March 2008: New thread as they come up to 1!!!

[turtle23]

New thread so that mobiles can cope...

Hi all. Hope that everyone is having a good week.

ILGB I am so sorry! Meant to get to the post office last week, but our local one only opens three days a week (you've gotta love the countryside) and with all the birthday planning it completely went out of my head. Will be posting it tomorrow. Glad to hear you have a work plan. If it helps at all, freelancing it working really well for me at the moment, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Hoorah for the bumshuffling, PHN (love your new name by the way, made me chuckle).

Birthday party on Sat was great fun, but exhausting. Boydog is afraid of balloons, so the 30 that my MIL bought and insisted I blow up made the weekend a nervous one for him. Ff loved them though! She was thoroughly spoiled. Anticipating this, Bloke and I bought her presents that were more for us - a Rolling Stones t-shirt, an Arsenal kit with her name on the back, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, some bubbles, and a Makka Pakka toy (DP, she is all about Makka Pakka...occasionally Iggle Piggle gets a cuddle, but she doesn't want to know about Upsy Daisy!). I asked my friends to get her books, so she had some awesome board and paperbacks (Meg and Mog, the Gruffalo etc) and a BEAUTIFUL hardback Winnie the Pooh, which is going high on a shelf until she is old enough. Until then she can make do with my copy, complete with scribbles from when I studied it at uni. A swing and lots of clothes from my family, and a big fat cheque from PIL. Have only just finished the party food...I was a bit worried about all of the sugar she consumed (not least the huge chunk of pink icing she ripped off the top of the cake while we were singing to her) but she went to bed at her usual time and we didn't hear a peep until 8 the next morning. (Which I was very grateful for, because we celebrated my birthday in the evening, and I got a bit drunk). I can't believe that she is one now. Scary scary stuff.

Hello all

Am feeling a little flummoxed by all the In the Night Garden references as dd is completely disinterested in it... do you think there's something wrong with her?!

Went to CM today to start the settling in process. Work are being really awful and refusing any part time/flexible options that I can think of. As a result I am taking another 3 weeks off using accrued leave, then doing 4 day weeks in April (that took some arguing as it was!) and then have to be FT in May . With the 3 hours of commuting a day I am really worried about how little I will see dd but hopefully once I am back I will be able to negotiate some wfh/condensed hours etc. If I need to will do a formal request, but want to get the measure of my new boss first. But that aside am really happy with the CM which is good. dd loved it there. Staying with her for an hour again on Thursday and then leaving her for an hour on Tuesday... We move house in 2 weeks so the plan is she should be settled enough that she can be with the CM on moving day. fingers crossed. the bad news is that CM can only take her 2 days a week... my sister is going to do 2 days/week for april but not sure what we're going to do come May. nursery probably. All very scary.

Belated happy birthday to Sanam and Ffion - both sound like they had lovely birthdays. And happy birthday to FF too! (Have to ask - Ff what was your degree? English? Just curious re studying Winnie the Pooh!!!)

And to finish a request for tips... dd always wakes up at 5.50am (apart from today which was 4.30am for some bizarre reason). Any tips as to how to change her to a more reasonable 6.30/7am? Can't keep her up later as she practically falls asleep sitting up at 7.30 if she's not in bed. Thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Howdy do, Derah and Jay? Good to see you back in these parts. [Not sure why I've taken on a Southern accent.]

CM we don't watch ITNG as I find it quite creepy, so don't worry, G has no idea about it either. OH, and no, I haven't had a facial at Ark, but my DH did about 5 years ago. I've had other treatments - good for mani/pedi.

So, pants does that mean G is the only non-mover? He's definitely trying to move a bit, and occasionally pushes backwards, but that's about it. It's quite funny at Gymboree; he often just lays there on his front. It looks so funny in such a active environment. I keep telling him I'm paying good money for him to just lounge around.

