June 2008: birthdays, bunting and bumps make mummy a little bit tired!

[pureeandpearls]

Bring it on!!!

amber I?m laughing at the fanny magnet comment ? that?s brilliant. Life is funny how it works out sometimes.

Rolf I?d be very tempted to bite the bullet and buy a car on my own. How bad a choice could you make? And you?re a great parent ? it?s not the kids that are suffering from not having a car, they will have just as much fun in the garden honestly. But it would be nice for you?

deb seven pictures and one of them is a sauna ? definite culture shock!

essie I love your cleaner! I honestly can?t imagine having a cleaner if I was in my 60s without kids though. How much mess can one person make? Keep in mind I am the person who lived in flat for two years during grad school and never turned on the oven though because I didn?t want to have to clean it when I moved out. And MMR ? DS1 didn?t have a reaction at all to it, much easier than the 12 month one! Fraser has his MMR in two weeks because everything got delayed due to our month of minor illness. The whole autism link is completely wrong and has been disproved.

neenz I?d like that house too ? seems like property prices in your area are pretty equivalent to here.

We're having stress here with DH's work situation. They love his work, but aren't offering him the permanent job they promised for another six months and have used a very flimsy excuse. I was sick to my stomach last night with worry but I'm feeling more calm today. It just feels like the never-ending stress around here...

Thanks everyone for the congrats, need to get the scan over before I will be happy though.

Amber - I'm also pleased to hear the photos were pre baby, I thought you must be incredibly tidy without tons of baby related paraphenalia.

Rolf - shame about the car, have you got a local dealership you could pop down to sometime?

Debs - yes me and the vax can travel! How funny that they don't put any outside pics on, your house looks very tidy as well. How are you doing with viewings? How did the one the other week go?

Essie - Your photos are great, what a view! Made me laugh about your cleaner / property spy!

Impressed by Iestyn's book habits. J isn't actually too bad. His main problem is with lift the flap books, he doesn't put the flap down properly before turning the page so it gets all bent.

Neenz - sunday is a biking day here so he sets off at some ridiculously early hour and sometimes is back in time for lunch but more often than not can be 3 or 4pm. Annoying when you want to do something isn't it?
Do you live in Formby? Hadn't realised it was so close to Ainsdale, that is where DH grew up, he never goes back and I haven't been there but he has fond memories of his childhood home, a massive old house with a big garden.

Aberdeen - how worrying about your DH's job. I hope he manages to sort something out. Have you handed your notice in yet?

I've been feeling sorry for myself, must have overdone it with the vaxing because I developed a bad headache yesterday afternoon, fell asleep after J went to bed, woke up and was sick, felt rubbish all night and was sick again this morning. Shivery and hot but no temperature. Rang NHS direct in a panic about swine flu but she was very reassuring and said she didn't think it was, she said to rest and keep taking lots of fluids, if I get a temperature or flu symptoms I have to ring the doctor. Had a sleep this morning while J was having a nap and did feel better but think the headache is coming back.

Hello! not much time to post and cant possibly catch up but all well here.
Fleur finally is settling down after a hectic month.
Hve posted wedding pics on facebook
Hope all well will catch up soon

congrats paro ktpie sounds a bit swine-flu-ish... fingers crossed you're on the mend. I'm not handing in my notice until the 3rd for progression reasons but will be handing in the boys notice for nursery on Friday - and after that there's no turning back!

Thought your wedding photos were lovely paro, it looks like you had a great day.

On the bodysuit front, thanks for sharing what you're all doing. I think going forward we might switch to vests (I do live in Scotland!) but not pants, then at least we dont have the daily fight around trying to get the poppers on.

Deb I've heard a few reports on the mirena taking a while to settle down. It's been about 9 months for me now and is getting progressively worse though. Looking back, I've always had issues with hormone based contraception . I'm also starting to see links with the mirena coil and some of my other symptoms like the extreme headaches I've been getting.

At work, so best crack on. Sorry again if I've missed anyone's comments for me.

Essie Jamie is having the single measles jab on friday and I am going to be wrapping him in cotton wool afterwards just to be sure no nasty pig flu germs get to him

First day of the school holidays. True to form, the kids woke up earlier this morning than normal due to the excitement and have spent all day in manic mode. Jamie and I are exhausted! Especially as the hour when he has his nap and I usually put my feet up was spent making carrot cake and writing about it in various holiday diaries. Still, the homework buzz will wear off soon and then I'll be moaning about having to nag them. They can't win, bless'em!

hello

Now that I finally have a computer, have been lurking again. You all seem very well and happy. So much to catch up on!

Maybe when I go back to work in September, I can play with the rest of you!

Ktpie, conbgratulations!

PILS nightmare, sorry, Five, It's so hard when they are supposed to be FAMILY!

