December 2008 - Its not wind they are smiling.

[JamInMyWellies]

Here we go ladies Rosmerta suggestion.

Morning!!

We have loads and loads of snow but not as much as Kmp has. But it is still snowing here. I really want to go and make a snowman but my boots don't fit anymore.

We tried to go to bed early last night which worked and DS2 settled at 11 but he woke up at half 3 and then again at 7. So not too bad, DS1 got up at half 3 but went back to his bed after only being asked once.

soooooooooooooooooo much snow yay, very exciting for Australians. DH & DS2 have made a cue little snowman

Deep and crisp and even in Dulwich - DH has nobly taken both girls to nursery in the Phil and Ted. Big treat for L as she is not usually allowed to ride in the buggy at 4. Hope he doesn't bring them home again .

I am supposed to be registering M's birth today but as there are no buses I'd have to walk 2 miles each way to do it. THink I'll rearrange.

Arti, I have suffered from panic attacks and they are so frightening. I have had some CBT in the past which was helpful. Is this something you would be able to try?

I hear noises downstairs - back later.

Yay..my sister xan't go to work...she is on her way round (its only round the corner so she can walk). Then we can walk round to my mums and grandad is getting ready to make a snowman!
Take a picture of yours veggie!

It has just started to snow again!!!

morning all! sorry for extended absence, dd has been being a little madam i think we're going through what they call a stormy stage!

kayz - we weren't sure what kind of dogs you like best so you choose which day you want to go to, there's a bit of spending money too thanks to the lovely generous december ladies

snow! i keep teling dd to look as the grown-ups are all excited but she doesn't really care, just wants milk... I'll give a big prize (yet to be determined) for anyone who makes a big snow boob with their baby

alas for dh his work never closes for the weather, if anything he's likely to be more busy as a couple of the docs live a way away and may not make it in so they'll have to divvy up the patients. there's a baby clinic on in half an hour thst I'd really like to go to go get dd weighed again but if the buses aren't running, it's too far to walk. Fingers crossed!

Thanks Jump You are great. I'll probably go on the Saturday. I think the Friday would be nice but the train fare is twice the price during the week. I am really thankful to you!!!!!!!

snow snow glorious snow! So exciting. been taking piccies of DS and DH in the snow before work! He has gone to work now though.

JJ did you know there is a baby weighing clinic at Brookfields health centre down my end of mill road on a weds?

Re the dream feed, I have no chance of doing that, as DS will never go to sleep from 7pm. Any tips? he never properly goes to sleep until 11 or midnight. Sometimes I get him to sleep at 7 but he will always wake up at 8-8:30 and feed and then grouch and then feed a bit more until I go to bed, and then do it a bit longer in bed, it's a pain in the bum! And I never get to have my evening meal without him either attached to my boob or one of me and DH holding him.

Brr...have just come in from the garden have already been making a snowman with DD. Well I tried she just kept knocking it down again

DS wouldn't settle last night till 11 either summer. Sometimes he'll settle at 8 ish, but since his cold he has been very unsettled. I always seem to be feeding him and eating...I dropped egg noodles on him the other night

My parents have just got back from Cuba today, I'm very excited as they normally take DD if we've had a bad night so I can catch up on sleep. So for past 2 weeks I have really missed them

SL: DS doesn't settle till 10/11 either, I just cuddle/feed/stick him in his basket in the evening then bring him to bed with us, He then (usually) sleeps till 3ish so I'm not complaining.

