Dec 08 it's time for sippy, tippy and doidy cups (& wee sticks!?!)

[Veggiemummy]

sorry could think of much and these where discuss on last page.

effie, meant to say as well, ds1 can tell them the stories but he has to do it with a particular librarian, any of the others & he goes all quiet & doesn't say a word!

Veggie me too me too. I love colouring and all crafty stuff.

My niece has done a wee . We are all very pleased.

LadyT - You poor thing. Your work are being bastards. I know you don't want to go to tribunal, and rightly so as they are horrible places with unpredictable outcomes, but might it be worth hinting in that direction to scare them? I also want to add my solidarity as a mother of an incredible non moving baby. DD2 neither crawls nor rolls nor shows any interest in learning either skill! However, having had a big crawler with DD1 I can tell you its a blessing to have a sitter, they are so much easier to keep track off and so much less tiring .

Lal - Sorry DS1 is ill, I hope he feels better soon. Glad you had a good holiday though.

Spot - I forgot to say earlier that I used to live in Brighton and DH and I did some research on moving there a few years back. I can give you loads of info if it would help. My main memory was that we ended up thinking of the Preston Park area rather than the seafront as we had originally planned. This was because Preston Park has a brilliant big green park, and green areas are rare in Brighton. It also has two great primary schools (I think they were called Stanford and Balfour, they are amongst the best in the country). Houses are affordable (by London standards) and the beach is only 20 mins walk away. It might be worth a look. Otherwise Kemp Town is lovely or Montpelier if you need to be near Brighton Station (although Preston Park has its own station).

PS I have managed to get a picture of the famed caterpillar cake on to my profile. Feel free to admire

Hi,

Just a flying visit, I've been busy with work, relatives, and more enjoyably, Harry Potter, sleeping, BBQs, wine and biscuits.

Kayz, glad work wasnt too bad, it gets easier but I dont know if thats a good or bad thing.

LadyT Have you heard any news yet ? I'm angry on your behalf but feel impotent. Its one of those things that it just wrong but I dont know how to change. I'm a believer in complaining about things, but its so easy to feel discouraged.

Hello to everyone else, Lal I hope everyone is well again. I'm sorry I cant really keep up properly, so I'm only up to date on todays news. But Veggie, I guess you had a good holiday, and I love colouring in also. In fact, last friday, when DS1 was being ultra-challenging and we were nearly coming to blows, I got the colouring book out and coloured in a picture myself. I felt much better afterwards

DH and I have had a very nice week. Due to the babysitting circle we have been out twice in quick succession for a meal. He has also moved back into the bedroom (sadly this sounds saucier than it is) and we caught up with some friends at the weekend. I feel our relationship has suffered quite a lot over the last few months so we are both making an effort to get it back on track. At the BBQ you could really tell who the "new" couple was, all tactile and loving, whereas those of us with small kids were more like "Where are he bibs?/Did you bring the food?/DS2 has done a poo again, its your turn". You can see where the romance goes, not only do you have so much less time for eachother, you have a shedload more chores to divide amongst yourselves, my friend said she'd decided not to have a third as she didnt think their marriage could survive it and I could see.....

anyway, i gotta go as an evening of chores/phone calls beckons....

It's a mandala colouring book, I got it from the yogamatters website. Mandala are circular designs they originated in Indian and Buddhist culture. Mandalas are very calming to create something to do with the circular shape. In this book you just colour them in, you don't actually create them but similar effect. DS1 has a kids one and I have the adult one. When I was at uni one of our recommended text books was a anatomy colouring in books. Quite amusing as well as educational.

I have a very beautiful Tibetan mandala hanging on my wall, I shall not be getting it down for DD to colour in at any point .

arti that's brilliant news re your niece.

Does anyone else have a baby that suddenly has seperation issues?

DS2 does not want to be put down at all. It is now getting quite difficult when DH isn't here. When I took DS1 to bed DS2 was playing with a toy but after just 30 seconds he was screaming like he was in pain. As soon as I appeared he was fine and giggling again. HV is rubbish and just said that it happens at 8 months and he'll grow out of it by about 30 months. Never had it with DS1 but then again I was back at work when he was 5 months old.

Any ideas?

Kayz: DS2 is getting very clingy and generally complaining more, generally when you don't get the food to him fast enough! It's a bit of a shock as he's always been such a calm baby. Messing his sleep up as well (of course!). I remember going through it with DS1 but it's much harder to deal with a velcro baby when you have a velcro toddler as well

Kayz I think there is an 8 month thing, DS1 went through it. However, DS2 has been clingy with me since day dot, and cries whenever anyone else holds him, but suddenly now at 8 months has become unclingy and will let anyone hold him. I'm sure if I handed him to any random passer by he'd be fine with it, bizarre.

