Feb 2010 They're all walking and talking....and some are even sleeping. The babies are doing okay too.

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Pull up a comfy chair, grab a cuppa and a piece of cake, switch the monitors on low and let's PARTY.....!!!

IC dosing schedules rarely need to interrupt sleep, and I often used to counsel my patients on that very fact. Chloramphenicol eyedrops are the worst and I often used to label them "every two hours DURING WAKING HOURS" to avoid patients coming back to complain about sleep deprivation. Sounds like you'd already got that, though and glad you're feeling better.

PA I completely agree that being out is often easier than being in. DD2 is pretty good at soft play things and will happily go away from me to play. She doesn't buddy up with others yet (unlike DD1 who always finds a new friend, but then she is older!), but will play if other LOs she knows are there.

I'm fine thanks. I'm on top of work (more or less), which is a stark contrast to a few weeks ago when I felt like I was drowning. DH has stepped up his game, and is being much more engaged with me and the girls, so that's all much better too. My parents go to India today, which is nothing short of miraculous given how up and down their health has been, so that's brilliant. They will spend time with family (including some time with my sister and her family, and my mum's brother and his wife, who are going at much the same time though they all have plans to tour) and I'm just hoping they stay well for the journeys and during their time there.

And I'm ridiculously excited (as ever) about Christmas

Good to have that reassurance, BBB!!

Good to hear your DH is being more supportive these days...

BBB glad to hear you're coping better and that your DH is helping.

IC fx the ITU will get better

DS had 2 wees in the potty today One at nursery and one before bath at home.

He is quite sociable with other children but if he is in a unfamiliar environment he will be shy until he realises that it's 'safe'. Also I think because he grew up in a pub environment he is used to see people (his 1st visit was when he was 10 days old )

BBB glad things are calmer and good luck to your parents.

Found a playgroup today that runs twice a week from 3-5pm!! Perfect although it's just too far too walk. Made today a dream and the other mums were really nice (it is in a nicer part of town which helps).

She still seems quite rashy on and off, today her torso is up again

good luck to all the uti ladies out there, no chance of that happening here, we're on shifts with DS

Werewolf alert: full moon is on Saturday

No time to post these days! I am trying to keep up with reading your posts but with my babybrain I do forget what you've written almost immediately

But bethy your poor DS1 that is a dreadful thing to have to put your son through, I can't imagine it I suppose at least he is old enough that you can explain why he has to fast, still it will be very difficult indeed for you both. And yes, it certainly does put in perspective our worries about missing one dinner. (Which DD1 did last night and I surprised myslef by not giving a monkeys - there's sleep-deprivation induced apathy for you!)

Both my girls are asleep I'm expecting one of them to wake up and bother me any second.

DD2 still has night and day confused, she tends to wake 6pm ish, cluster feed all evening and refuse to go back off until 1am. I am trying to get to bed 9ish and get in a couple of hours before DH brings her up with him but there always seems to be so much to blimmin do in the evenings I don't always manage it.

Tonight I'm due to go out for a meal with RL toddler mum-friends, I'm going to go although I have to say evening socialising is the last thing I feel like doing at the moment. And taking DD2 with me as we've only tried her on a bottle once, and she spat it all out (twas formula not EBM, I really can't see when I am supposed to find time to express. Instead of catching up on MN I suppose).

Apologies for me me me post. I keep telling myself, the newborn phase won't last forever. It won't last forever. There is light at the end of the tunnel....

PS PA you seem to be doing brilliantly, I feel I am only just keeping head about water and some days not even that. I think your DS is about 3w older than DD2, maybe in 3 weeks time I'll be ok?!

don't sb DD woke loads last night, whereas DS actually did alright

scones I've only recently started doing housework again, but we don't have the clustering until late hours every night anymore.

I'm just getting round to thinking about a express, but if I do have time then I'm knackered and rest instead.

I keep reminding myself that dd2 is now very much a person in her own right and even dh has realised he should really stop calling her 'the baby' . She now sits on a normal kitchen chair at the table, without a bib, and you can tell she feels much more grown up. I am still working on her actually staying at the table.... When she's had enough she'll hop off the chair and wants to play. We are now practising for her to stay seated for a reasonable time after she's finished (her sister eats slower because she's talking the entire time...) and to offer her hands to be wiped (preferably before she greets dh by hugging him hard and transferring yoghurt on to his suit... .

Bethy Your poor DS1 - horrible having to starve for 3 days practically. I hope the colonoscopy gives some answers at least.

IC Hope UTI clears up soon and good luck this month with the TTC. That lube is called pre-seed isn't it? I used it this time round.

My DS is being very chatty in bed too. Unfortunately he decided to wake up inconsolable at midnight but cheered up as soon as we bought him in with us and proceeded to tell us all about the apostle clock at the Horniman Museum (his new obsession). "people clock...go ding ding ding... go round...'seum...hammers". He calls it the People Clock because it has lots of moving figurines inside it (some of them hit bells with hammers). It only does its dinging and moving at 4pm so it's quite a good thing to do after nap now that it gets dark so early but every time we go out in the afternoon he asks for People Clock.

He fell headfirst into a plastic wastepaper basket yesterday and the rim skinned his cheek and chin. It looks a bit horrid but it is only a layer of skin so I'm hoping it will heal quickly. There's a photo on my facebook profile of him making biscuits where you can see the wound.

