June 2008: New Year, new thread, new names, new words, new goals, but no resolutions!

[abdnhikinginawinterwonderland]

New thread since the last one's at 997 posts...

OMG Spider, I'd be amazed if you were a L, let alone XL in Sweaty Betty pants. I wore their XL when I was a size 18!!! Send them back and get a medium. [PP wonders away in shock at the lovely figured ladies on this thread over thinking they are large. I'll show them bloody large!!! ]

Deb - Well done your boys! I've probably missed your updates, but are you still planning on going back to the UK?

Neenz - I didn't know that sbout placenta. That is scary. When I met my Dad he was able to tell me about my birth and he said that Mum's waters broke at 20 weeks with me. She was in hosp for 6 weeks after that as the placenta slowly dried up....I was born about 2.5 months early and weighed less than 2 lbs (now that's a small baby Essie! ). Amazing to think what my survival chances must have been over 30 years ago.

Has the overdue baby turned up yet?

Also off to check out Spider's cupboards on FB.

OK, my cupboard is diff to Spider's. It's a corner cupboard that goes from floor to ceiling, with the door on the diagonal. When you go in...oh sod it, I'll post photos on FB too! Don't know if it fits in with your kitchen tho Essie...

pp, really sorry to hear about your depresision/meds - these things take time though and emigrating won't be the instant cure (even if you are in NZ ). Hope your appt goes well.

I was fascinated by your birth story - what a miracle you are! Survival of prem babies in those days was very hit and miss so you're obviously a little fighter . What a stressful time for your parents though.

No repeat of the sleeping through last night - 2am and 5am. So am back to being totally knackered again. Ho hum .

PP, so sorry you're not 100%, and hope you can get the meds sorted.

We've been up since 6. Just had a moment with B climbing on a chair, then jumping, then jumping off it and splatting on the floor. Mucho yelling for five minutes, but he seems fine now. He did scare the bejesus out of me though.

Neenz, you did get a flaming didn't you? Some of those posters were way out of order though - no need for some of things that were said. Hope the baby arrives safe and sound and soon! FWIW, my placenta was totally knackered by the time B was born, as the MW pointed out to me. I was about 10 days overdue by my dates and 17 by the official dates (which were nonsense, as I know exactly when B was conceived).

Deb - B has an Aquadraw thing and loves it. He especially likes sucking the water out of the pen. Strange child. (There is always a cup of water around for him btw, don't want you all to think I'm trying to dessicate him).

PP, Paperchase has gone here too, at least where I am, as it was in Borders . I managed to restrain myself in Rymans the other day and only bought a few new drawing pens, and a mechanical pencil, but that was only because they'd sold out of Moleskine notebooks. Sad stationery addiction here too, I get ridiculously excited on the few occasions the stationery cupboard at work is unguarded and sweep off with armfuls of things!

Biscuits - hope you've recovered.

Better go, being yelled at.... Have a good weekend all, and belated happy birthday Tedi.

Oh no, what a shame about the sleep Sponge. At this rate you won't have enough energy to glint! As it's the weekend was DH able to help at all?

I grew up in a v non religous family and only found out that I had been christened as a baby when I was about 18. I asked if I had any godparents and the reply was: "No, we only had you christened because we thought you were going to die in the next hour."

Morning,
Taken today to work to catch up on stuff, but doing it from home (boys have gone out) and also because Iestyn wasn't well yesterday (cold type thing) and I didn't want to leave him; now I have it - feeling weak and massive sore throat. Awful timing!
But have taken some time to upload kitchen photos... I have a whole album dedicated to it!
The new units are to go on the left, where the big mess is in the first photo. And I'm planning (have a quote) on 2 x 50cm cupboards with two teensy little 15cm cupboards (with pull-out drawer!) either side, and 2 x 50cm cupboards up top, with two wine racks either side. Not huge, and it would stick out 6cm further than the butcher's block (bottom) and half of that (top). Tell me what you think!

Comments on Spider's pictures! I'm considering cream gloss for my new doors.

PP, so sorry you are not feeling too well. Are there other meds you can take? Could you maybe get your old meds posted from the UK or is that not allowed? Give yourself time and take care of yourself.

