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

[DomesticGoddessInTraining]

Abdn liked the title so I just went ahead!

oh DGT, I love room on a broom, I'm jealous

I thought that too Deb! Sorry you are feeling rubbish Amber. Twin pregnancy is very tough and it gets tougher unfortunately. Is it worth trying a gate on Luke's door so he can get up and play safely in his room in the morning on his own? If he stands at the gate screaming for you you would have to keep going back to him and saying 'no you play in your room while mummy has a sleep'. You may have to do it many many times over lots of days but eventually he will get the message. Just don't give in . You can do it! Sorry about your car, hope it's not too bad .

Eddie, very jealous about your night out! Hope the cc does the trick again soon.

I have some friends who took their 2yos to ITNG in Liverpool and really enjoyed it. But they said all the kids started crying when Upsy Daisy left the stage!

We are all good here - Daniel slept quite well last night, not so much early on, he was cluster feeding and napping, but then he did 3.30-6.30am, had a feed and then did till 8am.

Especially for you....DGIT also on my FB page in case this link doesn't work. Taken at night so not great but you should get the idea......

Well we have our offer at last!!!!! BUT although it is legally binding, they have agreed to buy our house but only when they complete on theirs which is looking like the beginning of October. So we have put a provision in it so that if their sale falls through then we can pull out of the agreement. We have also put an end date of the end of October to complete.

Now the nightmares begin, do we pack up and rush back to the UK for the boys to start school in September , but then what if it all falls through? So we could stay here but Stefan will have to start the new big school 2 bus journeys away. Also the school we've decided on in the UK has a place for Stefan but not Tristan so we will have to appeal.

AARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on the offer Deb. Have ur buyers exchanged on their sale? If they haven't I would be inclined to stay put but appreciate that is not great for the boys' schooling.

Difficult one x

Great news on the offer Deb! Difficult re: the schooling, but I think I would be inclined to stay put unless you have a back up plan that would allow you to stay in the UK if it falls through.

I moved schools part way through the year once - it makes you a real novelty and everyone wants to be your friend! Especially if you're moving from another country! Ok, Austria to England isn't the same as Scotland to England, but it might as well be in some small towns...

Valium thanks for the video! And the crooning It's helpful to see it in proportion next to furniture and stuff.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Have an old friend arriving tonight, packing S off to the GPs tomorrow and we're doing lots of Festival stuff. Although, S has decided to get very clingy over the last day or two (with me, not DH, which is most unusual) so hopefully he'll go off quite happily. It's the first time he's stayed over at my P's and they're ridiculously excited about it!

Amber, how are you feeling today?

Poppy - if you're lurking, big wave to you.

Congrats Deb - at last eh?!

I think I will change my name to hairy arses - I quite like it!

Thanks for all the nice comments guys. Luke is at nursery and I do try to nap but my sleep problems are severe (insomnia) and at night it's not Luke's fault. If I slept through the night from 10 till Luke woke at 5.30 I would be laughing! The car bust a tyre so nothing too awful but quite scary.

I have put a picture up of my big bump (talk of it on my twins thread) so have a look and feel pity as I am only 16 weeks tomorrow . I have a scan tomorrow morning so I can 100% sex the babies as much as I trust the sonographer last time I want a cast iron guarantee before Mark and I start having full scale rows on names!

Great about the offer, Deb. But how frazzling, with all these decisions to make. I'd be nervous about moving to the UK without a backup plan.

Amber your bump looks great . But there's a lot of time to grow!!

Last night was our last night in this apartment, We're moving to one in town for the next week, then hopefully home. I had to go out for an hour last night, and when I came back DH had fallen asleep and didn't hear the door, or my many phone calls, so didn't let me in. I was ringing him for over an hour, and he just didn't hear it. I had to go to our house and sleep amidst the dust and chaos, and got the heebie-jeebies being on my own. I was worried about DH and the children too. Eventually I got to sleep about 1am, and at 3am DH phoned me to ask where I was . I asked him to check on the children and he couldn't find T. Eventually he found her underneath DS2's zedbed, so in a space a couple of inches high. I feel better after a shower and coffee (our bathroom is too full of furniture so unusable) but pretty knackered, and determined to hang on to the moral high ground as long as possible!

