Sept '07... I'm forever blowing raspberries and my cheeks ache from smiling so much....

[PurpleLostPrincess]

Here we go! (or should I say here wii go!?). I'll try doing a link too...

Incidentally, I had a dream last night that Cerys suddenly learnt how to blow proper raspberries! Don't know where it came from but it could be that she has been trying since she was about 4 weeks old and did it entirely by accident yesterday!

PLP xxx

That's great, it must be weird that he's coming on so quickly!
I keep looking at Lolly and thinking she's just growing so quickly (dammit how can I stop it?!! )

wow, how old is he arbensmum??? Very exciting

My boys cut their first at 7 months so i was kind of expecting anna to be the same...

Anna is full of cold, gummy eyes and runny nose and funny little cough Her first cold and unfortunately not her last.....

amyclaramum - I sympathise, my boys had such a boring half term, and i hate to say that i am dreading the easter break as they get 3 weeks off!!! How the heck am I going to fill 3 weeks????

Hi everyone. It feels like I haven't been on to chat for ages, though I've been keeping up with everyone's news. DH is a teacher, so we've been busy doing stuff with Paul over half term, including trips to Cambridge and London. (On the latter, the train was completely full and I had to stand for the whole 40 minutes holding Paul, including giving him his bottle. Not one person offered me a seat . Paul was an angel for the whole journey, and got his revenge on everyone by filling his nappy in very smelly fashion .)

Our other news is that we started weaning this week (at 21 weeks). I didn't ask the HV or doctor for advice in the end. Probably a bit irresponsible, but I decided to just go for it, given that he was asking for milk more and more often, and trying to steal my food. So far he's finished every scrap of everything I've offered him; pear is a particular favourite . He had very bad constipation for the first day, poor love (he kept straining, but nothing happened), but it seems to have sorted itself out now.

Arbensmum, that's so exciting about the tooth! The son of one my NCT friends already has all four front teeth completely through, and he's only a couple of weeks older than Paul ! Paul shows no sign of any teeth at all yet.

ACmum, sorry about the bad nights. I hope you still manage to enjoy the wedding.

Fio, sympathies to you too on the sleep front. It's so hard enjoying your time with them when you're absolutely shattered.

Re the sterilising, I think I'm already growing out of pfb syndrome. I still sterilise the bottles, but I can't always be arsed to do the feeding bowls and spoons. Roll on 6 months, when I'm officially 'allowed' not to bother with those .

PLP, I'm so glad Cerys is doing so well .

Sorry not to say hi individually to everyone else. A big collective hello to all!

Candianmum - Arben is 5 1/2mths. I noticed it this afternoon and he has been miserable all day, poor little mite
MrsBumblebee - I am going to start this week with the weaning, he is 25 weeks. Arben has also upped his milk and is trying to steal from our plates aswell so we shall se how we get on. are you doing BLW or going with the pureed stuff??
Kyala - It is quite weird, my little man is growing up so fast and i have no control over it.

Yay for Arben!!! Cerys's tooth is cutting and is just under the skin now so hopefully we won't be far behind you!!!

We're back by the way lol! Cerys has amazed the doctors all over again by making an amazing recovery. I'll just do a quick overview of the week as I'm completely exhausted then I'll pop back on in the next few days to do a proper catch up...

When we got there, they put an NG tube down her nose and filled her with fluids to flush her system out - she didn't like being starved one little bit! I didn't realise she had to be starved for 48 hours afterwards too - aaaarrrgggghhhh!!!! She was in surgery for a long time and I was starting to worry but she was fine. The starving afterwards was so that her bowel could heal a little bit and to make sure that any food/fluids didn't leak into her body. I've never known her to cry so much in all her little life, it was truly awful!!! They normally expect babies to fart after 24 hours or more but she was farting away within a few hours and did her first dirty nappy later in the evening. Later on, I noticed her surgeon was on the ward (the next day) and she happened to be disconnected from her canular so I took her with me. She had had some water and perked up a bit so I showed him how well she was doing and he agreed to let her have some milk. So she has broke the record in terms of having milk so soon and they are amazed. By the next morning (yesterday), she was on free fluids and was back to enjoying her milk. They have said to keep an eye on her as the bowel can leak anything up to a week after surgery so we're watching her vigilantly of course. She is so happy to be home and it feels really strange. Her wound is very different from what I expected - they have stitched up the muscle wall but left a big hole in her skin where the stoma was and apparently the skin will grow from the inside - hmmmm interesting!! We have to change the dressing every day and put cream in it to keep it clean. I honestly feel like life has changed already, its really weird but in a good way. Only annoying thing was that Cerys's chest is really bad but apparently thats normal after a general anaesthetic ? There are sooo many more things I want to tell you but I'll be here forever...

I'd better go as DH is getting the bedroom ready so we can sit and watch a DVD in bed; then he's having Cerys in the morning so I can have a lie in - I'm soooo soooo tired!!! Sorry to say it but she also sleeps through from 7pm to 7am and has done for a long time - she's already back into her normal routine which even I didn't expect! I think you're right that all babies are different and they are either sleepers or they're not.

Have a good weekend ladies and thank you for all your support xxxxxxx

Well done Cerys! So good to hear that all went well and she's healing quickly already, bless her!

Well, I'm off to bed now, in a nice quiet house, and am looking forward to being able to do a quick sweep of the house and do some more sewing too before Dh gets back with DD1 (it's so nice to know this is going to be a regular thing now )

Goodnight ladies, my hopes are with you all that your LO's sleep well tonight (and every night) but more so that Lucy sleeps well too
xxx

fab news plp - cerys is a little trooper! wishing her a very speedy recovery....

