December 2007 - Not Quite Two, Already Terrible ;)

[claraquack]

Just checking that this worked....

Hi everyone,

beckle - great news about Evie's eye - sounds like all is well, what a relief.

clara - sounds like you had a brilliant time! I remember how exciting it is to go somewhere western when you have been living somewhere non-western for a long time. I used to pine for newspapers more than anything, but also nice cheese and marmite!

re moving we have already applied to DD's local school so we have to stay in the area. However, she will be allocated a place in March (or not) so I wonder if we can then move out of the catchment area and still have a place - does anyone know?

re presents - we have got DS more bits for his brio train set for his birthday and a big red wooden bus for his Xmas - all very vehicle-themed but that is what he loves! It' funny seeing such a big gender divide already in terms of presents - we also got DD a dollshouse and pushchair but I know DS just wouldn't be interested (plus we already have them!)

Good news re my dad - they think they have got all the cancer following his second op - although obviously it is early days and he has check ups every 6 weeks for the next year but still really positive so we are all so relieved - best Xmas present we could have hoped for

beckle - love the even more now I know its origins! I wonder if Gordy knows he has a smiley dedicated to him?!

clairey - how are things? Tell us about your new house!!

LOL clara! DD2's favourite word at the moment seems to be "sure" which she uses interchangeably with "no" as in "are you sure you don't have wees to do on the potty" "sure"!

Florida sounds like a fab place to visit - my brother and family planning to go there for Xmas this year (they live in Reigate).

Beckle and DrSkid, great news on the health front.

Presents - well for Xmas I've got her some plastic play food (and instructed her father to get her a play oven), and a little Noddy themed train set that I picked up in a sale about 6 months agao! For her birthday a mini suitcase as she loves "transporting", a mermaid dress-up and a cuddly toy monkey. She's guaranteed to get a few books too.

For DD1 I've got Sylvanian Families items as requested plus I'm planning to take her for a girly manicure as a special treat.

I've invited the neighbours over for a Xmas drink this Sat evening - dropped about 10 invites in letterboxes, no idea how many will turn up!

DrSkid - yey for your dad!!!

Beckle - good news about your dd's eye - I bet you are very relieved!

Clairey - when are you moving into your new place?

Claraq - am very about you trip to Florida,went to the Metrocentre today for our Xmas shopping that is as glam as it gets! Still glad you had a great times, and lol at your experience in customs coming back!

Xmas - Daniel is getting a Thomas the Tank Engine trike from Nanny, Grandma & Grandad are getting him a garage with lots of cars, DH and I are getting him a Mack the Truck (from Disney's Cars) play tent and a mini kitchen. For his birthday we have got him a Dyson vacuum cleaner and a wooden train set -like the brio ones, but from Ikea and a fraction of the price! There are actually 4 different sets, but only got 3 as the had sold out of the 12 piece bridge and tunnel set. Will have to keep looking out for it!

Hello Ladies, I haven't been on here in the longest time and it is good to see the familiar names again!

I was the one that went nearly 3 weeks OD and had a long labour, but it didn't put me off.

I'm now early days (6 weeks) pregnant again, so have just joined the August 2010 thread.

I can't believe Michael will be two on the 21st!

Birthday pressy - little tikes Thomas the Tank bed, we're due to move on the 18th, so it should help him settle.

Christmas - Digital kids camera, and Radio Flyer trike from my parents.

It's funny looking at the Dec 2009 thread as it seems minutes since we were all there!

Welcome BunnyBaby! Our babies are growing so fast

hi bunnybaby and congratulations

BT - wow DS has done well for Xmas - Milo would love all those things too!

buzzy - v. impressed with you inviting all the neighbours round for Xmas drinks. That is the kind of thing I aspire to but am always too much of a scaredycat!

Just went to see DD as as shepherd in her school play - she was SOOOO cute that I cried 3 times - can I blame pg hormones even though I know that is not the real reason?

Hooray I'm back online!

I was meant to have phone and internet from the 3rd but for some reason that didn't happen.

