May 2010 - Drooling, smiling, cooing and nearly sleeping through (and that's just the mummies!)

[rachelfruitloop]

Hi Ladies,

I hope you don't mind, I started a new thread as our first one was quite full! I can't believe we're a quarter-way through the first year already!

Good luck with essay wltk

Alex has hour nap in morning now between 9 and 10am, reliably every day.

He has put himself on a gina type routine, or maybe I persuaded, I dont know but I dont do tough love, never left him to cry etc so it cant all be bad

Lunch he sleeps 2 hours normally, today he hd 3 (up all night with pox)

Sounds lovely but with pox up constantly all night.

saw pharmacist today who told me he had it pretty bad and to call doctor, rang docs, not interested, calpol and lotion continues ....

pamelat hope the pox goes soon and you all manage to get some sleep

wltk good luck with the essay and hope weaning goes well. Alice still can't sit up unaided so we're not starting weaning yet though she is showing a lot of interest in watching us eat.

pigley I don't know whether I want to go back to work or not - I enjoy being at home with the girls, we'll possibly have DC3 at some point and I don't have too much faith in the amount of help DH will be if I go back. However, I would never find another company as good as my current one to work for, so it seems a shame to throw that away. Decisions, decisions... My boss has just invited me in for lunch in December so I'll have to try and get a feel for how the land lies...

hi ladies sorry I haven't been keeping up, things have just gotten a bit much for me, I am really struggling just now, I think lack of sleep has finally caught up with me and DP and I aren't really getting on (probably lack of sleep with him as well) I just don't think he gets it. My anxiety is really bad just now so much so that all I want to do is stay in the house as that's where I feel safest keep having irrational thoughts about something happening to one of the DCs. Anyway have made appt with GP for tomorrow (2 week wait) so will see.

On the Jacob front, he was officially 6 months last week, he is 19lbs so above the 75th centile, although not as big as some, still big for us, DD2 was my previous biggest at 18lbs 6ozs at 6 months and you should see her now a tiny wee thing, well not as tiny as DD1 (15lbs odds) and DD3 was 17lbs. He's practically sitting by himself with the odd wobble. We are doing mixed feeding with the things that should be runny being spoonfed (yoghurt, cereal etc) and the things that are not being just given to him in chip sized chunks, so far he's had toast, rice cakes, carrot, banana, tea cakes, crumpets, pancakes, sweet potato, plain wedges, chicken etc I just give him bits of whatever we are having. He quickly got the idea of hand to mouth. I would say he is so much more physical than the girls, he has two modes eat or hit it. He pulls his baby gym down on top of himself all the time. He can also move his baby walker and loves the door bouncer.

Sleep still rubbish, good night is 3 times he is up bad night about 6 times or more. DD3 has dropped her afternoon nap now as well so no chance of me having a crafty half hour nap.

Hope everyone else is well sorry no personals cannot keep up.

Sorry to crash your thread, but I was looking for feedback on NCT classes if you have a minute. Many thanks

Hey everyone. Been really crap at keeping up with the thread. I'm loving all the weaning stories though. Can't wait to start Darcey.

She's just got rid of the upset tummy she had last time I posted. Longest week ever - pooed more often than when she was first born. She's still her same old happy self though, although now she has a bit of a sniffle. grr.

WLTK - Angel isn't doing so well. They have now split up as it turned out he was still texting the OW. I think knowing that has helped her to start moving on, but still pretty bad times. Will let her know you're all thinking of her.

Darcey still waking overnight, sometimes twice. Has been 4 times on a couple of really bad nights. This from a girl who slept 8-8 from 5 weeks on. Don't know how to fix it, whether she'll ever get through it. It's been a month now and I'm cream crackered. Supposed to be getting ready to return to work and I can't face it if she's still waking so much. Oh well. This Too Shall Pass (or something to that effect)

Ni night

Cupcakefairy - :( about your DH, hope he manages to get some Christmas quality time at least. Did swimming class go better this week?

Hollyoaks - Stockeld Park sounds fab! How lovely :)

Pamelat - hope Alex is feeling better soon and you manage to catch up on some sleep!

Pigley - hope the DDs are better soon. Stormy weather here too.

Good luck with your essay and with weaning WLTK.

SK - hope you're OK, anxiety is a nightmare :( I had that badly with DD, am prone to it anyway but it was horrible. Hope your GP was able to help.

