July 2008 - Living in the Twilight Zone of never quite enough sleep to be compus mentus

[libralady]

Just thought I'd better set up another thread as the old one is just about to run out.

By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 22:09:18
Watching tumbleweed sweep across as I'm typing this oh so very carefully
By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 22:08:00
Can you tell I'm trying to defer the inevitable
By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 22:07:00
SPELLING
By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 22:06:21
My spelloing is crap when I'm pissed!
By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 22:05:48
BTW we put Luke in his cot last night without the moses basket but in his grobag. Do we need to put any other covers on him? Mind you we did succomb to putting the heating on last night. He slept from 10pm till 8.15 this morning without any covers but he is creating now, Maybe too much stimulation from the Italian Restaurant we wnet to
By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 21:55:02
That was meant to say birthday, Can you tell I've had a bottle of red??????
By libralady on Sat 04-Oct-08 21:54:15
Just got back from DH having taking me out for my borthday and anniversary and one bottle of red later (on my own) I have made it back to the house a little worse for wear. You never know I may let DH ravage me later He'll wonder what the hell has happened
Hope all is well and I'll catch up with what;s been going on tomorrow.

See you can tell I'm pissed! Copying an pasting what I've said on the June thread!

Libralady looks like you had a nice night, hope your feeling OK this morning. Glad you had a good birhday/anniversary.

Sweetkity Where are you.... I don't think we've 'seen' you snce your Big Night Out, was it that bad????

WW did your DD have a nice birthday yesterday?

I had the day from hell yesterday, well the afternoon at least. It was my friends DD's 5th birthday, at a soft play, on a Saturday... DS1 loved it, me, not so sure!!! I don't like Soft Play at the best of times as DS1 loves to jump off really tall things and just generally throw himself about, I just feel my blood pressure going up and up, but weekends are the worse as its SOOOO busy and then with 15 5 year olds there full of cake and fruit shoot, my god it was a disaster waiting to happen!!!!

Of to Socatots with him this morning, then back home to pack for our holiday tomorrow, off to see mum and dad in Spain... Can't wait!

Good night libralady??

Well, after weeks of horrible nights - Florence has slept from 8.45pm - 5.15am Fri night and 8.45 - 7am last night!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wahey woohoo!

Now I've posted this it prob won't last but hey...

I would have been happy with just no constant evening feeding or just one night feed - can't quite believe it yet.

Hiya, just posting to get our thread a bit higher up. Couldn't find it!

Anyway, thinking about changing mmy name. Two options at the mo: WheresMyStuff ( because it's still not effing here ffs!!!) and DoThisDoThat. Wdyt? Any other suggestions.

Hey purplejennyrose, fingers crossed it's not a one off.

libralady, def pissed.

ttfn!

Oh no Donutmum I can't believe your stuffs not come yet, I thought you were getting it last week???

PJR Lets hope Florence sleeps again tonight, and forever after!! I'm still waiting, he teases me and does it once in a while (maybe once a week) but then back to normal. Silly boy, mind you he's still tiny, 12lb 1oz at 13 weeks!

well, she went down just after 8 and after much thumb sucking is fast asleep - thumb hanging off her lip just in case it's needed...

well, she went down just after 8 and after much thumb sucking is fast asleep - thumb hanging off her lip just in case it's needed...

oops..

Have had the evening to myself tonight - Bryony went down about 7.45 (having started her bedtime feed over an hour earlier!) and the other 2 dds were in bed just after 8. So I should have got loads done but have been messing about on the computer as usual.

Bryony has developed 2 new skills today - she batted at her toys on the toy bar on her bouncy chair, and managed to grab hold of one, and she can also spit medicine out! She's started on Gaviscon for her reflux, and takes it without screaming, but just when I'm congratulating myself on getting it into her, she spits it all out! Some must be going in though, as it's made her poo quite interesting - like a crumbly brown paste! (sorry if TMI ). The jury's still out on whether it's making her scream any less though.

