FEB 2010 Teeth, nosh and smelly bums - it's all go, six months on!!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Where did the last half a year go??!

Congratulations scones!!!! Glad it all went well!!

Congratulations scones. Sorry to hear about your bad nights. My DH was also pushing for feeding at night up to when I put my foot down... I guess it depends on what you want.

watercress poor you. Sending you a hug, and a cup of tea.

DS is sleeping in the car at the mo so I keeping checking on him. Thanks for all your kind thoughts on his rash, it seems to be a bit better (I love metanium now!) but he still has lost his voice. I wonder if I need to take him to the gp

CONGRATS scones!!!!

Oh well done, Scones, it must be such a relief... and glad you had a nice minimoon... how lovely! I'm slightly as DP proposed to me nearly two years ago and we're still not married. He just wants to be married (he's been married before) and seems to be less interested in having a wedding! I don't want a huge wedding but I wouldn't mind a wedding party!

Watercress I hope you feel better, I am sending you a virtual massage of your temples and a virtual male nurse to look after you...

The funniest thing happened last night. DD wouldn't go down, she was teething and wouldn't stop crying. My mum was over for dinner and I was in DD's room trying to get her to sleep, cuddling her and stroking her head. After a while I kept on going in and out of the room, having more or less given up, she was screaming her head off, anyway, I went downstairs to get something and was just saying to my mum that I didn't believe in 'controlled crying' that it doesn't work, and was just about to go upstairs to comfort her... when the monitor went silent! I went upstairs to her room, and DD was fast asleep!!!

The rash has cleared. She seems generally better and is eating really well. She sat in her high chair in a really nice restaurant and ate a side order of purple sprouting broccoli! And chicken and swede stew which I'd brought in a tupperware...

I hope everyone has a good night, IC I know all about having an overactive mind and not being able to sleep, it's a waking nightmare... Chamomile tea before bed is a winner for me!

I have to say I came across page 26 first then thought "have I been gone for so long that someone new has joined that everyone knows really well" Big congrats scones!!

On the weaning side, just eat in front of her, then when she scrounges, give her something. And keep on with the breastmilk.

Someone mentioned biting at the end of a feed. DD does that too. I haven't the faintest how to get her to stop though am trying with a strong push with my index finger into her jaw when she does it while telling her "no biting". Most of the advice says to stop feeding but that's what DD is signalling when she bites

DD had a viral infection over the weekend, started with a runny nose on Thursday then a mild fever over Friday and Sat. Then fever broke on Sunday so we thought everything was fine. Went out to the garden for a picnic lunch and saw she had bright red spots all over her torso - front and back. Rushed to A&E where they diagnosed toxic erythema, which is a complicated name for red spots of unknown origin! Apparently symptoms of this viral infection is precisely runny nose, followed by fever, then bright red spots all over once fever breaks. Never heard of such an infection before.... the things one learns as a parent.

Congratulations, Scones! So glad you had a wonderful day and mini-moon. x

My LO has been trying to tell me at 5.30 the last two morning that it was time to get up and play. I managed to convince her it was still sleep time, only to have to wake her at past 8 to get ready and out of the house to take dd1 to nursery...
I thought she might have a few weeks off with teething and she looks very cute with her four teeth, but when I tickled her earlier I noticed that four (!) new teeth are very visible. Poor baby... (and poor mummy in anticipation of night wakings)

Finally I have a photo that I'm not too embarrassed about. See it (hopefully) here:

cid-d6fbc20143a0f941.photos.live.com/self.aspx/familypic/familypic.jpg

watercress you are all lovely!!

dd2 now thinks I really like it when she grinds her teeth because I made a funny face the first time she did it... Now she does it just to please me...

watercress lovely family (and you)

BG at your DD2 pleasing you!

I took DS to the GP today and he has another start of bronchitis, hence the broken voice and the cough. The runny nose and drooling is due to the teething (I'm glad he clarified this ). So he gave him some steroids. I When we went home DS was very unhappy, so I took his temperature and he was 38.6C so I'm expecting a long night. He is now asleep and I have the calpol and ibuprofen ready for tonight in case I need it with some bottles as the last time he had steroids he was eating constantly. I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to go to work tomorrow, it'll depend on the night and how is DS tomorrow morning...

Ahhhh growth spurt still occurring. We've been back at 2hr feeds, with some additional random wakings. She now goes off to naps and her evening sleep by herself, but has countered that with wanting to play in the middle of the night (last nite 11pm, night before 3am)

Huge congrats scones so glad it went well for you.

watercress echo what BG said, you all look lovely

I though I'll share this with you...
Boots has introduced a new treat shop online with other brands and win Boots points!

Hope you're feeling better, watercress - gorgeous pic, too!

Aw, your poor LO, GF - hope he perks up again soon - and lets you have some sleep...

...likewise, here's hoping your LO chills out after she's put on that extra pound, CC!

...and that the teeth don't cause too much angst for yours, BG.

...and you get some sleep as a wedding present, scones.

