March 2005 part 3 - Support for the sleep obsessed!

[bonym]

Which of course, we all are

Norash, good to hear from you but so sorry you're having a tough time. I remember going back to work after DD and I was studying for a masters degree at the same time. The first six months was a shell-shocked haze but after that!!! it definately got easier. Hope things improve soon.

Pidge that Iris is being a monkey at night. Harrison played up for a week (the longest of my life it seemed) but then last night, all back to normal as if nothing ever happened. We went from 3-4 wakings and staying awake for hours, to sleeping through the whole night. I never think with him though that we've cracked it as there's always something round the corner that changes it.

He's also started wanting to get up after his 6.00am feed which is just not happening !!! so I've been bringing him into bed with me and he eventually goes back off after about half an hour and I get to doze as well.

Sleep vibes to everyone

not only do i have a non-sleeping baby, my 3 year old has now decided it is good to wake at 4:30 and scream and shout for 2 hours

hmmmm

Only had 4 hrs sleep and that was an hour here and an hour there. Actually felt ill from lack of sleep so we have started from tonight controlled crying. It's awlful, he cries, hyperventilates and goes hoarse from screaming. We stay in the room with him rubbing his back and talking soothingly so he's not left alone but he's still hysterical. Think i'm going to have a nervous breakdown!! Also starts screaming the moment i'm out of his sight and crawls like mad to follow me. Please tell me this gets easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Last 2 nights for us have been much better shhhhh! I think we are lucky that Niklas usually only wakes when he is hungry. On advice of my MIL I have been giving Niklas porridge (made from a mix of 7 cereals) before he goes to bed instead of his normal meal. It seems to be helping. Last night he slept from 7.15 to 5.30, which was fine, it gave us half an hour in bed feeding and cuddling before we had to get up.

Shalaa, are you sure that Caleb isn't hungry (or even thirsty)? If he is he probably won't go back to sleep again however much screaming he does. ! and he will follow you around as you are his food source. Try him with a big bowl of porridge before he goes to bed. I hope it gets better for you fast.

Pidge - have you tried packing a pillow behind your back to so you can relax more when feeding Iris in bed. This is the first time I have heard you sounding frustrated and your patience starting to wear thin !

Today is my last day at work for the week and I really think 3 days is enough for Niklas to go to the nursery, today he looked happy when he saw his favourite carer, but when we gave him to her he was trying to climb back into my arms again. I think he has the whole thing worked out now and knows that when we go there we are leaving him for the day !

Work is better though, I have dragged out some knowledge from the bottom of my memory and seem to be making some progress ! Pidge - that's why I vowed never to work for a consultancy again, when I first came to Switzerland I sat on the 'bench' (although it was definitely more like the beach ) for a whole year, I watched everyone else around me slowly getting fired and only managed ot hang on because I kept creating internal jobs for myself.

BusyW - If you do get redundancy you could use the money to set yourself up as a childminder (or a nursery), if your DH isn't keen on having other children at home I am sure you could make it pay by renting a place. That's what Niklas's nursery is. They have rented and made a house baby safe, it started very small the owner employs (who is a teacher but I don't think she is baby trained), a trainee and a trained person to look after the children. It only opened in August and already they are now employing another trainee and another trained person.

Sorry folks - got a bit despondent there yesterday. We'd been getting so much better on the sleep front and then it all seemed to go to pot. To be fair to Iris she's been messed around a bit recently with a night away at dp's parents, and now she's been chucked out of her room here because my parents are staying. Anyway, last night, she woke again at midnight but settled herself without me having to do anything. I fed her for 1 minute at 3am, 2 minutes at 5am, and then she did her usual not wanting to go back to sleep but after half an hour of shouting and chatting she did go back and slept till 7am. Hoora - not a bad night at all.

jambot that is a good idea with the comfort object. She never took to a dummy - we tried it a couple of times in desperation in the early weeks, but she wasn't interested. But she does have a fluffy rabbit which I'll try to get her to bond with!

leogaela - I do usually have lots of cushions and manage ok with feeding lying down, but because my parents are here we've run out! I think I need to get to a shop and buy another couple because it does make such a difference.

OK - must dash - am going to see a potential school for dd1. Feeling quite nervous about it, even though she wouldn't go there till Jan 2007!

Just a quickie before I have to do the school run (Grace is asleep so will have to wake her ).

Sorry to hear that so many of you are having bad nights. You will probably not want to hear this, but Grace has been much better for about the last week (well ever since I said my lips were sealed!). Goes down now at about 6.30pm, wakes for a feed about 5am and then goes back again to 7.30/8am. Of course, now I have told you this we will probably have a terrible night tonight.

