Dec 08- Must keep chocolate & cheerfulness near, teething time is nearly here!

[pmk1]

Right.... back to post the link now!

omg i have just been shat upon from head to toe! it kept coming, i could not stem the flow. i am totally at where to start! baby, floor, walls or me?

5 wakings here but am not feeling too bad for it - and P actually sounds a little less snotty
Veggie - I don't think it's a crisp packet thing - have used loads of KY. It feels painful kind of not right at the entrance but a bit deeper . Not sure how to desribe it!
Got the in-laws coming this afternoon...
Spot - poor little T. Really hope he's better soon.
Kayz - P is in her own room but others use earplugs I think - perhaps Spot has some advice?
Right - dd1 wants to do some craft...and so the day begins! see you later (covered in glue and glitter and feathers and speakles and beads...)

Morning from a temporarily disabled Artichokes. My back really went bad yesterday and I was unable to sit at all. Had to lie on the hard floor all day. It hasn't been this bad since I first injured it at 18. We still had friends round so I lay on floor with three toddlers clambering over me like a new toy. Off to emergency osteopath in a minute.

Trace - your lady bits sound like mine were after DD1. It turned out I had been stitched too tight... I was given cone shaped inserts to, erm, well, pave the way. I have not explained that well have I? Suffice to say the Dr can help.

Spot - poor T and lot you. Def clean yourself first!

LadyT - so sorry about rainy closed Bilbao. I would shelter in a pretty church and marvel at a high catholic mass. Or maybe just shelter in a bar. The bars are open aren't they???

Right better start trying to get out of bed. It takes a while. Amazingly DD1 is still asleep and DD2 has happily laid next to me gurgling since she a woke an hour ago.

trace I had a third-degree tear and lots of internal lacerations with DD1 and I have to say it took a LONG time to get back to being remotely enjoyable - over a year. The first few times were horrible - excruciating pain, bleeding and bruising and generally unpleasant. I thought at one point I would never be able to DTD again . However I eventually started having regular physiotherapy and biofeedback sessions at the hospital (yes, quite as horrible as it sounds) things gradually improved.

I do think you should see your doctor and get a referral - you shouldn't put up with the discomfort because I don't think it will get better on its own. I really feel for you.

On a cheerier note though - once things were better they have stayed better (obviously c-section this time helped prevent any further damage) so I am sure things will improve if you get some professional help.

trace CAT or email me if you want any more info re the physio - it was all pelvic floor stuff and they did ultrasound scans etc as well (don't want to go into huge detail on here!)

well it turns out I was wrong about the snottyness abating. She woke up and was so crusted up that she couldn't feed. She'd latch on then have a look of panic in her eyes as she couldn't breathe, then come off and snort and gasp for air and then try again. After a few goes she gave up completely. DH took her into the bathroom and filled it with steam (usually helps with dd1) then she fell asleep for 2.5 hours! She's woken up, managed a small BF and has now gone back to bed again .
It's given me time to make Easter decorations with dd1 though - and clean all our sofas - and vacuum downstairs - and kind of clean the bathroom - and pop back here! DH is outside trying to teach dd1 to ride her bike with stabilizers! No success yet!
Thanks for advice re the Old Lady Downstairs . I was hoping you'd all say it was completely normal, but it sounds more like I ought to see the doc. Doh. Verso - what is CAT? How do I do it?

Trace I don't know much about this sort of thing but def talk to Verso. I refused stitches for my 2 degree tear with ds1 because I heard all sorts of stories about sutures being done wrong and causing all sorts of problems then had no tearing with ds2 despite his big old head (gets that from his dad). But I might be able to help with the CAT thing. You need to be signed up to CAT and then can request details of other MNers. Otherwise you could always email verso using our email list. I think it would be good to get sorted ASAP.

Spot how's the rest of your day been? You can always do a couple of just dioralyte feeds in the short term electrolytes are the most important nutrients and calories can be caught up very quickly after it's all cleared up. Oh and just to warn you it can take at least a week for the squites to clear up after the vomiting settles.

