May 2008 - we just couldn't wait!

[thefortbuilder]

for everyone who's popped already and congratulations to us all!

sorry can't remember think it was you LM who said no supplementing bf'ing with water - this is completely true as apparently the body knows if it's very hot that the milk needs to be more watery for thirst rather than just for hunger. with formula there is obviously no distinction so supplementing in between feeds with cooled water is ok.

has anyone else's lo's started rolling yet? sam is 4 and a bit months so one of the oldest on here and has just rolled from his back onto his side for the first time properly today. that's after waking up at 130 this morning and staying awake till 330....so tired today but managed a good nap when both boys slept at lunchtime - for the moment have got them co-ordinating sleep patterns!

not much else to report - monkeysmama - we are having a mini abbeville road clapham meet in bon bon (corner of abbeville road) at 930ish tomorrow if you are interested as i know you're kind of local-ish! i'll be at the back with charcoal phil & teds

Flick, thanks for thinking of me but dd is having her jabs tomorrow If you meet again let me know and we'll come and join you.

Flick, thanks for thinking of me but dd is having her jabs tomorrow If you meet again let me know and we'll come and join you.

hi everyone. Nico is 4 months and has been rolling to side for a week or so. very nearly got all the way over to front yesterday! (proud mummy emoticon)
he obviously moves about a lot in his sleep as i find him allover the cot in the morning! the other day he'd obviously rotated himself thru 180 degrees!
damn, must run...am late1 love to all, sorry not to reply to all. sorry to hear bout house ycbs...it looked gorgeous!

flick That's amazing about BF mums' bodies 'knowing' when to make the milk more thurst quenching, aren't our bodies amazing?!

My DD1 rolled from back to front when she was 3 months old, quite early apparently. DD2 not rolling yet.

Whoever mentioned hair falling out has jinxed me...... I was fine, and now, it's coming out all over the place!!!

YCBS So sorry to hear you lost the house. I'm a great believer in fate so it obviously wasn't meant to be for whatever reason....

We had dinner out on the decking on our new table last night . It was lovely. DD2 is quite consitently having last feed at 7pm, going straight to bed after feed, cries anything from not at all to 20 mins, then wakes at 6am......love it!!

lm74 sleeping all the way through would be amazing!!! sam is generally pretty good only one waking a night but he's so noisy, nearly crying in his sleep that i end up hearing him on the monitor (even turned right down) so i'm up anyway.

sam has also just started shuffling around a lot - 180 degrees as well so i think movement is definitely starting. and lots of playing with his feet as well just yesterday and today so that's a new one as well. i'm sure jacob was earlier than this but he was very very light so not so much bulk to move! and also sam is a lot more placid - some kicks in the bath but happy to just lay there chilling whereas jacob was always on the move

at least yours got delivered ycbs - i had to chase samuel's up the week we were going on holiday to be told "o'h it's at the collections desk didn't anyone tell you???" - at least i got the fast track fee refunded as it was over a week but yes i know highly annoying when people completely disregard requests like that.

ycbs I hope you and Harry and the chocolate dog have been asleep since your last post!

I met up with a friend for lunch today and it's the first time I've taken DS out at a meal time to a public place. I didn't fancy BFing in public so I expressed and brought a bottle. DS sucked valiantly for 10 minutes, turning the teat practically inside out until I remembered that I had put the internal cap on the bottle under the teat . The boy had been sucking but no milk could possibly have got through. Then, after another 20 minutes of very slow drinking my friend offered to have a go while I ate my lunch. She took one look at the teat, located the feed hole and turned the bottle upside down in his mouth. He finished it in about two minutes . I can't believe I couldn't see the simplest of things. In a similar fashion, last night I started unbuttoning my husband's shirt whilst looking at my daughter. He asked what I was doing. I had been thinking 'She needs to get undressed and out her PJs on' but I was standing next to him and started undressing him by mistake. What the has happened to me?

mocat you have baby brain! and it never goes really - i always take longer to remember things and have to say to dh "it's in here i just can't find it with all the other information!"

ycbs yes i had to go and collect it but luckily we are in clapham and it was in victoria so not too far. i got the £35 extra fee back though. we went to bordeaux in mid june when ds2 was 3 months old! and are going to malaysia in october with both boys - that will be fun...

YCBS can't you go somewhere in britain with the DSDs, like centerparcs, they can do stuff and you can do spa type stuff?

