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?

morning

omg is it cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
snow expected and lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

went to town got great bits in m&s sale they havent got much left got bracken - purple and pink short glittery cardi - £3
grey velour zipped hoody £3, 2 pairs of trousers not in sale and got atlanta the most gorgeous coat in sale only £5 is a checked swing coat

also bought myself another guitar hero game for ds in sale

have just ordered brackens first bday decs online is exciting going with very hungry caterpillar theme

in the warm now

morning all - and a very flippin' frosty one it is here... am starting to feel quite housebound: going outside is like going ice skating without the skates...

tree, i feel for you - dd just had a nap which was long enough for me to feed the birds and put some laundry in the drier, and then she woke up howling. i'm wondering if she is having bad dreams, she has woken howling a few times in the last few days. i think it's one of the wonder weeks things. it would be nice if she would take a long enough nap for me to do anything at all that wasn't a chore... (i am currently being a Bad Mother - she is in her playpen playing with her shop while i finisdh my cup of tea, am fed up with cold tea. she keeps breaking off to give me a Look, though...)

who was asking about c's dad and his family (mum, dad, partner and brother) coming for her birthday? well, it wasn't really our plan to have them all involved, but having said that, if he is part of her life, it would be hard to not involve them somewhat. they are pretty nice people, so it's alright, if a bit more of an event than we were planning. we agree it'll be better for her in the long run, so will bake cake

better let her out, shouting now

Morning all,

Been to the hospital for the first stage of ds1's ASD assessment this morning. I was on pins in case the diagnosis was 'paranoid parent'.

Anyway, it all went really well. Paediatrician was lovely, spend half an hour reading through the briefing document we gave to the doctor to send with the referral and then asked lots of pertinent questions and had a chat with ds about what he likes to do and what he is good at.

After all that he said he felt there is enough there for a diagnosis of ASD, although very high functioning. We have been referred to the local CAMHS ASD Assessment/Diagnostic team and should be seen within 6 months. He is also sending both us and the school a questionnaire to fill in to check for signs of ADHD and Dyspraxia, although he feel that if these are present they are peripheral rather than central to his problems. Overall he said he felt the areas ds has difficulties in are ones that can be helped and he can be taught to overcome, so that long-term his prospects are very good.

Another good thing that came out of it was that he felt we were onto something regarding possibly gluten intolerance and wants to test him for it. Based on his childhood history relating to digestion and toiletting and the fact that we've seen a definite improvement during the gf trial he thinks formal testing is the right way to go. We have to put him back onto gluten for at least three months first, so he's booking us an appointment to see him in 6 months time, by which time he thinks we will have already had some involvement with the CAMHS team.

I feel relieved that the professionals agree that there are definite issues that need addressing and that my suspicions are probably right after all. It helps to know that I'm not just a paranoid, fussy mother. DH says he has mixed feelings, but that in general terms its good that we were listened to and heard and that things went the way we wanted them to. I think he is probably feeling a bit upset that ds is likely to end up with a diagnosis, but we haven't had chance to talk yet as he had to hotfoot it back to work. Personally I've been through those particular agonies time and again over the past few years and have now just about found my peace with it all. Ds1 is just ds1, he is who he is and a diagnosis won't change that, it will just help us to help him.

Funny story ... while we were chatting with the Paed about whether or not ds1 has adhd type problems and if he tends to have problems sitting still and is a wriggler, there was a yell from ds1. He'd got his thumb stuck between the seat and legs of his chair. It was wedged solid and we couldn't budge it! The Paed was just suggesting carrying him down the corridor to A&E complete with chair when I gave it a real yank and it went crack and released. Cue screams first from ds then from dd who couldn't stand to see her brother so upset! Fortunately he could bend it so it wasn't broken, just a nasty bruise - and he stopped yelling way before his sister did - dh and I were both and at the same time, but at least it did sort of highlight the wriggling behaviour issue!