Don't know if you remember that I have been taking her to signing classes? Well she did her first sign yesterday - 'milk'. This is apparently the one that most babies learn first (wonder why ). Did wonder if it was a bit random but the woman who takes the class reckons that if it's done with one hand then it's a proper sign, but if with two then it isn't! This was definitely one-handed and she's done it a few times since.

Well - it's absolutely tipping down now so don't think I walk to school - problem is, it's so much hassle taking the car, finding somewhere to park, getting Grace in and out of the car sear etc.. Better go wake her I suppose!

Serious sleep vibes to everyone.

Had a good nights sleep so feel more human! I always give Caleb a really good feed at around 10pm and he has his tea at 5.30pm so I don't think he's waking with hunger. He seems to be settling a bit quicker now so hopefully he's learning how to settle himself. Doesn't help that bloody fireworks are going off every 5 seconds!!

Sending out sleep vibes to everyone who needs it, am getting excited about Calebs first Christmas

Don't you become noise paranoid? Noises I never really noticed before I've now become super sensitive about and always convinced that Lauren is going to wake up. Seem to bother me more than her. Have even had our alarm go off before and she slept through everything.
I suppose because I'm a light sleeper and pretty much all noise wakes me. Whereas my DH could sleep through a bomb going off!!
Could never leave Lauren with him overnight. He would never wake up if she cried! Says he would, but don't believe him.

Pidge, hope you're OK today. Was worried about you yesterday

Jambot, trust your instincts about your DH waking up!! My DH never wakes when either of the children wakes, no matter how much noise they make. In fact, once when DD was about 3, she had a sickness bug and I had been up with her every night for a week. One night I woke DH when she started crying and asked him to go to her as I was sooo tired (was working full time) that I just couldn't face it. So up he got About 20 minutes later, DD came into our room and woke me to say daddy had fallen asleep on her bed and was snoring so she couldn't sleep, could she get in bed with me

Glad Shalaa you got a better night and also Bonym that Grace is doing well. Although I'm it also gives me hope as this is similar to what Harrison does when he sleeps through the night so I have hope that he starts doing it consistently one of these days, rather than a few times a week.

Leo, thanks for the advice about setting up a nursery. Hadn't thought about that but it's given me some good ideas to think through. See, you're being very productive at work

Have a good night everyone.

Oh Pidge, meant to ask how you got on at the school. Any good?

And well done Grace with her signing. What a clever thing Have been trying to encourage Harrison to clap and say 'mama' Absolutely pointless!!! He just gives me one of his gorgeous gummy grins and flaps his arms madly. What can you do but love them

evening, have ebeen trying to keep up with thread and the feb one (seeing as serena did up being a feb baby lol).

anyone got santa/reindeer outfits? serena has a santa outfit. i feel i need to make this xmas memorable and take laods of snaps, afterall, u never what the new year will hold

busywizzy - you're so sweet. I am absolutely fine. Just lost a bit of perspective there temporarily on the sleep front. You know what it's like when you have a few bad nights together and you think you'll never get your Zzzzzzs again . Having said that there was something up with Iris late afternoon and this evening, she was terribly unhappy. Went to bed at 7pm ok but already woke up again at 8.20pm and was just crying in her sleep. I was stroking her back and she would go back to sleep and then arch her back and writhe around and start crying again. I ended up feeding her into a deeper sleep. So don't know what that was about.

Apart from Iris's late afternoon grumpiness I've had a gorgeous day today - my parents are here and we had a lovely time with Iris. Plus I had the honour this afternoon of collecting my best friend from our local hospital together with her partner and newborn baby daughter. They don't have a car, or car seat, so I was their taxi home! She had a C-Section 2 days ago because the baby was breech, and I can't believe they're already out of hospital. It was so amazing to see them and their gorgeous baby. It already felt like another world - our babies are so big and can do all sorts of stuff - you forget what it's like when they're a tiny, helpless, gorgeous bundle. I was already quite keen on having another - now I'm positively broody!

The school visit was good - it was a school we were a bit unsure about - it was a failing school 5 years ago, and was fresh-started, but I was really impressed with the head and the atmosphere there. Now need to get dp to take a look.

misdee - personally I think you're owed a major change of fortune in the new year, if not before. The thought of serena in her festive gear brought a smile to my face!

Right - MUST go to bed before Iris gets up to her nocturnal high jinx!

