Postgraduate brookers - Brooking No Argument for happy, healthy and sleeping DCs..

[musicalmrs]

New thread time!

Yes, M is 5 months today! Biscuits, how many weeks are they now? I've got confused again and can't remember if it's 20 or 21 or even 22. [bad mother emoticon]

Scream, I have a Bumbo! I find it really useful because M is such a nosy baby. She'll sit in it for quite long periods watching us/telly/dog. I've taken it with me twice when we've gone out for lunch and put her in it when the food arrived and she sat happily for most of the meal (one course, but still!). I think she loves being upright, but would really rather be standing up (with someone holding her up - she's not that advanced!).

Pomme, that's great re the sitting! When I put M in a sitting position she will either a) stretch out to try to stand up and fall over backwards, b) keep leaning forwards and fall onto her nose or c) remain sitting for up to, ooooh, 10 seconds before she does a) or b).

Yay for R's sleep! I think M was up twice but it could have been 3 times. It's all a blur.

The naming party is next Saturday - yikes! Am not v organised. I have organised M's dress and my dress, and I've got some fake rose petals, tea lights and pink/flowery napkins from Ikea to decorate with. Not much else is organised. Luckily DH has next week off so we'll be able to get it under control then.

I've lost track of the weeks too Too - 21 or 22 I think?

that's not 4 times in a row though, just 4 random ones over the last few weeks. 2 or sometimes 3 wakings is the average. I'm sure he got bigger overnight after feeding like mad yesterday...

I forgot d) leans to the left, e) leans to the right and f) drools sick on the sofa during the sitting attempts.

Have counted - it's 22 weeks today for E and tomorrow for M. 22 weeks, wow!

Meant to say, Bumbos cost £35 in John Lewis, but I got mine on Ebay for £17.

i think we're 16 weeks today. third jabs next week as we were late with the second ones.

Thanks for the Bumbo advice! I've put in a bid for a secondhand one on ebay but I'm not holding my breath. Too where did you put the Bumbo when you went out to eat? On the table? Floor? Chair? I like the idea of using it in lieu of a high chair at first Dream.

I loooooooove your dress for the naming party btw Too! So gorgeous! Good luck with all the prep for the party.

DH, my Mum and little sis have all headed off to the Olympic Park to see if they can get any returned tickets at the gate. They've taken DD with them. I'm partly relieved - DH has been out a lot recently so I've had lots of whole days on my own with DD and I think a break is just what the doctor ordered. However Stratford seems so far away (from SW London ) and I'm paranoid about her milk running out (although I sent 12oz with DH and she usually drinks less than 8oz when we're out for the day, after having a good feed before leaving) plus DH is still pretty clueless with her (but my Mum is there). Gah! I need to stop stressing and enjoy my time to myself!

Jaggy my DD is also having her 16 week jabs next week, are you nervous? I've heard bad things about the final set :(

Dream yay for making even just a little progress with S sleeping in his cot!

Too I love the description of M trying to sit unaided, it sounds exactly like my DD!! She has a very strong back and neck, and would easily be able to sit up on her own except for a complete lack of balance! She usually does a slow motion lean to the front or either side, still with a perfectly straight back but making no attempt to stay centrally upright. She always ends up with her nose on the floor

Too holding any sort of position for 10 seconds is amazing! I literally couldn't take my hands off E as I'm taking his weight all the time iyswim? M sounds like she getting really strong

She is very strong! I think M's problem with sitting is that her tummy muscles haven't developed enough yet. For example, lying on her back she can bring her knees up and wave her feet around, but she can't reach her feet or put them in her mouth yet. I remember my little siblings chewing their toes (not sure at what age). I think to stay sitting upright without support you need a strong back, but you also need a strong tummy - core strength. Balance has a lot to do with core strength, too.

Scream, M had her 16 week jabs on Monday and was fine afterwards, although very sicky on the second day. Don't forget that they have had all of these jabs before, so if they didn't react then then they shouldn't react now.

I put the Bumbo on a bench both times, but a chair would have done if it had had a wide enough seat. I also put it on the kitchen table so M can watch me cook/tidy up - I know that's bad!

A day to yourself sounds awesome! I would still be in bed if it was me! Although I would miss M and worry about her too...

Gosh, you lot can talk! Just catching up. The funeral went ok. It was nice to meet up with that side of the family and my mum enjoyed showing off D. He was really smiley for everyone:) my nan had 6 children, 11 grandchildren (10 of us were there) and 22 great grandchildren!
DH has gone out for the day with ds2 so I am home alone again :( (apart from a couple of electricians)

She's on the move again, picture on profile :)

She doesn't even have to be crawling to keep you on your toes, Jen - I love it! And she's adorable, just for good measure.

Wants, glad the funeral went well, as these things go. That's a respectable number of descendants!

I am a Bad Mother. M was refusing to lie in gym/sit in Bumbo/sit in swing and I wanted to get dinner on. She wanted to be standing up, so I propped her against the beanbag DH was lying on and he said he'd watch her. The words "watch out or she'll fall over backwards" were just starting to form on my lips as I turned away to look at the laptop. M promptly arched herself backwards and fell straight back from a standing position. Her little head made such a loud thump! Luckily the floor is carpeted; also luckily she missed the corner of the laptop by a fraction of an inch. She was very brave and stopped crying quickly. She then sat on DH's knee and giggled and squealed, so my initial fears about concussion were allayed. God, wait until she's actually standing/walking. This sort of thing will be a daily occurrence and I will probably be a basket case by the time she's 1.

