June 2008: weaning with every flavour baby rice . . . . and loving it!

[spongebrainbigpants]

new home!

deb - just because you know that there's kids worse off, doesn't mean you can't be upset and worried about your own... hugs

neenz - £800 for a car? I love my old crap ford focus! Also, we once calculated how much money we saved on not going out to eat or drink once Duncan arrived and it was a ridiculously high amount .

hedgehog sorry about your job - that's crap news! I'll be gutted if my employer tries that on me...

Fraser was crying last night at 11 so I sent DH in to him (knew he wasn't hungry) and DH gave him a cuddle. After that Fraser cried like a madman for another 30 minutes then fell asleep - and slept soundly until 3am (which is very good for him). When he finally woke he was (1) on his tummy and (2) rotated 180 degrees so his head was where his feet normally are. I figure that was why he was crying - he must have been stuck cross-wise in the cot for a while before he managed to sort himself out. I sort of feel bad that I didn't get up while he was crying but I'm also glad, since he's got to learn to sort himself out in bed now that he's more mobile.

Neenz - so pleased you are an Entourage fan. I LOVE it. DH wanted to name our baby after Ari can you believe? I had to really fight Peter's corner so that he didn't end up being named Ariel too many teasing in the playground possibilities: the washing powder, the little mermaid etc.

Evening all, been out all day and trying to catch up in a hurry as have loads to do tonight...

deb google is wonderful but dangerous. They should ban medical sites!

sponge - can't you use flexitots with other wraps?

Neenz - yeah he usually has afternoon nap, but can still get very cranky . Am listening to DH sing to him as he screams at the mo

Re: rude post - if you can spot cap locks on while typing you would delete and re-do it surely?

hedgehog lol at your competitive NCT mums deciding you must be a push parent!

Hedgehog - that seriously sucks about your job. They do have to give you good reason, but have to say it's really not hard for employers to come up with one . If you do appeal, I would advise finding out what the reasons are that they've refused it and build a work-related case on how to overcome it.

Neenz am on SMP too and getting taxed. However, I thought I would benefit from the basic rate taxpayers refund in September but didn't. Apparently the inland revenue put me on a 'month 1' code when they changed everyone's code in September. If you're on a month 1 code, they wont look at the refund till the end of the tax year. I'm assuming that this is because I dont earn enough to pay £60 tax while on SMP and they'll wait to the end of the year to see if I earn enough to get the £120 tax rebate for the year. So if anyone is on SMP, check your payslip to see what tax code your on - you might just get a wee rebate next year...

aberdeen - nothing crap about a ford focus [picking a fight emoticon]

Right that's me caught up. Am going to a girly champagne day tomorrow and soooooooo looking forward to it.

bdq a newer ford focus estate would be my dream car - I'm not dissing them! Mine isn't the most impressive or shiny but I love that it's affordable.

I just heard from our mortgage advisor and our application is approved!! It's a huge relief since we went through with the sale already. So now it looks like we really are moving three weeks today... I'd love to celebrate but DH is offshore and I don't drink at all when I'm home with the boys by myself.

Josey and I are getting together tomorrow and I'm looking forward to seeing Olivia

Opps I didn't want to set off the baby monitor debate again! It wasn't the monitor per se that bothered me last night, it just brought that horrid fear of ever losing Ryder to the front of my mind. Last time this debate raged, I didn't have a monitor, but then Shane read about them and compared them to fire alarms. The chances of a fire are so very minimal (no candles or smoking in this house) but once you know they exist you have to have one just in case. Well I did. But I also bought a £60 carbon dioxide monitor after a safety talk at my antenatal group!

Sorry about the job HH. I think I must have missed something on the thread because I thought that you weren't going back last time we spoke in RL. Is that not an option anymore?

I went to see a nursery I really liked today, but the waiting list was mad. I think Shane and I will spend the weekend working out how little we can live on and seriously contemplste him being a ft sahd. I'm more keen than I was since reading out bits of the stepford wives thread he's promised to be a stepford husband.

Neenz/Alip - I don't want entourage but Shane suggested Ariel as a girls name when I was pregnant. Like you AliP, I could only think of washing powder and the little mermaid.

Neenz - I think my car is only worth £800.

Deb - Ryder does exactly the same as Fraser and ends up lying facedown across the cot. Thankfully unlike Sponge's Alex he doesn't have the same momentum to his rolling. You could put up ramps at the sides of the room Sponge (like a skateboard park).

Been reading the BLW book and if anything it's putting me off the idea. There seems to be a lot of 'mays/coulds/probablys'. BTW Annabel Karmal book and stage 1 weaning set half price in Argos atm. Don't try colliers wood essie, i'm afraid i got the last one...

BDQ, I don't have any other wraps!

HH, really sorry to hear about your job - as the others have said I wouldn't give up without a fight.

PP, I love the idea of ramps! I put him down on his nursery floor this afternoon while I was sorting out his washing and he rolled right out of the door and to the top of the stairs!!

Re: BLW - an RL friend had a major gagging incident yesterday which has really put me off solids. But I suppose they've got to eat them at some point . God, this weaning is sooo stressful - and I haven't even started!

Sponge - The rolling thing is so scary, although I bet we'll be laughing at how easy this stage was when they're crawling.

Anyone on the diet thread please look away now - I've just ordered a take away for tonight because I'm too tired to cook. Does anyone else use hungryhouse.com? I love it, not that I use it regularly or anything.

