May Babies... part 2!

[GeorginaA]

... just because we can't stop yammering on

Well, ds1 has gone to visit with his grandma and grandad for a few days with barely a backward glance... (dh had to remind him to give me a kiss and say goodbye! He was too excited packing all his things... nice to be loved, eh? ). The house is really quiet. Dh is driving him down, so won't be returning until the morning, so it's just me and ds2.

It's occurred to me that I have no idea what to do with a 3 month old baby in terms of entertainment. What do you lot do? Normally, he just sits in his chair or on his playmat and his brother plays around him which seems fascinating - so little work on my part! Now I feel I ought to be doing something with him while I have the opportunity and I'm stumped! Sat him in the chair and sorted out a few kitchen cupboards this afternoon - very exciting...

Georgina,
You HAVE TO take him out every afternoon in his pram (slightly elevated!)to a groovy cafe bar where you sit outside in the sunshine, have a drink and he fiddles around with a muslin wipe or something equally stimulating.
Over the LTN, you eat loads, faff around and watch Neighbours, stroking the faces of long lost friends on the screen and murmuring "I miss you....." (only really works if you used to be addicted when first child had lovely long nap and you still feel a dull ache at 1.45pm!)
In the morning, you could take him shopping. Remember to wave a t shirt in a bright colour in front of him every now and again to help his eye focussing technique.....and your job is done!

Seriously, I've just looked in my "Brain Games for Babies" book and it says that for 3-6 month olds you should be: bouncing them up and down, lying them on their backs and helping them bend and straighten their legs, dancing round with them, hiding toys and making them reappear.
Have fun!

Damn, you were joking?! I liked the idea of the groovy bar

You could bounce him up and down in the groovy bar......just mind you don't spill your drink!

I could hide the drink! Not sure about making it reappear though... and after a few, I'm sure I'd be up to dancing him around the table

Twiglett, meant to ask... how is your dd's tummy button now?

lol

glad all is well judd

where are you kbabes, want to know if your nightime miracle is still happening - (i say miracle, as I dont believe it will ever happen to me!) Still, musn't grumble - she is soo good in the day. put her in her own room last night for first time. she woke at 1 and 3.30 then 6. she went back til 8, actually, i put her down again until 9 so dh and i could have some 'time' (havent seen each other in a week). ooouch, still hurts!

just had to take her for a ride in my super dooper rover 75 - ok its a courtesy car, whilst my car is STILL being fixed since my accident in january! (you may see me on watchdog soon) . It was so soooper smooth and lovely air conditioning that she dropped off immediately. think the heat today has made her extra grumpy, thirtsy and over tired. either that or she just prefers to be at grandma's, as my mum keeps telling me!

Dd2 is still being really grumpy and seems windy but I'm actually beginning to wonder if it is wind. She keeps bringing her knees up and then stretching her legs out and screaming and is only happy if she's up on your shoulder, screams every time I lie her on her back. It sounds to me like Colic but since she's rapidly approaching the 12 week mark I thought we'd managed to miss it. She's only like this during the day at night she goes to bed fine and sleeps no problem. It's all very strange. She has been a bit sleepier than usual the past few days as well.

The past three nights she's went to bed at 9pm and slept right through until 9am. She's also cut down to only 4 bottles a day and I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. She's obviously not hungry during the night since she's sleeping through but at the same time she seems a bit young to just be having 4 feeds a day she's only 11 weeks old. Also today she didn't seem all that fussed for feeds. When it was getting to 4 hours since her last feed I was offering her another one but she didn't seem overly hungry, she did take the bottles but in a sort of half hearted way that seemed to say oh she wants me to eat so I guess I'd better do it. I feel like I'm force feeding her but if she really didn't want it she wouldn't take it, right? And you aren't supposed to leave them more than 4 hours between feeds, are you? Maybe it's the heat that's affecting her, it was very hot and sticky here today and has been all week. Not a lot of sunshine though mostly overcast, although today we did see the sun yipee.
She went to bed at 8pm tonight as she was tired and still a bit grumpy. She doesn't have a temperature as I've checked so I don't know whats up with her. I'm waiting on Mother in law arriving to babysit. She finishes work at 9pm and is coming to look after dd2 so I can go out and meet dh from work at 10.30pm and go for a drink, woohoo, it's been ages since we were out. Dd1 is staying with my granny like she does every Saturday night so MIL only has to listen out for dd2 since she's already in bed.

