June 08: All we want for Christmas is a good night's sleep!

[bitofasnowqueen]

New thread!

Josey - Your message has made me very sad. If I offended you in anyway, I am sorry. Even though it has been hard for you, you have been a complete inspiration to me since Olivia was born. You will be very much missed on this thread.

Hello all.

Did you miss me?

Have just got back from a lovely 2 weeks in Antigua, hotel was great, child care was excellent and although we had some slwwp issues, just the cahnce to swim without children clinging onto my back and to read a book for longer than 10 minutes was shear heaven. They were both very good on the flights and were spoiled rotten by the nannies. Sebastian had some swimming lessons there. It was a ncie 30 degrees and sunshine most days. I have some pictures so will upload them of the children, they had a photographer there.

Just flicked through, DD was ready for food at 20 weeks, DS at 24 weeks doesn't seem to be bothered so in my opinion each child is different just as they will always develop differently, take walking, talking as examples.

Josey glad o hear that Oli is making progress.

And sorry to see you go will try to look out for you on SN boards to check your georgeous girls progress.

I hope I haven't offended you in anyway.

I was thinking travel cot sponge - that's why ours co-ordinates with living room decor Might nosy at the babydan though...

That's brilliant on the weight loss sponge - what's your secret?!? I've been spectacularly rubbish and now scared that I'll still be this fat when I go back to work in march...

Agree with sponge alipalli on the CTF's. Did people really think that CTF's would be exempt from the impact of the credit crunch? Tis a typical non-story. It really bugs me that it's 'all the government's fault' when people fail to take responsibility for their own choices. Grrr. Sorry, bit of a rant

josey - I'm really sorry that you feel that your posts are being made a joke of and that the thread has made you feel like a 2nd class mother. I've not picked up on anything like that myself and I hope I haven't offended you at any time. I wish you all the very best and hope Olivia continues to make good progress.

Welcome back 5gomad.

5gomad glad you had such a lovely holiday and great to have hyou back.
penguin sorry to hear about the bumbo but do dimly remember seeing something on a consumer programme about them not being very stable.
deb will check out the photos of your christmas.

josey I do hope I haven't said anything to upset you -and if so I'm sorry - like penguin I've really been inspired by you and olivia- and you're one of the "oldhand" mothers (for want of a better word) who has such good advice. Also I found what you said about weaning really interesting - as unlike the rest of us you have access to people more in the know than the average HV.

but yay sponge -great news

am away this weekend -its very festive here in france and I'm on my own with raspberry blowing edie whilst dh at rugby... think I better try something else apart from baby rice as teh look on her face was akin to when I give dss vegetables...

Oh, forgot to say - I got my christmas tree .

But, we had a bit of a palava, first tree was broken and would have dried out within a week, so had to go back and get another one. The whole process took hours (we didn't notice the problem with the first one till DH had sawed the bottom to fit in tree holder, put in tree holder, cut open netting and pulled down all the branches) so the tree only went up late this afternoon. So I don't think the branches will have dropped enough to let me decorate it tonight .

Josey I am so sorry you feel that way - you have a lot of pressures on you and none of us can understand what it is like. I certainly never picked up on your comments being made a joke of, I always love to read your posts and see how Oli is doing. I didn't even realise the weaning/speaking thing was something you said, it was just something that was being talked about - but that's the danger of skimming posts I suppose.

I have a babydan playpen/room divider, it is already up as a room divider, cordoning off a section of the kitchen about 15ft x 10ft, a big space so I don't feel that they are being kept in a prison! At Chistmas I will use it to keep Theo and Esther safe from the other kids at my mum's!

I have added some photos of the DC's on holiday taken by the photographer

They're cute 5gomad!

Question of the day... Has anyone started thinking about stage 1 car seats for 9 month plus yet? I don't suppose anyone on here has which and could share the recommended non-isofix car seats before I go off and start a thread about it?