DancingThroughLife - glad Darcey's better. Thanks for news about Angel, :( that it's got so bad for her. Her H sounds like such a tosser :(

My chat with work went great in the end, boss was v.understanding and reckons I can sit on their books not working very much for now (just the odd shift to keep my hand in) and then go back to it more some time in the future when childcare is easier (like when DD starts preschool). So that's nice, I do like having something else going on!

We've been potty training DD this week, has gone so well! We took her nappy off mid-day on Saturday and from Monday she hasn't had any accidents. Don't want to speak too soon as I'm sure there will still be some challenges but very proud of her so far.

Want to go out to a new toddler group this morning but the weather is horrendous

My periods have finally started again as well so obviously DS is feeding less! I was so shocked, had completely forgotten about them! DH had to point to me . Daft thing is, I'd been feeling all hormonal and crampy etc and had been panicking that I might be pregnant (although that would actually be highly unlikely at this point so not sure what I was thinking!). I'd forgotten that those symptoms could mean something else .

hi all
please to say that essay was handed in on time and i am actually quite please with it.thank you all for the good wishes.

weanning is going marvellous, i gave him orange juice in a spoon for a couple of days, pulling faces, but ok, and yesterday started with mashed up banana with a bit of juice to make it runny, not even faces, he ate it all, he opens his mouth for the spoon and tries to feed himself with his own spoon, good coordination, but hard to keep the puree in the spoon... next apple i think...
pam- hope his feeling better now... keep checking with the docs if in doubt.
carikube- dh is a bit clueless too, we found the cure, just leave him alone for a while, when you are out of reach and he will have to fetch for himself, he'll manage...
valium- crash away, darling. i found that the best help were other mums, sorry but midwives and health visitor may have very good intetnions but, another woman who has been through it and knows what you are talking about is best, i had every single problem you may have so ask away, see wehat i come up with...
dancing- sometimes they stop sleeping through the night right at about 6 months, don't have a cure for that, sorry. sorry to hear about angel, please tell her that she will pull trough, one way or another, and we are here if she needs anything, glad she has someone in rl.
heffa- great on your boss keeping you in, and congrats in the potty training!
i should have gone to group this morning too but couldn't face the elements, plus i needed a lot of sleep, my nice baby let me sleep till 8, bottle, till 11, bit of a cuddle and tiny bit of milk, and 2 for banana, after that no more sleep but hey!
pigley- hope the weather improves, must be mad with two at hojme.....

right oscar is trying to get his cloths off, socks are nowhere to be seen, must go redress my baby

Hello all

20th when my period returned it made me cry felt really sad, like Alex no longer being a tiny baby etc. Also complete pain in bum as had no tampons etc etc. had to send DH to the shop!

I am tired beyong belief so am going to bed at 815pm. Alex up 7 times last night, 1 for feed. Daughter up for an hour at 1am

Its meant to be my turn to do the Alex shift tonight but I simply dont feel able to cope so have swapped with DH for 2 weekend nights of it instead!!

pamelat hope you managed to get some sleep last night. We've fortunately had a good string of sleeping here so I'm feeling relatively refreshed. Just as well, as DH went on another bender on Weds night so not only did I have to do all the putting to bed etc but I also had to get them both up on Thurs morning as he was useless. I was not happy, to say the least, as this is almost turning in to a habit with him - I don't mind him having the occasional night out but when the hangover then eats in to all the following day, it just doesn't feel fair on me or the DDs.

As for periods, still nothing here; it came back after about 8 weeks after DD1 as I switched to ff but as I'm still bf and weaning hasn't started, I have no idea when it will come back this time. Not missing it though!

wltk well done on getting your essay done. I'm incapable of concentrating on anything for that length of time...

We're off out tonight to a dinner/dance so I get to dress up for the first time in ages. Quite looking forward to putting on the glam rather than being all mumsy

Our sleep situation is appalling and i feel awful, not really sure how to fix it as Alex is recovering from chicken pox so can only really meet his every demand, which is bed with us from 1am and dummy hourly and a feed at some point. It doesnt sound awful but is when is gone on for weeks.

DD been terrible this afternoon, she was tired. Lots of whining and then in tescos, wth me pushing Alex and carrying a basket (only popped in for essentials) she had a huge strop as I wouldnt/couldnt carry her.

DH home and we fallen out as I was/am in a foul mood.

He put both kids to bed whilst I sat and chilled and stuck M&S tea in oven but then expects me to be fine and I am still irritated/tired from the day.

