any other over 35 first time mums?

[Borboleta]

Hi everyone

Charlie: oh my !! You had a Christmas to remember !! Does it gross you out having to deal with meat? And I am so sorry you got AF, but that it is good that you see the good side of it. Baby number 2 will be here sometime in 2014 . I actually just saw on FB that this lady that I know ( I told you ladies about her. She is the one that has a 4 year old girl, a 3 year old boy and twin girls about thiago's age) is having her 5th child and it is a boy !!! Yes !!! How does she do it? She is a machine!!! And she is not rich either! Her husband works in he he army and she teaches fitness classes so you know they don't make a lot of money. I thought of asking her is she is trying to beat the lady that has that show 19 kids and counting !!

Claire: I know the feeling ! I was glad to come home yesterday and relax by myself while thiago took a nap !

Angel : I love the video of the boys on FB !!

Lightweight: how is it to have two so close together?

Biglegemma: are you having a girl?

Storm: I am glad your Christmas is over and hopefully you get to relax a little.

Clio: where are you? Hope you are doing well. Thiago got 2 pocoyo books which he loves , the pocoyo character plush toys which he loves also and the pocoyo toy riding his red car which he is not sure if he loves or not !

Sabrina, indigo, kosh, kitty hope you all had a lovely Christmas

I am so sick of eating!!! I am planning on doing some kind of workout today when thiago is sleeping! I even took a laxative to help cleaning all out !!!! I almost cry yesterday when I saw the sweet table after dinner !!!
Thiago did great with everyone. He was in a great mood and loves his cousins . They are so sweet with him.
I need to post this picture that we took of all the family in bright red track suits that my OH's cousin got for all of us. It turned out so funny .

Need to go. Thiago wants mommy.

 

[Indigo77]

Lol, Charlie!

B...our boys do Adidas track pants w red Santa hats for in front of the tree for Xmas pics...

Yes...where is Clio?

Claire...i hope you get some private time soon...we have it today....N opened presents from us today....yesterday he opened presents from everyone else....it worked out well as he didn't get too overwhelmed.

My sister hosted Xmas Eve. She lives in a neighborhood that was built around a little lake. The neighborhood puts out luminaries around the lake & everyone decorates their house w white lights. It's quite magical at night. We hosted Xmas brunch. It was nice & easy w minimal clean-up. We just served some savory & sweet finger foods w mimosas. Everyone opened gifts & N had a ball. He skipped his nap as he was way too wound up. My ILs hosted Xmas dinner....more food & drinks & presents. Today we're staying home & having our own little Xmas....more presents, food (roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad & veggies) & N finally gets to play w all his new toys. His favorites seem to be his wagon, his kitchen & his basketball hoop set. Oh & my MIL gave him a baby doll w accessories & a stroller. He named the baby, Bob. I'm surprised at how into it he is...

I hope everyone here enjoyed their Christmas!

Kosh & SK....are you glad you took a trip, or would you have preferred being home? My IL's 49th Anni is today & next year they think they want to do a destination Xmas.

Angel....your boys rock! Love them!

Storm....it looks like you survived! Any rest for the weary today?


Now where do I put all this stuff?

 

[Storm1jet2]

Hi ladies, we had a lovely day yesterday, I was exhausted but dh, my brother and sil really stepped up to help! I was a bit sad I couldn't eat much dinner but baby is squishing everything!

Rough night with L she had another night terror and I had to wake her as she was thrashing around so much and standing up and throwing herself across the bed screaming no no no its Kobe its mine... But she's in great form today.. just bizarre.

Anyway today we had a lazy day (my dad stayed the last 2 nights) and we went to my other brothers. My sil took sick last night (not my food may I add) and couldn't come and then shortly after they arrived my nephew took sick! They went home but dh, dad, L and I had a lovely buffet dinner, although my brother had done a huge seafood platter (I hate that pregnant or not)as part of it and it was making me feel ill looking at the lobster, prawns and prawn type things, crab etc... L had a ball, she just loves the company and we took the dog too

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. Catch up properly soon xxx

 

[SabrinaKat]

we're off tomorrow for a few days looking around AZ and going to the Grand Canyon - we took LO to the children's museum here, and he LOVED the under 3s room (lots to climb, steps and slide), but it is so hard on us (our backs, not because we are so old - right?)

ate loads, but will try to be a good girl once we get home (cross fingers!)...the weather here has been great (in the low 70s, so about 18 Celsius), but it seems strange with sun and no snow!

hugs to all and to all, a good night!

bye!

