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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

999 replies

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 28/08/2012 13:42

Over here!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
DreamingOfPeace · 23/09/2012 20:52

oooh, yes, happy birthday to biscuits ds (was v confused about the Jon btw- I know your ds isn't called Jon- though I'm not sure how I know that, but I think he has a 'J' name?! so gald you cleared that up... doersn't take much to confuse the walking zombies!!). Hope the hol has been lovely- how did the mid-hol meeting go, dare I ask?!

Happy birthday to jaggy's ds too- was he 3?

Here here to babies learning to go to sleep for any old Tom, Dick or Harry too. Tonight, neither baby went to sleep feeding . Think it was more fluke than anything though. B doing better than S. Of course. But last night, S up 4 times, B up twice, DD up twice . I'm glad the wedding went well- at least you could enjoy it not knowing what a bad beastie little M was being at home!!! Take it the dress was ok with just breast pads then?

Hurrah loopy for fab weight gain. Well done you!! Here's to a chilled ot, good sleeping, happy feeding little boy for you Thanks My DD is now 24 months. She will tell us she's done a poo, though may then deny it as she hates nappy changes, sp,etimes she tells us before she's done a poo. We have a potty and loo seat thingy hanging round, and she's done a poo on the toilet twice (fluke probably) but I'd say is not ready yet.

errr, forgotten all else... Except- confession time- that I am being such a horrible pyscho bitch from hell person to dh I fear divorce is imminent (slight exaggeration ,but I wouldn't blame him). I just can't help myself.... I know its tiredness but as that isn't going to change soon I'm going to have to behave a bit better regardless.

Oh, and I just listed my first ever item on ebay, my old single buggy/pram top bit too, and managed to cock it up and list for 99p no reserve. Sigh. There's one 99p bid on it and I can't decide whether to end the listing or just shrug my shoulders, hope for the best and see what happens. I'd be a bit pissed off if it goes for 99p though. What to do?!

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 23/09/2012 22:35

Oh bugger, I just managed to delete a whole post. Grr!

Dream, can you get a friend to bid on Ebay and drive the price up? Or can you take it down? [clueless]

Glad the DTs went down without feeding to sleep tonight - hope it's the start of a brave new world which features lots of sleep for all the Dream family. I'm so sorry to hear about the tired behaviour - I am horrible to DH when I'm tired. Really, really horrible, and I dissolve into tears over nothing. Then I expect him to cuddle me when he's still sulking upset about whatever nasty thing I said immediately before the tears. Then I get hurt because he didn't cuddle me...it's a vicious cycle. Sad for you. It'll be okay. The DTs will have to start sleeping soon and then everything will feel so much better. Maybe you could try doing something really corny like putting a note in DH's pocket saying you love him. The thing is, I know DH would be really pleased if I did something like that, but the chances are much higher that he'd accidentally chuck the note in the bin without reading it.

The dress was fine - didn't leak through the breast pads, although I did have to retie my halterneck after the first Dashing White Sergeant. I thought my right boob was going to make a leap for freedom during all the spinning! My arms are black and blue all the way up the inside after the ceilidh - I'm going to look great at swimming on Tues!

I've forgotten what else I was going to say. DH just came through to ask if I was ever coming to bed. Night night!

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jaggythistle · 24/09/2012 02:18

yeah he's 3 dream. :)

we started potty training gradually when he was 2.10. we might have tried it earlier if not on holiday in July. also training before DS2 born seemed a bad idea.

he got the idea pretty quick and has been in pants all the time except for sleep times for a few weeks now. he will go for days without accident then do 3 in a row Confused He's fairly rubbish about asking to go, we're having to remind him a lot at the moment. far too busy playing!

he's been out to toddler group with pants, but confess to using pull ups when visiting friends, more in case i got distracted and forgot to take him. he did keep them dry and go for wees when out.

DS2 is now a monster 19lb at 5 months. quite nervous about moving him in with big brother in a few weeks...

too i am also a complete nut. it's kind of like how i felt on the pill with mood swings. i can feel myself overreacting like a psycho but i can't stop myself iyswim?

