May 2008 - gurgling, laughing and maybe even rolling!

[thefortbuilder]

new thread everyone!

Thanks everyone for the welcomes! Not long after I posted, wee James began kicking off in a loud way, so I didn't get back to the screen last night.

James was 9lbs 3ozs when he arrived. Felt incredibly huge! He's just kept growing like a healthy weed since then. I am getting such toned biceps from picking him up - wow!

Hmmm bithday issues. I always have a 'mare every Feb when DH's b'day comes round. It's soooo hard. There's nothing he wants except books (I'm married to a geek) and after all this time together I am getting close to refusing to buy him another one EVER.

What's the ball-park possible budget YCBS? And are you into practical presents (like organising a pub night for him) or would you rather have something solid to wrap up?

YCBS i started dh off with a collection of first edition books - james bonds in particular but maybe about classic cars? also git him a humidor one year and get him some cigars as a stocking stuffer ech year (he doesn't smoke i nthe house and only has one rarely tbh)
does he like wine? books on wine, some keeping wine / nice corkscrew etc?

can't think of anything else at the moment

Thanks guys!

LM and I met for a sandwich today which was great! Thanks for the adice on sleeping bags, LM! Harry will be in one tonight!! And hope you and the DDs enjoyed their afternoon!!
Actually, while LM and I were at the shops, I got a couple of DVDs, 2 CDs and some Bose headphones, so I'm not completely presentless now!

TIAIC - James sounds like a healthy boy! Harry has a good set of lungs on him too!

Anyway: we all have ipods / phones / laptops already (including Harry! ) and both cars have sat nav.... Days /evenings out are notoriously difficult to organise as DH is here so little and then there are my DSDs to consider (I don't get involved in organising when they are here, and dates often get arranged at the last moment)
Books and magazines are good - but DH has subscriptions for all the stuff he likes and buys books at the airport, tax free. Cigars / cigarettes - huge nono!! DH isn't smoker and I'm a 'nothing-quite-as-relgious-as-a-convert' ex-smoker! ... Wine.... yes, wine might be an idea, in a nice storage rack....

Price range... couple of hundred quid all in...

I'm having great fun with photos of Harryat the moment - I have Adobe photoshop and have created (what I think is..) a really cool 'Venture' type photo - You know, bright white background, vivid blue eyes and red lips... I'm going to get it framed tomorrow. I've also done an Andy Warhol type print, which I'm also going to get framed - I can't believe how easy the photos are to manipulate - Makes you wonder how much money Venture and similar photogaphers must make!!!!!!

YCBS I hope that is going to a present, DH is very lucky as most occasions he gets a lovely framed photo of his kids.

haha! Mitchell! that made me - No, the photos are for me. DH isn't a photo sort of person (as he tells me now and again, he isn't going to forget what I look like! )

I did make him go to Venture a few years ago with the DSDs and it cost a small fortune. We do have one canvas which we still have on the wall, but the others are long gone...

At least this way, if I get bored of the photos / want a different one, it's not going to cost me £100s of pounds!

YCBS I wrote a list of suggestions last night then hit the wrong button and deleted the whole post! Anyway my dp is impossible to buy for too. Some recent successful presents listed below-

• A book about him and dd. On the Kodak website you can upload photos and put captions under them. I made dp a lovely book called "My Dad" with photos of Stella, our house etc and a story about an outing. He cried when he opened it and reads it to her every night!
• Concert gift vouchers. We chose a concert together which was fun and meant we could chose a date that suited him.
• A dvd box set of a tv series to watch together.
• A Porsche key ring from Ebay matching the car

It is my birthday next week. I don't know if dp has anything planned. If he has he's keeping it quiet!

Met some local MNers this morning which was fun. They're from the April post natal group.

Having a pedicure this afternoon and going to get dd's passport tomorrow (not that I need a pedicure to do that!) We're meeting dp's friends and their 5 year old LO from Hong Kong after we've got passport. I haven't met them before and for some reason feel very nervous!

Then on Friday dp's staying away at a sailing thing for the night and am already panicky. I get scared on my own! Saturday is the garden party so a busy few days ahead.

Hope everyone's having a good day.

MM

MM can you find out what school their 5 yo goes to in HK? and the best area to live? we're moving there in april and a bit of inside info would be great!!

