November 2014 - The one where they outrun us!

[MrsAukerman]

New thread ladies.

I think I need a bit of some hardcore attitude here. The nursery bugs are driving me crazy big style. DD has been in nursery 2,5 months and out of them 4 weekends, Christmas including, she has been with snot, fever, gunky eyes, nappy rash. I cannot believe it is my healthy baby who hadn't had a single snot until the start of the nursery.

End of January I picked up the cold from DD, and I still haven't managed to get rid of the cough. Last Friday DD started to fart non-stop like an old man. The smell was so bad we kept checking if she had filled the nappy, that went on whole of Saturday. Then on Saturday she woke up from her nap with a fever, the rest of the day spending cuddled up with one of us on the sofa, not showing much interest into anything. The fever had disappeared on Sunday, which was amazing as usually she takes 3 days to get rid of it. But last night I started to have stomach ache and feeling sick, still do today, cannot even think of any food.

So working from home as in a state I am, I don't dare to be too far away from a loo. Having blasts of cough when you are constantly on a verge to throw up is almost hilarious. DH brought in a bucket near the bed "just in case you don't make it to the bathroom".

I am sooo fed up with this winter (here's me who always had said that there are no winters in the UK!), cannot wait till it gets warmer and all the bugs get out of the way.

Right the rant over...

Strawberry I know how you feel nursery germs are nightmare with ds1 he was with cm from 9mths 3days a week then nursery 1day as well from 13mths and def didn't get as many colds etc as ds2 who has been in nursery 3days since 9mths and 4days since 13mths.

Last weekend dh then ds1 and me had the pukey bug not fun.

I think where we haven't had a cold winter the germs have lingered more.

I too can not wait for summer

Trying to decide where to book a hol for October for half term ouras ius week earlier than rest country so cheaper will be early 10yr wedding anniversary which is end Oct and ds2 first hol abroad (unless u convince dh to go in July too!!) I would love an amazing hol like Mexico in Oct but would be mega bucks and dh says too far with ds2 so looking at Greece or Morocco really as good Prices

I have already booked me and DD to go to visit my family in July for 11 days, probably will go back again in November before the winter sets in. I struggle with idea of having DD in, say, -20C, would have to buy her some proper winter clothes just for few days. Although our mum had saved a a tiny sheepskin coat from when me and dsis were about 2yo. Nephew wore it and the way it goes, its probably waiting for DD. :)
Then we are planning a holiday somewhere in south Europe in September/ October, probably will rent a place on Airbnb. DH is going back to being self employed so very limited holidays for him. Leaves me with about 3 weeks to play on my own.

I love both Greece and morocco, although Morocco did backpacking so wouldn't work the same with DD. Would have to look for some more steady choice.

I really hope that it will be true what they say that it's the 1st winter in nursery is the worst one and from there it's all back to normal. Today DH asked what did I want to do on weekend to come and I told him off bcs in the last month we only had 1 weekend DD was fever free. And the same weekend we had to cut our outing short as DD had a tantrum 30 mins after we parked the car and nothing did work. She only stopped screaming when we put her back into the car seat. :(

Everyone's said it's the first few months at childcare, I do think it's getting a bit better now... (famous last words).

I reeeeally fancy Morrocco, but for a girls weekend I think. I'm not sure I'd take dd at the moment. I honestly can't imagine taking her on a plane for any longer than an hour, she's a nightmare, I can't get her to sit for lunch for longer than 10 minutes. We've booked a barn in Cromer, it has an indoor pool and an outdoor play area shared with 5 other barns, one of which my dsis and bil have hired. Then in August we're going to take a mini break in Brussels on the eurostar.

strawberry have you taken dd to an airbnb before? We just booked one for my fil's wedding, we were turned down for one because of the thin walls, they couldn't accept a baby!!

ladydolly not yet, we did France with Airbnb just before learning I was pregnant, so DD was in a slightly different capacity. Was considering to book a flat last summer with them, but went for a nice hotel eventually. I would have to check in with big luggage and DD in a baby carrier on my own as DH was flying in later on that day. Perspective of doing all arrangements to pick up keys and risking there wouldn't be any lift. It felt so much easier to have people to help with luggage, cot prepared in the room. That's quite shocking about being rejected with baby, but consider yourself lucky - imagine you would be in a place with some noisy drunks on other side of the wall! We would be looking at detached/ autonomous property with nice outside area to enjoy after a day driving around.

