FEB 2010 Tottering into our second year...!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

A few first birthdays left, then we're full tilt into walking/talking and a mountain of mischief

Oh, also we have another tooth!!! 8 now and 1st one since Christmas.

IC I knew someone who had left Califoria halfway during her pregnancy in one of the babies groups I used to go to. She had no problem.

Am assuming it will be as easy for us. We had a 4 hour stretch and a 3.5 hour stretch last night. OK not sleeping through but has made a massive difference to me today.

Well done MRIC. I know which school you are talking about IC and the name made me smile. Surely not Stan?! I used to play them at netball when I briefly went to boarding school, before realising that I was not nearly posh enough for most of my friends (or at least their mums!!) and going off to make merry with the boys at the local grammar instead!

Stan I'm glad I'm not supposed to go everytime then cos I see the bloody doctors enough as it is at the moment! I'm sure a and e would rather see a worried mum though than deal with the aftermath of one who didn't go when they should have done.

bethy are you already potty training? I think you are coping fine but that your boys are well and truly happy even if they drive you nuts sometimes. to you

beth sounds like you are doing incredibly well if you have time to make cookies!! Seriously, having two close together is hard work to start with but more than makes up for it when they get a little older and play together for hours . Mine are 2 1/2 years apart which was a little easier in the first year because dd1 was that bit more rational about having to wait for my attention, but at the same time is still hard because she has very different interests. I don't think there is an ideal gap.

Thanks! I wouldn't call it potty training really. I just sit him on at night now (as of this week)when DS1 is sitting on, as he does like to copy his brother. I follow the Baby Whisperer generally, who likes to start at 9 months (about the only thing that I don't really follow!), so decided there was no harm in it. DS1 was clean by 18 months because I had a potty in the house and started sitting him on it at bedtime and after lunch and he adjusted his pooing pattern to that. It saved us a fortune in nappies (not to mention the lack of changing them and storing them in a smelly bin!) so I thought we'd see how we get on. I'll let you know! Think DS1 was just a fluke really, but he was totally potty trained by 2 years which is quite early these days for a boy I think.

Also impressed with the potty... dd2 would put it on her head if I gave her one . I never used one for dd1 - she is so tall she wanted to use the loo straight away.

Have to say I'm in danger of chopping off DS2's gonads with the potty unless I sit him down extremely carefully cos his bottom is so incredibly fat gorgeous!!

Beth I concur you seem to be doing really well.
I have had the pee/poo on the floor too on occasion. Once they are walking it is inevitable.
Same with the nappy struggle, with DD1 I found that changing standing helped with pull-ups (it won't help those with tiny DCs), DD2 likes playing with my hair (otherwise she is helping me as well as trying to escape, so I have to hold hands and feet )

I have a potty for DD2 too. just to get her to sit on it and be familiar with it. (had one for DD1 too)
She likes to sit and stand, with her nappy for the moment next step is without nappy.

I would give a lot to have a baby group with you lot in the bristol zoo good place for little ones. (I had fun too )

BG that is cute. There is much more laughter with DD2 too. They both try to make each other laugh all the time.
But I have 5 years between the 2 so some parts are much more easier (bath/changing...) the big one helps me too. Of course there a lot which is harder. There is no perfect age gap, (may be 18 years ).
We do have the potty on the head, better now than later IYSWIM.

stan you did right to get her to A&E. The high temperature depends on the child and its behavior. Sometime 40 is not worrying, sometime 39 is. Better be safe than sorry any way. Glad she is better.

DD2 has got bronchitis (with very low fever ) so is on 1st antibiotics ). Well she had plenty through my BM .

She slept through though

I should change my name to confusedmama .

I like the cat better

IC you won't have any problem with the NHS they are pretty lax in paper work you need to register (just fill the form if I recall correctly).

IC yesterday nap was 30 min. (5 in the morning, 25 before diner)
She doesn't get overtired and grumpy so I let her be, far less stressful for me.
She has been napping on me for the 2 days before (around 2/3h)

SB congratulations on the tooth.

PA good luck for tomorrow. I will think about youand send you strength .

