Sept '07 - I'm sitting..I'm sssitting....I'm sssssitting......I'm ssssssssssssssssitting...... THUD!

[sophus]

thought i'd start us off

I am going to persevere with Ben to get him to have milk out of a beaker, I gave up trying with Sam and now he won't drink milk out of anything other than a bottle, hence he only has milk on his cereal now

amyclaramum I know exactly what you mean about wrestling a ferret, Lolly's just wanting to roll over every time she's on her back now and I am in need of another pair of hands it's crazy, although it's lovely listening to her giggling at the fact that I'm turning her straight back over (but this does pose the inevitable; if she laughs and she's not got a nappy on she's going to wee all over the place, so my laughing back is usually a very nervous panicky one as I'm desperate to get that nappy back on her before she wees on whatever surface I've chosen to change her on ).

Dal Ho-hum, keep trying, you'll get there! I'm being a really lazy mummy when it comes to the cup training, I'm only really doing it when I know I've got absolutely nothing else to do , so I'll be doing it this afternoon when she's next up half way through play time so she's not too hungry/thirsty and not getting tired, which is a thought what sort of times have you tried it with Ryan, maybe it's down to the timing?

Anywho, the wheels are in motion as to the girls and I moving out, I've got a meeting with the guy at the council next week but I can't see them having anywhere available and will probably go straight in for their helpful scheme (basically they pay your first month's rent and deposit and you pay it back over time, just gets you into a house in the first place). Looking at the local paper there is quite a lot available, but, then again, I'm not fussy, I'm just looking for a 2 bedroom anything (DH thinks I wont cope in a flat but he obviously doesn't know me very well does he?! I prefer our old, much smaller house, to our current residence, for example. I like smaller spaces, as I know that I'm not likely to accumulate as much crap that way ). All he's then got to do is find someone to move in here and help him out with his rent etc and we're good to go, happy family again?!

Maybe I should go and have a nose around the single parent's board and see if they've got any tips etc, I'm thinking of going to Waitrose and asking their permission to become their friendly local Freegan (I wont spout "every little helps" at them, they might turn me away ).

Anywho, hope everyone's doing well, sounds like the babes are all coming along nicely!
xXx

Lisa - Need your advice purleease! What cup are you trying? Is your persevering working? Any techniques that are working?

Its not as if Ryan needs training. He knows how to drink out of a beaker. He did it one morning with no problems. And drinks from his water beaker all the time. His mouth clamps shut and he refuses it the last 2 times I have tried. I too want to get 2 milk feeds a day onto the beaker before Ryan gets to 12 months. I have read on old threads that leaving it til after 12 months makes it much harder to wean them from bottle to beaker.

He loves the doidy cup - is just very messy. I may need to bite the bullet and try the doidy for his morning milk.

dal - I have tried three cups so far, he won't drink his milk out of any of them he will drink water fine out of his tommee tippee but not milk. He will have a few sips but that's it. Yesterday I bought this one tried him with it on his teatime feed today, wouldn't have it, a few sips here and there but that's it. Put it in a bottle, he chugged it all right down. I think the beaker is too fast flowing as he is still on number 2's on the bottle, whereas the beaker has three big holes.

Also bought this one took me ages to get the lid off to start with. Put some water in it for him,
he couldn't get any out I gave it to Sam to see if he could... no, he couldn't either. They may be non spill but blimey they would have to have a bloody strong suck to get anything out of them.

I think I am going to go back to the TT and keep trying with that, but I have to hold it for him otherwise it will go everywhere. I quite like the fact I can give him a bottle and leave him to it, 5 mins later, all gone.

In fact I am going to put a topic in the weaning section about cups...

Lollypopz... about your split with dh. It sounds like you're being very calm about things though, I hope you find somewhere good to live soon.

Dal - I've just been chatting to my sister and she said she started introducing milk from a beaker in the mid afternoon rather than morning or evening for her two dds... I don't know what you're trying but I think that's what I might start doing fairly soon. It sounds logical to me as Luca's normally a bit meh about his morning milk (which is bf anyway) and he's always so sleepy for his bedtime milk (which is also bf if I'm around) whereas the afternoon milk is almost always formula as he's usually at the cm then.

