JUNE 2008- tantrums, shrieking and lashings of Gin (and that's just the mums!)

[pureeandpearls]

Thread number 123 or something like that

Can I put a lid on his cot?

Edie was a late starter on this and used to climb out of the cot get a book and toy and climb back in, it was at that point we realised she needed a bed.

Sponge - is there an aqua natal class near you, I found doing gentle exercise in the water helped with the SPD or at least I didn't feel bad after it.

Thanks for all the messages

Five - yes we're with an estate agent here but not in the UK, will look into it. We advertise on Holiday lettings and Owners Direct but we're looking to advertise elsewhere too!

Going - hope your dp's job remains safe

Poppy - let us know how the Nanny gets on

Whinegums - June for "my" programme Feeding in the night, I went from bringing into bed and feeding to feeding in the chair and back into cot, then we tried CC. CC worked quite well but only when he's not sharing a bedroom. Atm I have gone back to bringing him into bed, but most nights it's at least 5/5.30 so that's OK. He's restless though tonight and keeps crying out so I don't hold out hope of a good nights sleep.

Sponge - Stefan used to manage to get out of his cot even when wearing his sleeping bag! Not at 9 months though!!

Ethan's crying again, got to go

We finf that we google accommodation and where we live failry regulalry and get onto the websites that come up on the first 2 pages.

Thanks 5, I'll look into it.

Bless Edie getting back into her cot!

Deb, how old was he?!

Loving The Apprentice - the girls are super bitchy this year, hilarious!

Five/Deb: from my former life working on search engine optimisation you only need to worry about getting on the first 10 listings, maximum. Hardly anyone bothers to go further down even the first page.

Sponge: I also had the baby by the time the apprentice is over thought last year. Unlike you, I didn't name my child after the eventual winner . You must be a big fan! Tonight's episode was typically cringey. They always have such aggresive idiots on it. I know this is what they are selected for, but still...

Poppy, thanks for your thoughts on pay reviews. I am going in to work next week. I am a bit nervous: my boss is very canny.

Rolf - we had an amazing sleep at lunchtime: 1h15!

DH has a stinky cold. I think I have it too, just not the manflu version

Hi all, been out all day at my sister's which was great but very tiring. E pulled herself up to standing for the first time yesterday which was very exciting (although I missed it cos I was MNing ).

No other news really, we had a bad night last night cos T woke at 2.15 with a blocked nose (he wanted to suck his thumb and kept getting annoyed cos he could breathe). So gave him Medised and he slept till 8. E woke at 5am and I left her to cry, usually she is back to sleep in 30mins but this time it was 90mins , then I fed her and put her back to bed and woke her at 8am. Hoping for better tonight!

Ali - if I were you I'd want to know if the lack of pay increases is commonplace. They can't not give you one because you were on mat leave, but lots of companies are freezing pay this year.

We've been operating the 'turn the monitor off' method of sleep training

The curse of MN strikes again. Whenever I post about routines/sleep patterns it all goes horribly wrong. E slept like a newborn, as in he didn't sleep, only when latched on next to me. [very tired emoticon]

We come up on the 1st page of google with our own website quite often, it's converting viewers of our site, to bookings that isn't happening.Don't think the exchange rate helps

Sponge - he was about 15 months or so!

Crap night here too - although mainly due to exhaustion and stress so that I didn't sleep well before Fraser woke for a feed and then DH and I screwed up the pattern of bringing F to us etc. so he didn't go back to sleep for an hour. There's a fine line between letting him cry himself back to sleep and crying himself awake in the early morning hours. I can tell the difference, but DH can't.

We're having lots of serious talks here about my work. One of my supervisors that I loved has applied for early retirement (she's only in her 40s) because government reorganization has sort of got rid of her job. My new supervisor wont be as good at helping me so my job will be tougher and I will miss her personally. We just feel like we've no leeway in our family - anytime something goes wrong we're exhausted. I was up late working last night and that definitely contributed to my lack of sleep. There's just no time to relax... How on earth do people manage to work with two kids and no family support?

Ali, lol! I didn't! Alex didn't win - Lee did. I actually argued with Matt that I didn't like Alex's character (although he was very easy on the eye ), so didn't want to use the name but I was over-ruled! Next baby name is definitely my choice!

