August 2021 Babies - From Santa to Solids, Hohoho!

[PurplePansy05]

Here we go again!

I'd do another delightful intro, alas I've lost count which thread this is now and we all know our LO's names anyway 😁

So instead I will just say, Merry First Christmas together to you and your LOs! 🎄❤🎁

May the sleep regression pass as soon as they see Santa later this week...

...May they love weaning and may our kitchens survive...

...May 2022 be full of blessings for them and for us ❤❤❤

Oldcomers and newcomers welcome, as always! 🥰

@PurplePansy05 oh if Leo is sitting up now try him on the play mat or near the play gym- sorry if you already are and it’s an obvious suggestion, but it’s like a whole different playing experience when they’re up right as they can now reach the top of the toys to eat 😂 they can also shake the frame of the mat which is fun too 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Inmypjsagain I tried him on the foam mat today and it was a big hit. Tomorrow I'll get the play mat out. He loves looking at me whilst sat opposite, big smiles and even tries reaching out which is adorable! Re bubble bath, we have Aveeno baby and have been using it for 4 months, it's very gentle and smells lovely (it's a very baby smell IYSWIM). Not hugely bubbly and can be used as hair shampoo too. Excellent for sensitive skin.

@Smurf123 Thank you! And glad Sophia is comfier now, she'll be sat in it like a pro in no time, probably just needs a bigger belly! That baby set is quite generous size wise. xx

The Weleda bath stuff is a bit pricey but gorgeous.

Alex is so desperate to crawl but obviously can't yet. He kicks and kicks with his legs and has started to lift up his bum at the same time and then he faceplants the floor and gets so mad :o

@BertieBotts DS seems desperate to walk but he can't even roll or sit independently get 😂😂

@Inmypjsagain I love the my little coco stuff, ive just stuck to it since he was born. They also do a lilac version that’s all supposed to help sleep that looks lovely! I got so much bath stuff when he was born from people but just have it in a huge basket now and know I probably won’t use it, seems such a waste

:o :o They are so funny aren't they with their baby ambitions.

Sarah maybe you can donate them to a local food bank or something? Or offer to local school for their next PTA raffle.

@PurplePansy05 hope play Mat time was fun today!
Sounds so cute how he plays with you!

Thank you for the recommendations, I’ve bought some Weleda and will get aveeno on our Sainsburys trip this weekend- then we can change it up. I’m trying to avoid my little coco @sarah13xx just because I’d heard that the person who made that brand basically ripped off a smaller a brand called Kokoso- which has just reminded me to buy from them! I bet the my little coco stuff smells so good though! And Sarah I’m sure you’d get through body wash eventually?

I’ve had a really emotional day today- we’ve had a good day food wise, quite a lot of carrot was eaten (what will the nappies be like!), I’ve gone through his drawers and retired most of the 6-9month clothes- which seems ridiculous, he’s only worn them a month at most? The bouncer has been put away for good too- I’d stopped using it because he kept leaning forward in it but I sat him in it today while I hung some washing up and it’s just too small for him entirely now. I swear it feels like he gained a stone over night but suddenly he’s so heavy and looking so big and it feels like we’re on this crazy timeline where he’s not a tiny baby anymore and time is going too quickly… I know it’s irrational but I just feel sad this time is passing too fast and I already feel like I can’t remember how tiny he was, it makes me quite sad. The spare room has the remnants of his next to me… he’ll be in a proper bed before I know it :( I reckon my period must be due, on top of feeling sad I’ve been craving chocolate like mad that I might have to pop out for a family size bar of fruit and nut!

Awww @Inmypjsagain That's totally understandable. Leo is smaller than your DS (just growing out of 3-6 now), but it definitely feels like he's a bigger baby now in terms of his look, behaviour and skills. I think our newborns are gone for good which makes me emotional too. I didn't love all of it, but he's my baby and even at tough times deep inside I knew they were precious. Think it'll always be this way, we'll be proud of them growing up and sad that their smaller stages have passed. It's an emotional rollercoaster!

