any other over 35 first time mums?

[clio]

AARRRRGGHHH! This no eating thing is driving me up the wall. Or, at least, driving me to my room (OH sent me here). I spent the afternoon making zucchini and carrot soup because J will eat it at Oma's and he's had zero veggies and zero protein for the last few dinners. But he simply won't eat them! He ate his lunch, at least, but it was processed beef tortellini and processed tomato sauce because I was at the end of my rope. I even gave him hummus for his protein this evening, and what he adored two days ago apparently isn't fit for the cats today.

A child cannot live on pieces of ham and cheese and grapes alone! (Though, technically, he could, I guess...) I guess I'll try a fritata tomorrow and try and sneak stuff in there.

Thanks, everyone, for your concern re: the past week. We're both exhausted and still feeling quite raw. In fact, here is a pic of OH (I took it after someone here asked how he's doing):

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/11316205895_7cb21306da.jpg

Even J's gifts didn't wake him.

BLEmma--I concur: worst OH award goes to yours this week. Wow. Why was it a rental car? Were you visiting somewhere? I had no idea you lived in Spain, either. Are you Spanish? We are turning into quite an international group!

I'm not surprised about the ban on home births, though. People would have been quite shocked if I had asked for one here. But it's entirely cultural, even in Canada. My sister had one in Toronto and no one blinked an eye. Though TO is quite a bit more liberal than Edmonton.

Since we're on the topic, Re: multi-culturalism--sadly, I moved from the most multicultural city in the word (no hyperbole, actually--TO is the most multicultural; we're a nation of immigrants and TO is the economic centre of the country), to a city that consists of whites, Asians and Pakistanis. But, most schools are a good mix of the three groups, so at least there's that. I know what you mean, Kitty, about basking in a sea of difference; I used to look around a subway car in TO and realize that I was the only white person on it. It was pretty cool.

SK and Kosh--good luck on your trips! I hope the flights with the little ones won't be stressful!

SK--I'm sorry about the job situation for you. Now, I don't think I quite understand; your husband took paid redundancy? What does that mean? Does he now have to find a new job, but you have some money to tide you over?

Charlie and Angel--J is really good about the tree; he never touches it. It could be because last year, OH always said to him if he got near it: "Careful Jonah, we don't want the tree to fall on your head!" And then J would put his hands on his head and back away! This year it's the kitten that's the problem; she's made her way to the top a few times now, but to be fair, I put two realistic-looking cardinals up there.

Charlie or Kitty--I can't remember who said that they liked Dr. Seuss, or even if I've written this before (so many lost posts!), but have you tried "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" It was the first book J got into, and the first book he began to copy sounds from. He named his Fisher Price "popcorn popper" pushy-wheely-thingy "Pop" all on his own because of the book. The Alphabet one is fun, too; J used to ask us to read him the "Fiffer-feffer-feff" book.

Kitty--I'm glad you had such a nice day for little B's birthday. And I hope it wasn't too bittersweet. We have J's party coming up this Sunday, though his actual b-day is Monday. ...

Angel--I would move into those houses in a heartbeat! Though that's the Edmonton me talking. I think I would have a hard time pulling myself away from TO if I had a house there, no matter how small.

Borboleta--how sweet about the ornament! I agree, that is a wonderful story to go along with it. My mum is trying to start a similar tradition with J, but he wouldn't let the ornaments go on the tree because he liked them too much, and then, the cats got them. They are, of course, birds.

I'm afraid that the Leapfrog videos got vetoed by OH, in the end; we let J watch half an hour of "tv" before dinner, when he is at his grumpiest, and he loved the letters one. OH, however, who makes dinner while J watches, couldn't stand it because the voices and the song annoyed him too much, so J saw it only three times. Though he keeps asking for it, even now. "Frogs and Letters! Frogs and Letters!" So, it's still only Pocoyo for J.

I'm starving, guys, so I'm going to go eat dinner. I'm sorry for those I missed!

