The Final Fruition of the Frolicking Forays for the First Time Frolickers

[Spirael]

We came, we saw, we frolicked.

Now our PFB has arrived and we can begin the stressful befuddled guiltridden exhausting wonderful journey of parenthood!

(Or at the very least we can stop bothering the antenatal bunch until they join us!)

Aww halo she's too cute!! Have put pics on now too :)

mrsw she is such a cutie!! Loving seeing everyones pics. Mine didn't work so will try again another time (can really only use laptop when the Lochstar is asleep otherwise he tries to eat the USB ports... )

roses I think it's just proof that we all did it way too much when TTC the first time round My SIL has just had DC2, and now has 2 under 2 - I think she's proof of just how much of the newborn phase we block out as she's really surprised new baby doesn't know night from day at only 8 days old, and it's only 21mths since she had DC1. I think the main benefit of having them close together is that your LO will still be taking daytime naps when you're in heavily pg and needing a bit of daytime sleep yourself

My dental nurse ended up with 2 under 1 and she only has a slight twitch seems fine

Will's now 8.5mths, although I don't think he's that clever for standing, he just has no sense of danger. He's not content with pulling up on the sofa, he's actually trying to climb up onto it. I've nicknamed him Bear Grylls after all his adventuring, and I caught him trying to eat a dead cockroach the other day, so he's also clearly happy eating gross insects

halo I was the same with Will at your stage - people always said what a good baby he was because he never cried, but that was because I'd never let him. He did the whole waking every 90mins- 2hrs at night too, and like you I refused to let anyone help me, even DH. I had myself convinced that I was the only person who could settle him or look after him properly. I think it's normal to have a deep attachment to your baby, and they are still pretty helpless at 4 months. Something changed for us as Will headed towards the 5 month mark - he just seemed to grow up and be more resilient and I started to be happier to leave him with other people.

Well done on the weight gain - I remember how proud I was when Will doubled his birth weight at 10wks just from me feeding him

We've had our troubles with Will over sleep, but I have to say that in the last 4 weeks or so he just seems to have got it. I think he's actually developmentally ready to start sleeping for longer now, and although he's not sleeping through every night, he's back to only waking once. And remember - the rubbish sleepers usually turn out to be geniuses

worrisome sorry you're going through separation anxiety. We've been really lucky that Will just isn't bothered when we leave him. In fact he's at the opposite end of the spectrum and will happily leap from my arms to be cuddled by random strangers he's never even met before I think it's normal at Lochie's age - lots of the ladies on the November postnatal thread are going through the same at the moment

I love everyone's pics - such cute babies. I can't be bothered uploading my latest pictures of Will, so you can look at them on facebook
here (Feel free to add me as a friend as well if you want)

Congratulations, WhiteRoses!! Wonderful news, I hope everything goes smoother during pregnancy for you this time around. And you have the honour of being our very first Second Time Frolicker!

I'm not planning on starting to TTC DC2 until some time next year, since we want a three year gap if at all possible, mostly for financial reasons. It also gives us between now and then to sell our house and move into a bigger one... [bites nails] Looking around a bigger house tonight, really hoping it's right for us as it's really close and comfortably within budget!

Loving seeing all the pictures of everyones tiny babies. They're all so adorable! For all those who are too young to be weaning yet... this is what you have to look forward to.

I can't help on the separation anxiety either, Worrisome... Mindy seems to be like bunny's Will! She doesn't seem to be fussed who she's left with, when or where.

I worry what the nursery think when she's enthusiastically struggling to get out of my arms and leap into theirs in the morning, unable to get away from me quick enough! Though I suspect it has something to do with knowing she's about to get breakfast...

At least she's thrilled to see me in the evening when I come to get her. :) It melts my heart every day to see her squealing excitedly and bombing across the floor towards me, then crawling up my legs until I pick her up for a cuddle.

Have PM'ed you WR x

Right, off for a look at all these gorgeous babies now!

