April 2011; springtime arrivals - blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, nipple thrush, nappy thrush...

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Here we are, our new thread and this time we all have our babies !

I thought we were getting thrush again, but then realised I had let ds's latch get sloppy. He was constantly clicking and tutting at the breast but I was too distracted to notice.

Ds and I made butterfly cakes together this morning, ds got to choose the colour of the buttercream icing ..... It is a very lurid shade of pink and they are covered in sugar strands. You can never have enough sugar!

Good grief, I don't know what's going on here. We got 9 hours' sleep last night, which is the longest EVER (9pm-6am) and she's just finished a two and a half hour nap. I am singing praises to the Gods of Sleep!!

Not sure how much that Sensational Sleep Plan lady is right, but she's definitely on the money about sleep begetting sleep...

H has just been weighed. He's 15 weeks tomorrow and is a stonking 15lb 3oz (6.910kg)!

Mm, maybe we should try belly massage Chilli, H is a super trumpet of late!

Gin better be ok Kits, I loves me a G&T, mmmmmmmmmm.

All this talk of a g&t has given me a hankering for one.

Ds2 is at his granny and grandad's this avo, so my plan is to tidy the house, bake a cake and wash my hair while I has a nap. What are the odds on that actually happening?! My hair is that rank you could probably fry some chips in it

I still daren't weigh I. I think the 6-9 clothes will be coming out soon as his toes look a bit squished in the 3-6 babygro's. He is a BIFFA!

G&Ts are surely fine kits, go for it! The only problem I have is liking the taste of G&Ts a little too much and glugging them down a little too easily.

S will be 13wks on Wednesday...to think we were all conceiving our babies this time a year ago!

Afternoon All!

It's me, Petal, under a new and less pansy-like name.

I did do a big, pun-laden post but lost it all somewhere. Bum.

Well done on your sleep ecuse, v , not such a good one here, and naps are a bit of a battle. Need to get OUT but it's so horrible out there today.

Wish I had wine now. Pimms will have to do.

Hadn't thought of that Caramello! in fact, H was conceived this week last year. Ah that French holiday when my wrist was still in a cast and we went kayaking anyway, my parents house out there that they now live in wasn't finished yet, my older sister was just starting a relationship with her now husband and my other sister was looking forward to the first year of vet school which she's just passed with a merit.

How things have changed!

This week last year we broke our bed!!

We've had an epic day out! left the house at 10.30 got home at 4.30! H was quite happy snoozing in his pram!

We had our first young mums Surestart class. I'm not sure how it's going to pan out as today was a bit preachy about safety in the home, kind of "If you don't do all of these things you baby will die", yikes! I'm sensible about these kind of things but some of the mums there were a bit . we then went out shopping and for lunch with my friend and her Ds who is a day younger than B! A browse through the next sale and a wander around the shops!! lovely! And now its almost tea time and DH will be home soon!!

I've been having a few drinks here and there, not G&T, it's about the only spirit I can't drink! JD and coke, thats more me!! Makes me feel young again!! It's my 30th in 3 weeks and I'm not taking it very well! Everyone keeps asking what I'm doing for it! They think I'm joking when i say I think I'll spend the day in bed!

wow, "young mum" & "30th" in the same post is nice! So we're still young then?!

I'm positively elderly when I'm in the village I grew up in. (the doc actually asked my sis, when getting the implant at 19: "but won't you be starting a family soon?" Neither of us went back there)

Giiiiiiiiiiiiinnnn! Dammit I have none in the house. Not quite sure when J was conceived - either this weekend last year or next. Aaah memories :)

Yeah we did question the Young part as I think I was one of the youngest there! New mums would probably better describe it! There was a woman there with her newborn DS and she had 6 other kids with her. 6!! 2 girls between 11 and 13 say and 4 boys between 3 and 9 maybe! I was thinking she might child mind or something, but on closer inspection thay all looked alike!! Seven kids , athough she did say she didn't bother with stair gates and socket covers because "they have to learn" shortly followed by, "if they fall off the coffee table 10 times chances are they'll only be really hurt once or twice" I kid you not! Had to hide my snigger at that one!!

Buckminster I love your name. It makes me think of a cream coloured carpet range but such are the segueways of my baby-addled mind at the moment. There is no gin in my house (I looked). Apparently my husband finished it ages ago. B*stard!

My baby is actually over five years old (). He's a frozen embryo and technically the girls' fraternal triplet. He was conceived in a petri dish on a clinic on the London Embankment in 2006. I used to wave at my four frozen babies in the clinic every time I ran home from work and now one of them is snoozing upstairs in his cot. Bizarre. I can't remember the date of embryo replacement last year as I can't even remember what I had for dinner an hour ago but it must be around this time. I remember being around five weeks pregnant at the beginning of August. The random genetic mix that is my children is all down to the chance selections of an embryologist in a white coat. I find that amazing. Thank God for IVF.

