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?

Kitkat, you were right, she's also learned to pull herself up at the sofa and tonight was making small movements to get further down the sofa.

Took M to see my Mum in hospital yesterday. I don't think M actually recognises/remembers her at all :( She didn't cry, but just didn't give her smiles which she used to do. Mum loved seeing her though, she hasn't seen her in about 5 weeks so it was a nice surprise for her.

Nazly, in the site stuff section there is a thread named 'The List' which will tell you if you're on it or not.

Nazly DS doesnt sort shapes or stack/build either, he loves knocking down the stacking pots though and I think it will just come later for him. He loves, loves, loves pressing buttons. Whenever I use a cashpoint or lift (for example) I let him press the buttons (with guidance!). He spends more time pressing the buttons on his walker toy than rampaging around on it but thats not really a bad thing! He will also stare/wave at strangers!

MissMoo your mum must have seen a huge change in 5 weeks, hope she is ok.

Going back to button pressing - I am so glad our washing machine has a child lock feature. I can hear him pressing buttons on it as I am sat here!

Polka, it was just a flying visit because kids aren't allowed on the ward but I had to leave a wheelchair over for Mum so couldn't leave M in the car so we were allowed in just to drop the chair off. Mum just gave M big smiles and said hello and then tried to feed her potatoes. I'm not sure she even recognised her to begin with until I said I brought M to see you then she was oooh and ahhing at her.

We had a long wake up in the night, about 90 min of rolling around my bed and sitting up chatting. Not sure why she woke but she just wasnt tired enough to fall back asleep. I'm certainly tired enough to fall back asleep now!

DD's building action I think comes from the fact that I have a 'building family'. Now that lego has been banished to bedrooms (too small for under 3s), the children needed something else to offer the creative building fix, so I bought the duplo and megablocks downstairs. DD is just copying her siblings, they are always building.

No shape sorting yet. I've not actually tried yet to be honest. Have recently bought down all the push-along/ride-on toys from the loft. She's loving them. Think I'll buy her a new one of these for her birthday.

3 of my DCs birthdays (and mine!) are in September. I haven't even started thinking about DDs birthday yet because I am still sorting presents and parties for the other two.

This weekend she has mastered the slide steps. Not bad given they are open steps and its a high slide. I thought the gaps would daunt her. Just need to teach her how to sit down and shuffle her bum at the top of the slide then she can do it all herself.

nazly in the Lake District we've stayed in Hawkshead - nice wee village with a co-op, pubs etc. It's in the flatter part of the Lakes, not any big hills nearby but that was fine for us, save the climbing until DS doesn't have to be carried!

What size clothes are your (nearly) 1 year olds wearing? DD is in 12-18 months but there have been a few things I've bought recently which she won't get much wear out of :( She has really thick thighs so any denim or dungaree style clothes are just no good. Which is a shame because she has received some gorgeous denim dungaree sets as birthday gifts already but they're no good. Seems she is just an odd shape.

MissMoo I think baby clothes are all just shaped really differently, especially trousers. Some are SO long and thin! DD is in 9-12 mostly but will grow out of them in the next month I'd think. Arms and legs of most things still need to be rolled up though. How's your mum getting on?

We're trying to decide whether to try and squeeze in a cheap holiday before I go back to work in October. I am REALLY dreading going back now so a holiday would be a good distraction but DH might struggle to get time off work. Tempted to just go with DD...

A holiday sounds like a lovely idea Apples.

MissM - Not wishing to sound cynical, but I never remove tags from clothing gifts until I am certain DD will get decent wear from them. I have sent back many baby outfits and changed for things more appropriate or better fit (including most of the baby clothes we received when DD was first born )

DD has been in 12-18 clothes for about the last month (she is currently only just 11 months, end of Sept baby). Some trousers without adjustable waists are too big but everything else is fitting her and should last the worse of winter.

As mentioned above, all the different store size differently and also different styled clothes fit differently.

