May 07 - Some have produced new anklebiters, but the rest have more sense.

[twelveyeargap]

LG&T that reminds me of being little my mum had one of these there was a seat thing that sat on the top so LO in the main bit little sis on the seat and me and elder sister hanging off the sides.

Charley glad you are all sort of on the mend but yeauch at the stool sample.

Pebble lovely to hear from you another blue one how cool.

Tis gorgeous here today off to take the dog for a tramp round the fields. Now he had his bits chopped last wed he would be ok to be off lead now wouldnt he?

Doris now? I thought it was Dorothy. And yes, LG&T, it was she. And I still think it.

Grr at dh. He is such a wonderful husband most of the time though, everyone's allowed a slip every now and again.

The girl whose job I am covering is here today and she is really pissing me off.

Gorgeous here in sunny Warrington too Jam.

Name changes daily, am fickle,

He is wonderful 99% of the time so i shouldnt moan really, you are right.

Jam tis lovely here too, bit nippy though. As long as the rain stays away i dont give monkeys!

Cant believe you are 31 weeks! Only 9 weeks to go, so scary. If you are 2 weeks late and i am 3 weeks early they could share a birthday!

DD calm now, she has gone to drama club. My god she is hard work atm. I have an occupational health appointment for her tom so hoping they can give some direction with her.

Pink i think the Tana Ramsey chat could go horribly wrong, especially if she looks before coming on!

Surely she'll be a MNer or at least have some friends that are, and see what people (including me ) have said, and pull out of the webchat.

I just intensely dislike women that ram down our throats how they 'have it all' and are such 'natural and perfect mothers' with their millionaire husbands and nannies.

Like Myleene Bloody Klass who I was reading about at lunchtime in OK!, saying she had 'created' a job that she could take her daughter with her to, so it was 'all about my daughter'.

Yes Myleene, most people can do the same thing.

I'm with ya on that one. I loved my career but there is no way i can go back to it now. I can't 'magic' the pefect post to fit in with all childcare and husband related commitments i have now.

Mylene drives me nuts, she has created BLACK baby clothes fgs. Biker jackets and all... it makes my skin crawl.

I forbid you to put the very cute Lexie in any of them >

I'm glad I don't know who any of these "famous" people are.

Come to think about it, if they aren't famous in the US, then they just aren't that great are they. [smug American emoticon]

Oh, but I did see an episode of Eastenders the other night. Apparently it shows on our PBS channels late on Sunday nights.

I don't get it at all. But then, I really don't like soap operas.

Oh I thought you wre talking about Bepe from Eastenders..Im not keen on TR either..but I do have her cookery book which has some quite nice recipes...she is less annoying than Jules Oliver, who I used to like but who I now consider to be a bit of a whiner...

£600 for water tank and assorted work.Bloody Brilliant.

Blimey Pebble..and all of you preggers poppets..please stop cleaning/eating out of date foodstuffs/going to NCT sales (which everyone knows are like hell on earth with actual fighting one memorable year at our local one over a wooden rocking horse!)Put your feet up.Thats an order!

Eastenders sucks MKG.You want Coronation Street luv.

Well I have worked like a dog this week.A dog I tell you.Today I spent all day doing some contract returns using a v.complicated Excel system that I was shite at using..only to be told at 3.30pm that I had done most of it wrong (and it had to be done by tomorrow).Hence was very late home to two very tired girls who then kicked off royally until I could get them into bed (DH gone out with boys from work).Couldnt even consider the boiling kettle procedure currently involved with drawing them a bath so they have gone to bed quite filthy.>>sigh

LGT, TMAM, glad the Sparklebox link was useful. We use that website ALL the time. Nearly everything on my wall is from there. If you want any good Phonics resources the Letters and Sounds section is excellent.
Pebble, long time no hear! Sorry you've had a tough few weeks but glad to hear all is well with number 4.
Scoot, you work too hard! I moan a lot about having so much work to do at home vut at least I can get the kids in bed first and then do it. This week is assessment week at work which means lots of extra in-depth marking and levelling work. It's shite I tell you.
I've got an early finish tomorrow as C has an Orthoptist appointment at 3 o'clock. I'm picking him up from Nursery which he is ridiculously excited about!
PJ, fancy you getting a post deleted - how scandalous! FWIW, I think TP is rather smug too but I love her family recipe book. The Chilli and Prawn recipe is to die for!

