August 2008 - Whistle No. More Here It Is!

[TwilightSurfer]

steaky, when does he arrive? would a distraction help? am needing some nice material to get blinds for the kitchen done - MIL has given us money to do it as apparently its a security issue where people can see in

kitchen is cream/wood with turquoise glass mosaic splashback tiles - all suggestions gratefully received - am not into flowery jobs but like big bold patterns

sazz hope tonight goes well

Sorry Dizz got waylaid by a cheesy film and now it is time for bed.

Night all, wishing you peaceful ones.

loving some of the stuff on here

Up at 3am with DS and he didn't really go back to sleep after that. Because of all the rain though we've both got mosquito bites and he was trying to scratch the one on his leg with his other leg in his grobag.

Dizzy welcome home!

LWFH congrats to DS on the walking.

Buckets thanks for your thoughts on DH - no he won't find out until next year about the job probably. It is for promotion (to Director) not really a new job as he'll be doing exactly the same as he is now.

I'd love to join Secret Santa too but is it for us or the Aug 08 DCs?! Don't know how this would work logistically though although MIL coming out on 22 December so that might be an option and I could send something back with Mum & Dad next week.

Ouch to the mozzies. No chance of any of them here, they would freeze their knackers off. If they have any

Pretty good night - Dd1 woke at 5 for wee, but had had a wee in the nappy, DD2 awake at 6, but convinced her to come to bed with me till 6.30, then DD1 up at 7.30

Hopefully off to Bristol Zoo if friend's DC's have recovered from sickness. Can't face it on my own with the anklebiters today

steaky hope Mansteak gets over to you ok and don't forget to pop out for a fewhours 1/2 hour and leave him in charge.

Have fun all

Count me in for Secret Santa if it's for us bigger girls, Buckets I will fb you tonight

No chance to chat as I am at work and haven't managed to get on much over the last couple of days as DH is steadily putting the entire contents of our house on ebay, hurrah just in time to make room for all the new plastic crap carefully chosen gifts we will accrue from DDs birthday then Christmas. DH and I are getting a new laptop for our Christmas present to each other though so I will be able to mn to my heart's content then

Good luck today steaky

morning all
thanks for dress ideas
loving this one from your site buckets

unfortunately because same people at both parties, i need two

hmm, i really should try and make something to wear.....

girls... what was the gap like between your first and second period post-DC?

only got one hand free so apologies for short message

Steaky - Hoping the next few days goes peacefully and stress-free. Please try and get some alone time for you whilst he is about -- maybe a lunch out somewhere nice with a book/friend/glass of wine.

Sazzles - enjoy the zoo

DD woke with a comedy croaky voice at 5 and took until 6.15 to settle again until 8.25. This is turning into a bit of a pattern - not one I object to much but DH is going to want to move back into our bed once his busy week of early mornings/late nights is over.

Snot - mozzie bite are nasty, what are you using on them?

awful awful awful night here, don't ask but needless to say I've had feck all sleep and feel like death warmed up with this head cold

miamla - I can't remember for the first two dc but with Dylan am sure it was only about 3wks - I have a very weirdy cycle though so am not a great example

hots - good news on the ebaying - amjust about to post the last 2 things from my previous cull and relist the stuff that didn't go, including the double buggy as the woman in Edinburgh was only willing to go to £400 on a funnier note I got a message from a girl in Eire wanting to buy a pair of my shoes - turned out to be my best mate

right ladies, off to catch a few zzzzzzs before I have to collect DD2 from playgroup

Dizzy - I need to PP you some cash FB your details and amount pleases. Hope your day improves and you get a nap in.

Miamla - Mine went to a 30ish day cycle, I say ish because some times it was 30 some times it was 25.

miamla my cycle seems to have just come back on its normal schedule.

hmm, thanks for info re cycles.....

dizz forgot to say earlier.. welcome home!! but also, careful with the prices on that fabric site you linked to... wonderful fabrics but their prices seem to be for quarters, not full metres

what else was i going to say... argh, can't remember...oh yes

pert, vg, albs and I had a very important discussion re gender stereotypes eg buying boys pushchairs and girls toy cars to try and break a few. Well this morning i've been trying to distract him whilst he was eating his breakfast (he won't eat anything at all if no distractions) by showing DS some youtube vids. we've been alternating between ferraris driving at speed with girlie ballet dancers
Don't tell DP's grandma about the ballet..she already thinks DS will be gay because he's got a pink t-shirt!

