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.

POLEDRA - don't be about the weight loss - I've got plenty more to loose, believe me!! I constantly feel slightly chewed! (great description) Wish I enjoyed breastfeeding more .

LIBRA - I looked at a lovely nursery for dd when I went back to work last time, I chose a childminder in the end, purely personal preference. The things I liked about the nursery were - all the staff were friendly, everyone said hello to me and wanted to coo over dd (she was 3 months at the time), the manager showed me round, but was happy for the staff to answer questions and generally chat to me, the set up made sense to me (babies and crawlers in one room, new walkers in another, older toddlers into groups by age), there was great outside space, loads of toys easily accessible, varied lunch menu, well organised area for nappy changes etc. I asked general questions about routines, contracts and safety procedures. I also asked if I could pop in unannounced for another look round.

DISNEYSTAR - Isaac was 9lb 9ozs born, (I grow huge babies for some reason ). Will be thinking of you and Samuel on 15th Oct, I think you need to deal with the op whichever way you can, stay as close to him as you can.

JODIE - am jealous of your 6 hours! We're introducing dd to the potty too (think she's about the same age as your ds1, no luck as yet - she knows it's for 'wee wee' but she definately prefers her nappy! hey ho, we're keeping it low key and hoping she catches on at some point!

A couple of weeks ago I was on here moaning about never seeming to get aything done....well I think I've swung the other way now

I have 6 kids and a big house and a husband and I have no washing in the basket and no ironing and a clean and tidy house...and dinner cooking in the oven. I need to get a life!!! I haven't had a shower today yet and I can't seem to stop doing things...feeling guilty if things not done.
My PND is quite bad and I know this is one of the ways it affects me....part of feeling in control
Maybe I need a night out or something...

Welcome back Silversixpence and Shortsafe

Ponto- I agree, keep going with the cooled boiled water. Abigials weepy eye lasted about a week or so.

EEC- Those nappies are lovely! Thankfully DH seems to have had all those so far!

Disney - Not silly at all! I too would be there waiting. Be thinking of you guys.
Enjoy finishing the Nursery.

Re weights- Abigail is 9lbs 9 @ 6 weeks. Shes very tall and slim (nothing like her mother!)

Libra- Nonsence about being a bad mummy for leaving Alex at Creche.

re nursery- Agree with what others have said. Im a Nursery teacher and would ask about child to staff ratios. Babies is 1:3. Check staff are qualified and have first aid certificates. Good/varied range of activities for children. Do they partake in Sensory play/messy play.. best way for babies to learn.
Generally you need to get a good feeling about the place. Is it clean/hygienic ect friendly staff. Do they feedback to parents on thier childs day.
I could go on forever!

hi all
well, F has i think been in a growth spurt (again!) - fri to mon entailed feeds every 2 hours day and night . think we're coming through it now, last night was much better...
9 weeks now, and she's so big - in 3-6 month clothes fully. she's smiling and chatting and generally gorgeous!

libra1975 - not one of those threads!! - good mummy for doing s'thing for yourself...

we had an exploding nappy yesterday am too - she was propped on our bed smiling and cooing so at first i failed to see the sea of orange...

disney - hugs and best wishes to you and sam - he just sounds like such a little star - and the nursery sounds lovely!

dd1 is s'posed to be potty training but she just likes to sit on the potty and read books...MIL has taken it upon herself to buy trainer pants without even asking us - she thinks d1 should've been dry ages ago....good luck with that one then..

Potty training - we are going for it this weekend (when DP is here for 2 days) no more nappies! DD2 is 2.8years now so should be well ready, I'm going cold turkey with a sticker chart too have told her nappies are for Bethany now and she's a big girl like DD1. Am hoping leaving her longer means it will take less time for her to "get" it. I think I messed DD1 up a bit by having her in pants at home and nappies outside as I couldn't trust her, she was a nightmare to potty train.

Minipink - I have been in the same sort of mood today, I have had things on my to do list for ages and today I actually did two of them. I have been organising like mad, have 2 huge bags to go off to the charity shop, sorted out some finances with some letters, cleaned out a kitchen cupboard and some other things. Gave the DDs crayons, paper and stickers and neglected them all afternoon, luckily B has been sleeping. I'm like you everything was just getting to me today.

Chewed nipples - oh yes sometimes you are just like enough already when they have been on for ages and ages.

Rumpel, Myers Briggs is a personality typology (not a test) - talks about introversion, extroversion, the way you take in information, make decisions and act upon them - you get a four letter "code" - there are 16 in total. It's really good. Good for kids development too and analysing differences between people in relationships. It's not a dodgy one either - it's a proper instrument which is approved by the British Psychological Society. It's one of my "things" from a professional standpoint so happy to talk for ages on it...

Can't remember who asked - Bahrain is 2 hours ahead.

