Those June/July babies

[motherinferior]

Just wondered how everyone's getting on, having actually produced?

I'm absolutely knackered, and have very nasty tear which is giving me grief (I ripped into the muscle a bit) but am in much MUCH better shape than with dd2 - and dd1 is thoroughly enthusiastic. Mind you, dd2 is still asleep most of the time. I'm aware that the next few weeks and months are going to be, ahem, not the easiest, which is why I thought it might be worth keeping in touch...?

Dahlia, I was wondering about you today. Apparently the red flowers in our front garden are Dahlias, didn't know what they were like before. I like popping into this thread now and again to see how bad it is, sort of to prepare myself for lack of sleep and stuff. Well done everyone, hang on in there.

Dahlia we have, glad to see you are back online.

The teething appears to have declined, so don't worry too much YET.

going mad here; baby woke from 3.30 onwards. am having VERY VERY bad day.

the one good thing is that breastfeeding is going very well indeed, just as well as can't face the idea of moving on to formula when we still haven't got a feeding schedule established.

why is this happening? why? WHY???????

Oh no motherinferior, sounds horrible. I hope tonight is better.

Going to give her to Fathersuperior tonight and sleep downstairs. I am not terribly sure it's a good idea for me to be around my kids at the moment, quite seriously.

It will get better but today is dreadful. Going to take them out to meet friends for lunch, which will be lovely except that (a) I'll have to negotiate toddler and buggy on the train, which is slightly hair-raising for poor little dd1 (b) sodding dd2 will sleep through it all and everyone will coo over her and then she'll come home and make merry in the small hours again.

Whinge over. Normal service will be exhumed asap, promise!

Motherinferior - sounds terrible. Good luck.

DP is home tommorow morning - HURRAH after a mammoth 13 day solo stint. Strangely enough I feel a lot more confident about my new role as mother of two - started off a total disaster but as it has progressed have got more confident with coping. Also the great news is that DS1 has really calmed down and has stopped being clingy and returned to his pre DS2 self. Very proud of him as the last three months or so has been very unsettled for lots of reasons.

Hi!

Can I join in with you? I have a baby girl born 9th June this year and I know no-one else with a same age baby to compare how she ( and I!) are doing!

Last night she slept for 11 hours and seems to be doing OK but she is very clever at lulling me into a false sense of 'She'll sleep = let's have a beer tonight!' = just had 2 pints of stella so can pretty much guarantee that she will wake up on the hour every hour tonight!

Am starting to think of weaning but not sure why - she is a big (16lb) girl and seems happy on breast milk -so not sure if I should leave her until she gets the baby rice out of the cupboard herself or should I try it in the next 2 weeks - am I creating work for myself - should I leave it?

Wuold also be interested to know how you June Mums are coping with weight loss - are you back in your jeans - my weight is out of control - I just seem to be in calorie denial at the moment and need to get some motivation together to lose the weight but it seems so easy to stop for coffee and cake when the little angel is sleeping...

Thought I would have all this under control with her being my 2nd but seem to be more clueless than the first time round!

Hope you are all doing well!

Sharon

Hi Ladies and welcome Sharon..
Haven't been on for ages as we have been on holiday and slowly settling back in at home. Been interesting reading this thread again. I have been exhausted too, hardly any sleep for the last 9 weeks since dd's arrival, but the last 2 nights I think I have cracked it! She is on 2 top-up feeds per day (went through a nightmare of emotional turmoil before finally giving into HV advice) and now I give her one around 9pm and she sleeps through until 4.30am!She then has a breastfeed then back to sleep until around 8am. This has changed my life considerably, I have had 2 good nights in this routine and am praying it will continue. The other miraculous thing is that I can now put her down for a few short periods per day, wheras before I had to carry her all the time in her sling. This freedom is just fantastic, I can do the ironing on my own at last! She has also got really into her flashing lights baby gym and is really into looking at her hands and feet for ages bless her. Yesterday she rolled over 3 times onto her tummy, I was really shocked as I don't think ds did that until much later!
Sharon, re: weight, I am back into my bigger jeans but not my fave smaller ones.. I still have another 10lbs to lose but have a sneaky suspicion that to lose that I may need to get to the gym! Like I have the time lol!
Nice to catch up with you all, tell me what your babies are doing now, its so interesting!

