Jan '07 part 10: The lo's go a bit doolally at 16 weeks...followed swiftly by the ruddy menfolk!

[2Happy]

Rant at your leisure...

thanks LTH, will experiment!

LTH - it's fine, i am a fatty mcfatfat, so i don't mind...

MrsC - who have booked that holiday with? can you link me in??

Hi all. Crappy day here today. I've still got a cold and its been raining all day so we're all generally very bored!!

Hattie - very exciting about Dubai! I've never been, but my brother went last year and was very impressed. Did you have to pay full price for LO, as I guess by nearly 1 they need their own seat?!? I've heard you can take a car seat on for them to sit on? We're planning to go to Thailand just after Christmas, so any tips from anyone about long haul with a 1 year old would be appreciated!

MrsC the tipi sounds fab. We've got a cottage booked up in the lake district, which i'm really looked forward to (Though i've just said to DP in my best annoying whiny voice "ahhhhh i wanna get a tipi in cornwall")

Does anyone's LO drink water? I've been trying to get F on to the stuff, but he doesn't seem to have taken to it just yet. I read that babies that aren't b-fed will need to drink water once they start eating solids or they'll get dehydrated?!?
Not sure how convinced i am of this particular piece of advice, but i'm sure the odd cup of water is a good thing.

Hi everyone I'm back! Ny mum and step-dad have been up visiting and they are such hard work! It's like having an extra 2 kids to tidy up after and all they do is complain about everything! So now they've gone I'm desperately packing as we go on holiday in the morning. Realised this pm that dd1 only has 2 t-shirts so dh went on to tell me how I should be more organised and stop wasting my time on doing pointless things (like cleaning/ shopping/ cooking/ looking after 3 kids/ doing 3 school runs a day/ taking kids to after school activities etc etc!) I was livid as you can imagine especially as he was on his way to work and leaving me alone yet again. Never mind!

These questions take some reading it's no wonder there aren't many posts recently - so interesting though!

Rgee- Blond scottish one got chucked off. Sorry, hopeless with names but the one who was a caberet singer.

EAH the photos are gorgeous. Dont have any professional ones of Luke as we thought we would get them done after Ruth came but now, I kind of think we should wait til we have had all of our kids. Cant make up my mind.

Mrs Carrot- that sounds great Mrs Carrot. I love camping too!

Shimmer - I gave Luke water with his meals when I started weaning him. He wasnt that interested at first but the more he was eating, the moe he wanted.

Canmumy- I know what youy mean about visiting inlaws being loads of work! Hope you have a good holiday! I hate packing too.

I got to escape today inbetween feeds as a payback for dh being away all weekend.

BTW I am loving you tip on catching up Jodie!

Shimmer- We were looking at this tent/house thing with a wooden floor in the lake district, well this one was, on an organic farm (poncey I know) but they have ones on farms all round the country (not all organic!) but, I thought as we'd just been to Yorkshire it might be nice to go South next. Then I saw a suppplement in a magazine about different holidays and the tipis were in it. Booked it straightaway, as there is one in Norfolk I was looking at but it's booked for the whole summer and I just want to have minimum effort this year. In the past we've camped for weeks at a time even when they were tiny but you need sooo much stuff, and after the wedding, and LO, you know, I'm tired

Thailand, wow, I went there for nearly a month, shockingly when ds1 was only 2, but he was with his dad. Didn't stop the bad mother comments though. I would never do it now, think it was to do with my age maybe? Had a fab time though. Which part are you planning to visit?

Dragon- Where do you normally camp? Hope you're making the most of your break after dh was away.

Canmummy- my mum's a bit like that too, even when she visted after LO was born, she still sat there waiting for a coffee I said she was like a walking cliche of baby visitors but it didn't go down very well.

UD- fellow member of the 12 stone club , here are some links:

one we're going to

norfolk one

this one I think looks amazing

posh yurt style eco farm thingy

Shimmer - we're flying overnight to Dubai so (fingers crossed, touch wood etc.!) LO will sleep in the bassinet as I haven't booked a seat for him. Having said that goodness knows if he'll fit in a bassinet by then as they're supposed to be for up to 1 year old but he's already in 6 - 9 months clothes at 4 months! Flying back daytime though so that will be a different challenge ....