Bugger, thanks . I don't really care about all the 'bitch' etc comments on AIBU. Lots of people just use AIBU to let off a bit of steam toward strangers, they are very rude! I know full well I am not a bitch, I may have done the wrong thing but it was with the very best intentions. No baby yet, they are going to induce next Tues if nothing by then. I think I would go for the induction and not take the chance, but obviously my judgement is clouded by knowing a couple of people who have had SBs cos the they waited too long. I think they are brave to try to wait as long as possible.

I have had a little lie-in this morning. I feel so much better when I am not too tired. 10 wks tomorrow and still feeling sickly so hopefully all is going well.

Quick post for tedi - can we have pics of the dining area too to see what space you have there? Forme personally I would feel a bit squashed with units on the side where your butchers block is, but I'm a wee bit claustrophobic so that clouds my judegement. I'd probably look at ikea style open shelving. Like the sound of cream gloss!

Sorry you got a rough time in aibu Neenz. Hope all goes well with the baby when it arrives. Tbh though I don't get aibu at all - I have no idea why people put themselves forward for abuse from complete strangers on the Internet.

Another quick post before I start sorting out S's overflowing drawers and wardrobe... I think I may list some if his nicer stuff, boden etc on eBay but have never sold anything before! I go through phases of wanting to keep all his nice things 'just in case', and then to 'ffs they are only useful IF we decide to have another child, IF that child is a boy, and IF that boy child is a summer baby'. Lots of IF's to base a decision to clutter up your house. I also want to get rid of the highchair because we don't use it at all anymore and if we did have another I'd get the ikea one. DH feels bad though cos his granny bought it.

Can you tell I'm in a 'new year, let's have a clearout' mood? . All opinions welcome.

PP I was also sorry to read about your mess problem. Are your usual tablets completely unavailable in NZ?

Oh I really should get on. Loving all the kitchen pics on fb btw!

PP so sorry to hear that the depression is back. Hope that the docs can try alternative medications etc.

WRT Sweaty Betty sizing, they say the L is a 14 and the XL a 16. I am normally a 14, but I put on weight last year, so ordered up a size. Anyway, I am sending the trousers back, but I will only be replacing with an L. Thanks for the kind words though. TBH I am on a bit of a health kick at the moment to try and shift the extra weight (about 10lbs). My problem is that after two years of being pg or breastfeeding, in my mind I think I can eat as much as I want. In reality eating cakes twice a day; ice cream nightly; booze and sugary drinks means that it is beginning to stick to my arse. . The good news is that having cut out all of the above I am feeling better already, and Wii fit thinks I have lost a couple of pounds.

Essie DH (who enjoys these sorts of things) and I have looked at your kitchen photos and agree it is a tricky one, and you are probably doing the best you can with it in terms of layout already. It looks too narrow to be a proper galley. Agree that cream gloss is a good idea. I was going to suggest a light colour myself. Gloss also helps because it bounces the light round (sure you know that yourself). The other thing that helps with our kitchen is having lighting under the wall units. I think in a kitchen without any windows you cant have too much lighting. You could even have lighting under the base units. I like PPs suggstion of a corner larder unit. I wonder if you can get them in the UK?

Neenz I found your AIBU thread. Ouch! I don't think I would take those kinds of responses as well as you. You must have a very thick skin. People can be so vile on MN. It keeps me off most other threads.

Goddess good luck with the clear out. I sorted out all the overflowing drawers a few weeks ago and feel happier with P's room now.

Oh meant to share yesterday with the fellow boden fans on here that last year's £10 off a £30 spend worked for me yesterday. I think it's XHNT.

Good luck with the weight loss Spider. I really need to take such action but I'm sooooo lazy sometimes. The only thing I miss about the retail trade is the exercise you get while at work, when I was a manager in a clothes store I used to eat rubbish every day while being a size 8-10.

DG, I find looking after T and E the best exercise regime I've ever had. I agree sitting at a desk is terrible for exercise (and snacking). Can I ask you if you know about childcare vouchers on maternity leave? I have been told that you have to continue being paid them because they are a benefit, even after you go onto SMP. Is that right?

