The 9th Broadly Gemini Bus - the one with first birthdays!

[Lorelei353]

Ooh Inge to start a new thread. So if the last one was the one where they don't sleep, then they'll start to sleep now, yes?

I go back to work next Weds Kitty. DS started properly today. Full day today, tomorrow and Friday. I've just done a lovely yoga class and am using the next few days to have lunches, get hair cut etc. miss DS though.

pear definitely want to hear all TTC details! I'm beginning to accept that I will do it all again but not yet!

Oh, in other news... I'm exhausted. Didn't manage to go to sleep before 3am last night. Not entirely sure how that happened but DH not even getting home until 9.45 didn't help! Then this morning he slept through his alarms & woke up in a complete panic because his final deadline for his big project is this week & he was supposed to be driving over 2.5 hours away today! He should've been nearly there when he woke up! It was still earlier than I, or the DC, would normally be awake but I had to get up to calm him down & make his breakfast while he frantically tried to call someone. He woke the DC up with his faffing. Calf didn't go to sleep until nearly midnight last night because I let him sleep during the day so he's been seriously grouchy all morning & it was a loooong morning! Hopefully he'll be in a better mood when I bring him down from his quiet time in a few minutes! I just want to sleeeeep! Zzzzzzzz......

Oh, oh, oh, oh welcome back Lib We've missed you SO TREMENDOUSLY! And that's seriously the bestest news!! I'm so excited for you! . Please keep posting on here instead of abandoning your first mumsnet family to a different antenatal board. We need every, single, little detail of everything that happens to you. We're getting some serious baby fever over here and need to live vicariously through a preggo momma. Welcome back my fellow hippy-mama. You will be amazed on how easy newborns are compared to these little walking/talker/tantruming beings. #squeeeee! So excited for you! When is this little one scheduled to arrive?

I second agnu's approach. M is a bonafide tantrumer and usually I have to just help her get to the floor level without smashing her head on the hrdwood floor and then let her scream it out a bit before talking to her and then distracting her with something else. Low blood sugar tantrums usually require a small drop of honey and then she'll settle down and eat something.

Still sick. Took M to urgent care at 5 am this morning because she couldn't stop coughing and her mouth started turning blue.... and of course once we get there she completely stops coughing, is happy as a clam, her O2 stats are absolutely fine, no fever, and her lungs sound perfectly clear. Me on the other hand, still feverish, can't sleep due to chills and then crazy hot flashes that end up with me drenched in sweat, still sore throat, cough, runny nose, the works. Then on my way home DH calls to say that "he doesn't feel well" and he's taking another day off work and that he's dropping the boys off at school. The minute I walk into the door DS1's school calls and says he needs picking up ASAP as now he's got conjunctivitis. Super fun day. Pooped out over here and in desperate need of a nap.

Oh bring you're such a superstar mummy! How did you even type that last post?!?!!!!

Hi Lib Massive congratulations to you! How exciting! Please do keep sharing with us! I love hearing pregnancy news!

Agnu!! Naughty you for going to bed so late but I really can't talk because I was up until 3am mentally torturing myself about the TTC decision and finally coming up with an answer.

Frus ~ um. I'm not sure what to say. I don't think you need me to say anything

Welcome back lib Do stay! And congratulations again.

So, my update:
DS is a bright, affectionate, outgoing and independent little boy. Loves to hug and kiss anyone and smiles and chats to people when we're out and about. He has a pretty great collection of words and animal sounds now. I work four days and so does DH so DS is in nursery three days a week. He loves It there, playing with all the other kids and all the different toys and messy play. He's grown up a lot since moving from baby to toddler room. He is however beginning to tantrum more so proper toddlerhood is on its way. DH and I are debating if we'll have another. No decision as yet from either of us.

bring look after yourself. Hope you all get better soon.

frus you're going to go on a date? After everything? How are you feeling about it all?

agnu off to bed with you. You too pear AFTER you tell us your TTC decision!

