January 08 shiny new - year babys , tired mums and dads!

[lilyloo]

Will that do

Lovely day today, feel like singing...'The hills are alive to the sound of muuuussssiiiicccccc....'

Oh, have 2 sick daughters now, DD1 woke up at 2:30am and threw up everywhere - so had to get her cleaned up, sheets changed etc and then by the time she settled doen it was five am. As soon as my head hit the pillow DD2 wakes up....no rest for the wicked...(trying not to let it get me down).....bring on the lemon sponge swiss roll stash.....

betterhalf - my DD2 doesn't like tummy time either.

Susiemj - yes my DD1 was a very temperamental baby and would throw wobbly's one minute and then be grinning like a Chesire cat the next. Don't worry - it's all part of being a baby - they are just trying to test your patience that's all...

Housemum - we've introduced baby rice before bed time and it hasn't made a jot of difference to DD2 sleeping patterens she still wakes once/twice at night.

Dotsie - been mega organised today - cleaned house, done washing and baked cakes !!! (not like me to do it, but was feeling motivated enough today)

Lilyloo - hope you get better - shouldn't you get it checked out.

Mixedmama - at weight lost..think mine is heading in the opposite direction with the amount of cakes/chocolates I've eaten. How are your boys by the way?

Madmouse - lucky you having a better nights sleep...

Susie - all babies have off days - she's obviously just having one of those days where you get frustrated by everything - being a baby she can't kick the dog/have a bottle of wine/shout at the kids so she's doing the only thing she can! I'm sure she'll be fine next time. Perhaps she had a sudden pain from her gums or something - Amelie did that the other day - screamed and had real tears for apparently no reason. I put some teething gel on her gums and she gave me a huge smile! (Lasted about 10 mins before she was crying again so I resorted to Calpol, but I might just be a bad mother who drugs her kids... )

Amani at your organised day! Am trying to spring-clean - we had to get everything out of the living room/dining room for the new floor so before putting back all the CDs & DVDs am asking (telling) DH to go through with me tonight and ditch some to the charity shop. Next aim is to tackle the wardrobe - if it doesn't fit and is more than just a tiny bit tight it's going. I'm back to what I was before DD3, but waist is still about an inch bigger so that should go with exercise I hope. If I lose more weight it's an excuse to go shopping!!

Well I did it, Sod the HV. Today I bought Aaliyah some baby rice.

The sicky baby stuff has stopped but she's still wolfing down 5 9oza bottles a day (the other 2 were obviously cos that was she sicked up)

I've just mixed it and am waiting for her to wake up to try it. I've made it quite runny and only a little bit (just 1 spoonful) so i'll see. Am hoping it'll help us get some sleep. Last night she was up at 2, 4, 6! (yawn) 4 she wanted milk but the 2 o clock seemed to just be for a hug.

I have read through but seem to have a really forgetful time at the moment so bear with me.
Susie - Everyone has bad days, Don't lose confidence.
MM - Aaliyah talks and squeals at herself in the mirror = that is a funny thing to watch and see.
lilly - Hope if it is thrush it clears up soon.

Hope your all ok XXX

Evening all

The hv has said to continue with the cream i have for dd for my thrush but to chase up her swabs before next week as she doesn't like the look of her skin infection

Susie am sure she was just having an off day like we all do, it doesn't take much to shake your confidence. Don't let it put you off next time she will probably love it. It could have been anything and she will have forgotten all about it now so no point fretting.

Housemum lovely to see you back Wow that was brave with the sleepover Are you doing anything nice in London ?
Good luck with the spring clean i have been having a bit of a clear out and have two bags of toys that i put on freecycle but no takers they are too good to throw away so not sure what to do with them.

Lucky we getting similair sleep pattern at the mo am hoping it's another growth spurt (think our dd's similair age ?) Good luck with the baby rice though, i am waiting tbh through sheer lazyness but i did it at 4 months with other dc's and it didn't harm them.

Amani lovely to hear you sounding so upbeat even though dd's are sick, hope they better soon. You will have to share this lemon sponge round you know

Betterhalf lovely to see you too Toby sounds to be doing great if he will do tummy time for 5 min, that is q long time for lo. Martha will only do that much at the most and even then only if i doing baby massage on her. Think they find it quite tiring and hard to see what's going on tbh.