My baby is two today

His present was a seesaw rocker thing (the ikea one). For xmas the dc are sharing an easel and ds is also getting a small car transporter and a peppa pig playground (both half price bargains )

I didn't have a party for him but it was the toddler group xmas party today so we took balloons along to that for all the children and I made a cake (a VERY cool igloo if I do say so myself!) and took that. DS was petrified when the vicar came in dressed as santa though and completely freaked out screaming and saying "I don't like father christmas, he's too scary". Whoops!

Friend has paid for us to go to London tomorrow and see Father Christmas and lights, think maybe just dd should do the Father Christmas bit though after today!

My house is great , life hasn't changed greatly apart from I no longer have to clean up his mess or deal with his tantrums, so an improvement really. DC have been ok, dd says she misses daddy sometimes and the first couple of nights complained ds was keeping her awake (they didn't share before) but touch wood doesn't seem too upset. DS has said he wants to go home a couple of times when he's tired but other than that barely seems to have noticed. I'm still worried about it affecting them badly though.

I was going to reply to everyone else then too but my mum rang and broke my flow so I'll catch up properly on monday.

Hello,

Christmas Plays sound so lovely, can't wait until DS is old enough to participate. My Mum is a teacher and says that the supermarket costumes are so good, that they are star-studded events.

The IKEA rockers are really good, DS got the moose one last year and loves it, as do his friends.

Clairey - glad you are settling in to your new abode

DrSkid - yes you can blame it on pg hormones if you like, but I fully expect to shed a tear first time ds is in a Xmas play!

Do you remember my friend who was in my AN class, who was pg a few months back, but lost the baby? She is pg again and due in June, yey!!!

yay clairey - good to finally hear from you! Glad everything is going OK. I'm sure there will be a few problems with them adjusting but that doesn't mean that you haven't made the right decsion for them as well as you. Have you sorted out access with him? Will he see them the same day/s every week? - I imagine consistency in that would help them adjust. But mostly well done and congrats!

Happy birthday to DS! DD was also terrified of Father Christmas, and I have to say I do see her point... she still wouldn't even entertain the idea of sitting on his lap!

BT - great news about your friend A friend of mine lost her baby and was due the same time as me but hasn't got pg again -she's worried that the D&C following her MMC has scarred her uterus and made her infertile I really hope she's wrong and it happens soon for her.

DS's birthday on Monday and I am away but we are just going to pretend his birthdays's next weekend instead. Feel terrible - I would NEVER have gone away for DD (PFB)'s birthday. And if I neglect my 2nd born this much, heaven help my poor old 3rd born!

HI all - sorry for long time lurk no post.
Imogen's birthday today. Open presents go swimming DS throws up in the pool of exclusive local gym ( got free day membership) and beaat hasty retreat to Pizza Hut . Just making a twinkle star cake as DD's favourite song is Winkle Dar...

Love to you all. Promise to write more soon

Hi all
Arcadie - snap, Martha's birthday today. Unfortunately she has been really poorly with croup and we ended up in hospital on Wednesday night with her having to use a nebulizer every four hours and being given hydrocortisone intreveneously every six hours (I think), so I cancelled the little birthday tea I had planned for her and we are going to do it on Monday instead. She is much better though at least so I will still do a cake for her this afternoon (we made it earlier, somehow got to sneak the icing on without the dd's seeing or they will want to "help" and I just can't bear the mess that will ensue...).

Had the "parent teacher" conference at school today so Martha's first school report. Aparrently she likes eating and jumping......

Congrats Clairey, good for you. You sound much happier. There will be a few hiccups along the way I am sure but it definitely sounds like you have done the right thing. Will your DH be seeing the children regularly?

Hi everyone else, would write more but children demanding snacks/to go on their bikes etc.....

Arcadie nice to see you!! Also Bunnybaby!
Clairey so great to hear you're settling in well. Take it easy on yourself - make sure you get some "me" time. Its natural to be worried about the DC but its like they say on planes about putting the oxygen mask on yourself first. We're all here to listen too.
The Xmas drinks with neighbours was a huge success. I invited 11 neighbours and 8 showed up and everyone was raving about what a great idea it was etc.
Sympathies Clara for the croup, DD2 has a croupy cough at the moment too - quite different from her normal bronchitis cough and much harder to deal with (we have found Loratadine works quite well for bronchitis although it does take 2-3 days to start clearing). So she wasn't 100% when the neighbours were here but coped pretty well all things considered (we'd been to a 2 yo b'day party in the morning).
I got DD1's school report today which was all pretty much as expected - almost off the scale for reading, but lots of comments about her not concentrating, refusing to do work, being quite introverted etc. If I could afford to I'd consider home-schooling her for a year or so but that's not an option.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. My dad was visiting and he and DS had a good time together

Claraq - poor dd2, hope she is much better now.

