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

I think that DS2 is going to marry into royalty. He has that royal wave perfected already. I have just put him down for his nap and he was waving at me. Such a cutie.

I also meant to say NappyAddict I would love that but DS2 would probably either eat it or rip it up. But Trace's idea is great. You could get it for the parents and get the 1yo a little toy or something.

It prob is teeth as he has a temp, won't eat and has refused to be put down all night so DP and I are taking it in turns to sit with him while the other works. It's all go here...

Just interviewed an amazing person for my book. Just slightly balking at the 2 hours of transcription it'll require...

Ellipsis time here again. Better go.

Hope he's feeling a bit better spot. Wg your post about madam screaming reminded me that DS did exactly that quite regularly at about 15 months. Scared the life out of me. Proper full on screaming for ages. I used to take him downstairs and put charlie and lola on whilst hyperventilating/trying to work out what was wrong (and as I was PG probably throwing up ). I think Trace is right that it was a nightmare/night terror thing. Once he'd calmed down he was fine. I guess BF is the best comfort so it could be that it was that she wanted.

We took the DCs to the sadlers wells production of the snowman this morning. And I remembered how much I hate kids theatre. More accurately I remembered that even as a kid I used to sit there thinking "please when will this end I'd rather stab a fork in my eye/be at home with a book" which is a shame because it was really good for that sort of thing. DH thinks I'm a misery about it. So that counts as him volunteering for these things for years to come.

Right skiving off bathtime to go out for a beer with a friend of mine. Only she hasn't turned up yet and am slightly kicking my heels (hiding upstairs with laptop). Hope you have lovely evenings.

Oooh and spot you probably did say and I missed it but what's your book about? Can you say?

Have a good night, urbane, and good work on the theatre strategy .

Don't think I had mentioned the book before as I think I didn't want to jinx it but now it is really happening I guess I can reveal a bit more. A very good friend of mine counsels/coaches people going through fertility treatment (mainly IVF but also other stuff) and I approached her a couple of years ago saying that she should write a book. Or rather, than I should write one with her as I was a jobbing hack at the time and really wanted to get into a project that properly interested me. Essentially it's a self-help guide to getting through fertility issues, coping strategies and how to make the most out of life regardless of the treatment outcome. The idea is that it's the equivalent of having ten sessions with my friend, though obviously a book can't replace one to one contact.

I wrote a good two thirds of the draft when I was pregnant, but until recently was just too tired to get back into it. But now we have a publisher and a deadline it's all systems go. It's all quite new and scary for me as I'm used to writing short pieces as a journalist and have no experience of the book publishing world, as is probably evident.

No I won't darling It's fine to talk about it if you have a publisher. Sounds great. Just not to any other journalists Now, what's the serial rights situation and does the publisher have a nice publicity dept? If there is anything at all you want to pick my brains over feel free, as they are going totally spare. Otherwise tell me to push off. I finished my work last night, by the way! Haroo.

Have just watched that old Ken Loach film, The Wind That Shakes the Barley. It was good but man, it was depressing. So I am self medicating with Notting Hill on ITV. Every time there's a glimpse of a vista I vaguely recognise I start pawing the tv and weeping, so maybe it's not the pick up I need

Zoe, that book sounds topping.

Oh, Notting Hill is getting good again. Wherefore art thou, Portobello?

Oh and I KNOW it's wrong to like Richard Curtis films.....and so many of my friends would be throwing cushions at me. But hey

DD laughs when we laugh. It never ceases to make me smile. She loves to get in on the joke but hasn't a clue what she is laughing for, and it is so cute.

I was watching a film the other night and some teenagers were driving in a car without seatbelts. It made me fret. I thought to myself: if you can feel anxious about some daft kids in a FILM just because they aren't belted in, you really ARE a M.O.T.H.E.R.......

LadyT, you definitely deserve some Curtis fluff after the Loach - I saw The Wind that Shakes the Barley, certainly not cheering stuff.

I think it is lovely that DD joins in the fun and laughs along. When I am cooking, M sits in his highchair in the doorway and amuses himself by hiding under the apron hanging on the door and then poppoing out and shouting "BOO"/ It's really sweet.

Spot, your book sounds fascinating. My friend has just got pg with IVF after years of investigations etc on her first go! Yay!

There is a really depressing thread about "is size 14 really that big" and I am feeling lardier by the minute. Should pop over to the fatties' thread to continue the whinge there.

Bugger, DD2 has just appeared so my typing time is over. I'll try to nip back later.

