March 2005 part 3 - Support for the sleep obsessed!

[bonym]

Which of course, we all are

Goodmorning everyone,

Hi Jambot, glad you had a good night. And no I don't think it's old age, it's the mark of having a good time; or so I tell myself

Sleep is scarce in our house at the moment, Kieran's cold is a little bit worse and he has been up nearly all night

I wish I could nap when he has his nap later, but I have to go to the University for an induction. It's my final year so I cannot afford to put a foot wrong.

Hope you all had a good night.

Morning everyone.

Hey Jambot, happy birthday for yesterday. I'm still older than you, but only just at 37. Glad you had a good time last night. Hope Bonym had a good time too. I spent the evening catching up on 'Lost' with a glass of wine and a tub of M&S flapjacks ... perfect

Norash, glad you've found a good childminder (gives me hope) and good luck today at Uni. What are you studying ? I'll guess you're nowhere near as old and wrinkly as me as you're a student

Have a worrying update today. Last night there was an invisible man in Harrison's room who was sticking pins in him everytime I put him in his cot. Sounds strange I know, but this is the only explanation I can come up with for the fever pitch screaming he was doing between 10.30-11.30pm The invisible man went away each time I picked Harrison up as he stopped screaming and started laughing Little monster eventually settled just after 11.30 and went though until 5.45am. He's now having a monster nap to catch up, whilst I'm running around getting the house ready for a coffee morning in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief, oh yes and catching up on MN of course The beauty of doing this is they will all bring biscuits, only half will get eaten and I'll spend the rest of the day munching away before DH and DD get home and devour them

Have a good day everyone

Happy birthday for yesterday, Jambot. Sounds like you had a nice evening. I'm 40 in early February and instead of a party (who wants to draw attention to it?) we'll go on a holiday over New Year. Just have to decide where. We've been at New Year in Bucharest, Berlin, Barcelona and Vilnius. I was thinking of Vienna maybe, I wonder if they do fireworks? They didn't have them in Barcelona last year because it turns too rowdy. We didn't know it and got caught up in the street fight, champagne bottles flying, police charging in etc. It was terrifying as we had Dominic (5) and I was 28-30 weeks pregnant then.

Sylvia is asleep now so I'll be off MN to do some work.

I hope you're all well. NIce to see you back, Norash. Good luck with the studies.

Ooh - Christina, we went to Vienna last Christmas - it was wonderful. Highly recommended. It's my big four-oh next year as well - glad I'm not the only one here!

Busywizzy, I am studying Finance and thanks for the well wishes. Christina thank you for well wishes.

Hope everyone is well.

everyone, I know I need them

Can you believe my night out seems to have given me gastro. Think it must have been something I ate. Won't go into the sordid details, but I had a horrid night, and it was nothing to do with my child - she slept through oblivious to my plight! Feeling a little better this morning but still a bit nauseous. Brings back horrid memories of about this time last year when I was just coming out of 2 terrible months of pregnancy sickness. Never felt so awful in my life and hardly ate a thing during that time. Really hoping I don't feel the same with number 2 as it's going to be a different kettle of fish with a toddler running around.

Norash, Finance [girl must be mad in the head emoticon]

Jambot, hope you're feeling a bit better. I got truly awful sickness with both of mine that lasted all day, every day for four months It's one of the main reasons I have such a big gap between my two as after DD, I never wanted to be pregnant ever again. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it was even worse with Harrison as I couldn't just crawl under the duvet and wait to die I had to look after DD

I remember one evening throwing up about six times in an hour and telling DH it was all his fault for letting me talk him into having another one Don't regret it for a moment now though, well, not usually

I don't think people really appreciate how bad pregnancy sickness can be. It totally incapacitated me for two months. Even my husband, who is very intolerant of sick people, didn' t give me a moments grief during that time. I think it was so obvious by my constant chucking up that I wasn't putting it on. I didn't eat, go out, couldn't even open the fridge as the smell of food made me hurl. Once popped down to the shops to buy a present for someone, which was a major mistake as the petrol fumes in the carpark were the end!
How I've been feeling the last two days is peanuts compared to that.
Norash - impressed that you are a finance boff. I'm hopeless in that area.

We've bought the fligths for Vienna (thanks for your encouragement too, BonyM). We are going 29 Dec - 5 Jan. It costs £405 for all 4 of us, so a very good price. We need to book a hotel now and think of maybe taking a day to Bratislava, one to Salzburg etc. It depends how trains run over that time of the year. DH looked for the hotel he stayed in when he went on a tour across Europe 8 years ago (I flew straight to Romania and waited for him there) and he found out it was a hotel they hired by the hour!!!!! How innocent he must have been if he didn't get it at the time. He went there as that's where they filmed scenes from The Third Man. Perhaps not a family hotel for this time round, though.