Evening. Can anyone tell me how to stop J and E arguing and winding each other up 24/7, they are driving me mad. They fight over the smallest of things and its driving me mad. I have never known two people to annoy each other as much as they do. I think thats why ive been dreading having another boy but there is definately no mistaking the sex of this LO. At the scan he very kindly spread his legs and showed off a very large package (obviously not taking after his dad lol) Do all brothers fight this much or is it just my two

Luckily Alana is a little angel Not sure she is totally sane though as she seems to like launching herself off of things, spinning round until she cant stand up or throwing herself onto the floor and acting silly Guess no one can say she is boring. I think she may have confused herself with a dog though as she seems to beg whenever anyone has food in their hands. If she had her way she would eat all day, she even likes crispy seaweed from the chinese [vomit emoticon]but she is still quite small and is still in 9-12month skirts/trousers, not like her mum who is getting bigger everytime she looks in the mirror lol.

LG&T I will NOT be late infact I am forbiding this baby to be late!

Had a major meltdown last night told DP how I feel like a single mum and am just knackered all the time massive big snotty ugly red faced crying. Think my hormones are kicking up a notch.

Not going to our friends wedding reception tonight as we cant get a sitter must say am a bit relieved didnt relish driving an hour and half each way to spend the eve watching people getting pissed.

PJ totally agree with you about TR and MK. also scoot very much so about JO.

Anyway DP working from home today and I have the midwife please dont let mini munch be breech. Catch up with you all later.

Have no fear Jam, B was breech until 39+! My section date was booked for the day before his due date. I fully expect this one tobe spinning till the last minute.

Good for you losing it in front of dh, they need to see sometimes. It brings it home to them, now he can feel all masterful and take control

Scoot i am so sorry the plumber is costing a bomb! What a nightmare Look fondly at the man as he works for compensation

Abby i am so glad i do not have work to come home to, i have been seriously thinking about a course recently as fear my brain is frazzled but realistically i am not sure i could cope with it.

Pebble some kids just don't get along, ds#3 and 4 are always fighting. Thye just rub each other up the wrong way. It is a pain. I distribute them around the house when they are being particularly bad or chuck em outside

DH is off today, i have an occupational health app for dd at 10 and we are off to our friends vow renewal this afternoon, reception in the mess. All kids to be dressed and ready by 3 so i am collecting them all at 1. I am wearing but mine is from ebay It was a bargainous £50. I have 3 events to wear it to before Xmas so thought it would be worth it.

Will silver shoes and black tights go or shall i just go with black shoes?

MKG i do not watch any soaps, they are so depressing. I do watch heroes though (love it)

love that dress I too had one of those from ebay! if the weather is as lush with you as it is here today go for bare legs.

LG&T - I would never put L in black. Horrid. Not black tights and silver shoes, I'd go with silver shoes and bare legs, or black tights and black shoes, but as Jam says, it's really mild here today.

Scoot - definitely with you on JO - I liked her book whilst I was pg, but then once L arrived it lost all relevance for me.

Today is my HR Director's last day. Boo hoo. Not.

Nice dress! Silver shoes deffo.

How is dd this morning? Do you have to do her injections every day from now on in? Fingers crossed it will get easier and easier. Eventually she will end up doing it herself I'm sure.

Have a lovely time this afternoon.

Jam, good on you. I find a good meltdown from time to time, preggers or not, always shakes them up a bit.

Congrats Pebble on the blue one. Can't offer any words of advice on the in house fighting as mine do seem to get on so well. It may all change the older J gets.

I have run 6kms this morning with a friend, we both must have looked a sight really. Still I have signed up for a 10km race as part of the Nairobi Marathon taking place in 2 weeks so I had better make an effort. The problem here is with the altitude it is killing me!

We have visitors from the UK for 2 weeks. Today is a public holiday and then half term for 10 days. And hurray, the sun is shining.

Gorgeous dress LG&T.

Always good to have a few tears in front of dh from time to time. Just remember that when you were pg with A you had time to put your feet up and rest when you needed to but now that time is spent running after A & L. Big hugs x

Bugger about the cost of the boiler Scoot! Hope you get sorted soon x

Hey there Pink, used the PDP today and was a great help thank you xx

Congrats on the blue one Pebble.

