August 2005 - The One With All The Birthdays!!!

[kate100]

Here we are everyone, a new thread, as promised ready for all these little ones to turn one.

Here's the link to the old thread

Miaou, I was just thinking of doing the exact same thing the other day, so much better than a baby book, as it really does record all of the milestones as they happen.

Another milestone today, ds2's first visit to the dentist. He was ever so good he let the dentist look at his teeth, which his brother never did. In fact the dentist got his first look at ds1's teeth ever today and it was his fourth visit!

We're all set for his birthday tomorrow, but I'm tired, it's hard work having 2 birthdays in a week and DH is thirty 2 weeks today, TOO MANY BIRTHDAYS!!!!! We're having friends round for an afternoon barbecue (DH will be getting in touch with his inner caveman over an open fire ) and people are dropping in as and when. Just hope that his cake is OK when it's delivered tonight.

Let you all know how things went after the party.

Josey does your dd still have a sore on her mouth - one of my friends baby has been diagnosed with hand,foot,mouth virus, which has that symptom - dont know much about it but its just a virus I think.

DS sleep isnt great either he often wakes between 5 and 6 in the morning and also wakes once during night but dp has taken over that waking .

Bramblina you are doing better than me my ds has a sleepytime bottle and breastfeed in my confused attempts to wean!

I had a bfb on fri I am really happy and excited but tbh it was dp who was pushing to ttc and to be honest there were days when I felt just like you QR and think how could I cope with two and was very confused! I guess I figured I might never feel ready and knew I wanted more than one child. I am really looking forward to having a newborn in my arms (aww) and hopefully being a slightly more confident mother!

Oh yes bramblina forgot to say I am glad your dp has some tideover work possibilities and hopefully a really fab job is just around the corner.

Hiya folks. Well thank God I stopped breastfeeding when I did, because a few days later I was in hospital having my appendix out!! I must have had some sixth sense, I think . Back home now, feeling pretty good, though I have to be careful not to overdo things or lift too much. Dh really enjoyed his extra "bonding time" too, so all's well that ends well

Ds has tried out walking, walked three steps across the room twice in a row, just before I went into hospital, and we thought, wahey, he's cracked it! But nooo, he's done one step (from one sofa to the other) a few times, and can stand unsupported for up to 10 seconds, but prefers to zip around on his hands and knees - much faster!! He's an exceptionally contented baby though, so not in any hurry to go off exploring just yet. Talking and undertanding still coming on well - he understands things like "where's your rabbit?" "can you take the plug out?" (in the bath) and "do you want a clean nappy on?" - for that one he crawls over to his changemat, then lies down with his feet in the air!!

Since I stopped breastfeeding, he's also sleeping better (ironically) - will go from 7pm to 8am and sometimes later. Still having two sleeps during the day of up to two hours each too.

So sorry to hear about the job bramblina, just before christmas too!! I feel almost guilty about ds and his sleeping habits - sorry so many of you are having a tough time of it just now! If it's any consolation this sleeping so long is very new to me, he's been the hardest of the three to get sorted sleepwise.

Glad you are feeling better Miaou. Your ds sounds like a real cutie nappy changes are a nightmare here but we turn it into a game and I let him 'escape' from the changing mat when he doesnt have a pooey bottom!

Pookey what fantastic news! Congratulations! I think I'm a little jealous...! Not sure when to go for it, we were thinking spring/summer for hopefully a spring baby but the job he started on Sunday is just temp (not liking it much either though will mean he's home for an extra day per week) and he really wants us to start our own business asap, I do too but that, a toddler and a pregnancy/baby doesn't seem like a good mix to me! We don't want to put off having baby no2 but dh is 35 tomorrow and is starting to get sick of the uncertainty of his job. Que cera cera...

I thought the clock change would shift ds really well but he went to bed at 8pm last night and didn't wake till 9am! Consequently he wouldn't go to bed till 9pm! Going to have to set my alarm for 8am tomorrow!

