December 2006- where they've grown so much we spend more time talking about our lives than our children

[Indith]

Well that and our pregnancies and other non-dec '06 children

Tis a good thing I feel.

Oli - photos!!! (of cake )

I am seriously considering getting into cake making as a hobby. We had one made for DD last year and although the actual cake was delicious the icing looked rushed, and I thought to myself I could have had a go at that and would have probably enjoyed doing it, although I'm certain it would have taken me forever and wouldn't have looked quite as good.

Profile updated! Photos of cakes and dcs. Will add to FB later but dcs are clamouring for breakfast .

they are wonderful - you are so good at cake decorating (and producing beautiful children)

Wow Oli, you are very talented!

Pleased to hear scan went ok Eli

Poor AQ. You have enough on your plate. Fwiw, I'm sure DS1 will be ok. My friend's son had toilet issues when he started school and seemed to be ok. What is the speech issue? Can I help? Am something of an expert

Hello Jabber. And Calmriver. Was thinking about you, strangely enough, the other day.

Back from Scotland. Sigh ...

Wow! Amazing! Lovely photos of the children too.

How was the break castles?

Just had a w/e of DM and DSF. Dreadful.

Hi everyone. Busy weekend here so we're now all tired and grumpy.

Hi Calm

Glad I'm not the only one struggling to discipline no 2.

I would love for such long naps. I am lucky if I get 90mins but more often than that it is about an hour. She sleeps at night though so I guess I shouldnt complain.

Eli - glad DDs hip appt went well.

Oli - the cakes ALL look amazing.

AQ - your poor DS. It sounds like such hard work. Is the medicine helping his bowels? And what kind of speech problem does he have?

DD1 has had a couple of wobbles about starting school already. We talked through a list of her concerns the other day and there were about 10. All of her friends have just 1 or 2 thoughts on the subject. She is too aware for her own good sometimes...

Welcome back castles, was the break good??? DS1 has a conversational dysfluency, bumpy speech when he's talking to people (rather than describing a book etc, which is fine). He's struggling to say more complicated things than he is able to, some of it may be down to my way of talking which is random and jumps from subject to subject. I'm not blaming myself, but I'm trying to adjust my speech with him which is hard as I'm so hormonal and random!

Weekend over now, Lennied, you can breathe out!

Oli, fantastic cakes and gorgeous children (love the photo of woolly legs in particular! are you sure that's ds2 though, he looks so much older than 20 months!)

Indith, I think I'm about to hit the end of spectacular naps too (just when I need em most). Rats. Still, a woman with dd same age as ds2 said casually, oh yes I'm so lucky she has 45 mins in the afternoon - I felt so guilty and kept my mouth shut! Getting lots of 'omg you are so huge, how do you cope?' sympathy at the moment, I must keep milking it for all it's worth! When is wedding again??

Eli, thanks for advice, I also spoke to my dad this morning (pediatrician) - he said that given late walking combined with lack of speech development + ds1's speech issue seemed a good idea to seek an assessment. I cried after I got off the phone. They both seem so perfect for me, yet we have ds1 seeing a pediatrician and a speech therapist and now ds2 needing assessment. I couldn't help but think what have I done wrong? But seriously hormonal and anything makes me cry, I burst into hysterical tears last night when dp suggested we replace our windows (which are original wooden ones with stained glass in bad repair) with PVC. He's also strongly suggesting we move house next year as we just won't have enough space, but I love it where we are. Sob, sob, I'll go and have some veg. soup now and calm down.

AQ - what does the speech therapist say? Is school likely to have a positive or negative impact on his speech?

Your Dad gives good advice. A referral now will either put your mind at rest or if there is a problem, put you in the queue at the earliest opportunity. Both of which are good outcomes.

Hi EV
She said it would likely go downhill once he started school and if that was the case, they could send someone in there to speak to the teacher etc. Sometimes it's barely noticeable but often he gets stuck on this 'loop' and can't get out of it.

awwww AQ. That must be a worry...Hopefully he will have a switched on teacher who can handle it properly.

I said goodbye to ALL of my baby things this weekend. Cot, bath, moses basket, bedding etc. A friend is having a baby in October and we have given her the lot.....I only feel a twinge of sadness at the bedding as it was so cute. Next is time to sort the clothes.