 

[Claireyb1]

Gosh, so much to catch up on!!!
Borboleta- Lucy has 11 teeth at present. How many has everyone chelae got!
Clio- we are going through a not much eating stage and I just go with it as you just can't force them. I understand it can be entirely normal at this age. He will prob just start eating properly again on day and look at you like you're nuts?! Lol
Storm- I can't believe your 31 weeks already!!! You are super mum for sure!

Lucy is chattering away nowadays and it's very cute. When I get my cup out of the dishwasher she says "cup of tea"
Her sleep has been pretty dire and very hit and miss. Yesterday she decided that 30mins was adequate for her one and only nap?! Then she wanted to get up at 5am this morning!! So Tiring
Right, stinky nappy is calling me.. Must dash.
Hugs to all.
Xxx

 

[Claireyb1]

Clio- forgot to say that Lucy totally does her own thing at Gymboree! She will want to do the exact opposite to what the teacher is doing! It's no biggy though and she just gets on with it!
Xx

 

[Storm1jet2]

Aww Clio your dh looks wrecked, bless him. As for J and the not eating my fall back food is tinned sausages and beans, L loves them (they stink so I dunno why and I get the kids version which is even more tasteless). I made meatballs.in a tomato and onion sauce for tea the other night, apparently they were 'stinky' so she had plain spaghetti!

Clairey L usually naps for half an hour, no matter how bad her night was! We had a totally crap night last night, lots of random crying and 2 hours sobbing about not liking Santa! I'm shattered, off work today though, its my last L free day before Christmas and I put her into nursery late and I'm going to get her early I've got little done, I did a quick shop, got a couple of presents and took a tiny Christmas tree to my mums grave, now I need to walk the dog... Zzz

Ok I'm starving, need to eat, back later!

 

[Storm1jet2]

Oh and forget to say I have a list of people to help with L if I go into labour, first is sil and Dr brother, but Dr brother works funny hours and sils mum is ill. Second is other brother and sil, L probably knows them best as she sees brother and these cousins 2 times a week but sil works 2 nights also. Then there is grandpa, grandpa will do for an hour but doesn't do nappies or cook and doesn't have much patience and if its the middle of the night L will be screaming for me! Lastly we have cousin Mandy who lives quite close, but her hubby works funny hours too and she has kids! As Borboleta said its a shame mil and fil hardly know L as they are both retired, available 24/7 and there are 2 of them. Also nursery will take her any day regardless of whether its one of her days or not! So I'm hoping for midweek when dh is off work so she can go to nursery and auntie Lisa can pick her up after school (she's a nursery teacher)...

 

[Kitty_love]

Oh Storm, what a night! We had an unusual (for Blake) screaming and crying last night at 3am. We've worked out a system to figure out what he wants in middle of the night (he wakes maybe 1-2 times a week or less?): if he stops crying when I hold him, he wants cuddles, song, story, but if he wants daddy he wants food! So last night we jumped up and Dan got in there first, he stopped crying a bit but was still whimpering and unsettled, so Dan passed him over to me. I was greeted with waaaailing, so food it was! Little stinker took an entire 8 oz bottle, and wanted nothing to do with any cuddles

Well, I've got to get going on cleaning the kitchen and more decorating, as I let everything go yesterday and just played with Blake unless he was sleeping. I'm thinking maybe going forward to save putting the downstairs tree up until after his birthday every year to try to separate the two holidays?

Oh, and I forgot to share how good Blake was when I put the tree up this year (it's fake and quite old, was my Nan's tree and I love it!). We put on Christmas music, and he sat on Dans lap calmly and very interested and watched me sing and put the whole thing up (probably 1/2 hr). Kitties helped to entertain him too I think, then he crawled around it, looking up, but never tried to pull on it or anything. I honestly couldn't believe how good he was! We had big family fun! Luckily, it's in the den, so we can close the door if he suddenly gets in the mood to "discover" more.

