AVID, WISE and keen to debut our Spring buys

[Russianred]

Inspired, eh?!

Hello - I am frustratingly unable to sleep, and I've just realised why - I met some friends for a meal at a Jamie's Italian tonight, and it's only now dawned on me that they served me a double espresso coffee, rather than the americano I asked for. So I've been awake, feeling wired and a bit sick, for what seems like hours. Grrr.

Anyhow, at least I've been able to catch up a little on the thread, and I am liking the ambush boots.

MiM, just catching up on the last thread, sorry you've been having troubles, and glad you're feeling a bit brighter now.

MrsCB, I've just signed up for the NAP insight panel, not really sure what it'll involve, but if there's a chance of gift vouchers I'm there!

Great boots MiM, nice that you got a bit of retail therapy!

I have had a shocker of a night. DH has had horrendous food poisoning so up every hour, baby v unsettled as a result so times she woke were in double figures, and even DS got in on the act and he hasn't woken in the night for 3 months! As a result I had about 45 minutes sleep and am at the end of my tether really. Sometimes I wish I wasn't anyone's mum or anyone's wife, but just my own person with only my own needs to cater for. So selfish I know but I am so tired. Could just cry.

Still at least DS is in nursery this morning, so the baby and I are going to the village and we're going to buy something really nice!!

Oh Amber - poor you!

And Red - sorry but I am laughing at the clean comment And I love your very quick retort

Thanks for new thread red! Will go to F&B today and see if there is a way I can get just one roll of wallpaper and choose some colour for a wall I want to paint. I am quite taken with Lulworth ollie but would it work in a bedroom you think? Ahh, 99 balloons. I'm still a big fan of Nena. She did a CD with lullabys when her children were small and it is fantastic. Saw her on TV the other day and she looks amazing too.

annie Loved your outfit yesterday. I am also wearing my snuggly (very unflattering but who cares) duvet coat and like bloss and additional pair of cashmere socks in my boots. Have ditched the tights under jeans as the elastic of the tights digging into my muffin top waist makes me miserable.

apuski Hope you eventually got some sleep last night or managed to read a good book at least.

amber That is terrible! Hope your DH feels better today and you can get some sort of rest during the day. Maybe buy yourself some flowers? A bunch of tulips always cheers me up.

fregley Welcome! If only there was a pair of boots that would make me look like Twiggy

notyummy Your DH is prepared for emergencies of any kind. I will put paracetamol in the car TODAY! I remember that you inspired me to pack a bag with supplies for our car last winter when we had such a lot of snow. Hope you have a better start to your day today!

Has anyone actually ordered the Me&Em dress?

marsha Oh look: Wendy is wearing jeans with floral print. Different from the ones you linked to the other day but she pulls it off well I think.

So sorry to hear about your dreadful night Amber. I am also feeling tired due to stress and cumulative lack of sleep (having to work late and then get up early this week) but in terms of sleep deprivation it is no where near as bad as what you describe. Hope your DH feels better soon.

How annoying about your coffee Apuski. Hope the meal was nice - our Midlands MU the other week was at a Jamies and the food was lovely.

Hope all the pregnant ladies are ok. I am getting quite excited on your behalf. Hope you are staying away from One Born Every Minute. Probably not helpful viewing in some respects.

Expecting snow here today which may scupper our weekend plans. Have a bonkers day with a veritable coach load of government ministers to manage/brief/control. I am distracting myself on her for 10 minutes before going back into the fray. Roll on tonight.....

Apuski I hope you finally got some sleep!

Amber you poor thing. I swear, there is very little that is worse than severe sleep deprivation. Those days when you just want to sleep and it's the one thing you can't do are just awful. Early night tonight.

I got all excited earlier thinking it was Friday. Horrible realisation that i have a whole other day to get through before the weekend!

Wearing my Agnes again today, loving them lots. I am wearing one cashmere jumper, but semi-tempted to layer up the new Brora cardigan over the top.

Hello from the hairdressers chair! Having cut and highlights and in true Ollie style was unable to say no when hairdresser announced she was trying something new - chunkier highlights apparently!!! Hope i am not in for any shocks!

Amber you poor thing, that level of exhaustion is a nightmare to deal with. Hope you find something really wonderful to buy.
fritzi think lulworth could work in a bedroom esp with crisp white bed linens? Annoying about the F&B wallpaper, seems v silly having a 3 roll minimum spend. Wonder if between us we could nab large enough samples for you? Is it possible to buy just one roll if you go to a F&B shop?
MiM really pleased you got the boots.
red great quip!