Lisa - thanks for all that info. I am trying this one. Will go have a search on the weaning boards to see if I can see your thread.

Headfairy - thanks for the advice - someone else suggested that I try it at the 2.30pm feed - so that is what we will do tomorrow.

Lolly - have I totally missed something? I think I have. I am sorry to hear about you and your DH. Are you ok?

hi all, got back from Italy last weekend, but have been manic all week so only just been able to catch up with you all.
Hols were good but not exactly restful - guess that's what comes from taking a 9 month old baby with you!
DP went to LA for a week yesterday, and last night was first night of taking dummy away and doing CC. Very long story but basically sleeping had been getting worse and worse and worse - only ever wakes once during the night but then staying awake with me for anything up to 3 hours - so took bull by horns and decided to do whole shebang at once.
So today i am very tired, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. So am v. pleased i did it, as he isn't missing his dummy at all.
I had a friend's baby all afternoon today - exhausting i can tell you. But i managed to get them both to nap, and even cook some dinner. So am now thinking i am superwoman - or rather super-zombie-woman.
i start back at work on Monday, and am looking forward to being able to have lunch on my own for a change (but that is all i am looking forward to).
We've got our first 1st birthday party at the weekend from our antenatal group - i can't believe it is coming to that already.
Love to all, hope it's a sunny weekend for us all.
S
x

Dal: Another go with the doidy this eve turned into a flowing river of juice , I think it may just be a case of covering the babes in plastic back bibs and muslins when we go for it!
Also, with DD1, I tried both the beakers that Lisa has suggested and, out of the 2, she's still using the Avent one (and you can take out the plastic disc and make it free flowing).
I'm good really, it's all come about kind of suddenly, for him any way, I've been thinking about how to get around our financial situation for ages but things have been chronic between us for a while and I think we've just grown into completely different people now, just the way it goes I guess. I would never have expected it to begin with, but then, I didn't bet on him turning into Homer Simpson and me sobering up! I'm trying to stay light-hearted about it cos it's not a long term plan, maybe just until we've both cooled off and figured how we want things to go for our (and the girls') future(s).

HF: It's not a decision that I've made recently (have been trying to get DH to move out for a couple of years now lol) and I'm sure this is definitely not the beginning of the end (in fact, if anything, it's a new start for our relationship) we'll probably get along better separated, there'll be less arguments (fuelled by lack of money) and less opportunity for DH to say his piece then run away (like he did last night over frikkin pizza! ). It'll all work out in the end, if not everything will fall apart and we'll both have to start again anyway!

Crikey! Sophus talk about loading yourself up, a night of CC and taking dummy away and looking after another baby as well as your own today, I just wouldn't! Well done you though!

Had a really slow day today, got up at about half 11 (gave Lolly a bottle early and she slept through til then!) after a god-aweful night listening to DH snoring (again , I just don't ^want to sleep on the spare bed in Lolly's room as it's metal and creaks and I don't want to wake her up every time I turn over, or there's the sofa. . . I'm 6 foot tall for frik's sake, I cannot sleep on it!) slobbed around with no energy and dawdled through lunch time, got the girls to nap in the afternoon (late afternoon, admittedly) and slobbed playing games on the computer for an hour, then DH came home, asked him what he wanted for dinner (took him a good few minutes to come up with "curry") and then said he was going out to see a band at 8 (this was at 6:15. . . . get on with the dinner then shall I?!! lol). I decided to get the girl's into bed nice and early, done and now I'm slobbing out, yet again, on the computer, eating chocolate biscuits and drinking wine (that's how crappy I'm feeling right now!).

Right, I'm off to play games and (try to) get to bed quick before DH gets home again!
xXx

Hi everyone, not been on for a while as back at work and things have been hectic!!

Been reading through posts and will post in a couple of days...

Now off to watch BB!!!!

