APRIL 2008- The One Where We Recite The Weaning Guidelines and Fight Through The Growth Spurts!

[VictorianSqualor]

07 March: Ashton, a fourth child for gemprincess, 5lb 13oz @ 34+6
09 March: Ted, a second DS for Daftmoo, 7lb 14oz @ 36+0
21 March: George William, a first baby for KnitterintheNW, 7lb 2.5oz @ 37+3
25 March: Olivia, a second baby for TheMaskedPoster, 7lb 2oz @ 38+4
28 March: Pablo, a third baby and first DS for vacaloca, 7lb 14oz @ 39+4
28 March: Matteo Alexander, a first baby for Gangle @ 38+0 (?)
30 March: A baby girl, a second child for PortAndLemon, 8lb 15oz @ 39+5
02 April: Jak, a baby boy for rainbowdays, 9lb @ 39+1
02 April: A baby boy, a second child for bunyanvillas, 6lb 14oz @ 37+5
02April: Struan, a baby boy for Donnabels, 6lbs 15oz
02 April: A baby boy for mummyofaprincess @39 weeks
03 April: A baby girl for PippiCalzelunghe @38+2weeks
03 April: Aeryn Daisy, a baby girl for Denny185, 9lb 8oz @ 39+3
03 April: Benjamin, a baby boy for Micegg, 8lb 3oz @ 39+4
03 April: Roelof Grové, a first DS for Sal22, 7lb 5oz @ 38+5
03 April: A baby boy for siikibam, 6lb 8.5oz @39+1wks
04 April: Matilda, a baby girl for AprilsFoolsBaby 7lb @
06 April: Henry Peter, a baby boy for Sheds, 7lb 130z @ 40+4
07 April: Sebastian George, a fourth DS for Peachy, 8lb 4oz @ 41+1
07 April: Jack, a first baby for ThePFJ, 7lb 5.5oz @ 41+1
07 April: Lexie Bea, a fourth baby for babywhiting, 8lb 1oz @ 39+4
08 April: Alasdair, a second DS for bunnyrabbit, 8lb 5.5oz @ 40+3
08 April: James Samuel, a third baby for honeybee10, 6lb 7oz @ 37+2
09 April: Zara Mia Martin, a first baby for V1KK1M, 7lb 10oz @ 41+0
09 April: Jasmine, a baby gilr for Niceychops
11 April: Kyran for rdk, 7lb 13oz @ 38+3weeks
11 April: Sebastian James, a second baby for Fleecy, 10lb 2oz @ 40+4
11 April: A baby girl, a first baby for CeylonSapphire, 7lb 12oz @ 41+1
11th April: Florence, a baby girl for LouMoose
12 April: Maya Alice, a first baby for egyptianprincess, 8lb 15.5oz @ 40+3
12 April: Sophia Viviana, a second DD for AussieDivaonaBreak, 6lb 12oz @ 39+3
15 April: Alexander Oliver, a third baby for VictorianSqualor, 10lb 3oz @ 41+0
16 April: Ailish, a first baby for Mollyfloss, 6lb 11oz @ 40+3
16 April: A baby girl, a second baby for elfsmummy, 7lb 13oz @ 41+1
16 April: Zoe, a baby girl, a first baby for ToastAddict, 6lb 10oz @ 39+3
16 April: Jasmin, a baby girl, a first baby for Eggandketchup, 9lb 3oz @ 41+4
17 April: A baby boy for paranoidmumy, 8lb 9oz @ 41+4
17 April: A baby boy, a second son for lorisparkle, 7lb 12.5oz @ 41+6
17 April: Benedict, first baby for LadyBee 9 lb 3oz @ 41 +2
18 April: Millie, a baby girl for scorpio1 8lb 9oz @ 41+?
18 April: Cameron, a second baby for munchkinmum @ 39+5
19 April: Oliver Michael, first baby for bashboid, 7 lb 4 oz at 41 +3
20 April: Samuel, a first baby for Velbels. 8lb15oz at 41+1weeks.
20 April: Angharad Mai, 8lb 4oz, 40+6, first for 7monthsplus
20 April: Emilia, 7lb15oz, a first baby for SuzeM, 40+6
21 April: Eve, a second baby for Scampmum, 8lb 4oz @ 39+3
22 April: Sam, a second son for Soph73 @ 40+0
22 April: Molly, a first baby for EllieG, 8lb 8oz? @ 40+5
22 April: Daisy, second baby for AttilaTheHan @ 40 +3
22 April: Zoe Olivia, second daughter for Piccallilli2 7lb 1oz @42+1
23 April: Jessica Elizabeth, first baby for BabyBratt @ 40+1 7lb 12oz.
24 April: A baby girl, a second daughter for christmaspixie, 9lb 2oz @ 40+6/41+5
24 April: Miya Jade, baby girl for ShelleySare at 39+4
25 April: Amelie, a first baby for Dondons, 9lb, 41+3 (i think!)
25 April: Aisha, a second baby for Jaq39 7lb 14oz @ 41+4
26 April: Hope Olivia, a second dd for northeastmummy, 7lb 11oz at 41 .
26 April: Gabriel, a third child for Bainmarie @ 41+5
26 April: Eli Michael, a baby boy for LittleMissTurquoise, 7lb 15.5oz @ 40+5
27 April: a baby girl for Ayomi, 6lb 1oz @ 41+0
28 April: Jacob Andrew, a 2nd DS for Kaybeeand2boys, 8lb 4oz @ 41+5
29 April: Thomas Henry, a 2nd DS for TLSM, 7lb 8oz 40+3
30 April: Harry Samuel, a fourth ds for Chipmonkey, 9lb 5oz @ 39+2
30 April: Ellie, a baby girl for Annamama
01 May: Sophie May, a baby grl for Annieroo, 6lb 5oz @ 41+4
01 May: Euan George, a baby boy for Jenniejennie, 8lb @ 40+4
02 May: Robyn Olivia, a baby girl for soph28, 8lb 1oz @ 42+1
05 May: Nora Martina, a first baby for Eva07, 7lb 8oz @ 41+2
05 May: A baby boy for Beeper, 8lb 10oz @ 41+0
05 May: Gabriella Summer, a first baby for Mum2babyroo, 8lb 4oz @ 40+6
06 May: Wilf, 8lb 60z for bigbadmom @ 41+6
07 May: James Andrew, a second ds for Moominsmummy, 8lb 13oz @ 41+5
08 May: Ellie Isabella, a first baby for Carey87, 7 lb 8oz @ 42+1
08 May: Robin David, a 2nd baby for Woollymummy, 8lb 11 oz @ 41+3
09 May: 4 kittens for scorpio's cat!
10 May: Astrid Mary, a second dd for sagitta, 8lb 8oz @ 42+0

