Post-grad Brookers, over here! We will Brook No Argument that all Mini-Brookers sleep 12 hours a night and behave angelically during the day

[TooImmatureTurtleDoves]

Over here!

Collected her
on mat leave

Anyway, the point is, Too I'd be bloody pissed off with your stepmother as well. Like Pomme says, if she continues to undermine you in front of your children (ie when M is older) I'd be tempted to have words.

Pomme would cot bumpers help? I know they're not recommended but if they'd help with sleep...?

pomme does she sleep with blankets or a grobag? You need something like a mesh liner like the sides of a travel cot in her cot..? don't know if they exist though...
As for mil's and mums, my mil is barking but we do get on. She spoils ds too much though which leads to him acting a bit bratish which i don' like though. i have to say she ADORES all 3 grandkids and totally revels in their company, she's very hands on which is lovely. My mum is much less barking and more down to earth, thankfully she knows better than to get involved in things like weaning! Too even if you do have a word with her would anything actually change? The smile and nod tactic might be worth employing for now, and don't leave her in a situation where your stepmum has to feed her? At least then it can just be water off a ducks back so to speak? Words are easier to ignore than actions!
I did see the audience and i didn't think it was as good but maybe because her dilemma was not so...fraught? emotional? not sure i know the right word! I will certainly watch the next ones though.
My house looks like a bomb has hit it, must tidy today, off for a playdate after school and then I'm out to dinner with my lovely nct friends tonight.

Pomme have you seen these airwraps ? I'm definitely getting one for DD when she moves into her bed. I wish we'd got one when DS was tiny as we were up several times a night removing legs from bars with him. You can get a 4 sided version if your cot is open ended also.
Were you house hunting in Italy? Has your MIL said anything about you moving?

Have a nice evening Ninja

Happy Birthday Pet's DH.

I'm having my first Friday evening in for 4 weeks! Quite looking forward to sitting in with DH and having

I meant I'm getting one for when DD moves into her cotbed in her bedroom. She's still in our room at the moment.

scarlet thats exactly the kind of thing I meant....

Evening all

Well we're back in the realm of wi fi. Sorry I've missed such a lot

That net thing for the cot looks fab Scarlet - we may well need one of those here, although the leg-stuck-through-cot thing is less of an issue now he's in his actual cot. It was a huge problem in the crib and he still does it of he's upset .

I can't believe it but I think I can see a fifth tooth on its way . Ds2 hasn't been sleeping particularly well (!) and has frankly been grumpy. We're back to feeding a few times at night and I know it's not really that he's hungry, just that nothing else (bonjella, even calpol sometimes, lots of jigging etc) can settle him off and the bf seems to just let him drop of for a few hours . It's just been going on long enough now that I start to question whether maybe this is how it will be and it won't go back to what I had previously considered to be 'normal'. I am just hoping that this is what ds1 has done to me several times, where whatever ailment it is has gone on for long enough that it makes me think 'well this is it, this must be the new normal'.

Sorry that's all a bit me me me

How have you all been? I've been deprived of Internet connection so there's too much to read back.

It's DS1's birthday today so I'm quite excited about it. Just hoping I'm not too much of a grump from being tired and that I can get through without shouting at Jon as I know he's shattered from our holiday too and I REALLY don't want to shout at him today. I need to really focus on avoiding the situations that I know might make him naughty / me cross......

hi all.

we had DS1's birthday yesterday and it all went fine, even with DH still poorly yet cooking lunch for us all. my cake wasn't great, but DS1 liked it and knew what it was meant to be so I'm happy. and it tasted nice with cream on too.

DH's mystery illness that the hospital couldn't figure out has caused an existing condition to flare up so he's feeling a bit awful. :( I'm just crap at looking after him though when I'm tired and sometimes feel so busy that we're just getting through the day in a blur.

hoping his hospital appointment comes through soon, he's to go back to see a specialist i think.

DS1 was funny yesterday, we were out playing with some outdoor presents and he said "mummy, do i have my pants on?" cue me bundling him into the house for a wee! was nice that he checked first did anyone else have a problem getting dc out of the night nappy and into pants in the morning? DS1 is ravenous and will flip out if i try to get him changed before breakfast!

re Airwrap - they're great.

sorry ran out of room!

air wrap great for limbs not escaping and also avoiding denty heads when they roll about and wedge themselves against the side.

right need to try to get back to sleep. have nearly caught up though!

Ah glad DS1 had a good birthday Jaggy . And good that he checked about the pants! Shows a bit of control I guess . Sorry your DH is poorly again though - hoping that gets sorted ASAP.

I didn't make a cake for ds2 in the end - with holiday etc it was the Sensible Option. I still think there was no way I could have done it last night but I also feel a bit that I haven't done it. Never mind, not long until Christmas. Maybe I'll make us a Fireman Sam Christmas cake....

