Crawling, sitting, standing..... any Olympians in the midst? ;)

[beaditAli]

Our spanking new thread ladies!

i think it is very hard- being in a step family. i am extremely aware (the polar opposite of you cinnamon) that the step child in our relationship ie, chloe, is never going to have what isobel, jacob and the new baby have, and that is two parents in a loving relationship. it breaks my heart that she might ever feel the odd one out/ the outsider. i told dp before we had babies that if he does treat them different i will be unable to stop myself from over compensating for chloe. its already started though and its no-ones fault. all the babies have dp's surname but she has her dads surname. its not such a big deal as i have the same name, but if and when we do get married i very much doubt her dad will let her change. also though i have had to deal with her bio dad telling her that the babies are not her real brother and sister- just half. he is a bastard of the highest order.
i understand your prospective too though cinnamon as one of my closest friends is married to a man with a son. she has been there since he was about 4 ish i think and he is 14/15 now. she has/ was treated very badly by the mil. (mum wasnt interested) she would do everything for him and then as he got older he would ring his grandma if my friend tried to discpline him to come get him. she has more or less washed her hands of him now. she was devastated about it all.

I am very aware that he will never have that as my parents are divorced and I know how hard it is. I did feel different when ds1 was born but i would never show it and do often let dss get away with things and overcompensate as i don't want him to feel left out. We hadthe same re not real siblings from dss's mum very sad. Luckily he never listened and loves both boys to bits and they love him. I jut love the term blended family makes all sound so easy and smooth! Perhaps it depends on the other parties involved!

i think you definately have it harder- if the step child doesnt live with you. its a minefield and i think blended family makes it sound like its a disney story! which it certainly isnt.

I think you're both fab! There are a lot of step/half siblings in dhs family and I've seen how easy and difficult it can be. His dad remarried and moved away so he lives closer to his step family. He doesn't treat any one any differently but his wife (step MIL) does. Her "real" grandson gets £50+ odd spent on him at christmas, my boys are lucky if they get £10!!!!! but thats cos they have seperate money so fil has to spread it between 8 grandchildren & smil only has 1! Its not about the money, Its the fact that fil treats my step nephew as his own grandson but smil doesn't seem to feel the same!

Ollys a poorly boy! Its horrible. He's never been properly poorly before. I think its just a cold but he's had a temp and has been really clingy. He spent 30mins earlier just restlessly laid on me. He wasn't even asleep. He just didn't know what to do with himself.

We've been given tickets for the Lincolnshire Show for £7 each (usual price £18). Not sure if any of you have ever been but its a massive agricultural show thats held every year. I'm so excited, Ds1 is going to love all the animals and macinery & i'll love all the craft & food tents!!!!!!!!

sassy, my sister is my half sister but it doesn't make any difference at all in our lives, and certainly not at this point when we're all grown. She was about 3 when Mum met my dad and when they got married he adopted her officially, same surname for all of us. She has two parents in a loving relationship, same as me, even though dad isn't her bio dad. Mind you she doesn't see her dad because she decided when she was old enough that she didn't want to. I'm 5 years younger than her and my brother is 18 months younger than me and no differences were made between us - like you say, it's probably easier that way round. I suppose it's also very lucky that no one in the extended family treated her differently at the time, as far as I know that is.

banana, Aphra's been ill with hand foot & mouth disease - or so we reckon, because DP has got it! Aphra did have a bit of a temp over last weekend and was a bit whiney and off colour,, though we didn't notice anything like the number of spots that DP has. Rock on childcare for challenging our LOs immune systems...

Hey everyone,

I haven't had time to catch-up yet, so sorry if I don't comment, but Louis might wake up any moment and I have to hide the laptop when he's around or he goes crazy if I don't let him have it

So, we just got back from 10 days in Sicily. It was a big family holiday with DP's parents, DB, DS-in law and DN. I'm lucky that I get on well with all of them, and they all love Louis to bits so we had a really great time. Louis was a little star, really jolly the whole time, even on the planes, and while we were there he slept through (8pm-7am) for the first time ever (only the once mind, but it gives me hope, even if he was up 8 times the next night ) It was so nice to have a relaxing time as a family, taking Louis to the beach (eating sand isn't bad for them, right?) and swimming... Also DP's parents looked after Louis one evening so DP and me could go out for an early birthday dinner (I'm 30 next Sat) Sorry if I sound gloaty, esp to anyone who's not having such a good time atm.