Gotta go, time to rinse!

Poor you amber. Get yourself and DD to Pauls in the village for coffee and cake this morning.

Icey - yes, I am much more 'me' when I am blond. That sounds somewhat a cliche, but its true for me.

DH is throwing things down from the loft, making me decide whether to keep/chuck/charity/sell.

Although it's perfectly acceptable for him not to be parted with his 1980's day-glo swear bands I found....

Ha ha, I mean sweat not swear!

Although I did swear when I saw them....as in what the....are these??

ollie Fingers crossed your highlights will look fab! Very kind of you to suggest squirelling away wallpaper samples. I asked at the shop today and you deffo have to order 3 rolls. Thought about wall papering the inside of our closets too but DH will be I think.

mim I love a good declutter. Keep the sweat bands for DS. They are very en vogue at DD's school and were on the top of her list for Santa

notyummy I now imagine you shepherding a coach full of ministers like a teacher on school outing with her class. I guess they didn't bring snacks and backpacks.

Lunch with DH later

MiM great to hear you sounding so well

Red good on you with the retort, I would have thought of it 5 mins after the neighbour had left the house

Amber you poor thing (((hugs)))

NY hope the day is a success

Apuski I had a similar experience a few weeks ago after eating a chocolate roulade I'd made for my mum's birthday! I only had a slice but the dark chocolate kept me awake until 3 am!

Ladies I am having a tough week, and need the advice of those of you who have BF more recently than me! My friend rang me on Tuesday at 4 to say that she had been offered a 10 wk contract job out of the blue and wondering if I could mind her 6 mth and 3 yr old dds starting the following day! I said I just couldn't manage a baby, toddler, my own 3 and the rebuild of our house but as she was desperate I'd take the girls until the end of the week to give her a chance to find someone else What she didn't tell me is that the baby has been exclusively BF until yesterday at 11 when I tried to give her a bottle of formula. Poor, poor sweet little thing refused point blank and cried for pretty much the whole day, despite me trying every trick I could think of. I had thought she was used to the bottle and couldn't work out what the problem was. It was only when I rang the mum in desperation late afternoon that she told me. The dad who collected them at 6.30 was totally blase about the whole thing. The baby is here beside me on a blaket playing but is due a feed soon (She BF for hours last night) I ran out to boots this morning and bought a couple of different bottles in case that might work and I have some, but not much expressed milk. I even tried feeding her formula from a spoon yesterday in desperation!

I am torn between feeling cross with my friend but I do sympathise. In her line of work it's standard to be given no notice before a job (and I know her dh has been hasseling her to go back to work) but you can't expect a 6 month old to wean overnight. The baby devoured the purees she had at 2 feeds yesterday, so I have some extra apple stewing now which I can give her to keep her going, but wow, I will be needing serious retail therapy by the weekend.

OK giong to have a go with the bottle now, wish us luck!

Fritzi Wendy looks good. And as usual she looks loads better than the shop model. They look pretty in the close up shot on her. The trick with colours/patterns is not to wear too tight. More Wendy-like than leggings.

Amber oh I've been there. Absolute agony. Online spending was the only way I could get through it, I hope you get something very lovely and pretty in the Village. Something lovely from Matches?

Haha MiM I know got to be tough. Dh has band tshirts from his young days that he holds onto with dear life.

Apuski coffee does the same thing to me too. I had two double espressos this morning, that could keep me up until midnight.

Anniemac have a lovely break over half term. Dh has done the same.

Ok ds wants eggs, back soonish.

Amber, you have all my sympathies, hope your DH recovers quickly and you get a chance to rest today. Sounds like a 'just get through it somehow' day.

NY, hope all goes well today, do things calm down a little when this is out of the way?

I can't believe I am still wired, more than 12 hours after my coffee - feels horrible. I managed a few hours of sleep thank goodness. I'm going to feel really rough this afternoon, aren't I?

Oh Verity - I'm afraid I would be very cross indeed with your friend. Have you tried giving her milk when she's not on you - this worked with mine when I weaned them off the breast but they were older. Or trying a cup - if no - I'd just spoon feed I think but would have to say something to the friend as I actually think its really cruel of your friend to do that.

Verity, I agree with MrsCB, I'd be really cross. I'm a bit staggered really! If the baby will take a reasonable amount of solids I'd go for that - baby rice?

