Jan '07 part 30: where some of us are postnatal, some are antenatal and the rest are plain ANTInatal!

[2Happy]

Wilkie - congrats on the blue

Shimmer - glad you're enjoying it, sounds totally exhausting

Raisin/eandh - ditto on sleep deprivation. Am shattered. And have so much less patience when shattered

Who was asking about milk? I don't intend to swap mine over to semi skimmed any time soon TBH. I admit I am totally anal about what they eat and drink, but as far as milk is concerned, I feel they are 2 healthy and very active kids in no danger of obesity. I think at this age they need calories, especially since I'm so anal about what they eat otherwise !

We had a burst water main here, which was a PITA as these things are. The whole mains pipe is rusted to hell. But the complete donkey who had the house before us built an extension over the water main, so if we decided to replace the whole pipe to prevent more bursts (or if we don't replace it and wait until it does burst again) we would have to dig up the floor and remove half of the kitchen to reach it . This is the same twat as did DIY plumbing and electrics which left us with an enormous leak in an unearthed house

Congratulations!! Fantastic news
Glad it all went well x

PCF - Happy Birthday/Anniversary/Birth Congratulations!!!
I love that you wrote you probably wouldn't be doing much on Sunday! So glad Toby has arrived safe & sound. Lots of love to you & your family xxx

Whats everyone else been up to?

I've had a mare of a weekend, small house + too many relations + too much alcohol = nightmare for (sober) me. So pleased to be almost back to normal. Just have a filthy house.
DP got his huge freecycle gas BBQ working like a dream though. He was very chuffed!

Right, need to clean a bit as DJ has a mate coming for tea and my house is covered under a layer of grot. Bleurgh x

PCF BIG Congrats . Sounds like you have everything well under control. Enjoy the time having your dh at home, and don't worry. Glad the big brothers are enjoying their new responsibility.

All not too bad here, although today found out Ben has tongue tie. Am sure someone had this with their lo. 2Happy - was it you?? Need to ring tomorrow for appointment to get it snipped , hopefully next Tues. Is this why my left nip hurts so much .

Hope all else well.

Wilkie - you're next

Lizz why were you sober??

Rgee my friend at works little boy was tounge tied he had it snipped it was all straight forward and a quick procedure. She struggeled to bf x

Reg - it turned into an essay so have sent it to you by email, hope it helps!

Rgee - i was sober coz I was working/cooking/washingup/looking after DJ... !! (nothing else I promise !)

DJ had a tongue tie, they snipped it when he was a day old. Literally just a pair of surgical scissors, the midwife did it.

Ugh, he's doing a smelly poo. Must go....too many grapes!

Thanks all. 2H your essay was fab - cheers for that.

PCF - well done and congratulations!!! Am so pleased for you and what a nice little weight

RGee - all I would say is don't let them talk you into letting it 'stretch' - our friends have done this with their little girl on the advice on their consultant as opposed to having it snipped and she now has a terrible lisp plus the tongue tie is quite prominent. To have it done now (she is 3) will involved a general anasthetic. How is BFing going BTW?

Last day at work tomorrow - thank christ. Am v snarly today.

congrats pcf, glad all ok with the birth and that dh is around for a bit to give you a hand. Hope he finds a new job soon.

Rgee - ouch! about your sore nip. Have you slathered it in lansinoh? Hope all ok xxx

Wilkie - it won;t be long until its your turn! Wonder if this little one goes overdue???!!

Lizz - hope you got your house back to normal ready for DJ's friend coming for tea. What did they have to eat?

our garden still isn't finshed . I am fefd up of it. Dh id fed up of it. Whenever he is doing it I have to look afte e&s so I am fed up of doing that on my own. I feel like we aren't enjoying any of our time off together because of it. I can't wait for it to be FINISHED. Everyhting we need to finish it is coming on sat so fingers crossed it won't be much longer. I am fed up at work at the moment too so not in the best of moods all round. On abrighter note sylvie starte crawling last week and is bombing about now, finally drinking water and eating proper food so hooray hooray about that. Ellen is now in the big girls room at nursery (where she willbe until she goes to school) so she is a little one there and wails when I leave her. She enjoys the day though and proudly talks about being 'upstairs'. She seems so grown up sometimes and such a pain in the bum at others!!

CONGRATULATIONS PCF!! Hope all is well with you and all 3 LOs!