Hmmmmm ... might have lost even more perspective now after last night. Iris woke at 8.20pm, 10pm, 11pm, 3am when she wouldn't go back to sleep again until 4am, then woke again at 5.30am and wouldn't go back to sleep until I fed her in bed at 6am.

I look like a wreck - or even more of one than I normally do !

Pidge's mantra "This is just a phase, this is just a phase"!!!

Pidge - sorry to hear you're having a rough time with Iris. You're right though - it is just a phase . Glad the school visit went well.

I know what you mean about seeing tiny babies now - it's hard to believe that ours were ever that small isn't it? They'll be walking and talking before we know it!

Misdee - you must put some photos of Serena in her Santa suit on the Photobucket. You have a had a really tough year - hopefully 2006 will much better for you and Peter.

Had Grace weighed this week - she is 16lb 10oz so still hasn't doubled her birth weight! As the HV said - she is long and lean so it obviously going to take after me (although not quite so lean these days ).

Have a good day everyone.

Well, I've been on the Holford Diet for a week and whilst I've lost a bit of weight, I'm really feeling great. Seem to have more energy - not yawning the whole day long - my skin is looking more vibrant and just generally feeling more 'sparkly', if you know what I mean.
Must be the change in food, but also taking vitamin supplements, flaxseed oil capsules and vitamin c. Also his natural appetite suppresant and I must say I'm not thinking about food as much as I did, especially the 'naughty' foods! Apparently if your body has enough essential fatty acids in the form of 'good' oils, you are much less likely to want to eat the 'bad' oils.
Sorry, not exactly baby related but thought someone out there might be interested.
Have bought Holford's Optimum Nutition Bible and am going to read up on supplements for my DH. He is never asleep before 1am, smokes, eats junk and works too hard. Luckily he's got an office at home or I'd never see him. Trying to cure him of his wicked ways before Lauren gets old enough to notice them! Especially things like Coke and other naughties.
Luckily he's lovely, despite all of the above!

Jambot, wow aren't you good. I've never heard of the Holford diet. What is it as my DH could deffo do with some better lifestyle habits. Doesn't help at the moment that I'm really into (trying to be) a domestic goddess so he comes home every evening to yet more high fat sauce things for dinner and cakes and cookies I've baked with DD. Pidge, watch out, I'm after your crown

I'm not sure any type of diet at the moment could give me energy and make me sparkly and vibrant. A weeks worth of sleep might do the trick though

Patrick Holford is a British Dietician who written a number of books on nutrition and health. His diet is based on not allowing your blood sugar to dip and peak, thereby making you crave foods, as well as make you constantly tired. So you eat foods that take longer to digest, keeping your blood sugar more constant.
DH just suggested getting pizzas but amazingly I didn't even feel like it! Must be doing something to me.
Just took Lauren for her check up. She is now just over 10kgs and 67 cm. Unbelievably she has grown nearly six cm in two months! Her height doesn't even register on the scale for an eight month old. Bumped into a lady taking her 18 month for a walk and Lauren wasn't much smaller than that child. No-one can believe she's not even eight months yet.
My husband's pretty tall at 6 foot 3 inches but I'm only an average 5 foot 7. Does being tall as a baby mean anything for later height?

hmm an sat here eating a chocolat bar waiting for our takeaway (shish kebab) to arrive! My eating habits have gone to pot although once a week I go out and buy loads of fruit and veg do some cooking and freeze it so i'm not too bad! Caleb only took 2 mins to settle to sleep tonight!! Can't believe it, hopefully this sleep training is working, just need to convince him that 5am is NOT a good time to be wide awake. Caleb's still not got any teeth and now weighs a hefty 22lbs, is crawling everywhere (usually after the cat) and says mama, dada, nana and mum.

Also feel broody when I see tiny newborns at our BF group! My friend is due to have a baby boy on 3rd of March

Jambot, thanks for that. I'll have to research his stuff a bit more.

Shalaa, so glad things are a bit easier for you with Caleb. Can't believe you're feeling broody. All this getting up in the night stuff has seriously put me off having another (not that DH would ever consider it in a million years )

Haven't had Harrison weighed properly for ages (bad second time mummy syndrome) but according to my scales, he's about 23lb which is fairly huge for a seven month old. He's also off the scale height wise and was 68cm about a month ago so goodness only knows what he is now. I'm almost six foot and DH is taller so we never expected him to be a shorty Having said that, DD was never particularly long as a baby but now she is way taller than everyone in her class (including most of the boys) so I'm not sure that weight and height in babies bears much resemblance to how they grow up.