So I tried him on the mat with his arch and toys and there's no stopping him now. He's the happiest boy sat up playing. He fell to the side twice but no big drama, only little cries.

The Weleda stuff is great too - I have the bubble bath still to use, but also nappy cream and baby oil, all great. Pricey but last forever. xx

Thank you 😊 newborns have well and truly gone, I think as well because it’s unlikely we’ll have another I feel like I’m putting things away for the last time and I’m just sad about it. I hope I deal with it better when he’s growing up otherwise he’ll find me an embarrassment!

Glad sitting up and you playing went well, I think the position is more comfy to play when the baby has been refluxy. But it’s funny because they’re like hey I know this toy, but not from this angle, I can now hug it and eat and bash it from the top! 😂 if you have a breast feeding pillow, or rounded tummy time pillow or any other cushion you might want to put that in falling distance, or have him sitting on a sofa cushion on the floor til he gets sturdier, then it’s a squishy landing!

We use Weleda bum cream and it’s lovely and lasts ages, I like the smell and the bath stuff seems to match. I saw la Roche posay do a baby range too but it seems quite adult for a baby line. L’occitane do a bubble bath too I’d like to try, I’ve also ordered burt’s bees. I like buying products like this for myself and having a baby has just so expanded my shopping horizons

Hope everyone have a good evening xx

That's exactly what I did with the bf pillow!

Anyone else's baby started smacking their arms into their legs/books/toys/yourselves? It's like he's testing his strength (and he is strong 🙈), he does this a lot suddenly?

His babbling has also changed to some sort of incomprehensible singing (and he's not exactly a baby Bocelli!), it's like extended 'eyeaoooou' 'ayeoooouaaaou' 'awawaww' and some random consonants mixed into it occasionally. I'm not explaining this very well I'm afraid 🤣 Anyone else's baby doin this?? xx

Is it awful to say I don't miss the newborn days even a tiny bit?! And actually am looking forward to him being older as well! I think my horrible birth didn't help right at the beginning, but I'm definitely just not a baby person, even my own as it turns out 😬 I find it amazing how advanced he seems now compared to just a few months ago though.

@Inmypjsagain I also use the Aveeno stuff, it's lovely and I do like the smell.

Poor old Rowan has been having a horrid time with his teeth this evening, he's been ok most of the day and then woke up from his last nap and just screamed the place down for such a long time (a reminder of his awful colicky evenings when he was smaller!). I tried teething powder and it did nothing, so gave neurofen which seems to have enabled him to settle to sleep. So horrible listening to his pain cry 😔 I will say, I much prefer the smell of Calpol to the baby neurofen!

Oh my baby is doing exactly the same singing @PurplePansy05!!!! I knew exactly what you meant as I was reading that - it's hilarious to listen to and my dd is doing it a lot, particularly when she's about to go to sleep! Funny little babies!

Hope your little one is better @biscuitcat - teething must be awful pain, poor little thing.

We use weleda nappy cream and it does smell gorgeous.
We have a lot of burts bees toiletries and they smell divine. The massage oil is my favourite and we use it often.

I've recently tried Mustela and bought it because it's mostly chemical-free. I have the cleansing water which we use with a cotton pad to clean and freshen up dd's face and body in between washes. Leaves dd smelling super fresh.

How many naps are you all on now? The MN email for 5 months says that they might be dropping from 3 to 2 or even 1 I think we're still on 4! There was some other stuff in the email that was clearly rubbish or out of date so I'm not really bothered by it but it did make me wonder.

The singing is so funny isn't it! We are getting lots of high pitched screeching when excited which is funny but gets a bit annoying. When they do just vowel sounds it's called cooing and when they add single consonants in like da da da that's babbling, officially.

