March 2011 - we made it!

[Muser]

The waiting is over, the babies are arriving. March 2011 mums, come on in your time is up.

Talking of possible bad habits....

I have Anya sat in front of the TV watching the BabyTV channel while I do the dishes... bad habit? kept her quite for a full 30 minutes - she was loving it. She's had enough now though.

Dont worry Catherine, Beth is currently on the sofa watching Star Wars Phantom Menace with DD1!

Hahaha nearly spat my coffee out at Star Wars. I isnt the end of the world Catherine. Both mine love the TV, much more than I would like (DH is a telly addict), I just went with it although now I am curbing it and we are much less TV based as they get older other things come in and are more interesting anyway - it isnt forever. My plan with E though is that as soon as DS2 is at school there will be no TV in the day - no point really, we hope to be out and about, I would rather read a book and he really wont know the difference.

Everything in moderation is the moral of my experience.

Catherine E seems to like the telly she was particularly enthralled by zingzilla's the other day (DS watching) so much so I have recorded one for future viewing. Whilst feeding her at various intervals today she has also enjoyed bits of Jon and Kate plus 8, ER and home and away (we also went to buggy fit and popped to the shops didn't just watch telly). Probably should have done some housework but hey ho...

Routine - E still downstairs with us in evenings not very settled tbh will often wake a few times in the evening. She then mostly sleeps from c. 11.30 til 7ish.

Hope all well.
x

Deal Or No Deal is the highlight of my son's day!!

So cute that your LO's already have favourite tellie programmes (and films)! :) We don't have one at home (by choice -- DH and I are easily addicted), so my poor Franzie has to watch and listen to his crazy mum flailing her arms about trying to entertain him!

Kpidgeon, it's true about BabyCentre, both the UK and US versions have some age-appropriate ideas for stimulating your baby, plus info on their general development. However, if you have anxiety about what you're doing, most likely you're doing it well! :)

I'm happy to say that we have a loose routine going with sleep and playtime. When we wake up at around 7am, we do our morning stretches, which always cracks him up, then I try to give him some "intellectual" stimulation by "reading" one of his soft books. I once heard that young pre-school age children learn best before 9am, and then I give him space after that to be as manic or zoned out as he likes! Throughout the day I try to change our play locations, don't know if that's good or not, but just to give him variety btwn his chair, the floor, and the bed or sofa. I He seems to love this book/CD a friend gave us called the "Animal Boogie" so we always have a good song and dance in the afternoon!

Mixed, congrats on the uni! How on Earth DO you find TIME for everything?!

I made chicken soup for the first time today b/c came down with a nasty cold this week and am terrified of transmitting it to Franz. The stupid GP's office make it so difficult to make an appointment, but I called the HV and she let me gripe about their incompetence, and also gave me good tips to ensure he doesn't get sick. Fortunately he's napping & sleeping slightly longer these days, so I hope it's his way of fighting my germs. Miss kissing his cheeks and hands, though!!!!!!

Thanks everyone. Feeling a lot better as today the first session of a mother and toddler/baby group happened in our little village. Elijah was one of the littlest there and zonked out on me after 45 mins because he was so over-stimulated! but it was so nice to have company and a cup of tea with other mums. Happening every Weds so this is a good thing!

Also noticing that he is happier sitting on my lap for longer- a big change (normally gripey if I'm not constantly moving around the room upright) and had some smiles and different noises from him- so I do feel that things are progressing.

Those babycentre ideas look good- thank you Catherine. We talk to him loads and give him time on the play mat and take him for walks it's just that maybe he is more of a grumpy maybe in these early days- maybe just taking it all in still.

ckny that's really interesting that they say that before 9am is their most open to learning. E's really happy and alert for the hour after he wakes (either 6am or 7am!) so I'll make sure that whoever's up with him will keep up the chatting.

