October 2007- These Little Piggies started throwing tantrums

[FloriaTosca]

The lastest thread for the fabulous women who were due their babies in the October of the Chinese year of the pig and who now have terrible tantrums and delightful cuddles in equal measure from their almost 2 year olds. New and old members welcome to drop in for a chat anytime....

alice - I'm sure in my hearts of hearts that M is just a bit freaky being dry at night already. R was still in nappy pants until waaaaaay past his 4th birthday, was nearly 5, but I was determined not to stress about it as I read somewhere that dryness at night is almost completely determined by the urine suppression hormone - if they don't have that hormone yet, then they won't be dry at night ... bf's son (7 months younger than R but in same year at school) is not yet dry at night, and her GP has only just agreed to refer him on.
M will stay in nappy pants for the forseeable future - 2 is too young to be dry at night fgs!!

muppetgirl - stop already with the fact that you don't work ... you have 3 gorgeous sons, your household runs like a well-oiled ship, you are the one we all look to for advice because you write so eloquently! Good luck with the job - they'll belucky to get you!

Inzi - totally with you on the ms - it sucks! This time I said never again (mind you, I was a bit of an extreme case!), and J had the snip last Jan. I found that eating little and often (and I mean as little as a bite of a biscuit once an hour or so) kept me going. TicTacs were also helpful - but you know all that. Fingers crossed it passes for you soon!

Choc (and others suffering from bedtime battles) - you'll get there eventually , as long as you're consistent (and you keep remembering the glass of wine chilling downstairs)

When R was small (in fact, about this age), he cracked one of my ribs when he kicked me in sheer temper at not wanting me to move away from his bed. We had done Gina Ford from about week 6, and had fought desperately with him to get him to bed and to stay in bed. Eventually, when he was nearly 3 (in fact, just before he was hospitalised with lymphadenitis sp.? - I felt like sich a bad mother for not recognising the early symptoms of that - he was ill!), he gave up fighting (about bedtime!) ... he finally realised we wouldn't cave in ...
I promised myself I wouldn't put myself through that again, so have been much more laid back with M - to a point. She knows that the routine goes tea, bath, stories with daddy, milk with mammy, bed. I do stay with her until she's asleep, or J will if she wants him instead of me (she's a real daddy's girl), but life is much simpler.
As she's in a big bed, she gets out of bed and toddles in to us during the night - once we realise she's there, we return her to bed, unless it's after 5am, when she's allowed her morning feed. I've learned to just roll with it ... which is so not me ... in my parenting I've turned into a bit of a lentil weaver (extended bf, bed-sharing etc.), when in reality, I'm an anal control-freak!

Heinzsight / Herjazz - love the name, don't know if it's a name change, haven'y been on for a while, feeling a bit "aaaaggghhhh should I know this person?"

Y'know, you really will regret tempting me back! Should go to bed really - I have a husband waiting for me ... (in fact I can hear him snoring, so he's probably not!)

Started organising my 40th birthday party - have booked a twmpath band - anybody free 26th Feb next year? Fancy coming to a shindig in South Wales? Party probably at Penarth Yacht Club (sounds grand, just a room with a bar really! Friends are members, hence why we can book it ... couldn't face going to the Conservative Club ugh!

FT I want your autograph anyway, what with you being a celebrity anyway! Well, face it, how many other opera singers am I likely to know?

Evening ladies,

I meant to post just after putting Dylan to bed but DH got back from visiting fil and had to fill me in then my sil called, busy busy!

Fil had a bad and painful morning but is feeling a lot more stable this aft/eve. He has been moved back on to a nicer ward in a private room and is getting good pain relief. Dh took mil down this morning and spent the day there as he sounded so bad on the phone this morn that they we're worried about him.

Anyway, must catch up...

Floria - So glad dh came back a day early, lets hope it helps with operation no boobies

Muppet - I'm impressed by your bedtime routine, very well organised

Dylan tends to be pretty easy to put to bed (so far!) but doesn't go to bed till 8.30.. Thats just cause he takes ages over meals and has to still have milk 4 times a day cause he won't take it in big amounts...