I think a holiday sounds lovely Apples. I'd defo do it!

I'm back to work in 12 days. Sigh. I feel a bit like I haven't really been able to make the most of it in August though because the weather has been so rubbish and I am struggling pay wise now, so we've been a limited as to going out. Also my car has got problems again so another nearly £300 bill to pay tomorrow. Having a belated birthday present next week though and off to LEGOLAND which I'm really looking forward too. Also we have a wedding Saturday so that'll be nice too.

MissMoo Jessica is in 12-18 stuff now. I did the changeover about a week ago. Again the difference in sizing between individual items is quite marked. I guess some is sized more towards a 12 month old baby and some more of an 18 month old, so there's quite a difference. Most tops / trousers need to be turned up a little at the moment but her 9-12 month stuff was a bit too small.

Any baby birthdays this week?

No birthday here yet but am having lots of fun planning his tea party! DS has been in 12-18 months for ages but only now am I not needing to roll his trousers up. A holiday sounds amazing but I am back in work next week. Am feeling very short changed about our washout August.

We have a birthday tomorrow

I can't believe how fast this year has gone. We are taking A to a soft play tomorrow afternoon, then meeting up with my DP and going out for some tea. We are having a small(ish...it has grown slightly from what I initially intended) on Saturday for some family and our friends. Just finished wrapping his presents.

A is only just moving up to 9-12 month clothes! And they are still a bit too big on the waist, but his 6-9 month clothes are half way up his legs. I have invested in a few pairs of dungarees until his waist catches up with him

Apples A holiday sounds like a good plan! I have been back in work for 2 months now, but we are having a few days away in the middle of September and I am soo looking forward to the break.

That should be small(ish) tea party!

Happy birthday to A Cumbrian! Hope he has a lovely day!

Can I just ask about milk? I know when are babies turn 1 we're supposed to cut down on the milk, but how much milk are they supposed to have at that age? Currently Jessica has about 7oz morning, 7oz afternoon and 10oz at bedtime (roughly - sometimes more). And she LOVES her milk plus it's the only way to get her to nap / go to bed If I just cut back the afternoon milk is that enough of a reduction or should I cut out the morning bottle too?

'our babies' not 'are babies'!

KitKat E has been having 7oz's on waking, at 2pm and 6:30. I have now switched this to full fat cows milk! He wants three meals a day, I will cut out the 2pm bottle if it starts affecting his meals. I am also now offering him cows milk in a sippy cup if he starts to take it better in that I will swap his 2pm bottle for a cup of milk (roughly 4oz) and a snack at 3!

E is currently in a mix of 6-9, and 9-12. I bought some 12-18 trousers from the pumpkin patch sale. I have been now been told they come up small so fx they fit him!!

I have put my back out and the painkillers I am on means no driving so I am off work. Can't really work any way with the pain I am in!!

Happy birthday baby Cumbrian!

I am frolicking in the silence as baby is asleep and the others back to school today. Blissful.

DD has 3 8oz bottles of formula per day (morning, bedtime, lunchtime nap) but doesn't finish them all. I've decided not to move her to cows milk just yet, preferring the vitamins in formula for the moment. Might go straight to semi-skimmed Aged 2 and stay on fortified milk until then.

Happy birthday to A Cumbrian!

I am also planning on keeping M on the formula until after our holiday in October. I'm not sure how well she would like cow's milk in Portugal so going to just switch her after that.

Fate, usually I'd try on everything before removing labels but some of the things are from her godfather who's wife insists on removing all tags before giving them to us. Why?? It's so silly. It's her money wasted though, not mine.

Ms birthday is next week so we're going to the petting farm on her big day, with cake afterwards for just the 5 of us. Then a soft play area with her 2 year old cousin next day. That's it.

Apples, take a holiday!! Try travelrepublic for a good deal, I spent ages pricing everything for ours and watching prices go up and down but got a great deal in the end up. And thank you for asking about Mum, it seems she has gone a little backwards this past week and is quite childlike in her speech. We're hoping that's normal, will be speaking to her consultant on Monday to see how they think things are.