We've taken DD to Thailand twice (FIL lives there) and first time we went she was 20 months and slept amazingly well in the bassinet sort of thing that BA supply for 1 - 2 year olds. Which airline are you flying to Thailand with?

EAH - your new photos are fantastic, the close up of Hattie and the one of Ellie with the bear are just gorgeous

Jodie - your 'notepad' tip is brilliant!

Thanks for all the comments re the photos I am so pleased with them am debating about a canvas print but think we'll wait till Hattie 7/8 months and then have a family picture and if it comes out well have that on canvas. They had great family shots where e and h would be on our shoulders and the photographer climbs onto step ladders and looks down and takes picture or with Chris and I laying on floor and the girls sitting on our backs but need to get Hattie sitting up properly first.

I am loving our local paper but 13 things in for sale (all listing free) the paper came out on friday and sold 7 things on saturday and made £50 plus got a couple of people coming to look at changing unit/swing so if they both sell that'll be another £70. I listed all the nursery stuff on ebay earlier and have had 17 people look but 2 people watching so fingers crossed!

Sounds like most people have had a rainy bank hols, me and girls been at my mum and dads most of day as dh worked.

We are off to Butlins Bognor Regis on 10th sept (mm will be busy weekend ellies bday 7th then her party 8th so will have the 9th to pack) for 5 days (mon-fri) ellie will love it and going with bf and her dh,dd and ds so ellie will have her best mate and there ds similar age to hattie so should be good. Defo holiday abroad next year though!!

Just looked at your photos EAH, they are really lovely

Hattie- where in Thailand does your fil live? I'd love to go further afield with our lot but I feel a bit nervous about the plane. Did you really think it was fine, and what's the youngest you'd take them on one?

MrsC - FIL lives in NW Thailand but I didn't want to take dd up there as you need malaria tablets so he's travelled down and met us in more 'civilised' parts of the country. My mum had a fit when I told her we were taking dd there when she was under 2yo, but it was fine. No problems with the travelling but she's a bit of a fussy eater and didn't eat very well. Second time we took her (she was just 3, we 'brought back' LO as well!) she was fine as she'd starting eating chips and rice - both available everywhere!

I've never worried about flying whatever age they are. We'll prob go back to Thailand later next year when LO will be 18 months or so.

Morning all.

Hope you had a great bank holiday. What are those of you with kids on half term doing this week?

EAH - great news about your sales! What are you going to spend the money on? I got our oven door fixed last month, but wrote a letter to their customer care dept and they have agreed to refund my ninety quid it cost to repair. Was dead pleased and I am v impressed with zanussi customer service!

Carrot - glad you posted a link to your tipi. I had nooo idea what you were talking about until then. Looks absolutely fab, although I am definitely a home comfort person, so wouldn't make a good camper!

Dubai sounds great Hattie I love Thailand Do you think I'm a bit wierd in saying I don't want to go on a flight with lo until she's old enough to read. Went abroad last year with nephew who was 1 and the flight was a mare, but this was mainly due to the delays. I don't think I could hack it! Saying that, we are flying to a wedding in Ireland late August but at least it's a mere hop away, and we have to go to that!
Carrot - come back to Yorkshire!!!!

Dragon - I think that Joseph might have been Craig. Was sure I spotted him on last year's X Factor too, getting kicked out at boot camp!

Canmummy - if you catch this have a great holiday!

Shimmer - I've been leaving a cup of water around for lo to have a play with, and occasionally seen if she fancied a drop but she hasn't been that interested. Will persevere though especially as I intend to start weaning v shortly.

UD - have to agree with LTH re your weight, you look miles thinner in your photos. Greasy fry ups and lots of roasts ...nomnom..

Vino - didn't manage to go shopping yesterday. Bought stuff on line instead. Got a few bargains at www.nurseryandtoys.com/ (Ohhh...they've made adding links much easier) including a sleeping bag for four quid. If anyone needs some more bedding or safety stuff (not gates), it's really cheap at the mo.

