Sept 08: last year they were cute little bundles that smelt of milk and vanilla, but now they've been replaced with a babyzilla!

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

A new thread for us as the last one was running low.

Congratulations Debs

Congratulations Debs that's wonderful news. Not here I'm afraid - there's 2.5 years between DS and DD, am sure it will be fine though.

Congratulations Debs! I will have 21 months gap when the current monster inside arrives in June. I think carriebo's two are a smaller gap than this.

Congrats Debs that's great. Have you only ust found out?

Congratulations Debs, did you only just find out? Was it expected?

Both mine are Daddy's boys although ds1 isn't as much as he used to be. I think it's coz dh has always got up with them in the mornings.

Went to ikea today and filled the car with stuff that now needs to be built! I love that shop!

Congrats Debs!!! I think small gap is hard at first but pays dividends when they are older. I have a 5.3 age gap between ds1 and Toby and although ds1 is fab with him it is hard trying to find things that both of them can do together/places we can go that they will both like etc.

You will be fine. Congrats again x

Ikea is scary

Ikea is surely one of Dante's circles of hell.

Wow congratulations DEBS!!! That's toooo exciting! Small age gaps are all good, highly recommended by the Carrie tribe! I'm an odd ball who found the baby phase easy, in fact right up until ds started moving I would say it was easy, and better than just having one child. Currently things are the hardest they've been, but that's just coz we have two toddlers to keep an eye on! Its great seeing ds particularly learn new things every day, and dd is getting really grown up and playing amazingly with playmobil.

Ds has a thing about owls, he knows where the pictures of owls are in all his books and puts his hands up to his eyes and says 'twit twoo' very enthusiastically. We were at the bird garden at Lotherton Hall this morning and there were owls, he was so thrilled and when we walked away would say 'OWL!' and point back at where they were!

bec I love Ikea, but I can imagine on a sunday and with a small child it must be hideous!

Congratulations on your news Debs! I've been looking after an 8w/o, a 16m/o and a 24m/o for a full day but just once a week, it isn't too bad but it's difficult if the baby is awake as all they ever want is to be carried around.

Hopefully - Sorry to hear that you're feeling a bit blue, MCs stay with people for a long time, I hope you feel better soon

I have Elizabeth booked in for Swine Flu jab on Tues but I am really not sure, I can't decide whether I think she really needs it or not. Have they even had time to test it?! Is swine flu actually that bad - I just don't know ....

Hi guys I am back! I need to catch up now, but see its a congrats to Debs . xx

congrats debs. I have a 22 month age gap, it is, ahem... challenging .

mamamuffin I had a dream about you last night, or at least it was something to do with a shopping list you had written . Very odd.

Me and the dc's are all ill again. They have a stomach bug and I have a rotten cough / virus that won't shift. I was considering getting them passports earlier so we could go on hols somewhere sunny and have a rest, but it's going to be Cornwall instead .

meglet Please explain "challenging". You're making me nervous!

lollipop I still haven't decided about the swine flu jab for DD. But I noticed the papers today had a notice saying they are discontinuing the swine flu help line service. So I suppose that means the rate of new cases has dropped quite a lot, so the chances of coming into contact with it would surely be less. As I say, still not sure.

Welcome back muffin.

Hi Muffin. Come on, make us jealous about the sunshine you've experienced.

God I could do with some sun, You know the type that when you lay in it you can feel it warm your bones.

Hope you're feeling better soon Meglet. We've all had some cold/virus/pita type thing that has been sticking around for over a week. I've got yoga tonight and I can hardly breath through my nose. It's not going to be a pretty sight

Oh megs Me and a shopping list in your dream
Dubi was amazing. I had a terrific time. The weather was early 80 s. We went swimming, the beach, shopping (got a dimond ring!), and a bit of sight seeing and ate out loads. My sisters baby is 6 weeks old and gorgeous, it was lovely to spend time with them. However, my sister is completely exhausted and I felt really sorry for her. Unfortunately she did not except much help which made me and my mum feel sad . However, I do remember being like this with my pfb. I just wished she could of let us have the baby for a couple of hours so she could sleep. Its hard being so far away from her as now we cant help at all.

ponymum trying to juggle two young children is hard going, but bear in mind I've had to do it more or less on my own as XP was being a nightmare (and barely helping) just before DD was born and we split when she was 4 months. So my experience is probably more traumatic than most!