What's all this about no Soaps, i have them all on Sky+ series link Eastenders, Holby City, Ugly Betty etc etc

Have decided I'm Pink again.

I don't watch any soaps anymore. I just can't commit! Glad the PDP helped AM, let me know if you need anything else.

Am planning a lovely weekend of cleaning and washing after my cleaner resigned claiming I am 'too demanding'. Cheeky bitch.

ROFL at you being too demanding!!!!

PJ, glad you're pink again. it's much easier to remember. Dh owns a cleaning company and some of his cleaners are right old hags. He has a core of really, really good ones but some are the pits after week one. He says it's the worst part of his job, finding decent cleaners.
LGT that dress is gorgeous, I hope you enjoyed wearing it and the ceremony went well. Poor P having to endure all that she does. I bet she gets used to it quicker than you do though! Kids are so resilient aren't they!
TMAM, hark at you - running 6km eh? At least you have the weather for a bit of outdoor exercise, hope you enjoy your visitors.
JAM I have meltdowns like that every so often, it's good for the soul I say! Sometimes I think we bottle things up for so long just for a quiet life and when it all comes out it comes out good and proper.
Well, the weekend is here at last. Dh has gone off to do the week shopping and I am about to start cooking a Weightwatchers chicken biryani. Sounds dodgy i know but trust me, it's scrummy!

So, going back about a month or so....

Scoot. That vice-president lady is a LOOONY. Believes that the Earth is only a few thousand years old or summat. Extreme creationism. SO right wing you wouldn't believe. Don't get me wrong, I just voted Tory in the local elections (awaits stoning), but she is practically facist. I shudder at the thought of the Republicans getting back in anyway, but really, if anything happened to McCain and she became president. Ouch.
I hear there's a meet up in Cambridge. Details please.

As for Jonathan R-M. Not my usual type at all, but . I don't even mind about the boozing. I'm IRISH for God's sake. I bet my Robbie William's impersonater ex-boyfriend drank more than JRM. Shame the last impression of him from series 2 is him stuffing swan pie. I wonder will he be in a fat suit for the next series? I usually have a thing for completely improbable older men, like Horation Cain from CSI Miami. DH says I'm looking for a father-figure and has been known to take the piss and play the George Michael song whilst I'm watching CSI. Oh and I have a thing where I don't fancy men, but I develop a wish for them to be in my life in some way, like I'd like Stephen Fry to be a regular dinner guest, or Dara O'Briain to meet me in the pub. Very strange. Have had a few girl crushes/ encounters in the past. I think I'm over it now though. I'm probably too old.

Am just reading the exploding nappy post TMAM and O has done one. Your fault. I love Grey's Anatomy too.

I have been reading all the posts, but got caught up yesterday operating a bouncer chair with right big toe, mouse with right hand and pushing buggy with left hand to keep grumpy A quiet so couldn't type any responses. Am up to mid-September now. Moving on...

Well done to Abby and all the weight loss people. I left a message today, at the personal training studio that opened RIGHT across the road from me. No excuse now. It's blardy expensive, but if I do three months there, it might cost a year's gym membership but it will be value. That is, I will actually go and get fit, as opposed to being a gym member and never going. I mean, where would I find the time? At least with a trainer across the road I can run over two evenings a week after the kids are asleep and be home in an hour. No faffing in gym showers and so on. I have three stone to lose. I got DH to agree to pay for a mini tummy tuck if I lose three stone so that they'll cut away all the stretch marks and make me a new belly. I'm also hatching a plan to get a boob lift in about a year. You know, where they just re-arrange what's there so they don't hang around your belly button. Only getting that done if the scar will be hidden. No point in that if I'll have a vertical scar from nipple down. I'd rather just wear a boulder-holder and live with them being saggy when naked. Am going to see my friends in Belfast at the end of Nov, so am hoping I can look half-way decent by then. Have stopped buying junk. Not baking, or at least not eating my own baking will be hard.