I can't believe how little I'm getting done at the moment. I worked out that I spend about 4 hours a day feeding Bryony, then there's nappy changing, doing her bath and rocking her off to sleep several times during the day. No wonder the house is a mess - previously I was using all that time to keep it tidy. I can't really see a way round it, hopefully feeding will speed up a bit as the weeks go by and maybe she'll start settling herself to sleep rather than needing rocking and patting. I have friends with 3 dcs and they don't seem to struggle like me, I feel I must be doing something wrong.

Any advice on how to cope - sweetkitty, poledra, EEC, others with 3 or more dcs?e

Just checking in as I've been AWOL for ages ;-)

Isaac is now 10 weeks and weighed 13lbs 4ozs last week - bruiser! Feeds and sleep seem to have settled down this week - on more or less 4 hourly breast feeds 8am - 8pm, then a bottle at 11pmish and sleeping 12ish until 8ish. (I've probably jinxed it now and this week will be awful..)

PONTO - I've only got 2 dc's (although it is 2 under 2), but I've given up completely with the housework - am doing bare minimum to stop us catching something nasty or disappearing under a clothes/toy mountain, and that's it, huge respect to anyone who manages to do any housework at all with 3 kids. My windows are barely letting sunlight in now.

I know it's far too early to talk about it, but...What are you all getting the lovely July babies for christmas?
Dh picked up a musical tool bench thing (bash it with a hammer, it makes noises and lights up) and a big boat thing with cars in, for the bath in toys r us today. I've got him a cute outfit from mothercare, will also get a 'first christmas' stocking and bauble for the tree, like we did for dd.

JODIE, enjoy your hols - hope the sun shines for you.

Jodie, thought I was getting it last week too. It's been in the port in Bahrain since the 19th September. Allegedly. I am majorly pissed off as it has all of Logan's 3-6 months clothes in it - he's busting out of the 0-3s as he's in real nappies. It's got loads of other stuff like buggy boards and night lights and baby monitors as well as my mulberry and luella handbags. Am off down there with a baseball bat soon. Grrrr, getting worked up again .

how to manage housework with 3 or more DC
i guess we all have our own way of coping
mine is house rules really
any toys brought down must be taken up by bedtime
if eating food at table only
they all have there own wash basket so after washing bath etc,they do there own clothes
pegs in hall and bedrooms
so when coming in from school eg....
they do it empty lunchbags hang up uniforms and coats,put own shoes away etc.....
they are 8,7 and 4 these ones im talking about
sounds like im regimented but im not after all chores are done they get free time and i am strict no chores no free time it works well for us
we also have a set of house rules which we read every day eg no hittin fighting be kind to others etc......i know this isnt housework but stop spending precious time sorting out trivias with the dc,s and you have more time to do housework hence less stressed
they also have turns to set the table clear away etc.... i tell them we are a family we guys work together im not here for you to be a slave we have to work as a team
of course mine may be a little older than yours i dont know but for instance
monday morning just done carpool and come home
dishwasher to load
washing machine to load
polish and vacuum make beds well mine they do there own
thats it for a house of 7 no toys out well actually i lie i can see a piece of playmobil out on the floor from my study
after reading this it sounds kinda strict but it isnt we make it fun people are always suprised as my 8 year old went to tea at his friends house and after eating it he asked to leave the table and when asked if he was having a good time he replied yes maam
it was the way i was brought up i gues i just follow
do i sound too harsh to you guys

that doesn't sound too strict to me, disney - just nice manners and teamwork!

my parents spoilt us in many ways but were fairly strict in terms of manners and behaviour. and now i appreciate that!

Well, Elodie is 18 weeks tomorrow and weighs 6.5kilos (14.5lbs). I think she may need some food soon as she has gone back to waking up twice a night again and is genuinely hungry. They have some kind of in-between drinkable porridge stuff here called vællinge that I may try. I really don't want to be too hasty though and put pressure on her kidneys . . .

So jealous of the sleeping through babies! I started off so enthusiastic with the routines etc but the only time she really slept through was in the UK. She also does it now and again but then reverts back!

She is soooooo lovely though! I love this point where she is bright and alert and funny. I will put new pics on my profile.

Libra - did you get red wine head???