Spider, I used to get really upset when if first joined mn if I got flamed, but now I think it happens to everyone and people just do it and move on to the next thread where they can be vile to the next person. I bet most of the people on that AIBU thread don't even remember my MN name now, so I don't really care what they think (and even if they do, I still don't care, cos they don't know me from Adam). I just ignore the vile people, they have more problems than I do if they have to go round doing that!

Yes is the short answer neenz. Do you get them at the mo? Is it a salary sacrifice scheme? Are your employers being awkward about it? If you need a bit more detail to argue with them let me know.

Penguin - lovely to hear from you and yes we're still planning to move back to the UK but can't do anything until the house sells - been for sale a year now I'm sorry that the depression has returned but it was probably inevitable with the big move and now the down time after Christmas. We were very down a few months after moving out here, then we picked up as we got settled and now we're back in the position that we can't wait to get back to the UK. Are you homesick for the UK or not~? Have you joined any toddler groups there yet?Hope the medication begins to take effect soon, remember we're all here for you.

Goddess - I'd get rid of the highchair but personally I'd keep the rest if you have space, I put all my stuff away in vaccuum seal bags, up in the attic and then had another boy, it was only when we moved out here that I sold everything apart from a few bits I kept for sentimental reasons - how much did I regret that when Ethan came along - all those lovely clothes and toys sold or given away!I've been trying to get rid of stuff here too but it's just not selling locally, think it will have to be ebay after winter.

Feeling fed up here but have just booked a week back to the UK in May to have a look at some areas to live around Durham/Teesdale areas - we're hoping that by May we might have someone interested in the house.

Debs, I really hope you get a buyer soon. It is hard when you are so homesick At least the boys love it over there, don't they?

DG, yeah I get the vouchers at the moment. They are salary sacrifice. They haven't been funny about it yet cos I haven't asked yet but just wanted to know if what I'd been told is true. I get 6wks at 90% and then 18wks at half pay, so the £243 a month would be taken off my mat pay and given to me in vouchers instead, right? And then after I go onto SMP I would get paid the vouchers as well as the full SMP?

Hi all- trying to keep up but failing in week a came home every night with a murderous headache - all years working on a computer and it still gets mr.

pp I am so sorry the depression has resurfaced- I do hope they get meds sorted.

deb fingers crossed re house - teesdale is a beautiful area. And am looking forward to checking out ski race. We had an aquadraw that edie also liked to suck the pen- not sure where it is. She has a mini blackbloard now and that is popular.

Amber woman I know had seven cycles but think she switched doctors and It was profoundly stressful. Fingers crossed for you.

neenz they do say second you show earlier as know it happened to even stick woman at work so doesn't have to be the m word... Saw your aibu thread - posting there is a bit of a licence to get hammered and thought you took it well. Has anyone else saw the thread on alternative ad to promote bf? That is one of the most unpleasant threads I have seen in both op and responses.

tedi am followitng your kitchen thread with interest but have zero domestic design aptitude so no advice.

Sorry was more I was going to say but forgotten as e out with nick so enjoying the peace. Am I the only one who has a child who refuses generally to drink from a cup? Do I stop offering a bottle and go hardcore? Or leave it til she is older. She can drink from cup or through a straw .. Just won't (was showing off to we big bro at lunchtime for example just won't do it daily). Also has no interest other than the odd forkfil of self feeding although will help herself to finger food. Don't know whether to leave it or try to be tougher. Thing is se has such tantrums(complete with throwing herself to ground in manner worthy of Ronaldo that I can't face all day every day meal battles ESP ad off her ood coa of teething anyway?).

On frivolous note anyone else see popstar to operastar?Or listening to the archers at the moment?

And neenz re vouchers I think that depends on your contract- you need Stephen hawking to help work out why happens to our benefits when you go on ml.
Not that much chance of that happening again at present but you never know ...

