November 2008: WE Are Not Interested iN eatinG yet!

[ChocOrange05]

Here we go ladies, thanks for giving me the honour of starting us off again!

Happy Mothering Sunday all.
Lacks hope you enjoyed your vino!

Dozy good job little tiger - excellent! No such luck here, but only one waking normally between 7pm-7am. She slept fine in her own room - the main reason I decided to do it was because our room is so light, she kept waking earlier and earlier...this morning she woke at 6:45am - much more civilised!

cricri I am really looking forward to going to France, but also a little nervous, as 2 weeks after we get back, I'm going back to work fulltime. So I need to sort all sorts whilst in France, e.g. weaning, getting her to take a bottle etc etc. Are you visiting your family in France?

Five months is a huuuuge growth spurt time Lola as they gear up to being able to pick things up, roll and start making recognisable sounds. Lots of changes going on.

monkey, we moved DD at about 17 weeks as we were just disturbing each other as she had been sleeping all night and then started waking.

but, as bumble is still feeding in the night, I'd rather keep him close so I can get to him before he is too awake as he takes ages to settle. Although I'm wondering if we are at the point where I'm waking him up by being next to him as the few nights he has slept next to DH and the night I was in hospital he woke less....maybe because he couldn't smell it? We maybe need to try him in the nursery, but as DD is still in there I don't want to risk waking her up too.

DH and I have been planning the garden this weekend and also what we are doing with the inside of the house....he has agreed to new sofas as one of ours is falling to bits and the other is faux suede and is going bald and manky with assorted children's gloop. Sooo....it'll be a couple of IKEA specials (with extra spare covers) to see us through to the kids being older and then we'll have our big leather corner group that I covet.

daisy go for the leather NOW they are a dream to clean with kids and vyer, very very sturdy!!

Daisy I agree with Dozy - we have leather sofas and they are fantastic for the exact reasons Dozy has listed. When DS1 had pyloric stenosis, if we had had normal sofas they would have been ruined by the amount of vomit - but our leather ones are still going strong.

I always though I would keep Sam with us for 6 months as we did with DS1 but he sleeps so well, I am actually keen for him to move into his own room to reclaim my bedroom But it will have to wait until we have decorated the spare room for DS1 which we plan to do over Easter.

Tegan just why did your HV advise early weaning? My HV said definitely not before 17 weeks - how come they all give such different advice

Had a lovely day today (even though the MIL has been round )

I can see the benefits of leather and small children..... but we have a cat who practically destroyed my mum's leather sofa! We can't really wait for the cat to meet it's maker though as our big sofa is in danger of collapse every time I hoover (which admittedly isn't often )

Bumble has been increasingly interested in food over the last week and tries to grab at things if they come in his vague vicinity....I reckon he will be getting hold of stuff and getting it to his mouth sooner than 26 weeks! I have given him a lick of my fingers with apple and melon on this week and the look on his wee face!

Happy Mothers day!!

lolabella really empathise - W has been feeding more and more as this week progressed, til we ended up having a night on the sofa (gave up trying to go back to bed in the endlast night)He was feeding every hour pretty much - my poor nipples!

But today he gave me the best mothers day present - a fit of chuckles!! I was pretending to be a monster and gobble his belly! I phoned dh (at work) so he heard him too!

Anybody's babies hating pram? Will cries - I think with boredom. Have started to use pushchair as he sits really well and this has helped a bit but he still seems to get bored and then cry. Hopefully just a phase as the trips out used to be the only guaranteed bit of peace I would get as he takes all his naps on me!

Anybody got blackout blinds? Need to get some as W is waking with daylight - anytime between 4.45 and 5.30 most mornings (yawn) Thinking of getting them baa baa blinds - read a discussion about them on mnet somewhere and people seemed to rate them quite highly!

Anyone heard from vbab? her ds was having some probs, hope all is well.

HI all
sound slike people have eenjoyed their weekends.

WE have IKEA sofas (don't know if you recall us getting them last year) and they have been fab so far.
I toyed with the idea of leather but am so glad we didn't in the end because the kittens would have trashed them. They are very good at climbing the curtains, too. They can go out next week once they have recovered from their 'special patches' as DS calls them (they have been neutered). At the moment they are both flaked out on the landing where the hoit water pipes run under the floor.They are growing into very lovely cats, but black cats are very hard to photograph.

