June 2008: Nine months in, nine months out

[Essie3]

Here's to the next nine months!

Paro - wondered where you were, thought you must be just busy with work, moving and wedding!Hope Fleur improves soon and that her sleep is sorted out too.

Rolf -thanks for the recipe, my Aunty also came to the rescue with a family favourite, which turned out to be very similar to yours. I've made it, but it sank in the middle managed to rescue with icing and a pile of maltesers, Ferrero Rochet and Ferrero white choc things.Hope dd1 is better soon, I think I would have been VERY tempted to wake up dh way before 9.30 if that had been my morning.

hi all -thanks for kind words. Edie is loads better (partly due to return of dh who she dotes on)... systems you were dead right that once the gunk appeared (oh teh joys of baby fluids) she was loads better. But we're goign to be careful re swimming/bath etc (it transpires that dsd was prone to this - dh only told me this when arrived home ..). sybilthat is so sad for your friend -but if dh so adamant about no more why not be more careful (last time I checked it was a two way thing when you get pregnant).

sponge want militant poppy to come round to your work as you're meant to stay wrapped in cotton wool. I am not surprised you're hacked off - sounds like they couldnt run a piss up in a brewery.

rolf There is no way dh would have slept in til 9.30 if I were you - I'm with Deb on that one.

and deb the cake sounds lovely.

Ooh Paro, sympathies, we have just been sleep training too and it was not nice this time! Done in two nights though . Just the first night was bad... E screamed for two hours. Last night she slept through and T just needed a quick pick up/put down at 4am and 5.30am, then they slept till 8am . NO MORE FEEDING IN THE NIGHT NOW!! My friend said what she does if her baby wakes is pick him up first time, give him a quick cuddle then put him down and then do cc from there and he usually goes back to sleep within 30 mins. That has been my problem: I know how to get them to sleep through using cc, I just don't know what to do a week or two down the line when they wake up on a random night. I just assume they are hungry and feed them and then the bad habits start again! Well not now, they are 10mo now so no more feeding in the night.

Hope everyone is well today - we have spent the day clearing our garage which was great, but we have moved some of the crap inside the house which is not so great. Now I am too knackered to sort the stuff inside the house out.

What a georgeous day. We ahve christened my parents new pool which was lovely, they have a small indoor one with a jet that you swim against, it is the perfect size for DC's.

Missed a whole page out there before posting - Rolf at your DH! They are so crap sometimes but don't we just love'em.

Hi guys, thanks for your sympathies re: work. It's not that I'm especially bothered about working a 3 day week it's just that's what was agreed and that's what I've booked with my childminder. My childminder doesn't do half days which is great cos it gives me leverage to negotiate with work! They want me to do a 2 1/2 day week but that would mean paying my childminder for 3 days so I would be out of pocket.

I would be prepared to drop down to 2 days as that actually doesn't make that much difference to my crap salary, but I don't want to do Thurs/Fri as they are the two crappest days in my office. The other option they would want is for me to do Mon/Tues - but I don't see why I should step aside and let a new employee do the three days I wanted to do. That would just be bloody unfair . So I'm being completely belligerent and insisting on Weds/Thurs leaving them to fill Mon/Tues/Fri! I have my union rep on the case again.

Will keep you posted.

And poppy, yes please for militant poppy!

Rolf, I think you were mightily restrained, I would have emptied a large glass of water in his head! Although have to admit I did giggle at the thought of you charging around shouting chocolate teapot at your dh!

Sorry about the long post. Hi to everyone else.

Just a quick one - sympathies to Sponge with work issue, Rolf with home issues, and Poppy with ear issues...and anyone else with any issues!

Had a busy few days. Lots of work to finish, friends coming to stay, and Iestyn was a joy on Thursday but declined on Friday and is really not very well at all today. He's sleepy, hot and sad. (So am I!) Really worried that this will put paid to his first waterbabies lesson on Monday.
Systems, o veteran, tell me, how do you know if a baby has an ear infection? Great pain? I took Iestyn to the GP on Friday because it's a weekend, and was told his ears were red but not infected (and his throat likewise) and that Calpol should do it, but I was also given antibiotics to give him 'if necessary'. How do I know if it's necessary?