 

[clio]

Kitty--I had never thought of putting the tree up after J's birthday! What a smart idea to help differentiate the two events! Problem is, I love my tree! Waiting so long to put it up would be very hard!

For all those with fake trees--can you explain why you have them? OH's family (as in, all members) have fake ones, too, but I'm a diehard "real tree-er." My family is, as well. Actually, OH's and my first date was around Christmas time, 10 years ago shock, when I took him to the countryside in Ontario and we chose and chopped down my family's tree from a tree farm. Is it because it's hard to find full ones, or because it's easier? What do you do to get that pine needle smell? Or am I simply a hold out from a previous generation?

Claire--I was like that with J, too, at Gymboree. But now that I'm trying to do music classes with him, he has to sit and listen and follow instructions more. And who knew that a kid could become a dead weight on a lap and slither to the floor? ALL the other kids stay with their parents, regardless of whether they're older or younger than J. Oma says it's a very good sign, because it means he feels secure without me, but I've noticed that at all the music classes we previewed, not one instructor addressed us afterwards to see what we thought and if we would like to sign up! Oh well--I'm going to continue to take him to the Gymboree one, to see if he might settle down once he's used to the room and the people/kids.

Storm--it seems like you have a very complicated, but thoroughly thought-through plan for the birth. I can't believe it's so close! Strange that L should have nightmares that young! Poor thing.

I so rock. Not only do we have all the Christmas presents for J, our nieces and nephews sorted (okay, not the nephews, but it's always Lego, and I've put in a call to my SIL to give us the specifics), but I managed to find what I thought would be an obscure item for my sister's daughter. I asked my mum what my sister would like for her, and instead of saying, "Oh, you've sent enough clothes and books by now--don't worry about it!", she put in an order for a corduroy dress which could not be pink and is size 9-12 months. So, disheartened, I went to the second hand shop and found, within minutes, a lovely red, corduroy dress. Did I mention I rock? And my other niece on OH's side is so much fun to buy for, now that she's gotten into riding and has her own horse. This is my area of expertise, so I look for what I would want, then choose a pink version, and there you go.

I'm going to ask one of my physiotherapists if there is any chance that we can get my joint secure enough to ride again. I know it's a pipe dream, but one of them rides herself, so maybe, just maybe... It would make Edmonton far more bearable, and my mental health far more stable, if I could jump again. People always comment on the huge smile I get on my face when I jump, and I never even notice I'm smiling. It's automatic, and is so reflective of how I feel.

Grrrrr... J is suposed to be sleeping in the room next door (he's exhausted), and he is trying to keep himself awake by talking and singing and kicking the wall. The little bugger. Well, I will not let him ruin my own nap. I'll just turn my space heater up high to block the sound and snooze away.

What a completely random, self-centred and boring post. I apologize profusely and profoundly to you all!

 

[SabrinaKat]

aargh....I can't do punctuation, yes, I can, but LO broke the key off the laptop (I now am hiding under a scarf (not very well)...well, no bitings for 2 days in creche, but what a little mister - the terrible twos have firmly started. I now use Shaun the sheep videos to distract him when he wants to bite, wants to get on the laptop, in fact, to do anything that is dangerous....sigh. One minute, we were happily colouring and the next, I had mentioned 'dinner' and the screams to get out of the living room (we have a length of living room playpen with a little gate (like a fence) and to go downstairs (our kitchen is downstairs)...argh! now, we have to spell 'dinner' and 'bath' because he becomes instantly tantrum-y (not a word, I know)!

clio - my OH got a year's salary untaxed, but will need to find a job in the next three to six months (or in a year, etc.). I want him to spend some time relaxing and to decide what he wants to do, etc.

must go as LO is returning from the bath and if he sees the laptop....

bye, hugs!.

