July 07..Happy Birthday, ..little monkeys..

[twoplusone]

I ladies thought I would start this..

I cant believe they are starting to and are going to be turning one.. This year has flown over.. I miss being pregnant. But i love watching lee playng with his older brother and sister, it always makes me smile.
I love the fact that he is now playing properly , will go to his toy box pull himself up and see what he wants to play with.. normally after throwing everything round the front room first..No such thing as a tidy room in this house.. How do people do it.

Hope everyone is ok.. speak soon

Myfairone - you are not alone! I spent most of O's birthday trying not to cry but I thought it was just my pg hormones!! Turns out it seems to be quite normal . Like you, I couldn't believe that we have actually reached a year - so many milestones and so so much happiness. Of course there were long nights and feelings of helplessness but I just felt so proud to get there!! I'm sure I bored everyone silly by reliving the labour and birth by saying this time last year.....

We all deserve a big pat on the back, some cake and a big glass of wine (whoops, Meep and myself will have to skip that one!!).

Happy Birthday to your little man!!!

oh I would so love a big glass of wine.................

oh I would so love a big glass of wine.................

so much so apparently that I posted it twice!

Happy belated bday.. to those I have missed..

Well I havedecided to go home. I really need to get away.. so I will have to sort out my logistical nightmare somehow.. just switch myself to logigal mode and I will come up with something.. surely it cant be that hard.. or do they do supersize trolleys...lol I fly in next sun the 3rd Aug, then come home 7th AUg in the evening.

Hvaent heard from DH in nearly a week.. I get annoyed as I knw minimise hasnt been on..as my friends have been speaking to there hubbies.(minimise, is where all communication to teh outside world gets stoped for various reasons..) Hoping he will phone today.. as I need to tell him he has no money in his UK bank as I have cleared it for the flight!!!!!! Which he also doesnt know that I am going home...

Leehas become such a climber, I found him on the windowsill the other day!! he climbed up on the childs chair, on to the backof it onto the windowsill.., he is climbing up the big sofa too.. me thinks he has been watching his big brother too much.. I think my fun is just about to start...lol

Take care all
xxxx

MFO- re the this time last yearb business.. I still do that in DD birthday.. and in Oct I will be this time 12years ago... In fact i am like it on the 8th Aug aswell as that is the date i was admited into hospital with her, and not given much hope fo leaving with a baby.. and 12 yeaRS ON.. I think it is good to relive the memories.. I ask my mum about when i was born and she cant tell me anythig.. either she has forgotton or it was an awful experience.. and she doesnt want to relive it..Never thought of that before..... sorry there i go again..of on a tanjent.....

Take care allxxx

2+1, hats off to you deciding to travel anyway- I am sure some kind soul will see you and offer some help- I know I would if I saw a mum struggling with 2 kids, car seats, pushchairs etc.

Meep- fingers crossed x x x

I have posted some new photos of the DCs taken on Ben's birthday. Really hard to get one of Ben a) smiling and b) still.

Hope everyone is well and that your LOs are feeling better for all those with bumps, sickness and other health problems.

AAAAAAHHHHH I am enjoying a big glass of wine.

I am having my first period in 3 1/4 years, so I now know I'm not pregnant, but I have a milestone to go from.

I had a meet up with my antenatal group from dd 2 1/2 years ago and we had a fab time at Pizza Express.

OMG I am broody though....

pulapula-lets hope so...

I know what you mean about being broody jennster.. think I am talking myself out of it slowly, but then when i see a pg woman or a newborn I thinl awwwww i want another one..

pulapula- how cuteis ben.. he looks really bg for his age.. he looks bigger than Lee. or do you think that is just the camera.. Your DD is pretty to. I also love the little t-shirt.

I took the boys to a party at the club on the patch lastnight, it was an end fo school disco for all the community. They had great fun, even lee kept crawling on the dance floor, standing up andboucing to the music clapping his hands, it was sooooo cute. My friend has a baby boy who will be one on FRiday, and they were they too, it was cute looking at them and they were both fasinated by the speakers and kept going to touch them and feel the vibrations.. ohh and the disco ball was a big hit with them both too..

Just wish Lee had slept in after his late night, he didnt go to sleep untill 9.30still up at 7.I am hoping he will go for a nap before his big bro decides to wake up then I may be able to grab another hour..

2+1 - hope you've heard from your dh?

Pula - love the pics of Ben and your dd - so cute togther! That's what I'm hoping for - minimeep as big sister to a wee brother! Awwww!

How is Lydie Doris?

