June 10 babies have arrived. Now we are all sleep deprived!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Welcome to 'the other side' ladies. Long may we all continue to post!

ARRIVALS
27/04 (due 23/06) - SunshineDay - Faye - 3lbs 2oz
16/05 (due 02/06) - Meggymegmegs - James (Jimmy) David, 7lb 1oz
19/05 (due 01/06) - whenwillisleepagain - Alice Emily, 8lb 7oz
21/05 (due 21/06) - Gizmo - Hester Rose - 6lbs
23/05 (due 9/06) - greensnail, Alice Elizabeth, 7lb 2oz
24/05 (due 8/06) - Saucepanman, Gabriel, 8lb 4oz
24/05 (due 31/05) - minimoonumber2, Sebastian Robin
26/05 (due 24/06) - GibberingGinger James Alexander, 5lb 13oz, & Douglas John, 5lb 15oz
28/05 (due 30/05) - GoodName, Fergus, 8lb
28/05 (due 31/05) - mampam, Tilly May, 9lb 11oz
28/05 (due 4/06) - jo807bump - Hannah May, 5lb 7.5oz
04/06 (due 07/06) - perkster - Sidney James Perkins Berner, 7lb 11oz
05/06 (due 31/05) - dinosaurinmybelly - Zoe Leila - 6lb 9oz
07/06 (due 02/06 ) - AlwaysHopeful - George, 7lb 13oz
07/06 (due 07/06) - MrsC09 - Rufus Jack
08/06 (due 01/06) - PogueMahone - Magnus Gabriel, 8lb 14.5oz
08/06 (due 11/06) - woofie - Laurence Elliot (Laurie) - 7lb 11oz
08/06 (due 21/06) - sunworshipper - Romola Ann Bettina, 5lb 15oz
09/06 (due 08/06) - LittleRobbo - Summer Dawn
09/06 (due 09/06) - Boobz - Constance Ella Reed,
11/06 (due 02/06) - Justbeme - 'Nobody' (boy) - 8lb 9oz
12/06 (due 02/06) - roundabout1 - Lauren - 8lb 14oz
13/06 (due 18/06) - Virgo1979 - nameless boy! 7lb 9oz
14/06 (due 30/06) - monthlymayhem - Hayden, 7lb
14/06 (due 08/06) - MrsAlwaysRight - Alice Rose, 9lb 7oz
14/06 (due 15/06) - Millymollymoo - boy
15/06 (due 31/05) - RnB - Artemis, 7lb 9oz
15/06 (due 29/06) - playftseforme - Rory 6lb 4oz, and Fergus 6lb 8oz
16/06 (due 17/06) - Chestnut100 - Daisy Belle 6lb 14oz
17/06 (due 01/06) - Madamfreckle - Emma 6lb 6oz
17/06 (due 30/06) - MonkeyMargot - Atticus Fox 7lb 8oz and Rafferty Bear 7lb 14oz
17/06 )due 04/06) - Suzy1975 - Samuel 7lb 14oz
18/06 (due 23/06) - earlyonemorning - Edgar William 7lb 8oz
18/06 (due 13/06) - sobloodystupid - Stella 8lb 8oz
19/06 (due 22/06) - Gaelicsheep - Robin 6lb 14oz
22/06 (due 14/06) - Fillybuster - Mia Rae 9lb 3oz
24/06 (due 16/06) - Nizzynoodles - Samuel James 10lb 10.5oz
24/06 (due 17/06) - summerhols - Lilly
25/06 (due 17/06) - Barbeasty - Ruth Damaris Rose, 9lb
26/06 (due 16/06) - JoKettle - James Lennox, 8lb 7oz
26/06 (due 29/06) - MrsDmamee - Elyssa, 8lb 5oz
28/06 (due 26/06) - imkeepingmum - girl, 7lb 11oz
28/06 (due 12/06) - Georgee - Anna Rose, 7lb 15.5oz
28/06 (due 12/06) - Elena67 - boy, 9lb 5oz
29/06 (due 17/06) - bluesnowfalcon - Corey, 8lb 11.75oz
29/06 (due 18/06) - theperfectbaguette - Clementine Jemima, 6lb
29/06 (due 26/06) - RubyReins - Luke Douglas, 7lb 14oz
29/06 (due 25/06) - Ilovemyterrier - Jeppe Sebastian Fagerlund, 7lb 6.5oz
01/07 (due 30/06)- LaTrucha - Daniel Timothy, 8lb 11oz
3/7 (due 29/06) - CantSleepWontSleep - Jeremy Francis, 9lb 4oz

