************DECEMBER 2006 - PART 3 ****************

[MARGOsBeenPlayingWithMyNooNoo]

I was brave and started a new thread!

i thought about going for a walk earlier but ds fell asleep in his chair for 2 hrs so gave me the chance to stock up the freezer with more pureed foods!

2hrs!! dd has had two 40 min naps in total today - both in pushchair while out so I haven't got anything done...

normally he will nap 45mins in am then on some days will nap for 90 mins in avro . but today he had his 3rd jab so i think thats why hes more sleepier today

Hello! I'm here! Been beautiful today so been out for the afternoon. Sat out on the grass in one of the castle gardens, ate ice cream down by the river then went to meet the last of my friends to finish exams and drank champagne and ginger beer on Palace Green.

Also very of 2 hour nap. Ds has only cat napped today. Hoping all the fresh air this afternoon will make him sleep well!

Margo, hope the offer stands!

Now that ds2 nearly 6 months, I've been noticing the naps are improving, it's always been 25 mins now he's managing an hour or more most times and then stays awake longer & is happier. I did absolutely nothing to change this, I think they just get better. It's making my life soooo much easier as I get time to spend with ds1 as well as keeping up with chores. Must go and have some dinner now instead of surfing mumsnet!

Ooooh, where has this week gone? Half term, pah bring back nursery...

Congratulations on rollings and sittings and nappings and house purchases, and welcome to those I've yet to meet

Thanks to whoever sent me the sleep vibes (AQ, was that you? Thank you! Hopefully they'll get here soon..) and Castles and whoever else said it, I agree: dd not doing any better reflux-wise since starting solids (um, attempted solids - she's not mastered swallowing food yet) - in fact, thinking of getting a review on her reflux as she's waking up with cries of pain several times per night again, arched back and all. When do they grow out of it, anyone know?

We're all well here, reflux aside, and very grateful for it - life is good, just could really really use more sleep.

I'm sorry to post and run, and such a mass-post at that - next week am hoping to get back into chatting mode! xxx

accessorise - are you really cluster feeding ALL day? Poor you.

I am having 1/2 hour breaks in the evening after feeding about 15 mins each side - I did that about 3 time this evening and put her down at 9pm

No tears since then....

Hey everyone, ds2 is now a champ at rolling over but I don't see any signs of wanting to sit up yet.

He's now had rice and sweet potatoes. Am wondering tho, if the rice made exzema worse so have stopped it for now.

Confrats to Margo and Inditj's dp

congrats

well done to all the good sleepers!

margo - fingers crossed for the house.

eli - this sounds so hard. would definitely go back to Dr and see what advice they have.

DD trying to sit up on her own the last few days. Anyone remember 'baby left, baby right' on TFI Friday? Well, it reminded me of that! But yesterday she managed about 5 seconds without falling over so I think she is on her way.

DH is going to be away a lot of the summer so I'm going to have to re-adjust to not having him around to help. It was like that a lot with DD1 and I managed but I've kind of got used to the help recently

GS, I go cold just thinking about a summer without DH (from a parenting point of view, atm, more than anything romantic ) can well understand a few feelings about the adjustment: I'd have a barrel full!

Yes, will take dd2 to GP next week. Meantime, she's one happy babe when standing up (assisted, obviously) and smiles at everyone with gusto. Its only at night and after feeds...

Also sitting for solo seconds, rolling onto front at every opportunity (then can push against my hands, with her feet, to move forward) and grabbing anything in sight especially if it belongs to dd1....

Jabber, can they be allergic to rice? I thought it was one of the least allergenic? Sorry re the eczema - dd has it too, comes up in creases of fat little thighs and on elbows.

But the good news: Fucidin ointment stays on better, and has cured the blotches

I have read that less children are allergic to rice in this country because we generally eat less rice. In India it is as common an allergen as wheat. That may be rubbish, as I am not sure where I read that.

I have to do a 5 hour train journey tomorrow aaargh.

My latest theory on how not to get through multiple sets of clothes per day is to leave baby in a nappy whilst in the house when it's warm. Much less laundry!

margo, I've kinda stopped paying attention, he feeds frequently when he wakes up & then in the evening before bedtime BUT he goes to sleep at 7-7.30 so I have much more of an evening - 9pm, how do you get anything done!! And he sleeps through 11 hours, I'm not complaining!
No difference really since he was a newborn, but it takes a great deal less time (5 mins usually). If he has a decent nap there might be a 2 hour break, but that's not happening that often, may as well just leave my bra unhooked really

He loves his solids (tho worrying now as gave him baby rice for tea with pureed apricot) so I guess he'll change eventually. i found I got more stressed when I was watching the feeds and counting how many a day so I've stopped!

GAH, Eli, hope the gp is helpful about the reflux, I'm so surprised as I thought 6 months in babies would be getting better and so many aren't. Sleep and sympathy vibes coming over again to Eli, Castles and anyone else who needs some

Thanks Eli.

I used to put DD1 down at 9pm every night as DH used to get home from work at about 8pm and he wouldnt have seen her otherwise. Thankfully he changed jobs so is now back by about 6.30 most nights so DD1 and 2 are both in bed by about 8.