Mimi is definitely on a growth spurt. MY goodness at this rate DH will wake up one morning to find me no morew than a shrivelled husk with a giant baby in my lap

SHe is very fabby, though.

dozy I don't know how I feel, really. It's very complicated at the moment. But I am struggling through my anxieties trying my best for my children's sake.

which ones did you get pinky? was it the ektorp ones?

I am such a dufus....I have been getting RSI in my arm/shoulder from dragging the pointer across the screen with my laptop keypad, and it is so painful that I have been limiting my computer time. Well DH just told me I could increase the speed of the pointer. I'm now whizzing around like a lighweight and hopefully the arm pain will soon disappear.

We got DD to got to sleep in her big bed tonight

We have blackout roller blinds but they aren't totally dark as the light gets round the edges. I'm toying with the idea of getting some that velcro to the window frame to create a complete seal as DS1 wakes up waaaaaay too early even now, let alone at the height of summer.

YesI think they are ektorp ones. One has the vintage blue and white pattern, the other has navy- because they don't do the sofa beds in the other fabric, but it works well having different sofas. We had two matchign ones before, which was nice, very formal- but since we had children thigns are decidedly less formal!

Well done getting DD to sleep in her bed. My DD loves her bed, it has really worked out well.

Our DCs rooms have blackout linings with their curtains, which do work well, but light comes through underneath, so maybe blinds would have been better (expensive though because our sash windows are long and not standard sizes).

we have black out blinds in the kids rooms and they are a god send, especially trying to get dd2 to bed at 7pm in the summer. We did have a very small chat yesterday about O going into his own room but neither me or dh seem too keen on the idea even though i would probably sleep better if he was as he grunts and farts loads in his sleep.

Another night of waking and feeding over here. Up at 12,2,3 and started day at 6 this is like a regression to newborn hell. We have been co sleeping for a couple of weeks now as its just easier. O always starts off in his bed though.

I was also thinking of getting a blackout blind in the hope that i can begin my day slightly later than 6am. God i'm dreading when it starts getting light at 4

Morning. Back from wedding. Very nice time. M has been very unsettled for last 2 weeks. Very sick/ possetty. AND fed every hour on the hour last night. Nightmare.
It has been very very quiet here, hasn't it.
See you all later. 5 loads of washing to do.

hang in there Lola.....remember the MN mantra

"This too shall pass

Pinky, not sure if I said, but well done on surviving Saturday. I hope it's made you feel a bit stronger about everything.

Hey Obs....glad you had a good time, but FIVE loads of washing???

Glad wedding went well Obs. E has been sicky/possetty over the past few days too, which is most unlike her. I wondered if it was teething. Good luck with all that washing!
She also has a rash of small red pimples all around her mouth and chin and I wondered if anybody else had experience of this? I think it's due to the constant drooling. Should I put anything on it? It doesn't seem sore.
Lolabella Sounds like O has started his 20-week growth spurt. Is he feeding lots during the day too?
MonkeyM Yes, we're staying at the family home in France in May so that will be nice. My Mum is coming too and DH will fly over for a long weekend.
Sorry, me post coming up. E has been quite demanding over the past few days - not happy unless she's in the sling and doesn't want to be left on her own for any length of time to play. She's also started sleeping for just 30 minutes at a time during the day whereas she'd been having a long sleep in the afternoons. I'm still trying to put her in her cot for her first morning nap but have to take her out because she just starts screaming, whereas a few weeks ago she was quite happy to sleep there. She's also still cluster feeding in the evenings but won't sleep in between feeds in the sling like previously so she gets overtired and fractious. She's not happy until I take her to bed with me and then she'll be out like a light. Last night I left her sleeping after getting her off to sleep and went off to do stuff - after half an hour she woke screaming. Am I going to have to start going to bed at 9pm every night?? It's getting a bit wearing tbh - I know it's only a phase but it's not much fun when you're in the middle of it. It feels as though we're going backwards on the sleep front and DH is convinced that she'll be in our bed forever and is not happy about it, although he hasn't got any miracle solutions either. I honestly can't see any option atm though

Cricri, yes we have 'red spots' round mouth . I too consider it sign of just constant saliva, dribbling.I put nothing on it, believing that to be best.
One of the reasons for the loads of washing Daisy is constant dribbling, explosive poohs and lots of sick means that we ave been getting through about 6 changes of clothes per day. Mostly sleepsuits becasue I can't be bothered to change 'outfits'.I have done 4 loads. 3 dark and 1 white wash. All done. Hoorah. Now I have nowhere to dry it all !