We just give him his milk, read a few stories and put him down and say our night nights. After that we just turn the light off (well actually lately he insists on being lifted up to turn the light off himself before we put him down). He sometimes goes straight to sleep and sometimes chats away for a while depending how tired he is

Not sure what to advise re Henrys moaning... maybe it's just a way of getting extra attention now Toby is here? (not that i'm saying he doesn't get enough, i'm sure he does!). Dylan does moan a little but more when he wants something he can't have for eg: choccy!choccy!choccy! whimper, cry, choccy!....and keep repeating...

Thinking of number 4?! you truly are a supermum, I wish I could have loads but doubt i'd cope . We originally said 3 but have been put off the idea after this pregnancy has been a lot harder... We'll see how we feel once he arrives I guess... What's your secret for coping so well?

Good plan re getting a job, even if as you say it won't cover child care it'll be good for you to have another aspect to your life. Although I admire you for being able to see how you'll fit it in with 3 lo's to look after too! I'm shit scared of going back to work and am glad that time hasn't come yet!

Lol at you being possed

Off to look at that thread in a min, am sitting down!

Crochet - Great to heat from you again .

As choc/stefka said no need to be embarassed you're still bf, it a wonderful achievement!

Wow at her being mostly out of nappies and being bilingual too! Dylan's still in nappies and still in his cot for that matter but has done some poo's on his potty

Easy to feed too?! Must be bliss....

Choc - Sure you'll get the bedtime thing cracked. You'll just have to try what muppt said and give no opportunity for discussion/requests, hard I know!

Strawberry - I got this buggy

Sorry you've been having a tough time at work but sounds like they're on the case now and things should improve soon. Look after yourself and make sure you see the doc again if your signs of depression get any worse... I expect the tearfullness might be one sign? That was one of mine anyway, I didn't realise how bad I felt till I felt better iyswim? Counselling really helped so take them up on that. We're here any time you need to chat...Some great advice from Crochet!

Alicet - Hi! I think i'll be visting fil tomorrow so hopefully might see you at some point. if we don't manage i'm sure we'll cross paths soon with him being in there .

Ah your boys sound lovely sometimes I can't believe how adorable Dylan can be, more than makes up for the tantrums!

Inzi - I know what you mean about so much having changed since we started out on this thread, I daren't look back, I probably made some really naive comments about becoming a mum .... actually I want to see how silly I was, can you link to one of the old threads?

Wonder what you'll do with Jane buggywise, guess you'll have to see how willing she is to walk places by then etc. Maybe a buggy board will work?

You sound like you're really suffering with the ms, I know just how you feel . Have you tried drinks with lots of ice or just sucking ice itself? Thats one of the things I could cope with (just about), homous on pitta bread was quite good too as it was quite plain but the lemon-ness was refreshing. I know these are probably just crap suggestions though cause different things work for different people!

How far along are you now?

Sorry your gran is a bit difficult to deal with at the moment, it must be a stressfull/sad time for you all. Hopefully it's mostly caused by the grief and will settle down soon ((hugs))

Heinz - Great to hear from you, i've been looking at your pics of the gorgeous Imogen on fb, sooo cute! Keep popping in, when you have time!

Herjazz - Great to hear from you too, wow it's like a reunion tonight! Don't be a stranger

Wow, it's late now, didn't realise I had so much to catch up on but great for the thread to be so busy! Night all x

Dal wowmarathon post atalmost midnight!!! It's great to be back. Funny having reunion tonight!

Floria I'm a MAHOOSIVE advocate of Sing abd Sign. I swear baby signing has given Niamh a real language boost. I'll definitely be taking Imogen to baby signing

I'm using my phone to post so can't write much as it takes ages. But I'm glad to say I've kept up with posts since I posted yesterday

WOW!!! Isn't it just fabulous to have the thread so buzzing again!!!!

Herjazz, Heinz and Crochet I'm thrilled you see you back with us!

