November 2014: The one that needs baby-proofing!

[ladydolly]

And maybe ends with 1st birthdays!!

Hope you and DD are feeling a bit better ladydolly. That sounds rough.

DS had a field day at baby group this morning. They had a basket of old remotes and phones. He loved it.

Talking about the toys, anyone has an idea what's these days is a popular choices of toys for 5yo girls? Need to buy a present (nothing big or fancy) and I have no idea.

Is frozen stuff still big? Maybe some frozen themed stationary? i have no idea

Toys - argh, look at you all buying your babies' birthday and christmas presents. I have less than 8 weeks until DD's birthday and don't know what to get, especially as we already have a lot of toys from when DD1 was 1. I am thinking of toot toot toys and hide and squeak eggs. They look good and we don't already have them or anything too similar. We went to soft play yesterday (DH thought that would be a good idea on a rainy bank holiday ) and they had a Little Tikes plastic rocking horse, which she loved, but I think it might be a bit big to have at home.

cat they had a basket like that in the baby room at nursery when DD1 was there, presumably they still have it, it seems like a great idea for them to play with things they aren't usually allowed.

strawberry I have a 4yr old girl who spent a while this morning looking at the toy section of the Argos catalogue and asking for things she wanted for her birthday (which is not for over 7 months). From the limited amount of attention I paid, 5yr old girls are likely to be interested in Frozen, My Little Pony, Minions, dressing-up, princesses, lego, doll houses, jigsaws. My niece is 5 this week, and we have bought her some sets of beads and cords to make necklaces and bracelets. They look great. DD1 will have some for her birthday or christmas so I can play!

DD2 is at nursery today. They update via an online portal thing. She is eating but not drinking and has napped for 45mins which is a huge nap for her.

She usually hates hats, but didn't seem to mind that even babies had to have a hard hat for the trip on a boat into a cave/ mine that we went to on Friday

Thank you all for suggestions. I was wondering if Frozen was still "on" or it was a marketing trick for the last Xmas only. Looks like it is still around! The idea of children craft is great as well! Will have to have a look around.

So many beautiful pictures here! Reading here about old phones buckets in childcare places, I seriously start to go through the cupboards, pile up all the old and redundant technology and pass it over to DD. This whole thing completely defies that kids love bright and interesting toys. We cannot stop wonder about what DD finds so attractive in switched off tablet. After all it's just a square of black plastic?!

I will have seriously clamp myself down not to go horrendously OTT in December with buying presents. Things went out of control already last year, DD still has to wear few of my Xmas presents The fact that DD's birthday happens to mark the start of Xmas season won't help the matter...

Haven't yep he went back to bed we are up 2 times between 7+6/7/8 so normal for me to mumsnet in the night!

Those squeaky eggs are a fav here too were ds1 and a basic house shaped Shape sorter from elc that was ds1.

Ds 1 was back to school today all was fine, I go back to work next week :(

Happy that was our issue with already having our own version of toys r us in the playroom and stuff boxed in garage like happyland but ds1 didn't have toot toot (he had little people n happyland and sold the little people stuff) so have brought when on offer for ds2 for bday n Xmas.

Ride on toys and those musical tables are good first birthday presents also smart trikes. Also remember they have winter birthdays so maybe something for the summer when they will be 18mths+ is an idea (small slide?)

I got those squeaky eggs for DS today. It was just after a car had reversed into us and dented all down the side where DS was sitting in his car seat.

He didn't seem to notice, tbh, but I was a bit shaken and we were going into a toy store anyway to get cupboard locks.....tbh so far he's just bashing them around so I hope they're not a bit of a waste! (Though 1,600 reviews on Amazon can't be wrong)

We were cruising around the car park looking for a space when this woman just reversed out of her space without seeing me, and SLAM! I actually hurt quite a bit down my side (kinda whiplash-y) so thank god DS was ok. Thousands worth of damage cos its both doors badly dented and the rear panel. Proper broadside.