 

[AngelUK]

Clio not all boring! I meant to say that I love your tree! I miss our own from home (Switzerland) which always looks a bit like yours. But it has been fake for about 2 decades now for several reasons, my mum who does most of the decorating and the taking down of the ornaments is allergic to pine needles. She could wear gloves but finds it too difficult (she used rubber ones, not the surgical ones). And another reason is that monster Hans Christian Andersen and his story The Fir Tree. My mother and I are both soppy sentimentalists and it fairly broke our hearts! So we were glad to have my mum's allergy as an excuse. If you don't know that story but have a childish imagination and are a soppy so and so too, don't read the story! If you know how cruel Andersen's tales are you probably can imagine.

Oops stern look from OH. I am not painting! Got to go

 

[Kitty_love]

Clio - I love my fake trees for both sentimental and environmental reasons. It just bugs me to chop down a living tree and then toss it out on the curb, kind of hurts my heart to see all those half-dead trees by people's driveway every year. But that's just me, my parents put up a fake tree and a real tree every year. Also, more of my own weirdness, I do not put up any lights, only ornaments. Even before my insurance/actuary days, in fact as a child, I considered them fire hazards and energy wasters. My parents call me a grinch because of it

My medium fake tree was my Nan's, and I have helped put it up since very small, so I love it and remember her every time I put it up and decorate it. I also have a smaller silver tinsel tree from 1970 that my mom used in her classroom. She gave it to me when I was 5 for my bedroom, so I love that too! We also bought a huge one 3 years ago that goes in our bonus room, but last year it didn't go up (Blakey surprise), and may not this year eithe depending on time, but this actually looks like a real tree with tons of branches and different texture needles and was a big splurge for us.

Angel - thanks for the warning, I am def not reading that story!!! Reminded me of the story 'The Giving Tree' that I see in the baby book section, and I always wonder why it's for children? It made me feel so bad when I read it while choosing Blakey's little library.

Hooray for finding a great red dress Clio!

Funny story this afternoon...I had just finished making my lunch (just an open-face cheese sandwich) and I put an extra slice of cheese on my plate to munch on, took it to the table, and went back for a napkin. I hear Blake let out this huge giggle, turn around, and see Tabitha kitty dragging my extra piece of cheese onto the ground! Blake was watching her with a huge smile on his face, little cutie!

SK - how's your tooth feeling? Any better? When do you guys leave for the states? And yay for no bitings for a few days!

 

[Borboleta]

Angel: I never read that story. What is about?

Claire: thiago has 16 teeth and poor thing has been suffering the past couple of days with his back molars. The past couple of days he has not been eating very much and he is constantly putting his finger or whatever he can get in the back of his mouth. I put my finger down his mouth to see if I could feel something and it felt harder than normal so I think they might be getting closer to the surface. And of course I got a good bite on my finger too !!!

Clio: you need to tell your OH to let J have fun with leapfrog . Tell him that it could be worst and he needed to listen to the wiggles !!!!
Can you just ride a horse and not jump? Would that be easier on your joints?
I love fake trees ! I never had a real tree but I would hate to have to clean the needles from the floor . Again I love my little fake tree. And chances are I would be allergic to the tree too !

Kitty: Blake sounds so lovely. Just sitting in there watching you put the tree up. Too adorable. And you have 2 Christmas tree!!! Godness, I think one is a lot of work to decorate !! I am sure your house looks beautiful!!! Maybe you can take pics of your Christmas decor.

So I am trying to find out what should I try to work next with thiago since he knows his abc and numbers 1 to 10. I know his speech is not great but that is so much I can do on that end. I am still working with him on putting words together that he can actually say; and I am starting to work on the numbers 11 to 20. But since I am no preschool teacher I wonder what is the next step. I know that I probably should try to work more with him on holding crayons and chalks and he is not big on eating with a spoon ( actually he will not eat anything that requires spoon !!! Any ideas?