Was it you asking about noisy exuberance, Scream? M is v noisy when she's happy - loud squeals and shouts of delight.

I seem to have killed the thread with my comment about talking lots!:)
Ds2 has glorious sunshine for his birthday. I can't believe he is 15!

Thread killer

Happy birthday to your DS

Is everyone out enjoying the sun?

Happy Birthday to your DS2, Wants!

Happy Birthday to your DS wants. Glad the funeral went ok for you all

Good photo of DD Jen

On my own again today with the 2 DC. I was brave this morning and took them both on a trip into town. DS even managed to behave himself while we nipped in a hairdressers to get an opinion on my baldylocks. The hairdresser said he'd seen much worse and that he was certain he could make it look better so I'm going to get an appointment for some time over the next fortnight while DH is off work. I feel a bit better about it now I know that it's unlikely to all fall out.

We're away this weekend with some friends which I'm really looking forward to. We've not seen them since the start of this year and they have a 7 year old and a 3 year old so DS will love it.

After being a bit of an Olympics grump before it started (the expense) I have to say I've loved it! I've watched absolutely loads of it and I'm going to be a bit lost next week when it's back to nothing on tv.

I've loved the Olympics too, Scarlet, and I really didn't think I would. Yay for the hairdresser saying he can help and that your hair won't all fall out!

M is wide awake and grumpy. DH is having to maintain eye contact with her or else she howls, but I spent 6.30-8 trying to put her to bed and failing. She fed heaps but just got more and more awake, so I am trying to let her get properly hungry again before the next attempt. This is, I think, because she had a nap at 5.30, which she doesn't usually do. I put her down in the pram so she would wake up, and then bathed her, and then she cried and seemed tired and hungry, so we went off to bed. Nope! Much singing on my part and howling on hers later, she won. Gah. And she spent all last night waking up every 2 hours. Is there a 5 month growth spurt?

Is it the general consensus with sleep training that once you've begun trying to put the baby down, you should stay in the bedroom and keep trying, no matter how long it takes? I keep giving up and going back into the living room to complain to DH. Is this contributing to the refusal to sleep?

Think so too, that's what I try and do, but Dh won't so neither of mine will ever bloody get it either

To be fair, it is finally maybe possibly improving here, except tonight was terrible. Last few have been better for B. Nothing makes the baddest bad baby sleep :( . Good job he's the smiliest little creature and just delicious or I'd rehome him

have almost persuaded DH to do the family outing on Monday, think we might go see the wee beasties...

the big diy project is finally finished, looking forward to some garden time if the weather stays nice. :) and getting DH back!

That's fantastic Jaggy Are you pleased with the results? I can imagine the relief at it all being finished. My DH likes to take on huge DIY projects and is an absolute perfectionist. I moan and moan and moan about it until it's done and then I'm like WOW I'm so pleased he did a good job. Where do you reckon you'll go on Monday?

Not done any sleep training Too. I was lucky with DS that he self-settled quite early on. I think I would try and persevere if I were doing it I think. Amazingly for the last 3 days DD has refused to be cuddled to sleep and has actually stopped crying when I've put her in her bed upstairs alone and self-settled to sleep Every time. I can hardly believe my luck. (I do realise that's all it is). I just hope she keeps it up.

DH now has a fortnight off work . We planning on plenty of trips out plus a few jobs around the house. We'd usually have a holiday June/July time but the work on the house earlier on in the year cost more than we thought. We have got a few days away in October booked at Center Parcs though so we're looking forward to that.

Bah! The super hot weather is making DD drink loads, which is hugely conflicting with my attempts to express enough milk for the wedding we're going to tomorrow. I keep expressing a bottle, then having to feed it to her an hour later because what's left in my boobs isn't enough at the next feed. Only 4oz in the fridge at mo. I'm currently trying to squeeze another 4oz out, and desperately hoping DD won't wake until my supply has replenished. Then I'll have to do another 4oz in the morning before we go. Bah!

We've had family round all day though, and she's been very sweet. [Utterly besotted emoticon] Trying to remind myself that we need to wait until April next year before ttc again for financial/career reasons!

Too I'm exactly the same with DD. If she doesn't go down without a fight I usually give up and go and watch tv downstairs until she falls asleep of her own accord.

Glad everyone's been enjoying the olympics. I've kinda enjoyed it, although being forcefed a constant diet of sport by DH has been somewhat tedious! My Nan is Jamaican though and she was round today, she's ecstatic about the 200m! My Dad is over in Jamaica right now visiting family, and he says the celebrations have been fantastic!

Yay for Jaggy's garden being finished (and getting your DH back!) Planning any BBQs soon?

Yay for Dream's B and Scarlet's A settling to sleep better!

Hooray! I'm almost at 4oz without having to resort to pumping both boobs. So the second boob is available for DD's inevitable midnight snack. Yay, I might actually be able to take enough ebm with me tomorrow!

Too I meant that I take DD downstairs with me when she won't settle, and we both watch tv until she conks out. I know I know - very very bad!