We had a terrible attempt at putting him the cradle yesterday- he fell asleep in his little vibrating chair in the living room at 7pm with us so we tried to transfer him and no amount of boob or comforting him back to sleep would keep him in there so he was totally unsettled. Took him back to the living room and he went down in the cradle at his usual time of 9pm/9.30pm- along with us! (in our bed) so for the time being I'm not arguing with it- we all have a more peaceful time if we keep to that routine (chair 7- 9/10 then feed and cradle). Will tackle an earlier bedtime for him when he's more malleable/ distractable! Or I'll just get a bigger chair!

Hope you all have a nice evening.

kpidgeon I've got one of those - won't let you sit down and you have to walk around holding them! at least we'll have great biceps in a few months!

ckny - I am so anally organised, literally hour by hour. I keep our family time flexible but I actually plan for it so that there is X hours where I wont be reading/cooking/housework or whatever and we do whatever the kids want. It is the only way I can make it work. I am already amending a rough idea of how it might all work once DS2 is at nursery and trying to establish at least 1 two hour nap in the afternoon for E. DS1 is also starting to want to do some extra curricular stuff which complicates everything. I love being busy and kept on my toes though so it works for me and my uni is in the evenings so doesnt impact on daytimes.

I was without internet for 6 days but am back now. No routine or organisation here still. Maybe at 12 weeks i'll think about it. We don't even have a proper bedtime routine. Bath at 6 then feed/rock/bounce/feed etc until she finally goes off. She is 10 weeks now.

Sleep is still fairly rubbish here (woke 12.30, 3.30 and 6.30) I'm wondering whether she is hungry like you said kpidgeon but the snuffling keeps me awake so I fed her asap so we both get more sleep. I often have to unlatch her after half hour so no idea how much she takes or how hungry she is.

Am planning on getting her to feed more in the day time to see that helps but often she refuses or just takes a snack whilst she smiles and looks around whilst I sit there with my boob out. Yesterday we only had good day time feeds at 7, 2 and 5 (cluster feeding from 7-10) with snacks in between. Surely thats not enough?

Hannah loves all TV too. Glad the other LO's are watching too as I feel really bad. I have music channels on during the day and we dance and sing a lot. It makes it more fun!

ckny Hope you feel better soon.

mixed Congrats on the course. Am another who is very impressed with your organisational skills.

AAArrgghhhh Arthur has gone from me having to wake him up from his nap yesterday to refusing to sleep all day today and being very vocal about his refusal! on the plus side he is better at night only really waking once for a feed. he tends to cluster feed from 6-10.30pm then sleep til 1.30am when I then re-swaddle him and give him a dummy. he goes back to sleep then until 3.30 feeds, sleeps and then up at 7.30. I cross my fingers and desperately hopes he never needs feeding around 5am as he is a bugger to get back to sleep after then!

We try to make sure we have somewhere to go each day and this week I have finally filled my diary so hopefully for the next few weeks/months we have something to do mon-fri. I think i would crack up if i was home alone each day. if we don't have someone to meet up with we usually go for a big walk which means i get some exercise an Arthur normally has a big sleep - win-win! our week mostly revolves around bf-ing groups though and goes a bit like this:

monday - meet with hypnobrthing mums or my mum comes to visit
tuesday - short bf support group, maybe walk in afternoon
weds - pretty much all day bf group!
thurs - meet up with bff who has just started mat leave
fri - meet up with bf-ing ladies from weds group
sat/sun - time with dh and more walks

Hello all,

Glad to hear the little ones are doing so well. GOsh, its going to take me a while to catch up on all the news. We had a lovely minibreak in Wales, weather was nt great but so lovely to be beside the seaside! Fab having DH around too, everything seems so much easier. Taking Izzy swimming a couple mroe times which she loves. Our routine is going well still. Had a couple of bad nights with colic but otherwise she is sleeping through the night (sorry mums who are up at all hours still)

Izzy can now roll over! She has done it only once and it scared the bejesus out of her but lovely to see. She is full of giggles and coos, so fun!

