May 2008 bubbas: Walking, Talking (& climbing!) Little Monkeys

[monkeysmama]

Thought we deserved a new thread

Baiyu - CONGRATULATIONS and good luck!!! ... I think, you know, that's the only thing I sort of missed from my PGs... that feeling of having a secret! Byt the time I knew, it was time to tell everyone else and everyone THOUGHT I'd been keeping a secret

Sho - Fingers crossed for next month, eh??

And will someone PLEASE explain to me why 20MO children will eat anything except bloody food!!!!!

haribo is currently tearing his way through a tissue. This morning, I found he'd taken lumps out of a cardboard book in his cot and earlier he was trying to knaw the rubber handle of a potato masher.

But, put a piece of actual honest to god food in front of him and he says 'nah, nah' and wafts it away - though should I leave it on the floor for a good couple of hours, I'm sure he'd lap it up!

Kids!

Congratulations Baiyu! Enjoy every second of it. MM

Congratulations Baiyu That is very exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

congratulations Baiyu

Well done MM with the milk. Especially after she saw it the other night and you still held firm. Good luck

I like the new one!

baiyu Fingers crossed for you, let's hope mini-Baiyu keeps happy & healthy in there! Congrats!!

Just got my job, hooray! 2 days a week from prob 8th March. Ethics surrounding when to tell brand new employers about pregnancy?! Thoughts please!

Big hello to all mummies and toddlers

Bayiu happy times! Well done.

I am so today. For one of the first times ever dd slept all night! 730-630 . Feels good.

Off dancing then to Paris tomorrow. Good days!

MM

Congrats on the job baiyu
I was 2 weeks into a new job when I fell with dd, I waited until I had my 12weeks scan to tell them, I thought showing my boss the scan when I told her would lessen the blow for when they realised that I would be on Mat leave during the summer holidays, me being their nanny and all.
How is your fil now?

Well done mm on the sleep. Enjoy Paris!

Remember I told you all about my friends baby niece and her Brain Tumour. Well she had the tumour removed this week. The surgery wasnt as successful as they had hoped. She has no feeling down one side and since the op she has been having regular seizures. She was going for a scan yesterday to check things out. Hopefully she pulls through this.
The doctors are saying that she will forever be with problems related, and they believe that the tumour could come back at any time. The only good thing is that at 7months old she is soo young that she wont remember any of this.

Can I pick your brains please?
Both my mum & dad will be 60 this year, mum is March, dad is June. As there is so long between birthdays they have refused a party, much prefering to have a party for their 40th wedding aniversary next year. Fair enough.
My dad retired back in August and mum retires next month, so as this is the first year that they are both retired thay have loads of trips away booked, so our initial plan of sending them away for the weekend wouldnt be as special iykwim. We are really stumped....

Baiyu Well done on the job. I think if I were you I would put off telling them as long as possible, let yourself settle in and see how the ground lies. You'll get a sense of how they will be about it. You could always claim to be a HM and have only found out yourself at 20 weeks or so???

MM Enjoy Paris .

Sho Don't know what to suggest re 60th birthdays as my parents are really not into anything like that, IYSWIM....and I quote my mother...."I'd rather go to the library than New York" (I ask you!!).
How about a nice bench for the garden or a tree for the garden?

Having a nice day off today. Girls being good, got DD1's tap lesson later then my nephew's 15th birthday tea (can't help thinking he should be out with his mates on his birthday and not sitting in with his grandparents having a buffet?!!).

I had a weigh in with the guy I am doing the 'biggest loser' challenge at work with this week. I had lost 0.5kg and he had put on 3 KG !!!!! I've lost half a stone since Christmas but now at my usual intensely irritating 'wall' of 11 stone. I just cannot get below 11 stone no matter what I do. I am doing spinning twice a week and bodyjam once a week and then a dvd at home. I am doing WW points and being really good. SO frustrating!

LM

Baiyu - Congratulations on the job!!

re. telling employers about PG....
If you have a probationary period as part of your job contract, do not breathe a WORD until you are out of it. Don't kid yourself that employers won't be a bit pissed off about this - don't let it get to you!! When I told my employers about my PG (haribo), they cancelled my contract within a week. It didn't matter to me - I worked up until haribo was born and I got MA because of the time I worked, but that's beside the point.

It's up to you when you tell them, but the notification week is 25 weeks PG (15 weeks prior to your due date) so you are not under any onus to inform them before that (unless you have a bump, I suppose).

MM - well done on the sleep and enjoy Paris!! So jealous! It's a lovely city!!

Lucky - well done on the weight loss. I'm doing really well ATM. Have worked out a system which means I get to the gym 3 times a week and I have a PT there once a week - she puts me through my paces! but I am def. feeling the benefits!!

Sho - so sorry about your friend's LO.. Re. presents: How about a meal out for them together? Or maybe get lots of people to dig out photos of them over the years and put together a photo album for them? What hobbies do they have? I bought my dad a tree a few years ago, which he just loves.