Bloomin heck Rolf that's quite a night! Hang onto the moral high ground for as long as possible. DH has had the odd moment of doing similar stuff (a heavy sleeper) it makes me quite angry at times as it reminds me how P's needs are met by me at night (or at least they used to be when he was little), and he doesn't even realise what has happened let alone contributed.

Amber - the bump looks lovely, but admittedly sizeable for 16 weeks. Sorry that the insomnia is so bad. Am I right in thinking that you have had therapy for it in the past? My only suggestion is to buy one of the natal hypnotherapy CDs. I think there is a preparing for c-sections one. There may even be a twins one. I find mine fantastic for getting me off to sleep in the daytime, even at 8am after a night's sleep. Regardless of the benefits of the hypnosis it might help.

Deb - great news to have the offer. Sorry it isnthrowing up more stresses though. I think the others' advice to stay put makes sense.

Amber I have that natal twins hypnotherapy CD, I will try to find it and post it on to you. I have absolutely no idea where it is but hopefully I'll be able to find it for you.

Rolf, what a traumatic night! I bet you were so frustrated, and beside yourself when he couldn't find T . How scary! Peter's brother slept through phone calls/knocking at the door when his wife went into labour. He had been out on the lash and she was staying with her mum, and they struggled to rouse him even when they let him into their house and stood by him shaking him awake. They got to hospital with about 30mins to spare, and he asked on the way if his FIL could stop the car so he could be sick .

Spider, know what you mean about sleeping through the kids' crying. The other night I'd been awake on and off with Daniel and then T woke at 5am crying/moaning. So I went into him. I thought 'why am I doing this cos you don't need boobs for this one!' But he just didn't hear him. He only needed a pat and some Calpol so I wasn't up for long but really I should have given DH a kick and got him to get up.

We had a decent night with Daniel, I fed him at 10.30pm then went to bed, DH kept him going with cuddles til midnight (he said he was rooting again within 10mins of his feed!) and he was cluster feeding then til about 2, then he slept on the bed from 2-5am , had a feed, went to sleep in his moses basket, fed again at 6.30 then woke again at 8.30 . It is heaven compared to having the twins!

Valium, I love that elc kitchen!

Neenz - that would be great! Otherwise tell me what it'#s called and i'll get one from amazon.

Rolf I would have gone mental and had the mother of all rows with DH!

Amber if Neenz can't find the twins one just google "Natal Hypnotherapy" it's by Maggie Howell. She has her own website and lots of other places sell them too. Worth checking eBay as I got the VBAC one brand new for 99p.

Rolf, I would have gone mental as well! I reckon that has to be good for a few lie-ins.

Finally getting sorted in the new house. Most of the boxes are unpacked and new curtain rails up etc. Its just so different from the old house though that it is taking a bit of getting used to.

Great to hear about your offer Deb, I think I would jump the other way and try to get the boys into the english school if you can. I think you would need to be prepared to move to the uk with them for the start of term though, even if that meant leaving your dh home alone for a few weeks or even months while the sale goes through. Its a very tricky one, but new schools are so stressful for kids I would want to minimise the upheaval there as much as possible.

Thanks re the CD. I have actually booked in an appointment with my GP. I think it may have gone too far for a CD now and yes Spider I have had therapy for it before but it always comes back in times of stress. Maybe some cognitive therapy might be helpful. Thankfully I have health insurance otherwise I would probably have to wait forever! There is a psych hospital just up the road so hopefully I could go there.

Sybil - we had that in our new house - it ws so much bigger than I was used to I couldn't find anything for ages!

at Rolf, how horrendous for you .

Kitchen is very lovely valium but I did lol at the exciting video!

Impressive bump Amber .

Mixed day today - M had his settling in morning at nursery which was horrendous . He sobbed his heart out when I left and apparently cried every time a staff member came in or out of the door as he was waiting for me to come back . I spent the morning with a friend, on the verge of tears. Not helped by A, who on climbing back into the car pointed to M's car seat and said "Bubble gone" in a really sad voice. That had me sobbing into the steering wheel .

On the issue of childcare, we have had a long chat over the weekend and decided to move both the boys to a local childminder in the New Year. This is not a reflection on the nursery which is fine, but we have worked out that, because I no longer need cover for school holidays and because CMs get paid hourly, we could save ourselves a staggering FOUR THOUSAND POUNDS a year in childcare . No brainer really .

It also means that A can start at our local pre-school next Sept and get to know children in the area that will go to his school.

Happier news - M started walking with his babywalker today! Vid on FB if you're interested .

