September 2014 - 6 months already?!

[holls2000]

new thread!

team that was exactly what happened here to. One night DS just decided that swaddling wasn't for him. Took me quite a while to figure out that was the issue though!

lil I hope you can still enjoy mothers day but I know what you mean.

Hello. Happy mothers day all! Having a so-so day here. Jessica gave us a hard night again. I feel like a walking zombie. DH tried to give me a lay-in but I got up because I knew that even though DH had been up with Jessica for 2 hours it would not have occurred to him to offer her breakfast or bath her, and I was completely correct. Then of course by the time I did she was over-tired and wanted a nap and not breakfast etc. Sigh. I know he meant well and of course also got me a card and token gift etc so I should be feeling grateful, but I actually just can't help feeling a bit pissed off that on today on all days it didn't occur to him to maybe do this stuff so I could have a break. I don't think he's bathed Jessica at all this year so far. I just feel pissed off that it's always my responsibility to do these things and honestly I could have committed murder for a blissful stress-free lay-in and didn't get one. He's now asleep next to me.

The other thing I would have love today is a couple of hours to myself to finish my book that I have been trying to get through for months, or some time for a bath or to go out to lunch on my own for a bit. Nope, not only has this not occurred to DH we will be spending all day visiting MIL, and then my own mother, and no time will be left at all for me-time.

Sorry I'm just being tired and irritable. At least I got a card and he remembered so that's more than some mothers will get I'm sure. x

Lilone sorry just had this rant and then saw your message and feel quite ashamed - I know I'm lucky to still have my Mum around and to be able to visit her so hope you don't think I was being really insensitive. Sorry. Feel like a right clutz now. Is there something you could do in memory of your mum today? Lay some flowers for her maybe? xx

lilone, that must be really hard for you. A special day to remember your Mum though.

I often think if I could be half the mother my Mum is, I will have done a good job.

KitKat Have you actually told your DH what you want him to do? Some men (especially new dads) like the 'list of instructions' method. It may well have not occurred to him to give breakfast or bath baby, which isn't him being useless or deliberately annoying - he just didn't know. I would just be telling him that X, Y, Z (and A, B, C) all need doing while I am having a bath/reading my book/ going out etc etc.

Hi All, happy mothers day .

Top you're so sweet - I did salmon with pepper, got fresh salmon fillets from supermarket; sliced the peppers and cooked it with salmon in olive oil for around ten or fifteen minutes; this is a meal we normally have once a week ourselves ; For us I add paprika and salt and quite a lot of lemon/lime plus dill. For ds I didn't add salt and reduced amount of everything else; I steamed some broccoli ; then put broccoli, salmon (no skin) and pepper in blender. ( Cooking it with orange juice is also so lovely which I sometimes do. )
I sometimes add either baby rice in blender, or I'll add our own cooked rice (mixed with dill) - cooking time is around 10-15 min and preparation around 3 mintes! (As I buy everything ready to be cooked) same meal as us, so no extra time apart for blending.

Kitkat I agree with Fate; if I want dh to take over, even if he suggests himself, I always tell him : 1,2,3,etc. needs doing while you have him as per his routine. ALWAYS- even if he had him just yesterday the same time. He never gets upset about me repeating things, so this way neither of us gets upset in the end...

I received some flowers and a tiny sweet gift on behalf of ds, then we went shopping and had coffee and cake, dh offered to cook today which was sweet - so I quite enjoyed the day to be honest- I will also get a massage in centre parcs next week :) looking at their long list to choose

I gave ds some Ella's kitchen cheese and veggie pie in the cafe. He LOVED it; and when I tasted it, it was quite good! I take back whatever I said about baby food from shops, Ella sounds and tastes amazing. I say "Sounds" because they claim they use organic stuff in everything.
It is just so expensive... £1.4 for a portion that ds will have in one go.

Lil that must be so hard :/

Thanks ladies. KitKat, don't worry about it, if things were different and I was in your shoes i'd feel the same. (More about visiting MIL rather than my own mother though lol). I haven't done anything in particular for her today, but she is in my thoughts as always. It's difficult as i'm about an hour's drive away from my brothers (they still live at my mum's house which we need to sell this year) and we still have her ashes at home (as well as my dads!) so no place to visit. SIL said my brothers wanted to do something but DP said that DD had plans for me today. He got me a card and present on her behalf, but aside from that and a very brief lay in the day has been the same as normal and I feel like he could have made a bit more effort. I don't think he's given a thought to the fact I would be missing my mum even more today. Now he's on the phone to his own mother for the second time today...

