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

[MomOrMum]

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

Hope this works!

OH Daisy, my love, so sorry things are so rotten. I am thinking of you all and sending love and soothing thoughts your way. Please come on here as often as you need and do feel free to be sad if you are. The basket can take it and we want to look after you.

Aubs, you've done nearly a whole day now so you will get through this. He will be back safe soon, you'll see. Hunker down tomorrow with a good film and enjoy your girls. My 2 (a bit older than yours but hey) love the Sound of Music and so we often get under the blanket and watch together. My DD1 wants to be "easel", and won't have it that she is really Liesl. I want to be the Baroness. Or Mother superior. She has fantastic clothes (the baroness, not the nun- not quite ready for a habit, though it would solve the muffination going on here). Matthew just cruises round the room whilst it's on. Clearly lacking the camp gene

Rubes, I actually thought that it was you who was the Kiwi as I thought before I had said you were from Aus but you corrected me. So very sorry. Who is from the US? I know MOM is from Canada but can't think who is from the States. It's my age .

How was yesterday, AceTrace? You do realise we all expect you to change your name to this now?!!

Have walked miles today with double buggy. If you do have 2 close tog and have a double buggy, it banishes the bingo wings like nothing else. Every cloud etc.

Right off to watch TV and read some work for Sat. Love ot you all. XXX

beans - meant to add, i am also firmly of the believer that if you aren?t in the mood for carnal relations, it really does help, simply to give it a go. I start off not wanting to, then fairly quickly go ?oh, right, yes, this is what i?m missing... i like this?. Also, it sounds stupid, but sometimes we do have to schedule it in ? for once madam is in bed, before we?ve started cooking. If we leave it to when we go to bed, we?re far too exhausted and nothing happens, as it were.

hello tortoise - welcome!

aub - of course you are feeling down and vulnerable. We?ll be thinking of you ? please keep off-loading until ddh comes back

syb - what a difficult decision for your poor friends. i cannot imagine what they must be going through. Thoughts to them and you, so you can look after them as best you can. And as for your MIL - !$??*&%$£. That is supposed to capture me swearing buckets. Honestly ? extraordinary. Sometimes the only thing we can do is learn from others? behaviour and vow not to let ourselves grow into that.

daisy - thinking of you all

Well, today is the anniversary of my mum dying. I remember posting last year with the same thing. Cried all last night and most of the morning before having to go off to my first day teaching this term. 8 years. Too long.

I also have a story about a mad woman i?ve met with a son who comes over for the occasional playdate, but i can?t bear to write it now. Too tired.

Beans I would have much preferred to make tea for you as I'm guessing you wouldn't need bribing to finish your fish and could probably master a knife and fork

Daisy I'm so sorry for you. I hope that you can find some comfort in these weeks. And I second what Syb and LadyT have said - please come and talk to us if it would help you.

Routine for us is milk and cereal/toast in the morning (cows milk now). Then fruit or bread-ish snack in the morning. Then early lunch about 12:15 and nap after 1-2 hours. Then bottle of milk. Then tea about 5. Then bath about 6:15 followed by more milk and bed.

She eats everything at the moment. And as DS is such a big fan, a lot of pasta.

In terms of having any semblance of a sex life with small children the only thing that we've found to work is to do it early in the evening rather than wait until we've gone to bed by which point we're too tired. Also good fun to not already be in bed . Way TMI.

Am watching back-to-back spooks at the moment until DH gets home. Not quite as good since Rupert P-J bit the dust. Sigh. I keep resolving that I'll read or do something less boring instead in the evening but am usually so tired I just watch loads of TV. Am clearly rotting my brain.

LadyT I hope your DD was ok with her jabs.

And Veggie enjoy your yoga. I must find a class. What do you think of the yoga on the wii fit? Am trying to debate whether to get one or not and it would probably swing it if yoga was good. Although must stop spending money. We're supposed to be saving and I'm spending like there's no tomorrow not doing very well.

Syb, that's ok no Kiwi here....! Although I am doing a trip there next year! Great news about the double buggy workout... I'm getting ready to buy the double attachment to my P&T soon mind you the single through the snow is bloody hard work too!! The other US is Kim, but she rarely pops in these days...
Veggie, I hope Yoga was fun!
I kind of think of ds as "in between" he seems too toddle-ish to be a baby. I can't keep him anywhere for more than a second and then he's on his feet practising his walking. His new thing is to carry something at the same time - thinks he's pretty cool. But he's not into saying much. He too does the dadadadadada and that's about it, but he constantly grunts and groans and squeals like he's got stuff to say - very funny! Oh and he carry's his wooden hammer around and hits everything in sight with it, including the dog! Everything except the wooden pegs it's meant for!!