DH still not well, he's going to have to go back to doc we think. :(

Biscuitsandtea · 24/09/2012 03:35

You're right Dream ds1 is a J but not Jon - it was just my iPhone thinking it knew better than me. Smile Holiday was super lovely. Ds1 did some awesome swimming (doubly awesome with swimming being about the only thing that's free at CP Grin) so that was good. They were well impressed when he went back to swimming on Saturday and he did a whole width on his own

The mid holiday meeting was ok

scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 09:54

DD has a cold and has spent the weekend yakking up gross snotty sick Sad
DS is back at the hospital today for another blood test Sad. The results of the first one apparently showed his white blood cell count as normal thank goodness, but the GP wants to double check something but I'm not too sure what Confused

Wow Biscuits I'm so impressed you managed to fit in DS1's swimming on Saturday as well as everything else! Massive well done to him for swimming a width on his own. I have a feeliung that when we're at CP next week DS will spend the whole time on the waterslides and do very little proper swimming. We may have to use some negotiation tactics.

Glad the wedding went well Too

Dream your meet up sounds fab. I bet it feels good to have made some friends in a similar situation. I hope you get your room for meet ups sorted.

Jaggy Brooking for your DH, how scary.

Lovely to hear from you Scream DD sounds as adorable as ever. I hope things have improved with you and DH since you last posted.

Impressive weight gain for DS2 Loopy, glad it's going well.

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 24/09/2012 09:56

Right, am gearing up for bf support class - feels a bit weird to be going at 6 months, but I'm hoping for some BLW help. Can I feed M fish pie as BLW? She could eat it with her fingers, while also smearing it around herself and her tray, I suppose. The challenge: to shower, dress, get some make up on [vain], some breakfast down, dress M, stick some nappies etc in bag and get in the car before 10.30. Not sure this is possible...

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scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 10:06

Too I've managed all of that this morning, plus getting DS ready and was in the car for 8.50! My breakfast was 3 chocolate biscuits though, so not sure that counts and make up was only a bit of foundation and mascara so I still look pretty hideous Hope you get some useful info at the support group.

PetWoman · 24/09/2012 11:06

Too to do all that I'd recommend you start no later than 9am! Grin Hope you got there ok.

Think DS is having a bit of a growth spurt or something. He's demanded feeding to sleep a couple of times in the last few days, when he normally settles with just his dummy. He's eating more solids (just some fruit purees, pieces of fruit, and baby rice / porridge - mixed with mashed banana cos he doesn't like it plain). But more crucially, I had to do THREE night feeds a couple of nights ago. Only one last night - phew. Though I then had the weird waking up and watching the clock thing, wondering why he hadn't woken up yet and when it was going to happen. Is there a growth spurt around 6 months? Biscuits try not to worry about a night feed 'habit'. E slept so well before, that I'm sure when he no linger needs the milk/comfort he'll go back to his good ways all by himself.

Oh, also Biscuits well done to DS1 with the swimming!

Dream I think Too's suggestion re the note in DH's pocket (or briefcase or wherever) sounded good. Exhaustion turns us into toddlers / teenagers again, doesn't it? But in a rational moment, maybe you can tell him that you're sorry and you love him?

Right. Just fed DS to sleep so off to tackle the washing up. Nothing but fun in this household! :)

scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 12:02

Quick non-baby related question.

Do any of you own a Kindle? If so would you recommend?

I read a lot and have been umming and ahhing for weeks over it. It's my birthday next week and DH has offered to buy me one and I'm wondering whether to go bog standard basic one or wait a couple more weeks until the new Fire version comes out. I'm not fussed about the touch or keyboard version.

I have done a complete turn around as I've always been a "no way, I love books, proper books" type person but I'm now getting sick of books taking up room in my wardrobe.

PetWoman · 24/09/2012 12:31

DH bought me a Kindle. I didn't particularly want one and didn't really like it because I like to flick back to check things I read earlier, which you can't really do. It will be useful for holidays, though, instead of packing a suitcase full of books. Though with DS I may not get that much time to read any more...

jaggythistle · 24/09/2012 13:47

scarlet i got a kindle just over a year ago. started reading it when newly pg and queasy and for months couldn't look at it without feeling sick!

i love it now though. my bookshelves are stuffed with no more room, so instead of filling them i can fill my kindle. the amount of free and v cheap stuff you can download is pretty good too.

i love my books too and also never thought I'd get into it. :)

i have a keyboard version with 3g so i can connect to download free anywhere. i thought the touch screen might be too annoying and fancy! you can use it for emergency internet browsing hence my posts from France. Grin

oh, DH update after doc surgery called us - illness caused by a bug, possibly related to undercooked meat. so he's to get antibiotics.

