April 2011 - Hello Grindstone. Nose here, reporting for duty.

[DairyBeetle]

Plumps comfy pillows, shakes warm fluffy blankets, passes them round, sleeps

Hello 5moremins & Choca (sorry missed you the other day) :)

I am feeling rotten, full of snot, sneezing & head feels like it wants to explode. Lovely.

DD has taken to waking once or twice a night for a feed recently, i am shattered. Always somehow worse when you have been sleeping well.
Am hoping it's a growth spurt but who knows.
She is BLW and doesn't get a lot down and I knew that beforehand but it doesn't seem to make any difference if she's had nothing or thrown loads on the floor eaten loads.

It will pass....

Hello 5more and Choco.

We're also in the poor sleepers club - I think it was about every 45 minutes before midnight and then every 2 hours afterwards with a 3 hour til 7am when she was ready for the day. It's nights like that when I wish she wasn't in her own room. Unfortunately I also fear that I could have rectified the sleep as I'd felt wind around midnight, but when she had a dirty nappy this morning I wondered if maybe it wasn't just wind... she'll not nap if she need a poo and who could blame her for waking all night if she's got a full nappy, though I hadn't smelt anything (and boy can you smell it at the moment!)

Buck hope F is keeping milk down now.

I've also got a snotty baby but she seems to be breathing ok when asleep.

Hey all, hello 5 and choc

Fortunately F seems much better this morning. He did a humongous poo earlier, which appeared more BM like than diarrhea. And had a little reflux sick. So I think (hope) his stomach is less irritated now.

I've not got a lot of BM these days, but I'll stick to BF till later thus avo. Might try a bit of formula later.

What a weekend. (spent all day sat cleaning as the in-laws decided to pop by with minimal notice). I'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow!

cycle hope your neighbor is ok, and hope you & jks feel better soon

Another massive puke, all over me and the living room carpet.

Why??!!

I specifically ordered a sleeping non-sick baby.

Oh dear Buck :(

Stomach must still be upset/irritated. Keep going with BM.
How is he otherwise?

DD having a nap, i'm slobbed out on the sofa with tea & chocolate & the tv :)

V.quick as I need to go into town before it is time to get DS1.

Oh Buck :(

Frak thank you :) (hug)

He's been happy & playing all morning. I started to feel guilty about missing work.

He's just had a massive grump because I made him have a nap. He's asleep now. Hopefully he'll be happy again when he wakes up. x

Buck sleep and BM is the way to go. Sending more get well vibes! I dread our first sick bug, I'm crap with vomit.

JKS

Ali :) welcome

5 make yourself at home!

I have had an idea. It might be a crap one and it's possible better organised on FB but how do people feel about maybe a little Secret Santa either for us Aprilites or our April babies?

Welcome 5more, I have a Henry too, but he was 5 April.

Poor you Buck, H's pukey days actually bring me to tears so I fully sympathise, have a

Unfortunately, our neighbour had passed away sometime in the past week or so. Her upstairs neighbour I'd chatted to had called police after another milk delivery was left untouched and he saw a light left on all night. It's very sad but I'm really pleased that I have neighbours who know each other and take notice of these things. It was really brave of him to call the police and I'm sorting out the milk delivery issue for him as he seemed a bit shaken.

I don't even know if her family have been told as none of us have their details

cycle how sad about your neighbour. Hope you're ok.

buck - sending you coping vibes! I, too, am dreading our first sick bug

Oh cycle how terribly sad :(

How sad cycle.

All the medic people ask as if it's just a touch of reflux. But these voms are full on gushing retchers. It's unpredictable and explosive. I'd rather teach yr7 for a week!

He's perked up a bit again. Although he's had 3 more BFs I'm not sure it's going through, probably just backing up for a bed-soaker later.

I'm just sad for her family really, she had twin boys whom she spoke of lovingly. She had her independence and lived in her own flat and was in really good, active health when I saw her last. That's what I'd want in my later years.

Anyhoo, I feel I brightened someone's day today as I got chatting with another mum at baby clinic. She's new to the area, stressed, doesn't know anyone and asked if I knew any baby groups. As the new cochair of the local parents' group I took her email, sent her some details and asked if she fancied coming swimming with me and another mum friend tomorrow. She looked really low at the clinic but seemed happier when we parted, fingers crossed she'll join up!

