August 2007- Half a year of sleep deprivation later... (but we're finally back in our skinny jeans!)

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

New thread! Whoop whoop!

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Bloody hell knickers- did you really have to test last week???? LOL Gosh, that's a bump, are you sure you're only 8 weeks gone? Mind you they say that once you've had one you are so stretched inside you get a huge bump really quickly, and it's only a few months since the last one so I guess it makes sense. Ooh it's a lovely bump though, makes me feel quite nostalgic for mine.

How are you feeling about it all now, chuck?

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lol, I could show you saggy, my middle looks like it's slowly melting, and as for my boobs- let's not go there. No point in worrying if you intend to have more kids, I say.

Glad you're slowly coming round to the idea, at least you'll have everything you need. And if there's anything you do need us lot will probably have it to send you!

I'm good thanks, just chilling out and wishing I had booze. All I've got is some fake archers and some 20p "cola drink"- sounds like a horrific mix, but I'm still tempted!

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Oh, sorry, forgot you can't drink now. Hey, well done with the smoking thing, that's brilliant! Must be ever so hard, but you have the best motivation to quit ever. I don't smoke but I got drunk a few times before I knew I was pregnant, and drank a whole bottle of cough medicine you aren't supposed to take whilst pg as I had a really awful chest infection. When I finally found out, I was quite scared I'd give birth to a baby with five legs!

Try not to worry about not having enough time with dd, you're giving her a beautiful new playmate, and she'll never be alone. Isn't that a lovely thing you're doing for her?

Oh sod it, going to go and make myself an archers a la ming cocktail. How bad could it be?

Hope all poorly mummys and baby's get better soon.

Gill-hope the party goes well and you feel better.

Bogwopit-have a great weekend with MIL

hersetta-we have the safe baby feeder but most of the time callum eats the holder end of it.

His first tooth is coming up fast, James-we give C the calpol nighttime (at night obviously ) when he's bad with the teething and that seems to help, you have to get it otc at the chemist.

Knickers-wow at your bump, i really miss mine now but not sure i could cope with more stretch marks yet! dh says they are love marks from Callum which is sweet but not much consellation when i feel lowsy . Sorry about the morning and evening sickness, i really really do sympathise and i cannot imagine having hyperemsis again and having to look after a wee one.

Anyway Callum has had the c&g night time milk tonight so we'll see if he sleeps all the way through? He usually has 2-4oz at 10pm and then wakes up again at about 4ish for another few ounces-the downsides to having a snack eater!!! Anyway i can't complain as dh does the night feed if c needs it.

I can't sleep at the moment, hence the unearthly time for typing this. Watched sport relief tonight and i cried at the sad vidoes-i'm a wuss!!!

SIL & BIL are coming up for Easter break this week with my two gorgeous nephews. it is their ds1's 2nd birthday so we're hoping for some fun outings.

Morning all, hope you are all well.

Knickers, big congratulations on your gorgeous bump. I'm a bit sad that I have had my last baby. If I was younger I think I would keep having them! WELL DONE about the smoking. I used to smoke and gave up years ago. I wanted to share the thing that helped me quit. I discovered that you only get physical cravings for the first 5 days. After that its only your brain that wants one, iyswim. So having got to your 5th/6th day your cravings should now go. You'll be thinking about them for a long time, BUT your body won't NEED them. So good luck in keeping this up. I thought James put it nicely about a playmate for dd. Sometimes I wish mine were closer in age for that very reason (8,3,6mths).

James, I was reading about your dad. I hope things are going as best they can in that respect. Did he contact you about the letter? Have faith knowing you are doing best by everyone. You must feel like you're juggling eggs, trying to follow everyone's wishes. Sorry to hear about James' screams. Going through the checklist is about the only thing you can do really. I do that and if I get to the end with no real clue I let him have some teething gel. I've got a feeling liam had a little peg poking through last night. Fortunately he's not been too bothered by them. Ds2 was the easiest. I didn't even know he was teething when at about 3 months I saw he had 3 teeth! They must have been there a few days too before I noticed them. That child has a very high pain threshold (me too) which mostly is a blessing. We also discovered he bounces well (thank god) when he flung himself down the stairs at 18mths.