She was so horrified that she got quite wobbly and upset and so I ended up hugging her and comforting her!

anna oh god. Well done for staying calm. Sounds like a genuine accident. Hope you get it all sorted quickly.

Will have to look at these squeaky eggs after all these recommendations.

I think we have another tooth on the way. Chomping away at his hands and waking up crying from naps which is very unlike him.

OH is out for the 2nd night in a row. I like having the time for myself but inevitable end up doing chores. He said last night "whenever you want to do something just let me know and we will work it out". I just don't know what I want anymore. It sounds odd but because I have been spending the past 9 months (and the 9 months before that) focusing on DS I don't know what ME, MYSELF AND I actually want to do.

All my 'time off' is used up at the allotment or gym but I am definitely close to being ready for a night out...

anna What a nightmare, you did well holding it all together! Hope it's not too much of a pain to sort out.

I think I must be a bit stingy, we didn't buy much for DD for Xmas at all, I just knew she'd get loads from everyone else. For her 1st birthday we're getting a piece of art, a personalised illustration of me, her and dp. Sounds a bit twee but they're actually kind of cool, almost like Quentin Blake style (which is what we have up in her nursery, prints from Rohld Dahl). Then one of those bubble machines for the bath, we've given those as first birthday pressies for every godchild, niece and nephew going and they've been big hits.

So, question.. how soon do you get them an tablet of their own? It would be good to have one she can chuck around (in one of those super child resistant cases) and have pre loaded with age appropriate games and peppa pig etc. I'm loathe to just 'give' one to her but it would be handy for next summer hols and trips so would have to be an xmas present... please don't judge me.

Talking of judgement, woman I know on facebook who hashtags daily baby photos with #myworld #22wks1day etc isn't take her 5 month old baby on hols to the caribbean next week, I try not judge parenting decisions, we're all doing it our own way as best we can, but that '#myworld' hashtag is looking a little exaggerated to me now.

Feeling much better here, doc took a poo sample from dd and we're waiting for results but she said 24 hours clear of runny nappy and we're good to go, she's been fine since yesterday so back to work and childminder tomorrow with the bank holiday weekend being just a distant nightmare. Apart from being beyond exhausted of course. I lost 5lbs in the end so almost worth it ;)

anna argh that's horrid, but good everyone is ok. DD isn't yet squeaking eggs herself yet, but when I put one on her and squeak it against her leg etc she giggles like crazy.

Ladydolly we have been wondering about tablet as well. Probably still early to get one, there is Amazon fire one for kids, their tablets are usually fairly cheap, in the meantime I bought her ELC mobile phone, ATM she just squeezes anything on her way without too much thoughtful interaction (that's a surprise!), but it hasn't stopped her trying to take ours away.

I'm checking myself in the mirror here every 10 minutes as DD just bashed me in the eye with her heal. We were both messing around the bed and suddenly- bah! Really cannot have a black eye now that we are days before flying away, can only imagine everybody staring at me in the airport. And wearing sunglasses there without raising terror suspects probably isn't an option either

We're just getting over 2 days of projectile vomit here. Grim. And it's been so rainy too so all the laundry is all backed up. Grim nappies too so all round fun. Just been going through his clothes and putting away any 3-6 stuff which was still out, seeing which 6-9 stuff still fits etc and realised he's only got 4 jumpers in the right size. I know it's enough really but I'm seeing it as an excuse to shop! This is him today.

MrsA H&m have some lovely jumpers and pretty cheap too

Bought one from there today!

Very cute Mrs A!

DS isn't into out I pad at the mo so o think we are going to hold out as long as poss before he gets his own. I was discussing this with a friend today and she bought her 4 year old and tablet from amazon for £90 and just put youtube and some apps on it and the little girl is very happy with that.

Las night was a trying one. He has started sleeping through (haven't mentioned it before as I didn't want to curse it) but last night was up 4 times between 10 and 6. Between 8 and 10 he was awake every 30 mins or less moaning about his teeth. Ibuprofen and sleeping on me for 45 mins is what got him down at 10. Crossed finger for tonight. Haven't had a peep out of him since 7.30.