Total sympathy Cricri. We haven't had the cluster feeding admittedly, so I don't know how you are coping, but M has been very unsettled. And will not be put down. I never even sent my mum a mothers day card, and I am so ashamed. All the preparations I was supposed to do to get ready for going to the wed, I did not do. Becasue I literally had M in my arms. all day. for days. feeding. then being sick all over me. change him, change me. pooh everywhere. more washing. he is so unhappy.
I too feel like we are going backwards. But I do KNOW it is just a stage. and I have no suggestions to help you, I am afraid. or your poor dh. But only sympathy. you are not alone. big hug.

Morning everyone
No real advice from me either cricri we had this last week where i was constantly trying to keep DS happy, he would normally be happy in bouncer or on playmat for a while but last week he was lasting 5mins max then needed something else or would end up screaming!
I can happily say we are over the worst of that now (until the next one anyway!) the last 2 days he is back to playing quite contently on his own for short spells.

Also, the teething symptoms are getting better, he isnt constantly chewing his hands anymore and my happy boy has returned!

monkey my DS has been in his own room for a month now and i think thats me just getting used to not having him beside me, he on the other hand never batted an eyelid at being in big cot in big room!

Well done on all that washing obs lola hope you have managed to get some rest today and that tonight is better

We bought a bumbo yesterday and E seems to love it! He looks so little sitting up in it though.

Catch up with everyone later, off to a baby 1st aid talk

Cricri O also has days like that. I call him a velcro baby those days as he does simply not want to be put down (like today) i usually find though that he is either sick (a cold today) or sickening for something and simply wants the comfort. Bloody hard work on those days though.

Also second the red,pimply spots around chin. Dribbling too i think. I try and keep it dry but pretty hard with a drooly baby.

O not particularly feeding more in day but i bfeed on demand so although he doesn't ask for any more he could be taking more IYKWIM. It's just on a night. It has now got to the point that i am so anxious about what time he will next wake up that i cannot sleep. It's one vicious circle but sleep t the moment seems like a distant memory.

Sorry to hear others are suffering too, Obs every hour seems horrendous

All I can say re Dribbling is bipi.....looks cool, really works and small!

(In fact pinky you should seriously think about making them as I predict they are going to be HUGE!!!)

Scool run now, back later xx

How funny are these!!!

yay for bipi stuff dribble bibs. we have a few of them here and they are the only ones that keep clothes dry and chins non spotty

I was trying to figure out how to make some, as the tshirt bit is cut on the bias so it forms swathes iyswim....pinky, some of your materials would look really cool as bibs but they would need to be incredibly washable if for bibs!!

aaargh screamy baby.

I have doscovered that if I sit bumble on the floor against the front of my legs and between my feet, he is cradled and doesn't fall over. He likes sitting up and seeing what is going on....and I get to MN in peace

cricri, no advice sorry, DD was a cluster feeder, but she would then sleep all night. bumble has never cluster fed (apart from once during three weeks growth spurt) but he feeds all night instead. I just put it down to different babies, but I realise that isn't any consolation if you are struggling with lack of sleep.

Thanks for your comments everybody - it's good to know that I'm not alone, although I'm sorry to hear that so many of us are struggling at the moment. Let's hope it gets better very soon!
I've just googled those bipi bibs and I'm going to get a couple - thanks for the tip!
Obs 6 changes of clothes! I thought E was doing well on Saturday when she got through 4 sets of clothes whilst at MIL's and I ended up having to dash to ASDA (next door fortunately) to get her some more just to go home in! Sounds as though you're having a hard time as well atm. I don't know how you ladies with more than one cope, I think you're all amazing.
Fingers crossed for a quiet night for everybody anyway.

Hi guys. A quick pop back to say I am alive and relatively well. Babies are sleeping a bit better (only up 4x in total rather than 7x which it was for nearly a month!), I think they are over the growth spurt although well into teething now. Have discovered like lacks that when they sleep with dh in the room they sleep better so he has been having them till 3am, giving them a bottle whenever they wake (usually 12ish) and then we swap. Back to the newborn routine!

Am trying to sort a nursery but first we need to get rid of a (leather) sofa and get a sofa bed as our spare room will become nursery. Also need to get a blind made for parents to sleep in sitting room. Then got to get rid of single beds in spare room, so it's all a bit of a palaver, but I do think they will sleep a lot better.

Those bibs do look fab dozy. I discovered them too and also you can get a 'fake' ebay copy one for a lot cheaper!