Frak as custodian of the April thread titles any thoughts so far? Should it involve mention of gin or would that be incendiary to any lurking social services types?

Lisa SEVEN children! How the hell does she get anything done? Thirty is young (I am 39, which I assure myself is also very young).

I so want a G&T now, annoyingly I've made a similar discovery to yours Kits, DH drank it months ago and is now in Durham for the week so I can't even send him out to get more.

Lis 7!!! Surely they start giving out medals at that point? At 25 I'm too old for the younger mum's group here. >Starts plucking gray hairs<

I'm not sure of the exact date S was conceived. DH had got back from a work trip to the States and his welcome home was, umm, enthusiastic!

Hi ladies.

Feeling a bit and hoping to offload a bit. Not sure if anyone may be in similar situation who can emphasise.

I'll start by saying I think I've been quite spoiled over last 12 weeks ... DH just started new job today after 2 weeks off, and before that he was on wind down of notice period (doing short hours which meant he didn't leave until 9am and home for Js bedtime routine at 6pm) and prior to that he was off on paternity leave for3 weeks due to bank holidays etc. Well I've been dreading him starting new job for some time - today he left at 7.30am and wasn't home until 7pm. And that's going to be a good day. Once he's in swing of things think it's going to be more like out the house from 7-7.30. It's sinking in that he is only really going to see J at weekends. I feel gutted. I know that it's common for the man to have this situation but it feels so wrong. It's probably because we've been very lucky up until now.... Is anyone else in similar boat and how do you cope? I feel guilty for having all this time off with J (prior to me going on maternity leave we have performed similar roles in similar companies). Equally I'm also feeling v sleep deprived and wondering how I'm going to cope on my own.

Sorry to offload and thanks for listening.

12 weeks today

She did look tired though, very tired!

DaisyLulu DH is similar out at 7, home by six so slightly better than your situation. But when he comes home he is hands on, will do the last feed of the day, bath time and bed. at the weekends he is in charge, choses what he wears, nappy changes, feeds etc. Its what he wants to do and I'm not going to stop him. I'm also lucky that he does work flexi time so there is some give to his working day and he gets a lot of public holidays and annual leave. Once your dh has settled in to his new job, you will work out what is an sisn;t possible for him to do. I totally understand how you feel.

My limit is one large glass which = a third of a bottle. Enough to feel the happy glow but not impact my getting up in the morning, i'm a bit of a lightweight with wine. G & T I could knock back several quite happily so probably better if I steer clear for now

Lis I take your mum of 7 and raise you to THIS. I often see her down the park/softplay and wouldn't mess with her but the kids are always well-behaved.

kits
Lovely story about you waving to your future children

New Thread title should definately include cake!

P will be 16 weeks on Thurs and is still in her 0-3 clothes, i've tried her in a couple of her 3-6month dresses but the shoulders were so high on her she looked like an extra from Dynasty.

Awwww kits that's so lovely :)

daisy we have a similar situation - DH works full time plus (around 6.30-20.00) plus occasional nights/trips overseas and is constantly on call. The worst part is that he's so exhausted when he comes in I don't think they get quality time in the evening despite me shifting bed and bath later.

dairy I'm considered old, at 25, to be a first time mother here, so that's worse than being not young I find the notion bizarre to say the least.

Thread title to include cake, gin and anything else?

I feel old at 30. But then we're on our 2nd night feed tonight.

Why would anyone want so many kids? 1's hard enough!

Sometimes I wish we could all meet up. But it'd be a bit of a mission!

(in our house, DH is out 9:00-20:00, and from Sept I'll be out 7:20-17:00, though he has his days off in the week. He'll do mornings. I'll do evenings).

Ugggh the first 2am wake up in ages. Nappy changed and hopefully going back to sleep now.

I sympathise with all the dhs working long hours. I'm in similar position as dh works early, late and night shifts so is often either working or sleeping during the day and only really gets quality time with L on his rest days which is pretty rubbish and also means I'm doing it all single handedly a lot of the time. Right now he's at work and hate being alone overnight.

Sympathies re DHs - mine works away a lot too, often Mon-Thurs. Mind you i love having the bed to myself
So i do get him to do lots of nappy changes at the weekend, lol!

I'm glad to hear those children are well-behaved Liv, as the story really doesn't portray her very nicely.

Well, M went down about 8pm and ...is...still..asleep Of course DS2 got me up at 6 but i still managed 8 straight hours, yey. (lack of snoring DH definitely helped!!)