DD = baby as she doesn't move. That's my rationale!

WG - that is very rough 8 years is nothing. No comforting words, except...love lasts forever and transcends mere physical presence.

Hope you are doing ok Aubi.

Urbane, the jabs went fine - or the jab, should I say. They wouldn't give her the MMR at the same time - nurse said I'd got to wait a month. They are twonks at that surgery sometimes.

Syb, I can't wait to watch films with DD. So cool.

Off to London town tomorrow until Sat eve. Just for funs. I need it, I have got cabin fever.

Watching Celeb BB, I am struck by the notion that Alex doesn't seem too bad. Maybe I have finally gone loopy.

Thanks for all your kind words girls. Evening 1 completed, now I just have to get to sleep and stay asleep. See Urbane - I am breaking it down as you advise. And Syb, if I had a copy of Sound of Music I would def take your advice. DD1 is 3.5 so I reckon she might like the songs. Sadly we will have to make do with Boogie Beebies.

Daisy - so sorry that you are having such a hard time. Please keep using the basket.

And WG, big hugs on this hard day. You are right, 8 years without your Mum is too long. Much too long.

Have fun in London LadyT. Is O coming up too? Or can you truly let your hair down? If so what are your plans?

On the baby/toddler debate I think DD2 is very much a baby. Toddlers walk and talk and boss you about, they insist on going go the park even in the rain and they want to pick there own clothes. They notice other toddlers and run around in a pack screaming with excitment, then they push each other over and occassionally bite. I have just survived all that once and thankfully DD2 ain't doing any of that yet even though she has perfected the art of the tantrum.

Damn and blast it.
Was I able to sleep last night? No
Has DD1 woken with a temp of 39 and complaining her bottom hurts? Of course
By bottom does she seem to mean it hurts when she pees? Yup
Does that mean a probable urine infection and need to go to GPs? I think so
Will her terror of doctors kick in leading to screaming tantrums and refusal to cooperate with anything? Inevitably
And must I cancel all the social activities I had planned to keep us distracted? Check

Gahhhhhhhhhh

Aub: hope you had a good night. 5 days to go (or is it 4? Does he fly back on the Tues?). We have lots of old kids shows DVDs which are good for long tv sessions as not as frenetic as modern stuff. DS1 spent most of the day in bed yesterday watching Ivor the Engine. V good value, as both series are there and runs for about 3 hours in total. He'll end up with a welsh accent at this rate. Bagpuss also has a soporific effect, as does Bod, but he's a bit freaked out by Fingerbobs. You could always do an emergency Amazon order for the weekend!

Daisy: sounds really tough . Please don't feel you have to stay away when things are hard - we're here to listen to whatever you want to say.

WG: have a cyber hig from me, hope you feel better soon. And thank you for your kind words about our sleepless nights. A bit better last night, so fingers crossed!

Veggie: I love hearing about your life in the Netherlands, skating! You've done so well to make the move a success, despite all the hassles. Full-time school must be a big change for your DS1, if he's anything like mine any change is not good and it takes ages to adjust.

Tortoise: hello! My DS2 was born on the 1 Jan, so I'm a bit of an imposter (though he was due on the 29th). Plus I get to bore you all with the thrilling stuff he has mastered which you all saw weeks ago. And I get to benefit from all the advice when he decides to take his turn at whatever it is (sofa climbing being our latest thing).

x-posted - how utterly rubbish. Can you get an appintment fairly quickly? And does bribery work at all?

Oh Aub. How awful. Hope you get to the Drs and she's ok. Chocolate? I've got DD's sick bug so my two are currently watching bob the builder and working their way through a stack of chocolate raisins while I lie on the sofa feeling dreadful.

Effie my DS1 loves ivor the engine. Was my favourite as a child too. Just the music makes me feel all warm inside.

Wg I cross posted with you last night. Hug from me too.

Gaah. My arms hurt to type. How pathetic is that?

Oh Aub, sorry about your night... I'm sure things will improve, and at the same time it will be less time until your dh is home
I'm with you on the furniture climbing Effie. ds still dives head first off the couch and has no fear at all. He breaks his fall with hands out but sometimes he doesn't either. His latest trick is if I am sitting on the couch and have my feet up on the coffee table ()he take a mini run up and dives over my legs and sort of does a really wrong looking somersault but usually just lands on his head I have to keep remembering not to put my feet up to stop him doing it!

