March 2007-Today our babies will mostly be eating.............

[KITTYmaspudding]

ok, new thread, old one full!!

fliying scan read catch up after DP wildy decided chaing internet provider at xmas weekend was clever

Kitty had no idea ds1 was into such dark places
I have a sensitive ds1, thankfully nothing like that here BUT I do know he is taking the brunt sometimes for me - he is an ace kid and I need to tell him more. For you with so much on your plate - respect. He will be ok, you care and are aware, many parents do not know until years of it (harming) are behind them. And he is able to articulate why, Very mature and very solid.

right am in mentalist mother mode (see thread in sec education) ds1 has been bullied by a teacher - am stewing.

We have been to in laws today where we endured enjoyed a gorgeous day with lovely food and happy kids and Finn was AMAZING slept in travel cot and in car seat, charmed gramps and ate grans dinner and went to bed when we got home at 9pm
Stunning am amazed at him as are they

So looking fwd to xmas. My brother rung me from shopping in London saying I'm in Jo malone what do you want
YEEEE HAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sazzy so pleased to hear E is back, takes little chaps so long after a serious illness, you sure earn your mummy badge there. Do not worry about development it happens overnight and rightly you are just chuffed your boy is back on song.
Sorry have I missed people. Sorry tiem pushed atm so much to sort out
Lotsa love
xx

Sponge, I would accept the pressy and tell your sister how she hurt you, that you would like to agree to disagree with her because with sisters it should be unconditional, that even though you don't always get on it would be nice if that doesn't have to matter.
that's all I can think of- I am very lucky to be close to my 2 sisters(even though we bug each other at times) and I just wish that for everyone.

Oh Sponge I don't know what to suggest but if it's keeping you awake at night that's , I'm sorry to hear that. As you know I am estranged from my sister and mother and in many ways I do miss my sister but in other ways it was such a relief not to have to constantly worry about upsetting her with my "wayward lifestyle" . I'm not saying that you should ignore her or lose contact with her, I'm just saying that if you did want to it might not be the end of the world.

Piffle what is Jo Malone?

Oh god Snoo I don't want Bertie to walk just yet the house is no where near babyproofed . Pmsl at taping your mother's mouth shut!!

Dolly maybe it is something to do with the floors, ours is laminate and so I rarely put him down on it as it's cold, and if he falls he might hurt himself.

Since little chat with dh I have started to take more control over what we eat; yesterday I made a casserole / stew (what is the difference?) of lentils, tomatoes, beans & sausages and served it with mashed tatties and it was dead nice and much cheaper than most of the meals dh cooks.

I might post a thread in a bit in recipes for cheap but nice meals with organic / free range foods will let you all know cooking maestros when I have done it so you can share your wisdom!

Still spent a fortune on Xmas food but I can kind of forgive him for that one a little bit.

Sponge I have just re-read what I wrote and it doesn't sound very helpful, I'm sorry. I just wanted to try and say that whatever you decide I'm sure it will be okay in the end.

I think it probably depends what is most stressfull for you, maintaining the fall out or maintaining the less than perfect relationship...it's between a rock and a hard place really. No easy answer there's conflict in whatever you do, so try not to feel guilty.

Well, two more sleeps until Santa visits!!

Sponge - what do you feel YOU want to do - I mean what does your instinct tell you?

Moss - Think that casserole is in oven and stew is on stove ??? My grandad used to make the best Irish stew in a big pot on his gas stove. But casseroles go inside the oven don't they?

I overheard a woman in the post office saying her daughter was coming home for christmas and she wanted her mum to make a big pot of stew!

My christmas starts today, woohoo my sister is arriving from scotland tonight (can't wait to see her which highlights my sentimentality about sisters) and my parents are coming to stay with me tonight. Their bed is currently buried beneath unsorted washing mountain...Rosy get off the computer and do work!!!!

Bethoo, if you're about, can you add your twopenceworth here?

Foxy in that case it was a casserole as I did it in the oven!!

Rosy get off the PC and go and get ready!

still here and still in my pj's It's that baby, he's still not 100% and he's a plaster. I've just put him down...hope he has a looong sleep! I'm off now! toodle-oo........

R U Dressed yet Rednosily?

Yes Rosy are you up and about yet?

I am still in my dressing gown actually. It is half one. In my defence all my warm clothes are in the tumble drier! Dogs still haven't been walked, but everything else is done so now I'm sat on my arse on MN watching the cricket out of the corner of my eye.

