The new rolling ILX parenting thread, since the other one was getting unwieldy

and some pics

beeps and her friend the horse dog:

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/5100/beepsandverucalb1.jpg

just beeps:

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4914/beepsinthesunuz7.jpg

once again beeps does not disappoint in the cuteness stakes. did you try to get a picture of her riding that fab unnaturally ginormous dog?

we went to a friend's house today where about six crazed 2.5-year-olds and their baby siblings all regularly meet for lunch and fighting over toys, and her jack russell was all over lulu like she had baby food smeared on her face or something. lulu was in dog heaven.

OMG Beeps is soooo cute. <3

<3 <3 <3

How much does she look like PP?? Holy moly.

Thanks for the Japan tips. I'm sure it will be fine & I'm looking forward to it actually.

Cute picture with the dog!

We went to the SF POM (parents of multiples) Halloween party in a park today. Here are a couple of snaps:

Ben as a chicken:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2045/1780859694_efe4d44ed5.jpg

Owen as a swinging turtle:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2019/1780014721_2df2643615.jpg

Much cuteness all round! And congrats on Madeleine liz!

Alice eyes up an unsuspecting friend's drink:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/1799058910_896b40dc45.jpg?v=0

A cunning plan is hatched:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/1798193457_6526f472f3.jpg?v=0

Success!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2068/1798193461_4818521f13.jpg?v=0

All Alice needs now is a white persian cat to pet while she hatches her schemes.

chicken and turtle twins look cute! do they eat candy yet?

Oh look at Alice! She's also dressed so adorable. Those tights! That skirt!

Ophelia is sick again! She's been good for a week or two but has a cold again. :-( Poor thing. I guess it's normal, but damn building up that immune system is really not that much fun for her. Apparently I was rarely if ever sick as a kid which frightened my mum. hah! Then when I was about 15 I was sick all the time (chickenpox! ear infections! lots of other things!)

I went on the monitor for the second time. On wednesday they'll be inducing the delivery. Hurrah? Yeah, but also frightening prospect. :-)

I'm willing to bet that from the time your contractions start to when the baby is born will be under 4 hours.

Good luck nath! Here's hoping nature takes its course before Wednesday...

But I was induced and it wasn't that bad (not that I have anything to compare it to!)

how long was it from first contraction to delivery for you archel?

http://www.appelstein.com/rake.jpg

raking leaves this weekend.

I THINK I got my first proper contractions about 1am, and Alice was born at 6.25am. So yeah, not long!

I only had the prostin to induce, didn't progress to needing my waters broken or the oxytocin drip. It's the drip which is meant to make labour more sudden and so more painful, I think? But mine felt sudden enough - I didn't have any gentle build-up contractions at all, just instant agonising ones.

yeah me too! for me the first contraction was at about 10:30am (actually the first few showed on the monitor but i didnt feel a thing - about an hour later it started to hurt) through 6:30pm when beats was born BUT i had one hold up that nath wont have and i took 3 hours to deliver her because i refused to push the right way out of fear id go number 2 on the delivery table. :(

inducements seem relatively quick

So you two had to do "everything?" I mean, I had (natural) contractions with Ophelia but the rest they needed to induce (so also breaking my water and *opening the hatchet* har har). The total amount of hours? Uh, 27 hrs? Something like that. I have read that inducing is more painful. So uh EPIDURAL PLEASE.

I have to be at the hospital at 7:30. They'll do a "lavement" (cleaning of... sorry to be so blunt... bowels). Urgh. The previous time they also give me one (a pill which I had to shove up where the sun doesn't shine hahaha) but I felt so awkward - as the toilet was an open one in the room - that I didn't do much. hahaha TMI anyone?

good luck nathalie! I was induced both times (two weeks late with ava, two weeks early with lulu, with oxytocin gel rather than a drip) so I don't know any other way but induction gets two thumbs up from me. if it's going to hurt like hell I'm all for being in the express lane.

however long it takes you're soon to have another gorgeous girl for your troubles, can't wait to see the pictures!

Sunny, I read a memoir of an L&D doctor who called that the "positive poop sign" and used it as an inducement to get teh mommas to push the RIGHT way! Hmmm. I wonder if the enema or similar is actually helpful in freeing people up to push, or if it's just ONE MORE INDIGNITY on poor body in labor.

