PART TWO - Those June/July babies

[kaz33]

As promised - Part two

Had weekend of parents - first his then mine. Rather looking forward to Monday.

How's the weaning going, Kaz? Hey, I've discovered something utterly bizarre - I like breastfeeding dd2. I never, ever thought I'd write those words...

MI when are you back to work ? It's soon isn't it, then Mondays might not look so appealing. Parents, were you entertaining / cooking for them as well - now thats tough.

Weaning only started tonight - DS2 was sitting in his chair this morning looking intently at me eating my weetabix. He then leaned ( well flopped ) over and tried to grab the bowl.

So tonight he got a whole spoonful of baby rice, he looked very appreciative and chomped the whole lot. He is also drinking like a trouper, I have moved him on to milk for hungrier babies and today he guzzled down a couple of 9oz's.

Wow, 9oz. We're lucky if we get 5 down her neck. We have done 2 days of baby rice now, a bit a lunchtime and a bit at teatime, she wasn't overly fussed about it but I think she swallowed a bit. In a few days I will try carrot or something equally exotic.
MI, a question for you. You may or may not have any advice - I am in the process of writing a book for children, and don't know whether to submit it to an agent or straight to a publisher. I know that either is probably a waste of time as I am an unknown, but there again, so was JK Rowling....
Do you have any suggestions?

Dahlia - are you sure that she is ready to be weaned, I waited until DS2 literally grabbed the food of my plate. I remember with DS1 weeks of battling to get him to eat solids when in retrospect he really wasn't ready.

Kaz, I have no idea! But she hasn't woken in the night for about 10 weeks, (and she was hungry) and it was such a shock that I thought some action had to be taken, and she won't take any more milk in one go than she already has. I will stick with it for a while and see how we do. I can always pack it in if she shows no interest. I weaned dd1 at 15 weeks with no problems so I'm going by that aswell.

Dahlia, I think it should be an agent - probably if you do a post on this, all sorts of people will emerge with expert knowledge!

I'm back at work the week after next. VERY torn. One the one hand I do like my work, on the other hand I like my baby...I know I could just change my mind and/or break myself in gently, but I do have quite a few commitments in the first three weeks. Will see how it goes - ditto with expressing, as I still seriously doubt if I can get enough out to feed dd2 in the day...no doubt you'll get all my weaning stories soon!

Went to see parents, so got nice meal out of it, but oh how much I'd have preferred to be sitting around at home with papers, nice glass of wine, etc..

Thanks MI - I will do just that. And I would say that if you enjoy your job, and you obviously do, then go back to work! You will still have plenty of time with dd2, she will benefit, you will benefit, and everyone is happy. You're really lucky to have a job you love, and when you finish work dd2 will be there as usual.

I'm with Dahlia on that one - its good for everyone including the baby to get a bit of space IMO.

Dahlia, I did a spreadsheet of all agents who accept children's authors (phone nos, submission guidelines etc) so do email me if you'd like a copy.

Hi all, day not too bad, spendimg a fortune on cabs!! can't wait till I can leave ds2 for couple hrs so i can restart drivin lessons, was takin some while pg. Has anyone taken intensive drivin lessons? am thinkin of doin some cos hav wanna drive real bad, 2 kids on bus is no joke .
btw cant wait to start weanin, dh cant wait 2 feed also. not lookin forward to baby gagin tho, really panic wiv ds1, he gagd and choked couple times.
Bye 4 now.

Hi Champs - How are you ? Hows the PND?

I have been weaning DS2 since the weekend, really excited because we are trying carrot at the weekend
I got in a total strop with DS1 because i tried to wean him when he was 4 months old and not ready. This time I am taking it at DS2's pace ( 5 months at the end of the month ) and he loves his baby rice, cooing and laughing when i spoon it in. Good fun

Saying that the lad is teething, had to lather his gums his gel in order to get his night time bottle in tonight and then Calpol to get him to sleep.

Hi Kaz, still blue. tis 2nd yr wed anniversary on mon am plannin surprise for dh . am soooooo tired but cant sleep at night. keep up da good wrk wiv da weanin.... carrot....mmmmmmm

Champs, thinking of you.

And thank you K&D for the consolation about work. Am actually starting to rev up to it now...oh, and dd2 keeps slavering whenever I eat anything so suspect I'll have to change my mind about weaning!

Hi all
nice idea to start a new thread..

we're doing finally OK (I hope ) as ds is back to sleeping through the night and feeding normally.

I am not starting with weaning yet as he seems happy with the formula, so I will start what seems a messy business as late as I can (5/5 and half months).

