May 2008 - gurgling, laughing and maybe even rolling!

[thefortbuilder]

new thread everyone!

macoco yes I have the sleep book. I haven't read it all yet but I am fascinated by it. My DD1 is a fantastic sleeper and it's really reassuring to read the book and think that all that we did with her 2 years ago paid off (almost straight away, IYSWIM).I hope we can do the same with DD2. I have just finally persuaded my cousin to get the book, her DS (PFB!!!) is 10 weeks old and they are still having lots of problems with settling him. I kept hinting about the book, cos as I'm reading it, I'm thinking that they should be reading it! I hope it helps them out.

I was just gonna post our routine but it's so hit and miss depending on what time she wakes, anything from 6am to 8am! Basically we do 4 feeds in the day, she goes to bed at 6pm and we wake her at 10pm for a dream feed, she then goes straight back to sleep til between 6 and 8am. pina I am quite tempted to experiment and leave out the dream feed but I don't know if I'm brave enough yet!!
I know the sleep book says a lot of people make the mistake of feeding their baby when they wake at night when often they would just go back to sleep, and that certainly seemed to be the case for us, as initially DD2 would still wake, but as I knew she couldn't be hungry as she'd had the dream feed, I just left her and she got herself back to sleep.

The biggest help the sleep book has been is making sure I don't keep DD2 awake for more than 2-3 hrs at a time, and putting her down when she is drowsy but not over-tired. She goes down for 80% of her sleeps now with no crying at all!!

Yes I was always confused with the word 'weaning' niknak, I also thought it meant weaning off the boob .

I am planning to wait til 6 months with DD2, it's only another 6 weeks. She certainly isn't showing any signs of extra hunger. We have always made all DD1's food from scratch, even now, she is 2.4 yrs. We enjoy home cooking and cook 90% of our meals from scratch for us so she just has what we have now. I am hoping to do the same for DD2, it should be OK, she will probably just progress onto different meals sooner as it will make my life easier IYSWIM, we can all just eat the same. I think I left it too long with DD1 to give her non-mashed food (she was about 18 months!)and we struggled for a few months so I hopefully won't make that mistake again.

Anyway, dinner is smelling really good....roasted butternutsquash and red onion with pasta and creme fraiche......yummmy and very low cal/fat!!!

LM xxx

macaco if you want me to send you some of the ellas kitchen stuff just cat me.

LM we are the same with ds1's food tbh. and although he has been a terrible sleeper he's much better now, but ds2 is much better so far!

not much else to report here on the baby front, just busy with business stuff!!

glad you liked the book LM, I feel like a total evangelical nut about it, but it really really helped me with DS. I really think everyone should read that book. As he says, sleep's as important as food! That's great that you basically did all that with your first DD...what a star mummy! Off to see MIL this morning, she's very excited about Ds' tooth (pfb grandchild for her)!

macoco tbh, I think the only reason my DD1 is like she is with sleep, and hopefully DD2 going the same way, is because I am selfish.....I like my own time, so I just put them to bed when I need a bit of time to do stuff around the house etc. It's also why I have always put them to bed so early, 6pm (even DD1 who is nearly 2.5yrs). Obviously it's worked well for us. I do honeslty think it helps to be a bit selfish sometimes . It meant that in the early days if DD2 was crying, I would be thinking...'yeah just keep crying, I'll just finish my lunch then I'll come and get you' and she usually then just fell asleep, so it made me realise early on that if I leave her alone, she will fall asleep. She is great now.

I also have always put them down in a cot in a dark room for day naps, so that they sleep properly IYSWIM. I get quite stressed when I know I am gonna be out all day and DD2 won't get a proper nap. I have always put them down when they don't necessarily appear tired, so as the book says, not waiting for them to be overtired.

I know everyone is different but I really don't know how people do it who don't put their (older, not babies) kids to bed at 8 or 9pm. I just have to have that time to myself. I spend all my time with them (when they are awake ) during the day, so I need to have some time with peace and quiet in the evenings. Like I said, I'm sure my selfish attitude has actually done me a favour!!