Josey, I'm so you feel that way. I hadn't read the messages that way but I know things can be lost in cyberspace. I can only echo what penguin says, you will be much missed - not only for your updates on your gorgeous little daughter but also for your experience as a mum.

5gomad, yes, you were missed! Your photos are gorgeous!

snowqueen, mainly lighter life tbh - I've been doing it on and off since August. If I'd followed it religiously I would have been at least five stone lighter by now, but I've lost three stone and enjoyed a social life which is a result! Doing it properly from January cos abstinence is easy in a month when everyone is dieting!

Poppy, thank you

Sponge - great news about the weight loss, what will power, well done.

Josey - if it was me then I'm sorry, shame you feel you have to go.

5gomad - we did miss you and I said you were sunning yourself somewhere exotic, I couldn't remember where!Great photos.

Poppy - I tried Ethan with banana milkshake today - not mcdonalds though - breastmilk and mashed banana - it was a success.

I've been skiing today with my big boys and it was fantastic,made me realise how much I'd missed it last year. Sun was shining, blue skies, powder snow, apple strudel - what more could I ask for? Well to have Nigel ski with us as well would have been even better but he had to babysit , wonder how much an au pair would cost for the busy winter season and to look after Ethan whilst I ski?????

Have read some of you posts as I have spent the day in tears over this. And I really didnt want any of you be sad.

I think you will find that yes I do have a lot on my plate, I probably am oversensitive and comments Like "I dont see how and ""How on earth can it possiblly" seems very patronising to someone like me that doesnt have enough time on there hands to sit and think up a pile of rubbish that might upset someone.

Yesterday I was also given by blood results which show my thyroid has to be monitored as normal reading is 10-25 im sitting at 10 and I possibly have Gilberts syndrome which is a liver condition and is genetic so I have likely given it my kids. My DH has been away for 3 weeks I feel a bit swamped with things, and unfortunately I have been made to feel slightly worthless, probably made worse by the fact that weaning is the only thing that Olivia is able to do the same as you LO's. Its so hard when you cant join in because your DD dosent smile laugh she cant hold up her head, cant use a bumble wont need a playpen to keep her from harm, she cant even bloody see me.

I meant noboday any harm IM SORRY

Oh Josey, what a lot you have on your plate and am so sorry that you feel let down by us. So what happens now, do you have further tests, do your DC's get tested and how does it effect your life. I also think that your other DC's are amazing, my youngest cousin has Downs Syndrome and I remember just how much time and energy my Aunt put into him, with constantly driving between Dublin and Belfast for hospital appointments and heart operations and having a child that you constantly worry about and have to put twice as much effort in is draining and then I guess that you also live with the guilt that you are not doing enough with your other DC's. I am so please that Oli is weaning well and wish that Seb was as well but seems quite content just to be fed with milk. And I also love that you give us so muchmore information than (very useless in my case) HV's.

Lots of love to you and hope that this is the beginning of an upward surge.

josey, I'm so sorry that you have been so upset today. I think the problem is we all get very wrapped up in our own lives and the decisions we make for our own children and worry sometimes that we've made the wrong decision because all the advice is so conflicting. Maybe we can then get a little defensive when we feel that our reasoning is being challenged - does that make sense .

I can't believe you have now been diagnosed with a genetic condition - as if you didn't have enough on your plate .

I hope your dh is home soon and will be able to lighten the load a bit.

I'm sorry you feel excluded from much of our chat, but I hope you feel able to stay with us.

Sorry haven't posted for a few days, its been quite hectic here. I have been following posts though.

Josey I thought what you were saying about weaning and speech was really interesting. I weaned hamish at 17 weeks and he certainly is a good talker now,I although I waited until six months with Mia so it did scare me a bit! I guess everyone is a bit paranoid when it comes to making decisions about their kids.
I really hope you don't disappear, you are a real part of this thread and I enjoy your company, I will come and find you if you disappear (but I am not very computer literate, so it may take some time).
Love to you and your Lo's xx

Sorry about all the spelling errors etc, I am very tired off to bed now.