Ds is becoming quite heavy handed, he just likes to hit an awful lot, with an object. Sometimes it's an experiment (the dog got his spade on her head a few times) or a show of affection (friend's ds got a teapot on the head last week at playgroup), or, to be plain cheeky- with a smile on his face. He has usually got something in his hand, he's obsessed with phones or anything similar that can pretend to be one (he holds it to his ear and says "eyo") so if he comes towards me and I'm down at his level, he'll sometimes go to knock my head with it. At first, he would get a firm row and we'd remove the object but now he seems to search for something then search for a person..and today I had to knock his head straight after he hit me with it, just so he sees how sore it is. He cried and I felt awful but I don't know what else to do. Other than that he is a lovely boy, and a joy to be with. He doesn't do it all day but if he's in that mood he could try for a good 5 minutes. It sounds like I'm describing someone else's child here and it's not nice. When he started pulling hair, we would pull his back and he soon stopped but I find it difficult to hit him back when I really don't think he full understands. Got to knock it on the head though oh god what a pun. Any advice...?

Sorry to hear about your op Miaou, I had mine out by keyhole and that was quite something so I can imagine with an emergency you really need time to yourself, good luck for a speedy recovery.

bramblina.....you are describing my ds there!! i nearly shaved all my air off yesterday because he really pulls fistfulls of it out....and he hits out with toys too. he just really thinks it is funny, but sometimes he really hurts me, and when we're at friends/group i have to follow him like a hawk to stop him doing it to other children. i have become one of those mothers who hovers over her child!
we didn't cope so well with the clock change here, and ds had us up at 5am this morning which reduced me to tears because i am just so tired.

obviously i mean hair not air......

Hope you're feeling better soon Miaou. Congrats Pookey!

Bramblina, my DS is the same. Worse than ever today as he's been watching me hammering some flat pack furniture and now thinks hammering me with a block of wood is OK! No words of advice, I can't get DS to stop hitting me and throwing things either!

Oh Pookey I missed that, congratulations!!!

Re. the hitting thing, I look ds firmly in the eye, and say "no" quite loudly and in a low tone. It often makes him cry , but gradually he is realising that mummy is Not Pleased and he Shouldn't Do It. Takes a long time and consistent handling but he should get there in the end (worked for my dds anyway!)

well fingers crossed the clock change seems to have turned dd back to a sleeper, she is bedded 7.30/8 and up 12 hours later though ihad better watch what i say she will be up dancing all night!

Congrats Pookey!!

all you pg girls are hardy, i would love number 3 think i will wait till we move house to think about it though and get it done quick before i get too used to being in the toddler stage

DDs blister thing has gone thanks, i have a sneaky feeling that she fell at her grannies and she wont admit it to me!!!

Hope you feel better and recover soon maiou

DD is that child also loves to bash you about the head with something mainly her milk cup when she is having a cuddle before bed, she got really angry at DS at the weekend when they were playing and she headbutted him(well he was stealing her toys) i did warn him he would be the one in tears, when she is like that we tent to tell her no she is a naughty baby and stop playing with her, it has seen her calm down abit she mostly strikes when hacked off with her big brother now which will only get worse!!!

Lets hope a white witch will come down to visit us all tonight and make all our troubles vanish

Happy Halloween

Congratulations Pookey and hope you're recovering Miaou. Tigerlion must have had her baby by now - has anyone heard?

On Saturday I put the boys to bed later and DS2 woke up at 5.30am new time, so that was better than feared. He's now back to waking up around 5am, no matter if he goes to bed at 7pm or 8pm, and DS1 has been waking at around 5.30am. Why do I never have a child who sleeps to a respectable hour?

I took DS1 (5) trick or treating for the first time last night, just to neighbours' houses. He has been so excited for days and was a little overwhelmed by it all. DS2 looked adorable in a Little Devil outfit, complete with horned hat.