But what is the decision pear what?!? Try try try < chants under breath>

Lib yeay you've returned!!! Please stay! I'm very broody so make it worse by telling me exactly how you feel, any sign you were preggers??
We were the same with 18+ months dd1 one time sex second time. You will see that babies are easy peasy, it's the toddlers that are the hardwork!
On that note we had razor incident no2 last night, I can't believe I've managed to wound both children with the same instrument . I thought it was out of her reach and she was right next to me but she made a grab and oh the blood, it honestly looked like a mass slaughter had taken place
In positive news she's started saying a few words together now like " where are they" ( her toes) which is very cute and pease more is still her fav word

Bring it sounds terrible at yours, rest up as best you can
Frus what is going on with you and dh? It's like Jeremy kyle
Agnu we do the same tantrum wise, hope your in bed

Ooooo I forgot my update!!

My little 18mth old treasure is v strong willed. His tantrums started very early and I've learnt distraction is the key with him. We currently have a stash of stickers on a roll in his changing table draw. He's allowed to choose one and proudly pats it on his top whilst I swiftly plonk him on the changing mat. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't He loves loves balls and enjoys playing catch. Instead of saying 123 he will go mm mm mm to mimic the numbers. He's just started to crawl through tunnels and blow bubbles in the bath. He's not in nursery. I've given up my managerial job because I adore spending every day with him. It's insane but I totally love it. He's converted me but I try and stay grounded so that I don't become totally lost and after many many months debating when is the right time to start TTC At 3am I decided now is the right time and I will let fate decide the DD

Lor ~ I also just standby and let the tantrum subside. I often say "it's OK mummy's here" and offer a hug. Bpear often wants a hug at the end when the storm has passed. Distraction again is very helpful. Sometimes a funny clown dance or star jumps works

Oh and frus forgottoaddcpuld nappy rash be thrush? Kitten had bad nappy rash that seemed to get worse rather then better and wouldn't shift and doctor said thrush and cleared it right up with some cream,didn't look like thrush at all x

Yeay pear, exactly what I think is right, that's what I tried to say with my dd1 due date 21sep born 31st aug, you just can't know what's going to happen, how long something will take etc when the time is right it will happen for you keep us updated is it ov time now??

I should probably also add that I've given up my job and made huge changes in my spending habits because my DH is able to support the family for a few years before I go back to work. I know I'm lucky and that not everyone is in that situation...just thought I should add that as some of you work so hard and are brilliant working mummies. I know there are good and bad points to both worlds...just didn't want to come across like I was saying everyone should not work

OV time at the weekend Kitty

Oh we get "pweassseeee!" too. 'more' remains a firm.favourite but I think he knows he gets a better response with please.

pear point understood. I wouldn't give up work even if we could afford it, as I love my job but not everyone feels that way. It's lovely that you get to make the choice you want

Frus ~ we only have "mama" and "dada" oh and "Ma ma Ma" when he wants something.

Lor ~ thanks I am happy. That's all that matters isn't it. If I had a job I loved like you then maybe things would be different. Maybe.

Oh gosh Kitty! Hopefully that will teach her to stay away from the razors from now on!

I am also in a financially-secure position, but I love getting to be ME and do what I love, so I choose to work part-time. I did the stay-at-home bit for the first 2 years of DS1 and part of baby DS2's lives and decided that I make a much happier mum when I am mentally challenged and am able to get out of the house and be around other adults. I so wish I was a mum who could get all of the fulfillment that I need out of staying at home with my children, and homeschool them but I realised that I need to stop beating myself up in that I'm not that person and things have just gotten so much better after I finally admitted that to myself. They are happy and are blooming under their time at Montessori school and now with DS1 in public school.

Yep, thrush can give a killer nappy rash. Try some antifungal cream and hopefully it'll clear up for the poor guy!

Jeesh lady, Frus. This is totally making up for the fact that I miss my Jeremy Kyle-watching days in the UK.

Update on M: She's obsessed with baby-dolls and puppies. She does a little prance-type run around the house and likes to chase her big brothers around the house pretending she's a dinosaur and roaring at them (they LOVE it). She's really picky at what she'll eat right now, which is infuriating and the only savory type foods she'll touch are pasta pieces and eggs (but only if they're omelette-style with a small amt of cheese) but she'll devour anything that resembles a cracker or biscuit or cheese. She's a great little affectionate human and loves to blow kisses, give kisses (although they tend to be really snotty right now, which is just gross), and waves and says "bye" all the time to everyone. Favorite words are: more, please, cheese, baby, mommie, dada, nana (both for nana and banana), see-see (for her granddad, TC), papa for my dad, milkies for bf'ing (which just end up sounding like "please"), and "stop it" (which I can't even try to type out how she says it, but it somehow does actually sound like STOP IT). She also refuses nappy changes so most of the time it's on backward as she always rolls onto her belly when I'm trying to change it, and the little stinker will fall asleep in the car even if we've only been driving for 5 minutes.

