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.

Bec you have just described our extension!!! Except new kitchen is going back 4.2m and out 1m into the side elevation too, then current dining room is being extended 3m to make a new dining area open to the new kitchen, and old dining room will be 'toy cul-de-sac' in the words of our architect!

DH chased up one of the other builders today who quoted a mere £8k over budget (!) but he said the pricey bit is the vaulted ceilings over the new kitchen diner. They have to be slopey on the outside, but could be flat inside, so the beams could go across, so that would be cheaper iyswim. I dreeeeeeeeeeam of having a house with sloping roofs, but that will have to wait many many years until we've converted the loft .

I'm not sure I can cope with this many coffee haters in my life. Could I lure you to starbucks with the promise of a hot chocolate and a piece of rocky road? I met splish, NC, jenbot and ninja in starbucks so you can't hate it that much...but I guess you just didn't drink coffee?!! I know a lot of coffee snobs lovers don't like starbucks coz its weak, but I love it because its weaker - they only use one shot of espresso as standard in their cappuccinos. Coffee from anywhere else gives me the shakes.

Well ds has gashed his mouth open today. There was a crash while I was getting dd dressed, and I found ds sitting by the toilet with blood pouring from his mouth. Later in the day he fell off a chair (this has clearly been a day of quality parenting moments ) and re-opened the wound and now I've got bright red blood all down my white top. And dd wet her pants three times. I don't want DH to go to america next week

I have to say I luurrvve Starbucks and costa coffee! When I was pg with DD I used to have a starbucks signature hot chocolate with skinny milk. Yum. I prefer tea and don't make coffee at home but when I'm out I do love a good skinny latte!

Carrie you made me cry today. Wasn't your fault though. I'm having serious guilt issues about working FT and feeling like other people are bringing C up. When i read your post about the lovely things you did with your DD today and it reminded me that C and I have to cram all our quality time together at the weekend. Feeling crap and sad, especially as I really want another baby but am scared of how to cope working FT and 2 LOs.

To make matters worse, DD has started hitting me and has serious 'wanting daddy' tantrums when he's around, even when I've not seen her all day she just wants him. If I try to cuddle her she pushes me off and if I try to go to her she runs off wailing for him. It generally happens at teatime though, so I hope she's just tired.
She is having the most incredible tantrums and we're struggling to be consistent and set boundaries. Perhaps I'm smothering her with too much love and attention? I just don't know...sigh. Have posted for help elsewhere but some 'dad' came along and suggested I shouted in her face to make her stop, then he got his post withdrawn and lots of abuse and the thread seemed to die.

Sorry everyone, having bad day. Wish I could just meet up in starbucks and get lots of good advice and hugs.

iom I'm the same. Only drink tea at home but will have coffee if I'm in Starbucks or Costa or if someone's making ncie real coffee.

Try not to feel guilty (easier said than done I know). If it's any consolation my ds1 always preffered Daddy but recently has swung more towards me. And ds2 is a Daddy's boy at the moment. Think of the things you love doing as a family that you couldn't afford to do if you weren't working full time.
Sorry no advice on the tantrums other than to ignore them as much as you can. And yes she's tired.
I'd take you to starbucks if you weren't so far away.

bookmarking as had fallen off my threads.....

I don't like coffee and I can't stand normal chocolates / cake / puddings with coffee in them.... but I love the chocolate covered expresso beans from Whittards .

My stepdad has a cappucino machine and I love the smell in the house when he makes them, and I take the lid off the coffee jar and sniff it .

Imo You really shouldn't feel bad about going to work, it certainly won't be the reason for the tantrums because DD went through a God awful stage of tantrumming and I'm a childminder so I'm with her every second of the day. She also spends half of the evening saying 'Daddy' but once he's here she's not that bothered . She refuses to give either of us kisses anymore where as she used to hand them out willy-nilly, I think I might get one a week if I'm lucky, DF doesn't even get that! We found that the tantrums have all but stopped now that we A) completely ignore them and B) since DD learned to nod or shake head, I ask her a lot of questions about what she wants throughout the day and it's really stopped the tantrums.

But please, no guilt about going to work, I know it's hard but money is important too, it's very difficult to provide for everyone and be a loving family without it. Also it can be really tough being in all day, it's very insular and can be lonely, I don't think badly of anyone who chooses to go out to work instead of staying with their LOs.