Buzzy - it does sound like your dd1 is bored! Are the school doing anything to address this?

More good news on the baby front, another friend from my AN class has also announced that she is pregnant, and is due four days after my other friend and yet another friend from the same class is due in just over a week's time! All this talk of babies is making me feel a wee bit broody, but no intention of even bringing up the subject at this time... if DH gets this job, when we get settled in the new house I will think about it again!

Hi all! Thanks for all your good wishes about Evie's eyes I have had a call from the hospital though and I have to take her in to be looked at by the consultant next Tuesday. I am trying not to panic worry too much as they say they are 99% sure there is nothing to be concerned about but they don't want to miss anything if she is in the 1%.

Clara, Florida sounds fab! Glad you had a nice time. I love Martha's report 'likes eating and jumping'! I hope her cough gets better soon, it's so scary when they are ill, particularly with coughs and things I think.

BT Yay! for your friend! (and excitement for you at the thought of baby talk...!)

Clairey, I'm glad you are settling into your new home and new routine, it is early days yet and the DCs will take a while to settle right in to the new environment and new routine. Give them a couple of months and DS will not remember his old house and DD will be used to having times to see her Dad instead of him being there all the time. I'm still certain you've done the right thing for all of you and I'm sure the children will not be traumatised by any of this.

Skid, fab news for your Dad! As for your friend, I have had to have 2 D&Cs due to retained mcs and worried about scarring/infertility/etc especially after the 2nd one where it took months and months for everything to settle down. I think it was about 9 months from the op when I eventually fell pg with DD but it felt like sooo much longer. It is obviously more traumatic for your body to go through than a spontaneous mc so will take longer to recover. I am also certain that it was talking to others TTC after MC on here which helped me come to terms with it all and get my head in the right place to conceive again, perhaps talking about it to others in like situations would help her too?

Buzzy, what a lovely idea to have the neighbours round! I'm glad it went well! DD's report sounds good too even with the concentration issues, I often think it would be lovely to home educate my children too. However good they are, teachers just do not get your child in the way you do and may not know how to get the best out of them.

Hi Bunnybaby! Congratulations on your new pg! 3 weeks over, goodness! I will never complain about DD's 12 days again

It's funny that LOs are often worried or scared about Father Christmas (although wariness of strange men offering you presents is probably a good thing), Evie loves him! She saw him at her toddler party and said "he's going to get me!" in a mock-scared stage whisper but then was happy to go and get a present from him (and then return to offer him a drink and again to show him her dolly's eyes opened and closed). We saw him again at the weekend too, I took the children on a local steam railway and he came and sat and chatted to each child for about 10 minutes! DS1 hid under the train seat, he is 9 and thinks he is too old to visit FC (but figured a train ride would be more fun than sitting in DH's truck at the yard for a couple of hours). DS2 and DD loved him though and chatted away. The best thing was that DS2 had missed seeing FC at the school fayre last week and was disappointed not to see him or to get a polystyrene glider (which is what he was handing out). When he opened his present on the train there was a box of 6 gliders in it! His little face was all amazement and he is now convinced we saw the real one on the train (DS2 says I must have told FC to give him that but honestly I didn't!)

Just put some pics up

Trying to sort out tax credits. They have chosen me for a spot check so haven't had any money for 3 weeks. Have to send them a whole load of original docs eg bank statements for whole year (I have paperless account so they'll have to accept print outs), tenancy agreement, proof of benefits (haven't come through yet) and council tax bill (haven't got it yet). Oh and if I don't get these docs that I don't even have yet by the end of the month then I won't get any tax credits this tax year and will have to pay back what I've already had

clairey and WTF you won;t get any tax credits for the REST OF THE YEAR??? I really hope everything arrives in time - just what you need on top of everything else

beckle - thanks so much for sharing your MMC/D&C experience - I will tell me friend about your 'success story' (in the end) - she is worried for the same reasons as you were as she hasn;t had a proper period since her D&C 5 months ago. She is trying to get invesyigations going but the drs aren't interested as she has 'only' had 2 MC

