Hi everyone

Have been reading all the lovely new posts over the last few days great to see that everyone is back on here. I know we all pretty much do catch up with whats happening on FB but you can get a little bit better idea of the "real" life of dealing with a toddler here. As Kelly said its refreshing to read about everyone elses realities. Makes dealing with you own that little bit easier

Art congrats again on Erin. She is just gorgeous and it is so great that the other two have accepted here so easily. BTW love the idea of using the toothpick especially for the veggies. Someone must have had a word with Sam as he used to eat veggies for me but someone obviously tipped him off the toddlers DON'T eat veggies so now apart from carrots won't have a bar of them. Keeping my fingers crossed that Ms E is a good sleeper and that Ms A can learn from her!

Sanchez you are a complete loon to be moving into a new house when 39 weeks pregnant. Like the others have said pay pay pay someone to do it for you.

Taurean all the best of luck with your move too. What is it with pregnant women and moving house? You only moved into your current place shortly after Ms I was born. I can still remember the photos you posted of you painting with her in the sling. Must be exciting planning the new house - have you got the design all chosen and sorted out?

Sangie very very impressed with your weight loss. Trying to lose weight even when you have heaps of time is hard enough but to be able to do it with two kids - now thats good.

Kelly well done on moving T to the new big bed. And hope he works out how to sleep in there during the day too so you can get a little bit of a break.

AFU - well been a busy few weeks here starting with Sam's birthday party. Weather didn't do us any favours and it poured out of the heavens. The "little do" I had planned had got slightly out of control so we ended up with 36 adults and 18 kids jammed into the house. All along with the lunatic dog who was delerious with excitment at the thought of all these people who had food that he might be able to beg/steal from them lol! This was then followed by another bbq (where it rained again) for the NRL Grand Final and another get together to watch the Celtic clash in the Rugby World Cup last weekend. (though we won't talk about the result please). Sam loved it all and didn't seem to be in the slightest bit bothered as to the fact that there was heaps of people around and just took it all in his stride.

All three of us have been hit with nasty colds since his birthday - I'm into my third week of it now and am completely over it. Sam practically refused to eat anything for almost two weeks which was really stressful for me. His a very slim little boy so don't have any fatty reserves (wish I could say the same about myself!). Finally took him to the docs who put him on a course of ABs as he said he might have developed a middle ear infection. He is finally on the mend and has started eating again.

I know I shouldn't say it out loud and it will no doubt all go to S$@# hit but sleep wise in general we are going okay. When in day care he goes between 1 - 2 hours sleep a day and will do probably 1.5-2.5 for me. I find if i put him down early he will just play/talk away to himself until he falls asleep. What i am finding though it he is going to sleep later and later so sometimes won't actually go to sleep until close to 3pm. Just makes it a bit more difficult to work out where we can go in the afternoon when he wakes late.

Sam's speech has also really improved in leaps and bounds over the last month / six weeks. He is turning into a right little parrot and is now stringing several words together to make a sentence that make sense! He joins in when we're singing songs and reading books finishing the sentences whic his super cute. Probably isn't quite as advanced as some of your stories but doing really really well. We keep telling him to use his words when he starts to get frustrated so he can try to tell us what he wants.

Tantrums ..... well lets just say they're building! Mainly when we don't get our own way or if he can't do something that he wants to do, or if I don't do something quickly enough or or or. And sometimes its because ......... I can only say because he can!

Okay am going to sign off for now. Its late and have another big day in work tomorrow. We've got a big campaign on at the moment so its pretty busy and resulting in some long hours. Funny don't have the same drive to work like I did before having Sam!

Lovely to hear from all of you again - hope we can get this thread going - and will of course see you on FB

Xx