No, I've never met him and DP hasn't seen him in years, DP loves the guys Dad to bits though (his mum's uncle) and his mum and Nan are both pretty cut up so we want to wait til the funeral is over and done with.

Oh, ok. I guess that's better, that way the whole christening day can be more cheerful and everything. I always find it quite hard if I know something sad still needs to happen or be arranged, whereas if it's over and done with you've dealt with it. I hate funerals, a lot more so since having had to bury my brother on 23. Utterly rubbish.

hmm, sorry for that downer message...

I'm taking Roelof to DH's work tomorrow to show him around, as everyone's been asking me for weeks to come in. Fingers crossed for a dry day!

Sorry to hear your sad news VS...

Okay - name changed! Let's hope it worked...

Yes it worked! Now how do I link it up to my photos, etc?

You inspired me, MHaH (this is Scampmum).

Following on from my earlier (bit excessive in retrospect!) rant about DH, I emailed and said it had upset me a bit and he rang specifically to say sorry! Am now going to cook for a bit and meal plan - he's always been anti as it's so unspontaneous but I don't think that spontaneity and two small kids work. Anyway, he doesn't have to KNOW I'm meal planning... Excited as means I can always have DD's lunch and tea ready (leftovers).

After 15 weeks, I seem to have happened upon the best way of burping DD2. Just let her stand up and do some jumping and they pop straight out. That'll save my knackered back from 45 mins of patting/rubbing after every feed. Do you think she might be a bit independent?!

lol scampmum (you two need to give me a second to adjust to the new names - I just wondered "who on earth???" when I saw your new names on the "last 15 mins"!)

Cool names btw, wish I was slightly more creative, sigh.