minimoon weaning underway here (Alice will be 6mo tomorrow - eek!) but in a very laid back BLW way so it doesn't limit me at all. She just eats when and where we do, something off mine or DD1's plate. Today she's had rice cake with philly for breakfast (licked off the philly and munched a bit on the rice cake) and noodles, cheese and sticks of pepper for lunch. She had great fun with the noodles, and DD1 seems to have rediscovered the BLW ethic and managed to make as much mess as Alice

roundabout if you have the washable nappies from DD1, why don't you try putting a washable wrap over the disposable to contain the poo a bit better?

Another bfed boy ropey sleeper here! I do think it's basically luck of the draw, but anecdotally bfed boys seem to be particularly partial to having a bosom for a pillow...

We've had a couple of tentative bits of progress this week. Laurie's gone into his own room in the new house, and has transferred to the big cot. For the last two nights, I've managed to settle him back to sleep without feeding on his first waking at around 11, which last night led to a 6 1/2 hour stretch without milk - a record for us since the early weeks. And he's been doing at least one 90+ minute nap a day - usually in the morning or over lunchtime - which means he's less overtired by bedtime. Having said that, he was still feeding/dozing on the boob between 2 and 6 last night...

Very cute pics monkeymargot! They don't look identical to me, but I guess the geneticist should know.

I've given Laurie a a bit of mashed banana 3 or 4 times now, just so he can join in at family mealtimes, and yesterday he had some swede off my plate at Sunday lunch. He seems very up for it, so may start making some orange mush for spattering the dining room with With ds1, weaning was all planned with miliary precision, but I'm much more lackadaisical this time. He's not quite 6 months, so I'm not really in a hurry when bfeeding is so easy.

Have caught up but no time to post. Sending much love to all the sleep deprived.

Will try to catch up sometime tomorrow - all good here, just about staying on top of the hecticness, although sometimes just by the skin of my teeth

justbeme - you've reminded me that I didn't reply to your fb post about the teething necklace, sorry. I really have no idea whether it makes a difference tbh. We used it with ds1, and ds2 now obv wears it, but is still miserable, although I have absolutely no idea whether his misery is tooth related or not. I'm actually suspecting not.

Beautiful photo margot :).

Still just surviving here.

You need lists earlyone! Although since I can forget what I need to order from Ocado just walking from the fridge to the computer I'm not sure that everything would make it on to a list.

I am working on getting J to nap in bed when we are at home. All naps yesterday were taken there, and he's on his second one there today. Am hoping that eventually they might last for more than 35 mins too.

I've gone meta....I now have a List of Lists...but stuff still escapes me on a regular basis....

You could have been describing my week, Early, but it doesn't make me feel better to know I'm not alone - I wouldn't wish the barely-controlled chaos on anyone! And yes, CSWS, I can also forget what I was adding to me list in the 2 seconds between thinking "ooh, I need that" and reaching for my shopping list....

I think its all not helped by the impending nanny-firing we're going to be having in a few hours...its not really a firing, as we had always agreed that the nanny job would end at xmas but we had discussed the possibility of her doing a few hours a day in the new year....but a combination of cost, personality and other factors (like needing some help in the mornings) mean we've decided to get an au pair instead. Trouble is, our nanny is highly likely to just walk out today once we've told her....and we had to wait as it was her 50th yesterday and I didn't want to spoil her birthday (you should have seen me, wracked with guilt, wrapping presents and filling the house with streamers and balloons....)

Oh well, we'll cope. But we've got 15 people for lunch on Saturday (and not enough space!) plus babies, and tons of family arriving for an extended visit in the middle of next week with their own kids and babies to cater for and a great big family tea party here the weekend after next....so I should be cooking not hiding on MN! (Ahem...checks watch....actually, I should be feeding Mia and helping DS1 with his homework...)