Crochet; I'm still bfing too...Alex seemed to be selfweaning back in Sept (down to morning and night..but still 1-2 feeding during the night too)but then then he got a little tummy bug for 3 days when he could only keep bm downand hey presto it was like having a newborn again and he has shown no sign of selfweaning again...I held out from intervening until Christmas was over to give him a chance to settle again but last week Dh insisted we stop him coming in 2-4 times a night for mummy milk so we are currently involved in "operation no night time boobies" which after 9 nights now seems to be bearing fruit as he [fanfare]slept through last night!!only the 7th time in his life! and I'm restricting his day time feeds to morning, night and after lunch and dinner (we'll work on those in a few weeks time)
As to being dry in the night, M is doing brilliantly. My MW said that once they go 4 nights in a row it is time to get rid of the night time nappies...Alex believe it or not (FT runs for cover)started going dry at night at 15 months, he went dry 4 nights a week at 18 months (when I stopped using nappies during the day) and he hasn't had a nappy on overnight since 22months ... we have had 4 wet beds in the last 6 months and one of those was last week, a result, I'm sure of the stress of me not being there to comfort him back to sleep in the night.
Oh,and you can have my autograph anytime...join my fan club too if you want, it has a membership of 1.5 so far; 1 is my Mum and .5 is Dh who is sort of impressed by the voice but doesn't like the stuff I do much

Muppet; Possibly 4! ..I hate to be smug (FT lies) but I do believe I told you so!!!!! That shop looks fab...I hope you get it it that is what you truly want... personally I can barely keep up with the one I have got and teach p/t from home I am in total AWE of yor maternal/managerial skills. I would agree with the suggestion that Henry is possibly suffering from the arrival of Toby, (or equally pssibly suffering from the terrible twos of course)My Mum always said the middle one of 3 often feels left out no matter how much they are made a fuss of(not the big boy, not the baby)...in which case, believing such old wives tales, it is your duty to have another [FT dodges the throw article and runs off laughing]

Inzi;I'm so sorry you are suffering honey. It is strange but one of the things that helpedmy Mum after 4 months of serious worry about Dads diagnosis and his subsequent loss was worrying about me being pg after all the trauma of losing Robyn 6 months before...she fussed over me like a mother hen, especially when I was unwell and then Alex arrival gave her yet another person to obsess about/fuss over/worry for...I wonderif your Gran could do with a "job" to help her come to terms with her loss..the job of helping with Jane or looking after you? Would that feasable? Just a suggestion, it is so hard helping someone who is deliberately blocking your attempts.

Heinz; I agree that baby sign definately boosts communication skill..we loved the classes...only stopped before Christmas because Alex knew all the baby stuff and was bored with doing it again...my teacher needs to introduce a more advanced toddler class.

Bother, forgot all the rest...must tidy up before Dh comes home from the ball park with Alex and his pal James.
The broadcast was on at 5.20 last night...not as bad as I expected(Alex stopped chatting and went into silent mode whenever the light came on on the recorder...not his mothers son at all ) but omg I sound So Northern! (my diction and dialogue teacher from college would blow a fuse) I'll be back later to continue

Will agree with those who have said its really lovely to see some of you who have been absent for a while! My posting had been a bit sporadic before Christmas too but made a bit more effort recently when I realised how much I missed you all!

Muppet did I miss that you are thinking of trying for 4??!!! OMG! good luck I also think your job that you have just now (you know, the 24 hour a day no breaks fulltime mum to 3!!!) is way harder than being a surgeon. So stop doing yourself down lady! having said that from the way you talk I am sure you will find it a confidence boost to get out into the world of work and the job you are thinking of sounds great. good luck if you go for it...

Crochet i'll come to your 40th! Will come and see Mum and dad and pop down! Looking ot the nearer future I am down at mum and dads at the end of March and was going to try and meet with muppet so we'll keep you posted and it would be lovely to see you too if you can make it?

Floria I'll join the fan club too!

Well I'm at work this weekend - been a bit busy this am but its calmed down for a bit. Just bumped into Dal's fil in the corridor and he looks loads better. Might get to meet her in RL too but we have a couple of patients needing ops this afternoon so it depends in whether we can manage the timing!

be back later if not too busy, otherwise I'm out tonight when I finish here - a friend is moving away from Newcastle and having her leaving do so heading there from work. So if busy this pm will be back in touch tomorrow xxx

crochet -yes! I'm free!

back later ladies dh is trying to skype his dad and it's funny watching them try to get the mics right, the camera pointing in the right direction etc etc!!

Well I have just met Dal in RL! Lovely lady she is too, as is the rest of her family. Dylan is super cute even if he did try to hide from me! A shame it was very brief as despite the fact i had been sitting doing nothing for about an hour just as she texted to say she was here I got a call to say that we had the slot to do the 2 operations we needed to! Don't think theatres have ever been so efficient - i was expecting at least another couple of hours waiting but there we go!

