July 2010 - Next thread, cba to think of a title

[Chulita]

I want to witter away to you lot and none of you have come up with the goods so this will have to do...

chul are your two both still rear-facing in the car and if so, what's the leg-room situation like for L now? Poor F's legs are all bent but he's never moaned about it so haven't switched him forward-facing yet altho plan to at some point during this year when it just isn't feasible for him to fit anymore.

catch up with everyone later - suffice to say - i hope you got more sleep than i did..

dh I have said it before but I think you're confusing him. Sometimes you make him stay in his room and other times you give in let him come into bed with you. It's totally understandable that he fights it when you try to leave him in his room, as he knows the longer he holds out and the more he protests, the better a chance of getting in your bed.

I'm sorry I don't know if you were after advice or just to vent, but that's the way I see it.

I would say you need to decide on either co-sleeping, or not co-sleeping and then stcik to it. He'll never understand if you keep swapping and changing

I know you're right mlisc when we started we were really strict and made him stay in his room/bed and after a few rubbish nights we were starting to see results until the sickness/colds.

He is still teething but with calpol I think it's bearable. I'm just going to have to take him back to his bed every time he wakes now.

Gosh where is everyone?

Dunno about everyone but we've been to westfield as DCs are with my father for the day. Had a lovely day with dh, didn't buy much (just a top from zara and a lacey scarf from monsoon) but had a delish vietnamese curry for lunch and was just nice walking holding hands with dh :)

We're on our way back on the tube now. Picking up A but F's staying there so we'll have a nice easy morning and then going back at 2pm to collect F and have a roast! Perfect weekend or wot?!

What are you all up to then?

How's the tiniest baby on the thread trudy and is M still a fan. Would love to see a pic of the 3 of you :)

Evening all from the PILs. Having a nice time, J is enjoying crawling round and exploring, and has been doing increasing amounts of walking - he's up to 5-6 steps now. Today he has finally learnt to stand up without anything to pull up on, and also to stoop down from standing to pick up a toy. So I think he's just about to take off with the walking.

He's got conjunctivitis, boring, so had to take him to the docs down here yesterday for drops. He can't go to nursery till there's no discharge from the eyes so am hoping he'll be better by Monday.

woodlands he sounds like hes really progressing, go J!

We went to the zoo today, D had a half hour nap at lunchtime so of course he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the zoo, didn't wake up til 5.

He's full of beans playing with a pack of nappies. 10 o clock bedtime here we come...

cake both of ours are still rear facing, L's legs are bent up but she doesn't seem to notice and never complains. I think when Frijolito appears in March we may have to move her to the front in her seat so she'd end up forward facing, we just can't fit two Besafe and a MaxiCosi in the back!

I've been busy just 'pottering', had my dad and gdad round yesterday on their way back to Wales so that took up time, then today we were out then tidying the garage. I logged on to post earlier but the two pickles were wanting attention so I didn't get that far!

re Christmas
L so far has these dolls for her birthday and these beads for Christmas. I've also bought her a huge pile of glitter glue.

S has this

DH has:
A small lego set (I get him one every year)
long red light for his backpack
hi-viz cycling jacket
multi-tool thingy that he'll probably never use
lego ninja keyring cos I want it

I might get something else for L but I'm not sure what. I feel a bit mean with so few presents but a) she doesn't know any better and b) she's not really 'into' anything that I can build on yet. I'll buy a sledge too, gotta have one of those!

For J for Christmas I got him a couple of bits in the Sainsbury's half price toy sale the other week - this garage and a similar thing. I don't think we'll get much else, he's bound to get loads from family.

this ninja chul? www.amazon.co.uk/853101-Lego-Ninjago-Sensei-Wu-Keychain/dp/B004HZJPWS/ref=sr_1_40?ie=UTF8&qid=1321129164&sr=8-40

i might buy dh similar as there's a bit of a running thing at work with him and lego (don't ask)

F and A have those dolls and love them, albeit they're nekkid most of the time and so tend to resemble bits of wood more than people

am i depriving my two buy not giving them duplo? should i?

still haven't bought any more presents - oh other than a 3d dinosaur book for F's stocking. i think it's actually me who's more into them than he is.

i might get F some kind of baking set - apron etc as he loves helping to make cakes. i bought him some of those small diet scales the other day which are perfect for children to weigh buzz lightyear and dolls clothes ingredients.

i better start writing lists as i buy for so many people it takes forever.

also, better start thinking about the wrapping :)

where did you get the scissors mlic?

woodlands i reckon J will be off very soon now if he's doing that many steps

looking forward to a makeshift dinner of french bread, humous, antipasti and kalamata olives - oh and vino obv.

the garage looks fab woodlands half inclined to get one for A as she loves cars but F gets all precious about her using his lovely wooden one.

I'm going to get D some new bath toys and something you can stick to the wall so he can play with it in the bath.

I also want to get him a soft toy duck as that was his first proper word after mama and dada and he still loves ducks.