I'm sorry I made you cry IMO Admittedly I planned special activities because my friend's ds was coming over, I'm not very good at doing stuff like that just for the benefit of my two!
Let me know next time work brings you to York and I'll take you out for a venti skinny latte And a curry!
DS is still a total daddies boy, despite the nice things we get up to in the day! We visited a friends church on sunday and he went in the creche, he was a bit subdued but otherwise fine, then when I went to collect him he threw a massive tantrum shouting 'DADDY!!!!' at the top of his voice and climbing out of my arms to escape. I dread to think what the crech workers think I must do to him to ellicit that reaction
DD had her first ballet lesson today . Its the first time i've ever left her at anything and I welled up as I left. She was, of course, fine! I've had to get ballet and tap shoes though, and need to get her a proper leotard and she has to take a doll and a wand each week?!

IOM Sending hugs x

Thanks for your lovely comments everyone. I really need to count my blessings compared to other people - we're doing the sport relief mile on Sunday so i need to remember just how fortunate we are.

All your advice is great - i think cos it's all coming at once: the tantrums, the guilt, the hitting etc that I'm having a bad week but it helps that she's normal and other children do the same. Even in nursery they say if toddlers hit, it's normally the mums they go for.

I've also decided that at least once a month I will take a Friday off and I will aim to finish early, say 3 or 4pm, every Friday. I work flexitime so I should be able to.

Thanks again - off to Crewe for work now, what fun

hugs IMO!

I'm really chuffed today as I went swimming for the first time in over a year - local pool is shut for foreseeable, but there's one 10 min bus ride away in the next borough, with a CRECHE! Went along on the offchance today and there was a space and so left A there for an hour and got to swim and HAVE A PEACEFUL SHOWER!!!
A is now a member of the leisure centre and booked into the creche for next week too. I'll try to go most weeks. I'm so excited - swimming is the only exercise I've every enjoyed.

Mother's Day didn't start well as I had a right strop having asked only to be able to watch the Grand Prix in peace, but instead had 2 toddlers, MrNC and friend all burst into the room and block the screen right at the start of the race - and I couldn't rewind as the bloody recorder had decided to record the radio coverage instead! Still, they then all hid while I watched the rest of it. We then went to a party at the Royal Festival Hall which was great for toddlers to run around as there's lots of pointless stairs and balconies, and lots of other families doing the same. Two babies, double buggy, and the stairs at Clapham Junction wasn't fun though - at least there was 2 of us! The lifts will be done in June, now. Allegedly.

Starbucks - crap coffee but the hot choclate is lovely. I love my lattes though.

My friend had a baby girl this morning! We were woken by a knock at the door at 3:30am, 3 knocks later and DH went down - I naturally assumed it was an axe murderer, or a neighbour complaining about some crime i had no idea I'd committed (!) but it was friend's DH asking if I could go and sleep at theirs so they didn't have to wake their toddler. I of course did not sleep a wink but tossed and turned until said toddler woke at 6:30am. My DH dropped my kids off before work and then friend's parents arrived from down south. Baby was born at 10:17am and to the best of my knowledge was a vbac which is wonderful news.
Am going to watch last night's OBEM later to knock the broodiness out of me!

Congrats to your friend Carrie.
My friend is in hospital today waiting to be induced. If it takes longer then 24 hours then she is having a C-Section. They don't want to take any chances with the strepB and high blood pressure.b She finally got a crib yesterday so baby will have somewere to sleep when they get home. She is so not ofganised, until I gave her loads of Robyn's baby clothes she only had 1 pack of vests and 1 pack of babygro's.

Have decided it is time to take Robyn back swimming we haven't been since before christmas. I could do with the exercise as well. and it might tire her out enough to have an aftrernoon nap

My friend sent me a 12 week scan pic of her baby....made me feel really weepy.

I seriously think I may be having some osrt of midlife crisis!!!

Someone coming to view our house on friday!!!! Oh lor! Not on the market properly yet!!!!

SIL1 had her baby on the weekend - I now have my first niece! Another homebirth in a pool, but this one wasn't on the due date because not even SIL1 is quite that organised. Although apparently it was perfect timing as DN1 was brought home from nursery about an hour after it was over, pointed and said "Baby!" excitedly and then wandered off again to do something more interesting.

