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

@MrsEG It's ridiculous isn't it?! Not a fan of a heat wave and we're not in a particularly hot area 😂. Glad the boys are faring well but I'm with you, air con plz!! She's waking up, grizzling and then usually having a proper meltdown. Seems to take at least an hour, sometimes 1.5 😭 (she's not crying the whole time, but once she's had a meltdown she's usually quite awake so lots of cooing etc.) Always check her nappy / offer water etc. It's hard because my being in the room just seems to rile her, but I feel awful leaving her. I went to get DH last night to swap and she'd calmed herself so much by the time he went in. Honestly think she smells milk!!! But she's not hungry because she'll only ever have a few sucks and go back to sleep....and I don't want to encourage that. Corrr sorry that's an essay!! Off to read your link on screens. X

@purplefig Ahh now frustrating for you!! I sometimes find there’s always this turning point where I know I’m not quickly getting them back down and instead they’re just awake and it takes a piece of your soul haha! It could literally just be this heat, all the babies in our NCT group have struggled the last couple of nights, some who have been sleeping through back to waking for massive feeds!

@MrsEG hahaha it's exactly like that!! 😂 I thought it might be thirst but she's not interested in water. Could try giving her milk but it's taken quite a lot of effort to break the feed to sleep habit so I'm not overly keen on starting up again. Hope it bloody cools down soon!

@purplefig - Finn is like that sometimes! He did nearly 10 hours the other night; woke for a feed at 4.30 then wanted a life conversation with me at 5am 😂 just lay there smiling, giggling and chatting away!
It’s soooo cute and soooooo irritating all at once!
Yassss on the peanut butter!

@MrsEG - yeah it’s took me back to a very different time in my life too 😂
Where the 5am life conversations were of a very different nature, haha!!
I gave the estate agents a kick up the star today and what a surprise...2 new viewings booked in!

Hey all 😊

@ELW85 ah selling a house is so stressful! So annoying about the time wasters! Good on you for letting the estate agents have one - hopefully the new viewings are promising! 🤞🏽
I hope lunch goes well tomorrow! I made sure Alayna had a nap on the way there in the car, so she was wide awake and in a good mood at the restaurant, thankfully.

@Fivebyfive2 so pleased to hear you had a good night away! Breakfast sounds delicious. Look at Joe! So cute!

@purplefig brilliant that M has improved so well on her sleep but sorry to hear about the long settling! I forgot to say thank you for sharing how the gradual retreat training went for you the other - I did read it! Hopefully when Alayna is a little older we'll give it a go 😊
Also sounds like weaning is going well!!

@MrsEG it's come down to about 27/28 over here, but still so humid! DH and I have said the same about air con. I've never looked so forward rain!
I did think to use YouTube videos whilst out to calm her down, so may try that or toys next time she gets a little cranky (I keep thinking she's too young for any of that to interest, but thinking about it she's fascinated by the hanging toys on the playmat at home).

We're trying to put Alayna down for naps the last few days (previously she'd only napped on us and as much as I love the cuddles and Netflix binges, I'm really restricted with what I can do 😂). She often only naps for 30 mins (she's honestly so accurate that I could use her as a timer!). She wakes up from the deep sleep so suddenly acting like she's had the best sleep of her life but understandably gets tired pretty soon after. She's slept for an hour maybe once or twice, so she can do it but not sure why most of them are so short 🤔

Well that viewing was odd again. No questions, just a few nice comments and that was it.
They couldn’t have been older than 21, FTB but each had properties (I guess inherited?) that they wouldn’t need to sell to buy ours. FML.
They were lovely don’t get me wrong!

@LokiCat - I’m so nervous for lunch tomorrow! Finn isn’t the sort of baby to nod off anywhere so will not be napping in the car if it’s not time to 😂
I’m gonna go though. Need to live at some point!
Finn has been napping on me for ages then I could put him in his crib and he’d go to sleep by himself (as he does at night) but then the regression hit and getting him down was the hardest thing in the world. We might be turning a corner, might not!
He also only naps for about 34 minutes (I think it’s his sleep cycle). If he doesn’t continue the nap sometimes he cries as he’s still tired but he’s not linking the cycles. If he’s on me, he’ll stir but I can generally keep him asleep longer.
I’m trying to get back into him falling asleep for naps on his own but it’s SO hard at the moment. He can also just cuddle into me, head into chest and be asleep in seconds if he feels like it?
LikeTheFruit shared a great post on here from baby sleep science that said naps of that length at their age are still very common as day sleep is different to night sleep and they struggle to link cycles until 5-7 months as it’s developmental.
And yes very excited for weaning; in about a months time!

@ELW85 I never did get my McFlurry 😢 The ten hours sleep he got night before last is AMAZING

@LokiCat Aha another member of the spirited girls club. Love it ☺️ Well done for getting out and about for a meal, it's pretty nerve wracking. Alayna's naps sound SO familiar. We were there for weeks with Daisy waking precisely 30 minutes after falling asleep. About 4-5 months? I knew she was still tired but she was determined that was her done. Apparently it's a sleep cycle thing and they have to learn to sleep past the end of the 30 minute cycle to get longer naps. Thankfully it did right itself and I often have to wake the little sleepyhead after 2 hours solid napping :)

@Fivebyfive2 What was the story with your takeaway not arriving?! Like @purplefig I'd be raging, bloody love a takeaway treat. At least you made the most of your night away ahem and got a nice breakfast.

