July 2006 (2)...Wobbly heads!

[koshkaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhh]

New thread girlys!

Hope everyone is ok.

Have put Jake to bed now, instead of at midnight, so i guess i'll be up early!!
Might go to bed now...

Thank you for all your welcomes. DS and I are doing fine, thanks.

Aidan weighed 8lb 1oz when born, lost quite a lot as I struggled to feed him, but regained well and is now nearly 14lb. Growing out of most of his 0-3 months clothes, and I have to say the 3-6 months sleepsuits I've bought don't look as if they'll last all that long! I'm still trying to b/f him but with a lot of formula as well now, due to many many problems that I won't go into here (have bored people with these on other threads) but hope it's still doing him some good at least.

A has started going 7-8 hours in the night now which is brill. However if his last feed turns out quite early in the evening I'm still having to get up at an ungodly hour in the night. Have tried waking him to feed at our bedtime, but I feel so guilty disturbing him.

He swapped a rattle from one hand to the other today for the first time. His head control is very good and he's really found his voice now which is SOO cute. BTW has anyone else had real trouble finding a basic plastic rattle that's easy to hold? Afraid I'm not too worried about him clocking himself on the head with it - am I a bad mother?!

I'm due to go back to work in January and am dreading it already, especially since my line manager and I fell out when I was pg.

Oh, and I stepped on the scales this morning and I've lost two pounds after staying at the same weight for weeks. Only a stone to go til I'm happy with it again! And my hair's falling out as well.

Think that covers my life at the moment. Will enjoy reading about how everyone else is doing.

Hi Chester DS wears a vest and a sleepsuit with a large sheet and cellular blanket doubled over. Our house is warm though.

Pretty- hope Junior is better soon x

Jane- Next sell sleepsuits/babygro's with attached mitts which fold over and completely cover the hands. They should keep your LO snug.

Twinkle- I have a gorgeous nephew called Aiden but he is a massive 9 years old

Welcome twinkle . Aiden is a lovely name, one of my faves.

Algach, congratulations!!! Gretna green sounds fab, very romantic!!

usandbump, glad you're back in the swing of things. Laundry really doesn't matter in the end does it, when you think of all the stuff we go through. Mind you it would be nice to have a clean pair of socks sometimes...
Losing my hair too, or I would if I bothered to brush it...

Dh is finishing up work today, well for a while at least until the next project, so we'll have some time together and I won't be on my own so much (with two gorgeous babies of course!). He'll probably spend all his time off on the phone or the internet though. Hmmmmm.

Kayley drank a load last night, she got through 16oz during the night. That's a lot isn't it? Maybe she's ready for a mashed banana...

must go, a hundred thank you cards to send.

Annie

hi all,

Chester- All Jasmine sleeps in is a vest, but it is well hot in our house and she still sleeps in my bed snuggled up close to me . Iread somewhere that babies over the age of 4 weeks dont need any more clothing than you do (and i sleep in the nude, coz of the heat}.

I really do take my hat off to those of you who have practised controlled crying. I cant do it, i find it too heartbreaking. but i am a soft touch. Hence, all three of my girls have been in my bed at some point.

I keep meaning to tell you about the great little teether i found. Its made by learning curve (i think), and it kinda looks likes a plastic beaded necklace. Its the only one jasmine can fit in her tiny hand and she loves it. She even comfort herself with it.Plus it's very colourful.

Pretty- sorry to hear abour your Lo, hope he gets better soon.

Is anyone else starting to feel any pressure about adding formula feeds to their breastfed baby?
My mum in particular has been campaigning to me for ages to put Jasmine on at least one bottle a day. In case I get sick or want to go out (she feeds every 2 hrs).
But I'd rather not, am well impressed with myself coz with my other two my breastfeeding efforts were not too good.

Anyway, gonna make me a cupa, so hope everyone is ok. Bye

Dom sleeps in vest, sleepsuit (or sometimes his nightie, so cute!) with sheet and 2 or 3 blankets. Haven't had the heater on in our room yet (hate heaters in bedrooms) and we seem to get warmth from downstairs. Don't have central heating, just storage heaters, which take a bit of fiddling around with to make sure we don't boil or freeze.