I went to see the midwife yesterday - and there is still much confusion about the out of area hospital so she said I have to get notes and paperwork from the hospital and get my bloods done there, so I rang them and they said my GP's midwife is basically being difficult and that's not really procedure. They should have taken my bloods etc! Anyway, the hospital were nice and are going to call me back today hopefully with an update on what to do. I asked the midwife if she could at least listen for the heartbeat since i'd dragged my caboose down there, so she did, and it was lovely and strong and easy to find so reassuring - you all know how that is!

Anyway, has anyone got any tips on brushing baby teeth? He won't let me near him with a tootbrush so I have ordered one of those finger ones which should arrive today. He's got about 10 teeth and I can't get near them without holding him down and a real struggle. I don't want him to hate it when he's older!
Where's Pingu these days? I rememeber she has it mastered!

Veggie, I often also think to myself when i'm reading your posts that you have done such a brilliant job with the transition to another country with 2 small ones. I just always forget to say it.

WG I hope you are feeling better today - despite my families short comings at times, I can't imagine how hard it would be to be in that situation. Puts things into perspective doesn't it.

OH Urbane, x posted. Sounds like your exhausted. No doubt at your tits end Hope you feel better soon too. Have a lazy day!

OH Urbane, x posted. Sounds like your exhausted. No doubt at your tits end Hope you feel better soon too. Have a lazy day!

oooh that is odd

Oh no Urbane! So sorry you got the sickness bug? Are you in sole charge of the kids today? Will they happily amuse themselves all day? I hope you feel better soon. We too just watch Bob, now DD1 is hypnotised by Show Me, Show Me. She has always had a bit of an obsession with Poi so she is happy.

Effie - we have Bagpuss, Clangers and Mr Ben on DVD. DD1 loves them. But the day she will watch an actual film is the day I long for. Cartoons don't do it for me. We watched this seasons Strictly Come Dancing together and it was so much fun both enjoying the same show. I may do an emergency amazon order of Sound of Music, Bed Knobs and Broomsticks and Wizard of Oz. Any other films that might capture the imagination of a 3.5 year old?

Yep, just me today although DH thinks he might be able to leave work at 3...DS is not happy with me because the siding I've built on the track (I've built) is a bit defective in his opinion. So no, not so much of them playing by themselves. Mary Poppins? My nieces absolutely loved it from being very small, and still think that's the London I live in.

Rubes that sounds like a right pain about the midwives. Glad you could hear the heartbeat though. How lovely. . Very exciting to think that we'll have new babies on the thread this year. Though not for me I think. Being sick brought back all horrid memories of last pg. Ok enough of feeling sorry for myself and filling the thread with my wittering...

right - I think i've got a result, after many phone calls back and forth I am now having the flippin booking forms sent from the hospital to me at HOME!!!! So I can then take them to the bloody midwife locally to do!! My hospital said their procedure is they normally send them to my GP so they are doing that AND sending it to me to cover all bases!!! I really need a [rollseyes] smiley right now!!
Think I might also just get dh to go over to Maternity and pick a bloody booking form up as I'm sure none of them will make it to me!!!

Sorry for my complete downer of a post last night! DH and I had had a bit of a row, his head is all over the place (totally understandable) and basically if I complain about anything I am met with "whats your problem? Is someone you love dying" or "I don't need to hear this I have more on my mind than you". And he is probably right, I probably am being selfish. I just feel that at the moment I deal with everything, I know he has a lot on his mind and I thought he would want to know about our 'near ASBO' DD's latest outbursts or the fact I had just bought DS his first shoes. Well he doesn't. So it is safe to say that I feel I am at my tits end!!! BTW mom great title and thanks for the new thread!

Rubs Sorry you are getting the run around with the MW's but fantastic news about hearing the heartbeat. The best sound As for teeth brushing...DS likes his top teeth being brushed but won't tolerate his bottom ones FWIW I also use normal toothpaste, just because my friend has a 6 yr old that will only use strawberry flavoured toothpaste!

Aubs Sorry about your bad night and hope DD1 isn't too poorly. maybe you can still fit in a few activites to keep you busy over the weekend if she picks up?

wg thinking of you Things must be tough right now for you, sending you an un-MN hug.

veggie Hope you enjoyed the yoga. Which reminds me I should nip over to fatties and check in.....Not that you are fat or anything just that I need to exercise and that reminds me of my chunkiness - gosh I am rambling!!!!

Urbane Hope you feel better soon, do not worry at times like this CBeebies and quavers have been my best friend

Right I need to do something constructive now...ironing...maybe.

Oh no Aubs - that is the last thing you need this week! Hope you manage to get it sorted. I know antibiotics always work really quickly when I have a bladder infection, so hopefully she will be feeling better soon. Thinking of you over the weekend - I know it is always weekends that I miss my DH most when he is away because others are normally busy and there are no activities on.