Hello all!

Have been up all night with DD1 who has been violently sick and af has arrived so feeling pretty knackered and sorry for myself! (DH went to work at 7am so just me and the kids today). Such a relief to have af though - I even did a pg test as I was getting worried, felt soooo good to see a negative!!!!

Anyway...

Thank you all for your reassurance about Cerys's feeding, she's been up and down but I'm more relaxed about it now. The day before yesterday, she hardly ate anything but then yesterday she sat in the highchair in the garden and ate for about two hours - it was hilarious! It's definitely a mix between a bid for independence and teething and I'm sure we'll get there in the end...

acm - your birthday cake sounds very interesting, glad you had fun!

dal - yes we've been having the same problem here with cups & beakers etc. I started introducing a beaker at 4 months with Cerys and DH thinks I'm obsessed with buying different ones (there are sooo many purple ones on the market now you know!). Anyway, I would try one every day, every mealtime for a week but she didn't want to know. I'd leave it a few days then try a different one. Then I stuck to just one particular one as I was worried there was no consistency but she still refused. She just learned how to hold her bottle on her own a few weeks ago and seemed to drink much more juice out of her little bottle so I left her to it for a while and didn't try with any beakers at all (consultant said to keep her fluids up). So, I tried her nuby one a few days ago and she drank loads from it - yay! However, she won't do it again . Aren't they little wotsits sometimes!? She also likes drinking tea from her doidy cup and drinks really well from it but not juice or milk - go figure!!

lolly - I saw your pics on fb too - they're brill!!! Hope all goes well with the move etc.

headfairy - poor you, how is Luca today, better I hope? It's so not fun when they're unwell isn't it!

sophus - how lovely to see you! Hope work goes as best as it can. You're so brave taking all that on the other day but well done you! Cerys seems to have discarded her dummy all on her own which is amazing! With DS (now 14), we let him keep his dummy till he was about 2.5, then he gave them all to Father Christmas in his stocking in exchange for presents and he never asked for one again. DD1 however still sucks her thumb at 9 years old and has dental problems. So, with Cerys I was determined for her to have a dummy instead of her thumb. I realised that she seemed to be spitting it out and then twigged that it was since her teeth came through properly - strange but a relief! I say hats off to you for persevering and thats great that he doesn't miss it

Big big waves to Edie, MrsBB, Hopey, efs, hayley2u and everybody else and hope you're having a fab weekend...

(((((((((((hugs)))))))))))) xxxxxxx

Afternoon All!!

Well we seem to have made some progress with the beaker.

Have left brekkie milk alone and am introducing beaker at 2pm milk feed. Yesterday wasnt a huge success, but then realised I had given it around the same time I would give a bottle (which is normally downed within 5-10 mins). 15 mins and 2ozs down, Ryan was too tired to take anymore. So this afternoon started the milk 15 mins early and although it took 35 mins, Ryan took 4 oz from the beaker. Mixture of playing and drinking - fingers crossed, he is getting used to it. His choice, the bottle is not coming back for the 2pm feed.

Edie - Glad to see that I am not the only one hooked on BB. I am loving this series!

PLP - Hope your DD1 feels better. It can be exhausting when the LO's arent well. They then sleep during the day leaving the rest of us feeling like zombies.

Hope everyone having a lovely weekend.

PLP Sorry to hear you had such horrors with your DD1, poor thing

Dal Fingers crossed for the beaker, I'm sure he'll do well with it now you've got it done once and the whole timing thing has obviously made a difference

Had a lovely day today, finally, got to meet our little neice (she was 4 weeks prem about 4 weeks ago and we haven't had a chance to get over to see them, mostly cos we wanted to go over when there was no-one else scheduled to go as we're 4 people and it'd just be too much for them otherwise). She's just so tiny and has the funniest little croaky cry on her. I felt really weird holding her just before we left, she's so small, it's like holding a doll! She's only just over 6lb now, I did say I'd've killed to have given birth to a baby 6lb let alone 4lb 5oz as it sounded so frikkin easy compared to Lolly's birth ).

