March 2013 - 6 months down, 210 to go!

[StormyBrid]

Old thread.

Keep on rambling, ladies, we have a whole new thread to fill!

Are the hv visit still useful (apart from the weighing which we are not bothered about as DD gains new chins daily!)? We have never had them because of of having a homebirth and staying out of the system which suits us but wondering whether people actually get any useful advice from hvs at this stage?

worse enjoy your break away - I am too chicken to break DD's routine and go away even though I would love to go on holiday. We have been contemplating skiing but don't think we will be brave enough.

DD is teething and is a bit grumpy but we seem to have avoided any wonder week pain. She is eating like a horse - no idea where she puts it all. Last night she ate a massive chunk of meatloaf, a sizeable potato, some baby carrots, followed bit an entire banana and all washed down with some chicken broth. An hour later she had a long breastfeed. Guess those chins and chubby legs need the fuel! Although DD has two mini teeth now I find it incredible how she can chew with her gums. She has been eating meat for a while now and mashing up everything quite effectively but you can definitely see the enjoyment of having new tools to be able to eat even more efficiently!

Do you drive at all, Rainbow? If so, it's worth getting DD weighed occasionally, even if only on your own scales, because car seats go by weight. Ours goes to 13kg so no worries yet, but some I think only go to 9kg - miniBetty would need a new one now if hers was like that. Worth checking.

Need to reschedule the HV here too. 10am is no good at all, it's almost guaranteed the baby will be sleeping. That or nap-failing. Not screaming right now, but I can hear hiccups on the monitor...

stormy we occasionally step on our own scales so we know roughly how heavy she is - our car seat is a group 0+ one so even though DD is around 9kg it's not an issue for us.

Ah, that's all good then.

I did some facebook stalking and found Leni. She's been ordered to come back and say hello.

Hello! Stormy hunted me down... Don't worry I will keep your real name under my hat Stormy

I did write a few posts here and there but they just sounded so DULL I couldn't even be arsed to post them!

DS is now crawling, clapping (properly with flat palms), shouting (manically and always whilst anyone else is trying to talk) constantly yammering about dada, mum etc and blowing very spitty raspberries.

Saw new HV this am and he treated her to all of the above just to prove himself. Still on 3 meals a day plus biscuits, ricecakes, bread etc and 4 bottles on top, no extra teeth but must be about to happen as he got me up no less than 8 times last night

I'm back at work and quite enjoying it - DS loves daddy days and seems completely unbothered when I'm not there sniff.

So I better try and read the thread a bit more to catch up - if I'm not back by the weekend send help!

Hi Leni

Rainbow this was the first time I've seen the HV since 16wks, I've kept away until now . The 8m check is a developmental assessment of speech, vision, hearing, movement and coordination plus weight and height. Although I was sure all was fine with DD, I just thought it was probably worth having an unbiased person glance at her too. They won't want to see her again now until she's 2 anyway so it's not like you'd be checking back into a system of constant checks!

DH has got man flu so I'm off to sort dinner and muster up some tea and sympathy.

Hello all and well done plonky, stormy and gerry for your weight loss successes!

Welcome back Leni. How are things with yoru DP and how is life in yoru new home shaping up?

And worse, like plonky, I'm glad it was the romantic mini-break for three not the pantry that kept you from us. I want to go! Sounds bliss. Mush menu? I'd go for that myself.

I'm off dancing in a minute, once I have given ecobaby some night night milk so I'll be swift but just wanted to duck in and say high. I have had migraine through the weekend. It lifted today early afternoon. If any of you are sufferers you will know the manic joy you get when they go: like the world is full of potential. I go hyper and want to do all the things I couldn't whilst bed ridden. I wasted a weekend of lovely sunshine with DH and ecobaby and that made me very grumpy. And I'd been a crazy whirlwind getting all food planned and housework done pre Fri eve so we could play together. Bah! But onwards!

I shall check back in properly tomorrow or later.
Off to Lindy Hop :-)

Stormy, get Leni to sort out with plonky getting added to the fb group will you please?

Lovely to see you. Can't believe you have crawling and clapping, we're so behind!

Would've rigged that already, pud, but I didn't find leni's personal page, just her music one. At least, I'm assuming I didn't find her personal one - three profiles with the right name, one no picture, one that looks like a teenager, and one that looks a bit ancient.

We have raspberry blowing here too. DD is very pleased with herself for figuring that one out. I'd thought she was producing the maximum amount of dribble possible, but she seems to have extra reserves. If this baby was a superhero, dribbling would be her superpower.

