March 2016- first birthday's coming up!

[marmiteandcheeseplease]

Thought I'd start a new thread as the old one is getting full!

Happy birthday to your DS Dotty! My DS got a bit overwhelmed at his party too bless them.

Good luck with work today. Your days sound very long, but at least there's only two of them a week and you'll have lots of time to spend with DS the rest of the week. I am in awe of people who do night shifts with young children, I can't make it through a film in the evenings these days without falling asleep so no hope of making it through a night shift!

DS really took off with his walking over the weekend. We took him to the park on Saturday and he was so cute, charging around and getting to grips with his shoes. He has been sleeping amazingly well - this morning I had to go in and wake him - he's obviously using up loads of energy, great side effect of learning to walk!

Evening all,

I know this is DC2 for me and I should know this stuff, but can I ask you all a couple of really basic questions, please?!

1. milk - DS2's milk intake has recovered since virus-gate. We've stopped BFing completely. He's having ~6oz about 5 times a day, of which one is at bed time, another at about midnight. All in bottles still.

Is anyone doing anything different? He seems to need the midnight bottle still. And anyone using a cup successfully? Or using cow's milk instead of formula?

2. bedtime. He's sleeping in his own room (shared with DS1) now. But getting him to sleep is a right faff. He keeps leaping up to stand at the bars to whinge. It'll look like he's just fallen asleep, and then he's up faster than you can get a hand over the bars to stop him.

I know he'll grow out of it eventually but it's so drawn out and annoying!

I can't remember what DS1 was like. He was still BFing so fell asleep on the boob nicely, I think.

What are your babies like?

@DomesticAnarchist I'm on baby #2 too, and I don't remember some of it either! This one is so different from the first. For your questions:

1. Still bf from bedtime through usually 2 night feeds and a morning feed (argh, so exhausting, I've been working FT since September and I still do all the effing night shifts because I can't bear to stop bf). Two bottles a day, mixed formula and cow's milk, we're about 2/3 of the way through the transition. Drinks water and cold milk from a sippy cup but not much.

2. Bedtime's ok, I nurse her till she's dopey, put her in her cot with her bunny, and pat her a bit. Then I say goodnight and leave, and she cries for 1-15 minutes. Doesn't matter how much or how little patting, or how sure I am that she's asleep, there's always at least 1 min crying.

I'll be interested to hear what other babies are doing for #1 especially. I think we were all the way on cow's milk for DS by this point, and pretty sure off daytime bottles as he was such a good eater. He definitely still had a bedtime bottle till about 18 months.

@DomesticAnarchist this is number 1 for me so I'm learning on the job...

1. DS is rapidly going off milk- I've transitioned to cows milk now he will take a beaker full from the childminder and then maybe 4 oz before bed out of a bottle- he's gone off his food a little at the moment too so maybe it's just a phase?!

2. goes down about 19:30 I give bottle, brush teeth wind mobile up and give kiss and walk out he's usually asleep in 5 mins. He then sleeps through until 6/7 varies. He does sometimes wake up during the night but I just have to pop dummy back in normally.

He was royally rubbish with sleep until he was about 8 months. However DS isn't crawling or walking yet so is unable to stand up in his cot or anything- maybe that might be a game changer when he can?

At this age
Dd1 was on three bottles of 7 ounces each formula
Three meals and snacks
In bed for 7 like a light and up at eight am
Slept through

Dd2- bfeed on demand 24/7 and starting to explore food
But fully Night weaned and on three meals a day by 18 months

Ds- bfeed on demand 24/7, no interest in food apart from squishing it and using his beaker to splash water everywhere then smear everything on his highchair tray.

All three so different !

Dc1 for me.

1. he has two bottles a day, first thing and last thing, 7oz each roughly. We transitioned to cow's milk a week before his birthday, same way as MShip said, by mixing it and slowly reducing the amount of formula. He only dropped his third daytime bottle a couple of weeks ago, and now has a little bit of milk in a beaker at nursery with his morning snack.