Evening - hope everyone ok

Rgee/PCF - how are those babies

Vino - hope you are ok you sound a bit fed up

Lizz - hope you are all cleared up now

Wilkie - yeah no more work for 9 months

Not much else to say, Hattie came to work with me this morning - was interesting then I earned my friendship 'halo' as neighbours opposite locked herself out so took her, her dog (I am not a dog lover!) and her dd in my car to her mums to get spare key then got in and Eddas phoned she had a puncture at work so nipped back out collected her dd from school (ds was at childminders) then she decided she was staying for tea/bath etc so dropped her back at bedtime!! Actually it was lovely for Ellie to see her and they were very excited at the impromptu tea party

mememe post alert.
gahhh 3 hrs sleep last night and he's only just settled. he has fed NON STOP for seemingly ever. arrrghhh left nip. lansinoh is fab.
only just had my vbreakfast now.

tongue snip either tomorrow or wed - looking like wed but want it to be 2morrow.

dh off to london 2morrow for the weekend - drinking and footie at wembley. boo. in-laws are moving in to help thankfully but wont be able to wander round house with my chegs out.

off for 2nds of brweakfast now.

Rgee - Your poor nip! Hope the snip of the tongue tie makes it more comfy for you!

Eah - You are such a good neighbour!

Shimmer - Hows it going? Are the builders nearly done yet? We are off to Spring Barn Farm outside Lewes tomorrow - it £5.50 for Dj and £6.50 for me, so I am intending to get my monies worth - have you been?

I've just been to my pilates lesson. I love it so much. I wish I was rich and could do it every day. Its superdouper!

PCF - Just seen your Toby photos on FB. So utterly cute! It puts it in perspective how huge 2 year olds are compared to newborns. Very lovely. xxx

oh fick. i am such a lightweight. formula cracked open today - can't take ther paih any more, and certainly not til wednesday when his tongue gets sbnipped. mw said to pump but just been doing it for ages on full boob and one drop came out

Reggie - you are not a lightweight, you have managed 10 days/2 weeks (?) so pat on the back to you! No point in doing it if you are miserable/in pain etc PLUS you have P to deal with so don't be hard on yourself. I hope I manage as long but got a feeling if it doesn't happen nice and easily I will crack quickly (have tub of Aptamil in wardrobe ready to go )

Well, am on second day of mat leave and already a teensy bit bored...! I just want bubs to be here. Have I mentioned that I don't like being pg???

JJ gone to PILs for weekend so will get a lay in tomorrow - whoo!

Def dont feel bad Rgee like Wilkie says you have done really well. I remember that awful pain and dread of each feed from Luke and it is really hard. If it gets better when he has had the toungue tie cut, you can always try going back to feeding him as long as you keep up the expressing/some of the feeds.

The first few times I tried expressing I didnt get much either. I have never been great at it but I found that if you have the bit that goes against your boob as hot as pos (or put a very hot flannel on your boob before), try your best to relax, making sure your shoulders are pulled down rather than hunched up, not looking at pump after it is in position all helped me.

Whatever you do dont feel bad about any choices you make that help you to be a happy mummy rather than a stressed/sad mummy xxx

Rgee - Ditton Wilks and Dragon. Every little bit helps. Hope it doesn't hurt too much to get your milk to stop.
Can I just ask what kind of expresser were you using? If you have access to an electric one, they are a gazillion times better than hand held ones. I hated my hand held one, but my Medala electric one was a thing of beauty.

Wilkie - I am utterly jealous of you & the rest of you on mat leave. I'd get pg just for that right now!

I had tons of cuddles with my friends 4 week old DD today. Shes sooooo tiny and cute. But she's a terrible sleeper, and my friends DS who is 18 mo has stopped sleeping nicely too, so she's run ragged. And ta-dah my reason for not having another kid! purely selfish, but I am basically too lazy!

My house is a bomb site (DJ emptied his tea onto the carpet) 2 loads of washing need getting inside, but its cold now, and my tea will take 40 mins to heat up. (I've managed to burn a hole through the top of the microwave - oops) Have a ton of ironing to do. DP is out at a baby headwetting....there is half a bottle of pinot in the fridge. In which order should I start?! x

Lizz did you start with the pinot to fuel all the necessary jobs? Dh made us both a g&t earlier (I haven't had one for AGES and AGES) and I commented that they looked quite strong but he laughed it off, then when he finished his said it had gone straight to his head. I could have enjoyed another but best not seeing as I have work in the morning.

I am feeling a bit brighter than when I posted on Monday.

Rgee - Don't feel bad for starting a bottle. I often think about the difference in e&s sleeping habits as babies. I'll never know if its down to stopping bf earlier with s but thats the only thing I did differently. As wilkie said you have done brilliantly giving ben what he has aleady had from you so well done. I would second what lizz said about an elec pump though. I bought a 2nd hand medela pump but I sold it someone else when I stopped using it so can't pass it on sorry.

Wilkie hope you enjoy your lie in in the morning

E&H - how are you?

