November 2014 - The one where we figure it all out... Or at least try.

[Arkkorox]

Couldn't see another thread ladies! Crap title I know but I couldn't think of anything else!

Thisis how on earth did you manage to put the nappy in the wash!

And thanks Ark

Ignore me, Anna, I've just noticed that they've helpfully put the inside leg measurement (79cm so 31 inches - boooo) in the description, I'd just completely missed it. I blame the fog of exhaustion!!

Strawberry thats the sort of night we've been having for the past two weeks. He keeps waking at 3.10 or thereabouts, then even if I get him back to sleep he'll be awake at 4 and not settle at all for rhe rest of the night. Which means two weeks so far of me perched on the side of the bed for hours on end, trying to resettle him.

Last night I had Ewan going, was rocking him in the crib madly (as we're staying in my folks place & have left the crib there for him) and also had dummy in (which he never normally uses). And even with those three things he wouldn't settle!

......7 days till end of leap.....

Haha thisis that could be another trick with the wind, for the moment good old tummy massage and legs cycling work wonders.

anna 29 days till end of the leap here, that's whole of May!! Oh dear... And she is close to outgrow the bed extension as well. Measured the cot bed, we can only move it throw the door if we dismantle it or that's me sleeping on blow up mattress in her room soon. Looks all good for the future! Not!

We had been lent such a huge cotbed that we bit the bullet and bought the small one from Mothercare. Even so I can barely sit on the edge of the bed as its up against my legs! But he's nowhere near ready to go out of the room yet.

We figure the huge cotbed will be useful down the road when he does move. At this rate we're tentatively saying he might be out by Christmas. But we'll see!

I do recommend the Mothercare one though. Its a lovely compact size and he still looks tiny in it. Its the Apsley, I think.

Dd is on hour 4 of this nap! Obviously sainsburys was more exhausting than I realised!

Erm, hour 3 actually. Turns out I can't tell the time.

ark that made me laugh. I regularly loose track of how long naps are, how old DS is etc.

We went to rhythm and rhyme this morning and the church had a brand new coffee shop. All fair trade and lots of rooms for buggies. Coffee good and cake better!

It is my birthday tomorrow. No idea what we are doing. May well be a day of gardening if the weather is nice while DP looks after DS.

Oh god I have no idea how many weeks dd is now lol.

Happy birthday for tomorrow catg

DS is 24 weeks this week but apparently he's not 6 months for another two weeks if you go by birthdate.

And he was 2 wks overdue so technically 26 weeks! But i'm telling ppl he's 5.5 months. Madness!

I couldn't even tell you how many times DD woke up last night, enough that I quickly abandoned any ideas of bothering to try getting her in the cot. It was DH's turn to cook last night. He ordered a take-away instead, which didn't arrive until after 9. I wanted to be in bed by that time, and that is just the time DD tends to wake up crying.

please feel free to ignore this exhausted moan
DD's christening is a week tomorrow. I go to the only church without a church hall and couldn't find anywhere else to hire a hall/ room on a Saturday morning, so the party afterwards has to be at home. I don't have the time or energy to get the house clean and tidy enough and sort food. Our house is not big enough for that many people though we have only invited family and one set of friends who are godparents. DH invited the godparents to stay the night before as they are coming from a distance, but they have 3 children and we don't have 1 spare bed nevermind 4. There will 9 people to get ready in the morning with 1 bathroom and the house must be spotlessly clean and tidy still. No idea how that will work.
In-laws can no longer come to the christening as FIL will be in hospital. He is having major surgery the next week and they found out today that he needs to be in hospital from the Friday before. He has been told there is 80% chance he won't survive. Apparently MIL is, therefore,being allowed to stay with him all the time in hospital until the op :( :( :(
So I can hardly complain to DH about the christening or expect him to help much. And I don't want to lose FIL. MIL will not cope without him. And I don't want to have to explain to my 4yr old what has happened to her grandad.

Poor you happy firstly, I have just stopped counting how many times ds wakes and not worrying if he sleeps the last stretch of the night on

.... my chest.
Secondly is it an option to ask the family staying to use a hotel?

Lastly ask for help with the food.
No-one is going to blame you for needing help.

I find that usually people are really glad to help.

Sorry about half a post last night. Having technical problems.

mrsA that's the longest pause I've ever seen hahah

Happy it is time for you to get mean. First of all kill your husband for that silly invite. I would hit the roof. But now that it's done it can't be rescinded I guess.