Since my previous post about having a cough I went to the GP's and now have anti-biotics for a chest infection, I thought I felt strangely breathless - and I was right. My immune system seems to be shot to pieces this winter as I've never smoked, pop loads of vits and supplements and eat quite well, but dealing with the kids and work has run me down a lot. It's totally messing up work (I daren't even think about my sickness record), I'm taking tomorrow off sick but theres a meeting on Wednesday that my boss says I must attend and if anyone can't make it they have to cancel it. The meeting sounds like bad news so that will be fun going in for that .

It might be more cost effective for the NHS to pack me and the DC's off to the Maldives next winter than have us trekking to the surgery every other week .

ILTMIMI Some bone warming sun would be bliss! We went to baby church the other week and the vicar had put on some heating lamps and they felt just like warm sunshine, I sat right under them.

Congrats Debs that is lovely news!

I finally sold my flat last week so the financial pressure is now taken off me for now.

Hurrah for selling the flat Kagey.

Hope you're feeling better today Meglet.

Will you be able to see your sis again soon Mama? I'm like a lioness with a newborn and won't let anybody help - even if I'm knackered. I think it's something innate.

What is everyone upto for Valentines? DH and I have set a £10 budget for presents. I am terrible at thinking up something imaginative so I bought dh £10 worth of retro sweets. That is A LOT of sweets I can tell you, but he'll munch his way through them in no time. I also made sure they are sweets I don't really like so I won't be tempted to join in the sweet-fest.

Saying that I really don't know why we are celebrating it as we both think it's a load of shite!

We might get a take away for Valentines but that will be all, we won't get eachother cards or presents.

I have been looking after a 4m/o, a 14m/o and DD this week, DF was off work on Monday so he was around to witness the carnage. He said that he doesn't want us to have more kids, that DD is perfect and we don't need any more - I could see the fear in his eyes just at the thought! I am happy with this, I don't think I want more than one of my own either, having looked after a couple of young babies recently it reminds me how hard work it is doing absolutely everything one handed!! !

We've got the inlaws down for valentines weekend again (same as the last 6 years I think!). We haven't thought about what we'll do at all and I don't know if we're doing presents.
ILTMIMI I love that idea, £10 worth of sweets would be my ideal present! If I give you my dh's email address could you give him a big hint

DS2 has got a sickness bug (he spewed on my brand new ikea rug yest!) so I'm off work today with him. He's napping at the moment and I should be working. My head of dept said "oh well at least you'll be able to get that scheme of work finished, you'll probably get more done at home than you would here" Can you tell she has no kids?!

Funnily enough debi, I email a lot of my friends husbands and send them little hints. Well actually they're not little hints at all, they're more like 'she would like xyz, buy it for her'!

sweetie heaven for you debi

I hope you ds feels better soon - but how very dare he puke on the new rug!!

DD has a new word: tickle! She says tickle and does the tickle tickle tickle actions like the book. So sweet!

Thanks everyone. It was a big surprise as we were not trying, again, but we are getting our heads around having 2 under 2. DP is having the snip so we don't have anymore accidents. Found out last week whjilst having a scan for suspected ovarian cysts. I knew something was up when the nurse started smiling at me. I admit I swore when I found out but i think that was the huge shock. It does explain the not being able to have a cup of tea without feeling sick and the loss of appetite, and the really bad backache.
The pressure is on now to move before August. We really need an extra bedroom at least, the ag gap is small so I don't mind Robyn and the baby sharing and by the time they are at school DD1 will be 17 and off to college. (God i feel old) Also I really neeed to crack getting Robyn off to sleep without feeding and maybe even cutting out bf, then my poor boobs can get a break before the new baby has a go.
Any advice on a double pram? Have had a little look but not sure what will be good.

For Valentines we will prob just do takeaway, film and chocs, and pray that Robyn and DS have an early quiet night.

Debs How far gone are you? I'm sure you prefer to be preggers rather than having cysts really ! I chuckled at you swearing at the news though! I'm very impressed that you're still bf, I gave up offering at 54 weeks and DD didn't ask so we stopped. I'm bottle feeding a mindee atm, very much a PITA, so much wasted formula, glad i'm not paying for it!