Sept 08: The End of an Amazing year

[Pacita]

Here we are: the thread that will see our LO's first birhtday...

Potty training is another thing I am dreading, but hearing about your situations leonie and debs really puts it all into perspective.

So today is the big party for DS! I've yet to ice the cake(s) and chop up the salad but everything else is done (thanks to my mum, dh and dbro). DS is typically teething so will no doubt remain clingy and anti social all day, but whaddyagonnado? He is currently asleep in my arms and I'm too scared to put him down in case he wakes up and attempts to make it through the rest of the day on one 10 minute nap.

His bday pressie arrived earlier this week and dh assembled it in the garden, it's going to need adjusting but I think he just about fits in the swing at the moment.

Can't believe he'll actually be 1 year old tomorrow! This time last year (it was a hot and stormy Sunday) I was rolling around an ante-natal ward waiting to go into the labour ward looking forward to meeting my baby for the very first time. And then he was here and our lives changed just like that. Amazing. They're such miracles.

(oh and my period arrived yesterday after an 8 week cycle, managed to hold off from testing, so I was right about ovulating two weekends ago...maybe next time it'll be a good egg).

Leonie We get higher rate based on him waking several times and needing to be resttled each time. DLA like to know how much time of your night is taken up so we put 'wakes up 3 times needs 20 mins to be resettled.'
Judging by you DD's age you will reapply in 2010 then I think once more and you will have a break until she is 16. Not much comfort but it means a break of almost 8 years for filling out tedious but necessary forms.

Good luck on the B'day party Digi Know how you feel re: naps. Just spent 45 mins sat on laminate floor getting a very numb bum as I stupidly decided to feed Robyn whilst on the floor (Dp feeling rough so was asleep on the couch) If I had got up I know she would of woken up and she only napped yesterday for 10 mins and was really crabby. Teething as well.

Having a bad day with DD. She is teething, has a horrible runny nose, and is generally miserable. She is refusing food and milk when she usually wants it, and wouldn't go down for her day time sleep. DH and I both have colds too and we have been at our wits' end trying to assuage the screaming miserable baby all day. We eventually went for a drive to try to settle her but she still only slept for 20 mins in the car. Dreading another awful night tonight. Got to go... more screaming. [exhausted emoticon]

Oh Ponymum - sorry to hear that. Hope the teeth come through soon and her (and your) suffering ceases for a bit x

And happy birhtday for tomorrow to DG's ds....it really is amazing how fast it has gone, isnt it?

On a diet and feeling VERY fed up. Hungry, weak and light headed. 2 stone to go though so got to try.

Toby now walks on his own quite well as long as we dont look at him!! The minute he sees us looking he plops down on his bottom

DH is upstairs with DD now. We are taking turns trying to calm her. It has gone quiet so I am hopeful... no, crying again. She has no temperature but is so upset it is awful.

Becaroo - good on you with the diet. I am still going with mine. I have lost 3 st 2 lb since DD was born! (Just don't ask how much I weighed then .)

digital Happy Birthday to A!

I've been up since 5:30. [grump] I stupidly took a PG test this morning and it was negative. Oh well, at least that means I can drink champagne and eat smelly french things for my birthday dinner out in a couple of weeks' time [trying to look on the bright side and failing emoticon].

Happy birthday to digi's DS!

Yay! Happy Birthday DS!!

Having a very lazy today after yesterday's very successful party. A few more people came than expected which was lovely. DS was surprisingly sociable and also managed an hour's nap in the middle of it all.

(although bedtime was a different story, and we're back to 2 hour wakings from 3am again - he is a very determined little boy and I don't know where we're supposed to go from cc)

ponymum sorry you got a -ve test. I was also hoping to be pg again, so was glad that I managed to hold off testing till my period came....BFNs (big fat negative) are more disappointing than getting your period I think.

Happy Birthday to Digi's DS I am glad the party went well.

Sending lots of bountiful fertility vibes to DG and Ponymum.

DS had got into a bit of a habit of waking in the middle of the night for a wail. Last night I put him in a babygro instead of a short legged and armed romper. He slept through to 7 as per normal. I think he was waking because he was cold

OH MY GOD.......

Just typed a massive post then lost the whole bloody thing [angry}

The gist:

ponymum Sorry you got a negative test and sorry your dd is still suffering. Wish I could suggest something but my ds1 was in awful pain each time he teethed, so can sympathise Well done on the weightloss! AMAZING!

Happy birthday baby dg

Cant believe I lost the lot.

Bugger, bugger, bugger.........

Oh Starlight, don't mention those first six weeks. It makes me clench just thinking about it

It's funny though, I was talking to a friend the other week and she ADORES the newborn stage and doesn't find the extremeness of it difficult, yet her dd is 6mo now and she finds this bit really hard. For me it is the total opposite. Different strokes for different folks I guess!

DS breakfast today was a Kinder Bueno . Well, part of a Kinder Bueno. DH left it on the arm of the sofa last night (how many times do I tell him to clear up after himself?!), ds found it and was sucking on it before I even had a chance to find out what he was doing. He was VERY pissed off when I took it away from him!