Stripey - I was asking. I am both nosey and interested as I donated too
Dad-to-be invited me and my mum to the Chrsitening on donation day. He said they would have a big fat one and get everone there to weep and hug. I heart him, he's a gem.
I'm mindful I muct play it by ear all the way though, they may change their minds, go through phases of wanting to update me and phases of wanting to forget I exist. I've told them to tell me to feck off anytime

Am back in bed with sleeping H. I'm going to give her till 2.40 then get up. I want to put a chicken in before school run!

Moose, I saw these in my cupboard and thought of you, we have 2 lots of these too. You are very welcome to lends if you think they could be good at the party. The jelly moulds are lovely. The bowls are great for tiny snacks, or ketchup, olives, grapes etc. They do bigger ones too. It's a cheap site that, I heart it.
The jute storage bags are £8 so I was a bit but actually they are lovely lovely lovely. We have one in car between carseats for coats, hats, old broken bicuits, toys, important school letters, treasure. Also one for H's baby toys, and one for carting laundry about in. They rock.
Those silicone moulds also make a lovely muffin.

Tink - bargains sound good. NOTHINg in our sales, wish I could get to some decent big stores. Mind you no funds. Although £100 voucher for white co and John Lewis burning hole......
Have seen the hungry caterpillar stuff online, it's lovely.

Thanks for the offer Tree, its realy kind of you to offer, but I have loads of rainbow bowls already and am doing rainbow jelly in clear plastic glasses so we can see the rainbow stripes. I had been mulling over some very similar moulds last weekend though.

Might have a shufty round that site in a bit though.

Dreading the school run, the snow is so deep and its still falling. We skidded twice and our wheels got stuck at a junction on the way back from the hospital this morning.

Blardy snow - got out for first day yesterday in about 3 weeks and then we have another 8 inches overnight. grrr. And my laptop is dying of overuse and i have a tesco shop booked tomorrow which of course won't arrive and dd's party Sat and .... have i moaned enough yet?

Good news about the paed being lovely moose - you have a fab outlook on things. Must go, nap over.

Gosh x post Moose and never saw yours. Wow at stellar paed, such a fab fab thing to feel listened too.
AM gutted you have to reintroduce gluten. I guess on the upside it will either not make any difference and you have a great outcome as you can relax on that front a little, or it does [which I guess it will] and the you get help with it. How amazing to hear of a paed that gives weight to this. That will be greatly reassuring to many out there.

DD2 just ruined dinner. Got back from school run at 3.40 and she cried and yelled to be carried till she fell asleep in my arms just now.
I had a chicken in for dinner, which I then had to make veg and serve for one handed DD1 was lovely about it.
Had to just park her infront of cbeebies, to take H upstairs to bed. Just letting her get into a deep sleep before approaching the cot.

Oh for another pair of hands in the evenin/morning/both.

DH has just walked in, I hope he doesn't think I have let dd1 sit infront of tv on her own for long. It's been just under 10 mins so not long.

Lenni - party Sat! lovely, what are the plans? Will you do a food dash?

The paed thinks we should test for coeliacs due to ds's toiletting problems rather than from an ASD perspective, but hey, at least he didn't laugh in my face when I said that we felt his behaviour and eye contact had also improved since he's been gluten free. As you said, twas nice to feel listened too.

Dd also attempted to ruin our dinner tonight, fortunately I had made lentil and veg stew in two pans and it was only the smaller one that got burned. Should have given that one to ds2 as he flatly refused to eat it anyway.

As you can see, I'm not giving up emoticons for new year. I am going to have a go at giving up swearing though, my language definitely took a nosedive along with my state of mind at the end of last year.

Pat xpost last night. Oxford would work for me as my Dad lives near there so could overnight it.

Moose glad your paed was good.

Has anyone not replaced breastmilk with cups/bottles of cows milk for the babies they turn one/when they wean off the breast? I've been told follow on formula is not a good idea so with DD I just offered her cups of milk as she always refused bottles anyway. She never drank it and still isn't really interested in it unless it comes with cereal, hot choc or in the form of a babycino (yes, I know). So, was going to do the same for H, then wondered whether its a really bad thing that my babies aren't drinking pints of milk everyday?! Will their bones crumple and legs fold for lack of calcium? They both eat loads of cheese and the odd lentil here and there.

