April 2004 Babies - eight is great!!!

[Yorkiegirl]

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We're thinking about Centreparcs too so would be interested in others opinions. Planning on going to the one at Longleat so we can take in the safari park too. What is others experience of this and as dolbear said, which accom?? 2 adults 2 tiddlers

ds has had all jabs - so prob not whooping cough - just sounded worse than his normal little pathetic cough. What's croup and how do you get rid of it??

My Ds had croup just before Christmas at the same time as he had a chest infection. It's linked to their cough and is generally worse in the night. We had a real panic with him, he was very wheezy and short of breath, and we had a mad dash to A&E but the on-call GP thought it was just croup. I think steam is supposed to really help to clear their chests.

I have only been to the bigger chalets in centerparcs with a group of friends (and a baby). I would go for the cheapest 1 bed + cot/s option - not that I'm cheapskate or anything (apart from a liking for £6 flights), but after being used to camping anything else seems spacious.

not sure what croup is , but my dm used steam to get rid of my sis

Happy 10 months old to my ds!!! Hi to the new ladees, hope to chat soon. Fingers crossed looks like I migth be giving up my part time job at the end of March. Feels really wierd jacking it all in as it is a professional job and i'm a bit worried my dad will wonder why he sent me to uni iyswim. But I've started to hate it, and get really stressed about it. Feel mean taking ds out of nursery as he loves it so we're hoping to keep him in one day a week. Does that sound really selfish?

Not at all LJ - ds may love nursery but I'm sure he loves being with you just as much if not more
Re Centerparcs - we're going to Longleat in April (I've been there once before and have also been to Sherwood Forest). We've booked "Comfort" (ie standard) accommodation - but 3 bed as there will be my mum and my ds as well as dh, dd and me (JPM, you should be fine in 2 bed accom; dolbear, as it's just the three of you why not go for a 1 bed "Executive" villa?).

lucyjones, it doesn't sound selfish at all. if you hate it it's not worth it. and you can always go back when ds is a bit bigger.

people going to centerparcs - do you/have you used the creche or babysitting facilities? are they any good?
we are thinking of going sometime this year, if we get round to booking it. probably the Oasis one at Penrith as that's closest to us.

Longleat Centreparks is just lovely - really fab. Beautiful forestry (red wood trees). Gorgeous.

We booked a 2 bed executive villa...(we got a 2 bed one because my divorced SIL was accompanying us) The standard of accommodation was quite high with this, and you get daily maid service. Plus you tend to be optimally located.

Re using the on site creche facility - if you do this you must pre-book creche sessions 2 weeks before you go. If you leave it until you arrive you've got no chance. We found the creche okay - they issue you with a pager so they can contact you. However, dd was 9 months old at the time and got very upset because she didn't know any of the staff - so we were summoned to collect her.

TraceyK,

Like kikidee says, croup is an upper respiratory tract infection which is worse at night and gives the child a barking cough. My dd has had it (there's a surprise - my kids ill? never!!!) twice, once as a baby and recently as a 2 year old just before Christmas. It can cause some difficulty in breatheing but don't panic if this happens. If you are in any doubt re the breatheing obviously take them to A&E.

It does help with croup to use steam. Most effective way is to boil a kettle in their room with the lid of - you'll get a sauna effect in no time.

Fennel,

We also used the baby sitting service one evening. A lovely lady was sent to us, and I was immediately confident about her...

Fennel - we went to the Oasis Centerparcs in Dec and it was fantastic. We didn't use the babysitting service there but have done at the Sherwood one 2 years ago. The lady was lovely but tbh didn't do much as dd was asleep for the night when she arrived.

At Oasis we did however use the creche there for both dd and ds. They both loved it and the staff seemed to be very good.

I'm back at work now and I have to say I love my new part time hours. ds has settled well into nursery apart from his daytime naps aren't as good as what they were at home. To be expected I think.

HMC - hope you're on the road to recovery. The MB household seem to have permanant colds too - must be the time of year

I've been to sherwood forest (on a hen night) and oasis (with friends + dd1 age 8 months). can't go to Longleat as it's near my parents' house and they'd want to come too - best avoided.

we try and always take friends on holiday for babysitting purposes, but with 3 even the stoutest-heartede friends go pale at the thought.