Flick, of course I can. Will ask tomorrow and let you know. MM

MM Thanks for the suggestions - I really like the idea of a book... I've seen some websites that do that... Thought it might be a bit 'girlie' but I think I will do one for DH for Christmas (not enough time to do one for birthdy now!)
The DVD box collection is spot on - I've bought him Blckadder and Peep show - both of which I know he loves. (and they were cheap! )
Not sure about the concert vouchers - do you have a website that does those? haven't seen them!
He has a keyring he loves, which clicks keys on and off, so he only has to carry the keys he needs (he's obsessed with carrying as few as possible!) but I have got him a funny sign for our jeep which says 'my other car is a Porsche'. Not sure he'll use it but I think he'll find it funny.
THe DSDs are getting him stuff from Jck Wills (they spend the summer in Salcombe)
And hopefully we are off to The Forte Village at the end of August!!! x 1 million!!!! Really hope we can sort it out!!!

Pina If you are there, would be lovely to hear from you! How did the christening go?

ycbs that break will be great!

we love jack wills too in the flick household

Hi all,

Had a lovely trip out with YCBS today. The babes were good as gold so we ate nice sandwiches .

I know this is old news about my camera, but whoever said it about uploading onto snapfish, that doesn't take too long, it's uploading from my camera to my pc that takes time. I spoke to neighbour today and she is happy to take my memory card to Boots and get them done herself. Let's hope she manages not to lose or damage my one and only memory card .

Blimey, it's so muggy!

LM xx

P.S. Pina pina- where for art thou??? You used to be a regular like me, on MN all the time....are you OK luvvie?

Hi all, i was surprised to see only a few messages after my last post, only to then realise there was a new thread!!

Well my pamper day was lovely, although the hotel was very 70s and felt a bit like fawlty towers! the food was rubbish and the pool was cold, but the massage was nice and it was lovely to spend the day with my girlfreinds and have a break from the house and ds1. Ds2 was good as gold, i couldnt have wished for a better behaved baby, he loved it, being passed around lots of women, but he didnt sleep in a cot or bed all weekend and now wont nap in his cot!!

But now back to reality.. had a crazy week so far, very hectic and shitty weather is not helping. We are off to a festival this weekend, I am part of the local breastfeeding support group and we are doing a stall there with a comfy brestfeeding area, so trying to organise that, entertain ds1 when its raining and sort out our camper van after a winter of not being used! whilst feeding and entertaining ds2 as he wont go to bed!! I am frazzeled and its only wednesday!

Am a bit depressed though had to buy ds1 wellies today, whats that all about??

Hope you are all well, sorry no personal messages xx

Hello, I did pop up once on the old May 08 thread but haven't had time to keep up! Just thinking of moving DD from moses basket to cot and wondered what cots you all have and if you had any recommendations. Have been thinking of getting one that you can have right next to the bed with a side that drops away underneath the cot - has anyone got one of these?

Hi Maybug, I have this crib which DD will be in onyl for another 1-2 months (if her sister is anything to go by) then we have a cotbed like this one which DD1 went in at 4 months old and is now in it as a little bed, and will only be chucked out of it soon as DD2 will need the cot. Both have been great.

Got the HV coming today for my 3 month check. I think it's basically checking me out for PND.

maybug - we have one of those cots which in a way i think is fab, but it is also a bit of a con, as you could just have a normal cheaper cot and take one side off!

Any babies teething, i keep wondering about ds2, one minute he's fine then he's really upset and will knaw on on his hand, my hand, a teddy, or what evers around! I try to fed him and he isnt interested but will still be sucky/knawing?!

Have to go and start packing for the festy tomorrow, yippee the sun has come back!!

Hi Maybug,

We've got one of those drop-side cots and think it's great. I move it away from the bed and pull the side up for daytime sleeps (although tbh he hates sleeping in his cot during the day anyway, so why do I bother??). Ours is a Cossato brand one and was pretty simple to assemble and reasonably cheap as I recall. The matress is able to be moved up quite high to match the height of your bed which suited us as ours is quite high.