Aaahhhh Spirael LOVE that picture of Mindy!!! So cute!

Hee, if you think that one of dinner time carnage is cute... Try this one. She was dressed up for the big charity toddle at nursery.

Oh sooooo gorgeous!!! Wow, what a cute lot of kids we have!

Today's Amazing Adventures of Lochie include.... Me coming into the bedroom in time to see two little feet disappearing under the bed! He found that getting out was a bit trickier...

He's also discovered the cupboard where all the bottle paraphernalia lives... Cue much carnage!

We do have a collection of amazingly cute babies!

worrisome I had to laugh at Lochie getting stuck under the bed It's amazing all the sticky situations they manage to get into once they're mobile

I was a bit of a rubbish mummy yesterday. We went to Will's swimming lesson, and after we came out of the pool I was desperate for the a pee. I had wrapped him in his towel and popped him in his pram, but I couldn't do the straps up. Was on the toilet looking at him wriggling around thinking that it looked like an accident waiting to happen, when right on cue he leaps forwards and falls right out of the pram Thankfully I'd wedged it up against a wall so he got wedged between the pram and the wall, otherwise he'd have hit his little face on the tiled floor.

Then we went out to the pub for mother's group, and after about an hour he just started crying and whinging. Very unlike him, but he had woken early from his nap so thought he might be tired. We headed home early, and he went into absolute meltdown mode and screamed all the way, and continued crying when we got back. Started to think he must be really tired so gave him his dummy and a cuddle to see if he'd doze off....this just angered him more. Started wondering if he was ill, when I heard his tummy rumbling - loud enough to hear over the crying - and I realised that I had forgotten to give him an afternoon snack, and he should have been eating his dinner about 10mins ago.......poor boy was STARVING

So I managed to let him almost splat on his face by not securing him in his pram, and then forgot to feed him all afternoon.....he slept through again last night, but I'm wondering if that was just so he didn't have to risk me potentially injuring him again

Bunny Glad Will's sleep pattern has returned to normal! I had to :) at your one lactating boob! Hope it gets better soon! Sounds like you had a pretty stressful day yesterday. Have you returned to work part time?

spirael am that Mindy is 1 !! Where has the time gone! I'll join you in the :( that my baby is growing up! lol at the mess! Did you do BLW? We did and everything seems to go in his ear at the end of every meal!

HH Don't worry about the bonding, that will come and then you will be wondering what you were all worried about! My theory on alcohol was that if I was sober enough to drive during the next feed I was ok. I had a unit at least an hour before the next feed. Also, stare, stare stare, I know lots of people will tell you enjoy it whilst you can as they grow up so quickly...but it's true!

pixie welcome back. I am actually a bit that you've got a lovely cute petite baby. Sean is a big boy and grows out of all his stuff so quickly that the clothes that suit him are mostly for toddlers and he looks too big for baby clothes now :( I want my baby back!!

whiteroses CONGRATULATIONS!!! Our first second time frolicker!! I think it's great you can still bf whilst pregnant, hope it doesn't get sore for you. Do you think you'll be tandem feeding in 9 months time or are you thinking of weaning? Hope the sickness stays away this time.

worrisome I am dreading the separation anxiety stage! Hopefully it won't be for long.

haloflo she's a little cutie! I love how chubby she is! It's so gratifiying that you've fed her yourself isn't it? Don't worry about the attachment thing. I did the same and if you're not already, co-sleeping is a life saver. I've been going around with half a brain the last 2 months (4.5-6.5 months old) and it's now getting better already. Just preserver and it you will be glad you did, and Hannah will benefit from it. hugs though, it really does take it's toll on you! And as BG said, you will slowly feel able to let her go too. I think the BF hormones have a big part to play on the need for attachment too(apparently)

Mrswajs congrats on the 'roll' ;)

Sorry for going AWOL ladies, and sorry if I missed anyone off with the catch up.