Sorry, all v. selfish. Quite tired and had a shout at my friends this morning cause she's pg and going on and on about a natural childbirth and quite sneery about my epidural, and I finally lost it and shouted! Thing is, I might be a bit smug in a month's time...her baby seems to be breach...

@ your friend Essie - what a silly woman. Is this her first baby? How ridiculous to be smug about your epidural when she has no idea what's going to happen .

Sorry to hear your little boy is poorly too .

essie that sounds exactly like edie was - hot, sad but no symptoms but slightly red ears.

I would have shouted at your friend too along the lines of "Come back in a month and show me your medal love"

I did, Poppy

Right, so I need to watch this ear then? Damn, I was really really looking forward to waterbabies in an unnatural way really! My life is too empty!

well after going a bit loopy as didnt really know what was going on it got better after teh gunk flowed out (as systems suggested) -doctor said I only need wait about 5 days after it burst to go back in water (although advice elsewhere from anecdote says to be a bit careful for longer).

can't blame you for looking forward to waterbabies -we love it ...

and baby nurofen was loads better at fixing her than just calpol

You can alternate nurofen and calpol every 3 hours, that really works well, keep them cool as well. Sympathies both.

yep thats what I did -although you can only do it every 3 hours when they're one. Its every 8 hours on the nurofen til they're one.

Poppy Glad Edies ear is on the mend, sounds really painful.

Sponge SOrry your work are messing you around at a time you really need peace!

sybilvimes Your friends husband sounds awful. I really hope she doesn't regret her decsion.

I am really tired after a bad night with DS but mainly from DD2's birthday party. She had a fab time so it was worth it!

Neenz re nanny and house work. I used to do the childs washing and tidy up after him but nothing else, they had a cleaner for that.

Hi All, am too exhausted to respond to anyone so apologies. Had the worst night ever last night - Luke was awake 5 times starting at midnight and I got so fed up of it that I got him up for the day at 5.10. Can't do controlled crying as we haven't gone in to him for ages so we kind of are but he hasn't got the message. Doesn't seem to be anything wrong - no red cheeks and drooling for teething, no temperature, sickness gone, runny bottom gone. We're at a loss. He's been in the biggest grump for the last two days and wants nothing other than for me to hold him. Not anyone else just me so my back is in pieces. I think I have reached the end of my tether with the lack of sleep as I have started to feel really teary today - it has been 6 weeks. Sorry to be on such a downer but need to get it off my chest. Has ANYONE got any ideas? Even the HV had no explanation. All I can think of is that I'm at work. I love my job and I'm so much happier now I'm back but I can't go on like this. If it goes on much longer i'll have to pack it in...

Oh and obviously just to make it worse Mark is off to Tokyo all week so i have to do everything on my own.

Oh Amber, that's crap. Have you tried giving him Calpol in case it is something hurting that's keeping him awake? Might be worth a try just to see if it makes a difference. I don't know anything about child psychology etc but do you think it could be that he just wants to see you and he knows in the night he will if he cries? Or are you not going into him in the night? Maybe you need to do cc by the book, rather than just going to him sometimes and not others? Hope you sort something.

Essie, how annoying your friend! I was into natural childbirth but would never have cast any aspersions before the big event cos you just don;t know what is going to happen. I think epidurals are great anyway, there's only one woman I know who gave birth vaginally on her own with no stitches and that is my sis - who had an epidural!

Ooh, got to go now my takeaway is here

Evening all. Just marking spot - all a bit hectic here trying to finish some coursework before going back to work on Tuesday!

Also hellish day here with S having an unexplained rash and also a bit of a scary fall. We've only just recovered from last weekends scary car incident.

Anyway, think I may just have an early night!

Amber I'm not surprised you're exhausted. I don't know what could help. The only consolation I can think of is that the babies are still young enough for each stage to be relatively short-lived. Not much help when you're right in the middle of a crummy one, though .

Sorry to hear about the sore ears. DD1 had perforated ear drums last year and it was horrible, although once they actually burst she started to improve. Essie I reckon you'll know if he needs the abs. If he's shaking his head or pulling at his ears, or obviously distressed, I'd give them to him. Glad you shouted at your friend .

Thanks for the sympathy about my crap night/DH. I escaped for the day with DS2 and Thea. DS2 had a party to go to and we were out for the whole afternoon, and DH stayed with DS1 and DD1 (which is the short straw - we're all really struggling with DD1). Poor DH isn't feeling very well at all so i feel a bit mean about my chocolate teapot remarks (which were interspersed with much less wholesome insults!)