Sorry for the massive posts

Beth you are doing brilliantly. My DDs are nearly three and a half years apart, and DD1 is very independent so not only does a lot for herself but also helps me out. I'm kind of glad that DD2 isn't walking yet, and she also hasn't discovered the stairs (a bonus as their bathroom is at the top of the stairs, so I can let her crawl about as I run the bath and sort things out for bedtime which I generally do on my own).

Nappy changing can be a wrestle here too. I give her something she shouldn't have in her hands and that normally occupies her for long enough (a mobile phone, remote control, PS controller are all good!).

I've completed my first week at work and am exhausted. Monday and Tuesday I commuted into London, Wednesday I had off, and yesterday I was in Yorkshire for a meeting then met a friend for dinner in London on my way back. I haven't had the girls very much and feel terribly guilty, both at not seeing them and at being so tired when I haven't.

I've also worked out that I'm only £5 a day better off for working, once I've taken travel, childcare, tax etc out of my pay. My old boss has offered me an editorship two days a week and says I'd be able to do most of it from home. I don't know what to do, and feel guilty just thinking about it because I love what I do now and my current boss is great. But £5 a day...

Rant over. I'll return to my cave.

Oh, thanks IC for the new thread. Doing it at 999 messages on the last one could be considered either "skin of teeth" behaviour or excellent planning! I'm definitely going for the latter, especially as I couldn't do it!

"skin of the teeth" is the more accurate description, CS!

Well, after two nights of sleeping through, we've just had a second night of DD being awake for over an hour overnight. Which could have been related to the lack of daytime sleep. Or possibly not, as she's pulled that trick many times before after having a couple of hours of naps.
I had to resort to lying her down with me, then putting her back in the cot once she was asleep so I could sneak back into my own bed (I'm trying to wean myself off sleeping in DD's room - I think it disturbs her)
AND I had insomnia, so overall a bit of a cack night, really.

Never mind. I just used my hair-do voucher DH got me for Christmas so I'm all freshly styled and coloured and feeling glam, so that's cheered me up!

Blimey, all this talk of potties!! Very impressive to get your DD1 out of nappies by 2, bethy.
Getting DD potty-trained early would be marvellous, given the 2 close together situation, but TBH I'm going to take it fairly easy.

CS, £5 per day with all that effort doesn't seem like much when you put it that way, so the alternative is probably worth seriously considering. After all, no matter how much you like your current boss, your priority is your sanity and what works best for you. Having said that, you probably know in your heart what would be best - listen to your instincts, whatever they may be!

Aw, poor DD2, Shro. No wonder she's been coughing. Hopefully the anti-bis will knock it on the head quickly.

Yay for the tooth, SB!

Yay for the better sleep, PA!

IC I do that with DD2 if she's doing through a bad sleep phase (try and settle her in her cot, if I can't, I stick her in bed next to me then transfer her back when she's asleep), and I used to do it with DD1. It works for me, they don't seem to get used to it or expect it (I guess it's about comfort) and they soom come out the other side after a few nights (certainly less than a week). You know that she can sleep through now, so she will again.

I forgot to mention toilet training on my last post, but it was certainly a factor in the age gap between my two. I always wanted my older one to be toilet trained and out of a pushchair before we had number 2 as I just didn't feel I would cope with a double pushchair (I drive a very small car for a start!) or two in nappies. So that was why I wanted a three year age gap (and achieved it!).

Good work on toilet training this young though beth.

IC and bethy - yes my school was RM. I feel well and truly busted. In my defence though I was a day girl not a boarder and travelled to and from school via the public bus (which was only for hardnuts as everyone else was dropped off by their parents). I can still sing all four of the Latin dinner graces though.....

BG your giggling story made me go all gooey. I don't have siblings myself so I'm really looking forward to giving DD that kind of connection with someone.

SB you have loads of time. I've already started worrying DP about sneaking in a third baby before I'm 45. My reasoning is that we have 3 frozen embryos from the last round of IVF and it would be a shame to waste them. I think DP's worried this means I want 5 kids.

Schro sorry to hear about DD2 - wishing her a speedy recovery.

