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

HAd a v busy week. Work sooo hectic due to weather issues. Away last weekend, working in London on Mon & Tues, then my ma came last night.
Just off to get some tea and hope to catch up later.

PCF - v quickly, max doesn't have a cough does he?

Just flying bye to say hello will try and get on tomorrow to have a read through and post properly

Stompy stompity stomp.
I am soooooo boredy boredity bored!

DP was out last night and is late back tonight because of signal failures all over the place.

I've spent too much "quality" time with my 2 year old and its driven me insane. The tantrums are unreal at the moment!

When DP gets home I'm out for a beer with a neighbour of mine. Poor thing, shes had a pants day too. She works for Surestart, organising playgroups etc and the other day one of the local playgroups was full and she had to turn a mother away (this happens alot, you have to get there early, everyone knows this) Anyway, the mother is a local skag head and sounded off at my mate about how she knows where she lives and how she knows where her (3 year old) daughter goes to nursery, and basically made lots of nasty threats to her. Really awful. My friend didn't say anything as this skaggy bint also goes to a local playgroup which my friend takes her own daughter to on her day off. Anyway, this skaggy bint turned up late again today and made nasty threats to another member of staff who has reported it. Its a horrible thing to have happend, and I swear some people are just evil. So, we are going to go and discuss how to kill the evilwoman put the world to right over a couple of drinks later.
What is the world coming to?

PCF - Z almost always retches and vomits if he has the slightest cough. I think he has a very strong gag reflex (which is what made weaning a total nightmare!) - I'm not saying that's what's wrong with Max but it could be? Try giving some calpol before bed so he doesn't cough as badly, perhaps?

Lizzz - your poor neighbour! That does sound horrible, has she reported this woman too? Enjoy your beer!! Me want!

Hi all, feeling alot better this week. Rachel feeding much better and sleeping through again! Woohoo! Amazing what a bit of extra sleep does.

Rgee- Hope things calm down soon and you get a chance to relax.

Vino- How is the weaning going now? I have sort of started with Rachel, but she is not v interested so thought I would leave it for a week or two. Had forgotten how tedious and slow weaning is after the novelty has worn off!

2happy- Thanks for advice, must have been a growth spurt, but the other two never seemed to have them so bit of a new thing for me.

Pink- Ruth is sick with a cough too. Doesnt even have to be a bad one and often fine in the day. Think it is the catarh (sp?) as much as the cough. GLad all going well with the baby.

Urban- another vote for the play area and coffee and cake. The cake is v important and I choose which play area we go to depending on how good their cake is.

EAH and LAL- Looks like you had a great time in Dublin. You are both looking very gorgeous, relaxed and childfree in the photos

Wilkie- Hope all ok with you.

Lizz- What a horrible lady. Some people amaze me. What kind of mother would threaten another person's kids?! You have lots of sypathy about the tantrums. Ruth is turning into a nightmare. Made much worse by the fact that her speach is still not very good, so she gets frustrated.

Infact I was going to ask your all about speech. Did anyone do baby sign language with their lo? I have found it really good with Luke and Ruth when they were little but I am a little worried that now Ruth is not really saying much, she is just doing the signs and not bothering talking. But if I drop the signs then she wont be able to comunicate very well and will get even more frustrated which will mean more tantrums! Might start a thread on it.

Rant alert!

Just back from London, was down visiting my sister for a few days. Was good fun, the boys were very good on a very long train journey mostly thanks to a portable DVD player - kept hearing people in the carriageway humming "bear necessities" to themselves, we must really have irritated them . The only thing they didn't do well was sleep. It's so much noisier than they're used to, and all the excitement. So they were asleep late and up early every single day. So I got back shattered. dh had hoovered and cooked supper and said he'd done the shopping, I thought isn't he great! And at least it's sunday tomorrow and I'll get one morning off. Fecking dh left me to get up to ds2 when he got up before 6 this morning, and didn't wander out until 7.30 (I assumed he'd been called out so hadn't checked to see if he was around (he was on call)). An hour later he was called out so I've spent the day looking after the overtired kids again, while doing everything dh hasn't bothered his arse to do all week - cleaned the bathroom, emptied the bin, put washing on, hung washing out, done the washing up, written ds2's thank you cards. And although he's been to the shops it looks like all he's bought is some meat and some pears. The boys don't particlalry like pears, he's bought no other fruit and no veg at all, just some mince and some chicken breasts to last me to Friday. And no milk. Fuck's sake, why are men so useless?!