No coughing during the night last night - just when he woke up at 5.15am. tho he had a drink of milk and went back to sleep till 7.45. Nose pouring with green snot tho - lucky nursery!

Thanks for the reassurance guys. We will be really skint but I'm hoping to get a non-professional post where I work just on Sundays which will help a bit. I just haven't been able to get back into the swing of things and feel panicky when i have a big meeting coming up. I can't wait to hand in my notice but am a bit worried about work's reaction - feel guilty because they have been good about my hours etc (when does the guilt stop?!!)

LJ turn it around and say that you aren't coping very well with balancing both work and home and feel you aren't giving 100% and they have been so good to you that they deserve someone who can give 100%.

All good in the chuffed house - turkey is booked but everybody keeps saying how brave we are? Can't understand it really.

Thanks Chuffed! There's a bit of a staffing crisis at work so I guess I just feel bad to be contributing to it! I think Turkey sounds really nice

Hello kikdee!

HMC - Sorry to hear about your illnesses. I think in your position we would have completely gone to pieces. I really hope things are getting better for you.

LucyJones - you job situation really strikes a cord. Only thing is, I love my job. My managers have been really good to me and I too would feel guilty reducing my hours. However, my lovely colleagues reassure me that my family must come first (I was a sobbing mess one day). After all it is work! You can't reclaim this precious time with your babies. Hopefully with number 2, I would definately reduce my hours. I just have to work my arse of this year to make that possible.
I was trying to explain to dh the other day, he kept saying that I should know that dd is being looked after by the nursery, that it's because I want to be with her that is tearing me apart. Not because I don't think anyone else can look after her. He tried to understand but I know he can't

Another question worrying me slightly. Is it possible to love another baby in the same all-encompassing way I do dd? Every day she just seems to get cuter and cuter.

MrsD I have thought the same thing and have been assured by others who thought the same thing that it is entirely possible.
Oooh there is talk of number 2 then?

mrs D - there are lots of past threads on this. most people say yes you love the second just as much. actually I think it's a bit more complex - some people find it takes longer to really bond with the second. some find they only care about the new baby and are no longer as obsessed with no 1. and some people really do prefer one child to another.
I think it's taken me almost til now to care about my older 2 as much as I did before my super charming perfect dd3 appeared. only now would I say I am equally interested in all 3 again.

On the work-life choices issue, I have been stressing about this lately too (too much work, can't see a way of reducing it really) and yesterday happened to run into an old colleague who does "work-life coaching". So I got a bit of free coaching. She was really stressing NOT feeling you are letting down work etc by your choices but deciding for yourself exactly what you want and need to be happy, and then making sure it happens. So prioritising not letting yourself down, or your children, is more important than not letting employers or colleagues down. it sounds obvious put like that doesn't it?

she is sending me a list of "10 ways to say no at work"!

Please forward it on to us all Fennel!
We used the kids' club at Centerparcs once - ds was 3 or 4. He was very excited about going beforehand but in the end we, too, were summoned back because he got upset not knowing anyone. I guess it depends on the temperament of your child.

MrsD - meant to say - yes, it is possible
Took me a little while to bond with dd (mostly because of breastfeeding problems), but she is lovely, really smiley - and seeing her and ds interact is great.

"That's an interesting suggestion, HD, and I'd like to go away and think about it...."

"I feel the issue is very important and deserves more time than I can currently devote to it..."

what I couldn't ask, as my crazy workaholic boss was earwigging nearby, was what you do when people refuse to hear you saying "no I'm too busy" quite clearly.

I've always kept my standard of living well within my earnings - just so that i'm never dependant on HAVING to work. While I am working I get to have more treats - but never take on a huge mortgage, say, that would mean I couldn't afford not to work.
That way if I got really pissed off at work I could tell them to stick it and go and get a job in Tescos.
Someone once asked me what I would do if I won the lottery - and when I answered - they said - why wait till you've won the lottery - if it's your dream - then JUST DO IT.
I know in practice it's not always possible - but if you live as close to that principle then our lives would be much better.

I see what your saying Tracyk but I really think it is more complicated than that. And NO we don't have a mortgage!
I do enjoy my job, problem is balancing both work and time with dd.