DEC 08 - Barely into toddlerhood and already at our tit's end

[MomOrMum]

Tit's end...had to be done.

Hope this works!

Despite the user name, I'm not a Kiwi. I'm a fake. Also, I'm not a panda. I am very fond of the both though.

DD up from 2 till 4.30 then up for day at 5.30. Aghhh.

Lady - I do know what you mean about the weight. I thought mine would just fall off as well and it took a year and the last 5 months of me having green tea instead of a snack and running twice a week and really really working at it to shift the last few pounds - and I was still 11 stone 2, when my fighting weight should be about 10 stone 7, so it still wasn't enough. And already I'm up to 12 stone again on this 2nd pregnancy and I'm so pissed off about it. But I guess I'll have to go with it and work really hard next time too. But I gave myself 7 months of not dieting before I really went for it - and will do the same this time round. But I know exactly how you feel. I look in the mirror at my previously rather svelte figure (with perky boobs!) and am now saggy and wobbly in places I didn't know I could be and I find it really depressing. Properly.

Hello Tortoise - how are you doing?

The little girl we do the nannyshare with took to biting DD yesterday - so much so that she had tooth marks on either side of her eyebrow when I picked her up and there were numerous tooth marks on her back as well. Not that impressed. THEN she was sick all night, so we've got the nanny to ourselves today but they're threatening to bring their little girl over for her sleep this afternoon and for a bit of play so they can get some work done. I purposely haven't got the travel cot down from the attic because I don't want them to bring her over. I so don't want DD to get a sick bug as we're going away for a weekend tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. How do I tell them not to bring her over, tactfully???!

PS They are really lovely people and their little girl is also usually absolutely gorgeous and affectionate and sweet, so this is just a solitary bad example - usually things couldn't be better!

morning girls. Thanks for your thoughts Effie. Today is the day DH flys to Afghanistan and I am feeling pretty down. He is due back on Tues so it isn't a long trip but it's the worry. I love DH and I am totally reliant on him now we have 2 DCs and ALL my own family have died. Please, please, please let him be ok.

Also our nanny has a vomitting virus and given my crap immune system and the DD's penchant fir bugs I am dreading four days of solitary confinement with us all ill.

Sorry for the self indulgence but I can't make a fuss in real life and so I needed to use the basket (not a good intro for Tortoise! Sorry Tortoise, we are humourous too)

Hello Tortoise! How lovely to be living in Australia - bet it's fabby. Syb, I don't think we have any Kiwis on here...do we? We have Canada, US, Aus of course...

Beans, can you somehow say you are desperate for DD not to catch the bug?

Yes, I hope AceTrace got on well yest and thinking of you, Aub.

Off for jab boosters this morn. Hib and whatsit. Don't think they will do the MMR at the same time.

Here I am Rubs welcome Tortoise! (Syb I've said it before and I'll say it again I love you!). Tortoise I'm the Aussie who is in the Netherlands (though was in UK for 12 years previous). Where are you from in old Blighty and where are you now? And why the move? Did you have your LO in Aussie? How many DC's do you have? We did have another lovely Aussie on the thread who actually lives there but unfortunately she is a very busy lady and so we only catch glimpses of her on FB these days.

Urbane how are you? Have you had coffee?

Sorry I'm a bit MIA DH and I are both down with the same lurgy the boys had (though his is obviously much worse), he is doing some work but also keeps talking to me so I've had to take some time to catch up.

Poor DS1 is still so upset when I drop him off for school I feel like I've made the wrong decision I could have just kept him off for a year, he doesn't have to start school in Australia til next feb so I could have just kept him at home. He enjoyed school in the UK but itvwas much smaller and he only went in the mornings. Anyway he and I have bought some ice skates so we are going to find a little waterway to go skating on this arvo, I'm hoping DS2 will fall asleep in the trailor on the way there so I can just park him beside the lake and DS1 and I can have some time together. DH has the car booked in to get snow tires this afternoon so I can't leave DS2 with him.

Syb I'm so sorry about your friend. I've worked a lot with special needs children and I have the parents of those children hand my utmost respect and admire them greatly however, it is not something I could do and I know what it does to their lives and marriages. I think a nice present would be something pampering, maybe you could both go to the Aveda day spa for a pedicure together.

Lady I'm sorry you've got this worry for the next 2 weeks. I hope you don't mind me saying do though it done now and as much as DP was naughty I think you need to forgive him as if it does turn out you are the resentment cause problems. Also you know if you earn money for at least 6 months of the last 15 you can get a govt MLA I think it's £110 pw for 9 months at the moment. Some of the self employers will know the deal.

Gotta go J is being a cranky bum will add more later....

Lady they will do them all (the 12 month & 13 month) if you ask them. I got all DS2's done at once and he was fine.

I wrote the last post not realizing we were onto a 2nd page. So missed all those posts. Also reread my last post and the grammar makes it almost unreadable, this itouch is a nightmare it keeps changing my words!

Rubs meant to say sorry about your parents. Many people wonder why I live away from Australia? Mostly due to my family.