Morning ladies.
dizzy hope you have a good nap.
we had a horrendous night as well/ Although DP stopped at the shhop on his way home and brought back lovely ribeye steak for our dinner (he cooked) oh and he'd bought a seriously nice bottle of wine to go with it.
We sneaked upstairs for a shag, leaving Seb pootling about downstairs - is that really bad of us?

Ann, if you need to ask i think you can answer your own question

Personally, I never leave DS on his own downstairs unless he's in the travel cot, and even then only for a quick wee trip. There are too many things for him to climb on for him to be left without worrying about him falling off. He's past the stage of putting everything in his mouth now but still, there's a chance he'll find something he's not meant to have.

I know we're all a great support etc for each other on here but seriously, you need to get Seb into bed at a decent time. I'm more than happy to help but I'm sorry, I'm not going to tiptoe round with a softly softly approach anymore. A few weeks ago you asked for our advice. We gave it to you in bucketloads. We've all found different methods help so you just need to choose one that's going to work for you. It was left then that you'd keep DP quiet by proving to him for a week that it wasn't your wine drinking that was affecting Seb's sleep.How did that go? Feel free to ask for help but please don't just ignore all the sensible advice you're given.

sorry for being rough with you, i'm still full of whore-moans. its taken me ages to type this so have probably x post with others taking softly softly approach with you. if that is the case, my post just means you've got a healthy balance

Ann you're not still keeping him up for Daddy are you? Tell him Tough and let him take Seb all day Saturday with a family day on Sunday. I back Sazz's advice with the getting him up early even if you are shattered. Take him out in the pushchair for an imaginary schoolrun round the block to blow the cobwebs away. There will be more chance of daytime naps then and more chance of an early night if you start at 7.30pm. You might need to shift your mealtimes a bit to go with new hours - I do lunch at 12 and tea at 4.30-5pm then Kurt has a bottle of cow's milk at 6pm during CBeebies Bedtime Hour.
I keep hearing lettuce has soporific powers, you could try making lettuce soup for his tea!

Secret Santa is definitely for us mummies BTW. LOL at the idea of it being for the babies Shall we say a fiver budget? Deadline for FBing me is Saturday night, then I can draw the matches Sunday and let people know so they can start shopping/cutting/sticking/glittering Monday.

good good, there's buckets with a softer approach

Ann Nice work on getting a shag, though I imagine it was only a quickie!

Morning Miamla I have finally faced up to my arse problem (literally) and looked in the mirror. V relieved to see it is just piles and not that which I cannot even whisper. Promise I will go see GP though as the pile creams were making it sore (hence me worrying that it wasn't piles.)

Ann - That's exactly how DD2 came about

Welcome back dizzy. Sorry your return has been so stressful . Please shout if I can offer a pair of extra hands.

Sorry to hear about DH's disappointment snot. I'm guessing that if he doesn't get it this time the chance will come around again? Sorry to hear too about the mozzie bites. I'm allergic to them so know very, very well the horror and futility of the itch/scratch cycle. (melodramatic? moi?)

Hope all goes ok for you in the next few days steaky. Will be thinking of you . And sooo impressed by your creativity and plans for making it work for you btw.

Yes to the secret santa (and being on fb now won't have stretch dizzy's time even further to join in - that said, still haven't had a chance to work out how to actually use the thing and should also point out that I don't have a creative/artistic bone in my body).

Sorry to hear of all the ill DCs. Doncha just love this time of the year .

Your Christmas woes sound familiar miamla - except it's my father who's being the awkward 'can't I just stay in my pjs all day' bugger. I know there aren't many on here who can say this, but am really looking forward to being with the ILs this year .