Dotsie wow hope to see you in Leeds then

Hope everyone else ok and all lo's too

Evening ladies. Wow we have all been busy in the sunshine.
My boys are much better today thank goodness.
I have had an organised day today too. Not baking or anything fancy like that. I have done all my housework and cleaned my fridge and cleaned my kitchen cupboards which were long overdue a clean. Then we all went to our local retail park and bought ds1 a mobile for his 14th birthday next month and a new mattress . Then on the way home I went to the post office to post two things Ive sold on Ebay and pay the rent. Phew!!!
Lo sleeps on his front now. He rolls onto his side in bed and by the time I go to bed hes on his front. I turn him back over gently but by the morning hes on his front again.
Lo loves looking at himself in the mirror too. Its lovely when they give 'the other baby' big smiles and don't even realise its them

Weight loss whats that? I bought myself some nice undies off Ebay (yes I'm an Ebay addict) New you understand not 'used' and tried it on last night and just thought' I used to look good in stuff like this' Thinking of maybe trying Weight Watchers. I have been to Slimming World a couple of times and lost over 2 stone but I don't think I could get my head around it all now. Has anyone else been to WW ?Anyway off to have a bath now.
Take care all xx

I have done ww Gingeme and have found it quite good dp currently doing it using my old stuff to get rid of his stopping smoking tum
It's quite easy and i felt fit in with family meals etc.
I just bought a brand new bf bra from John Lewis off ebay for £6 and she put another one in for nothing [grin what a bargain. I have bought lot's but never sold is it quite easy, am just not sure about postage etc.

lilyloo - what a bargain! care to link to the seller if she has more for sale? hate some of mine but wince at the price of some. haven't ever sold so can't help there.

gingeme - v organised! i have days where i give up on weight loss (or lack of it!) worries and days where i get so down about it all. never done ww properly tho did the point thing with a friends old book, was good.

lucky - best of luck with the baby rice

right not going to try to catch up with everyone or i'll be here all night.
having some interesting times with ds1 waking at 5.30 , ds2 can't decide if he has any kind of routine at all, sometimes 1 sometimes 2 feeds a night, who knows. and has had lovely long (4hr!) midday naps but not today when ds1 was at nursery and i could have slept/done stuff, nope not a decent sleep in sight!
even tried walking him in the rain but no luck there either.

so, having some rubbish microwave meal then crashing out, dh back later but i can't stay up to wait for him. he's in charge at 5.30 tomorrow

just remembered, we're not meant to apologise for missing personals - i made that rule and i've forgotten it !

It is worth persevering with tummy time. They do find it tiring but as they can hold their head up higher they can see more and it gets more interesting. Try different surfaces too, we do playmat, big bed and carpet, and my chest. Not sure how to do tummy time now, as the only point of it according to Nathan is how quickly you can roll over . He is now working on rolling back and screaming with frustration as he is not succeeding.

He is also starting to suck his fist and tentatively his thumb. This evening he had a handful of my t-shirt in his fist and then put the rest in his mouth. aaah. Think he is growth spurting again. I feel he has been feeding all day and he even has a little milk blister on his top lip again just like when he was new .

OK have just had to resettle DS after him only being asleep for an hour. Basically I have decided to try and get him out of swaddling but it is leading to more disturbed nights for me . He will go down OK at first because he has had his top up which always makes him really dozy. But I "observed" him Mon night after his night feeds and basically he looks like he has gone off OK but after a few minutes starts rubbing his eyes and face, and startling, throwing his arms out, and therefore waking himself up. It's deeply frustrating.

Especially as I suspect he wakes trying to srtuggle free of the swaddling and this may be why he wakes too much in the night.

Have tried leaving him with one arm free but it's the same story. I suppose I will just have to grit my teeth and after a few days he will either get better without the swaddling or I will cave in and go back to it. I don't really want to carry on doing it for much longer though, because he has started to be able to grasp the sheet and chew it and that makes em uneasy in case he pulls it over his head... Also i have swopped to summer weight grobags but it is getting warmer and I don't want to overheat him either. AAAGH!

(sorry about rant)

just read my post from yesterday, and realised the shocking lack of any comment about Patrick! he's doing really well, is now 3 1/2 months, weighed 12 lbs 10 oz last week. bf like a trooper, v happy smiley baby. loves having a bath - we put him in the big bath with an inch or so of water, lie him down and watch him splash and laugh! soooo funny! he's nearly rolling over - from his back to his side but not quite all the way yet, but he's sitting up! not for very long, maybe a minute or so, but sitting completely unsupported (with arms hovering to catch him obv!) has been doing this for a couple of weeks now! am sure my other 2 didn't manage sitting quite this early! his hand-eye coordination is v good too - is reaching out to grasp stuff and pick it up. sometimes even succeeds! bless him! (proud mummy emoticon)

ah well, busy day today. big kids are both off school cos of the teachers strike, so am dragging them round to baby cafe this morning, then baby massage this aft. if they behave and don't try to kill each other at any point, we'll go to the park after if it's not raining that is. it was lovely here when i put a load of towels in the washing machine an hour ago - it's now p'ing down! so shall have to dry towels on airer in bathroom! Grrrr!