Hi all

Have Ollie with me watching total wipeout and then a bit of 'so you think you can dance' it's stay up night in the muppethousehold and Ollie loves it!

For the past couple of nights Henry won't go to bed until he has his blanket so I've been running round the house trying to find it!! Didn't really want any of the boys to get attach to a toy/teddy/blanket but he's certainly adopted this one. I say adopted because I made it for Toby but Henry saw it and took it from his room. I am making one for Henry but he's not impressed and points to the other balnket and says 'that not my blanket, that my blanket..!' Looks like Toby is going to get a blanket that matches Henry's room beautifully!

Floria - fab you were on the radio!! >

Dal - am hoping FIL was better this morning x
I like the pram, we've got a Jane power thingy and it's not great. Yours looks good with the 1 forward, 1 backward set up.

Crochet - still loving having you back, have been wondering for a while if you were okay x
Fantastic that Mairwen is bilingual, I wish MIL would speak to the boys in German/Austrian but hey that 'aint gunna happen any time soon. Re potty trainning, we're not ready at the mo, Henry tells me when he's done a poo and I took that for being ready but he just had 2 accidents and sobbed that he wanted his nappy on completely misjudged that one!

Alice - hoping you're not busy and can catch up on the paperwork. Am always about for a meetup if you have time next time you;re visiting IL's.

Floria - you asked whether MIL ever said anything about leaving early. Nope. She didn;t ring for 6 months afterwards. I made DH ring evry sunday so they couldn't say they weren't in touch. I said that after them leaving just when we really needed them and leaving me on my own after the c-section 2 days after being at home was too much and I said I would courteous but that's it. We saw them at Christmas to pick the boys up and that was that. Not wasting anymore time on her.

My mother is also in touch via facebook as her husband dies last year. Won;t go into detail but she's written as if addressing a long lost friend and I've replied in utter confusion. Looks like another long letter is on the horizon.

Re the job, the shop's lovely and in a gorgeous old building. A couple of mornings would really suit but I'm waiting 'till Monday then I'll send my CV in (as the ad says too) trouble is can't find my CV so will have to start from scrath wich as you all know takes AGES!! (When did I leave that school? Where are my certificates??)

Love to all LLL, Inzi, Choc, Stawberyy, Heinz and herjazz and everyone else I've missed
xx

x-posted Alice (yes I did start at 6.15 despite not finishing till 6.37!!)

Re no 4 we talked and said we won't make a decision for a couple of years. I don't heal quickly and I don't want to worry through a pregnancy about the scar. We said 5 years tops to make the final decision. I LOVE my boys and love the hustle and bustle of our house. We're a noisy, disorganised (and often late!) rabble of a family who consider having everyone fed and in vaguely clean clothes the pinnicle of achievement.

Muppet your family philosophy sounds totally fab and I think I'm pretty similar! I stretch the vaguely clean a lot though Adam has refused to wear a bib for a ges and although he is pretty good at getting stuff on his mouth he usually drops a fair amount!

Strawberry - sounds like you had a such a lovely day yesterday. Hope you had a good time meeting up with your friend today.

FT - Hurray for Alex sleeping through last night, what an achievement! Shame we missed the broadcast - is it on iPlayer ?

Crochet - count me in for your 40th, thanks! I'm pretty sure I've got nothing booked that day .

Dal - sorry your fil is up and down - hope he's more comfortable in a private room.

Muppet - awww at Henry pinching Toby's blanket. At least Toby won't mind. (Making blankets? How in heaven do you find the time to do all this?!) Your household sounds fab - the happiest a child could grow up in .

Loving the fact that all the snow is gone - looking at the lawn just seems odd now though. Anya was delighted ("not slippy!").

I do the balnkest in the evening will take some piccies of my past and present ones. I love crocheting though can only do straight lines (we really must get together crochet with a hook and yarn to show me how to do rounds!! I need to break free of straight lines )

My hands are aching though and this last one is taking ages -the one for Henry that Toby is going to have. Need to alter my technique if I want to carry on I think.

Did I show you all the cross stich sampler I did for my Godaughter?

here

Started another one -a wedding one for Dh and I but that'll take 'till next year I would have thought. I would love to make stuff all day and sell it but I would never get a wage for the amount of time I would spend. Hey hum.

