Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Post-natal clubs

Join our Postnatal Clubs forum to find parenting advice for newborns.

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

998 replies

InmaculadaConcepcion · 06/01/2011 09:21

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!!!

Smile
OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BabyGiraffes · 08/01/2011 21:16

Chestnut how are things sleep wise? I am watching your dd2 with some anxiety because she got the trophy for being the first one on this thread to sleep through the night (closely followed by my dd2) and things appear to have gone pear shaped recently... DD2 is back to normal after a few weeks of being very unsettled due to teething, but she does protest quite a bit at the moment when I put her to bed. I usually have to go back in at least twice to sing another song and stroke her head. Beginning to believe in sleep regression........

Bearcrumble · 08/01/2011 21:31

Well I am another one who hasn't done it for ages. We did it once about 8 weeks post partum and since then, nada.

I am sort of up for it now but he always works late into the night and also (I know this is shallow) his tummy area is not in good shape at present. He's got a real belly on him - the rest of him is fine but it is a bit offputting. But I would have sex for sure if he tried it on.

We are very affectionate and we kiss and cuddle a lot and we're getting on very well at the moment (partly due I am sure to DS sleeping better).

DS can take a loaded spoon off me and put it in his mouth. He can hold a sippy sup and suck from it but he can't work out that he has to tip the cup up, so he just sucks air Hmm. I have to hold it for him most of the time.

He had cod, spinach and potato pie for lunch with mini breadsticks and cheese and a petit filou and for dinner - pasta, veg/tomato sauce and a meatball for dinner with fresh papaya and rice pudding for afters. Mains and rice pud all homemade.

DS slept from 7pm to 5am then from 6 until 8.15! Only two half hour naps today but I am not complaining. Took him to the city farm today. He was most taken with shetland ponies.

LBH NOT HOPELESS. My DS will not eat vegetable sticks/plain veg at all. I have to hide it in eg sauce or mashed potato. One time I told this other mother that he hated greens and she said "but surely every baby loves eating broccoli 'trees'" and I wanted to batter her (a bit).

I have had a bit of wine.

AbsB · 08/01/2011 22:51

BC and IC yes Gorillaz are very complex, it's like working with several bands at once, and there's a lot of politics involved. I think it has been quite tiring... BC my DP wasn't involved in the Monkey opera as he was working with Jarvis Cocker at the time, I would have liked to have seen it though. I went to see Gorillaz when we went to Paris and they were amazing, it's quite a production! Oh and long story, but there was some serious girl on girl action going on behind the lighting guy during the show (I think several pills had been popped - ooer Hmm)

My DD seems to be learning things super fast at the moment. She goes "mooooo" when we say "how does the cow go?" and looks so pleased with herself. It is hilarious Grin I've also been trying to teach her to spit after cleaning her teeth and this makes her hysterical with laughter. Makes the lack of sleep worth it!!!

My DD has been eating really well lately. Her favourite dish at the moment is salmon with wholewheat fusilli, fresh tomato sauce, spinach and cheese. She eats a whole bowl. She used to eat 'broccoli trees' but has decided they are better off on the floor, and loves feeding the dog. I think she is going to be quite naughty and is always testing me, and not DP... swine!

DP and I make a real effort to keep our sex life going. We are both really tired and make a point of finding time to be intimate. I have to admit I don't always feel like it, it took me a couple of months after DD was born to really want it, and I think the surgeon sewed me up a bit too tight so it was quite a challenge at the beginning... TMI, oops! I also get a really long break when he is away on tour so it means that when we see each other, we really feel like it.

Very personal question.... but, since I'm breastfeeding, I don't like DP to come anywhere near my nipples, is that weird? Do any of you who are still bfing have the same thing? I have told him he can't touch them as they are DDs...Blush

PenguinArmy · 08/01/2011 23:18

No Abs not the only one, I cringe at the idea of DH getting more than he bargained for, so they're a no no.