3rd blood test came back good - so it looks like the bean is on its way. Am so delighted but still a bit shellshocked. I didn't do well at the baby stage last time - in fact I think I cried for the first 6 months of dd's life and felt incredibly out of control and not myself. I look back and feel so sad that I didn't enjoy it more.

I was watching a video my dh took of dd's first bf after she was born. I look completely dazed and confused and all over the place - I can't even remember it. It really made me cry.

So - all you ladies who managed to bf I will be asking for lots of advice before the bean arrives. I already feel like I know more than I did last time but I am so scared that it won't work again and I'll end up in that horrible teary dark place again.

Sorry - think the reality of being pregnant is now sinking in. It is such great news (though I still have a scan in 1.5 weeks just to check it's okay) but I am so anxious about how I will be.

Kepping my fingers crossed for all you broody ladies!

Meep- so glad to hear that the pregnancy is progressing- don't worry about the baby stage this time round- you will be amazed how much easier it is- the hardest bit is dealing with the older sibling! I found it really hard with DD too - I was so anxious and couldn't relax and was heading for PND I think but then things improved at around 5 months. I think it was easier with DS because I was aware how bad things could get, and made sure I got help and support to get me through it. I also got DS into a routine from week 1 which also really helped- I think DD just used to get over-tired and then we'd really struggle in the evenings.

As for breastfeeding, make sure you have some lanisoh cream- it works miracles on sore/cracked nipples. I also figure that some babies are just better at latching on- DS was great from the off, but with DD I had to have midwifes helping me for the first 5 days in hospital and then struggled at home too, but used a bottle whenever I needed to. My neice just couldn't latch on, so my sister-in-law just expressed and bottle-fed her for the first few months. As you say, at least you are prepared and better informed this time round.

I am broody when I see heavily pregnant ladies - I love the excitement and anticipation of it all before the reality hits home! I am still not a big fan of the newborn baby stage and see the first 6 weeks as something you just have to get through. Not very maternal or nurturing I know, but hey ho. That's just me.

meep- really pleased for you..xx

No still notheard from DH.. I keep looking onto facebook, and seeing if i can catch him online there as it is easier for him to get into that than MSN.. and keep taking the phone around the house with me.

I am off back to the pub this afternoon with the boys.. I sound like an alcholic, always in the opub..lol.. honsestly all I drink is diet coke..(well when I have the children anyway..lol) There is a fantastic beer garden lots of swings and slides, climbing frames for the boys to tire themselves out.. whilst I can sit and chat..

I am lloking forward to going home now, will worry about the airport when i get there.. when I book the duty driver tommorrow I am going to ask if they can help in the airport until I have booked everything in then I will only have the boys.... and we can sit and chill!!! Or I will be running round after Scott...lol

Have a good day all
xxx

Hi just a quickie ,

good luck 2+1 it's usally worse worrying about traveling with chilren than actually doing it ( well I I hope it will be..)

Lydie is doing ok we've applied for home IV's (intravenous antibiotcs) and they should be arriving tomorrow, so hopefully from tomorrow night I should be doing them (my nurse training not completed wasted now!). Then if all goes to plan we'll be heading up to Scotland on our pre planned (camping) holiday later this week ( with said IV's), wish me luck, on one hand I'm planning and preparing like mad and the other thinking it may never happen as we have to be given the ok by the consultant. But hey ho if i don't try at all we will miss out on a big family hol ( my parents,my sisters and all 7 under fives grandchildren!) It'll be chaos if we do make it ......we'll have to do the journey in stages deepest devon to scotland is a long long way!

Anyway off to crawl about in the loft to gather and plan

Thanks for all the kind wishes
Doris

PS MMN hope Mairi is much improved and you avoid the trip for review!

2+1, Hope you had a nice afternoon in the pub. Sounds like a nice place to go with the kids.

People say to me that Ben is big (he seems quite tall) but he has slimmed down a lot since he started crawling and we have to turn up his 12-18m jeans. Haven't had him weighed for ages, but he did use to be above average (around the 75th percentile).

Thanks for the compliments about the kiddies. They are cute together, when they want to be, but DD is being quite vicious again with Ben - soon he will be big enough to fight back. I have to have eyes in the back of my head!

Oh Pula I am so glad you mentioned your dd with your ds. Mine are the same, although ds is altready starting to fight back and miraculously dd is getting much better just recently. It was pretty bad for a while.

JAM- yes we should be around on Thurs. It would be nice to meet up. I will drop you an email.

