Further freakingly fantabulous adventures of the 40+ Mummies Part 2

[blueblackdye]

Our 2nd thread is full but it won't prevent us from laughing, moaning, keeping on supporting each other, sharing and chatting over our new life with 1 or 2, even 5 children !
Here you go, fantastic 40+ Mums, a brand new thread for all of us, old friends from the pregnancy thread or new joiners

We are childless and sat in a nearby cafe! Only 30 mins since we left her - have no idea how she's getting on but haven't been asked to rush back.

Left her sat on floor poking at new toys while slightly older babies peered at her from a distance

LRM hope you dropped off Monkey ok and that you're finding work not too bad x

Omg so much goin on here can't keep up.

Eagle well done re nursery. You've prob got her back by now. How was she?

lrm how did first day at work go?

scarecrow happy birthday!!! Flowers biscuit! Hope it was great. Props for looking after all those children.

rosi Lols re I need somewhere to bark.

In general re work/leaving child I couldn't do it first time round and dp didn't want me to so we left it till he was 13 months. It was awful even then. He's never been one of these kids who loves his childcare and asks to go there. What we got right is that we started with two half days and worked up infinitesimally slowly to a max of 3 when he was over 3.

Children are all different and so are parents (breaking news!) so doesn't mean it will be the same for anyone else.

This time I was having such a good time at work that I told people I be back in 3 months if I could. Now, almost 6 months in, nothing appeals less. It may be just me or the childcare ive known but but I can't imagine leaving my child before age of 1. I know many do and they are fine. I just want to be with my child until then, and after that I want to get away a bit, not too much.

It's v individual. But yes roaie I went into penury to achieve that - I could have looked harder for full time work and didn't until quite late in the day and disnt find it and we ended up having to rent out our house and move in with my parents (long story).

Was it worth it? I don't know.

scare and knicky- your weaning stories remind me we are due date mates.

I'm doing baby led weaning. Started at five months she was so huge and hungry with veg and avocado and apple and green beans and the like. All seen in poo virtually intact so swallowed if not digested.

Now progressing to porridge fingers (great no mess solution) and egg. She even had quiche yesterday (I've got a perverse obsession with cooking quiche) and she ate loads. It was a bit salty tho so not to be repeated as such.

eagle love your depiction of eaglet in the bumbo.

Baby some does like an electric shock startle, really vehemently, when she tastes things. Then either spits out or looks transcendental, depending on whether she likes it.

Hi gang. Dropped him off at 8 and picked him up at 2. He cried I cried when I left him. He did me proud today. He slept for an hour in their cot '!!! Oh I was amazed she put him down no tears no fuss. Came back a minute later fast asleep. Can't believe it. He knew I wasn't there. He ate pizza for lunch and cried when he saw me. I am currently walking him in his pram zzzzz. Not going to try him in his cot just yet but I have wAlked thousands of miles to get him to sleep. Sooooo pleased he slept and I was soooo worried. What a star proud mummy. Hugs to everyone

Hurrah! So glad to hear the first day went well LRM! I love the bit about the cot as know how hard it's been for you to get him to nap - funny how they just get on with things sometimes Anyway, he's been an absolute star, as have you for coping with such an emotional day

We got to nursery just before 10 and sat DD down with some toys then made a swift exit. I got a bit upset as DP mocked me a bit for crying when we left but the whole thing didn't mean as much to him as he's used to saying goodbye. We returned about an hour later and could hear crying as we came up the stairs but it turned out to be another baby and she was absolutely fine! Apparently, she'd not been the slightest bit bothered by being left and was quite happy with some toys on the floor (and made friends with another 8mo girl)

She cried all the way home though (I think she suddenly realised she was hungry) and then slept like a log for a few hours. We're doing another settling in session on Friday with a view to her starting properly on Monday.

Somewhere porridge fingers sound very interesting as DD has porridge every morning - must look this up.

For those of you starting weaning, here's DD's favourite recipe here. I made double portions, then kept aside half for adult consumption (adding a few more spices) Yum!

high five to babies monkey and eagle for being so cool about nursery.

Reminds me that I often think I/we project our own analytical abilities onto babies too much - especially around childcare. Certainly helps me to remember dc are much leas likely than me to be constructing anxiety models rather than just enjoying or wailing about their immediate needs (viz howls of tragedy morphing into goggles of pleasure v easily w distraction).

Back.later, am needed for bedtime (or breast is )

Gold star to eagle as well for nursery. Dp got a bit teary as well. So did I. I needed a cheer me up hash brown from McDonald's.
Somewhere. These porridge fingers please do share the process. I must admit I am smacking my lips myself at the thought. Yummy

just put T down in the attic room which is to be his New bedroom ( the bit that is not the study. storeroom, laundry and storage) He is in the crib in his big cot for the first time. The crib is bordering on child cruelty as he is far too big for it. Otherwise I would not part with him from my bedroom. So never again will I have a little baby in my room again and soon I will have to part with the crib (luckily have a good taker or I would be even.more upset). I want a good cry now .