Also best of luck for next Tuesday - I'm sure all will be fine but of course you can;t help but worry about that 1/100 chance. I'm sure it will be good news and you can relax and enjoy Xmas

BT - ooh getting broody?! Finger's crossed for your DH getting the job then so DC2 can be on his/her way!

clara - how is poor little Martha now? How scary but glad she got better quickly

buzzy - glad party with neighbours was such a success - maybe I will be brave next year and do the same

30 weeks pg now and really starting to feel it - poor DH had to do bath and stories tonight (we usually do one each) and I think this might become a regular thing until I have the baby - am just sooo exhausted being pg and having two little DC to look after - esp. as it is party season!

Milo LOVED his train we got him for his bday - he couldn't believe it when he clapped his little eyes on it - definitely the most successful present we've ever given!

Suey hasn't been on for ages - hope all is going well with her pg..

Clairey - agree with Skid about the - I can't believe you are beig treated this way! Can you talk to someone and explain your situation? Why are they suddenly demanding all this stuff? I hope you get it sorted.

Skid - I was thinking about you, Arcadie etc the other day and wondering how you were getting on with your new pregnancy. I forgot how far along you are! It must be really tough. I am sitting in a coffee shop and have just been served by a heavily pregnant woman, due next week. She looks SO fed up!

Glad Milo liked his present - Martha (who, indidentally is much better now thanks) loved hers to. We got her a balance bike which is small enough for her to use and she loves it! She has got the hang of it really quickly and zooms all over the house on it....

Beckle - good luck on Tuesday, at least you know they are being really thorough and haven't just dismissed your concerns.

Anyone else having dummy problems? Martha is so addicted to hers, not only does she have it at night and in the car etc, she walks around with it in her mouth half the day as well. I try and take it away but she just starts whinging and whining so I give in far too easily. Not sur how/when to try and get rid of it. We are also thinking of making the transition into a big (toddler) bed over the Christmas period. Anyone else done this recently?

Btw anyone who feels jealous of me living in the Caribbean should see the weather today - it is MISERABLE. Peeing down with rain and really grey. There are four huge cruise ships in today and I feel really sorry for all those people who have spent thousands of pounds on their dream holiday as you really would not want to be out in this....

It got better today . Got council tax bill through showing 2 dd's of £180 so phoned them to ask them to spread payments over March and April to make it a bit less and she said that was completely the wrong bill! Then asked about my benfits claim and she said they have sent me a letter asking for...wait for it...the exact same documents (also originals) that HMRC need! Explained the situation and she said tough shit basically and said that tax credits wll backdate whereas the council won't so advised me to prioritise the council. So got straight back on phone to HMRC in Belfast and explained the situation AGAIN and he ummed and ahhhed for a while before saying that he would make an exception and provided I sent him some utility bills with this address on, an original letter showing my income support award and photocopies of the other documents he would start to investigate and then if he needed originals he would write to me again with a new deadline. Honestly I don't know how these benefit frauds do it, it's exhausted me and nearly killed me with stress! At least I managed not to cry and snot down the phone this time...

Clara yep ds is the same with his dummy. He will now let me put it in his pocket if he is walking/playing though. I now have "dubba pots" on the worktop that all their dummies go in in the morning and he has to ask for it which has helped a little bit but has caused tantrums also! DD said today she is going to give hers to the baby reindeer at Christmas so fingers crossed she sticks to it. Even though she only has it at bedtime at 3 and a half she looks bloody ridiclous with it!

Skid 30 weeks Good excuse to put your feet up I reckon!

Also had some bad news today, my cousin has been diagnosed with MS

Clairey - what a bunch of tossers!!! And what on earth do they expect you to live on!!!

Clairey/Claraq - I am relieved to see that you are the same about dummies as Daniel and I - he is totally addicted to his "dodie" - it's also his favourite word,I can normally persuade it from him when he is running around and playing, but when he whines and whines for it, I find myself giving in for a bit of piece of quiet . I seem to remember my DSS was exactly the same when he was DS's age,but his mum did manage to persuade him that it was only for bedtime when he was 3, I think he was about 3.5 when he ditched it altogether - so I will take heart from that!!

