December 2006 - The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip hooray, tshghho now let's keep these bugs at bay

[LenniEd]

I got all brave and made us a new bug free thread...

Good idea re the scanning AQ. Just need to plough through the whole (yes, whole ) cupboard of artwork once they are back at school!

I always spell is 'wuss' but phonetically it should be 'woos' I guess ...

That's a wonderful idea - might start taking photos of the not scannable things too - I never know what to do with all DD's creations, and they inevitably get destroyed by her playing with them.

Wuss looks right to me I think - not a word I write down very often

Another wuss here

AQ, what a phenomenol memory you have! Yes that was my "sorceress" outfit which did turn out fab even 7 months pg Hope the dcs are getting better today. The climbing wall is a great idea. We did one for ds1 and it has helped him with his floppy muscle tendencies.

LenniEd, do you use breast compression when you express? That helps get the hind milk in there. I also did 1/2 formula, 1/2 ebm with ds1 and it worked well.

Love the idea of scanning the artwork. Will have to tell dh.

Hello

Ds watching beebies

Dd napping

Waiting for delivery of fridgefreezer to add to the mountians of furniture off freecycle in my dinning room with the packing boxes and goodness knows what else besides. The fridgefreezer is coming anytime between 8am and 6pm. I am of course feeling deep joy at the thought of a day stuck in the house. If I've resorted to beebies this early what will the rest of the day bring?

Thank god it's Friday is all I can say, can palm the toddler off onto dh for the weekend at the end of today

How is the SF?

Lennied hope the growth spurt is easing/ebm taking improving etc. Sure he'll take it or just put up with not having any when you are not there.

Sleep is doing something. Not sure what but something. First 2 nights were good, second 2 terrible and we've just had 2 ok ones. The biggest change though has been the days, the knock on effect of not feeding at night (well only feeding twice anyway!) has transformed the days. She has settled into a lovely pattern of feeds and naps which is erally great.

Ds being something of a pain in the arse at the moment. The ear infection won't have helped of course (again, why the hell does he keep getting them?) We changed things around so he was eating with us and going to bed a bit later and it was working really well so we had bath at 6 with dd, then I'd put her down, we would eat as a family and he would then have stories and bed. Then dd started on solids and he is a massive pain, I was hoping he would get used to it but he just wants to eat with dd at 5, I have tried giving him a smaller afternoon snack at 3 and then a slice of toast or something at dd's dinner time, I have tried shoving him out of the way in front of cbeebies, I have tried havin ghim at the table with us but decorating buns or painting, everything results in a massive tantrum of "William pasta too!" and the like. He will then proceed to complain until bathtime and then hang of dh's legs while he cooks. I have given up and started feeding them together at 5. Thing is I'm not sure ds is really hungry for his dinner then, last night he refused to eat his dinner and just ate 4 carrot sticks . I don't know. I need to get back in to good menu planning and making sure we keep portions so the kids eat what we eat, no substitutes because ds has gone from eating most things to eating pasta, couscous, risotto and pizza. Not bad I know but I feel as though all I ever feed them is pasta and sauce half the time.

Hi All.

Indith - DD2 used to eat anything. Now she is quite faddy really. Both of mine snack a lot and then dont eat dinner. I get cross but in reality as they gererally have healthy snacks (fruit, yoghurts etc) I shouldnt really complain.

DDs are flower girls tomorrow! Will add photos to facebook next week.

I feel full of cold atm. DDs seem ok, thankfully.

Ev - I've been feeling run down with a cold too. I didn't get the job but it's really hard to be on the ball when you're under the weather.

I'm off to post on the FB group now.

Sorry bout the job, Margo . The world of work seems so far away from me right now, but I do remember how stressful the job hunting days are!

DS2 slept until 2.30 this afternoon after we (mistakenly) took him and ds1 out for the day whilst dt's at home with nanny. First day with just the 2 of them in a year, twas lovely but ended up with ds2 screaming the last 45 mins in the car. Dd then threw up later in the evening so I guess another round of tamiflu for the family (starting to wonder if I should just get it in bulk as how will we avoid all of us?). DS1 away for the weekend now though thank god as he's really really annoying. Surely this phase is going to go soon??? I seem to have this really badly behaved child and don't know what to do about it. Plus he and ds2 fight, I mean really fight, so badly and hurt each other several times a day. DS2 now quite violent with the dt's and he never was before. Can't leave him in the room with them now. I know it's attention but I'm only one blood person with 2 arms and they all want me.

