Dec 08 ladies getting re-clackered, with tantrums from toddlers we're sure to be knackered

[traceface]

Loved your title rubs
Never started a thread before so hope this works...can anybody find it?
hello....

Evenin' all. Had a very useful GP appointment today. I have got sinusitis, but not much point in taking AB's for it apparently. They are going to give me a blood test to check if there is anything up fertility wise and also see how my blood sugar is and they won't prescribe Zyban, but there is something newer and better that they will prescribe me once I've been seen by the stop smoking nurse. They have also referred DS for more hearing tests to rule this out as the concentration problem.
Thanks for the advice on the cottages Lady, I don't think my bank will be very helpful, but am going to talk to our accountant tomorrow to see if there is any way that I can have my shares transferred into the cottages, and then remortgage (or transfer mortgage) for the rest. It seems silly not to try as we will never get this kind of opportunity again. Itcouldallbe very exciting, but will wait and see whether it is even a remote possibility before planning my new hime .
I had a touch too much cheerfulness at a crashingly boring PTA meeting tonight so think I'd better get to bed...and missed all the No 10 excitement as well, grrr.

Morning! Am feeling rather cheerful about things here. I think a combo of easing tax on the lowest paid and cuts in public spending could work. Fixed term parliaments as well. Woo. We'll have to see how it all works out.

Ladyt: have no advice re the eating, hope the mw is more useful.

Avo and urbane: interesting times ahead!

just on quickly - The Rubena household is quite pleased about the departure of Mr Brown
no chance in hell of catching up but have had a very very very quick skim.
back is still a little knackered thanks for asking all but I'm trying to take a little bit of Paracetemol when I need it.
these reports are not easy esp as I'm sitting typing a lot at night and the back is sore. I pity the poor buggers doing this in India for a pittance.
Avo - hope dd is feeling better. dh said he wouldn't have worried about the loo brush incident.
lady hope you aren't too stressed about the food thing but I can imagine it would be. ds goes through phases but it's generally teeth related. In a non-teeth-hurty time, foods he eats (sorry it was Summer who asked I think)
like - toast, bread, most of our meals he will eat the next day. fav's are Spag bog, lasagne, very mild and sweetish thai curries, loves mashed pot and cous cous, apple, cream cheese and ham in a sandwhich (sometimes) egg mayonaise in a sandwich (sometimes) all of the non-finger food needs to be quite soft and chopped up / mashed quite small or he tosses it to the dog, yohurt any time, anywhere, and a few others i cant think of oh shepherds pie, weetbix / banana for bfast. On a bad teeth day - milk, yogurt, toast and maybe mashed pots or v mashed pots with veg. He loves mushy peas too recently oh gotta go he is having major meltdown as he woke early today - his nappy had leaked wee and his pj's, and sleeping bag were wet and he had undone his sleeping bag!! Suffice to say he's knackerred and grumpy today. Plus had a big day and got beaten up a little yest at his friends while I was getting my hair done

Dammit!!!! I wrote a long post last night but my itouch ran out off battery and I lost it all. The annoying thing when that happens is when I charge it up again I turn it on and for a split second I can see the message in front of me but then it instantly refreshes the page and I lose the whole thing.

I also feel a bit sorry for Brown (and my NHS colleagues). I'm also not sure about this CGT increase, but then tax inceases are inevitable. I think we are going to talk to an accountant to see what the best course of action is. I have to say I usually vote labour as nurses don't usually do very well under conservative govts but we don't live there now so no having to work under tight conditions, and well it wasn't exactly great under labour.

Now what did I say in my post. Oh I did laugh about Mr Clegg father my child, must of been when we had chat about WHO codes on BF and one thing led to another...

I can't remember what else I talked about but I did write loads on the feeding thing. As you know we have had terrible terrible stress & worry with DS1's feeding. I can say from the outset it is nothing you are doing wrong, I put no effort into DS2's weaning and he literally eats anything. There's not even any point saying what he likes as he will eat it all. The only things he doesn't swallow is meat, he will chew on it the spit out. I don't even purée foods for him. It's almost laughable that when I make soups or sauces I put a bit aside for DS2 then purée the rest for DS1! Anyhoo, just some tips to help keep you sane, we used to add butter and cream to anything you can, milk drinks, sauces, butter on toast, bikkies, in porridge. If you can boost calories you can boost appetite a bit, and obviously there is the obvious calorie content. There has also been research to show that iron effects appetite, though I'm not sure at this age.

