October 2014- thread 8. Growing up fast, 6 months already!!

[MundayCakes85]

Morning all! A shiny new thread for Easter.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, I'm off to eat copious amounts of chocolate whilst hiding in the floor of the nursery with Ewan the sheep

FATE hope your DD1 is having a wonderful time.
DH has been off this week so we've been sharing the get ups. Enjoyed a couple of lie ins, bliss!
Had lots of fun at the beach, BLW fail- handfuls of sand
Finalising our nursery placement next week, and will hopefully have a date for moving house

Hello all,
Weaning is ok...although my normally great eater has been a bit angry at food the last few nights, i think due to not good short lunch naps and maybe teeth? Anyway he seems happier this morning so hopefully all ok. We only have 2 bottom teeth through so far!
N starts nursery settling in sessions next week, he'll only be doing one morning a week, just enough for me to start on a bit of freelance work and ease up how much i do at weekends and evenings. Mat pay has run out now so I have to start something!
Otherwise hoping summer comes back soon - I hate being cooped up inside!

Glad everyone is well

My wee baba has her first sickness bug . Im distraught, cant remember dd1 having one so early

The whole summer holidays has practically been a wash out here, a couple of good days but thats about it, my sis in law had a baby girl this morning, they are chuffed to bits as they already have a wee boy, but i think i will wait to we all seem bug free before we visit them

Aww Stigz I hope she's feeling better today, Heidi has only been sick once touch wood, and it was only for a day but she was so floored with whatever bug it was, I felt rotten for her! Congratulations on being an auntie

Aww thsnks kirstie. She is still ill sickness has only just stopped and now she has the runs. I have been to the doctors, out of hours and a&e with her since monday, its gastrointeroitus (dunno if thats how you spell it) really been such a stressful week as dd1 has turned into the devil child she just wants her own way all time and if she doesn't get it all hell brakes loose, which isnt ideal when an ill baby is sleeping . I am #STRESSED.

At the in laws, DH doesn't think a routine is important enough to follow. As a result she had 1 nap at 8.30. How bad can tonight be with us all in the same room?!?

STIGZ really hope your little one feels better soon. Tummy bugs are the worst. Also hope DD1 goes back to being a gorgeous girl as less devil child!

Erk, we have a walker... just. She's been doing lots of standing away from us/furniture for a fortnight or so, then yesterday was squatting down at the park, and just stood up and took a couple of steps. Same this morning in our living room. She's getting stronger and stronger at it by the minute it seems.

It'll be better for her to walk - we've still only got concrete floors, so it's hard on her hands and knees to crawl - but not better for us I'm imagining.

Afternoon all! After a bit of advice. My PFB has taken to throwing a paddy when she wants something/ doesn't want to do something. Is there anything I can do to stop her turning into a stroppy madam? I'm trying very hard to not spoil her but it's hard when she's so damn cute most of the time

Hi Munday. I am using "no" at this age but more useful is just moving baby away from whatever is causing the problem and distracting with something else.

DD has mastered the "What? I'm not doing anything, honestly Mummy" face, which she gives me anytime she hears me say Nooooooo in her direction.

I'm having sleep problems at the moment, borne out of the summer holidays so at least 4 children in the house (often more). This means DD is not getting the daytime sleep she is used to, which is affecting her nights sleep.

Buttwing - are you around? What car do you drive? Our 7 seaters needs replacing and I am seriously considering one of those massive minibus type van/cars

Jeezo, i feel like i am back to the newborn nights. I am hoping its not forever as i am back to work on the 18th august. Anyone else on the back to work countdown? I am 50% dreading it and 50% looking forward to it.

Cant believe pip is walking goats deffo need eyes in the back of your head now. My lo still prefers back shuffling across the floor, it is quite funny to watch! Her interest seems to be copying actions at the moment, she can now clap, dance, wave, and nod her side to side when i say no she is such a joy at the moment.

