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

[DairyBeetle]

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

Fizz, I'll get my address to you soon. Was about to do it earlier when M woke from her 30 minute nap at lunchtime. So far that's been the sole nap of the day. I've been trying for over an hour now to get her to have another but two dirty nappies later she's still not napping and I've now dumped her in the cot with the mobile on and a toy, she's probably having adventures trying to crawl round the cot. And now she's crying.... I'll feed again....

Finally! I think it was the threat of no tea unless she had a nap
In terms of finger food we do all kinds of veg, again sweet potato is a favourite, as is asparagus, meat cut into strips - she's even had pigeon! Fish - like salmon, or firm white fish. Pasta with various sauces seems good, especially fusilli as the sauce gets stuck in the twirls. Breadsticks always seem to be given out at children's centres here. Tonight I'm making pizza, I think it'll be very messy as a finger food. I might make my own breadsticks with some of the excess dough.

Wish M was dropping feeds - she is still a milk monster, and up at least once a night for an extra feed.

Re teething & naps - i think i remember reading somewhere that lying down makes teeth hurt more so that's why they don't sleep well, so maybe worth trying some Calpol for naptime? or neurofen or powders, whatever you think.

Finger foods here:
toast/any sort of bread
croissant
cinnamon swirl (this morning)
plums
melba toast
plain crackers (Jacobs type & others)
pasta - any type

(& perhaps not the most recommended...)
prawn crackers (at Thai restaurant today for lunch)

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm currently in battle between my HR and my boss over who I need to let know I'm returning. Boss says tell HR, HR says tell boss and she'll update the system.

I sent my request on Tuesday and boss emailed today sayign she is waiting on confirmation from HR as to the policy this morning. I emailed HR again about and hour ago and got a reply within half an hour. What the actual fuck is going on. On paper they are a great company to work for, but when you get down to grass roots level the left hand doesn;t seem to know what the right hand is doing

In better news, I have an interview on Tuesday for the promotion! Maybe by then they'll have worked out who I need to tell I'm coming back! Just need to sort out a sitter for B.

DH is away tonight, but my BF (best friend not boy friend )is coming down for the weekend! I haven;t seen her in ages so it will be good to catch up!

Asda delivery just arrived, they substituted my Ben and Jerrys Chew Chew for the new New York fudge one. It's full of nuts :( I don;t like nuts :(. I think a wee trippy to the shops is in order.

Good to know you haven't got a boyfriend on the side, Fizz. Who would have time?

Can I play Secret Santa too? What do I need to do? Sorry, haven't been paying attention.

Just fb me your address Cs clothes size and I'll put you in the hat!

Just a quick hello!! I it feels like ages since I last managed to post (between work, S deciding that bedtime is for loosers and DH taking the power adapter to work and forgetting to bring it home I've not had much MN time).

Anyway, hello to new people, always nice to have new faces (well virtual faces!)

Hope all that are unwell are recovered, the sleep Gods decide we can all have some decent nights and that teething calms down a bit!

Oh and yes to SS from me, just stick a red nose on and call me Rudolph Beetle

Tis v. quiet in here this weekend! Everyone off out doing christmas shopping??

Ha! I've been entertaining my bf! We went to see the new twilight film last night. Go team Edward!!!!!!

Hi, sorry I joined then disappeared, I've not had the brain power to follow a longer/ fast moving thread - sleep isn't happening here due not only to baby who has been having 3-6 night feeds for the last 6 weeks, but due to ill 4 year old now too (croup on Thursday night, really badly, then fever and vomiting bug started on Fri eve and continues...).

Glakit big ggggrrrr at your ongoing work situation, hope it works out soon. Visiting bf :) sounds fun though.

Thank you everyone fpor the nappy advice, Pampers Actifit do indeed hold up much better through the night, not had leaks since switching for night use.

