any other over 35 first time mums?

[clio]

Happy Birthday Thiago!!!!

I can't believe he's one now! And that the twins will be there soon, too! At least we still have Charlie and Sophia, and now Jules!

Angel--this anti-roll thing (I went back a bit to read what you'd written, because I didn't know what it was), did you say that you're worried that they'll roll and wake themselves up? When that started happening with J (and he was not a roller at that time--hated his stomach), it's true, he did wake up a few times during naps, but he got used to it in two days. Now he only sleeps on his stomach. So I wouldn't worry so much about the beginning of rolling while sleeping; it seems frustrating at first, because they cry and you worry that it'll never get better, when all of a sudden, two or three days later, it's totally fine.

J went to his cousins today because we needed a baby sitter. My SIL and BIL have the craziest, loudest, most rambunctious, always crying set of boys. While J was there, my SIL kept having nervous jolts because she kept on thinking that she had forgotten to pick Jonah up or something because he was so quiet and not breaking things. He apparently just carried his cousin's toy guitar around the entire time. This kid is obsessed with the guitar.

I've come to the conclusion that, like T and M who were obsessed with learning to walk (or kick) right from the start, J is obsessed with learning to talk (like M, too, I think). This boy is on a serious mission. He is practicing different sounds all the time (he'll sit here in his car seat for half an hour going "puh, puh, puh" because he's trying to learn "P" for Pake). I have to walk him around the house, and he points to everything and says: "Dat," which I have come to interpret as "what's that?" and tell him the name. He was also so funny the other day. Sandra Boynton (my favourite kid's author) has written both a song and a book called "Fifteen Animals." It is about how all the animals are named "Bob." We got the book from his cousins, but he's been listening to the song practically since birth. So I put the song on, and it has a very, very, very long intro. But J heard it, started yelling: "Bob! Bob! Bob! Bob!" and ran to his toy boxes, digging through them all the until he found the book. I then had to sing it to him, while he looked very satisfied with himself.

Okay, going to take nap now...

 

[SabrinaKat]

clio - Jonah was looking and found the book? That's so cool! My LO wants to figure out how everything works, so although not proper crawling, bum shuffles (and sometimes backwards) because he wants to SEE everything (my mom said I was the same), so perhaps it's the visual for Finn, like me. He's talking mama, dadda, and other sounds non-stop, and there is recognition of who mama is, etc., whilst looking at us, so perhaps he's also into languages, like me?

Nothing much else, somewhat sttn but was 'fussy' from about 2am, but able to be comforted and would fall back asleep, but not for long stretches. Oh, well - it's Saturday and we were a bit lazy and stayed 'in bed' (I put him in the bed around 6 am) until about 7.30 (my OH is still in bed, though)....Oh, and I weighed myself this am and have lost in total almost 7lbs since the beginning of the year, so I'm not specifically dieting as that didn't seem to work (growl), but am very, very, very careful about what I eat (portion-control), so I should be back to my 'ideal weight' sometime in 2015 (just kidding - I want to lose 40 more pounds in total, but would be happy enough to lose 20-30 over the next year)....on a good note, some of my 'regular' fat clothes (for the beginning of AF etc) are too big - which is a GREAT feeling, although it's only one or two skirts (I wear with leggings underneath and a black long-sleeve top (which is loosely form fitting), but a good sign....

hugs to all!!!!!!!!

bye!

 

[Claireyb1]

Jules I laughed about having an image in my mind of you "whizzing" about town with one of those massive silver cross prams.......imagine trying to get one of those into a coffee shop? lol you will just have to have a girl next and then your mum can buy her a childs silver cross pram to play with (they are just so gorgeous and just like the big version!)
the lay flat car seat is a good idea if you will be making those long trips
Storm I agree,it would be fun to see the L's together - I'm sure they would be into/onto everything!!!!! well,never say never,I'm sure I will be up to NI at some point in the future - if only for an Ulster fry!!!! lol Yay for DTD!!! MY DF bought 2 packs of condoms the other day,which I commented on being a little optomistic! have yet to open them! lol

I was thinking the other day about all of us ladies on this thread and it struck me what an intelligent and reasonably well educated bunch we are!! do you think it is because we are older and have all had a chance to do things with our lives etc? just a random thought.

my maternity notes haven't thrown any strange things up really. Although I now know all the names of the 6 people present at the birth.....yes 6!!! 4 MW's,1 doctor and 1 paediatrician. Also, it took 4 pulls with the ventouse and I was only pushing for 8 mins

 

[charlie15]

Happy birthday Thiago for yesterday! I bet this year has flown by! I know the last 4 months have for me with Sophia.

