January 08 shiny new - year babies , night night sleep tight - yeah right !!

[lilyloo]

Thought as there were no objections and we were at 950 i would get us all a new thread

[LuckySalem]

Imawurzel - It's entirely upto you how you do it but we make DD have naps or she gets really grouchy. I've found the best way to get her to sleep is to put her in her bouncy chair and "bounce the crap outta her" although I don't try that until she looks like she's tired - yawning, rubbing her eyes etc etc.
I'm just gonna read your thread. DD is on solids now - we tried her about 2/3 weeks ago and she wasn't interested but with her sickness I thought i'd try again as a lining on her stomach may stop her being sick. So today she had 1/3 of a jar or potato and something caserole and a couple of spoons of pear and apple pudding and wolfed the lot down!

I second what betterhalf said - alot of people are "narrowminded" and stick to what the guidelines say but my honest opinion is that before pg women got told not to eat peanuts during pregnancy there wasn't as many peanut allergies so i'm treating the new 6 month rule the same (PLUS none of our family have food allergies)

[madmouse]

Hi all

Have not read all posts yet. Just back from Holland late last night. It was a good trip although it started by leaving 6.15 Saturday to drive to some depot in Swindon (one hour away) to collect Nathan's passport and mine. Luckily that went well. That passport lark was a nightmare.

We have introduced Nathan to dh's mother in hospital. While we were there she had complications and needed further surgery, so we postponed our return. She is doing ok at the moment. DH has an element of peace now that his mum and his son have met.

We stayed with my dad and step mum who had not seen Nathan since intensive care and had not seen him with his eyes open, let alone smiling, chatting etc. My dad just managed to say hello to dh before snatching Nathan , he was in tears bless him. It was amazing to see Nathan build a relationship with his grandparents. After a short while he laughed and cooed at them like he does at us.

We made thousands of pictures of doting grandparents and grinning baby.

I feel really proud that we have all managed so well. Nathan is thoroughly sick of his car seat though. The journey to Holland involves 2.5 hours drive here, half hour wait, half hour train crossing and another five hours drive. Then there were twice daily drives to hospital. He did so well and my fears about breastfeeding getting upset were just unfounded. We even fed under the sea!

He is a little so and so though , our bedroom at my dad's is in the attic and I knew Nathan would not sleep if he was unable to hear us so I thought I would let him sleep on my lap in his grobag until we went to bed. The sleeping bit went fine, but after three nights he politely declined to go in the travel cot. So after the that we put him on a mattress on the floor in the living room, which took some persuasion!

He was insanely happy to be home, could not stop grinning and gurgling and was so chilled all of a sudden.

Hope you are all ok, I will catch up soon.

[Fragolina]

God, I've had an awful morning. The plan was to have a snooze while Tana had her morning nap, before the builders arrive, but she decided to scream inconsolably from about 8:30 to 10:30 - changed her, fed her, cuddled her, rocked her, rubber her gums with anbesol, walked with her, gave her two 10 minute time-outs in her cot with the curtains drawn, NOTHING helped. She was so upset she went all hiccuppy and quivery from crying She has just now fallen asleep after having a mini feed, and the builders have arrived and are going to start making a racket with the tile cutter any minute.

I am so tense it feels like my shoulders are up around my ears. deeeep breath.

Madmouse - glad your trip went well, sounds like Nathan is doing fantastically!
Betterhalf - grrrr about your electrics!
Ange - lol at 'wailing and gnashing of teeth', I feel a bit like that myself today!
Imawurzel - hi and welcome

Anyone heard from Awen lately? Don't think she's been on this thread in a while.

[fillybuster]

Welcome back Madmouse - so glad the trip went well. Sounds like Nathan is in full control !! Hope dh's mother continues to improve

Gingeme - I can do any day except Fridays (sorry Nicky!!) and not 9th, 10th, 11th or 17th June - as long as I am back in North London by 3pm latest. So if we are going to meet at V&A , could we do it at around 11am-ish so that I can get back in time?

OK, got to run to collect ds from nursery. Love to everyone xx

[susiemj]

Madmouse - Sabela went crazy with happiness when we came home too. She even smiled at a rawl plug she recognised! I didn't realise how much we were putting her through by being in an unfamiliar environment. Unfortunately, it's going to happen a lot.

Frag - that sounds like a horrible morning. If you're going out later you could get some Nelson's Chamomila sachets. They're officially for teething but they're just chamomile. She does a really cute outraged face when I put it in, but I do think it is good.

Got to rush! Hi everyone.

