The Wagon rolls on, complete with whinging, winding and teething and ever more chocolate brownies!

[Sparklytwinkletoes]

Over here ladies - will post the list in a second...

LBOT - have emailed you.

Star - meant to say thanks for thinking that it might be DD's teeth waking her, but she already has them all as confirmed by a trip to the dentist last week. Think she was just testing us out and since DH as been going in she has been much better. Thank god!

Hard to believe all your babies are so grown up already. It goes by so quickly.

Kay - hope DS1 is recovered now.

IDOB - agree with SES about the NCT classes. I reckon the most improtant part is meeting the other mums-to-be. Don't know what I would've done without my group when DD was tiny.

Bump - LMAO at your DH getting a nose-full! How's your eye now? My DH keeps swatting the wasps right into me in an attempt to keep them away from DD, and since reading about your eye I am keeping well away!

Tink - the clothes and shoes are lovely - your DD is a lucky girl!

Have been to mothercare and have chosen http://www.mothercare.com/Moda-Pointelle-3-piece-pyjama-set/dp/B001CMB0FE/sr=1-2/qid=1249923187/ref= sr12/278-1260812-8573556?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42797041&mcb=core these pj's, I like that they are a drop down cami top rather than a button down, it seemed like a big faff last time in the hospital and afterwards. I also get hot really easily so the cami top is ideal.

They didn't have them in store, but I tried on a similar pair as I needed to find out what size to order - 14! I can't remember the last time I was a size 14! Pre pregnancy I was buying 16/18's. Are all maternity clothes generously sized to make us feel better?

The lady in the shop said the ones I tried on were quite a lot lighter material than the ones I'm ordering, but I can swap them if they are too heavy.

DS was with me in the changing room, and when I put them on he said "you look pretty!"

They'll be ready to collect early next week, I've been looking for ages, not really sure how I missed them, but better for me as they are reduced .

Had a hell of an evening, DS threw his dinner on the dining room carpet (spag bol on beige) then he's been a nightmare to settle - he's still awake now, but DH is with him now. When I gave up on him and came downstairs, I found DH collapsed as the dog had pooped on the hall carpet (also beige) and he'd only just finished clearing up the mess .

FFS what a day!

My poor carpet.

Bloody hell, DS is still awake. He's got nursery tomorrow, he's going to be vile. Why is he still awake? Sounds like he's telling DH to get in bed... this is probably all my fault...

eeeek, I've chosen these pyjamas even

Hello everyone

Sorry I've not been on for so long. I've been lurking but not got around to posting.

Cant believe how quick time is going. KK and IDOB- your pregnancies have flown by

DD is now nearly 5 months now and I'm starting to think about weaning

LBOT- lovely pics of the little on FB. He is soo cute and little

Gruff- hope you had a lovely time on hols.

Ses, Bumps- are we on for 20th?

DH is out tonight. I am really enjoying a night of solitude

Hello everyone,

Im just going to go and try and have a quick catch up.

Just wanted to say that I am having a proud mummy moment today as GC rolled over from back to front this morning and has been doing it ever since hooray! I thought there the frustration would stop but no...now he is trying to crawl and not getting very far so screaming with anger. ahem. I'm afraid that's my temper he has inherited

anyway... I will be back in England tomorrow evening so will hopefully be on more after that!

oooh and really going to try make the 20th but do we have a time yet??

Right DH has just presented me a muffin so catch up will have to wait as wouldn't dare eat it over my mums computer keyboard!

"see" everyone soon

Hi!
20th is looking good then
Gruff - let us know what time GC has his jabs and we can work round you.
Star - hope you still think you can come too!
Bumps - are you able to come too?
GYo - glad you can still make it

STT - those PJs look good. Does sound like the evening from hell.

GYo - 5 months???! But I guess so if O has just turned 3 months...

Kooky - sounds like you're being v busy for one so close to the end! Take it easy!!

Well my PIL arrive this evening until 21st
Then on Sat we have 2 SILs and a nephew coming to stay til Monday too!
Don't think I mentioned the dilemma we have in that both my mum and MIL have found family christening gowns. Will have to work out something!
Think I'll be glad of the meet up on 20th to have a bit of a break. They are pretty chilled but not easy for most people to have your inlaws stay that long with a PFB!!

Morning,

I feel we are going backwards with DS2's sleeping. He wouldn't go to bed last night. He eventually fell asleep on the front room floor so I took him up. That was at half 10. I didn't get to sleep until 11. DS2 then woke us up at half 1. He went straight back to sleep but I was awake until 4am. He then decided to wake us up at half 5.

I feel dreadful this morning. I am hoping I will start to feel more alive soon as I have a driving lesson this afternoon.

Hope you are all well.

pjs are lovely

ses - sounds like you are busy
kay - what bedtime routine are you doing.

i give bracken a bath then milk the put in cot if she cried and would nt settle i would leave her and do controlled crying cuddling her then putting in and leaving etc till she went to bed

good luck with driving lesson

We were doing GF but he doesn't follow it at all. If we try to feed him at the times she says he refuses to eat.

