FEB 2010 No longer newborns!!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Three months and counting, everyone! Our babies are gradually getting the hang of the world...and we are gradually getting the hang of them...

bg that's a great idea, I'm going to do my own version when I get home

I am totally and completely indecisive at the moment about almost everything in my life. I guess I never chose to be a SAHM due to redundancy and then finding out I was expecting dd2.. I have applied for three posts in the past few weeks but did not get an interview for two so far which really shocked me. dh was very kind and said it's got much harder to get a job because more people apply and more will meet all critera and it may take some time. To be honest, I don't even want to go back to the same type of job I had before especially as it would require working full time and putting in extra hours (not strictly necessary but seems to be the 'culture') and I have never felt the urge to be a first class academic anyway (boooring). Also found last year that if I apply for a 'lower' job', I am told I am hopelessly overqualified, if applying for a job in a different area with tons of transferable skills, I am told I do not have enough experience.... As for retraining, I'd love to but no idea as what . Really I should just be happy that I have the chance to be at home with my two lovely girls for a bit and stop stressing about it.
Also wonder about the economics of it. Nursery places around here are about 40 pounds a day on average. Times two children, that's £80 a day (they would have to be in different nurseries so no discount for the second). Haven't done my figures properly yet but I wonder if there is any point in going back to work!!
Oh (and yes I will shut up in a moment) and have all you SAHMs worked out how much you are actually worth? I do 14 hour shifts, no weekends, no holidays, no sick days, and on call at all times ... Nurseries are only open 8 to 6, so doing 7 days a week of 14 hours each I should be worth... er, ...9trailing off because brain too tired to deal with numbers...)

Watercress I second your rules wholeheartedly (and prepares for self-centred rant...

Chinook I have similar qualifications to you so will take my turn with the dunce's hat. Have never been to a festival either! so can't even claim to have been too cool for school!

Congrats to Mr CC. I'm with you on the just about holding it all together thing (and I haven't moved across the Atlantic, started a new job and finished a PhD, so maybe cut yourself some slack and be amazed by the fab things you have achieved?) I think sleep deprivation is as much the cause of any distress we may be feeling as anything else. DS2 also up every hour (and more) in the last few nights and it's a disaster in my book! I call it 'crying tired' - when I'm so tired that any tiny thing reduces me to tears. Be kind to yourself CC and to MrCC and try to keep exercising when it makes sense to do so - I love it too.

BG made me have tears in my eye - see above re crying tired. After a long day, it is nice to recall that I love: DS2's smile and chuckle, especially when he's laughing at DS1; DS1 playing peepo with him over the side of the cot; the fact that he is sooo keen to eat and help me with the spoon after only 10 days of puree; the immediate smile in the morning - make the most of these as DS1 has grown out of this and fights over what not/to wear!; when he grabs me by my hair on both sides and sucks my chin - (a bit yuck but very funny!!) and the fact that each time I do have to get up in the night, he grins, rolls on his side and goes straight back to sleep

Finally, DS2 will be christened on Sunday. We have asked people to bring a picnic to the park (or our house if rainy) after. We did a bbq for 50 for DS1's, but are in no place to do it at the mo. We had no real help from family and found it completely exhausting with only one child to oversee at the same time. Friends seem happy with this but the family are all a bit . I really don't need to be defending our decisions at the mo, as I am finally admitting defeat and feeling really exhausted by the stress with which we have been dealing. In addition, DS1 had a night terror for the first time yesterday evening, (and just as I was about to write on here!) which was horrid. Had his next set of blood tests today and, again, he was fine. Anyway, despite the above, have been for my weekly swim and am feeling more relaxed.

p.s. Watercress did say 'me' posts were ok. Can I have some hugs now?!!

lots and lots of hugs to bethylou

I'm only sorry I couldn't hug you last night bethylou but here's a great big bearhug this morning. A picnic in the park (it Will Not Rain!) will be just lovely. Hope you have a really happy, enjoyable day.