Right off to bed x

Thanks everyone, the buyers are out again in 2 weeks to measure up etc so we're leaving the huge decisions until then, but like Sybil I'm veering towards getting them straight into English school but the start of term won't be possible .

Rolf - I cannot believe your dh

Amber - great bump

Eddie - sorry to hear you were so and M were so sad today, he'll get better though and you'll get used to it

I just had a scan today (privately) at 16 weeks 1 day and it was wonderful. I have confirmed two little girls both measuring exactly right but with long legs! Very active little creatures waving and kicking around! Fab

Fantastic Amber!

that's great Amber, congratulations!

Fantastic news Amber! Now the serious name discussions can start

Great news Amber . Hope you can get some help with your insomnia.

Glad the house move went well Sybil.

Eddie sorry you and M were so sad.

You'd have though I'd get a few lie-ins but no. DH keeps sending jokey texts saying he's locked out but fortunately has beer to keep him company. He's also said that I complain every day about how tired I am and maybe I should try taking valium as it worked for his mother . No, I need him to get off his ass to help the children sometimes. I know I"m very lucky that we can stay in a nice apartment whilst work is being done on our house, but I'm not sleeping well and finding the whole thing very unsettling. I'm very irritable

Rolf, I think you should arrange to get locked out for a weekend and leave your dh to it with the children, book yourself into a spa!

rolf I'd not appreciate the texts too much either. Renovations are stressful at the best of times - I hope it goes smoothly from here.

Amber I had insomnia after DS1 was born and it was horrendous - I've lots of sympathy!

Eddie when does M start nursery? Are you back at work next week?

Deb congrats on the house but it's very hard it's still up in the air.. I've no advice about schools - it's a tough one!

We had a crap flight back (the plane broke and we ended up delayed and then on a holiday charter with broken down seats and no leg room instead of the extra leg room and nice seats we were supposed to have - everyone was ticked off) but we're settled in now. I start work tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it but I wont be around here as often - not only am I sharing the laptop (happily) with FIL, I'm also feeling like I need to pull my weight in the time I am home. I've been taking for granted having a lot of time to clean up, cook, etc over the course of a day rather than just in a blitz in the evening.

Enjoy your work Abdn, bet you're really looking forward to it. Sorry you had a crap flight - that is a long way to travel with no leg room in a rubbish plane

Eddie about M and the nursery. Hope he settles in soon. £4k a year - I'm not surprised though as we found the CM £15 a day cheaper than nursery for the twins. I loved our CM she was great, hope you find one just as good. How's the sleep training going?

Amber, hope you get some joy at the GP. I have looked everywhere for that CD but can't find it. If you do decide it is something you want this is the website but I am sure I didn't pay all that money (I think maybe I just had the birth prep CD). Anyway I have it on my itunes so maybe we could fileshare (altho have no clue how and my laptop is broken and in process of being fixed so can't access my iTunes anyway ). I'm sure I could manage it when get my laptop back in a week or two!

Deb, I lol'd at your suggestion that Rolf should get locked out for a weekend. I second that! DH has been driving me mad while on paternity leave. He is supposed to be looking after me but he just has no idea of the jobs that need doing so I have just ended up doing them myself cos I don't want to just sit there going 'please do x,y and z'. And I actually feel sorry for him having to do it all even though I do it all all the time! It was the perfect opportunity to get him to do it all and see exactly how much hard work it is. But never mind, maybe after the next baby . He has actually had the cheek to scoff in a 'how much more are you going to ask me to do' kind of way if I have asked him to do stuff so I just haven't bothered. Silly me! He is back at work this week cos has busy diary but is hoping to take next week off instead. Unfortunately I am back to normal now after the birth so can't really take the opportunity to make him do it all then!

We are still doing well with Daniel. I have given up trying to settle him in his moses basket at night, he just sleeps on our bed. But I'm fine with it for time being. He sleeps great there and wakes every 2-3 hrs for a feed and then goes back to sleep. He was weighed yesterday - he has put on 14oz since birth . I think perhaps it is more likely they weighed him wrong when he was born. They said 3.04kg but I think it was probably 3.4kg cos that's what he is now and he is more likely to have maintained than gained nearly a pound in the first week! I will see the MW who delivered him tomorrow so I will ask her if she thinks they made a mistake. I thought when he was born he looked bigger than 6lb10 but you don't think about getting them to double check do you.