Scarecrow it is really when they grow out of things. When BG grew out of his prem clothes I felt exactly the same (well he was 6 months old!! Bbd may not believe that he only went into newborn size 8 months ago, given his giant status now...)
Hooray to babies settling into nursery with such panache! And for sleep. Could they please have a word with BG? Who just wants to RUN... Oh, and latest obsession is talking on the phone. Everything is a phone, particularly the tv remote control...

scarecrow heartrending.

Porridge fingers

-3 Tbspn porridge oats
-3 Tbspn milk

Mash together then flatten.

Microwave for 2 mins.

Cut while hot then allow to cool.

Comes off in strips like glue

Goat he can ring my dd who actually does talk on real phones now too - I dialled number the other day and she had a whole "conversation" with my sister, said good bye and hung up... Can't think where she gets her chatterbox genes from No human no problem though, she spent 20 minutes on the phone to Mr Badger in his riverside house tonight and reps me we are in ties to lunch tomorrow. By sheer coincidence he is serving up baked beans on toast which happen to be her favourite

Am you perform. For now will just throw

TELLS me we are INVITED

X POST somewhere : approx how thick.should fingers be? Sorry, have no instinct for cooking at all.

nor, I discovered tonight, for sewing on nametapes. DD starts nursery tomorrow. Wonky name in coat and all. God I'm going to be emotionally drained by end of week

Shit - nametapes! I need to get some! I really don't want any of DD's clothes going missing at nursery.

Making porridge fingers tomorrow morning - with cutted up dried fig in them.

Btw, she had Scarecrow Pasta for dinner tonight

I presume it was burnt

with frozen peas for balance.

Ying and yang

no peas this time - she had some yesterday but kept spitting them out so she could roll them around in her highchair tray...

We're supposed to be going out for the day tomorrow (DP has today/tomorrow off work). Original plan was to head off this afternoon after nursery and stay in a hotel, but I just couldn't face spending the evening sat in a hotel room worrying about waking DD up. So now it's a day trip but still undecided about where to go - predict we will faff around tomorrow, decide we're tired and not leave the house...

have you been to Porlock? I just love it (Somerset coast, Nat Trust owned land but not paid for house, just eroding seashore). When I go there I cam imagine pre settlement Britain, with tusked woolly mammoths roaming the shoreline AMD leaving thir imprints in the swampy mud.

Wow busy thread today! Well done to all of you with nursery starting - I'm sure I'll be a gibbering wreck the first time I leave BabyPud

When to return to work is such a tricky one - I'm hoping to take a full year but depends on selling some stock I get in Nov. I'm lucky to have the possibility to stay the year with her (tho I'm sure I'll be dying to get back to it...)

I'm loving reading about all the adventures in weaning - I'm taking notes

You know how Tiny Tears used to shut her eyes when you put her down. Well it's the opposite here!! BabyPud has had a bloody awful evening of screaming blue murder and nothing has soothed her for more than 10 mins. After 2 hours of the last bout I've managed to get her onto my boob - 3 sucks then a shudder/sob then 3 sucks. Rinse repeat. Poor lamb. I hate not knowing what's wrong :'-(

pudding that is just awful, poor you. And poor babyPud

Does she behave like this regularly? Is always same time? And what kind if day does she have (milk feeds, sleeps?) Remind me howant weeks too, is it 4 or 6??

No useful suggestions from me pudding but am awake and doing the early feeding shift so just offering sympathy

Thanks She's 8 weeks now

She's always fussed and cried more in the evenings and we've had the occasional 'colicky' night but we've had more of this in the last week or so. Last night was something else - full blown meltdowns. I think she's overtired but can't get her to settle earlier.

The last 3 nights she's slept better after the fussing (1:30-5 5:30-9 ish)

Any advice or suggestions will be grabbed with both hands

Sorry scarecrow, to fully answer your question. She tends to be sleepy through the mornings and feed every 2/2.5 hours through til mid afternoon when it gradually increases in frequency. From sometime between 6 and 8 she'll ramp up to hourly feeds through til 1am ish with minimal sleep from 9/10 pm onwards

Yesterday we went to lazy Daisy class at 11am and she was an angel for the whole class, fed well then slept 3 hours. Normal afternoon with one hour wise awake and very interactive about 4pm ish (I worried she was over stimulated but she slept again after.

Big gold stars for baby eagle and lrm. Sounds like they coped better than thei mummy's. which i can fully understand.
Pudding if you look back up thread you'll see i asked where my sweet happy baby went at 5pm every evening. The last 2 week's have been dh and i would take 15 mins turns each then have to swap as the scream fest was relentless. I even got as far as drawing up 25 mls calpol one night as she was screaming so much i thought she must be in pain. Didn't give it as there was no break in the screaming long enough! !!
I started taking her to the bedroom at 7.30 ish in to pjs and sleep sack ( which she hated until last week) and fed her lying down on the bed in the dark. This seems to be working. She will wake again about 10 when I feed in bed and move her over to her cot. The timing window is a nanosecond to get it right though. I try to have her bath run for when dh gets in at 5.45 and they go straight in (although bath has been abandoned on several occasions)
The last couple of evenings have been much better. Maybe it's just an 8/9 week thing. It's tough though. My head felt like I'd been clubbing! !!
It's weight in this morning. ....

6.30 not 7.30!