April 2009 - Episode 13 - 'I've been looking for the exit for months!'

[Schulte]

Fanjo Warriors, here we are

Morning

One child awake all night with a temperature and another cutting teeth does not a sprightly Puzzle make.
I also have two beds to change as Holly's nappy leaked and Ellen wet my bed. Anyone care to come and deal with my pissy sheets so I can go back to bed?

I haven't seen him yet Schulte. I'm desperate to but my brother is in Cheltenham and they only allow visitors into the SCBU for 2 hours per day. So we will wait until he is home and go up for the weekend.

We had an appointment with a paediatric consultant yesterday. Ellen now has a low dose preventor to use daily. Hopefully it will give her the necessary protection before she starts nursery and we can avoid hospital again this winter.
It is a relief to finally have her condition being managaed and taken seriously.

That's good about Ellen getting the right medication. Fingers crossed for no more trips to hospital. Not so good about no sleep - hope you get a better night tonight!

I have just changed pissy sheets too because DD1's nappies leak on a regular basis but I don't always notice until it's all dried and left a yellow mark Could easily have done yours while I was at it!

Remember Hazel's skin infection last summer and everyone joking about how medieval the conditions in the Schulte household must be? Well she now has a boil (an abscess) and has to take another course of ABs for it. This child really manages to get the weirdest things. And she's had more weeks on ABs than off them since about April

Anyway pizza and wine are awaiting!

Congratulations Auntie Puzzle! Fabulous.

Have been a bit absent, sorry all. Work, mostly. Yawn.

Am very excited as I am going on proper weekend away with a girlfriend. And NO CHILDREN. To Cheltenham, coincidentally, Puzzle. You should come too

DS1 starts school on 13 Sep and is behaving appallingly at the moment. Is this normal for boys about to start school, Boff?

Orbit Buttonhole is still not really talking, although he can say 'Yur' for Yes and 'Ninininininininin' for No. And possibly Mumumumumumum although it often means milk. He does have a good line in tantrums though.

DP may have persuaded me that we can't have a third baby.

I would if I could WFH, I hate being so far away from my brother at a time like this. I want to hug him as much as the baby.

Holly isn't talking either. She makes a few discernible sounds but mostly just says "down". It's all about the intonation though. "Down" covers a multitude of things. She makes a few signs too.

Schulte, sorry to hear about Hazel. Where is the abscess?

Hello all.

I've been keeping up even though you can't tell . Just starting working full time for 3 months, training for a marathon, doing up the house. Where does anyone have time for anything?? Can't remember the last time I watched the telly or had sex .

Toddlerwarrior also has a fine line in tantrums. He has worked out the right pitch of scream that will get him things. We are working hard to ignore him when he screams. Hard work. But lovely.

Congrats Puzzle, Hooray about the house Schulte but sorry about Hazel's abcess. Hello WFH.

Hello everyone else! Where are you all? xxx

TW is talking lots. He has recently learned "No no no no nooooo" I have realised that it comes from me .

Full stop missing in there somewhere

Abscess on the knee. She doesn't seem too bothered, which is good. My girls are very brave [proud mummy]

Hooray for girly weekend WFH!

We have 'bir' for 'bird' and it needs to be said in a very excited voice and applies to all animals. Hazel pointed at a picture of a lion earlier and shouted 'Bir! Bir! Bir!'

She also has a shoe obsession, just like her sister did at this age.

They really are funny at this stage aren't they.

On the other hand she's decided that she doesn't like being bathed, having her hair washed, her teeth brushed, or her bottom wiped so we have a lot of fights. Which is a bit tiring.

Zulu - Ellen was helping Holly put her shoes on the other day and said to her "for goodness sake pay attention would you"

Schulte - Holly kicks up a fuss unless the bath is very deep and full of bubbles. Extraordinarily high maintenance.

Hello all!

I have been trying to keep up but thought I would pop in while I have an afternoon off (no work, child or DH!) and time to sit and type something that makes sense!

Firstly - Puzzle, I love Ellen - I can just imagine her saying that! And I am so glad that she is getting sorted now. And yay for little nephew!! My sister is pregnant with her first DC (only 6 weeks though so early days) and I am WAY more excited for her than I was for me as I get to be fun auntie BB, not boring mummy!

Schultes yay for house, boo for abscess. How are the girls doing? Sorry if I missed it - what did you decide to do about work in the end?

Bicnod, how is everything going?

Swali, another baby - yay! I had a scare last month and wasn't at all bothered (which was a HUGE surprise to me) so am coming around to the idea that maybe we can start working on the next baby a bit sooner than I had originally planned - although despite DH's protests - not yet!

Zulu, snap for marathon training, I am up to around 8 miles but am having a break at the moment as I damaged by toe last week (bad trainers now replaced with new, cushioned, stupidly priced - and butt ugly - running ones!). I'm enjoying it. Don't get me wrong the running part is hell but an hour of no noise in my head four times a week is definitely a bonus!

