October 08 - The race is on to be the first to walk!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

My money's on Q.

Short and sweet list this time.

10th Sept (Due 1st Oct) - loulou33 - Boy - Joe Louis David - 6lbs 12oz
16th Sept (Due 8th Oct) - Ksal - Girl - Emma Rae - 6lbs
21st Sept (Due 5th Oct) - myjobismum - Girl - Naomi Caitlin - 5lbs 10oz
22nd Sept (Due 10th Oct) - Lozza70 - Boy - Sander Gene - 7lbs 5oz
2nd Oct (Due 12th Oct) - star6 - Boy - Quinlan - 5lbs 15oz
3rd Oct (Due 6th Oct) - Bethoo - Girl - Maia - 7lbs -
3rd Oct (Due 26th Sept) - purpleflower - Girl - Rebecca Jill Erzsebet - 8lbs 10.5oz
4th Oct (Due 30th Sept) - Aubergenie - Boy - Stanley - 7lbs 12oz
8th Oct (Due 6th Oct) - ronshar - Boy - William Dexter - 7lbs 11oz
9th Oct (Due 17th) - Marthasmama - Girl - Martha - 7lbs 10oz - Elective c-sec
10th Oct (Due 1st Oct) - CantSleepWontSleep - Boy - Duncan Elliot - 8lbs 4oz
12th Oct (Due 4th Oct) - pistachio - Boy - Thomas Fraser - 10lbs 2oz
16th Oct (Due 11th Oct) - heather1980 - Boy - Alexander James - 9lbs 5oz
17th Oct (Due 10th Oct) - pepperrabbit - Girl - Jessica Rose - 7lbs 15.5oz
20th Oct (Due 16th Oct) - bigmouthstrikesagain - Girl - Polly - 8lbs 7oz
24th Oct (Due 29th Oct) - Ekka - Boy - Matthew - 7lbs 15oz - Home water birth with gas and air.
26th Oct (Due 20th Oct) - jenwa - Girl - Phoebe Jasmine - 9lbs 2.5oz
28th Oct (Due 23rd Oct) - RachieW - Boy - Jack - 7lbs 4oz
28th Oct (Due 31st Oct) - Jojay - Boy - Edward Alexander - 7lbs 7oz
31st Oct (Due 20th Oct) - KnickersOnMaHead - Boy - Samuel Paul - 9lbs 11oz
1st Nov (Due 22nd Oct) - SmudgeyDoodle - Girl - - 8lbs 2oz
5th Nov (Due 29th Oct) - Honeymoonmummy - Girl - Poppy Grace - 6lbs 15oz
5th Nov (Due 30th Oct) - MamaG - Boy - Harry James - 10lbs 9oz

oh, but she keeps telling me all of the things I should be doing differently. And I TOTALLY respect her - she's an awesome mom - the BEST, so I want her advice, but I feel like everything I'm doing lately is just wrong and I'm just not the right one to do this

Star - Oh no. I am sorry to hear that your feeling low. I don't want to say the wrong thing, but I am a bit about your friend telling you what to do. You are a fantastic mum and you don't need someone else telling you what to do. By all means take advice but if it is making you feel like you're useless then I think you should stop seeking it. Ok, we don't know you in the same way a RL friend does, but we all have a pretty good idea of your parenting. You're a fantastic mum and I would be very sad to think that your friend is undermining you and contributing to how you are feeling.

Oh Star love. You are a fantastic mummy. Q is absolutely thriving. He is way advanced over some of our babies (sorry everyone). You are doing extremely well, working, dealing with DH etc. You should be very proud of yourself.
However if you feel down then well done for recognising that and getting help. I do feel very strongly that you tell DH the depth of your unhappiness. He has to take some responsibility for how you are feeling. Also imagine how he will feel when he finds out. Which he will eventually.
Sorry if that has made things a little harder for you.
You know we are all here for you. Always.

I wanted to say something like that too but 50ft ,as always, has articulated it better than me.
Is your friend getting it that right herself?
We are all different behind closed doors.

Thanks so much you are all so lovely!
My friend does say that I'm a good mom, she is just telling me from her experience some things that she wishes she had done differently...etc. She's not doing that in a bad way at all. It's the way I am taking it.
I will try to tell DH.... but he thinks AD's and any emotional/psychological problem is made up and not real. He doesn't "buy it". he'd see me taking these pills as a sign of weakness. I was starting to feel better before I missed the 2 days, so I know it does work... feeling very anxious about stuff again now. just everything.

