January 2009 - New year, new buns in various ovens and time for our not so little ones to turn one!

[SherryMerryLennipillar]

Happy 2010 everyone! Cast your mind back to this time last year... [soppy]

Too much wine - excuse for thread title should it be shite rubbish when I read it tomorrow. Thought it was time to wave goodbye to the festive one, although perhaps we should have waited for epiphany?

Thank you very much. Tt's nice to be heard and understood.

Funny though Moose, that's the post I'd write to you! . We sound very similar actually. We need to take our own advice, it's so hard though. I have a basic overwhelming feeling of 'look, I can't be bothered so please go away and leave me alone'. It's ok when I feel like that about the hoovering, but to feel like that about my dd is something I thought could never happen. Bastard head trip, work, fffing heating bills and bloody leaking roof. How dare they change who I am to dd!?

I was like this after dd1. It manifests as anger Thats the only way I can describe it. I am just feeling so angry and pissed off. When in reality I have nothing really to swamp me. I know the AD's will perk me up and I'll look back and wonder why I spoilt it for myself. Thus adding fuel to the fire of wanting another.

Pah.

Stripey - sounds amazing that C's Dad is visiting with his family. Will C know them as family then, I guess so? It seems so lovely, to have as many people as possible looking out for you can only be a great thing.

One plus point of the weather, we are actually seeing a few blackbirds on the wall of our yard/garden. They must be desperate, haven't seen anything except seaguls since the loony tune across the road cut her trees down. They are steadfastly ignoring the food I put down.

Might start a thread to see what would be an irresistable draw to a hungry blackbird. Getting rid of the hungry black cat we have perhaps

H is asleep in her cot. No one breathe.

Moose - splitting the party sounds good. We always do.
We actually went to a cafe in the local garden centre one year [seriously good cakes] and had a birthday lunch type thing there. Even brought the cake and sang, we got a few funny looks . Beat being on permanent tea making duties, and dd1 was 2 and loved the cafe.

DD2 is one on a Friday, so will do family tea on Sat, and little party on Sunday. DD1 will be too tired on Friday to enjoy enything at all. Dd1 won't give a hoot.

Stripey - I am thinking of getting dd2 one of these although in no way can I afford it. Wanted one for dd1 and could never get one. Maybe this time....but look at this Now that kicks ass.

We had these!! For dd1 www.funkymoose.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_53&products_id=527 Oh what a trip down memory lane, that was 4.5 years ago. I have to get some of those, 1st pay check end of Fed won't be spent on bills and overdraft anymore will be going on some of the fab shoes on this site. Droooool

my ads that i tsarted a week before are definetly helping dont feel anxiuos anywhere near as much as feel happier go for it hopefully they will help u both moose and tree

Tree! I was drooling over that very wagon only last night! DH and I have decided that we would like to get dd a walker of some sort for her birthday as she is now cruising the room with ease and can stand unaided but isn't confident enough to take a step on her own yet. The boys had the vtech noisemaking machine, which was great, but I'd like something more aesthetically pleasing this time and hopefully something she can push her toys around in that doesn't look like a pink pram. Would seriously love that Haba one, but its waaay out of our price league. Brio do some nice smaller ones and you can limit the speed of the wheels to suit their walking ability.

The blanket is a lovely idea, if a tad on the pricey side.

I know what you mean about it manifesting as anger, I feel like I am constantly simmering just below the surface and likely to blow at any moment, a bit like a human volcano. Then I get angry with myself for being so flipping angry about everything and it becomes a viscious circle.

Hi Stripey. Other than the walker, we are on the look out for a really special rag doll for dd's birthday, more as a keepsake than a toy though iykwim. Mum bought her an absolutely hideous plastic baby doll for christmas, despite my specifically and directly asking her not to. (It has those awful roll back eyes as well, they used to terrify me as a child as they were forever getting stuck the wrong way round.)

For some reason everybody and their mother bought dd pyjamas for christmas (she had 9 pairs!) and all of them in size 12-18 months which is currently at least two sizes too big for her. Slightly frustrating when she desperately needed sleepsuits in size 6-9 months and we had to go out and buy them ourselves. Don't understand it really as both Mum's/Grannies know what size she is and we hadn't actually asked anyone for pyjamas. One of those weird coincidences I suppose.

I've asked Mum to buy the wooden shape sorter she was supposed to buy for christmas and I think the others will probably give money which will go in her child trust fund.

Hi Tink, glad to hear the ADs are helping. I definitely need to feel less anxious - I woke up in the middle of the night and had a panic attack last night.

Wow, hey moose Hope you are ok, I will read back later and check!

Off for tea now, risotto, yum!