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 24/09/2012 13:55

I love my Kindle! I still read paper books as well - DH and I are big readers and like to reread books, so our house is crammed with bookshelves. But it is great being able to get a book immediately from Amazon or Gutenberg and not having to wait for it to be posted. Instant gratification. Blush I wish I had the Fire version for the light, though - it would be really useful to be able to read it while I'm feeding M back to sleep in the darkened room. Still, how does the Fire do on battery life? I got my Kindle just after Christmas - spent the whole run up to Christmas saying I didn't want one, and then suddenly decided I did on Hogmanay. Blush Anyway, I haven't been on holiday with it yet, but it will be great when I do, because usually we take heaps of books and they weigh a tonne.

Scarlet, how did you get out so quickly this morning with everything done? Respect. We made it to the bf group and they were really nice. There were maybe 7 or 8 mothers and 2 bf peer supporters there, with babies ranging from 11 weeks to 20 months - one woman came on her own without her baby, and another was there whose toddler had self-weaned at 17 months! They went round the group in the order of the youngest baby, and we each got a chance to ask questions. I asked about BLW - how they had got on, what they had done, what sort of food had they given their babies, what if their baby hardly ate anything, and what about spicy food or strong flavours. They all said to persevere - try giving M yoghurt dolloped straight onto her tray, give her a spoon and just sit back and let her play with it. Chilli, garlic and other strong flavours are fine, so long as it's not really really spicy. Yay, am going to make fish pie with chilli in tonight! And to sit at the table with her, which we are very bad at. I'm going to go to Ikea and buy a high chair today and make DH put the laptop down and eat at the table.

There was some interesting chat about controlled crying - one woman had done it last night for the first time (8 mo DD who had been waking up 10 times a night) and it had worked like a charm. She had put the baby down in her cot and sat on the landing with a book for 4 minutes at a time, and she said it was miraculous, the baby didn't cry, she just grumped a bit to herself, and it only took 20 mins for her to settle and then she slept for 10 hours straight! I'm going to ask for sleep advice next time - what if your baby goes to sleep well, but keeps waking up? Although I was only up twice last night, M was up 4 times - bed at 7.30, then up again at 9.30 and 11.15 (before I went to bed) and at 2.30 and 5.30, before getting up at 7.30. However, the 11 o'clock wake-up was fairly protracted and interrupted SFF.

Pet, I did the note thing myself last night after suggesting it to Dream - I wrote 'I love you' on a card and folded it around DH's phone so he couldn't miss it. He read it this morning before he left for work and was v touched. I must make more effort to do nice little things like that - it took me about 30 seconds and he was so pleased. What else can I do? It is soppy, but nice. I would love it if DH did things like that for me.

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hawthers · 24/09/2012 16:35

i love my kindle too - am just the same with loving having a book but it is so convenient just having several books in one place and being able to read with one hand. i'm totally converted.

DH issues here too again. we had our fifth wedding anniversary on saturday which was lovely collecting conkers in the sunshine and a third birthday party followed by champagne and takeaway. but then a throwaway comment by DH on sat night has really cheesed me off. i'm still stewing over it and it just shows that he just doesn't Get It. Totally pissed off and not feeling like putting little notes in his pocket up his nose maybe or in some painful orifice.

scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 16:45

Hmmm now I thought I'd decided on the basic Kindle now you've all got me wondering...
Too I liked the idea of the Fire so I could read in the dark without the light on. But as you said, the battery life I think is quite poor. Plus it won't be so good for reading outside as will be too bright.

cakes82 · 24/09/2012 16:50

I have a basic kindle and love it, having a light might be good but i'd really struggle to put book down if I had light. To begin with I kept trying to touch screen even though it isn't a touch screen. My aunt has the touch screen and loves it but says occasionally she gets dictionary when she didn't mean to. I still buy some paperbacks for sharing purposes and also some paperbacks are still cheaper than their kindle equivalent.

cakes82 · 24/09/2012 16:56

I've done the leaving notes for dh too, but I think he has only done it for me maybe once and can't understand why I feel he should do same for me. If he does make a gesture its been something of a more expensive nature which whilst lovely I never seem to have the money to even attempt to match it.

scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 17:21

Oh meant to say Jaggy glad the mystery illness has been indentified. This happened to DH last year but he put off going to the docs for ages. When it was finally diagnosed it was tracked back to a dodgy Boots sandwich he'd had 3 months before. The anti-biotics cleared it up quickly.