Hi all

Inzi-sorry your Grandma is being difficult. FTs idea for giving her responsibilities sounds like a good one. Hope the MS clears up asap.
The wrap didn't seem to do a lot, think your meant to use it more to see the benefits

FT-Grr missed it. You got a link?

Crochet-Wow, you do loads! Count me in for the party Lentil-weaving type parent is so the best way to go, its just so much less stressful, but probably making a rod for our own backs, blah blah, you can't win!

Muppet-Can't believe how much you do too!Good luck with the job. Aww cute about the blanket Shannon used to be obsessed with her blanket, but has started being less attached to it at the moment, and moved onto being obsessed with the tv and Dora the explorer, we're not allowed to watch anything else, apart from simpsons sometimes

LES-I sent you private messages, texts, FB message and then wrote on your wall because seemed to be able to get on there fine enough. Why would you send me something else rather than chase up the one that you've already sent? If it was similar to what I sent you, then it must have had some value to it and I certainly wouldn't want to fork out again. Didn't you get proof of postage?

Alice- you got to meet Dal. Does anyone want to do a York meet up, or all to busy at the moment?

Hi Herjazz and Heinz, glad to see you back, hope you're gonna stick around more!
Strawberry-hope you have a lovely time with your friend, you've been given good advice re work, and we're always here for you if you need us

Dal- you got to meet up with Alice too. Glad you know what is wrong with Fil now, hopefully he will respond well.

WWAJC and Choc-Hiya!!

Sorry it's been brief, hope I haven't missed anyone, my eyes are killing so going to have to go to bed, I'll be back tomorrow.

Love to all x

Hi All

Just thought I would say hi to all and that I am still here.

Muppetgirl your house sounds like fun... lots, lots of kids and stress free. Reminds me of home

I am glad to hear I am not the only one struggling with the sleeping problems. Aaliyah sleeps through luckily but as mentioned in the beginnning of the year that since we moved in this house she never slept in her bed. Or she did few times and cried most of the time and I gave in too quick. So she is still in my bed. But with H gone now its nice to cuddle up to her at night.

Hi to all and will catch up proper soon. I feel a little more welcomed now and read loads but got a few assignments due for my foundation degree and so behind.

If ever anyone want to do a meet up somewhere in the middle I would be happy to. Would love to meet some of you wonderful ladies on here.

Evening ladies,

Not long back from visiting, well we went to mils for tea once back so just got back to put Dylan to bed...

As Alice has said, we met in RL today! She is lovely also and very stylish, I was not quite so stylish in my joggin bottoms - the only thing that fits my bump atm! We had a quick chat and as she said Dylan mostly hid from her . She also met mil and bil and DH (who thinks he may have given her an accidental 'chin pie' when introducing himself(he was going for the rugged/non shaven look today)

Alicet - Fil kept saying again how lovely you were when you left, oh and I forgot to tell you, the first time he met you he thought you were irish! I think that must have been the morphine talking. Mil also thought you seemed lovely and of course dh knows you are cause I talk about you lovely ladies all the time! I'm glad you got to meet my pils cause they are such a good support to me and I really feel like they are my own parents iyswim, now when I talk about them you'll be able to picture them better.

Hope you have a lovely night out on the toon!

Floria - Glad operation no boobies is going so well, he slept through too, how wonderful!

Muppet - Aww at Henry wanting the blanket, I think it's cute better than Dylan, he has to carry round a sock most of the time

The shop looks lovely! Hope you get the job, it sounds like it'll be right up your street

Your blankets sound lovely, will have to see some pics. The sampler is really nice

Yeah I got our new buggy for the seat options, both seats can face either way so very versatile!

Hope you manage to 'deal' with your mum ok, sounds like she's coming at things from a strange angle, make sure you protect yourself... sure you're more than capable x

I agree your family philosophy sounds just perfect, organised chaos is the way to go!

Dylan also refuses to wear a bib these days and is still really quite messy. Actually most of his food get rubbed in his hair, what is that about?!

WWAJC - Fil is doing well today thanks for asking.. He came with us to the restaurant whilst we had dinner and we had a walk about etc. Looking better too, more colour in his face, here's hoping the antibiotics are kicking in and he's turning a corner!

