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

[scarletfingernail]

New thread, here we go...

and last night wasn't an attempt at cc, just a break in desperation...

A second hand broken thermos, Hawthers ?

Yay for DH managing to settle S, Dream ! :)

I did just laugh reading your post Hawthers, sounds worthy of a fly on the wall type tv programme. I've been lurking on that AIBU thread, it's good to remind myself that there's people with worse relatives than mine. My nan buys legendary presents. My mum and me cannot open them in front of each other for fear of hysteria, we literally cry with laughter. In no particular order here are some of the random presents we've had over the years

1 blank cassette
1 duster
Tube of Clearasil
Car tidy
Several pairs of used cheap earrings (so she doesn't have to leave them to me in her will apparently)
5 plastic roses in a dolphin vase (dolphin standing on it's tail it's its mouth open)
Filthy dirty perculator at least 10 years old (give on my 21st as a "bottom drawer" present)
Slippers, 1 a size 5 and 1 a size 9

Have fun!

sorry for no update yesterday, was rushing around at work so i could get my early finish.

still got 2 very snottery coughing boys. DS1 has gone back to sleep, but i've had DS2 as a chest frog and knee sleeping baby for a while so not getting my long lie! we left DS1 a spill proof straw cup of water last night as he's been getting really thirsty with this cold and high temps.

a bit annoyed that after we had a wee drink of wine last night DH had lots of beers too so has been completely useless all night. have also just huffily rolled him back over for the umpteenth time to stop him snoring.

really glad to have finished work, i always have a flap as i leave that i've forgotten to do something vital though and the instruments won't work when we get back. although the lab is open 365 days, a few things will be out of use for a couple of weeks and sometimes they are a bit temperamental to start up!

will find out next year...

am irrationally annoyed that everyone in the house is asleep except me right now!

loving the random presents scarlet!

hope all these babies have let you get a wee sleep ladies...

Oh Blimey hawthers, are you headed off up to where you got married then? Epic packing... I'd feel stressed at the thought! What happened with the present for your dh?

Ah jaggy, here's to well boys in time for Christmas. I get irrational rage if I'm the only one awake too :)

Night update- s up 10:30, settled by dh, 11:30, fed after 20 unfruitful minutes attempting to settle, fed at 4, up 7:20. Not bad... B up twice though at different times so 5 times for dh and I. Hmm.

FFS they are all still asleep! i can't even seem to do my falling asleep sitting up. probably because I've been in the habit of getting up for work.

Oooh, on the random presents front, DH has an auntie who one year gave him Blu-Tac for his Christmas present! She is very strange.

Well, today we were planning to go and do all our Christmas shopping. Got up early, had breakfast, DH went and moved the work 4x4 and our car around so that ours would be on the outside. We were all ready, went out and got in the car...and it wouldn't start. Turn the key and nothing. The lights/electrics etc work so we don't think it's the battery - and anyway, it was starting absolutely fine 10 minutes previously when DH moved the cars! I'm worried it's some sort of electrical fault because various lights kept flashing on random things like the alarm and the central locking button. DH thinks it's the spark plug. Garage said they would come out later this morning. Bang goes more money, and I just hope they can fix the bloody thing. We're not allowed to drive the 4x4 unless DH is called in for a snow emergency and it's not snowing, so we can't exactly drive a massive white pick-up with the work logo on it around town and hope no one notices.

That is seriously unlucky too...

V curious as to what your dh does with a 4x4 for work- if you can't say here come and tell us on the fb group!!

I'm on my way to London for a week! DH following with dog on Christmas Eve.

Extraordinary presents, Scarlet! What do you think is going on in your nan's head?!

Jaggy you must insist that you get your lie in tomorrow! No fair being the only one up on the first day of your holiday!

Dream glad S is down to 2 feeds. Do you think pu/pd would work with B to get him to drop one (or both) as well?

Aw Too :( Hope it's quick (and cheap) to fix.