@PurplePansy05 yes lots of hitting with legs, arms and thumping of legs (someone left a full can of tonic water on his high chair table at Christmas which was slapped off in a few seconds!) I googled why and apparently it’s them learning to control their arms and the leg thumping can be self settling! I also know the sing song you mean- he often says things which sound like war and way 🤨 😂 the shrieking is loud though!

@biscuitcat I think it’s fair enough, newborn days are tiring and a bit boring really, they’re so much more interactive. It’s just the smallness I miss I think, I’m not sure, I just can’t believe that stage of life is over! How’s Rowan’s teeth doing today? Ours just seem to take forever to pop through, I noticed 2 bottom teeth outlines on the gums on Boxing Day, we had one by the 4th January I think? The other one still hasn’t come through and I wish it would! Anyway hope the neurofen has worked!

@Dia12 looking forward to the burts coming soon! Is the mustela a type of miceller water?

@BertieBotts so it could have been Sunday we only had 2 naps… 1 day anyway, we’re on about 3 naps of about 45 mins each, we tend to get about 2 hours of naps a day with a full night. I was wondering when naps would change because he can easily stay awake for 3 hours now, it’s just a bit confusing trying to structure the day!

@biscuitcat totally with you, didn't enjoy the newborn days - not sure if it might have put us both off having another to be honest!
@bertiebotts we are down to 3 naps, he is 5 months next week. He has had random days of 2 naps but that's when shit hits the fan 🤣.

Yes @Inmypjsagain, it's a micellar water for babies. I'm really liking it.

We are at 3 naps with dd but they are short as she doesn't sleep so well during the day. Really need to work a way around that so she has better quality rest during the day.

Heads up ladies, Joie Steadi is on offer at the moment for £66 in Tesco apparently. It's a 0-18kg car seat and you can use rear facing right up to 18kg or forward facing from 9-18kg. The bigger babies in 6-9m or higher clothing will probably fit into it until around 3yo. The average-or-smaller babies should get to about age 4 or beyond. It can be used from now.

It's a lightweight seat, not the most luxurious and with not many features but it's GREAT for rear facing on a tight budget, or as a spare seat for grandparents, nursery drop offs, emergencies or travel use. I've heard people say it fits on a plane seat (but not done this myself). It's a REALLY good price as it usually costs £100, and the next cheapest one usually costs £75.

Not so good if you want to forward face (but still a very cheap FF option) and can have fitting problems in cars with long seatbelt buckle stalks.

Random it may be a good option for you to get your dad to get for now?

Demo video for more info here.

Not sure if anyone has a cosatto car seat but just in case - there's an urgent recall on some of them. Hopefully pic attached x

Oh yes good point! Though only likely if you had one for an older child as the affected models were sols in 2019/20 (which is pretty bad they left it for so long, as these models were notorious for that problem in the car seat groups!)

@BertieBotts sorry another car seat question .. I've been holding out as long as possible on changing ds out of the joie spin. But he jumped on the scales this morning and he's 17.7kg so I can't wait much longer. He will be 4 in March. I thought I had to change to a 25kg seat but lots of people are saying he should just go to a high back booster. A friend has her wee one who's only a month older than ds in the cybex solution x-fit and suggested it for the recline/ reclining headrest.
Then I read mixed reviews on the safety of harness after 18kg forward facing but also about keeping them in harness until at out 4 preferably 5 so now I'm confused. Is one better than the other?
Halfords tried to recommend a joie seat that goes to 36kg saying he could use the harness the whole time which I know isn't the case. (The elevate but I'm sure the harness is only to 18kg on it)

Happy Friday everyone!

Thank you for the heads up Bertie! Can’t believe we’re taking next car seats already 🤯

May I ask what you’re all currently feeding your babies? So far we’ve had broccoli, carrot and avocado. I’d like to give banana this weekend but everyone I’ve spoken to (only 3 people) said no fruit yet. I’ve mentioned this on here before and I think everyone said fruit is okay? Is it really going to get them hooked on sugar?!?