Amber, flat looks gorgeous and hope you find a nice seller. If the City picks up, they might start employing young pups again and someone else will want it for a fanny magnet!

Debs, hello. Very busy summer holidays

Abdn, I've been off so long I've missed your hhouse move. Good luck with handing in your notice. With nurseries, it's so important to feel good about where you send them.

Essie, will keep eyes peeled for an orange TT cup.

DQ, sorry about the Mirena. It's quite common (about 10%) for them not to settle down. They don't have many hormones in, I believe. I hope you get it all sorted soon.

Neenz, interesting to hear about their bedtime and I liked the story of whoever it was bumped into your FIL in the park.

Rolf, hello! Good luck with the summer holidays. The weather's supposed to perk up ffinally.

SA, good luck with house sale.

Alipalli, I want a garden too. And a modernist huosue would be too wonderful.

Dorothy's fine though has a catalogue of nonserious medical problems that mean that we are at hospital about once a week athe moment!

Officially underweight (now below second centile) and has had blood tests done. THey think it's the reflux which hhas caused her to eat less solids than she sshould have done. We're back on the Gaviscon and she's developed a double chin.
Slightly low in iron but we are trying to deal with it with diet rather than drugs at the moment.

Not walking yet, and have to go to hospital next week as she has somehing called Duane's \Syndrome and can't turn her eye one way. She's fine, just won't ever be a pilot or an ace table tennis player.

Sorry to have been crap lately, and sorry to have missed someone out.
x

UDC

UDC- glad to see you.

Just saw this on FB- is this the Holy Grail of Monitors Poppy (or poopy as I am forever typing!)

Welcome back UDC - but sorry to hear about your many trips to hospital. Thanks for your comments about the mirena. I don't know whether I'm or (or both?) that its not worked out for me. None of the other options apart from condoms will suit and well that just seems so, teenage! I've told DH that when we do finally make a definite decision not to have any more kids it'll be his turn to be in charge and he'll have to go for the snip!

Am very excited tonight because for the first time in ages I've finished my chores by 8 o'clock, so instead of cheeky wee surfs and catch ups on the ipod I can actually sit in front of the computer and catch up with computer stuff properly. I might even update S's blog!

Essie I meant to say earlier that S will be going for his MMR whenever the appt comes through. It's obviously a controversial topic, so I wont start banging on about my views, but I would have thought that if there was evidence that the taxi driver's son had developed autism exactly the day after getting his MMR we'd all know about it. I don't want to be disrespectful to anyone who has to cope with autism - I have no direct experience of it myself. It has touched the lives of friends though and I would be surprised (based on my very limited knowledge) to discover if it was possible to establish to the day when autism develops.

Evening all. We made it to my parents' in France. Peter was super good on the flight (no DH to help out). A rather posh man complimented him on his behaviour at the end of the flight . People were very helpful and kind.

It is hot here: over 30 degrees. Not much else to say it is a quiet spot where they live.

UDC: hello. How is your DHs job situation now? How do you feel about going back to work?

The DTs had the MMR as well and had no ill-effects. I was worried, but I just put faith in the system, really, and felt that if there really was a link it would have been proven by now. I am a bit nervous about any immunisations, I think a lot of them are probably quite unneccessary compared to the risk and they can be full of junk and cause reactions, but my two have been fine with all theirs. They don't have any more till school I'm told.

ktpie, yeah I live in Formby, the next town along is Ainsdale. It's a lovely part of the country, I love living here. Hope you feel better today [worried].

Abdn, what a nightmare with your DH's job. If they don't offer him something does that mean going back to Canada? Or can he get something else here?

Paro, great wedding pics! Fleur is looking super cute.

Welcome back UDC! It was Rolf who met my FIL in a local park . Sorry about Dorothy's hospital trips. Sounds like you are coping fine with it - good for you. Only sweat the big stuff . Is she a decent eater?

Theo is really walking now - he walked from one end of my bedroom to the other today [proud]. And I got a few steps on video yesterday and put them on FB. E is still wailing herself to sleep, even tonight when DH spent 15mins with her in her room in the dark before bedtime, she still cried for 30mins before dropping off. I think it is just her nature - she fights sleep so the crying seems inevitable. Will keep trying though, give it a week to really see if it makes a difference.

DH is home. I did two days on my own and didn't really notice any difference . I actually quite liked it cos he didnt keep me awake at night with his light on reading and he didn't disturb me at 6.30am in the morning getting up . Love him really!

Paro - will go and look at your photos on FB

UDC - welcome back, sorry to hear about the hospital visits

Hello to everyone else, who was asking about the awful nappies and whether it was teeth linked? Well Ethan's had disgusting nappies for a couple of weeks now and today I spotted another 2 teeth,both bottom right molars so now he has a grand total of 12 teeth . Not walking yet but keeps trying in the baby bit of the swimming pool and looking very surprised when he lands in the water, I've taken to using one of those inflatable things you sit them in , but with the depth of the water he uses it as a baby walker!