 

[clio]

Hi guys. The brain cold turned into brain flu. I'm feeling better right now, but I keep plummeting mightily without warning. With any luck, the changes in my meds will keep me steadier.

I haven't read anything for days, so I'm going to go back and see what I've missed. I have missed you guys, though.

I had a pretty uneventful Christmas. Because J gets overwhelmed by a host of toys being foisted on him at once, we gave him one present a day from his birthday until Christmas (some were from family). Some were good, others, not so much. It sucks when the reviews of a toy are stellar but my kid couldn't care less about it. Though it's really making me think twice about what I'm getting my nephews and nieces for Christmas and birthdays. Nothing with small parts that are lost within five minutes, that's for certain.

Borboleta--J is treating the Pato, Ellie and Pocoyo dolls the same way he treats all of his stuffed animals; he's ignoring them for the most part. He goes through phases with all of his toys, and his stuffed toys get even less attention than the rest. The only toy he uses consistently is a little tikes toy vacuum cleaner that I nearly sent back without opening the box because I managed to finally read the American reviews on Amazon, which panned it. But, since I got it for cheap, I thought I'd give it to him anyway. He LOVES it. It even has a hand-held vacuum cleaner that he uses as much as the big one. And it stops him from constantly pulling out all of our mops and brooms and swiffers which he pretended were vacuums.

Okay, now I'm going to go back and see what I've missed. I probably won't respond to everyone, so I'll say this to all: I hope you had a Merry Christmas!

ETA: I'm feeling a little shell-shocked because J's now beyond the board book stage and onto rip-able pages. Though we have this one book called "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type," which Eric got because of its socialist message. Anyway, the cows go on strike because they want electric blankets from Farmer Brown. Just as OH was closing J's door, he heard J say: "No milk for you today, Mr. Brown!" My sweet little communist has been practicing his grammar.

 

[clio]

Charlie--I meant to say ages ago: for S's walking! Are you being run ragged now?

Your non-electrical Christmas story made me laugh! Someone really needs to re-think the whole garage/breaker box setup!

I'm sorry about AF, but yay for a longer LP! What does UTD stand for?

My AF has returned to being almost nothing again (one of the many reasons I had to do IUI with injectables), and now what struck fear into my heart is so handy.

Kosh--I don't know if you're back from Mexico yet, but the last post I read sounded gorgeous! What part of Mexico are you in? When I was 24, I back-packed around the country and was struck by the beauty and the diversity between the regions. Mexico City, for all of its pollution, was one of the most beautiful cities I'd ever seen, and I've travelled a fair bit. Is G's Spanish improving from complete immersion?

Claire--Are things easing up for you a bit, now that Christmas is over? How are the teething and the cold? Poor both of you!

SK--I know what you mean about falling back into old family habits; it happens anytime any of us get together (except for my father; he's so afraid of the formidable women in his family that he's a teddy bear now). My mother and I have developed a hand signal to show the other that we have to drop a subject: we shake our hands like crazy when one of needs the subject changed. Needless to say, my hands are quite numb by the end of a convo with her.

Is the weather at least nice in AZ?

Angel--I just looked at the video on FB, and OMG are they ever cute! How do you survive their cutitude? J watched it too, and I told him the boys' names, so now I have to play the video with "Dominic and Sebastian!!!" over and over again. At least it's a delight to watch!

Indigo--from your stories, it sounds like you live in the most gorgeous place on earth! I'm quite jealous!

 

[Storm1jet2]

Ls birthday party tomorrow (a day early)... I could so be doing without it! Zzz zzz zzz

 

[Indigo77]

Happy Birthday!

