We had a chat and have decided we really would like a holiday.
We did book one and was due to go before I fel pregnant but unfortunately we had to cancel the month before because Jody was made redundant and we just couldn't go and waste money on a holiday when we couldn't pay the mortgage!

I'll talk to him about the condoms see what he thinks lol
Otherwise I'll just live with being on the pill!
I was very early on in pregnancy with tommy and went to Florida on a million hollercoaters, drinking sun etc etc without knowing. I might come off the month before and see what happens!

Hi all

Not had much to post about just lately!

Robert took 4 steps today but he only ever does it when its just me and him!!
My mum got back from Turkey tonight so she is dying to see him so i'm going to see her tomorrow afternoon.

Robert has been sleeping well but last night he woke at 12:30 and didnt go back to sleep until 2!! I have been so tired today so hopefully he will sleep better tonight.

We have playgroup in the morning which will be good as all the other groups dont run during the holidays.

I've noticed a pattern in moods, I started feeling crapy again on Sunday and i'm due on Friday/saturday so i think they may have something to with it!!

Hope everyone is well

Hi girls

laura ellie is just like Robert she walks when she wants to and not when I want her to. I started taking evening primrose and it really does seem to have improved my mood, not sure if it's mind over matter etc but I feel a whole lot better.

It's half term here so I only worked one day as the campus were I work was only open one day. I could have worked my other days but at another campus (sat in a learning centre) but I decided not to as it's so boring. I work in an a level campus now (I love it) and there are whispers that we're all going to be made term time. A few people are bothered about money but I really hope it happens that would be 13 weeks holidays . When I reduced my days I thought I'd lose a lot of money but I was pleasantly suprised at what I picked up as I'm now pay loads less tax

Fran, how's the boxes going? it usually takes me months to unpack and then there are always a few boxes that go straight in the loft without being unpacked.

Kell, glad you decided to have your hol first, you're quite lucky to have this child free holiday ........ Imagine reading without being interupted, having a leisurly swim without naughty boys getting your hair wet, having afternoon drinks, I'm so jealous! We're curreny looking at booking a package hol for next year as we've rented out our apartment. It's so difficult finding something to suit us all. Paul wants water slides and activities. We want it baby friendly for ellie. Oh insists that we have a suite rather than a room as Paul is a teenager and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to have to share a room with us. Thing is there aren't that many that have suited and those that do are charging £70 per person per night!!! I'm not good at sums but I know this is a lot and don't think we can afford this.

Rach, how's your neck? Hope you're ok. Have you found a name yet

Morning all

What horrible weather!! I got soaked going to playgroup.

I'm sure you've probably seen my post on voting for Robert in the next baby competition but in case you haven't and you dont mind voting for him i thought i'd post it here too!
https://apps.facebook.com/baby_modelcomp/entry/61415 hope you dont mind!!

I'll probably pop back on later

Sorry Hun I don't have fb so can't vote or him. Hope he wins this he's a little cutie!!

Charlie is just lovely, god honestly if I could have 10 babies that were all like him I'd love it lol!
Today me, tommy and Charlie built a camp out of washing airers and the sofa lots of blankets pillows etc, Charlie thought it was brilliant! Kept grabbing me to go sit in it with him! Then he'd run away giggling and run back to me and give me a big slobbery kiss and cuddle!

I love him at this age! Although now he's wanting to be with tommy all the time so there's a few upsets happening! He can get up and down the stairs alone which is good but sometimes tommy doesn't want to play with Charlie so I'm having to work things out so both are happy!
I can understand tommy though he is 7 and very independant!

Yesterday I was very proud of myself! I gad to put a curtain rail up that my sister pulled clean out the wall by accident! I did good! Didn't need any help, so now I just keep trying to find things that need hanging lol! Off to put a coat hook up now!