Well I didn't get round to updating S's blog, but I did manage to finally bookmark your website Deb and I've started a thread asking for holiday ideas here.

Thanks all for the reassuring comments on MMR - thanks Abdn, good to know that the 12 month jab was worse (because that was a bad week for us as Iestyn was feverish for a week afterwards), and also thanks BDQ. I was all chilled about the whole thing, but the taxi driver really shook me up. I suppose because he's struggling in an awful situation (normal child became autistic; only had the one because they couldn't manage; working all hours because the child is better in a private school etc etc) I suddenly panicked because I wouldn't want to be in that situation. But my rational brain was saying it couldn't have been the MMR - how could it? Anyway, needed to voice it here and have all of you reassure me! I think it's just part of my general anxiety about everything - I'm fixating on things. (But I did get an orange TT cup in Brighton so I'm feeling in control again! - I really am in the spectrum, but quite a lot of academics are!)

Hi UDC, good to see you again! Sorry about Dorothy's hospital trips though. And lol Debs at the teeth - I've been having stress with one top one; god help me if Iestyn had 12! Mind you, it would be almost over...

Really quick post as meant to be working from home before going to France tonight with my
mother and her partner (could be interesting).
Essie- understand your worry but agree that mmr an autism link not proved. I think it's possibly because I think it is now the time you would notice a bit more about how your child deAls with outside world. Still it's only human to worry as autism such a huge deal to cope with . I trawler through links here and only thing I could see is that it would be an issue if your child had food intolernce.
Udc hi and sorry to hear about your trauma.
Neenz that is a lot of time - I get pissed off I dh out more than a couple of times a week so reatbof you are saints.
Ah am so sorry to hear re your dh.
Purée the concern with that monitor is I bet the music is awful!!

Better go as being clawed at - nappies better but have unsettle d baby at night that sounds bit like Esther been.

MMR ? as a scientist I?m pro immunization and on the other side of the coin, my DB and DSIL (and she deserves the dear!) are both teachers for autistic kids (DH and I are in awe) and they immunized their son. There just isn?t a link. I know some parents don?t believe in immunizations or are very sceptical, but I think we are too complacent about the potential for these diseases to kill or have serious consequences. And yes essie, so many of academics are slightly that way ? we were a bit worried about our boys because of the genetic potential from two very geeky parents but they are both fine (geeky, but fine).

neenz, ktpie, and poppy thanks for the virtual support and hugs! Fortunately DH can just stay self-employed but we were very much hoping for the job security of a permanent position. Oh well, I?ve had a good cry about it (easy these days) and it?s not the end of the world ? he is trying to renegotiate his contract to get 90 days notice instead of 30 as that would give him time to find more work. We know he?s fine until around Feb because they are going to be unbelievably busy until then, so we?d just like to build up more security after that. And we love it here and don?t want to have to move somewhere else! DH actually got his British citizenship last month (the boys and I missed the ceremony because of chickenpox) so we are definitely planning to stay!

UDC sorry to hear about all the minor worries with Dorothy. Even though they?re minor, they do add up. I think it?s great she can?t be a fighter pilot ? I?d rather my boys couldn?t either! Accountancy sounds like a nice, safe job?.

neenz some kids apparently need to cry to release tension before sleeping ? a friend of mine was like that as a kid. It sounds like E is the same.

deb 12 teeth! That?s impressive. Fraser?s at 7 and I?m dreading the rest.

Ah as an accountant not sure it's that safe as you would think. Also thinking about it essie I am not sure I have had the best advice from cabbies over the years- women drive better in high heels, send em all back home, I should shoot my ex wife , I am so poor thanks to ken livingstone ( but I am off to my four bedroom house in spain next week ) etc etc

Hi guys, really quick post cos I'm at work and bored stiff rushed off my feet!

UDC, I have a friend with Duane's syndrome - she's a quantity surveyor, not that that is remotely relevant to anything .

poppy, do you mean being an accountant isn't safe as in a job for life or isn't safe cos you get attacked by your clients?

Vaccinations and autism - I also work in special needs and don't believe there to be a link. Essie, your taxi driver probably didn't have a 'normal' child before the MMR, but how can you tell if a one year old is autistic or not? Alex can spend hours banging his pegs into his peg board - obsessive behaviour or just being a baby?

And AH, can totally relate to worrying about the genetic thing - I live in an area with a high rate of autism and the reason given is because we have to many IT professionals round here (Microsoft's HQ is just up the road) - what does dh do? Yep, he's in IT!