And Syb your MIL is horrible, but I'm not surprised, my mother was the same with my nieces they are all just the loveliest girls, but for some reason she took a dislike to one of them and has been just horrible to her much of her life (she is actually the one that came here recently). One Christmas she got all her sisters big lavish presents and got something quite small for her. She is a robust thing and was ok about it but her sisters were really upset so it actually had an effect on the Gdaughters that mum 'likes'.

Trace I was quite sad not to get on yesterday I always remember wednesday is your day and would love to get on for a coffee with you.

Urbane are you on FB? Can I send my address to you on there I can't remember which is your email.

Oh and kiwi I still feed DS2 to sleep or if we are out he'll fall asleep in the pushchair/trailor whatever gets the job done is the right method I feel. My DS1 wouldn't go to sleep unless walked in the pushchair so I just got into a routine of going out for a walk at his midday sleep sometimes it was just around the block but I liked it cos it got me out, sometimes if he was really tired he'd fall asleep as soon as he was in the pushchair. It got is both out and into the fresh air at least once a day.

Oh, gosh, you're all so welcoming I'm overwhelmed.

Expat is perhaps over-egging the pudding, frankly; I moved here as a teenager when my mother got sick of commuting from Bristol to London to pay the mortgage. Now I'm 31 and live in Adelaide. My daughter (is it done to share names around here?) is my - our - first. I work 4 days a week as a lawyer, my husband is a PhD student so has flexible time and spends 2 days a week at home with the little one. She's in daycare the remaining 2, which she likes. She's a sociable little thing.

Where in Aus do you hail from, veggiemummy? And why your move? You understand I am just being nosy to fit in, obviously, I am coughcoughcough not naturally nosy or anything.

Hello Veggie.... I have ds's 12 month jabs next week, so do you think I should ask to just have them all then? They didn't offer that.
Had my scan date all set and they said to bring my notes and then it occured to me I don't have any and haven't seen a midwife yet They are all a little confused at my local GP as I'm going to an out of area hospital - doesn't take much. Anyway, I'm off to see the local midwife today. I'm just desperate to hear a nice strong heartbeat!
Lady, I agree with Veggie about the resentment. Best ease up on him or it might get ugly when will you be testing? Probably still a wekk or so I suppose? Look out for any cramp like pains around 10 days or so after ovulation. I had very distinctive ones a bit earlier than period was due and doc told me almost certainly would have been implantation. I still think you will be off the hook though - took me months of ov esting and timing it etc, although having said that, you didn't BF did you, and I think that held off conception a bit for me as my cycles didn't come back very fast.
I just did 20 mins on the cross trainer. Kept my heart rate around 120 so I hope that is ok during preggo? Anyone know? Might have to google...
Aubi - thinking of you.... He will be back safe and sound before you know it

Hello again Tortoise! Cross posted - oooh Adelaide - not too familiar with it as I grew up up North but I was born in Melbourne. Awww I'm homesick now...So cold here at the moment and I'm fed up with the snow.
Veggie, why do you live away because of your family? Are they as dysfunctional as mine then? Sorry to be nosey....

My husband's a Melbournian!

So envious of those of you expecting again. I'm so insanely broody.

Tortoise, my family took me north when I was 2 - to escape the weather. Are you trying for number 2 then?

I don't think there is such a thing as nosey on here.

Tortoise I'm from NSW from a little town called Mulgoa it's near the Blue Mountains.

Rubs my family are a bit mental but it's not the only reason I stayed away. I love travel and fell deeply in love with London. Our move to Derby was a test to see if we could live without London and this Netherlands move I guess is just to get us just a teeny bit closer to Australia without being too far away. Realistically we will never go back to London but I think we will settle back in when we go home now better as we have broken off slowly. It has also been good to experience a society that has a much more open and relaxed attitude to children and child rearing. Mondays here are called Dads days as in workplaces men are actively encouraged to work from home on a Monday.
I'm glad you feel welcome, this is a lovely thread though e do discuss wobbly and dodgy body bits and doing the bad boogie (or not doing it) a lot so if you have a sensitive personality we will possibly offend

Now I'm pining for Melbourne and I'm not even from there... Do love it though. I saw it was 100 degrees there the other night? And on a related subject, BBC weather says it will reach the tropical heights of 7 degrees in London on Sunday. I'll be getting out my vest tops then.

Blimey ladies, I haven't been on for a week and you've finished one thread and started another?! So much going on...

hello tortoise, my dd has the same birthday welcome to the thread!

Right - just quickly then. Routines/milk/sleep etc. We have the following:
6.30 +/- half an hour wakes up.
BF in bed with me
7.15 breakfast - shreddies and fruit/ porridge/ yogurt and fruit. A cup of cow milk, couple of oz
On home days:
10.30ish a snack - fruit/ biscuit (organix best of course / bread.
11.30 a v short bf before her nap (kiwi she still bfs and falls asleep , has taken to sleeping for a couple of hours
lunch after her nap - pasta and veggies, or fish fingers and potato, or a sandwich
5-5.30 tea - cheese on toast, or leftover whatever DH and I had for dinner the previous night Yogurt or fruit for pudding
6pm bath
6.30 BM and stories
7pm lights out

On nursery days, they have a snack at 9am, lunch at 11.30, she goes for a nap at 12.30 and usually only an hour or less, tea at 3, I pick her up at 5.15, home at about 5.45, small tea with me, bath and bed later.

so on home days she's still BFing 3 times at least, work days only twice.