mixed congrats on uni, you are super organised but I guess you have to be with more than one!
Kpidgeon - glad there is a mum and baby group for you to go to. It wll help keep you sane!
petty glad youa re sleeping more at night and all your activities seem fab

Ours looks a bit like:
Monday: Walking/waterbabies starts soon (+ possibly baby massage, can't decide if I want to go)
Tues: M&B yoga followed by creche for Izzy so I can do pilates
Weds: creche for Izzy while I zumba plus coffee with friends
Thurs: Lunch with NCT girls or pilates class if I havent been on Tues
Fri: depends shopping/walk/swimming

Well for all those who aren't as organised as Cheeseandbiscuits and pettyprudence I'd like to reassure you that you're not the only ones. My weeks goes more like:
Monday - Baby cafe
Tuesday - run errands or nothing... (this week I went up to work but had to change ML return date)
Wednesday - shopping or nothing
Thursday - nothing (Today I actually planned not to get dressed although Anya didn't like that idea and we went for a walk)
Friday - Baby weigh clinic if needed or a walk
Saturday - Complain to OH that I'm lonely and you guessed it... nothing...
Sunday - Sunday carvery at pub with OH then a short walk.

There isn't a great deal to do locally here either. I must admit I dislike taking her for a walk too as I'm forced to walk along a main road which can't be good for her little lungs. Would love to go swimming but since Anya hates the bath I don't expect she would like it too much anyway.

BTW... Has anyone seen Spiltthetea hanging around MN anywhere? It has been quite a while since she last popped in. Was just wondering how her pregnancy was going.

Often give Tooimmature a thought too but I understand why she doesn't pop in. Last I read she was waiting for the review in May... I wonder how she is these days...

I think of them too....

tooImm crossed my mind just the other day. Hope they are both OK.

Spilt is well I believe, and something like 30weeks now! Hope she pops in to see us soon.

I often think of TooImmature, I think she is still on here but not so often. I hope her review held some answers for her.

Beth had her 12 week imms today, and she's not been a happy bunny all afternoon/evening. Had to force some Calpol down her eventually, not an easy task!!!
Not much else to report, other than that I love my girls so so so much and watching them cuddled up together brings me so much happiness. I'm feeling broody now and want to do it all over again! I wont though...

Morning ladies

Im sorry for not popping in recently, well for a long time actually. I'm feeling much much better now after what was really adjusting to life with a new baby. It really overwhelmed me and was so unexpected and took a little while to get used to. However, I would not change anything at all!

Ruby is 9+2 now and is smiling loads - it's ace. Our routine is very loose - she feeds around 4 hours in the day and the last few nights she has had a feed around 6 or 7 and then maybe some cooled boiled water with a bit of gripe water in it to settle her and then wakes for feed around 1am and then again at 6am.

She is a very content baby, apart from her colic-y time in the evening.

I'm not on facebook so can't join you on that - however if anyone is in the midlands/shropshire and fancies at meet at anytime, I'm up for it!

Hope you're all well and will now go and read all the posts I've missed while Roobs is sleeping....think it might take me a while!

Love to all xx

Welcome back, JoJo, and glad you are better and enjoying life and mummyhood these days!

Catherine, my weekly agenda resembles yours, with a little gym time and brunching/shopping with non-mum friends a few times a week to get some hot goss about single girlie life (funnily enough, the convo always reverts back to baby stuff! Don't know if I'm the culprit or if they are! :) ) Now that I have the kitchen of my dreams and Franz naps well, I try a new recipe once a week (to non-existent taste buds...DH reacts the same when I slave for hours in the kitchen v. when I bake a frozen pizza). Tonight's menu: wine marinated steak and mushrooms w/ a side of mashed carrots w/ garlic.

Halo, I hope that the sleeping and feeding will sort its way soon so that you can rest more!

Shredding, I love the image of your sweetie pies cuddling!

