The 8th Broadly Gemini Bus- The one where the babies refuse to sleep!

[bringonthetrumpets]

Numero 8!

Hoping for some actual sleep tonight!

Oh and the health shop lady also said she didn't recommend vitamins for babies as they should be getting enough veg and fruit in their diet unlike older children who refuse to eat certain foods. Suppose she makes a good point unless you are doing baby led weaning! Anyway, I have been wondering if vitamins were necessary at this age. My DH thinks I'm nuts to listen to this green friendly lady and not the person who did 7 years at med school

Poor M is still "birthing" her poos over here. She will not drink the prune juice, so we are trying actual prunes right now and some yogurt for the probiotics. It sounds like all the things that should help pear I've also decided to stop giving M any kind of gluten or breads and eliminating bananas as they are all binding foods. We'll see what happens with those being cut out for a while.

We had to relearn how to latch when DS2's top teeth starting coming in. It was a process, but I had to make sure he was really opening his mouth again. Sounds like you need some nobody-touching-me time after all that frus!

M still hasn't really figured out the coordination to crawl yet. She's kind of bum-shifting, swiveling herself around and the bellyflopping and getting back up to sitting. She's very creative at getting to where she wants to go. She's kind of done some downward-facing dog poses today too. She's a little yogi

Frus I was trying to get Runt to sign "more" today. Or food. Or drink... He laughed at me! He also thinks it's hysterical when I say "mamamama" at him. It's like our own private joke! I think he knows full well what I want him to do but is refusing to because he can. Calf, meanwhile, is now demanding to know the scientific names of all the plants in a plant book I've been looking at! He says "what's that?" repeatedly until I've finished guessing "plant? leaf? flower?" & tell him the latin. He then spends the next few minutes charging round the room chanting it like it's a spell! Odd child! Our new elder tree Sambucus nigra as Calf would gleefully tell you arrived today. Perhaps I should make him an elder wand & he can rule the wizarding world!

I went outside today & met new people! It was fun! Calf was the only small child trying to explore everywhere he shouldn't repeatedly & Runt made a new 'friend' who was fascinated with his nose/tongue/eye. I put a stop to the poking when the eye gouging began! It was a home ed group for under 8s & it was so lovely to be able to chat about home ed without being looked at as if I'd sprouted a second head!

Oh, & Runt is so nearly crawling! Except he can't keep his knees under him! He can be on all fours & rock back & forth. He can move his legs forward. He can move his hands forward. He can't do these things simultaneously! Bless! He's so desperate to be on the move that he's started lying on his belly & clawing at the floor. He can move about an inch doing that! I love the sound of M's moving bring! Although, I must admit, I like the fact that I can sit Runt somewhere & know he'll still be there when I get back because he hasn't figured out how to deliberately lie down yet!

Oh yay agnu! I'm so glad it went well today and you had a good time. That's hilarious that your #1 likes latin names. My #1 is very scientifically-minded and will just spew out random facts to me all day if I'd let him.

We're working on signs here too. M has signed "more" a couple of times and then has gone on to devour a ton of food, so I think we may be onto something...

Oh my goodness! Our first walker on the bus! Eek!

Could you wear a cardi to bed frusso to prevent the cold shoulders?

Why do babies have to be so inconsistent?! I'm so zzzzzzzzz Before bpear fell ill he woke at 5:30, had some food and went back to bed until 7am. I could so live with that. Now he wakes between 12&2am demands food and then wakes at 6am to start the day Soooooo frustrating!!

I'm not so convinced about teaching babies to sign

get pushed off

Ha ha pear, we won't push you
I've tried more with kitten too and she grins at me, it was because I'm sick of her method which is to lean forward with starey ayes and shout uuuugggghhhh at me very loudly!
She also did that similar crawl Agnu, the commando drag but when was motionless was on her hands and knees. She's properly mastered it now though and loves heading the the fire place to pick up coal when I shout her she laughs!! Honest to god!
Pear we still have problematic poo here too it is like birthing bring well described!! Some days are brilliant and I think that's definatly all of it not too hard not too painful then the next day she won't have one and it starts again I havnt used the lactolose though as it made so little difference that first week, I may have to cut out banana and bread again though. Is egg bad as she loves egg too?
Pear we have exactly the same teeth as you and I've a feeling all the top 4 will be here very soon! I have nothing on teeth and weening as kitten was very good and I stoped tiger at before she had any

Is kitten drinking a whole beaker of water a day? I'm convinced bpear is not drinking enough. He will only take 5 or 6 sips at mealtimes so I'm trying to follow him around with the beaker. Not an easy task!!

I can get her to drink about 5/6oz of water in the whole day but I do have to offer it every meal/snack and sometimes when she's in the car winging she will have it

Inconsistency is the worst. I agree. Some mornings I wake up with wonderfully full boobies and then the next morning I look like one someone pricked them with a pin and deflated them (b/c she'd been up 3,4,5, times) Although I have to disagree on the time, it could be worse? It could be that he's up and ready at 5 (DS#1 was like that, oiy, I've had gray hairs since I was 23 b/c of that kid).