 

[kosh]

Belated happy birthday Blake,

busy packing!
to all

 

[clio]

Borboleta--you are so much like me! I love teaching J things. Though, come to think of it, I haven't done much lately. But seriously, buy the Roger Priddy books--"My First 100 Words," "My First 100 Animals," etc.--if you want T to learn vocabulary. J LOVES them, and gobbles them up. I just got him "My First 100 Machines," and he sits there, constantly asking "Whas dat???" over and over again. They are only pictures with their names underneath. No story, just colourful photographs. So that is my suggestion. Plus, J and T seem to like exactly the same things. Except that whole soccer thing...J's not the most graceful athlete!

Aw man! Talking about similar interests, Electric Thomas is missing again... And that was a new battery!

****
Oh, after two hours, we finally found him again!
****

Kitty--I must preface this with by saying my tongue is entirely in my cheek! I was feeling rather eco-unfriendly while considering my real tree, until OH pointed out that they actually decompose when taken away, and as for cutting them down, we have so many in this country that we're actually helping with culling! This was in no way a challenge to what you wrote; it's my own way of justifying this particular carbon footprint! Plus, I can see now how the "fake" tree in and of itself can be a tradition and something to be cherished. One of my own favourite memories is from my 5th Christmas, when I planted a pine cone from our Christmas tree and it is now a lovely large pine tree in my parents' garden! My mum even transplanted it when we moved from TO to a town just outside of the city when it was just a sapling.

 

[clio]

Borboleta--sorry, forgot to respond to the whole horse/jumping thing. I LOVE jumping. I will put up with all the other disciplined training stuff in order to become a better jumper.

 

[Kitty_love]

Oh Clio, that's such a lovely story about you planting the pine cone as a child and watching it grow, how neat! I love that! And as for carbon footprint, I bought plastic tubs to store our fake trees (and other decorations) in down in the basement, not so ecofriendly at all

 

[clio]

Oh Clio, that's such a lovely story about you planting the pine cone as a child and watching it grow, how neat! I love that! And as for carbon footprint, I bought plastic tubs to store our fake trees (and other decorations) in down in the basement, not so ecofriendly at all

I have a friend who is an environmental historian, who has all these lofty beliefs, and refused to allow her ex-husband (a total layabout with no money) to buy a car. But when he finally did, she got mad at him for not allowing her to use it to go shopping!!!

Oh, and my decorations are mainly straw and are packed in cardboard boxes...and stored in plastic tubs...

 

[charlie15]

Kitty, I didn't know that you lived in London and loved it so much where did you live? As much as I am not a city city person and in my heart I love been out in the country, I do think London is one of the best cities in the world, I feel lucky to have been born here. Most cities I could take or leave, with a few exceptions, New York, I absolutely loved NYC! Jerusalem, a different spin on diversity and the history and atmosphere. For beautiful views everywhere you go, Sydney, oh and I love Paris, unfortunately OH hates it, so not sure when I will go back, but I use to go there a lot and loved just meandering around. Glad you had a lovely birthday for Blake great idea about not putting the tree up until after his birthday. I refuse to even acknowledge Christmas until after mine and mine 3 weeks before Blakes

Storm, my good friend, when she was having her second had a rosta lined up of volunteers to look after her boy. Her mum and step dad decided that their 2nds grandson due date would be a great time to go on holiday so a few of us volunteered and we gave dates that we could or couldn't do. Never needed us in the end as he was 16 days overdue! I often wonder what we would do with Sophia should we have another....

About my TTC número 2, well we are in month 3 and I have been closely charting my cycles, a new experience for me and I have learnt a lot! I seem to have delayed ovulation and a short LP, 8 days last month it's all perfectly clockwork regular and predictable but delayed which is more than likely due to breastfeeding so the long and short of it is I may have to wean Sophia in order to get pregnant I have done so much thinking about it as I wanted to breastfeed for a lot longer, but from the research I have done getting pregnant while bfing in your 40's is no small feet, it happens but more often that not you need to wean. I was really really sad about it, but am slowly accepting it. I am sure it may be hard to understand if you have not breastfeed or if you have and you hated it, but for me, I love my quiet time with Sophia, but also I want to give TTC my best shot, so if I am not UTD this month, will start the weaning in the new year. Sorry for waffle on, but something that has been dominating my thoughts for the last few weeks.

