March 2005 part 4 - The nights are getting quieter.....

[BonyM]

Not that I want to tempt fate...

i'd love to meet everyone too, but cant make definate plans for a while.

Bonym, I'd deffo be up for a meet-up. I'm Reading way so could travel towards London (M3, M4, M25) or the other direction up the M4 (I know you're Cardiff). If we decide to do this and you want a volunteer to organise things, let me know.

Jo, Harrison has 4 feeds a day and is also starting to show less interest in these. He usually takes most of his early morning and bedtime feeds (although this is getting less and less) but his mid-morning and mid-afternoons are very mixed. Sometimes he takes it all, sometimes he doesn't take any and lots of variations in between. When he starts consistently taking less (or none) I'm going to drop them and replace them with a drink and a snack.

Well, Harrison has ben an angel for the past few days and has been sleeping from 6.30/6.45pm through to 5am yesterday when he came into bed with me and went back to sleep until 7am and until 6.15 this morning He clearly senses I need his co-operation at the moment as having just recovered from my cough/cold, I spent all of yesterday evening and night throwing up with some tummy bug (let's hope it's nothing more long term ) Today I feel like I've done a few rounds in a boxing ring and I must look quite pathetic as DH actually offered to stay at home and help with Harrison

Jo, Harrison is also still desperately trying to get himself on the move and I seem to spend my days picking him up from his tummy where he's collapsed in a heap

Cristina, so glad to hear Sylvia is eating better as I know what a worry this must be for you. Hope she keeps it up.

Have a good day everyone

Busywizzy - a friend of mine always says that when you really think you can't cope anymore somehow the baby knows and gives you a break! Hope you are feeling better with your stomach bug.

Jo - Niklas drove us both mad as well when he was trying to crawl as well. I hope she gets it soon!

Misdee - hope you and your girls are doing OK.

Cristina - Sylvia on a rocking horse sounds really cute!

We (me and a friend) took Niklas and her dd on a sledge yesterday. Niklas loved it. He is quite fascinated with the snow, kept sticking his glove into it and eating it! We had lots more snow where we live last night it looks so beautiful . Zurich is just wet though.
Niklas discovered the toilet roll at the weekend and one of his favourite games now is to pull it all off the roll! As you can imagine he thinks its great!

thrush
grrrr
idiot of a doctor
grrrr

Who, you or Harry, Popsy?
I'm sure Leo and I don't need to miss out on the get-together. I'll just pop over in my private jet and pick Leo and Niklas up on the way! Or you'll all have to come out here and have a pool party - much nicer weather than what you're all having, I'm sure!
Bought Lauren a little inflatable boat thingy that you float them about in the pool in. Gave it to my mum to try it out as she has her today. It's stinking hot so she'll be having many swims. At least with most houses having a pool in this country, you can just jump in your baggy knickers and dive in! (Maybe not - they'd probably end up round your knees) No shlepping to the sports centre and having to look decent in front of everyone!

A meet up would be a great idea. I live a couple of miles from Junction 3 of the M25 (in Kent).

BonyM and BW - Thnx for the info about feeds. I think that the reason Freya is not feeding well during the day is that she is just too mosy. If I am sitting at home quietly and DS1 is at school she will feed fine, if there are any distractions then the feeding just goes out of the window. This isn't too bad as long as I am at home, but it makes feeding her in public (or even at someone elses house) a bit of a nightmare - she is not atall discreet when she is looking all round and trying to see what is going on! Perhaps I will try her on a cup of milk if I am out and about, but continue to b/f if I am at home.

Crawling update - Freya can now just about drag herself along the floor (as long as she doesn't mind carpet burns on her knees). She can also get from all fours back to sitting, though she only does this if she thinks you're not looking, if she spies you then she just cries quite pathetically and looks at you for help . It really can't be long now before she masters it - perhaps she needs some body building protein shakes to improve her muscle tone?! She'll probably do it the weekend the Xmas tree goes up so that she can spend the next few weeks pulling all the decorations off!

Aaaaargh - Iris is sick - snotty, hacking cough, won't eat, has huge white swollen lump on lower gum (could be tooth, but can't feel anything). She won't let me put her down for a second without screaming, though I think I've just got her to sleep at last.

Plus .... our boiler has packed up ... so no heating or hot water .... have phoned 4 plumbers ... best offer so far is a call-out NEXT WEEK to take a look at it.

Am still though - off into the kitchen where I'm going to put the oven on to keep warm!!!!

The registration for the Platex Moonwalk in London opens today via their website. I am going to try and sign up and 'Walk the Walk' - anyone else interested???