Well we booked a holiday for Greece booked Crete got good deal as ds2 is still free under 2 and ds1 got a free place although sure they bump adult price up its all inc water park n upgraded to family suite so sludi g door between lounge (kids room) and bedroom.

Will keep an eye out for bargain Morocco although summer mths are hot hot hot so poss to !such for little people.

ladydolly that Cromer barn sounds fab. I do like nort Norfolk a lot and we seem to be going there at least once a year. Have you heard about pub called Pigs in Edgefield? They've got inside and outside play area for kids and piglets menu. And they have spa rooms to stay overnight. We went last Easter and will be going in May this year. Quite expensive, but it's so fab to chill in sauna and jacuzzi in the room once DD is asleep. And the staff are very nice and accommodating, never heard them say they couldnt do x or y.

Wow links please strawberry that place sounds fab :)

eastmids it's this one:

www.thepigs.org.uk

We're going to Vancouver in May, we might be mad having 2x ten hour daytime flights with an 18mo! My dad retired in July and very kindly gave me and my brother a few thousand pounds each from his pension lump sum; brother had to spend his on renovating his tip of a house but we are doing a holiday while DD is still free to fly. I think DD will be quite happy if she can just walk up and down the aisles continually so I'm praying for a smooth flight without seatbelt signs on! Luckily we're staying with family who have teenage kids who can't wait to meet and look after DD so hopefully me and DH will get a bit of a rest too.

Got a few other weekends away planned, a week in the Isle of Wight with extended family and probably a long weekend in Malta at October half term just before DD turns two.

We are suffering here too - we had a good run of it - from Christmas to last week we had no colds (although I was sick a couple of weeks ago due to eating some dodgy hummus, ew) but now DD and I have an epic cold. We are having some horrendous nights with hourly wake ups and she needs to be cuddled only by me, until deeply asleep (which takes 20 mins... you can do the maths of that...). Luckily she is so tired after those bad nights that the next night she usually sleeps through, but then the next night she wakes again. At 3am this morning in desperation I took her into the spare room to sleep with me (only room where we can have bed against the wall) but I don't think it really helped as I woke her with my coughing and she got confused about where she was when she stirred. Really hope it passes soon. We are in the "rivers of snot" stage so I'm hoping it's the beginning of the end.

The sun is nice though isn't it (if you've got some!)... even though it's freezing cold... and it's staying light later. It'll be spring before we know it!

The non-sleeping wonderchild's new trick is to wake up at about 2.30am and stay awake for hours. On Sunday night I ended up sleeping on her floor, which was very uncomfortable and cold, after she eventually fell asleep there next to me after being awake for so long and I didn't dare to move her in case she woke back up. Last night I brought her to our bed as she was reasonably quiet. She woke up each hour and would only sleep on me while I was in a very uncomfortable position (though it was more comfortable than the floor). It is half-term, so, because we didn't have to get up to get DD1 to school, I had forgotten to set an alarm and woke up under her at about the time she usually leaves for nursery. Fortunately, it was ok because there was less traffic and DH usually has to drop DD1 at breakfast club on the way, so there was still time to throw some clothes on her and get her there on time. Fortunately, I am off work this week as DD1 is off school (and I think I would have cried if I had had to go back soon after the rubbish day on Saturday), but DD2 still goes to nursery as we have paid for it and she enjoys it. I am supposed to tidying up the house so DD1's friend can come and play tomorrow and my mum and grandma are coming on Thursday, but I am too tired and am also having to entertain DD1. I wanted to go back to bed but couldn't really let my 4yr old look after herself.