How on earth do you all keep your LOs up?

dd1 used to naturally stay awake till 9pm or so, and still does (though she goes to bed at 8pm) but she slept later, and still sleeps till 8am most days.

dd2 crashes totally at about 6.30 or 7pm if I push it, and wakes up at 6am ish no matter what I do. I do love having the evening (and some time with dd1, then dh) but would swap the lot for a lie in

Thanks, GS and AWBS, and maybe the sleep vibes have been missing Ms Roll-a-lot and hitting me and dh

Am relying heavily on emoticons today, clearly need some kip.

lol Eli.

DD1 (3.2) has never needed much sleep. She used to have catnaps of 15 mins in the day. Currently she goes to bed at 8pm and is up at 6.30. Her wake time corresponds directly to her bedtime so no point putting her to bed earlier.

DD2 seems to have set her own bed time of about 7.45 and she wakes at 6.45 i feel blessed.

DD din't wake up until 5.15 this morning (from dreamfeed at 22.15). And then went back to sleep again until nearly 8am . Most sleep I have had in 6 months!

Hello all

Good going on the sleep there LML

Eli hoping for some improvement for you, either reflux or sleep related, preferably both!

I'm developing a love/hate relationship with this weather. I can dry nappies outside, take ds for walks by the river or go find a nice shady patch of grass somewhere but it has been scorching here so ds is thirsty every 5 mins. I did give him some water this afternoon but he still wanted milk 2 mins later (making good cup drinking progress though )

Sleep patterns have changed again here, ds has decided to be a little more textbook now and wake for a feed in the hour before midnight then sleep through the core hours. I'm not complaining since he woke before I went to bed last night so I only got up once at 5 then he slept til 8.30. This from the baby who normally goes into short sleep bursts once his first long sleep session is broken

Spoke too soon on the sleep - dd up at 2.15 and 6am. Not as bad as some I know but feeling knackered again... tomorrow is my first day back at work (teaching) and not sure how I'll manage with the sleep deprivation

Finally, some progress on taking solids - which rightly or wrongly is making dh hopeful about sleep

Which is good, because a hopeful dh gives me lie ins (till dd1 gets up, at least, which is around 8am)

Indith, good going on the cup! Are you using a doidy one? I gave all dd1's away because she never used them (and I never imagined we'd have another LO), now wishing I hadn't..

LML, good luck tomorrow - I hope you get a good night's sleep tonight to kick things off. Are you full time at work? Will be thinking of you and sending energy vibes - or at least, imagining you some!

My DD had a tiny bit of milk from a cup today. It was a cheap semi-disposable from tescos with 3 tiny holes in the spout. She loved it! I'm still doing5 bfs a day and plan to continue but it is a relief to know she doesnt have the same aversion as she felt with a bottle.

All this talk about sleep! When mine wanted 3 hourly feeding last night and 2 hourly during today. Kinda hoping with the 2 hourly feeding during the day that he will go a bit longer at night tonight . Mind you, luckily it's a weekend so I was allowed a 45 minute nap whilst dh looked after the amazing non napping ds. 5 month and 1 week growth spurt?
DH has suggested we book some luches out in to our diary like we would with a running race so we have some nice things to look forward to. What a star! We are so hectic at the mo - away last weekend, visiting df in hospital over the next few weeks which is an hour's drive away, away 2 weeekends in June, 2 in July (and a week) and 3 in August (eg a fortnight away) plus having ds's 6 month birthday (well there's no point celebrating a birthday on his ACTUAL one, it will just get missed in all the other festivities).
I will love it all! (Just looking forward to resting in September )

Eli yes a doidy cup. I still have to help support it or it would end up across the room but he accepts it really well.

Sacha your dh sounds great! Hope you get more sleep tonight.

Ds is getting VERY interested in food, I had to keep fighting for my youghurt today! He was doing the whole 2 handed reach thing that not even his toys get. Had MIL and her dp here so had to keep biting my tongue through her various comments and theories. Nothing can actually just be with her around, there has to be a theory or a reason for everything. 'you think he's scared?' 'Oh well he's doing x because y' Grrrrrrr I've been attempting to explain BLW to her too so now its 'well it won't just be finger foods because there will be things like yoghurt that he'll want' Argh! I don't intend to be all manic and hardline about it but I resent being told that I will have to spoon feed my son something, does it really matter if he doesn't get youghurt for a month or so until he can use a spoon himself? I have pics of my friend's dd doing it fgs it can be done!

Mind you I think she thinks I'm a bit of an odd and slightly unreasonable hippy at times.

LOL at the 'odd and slightly unreasonable hippy', Indith! Most people I meet seem to think that of me. Thankfully, my friends get it. My mum thinks its ridiculous that I don't just stick my LOs into prams and put them at the bottom of the garden

It's been a busy old weekend. It was my birthday yesterday, so we had a couple of friends round for the afternoon. It was bloomin' cold here, so we had to light the fire outside, and we huddled round like troupers. had my first glass of bubbly since DD2 was born, and it was scrummy.

While I was tidying in preparation for the onslaught of visitors next weekend, I managed to dislodge an old stereo on top of one of our wardrobes (we are seriously lacking storage space, so the tops of wardrobes and under beds are critical storage areas!) and it fell on my head. I've got a huge goose egg now. All I wanted to do was sit and cry all afternoon Hopefully tomorrow will be better - I've got too much to do to sit around feeling sorry for myself!