Arti I cross posted with you before, wonderful news about your little niece, any idea what her longterm prognosis is. I keep thinking of her little body hooked up to the big dialysis machine. It must just be a nightmare for her mum. It's made me really think. I'm quite blarzay(no idea how to spell that) about letting the boys play on grassy areas at campsites, parks and farms. Maybe I should be a bit more careful.

Oh and LadyT if you want some soothing reading, I'm re-reading (after years) a nice new translation of the Mabinogion. If anyone disses you, you get to tie them up in a bag and give them a good kicking. Then you demand half their lands and a good few horses before moving on to carousing for three months

Hi all, can I call upon the power of the December ladies for a few days? We visited another nursery this morning and they can offer us Friday and half of Thursday, possibly all of Thursday pending another mum's decision - so really want her not to want the place after all! They should be able to let us know by the end of the week and if it works, that would be the dread situation sorted out. V annoyingly the plan had always been to go back on the payroll in October then get paid part time for a couple of months before I actually start, but the lady who has to sign off all this stuff is a) really bloody hard to pin down and b) now on holiday for a fortnight, and I'm not allowed to hand in the 8 weeks notice of return forms until she's back, by which point it's virtually mid November before I can go back - so no pay at all until then

Arti, hurrah for your niece's wee! Bless her for being so brave. And three cheers for the fantastic cake, it is a work of art and (almost) too good to eat!

Lady Hope your employers did come up with an answer for you, that really is taking the biscuit of unreasonableness. I wish there was something we could do - lots of us seem to be getting a raw deal about returning. You'd think in the current climate employers would really want to keep on people that they've invested a lot of time and effort into, rather than risk losing us through their own rigidity and failure to pull their fingers out... Sorry about the row we're kind of similar, if I don't nag dh then nothing gets done - he's very much a 'put it to one side and deal with it later' type

kayz glad the first day went well

effie wahoo, does that mean we get to see your waps on google earth?

njan hurrah for your dh moving back in with you, does that mean no more starfish across the whole bed but more hugs

Hello it's lal again - am just trying to pretend to be someone new and interesting. Actually I want to post on a childcare thread and there's another lal there so thought it would be too confusing.

Effie I know what you mean about velcro children. I spent most of today with DS hanging off my leg and carrying DD. Ho hum. Had no idea what Mabinogion was. Thank the lord for wikipedia. I have finally finished my trollope-athon. Sounds like it could be so much more interesting than reading Barchester Chronicles.

Have finally caught up I think. Had to sneak off early to bed to do so. Am relieved to know mine isn't the only baby that has gone from free and easy to a bit more shouty. She's also quite possibly going to be quite lary when she grows up. DS took one of her dummies and she crawled onto his chest and pulled it out of his mouth. I don't know whether he or I was more shocked.

Arti I'm so pleased your niece is still improving. Must have been frightening for all of you. Your cake was brilliant. V inspiring (as in I might just copy that for DS's bday).

JJ sorry to depress you further but I don't know a single person whose work has made life really easy for them after maternity leave. Last time I went back full time and with DH at home (so in effect like a man with small children and a SAHW) and they still managed to make it painful. When we rule the world we must fix this.

Kayz - think people do make all the difference. Lots of my favourites have left my work in last couple of years and it does change your view of it.

njan - I know what you mean about new couple/couples with children. Makes me sad though. Must try to make more of an effort (she says with the laptop in bed and DH downstairs working).

Veggie I'm going to do some colouring tomorrow. We did pasta pictures today and DS was interested for about a nanosecond whilst he covered himself in glue and then gave up whereas I was happily making patterns...

Right. Off to try to go to sleep. Not finding it that easy at the moment, hence going to bed at half nine. Hope you all have good nights.

Oh and Arti the cake is awesome well done you and DH.

jump am keeping my fingers crossed for the nursery place! You're right as well about employers not making it easy for us to go back. I remember I looked at going back to work when ds1 was 1 & they were just so unenthusiastic about part time or even job share that I decided to leave instead. And I've since heard they've had loads of problems getting someone to fill my position ha ha!

arti I don't think I've ever been so pleased so hear about a wee! I hope she keeps continuing to improve, it must be so hard for her & her family.

njan keeping up a relationship is hard work after children. Hence why dh & I are getting away for the night this weekend!

veggie am going to look into those colouring books, thanks

Morning,

Arti Yay for weeing!! Hope she continues to improve!

Veggie Those colouring books look really nice. I think I am going to have to treat myself to some. I had a really nice Beatrix Potter one but DS1 got it and scribbled everywhere.