Re nursery germs, IME the first winter there is the worst, and, anecdotally, with a sample size of 1, DD1 has not yet been ill enough for a day off school this winter, maybe because she was exposed to so many germs at nursery.

Walking (though still only walking holding my hands) has taken off in a big way here. She wants to be walking all the time. Yesterday we went to the park with DD1's friend from school, and DD2 wanted to be on the climbing frame and slides and everywhere the big girls were. DH finally got the smart trike out of the attic and she loved that too.

We haven't really thought about holidays yet. We are too disorganised. This will be the first year we have to go in school holidays so will have to think about where we can afford that will be fun for both DDs. DD1 keeps talking about going to London, and I would love to take her but don't know how we would transport DD2 on the underground etc and I can't face all of us in one hotel room as none of us would get any sleep like that.

We are possibly going to Bath this summer. here in Ireland, we are routinely jealous of your nice summers in the UK, which we feel isn't very fair as we're geographically quite close. So I'm actually hoping for some good weather!

Looking at an apartment close to the city centre that has a little outdoor decking area that could be v handy if the days stay dry. I think our days of
hotelling it are well over. It's self-catering apartment all the way.

Yes Strawberry and moggle and everyone, the nursery bugs were such a revelation here, couldn't believe the insta-shitstorm of colds and viruses after such a healthy start with DD1! They do seem to be tailing off a little bit (they both started end of August) but we are not out of the woods yet. Just glad to have HFM disease out of the way for both of them, and chicken pox out of the way for DD1. The jury is still out about whether or not DD2 got the pox or not. It's possible she got a very mild dose while I was still breastfeeding her. She only had 1 spot and a weird heatrash-like rash on the rest of her body, and a slight fever. She wasn't too miserable with it. We might yet have to get her vaccinated as I heard if they get a mild dose the first time they can get it again.

PS happy sorry to hear about the floor sleeping, that really sucks. Am I right in thinking your DD CAN sleep sometimes? If finances can stretch to it, I can happily recommend Ann Caird as a sleep consultant.

My non-sleeping wonderchild sleeps 12 hours a lot of the time now. Not every night at all, but enough so we have run out of fingers to count on!

The Pigs looks awesome! We will definitely be visiting.

Babydolly the sleephater woke at 1 and didn't go back down until 3.30. DH has her tummybug so I was on my own. She was so angry she was moaning even when she was on the boob. It was proper upset screaming whether she was held or in the cot. I think she was hungry but she drained the boobs and refused the bottle.

The non eating thing is a problem, she's eating less and less during the day and pretty much nothing for dinner, yesterday was 3 slices of carrots. Even the pre-bed banana is going half eaten. I'm trying to stay relaxed about it but I'm sure the night waking is related.

Not so sure if this is a new trend or a one off related to the germ invasion but last night DD woke up (cried in sleep) at 2am. Outright refused bottle, all she wanted was to cuddle up with me and she immediately drifted off, only had some milk at 6am. For a baby who has been just weeks ago going through 3 (!) 9oz bottles during the night, that's quite a move.
On other hand with no end fevers she has now definitely got used to sleep in our bed. When she's been ill, she wanted to sleep cuddled with us and we preferred so because we had better control if she was burning up at night. Now we have transitioned from baby happily sleeping in her own cot from day 2 to a toddler refusing to sleep on her own. Hey ho!

It's swings and roundabouts isn't it strawberry. DD1 was always quite needy as a baby and loved co-sleeping, but after we got strict on booting her out she accepted her cot happily enough and has been great about bedtime ever since. A few weeks ago she had croup and scary breathing, and I slept in her room overnight. Since then she asks me to sleep in with her almost every night! I can see her becoming a little more clingy to me again as she's growing up and the world is getting a bit bigger for her.