Lenni, am jealous of your snow. Want DP to be snowed in and help look after the babies!

Arrgggh- took DH 3 and half hours to do 40min trip back from work, I phoned him at 1pm to say it was bad and I was leaving work to pick up DC's. He said 'yep I'm leaving' and then the silly sod stayed till 2.15pm and by then it was horrendous, he had to abandon the car after crashing into a tree (very slowly.........the car wouldn't stop so he thought a tree was better than a wall) and walk 3.5 miles home in the dark!.

Still, we are both off tomorrow, YAY! but there is the question of collecting his car that is halfway up a bloody steep hill???

Now really worried that my party order will not come tomorrow and I will have no balloons, decs, plates or anything (when I have already paid for the bloody things). I would be surprised if DHL or whoever can make it onto our estate, it is like an ice-rink already.

Another 20cm or so forecast here tonight, it looks grim! Hope everyone else ok! Sorry for selfish post, need to tend to DH who is still a bit shell-shocked

That sounds really scary Pat. Can you do some origami wonders to create some decs and plates out of old newspapers? Daren't write my suggestions for balloons...

Pat - ring the depot first thing in the morning and tell them to get the deliery driver to phone you when he's approaching and you'll meet him at the main road. We've been doing that for er.. the past month [grrr] I am fed up with snow. We haven't had any post since 17th December let alone parcels. I have applied for loads of jobs and heard absolutely nothing, tis a bit demoralising, by the time we do get post I'm hoping I'll have at least one interview [pleads]

Horrid about your DH - not nice to drive in this. I did a 180 spin last time I went out without DH 3 weeks ago - did I mention I've been stuck a while arrrrgggghhhh! I need to be able to go somewhere without extensive negotiation about car usage and lifts and things. Just a mile away would do for now, think I'd have panic attacks any further, not even sure if I can look after my DCs out of the house anymore

Milk - DD drinks very little. We kept her on formula until it was apparent she wasn't going to switch from bottle to cup (she was bottlefed) and then she just stopped having bottles overnight at about 18mo but wouldn't drink milk at all after that. She is mildly dairy intolerant it turns out, so she's probably did herself a favour as I was poisoning her for a year and a half! She has milk on cereal and GP said I should keep encouraging her to drink it and eat cheese/yoghurt etc. as prob an immune system response that will dampen with time and exposure to dairy. She certainly doesn't have full blown dairy thing like H and S but had dreadful reflux as a baby which in retrospect prob was dairy linked.

DS has given up the boob this week it seems. On total nursing strike during the day/evening although waking at night for a breastfeed and still feeding first thing happily. I think it is probably time I stopped feeding him altogether now, if he would only stop waking in the night I would stop tomorrow. I seem to have unintentionally meandered my way toward feeding him for 12 months now but still don't want to stop just the same as I was at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months... all those milestones I said were my targets. Sigh.

Sorry, I'm waffling.

So weird I posted yesterday but it is no where to be seen
Having issues with S and have started a thread so need to check it. Back in a bit.

That was a bit hopeful for 9 minutes but hey hopefully someone will have posted by tomorrow.
To fill you in we are dropping his meds and he is down to half a Losec just a night. However he has not been pooing properly for a few days, has vomited twice and has now refused milk for 2 days but is eating okish. I am at a loss other than to put him back on a higher dosage of the Losec which dh doesn't want to do. He wants to stop completely and plough ahead with introducing dairy which I feel is completely wrong. Not seeing the specialist until the beginning of March and don't really feel confortable just winging it iyswim.
Anyway work was actually fun today but boys ran riot around their grandparents. We don't even have snow to make it fun - just cold weather too horrid to go out in for too long. Apparently they were like wild animals let loose at soft play. Let's hope they are better behaved tomorrow when I drag them to Kingston.
Moose so glad you finally have some answers. That is my sisters area of specialisation, high functioning ASD, so give me a shout if any questions.
Dog how are you? Did you get a scan?
tree not been on egg thread for a while. All ok?
Tinks you shopping legend you. Coat sounds ace.
MissJ I think the BB line up is ace. Only complaint is it is on too late and I have to sky +.
Right checking thread again.

