May 2008 - The Third Thread.... Hot sausage and Mustard continued.....

[Haribosmummy]

New thread... Hoep this one is a bit more accessible!!!

LM Can't sleep again , so tried to look at dresses, couldn't get link to work to flower girls, so more ! But yours looks lovely, simple and elegant, excellent choice. Will have to try link to girls dresses when had some sleep and then it might work I think I may have passed on my sleep deprivation brain to the machine, more .

off to sort out clothes now and do useful things I haven't been able to do with 2 kids to look after all day. One of whom is testing the boundaries everytime he gets a sniff of me being in a bad mood, and making me want to leave him by the side of the road on drives home like I threaten, but hope I never have to carry out. And the other is Mr Whinge since he has the cold/virus/tonsilitis the rest of us have had and is going through really bad separation anxiety. Do love them but was really fed up with both of them by about 11am this morning

Think positive , only another mad busy day tomorrow instore

Yay, I can work a computer even when brain dead from no sleep in days! Managed to look at dresses by putting in what was written at bottom of screen. They look lovely also, you will look elegant and the girls cute. Perfect!

Ah, thanks nikak. BTW, the woman did make it to hospital.....! DH said it was her 3rd so he was cacking it cos he knows how quick DD2 was and she was only a 2nd baby!!

LM They are both lovely dresses, I am sure you can't wait for the wedding now.

Thought for the morning Thought I'd share. It's from this article.

Sweeping Up Stars
by Kirsty Gunn

Not perhaps so strange, or so bizarre
that I should find myself
again down on my knees
and sweeping up
with dustpan and with brush
the crazed remains
of yet another
afternoon
of glitter and of glue
and paint, the craft
of your inventions, girls,
the 'let's-make-cards!' beginnings
or the 'why-not-paint-today?' exertions
of a certain kind of grey-lit hour,
the time when we've a while yet
till it's tea,
and lunch, the park's long gone ...
It's only
you two here
and me - and makes me think,
you know, consider, just how many
afternoons of this
will I have left
in one small life,
amidst the tax returns and supermarket shops
and work not done and stuff that I'm aware I should
be doing now while on my knees in some strange
corner of the room... That I'll not have much more
of this, the chance
to gather in
the bits of glitter, sweep up brightness
from the floor, to tip into the bin
bright constellations ... How much time
to sweep up stars?

ah baiyu that made me cry!

I've spent much of this morning on the floor with DS as he alternately puts a rubber duck in his mouth and then mine before giggling and taking it away again. THe thought occurred to me that what am i doing at my age pretending to be a toddler when the laundry basket is overflowing, and the bathroom is filthy, and then I thought well it's a little luxury to have the time with DS. Only 2 months and I'll be back at work.

Here's to sweeping up glitter.
Although I have to stay picking solidified ready brek/weetabix off the high chair doesn't sound quite so poetic

Hi FMLs

Hope everyone's well. I read this thread every few days but never seem to have time to post anymore.

It was my dad's 60th last weekend & took ages of organising. We had a lovely weekend until dd started vomiting (she's never been properly sick before) during the night at my dad's. We managed to then give her bug to me, my dad, 4 of my sisters, dp and my sister's dp too!

Had a bad mad mummy moment yesterday. Dd's always on the move now (she's taken a few unaided steps but is walking holding on) and I thought it was ok to leave her in the hallway for literally a minute while I watched an advert on tv (don't ask). It goes quiet & as I turn to leave the room I see dd looking proudly at me through the bannisters from the 5th step on the stairs! I didn't know if to tell her off or what. She then started to clap little darling!

Off to meet my director today who's trying to persuade me not to resign. I really don't want to go but I've nothing to lose. Truth is I don't feel like getting dressed & made up today.

Two quick questions. What do your dcs eat on a usual day (how much & what kind of food) and what do you do with them? We read lots of books every day & sleep a bit (because we don't sleep enough at night!), go to the park etc but don't do much painting etc. Does everyone else do activities already?

Take care all
MM [WINK]

DS is only 10 months so his principal activities are eating books and any paper he can find while my back is turned; cruising around the house; banging everything together and bouncing up and down whether in cot or door bouncer!