Hi quick post for neenz - yes you're right. I'm on my iPhone just now but when I'm in front of a computer in the next couple of days I'll message you with the detail so you're prepared just in case they're funny about it. I did a lot of work on this for my own company so am quite up on it. There's more than one organisation opposing it though as it's a bit of an unintended consequence of some legislation and the Government are supposed to be reviewing it. I guess there plans to ditch the scheme meant it would just go away, but now that plan has been ditch who knows!

I had a treat this morning when I went to get J up from his nap, he had taken his sleeping bag, pyjamas and nappy off then done a massive poo which he had covered himself in and smeared all over the cot. It was like a scene from a Romanian orphanage . Dumped him straight in the bath and the contents of the cot all got stuck in the washing machine so wasn't actually too bad to clean up but still not pleasant. Now I'm worried he might repeat the trick.
Isn't being a mother deightful.

In other news, I won the lottery this weekend, the life changing amount of £6.

Neenz - I had a look at your thread and was shocked by how horrible everyone was, I rarely venture off the postnatal and antenatal threads these days, it can be really bitchy and cliquey on MN.

Spider - glad I led someone else astray with the diary link, maybe that should be what my lottery winnings are used for!

Debs - nice idea about the aquadraw present, I will go and have a look at them.

PP - hope you manage to sort out the meds. Amazing story about your birth, but how scary for your parents.

DG - how much of a hassle is it to store the stuff? Do you have a loft? I am a hoarder so would pick the storing it route. Since we moved to a bigger house I have successfully managed to fill it with crap that might come in handy some day, I'm going to be one of those old people who lives in a house full of rubbish.

Debs - I hope the house gets sold soon, it's horrible being in the limbo that is trying to sell a house for so long, must be a million times worse when you are wanting to move back here.

Poppy - do you mean a sippy cup or a regular cup? I've been very lazy with introducing regular cups, have tried a couple of times and he can drink from them fine but we tend to end up with water everywhere.

Sorry this post has become so long!

ktpie, yuck yuck and yuck at the poo !

Really long weekend so too tired to post - hi to all x

Ktpie must admit I did LOL at the poo story. Although there was more than a tiny sliver of laughing in the face of fear there...

I'm sick I've got Iestyn's cold and DH had to go on the train to London this afternoon. (He's in the House of Commons on Tuesday!!) It's only a cold but quite a bad one; now I know why Iestyn has been so miserable. He's getting lots of calpol now! He's also teething and off his food which I still panic about (no food = no sleep; not strictly true but still...)

Deb hope your house sells - but hey, another season of skiing...! And Penguin get well soon. Big changes.

Poppy Iestyn can drink out of a normal cup but I don't let him (he flings). Although at the wedding last Saturday he drank out of a cup and a friend with 2 children, one of them 4, was really impressed because neither of his do. But so what? Iestyn wouldn't take a bottle. Iestyn can eat with a spoon, but when he's himself he likes to try, and also have me shove extra in. He's a good eater normally... He sometimes has strops where he will only eat if he's doing it himself, but also throws food.

Hello to everyone else! Kitchen - well, I guess you're all on tenterhooks... I went ahead and ordered the units! Still panicking slightly about it all being a big mistake, but am telling myself that the kitchen is wider than it looks, and it's space that currently isn't used (about the same as the butcher's block only wider, but then there's messy crap stuff either side of it at the moment). I'm not someone who likes to spend hours cooking in the kitchen (*because I can't cook and don't care) but I also hate clutter. So there...I'll come crying on here if it's a disaster!

So ill, I'm going to bed now.

Morning all. Fantastic spoof story about MN here. Can anyone post me a boden balaclava to NZ? I can pay in organic manuka honey.

Great article Penguin

Essie - your kitchen will be fab I bet! Luke has been ill with a cold too and he's off his food. Dunno what he weighs but he's definitely lost weight in the last couple of weeks. We've had to move down a nappy size.

Funny actually because we cannot find one single pair of trousers in 18-24 months that fit anyway. Is anyone in 18-24 month trousers? They are huge!!!

Sorry I haven't read anything in the past few days. I have had a terrible cold and then was out all day yesterday so not up on everything so forgive me for not responding to anyone other than the post above mine!!