Right, will go back now and try to catch-up...

Oh, I forgot to ask.. As Louis now has 3, yes 3, teeth - one bottom and 2 top, all on the left just to be different - I really should start brushing his teeth... Do you all use special baby tooth paste, or is adult stuff ok?

I use the aquafresh 0-3yrs one mapletrees but just a tiny bit morning and evening. I used to use colgate as that's what we have but they have just changed their older childrens one from mint to fruit and I don't want ds1 to have fruit as we had a lot of problems getting dss to have minty toothpaste and of course ds1 has to have the same brand as Luke!!

Poor Aphra comixminx, the older brothers of one of my minded little girls had it and their mum said they were crying with the pain of the sores in their mouths :(. I do think life would be much easier if dss lived with us but I can't see him choosing to live here as he worries too much about his mum on her own. One thing she has successfully convinced him of is that dh has me, ds1 and Luke and she only has dss so she needs him more :( :( :(, just because dh has 2 other children doesn't want/love dss any less than his mum loves him.

Hope Olly is feeling better soon bananacurry and yay for Lincolnshire show, I love agricultural shows but dh is allergic to the animals so it's not really an enjoyable experience for him!

I use baby toothpaste too. We're onto a freebie that we got from the surestart centre!

I'm having a food wobble. Whats everyones los eating. Olly generally has what we have like most people here are saying now but what texture. Do you still mush, cut up small, leave big? is it saucy? dry? Olly will eat pretty much anything & just cut up small but he eats half as much as if its mushed. Am I doing right letting him eat smaller amounts but "real" food or should I give him sloppier?? Eg. Tonight he only had a couple of mouthfuls of roast dinner so I gave him some left over curry which was a lot sloppier & he ate loads!

He's a lot better today. Yesterday was horrible. Comixminx Hope Aphras not suffering too much.

Our family is full of step-siblings/parents, I wouldn't even know where to begin explaining it all. I think my sister and I were kind of lucky that we learned very early on that we were happier with our parents apart as that's what made them happy. We don't have any other siblings although I know my mum wanted more children. My sister and I were quite sad yesterday as we were the only people in the family (along with the babies) who went to see our mum's step dad. We couldn't believe that no one else had gone to see him, not even his bio children and step children from his first marriage. Sometimes I think our nan and grandad get fed up with us turning up every week and having the babies run riot in their house!

maple I remember being told that babies need different toothpaste to us, but can't remember why, flouride levels maybe? And we just use a smear on the toothbrush.
Oh and seriously at Sicily! We want to go on holiday but I need to sort Orlaith's passport which has been sitting in the living room for 2 weeks.

banana I give Orlaith a mixture of finger foods, lumpy stuff, smoother stuff, wet, dry, all sorts really. I do find she eats more if it's wet and smoothish but I think it's good to keep offering her different things to get her more used to it. I try not to worry about it too much yet.

banana I do a mix too. Jack feeds himself bits of mostly dry foods like breads or bits of soft veggies/fruit whilst I spoon in mushier stuff to make sure he's filling up. He would go for hours without letting me know he wanted to eat. He just wants to stand up all the time and laugh in my face. hahahahaha
He's still a grazer though so does breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and maybe a little bite or two an hour before bed. I'm sure it's coz that's how I've always eaten.

maples I use what ever is closest to hand whether it's kids minty stuff or our own. Our local area don't add fluoride to our water supplies so adult is recommended round our parts.

9 months today

i bought baby toothpaste, but when they had their 8/9 month check up the hv told me to stop using it and use adult toothpaste instead. she said that cos our water doesnt have any flouride added to it the babies need some and there isnt any in childrens. ive took her word but i will look it up.
another [envious] here to mapletrees glad you had a good time and incase i forget hope you have a brill 30th.
bit tired and had a shit few days (nothing to do with babies, theyre well) so if ive not commented its cos ive only glanced through. hopefully i'll feel more humourous tomorrow.

We use adult toothpaste - I think my dentist just said to use a very small amount so that's what we do.