Donut - hope you get all your stuff soon - that would really bother me (especially the handbags )

WW - 'tache has gone now really - and the pigmentation on my cheeks has mellowed out too. but as soon as I stop breastfeeding, i will start using Retin-A again which should help.

Is anyone else shedding lots of hair? AFter having a full mane - I am losing handfuls when I wash it. Most annoying.

Also - is anyone else suffering with back/shoulder ache? I really need to go back to yoga. I start a mother-baby one in a few weeks but my body just feels so buggered at the moment.

another unrelated thought my DH and i are in two decisions i say we should move our savings from the bank he says they are safe

whats your opinions please take out or leave and trust!!!!

Ponto- anyone with 3 kids who thinks/say they are not struggling are either lying or in denial or are really superhuman.

We all put on our best 'I am coping' face at school or tescos etc, and I am very good at superficially tidying/cleaning/sweeping etc when friends came round, but it's hard having any number of kids. So don't worry, you're not doing anything wrong!!

And as disney said, it's a bit easier when they're older as they can do more for themselves. Cass.

Hello all! Had a few days away at my mums last week which was lovely, until the monday night when Phoebe decided to scream and scream and scream, no sleeping just wimpering and thrashing around! Did this even in the daytime! Completely exhausting. She had had a cold for 2 1/2 weeks, so put it down to that at first, then thought maybe she had a touch of colic, but nothing seemed to comfort her at all. This carried on for 4 days and nights, no sleep at all! Then Friday whilst feeding her I noticed a load of white gunge in her ear and when I led her on her side to bf it all oozed out , turns out she has perforated her ear drum!!!! Poor little thing had been screaming with ear ache, and as she is only just 8 weeks we couldn't give her anything! Have given her some Calpol last couple of nights and seemed to help her sleep! Also put her in sleeping bag last night as she always kicks covers off and she slept from 11pm til 8am!!! She is not feeding well again, but think it's down to the ear ache making it sore to suck/swallow. Feel so bad for her, she has only just got her smile back, and now she has her first lot of jabs today!! Oh well, will just dose her up with Calpol and keep my fingers crossed, off to go play as she is awake!!!

Ponto - I bet you're doing fine - everyone always thinks other people are coping better than they are. It really doesn't matter what the house is like - nobody will mind apart from you (at least that's what I tell myself). I just do the bare minimum really - I do 5 mins cleaning here and there, never go up or down stairs or from room to room without carrying something with me (apart from Rory that is!). When I'm cooking and cleaning the kitchen he usually sits in the bouncy chair watching me - while I sing to him like a mad woman! If I get desperate I carry him around in the sling while I get on with stuff. I find the evenings hardest while I am trying to cook, help with homework, and settle grumpy baby.

Disney - I agree, getting the children to help out and behave well is the key to a calm happy house when the DC's are a bit older. Luckily for me my DD loves helping, and both the older ones do what they're asked without a fuss. I think I'm pretty strict too, they always clear the table and help to lay it, put clothes in laundry bin etc.

Donutmum - how exasperating for you! Hope it comes soon.

Bebejones - poor little mite. Hope the jabs come and go without effect.

Rory is supposed to be having his first set tomorrow (at 10 1/2 weeks), but seems to have a bit of a sniffle today. Do you think I should cancel?

EEC its up to you when rory has his jabs samuel was 12 weeks with his 1st ones its not unusual and tbh no hard and set rules when they have them as long as there 4 weeks apart
BEBE that poor little baby must have been awful for you all hope she is better now

just saw on the news of the australian strain of flu coming this winter anyone else see it its supposed to a bad one
tjuice i think elodie is just sooo georgeous shes the kinda baby you just want to cuddle keep her away from the cheek pinchers
(the older ladies that always go ahhh how cute and always grab there cheeks samuels had it done poor thing)
everyone tells me to cut his hair now its crazy his hair is wild and now 3 inches long and sticks up boys call him sonic

EEC, if it's just a sniffle then it should be OK. But if it's more, unwell with a temp etc then it's usually best to delay. mainly because if he had a bad reaction to the jab you wouldn't know if it was the jab or the temp that was causing it.

