December 2010 - Merry Christmas new babies!

[Chooster]

Hi, I couldn't see a post-natal thread but as we grow in numbers we'll need a place to chat!

All good here... Jude is now 5 days old and such a wonderful good baby. Mind you he must think he's been born in the Arctic as it was -16 outside this morning in Edinburgh. Brrrrrrr - Its not always this cold Jude .

How's everyone else getting on?

Oops, should say - we have moved to the Caribbean, the last weeks in the UK were beyond awful..

Hi all, thanks for thinking of me DF. I've been having terrible problems with the internet so tend to lurk more than post as I always seem to lose my connection just as I've written a mammoth post!

Finally saw a paediatrician ( or baby doctor as the BBC now insists on cslling them) this week and got the all clear - the dr didn't even feel it necessary to do a blood test. DH is content though paranoid me will start to worry if DD starts missing development milestones, but we have been given the option of asking for a test if I start to worry. Very excellent dr- so natural with babies and clearly v experienced.

Waves at Mifftser across the ocean. As soon as your DS acclimatises you'll be able to go out in the midday sun more. I used to look after a family in the tropics and their kids were out all day!

Will post more when I can!

Happy Mother's Day everyone, especially the first time mums

lol steno - yes, Matty rolled over yesterday! I'm planning to return to work 4 days a week (same as before) but I'm intending to take a full year off, so I'm not currently due back until Jan '12. Fingers crossed it all goes to plan. I'll be getting the SMP for longer than when I had DD, but DH is only earning half what he was then, so I think it'll get a bit tight by the end of the year. I'm hoping to be able to top up a little by using my KIT days in Oct, Nov & Dec.

congrats on the teeth frenchfries FWIW I never rushed weaning at six months. I gave DD small 'taster' meals for ages before we made the transition to the solid food being her main source with milk as a top up iyswim. I use asda's own brand nappies - work fine for us and good value (100+ for £10)

chooster what's zumba like? I'm quite interested in giving it a go, although a regular class would be tough for me as DH works such weird and constantly changing shifts

DF why don't you and your sister go to glastonbury and leave the boys home alone

Good to hear from you miffster glad you've arrvied safe and well. Pleased Tom is more settled, that must be a relief. I'm sure you'll make new friends very soon - a baby is a great way to break the ice as people tend to talk to you . Hope your DH's first day at work goes well.

Great news WWSB!

Went to see DD in her first class assembly at school on Friday - she had a speaking part and did it beautifully. vv proud! Matty did his best to join in! Poor thing then came down with the lurgy yesterday but seems to be on the mend. Just hoping she hasn't given it to me or Matty.

Happy Mother's Day everyone, especially the first time mums

Well said, max. I feel really blessed and I am sure you all do too.

We did it a bit different here- DP has been doing so much of the cooking/housework/kid wrangling that he got the Mothers Day breakfast in bed and day off chores. My DD did feel it was a bit wrong so she is giving me a "spa" treatment tomorrow.

Thanks for thinking about me DF, I am OK, DP and I still have a lot of talking to do but basically rub along. See wee Bob has been in the wars some, it is worse for mum than them I think. With my first I was always banging his head off doorjambs due to crap spatial awareness and the 1-2-3 WAAAAAH always broke my heart- DP would have 2 sobbing wrecks to deal with, poor man. At least you don't have to fend off older siblings whose seeming only desire is to inflict accidental injuries to the new baby. Nancy has been elbowed, kicked, dropped on her face and carried around by her tummy so she is sick. No trips to A&E yet , touch wood. She has been rubbing at her ears but I think it was earwax, as I have noticed last week or two she seems to have had a real clear out, it goes into little hard balls which must itch or irritate.