Have discovered what all the sleep regression was all about. In the past 6-8 weeks we have had:

• two teeth
• multiple rolling sessions

-starting to crawl -saying mamamamamam to me (DH is SO jealous!) -weaning

• signing when he's finished his meal

-singing (he'll never win x-factor) or rather screaming his head off to himself just because he can!

• blowing raspberries on my baby belly
• and so much more!

Now he's going 3-4 hours in between feeds at night which is so much more manageable...well I'm sure until the next teething session anyway!

I have decided to take the full year off, we are lucky to be able to afford it. Part of me is a bit down as I really do miss the adult chatter but I try to meet up with friends as much as possible for my sanity! There's only so much baby chat I can do, as much as I love him. I think I'd feel guilty if I didn't take the full year now although I really don't know what there is to feel guilty about as I don't think any less of any mother who goes back early!

Anyone seen the new Harry potter yet? It was showing at our baby cinema and I thought it was fab!

Have a nice weekend ladies!

mumnerves wow at all of Sean's achievements. I've just started signing with William, he picked up signing for more when he's eating within about 30secs. Haven't got him to do finished yet......probably because he's an eating machine and so he's never full!!

I'm back at work 3 days a week, and have just been offered a day a week at another practice, so need to decide whether to do 4 days. TBH we could do with the money, but I think I'd feel like I was missing out on time with Will.

The one lactating boob has finally stopped - 3 weeks after his last feed

Better go as William has pulled all the books off the lowest bookshelf, and has now stood up and moved onto the next one up

Hi everyone, sorry I've no time to read everyone's posts properly but have skimmed through and see that congratulations are in order whiteroses.

Thanks for the bonding and alcohol advice, am feeling much more relaxed about the bonding thing now. I think that I just had that initial overwhelming euphoria and then when that died down and I wasn't feeling completely over the moon and head over heels at every single moment I worried that I'd lost something. Now I know that I love my LO to bits but will not be constantly thinking about it. I still feel guilty for wanting to do anything for myself (e.g. read a book, watch tv, go to the loo, wash my hair, ... :o) though!

Cannot believe she will be 4 weeks tomorrow, I have no idea where the time goes. Every day seems to vanish before I've had time to do anything, and I spend every night feeling like I've hardly seen my Rose except to feed her, change her or watch her sleep. We do seem to have the feeding sorted now though, at least in that she's gaining weight. She's now 8lb 3.5 oz, and put on 9.5 oz over the last week. We have no feeding pattern established though and she seems to be feeding constantly sometimes. Still waking for a feed 2-3 times in the night as well and sometimes I lie there thinking I just do now have the energy to get up and change another nappy and feed again and then I feel bad for feeling that and for leaving her whimpering for 10 minutes.

She seems to sleep a lot in the day still too, and there doesn't seem to be any pattern of naps and waking times yet. I'm hoping that's fine for the early days and she'll settle into her own routine, but if we're nowhere near a routine by 6 weeks I'm thinking I might try to get her into one.

Now she's bigger we're managing to use the cloth nappies, at least during the day, I haven't quite got the hang of the nighttime ones yet, too many bits and they keep leaking, but I'm sure we'll manage soon.

Sorry for the lack of personal messages but desperately trying to type this and then get the washing sorted and something to eat before she wakes up for another feed! Hope everyone and their wee ones are well.
xx

highheels well done you on getting the feeding sorted! At this stage, not having a routine is perfectly normal. It will take a while before you settle into one and then Rose will change it all again! Don't be too worried about trying to get into one too early, what I found is that if I stressed about when Lochie was sleeping/eating etc the days were much harder than those where i just went with the flow.

Hi all

Just thought I'd pop by and say hello to you all, hope you are all well. Im doing ok, went back to work in Feb and its keeping my mind busy which helps. We are now TTC again.

x

bunnygirl Hope your bookcase enjoyed the attack

HH Don't worry about routine etc, just relax, it sounds like you're doing such a fab job and being so hard on yourself! I was just the same at the start and when we decide on number 2 I really want to be able to soak up all that scrummy newborness that I just missed out on because I was too busy fretting!

fudgecat good luck with TTC :o

Hey all

For every step forwards, there seems to be 2 back!!!