I've not posted much lately because I've hit this wall of sadness (hate the word depression). No trigger or cause, no reason really. I'm just going through a phase of lots of arguements with dh which undermine my confidence in everything. So consequently I feel like I'm crap at everything. I feel like I'm a very bad mum.

Anyway, take care everyone, and have a great weekend.

Helibee, aaw your dh sounds lovely to say your stretchmarks are "love marks"! My brother is a bit of a hypochondriac, and recently he had a fright as he saw two "red angry raised veins" on his thigh, and assumed they were the symptoms of some horrible condition so called NHSdirect in a panic, only to come away very embarassed and sheepish as she went through at the questions and finally asked him to look carefully and tell her if he thinks they might be stretchmarks... LOL He said he didn't know men could get stretchmarks (whaat?) he's such a pillock!

Didn't know there was such a thing as calpol nighttime, I'll have to get some, he got himself into such a state last night I had to give up on getting him to sleep and work on just calming him down.

Kinki it's always nice to hear from you, sorry you've been feeling down. You're a great mum, just been looking at your profile pics, all three of your boys are just gorgeous and they look like such happy little chaps! Perhaps you and your dh need some time away from the kids for a bit, it's been a stressful time recently with your him going to hospital etc, and I recall you saying he'd stopped his ad's too. Do you think he still needs them? Some people need them pretty much permanently or it just comes back. Hope things are brighter for you soon, don't be afraid to post though, we're all here for you, we've all had a bloody good moan here on occasion!

Dad hasn't been in touch as far as I know, although he's probably plotting his next move, knowing him. I'm just getting on with things and trying not to dwell on it, I know I've done the right thing, although I can't quite believe I did it still!

Off out soon to visit family, and should be going to a farm park thingy tomorrow to see ducks and pigs etc and have a picnic in a field if the weather is up to it. Anyone got any nice plans for the weekend?

Hi everyone.

The party was very stressful. The best behaved child was the 11 month old! Dd was tired and was virtually telling everybody to go home by the end (saved me a job ) but she was tired and they had been there 3 hours.

Ds has slept through 4 nights now. It make such a difference.

Sorry to hear you're feeling down kinki. You are a great mum and your dcs are lucky to have you!

Have to make dd's pre-school Easter mask today ready for the "parade" on Thursday. I've got the day off so I can be there.

James - try Medised. A lot of people swear by it and say it gets their los off to sleep. I accidentally gave dd a double dose once and it knocked her out in seconds

Knickers - good to hear from you again. Hope the ms starts to ease soon. I think I was in maternity clothes by 10 weeks with my 2nd pg.

hi everyone - think i've caught up bu forgotten what everyone has said....will try and remember.

of all these babies that show no tears with teeth. dd2's front 2 teeth finally made an appearance today but she's been suffering with them so fingers crossed we have happy baby back tomorrow. i hope she doesn't continue to get 2 teeth at a time (her bottom 2 came though on same day as well).

i swear by medised or calnight or calcold - when dds have colds etc. it's the antihistamine in them which helps them to breathe a bit easier and if they are suseptable to it, can make them drowsy.

helibee - my dds must love me loads the amount of stretch marks they gave me!

kinki - as others have said you are not a bad mum. hope things settle down soon.

james - hope things are still peaceful

gill - did dd get lots of nice pressies? and you've got her well trained in getting rid of visitors!

knickers - that is an impressive bump , hope you are keeping better

hersetta - that video could be my dd2! she kills herself laughing trying to get the newspaper and loves rinpping bits off.

hope everyone else is well and had a good weekend.