And, I totally won't push you off the bus maybe just pretend nudge you but baby signing totally works! It takes some time and some kids get way more into it than others, but babies really like being able to express what they need. I don't use anymore signs than "hungry" "more" "milk" and "thank you" but all 3 kids just seemed so proud of themselves the first time they truly signed and then got what they were asking for. Also, its really not all that different from teaching a baby how to say "bye bye" or to clap, is it?

(Kitty I cannot stop laughing at an image of what described kitten doing when she wants something, hilarious!)

As far as I know, eggs are fine and shouldn't be causing the poo problem.

M doesn't really drink water yet. If she has any it goes right through her and she gets a mahoosively huge wet nappy.

DH was snoring his head off again last night and I moved yonder to the guest bedroom. BEST sleep I've had in so long. Also woke up before everyone else so I actually get to drink my coffee while it's still hot !!!

How'd the cold shoulders go last night my dear Frusso ?

Yes I do agree that baby signing works but I feel it slows down speech development. Also, kind of sick of hearing from mums about their 1-2 year olds who can sign 30 words but can't say any words. I know a 3 year old who can sign really well but no words...this is what I'm basing my theory on. I'm sure signing is brilliant for some but where I live it's turned into a crazy "my child can sign the alphabet" competition and I don't think that's healthy for the child or society! I'm the least bit interested in seeing what words Johnny is now able to sign every time I step out my front door

So yes signing is great for normal people like you bring but brings out the worst in others if you know what I'm getting at

Oddly I now know that if I meet someone who's going on and on about how wonderful signing is and how Johnny loves it, I now know we're probably not going to have a lot in common as I'm not a competitive mummy. I'm the mummy who claims to have baked something when really I brought it and smacked it about to look like my creation

Pear I do understand what you mean. It's kind of a "fad" thing right now and some parents do get way over the top about the whole thing. But, in defense for kids who do use signing as a form of communication, it's the way THEY feel the most comfortable expressing themselves. Sign language is another language in the end of the day, so I wouldn't really be worried about a 3 year old who feels better with signing than speaking. That 3 year old still has the mental capacity to understand the process of interacting with another person. I know some 3 year olds who don't know how to sign and they STILL refuse to speak. If they are around others who do speak aloud, and are able to hear, they will pick it up.

Just to point out, wouldn't that actually be the competitive mummy who claims to have baked something when she in fact, hasn't? In a non-competitive situation, I would just admit that, "Yep, I haven't baked this. I don't have time to be super-mum, I just bought the damn thing"

Hah hah yes! Perhaps just the lazy mum then Sorry but I'm standing my ground on this one. I just think babies should be busy doing things that babies are meant to be doing like learning to use muscles, explore new textures etc.

Hah hah yes! Perhaps just the lazy mum then Sorry but I'm standing my ground on this one. I just think babies should be busy doing things that babies are meant to be doing like learning to use muscles, explore new textures etc.

No, not lazy at all. There are just some times where mums just can't be made to do all! Besides, being a mum does not actually mean that you have to be an excellent all-star baker either. They are not mutually-inclusive. (I buy stuff. I hate baking)

Ok. Agree to disagree again I still think signing is learning as expressing one's self is so much more than just using words.

As far as I'm concerned, signing is just communicating more quietly! We've not found the need for more than the basic food/drink/nappy/more signs but it makes life so much more simple when you don't have to try to interpret a random grizzle or "buh-buh". I see no reason why signing is any less a form of communicating than using words. So what if they aren't the first to talk? What child who's capable of talking is going to stay quiet forever? I suspect that a child who prefers to sign is using it as a way to choose who they communicate with. Without being able to sign they may well have just refused to communicate with anyone or just whispered in their parents ear.

The only signing I get competitive about is my own - I can sign the alphabet better than DSis! FWIW, Calf spoke earlier than many others we know, despite being able to communicate his basic needs through signs. His first word was "giggle" when he wanted to be tickled! Competitive mums will always find something to compete with. Just because some people go OTT about it doesn't make the concept a bad idea. It's like breastfeeding or reading or not dumping the baby in front of Cbeebies for hours on end every day. Someone will always find a way to try to prove they're better than other mums!

I don't feel strongly about signing either way. All just what you're comfortable with really isn't it? We use them a little with DS but not a lot.

Going back to giving up bf (thread is moving too fast for me) I was hoping to stop before I went back to work in late May so that DH can get up some nights too, and also so he can feed DS if I don't make it home from work before bedtime which will happen occasionally. Also, if I'm honest, I think I'd like my body back by then too, and be able to wear decent bras again (a reminder that I was 32e before I got pregnant!).

Anyway it didn't feel like it was close to happening. DS has one formula feed a day but it can take two hours to get it into him via doidy cup or open bottle and only with food. He never took a bottle when he was younger so we gave up. Anyway I decided to give it a go today and lo and behold, 100ml drank straight down in minutes like a normal feed. Huzzah! We'll see if it was a one off but it was promising. My worry was that dh would find it impossible to calmly feed him before bed if I'm not there. Might be ok after all!