Must try to get a little more done today too - Patrick decided to stop me doing much at all yesterday by wanting to feed all afternoon! he only stopped 5 mins before we had to get the big kids from school! little monkey! at least dh doesn't complain (much) about the state of the place! lol

(Lily - bras sound bargain - which site was it? bf bras? am always on look out for pretty ones...)

Hope you all have a good day. must get on and not spend all morning on mn!

Gingme - I go to WW and have been doing it for two weeks and have lost 8 pounds so far. I find it really good cos I can eat whatever I like as long as I keep within the points and havign to actually go somewhere and have someone else weigh me makes me try really hard. DH thinks I am a little crazy that I pay someone else to weigh me but it just wouldnt be the same if i done it at home.

Hi ladies here's the ebay seller would def reccomend one was white still in box the other which she put in was pink with little flowers on much better than the big ugly mothercare ones!

Katie hope you feel better if dh did early start for you, i always do as Martha likes to be up at 6 and dp will usually take her and it's surprising how deep a sleep you can have when you not half listening out for lo.

Dotsie hope the big dc's are good for you today. Luckily ds still in school but i took him to baby massage in the hols and he really enjoyed it, i let him do most of it an it was lovely to watch.

Ange why are you stopping swaddling ? Sorry not much help as i have never really swaddled mine. As for gro bags dd still in the thicker ones as i still find it can get cold through the night here.

Well we finally got results of Martha's swabs. It's not thrush or eczema it's a skin infection. She has now got ab's to be taken 4 times a day , feel very that she has had to suffer with this from 2 weeks old despite seeing 3 docs and the hv Basically all the cream has been a waste of time. Poor little thing and she really is such a pleasant baby.

Am also cross at this see thread it could have been really serious as we use it to cover the dc's play area

Well we off to massage in a bit hope everyone else ok

Ange, are you a baby whisperer too? I note the word 'observed'. I bet it is just a matter of time. The face rubbing means tiredness and lo should be willing to go to sleep. Have you tried putting your hand on lo's chest when he starts moving? Also, I don't remember whether it is supernanny or babywhisperer who mentions swaddling with hands out near the face but arms swaddled. Also somebody on this thread (sorry no idea who) experimented with arms inside the grobag?

Lucky, how did you get on with the baby rice?

Susie, you are doing fab. She may be getting bored. Nathan is, the roof of the pushchair is only so much fun. Health visitor says it is ok to sit him up a bit, but I tried it on a bad day and he was not happy. But the other posters are right, babies have grumpy days too and it has nothing to do with you. Keep going out, you need it. People are in my experience very tolerant of small babies crying and as long as you have checked she is not hot/cold/wet etc she is fine!

and yes, Susie ( I should properly finish posts before sending). I had wobbly moments too. For example when I took him on the train and he got louder and louder. The lovely old lady opposite me said don't worry he is a baby that is what they do. Bless, that really helped.

lilyloo - that is awful. You need to write a strong worded letter and get some comp, some vouchers or something.... that is disgusting. I would have made a song and dance in the store... not even an apology disgusting.

Lilyloo - that's shocking. You'd think they'd want to make sure it doesn't happen again!

Thanks Amani and Madmouse and others who responded to my freakout! It didn't continue and we have been out today. I usually use the sling and I don't think she liked the change back. Also the sun didn't help. I don't really have many people to talk to about babies - who know or remember what it's like - and sometimes I wish I had someone going through exactly the same things to chat to about it .... OH! That's YOU GUYS! Thankyou for sharing your experiences everyone!

And I think I might check out another mum and baby group too

Hello all - sorry for such radio silence, I always seem to be so busy!

Well today I had my casting for Trinny and Susannah's undress the nation in Manchester - DH looked after Ben for the day. Was a bit nerve wracking, but quite exciting all the same - hopefully I'll get lucky and get on! I don't think I've ever felt more in need of a make-over and for someone to tell me what to wear! The theme is on colour, as I have a very bad habit of wearing almost only black and occasionally blue. Fingers crossed!

DH was a gem to look after Ben all day, and it seems like they had fun together, although the house is a bit of a tip! I think maybe DH appreciates a bit more what my day to day life is like, and that I don't sit on my arse all day doing nothing!

