Late Jan 2011 (some very, very late!) - here we go!!!

[ThreeBubbasAndManyBumps]

Graduated
JJKM - Twin Girls
Stars - Baby Boy
FloraPost - 6th Jan - Baby Boy
Mimou - 14th Jan - Baby Boy - 7.3lb
Zippy - 14th Jan - Baby Boy - 7lb
LadyBuzz - 18th Jan - Kali Margaret Briany 6lb 1oz
Scuba - 22nd Jan - Baby Girl - 6lb 13oz
AmIGoingMad - 25th Jan - Baby Boy - 7lb 5oz
Gallicgirl - 26th Jan - Alys May - 7lb 2.5oz
BubbaAndBumps - 27th Jan - Lachlan Robert - 12lb 3oz
Travispickles - 27th Jan - Saskia Faye
Fuzzy - 28th Jan - Evan James - 8lb 8.5oz
*Saltnvinigar - 28th Jan - Henry David
Ryuk - 28th Jan - Ezra - 7lb 4oz
TheBreastMilksOnMe - 30th Jan - Amelia Rose - 8lbs 9.5ozs
SaraL77 - 31st Jan - Reuben Mark - 7lb 2
Pootle - 2nd Feb - Jacob - 8lb 9oz
cyberfairy - 4th Feb - Rowan - 7lbs 7oz
RockLover - 5th Feb - George Christopher - 8lbs 4oz
RunningKatie - 5th Feb - Isobel Millie
CupcakesHay - 5th Feb - Jesse William - 7lbs 1oz
Crystylline - 8th Feb - Xavier Louis - 8lbs 11oz

Count: 8 girls, 15 boys

Still Huffing and a Puffing..?
Shanster: 30/01 Boy (1DD)
Faraway Trees: 22/01
RobynLou: 24/01 ?? (1DD)
Loopylu: due 31/01 (1st?)

Here we go, down the slippery slope of parenthood. Slippery thanks to the poos, wees, leaky boobs and goodness knows what else :o :o

We'll be here to hold each other's virtual hands through the tough nights and delightful days, and to laugh at each other's stories of comedy nappy changes , and the fear (or not?) of getting back in the saddle, and coating some cervixes just for the fun of it again!! :o

travis adorable pics! Although you need to change your profile from "no children" to "one beautiful daughter!" - also my dad thinks saskia is a breautfiul name (as i do) but keeps going on about it being russian - i said no.. but not sure of the origin...?

pootle why does Dr need b/cert?

crysty thank you honey for support - and yes - was saying to rock we need to meet up. Are you able to drive???

Well - first night without DH ok. Baby gave me 2 hours, then 4 hours. But then wind rest of time - so only sleeping an hour at a time since 5am. Poor love - he's soooooo windy - and gets so upset by it. Parents being great and tension eased after DH gone - although i'm missing DH already. He said he ws wide awake til 2am - and kept thinking he could hear a baby cry. He had a cry about how much he's missing DS - but then i sent a pic of jesse's hand on my boob - with middle finger up so that cheered him up.

Hope everyone else is doing ok.... all i can say is thank god for chocolate - i get starved every morning after the morning b-feed - but don't have hands for anything else! Lucky Dh left me 2 packets of cake bars in my bedside drawer!

Also - anyone with c-sections - mine's not hurting so much... is it getting better or am i just used to pain?

Hi all!

Poor you cupcakes - I am dreading OH going back to work on Monday, never mind to Syria! Tell your dad the name is Russian and I love it too :)
Went to docs - evidently the pain is due to ongoing uterine infection and UTI - no wonder haven't felt great! So MORE antibiotics...
Just popped into Debenhams as OH got me a voucher for valentines day, sooooooo depressing. Especially the apron of fat over the scar. Shocked myself in New Look I did, caught sight of pale podgy face in mirror and did a double take. Must stop the biccies!!

I can identify with the diet of chocolate cupcakes and I can definitely empathise with you travis, I'm not going anywhere near any fashion shops for the forseeable future. It is soooo depressing still having to lift up my flab to check my scar..bleugh.