2. I am lucky that DS has always been a dream at bedtime and has put himself to sleep since he was tiny (he has only recently started to do this for naps though). He has a bath about three times a week, otherwise just a quick play in his bedroom and a bit of nappy off time. Then into PJs, bottle, brush teeth, stories and into his cot with his comforter and dummy, asleep within 5 minutes. He does do the standing up in his cot to shout thing at nap time sometimes. I just keep going back in every few minutes to lie him down or give up and cuddle him to sleep

@FirstTimeMummy25 the crawling/walking thing might be something to do with it. I remember when DS1 was learning those skills he seemed to have a biological imperative to stand up at every opportunity. I'd forgotten that. So maybe it's that, and it'll pass.

Ha! @sherazade ! So I should perhaps just go with it and let it work itself out (both milk and sleep). I suppose that's what we did with DS1's foibles.

Thanks for the milk transition tips @TheM3ShipsCameSailingIn and @Me624. Maybe that'll be a thing to try over Easter, rather than try to coordinate childminder and nursery.

With the sleep, DS1 would have a good whinge every night. Going in to comfort him would only exacerbate him he's still a grump at bedtime now!. But because they share a room, I can't really let DS2 do the same. At least, not while they're going to bed at the same time.

Thanks for your tips.

Thanks me. Work was good, full on but good! I am incredibly lucky that I get to have so much time off with DS. tbh I am in awe of people who do nights with small children too! Pre DS I would have a lazy day the day of doing the night, and would then come home in the morning and snuggle up in bed for as long as I fancied. I think I'm going to be in for a shock come Thursday morning!

Your DS sounds so cute with his walking! My DS can walk holding one of our hands now and he looks so pleased with himself as he toddles along!

Dom DS is my first so I'm very much bumbling along as I go!

1. DS turned one at the weekend, we have about 1/8 of a tub of formula left so literally today I started mixing the bottles. DS usually takes 3 7oz bottles a day, so today he had them made with 4oz formula and 3oz cows milk. I didnt read anywhere or get told to do this, I just kind of did it! DS bottles are when he wakes up, then about 3pm and then one at bedtime. He will drink water with meals from a sippy cup but he refuses to hold the cup so I have to do it for him! He is very good at hurling it at the floor though.

2. DS has his bedtime bottle downstairs at about 6.30 ish and then we go up to do bath, pyjamas, teeth, story and then he goes into the cot wide awake. He generally falls asleep 5-15 mins after going to bed but this is often accompanied by lots of wriggling around and chatting! He will then sleep through until 6/6.30. No standing up in the cot here but like ftm's DS he is not crawling or walking, although not far off walking so maybe that will change! He does like to sit himself up in the cot and sway about which looks very strange!

Oh and dd1 transitioned on to cows milk at around 15 months .
Dd1 was a sharp contrast to ds and dd2. (Dummy , bottle, own cot from birth, own room from 6 months , slept through form 6 weeks and predictable routine like clockwork from early days ). Ahh she was a dream baby when I think about it . She's 11 now and still very time aware and punctual and loves routine a bit too much .
Dd2 was go with the flow on the boob toddler and her lack of interest in food did get me frustrated at times but when I look at what a contented , happy go lucky girl she is now at age 10 it doesn't seem so bad .
I wonder what ds will turn out look! He's already a massive handful . I'm brushing my teeth, he's emptying loo roll , trying to throw stuff down the toilet / drink shampoo/ empty dirty washing / climb into the bath that sort of child .

Dom I had been wondering about the milk question - we are winging it... We are still feeding from bottles day and night but conscious we need to try and change this. I am -finally- winding my pumping down as we move towards cows milk so I am going to start mixing a bit now she turned one at the weekend and I have read what you are all doing. The nursery have been having two bottles of ebm but I might ask them about trying to move that over to cows milk and not out of a bottle - what do people do with the DC on nursery days? How long should the transition to full cows milk bottles take? (I have a freezer full of boob milk so we have plenty of time if needed..)