Oh AQ, that's so tough on top of everything else you're going through . Have a (((hug))), I can't really offer any advice at all.

Cheers for all the compliments on kids and cakes. I think they're (dcs) cute but I'm naturally biased! It's funny you think ds2 looks older than 20mo. I still see him as a real baby although he seems to have gone through a huge development surge in the last few weeks and seems to have grown up a lot.

Lennied, the cakes are a good hobby - it's a bit pricey to start with while you build up colours and equipment but once you've done a few you've got most things you need. They do take up a lot of time though. I spend at least 2 evenings decorating each one, plus you need to make the cake the night before so it can settle. It's fun though. DH is encouraging me to do it for money but I'm not sure. I like it as a hobby but I think the enjoyment would wane if I was under pressure.

Castles, how was the Scotland trip? It's always lousy when you come home.

EV, I gave all my baby stuff to my dsis although it's only on loan. She's got some of my clothes and I've given other bits to various people but I can't quite seem to make the final purge.

Thanks, guys I got really upset about it all a couple of nights ago and took it out on dp. Realised later it was because I'm not going to be able to do much about it, can see it will be v.v.hard to spend v.much time with him once he starts school and I hate that.
What was your dd worried about, bless her, EV?

Oli, I don't know how you do it, 2 nights a week doing anything like that would kill me. But I do really miss baking, I love it because it's not for a purpose it's just fun & there's something at the end of it. Can hardly manage meals now as it hurts just to stand and chop veg etc, so baking out the window for a few months at least.

AQ, He may surprise you when he gets to school.You never know.

DD1 was worried about:

• not getting to school on time,
• not knowing anyone,
• not remembering people's names,
• wearing school uniform (not sure she likes it)
• not knowing what toys to play with,
• not knowing what to do at lunchtime,
• going to the toilet,
• thinking she would have to play with the 1 girl she does know ALL of the time. (they are chalk and cheese),
• she doesnt want to do painting at school and thinks she will get into trouble.
• there are 2 reception classes and she thinks the one she isnt in looked more fun on her visit.

I had a chat with a RL friend the other day and she told me her DS was only concerned that he would miss lunch....

I hope so, EV. I thought I wasn't going to worry about it all, but lately it's all I can think of (oh, and having twins next month!).

Gosh, think i should ask ds if there's anything he's worried about after that extensive list. Would never have occurred to me that they think about that stuff in such detail. But at least you were able to put her fears to rest because you asked, EV, they do need an enormous amoutn of reassurance don't they? What about your ds, Olihan?

AQ - DD1 is very sensitive and quite astute - she thinks about things a lot so it is natural for her to cover all angles. Most kids really wouldnt give it much thought. We talked about it recently as she had been a bit devil-child like. Once we'd talked about things she calmed down a lot. It made me feel guilty as she's obviously been keeping her worries to herself. Now though she is smart enough to play the anxiety card and is angling for sympathy in advance

Must go to bed. Although wide awake for some reason.

AQ wrote my usual stream of consciousness and then deleted it! Email me if you wish. I have lots of advice - don't I always . DS was a shambles when he started school 2 years ago. He's pretty normal now as Elibean will testify ... You have a lot on your plate at the moment. Let it all out and have lots of sleep and comfort food

Holiday was ok. Weather lovely and Scotland is perfect but was stuck on my own with DCs whilst DH fished and to be honest felt quite lonely. It's been quite a sad holiday for me in many ways and I feel like it is taking it's toll. Pathetic I know. Also DD2 spent most of the time vomitting when in the car. Those effing windy roads!!

Hi all.
I've just had a week away at the coast with my friend and her two boys(5&6).
Dd went down two steps and bashed her mouth. I'm going to have to take her to the dentist this week as I think one of her teeth has moved slightly, though there is no movement. She wouldn't let me look at her mouth much at all when she did it. I thought it was just a broken lip.
I'm feeling so broody these days and it doesn't help that 3 of the 6 of us ladies from the post natal group have either had or expecting their second babies. I know I've got two, but I can't help feeling envious. My Ds turned 10 this month. I always wanted 3 children. Don't think it'll ever happen though.

Ooooh good,new thread, thank you Indith.

