The one where they put their best feet forward

[Soph73]

There you go Ellie

Just got DP's shifts for the next year.
Apparently he is working 7am-5pm christmas eve and christmas day. So much for it normally being shared out so no-one does a long day. He'll have to leave at 6am and not be home til 6pm (at the earliest, as long as he doesn't have anyone he's arrested or owt)

Ooh, sounds loverly, Denny!

I need a holiday now. Oh hell, stuff a holiday - I just want to stay in bed snuggled up under the duvet for a whole day!

That sounds rubbish, VS. Can't they give those shifts to single people, or is there not enough?

I hope so Sal.

VS, if its anything like here what happens on paper is not always what happens in reality. If DH had that shift he COULD potentially end up working all day IF it was really busy, but generally on xmas day its so quiet they are able to finish when the next shift comes in. Up here they also seem to be really good at letting those with young families take holiday over xmas, we have been really lucky and DH has not had to work a full shift ever on xmas day ever, so fingers crossed.

His annual leave has been allocated to him already. As he is a probationer they don't get to chose when it is so he has a week off in three weeks, then a week in June.
Seems he has been dumped in the worst group rota wise as well. 7 days of full nights, 3 rest days, 4 full days, 4 rest days, 1 late, 6 full nights, 3 rest days. Over and over for the next year.
The girl from his intake going to the same station is in a different group, much better shifts. She's pretty much three days on three days off.
Doubt there is anything can be done about it though, it's just bad luck. The rota group changes yearly I think so next year someone else will be doing it. Just a bit crap it'll be Alex's first 'real' Christmas the year DP does it.

Oh that's a pain VS, is there any chance of change or is it set in stone? Is there not anyone without kids who wouldn't mind swapping with him?

Denny - you could see soph! She lives in Gran Canaria!

We are going to a little cottage in France for 2 weeks We went there last year and was perfect so going back. We'll be there in an hour and a half, lots of animals on their mini-farm thing, kids for DSD to play with and lots of wine chill time for me and DH

sal - had forgotten you is a foreigner...coming over here....taking our jobs....

Morning all.

Scorpio - sorry to hear your news, love to you & DH.

Denny - we could meet up. If you could put up with seeing a MNetter during your hols You must let me know where it is you're going. The island's tiny so no probs stalking getting to see you.

Ellie. So what, you don't want to have that drink with me anymore???

Well, I've just had a call from the hospital to say that Sam's got another appointment for a hearing check on the 19th. Apparently he has to be awake while they stick the gubbins on his head & then she said "you have to make him go to sleep." WTF - there is no way I can "make" him go to sleep. She said "wake him up at 5am so he's tired later on." He already gets up at 5.30 as it is. Also, even if he is asleep, once they start messing with his head he's going to wake up. The appointment also coincides with when he usually has lunch so he's going to be one unhappy bunny. Make him go to sleep!!! What planet are these people on?

Thank you, rant over

What?? I assume this person doesn't have any children, nor does he/she know anyone closely that does! How rediculous!

Medised

ahahahahahahahahahah make him go to sleep ahahahahahahahahahahah bonk

Sal - exactly. I did feel like saying to her "well if you have some magic way of getting babies to sleep on demand (without the aid of a malette), you get him to go to sleep." This is why we had to go to the other hospital last time because he wouldn't miraculously fall asleep after the nurse had jammed a probe in his ear ! It's going to be the same this time, which means, we'll fanny around for an hour at the maternity hospital & then they'll say. "Oh, he's not keeping still is he, we'll refer you to the other hospital." PITA. Hey ho, just keep smiling

Medised - unfortunately not something you can get here & whenever I give him Calpol it doesn't make him sleep.

Ladybee - do you need a hand up?

Sorry, but just while I'm in rant mode. Surely Sam isn't the only baby on the whole of the piggin island that doesn't like his head being messed with. They must get others in there that don't keep still, cry, etc. Another thing I've just thought of is his stinking cold. Will that affect the results? He's bound to get himself worked up, which will in turn cause him to cough ... oh bugger!