I know what you mean about the grass looking strange. It was actually quite nice to have our garden covered in snow as it looked a lot neater! The grass is a little long as we never got round to the last cut of the summer and it's rained or been too dark ever since!

Dh and I got lost on our way back from the restaurant in the hosp today, we forgot to go down in the lift and ended up walking past the delivery ward where i'll be in 7(ish) weeks. I felt quite excited about the whole thing (obviously in denial about the horrendous pain part of it!)

I've still been fancying training to be a midwife lately but don't know if i'll ever get round to it/have the courage. Sometimes I worry i'll be too squeamish when having to take blood or perform an episiotomy etc... Maybe I could get over that with a bit of practice though? Maybe you have to be a non squeamish person to do it in the first place? Oh, I don't know... I find the whole subject fascinating and kinda think i'd be good at it. Any ideas how I could explore the posibility? Wouldn't be for a few years yet anyway...

Got my silverette nipple shileds through the post today, trying to get all prepared for bfing, stupidly excited about using them

Well, nothing much more to report atm... Hi to anyone i've missed as usual, sure i'll be back soon x

x-posted!

NC - Hi! Looks like you'll have to keep up the wrapping then and report back on results

I'd love to do a york meet but getting a bit close to edd now and get tired easily like an old lady! Maybe I can come along next time?

Eva - Great to hear from you! Hope you manage to get your assignments done ok..

Cuddling up with your dd in bed sounds lovely. Wish Dylan would do that but he just wriggles and wants to play!

I need to stop eating sweets, got some from asda and they're very addictive!

Chat soon x

OMG I can not keep up with this thread!

How exciting that you guys met up! Wouldn't it be nice if we were all close enough to do that.

Glad I am not the only one who is done the staying with them till the sleep thing. DH and have been doing that the last few nights but it took 2 hours last night so not really happy. I wouldn't mind if it only took a little while. Problem is DH leaves the whole thing to me. He has no patiences with DS and gets shouty which I hate. I grew up in a really shouty enviroment and I can't stand it and I don't want it for DS. So I end up taking over to stop it from happening. I was really exhausted from being the only one to keep dealing with screaming DS at night and constantly putting him back to bed. Also DH won't be consistant - if he goes up he talks to him and so it is in DS's interset to call for his Daddy. The first night in three weeks that DH did the bedtime he went to bed with him which has started that whole thing. The only way to fix it is for ME to do the horrible putting back to bed constantly thing. Anyway am in a bad mood because DH is in his bloody bed despite promising me a lie in. DS was grumpy this morning and DH was snappy and I was told to take him away. I did because DS was crying for Daddy to 'stay in bed' and I knew DH would just be grumpy with him. I have two babies in this house - arghhh.

Sorry this was meant to be me catching up not me moaning!!

Hope you get your assignments all done Eva.

NC hope your eyes are ok? Did you just have a headache or something going on?

I am impressed with people who can do crafty things! I so wish I could but I am hopeless at that sort of thing.

I will have to go and get Dareh peeled off the TV. He watches too much - I am such a shit mum sometimes! I hope I can get on later to do more catch up!

Morning all,

Glad your FIL is on the mend and that Alice was able to help. 7 (ish) weeks to go eh? Wow! another little piggy on the way.

Just sat with the laptop in the living room and I am not alone! I have a spaceman and anakin skywalker as the boys have hit the dressing up box Henry has tried to get the policeman tabbard (MAN!) on too but can't get it over the spaceman's helmet. Oliver has gone off to search for his lightsabre as a boy needs to be able to defend himself from all the baddies!

Eva - Good to hear from you keep going with all the assignments, this is you ticket to a better life without dh. (Sorry am making huge assumptions of your circumstances but all done from a well meaning pov!) I'd say don't worry about Aaliyah sleeping in with you, enjoy the cuddles as she won't want to when she's a teenager

I am being shot at now..... Hang on while I pretend to die
ah, they are shooting each other now.

Floria - how's the garden coming along?
WWAJC - any new plans for the big move?
LLL -how you doing?
NC -hope you're feeling better this morning.

We are meting with abother couple re Stan today. They are from Cheltenham and have a JR called Huey and they are looking for a friend. They don't work so this sounds great for Stan. Jeff was fab but his mother who initially said yes said no after we had met so that's a shame. He was quite upset when ringing us to tell us.