Star - I wanted to post that while it was still in my head! Plus, are you sure it's PND you're suffering from? You have had a lot to cope with over the past few months. You have had a hard time with DH being generally unpleasant, you have had to go back to work after having lots of time off with Q, your baby is growing up, your (I am rubbish, I can't remember if it was a friend or a relative) friend/relative had a very premature baby and you were very worried, your health hasn't been good due to your anaemia & weight loss and now your friend appears to be undermining your confidence in your parenting ability. Dear God, reading that back I'm feeling depressed. Very low levels of iron can cause depression too so it could that. What did you say to the dr and what did they say to you?

Heh heh Ronshar. It is normally the other way round I think you'll find. I usually prattle on (not that you did in your post of course) and then you come on and say all the right things!

Sorry to barge in!

MM, don't know if DS is a fan of Mr Maker, but if he does like him, he'll be down at the cop shop on Sunday for their open day (locked up if I had my way but...)

See you, bye!

I am shaking out my glossy locks in a preening kind of fashion.
sadly the reality is that I am alone eating pizza (yes I know not very dairy free). Also my hair needs a wash

Star did you discuss this properly with your GP? I dont want to upset anybody here because I know that anti d's do work and there is a real need for them. However I feel a little bit that in your case they may just mask the real issues. First you will feel shit because of your Iron levels. How you actually get through a day with levels that low amaze me.
Secondly you are a very long way away from your natural support group.
Your DH undermines your confidence. Whether he means to or not.
I can tell you with all sincerity that your parenting of Q is 100% better than my parenting of all 3 of my children. I am aware of my shortcomings as a mother. My cross to bear.
Please try and find an independant counsellor to talk to. I feel you need some where to unload a lot of stuff.

I know this really isnt the done thing but Star I am going to give you a big cuddle and a kiss.
Because you ARE worth it.

I bloody hate Mr Maker. DD2 always wants to make stuff when he has been on the TV. Makes my life very difficult

CSWS. I asked the question then didnt reply. Sorry. Sounds like you have got trouble with your parents. Do you take the high road and ignore the bad behaviour?

Star my day was good. Except I had forgotten my friend was coming round. I had nothing in for lunch and the house was a tip. Ah well.

I totally agree with Ronshar and that is what I was getting at in my second post Star. I think you need counseling rather than medication or at least a combination of the two. And you definitely need your anemia sorted out. If they are not taking you seriously in trying to find what is going on with your iron levels you need to make a fuss. Kick up a big old stink until they agree to referring you to a specialist.

I don't do cuddling so I will give you a big manly pat on the shoulder.

Ronshar - Mr Maker went to my school and used to 'fancy' me rotten.

If this was real life I would be awkardly patting a hand, or touching a shoulder, almost certainly going there there at the same time.
I feel safe offering up cuddles over the web.

NO WAY. Does that mean I can meet him then kick him hard in the goolies
DD2 would love you.

Hey all, I've just tried to catch up but only managed a couple of pages. I'm sorry I've not been on much this week, I've been really busy. DH is back at work this week from the summer hols, they've changed the syllabus and so he's had to work all week even tho he's only been in for 2 days. So I'm exhausted, especially as Poppy has turned into a baby possessed in the last few days, I think she's gone from the age of 10 months to the age of 2 overnight because she suddenly has this attitude and just screams if she doesn't get her own way. No tears and if she gets her own way the screaming instantly stops

I'm sorry to hear about your mum's prognosis CSWS, I take it you're still not speaking?

How did the scan go MM? Any news yet? (I've probably missed that post) Did you mean to put your RL name on your post on the page 21 (or was it 20) - the login name for the website you linked.

MyJob, I was amazed to hear about N walking...until I saw the later post!!

Star, I'm on sertraline too, they kick in properly after about 4-6 weeks, I am feeling much less anxious than I did altho still not 100%. I'm going back to the docs soon for a review, I'm starting to worry I won't be back to "normal" for returning to work in Jan... I hope they work for you Star and I definitely think counselling will be a good thing for you, especially given your birth experience. Big hugs and you know where I am if you want to msg me on FB xxx

I can't believe we have a one year old already! Poppy's just had her first invitation to a first birthday party.

Right, I'm off to bed. I went to an aerobics class first thing, then Rhythm Time with Poppy and DH, then to the local ice cream farm with playbarn with 2 other babies near Poppy's age today - no wonder I'm tired!!

Hi All

I am back and have tried to catch up and keep getting distracted!

star so sorry you are feeling like this I think the 50ft and ronshar have summed it up though. You are a fantastic mummy and you are working sooo hard and trying to please everybody. I also felt funny about taking tablets but my mum reassured me and said if you have a headache you take painkillers so why can you not take something to help you when you feel so low. They help to restore the chemical balance in your brain and that can not be something that is a 'made up thing in your head' I do think you should talk to DH as maybe if he understands then he will be more sympathetic to you and your needs and it may make your relationship stronger. Big hugs to you too.

