The 2 (or more?!) Under 2 Support Thread!

[GrrrlWith2Boys]

Post your woes (or joys) here if you're currently tackling 2 kids under 2 (please say i'm not alone!)

DS1 is super wingey today and driving me batty...the slightest thing and he's whining and crying.

Have managed a 10 min walk with pushchair to get out of house. DS1 watching far too much TV, i haven't brushed my hair and the dog won't stop barking.

I need some gin.

hi all
I posted a couple of times but lurk mostly due to mine all being a bit older now. Just wanted to say to smallwhitecat it will get better and easier with ds being fretful.

I have a 4.4yrds,2.2yrdd1 and 13mth[nearly 14mth] dd2.

Hi all, and welcome smallwhitecat . It does get easier, if only because you forget what it was like only to have one .

yeurgh. I'm really sick today and so grateful to my childminder as I only have DS to look after. Otherwise I'd be monster-mummy as I just don't have the energy for a toddler (it was hard enough to get to the cm's without me having a meltdown poor dd...) Don't intend to move very far from the sofa if I can help it. I just hope I've got food-poisoning or something rather than a bug I don't want to think what life will be like if the rest of the family get sick .

Well done Supergrrrl for keeping on with the bf. I was shocked the other day when someone made a nice comment about me bf DS seems that almost no-one in our town does, or no-one I know and it's beginning to feel a little strange... Hope your mood improves as well the weather is lovely.

Oh no -- childminder just called to say DD is sick too... Off to collect her now.

Hope you are starting to recover Chaotica, there is that winter vomiting bug that's going around so maybe you have that? My brother had it, and was being sick for 48 hours and then felt tine more or less straight after that.

As per other posters, yes it does get easier smallwhitecat but I don't know that from experience - DD1 = 23 months and DD2 = 7 weeks. I've been told it does get better and can already see an improvement. Mainly, that I used to dread dealing with them both together so tried to schedule naps accordingly. Once I got over the fact that that just doesn';t work and is very stressful for me (always trying to time everything right) now if they're up, then they're up and I deal with it. I think it's a confidence thing too. But, there will always be bad days when you just think it'#s not working, (I've had enough of those) and then good days when you actually feel that it;s worth it. Just think of the good times ahead (by summer your newborn will be sitting up, eating proper food, sleeping 7am-7pm and the fun will begin!)

sending you lots of positive uplifting thoughts

xxx

Oh Chaotica hope you recover soon - the thought of being ill and having to cope with them both fills me with horror....

Smallwhitecat it DOES get easier. About 12 weeks when ds2 started to 'chat' rather than just scream when he wanted something. Then it gets harder again just to stop you getting smug! Then easier, then harder - basically much like with 1 they keep throwing you a curveball just when you think you have it sussed!

Cazwa hello! Yes I live in Newcastle - not a true geordie though - I came to university here and never left. I live in Gosforth now very close to South Gosforth metro. We were in Tynemouth on Sunday actually - it was gorgeous! Even though ds1 was scared of the sea! I regularly meet up with one of the other girls from the Oct 07 thread who lives in Kingston Park. If you'd like to catch up sometime give me a shout....

Hello to the rest of you.... Yes it's hard but there are moments that make it all worthwhile. Like today when both my boys were smiling at each other and ds1 gave ds2 a hug. Made my heart melt!

Such a great thread. 14 months between my pair and now unbelievably 5 &6 and both at school. The reason I'm posting is that on Sunday DH and I realised that we're both, for the first time in years, not totally and utterly bone-numbingly knackered. Both boys are growing up, becoming more independent, sleeping better, getting drier in the night and great fun to be with. There were moments in the first years where I honestly thought, what is the point? I lurched from day to day in a fog of fatigue. It's taken a while to realise the fog has lifted. Hang in there...now I have two playmates who are either knocking ten bells out of each other or the best of friends. It's never dull in this household...

Not sure if this has been covered in the thread or not (too long to check!) but was wondering if you had any advice for me.

Second child due in May and not sure what to do with her during the day when my son is around. He will be 2yrs old about 5 days later and I'm wondering what is the safest place for her to be during the day. With him, he slept on the play mat on the floor and was 100% safe and cool (was hot that summer!). Obviously it wouldn't be safe for her to do the same with him running about and building dangerous towers of blocks but only other thing I can think of is a moses basket and stand - but would that be any safer or simply be something for him to try and get into/pull over?

I would put her in a bouncy chair up high but the lounge doesn't have anywhere suitable and safe to leave for even a min.

What did/do you all do????

runtus- you'll be surprised at how the toddler adapts. i was worried too, but DS1 has been v good (apart from yesterday when he headbutted DS2, but he didn't seem to mean to HURT him, i think he was sort of testing what would happen. As soon as DS2 started screaming he looked sorry and hid)
I'd say a low, solid bouncer type is your best bet, and maybe a sling. It's not as though you'll be leaving them alone together much anyway, and your toddler will prob surprise you. DS1 is usually v loving and affectionate.