Right, have to go and shower, change bums and attack the washing. Am ebaying stuff like mad at the mo too -I made £40 out of 6 items last week (apart from 1 woman who one my bumbo but then emailed to say she'd changed her mind ) Am saving the paypal money for a wardrobe for Ollie. Seen some lovely oak ones that look like they'll survive 15 years with 3 boys

love to all
xxx

x-posted morning chocstar!

Needcoffee i'm def up for a York meetup! having said that things are a bit busy at the mo so might be late feb before i can make it. Thurs and Fri good for me as I work on the other days. Be lovely to see you again!

Eva good luck with your assignments!

Dal it was lovely to be able to put faces to all of your family after hearing so much about them. Your fil did say that he had thought I was irish which I thought was quite funny! I haven't seen him yet today but it was good to see him looking so much better yesterday - fingers crossed that he continues to improve!

About the midwife thing have you thought about asking if you could do some work experience either with your community midwife or in the maternity department of either Wansbeck or somewhere closer if there is anywhere (do they have a unit at berwick for straightforward deliveries?) obviously now may not be the right time but when miles is out and a bit older would your pils be able to look after them for a few days so that you could do this? Would be a good way to see whether it really is what you would like to do as well as giving you the chance to talk to some midwives about how they went about it and if you would need to do anything else in order to improve your chances of getting accepted onto training?

Choc must be very very frustrating for your dh to undo all your hard work and take you back to square 1!!! We have had a few issues with Adam settling at night in the last couple of months. he would jus tmess about with his milk, not wanting any then wanting it as soon as we went to put him to bed and then crying when we left. So we've started to give him a few warnings that when we put the milk back on the shelf he won't have any more and when he goes in his cot we will not take him back out for cuddles. Actually after only 1 night of him getting cross he seemed to get it and has been much easier since. We were probably lucky though! He occasionally tries it on now but usually takes 'no'. A couple of nights ago though he started getting very upset and crying and going 'please please please please!' So I gave in and he drank loads but tbh all he usually wants is a cuddle.

Lots of waffle but good luck sorting it!

Muppet good luck with finding a new home for stan and also with the ebaying! I need to get on and list stuff (including 2 of our prams that we never use) and after having to replace our car before Christmas we could do with the money!

I had a great night last night at my friends leaving do. it was just at her house so didn't matter that I didn't get there until about 9.30. Didn't think I would know anyone there other than her and her husband so didn't think I would end up staying long but actually it turns out that there were several people i knew! So didn't get to bed until nearly 1am. Shattered today but thnkfully wasn't thatbusy from about 12 so managed to get a couple of hours sleep here! Feel human again now!

Muppet - sampler is gorgeous, I would love to be able to do something like that - will get round to starting one day. Shame about Jeff but good news about finding somebody else - hope it works out.

NC - shame the wrap wasn't a great success - all that effort as well! Meet-up sounds good, can only do Mon/Wed at the moment, but that might all change so don't rely on me for anything just yet!

Eva - glad you feel more comfortable here now. Hope you get your assignments sorted ok.

Dal - glad your fil is up and about. Lol about you ending up by the delivery ward - must have made it seem even more real. About midwife/medical training stuff - just googled and found this if that's any help.

Stefka - are we married to the same dh by any chance?! I know exactly what you mean - dh is also driven mad if Anya whinges and he will do anything to stop her crying, but he's inconsistent - he either yells at her (or me) or caves in. No advice I'm afraid - but you're not alone!

Alice - glad you had a good night with your friends.

Plans here are moving slowly (so to speak). I followed up with an estate agent yesterday on a house 5 minutes walk away that my friend found online. Would be perfect. Estate agent was going to email me when she'd spoken to owner to arrange a viewing (hopefully squeezed in quickly on way home from work one evening) but she's not, so hopefully owner is just away for weekend. Have been trying to think of a good time to leave - would have to be a weekend I think to give breathing space before a work day - next weekend would be hard as we have Anya's appeal hearing for her DLA next Monday (don't think I've mentioned that have I?!) so maybe weekend after. It all feels a bit weird - we're being civil to each other most of the time now but only because we only speak to each other if we have to - mainly about Anya. Plus I'm biting my tongue a lot because I know there's an end in sight. I keep thinking 'today's been a good day' but my good day is measured by not having a row or one of us getting upset - which is a rubbish measure by anybody else's standards - I'm trying to remember that and not get cold feet about going.