As for not hurting so much cupcakes I'm the same, I can sleep on both sides now. But just got back from a supermarket trip and have noticed my scar is stinging a bit, so I'm presuming that's because I'm moving around more. I'm grossed out abnout how sweaty my scar gets under it's apron of flab, so I'm showering and washing my scar every day. The skin around it is a little pink, but the scar itself looks fine, is that normal?

George is still asleep in his car seat after our Sainsbury's trip, am I evil to leave him in there for a bit whilst he is quiet?

Rock if I were you I'd leave him where he is if he's asleep. A little time in there won't do him any harm. Wake a sleeping baby at your peril .
Travis I haven't ventured near a shop yet but I have vouchers from Christmas to spend and have asked for the same for my birthday in a few weeks. The thinking being that this would be motivation to lose the baby weight. May be next birthday by the time I've lost the flabby belly!
Cupcakes hopefully the time will fly before you get to go to Syria and well done you for surviving your first night going solo.
I've got to do my first bath and bedtime on my own tonight as DH has a work dinner. Not sure how I can juggle a toddler in the bath and a cluster feeding hungry baby. Will report back later, guessing my evening will involve at some point

we've only done one bath - is that wrong? Top n tails ok - but i feel i should bath - but then not sure

God travis poor you with the UTI. And yep - pale and UGH too when i look in mirror. And haven't worn make up for what feels like years.... i'm so pleased I got my eyelashes dyed before the birth!

rock - ditto - my scar styings after an outing! It's very soothing showering the scar - i love the feeling of the water hitting the scar. Are you using gauze on yours?

I have received this top in aqua which is lovely! Going to buy another - shall i go for pink, blue or black? Also thought it would be good for breastfeeding cos of buttons.

Realised this morning that if i b-feed in public, i'll need to lift top up - so show off white flabby belly! eeeekkkk so dreading it even more.

Oh windy baby.... go to sleep!

Cupcakes I only put Evan in the bath about once a week, top and tail every other day. That top is very nice. To avoid bearing too much flesh I wear a vest top under a shirt/ t-shirt then shirt can be lifted up and vest pulled down so no showing tummy.
Travis meant to say sorry you're poorly, hope the anti b clears it up soon.

To avoid showing too much flesh when I breastfeeding, I like to order a huuuuuuuuuuge fat baby to cover it all up!! :o :o [still stupidly in love emoticon]

V sweet pics of Saskia :o

Bubba me too madly in love with my rapidly fattening up little man.
Though as for the big man in my life he better get home soon, both kids kicking off and he's out again tomorrow and Saturday. How many of these can I have?

I'm loving all your baby photos. I love looking at my own photos too and realising how much my little girl has changed.

My sister visited for the first time today and had lots of cuddles. DD has been on her best behaviour so I'm hoping it remains and she sleeps decently tonight.

I hope those with c-sections scars feel better soon. i didn't realise it took so long to recover!

OMG Fuzzy SNAP! DH is out wetting the baby's head; cue DD1 with a roaring temperature and yelling like a mad banchee poor wee mite, DD2 fell out of bed and was not amused, and L is tired beyond belief but won't sleep, so instead he's crying his heart out :(, is trying to squeeze out a poo or eight and has just puked ALL over him, me, the sofa, the cushions and his blanket :(

ooooooooh I'm tired!

Oh Bubba that sounds truly rubbish, have one if these

DH now home, has let DD get out of bed and go downstairs after I spent hours trying to get her to stay there. So I'm upstairs feeding Evan and quietly seething about being undermined by him. Lets all play guess who's going to have to deal with an over tired toddler tomorrow. I know I'm probably over reacting but hey I'm tired so feel obliged to! Have managed to refrain from saying anything though.
Getting big gummy smiles now though so may cheer up
Have a good night all x

Hope those of you having bad evenings managed to get your LOs settled and got some sleep!