Cold outside, isn't it? That's just London, so heaven knows what it's like for you lot in Scotland.

minus 1 degrees where I am tonight azure... but I'm sure the ladies further north are far lower! Mind you, we live in a bit of Fife that seems to get it worse than the rest. Just hoping we don't get snowed in when I go into labour!

DS is a variable waker - anything from 5-7am. The variation is worse I reckon as I'll go to bed later expecting a 7am wakeup and get a 5am one or vice versa! I bet you'll find that in 12 yrs time you won't be able to get them out of bed

Hi guys, I hope you dont mind me asking for some advice.

Missy currently has the most terrible nappy rash (I presume thats what it is) it is glowing red with some small spots and she has been in such pain that she has screamed when we have wiped her after a nappy change, has been reluctant to sit down in the bath and keeps trying to rip her nappy off. I have been putting Sudocrem on which normally clears it up straight away, it has got a bit better but is still there. I have tryed some no nappy time but havent had much of a chance to do this. It could be a tooth, it could be something to do with her MMR which was 7 days ago, we have had a couple of runny nappies.

Is there anything else I can do or do you think I should take her to the docs?

Thx in advance! x

(an out of the blue post from kipper just to offer advice! sorry, we're all fine here but things are manic! promise to post properly soon. )

nat - i was having the same problem a few months back. a friend advised me to put a layer of vaseline on before the sudocrem. i was sceptical but it really did work like magic. hth.

Nat, I swear by metanium (MN recommendation) - it's a bit pricey (nearly £4 for a tube) but it works wonders. Ds had such a sore bum it was bleeding (ouch!!) and this sorted it out incredibly quickly when sudocrem just wasn't cutting the mustard.

Wow, I've missed loads.

CONGRATULATIONS pookey! You pg ladies are multiplying! Am quite envious, but keep thinking about those sleepless nights in the early days again [shudder emoticon]

Miaou, hope you're recovering from your appendicitis well, can't imagine having that AND then having a toddler as well to chase around.

Any news on the pushchair josey?

Well, ds coped well with the hour change, but is poorly again
He was sent home from the cm this morning for projectile vomiting all over the breakfast table.
It was really awkward as school didn't have any cover for me, and dp was stuck in a traffic jam on the M4, so in the end I had half an hour to get him from the cm, to my mums, (who wasn't impressed to have her washing day disrupted)and back to school again. Then spent rest of the day worrying about him.
But he does seem a bit better now.

Nat just to confuse things I swear by Burt's Bees, Canadian but I'm told boots sell it. Also pricey but hey ho what can we do? Cleared up ds's in a day. I have also done the vaseline on first and found it good. Also don't use wipes if you normally do. When ds gets sore I make up some camomile tea and wash him well (lots) with that,I just make a fresh cup each morning and it does all day. We still aim for a bit of nappy free time too but it's hard keeping him over a hard floor surface!!! Good luck with that.

HV phoned this afternoon, ds is having his MMR tomorrow. She's away next week for a month so good to get it over and done with I suppose.

Poor ds PP. Mine was a complete whinge today, quite unlike him. I'm blaming it on the teeth (yes, again) as he's had little red cheecks and burning ears. Shame it was the day my friend and her two dds (one 6 wks) came for lunch! Ds was again a bit "heavy handed" with affection (?) for the baby, bit of a worry. He also was confused by the sharing idea! We try to socialise as much as poss, 3 playgroups a week, and friends etc but today was quite an eye opener for me. I'm worried that if we don't address it now he'll be stuck almost "selfish". I'm probably reading too much in to it; those of you with older ones, did you find yourself having to make a real effort to instill sharing etc or does it come later? I'm confused by how much he's "supposed" to know or grasp at this age...? IYSWIM I had a quick thought of putting him to the creche for a couple of hours, but our local one isn't all that great and wonder if he'll be even more encouraged by the awful ones that go?