Clairey - you dcs are so gorgeous, I loved the picture of them in their old fashioned clothing, totaly adorable!
I have finally got around to putting some recent pictures of ds, all taken by DH and I must say they are fab - he is making good use of the new camera equipment and photo processing software to make some truly stunning pictures (not just of ds, but some amazing scenery pictures!).

wierd - I definitely posted on here and it has disappeared - was I censored???

Happy Christmas every one

Hope you manage to get everything sorted with the tax people clairey, and have a merry Xmas despite it all...

BT - has your DH found out about the job yet? Seems to be taking forever!

beckle - good luck for your appt tomorrow - hope all goes well

clara - my sympathy re weather is very limited after seeing a post by you about your Xmas picnic on the BEACH

I was supposed to have my driving test today but it was cancelled due to 'treacherous driving conditions' (i.e. ice) - am soo pissed off as I had got myself all psyched up for it and now probably won't get a new date before the baby is born

We had DS's belated birthday party on Sat and he had a temp of 40.5 degrees and was thoroughly miserable throughout - he's OK now though

Everyone feeling Christmassy? I love that word because it makes DH do involuntary twitches of horror as he is such a grumpy old scrooge. I called through the kitchen to him this morning that I was feeling Christmassy and he ran in all excited - thought I had said I was feeling horny - oh the disappointment on his poor face

Hi DrSkid!

Now c'mon, you really would not want to do your driving test in this weather!

DH passed all the tests that he sat on Saturday, his presentation went very well too. He has been told that the MD wants to meet him at 11am on Wednesday in the city where he is currently working, but DH is struggling with how to manage this! He is negotiating with the recruitment agency as we speak.
BUT basically what they are trying to do is ensure he gets a job offer before Wednesday as his boss will be off from Thursday onwards, and if they want him to hand in his notice before Christmas then they need to give him the offer in writing before then.

So he is pretty certain to have got the job, yippee!!

BT - hurrah! The will be a nice Christmas treat, and then you can start trying for No 2

Skid - ha ha ha, yes our dh's are as one yet again! Mine was grumpy as anything about the Christmas decorations but he did put up all the fairy lights and now proudly turns them on every evening (man thing I think). I don't feel even vaguely Christmassy, it's hard to in the sunshine. Btw don't feel too jealous of the picnic on the beach - dd1 is wont to spoil any trip to the beach as she doesn't like sand or the sea so after about twenty minutes she will probably start whinging that she wants to go home!!! I am going to take lots of choc chip cookies to try and bribe her to stay....

Sorry about your driving test, perhaps they will have some cancellations before March? Keep on to them. Have you had any luck with finding a new house yet? We are also househunting again but the pickings are mighty slim. It's v. depressing.

[Sticks head round door] Happy Christmas everyone - sorry not to have been on lately but up to my ears in work/housebuying/DDs birthday/Xmas preparations.

Hope all the DCs have been enjoying birthday #2. DD spent what seemed like the whole of the 16th opening presents - tried spacing them out so each one would at least get played with for a bit before being abandoned for the next one. Our attempts at singing "Happy Birthday" were written off as "funny noise" by DD - perhaps a career as an X-Factor judge beckons?

Our move is coming around frighteningly quickly and the upheaval is a bit daunting but I guess Clara & Clairey can write a book on it. Very pleased to see that life seems to be treating Clairey a whole lot better. Any tips for the move ladies? One of our biggest problems at the moment is that none of the local nurseries have any places until the summer at the earliest and DH can't look for work until we have fulltime childcare arranged (we're moving with my work) and we can't afford the fulltime childcare unless he is in work. We think there are spaces at a couple of nurseries which are some distance out of my way to work but not knowing where DH might end up working this may or may not be a problem.

Beckle - glad to hear your DDs eyes were fine - it must have been a big relief.

Can't believe how quickly the pregnancies amongst us have gone - hope all going well with them.

BT - pleased to hear the good news about DHs job - a nice lift at the end of the year

Buzzy - I hope you have a lovely Xmas with the DDs you deserve it.