Today we are taking DD2 swimming for the first time....eeek!!

LM hope you enjoyed the swimming, we went just after 2nd imms at 13 weeks, it was all ok, but just like his brother who went at the same age I don't think they really appreciate it. We're of to the South of France on Sunday where I hope to get him in the water everyday. We live near the sea so I think learning to swim is a must asap. And for you when you see your bro I guess.

I think your attitude to sleep is great and feel trip to Amazon next to look for the book. Not that we have had any probs with either. We get a full night from DS2 (with a dream feed at my bedtime) and have done from 10 weeks. I think it was luck really, he was knackered after a flying visit to Italy for a wedding.

Must go now and think about packing for Hols. V of the Langkawi trip, we went about 5 years ago,and loved it more than St Lucia, enjoy!

Ok, just spent 5 mins looking back through thread for info on sleep book. Please could someone post the name!

Did see bit about Adsa bargains, I feel a shopping trip coming on....

Hello!
Enjoy your swim LM74, Finn absolutely loves the water. Just check the pool is warm enough (though I've just got a lovely wee baby wetsuit from ebay for the colder pools)

I may get slated for this (oh no wait, no I won't, this is the lovely supportive May thread after all) but we started weaning today (nearly 19 weeks). Just a wee bit of baby porridge but it went down a treat. DS has been really really hungry for the last few weeks, grabbing at food etc etc. I was planning to wait until 6 months but it all seems a bit arbitrary when you consider the huge difference in sizes of babies and how fast they grow (walkingwomb's DD and my DS are the same age, both perfectly healthy and happy and about 6-7lb apart in weight) Lots of advice says after 17 weeks is fine so I've just trusted my instincts and gone with it.

If Finn lets me, I think I'll make some bread... Don't really fancy leaving the house in this weather!

baiyu agree that it's by baby as well as by age but please please please don't give your lo any wheat till 6mo. baby rice and then everything else but there is so much research that shows babys guts are too undeveloped to process gluten properly and it does lead to problems later on.

sorry preaching over and yes we are a lovely may thread!

anyone else for the london meetup on friday - MM you haven't emailed me yet for my number, and LuckyMummy are you interested in coming?

NikNakhealthy sleep habits happy child, dr marc weissbluth
I actually saw an MNer recommending it on a sleep thread and it sounded really good and I love it.
LM funny you say that about putting them down and getting on with something and when you come back they're asleep. Just before the book arrived when DS was 4 months he had start really whinging in the mornings, about 9am. One morning I couldn't take it anymore and was starving hungry so in desperation put him in his cot and went to have breakfast. Before I'd even finsihed he'd dropped off and slept for 90 mins. Then I read the book and it talked about morning naps developing at around 4 months and I thought, ah ha! So, he'd started trying to tell me he was tired and the book helped me see when he would be tired and how to recognise it.
Love that book!
So, today DS has tried chicken and butternut squash. He likes that too! He likes everything! Although not as interested as before, think the tooth is distracting him.

AAAH langkawi....you lucky bugger. I went years ago...it was gorgeous. Don't envy you the flight though...are you an experienced flyer with kids? The idea scares me a bit.

Hi Baiyu good luck with the weaning. I think you have a good point re the difference in babies - they are individual people after all.

We made a baby sensory class this morning which was fun but a lot louder than DS is used to and possibly a bit overwhelming for him. I'm trying to shift baby weight by increasing my walking, but walking to the clase meant we had an earlier start than normal, and I got drenched and now I'm v v tired.

We had visitors at the weekend - a couple with their 11 month old DD. If they weren't such good friends I'd have lost my rag with all the unsolicited advice though. Anyone would think they were the first people to have a child! They seemed to have it in their minds that I was struggling to cope, or having lots of problems that needed solutions. But I feel quite chilled and relaxed as does DH and DS is a happy baby. We have a very loose routine in that there is a definite pattern to naps/feeds/bedtime but their routine is to the minute. I was told again and again about how great it was that their DD was always in bed by 7. Well I hope DS will be going to sleep earlier when older but right now 7pm is a peak feeding time. Why can't people just accept that we and our children are all different? Harrumph.