Oh Verity you poor thing. That is bad, ds2 refused point blank to take a bottle and would have been absolutely hysterical if I left him with someone after 6 months ebf. Different for friend who is not there to hear it.

It isn't certain you can crack it. You may have to call your friend and say it is not possible, if it's not. She can't leave you with a hungry baby that won't feed.

Hello everyone! Just to say that there's no baby news as yet! Feeling a mixture of exhaustion and adrenalin. I feel like I'll be pregnant FOREVER.

Am horrified at your friend verity. The poor little thing and poor you. You do sound like you are coping very well in the circumstances though.

Poor you as well amber. I know exactly how you feel and will no doubt be back there again shortly. I remember vividly when DS was 4 days old and I had had no sleep at all for around 5 days (and just could not BF but that's a whole different story..) thinking that I'd made a big mistake in having a baby and I should just run away in the middle of the night and be free from it all! Hope you can manage a slow, indulgent day and get a great night's sleep tonight.

I am the world's worst mother at the minute. Watching loads of DVDs cuddled up in bed or on sofa with DS and letting him have 'picnic' teas in the sitting room. Plus so short-tempered with the poor boy. Feel very guilty. Am taking him to one of his friend's 3rd birthday parties later today which I hope he'll really enjoy (me probably not so much!)

Want those Wendy flowered jeans! I agree better on her than on model, particularly the length and would probably be similar on me. Like her blouse too but haven't tried purchasing Madewell online.

I have had ambush in black since last September but haven't really worn them at all. They belong in that category of love on others but not on me - I keep feeling they look too clumpy and big on me but that may just be in my head. I need to either start wearing or sell!

hopefully well done on weight loss! I keep looking at the IO dress too but worry it's a bit 'sexy' and when would I wear it. It's not the tightness, it's the zip!
icey hooray for finishing work! My bag is fully of the tiniest things I can find. DS didn't even make it into newborn size for weeks and weeks.
ny hope your hectic day goes ok.

Hello to everyone else too!

Ohh Verity I'd be livid with your friend. With DD it was offering constantly and it being done by someone other than me (perhaps this is what your friend was thinking?!). You are a lovely friend to step in like that for her. Hope she takes one today - it must be quite distressing for you along with looking after the others.

Blue you're not neglectful - enjoy your cuddles with DS. This is exactly what you should be doing with him before the arrival of a new baby!

Amber poor you. Sleep deprivation sucks. If DH still bad tonight, could he sleep in another room to try and give you and DD as much rest as possible?

I have good news - I have been offered the tutoring job! This is great news and they asked on the phone if I might consider doing some mentoring of wayward Sixth Formers as well - which is exactly the direction I'm hoping to head in. The only problem is, they're asking me to work a couple of afternoons, so I'm going to have to get childcare for DD, to begin from the 20th February. She's asleep for 2 of the 3.5 hours I'd need it, so I'm hoping to get a babysitter rather than a childminder. Where to begin?! Apuski I still don't know the specific days, should do tonight, so if you wouldn't mind asking your nanny if she knows of anyone, I'd hugely appreciate it.

Where do you find the online pics of bloggers in ambush? This sounds like something I need to see!

mrscb don't get rid of the aga! I grew up with one and just loved it; can you fit in an oven as well somewhere? My mum did all her cooking in the aga but I am unqualified to comment on such things as DH does all the cooking (I do chop and other such tasks given to me though).

Well done red - brilliant news! Really pleased for you.

Thanks blue. Just google image search topshop ambush boots. Some real corkers.

Nothing in Matches I wanted would you believe? Comptoir came good though, black coated skinnies and black silk top. They've got some lovely stuff in at the moment!

Thanks for all your kind words, mim - my office is has a Paul in the building so it always reminds me of work, did Starbucks instead. I feel like such a horrible person when I think so negatively but I suppose sleep deprivation is used as a method of torture for a reason. My lovely sunny baby girl and her big smiles go a long way to making up for it though. Wishing all you pg ladies babies who sleep through from day one, like my DH did apparently (thanks for that MIL)

Will have to catch up now!

Red congratulations! Great news.

Amber it is for sure. I used to say it was like Sylvester Stallone in the movie Lock Up. They wake him every 15 mins or whatever for days. He doesn't know his name by day three. No one ever knew what the movie was though, which also irritated me.

My mother would also breezily mention we were all excellent sleepers and all took the bottle straight away.

Glad you got something nice in Comptoir.