Yes suzi, it is bl**dy cold here! Snow on the mountains!

bramblina, the concept of sharing is one that children don't grasp until the age of 4 or 5, so relax!! Neither will he understand about being gentle for at least another year (no harm in teaching him though). Ds likes to hit/scratch and through it's a sign of affection I say "no, gently", then catch his hand and stroke it gently against my face. He now repeats "gently" back to me (well, more like "jeh-jeh" but I know what he means!). But he needs reminding every time

Do you have the play@home book where you are? Page 10 gives a few indicators of behaviour at this age

Fab Miaou, thanks. New play book arrived while we were on holiday and it's still in the "to do" pile bed time reading tonight then. I'll stop panicking now, and keep re-inforcing. Just a bit of a worry isn't it when your child seems to be the only one behaving this way, isn't it? But then where I live we're lucky if 10 babies are born in a year!
Thanks again.

DS hasn't a clue about behaviour around other kids as we don't really socialise with any others (as all things conincide with his nap times!). He has NO concept of sharing and I don't think he will have for another year or two. Although I do try and encourage it as I know he takes in far more than we give him credit for.

Yes, where I live there is only one other baby the same age, and he has been walking since he was 11 months! Enough to make you paranoid, isn't it

bramblina, miaou's right, children just don't understand sharing until they're much older. All a baby sees is a toy and that they think it's theirs, so when you take it away, or another child takes it, they don't understand why your're taking something they like away from them.
It's all very confusing for them - but keep trying I suppose.

As for the being gentle, I do think ds 'gets' this, at least he does if you say 'gently' to him.
When we say 'gently' and go 'ahhhhh', he is very gentle indeed. Of course it doesn't stop him then whacking you round the head the next minute with his truck

hi all there has been alot of posts all of a sudden.

on the nappy thing i dont use anything till she has bother and when i do use cream it heals very quickly think im just lucky though!

Still no sign of the buggy grrr!! what is making it worse we were given the go ahead to get one for the value of £30 to keep us going, my MIL got it when in town as she had dd with her that day and despratly needed one, she made a very bad choice!! not only could she not get it together (it was a DIY job) in the car park(have to say the thought made me chuckle) dd hates it and refuses to stay in it i dont know why but its really hard work as she is so heavy and not walking to give your arms a few mins break! and as my mum said at the weekend its like pushing a dodgy trolly in the supermarket

on the sharing DD is quite good, though if she doesnt want to share she is strong willed about it, i have more of an issue with Ds who is 6!! i try playing with a toy myself when she shows intrest giving it to her saying your turn, then i ask for it back saying my turn, she sees this as a game in itself. She doesnt often mix with kids but when she does she plays fine with them just has the sibling issue of its mine with DS which is only natural, infact a couple of days ago he was teasing her taking her toys away, he was lying on the floor and she crawled over quickly and headbutted him really hard

today she has got brave and has been taking both hands off what ever she is balancing against she sometimes uses her tummy for support but about 2 seconds into her realising she isnt holding on she quickly drops to her knees in shock so getting there slowly.

PP hope your lo is better soon.

sorry i seem to have rambled alot

Great to see there have been a lot of posts.

DS2 has worked out how to open the downstairs stairgate and gleefully opens it to head upstairs by himself. He can't open the other two we have (each are different types) and so I think I'll swop it with the one that just leads up to my bedroom (on the 2nd floor). I'll be so glad when we don't need them anymore.

I had a day off work yesterday and went to a Christmas fair with my sister. As we have 5 kids between us we couldn't remember the last time we met up by ourselves without at least one child with us, and it was great. We shopped (well, mostly browsed), had lunch with a glass of bubbly, and chatted and it was fab.

Regarding sharing, my two can be a nightmare together. I wouldn't expect DS2 to have much of a concept but expect better of DS1 at five. When one of them is playing with something, the other inevitably wants it - regardless of what it is. Having said that, they were both playing nicely together with the trains on the playtable this morning, which was great to see. DS1 is fine with other kids, I think it's an attention thing with his brother.

Have a nice weekend everyone. I hope the fireworks don't keep the little ones awake.