Brooking no argument for babies who sleep, eat, smile and behave perfectly at all times. Yeah right!

[scarletfingernail]

New thread, here we go...

Is anyone else here doing the MN Secret Santa? My pressie arrived today so I need to get it all packaged up ready to send out now.

Hello everyone!

Biscuits, the breastpump arrived, thank you very much! That was really quick. I haven't tried it yet because we spent all afternoon in Ikea buying far too much stuff and I need the milk to stay in my boobs in the evenings and nights because M wakes up so often. I'll have a go with it tomorrow and let you know how it does.

Oh Scream. Maybe if your mum has A at night she'll get into the habit of sleeping through. Is it bad that I was just considering driving M around for 7 hours to get her in the habit of sleeping?

So, am trying the No-Cry Sleep Solution thing where you feed the baby, take the nipple out and put them straight into the cot. M cried and struggled the first 3 times and the 4th time she fell asleep so fast she was asleep before I could stand up. So no 'awake but sleepy', despite my best efforts.

Ninja, is potter's clay a Fired Earth colour? My mum is obsessed with shades of grey (fnar fnar - not in that way!) and can name all the Farrow and Ball colours at a glance. I have done the second coat and I like it now!

scream two wake ups by S, including a ginormous poo at 3am (so wide awake changed baby) and went back to sleep (on the boob) fine both times. Hoorah!!!! However, B up once, and DD up 3 times. I;m never getting any sleep, am I? . So, no, neither of us will have insomniac babies. Fact. I think maybe you could try a pick up/ put down then retreat technique. My DD would never go to sleep with me there, unless she's ill. I go in now, pick her up, cuddle her, put her down and tell her we all love her, and leave again, and go in and repeat each time she calls/ gets upset. Sometimes she doesn't call at all (if she's had no nap!), tonight I went back in 3 time and dh once . But no tears for sleep, so I'm happy. I think if your mum helps get her in good sleep habits its no bad thing, and its horrible when they won't do it for you though.... dd used to only settle for dh, and scream if I left the room (as she couldn't bear me to go). I found it upsetting and worrying, as I literally couldn't get her to bed if dh wasn't here (which at least one evening a month he isnt when he works til 10pm). It passed, it was a phase. Keep the faith!!!

Incidentally too, I couldn't give a monkeys if my babies don't look tired and will happily play, white noise on, into the cots, giggling and singing or not. More often than not they'll go to sleep anyway. Maybe have to go in and soothe a couple of times, but I've been amazed when I've thought they'd howl, but as bedtime time is so rigid I think they're programmed for it now?! I do it regardless of naps too, so when I let S sleep 90 minutes up to 5 pm the other night I thought I'd be stuffed, but no, I stuck him awake gurgling in his cot as per usual, waited for the howls.... and nothing. Sometimes he complains for a couple of minutes, but even I can ignore that!

Scream I still haven't figured out how to copy and paste links using my iPad, but if you Google "Airwrap" you will find this amazing mesh type thing that goes round the cot to stop the baby getting limbs stuck between bars. It's not a bumper as there's no ties, no padding and it's vented. It's like travel cot mesh that velcros on. We got it for DD about 6 weeks ago and it's been fab, I only wish we'd got it for DS when he was tiny. Anyway, enjoy another good night's sleep. At least you know now that there's not anything wrong as such, she's just knows how to get what she wants from you. Clever thing! What do you think you might do about it?

Love the Christmas name changes. I need to come up with something but I'm very unimaginitive.

Jen what's this secret Santa thing?

I now have 2 poorly DC. I dream of having month go by where I don't have to take DS to our GP. I suspect my GP feels the same! So today he gets up and his face and ears are absolutely covered in a red spotty rash. Non specific apparently which means they don't know but probably viral. We're supposed to have friends coming to stay this weekend but as they have 2 small DC I suppose we better cancel just in case he's contagious DD is still full of snot, as am I. I'm just totally fed up with bloody illnesses.

Dream, I think your very rigid bedtimes are a good idea. We try to do the same, although I often feed to sleep - mainly because at that time she often falls asleep eating! If she doesn't sleep straight away then I can put her down awake and she'll chatter herself off to sleep. Yet to try white noise, but maybe it would help us through the night...