What fun birthdays everyone seems to be having. I still can't decide whether to do a party for G at home. Sounds like hard work, but other options are pretty expensive. I've found a few nice toys for him online as I don't expect he'll get many presents from relatives.

Gearing up for our trip to the States in two weeks. I'm in denial though; I can't believe I'm doing it on my own. Give me strength.

Hi all and a very warm welcome to derah and Jays, long time ladies, hope you'll stick around.

CM - good luck with the move, I found it v.stressful as I was so disorganised but I am sure you are more sorted than me. Are you staying local? Also, FWIW, the idea of work was a lot worse than the reality when I went back (although I hate it now, but not because of leaving DD so much just market is soooo tough).

I have been onsite at a conference and exhibition this week and the exhibitor party was last night at Sound and was a really good evening although I STILL feel hungover which is never good.

No idea what to get DD for her 1st birthday, links and suggestions welcome, we're having a birthday tea at my Mum's house so I don't have to do any hosting. Result!

Good to hear everyone is doing well, such an exciting time all these birthdays and all the moving. Got DD her first shoes at the weekend but her feet are titchy so look really sweet.

Derah - so glad you are back!! I did a staged withdrawal of bf in Dec and it worked well for both me and DD. Good luck.

We are obsessed with ITNG over here and Sanam is a Macca Pacca kid of gal. I thik the show is great (not to mention buys me 20 min to eat my lunch without having to eat like a ravenous wolf) Anyone else worried about how much Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy snog?

CM I have the same problem with sleep - dd has suddenly started doing a 5:30 wake up. I have tried to push it back but she is really sleepy at 6:30, even after sleeping 2 hrs during the day (she's down to one nap but total is 13, well within reccommended hrs). If I put rice in her bedtime milk (am sure this is against the laws of Gina Ford or something but I don't care) she sleeps til 6, sometimes 6:30. So I have nnothing to offer just commiserating. Maybe some babies are just on the 6:30 clock??

ps you can also try and adjust the milk food ratio (less milk). along with the rice it helped me a bit, bought me that half hr

No need for ITNG here as DS is perfectly happy watching the weather report When having breakfast he stops wolfing down his weetabix to turn his head 180 degrees and watch the lovely Carol on BBC Breakfast!

Welcome back derah!

CM- ditto on the early starts- 6 o'clock is the norm and 5 o'clock isn't unusual. She only sleeps about 1-2 hrs a day in 2 naps, normally about 1.5hrs all in and is impossible to keep awake much past 7. We're trying to stuff her at teatime to see if that makes a difference (not yet). We obviuosly had this problem with DS as well because at some point we decided to give him supper with his bedtime milk. It hasn't really made any big difference, I think some children are just early risers. On the plus side, they are both in bed and fast asleep by 7.15 and parents are pouring glasses of wine and having long baths. Keeps us sane.
The staggering thing is that whether the kids are up at 5, 6 or 7 DH still is scrambling around at 5 to 8 barking at DS 'HOW ARE WE LATE AGAIN!!'.

CM Yes, my degree was English Lit. I took a few Children's Lit modules, much to the consternation of my hard working housemates, mostly because my master plan at the time was to make my living writing books for children (hollow laugh) but partly because it meant I could lie about reading Pooh, Matilda, Narnia etc instead of bothering with any of that Shakespeare nonsense. (Actually, I did a fair chunk of the Bard too, but it wasn't as much fun!)

Feel for the early risers. I made the mistake of asking a mum at singing group how much her LO slept, because I was worried that maybe ff was sleeping too much. I received a death stare for my troubles, and have never since mentioned that she sleeps til 7.30am, and still has two sleeps in the day. A friend had an early riser though, and took to giving him a weetabix just before bedtime, which she found helped.