With DS1 we tended to go for bland foods as that seemed to be what he was happiest with, we experimented with textures and flavours and then built meals around those. I also bought a book when he was about 14months called Finger foods for babies & toddlers by Jennie Maizels. It was brilliant suddenly I had a few more ideas and surprisingly for a child who was very fussy he would eat the polenta dish and tofu nests. It made him sound very wholemeal but they were really good for him and he loved them. We also started putting really small amounts on his plate so we didn't overwhelm him and that helped. I also made him lots of soups packed with lentils and veg which he still
loves. Most of all (and this took time) we just tried to relax. This was really difficult and we still get annoyed sometimes but surprisingly he is a very decent sized child (& he was very skinny as a toddler) and has a great appetite. His reportoir of foods is slowly increasing and we have really focussed on how brave he is when he tries something new. He genuinely seems afraid of trying new foods. But he did just try avocado and liked it on toast and that was one of the first foods he hated. It has been a lot of effort but we are at the stage now with him where we would not describe him as a fussy eater, there are foods he doesn't like but these are reducing, or just not really an issue. The other thing that has helped is sitting and eating with his brother, it's a bit more entertaining than just us and also he sees his brother eating with wild abandon and I thing is kind of makes him realise it's ok. Oh and also as he has gotten older and more active he genuinely becomes ravenously hungry so has really started to understand why genus eating. I think before it was just an annoying time filler until he could play again. But the main thing is they will grow and be ok, I know that may not help now and you may think, oh no but my babylady really doesn't eat anything, believe me DS1 was just as bad, but minus the blueberries.

Gosh sorry that was a bit long better send this.

Katie sinusitis is nasty, glad the GP is sorting out other bits. Would a mortgage advisor be able to help with the other stuff?

Slowly starting to remember other bits from my lost post JJ that is gross about the condom, how on earth would it end up there?

Morning.

I am not happy about David Cameron being PM as I just can't stand the man. But I suppose I can't do anything about it except give him the benefit of the doubt. Can't do much worse than Gordon Brown really.

Regarding eating while weaning DS1 ate everything we gave him except courgette. But at about 15 months he just stopped eating. He would only eat fish fingers, chicken nuggets and baked beans. Oh and cheese sandwiches. He has only just now starting eating properly. XMIL thinks he is far too skinny but HV says he is fine for his height and age. DS2 wolfs down anything and everything. He devoured a curry the other night complete with naan bread and an onion bhaji!!! I am quite worried he'll suddenly stop eating soon like DS1 did.

God I rambled on there about eating.

Is it wrong to be really looking forward to my childfree weekend? They have been up at 5am everyday since last Friday. I need a lie in!!!

Hope everyone is well.

Hi Kayz. 5am every day sounds gruelling...

Veggie and everyone else who has offered helpful pearls of wisdom re: Fussyface's eating, I am really grateful. I do wonder whether, when she finally walks, she will expend more calories and therefore want to eat more

I am quite pleased, this morning, with the way the new administration is working out. At least if there is a fixed term parliament, we won't have the instability in the air that another potential election could cause. Mmm, what will we all be doing by the time of the next one in 2015?

SamCam had her kids at St Mary's, so I wonder if this one will be born there too? She's September like me but she looks a bit further on than me, I must say. Apparently she is having an NHS cs. So I won't see her as I'll be upstairs

That sounds positive about the doc, Katie. And I agree you should really try and go for it with the cottages, pull out all the stops.

Are you in Reading at all for appts, Rubes? DP hasn't been there for a bit but it must be time for another one.

Gosh, not at all wrong to be looking forward to a childfree weekend - also means that you'll be looking forward to having them back again on Sunday!

It took me an hour and a half to get into work this morning. I loved it. Just sat on the bus reading my book. Usually it's 40 mins. But I took full advantage of not having DD and enjoyed the time off - back to full time motherhood next week. SO looking forward to it, but making the most of not having her today and tomorrow. But can't wait to be in sole charge again - hurray! Little Jaws with all her teeth!

I must be quick as work bekons....

LadyT DD can be hit and miss food wise but she was on complete food strike a few weeks ago until DH tempted her with a boiled egg. She LOVED dipping. You are doing a great job continuing to offer DD different foods. Hope the HV is a kindly one. Oh and how amazing you are still in 'normal' jeans. Well done you!

Last week at work beans, hurrah! Lucky you. Have you started packing yet?

Avacado Very exciting times professionally I expect. I wondered if you were one of the background people hanging about near the HoP yesterday! I must admit I am not a fan of DC but the Lib-Lab arrangement was never going to work. It will be interesting to see if they can work together.

Back later, MUST WORK

No packing started as yet... Fingers crossed can get on with it soon - but we use everything that we've got out!

