August 2015 - Jaffa cake wars and many Mugabe greetings to you!

[mzzzf]

New thread ladies - praying for a decent sleep tonight!!

Evening giraffes. When did yours turn 4? Mine is just rising 4 and a half now and so was in this years school entry. I have found that there are few things less appreciative than a 4 year old tbh. This has definitely been the year that my lovely, non-commercialised daughter joined the real world! Preschool and now school do mean I get a lot more 'I want' and general flouncing [shocked].

With regards to routine we have ended up in one but that is entirely because of the fixed points of the school run. Grumpy 2 has settled herself into a going to bed and getting up routine because she's had to to fit in with her sister (we bath them together and get them up at the same time) During the day though I am being less rigid with napping than I was first time around and only resorting to actively trying to get her to sleep when she is clearly yawning her head off! Latch-wise, I have no pearls of wisdom other than find the position that is most comfortable for you both and spend some time trying to feed without rushing. Hard I know when you have another one demanding your attention...

Those toys are amazing joskar, thanks for the discount tip.

for everyone. That's all I can offer for tonight along with wishes for sleepy babies.

Giraffes I found this video helpful when I was having latching problems a couple of weeks ago. DS was 'biting' and it helped with that but it helps you get deeper latch which so should help with getting hind milk. That said we've had green poo all day so maybe don't listen to me!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=7FJuBn2bgNk

We have NO routine and bedtime is going backwards not forwards. I need to try and bring some order to our lives!!

That said DS is 12 weeks exactly today so am assuming he will wake up tomorrow, after 10 hours sleep, magically in his own routine as all the books say it suddenly becomes easy at 12 weeks right? Will knock back 10 woo woo's at magabe nights to celebrate and knowing I have a lie in tomorrow coming up. Or does it not work exactly like that?

I've decided that Mugabe nights has a door policy of pjs and 'cat dragged in' hair too!

Ahh frolic I hope your fur baby is on the mend soon. Dogs being sick is worse than babies I think!!

Well tonight DH stepped up to the mark. Mini mzzzf fought sleep for an hour when we put her down (git!) but did win in the end. Yay!! Go DH! Also had a apology for the other night and s promise to do better. Sometimes I try and do it all myself because it's quicker/easier/gets done right but then I get annoyed I'm not getting help when it gets too much like when she has bad days in a row. I really must delicate more!!

My mum is flying up at the weekend, I can't wait!! Means I'll at least get one nap. God I miss having family, friends nearby. Those of you that do are super lucky!

Wonder if mini mzzzf will now sleep 5hrs straight post feed?! (

P.S. Cue hollow laugh..,
P.P.S. Thought jabs were meant to make them sleepy!!???!
P.P.P.S let's break out the good stuff - babyshams all round!!!

I hope it works like that for you Kbro, I had similar 12 week hopes which have not been met. Not at all. Instead 12 weeks seems to be a combo of growth spurt and developmental leap meaning more night wake ups, more nap resistance and more crying. Yay.

and for everyone who had a tough night / day yesterday. I'm sick of hearing myself moan so won't add my woes but safe to say I'll be letting off some serious steam on the Mugabe nights dance floor.

Re: latch - it's funny how BF keeps changing, I think I thought once we cracked it that would be that but the journey continues... DS's latch has got really shallow and lazy. Am wondering if I need to hold him in a different way now he's bigger. Hope things get better for you soon Giraffes, some great advice above.

How good is Catastrophe? Some hilarious on the money moments, really cheered me up when I watched this morning.

I like the idea of a routine but am so reluctant to have to be in the house at set points each day. I love being out and about and want to take advantage of DS being little and it being easy to cart him around.

Gonna sign off coz I feel quite negative and meh but hope everyone has a sleep filled night. I'll be playing pub jenga in the beer garden if anyone needs me...

Hey all, in honour of my Nana make mine a snowball.

Am sure it'll get magically easier at 12-weeks just like it did at 6 (mwah ha ha!!) Seriously though, I suspect some things do get easier but are then simply overshadowed by the things that get simultaneously harder.