Hope all babies and mummies are good x

Ooh Laura be carefull babe i heard that a lot of pervs have been downloading the pics from this comp and that a lot of women requested to have their babies removed from the gallery i dont know how true this is but a very close friend and a few others told me hence why i wont enter Caleb into it... good luck though and i hope Robert wins xxx

ive been getting a few BH today and bubs is kicking quite high just under my ribs so i think she is head down i always worry that ill have a breech baby and have to have a csec sounds daft but i am such a woosy i would have to be put to sleep

Pen neck is fine no name yet

Wooooh kell! Get you! Hehe, I need to learn a few diy skills as oh is pants! I'm thinking if decorating our lounge for christmas, I've hinted to oh with no luck so I may do it myself.

Ellie is doing quite well with her walking the last couple of days, she can walk the length of our lounge now!

I'm just rocking her pram trying to get her to sleep so I can do some housework.

Rach, how are bh? Hope you're ok xx

laura, I haven't got fb either, sorry. I hope Robert wins though.

Hope mums, babes and the bump are all ok

xx

LOL kell that made me laugh! i hope the coat hook turned out just as well!!

Pen that is brilliant about Ellie's walking! Sophie won't sleep in the pram unless she's very tired, though your pram is probably more comfy than the p&t. Sophie only likes to sleep in her cot Glad Ellie's christening went well!!

Rach, how are the BH now? i read previously that they were painful? glad your neck is better!

Laura I don't have a FB either so I can't vote but I hope Robert wins!!

Fran how are things after the move? How have Immy and Isla taken to their new home? Result on the next good will gesture! Freebies are always good!!

We have been busy bees here this week, we have been decorating the girls room, it is red and white and looks brilliant!!

Sophie is doing really well she has said a few new words lately, she now says mummy and daddy really clearly its amazing! She copies everything we say to her She said blueberry this morning! Bluebobby!!

Andrew is being a little angel too They are both enjoying having daddy home for a few days and they have their big bro n sis here too!

We bought Sophie her new trainers too, little pink ones from clarks very pretty! She cant wear boots every pair we tried on her she couldnt walk in because she has thin ankles.

Hope all are well!!!

Hi everyone!

Fran, glad the move went in the end and you are all settling in well.

Pen, glad the christening went well, looking forward to seeing pictures. Term time only sounds very good! I do that nearly, but as a lecturer i have to cover 6 days of the holidays. I was also quite pleasntly surpirsed at the amount i earn part time. And it is so nice paying hardly any tax, it helped us afford our break in Kent!

Kell, good for you choosing the holiday. Will be really nice having some kid free time and romance. Your boys sound fantastic. Can also understand tommy finding charlie hard work sometimes. I was the younger sister in my family, with my sis ten years older, and just that gap made it very difficult at times for us to get along as at such different stages. We did have some fun times as kids though and get on really well now.

Rach, poor you with the bh, hope not too painful. Never had them with Sophia at all, or not that i realised anyway. Am sure you will find the right name nearer to the time. Sophia also used to kick me in the ribs, cheeky monkey!

Laura, hope robert does well in the competition. And go robert on his walking1 Sophs kind of did maybe a step or two every day for about a week, then caught a cold and stopped trying for a month, then she started doing just a step or two to me and then suddenly tok to walking three or four steps at a time. She now can walk probs about fiften steps(though not counted) before stopping or holding on to something.

Sophia now has her first pair of shoes, bought on her first family holiday! Was hard work fidning a pair that fit her though! These are the ones: http://www.clarks.co.uk/find/mcrages-is-walking/tube-is-girlssport-or-girls/product-is-20340811
The other ones i said i liked she walked in well but they were done up to the tightest setting and were really soft so they would stopp fitting her really quickly. And the trainers were too deep. Was a mission, but these ones are really nice, they go with her jacket, are velcro and she seems to love them!

It was interesting walking through canterbury andin shops with her, she was into everything! Very hard work!

We did loads of lovely things on hols. We went to Hastings to an aquarium and sophia made friends with a stingray, though her fav fish was one with tonnes of teeth almost as big as her! We went on a carousel by the seaside and she loved it so much, i had to prise her hands off it. Went we went past it again, she pointed at it and cried! bless ehr. So we had a second go before we went home.