Hes gone to the pub for half an hour. carikube sorry re extended drinking sessions, would annoy me (but then maybe everything annoys me right now )

oh dear, pam, is not good him storming out to the pub, i might see where the little madam gets it from. a bit of cake might help?, poor alex, of course he wants his mummy... repeat outloud, it will pass, it will pass...
carikube, if it was dh having many nights out and hangover the next day, i would be demanding the same privilage, and see how he likes it.
essays, a firm deadline with no possibility of extenssion is a great incentive to concentrate, anyway it was awful, day 1, dh put baby to sleep while i stay up writting till 2 am, day 2, up at 6am, to finish writting before baby wakes up, and then type the whole thing from 11, onehanded obviously.but more in january where that came from...ufffffff...wow, dressing up,... remind me what does it involve? your hair in a ponytail, black trousers and any top, surely?, boots have send me a voucher for one of those make over sessions, i need to book that, never wear make-up but hey it's a change!!!!

i think now we are weaning, we need a poo conversation again, things are changing, tmi but, it is really harder to clean and has like little straws in it, and it is only banana, wait till we get to the macaroni cheese!, what are you guys finding? and the smell....

i have just ordered cake, it will be about 20 min.

dh is bringing it on his way home, we needed cat food, so it is not like he is going to the supermarket just for that.

i deserve it, hard week.

hey ladies oh yes the poos are definitely different now, stinky as well. The string banana thing freaked me out the first time. Jacob so getting into the food thing now, he was in high highchair yesterday and I hasn't got round to giving him anything yet and he started screeching and then immediately stopped when he got a bit of toast!

He has such a sweet tooth though clamps his mouth shut for savoury, sweet cannot get enough of. I am so not going to worry about it, being my 4th baby I know he will probably eating everything in a while anyway and he has a load of milk so can have fruit puree if he likes. His favourite is porridge.

Carikube - sorry to hear about your DH I kind of know how you feel, every so often my DP goes on a bender, I think he bottles everything up then just cracks and needs the release, rubbish I know, he's then all remorseful for weeks after. It's gotten less and less over the years now to the point that it is just a bottle of wine once the DC are in bed though but I know what you mean about the next day.

Pamelat - bunch up on the sleepy bench. Last night was probably one of his best ever, down at 8, woke at 10.30pm then went through until 5.40 when he woke up sopping wet right enough. Am thinking maybe dream feed is the way to go, anything is worth a try. DD3's sleep has been beyond awful as well, she wakes up screams then you have to go to her and she lies back down again x 12 a night, DP does it all though but it still wakes me. Have a long bath and get to bed early to try and get as many hours as possible.

GP has given me antidepressants and said I am suffering from PND and anxiety probably brought on by lack of sleep and stress. Hopefully they will just ease everything a bit. TMI notice but I haven't felt right downstairs since J was born, I think it's maybe piles GP gave me some strong cream, but I may have some sort of weakness in the muscles

WLTK - man bringing cake yum

Hope everyone else is well, am going to bed myself soon

Hi Ladies,

I am sorry I'm not contributing much lately ... I am still reading every day.

I will attempt some personals -

Cupcake so sorry about your DH's redundancy, that must be hard. I hope he finds something else soon.

Dancing and everyone else with babies not sleeping well any more, I hope that this improves soon. Eric is still waking at least once a night, but has never slept through so at least I'm used to it somewhat. I can't imagine what I'll do if he's still not sleeping through when it's time to go back to work!

Thanks also for the update on Angel. That is so terrible.

Heffa I'm so glad that your chat with work went well! Hope your DDs toilet training is still going well.

Millington and Pamelat I hope you're getting through the pox alright. Pam, your nights sound exhausting, I hope you get a chance to recharge soon.

Perpetually it was great to hear from you again and to hear your news! I hope you will come back and update us on your pregnancy so we can all reminisce/live vicariously through you. Even though I still swear I won't have more babies, I do feel sad and broody as Eric gets older and bigger.

Ego The Christmas dress you got for Virginia sounds gorgeous! What a bargain!

Lucee and WLTK well done on the book work!!! Have some cake for me!

Pigley glad that your DD1 finally got to go to ballet! Also about your DH's Mac Air!

