Three spikes and they're out. Whose teeth will be next?

[Essie3]

Seeing as it's a quiet time...

I love the sling Ali!

fungle - I'm not back to work until the end of April, thought I'd take longer this time since I wont make much money with two kids in nursery. I'm also planning on putting in a part time request but I'm not looking forward to the response from that (I think it'll get approved because I'm a civil servant but it wont be popular). And I stepped in dog poo too - yuck!

Echo that AH, not much money will be made here by me going back to work, with afterschool and breakfast club sometimes, plus ridiculous nursery prices ( 50 pounds per day here), its more for my sanity

Small essay about baby slings to follow:

Pleased to hear that people like the sling. I love the colour, but I look a bit more Earthmother and less Yummy Mummy (as if) than I thought I would before having a baby! Needs must though: the London ladies saw for themselves how much Peter loves being in the pushchair at the moment .

Paro yes it is the Ellaroo sling. With the old papoose carrier we loved having Peter face outwards. Having researched wrap slings I have belatedly discovered that there is quite a bit of advice against going outward facing . The reason is that outwards makes the baby's spine straighter, and their legs tend to dangle down which isn't as good for them as inward and in the froggy position. The website with the best advice that I have found on how to tie the sling is calin bleu. From there it seems that it is okay to go forward facing for short periods of time. I would also say that Peter despite having been outward facing for the last 2 months seems to be happy facing me. When he is awake he turns his head to one side and looks around as you can see in the picture, but when he goes to sleep he faced my chest this afternoon. It was dead cute.

Ellaroo slings are woven ones. I decided against a stretchy one for us as they are meant to be really good for newborns, and I was specifically after something that would handle my heavy baby for as long as possible! It is quite easy to get Peter out of the sling, I can just lift him and put him down, although I am left wound up in 5m of fabric at this point : so I do worry about tripping. The other place to look is on the Big Mamma site, you can also email them with specific requirements and questions. They wrote a helpful email back to me.

Hedgehog has recently bought a lycra one with clips on it, so maybe she will be about to offer you her experiences of that.

Finally (!) I just want to say that my 20lb+ baby feels so light in the wrap sling compared to the old papoose. It is quite a revelation.

Deb, lol at your Lost in Translation moment!

ali, love the sling - which one is it? I'm also interested in getting a new one and have been looking at the kari me. Finding the babybjorn is killing my back .

needahand and ali, thanks for your lovely comments about my voice - I've always hated listening to my voice as I think I sound really plummy (probably stems from being bullied as a kid about being posh as I went to school in Bristol and don't sound Bristolian as those Bristolians on here will be able to verify!!).

Also at vids being talk of London meet up - glad you all liked them! Really really want to meet you guys - when's the next Waterloo meet up planned? Anyone free w/c November 10th?

needahand, can't believe you're going back to work already - where did the time go? I know I'm sticking my head in the sand about what happens when all my baby friends go back to work - RL and MN friends - I'm having so much fun hanging out with all these new people I've met and come May time they'll all be back at work. It sucks!

fungle, wow, you did have a bad day! Hope tomorrow is better!

PP, thank you for leaving a comment on my youtube page - I was very excited when I saw it!!

ali, oops x-posted - thanks for the essay on slings!

Fungle Libralady starts work again next week, I would like to start my maternity leave.

5gomad

OHMIGOD - it's bloody well snowing!!

Needahand, that sucks, going back to work... how many days are you doing? I'm lucky cos I won't make any money working after childcare costs are taken into account so there is just no point, I am going to do as few days as they'll let me after I go back (next July) and will prob only stay for six months (which I have to do to keep my mat pay). I will probably leave journalism altogether then and wait till the DCs are in school and either re-train as a teacher or (more likely) get a job as a teaching assistant (or dinner lady!) Anything that means I can be at home when the kids get home from school and have school hols off.

Ali that is a cool looking sling.

Sponge, I also thought you sounded posh on your vid (I thought 'yes I think that is what most MNers sound like )

Well bedtime went slightly better tonight. They didn't have an afternoon nap today (just 45 mins nap in morning and two hours-ish around lunchtime) and by bathtime at 6 they were really flagging. Took them for bath then fed them and bed was 7pm. Theo went to sleep (like last night) and woke after 45 mins (like last night) and then he cried for 50 mins till I fed him then went back to sleep (like last night) but he has stayed asleep since (unlike last night when he woke once more before settling himself for the night).