I've gone baking mad. I don't know what's wrong with me. When I was young I always wanted a mother who baked and she didn't so maybe that has something to do with it. In the last week I've made 2 cakes (a pecan and banana loaf and a carrot cake) and did biscuits with DS yesterday.

I have the anomaly scan on Friday when I'll be 22 weeks. Baby is being very active this evening and my blood pressure is still ok.

Anyone else watching Masterchef the professionals? DH and I are hooked.

I should make a cake to take with us to all the playgroups next week, that way DD can eat some. There is a world of difference between should and will do though I'll see how the weekend goes.

DD's skin has suddenly got bad, wondering if it's due to the cold. Her face looks a little wind chapped, she has what looks like a eczema rash on her torse and spots in her nappy region (they all look different though) We did wonder if she had eczema when she was younger but it seemed to fade, then again that was end of spring and we didn't do winter last year. Any thoughts welcome. If it's still there next weekend we'll change washing powders and tonight we rubbed a load of cream in to her and we'll do that nightly for a while as well.

BC that sounds like some impressive language. DD's last graze managed to be below her hair at least.

PA skin can go funny at this time of year, as it has to contend with constant changes in temperature and clothing - wind and cold outside (which would explain the face), central heating indoors which can be very drying etc. Keep it well moisturised (I find Epaderm the best for my two, but will give a mention to Aveeno, which I use when in need) and don't be scared to use a tiny smear of hydrocortisone cream if it looks bad. Not sure about the nappy region though - maybe try a thin layer of Vaseline at each nappy change to protect the skin? Maybe her wee is a bit concentrated? I wouldn't worry about changing washing powder and all that kind of thing yet, give it a bit longer to settle down first.

Ha ha ha at the People Clock obsession, Bc! When he's in his teens and obsessed with the latest shoot-em-up you'll look back on these days with a wistful sigh
I got Conceive Plus lube which is slightly less well-known, slightly cheaper than Pre-Seed, but gets equally enthusiastic write-ups, so I suspect it does just as good a job. I've yet to give it a try, though - still waiting for it to arrive...

BBB you are a font of knowledge!

I have a feeling DD is just about to get ANOTHER cold. She still hadn't quite cleared all the mucus from the last one, poor mite. Still, she's pretty used to them now, so although it's annoying, it's not such a traumatic experience.

I think I'm going to start stealthily moving DD's bedtime earlier to see if it makes any difference to when she falls asleep. I'm not sure if all the chattering to herself is just part of her winding down or because she's not quite tired enough to nod off at 20.00. We shall see.

thanks BBB

IC just quickly. DD1 chatted a lot too for 2 h after bedtime, just leave her to it. It will decreased when she drops the nap (probably soon) sorry it was a sign that DD1 wasn't tired at bedtime due to the nap; on napless day she would fall asleep straight away. It will stopped around 6 (or before if school tires her, which didn't work for DD1).
If you try to get her to sleep earlier you might end up with a silly wake up time providing it works.

Runs in to offer mulled wine... and a link for what dh might get for Christmas this year.... I am joking of course

BG lol

I am glad I am not in Scotland but it's been pretty awful here today. When I collected dd from school it was tipping it down so badly that we all got soaked. And the rain was coming sideways with such force that my ear got flooded trying to strap the girls into the car....

It's starting not to be so funny now because my ear is very red and feels very hot... .

Eek at the storm (and that jumper...!)

Oh, don't say that mous - I feel a bit glum at the thought of DD dropping her nap already....
DD's been sleeping in to 07.00 and beyond in any case, so if an earlier bedtime shifts her waking up time a bit earlier, it won't be a problem - DH and I are almost always up before DD at the moment anyway. I'm only thinking of shifting it back by half an hour max. I don't feel too bad about DD nattering to herself in her cot, at least she seems happy enough and isn't yelling for us....

X-posted with BG....oh, rubbish about your ear. I hope it doesn't develop into an infection, that's the last thing you need....

We've also got high wind here. Fx it'll be get better as we're on the ferry Monday week...

scones I also watch Materchefs

BG I hope your ear gets better.

IC no advices on talking at bedtimes as DS just goes quiet (and therefore I guess he's asleep)

PA I use Zeoderm on DS very dry skin/eczema. I think the cold/windy weather is probably the reason of her dry/red ckin on her face.

BBB I like the idea of your cookies. I've voluntered to do the Christmas cakes sale this year (once again) and I'll be doing: gingerbread men, father christmas cheesecake, coffee and walnut cake and eggnog cupcakes.

I got our monitor out to listen in on dd2 in her cot while I made dinner just now. Hilarious! She spent at least 15 minutes singing happy birthday to herself... (Child in nursery had a birthday today and I think she was most impressed by the cake). I also got conversations with her cuddly toys in the line of 'Tired? No? Not sleeping? No? Awwww' and 'Bye bye... (see you) later'.
I love it and will spy listen more often I think.

the bad skin on her body is spreading, so I'll look into a better cream at the weekend. I guess it would be good to cut back her bath as well? Atm that is daily with baby oil. Is it worth doing her hands and face at nappy time or overkill?

biscuits now they sound easier than cake to make. Think i'll plump for those.

I use Aveeno body wash in DS bath when his eczema is 'active' as the oats it contains help his skin

bc fx for your scan tomorrow? Are you keeping the flavour as a surprise?