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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
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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BabyGiraffes · 10/01/2011 11:14

Forgot one... I am very easily moved and in tears at absolutely everything [waves at 8mamaloco]

mamaloco · 10/01/2011 11:24

Same here BG
except the work one, I have always been like that, I think it is the french/japanese cultures, I was Shock when I arrived in the UK to see how little people worked and how much time they wasted in coffee/fags/chats... got use to it after a while though Wink.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 10/01/2011 11:25

mamaloco Angry your neighbour...!
I can understand that it's trying for a flat-dweller to have loads of noise to put up with, but even so....
I guess it'll get better as the weather gets warmer again and you can spend more time outside during the day.
Thank goodness we have understanding neighbours here, the walls are paper thin...

Hah, yes BG - I especially relate to the first and last (upset at harm coming to children - any children - and crying at everything...)

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BabyGiraffes · 10/01/2011 12:03

dd2's latest hobby is standing, with and without holding on to things. She just had lunch standing on my lap Hmm - it was the only way I could get her to eat Grin. I draw the line at nappy changes standing up but will let her stand for a bit in the bath Smile

BabyGiraffes · 10/01/2011 12:13

mamaloco sorry your neighbour is such a pain. You are doing nothing wrong! I think there is even a law saying normal children playing noise is totally acceptable etc. Tell your neighbour it could be worse... My parents were once tormented by a teenager next door playing very loud techno music until 3 in the morning, every night. My dad cured him eventually by retaliating with very loud opera... (the latter annoyed the guy's parents so much they told him to turn it down Grin

Stangirl · 10/01/2011 12:20

mamaloco your neighbour is being entirely unreasonable.

BG yes to first and last. Back did ache but lots of swimming seems to have sorted me out (subject to effect of my current pregnancy). I can't drive. Other negative side effects - have forgotten how to speak to non-parents about non-child related things, don't go to many gigs and am losing track of music, have forgotten how to flirt in a platonic way (or any other way for that matter).

ChestnutSoup · 10/01/2011 14:38

LBH do you work at Jags? My neighbour is a teacher there!

BC I'm just outside Croydon (Purley actually). Chinook isn't that far away either . A mini get-together perhaps at the Horniman one day?

ML your neighbour is being unreasonable, not you.

BG I get very excited about not being with the children in a restaurant as it means I can order what I want, not what I think they will eat off my plate! And I often find myself swaying when standing as I'm so used to doing it with a child in my arms.

DD2's first session at nursery was much better than expected - she wasn't glued to me and I even managed to slip off for a while without her minding too much. She was exhausted afterwards though and slept for over an hour.

mamaloco · 10/01/2011 14:47

Gaaaaaaaaaaaah. had a candle to DD2's diet!
and some broken piece of paint from her sister.
I am starting to fear the spring when we will be back in the park!

Bearcrumble · 10/01/2011 14:49

Swimming did not go well. He really screamed. I was feeling sorry for him and feeling embarassed and then feeling guilty for feeling embarassed because it wasn't his fault. I took him out and calmed him and tookhim in again but he started screaming again so I stood at the side with him and watched.

LBH Hope today at work goes as wellas possible. I am guessing you work at DC? It is a beautiful building.

SG Likewise when you go back. It sounds tough but at least you know it will only be a few months before you are on maternity leave again. We went to Brockwell park in the autumn and it was lovely. I haven't been to the lido for years (last time was a Sunday Best party, God knows how long ago) but maybe this summer.

Mamaloco I am SO sorry your neighbour is being so unpleasant. Do ignore her ridiculous, outdated advice. Babies should not be left to cry to 'toughen up'. Makes meAngry and Sad to hear such ideas are still given credence anywhere.

BG I get very upset when I hear of sad stories in the news, particularly about things happening to children. You immediately think of how you'd feel in their place. .

Well, one bit of good news from me is that DH and I 'did it' last night. It was really good! He came to bed before 11 and I had been thinking about what IC and Abs had said about not getting complacent. So, yeah. I think I was also feeling a bit more attractive as I'd had to do all that pruning to get ready for swimming.

Stangirl · 10/01/2011 15:24

BC Sorry the swimming wasn't great. My Dd's reactions were mixed at best. She often took to doing a poo halfway through the lesson and then screaming. She also went mental when the teacher put her underwater.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 10/01/2011 15:42

My DD isn't a natural water baby either, Bc. Mind you, we haven't tried her in warm water yet (!)

Way to go (on resuming carnal relations) Grin

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ChestnutSoup · 10/01/2011 15:59

Swimming is a minefield, both in terms of the actual act and the faffing around before and after. It's worth finding a really warm pool (some schools have them and run baby classes) if you can. I also don't think they shoudl be dunked until they are quite relaxed in the water, but that's just me.

BabyGiraffes · 10/01/2011 16:02

Grin Bear way to go!!

PenguinArmy · 10/01/2011 17:05

'Ladytime' got in the way of my efforts last night, but at least it explains the 3lb I had suddenly put on.

