June 08 - a Coalition for all (even those with May or July 08 babies).

[DomesticGoddessInTraining]

Abdn liked the title so I just went ahead!

I think it definitely doesn't help that I have a posh Home Counties accent - people make a lot of assumptions about you being a posh twunt when you speak like what I do .

You see, national pride is something I just don't get. Have probably said this before, cos it's a favourite hobby horse of mine, but surely you should be proud of things you've achieved and where you were born is just an accident of birth?

Just my opinion .

Neenz one of the mums from playgroup has just spotted you as one of my FB friends. You went to school with her. She asked how we know each other (doh). I have asked her what her maiden name is, will let you know who she is later on.

How spooky spider!

Oooh, I'm getting all the dirt on Neenz school days now... still haven't got her maiden name though. Her first name is Jo.

You must share spider!

Spider - Small world !

Eddie it makes you honorary Maltese!

Eddie I used to be really patriotic but as England has gone further a d further down the shithole I am less so. I do support England/gb at sports though.

neenz I have to send in a form with my Mat B1 which has to be signed by my 'line manager' but we don't really have one, so now I've got to find the clinical director of radiology who works in a different hospital, get it signed by him, then get it back and send it to HR. Bah, what a load of nonsense.

C and I are having a pizza picnic in the front room with cbeebies on tonight as a treat because Dh is on call and frankly I couldn't face another teatime fight. I won last night, so tonight pretended that this was a special treat instead of me being v lazy [tired mummy emoticon] On the plus side she has eaten loads more than usual and is being delightful, and even asked for 'more pizza please'. last night at the table, she wouldn't eat any tea unless I spooned it into her and then she decided she 'no like my Daddy' and wouldn't speak to him for ages, so this is a big teatime improvement! (and in the car on the way home from nursery she said ' I lub my daddy' so I have relayed the message and he's really pleased...

Oh, and a friend of mine is starting a baby ballet class in August, can't wait. Am secretly hoping that there is a dress code and I have to get a tutu for C, just for the comedy value!

Biscuits, E has a tutu in her play box and loves it.

Spider, that is very spooky - which school (high school or sixth form)? Can't think of anyone called Jo except my friend who fell out with me cos of FB . And she lives in Oz so it's prob not her! If it was high school it will prob be stories of militant feminism. If sixth form it'll be short skirts and Doc Martins . I was so clueless back then but aren't all teenagers.

Eddie, I suppose I am proud of England/Britain as a country rather than necessarily being English. Maybe not all the colonial stuff but modern Britain at least!

Well I've found her on your friends' list Spider but I don't recognise her, tho of course the pic is not good! We have another mutual friend, someone from my sixth form, so it must be her.

She didn't say anything bad, I was only teasing. Just that she didn't really know you as you were in the cool gang and spent your time smoking behind the bikesheds or somesuch.

P and I have arrived at a friend's in Lincolnshire for the weekend as DH on a stag do. P stayed awake for the entire 3 hours in the car even though I left at 7pm. He freaked out about the travel cot and is now snoring next to me on a lumpy sofa bed. Contemplating xfer to cot, but don't want to wake him!

Night All!

5.45 start here

Meant to ask about travel cots, does everyone still use them for their two yr olds or has anyone moved to readybeds when travelling? Wondering when travel cots get too small?

Smoking behind the bike sheds eh?

I know smoking. Shocking hey.

The night improved. Put him on the travel cot at the bottom of the sofa bed where he slept until 15 mins ago. My friends travel cot is a pop up one, similar to ours and P still fits fine. I think the trouble was that it is probably a year since he last slept in a pop up cot and didn't like being zipped in.

We use travel cots - luke seems fine with them. Can I ask what time is the usual wake up time for the DCs on the thread? 545 is a bit of a lay in for me to be honest and I want to know whether luke is really weird!

Amber - you probably don't want to ask that question! R normally goes to bed at 7pm and wakes at 7.30am. However once a week we get a 6am and again once a week an 8am. He's getting up earlier now cos he's cold when he wakes up, roll on summer.

We're off to the local mountain this weekend and I was wondering about whether R would sleep in the travel cot. I hope so cos he won't sleep in bed with us. So it's travel cot or a 3hr middle of the night drive home.

Going with two other couples and their boys (one July 08 baby, one Jan 09). Not sure whether he'll be so tired after playing all day he'll crash or if we'll neer get him calm enough to sleep after all the fun.

DH might even take him ski-ing! (No boarding for me - boo hiss).

Wow - how self centred was that post!

Eddie - how are you and the boys doing?

Has all packing been completed or have the relevant people got on planes/moving vans already?

Does Ryder sleep in the day as well Alix?

eek - I mean Penguin!

PS I put on FB this morning but Luke told me he loved me today for the first time. I cried my eyes out. He held me so tightly as well - makes up for the early mornings! And the tantrums!

Right, the job application is in. Feeling a strange sense of calm, with the occasional mad panic (what if I don't even get an interview) thrown in. But will try not to obsess about it too much until relevant!

I'm struggling to catch up, but will do what I can!

Travel cots - and indeed, any cot! - Iestyn is still in a cot and will be for a long time: he can't climb out, but he is small for his age. I will take advantage of that fact, but be sensitive when he's starting school, obviously... Also, Eddie, PMSL at 'when travel cots get too small'! I fit into Iestyn's! No, seriously, I can see us getting long use out of the travel cot as well. Although it's a Bush Baby one, and the last one we had broke in a dramatic way (piece of wire stabbing out) so I phoned them, got a replacement, and the replacement (weirdly) is a bit different: no top opening, only a side opening. Not a good change, IMO.