SHaron - personally I'd leave the weaning! As for the calorie advice, I'm not one to talk as am munching my way through everything I come across...

...now going to try looking at threads about getting baby onto bottle, as dd2 is very VERY upset by an expressed bottle and I need to get this sorted over the next couple of months before I get back to work.

Had a night's sleep all on my own, and another with dp doing all the donkeywork, but I'm still very, very tired and horribly snappish. Another week with both of them on my own coming up, quel joie. Kaz, you are AMAZING.

Trust me I am not amazing and I did not do it all singlehanded - i'd say 5 days out of 13 were totally on my own - 2 were a disaster, 2 were ok and 1 was a success.

I bet you didn't end up screaming hysterically down the phone like I did.

Now going to try and solve this sodding blocked breast duct I think I've developed, on a different breast from last time.

Standing in the kitchen sobbing hysterically - DP was in the USA so time difference and he was in meetings so couldn't disturb him really - otherwise I would have.

DS2 rolled over today for the first time - looked suprised and then of course couldn't roll back. I put him back on his back, repeat, not happy - you get the story. Forgot about this.

Well done DS2.

Bloody Hell! This is the first chance I've had to sit down and relax in ages. Shouldn't complain as dd2 is an absolute angel and sleeping from 10pm - 7am ish every night, and is good during the day too, but its coping with trying to find a job, doing mounds of washing, trying to organise her christening (a week on Sunday and it has taken me 5 separate half day shopping expeditions to find something to wear that looks half decent, and then my shatty sister in law asked me what I was wearing and I said a black top and black skirt and she hooted with derisive laughter and shrieked gaily "Oh! You can't wear black to a christening!" so I am now panicking completely as I can't face another shopping trip - so SharonE don't worry about your weight loss - I have 1 stone 9 lbs to lose yet! And all outfits look crap.), plus dd1 has such an attitude some days that she just exhausts me.
Motherinferior, you sound low. Hope you're ok and the 3.30 faffing stops. I agree with you about weaning, I intend to leave it as long as possible! And Kaz, I think you've done fabulously well being on your own so long - bloody hell, I would have have a breakdown. Oh - and well done ds2 for rolling over.

Talking about being home alone with 2, does anyone else clock watch like I do? Last night dh was home at 9, tonight around 12 and I truly feel like I deserve a medal!I also did 4 days last week alone and have all this weekend on my own again and am dreading it already. The alternative is to go away and stay with relatives but I just can't be bothered and don't fancy long drives with ds and dd. Should also mention my dd has given up her sleeping for 7 hours routine after only 2 nights of it..last night she was up 3 times so am shattered again..Hey ho. Just wish ds would stop talking for one second so I can process a thought at least! Today I didn't even manage to get dressed until 2pm, I thought that was meant to happen in the early days-seems like I am doing this the wrong way round!

will be thinking of you jessi. my DH isn't home till 8pm on an early! and 12 on a late. He is working this weekend and a double on sunday so out at 6am and hame at 12! Two boys will run riot baby will be screaming and i will be a jibbering reck!
is your DH in t.v industry by any chance?

Rolling over - clever boy! Wow! Dd2 ist taking all that developmental stuff at her own sweet pace, ie slowly.

Thanks, Dahlia. I've cleared the blocked duct, and if I get that tired again I'll insist on sleeping downstairs again, AND we are nearly at the end of my three no-childcare weeks. I'd just reached the end of my tether at that point; and I get that attitude of 'I don't care you've been at work and you've just walked in the door, take the **ing baby NOW', however possibly unreasonable.

Why can't you wear black to a christening? You'll look all chic and stylish. Drape a scarf round you if you can find one for Dash of Colour?

And...clock watch? Second by second. Am awed at your ability to keep going throughout the evening. Genuinely awed.

Ladies with two - some days it seems fine and other days it is a bloody disaster. All depends on how DS1 is feeling - whether he is in a good mood or stroppy. Also he has started to talk non stop - very good for a just turned two year old but everything is "Whats that, Whats behind the door etc...." Exhausting, he got it from DP as I am not a chatterbox and like long periods of silence.