[madmouse]

Susie there are positive aspects too. Nathan and dh have spent lots of time together during the trip and dh has grown in confidence and Nathan does no longer scream all the time when he is not with me. We have for some reason also discovered that Nathan always goes to sleep on my shoulder or breast if he can, and that there are ways to make him go to sleep independently, so we are now working at that. Tonight he woke up twice crying but I have only touched him, not picked him up, and he is sleeping again.

[nicky6]

anyone else interested in a meet up at the V and A as i am compiling a list of dates.

glad all went well with nathan

charlie bit out of sorts too with uncharacteristic crying even a wake up screaming in the night

[gingeme]

Evening ladies.
Thankyou Nicky6 for the list. Stick me on it ofcourse.
Well done Nathan what a star
How are you this evening Fragolina? Did the workmen wake Tana as you predicted? Hope not.
Went to mils this afternoon to sort out dh's sons wedding business. Basicaly none of us are going. Dh not even sure if he is now. We havn't even got our invite yet Dh was in tears yesterday talking about it all . He is going to ring his son up next week and find out whats going on. Keep you posted.
George was very sleepy today and had a high temp again . ds4 is snotty and just basicaly wet with his last teeth coming so he chews on Georges toys every now and then so I bought some Milton wipes today and Im wiping all Georges toy with them now and will try to keep them away from ds4.
Dh rang the hospital yesterday for his sperm sample results. He is now officialy a 'jaffa'

[barristermum]

Hello guys!

Cannot possibly do a full catch up with personals as would be here forever - but have missed you all and from what I have managed to read there has been an enormous amount going on!

Was v interested to read that the experienced amongst us don't even bother with a high chair - we were about to blow £200 on a smart looking leather option that does up to table as well as tray, but if you truly think on chair is best I am totally converted - really?

We have found Cerys goes crazy with relief if we are away - she smiles at the wallpaper and the pictures and everrything as if to say "east west home's best" - which makes me feel sad for her as we are taking her to Swansea tonight for the weekend for a massive meet of rellies. Glad you got your marathon trip home completed with success madmouse - all sounded very cathartic.

On other points of discussion -
grobags - magnificent - allow kicking without coldness.
sex- not as much as used to but like filly always lovely when we do get round to it and makes us feel better and feel that we should try more often! As i used to have the higher drive DH prob relieved things have calmed down a bit.
formula - aptamil for us, and no problems.
solids - not yet, not due to advice, just that Cerys seems totally satisfied with milk at the mo (she is 4 and a half months) - but the freezer is stuffed with ice cubes of purees ready to go.
meet-up - really sorry but you'll have to count me out unless weekend as back to full-time work. Just take some photos and have a lovely time.
favourites - being an only and having an only it's hard for me to say but you sounded a bit wretched mixedmamma so wanted to say from what friends have said their reactions to all their babies has been different and it doesn't mean you love them any more or less than other. Remember with first it is all so new and overwhelming - you are sort of used to how fabulous it is and it may not feel so all-encompassing.

Welcome imawurzel - you definitely joined us in the early stages of pregnancy - i remember you from then. Why did you leave us?

We had Cerys baptised on sunday - house full of people - as well as the congregagtion 50 at the Church for champers after and then 25 in our local gastropub for lunch afterwards which was lovely. Cerys took everything in her stride with her usual aplomb - didn't even whimper when the water was poured over her (so rather worryingly she hasn't cried the devil out according to the old wives tale ) tho' so many people around utterly exhausted her poor scrap and she was desperate for bed by the end. Felt so proud of her.

Do people who have faith worry about passing it on to their children. My Mum did such a fabulous job without making it an issue - it was a deeply personal example of how important it was to her. My faith has given me such joy and comfort i feel a tremendous responsibility to pass that on to Cerys in a way that can stay with her for the rest of this life.

What a mammoth post - sorry for rattling on, but i don't get my daily fixes, and had to seize this opportunity as court not sitting today. Work is getting easier, tho obviously miss Cerys terribly but she is fine and so just getting on with it.

[Amani]

Morning all,

Hope you are well.

Line manager emailed me today to confirm it's ok to return to work on a PT basis (28 hrs) YYYAAAYYYY!!! Just need to ask my mother in law to help out an extra day with looking after DD1 as the nursery fees are awful for putting 2 children in.

Barristermum - yes will be using my faith to help guide my children through life as I feel it has given me a lot of comfort and strength through my life and will hope my children will experience it to. But saying that am defo not going to be one of those parents who are 'strict' and force them to follow religion strictly (I never have) and will hope they make good judgements and decisions when they are older based on what they have learnt.

Mixedmama - yes I sometimes feel like DD2 does get left out, but I always say this is due to the fact that DD1 is a toddler and is always craving attention from everyone. Am assuming in a couple of years the roles will reverse and DD1 will have calmed down a bit and DD2 will be going through her toddler tantrums.

