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!!!

In the style of one Mr Ramsay - jabs, done! Having all three today means no more until the pre-school booster (hurrah!). Shame she's decided that her brief fling with liking Calpol is now over...!

I'm having problems with my posts too - doing it on my phone is fraught with danger, as is trying to post using the netbook while attempting to feed the girls.

Good news though - DD2 finally pulled up to standing yesterday (she did it once about a month ago and obviously decided it wasn't for her because she sat straight back down again, looking a bit startled) and today she's done it quite a bit as well. Maybe she will be walking by the time she's two (I keep telling her all her MN chums are already doing it, but then that didn't work with the tooth growing - or maybe it did?!).

And thanks to a training day tomorrow, DD1's half term has started today. This would normally fill me with happiness and dread at the same time (like spending the time with DD1 but given quite a bit of time with me, she can turn into a horror), but as it is I'm back at work next week and she's at holiday club. Guess this is how life is going to be from now on...

Just read my post back and I can only apologise for being so self-obsessed and downright dull.

scones yes, DS is dummy free at night time and now day times and as far as I'm aware only uses it for naps (I think he is but not sure as he naps at nursery). It doesn't seem to confuse him as we've done this for a few months (yes during day and not at night) but last weekend was a bit hard as we stop using it as a comforter during day tome. (I hope this make sense?!)

BG good luck with ttc. Wifi is such a wonderful think!

chinook good luck with the party and the studies (I guess that's what a PGCE is? )

PA glad you had a good curry and I hope it agreed with you.

LBH, Abs hope you're okay?

Forgot to say, DS can now clap!!! I'm so proud!

Hey, chinook and stoof, lovely to hear from you both!
Good luck with the PGCE, chinook. DH is hoping to do one of those next year as well.
(It stands for Post Graduate Certificate of Education, SB - basically a one-year conversion cause into teaching)

Good job, BC's DS!! We'll have lots more walkers in the next month or so, I reckon!

Excellent summary, PA!
Great to hear you and your DH are enjoying conjugal relations. Might as well close the door now the horse has bolted, eh?!

CS, your post was fine - don't apologise! Fingers crossed your DD2 doesn't react too much to her jabs. What a relief they're done, eh? Good stuff on the pulling up, too!!
I do hope your DH shapes up soon. Not fair to leave you feeling hard done by like this

Fingers crossed your DD2 will be over whatever it is fast, Schro

Kisses, bethy?! Aw, that's gorgeous!

Yay, for the clapping SB!

Re: dummies Scones - DD kept hers for naps for quite some time after she started rejecting it for night time sleep. Eventually I just took it away for naps too, as it wasn't really helping her sleep seeing as she tended to be disturbed every time it dropped out of her mouth. Naps and night time sleep are apparently governed by different parts of the brain, so keeping the dummy for daysleep shouldn't be a problem for the nights.

And on the subject of naps...I managed to persuade DD to fall asleep in a static position but NOT latched on today. She was cuddled up with me on the bed, but still protested for about half an hour and required fifteen renditions of The Israeli Boat Song before she finally dropped off. Then she was awake again after 25 mins. So not a great return, really - but the fact she did actually fall asleep without being pushed in the buggy was something, I s'pose. I just felt too knackered to do the walk this afternoon.

On a lighter note, DD discovered walking with her truck today and LOVED it, going up and down the coridoor loads, then turning around with a big grin.
She's also become very enthusiastic about banging on her glockenspiel and also looks up and grins while she's doing that because she wants applause.
She's got thoroughly addicted to waving and clapping, does both all the time now. It's really endearing.

The other thing is how much she now loves her books. She keeps crawling up to where they're kept and does her throat-growly/purring thing she does when she wants something then grins and follows me full of excitement when I select one and sit down to read it to her.
I'm very chuffed she's so into books already. For a start, it could be very helpful during feeding of a newborn if DD will happily cuddle up for stories (she's already getting pretty good at turning the pages). And also, I'm hoping she'll be a keen reader once she's old enough as it's such a brilliant way for them to quietly keep themselves entertained while expanding vocabulary, expressiveness, encouraging imagination etc...
I guess the phase may pass, but it looks good now!
On the other hand, after the 12th reading in a day, even Each Peach Pear Plum can lose its charm a bit

Ooh sorry - monster post!!