I think this weekend I will clear my wardrobe of all but the stuff I actually wear regularly. Will be ruthless... God, it's going to be horrendous. I already had 2 big bags full of clothes in the loft. They can go to charity too.

Luckily DH is an accountant as all our boxes in the attic are labelled clearly and concisely. Hilarious. But v useful for now.

DD not only doesn't really eat, but also has this really irritating thing about not having anything on her highchair table! She just wants it totally clear. She will pick at a couple of mouthfuls, then hand things to me and have a total wobbly if I won't take them - including the plate and her cup etc. Grrr.

I'm v interested to see what happens with Con/Lib coalition.

Hello all,
Feeling better today, despite the fact that little trouble woke up twice in the night and then was up at 6, so I haven't had much sleep. I feel normal tired rather than the funny exhausted tired, so hopefully I am getting better.

On the eating front, I thought of a couple of other things:
when we got the health visitor round, one of the things she asked was about whether DS minded getting messy, I got the impression that if the answer was "yes" then this was sort of a bad thing, and one of the things she suggested anyway was sort of messy play with food, I think she suggested jelly, etc, but just letting them play with food and textures and stuff. I am sure you have heard all that before but could be worth doing it as an actual play session with lots of plastic matting down, etc. I never bothered doing it really as they do that sort of thing at nursery and as I said he is not shy of making a mess, just of putting the stuff in his mouth and swallowing it!!

The other thing was that my friends mum was telling me that my friend stopped eating anything and would just drink milk at 2, in the end she went to the doctors and she was anaemic, as soon as she sorted out the iron her appetite came back. So maybe the HV/docs could do checks for that just to make sure. I don't know if this is rubbish as well, I didn't entirely trust her anecdote...but veggie mentioning iron reminded me. I expect she is getting iron from the formula anyway. I hope the HV isn't too much of a PITA anyway, plus I don't think you are optimistic to think that when your DD starts walking she will increase her appetite. DS definitely eats more post-walking than pre.

ladyt by the time of the next election, we will have 2 children at school!!!! YIKES! And hopefully you will have refurbished your house (JOKE, you will finish very soon, only teasing!) Oh on the house front, we are all systems go to move house, as we have found a lovely house we like which ticks all our boxes and needs NO work of any size doing to it. We have done enough on our current house and don't fancy it with 2 kids, plus we are crap at DIY so it was all very expensive to pay to get it all done where we are now. Hopefully moving at the beginning of July, there are 3 people in our chain (i.e. we are the only ones properly in a chain, buying and selling) and they are both aware that we don't want to move later than that, so hopefully it should work out, fingers crossed!!! Survey being done on our house today, yikes! When we do move in I will want to be buying some new furniture and stuff, so may be asking for advice, etc, from the home decoration/DIY gurus!

Do think all the political stuff is pretty exciting actually. And for all the whinging about a conservative-lib coalition, I do think it was the most obvious arrangement given the outcome of the election. Interesting stuff, I may even be watching the news in the coming months!! Also not really a fan of David C but we shall se how things go.

Rubes I don't think your DS sounds a bad eater, he sounds really good!

Hello Kayz! Child free weekend sounds peachy to me. Nothing wrong with looking forward to it. I have a weekend of MIL to look forward too - fortunately at our house though so NO DOG!

Katie good luck with the cottages, that would be great if you could buy them, so good luck. Sorry no cunning advice from me hope the accountant comes up with the goods.

beans I also meant to say your DH is crackers doing the moving all himself - good on him though! We are going to pay for the full packing/moving job, and I am still dreading it. Must start decluttering the house soon, and also need to clear out my manky old clothes. It is difficult when preggers though as I don't know what I will want to wear again, not quite as good at being ruthless when I can't fit into it at all!

Oh and LadyT DS was determinedly booting me in the CS scar this morning, the little bugger, while I was getting him dressed, now it hurts. I moved him away and he was LOOKING at his feet to try and position them correctly to have another go. He is a horrid child! I assume you felt better after DD did the same to you after a day or so?

That is really interesting about the iron, and also about the encouraging messy play with food. JB, I haven't tried her with a SOFT boiled egg, only hard boiled and omelette and fried. Maybe I will give it a whirl. I mean, what sort of kid won't eat mashed potato, or sausage, or cheese, or pasta?

Summer - you made me laugh about the refurb being finished in 2015. You are probably right! That's smashing, though, that you have found a house. I don't blame you a jot for buying somewhere with nowt to do on it. I only did it because it was a such a steal and such an amazing investment (could never have bought a 4 bedroomed place with a garden in this county without it being a total hovel in need of serious work). Two children at school by 2015 - yes, we will! Oh, my life.