Trying to persuade DH to do some art and craft stuff with DS1 but I'm not sure it is going to happen really.

Hope you are all well. Work again today.

Lal: am impressed at Trollope stint, I didn't get past the Warden. The version I am reading is here: www.amazon.co.uk/Mabinogion-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199218781/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251 181821&sr=8-1 but I read this one as a child and loved it: www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Mabinogion-Margaret-Jones/dp/0862438977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=125118 1881&sr=1-1.

Arti: yay for the wee!

JJ: glad something is getting sorted re: nursery. The 8 weeks notice is a pain, I'm sure it was 28 days last time.

Hello all,

arti Great to hear your niece is improving. It can't be much fun being in hospital as a child. How much longer will she have to stay in?

Your cake is fantastic, well done you.

kiwi We spent 2 weeks in Berlin in May. It is a fantastic city. Have you ever been on the free walking tour? I can find out the details if you like. It is about 3 and a half hours long and it takes you to most of the major sites, the reichstag, checkpoint Charlie etc etc. It was one of the best things we did. I'm jealous, I love Berlin!

veggie I wouldn't be at all concerned about DS1's writing. It all depends on the child, much like speed of rolling, crawling etc. He sounds like his vocab is very well developed!

ladyT If you do end up having another meeting do take someone along with you to take notes of what goes on. I hope it all gets resolved asap, it can't be much fun having that hanging over you. Oh and yay for the ashes! Thanks to your late DH's book I know much more about cricket these days, my DH is most impressed .

JJ That is just rubbish re work. I'll keep my fingers well crossed that things work out childcare wise.

I like the sound of adult colouring books, although it did conjure up a mental image of a colouring book of adult themes . Just me then .

We are off to the library too as soon as DD awakes, I've read 'That's not my bunny', far too many times. See you all later. DD has just woken right on cue, good girl!

Hello all!

Veggie - on the writing thing, its the same as for babies, they're all different! I think all you can do at this stage is encourage them in the stuff they are interested, but beyond that, I wouldn't worry too much. Any time I start to fret about such things I remember my sister - she barely spoke at 4, certainly didn't read for ages, but turned out very capable - scary number of A levels, first class degree and now a doctor. So you never know really. Not that it mattered if she hadn't turned out to be academic, but there would certainly have been no point in labelling her at such a young age. I think in this day an age they probably would have started to worry about whether she was OK etc etc.

arti - so pleased to hear about your niece! I hope she gets better fast now - that is the one thing about small children, they get scarily poorly, but also recover fast. Agree with the others, the cake looks fab! Glad she had a happy birthday and that the other birthday parties went well.

LadyT (and JJ) - am very on your behalf. It is ridiculous. By law, we're supposed to give employers 2 months notice of return from maternity leave (if we're coming back early), so that they can sort themselves out. Outrageous that they can't extend the courtesy to us, especially when there is childcare to organise.

lal - glad you had a good holiday, but sorry for illness.

I'm feeling remarkably human today as DS decided not to do his usual 4am wake-up and limited himself to 10pm and 1.30am. Amazing what an unbroken stretch of sleep does for you. He's also getting much noisier. He woke up as he often does around 7.30 when we put DD to bed and instead of going straight back to sleep he decided he wanted to talk to me - lots of serious cooing while making eye contact waiting for me to talk to him and then cooing back. He spent about an hour chatting to himself and DD this morning before I had to get them up. Also had a good, if busy weekend. Lots of running around in Regent's Park with my brother who is visiting from the US with his fiancee and her family. It was very tantalising to hear the shouts for the cricket from the big screen without actually be able to go and see what was going on - thank goodness for the blackberry!

Hello,

A long time since I posted - no excuse really.... Am suddenly a little bit paranoid about writing too much on public forums. I am a bit anti-lurkers at the moment. Perhaps I'm just upset about the Ashes
Thanks for asking about me Trace (and Lady via text)
Not even going to try and remember what I wrote last.
Just packing this week really, and trying to encourage ds to do more than one crawl before turning to his downward dog pose! he has three teeth now and two more just cutting through on the top at the front. He has been really good with all this teething. Sleeps fine with the powder etc.
I had been getting worried that he hated my cooking and wondered what the heck Ella does in her kitchen, however I recently changed a few of the combinations around of my own puree's and made an apple, carrot and broccoli number which he wolfed down!! Still not into lumps, and prefers to take very small mouthfuls to ensure no lumps get past, however working on it slowly
Well, going to get some moving admin stuff done while he naps.