I've had a lovely day today - both Mimi and Haribo had check ups with their Paed today. Haribo's predicted height is 6'3"!!!!!! - and they both behaved impecably and then we went to Pizza Express across the road and Haribo ate a whole kids pizza without throwing it on the floor by himself!!

Lots of sensible advice, thanks ladies. I'll keep my mouth shut as long as I can! Wish I was starting a bit earlier so I'd have more time to impress them. Slightly worried I'll show earlier than last time (skinny jeans already a little tight at the waist...) but if I start wearing loose things to work from the beginning and complain about still having my mummy tummy I should get away with it! For a little while at least. Underlining the big shhhhh on the facebook front! I'm not even telling my friends for the fear that my news gets out too soon!

MM Enjoy paris, you lucky lady!

HM glad you've had a fun day with your two.

Sho how about a voucher to go and learn something new together? Photography class? dancing? Massage? hehe.

LM half a stone is a brilliant achievement!

I told my old boss when I found out I was pregnant at 7wks with DS1, but then I'm technically self employed. I would maybe see how they are as employers, if you are pregnant when you start doesn't it affect you rights anyway? I know the same old boss wouldn't pay my old nurse her maternity pay because she was actually pregnant when she started, but also did a HM and only found out at 20wks....I thought he was a bit mean since she had worked for him before and had come back to him after trying out retail.

Baiyu I'm really pleased for you with both bits of news, very exciting!

LM I'm very with your half a stone, but I've only managed a weekly spin class, and have yet to cut out the xmas biscuits that are still lurking at work . Must try harder since my ski trousers are a bit tight! We leave 4 weeks today

MM hope Paris is lovely.

Sho I'm rubbish at present ideas, sorry.

FP how did the redundancy meeting go?

BWC - I'm not 100% sure but think that once you are employed, an employer can't use your pregnancy against you (regardless of whether you knew or not or told them or not (IYSWIM)). There is no legal obligation to tell a potential employer about a pregnancy. But, when I told my employer, I was ~23/24 weeks pregnant. This meant that I was pregnant when I went for the interview and took the job (though I didn't know and I didn't have a bump or anything) I do think it probably coloured their judgement a bit - I don't think they believed me for a second, to be honest. I was on a rolling 4 month contract, and they cancelled it within days of me telling them (I didn't make a fuss - and when they realised I didn't plan to take it further, they actually employed someone else doing my job so I spent the last few months there doing filing / photocopying / scanning... SO I suppose the only thing Baiyu can do is suss out what sort of place this organisation is... AFAIR, it's ethical, so they might have a more progressive outlook to the misogynistic gits company I used to work for!

FP - Yes, how's the work situation? Have you started at the new place now?

LM - Is your NHS / Private hospital work situation resolved now?

Best get on... Have been to see Invictus today.... great film - very feel good - and it's got Matt Damon in little white shorts! Happy days!

Very of your film knowledge HM I've not been to the cinema for ages and never seem to remember what I wanted to watch a few months before when I go to blockbuster.

Must make the effort to go to that one I like a bit of Matt Damon

Thanks again all, it is a very ethical company so hopefully they'll be nice to me! I wouldn't qualify for mat pay or mat allowance anyway I don't think, ah well, no money again, didn't get a bean from anywhere last time either. Nevermind, babies are worth the poverty! (and we can just about live on DHs salary alone, as we've been doing so we'll be fine)

Baiyu - You will qualify for a health in maternity grant this time around. It's £190.

Ok, not masses, but worth getting! You qualify once you are 20 weeks + PG

Hi girls (hope you don't mind me calling you that!).

Lots of good advice for Baiyu here. Just a word of warning though Baiyu, I think it's pretty normal to show sooner with your second as everything has already stretched once! I certainly did. At least the 'fashion' (for want of a better word) nowadays is quite 'trying to keep pg quiet' friendly! Big loose tops and leggins....comfy and stylish! One of my friends is 20 weeks and still looks smaller than me , she is living in Jeggins!

Thanks for the support on weight loss, I am pleased (obviously) but I must say that the half stone is pretty much what I put on at Christmas, I am now back to good old 11 stone 2 lbs which I tend to get stuck at. I went up to 11 st 8 lbs after Christmas, but literally in the space of 2 weeks, and I believe that the quicker you put weight on the quicker it is to lose, IYSWIM, I think most of that was fluid from the carb-fest that was Christmas, I lost most of it in 2 weeks, so I don't really feel like I have lost half a stone, I'm just back to where I started . I am being very disciplined though. I spoke to denny last week and she was a size 18 just over a year ago and is now back in her size 10 jeans (massive ) so I figure, if she can do it, so can I. HM sounds like your gym membership is paying off and BWC one spinning class a week is better than nothing!! Keep going!

Sorry- boring diet talk.

Sho I like HM's idea of the photos, you could get them a photo book done?