DD with her push-along truck

dd2 is quite suspicious of her grandparents but much better than last October when she was really clingy and wouldn't let me go to the loo... Not that I plan to leave her with my parents for any length of time. They are very old (my dad is in his 80s)and can look after dd1 very well because she is quite independent but dd2 is unpredictable and needs carrying which they can't do easily. I'm just pleased my girls get to spend time here because they only have one set of grandparents as it is.

This thread has gone very quiet all of a sudden... scary. Is there football on or something I am not aware of?

I'm here!
I also thought it was quiet but some ladies are maybe active ttc and others (the pregnant ones) are maybe enjoying to put their feet up and leave their DH/DP do all the work?
DH is at work so I'm doing neither!!!

I was wondering the same thing, BG!

Yes, GPs are very special and so often it seems to rejuvenate them to spent time with their GCs.
It must be lovely for you to have a bit of proper German time, BG!

Well, today was my first full day after a full night of being a single parent. I know loads of you do it all the time, some with two, but hey...! DH is so super-organised that half the time I don't have to think. It was quite a novelty to have to actually apply a wee bit of brain power to DD's and my day, which included an outing so see a friend for lunch. I'm pleased I can still manage to function even without DH to run around for me It's very good for me.
Mind you, after two long walks with DD in the buggy I'm feeling a bit knackered....

Ha ha, X-posted SB!

CS That must be a relief to have no more jabs for ages. Well done DD2 on pulling to standing.

SB Aww, clapping. It's so sweet.

IC Love the video. She's fast! DS really enjoys books too - pulls them off the shelf and flips through them on his own even. I'm sure it is partly because we introduced them almost from the beginning.

DS has been catching up on his eating. He's ravenous and did six (six!) poos today.

We went to storytime at the Horniman with my friend and her little girl and then they came back here for lunch and a play.

He's pretty much back to normal healthwise now thank goodness but the extreme clinginess remains. He even cries when his dad picks him up sometimes. I always assumed if you were always there for them they behaved like PA's daughter - were confident to leave you and come back. I'm sure it is just a developmental stage but I feel a bit rubbish about it, that somehow I've done something wrong.

Last night he only woke once but even after a feed was full on bouncy and wanting to play so DH kindly took him downstairs and rocked him in the pram and slept on the sofa again and they both slept until I woke them up at 8.

Oh I was thinking - do any of you feel self-conscious when you run into someone else from Feb 2010 on another thread on mumsnet?

I do. I'm a lot cheekier on Chat etc. because it feels a lot more anonymous, I actually feel like you lot know me so am more bothered about what you think of me.

Six poos, Bc

Yes, I saw you and your rude words on the Wrist Slapped By MNHQ thread, Bear....
I thought it was very funny.

You know what? I'm seriously considering getting one of these thingies. Although the buggy naps are good exercise on the one hand, being pg means I'm getting properly tired out by them on the other. And it won't be long before my bladder simply won't hold out.

Any views? They seem to have very good reviews, but I'm a bit nervous about forking out (especially when one factors in international shipping costs, I don't believe they sell them here) if DD doesn't go for it. It'd be useful to try before I buy. But I s'pose I could Ebay it if it doesn't work.

That said, I think it might because DD has proved she will nap in the car for reasonable lengths of time and the motion is supposed to be similar to that of a moving vehicle....

It COULD be the answer I've been looking for...

IC clever stuff but I would like to try it first, especially for that kind of money. Does she wakes up once the motion stops? If not have you try to sit and with your foot on the wheel move the pushchair (like rocking)? It works for DS when we're in restaurant or pub and it's nap time.

BC I'm sure the clinginess is just a phase. In some ways I wish my DD was more clingy - she always seem glad to see the back of me when I leave her at nursery.

I was thinking about your q about bumping into this group on other parts of MN and realised that I made a conscious decision to just be myself wherever I am - with friends/family/work/on t'internet - sometime in my mid-30s and so I'm unembarassable (is that a word? spelling?). I really am the sweary, lazy-arsed, gobshite slattern I seem - and that's why my DP loves me (so he says - though he could just be covering for a terrible life choice).

DD's jabs went fine on Thursday and my midwife (the usual inept, uninterested, waste of space) at least found my baby's heartbeat on Wed - which was reassuring.