Morning.

LadyT your DD sounds adorable. Fancy a swap? DS2 has been into everything this morning, has fallen of the sofa 3 times and dented his bedroom door by whacking it against his cot. Now he is acting like a half starved dog at DH's feet while DH is trying to make breakfast.

He did say "Book" this morning which is his first proper word. But he refuses to say it again.

Syb I would love to be a size 14 at the minute. I actually think I would settle for being a size 12 rather than a size 10.

Got to leave for work in a minute. We've had to get my Mum to watch the boys for half an hour later as I finish at half 12 and DH has to leave at half 12 to get to work. Usually he just brings them to meet me but the pushchair won't go through the snow.

Spot Well done on the book - I didn't know you were a journalist. Me too.

Kayzr Was it you asking about naps? I think I remember reading you saying DS has a 2 hour one. Am very . DD sometimes still has two 30-40 minute naps if she was up early but often now only has one 45 minute nap all day.

Ladies I have a fairly urgent (though not serious) question that I wondered if anyone can help with. DD and I were supposed to be going to two birthday parties today, both babes from our NCT group. One of them has come down with (suspected) chicken pox. I know people want their kids to get this and so she'll probably still have the party but I think DD is too young, plus is just starting nursery and getting used to it, plus I'm starting work on Tuesday so i REALLY don't want her to get it. My question is - the other party will be full of babies who were hanging out with the chicken pox baby on Friday. So, would they all be highly contagious too? I can't work out from googling whether they will be contagious yet or not. Can anyone help? (and what would you do?)

Spot that sounds great. What an interesting thing to do. And also so fantastic to think that you'll be helping people through all that. Some of our very close friends have just had another round of IVF not work. Is so miserable.

Kiwi I wouldn't go to be honest - mainly because I don't agree with trying to infect your child. In my head I know it's quite rational - and actually sort of like vaccinations (hmm my understanding of the science is sketchy) but I hate it when the DCs are ill - accept it when it happens but go out of my way to avoid it. More sensible and less sappy people will tell you that it's probably better though. Chicken pox as an adult is horrid.

Kayz have you ever tried a Thomas cake? Am toying with the idea of making DS's bday cake but all looks a bit tricky.

LadyT I unashamedly love Richard C films. And at you knowing your a mother when you worry about teenagers being safe. I spend most of my time worrying about whether the v glam teenage girls trotting around here are warm enough

ladyt - richard curtis films... hmmm... allowed. the earlier, the better, though. i'm afraid for me the only things which rescued Love Actually was Emma Thompson and Colin Firth. i think i'd pay to watch emma thompson read the phone book, though. but notting hill is most definitely allowed.

syb - hurrah for your friend! a friend of mine has just got pregnant from her first round of IVF, and another friend now is pregnant with twins from her third try. science is a wonderful wonderful thing. i kjnow someone who is a "holistic nutrionist" - the "friend" who was responsible for bloggate, if anyone can remember that far back - she was wanting to tell her to eat more spelt, seaweed, or quinoa or something. but frankly, thank you very much give me a dose of good old science!

as for size 14 - I WISH!!! seriously, at 5' 10", a size 12 would be super skinny for me, a size 14 would be skinny. i am something between 16 and 20 at the mo, depending on who makes the clothes.

speaking of which... must go and post on the fatties thread.

spot - way hay for the book! i'm really interested in things like that.

kayz - great for the "book"! v impressed.

am suffering with a flu thing. no idea if it is swine or not, but have symptoms, so am tamiflued up. thought it couldn't hurt.

just realised i sounded really pompous about richard curtis films... i actually do love them btw. apart from love actually. sorry to sound like a toss pot.

Notting Hill put me in a gloom in the end as the wedding scene was filmed LITERALLY outside where I used to live with DH, in a square belonging to the hotel next door. But it was still not as gloomy as the Ken Loach film. I knew nothing about Ireland in 1920 (could vaguely remember the Easter uprisings in 1916) so it was at least educational.

WG, you weren't a tosspot, believe me.

Right, in a rush as going on a mini-break to Norwich. Eat your heart out, Alan Partridge DP is at work there tomorrow so we have decided to make a night of it. There's a gym and a pool there so I am hoping to make up for my sitting around and indulging in a few spots of cheer over the last few snowy days.

Kiwi, the most infectious time is before the spots come out, I believe. I had when I was 16 as I have no doubt bored you about before (caught it from my 22 yr old sister)...