Hi Jules, I remember chatting to you in the other forum about c sections. How are you doing? Sounds like you live near me with the talk of jumbos, every night here from heathrow at 10pm! I'm in twickenham. About bonding, don't a worry its will happen, I was concerned about that too, it took me a few weeks and now S is 4 months old, well we have a very strong bond and I cannot imagine life without her in it. I think it takes a while for most people, it's a big adjustment. I love the name Alexander, I have always wanted Alex for a boy or girl, however it was a no from my OH. I also love James. But our name for Sophia should she have been a boy was either Joshua or Stephan.

Sorry i can't comment on Everything that's been happening, I have been kept a very busy this last month and am finding it hard to do much else other than be a mum and daughter to my mum who needs me at the mo. However S is turning into quite a little character, she's very interested in everything, so much so that she isn't eating so well as the world is just too exciting! She's a real talker and loves practising her new sounds over and over again! We have started water babies, which she loves and she also loves her Gymboree. I don't think S has the right temperament for baby yoga and massage, she's a busy baby so doesn't like to lie still for too long, mor like wriggle wriggle, sit me up mum! I don't think the lady who takes the class knows how to take her, she's always telling other babies how well they're doing, then she just looks and me and S and smiles!! I think we'll be stoping that one, but I have made some lovely friends with lovely babies from those classes.

Claire, on FB I'm driving a car with sunnies on in the Arizonan sunshine, I clearly look like I'm not in the UK! Shoulder length dark brown hair. Try and find me and friend me and we can meet up. Looks like there are a few of us in London, maybe we can all meet up one day, would love to meet the twins Angel and Fulham isn't too far

Hope everyone is keeping well and getting some good sleep. X

 

[kosh]

hi everyone!
read the last two pages so at least I can make a couple of personals!

jules - i think i did bond pretty quickly, but was absolutely convinced I woudln't. I even had panick attacks about it but as the others have said, try not to over-think it. anyway, the first few months are soooo intense you will have no time to think!

storm - DTD

charlie - G was the same at around 3 months he started to be so much aware of everything around him that he kind of stopped eating, i had to take him somewhere quiet so he could have a good feed.

borboleta - how was the party?

angel - we watch the BB Theory too i guess you know Amy (mayim Bialik) is an extreme 'natural' mother

sabrina (and angel?) - do you have carpal tunnel? there are some plater type things that you can wear at night that help stretching the area and reducing pain. have you ever heard about them? my mum used them, i can look the info up for you if you want. you could try that before deciding on an op.

as for us, we had my mum visiting last weekend, which was nice, but the problem is that everytime we have some family around I get sad when they live as it makes me realise how lonely we are here
she hadn't seen G since last july so huuuge change.

I am really excited as G has learnt to say his first word (after mum and dad) (I know, nothing compared to clio's J ). He says 'abua' (ie agua = water), so when he's eating, after a few mouthfulls he looks at me and says 'a-Bua'. I didn't expect to find it sooo cute

 

[Leeze]

Hi ladies and a big welcome to Jules. Sorry for being AWOL . been visiting my parents. Plus this new phone I got takes forever to type on.

Had quick skim of last few pages. Happy birthday Thiago! I hope it was a fab day.

Rowan sorry to hear you been unwell i had a UTI when pregnant. Horrible. Hope you feel better soon and can get a bit of restll
Clio - Kia had been saying Daddy for about 2 months and Mummy for only about 2 weeks. She says Mummy all the time now. Its very cute. Re snacks its mostly fruit like apples, pears, blueberries or strawberries or ricecakes with cream cheese. Lunch is something like fish fingers and peas or spaghetti with tomato sauce
got to go..Kia not.settling
love to all XX

 

[Storm1jet2]

Evening everyone!

Hey Kosh, just wondering how G is sleeping these days? Is there any improvement? L has improved quite dramatically in the last few days and I've had some lovely blocks of sleep.

Charlie being a mum is all consuming and I hope from your last post that your own mum is ok...

Not much to report here, we did however go and order a new bathroom for our house swap. That was hard, hard to think I was changing the bathroom my mum had chosen albeit 28 years ago! I still feel a bit funny moving house but it seems the best thing to do for my little family, I just hope its the right thing for my dad too... Ideally I'd like him closer (it is only 7 miles) but his argument is that he's only 2 miles from one of my brother's and 3 from the other out here in my current house. Maybe I just want him close to me for my comfort?