We give him a bath at 6 and then he has his bottle at half 6 and goes to bed at 7 with DS1. But he just screams until I can't listen to it anymore and bring him downstairs. That is usually about 9. So 2 hours of screaming unless one of us is holding him.
Last week he was sleeping 7-7 and we aren't doing anything different this week.

when my sister switched to GF to help the sleeping she said it was a week of hell before it worked. She had to be consistent with my niece and keep at it.

Im sure you are doing all that though. Hope it improves for you soon.

Im having issues getting DD to nap again during the day.... Think I will refer to the NCSS book but I might try and get her in line with GF timings.

morning- DH is back at work today so bit busy cleaning etc where i've done bare minimum all week!! had to pop in and say Hi!!

STT- i have a lovely pair of size 14 next maternity PJ's if you'd make use of them??

Planning to take the DC's to an activity day this afternoon at our local surestart... its a free day out and keeps the DC's entertained if nothing else.

DD2 has got a chesty cough- poor little thing... only bothers her in the night though but it's been restless nights again!! And she's due to start weaning in a weeks time!!! very scary- thing is though i'll have no choice but to do purre's as she's not caught up development-wise to be able to feed herself... still isn't 'grasping' things, let alone bringing them to her mouth. Not sure which route to go down- i wanted to do BLW, but she'd not be ready till easily 9-10mths on that path... but going on age she's ready in a week... any idea's?

Morning glask! Thanks for the text, like you I've been busy cleaning as DS has gone to nursery and we were away at the weekend so quite a bit of catching up to do!

Have so far tidied and cleaned the kitchen, done some washing, tidied the dining room, opened a huge amount of post and sorted into filing, shredding and recycling piles, found the lounge carpet and hoovered it, made DS bed and sorted out his book shelves, and I was just finishing off the washing up. Nothings ever simple though is it, I have one of those stupid sinks with a kind of plunger for a plug, instead of a rubber bung, IYSWIM, and for the last couple of weeks, it hasn't been holding the water. I've finally managed to extract a plastic ring which must have been stopping the plunger going down properly!

Dishwasher emptied and re-run twice already too! I was going to sort out DS toys and make a start on sorting out the bags of baby clothes, but the morning has flown by and I'm not sure its going to happen!

Glask, the pj's would be fab - all of my 'normal' ones are too small, so I'm wearing cheapo matalan nighties, which are OK, but I do prefer pj's...

STT- no worries, just send me your address (either by text or email doesn't bother me) and i'll get em posted to you tomorrow when i go into town. they're of no use to me now, and they really are too nice to just abandon!!

Have just fed the DC's and hoping to get DD1 out of her PJ's so we can go out in just over an hour- but she doesn't seem to want them off!!

We were doing it for 2 weeks and it made no difference at all. He would be hungry before he was meant to be fed or he wouldn't eat. So we stopped doing that. We're just going to stick with the routine we've started and hopefully he'll start sleeping again.

We were doing it for 2 weeks and it made no difference at all. He would be hungry before he was meant to be fed or he wouldn't eat. So we stopped doing that. We're just going to stick with the routine we've started and hopefully he'll start sleeping again.

Glask - have texted

Re DD and weaning, if she's not showing any signs yet, I think I'd be inclined to hold off just a little, I think its more important to go by her 'signs' than by her age. There have been some interesting posts on the formula / breastfeeding topics about when to wean in the last couple of days, as some HV's are starting to give out advice about early weaning that contradicts all current WHO and DofH guidelines. The MN'ers who are employed in childcare health seem to emphasise the importance of the readiness of the child above all else.

Sure Sorky can help too.

The bit where I come unstuck is that I thought that their natural iron stores ran out around 6 months - so if they're not ready to wean, then what do you do? I started mixed feeding at around 7 months (i.e. BF and FF) in preparation for going back to work, as I didn't want to express in the office and as I was going to be away occasionally too, it wasn't really practical. I think that the formula provides iron, so if LO isn't ready for weaning, is supplementing with formula a way to get round to it? If so, doesn't this run the risk (as in my case) of LO self-weaning from BF to FF?

Hmmmm not much help am I - more questions than answers!

I am so annoyed with myself. I have a driving lesson at 4 and I have that feeling of impending doom again. I was so determined not to feel like I am going die once I start driving. I have got those Kalms tablets but they don't seem to have kicked in yet.

Hello

We are virus free

Kay, does your driving instructor know how anxious it makes you feel?

Could you afford to give yourself a bit more time instead of rushing into actual driving?

Maybe ask them to drive to somewhere quiet, and even if you do nothing but just sit in the drivers seat, press pedals, play with buttons etc., just to get you comfortable in that seat so that when you do feel ready to actually drive somewhere (even if it's just 20 yards down that road) you are used to being sat there. Just build it up in very slow small steps.

Another thing I found first time round was doing the emergency stop really gave me confidence to press the gas, I knew I could stop the car very quickly if I needed to, so felt more confident in myself IYKWIM?

Also, please don't forget that the instructor has their own pedals, and they will use them if need's be.

