May 2008 - gurgling, laughing and maybe even rolling!

[thefortbuilder]

new thread everyone!

Pina - dd started classes there when she was 9 months and carried on doing classes at the deaf school for a year. She's now moved onto the more advanced lessons which is in the pool they use in Timperley. The first term is really building up confidence, I can't really remember but you may do submersions, I think you'd probably need to do at least 3 terms to make it worthwhile in that they have really learnt how to go underwater etc by then. Then they will be doing what NSSA says her ds did and things like that.

Having said that I think this will be dd's last term as we can't afford it anymore but she is happy to jump off the side and go underwater, do underwater swims etc.

nssa - blw is basically no spoon feeding. you give your baby sticks of food, like a roasted or steamed carrot stick and let them explore it. the concept is basically that food is an adventure for the first year and breastmilk is still the main source of calories (not sure if it makes a difference if ff). Its fun and very messy, but gives them great independence when it comes to food. check out this website for all the info on blw. some great recipesheretoo.

Anyway i am absolutley knackered so off for a hot choc and bed, night night

Evening all,

mumofkandj yep, feeding has sorted itself out I hope. I think it is a growth spurt. I haven't expressed for a few days but have to tomorrow as my sister is having DS for a few hours while I take DP out to lunch for his birthday. That's the plan anyway...

I'm also cooking a meal for 16 people tomorrow night in my shoebox of a kitchen, my house is a mess and I had an essay due today that I haven't even started. Aaah! I do bring it all on myself though.

Ooh but our McLaren buggy arrived today and I love it! I can lift it, I can fold it, amazing! (until now i've just been breaking my back with my sling and occasionally trying to maneuver what feels like a dodgy old landrover of a buggy around city streets, it just doesn't work! I just always use the sling and DS is HEAVY.) Hooray!

Thankyou MF - I am really interested in the whole idea that food is fun, not to be endured!!

Indigo - DS is only 4 months and in his first term and has done submersions from week 1. Swimming is massively important to me ( I grew up on an oil tanker with a mother who is scared of water!!! Go figure!! )

Baiyu - Good luck with DP's birthday and with the dinner party!! I am so pleased you are happy in your new place!!

DH is not the happiest tonight. THe house is PERFECT, DS was bathed, clean and happy, the dog was walked, fed and clean... so not sure what the problem is tonight, but he has gone to bed in something of a strop... I should go up, but am tooling around on t'internet instead!!

nssa the mantra is "food is fun until they're one" - you need to make sure that you don't cut down on milk too much once you start on solids which is a common problem...

not much else to report here - sam still teething but doing well, and enjoying his food and his milk even more than usual!

My sister got engaged yesterday....whooopeeee!

I finally get to be a bridesmaid at the grand old age of 35!!!

Other than that, we are working our arses off painting both the girls room and the bathroom, which is proving very difficult with a baby and a 2 year old in the house

What were we thinking??

LM - hope you survived the painting (and well done on being a bridesmaid!!!)

FLick - thanks for the advice - I will bear it in mind!! Your booties are so fab!! Am going to order in a few differet colours!!

Akk, must go, DS crying and DH in bed!!!

NSS xx

Evening ladies

Having had it relatively easy with dd for the first few months I have had two of the toughest weeks of my life! In addition to the sleep/teeth issue I got sick on Wednesday and only had my first proper meal today (while bfing). Rolling around being sick with dd screaming at 4am was a low point (though I must say dp has been great). Anyway, I am knackered but have had enough and am going to go back to being happy no matter what. If I am awake every hour all night hey ho - we'll just sleep all day!

Thanks for all your teething/sleep suggestions. Any teething advice/things that've worked still much appreciated.

We went to London Zoo yesterday. I am not a major fan of zoos but dp really wanted to go. It wasn't cheap & may not have been my first choice of activity still being sick but we had fun. Dd was more interested in everything but the animals until we got to the penguins when her whole body started shaking with excitement. We bought her the cutest penguin hat (I don't mind it despite my bird phobia)

Am going to read back through all the posts now. Hope everyone's well & happy.

MM

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL time!!!

DS was just bug eyed in the DLP store - and I am sure DLF is 10 times bigger!!!!!!

hello - sorry i haven't has a chance to get on for some time (and to be honest I dont know when I will get a chance again)
Just wanted to thank you for your kind thoughts and wishes (although it probably seems oh so long ago now for you all!)

well hazel is home, we got there when she was about 8 weeks old. shes totally beautiful (i will post a pic on my profile for you all). everything is still a bit hectic as we are at various hospitals at least once a week and im desperately trying to give her a normal baby-hood inbetween. we still have open heart surgery to come at some point between 9 and 18 months but we're trying to stay cheery. other than that I love this mummy lark. shes a bit small for her age but considering everything thats to be expected. I hope everything is ok with you all and your precious little ones. sorry again for the lack of contact - i hope you understand xx

Otter - thanks for the update... So pleased that Hazel is doing well and you are staying positive. Being a mummy is wonderful, isn't it??? DS is just the best thing ever!!!

