TTC First Baby Catch-up With Our Babies Continued!!

[ELW85]

Hi all

As I’m rubbish and keep double posting I thought I’d start a new thread as we’re nearly at 1k.
I don’t have all of the OG’s so apologies for anyone I miss or anyone I miss in general (blaming lack of coffee this morning!!)

@Delilah7 @RanchoRelaxo @MrsR16 @thumper59 @trashkitten10 @Bostonfern @crossfitgirl @Fivebyfive2 @MrsEG @purplefig @LarryDavid @Lemonysherbet @Stormtrooperjulian @MrsH497 @LokiCat @Cupcakesandglitter

@ELW85 yeah I feel the same 💕 some of it is so much harder than I imagined, but I wouldn't be without here even on her grumpiest most sleep deprived days. She's started doing this really ridiculously laugh when I blow raspberries on her and it is just the absolute best thing ever 🌏

Good to think of everything as a phase (I like the mantra: this too shall pass). Ooo I wonder if that's the studies they referenced on Netflix's Babies episode on sleep? Think I remember all them saying statistically likely to wake at least once up to a year. God help us.

@purplefig - that sounds adorable! Finn does the biggest grin in the world every time I call him my gorgeous boy. He puts his head to one side in a little “who, meeee?” Kind of way. I just die.
I think once a night after a year would be something to sell our souls for if my WhatsApp group is to be believed 😂

@purplefig @ELW85 Sorry for the delayed response!!! Long long day of parenting today haha!
So the cost I think one consultation was £80 on zoom, and then with the baby whisperer I paid £50 for the book and a 3-month plan, then we had a phone chat too - I think this is something she usually charges for but has been doing offers over lockdown. So not bad really!
Sensory play - the things we’ve found amazing have been foil blankets (they LOVE them) and just cloth!! They love the feel of it and often grab it off me for a munch too. I’ll also put the disco ball on at 5ish for them. Some days we also watch the CBeebies Baby Club and just join in with that.
Also, by complete fluke I was chatting to a paediatric physical therapist this week and she told me the best thing you can do for babies this age is just leave them on a playmat. Let them wriggle, try to roll, grab their feet - just let them have at it, it works wonders for core strength as they get older ready for crawling and walking but also exhausts them!
Wake windows, nowadays I go off the time - I’m quite lucky in that they have a pretty set wake up for the day time (and on consultant instruction I do get them up and downstairs to start the day then too - time to tire you boys out hah!) so I know pretty well when the naps will be. So I keep one eye on the time and one on the boys. I don’t really go off yawns anymore and either wait for the time to be up or if one or both start to have a bit of a whinge.
Some things I was told to do that didn’t work at all - playing with them in the nursery/in the cots, total waste of time. Ruairí actually nodded off in the process 🙈
I hope any of this helps!! I honestly get it - with the twins in the first two months they slept whenever they liked and it was all over the place, when one was asleep one would wake so I just never slept, ever!! I think with two I just hit breaking point way earlier!! But I think with sleep you just have to do what works for YOU as a family. You gotta do what you gotta do!!
My poor sister is adamant baby 2 will be different! Literally in every way, she has dibs on the sleep books, swaddles, everything haha! Shes even thinking about feeding, she EBF baby 1 but may not with number 2 as she thinks it'll just be impossible with a 2.5 year old in the house as well.

Also, please note - I also treat the snack box in this house like some kind of personal challenge. Me and some friends started a 'fit club' chat and it very quickly turned in to us sending food porn pics of Kinder Buenos stuck in to an ice cream. I'm at the 'fuck it I'll lose the weight when they're one' stage of it all now!! We have tiny tiny babies to look after and we just have to sustain ourselves however we see fit!!

Hi all! I've been trying to reply all day 😂

@MrsEG, I think I'll be like your sister to be honest! Isn't it weird how they're all different, Joe hated the foil mat, I was really surprised! Totally agree about the playmat though! We have an archway that he loves, reaching, tugging, rolling to get the balls at the side, kicking, he loves it! And naked time! He gets so excited and wriggly 😂 I want to see pictures of kinder chocolate stuck to ice creams 😋

@purplefig @ELW85, omg I'm sooooo with you girls, except we're at just over 7 months... I'm constantly yo yo ing... Do we sleep train?? Do I stop breastfeeding?? Should we move rooms?? Did anyone see bake off a few years ago (when Nadia won) and Tamal just goes "decisions, decisions... All of them wrong" 😂 That's where I'm at right now!

