January 2014- the one where the babies move more, but sleep less!

[AMillionNameChangesLater]

Hope this is ok!

I don't think they'll be any active tours for a while as there has been so many cut backs, I'm just a worrier! DH is happy to go anywhere he's sent, he just wants to help people. I think we should help if we can, but it's hard to know what would help and what would make things worse. Praying for it all to stop without any more bloodshed.

It's about 22 degrees here already, there are some big trees behind our house that shade our back garden until 11ish, then I think we'll be inside all day. We were going to go to playgroup but it would mean walking about 3 miles home at midday. How's the weather where everyone else is?

Hot and sunny here GSR. My task for the morning before it gets too hot is to clear the last of the building rubbish from the garden and mow the lawn so we can actually use it again. O is off at her Grans today so hopefully I can be productive.

Although as O didn't go to sleep until 1am I may well just end up napping!!

I feel like napping too nature but house is filthy, N has peed in DD's wardrobe and PIL are coming over for iftar.

I have had a think and decided that the best course of action is to have a little sit down and piss about on MN.

DD is dressed and insisting on going out to buy shoes, while N is using an empty water cooler bottle as a football/ride on toy/club.

Hi everyone. I've name changed but used to be a fictional animal!

A is unwell at the moment so has spent most of his time recently insisting on lying on me. He's getting a bit heavy now!

Not sunny at all here today which suits me fine as means one less argument with DD about sunscreen and don't have to worry about A's hat refusal.

Sorry A has been unwell Poster. Hope he is feeling better now.

Food is almost ready. Just soup and salad left to do.

Hope A gets better soon! L refuses to wear a sunhat, but strangely will keep a baseball style cap on.

DH goes away at 6 am. Only for a week but I'm going to try and sleep upstairs with L (I think I've mentioned before I have bad anxiety triggered by bring upstairs alone after dark) which is slightly stressful but I'm trying to stay positive! Sleeping in the same room as L, which I think will help. Plus I will take the pills the GP prescribed and watch nothing but gilmore girls!

Poster I've been trying to work out how you are but my mind has gone blank Hope A is better soon!

GSR it sounds like you've planned well. I hope the week goes quickly for you.

Not much to report here. It's cooler today which I'm pleased about!

Felix I've pm-ed you. All very cloak and dagger but I've shared a lot of personal stuff on here and recently discovered that other family members use it so trying to be a bit more anonymous.

A is a bit better but just not sleeping - up all evening, night waking, starting day before 5 zzzz. And horribly grumpy because of it. I think he's going through some sort of leap too because he has suddenly gained loads of new words and actions (shushing me is a favourite).
Dd is now also ill, so thank fuck I'm back in the UK on my own this weekend for a wedding whilst DH looks after them.

Hope the week passes quickly GSR. I find N sleeping beside me oddly comforting too.

I know who you are Poster. . You have me worried through, I am so incredibly identifiable on here.

Hope A's sleeping settles down soon. I have the opposite: N sleeps fine but isn't really talking at all. Just lots of da da da da da and rraaaaarrr!

Book hasn't been on in ages, has she? How are you book?

I'm alright thanks altered. N sounds a bit like P, she still only says dada. Oh, and "NOOOOOO!" That is her favourite.

We've had a couple of early evening wakings this week, and I'm desperately worried that it's the 18 month sleep regression. She was alright last night after a pre-emptive dose of Nurofen (she's cutting a lot of teeth atm), so I've tried that again tonight.

I hope sleeping upstairs goes well GSR. Anxiety is a bastard.

Poster, I am a dunce and can't work out who you are. Please can someone tell me?!

My sister might be coming up to stay on Monday, so I might only have 4 nights on my own :) on a blow up bed in L's room now, couldn't leave her but I've got supplies

18 month sleep regression?! Don't tell me that's a thing! I think L is finally getting the hang of sleeping, at 17.5 months!

Shhhing sounds so cute!

Anyone else got an extra-bastardy tiny bastard lately? M is EVIL! The 18 month sleep regression seems to have hit bang on schedule and she's become so demanding and defiant. She's not always like it, thankfully, but more than is easy to deal with. I've never been a fan of the toddler stage!

How's it going, GSR?

YES toby! DH took a couple of days off before the weekend (unheard of), and P basically tantrummed for 4 days We went to a wildlife park and she screamed throughout, it was excruciating. All naps are now on me, and she's started shouting into the monitor at night, then going back to sleep, leaving us awake at 3am. It's quite annoying. Tiny bastard.

Ugh.