Something quite bizarre here: the umbrella from my patio set has disappeared. It was there yesterday and now it's gone... everything else is still there. I can only assume that it has blown away, but the patio set is in a real sun trap and it's hard to see how it could have blown very far (plus it's actually come out of it's base) and I can't see it in our garden... I don't think that someone could have walked around the side of our house and taken it - it's not the easiest thing to do, but I can't fathom where it has gone to!!!

I am waiting in for a delivery this morning (this is the third attempt!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so not up to much today... Ooh they are here!! Yeah!!

Must dash!

Otter, so pleased that Hazel is home. I know there are lots of appointments now, but as she gets older they become less and less. I haven't experienced heart surgery with a child, but my daughter had her first surgery at 4 months and then 5 more until she reached 4. It is the scariest thing to think your child will need surgery, but they recover so quickly you will be amazed. I wish you all the strength in the world and hope your DD continues to thrive.

NSSA I hope you find your umbrella and thats good that your delivery arrived so early.

otter so pleased that hazel is doing so well and home with you. we only had very minor surgery with ds1 but i know how that can feel so will be thinking of you for your surgery.

not much else to report here - i have a mountain to do and no time and still have to pack for holiday! and collect laundry from laundrette as we still have no washing machine...

Ack... Still no umbrella!! Where can it have gone to? It's at least 5 ft!!!!! I can't believe it did a Mary POppins and flew away!!!

Flick - Hope the washing machine pitches up for you tomorrow!!!

How is everyone else?

NSSA xx

Evening ladies

Just a quick check in to see how everyone is doing.

Great to hear your news Otter.

Teething and no sleeping continues in the monkey household!

MM

nssa nicked, surely?

Macaco - but that is so unlikely... We live on a no through road, and the only way into our garden would be to come around the side of the house, and then all the way along the back of the house to get to the decked area - It's seems unbelieveable that anyone would have done that (for a cheap umbrella??) there was other stuff out there which would have been far more nickable, IYSWIM and I also find it hard to believe that someone could have done that without the dog going ballistic...

Someone would have had to go to an awful lot of effort.. It makes no sense!!!

But, saying all that, it still hasn't shown up!!???

nssa the washing machine arrived at 650 yes 650 this morning! on an 8-5 slot but the guy said he had loads of deliveries near brighton so we would have been last on the list, so best to have it early. they were in and out in about 15 minutes!

and i'm back in laundry heaven - 3rd load just about to go in

must go off and pack the suitcases as i've not started yet and it's dawning on me that i really have a lot to do before 745 tomorrow morning, especially as dh will be running around stressed.....and jacob will probably decide that he CANNOT wear ANY CLOTHES tomorrow

Flick: I hope you have a wonderful holiday, Do you know when I should expect the booties?

NSSA: I think your umbrellas been nicked- how ever unlikely it seems as it couldn't have flown away?????

Monkeysmama: We are in the same boat

Just a quickie, been unbelievably busy all week. Painting, up til gone midnight four nights in a row [v tired mummy smiley].

Painting all finished, but girls room still not quite ready, DH needs to build shelves etc.

Had my hair cut today, decided to have a fringe for a change, but hairdresser said wouldn't look that good at the mo as (quote) 'you have lost soooo much hair since your baby' ! I know it's coming out in clumps in the shower, but I didn't realise it was that bad. She agreed to do me a light 'wispy' fringe but now I can see lots of little bald patches around my hairline !!!! Bloody kids!!!!

Anyway, off on hols tomoz for a week.

Will hopefully be less busy when I come back, but for now, I need to pack!!!

LM XXX

P.S. DD2 has a (rather large) strawberry birth mark on her head, it's raised about 1" off her head, and one of the nuns at church asked me about it, and when I said "it should go by the time she's 3" she said "ahhh, and then she'll be so pretty!"

How rude!! She is pretty, she just has a strawberry on her head!!! .

What would the Lord say?!!!

mitchell - booties posted today so you should get them tomorrow or the next day at the latest! they are lovely too

not much else except a very quick check in as i'm off to try and magic up some more space in a case.... still don't know if dh is coming so don't know if have any room in his case to use so at the moment it's me and 2 boys stuff including toys in one checked in case and one carry on, plus my handbag kind of thing and that includes formula and purees for sam!

see you all in 10 days!

LM Sorry about the nuns comment, I have had at least DD is pretty. (Talking about my physically disabled daughter in a wheelchair) I know sometimes people say things without thinking, but really

Flick Thanks, good luck if you have to fly on your own- very brave with 2 kids (when will DH find out)