On the plus side, Joe is babbling away (saying Mama loads 😀) eating like a champ, is better in the bath (and getting out the bath!) and kind of shuffling around, if now actually crawling. He can sit without support now too!

With weight, I'm actually the other way, I've lost weight since having Joe and struggling to keep it on, I think breastfeeding, skipping eating sometimes because I forget /don't get chance and walking loads have all added up!

Also!! After one too many incidents of Joe doing 'part 2' of a poop mid nappy change, he did his first Potty Poo today!! We noticed him doing poo face and just plonked him on 😂

Sorry my posts are like buses today buuut.... We put Joe down on his front and he shuffled/crawled in a complete 360 😂 Just getting him ready for bed, he's listening to his songs whole playing with a big foam tile! Wish me luck for tonight, I hope everyone has a good evening!

@MrsR16, how are you doing? Xx

@Fivebyfive2 hey lovely thanks for thinking of me. Currently on our third night of epic sleep issues. I am beyond exhausted, ready to cry at the drop of a hat and just generally feeling a bit low! 😔 I'll be alright though. Just wash I could figure out why he's waking up at stupid times and then not going back to sleep for 90 mins!

@MrsR16, I'm sorry you're also in the Shite Sleep camp... We definitely all need to move in to that mansion 😂 God I haaate the extended night waking! Touch wood Joe hasn't done it for a while, but it used to happen every couple of nights for what seemed like ages. How's Ethan doing with his teeth?

I had what I now class, with my ridiculous low bar for nights, as a fairly good night! Asleep at 8.15, up 10.30 till 10.50, asleep till 2.30, down at 2.45 then wiiiiide awake at 5.15! Currently settling for nap numero uno.

What's everyone's weekend plans? Xx

@Fivebyfive2 I'm genuinely at the end of my tether! Joe sounds as though he did really well! I'd be very happy with short wake ups! 😂 we're off to see PIL today - they don't know DH is off work today. MIL finished her cancer treatment on Wednesday! She's having cuddles with Ethan. I know it's still against government guidelines, but I'm willing to take the risk - she hasn't got anything for sure and Ethan has been fairly shielded from the outside world 😂 we're then at BIL's tomorrow for FIL's birthday/MIL's end of treatment BBQ! I'm also delivering a virtual course with my volunteering role 😊 so quite busy! How about you? Xx

Morning all

Tried one arm out of the swaddle last night and went well, but Finn’s started a recent habit of 5/5.30am screaming fits. Any idea other than he just doesn’t want to be awake and he’s pissed off?!

@MrsEG - I’d love a baby that just randomly dropped off. Finn is def not that baby! One of the girls’ kids fell asleep in a jumperoo. I wish!

@Fivebyfive2 - I lost a tonne of weight initially and have been slowly snacking my way back. And couldn’t agree more on the decisions. I keep flip flopping between having it nailed and being back to square one!

@MrsR16 - wow you’ve got a lot going on! How was Ethan last night?

We’re off to view a nursery later...I’ll start reviewing mansions too!

@ELW85 he was awake at half 3 and then we managed to get him down again just after 5! 😴 we are all knackered today! Although Ethan's not tired yet... haha! Ooh, screaming fits are the best(!) it could be just as simple as Finn's learnt a new noise and that's when he likes to make it! 🙈

@ELW85 Is Finn pretty awake with the screaming at 5am? Could be early rising - there’s a theory that an earlier bedtime can counteract it! I know it sounds counterproductive but we did it and it works! When we first started a bedtime around 3ish months it was at 7:30 and they woke up at 5:30 - we moved it forward to 7 and now they sleep til 6:30...
Yeah they literally never drop off, they’re the type to wake as soon as the pram stops! I see these babies having a long snooze as Mum is sat outside a cafe with a coffee and get so jealous!

@Fivebyfive2 Sounds like a good night for Joe!!

@MrsR16 Ahh sorry to hear you’re still having a rough time of it!! Is it the 8-month regression maybe?? Ahh your plans with your ILs sound fabulous. A spare few sets of hands too!! I wouldn’t worry I have been letting my parents hold the boy’s recently. Like you say I trust them, and I bloody need the help!! Just have to use our common sense at this point don’t we!

Conor woke himself up this morning getting his wee arm stuck in the cot bars!! Poor little mite! I have my parents coming over today to help out a bit, and I’m also escaping to an outdoor pub with my NCT pals this afternoon. Leaving the twins with my folks and going baby free and loorrrrrrrrd I cannot wait for it haha!! 2 hours of actual freedom!
Also, it’s Friday! I never know what day it is anymore haha! Hope everyone has great weekends planned!