Also, the grand plan to give L a bottle in the night fell flat - woke up at 2am to find my boobs rock hard and with a wet top - right through my pad, bra and pyjamas. So, begged L to wake up and feed. Which he did, bless him. And then he went straight back to sleep - think the problem with him is wind so also got DH to wind him as I couldn't be arsed to get out of bed - I'm soooo nice to my DH.

Hi everyone! Welcome back all those that have been missing for a while...though still a few others are MIA.

I live in East Molesey, just around the corner from Hampton Court Palace. Love living here...but I do pine for Australia...have given up trying to sell our house for now. Sooo not the right time...

With Nursery's I second what everyone has said...but I have to say I got such a big gut reaction to each place and just knew the right one for me and my DD.

Disney will be thinking of you and little sam.

Have I told you about my gym shame...??? I joined just after having DD. The first time I went I popped DD into the creche. It was the first time I had ever left her and I felt a little rushed. So I drop her off, race to the gym, do a bit of exercise, have a quick shower and race out of gym, into car and proceed to leave. Reach the gate of the carpark and think...holy moly - have forgotten my daughter!!! Call DH crying at what a terrible awful mother I am... strangely she never settled at the gym creche again... Am thinking I may join again.

Must fly, Rafferty is crying...have a good evening everyone!

SK- I too have been cleaning like crazy lately. Been cleaning kitchen cupboards, tidying cupboards, scrubbing floors, sorting out my clothes.
Nice to see my to do list shrinking!

Clic- Loving the Gym story!

Anyone else plan to watch the programme tonight about Breast feeding? Looks quite interesting.
My mum asked last night how long i intend to carry on for. Said i wasnt sure. Seemed shocked and said that i must start weaning her off soon! - Coming from someone who was very pro BF when i was pregnant.

cilc - lol!
Pigley / minipink / sk - cleaning? What's that? I barely get the washing done and the hoover put round at the mo. I probably do too much mn.
Disney - thinking of you and Sam xx

Evening all,

DISNEY - good vibes for the 15th.

CILC - ha ha it is easy done - my Mum got home and my Dad asked where my brother was and she had left him in his pram outside a shop - totally forgotten about him Was in the 70s though. Posted your vials off to you today so you will get them tomorrow.

MINI - I am a bit of a control freak too F*s up my head a lot

My DD denies having done a poo in her nappy - even though it is himking out the whole house - she would run around in a smelly nappy all day Calvin detests a dirty nappy and goes mad until you change it. I soo need to start using the wwashables again - my favourite are tots bots and they are Scottish The motherease airflow wraps are great not so keen on their 1 size nappies - they do another 1 i prefer but cannot remember the name at the mo.

Calvin laughed today for the first time He cried most of today but after I dropped DD off at dance class we sat and had a cuddle and I was tickling his nose and he laughed - so cute - made up for him being horrendous the rest of the time!

Well I am off for a bath - feel like I am getting the cold

Nite all
xxxx

Rumple - can't wait for the first laugh! these first smiles are gorgeous!

Took Rory for a passport photo today. He looks like a big fat floating head. Really cute!

Had a call from the health visitor today wanting me to make an appointment - I haven't had Rory weighed since he was three weeks and have never been to baby clinic (bad mummy?) so I think she is getting anxious. I'm sure he is fine and putting on weight, but I guess I'd better go and have him weighed!

I'm off to my first baby group tomorrow! A bit nervous, but I do need to make some friends.

Evening All!

I too am looking at nurseries at the moment as they have a list system and you have to register your child before they are 4 months. Went to 3 today - its overwhelming and a bit sad but there were some good ones. I think Elodie will go to one when she is almost 1 year, as my dh will take 3 months paternity leave (you get to share the year between you here in denmark).

Bit stressed trying to do washing and get sorted for coming back to the UK on Thursday. Travelling for the first time with a baby and I 'm wondering what paraphenalia I will need . . . Also about walking through airport with no pram. I think you can borrow them at Copenhagen airport. Otherwise I have my sling, my Bill Amberg papoose or my norweigan voksiposen www.voksi.com/2006/index.php?page_id=3380

which I haven't used yet. Too much paraphernalia, I think!

disney - I would feel the same way too. When Elodie had her CT and other scans, I couldn't feed her in the morning. It was horrible! I had to dreamfeed her water, poor mite. But its going to go really well for wee Sam, bless him.

libra - I wish my gym had a baby creche. I have to drag myself around the local park and lakes for exercise (although I must admit that by the time my dh comes home, I hand him the baby and am like a bat out of hell around the park with my headphones on). Its so nice to get some time alone - does that make me a bad mummy too??

EEC - I just love the name Rory (I think I mentioned its my brothers name). Do you know any other kids with the same name?