Anyway, Indith, nowt wrong with the food ds is having, sounds great, he is at that age anyway regardless of what you do. Poor dt's must be fed up of their limited diet right now as I just can't be arsed lately. DS is I'm afraid to say absolutely right - he wants to have the same as his sister, can't get around it. Sibling rivalry right there. DS1 counts up the number of pieces of things on his plate & ds2's plate to make sure it's even. And it is nice for them to have main meal together. You can still send dd to bed early and spend time with him so he stays up later, but unfortunately you've hit the little problem of when do the adults eat? It will get better when dd gets older, just a compromise in the meantime. Glad some of the sleep is getting better. I've been told (by sleep clinic lady, dp and mum!) to do controlled crying with dd, but she's got swine flu for god's sake. I stuck it out for 2x10 mins spells then rocked her to sleep as usual. Sigh. Where's that rod?

Indith, most kids become very carb based (apart from DD2 who is a carnivore ). I guess they need all the energy.

Margo, sorry about the job. Anymore in the pipeline?

AQ, have you had DS1 assessed for SPD? Sorry about the SF. Sound's like you are doing a brilliant job. It is so challenging with under 5s imo. TG I only have one these days

Have to say, I am having a great summer. Was so proud yesterday watching DS (esp) & DD1 in the display after a week at gym camp. I was expecting a phone call after an hour on the 1st morning to say DS couldn't handle it. He lasted the whole week and loved it

AQ you keep rocking til she is over the flu, I always thought one of the first rules of any sleep training was to wait until they are completely well in all other respects.

I think AQ, boys just fight, it is how they deal with jealousy etc. Dh tells tales of him and his brother being chucked in the garden when they started fighting so they could get on with it out of the house! Of course your problem is that ds2 is stuck in the middle, old enough that ds1 sees him as fair game but too young to understand that he can't behave in the same way towards the dts. Have you read "how to talk..."? I get the feeling that it could be pretty useful. Is ds1 getting out and about on playdates or other activities with children his own age? I imagine going from school to then being at home with the little ones for so long must be hard and he will be taking a lot of his frustration out on ds2

Anyhoo feel free to ignore that, outsider perspective, shall probably change my mind in a few years when ds is older!

Sorry about the job Margo.

Castles glad you are having a good summer.

Thanks for the food advice. Tis true of course he just wants what dd has. He is annoying though at that "want this nooooo! don't want it want that!" stage

May I nominate dd for poo of the year award? She started concentrating very hard during lunch today but I left her too it as she carried on happily eating after she was done then when I went to get her out of her chair to go up for nap I realised there was a puddle of poo on the splash mat! The little moo had gone out of her nappy, out of the wrap, down her leg and on the floor. The scrubbing was accompanied by a lovely commentary from ds "Oh well done Daisy, good poo".

Ds is going to drive me mad with the potty training. He was just starting to twig that he still had to use the potty when wearing pants (was perfect naked) but he completely regressed with the ear infection and in the past few days I've had poo in pants, in nappies, on the floor, in the garden. And wees on the upholstered dining room chairs, both armchairs, the rocking horse....the list goes on

Indith, I waited until DS was nearly 3 and he was potty trained in a day. Literally. And at night. Is it worth waiting? Fwiw, DD2 is a feral creature. She couldn't care less if she doesn't do it in the potty/toilet. Sigh.

Can't even think about potty training. Ds2 can, however take off a pee pee diaper, put it in the diaper genie and put on a pullup by himself, lol. Dh and I figure if he can do that we don't care when he gets trained

Gotta run, will do proper catch-up soon!

sounds good to me Jabber.

Castles I don't know, he was so good! I was at the point where I didn't mind so much about the pants and figured I could have him naked at home and just have a nappy on to go out and sleep. He was pretty much always dry after naps or even in the morning so he only actually used a nappy when we were out for a long time, I thought he'd twig pants eventually! Shall have to give him a few days to get back on track and see.

Dd has a tooth!

I"m waiting until 3 too, castles ds2 interested, just hasn't managed anything in the toilet yet. I'm sure he'll get there, Indith, often a few backwards steps before they get it. No pressure on him he's bound to figure it out. Glad you're having such a great holiday, castles

I have got the "How to talk' book (must fish it out of massive pile of papers tho) but I guess change in routine and illness last few weeks has made things harder. DS had ear infection 1st week of school hols, followed closely by SF and now I've got ds2 at home instead of nursery a few days and can't take him out really as ds2 & dd still infectious. Ds2 and dd both really poorly last night and today, she's so hoarse she can hardly babble and it's obviously hurting her. Ds2 lay on sofa all day, I've never known him to do that. Didn't you say dd took tamiflu indith, as when I did the assessment online they said she couldn't have the antiviral?

jabber, if he can do that I'd leave him until he goes to school!

