The 6th Broadly Gemini Luxury Bus - this way ladies.

[FrussoHathor]

Welcome aboard our 6th bus ladies.

Not yet pear I need some milk to put in it. Eep.

how are our babies old enough to be EATING food? Also my oldest is going to be 5 tomorrow. How have I been a mother for 5 years already? But then again, M is the youngest on the bus at only just 13 weeks so we've got a while 3 months still.

In other news, donated 10 bags of bm to a mama today, that felt pretty good. Still have 6 bags in the freezer...

We usually all eat together at the table and either me or dh is holding M. She's getting to that hilarious stage of watching me every time I lift my fork or spoon to my mouth. Makes me giggle every time!

Lib ~ I put baby pear on the play mat so that I can eat my breakfast and we stick on his Mozart baby Einstein DVD for dinner unless he is having his 7:30 nap but that takes some planning a miracle When he's older I would like us all to sit at the table like bring so dc2 and dc3 will have to sit at the table with us when they're babies counting on baby pears conversation to entertain them!

Bring ~ I think you're amazing to donate so much with everything else you've got going

Kitty ~ do you bfeed kitten first before giving the rice? I want to give baby pear his rice in the evening for the same reason but because we struggle to have set nap times yet I'm not sure when is best. I used to feed him at 5:30, bath at 6:30, another comfort feed and then nap at 7:30pm. He then only naps for 30 minutes and is up until 10:30. Recently I've been bathing him after his early evening nap (so he will have a 8pm bath) and I find I can get him in bed at 9:30 (after his last small feed) and then he sleeps until 2:30am when he wakes up for his one night feed. It's exhausting though bathing at 8pm! So I don't really know when to squeeze the rice in! I suppose I need to try and bring his 7:30 nap closer to 6:30 so I can feed him at 7. Maybe I should just bath him before his 7:30 nap and then feed him after his nap? Wow I've made things so complicating. Is anyone still reading this? :-)

pear in the morning I feed after his wake up feed but before his pre-nap feed (have a 1-2 hour window)
This evening I bf him (both sides) then offered baby rice as he was still wanting food I think he'd be happy if I had 3+ boobs it's the first time he's had something in the evening. He seems to like to try food in the mornings when he's happier.
But ds eats a lot. He's a piggy grazer I think. (As well as a comfort sucker)

Runt sits in his bouncy chair on top of 2 dining room chairs near the table so he's with us. I can't be doing with all this passing between people malarkey! If he's hungry I make sure I feed him while DH serves up. If he's tired his bouncy chair is plonked in the lounge. Seems to work for us!

Of coarse just to prove me wrong baby pear wakes at 3:45am! I do miss consistency!

Frus ~ has the baby rice helped him sleep through? I'm not counting my chickens that it will work for us yet!

Pear I wouldn't leave it too late to feed personally, by that I mean too close to bed time, I'd try to do it at a natural food time for kids so breckie 7ish, lunch 12ish or tea 5ish, if you all want to eat together at a later date they are "usually" kiddie times and yes I do give a milk feed first, she's not happy if she's hungry and just gets frustrated so I do the 4 o'clock milk feed then tea at 5
I'm not sure how much it makes a difference to sleeping unless they were sleeping better but hunger has affected them and kitten still wakes at the min starving hence the time but obviously she's not consistent with food or having a great deal yet but frus will probably be able to tell you better if it improves or has for her

Kitty ~ thanks for that. I think you're right about trying to start them on the right foot with meal times. I will do it at the 5:30 feed then. Do you know how much breast milk I would need for 2 teaspoons of baby rice? I managed to express 100ml at midnight because I was awake due to the excitement of buying sale items for baby pears Christmas stocking, I am still hyped up over it and now can't sleep first Christmas syndrome

Ha ha pear, the words of a true shopper Xmas lover
I'd use 1oz of milk to start, you can always make more if need be that's be around 4/5 spoonfuls and don't go by the ratio on the back of the box as it basically just makes milk with abit of grit? I found that out first time after watching a mum just add it till it went thick lol ( see I so remember what it's like as a first time mum ) just keep adding it in bits until it goes to like a runny porige consistency, I usually pop it in the microwave for 10 secs or Less just to take the cold edge off the milk comming straight from the fridge

Oh and as for Xmas stuff, the thing I got for dd1 first Xmas from a friend was one of my fav gifts, it was I think from mothercare online and around £5-8 can't quite remember but was a little red t shirt with a teddy in a Santa hat and said ...... First Xmas with her name, it was so so cute

Oh I'm so classy lazy. I put the rice in a bowl and express straight into the bowl until its enough.

Omg frus lol I can just picture it!

Guess what guys, it's kittens jabs in t minus 30 minutes and I've remembered!!!! Woo hoo

Woo! Yay for kitten's mummy.

Thanks for the baby rice advice. DH came back with Organic Aptimel. I wanted to start with Hipp but I've looked up the ingredients and its not that much different. So, let the weaning commence

Kitty ~ how did the injections go?

Just remembered Frus how's the pelvic floor doing? How did the apt go?

How are things for you Lib?

LOL seriously laughed at Frus expressing straight into a bowl. Hey, if it works....why not?

I've just been expressing milk b/c more often than not, I'm bursting and M is sleeping, so I just express it out and throw it in the freezer. Not trying to build a stash or anything right now. I found that I've got 17 bags of milk in the freezer that most definitely will not all get used up in the next 6 months (recommended time for freezer storage) so I figured I'd just give it to someone else who will use it. :)

So, we had a breakfast party and the boys opened their gifts (still have to get two of everything during birthdays b/c we still don't get the concept of having a special day for just one person) and I sent them off to Montessori school with a belly full of sugar, muahaha. Hot dogs (ds1's fav food atm) and cupcakes for dinner. Then a fishing party this weekend.... I'm already exhausted and I've still got a cake to make and frost.

Disclaimer: not trying to appear to be a super mummy (promise!) I just can't afford to shell out $40 for a dairy-free cake so I'm attempting my own instead, kwim?

Pear we didn't have the jabs, as its only 3 weeks since last one we've got to go back next week still atleast this time it's not my fault!
How did the rice go?
Well done bring super mum

Oh no kitty! We have ours next week. I guess that makes sense as we're at the same stage?! Even though you warned me about the rice I still made it too runny and it ended up being more milky once heated I guess practise makes perfect! He didn't even blink an eye lid! In fact he was more puzzled to why we were both standing with cameras making cooing noises I will try the rice again tomorrow and then maybe cook carrot on Saturday! I still need a steamer though unless I boil/microwave!

I always boiled carrot, infact you can boil cook most things tbh, yes the rice consistency is a funny thing, if you go by the packet it seems to do nothing, it also seems to go back to be more runny after abit too, I often get through half then have to back and add more rice! It's very strange but definatly does
Can just imagine baby pear rolling his eyes thinking for gods sake what is mum and dad at this time, more bloody pictures

The first time I gave it to dd1 I followed the pack and it was like trying to spoon feed her milk, I'm sure she thought what in gods name are you doing!!

Hah hah kitty. That's exactly what I did why didn't I think to add more rice and his facial expression said it all

Hmm so baby pear has actually woken very early for his breakfast

Pear, kitten woke at exactly the same time naughty clock? however I decided point blank refused that I was not going to feed her at this time when shed been waking at 4 and she farted it out! Got til almost 5 now, god sleep how I miss thee I was almost looking forward to her jabs, that was the night she did 7-8 without waking, never repeated, what a mean mummy I am!

Morning. that's all I can manage pre-school run.