And breathe...

eandh/lal - sounds like you had a great time, where are you going to go next time?!

dh - glad the feeding's a bit easier. Hope she gets the hang of solids soon.

raisin - hope you got a bit of sleep last night. Is Z looking forward to the baby coming?

Reg - never got your email! Not sure what happened to it. dh on call that weekend, so unlikely to have any plans. Impressed at how good the boys were on the train, so definitely up for something.

Trixy - how you doing?

Wilkie - where are you? Hope you're ok

PCF - hope Max feeling better soon

Lizz - will try and remember the programme

Lost track now... hope I haven't forgotten anything!

Oops. That was long

2H arrghhhh sounds a nightmare. Cbeebies definitely the way forward today. It's a shame you will be unable to make your dh any tea this week as the food has to be prioritised for you and the boys. And no milk....??!! Send him out to milk a cow whilst he's on call.

HI Dragon. Hope the illnesses in the DH household are getting better. Our nursery did signing with the lo btw, but I didn't really know much to do it at home beyond please, thankyou, milk. Has her hearing been tested - she obviously knows how to communicate? Was L an early talker?

Raisin I'm assuming because we haven't heard any more (and obviously we'd be the first you told ) you are still at home with the irritating on off contractions.

Lizz hope you had a good night out and your mate was ok. Nice woman .
BTW I think purple = you have stalked said person and checked out their profile recently, whereas blue means you haven't clicked on them. Maybe?

PCF I am slightly concerned this lo is too active. I would quite like him to sleep at some stage! Wonder if the placenta is in a different postition as I am constantly kicked. Didn't feel him til much later than P, but now doesn't stop. It is sooo nice though.

EAH / Lal - sounds like you both had a fab time in Dublin. Haven't seen the pics yet but will have a nose through shortly. I love Joseph - I hope you were singing along!

Vino hope the cold is better.

So, dh in bed. Lo asleep in the day at home . Why oh why does dh stay up until ridiculous o'clock on the nights before it is his turn to get up with lo? 2am he came to bed last night and luckily she didn't wake today until 7.30am. But I took her out a couple of hours ago so he could go back to bed otherwise he'd be a pain all day. He's done it three weekends on the trot, so I kindly told him today that it is the last time he will be able to return to bed after a self inflicted late night. HE is however marginally out of the doghouse cos of the HUGE bouquet of flowers I got, and he cooked our M&S Valentine's meal last night. Big noms!

2h that sounds like dh boys sound like they were very good.
Lal and I are doing Edinburgh next year

Can't remember who has posted what so sorry no personals. We're having a lazy day at home HAttie laying nicely and dh and Ellie playing the new board game I got. Have cleaned through and dh cleaned car and having stew and dumplings for dinner later

Oh and no valentine card for me but he did get the girls to do me some nice pictures whilst I was at work yesterday morning and cleaned u the glitter mess

I have found some carrots.

But the pears are rock hard and inedible

Ooh, eandh, Edinburgh. I might gatecrash

Reg - PMSL at send him out to milk a cow (and don't think for a moment I won't suggest it!!)

we said that when we decided edinburgh, probably be March next year maybe we could have a big meet up

March next year? I can barely sort myself out from one week to another!

Hmm Edinburgh meet up, sounds good though. Are you going to tour round the capital cities each year? Cardiff, Belfast - ooh, you could do London in 2012!

2H have resent the email (and replies from Vino & Wilkie) via Facebook. Hope you get it!

EaH I love Edinburgh. If it was next March I'd probably come (assumes invite). Thought you were talking about next month!

Made a roast this afternoon. Couldn't believe how much lo ate.

Am bored. Might go have a bath but am starting to struggle getting out of it...

Finally I have chance to post !!!!! All I can say is I am never ever ever doing my house up again all in one go . Ok so here goes.

Eah I speak to you every day matie so not alot to say to you . Hows work ? I think you must be on the counter today as you havent rung . Did you get hsm 3 ?

Rgee have you sorted out a name yet for lo ? Glad to here p is ok and eating her dinner like a good girl. Lol think dh will kill me if I left him next month to go on a trip again with eah.

Raisin have you popped yet ?Is z getting excited about having a little playmate ?

Lizz meant to say did you ever receive the pic me and eah sent you from dublin ? Did you go out with your neighbour on a drinking bender in the end . I totally understand what you mean about spending too much time with the lo they drive you nuts.

