July 2009: Grinning, wolfing, rolling and puking! :)

[alibobble]

Hi thought I'd take the bull by the horns and start a new thread. Hope the weaning was covert enough! Fire away!

Hi pheonix and ActivityApple

You got to love Kenny Apple and a bit of Johnny Cash.
I love the thought of lamp posts being kept warm is this awful weather!

Ellis has started sitting for small amounts of time, only with me sitting right behind him though.
Does anyones LO do that thing where they are lying on their back and next time you look at them they have somehow rotated 45 degrees? I have never seen Ellis actually do this, am just shocked to find him moved when I've left him on his mat on his own for a few minutes.

Has anyone here gone back to work yet? As I'm due to go back on the 25th and I'm very excited and very scared and worried at the same time.

Afternoon all

Feeling slightly fragile this morning. Had a bit of a family air-clearing session at little sis's house last night. I am truly now a lightweight in the alcohol department. BIL was knocking out vodka-tini's - no idea what's in em, but presumably vodka is the main component Woke at 4:30 this morning for a wee feeling like a bear shat in my mouth. Looked in the bathroom mirror and I've got a BIG bump and bruise on my forehead and I have lost the last few hours of yesterday night Apparently I walked into the gate on the way out of sis's house. I have no recollection of this whatsoever . Mum is now worrying that I have a mild concussion [rolling of eyes emoticon]. I think the lack of memory is more to do with the vodka though. Anyway the air is cleared and we all feel much better I think

Welcome galene & ruebenjames - The Gambler would be my fave Kenny Rogers track

Patchy - am very about your conservatory roof in the snow. Have been nervously checking ours ever since. So sorry about the funeral being cancelled. Your poor friend. And having to rearrange the Christening is pants too. I will drop you an email about the nappies - thank you very much. Glad your DH is back. DP is away on Wednesday after last weeks trip is cancelled. He's only going for 1 night now which is better for me. 3 nights would've been too much of a shock to the system I think.

Activity - hope you're OK after your tumbles. Am also sniggering about your mate knitting for lamp posts.

Phoenix - fingers crossed for Thursday's trip.

Lydia - fab news about the knitting shop. Really hope it works out for you.

Sitting - she'll do it for quite a while now, but if she loses concentration she falls. But she's isn't remotely interested in rolling over, and gets pretty cross and stroppy when she's left on her front for any length of time.

6 Months - falls on Wednesday for us - I can't quite believe it I still sometimes can't believe that we got her in the first place. It amazes me really

weaning - still haven't done a great deal. I did make up some baby rice earlier in the week. Lord but that stuff is rank - she wasn't that bothered herself either and it felt like a waste of breastmilk. I made baby porridge this morning - wasn't very impressed with that either. I'm going to make a chicken stew later and I've got some baby stock cubes so I'll make it baby friendly and see what she thinks. Let us know how the canneloni goes down baby I'm in need of inspiration!

I've not gone back to work yet - I'm allowed a year, but since DD was actually born in April, that'll be when she is only 9 months corrected age. Not planning on going back though, if I'm honest.

Skye doesn't like to sit, but LOVES to stand - awkward child!

We've got another cold here. Bang goes all the progress we were making on sleeping!

A wool shop sounds exciting! Whereabouts are you? (I'm a knitter and just wondered...)

lydia great news loads of my friends are taking up knitting so hopefully it will work out for you.

work I won't be going back to work for a long time yet as even when they are all in school (assuming I do have a 4th) then it would cost me £20 a day in after school club fees I have no family close by to help out either. I would have to earn good money to make it worthwhile. Have been looking into (admittedly in a very laidback way as it's a while yet till I need to do it) home working and such like.

Alfie has made his first movements across the floor backwards from one side of the room to the other so it won't be long till he's on the move.[sigh] I thought it was too good to be true that this time round I had a less active baby.