Ben is doing great - can't believe he's 16 weeks already! He's rolling around like a pro - can roll back to front in both directions, but no luck in rolling front to back. I'm trying to work on his sitting up now as well, as he's not great at it. Any tips for help with getting them to sit up? I'll sit with my legs in a V shape and Ben in the corner of the V leaning against me, but I still often have to loosely hold his shoulders otherwise he'll slump forwards. He's got to be quite good at moving around on the floor - obviously he's nowhere near crawling, but he can shuffle quite effectively (although mainly in circles!) usually towards a toy. He's also started to be absolutely fascinated by the cats - he will sit and stare at them for minutes on end. As far as he's concerned I suppose they're just animated teddy bears!

Sleep on the other hand is a different matter! He's struggling to settle in the evenings - it usually takes at least an hour to get him to sleep. Usually he will fall asleep about 3/4 of the way through his feed after taking about 5oz. He will be absolutely sparked out so I'll put him in his cot. Between 5 and 10 minutes later he'll start crying, so I give him the rest of his feed (about 2-3oz), and again put him down when he's asleep. He'll then wake up again after another 10 minutes, but not want any food, just his dummy, however he always pulls his dummy out, no matter how much he wants it, so I have to stand there over him either clamping his hands down, or holding the dummy in! This can go on for up to two hours sometimes, so can be very frustrating!

He's still waking at night for feeds, usually at about 2 and 5. He'll usually have about 6oz at 2 and about 2-3oz at 5. I've tried dropping the 5am feed, but if he doesn't have something to eat he just wakes every 10 minutes! Often he really struggles to resettle after 5am anyway, either due to trying to get a poo/farts out or just general overexcitement (hitting himself in the face being the usual culprit). Anyone have any suggestions of how to get him to sleep better in the early morning? This is the time I really struggle with - it drives me mad having to get up every 10 minutes to resettle him, and often end up taking him to bed with us where he settles on my chest. This isn't particularly a habit I want to get into as I never sleep well when he's on me.

Also just had my Mirena coil fitted - the fitting itself was far from pleasant (felt similar to a stretch and sweep) and I've had cramping and bleeding on and off for a couple of days. Hopefully though I won't really get any periods now, and if I do they'll be light and manageable. Also means that we hopefully won't have any surprise little ones on the way! I love Ben to bits (well duh!) but we don't want any more LOs! The plan for now is to stick to one, certainly for the next 2-3 years, then review the situation. Harsh though it sounds, if we have more than one, it could prevent us from realising our dream and moving to Canada, so it's definitely just the one for now. Barring accidents of course - if anything were to happen, there's no way I could "get-rid" as it were. Funny isn't it how motherhood changes you.

Ooh, I understand some of you are going to Leeds for the breastfeeding calendar meet-up? As I'm not technically breastfeeding (somehow I think me hooked up to my double electric breastpump isn't the glamorous image of breastfeeding they want to promote!) I can't really sign up for it, but as I only live 10 miles away from Leeds, do you fancy meeting up for a coffee when you're over there? Even 30 minutes at the station would be nice to put faces to names

Right, well I think Ben's settled down for the evening now, so I'm going to express and have some dinner

mixedmamma? Is the WW system easy to follow even for a nappy brain? Sorry to go on but I have found my local one and the times are very conveniant but I don't want to go and pay money only to find it difficult and give up. I know what you mean about someone else weighing you makes you work that bit harder though I was the same at Slimming World especialy as I had a wedding dress to fit into too
lillyloo I agree with the others I wouls write a strong letter to the head office. What if one of your dc's had cut themselves on it doesn't bare thinking about. Kepp us posted.
Lo has an awful cough I guess thats wgat you get when you have a loving big brother also with a cough keep wanting to give you kisses

Hi naetha... Alek still wakes every 3 hours for night feeds and in early morning can wake more than once. Recently he will go back to sleep in his cot for an hour or more after he feeds at 6 or 7 am. But I find it really hard to settle MYSELF early morning so that potental sleep catch-up time is wasted - instead of having a lie in I get up and do things. eg. this morning he fed 3.30 and slept 4am - 6.45 but during that time I was wakeful. He slept 7.30 til 9am but I got up. I've given up trying to leave him unswaddled and will try again in a week or 2. I've lost too much sleep this week and started to get overtired and pathetic...

I wanted to stop as I understood it starts to get dangerous now that he can grab the sheet and pull it over his head when he frees his hands (as he usually does at some point).

I think the night waking is a consequence of having a hungry baby! I think he will get better when I wean him, have you thought about trying baby rice some time in next few weeks - it may help, it seems to with a lot of hungry babies.

