June 08: I see it, I want it, it's mine!

[spongebrainmaternitypants]

Welcome to our new thread .

spider - have a great time!!!

I can see things haven't changed with the amount of posts from today
Oh my god all these babbas due.
Congratulations to all.
Hubby is on a stag weekend in Spain so I'm left entertaining the boys again. Never mind, just 12 days till we all go away as a family with my Mum and Dad. Off to Kefalonia again to celebrate my 40th birthday and our 10th wedding anniversary. Hopefully it will be a little less stressful than last year.

Sorry for my ignorance, but who is Spider William?

Hi everyone,

I'm shattered today. That's what staying out past midnight will do to you.

S was very good when we took him to get his shoes fitted. He didn't need any early walker/cruiser type shoes because he was already walking really well (and of course I was ridiculously proud of this despite the fact that physical conditions aside, all babies do of course master walking ). I think I felt a bit vindicated that despite pressure from the nursery and IL's, I didn't succumb to cruiser shoes and as a result S learned to walk just fine without them and has gone straight to regular shoes.

(I don't have an issue with cruiser shoes per se btw, just that I was getting pushed into getting them when I didn't want to).

Anyway he got some lovely shoes and we're £35 poorer . IL's will undoubtedly at the price and want to know why we didn't go to Clarks (it's good enough for both our nieces after all). I think they all think we're a bit up ourselves and naive when it comes to child rearing. It's hard to say to someone who uses the local Clarks that we've heard bad reports and everyone we know thinks they're shit at fitting/providing shoes for young children.

Right, I need to try and wake up a bit and do this bloody assignment that's been hanging over me for the last fortnight. I have been reading and keeping up with the thread over the weekend but for the life of me I can't remember anything I wanted to post!

whinegums thanks for the idea about trying to get the first appt done privately. It might be worthwhile for us even though it's a huge chunk of money, and I'm sort of hoping I could convince the consultant to move us up (to be behind the life threatening stuff but ahead of all the others) since there's the 10% chance he'll need immediate (i.e. within 24 hours) surgery if he has to wait. It doesn't seem fair and we've seen a friend's daughter only have to wait a month for something completely not time dependent. Sometimes I feel like our last name (obviously foreign) really works against us when it comes to getting bumped ahead and such. (There is definitely a two-tier system in allocating NHS dentists for example). I just feel so bloody helpless at the moment!

sponge I'm really sorry to hear you're having problems with your BP - thank goodness you're already almost 35 weeks! I was doing the math in my head... Hang on a few weeks longer - 37 isn't too far away.

just dropping in in a study break - exams tomorrow and tues

sponge have you got your feet up at this moment in time? if not, put them up immediately glad the scare was only a scare, and Bill is still baking nicely!

Whinegums GOOD LUCK for tomorrow. Don't worry, B will be fine, and the day will go so quickly that it'll be time to pick him up before you know it. my top tip for pain free nursery drop off (for him, not necessarily you) is go in, give him a big kiss and a cuddle, hand him over and leave straight away. He might be crying as you leave, but he'll stop quickly and soon get used to it. If you hang around he'll realise that you're about to go and get more distressed. If you head straight away, the nursery nurses can distract him much more easily. Also, he might cry when you pick him up as he'll suddenly remember that you'd left him, but he won't have been crying all day! I take a snack for C for picking her up, that seems to go down pretty well!

right, too long a study break here, back to the books - someone please explain to me why I need to know about a hereditary disease that has only ever had 120 cases reported, and solely in Amish people? I'm pretty certain that the Amish population of Glasgow is pretty limited!

Viva - thank you! I've been putting together my bag (no raisins, rusks or chocolate buttons required) and trying to decide what to wear. WHAT DO I WEAR??? It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so that discounts my lovely new trousers as I don't want flappy wet bottoms (ooer). And is it going to be hot or cold....? Argh. Have also sorted B's stuff for nursery. He's going to be well looked after tomorrow - he's the only one there (awwww) apart from a few others during the week who are settling in. So he has four people in his room looking after him. And the chef is cooking for one. God, it feels weird going to work after 16 months off!

Abdn, hope you can get something sorted for Fraser.

BDQ - don't tell the ILs about the shoes? Easy for me to say, I don't have any. ILs that is, I have plenty of shoes. Think I'll have to take B for his second pair next weekend or the one after . Why couldn't he learn to talk instead of walking?? Talk being cheap, etc.

He is trying to chew my laptop when not slamming the lid down on my fingers, so going to go!

Sponge while I'm sure we are all looking forward to meeting baby Bill, there's no need to rush, honest! You need to keep those feet up and do the bare mimimum. Let other people look after you, eat chocolate and rest.

Really busy at the moment. We are currently doing 8 after school activities and have had two birthday parties, a harvest festival and a tae kwondo exhibit this weekend. It is also a family birthday. I am now off to do the ironing. Roll on half term...

Oooh - I don't know who spiderwilliam is either...anyone enlighten me?