I haven't seen Notting Hill in years. I remember going to the 'door' with my Aunt and best friend. We'd gone to stay with her for the weekend to go to the dome and she took us to see the door.

Kiwi It was me asking about naps. DS2 does still have a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, though he seems to be resisting it today.

Kiwi we have just had the pox here and it was almost exactly 2 weeks between DS1 and DS2 getting it. They are most infectious 2 days before the spots come out, so about 7-10 days after infection. I would stay away if I were you as it wasnt great for DS2 and, at worst, it would mean you taking up to a week of work which I guess you wouldnt want right now.

If the worst happens, we found these things useful :

• bicarb baths
• pirition syrup
• eurax cream and calpol.

The spots seemed to hurt mine rather than itch and they look terrible for at least a week !

I'm not that much of a fan of Curtis films but I do agree Emma T is great, there is that scene in Love Actually that makes me cry, I was trying to explain to DH why - I think she just managed to encapsulate sudden heartbreak and then zipping it up and away for the sake of her children....

Anyway, it is DS1s birthday tomorrow. I have failed to make a spectacular cake as my fudge icing went all greasy and disgusting. But, we figured that if we cover the cake with enough mini-smarties he wont care !

Njan Many thanks for the advice. I decided to stay away, sent an email to the birthday girls mum and she sent a lovely reply. Was worried they'd think I was a bit neurotic but she didn't mind at all, understood completely. As you say, a week off work now would NOT be good..

I can't stand Richard Curtis films myself, but then I don't like any rom coms really. I have the film taste of a 14 year old boy - if it's sci fi, has big explosions or more special effects than actual acting, I'm in! I watched Star Trek the other day (DH got it for me for Xmas) and LOVED it. DH and I haven't been to the cinema for years because he always wants to see something terribly intellectual, preferably in Chinese, preferably where nothing happens but takes 3 hours. Whereas I want to see things blow up..

I am so excited!!! I have just booked us a holiday!! It's only to Butlins in April but it is our first holiday as a family!!

can i ask a question? madam appears to have a blister on teh middle bottom of her top lip. i've always suffered from cold sores, so am presuming she's got one of those, but it might be an enlarged blister like the ones they got when tiny from feeding. anyone have the same? should i go to the doctor?

also, when are people beginning to cut their little one's hair? madam has some hair and it is lovely, but occasionally it makes her look a bit simple, so was wondering about hair cuts.

Hello ladies I am back from the wilderness that is a household without Internet connection. We had connection through DH's 3G card but as we were using it to stream iplayer download movies and well generally use up lots of Gb's DH's work got a bit funny about it and switched it off. Can't really blame them as it turns out all the use cost them 2000 euros. Anyway they have kindly turned it back on. Anyway we have sign up with a cable company here so will finally have Internet TV and phone. Have felt a bit of a hermit really I have talked to anyone apart from DH and the boys for a week. I was due to meet my one friend over here at a plsygroup on Friday but DS1 produced an outstanding 39+temp on Thursday night so that was out as he was off school. He is better now but of course DS2 is sick now so will have them both at home tomorrow as don't want to take poor DS2 out in the cold & snow to take DS1 to school and DS1 could do with the extra day off to recover.

I have managed to catch up but not sure if I will remember everything. Kiwi good thinking not to go, the other babies won't be infectious by then. I believe it is good for children to get chicken pox rather than adults, however, and you don't have to agree with me but I would never set out to get them infected. The reason being that if, and it is rare, but if they did have a bad reaction to the CP like encephalitis or infected spots I wound feel terribly guilty for it, so I just leave it to nature and built up living. Luckily the boys have both had it though DS2 was very young.

Jabs. DS2 had his 12 & 13 month jabs all together and was fine. I'm hoping to get their SF jabs soon but the Christmas break has slowed things down. Also there has been a mix up here and even though I have told them what Jabs the boys have had they want them to have some again I think they are a bit mixed. However they also have an extra Hib injection that DS1 hasn't had and they want him to have it which is stupid because he is 4 and way past the age that Hib would be a concern. They also want DS2 to have a DTP because they have a 4th at 12 months but I don't want him to have it becuase he will have one at 4 in Australia. Anyway will sort it out.

Trace everyone has said what I would have said. I do know how you feel about advising on other peoples children at work etc. I used to feel a hoax when talking to mums about what their children should eat when mine was spitting food back at me. But we are there to give information and help, if we were perfect mums to boot how would we empathize with these families. Also I noticed yet again the great help you give us on here please don't go.