We went to Knockhatch which was a coll farm/adventure playground with a soft play centre as well. She loved going on the bumpy slides. I went on a steep red slide, was good but hurt my neck. I screamed which dave found very amusing! Wanna go back ther. There was loads more to do but it was raining and cold and lunchtime so we called it a day. Highly recommend though! sophia liked the ducks and hens best, growling at them as we passed, bless her! As far as she is concernerd, all animals growl! LOL

We went to canterbury cathedral and to the Canterbury tales which was quite amusing. sophs liked bits of it but better for slightly older kids really. And we saw MAx and OB from hollyoaks while we sat and ate lunch opposite the cathedral! Theya re so short!

We went to a great little woods and learnt about chestnuts and had a lovely soup after and visited dungeness (not such a great trip! LOL)

And on the last day we went for a lovely pub lunch and a play at the best playground i have ever been too after. IT was lovely. Such a nice atmosphere about the place, all the people in the pub were so friendly too.

We really got thinking about where we would like to live if and when moving is an option and we both said Kent could be a maybe. We loved it so much. Oh and we also went swimming. Sophia loved the big pool because we could throw her in and bounc her about, and she loved the small pool, walking up and down the stairs constantly for about twenty minutes! Bless! LOL

Back home now, though is very nice to be home. Looking forward to a comfy nights sleep as the bed on hols was super hard and lumpy!

Will miss the open fire though. HAve to say though, didnt realise how hard it is to make a good fire! Enjoyed trying though!

Sophia has now got a horrid chesty cold, poor thing, she is rattling. But am so proud of her, ahs been brill all week.

Enough from the essay writer! how are you all doing?

Mandy xx

Hey girls,

Sounds like you had a super duper hol Mandy! And little Sophia was a little poppet for you. I am always envious of the lovely things you do with her as a family. I'm sure you will have a great night's sleep in your own bed. Love the shoes btw, they are gorgeous!

Vic your little munchkins are doing well too by the sounds. How is Andrew towards Sophie? We are having problems again with Immy and Isla. Possibly a reaction to the move and the vibes that DH and i are a little stressed atm, but Immy is constantly pushing and hitting Isla. DH took Immy out on her own for a few hours this morning, to see if that would help. He took her to our local reservoir as they have a fab adventure playground there and to try out some bikes in the bike shop there. She had a great time, so i think we need to get back into the routine of giving her more one to one time. It is so difficult to fit everything in though! She does have at least half an hour with us after Isla has gone to bed every night, so that is something at least.

Poor Isla has been very sick today. She has had a cough/cold for a few weeks now, which made her a little sick on Tuesday. However, this morning when we were on our own she was very grizzly then threw up big style over the pair of us. We got showered then she snoozed on me on the sofa until i went out to my hair appointment. Then when i got home she was sick all over me again! Think she had been waiting for me to come home! She has not been herself all day. She seems to have an appetite, so we have given her some dry toast and cheerios, but don't want to give her anything else.

Pen i wanna see some photos of princess Ellie on her christening day!! How's Andrea doing? Did she go to the christening? Hope she's ok.

Rach hope the bh are calming down. I can't believe you will have another baby soon

Hope Robert wins the competition Laura. Sorry i don't do FB either!

Kell, that's fab you have booked your hol! Exciting stuff.

We have been looking at booking our hol, think we will be going back to Devon again.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Love to all x x x

Morning all

Robert didnt understand about the clocks going back so got up at 5:30!!

Robert now walks a lot! He does about 10 steps at a time, he looks like a zombie when he does it though as hr holds his arms out in front of him!

I've got Robert a skeleton outfit for today so going to pop round my mum's and Grandparents around lunchtime.

Sorry not replyed to anyone but its too early for my brain to wrk well!!

Snap Laura we've been up sinse 5:30 coz of tommy's friend! Was up till really late as well again because of the The friend I'm so tired my eyes keep rolling this is really not good!!

yep, was an early one for us too! Up at just before 5. OH up to sophs three times in the night. Luckily though, we have all just had a catch up kip for an hour! Lovely!