Anyway enough about that! Rowan I hope you are ok, I really feel for you and I'm sure you are beyond fed up now!

Leeze nice to hear from you again... Have you thought any more about TTC again? I'm holding out for at least another few months. L is so energetic and so much fun I dont much fancy morning sickness just yet, well that and we need to move first!

Oh I'm getting tired so hello to everyone else and catch up more tomorrow!

 

[Leeze]

Hi Storm. I bet your mum would be happy at the thought of you guys creating lots more happy memories in the family home.

We're still planning to start TTC soon. I haven't had a period yet though so not sure when. Im slowly cutting down on breadtfeeding in the hope they return soon! id really like to wait a bit longer but am worried about my age plus it took over a year to conceive Kia so i don't think we've got the luxury of waiting x

 

[SabrinaKat]

not much here - LO has a minor cold with a cough, so after a lovely day eating bits of lamb, mash and broccoli cooked by mummy and lots of fun....threw up. He was laughing the whole time during the change of clothes, sleeping bag, etc., but we offered some sippy cup water and he went off to sleep. LO is trying to stand up ALL the time now, so trying to change clothes and nappy is getting hard, e.g. he doesn't want to lie down, he grabs my shirt and tries to climb up me to stand.

My hands are a little better today - but it's been a bit warmer, so that helps. I'm knitting a scarf and may have finally figured out how to properly knit, e.g. I need a strong light to see the stitches, but it was the un-doing that was cramping my hands, rather than proper knitting, so today am doing okay.

it's less than a week until Daphne's....operation. I'm trying not to think about it, but of course, am worried. (Daphne the soon to be 12 year old cat (her birthday is on Tuesday, and I have had her since the day she was born (her mother was fixed, but right before the operation was scheduled many years ago, got out and got knocked up - not my fault, I was in America and she went into heat at 5 months and was 'let out' by a friend who was watching her....I took her to be fixed at the usual 6 months, but clueless that I was, I didn't realise that she was with kitten, but was fixed soon afterwards)....sigh.

hope all are well and let us know about T's party! and Leeze, nice to see you and kosh....although we are part of this group -- I love seeing pictures, etc., on facebook, which is so cool....

bye!!!!!!!!

 

[Borboleta]

Hello ladies,

Thank you so much for the lovely birthday wishes ! The birthday party is today and everything is looking soooo cute!!! My studio has been transformed from a workout place to thiago's farm!! And the cake .... Oh my gosh!!!! It is the cutest thing I have ever seen!! Will take load of pictures and post them on fb and here.

Sabrina: thiago does that too while changing his diaper !!! It is like a grappling match!!! But I try to give him a toy before I lay him in the changing table and that seems to help . And I love your picture on fb !! I can finally put the face with the person ! And 7 lbs sounds wonderful!!! No diet or anything!!!
Now we are just missing face photos of kosh and Jules and Charlie.

Got to go! Loads of stuff to do before the party .

 

[julesjules100]

Hi ladies

Hope you've all had a good weekend.

Sabrina - yes can totally see why Alexander wouldn't work for you! I know someone who called their son Paul Oliver Olsen. Seriously that's just wrong. Well done on the weight loss! It's the best feeling when items of your wardrobe start to get too big to wear (not a problem for me at the moment as I'm expanding on what seems like an hourly basis).

Storm - I'm really sorry to hear about your Mum. Horrific news on such a special day… I agree with Leeze though, I bet your Mum would love the idea of the house carrying on with you guys in it making more memories.

I did laugh too at DTD but using protection. This LO has been planned every which way with a year of perfectly timed DTD plus fertility treatment but still nothing until the IVF. It would be sod's law that I got pregnant right after he's out if we didn't use anything. Ironic indeed.

Clio – really impressive that J was able to get the book out! You must have been really proud.

Claire – I know, that massive pram would be nuts! It was funny watching my Grandma have a go of the Bugaboo as instead of pushing it like a supermarket trolley (i.e. keeping the front wheels on the ground) she kept pushing back on the handle to lift the front wheels up to turn the pram. Ah, old school. Mum still thinks I should have got the big Silver Cross – perhaps she has an image of me walking in the park with a fleet of nannies in uniform behind me (!).

Charlie – hello again! Yes, I remember us talking. All ok with me apart from killer insomnia (and too much weight gain). 8 weeks left to go and I can't wait!