Am I the first one on today?

Josey, I can't really adequately put into words just how desperately unfair your situation is. I don't mean Oli's needs but all the other pressures that you have on you too. I am very sad that we haven't always done the right things to support you, but please, never think that I regard you as second best. It is very much the opposite. I sit here struggling with one lovely but full on baby, and I wonder how I would ever cope with more than one, let alone three. You really are the Alpha Mum on our thread and as others have said an inspiration.

Well, we have started BLW! Yesterday we had a go with banana cut into chunks. We tried it out on my lap though so I put the banana onto my palm. Peter didn't pick it up as he decided it would be more effective to grab my hand and drag it to him before faceplanting into the banana and noisily hoovering it up. He looked very pleased with himself too. This morning I did it properly at the dining table with banana and apple quarters. Both were picked up with two hands and gleefully sucked on. He even managed to make some of the apple disappear which was more than I expected for one without teeth.

I think it is unconnected but his sleep has been better for the last two nights. We have had a couple of 4-5 hour stretches.

Josey, that is just shite for you . I kind of thought that something must have happened... yes I can see how awful it is to hear us talk about the things we do knowing your wonderful beautiful little Olivia won't be doing the same. And the genetic condition and DH being away... I am not surprised things got on top. And I can see now how 'How can it possibly..' (which I think was me ) was very patronising but it was aimed at the HP who said it not you. I really hope things look brighter for you soon.

Well I had a rubbish night. Theo was up at 2, 2.30, 3, 3.45, we brought him into bed with us then it was 5am and then DH got him to sleep and into his cot. Esther woke at 12.30, 2.30 and 7. Then I fed her and we were all asleep till nearly 9 so I don;t feel too bad. Could do without many repeats of that though! Stage 2 car seats, yes have looked into it, realised I probably need a new car unless I can get very thin stage 2 seats which fit across the back of my Honda along with a baby seat. So not much of a selection for me (just like with prams!)

Josey I'm so sorry that you've been upset. The Gilberts syndrome must just feel like the final straw. I hadn't heard of it before, so I had a look on the British Liver Trust website and I saw that it says that you need to inherit the gene from both parents, so hopefully your DC's wont be affected. I really hope that you're not suffering from too many ill effects as a result of the syndrome.

Also, I can only imagine how frustrating that you might find some of our chat about bumbo's and the like. Again, I've never picked up on any chat that sounded patronising but I think mostly people skim through the posts quickly, put their tuppence worth in, then get back to their busy RL. I hope you wont leave us, or if you do, then I hope you pop in every now and again to let us know how Oli is getting on.

Glad the BLW is going well alipalli!

Stage 1 car seats: well we happened to get a 0+ seat that lasts till 13kg, lucky as P is now 9.9kg but can't sit up. He is getting q long though 69cm, so we went to Mothercare yesterday for some advice as I had been worrying that he was too big for it. He is still fine length wise so were told we don't need to get a level 1 seat yet. She also said that you want them to be able to sit up by themselves for half an hour before they go forward facing.

Hello Quick post as off out for xmas shopping

Josey please dont go like others said im sorry you feel that way things do get lost in cyberspace

Stage 1 carseats with have maxicosi so its til she is 13kg slighty worried bout length too as Fleur is 70cm now!

Oh neenz sorry bout wakings Fleurs cough has her up all night too and she has only just gone back to eating properly after losing some weight the last few weeks

right must go xxx

Carrots a success here, am trying apple next time.

Can't keep up with the snow today, can't clear it fast enough before it's all covered - AARGH!!!

Oh are the 9mths+ car seats stage 1 not 2? I assumed the infant carrier was stage 1

Just got back from Tesco pharmacy where I sneakily purchased a bottle of Medised... when she asked me how old the child was I said two and a half . After last night Theo definitely needs it. I hope it does the trick, poor little thing.