Kinki-you are a great mum-i afree with James, maybe some time on your own just the 2 of you although we all fully understand the reality is not always very easy. Also it could be the ad's. My FIL came off his last year and his personality was unrecognisable as soon as he was put back on them he was a new man again and they realised that he'll prob need them for life, anyway big hugs x x x

my2weegirls and James, big smiles from me about the stretch marks, my SIL is very broody but took one look at my stretchmarks and said, "oh er maybe i ought to think again!!!, i didn't know they could get like that" (her mum also had them badly)-what a boost to my self esteem ! Its my fault cos i got so cocky in pregnancy as i didn't get them till about 34 weeks and then my body obviously decided to make up for the lack of them before

anyway off to bed now, night night

Hi All

Knickers- Wow and LOL at your bump, sorry for laughing but it's so cute and a little crazy. But i was the same with ds2 i looked pg from BFP i also think having pg's so close would mean the muscles still pretty loose, CONGRAT's

Kinki- your not old, most people start at 40 now. Hope you feel better soon, maybe dh needs to be reminded that feelings of women with babies are touchy and vulnerable, we are all still coming out of the stress of pg's on our bodies, lack of sleep and demands of feeding babies. as my mum says if it was up to men to have babies there wouldn't be any

hersetta- thanks for the clip, LL does a bit of that at his big brother, ds just has to look at him and he is in hysterics, very charming indeed.

Re: stretchmarks i now have the 'tankini' style swimmers due to saggy belly and stretchmarks, as long as i don't end up in long johns or something at the beach i guess i'm doing OK

LL doesn't have ANY signs of teeth yet, he is still slide crawling with gusto, and not to keen on the sitting.

My2weegirls - dd got a Night Garden puzzle and a pretty yellow summery top from my sister and her 2 kids. Sil said she didn't have the money yet but she would send the pressies up asap. It's not her birthday til 24th so she'll get the rest at the weekend. She didn't seem to care though. I don't think she was even expecting any presents. She was just happy to be having a party.

Ds has lots of white lumps under his gums but he doesn't seem to be suffering too much. He's had these for months though. I keep saying they'll all come through at the same time.

He seems to be much better at sitting now. He still falls over to the side or launches himself backwards but he can stay sitting up for much longer now. It won't be long til he can escape from the Bumbo either. He twists himself round and one leg comes out. He can't quite twist far enough to get the other one out though. Hopefully he won't work it out until he's able to sit by himself.

hiya everyone.

also trying to catch up.

kinki-echo what everyone else has said and

knickers- at your bump lol. think mine was similar with ds3 actually thought i was having twins lol

oh dont even talk to me about stretchmarks me and my mum were pg at the same time when i was pg with ds1 and i was so that she had a perfect bump with absalutly no stretchmarks. i think she gave them all to me as i have them on my legs, belly, boobs, back, and arms!!

james-LOL at your brother

my2weegirls-yay 4 the teeth. ds1 got his 2 front teeth at the same time. no sign here yet but he is trying hard to get the through hands constantly being chewed lol

gill-lol at your dd at the birthday party

ds2 isnt showing any signs of improvement and his abs are nearly finished so dp is gonna take him back when he finishes work.

forgot what else i was gonna say

hope everyone had a good weekend

gill-my ds2 keeps getting stuck in ds3s bumbo lol

ds2 here also likes to sit in the bumbo. He's 3 and has got a skinny little arse! Ds1 (8) also had a go in it. Getting in was ok, getting out was hilarious, he was running around on all 4s like a tortoise with it stuck to his backside.

Thank you for your words of support. Dh really is a miserable, grumpy, angry sod at the moment. We've had a bad weekend again. He did acknowledge how difficult he is being but says there is nothing he can do about it. Apparently I'm the one to blame for his depression and stress. Guess neither of us are happy with each other at the moment.

Stretchmarks? I AM a stretchmark. Just one big walking talking stretchmark.

I've been productive lately, well tried to be. Ds1 is freddie mercury in a show at school so had to knock up a costume for him. And of course its easter bonnet time for ds2. Why didn't I keep ds1's bonnets from a few years ago?

dd keeps sitting in ds's bumbo. He bum is smaller and her legs thinner so she fits in it better. I made dh laugh on Saturday. We went out to buy dd's Easter mask materials. While we were in the car park dd decided she needed the loo so I got out to get her portable potty. Dh and mum were in the front so while dd was sitting in my set in the middle at the back, the only place for me was her car seat. Apart from being too tall, I actually fit in it - and it's one with sides!

kinki that's awful. I hope things get better soon.

Dd wasn't remotely interested in making her Easter mask yesterday. She kept telling me that I should do it. I told her that if she didn't do it then they won't let me go to see her at the Easter parade. It was a struggle but she did it in the end. Normally she loves sticking and painting. Perhaps she was all 'crafted out' after I got her to make a picture earlier in the day for my uncle who's not been well.