Me and DH have 'played' an awful lot, but I haven't let him go all the way. I would like to do more with him, but Blush tiredness and the fact that he's a morning person and I'm a night person.

BG we plan to raise her mostly vegan, but when we're out and about she'll have largely free reign. Due to my issues with dairy though, I want to keep her away from that food group. At the hotel at Xmas, there wasn't much to eat so she and DH had typical fry up food. She was a bit of a traitor and ate 3 sausage links, some bacon and an egg. She rarely eats that much!!

InmaculadaConcepcion · 09/01/2011 08:28

I'm not too worried about DH and DD sharing the breast action (!) although my nips get a bit over-sensitised at times.

DH and I are still essentially in the first flush, hence still being reasonably libidinous. But I take the health of our sex life very seriously as that was one of the main reasons why my former relationship withered. We just couldn't be bothered any more and it was a large part of us taking each other for granted, getting too complacent etc....and so we drifted apart. It's worth the effort to have a bit of rumpypumpy, even if you don't really feel like it IMO.

But everyone's different and I totally get being too knackered etc. to be in the mood with LOs around.

LBH, it's a bummer when they refuse veggies, but fruit is usually a winner and it's highly nutritious, so if she'll eat fruit, that's fine.
Have you tried offering roast veg as finger food, especially things like sweet potato, butternut squash, red pepper etc.?
The BLW crew insist that milk is the most important part of a baby's diet until they're a year old, anyway....
And if she's generally healthy and full of beans, I'm sure she's fine.
Hard not to worry though, I know.

Shock at your Gorillaz story, Abs!!! (prurient...)

PA, my vegetarian-raised nephew, at the age of about 2.5 suddenly said one day:
"Meat. Mmmm. I like meat."
He had never tasted it at that point, but he did indeed like it and my DSis and BIL let him have meat if they're out or at other people's houses for meals.

Yes, CS, are you okay? Are you still having rough nights?

Another 1 resettle only last night with DD - and a quick one at that. She was up at 06.15, but that's okay. She'd had enough sleep. First nap will be a bit earlier as a result....

OP posts:
StoneBaby · 09/01/2011 10:33

We woke up at 7am this morning but DS was awake for 40mn during the night. At least it's DH who got up to settle him down as he was tantruming and I know if I go, DS will be far more upset when I leave. (he didn't cry when DH left the room Shock

Today I'm trying asparagus spears for DS as finger food. We'll see how it goes. I'll put the chicken burger in a pitta bread with maybe some sun-dried tomatoes.

Stangirl · 09/01/2011 10:45

Abs I'm not bfing any more but neither DP nor I wanted him to go near my boobs when I was. For one thing he would have caused one of those hilarious fountains if he had leant on them! Also after reading your "moo" story I have been obsessively saying "how do cows go?" to DD - to absolutely no effect apart from her hysterical laughter. DP has started saying it to me now too. Also - your story about Gorillaz reminded me of a memorable wedding I went to where the best man's girlfriend and a wife of 10 years decided this was the perfect time to experiment with their sexuality and went off and had a shag in the hedge. Was caught by the bride's mother - who thought they were doing drugs. That was one helluva do.

New discovery yesterday. DD loves raisins and ate 2 small packets worth. Raisins not so keen on her and came out the other end nearly intact. Must keep them to small snacks.

Right - a good friend of mine had a baby at 5am this morning (3 days of contractions and an EMCS at the end) so I'm to go and see her and new baba.

Have lovely Sundays.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 09/01/2011 11:32

Shock Stangirl at your wedding story!

Quick, copy it onto this thread...

OP posts:
Stangirl · 09/01/2011 12:12

IC Thanks - have done so. Was considering putting some of my other wedding stories on there too because I have a couple that make that one look tame but they are so disreputable I'm not sure I should.