Gingeme - don't know if you remember our conversation a while ago, but both Asda and Morrisons have refused to sell me Medised for DD2 as she is under 2 (a change to the inital starting age of using it - 3 mnths)

Hello to everyone else....

[gingeme]

Hi Barristermum Ive missed you Sounds like Cerys had a lovely baptism. Glad it all went well. Glad also your settling at work a bit better now.
Amani why did you mention Medised love? Im a bit confused, thats not hard these days,I have never been asked what age the child is its for. I bought it from Morrisons last time and they never said a word though did tell me how I should give it and how many doses ect.
Have had a busy morning so far. George was a bit unsettled last night but a lot cooler thank goodness. Then this morning he had his bottle which he projectile vomited everywhere. I then gave him his porridge which he scoffed. Put him in his bouncy chair while dressing ds3 and 4 to see apuddle of green pooh oozing from his nappy I took him to the bathroom to change him and in the mean time ds4 had gone to sit in the bouncy chair. This resulted in him getting green pooh all up his trouser leg and all over his foot. He then proceeded to come into the bathroom to show me what he had done resulting in green foot steps all over the floor. Thank goodness we have wooden flooring . Phew !!
Well off to thelibrary soon then to Tesco.
Take care all xxxx

[Amani]

Think I am up for plonker of the year award today

Grandma phoned me to say my cousin had a baby girl 2 months premature and although not serious, the baby is not too good, so please say a prayer for her. The thing is we conversed in Creole and my understanding of the language is not 100% so I took it to be that their baby had passed away . Sooo, I phoned my mum, sister-in-law and cousin and passed on the news (got everyone crying etc) and then my aunt called a couple of hours ago to say 'What are you talking about??' the baby is alive just not too good.

Think I might just go and hide somewhere for a bit.......

[Amani]

Gingme - Morrison and Asda pharmacy won't sell it to me because they say guidelines have changed and it's only suitable for children over 2, although on the box it says ok for babies 3months+. Anyhow, Boots didn't ask the age of the child who would be using it and just sold it to me anyway...

[mixedmama]

Oh Amani.... dont know whether to laugh or cry for you. But at least the baby is ok.

Thanx everyone for your supportive words... I think you are all completely right about it being no 2 so not all encompassing and hjaving had more time to get to know DS1 and rearding others yes DS1 does demand more attention. Have made a pact with myself to spend abit more interactive time with DS2 tho.

[Amani]

Mixedmama - done a bit of both - but ideally would like to go and hide somewhere and not face anyone in my family for the next few days (weeks maybe?)....LOL (am laughing now)

[barristermum]

On the medised front, coincidentally i had just bought some with pharmacist knowing it would be for Cerys as i was worried she would get my cold that I've had this week - on reading what you said I went hunting and this is why see link

[gingeme]

Thanks for that Barristermum. What about the Calpol night time stuff thn? Surely thats the same as it makes children drousy. I have always used Medised right from their first teeth. My sil recomended it to me. Mind you I bet you do get parents that abuse it just to get some sleep so they automaticaly think all parents do it
George is asleep in just his nappy tonight. His temp is high again. Reckon hes got Edwards conjunctivitis too s his eyes are pretty yuk! Hate it when they just seem to be passing some bug around to each other
Ah well guess its Medised all round then

[madmouse]

Hi all

Baristermum, with you on the faith front. I am possibly the worlds worst evangelist, but doing my best with my baby. I pray with him, in very simple words, and explain what we believe, because no one knows when babies start to understand. Funny that it is mostly me, while minister/theologian husband keeps saying that he really should... Oh well, my poor lad will grow up in a vicarage, so he is either going to adopt it or run .

Re medised, I understand it is because some parents overdose? I must say I am quite shocked to see how some of my mates drug their babies, sometimes up to the point of 'he won't sleep, so he must be uncomfortable, so lets give him calpol' . Nathan has had two doses so far, one on his first day when he had headache from forceps and one when he had his first jab. Of course he is two rounds of jabs behind and so far seems to thrive on my oxlike constitution so no major colds etc. Of course he had every other drug going while in hospital . Talking of drugs, he is now off it all, we stopped phenobarb in Holland.

Amani, better like this than the other way around. Creole? Where from?

Ginge, one of those days again hey. Thank god for wooden floors indeed!

[justkeepswimming]

hey all

ds1 up at 5.20, 5.15, then 4.55 today. and waking ds2 ... not a calm mummy here this morning i can tell you!
hoping the enforced lock in ds1 had until 6 will help get the message in before dh back at work monday..

had a lovely time away, tho it's hard work chasing your LOs around in someone else's house - always so many things they can't touch!

hoping to come to meet up in V&A will have to sort diary out over weekend.

used to say my brain is mush as a temporary thing, but think it is sadly permanent

just know i am reading all your posts and responding in my head even i can't get round to posting those responses

keep well

[LuckySalem]

Hey everyone.