We had a good night child sleeping wise but our neighbours on one side had a massive argument all night, and I mean all night. We could hear them yelling at each other around midnight and 1am. Then I woke at 4.15 tofeed J and they were still at it then he woke again at 5 because he hadn't quite finished the previous feed I think. Then I couldn't get back to sleep after J had gone back to cot cos they were still a it then woke at 6.30 and they were still fighting and again at 8. Amazing the boys both slept in til 9.30 so got a nice sleep in but that is so bizarre about the neighbours. They are a nice couple and we get on with them though I think they are a bit younger. They do often argue and are really loud. DH finds it quite entertaining at times our own little soap opera. It's really difficult because how do you complain about that. It's different if it's a party all night but a fight???

We had a lovely day anyway. We took the kids for a cycle along a very small part of the Pennine bridleway at Wirksworth. We are hoping to do it most weekends if we can. It really felt so good to be cycling again. Ds1 had a little cycle by himself but then he wanted his dad to pull him along so we attached his bike to DHs bike with the tailgator thing and off he went on that while I pulled ds2 along in the trailor. DH has another fell race tomorrow so we are off out into the countryside again for that.

What a lovely day, Veg, sounds really nice. am v impressed with your energy, we tend to spend all our spare time on the sofa but I guess that changes as they grow up and want to go places...
i would have gone spare at your neighbours, I hate hate hate to be kept up by noise. Think I would just say something passive aggressive like "Oh goodness, have you been kept up by my baby crying at night? I'm so sorry, it's just that until last night I hadn't realised quite how think the walls were.... etc etc".
Thanks for the advice on the D&V, T has still been pooing himself silly but hasn't vommed (so far) today, so hope he's on the mend. He's just so confused by it all, poor thing, it's almost as if it's something shocking that's happening to someone else!
I've bought a little spout cup in anticipation of his 4 month birthday next week, as have been told that it's good to introduce v diluted juice - but what juice should I use? Orange? Apple? Fresh or from concentrate or squash? Oh, whole new world is opening up to me, I sense....
Hope everyone has had nice days .

i'm not sure if anyone else in the group has introduced juice at 4 months. I only ever gave either EBM or cooled boiled water by beaker cup for DS1 until he was about 10months, and then only the occasional follow on formula if we were out somewhere so he could feed himself in the pushchair if hungry. I really can't remember when i started giving juice, DS1 was a bit of lover if the boob and the milk which sprang forth from it so he wasnt that fussed on it initially i remember that. I think when i did give it i gave those hipp organic juices diluted.

yeah i was thinking about appologising for the baby noises. J is right next to their wall too so they must hear him.

I have popped up a couple of photos of DS2 in his Soccaroos top with his citizenship certificate, also added some on FB.

Glad T is on the up he will be hungry hungry hungry soon, bless him. It is so hard when they are sick, i have to say i am so pleased i am a nurse i am used to seeing sick kids so im quite comfortable looking after the boys when unwell, though it still breaks my heart. I would say the best thing to remember with sick kids is that if you are at all worried just take them to GP or if closed or they seem not be improving to A&E, its better to look like a neurotic mother than to not take them when you should have, any good paediatric doctor will tell you that too.

Right i had better go and hide some easter eggs before i go to bed. Any guesses how many i will eat while hiding them?

Hi everyone, how are you all? Happy Easter!

What a lovely time I had on Thursday at the York meet up. So so nice to put faces to names (real or MN names!) and have a proper chat. Tilly and Veggie?s older DS?s are adorable and played so nicely together, it was fab to have them with us. And the babies are all gorgeous. I assume all the Southern babies are just as lovely, but we do breed them well up North . Hatty ? hope you had fun at Castle Howard, the new playground there is amazing (and apparently the staff often catch parents playing too, as it?s so good!)

DH went away last week, with the laptop, so I have a lot of catching up to do ?

Spot ? so sorry to hear about your sister. Please don?t feel guilty, I?m sure she?ll be very pleased that you?ve given her a lovely nephew. Thanks for the hair tip, DD often has mine wrapped around her fingers, so will be vigilant about removing them now. I hope T is getting better? Poor little fella

Sybil ? I do hope your friend and her baby are ok

Sugar ? you?ll have gone away by now, but your DH came good (although he did owe you!). Enjoy the trip away, I hope you come back relaxed and refreshed

And taking of Easter breaks, hope you?re having a fab time in Bilbao LadyT, and WG in Italy

