Dec 08 - 9 months in, 9 months out!

[jumpjockey]

Hope you don't mind the dodgy thread name but all our babies are 9 months old now or in the next few weeks

Hello everyone....

No time to read now but just wanted to say to dear Veggie that I hope the move went well and you are safely installed in Den Haag. What an amazing adventure for your boys and your family. Am thinking of you and sending love and happy new house vibes.

Been up since 4 (DD1), fed dry by a teething DS (teeth) and managed to teach a couple of classes in between! Off for a beer and some dinner but will try to read back once I am in bed. Love to you all.

Hello.

Trace glad the trip went well with minimal crying. My 2 always sleep all the time in the car and the. Are usually up all night.

Jolly I don't think I would let the boys have the jab as they are too little. Hope the nurse gives you some info.

I am having a rubbish week at work. Nothing seems to be working, the roof is leaking and I'm having to work without breaks as there is no one to cover them. I can't wait to be off next week.

Hope everyone is ok.

Hi all! Hope Veggie's move went well.

All ok here. DD hasn't adjusted to clocks going back yet - been up at 5.45 every morning since. Until today - yeehah! She woke at 6.30 and I ignored her til 7. Bliss.

On the old preggy front - whoa I'm pukey this time. Only been sick a few times, but I feel like I've got a terrible hangover almost all the time. Bleugh.

Kayz - sorry you're having a rubbish week at work. Hope you're not too miserable. I'm dreading going back on 1st Dec. BUT if all goes well with the new little pip, it'll only be for 5 months, which I can handle!!!

Big love to all. HOpe the weather perks up. Minging.

Veggie - just to add, hope the move went well.

Hi all, I need some help please. I've just bought a dress for a 'Heart of Gold' ball I'm going to in a couple of weeks, but have no idea what shoes to buy to wear with it. Picture of the dress on my profile, any advice greatly appreciated. Sorry, I'm rubbish at this sort of thing.

Katie, firstly thank you so much for the exceedingly helpful advice about Egypt you sent me, which was so much appreciated, though I will reply about that separately.

Well, as it's a lovely dress that's for sure. As it's coloured you could get away with high black ones and a black bag (I would go for a clutch bag with a dress like that) or I guess you could try silver or gold though they are hard to wear with tights so may demand bare legs. Bronze might be even better but hard to find.

I would say look at Dune, LK Bennett and Faith as they all do decent high heels. You could also try having a trip to Bicester Designer Outlet (not TOO far from you if you drive) as they have cut price LK Bennetts, Jimmy Choos and the like.

I think black patent would be a good thing to go for, myself - dressier. If you are a size 6 I have some highish pointy silver sling backs and a silver clutch bag that I have only used once at an awards ceremony...happy to lend them to you and stick them in the post! But maybe a bit too much with the dress, I dunno....

'I will write more later' has become my constant, rather empty refrain! But PD was taking it out of me for not having finished my book yet when I said at the last meet up it would be September when it was done, so I am determined to finish it this time

katie - I would get yourself a pair of killer silver high heels! x

hello.
katie that dress is beautiful - but I won't attempt to offer any shoe advice as fashion is not my forte!
Beans sorry you're suffering with sickness . Hopefully it will pass fairly quickly. Do you have any gut feeling as to whether it's a boy or a girl?
JB how did you get on with the flu jab?
I'm so sleepy tonight I think I'll be in bed pretty soon . I had a bit of a morning - was driving Lucy to school and the car felt really weird and sounded wrong, so I pulled up and got out to find that I had a completely flat front tyre. So we walked the rest of the way to school, then when I got there I realised I'd left her book bag and her PE bag at home (but had remembered her lunch bag and her snack bag!). Then after dropping her I walked back to my car and had to call the RAC out, who took off my tyre and replaced it with a new one, leaving me £47 lighter. Grr. It took nearly 2 hours to sort so having left the house at 8.20 I finally got to work at 11.15! Then I found an email confirming my attendance on my mandatory training today and tomorrow - which I had no idea about, but it turns out it was my old boss in my old job who had booked it, and no-one cancelled it when I left, and because I'm working for the same Trust I stayed on the system. So because I didn't attend today and cancelled tomorrow, the directorate will be charged! Oops - but not my fault!
Anyway dh has made tea so I shall eat, chill out then scoot off for an early night. See you soon xxx

oooooh I forgot my big news (exciting for me so humour me please!)....Phoebe slept from 18.15 until 5.30
Same again tonight please Phoebe!

Morning,

Trace that is brilliant news!!! I hope you had the same last night too. So pleased for you!!

Katie that dress is gorgeous. I like Beans idea of some silver high heels.

Hope everyone is well.

