June 2008- Some are sleeping, others weeping and some are just eating

[poppy34]

Thought I'd start the new thread using paro's suggestion

5GoMad - You poor thing. Perhaps you should go on holiday with Amber...

HH - Do I want to know what armpit fudge is?

Sponge - Good point, I'm a third child, clearly each child is superior to the one before it...I will worry no more. I will look you up in parenting mag...

Amber - That is completely crap, I'm so sorry. I know it is so not the same thing, but you could look at joining Cupcake, Maggie & Rose or similar and treating yourself to some serious pampering whilst knowing that Luke was being looked after?

Greenfairy/Allnew - Of course I haven't actually got around to cutting up or hemming any sheets yet...but I will! Hope Storm feels better soon, poor mite.

Essie - I've sent you an email, but if you need anything whilst home alone just give me a ring, I really am just down the road! (If you feeling really frantic, you can even drop Iestyn off for an hour or so if you need a break, I know you've got a plentiful supply of EBM to leave with him! )

PP Happy 3rd month birthday to Ryder and happy 3rd month birthday to my Luke.

He's had a great day today! First of all DS1 was running around like a headless chicken and jumped on the sofa (where I'd placed Luke) and yes you guessed it - their heads clashed. I was in the kitchen getting DS1's morning snack prepared when I heard Luke screaming and by the time I'd got into the lounge his had real tears rolling down his face.

I gathered him up and went upto baby clinic earlier than anticpated to get him checked out. Nothing wrong but he's got a huge lump on his forehead above his left eye. Wanted to mention this to the HV as if I'd left it and someone saw him in a few days with a black eye I'm sure SS would be called .
Then I allowed this horrible woman to stab needles into his legs for his second lot of jabs. Needless to say he cried again and this time it set me off (Can I still blame this on hormones?)

Well last week was the week from hell with DS1. Left home Wednesday night (for an hour) as Sam was being a PITA. On Tuesday and Wednesday he screamed his way home from school and then had a massive tantrum saying he didn't want me anymore and wanted me to leave. As a result I was in floods of tears and had to call DH home from work as I just could not cope with him. I'm not a person who gets emmotional and burst into tears at the drop of a hat, but when he said he didn't want me as a mummy anymore it just got to me. I think it sunk in that night after I left and took Luke with me. He apologised and although not remorseful (that's not Sam) he has been better this week.

Had a night off from him on Thursday night as he stayed at my Mum and Dad's because the plumber was coming to fit our new bath at last. DH borke this back in July and since then we've been having to shower and bath at my parents whilst we've got the insurance to sort the repairs out.

Then on Friday he got sent to the Deputy Head for hitting another boy with a toy fire engine and making his nose bleed

Saturday, DH worked in Barnet so visited my Nan and then had to keep DS1 occupied again, and on Sunday DH was involved in the cricket club's sponsored bike ride around Poole Harbour so I helped out (with the boys in tow) doing support vehicle. Oh and he's working again next Saturday and then on Sunday week I have my sponsored Ladies Driving Challenge at Bovington Camp for the Marie Curie Cancer people.

Luke is now sleeping through till 7am so things on that front are getting better. In fact the last two nights we've dropped the dream feed.

You can bet your bottom dollar this will go tits up next week as DH is working away for the week in Wales (wish I could go home and see family/friends) and he'll be away for my birthday and our WA next Thursday. Was thinking about opening a bottle of wine and celebrating on my own, but had second thoughts as I need to be compus mentus incase the boys need me

Sorry I haven't posted for a while but after my multiple posts last week I thought I'd lay low for a bit

Amber sorry about your holiday, but try to take the positives from it. Your DH has a job (and a pretty good one I think). I feel so sorry for those with so much uncertainty at the moment in these dreadful times. I work in the Banking industry and the credit crunch is hitting people very hard. I have friends who worked for Lehmans and were given their marching orders last week. And who would have thought that about HBOS.
I'm not unsympathetic to you, just trying to put a different perspective to it.

Briefly lurking as things tooooo hectic for anything more.

