FEB 2010 First birthdays beckon and toddlerdom approacheth...uh-oh!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

It's humbling to look back at the last year and see how our LO's have gone from helpless newborns to action-packed pre-toddlers.

BRING IT ON!!!

Gorgeous pic, BG!

Thanks for all the thoughts. Where would I be without all you lovely ladies?

This morning DD2 seemed a lot better (and she actually slept quite well). I took her to the GP anyway, and she's been given the all-clear, it's just a nasty virus, though he said that she may well have asthma but it's almost impossible to diagnose in under ones. I've kept her off nursery today and she seems OK, but I'm going to keep a close eye on her before deciding whether she can go in tomorrow.

Oh, there she is, waking up from her nap (hour and a half - I slept for a bit too). Better go.

Oh, happy birthday stan!

CS glad she is a little better!

Happy Birthday Stangirl!!!

happy Birthday stan
SB please don't complain about the 6h30 wake up, it is a lie in in this house....

CS good to hear.

I feel a bit of a fraud actually. In the cold light of day, I don't know if she was really poorly last night and is just much better this morning, or if I was imagining it. The latter isn't like me, but I was very tired and overwrought after a hard few days.

Ths mothering lark is so difficult, isn't it? I can't work out how I'm going to manage once I go back to work in a few weeks time and have to drop and collect the DDs to and from different settings, commute into London, and work. I think it's going to be shambolic.

CS you are not a fraud! When I read your post last night I thought immediately, I know just how you feel. Everything seems worse at night, esp at the weekend, and without support (eg dh in the house). You did the right thing to watch her and I think we are all really relieved she's better today!!

As for combining work and two dc, ask me later this week in the unlikely event of me being offered the job.... . I rather fancy the salary but if they offer it to me I'll be sh*ing myself because the logistics are going to be impossible.
Sorry, that wasn't very positive or reassuring

Thank goodness she's feeling better, CS - I must admit, I was feeling worried after reading the symptoms you described - I would have been panicking a bit. And yes, it's always worse at night, isn't it?

I hope you can catch up on your sleep in the next day or two and that DD2 continues to recover well.

CS Am pleased all is better. I worry myself sick about whether DD is really poorly or just a bit off when she isn't on top form. When she was really little I convinced myself she was going to choke on mucus when she had a cold and was checking on her every half hour - including waking her up.

Planned to have a birthday sulk this year because a) I'm 42 and b) I'm pregnant. Have no drinks planned - I usually have a party/go clubbing. However this has been derailed by DP buying me not one but two items of Tiffany jewellery (it is one of my few exceptions to the no-brand, only second -hand/vintage/cheap rule I have for my clothes and accessories) so I am very happy and quite taken aback. I think he thinks I'm going to leave him so he is trying hard bless 'im.

I also had violet creams for breakfast which was a great treat. LO is in a good mood and snaffled quite a bit of my mid-morning croissant. Thanks very much for the birthday wishes.

Happy birthday Stangirl!!
Sounds like a well deserved day! :)

CS Glad all ok. I worry if DD will get ill will I know? It is tough.

BG Hope you get it. You will find a way :)

Happy Birthday Stangirl - 42 is no age.

CS Glad DD is doing ok. It is really worrying when they are poorly, I don't think you are any sort of fraud.

LBH Yay for doing the deed!

SB I also love all types of fish and seafood and steak tartare. In fact when I was a little girl, I thought the dish was named after me. My name is Natasha and I used to call myself 'Tata' - so I thought it was 'Steak Tata'. My dad is a restauranteur, so I was exposed to it at such a young age. He used to have a place in Soho in the 70s/80s.

We were well enough to go to our swimming session today, it went a lot better than the first one. He is still more nervous than the other babies but he managed to stay in the water for the full half hour without having hysterics.

On the way home a young-ish (and quite dishy) mediterranean guy fell in love with him. He was chatting and waving and amusing him all the way home.

I also gave him his first taste of sausage roll (just a bit of mine) on the way home - how very un-Mumsnet. He loved it of course.

I do hope it was from Greggs, Bc..

BC Nice work on the way home. Both DP and myself have noticed the pulling potential of being with DD.

Happy birthday Stangirl! What fantastic pressies and how clever of your DP. You could have one teeny tiny glass of champers couldn't you? I used to buy half bottles, as I was too envious to watch DH drinking the rest of a whole bottle. I must say I am not looking forward to the whole no-booze thing again. Not that I'm pregnant yet.

CS phew that DD2 is better. I'd have been scared stiff if it were me with no DH in the house. I tend to call my mum and relay symptoms to her, and she sais she doesn't know and to call NHS Direct. I still call her though

And you will manage the working thing fine - you come across as very organised and capable.

BG was the job interview today? How did it go?

LBH great that the drought has ended!

We have had another day of no naps I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I thought after yesterday, she was heading back to normal. And I'm tired beyond belief. Not even sure if I'll manage to stay up for One Born Every Minute - anyone else watching it? It is making me feel incredibly broody. And nervous.

scones it's tomorrow at silly o'clock in the morning (plus lengthy drive there and attempt to park somewhere my car may still be when I get back... bit dodgy estate where the interview is held) so I should maybe get off MN and write my 10 minute presentation and generally think about what to say... I'm not in the moooooood... [stamping foot]

Good luck, BG! Give it your best shot, anyway.

