June 2013; Toddling into our second year!

[BeanCalledPickle]

New thread ladies:-) I think we filled about ten threads when pregnant and this is only our fourth post natally!

We never put the muslin away either. It's kind in my nose when I have a cold. It wipes her snot. And puke and everything else. Could not live without!

Sick kids are so draining. Polly had some knock out bug for a week and spent most her time clinging on. This of course coincided with a major cannot be missed Court of Appeal hearing. Through which I pretty much slept..

Greetings from Uganda. I'm missing my Lil.

There is a 1 year old in the guest house I'm staying in. Unfortunately he won't let me squish him. Apparently complete strangers are not all that interesting to him.

Bugger.

Maybe I should start up a business. $10 a hug for parents missing their little ones when travelling.

Ohhh sunny that must be hard. Just think of all the squishy hugs you'll get on your return home. Bt she's missing you too.

When are you home?

Small child here finally slightly improved. But is now cutting another two blasted teeth. Poor bugger has it all going on this week.

Hope everyone is ok in the weather. We just have lots of wind and rain. Good thing about most of Devon, we miss the snowy times - and if we do get any it doesn't last long!

As always, entirely jealous of your job. I have a high court hearing in Cardiff tomorrow. Living the dream.

Well I do try to cultivate jealousy of my job. The truth is I just swap one office and boardroom for another when I travel but try to hype it up for my Facebook audience. I haven't yet resorted to stealing photos off the Internet and pretended they were mine but that doesn't mean I'm above such skullduggery.

This will be my longest trip to date. 12 days in total. Think DH is going to enjoy it though. he's got loads of days off and is planning all sorts of adventures including sledging and swimming.

I think that's often the case! Various friends have to travel to New York for work. They fly late in the day, are expected to sleep on arrival and be in the office the next morning. And then fly back over night and be in the london office the next morning. It's not glam. In the slightest!

fruit. how do you get it into your little ones?
Dd is going thru a phase of not wanting any. she'll have smoothies, and fruit juice, both I try to make myself. But actual bits of fruit is a no go.
Banana in porridge is now spat out.

She isn't great with veg, but I can hide that in sauces and soups etc and just about get away with it.

Any tips welcome!

No real tips Pink as we have a bit of a fruit bat. Sorry! Generally blueberries are fail-safe. Banana and satsuma also reliable, with pear being tolerated from time to time. I think I would continue to offer a variety and accept that she may not eat it for a while. Fruit that she can help herself to is probably easier?

Teething/illness seem to skew ds's appetite for things and then he gets over his temporary dislike of something. Does she eat it elsewhere? DS eats all sorts of things at nursery that he won't touch at home

DD loves fruit too so no helpful tips here. She likes having a whole banana in the mornings - have you tried giving one in the skin rather than adding it to porridge as DD loves holding them and peeling the skin down? Strawberries are another favourite. I don't think they're as nice at this time of year (Egyptian) but she is still eating them, again she enjoys eating them herself. As are clementine/satsumas etc.

When we were weaning her we'd add puréed and then mashed fruit into her natural yoghurt every day, you could try that. We don't bother now as she loves natural yoghurt by itself.

Dried fruit totally counts as well. Everyday rai rai are demanded loudly and go. This being raisins and mango. Doesn't have to be fresh. I try not to worry too much though she does eat a lot of beige food, like her mother! I'm trying to not let it be a battle ground as I fear that way it will become a bigger issue.

I'll keep going with the fruit!

After averaging about three hours sleep a night last week, my dd slept from 7-5 the night before last. First time ever. And currently she is still sound asleep after settling just after 7 last night. Sleep is amazing!!

Sleep IS amazing Pink

We had our first ever sleeping all night long last night. Well, DS did. The curtain rail in our room came crashing down in the middle of night which gave us a bit of a fright!

Brilliant pink and mrs! Long may it continue!

Now this is weird - we had DS sleep 9pm-745am on Sunday night and 8.30pm-720am last night! This has never happened before ! What's going on, do you think?

no idea! she had a brief relapse last night and woke twice, very quickly settled again. wonder what tonight will bring.

I'm stupidly feeling more tired having had more sleep...

yey for what ever it is tho!

It's funny how the more they sleep, the more tired we get

Anyway, hooray to whatever is in the water/air/whatever that means our non compliant sleepers have got with the programme for now

Yeah, I couldn't sleep! Too busy waiting for him to wake!

Good grief. 6.45 - 5.30. Then half an hour of babbling to toys then demanded to get up at 6. That's good going really!

wow Mrs!

dd didn't settle untill around 10 last night, a friend 'popped' in just as I had put her down, of course she then refused to sleep. And then was clingy and over tired but did sleep until 7.
its all swings and roundabouts isn't it.

Even that sounds vastly improved Pink

I think I now need to learn to go to bed myself between 9 & 10 and then my early starts won't be so sluggish. Anything after 6am is acceptable, anything after 6.30am is lovely and the once in a blue moon post 7am wake up really does feel like a lie in!

Now, can anyone recommend puzzles/games that we can do at the table? I have got into the habit with ds of doing jigsaw puzzles (well, those ones with wooden pieces that slot into a board with the shapes cut out) after dinner. It's a nice habit, he'll concentrate for 20mins or so, isn't messy and is quite gentle. But doing the same four puzzles day in day out is a bit dull for me!

Yay for all the sleeping babies!

Mrs81 I love anything by Melissa & Doug. We have basic animal cut out puzzles, plus a couple of the sound puzzles, which make a sound when you put the shape in. They also do nice 12-piece wooden jigsaw puzzles (4 in a box) - I can't imagine my 18 mo dd being able to do them, but I do remember my ds could do them by 2, so depends how good a puzzler yours is. Threading beads very popular here (chunky wooden ones with insect shapes and beads). M&D also do nice reusable sticker books, with vinyl stickers you can keep re-making the scenes.

Mrs its bliss. And I have been trying this week to switch off and be asleep by 10. I'm not good at switching off tho.

Will have a think about puzzles, sounds like a lovely habit to get into. when I have a dining room I hope we can use the table for lots more things. Currently the dining room has my new shower in it, and boxes still. By 2020 I think I may be sorted!

Dd quite likes stickers and will do those for a bit, would something like that be any good?

Just spent a happy half hr looking at Melissa and Doug stuff and mentally spending far too much money! Thank you for the ideas The puzzles that make a sound might be a good place to start; maybe some bead threading in a month or two. Reusable stickers are fuzzy felts in disguise??
DS was given chunky dominoes for Xmas that is allegedly for 18m and above. Whilst he can't swallow them (hence age thing I guess) he has no concept of what on earth you're meant to do with them. They will be brought out again in a few months/years time!

We've got DD the Melissa and Doug play kitchen for her birthday (Black Friday bargain; way too organised!). She's also got one of the animal puzzles plus reusable stickers. And some stamping sets which she's a touch young for, but hey ho!

If anyone spots the pots and pans that go with the kitchen at a good price let me know! They sold them before the kitchen on Amazon, so I didn't get them.

DD loves colouring in and will sit for a good while doing that. We often find her 'reading' too, which is sweet.

We're jigsaw crazy here too. Most of ours have come from Oxfam or given by friends and family. She's good at the wooden ones but hasn't yet got the hang of the large cardboard jigsaws.

Tje other joy in Lily land is play doh and crayons. So far the walls are clean but don't give it long.