Currently worried A is coming down with chicken pox, as there's 3 cases at nursery. Wish he'd stop having bugs all the time - apart from anything else I'd get more kip. I have no idea why people say "oh, it gets easier once they start sleeping through the night" - A has slept through regularly since he was about 6 weeks old, it's just that 'regularly' means once every 2-3 weeks! I admit he could be much worse, but...

NC - chicken pox doesn't have to be that bad, I'm sure M didnb't even realise she had it. Better to get it over and done with as well.

Good luck for the viewing bec Imo my sister works full time and her relationaship with my niece is fantastic. She always used to finish work early on a Friday and they'd go to starbucks for a coffee and a cake!! There'a always goignt o be something to feel guilty about sadly

NC second that CP isn't always that bad. DS had about 30 spots but felt fine all the way through. We've recently had a big breakout at nursery but DD seems to have missed it somehow.

DS's and my birthdays were fantastic. Took DS out of nursery for the day and started off on the London Eye, which he loved, then the Aqwuarium where he got to feed some Rays and was realy excited about seeing sharks and Nemo. We then went to Giraffe for lunch, which is always nice, then tried to get into the Imax to watch something but everything was booked out! Ended up in Hamleys where he did some colouring and cutting out in the Party Room, then chose some more Playmobil for him and a toy Gruffalo and Rabbit for DD. Think we've found her teddy as she's carried the rabbit (Tilly) round everywhere with her since we gave it to her.

That evening I got taken to Gordon Ramsay for dinner, which was really lovely - we even got to go in the kitchen (no Gordon though). The yesterday I had a day being pampered - lie in, special Mexican breakfast, spa apppointment for massage, manicure & ppedicure, hair appointment (where the lovely bloke fixed the colour and cut issues I'd had since my last haircut last August), dinner at Wagamamma and then to the theatre to watch Private Lives with Kin Catrall and Matthew Macfadyen.

I'm back in work today and am being taken out for lunch. Then tomorrow am off as have the radioacive bone scan! We also find out DS's school tomorrow - nerve racking are the only words.

D&Sooohhh Mathew Mcfayden.....slobber slobber slurp...I LOVE him I tell you!!
What a fab day! You are very lucky (but all well deserved of course!) fingers crossed for you re: school x

NC Ds1 had CP when I was 7 weeks pregnant with Toby but apart from a headache for a day or two he was fine, didnt even have many spots! Its not always bad.

Sounds like you had a lovely time D&S, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you tomorrow xxx

Where's Hopefully? She's probably spending her time getting her weekly shopping budget to £4.75

Do you think Bec has just a teeny tiny crush on Mathew McFayden by any chance??!!

who's Mathew McFayden...?

Happy birthday D&S

He's an actor who was in the original series' of Spooks. He was Mr Darcy in the recent Pride & Prejudice film. He's been in loads of stuff, but I can't remember what!! He's also marred to Keeley whatserface from Ashes to Ashes and the No7 adverts.

I was just flicking through my diary and realised that Easter is only 2 weeks away. How the hell did that sneak up on me?

carrie Are you serious?????? How could the wonderfulness that is MM have passed you by??????!!!!! DH knows full well if MM ever made a move on me (yes, yes I know I am a delusional hormonal old bag!) I would be off like a shot!

Oh if I'd known you were talking about the new Mr Darcy!!!

carrie May I join you in a swoon????? >

Ou viewing today has been cancelled Really hope we can sell this place. For those of you who have sold before or recently - how long did it take???

Going to see a house this afternoon - just been refurbished so its vacant - one I REALLY liked the look of sold for cash yesterday. Not surprised...it looked gorgeous.

Friend had her baby last night. She was induced so they could keep an eye on the blood pressure and StrepB. Unfortunately it didn't go to plan, her labour was long so she ended up having both sets of antis and still no baby, then her blood pressure shot up, her epidural didn't work so that had to be replaced. Then they realised baby was stuck so she had to have a C-section.

All is fine though she has a lovely 8lb8 girl and is now resting in hospital.

So dreadful day today. School places in our borough were allocated and DS got not a single offer. That's right no school place at all. Am so furious I could punch someone. By beautiful, bright, articulate child would be a credit to any school and he hasn't got a single bloody place. Even our closest school has turned him down. We're going to appeal but opinion seems to be the primary appeals are very rarely successful