Am now sat eating fresh strawberries, cornish ice cream and organic honey , a little treat for the 15 lb that I've lost over the past 8/9 weeks!
xXx

I'm baaack!!! Our trip to France was FAB, the weather was great and our villa was gorgeous! Having our own pool proved to be very advantageous as DH felt confident to experiment with learning to swim one handed. I'm pleased to say he actually listened to my advise, I was a bit of a swimmer in my youth! We're all nice and brown, but am pleased to say that Niamh is almost as white as she was when we left, would def recommend a shade-a-babe buggy sun shade. Just 'coming to terms' with being home again, that's always the worst bit isn;t it, coming home after your hols!

Happy belated 40th birthday to you acmum!! Hope you had a good one! Lovely to hear from you again

the lady formally known as MrsMar, lovely to hear from you too!

elefantshoes, good to hear from you. I'm amazed at how many stair gates are going up, where is the time going????? Niamh is a more laid back than the boys were, who at this stage were cruising around.

Lolly, what an amazing ball! Sounds like you had a really good time.

MrsBumblebee, maybe we should have done a mass order of stair gates then arranged a meet up!!!! We could have got a discount!

Dal, sorry to hear about your holiday. WOW, you're on the move, how exciting. Have to confess, I couldn't ever imagine living in London again , sorry fellow Londoners! I was brought up in W London, not a very nice area. Where I live now is SUCH a contrast. REALLY really lovely people. Where are you thinking of moving to? I can recommend where I live!! Only an hour from London!! Only 7 miles from the M40. AND.................... there's a Waitrose opening in a couple of weeks!!!!

lolly great link, what amazing photos, the costumes look FANTASTIC. Caught a glimpse of you in one of the pics. Pics on your proifel are fab.

Sophus, How;s it going today, are you back at work? Glad you had a good hol. Good luck with the CC.

PLP sorry to hear your DD1 is poorly. Poor you too

Twit, where've you been , you've been missed! Great to hear from you !

meet up
def agree with PLP, need to arrange one before the schools break up!!!

Niamh's stats
AGE: 9 months and i week
WEIGHT :9kg
LENGTH:?
SITTING:Yes, pretty confident. Although she does enjoy throwing herself back- although she always has a sneaky peak to check I'm there to catch her, v funny
ROLLING: she doesn't bother anymore
CRAWLING: Yes, just like my boys did, 'commando style'
STANDING: Only when held, although she is now showing interest in pulling herself up
SLEEPING: 8 till 8. 2/3 sleeps a day
TEETH: 3
EATING: she doesn't tollerate lumpy food, so she still has puree but she also eats finger foods.
SPEAKING: Dada, Mama, yeah yeah, hi(!), gaga

I think that's me all caught up, have skim read, so I apologise if I've missed anything.

Got a mega day of post holiday washing etc. Better get on with it hadn't I

one more quick one]

KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK
KINKI COME BACK

PLEASE

Hopey - lovely to hear from you! Glad you had such lovely hols. I think I am weird. I am always happy to home after holidays - always have been.

Have you texted Kinki to see how she is? Am really worried.

We are pretty sure we have it narrowed down to one area. Will decide over the next few weeks. And let you all know when we decide. Am very excited though and now just want out of London. Having to be patient though and wait for a half decent offer on the house. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for us.

to all. Hope everyone is ok.
xx

Hello evryone, hope you are all enjoying the beautiful sunshine
Thought i would "share this www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uht0VSGA-1k" with you all!
It certainly brightens up my day but then he is my son but hope you like it!!
x
x

Dal-fingers crossed. Have to confess:I love moving

Hello everyone, am also missing Kinki here...

Lolly-What a fab dress-glad you had a wicked time!