Holiday was great and kids were fine. D1 did have afew strops but on the whole all ok. DD2 loved it.

Sorry its short but am about to watch film now after unpacking and washing and sorting etc. Am tired so goig to have a glass of wine and chill!

Aww Star - Sorry to hear you're having such a tough time at the moment. I know I've not met you, but I'm sure you're a great mum/mom. And I for one am completely in awe of your determination to continue breastfeeding for all this time even though it's sometimes been really difficult for you. I agree with the others though, keeping a secret like that from your dh could really drive a wedge between you if he finds out. Plus, he needs to be supporting you through this - you really shouldn't be dealing with this alone.

CSWS - Sorry to hear about the situation with your mum too. Have you got siblings who are in touch with your parents?

Well, I'm not pregnant. Got my period yesterday. Dp was disappointed. To be honest, I was relieved as I could really do with a couple of months to get back into work without feeling like I need to hang over the waste paper bin and throw up. Those early weeks were horrible last time.

I made the pistachio and chocolate cake from that book today. Just about to ice it now. Will report back when I've had a slice.

50ft - I voted Martha!

Hello strangers!

Hmm - No news yet, but then no news is good news! Well, I hope that's the case. It was a login for that site, it has pictures of M. P sounds like M. She even throws herself on the floor when she has a tantrum. Tis normal. DS throw his first rolling around on the floor tantrum at the age of 9 months.

Jenwa - Glad you had a good holiday. Enjoy your wine and film.

I forgot to tell you. M did two new things today. 1) When I answered the phone she started saying "Hello, hello". 2) I was playing with some toy animals and doing animal noises with them, as you do. She reached out to grab the animals so I let her take them and she started doing the noises back to me with the correct animals. Oh and another one, we were building blocks and ds said "put the tombliboo on the top" so off M went to get her tombliboo. Maybe her appraisal won't be too bad.

Aww Aubergenie - I'm disappointed too, but I can see why you're not so upset about it. Thank you for voting and yes, please tell me how yummy it is!

Jenwa cool pics on fb. Looks like you had a great holiday.

Aubergenie. I will try your cake for you. It is bound to be much better than my efforts this week.

Star your pics of Q are fab. W would look like a real baby next to Q.

Hi all - just want to check in quickly. We did our first session of Sing and Sign today, it was really good, except Ryan had missed his morning sleep so he sat there looking a bit nervous for the first half of the session, then I gave him a rice cake and he got into it a bit more and crawled off with another baby to cause trouble . My friend from NCT classes was there as well - her DS is a bit of a handful and he was crawling off at top speed everywhere and hanging on to the teacher's trousers! They don't mind them crawling or walking around though which is good. Then afterwards we have tea/coffee and they put a load of toys out, Ryan was being grabby at other babies' eyes, hair and ears as usual and I felt bad until a bit later when I looked around and he was lying on his back doing that silent crying thing before they really scream and there was another baby holding a huge toy which he had clearly just clobbered him in the face with!! Poor Ryan!

Star, hope you are ok.

Mr. Maker is a bit annoying I find. I used to like Art Attack though and was pleased to stumble on it on CITV the other day! Also SMart which is not the same without Mark Speight

Ooh, a pregnancy scare!

I have no idea who Mr Maker is.

Good point Aubergenie about Star and BF, I'm also amazed/ impressed that you carried on for so long when working. I'd have given up long ago in the same situation!

50ft - how cool is that?! What appraisal does she have? I tried to vote for Martha a few days ago but it wouldn't let me, said something about me not having the main email on my PC or something??

Right am definitely off to bed now. Is it bad that I forfeited any tea for MN???

Oh Jenwa, how was the caravan?

Star of the Week award goes to Martha! That's amazing. S just waves all the time. Even when there's no one there. Actually, he's a bit of a grumpasaurus today. Very clingy and tearful, definitely tooth-related, but no sign of the bloody things.

Well 50ft, the cake is rather good, if I say so myself. I think the blade in my food processor must be a bit blunt as I found it difficult to get the pistachios into a real powder, but they gave a really nice texture. Also, my tins are a bit bigger than the recommended size so the cake was a bit thinner than it should have been and I was worried that it might be a bit dry but it was really moist. Dp said it was delicious. I don't know which one to try next. Have you made any of the recipes yet? CSWS - which are your faves so far?