Thanks, everyone who sends Aphra best wishes on the hand foot & mouth bug - but she had it so mildly (as with the chicken pox) that it didn't seem to trouble her at all, apart from a bit of a temperature!

Aphra has been eating a lot of rice & stew when it's on offer - more than anything else I suppose. She ate a lot tonight, lovely to see - rice & tomatoe-y stew as I say.

Maple, happy 30th! My birthday's next week but I'm well beyond 30...

With the toothpaste, the 0-3 is 1000ppm, 4-6 is 1400ppm and our one is 1450ppm so I guess not a huge amount of difference if you only use a smear. Luke loves having his teeth brushed and ds1's first word was teeth as we brushed them twice a day and I talked about teeth, toothbrush and toothpaste all the time!!!

Ds1 went to his first speech therapy session today, dh said he understood everything and did it all with no problems whereas the others struggled which just confirmed what I thought that he'd been put in the wrong group. He is 6 months older than all the rest and really doesn't have a problem with listening.

I don't mash anything for Luke anymore bananacurry, but he dies eat more of things that are more saucy/sloppy. He would prefer to feed himself really but I feel that limits what he can eat and he'd live off bread and grapes if he could!!! I don't worry about how much he eats as ds1 ate everything and has slimmed down now and dss was a nightmare to get to eat and is also fine. I think the main thing is to keep it varied and let them lead. I worried so much about both but as they sometimes pick and other times eat loads, I think they just take what they need. The trouble with dss was that whatever it was had to be massively processed and it was awful trying to expand his diet (especially as his mum didn't want the hassle). He now will try anything and eats most meals I cook even if theyre not always his favorite! Ds1 eats everything but has his fussy phases and if you let him would eat sweets for 3 meals a day whereas dss is really not bothered about sweets and would actually live off milk!

We're off for dinner on Friday to a local Italian, my mum and stepdad are going to babysit for us and my neighbours, really looking forward to it.

banana Lucy just eats what we eat now and it all comes as it is. I give her a sample of what we are having and she eats what she can, she isn't as varied as dc3 who scoffed anything at this age but she is doing well. Thought to be honest she would rather have breastmilk all the time.

I use baby toothpaste for dc3 and 4 as dc1 and 2 have extra high flouride(2800ppm) toothpaste as they have weak teeth. Lucy loves it and will chomp on her toothbrush for hours. I know they shouldn't chew them but it keeps her entertained

Banana Grace still has mainly mush, I do offer her bitesize pieces of what we're having but she's still struggling with gagging and I know if I did,t give her mush she'd barely eat anything. She's such a hungry baby so if I wasn't giving her mush she's be starving all the time.

We also use childrens 0-3 toothpaste, the HV said we could just use adult toothpaste but the one me and DP use is that extra foamy one and would make her gag!

Quick update on DP's step dad, he is now at home as he didn't want to go to a hospice but they've said he hasn't got long. MIL is looking after him full time with the help of macmillan nurses 4 times a day. He drifts in and out of sleep most of the day but struggles to sleep at night. MIL is exhausted but she's so strong I honestly don't know how she's doing it. No matter how much help people offer her she won't accept it so we keep taking Grace round to take her mind off it all which cheers her up so much and grandad is still the only person who gets a kiss on the lips off grace. we lifted her up to see him on sunday and she just sat there stroking his hand! It's a very difficult time but he's so much more comfortable at home in his own surroundings even though he is bedridden. He even had a beer on fathers day as he'd fancied one for 2 days :)

Banana Grace still has mainly mush, I do offer her bitesize pieces of what we're having but she's still struggling with gagging and I know if I did,t give her mush she'd barely eat anything. She's such a hungry baby so if I wasn't giving her mush she's be starving all the time.

We also use childrens 0-3 toothpaste, the HV said we could just use adult toothpaste but the one me and DP use is that extra foamy one and would make her gag!