VS, those 6 & 7 nights in a row are rubbish..hava a friend who does shifts and she's no fun to be around after 4.

hmmm, desperately thinking of positive spin...at least now you can plan ahead? 3 days on, 3 off sounds nice though. Maybe you'll get that next year. Then you could go on 9 day long holidays and only have to book 3 days leave!

Am quite comfy on the floor thanks Soph, in fact might have a wee snooze - am sure noone will notice if I crawl under the desk.

Alex still hasn't had his hearing test either btw.
He was asleep when they tried to do it in the hospital, but was too bunged up to check anything.

He has been offered three appointments but I can never make them, they are always at Stupid O'clock

Soph would love to meet up. will find out where we are staying and get back to you.

VS, those shift patterns are bloody awful, DH dosent do any more than 5 in a row but I suppose he only gets 2 days off at a time so its swings and roundabouts. I cant believe he has his AL allocated though that seems really tight.

Apparently all probationers do at TVP. He has got almost ten days off in a row during the summer though, his A/L is mixed in with a couple of rest days so at least we can do something.
The night shifts I can cope with, but there are a lot of them! But then three or four days off is good. One day to catch up on sleep and then we've got time together.
I think we might just move christmas back a day. Have ours on 26th but it would mean DP's parents had to as well, which in turn would affect his grandparents..so him working Christmas Day on a day shift messes with everyone's plans. I was expecting him to work this Christmas as he was only in Xmas Eve just gone, but I thought it would be either an early or late, which I was happy with.
Doesn't help that during training he has been at a different station to where he will be based, so we have got used to those shift patterns and now they are completely different start/finish times.
Oh well. It's a good job, he has a lot more job security than many and it won't be every Christmas.
I should count my blessings really.

LadyBee - there's an idea, think the students might notice I'm not here, but would take them a while to check under the desk

Denny - that would be lovely, obviously we're working in May but could meet up over whichever weekend you're here

VS - they probably won't be able to do Sam's because of his wretched cold. You don't get offered different times over here, they just phone you up & tell you when you've got to be there. If you miss the appointment that's it, there's no second chance. I actually missed one of Sam's check-ups for his heart when he was a couple of months old. The problems I had trying to get him another appointment were horrendous. I also got a lot of tutting & sideways glances as if to say "dreadful mother, missing an appointment when it's for his heart." I'm now very good at ignoring them

Soph - just quickly, the test you are referring to for Sam is ridiculous at his age!!! They can't be still enough for them. Ask them to do a VRA hearing test instead. It is a behavioural test and perfectly suitable and reliable for his age group.ds2 has had about 8 of them over the past few months. FWIW the test they are saying he 'should go to sleep for' (pah!) is an ABR. These are done on newborns cos obv they are gloworms and sleep all the time then and totally unsuitable for babies of this age. DS2 is having to have another ABR as part of his implant assessment and they are giving him general anaesthetic to sedate him, which is the norm if this test has to be done at this age!!! This would only be the case if Sam, like ds2, had a diagnosed hearing loss and they were assessing him for implantation. So please don't put up with that. It will be unduly stressful for all of you to try to get the poor mite doing it. If you ask for the VRA they have to do it. Hope this is helpful

ps. they can test with a vra using bone conduction so his cold shouldn't matter

Paranoid - can you explain exactly what a VRA is/what it stands for as I would need someone to translate the information you have given me into Spanish. I also don't know whether it's the same as in England whereby you say "I want such and such a test" and they have to give it to you.

My medical Spanish is non-existent so I very rarely question things & just go to the appointments. When he was tested last time both ears were 100% so I'm really not sure why they're testing him again. The nurse at that appointment gave me a checklist of things to look out for & to make an appointment if I had any concerns. She also said that they'd check him again when he was about 2 yrs old. I know that it'll be a complete waste of time as he won't go to sleep. If he does it'll be a miracle.

Just letitng you all know I am ok, in alot of pain and just staying at home. DH is here today and my Mum tomorrow. It's horrid