September 2014 - Babies turn 1!

[lilone1234]

First birthdays are starting to arrive and our babies are becoming toddlers! What will the next year have in store?

Glad to hear it helped Nazly and your ds skin is improving.

Sleeping bags. I just use tesco/asda ones, but only really when its cold. A is usually warm so in summer he just wore a vest and more recently a sleep suit but he has been in a sleeping bag the last few nights.

A is currently exploring the pil house and not being at all shy. Last time we were here was in May (they live in Ireland do don't see them much) and it took nearly a day before he would go to them without looking for me or dh and today he went straight to them and he is crawling all over the place. The change in reactions shocked me but it shouldn't have really. He was offering the lady beside us on the plane his toast

Lilly, I don't think that would be a problem to give a little gift. As you say, you are also a parent/customer as well as a colleague now!

I read that thread too about the 14 month old. Personally, from what they said I wouldn't have been concerned. I have seen that speech and language therapists don't routinely see children until they're over two years old as it's not unusual for children not to be speaking properly until then. To be honest, I think there were some rather negative, antagonistic characters on that thread...

Sleeping bags - I do like a Gro bag but think they are all very similar really!

I'm glad it wasn't just me lil! It seemed like. A massive over reaction. I wonder though if those threads are more attracting to those that do have problems which means that the responses aren't exactly a fair example of all 14 month olds. If that makes sense.

Evening all, so much interesting stuff to catch up on atm...

Lilly and Lil I thought that thread about the 14-month-old seemed a bit weird as well. Great if kids are pointing and walking by 14 months, but seems way too early to worry if not. There are so many other things for them to focus on.

Thanks all, esp Cookie who posted about gifts for carers, I was thinking it would be lovely to get DD's childminder and assistants a little something for Christmas. They have been great through our settling in period and this week, fx, she seems happier and more settled. Lilly If I were in your position I'd get a little card/gift despite the HR factor, I think it would be seen as kind and appreciative rather than inappropriate. Interesting that others are having clingy periods too - FATE, lil - when your babies aren't in childcare yet. Must be age-related as much as anything.

Team it's great that your DD is loving nursery, you have earned a free pass after your sleeping/eating struggles!

Nazly About your DS moving up at nursery, you might find that it does him a lot of good developmentally and that he really enjoys it. DD is with a childminder so all the kids are mixed together (she takes up to 9 children ranging in age from 8 months to 5 years) but I have noticed that DD is fascinated by the older children and already seems to have learned a lot from them, so I've been very happy that they're all together. The childminder is very careful to watch the babies with the older children and still makes sure they do age-appropriate activities, etc. I hope that helps!

I read that thread about the 14 month old too and considered the general consciences of advice to be well and truly OTT.

I've got Mama's & Papa's sleeping bags in current age/weight (2.5 tog) but I've got sleeping bags in various sizes/weights from everywhere really - the supermarkets, mothercare, M&S and so on. Grobag are the main brand, but they are a lot more expensive than much the same thing available elsewhere.

One bit of sleeping bag advise I might give for the coming months - if you are buying a new sleeping bag try to find one without poppers on the shoulders (that is put on like a zip-up sleeveless cardigan), rather than one which has poppers over the top of the arms. Once you have an older baby/toddler mine have all learnt the trick of standing on the excess material at their feet and stretching up to undo the shoulder poppers and wriggle to 'escape' from the sleeping bag.

I've used sleeping bags from birth to aged 3 (the largest size) for my children. I am a big fan.

Fate, interesting, I didn't know such sleep bags exists; all mine have various fixtures on shoulders, only the night before last he's done just what you said... If you get a chance, do you mind posting a link? Also, do yours have holes for feet to come out - for toddler age?

I haven't seen the thread you are talking about luckily- can't believe people would say such things!!! 14 months??? That's just a couple of months further down the line for us...

