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!

I'll try to catch up with you all but probably won't

I couldn't think of a Halloween name for Rubber so have gone back to Jen for the time being. I've got Christmas names for both so may chop and change in Dec

DD had her professional photoshoot on Tues. She was very good and I can't wait to get the pictures back

All good advice from Hawthers there Pomme. DS1 also took forever his own sweet time to get poos. I used chocolate button bribery. And in the whole thing of 'staying calm' (yeah, right ) I tried to be zen like, no telling off and just made him stop whatever he was playing with and come and wait while I washed out the pants and tidied it all up. It wasn't exactly done as a 'punishment' more just as a consequence of not bothering to go to the toilet.

I did then one day find him making Roary the Lion wait by the sink 'because he'd had an accident'

Also I was worried when I started the chocolate button bribery that he would still be expecting a button for a poo when he was 15 but he sort of forgot about it in due course and it just sort of petered out. We also tried a reward chart where he got a treat for every 5 stickers. No negative marking for missing, just a sticker for every success and a treat at 5 stickers (or else it was too 'delayed gratification'.

Can I just say as well, when you said she wouldn't poo in the toilet or potty I assumed you meant she was constipated, which I take to be a measure of how much the horrors of potty training fade so it is no longer at the front of my every waking thought mind.

Oh and definitely , and more . I was pg when we were potty training and would have made it much more bearable! In fact I shall have tonight as a show of solidarity with you

Apologies for the me me me, but I just had the most AMAZING experience with DD! (I rang DH to tell him there had been an unprecedented event and his first guess was "Speech?" At 5 months old....?!?!)

What actually happened is, after DD waking every 2 hours last night and consuming vast quantities of milk each time, I decided to load her up with food this afternoon. I maxed her out on milk. Then I fed her half a jar of chicken and rice puree (spoon-fed, to make sure she actually ate it). Followed by some homemade sweet potato chips, which weren't much of a hit. I then did her bath followed by some baby massage. The SHOCK event was that DD fell asleep during the massage! (7.30!!!) She's never even been close to that before. THEN I transferred her to her cot and put her sleepsuit on and she STAYED ASLEEP! She's actually still asleep now!! There has never been an evening remotely like this in history of the Scream household!!! DD usually goes to bed after 11!

Sorry, I know it's an anticlimax to anyone with a baby who doesn't stay up all evening every evening, but for me it's like the second coming!

My sympathies to all with poo problems. I do hope the Dreamy twins get better asap, and Pomme's DD1 gives up the poo-in-loo strike! Dream I am No Brooking like a crazy person for you to NOT have mastitis! That would just be unfair to the point of lunacy .

I hope all the housework issues improve in NoBrookerVille, I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck on a treadmill of housework as well. It's just that when I would normally prioritise DD, or 'me time', instead I'm having to religiously keep up with my tidying/cleaning while I'm at my parents' house. DD made almost no mess with dinner tonight just dumping all the chips on the floor under her chair and getting the puree all over the chair it was all confined to her immediate area, and my parents were still amazed at the amount of mess!

Hawthers how did you escape the car in the end?!

Right, I'm off to antenatal to see what the news is over there! I'm No Brooking that there's a new member on their way...

Scream, how wonderful! The falling asleep during the massage is lovely. But staying asleep during a transfer AND having a sleep suit put on?! That's both barmy and fabulous!

Each bathtime here over the past week has resulted in proper tears due to tiredness. Thinking it's time I tried the cot for naps again - clearly she's not getting quite enough sleep during the day, and maybe this is a sign that it's time to change things. She was restless on me, but still asleep, earlier, and I needed the loo - so popped her in the middle of my bed while I went (there was a cat in her cot, and I didn't fancy trying to disturb said cat with one hand!). Iz then happily slept there for another 20 mins or so. Why doesn't she do that in her cot?!

Jen, hope we get to see some of the results :)

Another brooking baby, hurrah!