LG&T, I love Bea, but yes, you'd have BeaBeau (Bebo). Might not work... Dorothea is nice. I think Tudor porn might be a mistake anyway. Costume porn is SUCH a disappointment imo. So lame. Much rather fantasise about JR-M in tights, tbh. How is B now? Great news about the ship. Jaysis, have moved on to the numpty ex-p stuff. Don't have time to read entire other thread right now, but have skimmed. If it were me, I would tell sis that you would feel VERY uncomfortable if they came to the wedding, particularly since N won't be there. If she insists on inviting them, then I would hold my head high, knowing that you have made your feelings clear, but rise above everything else. Tell family that you feel let down that rather than just letting the past go (which would be good), they are giving him more respect than he really deserves and it is insulting to you. Where that would get you I don't know though. Moral high ground perhaps, but it's not necessarily where you want to be. Will try to think about it more later. If it were a friend's wedding, I would probably say "Fck it, don't go." But with faaaaamily it's much harder.

When is Scoot's sleepover? Can I still come? (Just not on Sat 29th Nov when I'll be away.) The Boy takes the odd bottle of EBM so I may EVEN come alone. I suspect the drinking of vodka is optional, so you and M will be alright, SOH.

CM, I'm guessing that the untidyness thing is just a symptom of a deeper problem in your marriage. I get very stressed about the boxes of sh'te still around our house, nearly two years after we moved in, but I only get really upset about it when there are other things on my mind. It's as if sorting the mess will put some order in my life and make me feel better about everything else. Invariably I have a go at DH about all the jobs he hasn't done, we have a row and the real problem comes out in the row. You and DH have been through a lot. Much more than most couples have to deal with. Is there any chance you two could have some marriage councelling? I'm wondering if maybe you both get to the root of things, they can be sorted out. Sending you lots of love. Oh hang on, am reading on and see you're talking. That's very good to hear. Oooh, later still you're talking about more babies! Blimey. Good for you. Can we make blimey the catchphrase of the week?

PJ - Your child does not need milk in the night. She has just found yet another way to get your attention after bedtime. If you think she's thirsty, leave a bottle of water in her cot. When A was full of cold and mouth breathing a few weeks ago, I left her flip top beaker thingy with the valved straw in the cot beside her and a tiny night light on so she could have a sip if she woke up with a dry mouth and I didn't have to worry about (a) her getting soaked in the night with the water or (b) having to get up myself.

Scoot - Where is this fabled shop in Crouch End? Which one do you mean? Could I get in it with a juggernaut double buggy? If DH is going on about the credit crunch, tell him you paid cash... Am reading about the sleepover/ DH problems. Could host here if you wish. I'm sure I could get DH to bugger off somewhere for the night. Let me know. We could all bunk up in the living room in true sleepover stylee, or I could put a couple of people each in the office, dressing room and nursery. I would bake, of course. (And visit Majestic Wines!)

MKG - DH did that email snooping to me before we were married. Found stuff he didn't like, (ie, me complaining about him to my friends) threatened to leave me etc. Told him if he hadn't been snooping he'd never have known and it wouldn't have been a problem. I cannot ABIDE snooping.

MmeJB - You are inspiring me. Am hoping to lose 3lbs a week until I go to Belfast. Am thinking of it as an Extreme Makeover stylee "reveal" so that I can show up, 4 months post baby #3 looking stunning. Am heartily encouraged by the fact I have lost 3lbs in the last few days just by eating no very little junk. Woop. Less than 3 stone to go now. Yey.

TMAM - How is J now? Am with MmeJB on the "if you're worried it must be bad." Thanks to you and JAM for finding my other thread. Think you're right about teeth, but sounds like J really does have a virus if there's a rash. Poor fella.

TSM - Sorry about the wedding dilemmas. If it makes you feel any better about the organisation, I didn't even have music booked until about a fortnight before mine and everyone says that it was the BEST wedding they've ever been to and they mean it too. There's always some farking family drama, but rise above it and make the most of your day and if some poeple miss it then it's their loss. You'll be having such a good time, you'll miss half the people who actually are there, never mind the ones who didn't bother their arses to come.

SOH - Do you really not have mains water? Blimey. Do you live in the gatehouse of Stephen Fry's parent's house? (Am just remembering that his book said they lived in Norfolk and had to pump water every morning.) Your house sounds lovely. You must do lots of cuddling to keep the draughts out. My house was farking freezing when I was growing up (ice on inside of windows in winter) and it did me no harm, save for the fact my carbon footprint is now enormous because I am still so entertained by central heating. Like the sound of the CP meet up... Am crap at arranging things that far in advance though. P'raps you could remind me nearer the time and I could book something. Presumably your spare room will be taken by then and I fear my heart-of-steel parenting would collapse in the face of your motherly wonderousness.