Took DD to nursery today as she seemed fine again but received a call this morning that she had thrown up 3 times - so have had to bring her home. She was so well yesterday afternoon that she walked about 20 steps (I may post the video on FB if I can find the connector) - now she's asleep on the sofa. Oh well - another CSI watching marathon afternoon for me then.

dd2 can do one step with her right foot but somehow can't work out how to do the same with her left . She walks well if we hold one of her hands and dd1 has marched her back and forth today, holding her hand, with dd2 looking very proud. Makes me kick myself for forgetting to bring my camcorder!!!

schro bad luck with the bronchitis. Hopefully the antibio will do the trick.

IC you may be right on weaning yourself from sleeping on the floor in your DD's room, especially as you may have more difficulties in a few months to get up from the floor

BG aww at your 2 DDs walking together. DS also can walk if holding on 1 hand or he walks a few steps between DH and I unhelp.

DS naps anything between 20mn and 1 hour most of the time about 11am.

PA good luck with the meeting.

beth I like your way of potty training

Heeeeeelooooooooooooo!!! Thanks for all your concern. I am fine I am pleased to say.
I am so sorry I havent been on MN for a while. Been so busy with work. When I do have time off now, I am concentrating on quality time with DD.

Anyway, my big news.....DD has slept through the night EVERY night this week!!!! I feel like a new woman. Her last visit to the osteopath 2 weeks ago, she had her tummy massaged. Since then we have had 4-6 poo/diarreoa nappies every day which calmed down on Sunday. Her daytime sleep is better too. This could all be a massive coincidence of course but at 50 quid for a 20 min massage I am willing to beleive! Prob just jinxed it now though!

Hope everyone is ok. PA sounds like a shitty boss you have.

How many weeks along are the those with a "bun"? Hope all feeling well.

Gotta go and get some cat food..Ruby is not leaving my side. DP in bed ill with a bug and DD fast asleep.

Back soon....

Yay! It's the weekend!

CS that's tough. I guess it all depends on gut feeling as IC said, and also which option has better prospects long term. Unless you go private, once dd2 is at school your childcare cost would be much less... . And if you like your current job... But £5 sounds awful - in London that would be about a cup of coffee? [grin
Oh, and could I have the editorship if you don't want it???

LBH glad all is well. You know, I have heard so many positive stories of osteopathy working in babies that I actually believe it may have relaxed your dd . A friend of mine had a traumatic delivery with forceps with her first LO and nearly had a breakdown when he not just slept more than 20 minutes at a time (day and night) but started sleeping through after a few sessions!

LBH glad to hear all is well - very jealous of the sleep, although we had two nights in a row from DS2 (of course DS1 woke instead ) so even we now know it can happen. Maybe we're 'all' (i.e the still-not-sleeping-through lot) on the edge of turning a very important corner here?! The odd type of treatment that my chiropractor has done on both DS has stopped DS1 getting low blood sugar incidents (from that very session, after several bouts a day) and DS2 hasn't had an apnoeic episode since he was treated in mid-December I can't explain any science behind it, but hey, I'm going with it!

Schro give your DD2 a hug from me - I've got it too so I send her extra-understanding sympathies. I didn't have a temperature at all so was rather caught out, even though I had it 3 weeks ago as well. I've got to teach a class for an hour on Monday morning in a really rough area (i.e so need to be on top form and on top of the kids!) so it would be very useful if I wasn't coughing incessantly by then!

CS well done re completing the first week at work. Tricky decision about the job then. What about the prospects for the future jobs/salaries? Any deciding factors there? I make about enough to do half our current shopping bill on top of the childcare but it will improve in April when DS1 gets his 15 hours a week free. I'm thinking of my career prospects (and hoping that I don't get made redundant in the near future!)

Thanks for reassurances. Today has been stressful as I haven't been on top form and DS2 has cried more than usual (he dosn't usually cry at all so 90 minutes of screaming at lunchtime was concerning, not least because DS1 kept saying, "Why are you making him cry Mummy? I'm going to sit you on time-out!" Very helpful - just hope the neighbours didn't hear!) However, I am rational enough to know it wasn't me and that I am doing my best. Haven't mastered miracles yet, but will keep trying .