Champs, hope things will get better for you, I am sure that once you start driving you will feel more indipendent and positive. I have learnt driving really late and quickly out of necessity (baby on the way!) and the sense of achievment is amazing. Have you tried an automatic? Even a child could drive one of them!

Had dd2 weighed yesterday - she is 17 weeks and weighs 12lb 3oz. Stroppy health visitor started telling me to change her milk, feed four hourly no matter what and stick with the weaning even though she isn't really interested. She has totally confused me and made me feel like dd2 is underweight, which she isn't, she's perfect and dainty!

Dahlia - both my DS's would only eat when hungry not when a HV prescribed. DS1 was never a big hungry eater when a baby and is the same now he is 2 and a bit. Absolutely no sense in making a battle of it, follow your baby and just keep an eye on her weight. Sure she is fine what do HV's know....

Motherinferior - your DD2 will be fine when you go back to work, its tough letting go though isn't it. Even when they are annoying the s*t out of me they are mine.

Champs - the act of preparing a suprise for DH will hopefully cheer you up. Well done for learning to drive as well, sounds like just what you need to take your mind of things.

Why is DS2 the only baby not sleeping through the night

I hardly ever get to post nowadays, but don't worry Kaz you are not alone, dd is still up once or twice or maybe three times a night! She just loves her food and I am looking forward to introducing solids. Is it from around 16 weeks? Can't remember how to do it either, seem to remember tiny bits of baby rice for ds?! I also have a sterilising question, she is constantly putting things in her mouth which haven't all been sterilised, is that dodge? Can't remember when you stop sterilising dummies etc? Thanks in advance! Champs hope you have a great wedding anniversary.

Kaz, mine was rotten last night. And the previous night.

And Dahlia, my HV has also put the wind up me saying dd2 has dropped across two centiles and 'we' (who, her and me???) need to think about feeding more. She's gorgeous and healthy just like yours!

Honestly, sorry to hear that DD2 is playing up again MI

Jessi, weaning is from 4 months - however, this time I waited until DS2 was literally pulling the food off my plate - it was him trying to fall head first into a bowl of weetabix that decided it ... So far we have had a week of small bits of baby rice at lunchtime, feed him his milk then give him the rice. He loves it, tommorow carrot...

scuse short message am expressing. my hv said 6 mnths for weaning seems a lot later than the advice I had with dd. Hope you all have a good weekend

Thanks for support Kaz and MI. Yesterday I gave her a farleys rusk mixed with formula and she liked it, and today she has had some organic apple and pear pudding and liked it. She really doesn't seem to like baby rice, even when mixed with pear like crappy hv suggested, so I am gonna do it my way and just try different things every day, some sweet, some savoury, and just get her used to the feeling of solids.
Champs, how are you doing?
Jessi, I don't want to confuse you, and God will probably strike me down for saying this, but I don't sterilise dummies! I just run them under the hot tap. Neither do I sterilise spoons. Neither do I sterilise all her toys, her hands, dd1's hands, and anything else her mouth comes into contact with. Someone said to me recently that if you sterilise absolutely everything they don't build up any immunity to basic germs. Dunno if that is true but it certainly sounds good.
Took dd1 to see Finding Nemo today, it was fab and we had a macdonalds afterwards and I thoroughly enjoyed having quality time just with her. And then when we got home there was an email from mumsnet telling me I had won the Alton Towers competition! Completely giddy!
Today has been a real good day.

Well I am a happy bunny - DS2 slept from 7pm to 6.45am last night for the first time HURRAH

Dahlia - my hygenie is patchy to say the least, I sterlise bottles and try to sterlise dummies. I have a robust attitude towards cleanliess, kids are meant to get dirty and explore the world with their hands.

Dahlia many congratulations on your win (and the weaning!) Thanks for the re-assurances re: sterlising, I remember with ds I sterilised up until he started putting everything into his mouth, so I will do the same this time too I guess.
Kaz I am so envious of your sleep! Dd didn't go to sleep until 11.30pm and still woke up twice for a feed. She then got up for the day it seems at 7am, although with the clocks going back it was 6! Arghhhh! Was thinking in the middle of the night that maybe I need to try and enforce a routine? I never had any of this with ds.

Well Done Kaz!!!!! I hope he does it again tonight!

I've got a new nephew!!! born yesterday. Hurrah.

Ooooh, poor sis has three months of hell to come, poor love

Mind you, dd2 has been wailing her head off re expressed bottle this morning (she keeps forgetting how to take it - and has trial run at childminder's this Tues) so life in the Inferiority Complex somewhat fraught as well. OTOH she woke only v briefly last night...