RE. going back to work, Carikube I hope that after your meeting in December, your decision is made a bit easier. Molly I hope that it's been ok since your return to work. I've just gone on to Statutory Maternity Pay this week, was on full pay for six months. In three months will be down to nothing. It's all going so quickly and hearing about more of you going back to work and what everyone else is thinking, I know it's just going to fly by. I sort of wish I wasn't going back, but I also don't want to give up my job too hastily, I won't find another part-time job that pays as well. I'm sure once I'm back I'll get back into it after a few weeks. I'm trying not to think about it too much now. Hollyoaks I hope your return to work goes well, thinking of you!

SK I have anxiety like that that comes and goes depending on how stressed I feel. It can be quite crippling at times. I hope the antidepressants help. I also hope the cream helps. It seems to be taking a lot longer for my downstairs to tone up this time around, which makes me feel quite embarrassed! I think my only hope is to do pelvic floor exercises for the next ten years! Thanks, giant babies!

Carikube I hope you enjoy your night out!

Pamelat it's amazing how sleep deprivation has such an effect on us and the DCs, usually when DH and I row it's when I've been up a lot in the night with Eric and DS1 is tired and uncooperative. You are not alone there!

My good friend had a baby last week, her second and it was a boy. Her first is a girl, so she didn't have many clothes for him. I was so glad to give all of my newborn and 0-3 month clothes to her, they are piling up as I can't bear to just give them to a charity shop, many of them are so special, yet I can't just hold onto them. I feel this is another step in making my vow for no more babies a reality. Why do I still feel so broody though?! Honestly, I couldn't handle a third.

I have become the secretary of the committee of my DS1s preschool! Not sure how I got talked into it, but I'm hoping it will be fulfilling to help the preschool thrive, and get to spend more time doing grown up things. I also get to do more design work for the preschool, I'm excited to get back into being more creative. I just did the flyer for their Christmas Market and I think it looks pretty great if I don't say so myself!

DS1 has been offered a place in the nursery from next term, but DH and I have decided to defer it until April as I just joined the preschool committee. Also, I wasn't expecting for him to start nursery until April and I am selfish and want him to be in preschool 3 full days rather than the 5 half days he'd have to do at the nursery so I can actually get some things done. So he'll just do one term in the nursery and then start reception in September. Ahhhh! I can't believe it! He was a baby like Eric about two seconds ago!

I saw my friend, Brucie's mum, again today. She seems to be coping fairly well. I still feel sad down to the core about what she's going through. There will be a memorial service in early December for Brucie and the other babies and children who have passed away at the hospital, my friend has told me that they have given donations in Brucie's honour from friends to the hospital for Christmas presents for the staff in the ICU and the babies and children there and also the Ronald McDonald House. I plan to give my friend a donation for them for the upcoming memorial service. If anyone else would like to contribute, please send me a FB message, or email me at blind_lisa at yahoo dot com.

This weekend will be spent packing - we're off to L.A. a week on Monday! I am trying not to think too much about the 11 hour flight. This will be DS1's fourth trip there and he's always been good on the plane. It will be interesting to see how Eric does. DH has done really well not to let on how much he detests flying, I don't enjoy it much either but it is part of our lives being a multinational family so we don't want to be a bad influence on the boys. My parents are really looking forward to giving Eric a cuddle, it's going to be a fun time!

Well, I think that's all for now! I hope you all are doing well and have a good weekend!

hi all,
fairly quiet these days?
we are doing well with the weaning, he is eating my purees like they're delicious and i got my marks back, really good ones too, impressed the tutor, not bad for an overtired mum, heh?

i was going to attempt personals but too tired, later.

Pamelat - hope you've had some better sleep by now and that Alex is better.

Carikube - hope you had a good night out! Situation with your DH sounds difficult :( It's really not fair if it's eating into the next day for you.

SK - so sorry you're struggling with PND :( Hope the ADs are helping a bit. You're such an amazing mum, and cope so well with 4 LOs. Thinking of you!

Rachel - good to hear from you. lovely to hear about Brucie's mum, the memorial service sounds lovely. You must be so excited about the trip to LA, hope the flight goes well!

WLTK - glad the weaning is going well, congratulations on your marks!!

Potty training is still going well here, which is good! Very pleased with DD. Corin was sleeping horribly last week but seems a bit better now so that's good. DH has been seconded to Plymouth for work so is going to be doing a much longer week but will be getting paid for it so that's OK I guess.

Hi all, sleep worse up from 10pm until 2am crying (him and m ) and then woke hourly

He has a cold now (following bloody chicken pox) so cant even be tough on him, not that I probbaly could anyway

SK feelingany better? I asked GP for AD's a month or so back and he said unncessary but I probably feel more and more anxious now but think for me sleep woul fix me????

