March 2009 - The crawling / walking / talking race is on . . .

[jollyjoanne]

the new thread for March 09 mummies

Oh wowee grinning - congratulations and good luck.

I have a 1 year old here . Lara's birthday was friday but it was also grandma's 65th so we were away for that. She got conjunctivitis for her birthday and we are now armed with antibiotic drops. She seem to have had one thing after another since new year.

We're off skiing on saturday which is quite exciting but am worrying about leaving L in the creche all week (pathetic SAHM here) and leaving DD1 on a mountainside. Eek.

Happy birthday to all those turned or turning 1 soon !

Any more siblings in the offing anyone ??(none here - we ocassionally discuss it in a hypothetical manner but we're not having anymore).

Thanks Wheely

Funny thing was I've been seeing a consultant as my fibroid from last time didn't shrink, and at one stage I was told I wouldn't be able to have another.

Last appt was March 6th, and I was told "have sex every other day and you should be fine" (Do they realise btw how impossible it is with a small person around???). Little did I know someone was already in there!

Congratulations Grinning - how exciting! I have managed to be pregnant for 2 Christmases in a row so I know how you feel about the non-boozy 40th.. but a new baby will make it all worthwhile.

Happy Mother's Day all! I had to remind DH that he's supposed to get me a card from DD now I am a mother (and DD was born on Mother's day last year!)... I did get flowers in the end, but it's not really the same if you have to nag for them, is it??

Penelope is 1 in a week exactly - we have a party for her on Sunday. For those that have had 1st birthdays gone by already, what kind of thing did you do for the party? I'm planning to decorate a bit, bake a cake, invite family and friends with babies / toddlers, and have a bit of pass the parcel. Anything else I have missed? Presents of course! But what else? How long did your parties last?

Congratulations grinning! I must admit we've decided to stop on 2 (but never say never!)

Boobz - we had a similar party. Mainly family and close friends althouh we somehow ended up with 26 adults and 13 children. Most of the children were around dd1's age (5). It ended up like this -

Arrived 12 ish.
Laid out a kids party lunch in dining room to contain them at about 1245 once all had arrived
Got out platters of sarnies (and crisps - dh's addition) at 1 for adults
Kids eat their lunch then got down and played and were actually beautifully behaved
When the sandwich eating seemed to slow down I got out scones/cream/jam/strawberries for adults
Did birthday cake - everyone eat birthday cake
Then we did do a few party games but only becuase dd1 knew we had them as back up in case the kids needed entertaining but actually they didn't. We did 2 x pass the parcel and musical statues and musical bumps. I went to the 99p shop and bought enough prizes for all the children so either they won a prize or they had a going home present.

Seemed to work and was quite relaxed. Even dh admitted it had gone ok.

So..... not that it's sunk in yet - just how big is the change from one to two lo's?

On the birthday front, we're taking a few friends and family to the pub for their Sunday lunch, seeing as it falls on Easter day! I am going to attempt the cake...

Big congrats Grinning! What lovely news.

Mae has conjunctivitis as well, not that you can tell except each time she sleeps her eyes gunk over, but her eyes don't look red or sore, so not sure I really believed the doctor. But she is having the drops anyway - just in case. She does just seem to be picking up one thing after another.

Mae is now 1. We had a quiet day, with just family and a few friends dropping in through the afternoon and evening who all got a piece of shop bought cake - becos I didn't want to give them all food poisoning!

No new babies here, having gone through a really broody phase when Mae was about 5 mths, I now don't think we will be having anymore for a while.

Thank you!

Crap start to the day here. Someone has chucked a brick through the sunroof of my car overnight.

Poor dh has been sweeping the glass out, not to mention getting it out of the car seat too. Thank goodness it wasn't raining...

Congrates on BFP.

Sorry about sunroof .

On b'day front Robbie 1 on sunday, we going to MIL's on Saturday for DH side of the family and having a buffet lunch on Sunday for my side.

As for going from 1 to 2 children I found it very very hard as dd2 was is the devil incarnate. She screamed every waking hour from the time she was born untill she was weaned.

Hmmmm maybe I ought to sneak a bottle of gas and air home when it arrives just in case then! (For me, I hasten to add!!)

Definatly .

On the plus side she slept through from 7wks.

grinning that is fantastic news - congratulations!