MKG - I have only ever been to Miami Beach in the US, but WHEN (not if, you understand), DH takes me to NY, I will come to visit you. DH took his ex to NYC twice in one year FFS. Took her for NYE the second time because he knew he was going to break up with her. WTF? I digress... I will come to see you. When I was going to meet Mars for the first time she said, "How will we know each other?

Abby - going swimming is really worth it in the end. I'm sad I can't go any more with A. I could take both of them if A would stay in the leisure centre creche, but that's some way off I fear. Boo. They'd let me leave O in the car seat whilst I swam with A, but A would have to go to the creche, whilst I took A in so it wouldn't work.

I baked FIVE of the cakes at the stall. Chocolate, carrot, lemon (as per Mars's recipe), gingerbread and a Victoria sponge. I think my cakes brought in close to £50. Yey. DId you buy anything? Got some stuff for playgroup and some fab ladybird wellies for A and a few toys for the kids for sooo little money.

Oh G&T SO sorry about Phin being upset. and You will both get used to it, I just bloody wish you didn't have to. The pram is fab. That's how my nana got around when she had three under 2. A has black loose-hemmed leggings and top. I think she looks fab in them. Do you hate me? I'd never put her in a biker jacket though... I bet you look gorgeous in that dress.

JAM - the only way to do an NCT sale is to (a) be like Elkie and be the first in the queue or (b) volunteer to help at one so that you get to buy stuff before the hoardes arrive.

I haven't watched a soap in years. I Sky+ (that's Tivo to you MKG) silly medical and crime stuff like Grey's Anatomy and CSI, Silent Witness and then Lost (when it's on) and Heroes, Desperate Housewives etc. Mock the Week (gutted this series is finished) and QI and then I watch them all either when A is asleep during the day (the lame crime stuff) and I save the more kwaliteeeee stuff for the evenings when DH is on lates and I have an evening to myself.

Right. I have read about 900 messages. I am going to write a separate post with our update.

Got distracted when writing that bit to MKG about "how will we know each other?". Mars suggested a badge saying "In Cod we Trust" so we'd recognise each other. Except when she typed it on her mobile, the predictive text said "In God we trust" and I was thinking "WTF".

OK, so now us. What's been happening here?

Am getting on surprising well (had time to bake five cakes for NCT dontcha know). There have been blips (like the day I posted I was trying to abandon my kids). A brought bronchiolitis home from the CM (she only goes one morning a week FFS) about four weeks ago. O got it, of course, but the poor sod got it much worse than her, stopped feeding and I ended up taking him to A&E. They decided to admit him so they could tube feed him EBM (I'd brought some with me but the syringe feeding was pathetic) and thankfully, just as we were waiting for the children's ward to be ready for us, he started rooting and had a massive feed. We stayed the night anyway so he could be kept under obs, but it's not something I want to repeat.
A has had the bronchio-virus, then another cold, then has been teeting a bit, then a slight tummy bug thingy, more teething and then I posted recently wondering if she was really ill with something because she was so moany and miserable, but she's brighter today so am thinking it's the teeth. I gave her a top up calpol at 10.30 last night and she seemed ok during the night, whereas on Weds night she woke at 3.30am crying and I ended up taking her down to the living room because she was so noisy. You know me, I am MEAN. I never do things like takes babies out of bed in the night, but I thought something was really WRONG. She slept in her buggy, I dozed a bit, the Boy woke at 5 for a feed and we all woke at 7 on or around the sofa. BUT, that's the worst it's been.

The boy now goes to bed between 7 and 8. He comes up to the bathroom with me and A. She goes to bed and I re-heat the bath and give him a dip, then give him is only relaxing feed of the day (poor sod) and he goes to sleep. Dream feed at 10.30 ish and then he sleeps til around 6. Sometimes 5, sometimes 7, but either way I get a decent uninterrupted sleep. If I could just force myself to bed after his dream feed I'd be laughing, but I generally come down and do laundry or something silly instead.

Am feeling quite chipper now that A has had a good day today. REALLY, she has moaned for what feels like two months, but it's more like two weeks. I was thinking I wanted to opt-out of being a mother during those daaaark days. Today was probably a good day because we went to the park twice and any moaning is so much lessened by being outdoors! I'd better get a good anorak, because I'll go off my head if I'm stuck in when it's raining. Have already bought A a good wet-weather all in one!