Shoes - I agree they are so bloody expensive! We just forked out £38 for some Ecco ones. Plus £10 for the cutest ever pair of wellies. Luke is now a size 5.5-6 G - they are like flippers his feet.

Sponge - blimey you poor thing - glad all OK now. You are only 2 weeks from term as it's meant to be 37 weeks isn't it?

PP - I think Reducndany is such a good idea. I can't believe you are really going though.When is it going to be?

Sponge - hope you're resting

Abdn - fingers crossed that Fraser gets seen soon

Whinegums - good luck tomorrow

Libra - forgot to say hope you have a great holiday and surely it must be better than the last!

WOW Sybil - 8 after school things , you must be shattered

Clues to Spider's identity - she used to post from inside the car whilst her ds slept in his car seat, her dh is always poorly on holidays, her ds is a birthday buddy with Ethan, got it yet?

Viva - good luck with the exams

Amber - are you still house hunting?

Libra and Amber - Spider had another name but she accidentally outed herself so changed it very recently. She's quite pally with Ally if that helps

Still dunno who Spiderilliam is - I must be a bit thick.I'll just have to pretend she's a new person!

By the way someone mentioned theit LO not liking eggs. Luke is the asme - he hates them and spits them out. Just been out shopping and bought loads of slummy mummy food for Luke - things that he might actually eat though. Fish fingers, breaded chicken fingers, croquette potatoes and lord I will get roasted but beef burgers!! He won't eat so many things now. Anyway - I survived on egg, beans and chips or spag bol when I was a little 'un and I'm OK!

Bought metanium. Luke did more than 10 runny poos yesterday poor thing. Not easy to deal with at London Zoo I must say!

Hope everyone is feeling better than me (loud shouty chavs having party last night and f-ing and blinding at anyone who asked them to keep the noise down (at 1am, 2am and 3am - bastards) then Luke awake at 5)

Amber- I will text and tell you who Spider is!

Ah!!! Spider - right - cheers puree!

Amber fish fingers tend to have healthy ingredients - I felt bad buying them until I read the package. I can't see what harm it does them. And beef burgers, if good quality, are the same! DS1 is a very fussy eater so i'm relieved he if eats anything healthy.

Poor L! runny poos at the zoo sounds horrible. I hope he's feeling better.

We've got an appt for Fraser at the hospital! He's seeing the consultant next Tuesday!!! I'm so relieved as it's getting worse. 2.5 weeks from diagnosis to appt seems reasonable - if only I hadn't had to call the hospital and depend on a lovely receptionist to get it...

Oh, I don't envy those runny poos Amber. I hope the metanium makes a difference.Spread it on quite thin - it's one of those creams that you really don't need to lather on.

I've been meaning to get some fish fingers for S to try. I quite like fish finger butties too so a good excuse to buy them in . Amber I found it really easy to make some chicken dipper type things for S. I just cut up a chicken breast into the required size, dip them in some egg (that's been whisked), dip in breadcrumbs and then freeze them till I need them. I usually defrost them overnight but you could cook them from frozen too. I do them in the oven for about 15 mins. It makes me feel all domestic goddess like . M&S is also good for slummy mummy options - S really likes all the kids range stuff from there and it all freezes so very handy for emergencies.

On the subject of feeding, how do you all get on with getting fruit and veg into your LO's? S doesn't seem keen on fruit at all (bit like his dad) - he'll have banana, melon, and will much on a slice or two of apple (but not much more than that) but grapes, satsumas, blackberries, strawberries etc all get discarded. I'm still giving him the weaning fruit pots from Hipp etc after his lunch or tea just to try and get some fruit in him. We're a bit rubbish at having enough veg too so struggling with that. I feel he's getting the same old, same old at home all the time.

Also, what kind of snacks are you giving? Again, I feel that S is getting the same old stuff all the time and I keep meaning to plan it all a bit better but today after lunch it was, oh we've already done yoghurt and raisins for morning snack so it'll be a biscuit after lunch. Cheese and more raisings for mid afternoon snack when he wakes up.

Right, S is no doubt going to wake up very soon so I'm going to try and do something slightly more productive!

I hope whinegums first day is going well!

BDQ - I'm coming round yours to get fed! S is a lucky boy! Luke still goes to nursery 5 days a week so they do most of his fruit and veg - hurrah! They give them 'medley of fruits' and stuff like that as snacks mid morning and afternoon and he always seems to have half of it. Also tinned fruit he seems to enjoy and I think that still has nutrients. Luke also likes smoothies so that's a good way to get it down them. Fruit with custard on it also goes down well. For veg, Luke's fave food is casserole so i always make some steamed cabbage or peas and mix it in once I have warmed his portion and he eats it. I also put carrot, celery and onion as a base for all sauces. Lastly Luke loves mashed root veg so potato, sweet potato, mixed with parsnip or swede or butternut squash. Sometimes I'll add cheese or pour a cheese sauce over the th top. I'm not a big veg fan - I eat it because I know I should but I'd rather have the casserole than the cabbage. I guess babies don't get it so much. Saying that I do know of babies that love asparagus but I couldn't cope with the smelly nappies!!!