BP, dd2 also v frustrated when I don't understand her interesting sentences - they sort of go 'gogglidoobleahuckthoooooes,NONONO,peeeeesemama,peeese!' followed by bursting into tears. The 'thooooes' part is shoes, of course, which subject I totally empathize with the rest of you on.

Though since our ortho apt, I've succumbed and bought dd2 new and scarily pricey boots and trainers, for ankle support

I have had a big fond on my face reading posts by PG ones amongst you, btw - so very familiar, that mix of pg-analysis, recipe-hunting and creamy meatball-describing

Oops, posted after reading second page thinking it was today's. And I'm not pg or even pre-menstrual.

Welcome back Castles! I'm not surprised there was some sadness in your holiday, after the recent loss/es...somehow holidays provide space to feel things, without necessarily providing space (these days) IYSWIM. Your ds is gorgeous, as you know, so I'll keep your pleas and threats as credit for another occasion

Solo, its so hard with teeth...dd2 won't let me look in her mouth to the point where I've been giving her Calpol occasionally for her obvious tooth pain, which I attributed to a bottom incisor finally coming through. DH spotted a canine up top today, no wonder she's been clutching her face and saying 'ow' Hope it goes ok at the dentist.

AQ, I don't know what to say re worries about your ds and school...maybe just that I remember how upset I felt about not being able to be more there for dd1 who'd just started pre-school, when dd2 was born/ill; so I totally understand you stressing about primary/speech/twins arriving combo. FWIW, both ds and you will probably find ways to be together, and get through the various challenges, that you can't as yet imagine - because the situation is not here yet. At least, thats what I'm telling myself about a few things atm, none of them as huge as having twins admittedly

Aaah, I feel as though I've caught up a bit...BP is right, the days just slip past. I can't believe school starts two weeks today, and dd2 is 21 months old

Thanks Elibean. Dd doesn't like having her teeth brushed either. I just hope that there's no real damage to her teeth.

Hi everyone!

eli, did I read that dd2's scan was OK? Hope so.

solo, lots of problems with teethbrushing here too. Using a battery operated one helps.

AQ, we had the same issues with ds1 when he went on the meds. Once we were sure the impaction was clear we worked on adjusting the dosage down a bit so that stools were soft but not so runny. Bless his little heart, it's such a difficult thing to go through - for everyone! You might try the magnesium glycinate and a fruit/fiber chewable supplement to help out. It definitely did with ds1. Who, btw, has been adjusting really well to school

Dh and I had a long talk and have decided to try counseling. We have needed to do so for a long time but this weekend things really came to a head. Something needed to happen I guess.

Still working like crazy but at least patients are coming in. I changed realtors officially yesterday and the old realtors showed the house like mad just before that, lol. Maybe some new energy there...

You did, Jabber, and thank you

Also, hats off to you and dh - hope it helps, and that you feel supported by/in it. Good sign that he's willing to go, too, no?

Pleased to hear DH has agreed to counselling Jabber - and like Eli says I hope it is successful.

Have taken a major step forward here today - I told my DM what I thought of the way her husband treats her. Has been a problem for a while now, but this w/e I really saw him for what he is, a utter waste of space and an abusive one at that. He acted like a complete ar$e all w/e and was so rude I was ready to give him a piece of my mind . The things he was saying about my Mum in front of her and the rest of the family were horrendous - if my DH talked to me like that in front of people I'd have given him what for, but she just let it go over her head . It might backfire on me but at least I got the chance to tell DM what I thought and she now knows I will support her if she finally decides to end the relationship. I actually feel very guilty now for turning a blind eye to it all for so long - and feels so refreshing to have it all off my chest.

Meant to say before Oli - I can see why your DH thinks you should start making cakes professionally, you are really talented. Perhaps if you just did a few and saw how it went it wouldn't be too stressful?

And AQ - it will all work out ok with everything including DS and the new twins. Try to rest as much as you can, when they arrive everything will fall into place, and you will manage. And I'm sure you will manage to be there for DS too when he starts school, even if it is a little rocky for him at first - as others have said he might yet surprise you.

Remember too that some things will be easier once the twins arrive, the SPD will ease relatively soon afterwards, and being unpregnant again makes you feel instantly more human and more able to cope (in my experience anyway) plus all the lovely hormones will get you through, where as now we've just got all the yucky ones.