Hope DD1 settles down at night soon sazzles. DD1 had an accident the other night, but managed to change her clothes in the dark and went back to sleep in the non-wet bit of the bed without telling us . Loving your inspiration of your DD being potty-trained at 2 buckets. Only 9 months to go for the Aug08 babes..?

Thanks buckets - yes very quickie.
I'm not keeping S up to see Daddy by any means. I'm just struggling to get him to sleep at a decent time. Like last night - after much screaming and struggling, got him to sleep before 9. (I know, it's not exactly early, but not for lack of trying) he then proceded to sleep for about an hour, then wake up again. This time I couldn't get him back to sleep - DP tried as well, but it just didn't happen.
THen the other night, because he refused to nap, then got tired and wanting a nap at 4pm, I thought no chance, so kept him up and got him fed bathed etc and in bed at 7. Great except he again woke up and had an hour of screaming before I could get him calmed down - I did get him to sleep a couple of times in that period, but he woke and started the whole performance again when I tried to put him down.
Anyhoo, we'll manage in the end, so no-one bother with any advice as I am obviously ignoring it.

sorry, buckets just noticed you're a bouquet now! intrigued...what did you think it was then if not piles? well done on literally facing up to your problem!

ann what you did the other day sounds exactly right though... ie not letting him nap at 4, keeping him up til 7 etc. It will be hard to start with, Seb is used to being up late so its going to take a little while for him to get used to it. Trust me, I really am talking from experience here. 9pm used to be an early night for DS. He now struggles to stay awake past 7. how are you getting him to sleep? are you consistent?

Tons of x-posts there. I can confirm for those worrying about my supervision of the DDs that DD1 was in the playpen at DD2's conception and it was, indeed, an exceptionally quickie .

ann - I can only second what others have said. I didn't earlier as I presumed you were here for a letting off steam rather than constructive help. I actually don't know how you manage without your evenings. It will be horrible for a while getting things sorted, but you are going to have to at some stage and the longer you leave it the worse it is likely to be. Be brave!

Bit of a nightmare few days here. I've been working nights and the nursery, very helpfully, announced on Monday that DD2 couldn't come in on Tuesday as they thought that, yet again, s had conjunctivitis. As DH had an absolutely vital (genuinely) meeting that left me getting in at 6am and looking after DD2 all day yesterday (no sign of conjunctivitis and no naps either) and than back into work again as soon as DH got home. Thankfully wasn't working the night though last night so home and in bed by 9.

Upshot though was a gargantuan row with the nursery and having to seriously consider moving them elsewhere. DH v. against moving them as they're both v. settled there and it's in a v. convenient location for us, meaning that when he can get away early he can just about collect them before it closes. Doesn't happen often but does mean that he is vaguely familiar with who looks after them etc which is v. important to him. On the other hand there have been a lot of staff changes recently and doesn't seem to be a very happy place at the moment, iykwim. Plus if we can't rely on them to provide childcare then what's the point.... Trouble is there's not a lot else around and would they be any better (both in terms of sending kids home at the drop of a hat and staff changes etc.)? Have considered childminder and may switch to one for one day a week but like the sociability of nursery for them. Hmmm. Grump. Yawn.

No time to catch up properly, and two children attached.

But just a quick note for Steaky. You are a fantastic mum. Be strong, and try not to let being watched throw you (I find parenting with an audience v. difficult)

Let mansteak do things differently with dd when he's playing and feeding her and so on. But make it clear that you are the doing well and are confident in making big and small decisions based on being with her every day.

Come and rant on here when you need to.

Much love and support ...

poppy fortunately my father hasn't been involved with any plans re christmas so far. suspect i won't see him at all but that's a whole different story! i'm pleased you've found a solution that works

ann - I do think the key to the whole thing (and, imho, an awful lot in parenting, throughout childhood) is about being consistent. From the routine you have through the day to returning him to bed whenever he wakes in the same manner each time, to when they're older and playing up etc. It's bloody hard work, but then it is however you end up doing it and hopefully once you've got things established it'll pay dividends further down the line.

Ah but miamla, my father's christmas tantrum is about next year's. So we have a whole 13 months more of this, rather than being on a countdown that can be marked in weeks...