I try to plan shopping/errands/visits to friends and my moonwalk training so that we get out of the house every day for some reason. We still do a weekly swimming class. Much of the day is taken up with his naps, eating, clearing up after eating and endeavouring to remove and replace nappies since he hates lying down for that now! I did try him with crayons and I will continue to have a go but he does just want to eat them so I think he is a bit young for painting. He's started to show a little more interest looking rather than just eating books but we don't do as much reading as I would like. We play with maracas,tambourine, building blocks, baby lego (bigger than duplo but can't find it anywhere except charity shops), and I give voices and noises to all his soft toys which makes him laugh. Other successful toys are pull alongs with pieces that can be removed, stacking shapes and beads on a wire frame. I play him CDs and sing and dance around the room which makes him giggle lots.

We're doing BLW with loaded spoons for messy stuff. Water offered at each meal in a sippy cup.
Breakfast is usually some combination of ready brek/porridge/weetabix/toast/fruit/yoghurt/fromage frais.
Lunch is whatever I am having so typically bread/soup/cold meat/cheese/salad or leftovers from a previous dinner followed by some fruit. I take rice cakes with cream cheese/houmous and cucumber sticks if we are out and about so that he always has something he'll eat.
His dinner is usually our leftovers from the night before so this week it has included risotto,meatballs,spanish rice, dal, potato wedges, haggis, broccoli,cauliflower cheese, fishcakes and normally we finish with yoghurt or fromage frais.
He also has breastmilk on waking, mid morning, mid afternoon (possibly twice in the afternoon depending on his nap times), bedtime and once or twice more during the night. I've started offering a mid afternoon rice cake/savoury biscuit as well particularly if we are out and I want him to hang on a bit before I give another milk feed. He's definitely taking less milk from me than he used to during the day.

The food quantities are difficult to assess since it does get spread around rather! He'll eat almost a whole weetabix for breakfast if hungry and would normally finish half a normal yoghurt carton as part of a meal. I try not to get hung up on quantity

Hi MM and GW our Los sound v similar in terms of food.

DS is a year now and stands up (all the time) and is cruising around furniture a bit but not walking. We've put a stairgate up now as he can go all the way up the stairs, has been able for a while now.

We do a swim class once a week and visit friends/go shopping maybe once a week, he naps 10-11 ish and 3-5ish and always in his cot, so we fit round that. He likes playing with building bricks and crawling round the garden.

Food wise, we bLW and he has
8am bottle
9am breakfast
11am snack
1 or 2 pm bottle
2ish lunch
5pm tea
6.30 bottle, asleep by around 7-730

For breakfast it's usually a slice of buttered toast or a weetabix plus fruit. Morning snack, more of the same. Lunch is whatever I'm having, often roasted fish/veggies, chicken fajitas, chicken and rice, some pasta dish. For tea, usually remains of lunch or fruit and maybe ricecakes, usually smeared with philadelhia.

I sometimes give him yoghurt on a loaded spoon or greek yoghurt just dolloped on the high chair tray and he likes semaring it around. When we're out and about I take fruit/veggies/rice cakes etc. My favourites for out and about are

mini babybel
tortellini
little pancakes (more like drop scones actually)
prunes.

We read a book every evening, after his bottle and just before I put him in the cot. He loves the touchy feely Usbourne ones.

Baiyu that made me cry too....I need to remember that. If you've seen Mamma Mia...(which I'm sure most of you have) the 'slipping through my fingers' song always makes me howl cos I saw the film when I was suffering with PND last year and I just didn't enjoy spending time with the girls....the song is about time slipping away and kids growing up too fast. It really made me think at the time. It still makes me cry. (It didn't help that the girl in the film is called Sophie!).

Anyway, I digress!!!

MM DD2 has about 7oz formula (from a cup) then a whole weetabix, about 8am. midday lunch of sandwich and cheese or fruit or yogurt. 4:30pm tea of hot food, either finger feeds herself or spoon fed depending on meal. 7oz milk in cup at night 6pm. Bed. Water with meals too BTW.

Play wise I think it's definitely easier having two as they amuse each other. Saying that, even when DD1 is at playgroup she just amuses herself or we play together. DD1 generally likes emptying cupboards, banging things, eating books , climbing things, riding her little ride on car or sitting on rocking horse (sounds v posh huh? It was a gift!). I don't do any formal crafty type stuff with DD2 (I do with DD1 when DD2 asleep). We meet up with friends, go swimming, go to the park etc etc. She still naps twice a day.

LM

Just a quickie from me.

Baiyu - Another one who thought your poerm was gorgeous. I'm a sucker for sentimentality. I watched Marley and Me at the weekend with DSD2 and the two of us wailed (and, what's worse, I've read the book so KNEW how it was going to end... AND I read the book on a flight back from NY and howled for the last hour on that too... what a wuss!!!)