Hooray leni's back! We've missed you! You haven't missed much. Stormy and I are having a diet race, several of us are back at work (or almost in my case-next Monday!), some of us are now in a fb group and we get to see lots of pics, loads of us have name changed (ex-vj here...).

Clapping? I hope the clapping is in time, the true mark of a musician's son. We don't have clapping but we do have commando crawling of a fashion. (Left hand pulls, right leg pushes, left leg is redundant, right hand reaches for whatever she's after!) waving as well, which is super cute and usually aimed at my mums dog

So today I did a work test run. Final KIT day before I start back properly next Monday. Dd had a lovely day at my mum's, but I discovered that I'm going to have to get up before 6 in order to get into work for 8.20. Then we got home at 7.15pm. Still no DH during the week so I'm pretty bloody knackered, and a little freaked out by the idea that next week I'll have to fit in a couple of hour's work after DD's bedtime/my dinner as well. Thank god I'm only working 3 days a week.

That sounds far too busy for one person, Gerry. We need to figure out a way to cut you in half and make two Gerrys - would mean you could get everything done and would have the added bonus of taking you well below your weight target in one fell swoop.

And Leni should be joining the facebook group any minute now.

And she's on! Hi leni good to see you back.

Good work Stormy.

Eco I want to learn to dance. I'm a bit flat footed though. Any tips? And migraines well and truly suck.

Gerry I second stormys suggestion. Are you working three consecutive days? I'd like to think you'd soon find a rhythm but it definitely sounds hard - though hopefully will help with the dieting if you're kept busy.

I'm trying to see work as one 24 hour gym session a week. It's not really helping, and I definitely want to hand my notice in. Silly wedding, making me work to pay for it! I don't think I could handle DS, wedding planning, working and job hunting so ill keep plodding on I suppose. On the other hand I've found the perfect dress. Motivation? I bloody hope so!

Well done that Stormy.

Gerry, sounds hard. Hope you get into the swing of things soon.

Argh, so much to catch up on!

Hi leni cuuuute baby boy [smile

We also have clapping here, but it seems to only be at my mum's toy meerkat. We've graduated to full on hands and knees crawling for a couple of weeks now and the speed is frightening. I often walk into the room, do a quick scan and think 'right...where is he?!'

Well done to all the weight losers, I think you've finally motivated me so I hereby join you on the weight loss crusade.

And now I can't remember any of what anybody else has said so, apologies!

Me and DS had a lovely, chilly walk today. We both somehow had a lie in til 9am and only then because my sister came round, I think we both could have gone longer. After his 13 hours last night though, I'm fearing for tomorrow's wake up time!

Sadly not 3 consecutive days plonky, I'll be working mon/wed/thur. I think although 3 consecutive would be HARD, it would be easier to get into a rhythm. I agree that cutting myself in half would help. The big problem is that I'm going back into a role I did 2 years ago. I got a promotion, then got pregnant, but they didn't replace me because they knew I'd be coming back, and they wanted to save money. So I'm taking back a department that's been running itself for 2 years, and has had no direction. The list I got yesterday from my teams of 'things that have been shit since you've been gone' was a little intimidating!

Eco, I'd love to do some dancing! I hate the fact that DH is away all the time, it means I can't ever make any mid week plans because we don't know if he'll be about. Very annoying.

Wors are you back yet? I'm totally jealous, I snuck a peak at the Calcot Manor website. It looks AMAZING.

Oh. Dd is asleep on my lap. How odd. We've only been up an hour, she's not even had breakfast yet, her first nap is usually at about 10! God knows when I'm going to get showered and dressed now, that's usually reserved for her morning nap! And now I'm stuck and I want another cup of tea...!

Something I love those long sleeps. How is DS today?

Gerry it does sound hard, especially since it sounds like you've got actual work to do on top of the morning dash. My mornings are prescribed to the last minute. I tend to get up at 7, drop off for nursery at 9, work 10-6 and get home at 7. Come Saturday I just want to lay on a beanbag and have dp feed me jelly (somehow he doesn't want to). But when you have the real pressure of getting up for work, then the real reward of getting home again, it suddenly seems easier.

We got up at 6.44 (grr) but this meant DS slept in his cot until then. This has not happened in a fortnight, so in very happy. Was ultimate bad mum yesterday and not only did a bit of cc for naps but gave him spaghetti hoops for tea. Throw in a greggs sausage roll and that's a full house! Nice day here today and dp's still off work so I think we'll go for a walk and a spot of lunch.

Not quite full house, Plonky - you forgot the fruit shoot to drink!

Oh of course, how silly of me!