Aberdeen - I missed what was wrong wih Fraser - why does he need a hospital appointment? Hope nothing too serious...x

Abdn, that's great about the appointment, hopefully the consultant will book Fraser in for the op asap.

Knackered... And guess which idiot blubbed at pick up time?? Embarrassing or what - when I went to pick B up he was having a bit of a cry, and then one of the nursery nurses gave me the first picture he's ever painted...

Anyway, he didn't cry all day, and seemed to have quite a good time. He also ate breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack, so obviously not so upset to be off his grub!

I was also thinking that B needs a bit more variety, but then again, I think he's a pretty good eater, and it's just one more thing I'm not going to beat myself up about! He does love fruit, as for veg, peas and sweetcorn are big favourites. He loves pancakes, so sometimes I miss out the sugar and stir in cheese and spinach to the mix, or sweetcorn. Those M&S kiddy meals are super handy.

Work was ok - I felt a bit overwhelmed at one point, but I got a grip. What I do is hardly rocket science! It was just that thing of feeling completely bewildered by a new place, new people and a new system, when you can't find anything. Unfortunately they use PCs rather than lovely macs, which slowed me down a bit too.

Amber, hope Luke is ok.

Right, B is in bed, and hopefully so knackered too he'll have a good sleep, DP is working tonight, so it's a glass of wine, a big bowl of pasta and University Challenge for me. And then an early night!

Aw, at the blubbing whinegums. I'm sure you're not the first (although maybe you are if they've just opened ). Hope you enjoy your wine!

Abdn great news about getting an appointment, make sure you use all your maternal wiles to get an early date. Cry, use emotional blackmail etc etc...

I need to make a very big effort to finish the assignment that I should have posted last Thursday so am off now to do some speed reading (and even speedier typing).

Oh whinegums I sooooooooooo want a mac. [wistful]

Whinegums - glad all went well today for you, , you must have been worrying all day about him, it was relief that made you cry!

BDQ - fruit - Ethan until last week loved kiwi and I always had a bowl of it ready in the fridge, now he looks at it in disgust, instead he seems to like most other fruit really, blackberries in the garden are a hit at the moment, loves bananas, slices of apple, sometimes grapes, melon.
Veg - not so keen, I sneak it in where I can , and he'll have carrots, peas, sweetcorn. Don't worry if he's always having the same, over the week I'm sure there's plenty of variety.

Amber - Ethan loves fishfingers too

Abdn - so pleased you got your appointment

Snacks BDQ - sorry I forgot before - rice cakes, biscuits, cheese, fruit, breadstick, raisins, nuts (loves cashew nuts, obviously not roasted and he's not left alone with agreat bowlful), sometimes I make popcorn, don't put any sugar on and he likes that, I think that's about it really.

BDQ - I just had to re-read Whinegums post as I thought I hadn't read anything about her new coat (mac) - duh!!!!

deb

I love that it's BDQ who recommends emotional wiles - living up to the nickname! Seriously, I feel guilty about it but i know I would! Amber Fraser has a hernia and his bowels are spilling out into his scrotum so he needs a minor op.

Dh away again so I'm off to bed without a glass of wine (need to be able to drive, that's the bad bit of rural living) Elderflower cordial is lovely during the day but not the same at 9pm.

anyone heard from sponge????

Aberdeen - OMG!! I hope that must sound a lot worse than it is.

BTW - baked beans are one of your 5 a day and I think every child likes them.

I tried Luke on chicken strips in breadcrumbs, potato croquettes and baked beans tonight. he really enjoyed it but only used the spoon a couple of times. He finger fed the rest of it. Would not allow me to feed him one mouthful. It's amazing how independent he is now. I wish he had a few more words as I know he gets very frustrated when he tries to let me know what he wants. Pointing and shaking his head for no when I pick up the wrong thing. He also drags me by the hand if he wants me to go with him to another room - it's so funny!

Quick catch up:

Abdn - Great news about the appointment. Well done.

Amber - Love fish fingers (me & Ry). I recommend the salmon ones too.

BDQ - When Ry's having a sulky day and not eating much fruit or veg, I put one of his yoghurts, a banana and any other fruit that we have in a blender. He loves it. We cut the top off a teat so the hole is much bigger and give it to him in a bottle.

Whinegums - Glad nursery went well. Crying just means you care!

We have had two big falls here in three days. Ry's face if covered in scabs and bumps. Today he managed to get a scab on a scab. He runs so fast it means he falls really heavily. He fell on his chin today and bit his toungue, poor thing. It's mainly because we have a concrete garden, roll on the lush greenery of NZ (hoping to go at end of Nov Amber, waiting for work to come back to me).

Gotta go, loving the Phillippe Stark show on BBC2.