Beans, I am SO hugely envious of your organised DH with regards to moving. Do not knock it! My DP does not excel at organisation and I am going to take it all on when we move, pregnant or not (and there will be lots of hassle as well - moving our stuff from DP's flat, then moving all my stuff from storage in London partly to Oxfordshire and partly to a cheaper storage in the Midlands ) Then we have to clean and paint DP's flat so it's ready to be rented out.

Oh, and can I also thank everyone for the advice about my poor scaly skin? Effie, I am definitely going to try those massage bars from Lush. I have been body brushing and absolutely POURING oil on me twice a day, and it has actually improved it a bit (cosmetically anyway).

Summer, what a little tinker! I am not a weed about pain (especially) but it took me at least a day to feel ok after that. Apparently on the scar itself, the outer bit, there is a lack of feeling, but behind the scar everything is just that bit weaker

I think DH is crackers too - but it's his choice - I'm going away for the weekend with Whizzy!

good plan re playing with food - Whizz has started getting mucky fingers and looking at them in horror and crying til I clean her. NOT GOOD as she's crap at eating tidily!

Is the fatties thread still going? I weighed myself this morning and I'm 13 stone 1lb. So I've lost 2 stone since January which I'm very pleased with. But my size 16 jeans keep falling down and size 14 jeans don't do up.

I'm very jealous of all the house talk. I'd love to be able to buy a house that needs doing up. Though I'm sure that if I did it would drive me mad. Housing association(sp) isn't too bad I guess as they fix anything that goes wrong but I can't do things like change the kitchen which desperately needs updating.

Eeek Summer in 2015 DS1 will be 8 and DS2 will be 7. That's quite scary.

Kayz, I am not sure about the Fatties thread (I will go on it with you if you like, I can't diet but am still eating carefully) but either way, 2st since Jan is BRILL! Well done.

Blimey Kayz well done on the 2 stone, that is amazing.

It looks like we are going for it with the cottages! The accountant is looking into ways that we could do it, but can't see there being a big issue. Either a proportion of all shareholders shares will be transferred into the cottages, in which case DH and I can buy each one out, or my sister in Zambia has said that she will have all of her shares transferred into 1 cottage and I will do the same with the other, then we buy her out once we have sold our place. It just might work . However, I haven't actually seen inside these cottages since 1989 so I may change my mind once we manage to get the keys back off the tenants and get inside!
Lots and lots to think about now.

How long does sinusitis take to go away? This is getting ridiculous, Ishould have shares in Kleenex.

I am quite excited about the new Governemnt, I think it was the only option really. I would have been very pissed off if we had Lab/Lib coalition as neither of those parties were actually voted in. However I am not a huge Cameron (or Clegg) fan, so we will see...

Oh, and we have had a total of two unaided steps here, progress!

Lady: I was going to suggest playing with food but Summer beat me to it! This is based on summat I saw on the telly so you're prob better off with expert advice. But they were encouraging a fussy eater to play with different textures, putting wotsits in a cup for eg, and 'feeding' a glove puppet.

I'm sure they'll all grow up to be perfectly normal in the long run - despite strange eating habits. Do I sound like my mother? YES!

Just had my leaving lunch with my team from work. Was v nice indeed. Feeling quite full now. But had room for a Dairy Milk. Yumbo!

Katie - well done on the steps! So exciting when it happens, isn't it? I loved it! And it wasn't that long ago for us! Hurray! And DD really good at walking now, which is brill! And great news about the cottages - sounds like good ideas from your accountant - how exciting!

Guys - one other question... For the clackers amongst us, and those who have had more than one and remember this 7.5 months preggers thing... I quite often feel like my fanny is falling out when I'm walking. Really not comfortable and probably TMI, so apologies. But it's really quite unpleasant and I'm finding walking anywhere quite hard work! Is this normal?? I don't think it is!!!

DS1 always hated getting dirty hands and never liked messy play, I tried with him but he would just look at me as if to say 'why on earth mummy...really!'. We booked into a messy play session at center parcs once and he just looked on horrified at all the children sticking their hands in baked beans and other muck. I eventually got him around it by getting him to do finger painting. But he was still never fussed on other messy play.

Kayz I really feel for you looking after those boys on your own, I think you need to look forward to a week without them let alone a weekend. 5am every morning must just be so exhausting, can DS1 go to nursery soon to give you a break? 2 stone is amazing by the way but how much is that in Kg. I have finally started calorie counting as of yesterday I want to look good for a wedding at the end of June! Yesterday was ok as i got to add some calories due to taking the boys out for a ride and doing yoga. Let's see how today goes.