I think it's the same with every new thing you learn, you learn it in stages, and each stage seems like a mountain to climb, till you've climbed it, and then see the next mountain you've got to climb, when you look back, that first mountain has shrunk down to the proverbial mole hill, IYKWIM?!!

I am so desparate for a wee if I make it back downstairs without waking DS3 up I'll be back, if not, I'll see you when I see you!!

P.S. We have the EA coming to take pictures of the house tomorrow for the sales brochure, am strangly nervous, have never had anyone come to 'inspect' my house before!!

OMG I need a wee!! BFN, good luck Kay if I don't make it back!

STT- sent PJ's just after 1ish... so should be with you on friday i expect.

As for the weaning and iron thing DD is on iron suppliments because of being prem (was born to early for her body to have stored any iron), so i can just continue those until i wean her. I was told to give it till she was 6mths and was on food... so i expect it'll do no harm to just give them until she was ready for weaning.

Must admit though that DD1 didn't eat until 10mths- refused puree's etc and then at 10mths crawled across the room and picked up DS's tea and ate it, never even thought about her iron store etc... she has been fine.

I think i am going to delay weaning... no point giving her food for the sake of it. And its only just over 8weeks till our hols, so if she's still only on breastmilk then it's less hassle than taking loads of jars (which i dispise) or making puree's out of food there- though plan to just eat crap (fast food joints etc) while we're there for ease of timing etc.

DH has just rang- BIL has just found out he has bowel cancer. He's just over a year younger than me- nearly 23. Has to go for more tests etc next week, then will start chemo shortly afterwards. DH is a bit upset (as expected...) think we'll be having a trip down south to visit him asap.

Oh Glask, I'm so sorry to hear your news re BIL, that's going to be very difficult for you all.

Thanks for sending the pj's, still need your address so I can at least send you a thank you card!

Weaning plans sound reasonable / sensible to me, I had a feeling I was overdoing the iron thing, and if she's on supplements anyway, I can't see any reason for not waiting - she might follow DD1's path or surprise you sooner. Admit that once I'd started weaning (at 6 months) I realised just how easy BF had been!!

I used jars quite a bit for DS, but only because he'd be at nursery all day having 'real' food and I needed something quick to give him for 'supper' when we got home, and to start off with, we weren't getting home till about 6 and by that point, he was climbing the walls with hunger. I think they have there place, but am glad that I did all the DIY purees etc whenever I could. DS is quite a good eater if some of my friends kids are anything to go by! (Although I do know that could all change any minute!)

I asked him what he wanted for dinner, he came up with 'peas and sweetcorn please mummy' funny boy! His favourite food at the moment is eating raw green beans from Grandpas garden!

kay - it is normal to feel nervous i know that i was when i started driving lessons.
like nat was saying can they not go slower!. my first lesson was done a quiet street and didnt involve much.

glask - i am giving bracken formula for 6 mnths plus that has iron in it and extra vitamins

so sorry to hear about bil!!

well i am glad that wed nearly over enjoyed park,did cbeebies mag and playdoh

tonite off to do sainsburys food shop will buy dd1 some more mags to do next week and more playdoh £2.50 and buy one get one free so can get 8 tubs for £2.50 dd1 luvs playdoh

buying brackens xmas pressy fri online,dd1s school shoes sat and ordering some boden bits on tuesday online

Glask sorry to hear about BIL.

Driving was great!!! I drove home which is only 8 miles but still it is good. I do mainly driving round quiet streets. My instructors knows how anxious it makes me feel. But I don't see the point of not just gettng on and drivin or I'll never learn.

HV rang and has made an appointment for DS2 to have his 8 month check tomorrow. Which is really annoying as Diege has since text me to ask if I can go tomorrow instead of Friday. So not sure what to do now.

Must go to bed as I am shattered.

morning all.

STT- didn't mean to 'slag off' jars so much- i did use them with DS- though they make me feel sick- mainly because i'm scared to touch it etc... they're like jelly... not normal!! I much prefer making my own- i know exactly whats in it and dont mind touching it, or even tasting it for temp... so i now dislike them... but i know they have their place, and some people dont have the time and patience to make their own. Unless i want to be gipping all the way through DD's meals i have no choice but to make my own really!! feel like i really put my foot in my enormous mouth on the jars front- thats what i get for not explaining myself properly!! haha!!

Tink- DD2 also has to have an extra vitamin suppliment till 12mths, so i dont need to worry about extra vitamins either i suppose- though i'm dreading her next hospital check-up when the consultant will expect me to have started weaning her (just over 3wks time).

Thanks everyone about BIL- it will be hard, he was supposed to get married in july but it was cancelled a week before the big day...they had just got back together to try and make it work... then he finds out this- its gonna put even more stress on their relationship at a hard enough time, he's moved back in with my MIL atm... not ideal for a lad of his age etc. Dont think we'll be visiting as soon as i thoguht, we're their for 2 days before our holiday and 1 day after so we'll see him then, unless he wants us to visit any earlier. He finds out more about how bad it is etc on the 25th i think.

MORNBING