Not a domestic goddess like you minipink - but I did just make two meals at once. Lentil and bacon soup with shredded savoy and aubergine and mushroom curry. Just wanted to use up all the veg before we leave (thrifty me!)

oh, and Elodie also has floating head on her passport picture. she looks like Phil Collins.

Rumpel - thats it control freak, I feel like I can never get on top of things right now it's two steps forward one backward, it's the mess thats the worst, I tidy a room up the DDs go and wreck it.

Anyway as an aside have been looking at 2 towns property porn tonight, my best friend is pregnant and due in November, she lives in Aberdeen but is moving back to the 3 towns to be closer to her mum. She's put an offer in on a beautiful house just along from the Hip Flask

Oh I loved tots bots as well, the pink ones are fab, I used to use them with Motherease Wraps too. I had loads of nappies, Motherease one size were good but only lasted an hour even when boosted, bumbles were OK, Fuzzi Bunz were lovely to look at but leaked like mad had a few others too. I went a bit mad after DD2 was born and sold them all on ebay and here, regretted it big time though.

EEC - HV hounding me as well, left a message on the machine but no number to call her back oh dear

pigley - I will be watching the breastfeeding programme too I got told that I HAD to stop before she got teeth and also before she was 6 months as it was only for the mothers benefit after that oh and I got pregnant with DD2 when DD1 was 9 months and got told I had better stop BFing now I was pregnant double she stopped herself at 12 months though I was glad as I was going through the feeling dog rough stage of pregnancy at that time.

CliC - lol @ the gym story there was one morning I was doing the normal rushing out the door nursery thing with the other two and I'm doing the shoes/jackets etc putting them in the car and nearly forgot about B who was sleeping

Anyway she's grizzling better go x

OH NO, I;ve forgoten all about that BF programme... (The one with Kate Garraway right?) I wonder if it's repeated..

Sam's passport photo is great, he's looking direct at camera with eyes open with a little smirk on!!!

Tjuice You can leave the pram right until the last minute and the airport staff will load it on the plane for you as you board. You don't need to check it in.

Am sitting with Suhayb (thats DS's name) lying on his tummy in my lap..the poor thing screamed the place down from 5 til 8! not sure whether it was the colic or his jabs that did it, but he's really miserable. The HV told me to start using E45 as she thinks his eczema is 'moderate' Iasked DH to get some calpol but he forgot..bless him he said 'what's calpol'!

EEC - well done on getting out to a baby group, i'm not brave enough yet!

Jodie-
Its on now!- Channel 4

morning all. I've been up since 5:30am. Poppy had some trapped wind which has gone now and a snotty nose. DS1 was also in my bed cos he's got a sickness bug and a terrible wheeze, so I've had a crap night's sleep.

I recorded the breastmilk prog - must remember to watch it!!

SS - hope suhayb feels better this morning.

morning all
SS hope your ds is better today

isadno sounds like you a terrible night hope your lo,s are ok now ,sickness bugs are terrible for them and us

had samuel is my bed nearly all night he just wants to cuddle up all the time,ive actually got him in his room this morning with his monitor on he has to lie really high on a v shaped pillow so he doesnt choke
still no smiles at all at 10 weeks no sounds yet he does look at us but breifly doesnt study our faces he seems to prefer pictures on the walls......i know he knows me as he kicks one leg when i go to him
speech therapy for my ds4 today
i watched the breasfeeding programme last night anyone else see it,i found 1 of the ladies a bit odd TBH

potty training mums i found a great way to do it with my ds5
he either sat on the potty or toilet of his choice and we got a huge egg timer he could hold and had fun watching it count down and down and having fun they love watching the sand go down and usually he have a wee in the meantime it was a great distraction and also got him used to weeing outside the nappy like a big boy
he also chose his own pants and matching vests he was quite upset when he got lightening mcqeen wet

disney thats a great idea, about the egg timer! LOve it. I think I'm giving up for a bit though DS1 is only 2 (on monday!! how fast they grow) I was aware it was early, but he showed all the signs, and he kept taking his nappy off and it was driving me mad, now he doesn't even wanmt it changed if there is poo in it!!!

I watched that BF programme in the end, was very interesting and it opened my mind to something I originally thought was abit gross, but now I understand, not sure if I could do it, but I suppose if desperate, maybe. 2 women I thought were strange, the first was that Brazilian woman, what was up with her, sexual connection???? They weren't even her babies FFS, and the other one who left HER OWN BABY to go off to Sudan and BF twins!!!

Morning!
Had to take P to see the nurse this morning - her belly button has this little red jelly bit in it - didn't seem to bother her but this morning it was all gunked up (sorry) so I thought I'd best get it checked out... of course I was totally winding myself up for them to say 'it's a hernia, we need to operate' (or something like that) and all they did was put some silver nitrate on it, she slept through the whole thing!! Now I just have to wait for it to go black, nice...