I'd love not to have to go back to work, but as a single mum with a mortgage to pay I don't have much choice
I don't earn enough to afford the childcarefees myself but I'm entiitled to tax credits as most people are ( I think you have to earn in excess of £55,000 not to qualify) and there is a childcare element to it, which again most working parents are entitled too. They'll pay upto 80% of fees depending on your circs.

Queenfee I am shocked your baby has moved so far, that'll keep you on your toes. I was offended the other day when a childminder asked me if my 5 1/2 month old son was crawling yet, and heres yours on the move already!

Noah gets all around our living room when he's on the floor. He lays on his back, puts his knees up and pushes his feet down and slides around the floor . It's a nightmare changing his nappy cos he's off the changing mat seconds after he's put on it

work - This sounds a stupid (possibly selfish) thing to say but i just wish dh's company would hurry up and make him redundant. It's been going on for 2yrs now and the more of the other staff that get made redundant the more shit the ones left have to put up with. His redundancy money would pay a big chunk of our debt off so life would be easier. I have to go back to work right now but without our loan/credit cards i could cut my hours or not work at all (obviously if he can find another job.) I'm so dreading going back

pheonix my dh is under consultancy for redundancy, we are also relieved as like your dh he has survived 3 or 4 rounds of redundancy and therefore having to take on 3 peoples work. It's ridiculous that even now they are suggesting he takes on another position and stays he already gets about 300 e mails a day let alone the other work he has to do on top of that. W also have debt owed to us for his expenses which is costing us a fortune. Hope things workmout for you, what does he do?

crawling in some respects it is easier as you miss out the frustrated stage where they see and want something but can't get it and whinge until you do. On the other hand a mobile baby at that age has no sense whatsoever so you have to check them constantly!

He's a security officer at a catalogue company warehouse (used to be Empire Stores but that is the part that has gone bust so its now just LaRedoute, Vertbaudet and Daxon that were there before alongside Empire, if you've heard of all those)

He's sometimes working 5 or 6 12 hour day or night shifts in a row. He used to have days off in between his shifts but hardly has any now.

pheoninx I don't think your being slefish to want an end to being kept hanging about you dh's job, also who wouldn't like that nice chunk of money that would come with it!

Thats my Ellis, whinges til I or his sister literally put something in his hand for him, I know he can get it for himself half the time, just from the cheeky grin he gives

I have noticed this time round how much the other 2 do stuff for Alfie. When DS1 was a baby DD was only 2 so less likely to think about his needs but being 3 and 5 they are very aware of him and what he wants and are constantly entertaining him. Sometimes I wish they would just give him 5 minutes peace but I suppose you can't have it both ways

I don't think I'd get half as much (although still not a lot) done, if I didn't have dd to keep Ellis entertained sometimes

Hello all

Welcome reuben Jetli PMSL at your tipsy recollections, or lack thereof!! Thanks! Needed a good laugh!!! And as to the canneloni, Marco didnt get any as the other pigs children hoovered them all up!!!

Patchy glad your DH has finally made it home.

work still haven't figured out what I am going to do. Not due back until September 7th, so lots of time. We cant really afford for me to stay home, but with the childcare costs, I wont be bringing too much in anyway. Want to start looking for a nanny, as it would be cheaper than nursery school. Not looking forward to the shift work either. Its been 4 years of having normal hours (while on modified duties while preggers) or off on mat leave. The though of doing nights again make me very unhappy.

rolling Marco seems to get around quite well. He gets on his tummy and pushes up on his arms. He then turns in the direction he wants, falls back on his tummy, and either squirms or rolls. Often, it doesnt take him in the direction he wants, so he screams but he is moving. Found him across the room bunched partially under the sofa one afternoon!! LOL

QueenFee I am enjoying having 2 older DCs that look out for the LOs. They cater to their whims and keep them entertained so I can cook and do other things. Hows the TTC coming??? DH must be enjoying the return to the 'feast' after the 'famine'

laundry Piling up again... I think it breeds in my baskets!