 

[AngelUK]

Good morning ladies! First of thank you all for your comments about my little Christmas boys' video Playing hide and seek behind the curtain in the nursery is their new game and it makes them laugh so much!

Feels like ages since I've done a proper post but somehow I seem always either too exhausted or frankly too riveted to catching up with the last season of Downton Abbey lol. Not to mention that Nick gave me the new Zelda game for the DS! So addictive. lol How juvenile and nerdy of me Anyway, I am not sure this will be a proper post either. Dominic woke me at 7ish and I got up at half past but Sebastian is still asleep. So while I wait for him to wake, I will try and post a bit. Sorry if I cannot catch up completely though!

Clio I am so sorry you went through such a rough time again and that it is so unpredictable! I really hope your doctor and the new dosage will bring some relief.
Oh and you asked about the bureau Nick gave me for Christmas. It isn't an antique as such, just a reproduction and the clever guys at the company I got it from, painted it and "shabby chic-ed" it up. I had originally and modestly looked at an Ikea one. But it was too wide for the space and cost £200, which, while not extremely expensive, is not cheap for them either. And considering that I was not totally enamoured with it and would have had to pay delivery costs too (had it fit) I didn't think it was a bargain. Then I found this company and this bureau which I immediately liked. And what was best about it is, that including delivery it only cost £260!
But no Nick hasn't got a job and I don't think he is looking very much. Seems we are stuck in this groove of looking after the boys and falling into bed exhausted. I am (not so) secretly glad I have him here to help me, I must admit and that it isn't just me every day on my own. But he does have the rental income from his house remember? (Minus the mortgage etc of course) And I have a small private income from a trust-fund kind of thing, so we are ok thankfully

Storm I am so glad you got some help you poor woman but I fear what you call relaxed would still have stressed me out of my mind!
And having to throw a birthday party at this time of year... yeah you are super woman and I wish I had an ounce of your energy.
Any news on naming your new baby? I am guessing with the seasonal stress that went to the backburner. But still I am very interested and curious to find you if you got Julia after all

Sabrina I too know exactly what you mean when you say falling into the patterns of childhood. It always happens to me too. How annoying, isn't it?
I hope you will have a great time at the Grand Canyon

Kosh I hope you are having a lovely time and that G is well? When will you be back?

Indigo what you tell about the little lake etc where your sister lives, sounds magical! Sounds like you had a great Christmas and I loved the pics of Nico on FB! He is a cutie Is your sister ok now? I hope so!

Charlie what a Christmas you have had! I am so in awe of how you managed to hold it together in spite of everything and that you didn't have a total meltdown/tantrum! I loved the Christmas piccie of Sophia on FB! How she has grown! She is a proper little girl now, isn't she!
Yay for your longer LP! I hope it augers well for next month then

Biglegemma I love your scan piccie avvie! How sweet your bean looks! How are things with your man? Has he improved at all lately?

Lightwight great to hear from you. Hopefully you will now have more time to write and join us?

Claire today is the day when MIL is leaving, isn't it? (yay! lol) And I don't think it that selfish at all to look forward to it a bit. I find it amazing you welcomed her for as long as you did, considering you never get any sleep at all! Is there any improvement at all in Lucy's sleeping?
I admired the pics with her cousin on FB very much. How cute she is! And her cousin too! Is it my imagination or has Lucy's hair grown darker since we met? Wasn't she blonde like you?

Borboleta your comment about wanting to cry at all the food made me laugh. If only I felt like that too! I haven't weighed myself in months and I am reluctant to now. But this New Year I HAVE to go on a diet. I feel gross. I just wish I had not months and months ahead of me of not eating I think I am going to have to try weightwatchers and attend meetings or I will never stick to it. Downside is, it is soooo slooooow!
Sounds like T had a great Christmas and I am so glad he loves his cousins! Did he meet them for the first time or are these the ones that you see occasionally throughout the year?
Your Christmas pics are just too lovely! And I LOVE the Texan Father Christmas! So funny!