LittlebearH · 09/01/2011 12:21

Spill Stangirl :)

Stangirl · 09/01/2011 12:53

Well, as mentioned before I was a bit of a clubber in the 90s so a lot of them are hijinks with my old clubbing muckers. Here goes:

  • first wedding of 2 of my clubbing chums was very posh - in church that Oliver Cromwell was married in or something - posh families on both sides and reception in some kind of masonic place followed by evening do in pub. Several of my friends, including the ushers, had spent the morning drinking champagne and doing coke. One mate turned up 1min before the bride, burst into the church obviously shit-faced, carrying an empty bottle of champagne and a lit fag. Some church-y bloke had to gently persuade him to put the cig out and leave the bottle outside - whilst the entire wedding party looked on. Once the vows were done there was an almighty roar of approval from all the drunk friends rather than the smattering of applause that is more usual. During the reception everyone carried on drinking and sneaking off to the loos to do illegal substances. The food was late and very little of it (it was basically a few appetizers on plates) and so everyone got completely hammered quickly. We discovered where the Masonic robes were kept and started parading around in them with several women flashing their knickers in them and having photos taken. The owners of the venue took this very badly and barred us for life. At 5pm we all decanted to the pub where the second wind of guests were to come along. They arrived en masse about 30mins later to find the entire wedding party, still in hats and cravats, dancing on the tables to let me entertain you. They looked terrified. At one point the bride and her mother entered the loos bumping into a couple of guests who had just left a cubicle together. The bride, without thinking, announced that one of the women had just become engaged herself and would she show her ring to her mother. She did, but with a clenched fist as she was holding the wrap in the engagement ring hand. Icing on the cake was the Bride's mother's boyfriend getting punched for chatting up the young women and the bride rowing with the groom because they had taken a vow of abstinence for the day and she found out he had been doing coke in the loos with the ushers.
  • another wedding with same clubbing friends. Best man speech focussed on a very inappropriate story about the bride flyering the whole of Grays Inn Road trying to find a bloke she had chatted up at a club the night before (not her DH). Also - yet again lots of illegal substances which caused the lovely, innocent 15 year swedish cousin to say to her Mum in the loo queue "let's go in together, everyone else is going in in twos".
  • another wedding the bride's mother got drunk and spent the whole wedding being upset that the day wasn't more about her. She was so badly behaved that the groom has never spoken to her since. At that wedding one table of guests got fed up waiting for food and started dabbing speed at the table. They were all gurning badly before the mains arrived and none of them could eat it - had to wrap things in their napkins and throw away. Bride was very cross at that.

I've also attended the wedding of a gay man and gay woman (to each other) which was for visa purposes which had both their partners there and ended up with the reception clubbing at Heaven.

I have others but I think that gives a good overview. We are all a lot calmer now and go on sensible camping trips together with our kids. Re-reading those though has reminded me why I don't get married.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 09/01/2011 13:09

Shock Shock Shock Stangirl Grin

Put them in!!! Put them in!!!

Brilliant Grin

OP posts:
StoneBaby · 09/01/2011 18:31

Crikey Stangirl Shock Grin

I have brused lips due to DS headbutting me! The chicken burger wrapped in a pitta went very well Smile , DS was happy to munch on this while we were having having our thai lunch.

ChestnutSoup · 09/01/2011 20:00

Hello, hello! Been away for the weekend so have only just had time to catch up!

BG sleep is getting a bit better. She has a nasty cold, which isn?t helping, but she will now go down herself again at bedtime and the resettlings are getting quicker and have reduced in frequency ? one night last week we had to do it three times and one took nearly three hours, which was awful. I have started to think that maybe she is having bad dreams as when she has a meltdown it seems as though she isn?t even awake, or she has just drifted off. If DH or I go to her, she won?t calm down, but bizarrely if DH picks her up and hands her to me, she calms down instantly. Very strange.

LBH sorry you are having a hard time. As others have said, you have not wasted a year. Yes it has been tough, but you have done brilliantly (despite a DP who hasn?t been as supportive as he could have been) and have a wonderful little girl who adores you.