DD's second tooth is almost through and I can see numbers 3 and 4 below the gum at the top. I'm feeling a bit concerned about my poor nipples though, ulp...!

DD has taken to waking up 3 times per night now - 23.00ish, 0200ish and 05.30ish. At least one if not two of those (the latter two, usually) can be toughies for re-settling her. Last night she took a good hour and three attempts to go back to sleep after the 02.00 wake up, then woke again at 05.55. Thankfully, she went back to sleep in less than half an hour after that one until 07.15. Funnily enough, I'm still sleeping better on that timetable than I was when she was waking twice. More used to the frequency, I guess!! Still a bit knackering, though.

In other news, DD has now learned to spit out pureed food - but seems to do it more for the fun of it than because she doesn't like whatever it is, the monkey. She's gone off most of the roast veg she loved only a few weeks ago. She's nothing if not inconsistent. Luckily, Greek yoghurt and fruit purees remain popular, so she gets those if all else fails (like your LO BG, I believe...? She hasn't worked out about rejecting food on purpose to get her faves yet, thankfully).

DS is much better today, the temperature only lasted the night which was a very unsettled one but luckily he slept until 7.30am to make it up. So we went to nursery and work today (how odd that I'm happy to have gone to work ) Also he vomited in his bed in the middle of the night, so it has been a quick change of sheet, sleepsuit but I had to clean his hairs. Fortunately, he fell asleep quickly after that.

He has also decided that he does not like jar food anymore, I should be pleased that he prefers maman's food but it's going to be a challenge when out.

What are you going to get your LO for Christmas? My family is starting to nag ask what they could buy

Lovely picture Watercress.

Sleep got good for a couple of weeks but is now really unpredictable.

He did something very similar to your DD, IC, last night. Down at 7pm, gave him some boob at 11ish then he woke at 1.15 for nearly an hour and then at 5.15 for nearly an hour but gave me a lie in as he didn't wake for the day until 7.40.

Last night was the first night where we didn't pick him up from the cot when he cried. Just shushed and touched him a bit with long periods of ignoring (while lying close by). It was a bit horrible and I thought he'd hate me by morning - but he was very happy and smily when I did pick him up and he's been fine all day. Only napped for an hour and a half in total today.

After last night waking ups, tonight has been very good, DS went down at 6.30pm, woke up twice between 7.30 and 9 and then slept until 5.30am (don't worry it only happens once in a while but I'm still touching wood).

Today, I need to go and get veg in order to make more food for DS. I think I'll have a look at Annabelle Karmel book for some ideas

I hope you all managed to get some sleep and will enjoy this coldish weekend.

I am now firmly in the one or two wakings a night camp and quite shocked about it because dd1 slept through early and remained that way (Must stop comparing my girls!!). Last night she was pretty much up and moaning to herself from 3 to 5 when I caved in and gave her nurofen, which settled her until 8. dd2 is also sleep crawling like yours mamaloco (by the way, all well mamaloco? You've gone a bit quiet). She also likes to sleep with her head pressed against the bars at the top of her cot, leaving a disgusting (temporary) dent in her head. I frequently have to go in to pull on her sleeping bag to reposition her... She's now crawling properly and I am trying to adjust. dd1 called me yesterday to tell me the baby was well down the landing when I'd just turned by back a minute. So no more complacency .
Hope you all have a good weekend!!

Gah, 2-hourly wake-ups last night. DD wasn't in obvious discomfort or anything, so not sure why. I hope we're not going back to the bad old days.
Unfortunately, looking at the calendar, I see we're heading into the flipping 9mo sleep regression, though.....no point doing any sleep training until it's over (although I really don't want to have to do CC, but I can't see how I'm going to night-wean DD without it as she gets cross if any other method of settling her is offered...)

Fellow feeling to you, BG - glad you had a better night of it, GF.

Meanwhile, away from sleep (ongoing obsession, not surprisingly!!) DD's having a good go at crawling. She's perfected a sort of wriggly/twisty type thing to go forward at the moment - reasonably effective, but not especially efficient. Fun to watch, though.

hey all? sorry, been busy busy completing the app for a job i really REALLY want? am living in hope!

DS has been waking more regularly again the last week or so, and can take an hour to settle after, which is a sod? he's also back to wanting a feed through the night, so suspect he may be hitting a growth spurt? still insisting on getting up at half-past stupid too? hoping that might have changed before the clocks do!!

he's 7.5months now - think there's another leap due in the next week or so??

sorry, can't remember everyone's crack, but congratulations scones and lovely pic waterc

DS is now v proficient at commando crawling - having to be even more careful about making sure DD doesn't leave anything small enough for him to swallow lying around!

i've lost track, has anyone else with two DC's got one of each? as DS gets older am starting to wonder if differences with DD are due to character, or gender? DS is into everything - pulling leccy cables, sticking things in sockets, opening cupboards, happily going head first off the sofa or bed, or down the stairs etc? DD never did any of these things!!

am off to bed now - had to stay up well past my usual 9pm deadline this week to complete my job app!! hope you're all having good weekends x

Oh s*t! I've just burnt the kitchen counter with a hot pan! DH is going to kill me!!! Oh and I burned the bottom of the pressure cooker as I forgot to put water in it! It's not my evening...