Leeze I hope everything there is ok? Would love to hear how you and Kia are doing. The pic of her on FB with the sunglasses just slew me! So funny and so cute! And is her hair getting blonder or is it just that pic?

Golly Dominic has just dropped off again would you believe, it is 8:15! He won't sleep long and I am sure Sebastian will wake any minute now but wow. And yes I do realise how lucky I am! Mind you, the night before last he woke 3 times crying! It does still happen but rarely. He also woke yesterday evening but since that was at around 10 and only for at the most 5 minutes, it was no biggie, especially as he complained rather than cried and we didn't have to go in to him. I am so glad they are now going to bed at almost 8 cause that means no more waking before 7am, at least not usually.
As for our Christmas, compared to all yours, ours was stress free. Nick cooked and I cleaned. lol But we only had SIL and MIL over on the 25th so that wasn't so bad stress wise and we actually had a really nice time. They spoilt the boys and totally doted on them. Sebastian cried for the first hour when they so much as looked at him, as usual but luckily they now know to not make a fuss of him and to just ignore him till he can get used to them.
Dominic made his godmother's (SIL) day by wanting to sit on her lap and look for planes with her and Sebastian actually at some point hugged her knees. Both Nick and I think he made a mistake and meant to hug mine, but naturally we wouldn't tell her that. She was so proud and so happy lol.
She gave us a Dolce Gusto coffee machine and my golly do I love the vanilla macchiato lol! Another temptation to resist in the new year lol.
I have so many resolutions for this new year! I want to organise the kitchen with new cupboards to baby-proof everything so the boys can come in, and to paint it. For our bedroom I need a proper wardrobe and a new carpet and the window needs repairing too. And then once we have done all that, we will get a new evaluation and see what we can afford in the Richmond/Twickenham/Kingston area. It is a bit out of London compared to where we are now but it is still London. And I just don't think I want to move to the country. What you said Charlie about the multicultural aspect of London v the country, did remind me also that Nick and I would stick out like sore thumbs in a sleepy English village. He is not at all talkative or approachable and comes across as sour sometimes (which he isn't at all!) and in summer has a Middle Eastern look about him (well Cyprus IS technically the Middle East, isn't it) and I have that slight German accent. Oh how popular we would be in the country lol! So apart from all other considerations, yeah I think maybe not.

What resolutions are you ladies thinking of for the New Year?

Ok Sebastian is awake and chatting to his bunny and Dominic is stirring again. Time for a last coffee before I get them up.
Hope you are all ok and I am sending to you all!

 

[AngelUK]

Ps: it is now 9am and all Dominic did was to scoot to the other end of the cot and sleep on! Dilemma, should I wake him or not? Unbelievable! A year ago I would have laughed hysterically if any one had suggested that not only would Dominic be sttn 90% of the time but also need waking at 9am! Crazy!

 

[Claireyb1]

Well, I'm having a rough few days here
Lucy decided to keep me up from about 2am until about 5am! She still has a cold and awful cough. She just couldn't settle and I gave her calpol at about 4am, which she then vomited up with a load of Mucus too! Nice.
I had to completely strip the bed and Lucy.
I was so tired! She only then slept until 6.45am.....she is nuts!
Today I was just about coping and then my mum called to say the last if our 3 family cats had died, she was 18 1/2. So sad. It's been decades since we had no cats(( so I've been crying over that.
Angel- I think the photo you are referring to on fb is not actually Lucy, it's a picture of her 2 cousins from Scotland. Lucy is fairer than they are. Have a look at my profile page and you will see more pics of her.

Storm- I hope you are recovering from Christmas and now Lydia's party.
You must be nuts having a party! Lol
I decided Lucy isn't having one and I'm not even pregnant.
Although, I think if I wasn't turning 40 next week I may have have organised something ;-)

Right, I'm off now to try and rest! Lol

Hugs to all.
Xx

 

[Indigo77]

My sister babysat & DH & I went out to dinner. He was fine for 1.5 hours & then started crying for mama. I sang to him all the way home & when we walked in the door he flew into my arms. I feel terrible...my sister hasn't babysat in a while...I should have known 2 hrs is too long. I could tell he was anxious & it took a while to settle him. They did have a good time & he ate all his dinner & asked for more...we were just gone too long.