Off to see Sophia's Grandpa for lunch today. lovely roasty coming up.... yippee!

Well done Robert! Its funny how they just suddenly get braver isn't it? Soph's does the zombie thing a bit too! Very fitting though, since it is halloween!

Oh dear Kell, bet you are soooo tired. Not looking forward to Sophia being old enough to have sleepovers!

Mandy x

Morning all

Vic, sounds like A&S are doing really well. We also need to think about decorating, we did a lot of work to ours about 4 years ago but we havent done anything since Ellie was born so its all starting to look a wee bit shabby. Paul also has a red and white bedroom but its all about Liverpool FC for us!

Mandy, the holiday sounds lovely. I would really like to do a holiday in the uk but it all boils down to ohs holidays as he doesnt really have many and with is having the apartment it was always miles cheaper to book flights and go to Cyprus, but now we've rented it out we have a few more options (not to mention the rent money that is coming in) Yes PT is working for me but I would love to go term time!

Fran, We're going to put the photos on to the laptop later so I will then put them on Flickr and then put a link to it, I dont know how to put photos on here. Andrea did come to the christening with Joe and her OH, She's great and we had a lovely time. I think its all still in the air with her job etc, Im sure she'll up date us soon. It was really funny at the christening as Andreas OH told me he recognised Mark, turns out they work on the same industrial park and both go to the same sandwich shop for breakfast!

Vic and Fran I really can't relate to what its like having two los so close in age as I have huge gaps with mine and it was quite easy. My sister and I have two years between us, Im the eldest, I can honestly say that I hated her from the minute I laid eyes on her until we both had our own children. Saying that I was the only person who could bully her, Id always protect her from anyone else so I must have loved really? We were very different (still are) Im quite confident, outspoken, and don't take crap from anyone! Vanessa on the other hand is a lovely person who can be a bit of a door mat at times. Its only in the last couple of years that we have accepted how differnt we are and actually like each other for it.

I'm having real problems with Ellie! My lovely little angel seems to have gone and I'm left with this monster (we call her veruca salt) she is so naughty and spoilt (I know we shouldnt call our kids naughty) As Ive always said we've always taken her out to nice restaurants and oh said it would socialise her. Last night we agreed that we wouldnt be taking her out again (EVER)! She threw her food, not just at us but at anyone she didnt like the look of! And then she screamed and screamed to get out of the highchair (two couples asked the waiter to move them! So I got her out and sat her on my knee and she was kicking and screaming to get down, I wouldnt let her down so she grabbed my dinner and tipped it all over me! I was so embarrassed! In the end I got her and went and sat in the car and left OH to eat his dinner and pay the bill! On the way out of the restaurant she smiled and waved politely at the other diners! She is very demanding and screams so much if she cant have what she wants!
I can't believe I'm 43 with 3 kids and don't know what to do with this one! This morning she sat on our bed with a box of tissues and took everyone out of the box and pretended to blow her nose on each one!

Elllies walking sounds very much the same as Sophia's only she has a tendancy to try to run and then she falls!

Kell - I hate sleep overs - ban them! You'll have two miserable little boys today who'll need an early night!

Laura, Im sure Robert will soon adapt to the clocks going back!

xx

Oh wow pen I hope it's just a phase with Ellie!
Charlie has his moments, if he doesn't get his own way sometimes he just screams holy murder. He also does what Ellie did but with wipes, costs me a small fortune.
I think she's just testing to see what she can get away with, unfortunatly I'd be inclined to ignore her. But when you in a restaurant it's a bit difficult. I have been known to put Charlie in his pram facing a wall so no distractions unroll he chills out.

I usually don't have a worry when tommy's friends stay but I won't be having this one again. Unfortunatly he is the son of a very good friend of ours.

Me and Charlie are so ready for bed right now, but there's no way Tommy will go so early! I may see if he fancies watching a film so we can chill out!
He's off out trick or treating with my neighbour and my sister ATM!