Last day at work today and then I have 10 days off. Can't wait to go to London next Friday. Probably going to go round Westfield and get some dinner there. Then we're at a dog show at Earl's Court on the Saturday and meeting some friends. Will miss the boys like mad but will also be nice to no get woken up at half 5(hopefully)

Katie, the dress is gorgeous. I'd be tempted to go for purple shoes myself but silver or black would also be good.

Trace: well done to Pheobe! Did you sleep OK as well?

I've actually caught up on some sleep, after about a week of non-stop feeding at night I gave up and decided to kip dpwnstairs and leave DH to deal with it - DS2 now sleeping marvellously and waking briefly a couple of times with no feeds until early morning. Now I just have to figure out how to get back to my own bed!

Exciting news here is that DH is on the radio this eve - don't wnat to identify him too much but it's the R4 program presented by the ex-newsreader who doesn't like women (too many of us it seems). He is talking about a social networking phenomenon I know nothing about. He got quoted in the Guardian on the same subject at the weekend which is why his name came up. I'm sure he;ll be great (he's far more articulate than me) but feeling rather nervous for him.

Hello Ladies. I started writing a sort lastnight but i'm on my phone and by the time i caught up with the thread my battery ran out. We still don't have the Wifi sorted in this flat so i'm on my phone but it doesn't seem to cost much on here so will do for now. The move went ok we are now in a nice little flat it is about a 15min tram ride from the centre and we are going shopping today. We were in another flat closer to the centrum but there where some big problems with it so we quickly got another place. Not really much else to say without boring you. So i will talk about you guys instead. I had a great time at the meet up and enjoyed the cheerfulness Lady. I agree about it being a little frustrating not to be able to talk to everyone. I would have liked to sit down for a proper chat with you Lady. Maybe we need to just sit down somewhere with our coffees and our laptops and chat via MN together. URBANE DS1 announced that when we are in London next we will be going to young Urbaneboys house and he will come to ours in NL. They were so funny in their baby free zone. I thing he took quite a shine to Lady & Rub. Was really good to finally meet Rub, PD, Pingu, Kiwi (& happy so find your not a kiwi ) and Urbane also to see Lady and Effie again. I think i missed someone? Sorry my head is still spinning a bit and i typing this as i'm trying to get DS1 to dress himself

morning.
Well it seems it was a one-night-wonder for Phoebe on Monday but never mind! She woke 3 times last night but settled back quickly after a feed. Then Lu woke us all up at 5.30 again - she's really starting to make me cross. bad mummy. Oh well...
veggie great to hear from you. Glad your new flat is working out. Enjoy your shopping! What does ds1 make of it all?
Day off today but again I have a meeting I have to go to (child protection) so MIL is coming soon to have P for a couple of hours while I go. Next Wed I'm doing HPV vaccinations all day in my High School so I think my parents are coming over to have P for the whole day . Never left her with them before - I'm sure they'll be fine actually but I'm a little nervous all the same. Daft me.
Well after yesterday's brain lapses I managed to remember L's book bag, PE bag, lunch bag and snack bag today...but forgot to give her money to buy a poppy, so she was really upset in the playground. I'll never get it right!
Must go and make the house presentable for MIL - not that she'd ever say anything but I always feel a bit embarrassed if it's too mucky or messy.
Hope everyone has a good day and hope zj and little E are having a nice time with the parents

veggie - very glad to hear you made it in one piece, but the last minute change in flat must have been stressful. Hope it all gets easier from now and you can settle and enjoy...

trace - glad you got at least one night's sleep!

Stuggling with piles of stuff to do here, just grabbing a moment's distraction till IT work out what to do with a mountain of work from yesterday that has somehow disappeared from the system. Urgh.

Hi everyone!

It was lovely to see some of you at the meet up last week, though I had to rush off and barely got to chat with most of you. I had to get home as my parents were arriving from Canada to take over day care of the DS when I go back to work (first day today, then 4 days/week next week...eek!). Close quarters with my parents staying with us until Xmas, but it is great to have them here and not have to worry about the faff of getting DS to the childminder until January.

It is so nice to have a visual on some of the mums and babes on this thread!

Veggie - Glad you are getting settled and hope the new flat is okay. Hope you're managing to get on without all your stuff!

Beans - Sorry to hear you're ill. I am so afraid that pregnancy #2 will make me very ill. I had no illness with #1, so maybe I can't get away with it twice?!

Trace - Yay on the good night!

Lady - Loved the image of your DD having cocktails. She is so sweet with her excited flapping.

News from my chunky monkey DS is that he has taken his first steps! A few tentative steps on Sunday (I missed it...he was right in front of me, but I was faffing on the internet...) and then he seemed to forget how. But then today I watched him do a good 5 or 6 steps to get across to his toys.