Libra - sounds like you're having a rough time of it. How old is your ds1? I had terrible problems with ds1 when he was 3-4 years old, testosterone !!! I was also his teacher which didn't help. Hope ds2 continues to sleep well next week when dh is away.

Amber - gutted for you, you were so looking forward to it.

Sophie - sorry things are looking glum, S sounds like Ethan - great at night and cling y in the day,it is so hard getting things done, I can empathise with you !! Today he either fed or slept - must be getting a cold I think, but as a result I got lots done.

Why oh why oh why did you all let me eat so many creme eggs? On Friday afternoon I will be filmed for national TV at the spa - that means in my swimming costume HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stepdad, stepbrother and wife arriving in the morning for 3 days - could do without them tbh, as still got so much tidying to do before cameraman arrives.

OK, off to bed, night everyone

oh yes, someone asked about celebrating 1 month, 2 months etc.. We video on the 17th of each month for this 1st year and did the same with ds1 and ds2, it's a lovely snapshot of how they change so much through the year. I wish I'd carried on , on each Birthday but I didn't !

Great to hear from you Paro - sorry that things aren't going well, but it's wonderful to hear that Fleur's doing well. Hope your MW friend can help you V soon.

And hello Libralady. Did Luke enjoy his three month birthday too? I know it's silly, but in some ways I can't believe they're only three months, they've grown so much and have such distinct little personalities.

The real tears are a killer aren't they?

DS1 is sounding like a complete monkey right now. Does your DH realise that you need some support? It sounds like you're dealing with it all alone. Sending you virtual hugs.

BTW - Did you get married on your birthday or did I mis-read the post?

Off to bed now, I am spending far too much time on MN again!

Forgot to say that L has put on 12 1/2 oz this week and now weighs a whopping 13lb 8 1/2oz.

PP yes we married on my 30th (saved on another party LOL).

Debs DS1 is 4.5 and has just started school albeit just in the afternoons 2.5 hours. He is so ready for full days as when he was at nursery he was doing either full days or at least 3 hours! He doesn't go full time until January!!!!! No sooner is he at school then it's time to come home.

LL - it sounds like an age away but I think that in January things will improve. I think it's so hard for 4 year olds to have to wait the whole morning to go to school, part time places would be much better in the mornings, then they could do 3 hours when they're fresh, by after lunch they start to flag and then it's downhill from there.
So, you have my sympathies LL, hope things improve soon. I found that my ds used to play me up when he was hungry, and I always went out with a supply of snacks with me - just a cracker or a breadstick used to make a lot of difference.

Thanks for all you kind words, I was just feeling down yesterday but feel better for offloading, we have been bickering a bit so although mean on you it takes the pressure of DH.

Essie - we have been trying on and off, she keeps saying that we wants potty, pulls her own trousers and nappies down and sits on it, so we decide that she could be ready, put pants on her which she then promptly wets, put her back in nappies and she wants to sit on potty, she is in pull ups so we are now just letting her do her own thing, yetsreday she ran aorund for an hour with nothing on and no accidents, we ill get there.

Deb you will look fab and be a shining beacon in this world of celebrity pressure to get thin 3 nanoseconds after having a baby. You represent the real women of this world

Well must do nursery run.

Five you are doing a stirling job so don't worry about offloading here. You were back at work within weeks of giving birth and having to deal with a toddler who is now potty training. I am now dreading going back to work, althpugh I am thinking it'll give me (much needed) time away from the kids - poor Mum and Dad! I know you work at home but you do have the support from DH (at least he is there more than mine!)
I am most definitely up for a kids free day before I go back to work so we can get in some retail therapy. Chin up girl

Thanks for your support Debs. I know what you mean about snacks. If we do go out in the mornings, I always take a drink and something to eat for him. For example when we went to baby clinic yesterday he had a little box filled with apple, grapes and cheese and the health professionals at BC were very impressed!