Playgroup cancelled today so am working out how to entertain DS while givin DH some sapce... will venture out in the snow I think, DS2 well wrapped-up

SL - I think thast one's listed in the red book. I just want to know now as she feels a lot heavier to me!

dream feed - humph. We tried yesterday and instead of it working she woke up, got cross with the bottle and I ended up having to go and feed her anyway she fell asleep at 8.15 so I expressed then (first proper chance all day), dh went up with the bottle at 10.30 to try and catch her before she woke up hungry at 11 (her 3 hours cycle) but she didn;t get the hang of the bottle, woke up and got cross so I had to go up at 11 and feed her anyway. And instead of the half a bottle plus normal feed keeping her going for longer (nodded off on the boob at about 11.30) she woke at 2, 3.30, 5, 7... will try again with a different bottle as i'm determined to get some break from being full time milch cow! Still musnt't grumble, we did get about 2.5 hours of 'adult time' so I wrote her christening thankyou cards. Gold star I think, was more in the mood for trashy telly!

morning!

lovely snow here too!
veggie - phoebe is alright on the school run but has no pattern as to whether she stays awake or asleep. we have to drive a mile or so then walk to the school from a few streets away (no parking outside school) so she gets plonked in carseat then buggy or sling then car seat...but i have started putting her straight in her cot when we get back just after 9 and she usually has a little sleep, whatever she's done on the school run.

today was not very successful! we were all ready in time but i wanted to put lu in her wellies but was worried because this is her first snowy school day and i don't know the protocol! i didn't want her to end up with nowhere to put her wellies inside and the teachers being cross. so i put her in her school shoes and of course when we got there the playground was full of children in wellies who will have lovely warm dry feet, and lucy with snow nearly up to her knees (in skirt and tights!) will have cold wet feet. doh. . it's hard being a first time school mum when you don't know the rules!
i'd put phoebe in the buggy but with no rain cover as it wasn't actually snowing, but within a minute of getting out of the car it was snowing a blizzard! she was crying and getting so cold and wet, i could barely get the buggy through the snow and the other mums looked at me like i was an idiot with my freezing exposed newborn and my soggy-footed school girl. aaaggh. hope i don't get a detention for being most useless mum in the snow.
still snowing lots but my house is toasty and we're having a nice cuddle so i think she's forgiven me! dreading my next gas bill!

oli - have a fun day with your sister

am trying to have calm day to avoid a day like yesterday...unfortunately i have another nesting urge and really want to rearrange my kitchen and sort out phoebe's clothes now that some are too small for her . don't want her to grow up!

such snow!! dd1 was so excited seeing it from the window. she has been begging to go out all morning, so when dd2 went down for her morning nap i wrapped up dd1 and took her out on our roof terrace. she was so shocked at how cold it was to touch and within four minutes was sobbing to come in. she is now playing with playdough and muttering about the "disgusting cold". hmmmm. might be hard to keep her amused today if she has taken against the white stuff...

feeling good today again. might be thanks to my wonderful night. don't shout at me for saying this, but dd2 went down at 7.30pm and did not wake 'til 2.45am. she then fed for 20mins and slept to 6.45am! so there was just one feed in over 11 hours . flash in the pan no doubt, but very welcome.

ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

It is almost a blizzard here. We can hardly see out of the window!!!!

I was going through Freddie's baby clothes yesterday, I have some lovely lovely stuff but Dylan can't wear it really as it is all summer stuff.

how long can ebm stay in the fridge? is it 24 hours?

arti - so pleased for your good night. lol at your dd1!!!

DH's school is closed as is DD's nursery . Has been fab morning in the snow!! Think DD2 is doing her 12-week growth spurt early though (she's 10 weeks tomorrow) as she was up every hour on the hour last night. Hellish. Good job there is snow as it's put me in a reasonably good mood despite no sleep .

Can't believe DD1 was like this for months. DD2 usually only wakes twice so last night has half-killed me!

I know what you mean JJ DH said he has sprained ankle jogging to work in snow today. I remember after 7/7 when no tubes he rollerbladed to hosp!!
Veggie I know!! Very exciting for Aussie's!! even my dog is excited!! Although she's Welsh... but now Aussie by descent!

Will put up photo of our teeny little snowman later. Ds1 and walked to nursery this morning to enjoy the snow. We were a bit late because ds1 kept stopping to look at his footprints.

