DECEMBER 2012: The start of crawling and the end of maternity leave

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isthat we have a video monitor and its great. I first I watched it constantly like the TV but after a few days that passed! It's really good to watch and wait before springing in to every noise and movement and often he goes back to sleep.

prunella if he is tired DS is getting better at self settling although he does have a dummy for naps yet doesn't need it at night (!). He likes those comforter things but almost suffocates himself trying to rub it round his face- something else to worry about!

DS had just nappy and 1 tog bag last night and he slept ok I was just worried about him over heating...

Yep I put down. I used to pat ds's bum until he fell asleep but in the end resorted to a bit of controlled crying (2 minutes then settle and repeat) although he more moaned really and only cried if he rolled and ended up on his back which I obviously quickly sorted

Maryland ds slept in the same. Without the grobag he gets cold in the early hours. I figure he'd let me know if he was too hot.

Prunella, C self-settles in the cot now. She used to have dummy and swaddle and never fell asleep without lots of help. We had to wean swaddle, decided to take away dummy too and did some sleep training. If you want all the details I can PM you. It was tough for a little while but now she falls asleep pretty easily. Longer naps coincided with sleep training - not sure if training cause longer naps or just coincidence. This morning I put her to bed at 8am, she chatted to herself for about 15 minutes then fell asleep. She's still asleep now - a very long nap.

For all those concerned about sleeping clothes/bags etc, I was getting worried about whether she was cool enough/warm enough in lots of different temperatures and could see myself buying lots of different tog bags - instead I bought one merino sleeping bag. It is apparently for use between 16-27º, with either vest+babygro, vest only, nappy only etc underneath depending on temperature. It was 25 in our room, so went to bed in nappy+short sleeve vest+sleeping bag and seemed fine. The merino wool helps babies/anyone regulate their own body temperature, in comparison to other sleeping bags with synthetic fibres which makes it easier to overheat. It was expensive but we'll use the same one all year round, plus it's enormous so she'd still fit into it as a 2 year old, I reckon!

Ps any travel cot recommendations/suggestions?

It's really annoying me how people (usually my mum or step mum) keep saying things about ds being my last and me not having anymore. No, we probably won't because we can't afford it but it's none of their business and who are they to say we're not having anymore?! WL did you get that after your dd2?

I'm off to get ds weighed in a bit he's been asleep since 10:30 despite sleeping the 40 minute nursery run this morning...

R sleeps where he falls - on me after boob, in the sling, in the car - but sometimes has a big afternoon one in his cot if we're home. He likes his after lunch milk in there anyway as he gets overstimulated and needs the dark and quiet.

He's in cashmere longies over a bamboo fitted, cotton tee shirt and cotton sheet sleeping bag at the moment which is working as he's dropped a night feed

I had that spotty but now I've got 3 DCs people keep asking me if I'm going to have more!

mama did you sleep train when you got rid of the dummy? DS is really dependant on the dummy to settle in the day. He's starting to need it in the early evening now too so I'm thinking I should stop using it.

I'm having the opposite problem WRT to nighttime clothes. There's no central heating or insulation in our house so the temp at night is about 10 degrees. DS sleeps in a vest, 2 sleepsuits, mittens, a 2.5 tog grobag and a blanket

seymore we had all that when the boiler wasn't working over the winter. Thankfully our ll has installed a new one now only after ours was condemned for leaking carbon monoxide I was always told a baby will cry if they are too cold but are more likely just to sleep if they are too hit, so I always err on the side of caution.

We still feed/push to sleep in buggy. They are small for such a short space of time I'm loath to give up feeding to sleep tbh. I'm pretty sure he won't still be doing it at 18 (must be getting laid back in my old age, I would never have felt this about dd or ds1)

We feed/push/drive to sleep too. That's what I'm working on Isthat, it's not forever and if and when it stops working I'll figure something else out.

I've just done 2 hours ironing in this heat. I may spontaneously combust. This is me --> (without the grumpy face).

Seymore, we changed everything at once - no dummy no swaddle no rocking - she adjusted remarkably quickly.

