Dec 08 babies are nearly one - PARTY TIME!

[EffiePerine]

As I accidentally filled up the old thread I thought I'd better start a new one

Hey what happened to my emoticon it was supposed to be in there in my response to your MIL going away for crimbo!

Dammit it's still not there it was supposed to be a shock emoticon!

Morning(I think),

Dylan hasn't slept all night. I am exhausted. No idea what is wrong with him. Not sure if it is his cold or if some teeth coming through. I might see if I can get him into the Gp tomorrow. His chest sounds a bit ratterly but he has been much better than Freddie was.

I feel like I have a new born again. Except usually you just feed them and they are happy.

Morning,

Happy (belated) birthday to Dylan, P, Jordi
Sorry to hear about lack of sleep Kayz, both mine have bad coughs which is disturbing their sleep quite badly. Have you got the Karvol out ?

Urbane, we though the potty training was going really well when in the first week he did a poo, unbidden, in it. But since then we've had more poos in pants than out of it, its hard not to get cross ! A common problem I think...we are just gritting our teeth and hope he sorts it out sooner rather than later (and some bribes of course)

Aub, hope your vitamins work, and you get better soon, and Veggie I hope DS1 is OK and you have a good birthday day today.

Hope everyone has a good day, we are going to a chistingle service today, I hope we get to sing some carols, the children we love it.

Evening ladies, just laying next to my little birthday boy. He is asleep already. DH & DS2 are watching the arsenal match (I think we just scored) but I'm enjoying laying with my boy. This time last year I was kicking back in the pool having cups of tea (between contractions) I wasn't quite up to transition obviously. But in three hours time 1 year ago my lovely little moonbeam popped out into his dads hands and onto his mummy for a cuddle.

We had a lovely day we all love swimming so we went to check out our local pool. It's great in the middle of a huge park and it has an amazing kid pool area which is like a mini version of the center parcs pool, complete with the bit where you float and the jet made current moved you along and the outdoor pool bit which was all steamy because it was so cold. Both boys loved it. We had a bit of a play in the park while DS2 slept then we went home via the shops and bought his cakes and some treats for dinner. He tried lots of different new foods at dinner but his particular favourites were falafels and nutella (not together). I also made him a chickpea & veggie curry as it's his favourite dish but he was a bit full so only ate some of the veggies and chickpeas. Then we brought out the cake which was a couple of thin layers of sponge completely drowned in cream (or slagroom in Dutch, strange name). We chose it because it had fruit on the top and DS2 loves fruit. We added some grapes and mandarins to it as these ate his favourites. We sang happy birthday and blew out the candle then DS2 made a grab for all the mandarin pieces. He was completely not interested in the cake and kept ignoring it for the mandarin. Oh well I'm sure I should he happy about that. It's amazing how opposite 2 boys can be, DS1 has never knowing let a piece of fruit enter his body.

Well better go now. We will get DS1 off to sleep in a bit then settle down with our dinner and finish off the dodgy cream liquor DH bought the other day.

I haven't been on for so long that this thread has dropped off my list, whoops.

I am being flamed over another thread at the moment, wouldlove your honest opinions lovely ladies: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/877945-To-charge-for-Christmas-lunch?pg=7

Som ehow it's made discussions of the day, I never knew it was such a contentious issue!

Katie I've had my say on the ishoo but it seems Delia Smith is on MN at the moment and has popped her 2 pence worth in now.

veggie sounds like you had a wonderful day yesterday! Your posts are always so lovely to read

katie I have chipped im my 'tuppence' worth Gosh you were brave posting that thread. I have to admit I felt all protective over you reading that thread No-one better flame one of my Dec08 mums

Had a nightmare this morning the boiler broke. Thankfully DH's mate called after work and fixed it for free!!!!

Hello all,
Been busy with work and more illnesses so not been able to get on much.
Sorry for not being on to say happy birthday to those who have already turned one...HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Esp happy birthday to little Jordi for yesterday.
Katie I had a pitch in on your thread too. Your relatives sound a bit of a pain in the bum! Are you regretting offering now? veggie delia, really? How exciting for katie! Though I have to say I am terrified of AIBU threads and so you are very brave. I hope you are not too traumatised by all your critics.
kayz sorry about the bad night, and happy birthday to dylan too. DS has been ill too and had one night where he woke up every hour, and sometimes for quite a while. I think there are a lot of bugs going around at the moment, I hope he is better soon.
WG how funny about the chilly kidney. Mental MILs you gotta love em. I am going to MIL's for five days at Xmas, so I expect she will come up with some corkers.

Thanks guys, love you! I'm finding it all quite amusing, I didn't realise people had such strong opinions on something really quite trivial!

Hi SL I was referring to the lady who was excited about having 18 for dinner and was feeding them with 3 chickens (strategically placed on the table) and a fish. I'm still quite amazed that so many though 250 quid was expensive for 17 people where are these people shopping!?!?