Poor Chaotica If there's one thing worse than puking, it's having a puking toddler too. (((hugs)))

Going to do some cooking with DS1 today- wish me luck! DH is bring Subway home for tea, so we'll all eat together early and i'm going to have a long hot bath as soon as kids are both in bed- roll on 6.30!!

will start a new thread for newcomers i think, as this one so long now...

Hi Girls -

ugh chaotica - how dreadful. Get well soon.

Lots to read through - will catch up on all your news in my lunch break.

Nottonightjosephine - THANK YOU

Something tiny I discoved this week that might help someone.... My two are both girls and the eldest is now old enough to recognise her clothes as hand me downs and say 'THATS MINE' in a very indignant way. I've therefore (having vowed I never would) bought the pair of them a couple of matching outfits (vomit?).... This way the eldest has got used to them BOTH having this T-shirt or that jumper. Then when I pull out an old bit of clothing as a hand me down I can say 'no, this isn't your one, its X's' and she'll assume her version of it is still safely in her room... Its saved us hours of arguments with eldest yanking t shirts off the baby.....

Its sunny here and frosty and beautiful.... anyone else happy?

Nottonightjosephine thankyou from me too!!!!

runtus I would also second that your toddler will adapt. I had ds2 on a play gym yesterday and ds1 (just 2) was playing on it too. The baby is more robust than you think and the toddler more careful. But then you need to let them get to know each other and feel happy that they have reached the stage you can do this...

Moses basket wasn't great for us - we caught ds1 giving some toys to ds2 - very cute until he tried to put a truck almost as big as him in!!! Would have managed too if we hadn't stopped him! My best buy for this was a hugabub sling - couldn't have survived without it! Not cheap but resale on ebay is pretty good and actually for the godsend it's been a complete bargain

And for upstairs calm we have this mobile. Any one that is battery powered to last for 15 mins or so (this one lasts for 20) great so you can stick the baby in their cot and keep them amused and safe while you shower / dress the toddler / have a poo () or whatever...

Peace and quiet, DD and DS and DH are all napping this afternoon! I feel like I have to be on duty though so have stayed up, nice to have the house so quiet.

I second a sling, I used a brightsparks one loads in the first 8 weeks. Ive stopped using it but it was brilliant in the beginning when I needed both hands free, as DD was only just walking when DS was born. I found having a moses basket in the living room on a stand in the corner great for the first 10 weeks. After that DS wasnt sleeping with the noise in the room so we started putting him in his cot upstairs with a monitor on, and I second Alicet's recommendation of that mobile, its great. Not too annoying musically either!

I have also found the 'ultimate' bouncer (boasts), having got through 3 now with DCs. The BabyBjorn one is BRILLIANT, DS is asleep in it now. It can be adjusted to sit up, we put him in it when all having dinner and he watches us, with a stray foot keeping him moving and happy, or recline to sleep in. Its really expensive, but I got mine 2nd hand off Ebay for less than half the price, and is v. robust so I'll sell it again when done and get my money back as I cant see it wearing out.

Im finding with 2nd child that he is getting all the benefit of trial and error with baby kit. Ive found all the best stuff and am buying it off Ebay, rather than settlign for a cheap new version then wishing I had bought the best in the first place. Slings, pram, bouncer, baby gym, mobile, toys etc..

Notonightjosephine - what a lovely post, I told DH about it. And Alice, how nice about DCs hugging! waving at fellow geordie Give me shout if you are coming down the coast again. Ive just done 7stories in halfterm week today, big mistake (presuming you know it).

Hi ladies,

Thanks for all the good wishes -- I've answered on the other thread. Now the puking ones are all sleeping and I'm gently sipping watered down juice ( what am I a toddler now ) as it's the only thing I can take...

Hello everyone, this thread is moving really quickly, and I haven't got much time to mumsnet at the mo, as my mum is staying, and dd2 was supposed to go to hospital for an op on the lump on her shoulder yesterday (it was cancelled, because she has a cold, and now she is going to be seen again in 6 weeks).

Hello Smallwhitecat - it definately gets easier, and noisier, and more chaotic, and lots more fun, etc etc - my dd's are 9 motnhs and 23 months BTW

Hello Runtus - we used the cocoon thing from our Phil and Teds - it was fantastic as we could put it up on the dinner table out of harms way, swing it back and forth during grizzles and put it in the crib so that dd2 didn't wake up, when she finally went to sleep, - also, its amazing how they get used to each others screams etc, my 2 share a room now, and pretty much ignore the other one if she is crying.

Hello NottonightJosephine thankyou for your comment, always good to hear positives about the future!.

Hope you feel better Chaotica, I have huge fear of stomach bugs, after we were all struck down with one the week after dd2 was born (I have tried to erase this moment of living hell from my memory).

Is there another thread? I'm scared now that I won't look for a couple of days and this thread will be gone, and you will all be hiding on a new thread! (Is there a paranoid emoticon?)

This thread has now moved to a new one, follow us here

Hi have on Dd1 only 14 moths and 20 weeks pregannt with 2nd. Dd1 will be 19 mnths when 2nd is born.

I knew it was going to be hard work when we decided to have another so close together, but at least I know I won't be alone in this world when the 2nd finally arrives...this thread will be my saviour!