What a glorious day! We've been out with the dogs. They had a huge run off their leads, and got to chase some other dogs in the sunshine, so I didn't feel too bad about chaining then to the fence while Ff and I played on the swings and the slide. (Park was deserted, so rather than just put Ff on th eslightly pathetic little slide, i sat her in my lap for a few goes on the huge twisty one. Great fun!) Waitrose this afternoon, to stock up on goodies for watching the rugby tonight - Come On Wales!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Hi Ladies. Hope everyone is well?

I am well and truly back into the swing of full time work now, in some respects it doesn't feel that i've been away. I have to keep reminding myself that I've been off for a year!!

Proud mummy emoticon time. Luke is walking and has been for the last week and a half. The nursery told me that on Wednesday he walked everywhere. He tends to look around the room until he spots someone watching him then he'll pull himself up and off he goes, grinning at whoever is watching him. He's not at all self conscious.

We're having just a small party on his birthday at home with close family and the babies from my post-natal group. Better start stocking up on food, its only 2 weeks away

Hello derah. Nice to 'see' you again. How is your eldest DD? Do they get on well. My DSD's absolutely adore Luke.

Anyway better go as lunchtime is nearly up. Cricketsmum, good luck with the move.

Thanks all... sounds like we might have to learn to live with it. Little angel slept till 7 this morning (think she was making up for the 4.30am yesterday) so not feeling so sorry for myself today.
Timmy - cool news re walking. dd is nearly there, but every time she realises that she's walking solo she panicks and falls over!
Went into work today to speak to new boss and am so mixed about going back now! Will be so nice to be in the grown up world again... it's just balancing everything that will be tough, but i think every mum has that challenge and no one has the exact answer yet so will have to just try and find something that works for us all. That easy!
thanks for comments re move too. Ewe moving up to Tadworth so still fairly local.
not even vaguely organised but still 2 weeks away so not panicking just yet. Are you settled into your new place now?
Hope everyone has a good weekend, and the sunshine persists, and England beat Ireland tomorrow (apologies to any Irish people out there, it's nothing personal!)

mnfm how do you put rice in the milk. would help george ++ who sleeps best with carby tea meal in him, but eats that 2-3 hours before bed...now going through 7 to 0530, but got daddy with an 0430 special this morning. poor souls.

gettign excited about birthday now, not that we're doing much. still haven't decided what to buy.

had a wonderful zoo trip this am. gg was sort of flumoxing out of his seat with joy at the animals. he adores itng but doesn't get much of a look in as our now severely limited tv watching (ie i'm not ill and using it to keep ds1 entertained!) means ds1 is getting first dibs on choice and is far to grown up for this baby program (as he grandly informs me)

sold the p&t e3 yesterday. End of an era for us, but so good to be a 1 pram family again

Hello all. Thought I'd pay a sentimental visit as dd is 1 tomorrow and I've been thinking "this time last year" lots. And mainly I was here. How did the babies turn into little people so fast?
I'm also trying to stop bf (since she bit me hard the other day). It isn't easy. She's a rather bad sleeper too but very happy and has been walking (and climbing) for a while.

We use the evening ITNG as part of her bedtime routine (hangs head in shame emoticon). It is the only TV she sees, and it is like baby heroin...she is utterly transfixed the second it starts, and it calms her totally, so as soon as it finishes we settle down for her final bf, and as soon as that is finished she is off to bed. A plus to this is that I can 'forget' to change the channel and watch Charlie and Lola while she feeds . It just means that we can have dinner together at a reasonable time, meaning I can settle down to work as soon as she is in bed. I actually quite like ITNG, although Bloke is worried about Makka Pakka and his obvious case of OCD. We think w'll have to explain to Ff that outside of the Night Garden, washing other people's faces when you meet them is possibly somewhat anti-social...

Have been looking forward to a trip tomorrow to Salisbury to see Ff's godparents for a while (they used to live across the road, so we have missed them a lot since they moved). Haven't seen them since New Year. Now am even more excited, as Bloke just let me know that he has asked the ILs to come and stay here, so it is an adult's only trip - Boydog, Girldog, and Ff are staying here with Grandma and Grandad. That means lots of wine, a big lie in, and being able to leave the house without spending three hours packing the car full of baby and dog paraphenalia. Is it bad that I am so excited?

