August 2008: Six Month Milestones and More

[TwilightSurfer]

Cyteen, the kindness/silliness thing is exactly what I was harrumphing to DH about at the weekend. It is so hard to make proper time for one another when you are tired.

With the first baby, the rejigging of things because there are 'three people in this relationship' is very discombobulating I think. (Ticking one off my 'words to be saved from extinction list there)

PF I'm with you on the deferred plan to spend one evening a week with DH. I think we've managed it once since Christmas which is the reason for last weekend's meltdown. I seem to have hit a wall of tiredness, and so there has been whimpering here too.

DS has remembered how to read though after a week of apparently forgetting it all. [DS] And DD1 is starting to be genuinely loving towards DD2. She's been nice before but the bond seems deeper now.

And DD2 said 'mamamama' today so that's been a ray of sunshine too.

That must have been nice to hear Poppy! Well done on getting it sorted.

CC I vote for coachman too - what about adding a black nose and whiskers to make him the coachman at midnight on the verge of turning back into a mouse?! Unusual choice of book though - not that I know anything about primary ed - surely most children of your DS's age will know it from panto or disney rather than from reading Brothers Grimm?

Sazzles we are persevering with weaning though I still don't think she's really eating much! Mango was popular today, also butternut squash. I am getting better at cutting shapes she can hold. Still BFing just as much though to get those calories in. Bit worried about maintaining BFing while she's in ICU - I know the hospital will support me and have good pumps etc but I've never had much luck pumping... Found a few threads here and elsewhere on restarting after a short break, in case that's what it comes to.

Sorry, everything comes back round to hospital at the moment Boring.

Pertelote-what are these holdable shapes.
Avacado was fired across the room in several directions today here and I have no idea if I've tracked them all down.

It is not 'boring' to mention the hospital. Please, please let us offer our collective ears to whatever you need to say about the whole thing. It takes a lot to BF to this stage, and of course the thought of it being derailed is upsetting. I'm glad DH's medieval chicken brought smiles by the way.

X-post Sibh - how lovely to hear mama! there are some things that really do make it worth while

oh sibh that must have been really lovely to hear mama.

pertelote - of course everything comes round to the hospital with you, it's the really big and scarey thing going on in your lives at the moment, like it does to sleep (although much smaller, feels like a big issue here) with me. Continued thoughts for you all, being sent from Argentina too.

On which topic (sleep that is), well, DS pretty reliably goes to sleep between 7.30 and 8pm. Usually 2 night wakings at the moment but ... the morning this morning was at 5am and 6am is normal.

Today I decided that this was because he had too much daytime sleep and so today he only got three 45 minute naps, from which I ruthlessly woke him up each time. As a result he was a kind of cranky baby (although with lovely moments, because he is still lovely, of course). I will report back on any progress.

I guess that I could put him to bed later, but I kind of like having the evenings to run around and tidy the house/pfaff around on the internet.

And my second question for today is how do you all deal with the thought of your DCs crying when you are not with them. I am in the same place as DS when I work in the mornings, and when I hear him cry I always go to him, which is a bit disruptive (work isn't very busy yet, but will probably get more busy), and probably doesn't help my MIL as she tries to establish a routine with him. What would you do?

I guess that part of the problem is the MIL-DIL relationship. My ILs are such good people, kind, caring, generous and really kind to look after DS while I work - it's such a great arrangement. And as my mum says, they did a pretty good job with my DH. But ... I guess that the issue is that I can't specifically tell them what to do with DS, and I always have to be polite. If it was my mum, for example, I would be able to explain exactly what she was doing wrong and why DS was crying and I could even get grumpy with her if I didn't agree with what she said.

So no complaints, really, they are such good people, just a bit of adjusting to do. Hmmm, maybe I will try a few "if DS cries when he is tired it helps if you give him a cuddle" type suggestions. And my MII -is- good with him, and they both obviously love him and care for him, so I do try not to get stressed about it.

Here endeth the waffle.

fmc (that's you pertelote ) please don't apologise about talking about the hospital. its obviously on your mind and we're more than happy to listen, especially as there's not much else we can do.
when you tried pumping before was it a manual or electric?

and does anyone else giggle like a teenager when people mention pumping.

to completely lower the tone and with many many apologies

but on a more serious note, pertelote, I do hope that things go OK with the BF. Will they be able to give any the milk that you express to your DD while she is in the ICU? I guess that the key thing is to be really aware of all the things that you can do to maintain your supply, ask for lots of support, and then work to rebuild it again afterwards

oh and miamla - if you are still there, we went on honeymoon to the youth hostel in epping forest, which I guess that I must have mentioned before, as we needed somewhere cheap and near London because we spent nearly a week applying for my visa/sorting out documents etc. just after we got married.