Too that was so sweet of you to do that for your DH. Mine would think I'd had some sort of personality transplant if I did that Grin

Hawthers sorry to hear you've fell out with DH. My DH rarely 'gets it' either. I occasionally wonder if he is emotionally challenged. (That's a polite way of saying what I really think).

Good to see you Cakes, not long now?

Biscuitsandtea · 24/09/2012 17:23

Scarlet I have no advice about the kindle - I LOVE reading but just don't get the chance now. When I bf ds1 I read heaps of books, but now I MN instead Blush. So it's your collective fault that I don't read Grin.

I wondered about a kindle but just don't read enough now to make it worth while.

However I am the same about asking the brookers about everything - which brings me on to a question about steam mops. Does anyone have one? I'm thinking of something like this one from Lakeland or this Steam and Sweep one.

I have laminate floors throughout downstairs but find I never have the time / energy / inclination to sweep and mop them and wondered whether these steam mops are actually quicker / easier or just a waste of ££.

It was my mum that suggested it as a Christmas pressie and I was saying 'I'll do some research into them' and thinking 'oooh, I'll ask on MN' Grin

Biscuitsandtea · 24/09/2012 17:28

Oh and on the notes in pockets thing, I'm not sure DH would know what to make of it Grin. He certainly never does owt like that for me but does sometimes pull a corking surprise birthday or Christmas pressie out of the blue Smile. To be honest I think he gets so 'in the zone' at work he probably forgets who I am and would just be looking at it all ConfusedHmm thinking 'who is Biscuits? And why is this note addressed to Jon? GrinWink'

I do sometimes email him a shopping list to do on the way home - does that count? HmmConfused

scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 17:39

Grin Biscuits that's very much like me and DH. DH would probably think the note was from someone else as I am not like that at all. He used to be very romantic pre DC. Huge romantic gestures and gifts were the norm. Now we are skint and knackered there is no time, money or inclination for gifts or romance.

Now, the steam mop thing. I got one just before I had DD. this one
You've been in my house, I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that it's only been out of the box twice Blush It was something I really wanted, but reality is I haven't much use for it. And it's not as easy as they make it look on tv. Everything still needs a good sweep/hoover/scrub first. But it was quite handy when DD managed to poo stain her BabyBjorn.
I really like the look of the Lakeland one and that is the one I would have got if we were totally laminate but as we mainly have carpet and a couple of wood floors it seemed a pointless.

jaggythistle · 24/09/2012 18:04

scarlet there's a fair chance DH's mystery illness is related to our lovely friends barbecue last weekend. there was definitely uncooked meat there, i almost ate a chunk of raw chicken on a kebab.
he's unlucky to have a bowel condition which has totally been set off by it. just hope the antibiotics calm everything down.

i think you can get all the kindles with or without 3g, can't imagine being without it and having to hunt for wifi to download books. i read a lot feeding DS1 too, the kindle is a lot quieter than book pages and doesn't distract nosey babies so much!

i do use mine at night, i have an Ikea lamp which can be quite dim and . change the text size to huge so i can read it!

ScreamIfYouWantToGoFaster · 24/09/2012 18:14

Hi again!

Just waking up in our hotel in Yosemite National park. This is our first day here and I can't wait! We had a lovely day in San Jose with a good friend of mine yesterday.

Hurray for Biscuits' DS1 swimming so far by himself! Sorry I have no steam mop advice, although we have laminate floors throughout downstairs I know DH and I are both far too lazy to clean them regularly!

Too your bf class sounds ace! Wish I could find something like that near me! It sounds like a RL No Brookers group!

Oops! DD has just woken up as well! Gotta go! Will name check more later!

scarletfingernail · 24/09/2012 18:26

Scream I loved Yosemite. We were there this very week 7 years ago. We stayed in Yosemite Lodge which was quite a comedown from the plush LA and Vegas hotels we stayed in, but it was right in the centre of Yosemite park so a brilliant base. I take it they've got a grip on that nasty virus they've had there recently and it is safe to be there?

Biscuitsandtea · 24/09/2012 18:30

Envy of Yosemite - I would LOVE to go there. Have a fab time for me Scream

Biscuitsandtea · 24/09/2012 18:33

I think we were just back off our honeymoon this week 7 years ago. Nowhere near as glamorous as Yosemite though as that was the hit DH was supposed to do so we ended up booking hotels in Scotland a few weeks before the wedding Hmm. It was lovely and all that but I would have liked to have done something more adventurous. Still we spent the whole budget on lush hotels instead so it was nice in that respect Smile