April 2012 - little people who actually DO stuff now!!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Ta da

Not sure if we celebrate much and if so, it'll be very small. R birthday will be forever on a bank holiday in Germany so I guess, it'll be difficult to have a kiddies party on his actual birthday when he's small. On the upside, there will be always a party once he turned 16.

Hello all- welcome to the first post in a week!

Hope all is going well. Lots to tell here. DS had his first birthday, which was amazing. He also entered the 3rd week of what we initially thought was teething bottom

Lots of nappy rash, and far more explosive than normal (sorry...) Anyway, we had a chat with HV at his 1 yr check and then stopped the cows milk in favour of the rice milk his dad drinks. Within 6 hours everything changed for the better and was back to normal! Amazing!

In other news, I am writing a letter this weekend to ask to go from full time to 3 days a week from September (I teach). We will struggle to afford it but, as we both realised when I was out of the house for 12h on DS's birthday, we can't afford NOT too. We both think it's the right thing for my mental health and stress levels. Even if we live on rice & beans...

Wish us luck!

That will be nice Henrietta I'm enjoying working 3 days, it just seems to be the right amount for us. Even though we will be sort of money too! :(

Having a few problem with L. She so damanding! She will scream and shouts and is very fiery, if U take things off her and when she wants her own way! :(

We have starting with the baby signing now , so hopefully that will ease her frustration?
Also its been a few days were she hasn't eaten any tea, used to love pasta love now gone off it. So might be teething, hopefully will pass soon? I did get informed that there is a wonder week. But her sleeping is great. Only the odd early waking up at 530/6am. So can't complain from 8pm! :)

Good luck Henrietta

My perfect (non-teaching) job has been advertised - it's my old job basically (secondary school attendance) but at the school 200m away from my house

An ex-colleague works there and has raved about me. The nursery and school we intend to send DD and DS to is on the same site.

Applications close on Friday, mine is in. I NEED this job - we've always joked about one coming up there being the answer to all our worries but didn't think it actually would...

Teaching is on the back burner for now, but this, this'd make me very very happy!

Good luck, Fliss!! Having a job nearby would be amazing (another problem with mine - I spend 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day commuting. Keep us posted.

Vicky - my DS sleeps almost entirely to the same pattern as that. Not too bad, but would love an extra hour! Hope the temper softens soon. :)

Oh Vicky E has a right little temper on her too! We have a pair of fiery little ladies :).

Good luck with the job Fliss!

It feels so surreal that I have a one year-old now, she's a little girl not a baby! I'm trying to move her to one nap a day as she'd been really fighting the morning one as it was too early. She's asleep now (it's 12.30pm and has been since 11am after giving us a blissful lie-in until 7.45am). She may take a cat-nap later if we're out in the car and I'll get her to bed by 7.30 at the very latest depending on her mood.

I posted this on FB but I'll ask here too: E hates drinking milk. She'll drink water out of almost anything but as soon as I offer milk she might take a sip or two but that's it. Thinking about trying adding fruit to it so it's like a smoothie but that's my only idea. Any other milk refusers out there? She only wants it from boob so I guess I'll be BFing for a while longer.

Hm. Head teacher told me 'it wouldn't be her preferred option' when I told her I wanted to request reduction in hours. Will write letter to governors anyway. Crazy as all other recent mums have reduced their hours, and she's trying but failing to get certain people to resign as the school is broke.

Wish I knew my rights...

Good luck hen and fliss

DD is a fiery madam too! Shouts blue murder of we take something off of her, pushes my hand away if she doesn't want a cuddle or if I'm trying to calm her down to tell her something! Dread to think what she's going to be like at 15 😳

Another mini teenager here. She's a little pain in the butt in general , so naughty and temperamental . Luckily sleeping well at night and also at nap times . Sometimes has one only if we're out but often at home still two. Mealtimes vary. Eating quite well otherwise but rejecting all fresh fruit and veggie pieces as finger food except banana . Has some cow's milk but not like she would drink formula and not having either from a cup more than a few ounces. She only has one bottle in the day if that though. We'll keep the bedtime one for a while while we are taking our time with getting used to cows milk and having it from a cup. Have tried lots of them and water isn't a problem . She's had the same bottles from birth and the same formula from 5w so very used to those ...
Good luck Fliss and Henrietta!

...DD turned 1y today to those of you who missed it on FB :)!

Good luck Henrietta & Fliss....what a commute Henrietta! Awful. Hope the Head changes her mind...And Fliss; perfect having a job so close to home! Hope it works out. I work 10mins from home & I compromised some things to do that, but it's definitely been worth it. Strange about DS's milk allergy Henrietta! All of a sudden? How is he now?