Kayz ? we?re also having a ?christmas? dinner tomorrow. My Mum got a spare turkey, in case I was in hospital on Christmas day and we needed to celebrate it on another day. Fortunately, she is cooking it, not me (it would be cheese on toast ? again ? if it was ). Good luck with yours, and have fun with the family. And very well done on the 6lbs

Verso - sorry about your worsening nights, I really don?t know what to say to help. I am also having very weird dreams at the moment, some quite gross

Trace - at my 6 week check, my dr (female) did say that sex would feel lumpy (must be a very technical, medical, term ), from the site of stitches, and likely to be uncomfortable too at first, although she didn?t mention painful, so it might be worth seeing someone. DH and I haven?t had sex yet so I can?t confirm the lumpy or uncomfortable, we?ve tried a couple of times but I?m so nervous of tearing again I go all tense (obviously DH isn?t the size of my baby?s head, so I shouldn?t be worried ). Some of the advice from those with older DC?s sounds very good.

Well, it really is bedtime for me now, DH is snoring on the sofa and will be cross he?s missed the end of his film. Off to peep at DD before I get into bed, I love her so much when she?s sleeping, she looks so peaceful and beautiful.

oh and York ladies i havent downloaded photos off my camera yet gotta find the cable thing but will do so soon.

Oh dear, spoke too soon. At midnight T did the most incredible projectile vom all over the nursery. So It's back to square 1 with the thin feeds and dioralyte. Thing it he's starving (which was why I'd started giving him normal thickness feed for the one he puked up as he'd kept them down all day). Veg, any ideas? Do I just keep giving him the thin feeds but just loads more of em? HOw do I tell he's ready to take a thicker one? Or do I just try again when I think he's ready and risk another projectile?
Your Fbook pix are v cute, what beautiful chilren you have .
Hi Zoe, glad to have you back .
Happy Easter everyone!

Hey spot, what a horrible night you had, poor T. I don't have a clue about the feeds, but could you slowly up the thickness of them, so its less of a shock to his system?

We've not had a great night (but much better than spots), we put DD in her cot for the first time and I don't know if it was all the space in there but she woke up much more regularly than normal. She settled well every time we put her down, but she woke up again a couple of hours later. Any suggestions to make it seem less 'big'?

Happy Easter to you all. What time is it acceptable to start eating chocolate today?

Spot: sorry T id dtill unwell. No expert, but I'd carry on with the thinned feeds. We have this prob when DS1 has a tummy bug, he's always starving and wanting sausages (or something equally inappropriate) before he's ready for proper food. Could you gradually increase the strength of the feed?

Well, depsite m=isgivings we had a lovely day yesterday with my parents and grandfather. We ventured into the park despite the drizzle and DS1 had a great time playing football with Granddad and reading all the books they bought. They also got him a miniature folding director's chair which he loves, he lounges back in it and looks v pleased with himself. DS2 less comfortable with unfamiliar people and had two poo explosions so he's recovering today.

Hope you all have a lovely Easter. We're off on an Easter Egg hunt and then watching Madagascar this afternoon. No idea where DS1 has seen it before, but he's been singing 'I like to move it move it' constantly for 3 days. Generally to DS2 who looks bemused by the whole thing.

zoe: DS1 has FIVE easter eggs (he's only 2). I have 2 and have not opened either yet . Choc for breakfast is more or less compulsary at Easter, isn't it?

re: the sleeping in the cot, can you use rolled up blankets at the sides to take up some of the space? The other tip I've heard is to put the moses nasket in the cot first.

Ooh I forgot: we may have found a house! Agreement signed so we jkust need to convince them we are solid citizens who aren't going to default on the rent and abscond with the fittings. It's a small terraced house only 5 mins from the main station (so ideal for when I go back to work) with a biggish garden (yay!) and backing into fields. We may be moving in the next couple of weeks so must make the most of being in London... did someone mention a trip to the Zoo?

What is going on with the website it's come up all different on the itouch.

Spot you did the right thing it's a bit hit and miss when they are getting better. I would agree with what others have said and try 3/4 strength milk but really a vomit apart from being a lot to clean up will not hurt as he gets used to feeds again. Just go back to a little less but more often. Formula unfortunately is a bit heavy so it's just the tummy getting used to it again as well as the bug causing havoc. I don't suppose you've got any EBM left? But really I wouldn't worry too much your doing really well seriously I wouldn't worry about how much and what he is getting right now, hydration is the most important thing he will catch up on all his other requirements very soon. Expect a hungry little hippo a few days from now.

