Wow, just had a good catch up. First up I have to say Jumping I will miss you so much. I do understand why you have to give it a break and really respect your reasoning. When I saw your FB post I did rather wonder if this may be the result. I know how hard it is to find time to MN when you are at home with the DC?s even if you have a reliable web connection. You have the most beautiful family and your home sounds lovely. I have this vision of you all in this bucolic paradise. It will still be bloody hard work but even with that and the financial sacrifices that might need to be made, it sounds like your heart really wants to be at home right now. You?ve been a source of advice, support and inspiration to me over the past couple of years and I wish you, Mr Jumping and all the baby Jumping?s the absolute best. I too will hope for the occasional check in from you either here or on FB.
Blue You know sitting out January in a huff sounds like a really great idea 
I am so glad little B has settled into his nursery after that little hiccup at the beginning. I am thinking about when to start Clara (am currently thinking about September this year when Freddie (hopefully) starts at the local pre school. I?m afraid where Clara is concerned I am the clingy one. The ?my first day at nursery? was a lovely thing for them to do ? sounds a fab nursery. It?s great when they share those pics with you. I saw a lovely one of F after he?d been playing with shaving foam. He is holding his hands up to the camera and they are covered in foam but the perspective makes it look like he has those big, comedy foam hands on. He does of course have a huge grin on his face.
Glad the Xmas dinner went well. There is something about providing a festive spread that makes you feel like the proverbial domestic goddess. That, and a well stocked airing cupboard. I really need to get out more. Your gym regime sounds really impressive. You go sister. I have lost the weight now but bloody hell do I need some toning. Praise the Lord for Spanx but frankly they can only do so much. When your thighs feel like water at your spin class just think how great you?ll feel buying a minxy bikini or three! Btw, what is your source of cute and reasonably priced summer clothes for the boys?
Bella Wow it?s all been a lively start for the year for you. I hadn?t actually realised G and C had the same birth date. I?m sure you all had a lovely day and the little fella had a great time. I hope your first couple of weeks back at the grindstone have been ok. Your nanny sounds like she settled in well (inadequatly mixed pasta and sauce notwithstanding)and the little G man sounds happy with the arrangement. In time you will probably come to enjoy at least some of the benefits of working outside the home ? some cash and a lunch break being the two that spring immediately to mind. People often cite ?sensible conversation? as a benefit but frankly that was short on the ground at my office when I went back. People in IT really do talk a lot of bollocks.
Congrats on the 7-7 milestone! C is doing ok at the moment ? it tends to go 7-6, then have a quick bottle and back to sleep until about 8. I?m sure it will all go tits up again in a week or two. She?s teething at the moment I think ? at least I assume that?s what?s causing the torrents of dribble, red cheeks and snotty nose. Fred got his first two at about 13 months so it looks like she is on a similar schedule.
Rogue Am really happy for you that your dad is recovering. Not sure what to say about the detective gene possibility. I guess you can?t do much other than stay positive and see what the tests say. Best of luck with ttc number 2! It?s so lovely reading about how Aoife is such a delightful baby. I feel that way about Clara ? she?s been so lovely. So much so that I ended up sobbing on her birthday because I didn?t want it to end!
Your bedroom sounds fab ( I LOVE teal ? the thing that struck me most about the new Upstairs Downstairs that was on over Xmas was how fabulous their teal hall with the black and white checked floor looked) and I hope you meet your christening decorating deadline. Speaking as one who is now considering paying a painter just to try and actually get it all finished all I can say is that I know the challenge of living with a ?work in progress? sort of house. Btw, what on earth is Zymba?
Head Hope the nanny hunt is going well. I was so sorry to read that you got left in the lurch. It must be so frustrating, especially when you had no idea that it was coming. On the upside I hope you?ve enjoyed the surprise ?holiday? with them both! Not sure how Luca is at the moment but Freddie is being an absolute terror. I don?t know if they get some sort of testosterone surge at 3 and a half or something but honestly, he is driving me potty. The simplest request is usually met with something along the lines ?NO! I DON?T WANT TO.? He is of course angelic at nursery and with anybody else except me but he is doing some serious boundary pushing. One of the reasons I?ve been so worn out every night recently is that just getting through the day with him can be such a battle. He has insane amounts of energy ? he basically needs to be exercised like some mad border collie or he becomes utterly impossible. Not great in this weather.
Best of luck with the Atkins or variant of. I did something similar ? the Neris and India diet which is low carbing but not quite as hardcore as Atkins although it is in the first couple of weeks. I have to say it has worked really well for DH and I and I?ve just adapted my cooking now. I have carbs now but tend to take them in the form of starchy veg, oats and pulses rather than bread, pasta etc. My weight seems reasonably stable and I don?t feel like I?m missing out which I think is pretty essential.
OK, well Top Gear is drawing to close and DH may want to have a conversation By the way, I am also super keen to meet you all ? am currently free most weekends in March and April and can get to Barnes reasonably easily I think ? it is on the mainline to Waterloo isn?t it? If so, I can get a train direct from Reading. It stops everywhere but at least there isn?t too much faffing with changes.
Farewell for now my lovely friends. Jumping and Sunny if you are lurking hello there!