December 06: For my first birthday mummy I would like.......

[Indith]

Here you go Eli!

I almost put 'your clothespegs' on the end there. Ds loves clothespegs. Came home from Rainbows the other day and dp had made a deal with ds. He could play with the clothespegs as long as he did it in his playpen and let dp make dinner.

Still of talking babies. Mine still has not so much as given a dada in the right direction. He does babble all the time though and tells us some very long stories with a look of utmost sincerity. I'm sure they ould be very interesting if I knew what they were about

Today though ds is competing for grottiest baby award. he has screamed at food for several days and is snotty and grouchy and therefore has the attention span of a goldfish with attention deficit. This tooth and a cold do not make good companions

Ds2 does mainly extensive babble too, Indith. It's so cute, especially when he has a very serious look like he is imparting something really important.

He was kind of cranky thursday night, then was up all night last night so we were waiting for the ped to open today. HAve now started third antibiotic for his ear infection So I rushed around all morning (well, except for the hour that we waited to see the dr) and then get him back to the house so that I could leave again at noon to go to work. I honestly don't know how single moms do it.

Ds2 does mainly extensive babble too, Indith. It's so cute, especially when he has a very serious look like he is imparting something really important.

He was kind of cranky thursday night, then was up all night last night so we were waiting for the ped to open today. HAve now started third antibiotic for his ear infection So I rushed around all morning (well, except for the hour that we waited to see the dr) and then get him back to the house so that I could leave again at noon to go to work. I honestly don't know how single moms do it.

Oh Jabber the poor thing, cannot be nice for him.

We are on yet another day of the yoghurt and rich tea biscuit diet. Poor boy has asore throat again and every time he coughs he starts crying again. I do NOT, repeat NOT like colds.

On the plus (? ) side I seem to be getting the cold but since it has now been over a week (I think) since ds last had a bf I think we really have stopped now so I am going to stock up on lemsip and sudafed and all manner of previously forbidden goodies.

((get well Indith's and Jabber's LOs))

((and Indith))

dd2 also has a streamer of a cold, with cough, but somehow it doesn't seem to bother her too much - a bit cranky, but sleeping well and eating like a small horse. I have a permanent background stuffy nose and scratchy throat, but as we're going on holiday somewhere hot in ten days time, I expect that to go

Am hoping we don't take any parasites with us and shall go equipped with all sorts of child-related medicines...

Not sure how to describe our week - heavy, I think?? Worms, plus BF's Dad died suddenly, plus just lots of things to deal with - life, I suppose. Am really really tired in spite of dds both sleeping well, hey ho for the holidays!

And v impressed by the stair-bombers - dd2 tries to go down stairs head first, no sense of direction/danger at all, so stairgate staying firmly ON.

She's very close to figuring out her high-chair harness, though

(((Indith, Jabber, Eli and the LOs)))

Eli, v jealous about going somewhere hot. We've just decided to take the DDs down to visit grandparents and into London for a few days. DD1 has never been to London, and dis desperate to see Buck Palace, London Eye, etc. It'll be nice to be a tourist for a while. I'm normally only in London to work and thus see little other than the tube and City.

DD2 also has a streaming cold, and won't settle at night. I have been reduced to buying her a dummy in a vain effort to get her to suck on something other than mummy when she can't sleep. It's not working yet. Maybe 13mos is a little late to introduce this Even in the evenings she will drink 8oz of cows milk from a bottle, but will only drop off if she has a bit of BF on top. What have I done?!

DD2 doesn't say much other than 'hiya', which seems to mean, variably, 'hello', 'pay attention to ME', 'more', 'pass me that thing at which I am pointing', and 'good bye'. Seems to work for her, anyway.

How much cows milk? I am so very as ds still won't flaming well drink the stuff and I really would like him to now that he doesn't bf. He will glug away at water but if I put milk in his cup he takes a mouthful, gives me a dirty look at chucks it away

Somewhere hot sounds good, what do you say BP shall we gategrash the Elibean holiday?

Have booked our ferry for France this summer though which shall be someting to look forward to. Just need to decide where to go other than the obligatory Bordeaux and Mamie visit!

I want to go somewhere hot!! Winter in the southern US is really icky b/c we have the humid cold, I guess similar to yours. The wind just goes right through a person. I've gone to places out west in winter and the dryer air makes the cold so much more tolerable.

A better night here. Ds2 was up at 1:00 am which is pretty standard anyway, fussed at 3 then got up for the day at 5. He is currently sitting by computer pulling his socks off, so other than his runny nose he is in good spirits. Fingers crossed...

He is also not accepting cow's milk. I gave him some strawberry yogurt drink to help with the antibiotic-induced diarrhea and he grudgingly took it. I'm thinking will try putting some strawberry flavor in cow's milk when his ear clears up. That worked for a friend of mine.

Speaking of, everyone says not to give milk anyway with an ear infection but is the yogurt drink going to be a bad thing too? It did seem to help his poo but I really want the ear drama to be over so don't want to sabotage his treatment in any way.

I stooped to a sprinkling of hot chocolate powder in milk the other day. He gave me an even dirtier look than normal

Sure the yoghurt thing will be fine, the French in me points out that if you get ABs in France you also get a million pills to replace the bacteria etc. Why they don't just eat yoghurts I don't know.

I know what you mean about the cold. I swear that minus 35 in Russia was easier to deal with (aside from the part where it was just as cold in side my flat as out) than the feeling of having a bucket of ice tipped over your head when it is sleeting like mad and the wind is howling up my hill.