HM Thanks for asking about the job situation. I have decided to stay NHS. I only do 2 hours a week at the private place but it's been enough to make me realise that the grass is not greener! There's obviously just as much politics etc (why wouldn't there be?!! ). Things have got better at work, I'm really excited about us moving premises in 4 weeks. The one thing I love about where I work are most of the people. There are sone tossers, but on a day to day basis, I am really loving my job now. Maybe I just needed to go through that process with the private place to realise it wasn't all bad.

I'm looking to set up my own business in private hydrotherapy, hiring the pool at David Lloyd. I'm planning to do it in Sept when DD2 goes to playgroup, as it will free up some time for me. I will earn much more money doing it privately for myself than doing it for the private hospital. I like the idea of being my own boss and being in control of everything (such a control freak ). I'll still do my 21 hours NHS, this will be extra, and I will prob stop the private hosp job then.

Anyone else gonna be watched the new series of supernanny on Tues???!!

Feel knackered after just 3 days with my girls. DD2 must be teething or something cos she's been a right fuckwit 'challenge' this weekend. DH has been at work the whole time. Once again I take my hat off to all you full time SAHM's.
DD1 was sat on my lap in mass today and kept fiddling with the zip on my coat, I kept telling her not to but she carried on, eventually getting my hair caught in the bloody thing! OUCH! I looked like a right plank trying to un-tangle it but my head was being pulled to one side. Funny now when I think of it but NOT at the time!

Sorry, mammoth post!!!

LM xxx

Good to hear from you LM

Baiyu you should have a look at DirectGov regarding maternity pay

Thanks for all the suggestions for the birthdays ladies. Im liking the tree idea, which also made me think about garden centre vouchers for my dad as his 'summer plan' is to re do the garden. So we'r brain storming on that theme right now. As its my parents 45th wedding anniversary next year we im going to organise a photo album of their married live. Most of my family are in Manchester so il need to plan a trip down in the summer to collect photos, which will be fun, my family have all got that hording gene!

Right I really should be tackling the mountain of paper work I have to do for the new Brownie unit im opening up in a few weeks rather than messing about on the computer

Shona

sorry for my long absence. I do scan but rarely post these days. work and life taking over from MN!

congrats Baiyu on both job and the other I have noted the FB news black-out - no probs.

DS has had recurrent ear infections since October and we are waiting for our outpatient appointment with the ENT specialist. As a result our nights ahve been v disturbed for a while although there was a short period of a few days where he slept through 7:30 to 6. I still BF at bedtime and in the morning but he's been insisting when he wakes up crying with his ear too and that can be once or twice at night. Otherwise he is utterly adorable these days and "speaking" more and more even if no-one can understand much!

i'm trying to get my next contract organised before we start planning ttc, I'm getting a bit older so not sure how long it might take but still haven't repaid the savings from the last mat leave....

Hello Gingerwench good to see you're surviving.

Sho opening a new brownie unit sounds like loads of work

gingerwench lovely to hear from you!!

Can I ask if any of you have out your DCs in a bed yet? DD2 managed to almost climb out of her cot today . I went in and she was literally straddling the cot rails about to fall out .

We put DD1 in a bed (low cotbed) in the march (bearing in mind their birthdays are very close so it's the same age equivalent as DD2 IYSWIM) because DD2 was on the way. She was fine, but DD2 is so much more feisty and has an older sister who she shares a room with and who she has seen climbing out of bed, so I fear she will copy and we will have a 'supernanny-esque' putting her back to bed 80 times a night !!!

Off to see 'Avatar' tomorrow night. Not something I'd normally be interested in but DH wants to go and I'm intrigued by the 3D.

LM x

I swear by grobags for stopping any cot escapology, but a bit late to start now if not had one before.

I'm sure there's a few on here in beds, good luck LM.

I'm enjoying a glass of wine whilst DH has gone out to get me fish and chips . Had a lovely day but didn't fit a trip to the supermarket .

Hi All.

sho - am very impressed with your Brownies work!

GW - Lovely to hear from you!

I'm feeling very tonight. I know that this sounds probably very selfish, but it's show week at haribo's and mimi's gym tomorrow and I have no-one to take. That's really sad, isn't it?

My parents won't come down (it's not their sort of thing ). DH's parents won't come (they are older, I appreciate, but they do LOADS for their other - similar aged - grandkids). I have no siblings or family close and, I dunno, it's stupid, but I know to tomorrow, everyone will have a DH or a parent or a sibling or a very close friend and I'll have flipping no one as usual. I know that it's totally irrational (and DH is made at me already for being upset about it) but sometimes I feel the only one who gives a shit about my kids is me.

At the weekend, I got a couple of hours off on Saturday (but only cos DH wanted me to take DSDs to the cinema rather than go himself) and on Sunday, I walked back in to BOTH children having dirty nappies that needed changing! [angry}

Sorry, just need a bit of a rant tonight.

HM X