CocoC

Just responded to you Thermo. Yes, that was a big thing for me - having everything I could possibly want at my (or my husband's!) fingertips.

Hi Thermorgannons, firstly congratulations! I had a home birth with my first, just over two years ago. I obviously have nothing to compare it to other than my friends' stories - some of whom had horrible experiences in hospital, some of whom had brilliant experiences in hospital. All I can tell you is that if it something you want to do, go for it! I literally couldn't have asked for a better experience. I look back on it really fondly which I suppose is quite unusual for a birth! I did get the full-on tucked up in my own bed (on a puppy training pad (!)) with my daughter experience. And I traded the tea for a glass of red wine. Please PM me if you have any questions, and good luck. x

Thanks newtoedf! Mattress on the floor sounds like a winner, thanks slh2009 for the sheet idea too! Giacomelli - we're away for a full week in a 2-bed villa so I think we will try and keep her to her own room if possible. We're moving house soon and after we've been settled there for a bit I think we'll make the transition to a bed. And obviously at some point it would be good if she could take herself to the loo (she's been out of nappies by day for a few weeks but still has a nappy on at night). Thanks all!

Hello Going on holiday abroad with our 27 month old in May. Previously we've just asked the hotel to pop in a cot but our daughter is quite tall for her age and I think is too big now for the 'normal sized' cot they put in her room before - even a travel cot is pushing it a bit. At home she's in a cot bed with the sides still up because she hasn't made any attempt to climb out. She doesn't move around a lot in her sleep anymore but I'm a bit worried about putting her in a single bed - she might fall onto the hard floor or more likely just arse around getting in and out when she should be sleeping (but I guess we'll have to go through that at some point). What do people do with their little ones when they seem to be at this in-between stage? Thanks!

Mmmm yes, I wouldn't hang about with nursery waiting lists as it is a bit crazy around here. Some childminders/ childminders with assistants that operate like small nurseries are running lists too, but otherwise single-handed childminders will confirm their availability nearer to your return to work. Costs really vary - I know some people paying about ?50 a day for an excellent nursery/ childminder, and others as much as ?85. So times that by three and there you go, an indicative amount! Not very helpful I know! Two examples - I think I'm right in saying that My Favourite Nursery on Upland Road is about ?50 a day, and Piplings (opposite the Herne pub) is nearer the ?80 mark.

We were also very pleased with our Classic Lofts experience. We did have to keep on top of them a bit - so I'm glad my husband had the time to do that - e.g. checking that the electrician they use had got the right instructions about what we wanted - but overall, really happy.

That's it really! Have a themed party to attend on Sat 19 March! Thank you x

There have been a few threads on this recently so worth running a search - you will most likely find that for every positive recommendation there's a negative one though! E.g. we used Classic and we are very pleased with our result, but my husband was 'all over it' and we knew exactly what we wanted (and didn't want).

Yes thank you very much to Sue for letting me know. This is so horrible.

Agree with the recommendation for Elly Allen - she made some curtains for our loft bedroom and as well as being beautiful they don't let in a chink of light - as requested!

Thank you Saffron and midivydale. Yep - I think we're on the cusp of starting to get all the 'when's the next one coming' kind of questions. Your little one turning two seems to be the trigger. But then, I should be well-versed having gone through the whole 'when are you going to 'hurry up' and have children' questions I got when we were married and childless :)

Thank you Saffron for sharing your playdate anecdote, that's really lovely to hear. Thanks too for the links, I'm going to look at them now!

Hello Through a combination of choice and being challenged reproductively (we are choosing not to have more treatment and at present actively preventing pregnancy because a lot of friends have just had their second babies and it looks and sounds bloody hard) it's highly likely that we will raise our daughter as an only child. She's only 2 so to be honest I thought I had ages to worry about the questions I might get in future about why she doesn't have any brothers and sisters, but apparently she spent yesterday trotting around nursery demanding a baby sister!! Anyway, I'm sure tomorrow she'll be trotting around asking for a biscuit - but I thought I might get ahead and read something - that deals with how we deal with the constant questions from well meaning friends and family, as well as debunking the 'only child myths' and any do's/ don'ts we may need to be aware of. Don't get me wrong - I don't want to make this into a big deal as one child families are much more common now and on the rise, and I really don't think we need to take any special measures as parents of an only child, but something I can dip into from time to time to make me feel a bit better about our circumstances/ choices would be helpful. Have checked out Amazon and there's a US book that takes forever to ship (for some reason) or something that looks quite hippy dippy from 15 years ago. Anyone read anything else? Thanks!

I loved Lisbon. There's a really cool gastronomic walking tour you can do - think a ticket cost about ?18 and for that you get a historical walking tour of the city, punctuated by stop-offs at various cafes, bars etc where you try the local food and booze. It was a brilliant couple of hours and I ended up stuffed and drunk. Maybe not ideal for your teenagers though!

I recommend Wine Society membership - bought it for my husband last Christmas. He has discovered some really interesting (and often inexpensive) wines through his membership.

Another vote for Nicola, she's brilliant. If you want some hands-on support (Nicola does provide that I think, but I only used her telephone consultancy service) then shout as I used a fabulous maternity nurse who specialises in sleep training too. Good luck. Sleep deprivation is brutal.

We had a terrific party at the Albrighton Centre on Dog Kennel Hill. They supplied a soft play and we booked a music man (Frog Prince, he's on Fbook) and got food from M&S and wine from Majestic. Was a great afternoon.

Blah Blah, point taken. But where do you draw the line? What level of spending, or on what, is morally objectionable?

I really hope it's a Question Air - they stock some really nice designers. But I'll now live in fear of emerging from there with a bag of goods in case I get egged - as from some of these posts it seems that I should really be sitting at home with the heating off, wearing a hessian sack and eating a pot noodle, having given all my cash to charity.

Agree with KatrionaF. Hollie is amazing. Hypnobirthing certainly kept me calm and I was able to have the homebirth with my first born that I'd dreamed about. Good luck

Convex I hope your little one recovers quickly. I had it at 18 and it was hideous - finally got it together and got my daughter vaccinated on Monday and just hoping that she isn't infected yet (as far as I know she hasn't come into contact with anyone who had it beforehand).

Loving this thread. Belle I recently bought a couple of Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow crayons and still working on the technique - it doesn't look like the tutorial results QUITE yet :-0 I got accosted by a Trish McEvoy salesperson in Selfridges recently and bought their eyeshadow base and also their under eye brightener - which you apply in a sort of big upside down triangle under your eyes - I was a bit skeptical but I'm pretty impressed!

Reading with interest and must download Oh Crap. Sounds brilliant :). When do you know when your child is 'ready'? (Clueless mother of one...!)

Delighted to add our recommendation for Wayne too. He just spent 6hrs(!!) cleaning our car inside and out and it looks brand new. Really impressed with his prices and attention to detail and we'll definitely be using him again.

Definitely use Dave Bassom (07867974124). He fitted carpets and a striped stair runner for us, was brilliant and nearly half the cost of another oft-recommended person on this forum.