Quick update on DP's step dad, he is now at home as he didn't want to go to a hospice but they've said he hasn't got long. MIL is looking after him full time with the help of macmillan nurses 4 times a day. He drifts in and out of sleep most of the day but struggles to sleep at night. MIL is exhausted but she's so strong I honestly don't know how she's doing it. No matter how much help people offer her she won't accept it so we keep taking Grace round to take her mind off it all which cheers her up so much and grandad is still the only person who gets a kiss on the lips off grace. we lifted her up to see him on sunday and she just sat there stroking his hand! It's a very difficult time but he's so much more comfortable at home in his own surroundings even though he is bedridden. He even had a beer on fathers day as he'd fancied one for 2 days :)

Hi all!
Long time no post! I havent read back yet so wont comment til I do. All ok here. DH gone to France for a month so on my winsome with the kids. Bit of a challenge. Phoebe not so well the past month. She has a persistant chesty cough. She has had an antibiotic but it didnt clear it up and I am very reluctant to giving her another one. Her cough is quite soft but really catches her to the point that she is throwing up at least a bottle a day (usually the morning one) and sometimes dinner as well. We have had to revert to total puree or she will gag and end up sputtering with cough and bringing the lot up. No teeth yet and not crawling but making her way round the room none the less. Dont have any other news really just busy with the 3 and not getting to internet as much as I used to. I hope ye are all well - will read over when I get a chance. x

Was wondering where you'd got to MammyG but as I saw you'd posted on Facebook knew all ok. Hope your dh coming home comes around quickly! Why are you reluctant to give Phoebe more antibiotics? Ds1 had tonsilitis which didnt clear up, he was prescribed a different one and he was right as rain very quickly.

Hi all, banana am here....sorry have been crap friend! Will text you.xx

So much going on here, I haven't had time to fart! Back in work a week today so getting ready for that. Plus trying to get Olly settled with the childminder while he has got 5 teeth coming through all at once is proving difficult - but got another session tomorrow and then a half day Thurs so we'll see how we get on. You can literally see the white of the teeth straining underneath his gummies, my poor angel and they are all at the top so two must be the "fangs".

So we did opt for the childminder option over nursery and am ashamed to say it did all come down to the fact that childminder saves us £1200 a year.... , I know they will do a good job as most childminders (especially the lovely cinammon) do. However there are no other babies his age there until September and I really wanted that interaction for him as I never got it myself, and I don't want him to end up like sad pathetic little me with no (RL) friends... . There are a couple of toddlers (maybe 1.5 years) though, so hopefully that will be enough for the time being. I sound daft I know, but am just very nervous about it all in general to be honest.

We use colgate adult toothpaste here as thats what was given to us in the pack that came from the HV with his didy little toothbrush (whic is adorable by the way!) Maple - we brush once a day at the min.

Oliver has what we have food wise if its appropriate (ie. not takeaway!) and he is having large-ish lumps, I do always put some sort of sauce with it, like a gravy or tomato based sauce, curry sometimes or just mushed veg. But he still eats really well and will take finger foods when given and munch them all.

What size nappies are all the little ones in? Oliver is in a size 4+ action fit. Someone told me that was really big.....I didn't think so....

Newmum - hope Gracies arm is ok and sorry about ur SFIL - I know how hard that can be. Cinammon - I don't think you are in the wrong with pics - but I do agree that DH should prob have an opinion - but it will mostly likely not even cross his mind that it is leaving DSS out.

Sorry if I've missed anything and wishing time away a little faster for those that have DP/DH's far away, it can get really lonely. Even though DP was only at work last week he worked 18 hours overtime on top of his normal 40 hour week, so we hardly saw him. I can't imagine him being away for a month or more.

Apologies for monster post....although most of you wont read this apology as you have prob fallen asleep reading.....WAKE UP!!!

Olly, 9 months on sunday.

Can I ask what anyone's thoughts are on the triple MMR jabs at 12 months? xxx

realised that i'm bringing up our lo's 12 months mark on a Sept 2010 thread!!!!!! Where has it gone?

beadit, we're definitely going to have the triple jab. The scare is IMHO all just that, a scare.

Ah chelle you're back!
Sympathies with the teeth! Jack got 4 top ones in 5 days!
Jack has been in 4+ for 3 weeks and fit him perfectly! At a push we can get 3 hours out of one if there are no nasties in there!

Olly will be great with the childminder and is probably faster than the other toddlers there anyway so he'll be the boss! hehehehehe

The MN curse has struck me, but in a nice way. After saying Arlo had no teeth, he now has one just poking through on the bottom, and the next looks like it won't be long!

Arlo 8 1/2 mths