GF it sounds like a 'mare! Get the wine out. Then deny all knowledge...

Scones Congratulations! Lovely to hear from you and look forward to more details about the big day.

To mums of two - I have 2 crazy DSs and they are both bonkers - into everything - plugs, climbing, pulling the fire place apart, chasing each other down the landing and laughing manically. DS1 (now firmly well !!) is enjoying running up and down the landing naked and screeching before his bath - loving every moment of his (exhausting) new-found energy!! DS2 is beginning to think about cruising and I dread the bruises - there's no way I can keep the same beady eye on him that I kept on DS1. As for the toys, I'm trying hard to keep little things away from DS2, and in fairness, DS1 is doing his best too.

Still not getting much joined up sleep here either so sympathy to those in the same boat.

Loving the photo Watercress.

Good luck with the job Stoof.

I'm now filling in paperwork for a payrise at work and it's taking ages!

oh beth I meant to ask you how is DS2's reflux, (was it you that had it?). Great news about DS1, hope you can keep up

LO has started standing for a few seconds without holding onto stuff.

sleep well, she does sleep that's something. Being awake for ages in the night has stopped though to be fair.

Good luck to those involved in negotiations with work/jobs

GF time for a new kitchen prehaps?

Going climbing tomorrow . Now my parents are here, the sun has gone away and been the worse weather since we've arrived (though still warm but rain is predicted)

Good luck vibes for tonight being sent out, just don't hog them.

Good luck with the job Stoof.

Bethylou So glad the boys are bouncing and well even if it does make you more knackered. Hope you get that pay rise.

Have fun climbing CC.

GF Oh no re kitchen work top. Can you sand the burnt bit off and then just varnish it again?

We got a playpen the other day as DS is commando crawling and rolling. The house is too tiny to have a totally baby-safe room in. I did worry about him pulling the giant telly over when he is standing so I thought it best to get a playpen just for when I'm nipping out of the room. Stairgates too.

DH was cleaning the removable double glazing that his dad made for us (the panes just prop against the inside of the sash windows and are held in by bits of wood screwed into the edges of the frame) before putting it back as it is colder now and he broke the most important one - the one for the living room window. The underfloor heating costs a fortune to run but I'm having to have it on because the room is so drafty! Hopefully the cost will be an incentive for him to replace it sooner rather than later.

DS slept from 7.30 until 11.30 and then til 6.10.

My mum is currently in Italy visiting my dad (they are friendly even though divorced). She gets the coach because she hates flying. One of the wheels came off and rolled down the autostrada just after they'd crossed the border into italy and there were flames coming out of the bottom of the coach! The drivers had to keep going and slow down very, very gradually while the passengers all panicked. Luckily all was well and they got transferred onto another one to complete their journey.

Who said Christmas? GF? I've already got DS a moving light-up Ninky Nonk and hidden it under the bed.

His favourite toy at the moment is a tambourine. He loves banging it. Also stacking cups and books with photos of animals in - the "baby sees" books. We point at the pics and say what animal it is and make the appropriate noise (although I was stumped for a noise for goldfish!).

Preparing myself to bundle the girls into my car this week and then onto a plane to visit my parents for two weeks on my own... Also mentally preparing myself for minor diagreements with my mum (mainly along the lines of no, it is not necessary to add 'a pinch of salt' to baby food 'because it does not taste of anything', and no, my criticism does NOT mean she did a bad job with the four of us... ). Argh.

As for dd2, she did some shouting (for fun) at 5am but again believed me when I told her it was not time to get up yet. I do wonder whether she is actually hungry because today after she finished lunch she polished off three small rice cakes on top and is now happily having a nap... I may have missed a growth spurt somewhere.
We are also in the head injury territory now with her pulling herself up (while still kneeling not standing) and then toppling sideways. She hit her head on the skirting board yesterday- I hate the sound of head on wood but she was fine.

Re Christmas, must confess I have all presents for the children (some for dd1 are 'overflow' from her birthday in the summer - I decided she got far too much and kept some instead).

Good luck stoof and bethy!

Have a fab climb, CC

Oopsy, GF...

Blimey, that's a terrifying moment for your Mum, bc, very relieved she's okay. Great sleeping, too

A pretty awful night here, sleep-wise. DD was very wakeful.

Could be teething, could be the fact that she's hurt her arm (wrenched it, I think - she's not voluntarily moving it much and yelps a bit if it's held in certain positions. It seems a little better today, but she's still not really using it. I can't feel any swelling or dislocation or anything, but if it doesn't seem much better tomorrow, we'll be off to the doctor.) - could be anything, who knows?

Anyway, those wonderful nights of two awakenings seem suddenly very far away....