December 2006 - Terrible Two's here we come!

[Olihan]

Here we go. I thought the title was apt as ds2 has morhed into a stroppy little horror overnight. His favourite expression at the moment is 'I cwoss with you, I sceam at you AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH' .

Happy Birthday ToddlerJabber and ToddlerEli .

DD is poorly again. I swear every bug in the vicinity has some kind of magnetic attraction to her . She has a bit of a temp, headache and earache today. I need to buy shares in Calpol and Medised I think.

Aoa, hotel is a very good idea - go for a posh one so you can have a vvvv hot, deep bath!

sacha, your weekend sounds gorgeous - how do you do it with a tiny one??

AQ, I'm sure you work much harder than your DH could begin to imagine!

DD2 seems to realise that it's her birthday soon. She keeps wandering around the house singing @happy birthday' to herself. She shocked me to the core the other day when she counted to 10 - it's not long ago I was really worried that she was never going to speak.

DD1's nativity play tonight - she's having a whirlwind week of parties and plays. I can almost remember having a social live myself

Just got signed off for another fortnight, so am feeling very sorry for myself. My lungs are clearing, but now I've got blurred vision, shaking, dizziness - what a nightmare. I promise not to whinge about this anymore.

Eli, hope your DD gets on well with the weigh-in.

Yes AQ, that'll be you doing too much!
I was going to send out Snapfish photo Xmas cards this year - I've not got round to it yet so no cards from my house this year! The tree is out of the loft but the decs are still in dh's the spare room. SIL is in charge of Xmas part 1 (this weekend) and my mum is in charge of Xmas part 2(the real one). Plus we did lots of agreeing with people this year that we wouldn't do presents - much easier! and I've only got 2 children to look after!
All this talking! We have got J to copy the alphabet A-G but he won't do it alone. He has a few 2 syllable words but NEVER puts two words together! As for singing

Yes AQ, that'll be you doing too much!
I was going to send out Snapfish photo Xmas cards this year - I've not got round to it yet so no cards from my house this year! The tree is out of the loft but the decs are still in dh's the spare room. SIL is in charge of Xmas part 1 (this weekend) and my mum is in charge of Xmas part 2(the real one). Plus we did lots of agreeing with people this year that we wouldn't do presents - much easier! and I've only got 2 children to look after!
All this talking! We have got J to copy the alphabet A-G but he won't do it alone. He has a few 2 syllable words but NEVER puts two words together! As for singing

BP - it does sound like a nightmare and please whinge away.

Not all that long left you're right Solo, and is getting kind of exciting. Just hope this one sleeps!!

Off to bed early tonight. Busy day tomorrow and been having twinges all day so hoping a bath and early night see them off and I get a lovely night's sleep.

bp sounds awful.

I just got up from a 2 hour nap. Ds2 apparently cutting a molar and broken sleep last night. He's still napping atm so am stealing a few minutes on MN.

eli, fwiw, my two are terrible eaters. At least with ds2 I can supplement with smoothies which helps.

Urgh, been at hospital all afternoon with dd2 HV visit did not go well, she's down to 2nd centile and was all floppy and tired this morning, not herself at all. So she packed us off to GP, who packed us off to A&E: short version is there is nowt they can do, other than give us the option of waiting it out on the ward rather than at home. No, ta very much. We're to ban any sniffling or peaky looking kids from the house and keep up the nose drops and medised I have been busy feeling guilty about, and try and get her to eat whatever she'll swallow.

She perked up during the 2 hour wait at A&E, of course, ate a satsuma , put a cardboard sick bowl on her head as a hat and danced around. If it wasn't for the noisy breathing and vast tonsils, they'd have booted us out, I think

I'm very knackered, but (especially to LenniEd, this bit) we're ok. She didn't vomit tonight, thank goodness, last night's was spectacular and emptied out every morsel I'd coaxed in.

Sacha, I'm sorry you and dd have the flu...get well soon, and don't forget to calpol yourself!!

Hey Solo, I get a bit of the pg ladies too...totally unrealistically, but there you go, logic ain't in it

BP, that sounds awful - is it your ears, do you/they think?? Sort of post flu/chest infection sinusy-eary problems?? Dizziness and shakiness sound upsetting, hope they resolve soon and you get to enjoy some of your signed-off time just recuperating...

No idea what's happening to who but wanted to give big ((((((hugs)))))) to eli and baby bean. It sounds so frightening and I bet the Op feels like years away....but it wont be much longer.

Sounds very scary Eli - but glad you are both home and (relatively) ok. Poor DD and poor you. Make sure you get some rest today if you can.