I def. view time as more precious since having DS. He is growing so fast - he's crawling and pulling himself up now and it won't be long before he's walking - then he'll be able to run away frmo me while shouting NNNNOOOOOO MUUMMMYYY

It doesn't seem so long ago that DSD1 was just starting school and DSD2 was in nappies and they are 14 and 11 now!!!! [eek emoticon!]

Anyway, enough waffling - Just want to wish everyone a lovely happy and peaceful Easter.

HM x

Fuzzypeach Sorry to hear that you are feeling low. Don't feel bad for shouting at your DC, we all do it. It is shit when your DH have to work long hours, my DH hasn't gone away yet and will be staying in the office on a permanent basis, with the occasional trips away. So is home every night. But I know how hard it is when they work shifts and are not home for bedtimes etc. Are there any catering manager type jobs which are only day shift in your area that he could keep an eye out for? (I know easier said than done)

Also I am sure being up with DD2 last night doesn't help. I hope things improve.

(((((((Hugs))))))))

Fuzzypeach - sending you a big hug. We all know it gets so tough sometimes. Hope you feel brighter tomorrow. Make sure you let us know you're ok. MM

Monkeysmana How did the chat go with your boss about returning to work?

Fuzzy How are you feeling since taking your AD again?

FP - (((((((((HUGS)))))))))))

Sorry you had a bad day. The job situation is just so crap at the moment, I think everyone is feeling the pressure.

I hope you are feeling brighter today.

I actually think it's easier to cope when your DP / DH isn't about at all, then when he SHOULD be there but is working (esp. for NO overtime! ). I know I have to do everything when DH is away, but find myself getting more and more tetchy when he's at home but doesn't help out (does that make sense!)

Mind you, DS has been up since 4:30 this morning and I'm absolutely shattered - I could have happily sent DS off to Ukraine with DH this morning

HM X

FP sorry to hear things have got too much over the last few weeks. I was rubbish at taking my ADs since I was so busy, I'm sure you've got them back on track now. It probably hasn't helped with the eating solids thing. I get stressed when I think the DCs aren't doing what they're 'meant' to do, sounds like she's getting the idea. I hope this week sees in improvement in your mood x

HB would DS have been any help in the Ukraine?

Hi Niknak - No, I don't think DS would be much use in Ukraine, but I'd have got to go back to sleep DS is moving SOOOO FAST now - I have to watch him like a hawk!!! The boy can make mischief in seconds!!!! I have NO CLUE how I'm going to manage with two [scared emoticon]

Mind you, I'm really looking forward to starting some new activities with DS. He's really bored of monkey music and the like now (and we never got on with signing!!) though he still adores swimming!! but we are starting a messy play group this week and also a gym class (oh, I know, I'm a total PFB but it does sound like good fun, and I think being able to move around will suit DS better now!!!)

I've also decided to train as a teacher. I've ummed and ahhed about it for ages, but it's really the only child friendly option I have and I am qualified for it. So, I'm starting in January 10 - I'm still trying to decide whether I should try to find a local school to complete some training as an unqualified teacher. It's not essential and would be easier not to (with childcare etc. as the baby will only be about 5 months old) but I have a feeling that the experience is going to be of far more importance to me than the subject matter (chemistry, which I know like the back of my hand!)

Well, better go, Harry has tired of his toys and is trying to decide whether to attack the laptop / cable or simply leave the room... Seems leaving the room is the preferred option... must go!!!

Hi all.

Fuzzy sorry to hear you've been feeling down, it's hard this parenting thing, isn't it? Hope you're feeling a bit better now.

Haribo you'll be fab with 2! Look how fab a job you've done with DS in really very difficult circumstances, being on your own so much. I would imagine it'll be tough, but you'll be great I'm sure! . The teaching sounds like the right way to go. As a teacher (of english to foreigners...mostly kids) I would really recommend watching/observing experienced teachers or some teaching practice. It's by far the best way to learn. Good luck! How's the pregnancy going? You must have a little bump by now? and feeling movements too I expect. What about names, got any in mind?

Well, I'm a bit worried I might be up the duff too. I really don't think so, think it's just a weird period but CD 42 today and no sign. Getting a tad concerned.

ooops sorry, outed myself if you've been reading conception threads. It's macaco here. Forgot to namechange back. Don't know why I changed name anyway, just feel more anonymous when it's something embarrassing and it's a public, googlable forum after all.