April 2004 Toddlers - Babies no more!

[Yorkiegirl]

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HMC my dd2, 4 next week, is still the hardest, always has been and probably always will be. very interactive doesn't like sitting still and quietly.

it's the quantity really. like on flights, we have me with one child and dp with two, or vice versa. no break for us at all, unless you count having *only" one in your charge for a while. it's wearing. and, if two are sleeping well, the 3rd will be ill, or teething, or having a nightmare. so even if all 3 sleep through the night most of the time (as mine do) you still get a fair number of broken nights, even if each child only wakes once or twice in a week, that can be 4 or 5 broken nights in that week for us.

term time is better. we have a nice routine, lots of childcare. time off for the grownups. etc. don't I sound middle aged and boring there? (and we weren't once, honest... we were really intersting and dynamic once.....)

What do you want to do Fennel?

Sounds like you need some time to yourself.

Dh and I are going here this weekend \link{http://www.oldbellhotel.com/for my birthday} Only HE doesn't know where we are going. It's my surprise because it's something dh would never do.

for my birthday

God I'm crap today!!

Fennel, you are doing a really good job of encouraging me to hold off for a while after number2
Dh would love you!

Blimey Fennel

Fingers in ears - I'm not listening, I'm not listening!

Seriously though, you're probably going through the cyclical 'bad patch with the children' thing. I get those with just 2, and then there is a subsequent period of calm when it all seems nicely ordered and calm, and than bang!, another bad patch.

Not long til term time!

Malmesbury, it looks very nice

in term time i will be much more positive. dp and i are just ground down by it all lately.

HMC definitely it's a cyclic bad patch. and we are aware that long holidays do bring it on (the girls behave so much worse after a few weeks out of school/nursery, they regress to stroppy fighting toddlers). mine are too young for holiday clubs still really which doesn't help. mumsnet is full of threads about dreading the school holidays so we aren't alone in this one.

I understand that this is the hardest age group to have.
There are four of us and I know my Mother feels like Queen bee with pride when we are all together.
There's lot to be said for being close together, we are all very close.
But I think it must be hard when they are young and unpredictable

Amen to that!

My goodness did it busy on here while I was at lunch.
MrsD you are doing well not showing at 14wks, I'm definately showing, can still fit a lot of my easier fitting clothes though. I suppose it depends on how forgiving the dress is ie. slightly empire line, elasticated a bit etc. I had to try to choose something to wear at the end of September for a wedding and went shopping for it 3 wks ago. Total guess as to whether it will look nice for the wedding, looks too big on me now but not sure what I'll look like in a month. It is really frustrating.
I think you guys with more than one do so well {big pat on back} am hoping for another pretty easy peasy although dd doesn't keep still for a second and is quite energy intensive when home all day she is pretty easy really and my god is it just such a delightful age...
I love the uh oh's when something goes wrong.
Mrs D dh and I have agreed on see how we go with 2 before deciding on 3 but haven't ruled it out completely.

Dh is afraid I'll just keep squeezing them out.
He thinks I'm an Earth Mother!!

Then we end up having deep and meaningfuls about unconscous decisions all for the good of evolution and all that!!

I'm not that lucky so if we do decide to have a 3rd have resigned myself to the will probably need accupuncture etc route (although very excited as I have a referral for a great lady in NZ apparently) and it might take a while again so it is a very conscious decision if you know what I mean.
I'll also be a little limited probably by the fact that I'm now c-sectioning (although that is up for debate as well as to how many you can have now)

I'm very sorry Chuffed that really wasn't meant to come out like some kind of smug post. More like the fact I come from a traditional, Irish Catholic family - understand the mindset?

Oh totally - I'm not too worried I was when there was none and only one now no 2 is on it's way I will feel like a family and sort of know the solution for me so it isn't really too bad.

MrsD just think about the flights back to NZ with 3,4 etc etc just remind dh how stressed you are with one and he won't worry about you 'just keeping on having em'

True Chuffed. (I always hear your Kiwiness when you say 'totally'

Anyway, I'm having a larf over on the "How many partners thread".
I need to get out more....or do some work perhaps?

chuffed why are you having a c section? just because you already had one for dd or is there another reason?

more for the reason why I had to have one with dd - I was 9 3/4 dilated (just had a lip apparently) but she hadn't even got past 3/5 decended and was just thumping on my pelvis bones.
The doctor said she wouldn't have fitted through and was only 7 pound 1 so doubt this one will be smaller or fit either so would rather not have to have another emergency after a horrific labour and go the calm controlled route (showing my virgo personality there I think)

HOW DO YOU STOP A BOY EATING GRAVEL ???

SHOUT 'NO' LOUDLY AND POINT FINGER STERNLY (LOL)

and hang them upside down until they spit out what is in their mouth (well we do this with dd when she has eaten something we are not sure of)...

MrsD - that hotel looks amazing! I'm so

Thanks LJ.
I'm looking forward to it!

Check out that thread again MrsD - some people! Pah!

I dunno. What the world coming to?

LJ - I didn't mean to make you stressed I couldn't see it coming out of his mouth, and he said it three times but not again! He hasn't said one word today! He only has about 6 and only talks when he wants to...

Fennel - don't put me off, I want four kids! Summer holidays proving v. stressful, last year I was on maternity leave, and living in a new town and ds and I did nothing. This year, determined not to have 6/7 boring weeks, my new group of friends and I agreed to take it turns each day round our houses. The result? 4 - 7 adults and 11 - 19 children! I'm more exhausted than ds...