Kinki please don't believe your DH depression is your fault. If he is depressed then tell to go to the doctors and get it sorted. I have depression and the only person who can sort it out is me not DH.

On a lighter note we have got rid of our colds at last.

I think Lexie has decided on BLW as on saturday we were at Nana's round the corner (my mum they have several grandparents. Grandad without a nan(my dad)Nana and grandad (DP parents) and grandad in a wheelchair(my grandad)) when mum was sitting on a beanbag eating a sausage and bacon sandwich when Lexie rushed upto her in her baby walker grab half her sandwich and rushed away .

Just had very excited call from DH to say that Caitlin finally rolled over completely, the surprise was too much for her and she then screamed like a banshee!

Lizzie - Caitlin was the same last week - i picked up a sandwich with one hand (she was in my other arm)in older to feed her bits of cheese from it. I sat down oly to find she had ripped a bit of the sandwich off and was sfuffing it in her mouth as fast as her grubby little hands would allow. Everybody laughed, but I bet secretly they think I'm starving her!

Hi folks, just read through the thread and forgot everything I wanted to say, arsey arsey bums. Lizzie glad you're all feeling better now, tasha sorry ds2's no better, let us know how he gets on at the doctors. How are you feeling these days? Gill, glad your dd enjoyed her little party, she sounds adorable, not even knowing she was getting presents. aww Shame they don't stay like that isn't it? Look at you fitting in her carseat, you skinny sod!

Helibee I was cocky til the end of pg too thinking I wouldn't get any (more) stretchmarks, then I got new buggers on either side of my stomch where it hadn't stretched before. grr. They're mostly gone now and I'm not too bothered about the (masses of) silvery ones, everyone's got 'em., even my slim best friend who has never been pregnant and looks like J'lo (cow, cow, cow)

Kinki, yeah don't let him blame you for his depression, it's not fair. And don't take on that guilt! It's hard enough living with someone who suffers from depression, even worse when you believe you're the cause. Tell him to go back on his ad's, it sounds like he may have a chemical imbalance in his brain which may need permanent ad's in order to redress the balance iyswim.

The caravan we are selling on ebay that we were given by my sister is doing amazingly well so we are over the moon as we can afford the deposit on the house, and we can also afford to go away for the weekend somewhere- we've never been away anywhere together so I'm really chuffed!

In other good news, dad still hasn't tried to contact us so it would seem my letter had its desired effect.

In less good news I've done my back in! Again! Bent over quickly to pick lo up off the changing mat and it just went. Had lots of spasmy nerve pain since so been sat on he sofa all afternoon resting it, luckily J has been dozing. I'm pretty worried about lifting him, but do with be home in 45 min so he can do that.

James has started to reduce his milk, he's now only taking 6 or 7oz of every 8oz bottle I give him. He's having three decent meals a day and a few snacks. It's not like him not to finish his bottle but he's doing it consistantly and he's perfectly well. Those of you with more than one baby, does this sound ok/normal?

Hope everyone's ok and had a nice weekend!!! xxx

James, Caitlin has been doing the same for a couple of weeks. She has gone down from 7-8oz to 5-6oz.She still drains at least one bottle a day though (usually the 2nd or 3rd) so for those two bottles I continue to give 7-8oz.

Thanks hersetta, I don't know whether to reduce his bottles or still give him the option of taking more if he wants more. It's weird because up to now they've just wanted more, then more, then more. Now it's tailing off it's unfamiliar territory.

Well done on her rolling over by the way! one minute they're rolling over, next minute they're shuffling about a bit, then they start trying to get up on hands and knees... then we don't sit down for the next few years!

I know - i kind of like it now - knowing she's going to be exactly where I left her. I have noticed an alarming new trick that she throws her toy off the sofa when sitting up there and then flings herself forward to get it. I found her one day with her head off the end of the sofa with arm outstretched trying to reach her toy. Got a feeling it won't be long before i can't leave her for a second.

If James is consistently eating less then start by reducing every bottle of say 1oz and see how you go. As long as he's getting at least 20oz a day he still having enough milk.