Scream, have you tried leaving the room when A is crying? I don't mean leaving her to do it for ages and ages, but have you given it a go at all? Maybe if you weren't in there she would just sleep? I know that if Iz isn't starving she'll shout, then quieten down, then make her trying-to-get-to-sleep noise... and then will start shouting (and maybe crying) if she's still unhappy. Either way, her spending another night with your Mum may help her get into the habit, like you say!

Too, we're off to Ikea tomorrow - probably also to spend too much. I hear they have glasses, plates etc with musical notes on, which I fear may tempt me...

Was out at bedtime tonight (oo get me), but apparently Iz behaved impeccably :) Although she didn't want DH to give her milk - so he got out the bottle with handles and she did it herself. Woke up just as I got home, so have fed her.. will see how long she lasts.

Haven't forgotten the photo (it's not that good-when I get round to it, probably during a night feed, it'll be rather disappointing!).

...having just written that, she's woken up. Argh! But she's making her sleepy noise... fingers crossed...

Dream rigid bedtimes sound like an excellent plan, I must follow suit! I tend to flex bedtime depending on morning wake time / naps / illness / good tv programme () etc etc. So no real bedtime at all. I must do better.

Thanks for the airwrap recommendation Scarlet! I remember you ladies talking about it a while ago actually, so I've ordered it today! At least that's hopefully one less thing to worry about!

No brooking hard for Dream's poorly S, and Scarlet's DC. So unfair the amount of illness in your households! Universe - sort it out!!! My little A's temperature is back to normal, which is a relief. She looks so cute with her two teeny teeth!

Ooooo Musical was out late! Up to anything fun?

DH cooked a yummy meal tonight with some of my favourite things including mulled wine, yay! Sadly he didn't think of date night himself, but having taken my suggestion on board he pulled it off well

Thanks for all the encouragement on the sleep issue, I'll be using all of your advice! Dream has perfectly described how I feel about the whole thing, it's actually a bit upsetting that I seem to be so disruptive to DD! Thanks for saying it's a phase though!

I'm off to maximise my night off! Sleep well one and all (especially all mini people!)

Sorry to hear about all the poorly DCs! Glad A's temp is back down Scream but hope all other littlies recover soon!

Scarlet I have to disagree with you not being imaginative. Your namechange that you did recently (you know, where it all went a bit sideways! ) was Ge-Ni-Us!

I still don't like the new smileys on the iPhone app. In particular I struggle to tell the difference between and . And looks like it should be . Apologies as that will make no sense to laptopers!

We have rigid (ish) bedtimes here but always go up at the latest at 7 no matter what nap times have occurred or not occurred. I think it was pomme said 'I NEED an evening'! . I was just saying to DH last night it will be weird but one day they'll be grown up enough to stay up in the evening - we'll never get any peace! .

I am a little (is that envy? ?) of how good you all are at putting them down awake and getting them to go to sleep. I still struggle with that (although ds2 does then sleep through the whole night once he is asleep so I'm not complaining too much! I don't know how to teach ds2 to do it though?

Scream glad A was good for your mum, hopefully this will get her into good habits? Ds1 would never sleep if I was in the room but ds2 likes me to hold his hands and will then go to sleep.

I've forgotten wheat else I've read.......

Oh, weird, I said that looks like it should be 'no sleep' but put it in pointy brackets < no sleep > and it took that bit out of my post FFS. Stupid app.

Biscuits, I am hopeless at putting M down awake! The instant she touches the cot she starts to howl. Reading all your advice, though, I'm wondering whether it's that she's overtired before bed, so she falls asleep at the boob every time. Maybe I should put her to bed when she's awake enough to come off chirpily. However, I have tried that in the past and she won't lie on her own chirping for long - she starts to howl for me to come back. Last night's attempt at putting her down awake but sleepy foundered because I was too scared I'd just wake her up entirely. At her second wake-up at 10.30 I had been asleep for an hour and was too sleepy myself to have the stamina to try anything new. Right, will attempt a strict bedtime of 7 o'clock whether she looks sleepy or not!