@MrsEG Ahh I thought the storm was supposed to clear it! We never did get a storm-disappointingly- but it's a heck of a lot cooler today. Daisy actually wore clothes for the first time in days :) Hopefully some cooler air is headed your way.

@ELW85 oh that sounds similar to Alayna; she doesn't nap in the car or pram regardless of how tired she is because she wants to see what's happening around her. So I've learnt that if I cover the car seat with a thin swaddle blanket and play white noise on my phone it calms her enough to fall asleep (only for 30 mins of course).
They tend to surprise us so hopefully lunch will go well! 😊
Good to know the short naps are normal. I'm not looking forward to trying to teach her to self settle. Napping on her own is enough for now. Really hope you are nearing the end the regression!

@TrashKitten10 as above, thanks for letting me know that what she's going through is normal! She's almost 4 months (not looking forward to a possible regression!) so I guess it fits into the timeline. 2 hours of a solid nap is definitely the dream. Can't imagine what I'd do with all that free time! 😁

DH bought me a tub of chocolate brownie ice cream so I'm going to indulge before bed 🙊 hope you all have a good night!

@TrashKitten10 - oh no!! Treat yo’self today to one! Did Daisy’s naps right themselves after you did the sleep training? Finn is back to falling asleep on his own in his crib for naps SOMETIMES but still isn’t linking the cycles so I feel like it’s developmental and will come in time?

@LokiCat - he used to fall asleep in the car and once in the pram by the sea (the ultimate white noise) but since the regression hit, it’s like he’s been possessed!
I think (well hope to god) We’re coming out of the other side of it now as he’s not been screaming like a banshee for the past two days and I’ve been able to get him down in less than an hour, so fingers crossed it’s passed.
God I wish I’d not typed that now...

Well ladies, we survived lunch out! Finn was good as gold in spite of the noise and masks and new surroundings.
Threatened a cry at one point so I sang at him and he started smiling.
Got to eat my entire lunch, came home and he went straight to sleep in his crib.
I feel like a new woman 😂
Finn’s face though...he does NOT like cameras!

OMG and he’s just out himself back to sleep, so has now been napping for nearly an hour on his own. What kind of fuckery is this?!
Please God let it continue!!

@ELW85, omg look at his face!! Adorable 😍 I'm really glad you had a good time! Hope the good sleep continues 🤞

@LokiCat, I hope you devoured that ice cream 😀😋

So Joe is dying to move, bless him! He tries to crawl when on his front and when he sits up, he's trying to work out how to shuffle forward. For now, he's settling for rolling everywhere!

@Fivebyfive2 - I’ve no idea why he was so scared! I hate that photo though; I’ve put on a shit ton of weight. At least it’s motivation to lose it!
And I hate my balayage. But I don’t have photos of me and Finn as I’m always taking them so pleased I have something!
What DID happen to your takeaway?!
That totally sounds like Joe is working it all out for himself! He’ll be on the go no stopping him soon 💙

@ELW85, you look gorgeous!

OK so with the takeaway, we ordered it at like 7.45 and at 9 we called to check and was told 10 mins... 9.45, still nothing so we rang and binned them off... 10.45 we're literally going to sleep and dh gets a call to say it is in reception?! So he just tells the guy 'no we already cancelled, we ordered it 3 hours ago' and we got a refund. Very disappointing, but the slap up breakfast more than compensated 😀 Yeah he's definitely trying to work it out. I hope he gets there soon with either shuffling or crawling, just because I hate seeing him getting annoyed!! Then it will be a whole new set of challenges...

So, Joe likes wheatabix! For tea he had a whole biscuit with some formula milk and half a fruit pouch mixed in, he loved it!

@purplefig Hope M has been a bit better for you now it’s cooled a bit!

@ELW85 Glad you’ve given the estate agents a good kick up the hole! Ahhh what a brilliant photo haha, I’m so pleased it all went well too! Do you feel a bit better about getting out and about now? I’ll be honest I still fret a bit but I force myself at least once or twice a week! Chickened out of a hike today though, just couldn’t fathom on a hiking trail how I’d feed them both!!

@TrashKitten10 Ha, the boys still haven’t worn any clothes here yet! We’re at 27 today but it’s meant to really drop tonight, praise the gods. Although the good news is I’m finally on top of their washing!!

@LokiCat Hope you enjoyed that ice cream!! Sounds lovely!

@Fivebyfive2 One day, he’ll just do it and be off!! My niece would wriggle like mad and one day my BIL dropped his keys and she just took off and crawled over to them!

Hope everyone has a great weekend planned! I’ve been seeing a physio for some post partum issues and am finally seeing some results so I’m actually back to the gym this weekend! I absolutely cannot wait. It will kill me dead I’m sure, won’t be able to walk for a week - but it’s a start! DH has also bought me some dumbells so I can do some bits from home. For now though I’m polishing off some Rose (diet starts tomorrow?!)