Happy Birthday baby digi. I'll always remember his birthday because i still think it's crazy that he is 1 day older than my ds yet will start school a whole year ahead!

We went out to a big country park with the bikes today, had a cycle, a picnic, played in the park and icecream. Then went out for dinner for ds2's birthday.

His cake is turning into a nightmare. Yest I ran out of fondant icing sugar and had to go to 2 shops before I got any. The realised I didn't have enough butter so had to go out again. Then today I discovered I didn't have enough black icing but the only shop I had time to go to didn't have any. Silly bank holiday means they're all shut now so will have to go out in morning for it before going out for the day.

Evening all!

DG and ponymum happy baby dancing next month

Happy birthday baby digi! leonie and starrywasp well done on knowing your little ones and their needs so well and dealing with all the rubbish that comes your way from the 'professionals'.

Yesterday we got back from a lovely relaxing weekend away. We went to a wedding on the Friday (lots of fun with old uni friends) then had saturday all to ourselves. The hotel had a pool, free internet, huge circular sofas (so I didn't mind dh watching the utd/arsenal game coz we were all snuggled up and I had my book and a cappuccino!) and breakfast was served from 6am to midday!! Now thats our kinda hotel The in-laws did a great job with the kids which was such a relief coz they don't know them particularly well and don't seem very intuitive with their parenting. They were so grateful for the 4 page manual I gave them!

Bad news on the house front
The survey on the one we want came back very very bad. It needs a structural survey, and if that's bad, then the vendors have a lot of work to do before they can put it on the market again. If its ok, then it still needs new wiring, some new plumbing, and the chimney repairing and re-pointing. According to the vendor 'there's nothing wrong with the house'

So...tomorrow we're going to give them an ultimatum: they pay for the structural survey, and if that's ok then we'll get quotes for the other work, the value of which needs to come off the cost of the house, as we had agreed our price based on a house that was ready to move into.
If not...we'll walk. But of course we'll risk losing our buyers if we can't find somewhere else that's chain free.

We're also going to try and view two other properites tomorrow. One is in immaculate condition, poss bit overpriced but stamp duty paid, nice extension. The other is a bigger 3 bed semi with 'old lady lived here' written all over it. Would need re-wiring, prob new kitchen and bathroom, and full redecoration...but you end up with a shiney new bigger house.

Hopefully i'll have happy news for you by this time tomorrow! Although I'm off to Ikea so prob won't have time to post

Enjoy the rest of August

The birthday boy is currently screaming in his cot upstairs . Tonight is the second night of CC at bedtime (since the last time). I guess this is some sort of developmental thing that has upset his normal routine.

I don't mean to go on about his terrible sleeping habits, but he has terrible sleeping habits. Does this mean he'll be a model teenager and not cause us any trouble later on in life? I'm so jealous of those people with babies who sleep easily. And secretly pleased to meet mums who have to get up in the night as many times as I do.

ILTMIMI Love the first 6 weeks? This is like my sister (she of the six children) who says to me "I just love being pregnant!". Given the pregnancy I had...

debi good luck with the cake - hope it comes right.

carriebo fingers crossed on the house. Busy day for you tomorrow. Can I ask you a favour? If they have the new catalogues at Ikea can you pick one up for me? They didn't have them when I was there last week. (Only if it's no trouble.)

digi Absolutely, trouble now means he'll be perfect in his teens!

I loved being pregnant first time round (just felt so special) and I loved the first 6 weeks this time round as it was SOOOO much easier than first time round, and I felt so much more alive and with it.

However .... almost a year on and I'm still not completely with it (well often not at all) and I still have a daughter who wakes once or twice in the night (she still seems a great sleeper compare to no.1)

Carrie keeping my fingrs crossed for your house issues -

Debi my sister's offered to make a cake for M - yippeee

Digi I don't think he wanted his birthday too end
I am still getting up twice a night with Robyn. 99% of her naps/sleeps are breastfed induced. Was planning on weaning her off by 1 but she definitely has other ideas. She is so crabby atm as she is only getting about 11-12 hours sleep so we are just trying to get her to sleep/nap whatever way we can.
Feel free to be happy that I am up just as much as you every night.

Carrie so glad we aren't in the market for buying a house, it sounds too stressful.

ILTMIMI I loved being pregnant each time but only enjoyed the first few weeks with the girls. With DS I was exhausted and it took giving up bf to start feeling human again. Really like the toddling and starting to talk stage as well.
Teenage on the other hand not so good. Stroppy and you can't give them a clip round the ear as they are too bloody tall.

'course I will ponymum Then we'll have to meet so I can give it to you!

carriebo So you spotted my ulterior motive...

And Happy Birthday to A!

debi Happy Birthday to your ds . Dare I ask how the cake making went?

What a nightmare house moving is carrie. What did you buy at Ikea? .

It's 6 weeks today since my operation and I seemed to be healing up nicely. My post-op check is still 2 weeks away so I still need to be careful. I can't beleive I'll be back at work next month, I've got to ask my boss if I can work shorter weeks for the first couple so I can ease myself into it.