Sorry for unloading here - please ignore me :) DH is coming home early to have the 'nanny talk' with me, hopefully he'll hold it together better than me....

Mia was 5 months on Monday...I'm thinking about baby rice but not there yet....she's getting very interested in whatever it is the rest of us are doing with all that colourful smelly stuff at mealtimes :) :)

Just popping in to say hello as haven't been on here for a while - isn't it annoying when real life gets in the way of mnet???

We're thinking about weaning here - close to starting here but just waiting for the new kitchen to be finished. I know it's the 3rd time I'm doing it but I still can't remember how I started with the girls so it's going to be fun!

I haven't read everything but sounds like I've got lucky with an easier baby - he's very chirpy, happy, laidback and fits in with his big sisters (which I'm constantly thankful for!) He has very red cheeks at the moment and spends a lot of time sucking his fingers so I'm wondering if there are teeth on the way - who's going to get the first tooth?

Off to have a proper read and catch up

so far this week I have given DS' asthma inhaler to Alice (only one puff as DH came into the room and started shouting - rightly - what are you doing?) - And I went to put some dirty cutlery in the dishwasher while it was actually on - I thought they would have some kind of device to stop them opening in that case, but no. So, I too am showing the effects of sleep deprivation. Uh oh, here come DH and DS who will need my help to prepare for his pirate treasure hunt party tomorrow. Have a good weekend!

How did it go with the nanny filly?

Right ladies - I need inspiration! Question to all, but especially those with 2/3/4 children. What are you getting your babies for Christmas? I already have a few bits for J, but the in-laws want a suggestion of what to get for him, and I need a present from Father Christmas too (yes I do realise that he won't care, but the older ones will be confused if he doesn't get stuff too).

CSWS I've just got some plastictat Fisher Price stuff from Tescos in their half price sale. He'll get about 4 plus presents from everyone, which is more than enough. Just tell the others that Father Christmas only buys something small for babies!!

Weaning underway here (my DD1 and DD2 were weaned at 18 weeks - first one 15yrs ago when that was the guidelines). A is now on 3 meals a day, but sleeping is still pants!!
Today he had baby porridge, a phili and houmous sandwich and parsnip and pear puree. So as you can see, doing abit of blw (lumps) and purees. Nothing shop bought yet though - ie tins/jars.

csws - Thinking of getting a bike seat for Laurie, so he can whizz round town with me when his sitting is up to it. (ie something I need dressed up as a present for him)

Love the meta-list filly I may adopt that when ds1 starts primary in January.

I tried Laurie on a bit of baby porridge a couple of days ago, as he's so keen on being involved in mealtimes. THe result, however, was 24 hours of wizzling and grunting followed by nappy armageddon yesterday. His digestion's always been a bit delicate, even with just breastmilk, so I'll take that as a cue to delay weaning a bit longer, I guess. He's nearly 25 weeks now, and ds1 had been on solids for a while by this point, so this is all a bit new. Perhaps I should try BLW with Laurie after all? He's wolfed up whatever I've offered him on the spoon, but it clearly causes him a fair bit of discomfort afterwards. BLW-ers - any recommendations of v easily digestible first finger foods?

CSWS we are going the same way as Woofie- so far Ruth has got the next size up sleeping bag, a couple of books, some socks and a woggle float for when I take her swimming. Generally she is just getting stuff we need to get anyway. It's really handy that she hits 6 months on Christmas day...

We will probably start weaning in the next week or so, or at least giving Ruth bits to play with. At lunch yesterday she was on my knee and I had to keep moving the plate further and further away so she couldn't grab my food. Just need to clear the dinning room enough to put the highchair up.

Yes we're going with lots of stuff that he would have got anyway, including these lovely slipper socks from one of my fave shops. His 2 toys that we've chosen so far are the wooden postbox from ELC and the tiny love follow me fred. Might also get him some tomy eggs, although wonder if someone will get him those anyway .

justbeme - giving purees and finger foods isn't the same as blw. Blw has a whole theory behind it, which isn't the same as giving finger foods at all. I'm just being pedantic, but thought I'd mention it anyway.

