FEB 2010 Longer out than in and first Christmases around the corner...we're 9 months on.

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Shiny new thread, as promised fellow FEBers!

Figured we would start another new one to mark first birthdays, bethlou, so I've held fire on referencing that landmark in this thread title - hope that's okay with y'all!

Anyway, welcome everybody, pull up a comfy chair, someone get the wine out and I'll open a huge box of chocolates for us all to share.

I have always been brought up with a mix of Santa (Pere Noel) and Christ child so I guess that's what I'll do with DS. Present in a shoe under the tree on Xmas eve but also (probably) the biscuit for Rudolph.

Snow is gone now been replace by a mush. Here is DS ready to go out in the cold.

Just a quick one..

DD in the bath

Ho ho ho

GF cute!!

LBH awesome!!

BG hilarious!!
I'd be scared of some of those Santas, too...

We got DD a snowsuit today, also a buggy muffler and a fleece cover which will work on sling/car-seat/pram (42? down to 12?!)

She's pretty kitted out for the cold now, I reckon.

LBH such a pickle

BG I'm not surprised some are scared...

IC you now need the low temperatures

So we are now on night 3 of the sleep training and DS, despite a long nap of 1 hour finished at 5.15pm is now in bed and asleep / quiet. Today it took,,, (LBH is going to hit me ) 3mn.

We went for a long walk this afternoon and people were looking at me like if I was a mad person pushing the pushchair in the mushy snow by 2C but the fresh air did us good.

Hello everybody!!

BG I am in agreement with IC scary santas!!

GF Well done!! I couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo, you are safe!

Well DD on the CC front has been going well but she has only once slept till 6.15am. She keeps waking at 5am or as in last night and the night before 4am or just after. I have let her cry and gone in every 5min to a max of 15mins but to no avail. I left her in bed till 6.30am and she is shattered. She wont play or go back to sleep, just cries constantly. (no poo this morning) Her morning naps are being brought back to 8.30am to compensate. She wakes after half an hour/40 mins and is grumpy all morning.

I took her to Mothercare and a few other shops today and she cried loads. I was really embarrassed as she was so loud.

Not sure what to do about this early morning waking... (I even dug out the controversial book to see if I could find an answer..nope)

On the plus side, she loves her new bath mat/seat so she can sit upright and play with her rubber ducks! We have also bought a foot muff, looks so cosy in it!

GF He looks so happy. What a little cutie. Brilliant about the sleep.

LBH She's so funny, bless her.

BG I kept laughing and then feeling guilty because the poor kids were so traumatised!

DS went to sleep in about 5 mins tonight. DH is out and I've just changed my mumsnet nickname for Christmas.

Love the name!!!

LBH The early waking could be happening because of the early nap now, if it wasn't at first. That's what a few people have suggested (including another BAD BOOK - Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr Ferber). We had it for a few nights mornings but delaying the first nap from 9 until 10 seems to have worked. DS slept until 6.50 this morning.

I know it sounds counter intuitive but maybe give it a try.

BC Great news about the sleep! Enjoy your evening by yourself.

I feel safe now LBH

I'm knackered because I got the cold from the girls and dd2 was up at 5.30 this morning. She wasn't crying but moaning and kept saying the German baby word for sleep. I went to investigate and she had managed to get out of her sleeping bag (poppers on shoulders and side zip started at the bottom). The poor little thing was desperately trying to sleep but felt a little cold... I put her into out no nonsense thick sleeping bag (zip starts at the top so she has no chance of opening it)but it took her an hour to go back to sleep, again, not crying, just fussing.

Went for a haircut and highlights today and feel vaguely human again... Anyone else has hair sticking up at odd angles due to regrowth of all the hair lost after pregnancy? I had a not-so-secret fringe and I seem to go whiter blonder by the minute .

IC re little habits, dd2 can drive me a little mad at times when I give her a plate with a few bits of food on and she insists on turning it upside down to see what's underneath . I remember dd1 doing this and can't remember what I did then. I think see-through plates are partly to blame.

LB don't be too scared of having another dc if you fancy it. There is no guarantee but it is quite possible you would be totally fine. I had quite awful PND after dd1 but everything about dd2, including the birth, has been a total pleasure!! (Mind you, dh looked like a rabbit caught in headlights for a few months after dd2 because he expected me to get ill again).

I really wish I had the time to get on here properly regularly at the moment - apologies for lack of communication.

