! ) but the milk supply. From memory, this stage only lasts a few weeks, I think (well, I HOPE). I am planning to put Gabe in a bedtime routine earlier than I did with DS1 but not yet (he is just over a week old). Maybe at four or five weeks? I don't want him screaming the place down and waking DS1, apart from anything else.

Right, back to RL, but it has been lovely just vegging!
xx

Ffion will be six weeks tomorrow which is why I am thinking of starting something. Thanks for that, just wasnt sure if I was trying it too early really and wondered what other people did. Hope you have a good day!