Who knows.

Hi All,

This is a bit of a cheeky post especially as I haven't had much time to get on here lately.

I've entered Sam in the Next Baby competition. It's a bit of a how many people you know at the moment as there are 70,000 babies entered, so no way you could look through them and vote. I would love if you could all give Sammy a vote, or don't if you are entered too. It;s a bit of a shot in the dark, but we are doing quite well. There are two full days of voting left. Prize is £500 worth of Next clothes. I don't think you need to be a Facebook member, but not 100% sure.

Good luck if you have entered and fbook me Sarah MacLean if you want me to vote for you too!

Hope everyone is well. I promise to catch up soon. Days are filled with outings, swimming and weaning! S x x

Here is the link

apps.facebook.com/baby_modelcomp/entry/1063635.

Sorry, there is no gap in the link. It shuld be 1063635 at the end.

apps.facebook.com/baby_modelcomp/entry/1063635

Quick hello ladies...
heff so glad your tlak with boss went well that's really good. swimming has been much better thanks! The last 2 sessions he's been absolutely fine and didnt even cry at being dunked twice on Tuesday
well done to dd on the potty training!

sk sorry about the pnd :( really hope things start to improve

pam, rachel, cari etc...sleep still awful here too! He keeps waking just as I'm drifting off to sleep then taking about an hour to get back down and one or 2 more wakings after that then up for the day at 5am so shattered. Am going to start a third meal today (he's just been on brekkie and lunch so far) see if it helps.

We did have a vtech musical cot thing that we could just switch on and he'd go back to sleep but it broke! We've had a nightmare with mothercare getting it replaced but hopefully the new one will come this week!

Our highchair also arrived cracked and another nightmare getting kiddicare to replace it everything feels very frustrating at the moment!

We did have a lovely christening on Sunday though and Jude was so well behaved :)

hi all
cup so ggod that the christening has gone weel, but oh dear the rest of the stuff. i haven't dare taking him swimming yet, maybe the weekend with dh, the pool also want him to wear one of those protective outfits, so will have to buy one...they are rather cautious
not a lot to report here, everything is going quite well, oscar got a present yesterday, a lady i know from work, work in the post office so know the whole town, basically, found us on the street, and gave him a pudsey bear she won in a ruffle.thank goodness he loveas it.

weanning is going well, but i am doing the traditional spanish way, so for now, only one meal of fruit, banana, apple and orange juice, a bit of basic biscuit is optional; feel very frustated with my friends, most of them in 2 or 3 meals a day, mostly from jars and baby dinners from heinz, and having pudding, not yogurt, pudding.... really for a 5/6 months old?, they seem to think i am a bit mad, i am not sure why, hv also told me that i should give him the commercial meals, mainly to save me the bother to cook for him, wtf, we all go to the same clinic so obviously they got said the same and took it to heart, but in spain is a pediatric doctor who help you with the weanning, and they all seem to say the same, we cook all meals at home, so not bother by cooking for him, really, i think i am going mad and driving my mum and sister along with me, as i get all conflicting information...
oh god, i am doing it again, writting a f**cking essay about it, someone tell me to get a grip, at the end of the day, weanning is to learn to eat solid, they still get the main calories from the milk, so why do i worry so much?

Hi Ladies,

Been reading but just too busy to post. My mum has been visiting for a few days too so been out xmas shopping etc.

Pamlet- Hope the pox have eased now.

SK- Sorry to hear about the PND :( Hope the pills help. Little Jacob sounds like hes doing fab though :)

Dancing- Lucy is still up once a night. She too was sleeping through at about 6 weeks. DD1 did the same but didnt sleep through till 9mths. Hopeing Lucy isnt so long though!

Heffa- Yay on the potty training :)
Glad work were understanding, what a relief for you.

WLTK and any others.... Lucy is one for pulling socks off but I have foiled her plans with these. fab invention and they really do work!

Cake delivery... Now there would be a money winner!

Re weaning- Personally If I wasnt doing BLW, I wouldnt use the jars and would be making my own purees. The Jars are popular for ease though. I find BLW even easier as theres no extra cooking at all, Lucy has what are all having for dinner.
Theres alot of empahsis from the older generation to fill the babies up with solids but they should still be getting thier main calories from milk and slowly introducing food.