A is INSANELY jealous of O at the moment. She loves him a bit, and comes to hug or kiss him and then changes her mind and pokes him in the eye or scratches his face. It's quite exhausting for me, so she must be beside herself. Am hoping she'll grow out of it. Am trying not to give her attention (negative or otherwise) for it but it's hard not to shout.

S (DD1) has decided she's wiccan FFS. I mean, I think I did the odd ouija board at 13, but she's got a blardy altar in her room. I had to ban candles after getting a very distinct smell of burning one day. However, she's gone of to Christian camp with her friend this evening... Teenagers eh? Told her not to make a big deal of being Wiccan at Christian camp, as it was probably a bit rude to take a place on their weekend away and then take the piss by not even believing. There's some fecking series of teenage love-story books where the characters are Wiccan and she's taken it all too much to heart. Oh well. I worry less about that, than the fact I have caught her going to bed still covered in make-up. She'll be sorry when she has eyes like a 40 year old when she's 20 and have said as much. I'm happy to pay for make up remover and she knows it. Pure laziness. Am considering banning make up until she can take responsibilty to take it off.

Mother still hasn't arranged to visit to see the Boy. She has some idea that DH doesn't like her. Too long to bother going into. Apparently she also knows my MN name and has told people what it is. I wonder does she read my posts.

Mars came to help over a few weeks. It was great. She bounced the Boy and made dinner (more than I could manage at the time) so that I could bathe A in peace some nights. Filled my freezer, listened to my ramblings and generally made life bearable. I wish she could stay! She even AS A FAVOUR looked after the babies whilst I hung around at the local health centre waiting to have an IUD fitted so there won't be any more babies.

What else? The Boy is smiling and laughing. Very, VERY cute. And very fat. A is prodigious. Well I think so anyway. Says lots of things (which possibly I only understand...) though it's very sweet when she says "Bye-bye Daddy" in the morning and points at me and says "Mammy there" or at O and says "Oisin there". Unfortunatly the poor child can't say her own name and says "Ah-tee" instead of Aoife... Oh well. We know what she means. Has feckin' loads of teeth... All of them except the blasted canines, which are the ones causing all the problems I think.

Hmm, can't think of anything else. WTF have I been up to for the last month??? Is that it? How rubbish am I?

TYG, I'm impressed at the record length of posting.

TYG, I didn't get that much at the NCT sale this time, but I was glad I went. Two long sleeved tshirts in 18-23 months - a surprising amount of larger boys' clothes this time round. I wasted being at the front of the queue by being caught behind someone looking at a buggy and an occupied buggy in the hall (although they clearly said outside that buggies should go in the buggy park). I couldn't believe my dad had got there 2nd in the queue, although his flat is very close by. My dad also found D a pair of Converse trainers and bought them when I wasn't looking - very kind but I think they're a bit grubby and don't really like look at my label stuff on me or my child.

We did buy cake, quite possibly yours - dp and D shared a piece of chocolate cake but I unusually plumped for the lemon.

Tomorrow we're going to try and get to the Walthamstow NCT sale. If we can't get the buggy on the bus there I'll go on my own and D can go to his toy library music thing with dp.

Jam, I would have to say though, it's probably better to either go on your own or with other adults to look after sprog, your dp might struggle to manage A on his own and look for things. There is often good and very useful stuff available, particularly smaller baby things. My mum's found us a double buggy at an NCT sale closer to her. But the quality of what's on offer and also space at venue and ease of looking varies a lot. I just love going to these places and never knowing what I might find.

And of course, indulging in a bit of homemade cake in a good cause is always a plus.

Ooh hello 12YG wondered how you were getting on. Blimey glad to hear all is well now, they do scare us don't they?. Blimey you have been busy. 5 cakes for £50 BLIMEY, . Yes you are right, it is symptomatic of other things I think and you are right we have been through a lot. We are getting there though, just have the odd blip.

Waves to 12YG mum.

Wave to everyone else, feeling better and so is G, only one pooey nappy today. G that is not me. Can recommend the S&D diet, have lost 4lbs in less than a week.

PS blimey is deffo catchphrase of the week.