Magicfairy... teething!? I have been trying really hard to ignore the fact that ds is dribbling like a loon and chewing everything in sight. I am hoping it is still too soon for such things. He was born 7 May... please tell me it's too soon!
TIAIC

ds2 rolled over today!!!!!
he sleeps on his tummy and when we woke from his nap this morning, by the time i got to him he was on his back! i think we were both shocked. i have put him on his playmat on his tummy but he wont do it for me to see! Im very proud, excited, but also thinking oh no here we go! He is only 12 weeks, its crazy how different children are, ds1 was not interested in lying on his tummy or rolling until at least 4-5 months.

tiaic - i pray to thats its too soon, but a friend of mine got her first tooth at 4 months and had them all by 1 year. i dont know whats worse, intense teething but over and done with quickly or drawn out, ds1 started at 6 months, but still doesnt have them all at 2 years!

well the sun did shine so i put washing on the line and it has just tipped down, whilst i was feeding so couldnt even rescue it all! bloody summer!

sorry when he woke not we, i should be so lucky, a nap, mmmmmmmmmmm!

Hi!! May I join??
I have 12 week old ds. He was born 12/05/08, weighing 6lbs 11 ozs, he's my 3rd dc. (have 2 dd's). He's exbf. I have only weighed him 4 times, but he is currently 10lbs 7 ozs.

He's not rolling over yet, but he did giggle for the first time yesterday, it was so cute!! He also went from 10pm-5.30pm last night!! but typically, I was awake all night with a sore tooth!!

hahahaha! He only slept until 5.30 AM, not 5.30 pm!!!

pmsl!!

teething!!! Hadn't thought of that... but am also finding it hard ti ignore the hand chewing and drooling!!!

Ds also chewing his hand a lot and drooling but absolutely NO sign of teeth and he's only 4 1/2 months, I think it's too early for that.
Now rolling back to front and laughing...very cute!

Maybug - I have just moved Harry from a moses basket to a crib - I have the same one as LM (On her advice!) and I can totally recommend it... Harry is really happy in it... and he has a lovely cot mobile over it now which he loves to look at... but he only likes it in the morning when he's 'awake', he doesn't like it on going to sleep.

I'm going to get this cot

MF - Glad you enjoyed your day, even though the hotel sounds a little unorthodox!!

MM - Hope the meeting with your HK friends went well!!

Hope you are all well...

Welcome stretchmarkqueen - Harry is a week younger than your son!

I've been to Mums of Steel again today. I really enjoy it. I've also been to get my lovely photos framed... I'm so pleased with them!!

I am trying to get out and about and join a few groups as Harry and I are on our own - We've signed up for swimming lessons and Hulabaloo kids, (and of course Mums of steel) but would be interested in other activities you guys have or are planning to sign up for!

I thought DD1 was teething for months before she actually got any teeth, IMO it's normal for them to dribble lots at this age and to knaw on their hands....they are just discovering their hands now and are fascinated by them! DD1 didn't get her first tooth til 9 mths, which I know is late, but honestly, from about 4 mths, I thought she was teething cos of all the signs you guys are seeing. I think a good sign of teething is the red cheeks and also a really sore bum as they tend to get 'toxic' poo that gives them awful nappy rash.

I feel absolutely shattered today. My sis came over last night and we stayed up talking til midnight .
I've had both girls on my own all day, and neither of them have wanted to sleep much today, even DD2 who normally sleeps loads . We all napped for about 30 mins this morning, but that's all, before they both woke up! I have just been at home all day, but DH is on a 12 hr shift, so I like to get dinner ready for when he gets home. I'm probably my own worst enemy as I do expect a lot of myself, but hey-ho!
The HV came to see me today as DD2 now 3 mths old. She was incredibly sweet and said I'm being a fab mummy because I give 150% (her words not mine) and that it shows in how lovely my girls are [proud emotion]. She agreed that you reap what you sow, e.g. the letting DDs cry in the beginning, and now they are good sleepers (sorry to bring that up again!). She was so kind to me, it nearly made me cry! AND, what she said will always stay with me, esp when I am having a hard day......sniff!

Right, I'd better go, it's the witching hour. Time to put DD1 to bed while DD2 screams her head off in another room .

Hope you all had a good day XXX

LM - You are a fab mummy!!!

I find myself thinking: I must ask LM about 'that' - whether it's cots or mobiles or sleeping bags!!