So far she is a placid wee thing. Lies around watching stuff. Dribbles and gnaws hands. Rolls from side to side grabbing feet. Stares and stares without blinking. Farts frequently, loudly and pungently. Laughs at older brother being silly but nothing else. Goes to bed sometime after 9 pm and sleeps 6-8 hours. Has loads of breastmilk but is bottoming out from a high birthweight to what is going to be normal for her size. Has a sweet, shy smile, tiny feet and hands and enormously fat tum, bum and thighs.

Me, I am losing lots of hair also and a tiny bit of the jelly belly. Rediscovered my libido! But not sharing it with DP....

Miffster great to hear from you and that the move is done and dusted at least, you will soon make new friends and be enjoying an enviable lifestyle, I'm sure.
wwsb thanks for updating us, I was worrying about you also. Do you think they say baby doctor nowadays ( I have noticed this lately ,too) because people have confused paediatrician with paedophile?

I hope everyone else with December 10 babies is doing well and manages to pop in and keep us updated from time to time... See there is a December 11 thread already... feeling a bit nostalgic already. I remember baby being conceived and was probably just testing positive around now... what a journey but I would do it all over again if I could.

Hi there, I haven't kept up with the thread but have just started to re-visit so wanted to say hello. I'm just sneaking a lovely snuggle with dd before getting up seeing as we've just started taking her up to bed 7.30ish instead of her sleeping on me downstairs. It'll be good to have hands free evenings back but I'll miss her! She still sleeps in the Moses basket next to my side of the bed but we'll need to swap it for the cot soon.

frankenonsence it was nice to read your summary about your lo. Dd has just taken up pungent parping too! Not pooping everyday now though. I was sure I'd use washable nappies but so far haven't had much success & the washing machine is playing up so using Nature brand. Dd has really good skin with them, just using olive oil as a barrier & occasionally nelson's hypercal. I thought freebie pampers were the worst of the lot, dd is little but I had to snip the elastic to stop it cutting in. On the same theme, has anyone tried elimination communication? A friend is trying it with her newborn & it seems to be working but quite intense to judge in time to get baby too loo. I've just started to hold dd over the loo before nappy change to see what happens. So far she's done 1 fart!

Time I got up...dd will go back in basket for half an hour entertaining herself practicing sounds & watching mobile or longer if she falls asleep again. She'll have an elevenses feed some time around 10.30 then spend the rest of the morning in the baby bjorn (facing out), mostly sucking her fist though she's just got the hang of finding her thumb. I've started putting lanisoh on her hands where they've got a bit red.

Bye for now x

Hi there all,

Miffster, hope everything is going ok, I think you are incredibly brave for making such a move with a young baby in tow. Hopefully you will get to meet more people in time. The weather sounds great, though I think I would be struggling in the mid-day heat too.

Great news WhatWillSantaBring - I remember when I was in labour there was a 'baby doctor' there. I too wonder if it's because of the whole paediatrician/paedophile confusion - but really how stupid are most people?!

frankenonsense I felt all nostalgic about the new Dec thread, I was going to post in it wishing them all good luck . I realised recently that Bob was born exactly 9 calendar months after my egg collection!

I have decided to go to Glastonbury but haven't been able to convince Dh so I will be going with my Sister and her bloke; they are setting up camp and I will join them later. I decided I would rather regret going than not going and I am prepared to leave if it gets tough plus my DH not going made me all the more determined to go and have a great time. I am now looking out for a cheap three wheel buggy on ebay as I don't fancy messing my current one up if it's muddy.

I had my 41st birthday on Monday but am going to tell everyone I am 39 from now on as last years birthday passed me by because of the IVF and this years was no big deal because of having Bob :)

Bob is still lovely. He is gradually going to sleep earlier and earlier and the waking several times seems to be stopping, though I have had a couple of killer nights recently where he's woken me 4 or 5 times! He's still very cheerful most of the time and rarely does full on crying but he does love a bit of a shout. The latest bad mum incident from me happened this morning. I took im into the kitchen to sit in his vibrating chair and watch me wash up and managed to tip a whole load of (thanfully cool) water onto his head while moving a dish I was soaking! Bless him. He didn't cry but looked quite shocked and had to have a whole change of clothes!