Ah another lover of the flight path – it has been bliss over here recently. Hardly heard even one go over. Please let them keep whatever it is they're doing now (although I know I'm being selfish as some other poor buggers are doubtless plagued at the moment).

Kosh and Charlie – thanks for the words on bonding. Seems like it's more common than I thought and of course hearing from other people about it helps to normalise anxiety over whether I will or won't feel immediate love. Will focus on it coming in the end.

Borboleta – good luck with the party today! Hope T has a really good time. Look forward to seeing the photos. As for putting a face to a name, funnily enough these photos have just recently been posted to the place that did my wedding dress, so you can see me on there to give you an idea https://www.suzanneneville.com/realbrides/jules-nelson/ (that said, I'm now about 35lbs heavier than I was in these photos Let's hope that baby weight comes flying off….)

x

 

[Claireyb1]

I've had a nice weekend so far,but I always feel sad when it comes to an end as it means a week of looking after Lucy non stop during the day and it can be oh so tiring! nice,but tiring

Jules I was thinking of you earlier as I had to pop into Stoke Park to sort a spa day (Stoke Poges) and I drove home through Gerrards Cross. There are a lot of new houses that keep popping up,mainly because a developer has bought a detached house on a large plot and has then had the space to build 2 detached houses on the land. Can you hurry up and move to GC as we can then go to Stoke Park and have afternoon tea with our LO's!! lol
I love your wedding pics,very beautiful! My best friend had her dress made by Suzanne Neville and it was stunning too.She is a beautiful dress designer. Did you go to her boutique on Beauchamp Place for you fittings?
On the subject of losing weight,I found BF'ing very helpfull and didn't need to diet at all really. I guess this only works if your are planning on BF'ing though lol

SK don't panic about Daphne's op,she will be fine.

Storm What sort of suite did you go for? I agree that your Mum would be very happy for you to continue the lovely memories!

Leeze Hopefully AF will return soon and you can ttc! hopefully reducing the feeds will help it return,although it is still possible you could get pregnant without having one, but I guess for the purposes of dates etc it would be good to have a regular cycle back. I got my 1st AF when Lucy was 11 months.

Borboleta can't wait to see T's birthday pictures!!!

Charlie I will message you on FB and we can sort out a meet for coffee!


Hugs to everyone else.
xx

 

[clio]

Jules--OMG, are you a princess? You look gorgeous, and your dress is divine. You have nothing on Kate! It seems like you UKers are really into your strollers. Here, people typically just buy a cheapish Graco travel system with the infant seat included and easily snapped into your car and then the stroller. We couldn't buy one of those (which are awful looking, anyway) because the snow and ice here make it too hard to use a regular stroller, and my husband is too tall for anything but a jogging stroller--his legs hit the chassis of any "normal" one. Not that we jog, though. Wouldn't want to give anyone that completely false image of us.

Claire--I have often thought about how educated all of us are. I think I jokingly surmised on the thread, at one point, that we must all have a lot of degrees between us. For me, I was late out of the gate, anyway. I would have always fallen into the "over 35 and 1st time mom" category. We were grad students doing MAs and PhDs (two years for the MA, minimum 6 years for the PhD), poor as church mice and in no way equipped to have a child. We were actually only ready to start trying at 35. I guess that I would, by default, have had more life experience.

Oh, and I laughed at your condom story!

Borboleta--Have a wonderful party today!!! Give T a kiss and a hug from me, a strange internet person you've never actually met. Though he won't know that.

Charlie--I'm sorry about your mum, and I hope things are okay. We've missed you, though! About the eating thing, just as Kosh said, we had the exact same problem with J when he turned 3 months. EVERYTHING was so fascinating to him that no one was allowed to move or talk when he was having his bottle because he'd get distracted, and that was it. Light was the worst; it's very bright here, and in the summers, the sun stays up until 10 pm, and shines right into his room. Even with two sets of blackout curtains, we have never been able to block out all of the light, and we have had to move the glider all over the nursery, depending on the position of the sun, so he couldn't see the light shining through the window while we fed him or tried to rock him to sleep. It sounds like little S is turning into quite a wonderful creature, and I'm glad you're enjoying her. It's amazing how the 3 month mark is this incredibly remarkable time as they start to become these unique little creatures.

Storm--It sounds like things in the house are going very well. Though I can imagine how hard it is with the remodelling. But I bet your mum is up there, looking down, and saying "Finally someone is doing something about that bathroom!" And being very happy that you're back in her home, and that now L can enjoy it, too. And congrats on the DTD! (Hmmmnnn... My autocorrect just tried to covert that to STD.)