Please excuse the horrendous typing. My phones keyboard has shrunk and I am too tired to work it out!

So DS is cutting a tooth and has been waking up during the night for the past few days and is utterly impossible to get back to sleep. I'm up for 2 hrs typically and its really stressing me out as I'm clearly not able to put him back to sleep.

Last night he woke at 2.30, I literally rocked him for an hour and a half and every time I thought he was "asleep" and tried to put him down he snaps awake and screeches bloody murder. Even if I wait 10/15 mins after I'm sure he's "asleep".

What the hell am I doing wrong? If I put him in the cot he won't let go of my hand and I ed up standing hunched over the cot for 20 mins, freezing, whilst he grumbles and keeps trying to get up.

Eventually at 4am last night I snapped and gave him Nurofen which we said we wouldnt do as we'd given it to him the last 3 nights out of the exact same desperation after 2 hrs).

15 mins after Nurofen he was asleep.

So what should I do? Just feed him Nurofen every night? Youre only supposed to give it for 3 days.

But I cant rock him in the dark for hours every night.

Last night I even left him to self-settle (hah!) at one point, and looking at the monitor, but he lasted 8 mins of staring at the door before starting to cry. I would literally have to leave him to cry it out.

At least when I'm in the room he's never actually upset - he's just grumbly cos he cant drop off fully. Dont know what to do.

I'm dreading tonight.

Anna I feel your pain :( If he really cannot sleep because of being in pain, I don't see too many other options as giving painkillers. Would Calpol be ok to alternate? I give DD Dentokind few times a day, it's a German homeopathy and seems to be helping. At least if I forget giving it one day, I can see the nappy going all funny very quickly, so I suppose it does the job. But there have been few nights just before the teeth coming through, we ended up giving calpol or neurofen on top. Just before cutting teeth DD started to sleep from 12.00 to 6am and I was hopeful that sleeping through is just around the corner, but since then it has definitely all gone to pot. She is not waking and staying up for hours on a night, but she needs either dummy or milk every 2-3 hours, takes no longer than 10 minutes but eventually it start to kill me. Last night she was up constantly and decided the day was on at 5am. Imagine what I felt when at 6.30 she decided to go for a kip! I think it's a sofa, TV and knitting day for me. :(
And just as I write this DD just pulled herself up to the coffee table to grab the candle... The peaceful days are gone now?

I'd nurofen. I do nurofen. I used to feel bad for the same reason if it was more than 3 days but dp says 'why let them be in pain?' Its not a sleeping tablet so its the pain keeping them awake which can be helped.

Feel for you though passes matchsticks and wine.

Since this bug dd is waking so much I've had her back in bed with me from 2am onwards, few more days of that nonsense then must get her back in cot!!

It's not you Anna. DD has been doing the same thing for the past week or so. I am a zombie. We've been giving Nurofen here too for at least 3 days as she's also got a stinking cold and cough. I don't know what Nurofen would do to help that but it does seem to help a tiny bit. We've run out of Calpol otherwise I guess we should try that first.

There's lots online about a huge regression around this age linked to development. Bah! I don't know. But you're not alone and not doing anything wrong.

Thank you all so much! Feeling all weepy and vunerable with it all. And is only his 2nd tooth! God help me!

I tried Anbusol last night but it just seemed to upset him as he was trying to spit it out for ages. So much for that.

We use Calpol during the day or going to bed if needed but as its 5ml now its too hard to get that amount into him in a darkened room. Whereas Nurofen is only 2.5ml still so its quicker to squirt.

Besides Nurofen is 10 times better, lets face it.

Fuck it, I'll give it earlier tonight if I have to.

Also it's a second day I ended up taking DD out in a pram to get her nap. WTF! My baby who for few weeks would just simply turn on the side and be flat out as soon as put in the cot! 9 months tomorrow, so probably the regression is full on. Few more days&nights like this and I will end up having wine for breakfast instead of coffee to numb the pain.