Talking of c,othes, what are people dressing their boys in during the warm weather? Bob gets so hot if I take him out in the carseat and I don't know if I should be dressing him in a vest and then something on top or not. All the baby girls in my ante-natal group seem to have so much more choice in what to wear.

OK sorry I have ben AWOL for so long, kind of found a home in Forces Sweethearts and hung around!

I am now back at work this week and really glad it's friday.

Missing being at home more than I did with DD, DS is huge now - Weds weigh in at 17 weeks was a whopping 18 lb 9oz

He is taking loads of milk but I did have to stop BFing because work is not a conducive environment to expressing. We have also semi started weaning as he is soooo hungry. Just trying him with pureed carrots and rusks - he seems very happy with it but is desparate to try and hold the spooon himself.

Almost sitting up but only because he is so chubby!! He's like a weeble (I am old so I do remember them) still tends to wobble and tip over if not quite wedged corrctly.

He's not sleeping through anymore, has a dream feed at 11pm then wakes maybe once or twice in the night for a feed but I seem to have managed ok with getting up for work.

DH very frustrated as he doesn't seem to want to nap during the day - 20-40 mins max Any ideas? and DF he was following me around too when I was home - simple solution go back to work it's quite peaceful here!!

Have just discovered one of my BF from school is on MN somewhere and she had her DS in Jan - not sure whether to post a thread in chat to find her and out myself?!

Hope everyone is ok - will try and catch up more at weekend.

Hullo all!

wwsb fab, fab news. Thanks for coming back and letting us know, it must be such a relief and what a stroke of luck to get such a decent doctor.

fk I loved your description of your LO, just gorgeous. My DD has born sort of big (8lbs 6), didn't lose any weight and was a proper pudding! She's now slowed down on the growth front too, but still steady gains. Also tiny hands and feet but a big belly and proper fat rolls on her thighs! my mum reckons she'll end up being small :) glad you DP is helping out a bit more.

DF great news on Glasto. as for clothes, DD living in hand-me-downs from the cousins....linen trousers, jersey shorts and a variety of t-shirts. I have still bee using a vest/bodysuit but imagine come high summer wont bother.

MrsS LOVE your description of your LO as a 'weeble'...can just picture it. As for naps, my DD is really fighting hers at the mo, which resulted in her being mega over-tired this evening with lots of tears at bedtime (resorted to more boob after an hr of crying on and off....) She has 1-1 1/2hrs around 8am, then usually manages an hr around 11am/12pm then, if we're lucky she'll have a 30-40min power nap around 2pm...after that, forget it! Often, for the afternoon nap, we end up going out and she drops off in her buggy.

anyway, first mother's day was lush :) and now thoroughly enjoying this gorgeous weather! gardening on the cards for tomorrow...the peas need planting out!!!

hiya everyone - just a really quick post mrsSL my HV suggested giving the baby a spoon to hold whilst feeding them with another spoon - you probably know this trick already but your post made me think of it so I thought i'd say just in case :)

all ok here, enjoying the lovely weather - happy weekend

Hey there MrsSnaplegs :) The following about continues in this house.

It's a lovely day and I feel a bit stuck in the house. Bob's Granddad (FIL) is here for a visit. I have had to come upstairs to let them get on with it as my instinct really is to just grab Bob, take him somewhere quieter and give him a cuddle when he is obviously grizzling and upset about being passed around :( DH isn't as good as I am at noticing cues for tiredness etc.

What do you do in situations like this? Really I should just grab him back and take charge shouldn't I. I sometimes feel like this with my own mum too, sometimes she doesn't seem to know what to do to comfort him apart from say 'oh Bob' and I have realised too that our parents are not as mobile as they once were, bad knees and the like and so would rather be sat down with him than on their knees entertaining him.