PP, we believe you

Ah, yes, £800 a month for the car but that means it is paid off in 13 months. We had a bit of a dilemma cos we needed something big (for the pram) and something reliable to drive to France in to go camping. So that meant something quite new, so we got a 55 plate Honda Accord estate, which was £11,500. I love it but now realise that I prob won't be able to fit another baby in there, so will prob need a new car, sorry, bus, when we have another baby in a couple of years. And we've now realised that going to France with young kids/babies is prob not best idea, so we are going to holiday in Britain for the forseeable future. So I could have bought any old beat-up estate car (the Honda just sits on the drive most days as well ). Oh well, at least it will be worth something when we come to switch. It is a lovely car.

Loving the Entourage talk! That show is so wasted on ITV2. Is Ari called Ariel then? I thought that was a girl's name. I love Ari, but surely he will have a heart attack soon - he is so highly strung!

Don't suppose you watch The Hills as well on MTV - that is mindless TV at its best!

I am getting the BLW book for Christmas - we had a breakthrough today when Theo picked up a piece of pitta bread and put it in his mouth! It's the first time either of them have. Esther still not interested. Unfortunately I was so concerned about him choking that I pulled it right out again. I know that is missing the point slightly...

Right have calmed down now.

initially wasn't going to go back to work, but did the maths and actually someone has to pay the mortgage (am on a maternity break at the moment)

neenz I work as a Mortgage Advisor for the first of the nationalised banks (not sure whether I am allowed to say the name on here)

was wanting to go back 3 days a week from 5, as there is no way we could afford f/t childcare and we would only need 2 days childcare as DH can do one day.

The reason it has been rejected is because they have not had any success in recruiting someone to fill the 2 days to make full time hours.

Think I am going over to the work board for some advice/help on this

Just have to tell you that Peter has just woken up from a 3 1/2 hour sleep. WTF???? Who knows what tonight will be like. I tried some subtle waking techniques, but when they didn't work I left him to it on the basis that the more they sleep, the more they sleep.

Neenz: Ariel is also a Hebrew boys name that means "lion". It's common in Israel I think. E.g. the former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. By the way, we aren't Jewish just in case I have confused anyone. We are very much WASPs, James just had a mad moment and liked the name.

HH - I don't think that is a valid reason, in fact I am certain it is not! It is not your problem if they can't find someone to fill the other two days. Bastards. I dont suppose you are in a union? Get some advice from somewhere. You have to fight it, don't let them get away with it.

Ali, yeah I thought it might be a Jewish name but haven't seen it in the bible so thought maybe not! Of course, Ariel Sharon, I remember him!

HH, hmm, I find their excuse hard to believe tbh. In this economic climate I'm amazed they can't find someone to do two days a week. Are they trying to make redundancies by the back door or am I being overly cynical here?

evening

Neenz - sorry to hear about the mastitis, but gad to hear the family's been rallying round to help you.

HH - about your job.

PP - it's not me with the rolling baby - I think Ethan may be the last June baby to roll!A takeaway - you lucky thing, I tried my postcode but funnily enough it didn't work.

I have stayed away from Google today

We've started BLW !!!!! Well not really - Ethan had a piece of paper, next minute quite a sizeable piece had disappeared, and he was sitting there looking very confused about what had happened!

Sorry everyone else, no energy to remember anything else

oh apart from AH - give our love to Josey ad Olivia

Alli - good luck for tonight!!3 1/2 hours - wow

PP - it was me with the rolling baby He's just started to really get active this week, I've noticed such a huge difference in the span of a few days. I'm giving him some slack about his even worse than normal crap sleeping habits because I'm sure it is a development spurt.

AH love the pic of your 2 boys on the settee

Aberdeen was meaning to say WELLDONE on the house, I will have a celebratory drink on your behalf . Do pass on my best wishes to Josey when you see her.

Yes best wished to Josey and Olivia.

I honestly wasn't looking for a ruck but i think I might have found one here

Just a quick hello here, off to bed feeling better but still a bit sickly. FLeur also threw up again today while we were out with no spare clothes so has to run to a shop and buy her some clothes!!

neenz i gave fleur some satsuma pieces today but got scared when bits went in her mouth and pulled them out and ended up holing them myself!!! Then Dp got so freaked out he mashed them up and spoon fed her!!! Hehe

Hello to all others will catch up 2morrow xxx

neenz - are you trying to stir up trouble? Actually I'm amazed how calm that thread is...

(thanks ali!)

(oops! and thanks deb for commenting on my pictures! I need to update my profile one of these days...)

Neenz - have joined the ruck.

Aberdeen - you had such a tiny bump - lucky you! Just looking at your lovely photos.

Wasn't going to post but Aberdeen, that photo of you at 4 months and your eldest...oohhhh, so lovely!

I know, Aberdeen! But honestly I wasn't trying to cause a ruck, I really wanted to know cos my SIL is so against it and it is hard to talk to her about stuff like that cos it gets a bit fraught obviously with us having babies so close in age and such different parenting styles. The funny thing is she is so against CC but her DS is always cuddled/rocked to sleep, never naps for more than 30 mins at a time (common I know), is very whingy (cos he gets overtired) and has never slept through the night. So I have to say I think I prefer my way of doing things! But each to their own, it is totally up to each individual parent to decide what is best for their baby.