We're not going abroad but we are going down to the coast (in Andalucia) when we get the chance, lovely resort only and hour away. Weather's so hot (and I mean HOT...40 degrees ALL summer) it's nice to get away.

We haven't got any form of passport for DS, he can have both British and Spanish, but since we're not going anywhere haven't got round to doing anything about either. Is there a time limit to apply for a british passport for a baby or can you do it anytime?

YCBS hope you got some sleep. Stella's just gone back to sleep after her 630 smile at mummy and daddy session and will stay asleep now until 1030 if I'm lucky.

Mocat PMSL at your post. I stopped myself seconds before I stuck my breast pads in dd's nappy the other day.

She had her jabs yesterday. Went fine though she screamed loads in the early evening. She never cries much and was inconsolable for almost an hour. I don't know if it was jabs related but eventually she fell asleep and woke up in her usual happy mood. I was pleased not to have to open the Calpol just yet. She weighs 11lb11 now-from 6lb12 birth weight which they seem happy with. She's long too-almost 58cm!

Got my last salary from work today (our maternity leave is appalling) so we're going out shopping even though I still don't feel great while it's still guilt free and my money. Even though I'm back in my pre baby clothes I have some belly issues so am going to abandon my bikinis and buy a glam swimming costume for holiday.

Before I go.. Anyone else got a Nervous Nerys LO? Dd is really jumpy and not sure why or how to deal with it? My fab Dr Spock baby book tells me she'll grow out of it but it's pretty upsetting in the meantime to see her so scared so frequently.
Have a good day everyone.

MM

macaco i don't think there is any set time to apply for a passport for a baby - just whenever you want.

monkeysmama - sam hates noise and gets really upset with loud noise - not loud noises like sirens but just general loud noise - not great when dh has the rugby on every saturday turned up full! they do grow out of it though, jacob was fine as a baby and then got really scared of sirens for about a month when he was about 15 months.

ycbs - travelling with them when they are smaller is a lot easier than when they get to 1 or 18 months - sam will still be small enough for a skycot when we go whereas this last trip was a nightmare for jacob as he was too young (by 2 weeks) for his own seat and hated being strapped in on the child seat belt extender thing!

mocat and monkeysmama, I PMSL at your 'baby brain' incidents!! Breast pads in a nappy? I suppose it could work?! As for mocat undressing her DH....I bet he couldn't believe his luck!
I was sitting watching TV last night and I looked over at DH and realised that with busy life lately, we hadn't had much affection in our relationship, so I went over and sat on his lap and had a nice cuddle....unfortunately he got the wrong idea and thought his luck was in......I had to let him down by telling him that I only had energy for cuddles at the moment!!!

YCBS It's so frustrating when you just get them to sleep and someone wakes them up. I'm getting increasingly annoyed with those little twats (excuse my language) who ride around on 50CC motorbikes that are louder than the loudest thing ever.....they come screaming past us on the road, ripping up the tarmac, and I just feel like shouting "do you know how noisy your bike is? I have a sleeping baby in this pram!!!!" GRRRRR! .

YCBS Have you tried to persuade DH to go on holiday at all? Surely he can see that you need a break, there aren't many women who could cope with a new baby on their own for as long as you have? It's like being a single mum, but worse as you don't even have your family around you to help out. Why don't you lay it on a bit thick about how tired you are and how much you need a break, and how nice it would be to go away all together. Centerparcs would be fab but it's probably all booked by now for this summer, but there are loads of great hotels or self catering hols around? My friend stayed at The Bath Spa hotel and said it was very child/baby friendly. It's 5 star, really nice and set in lovely grounds, but near Bath, which is just a lovely place with lots to do. Could you persuade him to a long weekend if nothing else?? I really feel for you, you need a holiday!!!!! Also, if he takes the DSDs out for the day, can you and Harry not go too??

Just been to physio, I took DD2 with me (DD1 at CM). She was super cute and kept smiling and cooing at everyone. I think everyone was a bit at me being on mat leave while they were all at work!!

Have to go and get DD1 now. It's nice to have a bit of peace, but I really miss her when she's at the CM.

