FEB 2010 Two and a half to three...the "contrary age" (no it isn't! yes it is!)

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Come in, sit down, fresh coffee is brewing, Prosecco's in the fridge for later and there's a bumper box of Lindt chocolates for all....

nk what about showering at night instead of morning? I've recently changed to that. Works!

Booo I feel nauseous and it's not fun. Even gaviscon is not helping. Sorry just needed to share!

Oh SB it couldn't be good news could it....?

Thanks for the new thread IC DD1 is SO contrary it makes me laugh. "Look, DD1, it's raining" "No it's not raining Mummy" "It is sunny"

CP how are the DCs settling in at nursery? And how is the new house now?

How are you feeling stoof?

Great to hear from you Abs.

rainbow at 10am wake-up!!! Also to you getting wherever you had to be by 10.30. Wow. Even leaving the house before 11am is beyond me.

Bc great on the DS sleep-through. DD1 tends to wake at 7ish, I feel very short-changed indeed if she wakes before 7 on a weekend (on weekdays DH takes her). She did wake at 6.10 last weekend on my day (we take it in turns at the weekend), and I told her in no uncertain terms that is was still nighttime and to go back to sleep. She did! Until half 7. Hurrah.

NK sorry no advice on the SPD, didn't have it. Sympathies. Should you see a doctor perhaps? Seeing as pg was over 2.5 years ago... for you at 6am alarm. But are you enjoying working, is it worth it?

How are?

DD1 has been pooing in her knickers more and more but yesterday did a potty-poo. Cue much praise and the first chocolate she's had in ages. I think it was an accident, she was expecting a wee, but we shall see.

She is still crying and clingy when going to nursery - she has been going since she turned 2 in February. It makes me very sad. She only goes for two 2.5hr afternoon sessions a week but I do treasure those times. I would like to make it 3hr sessions actually but she seems so needy and fragile. I don't know if she really is, or if she puts it on for me. She has become even more clingy the past few weeks and now says she only loves mummy (not daddy, grandma etc). Oh and her cuddly bunny.

It was DH and my wedding anniversary yesterday, we have been married two years It has gone so quickly. We are having a night in a hotel this weekend, I just can't wait. My first night away from DD2. She won't take a bottle any more after being reluctant for some time, but drinks from a cup very well so I'm going to ask Mum to give her cow's milk from a beaker even though she is just 11m. Evil or sensible?

scones it's too early to test yet but I have thought about it . I would give her some milk or if you're really worried buy one of those ready made follow on milk. Can't believe it's already 2 years you got married, I remember you telling us the wedding organisation.

I'm thinking of a gate on DS doir too if needed so don't worry.

SB FX! that would be a good reason for being nauseous not like the strept throat we had last week.

All better now but DH had a giant hives outbreak this week end and is on a lot of tests and a strict diet

I know friends who "lock" their children form 7 to 7 in their bedroom or (8/8, 9/9 if french). The children knows not to open the doors before their parents allow it.
I would be wary of a stairgate BTH. DD2 can most probably rip it off, she can definitely climb over it.

oops sorry I have to go again hoping to answer you individually soon

Ooh SB sounds promising!

Good news on the sleeping Bc. What a relief!

A lie-in until 1000 rainbow

DS is getting more alert and wakeful, which means more juggling of his and DD's needs for me. The evening fussy is still going full tilt - a particularly epic one last night (although he's asleep tonight after a few attempts, so FX....) , but at least he only woke twice overnight afterwards (although both required a nappy change, the second one involved much pooing and wiping and comedy arc of pee when I wasn't directing his willy towards the nappy...lots of fun at 05.15..!)

DD is now much more interested in DS and often wants to cuddle or stroke him, which is very sweet, but means she's also tending to wake him up during naps, which is a pain. Her habit of yelling when she wants something and I don't immediately comply is also waking him up, so I'm becoming much crosser with her more often now - hardly surprising, especially given the less than optimum sleep (although it's still a reasonable amount - I managed a one hour siesta today and yesterday..!).

Interestingly, DD's gradually becoming better behaved for me and more affectionate (not that she wasn't before) which makes me wonder if losing patience with her a few times a day is actually improving her behaviour in some respects. I always feel rotten after getting cross, though. It still feels like a failure. I try and give her plenty of positive attention where possible so she realises that the negative attention is not actually more desirable than no attention at all....

Early days, but the challenges of having two LOs are certainly making themselves felt!

Meanwhile, I've got another course of antibiotics because my wound, despite mostly healing well, now has a small localised abscess. Meh.