I BLW my first born as she just would not let me spoon feed her, and she did really well with it, but have ended up doing a mix with my boys, who are dc2 and 3. Finger food at every meal though - apart from anything it keeps him occupied so I can eat too - kids and I eat breakfast and lunch together, and all of us incl dh eat dinner together, I don't do separate baby mealtimes.

H is bf but not really cutting back on milk despite eating 3 meals now - night feeds have in fact increased.

Is there a fb group I can join then, as I see it mentioned, or just for ss address swapping?

Not sure what we've been doing, not shopping that's for sure.

DD is in size 5, she is another biffa
oh and we use Pampers, can't remember what type but don't have a prob, except for the poonamis that nothing could hold!

DD is finally seeming to actually eat more, though still up for night feeds she'll get there eventually
But she is starting teething i think as she has had 2 grumpy, for her, days. not fun.

Gawd I feel knackered today, not quite sure why though ....... My bed is calling and I think I will probably be succumbing soon.

My sister, bil and their two kids came round yesterday and stayed until letr in the evening. Ds2 had a fantastic time with his cousins and it was lovely for me to spend a good chunk of time with them all.

Today we took the boys swimming, and it was the first time for baby I. He loved it, although it helped that the children's pool is the same sort of temperature as a bath. He managed to last an hour, which I was surprised at. I do bloody hate the whole faff of swimming, never mind the whole swimsuit dilemma's, 'does my cellulite look awful? Are my pubes poking out? how long have I been walking around with one arse cheek hanging out? Etc etc'

I hope you get some sleep tonight 5more. those night feeds sound tough. Ds regressed with his night waking/feeding about a month ago. Things have improved though, but it has been slow. If you personal message me on here with your name on FB I will join you to the group

Evening everyone :) We've been at my parents this weekend - shopping for my Mum's outfit for my brother's wedding, and then my mum and dad looked after the boys today while DH and I went and did some Christmas shopping.

Biffa baby here too

ILike - totally agree regarding swimming. It is lovely, but a total PITA.

5more - T is awake a lot in the night for feeds as well, despite eating pretty well most days. And he has quite a few feeds during the day as well! Sympathies, it does get better eventually, we went through the same with DS1.
I hope your toddler gets better soon :)

B has a cough that keeps wakening him. So last night was rough. Made worse by the fact he was keeping my BF up too. I eventually got up withhim at 6, DH took over at 11 and I went back to bed until 4 ! So needless to say I'm not sleepy now its bedtime!! He is really off his milk but still taking solids ok. Porridge is still a catch all fall back if all else fails! I have one of those vapouriser thingys in his room and I've propped up the mattress a little (for all good it does, he's a restless sleeper and ends up in one of the corners every morning!) anything else I could do to help him? He;s getting calpol and brufen.

Secret Santa update! If you can let me know by Thrusday I'll inturn let you guys all know who you've got on Friday as I'm away this next weekend and won't have computer access!

Hello?

Where is everyone?

Thanks for listing your finger food favourites. Baby I loved his cheese on toast today, so that has been another success. It's always the simple things that I tend to forget. He also loves toasted fruit bread (homemade natch), and pretty much anything down the baked good aisle (breakfast muffins, brioche, crumpets, fruit and cheese scones etc etc). Just like his mum really

My mum has asked me for present ideas for my birthday and Chrsitmas, and I am having difficulty thinking of anything. I can think of loads of stuff for the boys, but not for me I really need to do more things and spend more time on me I think. Dh is always nagging me to do more alone, but it's the guilt that stops me..........as well as being perma knackered

I know exactly what you mean ILTMI I've become clueless since having R on what clothes are fashionable/what suits my new (wider-hipped) figure etc etc. I used to love shopping, now I'd sooner just traipse round any shops with baby stuff in it! DP got me a voucher to get my nails done for our anniversary, I used to get pedicures all the time (since work prohibits pretty finger nails) and when I booked the appointment all I could think was "who will look after R", "we could have spent this on something for her" "I don't really need to have my nails done" Gaaaaah what has happened to me, I've turned into a selfless person! What's that all about?!