I am sooo looking forward to giving up the pump now, I am down to morning noon and night but going to try and drop lunch pump soon and I think that might be the end for us!

We still have a bit of a cuddle to go to sleep although she isnt very asleep and often has her eyes open as I put her down in her cot but goes off to sleep quickly. I am sure we should be trying to put her down more awake but I am sure she will be old enough fast enough to not want a cuddle at bedtime anymore..

Wow vroc you must be basically superhuman to have pumped for a year! Seriously impressive stuff. In terms of your questions, it took about a week or just over for DS to transition from formula to cows milk. He has 7oz bottles so I did 5:2 for a couple of days, then half and half for about three days, then 2:5 and then 100% cows milk. He was fine with every transition and didn't even seem to notice.
When he started nursery a couple of months ago he was still having a daytime bottle, but I started to notice when at home that although he'd drink it if it was offered, he wasn't fussing for it and if we were busy at the weekend he'd skip it with no problems at all. So a few weeks ago I said to nursery to stop offering it and now he has a bit of milk in a beaker at snack time, and water in a beaker the rest of the time.

@vroc81 wow, you've done epically with pumping for this long! Well done you! (I pumped for about 8ish weeks in the end when I first went back to work. I couldn't stand much more of it!)

Thanks for the ratios @Me624, that's exactly what I need. So I should be able to crack it over the Easter Hols. And then try transitioning from bottle to cup. (He'll happily drink water from a cup, but spits out milk!)

Regarding bed time; DH is reading to DS1 in our room this evening, so I took the opportunity to put DS2 down and walk out immediately. And he just lay down and went to sleep! I didn't think he seemed that sleepy either. Win!

sherazade I often wonder what my DS will turn out like too. At the moment he is constantly on the go, there is just no stopping him. I'm sure when he is a teenager it will be a very different story lol!

vroc wow that is incredible that you have managed to pump for so long. I managed two days.....
The transition to cows milk for us has been a bit of a mish mash! I started with the best intentions and was mixing it 4:3, then DH was in charge for a day and gave just formula . Then there wasn't really enough formula to mix it and I didn't want to get another tub, so just went for it with the cows milk. It's probably not the way to do it but thankfully DS has taken to it really well, no funny reactions or anything and he seems to prefer it cold straight from the fridge, funny baby!

ooh Dom that's a definite win! Long may it continue.

So, my night shift went really well! I was all prepared to hate it but it was fine. DH was off so he took DS out for the morning so that I could get some sleep. I found it easier being at work at night as I knew DS was tucked up in bed fast asleep and wouldn't be missing me, he wouldn't even have known!

Today's new thing is pulling up to standing. DS cracked it this evening and is now obsessed! Still no crawling but he doesn't need to now, he just rolls or bottom shuffles to a sofa or table and gets himself up. It's actually calmed him a little, he is so desperate to walk and be upright that he will just sit and shout at one of us until we put him there, now he will happily sit and play because he knows he can get there himself. Bless him I really don't know why he is so desperate to walk, when he can he probably won't want to !

Well done @Dottydoodoo for getting through a night shift that's bloody tremendous when you've got a one year old in tow 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you @sherazade ! I did at one point feel so tired that I was dizzy, but it was not too bad. Next one is in May, bring it on NHS!!

So, DS took his first wobbly steps on his own today ! Since he learnt to pull himself up at the weekend it is all he wants to do, and then today he was cruising along the sofa and instead of stopping at the end he just kept going. He is just so cute, wobbling along looking like he has had a bit too much to drink! I must admit he looks as if he wants to walk further than I will allow him to, but I'm so scared that he will hurt himself.

DS and I were booked to go to the dentist today for a checkup. I did something that I have never ever done in my life and I felt so stupid, but I completely forgot about it until 20 minutes after the appointment what a plonker! I managed to rearrange, and the receptionist was understanding but I just felt like such a wally! Does baby brain ever get better?!?!

Yay, walking @Dottydoodoo!