I love that funkymoose site - if only everything was about half the price I'd be on it all the time!

Moose - lovely to have you back, it has been too long. The rainbow party sounds perfect, such a lovely idea. Those of you with girls looking for 1st birthday presents - we planned on buying DD a charm bracelet for her first birthday and thought we would add a charm every year. Well I didn't get round to it until this year but still will make a lovely keepsake once she is old enough for me to hand it over.

Tree - DD was a rubbish baby. She is a beautiful, beautiful person though and I've just about forgiven the horrors she put me through. DS has been a tonic but I've realised that some babies are easy and some are hard and some sleep and some don't etc. etc. ain't nothing you can do about it. Before DS arrived I took DD's awkwardness as a personal reflection on my parenting ability - it was hard to live with, that guilt is now neatly tucked away in your bag, thank you for that. Have you considered seeing a homeopath for the depression as well as GP? If you get a good one it is like having counselling, they just listen to your mind meander through how you feel about the world and then fix you.

Stripey - you can't hate January you know.

Books - Glad you have turned a corner. The scabs look awful don't they? DD's megaspot scabs lasted a month or so, you'll get used to the looks! Really sorry to hear about PILs upsetting your DH, sounds very nasty, I hope you are venting elsewhere.

So excited about Thursday too Pat - although DH works until 7pm on Thursday so not sure whether to have birthday tea etc. on Weds - not sure he'd notice

Dog - I would retest since I am a chronic tester but if normal for you and not a lot of blood then think early scan request on Monday would be a good idea. How many weeks should you be now? Think you have to be 6+ weeks for them to scan, or at least you did here when I was pg with DD. I had spotting with her for the first 12 weeks.

More snow today, I am getting a bit fed up with snow now. Where is the scrooge emoticon?

Lenni- bought all the bits for partybags (well gingham partyboxes) and a lot of the food today, so excited . Z did tell me tonight that what he really wants is some babyfriends there, since it is mainly DD's friends, especially baby D and baby N and all his MN friends . He is very forward y'know!
p.s send me some snow, the cotswolds has remarkably remained unscathed this year so far.

Books- The in-laws thing sounds rough, I can almost forgive me being a bit off with me but there is NO excuse for upsetting their own offspring, I am very on your DH's behalf! Poor DD's scabs. That is a lovely blanket.

Moose- sorry you have had a tough time, your rainbow party sounds just the thing to cheer everyone up! How nice to get practical pressies like Pj's even though they didn't fit. Z just seemed to get heaps of junk for xmas (although step-MIL got him some nice clothes........his only new ones for a lonnnnng time)

We are getting him a name-train and a memory plate, MIL is getting some 'big-boy' stuff for his bedroom, now he can have the duvet and pillow she is getting nice covers and stuff. Everyone else will just give money I reckon and since he already has about £60 in his moneybox from xmas he will officially be the richest person in the house!

Stripey-how great for C's dad to be coming over. I had to laugh at your entertainment with the laundry, this afternoons entertainment for Z consisted of throwing one of DD's crappy plastic tea-set spoons down a long cardboard tube and watching it come out the end (x5million!). Still methinks there is a scientist in the making in this boy, excellent powers of observation, especially when it got stuck.

Tink-glad you are feeling better.

Tree- you always sound very together and a great mum to your DD's. I am sure DD2 will repay you by being the most heavenly angeloc toddler and pre-schooler, or maybe the perfect teenager......who knows!

Ok, so today DH finally put the bathroom cabinet up without any nagging, we have only been here two months after all..............now, what does he want

Eeek, angelic and obviously them not me upsetting myself, how would that work I wonder........

Am hoping that all my mumsnetting stellar parenting is repaid by the financial stability my children achieve. I would like a holiday villa and a nice house with garden and that's the only way it's going to happen.

I'm thinking human rights barrister and UN envoy to somewhere glam. Maybe Monaco. Perhaps if have 3rd, could be plumber. Then I have holidays, law/taxes/general cunning and heating/boilers/leaks sorted for life. Yay.

Blanket lovely Books. I think I saw something like that at the baby show I went to last October, I was sorely tempted but bought nappies as per usual.
Mum got dd2 a fab silf blanket for Christmas actually, it is the softest thing ever. Apart from her double thich cashmere one. I have a thing for bedding it seems here I think she got it at Harrogate show grounds Christmas thingie. It is so warm and fuzzy.

H has spent the evening piching chips off my take out box plate and crawling through a tunnel from pillows. She loved it, and fond she could sit in it and eat her chip in peace. Might get her one of those play tunnels for birthday

Lennie - scrooge emoticon -->

I'm trying to work out what to get H for his birthday. We have so much from DD tis very hard, especially with zero space in the flat. I know he is getting a large Teddy from his GD, but no-one has really asked me about what he needs. We've just had Christmas for heavens sake!