Similarly to you Kitkat, having the lay in doesn't really work because although he dressed her (in mismatched clothes) and fed her, he didn't give her a wash and left her wet nappy on the window sill for me to pick up after etc. I agree with Fate and Nazly about giving instructions. Unfortunately that's often perceived as nagging and is such a pain to always have to do! But I still do it as it's the only way things get done!

Nazly - I hope you have a great time at Center Parcs. I really really loved it, i'm quite sad about it being over I have to say. I was looking forward to it for ages so was worried it wouldn't live up to expectations but it really was absolutely excellent. Also, you were right about the highchair tray, I wrestled with it a bit more and it was only half clipped in so it's fine now!

P.S Molly is six months old today!

lil thinking about you.
happy mother's day all.

we had weekend at in laws. B has become a DREADFUL sleeper over the past few days. very very loud even when asleep. I keep thinking he is awake. last night I think I was up between 2-4. at 4 hr was wide awake so I gave him a bottle and eventually got another 3 hrs sleep.

then stupidly gave him ellas strawberries and apple puree with his porridge and his excema has flared which I am putting down to the strawberries. round his neck is one great bog splodge of red. I have hydrocortisoned it and shall see how it is in thr am.
dh has had a terrible cold/cough this week. b very snuffly and snotty today.

anyone else have noisy sleepers? and please tell me I will get a decent night's sleep sometime.

Happy 6 months old Molly!

Holls is B still in your room? Only wondering because Jessica is quite a noisy sleeper at times and I sleep better now she is in her own room and so I'm not waking up to every snuffle and snore she makes.

I feel quite guilty about my earlier rant now. You are all right - I think DH was trying his best this morning it's just he doesn't think about these things. I should of, as you say, perhaps spelled out to him that he would need to bath Jessica etc this morning. I know I didn't sound it earlier but I was grateful that he tried his best earlier. xx

KitKat - yup, has been since Jan. Then he hit the sodding sleep regression and still seems to be regressing. I am sporting the black eye look, and suggest this should be championed as a new fashion.

In other news I am fed up cos DH is wanting the ironing done (his shirts) b me whilst he lies on sofa. FFS

Holls tell him to iron his own poxy shirts!!!!

Holls thats unbelievable! Don't say you are putting up with that please... On your behalf

Lil do you know if I should book everything in advance? Don't really want to do that if possible... Oh and glad chair worked...

My mum is on my back , she says I should not freeze baby's food and should cook everything fresh for him ! And max keep something in fridge for one day - aaaagh! When having me and my brother first, she did cook fresh everyday for us and did housework plus she worked as a teacher! Honestly, how is that even possible!!! (I admit dad always helped, but still...) ... Anyway, she made me feel bad about all the food I have in freezer. Can somebody pls tell me that's silly?
Does food lose a lot of nutrition value with freezing?

Nazly - you don't have to book everything in advance. If it's a session that's only run once a week then maybe yes otherwise you can book while there.

I don't think freezing food causes loss of nutrition - frozen veg is heavily advocated for making it easier for people to eat veg. I think it is the cooking process that can remove a lot of nutrients from food. That's as far as I know though. Could be wrong.

Holls, 'learn' how to iron his shirts v badly and he may decide to iron them himself. I've always hated ironing and have done more ironing these past few months than I've Prob ever ironed in my whole life......started as I was home all day doing nothing apart from looking after DD so had bags of spare time on my hands (as you do)
One day DH criticized the way I ironed his shirts so since then when I do iron, shirts are at the bottom of pile and usually left for him( unless I'm feeling particularly nice) Luckily I married a freak who loves to iron so this actually works quite well for us.
However,this morning I ironed (it had built up to an unaccepatable level) whilst he sat on his lazy bum watching Sunday Supplement!

I morally object to ironing! There is no way I'd be ironing anything!!!

Nazly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with freezing food. It is actually better than leaving it in the fridge over night as it retains more nutrients. Keep doing exactly what you are doing! Besides, your little one seems to be loving all of your amazing food, so why change anything?

Day two of weaning took an interesting turn! I repeated giving her my lovingly steamed a puréed organic sweet potato, working with the idea of only introducing new (and DH wants only organic!) foods every other day. Went well, and think she may even have swallowed some of it. Later in the day DH was eating an apple and she was staring at it with such longing, then grabbed it from him, stuck it in her mouth and started munching on it! She LOVED it! I think she actually managed to consume a fair amount of it too as it was quite worn down and gum shaped. So much for introducing one new organic food every other day! I guess this is what they mean by baby led weaning?!