Poor babies AQ, ds was the same just opn the sofa all day watching cbeebies with a glazed expression. Dd did have tamiflu yes, was prescribed by the GP. They weighed her to get the dosage, under 1s can have the suspension rather than capsules, I think she had 1.6ml twice a day.

Hello all. Hope the babies are on the mend AQ, poor things.

A tooth Indith! Am glad the sleep seems to be improving, esp during the day.

A lot going on here hence my relative absence. DH away a lot working and I'm struggling with being on my own a lot with a tantrum queen and DS. She is dreadful when DH away for a long time, she misses him and of course it is my fault. Business is pretty crap, hoping we make it through the year now, if we can get through the next 5 weeks then should start picking up a little for Christmas - sorry to mention that word. All a worry.

DS crawling properly now and sleeping occasionally think I need to start being more firm with the night feeds, and get DH to settle him if he wakes before DH goes to bed at around 1am.

Loved hearing about DS2 and the pull ups Jabber, made me chortle.

teeth are great, well done indith-dd! I noticed the food intake increased a lot last month when dt's both got 2 teeth.
Lennied, sounds really hard, I struggle if dp late home from work! If you could sort ds on the sleeping front I'm sure you'd cope better though. Is he old enough to consult sleep clinic you saw re:dd?

dd doesn't have sf, well so dr says. Throwing up all her milk feeds now but managed a large bowl of risotto so can't be that bad. She sounds like a wounded animal poor mite. DS2 still lying on sofa all day but won't watch any tv. Sigh. What will I do when he stops having naps?!!! He just follows me round the house bleating. Think he's on the mend nonetheless. I want my routine back!!!
Did I mention dp volunteered us to go to scotland after our week in cottage in a fortnight? 9 hour drive overnight with 4 lo's. Double sigh.

AQ we are going to Scotland on Sunday. I was really looking forward to it (even with the 10+ hour drive) until MIL said she is coming. Gah!

DH been in Bordeaux all weekend. Alright for some

Gah indeed! Will she speak to you on the trip? You get up to scotland quite often, don't you? Where do you go? We're going to my dad's place on the Black Isle (he rents it out now that he lives in oz).

Hi AQ, I'd rather she didn't speak to me actually We go to West Highlands. Feel quite anxious about it all now Where is the Black Isle?

Went to GP today and have been given Micronor (progesterone mini pill) for my heavy periods. Have been reading up on it and am absolutely terrified to take it!! What does everyone else do? I can't have mirena coil btw as bicornuate uterus.

What's prob with micronor? I've only been on pill a few months in my life so don't know much about it. dp had the snip a few months ago, before that coil without hormone.

black isle is east highlands god your situation with rellies is just dire isn't it castles?? Must add so much stress to your life.

We can wave at each other then across the highlands! Yes, the rellie sitch really does add stress to my life. I only bother for the DCs I really do make an effort too.

I've been reading that micronor can make you depressed which isn't good with my history and terrible acne!!! I probably need to try it and see but am terrified all the same.

AQ come break your journey at our house if you like (Castles too for that matter).

Mmmm Bordeaux. I adore that city. Hopefully we'll be going in April for Mamie's 90th.

I'm petrified of pills in general as I went loopy on one. Also petrified of getting pg at the moment (not that I have periods back yet) so I might have to get over one of the fears!

Would love to indith, but would be at midnight! We travel overnight, got there at 5.30am last time. I was so wired couldn't sleep when I wasn't driving. Will wave across to you when I get there, castles. It must be really hard to bite your tongue for sake of dc's castles, very admirable. Hope dh appreciates your efforts?

I think there must be one than one pill for heavy periods, castles, side effects are all different for each one. Why don't you research them?

Maybe not then

Went over to the new house with some of our junk after naps today. The estate agents managed to give us the wrong keys so spent quite a while trying to get in before giving them a ring! Someone brought the right ones round fairly quickly. Needs a good clean! I'm going to head over with the Vax once I've put dd to bed tomorrow and do the carpets before we get furniture in. It is still very nice though. Dh has gone over with the fridgefreezer now so I suppose I should do the washing up so I can collapse into bed. Hoping for a good night tonight, last night was abysmal from both dcs