What else have I missed....

Apologies if I jumped the gun on the toddler thread title! Mine definitely feels more toddler than baby these days - walking, almost running, has a few (garbled) words, tantrums, etc. But he was born looking about 4 years old, so I think he is just a strange man-boy phenomenon!

Lady - Stressful wait for you these next couple of weeks, but hope you get the result you want. Our bodies can trick us into thinking crazy things - I remember having my period delayed by weeks when I was teenager just from the stress of worrying that I was pregnant! Here's hoping your sore boobs are just something like that. But also echo what others have said re: weight - I am now lighter than I was before I was pregnant, only because I had a non-sleeping baby who I walked with the pram for hours every day. Not that you want one of those, but every cloud and all that?!

Kiwi - We had a crazy string of bad nights here. Over a month. Things better this week, though last night he was howling at 2 am because he was wedged at the end of the cot with both his arm and leg stuck out the bars!

Welcome Tortoise! Veggie - Laughed about the hamster-rat. Hope your DS1 is feeling more comfortable at school. Must be so hard for them with the language, etc.! Brave little chap.

WG - Thinking of you with your Mum's anniversary.

Daisy - Please keep sharing your sadness and frustrations. We have all/will all be there at one stage and need the support.

DS had a good Day 3 at the childminder yesterday. A 2 hour nap! What??? I never get those. Let's hope today is going well too. Perhaps I should do some work rather than mumsnetting since I have stuck my child at daycare all day?!

Okay, I have never brushed DS's teeth. Is he going to have rotten snaggleteeth forever?! I still BF him right before bed, but am I supposed to do teeth brushing in between? Can't face that.

Teeth: I give DS2 the brush and let him chew it. OccasionallY I try myself if he's in the mood. Same with DS1 and his teeth are fine

I do the same as effie on the toothbrush front. Just put toothpaste on it and give it to her to chew when she's in the bath. And she does chew it for a while. But then gets bored. But it's better than nothing, I think.

toothbrushing - much the same here, to start with we gave it to her as a toy and now she lets me brush top and bottom for about 5 seconds before grabbing the handle and just shoving it about generally (?!)

wg darling, nothing to say to make you feel any better just sending you some sympathy and love.

aubi sorry about your dreadful night, hope things perk up soon. Has the doc been able to give her anything? Veggie usually has great advice on how to help with antibiotics.

rubena what a palaver!

urbane poor you as well. Blasted kids giving us their illnesses

daisy, you and dh are going through such a hard time at the moment there are bound to be cross words from time to time. When DH and I have had a bit of a barney we find just a hug helps to say sorry, no need to say anything.

DD seems to have discovered 'social' behaviour - she's taken to doing that awful cheesy grin I posted on FB, and then going "aha ha ha ha ha" - she's realised that grownups make a laughing noise and if she tries to copy it, we laugh again. DH thinks it's dreadful but it just creases me up

Hi Laydees.

Hope Aubs DD is ok, her FB status says she is at C&W hospital poor thing!

Rubs I got a bit misty eyed when I was reading your post about getting a double buggy as it suddenly occured to me that I'm really excited about you having a baby. I was a bit baffled thinking why am I getting so soppy then realized that well your a good friend albeit one I've only met once. Same goes for beans I'm actually just really excited for you two lovely ladies.

Daisy I'm sorry this is all so hard and I can see why your DH is saying the things he is but...well it's just a bit mean. I know he is really sad about his mum dying but he is ignoring his family who are very much alive. I hope he doesn't look up one day and realize he has missed so much of DS's important firsts. By the way I saw that FB post and it made me feel really guilty I haven't gotten around to getting DS2 shoes he is currently having to get around outdoors in a pair of DS1's wellies from when he was about 18months which are way too big.

Well Yoga was brilliant it was so good to get back into it. It's a very basic class but it's designed to bring beginners of yoga and as well as experienced yoga types up to speed with this form so that we can join the regular class without having to slow the group down. They are very big on the aspects of yoga which I find important which is good but also quite chilled out about it too. I think once I join the main class I'll find it more challenging and the pain will begin.

Urbane I found the wii fit yoga on the main wii fit DVD thing a bit stop start because you have to go back to the menu and choose a pose. Doing the actual poses is good as you have to balance yourself on the fit board and so you have to do the poses really well and the explanations are good. However, it doesn't flow like a class. I got the fitness coach DVD for wii and it has a yoga option which was ok but not great, I used it in combination with other classes on the programme after I had DS2 and it got a few KGs off. I think it's probably better to do a class and if you find it's too difficult to keep up just try to memorize the poses and then do it at home yourself.

hope everything is ok Aubs xxx