Activity. Humph. About once a month if that - mostly because I'm pretty exhausted and have no mojo, dh doesn't seem to mind bless him. Also in winter, PJs aren't really conducive. Am wondering how much loner I'll be BFing for as that has ramifications for long term contraception (am not keen on the coil for various reasons) and frankly the carrier bags are a bit of a killer.

Will really really try to catch up later, our laptop is still stuffed so fforts to type are foiled, it misses letters and takes absolutely ages to do a sentence hence swift lunchtime at work popping on!

oh just very quickly, aubi will be keeping your DH and his colleagues in my prayers until they're all home safely, keep us updated.

JJ Our nurseries (perhaps all nurseries?) clearly have idential routines...

Aubs I'm sorry, I really meant to post earlier to say the same thing - thinking of you and your DH

Incidentally, with the toddlerhood thread heading.. does anyone really feel like they have a toddler now? I don't, DD still feels very much a baby to me. Maybe it's because she's not walking or talking at all yet? Unless you count a constant monologue of "dadadadadadadadadada" of course. I had it in my head that the baby-toddler switch starts at 18 months for some reason.

kiwi - In those child health record books they're classified as babies until they're 2 - so that's what I'm sticking to! DD not walking or talking yet either, she does "dadaddadadadada" and everything she points at is a "wawoo".

Aubs - big love to you - hope you don't get ill and that your DH returns safe and sound. I'm sure he will. Big love.
xx

Hi Tortoise. Tortoise is one of the (many) words I have a complete mental blank about so every probability that this is the only time I will spell it right.

LadyT I can completely understand why you're upset about the weight. It took me quite a while to lose the weight from DS and it made me thoroughly miserable. Which made me feel shallow, which made me feel worse. Fingers crossed for you and the (non) pg.

Aub hope you're doing ok. If it helps at all the only time I have been in a remotely similar situation (my DB was in Iran, and went AWOL for a bit) and very anxious I broke the days into smaller sections to try to get through and at night once DS was in bed just was very busy and pretty much watched DVDs endlessly. We'll be counting the days with you.

Veggie I have had waaaaaaay too much coffee today so am a bit manic. DD a bit better but still vomiting occasionally. Poor thing. She gets so cross about it. Also the washing machine broke today and I had loads of sicky clothes to wash. Managed to fix it though which made me insanely proud.

Kiwi I still think of DD as a baby. Toddlers are much more independent I think. And don't get me started on nearly 3s....DS spends half the day asking 'why?' and the other half 'why not?'.

Syb I'm so sorry for your friend. I think veggie's suggestion of a spa thing was a good one. She might want some time to talk. How unbelievably cruel life is sometimes.

And Rubes I meant to say from the last thread your story about your parents made me really sad. I think sometimes parents can be unbelievably stupid at judging the impact of their actions on their children. Good you've got your brother.

Ok. Better make tea for the beans. Love to all. Acetrace are you there? Thinking of you if so.

Veggie I am on FB - I have a bit of a weird photo at the moment with half my face and my initials are HM

Ooh, urbane - are you making tea for me?!!! I'm hungry too!
x

Blimey, a few days away and I lost you!

I've not had a proper chance to catch up but ladyTyikes on the possible pg! Whatever happens I am with Rubs in the 'everything happens for a reason' camp. I hope things play out the way you want them to.

tortoise hello, lovely to have you join us

Things here are just all a bit grim, MIL is home from hospital, district nurse told DH she thinks she only has 'a couple of weeks' left . What with this and DD being naughty ALL the time, work a bit stressful. I just want to curl up and cry but I won't and I won't go on about it anymore! The thread seems nice and happy at the moment, and I am not.

Oh and aub thinking of you and your DH at this time. I'll keep you all in my prayers x

Just wanted to say, Daisy, that sounds rotten and as always, thinking of you and your family. Love and strength to you all. And don't not come on here because you are sad. Everybody's rooting for you, remember that

I'm about to go out for my first yoga class in bloody forever. Found an English language one close to hear and I have booked into start this course for a month so have been dying to go. DH is upstairs looking for my bike lights as I haven't put them on yet they are still packed, and I'm psyching myself up to take my sneezing self out in the cold!!!

But just wanted to come on and say thinking of you Aub, and I second the suggestion of lots of DVDs.

I am going with DS2 being still my baby but when it comes to groups to take him to I'm bypassing the baby only ones and going for the toddler types as he is desperate to walk and climb. Today he has decided he wants to jump! I don't know he saw his brother doing it or something. He squats right down then launches himself upwards. His feet don't actually leave the ground but he seems immensly pleased with himself and keeps at it.

The bloody hamster just bit me I sweat it's half rat.

Bugger gotta go