BC are you in Dulwich? We often go to the Horniman as it isn?t too far away.

Abs Gorillaz? Amazing. Another 90s lover here. DH and I got together in 2000 (had been at uni together 1994-1998 but couldn?t stand each other), and I still love my music. Your mention of Jarvis Cocker made me think very fondly of Pulp.

Stan my DD2 has refused to be fed for a couple of months (DD1 did the same). Finger foods all the way here as she can?t manage a spoon, but she is very good with her sippy cup. She doesn?t spit anything out but will refuse to eat if she doesn?t want it ? lips firmly pursed, turns head away etc. Her new favourite food is smoked salmon, but she loves anything protein. She also adores any type of pasta. Veg isn?t so great, so I hide it in pasta sauces, and just make sure she gets lots of fruit. As for raisins, try halving them or even just nicking them with a knife before giving them so the digestive enzymes can get to them and then they won?t come out whole!

Loving the wedding stories ? the funniest thing I ever heard was when the best man at a friend?s wedding mentioned in his speech that the groom liked his women ?legless?. The vast majority of guests thought this was related to alcohol, but about four of us knew that he?d once ended up in bed with a girl only to find out she had a wooden leg. The bride didn?t know about this particular incident. Well, not up to that point in time.

And here?s my addition to the list:

IC DD 26 Jan
ML DD 28 Jan
SG DD 2 Feb
BG DD2 3 Feb
SSB DS 4 Feb
CS DD2 9 Feb
LBH DD 12 Feb
BC DS 15 Feb
PA DD 5 March
Abs DD 7 March

DD2's first day at nursery tomorrow!

Bearcrumble · 09/01/2011 20:01

Haha, Stangirl fantastic. Love those stories.

At my wedding we sensibly had an afternoon reception for family and very close friends and then hired a recording studio in Hove for the more raucous evening do.

DH's goth flatmate bought a load of (uninvited) goths with him. One of whom finished the night shagging one of DH's less sane friends on a car bonnet outside the venue.

A very posh but mental bloke decided that the reception was the perfect time to pitch his idea for a feature to the then editor of The Face. He was going to find out if it was actually possible to f*ck mud. He disappeared (luckily) but later was spotted swearing at the sea and some time the next day found by some other guests on their way to the station literally in the gutter with an empty bottle of absinthe and a copy of 60+ porn mag (years not chest size).

The worst behaviour I ever heard of at a wedding was this bloke my mum knew who used to lose it specatularly after he'd had a bit to drink (he once went to do the vendage and went for a walk on the motorway and nearly lost his leg). Anyway. He punched the Bride's brother for no reason at all, was ejected and just walked into the sea. He was found, sans clothes and spectacles, some way up the coast and had to stay in hospital for a while.

AbsB · 09/01/2011 20:01

Stangirl you wild child you! Grin Glad to hear you have calmed down as it doesn't sound like you'd be able to manage that level of craziness with a toddler and a newborn... can you imagine? Shock

IC Just been looking at your blog. Rosie is dead cute, she looks just like you! Glad you enjoyed Kings... although I must say I have always known it as "Los Reyes Magos" after the word 'magi' meaning "Three Wise Men" not 'Magicos' Confused... don't know if that's a Madrid versus Barcelona thing? I always found the Roscon rather sickly sweet and much prefer the French Galette des Rois... Yum! Yum!

I also second you on the previous relationship experience. Both my DP and I were in long relationships before we met where our sex lives went stale which is a real relationship killer... so we know we have to make an effort! Although I have to admit being much lazier since giving birth, i.e. if you want it, you are going to have to do most of the work, so not much swinging from the chandelier here! Wink

Huge improvement on the sleep front the last couple of nights. She went down last night at 9 and slept through til 7.30 this morning. Shock Sadly I had insomnia and DP snored which was SO FRUSTRATING... I kept on thinking "I Haven't slept for more than five hours in 10 months and here she is sleeping through and I have INSOMNIA" - AAAAAAGGGHHHH Angry

Bearcrumble · 09/01/2011 20:03

Oh and the mad porn/mud/absinthe bloke actually managed to pull on the train home and had sex in one of the loos. I can't imagine a less hygeinic venue.