Enjoy the rugby, CM. We're settling in now for the Wales game...cracking open the Brains SA.

Hello again - still sorta here but having one of those mad weeks so no time to catch up yet... I'll get there!!!

Derah

Have to add quickly - poor Allie loves ITNG too but DD1 (who is 3.5) is into DVDs and has lost interest in CBeebies at the mo so poor Allie is losing out!

Hello Derah, Jay and Noolia plus everyone else. Charlie's 1 tomorrow so gearing up for the weekend. DP is currently assembling his Smart Trike. Woohoo!!!!

Gosh Derah, x posted with saying hello!

Happy birthday Charlie!!

Ff - quick thread hijack... I just saw that you're doing proofreading from home. I'm a newly qualified and registered proofreader - any tips on where to find work? I know it can be a tough business to break into but I'm a little lost and confused as to how to start!

Oh, and Merryberry, forgot to say I was ROFL at your enthusiastic puppy greeting!! And happy wags and jumping up and down to you too!!

woof

Happy birthday Charlie and noolia's DD!

Ff - commiserations for last night. I'm not too sad though as my family supports Ireland (mum is Irish) so if we stuff England today then I'll be happy If you're a big rugby fan you'll be impressed with my very random celeb spot this week - two French players (Raphael Ibanez and Serge Betsen) helping someone move into a house 3 doors away from me!

merry - my friend uses something scandinavian for her 13mo son at night called something like vellig which she translates as gruel (makes it sound nasty!). Anyway it's a cereal/milk combo and seems to help keep him fuller. Definitely something similar (Holle I think) in Waitrose in the baby section - baby cereals that can be served thick as a breakfast cereal or thinner as more of a drink.

Commiserations FF. I promise we were cheering for Wales FWIW. So much for my sunshine request... hopefully I haven't jinxed the England game too (HQ that's fighting talk!). And continuing the Rugby claims to fame... I sat next to Martin Johnson at Twickenham (England vs Wales) 2 years ago. He's quite grumpy it must be said. (And bl**dy ENORMOUS!)

Happy birthday to Charlie and noolia's dd.

Barely slept last night (even though not a peep from dd) as was stressing about how on earth we are going to make the juggling act that is me working full time, commuting and dd's childcare work. At the moment dh and I cannot see a solution that doesn't involve me doing about 6 hours of travelling a day or him being late for work everyday and then leaving early too (possibly not a great career move). Have spent most of the morning in tears about it all. It is not supposed to be this difficult! The issue is that I (apparently) cannot sustain my career, and live where we do, and provide the level of care I want for dd... but not sure which bit of the cake I want to sacrifice. Am soooo at how short sighted my boss is being about flexible working options. Rant over. Back to the tissues! Hope everyone else is having a better day.

FF - have a lovely time in Salisbury... make sure you relish that lie-in!! !

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Very sad about the rugby, but I suppose you can't win all the time. (Although it would be nice.)

HQ Awesome spot. I used to live in the same village as Neil Jenkins, so we used o see Welsh players with him in the pub quite often. CMI LOVE Martin Johnson. I know I shouldn't, because I am Welsh, but good lord those thighs... I hope that you find a solution to the work thing. Have you spoken to HR to see if there is a policy that will allow you to be more flexible?

Am already fantasising about lying in bed in the morning, not having to listen out for Ff rattling the cot bars, shouting (conversely) 'Dadadadadada' for a breastfeed. And drinking as much wine as I can before bed, without feeling guilty. Hoorah!

Derah - I worked for Oxford University Press, so most of my work comes from them. I approached some other publishing companies, emailing my CV. (Looking for Production Editors on their websites is the best way to find the correct contacts.) If you email me ([email protected]) I can give you some names at OUP.