Sept 08: They're under starters orders .... and they're off .... well, some of them!

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

I thought I'd use this title as not all of our delicious babies are on the move yet, including mine

Thanks Starlight - I'm personally not that bothered - and actually not having to run after Diego just yet is a small blessing.

Your DS is probably one of those atipical intelligences called for greatness. You'd be amazed how many geniuses are in the spectrum.

I don't know whether we have 9 month check-ups, but I would very much doubt it. This part of London you are lucky if you get the system to acknowledge you exist. To be honest. I'm not that bothered.

Hey starlight you're tip of the week!!! Don't you get a prize for that? What did you get?!

oops, I mean tip of the day! Still, very impressive.

I am on day one of being a single parent, DH has gone on business jolly trip to Italy (he's having coffee on a beach right now), and currently have no-one to keep me company. So what am I doing? I'm on MN of course. I should be doing something productive, but DS is still having a mammoth sleepathon after his swimming lesson this morning....so am taking it easy.

that was a lovely post starlight (at 14:11)

I'm annoyed at myself, I put my freedom sling on ebay but being too tight to pay insert fees I put it with a starting price of 99p and now that's what it's going to sell for. Grrr, I bet they would have been willing to pay more. Oh well, 1 less thing cluttering up the house.

Had a busy weekend and am knackered now. Spent yesterday in the New Forest helping to put tents up for the yr8 camping trip that's this week. It was hard work but ds1 had fun 'helping' and it was nice being out in the fresh air all day.
And this eve (was meant to be this aft but took longer to set up than we thought) we went for a cycle with ds2 in the seat on my bike and ds1 on his bike attached to dh by the trailgator. Was good fun and both boys enjoyed it.

pacita c is just the same - just sits for hours playing with toys. Will occasionally move a bit but not really bothered. love the fact that she'll just sit and play happily. i have my 9m check on Tuesday - only reason i want it is cos we get loads of freebies like free plug socket guards, free fireguard & stairgates and free books. I'm not worried in the least about her lack of movement. She'll get there. And avoid alpha mums like the plague - they are just draining and live through their kids.

We have a tooth though!

And DG poor you - your DH missed father's day! Know what you mean about lack of help though, DP is off to London tomorrow until friday on business. Does mean I have the remote for 4 nights all to myself

Robyn is also just sitting, she will go on her front and looks really surprised to be there but prefers her bum (like her mum) when she is on her back she will roll but only for preferred toys and only if her shuffle doesn't get her there.
She isn't standing either but we have noticed her leg creases are off a bit so they are checking that tomorrow. A baby at baby massage got to her 9 month check before they noticed she had a dislocated hip!!. Hoping it is'nt that serious.

Pacita Sam is nowhere near crawling either, I'm not a bit worried - DS1 crawled at about 10 months, and it was a load more work, so DS2 can crawl/cruise/walk whenever he's ready with no pressure from me! He tried a bit of "bottom shuffling" a week or so ago, but seems to have forgotten what to do now...
Starlight those links to last year are really funny - and really time consuming when I'm meant to be tidying up & ironing!! I wonder how everyone is getting on tha posted then but doesn't post anymore? (thumbs up and big winks for tip of the day too!)
Well, we've had the BIG fund raising thing at DS2's school all weekend - a re-enacted breton wedding & day long meal. We've catered for a thousand, which is going some as there are only 65 children at the school in total, which is a lot of work for the parents! Consequently I too am totally knackered and have peeled enough vegetables to last me a long time

The babies who are happy sitting playing and don't move are obviously very advanced at playing independantly- a very important skill. That's what you can tell people who are trying to make you feel bad

Having said that we don't get any checks from hv here I got a letter the other day from mine saying ds2 is booked in for a 1 year check on the 24th June! He won't even be 10 months old then! Its a day I work though so must remember to phone tomorrow to change it. Might as well go along. Not expecting free stairgates though- that's very impressive iom

We live in Wales Debi, so whilst I'm English I appreciate some of the benefits! They are very good at looking after families here, plus no SATS tests in primary or secondary schools - IMO a good thing!