DH has been an arse for most of the day actually. He is under pressure with exams right now but still. He was a bit sheepish by the end of the night.

I felt a bit low today myself. I just don't know people round here. I know a couple of mums but no one I could go and have a coffee with today for example so I just end up wondering around on my own with Dareh. He had fun though - a chocolate muffin and bannana milk - what more can you want!

Moving is so stressful WW&JC! I hope that something falls into place for you. I think the system in Englad is really hard with people pulling out all over the place.

Off to bed. Sore tummy. Not sure if it is a bug or if it is because I had a fair bit of dairy today which I all of a sudden don't seem able to eat for some reason.

Night all - might not see you again until next weekend.
x

Oh crikey, I've done it again, read all the replies but left it too late to reply individually, I get overwhelmed when there is a lot going on so think I'll leave replying till I have more time, but then more has been posted and its a vicious circle. But I do log on most days to catch up.

Dal - hope Fil is well and back home soon, and how great it is to have Alice at the same hospital to catch up with/get advice from

Muppet - No 4?!!!! rather you than me, although I think it would be nice to have a housefull, I just can't cope with another pregnancy Great sampler btw

WWAJC - what a horrid situation, but I hope you get sorted soon, so you can relax into a new less stressful life with Anya.

So nice to see some estranged ladies back, although its taking me some time to catch up with name changes et al, I'm sure I'll get there soon tho.

Please don;t think I am ignoring anybody, there is just a lot to catch up with and I don't have the patience to trawl back through everything thats a rubbish excuse isn't it? I don't even work ffs

I am just settling into the new school routine now after two weeks. Up and out the house at 8am latest, 7.45 on tues and thurs as have to drop Ben off first. Then its a 40 mile round trip to drop sam off for 8.45 latest. If I drop Ben off first its a 50 mile round trip so my poor car is going to get battered in the miles stakes, but at least I love my car it gives me a big grin to drive and I enjoy driving, so not all bad

I guess my new job title should be chauffeur

As regards sleep routine I am incredibly lucky that mine generally sleep very well and never any problems at actual bedtime. They usually ask me if they can go to bed! If they don't we have started going up by 7pm at the latest, one of us reads them both a story of which they take turns in choosing and we take turns in reading so they do get used to us both putting them to bed. They take a drink of milk up with them, have a story then Ben goes and gets into his own bed, they get a kiss and I tuck them in and that is usually that, they go to sleep till morning.

Luckily DH is as stubborn as me at bedtimes so they know not to mess us around too much.

I am going to leave it there for now, I wanted to say more but DH keeps calling down for me to go to bed, so to shut him up I'm going will try and post more tomorrow when I get back from the school run

Night all xxx

...I could never let Henry have milk in his room

OMG it would all over the floor/walls and in Toby's cot!!!

Ollie has water and he's fine but Henry
???

Noooooooooooooo!

Tobes up @ 5.45 this morning and 6 yesterday so boiling him in a growbag and 2 blankets obviously works! Though it's a bit of a worry -he's a tummy sleeper and likes to boil at night, he's not read the guidlines!

LLL- my school runs's a lot like yours. It's 8 miles to school so 32 miles pers day and then nursery 3 x's a week is 64 per day. My choice though, there are nurseries in Swindon but they are run by 17 year olds, mostly dirty and failing and I didn't think this was for me. School is from 8.15 and then I go on the backroads to nursery and I'm usually back for 9.30 ish. Yep, I am cranking up quite a milage too! Our car is fab to drive but it's an automatic so you don't actually 'drive' the car iyswim.

Henry starts the nursery @ school next Jan and that's where the real fun for me starts as then I'll have different finshing times! Hen will finish @ 2.50 and Ollie @ 3.15 but from Sept next year Hen will be @ 2.50 and then Ollie @ 4.15/30. I can't go home as it's not worth it. Summer's not too bad as you can sit on the grass but winter is tough stuck in the car with a 3/4 year old and Toby too. DH thinks it's ll be fine but that's because he doesn't have to do it. I think I'll be investigating the school bus

take care all, see you later
xx