MommyHasaHeadache (telling you, feeling strange ), I'll have a look, it was an option to "transfer profile to new nickname" or something... one sec.

Hullo all -

had a couple of busy days, am knackered now, can just about cope normally but still have a cold which is dragging me down.
Sorry to hear about your DP's family bereavement VS, awful to lose someone so suddenly.
There's the most amazing thunder and lightening storm happening here at the moment - I love them!

I hope you can come to the meet up VS, it'd be lovely to meet you , sorry you're not going to be able to though Scorpio, nothing you could ebay to raise the funds? disappointed you won't be there.

ok, this storm is right overhead. Am a little nervous about continuing to use the laptop with all the lightning. Will be back later

ok, under your registration details, if you go to your public profile tab, there's the option to go to "profile mover page", and there you can link your new nickname to your old profile.

MommyHAH, how did you find the MRI? I remember them being very noisy but it was a while ago that I had one so maybe the machines are super quiet and whizzy now?? Hope they sort out the vertigo soon - I remember about a year ago (or was it longer?) there was a flu bug that went around and it caused that sort of dizzy, woozy feeling. Very disturbing to have even for a short time so must be horrid to have over a long period.

Scamp/OMaLittle - I dream of meal planning, about the closest I came was planning several meals to cook and freeze, which I did actually do but it took a huge effort of will. I still look through my cook books and think, I could cook some of these things now that I have more time and then remember that my evening from about 5pm onwards is mapped out with feed, bath, chill, feed, pat shush bed. feed pat shush bed. feed pat shush bed (repeat ad nauseum)...have been stumbling down stairs about 8:30 recently with barely enough energy to make a sandwich let alone embark on a complicated meal.
So now I'm starting to dream about slow cookers, and thank the stars for those freezer meals.

This morning I woke up engorged. It was the worst I've ever had it, and I can't work out why it happened, because DS woke and fed at 3am - fed on just one side and it was the other side that was really bad, but that's what we always do. The only thing that was different was that DS slept until 7:30 instead of waking at around 6:45. Is 45 minutes delay enough to do it? Fortunately feeding and expressing was enough to relieve it and I seem to have escaped any blocking but it was sooo painful. DP couldn't believe how hard the breast was - they didn't go like that when my milk came in or ever before.
Makes me feel very nervous about what will happen when I eventually stop BFing. Still that's a long way off.

Oh I meant to say, yesterday I went out to this urban farm with DS and some other new mums - it's really great, definitely worth a visit if you haven't been. It's easy to get to - about 4 mins walk from Island Garden's DLR station, which has lifts so easy with a buggy. There is a cafe that serves nice healthy stuff (although the cakes are a little too healthy for my taste, hidden polenta in the chocolate brownies etc), and has a soft play area as well as lots of tables outside in a fenced in garden. The farm itself has pigs, sheep, goats, hens, ducks, horses and llamas (!) There's a proper equestrian centre - all within view of canary wharf. Oh and it's free.

There's also some sort of creche thing there I think..didn't really look at it properly but it looked interesting!

Ladybee you do make me laugh. I meant to say the other day that for your posting I think I love you a little bit.

More DH gripes - this morning he pops into the spare room (I now live there after the 1.30ish feed) and says 'oh, I have to interview someone at 8.30 so can you get P up and get [our 'au pair' - young family friend we have staying at the mo] to take her to nursery?', I say 'can you just take DD2 downstairs so I can have 10 minutes kip?' (since DD1 not up yet). He frowns a bit and says 'why, was this one up all night?'. I say, through gritted teeth, 'no, not really, just 1.30, 4.30, 5.15 and since 6 - I'm pretty knackered', to which he smiles in long-suffering fashion and says 'me too'. Er, because you stayed up watching TV till midnight? Having let me settle DD2 after the 10.30pm feed? NOT THE SAME!!

On another note, DD1, who has been a PITA at bed/naptime since DH took the side off her cot, has taken to bringing her blankets to the door (she can't open it) and lying there! No idea if she sleeps there most of the night or not, poor little hobo.

Ladybee - bad luck on the late entrance to the 'lopsided Jordan' club. Glad you got it sorted. Hopefully you now have a big bottle of milk with 'My Night Out' written on it!