Congratulations to WhiteRoses - wow!! I can't imagine any more. I love having Tom and everything being about him (he is such a spoilt boy, and its going to get worse!) I honestly don't feel the need for more. I am going to hold out till I become an aunt then see if my opinions change, when you only see the gorgous baby side of newborns!!

Only scan reading as things a bit hit and miss during the day with returning to full time work and routines, but glad to say having him in his own room at night routine is excellent. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful boy!

Will catch up properly soon!!

Fudgecat wonderful to "see" you. Good luck with the TTC xx

Hi to everyone else - hope all's well!

hh don't worry about no feeding pattern/routine yet. I know plenty of "gurus" have them on routines from birth, but that's just to sell more copies of their books You'll probably find she settles into her own little routine from about 6 weeks onwards....and just as you've got used to it she'll change again

fudge lovely to see you. Good luck with the TTC - make sure you come back and let us know when you get your bfp. We'll be here to hold your hand through your pregnancy

oneof8 apparently it's when they hit the 9-10month mark that you start getting broody again

Poor William woke up crying 3 times last night. I am crossing my fingers that this is a sign that he's finally cutting his teeth. There are 4 sitting there just under the gum silently mocking me - they've been there for months and just won't come through. And seeing as late teethers with baby teeth are always late teethers with their adult teeth, poor Will is going to be the kid at school who still has braces when he's 17 (and with an orthodontist for a mummy he's got no chance of avoiding them!)

bunny I got broody at the 6 month mark already I'm just telling myself I've got to wait till he's a year before TTC as we would never cope otherwise!

gah, had typed huge long catch up message and m/net timed out on me and lost it!! just a quick hello from me and apologies for having been MIA for so long. Its quite exhausting this baby business no?

We are doing ok - still b/feeding as LO point blank refuses a bottle. Am enjoying the feeding more (well, mostly the convenience) but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the fact that I can't leave her for more than 2 hours at a time (not that I have anywhere fun to go - its just that I would quite like to have my hair cut at some point, and go for an anniversary lunch with DH). No routine in the day yet (and we are two months ahead of you HH... so don't worry!) though she feeds pretty often, about every two hours, and gets tired quite quickly too.

I also didn't get the big rush of love thing at the hospital, and if I'm being honest probably not for the first couple of weeks either. Its only now when I catch myself staring at her adoringly during a 3am feed and not wanting to put her down and go back to sleep that I realise just how differently I feel to how I did then. Sleep deprivation has a lot to answer for!

Sorry to all of you who were struggling with sleep - C is giving me one longish stretch of about 4 hours but she's not doing the 9 hours that lots of my antenatal group's babies seem to be doing. Am so jealous of R's lovely sleep patterns mrsw! And please don't mention sleep regressions - I don't think I can go back to hourly or two hourly wakenings... the very thought makes my blood run cold!

sorry for no namechecking, am so cross at the timing out and C is stirring so got to dash. Just a very quick congrats to whiteroses, yay!!! Hope you're feeling ok. We've yet to do the deed in the Cobbler household yet . Lat but not least, hello to fudge. Best of luck with the TTC xxxx

eek, that sounds like a shout coming from the crib. Best go!

Ha ha bunny, i'm open to the idea of more, but I love things as they are.

With a family the size of mine, someone should be announcing in the next year I recon! (Planned or otherwise!)

Mumnerves was this when Sean started to look less baby and more toddler? Just curiosity! Tom past that stage, and is now looking more like me (which I LOVE!)

I get so excited for other people and enjoy hearing their experiences, so maybe it will come, or maybe T will be an only child. Who knows. I am so lucky to have him, and he is such a wonderful and happy boy I feel really happy and content with my lot. DP recon's its because I am scared of everything that happened from 37 weeks preg - 2 weeks old that have made me anxious, but I don't think it is.

