May babies.... build an extension!

[GeorginaA]

There ya go

Georgina. My Mum would complain about those lists being too short but then she's obsessed and even insists I do one for myself.... I started a list for DD - swimming costume (12-18), dressing gown (12-18), shorts, t-shirts, books.... not very exciting is it? But did get a few ideas on the ELC website last night. Was thinking about a Happy Land thatched cottage. Then, planning ahead, could see if she likes it and ask for additional Happy Land stuff for Christmas when she will be more of an age.

DS got playmobile aeroplane for Christmas and the airport for his birthday. Had a major strop with me tonight for playing with it wrong (DD having been banished with Daddy of course...).

Ooo... is the aeroplane good - would you recommend? He currently has a rubbish lorry which he adores so wanted to expand his set.

We've thoroughly playtested the happyland stuff at NomDePlume's house. Ds1 loves it (although I wouldn't buy directly for a 4 year old, because it is a bit young for him) and ds2 really enjoyed it too (although obviously wasn't playing imaginatively - just enjoying the sounds and chewing the figures!) - so I think it's a really good toy that they can both play together and grow up with.

We like the look of the little farm - it's really cute

Bozza - if you have any trouble doing a long enough list for your mum, can I put a few things for me on the bottom to pad it out a bit? I'd like some slippers and some dangly earrings. A new Dyson would also be nice
We have got the Playmobile digger set which DD loves and the playground, which she is just starting to get the hang of. Both came as a result of frantic Ebay bidding at about £6 each set - hooray!
We've got the Happyland Safari which we might bring down from the loft with a flourish sometime this year. Agree that most ELC stuff is well made and good value.
Must must do a list soon, especially as you have already done one, Georgina and I think we are the same day - May 11th?

Yup May 11th for ds2 and May 6th for ds1! Going to creep up all too fast...

And I just got the Pull Up Ball Blaster thingumy down from the loft... ds1 and ds2 are going to be hyper in the morning when they see it

starts humming the theme tune

Can you go in the loft without waking up children? Sometimes I feel that Anne Frank had more freedom than us in the evenings!
I'll give the Ball Blaster a celebratory bash though on your behalf! Be prepared to start ramming your hand up all the tubes and pulling out bits of wooden jigsaw, peek a boo blocks (only for the MOST determined!) and rice cake as of tomorrow morning.

The theme tune is not unlike "S Express" IMHO.

I think you're right actually!

Yes we can... just very very carefully

Rice cake is not the worst. Have you attempted to get dried unnoticed banana off the insides before?

Dried weetabix is worse. I think its a alternative to cerment.

Hello all. We had a wonderful time, the wedding went well. Vegas isnt geared for children though, something I only realise now. We spent 2 days trying to find somewhere that does baby food. Also how do the amercians sterilise. I took enough disposable bags and sterilising tablets for 14 nights but needed more. All the shop assistants thought I was bonkers when I tried describing what I needed. Hawaii was amazing. A really beautiful place. DD was well behaved on all flights which was a relief, we had a sky cot so we had a bit extra room which meant she could play on the floor. She got a few extra teeth and now has a total of 6 teeth. Her healthy diet went out the window though, she wants to eat everything that we eat which when im eating burger and chips wasnt a good idea. So as well as the jars of food we could buy she was eating, ice cream, fruit, veg, chips,bread, chocolate muffins and all other sorts of junk food. So much for my no chocolate or rubbish mantra. At least it improved her finger food and chewing technique.
Shes still waking at night and is coming into bed at around 2am!! something i will have to sort out soon. Shes learnt to say bird and no. She is also showing such a stuborn streak. She has a tantrum if you try to do something she doesnt want ie lay her down to do her nappy or take something off her. How did she grow so quickly!

We arrived home on wednesday after 28 hours of travelling. DD woke last night being sick so at 2am she was having a bath while I cleaned her room. She was a bit sick this morning but seems perky enough. I just hope it isnt a bug that me or DH will catch as we have the wedding party on saturday.
Hope everyones ok ive just had a quick scan of all your messages.
xxx

welcome back wifey

glad you had a great time!!!!!

hope dd improves quickly

As I understand it kbaby, americans don't sterilize! Only for premature babies for a few weeks. Can't decide whether we're suckers for over sterilizing everything or they get more gastroenteritis than we do! rolls eyes emoticon to go here

oh welcome back!! how was the wedding then?!?! and please post some piccies soon!

glad to hear that dd was an angel on the flight. i'm slightly worried about our hols to egypt (appropriately) in sept.. she'll be 16 months then. will she get a skycot?

i think the americans just dishwasher everything. its as good as sterilising apparently. when can we stop sterilising milk bottles? is it a year old? that will be MAGIC **

all this talk of toys. i havent even thought about it. i expect she'll get lots from grandparents although we say not to go overboard. we just dont have the room (eextension please), but then i feel like she's missing out. i need to come to your house to play with the ball popper cat! maybe next week! she says again.....

taking dd to olan mills for her 3rd watch me grow session. god knows what to wear. i only want a simple black and white piccie but i dont think she has anything plain at all.

well, i got in trouble for the kitchen floor.
dh has already expressed his concern about lifting the carpet but of course i chose to ignore.... the conversation in the car on the way back from the airport went.