Buck what a nightmare for you. Are you still getting wet nappies?

Cycle that is so sad :(

Hello 5 :)

Frak it is nice idea - I would vote we do one for the babies, simply because it is very hard to find lovely and/or useful things for adults when you don't know people that well and are on a small budget!

Not to his usual standard, Ali, but he is still weeing.

I can hear his insides gurgling, so some is getting into his intestines.

He's had a bit more reflux so I've given him some gaviscon. Can't hurt, I presume.

Bath & bed coming up.

That is sad cycle , but in some ways a better way to go than a long decline in an old people's home or reliant on relatives to change your nappy for you (which is what happened to my grandmother).

Buck they say something gets through no matter how much they are being sick as bm is so easily absorbed, I remember being told that by the out of hours doctor when my eldest had a horrid stomach bug at a similar age. As long as he is weeing so not dehydrated it is good, as you already know obviously!

Thank you for the nice welcomes and tea and biscuits :) I live overseas and am new to the thread so will stay out of any secret santa activity, as whoever got saddled with being my secret santa would have extra postage cost.

Can anyone remind me what I can do for a very snotty baby to ease his night-time breathing? I have a wet muslin on the radiator and vapour rub on another muslin on the floor by the cot, as he is too young to have it on him (I hope that is OK, my brain is foggy it's so long since I've had good sleep, and I seem to have forgotten all I ever knew despite H being my 3rd!)... I will go to the pharmacy and ask tomorrow, but if tonight is really bad will be popping back on during one of the many middle of the night waking I anticipate to check for suggestions I've forgotten about and if not to google... The night waking has been multiple times a night for about 5 weeks now and the cold only started yesterday, but it has made it even worse...

Very noble of you 5! But Frak is currently posting from the Indian ocean! Where are you based, 5?

You could try saline nasal spray, it's worked wonders for F when he's had colds.

Speaking of which, he's in bed, I've got the monitor glued to my ear ready to dash up the stairs at the first hint of a puke.

I'm going into work tomorrow, I need a break! DH will have to spoon the.last of the frozen stash into him. Did I already say that?

I'm up for a secret Santa! Babies is fine!

Will comrades back later to fill you all in on kit day 1.
Just wanted to say hugs cycle :( and buck.

"comrades" - got to love that phone!

Disclaimer: I'm crap at secret santa, count me out, please!

Yes to secret Santa and I am willing to post overseas.

So sorry to hear about your neighbour Cycle. But good on you for brightening someones day

Stomach bugs are particularly vile Buck, hopefully he's over the worse. Small children are so resilient, and as long as you are getting wet nappies, that's good.

Welcome 5 I find putting a rolled up towel under the head end o the mattress can help and Karvol do a great plug in (if you can get it or the equivalent). Apart from that there isn't a great deal that you can do for a cold when the are this little. Sometimes when the ds's have had a particularly heavy cold I have given them calpol, but that's more to help them feel better, it doesn't help with the symptoms - but I'm guessing you know that already

Secret santa is a fab idea, how do you think we'll go about it Frakk?

Oh how sad for your neighbour Cycle

Am watching Baby Hospital on ITV2 - maybe not a good idea, it's so sad :(

Hi 5 where in the world are you?

Again Cycle, so sorry to hear about your neighbour.