Nothing much happening here, tooth count remains - nil. R had roasted parsnip, sweet potato, carrot and normal potato along with some mashed chicken and gravy for tea last night Very proud, she's taken to finger food like a duck to water this last 2 weeks. Will continue with more adventurous things in the coming weeks as well as chunking up her other food. Already buying 10 month+ jars (when I use them) as the 7 month ones are not lumpy enough in comparison to what I make her at home!!

I'm another one who hasn't got a clue what I want for Christmas. I can think of lots of things for P though. Hmmm...normally I've got a list as long as my arm. I need some inspiration from somewhere.

We're having a bit of a frustrating time with weaning at the moment. P has decided to stop opening her mouth after the first couple of spoonfuls of food and doesn't seem very keen on finger foods. It's driving me up the wall - she'll put anything (toys, clothes, random pieces of paper, her bib...) apart from food in her mouth it seems! I'm hoping it's related to the fact that she's been a bit poorly over the last few days and that she's just cut a tooth.

On another note, does anybody ever wonder what happened to some of the others that used to post on this (and the antenatal) thread? Perhaps it was one of them that was writing the book! I wonder how all their little ones are doing - if you're still lurking, let us know how you're doing!

Wanted to add another finger food I remembered today & DD loves - breadsticks :)

Ooh B had his first breadstick at the weekend in Pizza Hut. He was more interested in my pizza though!! I might try making mini pizza fingers see how they go down.

Question about tap water. My HV said only boiled water until a year. Other mums here said they were told tap is ok from 6 months. AND why do tippy cups have lids that are unremovable?? I'm oing to have to buy more so I have a stock as only DH can open them!!

I think it was NotAnotherNewNappy who was writing a novel. It was a long name with Nappy in it and the only other one I can think of is Ali, but its clearly not you!!

Interview tomorrow , with an Excel test. Other than the secret santa spreadsheet I've not looked at excel since february. I'm really nervous about it, silly I know, but I hate to fail at anything and I don;t think I'm going to get the job and I'm going to have to work with someone who got "my job". I could have been an analyst this time last year if I wasn't pregnant, but I didn't apply.

For the secret Santa are you all happy for me to do the "draw" and just let you all know who you got?

Good luck for the interview, Fizz!

I often wonder where everyone went. It'd be great to have updates if people are lurking.

F, the incredible immobile baby, has discovered that when sitting in his cot (like earlier when I wad putting his clean clothes away) he can pull himself up on the side! Fortunately it was wall-side, and I'm pretty sure he couldn't get himself to sitting, but we'll be dropping the cot down tomorrow. He thought it was hilarious though!

To sitting, from lying in bed, I mean.

Good luck tomorrow Fizz - my fingers are crossed for you! Yes re secret santa - I'm more than happy for you to do the draw and let me know whol I've got. Thanks again for organising.

The 0 - 5 NHS book that we got given in England (don't know if you get the same thing in Scotland) says boiled water up to 6 months and that tap water is fine afterwards. P just gets water from the tap now.

Glad it's not just me with the Tommy Tippy cups. I can't get the lid off them either. DH keeps telling me that it's easier when the spout is up, however I can't see that it makes a blind bit of difference either way. P, on the other hand, appears to have a mastered her own technique for lid removal - chucking them on the floor and spilling water .

Just place marking , nothing exciting to report...

B likes to shake his and catch the spilled water on his face , although it was very cute today when the sleeves of his bib came down over his hands and he could't pick it up so he just tried to suck the spout! Twas funny and sad all at the same time!

Oh yeah I think maybe it was NotAnotherNewNappy now you say that Fizz, I can't remember half the people who used to be on the thread....is that bad?!
I'm happy for you to do the draw :) Hope the interview goes well tomorrow and I'm sure you'll fly through the Excel test!

Buck We had to put the cot down at the weekend too as R can also pull herself up on the side! I know it's a physical impossibility for her to pull herself right over but better not to take the chance I guess!!