'i have been busy.....dont kill me'
'what have you done?'
'i've worked really hard'
'done the garden? trimmed the clematis? painted the kitchen?....you havent taken up the carpet have you?'
'AND i've painted the kitchen'
'god, cl**e you never listen to anything i have to say do you?!!?'
'but its better and cleaner and will look nice when we get the house valued.........sobs.......everything i do is wrong, i'm just trying to surprise you and make things nice....' la la (does guilt trip thing)
'i'm sure it does look nice. pause. never mind.'

he doesnt like the actual tiles but ended up agreeing that it looked better than the carpet, although not safer and would be better from a selling point of view. ha , i win again.

aaaaaaaanyway, told his half an hour later how i'd smashed the sheisha pipe which he was none too happy about. he hasnt yet noticed that the light shades are down, due to me smashing one of those too.

ho hum. next i'm doing the utility room

Not sure if this link works, youll may need to look around for the wedding photos. Sorry theres only 3 but it takes ages to download them.
wedding photos
if that doesnt work try this one
give this a go
I tried to download one of DD wearing bunches and sunglasses but for some reason it wont work. She looked so cute as well and her hair is so long.

It said on the sky cot that they are only suitable for 19lbs but next to us was a 18 month old chubby baby who was in one. Her legs did stick over the edge though. If I was ypu i would book one and then even if you dont use it your at the bulkhead so youve got the extra legroom.

wow!!!!!! yes the 2nd link works, photos 1-3 of 17. you look amazing!! all tanned and slim. wow. i had a pic in my head of you being a blonde. not that that means anything of course!!!!

it looked fabulous xx

GORGEOUS dress kbaby! You look stunning

OOh thanks for posting those Kbaby! and congratulations! You look amazing... love the pic of the snog in the big grand room. Fantastic. Hope you still feel totally high.

Egypt, I think the white tiles sound a MUCH better idea than a scraggy old carpet. Think of the GERMS it must have harboured. eurgh... who'd put a carpet down in a kitchen??? If you want to pacify him with a kitchen friendly floor covering, John Lewis have these sort of plastic raffia mats (sound horrible but are quite funky in pink or blue) (£35) and you could put down some non slip stuff underneath.

That's what I'm going to do in my ganking kitchen - not for safety, just to cover up the gappy floorboards! until we get our extension, of course.

shake off flattened banana and squashed bits of pancake every now and again... bob's your uncle.

Wow, no messages yesterday at all. That must be a first.

Had friends round today with a 3 year old and 2 year old. Fascinating to eavesdrop on their games and power struggles (2 diff. families; the girls are friends). I think the way they play together is how DD would play, and their speak the way she would speak, if she could. Well, of course... but I mean that the way she is, is just like them without the words. There were two babies as well but DD had more in common with the toddlers. She tagged along, wanting to join in with them.

She is very funny with the TV remote and a calculator. Thinks they might both be for holding against the side of your head. Getting them confused with mobile phone you see.

Hope you are all having good weekends and that's why you are all so quiet.

erk! are you all playing a trick on me???...

psst psst, everybody keep hiding

lol!

i checked in yesterday but quickly ran away again as no one was here.

had q a productive w/e. painted fence in garden and removed trifid man-eating type clematis, looking for world domination. mil was here so i let her take care of dd as much as i could. she did the walk thing and the lunch thing but dd wouldnt eat anything. except a petit filous. does any of your d's scream when they see someone they don't know well/dont like? dd did it when she saw mil yesterday. only 2 weeks after last seeing her. she's never been happy with her really, although she got better throughout the day. i find it so difficult. especially as mil keeps wanting to 'take her home'. i dont know what it is. she doest like the man next door despite seeing him nearly every day, but then there are complete strangers that she loves immediately. why?!

we really should sort dd's christening out. we have top tier of our wedding cake saved for her. but it's supposed to go off after 5 years. we have been married 5 years come may. oh dear. maybe think again. or perhaps it might just make her bday!

good for you Egypt always busy... yes my DD has various reactions to people, but she is most wary of burly blokes. Generally she can be guaranteed to beam obligingly at old ladies but fixes anybody who has more than a whiff of testosterone about them with a cold, suspicious stare. Wonder what this says about her.

I have a question... about nuts. I know it's a hellish subject. But who has given them? I would love to give DD nuts, because I love them myself and love cooking with them. We're not huge meat eaters and I am sick of putting cheese in everything for her as protein. Today she was eyeing up some toasted pumpkin seeds that were on the table to sprinkle on salad and I have to admit I gave her a few. She enjoyed them. No adverse reaction. Also hummus, and hazelnut butter, would be great to give her. What am I risking if I go down this road?

cry ... ds2 just refused his nighttime feed

Is this the beginning of the end?

Spots, I think there are a few different schools of thought on the nut issue. I've just looked in Annabel Karmel and she says "that it is rare to be allergic to tree nuts such as walnuts and hazelnuts. Peanuts can cause a severe allergic reaction and if your family has a history of any kind of food allergy, you would be wise to acoid peanut products until the age of 3. If there is no history of allergic disorders, you can use peanut butter when the child is one."
I would think seeds are fine (just watch she doesn't inhale 'em) and also hummous because chick peas are pulses and not nuts, aren't they?
Anyway, enough about you......I am Mother Earth as I have just made chicken nuggets for les enfants. Am hosting a coffee morning tomorrow and am concerned about the small children+chocolate biscuits+beige walls combo.
DD made us cry with laughter tonight by singing "London Bridge is Falling Down....,my BARE lady". She insists that this is what the preschool teacher sung! DS is walking just holding onto one hand and is mighty proud of himself. He can also get food into his mouth via spoon if you load it up for him first.

Bless Judd. My dd insists that it's "merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, lifes a butter bean"

Spots - I would agree huomous is fine- ds has been eating it for months. And pine nuts. Nigella said she gave her kids a peanut butter sandwhich for the first tie whilst in teh doctors waiting room - just in case.

Georgina - maybe he was just very tired? How has he fed this am? Ds sometimes has jsuta little feed in the evening but is then voraciuos the next am (right now in fact which is why one handed typing has gone toppt