Yep, definitely on the back to work countdown/panic. Setting up a classroom this summer without childcare has been a challenge/impossible. We're away for a fortnight now, so it's all going to come down to the last week - same week as getting small settled in nursery too. Aagh.

Luckily her walking thing seems to have halted at 2 or 3 steps, which is fine. Hopefully it'll stay like that until the day before I go back to work... at which point we'll both be off work and get to see her actually walk properly. Ha.

Hey fate I'm here! I've got a Mercedes ml (the 4x4) it's only 5 seats but has a huge boot I use that for me and the kids during the week and at the weekend we use dps which is a bmw x5 it has 7 seats but 2 pull up out of the boot so you lose a lot of boot space when they are up and I struggle to get the double buggy in.
I had a land rover discovery as courtesy car a few weeks ago it had 7 seats and was huge inside but I couldn't shake the feeling I should be pulling a trailer of sheep!!
A lot of mums with big families at school have chryslers the one that looks like a mini bus might be worth a look?

Goats can't believe P is on the move!! Babywing is now super speedy at crawling and shrieks with laughter when anyone pretends to chase him, we have wooden floors/tiles downstairs his poor little knees are red raw at the end of the day.

Anybody got any tips on how to change a routine ? My baby is ready to start the day between 4:30am 5.30am, she is almost always ready for a nap at 7:00 am to which she will want to sleep for up to two hours. She will have another afternoon nap about 2pm roughly for about an hour. She is then ready to sleep by 6pm sometimes 6.30 but that is not often. I cant keep her awake past 6.30, i would like to maybe be putting her down for the night at 7:30pm .... Can this be done ? If so whats the best way to go about it? Any advice would be appreciated

Stigz we normally start the day at 5.30-6.30 he is often ready for a nap between 8-9am depending when he gets up. I try and stretch him out till 8.30 if i can and then I always wake him after 45mins to an hour even though if I left him he'd sleep for 2 hours perhaps. He's a bit tired and cross with me for waking him but a snack normally perks him up. Then he's awake playing/watching me do chores and has an early lunch about half 11. I then put him down again for a nap about 12/12.30 which seems bonkers but actually ok and he normally then sleeps for 2-3hours if at home. He's rubbish at sleeping in the buggy so it does tie me to the house a little but I don't mind as I normally get dinner cooked then! It's also handy as we will be doing the school run in September for the first time so I'd rather not have to wake him from his afternoon nap... He then seems happy enough to go through the afternoon with dinner at 5pm. and if he seems cranky i can string out a bath time at 6pm if needed and bed at 7pm... He's pretty much sleeping through to now which is BLOODY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope that helps you.

Thanks Buttwing. We've always had two big cars (DH 5 seater estate and me 7 seater MPV) and what we have decided to do is go for 1 small nippy car and one tank (!). We have some babysitting days coming up which we are going to use to look for a small/nippy car for DH to use for work. Then start looking for some form of van minibus for me to drive, since we always have extras when we go on holidays or trips out (relatives and/or friends).

STIGZ - Are you doing any night feeds? Moving around night feeds can help with early wakes - so dropping an established dreamfeed or starting giving a dreamfeed when there hasn't been one before. The change shakes up the nighttime structure.

Therefore some well-established beliefs that early morning naps compound the issue and make early mornings more likely, so advocates extending morning awake time as much as possible.

What do you do at a 4.30am wake up? I'd bring DD into my bed at that time and attempt as much as possible to ignore and contain her between us in bed. She'd usually go to sleep at some point, otherwise at least DH and I would get change to on-and-off doze until a more reasonable time to get up.

There are some well-established beliefs....

Not: Therefore some well-established beliefs

If she wakes up after 5 and before 6.30, one of us goes into the single bed in her room and does regular shushing at her. Seems to keep her ticking over until 6.30, at which point we'll give up and put her in bed with us in the single. She then sleeps for another hour or so if she gets ignored.