Secondly book a cleaner for Friday. Just do it and I guarantee it will be an enormous weight off. Any money spent on cleaner can be saved by....

Getting others to bring food as suggested by MrsA. And fuck it, top it up with M&S food where you can, just shove into nice bowls. Berries and custard for dessert or something.

This week, maybe put outfits for you and the kids flat in large zip lock bags somewhere (or hangers) - including pants/socks/tights/jewellery even a nappy. So you can just grab and dress on the morning in the midst of the inevitable chaos.

Please don't try to do all of this yourself. Please lower your standards. Last weekend mil came to visit and I just was not able to run around like a blue arsed fly being the perfect host. The guest room was a bit untidy, she got clean bed linen (bed changed by dh) and a serviceable en suite but I just didn't have the capacity to iron and hoover to within an inch of my life. Pasta with a tomato and basil sauce for dinner. And the world did not end. Really.

It's too much for you to do alone.

So sorry about FIL by the way

cat happy birthday! Hope you have a nice day and get spoiled rotten!

Can only echo what Greenstone wrote. And people staying in your house... Make sure they are hands on godparents that weekend and help you get everything done. For most of people it would be relief to be helping when you are mad busy anyway. I would feel bad sat around that's for sure.

Happy birthday catg!

happy excellent advice below, take it all, platters from m&s are the way forward. Kids wash in the evenings and teeth are done in the kitchen. Lets hope for good weather so you can pile outside.

1st try with baby rice this morning and she wolfed it down. I had planned to do baby rice for a week at breakfast then rice at breakfast and new foods at lunch for a week... but I'm tempted to move faster than that given how well she got on? What did you all do?

We started mixing the baby rice with purees within a day or so - like that, he just gobbled it. I think we started on 2 meals a day the following week.

Baby rice on its own is a bit crap though, you could definately add stuff to it. The ever useful banana mashed in water, for instance.

I have ordered long sleeve plastic bib on ebay. About 1.50 from Hong Kong, free P&P! I'm really sick of having to strip off his top to feed him!

Happy birthday cat

There is great anticiaption for how I will manage weaning because I have a fear of bananas. Embarrassing for me, hilarious for everyone else. So unfortunately no bananas for dd unless dm feeds them to her! I could put some stewed apple in I guess.

Thanks all. I got a lie in. Best present ever. I also got chocolate and a massage. Amazing! Off to a country pub with some friends this afternoon for a couple of beers.

happy is it too late to make it a pot luck buffet? Everybody brings something. Hope your stress gets better. Sorry to hear about your FIL. Hard to deal with all at the same time. X

happy you may think this crazy but, could you postpone the christening?

If the ILs can't be there its a bit crap for them and its a horrible time for you all. And if you haven't booked a venue all you have to do is change the date in the church diary.

I speak as someone who picked July for ours cos I knew we couldn't take care of Dad & do a christening at the same time. And now there's a big birthday of my sisters best friend on the same day, and we've all been through it so much I want my sis to have a drunken weekend away so am going to go in during the week & try to change it.

Its still enough time for the godparents to change their plans and you have a very sympathetic excuse - wanting the grandparents to be there! You could push it out for another month - either he'd be over the worst or (horrible to say, sorry) you'd all be over the funeral etc.

anna does the seller tell how long it will take to deliver? Usually from that part of the world it can take up to 3 weeks. On Amazon sellers from China often sell seeds and you get to know they are from there only when dispatch confirmation email comes. Very irritating as sowing season for many plants can be over by the time they deliver. Admittedly though all seeds I have bought have been good quality and much cheaper.

I've got 6 long-sleeved bibs waiting ready. I figured 3 meals a day, a wash every other day = 6 bibs.
2 I bought for £4 when aldi hashad their baby event on. The other 4 were free off Facebook selling group.

I didn't think seeds were allowed to be imported - you ladies are full of useful information.

I got some of those long sleeved bibs from mothercare (last of the gift vouchers) but I've heard the pound shops do them?

Another weaning question, dd had approx 10 teaspoons of baby rice. Dsis said not to give more than 2 at the beginning or they'll get constipated How much are you lo's having?

She's been so eggy today, lots of baby veloceraptor screaming, moaning, akward wriggling but nothing that indicates tummy ache.