Kosh--good to hear from you! Doesn't it just kill you when you hear a real word? Congrats!

Leeze--I'm glad you're back! Did you have a good time?

J has basically mastered Mama, but still prefers "Dad-ee!." I'll show him old(ish) pictures of us and he can always identify Dad-ee, but has no clue who I am. Fair enough, I'm 40 pounds heavier than I was in all the pictures we have of me, but still... But I also like that J and Eric have such a close relationship. It's what I always wanted for my kids, so I should stop complaining. I won't, but I know I should.

SK--good luck with your kitten and her op. I'm certain she'll be fine.

Ugh. I have so much marking to do. They wrote their midterm exams the day I handed back their essays, so I really set myself up for marking hell. I'm also afraid to look at the exams. You see, you want some people to do well, to show that it wasn't impossible, but you also want some people to bomb it, to show that it wasn't a walk in the park. It's really bad when they all do well, or when they all do badly. So, I don't dare face the music.

So, I have decided to take the day off, instead. There. Sorted.

 

[SabrinaKat]

well, we have joined the bumpy heads gang -- LO has a huge bruise on his head from falling over, twisting over and generally, he crawls backwards and then can't get out. We went and got matts to put over the floor, but I have to say that today, I am so disappointed with my OH, for the first time, he just isn't moving fast enough/paying enough attention to LO, who keeps falling over and hitting his head (he could be RIGHT next to him and watching TV, but not LO and then...boom. LO hits his head and screams for mamamamama, so I'm NOT amused. Sigh. Can we get a helmet for LO? (Just kidding, a little....)

hope all are well, spent the day with LO as my OH had to work and did loads of stuff around the house, e.g. a little spring cleaning, which makes me feel good and then, I find stuff that 'went missing', although I still think the cats smuggle and hide other stuff. Oh, dear - Daphne is in heat AGAIN (five times in four months) and it's awful for me and her. I am trying not to think about Friday am, but at this stage, she MUST have the op -- in years past, she only went into heat twice a year, but now, sentiment aside, it MUST be done (my poor baby).....

query: has anybody travelled on a plane with their LOs yet? (We have an offer from my dad to go to NYC this summer for a short visit (he'll pay hotel and one airfare), but whilst the idea is great, the reality might not be (I know NYC, went to uni there, etc) as an 18month old might not handle the flight well AND stuck in a hotel room (how do we carry all his toys, etc?). We are planning to go to Arizona for Christmas and whilst the flight will be a nightmare, even for adults (!), it's to my mum's house where there would be room for LO, toys from other family children, etc., and far more relaxed. Any ideas?

hope all are well - we want pictures, Borboleta! and rest up, clio!

bye and hugs to all!

 

[Claireyb1]

SK I took Lucy on a plane when she was approx 8 months old, but it was only to Poland for my brothers wedding and the flight was only a couple of hours. We were lucky as my SIL (who's polish) made sure we had travel cot etc for when we were there. I took toys,food and everything else.
Not sure how I would feel about a longer flight though?? not now she is walking and constantly on the move.

 

[AngelUK]

Good evening ladies

Jules you looked stunning as a bride! Beautiful gown too! When ever I see such lovely wedding pics it makes me regret that I shall never get to wear a bridal dress now but then again I wouldn't look that good anyway so it is all good lol
As for not bonding with your baby when it is born, yes I too have heard this is quite common and one of my friends experienced that too and it took her a few weeks or so. Her son is now about 10 weeks old. Mind you she is now diagnosed with PND but I don't think one is necessarily connected with the other. I did bond immediately but as kosh said, the first few weeks and especially the first few days are so overwhelming that they go by in a haze of sleep deprivation and constant near panic wondering if you are doing it wrong. You won't be but you'll still worry cause I have come to realise that worry is another definition of motherhood
Glad you got a break from the planes at the moment. I am not sure if they are still flying over us but I assume so (I honestly don't notice them any more) as they usually fly along the river don't they, and we are smack next to it (give or take the Fulham Football stadium)
As for surnames, I am totally in accord with you with not changing your name on marriage. My identity is very important to me too and even if we were to get married, I would not change my name either. "Luckily" my OH didn't want our boys to have his surname (cause his father was not a nice man and he doesn't want the name to carry on) so they have my surname only. I am happy about that cause I wouldn't want them to be called differently to me.
How are you feeling btw? Are you still quite comfy or are you suffering from hip pains etc? Hope all is well