Also, everything I give her to eat gets licked and then thrown on the floor. Doesn't matter if it's her favourite thing. In fact, she loves almost every food we've ever given her. It's not that she's being picky, she's just a bastard. Then she asks to BF about 20 times a day. It's very annoying.

She's currently very cutely pretending to blow her nose, so I can't even kill her.

Is going well thanks toby :) the first day I was getting a tight chest going up stairs during the day so took some anti anxiety meds before bed. Managed to stay upstairs all night and the last 3 nights I've not taken anything. My sister and a family friend come tonight, then DH is home late Wednesday so will be trying to sleep in my own bed from tonight. Sounds pathetic but it's quite a challenge for me!

L isn't quite 18 months, but we've had lots of tantrums recently, especially when she's tired. She gets frustrated a lot too, I'm hoping when she talks more that'll calm down.

Glad you are OK book. As the last we had heard from you was the poo incident, I was rather concerned there may have been repercussions.

Same here Toby. N's sleep is messed up because of Ramadan anyway, so not sure about the sleep regression but he is like a child possessed if he doesn't get his own way. He has started shrieking horribly, biting, hitting, punching. Everything! I was worried that he was too used to having his own way, so it is a relief to know that they are all doing it.

Glad you sister is coming up GSR. Sounds like you have handled it really well.

N still isn't saying anything intelligible really, but is definitely trying. We had shoes the other day, and also jingle bells, because DD is celebrating Ramadan with Christmas songs, as you do. She broke out into 'Petit Pere Noel' when DH took her to the mosque last week, which got her quite a few confused looks.

Fell off the thread!

Yes S is being absolutely HORRIBLE recently. I'm really struggling with her a lot of the time. She's taken to whacking herself in the face, head butting things and pulling her own hair. Also biting and squeezing me. I have loads of toddler finger shaped bruises on my left arm from where she managed to give me a Chinese burn. Awful awful awful child. I can't ever work out what is frustrating her so much.

Didn't know there was an 18 month regression. It's probably the only regression we seem to have dodged so far (although it still may come and I've probably jinxed myself now). After near enough 18 months solid of waking up 3 times a night minimum, she's now finally sleeping through most nights. Hallelujah!

I forgot about the headbutting. If N doesn't like what you are doing or saying, especially if you pick him up, he nuts you. It is really really sore! Maybe his Scottish roots coming through?

O actually seems ok at the moment suprisingly. Her sleep has been unsettled but apart from that she is actually quite a nice child at the moment! She's only 17.5 months though so there is still time. And baby due any day so I'm sure that is going to cause problems!

Yy with the lashing out. M bites me now and again, and pinches. When she's tired she goes fully psycho, pulling the hair of anyone in the vicinity (or her own), biting, throwing herself around, pinching, trying to grab hold of the dog, grabbing my/DH's glasses etc. Horrid.

She decides she wants something she's not allowed (glasses at the dinner table, knives, cups of tea etc) and then loses her shit when she's not allowed it. Will not do as she's told, despite being told a million times. It's a very difficult stage. All toddlers can get in the sea as far as I'm concerned.

My neighbours must be so bored of hearing me constantly saying, "don't touch that" "put that down" "get out of the dog's bed/water" "get up off the floor" "sit down" "no, you can't have that" "please don't throw that" etc etc. I'm bored of the sound of my own voice.

Sounds like you're doing great, GSR. Well done.

Good luck, nature. How exciting!

Joy of joys, I have to take the dog to the vet this morning. Last time I took M and the dog there it was chaos. M kept trying to escape and trying to keep hold of her and the dog did my head in. So that'll be fun!

Team tinybastard here too. Refusing all food then banging on the (childlocked) biscuit cupboard and screaming for biscuits. Also breastfeeding millions but if I am not gazing fondly (due to breastfeeding's novelty havingworn off a tiny bit in 18 months) then I get bitten to make me pay attention. Sigh.
Need to measure the garage tonight and then I am definitely going to buy my cargo bike yippee.

Ah yes toby I generally have a soggy child thanks to the dog's water bowl!

Toby M and S sound exactly the same! They can get in the sea together.

Puggle I'm excited for your cargo bike!

I've just picked S up from the childminder and apparently she's been super clingy all day. At least it's not me she was clinging to

Hopefully they will all become angels soon! L has been throwing paddies all day, no idea why as she slept quite a bit last night.

DH just text to say the ferry has been cancelled so instead of getting back tonight he's looking at getting back Friday. My sister's just gone home so I've got another 2 nights on my own. Stupid ferries.

GSR sorry, that really sucks! You seemed to manage very well before your sister arrived so I'm sure you'll be fine