Jambot, could you pick me up on route that way I can have a few drinks without worrying about driving home Seriously at the weather you're having. We have rain and no short term prospects of anything else

Pidge and Popsy, so sorry you have illness in your houses (Popsy, not sure if it's you or Harry who has thrush). Hope everyone is better soon.

Jo, is the moonwalk where you walk through London through the night. Would so love to do that with you but not too sure if I could willingly give up a nights sleep Am going to look at the website now so I may join you yet.

Well Harrison has continued to be an angel now his teeth are through and we have now had four nights in a row (the longest ever) of him sleeping from approx 6.45pm until sometime after 5am. Then he comes into bed with me and goes back to sleep (eventually) until 7-7.30. He's also found his new routine during the day (aren't they funny they way they just suddenly decide one day everything needs to be different) and is napping for about 45 minutes to an hour at 9.30am and again after lunch for 1.5 - 2 hours. He is absolutely delightful, so full of smiles and such a happy, happy boy.

Unfortunately DH has gone down with the sickness bug that DD and I had but sadly, he has the man's version which is sooooooooo much worse than anyone else in the world has had Has spent the past two days laying on the sofa with the fire on, just managing to eat the toast/soup I bring him at regular intervals. He's gone back to work today as he has an important meeting to attend but only feels '70%' so no doubt, he'll need to have a long rest when he gets home

DD was also up in the night with toothache. We had a dentist appointment last week and she sadly needs a filling, which they can't do until next April So am off to shout at the receptionist now that sleepless nights from now until then just can't happen and we need something just a tad sooner. Grrrrrrrrr

Have a good day all.

Have now phoned 8 plumbers ... still no joy ... my feet are getting seriously frosty! Pooh. On the plus side Iris is still asleep - though that is a sign that she's not well of course, as normally she won't do more than half an hour.

Busywizzy your new routine sounds fantastic - just like my older daughter in fact. I need to have words with young Iris!!

Right - off to try to find someone who can come and fix our boiler before we all perish from the cold!

It is me who has thrush in the boobs think i have it under control now though......

Harry is still coughing andd has now been diagnosed with eczema!!!!!
argh!!!!!

When will this end!

Jo, finally convinced myself I could do 'Walk the Walk' with you and went to put the date in my diary before signing up online - then realised, it's the day before our village local fun run, which I do each year with my DD. The thought of walking 13.5 miles through the night followed by a 5 mile run the following day is too, too much and DD would never forgive me if I let her down so it's a no from me I'm afraid.

I'm really sorry as I would have loved to do this with you but good luck if you manage to sign up. Remember, we'll want to see a picture of you in your bra !!!!!

Oh Popsy You really are having the hardest time of it. I know nothing we say can make it easier but please know, are thoughts are with you.

I really hope things start getting easier for you soon and I hope Harry get's better soon (seem to have been saying that for ages now poor little thing) and that DD's eczema isn't too severe.

Sorry, meant to say hope Harry's eczema isn't too severe

I am also off work
Struggling a bit
calcuklated that 88% of my wage goes on childcare

when i go back , i am going to have a proper meeting with my boss to see if i can go down to 2 days, my mum will have the boys so no childcare......
I will only be about 100 pounds worse off working 2 days than working 4 with childcare

if it doesnt work out, i am seriously thinking of loooking for A 2 DAY JOB ELSEWHERE

Popsycal - sounds as if it makes sense to work 2 days.... or not work at all? Maybe you really need some time off to spend with Harry and ds1 with no stress and without work hanging over you. Sounds as if you need a break! I guess in teaching as well you can take time off and come back to it quite easily.
Hope you and Harry both get better and the eczema is a passing thing. Is he sleeping any better?

Busywizzy - I am shocked that a dentist would expect a child to wait 5 months to get a tooth filled! Can she not go to another dentist? By April she will have no tooth left to fill!

Pidge, good luck with a plumber!

....sometimes (very often actually ) I am really glad I live in Switzerland, I could call the dentist now and get an appointment tomorrow, call a plumber and he would be there this evening! It did take 6 weeks for us to get connected to the internet at home though!

Niklas found the toilet roll again this morning, I was in the shower and dh was still in bed....
He slept last night from about 7pm to 5.30am then played on his own until about 6.15 when I got up.
Oh I love him so much....

Popsy, you sound like you could really do with a break. IMO the loss of £100 seems like a small price to pay to get some calm and ease back into your life. Hope the talk with your boss goes OK and hope your DH/DP is helping you through this.

Leo, so glad that Niklaus is sleeping better (and earlier)

Managed to get an emergency appointment for DD at the dentist. She has an abcess forming under one of her teeth They have done what they can today and now we have to wait 48 hours to see what happens (just in time for the weekend when everything is shut of course). They have given her a mild sedative as she was in so much pain and now she is fast asleep on the sofa Have sent DH out to buy more Nurofen to get us through the night.