Ds2 is asleep dh had a conference call and I stupidly decided to put ds down in his cot which is in our room, which also doubles as dhs office. Was ok he went down but took a little longer because he kept hearing dhs voice and waking up.

I am currently sitting at out bedroom window as it has a great view of the road and loving watching the cars skid as they come up to our corner.

Looking forward to picking ds1 up and taking him sleding.

Hello! Remember me?

I am now back in Oxfordshire wrapped in a furry throw on the sofa after zazzing between the Midlands, Cornwall and London. How pretty the snow looks. I am a bit worried about the two horses in the paddock, though, I think they are with Arti's DD1 on the weather conditions. Harvey is the grey and he look so dingy now against the snow - he usually looks like moonlight!

I enjoyed looking at the meet up pics - sorry to miss those of you who were there. Cornwall was bleak out of season and so rainy. MiL went down for DP's best friend's funeral too, which I had mixed feelings about, she was quite kind about looking after DD here and there, which enabled us to go out in the evenings. This really cheered DP as a huge group of his friends were all staying in our hotel and the nights out helped everyone's morale. He made a brilliant address at the funeral and I was very proud of him as it must have been so hard to keep it together, let alone be so eloquent.

I had to leg it back to London on the Saturday on my own - DP and DD stayed on for another day in Cornwall - to get back for a tv recording. I was cursing but I really did have to go. Anyway, a funny thing happened. I have, or rather had, two favourite living authors. One died last week. I walked into the green room where I was watching the show, all dishevelled from making the nightmare journeys from Cornwall to Paddington to blimmin' Pinewood, and the remaining favourite author was right there on the sofa. Amazing. We had a chat afterwards, in the course of which I explained that I was on maternity leave. And he - gulp - looked pointedly at my tummy and said "Yes...now you mention it...when's it due?" I cannot fully convey how disappointing and horrible this was. It's not too often one gets to meet one's idols. And now mine thinks I am a fat bird. I was so mortified I knocked a few weeks off DD's age as I thought 9 weeks sounded too old for my size I need to get me on the Fatties thread, I haven't had a chance to look at it at all yet so I hope it's easy to locate. I have just heard there is a bit of a school reunion in early March and I have decided not to go as I feel like Nellie the Elephant. This sort of negative attitude is not like me at all, but as I can't shed 20kg in a month, I know I will feel too hideous looking to attend. Vain, aren't I? This weight has got to go, it's affecting my mojo now.

JJ - I loved asparagu's. I remember a shop in Derby that boasted of Ladie's Wig's. Perhaps Veggie can confirm if it is still there!

Kayz - your poor friend. I am scared that will end up being me.

Daisy - where did your folks go in Cuba? I have been to the eastern side every January for the past three years, riding, but not this year (of course! Can't afford it anyway). It's a lovely place.

The flat is such a tip - hours of work lies ahead of me to make it even vaguely reasonable. All I need to do is put my foot through the tv screen and it will look like it's played host to the Rolling Stones plus entourage. Right, off to Fatties now.

Oh no KMP your poor dh how will he get home.

Morning.
Loving the snow. I am based in Worcestershire and we have got a fair bit. DS loved looking at his footprints. Struggled to get my car out of the drive and so have not left it on the road as do not want to be without a car if it freezes later. Need to get to the shops before my fridge is empty!
Trace: EBM according to a leaflet I have can be kept at room temp for 6-8 hours, in the fridge for 72 hours and in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Once thawed in the fridge unoped for 24hours and 12 hours after opening.

For those with low milk supply GF has some suggestions. I know I tried it with DS last time and it appeared to work. I can dig it out and attemp to summarize if that helps. Let me know as it is quite long and involves a fair amount of expressing (from what I remember)
Thanks for the advice re nappy changing. Only changed Sammy once last night as she was very smelly and quite awake at 1am. We did have a better night. She went down at 7pm fore the first time in a week. I am also usually carrying her around til 10pm so it was lovely having a few child free hours to myself. She then had a dream feed at 10pm (only took 1oz- but I suppose better than nothing) slept til 1am (wide awake for an hour- probably payback for going down at 7pm!) then slept til 5am then fed and back off til 8am.
Rosmerta: who is the book by? tried searching for it but not manged to find it yet

apparently getting a lift home with a colleague who lives near us and drove a 4wd in!