However speaking about not being on MN and the Internet in general I have gotten so much done in the past week. The house has been tidy and I've been doing my Pimsleur language lessons and can now interact in day to day simple situtations in Dutch. It really makes life in the outside world a little less spooky for me if I can address people at least a little in Dutch. I got through a little cafe time yesterday (coffee & amarretto) all in Dutch. DH let me out on afternoon leave so I made use of the small amount of time by having coffee and alcohol both at once.

Urbane I'll facebook you my address.

It was a while back but on the calpufen thing. Ibuprofen is from the same family of drugs as asprin so they are blood thinners. However, ibuprofen can be quite hardin the stomach. It should always be taken with food and a decent amount at that. I only ever give it to DS2 overnight if he has a good feed, and I don't like to give it for more than a night or 2 at a time. However, it is a much more effective anti inflamatory than calpol so that why it works better than calpol, also it works faster. The thing I always think of when giving meds is, what will I achieve if I give it. If it the 4th night in a row that DS2 has been awake with pain he & I are not sleeping and the lack of sleep is bad for everyone, then I'll give it again. If however it day time and he's a bit grumpy but can be distracted from the pain I avoid it. You may not be aware but paracetamol is actually more dangerous than ibuprofen if overdosed.

Oh gotta go sick people grumbling.

I think tits end shoujd be in the next thread title.

WG I'd wait and see what it does (gets bigger etc) before going to GP is it annoying her.

Hooray for holiday!

Also I cant remember who is going to the September Tuscan wedding but made me a little reminiscent, DH and I got married in Certaldo and spent a week with friends on an amazing organic farm for the wedding week it was brilliant and will always be one of the lovliest weeks of my life.

Oh and while I do love Emma's performance in love Actually (we are on a first name basis since our interaction on the tube) I just melt when Mr Rickman speaks, I don't care that he is playing a silly middleaged tempted man, he could read the yellow pages to me any day.

Glad you're back Veggie, well done on the dutch, I am most impressed. I'm glad that you came back online despite the sheer productivity experienced when t'internet goes kaput. I also think alcohol and caffeine should be mixed more often. Though if I started having a tipple along with my morning cuppa I'd probably be speaking Dutch by lunchtime!

Hooray for the holiday Kayz! It's so great to have something to look forward to when it's really grey and gloomy out, let alone when you're trapped in a snowdrift!

WG, we are also looking a bit simple here, but am holding off on cutting it in the hope that it might keep him a bit warmer over the winter. But T is currently looking quite a lot like Arthur Scargill atm.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the book, though it's sad that so many people know someone in that position. LadyT, I should check out the contract about rights and I think they're pretty hot on PR, though as I used to work in PR I will be on their backs pronto if I don't think they're exploiting all the possible opportunities. But I will indeed pick your spare brains, thanks for the offer, and have a great mini break in Norwich .

Good news here is that Mr T is no longer the clingy baby from yesterday and after 24 hours of total regression to newborn seems fine bar a hacking cough and a cold. Can only have been teeth, but lordy it was a bad 'un.

Kiwi that's v funny. DH and I used to have exactly the same arguments about seeing films (he would never, ever watch a rom com) so it was mainly about whether we saw films where something happened, or 2 russian men went fishing. We used to row about the love film list too - he was forever putting atanajurat the fast runner at the top of the list and I was trying to get a bourne. happy days. We're working our way through the madmen box set he got for christmas at the moment - i'd forgotten how good it was. That and the west wing we can agree on...

Nice to hear from you veggie. 2000 euros [shock[
Agree with you about Mr R. Sigh.

DS is sporting a massive lump on the side of his face because he fell off his scooter today. Have spent whole day trying to pin him down and put arnica on it. Am hoping I can do it whilst he's asleep.

Went to skylon for lunch today with DH's uncle. Have been before a few times on our own but can wholeheartedly recommend it with DCs - staff were amazingly tolerant/helpful of all sorts of nonsense even though they were really busy.

LadyT I love the thought of you DD joining in the laughing. DD was chuckilng to herself in the cot this morning. She mainly laughs at DS. Which adds to his sense of himself as an amazingly funny chap. He's started telling 'jokes' which I'm finding v funny - I laugh at anything - but it's making DH slightly mad. Sample joke: (whilst waving bear around) is this winnie the mummy (falls about laughing). Then 'is this thomas the tank mummy' (even more laughter). And then again and again with anything he can find.