Watercress so pleased that your Dad is doing well and hoping that his golfing days will continue.

LB I've found the second time much easier and was definitely verging on PND last time round. This time I've had moments of wondering if I have had it, but we've been dealing with 2 long-term poorly boys (in case you haven't seen our previous threads) so I think I have to assume that I'm actually a lot better than last time, when everything was going smoothly. Love the pic.

BG rubbish about the cold. Hope you feel better soon.

GF sounds great re the sleep-long may it continue.

Abs very jealous about Paris - glad you had a fab time, despite changing/feeding trials. You deserved a lovely time with DP. How would one go about conceiving DC2 with Mum in the room?!! {confused]

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I had a fabulous day and a fabulous time at the spa the following day. Even got let out again today for a spot of Christmas shopping sans children. (because DH went away for a long weekend.. I can't go away over night as DH doesn't hear DS2's breathing/movement monitor so I've had two separate trips out instead).

The funniest bit was when he said he would get up during the night after the spa, although I had to stay in the room (not escape to the sanctuary of the spare room) to listen for the monitor. DH had got the boys to bed in my absence but had put DS2 in a short-sleeved vest instead of a long-sleeved one by mistake. DS2 got him up 5 times due to being cold and then DS1 wanted a biscuit at 4a.m. Oh how I tittered from my cosy bed as he grumped his way through the night!!

The following night (and in BC's vein..), he tried his luck with me at 11:15p.m and was rebuffed due to the lateness of the hour. At 12:40a.m. I woke to find him trying it on in his sleep!! (I am 100% convinced that he was asleep as he knows that life would not be worth living if he did it awake!!) He was as confued as I was, but we decided to make the best of the situation and he went to the office singing !! An hour later, he woke me again because he had 'lost one of the boys in the bed'. At this point I swore at him!! It's no wonder my boys don't sleep peacefully when DH can't do it aged 36!!

Talking of temperatures, anyone else still warm post-pregnancy? My temp is still a whole degree higher than it was before being pregnant.

DS1 and 2 quite liked the snow today, except when DH tipped DS2 off the sledge face-first into it!! Got to drive for 45mins tomorrow to take DS1 to a snow play party at the Tamworth snow dome. Wondering how much the child's parents are regretting paying for that now!! Such bad timing!!

Sorry to those whose posts were a couple of pages back and that I have forgotten since reading. Think I will aim to post weekly at the mo - I get stressed when I don't get to you all more frequently cos I love hearing about you all, but life seems manically busy and DS2 has coughing fits (bloody reflux) during each evening which require sorting/supporting. Will be back soon. x

(more SNOW)? hey bethy nice to hear from you!

Glad you had a good birthday bethylou - and at your travails with your DH (and his with the DCs!)
Don't get stressed about how often/little you can post! We love to hear from you, but individual replied aren't necessary, it's great to hear your news, I'm sure nobody minds if you don't react to ours!

Nice new name, bc!

Wake-to-sleep is another technique some people try to stop the early rising, LBH - there are threads in the Sleep forum (how well I know that forum!!!) on it if you do a search.
In my How To Baby Book (Baby Love by Robin Barker) she doesn't reckon CC is worth applying to early wake-ups (although she has no problems with it for teaching general self-settling etc.) - and it doesn't usually work so well.
Not that she offers a solution, mind - basically says, put up with it for a while, it'll pass!

BG at your DD2 overturning her food. We've got one of those suction bowls and it's great! You could scale the side of a building with it!

IC heard about wake to sleep...sounds like tempting fate!!!

You asked about DCs annoying habits...

Here are DDs

Pulling out clumps of my hair. If I tie it back she goes for my scalp. Obsessed with it. She giggles when I tickle her with it though. She also chases Ruby my long haired cat to pull a clump of fur.

Blowing a raspberry at me with a mouthful of food.

Pulling at hairs on arms or DPs chest and trying to pick off a mole.

Ripping her bib off. (she even takes off one with sleeves)

Smacking my face whilst smiling. Nearly broke my nose whilst doing it with a toy in her hand.

Throwing up when I am least prepared!! Swear she knows!!)

Bethylou Are you still BF? I was boiling all summer when I was. I was back to normal for a while and then the anti deps made me sweaty! Thankfully that has all settled down now.