LAL - did you book people onto freedom direct hols at work? WE have had loads of calls about it at work and I keep thinking of you

PCF - hope TOby is settling in nicely and DH enjoying being at home with you

Ditto what everyone else has said RGee. Don't worry! It really is fine! I feel exactly like Wilkie... I know if it doesn't happen easily for me next time the formula will be out without a second thought.

Lizz how was Spring Barn Farm? F and I have been a few times and think it's fab - it's only about 5 mins from my house. I'm thinking about getting an annual pass though as it is quite pricey.

PCF saw on FB that your DH hasn't been made redundant after all! What a relief!

There was a big picture of our shop in the Guardian Weekend mag. today, which I was very chuffed about! The article's not about the shop at all, it's about moving to Lewes, but still, it's good publicity. Here's the link if any of you non-Guardian readers fancy a look - www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/may/09/lewes-sussex-properties

Rgee - agree with what everyone has said - you should and must do what is right for you saw the new pic on fb and he is beautiful (Hows P gettin on still liking him???)

Shimmer - I saw that article (was a link on fb) it does look so picture-esqe(sp) hows the refurb going?

Lizz - so did you hit the wine then do your list? Hows dj getting on with eating, H turned from the eat everything and anything kid to fussy 'don't like' child, although I am thinking shes so tired by dinner time its too much effort but I really dont want to have to cook her meal at lunch time

Wilkie - hope you are enjoying your child free weekend, hows bump? (how many weeks to go?) I was so bored on mat leave (and I only took 8 days with Ellie and 2 weeks with H!)

Vino - did the garden get finished? I know what you mean about one of you constantly looking after the kids, feels like that here although dh off this week so am sure we'll all be getting on each others nerves by next weekend

PCF - love the new pics of fb who took them? Hows life as a mum of 3?

We are having a at home day today Ellie and I going to do all the hanging baskets/pots and few odd jobs to get done then having bbq later, am going to try and relax as lots of stress going on at work at the moment and am in again tomorrow I know it'll all be fine in the end but at the mo it all seems hard work for little reward

Hi everyone ..... waves .....

Vino iv never heard of freedom direct what is all that about then ?

Rgee fb is fab and I wouldnt worry about the bf issue if you and b are happy thats all that matters.

Wilkie was your child free weekend good ? Not long when are you due ? I bet im on hol again when you have baby I was when vino popped.

Pcf you seem to have taken to 3 children no problem I think I would be on medication . Brill news regarding your dh job too.

Shimmer why cant we live closer the shop looks so fab.

Eah work will get easier mate it just takes time. Have your mum and dad arrived yet ?

Lizz iv been meaning to say for ages my friend who went to the docs with sore boobie is pregnant I just laughed at her.

Dragon how are the kids you seem to cope well with 3 aswell.

Sorry if iv missed anyone. Went to a party yesterday 40 kids bet the party bags cost a fortune.

Im looking forward to my holiday now 4 weeks tomorrow.

LAL what a practical thought about the cost of party bags. Not having hosted a kids party yet that would never have crossed my mind! Am thinking of having a little birthday lunch for a few of sylvies friends and also planning a teddy bears picnic for ellen and her friends in July. it remains to be seen if I actaully get round to it though.

The garden, thankfully, is almost complete. DH and I had another row about it this morning which invovled me telling him I thought he hadn't planned enough jobs for today(!). Anyway he had the place to himself as I left at 9ish to go to my mums for the day. We can't use the new lawn for a week or so but it looks good, sandpit still to be put together and filled, no plants anywhere, etc etc but the main things are done. THANK GOD.

Next weekend DH and I have no kids so I am very excited. We are planning to do do some house jobs but are going out for a meal together on sat night which will be lovely. I have been rediscovering gin and tonic this week. Not had one since before I was pg with sylvie. had forgotten how much I liked them......

my mate ran a half marathon today and I was jealous when she text me to say she'd finsihed it.

We are still struggling with e pushing/biting/slapping s. Tried a mixture of ignoring, naughty chair and time out. So one prob is prob inconsistency. It seems I am a useless disciplinarian....not quite sure what tack to take next. She just pushes me when I bend down to her level to reprimand her. Or says no and laughs.

PCF - those pics of toby are beautful. A useful photographer friend!!

Rgee - your pic of Ben is also very cute. How was the weekend with your lovely in laws? Were you waited on hand and foot? Hope DH not too worse for wear on his return.

Wilkie - sounds like you have enjoyed chilling out without j about (saw your fb status).

Shimmer - free publicity!!!! How kind of the guardian.

2h how are you and the boys?

UD - how are things? I was nosing at your pics of meredith on fb the other night. she looks a cutie too.