A finally had his '8 month check' 2 days ago, well over 9 months. He was confirmed as still an incredibly average baby, so obviously has spent the last 2 days learning to clap and pull himself up to standing (followed by being stuck and going waah...) HV is going to chase the incompetent hearing check team who have failed to get back to me in over a month...

A has also got good at pushing buttons on things. I paused the Grand Prix to make lunch today and returned to find he'd found the TV remote, changed from video to TV, and changed the channel to CBeebies and was watching Bob the Builder!!!

I'm supposed to be rejigging my work CV into the format that will enable me to be allocated a placement. Mindnumbingly tedious. I went to work twice this week and am reassured I'm doing the right thing in returning, but I hate this HR arse. But there;s a couple posts that would be fantastic so need to get the forms done. Bah.

Notcitrus Incredibly impressed at your 'average' baby. He now has all the skills he will ever need as a fully grown man.lol

Love my panicking list! I don't think I've actually become very much more competent, I just panic less now

No crawling here, not much rolling (once every few weeks), cries if he's on his front, but is one of the jolliest babies I know (during the day - we don't tell people about the nights!), no concerns here. DP was apparently deeply lazy, so I am expecting the same thing.

Had a nice weekend at my mothers', except for manic party preparation for her birthday. I have never cooked so much food in such a short space of time in my life.

I did it meglet and lolly. Got home without Andrew falling asleep! Cameron blew raspberries at him and roared like a lion all the way home and now they're both in their beds asleep. Yay!

Just had a fun morning at the soft play place in Basingstoke, was very quiet, think with our 6 children we doubled the number of people there. The toddlers played nicely together and the babies eyed each other up then tried to eat each other (or maybe that was just mine, ds2 was trying to eat meglet's dd!)

OK - I'm currently nearly finished my first full day in the office (this is my tea break obviously

So.... expressing. All the offices have windows in the doors due to fire regulations and the one I'm in also has a whole wall that's an external window. So I've ended up in the ... shower.

Sadly that means not using my dual electric and for the first time ever no let down

I think I'm going to just risk it in the office.

If I can rinse out the breast pump in the kitchen full of male colleagues I can risk a member of the public wondering what on earth that mad lady's doing

Debi M loves trying to eat other children too!

Effy has her 8 month check on Thursday - she's 10 months! I was really surprised they chased me for it as they've been so disinterested so far.

pacita and imo lets just sit back with a nice glass of something while we watch our 'advanced at independent play' babies say where they're put so we can finish our drinks in peace! Today ds added waving on cue to his repertoire (previous party piece being to clap when asked!). Tried tummy time again and he just screamed. Oh well. Actually he's screamed a lot today - woke up inconsolable during his nap. No idea what's wrong.
Realised how rubbish I am at stimulating ds though. With dd I did loads of sing and sign songs with her every day, and was consistent at doing signs with her every meal time. Ds is lucky if I remember to feed him!!

I made a new spreadsheet today, I have found the details on all the houses we're planning to view, and I've put all the room sizes and pros/cons so I can compare them all. The 'pushy' agent never phoned back so we're still not on the market...

stay where they're put...obviously...!

I went for the electric pump in the office (while answering e-mails). It came back ..... then the phone rang and it was someone I needed to speak to

On the positive side M was really cheery when I collected her and seemed very happy. Both kids are in bed and I'm going to relax by?? doing the housework

Carrie that's why second children are so much better at entertaining themselves and are less demanding. The midwife told me that subsequent children 'thrive on neglect'

Hello ladies,

so relieved to hear that Diego has some equally lazy content friends out there. We should all meet somewhere, put them on a rug and have cocktails.

I am back at work two days a week. Diego now smiles when we get to the nursery, which is a relief. After my initial concern, i have to report that i was right, the place is chaos, but I was also right about how loving the staff are. This, I think, is a great asset.

Everytime I pick him up they tell me how much and how very enthusiastically he eats (they obviously give him lots of tasty stuff that his neurotic mother avoids at home, kneed deep in steamed organic veg). Except today. Apparently the chicken curry was not up to his standards - it made me laugh.

Ninja, I'm using your Ergo almost every day and my DP absolutely loves it. Thanks!

oh, and DG do you go swimming to park lane pools in Crouch End? I'm going there on Friday!