September 2014 - Rocking and Rolling

[FATEdestiny]

Our babies are rocking and rolling, crawling and climbing into the second half of their first year.

Let the fun continue...

I really value Sarah-OS's vocal stance on the fact that babies cannot physically self-settle until school age. I really like the science on her page explaining this and often post it on the sleep board.

I think far too many parents have completely unrealistic expectations of self-settling. They expect that they can 'train' their baby to just lie down, close eyes, and sleep. I have never known a baby who can do this.

Sarah-OS's page about self-soothing can actually be used to provide evidence that babies should be given a dummy from birth to school age, to allow for sleep comfort without any distress, but that wouldn't sell very many books!

But I do really like her values. If I had a baby that wasn't having a dummy to independently self-sooth, I'd be doing something along the lines of what Sarah-OC would suggest.

Nazly - there is nothing wrong with co-sleeping!

Thanks Acorn and Fate; thing that worries me is that in a few months time we have to go to extreme to get him out of my bed. I am definitely not keen on having a toddler in my bed, so worry that I'd have to go to controlled crying to move him out... . I can't really allow him to cry, it is not about breaking my heart or ...it is just against my nature not to pick him up if he cries... - one of my friends was saying be strong, women should be strong... - I am not sure if I agree that being able to let your baby cry correlates with being strong, if it does, I am not strong!

Fate I know there is nothing wrong with co sleeping, don't get me wrong, I have nothing negative attached to co-sleeping with babies as most British people do; however, while at the moment it is the only thing that works for us and let me have energy to go to work, and while I enjoy the cuddles at midnight and in the morning, it is not our ideal solution and it is definitely short time solution for me.... Can't let it drag until he is 7 like your friend did with her daughter.

I guess i just need to relax more Acorn, like you said, and think I'll deal with it later... ? Shall I get the book you think? Or did you just summarise it for me?

P.S. Ds has a dummy, but in the middle of the night if I insert dummy instead of breast feeding him, he goes mental!

Sarah-OC Gentle Sleep is mainly about lowering your expectations, rather than having a technique to make sleep better. Her whole stance is that a childs sleep will improve once the child is emotionally ready and that happens around school age (somewhere around 4y, give or take a year). Therefore until then, meet the childrens emotional needs by providing comfort and expect that you'll need to provide night time comfort until school age.

Nazly - if you are co-sleeping half the night, what about bringing DS's cot back into your room next to your bed? You could gradually get him used to sleeping in his own space, in the cot, but doing the comforting from the comfort of your own bed. Just an idea.

nazly there's a lot of the same info on her website as in her book, and as fate says, it's more explaining that it's perfectly normal for them to wake at night. There's some useful things she's suggested that I'm trying, like making sure the TV is off for 2 hours before bed, and introducing a comforter in the hope it will eventually work as a "replacement" for when I'm not there. The book was only £4 so I just downloaded it to my kindle, but I do think there's the same info on her website. It's also very similar to Dr Sears book if you already have that.

I feel the same about cosleeping, it was really a temporary thing for me and I'm really torn about what to do now. Part of me says keep him in with me until he wants to leave but then what if it is when he's 5. The other part says this is ridiculous, most babies are perfectly happy in a cot in their own room. Aargh!

Helle everyone, hope you and babies are all well this eve. So much to catch up on but as usual I can't remember it all!

Baby pizza - whoever was asking about baby pizza, it makes a lovely, very easy lunch. Toast a pitta bread, top with thinly-sliced tomato then cover with grated cheese. I use Emmenthal as it has a low salt content. Pop under the grill for a minute and voilà - baby pizza so delicious I have it for lunch too!

Thanks Apples I'm going to give baby pizza a go this week! DD is really upping her eating efficiency and portion size so is quickly going through my freezer stocks. I need to find some quick and easy things for lunch and dinner so I don't spend my entire weekend batch cooking for her!

DD's first time on a swing today, she enjoyed it! We went to a summer fete for the afternoon, was really nice.

Well I have almost made it out the other side of this bug!! Still not eating much and feel a bit bleurgh but miles better than I was. Has ruined our weekend, I'm getting major cabin fever now but can't really go out anywhere, too risky!

Baby pizza- I made a similar version but using puff pastry, I put some cooked veggies on it and cut it into fingers and ds loved it.

Swings- he is not a fan. Tried a few times and he just cries. I'll keep trying, surely all kids love swings?! Maybe he's just too little.

He's so close to crawling, but just not quite getting it. Do all the other babies pull themselves up? DS doesn't, we still have the cot on the higher level and I'm sure we won't be dropping it down any time soon. I didn't imagine he would be over 9 months and still up high like that!

DD doesn't pull herself up at all yet either and is similarly very close to crawling but not quite doing it! She still manages to move all over the place though and is particularly more adventurous now she has learned to sit herself up from laying.

J can't pull himself up - he is very close to crawling but just gets on his hands and knees and either rocks back and forth or goes backwards. Every week I say he will be crawling by the end of the week and it doesn't happen .
He can move around by rolling and spinning round on his tummy - and likes standing up for long periods if he is holding on to something.
I'm not too worried, he will get there in the end.