Thanks Apple, I see your point really I think, but for some reasons he gets agitated by babies, while he is fine with adults... I'll go visit the room first to see how everybody is

Ladies, I got very nervous and was really upset about the news that a toddler chocked on grape in pizza place and died I feel I never have been careful enough and perhaps we have been lucky that nothing has happened till now. Ds eats all sort of finger foods, how do I make sure this wont happen ..

Nazly - the grape choking news made me very sad too. Most important thing is to cut grapes in half lengthways. I do quarters lengthways just to be sure, same with cherry tomatoes. I think it is best for food to be too big to fit in mouth at once so they need to take bites or small enough that if was swallowed without being properly chewed it wouldn't block the windpipe. Knowing what to do in terms of first aid too is important, so so scary though and so sad about the little boy.

Why don't you think you have been careful enough though? I'm sure you are very careful.

I have a travel grobag that you can use with little one in a car seat, and that doesn't have poppers on the shoulders. We use 1.5 tog bags as our house is usually quite warm. They are invaluable for us as DD moves around constantly through the night so a blanket would be pointless!

I've always been paranoid about grapes. I cut them into 8! Awful news though. Those poor parents.

About differing development, I seem to remember reading that they develop different skills in different orders, so some develop verbally early, some motor skills, some emotionally. DD is really becoming very verbal! Not walking yet though. She's managing to stand unassisted for a few seconds and she's trying to take an independent step between things, but she always ends up on her bottom! They all get there in the end.

We're currently using sleeping bags Nazly. As opposed to sleeping bags with shoulder poppers which my children have always learnt how to undo by about 18 months old.

Toddler aged sleeping bags are just bigger versions of the same thing. The sizes are generally 0-6m, 6-18m and 18-36m.

Link fail. Try again:

We are currently using these sleeping bags as opposed to sleeping bags with shoulder poppers

Fate thanks for the links- understood now. Its a shame mama & papa one only goes to 18m on site, ds is already very big for 6-18 m and is growing out of it ; by the way, I meant these when I mentioned with feet Slumbersac Baby Sleeping Bag with Feet approx. 2.5 Tog - Teddy- 12-18 months https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NSWLIZ8/ref=cmswwrawddTAwiwb5ZRGFFK
It is just that ds tries to stand in his cot and walk in it with sleeping bag which I don't find very safe... He could fall any second and hit his head ...

Lil thanks, I feel I am not careful cause I allow him to have almost everything... Apart from obvious dangers like nuts.... I just need to be more careful.
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Team* i agree about development phases, etc. ds both walks and points to something; but he still only babbles... Or that's what I hear...

Ds has a temperature which only goes down when he is on calpol, otherwise jums back up again to 39.5-6 ; when us it I should start worrying and take him to drs?

How many days has be had it that high nazly annoying its the weekend if he has been that high for more than 2 I would get an appointment :)

E has a wheezy cough I am worried about :(

I have never seen the feet ones they look cute! But E would be a pickle to get into it :)

Oh one thing I would say about gifts for rooms is that If you want to get just a gift for a key worker then that's fine but it may annoy the rest of the staff so I would buy a box of chocolate or something for the room. So they all feel appreciated (along side the key worker gift or instead of)

If calpol works to bring temp down then personally I wouldn't worry but would use 4 hourly calpol and be careful at night, plenty of fluids, all the stuff I am sure you already know. I often alternate doses of calpol and ibruprophin so that we don't reach the max dose on either. But if this isn't bringing temp down quickly then I'd get a doctors appointment.

Standing in a sleeping bag is awkward but my children have all managed it. As with shuffling around within their cot while wearing a sleeping bag. With it being a small space in the cot, there isn't far to walk without being able to hold the side to steady when shuffling feet in sleeping bag.

Don't forget your son will be of an age where he can stop his own fall by reaching for the side of the cot now Nazly. We can' always wrap them in cotton wool.