Hi Gumps - all good egg wise. 8 week scan next week. Everything crossed.

I think if you rang consultants secretary they would advise you. Most are happy to talk on phone. There might even be an email on a letter.

Blimey yes dog, you were asking for a scan. Hows that gone?

Y'all right Lenni?

Oh tree you little star. Had forgotten that back in the dark days when things were horrific I did that. We are back to the consultant I have the number for so will call first thing.
Did I really used to have a brain that managed to get me a first from uni? I was working form home yesterday and was distracted for a full half an hour as I swear I could hear a horse neighing.

Sorry and great news about the eggs and everything crossed for the scan. The friends episode was on tonight where Phoebe has the embryos put in. Made me think of you.

120, sorry I'm no help as for some reason I've completely forgotten what we did with the boys re getting them onto cows milk. DH says we just added increasing amounts of cows milk to their formula from about 12 months old, until they were drinking about 2/3 formula to milk then switched completely (stopped bf both at 6 months). Have had a quick shufty at some old threads on mn and general opinion seems to be that as long as they eat plenty of dairy and other calcium rich food its not an issue if they dont like drinking milk itself.

Pat, your poor DH! What a nightmare journey. Hope he has been able to calm down and recover.

Lenni, dd has been on a nursing strike all through the Christmas holidays. At one point I was sure that was it, she was self weaning and I would have no choice in the matter, but then she started taking morning and bedtime feeds again. The last few days she has taken 3 feeds, but only just, the middle one not being until mid to late afternoon and only very quick. Then all of a sudden today, with the boys back at school, she decided she wanted 4 feeds again. She has handsignals for 'enough/all gone' and 'more' which I'm finding helps me to distinguish whether she genuinely doesn't want a feed or is just messing about. I didn't set out to teach her them, they just sort of happened when she started copying my unconscious hand signals when I asked her if she wanted any more food. When that worked I tried a modified version of it every time I spoon fed her anything and said the word 'more' and she picked it up in no time. (Scary how clever this little madam is, she's running rings around me already!)

I feel for you being snowed in. I've been stircrazy having been trapped in the house for weeks on end either with poorly children or being ill myself. Its amazing how much my mood has lifted since I have managed to get out of the house, even though I haven't ventured very far.

Gumps, I may well have some questions for your sister as things progress, thanks. I'm reading Tony Attwood's book at the moment and that's really helping to get things a bit straighter in my head. Also, by coincidence, my younger sister has met, fallen in love with and moved in with a guy who was diagnosed with ASD as a teenager. He doesn't like talking about it so I've not discussed it with him, but he came to stay with my parents for Christmas and meeting him has helped me to see that a diagnosis is not the end for ds and he can go on to lead a normal and very successful life (dsis's bf is a specialist in his computer field and doing very well for himself).

Dog, are you ok? Did you decide to request a scan yesterday? Hope all is well with you.

He, he, he, another huge Moosey post. Ah, tis good to be back.

Yay Moosey mega post

I am a star. It's true

Gumps, how do you feel when you think about 'back then'? I shudder, and I feel really pissed off and angry. It's not good really. You?

Hope you get some joy tomorrow.

Lovely to think some of our babies are still boobie babies. Mine just kaughs her head off if I try her. Shame as I think she would have gone for years you know. She still bottle feeds loads.

Have zero clue what we did re milk and cups and what have you, with dd2. Was I even there?

That's exactly what I'm like about changing the boys over to cows milk Tree. Its weird, it honestly feels like that part of my brain is missing. I blame pregnancy - them's obviously gorn with all the other brain cells that are never coming back.