We'll see!

So who WILL be joining WhiteRoses with round two for first second time frolickers! Come on, share away! Make us who may need a push to convert (or a reminder to stay with 1!)

Evening all :)

I became an auntie last night for the first time! Well I say first, DP has lots of nieces and nephews but this is the first one to have been born since we were together! His sister had a not so little boy, weighing 9lbs, who she has called Jamie. So Robyn's not the baby of the family anymore [sob] well on DPs side anyway. She still has 4 months of glory on my side until her little cousin arrives in December!

Fudge I never "met" you properly last time but good luck with TTC again.x

Cherry I think it was about 3 months I ended up going without a haircut after Robyn arrived and I was bottle feeding!! The time just seems to run away from you!

Oneof8 Am guessing you won't be joining Whiteroses first then! I was mega broody when Robyn was just a few weeks old (we'll blame the hormones for that!!) but actually, going to visit SIL and baby last night didn't make me broody at all!? I wonder if when you have your own baby, other peoples don't really interest you that much? Meant in the nicest possible way of course!

Does William not have any teeth at all bunny? I keep wondering how they manage to start weaning with no teeth, especially if you go down the BLW route? Do they just "gum" everything??

Speaking of which, not sure if any of you will know the answer but Robyn has dropped a centile on her chart from the 50th to 25th, not drastically but over about 6 weeks or so. She still isn't taking the greatest amount of milk a day but slightly more than she was. Is the HV likely to recommend weaning earlier (i.e nearer the 4 month mark than 6) if her weight gain stays slow/she drops any more centiles or will it not make much difference? Not sure if that make sense, am not the best at explaining what I mean!!

mumnerves I got broody at the 6 month mark, (I think that was the point when Will transitioned from baby to little boy) but I soon snapped out of it when he had his 7-8month sleep regression

cherry I think one of the main reasons I was never in a rush to night wean Will was that I really enjoyed that quiet time all alone with him in the middle of the night.

He was 5 months old when I managed my first (and only) post baby haircut

mrsw Will has no teeth at all!! They just gum everything when they eat-they use their back molars for chewing and they don't come through until after 12months, so even babies with front teeth still chew with their gums.

Don't know what the HV will think about Robyn's weight, but weaning won't necessarily bulk her out, and if she's really not a big eater she might drop her milk intake even more. Dropping down centiles is something I have no experience of, as Will has managed to get from the 25th to the 90th

Speaking of milk intake, I spent weeks worrying about how much he was drinking when I switched to bottles because the formula tin said he should be having 4x240ml bottles. Bought a new tin today and they've gone and changed the guide to say babies 6mths and over only need 4x180ml bottles, which is what he's been drinking all along Could have saved myself a whole lot of worry if they'd changed the guidance a couple of months ago.

Will did the cutest thing this morning. He woke up at about 6:15, but although he was still a bit tired he wouldn't resettle, so I put him in bed with us for a cuddle. He played with DH for about half an hour, when I decided that he wasn't going back to sleep and was about to get up with him. Then he crawled over to me, gave me a cuddle and snuggled his head onto my chest and went back to sleep. Spent a lovely half hour all snuggled up with him like that

PS mrsw congrats on becoming an aunty.