Kitty ~ razors!! You must have been mortified. So easily done though They're soooo cheeky and quick! Bpear now helps himself to anything on the kitchen counter so I can no longer leave chopping boards around!

Bring ~ I know exactly what you mean about guilt! I've struggled with guilt about loving being at home too much and so many working mums try and make me feel guilty. In fact just a few months a go I got a couple of comments from one certain mummy about how she could never do what I do and guess what she's quit her job and is now suddenly a SAHM grrrrrr! Having to bite my tongue on that one

Can any of you recommend a nappy brand that will actually keep bpear dry from night to morning? We're using Pampers Huggies and after a 10hr sleep he wakes up soaking...probably why he's waking up!

I mean Pampers dry...obviously not Huggies! Really need to go to bed early tonight

DS is a real chatterbox - has quite a lot of words now - but given who his parents are, it's no surprise. I'm a total Irish-motormouth and DH can talk a mile a minute too. Like you said frus it's hard not to compare but the parameters or normal are huge at this age aren't they? It's like walking, DS pulled himself up and cruised around relatively early on but he was the last in my NCT group to actually walk. He cruised around for months and months before branching out on his own.

Yes kitten was soo slow at walking 15 months until she started and to me her speech is way slower then tigers but id heard second kids can be anyway, it's all at their own pace!
Being m sounds very similar to kitten with dolls and puppies, she loves them too she has her baba which she likes to mother. She's a very good eater though, we havnt had a food she's refused I don't think so way different from most kids although she's having way to much crap for my liking too, that's the thing with an older sibling, imaging letting them have a choc a day via advent calendar and not let your 18 month old,absolutely no chance!
She is by far the most cuddly child I've ever known and loves being the baby, she's most happy sat on my lap with her thumb in her mouth but she's no desire to be independent why walk when you can be carried and why use a spoon when mum can do it, if I go anywhere near her she gives me the spoon as though to say here you go you do it when she's perfectly capable herself. Totally different from tiger and my niece who were so fiercely independent wanting to be big girls! She does love to sit on the potty though when tiger is on the toilet as though to join in

Oh and pear I'd love to be a sahm and I love my job too but love it more at home, the difference is I wouldn't want to home school and I'd like to go back to work when they are at school age or when I've no children at home to look after and therein lies my problem, if I quit I'd unlikely get my job back plus not sure we could afford it either without it being a real struggle

pear yay for TTC! Give it a couple of days & we'll be expecting you to be running up & down the stairs! Can you order a whole load of cheap tests & start doing one a day & posting photos so we can all squint at them?

My sister claimed my razor fell into her bath when she was about 8. It must've leapt off a nearby shelf, losing its cover along the way & plunged itself into the water without her noticing.... Somehow she managed to cut her bum with it! Amazing amount of blood, I couldn't stop laughing & got told off for leaving it out! Hope DD is ok now kitty!

We've not got many words here either. He's said a total of about a dozen words just once or twice but generally prefers to grizzle while I reel off a list of things he might want. When I say the right thing he nods enthusiastically & says "yus". He understands simple instructions - bring that, put it there, etc - so I'm not too concerned about his speech. I think he can communicate well enough to satisfy his needs for the time being! He's got a really cheeky sense of humour though! Loves hiding behind things to play peek-a-boo & will frequently run away when I ask him to come & falls over giggling if I chase him! So cute but also rather frustrating if I'm in a rush!

Pretty sure Calf was beginning to join a few words at this age. We have a video of him at about 18m, I think, investigating a box saying "wha's tha?" Now, however, his fantastic speech seems to be sliding. We try to teach him to reply "yes, please"/"no, thank you" when offered something but these days we're mostly getting "nyu" whether he wants it or not! Thought we had a few years yet before we got to the teenage grunting!

We use pampers active fit which usually keeps both of them dry, even when they're in them for 14 hours like today! They don't get a huge amount of liquid right before bed though.

I went to sleep at about 1.30am... & woke at about 9.30! Calf was still in his bed when I put Runt in his room while I went to the loo... "No, Mammy, I'm still sleeping."