So, after being a bit slack for a couple of weeks we tried to give grumpy 2 a bottle last night in preparation for my great day trip Saaarf on the 7th December. Did not go well . So now DH is going to be on serious bottle training duty otherwise there is no way I'll be able to leave them for the day .

And today I have to go to the dentist. Whoopie.

HOLLLA HOLLLA! rolls in pissed from copious amounts of day time drinking.

Well we are all a happy bunch!! Lots of love and cake and gin and earplugs to us all!!!

Took the beast into town today after hospital appt. Oxford street is not fun with a baby. Went for lunch with a friend and she was pretty shouty and full on screaming at my boob (do not think she likes my new nursing bra obv). Had to pacify baby and my friend who was wailing 'she doesn't like me, every time I hold her she cries' cmon seriously she cries, she's a baby!!!
Took her into my old work which was sweet, she was slightly better behaved, slightly....

However...on the sleep front, I'm well aware you're only as good as your last night BUT last night she fell asleep at 8, woke at 11:30 and then 4:30....tonight asleep at 7:30 and just now at 3:40!!!! I'm in the lounge expressing...PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THIS A NEW THING...obv will go tits up as we go on holibobs next week xx

Ooh where are u going on holiday fanby and why are u expressing at this time in the morning lol.

Piper was up at 4 grrr. I only fed her once yesterday afternoon from both sides and rest I expressed. She had an extra bottle of formula in the evening which meant she didn't take as much at bedtime so maybe that's why she's woken earlier. She's gone on with nipple shield just now although at one point she'd wriggled and knocked it off and gone on without it. I only realised because the pain intensified lol.

Right, gonna attempt transfer back into cot for hopefully some more sleep please.

Morning

Who's joining me for a post night out breakfast? I'm thinking a nice restaurant by a golden beach and turquoise sea...

slow my 4yo just turned 4. I'm banning all channels except CBeebies, adverts are making her a consumer junkie...

frolic hope your doggy gets better soon, poorly dog is not what you need when trying to look after a new baby

Kbro thanks for the video! I think baby giraffe has got very lazy and I haven't been paying attention to her feeding as kind of assumed it would be all fine by now!

mzzf great news about your mum, I have no help either (other than the childminder some mornings for dd1) it is hard I agree!

Breakfast out sounds lovely - make mine a massive fry-up...

Won't go into details about last night, other than to ask why trying to persuade J to sleep appears to equate to torturing him? Fell asleep in my arms twice during the run-up to bedtime and then screamed and refused to settle for 3 hours. Grr baby

clstow hope you're feeling more positive soon, I find in very up and down depending on sleep/what happens during the day/whether I've seen friends. On expectations I have none, that way I can't be disappointed . I do feel that overall it gets easier gradually as baby gets older, it's definitely easier now than when she was a newborn, but the change is very gradual and often interspersed with bad days/weeks.

fanby it's lucky Mugabe nights is a bit of a dive otherwise you wouldn't get away with rocking up wasted . I'll join you for some more drinks. Bet you can't wait for your holiday, please share any tips for holidaying with a baby when you get back

Baby giraffe is sleeping on me as she woke at 5am and there was a poonami, thankfully all in her nappy. Then she couldn't sleep again, I put white noise on and a rock and a jiggle later she fell asleep.

I've started playing some games with her, she loves being held on my knee and I sing horsey horsey don't you stop rhyme. Any other baby games tips appreciated, also how to get her laughing as the gummy grin is great but for three months of no sleep I feel I need a giggle!

Good luck all!

Dozy - that sounds positive on the feeding!!! I hope today is going to be a better day for you both!!
We're off to Leicestershire way, it's where we went on our mini moon. It's a lodge surrounded by lakes with your own hot tub and sauna. Safe to say I CANNOT BLOODY WAIT!!