I've been thinking of TooImmature lots this morning and yesterday. Hope she's feeling our good vibes.

Franz has his first cold, though is handling it well and still very playful but with more frequent naps. The GP saw HIM yesterday, so I suppose I'm just a 2nd class citizen (oh wait, I'm NOT a citizen! :) )

ckny1 - you're a MUM! Hence you are no longer an individual simply an extension of a smaller being that is completely dependent on you! How dare you even SUGGEST you are a citizen! You know if you get bored of cooking for an ungrateful DH then I could do with a decent meal Hoping to stock up on freezer meals today - or that is the plan at least.

Anya was weighed again today. Still sitting on the 50th percentile but I'm unsure of whether this is ok or not. Now as far as I understand it weight should be directly proportional to height. Today she was measured too and in the 91st percentile. She is also in the 91st percentile for head size so that in turn should mean that her head size is average for her height. But I would have thought that her weight should also be slightly more than average to reflect this. Does this make sense? Forgive me if I get carried away with the numbers... I really can't help it.

Nah catherine that all sounds spot on. They need to follow each individual centile seperately. So Anya is perfect..tall and a great weight...lucky her!
Also think of tooimmature a lot, hope she is doing OK
Jo glad things are all going well!

Hey all I have a rare moment with both kids asleep at the same time :-)

Catherine get this - Lara is on the 75th for head size, 50th for weight and 25th for length!!! So she's a short porky thing with a massive head!! Both me and DH are short so that's not a shock. (Although I will add that neither of us are particularly porky and we have normal sized heads!)

Jo great to hear from you - motherhood is a shocker at first isn't it! Subsequent babies much easier. I'm SO knackered though.

ckny you're so good with your cooking. Whenever mine are down all I do is MN and lie down quietly...

Ah crud she's just woken up again. (Really noisy builders outside at the moment, grrr!) Will just quickly say that we're off to Centre Parcs on Monday for the week - I think I'm looking forward to it! DS will love it, especially the pool. It will be nice to have an extra pair of hands with them though. And then the weekend we get back, it's DS's 2nd birthday, so all in all a busy couple of weeks coming up.

She's gone off again - off I go to lie on the sofa and eat biscuits until she wakes again!

ckny - my DH responds with "its ok" to everything I cook so I respond the same when he cooks. He has no taste buds which i theorise is because hehas always eaten such spicy food (and I mean sweaty itchy spicy food to the detriment of all other tastes within the food IMO anyway) that he cannot appreciate any other flavours now although he is gettin better but they still have to be very strong identifiable flavours, subtle flavours are a no no and I put red pepper flakes in almost everything because it HAS to be spicy (well a bit anyway).

We have a sort of weekly routine loosely led by DS2.

Mon - Rhyme time at the library (we have an amazing librarian)
Tue - Toddler group or Dh at home
Wed - Chores normally sometimes another toddler group that has an indoor bouncy castle I have to actually fight the urge to get on. Sometimes we go to a music group
Thurs - alternates between a messy play group and gthe tuesday group
Fri - DH is at home so we normally potter about really

Once it is just me and E will probably be more about walking about with a bit of baby gym thrown in and maybe some swimming. What I am keen on though is ensuring that we get a 2 hour afternoon nap every day as that is crucial study time for me.

I have successfully managed to get all DC to bed by 7.30 every night for 2 weeks now and E is sleeping until about 6am which has been happening for the last week and a half. Feel rather human again as a result. T be fair a lot of this is down to them rather than me.

Not much planned for the weekend. Seeing my parents and potentially the ILS although DH is saying I should go there myself and he will come after work. not really feeling that idea but we are going away for 6 eweeks over the summer so I suppose I should make the effort.

Right thats it frm me waffle over. Have a lovely weekend everyone.

EA's centiles are all over the place too, and she's jumped on for her weight. She's about to outgrow the Moses basket - we got a cot delivered this week, so need to build it.