Obviously sleeping bags don't work once in a proper bed because then the walking around in them becomes a bigger issue. I suppose those ones with legs might be useful then if you have a child who refuses blankets/duvet. But while contained in the cot, many parents continue with normal sleeping bags.

Most of my 18-36m sleeping bags are grobag:

www.mothercare.com/Grobag-Parade-Sleeping-Bag-18-36-months-2.5-Tog/

Hi all.

Trying to catch up on your posts. Really struggling today. DD has been ill the past few days (temp of nearly 40c on thurs - much like your DS Nazly) and vomiting etc and Dr thinks she has an infection and has put her on antibiotics. Obviously I feel sorry for her but am also feeling a bit sorry for myself today as DD's (already bad) sleep has been bloody awful the past few nights. Last night for example she didn't settle until 2am and then I had to get up for 5.30am for work and it was a full-on shift (and got out late) and feeling properly exhausted and run down now.

DD still has sleeping bags - she's too much of a fidget for blankets.

Will probably get DD's nursery some biscuits or something to share at Christmas. I don't know what is the normal thing to do in these situations.

I am quite confused after exploring online medical guides - ds had high grade fever for around 30 hrs or so and since then he has been fine temp wise (with some low grade temp); but he is excessively drooling -many change of clothes a day!! - and he is very fussy, crancky, very very low appetite (no breakfast or lunch?!!! Unheard of) and he likes to sleep more often. I don't know if I wait longer or call doctors, read so many contradictory things online...

Kitkat just read your post ; thats terrible, I hope the antibiotics work quickly so you both feel better soon...

It's odd Nazly - Jessica has many similar symptoms. I'd call NHS 111 for advice. Hope he feels better soon. xx

Nazly If you call 111 its likely that their system will direct your call handler to arrange some sort of out of hours appointment for you. Although drooling and low appetite could be due to teething, it doesn't hurt to get checked out.

KitKat hope you get some more rest and are all feeling better soon.

nazly my ds had similar symptoms when he had tonsillitis though his temperature stayed high until the antibiotics kicked in. I think they drool as its sore to swallow, same for eating. I'd get a gp appointment just to be safe, they fobbed me off with advice of calpol until i actually managed to get someone to see him who instantly spotted his pus tonsils . It's maybe just teething, especially if it's his molars that are next to come in.

DS randomly started walking yesterday, came out of nowhere . Crawling still seems to be his preferance for speed though.

Im guilty of putting everything down to teething, DS did have a temp spike once (with loads of awful crying) and the poor boy had tonsillitis and an ear infection. He is off colour at the moment and is due his one year injections on Tues.

I also am not very careful with food. Grapes are cut lengthways into four, I don't give him apple unless its whole (he had an apple cut into eight once and gagged on a bit which scared me!) and of course he doesn't have whole nuts. On the other hand we do loads of finger foods and he loves using (with help) a fork at the moment. I also sometimes let him wander around at dinner time (which is really bad) because he has been getting hysterical at being put in the highchair. We can be careful but we can't feed puree for ever.

DD has also been unwell for the past week. Just a bad cold I think, but it's really hanging around. She's now got her voice back, although she's still a little croaky.

I tend to not worry too much as long as her temp responds to calpol or neurofen. If they don't make a difference I start to panic!

Grapes are one of my biggest fears! I cut them into eight, unless they are quite small ones. She only really has nuts in peanut butter. Given that she still has no teeth I tend to keep things relatively small.

Really hoping DD is well enough to go to nursery tomorrow. I think both her and I are starting to go a little stir crazy. Plus work is piling up in a terrifying way.

Still no walking, but this weekend she's started trying to step towards me from holding onto something else. It's not so much a step at the moment, more falling with grace, but she's getting the idea of what she's supposed to do.

I think I'm going to have a walking and talking toddler who us still toothless. The nickname gummy bear is starting to stick now

I hope the poorly babies get better soon!

And hope you get rest soon too KitKat, it sounds really tough. Is DH helping at night? Reckon I would have pulled a sickie if I were you!