Giraffes and mzzzf - I too have no help on the doorstep. My folks are only an hour and a half away but they may as well think I live in Scotland lol

Totally up for breakfast - blueberry pancakes and maple syrup for me pls xxx

Ooh yes to breakfas. I live the sea but it's not turquoise in colour. I think we should all head to frolic's beach if we want blue sea and we can relieve her of dog shit duties temporarily.

Kbro just watched that video. My nipples are nothing like those womens nipples. They make it look so easy and that's with newborns as well. My nips are so tiny in comparison and she definitely pinches it because she's not got it fully on. I don't know how else to get her to have a deeper latch. She just refused the shield again this morning, but she latched on for a few sucks and then I shoved the shield on to fool her and that worked.

Sod the beautiful sedate breakfast I was a proper grimey East London-esque greasy spoon and a heart attack on a plate!! It's dirty but I love a fried slice, haven't had one in years though!

Sooooo just as I was about to adopt her she nailed a 5hr stretch of sleeping. Thank the lord baby Jesus, my goodness I needed to sleep And surprisingly it was the second half of the night she did it in! She did let out a blood curdling scream at 5am but it appeared to be a dream as a dummy immediately solved it. I know it's part pot luck but I'm so thankful for that little bit of continuous sleep!

Fanby I think I know the place you're talking about - does it have rough in the title? Awesome awesome place

I am frickin desperate for a holiday. We have my friend's wedding next weekend that we have to travel to, I'm looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Plus it means I'll actually have to wear proper clothes!!!

Dozy and Kbro I think I'm having trouble because DS is so big now. I can't actually get his body into any of the positions, it's too long. I tried to do rugby ball hold, but he's longer than the sofa seat, and I can't reach to support his head with my opposite hand if I try the cross hold. :/

mzzzf I could murder a full Scottish, with tatty scones and both black and fruit pudding!

I've been desperate for a holiday, too, which is odd as I usually much prefer being home! Fanby your private lodge sounds PERFECT!

Fried slice? Is that fried bread?! Bloody love that stuff!!!! Oh god I need some!!

It's called eye kettleby lakes - perhaps it's not near Leicestershire lol, being a non driver my geography is dreadful!

I cannae be arsed to get out of bed today! Molly is wriggling away next to me seems content enough...wonder how long it'll last

Siani - molly is getting proper long too, becoming much more awkward to feed when out and about - frustrating for both of us!

Dd2 didn't go down til 2 am. Good grief! She woke dd1 with her carry on so Dh went through and fell asleep in her room. At midnight I gave up trying to rock her to sleep and stuck her in the sling and went a walk. Came back at 1 then fed her for an hour. Brutal. Dd1 was then up at 6am. So tired. Dh has taken dd1 to nursery and a good thing too!

I need to get the bra situation sorted. Measured myself last night and it suggested I was 36j. Surely not? Does that even exist? I'm certain that pregnancy has made my rib cage bigger. I was 30/32f before the girls. I know I've a couple stone to lose but surely it wouldn't be that different? I feel like an auld wifie with a pan loaf up her jumper!

Oh Frolic I hope your situation improves soon! We're getting our boiler replaced today and tomorrow so lots of naps on mummy! DS has started properly giggling which is amazingly lovely!

Giraffe the ones I've learnt at sensory and yoga so far are head shoulders knees and toes, Incy wincy spider, run rabbit run where you push the legs into the chest to help with wind, jelly on a plate, and the hello sun sensory song. Hth!

Jeepers joskar - on the shit night and on your boobs!!!!! God I hope you get a nap in today!!!

So wasn't planning on project nap today as I want all the cuddles after yesterday's exploits in town...so guess who's having a kip in her bouncy chair?! Thing the washing machine has sent her to sleep...so cliche x

Joskar
Try this www.curvykate.com/bra-whisperer.php
I did it a few days ago, so waiting their reply

Oh giraffes missed your post...we're big row row row your boat fans in this house...she hates incy wincy spider-blatantly going to fear spiders isn't she?!

Ah Fanby the place I was thinking about it called "a little bit of rough" Near to where my mum lives and it's lovely