Scarlet and Dream, Brooking for rapid improvement in healths!

So, yesterday I called the doctor's at 9.07, it was engaged and after a few attempts I put them on Ringback. I left at HALF PAST ONE to go to Ikea and it still hadn't rung back. Am off to call them again and see what they say.

Just a quick post from me.

Too our doctor has the same appointment system (it used to be worse, 100% of appointments had to be made that way, not even appointments where the GP told you to come back could be booked in advance!) anyway, you have to be ready to call exactly when the line opens, and the callback system doesn't work, as it gets engaged again too quickly. I just sit and press redial for ages... Usually takes about 40m of redials to get through. It only takes a minute to make an appointment when someone gets through, so the redialling kinda has to be instant each time (don't wait a couple of minutes).

I've spent years fighting that bloody system, it's awful. Was put in place so they met a target for "patients seen on the day" but completely misses the target of seeing patients when they need to be seen! Also cuts down on missed appointments/no shows.

Don't get me started on the physio system.. The only way to see them is to be one of the first 4 people to turn up before 8:30am on a tues or thurs. No referrals/appointments possible

Saw MW yesterday. Baby still not engaged. They'll book an induction for 40+13 which will put me awfully close to Christmas with the 22nd. Another app in 2 weeks when I'll be 40+3 when she'll offer a sweep. Really hope baby comes sooner than that, I'd love a 12/12/12 baby.

I've managed to catch a cold I've not seen anyone in ages, so where did the pesky germ come from??

Hope poorly babies start to feel better soon, and they all miraculously sleep through tonight.

Should I update my app? Are there any good things about the new one?

Hi Stacks

I've not found anything good about the new app! And apologies to anyone reading my posts not on the new app as they'll just seem like a load of nonsense moaning about stuff that isn't a problem on the mobile site, normal website or the old app.

Brooking No argument that mini stack will be here on 12 Dec - that would be a wicked DOB and easy to remember. I used to be fine with ds1''s DOB but now there are two i get kinda confused when I have to remember one of them!

We have a cleaner here this morning and I feel a bit of a spare part! Very awkward to be sitting around while she's working! I feel like I should be Doing Something Useful! But my job today is ironing (can't do with ds2 until he's asleep) and attempting to make a stollen. But I imagine that cake making is not going to be helpful for the cleaner! Once she's been a few times we're allowed to go out

Scarlet how is your school choosing going? We're still totally stuck between the two here

Ahem. Minutes after I posted my minor rant, my mobile rang. It was my sister asking why I hadn't answered my house phone. Me: But the house phone never rang! It turns out that when I unplugged the kitchen phone to paint in there, I accidentally turned off the ringer for the entire house (don't ask me how). So I could dial out fine, but I didn't realise the phone was ringing. I did wonder why no one had called me yesterday at all - had to phone my grandma and apologise, because I'd told her I would be free to chat at 12 if she called then. Just as well I worked that one out before I phoned the surgery and ranted at them!

Thanks Stacks, I'll try that next time. 12/12/12 would be an ace birthday! My friend just had a baby girl and her birthday is 10/11/12, which is also pretty ace.

By the way, can I just say squared of Biscuits' cleaner! I want one!

Oh Too does ring back definitely work for your surgery? At my old surgery it didn't but it did say on the message that you couldn't use ring back. Although I think if you had tried it would have looked like it had worked iyswim? As in you could put ring back on but thy wouldn't actually ring you back. My new surgery you go into a queue rather than getting an engaged tone. Much better. I used to sit there with my phone and mobile repeatedly dialling from 8am when I needed an appt before. I could get quite a good rhythm of doing both phones in a cycle so while one was trying to call is be dialling the other one

First day of cleaner today - 2 hours a fortnight we're having. She seems to be doing fine as well.