Can remember what people have said as my brain is mush so hope your all good!

Andrea!!!! Come back and let us know how you and your little man are! x

Hi kell

it's not a phase with ellie, it's most of the time. She's a such a cutie and this huge personality but she just lives attention and screams until she gets it.

My mum and dad came for lunch today and they look after her two days a week and I was talking to them about her! My mum said she was so suprised that I hadn't figured out that she's just like me! Loud, demanding and very in your face! But they're really enjoying her!
xx

hi all,

Had a nice roasty chicken at sophia's grandpas. Was very nice, and she had a wail of a time playing peekaboo with grandpa.

Sophia has also most definitely changed from cute baby to toddler. Our problem with her is hitting at the moment though. She whacks us in the face. Dave deals with it like a joke and playfully digs her in the ribs. And i dont let her do it. But we both need to do the same. Felt a bit bad today, she gave her Aunty Emma a reaally hard backhander across the face today! Its just hard to make Dave realise we have to firm about it. She could really do some damage, and if she does it at nursery, well thats a whole other bag of worms.

I think if it was me, i would have done as you did and just take her away from the restaurant. You poor thing Pen, must have been horrid. Do you know if there was any reason for it? Sophs often behaves her worst if she is tired and/or has a cold. I think i would take her again in a few weeks but take her home straight away if she starts to misbehave at all. If that happens every time, then she is sure to give it up pretty quick? Or like kell said, take her pram, put her in it and turn her round till she calms down?

Hmmm, and babydom had its problems, toddlerhood is a whole new ball game isnt it?

Hope all are well.

Mandy xx

Hey,

Fran Andrew is really loving towards Sophie at the moment, if she falls over he runs over going 'oh no, Sophie I help.' Then tugs her arm trying to help her up. However if my back is turned and he is tired or something he will push her over. He is getting better he will apologise to her and give her kiss and cuddle to say sorry as well. He has started doing it a lot less since she has started 'fighting back' not fighting but she stands there shouting no at him and she will try and push him away if she can see hes going to push her. I make sure though that if she pushes him aswell though that she gets told that we dont push people and we just say no, same goes for Andrew. I'm sure it wont last too long though, Andrew has good and bad times with Sophie. Time spent alone with them really helps too!! Poor Immy I hope she feels better soon!!

Pen, I saw your post in toddler section but I thought I would post the reply in here to save writing it twice Sophie has times like Ellie, she is really starting to test her limits. For Sophie its things she knows aren't allowed like rattling the fireguard against the wall. She knows what no means now and if she does something naughty i tell her no she might try again but she doesnt really do it more than twice. If its something very naughty like pushing Andrew she gets told no that she shouldnt do it and she is asked to say sorry to Andrew and she generally gives a cuddle too. Sophie doesnt really do anything in public, Andrew does though, we just ignore the bad behaviour and tell him if it does carry on he will go on the naughty spot. If he screams to get out of the pushchair it gets him nowhere. I cant put either of them in a trolley to go shopping becuase they can climb out easily so if we do take them shopping then they sit in the pushchair and i give them some snacks, squeezy yogurt / fruit pouch and raisins are good ones as they take a while to eat Sorry for waffling, I hope that helps a bit, I must admit Andrew became better behaved once the naughty step was implemented!!

Mandy I'm glad you enjoyed your roast!! We had a roast chicken yesterday as we had oh's children here. very yum!! The shoes are lovely! Sophie and Andrew did the frankenstein walk too, Sophie just walks normally now I used to love seeing them walking with their arms out, Andrew used to stick his belly out too!

Laura, thats not good Robert waking at that time! Sophie and Andrew were up at 7am this morning so quite good, the only thing is they felt tired really early on this afternoon from waking early and it being so dark so early! not good! I'm hoping it will only take a few days to adjust properly for them!

Kell your early wake up call doesnt sound good either did the boys watch a film after? Hope you got some rest!!