It looks like we are having an impromptu BBQ too, with 'lots of booze' in DH's words and BIL and his girlfriend popping in. So I am guessing it will be pass the baby all afternoon unless I step in and say it's time for a nap.

I have realised that having a baby = more family visits and I am a bit of a loner so this probably irritates me more than it should.

Sorry for venting, I am probably being very unreasonable.

got him!

as I was writing DH called up 'do you think he's tired?' he's now fast asleep. I am sure I am being very PFB

DF He's your baby and you know him best. Don't be afraid of upsetting other people. If Bob needs a sleep then you just have to say it's his nap time and take him away for some quiet time. Also, it can really stress the little ones out if they are passed around continually and can often find it hard to settle afterwards.

Remember, you are acting in his best interests and are the one who knows him best.

If it makes you feel better, i was like that with DS. Now, with DD, it's about what she needs and i don't give a flying fanny about someone having the hump cos they only got to hold her for 2 mins or not at all.

DH's parents sound like that too - too old to get down onto the floor and insists on cradling her when they hold her which she hates. i've told them that she likes to be held upright to see what's going on but they don't bloody listen!! Then, can't understand why she's crying. MIL will say "You don't really want milk, you can't be hungry yet" to which i reply, "Yes she does and yes, she obviously is" then take her back to feed her. DH is crap and being assertive with his parents so it's left to me.

Sorry to rant but I feel better now (you'd never guess i had MIL issues would you ).

Good luck tomorrow DF

hiya - same here too! I am hiding upstairs with isabel asleep on my chest waiting for the in laws to go! I nearly went crazy last Sunday as we all went out for Mother's Day and isabel was grizzly and MIL kept wolfing her food down so she could come over and grab her and run off - if i was charitable (whch i'm not!) i'd say she was trying to help but i don't want her to take my cranky baby off somewhere i can't see her and jiggle her up and down to stop her crying she's tired ffs, how will jiggling her help!
we all just went to the pub where fil and mil passed her back and forth squabbling over who was making her cry! arghhhhhh i really really really don't want to see them every bloody weekend for the rest of my life, but BIL has not had a partner in the 9 years i've been with DH (BIL is 41 and still lives at home) so i don't think he'll be providing them with any other grandchildren anytime soon.........

cjmommy and df - my heartfelt sympathies, I must man up and start saying something.......but if i start i may not stop

I'll will pop back in later for the full update, I now finally have a laptop so can post properly rather than my bloody phone. Girls are now 5 months old, I know I should be in the November thread but I don't know those people!!

kittybump, I managed to be a bit more assertive. FIL is lovely and didn't seem to mind me getting up and grabbing Bob if I felt he was getting too upset. Not sure how this will go down with MIL in a couple of weeks but we'll see. I have decided I just have to take charge and be his mum and take him back when I think he needs me.

I do worry a bit that people may think I need to hold him too much, or that people think it's ok to let him cry. We just don't ever let him cry and I am also feeding on demand so I wonder if people might think i should be trying to make him feed less. Whatever, if i do get questioned i am just going to have to say loudly that I am not following any routine apart from the one he wants in these early days and that's what works best for us all so we're not going to be changing it any time soon.

I'm the same, frequently being told I feed Isadora too much lots of "she can't be hungry again" type comments and raised eyebrows if I pick her up too quickly when she cries. I find it so distressing when she cries so its also about my sanity as well when I do pick her up. I am doing my best to ignore them but the comments don't help especially when I keep being told I am setting myself up for disaster! I'm happy and she is happy thats all that matters right now.
I keep having major shopping binges for toys etc its terrible today I have ordered a Sophie Giraffe after seeing babies with them at my groups and a seahorse soothe and light toy as all the reviews were good its funny I dont shop for myself at all but if someone says this toy/teether/dummy is good I have to have it! currently have a huge collection of dummies none of which Isadora will take and a load of teethers that are useless!