Thea is properly crawling and is so proud of herself but so dangerous. She crawls upto doors and gets her head banged when someone opens them. She's fighting her naps, too, so I'm finding it difficult to get anything done which is a bit frustrating.

BDQ - is S ok? DD1 picked Thea up the other day and ran into the kitchen with her, then tripped up and dropped Thea on the slate floor. I was terrified but Thea was fine.

DD1 has found a way of being defiant with her nursery teachers, without actually getting into trouble. She calls them "Mr" Whatever instead of "Mrs", and speaks in a really thick scouse accent (which just makes me cringe {blush}, and I am trying so hard not to show it).

Amber I'm not surprised you're exhausted. I don't know what could help. The only consolation I can think of is that the babies are still young enough for each stage to be relatively short-lived. Not much help when you're right in the middle of a crummy one, though .

Sorry to hear about the sore ears. DD1 had perforated ear drums last year and it was horrible, although once they actually burst she started to improve. Essie I reckon you'll know if he needs the abs. If he's shaking his head or pulling at his ears, or obviously distressed, I'd give them to him. Glad you shouted at your friend .

Thanks for the sympathy about my crap night/DH. I escaped for the day with DS2 and Thea. DS2 had a party to go to and we were out for the whole afternoon, and DH stayed with DS1 and DD1 (which is the short straw - we're all really struggling with DD1). Poor DH isn't feeling very well at all so i feel a bit mean about my chocolate teapot remarks (which were interspersed with much less wholesome insults!)

Thea is properly crawling and is so proud of herself but so dangerous. She crawls upto doors and gets her head banged when someone opens them. She's fighting her naps, too, so I'm finding it difficult to get anything done which is a bit frustrating.

BDQ - is S ok? DD1 picked Thea up the other day and ran into the kitchen with her, then tripped up and dropped Thea on the slate floor. I was terrified but Thea was fine.

DD1 has found a way of being defiant with her nursery teachers, without actually getting into trouble. She calls them "Mr" Whatever instead of "Mrs", and speaks in a really thick scouse accent (which just makes me cringe {blush}, and I am trying so hard not to show it).

Thanks for the sympathies guys although last night wasn't quite so bad strangely (although I was still up at 5am). I have tried calpol and medised but it can't be that as it's gone on too long. We don't go into him at all now Neenz. Maybe you are right about just wanting company. He is very clingy during the day.

Amber if you're happy at work, then packing it in isn't going to make things better at all! Could Luke just be going through a stage where he needs more cuddles than normal? I've gotten out the sling again and have been carrying Fraser (easier for me than others I know, sometimes it helps to have a very light baby) and I can see that it's helped him relax. I'm also letting him sleep a bit in my bed again because it seems to help us all. i really feel for you - especially on your own this week, it's absolute hell isn't it? If you're tired, can you just lie on the floor and let Luke crawl all over you? Then he's getting contact and you're not doing anything? I used to do that when I got home from work with DS1, we called it mummy climbing gym time. I was always just too tired to actually play with him. Hugs!!!

Rolf I'm feeling bad for laughing at the idea of your DD1 at nursery... I'm sympathetic too - my DS1 has been flexing his attitude as of late and I'm a bit terrified of him getting older...

Essie The thought of you shouting at your friend made me smile If she has a tough birth she'll really appreciate having you around to tell her that it's okay afterwards, and if she has an easy birth - well then she's lucky enough to take a bit of yelling...

sponge I hope your union can get you the three days you want! It doesn't seem fair that you'd have to drop down to two days if you don't want to (although it'd be more time at home - silver lining).

I had a night out with the women from my NCT class with DS1. It was a lovely meal but I ended up not enjoying myself too much. They're all local, and while normally it isn't an issue, I felt totally foreign last night and out of it. Sometimes I forget that I live in a different country because so much of the culture is the same, but then every once in a while I just feel out of place. I couldn't join in to most of the conversation . Plus they all have a lot more money than we do - and we're lucky to be solidly middle class. I was amazed at their vacation stories and didn't want to start mine with "one time when we were camping...."

Sorry for self-indulgent post! Really I know I should be lucky to have such a nice group of friends with kids the same age!