Lydia LOL about Bill toppling with toes in his mouth. Marco does the same! Best of luck with your business venture. Would love to have a home business of my own so that I could stay at home until my DCs are in school full time.

jabs wondering if Marco will need jabs at his 6 month appointment. He is going tomorrow for his 4 month jabs, as he has been too sick to get them sooner. So we are a little behind. That means cranky baby tomorrow night Sigh...

Morning
Welcome Rueben

How was everyone's weekend.

We went to a wedding which was lovely. I did have my sensible hat on and drank 2 small glasses of Buck Fizz and 1 small glass of wine during dinner. Jetli I prob could have used one of the v&t's your BIL made.

Weaning we finally did it yesterday. I wanted to wait to potty train DD first and then move on to my next parenting project but Tristan was just too hungry. He is 27 weeks and a big boy so fair enough. We gave a tiny amount of Oatabix w/breastmilk and slice of banana. He literally grabbed the spoon and fed himself. Best bit....he slept from 10:45pm to 6:30am. HOORAY, hope it is not a coincidence.

Snow or slush as it seems to be now. Pls can it just go away now. Argh.

Work I really wouldn't mind going part time if we could get help w/childcare costs. We just don't meet the requirements and we don't have family to step in. Phoenix and QF when I was made redundant 18 months ago it was a godsend. I paid off £15k worth of debt so understand how you feel about your DH's situation. Hope it works out as you want it.

Must dash as baby looks like he needs to feed finally.

Back again.

Lydia your business venture sounds great. I wish I had the money, business sense, and get go to start something up. Have you always been interested in textiles?

TTC DH has said 3 is probably his limit. Now that I have given LO a taste of solids I see his babyhood slipping away. I never thought I would say this but I would love to go for 4! DH only would contemplate it if we were better off financially. In the meantime, we are putting of him having the snip for a couple years. We had previously agreed he would have done soon after no 3 was born but he changed his mind. So never say never I guess.

Movement lots of rolling one sided. We finally put a cot bumper on as he kept getting his legs stuck.

bloody hell i just wrote a massive post and managed to delete the bugger!

work feel like a bad mummy as im looking forward to going to work, i love both dcs sooo much but feel very lonely and im getting really frustrated at being at home. its hard as dp works nights so dont even have him for company as we're in totally different time zones if that makes sense? at least i'll be working for myself, i'd rather work for peanuts with my sister than for peanuts in a job i hated!

anyway, exciting stuff with the business, have been looking at possible properties today. however only one within our price range seems to be the shop next door to where my mums shop used to be! missp have been knitting and sewing since i was little- ilove it! LOL at the knitted lamp post covers activity redundancy i know how you feel about being left hanging phoenix and queenfee, still no news for us on weather dp will finally be made redundant or be sent to manchester. unfortunately his redundancy package is rubbish and would barely cover us 2 months.

siblinghelp dd does do alot for Bill even though she's only 2.9. feel quite guilty but its such a help when im trying to do bit of housework or prepare a meal! besides she really does love him, and vice versa. the first smile of the day he gives her in the morning is wondeful im tempted to try and snap it!

moving still not alot going on here, then again he isnt on the floor much as he's sick as soon as you lie him down/put him on his belly!

scare it's a bit silly really, but frightened the life out of me at the time. i went to wake Bill from his nap and put my hand on his chest to gently wake him when i thought he wasnt breathing, i screamed and my heart sank to my stomach. I dont know why i though he wasnt breathing but it scared the living s**t out of me, excuse my language. needless to say he was breathing (no blue/ pale colour, lovely and warm and pink!)and he got a fright and so did dd!

hi been hanging around trying ot keep up but can't do mumsnet in style of face book ie 2 mins pop a few times a day. need to give it slightly more time to actually read stuff and don't like using the computer when I should be doing stuff with dds but dd1 back at mursery and dd2 aslepp so here i am.