I'm sure I was going to say something else but I've forgotten it

Hope you're all well and have nice weekend plans

Oh yes that's it, about the night nappy thing.

I didn't have too much problem with that Jaggy and within a few weeks of potty training in the day, ds1 suddenly was dry at night and we ditched night nappies. . I think the easiness of the nighttime bit was compensation for the day time troubles . But the morning thing, ds1 never seems hungry in the morning. He could get up at 7 and have breakfast at 10 and never be bothered. It makes it a total pain trying to get him to get dressed in the morning as he has NO motivation for it. I am literally tearing my hair out over how to get him to get dressed in the morning. We have a rule that he can't have breakfast until he's dressed (because he is even slower if he's had his breakfast). But we fall out almost every morning over getting dressed . I also say that he has to go to the toilet before breakfast (he has never got up to go in the night so always has a pretty substantial wee in the morning) and every morning we have the same 'I don't need a wee', 'but it's been a really long time that you've been asleep', 'but I don't need a wee' conversation (which inevitably ends in him having a massive wee - its almost as if I know these things........ ).

So in summary we never had too much problem with that Jaggy, sorry but I do struggle to get ds1 to have a wee and to get dressed. So we have plenty of ballisticness (his or mine ) of a morning

jaggy we had difficulties getting DS1 out of his night nappy too. We just has to have a bit of a battle and now he is wearing pants at night he is happier to go for a wee first thing.

So our big news is that DS1 is dry overnight and now doesn't wear any nappies, I'm back to pre preg weight (on day 13 of the shred and its nasty) and f has started crawling!

Yay good for F Hawthers and huge well done to your DS1 on no nappies! I've put off getting DS dry at night because we go on holiday the week after next and didn't want the hassle of a wet bed while we're there. But I am planning on no night nappies as soon as we get back. Most days they're dry in the morning anyway, but once or twice a week he wees in them still whilst asleep.

Jaggy I don't let DS leave his room in the morning until he has pants on, it's just part of his routine now, but we used to have that problem. I'm pleased your DS1 had a lovely birthday. Your poor DH still bring unwell. I hope you get to the bottom of it ASAP.

Happy Birthday Biscuits DS1! I hope he's not too tired and has a good time today. Poor DS2 and his teeth. They're coming through fast!

About 100 posts ago I meant not shouting at him not Jon. I don't even know who Jon is .

Happy birthday ds1 biscuits! I had decided your dh was called Jon :)

A has a bumper down one side - doesn't seem to help much. I looked at those air wrap things but in the end I've just bought exactly the same travel cot we had in Italy :) We can take it to Padova when we move so it's not entirely stupid. It's weird though, she literally only moved side to side in it in Italy but in her barred (?) cot I find her in all the corners squashed up...

Dh is off to look at rental houses in Italy next week. it would appear we're really moving - gulp!

And anyway, I almost certainly will end up shouting at DH It's DS1 I don't want to shout at

So far so good - presents have gone down well and we're all dressed and breakfasted. Why can't I do it all this quickly on a normal day

Oooh, go F! Yay for crawling, Hawthers! How old is he now? And well done you on being pre-pg weight - and as for Day 13 of the Shred, I keep on resolving to Shred and not doing it. My latest resolution is to wait until 1 October and do it for the month. This means I don't keep fussing mentally about it. I'm going to a wedding today and wish I'd Shredded, though - my dress is Somewhat Tight around the waist. So much so that despite buying an amazing strapless Wonderbra, I can't wear it because it takes up too much space and renders the dress just that bit too tight to actually wear. So am going for breastpads only - the dress is a halterneck and provides quite a bit of support in itself. Hope there will be no mishaps. Oh, and yay for DS1 being dry overnight!

Happy Birthday, Biscuits' DS1!

M has started sleeping better - I was up twice last night, which is a vast improvement, although I had to give her both boobs both times to get her to go back to sleep. This morning she ate porridge with blueberries, raspberries and banana mashed in, and a bit of yoghurt to make it runnier.

hi all, have been lurking but just very busy since DS2 arrived! health visitor weighed him yesterday - 16 days old and now 10lb 6oz! ( so 1lb 2 1/2oz gain on top of his birth weight!!)

went to get measured for nursing bra's at mothercare midweek, as the ones i bought when feeding DS1 just don't feel right...turns out my boobs are a lot bigger this time, and apparently i need a 36J....i seem to remember chat on here a while back re some of you being big boobed - any suggestions/recommendations as to where to get nursing bra's from - as mothercare only go up to a G cup! Can't afford anything too la de dah but do need something that fits well and gives decent support!

Curious re all this talk of potty training - how old are your toddlers? DS1 22 1/2 months and wondering when is the best time to see if he is ready, not convinced he is yet, as he still often denies poo poo even when we can smell he has done one, but i know someone who has a DD the same age and she is using the potty fine.

Hey loopy - excellent weight gain, glad to hear all going well.