A bit like a hut, and the smallest bedroon in the world, with bunk beds. But we still had a nice time.

aah, that sounds lovely
back in a sec

hmm, DS didn't want to go in his cot so he's back downstairs again!

so you had bunkbeds for your honeymoon? now THAT sounds like fun!

Hi everyone. Just checking in. Haven't been on all day
Went swimming this morning, then straight to MIL's where I ended up staying all day.

pertelote can I second what the others said. Of course it's going to come back to the hospital a lot. I can't imagine how it must be weighing on your mind at the moment. Just know our thoughts are with you and Marianne.

Hi Ann! and Hi TS if you are online on transatlantic time

and night all.

Good morning everyone. I have a seriously windy bo this morning. Iffarting were an olympic sport...

morning ladies

pert hope you have a good day with M today, thinking of you both

sibh I have heard discombobulate once on radio 4 and once at a party (used by an Irishman), a good word and still current parlance.

vg E must be very advanced - we have that toy and ds just pats the wooden beads hopefully. My mum is in favour of an empty margarine tub and wooden spoon - ds has his own wooden spoon at her house. Parmesan is OK if small quantities

cc glad you enjoyed work, your boss sounds amazing, sadly I dont think your experience is a common one.

lwfh my ds is also waking earlier and earlier - will be interested in hearing the results of your experiment. Last night he started shouting/chortling and cooing at 4.45am. This lasted until 6.30am when he finally fell asleep. DP's alarm went off at 6.45am

More at your mama sibh. We just have varying degrees of force and volume behind Aaahh here and raspberry blowing (particularly during puree feeding ).

How are you today pertelote? Am sure the bf people at GOSH will have the best possible equipment and equipment to help you so even if the expressing hasn't worked before it hopefully will there.

How are you today no1?

LOL VG. You mean I have to grow up too??

Oh and hp. Have you seen that the BBC ad has been changed? all round!

Burt Bacharach?? vg honestly!

Don't care what anyone says about not weaning til 26 weeks, babies don't really need food til 9 months etc etc. DD has definitely needed more than just milk and is loving her food over the last couple of weeks. Slight problem I have is that she was fine wtih lumps, bits, chewing on a kiwi etc til I gave her some yogurt... now she only wants smooth things and spits anything else out
vg DH suggested we give dd pea&ham soup til I pointed out the salty factor... but I am sure a little bit of parmesan won't hurt.

Should be working...

pertelote, really came on to say thinking of you and Marianne

What a morning: surgery postponed as a more urgent case has come in (that poor family). Now expecting it to be next Thurs, 12th March. Keep those kind thoughts on hold! Quarantine continues... Strange mix of feelings: relief, frustration, anti-climax, cabin fever!

Will now catch up...

pertelote I think of you and Marianne often. Even my DP asked after you the other day! Never feel bad about expressing what's on your mind - if any of us did that, we'd never have filled ten thousand threads already

ataraxis know what you mean about the food, Joe is all about the eating. He had porridge cakes and yoghurt for breakfast this morning and looked like he was having a great time. Tell you what though, any worries I had about filling up my day have disappeared since we started weaning; where does the time go? Life is just one endless round of making food, giving food, clearing up food, cleaning highchair/floor/walls, round and round again...

Well, last night was truly the suckfest to end them all. I won't bore you with the details but at least it meant that DP and I got some things off our chests this morning. Still not feeling 100% improved but at least we're talking honestly.

Off to check out a nursery now, see you girls later

Sorry, x-posted with you there pertelote. What a total bummer At least there's one thing you can do while cooped up in the house, and that's cuddle Marianne till she squawks with indignation

pertelote thinking of you as you carry on with the quarantine!!

We had a good night. ds slept 7.15 til 7am. I like these odd good nights thrown in to remind us he CAN do it. Dd was awake at 5 (though dh made her go back to sleep i think).....

cc never heard of children being given a theme for book day before. dd has got to go tomorrow in costume too. She's going as Shannon the ocean fairy (just wait til your girls are 5, those ladies with girl babies!!!!!!! - fairy magic - it's endless (though infinitely better quality than the tiara club!)

just been looking on the book people - always dangerous. Loads of good sets for dd (some enid blytons i never had amongst other things)

well, awake and cheery at 5.30am, which is better than 5, but then napped a bit more in bed with us from 6ish to 7 (I think).

Will report again tomorrow as after a 5am start yesterday and only 2 hours daytime naps he should have been tired ...