cakepops made these for my mum's birthday today using chocolate cake.They are well good. my sister introduced me to bakerella a while back. She does some fab stuff. Great for inspiration if you like that sort of thing.

pmt since weaning dd2 she's not bf as much as she was and I can feel my hormones returning. still no sign of AF yet but she's lurking along with the return of SPOTS (I'm 29 for goodness sake!) greasy hair and major PMT. Feel like a very bad mummy. been verygrumpy and shouty recently. DH not taking it well. OH well

miracle managed to clean kitchen today. Like really good clean. Amazing. dd1 was v good and played in the loung and dd2 sat alternatively in the bumbo on the hob (!) and her baby nest which is my new favourite thing.

movement dd2 learned to sit up much more now and can correct herself in her nest. Is trying this hilarious bum shuffle which works if you keep her between your knees and follow her round! On her front in bed now she's clearly worked out that legs should do something but can't actually do anything with them so lies on her tum before sleep looking ike she's trying to swim!

lydia at your shock. glad everything ok. I'd have screamed too!

redundancy the waiting sucks doesn't it? My mum has officially been told they will all be out of a job by christmas next year but not told them the date for redundancy so that no one can know how long to hang around to get a pay out (my mum been with them 20 years) or whether to get another job if you see one (my mum is a forensic scientist - not much call for them in tesco!)

bf and cats not being weird don't worry. Anyone else own a cat? If you start bf does the cat appear out of no-where and start rubbing up to LO? V distracting for dd who thinks that cat is hilarious and blows raspberries at her. ALWAYS happens on last feed at 7ish. Read someone's comment in a baby magazine that her cat did it too. Wondered if we had theonly two weird cats in teh world. Mine is bonkers. It turns it's nose up at chicken but tried to eat DH's ginger cake off his plate last night!

Sorry for all spelling mistakes. In a rush as usual. So many things to do while dd asleep and other dd away.

Ali thanks for that lush link! I love to bake! Great idea for birthday parties for my DCs! As for the cat issue. We used to have 2 cats. The female would be all over me while pregnant as well as while I was nursing. The male was all over me while preg, but would especially come around whenever we had guests who would hold the baby. He was very protective of DD2. Could that be it for yours as well???

cleaning Wish I could give my house a good clean... not that it would last. Those sticky fingers find their way back on walls and windows pretty fast!! And the amount of crumbs that I sweep off the kitchen floor EVERY DAY could feed a small country!

Lydia I am so with you! I have made DH get out of bed to check on Marco (who sleeps in the swing next to DH) because I no longer hear him breathing! DH will tell me he's fine, but I will insist he turn on the light, get out of bed and check! You would think this child was my first and not my 4th! I would have screamed too!

sick so it seems Marco is getting a cold AGAIN! Sigh... he woke up with a crusty nose, and all night I could hear him snoring. Not to mention that I am starting to see the tiniest corner of his first tooth poking through the gumline. And to add insult to injury, he got his jabs yesterday! He was very cheerful most of the day, so I thought I was set! Then, last night he started to get warm, so I gave him some Tylenol (your Calpol). He woke us up at 2:30am with a 39.1 degree fever!! I started to panick! Gave him some more meds, put a cold cloth on his head, put him in bed with us and stayed awake to keep an eye on him. He just stayed awake and would moan... not his usual chatter. When his temp finally started going down, I went to slepp. He was up an hour later crying his eyes out because he needed to poo. So on the breast he went , but no luck. DH finally got tired of the crying and 'helped him' poo. Off to bed again. Alarm clock went off an hour later! I am completely shattered today (ran 10k last night before going to bed and had early gym appointment with my trainer this morning), and I have so much to do...

Lydia OMG I can understand how frightened you were, its horrible. I still check the 2 big dc and worry about them! The new venture sounds fab. Good luck

Well we are no further on with the conservatory except the snow is starting to melt and the floor starting to lift in places. The loss adjustor comes on thurs so I have been busy making a list of what will probably need replacing.