Good luck with the move pmk

PMK isn't it annoying when you have to do non MN stuff whilst the wee ones are napping. On the lumpy foods, DS1 was the same whereas DS2 is now happily chomping on whole strawberries! I think some kids have a self preservation thing and others don't. I always thought DS1 would have survived well in prehistoric times as he is suspicious of most foods and would never eat any lump big enough to choke on. DS2 on the other would not have survived he would have noshed down something poisonous by now, or stolen some big dinosaurs dinner.

I'm procrastinating, I've put DS2 down for a nap and should be packing. We are driving to London tonight, I'm seeing a friend and her new baby tomorrow and DH has 2 job interviews on Thursday down there, then I start the charity bike ride on thursday. DH is having trouble with his calf muscles I may have to do most or even all of the cycling. There are 8 other big guys doing the ride so will need to keep up with them.

veggie good luck with the ride

pmk hope the move goes well, where are you moving to?

Ds1 has had his last day at nursery, am to say I got a little teary. Ds1 gave me a kiss & a cuddle to 'make you feel better' then added 'but you are being silly mummy'

Veggie, yeah I'm not too worried it's just annoying as I have to get every little lump out when I'm pureeing or the whole lot is wasted! Spoke to mum and she said that me as a baby was the same and wasn't even interested in finger foods either until about 12 months! he did put a bit of toast in his mouth yesterday but I noticed he did it when I walked away - it seems he is shy to try it in front of me!
How far is the bike ride? Where from / too?
Tilly - moving to Nth Surrey next week - haven't packed one thing, but I just washed the dog

It's that Bristol to Derby ride, the one for charity that you guys were so generous about sponsoring. I think it's about 250 miles.

Poor DS2 I don't know if he is teething or has a virus, he woke up really snotty this morning and is really teary and clingy. If I'm close by he is happy enough and he certainly isn't off his food but he is so snotty. He has been well for ages and now just as I'm going to see a friend with a newborn he gets sick!

LOL at dog washing rather than packing.

Evening girls,

I just don't know where the time goes...Still no word from work Most ominous. Thanks for all the support though, it?s a great comfort. I have realised I have accumulated all my leave for this year whilst on maternity leave so that?s a month on full pay I will be tacking on. Makes a change from no money at all.

Effie - I did chortle about Google Earth. How nice to be recorded for posterity It's as good as those 'time capsules' of stuff Blue Peter used to bury in the Blue Peter garden...Pink gin - heavens, I WISH - and tying annoyances up in sacks and duffing them up? Sounds even more appealing than a pink gin. I shall check out Mabinogion but I have just started A Passage to India, the only EM Forster book I've never read. What a literary lot we are.

Lal, I rather like the new moniker. Sorry your DS has been poorly. Every time I walk through Soho now (usually weekly, I was there last Tuesday night) I think about you living there and I get all envious?

Arti, yay for the wee! I must admit I do quite enjoy DD?s lack of crawling, as it?s one less hassle in a small, crowded flat. She occasionally deigns to roll, but only if there is a toy she really, really wants. As for hinting about legal action to work, I don?t want to show my hand (yet). Oh, and I hope C is managing ok. 50 hours of labour sounds eyepopping.

NJAN, thanks for your kind words about work. DP is not the romantic type and I have only known him five minutes!

Kayz, I think DD has a shade of separation anxiety. Sometimes she cries if I so much as walk away from her. Other days she doesn?t give a toss

JJ, powering out the good vibes for your nursery place. My oh my, what a stress this childcare lark really is?

PMK ? I did smile about the lumps. These babies aren?t daft, are they? EVERY time I feed DD, her first taste is minimal because she simply does not trust me automatically to give her something delicious. There is a real ?Well, I will just see what this muck is first, before I set about eating it? vibe to proceedings. Are you still watching BB? I am

Ooh, forgot to say welcome back to Reban! How are all four Dcs?

Sounds like a nice weekend, young Invis. Bet Regents Pk was lovely on Sunday in that nice weather....

Tilly, aw, I would be a bit sad about nursery ending too. That first day at school will be a real killer. And if I so much as THINK of DD in a nativity play I get a lump in my throat. I am going to be one of those hideously embarrassing mothers.

Jolly, I have thought about taking DP if I do have a meeting as he is legal and my boss would behave herself, but I can?t quite bring myself to do it and I can?t think of anyone else. The trouble is, the company is so very small: two owner bosses who are married to each other, me, an assistant, an accountant and the girl who is covering my maternity leave. There?s no infrastructure.

Veggie, I had an ?adult? dot-to-dot. It was quite rude. That was a sad story about the boy who wanted to colour in. It?s hard to get the balance right, I guess. But some parents are way too competitive. I hope I won?t be like that. I don?t think I will be as it?s more important to me that DD is confident and kind rather than some maladjusted prodigy.

Right, off to stir my very wholesome whomemade soup...