Am quite bored at the moment so have started buying tickets to go to gigs so I've got something to look forward to. Some are very close to my csection date - so i hope i don't go into early labour. Last time round I went clubbing 2 days before I had DD till 3am - and DP gave up smoking the same night. I remember us waiting on the bus stop on the way home and saying how we wouldn't be doing this for a while again! We actually managed it on August bank holiday, 7 months later.

That's why we love you too, Stangirl

Yes, SB she usually does wake when the motion stops. And sitting and rocking would mean I'm still tied to the buggy, just not outside!
But yes, I wouldn't want to spend the cash if it didn't work for DD....
(mind you, I found them for 35 quid on ebay and less from other stockists too, so it's not quite as expensive as in the link above...)

A better night last night, thankfully. DD only woke once the night before, but took an hour and a half to resettle.
Last night she only woke once, but went back down reasonably quickly and this time I kept my hand on her until she stopped fidgeting and fell back to sleep. Then she didn't wake again until just after seven...phew.

I offered DD a bit of warm cow's milk in her sippy cup when we first got up - she had a couple of mouthfuls but didn't seem overly impressed, although didn't spit it out or anything. I'll keep offering it, though. I expect she'll get used to the taste.

I just cut DD's fringe. She gets really fed up with it going in her eyes, but will NOT leave her hair clips in. It looks rather cute in an uneven sort of way...

IC for £35 I'll give it a go. Well done on the night. I think you may already do it (if I remember well ) but you can get your DD use to milk taste with cereals, cheese sauce... but as you said it's already great that she didn't spit it out.

BC let me know (via FB?) when the Horniman storytime is one - maybe I could meet you there one day with my two DDs?

IC personally I wouldn't invest in anything to help DD1's naps. They are so changeable that it may well prove to be a waste of money. She and you will find your way as your pg continues and even when your new LO comes along. I found that with my DD1 (though I appreciate that she was older) - she adapted as I got bigger and more immibile (because of the SPD) because she had to! Sometimes we used to curl up together for naps and that was lovely. Or you may find that she drops a nap and starts having one long one. Or drops them altogether. I'm another one for rocking the pushchair while sitting drinking coffee and eating cake!

Good work on the hair cut and cow's milk. My Dd2 is completely on cow's milk now. She seems to prefer it and drinks a bit more than she did with formula. I've tried a sippy cup, but don't think she's ready to give up the bottle yet (and I'm wary of forcing it as I can't afford for her fluid intake to go down).

Stan how exciting that you've heard your baby's heartbeat!

BG hope you're having a lovely time!

The jabs went fine on Thursday, though she was a bit unsettled at moments yesterday. She's teething though, and still has a cold, so she's entitled!

One thing she does love is books though. She will leaf through them for ages and her face lights up when I read to her and she turns the pages. DD1 is also obsessed with books - she loves everything about them, from the pictures to the font used (geeky daughter of a geeky mother). - and has literally hundreds of books. If I want her to have some downtime and need her to be occupied, I'll often put a story tape or CD on and she "reads" along. Lovely.

Ooh, better stop rambling and finish writing my article on getting children to take medicines...

Well, I completely take your point CS, but I've gone ahead and ordered one from Ebay - cost £35 plus £16 shipping, so not too bad.

Even snuggled up with me (unless latched on - but that isn't an option any more as I'm now weaning DD off the breast) DD spends more time yelling than actually napping, so if she'll consent to snooze in her buggy while she's rocked in a car-like motion, then that's the answer. If it doesn't work, then I will re-Ebay it so I can recoup at least part of the outlay.

In the past, DD has been successfully rocked to sleep in her buggy, but we've never got more than about half an hour out of her once it's still. And while I've got no problems with her napping only in the buggy, I would be more than happy not to be continually keeping it in motion for her!!!

We shall see. I'll let you know if it does the job.

And hey, it might be useful for DC2 as well (although I'm directing loads of positive energy toward the aim of DC2 being a great sleeper from the word go...!)

I appear to have phantom pregnancy symptoms out of sympathy for those of you who are pregnant... Feeling very tired, a bit bloated, headachy, hungry, off alcohol and sweet things

Oh and I can add insomnia and constipation to the list. Might as well be pregnant (pretty sure I'm not though).

BG