Off to BF group later - last week the other 2 volunteers couldn't make it, and I was running late. Normally no new mums as our group is struggling which is sad, last week? 3 new mums, eek! Hope some of them come back today as I'm not sure i was the best giver-of-support really.

Thanks ladies. I think we will find our new routine soon enough but I need to accept that, for the time being, DH needs to put in the long hours while he establishes himself in the new role. Maybe once the trust has built up he may even be able to work from home one day a week.

J has been a little star over last few days (not sure I couldve coped if we'd had bad few days). Her new reflux medication and formula seems to be helping and everyone is commenting on how much happier she is. We are getting lots of smiles and even little laughs now. Plus second night in a row of doing 7-6.30 with a dream feed at 10pm Long may it continue!

Dh's working day out of the house is ok (8-5.15), but he works for himself so has lots of paperwork, quotes to do and clients to see in the evenings. He then works on our extension on Saturdays so we have Sundays together as a family.

You'll find a balance Daisy and I think it's very normal to dread a change. Try and fill your week with groups and activities, keep busy. It will help you feel organised, you'll meet new people, it will keep dd entertained and the weeks will fly by.

Liv - lol at being an extra from Dynasty!

I'm not sure when I was conceived, I think mid August.

This is ds's last week at pre school, I then have to parent two children FULL TIME for SIX weeks. Someone pass me the gin NOW

So so at all these sleeping babies - S just seems to get worse and worse..... he doesn't seem to be particularly hungry when he wakes or lonely, he just gets so restless, little legs flying everywhere, even in his sleeping bag, he just can't seem to stay under for very long at a time without jerking himself awake. Last night he went down about 9, then woke at 12, 130, 4 and 7, taking ages each time to settle down again. I even took to holding his legs down for 20 minutes tilll he gradually subsided into deep sleep!!! Someone please tell me he'll just develop his way out of this? I used to be able to cope with the nights and now I'm feeling a bit desperate.....

But on the other hand feel very lucky in my DP and his job, very much 9-5 and straight back home and helping out. Swings and roundabouts....

Re childcare, we went with nursery because it seemed cheaper (hoho!) than a nanny and more knowable than a childminder - we got on the waiting list before S was born, and now he's here I'm so pleased we made the right decision, as he loves people and new things and lots of stimulation. We went with gut reaction - I often joke that S should go out to work because I want to go to the nursery! Very efficient manager, happy faced children and genuinely caring atmosphere. Formula, nappies, food thrown in, they help you with routines and weaning and potty training.......very pricey but I think it will be so worth it. Looking forward to being back at work in Sept but feeling sad about the end of this baby period....

Well, we've got gin...but no tonic. Or lime. Hmmm. Anyway, surely it's too early now?! I'll make do with some cake for elevenses instead!

I'm also about all the sleeping babies. P is going backwards with her sleep at the moment. I'm convinced it's to do with her move from the basket to the big cot. She was up at 3am and then again at 4.30am (two night wake ups are unheard of for her). She woke just before 7am to start the day but it wasn't through hunger - like you Daisy, P was wriggling frantically in her gro bag. She looks so tiny in the big cot too . I'm hoping that after a few more nights she'll get more used to it and go back to one or no night time wake ups.

I'm lucky with DH's working hours. He has the freedom to work from home if he hasn't got meetings or isn't teaching. The university holidays have come at the right time! Hopefully by the start of the new school year, I'll be in more of a routine and won't need him to be around so much.

Hello there. The wedding went well in the end. R was smiley happy baby and adored, F on the other hand turned into a very cute monster. My friend walked down the aisle to lovely quiet music and F shouting "nice!" and pointing at her sparkly train. He was telling everyone around him what direction and frequency of bubble blowing was required by loudly pointing and shouting emphatically "there!". At the reception he ran up and down constantly dodging my efforts to catch him with R on my hip by getting under tables. He popped all balloons lower than 1m in the room, attempted to steal beer several times from strangers, dashed to the front (slipping through not only my grasp but that of two others and put his finger on the middle tier of the cake as they were cutting and shouted "me!" with glee then stole the cloth from a waiter and pretended to wash a ladies dress "wash wash.." with an intent look on his face. On the train into the city there was a man who looked drunk and slumped I alerted the guard and woke him and after an ambulance was called it turned out the poor man had a hypo and so was diabetic. One hell of a day.

daiseylulu I can sympathise with you completely. My DH is out 7-8:30 and often 9pm 6 days a week. I often feel like I didn't sign up for this lack of support. Although today he goes in to find out if he is made redundant so I'm praying hard that he keeps this job. He has been looking but there aren't any jobs coming up :(