I've decided we could do with having a copy of "the list" over here, mainly because I have no idea how old people's LOs are. There are a few first birthdays coming up, so it would be nice to see when they are, and of course now we have a second time Frolicker we need to keep track of EDDs I've slimmed it down a bit, as lots of the people on the original don't post anymore (if you're lurking feel free to add yourselves back on )

POSTGRADS:

Fudgecat - In loving memory of Baby Elliot - Born asleep on Friday 17th September 2010

Spirael - EDD 25th Jul - DOB 7th July - Girl - Miranda Jane - 8lb 3oz
WhiteRoses - EDD 15th September - DOB 19 September- Boy
Pixiestix - EDD 24th Sep - DOB 26 September - Girl - Tegan - 7lbs 7oz
Chancewouldbeafinething - EDD 10/10/10 - DOB 21st October - Boy - William James - 9lb 14.5oz
Hermya321 - EDD 24th Oct - DOB 24th October-Boy - Asher - 8lb 3oz
WorrisomeHeart - EDD 12th Oct -DOB 26th Oct Boy - Lochlan - 8lb
Bunnygirl80 - - EDD 19th Nov- DOB 11th Nov -Boy-WIlliam - 7lb 1oz
Mumnerves - EDD 8th Dec - DOB 16 Dec Boy - Sean 8lb 2.5oz
Luckyseven - EDD 17th Dec - DOB 20th Dec Girl - Beth Elise 8lb 4oz
Oneof8 - BFP 18th May - EDD 17th Jan - DOB 3 Jan Boy - Tom
Aly323 - BFP? - EDD 31st Jan - DOB 25th Jan - Boy Kai
Kurlyvoice - BFP 1st September - EDD 16th April - DOB 12 March - Boy Alastair 4lb 13oz
Superpenguin - BFP 1st July - EDD 4th March - DOB 18th March - Boy Thomas 8lb 13oz
Haloflo - BFP 22 July - EDD 20 March - DOB 29th March - Girl Hannah 8lb 9oz
JollySergeantJackrum - BFP 7 Aug - DOB 21st April - Boy Harris 8lb 3oz
MrsWajs - BFP 13 Aug - DOB 25th April - Girl Robyn 7lb 2oz
Crazydays - BFP 4th Sep - DOB - 28th April - boy Thomas 7lb 3 oz and girl Isobel 6lb 14oz
Cherrycobbler - BFP 3rd Sep - 11th May - girl
crazybutterflylady - BFP 1st Sep - EDD 13th May - DOB 24th May - girl - Tabitha
Bellaby -BFP 11th Sep - EDD 22nd May - DOB 16th May - girl - 6lbs12oz
Highheelsandequations - BFP 30th Oct - EDD 13th July - DOB 6th July - Girl Rose

SECOND TIME FROLICKERS:
Whiteroses BFP 26th July EDD ?

awww that is the cutest thing bunny! Little C kept waking up last night and when she finally fell asleep I couldn't sleep, probably due to the fact it was so hot and humid in our bedroom. Never been so happy to see rain as I was this morning - lovely and cool in the house again. Mega tired today though .

congrats on being an auntie mrsw!

also, halo was it you that said that Hannah only seems to want her mummy? C is only 12 weeks but seems to be going through a phase of crying whenever someone who isn't me or DH holds her. I thought it was way too early for separation anxiety? Is little Hannah any better? My mum is heartbroken by this latest development, as she spends quite a bit of time with us and adores C (and C usually loves being cuddled by her).

Bunny Good idea re: the list. How cute William snuggling up to you in bed, I can't wait for times like that!
I didn't realise at the time that's what your formula tin was telling you otherwise I could have told you what mine said!! Which would have been the 4 x 180mls!

Cherry Robyn isn't a fan of the heat either! But hasn't been too bad this week, although it's not really hot here just muggy!

Beginning to think Robyn might be getting a bit of the "seperation anxiety" going on, she wouldn't take a feed from DP on Tuesday night and screamed until I came home and then took it from me no problem. Then last night at my mums, she refused the feed from my mum too and screamed until I took her to settle down!!! Hmmm, hope this doesn't continue!

She has a new game today too, it's called "I don't need mummy to hold the bottle" she starts off trying to hold the bottle herself and then as it gets lighter she gets cocky and starts peeling my fingers off and pushing them away so she can hold the whole thing on her own!! It's all very good and well until the bottle inevitably falls out and there's no milk getting into her and then she gets grumpy!! It's cute though :)