8mnth old advice please

O.K. we've booked our tickets to the UK for May when the boys will be 8 1/2 mnths old & have a few Q's for those in the know:

1) We're planing a party for friends & family to meet the boys but want to know when the best time of day would be to have a party? i.e. what is a 'usuall' sleeping habit of an 8 1/2mnth old as I want the boys to be awake of course (morning, lunchish, afternoon tea, supper?).

2) How baby proof does the house have to be i.e. will my inlaws need to get plugs over electrical sockets, are they still very curious?

3) Would they be too heavy to put on a back-pack (or front pack?) to carry around town with?

eeek, so much to organise & think about.

I would say morning tea - about 10ish until noon would be a good time (it is when we try to do stuff). Sophie is just 1 and she is still having 2 sleeps - 8.30am to 10ish and 1 - 3.

As lilfatty said, I would baby proof too. If the boys are rolling/crawling they will be into EVERYTHING . Sophie is very curious!. One of her favorite things is our poor dogs water dish - great fun for water play (it is now out on the porch, dog not too impressed!). Some children are starting to pull up at 8 months so that can add more stress too.

I am off to Auckland with my 2 on Wednesday and I will be putting Sophie in a sling so that I don't have to carry her - it means that I can be hands free and not worry about where she has crawled off too! I found that it was good to have a sling/pack even when I just had Amy - they get very heavy after a bit and they wriggle so much.

Thanks guys,

Mid morning/lunch sounds like a plan then.

We're definately going to hire a buggy or take our Dble MB but I thought we could possibly hire 2 x backpacks to carry the boys in when on the tube etc but maybe we just tackle the town with a buggy.