I've started my stollen........

re the cleaner Biscuits. Oh what I'd give! Well we've now seen the 3 closest schools to us. The only one we liked was the one that we're actually in catchment for. It was so lovely and although the thought of DS going to school makes me sad I really could picture him there. The headteacher came over really well and made an excellent first impression. The other 2 were shite and if he gets allocated a place at either of those I honestly don't know what we'll do. He can't go to either of them he just can't. Hopefully we'll get the catchment one, but it is very small and the only Ofsted "outstanding" school in the area so also very popular. PM me the names of the 2 schools you're looking at cuz I'm nosey

DS is at home as he is now covered head to toe in a rash. DD is still blowing snot bubbles every time she breathes out and I've got a banging headache.

Good for you and DH having a date night Scream

Oh schools are so tricky! Are there two others slightly further afield you could put for 2nd and 3rd choices if you don't want those two others. (Do you get 3 choices?)

Yes we get 3 choices but I was unsure how far away to look. I need to keep in mind that DD will hopefully go to the closest school too. If DS got in one further away and she got in the catchment one that will make 2 school drop offs hard work. If he was put in one of the 2 not so good but not too far away ones the 2 drop offs would be less of a problem. Plus if there's any good ones further afield we'll have even less chance of getting a place as everyone in that catchment will want a place. I'm pretty sure we'll get our first choice, it just depends how many siblings in the catchment also want a place there next year. Isn't it a shame that schools either seem really good or really poor? It doesn't seem fair to me that someone who lives on the other side of my road will likely have to go to the rubbish one, yet we should hopefully get the good one. It's not fair anyway really is it, I mean all kids should get to go to a decent school regardless of where they live.

It seems mad to me that siblings might wind up going to different schools. I'm glad that in Scotland it's a case of going to the local school unless you fancy going private (not an option for us). I hope you get the nice school, Scarlet!

Biscuits, I think ringback works at our surgery, but after my phone debacle I'm not sure. However, M's nipples are much less scabby so have given up for now - I think whatever it was is healing.

Ooooh, that reminds me - shall go play with the breastpump!

I decided 45 mins ago not to go and clean the bathrooms because M would be bound to wake up the minute I had sprayed bathroom cleaner everywhere and had rubber gloves on. She's still asleep. Oh well...

We probably will Too. I'm quite possibly over thinking it all as I do everything

Put your feet up, forget the cleaning.

Oooh, have just clocked the Scottish smileys! [bgrin] Why is it a b before the word, though? [bconfused] I forgot it was St Andrew's Day. [bblush]

Sage advice, Scarlet - I shall!

Have just watched Disney's Brave - I have hair envy! Also, that's one scary evil bear. Was v tearful at the whole mother-daughter story, though - not sure which one of them I'm identifying with, tbh!

I have . [bgrin]

N has just eaten nearly a whole 100g apple and pear pot! [bshock] She only started food this week

[bgrin] Too. Is it ok for a nearly 4 year old to watch? DS has seen loads of Disney but I draw the line at ones where the mum's die or where they're evil.
Apart from Nemo where I forgot and then had a barrage of questions and told DS that Nemo's mum comes back in Finding Nemo 2 Is it a happy story? Several people have said that they think DD's hair will end up like Merida's, but I think that although ginger it will be completely straight like mine.

Good work N!

I also have tonight.

Gaaaaah. This baby is being Very Very Bad. She hasn't slept for longer than an hour and a half, and has been up countless times, specialising in looking asleep, letting me get back into bed and then starting to wail 5 minutes later just as I was relaxing and dropping off. At about half-past 4 I got fed up and instead of feeding her, just jiggled her, which had the effect of waking her up completely. In some ways this is an improvement, because at least she's happy. We tried a dummy, which helped for about, ooooh, 3 minutes before she chucked it out. I tried co-sleeping but by then it was just too late and she wasn't going back to sleep for any price. All we succeeded in doing was waking up DH and the dog. While it is very cute to watch M stroke the dog and coo, I did not want to be doing it at 5 am! So I have given up and we're in the living room playing. DH has been allowed to sleep on the understanding that he has to get up at 8 and take M out for 4 hours so I can go back to bed.

Yay for little N, Jen!

Scarlet, I'm not sure - the bear is an evil monster bear with broken arrows sticking out of his back. If I were you I would watch it first and then decide if your DS would be scared.