Still no smiles here but DS2 was a miserable git very late smiler so not too worried! She is very alert and happy now and will shout at the toys and attempt to bat them when she tolerates her play gym for a couple of minutes!

I've been a bit tearful this week. Every tiny little thing has set me off, went out wih the girlies last night again and had a which helped

rock a pink tinge round the scar is fine as long as there is no oozing. I also detest lifting up the 'flap' to look at my scar. If it hurts less I would say it is def healing.
cupcakes I'm still using gauze mainly to stop the sweating which makes me feel urgh!
I'm still a bit sore every now and again I really need to take it easy, its so easy to do too much when you start to feel a bit better.

I'm loving all of these pictures, we have all got beautiful babies! I will have to get some more of Kali on. I have millions of DS1 and not alot of DS2 so I need to make a better effort this time round!

Hello to anyone else I have missed!

All is forgiven: Love my DH - he let me go back to sleep this morning about 8. Drifted in and out of broken sleep (but sleep all the same!) until 11.30!!!! That's 3 and a half hours thank you very much!! :o :o Finally clambered out of my smelly pit of a bed to find out how L had gone for 4 hrs without feeding, to find DH had offered the bottle of expressed milk we didn't use yesterday while I was at my spa thingamy - and L took it!

Did I mention I slept for 3 1/2 hrs in one go?? :o

Oh Bubba that is great news! Now a nice and relax... Saskia is asleep now but had us up on and off from 6am so am feeling tired. Took her in the bath with me this morning for the second time - she seems to really enjoy it. Well she doesn't shout and she is quick to shout when anything else annoys her! Anyone else done the big bath yet?
Now we have to drive an hour to drop my OH's son off at a party with baby in car - this will be the decider as to whether I ever agree to do anything like this again. Hopefully she will sleep all the way there. Will let you know

I've only done the big bath with L - it's a good way to do skin-to-skin too, and I don't yet trust the DDs with him in the bath, although one joined us the other day (possibly why our bath is now leaking into our new room, with two heffalump babies and one heffalumpamama :o) - although he did the biggest squidgey poo the last time, literally the second his bum hit the water - and I was already in it

Good luck with the car journey travis - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Oooh - poor you girls and your darling husbands - although pleased bubba's let her get some more sleep.

And LOVE the comment about giant baby covering all when BFedding bubba

Ok - so after nightmare week, Jesse is finally a little bit more normal - m/wife came this morning and I discussed his feeding patterns, etc, and wind, etc. She reckons he is pcikign up on my anxiety about DH going. then we weighed him - and he's put on 10oz in 6 days! EEEEK. So she reckons he was just having a mad growth spurt. Phew - was very worried about it all. And have been discharged AND she said i can start to express if i want

Sorry you are a bit tearful buzz - it's to be expected but doesn't make it any better. How are your other 2 kids coping with Kali being around?

Love DS doing poos in the bath bubba. Top n tailed Jesse last night - screamed the whole time... even though he was wrapped in towel -actually brand new only used once towel -which had a big dried on wee stain - thanks DH for not noticing he had weed when he had put the towel back!

Hope the car journey went ok travis

OOoh - and a friend's mum sent me an adorable baby grow - it's Winnie the pooh - so so cute. So going to dress DS in it on sunday when my friend is visitng - and i'll try and uploads a picture!

Oh - and am i evil? DH was out in london last night - afetr my day from hell - and was bemoaning about missing DS.... so i texted him a picture of a pooey nappy.... Evil mummy-cupcakes!

Hi ladies!

After a very interupted night (probably about 4 hours sleep) George is napping in his moses basket, God knows how long for though! After him fighting sleep this morning and me wandering around rocking him (which seems to be his new favourite way of falling asleep) he only managed about 40 mins.

But on the positive side, I have had a shower, got dressed, had lunch with a cuppa and put a load of washing on. Go me!!

I wondered if I could ask a TMI question, I am soooo itchy and sore "down below" due to the bleeding going on so long (yes I know I've probably got ages yet), I just wanted to know if anyone else is suffering?