Pinkdolly - sounds like the bf is going well, don't let your mum pressure you to introduce a bottle if you don't want to . I feel a bit odd at some of the groups I go to because I'm still solely bf, seems a bit unusual round here. Also I have managed to do social things in the evening as he usually sleeps between 7pm until midnight, or later if I'm lucky. I've even managed to leave the house for a few hours under cover of darkness!

My mum and dad are staying for the weekend, mum is cooking a roast as I type and the boy is asleep in the sling on his dad's chest (ahh). Think I'm getting a bit of a cold, feel sore throat and shiveryness, grrr. My mum was telling me about the time she had flu when my bro was a baby. Apparently she stayed in bed with a fever and my dad just brought the baby in every couple of hours and popped him on the boob!

Goodness me, I must be freezing my LO! Our room is 18 or 19 degrees and he's just in a long sleeved bodysuit and a 1 tog grobag! But he seems to have inherited his dad's thermostat (he gets hot so easily) and I'm paranoid about him overheating. He must be OK as he's sleeping fine.

I doubt our room is as warm as 16 degrees overnight at the moment.

ds sleeps in a body suit and swaddled in a blanket, he's like me. gets hot very quick.

Morning everyone - have been really busy and not been able to post. Just caught up on everyones news.

Agalch - congratulations - how exciting - I think weddings are fab!!

Koshka - big hugs - hope things are improving and that you have got some help.

Twinkle - I am with you on the sleeping gear - having read what the others LO are sleeping in, I feel I must be freezing Josh at nights!! He sleeps in babygro and a 2 tog grobag - no blankets or vests!! But he does sleep through the nights so I am assuming he is ok!

A quick update on Josh - he is now 16 weeks old, weighed 14lb 3 oz at his last weigh in 10 days ago - I was so excited that he had reached a stone (sad I know!). No signs of wanting to be weaned yet so I am going to leave it as long as possible - good luck to those of you who are starting. All of Josh's hair on top of his head has now fallen out and he looks like an old man with a bald head but with a ring of hair round the back - Bobby Charlton style - v cute!

Work is still going through the process of deciding who gets jobs in the new structure and it is looking likely that I will have to go for an interview for my job in the next 2 weeks - however, I found out yesterday that the terms of redundancy have changed and it is now 1 months pay (rather than 1 weeks) pay for every year of service - I have 5 years which means I would get 5 months pay, tax-free - it is extrememly tempting to opt for voluntary redundancy (or deliberately perform crap at the interview!) so I get another 6 months at home with Josh without being skint - what do you all think I should do as I am a bit confused!!

(ex superblue)

KZ - when I read back what I wrote, I can't even believe I am considering going back to work as it seems the ideal solution to me - unfortunately DH is a worrier and keeps going on about how I will end up with no job in 9 months time and what will I do then?? I work in HR and jobs arent that easy to come by, particularly as when I do go back, I only want part-time which is even rarer - but, again, my ambitions have changed since Josh was born and I feel would be happy with any old job!

Confused, confused, confused...!! I just know that I am loving being a mum and being at home.

candj - think you and DH need to talk this one through. Could you manage on his salary for a while? Would freelancing work for you at all?

I am in a (sort of) similar situation with work. I work in voluntary sector, and my post only has guaranteed funding until March 2007. If replacement funding isn't secured soon they may have to make me redundant. Now, I wouldn't get a big payout (just statutory) but I'm guessing that I wouldn't have to pay back my extra maternity pay. This would come to about £3k, and would rather not have to shell out that at the mo. Being at home seems to be the right thing to do, I would like something else in my life, but don't think I could stomach going back to my current employers as things seem to be going pretty badly, demotivated team and lack of direction. I'm considering picking up my OU degree again, I'm also a voluntary director of a social enterprise, which is getting interesting at the moment (and is really family friendly - I bf at a board meeting yesterday!). I need to use my brain as well as babytalk I think.

And just remember - whatever we women do will be wrong in someone's eyes, so just concentrate on working out what's best for your little family.