HI all..
I have just trf scotts flight, he is goping to stay with PIL for 11days by himself whilst I do the house.. it will be so much easier with just Lee to worry about as he will come from room to room with me and play then on a night ui can start to clean the walls, and not worry about Scott writting ion them, as he has just this week learnt how to write his name with a pen.. all over my walls!! he has been wrtitting it on the PC for a few months.. just need to get him to do it on paper..

I am going to miss him but he will have a fab time and his pops will be able to take him out for days and do loads with him.. so I wont have to feel guilty about not doing anything with him.. just guilty now at not seeing him everyday.. As a mother we really cant win can we....

Oh and I have just spoken to DH for the first time in 10days and that has lifted my spirits no end.. 2weeks and 6 days till he is home..yeah yeah yeah woo hoo

Hi justabout, it was nice to see you and yours. Yes, my DS is shall we say getting a lot more assertive lately. It's nice that he is expressing his likes and dislikes but it just reminds me that the terrible twos are not that far away.

Hi all, Have been so busy I haven't had time to log on.
I hope that all the LO's enjoyed their birthdays (I finally accepted the fact that he is 1).

Meep, Im so glad to hear that all is well with you. Fingers crossed for your upcoming scan.

Catstar, sorry to hear that you felt tearful on Lo's birthday...nice to hear Im not alone though.

2+1, how exciting to be going home! I hope you have a wonderful trip and I hope that there is a kind soul that will help you out.

Doris, hooray for going camping! I hope that all goes well with the IV's...what a stroke of luck you had nurses training!

Pula, the children are adorable! Wow, they look so cute together. THanks for sharing.

He does look a lot bigger than my DS but then I had him weighed on Thursday and he has put on 3lb bringing him to the grand total of 18lb...bless him, he has always been small and is still wearing his 6-9 month clothes

Not much to report really. Work has been hectic but they have agreed to me working from home as well as in the office so thats a huge relief!

DH is annoyed because I can't decide what I want to eat! I wish all I had to do all day was think about what I was going to put in my stomach!

Big hugs to all.
xxxxxx

Just a quick one- lovely to hear nice birthday stories
2+1- so glad it's not long now til your DH is home, and hope your trip to 'Blightly goes well. I'm travelling with my two in a couple of weeks on my own too, so any tips welcome esp. on navigating airports with child seats etc. I'm just hoping I can take a trolley everywhere and others will help if it's all going wrong!

Having big probs with Mairi's sleep...or lack of...both day & night...so wondering if I'm doing it all wrong...Anyway would be very interested to hear what routine your LOs are in with regard to when your mealtimes are and nap/bedtimes?

Doris- really hope you made your camping hols, & the IVs are working ok. Hope the journey was bearable (when we drive home we usually drive overnight so DCs sleep- DH & I take turns at the wheel- exhausting but quicker than daytime travel!!)

MFO- glad your work are being accommodating, though hope it's not too stressful. If your DS is anything like mine was he'll start piling on the weight between now & 3 and catch the others up!
xx

hi everyone!

madmum - here is our "routine":

7am: 240ml of milk
8am: breakfast - shreddies and fruit
9am: nap - usually for 2 hours!!
12/12.30: lunch
1.30/2: nap- about 1.5hours
3.30: snack
5.30/6: dinner
6.45: milk then bed at 7pm

Some meals she eats - some meals she doesn't - dinner tonight was dropped off the edge of the high chair and generally flung about

She can get by on one nap in the day - but her morning nap is the one that she seems pleased to be put in her cot for! She will only sleep in her cot or sometimes in the car - but most definitely not ever in the buggy!

When she started doing night waking we woudl go into her when she cried but keep the lights off and not really speak except lots of shushing. I would sit with my hand on her then gradually move away until I could finally leave. each time we left it a bit longer before we went through and eventually she stopped waking up. It took us about a week to get her back to sleeping all night - then another 2 weeks for her to finally stop wakening.

I actually think she might have been hungry - whenever I gave her calpol (we thought it might be teeth and there was lots of hand chewing) she almost bit my hand off to drink it. So I started giving her more carbs at night - and that seemed to coincide with a better nights sleep for us all!

I know that you will be doing absolutely nothing wrong - if you scroll back you will see all my posts about lack of sleep - you have my full sympathy.

I'm feeling really excited but also terrified about the scan on Thursday - everyone keep your fingers crossed - I have started feel a bit sick on and off throughout the day and I am so so tired - but I worry that I am just thinking that I am feeling like this and it isn't real. Mind you I have started crying at any babies on tv - so maybe my hormones are doing the whole pregnancy thing. No point dwelling on it though - I will find out soon enough!

Hope everyone and their babies are well!