The buggy (sorry) workouts that I've been looking into, one of them is run by a (name changed) Kelly. DH used to be engaged to a Kelly who lived in the small town where the classes are, who was a fitness instructor (NOT AT ALL bothered when I found that out when we first started dating!!). You have to have a fitness qualification to run these classes... what are the chances of it being the same woman d'you reckon??!!

Thanks for all the advice re:nurseries and childminders, it's a bit overwhelming at the minute trying to organise as my DH starts work at 7:30am and I have to be at the train station by 7:45am which means we would have to put A in very early plus DH sometimes doesn't finish work until 7:30pm and the earliest I could get back is 6:30pm. PLUS I want to go back part-time and haven't discussed it with work yet but of course the nursery needs to know now what sessions we want. I think we are going to have to drag the g/p into the equation which I didn't really want to do.

We went to look at the gym creche yesterday and it was lovely, the people in charge are obviously of a certain age who like the shorter hours so quite happy to leave A there whilst I push iron

Mini - everyone needs a night out once in a while! Are any of your kids old enough to babysit the rest yet?

Purplejennyrose - lol at the thought of your DD1 reading on the toilet, I thought only old men did that with their newspapers to get some respite from their wifes nagging

SK - Good luck with the potty training!

DM - men are MUCH better at winding than females, I think we are too to thump our babies on the back!

CilC - lol at gym story. Having a shower by yourself should have tipped you off something was missing

isaidno - hope your LO's are all feeling better today and you don't catch anything!

Shortsafe - you are not alone, in fact none of my anti or post natal group enjoy breast feeding.

Rumpel - hope you haven't sucumbbed to the cold and you enjoyed your bath.

TJuice - "my Bill Amberg papoose" hark at you :p Good luck with the trip back to London. I would carry as little as possible on the plane. change of clothes (but easy stuff like babygros), 5 nappies, 3 muslins, 1 bib, wet wipes, baby bottom wipes, a shawl/blanket, changing mat or several disposable changing mats,small rattle/toy a book for you (optimistic hey!) all in a rucksack.

Took A for his jabs this morning, poor thing. However I am pleased to find that calpol is still delicious.

Hi All
Grabbing two minutes while O sleeps but need to get my washing out soon (second load, first load out already, feeling v please with myself).

JODIE I started watching that BF programme but DH begged me to turn it off after 15 minutes He had no problem with the lady who expressed milk for the milk bank but was struggling with the friends who cross-fed but then totally lost it with the S. American lady who was putting other people's babies to the breast when she wasn't even lactating. We both found that a little distasteful TBH - did the programme ask any more about that?

Re dads and winding - I have a theory it's because they have much bigger hands than us, so can get a good grip-and-rub technique going - dh is the Burpmeister round here

On potty-traing, dd2 took to it no problem at all for wees but kept pooing her pants. HV suggested letting her blow bubbles while she was on the toilet, as it would keep her on the seat long enough to do a poo, and also the blowing motion helps the motion at the other end too . DD2 now doubly continent during the day, and also dry most of the time at night . Bit of a problem as dd1 is not dry at night and is rather despondent that dd2 is further on with it than her. I'm trying not to make a big deal of it and just keep telling her that different people's bodies learn things at different times, but I do feel for her. Any ideas?

Right, the boob monster is awake again, must go!

Hi A,,

Got a horrid cold - harldy slept last night as my throat was so sore and up 4 times with Calvin DD off to nursery today so I am doing nothing but mope about watching TV and generally lazing.

SWEETKITTY - is your BFs name Alison Q perchance? From what I have heard the Hip Flask is not the place it used to be.

RE nursery- The 1 dd goes to is fab - it won best nursery in Scotland. They have a parents commitee, send out regular letters with updates about what the kids in the various rooms have been doing over the past month - eg learning about the sea, or Summer or whatever. They also gave us a beautiful book of photos of DD and the others doing things together when she graduated form the baby room to the toddler room. They take them for tennis lessons when they are older, they go to the local library have muscial minors etc etc? I had to sign Calvin up months ago to get him in in January as they have a waiting list. We were lucky with DD - we had just moved here and they had a free place - did not know it was so good then.

JODIE - what you doing for DS1s birthday? I am thinking of getting DD a toy toaster for hers - she is obsessed with toast (it is her word for hungry too) She loves the dancing lessons - how is your DS1 enjoying the football? God help us if Calvin is into football - DH and I hate it and I just cannot see Dh down the park on a Saturday morning playing the proud Father thing Or kicking about a ball with him! I got DD and Calvin some stuff form Vertbaudet for bdays and xmas - they do some nice different things.

Well hope everyone is okay I am off make up DDs bed with her new Little Miss duvet set.

xxxxx