I had a meltdown tonight over DS1's eating. As we have been here a month and I'm without my usual cooking utensils I haven't been able to cook the foods and sneak the usual amounts of veggies into his food. This cough is really persisting and I'm worried that it might be partially to do with his diet. He also refuses any of the juices on sale here (he usually drinks those innocent smoothies quite happily) so he's not getting any juice. I have started giving him vitamins which shoujd help but I've been worried and it came to a head tonight as he was doing his gagging thing again because there was a teeny bit of vegetable he could detect in his pesto pasta. It realiy drives me made, if it was a hunk of meat he'd happily chew and swallow but if there is a bit of tomato he gags. At least finally on Friday we'll have everything delivered and I can cook them both a nice veggie soup.

Daisy I'm glad you got the heating sorted.

SL I'm sorry but I'm looking forward to your MIL stories, I wonder if she'll revert to childhood.

Oh veggie yes her! Chickens for Xmas dinner is just not right. Unless you are really broke or have just two of you it has to be turkey or goose.
I have been known to go on Food threads on here and there is always someone saying how they can feed their family of six for fifty pounds a week (including toiletries, cleaning stuff, nappies as well of course), so it doesn't surprise me about them saying 250 quid is expensive. Well it is expensive but it's Xmas dinner, it's meant to be. Oh and that woman as well - we cooked an early Xmas dinner for 7 the other week - I am sure it cost about 150 quid (didn't add it up), and I DID make my own bread sauce and stuffing. And the world's best chocolate roulade. So bum to her with all her homemade blah blah cost saving.

Sorry I am babysitting for a friend this evening so I have nothing better to do that talk rubbish.

veggie I shall make more of an effort to remember the MILisms. I get paranoid about posting too much on here as DH once told her my login on here, also she is surprisingly IT literate (maybe DH gets his geeky genes from her)!

I am still quite at those who thought £25 was a lot, especially with all the booze!! In fact Katie I'll come if thats okay

Veggie, i regularly have dinner wars with DD she is just so fussy. Can't put the sauce on the pasta, crusts must be cut off bread, and it goes on. I'm sure he will come around when you can cook the way you want to.

Oh veggie re the food, now you know it was you telling me that they somehow grow ok whatever they eat!! My parents have friends who's son literally grew up eating nothing but chips, tomato ketchup, bananas and baked beans, and he is perfectly healthy.

So while it sounds uber annoying (I sympathise as you know), hopefully it isn't related to him being ill? It really is the time of year for bugs, DS has crappy crappy cough at the moment, his little friend round the corner has identical crappy cough and has been fluey illy in the same way though, so I am convinced it is not related to his crap eating.

Its definately the time of year for coughs. I had a cold a few weeks back, and have had a cough ever since, and just generally feel achey and 'off colour'. Went to GP's today and he has given me a course of steroids and a steroid inhaler as I am permenantly wheezing and am puffing on my Salbutomol about 8 times a day!

yeah I know I'm being a bit over dramatic with his eating I just am desperate to get my cooking stuff back, have an oven and cook some proper food. SL I still maintain he will get the nutrition in and bizarrely they do thrive somehow, I just wish he would just EAT, sometimes. Most days it doesn't bother me too much. But every now and then I go a bit mental about it. It is also an extra problem lately because he sees DS2 eating something he really abhores like corn kernels and it makes him gag and he often just spits his food out!!! I was sitting eating grapes with DS2 and it occured to me that DS1 has never eaten a grape ever while DS2 was picking them off that little viney thing and happily popping them in his mouth. I can hand him any piece of food and he will happily pop it in his mouth. In fact lately if his hands are full and food is in front of him he will bend his head down and pick the food up in his mouth!

That's a bummer about DH telling your MIL your login, I would be paranoid too. So will survive if you don't tell but happy if you do.

Oh and can I just say it is bloody cold!!

Blimey the tide has really turned for katie on her thread. Mumsnet really has a bit of a pack mentality sometimes doesn't it?

What does your DS1 eat veggie? There must be some stuff he likes? Is it just meat?
Actually on that front....DS ate some HOME-COOKED savoury food tonight. It was spaghetti carbonara. He apparently ate pretty much nothing at nursery all day though so he must have been hungry.

Well he would like on sausages and cheesy pasta everyday if I let him. But I try to make his food as varied and full of veg if I can, I've managed to graduate cheesy pasta up to fresh salmon and chives in White sauce with some cauliflower snuck into the sauce. I also do a lamb curry that has a base that includes mashed up chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Surprisingly he loves polenta, I make little polenta chips and he could eat them at every meal, so that is one healthy thing be likes, but in general he loves his meat, so I just try to sneak the veg in near the meat. Bless him he does tell me that when he's big like daddy he will eat fruit but for now he just won't try any. Oh another thing I can get him to eat is homemade springrolls I put loads of veg in with vermicelli DH and I are going to find a Chinese supermarket to buy the springroll wrappers.