In fact, I'm packing it later today. We're off for a short break tomorrow: it's the National Eisteddfod and I'm working there on Monday, but only giving a talk at 3pm, so we're having a family day there. Iestyn will love it - he went last year, but was too little. This year he'll get to meet his favourite characters: Sali Mali and Jac y Jwc who have a roadshow there (same popularity level as ITNG but Welsh!) And Fireman Sam who is Welsh. Postman Pat, Big and Small and Bob the Builder have learnt Welsh to fluency!
Downside is that it's in Ebbw Vale. But the upside is that DH has booked a country house hotel!

Amber do you really want to know what time Iestyn wakes up? I'm not sure I should even confess to that as everyone will hate me.
But always remember that Iestyn was a very difficult newborn (up to 1 year) and the tantrums here are outrageous. I could make things appear better by confessing that on Wednesday I very nearly slapped him. I didn't, but he was being very, very naughty and in a potentially dangerous way, I was tired and stressed, etc etc, nothing is an excuse tho. I was depressed then for the rest of the evening but he was fine: he then proceeded to misbehave big time at bathtime as well.

Right, got to prepare my talk for Monday.

Good news about the application Dewin and the trip to Ebbw Vale sounds great. I am about Iestyn and Ryder's wake up times. What is wrong with Luke? I am going to get him to read MN to see that he is not supposed to get up at such a ridiculous time. I was thinking about when the babies are born. I know most babies have a feed at 5ish and then go back to sleep until 7 or so. I will be feeding them and then have to get straight up to entertain Luke! Maybe he will sleep later in winter when he's cosy in his bed (yeah right).

at Amner's namedrop - I think if someone was looking for me on here, the NZ nickname and my posts saying Ryder would give it away!

No Amber, unfortunately daytine naps seem to be a thing of the past. We've probably had one in the last month. Which is killing me cos I've been needing a lunchtime kip too. I've been doing the same as Neenz and putting R down in his cot regardless of whether he sleeps or not.

Actually the lack of nap thing is really telling from about 4.30pm onwards. He gets really whiney and naughty. I was considering starting a thread about it but as far as I can tell the only real advise is put them down anyway. (I even tried really carb heavy lunches, always puts me to sleep!).

Lucky Mummy - being told I love you! I mentioned on FB (and think I've said on here before), R said I love you Daddy on Mothers Day. Nothing even close since.

Dewin - Well done on the job applic. Gotta do mine 2m, much less stressful tho. Sounds like a fun day out. What's yr talk about?

Amber - I'm sure you have, but just in case, did you ever try the wake them to settle them method? You would need to wake Luke earlier than his normal wake up time, then settle him back to sleep. In theory, he will then sleep past his usual wake up time. Alternatively you could move to the other side of the world, that'll mess up his current sleep pattern!

DH has just dropped the widescreen laptop and broken it (mine is a tiny notebook). And he left the car unlocked earlier this month and our satnav was stolen. Did I mention that we are poor? So unimpressed. Can anyone recommend a cheap (£500 - £750) decent-ish laptop?

Neenz - Meant to say Nee Nee just bearable, Pee Pee AWFUL!

PMSL at wake for feed at 5am then sleep! M has never done that !

I know lots of friends who have early waking babies and I think M is one of them. Hmm . . .

Sorry, my last post wasn't supposed to be so blunt , I was posting from my iphone!

I have come to the conclusion that some kids are good sleepers and some are bad and thems the breaks. Feel free for more experienced parents to disagree!

M now sleeps slightly better through the night (one wake up) but now wakes at 5am - 5.30am usually so I'm assuming he just doesn't need much sleep. With A we did try putting him to bed later but it makes not one wit of difference to his waking time (normally about 6.30am) even when he's been to bed at 10pm!

I am soooo of parents whose kids sleep but there's bugger all I can do about it except get used to being exhausted!

There is a prog about sleep on C4 next Tues if you're interested though. I'll be watching!

Eddie, that's the same time Luke wakes - 5-5.30 - it's shite isn't it? Maybe M will wake up alter when he gets older? That's what I'm hoping for Luke!

Penguin, I tried the wake to sleep method and he just woke. He did go back to sleep once but still woke up at the normal time grumpy but it did work for one night.

Oh Feck at the laptop - don't know anything about laptops sorry.

Had a horrible relapse into nausea today.

Aw Amber that is so sweet, saying I love you but the cuddle too - he obviously knows exactly what it means . DTs wake sometime between 6.30 and 7.30 depending on how light it is (so bit later recently cos it has been quite dreary in mornings). Isn't Luke having his adenoids sorted? Some kids just get up really early, my sister's kids do. Put him in a bed and teach him how to get up and put the telly on himself . Don't want to scare you but sometimes I would not get any sleep at all with the DTs until 5am (I would be feeding and settling either one or the other all night) then they would both sleep till 8am. That was only for first 7wks tho (then they started sleeping 11-7 with just one feed in night) and all babies are different so no saying what yours will sleep like. I think the Dts were hungry/building up supply so if you FF they will sleep much better.

Spider, pmsl at cool gang. I was definitely not cool at high school cos I was clever but then went to grammar school for sixth form - they were all clever there and so straight-laced! I loved it there - best two years of my life till I met DH .

We still use travel cots (ours are as big as normal cots and we use proper mattresses). We used readybeds when camping which were good but they were zipped into tent compartments so couldn't escape. Not sure they'd sleep as well in readybeds in a bedroom cos they'd prob just climb out.

Dewin, good luck with the job and have a good trip. Don't feel bad about losing your rag - 2yos know how to push your buttons!

PP, lol at saying I love you Daddy on Mother's Day! They are buggers aren't they. That really sucks about the laptop and satnav . I have a Toshiba Satellite A200 which was £500 and it is great, but I only use it for internet really. It got good reviews in a computer mag compared to others this price.

I'm looking forward to that sleep programme too Eddie. And the outraged threads on MN afterwards