July 2006 - They're not really babies any more. Nearly 2!

[AnnieAreYouOkAreYouOkAnnie]

New thread anyone?

Happy belated Birthday Ceebee! Hope you enjoyed it.

Well thanks for all the input. I still haven't really decided what to call it. My friend used to call hers 'tiddlywinks' when she was little, but I can't remember what I used to use. All very unmentionable!
Think I'll stick with 'bits' for now.

LOL. The dilemmas we face...

Hi All
Hope everyone had a good weekend - it was gorgeous here till yesterday afternoon, positively summery! Spent Saturday afternoon in a friends garden with 3 or 4 other mums and their kids, it was lush just sitting on the grass and chilling (well as much as you can chill whilst trying to stop a wandering toddler from damaging themselves at every turn!).

Hope you're feeling better today HC?

Bloss - poor Toby, hope his patch rash goes soon .

STILL waiting for news on our sale, seems to be taking forever to get to exchanging contracts, and we've already missed one completion deadline grrr. So all a bit stressy really as DH has now resigned so we'll both be unemployed as of the middle of next month, but not much point looking for work till we move as it's a different area and we'll both be looking for freelance work.

Still dithering too about whether to go all out for TTC - of course it might not happen anyway but am so nervous of being pregnant again. But also really really want Emma to have close relatives around her own age as all of the rest of us are so much older .

oh well better get on and do useful things I suppose Have good afternoons all x

HC, me too, hope you are feeling better.

And Bloss, hope Tobes patchy bit has cleared.

Pixel, hope that house sale goes through. Are you moving far, that you have to both get new jobs?
Good luck with the TTC if you go for it soon! I read somewhere once you have one, then your body is ready for another, it's supposed to be much easier to conceive second time round. I'm sure Emma would be a fab Big Sis!!

We sat in our garden too on Saturday. Got sunburnt. Big eejit. The kids were ok, I kept moving their water table into the shade. Though K's arms were a little red.
Stupid Irish attitude to sun...

Thanks for all the birthday messages ladies!

Have had a good few days - went up to the Lake District on Sunday morning and came back this afternoon. Took Josh to an interactive zoo today - got really close to lions, tigers, fed giraffes, wandered round with ostriches and kangaroos and guess what Josh was most scared of???? The ducks!!

Anyway, will catch up with all your news tomorrow when I have more time at work

x

Happy Birthday CB!

We call it a "willy", kind of, or sometimes "little boy bits". Aidan, bless him, calls it a "poo-poo", as he does his nappy and his potty. It seems he doesn't distinguish between front and back as yet. And he stretches his, a lot - it even makes my eyes water.

Well ladies, after all your happy news, we are 90% sure that we will TTC again - shock horror! But first I need to be sure of my situation at work with my contract and maternity leave/pay etc., so it'll probably be a few months. Given that it took 4 years last time I'm sure I've no need to bother, but it'd just be my luck to catch first time and then be up the creek.

I'm writing this down so that if I'm still dithering by the time Aidan's 2, I can come back to this and see my decision in black and white.

Hope everyone's OK.

just a quick hi - and so everyone remembers how tough first few weeks are I'M KNACKERED!!!!!

dh is being his usual "helpful" self - last night he said "once you stop breast feeding i'll do the night feeds on friday and saturday! apart from the fact that sam is refusing to latch so is being pretty much bottle fed and he could do a night feed now! but at least we are not arguing which is something!

our next lot of builders have started so the house is a tip again, but it will start looking fab soon hopefully!

and we have an au pair sorted - she starts hopefully mid july.

Just putting myself back on the threads I'm on list. Have just about lost my voice now with this horrible sore throat chesty cough thing. GGGRRRHHH!!!

DH has booked us a week in the caravan in Norfolk on the 27th May-really need a break.

Hey Twinkle and Pixel-get thee onto this thread

flick-you are doing brilliantly. What does an au pair do? Do they live in? Do they cook and clean? Have only known of celebrities having one.

Hi to Bloss, spin, Annie, ceebee, Impy, Maewest, agalch et all.

Emma has driven me to the depths of despair over the last few days and my mum and dad gave her a good talking to while I was at WW but sadly, the good girl bit only lasted while she was asleep.

Laters

HC
x

HC your illnesses seem to go on forever. Are you taking anything? Hope you feel better soon. Try a spoonful of honey!
Hope Emma will be a good girl for you today.

Flick you sound so cheerful! I remember being miserable those first few months, so knackering. Lucky you getting an au pair!! Vill she be Svedish?

Twinkle, exciting!!! Best of luck!!