Apart from that, I'm fine and generally pretty cheerful! Although DS is less chilled than he was, he's still super easy compared to his big sister....

Oh IC about your infection issue

Just wondering if anybody suffered early pg symptoms more than a week AF was due? I still have morning nausea but can't test before next Tuesday!

SB I had symptoms with DD2 a week after "making" her, I had to wait 2 weeks before testing, I knew it would be positive though .

IC

I'm in the exact same format mous It'll teach me patience

Good luck sb

What about one of those super-sensitive tests? I know they aren't 100% this early but sometimes you can get a positive - Clearblue digital says you can test 4 days before period is due (though it doesn't guarantee results). I do hope it is good news.

DS's sleep has been a lot better the past few days but DD will only sleep on me so I am a bit scatty through not getting enough sleep. Also I find when I don't have a good night's sleep and the whole day is taken up with childcare I NEED to have an evening to myself - so mostly can't get to sleep before 11 as I have to have a bit of me time even if it comes out of the time when I ought to be sleeping. DD is asleep now but I so look forward to a bit of time with the laptop or tv or kindle.

I know what you mean, IC and have exactly the same issue with DS waking DD through yelling for things - they just can't remember to keep quiet at this age but it is awful. One time a few weeks ago I'd just got her off and he started loudly asking for something and I really lost it. I felt terrible afterwards. I shouted at him today as well - I'd given him a glass of water and instead of drinking it he was taking mouthfuls and then spitting/spraying them over the kitchen floor. I yelled and yelled about how disgusting it was and shoved some kitchen roll at him and told him to wipe it up then I left the room because I couldn't calm down without getting away from the situation. When I came back he was cleaning the floor with the kitchen roll (and crying). Even though he did clean it up I don't think the way I reacted was the right way - I have a thing about dribble/spit that really riles me but it's no excuse. He went on to have a couple more crying/screaming fits over minor things this afternoon and we never really got back on the right foot after it happened.

I'm sorry about your wound issues and I hope it is sorted soon.

Mous Sorry about your DH's allergy.

I haven't taken the sides off DS's cotbed actually - I think we should. He slept in the lower of some bunk beds on our weekend away and didn't wander.

He loves nursery and he adores his keyworker. I'm going in in a couple of weeks to do a cooking session with the kids. Wish me luck.

Oh and I want to say something good because today was a bit rubbish - we went on a two hour walk just me and DS yesterday - up the hill and through Sydenham Hill woods and home again, he loved it and I let him dawdle as much as wanted and jump in muddy puddles and he was so affectionate and happy, it was brilliant.

SB I tested a week early with dd2 and got a faint line that disappeared again! So exciting! Repeated the test a few days later (still about 4 days early) and it was very much positive. Good luck!!

SR How are you doing? All calm on the home front?

BC That walk sounds lovely! And I know so well how you feel. dd2 was a very light sleeper until quite recently (she would shout 'Too noisy!! when she started talking, before she would just howl with tiredness) if dd1 kept her up in the evening. It used to drive me mad that dd1 kept chatting and running down the landing and singing and talking to her imaginary friend, and all I wanted was for her to shut up for five minutes so that dd1 could go off to sleep... It's settled now with dd2 being so tired after nursery that she is asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.

IC All going well with juggling two? I'm in awe of your coping skills and level headedness. Moving house, cs, new baby and your dh's new job is quite a lot to deal with in one go.

mous Wishing you good health!! How is your dd2 doing at pre-school? Still happy? I am not too happy with dd2's current nursery to be honest but for the sake of three months I don't think it makes sense to move her. As soon as she is three she can go to the nursery class of dd1's school, which is fantastic.

rainbow I guess I could have a shower in the evening but I really need it in the morning to wake up... so purely selfish.

stoof How are things? Hope your two are fully on the mend now with no lasting problems. Thought of you the other day when dh and I indulged in our fantasy to move up to the Lake District... I think the dream is somewhat different to the reality though so it won't happen

CP How are you settling into your new house? Hope all is well

IC and BC your comments about dealing with two on less than perfect sleep sound very familiar. I remember reading that most of you didn't shout at your DC and feeling awful. I still shout now more than I want to and its particularly bad at the moment as our sleep is still rubbish. This morning, the DC nearly reduced me to tears (for only the second time ever) and I had to rescue the situation in order to send DS1 to school in a reasonable mood. I can't be a perfect parent and have to accept that striving to be perfect makes me good enough (and DH seems to think I do a better job than I realise). When living on 3-5 hours' sleep (afer 4.5 years of it), good enough is just that.