Just got back from park with DD...can just about feel my toes but DS is sleeping soundly. We got back he had a quick feed and has gone straight back to sleep again. All that cold air has knocked him for 6 I think!

Lady T my parents stayed in the Cayo's I believe. DH and I went to Cuba a few years back before DD, we stayed in Guardavalaca(sp?) is that the Eastern side? We went riding while there, not my thing really but I gave some of the locals a bloody good laugh

Trace I'm sure I read EBM was good for 5 days in the fridge as long as its not frozen. That sounds a bit long to me, simmos 72 hrs sounds more likely. Don't think I've had it in fridge for longer than 48 hours.

Hi everyone, we have snow too, but not as much as a lot of you. I?ve just seen the news and can?t believe public transport in London has ground to a halt that?s just mad.

Well done to veggie?s DS2 for rolling over , our little ones are growing up so fast already! And trace, I?m about how fast they are growing too ? I want another brand new baby already!

Turnip I?m now expressing 4oz at a time (trying to do one express each day, but can?t manage to do it at the same as feeding like Trace!) and giving it in a bottle at night. DD has taken it all every night but one (so far) and seems to settle well afterwards so I don?t think she?s wanting more (she?s about 9lb now and 6 weeks old today). A great tip I got from the BFC was to separate the milk into smaller bottles, then if she doesn?t want it all you can just put the unused bottle back in the fridge and not throw away what?s left. SL I?m managing to express a little more each day, I started at about 3oz and now I?m getting nearly 4. And it?s getting much faster too, the first couple of times it took about half an hour and now I?m down to 15 minutes.

At the moment I?m feeding DD at bedtime (about 9pm ish normally) and then DH is giving her a bottle when she wakes ? this is seeming to be about 1 or 2 ish, so she?s getting a good bit of sleep. After that she?s only going a couple of hours at a time. Should we wake her at about 11 for the dream feed, or is it better to wait until she wakes? What are those of you who are dream feeding (however you?re giving it) doing?

Simmo I change the nappy first (as it wakes up DD) then feed her, which relaxes her again. I find if I don?t wake her up properly she hardly has anything to eat and so wakes up again quickly wanting more. I?m lucky in that she normally settles well after a feed, but if she didn?t then I?d give the no changing a go.

JJ thanks for the link to the 90 minute sleep program, it was really interesting. I also heard recently that if adults take a nap then we should time it to last 90 minutes, which is one full sleep cycle ? any more or less and we?d wake up part way through a cycle and not feel refreshed, so it all links in.

Turnip you mentioned that you don?t let your little one sleep for more than 4.5 hrs in daytime ? is this per nap, or in total? (sorry ? this is a dumb question) And when does day time start/end for you?

Sorry, so many questions today about feeding and sleeping, but I?m starting to feel like we maybe getting into a bit of a routine, so I want to make it work!

OK, off to wrap up and warm and venture out now. Ta ra for now x

Hello everyone, hope you're all well. I've been mamaging to keep up with my Multiples thread but not much else so sorry not to have been in touch for a while or caught up on all your news. Hope you're all surviving?

My twins are 7 weeks old now and seem to be doing OK (haven't had a chance to get them weighed for a few weeks but they look fine to me!). It's shockingly exhausting looking after two - weeks 4 and 5 were the worst so far but it's been a bit easier recently. I tried my best to bf exclusively but ended up having to supplement for one evening feed as I just didn't seem to have enough. The days are fine but nights can be really tough - it's often just 4 or 5 hits of 30 mins sleep which is frankly not enough . I think my DD1 slept through from this stage but there's no prospect of that with these twins. 90 mins of sleep in a stretch is a luxury!