He's just gone down, took half an hour but he didn't cry at all. I'm so tired I've got a headache but I'm really determined to keep him in his room all night.

this one I've had the red one on my car keys for over 10 years so thought it was about time he had a sparring partner.

Both of mine love duplo, the cars are good and chunky and they can easily put people in and out. We've got bricks but they'll only build if we start. The cars and people are always a hit, they're the only bath toys we have tbh, that and a cheap tea set! L also gets a couple of the duplo people and sets them talking to each other which is very cute and usually quite funny!

dh my db got L a microwaveable soft toy dog last Christmas and she likes snuggling up with it. You can buy ducks too if you're interested.

I'm just trying to find DH a hoodie now, he wears the same one all the time so I'd like to find him a nice one for less than £30 if poss.

Been on the vino here too, Cake. My parents are visiting this weekend, so we thought we'd open a bottle (or three) with dinner.

They looked after M earlier so DH and I could put a whole load of stuff into the garage and loft, then I could rip the faulty power unit out of the desktop and stick the spare one in. What an exciting life we lead! They did offer to babysit this evening so we could go out, but DH and I are dull and love our PCs too much to leave them couldn't find anything at the cinema we wanted to see.

I'm almost done now with Christmas presents. [preen] Done most of the wrapping too, having stolen the idea of brown paper, pretty ribbon and baubles with the names on in glitter pen.

M is getting a Gro Clock from DH and I, while I've asked Father Christmas to bring her the Brio Train Set, an Aurora doll and some Milkyway Stars (she loves them!).

There'll probably be a few other bits in her stocking too, like some toothpaste and a new toothbrush (FC is all about oral hygiene) and possibly some soft padded alice hair bands, if he can find any get the elves to make some in time, since M seems to really like wearing them. She keeps grabbing the one with ears for her Halloween bat costume and putting it on!

I won't put the stuff I'm getting DH on here, since there's a chance he might find/read this thread. His main present is a computer game released next week that he's after and likely knows he'll be getting, and he'll probably get a few other fun and useful things as well that he won't expect.

Good luck for tonight, DH! Stay strong, don't give in! :) It'll all be worth it in the end, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Aw you's have got me all excited for christmas.

Our boys just want money to buy clothes and stuff so we will take them out at the beginning of december to get their presents. We bought rileigh this m.tesco.com/mt/direct.tesco.com/q/R.212-3141.aspx and a steering wheel which she was trying to steal from the shop. Can you advise me on the best blocks for our lo's age?
For dp I haven't got a clue so I am watching in interest to see what your all buying.

viks how are you and baby bump? They can frighten you can't they. They told me J was small but he turned out 10lb 6 so not small at all.

trudy sounds hard and I really feel for you about F being alone but I eCho everyone else says. Your a fabby mummy. For the c-section definitely take your time and rest. I was also told to keep it as dry as possible especially after a bath. Pat the area dry to avoid the fluff from the towel getting into it. Your boy is so handsome. Well done.

chulita have you had a look in next or new look for a hoodie for dh?also m&m direct online do loads of stuff at great prices. Dpp got a bench hoodie for £25.

kk how's E? How's the salon?

woods J sounds like he's going to take off you'll be rushed off your feet :).

Out of curiosity how long do your little ones nap for during the day? R sleeps for half hour all day despite being a crap sleeper.

Chul- thanks, that duck looks really nice!

Stac- D went through a patch of sleeping an hour or more during the day which was great. He's back to half an hour now but I really do think it's all linked. When I was being strict with night time his daytime naps were alot better.

Such a shit night last night. He woke roughly 7 times before half 1. He goes into a light sleep so I leave his room, he then comes to find me after 5 mins. This went on for hours til I accidentally fell asleep on his floor til 3, crept back to my bed and he slept til 6:20.

He always always wakes up stupidly early when it's dh's turn for a lie in. I said as I left the room, I only got 3 hours sleep. His reply? Did you?

From toys r us cake

sounds dire dh really annoying when they do that on dh's lie-in days too. i pretty much don't let dh have lie-ins at the mo as whilst i'm still bf, i almost always get the crap sleep so rely on the odd bit in the mornings to keep me sane.

napwise - A still always has 1.5 - 2 hours.

oh meant to say mlic i wasn't disproving your theory re molars, i think that is it and that's why A had that super terrible period of no sleep as it was when hers were coming thru. she's really bad again now but think it's another batch.

i reckon that chart is pretty optimistic, eg re last molars: all the children i know got theirs closer to 3 than 2! and A got her 1st molars at 14m but she was in the minority on this thread.

dh i've always said we all have three options:

1. Intentional co-sleeping

1. Accidental co-sleeping - basically co-sleeping when they're ill or teething because it's the best way for you (not necessarily everyone) to get some sleep and then attempting (via willpower, patience and shush pat etc) to get them in their own bed in between teething/ill episodes but not stressing too much either way.