Aw Scones, meh - nap stress is a major bummer...
What have you tried, out of interest? Will she sleep reclined and snuggled up in a buggy while you walk? Will she sleep snuggled up with you in bed, latched on? (are you BF?) White noise? Have you tried putting her down at different times from usual? She may need to go longer before being ready for a sleep...?

I expect you've tried loads of stuff, but stick a thread up in Sleep, there are quite a few people who've got a lot of nap gen. Someone might have some ideas you haven't tried yet.

Last night I actually had the most sleep I've had yet since DD was born. She only woke once (03.15), took a couple of attempts and 30-40mins to go back down, but then slept until 08.40. I woke once before DD at about 01.00, but managed to get myself back to sleep instead of falling prey to the usual insomnia. And I not only got back to sleep reasonably quickly after DD's nocturnal awakening, but managed to go back off again after waking for about 20 mins or so at 06.15. Wow!! And I haven't even started doing my self-help book yet...

IC 8:40!

One of the many many things I am dreading about going back to work is that I'm going to have to wake DD up earlier than she currently does - probably around 7 - and I will have to get up at 6:30 to get ready on time.

DD is in lovely mood recently - just wish I could stop the hair pulling and eye gouging. We are currently grooving to the download chart on the telly and I am lecturing her about the dangers of liking too much R 'n' B. We had Sigur Ros for breakfast which makes her bop like a loon.

Oops... 07.40! Felt like a big lie-in, anyway.

Business as usual last night (well, worse than usual actually) - 3 awakenings, including a 1hr resettle. Think I got 4 and half hours of sleep. Just as well I had a bit in the bank.

I'm sure the hair-pulling and eye-gouging are just signs of affection, Stangirl!
Quite right about the R'n'B

DD goes for World grooves, but also has a liking for ska and old skool hip hop.

My poor DD listens to radio 4 or 3 most of the day. She doesn't seem particularly enthused by either station I have to be honest.

IC and then on the sleep.

As for me, well I think I'm putting her down too early for her morning nap, but it's just odd that she's put it back a couple of hours overnight - not gradually at all. And I find it difficult to get used to the extra time with her up and very much about, I used to use it to go on mumsnet get ready. As for the afternoon nap, I just have no idea what is going on. She refused it again today, so was in bed by 6 again. And night time sleep is no better.

I think I'll follow your advice and post in sleep, IC.

How was the interview BG?

I saw my friend whose baby died, today. She is doing a lot better than I expected. It was placental abruption that caused all the bleeding and brought on the labour. Apparently if it happens once, there is a 5% chance it would happen next time too. She is waiting to see the consultant in February to find out if it's safe for her to try again. I so, so hope she can and that she gets pregnant quickly.

My dd2 likes playing fetch. If I roll or throw a toy she will crawl over and bring it back to me... Along with her tendency to carry slippers in her mouth, I wonder if she thinks she's a dog

Interview went pretty okay but I am not sure I sounded as confident as I should have done for that particular post (it's pretty senior)... Hmm. Will find out this week. I was just pleased I managed to talk in sentences because I was really tired and incredibly nervous. Hardly slept at all last night (unlike me, normally I am fine before interviews). dd2 was also unusually talkative in her sleep and randomly saying 'Da!', 'Mama', 'Googir'(Good girl)... Probably dreamt of playing fetch with me

Scones Glad your friend is doing better than you expected. At least she will not blame herself (women are good at that) because placental abruption is not something you can have any influence on...

Re music I did remind dh the other night that he has quite a responsibility which music he exposes the girls to - my comment came after the kind of things he was showing them on UTube when I got home last week (which is why they were so quiet - some of the videos were pretty hypnotic).

Scones dd2 dropped her morning nap from one day to the next! I had to bring her lunch forward to 11ish (now 11.30) and she then sleeps from 12 to about 2.30 (sometimes less, sometimes more). It does get her through to bedtime... just (I give her dinner at 5, milk at 6 and she is in bed by 6.30)
Maybe your dd really doesn't need her morning nap any more...

I'm intrigued by what music that was, BG!
Fingers crossed for the job

Scones, I've noticed from other posters that naps can come and go - did mamaloco say her DD dropped a nap for a week or so, then went back to two naps?
My DD now goes around 3.5 hours (give or take) between naps - assuming she has at least half an hour of sleep. Less than than and she'll conk out earlier.

Today both DD's naps were a bit truncated - second was only just over half an hour and finished 40mins earlier than usual. She zonked at bedtime, not surprisingly. I'd love to think it'll mean a better night tonight....
(Hah...just as I was typing the next paragraph, she woke up - 40mins after going down. Classic DD when she's a bit overtired.)

I made the first "cake" I've made in YEARS earlier today, ready for DD's birthday tomorrow. It was banana bread, chosen 'cos it doesn't involve ridiculous amounts of sugar. I'm going to make chocolate cream to go in the middle and on top, though

Hi everyone just marking my place... haven't slept for days, DD is teething badly and DP has a cold and is snoring so loudly I just cannot sleep. I have been reading all your posts but haven't got the energy to post. Sorry. DD hasn't napped properly either and is crawling everywhere so I just don't have time. Wishing everyone a good night, I'm going to bed soon...

Mine dropped one or other nap (or had both but really short) for a week but is back to two now.