Had a kind of upsetting morning today. I was wearing my earplugs as DH was working late and then leaving crazy early for a flight and I didn't want him to wake me up. I figured I would still hear DS, but I didn't hear him until 6:45 and he was fully crying (normally just cooing and chatting). When I got him up, my Mum came in and said that he had been crying for probably 45 mins but that she thought I was in with him trying to get him back to sleep?! Full tears and also very snotty - his bed was wet from tears. I feel terrible.

I had my first day back at work today and I was quite sad to leave him after that rough start to the day, and then as soon as I got home he started crying when he saw me and pulling my shirt down. Those of you still BFing, do you find it takes them a while to adjust to not BFing in the day even though they're still getting the milk (in a cup)?

It is lovely to have my parents doing the childcare for the first couple of months back at work. Only problem is my mum thinks I am a freak with my naptime routines (i.e. wake him at 55 mins in the AM nap...not 50 mins, not 1 hour, 55 mins!). And yes, I am a freak....but he is such a bad sleeper that I have to be so vigilant about trying to get decent day sleep or else we get wakings all through the night. I REALLY want her to write down the exact times he slept, but I'm afraid to ask! I just hope he'll get used to having weird nap days with them, and not decide to wake up screaming all night as a result.

Hope everyone is very well!

MOM: I find DS2 cries and demands milk as soon as he sees me, but he's perfectly happy during the day on cup feeds (not even expressed milk now). I think he just associates me with FOOD!

Well DH came across very well on the wireless I think, but they were a bit mean to him . General opinion seems to be that Twitter encourages mob rule and vulgar abuse. Guess they've never been on MN of an evening.

Hey guys

its pretty quiet on this thread at the mo.

Veggie - so glad you have arrived safely. Sorry the first flat was so bad, what was wrong with it? Hope you enjoy your first few days exploring.

Beans - sorry you are feeling sick. Its so hard having "morning" sickness and a toddler. I hope it passes soon.

MoM - re breastfeeding and work. With both my DDs when I went back to work I found they really wanted the breast as soon as I walked in the door. With them it was/is a bonding and comfort thing because both took bottles by that point so weren't thirsty. I think it is a lovely way to reconnect after an absence. I hope you enjoy your return to work.

News from the Aubergine household is that DD2 has started barking. Or more ffff-ing (as in the fff sound at the end of woof). Whenever she sees a dog (or a cat, or any other four legged creature) she manically whispers "fff" "ffff" "ffff" and points. Its so sweet. Meanwhile DD2 is 3 going on 13 and is being a right stroppy moo. She spends most of the time screaming things such as "DD2 you are just a baby you cannot play in my enchanted castle, get ooouuuutttttttt" or "DD2 I love you small hands but I hate it when they touch my toys, get orrrfffffff". I have a feeling that we will never see harmony between them again not that DD2 is mobile.

Hello young Aubi

I actually feel guilty that I am neglecting this thread a bit. I like to be on here properly. But I am doing everything half cocked at the moment, finishing my stoopid work. It is nice to see you on here, I'd love to see you in town at some point...Your DD2 barking sounds supercute. My DD has had one of those very gloopy colds and so hasn't been looking all that picturesque the last few days. I am trying to grow her hair but it's getting a bit straggly so it might be time for the hairdresser. Can you believe DP won't let me cut it myself? Only a professional for Daddy's little princess

Veggie, I find it amazing that you are safely ensconced in Holland now. Sorry about the first flat. You sound very cool about it. I am impressed with your equanimity. It was lovely to see your boys, your DD1 was a charmer.

Trace, huzzah for P's good night. I am sure there will be another one and then more and more, and eventually...

Effie, I missed your DH as I had to go out, but I am going to dig him out on Listen Again. You must be bursting with pride, even if he got a bit of a duffing up. I would be.

Mom, I am pleased for your cutiepie DS, walking, but who is going to keep my thoroughly immobile child company now? I am starting to think she has got arrested development - she only learned how to use a sippy cup (as in hold it herself and drink) yesterday. She will have one or two sips from a regular cup but soon gets cross so I couldn't give her milk that way. Anyway, are you back full time at work? Hope it goes well.

Beans, sorry you are suffering with morning sickness. How grotty. Do mints help at all?

Invis, what's the story with your work lately? Any developments?

Jolly, how is your job going?

You see, being jobless I now live vicariously through other people's careers Go ZJ!

Might look back a bit further, hang on...

...and I have wilted with tiredness. Rubes, I hope your DS is better.

I think I am going a bit doolally with all the writing. Not being on here so much and not emailing friends and things is making me feel a bit isolated. Also, I haven't had any dinner, which is most unlike me - I can't really face it! I have invested all this time in writing a book and I am nearly at the end and it might, for all I know, be unpublishable, AND I don't have a job as a back up. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I think I will do neither - just roll my eyes and try to get some sleep. Night girls.

Morning,

Veggie Lovely to hear from you. Glad you have got the flat sorted out.