I think though I'm going to give up being a veggie, I think I need to start cooking food that at least 3 of us eat together (me DS1 & 2). I also think if I'm cooking those meals in a larger amount I can make them even healthier. I think if I'm not prepared to eat the food I give him I can't expect him to.

Right I really should go to bed. DS1 has to be at school earlier tomorrow as they have practice for their Christmas concert, will be so cute, he has no idea what words he is singing and we will have no idea what the songs mean!

Oh but then you won't be veggie any more!
Also sounds like DS1 will eat the meat parts anyway.
Night night!

Hi all, just posting to mark my place as its well past my bedtime, but I've not been on for a few days.

Veggie - on the gagging thing, IME that might be a real physical reaction rather than purely pyschological, so you might just have to go with it for a bit. I know that when I was a child I drove my family crazy as I used to gag for all sorts of things, but especially anytime anyone tried to make me eat fish. I got over it eventually, and these days happily will eat fishy stuff, although its not my favourite thing. The funny part is that the gag reflex came back noticably when I was pregnant, especially with DS - it really took me back to being about four years old. I had always assumed it was a kid stubborn thing, but having experienced it all again, it made me wonder...

Turnip - you are a brave woman - I hope you are recovering well. The Elizabeth Jane Howard I read was the new one, Love all - must go hunting out the others!

Happy birthday to those I've missed and those coming up - JollyBear and Pingu's DCs tomorrow I think

Oh, and LadyT - I second getting more quotes and if possible, finding someone small and local to do the work. We had our windows done earlier in the year and there was massive variation in the quotes (by a factor of 3 or so). In the end the cheapest and nicest was a local carpenter who did a fantastic job.

V quick message from me, happy birthday to Dylan, Jordy and Pheebs . Veggie: hope DS1 gets better soon. Both boys are coughing like mad here.

Well, had my interview on Monday (wasn't sure I'd be able to get there as the trains weren't running but made it) and all went well I thought, Not a sausage today so assume I didn't get it. Which makes me a bit cross but little more than a blip in the grand scheme of things. Nice people though. And I had to do a test! I had a bit of fun with it and I suspect Interviewer 2 did not find it amusing so maybe that was the problem... Anyhoo I got a new dress/shoes/bag out of it The dress was a tad short. Maybe that was the problem!

DS1 is being a royal pain in the bum at the moment, shouting, hitting, being rude and demanding everything NOW or he has a massive tantrum. I have had a trying day, esp as DS2 is also into everything and is indulging in his favourite hobby of pulling everything within reach onto the floor (serves me right for 'tidying' by sticking everything into piles). DH has ordered a takeaway so my day should be getting better any time now

NJAN: re toilet training, you may recall me moaning endlessly about the subject. we went for MONTHS without DS1 pooing in the potty or toilet. Then he seemed to get it and will now take himself off to do a poo, though we still have to remind him (we have a '2 farts and you go on the toilet' rule) (and farts are farts in this house, no bottom burps or trumps). What a lovely subject for an evening!

Just had a quick glance at your thread Katie - blimey!

invisible - not wanting to bore everyone with diy recommendations - who did you use and what for? we are thinking of having some work done next year and i know you're not too far away.

has anyone else found that the way their dp/dh treats their little one drives them mad? sometimes i get such a bee in my bonnet about how waitingboy is totally and utterly risk averse when it comes to madam - i chuck her around, let her climb stairs (occasionally i don't get to her until she's half way up them), don't always do bedtime routine in the same order etc etc. he is forever questioning the food i have just warmed up in the microwave for her - says it is too hot - it isn't; he makes jokes about her getting brain damage when i throw her onto the bed; he is constantly fretting about whether her room is too cold or too hot for her, etc etc. it is driving me insane. i wonder if it has something to do with the fact she is a little girl - if she were a boy i think it might be different. i hesitated in asking this as i do feel a bit disloyal asking this, but i just wanted to see what the basket had to say.

also... on teh subject of too hot/too cold... we are going to a massive country house with lots of friends for new year - we have been told it is going to be freezing - what do people do with their babies when it is so cold at night? madam wears a long sleeved vest, sleepsuit and 2.5 grobag at home when it is anything from 16-20 degrees in her room. i don't know quite how to put a blanket on her as she moves around so much i don't want her to get trapped by it, and she sleeps at the top of her cot, so i can't tuck it in the bottom. any ideas?

also... am i the only one playing baa humbug to christmas this year? i reckon this is the last year i'm going to be able to get away with not decorating the house, and we're only spending one night at home, so i'm not getting a tree/decorating one inch. am i awful?