Hope everyone doing okay and getting good sleep!!!

Oh don't worry, you don't need to be looking at next car seats yet, it's just that deal was too good to miss if anyone needed a spare or was on a tight budget.

@Smurf123 I have the exact same issue with DS2 - 17.7kg although not 4 until August! I moved him out of the Joie a while ago though.

You could change to a 25kg rear facing seat. That's the safest option and you'll get plenty of use out of it. It will likely last another 2-3 years and then you can pass it on to the baby as well. I decided not to do this because DH isn't really sold on RF and I was happy with 3 years RF and didn't particularly want to go out of my way to accommodate it for longer, but it is definitely worth doing if you're happy to. That could possibly even last you long enough that you only need one high backed booster seat between the two of them.

Or there are a couple of seats that harness forward facing. Joie Bold if you need the height in it. We have Britax Advansafix i-size, which I am really happy with. The harness height is about the same as the Joie so it won't keep working with the harness forever, but I think we'll get a few more months in it and the harness limit is 21kg so just gets you that bit of extra time after 18kg. It gets a better safety score than the Joie Bold, and I really like it as a high backed booster whereas the Bold only turns into an average booster (IMO) and is quite a bulky seat. The Joie Elevate only harnesses to 18kg (WTF Halfords! ) and it's such a flimsy seat anyway, I don't like it. Maybe it's worth a fit test in the Advansafix in a shop? We are right on the top harness slot and I don't know if it will last him until he is exactly 4 but I'm hoping to get to this summer at least.

You could keep going right up to the limit - it might take him longer than you think to put on that last 300g. Maybe research and pinpoint a couple of options you can pick up in a rush. The Joie i-Spin is suitable up to 19kg and they aren't that different as seats so although I wouldn't recommend overloading it, it's not likely to break as soon as he's 100g over or something.

I always think as with most things, there is nothing magic that changes overnight on their 4th birthday. If you would be happy putting him in a HBB at just turned 4 and you're just waiting for that deadline, then you may as well do it when he's 3y10m. On the other hand if you don't think he's mature enough for it yet, the opposite applies, he's not going to suddenly be more mature in 6 weeks' time, and it would probably be of benefit to get a longer lasting harnessed seat, whether you go for the Advansafix to gain ~6 months in a harness or Joie Bold/a 25kg rear facing seat to get essentially as long as you like. Again, you could try taking him to a car seat shop and doing a fit test in a high backed booster. When I worked in the shop the 3 year olds that were closer to 4 were generally OK about 80% of the time whereas there were a few who were going crazy wriggling, wrestling with the belt, complaining.... and if they were under 18kg, I really tried to steer them towards a seat with harness! Sometimes it worked and sometimes not. I didn't have any 25kg options to show them unfortunately. The Cybex boosters are nice and do fit younger/smaller children well although at 18kg that's probably not necessary. You might want to look at the HBBs with crotch strap like the Britax Kidfix ones.

I believe (I could be wrong) the thing about keeping them in a harness up to 4/5 comes from the US where the seats are quite different, people talk about pelvic development, but I've read the studies and they just talk about that pelvic development being a reason that a 3 year old needs a booster rather than a seatbelt alone. They are not arguing that a 3 year old needs a harness rather than a booster. So I don't know where it comes from.

(German advice is different and they are OK with grains, meat/fish and dairy before 6 months)

I have done rice, pasta, greek yoghurt, apple puree, whole banana, mashed banana, steamed carrot, mashed potato, toast with butter, toast with guacamole, rice cakes, breadsticks (not a success), pear, salmon, spinach. Going to start with some more vegetable and maybe some "meal type" purees next week. So far it needs to be whole foods BLW style or completely smooth puree, anything in between is a disaster.

I don't think fruit gives them a sweet tooth. It's natural to prefer sweet to savoury. Besides fruit is great for them. :)

@BertieBotts can I come to yours for dinner? 😂