Alice is getting on great with BLW now and we're having so much fun with it. She really attacks food with great gusto and determination which is lovely to watch, especially as her appetite for milk has never seemed very great. We had our first meal out with all 4 of us eating today, at my new favourite cafe. Alice sat at the table with us and enjoyed her spaghetti and and pizza very much and was a beautifully behaved diner. DD1 insisted Alice had to join in with colouring in while waiting for the food too, so she got to munch of some pencils too.

Only downside is her nappies are changing and I'm missing the sweet-smelling breast poo nappies already, although I'm probably a bit too enthusiastic about examining her nappies to see what food has actually been swallowed. At least i'm not as crazy as i was with DD1 when I actually text DH a photo of DD1's first brocolli poo

I've only bought Alice a very cheap toy for christmas (some blocks with bits to play with on them). We're going to Shetland for christmas and I can't see the point of dragging lots of presents up there for her only to bring them back, and I really don't need anything at all for her which is the advantage of having 2 girls with a small age gap. Although now you mention the Tomy eggs, CSWS, I might buy some more of them as I can't see us having a whole set together in the box ever again!

With DD1's birthday being christmas eve, we get completely overwhelmed with presents at christmas, so this year I'm trying my hardest to be very restrained about what I buy.

Perhaps I didn't express myself properly -re BLW - but I have their web site on my "favourites", so I do understand the concept!!
"You just hand them the food in a suitably-sized piece and if they like it they eat it and if they don't they won't" - or they get abit in their mouth and lots on the floor would be more apt!

www.babyledweaning.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=73 here is their web site for those of you who would like some tips.

Thanks for the link justbeme. I think we're going to go this way with Laurie, as I don't want to overburden his digestive system with too much purée- most of the food ending up on the floor is probably no bad thing for him at the moment. He had a good old numble on a roasted carrot today, though

Is anyone else going back to work after Christmas? I start again 2 days a week in January, and L will spend one day with grandparents and the other in a Montessori nursery. He hasn't had any settling in sessions yet and I'm feeling a bit anxious at the prospect of leaving him when he's so little (and so attached to the boob!)

Hi all. Just started BLW with the twins. It's hilarious. Rafferty started by pushing his whole face into his face to get to the food. Atticus is pretty good at scooping up food and just about gets some into his mouth. So far they've had my home-made ragu sauce with cous-cous, houmouss and pitta, broccoli, carrots, mashed potato, toast + philly, porridge, weetabix, pear, banana.
Compared to DD they are crap in terms of the hand-to-mouth coordination - I put this down to the fact that they're boys .
But they will get there in their own good time I'm sure!

CSWS we're not buying the boys anything as they and DD too young to notice. We're not super-mean, just travelling upto the midlands so trying to limit the amount of stuff we take.

We are getting on fine with weaning here, Fergus eats everything he is giving and is particularly keen on baby ricecakes, prob cos they are nice and hard on his gums. However we are having terrible problems with him farting all night, it makes him wake up crying (as if he didnt wake up enough already). We are just giving him veg and fruit mostly. Has had the rice cakes and plum porridge and real porridge. Also some plain bio yoghurt which he loved. Seems to be windy with almost everything he eats. He is also pooing less. Anyone else have this and does it get better?
Not going back to work until March and dreading that even tho it will only be part time. Cant actually imagine not being with Fergus all the time!

Also dont want to start a huge row on here but does BLW not mean you end up feeding them an awful lot of bread, and much more salt/sugar than you would otherwise. Fergus has so far had no wheat, salt or sugar and I would like to keep it that way as long as poss as they can only have adverse affects on his health. Just wondering so please dont get angry with me.

goodname - the 2 that I've already weaned wouldn't eat bread or toast at all - why would you think that a blw baby would have more? I genuinely can't see why this would be the case .

Just because in all the discussions on what to feed them, toast or sandwiches seem to be high up the list

Is that discussions on the forum? I haven't looked in a long time tbh, but when Aitch first started the site a few years back there were masses of ideas that didn't involve bread. We all still eat the corn patties that I got the recipe for from blw site! There were a few of us with allergic dc at the time too, so there were lots of dairy and gluten free recipes.