Well I started back at work last weekend-did a 14hr shift on the Fri and earlies Sat and Sun-that's 7am til 2.30pm. I was absolutely bloody knackered by the end-not least because Millie was also waking in the night and although DP went to sort her-I still wake when I hear her. Millie now goes to nursery on a Friday and LOVES it!! They are surprised but how much she eats!! but always comment on how happy and confident she is

Also, sooo glad we chose the busy bees vouchers-her fees came out of my pay and I really didn't notice...

I would love to come on the meet up but I live in Norwich

Hello to everybody!!!!!!!!

Hiya everyone, I hope everyone is well and enjoying this lovely weather we're having. I must admit I'm very happy to be working outside all this summer, I've had so much daylight my eyeballs are popping out! (normally I work in a dark windowless room hence my delirium at so much daylight)

Dal - well done on the beaker thing. I really must start doing something similar, it's hard when I'm not with him all the time, I'm going to ask our cm to start giving his 3.30 milk in a beaker I think so together we can get him used to it. The next one to try is breakfast I reckon, well for Luca it would be as he always falls asleep during his bedtime milk and having a cup for that could get very messy! I hope Ryan keeps at it!

Hopey - hello there, glad you had a good holiday. Did you go anywhere nice? Sorry I missed all this, I'm sure you told everyone before. Hope the mountain of post holiday washing disappears fast.

Lolly - I held my friends newborn the other day and it is crazy how light they are compared to our bouncing bonnie babies isn't it? And my friend's baby was already nearly 10lbs at 10 days, so not particularly small. Oh I could do so much with a 10lb baby perched on my shoulder... no chance now with a 25lb or so wriggling squirming 9.5 month old! Well done you on losing so much weight, I hope you enjoyed the strawberries and cream! I've managed to lose half a stone despite eating like a pig because my new job is so active so maybe in a few more weeks I'll be able to have some nice treats too (says the girl who's sneaked a few rich tea with her cuppa )

PLP I hope your dd is better now and you've managed to catch up on your sleep. I had my first af the other day and it's not so great seeing it back. I was hoping I could be one of those lucky ones who have nothing until they completely stop bfing and then get pg immediately. After 18 months I can't be bothered to keep remembering to take tampons with me when I go out and so on... how lazy am I??? It wasn't even that bad, no aching and only a couple of days long so I can't really complain... oh well I can actually

I've just had a scan down to find out why Kinki was missing, I saw your post from back in May, I hope you're ok and things are not too awful for you.

Take care everyone else, enjoy the sunshine, remember the sunblock !

Just a quickie to keep the topic in my list.

Hopey - Good to see you back, glad you had a good holiday.

Elefantshoes - great vid

Will catch up soon, I've really hurt my right shoulder and its painful to type, so will do a longer post soon xx

Hopey: Glad to hear your trip was nice
It was amazing, I loved every minute but am that it's all over. I am a bit about not having a single pic up but I think the photographer was definitely aiming for photos for his own personal profile rather than one's in keeping with the theme etc.

I'm determined to make the next meet up with you lot, even if it means dragging both girl's along with me and taking over!

Elefantshoes: I love "Beni Spaghetti", it's just soooo cute!

Edie: Yup, I live in Salisbury but fancy a nice little trip on the train, I think DD1 will enjoy it and Lolly would probably sleep the whole way anywho. . . am more worried about arriving and not knowing where I'd be going so. . . . Anyone up for being my chaeffeur? from the train station?

Headfairy: Ooh Rich tea!!! I love them! I'm off up that hill again tomorrow morning to get into town to then walk for another 20 minutes to drop the girls off at the creche and then sit on my bum for 2 hours attempting to drive (but I suppose in that instance the nervous energy will take over and burn off more calories for me ).

LLL: poor you, hope it gets better soon.

Update: Lolly was weight baring today, bouncing up and down as I held her, she was in fits, giggling away like it was the funniest thing she'd ever done!

Got a little meet-up with my friend on Wednesday (after meeting with the council), the one who hosted the ball, so will be good to get a good chat on the next event. . . she's looking for suggestions for a theme but I'm wracking my brain for something but nothing's popping up .