He found one of these in the toy box and absolutely loves it! Both chewing and making it spin. Definitely going to get some for the party bags! Any other good party bag tips?

Half my message disappeared when I pasted in the link . Anyway, the upshot was Tree and Moose, really hope the AD's help. Motherhood is enough of a guilt trip without the brain chemicals letting us down.

I hit a real low for the last three months leading up to Christmas, but for some reason, getting out of the year and knowing the days will only be getting lighter seems to be helping a bit and it's very exciting that they are all going to be one.

I've just had a massive clean out of my living room and changed all the furniture around and it's nice to have a different perspective.

at Tree's ambitions for the saplings! I do like the 'perhaps if I have a 3rd'.....You give yourself away lady!

120- Sainsburys was great for party bag stuff, I ordered some blue gingham boxes online (although I did quite like the little jute party bags that are around). Since it is mainly older kids at Z's party i got:
Bouncy balls
mini Dinosuars (for boys)
yo-yos
Stickers
Butterfly notepads and sparkly pens (for the irl toddlers)
noise-makers
milky bar buttons
animal biscuits.

Plus I got a bag of stuff to go inside the pinata.
It was all really cheap too, a third off or some such!

Off to brave the soft-play now, wish me luck!

I am procrastinating, meant to be doing some work for tomorrow....am very impressed with all your party planning, think I am going to just have a few friends/relations over for lunch with a game of pass the parcel thrown in for the toddlers, too skint mean to do party bags , especially as my house is already piled high with small plastic tat toys, the kids can just take thier pick as they leave

Tree and Moose, hope the ADs lift your mood, babies are hard work. DD was a doddle compared to Jude, can truly say this year has been very very knackering.

Am also looking for inspiration for J's birthday, he has inherited a lot of Lily's toys, but want to find something to encourage movement or using his arm, so was thinking either a little play tent and tunnel or some kind of toddler play dome thing that I saw somewhere. He's into stacking things and knocking them flying at the moment. ANyway looking for something that does not make lots of noise/require bateries/is not large and plastic/ costs under £30...wish me luck.

Books, I hope DD is feeling better today and her pox are on thier way out. We still haven't had the chicken pox, I guess its just a matter of time...

Dog, hope you are ok, have you tested again? I've had no experience of spotting in pregnancy, but have lots of friends who have. Have you been to teh Dr/Midwife yet?

Missj hope all is good with you and that work is going well...I feel compelled to tune in now.

Hello to 120, Lenni, Stripey, Tink, Gumps and everyone else, I am trying to catch up on this thread but there has been a lot of action in the last few days and my hungover tired brain is still suffering from NYE.

hi ladies

mm - sorry for frustrating xmas pressies - i hate it when ou persifivly ask for something and get something else!!

bracken is getting for her 1st bday :-

tiger small wheelybug
playskool busy gears
elc click clack caterpillar
elc whizz around garage

good shopping hackney - i must get bits for dd2s 1st bday 2

Does anyone have this Tomy Dome the reviews of it are a bit rubbish, but have seen a few on ebay and it looks ok...thought it might encourage DS to use his arm with the balls etc. or this pop up tent and tunnel, but he can't crawl so might be a bit pointless? or was thinking a little paDDLING pool with balls in, but not sure I can face the full on horror of havign small plastic balls spread around my house and chewed by the dog. Am sure Jude would be just as happy with a cardboard box and some tin foil to be honest. Tink, the garage is great, DD has one and it has had a lot of use.

120- do you want to come round and clean my living room? Pleaseeeeee... Bubbles always seem to be a winner in party bags with DD and a big old slab of birthday cake...job done!

Right, must stop buggering around on internet and do some shopping lesson plans

oh, 120, just remebered what I was going to ask you... you guys have a mini trampoline don't you? Do you think its suitable for a one year old? Did DD get a lot of use out of it? Does she still use it? hmmmm...so many questions!

Oooo mini trampoline. DD1 and 2 would love that! Take So much space though....

Am certainly getting a crawl through tunnel thing. Although she seems delighted with a few cusions so really....we could all go for a nice day out with the £££

Party bags, am hoping mum will whizz a few clot ones up on the sewing machine, as they are quite expensive to buy. Then they will be a little pressi in them selves. I saw 10 little pots of playdough at sainsbo for £3, so I think it will be a pot of dough and a slice of cake for everyone. What do you think? Too small? Or actually a useful longer term thing?

Thank you fort he good wishes btw. I feel brighter already, am looking forward to feeling better.

That's good news about the spotting Dog.