Nothing much else to report here at all. dd1 is getting all geared up for her birthday later this week, she's marking off the days on her calendar and tells anyone who's listening exactly how many days it is until her birthday, lol

Well better go and start getting ready for my hot date with DH, lol

Hope you're all having a nice weekend and enjoying the weather

do you think it could be the heat linnet, that is making her grumpy during the day? dd also hates being on her back except at bedtime and on her playmat for a bit. she hates lying in your arms on her back and loves to be sitting or standing on you! she actually lifts her head to start to pull herself up, bless.

she has been wanting much more feeds however, yesterday and so far today. think she is thirsty with this weather. it is hotter than ever. shes in her pram in the shade at the mo, asleep

well, second night in her room and she had a great night. i did NOT. dont know why, just couldnt sleep. overtired? listening for her on the monitor? dh snoring? tried to sleep in dd's room, which kind of defeats the object of putting her in there - but couldnt sleep hearing dh just breathing! anyway, she went from 9pm to 3am. so i could have got 5 hours sleep, but couldnt! then til 5.30, at which point i had managed to get an hour and a half's sleep. then woke at 7.45. this is a great night for us. linnet, i am very envious of your 12 hour angel. good on ya.

Linnet, DS has been the same! He doesn't demand food very much and it does concern me, so like you I tend to press it upon him! then he latches on like the devil possessed! quite why he doesn't tell me he wants to is a mystery . . . can only put it down to the heat! However he gains weight well and seems happy enough. Have to admit, the bouncer has been my favourite investment so far . . . in terms of day time naps and a home to plonk him in - I don't want popeye arms, my bingo wings will be very put out !

He had a busy night being the young socialite at our barbie yesterday - we have another tonight and then it is a car journey to Lowestoft and grannie's house tomorrow, the consequences will be undoubtedbly brill. double s

undoubtedbly? for goodness sake . . . .

It did sound right! Oh well, DS is watching the football with DP! great, now I have two of them . . .

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just been to the pub for lunch and a walk around the reservoir AND an icecream isnt it strange how they sleep the whole time you are out and then wake the moment you get home!?

you're not missing much twiglett, most of what i say is mere drivel.......glad someone else is a two wakes a nighter too. thought i was the last one. i'm not fussed either really, she goes straight back to sleep. just wish I could sleep as well!

egypt dd is back to twice a night at the moment whiuch i put down to the hot weather which she hates. has also been snacking all afternoon today.

I can drivel for England! - I now have 3 men (inc. DS) watching footie right now, blooming brilliant.

Have spent all morning clearing the garden and kitchen (exactly why do 3 year olds stick burger buns behind unexpected places?)

Twiglett, know what you mean about the nappy upgrades - and it pains me already that no-one coos over DS like they used to just a few weeks ago! I worked flipping hard for 9 months and he is unbelievably yummy to boot! the complete strangers owe me . . .

I'm like that too Twiglett (look capitals now - I've put DD on a towel on her mat sans nappy and she is so much happier). With DS I was always pushing him forward onto the next stage but with DD I just don't want her to grow up. She still fits in her newborn clothes (apart from vests and sleepsuits - not that they're much use at the moment anyway) so I haven't had to put any of the pretty little outfits away yet. But I see babies that look so much smaller and more babyish than she does and feel a twinge of regret for the passing days.

In answer to a question about how I get DD to sleep from 1 to 3. Once she did it in her cot, otherwise we're quite often out and about, or she will do the first hour in her cot and then in my arms for the second hour (assuming DS is at nursery). Thats only my ideal routine for her.

prufrock, maybe your right and should give getting up at 7 a go. i start off with good intentions on a sunday night but then come 7am monday i just want to stay in bed. i definetly want a baby like yours next time.