Why do I feel so guilty? I just hate the thought of him stressed out....

Angel
My sister is right as rain when on her med. She responds beautifully to a dose of Prozac. She's fine now.

NY's resolution...? I just want to be healthier...

Claire
Are you going to get her a cake & a few presents? You should get yourself something special, too. happy birthday to you both!

 

[Claireyb1]

Indigo- I will bake her a cake and she will have lots of pressies. She certainly won't lose out by not having a party.....everyday is a party for her! Lol
Xxx

 

[SabrinaKat]

just a quick one as am finishing breakfast in the hotel and OH is back in the room with LO - we saw the Grand Canyon yesterday - very impressive! LO, however, wasn't very impressed, but once we left the crowds behind and drive a little more along the rim, we saw a more unspoilt view....

A funny story - we were staying in a motel with the door opening to the outside and I'd put my suitcase in front of it - LO turned the suitcase on its side, standing on it and was unlocking both locks! Although I was very impressed by his cunning and skills, not impressed that he was opening the door to everyone and anything!

hugs!

 

[Borboleta]

Hi ladies,

Indigo: I know the feeling of not wanting to stress them out. You just feel terrible !! That is why we don't go to church at the moment after the first and only experience at the church daycare. Hopefully you had a little bit of a good time with you OH even though all you might talked about and thought about was Niko.

Claire: so sorry Lucy is still not feeling well with the cold. I can just imagine how exhausted you are. And how having another one seems to be something totally out of reach and crazy right now. Is she in a good mood even though she doesn't sleep much? Sorry about your cat too.

Clio: good to hear from you. Isn't it funny how they get attached to the things that we thought they wouldn't even care ! Well thiago's favorite is still Lula the dog. They are all in his bed and we leave them there when we bring him downstairs unless he wants to bring them with him. And the pocoyo car is still been ignored by him. I think he is a bit afraid of it.

Angel: I loved your observation about seb when he sees your MIl and SIL. He sounds so much like thiago. Seem times I feel a little embarrassed because people want to bond with him and most of the time he is like " don't touch me , don't talk to me, and I will not smile back to you" ! Basically just leave me alone ! Eventually he might warm up to the person or not !
Thiago sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night too but unless he is crying bloody murder I will not go see what is wrong with him cause I know I will have to stay there for a couple of hours ! The other day I think he was up for about 2 hours just playing in his crib and spelling the abc ! Felt back asleep again and I had to go wake him up around 7:30am. I just wish his wake up time was not 6:30am but it could be worst. So I will not complain.

Going to go return some stuff from Christmas. Talk to you ladies later. Hugs to all!

Oh and my New Years resolution is start paying credit cards !!!

 

[kosh]

Hi all again! still in Mexico
I only skimmed through the last couple of pages so apologies in advance.

Storm - is L having night terrors frequently?

Indigo - no, I don't regret the trip. As you know my DH and I have been very stressed recently and I think we wouldn't have had a very good time if we stayed at home, we def needed a proper break.
I can totally relate to how you felt when you went out and N cried for you. I hate it when Gael has a bad day at nursery and gets stressed and I'm not there for him

Clio - we are in Mexico DF, and I too love the city. It's.very different to Buenos Aires, where I am from, but it still makes me feel at home somehow. I guess that is the latin american 3rd world country atmosphere
and yes, Gael's Spanish has improved exponentially. He's a little parrot and repeats everything we say. His grandmother does not stop talking, so I guess that helps! he's learnt the colours and today he counted from 1 to 6!
It makes me a bit sat as it makes me realise how much he's missing by not being around family
I bought lots of books here so at least I can read to him in Spanish (i usually translate them into Spanish anyway but I guess at some point he'll realise I'm not reading the words he sees)
oh, I loved the book about the typing cows and was about to order it but found out that there is an Spanish version so I'll try to get that one