Sabrina oddly enough I think heat makes my hands worse. I remember (and sorry if TMI) when my milk came in and I was totally engorged, the community midwife had me massage my boobs and the heat the friction created was agony! But I can totally imagine that knitting making things worse! I have it too with anything that involves a prolonged pincer grip. Do you have a splint and if so, do you find it helps at all? Mine doesn't cause as I mentioned I think it starts in the elbow and not in the wrist.
I totally understand your worry for Daphne but I am sure she will be ok. Your vet wouldn't do the op if she were too old right? Still, I am sending you encouraging
As for your DH not watching F while watching tv. How like a man! My OH does this when feeding one of the boys sometimes and he doesn't notice that they let the food out of their mouths and down their neck. Doesn't matter how well I put on the coveralls btw, food always ends up down their neck! I hope F isn't too badly hurt poor little thing! But I am sure soon he will be walking like a pro

Storm wow good for you DTD and I did grin too at using protection. We haven't done it since August 2012 and I don't think we will any time soon but I was actually idly wondering how to get my OH to don protection if we did. Wouldn't it be so typical to have tried unsuccessfully for so many years and having had to go through all the treatments to then end up pregnant naturally? A bit like what happened to Sabrina but in my case not as unreservedly welcome. Though ohh how I wish I could have another All the mention of you ladies ttc soonish makes me kinda envious even though I know it would be madness to have another baby. Ah well...
I really hope L has turned a corner now with the sleeping and will give you more and more such lovely nights. Crossing my fingers for you
And I think Leeze is right, your mum would be happy that you are going to have her house and create happy memories there too.

Clio Thank you so much for your encouragement re my boys and the gymboree. You are very sweet!
As for the milk, over here we have Follow On milk which is from 6 months or weaning and then after that we have toddler milk, one that starts at 1 year and the next for 2 years + called Growing Up milk. But I suspect that is just a marketing ploy and the contents not that different to the Follow On milk So maybe the iron content would still be quite high.
About the rolling thing: yes the boys had reflux and were supposed to sleep on wedges, to elevate their upper bodies. Also since they have a bit of flat head syndrome, they sleep on special pillows. But naturally with the wedges they would not stay in place at night so that we got belly bands for them that allowed them to turn to their side a little bit but not over. At least they couldn't till recently when they have become strong enough. They don't suffer from reflux so much any more so that they no longer need the wedges, though we still have the pillows for their flat heads. So although they now managed to turn on their bellies within the belly bands, it was not possible for them to turn back and that made them wake and cry. For the last two nights we have had them sleep without. Not surprisingly this is not a problem with Sebastian who moves about the bed on his tummy in his sleep and only wakes at around 6:30 like the good little sleeper he is. Dominic however woke at 4:30 again for the last two nights. Not sure if it cause he is free to roll or what. The first night he was looking for his dummy and couldn't find it cause he had thrown it over into Sebastian's bed. But now I suspect that he just wants the bottle, even if we only give really watered down milk now. Ah well. I am not complaining. A Dominic who sleeps through from 7 to 4:30 is still wonderful!
J finding the book and his pointing at things just confirms my opinion of him as a really advanced and intelligent boy. Clever, funny AND cute too! You will have to fend the girls off with a broom I think

Claire I do think you are right and the fact that we are older and have had more time to go to college/have a career and live life a little, does make a huge difference. But maybe the reason we are all so happy with each other on this thread is also cause we are all such clever well educated gals
I envy you losing all that weight with BF. You must be lovely and slim again and can get a beautiful wedding gown from Jules' designer too I know you would look stunning
As for the packets of condoms, hehe how like a man! I bet he felt cavemanish proud when he bought them

Charlie I hope your mum is ok?
S sounds like a lovely little character already but I can hardly believe she is 4 months already! This went soo quickly! And I am so impressed with all the things you do with her. You are obviously well suited to each other
Anyway, I totally understand if you are too busy to come on much but please do update us from time to time even if you cannot answer personals

Kosh always lovely to see you here
Yay for Gael learning a new word. I bet he is adorable and I totally understand how you would find it so cute!
I had no idea that Amy from the BB Theory was into any sort of parenting but when you mentioned it, I read up on it. Good for her. I am not opposed to it you know, it is just one of those things that, when I was a new mummy and totally overwhelmed with two crying babies, was a fresh source of self torture. I have come to the conclusion that with my parted abdominals and the ensuing painful back and having two babies at once, there was no way I could have worn them in a sling. Not even alternating. But of course having read several things on AP I was worried that my boys would never attach to me properly as I couldn't even BF. Well, I think I did the best I could and one thing that isn't lacking, is love for them in abundance. And really, all I wish for is that Attachment Parenting was called something else so as not to make struggling mummies like me feel bad. Cause the concept is wonderful and I totally agree with many things proposed therein.
As for the Carpal Tunnel, I didn't know there were plasters for it? I have a splint but it doesn't help me much as I think it all starts at the elbow.