Isthat and willyou - I love feeding to sleep! But her feeds got shorter, so she wouldn't fall asleep, and started fighting the swaddle and being rocked, so it was time for a change.

isthat we've begged our ll to get a gas main in the house so we can have heating but no joy! When it first turned colder DS was only in 2 layers and cried a lot at night, I've gradually been adding more until he seemed more settled. It's all v strange to me though because the older DCs were babies in the UK and I would never dream of putting them in that many layers at night!

willyou sounds like you deserve a nice rest now!

Ladies with iPhones/iPads who need a monitor, I got an app, it's brill. I can watch the live feed on my phone with my pad in his room. It's only £2.49 and well worth it. You can also hear lo or play music into the room. I will put screen shot of the app on our FB wall so you can see the icon if anyone interested x

At 32 () weeks ds is 15lb15oz

Thriving

Snap seymour - people keep asking me if we're having any more - not on your nelly! I love them all dearly but bloody hell it's hard work and at the moment feels a bit like an endurance marathon! Some people assumed we were done after dd2 but some did think we would go for a third for a boy (not the case at all) and when I was pg I got a lot of 'hoping for a boy?' Comments. Not at all, just hoping for a healthy baby.

We seem to have gone backwards with weaning and are really only getting 2 meals a day in. Don't know if its the heat or just timing - she won't eat if she's tired and I'm still offering boob several times a day. Trying not to stress as she's not even 7 months yet. We have discovered that mash potato tastes much better from mummy's plate and fork then our own bowl and spoon.

Snap WL mummy's baked potato = yummy, Jamie's baked potato = not even to be sniffed at!

I cannot get Jamie to go into his room/cot tonight. He was asleep in there for 20 mins in a vest and grobag, but it's 26 deg and he woke up angry, thirsty and bright red. I fed him, stripped to vest and returned him asleep (x3) but each time he woke up furious. He's now asleep on my bed and I'll just try again later. For now I'm going to try to get his room a bit cooler. Hope he'll go in later as it's too hot for 3 in a double bed tonight.

It's 29 in our room again and there's just no breeze at all it's awful

Ds's room is 26, the desk fan is on and small window is open. He's just wearing a baby grow. If he's hot later I'll put him in a vest but he sleeps much better with long sleeves

WL I think the age gap makes a difference to thoughts on future children. I was sure I wasn't having anymore after ds1. But as I married a childless man I wanted to have his child. I insisted the whole time I was pregnant that ds2 was my last (remembering how much i hated the baby/toddler stage with the others). But as the others are 8 and 6 and at school full time and can be helpful when home sometimes , I wouldn't mind a 4th, but not until ds2 is at full time school.

A old school friend of mine has just put on fb that shes pregnant with her 6th child. Its weird seeing the amount of people telling her shes nuts. I think its upto her and her DP to chose what feels right for them so if thats 6 thats great but if they want more then its upto them. I personally hope she just has an easy pregnancy.

Spotty i think if their upsetting you asking, you should just reply 'oh no we want another 1, actually we're trying now, what sexual position would you recommend that would get me pregnant quicker? As we'll try that later' that may stop them asking

I think that's true isthat. I always really liked the idea of 4 - 2 close together then a big gap then 2 more close together but as I didn't get started til I was 31 and didn't manage small gaps I guess it wasn't to be. I loved being pg and having babies but I worry about giving each of them enough time and attention.

Pesky Tabs woke up right after I left for my swim - as I pulled up I could see my mum holding her through the lounge window! Just as well she's so cute!

hales!

First wake up already. I'm not sure shr was hungry - maybe thirsty -, but she'd got herself jammed in a funny position in her cot - and wasn't going to go back to sleep easily.

I can't imagine 6 kids. But your friend should do as she likes, Hales

I can't imagine it either but then again i can't imagine 2 either haha. I was just abit sad at the your nuts comments.

Finally managed to get her in her cot, so hopefully i'll get a couple of hours now

Wow quiet night hopefully lots of sleep going on....

I've got the dentist this morning then that interview this afternoon. She said 'informal interview' so I'm going with a maxi skirt. It's going to be 27 degrees again and I don't want to be sweltering... Will be leaving ds with someone other than dp for the first time...

Hales I like that I'm quite a private person, especially with my family, it's none of their bloody business as much as they would like to think it is! Good luck to your friend