Esther cried for 30 mins then went to sleep for 45 then cried for 30 then went back to sleep till 9.30 when she woke and I fed her and she has gone straight back to sleep (hopefully for the night).

Things were only slightly better tonight but hopefully we have broken the back of it now. Me and DH certainly felt happier tonight about how things were going - we nearly gave in last night after an hour of crying from Theo (glad we didn't).

Neenz, lol at "that is what most MNers sound like"!!!

If you want to be at home when the DCs get home from school you definitely don't want to be a teacher - I'm thinking of becoming a teaching assistant, at least for when Alex is in KS1, and then maybe move back into teaching when he goes up to KS2. That's the plan anyway!

Sponge - I agree with you about Neenz's plan. Do you think you could cope with being a teaching assistant after being a teacher though? I think I'd have to gag myself to stop me from intervening when I shouldn't!

and I don't sound posh at all

Deb, just me with the plummy voice then?!!

IKWYM about finding it difficult to be a TA when you're a trained teacher - depends on the quality of the teacher I was working with tbh! I think I'd find it very hard, but then think I'd find it harder never being able to drop off/pick up own DCs from school. It's a long way off though so will have to wait and see!

Ali loved your sling, and I thought you looked very yummy today! And to keep up the hairy lesbo theme (certainly hairy anyway!) I also think Sponge has a lovely voice. But oh God, Neenz, Sponge, MUST NOT have a recording of my Welsh-but-faintly-scouse accent... unless I speak in Welsh which Amber says is sexy! (And oops, lesbo again...)

On the working hours thing, I'm going back to work in January, but it's not as bad as it sounds - lecturing is very child friendly indeed (well, depends on the department - I think sciences are tougher). I'm going to go on a waterbabies swimming course next term... (with Iestyn obviously!)

On the London meet up, both Iestyn and I are fine, but yes, to Luke 'baby led weaning' seems to mean 'find a baby and try to eat him'. (Ooh, Aberdeen, was that you with the baby biting?!) It was totally hilarious - I thought it was sweet that Iestyn and Luke were bonding, holding hands, until Luke took Iestyn's entire hand in his mouth! Iestyn was pretty unfazed and tended to look the other way. So, Sponge, are you sure you want to meet up with us and our cannibal babies?

Sponge - I can do Waterloo on the 10th. Perhaps we should start a new thread on the MN meet ups?

Could you aim to teach in your DCs' school? If you're planning on private sector then you'd get the staff discount as well as no childcare problems.

I met a woman (years ago) who was so incredibly sussed about the whole school/job quandry. She found out which instruments are under represented and made sure her children learned to play them - so they were at an advantage when they applied for music scholarships. So she was able to get them into good private schools with a sizeable discount on the fees. She also set up her own business doing pre-school music from her home, so she was still available for her DCs' school run.

I'm impressed at those of you who have medium term plans.

Don't think I have any plans for w/c 10th....can I meet too?

Bloody fireworks season is doing my head in : huge display last night (sounded like it was next door) so dog was loopy anyway, then at 10pm, just as I started doing dream feed, a HUGE burst went off. Dog went nuts and started trying to hide, babypearls started crying, which also meant she started choking as she was drinking at the time, and it took me ages to calm everyone back down. And I was so close to getting her to sleep 7-7!!

Re:slings- I have a Babasling which was sooo comfy but was banned from carrying her on my front at all by physio (post SPD) so now have a Vaude rucksack which is fantastic, but has no snuggle-factor. So very envious of anyone with sling, especially when they look so glam!

For those of you worried about how low the temp can get in the room it was 11 in our bedroom last night, S in short sleeved vest, sleep suit and gro bag and was fine, will go to a long sleeved vest tonight.

Hmm, hairy lesbians with cannibal babies . . . tempting!!!

Rolf, I'm stunned at your friend's forward planning - that's very impressive! I wouldn't want to teach at my DCs' school tbh, I think it's a tough break for the kids and can be difficult for the teacher/parent too if your child isn't an angel!

p&p, I also have the babasling, just getting the hang of using it again. Sorry to hear about the havoc wreaked in the pearls household by the fireworks - btw, love the nickname babypearls!

Fingers crossed we can get together on the 10th then. Only possible problem is I'm waiting to hear back from Meridian TV for a filming date - they're doing a little film about Alex and me under the theme of medical miracles! They're talking about filming that week but are taking ages to let me know so we'll go ahead and plan something anyway - looking forward to it.