frenchfries I am going to say 'it all evens out as they get older anyway and I'm so glad I have all this maternity leave so can be so relaxed about it all' and 'yes, it's amazing isn't it what a growth spurt can do. I'm really proud of myself for keeping up with her needs so well' ... that sort of positive stuff which can't really be questioned and if it is then hopefully makes them soubd mean

I just got myself a quinny buzz second hand for £16, local pick up. I am hoping it's going to be ok for Glastonbury as I don't want to take my new one. I've been binging on clothes on ebay too. Everyone I know has a sophie giraffe, they sell them in John Lewis as well as mothercare and I expect I will get one too.

his needs woops.

DF that sounds like a plan I currently just politely smile and totally ignore! Worst one for it is DH actually, he insists on letting her scream particularly when I'm in the bath!

Wow thats great for a Quinny and will be perfect for Glastonbury! so tempted to look myself now if you can get them for such a great price even though I don't actually need one!

df have you thought about a proper walking rucksack baby carrier for Glastonbury one of the little lite ones you may find it much easier
We did lots of land rover shows with dd and they can get very muddy
We trashed several pushchairs before we learnt
We have just picked one up for £35 on ebay

df, well done for being assertive and good luck with your mil

so glad its not just me feeding whenever she wants and never letting her cry :) i just think if every fibre of my being is screaming at me to pick her up and stop her crying then howcan it be wrong?
we got a sophie giraffe as a present and isabel loves it! i'd highly recommend it as she doesn't chew on any other teethers

also, with the giraffes - if the squeaker drives your dog crazy apparently putting it through the dishwasher kills the squeak

Kitty, I am definitely following an attachment parenting style. I don't like Bob to cry either, though obviously he has and does but I don't leave him to cry. I think sometimes other people think it's ok to just hold onto a baby that little bit too long to see if they can stop the crying, particularly grandparents who want to bond.

MrsSnaplegs, I have a moby wrap but might get a carrier, though a friend has offered me the use of a woven wrap which are apparently more comfortable. Looking t the size of Bob now I do wonder how much heavier he will be in another 2 months!

frenchfries, the Quinny I got isn't in great condition - I will be the third owner - but is still functional. I've seen them go for under £30 and over £200 on ebay so it can be a hit and miss. definitely cheaper if they are pick up only as I think you have fewer people bidding

happy belated birthday DF re clothes, general rule is they need to wear one more layer than us, if that helps.

re visitors, I tend to politely suggest to family members/visitors what DS needs iyswim. So if I pick up on the fact that he's getting tired, I'll tell whoever's holding him and tell them to turn him on his side (because he likes that). If he's got wind, I'll tell them to hold him against their chest and rub his back etc etc. I just give them the instructions - I take the view if they don't want to listen to me, it's them that'll be holding a grumbling or crying baby, not me! But if he needs to be left alone, I'll just politely say he needs to have a lie down/rest. I might then take him off them or suggest they put him wherever I want him to go if I think they'll like that (to feel involved). Seems to work ok. I'm glad you felt better after being assertive with your FIL - good practice for MIL As for what other people think about your parenting, don't waste a second worrying about it! Do whatever suits you, Bob and DH.

Good to hear from you MrsS , hope work's going ok. After DD, I was really ready to go back to work and I didn't miss her too much, but I think I'll be missing being at home much more this time. I just had my return to work letter etc from work, I think my first day back should be 17th Feb 2012

Been enjoying the lovely weather here. I had a nice birthday on Friday, but really missed DD as she was at school. Been for a picnic today - DD kept asking Matthew if he was enjoying his first picnic - bless!

Hello all, I am somewhat late to join, but my DS was born in December (Christmas Day, we nearly called him Santa) and I just had major satisfaction reading through the posts recognising my own experience. Glad to know that I am not the only one who doesn't like leaving baby crying or the awful pass the baby that can build up. DP thinks I am too PFB; I will get him to read this and the hilarious one in chat...