VS - sorry about your bereavement.

See, I expect our DH/DPs are intelligent, thoughtful people generally - otherwise they wouldn't be our DH/DPs, right? So why do they just not GET IT??

Do you think it's because despite how difficult it is, we cope and get on with it and do a pretty good job? Do you think if we fell to pieces a bit more they might realise what an impact all this has?

Oh bugger, DS has just woken screaming - back sometime..

i do think it is cos we cope. and dont make enough of a fuss when we need help.

Though, my dh has been fabola this week.

He has another fight in October, in Ireland. and December.

OM - (so want to type Scampmum, lol)hope you didnt think i was being off in email, was trying to do a million things at once, lol. Are you ok? You seem to have alot on your plate at the moment?

DS won't go to sleep lying down. All naps today he's had to be upright over my shoulder or in a sling to get off to sleep, once I managed to sneak him into his cot to sleep the rest but the other two every time I started angling him down he started crying again, so I've tucked him up in his bouncy chair and fortunately he's sleeping there now - most unlike himself today

This week I haven't been coping with anything other than DS - so the place is a tip. DP has been pretty good at picking up that I'm not 100% and has done an extra cooking shift or two and he cleaned up the kitchen yesterday which was great. It makes such a difference when they do stuff like that without being asked, doesn't it. Am now going to attempt to whizz around house picking stuff up while DS sleeps for a bit.

oh almost forgot..OMaLittle - you're not kidding about lopsided Jordan, I think my engorgement the other day has stretched me...or I've just permanently swelled a bit, my lovely Hotmilk bra now no longer fits, the cup is too small - am going to have to try on my other nursing bras but will be vv annoyed if I have to buy more in a bigger size, they're not cheap!

Millie is a little 'clingy' today too Not to worry, me and DH are going out on a 'date' tonight only in town, but still. Meeting friends after meal for drinks.

The boys have gone to sleep bless them. Havent done much this week at all, nasty weather and not much to do. Busy tomorrow though and next week.

DH's work is going much better now, thank god. He seems less tsressed but now he is very nervous about his fights - but has to go into fight training again - 4 nights, 3 hours on a saturday and 3 hours on a sunday. Until December. He will take time out for holiday though, and if i need him. Im happy enough though!

my farking washing machne has broken, btw. aarrgghh

I'm spending a big part of my maternity money on a cleaner that I don't need anymore (the deal was that once I stop working I get rid of her) once a week for 3 hours, and the only reason I still get her is that she's the loveliest, loveliest person so I feel too guilty to stop now, and it always makes me feel like I've got a "mother-on-tap" when she's here... Life's so unfair - she's brilliant, funny, extremely well-educated, but she's also 60 years old, her English is really, really bad (but she can speak 4 other languages!), so she can't get any other job in London. It seems so wrong, I wish I could either a) help her get something better, or b) afford to keep her full-time to look after Roelof if I go back to work next year. I can do neither really, but I feel so guilty for moaning about rubbish things when she had to basically leave her country (and 40 years working in senior finance), just to come here and work so hard for next to no money. It seems wrong. She's studying English in the evenings now, so I'm hoping she'll find something better in a year or so.

Oh for a cleaner even an hour a week, especially at the moment with school holidays it looks as though a mini tornado has run through my house! Mum took DS and DD1 out on Wed so have clean and tidy bedrooms/bathrooms but thats about it

Like the name changes.

Took DD1 swimming this am while the other 2 went in the creche (we have a v cheap council run leisure centre here) and then went off to a retirement do at work. All 3 were really well behaved, DS and DD1 sat and ate their lunch, didn't run round screaming etc, lots of comments about them [v proud mummy] and how I seemed to be thriving on running round after 3 kids (if only they saw me at 7pm )

Need to clear to kitchen a bit before rodents take up residence.

lol Denny. I'm such a complete slob, but still have a lastminute panic on Wednesday nights trying to create something resembling order (and failing most of the time...) before she comes on Thursdays. She used to tell DH & myself off before if untidy, hehe, but she's obviously given me some slack now with the baby! Your children sound lovely.

Ladybee, forgot to say this morning, but thanks for that link to the farm. I've need to do some paperwork this weekend and DH said he'll take R to the city farm, and I meant to search for the details, so it was great when I saw your post! Thanks a lot!