I shower and wash several times a day, plus I'm using Sudocrem for the soreness, but the itchyness (inside) is driving me mad. I have sometimes expreienced this to a lesser extent when I'm on my period, but obviously that only lasts a week. I'm pretty sure I haven't got an infection as everything looks and smells normal, but flipping hell is it annoying!!!

To make things even more irritating I am having problems going to the loo, think I have internal piles and I'm also sore on the outside too. Is there nothing that pregnancy and birth doesn't affect???

cupcakes and ladybuzz I'm not using gauze, just washing the scar a few times a day because of th yucky sweat. Would it be better to use gauze? I was never advised to by midwives or HV.

Travis, baby should be fine in the car, poor George survived a 5 hour car journey from Devon to Oxfordshire with only one explosive nappy change and one feed. He seems to fall asleep the minute he gets into his car seat/pushchair...I really can't wait to be able to drive again, being car-less is totally pants!!!!!

I've taken to my bed, I did have dd up here with me but she's gone downstairs now to be cuddled by someone else. Not sure if this is the start of the 3 week growth spurt but she's not sleeping much and as soon as she wakes up she starts screaming for food. Nothing else will comfort her so I'm somewhat fraught.

Doesn't help that my rubbish boob is agony, now all inflated like a balloon too because I tried to feed more off the other and then express from rubbish boob instead to give sore nipple a rest from the enthusiastic guzzler. Did manage to express a pitiful amount which she promptly gobbled up so I'm no further forward.

I never realised bf could be this difficult.

hi rock pleased george is asleep - hate the rocking in your arms thing - and have my parents saying i'm spoiling DS

Anyhow - yes gauze fab - IMO - stops the stickiness - go to boots nad get a roll and then cut to length and kind of stick in - luckily my flab holds it in place

As for itching rock YES. I checked with m/wife and she said normal. I find more i bleed itchier it gets. Plus i find my, kind of tops of legs - creasey area is getting a bite rubbed/sore where it's coming into contact with the maternity pad - so i've been using lancane powder.

running i had same last couple of days - and yes prob growth spurt - DS had one - exhausting and def haand baby over as often as poss and SLEEP. Easier said than done. And agree about Bfeeding. It is bloody agony sometimes, agree with you. and poor you on inflated boob front.... hope your DP brings you some chocolate up. And hope your notebook is still making you happy

Right - I asked DS to stay asleep so i could watch countdown today - so let's hope he listens to his mummy!

Ooh thank God I'm not the only itchy one cupcakes and thnak you to your mw for saying it's normal, I don't feel so freaky now. Think I will send a parent off to Boots to get some gauze for me, I didn't bring the pushchair, so can't take George into town myself.

Think the little beggar is waking up, judging by the flailing arms and legs and the very loud grunts he is making. He is SUCH a wriggly, noisy sleeper, I swear he wakes himself up so much because he won't keep still! I am debating whether to put him in the cot when I get home, that way he won't constantly be hitting the sides and making himself restless.

rock exactly what cupcakes said, I don't think it does anything really just stops it feeling icky.
Also itchy here very annoying.

bubba what a lovely DH you have

A friend just posted this on my FB page after I mentioned I'd put some washing on this morning. It's a lovely poem, so I thought I'd share it with you all. :)

Song for a Fifth Child

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
...
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

what a lovely poem!

my mum asked if i was going to tidy my room for my friend coming tomorrow - it's actually quite tidy!

c-section girls - will i be able to manage DS in pram pushing up a hill - or am i going to be taking on too much?

Just ordered some lasinoh breast milk storage bags - very excited about expressing next week....

And managed to watch countdown AND perfection (such a dire show - but so addicted to shouting at the contestants )

buzz - are you less teary today?

Afternoon ladies!

Just very quickly as I'm on my phone, Jacob has latched on and has fed from me 3 times today and can tell he's getting milk as I can hear him gulpgmg it down. Fingers crossed it continues (but can currently only offer my lovely right boob and expressing from left)

ONe happy bunny at the moment!