Egypt, hi were still here and yes its still only once in the night, although dp gets a elbow once a night to say 'shes crying go and swaddle her' this is normally when shes broken free. dont think hes too happy about doing this but tough well done on last night. you will soon be able to sleep, honest. it is hard the 1st few nights as youre not quite sure if you will sleep through them crying but believe me you dont. although this morning i had a dream where a baby was crying only to wake up and find there was actually a baby crying

spent yesterday shopping for a new company car as dps still got his job. dp now decided that he wants a saab cabriolet, it is very nice but totally impractical. we now have to buy a new buggy that will fit in the boot and a headscarf and a cool looking pair of shades for dd to look the part as were prancing about with the roof down.

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yes heart pangs as we have to sell our MGF, mind you , it has been in the garage for 6 months, as i keep going on about. i'm looking for a practical, spacious, 5 door, but not too big - i am only a girl any suggestions? vw polo maybe. tried a peugeot206 and new clio, but boots seem too small for the pram. q like the citroen xsara picasso and renault megane scenic 'safest car on the road' !

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Hello m'dears! back from jaunt. I think I maybe agree with sheila the dentist that holidays are for adults not babies; DD was unsettled every time we changed location including getting home today. V. distressing. Tho' when she got used to a new place she was happy and sweet... d'you think it's a star sign thing? ... We have come home a little before we'd planned because home suddenly seemed like the most wonderful place in the world.

DH has been an inspirational muckaround parent and puts me to shame in the 3 month old baby games stakes. If I leave the two of them alone in a room for a moment (hoping, perhaps, that a nappy might get changed or a bag packed) you can be sure that a foot waggling song will have been invented and is occupying both father and daughter to the exclusion of all else...

Travel cot was a great thing, yes Prufrock the Samsonite one and yes Prufrock a nightmare to fit back into its little pocket ho ho.

We are at least two feeds a night if not three, so let's have no more talk of that being bad or abnormal or I'll start feeling sorry for myself.

I breastfed dd1 for longer than I managed with dd2 and she used to get up during the night for a feed. That's the one thing I've found different is that dd2 will sleep though the night but at this stage dd1 was still getting up for feeds. dd1 went onto bottles at 10 weeks as I was going back to work when she was 12 weeks and even once on bottles she was getting up through the night for a feed. She didn't sleep through until she was 5 months old. but it might just be that they are two different children, dd2 is bigger than dd1 was so that maybe has something to do with it.

Had my hot date with dh last night, lol Wasn't really a date I went to meet him from work and we were going to go out and have a drink but didn't actually go anywhere we just stayed in the restaurant and had a few drinks there. Had a brilliant time there were other staff in the bar and it was a great laugh I really enjoyed myself. It was nice to talk to grown ups, well if they could be classed as grown ups believe me the antics some of them get up to makes you wonder if they are adults yet, lol, and be ME instead of a mummy for a little while.

So Spots where did you go on your little holiday? sounds like you had a good time.

My dad and my stepmum were here today visiting and dropping off dd1's birthday presents. She's had them all out and poked them and shaken them and moaned about how her birthday is so far away, aw bless, lol
Stepmum was asking if I could go down to stay with them for a weekend before I go back to work. And she offered to come and get us and bring us back, much easier than trying to get there on the train. I'll have to work something out because it's been years since I went to my dads, last time was with dd1 and I think she was 2! It's hard trying to find the time to get there what with work and the travelling to get there and everything. Oh and dd2 wasnt as grumpy today as she has been lately. She was really quite settled and happy. Was warm today but not as warm as it's been so I'm putting it down to the heat.

I'm planning on learning to drive. Going to look into it seriously and hopefully start lessons once dd1 goes back to school in a weeks time. And with any luck I'd like to have passed my test by the end of the year, I'll keep you posted. Now that dd1 is older and now that we have dd2 life really would be a lot easier if one of us could drive.

Dd2 is now into 0-3 month clothes I find it so sad that she's growing so fast and like someone else said nobody really peers into the pram and coos over her as much as they did. Makes me feel so sad that she's growing up so quickly. with dd1 I remember looking forward to the milestones and wishing they would happen faster but with dd2 I'd really like her to stay small for as long as possible. I think it must be because I'm not having any more that I feel like this.