Finally got Harrison to eat something today after a week of refusing food (please come through soon teeth, this is unbearable) He had a big bowl of porridge, half of DD's ready brek (which she was more than happy to palm in his direction) , a whole pot of chicken and apple for lunch followed by custard and a banana. Unfortunately an hour after lunch, he sicked the whole lot back up so not quite the full tummy I was hoping for.

By teatime he was starving and had a whole pot of baked butternut squash, two pots of fromage frais and half a pear. Half an hour later he took a full bottle, went straight to sleep and I haven't heard from him since. I think he's stuffed so full he just can't move

Sleep vibes to everyone.

Bonym - I just hate waking up Frewya for the school run. Am just getting into a routine of putting her down about 12.30 and then she wakes up herself in plenty of time for the school run. However, today the school phoned at 1pm and asked me to go and pick DS1 up cos he had fallen over and was very tearful - best laid plans and all that! Funny how once I picked him up and gave him a bit of medicinal chocolate he was full of the joys of spring again (though he managed to ensure he kept his grins a bit weak for the journey home and until he was out of his school uniform! - what a pickle!)

Pidge - Is your diet similar to the GI diet? Sounds good, tho I'm guessing Dairy Milk is banned?!

HV came round to see Freya on Thursday. Unfortunately she could not weigh her though. I would like to get Freya into the next forward facing car seat (she is getting far too heavy to carry in her infant car seat), but need to ensure she is 9kilos first so I must go to the clinic to get her weighed.

Why am I still up? - should be getting some sleep, but still have baby food cooking so must finish that off first.

The diet is based on GI principles, with low GI foods being more preferrable. And yes, no sugar allowed!!
Well I have cheated on that a bit. We have a big Moslem community in Cape Town and yesterday was Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. As most of the guys working on our house renovations are Moslem, they were off yesteday for what they call their version of Christmas. It's a tradition to bring sweets and cookies to family and friends and we were duly included. Sitting looking at a pile of traditional biscuits and pastries, which are notoriously nummy and delicious! Can't say no to such gift giving can I? Would be very rude, so we'll just eat the lot today and go back on the diet tomorrow!
Must go and see if Lauren's awake and start off our day. It's pouring with rain, which is very strange for November. Lauren is running out of any warm clothes that fit her. Should be boiling hot already, but the pile of Summer stuff is just sitting in the drawer.

JoPG - not me on the diet! In fact me and diets are pretty much mutually exclusive . Though I could still do with losing the final 2 kg post pregnancy weight, which seems to be all on my tummy. Probably need to do some sit ups which are too dull for words. Also need to stop eating so many puddings. We had friends round last night and I'd made Nigella's choco hotpots, and then our friends hadn't realised I would be making pudding so had brought cakes from Konditor and Cook!!

Can I post without mentioning sleep - no way! Iris was still a menace last night, waking at midnight, 1, 4.30, 5.30 and 6.30, but believe it or not that was an improvement on the night before. I got 5 hours as opposed to 3 hours. Don't know why I don't feel worse than I do. But a cup of tea and a long shower this morning and I'm functioning amazingly well.

Off to a children's concert which dp's orchestra is performing this afternoon - should be fun.

PS thanks to busywizzy sorting me out, I have now posted a new pic of Iris, looking very dribbly and pleased with herself, in the photobucket. Also had a peep at the other babies - aren't they characters now!

Ooh it's obviously just me here this weekend!

BIG NEWS from the pidge household - Iris is crawling. Hurrah hurrah - trumpet fanfare. Such a relief as she was getting very cross. Not that she's a speedy mover yet, but when the incentive is there she's been seen to move forwards a good metre or so.

We had a great time at the kiddie's concert yesterday. Iris loved the big percussion moments and was flapping her arms and laughing. And dd1 was gorgeous - did horsey galloping in William Tell, flying during the theme to ET and even conducted the orchestra. The conductor was giving various older kids a go with the baton, and dd1 happened to be wandering past and so he scooped her up to have a go too. She was thrilled! Unfortunately dp was so busy concentrating on his trombone part he didn't even notice.

Harry has croup!

He has had a ri=ottewn cougfh for 5 weeks but has been well in himself. Took him to gp last week as cough was lingering and was given a ventolin inhaler for him...
anyway...
last night, his cough turned realy weird and high pitched. emergency doc came out and he has croup,,.....lots of steam inhaltion....
then this afternoon he started projectile vomitting....back to emergency docs.....got to use inhaler lots more and up steam inhalation.

He is ok in himself but it sleepy worse than ever. Luckily the vomitting has settled

Anyway - I get to stay off work with him tomorrow
every cloud.....