Ceebee, Lol at Josh and the ducks!!! Sounds like a lovely birthday! Do some work now...

We've had a few half decent night's sleep, with K waking only twice last night, and going straight back to sleep after 'shoving a bottle in her gob' (Quote DH). Things are most definitely improving (touch wood) and her skin is so much better these days. Thank you Flick and your lactofree milk and your calendula cream!!

Hi everyone

Off sick today - dodgey tummy. Starting to feel better now thankfully... Been a bit of a sicky few days - my big girl's night out on Saturday to celebrate my birthday ended in disaster when I puked in the bar! Mortifying! I'm sure it was sunstroke - we'd been out all day and it was SCOOORCHIO and I only drank a glass of wine and one of cava - surely I'm not that much of a lightweight! Felt so embarrassed but my mates were adorable and sorted me out and got me home. Nice to offload to you ladies - I haven't told anyone else about it!

Gorg pix Bloss - beautiful boys and Tobes looks so Harry Potter-esq in his specs! Hope his patch rash is better, poor love.

Good luck with thinking about TTC Pixel! A work colleague of mine has just got pregnant through IVF (second baby) and she's 45.... Hope the house sale goes through soon - v stressful time for you, poor thing.

Good luck too Twinkle! Blimey - everyone's at it... I know what you mean about it taking a long time first time and sod's law it'd take no time on attempt no. 2! My DP keeps saying "it took us over a year last time why not start trying" but I just know I'd get up the duff straightaway.... but then if I wait it might take years IFYSWIM....

Glad sleeping is going better Annie - long may it last. You've got me on what to call girl's "bits"! Though love Algach's suggestion of 'flower' - fab!

LOL CB at Josh wondering where his winkie's gone!!! Glad you had a fab b/day.

Can't believe you're ill again HC - shouldn't you go for some blood tests or something - seems like you are picking anything up at the mo. Maybe you're anemic or something?

Hope the building work is going well Flick. You must be totally cream crackered. I really feel for you. Sorry Sam isn't latching well - is it worth going to a La Leche League meeting or something?

Well DP got back from India yesterday - hurrah! Brought Ry a little cricket set and me some lovely Indian tops - fab for the hot summers here. His parents are still here and have been a great help. Ryan adores them.

Well, take care all. Hugs, Impy xxx

Oh, Impy-sounds like sunstroke to me. Ugh, have been there and got the t-shirt! Hope you feel much better soon. Think I am a tad run down despite taking 3 lots of vitamins every day. Then Emma went back to school and I think she is a carrier now of all school lurgys which I seem to catch. Took us a year to conceive Emma that is why we started TTC when she was 18 months. Then I had the MC which delayed things but ended up with a perfect 3 year gap. As Sophie is sooooo much easier I don't mind a slightly smaller gap this time but think it may end up with 3 years again if it takes a few months IYSWIM. I will have 3 children with birthdays within weeks of each other.

Have just cut the grass-rain is forecast this afternoon so a good job done methinks. None of that glorious Spanish weather here.

HC
x

Get the washing in HC (if you have it out!) - just speaking to a beauty clinic in Lincoln (bought a gift voucher for my mum's b-day) and she said it had just started raining there... so it'll be heading for you soon!
Just managed to eat something and feel much better thanks - hope you're on the mend soon too... else TTC's going to be even harder

bless you all! i'm actually feeling really crappy at the moment and even the community nurse remarked today when she weighed sam that "you look a bit down dear" - i could have happily burst into tears there and then except i had a friend round.

and i am totally knackered and really not enjoying myself very much this time round. doesn't help that we have the builders here and it's fine during the day but as soon as dh gets home he is just so negative about everything - we have so much to do, i think we've taken on so much, i hate that all our stuff has to be moved blah blah blah - i just want to shake him most of the time.

good news is that sam weighs 3.34kg today - a gain of 740g in 2 weeks! apparently 150-200g a week is good, so he's doing brilliantly. must remember to see what that is in real weight!

anyway, must go jacob's due his supper

xxx

Sorry you're having a hard time flick, I'm not looking forward to those early weeks much. Honestly, newborns - it's just take take take Are you getting any support with bf if you want to keep it going?

Impy - one of my best mates who grew up in S Africa and really should know better ended up with sunstroke at a street festival we were organising. She was out in the sun all day with no hat, drank nothing apart from a pint of lager in the evening. Her DH had to take her to A&E in the night. She was v

Dom has been puking on-and-off all day today, he is currently asleep on the sofa beside me. Don't usually get the chance to watch him sleep, he's such a beauyutiful boy

Really feel for you Flick darling {{{{{{hugs}}}}}} Wish I could pop over and help out.... Remember the old hormones are all over the place for a while after birth - I was quick to cry at anything for the first six months or so. But try and get help it you can.