Baiyu: My HV is now saying they are recommending starting weaning between 4 and 6 months as some babies need food before 6 months. Before when the rule was 4 months everyone started at 4 months and some babies weren't ready. Now they prefer you to wait till 6 months, but Finn obviously is ready for solids so well done for going with your instinct. When DD was 4 months we started her on solids as that was the rule, with DS1 it was 6 months and now it has changed again to between 4 and 6 months. So whatever is right for you and your baby.

Macaco we bought the book on your recommendation, just need to actually read it. I think I will need to start tomorrow.

Flick, LM, Monkeysmama hope you enjoy your meet up if you can all manage.

Pina: Nice to see you back. Your DD looked so happy with all her presents and birthday cake.

Gingerwench Hope you managed to ignore their helpful advice

Niknak enjoy your holiday

LM74 I am sure DD looked beautiful as a flowergirl, it is such a lovely age.

Tomorrow at DD school are school photos and the boys are also going, so hoping to get a nice photo of the 3 of them. Have started putting the boys into the creche at the gym and they are quite happy whilst I go to the gym. First time back after many years.

macaco will be my first flight with the both of them longer than europe, but we have flown a number of times with ds1, and will be getting him a huge treat of his own portable dvd player so he can watch curious george and thomas to his hearts content! it's also a day flight out there so not sure whether that is better or worse, and the bad thing is that dh probably won't be coming so i'll be meeting PIL in KL but having to do this end on my own with the two of them....

dh called mil today to say support me while i am on holiday with them and if they don't agree with something just keep quite and its tough! they have very different ideas to us and are likely to think it's all very cute ds1 throwing a tantrum and indulge him and let him get his way....

Mitchell booties are on their way to you in tomorrow's post!

Just a quickie, sorry flick I can't make the meet up on Friday. DH is off work so we always spend our days together as a family. It's also my BIL's birthday so no doubt we will be summonsed to theirs for yet another birthday tea

DD2 loved swimmming btw .

Thanks for all the support! That's very interesting mitchell and don't worry flick, we'll steer clear of wheat for a good while yet. The bread in the oven is just for us!

gingerwench well done you for staying sane with your guests, all the 'friendly advice' drives me crazy! We just won 2 free baby sensory classes (I can't remember ever winning anything before, I'm in shock!) so we'll be trying them out soon too. Which ones do you go to?

LM from what the book says she shouldn't need that dream feed as it's not hunger that will wake her. According to weissbluth if she's asleep at 10pm she'll sleep all the way thru if you let her.
So if she wakes at 6am how often are the feeds? How do you manage to only do 4 between 6am and 10pm?
DS does (roughly) 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm then sleeps 7pm to 7am

sam is waking regular as clockwork at 12 and 5 except for this week when it's just been 330 as he's knocked out with a cold. he gets through around 36oz during a day, and seems happy enough on that! i think we'll just have the same time as with ds1 where he eventually dropped the last feed quite late as he just grew so much - small babies to start with and now at the top of the scale pretty much!

nothing else to report here, all dull!

yipeeeeeeeee I decided to be brave and drop the dream feed and DD2 slept from 6pm til 7:15am!!!!!! I heard her stir at 3am but she went back to sleep. OK, now Iknow it may be a one off, but I am keeping lots of fingers crossed that it's not! pina how is Evie doing since you dropped her dream feed, is she still going all thru the night??

I haven't got to that bit of the book macoco but it I will remember that!! I only managed 4 feeds if she woke nearer 8am (8am, 12pm, 4pm, 10pm). TBH, I struggle to fit in her feeds as she doesn't seem a veyr hungry baby, so I feed her cos I am trying to stick to a routine rather than cos she's crying with hunger.