OMaLittle, your DD1 makes me think of a story my mom used to tell: apparently my older brother had a horrible ear infection once, and she always said she wasn't sure whether he tried waking her up that night (which, with 4 children all under 7 years might be a bit tough...)or not, but she woke up the morning with him sleeping on his blanket on the ground next to her side of the bed! No long-term harm done :}

Scorpio, hope you have/had a great date!

R just fed, DH snoring next to me, so I'm going to drag the two men in my life to bed now. Good night. xxx

I am sitting in a freshly vacuumed lounge and there is a sparkly clean bathroom upstairs - both done by DP when he came home after I'd done the tidy. Yay!
We have friends coming around tomorrow, great incentive for both of us but it's so nice, makes a huge difference to my mood especially seeing I didn't have to do it all
Think dinner tomorrow will be great, will try to make sure I've got some EBM thawed so if I feel like indulging I don't have to think about it too much and can just relax.
Scorpio - washing maching what a huge pain!!!!

We had a rather intense Talk last night.
Told DP that although I may look like wonderwoman (Yeah, right, I used to get told that when I was young and thin) I'm actually not and I dread his reaction when eh walks in the door.
I know that if he walks in and I'm cooking, with a tidy house, he'll be in a good mood all evening, if I'm happy and chilled, but with a messy house he gets really stressy so I normally spend the hour before he is due home rushing around (sometimes holding Alex with one arm!!) trying to make the place look decent. He was pretty upset and didn't realise that his moods affected everyone so much so has said he'll try to just accept it a bit more.
Also, he's been really snappy at the DC's lately and I've told him I want him to do things the way I've been doing them. I've been reading 'How to listen so kids talk and How to talk to kids listen' it's really good, so I've kind of condensed it into a few key points on how I want him to react to things.
Hopefully things are sorted now.
It's all because this new house is smaller, he is petrified it'll get wrecked. Our old house was tiny and because we were all jammed in it got messy so easily, whereas here we have loads of space for stuff.

Yes Thanks we had a nice date last night, a curry and much wine

DH is v busy with work and training again so was nice to catch up with him. Why do men say things infront of their friends that they say to you differently at home? We saw a few friends in the pub last night and one asked if we were having more dc, dh says 'oh no blah blah' but he says different to me at home! Also his friend joked 'whats sex?' and dh goes along with him - err we do it loads (soz if tmi, lol) men are strange aren't they

It doesn't feel like friday today. What are you all doing this weekend?

VS - It is amazing how much the mans mood can affect everyone. I have realised more and more since becoming a family myself how much my father's moods put on our family. Im pleased you told dp how you run around - you shouldnt have to appear perfect to him 24/7, you are allwoed to have chinks in the armour sometimes. Most of the time its tidy here when dh gets home but sometimes its not and thats that really - i have 3 dc, have to BF and everything else - same as you - there are some days where we just cannot do everything. DH never comments or gets teasy about it though; just does it. Especially with these growth spurts. How is Alex's now? Hope its passed for you.

Yeah, pretty much, we had a feed at about 1am I think, and then I woke up at about 4:30 and made him feed. I'm going to try settling him without a feed tonight and tomorrow as I think he would settle fine but don't like to let him make noise incase he wakes DP up. I'm hoping that we can put him in his cot without it being sidecar when we move because I'm getting paranoid about him wriggling across the bed and falling off now he is moving around much more.

Hello. Sorry to hear everyone has been having growth spurts and sleepless nights - its the same here. In fact its been bloody awful. After a particularly hideous night DH convinced me to give A formula for the late night feed - and we've done it 3 times now. I feel so guilty about it - but it has improved things a little bit. VS - I thought that once she has settled a bit at night, presumably I can go back to BFing for that feed?
I didn't realise how strongly I felt about BFing - I've always been very ambivalent about it, but found it really easy so never questioned whether I should do it or not. And now I feel awful that's she's not getting exc bf, but I just can't cope anymore with no sleep. Its still not great, last night was 1am and then awake at 4, and I tried to settle her without food until 5.30 when I gave in and fed her. Would have helped if DD1 hadn't been up at 2am because of a strange shadow in her room which freaked her out. DH is on holiday but I am still doing everything.