As for Christmas trees, we have always had a fake one. We had lots of dogs growing up an the one year my parents decided to try a real one, the poor dogs kept on getting pine needles in their paws, so never again. One day, when I live in a proper house I will treat us to a wonderful fake one that is lovely, full and indistinguishable from a real one

Borboleta, where was that video of T saying the alphabet? I couldn't see it you asked about education in the UK. Well we have state education, which can be dire or excellent. Often very large class size though and even though you don't pay for the education directly, if you want to get your children into a good school, you will pay with house prices! Good schools keep property prices sky high. My neighbour actually moved into rented accommodation right next door to the school that she wanted her daughter to go to and then moved back once she got her in there are private schools here too. Some great ones, personally I think t depends on your child, so lazy ones may benefit from a private school with smaller class sizes so they don't get swallowed up in the numbers, but other children may thrive in larger classes. There are also grammar schools here, which are excellent state schools but you have to take an exam to get into them at 11. They only take the brightest children, so for very bright kids they shouldn't get bored if they are in a class with less academically gifted children. They use to have grammar schools everywhere, my father went to a very well known one. But now there are only a few here and there. All very complicated and so much to consider. But I don't think education is one size fits all, we will just see how Sophia is as she grows up and hope that we make the best choice for her.

Anyway ladies, must go, sorry for long boring post, oh and SK have a wonderful trip to NYC, I am jealous! And Kosh too for Mexico. X

 

[Kitty_love]

Borboleta - I'm not sure as Blake is so much younger, but I was thinking maybe you could teach him colors or shapes or animals (names and sounds they make)?

Charlie - yes! I had a wonderful experience studying and living in London in the late 90's. It was only for a semester, but I loved every minute of it! And it started London being my 'home away from home'. My school was in Marylebone, but I was so so lucky to live right in the heart of London. I shared a very large flat with 8 other students (the housing was arranged by the school) in Carlton Gardens, right off Pall Mall! Piccadilly Circus and Charing Cross were my 'home' tube stops, St James Park was my 'backyard', and I could hear Big Ben from my bedroom! As we've gone back to vacation over the years, I still can't believe that's where I got to live. Unfortunately, the building was demolished and rebuilt, what a shock the first time I went back (on our honeymoon). But, there was a neighborhood cat (very wealthy cat I'm sure ) that I befriended when I lived there, he would walk along the short wall beside me and ask for pets and was very sweet, he came up to me again that day and purred at me, 3 years later!?! I swear I'm not making that up!

 

[Borboleta]

Kitty: that is amazing about the cat!!! You must a an animal whisperer . And great idea about the animals! I have been working with him with colors and shapes too and he is getting better at it.

Clio: it was so funny that you mentioned the 100 words book collection, cause my OH said the same thing when I was asking him about it. Great minds think alike. I am going to put more of those books in his amazon wish list.
And the electric Thomas ... Let's say I need to become a company partner of Duracell!!! 2 AA batteries don't less more than 2 or 3 days here !! I can find Thomas when everything is quite and I can hear his little motor running !!!

Charlie: I am so sorry you will have to wean S from breastfeeding. I can imagine that if you enjoy that bonding it must be difficult when you have to stop it. But think this way than the other baby will have mommy and him/her time.
I will try to post thiago's video on fb again. It was on my husband' sand than I shared but maybe it didn't work. I will let you know when is up and running.

Hope everyone else is having a lovely day.
Tomorrow morning we are having a play date at my house with 4 little ones. So that should be interesting .
Oh, do you LOs let you brush there teeth for a while? Thiago let's me "brush" but he bites on the toothbrush more than anything.

 

[Borboleta]

Okay ladies, the video of thiago is on Facebook now.