I don't mean to make light of it cos as others have said, autism can be an incredibly distressing condition, but I agree that many people (and I see it on MN all the time) just don't understand how catastophic the complications of measles, mumps and rubella can be.

Talking of vaccinations, does anyone fall into the groups being offered the SF vaccination? Pg women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters are being offered it in the first tranch and I don't know what to do . WWYD?

Right, better go, boss will be back soon. Hi to everyone I've missed .

sponge I think DS1 might fall into that group since he's three. I'm hoping they'll release more information about risks before we would have to make a decision, although I bet we'll decide to get him vaccinated. I know they may be fast tracking it through testing, but how different is it from a normal flu vaccine?

oops, I meant "so many IT professionals" not "too many"!

AH, it's not that different from a normal flu vaccine AFAIK, but I'm not sure they normally vaccinate pg women - it's Bill I'm concerned about rather than me . But then if I have the vaccination he will be safer when he's born in October cos he'll have some immunity from me, whereas if I don't have the vaccination I'm concerned he'll be extremely vulnerable .

Rolf you reassure me so much, I always assume people with more than 2 kids and professional husbands are completely on top of everything in their lives! Don't stop talking about it, it makes me feel so much better! If it helps, I bought our car when 7 months pg and desperately worried about not having the right one, and it was COMPLETELY wrong and has been for years, and I cannot imagine how we are going to change it ...

Deb he's not a musician himself, he is just obsessed with downloading, mixing, playing, collecting, listening to, talking about, making the perfect CD, making lists of top tracks of the year, of the decade, of particular genres, .... but at least the Fantasy League season starts again soon so he will have something else to talk about ... I'm in Garstang this Saturday actually visiting a friend, will give it a wave for you

Essie: MMR / autism link has been fairly comprehensively disproved by lots of studies. AFAIK side effects, if there are any, tend to come up about 10 days after the jab - mild rash, swollen glands, temperature. Rare. (C had hers today.) If you want a 2nd hand orange TT let me know!

sponge you asked WWYD, I think I would try and find some stats but would lean towards having the vaccine for the reasons you suggest

SA glad to be reassuring . No, we are not on top of anything whatsoever. I don't know if that's the impression we give in RL but it's certainly how things are! Apparently someone who knows me from church frequently remarks to a mutual friend that I always seem so serene. The friend totally blew my cover by saying "no, she's not in the least serene, she's just lost her glasses" .

Sponge I'd be apprehensive about a vaccine that hasn't been as rigorously tested as it would be in different circumstances. I'm generally pro-immunisation. I don't know whether vaccines have in the past been the same when launched as when they were at the stage the H1N1 vaccine is? Is this a stage in a vaccine's development when things tend to change, or is it just a compliance issue? No help, I'm afraid. You're in a difficult position.

AH and Sponge know what you mean about the geeky parents thing. A few years ago I spoke to a GP friend about our worries about DS2 (who is lovely but extremely eccentric). He gave the matter quite a bit of thought and very apologetically approached me a few days later and said "please don't be offended, but did you and your DH really expect to have very mainstream children?"

Paro - Congratulations! Will try and track you down on fb, in fact I think there are quite a few people I'm still missing on there. Prepare to get odd friend requests!

Sybil - yum yum carrot cake! Sounds very hectic.

UDC - hospital trips sounds horrible. Hope things get sorted.

BDQ - that made me laugh about condoms being teenage, you're so right!

Ali - well done on the flight!

Wow Debs 12 teeth!

AH - glad your Dh can stay self employed, having been employed on a temporary contract for ages I know how frustrating and disheartening it is when they keep just renewing it rather than giving you a permanent postion.

Sponge - when are they starting to vaccinate people?
My concern with it would be how much testing would they have had time to do? I work in pharmaceuticals (well did do) and it takes years to put drugs through clinical trials. I am presuming they have a different and quicker system for flu vaccines anyway as they have to produce new ones each year. Just had a quick look for the risks to pregnant women of normal flu vaccine and found this which is a bit reassuring in that it suggests that there is a history of pregnant women receiving normal flu vaccine.
Things is they won't have any relevant stats of long term complications for this particular vaccine as it is only just being developed. Essentially my happiness with having it hinges on how similar it is to normal flu vaccine, and without some samples and a lab I'm not sure how I am going to satisfy myself on that front! I really don't know whether I would want it or not. Sorry to have just confused things Sponge.

I'm still feeling fairly rubbish, headachey, queasy, tired and generally rough. Haven't got a temperature so that's a good thing. Have the odd few hours of feeling fine which is a good thing as I managed to go out this morning and buy a dress for the wedding I'm going to next week. This was my last chance as DH is going away tomorrow and taking the van, which limits my shopping options, typical of me to be so disorganised.

Rolf - that made me laugh about your serenity!