We are going with DDs new found hate of swaddling. Naps today were quite difficult as it was really difficult to get her to drop off into a deep sleep. We managed a few 15 minute stretches, but that was it. Still, it wasn't traumatic, and it was only the first day. Tidied just leaving her in her cot awake to try to get her used to being able to move around in there. She is definitely a side sleeper and looks so cute! Tonight hasn't been amazing, but certainly hasn't been awful, which is think means it has been a success. Sleeping free must be such a different sensation to being swaddled, I should imagine it takes a bit of getting used to!

I got a sweet Mummy mug from DD and DH took me out for lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, so I've had a nice day.

Hope you all had lovely mothers days

Weaning isn't going well here. He doesn't seem to like puree's and is vomiting every time I try him with these. He does seem to prefer the BLW method, although breadsticks and crackers have been the main thing he 'eats'. Vegetables seem to end up on the floor much quicker, although a fried mushroom in Frankie and Bennys went down well.

Cumbrian how long have you been weaning for? It's taken dd about 4 weeks to really 'get' eating. She was actually eating very little at first, just playing with it mostly.

Cumbrian - Try bigger pieces of vegetables. Like Team found with the apple she gave her DD, with finger food babies are better with something of a size they can actually grab hold of easily - so bigger things are better. Try steaming a whole carrot, for example, or do chunky batons.

If she likes bread sticks and crackers - spread some puree onto the crackers then give it her

I can sympathise Cumbrian. Weaning is slow progress here. Nearly 4 weeks in and Jessica still not much interested in food, in either a BLW way or pureed way. Sigh.

Holls I refuse to do ironing (I think the last time I ironed something was about 3 years ago!) but DH like his shirts ironed for work and I am very clear that he needs to do them. I strongly suggest putting your foot down on this one!

Can I ask if anyone who bf had ever had a blocked milk duct? I think I might have one. I've just finished moving DD onto formula, and have done it gradually over the past 3 weeks, gradually cutting down my breastmilk feeds. I haven't fed from my right boob in two days. I noticed it was a bit tender yesterday and today there's a painful area in there just under my aerola that's sore to touch and feels hard. I pressed on the area earlier and (sorry if tmi) milk spurted out of my nipple so I think milk is blocking one of the ducts. I've tried to express some milk off (and offered my boob to Jessica, who bloody ironically after weeks of struggling to get her onto bottles, wasn't interested in latching on) which has helped definitely but it's still quite tender. I just don't want it to develop into mastitis. The only advice I've really found on Google is to keep feeding to clear the block, but since I've only just weaned DD off my boob and now she doesn't want to latch on, that's not really an option. Any advice anyone?

I have only been doing it for about two weeks, and it has been very much off and on depending on what we have been doing. I need to start doing it routinely I think, so he learns to expect it.

When I do blw the veg is a decent size, he picks it up and then throws it on the floor though haha. Great idea on the puree crackers though, I will try that, thanks

KitKat - that sounds like a blocked duct. You don't necessarily have to have antibiotics, but you could if you went to the doctors.

Massage downwards and express or feed. The blockage can be quite hard, cheesy like stuff (eewww), so you'll know when its cleared because you'll see it come out.

Alternating hot and cold compresses is supposed to help too. If it gets worse or doesn't clear within a week, def go to the GPs.

DS also has quite a bad cold at the minute, do you think it is worth continuing trying to wean, or should I leave it til he is a little better? Sorry - I am really struggling with weaning, I did joke to my DM that I was keeping him on milk until he was 5 haha.

Cumbrian I carried in offering E food when he had a cold but he didn't really eat much, I just wanted to keep up the continuity.

E has good and bad days I just like something to go in then I'm happy, but he usually does really well with dinner.

Cumbrian, B is a bit snotty at the mo, but I am continuing to shovel food in - what did my Granny say? "Starve a fever, feed a cold"……. Anyway, I am hoping that some goodness will come through in the puree that I am giving him, even though he seems to purely poo it straight back out.

He seems to be losing his redness due to the strawberries yesterday - but eczema is still not v nice. Pharmacist said to keep an eye and am taking him back to docs tomorrow for them to check; I know it sounds stupid but I know lots of viruses doing the rounds at the moment and I don't want to be hydrocortisoning him if actually his spots are not eczema but are a virus!

Thanks ladies, I will keep going. Can only get better can't it!

Holls, I feel for your lo, I suffer eczema, and am really glad that A doesn't seem to have it. Good idea to get him checked out though. Fingers crossed it eases soon for him whatever it is.