If you delayed for every sniffle, then they'd never have all of them!!!

Ed has his second lot on weds. hopefully he'll sleep it off! Cass.

Hi all

disney agree with giving children responsibility and making it fun to help out...works here most of the time with my 6

abbie was sleeping all night but last week started waking again once in night for a feed and I thought "growth spurt".....however, her last feed is usually a bottle of formula but she has started to refuse it..........wanted her to keep taking at least one bottle a day because I will be going back to work and ds4 was a nightmare to leave as he refused bottle ....anyway....tried giving her a bottle midday instead and although she took some of it she was then sicky for next 2 hour...did same yesterday and same happened and she got really upset, crying for ages So bf rest of day yesterday and put her to bed at 9pm and she woke smiling at 8sm

OMG this is great but not at same time...do you think I should try different formula or what? I want her to be happy with a bottle when I have to leave her...?????? I find expressing very difficult and have never managed very much....also very time consuming when I have other 5 to see to...any suggestions???
Sorry for huge post and typos.............

disney I was the same with Louis Jabs, first set was last week at 12 1/2 weeks because I really don't like the practice nurse and was waiting for her to be on holiday so someone else could do it!

Bebe- your poor little girl, it's so hard when you don't know what they are telling you isn't it? Louis is teething at the moment (dribbling loads, fist gnawing, rubbing his gums with his tongue squealing fussy and "nipping" when feeding grizzly etc poor thing) but it's only cos ds1 was the same that I recognise it! I'd have no idea otherwise. But ds1 took 15 months for his first tooth so I'm not expecting any just yet!

Hello all,

Well hopefully last week was just a blip as again last night Abigail was back to sleeping 10.15 till 6am. She doesnt seem to be fighting her sleep during the day now only a little bit in the evenings.

Libralady- Glad you had a good night!!

Jodie- I remember a friends LO's party (3yrs) at an indoor soft play place. The staff bought the cake out and cut it but left the knife with the cake on a small side table which was found by a 3yr old! Thankfully no-one was hurt but dread to think what could of happened! Needless to say the soft place near us has a bad reputation!

Donutmum- Cant believe you STILL havent got your stuff!

Shortsafe- I too have been thing about christmas. I have just had a stocking made for Abigail with her name ebroidered on it. My sister and I had the same when we were young. So far i have bought a piano that attatchs to the cot. Abigail loves kicking so should enjoy kicking out music! Ive also seen a photo album toy i want to get her that also records little voice messages.here Think it will be nice to hear grandparents voices as they arent too close.

Disney- Getting the kids to help is great. I used to lay the table ect. Think Life skills are very important when growing up.
As for the bank... no help here sorry.... Finances are DH's expertises!
Abigail's hair is getting long now too. On one side it covers her ear! When its just washed and dried it all sticks up and she looks like Einstein!

Tjuice- No hair lose for me... apart from the good 5 inches I had cut off recently

Ponto- Im sure the house isnt half as bad as it seems. I thought mught was bad when a friend popped in the other day but she commented on how tidy everything was. ( without prompting i might add! )

Bebe- Poor little Pheobe.

Sorry for the huge post... just trying to catch up with everyone

sorry xpost minipink

Have you tried her on different bottles/teats? Just an idea. maybe she needs the next teat size up and is refusing it because it isn't coming out fast enough? Perhaps the sickiness was because of wind she's taking air down as she comes on and off the bottle? I reckon if I was in your situation I'd also try changing the brand of formula you use like you mentioned, maybe it just didn't agree with her tum.

These are only thoughts I have no real experience with formula but Louis only likes one sort of teat for his ebm. As dh found out on sat night. I went out for the first time since Louis was born and got a call to come back as he was refusing the bottle. Got home MUCH worse for wear (wasn't expecting to have to feed) and DH was only trying to using the wrong bloody ones, the knob. There are avent bottles in the cupboard because they came with the sterliliser, but little Louis loukins likes the MAM teats and bottles)

I find expressing more of a hassle this time round too- and I only have one other child to look after- can totally understand why you would with a brood your size

ooh and xpost pigley too, sorry, hi!