Oh, and Alex has learnt to roll!

What is it about this thread and your TV stardom? First Deb and now Sponge. I am in the company of celebs!

I am sure people think I have a posh voice too Sponge. In fact when I first met DH at uni his mates who had been to top public schools thought I was too posh for him .

Essie - not noted the scouse tones in your voice yet. LOL at the baby cannibal comments.

W/C 10th for a meet up is a possibility. Would be great to meet Sponge and P&P finally

My mother was a teacher at my school. Luckily she taught reception and didn't start working there until I was 11 and in the secondary bit. The upsides were the heavily subsidised school fees (why I sound posh!). The downsides were numerous but mostly trivial in retrospect. The worst moment being when she was spotted taking her class to Christmas lunch with a green bush tied to her head. All the children had made Christmas hats, but she hadn't had time, so had grabbed the best thing she could find which was a wreath on the door of her classroom. The shame as a fourteen year old was quite something.

Yes it's official Luke is either gay or a cannibal. I'm sure we'll see which one later on (DP would prefer cannibal ). Yes Sponge come and join our interesting troupe! I can do 10th too. Essie does sound sexy doing ancient Welsh - woof woof!

We have the heating on now. We just have leccy though and it's so expensive it makes my eyes bleed to look at the bill for the winter quarter. It'll be even worse now as I'm home all day.

The 'other' girl goes for her interview today for MY job so I get to see whether I get it next week probably. Not having a good feeling as it's so long since he's seen me that he might have forgotten how great I am .

Fungle Oh dear what a bad day although the dog shit comment makes me laugh as I have banned the word shit from the house so when anyone says it I find it funny (like a small child!).

Sponge - that's lovely about being a medical miracle . Your profile makes me all mushy.

I'm not posh but not particularly scouse either. The boys aren't either but DD1 makes a point of being a huge scally! The boys find it hilarious and say "hey [DD1], say purple", then fall over laughing when she says "peeerple"

Amber. That's a seductive wink not a cheeky one, of course. And good luck for the interview, hope you get it!

Really impressed by your fame, Sponge! Although also (in all seriousness) really impressed by your little miracle.
My frenemy (thanks to Hedgehog for that useful term!) was 8 years trying to get pregnant, and has finally managed it. She was obviously depressed for all the 8 years, but now is still miserable and making up (nonexistent) 'serious' illnesses for her pregnancy! None of the joy of it - baby moving, excitement etc - just 'oh I'm desperately anaemic (who isn't during pregnancy?) and 'I have terrible liver damage' (betcha don't - I had liver damage during pregnancy, but I never mentioned it to her!) Plus she complains about having no money and things are going to be terrible. I am so close to asking her why she's having a baby at all! (She said it to me - and said I didn't deserve a baby because I'm not a good person.) Thing is, Sponge, you didn't have a great time of it during pregnancy (or birth?) but you were still focusing on the positive, which is that you were having a much-wanted baby!

Just remembered last night - re. fame and voices, and a special sexy turn on for Amber, there is a recording of me floating around on the internet. Those of you who know my real name can find me on...Woman's Hour!! A few years back now, and I got to meet St. Anne of Robinson. ( Penguin)

amber he could be both (gay and cannibal) that is.. fingers crossed

alipalli my mum was also teacher at my school (also got fee discount) and in fact taught me at one point .. it was slightly mortifying at itme and do think it made me bit awkward/self conscious plus it was not like there was anything ever secret (still remember the teacher ringing us at home to tell me my a level results when I wanted to wait for them through post like all my mates )...

essie nice so called frenemy to say that to you ..am with sponge re the so called joys of pregnancy -dh mentioned trying again yesterday and I was less than enthusiastic. IT may just be me but I AM SO FED UP with not going out etc (yes - after losing out on my night out when dh was working, much planned for night out when we were on holiday at nice restaurant got cancelled as dh was ill so I've had no night out since dd born). going to get haircut today for first time with my mum looking afer her... just feels like everything such an effort...and feel so pathetic when hear about amber etc going out to concerts.... given how draining /all encompassing I find looking after one wonder what woul be left of me if had another..

sorry bit of rant there... and can't really complain as edie been dead good lately (little popppet)

amber meant fingers crossed re job..not that luke might be gay and cannibal