terrible twos?

Edward has developed temper tantrums with avengeance - he doesn't really want to be in his buggy any more, and wants to eat constantly. He can climb into his highchair (as of today) and when he thinks it is lunch-time gets in and starts shrieking until food is delivered. Other times he will just roll on the living room floor yelling if things don't meet his approval!

His words at the moment are "Key, tea, baboo (term for his two blue teddies), baba (doll + picture of baby), now, no (said vehemently when you mention changing his nappy), Dad, Mum (only said when handing me his blue flip-top lidded cup to be opened), gagoo (which seems to apply less to cats and more to wood pigeons), woof, moo and various other words which signal e.g. when he has finished eating, when he has done a poo etc.

Yesterday he was quite the 'little man' of the house, helping me to blow up the paddling pool, then holding the hosepipe to fill it with water. He then stomped one foot (complete with shoe) into the pool!

We are in the middle of some very hot weather so I'm seriously wilting. Have developed an addiction to ice cubes, and am sitting with a glass containing about 7 chomping my way through them. We went to Shifnal Carnival on Saturday and it was seriously hot. I took Elizabeth at 2.45 to see the floats, then we came back for Dad and Edward when he'd finished his nap and we walked through the fair. Thankfully after I'd been talking about it all week we found a 'hook a duck' stall, and together managed to win a penguin who she's called Goz.

Hard work yesterday with husband at work. On the positive news front Anna had a baby girl at lunch-time, but later in the afternoon Germany trounced England 4-1 in the World Cup so we didn't even make the quarter finals!

Last week's emergency budget means we're going to be a bit shorter of money, with child benefit frozen for three years, changes to the child tax credit system and income tax bandings etc.

I had my swine 'flu injection on Friday, following on from Elizabeth's MMR booster thingy on Tuesday. She's had no side effects thus far, and I've just had a very sore arm.

Nan's sister Diana died early last week so my parents are up in Scotland today for her funeral.

Am selling a Joules dress that I bought in Dartmouth in the sale last year on E-bay, currently going for about £18 which I think is more than I paid for it!!

Edward's words

Edward seems to be learning new words every day now. Today's word is "Keys!". He can say "no no no" and shake his head when he knows he's doing something he shouldn't be doing, like climbing onto the coffee table (from where he then launches himself onto the sofa). He can say "moo" and "woof" and the universal "gatoo" for all animals, especially cats, keeps getting shrieked on a daily basis. He literally went wild in the aisles at Sainsburys yesterday as we walked down the pet aisle and he spotted large cardboard pictures of cats and dogs! He can say "Dad!" to good effect now whenever he wants him, and also "baba" for baby, and "baboo" for his teddy. He is so affectionate - kisses and big hugs almost on demand. His chest infection thing is much improved although he's still a bit wheezy. His settling to sleep in the evening has been a bit disrupted, probably due to teething, and he was sick again three times this morning, after a couple of days at the end of last week when he was sick too.

We've been shopping this morning while Elizabeth is on her long nursery day. I got the half-price Christy towels from Debenhams for the new baby, this time red, so pleased with that. Also think I've got Edward a Winter coat which should save us some hassle in the Autumn - hopefully 2-3 will fit him. Also got him some swimming trunks and a beach hoodie. Also got Elizabeth a colouring book with capital and lower case letters in because she's well into letters now. She can recognise b, s, e and o, and can read the word 'Bob' in Giggle Giggle Quack.

Am feeling generally ok. My cold is gone. I'm not too tired. Itching not too bad. Watched England's opening World Cup match on Saturday, bit of a disappointment 1-1 draw with USA. Got midwife tomorrow. Had risk assessment at work last week (nothing major to report) and basically got four weeks left now until I leave - and we go on holiday. Just got to get Edward's rucksack carrier thingy so husband can carry him sans buggy on our trip.

Feeling better

I stopped giving Edward his morning breastfeed on 31st May, much to his bitter disappointment, and as we were on a roll, called time on the post-lunch feed too. I've had over a week of that, and to be honest am begining to feel more human again in the morning. It may just be coincidental, but I find I can get up much more easily, and get Elizabeth washed at, say, 6.30am, and be ready for when Edward gets up. He chatters in his cot until usually just before 7am, giving me time to have a shower and be ready for him. I just change his nappy now rather than attempt to wash him before breakfast only to have to repeat it all over again. So, after I don't know how long, am finally getting on top of the morning routine!

I took Edward to the doctors yesterday as he is wheezing really heavily when he breathes. He seems ok in himself, but he's had a cough for best part of a week, and the wheezing seemed to be getting steadily worse. He was checked over, and a little oxygen monitor was put on his finger giving a reading of 96% which is apparently good, so I was told to just keep an eye on him and bring him back if he gets worse.

Elizabeth was ill on Sunday. She was really not with it, picked up a bit when given Calpol (complaining of a headache etc), felt bad again around tea-time, then worst nightmare scenario, threw up when she was just settling off to sleep. My plan to be prepared turned out to be a big mistake. I'd covered the top section of her bed with the spare duvet cover, and she ended up being sick on the spare, and on the 'real' one, so had to strip two sets of bedding off. Thankfully she wasn't sick again. I kept her off nursery on Monday, and she went back in yesterday morning, fine. She seems quite sleepy and lethargic around tea-time, and has a bad cough like Edward. When will they both be well?

We've had an E-bay success story!!! I singled out the double buggy model that we wanted - a Maclaren Twin Techno. I isolated two - an almost brand new one that was quite pricey, and a one in Wolverhampton that had a start price of £90. The model costs £270 in the shops, so we were prepared to go up to about £120 or so, but of utmost importance was the cleanliness of the buggy after our disaster last time. I had reassurance from the seller that the Wolverhampton one had only been used a couple of times and was spotless, so last Saturday after Casualty we both sat and went through the bidding process expecting it to be swiped from under our noses, but got it for £90. The next day I rang the man, he delivered it, and we were delighted to find it is spotless, really perfect. The headhuggers and cosytoes were still in their original packaging, it is in lovely condition, and am DELIGHTED with it! We always say we focus on our problems rather than successes, so it gives me great pleasure to keep thinking about our brilliant buggy, a third of the price, good as new, and sitting upstairs in Edward's room awaiting the new arrival.