We've had our eater egg hunt in parts. Ds2 and I slept in so dh and ds1 were already downstairs and ds1 had found 3 eggs already so I thought they had already done it but not found the main one (dh didn't know where it was either). So I led him to it but have just discovered they didn't do a proper hunt so there at loads left. Poor dh they didn't do proper Christmas and Easter or any sort of celebrations when he was a kid so he has no idea of what to do with these things. I had to explain the rules of pass the parcel to him at a recent birthday party.

Hooray for the house Effie! I'm sure they will see you are all upstanding citizens.

Happy Easter everyone.

spot sorry to hear T is still poorly. As for the juice thing, up to you entirely of course but guidelines say nothing but milk for the first 6 months (and even then, juice is of limited nutritional value if he has a decent diet tbh - I don't think we gave DS any till he was well over a year old and even now I try to give him it only occasionally, and very diluted when possible). Can't wait to see your new do by the way.

Effie hooray for the new house. Looks like you might be there before we are!

LadyT sorry to hear about the grim weather in Bilbao - but hey, that's what pintxos are for. If it's any consolation it's not great here either, just grey & drizzly - I'm in a grey and drizzly mood as a result.

arti hope your back's on the mend.

Veggie how cute are your DSs?

Flippin DS put my phone in a pint of water the other day and now it's knackered. Well the phone works but none of the buttons do so I can't actually do anything. Have a spare phone so no probs there but it turns out all my numbers were stored on the phone not the SIM card (so any of you whose number I had could you email or text me when you get round to it - ta). Much more annoying is that it had pictures taken straight after the births of both DCs, which I am quite attached to and which I haven't got stored anywhere else. I don't suppose anyone has any tips for resurrecting it have they?

Happy Easter everyone - we have guests for lunch and I can just hear them parking so I'll be brief. Just wanted to say love to everyone, get well vibes to all the sickies (esp poor T, Spot, bless you, it sounds terrible), sleep to all the non sleeping babies and their poor mummies, and lashings of chocolate and cheerfulness for all.

Hope to post properly later.

Thanks for all the support and suggestions, folks, it's scary when it feels like he's really regressed (doesn't smile, crying when we try to get any fluids into him) plus I've been really sick and achy today so am a bit worried I won't be able to look after him properly. DP has taken him out on a tour of NE London to find some dioralyte as the stuff we were prescribed has run out. He's feeling ill too - hope we haven't got the norovirus or summat from the hospital.
Top news about the house, Effie, am really pleased for you .
Hi PD, hope you're ok, sorry no tips about the phone, that's a real bummer about the pix. Could you take it to carphone warehouse or somewhere like that?
Better go and eat something (though really no desire to do so) and wash T's bottles. Back later, hope you have a lovely lunch Syb.

all poorly here too - but medicinal amounts of choc being consumed of course.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter one and all! Sorry to hear of all the illness. Hope you all get better very swiftly. arti how is your back? Verso - keep up the chocolate consumption
We went to a lovely family service at our church, then went to the park this afternoon, then I even managed to get our lawns mowed! What a lovely day - and a contrast to last Easter's snow!
I need an early night tonight - last night the in-laws stayed till gone midnight then P fed 2 hourly...Am really hoping she sleeps for longer soon - sorry - same old same old! She's asleep now so am taking myself to bed very shortly
Night night all xxx

Dreadful night - but not just with DD2 for once. DH and I both have strep throat and are running slight fevers. Unfortunately that makes his MS worse. He tried to get out of bed at 3am to go to the loo and collapsed on the floor as he can't feel his legs. I've had to make him as comfortable as I can down there as I can't lift him. He can't take any paracetamol at the moment to reduce the temp either because he keeps throwing up...

Then DD2 has been up since 4am... just gone back down. I've been shamelessly using the dummy tonight. Anything to get her to sleep and get through to the morning.

I've got guests coming over today for lunch and it's DD1's birthday! Luckily they're v old family friends so I hope they won't mind me bunging a couple of frozen pizzas in the oven instead of doing the roast I had planned!

I'm sure DD1 will be fine - I wrapped her presents last night (apart from the swing, which was meant to be put up at the weekend but the handyman didn't turn up )... just hope DH can get up off the floor at some point .