Gael is absolutely loving it here. He even enjoys a metro journey as everything is so different and interesting to him. The highlights were a salsa/merengue lesson at a park (he just would not leave) and a demonstration against the new energy bill the government is trying to pass (he would clap and cheer, and again wouldn't want to leave). I think he'll fing the UK a bit bland afterwards

Everybody in the street looks at him ans says he is 'guerito', an affectionate word for pale skin, but almost everyone thinks he is a girl! They say he is too pretty for a boy

Have to go now
Hugs to all

 

[AngelUK]

Aw kosh it sounds like you are having a lovely time. I am so glad and you so deserve it! I really hope you manage to tank up on some rest and sleep too you poor thing! And what you tell about Mexico does make England seem very bland indeed. I bet it will be depressing coming back to the cold. We are having gale strength wind over here and there was flooding as a result and it is damp and horrible.
Why do I live here again? lol

Borboleta T and S do sound alike! Sebastian also would play quietly in his cot and not raise a screech if he is awake at night. Mind you, the last two evenings he has been crying a bit when we put him to bed. I think it is cause it usually takes him so long to fall asleep. I wonder if we should make his nap during the day shorter cause I just don't understand why he isn't tired by 8pm and only falls asleep by 9 and sometimes after! We cannot drop the nap all together as Dominic needs it still and he never takes more than 5 minutes to fall asleep for either nap or night time sleep. Does T still nap for hours on end during the day?
Actually this is a question to you all, how long are your LOs napping during the day and how long is the interval of awake time after till bed time? Ours is usually about any time between 5 to 6 hours.

Indigo I too totally understand the pain of hearing your child cry. We haven't been out at all together since they were born, as we have no one to baby sit them ( we are too paranoid and too distrustful to hire someone). But when Dominic sometimes wakes and cries at night, it tears me to pieces not to go to him. But like with Borboleta and Thiago, I know the difference between his "Wahh! I am a awake and I don't want to be" and his serious, upset, terrible nightmare cry. For the first I don't usually go in cause I will be there for hours before he would drop off again, where as he would normally drop off again within 10 minutes on his own. But still, not going in is heartbreakingly difficult and gut wrenching! But please don't feel guilty, you weren't gone long and he was with someone he likes and knows.

Claire with your cakes Lucy will definitely not lose out! They are amazing! And you were right, on closer inspection the little girl I thought was Lucy was actually her cousin. It was only on that one pic were I confused them and looking at more of them, it was clear that they don't actually look that alike. I am sorry
How is Lucy today? Is she any better! I hope so, poor little thing! But I also hope it for your sake.

As for us, it is 9am and my boys are still asleep! I think I shall have to start waking them at a set time, as clearly Sebastian would rather sleep in the morning than in the evening. Am I terrible to not look forward to having shorter naps during the day? I always look forward to them as a bit of time for myself. Sigh.
We watched an illegal copy of the Hobbit the Desolation of Smaug last night. OH had downloaded it from somewhere and the copy was quite ok. I am usually very much against this sort of thing but considering that it will be years before we can go to the cinema again and I so wanted to watch this film, I gave in. I suppose I could have waited till the DVD comes out but when OH said he had found an acceptable download, I couldn't resist. I enjoyed it very much. Not sure why I tell you ladies this, I am probably the only fantasy fan here. Or am I wrong?
Have any of you got any plans for New Years Eve? We are planning on eating in front of the tv and watch some film. So an evening like every other then lol.
Love to you all! xx

 

[Borboleta]

Kosh: it sounds like you are having so much fun. And I totally understand the 3rd world atmosphere !! Since you are so close you should come to Texas and we could go have some texmex food over here . Are most people in Mexico have darker skin? How about your husband? I know a lot of people from Mexico here do have more of an olive skin.