Debs I also second what Five has said. You are representing the majority of real women who have just had a baby. Not everyone looks like Posh Spice immediately they've dropped(if ever LOL)

Hi all, amazing how much better I feel after a night's sleep (albeit only about 4 hours long). I understand the perspective thing Libra and do appreciate in the grand scheme of things me not going on hols is not the end of the world but for someone who is desperately struggling with this massive change of lifestyle, it was time to spend together as a family (which we never do - DP never sees his son in the week and at w/es we never do anything together, just take it in turns to look after Luke), it was a brief solution to the monotony of staying at home, it was something for me to look forward to other than going back to work, it was having evenings with my DP going for dinner and being like we used to (while babysittter watches over Luke). My relationship is suffering because we never see each other and clearly things will get worse now as he will have to work stupidly hard on this. Will get over it but I do feel really sad. Thanks everyone for being kind.Essie thanks for the invitation - I don't think my crappy town pram could take the beating in Anglesey!! Shame you can't get a babysitter and we could have gone off to have a few large glasses of wine somewhere! Guess I better go and unpack - on the bright side, at least I didn't bother ironing anything

amber so sorry about your hols I know it isn't the same but why not get the train out of London and go somewhere else for the day - persuade DP to take a day off, or do it this weekend (weather looks great). Brighton is only around 60 mins from London Bridge and would be fab for a day away

deb you'll be fine, echo what LL said - you are a real women who actually looks after her kids rather than hires an army of nannies, CM's, etc to do and you run a business. Hats off to you

Hope everyone is feeling better today, but better to offload here than do something silly in RL. Believe me I have been there. If you feel down (PSYCH hat on now) write a list of everything you have done so far and it really does help

paro hope you get things sorted soon.

Reading all your posts makes me feel incredibly lucky with Isaac, He is vv contented, I have not had any probs associted with having him, and DH is getting a lot better now I am having an evening off each week.

Just one quick question, which I am going to ask on the nappies board as well, we are due to go away in October to hotels for a couple of nights each time. How do I deal with dirty real nappies, dirty ones will stink after about a day, I only have enough for 3 days between washes anyway. Should I just accept that I may have to use disposables for these couple of weekends?

HH - think you are going to have to be realistic and do disposables, I get eco friendly ones from soorganic.com and you can also get eco ones from Boots.

amberc I'm sorry... thats an absolute killer - not surprising you're off dp as must be bloody miserable for you - I get narky with dh if he works late one day let alone the hours your dp works. And to cancel holiday well ... I know it happens A LOT at the sort of place your DP works but I do wonder if the bonuses etc that are meant to make up for it are really enough to cover the knock on effect it has on family life. And I completely sympathise re lack of adult time etc -its a massive life shift having a baby and I'm not sure its a bit worse if you're a bit older cos you've had longer being selfish...

5gomad.. hugs - sounds like you have moer than enough on your plate and also Deb and libralady.. although Deb I am soooo excited about your tv debut

Right quiet day here but may buy prima to check out sponge

Amber what I wouldn't give for that wine drinking evening. Maybe we can force Penguin to take Luke and Iestyn, we can go and party, and she can...well, have a crap time of it! Penguin I'll be in touch in a mo, and thanks for your very kind offer! You really do have a heart of gold. I reckon I'll be ok today - DH washed and dressed Iestyn for me whilst I had a cup of tea; stupid, isn't it, how those tiny things make all the difference? - but tomorrow will be horrific. (Fortunately I'm always positive, eh?!!!! ) So we'll DEFINITELY meet up.

Sophie the potty training sounds like a complete mare and it must be totally soul destroying on top of everything else. It's still the early days of nappies here so no practical suggestions at all. But keep offloading! It's important, I think, because like you say partners get it otherwise. Or children. And that's not good.

Libra where in Wales is your DH going? Hey, since Amber can't make it you can have my house in Wales!!! Perhaps I should charge. But I'm not organised or clean enough to run a B&B. Hold your head up on that one, 5GoMad! Hedgehog you could ask the nappies board but they're all very poo tolerant!! Can you get a lidded bucket? Then wet pail rather than dry - I wet pail pooey nappies - which will stink less. Life's too short for hand washing, but all hotels will have washing machines and maybe you could beg use of one?
A question back - how many nappies do you have? I have 20 but need to wash every other day.