Actually broke down in tears today when I realised my central heating wasn't working. I called British Gas and they are sending someone in the morning . she actually asked me if I could cope for the night and I said no....and then she proceeded to say she couldn't get anyone to me till tomorrow! Anyway in the meantime I have managed to get it on by turning on the hot water advance, so will just leave it all on tonight. They can still come to look at it though!

It is the funeral tomorrow which will be really hard. I saw my friend today and bless her she was more concerned about my concervatory than her troubles. Bless her, perhaps it did her good to think about something else for a little while? She is amazing and it lifted my spirits to see her positive. There will be so many ups and downs over the next few months. My friend is babysitting Max for me tomorrow as dh away and mum still snowed in. It is the first time I have left him with anyone during the day so it will be weird. It won't be for long though as I am not going to the wake...I couldn't face it.

Anyway, I am off to make the most of all the hot water and have a long soak.

Baby hope Marco is ok xx

bf & cats my sister had a new kitten when she was bf her DC3 and it used to cuddle it's head into her because it could smell the milk! Poor little thing had been seperated from it's mom too young (stray)

checking breathing I have been known to put my finger in front of all of my dc's noses at some point to check they were breathing! It's so scary.

baby sorry you had a bad night. Hope Marco is ok. Alfie decided to get up at 3.30 am this am and didn't go back off till 5 no idea what that was all about.

patchy oh dear you really are having a run of bad luck. Hope everything goes ok tomorrow x

redundancy DH has another meeting tomorrow so we will find out then one way or another. On the plus side he has a couple of interviews lined up already
cleaning I feel like I follow my kids round constantly cleaning. I clean and before you know it there is yet more crumbs/finger marks etc to clear up ahhh

Bonsoir, bonsoir!

DP is in gay Paris, albeit only overnight (thank goodness) Just hope he gets home OK tomorrow, given the weather. He just rang - tea is escargot followed by lamb. Creme brulee for afters I expect... Beans on toast for me - oh well, I'll get him to make it up to me when he gets home

Patchy - hope the heating is fixed now and that the funeral has taken place with no further upsets or cancellations

Breathing Checks - I have a Respisense on DD - it really, really helps put my mind at rest TBH. I'd go so far as to tell anyone I know who gets "up-duffed" to buy one in preference to any other baby paraphenalia that may be on anyone's list. It's gone off half a dozen times in 6 months - usually because it has fallen off her nappy. I like it over and above the breathing sensor mats because she can wear it all the time, wherever we are. It did once go off in the car and I nearly did myself a mischief pulling over to check she was OK! I got mine on ebay for about £20 and there's still loads of life left in the battery. A new battery is around £20 from memory.

baby - poor Marco and another cold - it's just one thing after another for him at the moment Bless him. I hate the jabs and their effects. I'm not against vaccination at all, but it's awful to see them ill afterwards. I should have had my swine flu jab last week, but the nurse talked me out of it when I explained that I would have been on my own with the baby for 3 days afterwards (as it was, DP's trip was cancelled in the end - aaargh!). She said I wouldn't be able to use my arm and would get a raging temperature for at least 24 hours afterwards. So now I'm due to have it on the 26th Jan and DP will have to take some time off if I get sick, to take care of me & the baby. Not looking forward to it at all, but I figure if we're TTC then it needs to get sorted sooner rather than later.

snow - blardy sick of the sight of the blardy stuff now Please let there be a good old thaw soon.

hangover - well it lasted about 36 hours - I was next to useless all day Sunday. Bloody disgraceful really I shan't do it again in a hurry though - felt really very rough indeed! Clearly my "Viking Drinking Gene" is suffering from lack of use.

haircut - desperate for one now! I think Sharrie last came over in September Would really like a change I think, and same as you Activity something easy to look after - low maintenance, but makes me look younger, sophisticated, and 3 stones lighter. Any suggestions?