1. CC/CIO and then finding a non-co-sleeping way to deal with ill/teething-related wake-ups (cos they WILL happen for everyone) eg sitting up on the sofa with them.

option 2 has been the approach for us with both of ours. It's not perfect but I've made my peace with it because i truly believe there is no perfect alternative which will guarantee sleep during these early years. it's been reassuring seeing that we pretty much all have the same sleep issues on here no matter what the approach. Having seen F transition fine into his own bed has made me more relaxed about doing the same again with A.

not saying it's for everyone but if you're finding this an uphill struggle maybe it's because 2 is your natural comfort zone too and you might be better off just going with the flow.

B still only has her 4 front teeth with no sign of any others. I apparently only had 4 teeth until I was two so I suppose there is still time for her :o

For Christmas from us Dylan is getting a bike and from Santa he is getting a hot wheels stunt set and for his birthday he's getting a playmobile pirate ship.

From us Bethan is getting a toddler bed and from Santa she's getting a "my first baby annabel"

Just have to work on their stockings now.

Dh also wants a new bike I can't handle the pressure of choosing one for him :o so I was thinking of just getting him some vouchers for halfords.

Thanks so much for your kind thoughts. I'm still struggeling with the thought of him having been without me or DP but we are making up for it now. He's hardly leaving our arms. The midwife has also suggested a rebonding experience. Not sure what it involves exactly but something about him and me in the bath and connecting again. This will obviously have to wait until I can bath again with the scar.

Also thanks for the tips about the c-section recovery. I don't think I'm resting as much as I should, but I just can't ignore M all the time when she's trying to climb on my lap. She gets so upset if I don't life her up. I'm hoping the scar won't burst open again. I didn't know that about the pain killers and have just taken some as and when I felt the need. Will try and do it more regularly now.

One more question about the resting. Does sitting count? I find lying down not only more uncomfortable but also not doable with M around, so I'm sitting a lot. Hopefully this is OK, too?

Yesterday was the first challenging day. M was so upset when F was breastfeeding for a long time and she tried to be on my lap as well. I managed to have them both on but she continued screaming and crying. She was very tired but it was heartbreaking to see her like that. She slept really badly as well and kept crying and screaming Oh well, today is another day.

I'm desperatly trying to get a photo of both M and F, but she is too quick. She gives him a quick stroke, then runs off. There is not gonna be photos of me though. There weren't any for a long time after M's birth. I just so hate the way I look, all fat and tired, I really don't want to spoil looking at beautiful piccies of my children with having to look at a fat, old woman. Some might think it's sad or vain, but I just prefer it that way. It's depressing enough with all the mirrors around here.

OK, both kiddies are asleep, am gonna run off for a shower. I promise I will try and be less self involved in future posts. Just challenging at the moment as I can't find the time to post more regularly.

Have a good Sunday all.

Thanks cake I needed to hear that :) option 2 sounds good to me too. That's what we've been doing recently which is fine for the night time. It's naps we're struggling with too.
He's mega tired and we've been trying to get him down for an hour now. He's just screaming, he was falling asleep in the car so I know he's tired but he just fights it so much at home. I don't have the energy to deal with it, I'm tired, run down, have a headache and feel at the end of my tether.

He's a creature of habit so if he's in our bed he gets used to that so when I try and get him in his bed he doesn't like it and fights it for all he's worth.
I never know when he's actually teething either, it's only when I see the tooth I realise.

Can't even begin to imagine having another one.

Oh dh sounds poo, but at least you were strong and didnt take him into ur bed which would have been really easy to do in the circumstances.
stac omg dont wish a baby THAT big on me!!! but ur right they do know how to put the wind up you!
cake id love to have a lovely cuddle with D in our bed but he just would never settle, i have even tried co-sleeping in the spare bed and he didnt want that either, it really is dependant on you and your child and I think you just gota go with what works, theres no right or wrong its just what you want. I wish there were rules, wouldnt it be a lot easier!!
trudy I cant believe you are promising to be less self involved!! U nutter, all we want to hear about is you and how your doing and I especially am really interested in the challenges you are overcoming, it will be me next remember, so post everything, because apart from it possibly being quite cathartic for you to get it all out on here, it will help me in a few weeks time!!! How long has ur DH got off work? Whats happened with the nanny for M, is she still coming?

dh sounds tough at the mo for you, hope it improves soon. It will get better, honest.

trudy of course we want to hear all about you and your lovely new baby (and your lovely older baby too), I'm not having any more so I need to hear about them through others now! When did they say you could have baths again? I'm pretty sure I was told 7 days after the c sec, but I could be remembering wrong (I was dying to have one, I remember, I much prefer them to showers)

I'm selling my Baby Bjorn frontpack on our equivalent of Ebay and I just checked and have 30 people watching the auction! Wonder how many of them will bid. Must get round to listing steriliser, baby clothes etc (told you I'm not having any more)