Ah well.

lady that's tough, she sounds like she's too busy exploring to eat! Or do you think it's in any way teething-related? If you bribed her with some nice sweet porridge before bed would she go for that kind of thing? And then you could make it a bit less sweet everyday and hope she doesn't notice...

I know what you mean about the angry baby though, DD was like that a lot over the last few months, there is little you can do in the face of such wrath until they exhaust themselves out in the end [confusing] it's maddening.

Actually she has started proper stropping now when she's pissed off, she flings herself to the ground and actually beats her fists.

It is the funniest thing ever.

Oh yes, angry baby is also impatient baby here. If she wants something and you don't do it fast enough, she starts shouting and banging her fists on the floor/ her head/ whatever is around. This is unfortunate if you don't even know what it is she is asking you to do.

Happy ds2 is in nursery and ds1 and I had day of cinema and lunch out and resting at home will collect him at 5 I don't break their routine and as you say paid for therefore can go much more fum for them than day under your feet trying to do chores. I am at work tommorow and Thurs and ds1 is trying a new holiday club

Ha, tantrums... After DD had thrown them for long enough time on regular basis we started to wonder whether she does it in the nursery even though nobody ever says anything about it. Eventually I asked if they ever got any stropping from her. Key workers were gobsmacked, apparently DD is one of the easiest baby in the whole nursery, always happy, never crying, giving signs herself when she wants to be put to bed (she does this one at home as well to all fairness) and so and so on. 3 days later they are still going on about how they cannot imagine her having tantrums. And there is me triggering tantrums by changing nappy, getting her dressed, bathed anything very regular
I guess people in nursery got more experience how to deal with little people and to guess what they really want? Or DD is a little canny bugger who knows very well to whom she can tantrum and to whom not...

We are definately getting strops here, but as of yet it hasnt developed to the head banging off the floor stage. Its limited to food stamping and throwing things around.

One thing I have zero tolerance for though is slapping my leg/arm etc if he feels hard done by. He hasnt yet learnt the difference between slapping the nasty table if he bumps his head on it, and slapping me if I tell him no. So when he does it I get very cross and stern and he wails and wails cos he doesnt know what he did wrong. And then I end up giving him a cuddle cos how can you not? But I'm hoping I'm not giving mixed messages! But I figure that has to be nipped in the bud NOW.

I'm visiting my MIL and we forgot the monitor so he's in with me in the travel cot. First time I've slept in the same room as him in about 5 months! DH snores so he's banished to the box room lucky thing. So I really hope I get some sleep. Oh and we also forgot the mattress so he's sleeping on a doubled up duvet. I have no idea how this is going to go!

foot stamping!

BTW the creche rang and they have a spot for him in July. Its for July 2016-July 2017.

Problem is that we cant afford a second year full price so we really wanted Him to start going in September as he would turn 3 and his free childcare hours would kick in just four weeks after his first year ended. We could manage those 4 weeks at full price.

Whereas if he started in july we'd have to bridge July 17 - November 17 at full price and thats about 2 grand!

So when we get back home I'll have to have a chat and see if theres any flexibilty. The worry is that if we miss this offer, there might not be a place available in Sept at all!

I've got a DD here who does "selective stropping" - throws a right paddy when I change her nappy, but when I asked the nursery workers if she does the same thing for them, they just looked at me as if I was mad - apparently she doesn't move an inch . I'm thinking she's pretty canny, rather than it me being inept!

So she took her first steps 2 weeks ago today and I can't believe how fast she is now! She's literally taking off - she's so speedy and confident in such a short space of time, it's amazing . But the best side product of this newly-learnt skill is that she is absolutely shattered by the end of the day and last night, for the first time in weeks, she slept for 11.5 hours solid!!! Not one single peep out of her . I'm sure I've jinxed it for tonight now, but hey, I'll take that one night for now

havent that is what finally got DD sleeping through from bedtime to morning- virtually from the day she finally cracked walking in mid December she's slept through apart from the past week with a terrible cold :-( hope it lasts for you too!!!