This afternoon, I actually proved my worth by taking a urine sample to the GP for DS2. I'd subconsciously realised with my sensitive post-pregnancy nose that DS2's night nappies were suddenly smelling different to those of DS1. Afer a slightly smelly pair of wet pants this a.m, I decided to act and, despite the scepticism of both DH and the medical staff, my mother's intuition proved to be right - he has an infection. No other symptoms at all. He's had one dose of antibiotics - his first ever - and went to bed feeling sick. I fear that he is likely to react badly to them, given his tendancy for feeling/being sick, and DH is out on the lash tonight for the first time in months. I'm really hoping that neither of them spend the night vomiting!! Sorry for me, me, me...

SB I'm sending you lots of very positive thoughts. Hoping that the nausea is a good sign...

NK I still have problems with SPD/PGP. I saw the physio for months, did my exercises for over a year and it is better than it was but I fear I may never be the same. I am just about coping with some dynamic exercise classes in the gym but fear that my attempts at playing badminton are probably over. Pilates type exercises are probably the way to go. I find driving hard too. I think part of my problem is because my joints are hyper mobile - could this be relevant to you too?

I'm going to go to bed now in the hope of getting some sleep. (DH woke me up at 12:30a.m. last night getting dressed for work 6 hours' early in his sleep! You can imagine how impressed I was!)

Stoof hope the cold is improving. I've got the first of this academic year and I'm more grumpy than usual!!

Lastly, I had a moan at DH the other night (sense a theme developing here? ) about the fact that my career has effectively been ended by having children and doing the lion's share of childcare. He has randomly now spoken to his boss about reducing his hours so I can do more (without discussing with me first!!) Not sure if he is calling my bluff and I've no idea whether this is what I want (or even an option in my organisation at the moment where it is all about cuts). How do I work that one out? I kind of feel I've done the hard part by having both of them at home for the last two years!

survival Just laughed out loud about your dh getting dressed for work in his sleep... Sorry though your sleep is still disrupted. We also have broken nights but due to dd1 going through some sort of developmental spurt and simply having to ask random questions at 3 in the morning . Oh, and dd2 now likes to get up at 5 (not that we let her but it takes some convincing that it is still sleep time! Then, knowing my alarm goes off at 6, I totally fail to go back to sleep... A week of being up at 5 is starting to take its toll)

i'm back from holiday, got up 6 mountains over three days. DCs are shattered but still got up at 5.

will read through later :)

I do get shouty, nearly always when ds is crying and I'm trying to do something like go out.

oh DD slept through once last week, we normally get 50%.

I think the nausea was either a bug or in my head as itappears I may have nessed up my dates. I'll still will be testing during the week but not counting my chickens.

I from time to time shout at DS when he really plays up. Yesterday I played the bad mum as DS bited another child at nursery (3rd one this week) so I took away his favourite toys and told him he had to behave nicely with others children. Fx if'll work

Very me post, I'll be back later to comment

I find if I get shouty at DD,but afterwards when calmed down I apologise and explain why, that helps rebuild bridges.

Plus then becomes educational that sometimes people make mistakes then we say sorry

rainbow

I do shout too, I think everybody does from time to time. I know 2 mums who don't but they are a bit "disconnected", IYSWIM.

SB FX it will be what you want.

CP good job!

NK not sure! DD2 has been asking "bebe cool" all morning pointing at the window , and making a sad face when we say no school today, I do wonder if she likes her "cool" .

BC the walk sounds nice good luck with the rest.

DD2 also wakes up early enough especially now that she refused to pee in the nappy or to keep a wet nappy if she peed in her sleep. So one wake up at 11h and one at 5h. TBH I am not willing to spent the next 3 years getting up in the night to make her pee , not sure how to solve that though.

Mous dd1 had a tantrum last night because there is no school today... Guess it's better than having to drag her to school kicking and screaming

At least, I have no doubt about leaving her in the morning or full time, I am a bit that she is so bored with us. So yes definitely better! I am though because she is the only one without problem settling within her peers.
But by experience with DD1 I know it can will come on later.

mous glad to hear your DD2 enjoys school

bc tiredness is our worse ennemy. I hope you'll manage to get more rest/sleep

CP how is moving going? Good to hear you're getting more sleep and that your holidays went well

survival how did your DS2 spent the night? Hopefully the ab will sort the Indection and won't nake him sick

DS closed the car door on my finger this morning, it is now bruised and hurts a lot.