Anywho, I'm off again, DH was meant to be going out for a quick drink after work (he's feeling crappy apparently, he was putting on his worst ever "I'm going to kill myself" voice when he phoned), he finished work by 6 it's now 8:40. . . he must've only had one drink though cos he's driving , will be having words!
Night all!
xXx

hi all, work was fine, was actually sad i wasn't going in tomorrow as i wanted to get stuck into a few things. Linus was fine at CM, but very happy to see me.
CC and taking his dummy away took one night, and since then he has been sleeping through and napping really well, so am just sooo pleased i did it.
i've got to man a stand demoing cloth nappies tomorrow - just what i need. Then at the weekend i have to go and pick up my old horse who is coming home as the girl who has been looking after him since he retired is moving to New Zealand. And i have nowhere to keep him and no idea how i am going to look after a horse, a child, a job....

MOrning all!

Yesterday beaker not as good as before. But we'll get there.

Sophus - you have started me thinking about the dummy too. We have to go to Ryan usually once a night to give him his dummy. Not sure whether we should try taking it away and doing the CC for a night. What is everyone else doing regarding dummies?

Had a lovely evening last night - best friend came over to supper and crashed over. She is still asleep. Aaah, those
days...sleeping in. I have so far made DH and my breakfast, got ryan up milk, dressed, out for walk. Made his breakfast, made his lunch, cleaned kitchen, emptied dishwasher and done a load of washing. Oh and two nappy changes. Such different worlds, but wouldnt have it any other way!

Have fab days all.

Lolly-well if you can do it from Salisbury then I have no excuse!!! But will really not know where I am going...

Am feeling a bit today. Basically Millie woke up early again with her cough, the one she has had for about 2 months now, it's just getting me down that she is nearly 10 months and I don't ever remember her being without a cold/cough/eye infection. Been to the doc about this current one, ''nothing serious/it will go away/tis all normal''. Love my doc to bits and trust his judgement but surely it can't be a sign of a good immune system? Just as she gets rid of one cold, along comes another...it's so depressing!

Sorry for my moan, I know there are plenty of children with serious health issues and I need to put things in perpective, I guess I worry sometimes that there may be something more serious underlying...

I don't know...

Anyway, it's a lovely day and off out soon for some lunch and then to garden centre so all is well!!

Edie, sorry to hear you're worried about Millie. I can't remember, sorry, does she go to nursery/CM? Some of my friends' LOs have had constant colds since they started, and it just seems to be the system building up its immunity to all the bugs. Might be worth getting a second opinion from another GP, though??

Dal, we still use a dummy, but only when we put Paul down to sleep. We always take it out once he's asleep (well, almost always, except if he's got his arm completely over his face and we can't remove it without waking him up). He never wakes in the night, which is fantastic, but he's still a bit unpredictable during the day - he has a habit of waking up fully when he comes into his light sleep, and then not being able to get back to sleep again (even if we give the dummy back). Since he's been more physically active, though, he's gradually been getting better at sleeping for longer in the day. I did have one go at taking the dummy away and doing CC, but I only lasted about 3 days. It got to the stage where he became hysterical if I even took him into the nursery. In the end, I decided I'd rather he still had a dummy at 25 than go through that again!! Seriously, though, I will try again to take it away at some point in the future, but it's not on my agenda at all at the moment.

Oops, he's waking up, better go!

Hoorah - nearly 4oz from beaker just now!!

Am starting to get very nervous about nursery/ work combo. I keep getting to the stage where I think I simply wont go back, but then think 'be sensible, give it a go'.

Hate, hate, hate the thought of leaving my little boy in nursery. what to do?

Edie - how does Millie seem in herself? Does she seem ok otherwise? Think our LO's need to build their immune systems. Ryan has a cold, streaming nose - but is playing and happy as normal. I usually look at his overall behaviour to see if there is anything to be worried about.

MrsB - thanks for your advice on dummy. There is a part of me that wants him to have it for now, especially with nursery starting soon and weaning off the bottle. Feel too cruel taking everything away. I only ever use dummy at naptimes and nighttime, never during any other time.