KZ - I think the job would be fairly stable once all the changes are done as it is the NHS and they only do restructures like this once in a blue moon! I have had part-time hours agreed in principle before I finished but that was my old manager and old job so I have no idea yet whether it would be agreed in the new organisation - yet another issue to throw into the mix.....

Mae - I agree with you that I don't think I could be a full-time mum long-term as I need to use my brain but another 6 months sounds so inviting!! I guess me and DH need to talk seriously about it - we could manage on his salary with a few sacrifices but that wouldn't be the case for at least 9 months f I stretch out my redundancy and I am very much a 'cross that bridge then' person - unlike DH!!

Ta v much for all the advice Just off to the gym now for a VERY high energy aerobic class which I haven't done for over 12 months now - wish me luck, think I might need it!

evening girls, from the house of puke. DS1 got it friday night, then Toby, poor little mite. DS1 has eaten a whole piece of bread and jam all weekend, and Toby has taken about 2 bottles since lunchtime yesterday. Hasn't been sick since last night now though so hopefully we are on the mend. Jeez I hope so, DS1 has been a total monster all weekend. Confrontational defiant KZ? he's been that and more, I like to call it little bugger...

Toby sleeps in a vest a sleepsuit and a gro bag, and if I am up in the night I go and put a blanket on him if it's very cold. he does get cold hands sometimes, but let's face it it's not going to do them any harm is it..??

Meeting my boss tomorrow. He phoned last week to arrange and I told him then that i wanted the next 6 months unpaid leave, but tomorrow is to discuss. I expect they will take my phone PC and broadband away which is pants, but I will deffo get my own ISP, can't do without Mumsnet!! Quite fancy a new phone too, although obviously it was nice having it all paid for...

I am also angling for redundancy. The company I work for have been bought by a giant and i reckon they'll be laying off some dead wood, and a woman in a "man's job" (their thoughts I'm sure, not mine) with two kids is dead wood to them. Suits me. A couple of years at home would be great.

DS1 watched Mary Poppins for the first time this weekend! fabulous! Going to buy Chitty Chitty Bang bang now.........

Bloss

xxxxxxxxxx

Hi everyone,

KZ- Roshi is absolutly beautiful. She reminds me of dd2 at that age, dont you want to pinch her cheeks all the time (nicely of course). Jasmine is so skinny I swear she hasn't got an ounce of fat on her. Her frame is still very much of a newborn, except that she is very long.

Bloss, I hope your little ones are feeling better today hon.

For those of you considering going back to work, it must take some strength to do. I havent worked since I was pg with my first, and she was 4 in June. I love being a SAHM, and although we dont have money coming out our ears. And sometimes have to scrimp and save I am a bit selfish and couldnt leave my girls. Fortunately, I have a great DH who fully supports my decision to stay home.

Besides we have a great system going... he makes the money and we four spend it...well we are all girls what can you expect.

We were in the car the other day and suddenly dH pipes up. "I always thought we'd only have 2 children, but now we've got 3 I can see us having more, maybe 4 or 5" (pinkdolly punches the air with glee!)

It was totally unprovoked, hadn't even been talking about the subject. But so happy, as I love kids and would love a big family. Am only 25 and dont feel like my baby making days are over yet. In fact if DH turned around tonite and said lets make a baby I'd be well up for it.(although still exclusively bfeeding Jasmine so not sure what sucess we'd get).

Well, thats my mammoth post for the day. Have a nice day with your lo's.

goodmorning!

kz- ohh roshi looks so edible!! junior is chubby but roshi definately wins!!

pinkdolly- more kids, you're good! im 21 with 2 and thats enough for me!! dp 'says' he wants more but dont know if he's joking or not! will stick to pills for now!!

IAM- hope everyones in your household gets better soon!! that bug seems to be gettin around i know so many people who havwe had it the last month including us.

better go junior is need of a nap, hope everone has a good morning!

KZ - I understand what you mean about playing such a crucial role in your child's development and how this compares to working in the adult world. I suppose for me that this emotional intensity is a little overwhelming at the moment. The sense that I am responsible for not just DS's physical needs, but also his emotional and intellectual development is mindblowing! In some ways going back to work part time would provide a bit respite.

josh

Hope this works - photo of Josh (before he lost all his hair!)