Sylvia is 7 months old today. She is still red-haired. Dominic had changed colour by now. In fact this might have been his baldy period.

I never had morning sickness in any pregnancy. My sister is a no-nonsense sort of person and she suffered a lot with morning sickness, so I truly believe it's for real, not just a dying-swan routine. I never had any pregnancy cravings either.

We need to go to Sainsubrys shortly as the fridge is empty. Sylvia is having a late nap, the first of the day Just now she woke up. Have a nice evening everyone.

Busywizzy & jambot - I would go through labour 15 times over rather than those early vomitting months (and I had a 3 day labour with dd1). In fact it's not even the vomitting itself that is so bad - more the constant feeling like you just want to crawl into a hole, curl up and moan till it all goes away! This time it went on till 4 months - at that point it was sort of receding and dp persuaded me to go out for a meal, and I chewed on some dry pasta, then threw up all over the pavement. What a romantic success! And I don't even think I got it that badly compared with many people.

Still tempted by the thought of going for number 3 though ... not just yet. At the moment I think we might go for a similar gap, i.e. 2 1/2 or 3 years. But when I have a 5 year old plus a 2 year old on my hands I may go off the whole idea!

Is anyone here thinking of riding the pregnancy rollercoaster soon?

Peter wants another baby! he keeps mentionaing it. says we've gotta try for a boy lol. i told him no chance (he is wired up to a machine atm and not a chance of anything naughty, not forgetting he is long term patient at harefield 30miles away).

I keep getting all tearful over everything peter is missing. I phoned him up last week to tell him that serena had said mama. i justwanted him here to hear it, and not be having to tell him. I think he will miss the 1st proper crawling session, he has seen her commando crawl and swivel on her tummy, blow kisses, etc, but its hurting more and more each time he misses something. his room is full of photos of the kids, and i know we see him a lot, but just feel so down atm over this all. i dont usually bring it all onto the march threads, as its usually light hearted chat about the babies. but serena is 7months old, and he hhhas only been at home for about 12 weeks of her life. its killing me.

Oh Misdee - I don't think any of us really knew what a hard time you've been having. I knew your husband wasn't well, but as you haven't mentioned him for so long, felt I was prying to ask, and felt you would say something if you wanted to. Serena sounds like a lovely child (very advanced!) and it's sad that your DH isn't around to see all those little milestones. Are you hoping to see him at home soon or is this a long term thing?

He is going to be there for at least another month.Hee should be back on the transplant list soon, but they still need to do tests to make sure he is fit enough to go back on.

just got up, serena laying besides me, and the little monkey had taken her nappy wrap off. must remember to button her vests back up lol.

Ohh Misdee I'm so very sorry for all you're going through. I've read some of your other threads and what you are having to cope with very seriously puts everything into perspective for me. I really don't know what to say having never experienced someone close suffering from a long term illness but I really hope everything works out for you, Peter and the girls.

I saw the picture you posted of Serena and Peter in the hospital. How gorgeous

Misdee - I've also followed some of your other threads. I don't know how you do it to be honest. I get myself into a flap sometimes with just 2 kids and a partner who is not only fit and well but around to help most of the time. I really hope he gets well enough to get back on that transplant list soon and get the operation that should transform your lives.

happy belated birthday Jambot! Really sorry that your feeling down Misdee, have you got lots of support from Family? Your doing really well at holding everything together, you are the family 'glue'!

Caleb keeps propping himself up on his arms and knees then rocking and sinking back down again, am waiting for when he takes that first 'crawl'forwards! I'm going to do the pregnancy ride again, even though I didn't really enjoy being pregnant as my hormones were horrendous. Looking to start trying around Calebs 3rd birthday.

Misdee - So sorry to hear that you are having a bad time and that your partner is so unwell at the moment. It must be very hard on the whole family, esp (in a way) the older children since they really need their dad. I hope that all goes well for you in the next few weeks and that Peter is able to come home.

Had a busy weekend with DS1 and Freya. DH away for the weekend at a wedding (I couldn't go cos bf Freya and no kids allowed) and so I took DS1 to his swimming lesson yesterday and then out on a bike ride today. Had a lovely time. Have just been ironing all DS1's school uniform for his 2nd week at school, seems really strange to be doing the whole school run thing.

Freya has her 1st tooth!!!! Can just see the tip of white pushing thru the gum. She has not been grumpy with it at all, but then she is so laid back I'm not too surprised.

misdee - sorry you are feeling so down. I do try to follow your other threads and have an enormous amount of admiration for how you manage to keep everything together. Fingers crossed that Peter will be back on the transplant list soon.