Madmouse I have read the Baby Whisperer and use some of it. I try and do a vague EASY but realistically the only "me" time I get is now when he's in bed because he still naps either when we're out and about in pram or car, or on my lap! I found a lot of what she says reassuring but got myself really upset when i first read it and LO didn't want to play ball. Basically I think he was born Grumpy but is now veering towards Textbook! Bless him.

ginge go for it. I lost 6st 4 with ww sometime before getting pregnant. I do it online atm as there are no meetings nearby and it just does not work for me. I need a meeting, and a leader to weigh me. ww is brilliant. If you are someone who cooks healthy family meals (I have a feeling you are) they also have a no count plan that may suit you. You can have pasta, potatoes, lean meat etc without weighing. But no bread, unless it comes of your small weekly points allowance.

D'oh sorry meant to say Ange (I have so many things I always mean to say, then usually his cuteness will stir and hurry me along!) that I was the one that tried arms in the gro-bag. It worked to a certain degree, but what worked best in going from swaddling to normal sleeping was just cold turkey.

I had a week of having to resettle Ben regularly, but then he got much better. Does Alek still have quite a bad startle reflex? As Ben's dropped at about the same time as we stopped swaddling him, and I think this may have helped. He still startles now and again, but not at every single thing. His worst habit at the moment is constantly trying to get his hands in his mouth which will often wake him up if he hasn't been asleep long.

I keep a pillow case on hand (in fact he sleeps on it - it's tucked into each side of his cot) for emergency mid-night swaddles if he gets himself into a state, but that rarely happens without good reason (usually him being hungry, and me trying to satiate him with a dummy!). Usually all I need to do if he's fussing with his hands is just loosely hold them by his side until he has stopped struggling (I sound like such a bad mother!) and then he doesn't usually fuss quite so much.

HTH

(p.s. Heroes tonight - very exciting!!)

Hi all - very impressed at the strength of these little babies - sitting, rolling - Amelie has just found out that she has feet - she keeps grabbing hold of them as if she's seen something new! She is also rolling from back to side - she did roll from front to back all the way the other night a few times, but hasn't done it since. Sleep is something she seems to get by without - every time I think we're getting to a settled "routine" she throws a wobbly and we're back to the frequent waking.

Spent the afternoon in London today - she had her first job with a photoshoot for the next Mamas and Papas catalogue, wearing a pretty cream Christening/party dress. She was not in the best of moods, though, and she ended up throwing up on it They did say they'd got their shot, though, so hopefully they will use it.

ooh Housemum how fab a baby shoot, and at her throwing up on it, you will have to show us if they use it.

Ange we have same prob with the early 5 am feed. TBH we just bring Martha in bed with us for now and i am not really bothered at this as she always settles happily on her own in cot. Can you not try swaddling in one of the vented blankets instead for a couple of weeks before you try again ?

Gingeme it is very eaasy i use the points system when i do it. You get a card that basically works out the points in everything all you need to know is the cals and saturated fats so you can pretty much eat whatever family eats just adjust your portions. And if you a snacker french fries are the lowest fat crisps and go ahead choc bars are low too.

Susie glad you went out again and things were fine guess she was just having a bad day.

Naetha nice to see you again glad Ben is doing so well. Will keep my fingers crossed for you for Trinny and Susannah that would be very exciting. Sorry no tips for sitting yet Martha only 13 weeks though so a bit behind yet and i can't really remember with others It would be lovely to meet for a coffee when we come down i will let you know the date when we know. I will prob drive to mil at cookridge then get train into town presuming that's where it's going to be, not sure where Dotsie from but think it Leeds.

Thanks ladies for support on other thread i will write a letter today, nothing lost i guess and hope they take it more seriously i will also point out that we took some photos of it which dp did on his phone can't imagine they want them to leak out

Well how much fun is it , NOT, trying to get abs into Martha! Am not sure she is getting any as most of it seems to be spat back out all over her Also was really yesterday as we did our first massage all the way through without her getting upset.

The lo's all sound to be doing lot's now and i can't believe how quickly they growing is anyone else at how quickly they growing or is that just me ?

Meh - not a good night last night.

Ben didn't settle properly until 9pm (put him to bed at 6:30 after a 12oz feed as he was grumpy and tired), then woke at 11pm, 12:30 (had a feed - 6oz), 2am, 4am (another feed - 5oz) then 5:45 when I decided to take him into our bed with us. Finally he slept until 7.

Not sure what was causing all the waking - I think it may have been his bowels as he did a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge green poo at 12:30. I do wonder if trying him on solids would make any difference - I'll admit I've already tried a teeny bit of baby rice with no success, but now he's 16 weeks I wonder if it's worth trying again.

Anything for a decent night's sleep!!!