@MrsEG I hope it is the regression! I'm not sure I could cope with it if this isn't it... 🤦‍♀️ you sound like you've got a brilliant day lined up!! Go and enjoy - you so deserve it!

@MrsR16 - Jesus that’s tough. Come on Ethan, mate. Give mama a break!!
Your plans do sound lovely/hectic! Superwoman for delivering the course. I can’t string a sentence together at the minute, haha!

@MrsEG - I know exactly what you mean! All these babies that just sleep anywhere. How?! Are they drugged? 😂
Enjoy the beer garden!
I think he’s asleep when he screams. Eyes tightly closed bawling. I keep thinking he’s awake/asleep if you know what I mean, realises he’s awake, doesn’t want to be, but there’s not enough pressure to get himself back to sleep?
I’d put him to bed at 6 if he slept through, haha!
He’s anywhere between 7-8 max at the moment.
It’s weird when he wakes up from his last nap, he always seems fidgety and overtired so bedtime is very flailing limbs wise.
I might try and bring the nap forward and have an earlier bedtime.

Also - if we all sell up, this’ll do!
Sea views and everything ❤️
Mortehoe, Woolacombe, Devon
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-94805984.html

Lee Bay
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76778725.html

Or if we’re more into period properties...

@ELW85 those homes 😍😍 Searching Rightmove for a house I could never afford is one of my favourite past times!
Oh bless Finn! Yeah I’d say if he seems overtired at bedtime definitely play about with your timings and try to put him down a bit earlier! You never know it may just work haha!
I am VERY excited for the beer garden. I know I’m gonna have to have a max of 2 as I’ll be going home to the boys AND my parents haha! Luckily DH is finished for the day at 2 today so he can help!

@MrsEG - aren’t they good? We’re getting our garden sorted Monday to try and take advantage of this stamp duty break! £4m still a bit too much, haha!
Is DH joining you for drinks? Or back to the boys?

@ELW85 Fabulous idea!! Our garden needs doing so badly, I’ve actually been looking at homeowner loans online this morning to see if we can do it! What are you having done?
DH is at work sorting everything for the gym reopening next weekend so just me! I’m gonna walk there and back too. I’m honestly so excited to just be me and on my own for a few hours!! Hasn’t happened in quite some time!

@MrsEG - I totally get you! When DH had Finn so I could get my hair done (before the hellish photo shoot that ended up in hospital a few weeks ago), I was driving along, blasting music and singing my heart out. It was so nice to feel a little bit less full time carer. But then I missed him within an hour so...🙅🏼‍♀️
We’re getting all the plants trimmed back, bark refreshed, conifers trimmed, decking redone, trellis removed, fence painted and new stones in a little patch on the drive.
Shouldn’t have bought a house with a landscaped garden 😂
This is what we’re looking at - it’s by the sea and the schools are superb! If we get them to less than £500k that is...
Hobart, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE26 3TA
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-89279486.html

I should add DH is screwing cos the garden is gonna cost us about £1k to do but the reason I’ve put my foot down is because he’s had over a year to do it and has done nowt!
He asked for another week to do it so when I pointed out he’s had a year, he said he’d think about it. He then came up with “oh the price includes the conifers, doesn’t it? Yeah I can’t get to those, so go for it”
Just a little bit of time needed to let him think it was his idea/recover his ego a bit 😂

This is unheard of by the way. And I’m sat over him like a hawk, don’t worry, wouldn’t leave him in there with his Cuski unattended.
His first crib nap where he’s linked a sleep cycle himself. It’ll all be tits up by lunchtime I’m sure!
And sorry for the triple post, but excited!!

@ELW85 is that a house you’re looking to buy? Oh it’s amazing!! I LOVE that kitchen so much! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! I want to move oh so so badly but now we have two babies that’s been put on hold a few more years so focusing on getting this house the way we want it for now!
Yaaaay go Finn!! That’s amazing!

@MrsEG - yeah that’s the one we’re hoping for, if we can knock it down a bit. Alllll of the person me to go back to work 😂
To be fair, two babies will totally upend your plans but you’ve got it out the way with so definitely worth it! And it’s lovely to hear how the boys are really discovering each other 💙

@ELW85 I love the house! It’s fab. Exactly the type of thing I’d be looking for in a few years! Yeah we’re hoping once they’re settled in primary school we’d look then, once we’re no longer paying nurseries etc! So not that long to wait i in the grand scheme of things I guess. More time to get some pay rises in the bag!!
Ah yeah the boys are so so intrigued by each other now, they just try and touch each other all the time! I caught Conor stroking Ruairí’s back yesterday 😍