E pulls himself up on everything and everyone! Today we caught him hanging off the side of his high chair with one leg bent up off the floor and the other on his tip goes! Dh joked saying we should put him on the monkey bars!

He is so cheeky and I love it!

I need to get a wider range of finger foods into him, he eats well but only eats organix crisps, bread sticks, toast, cereal and raisins. He has tried blueberries!

We have his 10 month assessment next week!

A is the same Cookie, his favourite pass time is pulling himself up on my tops (all ruined now ). Although as yet, we haven't found him hanging off anything thankfully!

Had his first settling in session at nursery this morning. It was only for 1 hour, but I was a nervous wreck the whole time he was there. He, however, was perfectly fine. I think I was upset as well, as it signifies the countdown to going back to work, and I really can't imagine leaving him for 4 days a week.

We've had a horrid weekend. For the past two weekends DD has been ill. This weekend she's been well and full of energy, but DH and I are both horribly poorly. We have just been trying to struggle on as best we can, taking turns to keep an eye on DD while the other rests or pukes. It has really not been fun, and she has been awful through the nights too. Last night she was up for nearly two hours. I really don't know how I managed it. I'm so so grateful for nursery this morning! I just about managed to get her there. DH is sleeping and I've been slobbing on the couch. One more hour until I need to go pick her up.

DD isn't pulling herself up yet. She is up on all fours, rocking and moving backwards. She will stand quite securely just holding fingers, she dances on demand but hasn't yet worked out that she can move her feet forwards yet!

She's almost on her second word now. Any toy is called a teddy, although she only really manages T-D. We have tested her loads to make sure is isn't accidental or our wishful thinking, and T-D is what she is calling her toys. She can also now point to noses and gets it right most of the time for "teddy's nose", "Daddy's nose" and "Mummy's nose". She seems to be really communicative!

I forgot about lovely mumsnet in the midst of baby raearing! I loved reading through and 'catching up'. It amazes me the different levels each of the babies are at. My lil guy is almost 9 months and he's been flying about in his army style crawl for a few months now and just started pulling himself up on everything. He hasn't said any real words yet (unless u count the occasional 'dada') and for all his moving about he hasn't managed to sit up yet.

Anyone else notice their baby seems shy? My DD is 2yrs and it seemed from day one she LOVED people and hasn't changed. She is so outgoing it can be embarrassing! My DS (9 months in a couple days) is the total opposite...kind of hoping they will mellow each other out!????

Sounds like your two children will compliment each other well Eatscones. Welcome (back?) to the thread by the way

I've not noticed DD being shy, she will smile at literally anyone who smiles at her and as long as I am around she seems quite gregarious and likes the attention. However, we do have a sever case of Mummyitus - she will tolerate others only if I am there too.

DD alternates between being very outgoing and shy! Earlier she was actively seeking attention from someone, waving and smiling at them, then when they said hi to her she went all shy and nuzzled into my neck. She's quite sweet really.

She's getting quite cuddly recently. Both arms get wrapped around your head and she looks very pleased with herself.

Mine does the smiling then turning away and cuddling in thing. It seems like shyness but not sure if it actually is. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to it.

We're calling that flirting!

First day with the nanny today. All went smoothly, hurrah!

We call it flirting too, or being coy! Glad it went well IAte.

DD seems to be pretty outgoing so far. I'm certainly more clingy to her than she is to me! I was crippled by shyness as a child though so I hope she continues to be outgoing like her daddy!

Nice to hear of all the variations of shy to outgoing babies and not forgetting the wee flirts . Aww so sweet Ella...I want kisses from my wee man! I love that he gives proper cuddles now. My DD (2yrs) is so sweet with him most of the time, but she is getting a bit more territorial as he is more mobile.

Anyone else starting to get broody? I have the occasional moment when I think 'Ya one more please!' ... Then I think 'am I crazy ... dS is only 9 months and I'm already thinking about another one??!'. Truth be told my DP and I are mostly sure 2 little darlings is the final plan, so we are done...maybe

Aww, Ella, that's so sweet!

DD has started pulling out her hair. I mean pulling out handfuls. She's doing it when she's quite happy, so I don't think it is an anxiety thing. It is worrying me a little, partly because I don't want a baby with bald patches! Has anyone else's baby done this?

Aw this is such a lovely stage now they're so interactive isn't it.

Team I haven't met another hair puller but maybe just a phase? Does she have a lot of hair?

We got DD's feet measured and bought first shoes today. She's been barefoot until now but she's just way too mobile to go out without proper shoes now

Apples - did you go to Clarke's?

Team - My DD pulls her hair too, she tends to do it when she's tired though, usually when she's having milk, but is very vicious with it and makes her head all red. I try holding her hand to stop her and stroking her head as I think it's the stimulation she likes.

Shoes already?! Oh my goodness that just seems so very far away for us. Still desperately trying and failing to crawl here.

What yoghurts are you all using? I was buying plain whole natural yoghurt and adding fruit purée but it comes in massive tubs and I was just binning it because we weren't getting through it quick enough. I really don't want to buy sugar laden yoghurt if I can help it but I just can't see what else is available and convenient?