DD1 was 23 months when A was born. I think I could have done her then but it would have taken longer and been harder. I waited until she was 26-27 months and it was really easy (we'd been doing it at weekends from about 24 months). I wouldn't be in too much of a rush with it if I were you, and I also don't believe the whole if you start you can't go back thing either.

Been meaning to say - Far - can't believe you're nearly there! So looking forward to you being on here imminently!

Greetings from sunny California! I finally have both wifi and a spare minute to pop in and say hi!

Apologies in advance for only skimming the thread-

Dream sending lots of hugs your way for the poor sleeping! It all sounds overwhelming. I agree that the gentle sleep training sounds like the best option for you and all of your DC. I bet the boys would benefit from more sleep as well as you and your DH. No brooking for you all!

Scarlet thanks for the airwrap link, that looks perfect for DD! She frequently attempts to stick body parts through the bars of her cot!

Hooray for all of Hawthers' good news! Yay for the weightloss, well done on the Shred, and congrats to F on crawling!

Hugs to Too for the scary dish incident! So terrifying! I'm so very glad M was fine. Sometimes when I think about how desperately I want to protect little A from everything and just how impossible that is, I get a little panicky and hyperventilaty. It's ludicrous, there's only so much you can protect them from, but that heart-in-mouth feeling is all too familiar.

Apologies for not name checking more people, my brain's a bit frazzled.

Our holiday is going well. The flight wasn't great, but it wasn't a disaster either. Little A was a bit fussy at times but fortunately no full-on wailing. She slept for about half the flight. Luckily even when fussing she was willing to whip out a dazzling grin for anyone who came over to talk to her, so I think she charmed most of the nearby passengers. Still dreading the return flight...

The holiday itself has been good. We're not pushing ourselves, we tend to head out around 11 / 12 ish each day, and get in around 7 / 8 in the eve. DD has adjusted to the timezone really well although her sleep is just as erratic as at home. We've enjoyed San Fran and Napa Valley so far, we're in Sausalito today and heading to San Jose to meet friends tom.

DH is being a monumental PITA, but that's pretty standard on hol. He seems to think that I'm his tourguide and should have fun-filled itineraries planned out for him to enjoy each day I'm used to this though, and rising above...

Did I mention that DD is ridiculously cute and far more fun to take pics of than random scenery?!?! She's charming lots of people with her big smiles. Even though they all think she's a boy (despite wearing dresses, often pink, everyday) and that her name is "Orson" despite "Autumn" being a much more common name over here.

Anyways, that's my huge postcard finished for now! I'm hoping to be on again soon because DH now has a local 3G card on his phone, and since I'm the one using it for all our itinerary planning I feel entitled to some me-surfing as well!

Quick pop in as I'm so tired I might die

Gentle sleep training not going so well so far...

Had my multiple mummies meet up at my house though- 3 sets of twins and a set of triplets. I can confirm, the trips were born at 35+6, no special care for any, not even her little girl who was 3lb- they said as she was a multiple they'd keep her with her mum and borthers and see how she did, though she'd be in special care if she was a single baby because of her weight (multiples do far better than singletons born small or prem though anyway). She's done the best, the mum (who's lovely and so chilled out) bf the biggest one as he was the only one to be able to latch on well initially, but as all were topped up with a bottle, she now bfs all a bit, then tops all up with a bottle of Aptimil. They are exactly one month younger than my boys, to the day. They are sleeping through . Other twins werre girls 5 days older than my boys- met them a few times, ID boys of 15 months and mine. Was lurverly and we're going to get a room in a childrens centre and have a regular group now if we can, yay!

scream, very jealous of the hol, though maybe not the pita dh

argh, really no time, sorry Brookers

Dream your multiples group sounds fab - glad it went well. And thanks for answering the triplets bf question. Really hope your sleep training starts to pay dividends soon tonight!

Scream great epistle postcard! Glad you're enjoying the holiday. Loving the idea of your new DS Orson!

Oops gotta dash - late for church as usual

dream - dummies? A takes one now after months of persisting. Doesn't stop her waking but can make wake up MUCH shorter? MAM 6 months plus ones worked for us. Group sounds awesome, well done you for setting that up on no sleep. Triplets lady sounds brilliant - nearly as awesome as you :)

Wow, the multiple mummies group sounds amazing, dream! of triplets sleeping through. Getting a room in a children's centre sounds lovely.

Scream, am so of California! Glad to hear that the flight wasn't too bad.

Wedding last night v good from our point of view, but M refused to go to sleep for mum and stepdad. We got home at 11.15pm to find that she had just dropped off in stepad's arms but was refusing to be put down in her cot for more than 5 minutes at a time. Bad beastie. She has to learn to go to bed for someone else! I'll never be able to go out in the evening again.

Also meant to say happy belated birthday to Jaggy and Biscuits' DSs!