Hello again.
Well I'm a full on snot monster today, but I'm getting my voice back. I have a cough, but it's weird, it's almost like the cycle of throat, cough, snot, yukkyness has been accelerated, I've had all this before but I swear each stage of the 'illness' seems to be lasting a lot less than normal, I'm sure I've been voiceless for a week before and it was only 2 days where I really couldn't talk, the cough seems to be getting better almost as soon as it's started. Hopefully I've not just jinxed myself. I hope I feel better again tomorrow. :)
Well it gets busier for me now this week again, after the Christmas break. Tomorrow I have a blood test for the milk bank so they can use my milk. Tuesday swimming restarts :) really looking forward to this and LO is doing so much more now than she was before Christmas I think she will be able to learn the ducking commands better now. Wednesday is smear test day then food shopping delivery. Thursday I think is clear, Friday we have an appointment with a surestart centre lady to see what services they offer and if I want to join. Saturday we are at a baby and toddler art group, which after this week will actually be on a Thursday. I could go to a mum and baby coffee morning tomorrow morning, but I think I have enough on this week. I do have to go into town at some point to pick up the Highchair we've ordered and drop off the milk bank milk too. Phew, I'll be going to bed with LO at this rate :)
Ladies, I know we are all short for time at some times, and often just post little tit bits here and there. Are the # still required? I think we know that if we get chance to post we will, if we don't or if we are on our phones we aren't being rude, we're just being mums with little babies and sometimes other kids too. I'm happy to take it that if someone only posts a short reply to something then they are busy or on their phone, and if someone posts a long reply then they have the chance to do so. I won't think badly of any short replies, or that someone is rude. What do people think, should we just leave the # off the messages now? 
re books, I've also (whilst pregnant) read Room and The help, both great books, I think it was feral who said she had read them. And I think the little symbol on the bottom of the kindle is different on mine as it's one of those new kindles without the keypad, mine is like a box with line in it then it brings up a list of different commands and change font size is one of them. (this is off the top of my head!) I'm currently reading How to be a woman by Caitlin moran, and I'm really enjoying it.
To those who are having difficulties with LOs sleeping/feeding/napping changes, as you know I have had a few difficulties, not massive ones I grant you, but it was tough before Christmas, she was about 13 weeks when it started and it got easier again at 15 weeks, when I saw the NCT lady the other day about the referral I said about the fact LO isn't sleeping through now after having done so, she said 'that's 4 month olds for you' Looks like it's really to be expected and it's an age thing. Tough as it is, it is a stage and hopefully one that doesn't last too long for us all.
I use the cloth nappies at night, unless we are away from home, I just put an extra booster in there, usually I'll change her bum at the 4 or 5 am feed whichever it is, as she usually drops off on the boob when I feed her then, so I change her and then give her a top up of food and if I'm lucky I then get a bit longer, it doesn't always work though. But I have left one on through the night as she woke early and then didn't wake till almost normal time, it hadn't leaked - thankfully.
Naps wise, my LO has either 4 or 5 naps, all varying in length, sometimes it's only a 20 min 'power nap' and other times it a longer one of about an hour, although it depends on where she is, I had her on me the other day and she slept for 90 mins, which was lovely, just being all cwtched up.
I am like ssmile in a non routine way, I think like she said, if it works for you to do a routine, then that's fantastic, I personally found getting a night time bedtime 'routine' hard work when we first started, although I'm glad we did that, as it got an earlier bedtime for LO and a bit of free time in the evening, plus I think it's better for her to go to bed earlier now, I do the rest of it kind of baby led re feeding and napping, taking cues from her, she has a kind of similar pattern to her naps generally, although this is bound to change soon, but I am used to the whingy noises she makes when she starts to get tired and settle her then if I can. I like it being relaxed and I am glad I have done it this way and not tried to do a set daily routine. But it must be good to know exactly when things will happen sleep wise/feed wise.
TP, Can you use dibrobase or some other type of emollient on a baby's skin, E45 or something? Worth asking a HV or chemist maybe, they would know, which is best. I think my sis got diprobase on prescription for my niece, but I can't remember how old she was when she had it. My LO does also have a dry reddish cheek, it's from her sucking her hands and getting drool all over herself when her thumb comes out and goes back in repeatedly!