Good night from DD (by our standards anyway)

Feeds at 5:30, 9:30, 1:15 but then 3:00 and 5:00 and just sleep inbetween.

DD is seemingly doing well at swimming. She can 'dive' off the edge into the water. She seems to swim the most far underwater of the babies, but I'm not convinced she likes it. She has also recongised the teacher as the dunker, so she refuses to go to her now. DH now has to put her underwater himself, which apparently is good as babies don't normally do it until their a bit older.

PenguinArmy · 10/01/2011 17:05

oh and mamaloco your neighbour is clearly an arse

LittlebearH · 10/01/2011 17:10

CS Indeed I do work there!! oooh who's your neighbour??!!! You don't have to answer that! I am not a teacher though. (not that bright!) I work for the Bursar.

Feel sick - trying to get everthing organised for DP dropping off DD at 7am. I will be leaving at 5.45am Boak.

Realised I a new work wardobe..

Back later, will need a handhold

InmaculadaConcepcion · 10/01/2011 17:42
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PenguinArmy · 10/01/2011 18:47

LBH think of all the shopping. I found the annoying thing was that I was still losing weight so ended up buying two lots of stuff.

Get DH to help. With you working, he has to do equal share of everything.

LittlebearH · 10/01/2011 19:38

I have cried several times and been sick 3 times. Had mum over from midday for reassurance and help with lunch and tea feeding. DD did quite well.

On the positive side we went to baby club for the first time since before xmas and she was really confident. She left me for dust and was bombing about mixing with some of the toddlers and smiling at them.

She has a thing for hair and anything soft makes her go aahh, so she was stroking a little girl's hair who was a month younger saying aahh much to her mum's amusement!!

Here is what she can do at the moment: If you ask her what noise a duck makes, she says cack cack and has a special high pitched voice exclusively for talking to Ruby the cat. Me and DP find this hillarious.She can clap, wave and play "pee po" hiding her eyes withher hands or the flap of her bodysuit if we are on change mat. Can also put shapes in her sorter now too.

Interesting reading your posts re swimming. We haven't taken DD yet. (I don't do swimwear) but may see if DP wants to take her.

PA Cannot remember the last time I went shopping for me - always heading straight for Mothercare! Roll on payday.

Sorry for the "me" post again. You are all such great mums, you all seem to deal with it so well.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 10/01/2011 19:47

LBH, we can talk the talk, maybe...(!)

Good luck tomorrow.

Your DD sounds SO cute...

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InmaculadaConcepcion · 10/01/2011 19:48

I just remembered - today is my anniversary of joining the Feb babies thread.

Happy MN anniversary me Smile

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Bearcrumble · 10/01/2011 19:59

LBH I'm glad you had fun at baby club, that's really good. And it's good to hear you talking about the postitives.

You need to stop putting yourself down all the time. "I'm not that bright", "I don't do swimwear" etc. It's not good - it perpetrates you thinking about yourself negatively and you shouldn't.

You are a great mother. You've been unlucky but not that unusual in having some postnatal depression. This has been made worse by your DH's unsympathetic attitude. But you do a wonderful job of parenting your DD despite how you are feeling. You should be proud of your achievements.

((big hugs)).

DS wouldn't go to sleep tonight. He was in a right paddy. We've managed to get him off in the pram in the living room but there's still the problem of getting him into his cot eventually. There was a burgular alarm going off.

I think I have a bit of a problem relating to other mums that I meet for the first time. Like today I walked back to the station with one of them from the swimming class (it was in a really warm pool) and I couldn't think of anything to say and I just kept thinking "she thinks I'm boring", "she thinks I'm weird" and then overthinking everything I was going to say. I'm lucky that I have made a lot of friends round where I live because I can't stand doing smalltalk and getting to know people. It stresses me out so much.

(That's not to say I don't want to do a S London meet up! I do).

PenguinArmy · 10/01/2011 20:14

we don't 'deal' LBH, we survive (well I can't speak for others).

It's great that she did well at the playgroup. DD also likes to pull the other kids hair [bush]

Stangirl · 10/01/2011 20:16

LBH I think you sound like an awesome Mum - you LO can do so much! My poor DD hasn't a chance 'cos I'm a lazy arse Mum. She might be able to say the Nick Cave discography backwards by 3 but that'll be about it. I went for coffee with a couple of lovely Mums from one baby group today with very similarly aged LOs. When we pulled toys out one had a bag of animals which she went through with her DD and the other had alphabet cards with pictures on. My DD had a bell and a bit of material she likes.

Bear I think a lot of people feel the same. A long time ago I just thought "always be yourself" and I try to stick to that. Unfortunately being myself usually entails a host of embarrassing moments and stilted conversations - but what the hey, eh?

PenguinArmy · 10/01/2011 20:18

When I was at the park a mother who knows DD came up to me, introduced herself, and then we stood for 10 mins in silence pushing our DCs on the swings