Am also curious about DH's job... :)

Is he a farmer?? That's the industry dh and I are in and he used to have a farm truck. T'was brilliant for the snow, he used to tow my little vw around :)
Also brooking it's something very easy and cheap to fix.

'Twas very easy and cheap to fix - DH got confused between driving the truck and our little automatic, stood on the accelerator instead of the brake while trying to start it up and flooded the ignition chamber. Once it had dried out it started no bother. He's not a farmer (Dad is, and has the same truck), he works for the council (customer services in the Roads team), and he's on the on-call rota for snow emergencies. Because some of the higher suburbs get v snowed in, the team has a 4x4 to get there if need be, and whoever is on call gets to take it home for the weekend and drive it if they're called out. Not remotely exciting!

We have done all our Christmas shopping in 3 hours flat! I love Primark. M has more presents from us than everyone else put together. Ahem. I know she'll get heaps of presents from other people too, but I just couldn't help myself! It's the idea of her having to have stocking presents too.

Ooooooo it's almost Christmas ladies!

The random xmas gifts made me laugh Scarlet and everyone else! Priceless eh?

Hooray for Too's Xmas shopping getting done in the end, and for the car not being too much of a problem after all.

No brooking for Jaggy to get a proper lie in tomorrow!! Surely that's the point of being off work?! Also I really hope there's good health across NoBrookerVille over Xmas, especially in the Jaggy, Scarlet and Dream households.

Hawthers how did the epic journey go today? I hope it went smoothly.

Yay for Dream's DH being able to settle S without having to grow lactating boobs I hope all the sleep improvements continue for Dream and Too over the festive season!

Little A is having a major growth spurt and has attempted to pretty much eat every piece of food we have in the house today! She went straight to sleep at 8 and I've just given her a sort-of dreamfeed to ward off nighttime hunger pangs - I really don't want this growth spurt to scupper all the hard work that went into nightweaning her a month ago. It's only not a true dreamfeed because I still brush her teeth afterwards which obviously wakes her, but she went back to sleep beautifully afterwards. She has continued the amazing going-to-sleep-within-2-mins-without-crying for the last couple of days, even for naps, which is heavenly. She's still waking multiple times in the night with me, but DH had her last night and after going to sleep within 2 minutes she then slept through until he had to wake her at 6 this morning (for an early appointment). So I'm very happy with my LO, and very excited about the growth spurt! I'm hoping she might try to walk once it's over! She's much more confident about standing without holding onto anything now (although she still can't manage it for long).

Oooo DD woke just now and instead of getting up I just sang my usual lullaby (twinkle) and then went v silent and still. DD cried for about 30sec and went back to sleep! No patting, no hiding, didn't have to get out of bed at all and she was still asleep within 2mins!!

Fingers crossed for more of the same later on!

Argh! Ds2 has been up crying for 2 hours and shows no signs of going to sleep

He's had calpol and nurofen. No temperature. Can't work out what's wrong We've only given him drugs because we figured he MUST be in some sort of pain?

DH and I have both been up with him - he's just crying and crying . Even when he's being held and rocked. It's most unlike him Then he'll calm down for a bit, you think you've got him off to sleep, and BAM, he's off again!

DH and I were going to get up at 4 tomorrow (today now?) to get on with our MAHOOSIVE list of stuff to do before christmas. We're both going to be totally knackered now!

no lie in today as it is Final Christmas Stuff and Nice Food Shopping Mission. plan was to get up v early.

couldn't get R to sleep because his nose was totally blocked, so got to bed late.

he woke up almost as soon as i got to bed so just had him in beside me for a few hours. he woke up with a temp again so had to get medicine and back to sleep again. finally got him back to bed about 20 mins before i wanted to get up.

pressed snooze a lot. tired.
this shopping may not go well....

maybe a lie in tomorrow.

Scream what a difference a bit of extra sleep makes eh?

How was your night in the end Biscuits? I hope DS2 is ok?