Poor Eli. I think it sound's like a very good idea though to keep other kids away from the house at the moment. And to keep away from them generally. Everyone is dropping like flies round here. Only 2 days to go until the end of term. Yee ha!

Poor BP too. And anyone else who is ill.

Very of the snow. Sacha in particular. Thought you were living darn sarf? Must be confused.

I'm having a complete (pita) overhaul at GPs on Friday to check for epilepsy amongst other things. Hopefully my daily fainting is just anaemia related. Maybe I belong in another century. Swoon ...

Blimey, Castles good that they're checking everything out, but sounds a bit worrying? FWIW, I have a relative with mild epilepsy, and it doesn't manifest in daily fainting at all...but still, good to check it out. And I'm glad you're having a thorough MOT, its about time they gave you the attention needed - fainting all the time is not ok (as if you do'tn know that).

Thanks everyone, we still had the 3am half hour of coughing and severe apnoea, soothed eventually by milk and medised, cuddles in bed with me, humidifier stepped up for a few minutes, etc etc...usual stuff. And she ate a finger of toast and six shreddies for breakfast, and has gone out for walk with dh sucking a chocolate lollipop Maybe her cold is easing??

I missed the snow talk, am of that too - sounds wonderful .

Castles, yes, flies dropping here too - wonder what to do re dd1's party on saturday?? dd2 would love it, and one of us would have to stay home with her and miss dd1's day, yikes, what to do....its a big hall, so maybe??

Elibean, can I have her for you? Seriously. Am not doing anything on Saturday can come round to your house, if you prefer, without any children and look after her whilst you both go. Or I can take her for a long walk. Let me know what you think. Would be very happy to.

Oh, Eli you must be at your wits' end.

To add insult to injury, DD1 has come home with [erk] head lice. Ewww. It's our first experience of them, and it is deeply unpleasant. She hates the nit comb, and I hate having to pull it through her long thick hair. Please god DD2 doesn't get them with her curls, or I may abandon all principles and liberally douse them with chemicals. (I know they don't work. I know.) I feel like a 18th century heroine as well, Castles, all consumptive and lousy. YUK!

Hope they get to the bottom of your ills, Castles.

On the bright side, I am determined to bake my way out of this crisis. I have a freezer full of mince pies, sausage rolls and cheese straws, I've given away hundreds of cookies to teachers, neighbours, rainblow leaders, etc. I've just put DD2's cake in the oven (Nigella's scrummy sour cream one. I don't have to keep it in the fridge until I ice it, do I?) This afternoon I think I might make an orange and yoghurt cake... I do love Christmas.

Castles - good that you are having proper check up.

I have been to GP and he has confirmed steroids and ABs have mostly cleared up my chest. Insists I use preventer every day all year round though now.

DD1 and 2 seems to be quite chipper. Counting days until Christmas in the hope we dont get the D&V bug going around.

Indith don't read this - I'm serious

My friend just gave birth to a 11lb 4oz daughter. Waterbirth. I'm in shock.

Bet she is to!

Castles - also glad you are getting seen to, sounds like it is about time.

Eli, am thinking of you both. And willing you through the next 3 weeks.

AoA - pleased you are all on the mend, hopefully in time for xmas. Preventer sounds like a good plan. It stops all but the worst for my DH. He only really suffers badly now when he has colds or hayfever or is otherwise ill. That said, he also suffers if we stay in hot or air conditioned rooms so maybe a humidifier might be in order

BP - can I come for tea please and raid your freezer??

Goodness, hot lemonaid all round to the sick ones (my mother's remedy) I hope they get something figured out for you this time castles.

ewww, at the lice, bp. Can't imagine doing all that baking I wish I had the energy. It sounds delicious!

and a huge at the 11 pounder!!!!

Wow Lennied. That is a big baby.

I'm sure you are right about the preventer. Using it year round (as opposed to just winter) makes it seem more permanent a condition though, I guess.

yikes at lice, BP.

So much illness about... Dd is not herself today at all either...very grumpy, flushed and has dark shadows under her eyes. Yesterday, she slept until 1pm and yes, I would normally have woken her before then and gotten her up, but she was very restless during the night before, so I knew she'd be tired(as was/am I). Today, she's asleep now.

Ds(10)had his Christmas concert last night and it was lovely ~ especially their last carol where the whole of the key stage 2 sang. It gave me goosebumps as they literally put their all into it. They could win any competition with what they sang(O Holy Night)and the way they sang it.