I am going to try and get her into a 7am, 11am, 3pm, 6-6:30pm feed routine, as that's what DD1 always did.

pina yes the B.squash recipe is really yummy and yes, here it is....

Butternutsquash and red onion pasta

Cube a Butternutsquash and chop up 1-2 red onions (quite chunky bits) and roast in oven with garlic and seasoned with S&P (smother in virgin olive oil) for 45mins to 1 hr. Gas mark 6 (soz, don't know elec).

Cook pasta and add to roasted squash, add half a small pot of half fat creme fraiche, mix it all up and enjoy with a large glass of red wine!!

Really yummy and only 6 WW points if you do 60g of pasta (dried)!!!

GW at the unwanted advice!!! Poor you. You and your DP sound like you are doing a fab job!

Baiyu Is your DP (in the words of Take That) back for good???!! Glad you are still enjoying Finn. Do you have to start uni again this month?

Cynical view - Baby Sensory is the latest fad class to separate gullible mothers from their money

Official site - www.babysensory.co.uk/

The site gives a good overview of the class. It appears to be a mix of activities - music, movement, signing, visual stimulation.

I think they have the same welcome "say hello to the sun" song and goodbye song each week then different activities. The class I went to yesterday included waving foil streamers, bouncing babies on balls, singing etc. In the middle section of the class everyone plays with an assortment of toys, fabrics, baby gym equipment or just chats. I think DS will get something from being with older babies - he's quite sociable and perhaps as he gets older the activities will mean more. I'm going to give a ten week block a go and then decide if I continue or not.

Haha gingerwench, I think that about sums it up! I did a taster one at a NCT sale and then won two classes (think I have to wait a fortnight to start). It's a bit "hey rich ladies, here's how to make your baby super clever" but Finn quite enjoyed it regardless of my scorn!

LM74 Well done for being brave, sounds like it paid off! Finn's been going through the night (10ish til 7/8amish for a while now and it's amazing how much better I feel with more sleep! My DP is indeed back for good. He starts uni again next week but I'm not going back . I'll still get a BA just not honours and TBH I've had enough of my degree anyway, it's not what I want to do. I've got one more essay to do and as long as I pass that then I graduate in November. Oh and I've made a note of your pasta recipe LM74, sounds fab.

pina Where abouts are you going in America? Very jealous! I worked in Maryland last Summer and had such a good time. Enjoy!

Oh and BTW, the Bsquash recipe is also great for lo's, maybe not just yet, but we gave it to DD1 after she turned 1yr and she loves it (it's very sweet and creamy).

sorry gw totally missed your helpful guests post....i have a friend just like that - bless her every time she picks sam up she says "ooh he's very windy isn't he" - only because apparently her daughter was very windy as a baby

they'll get over it

pina brilliant news about Evie still sleeping well! Fingers crossed Cerys will be the same.Can I just ask you out of interest when you feed her and how much? Today we did this which was mainly due to her nap times...

7:15am 7oz FF
9-12pm NAP!!!!! (I KNOW!!!!I had to wake her up to feed her again!!)
12pm 8oz FF
2-3:15pm Nap
3:30pm 3 oz FF (all she wanted)
4:45-5:30pm nap (she was so grumpy!!)
5:45pm Bath
6pm 8oz FF. and straight to bed, straight to sleep with no fuss (I salute you Dr Weissbluth!!!)

I'd just like to say that I used my time productively while she slept for 3 hrs, DD1 at CM so I did my Davina DVD (Jane Fonda eat your heart out!) cleaned the bathrooms, did 2 loads of washing and sorted out loads of stuff just lying around the house. Oh, and had a shower!!

I also love butternutsquash, it's a bit of a joke amongst my mates. I even tried to have it as my nickname on MN but someone beat me to it!
Do you have any good recipes for it?
I also have a great WW recipe for squash risotto, which is really yummy too and low points, rice, squash, lo fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs, fresh parsley and a few chopped deseeded tomatoes. Delicious!