You will have the same sort of gap that I have. The thought of two under two is actually worse than the reality. Try not to over analyse everything (I would get myself wound up in knots trying to plan in advance how to get them in/out of the car, in bed, in the bath, keep both alive !) - when you are actually doing it you ust have to get on with it and you find the way. My Mum just kept saying to me "step back and take each day/hour/minute as it comes"

The only other good advice I got was to let your toddler (yup - a toddler!) go at toddler pace and don't try to rush them. Remeber they are still only little and they don't become grown up when the baby arrives (though they seem huge!). If you do this then you avoiid tears from everyone!

I love having my two girls - have just finished reading them a story together and they gave each other big kisses and cuddles - adorable!

Happy birthday to all the first birthday-ers and congratulations Grinning!

I have a slightly bigger age gap - 2.3 years between my dds and I won't pretend it hasn't been hard work (partly because of M's sleep issues) but it's been lovely too - they're both fascinated by each other and it's taught dd1 loads about nurture. DP has had to get a lot more involved though, especially at bedtimes and we both have far less time to ourselves - plus it can take AGES to get the simplest of things done, like leaving the house! Online grocery shopping has been my best friend. Am sure it will all be worth it once the girls can play together...

I had a squidge of a friend's newborn the other day and when I held him while she went to the loo I had a small insight into what it might be like with three - DD1&2 both looked at him as if to say 'who is THAT?' Think I might be sticking at two for now

Congratulations grinning, what great news!

I have all sorts of age gaps in our family... don't worry you will cope with it all, even if it seems like you get nothing done. Second babies seem so much easier, mainly because you have simply done it before and you know that things change as baby grows. Your experience with no 1 counts for a lot!!!

our poor DD1 came down with chicken pox on tuesday. I hate seeing any of mine ill. Surely DD2 will get it next, right in time for her first birthday...

Less time for myself seems to be the message here. Eeeek! Don't have much now!

Anyone mind if I stay here in the run up to bumps' arrival? I looked at the November list, and quite frankly it's too big.

I'm in that awful stage of knicker checking/do I still feel sick etc etc. I need a slap.

Ah well. We're taking Amy to Pizza Hut tonight so tha'll distract me for a bit.

I had her weighed yesterday and she's only just over 18lbs. They want to see her again next month, but she seems healthy and happy enough. I can't force feed the poor kid!

Grinning - of course you can chat here about your pregnancy ! Lara isn't 18lbs yet (she'#s ban on 8 kg which is 17 something). Thankfully my HVs are sensible and realise I am little (As is DH but they don't know that) and are hapyp as long as she stays along the same curve. TBH though, I won't get her weighed officially again. I think I did it at 6 months, then they did it at 8 month check and I got her weighed at 1. I think as long as they are healthy, eating and full of energy it doesn't matter what size they are.

As for gonig to 2, it wasn't too bad for me as I had a 4 year gap - not by design - but it has worked out relatively 'easy' I think. DD1 adores DD2 and was at morning pre-school when she was born and then full time school from this jan. I think a smaller gap is probably harder work but there will be other benefits (not having got used to unbroken sleep, no nappies, someone who doesn't require a million things to take out etc etc). You'll do just fine anyway I'm sure !

Jolly - L's conjunctivitis was like that, no red eyes, didn't appear to itch just oozed. It seems much better !

We're off skiing tomorrow - slightly apprehensive over the dd's arrangements nad the hassle of getting there but looking forward to it too !

grinning - definitely stay here and chat to us - some of us can sympathise with you dealing with an ever expanding bump and a 1yo! I wwas a total knicker checker with Rosie - much more paranoid than first time round!

jolly best tip I have for conjunctivitis (which I discovered by accident) is to spend lots of time at the seaside - the salt sorts it out - and it's a good excuse for a holiday

wheely enjoy your ski-ing - sounds great!

kanga no chickenpox in this house yet............

Not sure what Rosie weighs now - but she went down to around 7lbsomething when she was ill in February. Sge's looking nice and chunky again and eats like a horse so I didn't worry!

Rosie slept till 7am (with a brief wake at 11pm) - I feel like a new woman !

Thanks for all your ideas for 1st birthday presents. We have decided to get her these and this. It was just so difficult to find something that we didn't already have!

missmod online grocery shopping is my firend too - just isn't worth risking the supermarket wit hteh 2 of them. Saying that it is much easier now that dd1 is walking everywhere and she is normally quite good at not running off.

My 2 cringy mum of two moments have been:

• in M&S with newborn Rosie in the pram and me stupidly thinking that my 20month old would walk nicely. She got tired, had a meltdown and I had to carry her kicking and screaming under my arm while trying tp push the pram with one hand!