I wanted to recommend(again)NitMix for the head lice business too. It is great for both thick and curly hair(or both together). It is a mix of essential oils and the one you use to comb 'them' out allows easy combing even with their own extra fine comb(I recommend that too)and the rinsing solution that you make up with a different one, you also make into a daily spray which keeps the blighters away as they don't like the smell, though the smell is fab to us!
Google NitMix and have a read. I wish I was on commision! you wont regret buying it(mail order only).

Thanks for the tip, Solo. It's such a funny thing, lice. It just makes me feel like a neglectful mother, even though I know that they attack everyone, regardless of how clean you are.

I'm (frankly) much more concerned about an 11lb baby. Waterbirth?? The resilience of women never ceases to amaze me. (I have no such resilience, having used the sun roof for both births ...)

I've a good mind to stay away from this thread with talk of 11lb children!

This winter seems so bad for illness. Hugs to all those with ill offspring and who are ill themselves. Especially Castles and Eli.

I also want to raid the freezer bp! Sounds fab. I got as far as florentines, and very nice they are too, but have yet to convert the stack of butter and mincemeat into mince pies. Or the chocolate into truffles.

My friend is doing her usual chirstmas dinner gathering at her house on Saturday. Shall I open a book for baby arriving? Who wants tomorrow so that I have to miss it? Anyone want during the starter? Main course? Waters breaking as the pudding is set alight? Surely a party is a good way to make it arrive on due date.

Ds is hopefully on the up. 2 full nights sleep and today he seems intent on sleeping it off as he is on his second nap and has been down for a good hour and a half. Hope that doens't mean bedtimne is screwed! Am feeling much more relaxed after today though as we have not had a single tantrum yet, just a few tears when he got tired and had to be "persuaded" to sleep. I think the disrupted sleep with the terrors or whatever it was followed by being ill having not yet caught up on sleep was all too much and we hit toddler tantrums full pelt with added aggression and violence. Still, happier today, we have even managed to play with some toys without throwing them accross the room, crying, ripping the advent calendar down, emptying the duplo box and throwing it at the tv

Happy birthday for tomorrow to toddlerspain if lurking aorund somewhere

BIL phoned last night and was going on about visiting again. I cannot wait for him to start having children, I really can't. I'm going to be there phoning while his dp is having contractions to ask how long he thinks she'll be so I can pop in for a cuppa when she's done.

Is it really almost Christmas? I swear it hadn't clicked. Last night the Rainbows were all telling me how it was Christmas next week. I thought they were getting ahead of themselves for a moment

Eureka, dd2 asked for food today - and actually ate a bit of it Sleep is still rubbish, throat tugging in etc, but I'm hugely relieved. I guess part of the not eating was virus related - the GP just wasn't sure, but we hoped.

Castles, you're lovely, thank you...sadly, dd2 would be miserable being left with anyone she didn't know very well, and I think we'll just take her for a part of the time and whisk her off before it gets too sweaty and busy. OTOH, if you think saying you're coming to dd-sit will help you have a morning kid-less to yourself, go for it - you can pop in, wave, and then go put your feet up in cafe next door and drink hot chocolate

BP, dd1 just had a friend over this afternoon who cheerfully said (in the middle of us baking a cake for their head teacher) 'no one has caught my nits at all' so now I'm itching and twitching. I'm also a nit-virgin, still waiting for the first visitor....have NittyGritty at the ready...

Indith, glad your ds is better, and Solo, hope your dd will be ok and not get one of the nastier lurgies of the moment. It really is virus-field day out there atm.

I'm sure I've missed lots of news, but am soo tired, plus more relaxed and therefore feeling it more, so will try and catch up when more rested

Jabber, keep meaning to ask, how were the bells?

Indith - you were warned! All those bold words took time you know!

Indith - sounds like someone is getting ready to have a baby! And if you are opening a book can I have 28th December please? 'Tis DD's birthday, no particular other reason

Yep, xmas in 1 week. Yippee!! I only have to be pregnant for one more week to avoid an xmas babe. And surely I'm entitled not to have my waters break on xmas day this time?

And yep, I'm concerned about the 11lb 4oz waterbirth too!!! Please no

And Eli - yay for food!! I am relieved to hear it, not nearly as relieved as you I'm sure. Now get yourself to bed

Well then, I'll take Dec 22nd because thats dd1's birthday

Not in bed, too much undone stuff to do, but both dds are and thats almost as good. Thanks, LenniEd, you're a wonderful cheerer-on-er.

Now then, how about a book for your date? Or for that matter, on weights for both yours and Indith's baby? Anyone care to start the guessing