LM xxx

Thanks for the reassurance about my 'baby brain' moments. No major incidents today - managed to go to the butcher's with my clothes on. Flick my mum says she is still at that foggy head stage and I was her last baby and I'm 34! I wonder, monkeysmama, if the breast pads would have been as super absorbent as a nappy?; better that than the other way round. Nappies might peep out of your top's neckline!

macaco We spent a week in Salobrena in Andalucia last summer. It was lovely as we sayed in a little townhouse up a crazily narrow street. Beautiful hot hot weather. We visited Granada one evening and it was still 40 degrees at night . We were there for the last few days of July when all of Spain suddenly appeared on the roads travelling South. It was amazing to see.

monkeysmama Ds does the jumpy thing. Over the last two weeks he has become very scared when he is being carried downstairs. He tenses up and holds his breath. I became very suspicious of Dh and asked him if he had dropped Alex down the stairs but not mentioned it. As if!

lm74 Hope your physiotherapy is doing the trick.

This afternoon I spent a while phoning registered childminders in the area to find places for DD and DS. I've appointments next week to meet three different ladies. I don't want to hand them over to anyone. Boo hoo. I won't be returning to work until October and I'm going to streeeetch out the time between now and then. Double boo hoo.

oooh YCBS barbados....very nice. We're sticking to Andalucia for the time being . We were going to go to the beach this weekend but it¡s the 1st weekend of August so is the busiest of the year (almost all spaniards have August or part of it off). You usually have the whole month off or 2 weeks, 1st half or 2nd half. As the 1st is a friday it's monster busy...like August bank holiday. The whole country takes to the road and the police mount "operación salida" to cope with it.
So not the best weekend to put a 4 month old in the car just after his vaccinations!
So we're going to go into town (braving the 40 degree heat...am I mad?)for some shopping and a stroll.
Mums of steel sounds good, I'm liking swimming in the outdoor pool, getting quite a good tan too.
On the passport trail.. think i need to send his Spanish birth cert, which will involve a long queue somewhere in an office with no air con, baby in tow no doubt...and my birth cert.
Baby brains.. I think perhaps it's a breast feeding thing. When I was bfing I found myself putting breast pads on the outside of my bra by mistake ...realised before I put my top on. Also lying in bed for a night feed and looking for a bib for DS that I'd had in my hand....found it on my chest..looked like I was wearing it! perhaps the body's doing so much it can't cope with short term memory too?

YCBS Mums of Steel sounds great, what a great name!!
I borrowed the CM's double buggy today, walked home from her house with both girls in it, which was all of a 5 min walk and OMG, I felt like I'd been to the gym for an hour!!! SUCH hard work pushing them both....Maybe I can be a size 10 again .

mocat good luck with your CM appts. IMHO I think CM's are better than nursery at this age (obviously you can get good and bad CMs and good and bad nurseries). I remember the stress of finding one for DD1, it's so nice now knowing that I know her well now (the CM) and that DD2 will not only go to someone I know better but also, she'll have her big sis there too .
My only advice is basic but TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. DD1 went to a CM first, next door to where I work, I had a few doubts about her, quite serious things like letting the kids play outside in 35 degree heat, not being fully aware of the law on child car seats (tried to put DD1 into a forward facing car seat when she wasn't big enough and tried telling me it was fine ). Everyone I spoke to said I was just being a typical new mum and that I couldn't bear to leave my DD with anyone else but me (I'm not really like that though!). Anyway, having paid a £120 'retainer' fee for the months before she actually went, she was there 2 weeks when the CM told me she was moving to Cornwall . I had the most stressful week ever trying to find alternative childcare and luckily found current CM who I instantly took a shine too, and weirdly she is not only good friends with my next door neighbour but my DH went to school with her DH (small world). Her house was smaller and not as well kitted out as original CM BUT she was/is just lovely and I am now very pleased that the other old hag moved away!!!
It's a bit like buying a house or a wedding dress I think....you just 'know'.

LM xxx

Mocat you made me laugh so much undressing your OH.
I haven't posted on here so far but hello to everyone. Indiebaby is doing well, over 14lbs now. Not rolling yet, but getting good at kicking.
Am seriously struggling with baby brain as well as virus which is knocking me for six. Just want to sleep all the time. Unfortunately dd's aren't letting me.
Hope you're all doing well.

hi - can i join your thread???
DS2 was born 05/05/08 - and we'd just like to say a big hello!

so he will be 13wks on monday and my hair is coming out in handfuls too - my poor DH had to fish a hair out of his dinner the other night - good job i wasn't cooking for others! lol

i really need to lose about 2stone but can't afford a gym - i need to walk more!
x