So how is everyone doing? Life in the BB household is as hectic as usual - work is busy (but fine), DH is working away at the moment which is hard but nice too as I only have one other person to consider when organising days!

Kara is wonderful. I love this age. He keeps me on my toes though - little begger! His new trick is to sneak in to the dining room and take the Jack Daniels bottles out the cupboard and run round the house with them!

I can't get over how big they are, he comes up to the top of my thighs and eats me out of house and home! He is chatting away (a lot of the time I can't understand him but he is happy enough talking to himself (or to the pigeon that he was ordering about last week!) He knows all the noises and names for most animals, my favourite noises being the 'ah ah ah' of the monkey and squeal of the elephant and my favourite word being i'raffe - (giraffe), which sounds very similar to his bath (baff!).

He's doing great although covered in scratches and bruises from bounding around all over the place! He's a real outdoors person and must have at least some time outside climbing the trees, play football and building his sandcastles or he goes crazy!!

Thankfully (touch wood, fingers crossed and anything else possible), we have been through the tantrum phase (for a few months at least). That was truly horrendous!

Hope everyone is doing well. Love to all and the little ones...

DH has just been given a month's notice. Aaaaargh.

BB lovely to see you! I will be taking inspiration from you as the woman who does everything .

Puzzle that's hilarious. Nothing like your kids to keep you in check.....

Off on night shift. More stressing about money later xxx

Oh no Zulu, that's not good. Fingers crossed he finds something soon.

Yes, not good indeed.

If anyone would like to sponsor me to do the Berlin marathon for The Prostate Cancer Charity please look at the fanjo warriors Facebook page for linky. Thank you!

Oh Zulu sorry about your DH's job. I am totally in awe of the marathon training.

Congratulations on your new nephew Puzzle. And glad that Ellen's medication is getting sorted out.

We are back from Germany and had a fantastic time. Perhaps it was a bit of a stressful holiday to go on just before DS1 starts school, but he seems to have coped. Indeed the friends we went to visit have a 6 year old who started school the day before we arrived! (We didn't realise term started that week in Germany or we'd never have asked to come that week; our guests were fine with it but I think it was a little bit stressful for them in the end). Restaurants were fine and joy of joys having a small baby means you don't queue up for the Reichstag but get taken round to the priority entrance and straight up in the lift. It was amazing, and we have photos of Edmund toddling along the walkways I'll try to post on FB later.

Edmund has a fair few words which thoroughly reveal his personality. They include: bash, grab, pinch, ow, have it, bite, nose, mouth, hair, ear, milk (the things he likes to grab bash and pinch). Also lots of foodstuffs ("blackberry" means delicious food I want to eat, cutely) and then things he's obsessed about: lift, button, bike, helmet, hat, out.

Must go and read the Gruffalo now, as I've been warbling on while DH pointedly does useful things with bins.

Sorry about your bad news, Zulu, I can fully sympathise. Hope something positive comes along soon for your DH.
Congratulations on your nephew, Puzzle.
Nice to hear from you, BB.
Great news about the house, Schulte!
Nice image of Edmund in the Reichstag, mrsg.

Sorry to anyone I've missed.
Back to the grindstone after our amazing holiday. Now utterly skint, no money to pay our ruddy huge income tax bill (cheers, Sarko, I've never paid so much tax in my life, even under the Socialists). The volcano outing was a success, as was DS1's paragliding. I caught up with lots of old friends, and had a magical morning hike with two very good friends. It was a gorgeous clear day, with none of the mist seen on that link, and utterly amazing views over Cilaos as per the big panoramic picture. One of the friends, a former colleague, is orginally from a tiny hamlet in those mountains (Ilet Haut, to the very far right on the map under the big photo), and she knows all the birds, plants, etc., as well as great tales from the past. We used to hike together every fortnight when we were both in the throes of our PhD's, and it was wonderful to do it once again.
When we left the island, I was so caught up in our removal, endlessly screaming DS1, my new job, etc., that I never really had time to stop, take stock, and make proper farewells. I have now done that. It was very sad, but necessary.

More in keeping with the thread, A is well and great fun, giggling and joking. He still has only a few words, but has begun coming to get me and pointing to his bum when he has done a poo, so I am reassured as to his general grasp of events...

Hello people!

WFH, boys do seem to go through stages but I am not sure it has a lot to do with school. It might suggest that he is ready for new things and a bit bored, though.

BB, lovely to see you back. I was thinking about you this week, oddly enough.

Schulte, I am so pleased about the house. Let's pray for an Indian summer!