Stan hope your DD is better soon too.

IC re cows' (many cows so apostrophe after the s?) milk: we've been diluting down DS2's formula an ounce at a time for the last 7 days and replacing it with cows' milk. This is obviously easier for us as he's on formula. Tomorrow, we should a) end formula and b) end the bloody time-consuming sterilising that goes with it! One less job to do each night-hooray!! It took me 9 weeks of trying cow's milk with DS1 before I tried this so we've just done it first with DS2 and he seems oblivious.

BG I went cold turkey for LO to cow's milk in the last fortnight. One day half formula feeds, half cow, next day all cow. I didn't do any reading up on it first. Do you think this is what could have caused her to throw up today? She's been on just cow's milk for over a week though. I'm impressed you have been sterilising this long - I moved to bottle/formula feeding at 6months and by the end of the month decided I couldn't be bothered with sterilising and so DD has had bottles just washed in hot soapy water since 7 months.

stangirl, if it's been over a week and she's had it more than twice, then I very much doubt it's related to the milk if she hasn't reacted before.

Morning all

Welcome back fc I am sure I remember both of us going overdue this time last year, and getting increasingly envious as everyone else was giving birth while we were just getting bigger and more uncomfortable!

Had a hectic week as it was half term. Forgotten how manic things are with 2 dc at home. Yes bethylou I definitely feel like I am just about managing to keep on top of stuff. And I have one at school most of the time!

Ds is changing so much at the moment I can barely keep up. He has been walking properly for a couple of weeks so we got him his first walking shoes. He hated them and stood in the shoe shop with his feet firmly planted on the floor sobbing his heart out. I had to promise the shop assistant that he could actually walk before she would sell me them. He has been sleeping better, though for me that is down to 3 wake ups a night. He won't drink more than a couple of sips of cows milk either and he starts nursery in 4 weeks, so god knows what will happen then. Oh and the teething. I can't wait to have a break from it. He now has 13 teeth with number 14 about to erupt any day.

Had better go as it is time to make breakfast. Must say quickly though how impressed I am with all your cool tastes in music. Guess I should keep it quiet that I am quite chuffed to have a ticket to see Take That this summer!

Hi chinook, good to hear from you! Another walker, good stuff! Also good news that the waking is becoming less. Soon, soon......!

Good news on the sleeping through, LBH!
I'm a fan of osteopathy, personally. I don't really care how or why it works. I have a suspicion that there's a strong element of faith healing involved, but faith healing has been shown in double blind tests (where the participants didn't know if they were being faith-healed or not) to have a significant positive effect so I'm not knocking it.

That's reassuring CS - I must say, in the week before DD's two sleep-throughs I had her in bed with me almost every night, then back to the cot so you're right - it doesn't represent a set-back as such.

Last night DD woke three times, but all before midnight. I think on the second two she was a bit cold because she fell back to sleep almost as soon a I put/replaced the blanket on her. She then slept until 07.00, so a kind-of sleep-through...
My sleep, needless to say, was pretty crappy. I'm convinced it's the pregnancy hormones making it especially bad. I just hope it eases off soon, it's bloody miserable.

Ha, Stangirl, you busted yourself - I'm sure you mentioned the school in a previous post and it stuck in my mind because I recognised it. No worries about street cred, you're still a goddess of cool in my eyes

Thanks for the thoughts on cow's milk bethy, Stan and others. Is it a huge deal if DD simply doesn't go for it? I'm wondering about giving her some plain yoghurt for snacks instead, for example. Although when I stop the bedtime breastfeed, I'm a bit concerned about that. I suppose I could just give her a little something for supper not long before bed...?

Another yay for the sleep-throughs, bethy!

Ooh, sounds like your DD2 is very close to walking BG.....!

DD has started dismounting beds and mattresses backwards after a few weeks of us encouraging her to do so. Excellent suggestion about going backwards down the stairs, BG, it's what gave me the idea to teach her to do that and it seems to have worked.