Dream can I ask a physio q please? Just about push-along toys, are they bad for development the way baby walkers are? I think the reason baby walkers are bad is because they enable the LO to walk without having to balance at all? Is that right? Whereas a baby gets support from a push along toy but they still have to balance themselves to some extent - so does a push along help walking development? Just wondering if you know. Thanks!

p.s. DD started to wake up just now, and working on my assumption that she's going through a growth spurt and therefore hungry, I fed her a bottle without taking her out of the cot (I LOVE the flexibility of ff!). She drank 6oz (!!!) and then fussed a little but went back to sleep without me taking her out of the cot once! The magical evening continues...

Sorry to go on, this is just SO unusual for us.

A SLEPT FROM ELEVEN UNTIL SIX THIRTY

Also thanks for potty advice. Jelly babies are my bribery tool of choice!

It just seems odd that she's been doing it pretty much perfectly for over three months and has just stopped. Toddlers are a mystery.

Has anything else changed? Has she been constipated and had a big poo that might have hurt to get out? DS1 has this issue and a bit of vaseline on his bun helps. Perhaps only psychologically but still. Wow the things you do for your kids!

Or have you gone head to head over anything and she is doing 'protest poos'? Happened to one of my friends. Not sure what she dud to improve the situation.

On his bun? Bum I meant

I think she had a tummy bug that meant she had a couple of uncontrollable episodes and she seems to not have regained the idea of bowel control back after that? Poo is such a big topic with kids isnt it?!

How long ago was that Pomme? Might be worth just nipping her to the docs to get everything checked? Just in case there is a medical reason that she can't feel the urge? What does she do / say when she goes?

Have you tried poo goes to pooland? I have a pdf of this so can email it to you if you pm me your email address.

the only way we know DS1 needs one in time is usually if he asks "do i have my pants on mum?" or does the squirmy dancing about. what fun indeed. touch wood he's been quite good the last few days, after 2 (luckily small so contained by trousers) accidents at his wee friend's house.

he just won't really ask, but is ok if reminded when you spot him dancing.

grr DH just changed DS2's nappy and was away to take him back through to play while i tackle the washing mountain. DS2 then cried cos he was hungry. i thought I'd give him a quick feed and hand him back. he fed, pooed and then was sick on himself too, so now i have to do his nappy anyway and find clothes.

plus DS1 is not settling for a nap today, this was not helped by DS2 crying. meh. this washing will be here forever. :(

Who were incidentally out in their buggy with Dh at 4am as i had been mostly up, bar one hour dozing with S til then. At 4 a.m i cried was losing the will to live, and as you can't walk around and calm 2 babies, the buggy it is... My boob is still really, really painful but the splitting headache is going and I'm less achy. Dh had to work this morning, but he didn't have to go til 8:40 or something (he's usually at work for 7:30-8 for paperwork etc) and when one baby and DD woke at 7 am i was desperately hoping he'd keep them busy and quiet ish so i could rest but no... I asked him to come for S but no, 'oh, I'm just doing dds nappy'. 'I'm just getting DD dressed'. FFS. Take the sodding baby too, let him watch DD/ dds mobile and let me rest. I was so cross!!!! How the feck does he think I manage all 3 getting up when he's gone to work?!

Oh, and s had 6 squitty nappies so far today, b 4, DD one dirty nappy. Seriously, quit the pooing babies. Plus I'm getting twitchy about them having no food, they're 6 months now...

DD is nearly 25 months. She tells me she needs a poo sometimes. She always tells me she's done one. But no sign of wanting to use the potty/ toilet...

ds was 2.10 by the time we started dream. I'm happy that we did it when it suited us rather than worrying about peer pressure. DS1's 2 best wee pals are both younger and were trained first. although one will only ever poo in his night nappy.

DH eventually took boys out for a walk and they're out in the back garden now. washing mountain has been conquered at last. could do with some ironingtime now...

i expect DH wants to come in and cook though, i bought him a recipe book as a get well soon present and he's bought ingredients. he'll have no idea what time it is just now though!

i think we're on 5 or so poos too, i can't imagine how you're still sane with 2 bums to look after dream. how's the rash? i forgot to ask.

i reckon DS2 will be just after 6 months for food. I'm going to move him into DS1's room, then wait a few nights before starting the food.

work in 5 weeks. Eek!

I hate getting back from holiday, that's 6 loads I've done so far. DS is remarkably better. His appetite only came back yesterday, but he is really making up for it now. He's still very snotty and has the awful sounding cough, but at least he's no longer complaining of anything hurting.