Hi ladies, flying visit. Can't stop long as I'm still Queen Squitty of Squitsville.

Just want to say a big 'well done' to Cerys and welcome home! Hope you continue your fantastic recovery.

Hopefully catch up more in a day or two.

Well done little Cerys, what a little star you are! I bet you're glad the op is over and done with PLP. Seems a bit off about her wound?? Bit scary changing those dressings huh.

I've been so busy this week doing stuff with the boys (and Niamh!) it'll seem really weird when they go back to school tomorrow.

London meetup, I've spoken to DH and he said the first week of March is ok, except the Monday and Tuesday. , so that's the 5th, 6th or 7th. I don't mind which day. Let's get heads together and pin down a day then sort out location. I'd prefer if we could stay outside congestion charge zone if poss. Is West London any good?

Hello to everyone else, will catch up properly soon.

Hello all!! Flying visit

PLP - great news on you and Cerys.

Hopey - I am meeting with work on 5th. Why dont we do friday 7th? Where will you be coming in from? The M40? Outside the congestion zone is fine for me.

Any others interested? Will text Holly. I know she is around.

Hugs to everyone

Yes, I'll be coming in on the M40/A40, but can also go on North Circular if that's any good for anyone, or the M4/A4.

ok - well lets see who else is interested as I live not too far from A40 and north circ. Can suggest a few places if it is just us/ cars. Otherwise need to have a little more of a think if need to find somewhere easy for you and others who may be coming on tube.

it'll be so much fun!

Great news PLP, I am so chuffed for you all. I hope you had a good lie in

Thanks everybody! Yes, I've rested lots today but still feel exhausted It's been so strange changing a nappy in the normal way, such a brilliant feeling. Cerys is even more happy than before, its almost like she knows things are right now! The dressings are a doddle compared with the bag so I'm happy to do it and I love all the gory stuff (I'm strange like that lol!). We still have to dilate but Cerys does so well and doesn't really cry bless her. She finally had a quick bath tonight and loved it (at first her consultant said no baths for a few weeks but then he said she could have a quick splash). We just made it shallow and washed her and her hair then she had to come out - she wasn't best pleased!!

I'm feeling like life has really started now and would really like to join you lovely ladies for the meet up so let me know what you decide. I've travelled to West London many a time and know the M40 well enough to find my way so I'll probably go for driving (chatty, if you want to come, I'd be more than happy to pick you up on the way?). I also vote for outside congestion if we can help it. How exciting!!!!

Cerys is nearly sitting up on her own now - she can go for about 5-10 seconds before going over, its hilarious!!

PLP - Cerys and yourselves are little stars.

Ok - well will have a looksie for somewhere easily accessible off the a40, with easy parking and room for buggies.

The place that stands out for me is Brent Cross shopping center, you have to get on the a406 for a little while - but it has free parking, is outside of zone, well signposted and the John Lewis cafe is a pretty nice place to eat plus there is the chance to do some shopping which is pretty good for the out of towners who may fancy doing that. Downside is that it is rubbish for public transport.
Will also have a look around shepherds bush area.

If anyone else has any siggestions, then do let me know.

Brent Cross sounds good to me. My friend from school used to work in the baby dept at John Lewis is Brent Cross! Shame she's moved to Stratford now!!

If it's difficult for anyone coming by train, I can always arrange to meet at a train station and drive them in. I've got room for 5 more in my car.

Just to re-cap London Meetup Provisional Arrangements

Friday 7th March
Brent Cross

Those of us attending

dal
hopey
Holly?
PLP
chatty?

please add to list those of you who are coming

PLP: It's so good to hear how little Cerys is developing and sounds like she's a really happy LO, despite all that's gone on since her birth!

Lucy's not quite sitting up but she's now staying up longer after her feeds and she's loving her playgym thingy now that she's discovered what each toy does (she really loves the spinny things), she's not spending too much time in her bumbo but I don't mind (mainly cos I know I'll be able to get my money back when I sell it when she's too old for it)

Righty, I'm off again, she's awake, Yippee! Play time!
xxx

P.S: V of you guys all meeting up! Would love to come but no car/lisence, and wouldn't even bother trying to get DD1 on a train (I know she'll end up stopping the train some how, or getting us kicked off )

Hopey - have heard from holly and she can make it too!! am v. excited too! (does that make us sad?) Will let the out of towners decide on what time. I am totally flexible.

Kyala - that you cant make it. Promise to fill you in on all the gossip.

Excited!!

Oh and am heading to Brent cross later today. so will check out the eateries to see if there is anywhere else better than the john lewis cafe (but i reckon that JL may be the best bet)

still excited!

Add me onto the list. Providing i am not in Albania i will be there with bells on

I'll have a go at being there. But I could only do it with dh's help with the school runs etc. He's away this week and we're not really talking at the moment () so I won't be able to commit till I see him at the weekend. If I am coming can we make it a not too early start? It would probably take me a couple of hours to get there.

Hi,
Arbensmum, we're doing the baby rice and purees thing, as I think it's a bit too early for blw. Paul tries to help feed himself, though, so I tend to get the spoon in his mouth and then let him hold it there while he sucks the food off. He usually wants to have his hand in his mouth at the same time as the spoon, as well, which is unbelievably messy. You said you were starting this week - have you taken the plunge yet??
Jealous of all of you meeting up. I'm tempted to join you, but Paul has recently started being a nightmare in the car, and I'm not sure I can handle two hours of screaming each way, without DH there to distract him.