Angel: 9am and still sleeping!!! How wonderful!!! Thiago normally wakes up at 6:30am goes to take his first nap between 12:30pm and 1pm, sleeps for at least 2 hours ( normally 2 1/2 to 3 hours) and goes to bed between 8:30pm/9pm. I don't let him sleep past 4 pm and in the morning when he decides to sleep in ( which doesn't happen often) I don't let him sleep past 7:30am.
I think your boys are too young for you to drop there only nap. Maybe just cut seb's nap shorter or wake him up a little earlier .
And I loved The Lord of the rings movies!! I did watch the first hobbit but still liked The Lord of the rings better but my OH went to see the new one with his dad and my nephew and they loved it. I had to stay with thiago. But I am looking forward to see it on DVD. Today I am going to see the saving mr. Banks (?). The Mary popping movie . My turn.

And thiago is having the best time with his cousins here. It is so amazing to see his little personality changing day by day. It is like SIL said that every month in there lives something new happens. He smiles and laughed all the time. But yesterday my niece had to go back cause she is spending the New Years with a friend so now we just have my nephew here for the next couple of days. We will miss everyone when they leave .

Hugs to everyone.

 

[charlie15]

ladies

Good to hear from you Clio but sorry you've not been too great, hope things settle down for you again soon. Yep you are right, what a badly designed house my Aunt has! There should at least be a door from the house to the garage UTD stands for Up the duff, as in pregnant, It's an Aussie phrase and I thought it was global, maybe not! We do the same with pressies with Sophia, stagger them, I don't really like the millions of pressies in one go, far too overwhelming and they don't get to enjoy them at all.

Angel, how exciting that you may be moving to Richmond, Twickenham area, right near me personally I love it here, we have the river, history, the best parks in London (apart from your Bishops park of course ) easy to get to the city and for me most importantly, easy to get out of London too.

With regard to naps, Sophia has one and it's generally 5 hours after she has woken up and then there is no point in trying to get her to bed until 5 hours after her nap, so I don't let her nap past 3 so that she's asleep by 8. She is a night owl for sure, no surprise there though as both me and OH are night owls by nature. Her nap is usually 2 hours and left to her own devices she wouldn't wake until 8, I would prefer 7.30

Kosh, lovely to hear from you too, sounds like you are all having a very well deserved break in Mexico after the year that you have had. Are you staying with your in laws? I am sure Mexico is a very colourful, vibrant place especially to see for the first time. I have never travelled to Central or South America, parts of it scare me tbh! But I have always wanted to go to Argentina and to travel down to Patagonia, so untouched and beautiful. OH wants to go to Brazil, so maybe one day we can combine it and make a big trip there.

Clairey how is Lucy? Hope she's all better. sorry about your cat always so sad. So the big 40 next week, well they say it's the new 30, I'm not convinced though!

Borboleta, nice to hear that T is loving having his cousins over, he sounds more social now which is nice. Loved you photos on FB, especially of the Texan Santa, they were funny!

AFMMy New Years resolution, there are 2, for me, get back to running, just twice as week as that's all I can manage at the mo realistically. The second one is for Sophia, we are going to start going to tempo tots, a musical group run by a music and speech therapist here which sounds like fun and to to a new soft play centre every week in my effort for Sophia to meet lots of other 1 yr olds. Right Sophia is awake must dash x

 

[Indigo77]

I'm here napping w N while DH has gone to the garage to paint some furniture. I love it when he has time off! He & N have rekindled their love affair & it's no longer mama mama 24/7.

N wakes at 7, naps 1-3 & bedtime is 8. & of course you want a break, Angel....you're only human. I look forward to N's nap without shame. & TBH, I stay with him the entire time & putz around here, text friends, catch up on emails, shop online, etc.. Sometimes I even nap! I know I should be getting stuff done, but.....to h w that.......

Claire....so sorry about your cat.

I have old cats & I know their days are numbered, but I don't want to even think about it.

I have 2 kitties. Fabio George is 16 & Alley Cat is 14.5. TBH, I'm surprised Fabio's made it to Xmas. He's totally deaf, has cataracts in both eyes & I'm pretty sure his kidneys are failing. He also has dementia-like moments & gets lost in the house & starts yowling loudly. N adores him. He's part rag doll & he's N's buddy. AC is starting to have senile moments, but other than that, I think she's going to live forever. She & N nap together & she gets mad at me when he cries. I think she thinks she's his mother.