By the way I like it when DD sucks my chin... yeah it's messy but it actually feels really nice...!

bethylou have a great christening!! We went for a family meal after ours which my brother paid for, so it worked out rather well for us (My mum (70) and brother (30) celebrated their 100th birthday this year which is why he was unusually generous

ps bethylou I found the christening for dd2 much more relaxed and enjoyable than for dd1. Hope it's the same for you!

Can we start a new thread? This one is getting rather large...

Hugs bethylou

Thanks for the support from all of you. I belive DD2 doesn't have an allergy but DD1 disease. She has now a rash exactely similar to that of DD1, It would be dubbious that both DD had a different allergy with a skin rash a few days appart, with fever and a sore throat
My poor baby is very white and spotty red all over but still smiles all the time even with her fever yesterday

BG I have similar problems finding a job.

In France, the viva for the phD is public you can have up to 6/7 members in your jury, with 2 external examinators (the more important ones) the others are just asking questions not dissecting the thesis. You have 40 min presentations and then an unlimited number of hours of questionning (usually 2 or 3 rarely 1 or up to 5 ).
All that in front of you parents and familly and anybody interested in your subject. (usually a pretty full amphitheater, for mine about 100 people). Then the jury goes out and deliberate, it can take a long time too (3 h for one of my freind) then they come back and publicly announce your grades and critics.
Of course after that everybody is invited to a drink (champagne! we are french after all ) somewhere in the uni on the new phD of course!
And yes you usually don't failed but that's because you would be stopped before the presentation if not good enough. The fact that there are more people in the jury means that it is more difficult to be shot by one guy like it happened for you BG. I think your director is to blame, the jury is usually chosen carefully for such things not to happen.

I love DD2 "chin kisses" too.
She is now able to sit up by herself . If I remember correctly there is a delay before they learn to lie down on their own so a few difficult times to settle them at night...

Only one degree here, too! Although I did a career change from broadcasting to teaching English as a foreign language (which involved a TEFL qualification) - does that count?!

I UTTERLY agree with the thread rules proposed - as many "me" posts as you want and likewise

Good luck with the christening, bethylou!

Love the look of that weaning food net.

Our weaning is a mixture of spoonfeeding by me and DH and spoongrabbing by DD - she's getting increasingly interested in the foods we're offering. The last couple have been various vegetable mixtures. I must admit, I haven't been very good about obeying the allergy rules, but haven't noticed any untoward reactions to anything - including the berries she's been licking because I didn't realise you had to wait a year for those.

Lovely reasons why you love your babies!! I love it when DD falls asleep in my arms or when I'm wearing her in the sling - she looks so peaceful cuddled against me. Also, those huge gummy smiles and her wrinkly-nosed laughter are so heart-melting. Mind you, she does have a rather vulgar sense of humour. Blowing raspberries and shouting "GWEEGOO!!" in a Mr Punch voice are the things she finds most hilarious.

DD's now a proficient front-to-back roller and side to side, but has yet to achieve the full 360 degrees. She's also taken to floor-swimming and moving her self round in a circle. It won't be long before she's properly mobile, I reckon. She's almost sitting up unaided, too. [proud mum emoticon].

Sleep? Let's draw a veil over that. Let's just say, she gets what she needs one way or another and I get what I can!

We finally gave in and bought a baby audio monitor yesterday - and entered, for the first time, a branch of Mothercare (well, they don't have it in Spain as far as I can tell!) - I felt slightly over-awed. Still, a good purchase I reckon - gives us a bit more freedom of movemement when DD's snoozing.

Hmm, this thread is starting to bulge out at the seams, isn't it?

Tell you what, I'll get a new one going and post a link to it below, hang on a mo...

Oh, and watercress - bless you, but we haven't camped at any of the festivals yet, so definitely doing it the softcore way!! The baby ear defenders are ace, though. DD seems really comfortable in them and has no problem falling asleep when wearing them.
Recommended.

The new thread awaits (same rules apply...!!)

Find it:

HERE!!!