Dd won't drink out of her cup, she just shakes it all over the place and laughs her maniacle (sp?) head off. Won't drink from a bottle either unless someone else is holding it. Proper little princess madam she is, comes of being not only the youngest, but the only sister of two totally smitten, adoring big brothers. (I think we could be in serious trouble with this one! )

And yes you most definitely are a star, a superstar in fact.

It's very when people ask advice about stuff in rl. Especially due to job as am expected to know about stuff. I just glaze over and hum in my head. They go away then.

His drinking from a sippy cup thing, with no valve. She's drinking fruit juice, not diluted or diluted very little. It gets it in there. Between chronic constipation and dental work I know which we'll take.

Had a small accident here mainly to do with that, and this sort of thing. Resisted this and this as so poor, which makes me great.

What did you get at Higgos Moose? Anything?

Your poor dh Lenni. And you, hope you are all ok. Maybe post will arrive tomorrow. En masse. All interviews. No bills.

what snow we have six inches here

have spent most of morning in it dd1 off school dh off of work chaos dd1 so excited, have built mass snowman

Aaargh! Flipping snow! Had both boys home all day, they were fighting and screaming at each other before I'd even got out of bed this morning. We do have several inches, but all the roads are clear so can't see any reason for them not to go to school really. When I went to collect the boys yesterday there were hardly any children there, apparently the school sent an email out saying parents could collect at lunch time if they have to come by car. So when I was taking ds1 in at 12 everyone else was on their way to collect their dcs. Totally daft, the school has a tiny catchment area and only two people I know of live far enough away that walking would be difficult.

Channelled my stress into cleaning. Am trying to do any early spring clean before dd's party. Managed to empty and clean the laundry and scrub all the kitchen walls from top to bottom, plus all the paintwork and the ceiling. My ribs are killing me now though and I'm totally exhausted. Dd thought it was great fun watching Mummy standing on worksurfaces and tables etc and sat in her high chair watching me work while the boys killed each other played together elsewhere. Have a similar job to do in the toilet, bathroom and back porch tomorrow.

I have also created a huge list of diy jobs I would like done before the party. Fat chance they'll get done now though.

Didn't buy anything from Higgos in the end Tree. Was severely tempted by several items, but had to let my head rule my heart having already spent too much on the party. That and the fact that the TV is on its way out so we have to order a new one tonight.

I love those lanterns, I was sorely tempted by some similar ones in rainbow colours, but had to admit I'd spent too much already.

Sounds like you've being having fun in the snow Tink - I am a mean Mummy and refuse point blank to engage in any play involving cold fingers or toes.

Sorry for you moose, sounds like no reason to close really! Our school closed (65% come in via bus and the buses refused to run) but staff who were local still expected in. I could not as too far and had both DC's at home due to closed nursery and closed playgroup! I too had massive list of jobs but accomplished nothing. DH working from home so he stayed outta the way and the DC's let me do NOTHING!

Anyway, looks like only half the people can make the party tomorrow. No decs or anything as parcelforce were simply not doing deliveries . At least he has a cake though!! My friend has done a lovely Thomas cake (even though he has no clue who Thomas is) and her DH dropped it round earlier. So I think I will just not worry about it now and enjoy tomorrow and have a glass of bubbly

Lenni- Can you believe D and Z are one tomorrow!!!!!!!! Eeeek! Still reluctantly feeding here too, but only 3 times a day and very short feeds.Cannot face packing it in as he still wakes up around 30-40% of nights and dunno how to get him back off.

My school looks like it is shut till friday and DD's playgroup all week. Madness! Although we have had about 8-10 inches and more on the high ground (where they both are!) so don't blame them really.

DH's car back safe and sound. A friend with 4x4 took him up this morning. There were some worrying tracks though which shows where cars had very nearly hit it!

Tink- We have had fun outside too. My Aunt got stuck in her car last night, think it was somewhere near you (the A3?) and was woken up by a policeman at 4.30am this morning!!!

Tree- I heart Higgos!!! We got DD's bookcase from there!

Gumps- hope all ok for S