I did the same but it was my coil check appointment I forgot. I reckon everything's fine, so I haven't rebooked.

We have cruising here, but no inclination to let go. He's still waking up to 3 times a night 😩. He's started saying "bye bye" though, which is cute!

Well done baby Dotty! I have been so excited by DS walking! talk about running before you can walk though, DS has had a LOT of bumps, tumbles and scratches these last couple of weeks where he gets very overconfident and practically breaks into a jog. Definitely think you're being sensible to be cautious with what you let your DS do!

Dom that's so cute, my DS has no recognisable words at all. Sympathies on the night wakings.

We had a wedding at the weekend so DS had a lot of excitement and a late night on Saturday. He was so tired Sunday that I put him to bed at 6 and he slept until I had to wake him at 7am on Monday morning to get ready for nursery - 13 hours!! Last night he was back to his usual 11 - this morning I had a delightful 6am pooey nappy to wake up to

Thank you Dom and Me ! Me he is getting more confident and it does sometimes turn into a little run. He's going to give me heart failure!

Dom boo to waking up three times a night, that sucks . I think now DS is moving he is using so much more energy, his sleep is great now. Yesterday he woke up at 7.20! Wow me 13 hours!! Sorry about the early morning nappy.

Dom your DS saying bye bye sounds so cute. If we ask DS 'what does a lion say?' he responds with a little roar. So cute!

Yay dotty - congrats on the walking, its hard stopping yourself when they are wobbling along and you can just see corners and hard floors and everything around them... R turned a fast circle in the livign room yesterday morning and did a comedy bum fall/roll which both DH and I laughed at so she proceeded to do it three more times...

Dom boo indeed to the waking up, I feel hard done by on the nights we get one. I'll stop thinking that.

Thank you for the pumping well dones... Part of me is very proud of it, although I think having been blessed with a fairly laid back baby helped massively and part of me says you pumped but you failed at BF but I'm not sure we would still be going if we persevered at that anyway... Dropped down to 10 minutes at lunch and 15 minutes morning and night, lunch is dropping next week and then that is it and I am really looking forward to a change in the bra collection!!!!

Hope you all have a good weekend!!

Aw the little walking babies sound very cute. I love it when they first start walking and they look so pleased with themselves .

Is ds2 still in your room Dom or have you moved him in with ds1 now? I remember you tried them in together before and it didn't go very well? We had go at putting ours in together a couple of months ago and it was a complete disaster but ds2 is doing better at sleeping through now so I'm considering trying it again in a month or 2 once I've weaned him off his early morning bf. Ds1 is desperate to share a room with his db, though god only knows what mischief they'll get into together...

Well done on pumping for so long Vroc. I really do think you've done amazingly well; I don't think its something I could have done - expressing is hard work!

Ds2 isn't walking properly yet but he loves walking around the house holding my hand. His first word was teddy and he says dog a lot (because he thinks everything with 4 legs is a dog . He repeats a lot of words we say once or twice but doesn't say them all the time iyswim, he had a whole day of saying tractor over and over again last week and hasn't said it again since!

Hi @Trinpy (we're in your neck of the woods today!), yes, they DSs are officially room sharing! Really need to find somewhere to store the Snuzpod now!

DS2 is one today! He's another who would rather be waking around holding on to someone's hands. Gets quite irate if you don't fancy joining in.

Happy Birthday to your ds2! Are you out for the day to celebrate then? Well done on getting he boys to share a room - if you have any words of advice I'd love to hear them .

We're down seeing family.

Getting DS2 to sleep first helps, then DS1 has to be quiet! He does still wake in the night though 😩 but surprisingly DS1 seems to sleep through DS2's wailing.

Oh that's good (that your ds1 doesn't wake up). We had a trial when we were on holiday in Feb. Ds1 woke up every single time ds2 woke up. It was an absolute nightmare. We ended up with ds2 in with me and Dh sharing bunk beds with ds1 (Dh got top bunk ). But if it worked second time round for you then I feel more hopeful about it working out OK for us next time!