Happy Birthday Rose!

Happy, happy belated birthday to everyone, I think we are the last of the April babes as R's bday was on Mayday.

Good luck with your job Fliss, I hope everything went well.

Nancy, no cows milk here either. I am still breastfeeding and he eats a bit of cheese and has yoghurt. I checked with the GP and milk as in the drink isn't necessary as there are plenty of other sources for calcium.

Are all babies walking now? Excuse me, I should say toddlers!! Mine isn't even trying to stand on his own. He's happy crawling and cursing along the furniture. The more we encourage him to stand the more he sits.

We have joined a baby swimming class and R loves it. I think if he could, he'd swim already or become a fish. It's nice to see him so happy. It's not nice at all to change him afterwards but that's my story 3 or 4 nappies a day....

Hi girls, I havnt posted on here for soooooo long, been keeping up to date with you all on FB & pretty much forgot we have a page here!
Can someone re post that mn names to real names on FB I can't for the life of me remember who's nicknames belong to who lol.

I'm having a crap night / week with N. His sleeping or lack of is really getting me down now. 13 months and he hasn't not even once slept through the night , and on top of that won't sleep unless he's attached o me one way or another.
I'm doing my degree course and really need the evening to study - it's only week 3 & I already feel like I'm falling behind
We are still co sleeping - more because it's the only way I get more than 10 minutes sleep than through choice. Been trying to get him used to the cot this week but as soon as he drops off & I get out of the cot (yes I actually have to be in it for him to fall asleep) he wakes up again.
Tonight I left him for 10 minutes while I washed up, he was screaming his head off, but I thought I'm going to have to leave him as the kitchen was a health hazard. Then I heard a thud so ran upstairs and he had climbed out his cot!!! I have no idea how he managed this it's on the lowest setting and he can just about see over the top so how he got out I honestly have no clue.

Iv always hated the idea of controlled crying but have been considering it this week, but now he can get out throw himself out the cot I'm not going to be able to as he could end up breakage an arm. The only way he'l sleep between the hours of 7/8-11pm is cuddled up on the sofa with me, and I can't keep doing that. I know it's no good for either of us.
After his cot escape tonight he didn't fall asleep till 11.30pm; we are now in my bed and he's holding my arm and snoring! I didn't get any studying done my house looks like a bomb and I'm shattered to can't do anything except go to bed mumsnet

Throughout the night he wakes about 4/5 times between 11.30pm-5am then cluster feeds and moans tosses & turns until 8am when he's ready to wake up properly.

Feeling really down and a bit of a failure about it. I know it's my fault he's like this, but struggling to work out how to change things this stage in the game????

Apart from his terrible sleeping everything is good lol.

He's such a calm & happy baby during the day.
He's walking & attempting a few words. You may remember I had issues with him eating but that sorted itself out. He's great with veg, & all foods actually - I have no problems here. Think he could do with a little more food and less milk but nothing major.
We are still breastfeeding, but he's happy to take cows milk & water from a cup - in fact he loves drinking from a cup.

Weight wise- had him weighed last weekend, and he's 18lbs 9 - and hovering between the 2nd - 9th percentile. He was born on the 2nd and has always been between these so the HV isn't worried about him being so little at 13 months.

Teeth- just cut number 9. I didn't realise he was teething with this one, he was crying the other day and I spotted it. It's a back one and a bigen so not sure why it came through easier than the others but I'm not complaining

His first birthday was fab. Through a big party hosted by baby sensory with 15 babies, 40/50 adults! Hired a church hall and teamed up with another local mum who's baby turned 1 the same day which kept costs down a bit. He prob won't have another party until he's in school now.

Work wise - I havnt gone back. Been offered a full time teaching assistance job in my local primary school. Really wanted to work in this school but can't do full time, plus study & look after N on my own in the week it would just be too much, especially on the few hours sleep I'm getting. They can't offer me part time but cheekily have offered me 1 or 2 days a week volunteering!
Havnt taken it. Going to look for pai work starting September.

Baby number 2 ..... Well not pregnant yet but hoping to be soon. It's impossible TTC when DP only comes home at weekends - we've been having unprotected sex for 2/3 months but havnt been able to catch my fertile period isn't much good.
We've decided we are not actively trying to get pregnant but are not going to try and not get pregnant if that makes sense.

Uumm can't think of anything else - think thats caught you up on everything not that you asked for my life story.

Need to catch up on this thread I'm about 800 posts behind!