We took A&S swimming yesterday, they both really enjoyed it! Forgot to say that Sophie had her jabs the other day and she didnt cry at all, i gave her some chocolate buttons and she didnt even flinch was far too interested in her chocolate lol

I've got a stinking cold can't breathe through my nose Andrew also has a D&V bug too poor little man just has no appetite and its just coming back out through both ends with what little he does eat it seemed to come on all of a sudden this afternoon!

Hi All

Just got in from playgroup. Robert was walking all the time, he looks so grown up!

Well today Robert woke at 5 and would not go back to sleep! I feel like a zombie today!

Whats everyone's lans for the week?

Hi girls

Robert is doing very well with his walking laura! Ellie still seems to prefer to crawl.

This morning ellie woke just in time to wave daddy off so we stood at ellies window and waved him off. A little later I was in the bathroom and I thought she seemed quiet so I went to her room to see what she was up to! She had climbed on her laundry basket and onto her window sill and was just stood there waving at random cars which were passing. She knew it was naughty because she climbed down quick when she heard my gasps of horror! It's a really big window sill and quite low as it's an old house and a little tiny bay window. She is such a monkey!

Vic, I hope that you and andrew ate feeling better today! Thanks for the advice on my rather spoilt little girl. We've decided that we really do need to be more strict and learn to ignore her crying for her own way! It's just so hard

love to you all

xx

Oh dear naughty Ellie lol

Sounds like my monster, this morning he was into everything, just being a monster, Jody was saying 'no Charlie, bad baby' and charlie came upto me and shouted 'bad baby' clear as day at me lol
I know you shouldn't laugh but I really did!

Back to college today bit knackered but was good!

Not much else going on really, sorry v boring! Xx

Just thought I'd let you know my news! No not a bfp sorry lol!

Jody's moving back next month! He handed his notice in to his tenancy today! I can't wait! Been a bloody tough year tbh but I feel like were finally there! Woohoo!

Hi everyone,

Climbed into bed after put the girls down, and only just got up! So tired!

Yay, that's lovely news that Jody is moving back in. I hope you will be very happy all back together again, and your holiday to look forward to, it really sounds like things are on the up.

Hehe, the personalities are certainly emerging now! Isla hates being told 'no', which actually to be fair doesn't happen that much atm... Immy was the same and an angel child until about 20 months! Actually the girls have got on beautifully the last couple of days, it has been so lovely to see. Made me very happy

God's did anyone watch 'the little house' last night? It was chilling, but ended up watching the whole thing, not watching it tonight as missed half of it already but not sure i can! How lame is that?!

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Love to all x x x

Hi

I missed that programme but really wanted to see it!

Robert got up at 6 today which is a little better than he has been doing! I've booked his 13 month jabs for next Thursday.

Got my mum coming round this afternoon to see Robert.

Whats everyone doing for dinner? I think i'm doing chicken stir fry.

OH and me are going to see Peter Kay on Sunday at the o2, cant wait, i've always wanted to see him and i think he is the last one on my list of comedians i wanted to see!

Hey girls

woooo kell, that's fab news, really pleased you have worked things out

laura my sis seen peter keye she loved him. We went to a charity ball about 2 years ago and he was auctioning a part in his show, that one that was bloke britains got talent. It was really good there was loads of Famous people there. I haven't been to a show in years.

Laura keep meaning to say, you know I told you about website and the were charging a ridiculous fee for hosting? Well we went back to lady and said thank you for designing our website etc but we won't be needing the hosting services of the company you suggested (I was going to see if your ian would do it) she said we have to as she has all the codes etc and wouldn't give them to us and we'd already paid her 1400 so basically we've been screwed and have to pay the hosting fee. I'm really peed off. I didn't do the deal I have a development officer that did it!

Fran, I didn't watch the little house as mark watches spooks! We're the only people in the world that don't have a telly in the bedroom. Glad that the girls are getting on, ellie loves other children, my mum and dad take her to a toddler group when I'm at work.

Our cat is missing, we're really worried. I seen her this morning but I've not seen her since I come in from work

love to you all
xx