DS is much better. He still has a nasty chesty cough but he's eating again, sleeping again and the fever has gone. DD is still coughing a lot and very chesty but I think she might be a little better. I'm strung out from events of the last couple of weeks. Losing my rings has made me miserable, kids being ill, boiler packing up. We're ready for some good luck in this house now.

I had my Sainsburys Christmas shop delivered at 8am this morning. That is the way forward! First time I've ever online shopped and I will definitely do the same next Christmas. So good to know I've not got to go anywhere near a supermarket.

Well if it were any consolation ds2 looks really tired this morning!

I'm with you jaggy on feeling a wee bit tired. We're also up for the Big Shop and Christmas prep stuff. Plus we're going to church this morning for the nativity service and next door have invited us round for a drink and mince pie which will be really lovely, but makes for a busy day. Plus we have to ice the cake tonight

We got up at 5 in the end and did the ironing and wrapped pressies for the DSs and our niece. That was a bit weird - even though she's 7 months if never really clicked before that I'm Auntie Biscuits! Felt really weird to write it on the tags. Uncle MrBiscuits sounded odd too

Journey up north wasn't too bad.exc ept for a near death experience in the m1 involving our car acquaplaning, two cars horizontally across the the fast and middle lane and some excellent avertive action from Mrh. Totally terrifying but otherwise a good trip!

Internet connection dodgy so will be little posting from me I think until after the new year. Hope everyone has ahappy Christmas and 2013 brings more luck and sleep to all.

eek sounds scary! good job on the evasive action MrH.

no near death experience at the shops, although m&s was a bit mad and i lost my shopping list. i found it again later though, so it won't be appearing on here!

the boys did well, DS2 slept for ages in the Manduca and DS1 loved a look round the Disney store. (until we got him to leave)

Manduca carrier was v comfy and DS2 was happily peeking out smiling at everyone and also sucking the labels on the strap protectors.

hopefully we haven't forgotten anything, i reckon the shops will be crazy tomorrow!

Straw poll:

Those using formula with a baby older than 6 months. Are you using a milk suitable from birth or one of these 'from 6 months' ones? If you're using Aptamil that would be no. 1 or no. 3?

Hope everyone travelling is safely where they should be and the Hawthers are able to calm themselves with a hot toddy or a nip of something.

Number 1 Biscuits. DD was mega constipated for the 2 weeks we tried number 3. But I do add the Healthy Start vitamin drops.

Probably back later. Biscuits are you watching Homeland finale tonight? I'm mega excited.

Bloody hell hawthers, sounds terrifying... So glad mrh has manouevering skills (I'd have been shit!)

Right, help Brookers. I've fallen off the sleep training wagon. S woke three already tonight, I've just fed him. Gave in and fed him at 10:30 (& then 2& then 6:30 last night too. Incidentally he woke poor B from his travel cot at 10:30 last night too, so I fed B, and he then slept til 7:45, little poppet) . so S, when he wakes, does this horrible nerve wracking screechy crying/ screaming. Can last ages without settling. Howls and screams if put down (no stopping after 2, or even 5 minutes here, we've left him that long just to give ourselves a quick break). So what do I do? He is, or at least was, Much better. It's still better than the every 60-90 minutes of pre the last week, but we seem to be going backwards now. He's totally spoon refusing, and also mostly refusing all solids. And most milk feeds I try to offer in the day (1 am 1pm plus morning and after bath, he feeds 30 sec to 2 min max) No idea why (??? Teeth, still none here) . Is he really hungry? What the heck should I do? is he just a horrible, sanity- destroying little tike?

I don't know what to do, or what I should be doing?

It needs to be something though, I'm so tired and its not fair on DD and b, or S, as it means I struggle to parent them the way I'd like to in the day as I'm so knackered.

Tempted by a Manduca now jaggy plus just read some fantastic comments on it on the tamba website. Your day sounds really good considering how tired you must have been. You put me to shame...

Oh, and biscuits up at 5am ironing?! . You're a bit too dedicated. There must be some kind of award for yhat?!

Sorry, me me me me me.

Hope all Christmas preparations are going well?