My news is that I am off into hospital to have my prolapse sorted and while I am in there they are going to sort out heavy bleeding and check me over generally, as well as see if there's any potential cancerous stuff around there and do a biopsy. I am also off to rheumatologist tomorrow about the joints, but apparently all the health problems are due to me having a weakness in my collagen, and they can do a lot to sort me out and make me feel better overall. Which will be great!

I have also just applied for a new, very grown up job, so fingers crossed!

Boff do hope you get your medical stuff sorted out and good luck with the job application

We are back from Legoland. Twas really good but bloody expensive (as if you couldn't predict that really)

Thanks MrsG

Update: In relation to the SPD I apparently have something called bone marrow oedema, have to have a more extensive MRI in a few days, and on top of the gynae surgery also have to go in as a day case and have an intervenous drug called Pamidronate for the SPD, which 50% of the time cures the bone thing. If anyone has any insight into what all this means, I am all ears. I am a bit perturbed about the drug as apparently they give it to cancer patients where the disease has gone into their bones. It sounds pretty hard core, therefore.

Job application came to nothing as they decided they would not accept a late application.

Wow, it is positively buzzing in here....!

Boff, I know nothing about the bone thing, sorry. One main concern would obviously be whether Pamidronate is compatible with chocolate olives .
Sounds as if you are going to have a fair number of procedures and treatments over the coming weeks. I hope it all goes well and the results make everything easier and more comfortable for you.

Sorry about the job application, too. Fingers crossed for next time. I don't know if I want a grown-up job, but my current one is getting less and less bearable.

Right, back to work. DS1 is at home today as there is a strike, so I have already had to break off work to make a superhero mask and cape, and a miniature version for his comfort toy....I bet male academics don't get interrupted by this kind of distraction.

I am sure chocolate olives would enhance the affect of the drug But only a few as I keep being told off for being So Fat.

I am working on a paper on Conservative Party Education Policy for a conference in the near future. Only I can't seem to find any Tory policy. Apart from Free Schools it all looks like New Labour to me. Have I missed something?

Good news this week - DS1 is now in Year 8 and gets up every morning very early, puts his uniform on, sorts himself out quite nicely and is generally in time for the train. I hope this lasts.

Boff, pamidronate is a bisphosphonate drug, and it is used in some types of cancer but also to treat osteoporosis. It slows down bone thinning and as far as I'm aware is very safe for both oral and iv use. It's a fairly un-hardcore drug (although anything given IV tends to sound hardcore I guess!). Glad it sounds like you're getting sorted .

Hello hello

Boff, thanks for wise words on boys. He has got better in recent days, starts school on Monday eeeek! I think he's going to love it, I have to say. Am I allowed to say this

he is quite bright and lovely

Sorry to hear about all the drugs and hoolah, Boff, but at least Notice is being Taken and You are being Looked After.

Auld, your holiday sounds amazing. Can I have it? Although bidding farewell to much loved places must have been a wrench. Am also envious of Legoland, Germany, and all other holiday destinations. Can you tell I haven't been anywhere for a million years?

Oh and Boff, much sympathy about job applications. I have applied for two jobs recently (my job still unbearable), and have heard nothing about one of them, and that 'they're still reviewing my CV' about the other one. They've had it over a month! It's only two sides of A4, for crying out loud. Sheeeesh.

Opinions please ladies - I was in the park today and a small boy, same age as Orbit ish, took DS1's Bob the Builder toy that DS1 had been playing with in the sandpit. DS1 was quite patient and let him play with it for a bit but then asked (nicely) for it back. Small boy refused. DS1 asked again. Small boy refused. DS1 asked me. I said 'Share for a bit, he's smaller than you'. DS1 did this. Then he really wanted it back. As he had been very patient I asked the small boy if we could have it back. Small boy refused and hung on for grim death. Not wanting to wrestle a toddler, I asked his mum if DS1 could possibly have his Bob back, as he had been very patient and was getting a bit upset. Mum said 'Oh dear, small boy does get a bit upset when things are taken away from him' and wafted around a bit ineffectually saying 'please dear, could you possibly give Bob back?' She did eventually give it back to DS1, and then started promising Small boy (now having massive paddy) icecream to make up for horrid park mummy.

AIBU to think that
a) DS1 had been more than patient
b) Small boy might well get upset, but he needs to learn that not all toys are his
c) Promising ice cream if he would just stop crying was not really a good way of reinforcing this message?

Or am I just a big bully who makes toddlers cry?

Hello WFH. YANBU. Park Mummy being a fanny xx

Nah WFH, she's a tit. I would have made a subtly menacing face and intimidated the child ever so slightly, shocking them into returning said toy immediately. (I am a lot meaner than you in parks because it's the law of the jungle out there). Then I would have bought my DS an even bigger ice cream with loads of flakes and brandished it in front of the silly mummy and child. You need to come out with me and see how low I will stoop.

how long before my milk properly dries up?

xx thinking of you all