Bearcrumble · 09/01/2011 20:07

On the baby front - after I said DS couldn't use a sippy cup properly, he actually started today.

We start swimming tomorrow. It's Little Dippers - up at the hydrotherapy pool at Guy's Hospital. I tried on two swimming costumes today and did the requisite leg/armpit/foof trim. I'm looking forward to it. I hope DS doesn't freak. He's never been in a swimming pool before.

Bearcrumble · 09/01/2011 20:08

CS Do you? We should meet up. No, not Dulwich - Sydenham Hill.

AbsB · 09/01/2011 20:13

Jeez BC crazy! Fuck mud, eh? Suppose it's cleaner than liver in a jam jar?

Hello CS You'll be glad to hear that Pulp are reforming next year.... Hooray! Good luck with nursery tomorrow!

Right off to try and put DD to bed... she's climbing the walls and really hyper! Hmm

LittlebearH · 09/01/2011 20:17

BC and CS Shock I go past the Horniman on way to work in...DULWICH. Work at a very well known school...Wink

Loving the wedding stories!

Feeling a bit better today. DD ate more and napped well.

Thank you all for your supprtive comments.

Well tomorrow is my last day as a SAHM...:(

Stangirl · 10/01/2011 07:19

BC and CS - I'm a sarf Londoner too. Live in Brixton. Brockwell Park is brilliant for kids.

CS thanks for the raisins tips. I think DD is going to love dried fruit. Last night she pulled some dates off a table and kept crawling around with one in each hand, munching each in turn. God - I wish mine would use a sippy cup. I'm rubbish at getting her to do new things. Hoping nursery will sort her out. I can barely summon the energy to change her nappy let alone do anything complicated.

BC I found the biggest challenge when taking DD to swimming lessons was the change back into clothes afterwards. Trying to keep her warm was impossible and she would crawl under the partitions between cubicles when I was putting my own clothes on - surprising other swimmers.

LBH Are you back to work tomorrow? You have all my sympathies. I go back 7th Feb and am dreading it beyond all measure. I don't know if I remember how to interact in a work environment any more, the team I worked with has disbanded and left the organisation and I don't have an actual job to return to yet. Added to that I am quite senior so will be expected to know what I'm doing and that I'm public sector and 30% of my workplace will be losing their jobs over the next few months - so gloom all round. Oh well, I found that being a Mum now means I can't really bring myself to give a stuff about work.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 10/01/2011 08:57

Yes, funny the way work gets radically re-prioritised when a baby comes along!

Good luck with the return to the chalk-face (or whatever you do at school!) LBH...

DD also enjoys dried fruit - not surprising, given how sweet it is! She's had apricots and prunes and last night raisins for the first time. All good. I've avoided dates so far because they're 100 on the GI, so basically as sweet as sugar Shock. But SO yummy....

Good to hear from you CS - and excellent news that the nights are improving again.

Pulp....love 'em! Saw them at Glasto '98 - FANTASTIC!

Abs, according to DH who wrote (and researched) that blog entry, Los Reyes get referred to as "Magos" and "Magicos", apparently - the latter especially with children. Or so he says Smile
The roscon we had last year was a bit dry and stale but this year's was delish, we chose one filled with chocolate cream...mmm...
Gave DD a bit too - just the dough part, avoided the sugar/choc cream/peel etc. Needless to say, she loved it.
I've never tried the French version

Hah, more good wedding tales, Bc! Blimey, I've been to 30 or more weddings in my life as a guest (and worked at countless more), but never witnessed that kind of spectacle...! Very funny.

