October 2011 - my, oh my, how the first years flew by!! It's birthday season!!

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

So excited that the first birthdays are upon us! Will try get a copy of the stats..

[Scheherezade]

Oh, re: milk I'm getting a little confused. I've just dropped his afternoon bottle, and replaced it with natural yoghurt snack. So he gets 9oz morning (which he drinks about 6/7, the rest goes in his cereal), porridge/weetabix, lunch, yoghurt @3pm, dinner, 8-9oz bedtime.

However a friend of MILs baby is roughly same age (bit older, but prem) and has cereal, cup of cows milk, lunch, cup of cows milk, dinner, bottle.

Should I be giving cups of cows milk?!

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Our days kinda..

Up at 8am. She drinks a cup of cows milk while I make her breakfast
Then she has lunch around 12/12.30.
Cup of cows milk with a snack around 3ish.
7oz bottle of formula (just to use last of it up) at bedtime

[bilblio]

I'm rubbish, fallen off already. I'll try a quick catchup, but I'm not sure who to.

Happy Birthday to B, E & A, and C (going through the alphabet.) I can't believe a year has passed so quickly.

We're going with minimal birthday presents. Money is very tight as I packed in one of my jobs, and then was told I'd been taken of the bank rota until I update all my training...not happy! Grandparents will spoil him though, and he's quite happy playing with DD's stuff, much to her annoyance at times. We're buying a few cars though, just so he has some typical boy things. His absolute favourite things to play with are: keyboard, mouse, phone, laptop, hoover, sweeping brush, washer & dryer. So I'm a bit stumped for ideas really... The washer is on its last legs. :)

DD still has bedtime milk, she's 5. Although more often than not now it's bedtime milkshake, and sometimes hot chocolate. :)
S has given up daytime feeds mostly. DH gave him a few bottles when I returned to work, but S wasn't impressed. He generally feeds now at 7pm, 11pm, 3am and 6am. I will give him a feed during the day if I'm home to get him to sleep, but not every day.

I chickened out of putting S in his own room. We had a terrible night and were just too tired to do it, and he's had 3 pretty good nights since then. He's got about 4 teeth coming through together, he has 7 already, but even his molar area looks sore. He's dribbling loads and he's had a really sore and itchy neck and chin for weeks. Daytime he's okay, but at night it really bothers him.
I don't think DH really wanted to give up his computer room just yet either, so we'll keep co-sleeping for a few more weeks.

No walking here unless holding on. This weekend he's got really keen to walk holding my hands though and he'll stand for a couple of seconds. He was walking round the park at the local carnival. Barefoot though.... I really should buy him some shoes!

Got a difficult week ahead I suspect. I've got a scan on my eye on Tuesday as I have a bulge apparently and they're not sure why. Also a few months ago DH finally admitted his depression was back, he's suffered for years, but DD was the best thing to happen to him. I hoped once I was back at work he'd pick himself up again, but he hasn't and last week he had a panic attack. It's been really affecting family life, so we has a serious chat and he's agreed to go to the GP, and I've got permission to take him and kick him up the bum. Normally I tread very softly, but I can't do it anymore, it's doing none of us any good. I'm dreading it just as much as he is.

[Scheherezade]

Wow at S toddling!! C won't let us hold his hands to walk so just leaving him to learn himself.

Hope the gp helps Bilblio

Its not really sunk in yet, the first year has gone so fast, but his. I

[Scheherezade]

Her stupid phone! His birth seems like forever ago.

[Scheherezade]

Fgs I give up grr not her.

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Happy 1st birthday to C!!!

[MrsHende]

Happy birthday C!

[Engelsemama]

Morning all.

welcome back scheh , fleecy, lemmings, outnumbered and everyone else who's made their way back.

Just back from a fab weekend in the UK for my sister's hen do. left M at home with DH (and MIL had him on Friday). Was weird beign away from him, btu was also having so much fun that I didn't really miss him. Bliss to only have to think about yourself for a few days and not worry about packing changing bag, has he eaten etc. Did some serious shopping, dinner with friends, my sister's hen do (which was awesome - we learnt a dance routine in the morning to do at the wedding, had lunch and then went to a roller disco in London in the evening, all decked out in neon tutus) and then a roast dinner at my mum's before I drove back.

But back to reality - DH has managed not to empty a single bin/do any washing/change the beds or do yesterday's washing-up so am going to be soending today sorting the house out as well as unpacking!

I bought M a cute duffel/cord coat from M&S for his birthday and also a few books for Christmas (the jolly christmas postman! I know he's too young for it but I'll enjiy reading it on christmas eve).

Am getting bit stumped with shoes. Bought M some pram shoes, little slipper type things for him to wear indoors so he doesn't get cold with just socks, but he just kicks them off - even when sitting in his high chair) so have just tried on the little trainers that someone gave me and managed tog et those off too! Reckon I may have to go with some lace ups. He's tottering around everywhere, but now the weather has turned I can't let him walk outside unless he can keep a pair of shoes on!

Finally bought some dribble bibs when I was in mothercare - he looks like a bank robber, but at least hi T-shirt isn't soaked through.

Haven't proper;ly caught up with the rest of the thread, so will do that during the course of today.