Ok am going to try and respond but bear with me.

Religion - Me and DP AREN'T religious at all so we're not baptising Aaliyah. However we don't want her to feel she can't be religious if she chooses so we're having trouble deciding how to go on especially as I am so against it that i'm worrying when (if) she asks about god I won't know how to handle it.

I can't remember if I told you all but i'm an avon lady now!! gives us a little extra cash.
Aaliyah spent her first night away last night (we went to watch Nina Conti in Liverpool) I was sooo worried all the time. I had planned to get a lie in but I woke at 6 then every 1/2 hr - 1hr after that. Gave up at 10 and got up! lol

Hope your all ok and apologies if i've missed anyone's important things! Just yell at me and i'll reply. lol

[Housemum]

OK v tired so will probably forget what I was trying to say, but here goes...

Highchairs - have said all along that I want a Tripp Trapp, had DD1's old M'Care Britax highchair for DD2 and cursed it as it had a fixed tray and was a sod to clean. But thought the other day, why am I spending so much? So when DH said he wa in North London to see a customer today I asked him to pick up a £12 highchair from IKEA - there are loads of reviews of it on Mumsnet. I may yet get a secondhand tripp trapp when DD3 is bigger as it has the footplate, but not splashing out the extra £30+ on the baby set when I can get the highchair, optional tray and inflatable seat cushion for under £20.

Barristermum - be thankful she didn't scream the devil out - Amelie did, and the curate was holding her on the side with his microphone!! (Mind you, after DD2's "God created Disneyland" earlier in the service I suppose she just had to have her bit of fame...)

Madmouse - great news that Nathan's off the drugs. I can't imagine what it's like to have a baby having seizures - it's scary enough when it happens to a teenager. (DD1 has epilepsy)

Amani - I feel for you - not sure what else to say! Hope the baby pulls through OK.

Calpol - does NOT make all children sleepy! Didn't for DD1 or DD2 - gave some to Amelie last night as second tooth was giving her pain - she was gurgling and kicking like mad to Britain's got Talent (perhaps she was trying to join with all the dance troops - which I fast-forwarded over, perhaps it's just me but I'm bored with dancers, then again I went to sit through 2 hours of school dance competitions last week as DD1's school group was in the final in Portsmouth)

Awen - has posted on a couple of other threads recently so is still around

Barristermum - if faith is important to you it will pass on to Cerys. I am not especially devout - we intend to go to church more often than we do, probably average once a month, but DD2 is convinced that there is a God looking after us, and she has come out with some very philosophical gems in the past (shame I can't remember them at this time of night though...)

Mmmm, sleep, must do that now before Her Ladyship squawks for boobies...

[justkeepswimming]

re highchairs - don't get a svan

have given up on sleep again.
ds1 has got me up at 5 2 days running, obv given ds2 the idea that it's ok so he was up at 4, fed him for ages, then he puked it all back up over me, nice.
tried putting him down, he was having none of it and making so much noise was sure he would wake ds1, so came downstairs with him. he's now snoring on the sofa and i'm sat here like a lemon wondering what's best...
i can leave him (he hasn't learnt to roll, yet!)
sneak back to bed and hope i don't wake ds1
and (vainly probably) try to get some more sleep
dh might end up calling the police tho if he gets up without me and can't find ds2!!

ah well i think my bed wins out, nite all, haha.

[LuckySalem]

Ladies - I've been collecting the walkers brit trip vouchers and have a lot now. Does anyone want any of the brit trips? will happily share.

[perapera]

hi everyone, I'm new to Mumsnet, can I join you all here?

My DD was born on 30 Jan, so she's just passed the four month point. Still BF and want to hold off on weaning for as long as possible... I have to feed her A LOT though - at least 8 times a day, so there's not much time for much else!

Apart from feeding, she starting to try to roll over, but just ends up going round in a circle so that halfway through the night she is lying the opposite way in her cot or at least sideways across it!

I'm not on maternity leave because I only had a temporary job before, but I'm starting to look for work now. Totally shocked at nursery fees though.

anyway, just wanted to say hello...

[LuckySalem]

Hi perapera and welcome!!

Those who are weaning - can I ask how many times a day they have solids? I was thinking of giving DD 3 small meals a day then increasing them. Am I asking too much? She's still drinking her milk about an hour after food.

I was thinking of doing

Wakeup - bottle
9am - breakfast
11 - bottle
2 - lunch
3 - bottle
6 - dinner
8 - bottle then bed.

Am I asking too much?

Also where's the cheapest to get baby jars from?