DD is just out of 6-9 month clothes. I'm getting her 9-12 month tops and 12-18 month leggings as she seems to be long and skinny.

I took her to buy her first shoes today. Her feet are only a size 1.5, so smaller than they do in proper shoes in all of the shops I checked on. She tried on some size 2, but although her feet are short, they are fat! Both width and height wise. She just about managed to get one pair on, but they were really tight across the top, but too much space around the toes. Not sure what to do now!

Birthday is in two weeks. I can't believe how fast time is passing.

DH and I are having our first night away from DD this weekend. It is our wedding anniversary today.

Happy birthday to all the babies who are turning one!

1.5 shoe size is really tiny!

DD is fully walking everywhere, but still doesn't own any shoes .

Mostly bare feet, occasionally tights or socks. I have had her measured at Clarks - size 4. But they had no walking shoes in her size (very narrow) so decided to leave it until schools were back and Clarks a lot less busy. Will go get her first shoes next week.

There are 4 September birthdays in our house. Expensive time of year, not to mention the logistical nightmare of all the parties and whatnot.

Can't believe some of the babies are so good at walking they need shoes. Isn't it funny how they are all so different? DS is put even cruising yet, he is still working in pulling himself up without falling straight back down. Some of my mummy friends are buying first shoes for their Lo's when they are barely even walking which seems a bit mad to me. I'm secretly judging lol.

I went back to work this week and actually it was ok. I enjoyed the adult company far more than I thought I would, and nursery wasn't a total disaster. He's not happy but he's not unhappy either would be a good summary. I need to talk to the nursery next week because both days he went in this week he came home in nappies which are not his. Which I know doesn't sound a big deal but we have to supply our own nappies and wipes, I've sent in about 10 for two days and on both occasions he's come home in a different brand.

Birthday party on Saturday, birthday on Monday. I keep feeling all weepy thinking back on the last year, anyone else? Things keep reminding me of my labour and the newborn days, and that honestly makes me feel sick because I found it so awful. I think I can predict that my next pregnancy will be filled with anxiety, have any of you with more than one dc found that? I wish I could forget all the awful bits so I could go into it totally ignorant again!

Happy anniversary team. Are you excited for a night away? We haven't done that yet.

I've been feeling a bit emotional too. First full day of nursery today, his birthday this weekend then start back at work on Monday. This years just been a blur - I wish I could do it again!

Really emotional here too. So much so that I am now backtracking on my insisting that DP has a vasectomy. I am not really supposed to have any more after my health problems after M but I've read a lot about it and with daily injections and regular check ups etc it is possible. But I have 3 already and with the big age gap it felt like we started all over with M which was a shock to the system (sleepless nights etc) but really amazing also. I just don't know if I'm done. And I don't think DP is either. I just don't know. His app is next week so we really need to discuss it further. 3 kids is enough enough though, right? But then M is going to grow up with such a big age gap from her brothers......I'm torn!

I am going to take M to clarks next week and buy some proper shoes for her birthday. She's not quite in a 4 yet as my sister gave me loads of shoes in 4/5 and they are too big still.

Lilly I did also have anxiety about the birth during my other pregnancies. I'd have to swat the thoughts out of my mind and just try not to think about them. They did creep in and I'd get in a tizz but then just try to keep telling myself there will be plenty of pain relief on hand, I've done it once (then twice) I can do it again, that kind of thing. It wasn't too bad. Not every delivery is going to be the same. Mine went DS1-really long but no pain due to epidural, DS2 really quick, intense pain and DD1 was a long few days of induction (never again) and a really quick labour which I would describe as surreal but immediately after commented it wasn't bad at all and would do it again (must have been the drugs talking :D ) so all different experiences but none bad enough to completely put me off. 3 very different newborns too so not the same experience twice!