My comrades in arms!! Today I went into battle! After umming and ahing yesterday I text my boos asking if she was still expecting me today. Yes came the reply (bugger) 9.30 ok. So off I troop thismorning, leaving B having the longest lie he;s had in ages . No access had been sorted for me as they all have laptops now and no one ordered me one :( so I spent the morning hotdesking between desks as their owners went to meetings/lunch/fag breaks. Just doing housekeeping stuff that they haven't been able to get to recently. Then meetingin the afternoon with boss lady to discuss my hours for coming back. If you remember I went in for a meeting to "discuss" what I wanted to do and put it all in an informal email when I got home, I then didn't hear anything so presumed they were considering it. Well today she took said email and said that for them to consider it I would have to put in a formal flexible working request. I said at the meeting what I wanted to do was discuss with them informally as to what worked for us both then I'd do the formal request knowing it was unlikely to be rejected. She had also misread what I'd emailed. Working 0.6 part time but over 2.5ish days so 2 longer days with one short day. She read it as 3 normal full days but I was willing to work longer if needed! Again . Now part 2, the possible new role/promotion that I've applied for. Again still no confirmation of my application having been recieved until toda when she said that IF I get an interview, it would be on Friday of this week, but they hadn;t done the final sift yet so I should know by Wednesday! great you say! Nope, DH is away on friday so I would have no one to mind B. I asked if shecould give me as much notice as possible and I got told I would get the same notice as all the other internal candidates. Fine, but they will actually be at in the office anyway. My boss knows I have no support network here. If I get called I'll have to ask one of my AN chums if they'll have B for an hours or so. I think I'm resigning myself to the fact that I'm not going to get it.

I also asked, as I was told I wouldn't be able to do my previous role part time, what will I be doing when I come back. reply, until I put in my flexi request they can't tell me. So I'm feelign a bit weepy abpout it all now.

Sorry for the epic post, it helps to get it all written down, probably makes no sense to you guys!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah can someone slap me please....SIL is in hospital.

Forewaters gone at 35 weeks. Has been leaking amniotic fluid for 3 weeks or so now and not much left around baby :( She's bein given steroids and antibugs for possible infection, if bloods come back positive for infection DNiece arrives tomorrow!!! Probelm: DBrother is on a friggin ship 20 miles off the cornish bloody coast (Navy) and my parents are on another ship (cruise variety) floating somewhere around the med. Can I contact either of them, can I buggery. Freaking out is not the word!!!

MrsWajs eeek - sil and baby should be fine at 35 weeks and in hosp of course, but everyone being uncontactable on boats is a bit unfortunate! Does SIL have contactable parents or siblings of her own whom she is on reasonable terms with? Better than nothing? Does she have older children who have now landed with you or is it baby no1? Good luck to both of you anyway!

Buck and Glaikit I am nowhere as exotic as Frak, just Germany!

Buck thanks for the colds advice - may try saline spray, they do hate it though don't they? Remember trying to use it on DS1. Towel under mattress definitely one I had forgotten in association with colds, I used to have one under there for DD is she hated lying flat right from day 1 and was very sicky - reflux type thing I think though nothing as bas as some babies suffer.

Glaikit that work situation sounds most unsatisfactory, silly boss. I tried going back to work part time after my eldest was born, work was most unsympathetic, though they offered me reduced hours it was not in a very helpful format (some hours each day over all 5 days of the week, not the 3 days a week I had asked for, which was apparently impossible and "not in the interests of the school" as I would have had to split classes with another teacher - I taught at a secondary school, and it had never struck me before I tried combining work and baby that there was only one other woman with pre-school children on the large teaching staff, and she was a head of department and had a nanny share). I hated leaving dd anyway and ended up childminding until we left the UK, which I loved and was much happier doing - actually ended up financially better off too due to no childcare costs!

Here's a random one - what nappies do you all use at night? I am having to change H when I go to bed and he is still wet through to his clothes at 5am, so unsurprisingly wanting to get up for the day then... He has been in Aldi own brand, I have bought some Pampers Active Fit (lured in by the "Ultra Dry" claim plastered all over the pack in English - extortionately expensive for a small pack, but if they are really so absorbent I'll take the hit and I'll just use them at night... so what's the most absorbent night nappy???

MrsW Contact the Navy and ask to speak to a chaplain or similar. They will have ways to get in touch and most captains are sympathetic. If you PM me where they're based we know people who might know how to get a message through too. Fingers crossed.

I have no idea how to do SS but whoever gets me only has to post as far as Buckinghamshire. Oh yes we're coming home for Chriiiiiiistmaaaaaaas. And it will be cold! I suppose FB may be a better way to organise it and a limit of a fiver? I hadn't really thought about logistics I was just feeling Christmassy after writing some Dear Santa requests.

Fizz work sound utterly crap. Not surprised you're feeling down.