Anyway, best go and check on the baby

haircut having mine done tomorrow. My neighbour has a traveling hairdresser who comes to her house so I had her pop round before christmas a nd tidy mine up for first time in AGES. She's coming tomorrow and is also going to cut dd1's hair which is quite long now and she's being a pain about having it washed so will get it cut into a bob that's long enough to tie back but won't take an age to wash or dry esp in cold weather.

MOT had mine done today - car failed (51 reg fiesta) so had to have £459 worth of work done on it to pass it. Def time we started saving for a new one. DH wants a focus so we can fit something other than just the pram in the boot! Plus dd2's car seat only fits in the front (we have no air bags) so one of us has to go in the back when all in the car and in order to get seat belt round car seat you end up with practically no leg room in the back!

expressing 10pmfeed have decided to stop expressing dd2's 10/11pm feed as she'll drop it soon and dh can just give formula for that feed. Means I can go to bed earlier too. Suddenly realised the other day that eventually I won't be BF dd and it seemed really weird as ff dd1.

Gotta get an early night as went to bed at 11.30 last night. Popped out to see a friend from school days and see my mum (both live in old home town) and said to my friend at 8.30pm "how are you?" and left at 10.45pm not really having said anything further! Man trouble. saw my mum briefly as was her birthday. She's got mariokart on her ds and was getting advice from me on how to play. very funny!

Hi everyone!

God I've not be on here in aaaaaages!!

Me n Joseph are doing fine, he's coming on in leaps and bounds, he's sitting up now, turns over and is very eager to crawl. Weaning is going very well too, he'll eat just about anything I give him (even sucks on lemon without pulling his face! lol).

But we have just one problem...sleep! He was great at sleeping at one time, he would sleep from 7pm-6am without waking up.
He's absolutly great at going to bed, we have a great bedtime routine, but I'm now just having trouble getting him to stay asleep! He now wakes up at about midnight then about 4am. He does go back to sleep but usually I end up having to get him in bed with me at the 4am wake up.
I love having him in bed with me which is probably part of the reason I'm having these probs but I'm going back to work in 2 months so I could do with getting him sleeping through before I go back.
Anybody got any useful tips?
Oh I have found that the hoover sends him to sleep so I found myself putting the hoover on at 5am the other morning in an attempt to get him to go back to sleep in his cot...it worked but I can't be doin that every night lol.

Hey hunny long time no hear. Sadly I have NO tips re sleeping through as we are not even close to that ourselves. Tristan still wakes at 2/3am and again at 6am on a good night. Driving me bananas TBH. Solids are going so so but we are only on Day 4 so must be patient.

Other than that, all is well here bar broken sleep and fractious toddler and grumpy school boy to tend to.

Hi hunny good to hear from you. Glad Joseph is doing so well. I had a similar problem with Max and just before New Year he cracked it. Someone mentioned giving them protein filled food and it helped their baby sleep (I can't remember who) and it has worked a dream for us. Not sure how far you are with the weaning though.Does he have a dream feed before you go to bed? max has one at 10pm and then sleeps till 7am. Sorry if you already do all this.

The funeral went ahead yesterday and was amazing. I have never cried so much in my life. It was as if a tap turned on at the start and carried on till I got home. She looked beautiful and was so dignified. What an amazing woman. The little boy was there and wanted a job so was allowed to sprinkle the coffin with holy water....cue more crying.

The loss adjustor came today and in theory agreed that the whole conservatory needs knocking down and re building and that all the contents need to be replaced. I just need to provide them with costings and a list of contents. Sounds simple but I am sure it will be a nightmare agreeing a price.

Anyway DH got stuck at work again, this time Nairobi. Can't wait for the weather to get back to normal as it is causing us chaos! He should have been back this morning but instead it will be tomorrow. I am having my hair done, so lets just hope he gets home in time to look after Max !