Sorry to hear about tired mummies .

Alex has not had an afternoon nap last two days and has consequently slept til 6.45! So much for daytime naps making their night time sleep better . Course, it's a tough call for me cos I desperately need the down time in the day but also like the 'lie in' in the morning!

Abdn - sorry to hear you've had a rough night too and what a shame about your colleague leaving. I hope today is better for you.

We're both very down here too, what with the house, the shock absorbers have gone on the car(only 3 years old but past guarantee), need to pick up Mil from airport on saturday so will have to ask favours from friends as can't drive own car, dh bought a new tiny PC (can't remember name) - that's not working, will have to send back to UK, spent a fortune on new batteries for a crap cheap RC car we got ds2 for Christmas, now it's burnt out the motor, and said ds2 tripped and broke the gate on the sheep pen playpen. - AARGH

Sorry for the moan but I do feel slightly better now and Ethan has gone down for a sleep - let's hope it's a long one!

(((hugs Deb))) [P&P administers intravenous Creme Egg drip]

Sponge- we have these to prevent leg trapping. Maybe they should make one to go across the top too. Babypearls stands up after you leave the room, but can't sit back down again so even though she's tired she's standing and holding on and sobbing. It's actually quite funny when it's not annoying.

Although my brother could climb out of his cot at nine months.....

Don't do the Apprentice, so you've lost e on that.

Hope nanny goes well today Poppy.

I'm back to work today. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

AH, x-posted - sorry you had a rough night and are struggling with work. It is times like this when you wish your parents lived round the corner isn't it? I keep trying to persuade my parents to move here but they're not convinced .

Deb, it never rains but it pours . Why do all these things happen at once.

P&P, thank you for that link, will get some - will help me feel less of a bad mummy when I need to leave him .

deb hugs!!! sounds like you definitely need them! i hope you get a bit of a break when your MIL is visiting. It's crap when lots of things go wrong at once and being stressed about money is horrible. We're feeling the pinch here even though we should be fine, kitchen faucet went this week so getting the plumber in. It's the last thing I want to spend money on!

P&P hope work goes okay today!

sponge yes, I'd love my parents around the corner! It would just give us that bit of a security blanket...

oh, and here's Fraser's new trick.

Aw bless him! He's very strong on his feet isn't he? Alex would never be able to get up there! Time to tie up your blind cords then?

Deb big hugs, wracking my brain to think of something.

Now if you see me on here this mornign kick me off as end of year accounts need doing.

Thanks Puree - you made me smile! Enjoy being back at work!

Abdn - wow, Fraser's very clever, you must never stop. Yes I should get a break, Mil is very good, we're hoping for snow like we have atm as then Nigel and I can go skiing together for the 1st time this year.

Sponge - thanks

Snowing lots here, been out and cleared twice and it's still coming down.

Thanks Five

We're replacing the blinds next week with roller blinds and hooks for the cords

deb thought I remembered that your MIL was one of the rare stars! Glad she's coming and hope you and Nigel get some time together.

sponge Fraser's definitely a monkey! I think it really helps that he's so small, he doesn't need as much strength to move around. Essie and viva do you concur?

Alex has always had all his strength in his arms which is why he commando crawled from such a young age - it took him quite a few weeks before he used his legs to help propel him along.

He can pull himself to standing now but can't really cruise yet - I'm hoping he won't be too late in walking as I'm not going to be able to bend down and pick him for too much longer .

abdn love that photo

Caitlin has just learned to stand up holding on to something ... life is about to get complicated! She has also learned that if she sticks her legs out of the cot and screams I will come running - but they're not actually stuck I'll give her a few days in case it's 'just a phase' but those cot bumpers look good. Did well last night though, fed several times but each time I managed to stay awake and got her back in her cot - being covered in vomit concentrates the mind marvellously I find! We both slept better having our own beds (she actually slept in till 8.15 ).

Late for work today though, Liam had hidden one of his shoes and found it very entertaining lying on the floor with his hands behind his head while we tore the house apart looking for it - then told us he was a 'lovely monkey' - but also !