I was in labour so bloody long without really eating anything that there was nothing to come out by the time it came to push. My friend had warned me that she hadn't pushed like the midwife told her too and ended up having a forceps delivery because she wasn't pushing properly, so I made sure that I did!

good luck Nath! Got everything crossed that it goes quickly and well and we'll be waiting for fluff of you're new little one!

Our baby is away at college and is sick, and I'm all sad because I can't take care of her.

God. Getting old and having your kid grow up is... hard. Better than the alternative, though.

Howie had first proper fever yesterday, v worrying (especially after I Googled 'meningitis symptoms', BAD idea) but much better this morning.

Sending good birthing vibes Nath's way, looking forward to meeting the new arrival!

It never ends, Meg. My baby is 19 and when she reported cold/flu-like symptoms yesterday my first panicked thought was "OMIGOD! They get meningitis at college and DIE!"

*headdesk*

awww...she'll be fine, I'm sure.

Hey, any more Halloween kid pics? Beeps was the only kid in daycare not dressed up today :( BAD MOM

happy halloween, everybody! here are some pics from lulu's halloween birthday bash on saturday, when bee and cat put aside their claws/stingers and felt the love.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/1810767746_a787980352.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/1809930679_5f67cdb917.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/1809938293_9808594073.jpg

tonight, on actual halloween, ava wouldn't put the bee gear back on and lulu's catsuit was in the wash for our trick-or-treat excursion to two nearby friends' houses. instead ava wore a ladybug hat and antennae (she told me at dinner she was a "ladybug monster, rrrr") and lulu went as a baby.

OMG! so gorgeous!

I'm going to nick a photo off Mike's flickr account... Aidan at Lulu's party

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/1810831894_304c30d4be.jpg?v=0

And when we were trying it on a few weeks earlier, good old Sainsburys, six of your english pounds:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/1577529317_f7640db44d.jpg?v=0

I've been away from the net, still no word of Nath?

HAHAHA! Look at the cheecks on Aiden. Also, they're both adorable as always but that pic of Lulu from behind with the little tail just kills me.

oops - cheeks.

Is this thread officially "wieldy" yet"?

We knocked the other thread on the head after just over a year and 1,585 posts; this one has been going 9 months and I think this will be the 1,416th post. I dunno, either NOW (before Nath's babe arrives) or in the new year, whaddya think?

I'm up for a new thread! I'm gonna let someone else start it, since I kind-of jumped the gun on the last one... A nice way to celebrate Nath's new kid.

How about "ILX Parenting Thread: 100x BETTER than a Clown Car"

How on earth did you get Chris to let Aidan dress up as a little Red Devil? I love looking at all your kids, it allows me to be a little vicariously maternal without actually wanting to go through it all myself.

As long as we're sure everyone has seen the wonder of Aidan in his Man Utd devil outfit and that Nath can find us in our new home.

How 'bout ILX Parenting 3: Back In (Potty) Training?

That's great.

Ah, got it. I like the finesse of closing it off at year's end myself, but Nathalie's impending birth would also be a good mark. (And both titles are great.)

I have great pix of E and A in their costumes, but they'll have to wait 'til I get home. I will say that both girls were still holding on to their embroidered trick or treat cloth bags this morning at breakfast.

(yeah, i said "embroidered" and "cloth." my wife couldn't resist.)

I was thinking about a new thread too since the first thread started around the tiome Ophelia was born.

Maybe: "ILX Rolling Parenting Thread: Poo, Parents and Power"
(the name of a study I remember reading in high school)

I cant see the fliker pics on the work comp :((((

I think we should wait on Nath. She'll be here soon enough I'm sure. It might be a nice way to round off the thread.

oh, the pond.

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4486/pondvt7.jpg

aww...aidan!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2339/1831890786_8492e4d1e8_o.jpg

Induction is both GREBT and URGH. But actually, no, it was FUN (thanks to epidural). :-) Delivery was again ten minutes (push push push and out she came) but the contractions were very heavy and quick in succession. Anyway blabbering on and I should be sleeping. heh. I'll talk more LATAH Thanks for sending good vibes, it worked!

OMG she's GORGEOUS!

I love the sleepy infants... congratulations again, Nath!

That sound you can hear is several dozen ILXors uncrossing their fingers and sighing with relief. Yay! When did she arrive, Nath? 31/10?

she's beautiful, Nath. good job!

yay pretty healthy baby! congrats, nath and fam!!