Right I have 2 and half hours to myself!!! DP has taken DD to the supermarket and then to her great aunt and uncle's.
I am going to have a long soak in the bath and actually show my legs a razor.

at bedtime action stories!!
I still can't face it...last time for me and DP was May 23rd 2009 when DD was concieved.

It's okay, LBH, you don't wake them up fully (hopefully), just so they stir a little. In my DD's case, probably just opening the door to her room would do it!

Blimey, LBH you've got your hands full with your DD!! Yes, hair-pulling - a favourite past-time of my DD too.
See her in action here

On bethlou's behalf (in case she doesn't get a chance) - she's not BF any more. She's just a hot chick

I've got an hour or so too - DH is doing the pram-nap this morning! Yep, time to do the boring necessary leg hair removal...

IC will have a look into it...!
DD is so sweet. Love the sling photo too.
We are wondering about DD..my mum called her duracell as she NEVER stays still from about 3 months when the manic leg thumping started.
(She still does it now.) Apparently she is very high maintenance! Everyone who knows her comments on it. She is more barking than me!! :)
I don't know any different so am used to it.

bethy I still suffer from unbalanced hormones, which translate by hot flush (I'm only 31 ), and a new fixture periods which appear one week before due (I'm on the pill and they arrived at day 14 instead of day 24). They were fine up to 2 months ago... Need to speak to the gp about it.

Someone asked a few weeks ago, about what our LO were wearing when going to bed. As from tonight, I can add an over sleepsuit to my list. DS was cold this morning.

LBH I hope you enjoyed your pampering time.

Feel better...a relaxing bath rather than a rushed shower!!

DD has a sleep suit and a 1 tog sleeping bag. Her hands feel cold though yet the room says 10 deg without the heating on in this cold weather. The guidelines say the ideal room should be between 16 and 29 deg. 16?!! SOunds way too cold. I feel guilty her hands are cold but she seems ok. DOnt want her too hot anyway because it will aggrevate her cough and runny nose.

Should say 19 deg not 10...bloddy typing!!

Hi All

IC THAT is NOT hair pulling, you should see what mine does.

LBH DD was very high maintenance, not in a bad way, but requiring a lot more attention than other babies and lucky if you got 5 mins to do something. Now that she can walk/crawl around, it's become a lot easier and she can occupy herself for 20mins now. Oh and 19 sounds positively warm, we never used to put our heating on until it was at least 12.

I seem to be a lot more hormonal now, midcycle is a bit of a killer atm, get very down.

We've been doing a bit of sleep training, though mild compared to others. We're not CC or even aiming to get her through the night. I don't feel confident enough to think she can do without food, especially since we intentionally limit her daytime milk. We've been working on three things

(1) continuation of how she goes to sleep at night. We can for the most part put her in her cot and she takes herself off (with some walking/crawling around first for about 20mins)

(2) if she wakes before 3 hours in the night, we get her back to sleep without feeding

(3) naps have been in the cot . We help her out more to get to sleep for these although there has been one or two where she's gone to sleep in the cot largely by herself. We've even had her to sleep within 15mins once a day for the last few days.

sorry I haven't replied to more people

OMG. I had a nap in my car!

I was aiming to go to the garden centre this afternoon and so DS and I went in the car, just before arriving at the place, I noticed DS was sleeping so I decided to go for a drive around the island. Half way through, felt tired, thought no point of going home., parked into the seafront carpark, locked the car and fell asleep. We slept for 40mn

Ds is now in bed and stopped crying. It took 7mn today.

More tomorrow.

Good for you GF I have opened a bottle of very expensive champagne from my rich friend and this is my first drink in 18 months and I am realllllllllllllly pissed!! I was only going to have one glass and DP wouldnt join me as he has work tomorrow..I am going to feel like shite tomorrow :( oh well

You have no idea how much I am concentrating on my typing!

at being a hot chick thanks IC!

GF my hormaones are obviously to blame too - this month I have had a whole 9 days between finishing a period and starting 'spotting' (which can turn the toilet water red (sorry for TMI) before the next one. This used to happen to some extent before having DCs but now it's heavier and earlier each month and getting very expensive (and hard to hide from DS1 who would actually quite like to wipe my bottomn for me if only I'd let him near enough!!

Still searching for a Fireman Sam playset on ebay - has now taken up two evenings. DS1 has obviously happened upon a very sought after thing and apparently they are rubbish quality anyway. Bring back the sturdy wooden Thomas trains - so last week!!

Mummy not well today!