• in Ikea cafe recently when dd1 thought it woudl be funny to run away. Cue me shouting loudly - getting the lady in the queue behind me to watch Rosie in her buggy - sprinting after dd1 (not very far - could still see the buggy) - putting her under my arm. When dd1 tried it a second time I had to abandon my tray of food and leave there and then - I got lots of looks and I fully expected my parenting skills (or lack of) to appear on MN that day !

grinning don't worry, they come in all shapes and sizes! Gabriel's dad is 6ft 2 and about 11 st and I'm 5ft 2, muscly and about 10 st, DS1 at almost 4 is 1.2m tall and 2.5 st, Gabriel at 13mo is well on his way to 70cm and weighs 1.9 st!

Hiya! Good news and congrats to all the new bumps. Actually a bit jealous here- haha, can't believe I said that!

B had a quiet birtday, he was at the dr in the morning with a cold and bad cough that I had checked out, but he thoroughly enjoyed tge cake-which my sil baked, I did an apple tart. He is constantly smiling, such a happy baby, despite having two of the most anxious,stressed parents. He has had the odd night of sleeping through but still wakes up most nights. I told one of my colleagues (she has a 4yo) and she said I should contact a sleep clinic?! Seriously?!! Is this really a problem that needs 'solving' or is it just my baby now? Can't quite make up my mind yet, but at the mo I try hard to go with flow...

But loads of teeth, including some molars, coming through. And he is waving, saying tata(bye) dudu(sleep) nein(no!!!-he likes this one) and wo( water)- totally adorable.

Glad to hear most toddlers are doing better, Kanfa hope it passes quickly, off now for some Law and Order dvd

Quiet birthday for Rosie too - just presnet s and cake and a helium baloon (best present ever) and my Mum & Dad round. Dd1 caught chickenpox on Rosie's birthday so we couldn't get out anywhere - ugh!

Kanga - how is your dd1? My dd1 seems opretty chirpy - horrid cough and wildly flutuating temps but no itchiness from the spots.

Can I just say - OMG - Rosie is a whirlwind of naughtiness . To explain, dd1 was such a careful wee thing - sat and played, never touched plugs/wires/dangerous things - if she did, one "NO" was enough to stop her. Never opened cupboards - had to be encouraged to pull toys out of the toy basket - likes to sit and play with one thing at a time.

Rosie - crawls and breakneck speed everywhere making a beeline for the most dangerous thing in the room.

Today I had them both in the bathroom with me to try to contain her/keep her safe. There is a step in it which she climbed up then crawled off head first - she landed with a bump, giggled then proceeded to do it it again. Yesterday she hit her eye off the edge of the shower tray and now has a shiner!

We live in teh upper half of an old house - I'm sure the man downstairs thinks I am a complete harridan as all I do is hout "No Rosie no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

But she's now pulling up to stand and likes to give you gorgeous open mouth kisses. And she tries to "oink" whenever she hears the Peppa Pig theme tune!

Will post some new pics on my profile...

Meep.

Welcome to my world. All my dc have been/are like this. Except both dd's started at nine mths .

lizzie dh and I are a bit shellshocked ! Hats off to you for having 3 dc - think I might have stopped at one if dd1 had been like Rosie!

I fooled onto believing some children stay where you put them for months/years .

I have a good hairdresser who dyes my grey hair and dh has very lttle hair which helps .

Hey all - have been lurking vigilantly but never seem to grab the time to post.

Happy birthdays to all our ONE-YEAR-OLDS. I cannot believe it, really. Rhys' birthday is next weekend, and his big birthday present will be the arrival of his grandma and grandpa, coming to stay for a few weeks and spoil him rotten.

meep, Rhys is just like Rosie - except when he bumps himself, he howls and scuttles over and yanks at my shirt. Methinks the boy will not be happy when I wean him (soon!). But power cords are The Best Thing Ever. And the stove (preferably hot) is The Next-Best Thing Ever.

mdavza, if it's any consolation, Rhys is still up every night (though on good nights we've gotten it down to one waking); he's usually in bed by 7.30 and will wake up somewhere between 11.30 and 1, and then is up for good at 6am. Worse, he's still eating when he wakes!

He wolfs down a 240-ml bottle with rice added, so it's not just habit but hunger. Trying to figure out how to get him to eat more during the day (when he turns up his nose at everything I offer). Any suggestions?

Grinning, congrats! I don't think either DP or I have the energy for a second, but I would still really, really like to have one. As an only child, don't like the thought of him being one, too. Any tips on how to swing DP around to my way of thinking?