Thanks for trying to make me feel less of a tool Mae! I appreciate it. Glad I wasn't rushed to A&E! Take a pic of Dom while he's sleeping - they are divine, aren't they?

Hi everyone else

Impy xxx

hi maewest - the community nurse has just said to keep trying him which i am doing, but i am just going to continue expressing at each feed so at least he is getting breast milk even if it's in a bottle - some is better than nothing i guess.

samuel is actually not being too bad a newborn - it's jacob i can't deal with at the moment which is just tearing me up. he is really trying it on with me and pusing every boundary. and he will also just ignore me on occasion (at football today i was trying to get him to kick the ball and he just stood there turned his back on me and looked at the ceiling - the coach came over and he happily kicked the ball for her...)

anyway, enough of my moaning! we are off to my parents for a long weekend starting on thursday so hopefully that will be a good break for us all.

impy i have had sunstroke before and it's v embarassing isn't it!

Aww Flick - sending many hugs your way. Aidan's being a little devil at the moment as well - he will just completely ignore us when he doesn't want to do something. He doesn't even have the courtesy to throw a wobbly, he just carries on regardless. I can't imagine how it would be with a newborn, and with the builders as well - you're a superstar! Like Impy, I wish it was possible to just pop around and help - that's the trouble with a virtual community I guess. It sounds like you're doing a fantastic job.

Hope you feel better soon HC - you do sound very run down. Are you sure you're looking after yourself properly?

thanks twinkle!

we are going away to my parents tomorrow for a few days so that will be something at least. dh seems to be a bit better since i told him what the community nurse said, so he is taking things seriosly - i had pnd late on last time round - after about 9 months so having the nurse say i look down has kind of brought it home to him a bit more.

6 week check tomorrow so will talk to doctor then.

HC in my self indulged state i have forgotten to voice my concerns that you are very run down - how are you feeling?

cb how are you feeling as well? sicky at all?

xxx

Morning girls.

So wet today, my flares are making squelchy flappy noises...

Flick, really hope you enjoy your break. I'm sure things will settle soon, nearly at the six week mark eh? You seem to be coping really well with all you have to contend with. If it's any consolation (and I know it probably isn't) K is being extremely clingy at the moment, alongside tantrum throwing, so it's probably just a phase with Jacob being the age he is.

Impy, hope you're feeling better! A girlie night isn't a girlie night without someone puking up somewhere though! (Also got sunburnt me, in my own garden. You'd think I'd cop on after over 30 years of having fair skin...)

HC How're you feeling? Better I hope.

Mae, CB, any symptoms???

Kayley's latest trick is to jump. She stands there, I say 'Jump!' and she'll bend her knees and do her best to take off! I think she does almost come off the floor! The other thing she has started doing is putting on her shoes (or, more often, Joey's shoes). But they have to be on the wrong feet! And even when she's noodies she wants to put them on.

She didn't get to sleep til 9.50 last night. Came in our bed soon after. Rubbish.

Flick - hope you have a great break with your parents. You really are doing a fantastic job so you should feel proud of yourself. And remember, Jacob is going through a phase and it will pass I seem to be telling myself that a lot at the moment as Josh is being ultra-clingy to either me or DH (whichever of us is the 'chosen' one on any particular day!)

Pixel/Twinkle - woohoo on the TTC front but I know it is such a big decision to make.

Impy - my DH would be very of Ry and his cricket set - he is such an avid cricketer that I fear for Josh - the poor lad will be forced to play cricket even if he hates it

HC - how are you feeling today? You need to get yourself better for all your 'activities'

Annie - love the image of Kayley and her jumping

Am now 10 weeks (yeah!) have been feeling constantly sick since about 6.5 weeks and it is really getting me down now. To be thankful for small mercies, it is nowhere near as bad as it was with Josh, but it is still just so relentless! I have completely gone off chocolate and tea - and just want stodge and cheese! Have been having a jacket pot and cheese for my lunch every day! It is SO hard pretending at work that everything is ok when I really just want to crawl in a corner and sleep.