Happy birthday to C!

bilblio the best thing that ever happened for DH was admitting he had a problem and accepting help. I went with DH as well to the GP to back him up and "take over" in telling the GP how he felt if he really couldn't. We had a chat beforehand about what he wanted to say to the GP, wrote it down so we didn't forget anything.

DH isn't better but he's getting better, and 100 x improved since he first went to the GP last November, finally having agreed that we couldn't just sort this out on our own.

Good luck with the scan and a big hug for you.

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

happy birthday to C xxx

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Well I called the hospital to find out the script for a general anesthetic and she told me there is no way she would be put to sleep for an ultrasound . It's not something they routinely do! Obv im very happy with that! Just confused as to why the first doctor we seen said she would be? So she's just having a wee nap right now then we will leave.

bilb hope all goes well for you tomorrow

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

engels glad you had a fan weekend! Not do good though that you've went back to housework

[Engelsemama]

In DH's defence Duck the house wasn't in a worse state than I left it in (except the washing-up).

I have just given up housework for a few hours and am drinking cappuccino, eating treat size cadbury's (thank you Sainsbury's) and watching a cheesy rom-com while M has a nap.

[BuntCadger]

duck what a relief that must be. Hope all goes well

[MrsHende]

How did you get on duck?

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

All went fine today . They were confused when I got there as to why we were told about a general anesthetic.. I don't know. She lay on the bed brilliantly for the scan. Brought back all the memories of having them done while preg . Seen all her organs which was funny! Little heart beating away. She said all her organs looked to be in the correct place which is good, so now they will be sent to the doctor to look over and we will find out results when we go back in October. Just wondering what they will do about the little growth on her bottom now.. Trying not to think/worry about it to much though.

She's just still really loaded with the cold, I'd even say she's getting worse rather than better. Her cough now sounds like she smokes 50 a day . Just hope it clears for her party on Sunday!!!

[Scheherezade]

Glad to hear the scan went well, and well done S for laying still! It'd take 5 doctors to pin C down, nappy changes are a nightmare!

When you say cup, do you mean a beaker? So she has 2 beakers of cows milk a day plus milk on cereal? Or does she have toast etc for breakfast?

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Haha, think she was quite happy watching the light projector they had on the ceiling!

Yeah I mean a beaker, but I'd say she only has about 1/2 a beaker full each time. So I give one with breakfast along with readybrek and milk and/or bit of toast, then I give her another beaker full with a snack at 3ish. It really just depends how shes feeling though as to how much she wants to drink

Has the birthday boy had a lovely day?!

[Scheherezade]

Yes, thanks for all the good wishes :) Saturday he went on a miniature steam train with his paternal GD and SGM, then Sunday was the zoo with loads of family (6 adults and 6 kids!). Today we travelled home to see my dad and aunt, think its all been a bit much for him!

I don't know where I'm going to put all the stuff he's got, no room in house as it is!!

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Aww sounds fab! I had a clear out the other day in anticipation of all the new toys/clothes to come...!!

[CheshireDing]

Pah! Hadn't even managed to get around to joining, let alone falling off thread! Sorry for missing Birthday's on their actually day < rubbish Cheshire emoticon >

Thank you Strawberry and Pebble for your kind words about how you feel leaving them at nursery/with others. It's only my second week at work and I am not sure how well it's going really at the moment, it all feels like such a lot and I only have to drive to work, DH is dog walking and taking and collecting P (then being late for work). I think I might have to look for something closer I spent 2 hours getting there this morning and 1hr40m coming home :(

Right off to read up and Birthday's and all the excitement to cheer myself up from being silly.

[strawberrypenguin]

scheh happy birthday to C hope you had a fab day

bilb fx for your scan, hope DH gets the help he needs.

duck great that S didn't need ga and good that everything looked ok :)

eng sounds like you had a fab weekend, shame about the housework tho!

We have an operation date! W will be admitted on 6 Nov for two days of pre op tests before his op is done on 8 Nov. Not sure how I feel about it yet, on one hand it's nice to finally know when it's happening after its been a vague 'sometime in the future' for so long but on the other it makes it much more real!

[strawberrypenguin]

chesh that's a long commute every day. I struggle sometimes to get everyone out the house on time and its only a 15 min drive to work. DH drops me off then takes W up to nursery then goes to work himself. I pick W up unless I'm on a late and we walk back to the car giving DH the extra 1/2 hour at work at the end of day rather than the start. I find by 5 to 5 I'm practically jiggling on the spot waiting to get out of there and get my boy I can't imagine having to do a long drive then.

[Penelope1980]

engels have you tried Bobux shoes? We have the same trouble as well and these are the only ones we managed to keep him in as they have elastic around the tops. They are a bit pricey new ($NZ30, so about 15 pounds) but the only ones we've managed to make work. I don't know if they have them in the Netherlands though ...

www.bobux.com/

[Penelope1980]

In fact, in another plug for bobux, I just got two pairs second had at a local fair and they are so good they had clearly been worn by another baby before but still in pretty good condition. A wears the soft sole ones, which is still thick enough for most outdoors stuff.

(will stop writing now in case you all think I am on commission from this shoe brand or something)