Jabber, I was never so cold as I was the first winter in the UK. Despite having come, as Indith says, from -40C with windchill and snow. I honestly couldn't believe that people were content to be as cold inside as they were outside. And there was nothing I could do to warm up. You just can't wrap up against damp, can you!

Indith, it might be that I'm giving DD2 her milk in a bottle - that it's the sucking that she likes. She doesn't really go for milk in a cup.

Oh, poor LO's and hope you feel better too sooon Indith. Holiday sounds just the ticket, Eli, hope it comes off!!!
Oli, FGS, how're you both feeling at the mo'?
I too remember first coming to England, it was the first of march and I had NO idea until I got off the plane. I also remember thinking London was soooo warm by comparison to ooop north. Would love to take the ds's to London btw, so many great museums etc. We went to the National Media Museum in Bradford today and whilst it was ooook, not fantastic although the boys enjoyed themselves (well, ds2 just climbed all the stairs!).

Hi guys, Been away for weekend so house is chaos, I have too much work to do and we just found out DD didnt get into the school we want I am also full of cold, as is DD2.

I'll catch up properly tomorrow hopefully.

Well, I'm VERY glad the last 10 days are over and hoping that I don't have another stretch like that for a long, long time.

Since a week ago last Weds we've had:

DS1 - flu, sick bug

Dd - Flu, possible chicken pox, ear infection

Ds2 - Flu, confirmed (but fortunately mild) chicken pox, ear infection resuting in burst eardrum, 2 new teeth

DH - Flu

Me - tonsillitis

Such fun . I've spent more time at the GP's than home, I think.

At least the ADs are working though, so it's not been as bad as it could have. I'm actually feeling back to normal now, thanks AQ and all the side effects appear to have eased (phew).

Eli, we're off to see my dad in Singapore in 5 weeks - yippee - I can't wait to leave this lousy weather behind and see some sun.

Arrgggh, Oli, that sounds horrendous! Thank good ness you had your ads! Glad the side-effects are gone too. How many weeks until dh is back for good? Are you counting them down....
FGS, bad luck about the school, are you going to appeal? Have you gone to see dr about yourself or no time?
[hugs both]

Oli, how awful I hope everyone gets well quickly.

FGS, we are applying next month and I'm keep having anxiety attacks about which school ds1 will get. Did you at least get second choice? We have a possibility of 4 schools.

Jabber - we got our 2nd choice but it was only 2nd on paper iykwim. We have applied to the next county too as we're practically on the border and our 1st choice there is the one we truly really want but it will be an extra 15 mins in the morning for me. If we dont get that one we have a real problem.

Hope DS is feeling a bit better Jabber...

Full of colds here too! DS has had a runny nose for what seems like ages and is very snuffly at night. I can´t shake off a cold either, feels like we´re passing it back and forth!

DS babbles a lot but doesn´t say any words yet, he makes attempts at Dada (I think) but its more like a d-ah or d-id sound and is really random. We get the Iya sound too!

I´m still not sure about him recognising his own name however he did look round the other day when he through a piece of chicken on the floor and I said his name in a firm loudish way

Still being very fuss at meal times, wanting little else other than advocado and sweet potato and rice pudding not together mind! However he managed to help himself to one of my biscuits the other day and was so chuffed with his little self when he finally got it out of the packet! Must be an age thing and probably teething too, he also has a random selection coming through, still has just 3 on the bottom no sign of the fourth!!

Sorry to hear about not getting your school choice FGS, can you appeal or would that be a real headache?

Sorry about schools and fingers crossed. Hope things work out ok. However, having worked with 5-7 year olds for 11 years now I do genuinely believe that the choice of primary is not as important as the choice of secondary provided that the parental support is there. (though obviously that doesn't solve commuting issues). The kids going to the not so good schools do come out the same as those in the better schools where they come from educated families who do homework with them, read and just generally have fun learning.

Not that that will stop me wanting to move to the other side of Durham before ds gets to school age

It does get difficult, doesn't it, FGS? I mean 15 minutes longer initially doesn't sound too bad but then every day it can turn into a hassle.

Ds2 only woke up once last night so I'm hoping that means this antibiotic is finally kicking the ear infection. Now it appears that I have come down with the cold that ds1 brought home from pre-school.

Oh, and ds2 has done a major backslide on foods, bebespain. HE went from at least trying almost anyhting to now turning up his nose at most offerings

Yes jabber, lots of nose turn ups here too - arrgh...

Thanks for the tissues Indith most grateful

My DD loves food and shouts until it is delivered. She is definitely a meat-eater though and would prefer a plate of meat and potatoes to a load of veg.

FWIW bebespain, ds2 did this for a month with the food thing and then turned around and eats everything again mostly. I think it was just an independence thing.

Cheers Indith

DS2 is also very fussy at the moment, well, fussier than usual. He's never been the greatest eater but atm he literally only eats shreddies, nutella sandwiches, raisins, bananas, yogurt, sausages, spag bol and chips (homemade, btw! And only on a Friday). Oh and he sucks the juice out of mandarin segments. Anything new gets scowled at and and chucked onto the floor. If he really doesn't like it he puts it on his highchair and sits on it .

AQ, it's 5 weeks (4 after this, which sounds better!) until DH finishes in Bristol. Not long, really.

Jabber, the ABs are doing their thang for the ear infections, it's just the 6 battles everyday to get the icky banana medicine into them.

FGS, sorry about the school situation. It's just a nightmare. Hope you find a solution.