Can I have a bit of a moan? This feeding business is getting thoroughly depressing. Breakfast this morning: banana and crumpet. She picked up the banana, put the end in her mouth, broke a bit off, spat it out, dropped the rest, and started whingeing. Wouldn't even touch the crumpet. This is happening at every meal. The amount of food being wasted is criminal. She won't eat off a spoon, she won't feed herself. She's eight months old, surely she should be showing some interest? It's like she doesn't even understand the concept of food.

Moan away stormy. I think it just takes some babies a bit longer to show an interest in food, and it's so hard to watch them waste it. But I think waste is an inevitable part of weaning. She's still learning to eat, and will do so at her own pace, so you just have to keep offering food. DS is getting harder to feed with a spoon, but if I let him hold a spoon too I can distract him enough to get some mush down him. Would this work? The only fruit hell successfully feed himself is very thin slices of apple and wedges of cut up pear, everything else is a struggle. With bananas I have to break bits off and pop them in his mouth!

Funny buggers, aren't they? One day he loves toast and happily eats it, the next he behaves like the toast has personally attacked his character. It's a minefield. Perhaps accept it for what it is and plod on. There's lots of hungry babies on this thread but don't feel your dd isn't doing what she should.

Food is for fun until they're one!

Stormy, Plonky is right. Some babies don't start eating properly until they're one anyway. If it helps, DD is having food regression! She won't feed herself with a spoon anymore, all veg is evil, all non-sweet purée is evil, yesterday she fed toast, crumpet and brioche to the dog (usually wolfs them all down). Currently breadsticks and satsumas are our staple diet and I'm pretty sure the breadsticks are salty

Shitty day here. DD is a massive whiny madam. All she's done is cry, moan and whinge since she got up every time I put her down or don't help her walk. She napped for 20mins then the dog woke her up and won't sleep again. I just want my late morning cup of tea and episode of neighbours to recharge.

Stormy, re: waste, if it makes you feel better, dd may love her food but I basically have to make double because half of it still ends up on the floor. And yes plonk and Betty are right, weaning doesn't happen in a nice straight line, they might start well, go off it, go back onto it etc. dd could wake up tomorrow morning and just 'get it', or it might take her a while more. Just trust her. In terms of practical advice, I find dd gets on with it much better if I employ my usual benign neglect, ignore her a bit, eat my own lunch, every now and then plonk more in front of her. Oh, and banana is really tricky, we still can't manage it because it's so slippery. What about peeling some satsuma segments, or soft fruit like raspberries? Or mush the banana onto the crumpet?!?

Your day sounds like mine, Betty. By 10.30 I was in tears. By 11am I was chainsmoking in my dad's kitchen while the cleaner fed the baby black pudding. The constant wanting to walk is exhausting, isn't it? At least the dog means your rejected crumpets don't go to waste. I had to throw one away this morning. It felt like a crime, probably because my diet means no crumpets for me.

Gerry we have no trouble holding bananas. I slice it in half lengthways and she manages alright. Just doesn't have much interest in actually eating it.

Plonky if I give DD a spoon, I can't get any mush in her mouth because her spoon's in the way. Teething, I suppose. I know I need to stress less, it's just hard, when she won't eat, screams through naptime, and spends most of her awake time having the mother of all tantrums because I won't spend every second walking her around the house. My dad tells me there's a fine line between giving her the attention she needs and not pandering to tantrums. I think I've fallen off it.

just looked through weaning book and (hard as it is) it does consistently say don't worry about food refusal and that they eat what they want and need. just now in her development it looks like it's the milk that's packing the punches. next week it'll likely be a different story! ecobaby was presented with 4 steamed carrot batons, 4 green beens (air freighted from kenya but perfect for little baby hands ggrrrr) and a cheesy crumpet. none of the veg were swallowed and hard to say if any of the crumpet was being as it was dissected and flung around the kitchen. it's not always nosh nosh nosh here.
gerry and plonky dancing is great for fitness. you don't notice you've done 2 hours of aerobic exercise. it is hard to fit something away from home and baby and maybe it will take a bit longer before you can manage the logistics but I would wholeheartedly recommend it! lindy hop is energetic, friendly, fun and danced to decent music. it's not ponsetastic.
bugger, look at time, better skidaddle as meeting friend for tea and walk. it's her birthday
see you later.

I've given myself food poisoning. Bugger. Nobody to help with madam either so she's being neglected while I chuck up every 10mins. I have a horrible feeling if I leave her to her own devices she's going to figure out this crawling lark.

I'll come back with a less self centred post later, I'm off to hug the loo!