So much to catch up on, where to start?

Scream A is adorable, beautiful pictures. I was almost tempted to put one on of me but then bottled it. How does this FB group thing work? Can everyone else in the group see everything about you on FB? Will your FB friends be able to see that you're in the group?

Jaggy also lovely photos. Your boys are so cute. Somehow I had you pictured as Val McDirmid Sorry! Must be the Scottish connection. Weird what images our names conjur up

Dream sorry to hear about all the poo still My DH infuriates me when he's doing something for DD. "Can you just get her a bib?" "Can you just get me a nappy?" How does he think I do it all on my own all day? He also cannot cope on his own in a room with both DC and will stand and wait for me to finish whatever I'm doing to take over with one of them.

Pomme not sure about the poo thing. I forget how old she is? Are you able to ask her?

Oh and re the feeling down about everything chat going on the other day, yy. DH's expression when he walks in from work to the house being a tip simultaneously makes me want to cry with feeling like a complete failure and punch him in the face for being a twat.

I'm sure there's more I've forgotten about, will probably be back later.

The FB group is secret so your friends will not be able to see that you have joined it. Only your friends can see your profile, being in the same group doesn't mean we can see anything extra. It is up to you if you want to add everyone as friends, I have cos I'm needy

I feel your pain with the washing Scarlet. The only thing worse than the post holiday washing was the washing backlog when the washing machine broke - at least I'd had a holiday before the holiday backlog! Mind you it could have been worse if the machine has broken during the clearing of the holiday backlog....

On the DH / not getting stuff done discussion I am actually feeling oddly smug today. We're just putting them to bed and the house looks like a bomb site downstairs. DH is a bit miffed about it and having to tidy it up once they're in bed, but it makes me feel mildly smug to be able to say 'look, even with two of us, it looks like this. No wonder it's like that when I'm here on my own'.

Ha ha, I'm just feeding DS2 and DH is singing to ds1. For the second night on the trot ds1 is complaining about dh's pronunciation of 'Roley' . DH says it as in 'row-ley' and ds1 keeps correcting him to say it more like 'roll-ey'

Cheeky bigger - DH just came in and said 'why didn't you put DS in the sleepin bag before you fed him. That was a hit silly wasn't it' . Now maybe it was (not that I would tell him this) but I don't normally put him in the grobag before feeding at bedtime maybe I should. I suggested that of DH thinks he is better able to manage the bf side of things he is welcome to take over that element.

As punishment for DH I'm now sitting here while DS is really dozing on me and feeding on and off and DH is starting the washing up mountain - ha ha

So, I am writing a strongly worded letter to the universe about the poo state of affairs in Brookersville - it is simply not acceptable - do you hear me universe? Hmmm? Do you?

I've forgotten everything else - Sorry

Oooh oooh oooh - do you like my Halloween (tenuous link I know) name?

I like the idea of the fb group but my issue is that after I was outed to my sis I wouldn't want her to catch on to any familiar names in my friends iyswim, or as friend suggestions or whatever. Which is a shame . But maybe I could be in the group then if I didn't friend everyone (sorry Too ). It's such a shame though buy I'd be anxious about friends of friends etc so could probably join the group only without being proper friends iyswim

Pomme, that's brilliant! Well done A! Did you wake up in the middle of the night and then go, hang on, there isn't any crying?

Scream, your evening sounds great - how was the night after the 6oz bottle? at your DH guessing speech for a 5 mo. My mum had a dream the other night that M was talking in sentences and everyone was amazed. Don't think talking will be coming for some time yet, even if I like to think that some of her cries are beginning to sound like 'Mummy'. There are definitely lots of M-noises in them. [deluded]

M slept from 8.30pm to 1.30am, which was the longest stretch she's done in a long time. Then she was up at 4ish, 6, 6.30 and got up at 8.20. I get a birthday lie-in tomorrow, though! And at the 4am wake-up, she was wide awake and cooing after her feed; I put her back in her cot and went back to bed and she went off to sleep by herself and didn't wake up again until 6.

NB: I wrote the above this morning and then went out without pressing post. I've probably cross-posted with everyone by now!