Not too bad a night with DD, although she woke 3 times (albeit very briefly) - first time was at 21.00 Confused but went back after a quick feed. Third time she only needed a little bit of stroking to get back to sleep. Then awake for the day at 06.30.

No waving, pointing or clapping here yet. But now when we say "What's on your head?" DD will either put whatever's closest on her head or just her hands. Very cute. And she will crawl to us when we call her (mostly), which is also very endearing.
She really melts my heart.... Smile

OP posts:
mamaloco · 10/01/2011 11:10

Stan CS have you tried raw vegetables?
DD1 doesn't like anything cooked, (well peas, french beans and spinach hidden in ricotta) but will eat carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, red and white cabbage, any color of peppers, courgettes, peas, french beans (not recommended don't offer), chicory, salads leaves.
Spinach ricotta or cheese in pasta and pastries or even with rice is usually well received.
When she was a baby I had to hide her soup in milk (may be half/half) and thicken it with some kind of baby rice if spoon fed. Vanilla flavoured one worked best .

Also if you don't eat veg yourselves, she will have trouble to relate. Bit in a carrot and see if she gets interested. It is also very good for teething! Wink

even if they only eat tomato sauce, cucumber, peas and carrots they have a range of vitamins and that is enough.

LOL at your wedding tales. French, german & romanian weddings are much more muted. (the only ones I have been to).

LBH Stan good luck with the work, first day in is really scary, but it usually goes well!

IC haaaaa! so cute.

Downstairs neighbour complained, too much banging and crying Confused Apparently the baby even cry at night all night Confused.
She doesn't believed that DD2 is making the noise, walking and dropping things a lot and accused DD1 to be very badly behaved (grrr). Then her advice was to leave DD2 in the back room, not allowing her in the living room or to walk around the flat Confused.
Sure! I am going to sit in my bedroom with DD2 all day Hmm.
She is a good baby, she cry when she hurts herself (often), we say no, we take away something she likes but is too dangerous, change nappy, dress up, is hungry and is put to bed. Normal no? Her advice is to toughen DD2 up by letting her cry for a day and a night Angry
She has been sleeping through only for a week (finger and toes still crossed).

She is also on about 7h30 but that is when we get ready to leave for work and kindergarden there is no way I can control any crying or running at that stage (or at bath time for that matter).

Actually I feel like crying it is tough to be almost completely alone with the girls and I hate it when people comment that I do it wrong or that my girls are not properly raised.
BTH the crying and the banging and noise is getting to me too, but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. DD2 is strong minded, and active. She voices her discontents and never stop moving. Which actually is very good for her.

Sorry long rant. Must be feeling down. I went to see "tangled" with DD1 this sunday and cried at the storyHmm. Raspunzel look likes DD1 though, same nose with little speckles on it too, big green eyes
and golden strands in her hairs Blush Same kind of craziness too Hmm.

BabyGiraffes · 10/01/2011 11:10

Has anyone noticed any unexpected 'negative' side effects of motherhood? Here are a few of mine...

  • I cannot watch anything on TV which involves children coming to any kind of harm. This often includes the news!
  • I am very impatient in (work) meetings and want to make decisions and get things done rather than sit around doing small talk, drinking tea and eating biscuits...
  • I am a very cross driver these days and hate heavy traffic because with the baby in the car she will start screaming (she doesn't understand queues or red lights). On my own, I tend to swear because I have few opportunities to go shopping on my own and don't want to spend that precious time in the car
  • I'm having massive problems with lower back ache because my posture is so poor after compensating for a bump in two pregnancies. Was very grumpy this weekend and demanded a new mattress because ours seem to sag in the middle (tehehe...Grin)and I had to stuff cushions into my back to sleep
  • I have never lost my heightened sense of smell that I acquired in pregnancy. Great for sniffing out off milk etc but unbearable when going out (esp in restaurants when others are eating fish... boak)
  • My stomach demands lunch at 12 because I am so used to eating with the children.

I am sure there are a few others