Lucy is trying lots of new foods now and doing really well getting chunks off and eating them.
If anyones not seen, theres a discussion board on our FB page about BLWing as so many of us are trying it now.

Rachel- Enjoy your trip! Your very brave with them both on a flight that long! :)

Cupcake- Glad the Christening and swimming went well. Lucy is going underwater now and I even got a couple with a 3mth old stop me on sunday at the local pool to ask how I was doing that with her. They were amazed at seeing her swimming underwater.
As my mum was down Monday she was able to film some bits of DD's swimming lesson. Great to show the family how well she is doing with her underwater swimming too.

Been out shopping with mum the past few days so pretty ready with xmas presents. The whole long running battle of fave grandchild was rearing its ugly head again. Felt sorry for DD1 when she completed a 45 peice jigsaw alone and was spelling out Cat and Dog to her only to be fobbed off and not praised at all. [grrr] Not bad for 2.3yrs.
Anyway thats a whole other thread! :)

Pamelat - sorry you're still struggling, poor little Alex :( Hope he feels better soon and you can get more sleep!

Cupcakefairy - glad swimming has been going better and that you had a good christening :) Everything else sounds like a pain though!

Pigley - glad you've had a chance to get ready for Christmas with your Mum. SOrry she's still doing the favourite grandchild thing, that's miserable :( My mum gets really angry when she has friends that do it with their grandchild and tends to cut them off because she doesn't understand it.

Re sock pulling off - mine have always done this too, I always find using those soft little leather shoes helps keep them on (and Corin loves chewing on them which is a bonus. They're only 3.99 from a website called Twinkletoes

Re weaning - it's surely better for them to have homemade purees rather than jars DD often had jars and stuff but she never really ate puree so I didn't really get around to making it much. Not sure why the HV would be recommending the commercial foods, seems a bit strange. If you and Oscar are happy then don't worry about it.

Re sleeping - Corin's pretty bad at the moment too. He's still sleeping next to me but wakes up a lot, often just needing a bit of settling. I let him suck on my finger last night and he just wanted to bite it so I think he might be teething. I've got some horrible fluey cold so have felt like death for the last couple of days :( Could really do with some better sleep so hoping he has a better night soon. He's still loving his food and eating everything in sight. His absolute favourite is sweet potato but he's pretty keen on meat as well and gummed away most of a chicken drumstick that he stole from DD

Potty training still going very well, only very occasional accidents now if we're out and about and she's got too excited to remember.

Hello Gosh not sure my head can keep up with all the posts!!

Just wanted to pop in and say hi really. Everything is so mixed up. H is back here for now (his parents were making both our lives very difficult, bombarding him with 'advice' and coming round here every 2 minutes trying to 'help'. Neither of us were allowed time to think) Counselling has crumbled and we have both agreed there is no point going anymore (the counsellor was trying to delve too deep into my awful past rather than try and help us deal with the problems at hand!!). We are amicable together. Even manage to get on and do the day to day stuff together. It's different when the kids have gone to bed and it's just the two of us. The kids are more of a distraction I suppose. Managed a shopping trip together the other day which, I have to admit, was nice. But it doesn't change anything or how I feel really. It's all so difficult. I don't know what to do, or say, or think. If I didn't love him it would be easy....Anyway, I will shut up dragging the thread down.

Willow is getting such a handful. She has no routine really. Likes to wake up around 4am though, which is really tiring. RE weaning, some days shes more interested than others. Yesterday she hardly ate anything, until dinner time when she was grabbing handfuls of steamed carrots and potatoes off my plate!! Yet put a spoon to her mouth and no way...mouth clamped shut...sigh. She rolled over twice last week but not been bothered since. She won't even attempt to push against her legs, whereas all my others were by now, and trying to stand up on your knee!! I just hope its not a problem caused by her hips?

Anyway, suppose I had better toddle off. In the middle of decorating the kitchen now. Just touching up and the floor to lay now.

Sorry for lack or personals. I will catch up properly one day soon.... I promise..

Angel - great to hear from you, sorry everything is so difficult for you :( You're not dragging the thread down at all, we're here to support each other. Don't worry about personals either, you've got enough on your plate without stressing about MN! Your counsellor sounds pretty bad, would you be able to try another one or are you not interested? Stay strong, we've all been thinking of you :) How are your older kids handling it all?

My DD had a similar pattern with weaning and still eats like that - some days, she'll gobble up everything you give her, other days, she'll basically reject it all.