LadyT I am sure your book will be publishable. You have a wonderful way of writing and I am 100% positive that we will all buy a copy!!

Aubs DD2 barking sounds so cute. DS1 is also 2 going on a teenager. He is always going "No, DS2 stop playing with my trains or you will go on the naughty step" The other day he even tried to drag him to the naughty step.

MOM I had no 'morning' sickness with either of the boys. So you might be lucky.

Zoe Hope the interview goes well. I haven't had an interview in over 5 years and I would hate to do one now.

DS2 is now getting really curly hair at the back. DS1's curls started like that too so he will probably have curls too.

I am now off work for about 12 days. Though I have to go in next Wednesday and have a look at the deli as it is being set up differently.

I hope you are all well.

LadyT it shows how out of touch with this thread I am that I had no idea you were writing a book! And nearly finished! How exciting! Sounds like you need some company for a bit though - it must be difficult immersing yourself in it to the exclusion of everything else, particularly when you're such a sociable sort. Let me know where to buy my copy when it's out!

Am a bit to have missed another meet-up, though I have to accept it's not practical for me working full-time. Only reason I'm on here today is because I'm off work with swine flu. Yes, really!

MoM with the breastfeeding I found with DD1 we were able to keep on just at bedtime until she was 1. For some reason it's worked out the other way round with DD2 and she's kept the morning feed - only just this week gradually stopping that one in fact.

Veggie I didn't realise you were going to Holland. Is this a permanent move? Whereabouts are you? As it happens I'm going to be in Holland the week after next for work. I will think of you on the flight over!

Sigh. Am feeling a bit low and post-viral ("during-viral"?) today. DH doesn't work Thursdays and in any case is feeling v sorry for himself with flu, so I need to look after him as well as me. I'm not quite sure how we're meant to manage the school run with both of us contagious... aargh! Feeling guilty for being off work, though it's not exactly my fault I'm ill. Sigh!

Katie your dress is beautiful. I'm not sure what to advise accessory-wise (though I love shoes, bags, scarves, jewellery etc) as I'm feeling off-colour and might end up recommending something slightly odd!

Effie wish I'd read this sooner about your DH being on the radio. How exciting. You all have very glamorous lives on here I think! I feel very suburban and bourgeois in comparison(ie high spot of my week is treating myself to a Starbucks on a Friday). You must be v proud of him.

Verso: we are extremely suburban, it just happened that DH got a quote in the Guardian and they were scouting round for someone to be shouted at by Melanie Phillips! Anyway he had his three minutes of airtime and the general consensus seems to be that he aquitted himself pretty well. I am of course v v proud

Cough city for us at the moment, we've had a coldy virus so both boys coughing and spluttering everywhere. I'm having a bit of a wobble about childcare as well, I'm v happy with our childminder but really not convinced about nursery, DS1 is so tired when he gets home (he has one day there a week) and the staff don't seem particularly engaged. Ho hum. I do want him to get used to a nursery setting (esp as we actually get some funded childcare come Jan) but don;t know whether to try a new nursery. Oh, and an exciting job opportunity has come up but it wojld mean full-time working I think. Aaargh.

Hello everyone,
So DS started at nursery and I am back at work so obviously everyone is now ill. After nearly a week of illness we have finally figured out that what we have all had and I have got is Hand Foot and Mouth disease which is meant to be minor, particularly in adults but is actually quite shit in my opinion. No wonder DS didn't want to eat if his mouth felt like mine, it re!
effie DS is always knackered when he gets back from nursery too, but I guess not being convinced on the staff is a problem. Could you just go and look at another nursery to see what you think?

Am happy to be back at work so far, surprisingly, which is great. Today is my day off so hopefully will be well enough to work tomorrow.

verso sorry to hear about the swine flu, I hope you recover soon.

LadyT I am sure this has been talked about before, but what is your novel about, or is it a secret until it is out? I sympathise with feeling like it is a lot of work tdout even knowing that it will even get published...but I am sure it will be great!

Oh god I will be back later, DS throwing a strop cos I am not letting him play with laptop, and when he does manage to reach it is always the delete key.

Hello Verso, sorry about the dreaded SF. Hope you feel better soon. Don't feel bad about being off work - it's legit! Hope you can get some rest.

Effie, I went to Listen Again but it was down so I have to try again later. Determined to listen in!

Summer - er, the book's about relationships, I guess, and books, a bit. If it does ever see the light of day I am worried that everyone will think one of the main characters is me, as she does my old job - but she is horrid. Anyway, I won't go on about it any more because one of the things I miss least from my job is listening to writers whinge and wang on about writing. It is a bit of a leap of faith, all this work and the gamble it might be for nothing but still, I'm not working down a mine. Hand, FOot and Mouth sounds awful! My goodness. Glad you are enjoying work though.

Oh, and Kayz, enjoy your time off.