Looks a bit grim outside again today. No plans today but busy week ahead. My 34 week preggers best friend is coming to stay tomorrow for a couple of days, then my mum is bobbing in on Friday after her school reunion (first school reunion after 40 years - how wierd would that be?).

Wilkie - meant to say v impressed at J rolling round the place. We have yet to see a roll of any sort, but am pleased to report she can now lift her head off the floor during tummy time

RGEE I live about 15mins from that store and may have to pop there later now you've said the magic word (bargain)

The world is a small place, turns out the girl from next door who I used to play with when I was little now lives in the same place as my parents and has a little girl a month older than Ellen.

Ellen has had a cold this w/e so had to buy some txylix. I quite like the smell of it myself! Chose that rather than boots own as I decided I would prefer blackcurrant to apple flavour.

Ellen had 2 FF yesterday for first time. Today going to try a carton of FF to see if she likes it as going to my brothers tomorrow for 2 nights. Space is a premium in my rucksack!!! Waiting in for my new buggy today which will make a travel system with my car seat so I can take car seat and byggy on the train with me. Its a britax verve one, could only find it online so I hope its ok. Its similar to the quinny zapp.

Some friends supposed to be coming round this morning and if buggy arrives I'll be going out to meet up with my mum and baby friends.

Friends arrived !!!

MMm, I like the smell of that too, Vino, and those blackcurrant and glycerin throat sweets. Sometimes I buy those when I haven't got a sore throat!

Morning I say with match sticks propping up my eyelids, yes my little girl decided to be up half the night think she may be teething or she is coming down with something.

Rgee yes it was craig who went I was very sad as I love blond men I liked craig he was nom nom however I kinda like lewis but think I might get locked up after all im 28 and he is 17 . Thanks for the link that stuff is well cheap.

Right I will try and do a link in a minute for the first time to show where im off on holiday this year.

Here goes www.villa-in-algarve.co.uk

oh dear, laughalot, ds1 got his first tooth at five months so I reckon a few will be getting them soon. They do look cute though, shame they hurt them so much.

Wow, look at your holiday, lucky you!

Mmmmmmm glad I got the link right however I cant get it to display the page my villa is on but if you want to take a peak select villas, eastern algarve, and it is a 3 bed villa in vilamoura the villa manuela.

Mrs currant I know the dreaded teeth time my ds got his first at 3 months

Three months, that's early!

I know and its really wierd because he is 3 in july and hasnt got his very back teeth yet on either side wierd child

morning all - well i am severely pissed off, the power steering in our "new" car now needs replacing, the new exhaust they fitted on is rubbing on the back axel, the said they would come and pick it up this morning at half 9 (cue mad dash this morning for me to get dh to work and get back in time for half past 9!!!) and they're still not here. am so we have been in touch with Trading Standards and we have to give them a chance to put it right, then if it's not right now then we can demand our money back. think we will have to be in touch with Dept of Transport anyway as the MOT was dodgy as.

Zac is definitely got a tooth coming through at the bottom - it's been there for ages but just not cut yet. at the moment he is chewing a teether like his life depends on it, in between screaming with pain and being clingy and miserable. to top of my wonderful day, I've run out of magic Ashton Kutcher powder and can't go out to get more cause i'm waiting in for the fucking mechanic. have got Bonjela but it seems to make Z sick. bleh.

Mrs C - when did you change your name? did i miss something???

Morning all. Very quick on as I am looking after the child of satan today.

LL - sympathies my lovely. We had a shite night last night, J was up 10 (yes 10) times crying. His nose is streaming and he is miserable. Joys.

He loves rolling, in fact he does in constantly but can't turn back yet . Tries to do it in his cot at night so have bought a gro-bag to try and stop him cos he wakes up crying.

Am very very excited. Have decided to set up my own make up business doing make up for weddings, special occasions and the like. Have always been good at make up (sorry that sounds really big headed) but art and stuff is my bag so am getting very excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will start off small and do it alongside my current job and J but who knows if it takes off.....!!!