Christina - I'm sure you will love Vienna. My dh went on the Third Man tour when we were there (I was too tired - being 6mths pg - so had a sleep instead!). He was the only one who turned up for it but thoroughly enjoyed it! You must go to the cafe at the hotel Sacher and have Sacher Torte - it's to die for!

Grace went into her own room on Friday night. We put her in her cot as she has been having her daytime naps there for a while, but she wouldn't settle and was crawling all over the place so we ended up putting her hammock in the room instead and she has been fine there all weekend. I'm not quite sure how we're going to make the transition from hammock to cot - they're supposed to be ok in them up to about 12 months but I'd really like to get her into her cot sooner as I'm finding it harder to get her in and out of the hammock as she gets bigger.

She is still waking for a feed about 3am and seems to be really hungry so I'm not inclined to try and drop it yet (much as I'd like to!). I suppose she will drop it when she's ready?

We had decided not to have any more children as I will be 40 next year and dh will be 48, so he's booked in for a vasectomy. However, we're now starting to have second thoughts - Grace is dh's first child (dd1 is from my previous marriage) and he is enjoying her far more than he imagined he would. I guess our heads are saying that we shouldn't have any more, but our hearts aren't so sure! We might postpone the snip for the time being .

Well, must whizz round and try and get some housework done while Grace is sleeping and then it's off to Tesco (what an exciting life I lead !)

Have a good day everyone.

hello March mums

just popping in to say a huge thank you to BusyWizzy and Jambot who helped me out no end last week with DD2's sleep issues on my sleep thread. Things have settled down again for now (long story but we think she was suffering a lethal combo of teething and starvation ).

Busy, Jambot, THANK YOU.

Hope you other sleep obsessed parents are managing ok.

Misdee, hope you got my message saying I'd received the grobag. Thanks again. I just read your message below and just wanted to say how sorry I am about the situation with your DH. I hope things get better soon. It puts all of my sleep deprivation worries into stark perspective.

MP XX

So glad to hear that MP. Nearly posted on your thread this morning as I saw that you hadn't posted for a while and wondered how things were going. So what's happening on the feeding front? Have you added more solids or milk to make her fuller? Hope to see you more here eventhough your dd (would be nice to know her name now) isn't quite a March baby - but near enough - and anyway it's nice here - far nicer than the April thread I'm sure!
Am obsessed with solids at the moment. Spent nearly the whole day yesterday cooking up some nummy stuff from my new Annabel Karmel books. Lauren's taken to fish well although she didn't eat nearly half her breakie or lunch and just seemed to want to go back to bed - so off she went. Who am I to stop a tired baba from sleeping?

Ok MP - just saw your post on your sleep thread, so no need to repeat yourself if you don't want to.

Not been around much...back at work. struggling
having a day off today as i feel lousy
the boys have both been ill for a few weeks and i am coming down with it too

anyway took myself off to the docs and guess whaat
the old blood pressure is back up to 150/100
have to go back on friday nd every friday for 3 weeks
arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hey Popsycal - nice to hear from you. Sorry your'e not feeling well. Would be great to hear more from you, if you can manage it.

Hi Jambot

her name is Esther (2nd name Una). Long story behind the name but basically it was what my mum wanted to call me (the Esther bit, DH's mum is called Una) but my many sisters talked her out of it. Growing up with a fairly plain and common name I always wished I had been called Esther. We didn't do it to DD1 (she is Eva) but when DD2 arrived after much deliberation that's what we went for. I like it as my mum passed away 12 years ago and so knows nothing of the DDs, but at least I know she liked DD2's name. My sisters still haven't quite come to terms with it - I think it is a bit of a love it or hate it name!

anyway, what a ramble. I will definitely look in here every now and then, thanks for the welcome. Esther was born April 8th - although her due date was March 31, so I suppose we are close enough.

You do seem a very friendly bunch, and I have even met Pidge in the past (just emailed you today Pidge)

anyway, I am officially working today so I better skip off again

thanks again guys

Well, we finished moving at the weekend. the house is really great. still a complete mess, but so nice to have more room. Niklas's room is great, its big enough for him to play in and have his toys out in.

He's been a bit unsettled though, his problem with going to sleep has reappeared and he has been very clingy. I would love to spend a few days just focusing on him totally but have to go back to work tomorrow !

Another baby? I think Norash is hoping for one ASAP aren't you????? we've discussed and think we will, but I'm definitely not ready to go through pregnancy again yet. And I also found the first few months after Niklas was born really tough. Something we also won't leave for too long though as dh is almost 47. Like yours Bonym, he is surprised how mcu.... Ok, Niklas needs my attention. can't type now......