Anyway, enough about my moaning (I might put Pixel and Twinkle off ) - I just keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end! Got my scan 2 weeks tomorrow and I can't wait

In fact, Josh has been pukey these last few days and seems generally ill (not himself, quite tired etc) but I have no idea what it is. Have still packed him off to nursery though (mean mummy emoticon). I reckon he is having sympathy morning sickness

x

Hi all

Love the Kayley jumping story Annie - Dom demands to be put in his cot and then hangs onto the side and bounces for dear life (not doing the mattress much good ). He says 'bouncin' too

Not that he's doing anything much at the mo as vomiting continued throughout the night This morning I was quite worried about him and phoned NHS Direct, some of the sick was green (sorry if anyone is eating) and so had a trip to A&E. Of course they said he is poorly but fine, not dehydrated and just keep up the fluids.

He's been asleep on and off since we got back at 11am-ish even perked up a bit when I bf him at lunchtime, little bit of chatting before he dozed off again. Fingers crossed he hasn't puked since 8 this morning...

Mae, poor Dom, sounds like just one of those bugs. Hope he's better soon.

Don't talk to me about bouncing! The both of em jump on our bed, but now that's not good enough, they have to jump on my pilates ball (which has never been used for pilates), which means holding them by the hands, taking turns to jump up to the ceiling, then either land on the beach (back on the bed) or in the water (the floor). Kayley frequently does the splits when she lands. Ouch. She does not get that from me!

Ceebee, 10 weeks already! Quarter the way there!! Hope the nausea passes soon. Can't believe you've gone off chocolate though. How inconsiderate of your hormones, when this is the perfect excuse to eat excess.
Hope Josh is better soon too.

x

forgot to say jacob can jump too! he is so proud of himself when he does it as well

and today (as i do every day when i can smell he has poo'd) when i asked him if he ha ddone a poo he looked at me and said yesssss for the first time (not first time he has said yes but first tim he has actually answered me properly like that!).

saying that our childminder is here and he is being a real winger - everything and i mean everything is just the end of the world!!!

feeling a bit better have just stocked up on wine and chocolate to take to my parents place, and ordered all the food for our "meet the baby" tea party we are having in a couple of weeks time for samuel - waitrose entertaining is a godsend - finger sandwiches and mini victoria cakes all round! and they deliver now (used to have to go and collect it which was a real pita)

xxx

evening all.

Love reading all your posts. 10 weeks CB, wowzers, so exciting. I can't beleive Flick has had Sam, seems like only 2 days ago she was telling us she was preggers!

Flick, I wish Spin would come on and tell you how she doggedly pumped day and night to ensure Roshi got her booby juice, HC do you remember, I was so impressed, she would literally set her alarm clock for like 3 am to express as Roshi could never latch on. God knows how many months she did that for. WHERE ARE YOU SPIN I MISS YOU. xx

Flick you are doing so well, keep your chin up, these early weeks are so hard. It dawned on me in my self obssessed little world that I hadn't spoken to my sister that had her second 3 weeks ago, for 5 days or so, so we spoke tonight, Willow seems to be being a very good girl, but my sister is in a feeding/winding existence at the moment. She hates breastfeeding, but is determined to do it for a bit longer.

Have had a thread going in Relationships (as Algach knows ) as Dh has been feeling a bit neglected recently as I have been spreading myself a bit thin - I do actually think I have a problem with control - my house has to be immaculate, my boys have to be well dressed and clean, I want to do my job very well, and I not only do I want to go out with my friends I want to organise it all. Dh kind of gets shuffled to the end of the pile and vociferously voiced displeasure this week. I think he is ok now. But I was out last Sat, out tomorrow night (yay!) out this Sat (babysitting but out all the same) and in Lisbon next week for two days for work.....

Impy, LOL when you called yourself a tool. I love that word.

Toby is edible at the mo. The nursery think he is edible too. His speech is un real, you can literally hold a full conversation with him. Are there birdies? Yeah, there. Where? There. There? Yeah! Toby loves MUMMY and HARRY and DADDY! So adorable, wants cuddles all the time. On the way to nursery, I put the radio on and they both start grooving away, it's hysterical.

DH is sitting on the sofa watching Liverpool lose, wearing his Liverpool shirt. I wonder if the word c**t has been said more often in the space of an hour.... Delightful.

Night night all.

Bloss

xxx

bloss we are a chelse house tonight!

i had to express a huge amount with jacob as well as he had to have fortifying powder with 4 feeds but it is tough getting it out this time

jacob can now say yes please and go away! he is being very cute as well and such a big boy today. he is now out of his grobag and sleeping with his duvet - he's so grown up now!

anyway must away indian take out arrived - yum!

xxx

apparently....and this is a direct quote....if you have Torres in your team you can score anywhere.....have that you Chelsea C**ts.... He has such a way with words my beloved....