We also try to get her back to sleep before 6am. I don't usually wake her from a nap as I enjoy the baby-free time!!
Think she's been having night terrors recently, poor little poppet has a decent set of lungs on her

Thanks girls ... I have went back to giving her a nap about 3pm this means she is now lasting till a 7pm bedtime, no more 4:30 am wake ups for now, but like you munday my lo is just waking up crying out, im not sure what it is ? Could be night terrors like you say or teething pain, i just wish she could tell me

Babywing is in a really good routine but still seems to wake some nights for no reason whatsoever. A quick shhh or a cuddle does the trick normally. I'm struggling a bit at the mo as he has a chest infection so is having quite bad nights I feel like my eyes are in backwards!! Add to that 6 weeks holidays, 3 other kids that don't seem to be able to entertain themselves for more than 5 mins without arguing and grumpy/hormonal dd who is revising for exams and hates me and I'm on my knees!

Oh and step daughter is pregnant, does that make me a step granny to be? please say no, please say no...

Stigz your dd must be due to start school any day now? How are you feeling? I can't bring myself to wash and iron dd2s uniform yet!

OMG - Step-Granny!

That is a really big deal. How exciting!

Your summer holidays sound stressful. DD is not sleeping as well in the daytime because of summer hols (and I refuse to insist the older ones damp-down their fun because baby is sleeping) and as a result night times are inconsistent at the moment. Aside from being knackered, I'm not overly worried 'cos I'm sure everything will be fine again when they go back to school.

I have awesome family though. My Mum and MIL often taking the children out or having sleepovers. Gives me time to get extra sleep or just chill out with some silence.

How was your long weekend without the children Buttwing? Have you been yet?

Ha ha maybe I need a shopping trolley I've always secretly wanted one!

Yes we had our weekend away at the beginning of July it was awesome :)
We drank too much, stayed out too late and ate gorgeous food in peace! Oh and sunbathed with our eyes shut.

Today has been good actually we had planned atrip to the farm but we got rained off so went to a huge soft play which was crazy busy but fun (as they can be) then a friend came for a play with her kids nice to have adult conversation.

I'm hoping that having a newborn in the family will help stop me feeling broody! Or make it a million times worse

Yes butther first day of school is tomorrow . This her uniform washed ironed and ready to go! She looks so scrumptious in it, very grown up but still my little baby . I am going to be a wreck tomorrow, never used to see the point of tears on the first day of term... Now i know what all the fuss is about.,, congratz on being a granny to be you all must be delighted

Hello ladies!

A combo of being away for nearly a month and hackgate means I've not checked in in aaaaages...walking babies?! Sleeping babies?! Step-grannies?!?!

So good to hear the Oct babies are doing well. Can't believe the first birthdays will be here soon.

Dd2 is an amazing mover (and climber) but not walking yet (and still a crappy night sleeper - am so tired all the time!). Pulls herself up and cruises and can stand unaided so it may not be far away.

I think back to my pfb DS and I really tried to help him move (he never crawled but walked at 10/11 months). With dd2 I've done all I can to keep her still (frustrated cos you want that toy? Here, let me get it for you!) as a mobile baby plus two older kids is eyes at the back of the head stressful (plus DH just does not remember to automatically close the stairgate so cue 'omfg how did she get up here!' shouts with me going she bloody well climbed up behind you!).

Stigz hope starting school went well. Also the return to work. My DS will be starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks (including riding the yellow school bus). He's excited, I'm excited but also strangely anxious (which I'm channelling into worry about his packed school lunch...yes, I am guilty of pinning lunch box ideas...which considering he would happily have peanut butter & jam 5 days a week is not time well spent on my part!).

Fate I drive a Honda Odyssey - super common over here in the States and very comfy and roomy for the 5 of us (means we can take grandparents out on days out etc). Very jealous of your family help! I find being home with the three kids with no family close by is hard (PIL are 1.5 hours away and my mum is in Ireland).

Ok, time to clean up from breakfast and start the day properly (ie turn off the cartoons I put on so I could drink my tea and MN!).