Right well I have finally read all 262 posts on the thread - phew!

So I think I am up to date.

kitty - I am so sorry about your DS1. What a horrible shock for you. I think it's great that he's talking to you though and your esteem-raising chat is inspired. Maybe you should do that on a regular basis - sounds like you both could do with it. One thing I did think though (and feel free to ignore as obviously my experience of raising children over the age of 9mo is zero) is wondering if he may benefit from doing something like karate? Just wondering if it might help him get his anger out rather than bottling it all up? And please don't beat yourself up over Ronnie. I have to confess that during the sick month, Elliot seriously started to wear on my nerves. I felt terrible because I knew he was so ill but he was so whingey the whole time. Drove me mad. Hopefully if they sort out his neck it might make him feel better and be more cheery.

Someone asked me what it was that Elliot had - it was bronchiolitis caused by RSV which I think someone else said their LOs had too? Hope yours haven't been too ill with it. God knows why it hit Elliot so hard.

fox - your lodger sounds vile! Glad you managed to get rid of him. Yes my sister is hosting xmas day this year and cooking up a Jamie Oliver style storm apparently. I have managed to get away with just doing snacks as I have a small baby apparently. Obviously those rules don't apply if you have more than one child piffle

sponge - I'd be tempted to ignore your sister if I were you but like fox says, I'd go with your instincts.

mossy - I don't have much to add to what others have said re going back to work but on the food front, I only buy organic free range meat but I make it last. Lean mince is great - you can make a big bolognese type thing with loads of veg in too (carrots, peppers, courgettes, aubergines all get chucked into mine) and it lasts ages because they really bulk it out. I add kidney beans one day and make a sort of chilli, then put it in tortillas another day and do a sort of vague mexican type thing and then obviously spag bol. Also a big bit of meat (a joint or whole chicken) is much cheaper than buying individual cuts and again you can have a roast on Sunday and then do different thing with the leftovers during the week. I'll stop with the Delia now

I know I've missed people but I've blathered on long enough. Hope you all have a great xmas xx

Ahhh Sazzy enjoy the day, nice to be cooked for and E will be fawned over and adored.
I do not mind cooking as I'm a fussy bint and this way I guarantee the right meal IMO only of course Have cut a few corners yes indeedy.

Well Finn leaps ahead, we spent £60 on toys for him for xmas just to discover todya all her really really wants is a beer can to himself
So we taped up an empty one ( no shortage atm ) for him and he played with it for an hour

Mossy initiate yourself to the value of the humble chickpea - even organic tinned ones are only about 30p a tin and if you buy dried and soak em yourself they are cheaper than dirt.
Falafel, hummus, chickpea curry, toasted and spiced chickpeas

Oh I could go on....
Right, presents to wrap
will now go and read more posts and no doubt need to add another comment!

cor, finally got moving today and now i'm wrecked. (bit of hard work kills me)

Hasan has been whinging this last day or two and it is so hard to manage! First time I've found him difficult, I don't know how I would have coped if he wasn't generally a really easy baby..well done everyone for holding it together in the face of adversity!

Let's hope next year will be a breeze!

Piffle I'm feeding all my family chick pea curry tomorrow night

okay - have not caught up on messages and am not sure when I will getback.

We are off to my aunt's for christmas eve dinner - dds get spoilt and we eat and catch up. Get in usually in the wee hours of the morning.

Dds sleep in generally.

THen open presents, have breaky and then off to my mum's for lunch.

So hope you all have a lovely christmas and it is an enjoyable time of catching up with family and friends.

For those who are enjoying their first christmas as parents - it only gets better.

DD1 and 2 have helped me decorate the tree and am about to go and put the presents under.

So Happy Christmas to all.

Piffle lol at the beer can. We haven't bought much for Bertie (ITNG DVD) as everyone else has bought him loads, but we are wrapping up a laundry basket for him because he will spend ages lifting it over his head and back again (see my photos on FB for evidence)!

Mil's next door neighbour has bought him a selection box. Maybe I'm being a bit pfb about it but that can't be good for an eight month old?

Dh hates chickpeas. My leek & potato soup yesterday didn't go down well either but truthfully it was very bland. Am going to post a thread in a mo.

Eids sounds like you have a lovely Christmas planned out, I hope it all runs smoothly for you and you have a brilliant day.

Rosy why's Hasan grizzling? Teeth or just generally out of sorts?