I'm sure there was more...

Essie my DH is working near Monmouth for the week.
My family live in a small village called Aberfan - known for all the wrong reasons! which is about an hour from Monmouth.

I know Aberfan. It's a very sad place. So you're Welsh...? Da iawn! But I'm from the north so you probably hate me. We'd have communication issues!

essie have got 24 in total, but also use muslins occassionally as well.
I do have 2.5 packets of disposables bought by mil as she thinks i should 'move with the times' and use things to make my life easier. i think i will prob take them and the reusables as well as for one of the trips we are then going to my mums afterwards.

must go isaac is screaming at tim wonnacott on bargain hunt!!

essie Bore da! Yes I am Welsh, although born in England. My Dad moved here back in the 60s as he didn't want to go down the mines like his father and brother. I do consider myself to be Welsh though as my Mum is half Welsh and half Scottish.

I don't hate North Waleans! In fact we take most of our holidays in North Wales at our cottage in Penmachno, near Betws-y-Coed. Our dream is WHEN we win the lottery, we'll move to North Wales and buy a property with some land in the Snowdonia area and let some of it out to self caterers and we'll do volunteer work on the Ffestinog or Welsh Highland Railway. I have family in Mold and Flint as well (though my paternal grandfather's family although we don't actually know them). My Dad used to spend his school holidays and part of the war on their farm.

My DH is English (boo) but after the success of the six nations this year (we were there in the stadium for the final match, my cousin is in the national squad) he is seriously considering changing his allegiance as after attending several rugby internationals, he considers the Welsh have the most patriotic supporters and he loved the whole atmoshpere in Cardiff that day. Needless to say, I think I was the only sober Welsh supporter in the whole of Cardiff that day due to being pregnant.LOL.

I know you are bilingual and the Northern dialect is somewhat different to the Southern, but I have learnet some Welsh and am trying to teach what I know to DS1. I think it is important for children to keep up with their traditional heritage.

I love watching S4C and try to pick up further phrases from that.

I've just added another picture to my profile of Luke in his Welsh babygro. This was DS1s so I'm getting good use out of it.

Thanks for the support everyone, if only you could all be with me for a MN get together at the spa!!

Oh my God Libra that is the best babygro I've seen! (BTW, DS1 on his first day at school - sooooo cute!)
Today, Iestyn is wearing a Welsh t-shirt which says 'Y bos yn ty ni'. (For everyone else: 'the boss in our house'.) So true...

With your Welsh, it's great that you're teaching DS1 and hopefully 2 as well when it comes to it? If you have digital S4C there's a new pre-school channel now like Cbeebies but in Welsh, which would speed things up for both of them. But be warned - my DS is dreading the day when Iestyn overtakes him in Welsh!

I was in Penmachno 2 weeks ago on my Staycation. (!) I went to Gwydir Castle - well worth a visit.

Deb best of luck. If all else fails you can borrow my spanx pants. They're flesh coloured and therefore would go under a swimming costume.
I'm not being mean - I've seriously considered that for myself!

essie they must make spanx swimming costume..
I cannot believe anyone as cute as iestyn is anything other than a benevolent despot Essie

and remind me again in my haze of mumnesia deb why do they need to film you at a spa...

lurking at home still... builders noise driving me slowly mad -yes they are still here

amber if you are going to be paying that much for a nursery have you thought of a nanny, if you look for a job share then that would make it cheaper aswll, As to the holidays, have you thought of a night away just the 2 of you, even that will make a difference.

Amber I think I missed a posting but 5GoMad has a v. good point on nannies vs. nurseries.
This is going to sound desperately sad (in the uncool sense!), but I would love an au pair because she (or he!) would be company for me too! Alas, my lifestyle won't allow it.

Poppy we must go into business and make those spanx swimming costumes! Can I also add the swimming costume I desire but never find: one that has little legs like shorts, mid-thigh (avoiding cellulite and the need for waxing) and with a tummy control panel...

Maybe I should just go for lipo!

Iestyn as a benevolent despot. Well, he is a despot, but I don't think it's deliberate!