Off to bed now should get an hour in before N wakes me up

Xxx

@ justhayley
Just a thought re the sleeping issue; would it be possible to just put a mattress on the floor, make the room kiddie proof and do the controlled crying that way? That maybe something to do with the montessori method, not sure how it works, have just heard of it.
Sounds like your going through it, hugs xx

Harry is doing well. Off jarred food and onto homemade food, still pureed, but if it works... eats rice cakes and little fruit.

Still on formula 2/3 bottles in 24 hours, but cows milk for porridge for brekkie.
He has slept through the nite since we came back off hol, (we live in Dubai & went back to the UK for 10 days in April), if he does cry or whinge, I do ignore him, unless its a major melt down. Only lasts 5-10 mins thankfully.
He likes to walk along furniture, but no actual walking with help.

Says dadda, and babbles, but no other co-herent words.
Still on the small side 8.45kg, but I'm small, Harry has always been small, I'm not too worried. Docs here think diffrently.
He's still at nursery 3 times a week in the mornings, doing really well.
He still naps on me during the day, tis a pain, but at least I get to sleep too!!

Hope all the other babes are doing well. (I'm Hazel by the way)
xx

Sorry your still having a hard time with sleep, just Hayley
Its really sad to sad, L didn't start sleeping through the night till I have up bf, wanna to give up at 1yr but made it to 11months. It just showed that she use to wake for feeds and comfort. Now sleeps for 10-12hrs, unless she is ill or getting new teeth. She has only 4.

I'm back working 19hrs, which is two and half day. It does seem to make L clingy when I finish work ir have a day off, I expect it take a while to get use to.

Walking well, I use rein outside and on 3rd pair of shoes, she runs and can now jump on her spin and turn Zebra.
Eating most things, but I do repeat a lot of meals like pasta and fingers! As favorite, still eating loads of fruit and a bit of beg!

Bit of veg! Lol likes peas, green beans, carrots, sweetcorn, and broccoli :)

Also haven't posted here in ages - like Hayley I've just been staying in touch on the Facebook page and forgot about Mumsnet. (The list of who's who is a file on the FB page Hayley).
L has had 4 molars arrive this week, bless her she's been a bit sleepy but otherwise is still a smiley angel. Off to catch up with everyone's news before we need a new thread!

Oh I forgot to say I left dd overnight for the first time with my mum last week, was our anniversary so went out for a nice meal!
Couldnt of really done it before with bfeeding and still waking up!
It Was so strange but I'm glad I did it, felt funny not having her in the house, and I couldn't see her the monitor! I Didn't sleep great thinking about her. It will probally take a few goes, to get use to it. She loved it and was a angel sleep 8-7am for them. No wake up!

Wow - an overnight stay! What a treat! We haven't even begun to think about that, although he sleeps through most nights, or wakes up once - for about 15 mins. Trying to get him to self settle now. Step one: feed him and then do story. It's not going to be easy, this one...

I think it will just be an odd occasion! Henrietta good luck with the self settling! :)

I had a night at home alone too - DH took DD to a family party & stayed overnight, I had work that day so I couldn't go. Very odd being home alone, I was lounging round the house wondering what to do with myself!

The next day I was up at 6.30 anyway for work so the day was gone in no time, and the best moment was coming home, calling out 'Hello!' & hearing the sound of DD thundering across the floor on hands & knees to meet me, when she heard my voice.

Hi Ladies! Been a while...I hope you're all getting some sunshine where you are. Got the shock of my life y'day...POAS & I"M PREGNANT!!!!!! Another unplanned pregnancy. I'm mortified. I know we'll cope..I do have financial concerns, I'm wondering how my body will do this again! I know life with 4 DC will be tougher than it is now with 3 in lots of other ways, but my toes are curling at the thought of telling work...again. :-(

DH delighted; he's completely in love with DD3. He wanted another baby ages ago. Think he's finally got the knack of parenting off pat & has been v supportive this time round. Thinks he's the most fertile man on the planet ATM.

Can't really talk to a'one in RL about this till 12w scan, which will be early Sept I think. Haven't slept all week & now I know I think it's hormonal-I'm tossing around full of anxiety over silly things.

So there it is! Anyone else yet?

Congratulations!! No more for us ever but I look forward to hearing about more newborns, I couldn't handle anymore tbh.

Aww Jelly congratulations. N was unplanned an DP was out of work and I was facing redundancy when we found out so I can kind of appreciate the stresses you're going through. Good luck with telling work but take time and get your head around I first. It's fantastic DH is so supportive and in love with your children, you'll be absolutely fine. Wishing you a smooth pregnancy xx

Oh my god! Congratulations!!! That is so exciting xx