I have been up since five this morning. Bertie went back to sleep at half six but I couldn't get back to sleep then. Ho hum!

Here is my cheap recipes thread!!

Hope you are all well and that yhou are all sorted for christmas! I'm just about there now, thankfully.

Mossy we've done the same, not really bought Joseph anything, I bought two little books and wrapped them up, thinking he'll get 10 x more fun from the wrapping paper.

I love chickpeas!

Anyone's LO's going off their Milk? Joseph is having a right strop at bottle times and won't have it whatever we try! I wouldn't mind so much but he's not a keen drinker. Do you think it could be his gums? As he is sucking them a lot. I'll pop and see if there is any help in the milk section... so to speak.

Amie maybe he is teething or thirsty for water? I don't know. Hasan is teething again and still quite unwell. He is drugged up to the eyeballs this morning to try and get his temperature down. He is so clingy.

My parents are off to a funeral, my Dad is taking it, so he is in his dog collar today burying his cousin. Very sad. Also it means there are no suckers about to cuddle miserychops while I get on with jobs.

It's actually comical, when I try to leave Hasan he starts fake coughing melodramatically until I come back and cuddle him....

Imagine not liking chick peas

Rosy sorry to hear Hasan isn't well (but LOL about the fake coughing!)

DD is finally looking OK this am after 7 weeks of colds and viral infection No snotty/ crusty nose today.

She seems to be turning into a person this week... the other night DH asked her if she wanted to look at her book and she bundled herself along the settee and under his arm. He was saying "can you point to the egg? and the moon?" and she was.

Her other new trick when she is back doing the same thing over and over again (pressing the caps lock key on the computer or pulling the cats ears) is to shut her eyes when I tell her off, and do it again. I remember DD1 doing this and it looks so funny. I've got my eyes shut so you can't see me

Won't get back online now until Thursday so have a great Christmas everyone

Rosy, sorry Hassan is poorly. We are all like that here too.
Dp has 'man flu' and has managed to get out of doing anything. he makes a joke of it but it's nit funny. I have hd the same rotten, rotten cold but have also dealt with 6 puking, coughing children, doing EVERYTHING for christmas, had no time off for illness, carried on cooking, cleaning, wrapping presents. blah, blah, blah, as women do.

The worst of it is that last night was my second night of NO sleep. The first night Ronnie woke and would not go down again, coughing etc, last night dd3 woke coughing and would not go back to sleep. I am half delirious with lack of sleep and am starting to hallucinate a bit, like I see things move out of the corner of my eye that I know aren't there

This morning I wanted to phone my dad but could not , for the life of me, remember his phone number and he's had the same one for over 20 years .

I fucking hate these ENDLESS shitty illnesses we are all having, it's driving me NUTS what with laughing boy who's crap at the best of times, this truly has been my annus horribilis*

I sorry for bloody ranting but I am so fucked off

Amie, not sure, could he be teething? Might it be the teats, is he ready for faster flow?

Was going to write more but Bertie waking... Kitty sympathies, will post more later.

[big hugs] Kittywise - make sure you drink lots of alcohol tomorrow

IKWYM about how men become incapable when they have a cold, whereas us Mum's have to just plug ahead regardless...

Evenhope - very impressed with your LO's pointing!!!

Rosy - LOL at Hasan's fake cough!! Little pickle isn't he?

Amie - Monti has reduced his intake of milk during the day, but each night is still a feedathon....I read somewhere that they should be on 4 x 8oz at this stage every 24 hours, thought Monti is on 11 x 4oz

Well DH is at home with three bickering kids in their dressing gowns and I have come into work for a rest. I am hoping to go for a quick swim afterwards, as the pool should be empty (don't want to embarass myself with my lack of skills)

Anyone going to mass??

We have a Christingle service later which I am looking forward too

We are at my sisters' tomorrow and she just e-mailed me saying its all getting very political about who is driving who tomorrow, etc etc. Ho Hum... reminds me of why I choose not to live near the family after all...

For anyone I miss, have a fabulous day tomorrow and I hope all the babies enjoy eating the wrapping paper!!

Rosy - sounds like Hasan is practising for "Man flu" at an early age... [fmile]

hugs to you kitty - it's not funny when you feel that everything is falling to you all the time... pour some lemsip max down your dp's throat and put a rocket under his arse.

wishing you all a merry merry christmas and hoping our new little additions enjoy their first ever christmas on the outside.