OH made a pasta bake and it is ready now. I have to go. Will post this and continue later. Or tomorrow rather. My other lovely ladies, I have not forgotten you and I am not ignoring you. Just greedy for food
Bye for now xx

 

[charlie15]

I've had a lovely weekend, today catching up with a good friend who was down from Cumbria with her 3 month old boy and yesterday nice stroll down the river and finding a new Fara kids (charity shop) in a posh part of town where i bought loads of gorgeous clothes for S at bargain prices and they have hardly been worn

Thank you all for you kind words about my Mum, it's an ongoing problem for the last 18 months, a very long sad story which i won't bore you all with. But she's OK, mainly mental health problems, but, most importantly she is nearby which makes my life a lot easier to try and help her and she has found a new love in her life with S which is wonderful for her.

Jules you look beautiful in your lovely wedding dress, how tall are you? you look very tall in the pics! We are not married, it's something that i am not that bothered about doing and never have been, but like you and Angel i feel very stronly about my own identity and also passing it on. So Sophia has both our surnames, which luckily sounds great together even though mine is very English, Harvey, and my OHs surname is Portugese, it works.

Angel i have been reading about AP recently, i was curious as to what it actually was after hearing so much about it. I totally agree that it shouldn't be called attatchment parenting as it implies detatchment otherwise!! however on reading about it by the man himself Dr Sears it's not formulaic at all, it's more about tuning into your child and responding to their needs in a way that works for them. There seem to be a lot of people out there who want to do a style of parenting, which I suppose is fine but you have do do what works for everyone and sometimes what you may like, your child may not! I love babywearing and when S was little it was the ONLY way as she wanted to be carried ALL the time! Now, she hates it!!! i think she finds it too restrictive so as much as i would love to wear her, she's having none of it prefering to be carried so she can wriggle about and get a better view!! I think most people AP to some extent as we all want to bond and get to know our babies and find our way in the world in a way that works for all concerned we just don't all need to label what we do.

Borboleta, how did T's party go? I'm sure he had a wonderful first birthday!

Clio, J does sound like a bright little thing and very very cute, would love to see him in action!

Claire, look forward to meeting up and reminising about the Nuns!! will be lovely to meet L too, she looks like a cutie on FB and S is fascinated by older children!

Anyway going to head off with a cuppa and watch OBE, my guilty pleasure that i can have while OH is out

 

[Storm1jet2]

Evening all... First of all Sk was thinking about you and your kitties op, try not to stress its for the best and I'm sure she will be just fine, cats bounce back so quickly! Actually I had a little cry about my cats tonight, I have 3, 2 boys and a girl.. the boys are 9 and the female is 7 BUT I won't be able to take them with me when I move My dad has a cat (well she was originally mine but my mum wouldn't let me take her when I moved out) and she is 14 or is it 15 and she would HATE other cats. Shes too old to move and isnt overly well so basically the cats will stay in their current houses. My dads happy enough to keep my 3 and of course I'm fine with Poppy but I want mine with me. If anything should happen Poppy my 3 will be moved down swiftly. I feel bad about leaving them though. My dads cat is fine with the dog btw as the dog is often down with me and has sleepovers etc..

Oh that was rather a cat filled start to the post!

Jules you look amazing! Stunning bride

Clairey I too laughed at your husband's optimism, men eh? Oh and we've chosen a free standing modern bath, sink with storage, wet wall panelling in a marble pattern with beige tones and brown floor tiles, the ceiling will be white panels with aluminium strips and six spot lights.. I hope its nice! There is so much to do to the house but not an endless supply of money.

Oh better go dh is back from dog walking...

 

[clio]

SK--I took J at 6 months, when he couldn't walk yet. It was a 4 and a bit hour flight. He was great, but he was small and had no desire to leave my lap. I did spend all of the time bouncing him, though.