Oh yes, and Harrison has now got the tummy bug we've all had and has been squitting runny poo out of his bottom all day. I've had to completely change him twice and then he managed to poo all over me as I was carrying him into the bath !!!

DH is going to get us a chinese whilst he's out as after today, I've not got the energy to cook dinner and I need to put my feet up with a large glass of wine and watch 'I'm a Celebrity'

urgh feel like crap! Have a cold and Caleb also ill, his eczema has flared up so i'm washing him with epa-derm which is brilliant! Was very short tempered with him the other day and snapped 'just shut up' several times feel very guilty. Today took him to the hospital as his great grandad is there after suffering a heart attack on Monday, thankfully he is ok and Caleb really cheered him up. We put him on the floor and he crawled round and chatted away to all the old men (6 of them) on my grandads ward. They said it really brightened their day he's such a lovely baby feel really bad when I snap. Calebs also got bright red cheeks, nappy rash, green slime nappies and lots of drool! Hoping for some teeth by Xmas!

Popsy if you need to reduce your work hours then do it, it's not worth the stress and it's not permanent, just till baby's a little older.

Seems like all our babies have coughs at the moment!

Shalaa - I confess I have also snapped at Niklas . I was trying to feed him and he was hitting me in the face with a piece of card that he had in his hand. It hurt me and the snapping was a reaction, he cried and I felt really guilty as well. I am sure it is not the only time that I will ever snap at him though!

Busy - I hope your dd's tooth gets sorted out very quickly. How miserable for her (and you).

Niklas slept a lot at the nursery yesterday, and went to bed at 7.30 last night, woke twice for a feed and then slept until 7 ! He was a bit grumpy this morning so now I am convinced that all the sleep is a sign that he is coming down wiht something just in time for the weekend!

Oh Leo, hope Niklaus is OK.

Pidge and Popsy, hope Iris and Harry are on the mend.

Shalaa, I've told Harrison very loudly to 'go back to sleep' in the early hours of the morning and made him cry and goodness knows how many times I've spoken to DD in a way I've later regretted We wouldn't be human if we were patient saints every second of the day. Babies can be very, very trying so don't be too hard on yourself.

DD had a good night and seems brighter this morning. Keeping her off school for the rest of the week though as I really don't want this to flair up.

Harrison also slept through again (think we might have cracked it ) but is really starting to play up about going back to sleep after his 5am cuddle. Hmmmmmm next 'problem' to deal with me thinks.

Have a good day all

popsy - reducing your hours definitely sounds like a good move. And should be totally manageable as a teacher. Loads of my dp's department are part-time - doing 2, 3 days etc.

busywizzy - hope you're all feeling better - isn't it horrible when they're poorly.

calebsmum and leogaela - I've also shouted at Iris - I walked 15 minutes back from the childminder when picking up dd1 yesterday and Iris was in the backpack and kept pulling my hair really hard and hurting me. I gave her a good ticking off - much to the amusement of some pedestrians on the other side of the road.

Anyway - we are all on better form today. We have HEATING AND HOT WATER again - hooray. Plus Iris seems better. Though she got up at 5am, and woke up dd1 so everyone began the day snapping at each other, and dp was so exhausted when he was in charge of Iris he got distracted and she fell down the stairs (7 steps) and got herself a bloody nose. But then she and I slept for 2 hours this morning, and she slept another hour this afternoon. That's some kind of record since she often only sleeps for a total of an hour all day. I'm determined to sort out her sleep now, because she is such a happy baby when she's rested. But it's so hard to find a way to make her stay asleep longer at night and during her naps. It's strange because she goes to sleep brilliantly.

Off to Somerset for the weekend ... back next week.

Oh ... and Iris has her first tooth ... so maybe that explains her poor form over the last few days.

Pidge - i'm trying to imagine you telling Iris off while she was in the backpack. Must have looked to others like you were talking to yourself!

Sylvia is incredibly clingy. I can't even put her down for a minute, she climbs all over my legs, even at home, let alone with strangers around. I can't remember Dominic going through such an intense phase - or else i've forgotten. She's very sweet and cheerful and i'm so, so relieved that she's eating well again. I don't know if she's puting on weight but at least i can see the food going in (and coming out).

Shall we make more definitive plans for a meet-up in the new year? Else we'll get busy and won't be able to find a convenient time & location.

Here's a list I'll start of where we are located and when we are free:
Cristina - London (Wimbledon) - free any weekend, can travel

Well tha's it, I've done it. I have signed up for the Playtex Moonwalk. I have gone for the full marathon distance! Should keep me occupied for a while!

Well that's it, I've done it. I have signed up for the Playtex Moonwalk. I have gone for the full marathon distance! Should keep me occupied for a while!