2happy glad you had a rant and feel better . Do you think your dh would cope if you came to edinburgh lol they are pretty useless arent they after all your dh could deliver a animal but cant get the fruit right .

Dragon glad that r is sleeping through for you and that she is feeding better. L isnt great with her speech she dosent sign she just throws a huge tantrum if I dont understand what she is saying. Aidan seems to speak for her most of the time.

Vino how are the girls ? Are you having anymore luck with s weaning ? I bet your dh was happy with the football results yesterday we have had to buy l a pink everton jacket .

Pcf hows baby bump have you decided on a name yet or is it a big secret . Is a off for half term this week ?

Wilkie how are you feeling ? When do you finish work ? I bet your getting so excited now.

Sorry if iv missed anyone I now need to entertain my kids we are upstairs as decorator is glossing downstairs . I hate gloss.

Woah! Mammouth post from LAL!
I didn't get a photo from you both personally, but I've seen your FB Dubling photos. (is that what you meant?)
Although, my mobile is seriously up the creek and can;t recieve photo messages. REALLY annoying. I think its full of toddler spit or something!

My phone's died too - when people phone me I can hear them but they can't hear me. I think it's baby drool too.

Ew.

Lizzz - was it you who said you'd been on the Thomas Day Out thing? Is it any good?

Lal - the decorating sounds very exciting! Bet it'll look great when it's finished

Reg - thanks! Have emailed you all a reply x

Right, I'd better get onto Asda's website. There's no way we can last until Thursday on what dh bought .

Oh bollocks, it was the wrong address for Loosh - will resend to her only!!

quick one as at work - yes hsm3 is currently in my mums dvd player

lizz we tried to stand in front of that webcam but it didnt work so we sent you a photo message from my phone that you didnt get it!

Yep edinburgh is next march although me and the girls are gatecrashing Lal over teh summer holidays

Ahh! I appreciate that you tried! I thought that the photos of the both of you on that bridge were nearby it.

DJ has just bitten (the fatty part of) my knee, on the inside. Blimey it hurts! Its come up like a big purple and red welt. I totally screamed in shock & pain, which set him off screaming too. I wish he'd stop with the biting thing. Its doing my head in now, like having a little dog. He was sort of being affectionate when he did it too, it wasn't a boistroius moment or anything. And if you ask him what biting is, he will repeat, "biting is nasty, biting is naughty".
I feel awful about him doing it. But short of walloping him next time he does it I don't know what to do!

Lizzz - I'm reading No Cry Discipline Solution atm (by the same woman as No Cry Sleep Solution, obviously) and she recommends that biting is one of the only times when using "time out" is appropriate. She doesn't say use a naughty step or whatever, but just stand over him and say something like, "You are in a time out," and let him have a think about what he's done.

Having said that, my friend's little boy was a biter, and she was very pro-attachment parenting, would never consider time out, or anything like that, and one day her ds bit her - and drew blood through her jeans - and she just walloped him on the side of his head through pure instinct! He never did it again! Not that I'm advocating smacking, and her ds was 4 and not 2, but still. Another friend of mine (who is slightly less...um...evangelical about the whole AP thing) said that if you think about it, and watch animals in the wild, when a baby lion (or whatever) bites his mother - even in play - she'll just wallop him one! None of this faffing about with trying to understand your kids and explain why it's nasty!

Not sure what I'm trying to prove there! I think it's a phase that some kids go through, isn't it? Have you asked for advice on the Behaviour board here? You might get some good replies!

Thanks for that Raisin. Its always nice to hear other people going through it too!
MN has this written about biting, but I am afraid its not enough iykwim?
He went through a biting stage in the summer, where when he bit into my shoulder when I was lifting him out of the bath he did indeed get a wallop from me in shock! But, now, tbh, I am just praying that eventually one of the other children at nursery will sink their fangs into him so he will see how horrible it is.
Every time I pick him up I ask in dread if he's done it again. I am terrified he will do it really badly and one of the mothers will go ballistic at me. My mates DD2 was bitten really badly at the same nursery by another child and she was furious. It was on the face, right on the cheek, and he sort of dragged his teeth down it so it was a huge big mark. I'm terrified of him doing that. Anyway....hopefully its just a stage. The nursery deal with it in a 'time out' situation. And he knows he's done wrong when he does it. Plus, at nursery (& this is in no way an excuse or validation) it tends to be when another kid takes something off him.
Ho hum....rant over!
Has anyone heard off of Wilkie recently?