Evening!
J has been making in-pain squealy noises over the last few days, and writhing/twisting around a lot. It looks like tummy ache. I don't know if it is actually his tummy or whether, because twisting around is one of his new favourite hobbies, he's employing that for any type of pain e.g. teething/boredom. He's also been doing a lot of work windy-pops which would suggest it's tummy-related. And he's also got a rash (which is highly unusual for him - he's been very lucky to have had clear skin so far) - it's on his face and tummy. Any thoughts? I haven't given him anything other than my normal milk in the last week or so, and I don't think I've eaten/drunk anything unusual myself. I'll take him to the doctor tomorrow, but just thought I'd ask here in case anyone had any experience/knowledge...?
For those who've started weaning (or have older children), did you use plastic sheeting under the high chair, and if so, where did you get it?
Bluebs / Rolly / Sunday - Thank you (and everyone here) for all your support during my long and difficult journey with DH and J. I don't want to assume it'll all be plain sailing from here, but certainly things are unimaginably better than they were.
Rolly - that's hilarious about your 20 minutes of freedom! I hope you let your hair down 😉
Not sure about Android, sorry.
Good luck with your routine and the sleep training. Keep us posted re how it goes.
Sunday - foodwise we've done soft or steamed vegetables, cut in sticks. Cucumber, carrot, broccoli etc. Haven't tried purée yet, but will probably do a mixture.
I think we're advised to introduce new foods at breakfast/lunch rather than in the evening, in case it triggers a bad reaction which you might not notice at night
Re naps, if I were you I'd skip to settling him directly in the cot, rather than transferring once asleep. But make sure he's definitely sleepy first. And stay with him and rub/pat and shush him until he's asleep. I don't think transferring him once asleep will (in the longer term) make any difference to his sleep routine.
Bluebs - how's the boob-blood this evening?
I'm sorry your DH is struggling to adjust. The "ruined his life / holding him back" feeling is awful - I can sympathise so much (although it's no longer the case for me, luckily for me). The "well you wanted to be a mum" comment is infuriating. I used to get similar from DH during pregnancy, which basically closed down any attempt I made to get any sympathy for sore back/hips/etc (which was why you ladies were such a godsend - I had no-one else to moan to on a daily basis). Luckily DH hasn't used that line recently.
I'd normally be deeply sceptical about the idea of a self-sacrificing hormone, but the post-natal hormones made me so loopy that I really wouldn't put anything past them. I also think that perhaps the more time you spend looking after a small creature (including the 9 months in utero), the more willing you are to give up anything for him...?
Can't remember if I said this before, but there's a very small part of me that felt a little bit miffed when DH sparked J's first massive giggling fit, rather than me. But really that's really very minimal compared with my delight that they're having fun together.
That's great about your Europe trip! Which countries do you think you'll aim for? Yes definitely good to spend quality time together at weekends too. National Trust will be lovely - good to do something where Ru is physically there but you can have a grown-up conversation whilst strolling. Do you have anyone nearby who can babysit, so you can spend time just the two of you too?
LOL'ed at your summary of parenthood!
Yes I think I can pretty much guess how the Muslin Game works... Ru's rolling peekaboo game sounds adorable!
London baby! Would be great to see you again if you're this way. I have done multiple train/tube journeys and it's really easy once you know how, even with weekend kit. I wouldn't drive a car in London with a barge-pole 🤔 - definitely go by train.
For the journey to/from London/wherever, it's worth booking a seat in the easy-access carriage. If there are no wheelchairs booked on, you can put your pushchair in the wheelchair space and sit in the seats right in front of that (which should be empty unless there's a wheelchair booked, and which non-wheel/pushchair users should give you priority for).
Take a massive rucksack, and carry all your light stuff in there, and put the heavier stuff under the pushchair.
Make sure your valuables (and anything you might need during the journey) are in your rucksack too, as you'll have better access to that whilst travelling - especially if you end up not being right next to your pushchair, which can happen on busier trains).
As J has been sleeping in my bed, I haven't bothered taking a travel cot (perhaps you could bunk up together as a one-off?) but I have stowed bouncy chair / doorway bouncer under the pushchair with no problem.
Buy nappies when you get there, don't transport them.
Always ask people for help up the stairs or onto/off the train. Having said that, normally you won't need to, because people just love to help. I've been repeatedly astonished by how helpful and friendly people (including Londoners) are to anyone with a pushchair, in a way I'd never seen/expected before. (And it's not that they're chatting you up - guys will happily tell you about how they've got a couple of children too and what an amazing job their wife is doing.)
Re tube stations, you can look at the tube map to see which stations have pushchair access. But I generally don't bother. I just go to whichever station I want and get someone to help me carry the pushchair up/down the stairs. TfL staff aren't allowed to carry the pushchair if the baby's inside (which is annoying if the baby's asleep and you don't want to wake him), but fellow passengers will.
You can take pushchairs on the escalators if you're careful - I don't know if this is officially allowed but I've never been stopped. When going up the escalator, just walk forwards and push the pushchair forwards so it's wedged nicely against the next step up, and then hold the handle quite high (maybe chin-height) so the pushchair isn't tilted too much. When going down the escalator, leave a bit of space after the previous people and then reverse very carefully onto the escalator so that you're standing below the pushchair and facing up the escalator. Encourage people not to get on the escalator immediately after you as it makes it trickier when you get to the bottom - you need a bit of space. (Generally they'll keep their distance anyway because you look like a dangerous loon). When you get to the bottom, reverse off carefully. Hope that all makes sense. It's easy(ish) once you've done it a couple of times... Having said all that (re escalators/stairs), it would of course be far more sensible just to stick to the easy-access stations, so please ignore my advice if you're not comfortable/confident about it.
I think that's all my top tips - let me know if you have any other specific questions!
If you do do a boob guru blog (please call it that!), can you post photos that only show you from the neck down? Makes it less personal/friendly, but solves the anonymity problem, which I can totally understand for professional reasons as much as personal ones.
When you swim Ru underwater, how long is it for? Like, about one second? Or can they last much longer?
Jasper has had a few indoor naps now. It is revolutionising my life - I can actually get stuff done like laundry with a bit of peace and quiet (and both hands)! Don't get me wrong - I do enjoy going out walking all day, but it wasn't very productive. I might even start following the news properly now!
Oh yes, I wouldn't let Ru cry to sleep if you think there might be something wrong. I'm letting J cry but only when I'm confident there's nothing wrong, plus one of us is always in the room with him, shushing and tummy-rubbing him or singing Twinkle Twinkle.
Incidentally, there's a brilliant version of Twinkle Twinkle on YouTube, with a cartoon owl, and there's also a song called Little Snowflake and another called Sweet Dreams (the Goodnight Song). They are all by Super Simple Songs and J is totally hypnotised by them - he goes completely trance-like and dozy. Last night I played them to him and we were both asleep within about ten minutes 😂
Ah Downton, how I miss it.
I decided to follow someone's advice and do boiled water in the sippy cup rather than expressed milk. First time was this evening in the bath, and he took to it really well. He immediately got the hang of what to do with the handles and spout, and he certainly took in some water even if not very much.
I cut J's nails with nail scissors rather than clippers for the first time today. OMG it is so much easier / less terrifying! Can't believe I've been struggling on with the clippers for so long. I wish I'd listened to advice on here weeks/months ago! Tonight when he fed, my "décolletage" didn't get scratched to bits!