Ladies, those hours sound terrible - my DP does do trips abroad but when he is at home he tends to do sensible hours - 9am to 6pm and infact has periods of "working from home" / skiving, playing golf. He is going to be quite quiet for the next two weeks so should be good.

AND he has built up so many Eurostar points travelling over the last three years that he can exchange them for £400 worth of Selfridges vouchers. Guess who is getting them, guess he must be feeling guilty.

Dahlia - ignore sister in law - YOU ARE A GOD for coping with the kids. Radiate strength and satisfaction at your beautiful children. Personally I am living in black stretchy leggings - not even thinking about weight at the moment.

Dahlia, if you do want something else to wear, I'd do a mumsnet appeal. But really, I don't see why black's out of order!

Thanks girls. Actually I feel a bit pathetic going on about it when the rest of you have got far worse traumas going on. My dh is home at 6.30 every night and never away, I wouldn't be able to cope without him. I think you are all awesome. Shatty sister in law was on the phone again today being even more horrible so have made major decision not to have anything more to do with her after christening. Life is too short. And that is the last I shall say about it.
On a cheery note, I have ordered a lovely christening cake which I am decorating with edible violets (Violet is her middle name) - inspired eh? I found a lovely shop which sells loads of gorgeous cake decorations and I am thoroughly excited about it.
Kaz, what will you spend your vouchers on? A rather splendid shopping expedition to look forward to eh? Lucky you.

Thanks KMS and I shall think of you on sunday too! Its a bummer isn't it, I always feel like I have done a days work by 11am lol! No, dh isn't in the TV industry, the sports one, which means he works every weekend.. woe is me.Problem is most people have their partners around at weekends so aren't keen to meet up. Today I asked a friend if I could borrow her son for a bit on sunday! (she said no, never have I been so gutted !)
Dahlia I also agree about the black outfit,wear some bright lipstick and you'll look great!

Dahlia, I would take motherinferior advice and lighten up the outfit with a coloured scarf, it seems that the 60s/70s style is back, so I would go for geometric prints with lots of colour.

I said it seems, as I don't even go to the shops anymore, what with all the belt skirts on fashion this winter/autumn there is no point for me to even go to have a look at them, I would just get more depressed about my weight!

Wow, kaz, your ds already rolling? how old is he?
Mine is 14 weeks now, and I am really scared of leaving him alone on the bed as I know he may roll any time now, even though he doesn't seem that intrested. When I leave him on the bed he normally travels south but never tries sideways!

WE GOT SEVEN HOURS LAST NIGHT!!!!!!

The seven hours between 11pm (feed) and 6am! Without dummy-action! And pain-free boobies enabling sleep!!!!

Not enough to make me energised today, but enough to make HUGE difference, especially to my attitude. I AM sorry I grumble so much to you lot. I am quite cheery and pleasant a lot of the time, you know

Dahlia, that cake sounds so wonderful I am slavering at the very thought.

Happyspider - he is 4 months on 30 September, lost track of how many weeks he is.

He's going to be tall - he is as long as Gap's 6-9 months babygrows already and is powering through DS1's old clothes. He has long fingers and gigantic toes !! Big blue eyes and straight blondish hair. Other than that he is incredibly chatty, has a huge smile and laughs when you tickle him and loves having his feet massaged. All in all he is a very calm little man.

Everyone else, tell us about your babies - can you tell what they are going to look like and their personality already ?

Selfridges vouchers will be spent on shoes and things for the top half of my body and maybe a few more pairs of stretchy black leggings. I have to lose weight by the time I go back to work in January otherwise will have to buy yet more suits - total waste of money.

My dd2 looks pretty well like her sister did at that age; big eyes, piercing gaze (rather like Grommit, I feel) lots of hair (brown at the moment), utterly beautiful IMO, of course. Her sister is blonde and very curly (got curly at about a year) and is rather delicate-featured - I think dd2 is slightly bigger, but that's all I can tell at the moment. The only real personality difference between them as babies is that dd2 hates having a dirty nappy whereas her sister was as happy as a pig in the proverbial, and perhaps slightly quicker on physical things...don't know if she'll be as full-on and chatty and enthusiastic OMG...