@MrsEG, definitely get on the Rose! We had a curry while Joe played (he's getting so much better at sitting and playing without us being right there!) and now he's asleep I've had some galaxy caramel 😋 Your niece sounds so cute! I can totally see us turning around one day soon to find Joe on the other side of the room... Probably going after the wet wipes, like Ethan @MrsR16 😂

Hope every one has a good night... It's the weekend!

@Fivebyfive2 haha! Today, Ethan was after the dog's water bowl... and succeeded! My kitchen got soaked 🤦‍♀️

Sorry I've not been about recently - Ethan's started sleeping like crap again so I'm surviving on circa 4 hours sleep a night at the moment! We're also hosting a BBQ for my volunteer staff team tonight which has been fun but I'm getting knackered now!

Morning all

@Fivebyfive2 - thank you for saying that but I feel like I look awful! I look at our wedding photos from last March and get upset. I’ll get there! Might even do a sweaty mama class if I feel brave!
That’s awful about the takeaway! I get really excited for them too so I’d be raging!
Joe sounds like he’s on the verge of getting there and he’s getting loads of time to practice, so fingers crossed it’s any day now!

@MrsEG - I do feel loads better for getting out to be fair but baby steps (pardon the pun) I think! I can’t imagine going shopping with him for example although everyone else in the world does!
My mate said she had to plan her life around DD (now 7) as she’d only sleep at home and would have a meltdown. Babies are funny things!
I’m sure you’ll be doing great body-wise. It’s a bit of a road back but you’re one determined lady!
I hope you enjoyed your rosé? I really fancied one yesterday but we didn’t face any in.

@MrsR16 - I’m so sorry Ethan is putting you through the mill again. I really hope the BBQ went well? Did he give you a break last night?

Well we have a viewing at midday and the couple who came to view the other night are deciding between ours and a new build over the weekend so it’s still a possibility I guess. Fingers crossed!!

@MrsR16, oohh yeah we've said as soon as Joe is moving properly we'll have to move the cats bowls out of the way or he'll be helping himself 😂 I'm really sorry to hear his sleep has gone to pot again, do you think it's the regression?? I'm absolutely dreading Joe going through another one, we've only just started to feel like we're getting somewhere!! How did the bbq go? Xx

@ELW85, keeping my fingers crossed for you that the viewing goes well today!

So it's a lazy day today and then tomorrow Joe and me are staying at my mum and dad's 😀

@Fivebyfive2 - ah thank you! I’ve had to email them to ask to push it back by half an hour as I’m on my own with Finn today and nap wise he won’t be awake or in a good mood at the time of the viewing so I need to do it a bit later. I hope they understand!
Ah it’ll be nice to have a night with your parents! Do they live far away?

@ELW85 last night was nice! It was good to have a sense of normality back again. Ethan didn't have a great night though lol ended up missing the last people going home because I was sat in the nursery haha! He was fine until about half 11 and that's when he started stirring. DH said he got up 3 times with him but I didn't hear a thing 😬 I hope your viewing goes well!! And I'm sure they'll understand about needing to move it.

@Fivebyfive2 we've invested in a playpen for Ethan! It's huge but it keeps him safe and out of trouble. Seriously, when they start moving, you can't not watch them for a second! I think this may well be the 8 month regression. God knows what it was a couple of weeks back! I hope it passes soon though.

Well ladies, we went to meet the potential childminder yesterday. She seemed really good and the child that was awake while we were there was very happy and talkative which I think's a dead giveaway. Ethan wasn't sure to start with, but it's a whole new environment so I wasn't surprised! She was able to hold him and take him for a wander round her garden without him worrying about us though, which also says everything!

@MrsR16 - ah it’s lovely that DH didn’t disturb you! The childminder sounds fab! Are you feeling good about it like she’s the one?

@ELW85 I think she might well be! We haven't seen any others, but gut instinct has a lot to be said for it. Both DH and I felt happy with her and Ethan clearly did too!

@MrsR16 - oh that’s fantastic and must be a weight off to have found someone!
When will Ethan go to hers?

Well the viewing was...ok. They wanted a practical demonstration of the water pressure in the showers which I’m hoping is a good sign?

Finn is back to only sleeping for one cycle again but I guess all we can do is keep giving him the opportunity to get there!
He’s now in his Snuzpod after his new ritual of me singing Bob Marley to him, him wriggling around under a blanket, growling, chatting for England, then turning over and just going to sleep 😂

@MrsR16, that's great about the child minder 😀 Awesome idea with the playpen, I think I may be copying you when the time comes!!

@ELW85, let us know how it all goes! We live near our town centre and my parents live in a village about a 10 min drive away. We're actually thinking of selling our place and moving to the same village if we can afford it! My brother and sil live nearby too so we'd have lots of childcare right on the doorstep, it's a lovely area and our house is feeling a bit tight these days! Need to spruce it up a bit, get it valued and run some numbers through first...