We went to my parents, and all we took was the stroller and a carefully packed diaper bag, with hardly any toys. The rest was food, bottles, receiving blankets and bibs (he was still spitting up a storm at the time). BUT, my mum had bought him a cot, and good friends had lent us a bouncy chair and stuffed toys. I also did a Walmart trip and got some helpful stuff, like more blankets, bibs, and a pretty sad play mat. I also went to Once Upon a Child, a second hand store, and bought him some toys for 5 bucks each. It might take some advance planning, but is your dad willing to help you out? Can you drive to some suburb somewhere and do all of the mundane stuff? Probably your most expensive item will be the Pack 'n Play, but if you already have one, it is portable and you could take it along (I think F has a baggage allowance, too!). Or, get your dad to check second hand stores, or Kijiji/Craig's list and have it waiting for you.

We considered flying back to Toronto this spring or summer, but there is no way to keep J on our laps, so we'd have to buy a seat for him too, where we would install one of our convertible carseats so he will be strapped down. And this ends up costing the same as an adult ticket! So we're going to try driving instead. All three days (one way) of it. I think we're insane, but I don't know how else to get him out there without spending an arm and a leg. My dad is the oldest of all the grandparents, and in the worst health (not anything serious, just persistent problems). He is incredibly musical, loves jazz and plays the vibraphone (imagine a xylophone, but electric). He's been talking about holding J up to play the vibes to play, but I want J to see Grandfather play, and this means going soon, I fear.

Oh, and about the bumped head syndrome, SK, I'd suggest just letting F get on with it and not even run to his rescue unless it's dire. OH's mum, who had three kids under four, said that you simply can't attend to every single cry when you have that many, and so we took her philosophy and pretend J has siblings. Soon J began to weather the bumps, and I now also know when he is tired. When his forehead just grazes something and he freaks out, it means it's nap time. If he is intent on whatever he was doing, any head knocking, no matter how hard, is ignored so he can get on with his project.

So, Eric is so sweet. He made us go through all of our pics (and we have A LOT) and choose ones that have my family and J in it. He wants them up around the house in frames so when we walk around, we can point out my family, too, not just his. They're now on a memory stick and he and J have gone to get them printed and buy frames for them. I'm interested in seeing how he'll screw this up. I love him, but this is not the type of thing he's good at. Luckily, it's his project, so I don't have to worry about the screw up(s). But he does have to go get me more onions, because the ones we have are all mouldy, also because of not listening to me properly. And that screws up MY projects for today. Because it's crock pot time again! I'm also making some Apple Cheddar Loaf for J (bread machine, so no accolades, please!), thinking that it's the best snack: grains, dairy, protein and fruit. I just wish he had molars to make it easier to eat the actual bread!

Angel--I think it was the bananas, as Storm suggested. I've stopped giving them to him, and he's been fine since (though I saw him squatting today, and so did OH). The iron content of the Follow On Milk (I think that's what we have) is higher and did cause problems for a day or two, but then he was fine again. Luckily, he doesn't seem to be in any distress.

Re: J's "advanced-ness"--okay, I'm finally going to admit this. I get very worried about writing out J stories these days because he does seem so advanced in them. I don't want people thinking that I am boasting, because I'm really not trying to. I just want to tell funny J stories, but these days, they just seem to come off as bragging. Yes, admittedly, he does seem advanced, but M blows him out of the water. So I guess what I'm saying is that my intention is never to show off, but rather, to write about what a character he is. Or to tell you about something he's done that makes me proud. I've not written a lot of stuff out (or if I did, I erased it) because of this. And yes, he is determined to talk. That is very true. But I dragged my heels sharing this as well because of this...advanced-ness concept. I'd go back to writing about the cat, who is in no possible way advanced, but she basically just hides out in the basement these days...

Okay, confession off my chest.

 

[charlie15]

Re: J's "advanced-ness"--okay, I'm finally going to admit this. I get very worried about writing out J stories these days because he does seem so advanced in them. I don't want people thinking that I am boasting, because I'm really not trying to. I just want to tell funny J stories, but these days, they just seem to come off as bragging. Yes, admittedly, he does seem advanced, but M blows him out of the water. So I guess what I'm saying is that my intention is never to show off, but rather, to write about what a character he is. Or to tell you about something he's done that makes me proud. I've not written a lot of stuff out (or if I did, I erased it) because of this. And yes, he is determined to talk. That is very true. But I dragged my heels sharing this as well because of this...advanced-ness concept. I'd go back to writing about the cat, who is in no possible way advanced, but she basically just hides out in the basement these days...

it doesn't come across as bragging at all, just funny, well told tales that are great at giving all of is a clear impression of him!